[Hip Priest]

Today is a rest day, of course, but there's been an intersting press conference with our two combatants:

– Vladimir, did you notice after 31...Bxf8 that it loses in two moves because of 32.Rxg4+ Bg7 33.Qc7?
Vladimir KRAMNIK: (thinks for several seconds) No I didn’t (shakes his head).

– A question to Mr. Kramnik. Grandmaster Inarkiev said that you could lose in two moves in today’s game. I wrote out a few lines from Olesha’s novel «Three fat men»: «How to fly from the earth to a star… knows our doctor Gaspar». Do you agree that in this poem the word «Gaspar» can be substituted by «Kramnik»?
V.K.: Well, yes, that’s maybe true… To be honest, I did not see Qc7… I started overlooking White’s resources earlier. Initially I wanted to play 29…Nxg6, but then White gives fantastic mate: 30.Qxg6! If 30.Rxg6, then 30…Kh8. And after 30.Qxg6+ hxg6 31.Rxg6+ Kh7 he has 32.Rg3! I have an extra move and an extra queen, but there is no defense against mate. And after that it seems I had no choice. Maybe I have some other move instead of 28…Rxb2, like 28…Qc4, it has to be checked.

– The engine gives 31…Kxf8 instead of 31…Bxf8 drawing.
V.K.: Drawing? It looked very dangerous to me… I also overlooked 33.f5! – I considered only 33.Ng5. And it turned out that after 33.f5 exf5 34.Ng5 Black is helpless! First I thought that 33…Re7 draws, but then White just checks and calmly moves Rf1, and there is checkmate. Well, I got lucky I am not losing at once. Generally it was a very nervous game. It is in principle difficult to play after such games as we had yesterday, but it can’t be helped. On the other hand, it was probably quite emotional for chess lovers.

– Veselin, what did you prepare to 31…Kxf8?
Veselin TOPALOV: I calculated a lot, but could not find anything promising... First I thought it is winning, but then I found 35…Bg5. The position is very interesting, and I probably have to make a draw.

– Veselin, did you come to the game itching for revenge, or there were other plans?
V.T.: No, I just wanted to play good chess. But when you don’t see mate in three, there is something wrong... However, 32.Qg6 was also winning, although not in three moves. I didn’t see the mate and didn’t look for it. I figured that after 31…Kxf8 there is no win. Therefore when I saw 31…Bxf8, I was so happy that almost instantly gave a check.

– On the move 41 you could force a draw by playing Ng5 instead of f5 – did you see it?
V.T.: Yes, I did. However, I kept playing for a win. Even after 41.Вxа3 the position is objectively drawish... I thought I can take a pawn by brining the king to d6, but – I got into a time trouble...

– Vladimir, could you imagine before the game that you’ll have two points after two games?
V.K.: Of course I could not think about it. My task was to get into the match, to catch my form. It is nice that I took solid lead, but there is a lot of struggle ahead; it is obvious that my opponent will try to strike back.

– A question to Veselin – how do you plan to spend the day-off? The main task is probably to forget everything?
V.T.: Generally I am good at forgetting (laughs). I stand losses well. I just need to have some rest.

– Every player makes plans for a match, especially for such a short match. Will you have to readjust your strategy to the new situation, or you’ll keep following the initial plan, despite such a poor return?
V.T.: I won’t make any changes. I play strongly, and get good positions, but one just has to convert them.

– Vladimir, while Veselin was developing his kingside attack, you moved very quickly and confidently. How much bluff was in your quick reactions? Or did you really see a defensive plan?
V.K.: Actually I just miscalculated, thinking that 29…Nxg6 is good. Of course, I rushed with 28…Rxb2: it was necessary to calculate the line, and I just roughly evaluated it, 30.Rxg6 Kh8, Black wins... I thought I am just winning, to be honest. And when I spotted that 30…Nxg6 runs into 31.Qxg6, I started feeling bad, and slowed my pace down.

– Veselin, on several occasions you moved too quickly in key positions, was it an attempt to display confidence?
V.T.: Bearing in mind my time troubles at every control, I don’t think I played quickly.

– I meant your quick reaction at critical moments of the games...
V.T.: But in those games every move was critical, and I could not spend 20 minutes on each of them...

– A question to both players: during these two games, how many times it occurred to you to offer a draw?
V.K.: We are playing such positions that there is little chance for such offers! Actually, I offered a draw yesterday, but it was based on wrong positional assessment. I thought the game is close to a draw, and started the negotiations when Veselin repeated the moves... And today’s game was so sharp that draw offers were out of question. Of course, had White abstained from 20.g4, one couldstart thinking about draw, but after that move the position becomes really sharp.
V.T.: I never offered a draw – I liked my positions in both games. I could force a draw in the first game, but I had an advantage. In the second game White had a strong attack after 20.g4, even if this move is risky.

– Veselin, I am looking at you, and you do not look like Schwarzenegger. What makes you such a superb fighter? What makes you keep fighting and never offer draws?
V.T.: One has to win games in order to win matches, and how can you win games by offering draws in better positions?

– Veselin, in my opinion you made a mistake going for immediate revenge in today’s game. One must not throwing oneself on the opponent like that!
V.T.: I see no connection between today’s and yesterday’s games. Each game has to be considered separately. And I wanted to play chess, especially having White.