CHESS
SPAIN'S FINEST CAVA
;TDDCOLEMIM
SPAIN'S FINEST CAVA
That game
Raymond Keene SHOCK WAVES WENT round the world last week, capturing front-page attention for chess, when Garry Kasparov, the world champion, was knocked out of the Intel Grand Prix in London by a computer pro- gram. Sensational as this news was, no great conclusions should be drawn from it about the instant demise of human domi- nation in chess. The Intel Grand Prix is played according to speed chess rules, with all the moves having to be completed by each player in just 25 minutes. On top of that, Kasparov was clearly nervous at hav- ing to face the computer in the very first game of the competition. Finally, although the computer went on to eliminate another strong grandmaster, Predrag Nikolic, and reached the semi-final, it was then dis- patched with consummate ease by the Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, who exploited some remarkable flaws in its programming make-up. That said, though, the performance of the program (Chess Genius, written by Richard Lang and Ossie Weiner, running on a Pentium processor) was extraordinary. Here is that dramatic game.
Kasparov–Pentium Genius: Intel Grand Prix, 1994; Slav Defence. 1 c4 c6 2 d4 Entering a main line, which is well documented. Against a computer I would prefer to play more obliquely, for example with 2 b3 or 2 g3. 2 ...d5 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Qc2 dxc4 5 Qxc4 Bf5 6 Nc3 Nbd7 7 g3 e6 8 Bg2 Be7 90-0 0-0 10 e3 The world champion avoids a trap which has been known since the 1940s, namely 10 Rdl? Bc2 11 Rd2 Nb6 snaring White's queen in mid-board, 10 ...Ne4 11 Qe2 Qb6 12 Rdl Rad8 13Nel Ndf6 14 Nxe4 Nxe4 15 f3 White's advantage resides in his mobile mass of central pawns. Black's next move looks odd to human eyes. We would prefer 15 ... Nf6. 15 ...Nd6 16 a4 Designed to prevent Nb5, but now White begins to suffer from slight weaknesses in his Icingside pawn structure. 16 ...Qb3 But this immediate attempt to exploit the weaknesses allows Black's queen to be driven back with loss of time. 17 e4 Bg6 18 Rd3 Qb4 19 b3 Nc8 20 Nc2 Qb6 21 Bf4? (Diagram) An inexplicable move which encourages Black to simplify into a fully playable endgame. Since Black's only possible break for freedom consists . . c5 at some point, the most sensible course playing .ensible course is-21 Be31 and if 21 ... c5 22 Radl gaining a valuable and important tempo over' the game continuation. 21 ...c5 22 Be3 cxd4 23 Nx44 Bc5 24 Radl c5 25 Nc2 Rxd3 26 Qxd3 Ne7 27 b4 Bxe3+ 28 Qxe3 White at last appears to have achieved what he wants. Black must seemingly either acquiesce in a trade of queens on b6, which would shatter his own pawns, or submit to 28 ... Qxe3+ 29 Nxe3 when White controls the 'd' file whilst simultaneously locking Black's remaining bishop out of play. In this precarious situation Black finds an excellent resource. 28 ...Rd8! 29 Rxd8+ Of course not 29 Qxb6?? refuted by 29 , Run +. 29 ... Qxd8 30 Bfl And here 30 Qxa7 fails to 30 ...Qdl + 31 Bfl Qxc2 32 Qb8+ Qc8. 30 ... b6 31 Qe3 Hereabouts Kasparov is playing with fire. The position is still level but White has over-expanded on both wings and his king is much less safe than Black's. It was high time to play 31 Qd3 and if 31 ...Qc7 32 Qc4 insisting on an exchange of queens. By that method White could still secure a painless draw. 31 ... 16 32 BO+ Bf7 Almost impercepti- bly Kasparov has endangered his chances. He encouraged Black to has en exchange his formerly inactive bishop whilst simultaneously ceding the machine control of the 'd' file. By pressing even further for a win Kasparov swiftly makes his position hopeless. 33 Ne3 Qd4 34 Bx17+ Kx17 35 Qb3+ After this incautious check White may in fact be lost. Black's queen becomes a dominat- ing force, harrying White's camp, while the black king and knight form a perfect defensive unit. White's last objective chance may have been to go into an inferior knight and pawn endgame with 35 Qxd4. 35 —Kg 36 Kg2 Qd2+ 37 Kh3 (Diagram) Here, exposed on the flank, the king is a constant liability to White. However if instead 37 ICgl Kasparov was clearly worried about the possibility of 37 ...Nc6 followed by Nd4. 37... Qe2 38 Ng2 h5 Mating threats loom. 39 Qe3 Qc4 40 Qd2 Qe6+ 41 g4 hxg4+ 42 hig4Qc4 43 Qel Qb3+ 44 Ne3 Qd3 At last win- ning a pawn in most unpleasant circumstances for White. 45 Kg3 Qxe4 46 Qd2 Qf4+ 47 ICg2 Qd4 48 Qxd4 exd4 49 Nc4 Nc6 50 b5 Ne5 51 Nd6 d3 52 K12 Nxg4+ 53 Kel Nxh2 54 Kd2 Nf3+ 55 Kxd3 Ke7 56 Nf5+ The last important moment. Kasparov had evidently intended 56 Nc8+ but after 56 ...Kd7 57 Nxa7 Ne5+ White's knight on a7 is trapped and can only emerge via c6 at the price of another pawn. 56 —MI 57 Ke4 Nd2+ 58 Kd5 g5 59 Nd6+ Kg6 60 Kd4 Nb3+White resigns.
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