NICK Faulks was left with a clear lead after the fifth round of the 2005 Bermuda Closed Championship.The results were:

Nick Faulks 1-0 Ezra Turner

Bobby Miller 0-1 Sami Lill

Zuzana Kovacova v Phil Shadick (to be played)

Although Faulks has a two-point lead, he could still be caught by Kovacova if she were to win both of her delayed games. At the halfway stage the full scores are: Nick Faulks 4|0xbd|, Zuzana Kovacova 2|0xbd| (+2 games to play), Phil Shadick 2 (+1 ), Ezra Turner 2, Sami Lill 1 (+1), Bobby Miller 1

Starting this week, the match schedule of the first five rounds is repeated, but with colours reversed. No games will be played next week, when Tuesday will be Bermuda Day.

In last week’s column I mentioned that a tournament was starting in Bulgaria which might turn out to be the most entertaining chess event of 2005. After five rounds I have to revise that view — this might well be the best ten-round tournament in history.

The players have followed the request of the sponsors to produce exciting chess, and it would be a serious mistake just to look at the cross-table and focus on the eleven draws in fifteen games. Nearly all of these contained real fighting chess, and the results only reflect the fact that the top modern players are great defenders, and very hard to beat.

My sole reservation is that the ten rounds are punctuated by only one rest day, and it may not be possible for the competitors to maintain this level of energy through to the end. This applies especially to the local hero, and now the world’s second highest ranking active player, Veselin Topalov.

His normal style is in any case one of unremitting violence, and he will not even get full benefit from the rest day, since he has generously agreed to give a simultaneous display for his home fans.

I wonder whether weariness contributed at all to his fifth-round loss against Ruslan Ponomariov. As you will see, the young Ukrainian star played an absolutely brilliant game, but it is still unprecedented for Topalov to stumble into such a wretchedly passive position.

White : R. Ponomariov

Black : V. Topalov

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3

The Catalan Opening has a quiet reputation, but doesn’t always work out that way.

Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 0-0 7. 0-0 c6 8. Bf4 b6 9. Nc3 Ba6 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Rc1 Nc6!<$>

See diagram 1. After this move, a novelty, the players enter a series of sacrifices and counter-sacrifices.

12. Nxd5! Qxd5!

This move amounts to a queen sacrifice.

13. Ne5 Nxd4 14. Bxd5 Nxe2+

White now returns the queen, since after 15. Qh1, Nxd5 followed by . . . Ne2xf4, Black obtains more than enough compensation.

15. Qxe2 Bxe2 16. Bxa8 Rxa8!?

See diagram 2. 16. . . . Bxf1 looked normal, although White can probably retain a slight edge with 17. Rc7. Instead, Topalov puts his faith in the bishop pair, sacrificing an exchange.

18. Rc2 Nd5 19. Rec1 Bc5 20. Bd2 f6 21. b4!?<$>

An enterprising way to open up the c-file for the rooks.

Bf8

I wonder whether 21. . . . Bxf2 was better — Topalov must have considered that.

22. Ng4 Rd8 23. Rc8

It was only here that Topalov realised what his opponent was planning, but he disliked the position after a rook exchange so much that he decided to take his chances with it.

Rd7 24. Nh6+!! 25. Bxh6

See diagram 3. White has given up a whole piece, but will the black king ever escape from its box?

Rf7

25. . . . Rg7 26. a4! doesn’t look any better.

26. Rd8 Ne7 27. Rc7 Ng6 28. Rcc8<$>

A computer will not accept that Black is in trouble here, because the winning lines are beyond its calculating horizon. They are nonetheless quite deadly.

e5 29. f4 Bd7 30. Ra8 Bh3 31. Kf2 b5!?<$>

Among other ideas, White was planning to advance his queenside pawns.

32. Rdb8 exf4 33. gxf4 Bd7 34. h4!!

Ponomariov will finally dislodge the g6 knight, but isn’t his rook going to be trapped in the corner?

Bc6

There’s nothing else anyway.

35. h5!

Incredible! He will need only one rook to win.

Bxa8 36. hxg6 hxg6 37. Rxa8

In this simple position Black remains a pawn ahead, but he is still hopelessly tied up.

f5 38. Kg3 a6 39. Kh4 Rg7 40. Kg5

See diagram 4. The first time control has been reached and Topalov, still a pawn up, decided it was time to resign.