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Garry Kasparov vs David Letterman
"Don't Quit Your Day Job" (game of the day Aug-25-2019)
Late Night Show Telex game (1989), ?, Oct-20
Scandinavian Defense: General (B01)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 67 times; par: 40 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 4 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-16-04  holierthanthou: <IMO, he could have just retreated the queen to C6 if he didn't like A5.>

(1. e4 d5 2. ed Qxd5 3. Nc3) ..Qc6?? 4.Bb5 ? Well, yes, perhaps it would have been the most simple thing to do =).

Jul-23-04  Leviathan: While surfing I found out this Letterman's top ten, that probably came out during the interview with Kasparov. TOP TEN Moments when you should sense danger in chess:

#10. There has been a change in the pawn structure. Your opponent has eight and you don’t have any.

#9. Your opponent begins to throw pawns at your eyes.

#8. You have a position won, but your opponent has a gun.

#7. The Director tells you not to bother turning in your score sheet after the game.

#6. Before the game begins you notice your opponent’s first initials are ‘GM’.

#5. After completing your development you sense your opponent is playing the endgame.

#4. Just as you make your opening move your opponent announces mate in 11.

#3. You don’t control any squares at all.

#2. Your draw offer sends all the people watching your game into uncontrollable laughter.

#1. Your opponent has three bishops.

Source: http://amchesscoaching.com/top_ten....

Feb-10-05  mohd rafi fan: Perhaps David Letterman would have won with white?
Feb-10-05  Dillinger: I actually once had white in a correspondence game that followed this one until 8.d5 and then continued ...Nd8 9.Nb5 Qd7 10.Ne5 Qf5 11.Nxc7#
Oct-06-05  RookFile: Where I come from, 23. Bh5 is checkmate.
Oct-06-05  DutchDunce: Nakamura will occasionally play the Scandinavian...when he's not on the White side playing Qh5. (I know, cheap shot.....)

I would have loved to see 3...Qc6, which seems perfectly reasonable to many beginners but loses the queen instantly. Kasparov: "Ok audience, David is showing you how NOT to play...."

Oct-06-05  Landman: As I recall, many of Letterman's move decisions were made by one of the Late Show workers, an amateur chess player. He's also the one who came with the idea of the matchup (one move per show).
Nov-24-05  Chopin: < Mohd rafi fan: Perhaps David Letterman would have won with white?>

I think hell will freeze over before Letterman beats Kasparov. I'm not sure what's funnier, David Letterman's top ten list or this game.

Nov-24-05  RookFile: Well, it's kind of funny... this is
not unlike the poisoned pawn Sicilian.

I wouldn't be surprised if a computer
could take the black pieces and somehow survive.

Nov-24-05  dzanone: A guy just used this against me in an email game over at letsplaychess.com. This is the third time I can remember my opponents trying the Letterman Defense. I won the other two. Will have to wait and see on this one.
Nov-24-05  bishopawn: Gee, Sting played better against Kasparov than did Letterman.
Dec-29-05  elahevad: I remember this game. It was actually played correspondence, Kasparov calling in his moves each night on the show.Then Letterman would say things like "Ok, so now I'll move my horse in front of the lady" or some such, and Kasparov would say "no David. That is very bad." Wouldn't give him moves but made the game go past 10 moves. Took a bit over a month to play, and K came and did the show after
Jan-22-06  numcrun: Thx for the top ten list, LOL
Aug-22-06  Sularus: Kaspy should have given queen odds. or rook odds for that matter.

i mean, he was fighting a clown!

Aug-22-06  positionalgenius: David wasn't laughing after this one! :)
Mar-19-07  Helios727: Is there a reason why white plays 8. d5 before 9. Nb5 ? It seems like white could play Nb5 on move 8.
Mar-19-07  Helios727: <RookFile>: I don't think a computer could squeeze out a draw for black after Qxg2. The weakness at c7 is already too great at that point.
Mar-19-07  MrPatzer: Just out of curiosity, I looked through the database and found that Kasparov has never lost to the Scandinavian. In fact, the majority of world champs never lost to the Scandinavian at ANY point in their careers. And only once did a world champ lose to the Scandinavian DURING his reign (excluding simuls; Lasker lost a few of those):

Karpov vs Larsen, 1979

Mar-20-07  Helios727: <MrPatzer>: I think the Scandinavian is somewhere in the grey area between sound and unsound. That's why you will still see GMs use it, but the results are not so good.
Mar-20-07  OJC: I think you're right Helios727.

However, I find the Scandinavian playable with 2. ...Nf6 instead of the more popular ...Qxd5 which I dislike completely.

Jul-27-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eggman: <<Letterman was goofing around, didn't pretend he could play. Actually he started out with 1...h5 and K made him take it back. After 1...d5 K said, "Well, that's BETTER." (but not good).>>

My memory is that Letterman originally played 1...a5 (not 1...h5), saying "how about this?" Kasparov said "terrible." Letterman then played 1...d5 and Kasparov said "much better."

Aug-25-08  ToTheDeath: Kasparov,G-Letterman,D
Telephone Match, 1989
1. e4 d5

After Kasparov's very first move 1.e4, Dave said: "Oh no! I'm screwed!!" There was one move per show, or thereabouts. GK reportedly just played the game from memory (no board). Dave was going to open with a RP move, but Kasparov advised against it.

2. exd5 Qxd5
3. Nc3 Qe6+

Dave: "Three moves, and I've already got him in check!"

4. Be2 Nc6
5. d4 Qg6

Kasparov: "You move your queen too much...I know, it's your favorite piece."

6. Nf3 Qxg2

Dave: "I'm up two to one..." Kasparov: "You'll pay a high price for your two pawns."

7. Rg1 ...

Kasparov: "Get away with your queen from my camp!"

... Qh3
8. d5 Na5
Kasparov: "I feel the smell of victory!"

Dave: "I have the same aroma here..."

9. Nb5 Qd7
10. Bf4 Nf6

Dave: "I was bored of the second knight."

11. Nxc7+ Kd8
12. Ne5 Qxc7

Kasparov: "I could take your rook, but I prefer your queen." Dave: "I'm gonna take one of your horses. It's 3 to 2 now, isn't it?"

13. Nxf7+ Ke8
14. Bxc7 Kxf7

Kasparov: "A normal man would cry when he loses his queen." Dave: "There just isn't enough televised chess."

15. Bxa5 Bf5
16. Qd4 Bxc2
17. Rc1 Be4

Kasparov: "I think the next week of moves is the last one." Dave: "Ho, ho, ho! We'll just see about that, won't we?"

18. Rc7 Rd8

Kasparov: "I'm invading your camp now..."
Dave: "I think I've got one of your pawns in check."

19. d6 b6
20. Bc3 Bd5
21. Qe5 Be6
22. Qxf6+ gxf6
23. Bh5++ 1-0

Kasparov: "You're in good company. All of the grandmasters have been checkmated by me."

Aug-25-08  Bobsterman3000: 1...d5 was the losing move. It was impossible to recover after that howler ??.
Nov-20-08  shintaro go: Didn't know this game ever existed. Haha Letterman, this is the best joke you've ever made.
Dec-02-08  imsobamboozled: how do I search for more games celebrity vs master games?
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