Chess
Grim reaper
Raymond Keene
Age has struck its first blow against youth .1-1.in the Acorn Computer World Cham- pionship semi-finals. Curiously, both mat- ches see venerable Grandmasters (Kor- chnoi, 52, and Smyslov, 62) pitted against comparatively beardless youths (Kasparov, 20, and Ribli, 32). In fact, Kasparov was minus six when Smyslov became world champion and just two when Korchnoi first qualified for the Candidates' tournament. In the first game between Kasparov and Korchnoi on Monday at the Great Eastern Hotel, experience told, and in stark con- trast to all predictions, the young Russian genius was quickly and comprehensively outplayed.
This Acorn event, the most prestigious to be held in the UK since 1851, was formally opened by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigel Lawson, during a reception at 1I Downing Street, while Tim Rice made the ceremonial first move on Kasparov's behalf. Neither of these auspicious happen- ings seemed to help Kasparov, who was per- mitted by his opponent to show little evidence of his normally brilliant form. Korchnoi, on the other hand, played with a sure grip, characteristic of his best games from the 1978 world championship.
Kasparov Korchnoi: Game I. London; Queen's Indian Defence.
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 Nc3 Bb7 5 a3 d5 6 cxd5 NxdS 7 e3 The fashionable variation, though Kasparov has also tried 7 Qc2. 7 ... g6!?8 Bb5 + Timman-Short, Phillips and Drew, London 1982, went 8 NxdS QxdS 9 Qc2 Qd8 10 e4 Bg7 11 Bg5 Qd7 12 Bc4 with more pleasant prospects for White. Perhaps Kasparov should have modelled his play on this example. 8 ... c6 9 Bd3 0g7 10 e4 Nxc3 11 bxc3 c5 Now White should probably try 12 Bb5 + Bch 13 Bxc6 + Nxc6 14 Be3 or 12 0-0 Nc6 13 Be3 0-0 14 e5 as given by Ftacnik in his notes to the game Ftacnik-Adorjan, Banja Luka, 1983. 12 Bg5 Qd6 13 e5 Essentially the game as Ftacnik's idea, con- trolling dark squares around Black's K, though the move obviously has some positional drawbacks such as weakening the a8-hl diagonal and depriving White's pawn centre of its flex- ibility. 13 ... Qd7 14 dxc5 0-0! Black can safely sacrifice one P, since White's remaining pawns are so scattered. cxb6 ax6 16 0-0 Qc7 17 Bb5 Bxe5 18 Bh6 Bg7 15 19 Bxg7 Kbxg7 20 Qd4 + Kg8 21 NgS h6 22 Ne4 Bxe4 23 Qxe4 Na6 24 Qe3? Kasparov invested 16 minutes in this error and now had only six minutes left to reach move 40. Korchnoi still had a further 80 minutes in reserve, White's only chance is to seek salvation in a major piece ending after 24 Bxa6. The move chosen, with a threat to h6, probably overlooked that Black can force a vastly favourable ex- change of queens. 24 .4. Qc5! 25 QxcS NxcS 26 Rfbl Rfdti 27 Bfl Rd6 28 Rb4 K18 29 a4 Ra5 30 g3 Ke7 31 Kg2 15 32 Bb5 Rd2 33 Rd4 Rxd4 34 cxd4 Nxa4! A neat tactical trick which ensures a decisive advantage. 35 Rxa4 or 35 Bxa4 b5! 35
RxbS With a passed pawn, the rest needs no comment. 36 Raj + Kd6 37 Rh7 h5 38 Rg7 Rd5 39 Rxg6 b5 40 Kf3 b4 41 Ke3 b3 42 Kd2 Rxe4 + 43 Kc3 b2 44 Kxb2 Rd2 + 45 Kc3 Rx12 46 h4 f4 47 Rg5 R13 + 48 Kd4 Rxg3 39 RxhS Re3 50 Rh6
Chequers £500 Competition No. 5 (Week 3) Here is the third question: in Kasparov- Korchnoi (above) what do you think Kasparov would have played if Korchnoi had chosen 18 ... Rd8? All you have to do to enter is write the main line on a postcard (around 3 moves for each side will suffice) and send it to Chequers Competition No. 5 (Week 3), The Spectator, 56 Doughty St, London WC1N 2LL. The first correct answer to reach me scores 10 points, then 7, 3, and 1. Postmark to decide rather than time of arrival. After our 6th week, points will be totalled, with the prize of £500 going to the highest scorer.
Finally, Nigel Short has just won first prize outright in a Grandmaster tournament in the USSR. This is rather like the Russian cricket team coming here and winning a Test match against us. Soviet GM Taimanov (who lost to Short) remarked generously that our teenage prodigy was 'gifted'.
Ke7 51 h5 e5+ 52 Kd5 f3 While resigned. Korch- noi received a thunderous ovation.
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