Sunday 22 February 2009

Kamsky levels match with win in Game 4

Gata Kamsky levelled the World Chess Challenge match with Veselin Topalov by defeating him in the 4th game of the match. The game began as a Ruy Lopez, but unlike Game 2, Topalov reverted to more familiar lines with 3. ... a6 (rather than 3. ... Nf6). After the usual Ruy manoeuvring, Kamsky sacrificed a pawn on move 26, which paid dividends as firstly he was able to develop on the queenside, and then he won back the sacrificed pawn, and then a second one just as the players reached the first time control. The loss of the pawn probably affected the rest of Topalov's game as he felt after the game that he could have defended the ending better.
The win by Kamsky was his first ever over Topalov, and sets up an exciting second half of the match. After the rest day, Kamsky has another White, as the order of colours is reversed at the halfway point to stop the same player (in this case Topalov) from having White after every rest day.
Additional coverage of the match can be found at the USChess where GM Ian Rogers is doing the reporting.

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