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Garry Kasparov vs Kiril Georgiev
World Blitz Championship (1988) (blitz), Saint John CAN, rd 3, Feb-20
English Opening: King's English. Four Knights Variation Fianchetto Lines (A29)  ·  1/2-1/2

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
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d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
1/2-1/2

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Mar-27-06  McCool: Kasparov must have been kicking himself after that move.
Mar-28-06  Jim Bartle: 78 moves. Blitz. Maybe (just a thought) Kasparov was about to lose on time, and saw a chance for a one-move draw.
Mar-28-06  Jim Bartle: Please note this game is against Kiril Georgiev, not Krum Georgiev.
Mar-28-06  stanleys: Jim Bartle,even if one loses on time in such a position,the game is declared as drawn,because the opponent doesn't have any material
Mar-28-06  Jim Bartle: I didn't know that--makes sense. Thanks for the info.
Mar-28-06  harce sarmiento: In spite this is still a huge blunder, it should be noted that this is a blitz game, and well, time presure, you all know..
Jun-23-06  blingice: <harcee> Umm, it's difficult to stalemate with a bishop and queen, I'm sorry.
Jun-23-06  harcee sarmiento: harce??? using my name. whoever you are prangster!
Aug-06-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eggman: This was from the World Blitz Championship in St. John's Newfoundland, 1988. The event, won by Mikhail Tal, was a knock-out format, and this game (if I recall correctly) eliminated Kasparov. Incidentally, this game was captured on film. I remember seeing the amazed look on Kasparov's face after he made the game-ending blunder.
Aug-06-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: <morphy234> <RisingChamp> <Stevens> <Jim Bartle> This game was played under FIDE rules, Section 6.10 of which states, in part (with respect to the expiration of a player’s allotted time): “… the game is drawn if the position is such that the opponent cannot checkmate the player’s king by any possible series of legal moves, even with the most unskilled counterplay.”

If it had been a USCF (U.S. Chess Federation) event, the governing rule (if Kasparov’s time had expired) would have been Rule 14E1. Rule 14E is quoted in its entirety, below:

“14E. Insufficient Material to Win on Time

“The game is drawn even when a player exceeds the time limit if one of the following conditions exists:

“14E1. Lone King. Opponent has only a lone king.

“14E2. King and bishop or king and knight. Opponent has only king and bishop or king and knight and does not have a forced win.

“14E3. King and two knights. Opponent has only king and two knights, the player has no pawns, and the opponent does not have a forced win.”

***

With respect to Rule 14E2, Black with just king and knight would win if White (on move) ran out of time in the following position: White K on a7 and pawn on a6; versus Black K on c7 and Knight on d6. (Black has a forced win with: 1. Ka8 Nc8 2. a7 Nb6#.)

With respect to USCF Rule 14E3, note that a player with just a King and two (2) Knights CAN win on time if his opponent has at least one pawn when his time expires.

Aug-06-06  Rocafella: Qb4 wins. A good way to duck stalemate is to just keep checking the opponent until you see that decisive move. That's what I often do to avoid it.
Aug-07-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eggman: <<A good way to duck stalemate is to just keep checking the opponent until you see that decisive move.>>

Unless you have many pieces, you can't stalemate the opponent until his King has been pushed to the edge of the board, and once he's on the edge of the board then using the Queen to cut him off on the rank or file will keep him on the edge and avoid stalemate too, especially if the Queen is far away, e.g. 78.Qb2.

Feb-21-07  nsppp: That's shocking.There is mate in two on the board and instead stalemate.
Feb-21-07  nsppp: In spite of all I think we shouldn't be so critical of Garry Kasparov because that's a blitz game.Probably he have had 1-2 sec or something like that.
Apr-18-07  Hot Logic: I can hardly imagine Garry has ever practiced checkmate with Q+B, that's probably why he blundered this one (lack of familiarity). Queen on the second file/rank with king trapped against the board edge is the main theme of Q+K v K so with that in mind Qb4 might be easier to see. I do find it strange that GK didn't suspect some sort of stalemate trap however.
Apr-19-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eric Schiller: Kasparov was furious about this loss. At the Olympiad months later, I was with Garry when his pile of opening preparation was delivered to him the night before he was to play Georgiev in a real (slow) game. He threw he pile on the floor, stating that he didn't need any prep, he was just going to smash Georgiev. And sure enough, he did!
Apr-20-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gypsy: Kasparov vs Kiril Georgiev, 1988
May-20-07  rook17: the extra bishop helped georgiev more than it helped kasparov...how annoying for kasparov.
Jun-26-07  borkoto: Eric I dont think he smashed Georgiev he just won with white against him at about move 30...please review the game....
Aug-13-08  gambitfan: An astounding STALEMATE !

What happened with Kasparov ?

Was he drunk ?

Was he in Zeitnot ??

Aug-13-08  gambitfan: Eureka !

It was a blitz game !

Such an ending would have been unthinkable in a "normal" game !

Sep-28-08  The Rocket: LOL Kasparov falls for stalemate kinda funny to see one of the greatest of all time do that
Sep-29-08  micartouse: It can't hurt to play these endings out to mate against a computer for practice. 78. Qb2 Ka5 79. Bc4 Ka4 80. Qb3+ Ka5 81. Qb5# may not be optimal, but who cares? It takes a split second to perform these moves when you've done them many times.
Oct-01-08  DoubleCheck: 78. Qb4 is the winning move

black is forced to play Ka7 in which queen is mating on b7

Nov-30-08  WhiteRook48: What is Kasparov DOING here? Maybe he was distracted by Karpov walking outside the building. How did the World Champion not see that he falls for a STALEMATE
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