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Garry Kasparov vs Boris Gelfand
Novgorod (1997)  ·  Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto. Nimzowitsch Variation Quiet Line (E15)  ·  1-0
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Given 15 times; par: 48 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
May-29-04  csmath: The way Kasparov played opening is not exactly for the textbook. Apparently Gelfand got lost somewhere and instead of following position he started cliche play. After erroneous exchange sacrifice with 22.Rc3 suddenly he finds himself in a lost position after Kasparov easily stops the c-passer. Once Kasparov captured the c-passer the game was over but Gelfand continues in the same manner blundering a whole piece in 35th move. Strange game.
Mar-30-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  notyetagm: More beautiful tactics from Kasparov.

After Gelfand centralizes his knight with 35 ... Nd4?, Gazza plays the <interference> shot 36 c5!, simultaneously <blocking> the Black b6-queen's defense of the d4-knight and threatening the Black queen herself.

What happens if Gelfand tries 36 ... dxc5 to keep his d4-knight defended? By taking the White c5-pawn, he has opened the c-file for the White c3-rook. Now since Black's c5-pawn is pinned to the c-file, <blocking> the threat of 37 RxR+, it cannot also <defend> the d4-knight, which vanishes due to 37 RxN!, exploiting this newly created pin on the c-file.


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Sac a pawn, open a line, create a pin, exploit the pin. Kasparov makes it look easy to defeat a 2700.

Apr-26-06  Topzilla: Wow, Kasparov alway amaze me.
Apr-26-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  notyetagm: <Topzilla> Yes, Kasparov was a great, great champion.
Apr-26-06  Topzilla: And Kramnik was never a dominant champion, nor a worhty challenger .....

sorry, i coudnt resist! :)

Feb-12-07  Tacticstudent: Great game by Kasparov. He just hold any counterattack by Gelfand and go slightly giving his pieces more activity and range. I diisagree with <csmath> about 22. ..., Rc3: White is threatening 23. Bxe5, dxe5. 24. Ng4!! with a winning game.
Apr-19-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: This was the first of two very nice wins by Kasparov over Gelfand in this tournament. This vaeiation is described as "quiet" but, actually, 6..dc is incredibly sharp. A sample line is if 8 Bd2..cb 9 Ba8..b2! which is very powerful for black. The maneuver 15 h4, 16 h5 and 21 Rh4 was a very clever way of activating the rook. Perhaps Gelfand should have played 15..d5 creating a position similar to the french. After 22 Qd2 Kasparov had threats on both side of the board ( 23 a3 or 23 Ng4). Gelfands exchange sacrifice did not yeild sufficient compensation.
Nov-12-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  notyetagm: Position after 35 ... Nf5-d4?? 36 c4-c5!:


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Black's 35 ... Nf5-d4?? made a <LOOSE> piece and 36 c4-c5! closed the line of the defending Black b6-queen (<INTERFERENCE>).

Now in this position, the White c3-rook does -not-, repeat does -not- threaten the <UNDEFENDED> Black c8-rook because the White c3-rook has no <BALEFUL INFLUENCE> -through- the White c5-pawn. That is, the line of attack of the White c3-rook reaches only the c5-square because it is <BLOCKED> by its own White c5-pawn.

But if Black captures the White c5-pawn with 36 ... d6xc5 in order to <DEFEND> his Black d4-knight, then everything changes with regard to the line of attack of the White c3-rook.

(VAR) Position after 36 ... d6xc5:


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Whereas the White c3-rook had no <BALEFUL INFLUENCE> against the <UNDEFENDED> Black c8-rook with a -White- pawn on c5, the White c3-rook now does in fact threaten the <UNDEFENDED> Black c8-rook now that there is a -Black- pawn on c5. <<<That is, that the White c3-rook threatens c8 through the Black c5-pawn but not through the White c5-pawn!>>>

The result of this <BALEFUL INFLUENCE> with the Black pawn being on c5 is that this pawn is <PINNED> against the <UNDEFENDED> Black c8-rook and thus cannot also <DEFEND> the Black d4-knight. Hence 37 Ra4xNd4! wins a whole piece for White.

(VAR) Position after 36 ... d6xc5 37 Ra4xNd4!:


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This Kasparov combination is the best example I have ever seen of the tactical idea <<<YOU OPEN LINES FOR YOUR OPPONENT'S LINE PIECES WHEN YOU CAPTURE HIS PAWNS>>>.

Nov-13-08  nelech: what would have happened if instead of 16...h6 black had played 16...Nxd4 ?

Kasparov on Kasparov: Part I
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