Game 14 (Adjourned)
Elliott C Winslow
the World Chess Championship in Lyons, France, from the USA Today
Sports Center (with various housecleaning by me). They can be
contacted at 800-826-9688.]
WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
GAME 14 - Adjourned
November 26, 1990
KASPAROV - KARPOV
1. e4 ...
[Kasparov waited two minutes for Karpov before opening the game.]
1. ... e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 ...
['What!' everybody cried out in the pressroom. 'A Scotch!' The Scotch Opening
is a rare bird in world championship matches. Generally it's regarded as too
drawish. But Kasparov surely must be armed with improvements in this 18th
century opening. We'll see!]
3. ... exd4
4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. Nxc6 bxc6
6. e5 Qe7
7. Qe2 Nd5
8. c4 Ba6
9. b3 ...
[The last five moves were blitzed out. All known theory. Now Karpov started
to give things a good thought. Time: White: 0:01 Black: 0:23 The books say:
9...0-0-0 but GM-elect Gallagher just came up with 9...Qh4!! Might be a
strong improvement on theory. Idea: 10.Qc2 Nb4 where 11.Qe2 might be
White's best. Certainly not GK's big idea. A game Ljubojevic - Seirawan
went 9...0-0-0 10.Qb2 Nb6 11.Be2 - Black won in 39 moves. But in Hort -
Unzicker, 1983, White won in only 23 moves after 9...0-0-0 10.Bb2.]
9. ... O-O-O
[Time: White: 0:03 Black: 0:37. Karpov took 26 min. on his last move.]
10. g3 ...
[Maybe a novelty. 10.Qb2 and 10.Bb2 has been tried before. Looking at
Karpov's clock, now on 0:47 and counting, 10.g3 could very well be a new
move.]
10. ... Re8
11. Bb2 f6
12. Bg2 ...
[Karpov took 13 min. on 12...Re8 but played 13...f6 immediately just to see
Kasparov keep up his speed. Time now: White: 0:08 Black: 0:55. And Karpov is
still thinking. Obviously 12...fxe5 wins a pawn for Black but what about his
B/a6 and B/f8? ]
12. ... fxe5
13. O-O ...
[Time tells it all now. Kasparov on mere 0:08 to Karpov's 1:05 and running.
Karpov's is a pawn up, BUT he'll find it difficult to get B/a6, B/f8 and R/h8
into play.]
13. ... h5
[Probably planning for g5-Bg7. This could end up in fireworks.]
14. Qd2 Nf6
[Now Karpov left the board for the first time. Kasparov is working hard.
He's moving a lot in his chair. Doesn't seem quite satisfied with what he
sees on the board. IM Mike Valvo just told that the Mephisto Chess
computer gave Karpov a half pawn up IF he had played 9...Qh4. Now
Mephisto 'thinks' Black is a third of a pawn up. IM Tisdall, former New
Yorker now living in Oslo, Norway, just said that the pressroom lacks
atmosphere. And he's right. In New York strong Grandmasters were everywhere.
And now they're playing the Olympiad in Novi Sad!]
15. Qa5 Bb7
16. Ba3 ...
[Already a critical moment in the game. 16...Qf7 and 16...c5 are the moves
everyone discusses. As for 16...Qf7 17.Qxa7 Black will be obliged to squeeze
something from his kingside attack not to end up with an unpleasant
endgame. And for 16...c5 17.Qxa7 Karpov has to play 17...e4. Well, so much
for pressroom analysis, because...]
16. ... Qe6
17. Bxf8 Rhxf8
18. Qxa7 ...
[Time: White: 0:28 Black: 1:23. Take a look at 18...e4 19.a4!? Doesn't look
very logical for White, but 19...e3 20.a5 exf2+ 21.Kh1 and what can
Karpov do about 22.a6!? Nothing! Lines like that make Karpov head for
time-trouble. Time: White: 0:28 Black 1:37. Karpov has used 1:09 more than
Kasparov! Valvo says: I just saw Karpov glance at his clock and he looked
very disturbed. This game is not going as he scheduled. Valvo seems to think
Karpov might be losing. Karpov sits alone at the board, as during most of
the game.]
18. ... Qg4
[After 22 minutes thinking. Karpov's idea is to play Qd4 to exchange
Kasparov's Q/a7. Karpov's seconds are not worried at all according to rumors.
Time: White: 0:33 Black: 1:42. The general feeling about the position in
the pressroom has just changed. Black is O.K. is the evaluation right now
in Lyon. Valvo's idea 19.Na3 seems strong to me. On 19...Qd4 20.c5 to go
Na3-c4-a5 looks strong. Now Karpov has left the table. Always a sign that he
is relaxed and feels confident about things. Kasparov rests his head in his
hands. Kasparov is alone at the board, still. Seems like he has problems.
Now Kasparov has been thinking for 21 minutes, nearly as much as he spent
on his first 18 moves! I just got some games. The two previous times the
Scotch Opening was played in a World championship match was ... hold on!
It was in Steinitz - Zukertort and Chigorin - Steinitz. In 1886 and 1892!
I believe the first game was played in New York. (Hello to Manhattan Chess
Club - you might have a picture of it on the wall!)
Kasparov is doing his deep thinking posture, his reflective posture and
his relaxed one. Karpov's chair is still empty. Kasparov is working on his
34th minute now. Karpov is still resting behind the stage. In the pressroom
the organizer Chessly serves champagne and free haircuts (it's true!) for the
press-room boys. But water? It's 20 bucks (French ones, three dollars) a
bottle. The same kind of logic goes for many other parts of the Lyon leg.
Kasparov is still eating up his lead on time. Now the clocks say White: 1:08
Black: 1:42. Now someone just found a game with the interesting 9...Qh4 idea
I told about two hours ago. The game was played somewhere in Russia in 1900!
Black won. GK has been thinking for 42 minutes now. And still does.
Kasparov has gone into chesscoma. Time: White: 1:19 Black 1:42. Some think
Karpov offered a draw after his last move. Might be the reason for the
Kasparov deep think.]
19. Na3 ...
[After 53 minutes Kasparov finally moved. Valvo doesn't think Na3 was an
53-minute move.]
19. ... h4
20. Nc2 h3
21. Bh1 Ne4
[With the neat tactic 22.f3?? Nxg3 23.fxg4 Ne2 MATE! But what about 22.Ne3?
Please look at 22.Ne3 Nc3! Interesting. BUT 22.Ne3 Nc3 23.Qxb7+ might
work for White. 23...Kxb7 24. Bxc6+ Kxc6 25.Nxg4. Maybe ... maybe.]
22. a4 ...
[Tisdall: I don't see a move on 22...Nd2!? Henley saw 23.Ne3 Nf3+ 24.Bxf3
Qxf3 25.c5 with a4-a5-a6 to come. Both players seems to be walking
on the tightrope in this position. But Karpov is alone at the board.
Time: White: 1:34 Black: 2:03 and still running. At the analysis table
GM-elect Gallagher is punching his way through to Kasparov's king with
23...Rf3 and a multiple sac on g3. But it doesn't really work. Karpov
still is alone at the table, where he is working his way to a real
time-trouble situation. Time: White: 1:34 Black: 2:10!]
22. ... Nc3
[Both sit deeply concentrated at the board. 'A great game' says Tisdall.
Karpov seems quite calm. For those who are used to watching Karpov - that
usually means that he is satisfied about his game. And Kasparov - working,
working. Time: White: 1:43 Black: 2:10.]
23. Rae1 Ne2+
24. Rxe2 Qxe2
25. Nb4 d5
26. cxd5 cxd5
[Karpov is smiling! says Valvo. Not because of the time. Time: White: 1:54
Black: 2:25!! Karpov is smiling at GK! And Kasparov is starting to
look nervous. Now GK rests his head on two fists. Watson says: Now it is
REALLY unclear. GK is eating up his advantage on the clock with big steps
now. GK is frowning, and Karpov is still smiling according to Valvo.
Time: White: 2:05 Black: 2:25]
27. Bxd5 Bxd5
28. Nxd5 Qc2
29. Qa6+ Kd7
30. Ne3 Qe4
31. Rc1 Rb8
32. Qf1 Rxb3
33. Qxh3+ Kd8
[Both a few minutes left - and 6 moves. People are shouting in Lyon.]
34. Qh5 Kc8
35. Qd1 Rxe3
36. fxe3 Qxe3+
37. Kh1 Qe4+
38. Kg1 Qe3+
39. Kh1 Qe4+
40. Kg1 Rd8
[Kasparov has sealed his move. The game will be adjourned until tomorrow.]