CHESS
Real Alekhine
Raymond Keene
I AM CONSTANTLY STRUCK by the similarity between the play of Kasparov and that of his own chosen hero Alexander Alekhine. Alekhine's two greatest victories, San Remo 1930 and Bled 1931, were based on shock tactics, terrifying opening innova- tions, unexpected gambits and the taking of terrible risks, especially with Black. His grandmaster opponents were bowled over. They did not know what had hit them. So it is with Kasparov. In Riga it looks as if the spirit of Alekhine has been reborn. Once again, we are seeing barely credible, quick victories against the world's top players, combined with a love of risk which only succeeds because the complications there- by annihilate the opposition's powers of mental resistance.
Kasparov—Anand: Tal Memorial, Riga, April, 1995; Evans Gambit.
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 b4 A complete shock. This has not been seen in top level play for about a century, with one exception. 4 ... Bxb4 5 c3 Be7 6 d4 Na5 7 Bet The one exception was a game between Kasparov and Short from the thematic match, where the openings were predetermined by lot, after their 1993 world title clash. There, play followed the conventional 7 Nxe5 Nxc4 8 Nxc4 d5 which theory considers equal. Theory also recognises 7 Bd3 d6 8 Qa4+ c6 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 Nxe5 Nf6 which is nothing special for White, since his pieces are cluttered. Kasparov's move is very unusual. If now 7 ... d6, hoping to emulate the previous variation, White has 8 Qa4+ c6 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 Nxe5 Nf6 11 0-0 when White has the advantage mainly because the bishop is on e2 rather than d3 and does not clutter the 'd' file. White can develop his remaining pieces and place a rook on dl, while Black's knight on a5 is still out of play. Anand, therefore, decides to keep the gambit pawn. 7 ... exd4 8 Qxd4 Nf6 9 e5 Nc6 10 Qh4 Nd5 11 Qg3 g6 Black would like to castle but if 11 ...0-0 12 Bh6 wins material. 12 0-0 Nb6 In view of what follows Black should have castled here. 13 c4 d6 14 Rdl Nd7 15 Bh6 Investing another pawn for the attack and definitively pre- venting Black from castling. 15 ...Ncxe5 16 Nxe5 Nxe5 17 Nc3 f6 18 c5 Nfl 19 cxd6 cxd6 20 Qe3 Nxh6 21 Qxh6 Bf8 22 Qe3+ Kfl 23 Nd5 Be6 24 Nf4 Qe7 25 Rel (Diagram) Black resigns A dev-
Position after 25 Rel
astating conclusion. Black's resignation is per- fectly justified, as can be seen from the varia- tions: (a) 25 ... Re8 26 Qxe6+ Qxe6 27 Nxe6 Rxe6 28 Bc4 or 27 ... Kxe6 28 Bb5 +.
(b) 25 Bh6 26 Bc4 Bxf4 27 Bxe6+ Kg7 28 Qxf4 winning. (c) 25 ... d5 26 Bf3 Re8 27 Nxe6 Qxe6 28 Qxe6+ Rxe6 29 Bxd5.
(d) 25 Bd7 26 Bc4+ Ke8 27 Qd2 winning Black's queen. (e) 25 ...Qd7 26 Bb5 Qxb5 27 Qxe6+ Kg7 28 Nd5 Qb2 29 Rabl with a devastating attack, or 28 Re8 29 Qxe8 Qxd5 30 Racl when Black can only survive for a couple of moves.
Vaganian—Kasparov: Tal Memorial, Riga, April, 1995; English Opening.
1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 Bg7 4 Bg2 0-0 5 Nc3 d6 6 0-0 e5 7 d3 Re8 8 Rbl a5 9 a3 c6 10 b4 axb4 11 axb4 d5 12 cxd5 cxd5 13 Bg5 Be6 14 e4 d4 15 Nd5 Nbd7 16 Nxf6+ Bxf6 17 Bxf6 Qxf6 18 Qd2 Kg7 19 Nel g5 A fascinating decision. White has emerged with nothing from the opening and Black could defend easily against the coming kingside advance by means of 19 ...Qe7 20 f4 f6. Instead Kasparov chooses something consider- ably more risky. 20 f4 gxf4 21 gxf4 Qh6 22 QC f6 23 Rd Kh8 If Black wanted to avoid White's counterplay he could have tried 23 ... RecS here, challenging the 'c' file. Instead, Kasparov con- jures up demonic complications. 24 Rc7 Ra2 25 Rc2 Ral 26 Rc7 exf4 Avoiding the draw with 26 Ra2. 27 Rxd7 Judging from Kasparov's response, he must have overlooked this capture, but it is, in fact, bluff. Black could now have played 27 ... Bxd7 28 Qxd4 Rea8!! (Analysis dia- gram) 29 Qxd7 f3 when White is lost. 30 Rxf3
Position after 28 . . . Rea8/1
obviously fails to 30 ...Rxel +, 30 Bxf3 loses to 30 ...Qe3+ while 30 Nxf3 similarly fails to 30 ... Qe3+ 31 Khl Rxfl+ 32 Bxfl Qxf3+ forcing checkmate. The key move in this line, 28 Rea8, was discovered by the Fritz computer program, which excels in such tactical m8lees. 27 ... f3 Right idea, but wrong position. 28 Qxd4 fxg2 Here White misses his chance for glory. Vaganian could have defeated the world cham- pion with 29 Rxf6 Rxel + 30 Rfl + Kg8 31 Rxel Bxd7 32 Qxd7 Rf8. In this position White is a pawn up with two connected passed pawns in the centre. White can easily consolidate by playing his queen to d5 with check and then to d4 and finally back to base on e3. The winning process will be lengthy, since Black is not devoid of counterplay. If ever White captures the pawn on g2, his own king will become exposed. Nevertheless, the outcome is clear and with cor- rect play White would win. 29 Nxg2 Rxfl+ 30 Kxfl Qcl+ 31 Kf2 Bxd7 32 Qxd7 Rg8 Horrifyingly for Vaganian, the tables have been turned. Black has won the exchange and retains his attack. 33 Qh3 Qd2+ 34 Kfl Qx1b4 35 Qe3 Qb2 White resigns.
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