Karpov deals Kasparov a heavy blow

Press, 6 October 1984, Page 21

Karpov deals Kasparov a heavy blow

By VERNON SMALL In the world chess championship match the Soviet titleholder, Anatoly Karpov, has now taken a 3-0 lead over his countryman, Garri Kasparov, by winning the sixth and seventh games. The title will go to the first player to win six games. Observers in Moscow suggest that the ice-cool world champion may have broken Kasparov’s resolve to continue, since the challenger has never before suffered such a reverse in his short chess career. While it may seem a little early for the prophets of doom to be forecasting the end of Kasparov’s challenge — after all, Korchnoi was three points behind at Baguio City in 1978 and managed to draw level — it is the manner of the losses, rather than the appreciable margin that has led to such speculation. Looking back over the first seven games Kasparov has only really had the advantage in games one and four and then the edge was only slight and never enough to claim a winning position. On the other hand, Karpov has had good winning chances in not only the decisive third, sixth and seventh games, but also in the second. The fifth game was a quiet affair with Karpov trying a new plan against the Scheveningen Sicilian defence. • After only 21 moves the draw was agreed, with neither player holding an advantage. However, the sixth game resulted in Karpov springing a surprise in the opening and going all out for the win. World championship (sixth game 1984) White: Kasparov Black: Karpov 1. d 4 Nf6 2. c 4 e 6 3. Nf3 b 6 4. g 3 Ba 6 5. b 3 Bb4ch 6. Bd2 Be 7 The opening is the queen’s Indian defence and has been the battleground for all of the games in the match where Kasparov has had the first move. The idea of black’s last bishop move was to lure the white bishop to d2 and so impede the move d 5 which no longer has the support of the queen. 7. Bg2 0-0 Karpov’s little surprise. In . game four he played the standard Bb7 followed by d 5 with a safe but not especially active position. Here he calculates that any move of the kingknight can be answered by c 6 when black is fine. 8. 0-0 d 5 9. Nes c 6 10. Bc3 Nfd7 11. Nxd7 Nxd7 12. Nd2 RcB 13. e 4 b 5 With his twelfth move, black prepared c 5 so Kasparov’s e 4 was the natural response: striking in the centre first. Now the champion instead tries to take advantage of the veiled threat to white’s rook by his bishop on a 6. 14. Rel dxc4 15. b3xc4 Nb 6 16. cxbs Bad would be 16. c 5 Na 4 17. Qc2 e 5! with advantage due to the disruption of the white centre pawns. 16. .. cxbs 17. Rcl Ba 3 18. Rc2 Na 4 19. Bal Rxc2 20. Qxc2 Qas The opening skirmishes have left black with a two-to-one queenside pawn majority. If white can take advantage of his central preponderance by playing d 5, all of Karpov’s pieces so geometrically arranged on the a-file would be caught off-side. But first the knight must be freed by defending the rook.

21. Qdi RcB 22. Nb 3 Qb4 23. d 5 ekds 24. exds Nc3 25. Qd4? This looks like a mistake. Better chances; were offered by 25. Bxc? Qxc3 although the two bishops give black the better long term prospects. 25. .. ;Qxd4 26. Nxd4 Nxa2 27. Nc6 Bcs For the pawn sacrifice white has gained some activity. Now he might try 28. Ne7ch Bxe7 29. Rxe7 when b 4 looks dangerous, however. Also possible is the sacrifice 28. .. KfB when the queenside pawns will be a handful. 28. Bb3? RaB 29. Bd4 Bxd4 30. Nxd4 KfB 31. d 6 Nc3 32. Nc6 Bb7 33. Bg2 ReB 34. Nes f 6! Black’s position is getting critical As well as Bxb7,

Nd7ch was threatened. Now the king has a square on 17 so 35. Nd 7 Kf7 36. RxeB KxeB 37. Nf6ch gxf6 38. Bxb7 Kd7 wins easily. 35. d 7 RdB 36. Bxb7 fxes 37. Bc6 Ke7? Karpov has used a lot of time on this defensive task and now slips into time trouble. Instead, 37. .. e 4! should win easily. One possible variation being 38. f 3 Ke7 39. fxe4 Kd6 40. esch Kxc6 41. e 6 Nds 42. e 7 Nxe7 43. Rxe7 Rxd7. 38. Bxbs! Nxbs 39. RxeSch Kxd7 40. Rxbs Kc 6 41. Rhs h 6 42. Res RaB! Karpov’s adjourned move and very strong. He now advances the a-pawn to tie up the white pieces and then under cover of that decoy penetrates the white kingside with his king. 43. Ras Kb 6 44. Ra2 a 5 45. Kfl a 4 46. Ke2 Kcs 47. Kd2 a 3 48. Kcl Kd4 49. f 4 Ke4 50. Kbl RbBch! 51. Kai Rb2 52. Rxa3 Rxh2 53. Kbl Rd2 54. Ra 6 Kfs 55. Ra 7 g 5 56. Ra 6 g 4 57. Rxh6 Rg2 58. Rhsch Ke4 59. f 5 Rf2 60. Kcl Kf3 61. Kdl Kxg3 62. Kel Kg2 63. Rgs g 3 64. Rhs Rf 4 65. Ke2 Re4ch 66. Kd3 Kf3 67. Rhl g2 68. Rh3ch Kg 4 69. RhB Rf 4 70. Ke2 Rxfs Resigns.