Chess
Round-up
Raymond Keene
The outcome of the two Acorn Com- puter semi-finals has resulted in an amusing irony — the youngest player, Gary Kasparov (20), has qualified to meet the oldest, Vassily Smyslov (62). Another irony is contained in the fact that the two players who were originally declared winners (Kor- chnoi and Ribli) have now been eliminated. In spite of this possible source of dishar- mony, the matches were conducted in an unprecedentedly friendly spirit — no disputes at all, just fine chess. In contrast to Baguio 1978 and Meran 1981, the jury chairmen were quite redundant.
Here is the points count of the matches: Kasparov 0 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1 1 1/2 1% 1 7 Korchnoi 1 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 0 0 1/2 0 1/2 0 4 Smyslov 1 0 1/2 1/2 1% 1 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 61/2 Ribli 0 1 1/21/2 0 1/2 0 1/21/2 1/21/2 41/2 The last two games of Kasparov- Korchnoi were perhaps the best of the match.
Korchnol Kasparov: Game 10, Queen's Gam- bit, Tartakower Variation,
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Bg5 At last abandon- ing the Catalan. 4... Bel 5 Nc3 h6 6 Bh4 0-0 7 e3 b6 Kasparov, to the best of my knowledge, has never used this defence before. 8 Qb3 Bbl 9 Bxf6 Bxf6 10 cxd5 exd5 11 Rdl Re8 12 a3 A new move probably, though Korchnoi adopted a similar plan in game 11 of his match v. Spassky, Belgrade 1977. 12...e6 13 Bd3 Nd7 14 0-0 g6 15 Rfel Nf8 16 Bbl Ne6 17 Bat Qc7 18 Qa4 Rad8 19 b4 Qb8 20 Qc2 Qc7 21 Bb3 Bg7 22 Qa2 a6 23 Rcl Qb8 24 Na4 Qa7 25 Nc3 Qb8 26 RbI Qd6 27 Rbdl a5 It is possible to play possum again with 27...Qc7 or 27... Qb8, but with Viktor running short of time (only 20 minutes left) Gary decides to complicate. 28 bxa5 bxa5 29 e4 a41?
Position after 29...a4!?
(Diagram) A real Kasparov move, which sen everyone into shock. The solid 29... Kh7 is nor mal. 30 Bxa4 dxe4 31 Nxe4 Q14 32 d5 Nd4 1 had been expecting 32... Rxd5 33 Rxd5 cxd5 34 Bxe8 dxe4, with counterplay, or 34 Nf6 + Bxf6 35 Bxe8 Bc3 and then ...d4. 33 Nxd4 Rxe4 34 Bxc6 More critical is Nxc6. 34... Bxd4 35 Rxe4 Qxe4 36 Bxb7 Rb8 37 Qbl Q14 38 d6? Panic, with his flag hanging. 38 Qc2! unpins, defends f2 and meets 38... Rxb7 with 39 Qc8 + and Qxb7.
Checks on 12 are then harmless. Black's best is 38... Be5 39 g3 Qf3 still with some counterplay. 38... Qxd6 39 g3 Rxb7 40 Qxb7 Bxf2 + 41 Kxf2 Qxdl 42 Qa8 + Draw agreed. Viktor missed a chance in this game, which was, nevertheless, the most exciting game so far.
Kasparov — Korchnoi: Game 11, Benoni.
1 d4 N16 2 c4 e6 3 g3 c5 Viktor goes out fighting, rather than playing a tame line and meekly con- ceding the half-point Gary needs. 4 d5 exd5 5 cxd5 b5 6 Bg2 d6 7 b4 Na6 Opening preparation — only two minutes used so far. This improves on the gambit line 7... cxb4 8 a3! known to be good for White. 8 bxc5 NxcS 9 NIP g6 10 0-0 lig7 11 Nd4 0-0 Twenty minutes used here, but White's moves have been very natural. Probably Black was calculating the line: 12 Nxb5 Nfe4 13 Nd4 Bb7 l4 f3 Qb6! with counterplay. 12 Nc3 a6? Too passive. He must play ...bit! to stay in with a chance. 13 Nc6 As in games 7 and 9, the c6 square in Korchnoi's camp seems strangely vulnerable. 13... Qc7 14 Be3 Bb7 15 Bd4 Rfe8 16 a4 Destroying Black's Q side. 16... bxa4 17 BxcS chid 18 Qxa4 Nd7 19 Qb3 Bxe6 20 dxc6 Now the passed pawn guarantees victory. 20... Nb6 21 Rohl Rabb 22 Qa3 c4 23 Rfcl Bxc3 24 Qxc3 Rxe2 25 Qd4 a5 26 Rb5 A splendid move. In time trouble (only two minutes left till move 40) Kor- chnoi could find no answer to the threat of Rcbl. 26... a4 27 Bf3 Re8 28 Qc5 Qe7 29 e7 QxeS 30 Rxc5 Rc8 31 Bb7 Nd7 32 Rxe4 Black resigns.
The leading contenders for the £500 Che- quers prize were not put off by the misprint (sorry!) in game 9 of Kasparov — Korchnoi in our last issue (move 16 should have read: 16 e4 Ra7) and found the stronger line ask- ed for at White's 25th move, The correct answers and result of the competition will appear in next week's issue.
Previous page
