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SPAIN'S FINEST DIVA
London again
Raymond Keene
A YEAR AFTER the great match between Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short the chess elite returns to London for the Intel World Chess Grand Prix. After legs in Moscow (won by Anand) and New York (won by Kramnik) a London audience will have the chance to see whether Kasparov can finally assert himself as successfully in speed chess as he has in the conventional variety.
Although eliminated from both Fide and PCA world championship cycles, Kramnik continued to dominate in his personal encounters with the world champion. However, in the Novgorod tournament, played earlier this month, Kasparov finally got his revenge. This leaves the intriguing question as to what will happen in London. Will their battle be resumed, or will one of the other stars in action, who include Short, Anand, Ivanchuk, Korchnoi and the Fritz 3 Pentium computer program, elimi- nate either or both players before they get the chance to meet again? Here are the cli- mactic moments from Kramnik's previous three victories against the champion.
Kramnik Kasparov: Linares 1994.
(Diagram) 31 ... Bh6? After a tense and complex middlegame Kasparov wilts under the pressure. The correct move is 31 ... Re8 immediately with the plan of sacrificing rook for knight on e6 with a likely draw. After 31 ... Re8 32 Rel Black can play 32 ... Rf5 33 d6 Rd5 to control White's passed pawn. Alternatively 31 ... Re8 32 Ref Rf5 33 Rdl andnow 33 .. Rf6 again, repeating the position. 32 Rel Re8 This is now too late. Not only does White's knight on c4 threaten to jump into d6 at an inconvenient moment, White can also station his rook on e5, attacking Black's weak pawn on h5 and eliminating the defensive manoeuvre ... Rf5. 33 Re5 Re7 34 RxhS Ref? 35 Kh2 Bc1 36 Re5 Rfl 37 Re4 Rdl 38 Rxg4+ The harvest continues. 38 ...K117 39 Ne5 Re7 The last-ditch attempt 39 ...Rffl (threatening check- mate) fails to 40 Rg7+ Kh6 41 Ng4+ Kh5 42 Nf6+ 123d6 43 g4+ Kxh4 44 g3 checkmate. 40 Nf8+ Black resigns. Kramnik — Kasparov: Intel Speed Chess, Moscow 1994.
(Diagram) Kramnik has sacrificed an entire rook for a massive attack against Kasparov's king. The audience was in a state of emotional overload as the champion seemed to be going down. 32 Rg4+il As Kramnik played this move, the Moscow spectators erupted in cheers. They believed, erroneously as it turned out, that the game now had to end 32 ... Nxg4 33 Qg6+ Kf8 34 Qf7 checkmate. 32 ... KM 33 Qe6 A lethal quiet move which leaves Black paralysed. 33 ...Rb7 34 c6 Rxb2+ Black's last chance. A des- perate throw for perpetual check. 35 10E62 Qb6+ 36 Kai Qc5+ Now it is the turn of the white king to tremble. It is almost entirely with- out pawn protection but it soon transpires that by running headlong into the black camp the white king can escape the draw by perpetual check. 37 Ka4 Qe2+ 38 Kb5 Qb2+ 39 Ka6 Qe2+ 40 Kb7 Rh7+ 41 d7 Kasparov resigns and the audience went wild.
Kramnik — Kasparov: Intel Speed Chess, New York 1994.
(Diagram) This ending is worse than it looks for Black. White's passed pawn is inviolate, Black's pawns are split and White's king is swiftly active. 47 Bc4 Nc7 48 Ke3 Kg7 49 Kd4 Kf6 50 g4 Ke7 51 Ke5 Kd7 52 Kf6 Rb6 53 Kg7 Kd6 54 Rc6+ Rxc6 55 bxc6 Kxc6 56 Kxh6 The harvest begins. 56 ...Kd6 57 Kxg5 Ke7 58 Kg6 Ne8 59 h4 Nd6 60 Bb3 Nf7 61 g5 Ne5+ 62 Kh6 Nf3 63 Kh5 Kf7 64 Kg4 Ne5+ 65 Kf4 Ng6+ 66 Kg3 Nc7 67 h5 Nf5+ 68 Kf4 Nd4 69 Bc4 Nf5 70 Ke5 Ng3 71 Bxe6+ Kg7 72 Bg4 Nfl 73 h6+ Kh7 74 BfS+ Black resigns The final indignity for Kasparov was that, having been outplayed in complications by his young opponent in the first two games, Kramnik's third win was a mature strategic exploit in a somewhat superior endgame. If Kramnik and Kasparov do clash again in London do not miss it.
Play in the Intel Grand Prix extends from 31 August to 3 September. The venue is the Conference Forum, Sedgewick Centre, London El (nearest tube stations Aldgate and Aldgate East). All-day tickets to watch the games, with live commentary, are avail- able at £15 and can be ordered through the London Chess Centre on 071 388 2404.
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