CHESS
Boris the Menace
Raymond Keene
If there is one grandmaster in the world whom Kasparov would like to face in an extended match, I am sure it is the Soviet émigré Boris Gulko, now living in the US, where he is resident grandmaster at Har- vard University. Boris defeated Kasparov twice in the USSR and now he has added a third win in the tournament at Linares, which Kasparov won earlier this year. Gulko's tally against the champion is an amazing three wins, with no losses. Kas- parov loses so rarely that it is worth recording this difficult game here. On the surface it might appear that Kasparov gives away material in cavalier fashion for in- adequate compensation, but the notes reveal that the game is much deeper than that.
Gulko — Kasparov: Linares 1990; King's Indian Defence.
d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 The King's Indian Defence was Kasparov's first love. As he gradually came to face stronger and stronger opposition throughout his career he shelved this risky line in favour of the Queen's Gambit Declined or the Grunfeld. The dis- advantage of the King's Indian is that Black can suffer from tremendous cramp unless he is prepared to engage in speculative sacrifices. Against weaker opponents such a policy can be devastating but against one's equals (or near- equals in Kasparov's case) the danger exists of humiliating refutation of over-enterprising play. It is notable that towards the end of his 1987 title match with Karpov Kasparov once again de- veloped the self-confidence to employ the King's Indian. He used it once against Karpov in that match and again in their game from the Swedish leg of the World Cup last year. At Linares Kasparov adopted it to excellent effect, defeat- ing Portisch and Yusupov, drawing with Gelfand and Beliaysky and losing only this present game. 6 Be3 c6 7 Bd3 e5 8 d5 b5 The first pawn sacrifice designed to wreck White's monolithic central pawn structure. 9 cxb5 cxd5 10 exd5 e4 The second sacrifice, though White can hardly con- template 11 fxe4 Ng4, when Black has a fierce counter-attack. 11 Nxe4 NxdS 12 Bg5 Qb6 In a game Timman — Kasparov, Reykjavik 1988, Kasparov won after 12 . . . Qa5+ 13 Qd2 Qxd2+ 14 Bxd2 Bxb2 15 Rbl Bg7. There is, however, an improvement in 15 Rd 1 which gave White the advantage in Razuvaev — Lautier, Paris Open 1989. Kasparov had earlier rejected 12 . . . Qb6 in his own notes to the Timman game, but he evidently hoped to revive this move with some new ideas. 13 Qd2 Nd7 14 Bc4 N5f6 15 Nxf6+ Black's next move is an unnatu- ral way to recapture. In the first instance it encourages exchanges when Black is material down, while secondly Black voluntarily offers to trade his king's bishop, conventionally his most potent unit in the King's Indian. The sole virtue of Black's next move is that it somewhat undermines White's grip on the central dark squares. As we shall see, though, when Black seeks to take advantage of this later in the game, his efforts are exposed as illusory. The natural and strong recapture is 15 . . . Nxf6, for exam- ple 16 Be3 Re8 17 Kf2 Rxe3 18 Qxe3 Ng4+ 19 big4 Bd4, exploiting the latent force of Black's King's Indian bishop to skewer the white queen. Alternatives are 16 Net Re8 17 Bh4 d5! 18 Bf2 Qe6 19 Bd3 Ne4! or 18 Bd3 Bbl 19 Bf2 d4 followed by . . . Nd5 and . . . Ne3. This last variation was pointed out by Kasparov some days after the game at Linares and goes a long way towards justifying Black's choice of opening variation. 15 . . . Bxf6 16 Bxf6 Nxf6 17 Net Re8
18 0-0-0 d5 19 Bd3 There is a complicated and probably stronger alternative here in 19 Bb3 Rxe2 20 Qxe2 Bf5 21 Rd2 Rc8+ 22 Bc2 d4 23 g4. 19 . . . a6 20 bxa6 White could even play 20 Kbl axb5 21 Bc2 with a distinct strategic advantage. The white bishop will naturally come to b3. This, in itself, is an indictment of Black's 15th move recapture with the bishop. 20 . . . d4 21 Kbl Re3 The threat to capture on d3 and play . . . Bf5 is too obvious. Additionally, on e3 the rook is over-exposed. As so often against Gulko Kasparov has become inebriated by the exuberance of his own initiative when the simple concentration of major pieces in direct line against White's king by means of 21 . . Bxa6 22 Bxa6 Rxa6 would have kept Black well in contention. 23 Nxd4 would be met by . . ReaS when White has no good way to defend his pawn on a2. 22 Bc4 Bxa6 23 Bxa6 Rxa6 24 Nxd4 Re8 if 24 . . . Ra3 25 Nc2 Rxa2 26 Qd8+ Qxd8 27 Rxd8+ Kg7 28 Na3 wins. 25 Net Rb8 26 Nc3 Qb4 27 Rhel Rd6 28 Qc2 Rdb6 29 Re2 Qf4 30 h3 Black's last chance now is to exchange his rooks for the white queen with 30 . . Rxb2+ 31 Qxb2 Rxb2+ 32 Rxb2 Qf5+ followed by 33 . . . Nd7. White should still probably win, but the fact that his king is exposed would give Black some counterplay. As played, White inexorably triumphs with his two extra pawns. 30 . . . Rc6 31 Qd2 Qf5+ 32 Kal Rb7 33 Qh6 Rc8 34 Red2 Qa5 35 Qe3 Kg7 36 g4 Re8 37 Qd4 Rd7 38 Qf2 Rc7 39 Rd3 Ra8 40 Qd2 h6 41 Rd6 Rc4 42 Rd4 Rac8 43 Kbl Qe5 44 f4 Qe6 45 Qe2 Rxd4 46 Rxd4 Qb6 47 Qd2 Qa6 48 Qd3 Qc6 49 a3 Qg2 50 Rd6 Rb8 51 Qe2 Qhl + 52 Ka2 Re8 53 Qd3 Rel 54 Qd4 Black resigns.
Congratulations are in order to Jon Speelman who won first prize on tie-break in the Grandmaster Association World Cup qualifying tournament which finished last week in Moscow. Murray Chandler, half a point behind, also joins him in the 1991 World Cup series, where Britain is already represented by Nigel Short and John Nunn.
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