Chess

Final rally

Raymond Keene

ASmyslov's match situation became in- creasingly desperate he sought to lash out and challenge Kasparov in the tactical sphere. For game 11 Smyslov adopted the volatile and highly unusual Chigorin Defence, while in game 12 he went for an all-out blitz against his opponent's King, even at the cost of heavy material sacrifice. When I wrote last week that Kasparov's style has been evolving and maturing towards a more positional one, this in no way implied that he had forfeited his grasp of tactics and combinations. He put these talents into excellent use in those two games, scoring a further one and a half points, sufficient to persuade a demoralised Smyslov to sue for an early peace in game 13, thus conceding the match.

Candidates'Final,Vilnius,March/Apri11984 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 111213 TO Kasparov 1/2 1/2 1 1 1/2 1/2. 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 8 1/2 Smyslov 1/2 1/2 0 0 I/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 0 1/2 1/2 0 1/2 4%s Kasparov — Smyslov: 11th game; Chigorin's Defence.

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 c4 Bg4 4 cxd5 Bxf3 5 gxf3 Qxd5 6 e3 e5 7 Nc3 Bb4 8 Bd2 Bxc3 9 bxc3 Qd6 Unusual. Normally Black plays 9 . • . exd4 10

cxd4 and then ... Nge7 or Nf6. The text is probably designed to avoid White's exchanging Queens with Qb3. 10 Rbl b6 11 f4 A radical way of clarifying the central tension. 11 .. exf4 12 e4 Nge7 13 Ql3 0-0 14 Bxf4 Qa3 With the threat of . . Nxd4. 15 Be2 f5 16 0-0 I would play 16 e5. The text is very sharp. 16 fxe4 17 Qxe4 Qxc3 18 Be3 Qa3 19 Bd3 Qd6 20 Qxh7 + Kr7 21 Rb5 Nxd4 22 Qe4 White could also try 22 Qh5 + g6 23 Qh7 + . 22 ... Rad8I If 22 . • Nxb5 23 Bc4+ Kf6 24 Qh4+ . 23Bxd4 Qxd4 24Rf5 + Set- tling for half a point. 24 ... Nxf5 25 Qxf5 + Kg8 If 25 Qf6 26 Bc4 + Ke7 27 Rd + wins.

26 Qh7 + Kf7 Draw agreed. It is perpetual check after 27 Qf5 + .

Smyslov — Kasparov: 12th game; Tarrasch Defence.

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 c5 3 c4 e6 4 cxd5 exd5 5 g3 Nf6 6

Bg2 Bel 70.0 0-0 8 Nc3 Nc6 9 Bg5 cxd4 10 Nxd4 h6 11 Be3 Re8 12 a3 Be6 13 Nxe6 fxe6 14 Qa4 Kh8 15 Rad I Rc8 16 Khl a6 17 NI? Avery risky move indeed. If it does not succeed, White's own structure will be wrecked. 17 . • . Na5 18 15 b5 19 Qh4 Ng8 20 Qh3 Nc4 21 Bel Be 22 fxe6 Bxcl 23 Rxcl If 23 RxdS Qb6 24 Rxcl Nxb2 and White's

23 ... Ne3 24 Nxd5 A bold exchange sacrifice, Y, especially in the 'c' file. i position is rickety, but otherwise Black consolidates with d4.

24 ... Nxf 1 Not 24 ... Nxd5? 25 Rxc8 QxcS 26

Position after 27 . . g5!

BxdS. If 24 ... Rxcl 25 Rxcl Nxd5 26 Rd 1 and then e4 regaining the N. 25 Rxf 1 R18 26 Nf4 Ne7 27 Qg4 Smyslov vacillates. The best thing about his position is the N on f4, so he should leave his Q on h3 to prevent ... g5. 27 e4 looks like a bet- ter try. 27 ... g5! (Diagram) Now White is driven back. To make things worse, Smyslov was also in horrible time-trouble. 28 Qh3 Rf6! 29 Nd3 Rxf 1 + 30 Bxf 1 Kg7 31 Qg4 Qd5 + 32 e4 Too late. After the R exchange White's initiative has dissolved. 32 ... Qd4 33 h4 R18 34 Be2 Qe3 35 Kg2 Ng6 36 h5 Ne7 37 b4 Kh7 38 Kh2 Rd8 39 e5 Rxd3 40 Bxd3 Qxd3 and Smyslov resigns.

I spoke to correspondents of the Moscow-based chess magazine 64 im-

mediately after game 13. They claimed that Smyslov missed nothing in his conduct of the attack in game 12, and that Kasparov's defence was ironclad and perfect. They also said that after game 5 of the Smyslov match, Gary was no longer mentally facing Smyslov, but Karpov himself. In fact, the Kasparov-Karpov world championship match has been set by Fide for September of this year. The new regulations state that even if the two contenders come from one and the same country, other nations may still make bids, which, if superior, will be accepted by Fide. What a coup it would be if we could stage all or part of the cham- pionship match itself! Should any readers have suggestions, plaese do not hesitate to contact me. If we could pull this off as well as the semi-finals, it would really put UK chess on the Fide map!