RdbeCi The Ultimate Islay Malt.
CHESS
Centurion II
Raymond Keene
LAST week I nominated Paul Morphy as the chess player of the 19th century. For this, the first Spectator chess article of the new millennium, I select the player of the century which terminated at the stroke of midnight last night. Here, the choice was even more difficult: Emanuel Lasker, world champion for 27 years; Alexander Alekhine; Jose Capablanca; Mikhail Botvinnik; Anatoly Karpov or Bobby Fischer? Still, in my view the choice has to be Garry Kasparov. Kasparov has pushed chess to its limits in terms of his own rating, depth of analysis and performance. At the age of 36 his achievements are still on the up. This week, a time conducive to a universal reap- praisal in all matters, is the appropriate moment to award the accolade to Garry Kasparov. The game I have chosen is a clas- sic; the one that made him, aged 22, the youngest ever world champion.
Karpov–Kasparov: World Championship, Moscow 1985, 24th Game; Sicilian Defence
1 e4 c5 Needing only a draw to clinch the World Championship, Kasparov still selects the sharpest possible defence against White's first move. The score was 12-11 in Kasparov's favour, and this was the last game. A win for Karpov would tie the match, thus leaving Karpov, as the incum- bent, still in possession of his title. 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be2 e6 7 0-0 Bel 8 f4 0-0 A standard Sicilian Defence. Traditionally, in this line, White's chances lie on the king's flank, Black's, with control of the semi-open c-file, on the opposite wing. 9 Khl Qc7 10 a4 Nc6 11 Be3 Re8 12 Bf3 Rb8 13 Qd2 Bd7 14 Nb3 b6 15 g4 Taking the initiative. The only disadvantage is that this aggressive pawn move leaves a vacuum in its wake which may represent a future source of weakness. 15 ... Bc8 Kasparov retreats an already developed piece, believing he has time to reposition it on the superior square, b7, from where it aims directly at White's king. 16 g5 Nd7 17 Qf2 White transfers his queen into an attack-
ing position, nearer to the black king. A possible target square for the white queen is h4, bearing down on h7. 17 ... Bf8 18 Bg2 Bbl 19 Radl g6 20 Bc1 RbcS 21 Rd3 Introducing a further danger- ous attacking scheme. The rook will go to h3. 21
Nb4 22 Rh3 Bg7 White hopes to follow up with Qh4 and f5, but Kasparov has everything under control. White's offensive is hampered by the distance of his knights from the main scene of the action. Still, White should now have struck out with 23 f51 23 Be3 Re7 24 Kgl Rce8!
Kasparov's defence is extremely profound and quite impenetrable, culminating in this mysteri- ous doubling-up of his rooks in the closed e-file. The main idea is to discourage White from play- ing f5, when the answer ... exf5 will permit Black's rooks to tear down the newly opened central file. 25 Rdl f5 Kasparov breaks out and his rooks soon begin to play their part in his counter-attack. The text involves an imaginative sacrifice of his b-pawn. 26 gxf6 Nxf6 27 Rg3 Rf7 28 Bxb6 Qb8 29 Be3 Nh5 30 Rg4 Nf6 31 Rh4 The young challenger has timed his counter-attack perfectly. In this critical situation, Karpov should now have retreated with 31 Rg3, but this would have allowed 31 ... Nh5 with a draw by repetition of moves, thus giving Kasparov the title. 31 ...g5il Black's second sacrifice: an unexpected blow flinging the remaining chains from Black's forces. In the last few minutes of play, with the World Champion in desperate time trouble, the White position is now utterly routed. 32 fxg5 Ng4 33 Qd2 Nxe3 34 Qxe3 Nxc2 35 Qb6 Bab This move completes a geometrically elegant retreat, setting up position and distance for the counter- attack by ...Rb7. 36 Rxd6 This loses a piece. 36 Qxb8 Rxb8 37 Bh3! is the last chance to confuse the issue. 36 ...Rb7 37 Qxa6 Rxb3 Here 37 ...Nb4 would have won more quickly. White's rook on d6 cannot be defended. 38 Rxe6 Rxb2 39 Qc4 Threatening a double mate on e8 which Kasparov sidesteps. 39 ...1Ch8 40 eS Qa7+ 41 Khl Bxg2+ 42 Kxg2 Nd4+ White resigns Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No 9 White to play and win — first move only required. This position is from the game Kasparov–Bareev, Tilburg 1991. How did the World Champion, White to play, force either a decisive gain of material or check- mate in just a few moves?
Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 4 January or via e-mail to vanes- sa@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 0171 242 0603. The winner will be the first correct 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: ... Ng3 Last week's winner: L.V. Finkelstein, London.
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