The last classical game

Veselin Topalov vs Viswanathan Anand

World championship · 2010 · 0-1

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0 / 112 half-moves

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A masterpiece, move by move

The deciding classical game of the 2010 championship. Anand’s central pawn breaks expose Topalov’s king.

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30... f5

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Challenge the center. Anand advances the f-pawn against White’s e4-pawn. Opening this part of the board can give the bishop on a8 a long diagonal toward White’s king.

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31... e4

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Open the diagonal. After exf5, Black pushes the e-pawn. White’s f-pawn captures it, and ...Qxe4+ brings the queen into the attack along the newly opened diagonal.

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45... Rg2+

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Force the queen exchange on Black’s terms. The rook checks from g2. White answers Qxg2, and the bishop from a8 captures the queen; after Kxg2, Black’s surviving queen faces a rook and knight.