CHESS
Death of a gambit
Raymond Keene
ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS for the forthcoming Kasparov v. Anand World Championship match in New York is: will Anand allow the Evans Gambit and, if offered the chance, will Kasparov repeat it? Readers will remember that Kasparov revived this fascinating line, after around a century of neglect, in two brilliant games against Piket and Anand himself earlier this year.
In the latter half of the 19th century the Evans stirred the blood of many of the world's top players. However, at the tour- naments of Hastings 1895 and St Peters- burg 1895-96, the tide began to turn in quite dramatic fashion. The games which follow were symptomatic of why the Evans was shut away in the closet.
Chigorin-Steinitz: Hastings 1895; Evans.
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 b4 Bxb4 5 c3 Ba5 6 0-0 d6 In earlier games against Tchigorin, Steinitz had persisted with an eccentric defence based on 6 ... Qf6 at this point, which had brought him nothing but trouble. 7 d4 exd4 8 cxd4 Nf6 9 e5 dxe5 10 Ba3 White invests two pawns in the interests of trapping Black's king in the centre. 10 ...Be6 11 Bb5 Qd5 12 Qa4 0-0-0 In the subsequent tournament at St Petersburg Steinitz improved Black's play here with 12 Bd7 against Tchigorin and after 13 dxe5 a6 14 exf6 axb5 15 fxg7 Rg8 Black had the better game. 13 Bxc6 bxc6 14 Bc5 Bb6 (Diagram) At Position after 14.. . Bb6 this point White could have justified his play with 15 Nxe5 Bxc5 16 Nc3I with a murderous attack since White threatens both Nxd5 and 0a6+. By playing instead for immediate materi- al gain Tchigorin throws away his advantage. 15 Qa6+ Kb8 16 Nxe5 Nd7 17 Nc3 Nxc5 18 Qe2 Qd6 19 dxc5 Qxc5 20 Na4 Qb5 21 Qxb5 cxb5 22 Nxb6 axb6 23 Nc6+ Kb7 24 Nxd8+ Rxd8 White has initiated a long forcing sequence to win the exchange, but at the end of it he has a virtually lost position. Black enjoys a massive queenside pawn majority, bound to produce two connected passed pawns. 25 a3 c5 26 f3 Later on, this weak- ening of the e3 square proves fatal, but without it White cannot get his king out. 26 ...Kc6 27 Rfdl Ra8 28 1C12 Ra4 29 Ke3 h5 30 Kd2 b4 31 axb4 Rxb4 32 Rdbl Bahl 33 Rxbl b5 34 Ral b4 35 Kc2 Kd5 36 Rdl+ Kc4 37 Rd8 Bd5 38 h4 Kd4 39 Rb8 Be6 40 Rb7 If 40 Rd8+ Black wins easily with 40 ...Ke3. 40 ...g6 41 Rb5 b3+ 42 Kb2 c4 43 Rb4 Kd3 44 Rb6 c3+ 45 Kb! Ke3 White resigns.
Bird-Pillsbury: Hastings 1895; Evans.
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 b4 Bxb4 5 c3 8d6 A most extraordinary defence which was hardly ever played. However, it is not without its points. 6 d4 Nf6 7 Ng5 0-0 8 Nit17 This kind of quixotic gesture was just the kind of thing that was unlikely to work against Pillsbury. In a game between Anderssen and Kieseritzky from London 1851 White tried the superior 8 f4 exf4 9 e5 Bxe5 10 dxe5 Nxe5 11 Bb3 h6 12 Nh3 g5 and went on to win, although the position is very obscure, of course. 8 ... Rxf7 9 Bxf7+ Kx17 10 14 exd4 11 e5 Be7 12 exf6 Doubtless White was in a hurry to restore some measure of material bal- ance. The text, though, is premature and White would do better to interpolate 12 cxd4. The intention would be to play 0b3+ or Qh5+ were Black to move his knight, and in fact Black's best line is probably 12 cxd4 d5 13 exf6 Thcf6 with superb compensation for the exchange. 12 ...Bxf6 13 0-0 dl5 14 Nd2 This is desperate. He had to play the uninspiring 14 Bb2. 14 ... dxc3 15 NB (Diagram) A most revealing situation.
Position after 15 Nf3 Pillsbury is not interested in proving that White's attack is completely unsound, merely in the most efficient and practical accumulation of points. Pillsbury's next move tucks his king away in safe- ty and leaves Black with overwhelming compen- sation for the exchange. He could, however, have tried 15 ...c2, going for even bigger game, and this is the sort of thing Steinitz might have done on principle. After 15 c2 16 Ng5+ Kg6 17 Qd3+ Bf5 18 Qg3 Bd4+ Black stands well, but why risk the complications? Here we see the dawning of a very modern approach. 15 ...Kg8 16 Rbl b6 17 Be3 Bg4 18 Qa4 Bid3 19 Rxf3 Qd6 20 Rdl Rd8 Black's pawn mass in the centre is bound to win for him. 21 Rh3 d4 22 11c1 Qe6 23 Qc2 d3 24 Rhxd3 Nd4 25 f5 Qe4 26 Ba3 c5 And not 26 ...Nxc2?? 27 Rxd8+ Bxd8 28 Ftxd8+ Kf7 29 Rf8 mate. 27 Qf2 Ne2+ 28 Kfl Rxd3 29 Rxd3 Qxd3 30 Qxe2 Qxf5+ 31 Kg! Qb1+ 32 1(12 Bd4+ 33 Kg3 Qg6+ 34 Kh3 h5 35 g3 Qg4+ 36 Qxg4 hxg4+ 37 Kxg4 Be3 38 1Cf3 Bh6 39 Ke2 c2 White resigns.
Kasparov and several of his rivals can be seen in action at the Sedgwick Centre in the City of London from 31 August to 3 September. If you interested in attending what will undoubtedly be an exciting event, contact the British Chess Federation on 01424 442500. There will be an Intel quali- fier in Hastings over 28-29 August, with many grandmasters competing. Again, if you want to watch, ring the BCF.
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