Chess
Outlook gloomy
Raymond Keene
Moscow
Kasparov, apart from being three games down before embarking on Game 9, has fallen into the classic match syndrome. As Black he is failing to equalise, while as White he never gets the advantage. At best, as in Games 2 and 6, he is creating highly unclear attacking chances at great material cost to himself. So it was in Game 8. Kasparov switched to the Catalan, which he had employed with such deadly effect against Korchnoi in London last year. A primary function of the Catalan is to avoid Karpov's favourite Queen's Indian, but the world champion is also an adept at equalis- ing against that opening and he had abso- lutely no trouble in drawing. A fresh moral defeat for the challenger, though not a setback from the point of view of the score.
Game 9 was another hard-fought Tar- rasch, where Kasparov had to suffer from the static disadvantage of the Isolated Queen's Pawn.
Karpov-Kasparov: Game 9, 5-6 September; Tar- rasch Queen's Gambit.
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 NO c5 4 cxd5 exd5 5 g3 Nf6 6 Bg2 Be7 7 0-0 0-0 8 Nc3 Nc6 9 Bg5 cxd4 10 Nxd4 h6 11 Be3 Re8 12 Qb3 Na5 13 Qc2 Bg4 14 Nf5 Rc8 15 Bd4 Up to this point an exact replica of Game 7, but here it is Karpov who varies, in spite of his success in the previous encounter. Doubtless he was concerned at possible im- provements prepared in the interim by Kasparov and his team — perhaps 21 . . b5!? instead of 21 . . . Rec7, as given last week. 15 . . . Bc5 16 Bxc5 Rxc5 17 Ne3 Of course not 17 b4?? Bxf5! 18 Qxf5 Rxc3. 17. . . Be6 18 Radl Once again, besieging d5. If now, 18 b4? Rc7 19 bxa5 d4 regains the piece. 18 . . . Qc8 19 Qa4 Rd8 20 Rd3 a6 21 Rfdl Nc4 22 Nxc4 Rxc4 23 Qa5 Rc5 More exact is 23 . . . Rd7 immediately. 24 Qb6 Karpov tries to infiltrate, causing Black constant worries with his isolated pawn. 24 . . . Rd7 25 Rd4 Qc7 26 Qxc7 Rdxc7 If now 27 Nxd5 Nxd5 28 Bxd5 Bxd5 29 Rxd5 Rxd5 30 Rxd5 Rc2! draws. This motif often comes to Black's aid. 27 h3 h5 28 a3 g6 29 e3 Kg7 Black's position is clearly disadvantageous and passive, but can White break through? 30 Kh2 Rc4 31 Bf3 b5 32 Kg2 R7c5 33 Rxc4 Rxc4 Yusupov pointed out 33 . . . d6? 34 Rxd6 a5 35 Rb6 Bd7? 36 Rxf6! winning. 34 Rd4 Kf8 35 Be2 Rxd4 Better was 35 . . . Rc5. 36 exd4 Ke7 37 Na2 Bc8 38 Nb4 Kd6 39 f3 Ng8! 40 h4 Nh6 41 1(12 N15 42 Nc2 (Diagram)
Position after 42 Nc2
Kasparov now spent 20 minutes on his sealed move. Karpov has a small but distinct advan- tage. 42 . . . 16?! A surprisingly committal sealed move which weakens the g6 pawn, 42 • • ; Ne7 was generally expected when Black shonlo hold the draw. 43 Bd3 g5 Now 43 . . . Ne7 allows 44 Ne3 followed by g4, Kg3. Ng2 and Nf4 when Black is under considerable pressure. Wjte,4 therefore gets a classic good knight v bishop ending which he exploits to the full. 44 Bxf5 Bxf5 45 Ne3 Bbl 46 b4 gxh4? PossiblY underestimating Karpov's reply after which White's K penetrates through the K-side. 41, Ng2! hxg3 + 48 Kxg3 Ke6 49 Nf4+ Kf5 50 NOE Ke6 51 Nf4+ Kd6 52 Kg4 Bc2 53 Kh5 Bdl Kg6 Ke7 Also hopeless is 54 . . . Bxf3 55 KO when White manoeuvres his N to f5 and the makes decisive inroads with Ke5. The rest of the game is remorselessly accurate on the part of the world champion.55 Nxd5 + Ke6 56 Nc7+ Kd751 Nxa6 Bx13 58 Kxf6 Kd6 59 Kf5 Kd5 60 KO On 61 Ke3 Kc4 62 Nc5 Bc6 63 Nd3 Bg2 64 Ne5+ l(f33 65 Ng6 Kc4 66 Ne7 Bb7 67 Nf5 Bg2 68 Nd6+ K" 69 Nxb5 Ka4 70 Nd6 Black resigns.
Paul Lamford writes from London.' Wili,le Kasparov was on the receiving end Moscow, British players were achieving II" norms in London. The first NatWest Young Masters, organised by the King's Hea,d Chess Club, was a cut-throat event Wit" nearly 70 per cent of the games bein,g decisive! Results were: Condie (Scotland), Hebden, Norwood, Williams (Wales) 51,29'
Hawkesworth, Kuijf (Holland) 41/2; Bract"
bury 4; Flear, Prie (France) 31/2; Arkell 3' (All English except where stated.) This gave David Norwood, a Bolton schoolboy Wh°, was 16 during the tournament, his seconu IM norm in six weeks and he is clearlY following in the footsteps of his 111()ce illustrious clubmate, Nigel Short. Mat' Condie obtained his IM title, while eleven
times Welsh champion Howard made his first norm. Here is an example ° one of David Norwood's wins:
Prie-Norwood: Pirc Defence. 1 NO d6 2 d4 g6 3 e4 Bg7 4 Be2 Nf6 5 Nc3 006 a6 7 Rel Nc6 8 Bg5 h6 9 Bh4 b5 10 e5 Nd7 1113 4 Nb6 12 exd6 cxd6 13 d5 Ne5 14 Nd4 b4 15 11,74eig dxe5 16 Nc6 Qd7 17 Nxe7+ Kh8 18 Ne4 Nxd5. Nc5 Qa7 20 Nxd5 Qxd5 21 Be4 Ra7 22 a3 axb4 Qc4 24 Ne7 Qxe4 25 Nxg6+ Kh7 26 No° Bxf8 27 Qd8 Rg7 28 13 Qxc2 White lost on time.
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