IT IS good to see that international chess has returned
to the city of Sarajevo. Not so long ago the place was a real battlefield; now the conflict has been confined to the 64 squares, infinitely more civilised. Sarajevo was a particular test for Kasparov. Many voices have been raised, claiming that Alexei Shirov was the rightful challenger to ICasparov's throne as a result of Shirov's match victory against ICramnik (the actual challenger) some years ago in Spain. If Shirov had been able to pull off a surprise and win at Sarajevo ahead of Kasparov, it would have made ICramnik's challenge look ridiculous. For some time it appeared that this nightmare scenario for the world cham- pion might in fact develop. Until the penul- timate round, Shirov nursed a half-point lead which Kasparov simply could not over- come. Then, at the final hurdle, Shirov stumbled and lost with White to Movsesian. Kasparov swept past, winning his last three games. This ability to win when in extremis is, of course, an old Kasparov trademark. His nerves very rarely fail him in such crises.
I shall be returning to the topic of Sarajevo in future articles. It was an impor- tant tournament, with some excellent chess played, and it also involved an outstanding performance by the British grandmaster Michael Adams. This week I concentrate on ICasparov's vitally important last-round win, which granted him victory by half a point ahead of the field.
Movsesian–Kasparov: Sarajevo 2000
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be3 The fashionable continuation. 6 ... e6 7 13 b5 8 Qd2 In an earlier game, Kasparov v. van Wely, Wijk aan Zee 2000, Kasparov opted for the imme- diate 8 g4 when the game continued 8 ... h6 9 Qd2 Nbd7 10 0-0-0 Bb7 11 h4 b4 12 Na4 and Kasparov went on to win (see this column, 5 February 2000
Sarajevo
Raymond Keene
for the game). 8 ... Nbd7 90-0-0 Bb7 10 g4 Nb6 It is notable that Kasparov's treatment of the defence involves piece play rather than an excess of pawn moves on the flank such as ... h6 or
b4 which proved to be van Wely's undoing in the game mentioned in my last note. 11 Qf2 A curious move but one which contains more than a drop of poison, involving, as it does, such threats as e5 (dangerous now that White's queen's rook directly faces the black queen) as well as Nd4xb5 and Nxe6, generally speculating on the unprotect-
ed nature of Black's knight on b6. 11 Nfd7 Black's knights are now on strange squares but in compensation White's immediate tactical threats have all evaporated. 12 Kbl Rc8 Preparing a stan- dard sacrifice to disrupt the protection around the white king. 13 Bd3 White grits his teeth and hopes. The only real alternative to this would be wholesale retreat by 13 Nce2 Nc4 14 Bel when Black would clearly have won the battle of the opening. 13 ... Rxc3 Among strong players such sacrifices are virtually a matter of technique. I know of no grandmaster who would seriously hesitate before deciding on such a sacrifice. 14 bxc3 Qc7 15 Ne2 Be7 16 g5 0-0 17 h4 White tries a belated attack against the black king but in the long run the smashed rubble around his own monarch must be the deciding factor. 17 ... Na4 18 Bei Ne5 19 h5 d5 20 Qh2 Bd6 21 Qh3 Nxd3 22 cxd3 b4 Black's game more or less plays itself. Although he has liquidated the weakness in White's pawns White has no answer to this line-opening operation which can rapidly be backed up by all five of Black's remaining pieces. 23 cxb4 Rc8 24 Kal dxe4 25 fxe4 25
Bxe4 If now 26 dxe4 Be5+ 27 Nd4 Bxd4+ 28 Rxd4 leads to this week's puzzle position. Unable to capture on e4 White might as well have resigned. 26 g6 Bxhl 27 Qxhl Bxb4 28 gxf7+ Kf8 29 Qg2 Rb8 30 Bb2 Utter desperation since Black can capture the bishop with impunity. 30... Nxb2 31 Nd4 Nxdl 32 Nxe6+ Kxf7 White resigns If 33 Nxc7 Bc3+ or if 33 Qxg7+ Kxe6 34 Qxc7 Bc3+- In both cases Black emerges with a gigantic mate- rial advantage plus a mating attack even with reduced forces.
Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No. 33 Black to play and win — first move only required. This puzzle is taken from the above game. Can you spot the immediate win that Kasparov had prepared?
Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 20 June or via email to vanessa@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7242 0603. The winner will be the first cor- rect answer drawn out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of a bottle of Ardbeg Malt Whisky.
Last week's solution: Rh6 Last week's winner: James Knight, Oxford.
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