Game 5 Drawn

Topalov,Veselin (2805) - Anand,Viswanathan (2787) [D17]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6 7.f3 c5 8.e4 Bg6 9.Be3 cxd4 10.Qxd4 Qxd4 11.Bxd4 Nfd7 12.Nxd7 Nxd7 13.Bxc4 a6 14.Rc1 Rg8 15.h4 h5

In game three, Anand had played 15...h6, and had found himself with a boxed in bishop as well as a stymied kingside after Topalov had continued with h5 and g4. This time Anand doesn't plan to let this happen.

16.Ne2 Bd6 17.Be3 Ne5 18.Nf4 Rc8 19.Bb3 Rxc1+ 20.Bxc1 Ke7 21.Ke2 Rc8 22.Bd2

22.Rd1 Rc6 23.Be3 Bc5 24.Bd2 f6 25.Nxe6 Rxe6 26.Bxe6 Kxe6 27.f4 Bxe4 28.fxe5 Kxe5 and this game has almost no chances at all for White. – Nigel Short.

22...f6 23.Nxg6+

Obviously Topalov analyzed taking on e6 in depth, but not only does it lead to nothing, it only gives Black chances to swipe the game away from him. For example, if he took it with 23.Bxe6 Black would play 23...Rc2 24.Rb1 Nc4 25.Bxc4 Bxf4 26.Rd1 Rxb2 recovering the pawn with an active game. If White took instead with 23.Nxe6 Anand could follow-up with 23...Bf7 24.Nd4 Bxb3 25.Nxb3 Rc2 26.f4 almost forced. 26...Nc6 27.Rb1 Rc4 and again Black would recover the pawn with an active game.

23...Nxg6 24.g3 Ne5 25.f4 Nc6 26.Bc3 Bb4 27.Bxb4+ Nxb4 28.Rd1 Nc6 29.Rd2 g5 30.Kf2 g4 31.Rc2 Rd8 32.Ke3 Rd6 33.Rc5 Nb4 34.Rc7+ Kd8 35.Rc3 Ke7 36.e5 Rd7 37.exf6+ Kxf6 38.Ke2 Nc6 39.Ke1 Nd4 40.Bd1 a5 41.Rc5 Nf5 42.Rc3 Nd4 43.Rc5

Despite saying he would not offer any draws, Topalov obviously sees nothing better than repeating moves without committing hara-kiri.

43...Nf5 44.Rc3 1/2-1/2

Analysis on Chessbase