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Garry Kasparov vs Anatoly Karpov
Kasparov-Karpov World Championship Match (1987)  ·  English Opening: King's English. Four Knights Variation Fianchetto Lines (A29)  ·  0-1
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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Dec-21-04  ruylopez900: Alright, thanks again <Minor Piece>
Dec-21-04  gambeteer: AdrianP: ... perhaps, something along the lines of this simul game Kasparov vs Rao, 1989

a murderous 5 pawn K-side pawn storm...

Basically in that game white has 2 ideas: play on a possible weakness on b7 (which is easily defended) and a pawn storm on the kingside. If black is moving his pieces without any particular plan, this is bound to happen. So I suggest a center break with d5 at move 14 for black. I wonder what Kasparov would have played against that move? I don't have a board with me (at work there's no room for that) but I tend to set up this position later at home and analyse it. Should be interesting... If anybody has comments on this. Please feel free to respond. After all this only my second post...

Feb-10-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  acirce: <Sometimes top-ranking grandmasters play strong moves which they themselves find hard to explain. Furthermore it is virtually impossible to prove even in post-mortem analysis that these moves are objectively strongest. Despite this, they help to solve the problems in the particular context of the game. They leave their imprint on the whole of the subsequent struggle; they give it its essential character. By detecting such moments in games by top players, you can dramatically increase your understanding of chess.

One example is the second game of the fourth Kasparov-Karpov World Championship match, Seville 1987. After the well-known opening moves 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O e4 7.Ng5 Bxc3 8.bxc3 Re8 9.f3, Karpov employed a novelty: 9..e3!?

What is White's best response? The task that faces him is exceptionally complex. Kasparov found an outstandingly good solution, clearly the best solution to any opening problem in the entire match: 10.d3! d5 11.Qb3!! Such moves are often conceived not in home analysis but over-the-board, under strong emotional pressure. Many commentators could not understand why Karpov never repeated his novelty after winning the game. The explanation is simple: Kasparov refuted the novelty over the board - his 11.Qb3 is very powerful. I was Kasparov's second in that match, and I can definitely assure you of this.>

-- Sergei Dolmatov in Dvoretsky/Yusupov: "Opening Preparation"

Oct-08-05  ConfusedPatzer: I don't think anyone would've told Kasparov about the clock... He's a great player but he's an A hole
Oct-08-05  Kangaroo: Novelty? - Look at this game played in 1964!

Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1964

First moves: 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.g3 Bb4 4.Bg2 O-O 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bxc3 e4 7.Nh3 Re8 8.O-O d6 9.Nf4 b6 10.f3 e3 11.d3 - they all were known to both Kasparov and Karpov.

Oct-08-05  AlexanderMorphy: wow, i can't believe it...Kasparov actually get's outplayed tactically...doesn't happen very often does it?
Mar-19-06  alexandrovm: <AlexanderMorphy: wow, i can't believe it...Kasparov actually get's outplayed tactically...doesn't happen very often does it?> Karpov was very strong at that time. Is this the famous game where Kasparov forgot to push the clock on move 26 having a few minutes left?
Mar-19-06  Jim Bartle: Is this the last game Karpov won with black against Kasparov?
Mar-19-06  Jim Bartle: (Why think when you can look it up?)

Answering my own question, no, Karpov also won game 16 of this match with black. His last against Kasparov unless you count a rapid in 2002.

Mar-19-06  alexandrovm: <Jim Bartle: (Why think when you can look it up?)

Answering my own question, no, Karpov also won game 16 of this match with black. His last against Kasparov unless you count a rapid in 2002.> lol! thanks for the info anyway...

Jun-25-06  TommyC: Kangaroo - it's still a novely as the position is different. Otherwise there could be no novelties at all.
Feb-08-08  HOTDOG: Kasparov was in zeitnot,and 23...Nf5!? was a psychological move,Kasparov had obviously analyzed only 23...Nc2 and after 23...Nf5 he had to spend more time on the clock
Mar-07-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Tomlinsky: Karpov: "I recall that Kasparov's use of the English Opening in this match was unexpected for me. However, strange as it may seem, it was I who managed to produce a surprise at the start. In any case, in the present game my opponent thought for over one and a half hours over his tenth move! It is interesting that the novelty, which had such an effect on Kasparov, was prepared by me as far back as the end of the 70's for my match in Baguio. But at that time it had remained unused.


click for larger view

9...e3!?

It was precisely this move, suggested in his day by my long time second, Igor Zaitsev, that plunged my opponent into seep thought. Previously Black had automatically taken on f3; Incidentally, I had played this in the fourth game of the match."

"In principle, the point of the thrust e4-e3 lies in upsetting the harmonious development of White's pieces, driving a wedge into his position. Though this idea is not original, I was convinced it had not been played before in the present situation. But how surprised I was one day, when, upon opening the Chess in the USSR magazine, I saw the game Berndt - Seitz, played nearly ten years before the duel in Seville."

Mar-16-08  whiskeyrebel: This is the first game in Karpov's book on the English opening, which I think I learned quite a bit from.
May-29-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Cinco: <Sometimes top-ranking grandmasters play strong moves which they themselves find hard to explain. Furthermore it is virtually impossible to prove even in post-mortem analysis that these moves are objectively strongest. Despite this, they help to solve the problems in the particular context of the game. They leave their imprint on the whole of the subsequent struggle; they give it its essential character. By detecting such moments in games by top players, you can dramatically increase your understanding of chess. One example is the second game of the fourth Kasparov-Karpov World Championship match, Seville 1987. After the well-known opening moves 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O e4 7.Ng5 Bxc3 8.bxc3 Re8 9.f3, Karpov employed a novelty: 9..e3!?

What is White's best response? The task that faces him is exceptionally complex. Kasparov found an outstandingly good solution, clearly the best solution to any opening problem in the entire match: 10.d3! d5 11.Qb3!! Such moves are often conceived not in home analysis but over-the-board, under strong emotional pressure. Many commentators could not understand why Karpov never repeated his novelty after winning the game. The explanation is simple: Kasparov refuted the novelty over the board - his 11.Qb3 is very powerful. I was Kasparov's second in that match, and I can definitely assure you of this.

-- Sergei Dolmatov in Dvoretsky/Yusupov: "Opening Preparation">

Karpov's side of the story: "After 9. f3, I played 9…e3, which leads to absolutely unusual complications with a lot of variations. And, actually, nobody repeated this variation after, even me. But we spent a lot of hours analyzing the position, and we couldn’t make a clear decision who was better after 9…e3."

Sep-21-08  Woody Wood Pusher: Great game, GK finding d3! and Qb3! at the board was impressive stuff, but that ultimately just makes the victory even sweeter when your opponent plays at such a high level. The AK-GK matches were the best of all time.
Jun-29-09  Knight13: 18. Bxf6 wow giving up the powerful bishop for that knight on f6 which isn't really doing anything!

Definitely missing something!

Aug-20-09  Colonel Mortimer: That knight was coming to e4 and then to the outpost at d2 - game over. Kasparov's move prevented this while allowing his own knight which really isn't doing anything to take up a position on e4 where it blocks the rook from protecting its own pawn at e3; resulting in its eventual capture and countering any threats down the e file
Sep-26-09  Astardis: I'd just love to see a video of Kasparov's reaction after e3. His rich facial expressions are so amusing. I imagine it something like wide opened eyes followed by some head shaking with a couple of doubtful looks at his opponent in between. Certainly his hand approaching the board several times in order to make a move that would easily refute such a bad move. Then slowly getting into thinking that it might not at all be such a bad move. More head shaking to come during the next 90 minutes, for sure :)
Jul-20-11  Mimchi1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Macp...

Analysis of Game 2 by Karpov himself. Highly recommended.

Nov-07-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Hesam7: <Many commentators could not understand why Karpov never repeated his novelty after winning the game. The explanation is simple: Kasparov refuted the novelty over the board - his 11.Qb3 is very powerful. I was Kasparov's second in that match, and I can definitely assure you of this.> -- Dolmatov

<After 9. f3, I played 9�e3, which leads to absolutely unusual complications with a lot of variations. And, actually, nobody repeated this variation after, even me. But we spent a lot of hours analyzing the position, and we couldn�t make a clear decision who was better after 9�e3.> -- Karpov

Dolmatov overstates White's case. In fact Kasparov's own view is much closer to Karpov's. After 14. f4:


click for larger view

<<This position is a difficult one for Black to play, since any change in the centre, blocking one White bishop, will make the other extremely dangerous. If 14. ... Bg4 there follows 15. Nf3 Nc6 16. h3!, and there is no time for 16. ... Qd7.> -- Makarychev

For example 16. ... Bxf3 17. Rxf3 d4 18. Bb2 (Gulko - Korneev, Montreal 2006). Of course the exchange of bishop for the knight is advantageous to White, but the e3-pawn still separates his two wings, and the situation remains unclear - hence the popularity of 16. ... Bg4!?> -- Kasparov in "Modern Chess, vol. 3.

Nov-07-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Hesam7: Actually in the line given by Kasparov, <14. ... Bg4 15. Nf3 Nc6 16. h3 Bxf3 17. Rxf3 d4 18. Bb2>, using Critter 1.2.1 I came up with a fascinating line: <18. ... Re6 19. Rc1 Ne7 20. cxd4 Ra6 21. Qb3 Rb6 22. Qc2> maybe it is easier just to repeat here <22. ... Nfd5 23. Qb1> 23. Rff1? Rc8! 24. Qb1 Nc3! <23. ... Nf5!> Nimzowitch would be proud! <24. Qa1> the poor piece; but 24. Rff1? hangs the g3-pawn and 24. Kh2 is met by 24. ... Nxd4! <24. ... Rc8 25. Rc5 Rbc6 26. Kh2 Rxc5 27. dxc5 Rxc5>


click for larger view

And this is an extremely complicated position. The material is equal with NN vs BB but Black has a safer king and much more active pieces. Here is one possible continuation: <28. Rf1?!> 28. Qb1!? <28. ... Rc2! 29. Re1 Nxf4 30. gxf4 Qh4 31. Be5 Qg3+ 32. Kh1> 32. Kg1?? Nh4 and Black mates in the next move.


click for larger view

Black has full compensation (if not more), one way to force a draw would be: <32. ... Qf2 33. Qb1> forced. Black was threatening Ng3+ & Nxe2 <33. ... f6 34. Qxc2> White has no other way than taking the rook, 34. Bd5+? Kh8 will just make matters worse. <34. ... Qxe2+ 35. Kh2 Qg3+ 26. Kh1> draw be perpetual check.

Maybe White should look for alternative for 19. Rc1. The machine suggests 19. c4 but closing the center seems too anti-positional.

Feb-18-12  King Death: <Astardis: I'd just love to see a video of Kasparov's reaction after e3. His rich facial expressions are so amusing. I imagine it something like wide opened eyes followed by some head shaking with a couple of doubtful looks at his opponent in between. Certainly his hand approaching the board several times in order to make a move that would easily refute such a bad move. Then slowly getting into thinking that it might not at all be such a bad move. More head shaking to come during the next 90 minutes, for sure>

Don't forget the lip curls.

Aug-12-12  Everett: <Hesam7> thanks for posting your research on this position, really enlightening just how nuts these positions can be. Personally, I would never want to play this as White.
Aug-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Hesam7: <Everett: <Hesam7> thanks for posting your research on this position, really enlightening just how nuts these positions can be. Personally, I would never want to play this as White.>

You are very welcome.

White can easily avoid the reverse Rossolimo by using a different move order, for example: 1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg2 and here if Black plays 4. ... Bb4 hoping for 5. Nf3 White responds with 5. Nd5!


click for larger view

and theory regards this position as very favorable for White. In CG's database there are 125 games from this position and White wins more than half of them with an overall score of 67.6%.

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