May is the cruellest month*

At least for Veselin Topalov. Last year it was the month he lost the World Championship match to Viswanathan Anand, this year it is his exit from the Candidates matches at the hands of Gata Kamsky.
But no one could accuse Topalov of not giving his all. Going into the final game needing a win to force the match into playoff games, he gained an edge in the middlegame, and a mistake by Kamsky on move 38 gave him a winning position. However on move 46 he moved his king into the open, and suddenly Kamsky had enough to draw the game. For the next dozen move Topalov kept pushing for a win, but Kamsky continued to defend, and Topalov abandoned the game as a draw.
So the unfancied Kamsky goes through to the next round and a match with Gelfand. The other two semi finalists are yet to be decided, with the playoff games happening as I type this.

(*Apologies to TS Eliot)

Topalov,Veselin - Kamsky,Gata
Candidates Matches Kazan (1.2), 08.05.2011

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qc2 Bg7 6.e4 Nb6 7.d4 0-0 8.Be3 Bg4 9.Ne5 Bxe5 10.dxe5 Nc6 11.h3 Be6 12.Rd1 Qc8 13.f4 Rd8 14.b3 Nb4 15.Rxd8+ Qxd8 16.Qb1 f5 17.exf6 exf6 18.Be2 Qe7 19.0-0 Bf7 20.Bf2 Rd8 21.Rd1 Rxd1+ 22.Qxd1 c5 23.Bf1 Nc6 24.g3 Kg7 25.Bg2 h5 26.Nb5 Nc8 27.Qd2 c4 28.bxc4 Bxc4 29.Nd4 Qb4 30.Qc1 N8e7 31.a3 Qa4 32.Qb2 b6 33.Kh2 Kf7 34.Qc3 Ba2 35.f5 Qc4 36.Qb2 Ne5 37.Qd2 g5 38.Ne6 N7c6 39.Qd6 Ke8 40.Nc7+ Kf7 41.Nd5 Qe2 42.Qxf6+ Ke8 43.Qe6+ Kf8 44.Kg1 Qd1+ 45.Bf1 Bxd5 46.exd5 Nd4 47.Qf6+ Kg8 48.Qxg5+ Kf7 49.Qd8 Qc2 50.Bg2 Qc1+ 51.Kh2 Qc2 52.Bg1 Ndf3+ 53.Kh1 Ne1 54.Bf2 Qxf2 55.Qc7+ Kf6 56.Qd6+ Kf7 57.Qc7+ Kf6 58.Qd6+ Kf7 ½-½