Topalov, Veselin – Kotsur, Pavel

2752 2012 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Old Benoni, 2012: Topalov (2752) against Kotsur (2548). White locks the centre with 2.d5, then grabs space with e5 and f4 while Black shuffles knights between c5, d7 and d3 looking for counterplay. The turning point comes twice on the same move number. With 34.b4 White lets a winning position slip, the evaluation dropping from +3.5 to +1.1. Black hands it straight back with 34...Rc7, from -1.1 to -3.7, and the game ends 1-0. Accuracy: 77% for White, 68% for Black. The takeaway: the move right after you escape is the one that needs the most care.