Ehlvest vs. Kasparov

Ehlvest vs. Kasparov

Reykjavic (World Cup) 1988

English Opening

 1 c4 Nf6 2 Nc3 e5 3 Nf3 Nc6 4 e3 Bb4 5 Qc2 0-0 6 d3 6 Nd5 is a more critical continuation. 6…Re8 7 Bd2 Bxc3 8 Bxc3 d5 9 cxd5 Nxd5 10 Be2

After 10 Be2

A type of reversed Sicilian Scheveningen has been reach, although with one pair of minor pieces removed. As so often happens with reversed openings, White has no problem gaining equality, but playing for an advantage proves more difficult. 10…Bf5 10…Qd6 is also adequate for equality. 11 Rd1 White takes time out to counter the possibility of …Nxb4. After 11 e4 Nf4!? (11…Nxc3 12 bxc3 Bg4 13 0-0 Na5 is roughly level, Taimanov-Kuzmin, USSR Ch, Leningrad 1974) 12 exf5 Nd4 13 Bxd4 exd4 14 Ng1 (14 0-0 Rxe2 15 Qb3 Qd5 favours Black) 14…Qd5 15 0-0-0 Qxa2 the position is unclear. 11 0-0 is playable and probably safest, because 11…Ndb4 12 Bxb4 Nxb4 13 Qc3 Nxd3 14 Rfd1 e4 15 Ne1 is just dead equal. 11…a5 12 0-0 Qe7 13 a3 13 e4 leads to nothing after 13…Ndb4! 14 Qb1 Bg4. 13…a4

After 13...a4

14 Be1?! White would like to improve the position of his pieces by Nd2-e4, but it is not so easy to achieve this; for example, 14 Nd2 Nxc3 (14…Nd4 is less effective as 15 exd4 exd4 16 Bf3 dxc3 17 Bxd5 cxd2 18 Bxb7 is fine for White) 15 Qxc3 Nd4 and Black is slightly better. However, nothing good come from the text-book. Although White preserves his two bishops, he delays his development by severs moves. 14 Rfe1 is best; White improves the position of his rooks and waits to see Black’s plan before committing himself. 14…Bg6 Black easily sidesteps the threat of 15 e4. 15 Qc4 15 Nd2 is still bad, this time because of 15…Nf4. 15…Red8 16 Nd2?

After 16 Nd2?

White thinks the time is ripe to reposition his knight, but he runs into a tactical storm. 16 d4 Nb6 (or e4 18 Nd2 Qg5 straight away) 17 Qc3 e4 18 Nd2 Qg5 19 Nc4 Nd5 20 Qc1 Re8 would have restricted Black to an edge.  16…Nd4! A typical Kasparov move.  17 exd4 White must accept as 17 Bf3 Nb6 18 Qc3 Nb5 followed by …Bxd3 wins for Black. 17…Nf4 18 Bf3 Rxd4

After 18...Rxd4

19 Qb5 after this White’s queen is trapped, but even 19 Qa2 (19 Qc3 Bxd3 20 g3 Ne2+ 21 Bxe2 Bxe2 is also very good for Black) 19…Bxd3 20 Bxb7 Rad8 is very bad for White, e.g. 21 Ra1 (in order to recapture on f1 whit the knight; 21 Bf3 Bxf1 22 Kxf1 e4 23 Be2 Qg5 wins for Black) 21…Qd7 (threatening 22…c6) 22 Nf3 Qb5! 23 Nxd4 exd4 24 Bd2 Bxf1 25 Rxf1 Ne2+ 26 Kh1 Ng3+ 27 hxg3 Qxf1+ 28 Kh2 Qxf2 and the black d-pawn will be decisive. 19…c6 20 Bxc6 Or 20 Qb6 Ra6 and there is no escape. 20…bxc6 21 Qxc6 Qd8 The imminent loss of the d3-pawn is at least of White’s worries. The congested mass of white pieces means that he will be hard-pressed to avoid the immediate loss of the exchange after …Bxd3. 22 Nf3 Rd6

After 22...Rd6

White’s difficulties with his queen  are not over and now Black gains time by chasing is around. 23 Qb5  23 Qb7 loses to 23…Rb6. 23…Rd5 23…Bxd3 24 Qxe5 is less clear. 24 Qb4 Or 24 Qb7 Bxd3 25 Bc3 Bxf1 26 Nxe5 Ne2+ (but not 26…Rxd1?? 27 Qxf7+ Kh8 28 Ng6+ and White mates)  27 Kh1 Nxc3 28 Qxf7+ Kh8, winning for Black. 24…e4

After 24...e4

Even stronger than 24…Bxd3.  25 Bc3 25 Nd2 loses after 25…Qh4! 26 g3 (26 Nxe4 Ne2+ 27 Kh1 Qxh2+! 28 Kxh2 Rh5#) 26…Qh3 27 gxh4 Rh5 forcing mate. If 25 Rd2, then 25…Nxd3 finishes White off. 25…Ne2+ 0-1

Source from:

GAMBIT: John Nunn’s 101 Brilliant Chess Miniatures (Pages 77 - 78)

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Tal vs. Van der Wiel

Tal vs. Van der Wiel

Moscow Interzonal 1982

English Opening

1 c4 Nf6 2 Nc3 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 e4 Bb7 5 Bd3 White intends to form a powerful centre by Bc2 and d4, so Black must react quickly. 5…c5 6 0-0 Nc6 7 e5 Ng4 8 Be4 Qc8?! Current theory prefers 8…f5 9 exf6 Nxf6 10 Bxc6 Bxc6 11 d4 Bxf3 12 Qxf3 cxd4 13 Nb5 with roughly equal position. 9 d3

After 9 d3

9…Ngxe5 It is risky to accept. 9…f5 10 exf6 Nxf6 11 Bf4 Be7 12 Nb5 0-0 13 Bd6 Qd8!? is safer, with at worst a slight disadvantage. 10 Nxe5 Nxe5 11 f4 Black’s king is still far from safety. 11…Nc6?! 11…Bxe4 12 Nxe4 Nc6 13 f5 Be7 is better; White has a dangerous attack, but nothing clear-cut. 12 f5 g6?! 12…Be7?! Is similarly dubious, e.g. 13 Qg4 Bf6 14 Nb5 0-0 15 fxe6 fxe6 16 Qh3 g6 (16…h6 17 Bxh6) 17 Bh6 Bg7 18 Bxg7 Kxg7 19 Nd6 Qc7 20 Nf7! Rxf7 21 Rxf7+ Kxf7 22 Qxh7+ and wins. 12…Nd4 is the best chance, but even then 13 Qh5 Bxe4 14 Nxe4 exf5 15 Bg5 h6 16 Rae1 Ne6  17 Bh4 gives White a very strong attack. 13 Bg5 gxf5

After 13...gxf5

14 Bxf5! Be7? The only chance was 14…exf5, but after 15 Qe2+ Ne7 16 Rae1 Rg8 17 Bxe7 Rxg2+ 18 Qxg2 Bxg2 19 Bh4+ Be4 20 Nxe4 fxe4 21 Rxe4+ Be7 22 Rxe7+ Kd8 23 Rfxf7 Kc7 24 Bg3+ Kc6 25 Rxh7 Qd8 26 Rhg7 Black is tied up and can hardly oppose the advance of White’s h-pawn. 15 Qh5 Decisive. 15…Bxg5 15…exf5 16 Rae1 Kd8 17 Nd5 wins. 16 Wxg5 Ne7 16…exf5 17 Rae1+ Kf8 18 Qh6+ Kg8 19 Nd5 and 16…Qc7 17 Nb5 Qb8 18 Bxh7 a6 19 Rxf7! Are hopeless. 17 Be4 Threatening 18 Nb5. 17…Bxe4 18 Nxe4 Qc6

After 18...Qc6

19 Rxf7! An attractive finish. 19…Kxf7 20 Qf6+ Kg8 21 Qxe7 Rf8 22 Rf1! 1-0

Source from:

GAMBIT: John Nunn’s 101 Brilliant Chess Miniatures (Page 52)

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Vaganian vs. Planinc

Vaganian vs. Planinc

Hastings 1974

English Opening

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 Nf3 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e6 5 Nc3 Bb4 6 Nb5 An ambitious attempt to gain the two bishops without conceding doubled pawns, the defect being the time it costs. 6 g3 is considered better today. 6…0-0 7 a3 Bxc3+ 8 Nxc3 d5 9 Bg5

After 9 Bg5

The only try for the advantage. After 9 e3 Nc6 White’s dark-squared bishop is blocked in and Black has no problems. 9…h6 10 Bxf6 Qxf6 11 cxd5 11 e3 is possible, with a likely transposition to the next note. 11…exd5 12 Qxd5? Too greedy, as Black’s lead in development provides excellent compensation for the pawn. 12 e3 is better. If 12…Rd8 then 13 Qd4 blocks the d-pawn, while after 12…Nc6 13 Qxd5 Rd8 14 Qf3 White’s chance is n=much better than in the game, as Black’s queen can no longer swing over to b6. 12…Rd8 13 Qf3 Qb6

After 13...Qb6

Gaining time by attacking the b2-pawn. 14 Rd1 14 b4 is certainly no better. After 14…Nc6 15 e3 Be6 16 Be2 a5 17 b5 Ne5 Black has more than enough for the pawn (indeed, he will soon win one of White’s queenside pawns). 14…Rxd1+ 15 Nxd1 nc6 16 Qe3 Trying to defend by tactical means, which is always dangerous when one is behind in development. However, even after the marginially better 16 e3 Be6 17 Be2 Rd8 18 0-0 Rd2  Black will soon regain the pawn with good play. 16…Nd4!

After 16...Nd4!

17 Qe8+ White frees his e-pawn with gain of tempo, but his queen proves tactically vulnerable on e8. 17…Kh7 18 e3 If 18 Qxf7, then 18…Bf5 19 e3 Nc2+ 20 Kd2 Bg6 21 Qc4 Rd8+ 22 Kc1 Na1 wins. 18…Nc2+ 19 Kd2 Bf5! This rook sacrifice gives Black the advantage in every variation. 20 Qxa8 20 xf7Bg6 transposes into the previous note. 20…Qd6+

After 20...Qd6+

21 Kc1 First of all, 21 Ke2 fails to 21…Qd3+ 22 Kf3 Qxd1+ 23 Be2 Nd4+! 24 exd4 Qb3+ 25 Kf4 g5+ 26 Kxf5 Qe6#. 21 Kc3 also loses, although the winning method is not at all simple. Here is a summary of analysis: 21…Qe5+! And now both 22 Kb3 Na1+ 23 Kb4 (23 Ka2 Qd5+ transposes to the analysis of 22 Kd2 below) 23…b6 24 Qc6 Bd7! 25 Bd3+ g6 26 Bxg6+ Kg7 and 22 Kc4 Qc7+ 23 Kb3 Be6+ 24 Ka4 Qb6 win for Black. Therefore white has to try 22 Kd2 but even here 22…Qd5+ 23 Kc3 (23 Ke2 Qd3+ wins as after 21 Ke2 above) 23…Qa5+ 24 b4 (24 Kb3 Na1+ 25 Ka2 Qd5+ 26 Bc4 Qxc4+ 27 Kxa1 Qc1+ 28 Ka2 Be6+ 29 b3 Qc2+ 30 Ka1 Qxb3 31 Nc3 Qxc3+ 32 Kb1 Bf5+ 33 Ka2 Qc2+ 34 Ka1 Be6 wins) 24…Qxa3+ 25 Kd2 Qxb4+ 26 Kc1 (26 Nc3 Na3 gives Black a winning attack, e.g. 27 Ke2 Qxc3 28 Qd8 Nc4 29 Qd4 Qc2+ 30 Ke1 Nb2) 26…Na1 27 f3 Nb3+ 28 Kb2 Nd2+ 29 Kc1 Nxf1 wins. 21…Na1

After 21...Na1

22 Qxb7? Up to here White has defended quite well, but now he loses in one (admittedly attractive) move. 22 Bc4 Qc5 23 Nc3 Qxc4 24 Qd8 is a much better defense which is conveniently ignored in almost every annotation of this game I have ever seen! Black should continue 24…Nb3+ 25 Kd1 Qg4+ 26 Ne2 (26 Ke1 Qxg2 27 Rf1 Bh3 28 Qd3+ f5 should be winning for Black as White is paralyzed and can hardly meet the threat of …Na1-c2+ forcing a decisive liquidation) 26…Qe4! (taking the g-pawn only increases White’s defensive chances) 27 Ke1 Qb1+ 28 Qd1 Qxb2 29 Nd4 (29 Ng3 Qc3+ 30 Ke2 Qc4+ 31 Ke1 Bc2 wins) 29…Nxd4 30 exd4 Qxa3 with a clear advantage as White will find it very hard to stop the connected passed pawns while his king is so exposed. 22…Qc7+!

.

After 22...Qc7+! 0-1

0-1

Source from:

GAMBIT: John Nunn’s 101 Brilliant Chess Miniatures (Pages 27 - 28)

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