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Anatoly Karpov vs Viktor Korchnoi
Karpov - Korchnoi World Championship Match (1978), City of Baguio PHI, rd 22, Sep-14
French Defense: Tarrasch Variation. Open System (C07)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Apr-09-08  Knight13: 15. Kb1 invites ...Ne4. 15. Nd4 invites ...Ne5-c4 (after the queen moves).
Apr-12-12  King Death: < Knight13: 15. Kb1 invites ...Ne4>

Which Karpov obviously wanted to provoke, this queenless middlegame is slightly better for him and he has no losing chances. A dream position.

Jul-19-13  Everett: Think Korchnoi never lost a single French Tarrasch to Karpov. Wonder why he didn't keep running it out during match play, and just go after the champion with White.
Apr-07-14  mcgee: See Karpov v Korchnoi training match 1971 for Korchnoi losing with the French Tarrasch. Described by Korchnoi as virtually the best game Karpov played between 1970 and 1980.

Regarding this game, the context is that Karpov completely outplayed Korchnoi and then started trying to blitz Korchnoi around move 42 instead of adjourning with the obvious 42 Rxa4. Korchnoi would have had to resume still in desperate time trouble and with a hopeless position (if he hadn't resigned overnight anyway). Instead of which Karpov pulls out 42 Bc7?? and 46 Bxb4?? Did he really miss 48 Kxe2???? b1-Q? The mind boggles. But the win is surely gone after 46..Re2+. White now only has a passed a-pawn and Black's pieces get over to the Q-side in time..

May-11-14  Howard: That was Game 22 of the match. In the previous game where Karpov was White (Game 20), he pulled off another over-refinement and blew a win in that game too.
Jun-07-14  Howard: If I remember correctly, Karpov should simply have snapped off the a-pawn with 42.Rxa4. The loss of time with 42.Bxc7 ? cost his an easy win.
Jul-31-14  Howard: Oops, that was 42.Bc7. In other words, White's bishop didn't capture anything when it went to c7.
May-25-16  Howard: A position from this game was just shown a couple days ago on the Chessbase website, in an article about Karpov's 65th birthday.

He missed more than one win here.

May-25-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: This the one where Korchnoi spent 40 minutes deciding on his sealed move.


click for larger view

He was considering 47...Rxb2 giving up the Knight with check and apparently it's better and easier to draw than what was played 47...axb2.

The idea being Black gets the a-pawn and plays f6. White cannot get in.

But as Raymond Keene says in his book of the match:

"But who would dare seal a move like 47...Rxb2."

Jul-01-18  Howard: Somewhat strangely, Karpov's 11.Nxc5 was ranked as one of the best TN's in Informant 26....but, I just don't see what was so special about it.
Dec-07-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Viktor Korchnoi played this game very well. This was a titanic match.

This was game 22.

Karpov vs Korchnoi, 1978 Game 14, KARPOV WON. C82 a Ruy Lopez. So the Korchnoi team had a rethink. What should Korchnoi play as Black for game 16?

Karpov vs Korchnoi, 1978 Game 16. DRAW. C07 French Tarrasch, 51 moves. Korchnoi seems to have drawn with no problems.

Karpov vs Korchnoi, 1978 Game 18. DRAW. B08, Pirc. Korchnoi was defending for a long time.

Karpov vs Korchnoi, 1978 Game 20. DRAW. B15 Caro-Kann. Korchnoi was 99% lost, but survived.

VK was having a problem as Black. For this game he goes back to the French Tarrasch.

Dec-07-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <Everett: Think Korchnoi never lost a single French Tarrasch to Karpov. Wonder why he didn't keep running it out during match play, and just go after the champion with White.>

Korchnoi indeed drew every game in this line, but this game would be the last outing for his beloved French, and in their 1981 match, he never tried 1....e6.

As <offramp> noted, Korchnoi came under considerable pressure, and was on the precipice in this game.

Dec-07-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: <Korchnoi never lost a single French Tarrasch to Karpov> except the most famous one, Karpov vs Korchnoi, 1971
Dec-07-23  Granny O Doul: Hard to say whether Korchnoi's addiction to time pressure hurt or helped him overall in this match.

Ray Keene acknowledged the kibitzers' lament that Korchnoi abandoned the "solid French" in Game 32, but pointed to this game as reason enough. At a later time, "epic fail" might have been applied to Karpov's technique.

I'd like to think that on a good day, I might have spotted 11. Nxc5 myself.

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