SIMPSON'S
IN-THE-STRAND st
SIMPSON'S
IN-THE-STRAND
The triumph of age
Raymond Keene
WHEN I was a young player, conventional wisdom dictated that, in a world title match, youthful players should strive for long, featureless games and thus tire out older opponents in a protracted war of attrition. The classic case was the 1963 title clash between Tigran Petrosian, the 34- year-old challenger, and Mikhail Botvinnik, the champion, aged 52. Petrosian indulged in seemingly interminable endgames, pred- icated on obscure manoeuvres and evanes- cent threats. Although Botvinnik held his own for some time, Petrosian's shifting pressure eventually told and Botvinnik slumped exhausted to a three-point defeat.
Now, it would appear, this ancient saw has been turned on its head. In the Fide championship match in Elista it is the 22- year-old challenger Gata Kamsky who has tired, while the 45-year-old champion Anatoly Karpov seems energised by the long games and, as I write, is romping towards an overwhelming victory.
After a win in game one, achieved in a long endgame, Karpov was shocked by a sharp tactical sequence in game two.
Kamsky-Karpov: Fide World Champion- ship, Elista, Game 2, June 1996. 18 d5 exd5 If 18 ...Nxd5 19 Nxd5 Qxd5 when White has the pleasant choice between 20 Be4 and 20 Bxh7+. 19 Bxf6 Bxf6 20 Bxh7+ A bolt from the blue which wins material. 20 ...Kxh7 21 Rxd5 If now 21 ... Qc7 then 22 Qd3+ Kg8 23 Rxd7 leaves White a pawn ahead with the better position. Karpov, therefore, decides to sacrifice his queen, in the hope of erecting a fortress posi- tion. 21 ... Bxc3 22 Rxa5 Bxa5 23 b4 Kg8 Again if 23 ... Bb6 24 Qd3+ forking king and bishop. 24 bxa5 Bg4 25 a6 bxa6 26 Qe4 Bxf3 27 Qxf3 Rfe8 28 Ral Re6 29 h3 Rd8 30 Qc3 Rdd6 Karpov has done the maximum to restrict White's advantage, but with queen against rook and knight White eventually broke through to force a win on move 65.
Game three resulted in a draw after 49 moves, while in game four Karpov, showing that he was not in the least bit fatigued by his previous exertions, struck back to win in his most magisterial style.
Kamsky-Karpov: Game 4, June 1996; Caro-Kann Defence.
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 c4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e6 6 Nf3 Bb4 7 cxd5 Nxd5 8 Bd2 Nc6 9 Bd3 Bel 10 0-0 0-0 11 Qe2 Nf6 12 Ne4 Qb6 13 a3 Bd7 14 Rfdl RadS 15 Nxf6+ Bxf6 16 Qe4 g6 17 Be3 Ne7 18 Ne5 Nf5 19 Nc4 Qa6 20 a4 Bc6 21 Qf4 Bd5 22 Ne5 Qb6 23 BxfS exf5 24 Rd2 Bg7 25 h4 Rfe8 26 Qg3 Rc8 27 Nd7 Qc6 28 Nc5 b6 29 Nd3 Qd7 30 a5 Re4 31 Nf4 b5 32 Rddl Bc4 33 Racl h6 34 Rc3 b4 35 Rc2 Rc6 36 Rdcl Bb5 37 Ma Kh7 38 Rxc6 Bxc6 39 Rc4 Bf8 40 Nd3 Qe6 41 d5 Bxd5 42 Rxe4 Bxe4 43 Bxa7 Bd6 44 Nf4 Qe5 45 Nh3 Qe7 White resigns.
Game five ended in an early draw after a short burst of tactics, but in game six Karpov again won with the black pieces, Kamsky's play exhibiting signs of both tiredness and indecision.
Kamsky-Karpov: Game 6, June 1996.
White enjoys a small advantage, since the incon- venient situation of the black king temporarily prevents Black's queen's rook from entering play. The correct way would be to go for the break c5, hence 20 Bg2 followed by Qd2, Rbcl and then c5 would keep Black on his toes. Instead, Kamsky wastes a whole series of moves with his king's bishop. 20 Bd3 Qf6 21 Kg2 Ke8 22 Bc2 Qc3 23 Bb3 Kf8 24 Rd Qf6 It can be seen over the past few moves that Black has enor- mously improved his chances. His king is now utterly safe and he is preparing to concentrate his rooks in the open `e' file. Meanwhile, White, for his part, has placed his king on a more vul- nerable square and rerouted his king's bishop to a virtually dead outpost. In trying to reintroduce this piece White loses further time. 25 Bc2 Rae8 26 Qd3 Bg4 Hovering menacingly around the light squares in White's camp. In seeking to defend f3 from invasion, Kamsky permits an equally powerful incursion by Black's rooks on e2. 27 Bd2 Reg 28 Rxe2 Rxe2 29 Rfl Rxd2 White resigns On account of 30 Qxd2 Qf3+ 31 Kgl Bh3 32 Be4 Qxe4 33 f3 Bc5+ 34 Khl Qxc4 with an overwhelming material advantage.
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