Rapid Delux • Kramnik vs Topalov • Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament • Nice, France (2008) • King’s Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Glek Defense (E94)

This game is a significant encounter between two of the greatest rivals in modern chess history, played during the prestigious Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament in 2008.

Vladimir Kramnik, the 14th World Champion, is known for his deep preparation and “iron” positional style. At this time, Kramnik was still at the very top of the world rankings.

Veselin Topalov, the former FIDE World Champion and a player of immense tactical energy. Topalov was famed for his uncompromising, aggressive style.

The Amber Tournament, held in Nice, France, was a unique event where elite grandmasters played both blindfold and rapid games. This specific game was from the Rapid section.

The rivalry between Kramnik and Topalov was arguably the most intense in chess during the mid-2000s, following their controversial “Toiletgate” World Championship match in 2006. Relations between the two were icy—they famously refused to shake hands before games. Every encounter between them was a grudge match, with both players desperate to prove their superiority. Topalov chose the King’s Indian Defense, a sharp, and complex opening that perfectly suited his desire to play for a win even with the Black pieces.

This game is a masterclass in how Kramnik neutralized Topalov’s aggression by using a central Knight maneuver and a decisive exchange.

The Opening Struggle Topalov employed the King’s Indian, specifically the Saemisch-style structure. Kramnik’s move 11.Nd5! was a powerful central strike, occupying a key outpost. To deal with this, Topalov was forced to give up a pawn with 11…d3 and trade off the Knight on e7, allowing White to gain the pair of Bishops.

The game became highly tactical around move 16. Topalov sought counterplay by attacking the Queen, but Kramnik remained calm, capturing the pawn on a7 and later the one on b7. While Topalov had active pieces, Kramnik’s Bishops began to dominate the board.

The climax occurred starting from move 24.Ng5. Kramnik lured Topalov into a series of trades: 25.Qxb7!—Kramnik enters a sequence where he trades his Queen for a Rook and a Knight, but the resulting position is technically winning for White because of the crushing coordination of his pieces; 26.Rxb7—after this trade, Black’s position collapsed. Topalov’s King became extremely vulnerable.

Kramnik used his Bishops and Rooks to trap the Black King. After 28.Bc4+ Kh8 and the subsequent discovery of the Bishop on f8, Topalov was completely paralyzed. The final blow, 33.Rxe4!, left Topalov without any defense against the mating threats.