SPAIN'S FINEST CAVA
CHESS
rAtrong19
SPAIN'S FINEST CAVA
Vive l'attaque!
Raymond Keene
KASPAROV'S PLAY is at its most appealing when he launches on grand adventures, with incalculable results, replete with sacrifices and attacks. Many of his matches with Karpov have been marked by a static war of attrition, in which Kasparov's particular chessboard charac- teristics are not seen at their best. Karpov is simply too wily and cautious a player to allow Kasparov to sparkle as often as he would like. Against lesser mortals, though, Kasparov can give full rein to his aggressive genius. His games from the final leg of the Intel Grand Prix were classics of the art. Having performed in relatively undistin- guished fashion in the first three Intel tour- naments, in Moscow, New York and London, Kasparov had to win in Paris in order to come at the head of the overall cycle. This he accomplished in brilliant and devastating form. His first great challenge was to eliminate Kramnik, his closest rival, before the young Russian could even reach the final. Here is the crucial phase of their encounter.
Kasparov–Kramnik: Intel Grand Prix; Paris, 1994.
Black has just unwisely retreated his queen from a5 to b6 (Diagram), and this gives Kasparov his chance for a combination. 21 a5 The prelude to the decisive attack which, interestingly, comes on the other side of the board. This type of global thrust initiating action on one flank, while aim- ing at a decisive resolution on the other, is typi- cal of Kasparov's intellectual mentor and hero, Alexander Alekhine, of whom more later. 21 • • . Qc7 Black realises to his horror that he can- not play 21 ... Bxa5 on account of 22 NxdS Nxd5 23 Bxa5 winning material. 22 NxdS Nxd5 23 Bxb4 Deflecting Black's knight from its central blockading function. There was, in fact, an alter- native solution by means of 23 Bxd5 Bxd2 24 Bxf7+ Qx17 25 Qxd2 when White should also win. 23 ...Nxb4 24 Qxg6 The point of White's play. Black's 'f pawn is pinned and White retains his strong bishop on b3. 24 ... Nd5 25 Qf5 g6 26 QE3 Qd6 27 a6 b6 28 g3 Kg7 29 Rcl White has a dominating position and an extra pawn and went on to win.
Having eliminated Kramnik, Kasparov blasted Nikolic, the solid former Yugoslav grandmaster, by 2-0 in the final. Kaspar- ov's win with White combined elegance with dynamism.
Kasparov–Nikolic: Intel Grand Prix, Paris, 1994; French Defence.
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Ne7 7 Qg4 Kf8 A variation which has recently become fashionable. Black displaces his king but hopes for powerful counter-pressure against White's queenside and central pawns. 8 h4 Qc7 9 Qdl A seemingly remarkable retreat but it is the best way of parrying an incursion by the black queen. 9 ...cxd4 10 cxd4 Qc3+ 11 Bd2 Qxd4 12 Nf3 Qe4+ 13 Be2 Nbc6 Only now does it become apparent that the two players are engaging in a theoretical duel carried over from the tournament in Zurich earlier in the year. In their previous game with Kasparov as White Nikolic continued 13 ... b6 14 0-0 Ba6 15 c4 Nbc6 16 Ng5, when White launched a withering attack. Here Nikolic hopes to improve. 14 h5 Ignoring his 'e' pawn in the interests of driving forwards against the king. 14 ... NxcS 15 h6 gxh6 This looks hazardous, since Black's king is boxed into a corner. However, Nikolic hopes to free his king with a later ... b. Future games may well examine the alternative 15 ... g6. 16 Bxh6+ 17 Rbl N7g6 18 Rb4 Nxf3+ 19 gxf3 Not only has White sacrificed two pawns, his pawn structure is now also shot to shreds. If Kasparov cannot decide the game by direct attack, he will face an endgame with a material deficit and fractured pawns. 19 ...Qe5 20 f4 Qc3+ 21 Kf1 f5 22 Rb3 Qf6 23 c4 White must force open lines for his pieces. If now 23 dxc4 24 Bxc4 Black can hardly move. 23 ...b6 24 cxd5 Bb7 25 Rd3 Re8 Not 25 ... Bxd5 26 Rxd5 exd5 27 Qxd5 + win- ning. 26 Rgl b5 Hoping to prevent White's king's bishop reaching c4. 27 dxe6 Rxe6 28 Rd8+ (Diagram) 28 ...Kf7 29 Rd7+ Re7 30 Rxb7 The coup de grace. After 30 . . Rxb7 31 QdS+ Black is helpless. Black resigns.
This game powerfully reminds me of a win by Alekhine, also against the French Defence. The Franco-Russian champion sacrificed two pawns against one of his greatest rivals and broke into his position, just like Kasparov, with Rd8+. Afterwards Nimzowitsch complained that Alekhine was beating top grandmasters like children.
Alekhine–Nimzowitsch: Bled, 1931; French Defence. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Nge2 dxe4 5 113, Bxc3+ 6 Nxc3 15 7 f3 exf3 8 Qxf3 Qxd4 9 Qg-' Nf6 10 Qxg7 QeS+ 11 Be2 Rg8 12 Qh6 Rg6 13 Qh4 Bd7 14 Bg5 Bc6 15 0-0-0 Bxg2 16 Rhel
17 13h5 Nxh5 18 Rd8+ Kf7 19 Qxh5 Black resigns.
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