Chess
Soviet feud
Raymond Keene
Both of the current World Championship Candidates' semi-finals are centred around Lac Leman, with Spassky-Portisch in Geneva while Korchnoy and Polugayevsky meet in the imposing surroundings of the Casino Royale here at Evian. The former encounter has started with two limp draws, but Korchnoy has gone straight for Polugayevsky's throat by winning the first three games.
Acting as Korchnoy's second has given me some fascinating insights into the petty political manoeuvres the official Russians are prepared to indulge in to demoralise the expatriate Korchnoy. It took me two days of negotiation with V.D. Baturinsky (leader of the Soviet delegation) before they would even agree to let Polugayevsky shake hands at the start of each game, and the Soviets have been adamant about refusing Korchnoy a flag under which to play, although he has been resident in Holland for almost
one year, and is also Dutch champion. Exasperated, I proposed at the preliminary meetings that Korchnoy play under the skull and crossbones, but you can guess the
answer to that.
Korchnoy has to score 8i points to win the match, which finishes on 16 August if it goes the full length.
Here is the second game of the match
Polugayevsky-Korchnoy, Queen's Indian Defence. 1 P-Q4 N-KB3 2 P-QB4 P-K3 3 N-K113 P-QN3 4 P-KN3 B-N2 5 B-N2 B-K2 6 0-0 0-0 7 N-133 N-K5 8 Q-B2 NxN 9 QxN P-K114 10 P-N3 13-KB3 11 B.N2 N-B3 12 QR-Q1 N-K2 13 N-K1 BxB 14 NxB P-KN4. An old plan of Dr Euwe, but Polugayevsky refutes it. 15 Q-B2 Very strong. Polugayevsky thought 25 minutes over this move. 15. . . N-N3 16 P-K4 P-BS To get some K-side coonterplay. 17 P-K.5 B-N2 18 Q-K4? Weak. 18 B-R3 leaves Black very cramped. 18 . . . Q-K2 19 11•Q3 QR-Ql 20 R-K! Stereotyped. He overlooks Black's next move. 20 . . P-Q41! A brilliant move. It reminds me of Botvinnik. 21 PxP e.p. Qxp 22 R(1)-Q1 If 22 QxPch QxQ 23 RxQ N-K4 and 24 ... K-B2 wins the rook. 22 . . . Q-K2 A very deep move. Black will force the exchange of queens. 23 N-K1 Q-B3 24 R(1)-Q2 Q-B4 25 QxQ 1)xQ Wonderful. Much better than 25 ... Rx(:), Maybe White can draw now with careful play but Polugayevsky was clearly demoralised. 26 N-N2 P-N5 27 NxP NxN 28 PxN B-R3 29 R-K2 BxP 30 R-K6? KR-K! 31 R-KB6 R-K8ch 32 K-N2 R-KB1 33 RxRch KxR 34 P-Q5? Better 34 B-R3ch. 34. . . B-Q3. Tremendous, and vastly superior to winning a pawn. 35 B-B3 R-QB836 B-Q2 R-B7 37 P-QR4 P-B5 This pawn rush wins. 38 P-R3 P-B6ch 39 K-B1 P-KR4 40 PxP PxP Polugayevsky now sealed 41 K-K1 after no less than 45 minutes of thought, but resigned the following morning without resuming. After 41. R-N7 White cannot prevent the invasion of Black's king.
Position 18: Archipov-Eingorn, USSR 1976. White to play and win.
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