[imagefield_assist|fid=3629|preset=frontpage_200x200|lightbox=true|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=200|height=200]Anand equalized the match score today with a nice positional win in a complicated Catalan. One could easily have mistaken this game for a typical Kramnik win on the white side of his favorite opening.
The players followed theory for quite a while, when Anand deviated from a Gulko-Shulman game with 15.Qa3!? This reminds me of the Kramnik method of beating Kasparov, which is to make the game dull/equalish in a boring endgame, and force your opponent to play positions they do not like.
Topalov was fine most of the game, then went astray with the bizarre 25...Ne3? After this, Anand had a clear edge, and then Topalov added to his troubles with the pseudo-active 29..Rd4?! and 34..Ra2? Anand easily wrapped up the full point, and equalized the score.
An exciting match to be sure, with two decisive games out of two!
[pgn|pgn= 27. Bf3 g6 28. Rxb6 Ba7 29. Rb3 Rd4 30. Rc7 Bb8 31. Rc5 Bd6 32. Rxa5 Rc8 33. Kg2 Rc2 34. a3 Ra2 35. Nb4 Bxb4 36. axb4 Nd5 37. b5 Raxa4 38. Rxa4 Rxa4 39.Bxd5 exd5 40. b6 Ra8 41. b7 Rb8 42. Kf3 d4 43. Ke4 1-0>>>|white=Anand, V.|black=Topalov, V.]
