Rdbeg CHESS Rd b e
The Ultimate Lslay Malt. www.ardbeg.com
Sheer genius
Raymond Keene
AS I write, the important tournament at Sarajevo is getting under way. From a British angle, the participation of Michael Adams and Nigel Short is of interest. However, from the global point of view, the focus of atten- tion will be the duel between Garry Kasparov and Alexei Shirov. As we know, Kasparov will defend his world title against Vladimir Kramnik in London over October and November. There are those who believe that Shirov is the player who should have been given a crack at the champion. Sarajevo will tell. Over past form, though, Kasparov has been dominant, winning nine games against the unruly Latvian genius, while los- ing none. Here are two samples.
Kasparov-Shirov: Novgorod 1994, English Opening 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Bb4 3 Nd5 Be7 4 d4 d6 One thinks of this as a totally modern variation but in fact it was introduced in the game between Steinitz and Kolisch from 1872 which went 4 ... exd4 5 Bf4 c6 6 Nxe7 (not 6 Nc7+ Qxc7 7 Bxc7 Bb4+ ) 6
Nxe7 7 Qxd4 0-0 8 e4 d5 9 0-0-0 with a posi- tion not dissimilar to that which occurs in this game. 5 e4 c6 6 Nxe7 Qxe7 7 Net f5 8 dxe5 Qxe5 9 exf5 Nf6 10 Qd4 Bxf5 11 Bf4 Qa5+ 12 Qc3 Qxc3+ 13 Nxc3 0-0 14 0-0-0 d5 15 Bd6 Rc8 16 f3 Nbd7 White's bishops give him an enduring edge which Kasparov now expands with a vigorous Diagram 1
advance of his kingside pawns. 17 g4 Be6 18 g5 Ne8 19 cxd5 Bxd5 20 Bg3 Be6 21 Bd3 Nc5 22 Bc2 Rd8 23 h4 Bf7 24 Ne4 Nxe4 25 fxe4 K18 26 Rdfl Kg8 27 h5 Rd7 28 RD Nd6 (Diagram 1) 29 g6 The decisive breakthrough. If now 29 hxg6 30 hxg6 Bxg6 31 Bxd6 Rxd6 32 Bb3+ winning material. 29 ... Be6 30 gxh7+ Kh8 31 h6 g6 32 Rf6 Re8 33 Rxg6 Nc4 34 Bel Kxh7 35 Rg3 Ne5 36 Bc3 Bc4 37 Rg7+ Black resigns On account of 37 ... Rxg7 38 hxg7+ Kg6 39 Rh8, or 38
Kxg7 39 Rh5 Kf6 40 Rf5+.
Kasparov-Shirov: Zurich 1994, Sicilian Defence e4 c5 2 NI3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Ndb5 d6 7 Bf4 e5 8 Bg5 a6 9 Na3 b5 10 Nd5 Be7 11 Bxf6 Bxf6 12 c3 Bb7 13 Na Nb8 14 a4 bxa4 15 Rxa4 Nd7 16 Rb4
17 Rxb7 An amazing sacrifice to cement his con- trol of the light squares. 17 ... Nxb7 18 b4 Bg5 19 Na3 0-0 20 Nc4 a5 21 Bd3 axb4 22 cxb4 Qb8 23 h4 Bh6 24 Ncb6 Rat 25 0-0 Rd2 26 Qf3 Qa7 27 Nd7 Nd8 Black gives back the exchange to reduce White's attack. If instead 27 ... Re8 28 Bb5 threatening Nd7-f6+. According to Kasparov, better was 27 ... Ra8 when one possi- ble variation is 28 Ne7+ Kh8 29 Qxf7 Rxd3 30 Nf8 Qa2 31 Qf5 g6 32 Nfxg6 + hxg6 33 Qxg6 Qd2 34 Qf7 Bg7 35 Nf5 Bf8 36 Qh5+ with a draw. However, by playing 28 N7b6 White can main- tain the pressure. 28 Nxf8 Kxf8 29 b5 Qa3 30 Qf5 A neat tactic intending to meet 30 ... Qxd3 with the crushing 31 Qd7. 30 ...Ke8 31 Bc4 Rc2 32 Qxh7 Rxc4 33 Qg8+ Kd7 34 Nb6+ Ke7 35 Nxc4 Qc5 36 Ral Qd4 If 36 ... Qxc4 37 Ra7+ wins. 37 Ra3 Bel 38 Ne3 Black resigns If 38 ... Bxa3 39 Nf5 +.
There will be a limited number of tickets available to attend the Kasparov-Kramnik match. For information on this and other details ring the Brain Games Network on 020 7436 5000 or 020 7462 5746. Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No. 29 White to play and win — first move only required. This position is a variation from the game Shirov-Kamsky, Manila 1992. White is two pieces down and is threatened with mate on g2. What can he play? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 23 May or via e-mail to vanessa@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7242 0603. The winner will be the first cor- rect answer drawn out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of a bottle of Ardbeg Malt Whisky.
Last week's solution: Ng4+ Last week's winner: John Stott, Devises, Wiltshire
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