The world may be witnessing the arrival of a new chess genius

Press, 27 March 1979, Page 17

The world may be witnessing the arrival of a new chess genius

CHESS

By

Vernon Small

After watching the almost unprecedented defeat of the Soviet Union in an International at the Chess Olympics in Buenos Aires, members of the New Zealand team indulged in that favourite hobby of chess players world-wide: picking the next world champion.

Apart from Bobby Ficher’s short reign from 1972 to 1975, Soviet players have held the crown since 1937, and it was the lack of an obvious counter to Karpov in the Russian squad which provoked the discussion. The two former world champions, Spassky and Petrosian, looked very powerful, of course, but tired and listless as well, as if all ambition had gone.

• Lev Polugaevsky, who was eliminated by Korchnoi in the semi-finals of the last cycle, has always been near the top without ever really threatening the title. None of the younger team members — Gulko, Romanishin, and Vaganian — outshone the top Grandmasters from other countries.

Then, of course, there were the old non-Soviet guard including Portish from Hungary, and Byrne from the United States, but somehow they have been around too long, and have been beaten by Karpov too often to look likely. No. It must be a young European Grandmaster. We decided it had' to be either Miles of the United Kingdom, Timman of the Netherlands, or one of the 10 or 12 young Eastern Europeans. Yet, although any one of them could become a challenger, none really threatens the ice-cool Karpov. So, barring a return to chess by Fischer, or an-

other attempt by Korchnoi (which, after 50-odd games in recent years the world could do without) Karpov’s title looked fairly secure for a long time, unless the Russians could produce another overnight sensation like Karpov or Tai.

Armed with this conclusion. we approached Bob Wade, the former New Zealand International Master now living in England. While Murray Chandler and 1 were sacking Wade’s library - cum - coffee - shop-cum-chess centre of the world, we put our question to him.

Wade somehow manages never to show enthusiasm about anything, but he did crack a smile as he showed

us the progress scores in the strongest national tournament in the world — the Soviet Premier Championship. Out in first place was the 1960-1961 world champion, Mikhail Tai, but right on his tail was a player we had only heard mention of in junior tournaments before — Garik Kasparov, and just 15 years old. • “A fluke, he’s played a weak field so far,” we suggested. But then Wade' showed us his game with Polugaevsky, and non-one quite understood it.

Now we were willing to concede that a new chess genius may have arrived. A good indication of the worth of a new talent is the age at which the Soviets let him loose on the world. Normally Western juniors outshine the Russians until they are about 18 or 19 years old. Then, once the Russians have completed their education, they quickly become superior. So Kasparov’s case is quite unusual.

A more subtle indication of his ability is the name change that he has undergone in recent years. When he competed in a junior tournament two years ago he was known as Weinstein, but it seems that that was a little too Jewish for comfort — an interesting insight into the psychology of Soviet sport administrators.

In fact, the name Kasparov has a superKarpov, or improvedKarpov ring about it. Ihis may prompted the

English commentator, Bill Hartston, to say that the new. star could be the ‘■greatest product of Soviet chess since Karpov was invented.” The following game is Kasparov’s fine victory over Polugaevsky. Don't worry if some of the moves are a mystery — no-one 1 have spoken to, including several top overseas players, has fully understood the game. Kasparov has the White pieces. 1. P-K4 P-QB4 2. N-KB3 P-K3 3. P-Q4 PxP 4. NxP P-QR 3 5. N-QB3 O-B2 6. B-K2 P-QN4 7. B-B3 B-N2 8. 0-0 N-QB3 9. NxN PxN The best way to retake. Taking with the Queen will lose at the least some time after a later P-K5, while 9. BxN 10. R-Kl and the sacrifice N-Q5 is awkward to meet. Now Kasparov reveals his prepared move. 10. P-K5 QxP 11. R-Kl Q-B2 The slightly better alternative of Q-Q3 would still give adequate play for white with Q-K2, B-N5, and QR-Ql. 12. B-R5 B-K2 13. RxP 1 P-N3 14. R-Kl R-Ql? Understandably the firmly established Polugaevsky does not want to give the young player a chance to create his reputation by a do or die attack bv 14. . . Pxß 15. Q-Q4, P-83, 16. Q-Ql! but that seems to be his last chance. 15. Q-B3 P-QB4 16. B-B4I! Virtually decisive. This move has an air of desperation about it, but

Kasparov must have forseen it at move 13. 16. . . Q-N3 Again playing safe, but BxQ, 17. BxQ Bxß 18. BxR Kxß 19. P-B3 P-N4 20. QR-Q 1 K-Bl 21. N-Q5 is most uncomfortable. 17. Q-N3 Pxß 18. B-B7 Q-KN 3 19. BxR QxQ 20. RPxQ Kxß 21. QR-Qlch K-B2 22. N-Qsch BxN 23. Rxß P-R3-To take advantage of his two pieces against the white rook black must have safe pawns and good piece co-operation — and he has neither. 24. RxRP R-R2 25. R (R5l-K K-Q2 26. R <5)-K3 R-N2 27. R-Q3ch K-B2 28. R-R3 R-N3 29. R-KB3 B-B3 30. P-B3 K-Q2 31. R-Q3ch K-B2 32. R-K8 N-K2 33. R (Kl-Q8 N-B3 34. R (8)-Q7c K-N3 35. RxP B-K2 36. R-K3 B-Q3 So Black has achieved some measure of cooperation among his pieces, but at the cost of two pawns. In this game Kasparov shines in all facets: aggression, manoeuvres. and exploitation. 37. P-KB4 P-B5 38. K-R2 B-B4 39. R-K2 P-N5 40. R-K4 PxP 41. PxP B-B7 42. RxP BxP ch 43. K-R3 B-Kl 44. P-R4 N-R4? A final mistake in a lost position, because White’s KBP is looking really scarey. 45. R-N4ch K-B4 A pyrrhic improvement would be K-B3 46. R-Bsch Resigns.

POLUGAEVSKY

KASPAROV

Position after White’s sixteenth ©ove.