CHESS
Candidates
Raymond Keene
While our attention has been concen- trated on Nigel Short's epic match against Jon Speelman, other matches around the world have been determining the rest of the line-up for the quarter-final of the qualifying series to find a challenger for Gary Kasparov in 1993. Results of these other matches were:
Korchnoi bt Sax 51/2 — 41/2 in Wijk aan Zee.
Yusupov bt Dolmatov 61/2 — 51/2 in Wijk aan Zee.
Timman bt Hubner 41/2 — 21/2 in Sarajevo. Gelfand bt Nikolic 51/2 — 41/2 in Sarajevo. Ivanchuk bt Yudasin 41/2 — 1/2 in Riga. Anand bt Dreev 41/2 — 11/2 in Madras.
Of the other contestants Ivanchuk scored a victory of truly Fischeresque proportion while Timman also shone against Hubner.
Timman — Hubner: Candidates Match, Wijk aan Zee; English Opening.
1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Nf3 NO 4 g3 BM 5 Bg2 0-0 6 0-0 Re8 This variation of the English Opening became popular during the Kasparov — Karpov clash in Seville 1987. 7 Nd5 Nxd5 8 cxd5 Nd4 9 Nxd4 exd4 10 e3 c5 A misconception. Instead Black should play 10 . . Bc5, as Karpov once did in a similar situation, to keep his bishop in contact with the central action. 11 a3 B25 12 exd4 cxd4 13 d6! A superb pawn sacrifice which gives Black all sorts of problems in completing his development. 13 . . . Qf6 14 d3 Qxd6 15 Bf4 Qa6 16 b4 Bd8 17 Rel Rf8 18 Qh5 d6 19 Bd5 Bd7 20 a4 Rc8 If 20. . . Bxa4 21 Bc4 b5 22 Qxf7+ Rxf7 23 Re8 mate. Alternatively 21 . . Qc6 22 b5 and White wins a piece. 21 Be4 g6 22 Q13 Rc7 23 b5 Qb6 24 Bh6 a6 Equivalent to resignation, but if 24 . . . Re8 25 Bd5 Be6 26 Bxe6 fxe6 27 Rxe6 with a decisive eruption into Black's camp in as much as 27 . . Rxe6 fails to 28 Qf8 mate. 25 Bd5 Bf5 26 g4 Bc8 27 Re2 axb5 Black resigns Not before time. After 28 Rael Black has no defence to the threat of Re8. Ivanchuk — Yudasin: Candidates Match, Riga; Queen's Indian Defence.
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 g3 Ba6 5 b3 d5 6 Bg2 dxc4 An enterprising continuation which ex- poses Black to all sorts of dangers in the long diagonal. Nevertheless, the concept is fairly well tried and was used for example in one game between Karpov and Timman from their candi- dates final last year. 7 Ne5 Bb4+ 8 Kfl White is forced into this somewhat uncomfortable con- tortion since other methods of parrying the check would allow Black to capture on d4 with his queen with generally unfortunate consequ- ences for White. 8 . . . Nfd7 The point of Black's play. If now 9 Nxd7 Nxd7 10 Bxa8 Qxa8 then Black would have immense compensation for the loss of the exchange. Alternatively, though, in this case Black's compensation is somewhat more opaque, 9 Bxa8 Nxe5 exploiting the pin in the 'd' file to regain some material. White players have almost universally shunned such complications, preferring to preserve the pressure exerted by the fianchettoed lung's bishop rather than go for immediate material gain. 9 Nxc4 c6 10 Bb2 b5 Varying from 10 . . . 0-0 11 Nbd2 b5 12 Ne3 as played in the Karpov — Timman game. 11 Ncd2 Bb7 12 Nc3 Qb6 Black's strategy stands or falls by his ability to achieve the freeing thrust . . . c5. White's next move, and the manoeuvre which follows it, prevent Black's desired advance for some time to come. 13 Nce4 0-0 Black dare not play 13 . . . c5 which would open the diagonal for White's queen's bishop. However, after the text move White immediately sets up an iron grip over the c5 square. 14 a3 Be7 15 b4 a5 16 Nc5 The culmination of White's strategic ambitions. Black is now permanently fettered on the queen's wing. 16. . . Rd8 17 Bf3 axb4 18 axb4 Na6 19 Qb3 e5 Black must do something to shake White's control even though this course is risky. 20 Nxb7! A surprising but excellent choice. White trades his powerful knight for Black's bishop and in addition he exposes his pawn. on b4. The point, though, of Ivanchuk's play is that he can now transfer the centre of
gravity towards Black's depleted king's flank. 20. . . Qxb7 21 dxe5 Nb6 If 21 . . . Nxb4 22 e6 disrupts Black's king side while if instead 21 . . . Bxb4 22 Rxa6 Bxd2 23 Ftxc6 and wins.
22 Ne4 Nd5 Black is determined to capture on b4 but he also wants to prevent the dangerous thrust e6. Therefore, he closes the diagonal of White's queen before harvesting the pawn. 23 Kg2 Bxb4 In fact 23. . . Naxb4 would be stronger. 24 Racl Qb6 25 Qc2! A tremendously subtle move. It would at first appear that White's ambitions are directed entirely against Black's weak pawn on c6, but White has a much more devastating plan in view after Black's Position after 26 Ng5
natural response. 25 . . . Rac8 26 Ng5 (Dia- gram) White s true plans are at last revea ed. Black has absolutely no defence to this sudden switch of fronts agannt his king. 26. . . g6 27 e6 0e6 Black is quite without defence. If 27 . . . f6 28 Bxd5 Rxd5 29 Be4 or 28 . . . cxd5 29 Qxc8 Rxc8 30 Rxc8+ Kg7 31 Rhcl d4 32 R1c6 Qb7 33 Bxd4 and Black can resign. 28 Qe4 Black resigns He is without resource against the threat of 29 Qxe6+ or 29 Qe5.
What is unusual about these two games is that White won the first without moving his queen's rook while White won the second without moving his king's rook. This is a great rarity at championship level.
Anatoly Karpov joins the seven quali- fiers from round one and next week we should know whether Nigel Short will have to face the formidable former champion in the next round or whether his opponent will be Gelfand, Timman or Ivanchuk.
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