CHESS
Gary triumphs
David Sp anier
So Gary Kasparov did it, with a game to spare. The final score which settled the world championship was 12 points to 11. in Gary's favour. The narrowness of this margin should not obscure the fact that he played far the better chess throughout, was always in command, but for the brief period in which Anatoly Karpov fought back, and displayed once again his charac- teristic qualities of fire and imagination which have so endeared him to lovers of chess all round the world. Bravo!
Raymond Keene will give his expert summing-up from the ringside in due course. In the meanwhile, one may suggest several conclusions from the match. First, the loser has gone a long way to restoring his reputation, which was so tarnished by the way their first encounter was ended 18 months ago. Karpov showed good sports- manship, and more than that: his fight- back through games 17 to 19 showed great spirit.
Kasparov in that phase almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Over- confidence was, of course, to blame. One can attribute this to emotional immaturity, if one takes an overly 'psychological' view of the contest.
It would be more correct to say that Kasparov still has to learn the basic lessons of being a winner. To have the talent, simply to play better, is not enough. To be a winner, at chess or any other game, it is essential to shut out the opponent, to maintain the upper hand, and never to give the opposition the chance of coming back at you. (Gary's trainer should prescribe a private screening of that classic movie about winning and losing, The Hustler).
Gary neglected these precepts, especial- ly in game 18, in which he had a clear and easy win (38 Bc5) which he let slip in time trouble. Likewise in game 2, in his haste before the adjournment, he overlooked a simple win (39 Rc7).
It's good to know that he is human like the rest of us! What amazing blunders from a young man who has such dazzling talent.
I particularly liked the 22nd game in which he finally got ahead, after his dis- astrous run of three losses. The adjourned position looked fearfully complicated. But Gary wrapped it up in half a dozen moves. This game, like his victory in the 16th game playing the Ruy Lopez, will be savoured for a long time to come.
Can anyone beat him? Well, not at present. Karpov is easily the second best player in the world, and he is, frankly, nowhere near matching Gary's audacity or combinative conception. Take for example the amazing rook manoeuvre which Gary conducted in the middle of game 23. No one else in chess has that kind of visual imagination.
Overall it was a very enjoyable contest. The quality of the chess was continually high, the frontiers of theory were pushed back, the variety of the games never flagged. Clearly, the format of 24 games is the right one. What is needed, it seems to me, is to speed up the world championship cycle, and moves are under way to do that.
Kasparov's emergence now as undis- puted champion will, one certainly hopes, have a beneficial effect on the administra- tion of Fide, the international chess federa- tion. As a young man in a hurry, his presence is bound to be felt. If his influ- ence extends to reforming the fusty Soviet chess federation, and thence to mobilising the Eastern block vote at the Fide elections next month, there may be some new faces at the top.
A new and exciting era in chess has begun. Gary's play has given us all much pleasure. It is good to know, since he is only 23, that there should be much, much more to come.
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