Korchnoi tries new opening; game drawn

Press, 26 August 1978, Page 52

Korchnoi tries new opening; game drawn

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The adjourned sixteenth game of the world chess championship ended in a i draw without resumption of play yesterday after the champion, Anatoly Karpov, accepted the offer of the challenger, Viktor Korchnoi. The draw saved the players | from going out again in reminants of tropical storm! (Elaine, lashing the mountain resort of Baguio, the Philip- | pines, for a second consecutive day.

In the game Korchnoi finally played his favourite French defence after defending six Open Ruy Lopez. Theoreticians had been expecting the clash to centre around Karpov’s ability to gain a tangible advantage against the solid defence. In

their previous match Korchnoi had played the French seven times, and each time Karpov employed the Tarrasch variation but was unable to register a victory, all seven being draws. Karpov again employed the Tarrasch in yesterday’s game and obtained a minimal advantage which had disappeared by the adjournment, i While the players were doing battle on the stage, an amusing psychological war was in progress in the spectator area.

The Soviet parapsychologist Dr Valdimir Vuckar, who has been accused by Korcnnoi’s camp of trying to hypnotise the challenger, was again seated in the hall staring fixedly at Korchnoi, while Petra Leeuwerick, Korchnoi’s delegation chief.

sat next to him in an attempt to break his concentration by talking to him. GAME 16 FRENCH DEFENCE ' WHITE BLACK Karpov Korchnoi (1) P—K4 P—K3 (2) P—Q4 P—Q4 (3) N—Q2 The characteristic move of the Tarrasch variation. Other moves are N—QB3, (played with little success by Spassky in his recent match with Korchnoi) P—K5. andl the dull P X P. (3) P—QB4 The Open Tarrasch. N—KB3; (4) P—K5. KN—Q2; leads to a blocked position more in the spirit of the opening. With this move Korchnoi accepts an isolated QP in

exchange for active piece play and a heavy reduction in complications. White preserves a minimal advantage while Black can hope for little more than a draw. (4) PXQP PXP (5) B—Nsch Karpov played KN—B 3 in all of his games from the 1974 match. B —Nsch is quieter and less complicated. (5) B—Q2 (6) Q—K2ch Q—K2 The safe move. Recently IB—K2 has been in vogue I with Black players who are trying to win. (7) BXBch NXB (8) PXP NXP (9) N—N3 QXQch (10) N X O N X N (11) RPXN B—B4 (12) B—Q2 N—K2 Up to here play has fol-

lowed Euwe-Botwinnik 1948. Here Euwe played (13) B—B3 and gained the advantage after N—QB3; (14) R—QI. Even after the more accurate 13 ... o—o (14) 0-0 White stands better. Karpov’s next can hardly be called an improvement. (13) N—B4 o—o (14) o—o KR—QI (15) N—Q3 B—N3 (16) P—QB3 P—KB3 Making a route to the centre for the Black King. P—Q5 would be bad, for White would be able to launch a Q-side pawn storm with P—QB4 and P—QN4. (17) KR—QI K—B2 (18) K—Bl N—B4 (19) B—KI N—K2 (20) N—N4 R—Q2 (21) R—Q3 QR—QI (22) QR—QI K—K3

(23) B—Q2 N—QB3 (24) N X N P X N (25) P—QN4 K—B2 (26) B—K3 B X B (27) R—QNI With only Rooks left White maintains a marginal plus but his winning chances have all but gone. (28) R—K2 R—N4 (29) R—Rl R(2>—N2 (30) R—Q2 K—K3 (31) R—R6 R(4)—N3 (32) R—R2 K—o 3 (33) K—K2 R—K2ch (34) K—Q3 P—QR 3 (35) R—QI K—B2 (36) R(2)—Rl K—QI (37) P—B3 R—K4 (38) K—Q4 K—B2 (39) R—KI K—Q3 (40) P—KB4 RXR (41) RXR P—QR 4 (42) Black sealed Draw agreed.