CHESS
KLeningrad. arpov took time-out for game 13 which meant postponement from Wednes- day to Friday (5 September). Nobody here seemed surprised by this apart from the British Chess Federation delegation whose members had speeded here from London to catch the first game of the Leningrad half. Even Kasparov's group were saying quite openly that they already knew in London that this would occur.
The Leningrad Hotel is a vast concrete edifice, overlooking one of the main chan- nels of the River Neva. Leningrad, with its numerous bridges and islands, rather re- sembles a huge, misty Venice, but with cars and hydrofoils rather than gondolas.
The level of chess culture here is remark- able. It is possible to sit down to your breakfast of blinis and caviar and find detailed comments by Grandmasters to the previous night's K-K game in your morning copy of Pravda, Izvestia or Sovietsky Sport. The venue, the concert hall of the Lenin- grad Hotel, is decked out in beautiful red plush, with a white silk backdrop featuring only the match logo. Since the state pays for everything, there is no need to acknow- ledge sponsors as we did in London. The only problem is the `neander-tech' move demonstration. Boys with poles replace London's Intelligent Chess Software and there is often a two-minute gap between a player's move and what appears on the wall chart.
Neva Neva Land
Raymond Keene
The greatest previous event in this city was the St Petersburg tournament of 1914 won by Lasker ahead of Capablanca, Alekhine, Tarrasch, Marshall, Rubinstein and Nimzowitsch. Local fans are plainly hoping that their half of the centenary match will produce some equally memor- able games.
Karpov — Kasparov: Game 13, Neo-Griinfeld Defence.
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nf3 Bg7 4 g3 Karpov reverts to treatment used in game 3. Evidently, he has not found a revival of his idea from game 11. 4 . . . c6 5 Bg2 d5 6 cxd5 cxd5 7 Nc3 0-0 8 Ne5 e6 9 0-0 Nfd7 10 f4 Not new, but unusual. Boleslavksy once suggested 10 . . Nxe5 11 fxe5 f6 as the correct antidote, but Kasparov prefers a more recondite line. 10 . . . f6 11 Nf3 Nc6 12 Be3 12 e4 is worth a thought. 12 . . . Nb6 Once again, Kasparov steers a knight to b6 and Karpov soon reacts with b3. If 12 . . f5 13 Ne5 Nf6 14 Nxc6 bxc6 and White stands structurally better. Kas- parov plans to direct his knight to e4 without contracting pawn weaknesses. 13 Bf2 f5 14 Ne5 Bd7 15 Qd2 Nc8 16 Qe3 An original-looking move. If now 16 . . Nd6? 17 Nxc6 Bxc6 loses the e6 pawn with check. 16 . . Kh817 Rfdl Not now 17 Nxc6 Bxc6 18 Qxe6? Re8 19 Qf7 Nd6 nailing White's queen. A double-edged alterna- tive is 17 g4 Nxe5 18 dxe5 f314 19 Qg3 h5 20 h3 g5 (Gufeld in Sovietsky Sport . 17 . . . Nd6 18 b3 Rc8 If 18 . . . Qe7 19 Racl R c8 20 Nxd5 exd5 21 Rxc6 followed by Nxg6 + wins. This variation demonstrates that White really is exerting se- rious pressure on the Black position. This, in spite of the blocked trench-warfare type of structure. 19 Rcl Be8 20 Bel B16 21 Na4 b6 22 Nb2 Ne4 23 Nd3 g5 Black has to do something. Kasparov now makes an excellent job of confus- ing the issue as the fifth hour of play approaches. 24 Nxc6 Bxc6 25 Ne5 gxf4 26 gxf4 Be8 27 Qh3 Rg8 28 Kfl RxcS 29 Rxcl h5!? The press centre went into shock. Surely Black must lose now that his king's position is full of gaping self- inflicted wounds. But the bishop on e8 is a stalwart defender (of h5) and if Black shrinks away from this bold measure Qh6 will be strong. 30 Bb4? As time pressure approaches, Karpov wavers. Correct is Gufeld's idea: 30 Bf3 Qe7 3'1 Rc8 Qg7 32 Bg2 and Black is still under heavy pressure. 30 . . . a5 31 Ba3? And here the bishop had to return to el. Both players were now looking exceptionally nervous. And suddenly, having been squeezed for so long, Kasparov whips up a counter-attack in the dying minutes of the session. 31 . . . Bxe5 32 dxe5 Rg4 33 Bxe4 dxe4? And here Black even misses a winning chance: 33 . . . fxe4 34 e3 d4 35 Bd6 Qa8 or 34 Kel d4 35 Bd6 e3 or 34 Qe3 Qh4 35 Rc8 Rxf4+ 36 Kg2 Qg4+ or 34 Bd6 d4 35 Rc7 Bg6 36 Re7 Qa8 37 Rxe6 Qa6. White's problem in all these lines is his queen is stuck on h3. 34 Bd6 Rxf4 35 Kel Rg4 36 Qe3 Qg5 The final moves were banged out but the draw is now clear. 37 Qxg5 Rxg5 38 Rc8 Rg8 39 e3 h4 40 h3 a4 Draw agreed.
As I write, Karpov has resigned without resuming in game 14. This makes the score 8-6 in Kasparov's favour.
The Great Eastern Hotel in Liverpool Street, London, is providing expert com- mentaries and special events during the second half of the world championship. Play is from 2 to 7 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, admission is £2 and further information is available from 01 220 7628.
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