Today had two very nice games already.

Mamedyarov - Kamsky got really sharp when white took on e6 with 13. Nxe6 and followed that up with 14. e5. Kamsky apparently saw he would be in big trouble after 14... Nd5 15. Ne4 when he's under big pressure, and therefore he decided to give up a piece for two pawns and compensation. Black then had to give up another pawn, and for a while it seemed like Mamedyarov had nothing to worry about. 35. Bf4? was a blunder, which allowed Kamsky back into the game with 35... Re2+! At move 38 it seemed like Kamsky had gotten through the worst part, and was now maybe even better, when his flag fell and he lost. 1-0

[Event "Mtel Masters"]
[Site "Sofia BUL"]
[Date "2007.05.10"]
[EventDate "2007.05.10"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "S Mamedyarov"]
[Black "G Kamsky"]
[ECO "D10"]
[WhiteElo "2757"]
[BlackElo "2705"]
[PlyCount "76"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 5. f3 Be6 6. Nge2 dxc4 7. Nf4 Qc8 8.
e4 g6 9. g4 Bg7 10. h4 h6 11. b3 cxb3 12. axb3 Nbd7 13. Nxe6 fxe6 14. e5
Qc7 15. exf6 Qg3+ 16. Ke2 Nxf6 17. Qd3 O-O-O 18. Rxa7 Kb8 19. Ra4 Rhf8 20.
Rh3 Qc7 21. Be3 e5 22. Qc4 Nd5 23. Nxd5 Rxd5 24. Qd3 exd4 25. Bd2 Rf6 26.
Kd1 Re6 27. f4 Qb6 28. Bg2 Rc5 29. Rc4 Rb5 30. f5 gxf5 31. gxf5 Rd6 32. Kc2
Qa7 33. Kb2 Re5 34. Ra4 Qb6 35. Bf4 Re2+ 36. Kb1 Rxg2 37. Rg3 Rxg3 38. Qxg3
1-0

Topalov - Nisipeanu saw another rare Scandinavian game, and it was again the 3... Qd6 line Tiviakov also used earlier this year at Corus. White seemed to be slightly better around moves 20-30, when it seemed like white had a comfortable space advantage, and he might even be able to get his knight to d6. After the rooks went off the board, it was Nisipeanu however who took the initiative, and on move 43, black played the very nice 43... Bd4! After 44. Bxe6? it was a forced mate, and although Nisipeanu missed this mate with 46... Qg2+ 47. Kh4 Qh2+ 48. Bh3 Qf2+ 49. Ng3 Qxf4+ 50. Bg4 Qxg4#, black still won a piece with 46... Qf3+, when after 47. Ng3 Qg2+ white resigned in view of 48. Kh4 Qh2+ 49. Bh3 Ng2+ 50. Kg4 Qxh3+ 51. Kxh3 Nxf4+. 0-1

[Event "Mtel Masters"]
[Site "Sofia BUL"]
[Date "2007.05.10"]
[EventDate "2007.05.10"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "V Topalov"]
[Black "LD Nisipeanu"]
[ECO "B01"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2693"]
[PlyCount "94"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. g3 Nf6 5. Bg2 c6 6. d4 g6 7. Bf4 Qb4 8.
Nge2 Bg7 9. Qc1 O-O 10. O-O Bg4 11. a3 Qa5 12. h3 Bxe2 13. Nxe2 Nbd7 14. c4
e5 15. b4 Qc7 16. dxe5 Nxe5 17. Qc2 a5 18. Rae1 axb4 19. axb4 Rfe8 20. c5
Nd5 21. Bd2 Nd7 22. Qc4 N7f6 23. g4 h5 24. Ng3 hxg4 25. hxg4 Qd7 26. g5
Rxe1 27. Rxe1 Ne8 28. Bf3 Nec7 29. Bg4 Qd8 30. Kg2 Nb5 31. Rd1 Ra1 32. Rxa1
Bxa1 33. Bf3 Be5 34. Ne2 Ndc7 35. Be3 Ne6 36. Bg4 Nbc7 37. Qe4 Bg7 38. f4
Qd1 39. Kf2 Bc3 40. b5 Qe1+ 41. Kg2 Nd5 42. bxc6 bxc6 43. Qd3 Bd4 44. Bxe6
Nxe3+ 45. Kh2 Qf2+ 46. Kh3 Qf3+ 47. Ng3 Qg2+ 0-1

Adams - Sasikiran was less spectacular than the other two games. After a quiet opening and middlegame, Adams tried to do something with 33. Rxd5, but after 35... Rxd6 the peace returned to the board, and because draw offeres aren't allowed, they soon went for a perpetual check. 1/2-1/2

[Event "Mtel Masters"]
[Site "Sofia BUL"]
[Date "2007.05.10"]
[EventDate "2007.05.10"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Mi Adams"]
[Black "K Sasikiran"]
[ECO "B14"]
[WhiteElo "2734"]
[BlackElo "2690"]
[PlyCount "90"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. cxd5 Nxd5
8. Qc2 Nc6 9. Be2 Nce7 10. O-O Bd7 11. Nxd5 Nxd5 12. Ne5 Bd6 13. Qb3 Qb6
14. Qf3 Bxe5 15. dxe5 Bb5 16. Bxb5+ Qxb5 17. a4 Qb4 18. Qg3 g6 19. Bh6
O-O-O 20. Qf3 Rd7 21. Rac1+ Kb8 22. b3 Rc8 23. Rxc8+ Kxc8 24. Rc1+ Kb8 25.
g3 Qa3 26. Kg2 Qb2 27. Re1 Rc7 28. Bf8 Qc3 29. Qd1 Kc8 30. Re4 h5 31. Bd6
Rc6 32. Rd4 Qb2 33. Rxd5 exd5 34. Qxd5 Qc2 35. e6 Rxd6 36. Qxd6 Qe4+ 37.
Kg1 fxe6 38. Qc5+ Kd7 39. Qxa7 Qb1+ 40. Kg2 Qxb3 41. h4 Qd5+ 42. Kg1 Qd1+
43. Kg2 Qd5+ 44. Kg1 Qd1+ 45. Kg2 1/2-1/2

I very much liked the fact that Topalov lost to the 3... Qd6 Scandinavian, since I ordered a book on that variation yesterday So apparently it's not a busted opening, else Topalov would have surely known how to bust it.