The story behind the game
Topalov enters the seventh rank, offers a rook for a bishop and then advances the connected central pawns. Giri keeps checking chances and an active rook, so White’s king must help the pawns survive. The key is to judge the exchange offer through the position that remains after the queens are traded.
Take these ideas to your next game
- A seventh-rank rook can force a defender into place.
- Evaluate an exchange offer by the resulting pawn mobility.
- Connected passers can gain time against a rook.
- Use the king to help a pawn advance safely.
Read the complete annotated game
Full game transcript, including the result and the answers. Original explanations by chessgames.info; game score from the sources below.
Rb7 enters the seventh rank with a concrete target. Black answers by placing the bishop on c8. White then goes to b8, continuing to constrain Black’s pieces. Compare the rook’s activity with Black’s central pawn break: the seventh-rank entry is useful because it creates threats that demand attention.
Rxb6 offers the exchange to remove a central defender. After axb6, White’s queen takes the pawn on c6. The resulting position gives White connected central passers and active pieces. Count the remaining pawns and Black’s checks before treating the exchange offer as automatically favourable.
e6 advances a connected central passer. The pawn threatens further progress with support supplied by the queen and d-pawn. Black keeps counterplay with Qe5 and a rook invasion, so calculate checks before pushing again.
e7 forces Black to deal with the promotion threat. Black’s bishop reaches f7, where it can contest e8. White then advances the d-pawn and uses the king to support both passers. Judge the king’s checking exposure together with the pawns’ progress rather than only counting their distance from promotion.
Result: 1-0. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 26: Use the seventh rank
Which rook move attacks the bishop on d7? In the game: Rb7. Rb7 enters the seventh rank with a concrete target. Black answers by placing the bishop on c8. White then goes to b8, continuing to constrain Black’s pieces. Compare the rook’s activity with Black’s central pawn break: the seventh-rank entry is useful because it creates threats that demand attention.
Engine-supported alternatives
Na4 Bxa3 Qc3 Rg7 Bf3 h6 Ke2 Be7 Rb7 · -0.16 · depth 18
Bf3 Bxa3 Qa4 Bc5 Nxd5 cxd5 Qxd7 Bxe3+ Ke2 Bb6 Qd6 Qxd6 · -0.37 · depth 17
Rb7 Bc8 Rb8 Bb6 Ba6 Bxe3+ Kxe3 Qc5+ Kf3 Bxa6 Qb3 Qg1 · -0.50 · depth 17
Move 32: Exchange a rook for a defender
Which rook capture removes the bishop on b6? In the game: Rxb6. Rxb6 offers the exchange to remove a central defender. After axb6, White’s queen takes the pawn on c6. The resulting position gives White connected central passers and active pieces. Count the remaining pawns and Black’s checks before treating the exchange offer as automatically favourable.
Engine-supported alternatives
Qxc6 Rc8 Rxh7+ Kxh7 Qxe6 Rxc3+ Kxc3 Qc1+ Kb3 Qb1+ Ka4 Qc2+ · +0.00 · depth 22
d5 Qxa4+ · -0.02 · depth 22
Re7 Qh6 d5 cxd5 Qc6 Rc8 Qxe6 Qxe6 Rxe6 d4 Bd3 Rxc3+ · -0.05 · depth 21
Rxb6 axb6 Qxc6 Rg6 d5 Bg8 e6 Qxh2 Qxb6 Qe5 Qb4 Rg2 · -0.11 · depth 26
Move 35: Advance the protected passer
Which pawn advance reaches e6 beside the passed d-pawn? In the game: e6. e6 advances a connected central passer. The pawn threatens further progress with support supplied by the queen and d-pawn. Black keeps counterplay with Qe5 and a rook invasion, so calculate checks before pushing again.
Engine-supported alternatives
e6 Qxh2 Qxb6 Qe5 Qb4 Rg2 Qf8 Rg7 Qb4 h5 Bd3 Rh7 · +0.00 · depth 20
Qe8 · -0.83 · depth 20
Qc7 Qxh2 Qb8 Rg2 Qd6 Rxe2+ Nxe2 Qxe2+ Kc3 Qe3+ Kc4 Qc5+ · -1.82 · depth 19
Move 41: Force the bishop to block
Which pawn advance threatens promotion on e8? In the game: e7. e7 forces Black to deal with the promotion threat. Black’s bishop reaches f7, where it can contest e8. White then advances the d-pawn and uses the king to support both passers. Judge the king’s checking exposure together with the pawns’ progress rather than only counting their distance from promotion.
Engine-supported alternatives
e7 Bf7 d6 Kf6 Nd5+ Ke6 Nf4+ Kxd6 Nxh3 Be8 Nf4 Kxe7 · +3.11 · depth 19
a4 Rh4+ Kc5 Rh3 Kb4 Rh4+ Kb3 Kf6 a5 Rh1 a6 Ra1 · +2.63 · depth 19
Bc4 Rh4+ Kc5 f4 e7 Bf7 d6 f3 Bb5 Rh5+ Kb6 Rxb5+ · +2.58 · depth 19
Every piece has a part to play.
Topalov enters the seventh rank, offers a rook for a bishop and then advances the connected central pawns. Giri keeps checking chances and an active rook, so White’s king must help the pawns survive. The key is to judge the exchange offer through the position that remains after the queens are traded.
Look a little deeper
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Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 12–22. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
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