White to move. Black's queen sits on a7 and his rooks are on the queenside — miles from the king. Anand found a sacrifice that tears open the kingside. Can you spot it?
Viswanathan Anand vs Veselin Topalov
Why this game matters
Sofia, 28 April 2010. Defending champion Viswanathan Anand, on Topalov's home turf, borrowed a page from Kramnik and rolled out the Catalan. A deep opening idea (10.Na3) left Topalov's pieces snarled on the queenside, far from his king. Anand needed no second invitation: he sacrificed a knight on h6, dragged the black king's cover away, and finished with a precise mating attack. Anand went on to retain his title.
The lesson
Development and king safety are not abstractions — when your opponent's pieces are stranded on the wrong side of the board, the king they left behind becomes a target. Anand's 23.Nxh6+ works only because every Topalov piece is committed to the queenside. Look for sacrifices when the defenders are too far away to come back in time.
Move by move
4. g34.g3 — the Catalan. White fianchettoes the bishop on g2, aiming it down the long diagonal at Black's queenside and centre. A famously squeezing, low-risk weapon.
10. Na310.Na3!? Anand's prepared novelty. The knight heads for c4 and the plan is to leave Topalov's b- and c-pawns and pieces tangled while White's pieces flow toward the king.
15. d515.d5! Opening the position at the right moment, when Black's pieces are least coordinated. The Catalan bishop on g2 springs to life.
19. Naxc419.Naxc4 — Anand recaptures and keeps a beautiful, harmonious position. Notice how many of Topalov's pieces are still on the queenside, doing nothing for his king.
20. Rac120.Rac1 — the last quiet move. Every white piece is now aimed at the centre and kingside; the storm is about to break.
21. Nd621.Nd6! A dominating knight that paralyses Black and prepares the kingside breakthrough.
23. Nxh6+23.Nxh6+!! The thematic sacrifice. The knight gives itself up to strip the pawn cover off Black's king while the defenders are stuck on the queenside.
24. Qxh624.Qxh6 — the queen joins the hunt. With the g- and h-files cracking open and no defenders nearby, Black is lost.
25. e525.e5! Opening the long diagonal for the Catalan bishop. The whole point of the opening pays off as the bishop and queen converge on the king.
32. Re732.Re7 — the final turn of the screw. Topalov resigned; the threats around his king are decisive. A model demonstration of Catalan pressure turning into a direct attack.
Frequently asked
Why did Anand play the Catalan against Topalov?
Topalov had struggled against the Catalan in his 2006 match with Kramnik, and Anand had prepared deep new ideas in it. Choosing it was both a practical and a psychological decision — it pointed Topalov toward a structure where he had previously suffered.
Did Anand keep his title?
Yes. After this win, the match swung back and forth, but Anand won the final classical game in Sofia to retain the World Championship 6½–5½. It was one of his finest match performances.
Can I try the sacrifice?
Yes — take the board as Anand with Black's pieces stranded on the queenside and try to find the knight sacrifice on h6, or replay the entire game move by move, no sign-up.