CHESS
Many a slip
Raymond Keene
The SWIFT World Cup in Brussels seemed at first to be heading for yet another British triumph. Jon Speelman dashed into an early lead and in round nine he came up against the Hungarian Sax, who had been playing rather feebly. Jon was clearly determined to blast the Hunga- rian from the board, but overreached and suffered his first loss. Next day he had to face Karpov with Black. I can fully com- prehend Speelman's aggressive frame of mind against Sax. He wanted very much to win and place as much distance as possible between himself and the mighty Karpov before their needle game. ' Sadly, Speel- man's master-plan came unstuck, since he lost to Karpov as well, and the former world champion, proving what a truly great tournament player he is, himself shot into the lead.
After 15 rounds the leading scores were: Karpov 91/2/14; Salov 91/2/15; Nunn 81/2/13 with one game adjourned; Beliaysky 81/2/ 14; Andersson 8/14; Portisch, Speelman and Ljubojevic 71/2/14.
This week, I give a selection of the best games from the World Cup.
Beliaysky-Karpov: Catalan Opening.
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 d5 4 Bg2 Be7 5 Nf3 0-0 60-0 dxc4 7 Qc2 a6 8 Qxc4 b5 9 Qc2 Bbl 10 Bd2 Nc6 11 e3 Nb4 12 Bxb4 Bxb4 13 a3 Bd6 14 Nbd2 Rc8 15 b4 a5 16 e4 Be7 17 RabI axb4 18 axb4 Ra8 19 Rfel Ra4 20 Qc3 Qa8 21 Ne5 Rd8 This move appears to be an extraordinary oversight and lands Black in all sorts of difficulties. It is not so much that Karpov loses a pawn – he soon retrieves it. The problem is that Black's forces now become highly disorganised. 22 . . . Qxc7 KM 23 d5 Qb8 24 Qxb8 Rxb8 25 Nb3 Bxb4 26 Reel exd5 27 exd5 Ba3 28 Rdl Bd6 29 Nc6 Bxc6 30 dxc6 Ne8 31 Nd4 b4 32 Nf5 Bc5 33 Rd7 Ra7 34 Rb7 Rd8 35 Rcl Ra5 26 Bh3 This raking bishop, carefully controlling the c8 promotion square, ultimately costs Black the exchange. 36 ... g6 37 Nh6 Nd6 38 Nxf7 Nxf7 39 c7 Re8 40 c8=Q Rxc8 41 Bxc8 Nd6 42 Rb8 Ke7 43 Rel + Kf6 44 Be6 Ra3 45 Kg2 Ra7 46 Bd5 Nf5 47 Re6+ Kg7 48 Rc6 Be7 49 h4 Ra5 50 Bc4 Ra7 Black's position is quite hopeless. He could have spared himself the final few moves. 51 ... h5 Nd6 52 hxg6 hxg6 53 Rxb4 Ral 54 Bd3 g5 55 Rd4 Nf7 56 Rd7 Rel 57 Bc4 Kf8 58 Bxf7 Kxf7 59 Kf3 Ke8 60 Ra7 Black resigns.
Speelman-Sax: Nimzo-Indian Defence.
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qc2 0-0 5 Bg5 h6 6 Bh4 d6 7 Nf3 Nbd7 8 e3 e5 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 0-0-0 Bxc3 11 Qxc3 Qe7 12 Be2 Re8 13 g4 A move indicative of vast ambitions. 13 ... Nf8 14 Rdgl g5 15 Bg3 Bxg4 16 h4 Ne4 17 Qc2 Bf5 18 Bd3 Nxg3 19 BxfS Nxhl 20 hxg5 Rad8 21 gxh6+ Kh8 22 Rxhl Rd6 23 Qe4 Nd7 24 Bxd7 Qxd7 25 NxeS f5 26 Qf4 Qe6 27 NO Qe4 Speelman should now have played 28 Qxe4 fxe4 29 Ng5 Rf6 30 Rdl Rf5 31 Rd5 with a likely draw. What actually transpires bears every sign of great panic in time trouble. 28 h7 Rd7 29 Qh4?? Qxf3 30 Qf6+ Rg7
31 Rgl Reel 32 Rg5 Qhl + 33 Kc2 Qe4+ 34 Kb3 Qd3+ 35 Kb4 Qd6+ 36 Qxd6 cxd6 37 RxfS Rgf7 38 Rd5 Rxf2 39 b3 Rxa2 White resigns.
Karpov-Timman: Queen's Gambit Accepted.
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 The most popular line nowadays, rapidly superseding 3Nf3 which used to be considered obligatory. 3 ... Nf6 4 e5 Nd5 5 Bxc4 Nb6 6 Bd3 Nc6 7 Ne2 Bg4 8 Be3 Bxe2 9 Bxe2 Qd7 10 Nc3 04-0 11 a4 a6 12 a5 Nd5 13 BO Ndb4 14 e6 The introduction to a most sharp and imaginative attacking idea. 14 . . . Qxe6 15 fIS Position after 17 dxc6 Qe5 16 0-0 e6 17 dxc6 (Diagram) A queen sacrifice which does not lead to a forced win but places Black under severe long-term pressure. 17 ... Rxdl 18 cxb7+ Kb8 19 Rfxdl Bc5 20 BxcS QxcS 21 Rd7 5 22 Radl Nc6 23 Na4 Qb5 24 Rd Qxa4 25 Rxc6 Qxa5 26 Rxe6 Ka7 27 g3 It is typical of Karpov to pay regard to his own• king's safety in the midst of conducting a fierce attack. 27 . . . g5 28 Rxh7 A neat tactic which Timman may have overlooked. 28 . . : Rb8 29 h3 g4 3Q hxg4 fxg4 31 Bg2 Qal+ 32 Kh2 Qxb2 33 Rhh6 Qa2 34 Ref6 c5 35 Rf4 Qd2 36 Bfl Rxb7 37 Rxa6 + Kb8 38 R18+ Kc7 39 Bg2 Qd7 40 Rh8 c4 41 Be4 threatening Rh7, so Timman resigns. A great game by Karpov.
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