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Anatoly Karpov vs Garry Kasparov
"Lucky 13" (game of the day Jun-04-2016)
Karpov - Kasparov World Championship Match (1985), Moscow URS, rd 24, Nov-09
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen. Classical Variation (B84)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 7 OF 7 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-06-16  RandomVisitor: White might have had better chances with this line: 27.Bxb6 Ng4 28.Bxc7 Nxf2 29.Bxd6 Nxd1 30.Bxe7:


click for larger view

Komodo-10-64bit:

+0.41/46 30...Nxc2 31.Nxd1 Rxe7 32.e5 g5 33.Rc3 Nb4 34.Bxb7 Rxb7 35.Nc5 Rb6 36.fxg5 Bxe5 37.Rc4 Bd6 38.Nxe6 Be7 39.Nf4 Bxg5 40.Nf2 Bxf4 41.Rxf4 Nd5 42.Rg4+ Kf7 43.Rd4 Ne3 44.Rf4+ Kg7 45.b4 Rg6+ 46.Kh1 Rc6 47.h3 Rc3 48.Ne4 Rc1+ 49.Kh2 Nd5 50.Rg4+ Kf8 51.Ng5 h6 52.Nf3 Rb1 53.Rg6 Nxb4 54.Rb6 h5 55.Ne5 Re1 56.Nc4 Nd3 57.Rxa6 Rc1

+0.42/46 30...Rxe7 31.Nxd1 Nxc2 32.e5 g5 33.Rc3 Nb4 34.Bxb7 Rxb7 35.Nc5 Rb6 36.fxg5 Bxe5 37.Rc4 Bd6 38.Nxe6 Be7 39.Nf4 Bxg5 40.Nf2 Bxf4 41.Rxf4 Nd5 42.Rd4 Ne3 43.Re4 Rb3 44.a5 Nd5 45.Re6 Rxb2 46.Rxa6 Nf4 47.h4 Ra2 48.Ne4 Kg7 49.Ra7+ Kh6 50.a6 Ng6 51.Nc3 Ra1+ 52.Kf2 Nxh4 53.Nd5 Ra2+ 54.Ke3 Kg5 55.Ra8 Ra3+ 56.Kd4 Nf3+ 57.Ke4 h5 58.Rg8+ Kh4

+0.55/46 30...Nxc3 31.bxc3 Nxc2 32.Bh4 e5 33.f5 gxf5 34.Nc5 Bc8 35.exf5 Bxf5 36.Bd5+ Kh8 37.Rf3 Bg6 38.Ne4 Rb8 39.Rd3 Bh6 40.Kf2 Rf8+ 41.Rf3 Rxf3+ 42.Kxf3 Bh5+ 43.Kf2 Kg7 44.Bc4 Be3+ 45.Kf1 Ba7 46.Bf2 Ne3+ 47.Bxe3 Bxe3 48.Bxa6 Bb6 49.Ke1 Bf7 50.Kd2 Bd5 51.Kd3 Kg6 52.c4 Ba8 53.c5 Bxe4+ 54.Kxe4 Bxc5 55.Kxe5 Bb4 56.Kd5 Kg5 57.Kc6 Kh4 58.Bc8 Bc3 59.Be6 Kg5 60.Kb5 Be5

Jun-06-16  RandomVisitor: 23.f5 would have had good potential for white, perhaps even to the point of justifying Karpov's claim for a possible win in this game


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Komodo-10-64bit:

+0.64/34 23...exf5 24.exf5 a5 25.Be3 Bxg2+ 26.Kxg2 Re5 27.fxg6 fxg6 28.Qf7+ Kh8 29.Nd4 Nf8 30.Qxc7 Rxc7 31.Bf4 Re8 32.Ncb5 Rd7 33.Re3 Rxe3 34.Bxe3 Kg8 35.Bd2 Re7 36.Re1 Rxe1 37.Bxe1 Bxd4 38.Nxd4 Na6 39.Kf3 d5 40.Ke3 Nc5 41.b3 Kf7 42.Nb5 Nfe6 43.Nd6+ Kf8 44.Bc3 Nd7 45.Bf6 h6 46.Bd4 hxg5 47.Nc8 Nxd4 48.Kxd4 Kf7 49.Kxd5

Aug-05-16  bike green: A great game by a great player :D
Mar-09-17  thegoodanarchist: < offramp: <thegoodanarchist: <freakclub: What would have happened if Karpov played 23. f5!> Lucky for Kasparov that Karpov did not find the strongest continuation. Gary became 13th world champion.

So I submitted this for GOTD, with the title "Lucky 13th".>

Good one!>

Thank you, <OR>. I was on family vacation last year when this was GOTD, so I am just now catching up on developments.

May-09-17  Joker2048: Famous peice from Mr Efren reyes:
More l practice more luckier l get...
Jul-24-17  bla bla: abcdefghijklljmnnjoprstcufhcdzs
Aug-21-17  Toribio3: I like this game. Kasparov is a tactical monster during his prime in the chess arena.
Mar-29-18  Petrosianic: <RandomVisitor> It's better to discuss the game than paste in pages and pages of computer analysis that nobody's going to look at because they can generate it themselves and look at it easier when they do.
Mar-29-18  Petrosianic: Along with

Botvinnik vs Tal, 1961

this is another instance where a player won a game in which a draw was good enough to become champion. But this one is easier to understand, because

a) There are bad feelings between the players, increasing the odds that Kasparov would like to add insult to injury with another meaningless win.

b) The game is decided quickly and suddenly with 40. e5?? In one move, Black's accepting a draw changes from being a Smart Move to being an Act of Charity.

After e5, Black ends Rook and Bishop up, and wins pretty effortlessly. A draw offer by White would be pointless.

Sacking the piece for three pawns with 36. Rxd6 looks reasonable enough, although White never seems close to a win afterwards. He certainly shouldn't <lose>, with Black down to only his h pawn.

Apart from that, the game seems sharp all the way though, but White doesn't seem close to a win earlier. People are suggesting 23. f5. Maybe. That does seem to be White's best unplayed chance. I'm not sure why Black didn't play f5 long before he did, in fact.

The other big question is whether the Najdorf was really the right opening to play. In a Must Win situation, it should be White's job to complicate the game.

Mar-29-18  Petrosianic: Hard to see anything for White at the moment of the blunder.

If 40. g6 h6.

If 40. Rxe8+ Qxe8, then what? There are some back rank threats with Bd4+ and Rb1+ if the Knight moves. If 41. Nd1 Na3. 42. Qd3 to cover the Knight, b1 and a3 squares. White's still got 3 pawns for the Bishop, but his King is draftier and the pawns are kind of discombobulated. 42...Rb1. Black has to be careful not to get the Knight trapped, but really White's in no danger of winning and the time control has been reached.

Apr-30-18  Albanius: 35 Qd3 may be an improvement on 35 Qb6
Black can't discover on Nb3 with 35..Bxe4?
because 36 Bxe4 Qxb3 37 Bxh7+ Kf8 38 Qxc2 wins a piece.

But if 35..Nb4 36 Qxd6 hits Nb4, so the Qs go off with W up two Ps.

I don't see sufficient compensation.

Apr-30-18  Howard: Keep in mind that in this ultra-crucial game, Karpov couldn't afford a draw. A draw was basically the same as a loss.

Perhaps 35.Qd3 looked a bit too drawish to him.

Apr-30-18  Olavi: 35.Qd3 Qa7+ 36.Kh1 Ne3.
Oct-01-18  SpiritedReposte: As a Shev Sicilian player this game is very interesting.
Oct-01-18  Howard: For both of these players, it was a hell of a lot more than merely "interesting".
Aug-06-19  Zoidplow: Karpov has 41 games in the DB after 6.Be2 . . . and this is his only loss. (!)
May-28-20  NARC: I think black piling up his rooks behind the e6 pawn is very fascinating, especially since the very mysterious rook manouvre not only looked on the e-file (not by far open) but also prevented accidents on h7 since the field f8 was made available for a black knight.
May-28-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  harrylime: Karpov owned Gazza .. Really owned him ..

something mega went wrong in the karpov camp lol lol

Feb-20-21  Z 000000001: Kasparov mentions this game as one of his 4 most memorable - specifically looking at his 23...Re7 move:

(Black to move ...23)


click for larger view

https://www.newyorker.com/video/wat...

(At ~ 6:40)

(I read through all the kibitzing, quickly, to see if this video was mentioned - I don't think it was, but apologies if it's a repeat)

Feb-20-21  Z 000000001: A direct link from youtube:

https://youtu.be/6vYJyOGKCHE?t=402

.

Feb-24-21  Ulhumbrus: 22 Rh3 obstructs the h pawn. One alternative is 22 Rg3 delaying Rh3 until White has first played h4.
Mar-15-25  andrea volponi: 23 f5!? (Be3! =)...exf5 - exf5 Bxg2!+ - Kxg2 Qb7+ - kg1 Rc4! - fxg6 Rg4+ - Rg3 Rxg3+ - hxg3 Ne5 - gxf7+ (=).
Apr-06-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  MarcusBierce: <24.Bd4 f5 25.gxf6 Nxf6 26.Bxb6 Qd7 27.Bd4> is exactly the kind of maneuver to expect from Karpov at his best.

Kasparov did an outstanding job keeping the tension in a complicated position to win this final game and become the WC.

Apr-06-25  andrea volponi: 24Bd4!? e5! ( = ) .
Apr-06-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  MarcusBierce: <andrea volponi: 24Bd4!? e5! ( = )>

Perhaps a greater depths, but opening up the f-file for White after <24.Bd4 e5 25.fxe5 dxe5 <..Bxe5 26.Rf3> 26.Be3 and 27.Rf3> seems better for White.

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