CHESS

Karpov's brain

Raymond Keene

Anatoly Karpov, so the experts said, won the Brussels World Cup (and with it $20,000) in the style of his best years. That is true, but there is more. Seven years ago, when Karpov overwhelmed Korchnoi in their match at Merano, the then cham- pion's style displayed antiseptic elements. Karpov liked to win in a hands-off style, reducing risk to an absolute minimum. This continued to be evident in his first match with Kasparov. At Brussels, howev- er, Karpov seemed more disposed towards the taking of unfathomable risks in order to win games. His marvellous effort against Jan Timman, which I published in this column two weeks ago, is a case in point. When I returned to Brussels for the AGM of the GMA, people were still arguing fiercely whether Karpov's strategic queen sacrifice was sound or not.

The SWIFT World Cup Tournament, 1-22 April 1988

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011121314151617 Total

1 Karpov X1/2 1 1/2 0 1/21/21 1 1/21/2 l 1/2 1 I 1/2 1 II

2 Salov 1/2X 11/211/21/21/21/21/21/21/21 1/21/21/21 10 3 Ljubojevic

0 0 X I 1/21/2 11/2 1 1/21/2 I 1 1/21/21/21/2

91/2 4 Nunn

1/21/2 0 X 1 1/2 1/21/2 1/2 I 1/21/201/21/21/2 I 1

91/2 5 Beliavsky I 01/20 X1/21/21/21/211/21/2 I I 1/21/21 91/2 Anders.son 1/21/21/21/21/2X1/21/21/21/21/21/21 1/2 1 1/21/2 9 7 Portisch 1/21/20 1/21/21/2X 1/2 0 1/2 1 1 1/21/21/2 I 1 9 8 Speelman

0 1/21/2 1/21/21/2 1/2 X 1 1/2 1/2.1/21/21/2 1 0 1

81/2 9 Sokolov

0 1/201/21/21/2 1 0 X 0 11/21/21/21/2 1 1

8 IS Tal. M

1/21/2 1/2 (1 0 1/21/21/2 1 X1/20 0 1 1/2 1 1/2.

71/2 11 Nikolic

1/21/21/21/21/21/20 1/20 1/2 X 1/21/2 0 I 1/2 I

71/2 12 Timman

0½0½½½0½½I½X½½01 I

71/2 13 Seirawan

1/20 0 1/20 01/21/21/2 I 1/21/2X 1/2 l 1/2 I

71/2 14 Noguciras

0 1/21/21/2 0 1/21/21/21/2 0 1 1/21/2 x 0 1/2 I

7 15 Korchnol 0 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 0 1/2 0 1/21/20 I 0 1 X0 1 61/2 16 Sax

1/21/21/2 0 1/21/2? 0 I 0 0 1/2 0 1/21/2 1 X 0

6

Winants

0 0 1/20 0 I/2 0 0 0 1/2 0 0 0 0 0 IX 2,4

Average rating 2613. Category IS. Vagaman withdraw after the fourth round.

Britain's John Nunn also turned in a splendid result. One of his most, impressive games was this instant demolition of the great former world champion, Mikhail Tal.

Nunn — Tal: Caro-Kann Defence (Brussels World Cup).

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nd7 5 Ng5 The fashionable move and one with which John Nunn has had some pleasant experiences. For example, Nunn-Georgiev, Linares 1988, had continued: 5... h6? 6 Ne6! Qa5+ 7 Bd2 Qb6 8 Bd3 fxe6 9 0h5+ Kd8 10 Ba5 winning Black's queen. A number of journals have erroneously Indicated that Georgiev resigned at this point. In fact he did not, but dragged on his hopeless resistance for another 30 moves or so. 5 ... Ndf6 6 N1f3 e6 7 Ne5 An energetic move which casts some doubt on Black's method of opening. In some games between Sokolov and Sprag.gett from the St John Candidates White had achieved nothing with 7 0d3. This had given Black's 5th move a spurious imprimatur of respectability. 7 ... Nh6 8 Bd3 Bd6 If 8 ... Qxd4 9 Nexf7 Nxf7 10 Nxf7 Kxf7 11 Bg6+ nets Black's queen. Somewhat less clear, but still probably in White's favour is 10 ... Bb4+ 11 c3 Bxc3+ 12 bxc3 Qxc3+ 13 Bd2 Qxd3 14 Nxh8. 9 c3 Qc7 10 Qe2 c5 It is astounding how, over the next few moves, Tal appears to play against his own style, opening up the position while undeveloped, exposing his king and grabbing material. Pas-

sive, -

sive, though necessary, s 10 ... a6. 11 Bb5+ Ke7

120-0 cxd4 13 cxd4 Nf5 14 Be3 Nxe3 15 fxe3 Bxe5 16 dxe5 Qxe5 17 Qd3 (Diagram) If shown this position one would probably guess that Tal was White rather than Black. Black is virtually Position after / 7 Qd3

defenceless, as can be seen from 17 ... Rd8 18 Qxd8+ Kxd8 19 Nxf7+ or 17 ... a6 18 0a3+ Qd6 19 Qxd6+ Kxd6 20 Nxf7+ Ke7 21 Nxh8 axb5 22 g4 Bd7 23 g5 though this was probably Black's best chance. 17 ... Qxg5 18 Qa3+ KO 19 Radl + Bd7 20 Bxd7 Black resigns. 20 ... Nxd7 21 Rxf7 is murderous.

At the Grandmaster Association AGM two days after the World Cup ended, various rumblings were uttered against Fide, the World Chess Federation.

In particular, the Grandmasters de-

plored the notion that Grandmaster titles might be awarded by Fide for quick chess

games. They not unnaturally perceived this idea to contain the germs of an inflation in titles which might well undermine their own hard-won prestige. In retaliation the GMA President, Kasparov, floated the notion that the Grandmasters might well take, over the organisation of the world championship themselves, a step which would choke off Most of Fide's revenue.

As the man in possession, Kasparov is in a strong position to issue such threats.