CHESS
The remaining three world cham- pionship quarter-final matches are over or winding down. Last year, of coiirse, Jon Speelman qualified for the semis at the expense of Nigel Short, and our British representative has now been joined by Artur Yusupov of the USSR and Anatoly Karpov. The former experienced serious problems against the Canadian Spraggett,
Only going through in the extra time ninth game, played at speed chess rates. Karpov, however, demolished the Icelander Hjar- tarson with relatively few difficulties. Meanwhile, in Antwerp, Lajos Portisch of Hungary is level with Holland's Jan Tim- Man with one game to play. Here are the decisive games from two of the matches.
lijartarson — Karpov: Seattle, 1989; Ruy Lopez, ,s1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 nel b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Re8 10 d4 Bb7 11 Nbd2 Bf8 12 a3 h6 13 Bc2 Nb8 14 b4 Nbd7 15 0132 a5 This is a divergence" from the game Timman — Kasparov, the former's sole victory, from their match in Hilversum, 1985. In that game Kasparov played 15 . . . g6 when the continuation was 16 c4 exd4 17 cxb5 axb5 18 Nxd4 c6 19 a4. Karpov here steers for a more speedy counterattack on the queen's side, though it is by no means clear that this repre- sents an improvement over Kasparov's method. 16 Bd3 c6 17 Nb3 axb4 18 cxb4 exd4 19 Nfxd4 c5 20 bxc5 dxc5 21 Nxb5 Nxe4 22 Qc2 Ndf6 23 Nc3? I find this move incomprehensible. Surely Hjar- tarson should have continued with the simple and strong developing move 23 Rail. After the feeble text Karpov seizes the initiative with astonishing rapidity. The punishment meted out by the former world champion is, indeed, out of all proportion to the apparently trifling nature of
No quarter
Raymond Keene
White's inaccuracy. 23 . . . Ng5 24 Bb5 Rxel + 25 Rxel Qc7 26 Bfl Qc6 27 Re3 A clumsy move, played to parry Black's threat of . . Nxh3+. 27. . . Bd6 28 h4 It is understandable that White should wish to evict Black's troublesonte knight, but the effect of this move is the irreparable weakening of the pawn shield around White's king. 28 . . . Ne6 29 Ndl Ng4 (Diagram) 30 Rxe6 Absolute desperation in the face of Black's huge concentration of force against .the White king. 30. . . Bh2+ 31 Khl Qxe6 32 f3 Qel. White resigns There are many ways for Black to win, for example, 33 fxg4 Qxh4 34 Bd3 Bg3 dis + 35 Kgl Re8 cutting off the White king's escape and preparing the deadly . . Qh2+ and . . . Qhl.
Spraggett — Yusupov: Quebec, 1989; Reti Open- ing.
1 c4 e6 2 Nf3 d5 3 b3 Nf6 4 g3 b6 5 Bg2 Bb7 6 0-0
Position after 29 . . . Ng4
Nbd7 7 Bbl Be7 8 e3 0-0 9 d3 dxc4 10 bxc4 Nc5 11 d4 Nce4 12 a4 c5 13 Na3 Rc8 14 Qb3 exd4 15 exd4 Qc7 16 Racl Rfd8 17 Rc2 Qb8 18 Ne5 Qa8 19 13 Nd6 White's conduct of the opening has not been convincing. His next move is not an aggressive gesture but an attempt to keep a Black knight out of f5. 20 g4 Nd7 21 Nd3 a6 22 h3 Rc7 23 Bel Bf6 24 Be3 h6 25 Nbl Overlooking that Black's next move is playable. 25 . . . b5 26
Position after 28 Ra2
axb5 axb5 27 c5 Nc4 28 Ra2 (Diagram) Qxa2 A powerful queen sacrifice which leaves White's position completely disorganised. 29 Qxa2 Nxe3 30 Rcl Bxd4 31 Khl Nxc5 32 Nxc5 Rxc5 33 Rxc5 Bxc5 34 Nc3 Rd3 35 Nxb5 Nxg2 36 Qc2 Nel 37 QxcS Nxf3 38 Kg2 Rd2+ 39 Kg3 Ng5 Black threatens a deadly check on e4. White's next move is a blunder which does nothing to stop the threat. White's position was, however, already beyond redemption. 40 Nd6 Rxd6 41 Qc7 Rd3+ 42 Kf2 Nxh3+ 43 Ke2 Be4 44 Qb8+ Kh7 45 Qb4 f5 46 gxf5 exf5 47 Qe7 Nf4+ 48 Kf2 Rd2+ 49 Kel Re2+ 50 Kd 1 Bc2+ And in this hopeless position White overstepped the time limit.
The semi-finals will he played in Lon- don, probably in October, once again with the handsome support of Pilkington Glass.
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