Veselin Topalov — Vladimir Kramnik

Rapid Tiebreak Game 3, and Topalov must win to stay alive. He enters the sharpest available Semi-Slav line and generates genuine complications, including a brilliant queen sacrifice attempt that creates serious practical difficulties. But Kramnik, needing only a draw in this game or the next to become world champion, finds accurate defensive resources at every turn. A dramatic draw keeps his match point advantage intact — one more game to go.