Uncompromising Chess

CADOGAN CHESS BOOKS Uncompromising Chess CADOGAN CHESS SERIES ChiefAdvisor: Garry Kasparov Editor: Murray Chandler R...

Author: Alexander Belyavsky

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CADOGAN CHESS BOOKS

Uncompromising Chess

CADOGAN CHESS SERIES ChiefAdvisor: Garry Kasparov Editor: Murray Chandler Russian Series Editor: Ken Neat


Other chess titles from Cadogan include:

Tbe Application of Cbess Theory

Paul Keres Best Games Vol.l

Yeftm Geller

Egon Varnusz

The Art of Chess Analysis

Paul Keres Best Games VoJ.2

Jan Timman

Egon Varnusz

Averbakh's Selected Games

Smyslov's

Yuri A verbakh

Vasily Smyslov

125 Selected Games

Bobby Fischer: His Approach to Chess

Sokolov's Best Games

Elie Agur

Ivan Sokolov

Chess in the Fast Lane

Studies and Games

Bill & Michael Adams

Jan Timman

Fire on Board: Shirov's Best Games

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Alexei Shirov

David Bronstein & Tom Furstenberg

The Genius of Paul Morphy

Taimanov's Best Games

Chris Ward

Mark Taimanov

Half a Century of Chess

T imman's Selected Games

Mikhail Botvinnik

Jan Timman

Tbe Life and Games of Mikhail Tal

Vasily Smyslov: Endgame Virtuoso

Mikhail Tal

Vasily Smyslov

by Alexander Belyavsky

Translated and edited by Ken Neat

CADOGAN chess

For a complete catalogue of CADOGAN CHESS books (which includes the Pergamon Chess and Maxwell Macmillan Chess lists) please write to: Cadogan Books pic, 27-29 Berwick St. London, W I V 3RF Tel: (0171) 287 6555

Fax: (0 l71) 734 1733

LONDON, NEW YORK

Contents

English Translation Copyright «:l 1 998 Ken Neat

First published 1 998 by Cadogan Books pic, 27-29 Berwick St, London W I V 3RF.

Distributed in North America by The Globe Pequot Press, 6 Business Park Rd, P.O. Box 833, Old Saybrook, Connecticut 06475-0833, USA

A l l rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Pu blication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

I SBN I 8 5 744 205 9

Typeset by Ken Neat, Durham

Printed in Great Britain by B PC Wheatons Ltd, Exeter

Introduction

7

Biographical Details

8

Selected Games 1972-1997

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 I3 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

35

Belyavsky-Matulovic, Sombor 1 972 Belyavsky-Marjanovic, World Junior Championship, Teesside 1 973 Christiansen-Belyavsky, World Junior Championship, Teesside 1 973 Tal-Belyavsky, 42nd USSR Championship, Leningrad 1974 Spassky-Belyavsky, USSR Team Championship, Riga 1975 Belyavsky-Bronstein, Zonal Tournament, Vilnius 1 975 Belyavsky-Andersson, Cienfuegos 1976 Belyavsky-Ribli, Leningrad 1 977 Belyavsky-Petrosian, Vilnius 1978 Belyavsky-Romanishin, 46th USSR Championship, Tbilisi 1 978 Belyavsky-Taimanov, USSR Team Championship, Moscow 1 979 Belyavsky-Polugayevsky, USSR Team Championship, Moscow 1 979 Belyavsky-Kasparov, 47th USSR Championship, Minsk 1 979 Tseshkovsky-Belyavsky, USSR Championship First League, Tashkent 1 980 Rashkovsky-Belyavsky, 48th USSR Championship, Vilnius 1 9801 1 Portisch-Belyavsky, Moscow 1 981 Belyavsky-Timman, Tilburg 1 9 8 1 Belyavsky-Larsen, T ilburg 1 981 Belyavsky-Yudasin, 49th USSR Championship, Frunze 1 9 8 1 Gheorghiu-Belyavsky, Interzonal Tournament, Moscow 1 982 Belyavsky-Kasparov, Candidates Match (4th game), Moscow 1 983 Belyavsky-Geller, 50th USSR Championship, Moscow 1 983 Miles-Belyavsky, Wijk aan Zee 1 984 Psakhis-Belyavsky, European Champions Team Cup, Moscow 1 984 Belyavsky-Portisch, Thessaloniki Olympiad 1 984 Ljubojevic-Belyavsky, Thessaloniki Olympiad 1 984 Belyavsky-Dlugy, Interzonal Tournament, Tunis 1 985 Smyslov-Belyavsky, Chigorin Memorial Tournament, Sochi 1 986 Geller-Belyavsky, Chigorin Memorial Tournament, Sochi 1 986 Karpov-Belyavsky, Tilburg 1 986 Belyavsky-Bareev, 54th USSR Championship, Minsk 1 987 Belyavsky-Salov, 54th USSR Championship, Play-off (game 4) Belyavsky-Chandler, Linares 1 988 Belyavsky-Karpov, Brussels (World Cup) 1 988 Seirawan-Belyavsky, Brussels (World Cup) 1988

9 II 14 16 19 22 24 26 29 31 33 36 39 42 44 48 50 52 54 57 60 64 66 68 70 74 76 78 80 83 85 87 90

93

96


6

36 Khalifman-Belyavsky, 55th USSR Championship, Moscow 1988 37 Belyavsky-Petursson, Reykjavik (World Cup) 1988 38

Gulko-Belyavsky, Linares 1989

39 Belyavsky-Hjartarson, Barcelona

97 100

Foreword

102 104

40 Belyavsky-Vaganian, 56th USSR Championship, Odessa 1989

106

41 Smirin-Belyavsky, 56th USSR Championship, Odessa 1989

109

42

Belyavsky-Timman, World Team Championship, Luzern 1989

112

43

Belyavsky-Kasparaov, Linares 1990

115

44

Yusupov-Belyavsky, Munrch 1990

118

45

Dolmatov-Belyavsky, Moscow (GMA) 1990

121

In my youth 1 could sit for long hours at the chess board in complete solitude and feel

46

Nunn-Belyavsky, Amsterdam 1990

123

perfectly happy. I also liked reading. I made the acquaintance of Svetonius and Plutarch

47 Belyavsky- Vyzhmanavin, 57th USSR Championship, Leningrad 1990

'Prepare the horse for battle, but remember - victory comes from the Lord' - King Solomon.

127

fairly early, but they did not provoke in me an interest in Roman civilisation. This

48

Gelfand-Belyavsky, Linares 1991

129

occurred much later, when I had made the acquaintance of Seneca's way of thinking and

49

Belyavsky-Timman, Linares 1991

132

also the style of Sallustius Crispus. Since that time a feeling of joy arises in me on every

50 Belyavsky-Salov, Reggio Emilia 1991/2

135

occasion when, together with Gibbon and Mommsen, I can engross myself in the world

51 Belyavsky-Gelfand, Linares 1992

137

of my heroes. The disposition that arises helps me to retain my optimism, without which success in chess tournaments is improbable for any significant length of time.

52

Lautier-Belyavsky, Biel 1992

139

53

Belyavsky-Ivanchuk, Linares 1993

141

My other passion became sport, thanks to an accidental set of circumstances. After

S4

Belyavsky-Akopian, Novosibirsk 1993

144

finishing school I did not qualify for the University Law Faculty. The neighbouring

55 Romanishin-Belyavsky, Belgrade 1993

146

Sports College offered me a place without my having to pass any exam� since my

56

148

successes in chess had gained me a favourable image in the sports world, and chess was

57 Belyavsky-Shirov, Groningen 1993

152

revered then as a type of sport. True, there was no chess specialisation in the college, and

58 Korchnoi-Belyavsky, Leon 1994

155

girls gathered to watch my helpless attempts at gymnastics and swimming, in order to

59

Belyavsky-Bareev, Munich 1994

158

laugh to their hearts' content. The point was that, before entering the sports college, I had

60

Belyavsky-I.Sokolov, Groningen 1994

Kramnik-Belyavsky, Groningen 1993

159

not paid the slightest attention to physical exercise. I consider it a special favour of the

61 Karpov-Belyavsky, Linares 1995

161

immortal gods, that I went through the Sports rather than the Law Faculty, as practising

62

Belyavsky-Lobron, Dortmund 1995

165

sport has prolonged my chess career.

63

Zviagintsev-Belyavsky, Team Tournament, Yugoslavia 1995

167

Rome and sport, more than other factors, have formulated my attitude to the

64

Rublevsky-Belyavsky, Novosibirsk 1995

170

competitive process. I share the conviction of the Romans, that victory in battle is granted

65

Belyavsky-Azmaiparashvili, Reggio Emilia 1995/6

172

66 Belyavsky-Nikolic, Polanica Zdroj 1996

174

67 Belyavsky-Ehlvest, Yerevan Olympiad 1996

176

68

Belyavsky-Strikovic, Cacak 1996

69 Belyavsky-Khalifman, Ubeda 1997 70

Belyavsky-Illescas Cordoba, Ubeda 1997

180 182 184

71 Belyavsky-Shirov, Belgrade 1997

189

Index of Opponents

191

Index of Openings

192

by the immortal gods and is therefore outside the will of the commander. It is the same in a chess battle. Without at all pretending to resolve the philosophical question regarding the relationship between free will and predetermination, I will risk proposing that the result of a chess game depends considerably less on the efforts of a player, than is customarily thought. Therefore the task of a .chess commander reduces to trying to find the best of the possible moves, without worrying about the result. Fatigue and failure, more than other factors, influence the mood and competitiveness of a player after a game. A bottle of good wine may help to cope with fatigue, but, in order not to become dispirited by the result, you should seek inspiration from the thoughts of Seneca: 'In this life, stormy like a sea, there is one refuge: disdain future vicissitudes, stand dependably and openly, staunchly meet the blows of fortune, do not hide and do not flinch' .

Selected Games 1972-1997 At the tournament in Sombor (Yugoslavia) my youthfu l vanity was satisfied when I managed to take first place: only with great unwillingness had the organisers included me among the participants. This was my first appearance abroad in a tournament without an age restriction . Game l Belyavsky-Matulovic Sombor 1 972

Sicilian Defence B48

e4 c5 tOc6 tOo 2 exd� d4 3 W e7 tOxd� 4 tOf6 5 � e3 tOc.3 e6 6 7 f4 White exploits the fact that the black queen is at c7, so that he does not have to fear the pin on his knight that occurs in the game.

7

.i.b4?!

The opening books of that time recom mended 7 ... tOxd4 8 'i'xd4 (after 8 .i.xd4 B lack can take the pawn 8 . . .'i'xf4 9 e5 -

tOdS! 1 0 tOxdS exdS I I .i.e2 d6 or 9 g3 'i'c7 10 e5 tOd5 with a reasonable game) 8 ...tOg4 9 tOb5 'ilfc6, intending 1 0 tOxa7 11xa7 ! Two decades later B lack automatically tends to protect his queen by 7 ... a6, but here too 8 eS is rather unpleasant. For example, in the game Dysing-Carlsson (Stockholm 1 995) after 8 . . . tOd5 9 tOxd5 exd5 10 tOfS d6 1 1 tOxd6+ �xd6 12 exd6 'ilfxd6 13 Wd2 0-{) 1 4 G-O-Q Black again ran into difficulties. Of course, the simple 7 ... d6 is also possible. 'ilfa5 S tOdb5 9 e5! White fixes the weak d6 square and at the same time gains an obvious spatial advantage. a6 9 This leads to the exchange of B lack's b ishop. The alternative was 9 ... tOd5, when I was intending 1 0 .i.d2 tOxc3 1 1 bxc3!? (or 11 �xc3 0-{) 1 2 'ilfd2) 1 1...�e7 1 2 �d3 with advantage. 9 . . . tOe4 can be met by 1 0 Wd3 fS 1 1 exf6 tOxf6 1 2 �e2 0-{) 1 3 0-{) d5 1 4 a3 �e7 I 5 �f3 �h8 1 6 b4, again with advantage to White (Shmuter Saltaev, Volgograd 1 994). 10 tOd6+ 1 0 exf6 axb5 1 1 fxg7 11g8 1 2 �f2 �xc3 1 3 bxc3 Wxc3 1 4 .i.xbS also came into consideration. .i.xd6 10 ttJe4 11 'i'xd6 12 'i'd3 The tempting 1 2 b4 loses to 1 2 .. . Wa3 ! 12 tOxc.3 bxc.3 13 bS 'i'c7 14 .i.e2 1 4.. . 0-0 1 5 .i.e 5 is unpleasant for B lack.

10


15 16

0-{)

�b7

d4

COg6 COh8 COn �c6

earlier. After examining my games, the 6th World Champion subjected them to such scathing criticism, that when [ went out onto the street [ was so mortified that I burst out crying. After that we used to

Here the game was adjourned, but Black resigned without resuming, as there

meet from time to time, and he became more condescending towards my play. In

is no defence against �f3 and c3-c4. After 43 ... �a4 White wins by the outflanking manoeuvre 44 Jta6! Jtc6 45 Jtc8+ �d7 46

contrast to the wonderful books of pre

.Qb7.

vious World Champions, in my opinion the three-volume set of Botvinnik's games is the first systemised work capable of giving a player a grandmaster understanding of

At that time the World Junior Champion

the game. Botvinnik's commentaries are so

lld6 the win for White is merely a question

ship was held in a single age group of up to 20 years old, and once c'very two years. [n

instructive, that for anyone wishing to become a grandmaster, [ would recom

of time.

contrast to the World men's Champion

mend that in the first place they should

ship, which (before 1972) was regularly

study his works.

was a tougher defence, although after 32

16

39 40

A mistake. 22 . . . �c6 was essential, to prevent White's next move.

a4

II


30

llal

30 .Jtd6 was also good.

30 31 32 33

Uxa8 �f2

34

'It>e3

35 36 37 38

g3 .2.e2 h3 gxf4

.2.b6

�b7 :a8 .Qxa8 �b7 '.t>e6 h6 g5 gxf4+

�xc5 �xcS f5 The incautious 2 1 . ..COxc3? would have lost material after 22 �f3. 22 �d4 20 21

decided in matches between Soviet grand masters. in the barrie for the junior title

defence of the kingside pawns.

38

COe7

Teesside 1973

Sicilian Defence B9b

title. [n 1973 [ was to become the third Soviet winner.

Since the Junior Championship was being

The visit to England was preceded by a qualification tournament in Riga, where I

held in England, the local press was hoping that Tony Miles and Michael Stean would

shared first place with Sergey :-Vlakarychev

offer me worthy competition. [nitially the

and gained the right to represent the USSR in Teesside. As preparation for this

prognoses

tournament, the USSR Chess Federation

(6� out of 7), in the final tournament I lost

arranged for grandmasters. Boleslavsky and

to both the English players. However, the optimism of youth subsequently enabled

opening stage of the game, much more than participating in actual play. His

For this he needs to divert the knight to the

World Junior Championship

and Anatoly Karpov in 1969 had won this

Isaac Boleslavsky loved analysing the

position involves playing his king to d4.

Belyavsky-Marjanovic

participation, only Boris Spassky in 1955

Botvinnik to give me personal lessons. This was of undoubted benefit.

The further strengthening of White's

Game2

Soviet players traditionally found it difficult. [n the tv{enty years preceding my

were

confirmed:

after

a

confident victory in the qualification stage

me to win four games in a row, and by the last round I had caught the leader Siavoljub Marjanovic, who I still had to play.

Unfortunately,

today

I

cannot

remember which of the organisers sugges

analyses were noted for their high quality, and books on opening theory contained

ted that we should agree a draw in our

numerous original ideas of his, disputing practical conclusions. From my contact

off with Miles. But already then the

with Boleslavsky [ derived methods of working on the openings.

maximalist aspiration in me prevailed: I decided to play for a win. And although

My first meeting with Botvinnik had taken place in his flat in Moscow two years

this game

game, in order to stage a three-way play

does

not

rank

among

my

creative achievements, I must nevertheless

12


offer it to the judgement of the reader, as the one that made me Junior World Champion. e4 1 e5 2 ttJf3 d6 d4 exd4 3 4 ttJxd 4 ttJf6 5 ttJc3 a6 a4 6 Not the best move, but a perfectly possible one. Fischer used to prefer 6 �c4 here, and 6 �g5 is even more popular. 6 'fIe7 6...g6 would have transposed into the Dragon Variation, where White is denied the option of the plan with queenside castling. At the time I thought that the presence of the pawn at a4 (in reply to ... a7-a6) also favoured White after king side castling, since he has the possibility by a4-a5 of taking control of the weakened b6 square. on which one of his pieces may be established. 7 ttJb3 ttJbd7 �e2 g6 8 � g7 9 �

White has not obtained anything special from the opening, but on the other hand Maljanovic, on encountering some un accustomed problems, had already used an hour and a half on his clock.

10

i.e3

()....()

11 ttJd2 lOe5 12 ttJd5 If 12 h3 I was afraid of 12 ... �e6. ttJxd5 12 �fS exd5 13 l::cl h5 14 1::ae8 h3 15 f4 16 ttJd7 16 ...�xc2 did not work because of 17 �e l and then 18 �dI. 17 e3 lOc5 17 ...ttJf6 was better, in passing setting a trap (18 ttJc4? ttJxd5! 19 'iWxd5 �e6). 'iWd7 18 ttJf3 19 1:: a1 ttJe4 ttJf6 20 �h2 e6 c4 21 dxe6 'iWxe6 22 flfe8 lla3 23 There was no need for Black to allow the exchange of his bishop for the white knight. 23...'iWe7 24 ttJd4 �e4 would have been better. 'iWd7 ttJd4 24 'iWxfS 25 ttJxfS �d3 'iWe6 26 l!Jd7 27 llf3

28 b4 In the opponent's serious time trouble it was tempting to attack with 28 f5 'iWe5+ 29 i.f4, but Black is not bound to capture the pawn with 29...'iWxb2. He can retreat


29...'iWf6, when the situation becomes more comp I icated. 28 fS 28...a5!?, breaking up the white pawn chain and obtaining the c5 square for the knight, was more promising, e.g. 29 bxa5 ttJc5 30 f5 (or 30 �fI �b2 31 lla2 'iWf6 with counterplay) 30...'iWe5+ 31 �f4 'iWd4 32 fxg6 fxg6 33 'iWc2 flfB, and Black has good compensation for the pawn. 29 as �h7 �f1 30 ttJf6 31 �d4 ttJe4 32 �xg7 If 32 nfe3 White has to reckon with 32 ... �h6. 32 �xg7 33 'iWf6 'iWd4+ 34 llad3 'iWxd4 34... l1e6, inviting White himself to exchange queens, would have saved at least one tempo. 35 llxd4 �f6 And here 35...11e6 36 lle3 .:tce8 37 �e2 h4 38 �f3 �f6 would have main tained equality. �d3 36 lle6 fle3 37

ttJc3 37 This allows White a tactical opportunity to gain a winning material advantage. However, other moves were no better:

13

(a) 37...ttJc5 38 llxe6+ ttJxe6 39 flxd6 �e7 40 llb6 and wins; (b) 37...ttJf2 38 flxe6+ �xe6 39 �bl with a clear advantage; (c) 37...11ce8 38 �xe4 fxe4 (or 38...h4 39 �xb7 llxe3 40 �xa6 with good winning chances) 39 g4 h4 40 �g2 with the plan of�f2-e2, llc3, �e3 and c4-c5; (d) 37 ...g5 38 fxg5+ (but not 38 �xe4 gxf4 39 fle I flxe4 40 lldxe4 fxe4 41 llxe4 �f5 42 fld4 �e5 43 lld5+ �e6, when the best that White can do is to repeat moves) 38 ... ttJxg5 39 l1xe6+ �xe6 40 llh4 !1h8 41 �e2�e5 42 llxh5 llxh5 43 �x.h5 �d4 44 h4 ttJe6 45 �f7 ttJf4 46 <j;>g3 and White must win this ending. llxe6+ 38 Missing 38 �xf5! gxf5 39 .:lxc3. e.g. 39 . .. h4 40 �g l llce8 41 :'c2 llg8 42 .llcd2 �e7 43 l1d5 when White's extra pawn in the rook ending must count. �xe6 38 White still has a better ending, but it is not easy to approach Black's weaknesses. ttJe4 �f1 39 lle7 40 �e2 l!Jf6 41 �f3 lld7 42 �g3 �f7 43 �b4 44 �g5 � g7 45 g4 I did not see any other solution to the position. Against 45 lldI, attempting to penetrate with the rook to e6, Black would have replied 45... ttJe4+ 46 �xe4 fxe4 47 :el d5! 45 bxg4 46 bxg4 fxg4 47 �xg4 ll c 7? After prolonged thought Marjanovic wrongly avoids going into the rook ending. After 47...ttJxg4 48 �xg4 �f6 49 lld5 �e6 (49 c5 was threatened) 50 �g5 llg7 51 lld I llg8 52 lld4 llg7 53 �h6 llg8 54 �h7 :c8 55 �xg6 llg8+ Black, despite

14


being a pawn down, has chances of a draw. With the minor pieces still on the board, White's possibilities are increased. �f3 48 lld7


Game 3 Christiansen-Belyavsky World Junior Championship Teesside 1973

English Opening A40

c4 2 3 4

49 fS! Now White breaks through to the e6 square. 49 tOb7+ 50 f4 tOf6? 50 ...g5+ should have been played. gxfS 51 lId1 ebn 52 �xfS ':'c7 llel! 53 54 lIe6 tOg8 ebg7 55 �b5+ lIxc4 llxd6 56 57 lId7+ ebh8 After 57...ebh6 58 �g6 there is no good defence against the mate. lIxb7 58 !:rd4 59 �e2 lId6 60 �e5 lIh6 lIb6 61 lIh4 � xa6 62 tOe7 �b7 63 Black resigns The play in the above game was dominated by strictly competitive aims, but in the creative sense my win over a currently well known American grandmaster makes a better impression.

ttJf3 d4 e4

c5 g6 �g7 'i'a5+

Oleg Romanishin once played this against me in a training game. One of the present-day supporters of this variation is grandmaster D.Sennek. 5 �d2 S tOe3 d6 is more natural, when White has two fundamentally different plans: (a) 6 h3 tUc6 7 d5 tUd4 8 �d2 tOxf3+ 9 �xf3 tOf6 10 �e2 0-{) 1 1 �d3 a6 12 O-Q with somewhat the better game for White (Tukmakov-Sermek, Bled 1995); (b) 6 �e2 �g4 7 dxc5 dxc5 8 O-Q tUc6 9 e5! with sharp play (Mikhalchishin. Sermek, Bled 1995).

5 'i'b6 6 tUc3 Modem pragmatists would prefer 6 �c3, not avoiding an endgame: 6 ... cxd4 (6...tUc6 7 d5 �xc3+ 8lOxc3 'i'xb2 9 tUbS can hardly appeal to Black) 7 .i.xd4 .i.xd4 8 'i'xd4 'i'xd4 9 tUxd4 d6 10 tUc3 iOd7 1I tUdb5 �d8 12 �e2, where White's

chances are better (Gulko-Pinski, Geneva 1997). But during his golden youth Larry Christiansen preferred to attack. 6 cxd4 7 tUd5 �d 8

�f4 8 d6 9 ttJxd4 e5 9 .. . e6 10 tUbS! exd5 11 �xd6 xfl were learned of only 1 2 years later at the match between Karpov and Kasparov in Seville. However, in preferring a quieter alternative, Spassky was possibly guided not only by creative considerations, but also by his responsibilities as leader in a team event (he was playing on top board for Leningrad). 13 �d7 a6 lXbl 14 �xb7 lXa7 15 Weaker is I S ...ttJxb7 16 lXxb7 .i.b5 1 7 :te l ! 'i'a5 1 8 a4 .i.xa4 1 9 'i'a l ttab8? (better 19 ... :tac8) 20 lXebI with advantage to White (Dolmatov-Malisauskas, USSR 1 985). �b5 �d5 16

Easier equality is promised by Gennady Kuzmin's improvement 1 6 . . . e6 1 7 �b3 ttJxb3 (after 1 7 ...�b5?! 1 8 e5 Black has no compensation for the pawn) 1 8 axb3 �b5, for example: 19 e5 ttd7 20 'i'el f6 2 1 exf6 .1Lxf6 22 ttf2 e5 with equal chances (Dolmatov-Kuzmin, USSR 1 9 85). a4 17 Nothing is achieved by 1 7 .1Lg5 1Iid7 ( 1 7 ... h6 18 �h4 g5?! 1 9 �f2 is risky for Black, as his king is exposed, and after exchanges White gains the advantage by advancing his e-pawn) 18 ..t>h I e6 19 .1Lb3 �xb3 20 axb3 �xe2 2 1 ihe2 �xd4 22 nfd I e5 and Black equalises. 17 �xe2 18 'i'xe2 e6

�xe6?! 19 Fighting for the initiative, Spassky goes . in for an apparently promising piece sac rifice. Modem theory prefers 1 9 �c4, when Black's best is 19.. . �xd4, although considerable accuracy is required for hir:n to equalise. For example, the game I.Farago-W.Schmidt (Prague Zonal Tourn ament 1 985) continued 20 ttfd 1 �xe3+ 2 1 'i'xe3 ttd7 22 �e2 ttxd I + 2 3 lXxd 1 "c8 (less accurate is 23.....c7 24 �xa6 "c2 2 5 "d4! e 5 2 6 " a l ttb8 27 .i.fl when White stands better, Yusupov-Korchnoi, Luzem 1 985) 24 e5 "c2 25 ttd4 ttb8 26 h4 'Wbl + 27 Wf2111c 6 with chances for both sides.

19 20 21 22

d5 �b6 lXfc l

fxe6 tta8 'i'd6

22 :tab8! This possibility was overlooked by Spassky. B lack exploits the weakness of the gl-a7 diagonal. It transpires that White cannot play 23 'i'xa6? because of 23.. . .i.d4+, while 23 .i.xa5 is not good in view of 23.. .ttxb I 24 :txb I 'i'c5+ and 25 ... 'i'xa5. 23 'i'f2 Of course, not 23 'i'e3 in view of 23 . . .�h6! 24 'i'xh6 :xb6, when the simplification is clearly in Black's favour. 23 ttxb6 24 'i'aJ ttxb6

2S

lXcbl?

21

This move costs White the game. 25 ttbb 1 was essential, removing the rook from the dangerous diagonal, after which the outcome would have been far from clear. "d3! 25 Now, in view of the weakness of the g l-a7 diagonal, it is not possible for White to exploit the undefended knight at as . �c3 26 tt6b4 'i'b6 27 If 27 'i'fl there would have followed 27 . . . 'i'e3+ 28 �h 1 .i.xb4 29 ttxb4lXc8. 27 .1Lxb4 28 ttxb4 ttJc4 'ili'xe6+ 29 �h8 h4 30 White has three pawns for a knight, but this material balance is favourable only in the endgame, and for the moment his king is in danger. If 30 'i'e7?? he is mated after 30 . . . 'i'e3+. 30 31 �h2 �h3 32

33 g3 The only way to defend against Black's threat to set up a m ating net by 33 . . . lllfl or 3 3 . ..111d l was with 33 ttbl , but then 3 3 . . . lllxg2!, and, after the forced elimination of the f3 and h4 pawns, Black drives the king into the comer and sets u p

22


a fresh mating construction: 34 �xg2 'i'xD+ 35 �h2 'i'f2+ 36 �h l 'i'xh4+ 3 7 �gl 'i' g5 + ! (K.Neat; not 3 7 ... 'i'g3+ 3 8 � h I l:tf2 3 9 'iWc8+ <j;g7 4 0 l:tb7+ �h6 41 'i'c1+ 1.'I.f4 42 l:tb2 with counterplay) 3 8 �h I l:tf4 39 'i'c8+ <j;g7 40 'i'c3+ <j;h6 4 1 l:tb2 l:tf 1 + 4 2 <j;h2 'i'g I + 43 �h3 l:t e I and w i ns. 'i'xD 33 'i'e5+ <j;g8 34 nn 'i'e6+ 35 1.'I.b8+ <j;g7 36 'i'e 5 + 'i'f6 37 <j;xf6 'i'xf6+ 38 l:!. b 3 39 39 l:b6+ <j;e5 40 1.'I.xa6 <j;xe4 is equa l l y hopeless. 39 40 41 42 43

44 45 46 47 48 49

1.'1.c3 hS 1.'I.c6+ hxg6 llxa6 as <j;h2 l:!.a8 a6 a7

CUc4 CUd6 CUxe4 <j;g 5 hxg6 1.'I.D 1.'I.xg3+ lld3 l:tx d 5 l:ta5

51 52 53 54

�n �fS �e6 <j;gl 'Ot>g2 <j;n <j;g 1 CUe8 White resigns

David Bronstein once suggested that you cannot beat an equal opponent unl ess you grant him counter-chances. In our game from the Zonal Tournament i n Vilnius I made use of his recommendation. Of course, there is much to be learned from a player who was the first to challenge Botv innik for the title of World Champion. Bronstein's book with the annotated games of the 1953 Candidates Tournament can be recommended to anyone aiming to im prove their play. Of course, a quarter of a century later, the strength of his play was not as great as in his match with Botvinn ik.

success in the present game, 8 �d3 �b7 9 a3 ltJc5 1 0 'i'D followed by g2-g4-g5 looks more natural. 8 bxa4 8 . . . b4? loses a pawn to 9 CUc6. 9 l:txa4 e6 10 'i'al Here is that opportunity. W ith this non routine manoeuvre I was hoping to exploit the weakness of the a6 pawn, but it also a llows B l ack a chance to activate his forces, which my experienced opponent is not slow to exp l o i t . 10 ttJb3! was better, maintaining pressure on the queens ide weaknesses. 10 11

ltJe5 CUe6 'i'b6! I n the event of 1 1 ... 'i'c7 12 � xc 5 'i'xc6 (12 ... dxc5 IJ ltJe5 ) \3 �eJ White has an obvious advantage on the queenside. 12 CUa5

Game 6 Belyavsky-Bronstein Vilnius Zonal Tournament 1975

Sicilian Defence B90

e4 c5 1 d6 CUD 2 cxd4 d4 3 ltJf6 CUxd4 4 a6 5 CUc3 CUbd7 �e3 6 Against the Engl ish Attack (character ised by the development of the bishop at e3), with which John Nunn and Nigel Short have gained numerous w i ns, the line usually preferred nowadays is 6 ... ltJg4 7 �g5 h6 8 �h4 g5 9 �g3 �g7, the prescription of Kasparov, who before settling on it encountered many problems after 6 . e5 and 6 ... e6. 7 b5 (4 8 a4! ? Although an unusual idea with system atic play on the queenside brought me ..

ltJf6 ! 49 The knight heads back t o win White's remaining pawn. lla3 50 �g2


12 �d7? After successfu l ly parrying the knight raid, Bronstein relaxes his gu ard and makes a move that takes away a defender from the a6 pawn, after which White's idea with the 'i'al manoeuvre achieves its aim. Given correct play, Black's hopes of exploiting the activity of the bishop pair prove i llusory, and therefore he should have reverted to prophylaxis, moving his queen out of the pin with 1 2 . . . 'i'c7.

23

'i'e7 13 ltJe4 'i'xe5 14 �xc5 lle8 l:txa6 15 d5 16 'i'a5 After the exchange of White's dark square bishop, a weakness of his dark square complex has become apparent, and it is logical that B l ack should aim to open the position, wh ile completing his develop ment - in this case he has more chance of exploiting the strength of his bishop pair. The attempt to resolve the situation with the sacrifice of a second pawn, 1 6 . . .'i'xa5 1 7 1.'I.xa5 ! (1 7 ttJxa5 d5) 1 7 ... d5 18 exd5 (1 8 CUb6 �b4 ! ) 1 8...�b4 19 dxe6 �xe6 20 :ta4 CUd5, would have been met by the tactical counter 21 1.'I.xb4! CUxb4 22 CUd6+, when White gains the advantage. �xc5 17 'i'xc5 18 exd5 exd5 I f 18 . .CUxd5 19 ttJxd5 exd5 20 CUe5 �f5 21 �b5+ with a dangerous i n itiative. 19 CUb6?! A careless move, which allows Black almost to free himself. Of course 19 CUeS! was stronger. �xb6 19 20 d4 l:txb6 21 ltJb5 .

21 ltJd5? I n aiming for counterpl ay, Black underestimates the threatened fork. After

24

2 1 ... 0-0! 22 !Dxd4 llfe8+ 23 �f2 (23 .li.e2 .li.g4) 23 . . .lle4 24 c3 .l:Ixf4+ 25 !DD g 5 his pieces would have been very active. llb7! 22

3 4 5 6

The threat is stronger than its execu tion ! I f 22 !Dd6+? e7 24 llxh8 .li. xb S ! But by playing 23 !Dxd4! llc8 24 g3 ! White maintains his advantage. �d8 23 !Dd6+

7 8 9

2�

!Dxc 8

�x c8

25 26

.li.a6 �d 2 lln

lle8+ ll e4 rs

1:b7+ .li. b7

�d8 !Dxg 2

27 28 29 30 31

10

d4 !Dxd4 !Dc3

.li.e2 f4 0-0

.li.e3 �el

cxd4 !Df6 e6 .li.e7

16 rs Lengthening the 'operational' diagonal for the bishop.

0-0

A fter 16 ... e5 White would have estab l ished permanent control of d5: 1 7 !Dxc6 .li.xc6 1 8 .li.d5 .

16

!Dc6 a6 !D d 7 ! ?

U l f Andersson has the reputation of being one of the leading experts on the Scheveningen Variation, and the latent resources of the position are well known to him. Thus here he chooses a new and cun ning plan for Black. The usual continua tion is 10 ... �c7 or 1 0 . . . !Dxd4 II .li.xd4 b S . 11 J:t d l lle8

.li.xe4 fxe4 1117 Black resigns

17

fxe6

18

!Drs

S lumps in my playing strength have dogged me throughout my chess career. The first such period came in 1 97617. However, even then there were exceptions, affording creating satisfaction, including the following games against opponents who were hard to beat. At that time winning against U l f Andersson was n o less difficult that i t i s

the d6 pawn - 19 .ltc5. In this respect 1 8 ... b4 1 9 axb4 :txb4 20 !Dxd6 .li.xd6 2 1 :txd6 was no better. I f 1 8 ... 'i'c7 White would have attacked with 19 'itg3 g6 ( 1 9 ... !!Jfg6 20 h4) 20 .li.d4, threatening !Dh6+. 19 tOxd6 llrs

now, but 20 years ago h e w as younger and concerned with matrimonial matters, which made things easier for me. Game 7 Cienfuegos 1976

Sicilian Defence B 8 5

e4 !Do

12 13 Ensuring attacker.

Belyavsky-Andersson

1 2

White makes use of the opportun ity offered to switch his bishop to an attacking diagonal ( 1 2 ...tDa5? is not possible be- . cause of 13 .li.xe6 !), after which the f4-fS advance becomes imminent.

c5 d6

13 14 15

!Drs v! the

safety

o f the

main

.li.d7 'i' a

.li.al

b5

llbS

I f 1 5 ... !Da5 1 6 f5 .li.f6, with the idea of blocking the diagonal by . . tDc4, White has the unpleasant 1 7 fxe6 fxe6 1 8 !D fS ! .

20 21 22 23

l:re8 'it a

'i'd2

llxn !Drs !DdS!

!D fe 7 ! 26 This knight too is immune. If 26 . . . .li.xe7 27 !Dxe7 :txe7 White mates by 28 �f8+, while if 26 . . . !Dxe7 there fol lows 27 �xf8+! J:txf8 (or 27 . . . !Dg8 28 �f4 with a strong attack) 28 llxf8+ !Dg8 29 !De7 with an easy win. 26 'i'd6 27 !Dxg6+ !Dxg6

28

!Df6!

Now the second knigh t joins the attack, although later I did not exploit it in the best way.

28 l:rd8 I f 28 . . . gxf6 White mates by 29 �xf6+ �g8 30 'i'17.

llxn + 'i'c7

.li.rs

This purely Sicilian pseudo-sacrifice is not so difficult to find. After all, Black cannot take the knight because of mate by 24 'i'xd5+ and 2 5 'itg8.

23 24

�h8

fxe6

!Drg6

18

.ltc4!

24 25

!De5

Black prefers to give up a pawn immediately, if only to get rid of the pieces hanging over his position, since i f 1 8 . . . .li.c8 White would have switched his attack to

12

25



'i'c6 .li.d4

Now 25 .li.xe5 is threatened.

29

tDxd7?!

26


These events took place in time troubl e and t h e exchange of White's knight leaves him without an attack, although he does not lose his advantage. Correct was 29 e 5 ! "iie 7 (29 . . . tt:ixe5 is not possible because o f 3 0 'i' h 4 h 6 3 1 tt:ixd7 lDxd7 3 2 �xh6+, while if 29 . . . 'i'c6 White continues his attack with 3 0 h4) 3 0 tt:ie4 �c6 3 1 tt:id6 �g8 32 h4, and after 3 2 . . . tt:ix.h4 it a l l ends in a mating attack: 33 'i'xh4! �x.h4 34 .lhe6+ Wh8 3 5 tt:if7+ Wg8 36 tt:ixd8+ W h 8 3 7 llxfS mate. 29 �xd7 c3 30 �e7 31 'W g3 ? Here too 3 1 e5 ':f8 32 'i'e3 ':xfl + 3 3 Wxfl was best, retain ing a n advan tage thanks to the weakness of the e6 pawn. 31 eS �e3 32 Here Black lost on time, although White has squandered the greater part o f h i s advantage. Game 8 Belyavsky-Ri bli Leningrad 1977

Sicilian Defence 8 84

2 3 -'

e4 tt:if3 d4

tt:ixd4

cS

d6 c xd 4 tt:if6

tt:ic3 a6 .i.e2 e6 f4 7 .i.e7 0-{) 8 � �hl 9 A ft er 9 .i. e 3 Black can develop h i s second knight not a t c6 b u t a t d7, with the idea o f attacking the e4 pawn. 'i'c7 9 10 'i' e l After the matches between Karpov and Kasparov, 1 0 a4, with which White 5

6

restricts the opponent's flank play, became more popular. bS 10 1 0 . . . tt:ic6 leads to a standard type o f position, but the move played i s clearly more active. .i.b7 11 .i.f3 12 eS

12 dxeS A few years later the correct method of play in this position was suggested by Yegeny Errnenkov - 1 2 . . . tt:ie8. Now after 13 .i.xb7 'i'xb7 14 f5 dxe5 1 5 "iix e5 .i. f6 1 6 "ii e 3 ltJc6 1 7 ltJxc6 'i'xc6 1 8 fxe6 fxe6 1 9 ltJe4 'i'xc2 the position simplifies to Black's advantage (Nevednichy-Mikhal ch ishin, Moscow 1 983). 13 f5 dxe5 1 4 fxe6 looks more vigor ous, but here 1 4 . . . .i.xfJ is possible, and now after 1 5 -tJxO fxe6 1 6 .i.g5 llxfJ 1 7 :txfJ .i.xgS White does not have sufficient compensation for the material. The alternative is 1 5 exfl+ nxfl 1 6 ltJxo tt:id7 1 7 .i.g5 .i.xg5 (weaker is 17 .. . .i.fS 18 ':d 1 tt:id6 1 9 ltJe4 "c6 20 ltJxd6 .i.xd6 2 1 'i'd2 when White stands better, Zude-Morawietz, Germany 1 996) 18 'i'e4 ':c8 19 ltJxg5 :txf! + 20 l:txf1 ltJef6, and now: (a) 21 ltJd5 'i'c4 (not 2 l .. .llJxe4? 22

tt:ie7+ �h8 23 tt:ifl mate, but 2 1 . .. 'ifd6 is

possible, e.g. 22 llxf6 ltJxf6 23 ltJxf6+


'i'xf6 24 'i'd5+ �h8 25 lDf7+ �g8 26 ltJgS+ 'it>h8 and both sides must repeat moves) 22 llxf6 lDxf6 23 ltJxf6+ gxf6 24 �xh7+ �f8 25 'iii h 8+ �e7 26 "iig 7+ �e8 27 "ii xf6 � f4 28 �e6+ �d8 with a draw by perpetual check, S ibarevic-Ftacnik, Banja Luka 1 983); (b) 21 'i'f5 �c6 22 lld I h6, and a draw was agreed in Belyavsky-Ribli (Tilburg 1 984) . 13 fxeS lOrd7

14 'i'g3 F irst exchanging bishops is weaker: 1 4 .i.xb7 "ii x b7 1 5 "iig 3 �h8! (after 1 5 . . . "iic 7? ! 1 6 .i. f4 � h 8 1 7 tt:ie4 lDc6 1 8 lD o tt:ib4 1 9 tt:if6 White has a strong attack, Klovans-Pribyl, Hungary 1 979) 1 6 .i. f4 b4 1 7 ltJce2 tt:ic6 1 8 no nac8 1 9 :d 1 tt:ic5 and B lack has the more promising game (Chiburdanidze-Gufeld, Nikolaev 1 9 8 1 ). 14 .i. f4 ltJc6 is also played. Now after 1 5 ltJxc6 .i.xc6 1 6 'i'g3 �h8 1 7 tt:ie4 'i'b7! Black has a reasonable game (Rogovskoy Sulipa, Ukraine 1 992). Sulipa gives the following possible variation: 1 8 nae 1 ltJc5 1 9 ltJxc5 .i.xc5 20 .i.g5 .i.xfl 2 1 nxo .i.e7! 22 :tef! .i.xg5 etc. However, 1 5 �xc6 .i.xc6 1 6 'i'g3 �h8 1 7 ::tae 1 .i.b 7 1 8 .i.g5 .i.xg5 1 9 'i'xg5 h 6 20 'i'h5 ltJc5 2 1 :te3 looks stronger, when White has the

initiative (Illescas Cordoba-Kir.Georgiev, Linares 1 9 88).

27

�h8 14 The exchange 1 4 ... .i.xO I S lDxfJ �h8 16 .i.g5 merely assists White's attack. 15 .i. f4 tt:ib6? It only remains for White to include h i s knight in the attack with ltJe4, and B lack's last move does not prevent this, as, however, is also the case with 1 5 . . . lOcs 1 6 b4 lDcd7 1 7 lDe4. Therefore better is I S . . . ltJc6 1 6 ltJxc6 .i.xc6 1 7 ltJe4 llac8 1 8 c3 "ii b 7 with a double-edged game (Kudrin-Sax, Hastings 1 983/4). tt:i8d7 16 tt:ie4

17 .i. gS ! This is stronger than the obvious 1 7 tt:if6, when Black can defend by 1 7 . . . .i.xf3 18 ':xfJ "iic 4. But now, after the exchange of dark-square bishops, White creates unpleasant threats on the kingside. .i.xg5 17 Interposing 1 7 ... .i.xe4? 1 8 .i.xe4 .i.xg5 leads after 1 9 .i.xa8 'i'xeS 20 'i'xe5 tt:ixe5 21 ltJxe6 to the loss of the exchange without any compensation. .i.xf3 18 ltJxg5 � g8 19 nxf3 1 9 ... 'i'xeS 20 'i'h4 h6 2 1 lLlxf7+ and 19 . . . tt:ixeS 20 ltJdxe6 fxe6 2 1 lhfS+ U.xfS 22 tt:ixe6 'i'e7 23 ltJxfS are bad for B lack.

20 'i'h3 White misses an opportunity to conclude the game with an immediate

28


sacrificial attack: 20 lUxh7!, and if 20 . . .'�xh7 2 l lUfS ! exfS (or 2 I . . .'itxeS 22 'ii'h 4+ \Pg8 23 lUe7 mate) 22 'ith4+ �g8 23 llh3 f6 24 e6!, blocking the king' s escape, after which mate is unavoidable. 20 h6

21 lUxf7 ! The approach to e 6 l ies v i a f7. 'itc 4 21 I f 2 1 ...!:xf7 22 llxf7 'itxeS 23 lUc6 'itd6 (or :!3 .. .'i'xb2 24 'itxe6 'itxa l + 25 llfI +) 24 'i'f] lUf6 25 ::tb7 with dangerous threats. 22 WhS! An important follow-up. The knight is defended, and there is no defence against the threatened knight sacrifice at h6. 22 lUxeS

23

lUxh6+

gxb6

lUd7 Wxe5 . 24 25 We4?! Of course after 25 'i'xe6+ Black would be unable to save the endgame two pawns down, but it is more logical to continue the attack. However, a simpler way of doing this was 25 llg3+ �f7 26 llg7+ \Pe8 27 'i'xe6+ 'i'xe6 28 lUxe6, with further gain of material. 25 �h8 With the faint hope of 26 nafI?? 'i'xfI +! 26 'i'h4 ll x f3 'it x h6+ 27 �g8 28 lU x f3 'uf8 Wg6+ 29 �b8 30 ll e l l::t f6 'i'e8+ 31 lUf8 32 c3 'i'xa2 33 We7 l::t fS lUeS 34 �g8 lU g4 35 Black resigns 1 978 began dizzily. I was fortunate enough to win all \ 3 games at a tournament in A licante (Spain). The sound of the surf helped me to sleep, and for a time I believed that this was the reason for such an outstanding result. Subsequently I d iscovered that the sound of the sea helps m e to sleep, but not to win. The last example of this was my result at Portoroz in July 1 997. I made the close acquaintance of the 9th World Champion Tigran Petrosian in 1 9 8 1 , when h e invited me to work together for ten days at his home not far from Moscow. Before this meeting I thought that skill in manoeuvring the pieces was the distin guishing feature of his chess style. There fore an unexpected d iscovery for me was Petros ian 's brilliant combinational vision, which he demonstrated in training games and in subsequent analysis. Tigran


calculated variations very quickly and therefore he was a good lightning player. B ut he did not l ike bluff and he would avoid variations where for him the evaluation was not completely clear. This was perhaps his only chess defect, for I think that in competitions between people (but not computers) the words of Napoleon are applicable: ' We must engage in battle, and then let us see' . Game 9 Belyavsky-Petrosian Vilnius 1978

Queen 's Indian Defence E 1 9 d4

2

c4

3

lUf3 g3 �g2

4 5 6 7 8 9

tO f6 e6 b6 � b7 �e 7

�

�

lUc3

4Je4 lUxc3

'itc2

'i'x c3

�e4 9 At that time the occupation of e4 in this well known position was considered perfectly sound, but with the development of the variation, 9 . . . f5 and 9 . . . c5 began to be considered more prom lsmg. For example, Belyavsky-Adams (Belgrade

29

1 995) continued 9 ... c5 1 0 b3 (here 1 0 lld l is more usual) 1 0 ... � f6 (or 1 0 ... cxd4 I I lUxd4 �xg2 12 �xg2 � f6 1 3 �b2 d5 1 4 llfd ! ! dxc4 I S 'i'xc4 'i'c8 1 6 llac l 'i'xc4 1 7 l::txc4 and White's chances are better, Belyavsky-Portisch, Reggio Em ilia 1 987) I 1 �b2 cxd4 1 2 lUxd4 �xg2 13 �xg2 lUc6 1 4 We3 'itc8 1 5 ::tfd I l::td 8 with a double-edged game. 10 � f4 Later in the game Mikhalchishin Makarychev (Daugavpils ( 978) White managed to gain an advantage by 10 lld I fS I I tOe I �xg2 1 2 lUxg2 �f6 1 3 'i'c2 'i'e8 1 4 b3 cS 1 5 e3. 10 �f6 The 10th game of the Petros ian Korchnoi Match (C iocco ( 997) went 10 ... lUc6 I I J::t fdI dS 1 2 lUeS lUxeS 1 3 �xeS �xg2 1 4 �xg2 c6 I S llac I Y2-Y2. II l::t fd 1 lUc6 Black's idea of piece pressure on the centre proves ineffective. 1 1 ... d6 came into consideration, with the idea of . . . tOd7, . . . 'ite7 and . . . c7-cS.

12 lUeS! After the exchange of the light-square bishops Black can no longer maintain control of the centre. �xg2 12 13 l::tc 8 �xg2 We8 14 h4

30 15

lU g4

16

d5! b5

17

lUxf6+)

1i. e7 lU d 8 f6

Tigran Petros ian was always famed for his ski l l in defending cramped positions, and here he erects barriers in front of the attacking pieces. 1 7 . . . fS would also have been answered by 1 8 h6. 18 h6

29

32

lUxf6+) 29 'itb5 lUc5 3 0 b4 'iWa6 3 1 'iWxa6

�g l

lUe4

(28 . . . lUfS

33 34

lUxa6 32 lId7 lUxb4 33 :tg7+ e6 3 2 .llx h7, but perhaps this was the best chance.

30 31

!:txd7 e6

.ll x d7 .ll c 7

.i.xb5 1 8 'Llc4 'Lla6 1 9 .i.g5 lOb4 20 lOe3 .i.e7 2 1 .i.xf6 .i.xf6 22 a3 lOxc2 23 '1i'xc2,

e�

e5

and after Karpov's recom mendation o f

ttJD .i. b 5

lOc6

2 3 . . . lle7 !

a6

sufficient cou n terplay against the b3 pawn

�a� 0--{) :leI .ib3

lO f6

by . . . !:tb7 and . . . llab8) 1 6 . . . lObd7 1 7 .i.g5

.i.e7 b5 d6

.i.e7 1 8 .i.e3 '1i'c7 1 9 l::te l l::t e c8 20 .i.d3 bxc4 2 1 bxc4 .i.a6 22 lle2 l::t a b8 23 llec2 '1i'b7 24 :'c3 '1i'a8 25 lOg3 .i.d8 26 1la3

c3

O-n

:lb4 27

h3

.i.b7

Karpov-Belyavsky

A t that t i m e the Zaitsev Variation was

12

match, 1 994, went 1 6 dxc6 .i.xc6 1 7 cxb5

Ruy Lopez C92

my main weapon against 1 e4.

10 11

tempo: 1 3 . . . ttJb8 14 b3 c6 1 5 c4 as 1 6 lOfi (the 5th game of the A nand-Kamsky

d� lObd2 .i.c2

lOg7

lOe I , and here (50th

in

gained

the game

USSR

Cham

!:te8

1 9 83 I played 1 2 . . g6 against Bronstein and

.i. tS

Klovans at the tournament in Minsk, and

g6

scored one and a half points from the two games, but even so my fee ling was that 12 .. g6 does not solve B lack's opening

and

pressure on

d5!

the

long

dark-square

diagonal.

.i.xe4 .i. b2 '1i'c2 b4

17 18 19 20 find

it

hard

'Llxe4 .i.g7 '1i'f6

c5 to

explain

why

Tseshkovsky fol lowed the same course as Rodriguez.

21

13

Ilxe4!

16

For the exchange B l ack gains a pawn

problems. The

bxc5

afore-mentioned

game

with

This move was introduced b y m e i n a

'Rodriguez went 2 1 llab I .c6 22 .d3 llc8

game with Am.Rodriguez at the tourna ment in Bogota in 1 979. It intends the

23 lle2 h6, beginn i n g the far from obvious

following exchange sacrifice.

aim of forc ing White to take on c5.

14 15 16 At

.i.g5

have

pionship, Moscow 1 9 83) Black could have

lOxe6 34 l::ta 7 the game is decided by the

32

would

achieved good play with 27 . . . hS. Later in

After 3 1 ... !:td5 32 .ll n lOg7 3 3 :xb7 passed a-pawn.

B l ack

dxe5 lOxe5

lOxe5 l::t x e5

1Of3

Ti lburg 1 986 Robert HUbner prepared the more dangerous 16 f4 for his

manoeuvre of the queen to h8, with the The game continued 24 l::tc I .c7 25 llcc2 vtie7 26 .i.a3 (after 26 a3 'i>h7 Black would have continued the plan indicated) 26 ....f6 27 .i.b2 'i>h7 28 vtie3 9d8 (with the threat of 29 . . . d7 25 'i'd4+ �d6 26 'iWa7+ �d8 27 l:[xc8+ �c8 28 'i'xh7 �c5+, and B lack stood better.

21 'We3 From here the queen controls the important dark squares. Timman decides to return the piece so as to activate his queen. 21 "xa2 'Wal+ l:lxf6 22 .tn 23 .ctg7 B lack could have put up a tougher defence with 23 ... 'i'd4, pinning his hopes on saving the endgame, although his

52

numerous pawns islands would have been easy prey for the white pieces. 24 25 26 27

l:rb8

�e7

l:rf2

'i'd4

'i'D

e4

'i'f4 llg4 I f 27 ....l:I.d8 White wins by 28 'i'c7+ 'i'd7 29 'i'e5.

same idea (the second occasion was three years later). 1 2 3

4 5

6 7

e4

d4 It:lc3 It:lxe4 It:lg3 h4 It:lfJ

c6 d5 dxe4

� fS �g6 h6

but after 10 �xh7 It:lxh7 I I 'i'e2 e6 12 �d2 �e7 1 3 0-0-() 'i'b6 1 4 It:leS l:td8 I S l:rhe l 0--0 1 6 It:lg6! (the 198 1 theme!) 16 . . . l:rfe8 17 It:lxe7+ .t!.xe7 1 8 It:lfS l:ree8 19 It:ld6 White gained a positional advan tage, which he converted into a win. 10 11

'i'xd3

12

�

It:lgf6

�f4 e6 At that time Black was not averse to castling on the kings ide. Nowadays he prefers to hide his king on the opposite side, and he prepares to castle long with the manoeuvre 1 1 ... 'i'a5+ 12 �d2 'i'c7.

It:ld7

The most critical plan. After 1 2 0--0 �e7 I J c4 0--0 14 l:tfe l l:re8 I S l:!.ad l it is easier for Black to gain counterplay. Thus Renet-Tukmakov (Budapest 1 996) con tinued I s . . . 'i'aS 16 a3 bs! 17 c5 lt:ld5 with sharp play. 15 . . .'i'b6 is also good. 12 28

'i'c7+

'i'd7?

28 . . . �d7 was a tougher defence, although after 29 :xh8 'i'xh8 30 ':d2 'i'd8 (30 . . . 'i'c8 3 1 Wd6+ �e8 32 :'b2 and White wins) 3 1 We5 :'g8 32 'i'c5+ White stands clearly better: Blac k ' s king is still exposed and all his pawns are weak. 29

l:rxc8

'i'xc7

Or 29 . . ..:xc8 30 :f7+. 30 31 32 33 34

�d6 l:rxc7+ l:ta7 e3 l:te2 .t!.e4 l:rxa6 �c5 l:raJ Black resigns Game 1 8 Belyavsky-Larsen Tilburg 198 1

Caro-Kann Defence B 19 My game with Bent Larsen was also memorable. It rarely happens that one i s able t o beat a n opponent twice using the

13 8

b5

Nowadays this move is made without thinking, but before the 1 966 Petrosian Spassky World Chanlpionship Match it was thought that the advance of the pawn to h5 would merely cause White additional problems over its defence. Spassky linked this move with the idea of playing the knight to e5, and was able to show that, after its exchange, the pawns at eS and h5, . blockading Black's kingside, secure White an enduring territorial advantage. And al though Botvinnik, following with a certain jealousy the play of his successor, remar ked: 'Not much progress has been made [n chess, if thirty years of research has resulted in a pawn being moved from h4 to h5', the superior path had been paved. 8 �h7 9

53



�d3

�xd3

Three years later in the USSR v. Rest of the World Match (London 1984) Larsen experimented against me with 9 . lDgf6?!, ..

lfJe5

The point of the sacrifice i s to disrupt the coordination of B lack's queen and knight, as after 2 1 . . . dxd5 22 'i'xe5 gxh6 (22 . . . f6 23 'i'xe6+ .t!.f7 24 h7+) 23 l:txh6 f6 24 'i'xe6+ .t!.f7 25 It:lh5 White has a winning attack . But, unfortunately, B lack is not obliged to take the rook, and the prosaic 2 1 ... .t!.xd5 22 cxd5 'i'xd5 23 hxg7 �xg7 proved sufficient only for a draw. When we concluded peace, we had in m ind a pretty variation that remained off-stage: 24 It:lh5+! g6! 25 It:lf4+! gxf4 26 Wh5+ �f6 27 'i'h4+ �f5 28 'i'h5+, and B lack has to settle for a draw, as after 28 . . . e4 29 'i'e2+ d4 30 :d 1 + c5 3 1 .t!.xd5+ �xdS 32 'i'd2+ he loses material, since both his rook and knight are unprotected. !4

.t!.be!

15

It:lg6!

a4?

�e7 as?!

At the Moscow super-Tournament of grandmasters in 1 98 1 , Tal played 13 ... 0--0 against me, and since the subsequent play was marked by such a pretty creative discovery, I cannot deny myself the pleasure of showing it to the reader: 1 4 'i'e2 'i'aS I S b l l:rad8 1 6 c4 It:lxe5 17 dxe5 lDd7 1 8 .t!.d2 �g5 ! 19 �xg5 hxg5 20 h6 It:lxe5 ! (20...'i'xe5? loses to 21 h7+ h8 22 .t!.xd7! 'i'xe2 23 .t!.xd8) 2 1 .t!.dS ! !

Compared with our game in 1 984, mentioned in the note to B lack's 9th move, this move looks even more effective. White is threatening not only the capture of the rook, but also the leap of his other knight to £5, as occurs in the game. Black cannot accept the offer in view of 1 5 ... fxg6 16 'i'xg6+ f8 1 7 .t!.xe6 'i'e8 18 .t!.de I 'i'xg6 1 9 hxg6 �b4 (if 1 9 ...:te8 there follows 20 .t!.xe7) 20 It:lf5 ! and now: (a) 20...�xe l 2 1 �d6+ �g8 22 It:le7+ �f8 23 It:lxc6+ �g8 24 It:le7+ �f8 25 It:lf5+ �g8 26 .t!.e7 and by the m ate threat

54


at g7 White regains the sacrificed material with interest; (b) 20 . . . 11e8 2 1 llxe8+ lLlxe8 22 c3 .li.a5 23 lle7 and wins; (c) 20 . . . 'ii7g 8 21 Si.d6 (or 21 lle7 .li.xe7 22 llxe7) 2 1 .. . .li.xd6 22 llxd6, again with devastating thrcats; (d) 20 ... lLldS 2 1 Si.d2 .li.xd2+ 22 �xd2 bS 23 lle7 lLlxe7 24 llxe7 �a7 (or 24 . . . lLlf6 25 l::t f 7+ �e8 26 lLlxg7+ �d8 27 lLle6+ ..t>e8 2 8 lLlc7+) 25 J::r. f7+ �e8 26 lLlxg7+ �d8 27 lLle6+ �e8 28 f4, and. with Black's forces virtually stalemated, he has no defence against the victorious advance of the white pawns. 15 lLld5 I S ... a3 would have set more problems: (a) 16 tLlxh8 axb2+ 1 7 ..t> b l ( 1 7 Wxb2 ':a3 ! ) 17 . . . :'a3 1 8 lLlxf7 "'a8 19 '1i'g6 ttJf8 20 ttJd6+ �d7 2 1 lLlc4 'i'a6, when it is B lack who is attacking; (b) 16 b3 lLldS 1 7 lLlf5 ! exfS (forced in view of the mate threat at g7) 1 8 ttJxe7 ttJxe7 ( 1 8 ... ttJxf4 19 ttJg6+ ttJe6 20 ttJxh8) 1 9 .li.d6 tOes 20 dxe5, and i f 20 . . . 0-0 2 1 e6, winning material. 16 lLlCS! .li. f8 ? 1 6 ... exf5 was more tenacious, trying to defend as indicated in the previous note. J::r.g 8 17 .li.d6 I f 17 ...fxg6 White mates by 1 8 ttJxg7+! 18 c4 ttJb4

19 �h3 ! Threatening 20 ttJxh6! gxh6 2 1 nxe6+! , and there i s n o longer any defence. 19 fxg6 J::r. x e6+ � f7 20 21 hxg6+ �xc6 22 nel+ lLle5 .li.xe5 23 Black resigns The rather widely analysed variation of the S icil ian Defence that occurred in my game with a representative of the new generation of Leningrad players, Leonid Yudasin, the winner of the Qualification Tournament for the USSR Championship. reminded me of an old story. kading to the amusing thought that sometimes it is ignorance that leads to progress. A decade earlier. in a game with Zhidkov from the Ukrainian Championship. in the main l i ne of this variation I encountered a new idea that had j ust been publ ished in the most recent issue of the 64 newspaper (with its help Elzi bar Ubi lava had just won a game with Black). Watching my torment, as I ' fell asleep' for a good hour, many of the already 'erudite' participants were chuckling, anticipating the development of events. Fortunately, I had not read that issue of 64 and I discovered a refutation.

Nowadays this i s a l l well establ ished, but in the previous USSR Championship (Vilnius 19801 1 ) grandmaster Gennady Kuzmin, the author of many interesting opening ideas, surprised me with 7 ... lLlg4, although after 8 h3 lLlge5 9 .li.e3 ttJxd4 1 0 �xd4 ttJc6 I I 'i'd2 g 6 1 2 .li.c4 llc8 1 3 .li.b3 'i'a5 1 4 .li.h6 �xh6 I S �xh6 .li.e6 1 6 0-0 it transpired that it was not easy for Black to castle. 8 � lLlxd4 9 �xd4 �a5 10 f4 e6 11 eS dxeS 12 fxeS

Game 1 9

49th USSR Championship Frunze 1981

Sicilian Defence B 6 1 e4 ttJO d4 lLlxd4 ttJc3 .li. g5 9d2

c5 ttJc6 cxd4 lLlr6 d6 .li.d7 nc8

for Black. Since 1 970, when Zhidkov surprised me with 14 . . . g6, and I found the refutation 1 5 b4! which casts doubts on the exchange sacrifice, this idea has been avoided by theoreticians, and the game that found its way into the books was Belyavsky-Ubilava, played in the 1 978 USSR Cup, where after IS . . . ttJd5 16 .li.c4 .li.h6+ 1 7 J::r.d 2 "'a3+ 1 8 .li.b2 "'xb4 1 9 .li.xd5 White won a piece, as i f 1 9 ...... xd2+ 20 'i'xd2 .li.xd2+ 2 1 �xd2 exd5 he has 22 e6 llg8 23 exd7+ �xd7 24 .li.d4 a6 25 �d3 lle8 26 llb I b5 2 7 lla I J::r.a 8 28 g4, and in this ending the bishop is worth more than the three pawns. 13 � bS For some time 1 3 .li.xf6 gxf6 14 ttJe4 was considered the strongest, but the game Dolmatov-Ruderfer (Moscow 1 98 1 ) dis pelled this il lusion: 14 . . . !ld8! I S ttJxf6+ �e7 and Black is not worse, as 1 6 'iWh4 can be met by 1 6 . . . !lxd l + 1 7 �xd l �d8. Of the modem searchings in this posi tion, Judith Polgar's idea of 13 .li.c4 ! m ust be mentioned. Her game with Groszpeter (Hungarian Championship 1 99 1 ) con tinued 13 . . . ttJd7 14 llhe I h6 15 .li.d2 'iWc5 16 �f4 g5 17 �fl .li.g7 1 8 h4 ttJxe5 1 9 .li.b3 0-0 2 0 hxg5 hxg5 2 1 �e2 ttJg6 22 �h5 and White built up decisive threats. 13 ttJd5 14 lLlxdS Weaker is 14 .li.xc6+ bxc6 1 5 lLle4?! ( I S a3 is better) 15 �xa2 1 6 c4 h6 1 7 .li.d2 c5 1 8 � d3 lLlb6 with advantage to Black (Petrushin-Yudasin, USSR 1 98 1 ). 14 .li.xb5 15 ttJc3 Before this White had unsuccessfully tried the tempting 1 5 �xa7, which is parried by 15 . . . .li.b4! 15 .li.c6? The lesson was not wasted, for two rounds later Yudasin demonstrated the correct solution in this game with ...

Belyavsky-Yudasin

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

55


12 .tc6 At one time the exchange sacrifice 12 ... 11xc3 13 .li.d2 9xa2 14 .i.xc3 was considered a radical method of counterplay

56


Dolmatov: 1 5 . . . �c5 1 6 'ifg4 �b4! 1 7 �xb5 �xb5 1 8 'ife4 ()....{) and Black successfully solved his opening problems.

16

Ilhfl ! � b4 �d5 �e4 It transpires that now 1 7 . . . ()....{) is not possible because of 1 8 �f6+ Wh8 1 9 'ifh4. �xd6 �d6+ 18 19 exd6 f6 17

�xf6! 20 gxf6 'ifxf6 21 'iPd7 22 'ife7+ 'itc6 d7! 23 The inclusion of 23 nf7 'itb6 24 d7 leads only to a draw: 24 . . . nxc2+! 2 5 'itxc2 'ifa4+ 26 'iPd2 'ilid4+. ncd8 23 24 c4! �xc4 'itbS 'ilid6+ 2S

26 Ilfe ! ! �d5 Comparatively best. 26 ... '1l'xa2 27 l!e5+ .td5 (visiting the white king's residence by 27.. .�a4 28 �c7 'ifa 1 + 29 Wc2 .tb3+ 30 �c3 resembles a help-mate) 28 r:.exd5+ exd5 29 l:rxd5+ �xd5 30 �xdS+ �b6 3 I �d6+ Wb5 32 g4 would have led to a similar ending to that in the game. Ilxd5+! 27 exd5 28 ne5 An amusing picture, where White threatens a linear mate in the centre of the board. However, there was also a false trail: 28 nd I d4! 29 a4+ (or 29 t1xd4 'ife 1 + 3 0 �c2 nc8+ 3 1 dxc8='if nxc8+ 32 Wb3 nc3+! 33 bxc3 'iib l+) 29 ... 'iixa4 30 nxd4 J:c8+ 3 1 dxc8'if (or 3 1 Wb 1 'ifc2+ 32 �a2 ncs 33 d8'ii nxd8 34 'ifxd8 �a6 35 'ilif6+ b6 36 'iifl + 'itb7 37 'if 0+ 'ita6) 3 1 ... :.xc8+ 32 'itb I 'iic2+ 33 'ita2 nc5 34 'ilid7+ �a6 35 na4+ na5 36 t1xa5+ 'iPxaS 37 'ilixb7 'ilia4+, and in all these lines the game ends in a draw by perpetual check. 28 'iPc4 29 ne3! It was still possible to throw away the win: 29 ne4+ �d3 30 nb4 t1hfB 3 1 'ilig3+ 'ite2 32 'ilig4+ 'itfl 33 'ilid l + �f2 3 4 'ilid4+ 'itfl 35 'ili d 1 + an d White h as to be content with perpetual check. b6 29

57


No better is 29 ...nhf8 30 nc3+ 'itd4 3 1 'ife7! nn + 3 2 'iPd2 nf2+ 33 'ite I with mate at e3, or 29 ... 'ifxa2 30 'ilic7+ �b5 3 1 �xb7+ 'itc5 32 nc3+ 'itd4 3 3 'ii b4+ etc., but now the attack concludes with the transition into an easily won ending. 30 nc3+ �xc3+ 31 bxc3 'iPxc3 32 b5 'ifxd5 33 'itdl as 34 'ite2 a4 35 �e3 'iPb4 36 �d6+ 'iPa5 37 'ikc7 b4 38 �e4 'ita6 39 �e5 n h 5+ 40 'ite6 nh6+ 41 �dS nb5+ 42 �d4 nhh8 43 'itc4 ndg8 44 'itb4

nxg7+ 64 �f6 nc7 65 'ilid5+ 'ita7 66 as) 60 �c8+ Ilxc8 61 dxc8'ii + �a7 62 as bxa5 63 'ifc5+ �a6 64 �d6+ �b7 65 �d5+ 'ita6 66 'ifd3+ 'iPb7 67 'ifb5+ and wins. In 1 982 I qualified for the World Cham pionship Candidates cycle by taking second place in the Interzonal Tournament in Moscow. Before the last round five participants were contending for the sole remaining place, since Garry Kasparov had already qualified. Since it seemed probable to me that at least one of my rivals would win, I decided to play for a win with Black against Florin Gheorghiu. Two years earlier a sim i lar situation with the same opponent had arisen in Baden (Austria), only with the significant difference that a draw then did not satisfy Florin, as it could have left him outside the prize list. In Moscow he no longer had any corres ponding stimulus, and was satisfied with a draw. The difference in my opponent's motivation in these tournaments influenced my choice of opening. In Baden I granted him the opportunity to play actively and chose the Queen's Gambit. In Moscow, by offering a more uncompromising gambit, I myself took on all the risk. Game 20 Gbeorghiu-Belyavsky

Black resigns, as the winning proce dure for White, although lengthy, is quite straightforward, for example: 44 ... ng4+ 45 'ita3 ngg8 (45 ...J:d4 46 'ilic3) 46 'itxa4 nf8 47 �b3 :fg8 48 a4 :f8 49 �c3 :fg8 50 'itd3 :f8 5 1 'ite4 :fg8 52 'ite5 :f8 53 'ite6 l:rfg8 54 g4 hxg3 55 hxg3 :f8 (5s...�a5 5 6 'ilic4) 56 g4 :fg8 57 g5 :a8 (57 ...'ita5 58 'ilic4 t1xg5 59 'ilic3+) 58 g6 t1hg8 59 g7 :xg7 (59 ... :gd8 60 'iPe7 :g8 6 1 'l'c4+ 'itb7 62 'l'xg8 :xg8 63 d8'1'

�

Interzonal Tourna ent Moscow 1 982

Benko Gambit AS8 �f6 d4 c5 c4 2 dS 3 b5 a6 cxb5 4 S bxa6 Ten years later, playing White in Tilburg against Michael Adams, I chose 5 e3 and after 5 . . . axb5 6 .i.xbS 'l'a5+ 7 �3

58


�b7 8 e4 ! lUxe4 9 lUge2 g6 1 0 0-0 lUd6 1 1 a4 ! �g7 1 2 �g5 h6 1 3 � f4 0-0 1 4 �xd6! exd6 1 5 f4 f5 1 6 g4! White's attack bore fruit. 5 � xa6

It is also possible to take on a6 with the kn ight: 5 . . . g6 6 b3 �g7 7 �b2 ()....() 8 g3 d6 9 �g2 ttJxa6 1 0 ttJc3 �b 7 II e4 e6 1 2 ttJge2?I ( 1 2 dxe6 fxe6 1 3 ttJge2 i s better) 1 2 . . . exdS \ 3 exd5 ttJb4 14 a3 0.fxd5, and B lack regained his pawn while retaining the InitIatIve (Ravi-Hebden, British Championship 1 9 89). 6 g3 To me the fol lowing plan seems more promising: 6 ttJc3 d6 7 e4 .Q.xfl 8 h8 1 8 'i'g4 f6 1 9 1Oxe6 tDxe6 20 .!i..g6 tDgS 2 1 gac l 'i'e7 22 'i'h5+ ..tg8 23 h4 with an obvious advantage; (c) 1 6 ... h6 1 7 'i'h5 e5 (if 1 7 . . . tDf4 1 8 'i'xh6!, forcing mate) 1 8 �xeS 'i'xeS 1 9 �h7+ o;t>h8 20 tDxt7+ t:.xt7 2 1 'i'xeS �xh7 :!2 :'xd5 with a winning material advantage. .!i.. x f6 16 gxf6 17 18

'fie3! :tacl

g7 tDc6

Black must maintain control of e5, as if 1 8 ... 'i·b7 there follows 19 tDeS ! tDd7 (after 19 ... fxe5 20 'i'g5+ 'it>h8 2 1 'i'h6 White forces mate) 20 .!LJg4 f5 2 1 '1I'h6+ �g8 22 tDf6+ e2 l:tb4 3 3 b3

e3

b6 b6

a 4 3 4 J::. O axb3 3 5 axb3 g5 3 6 h3 � g 6 3 7 �d2 d4 38 �c2 J::.b S 3 9 g4 h 5 4 0 �d2

Psakhis-Belyavsky European Champions Team Cup Moscow 1984

Queen's Gambit D58

, .3 '

c4

�b4 .-b3

c5! dxc5 ttJxd5

ttJd7

If 14 cxb6 I was planning to p l ay 14 . . . ttJcS with the possible continuation I S 'i'b4 JLe7 1 6 'i'd4 ttJe6 1 7 'i'd2 'i'xb6 1 8 �bS !red8 1 9 (}...() d4 20 ttJxd4 ttJxd4 2 1 exd4 JL f6, regaining the d4 pawn and for

obtaining sufficient compensation White's slight material advantage. ttJxc5

14 15

'i'a2

uncastled king comes under the fire of a l l

the black pieces.

l:te6

17

1 7. . . l:te7 is more accurate. 18

0-0

19 20 21 22

'i'e5 ttJd4 '-xg5 f3

l:td6 J::. d 7 '-g5! bxg5

If 22 f4 I was intending 22 . . . gxf4 23 J::.xf4 g6 24 h4 �g7 with equal chances. 22 23 24 25 26 27

g6

�f2

JLb7

ttJb5 e4 J::. b l ttJxa7? !

l:te7 ..t>g7 J::. b 8

This pawn exchange i s unfavourable for White, as the opening of the a-file gives him problems over the defence of his aJ pawn. After 27 ttJd6 �c6 28 JL b 5 the game is level.

27 28

ttJbS

29

h3?

�xe4 � f5

(a) 1 6...�b7?! 1 7 JLc4! dxc4 1 8 llxd8 J::.axd8 19 ttJd2 �a6 20 ttJce4 ttJxe4 2 1

Game 24

d4

69


A popular continuation in the Tartak ower-Makogonov-Bondarevsky Variat ion .

hxg4 4 1 hxg4 �g7 42 �e2 l:tb4 and a draw was agreed (Kir.Georgiev-Belyav sky, Belgrade 1 997);

15 16

.i.xb2! .xb2

White cannot exploit the resulting pin on the d-file. 16 .i.c4?! would be met by 1 6 . . . b5!, and if 17 .i.xb5? .a5+. .i.xd5 16 .i.e2 17 Black also has no problems after 1 7 .i.b5 l:te6 1 8 � l:td6 1 9 .e5 ttJe4 followed by 20 . . . �b7.

1 7 .i.c4? would be a blunder, as after 1 7 . . . .i.xc4 1 8 l:txd8 l:taxd8 White's

Now the initiative definitely passes to Black. It was essential to activate the

rooks: 29 l:td6 g4 30 l:thd l ! (weaker is 3 0 ttJc3 g3+! 3 1 �g3 l:te3 3 2 l:tc I llJb3 3 3 �f2 l:the8 with advantage to Black) 30. . . l:txh2 3 1 ttJd4, although here too Black's position is somewhat preferable.

70


na8 29 l%as nd6 30 �c4 31 I f 3 1 nxb6 there would have followed 3 1 . . . nxe2+ 32 �e2 �d3+ 33 c;t>f2 �xb 5 . 31 �e6 32 �e2 After 32 �xe6 ::Ixb5 33 �c4 llb2+ 3 4 c;t>g3 lle3 the black rooks break through with decisive effect into the enemy rear (3 5 . . . ltJe4+ is threatened). 32 �d7 33 !ha3 ltJd4 !la 2 nxb6 34 35 nd6 No better was 3 5 .l::r h b 1 :'d2 36 :d6

!lexe2+.

35 36

� b5 nd S

given to me. But it was not only this that was unexpected. Also unexpected was the need to move the pieces with my right hand, since my ' working' left hand, after an unfortunate game of football, ended up in plaster. Possibly out of sympathy for the ' invalid', my first five opponents lost to me. My team col leagues did not need any such 'stimulus', and in the end our result exceeded all expectations: the USSR team finished ahead of its nearest rivals by four whole points. Our main rivals in those years - the Hungarian team - were defeated in the third round by 4·0 . Game 2 5 BelyavskJ'-Portisch Thessaloniki Olympiad 198-1

Queen 's Gambit Accepted 020 d4 d5 1 d xc4 c4 2 ltJf6 e4 3 At that time 3 ... eS was more often played, but Portisch gives preference to this move, of which he had made a close study. 4 eS ltJdS ltJc6 5 �xc4 Nowadays 5 ... ltJb6, which restricts White's possibilities, is more often played:

36 ltJb3 ! Now 37 �g3 is the only way for White to escape from the pin, but then follows the forcing variation 3 7 . . . ltJxd4 3 8 �xb5 ltJf5+ 3 9 �h2 ltJh4 40 � f 1 l:te I (threatening . . . l:taa l ) 4 1 �g3 l:txf l 42 l:txf l :'xg2 mate. White resigns. In November 1 984 Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov were sti l l engaged in thei r World Championship Match i n Moscow, and therefore the role of leading the USSR Team at the Olympiad in Thessaloniki was

71


After 6 �b3 ltJc6 the main continuation for White is 7 It:le2 �fS 8 ltJbc3 e6 9 aJ, preventing . . . ltJb4. Here for a certain time Black used to play 9 ... �e7 10 ().....() 'i'd7, the best known game being Kamsky Magem Badals (Madrid 1 994): 1 1 �a2 ()..-Q.-{) 1 2 �e3 f6 1 3 exf6 �xf6 14 'i'e l ltJxd4 1 5 ltJxd4 �xd4 1 6 �xd4 'i'xd4 1 7 �xe6+ �xe6 1 8 'i'xe6+ 'i'd7 1 9 'i'b3 a6 20 l:tac I llhe8 with double-edged play. In 1 997 at SI. Petersburg, Korchnoi improved Black's play in his game with Epishin: 9 ... 'i'd7!? 1 0 ().....() Q-...{)....{) I I �e3 f6 12 exf6 gxf6 1 3 ne I (l did not know this game, and in the European Team Championship at Pula 1 997 I played against Korchnoi 1 3 ltJa4 h 5 1 4 nc l h4 1 5 ltJc5 �xc5 1 6 ::Ixc5 c;t>b8 17 �c2 ltJe7 1 8 ltJf4 ::Ihg8, when Black developed an unpleasant initiative) 13 ... 4.Ja5 14 �f4?! e5 ! I S �e3 hS 1 6 %:.c l ltJbc4 with some advantage to Black. 6 �d3 It:lc6 7 �e3 may be more promising: (a) 7 ... ltJb4 8 �e4 c6 9 ltJc3, when the game Belyavsky-Yakovich (Sochi 1 986) continued 9 . . . �e6 10 ltJge2 li:l4dS II ().....() 'i'd7 1 2 ltJg3?! f 5 ! 1 3 exf6 exf6 1 4 lle l 0-0-0 I S �d2 ltJc4 with very unclear play, but 12 ltJc I !? came into consider ation, with the idea of ltJd3-cS ; (b) 7...�e6 8 ltJc3 'i'd7 9 ltJf3 Q-...{)....{) is the plan usually carried out nowadays. For example, the game Kir.Georgiev-Green feld (Burgas 1 994) continued 10 ().....() �g4 I I h3 �h5 1 2 aJ (Greenfeld recommends 12 e6!? 'i'xe6 1 3 ltJg5 �xd l 1 4 ltJxe6 fxe6 1 5 1:taxd l with compensation for the pawn) 12 ... e6 1 3 1k l �b8 14 b4 f5! 1 5 exf6 gxf6 16 ltJe4? 'i'g7 and B lack gained the advantage. Stronger, as shown by Green feld, was 1 6 b5 ltJxd4 1 7 �xd4 'i'xd4 1 8 ltJxd4 �xd I 1 9 ltJxe6 l:txd3 20 l:tfxd I l:txd 1+ 2 1 llxd I �xa3 22 ltJe4, although here too White faces a battle for a draw. ltJb6 6 ltJc3

7 8

�bS ltJf3

�d7 e6

9 ().....() ltJe7 I f 9 . . . ltJb4 there can follow 1 0 �e2 �e 7 I I aJ li:l4dS 1 2 ltJe4 �c6 1 3 'i'c2 h6 1 4 �d3 a6 1 5 It:lc5 �xc5 1 6 dxc5 ltJd7 1 7 :'eI CDe7 1 8 �e4 with a cramped position for Black (Gavrikov-Lukas, Biel 1 995). 10 �d3 � c6 11 tOgS ! ? With the threat of a n attack b y 'i'h5, White transfers his knight to e4, at the same time provoking a weakening of Black's kingside. However, accurate play is also required of B lack after II aJ. For example, in the game Razuvaev-Fominykh (Stacy Smokovec 1 990) after the unfor tunate flank manoeuvre I I . . . ltJg6 1 2 �e3 �e7 13 :tc l ltJh4?! 1 4 It:lxh4 �xh4 I S 'i'g4 g6 1 6 �h6 �e7 1 7 %:.fd l 'i'd7 1 8 'i'f4 �f8 1 9 'i'f6 B lack ended up in a difficult situation. 11 b6 Black cannot play 1 1 ... 'i'xd4? because of 1 2 ltJxf7! ( l 2 . . . �xf7 1 3 �g6+). 12 'i'bS g6? After stopping for a second beside our board, Rafael Vaganian later quite reasonably remarked: ' I don't understand how Black could have failed to sacrifice the exchange by 1 2 ... hxg5 1 3 'i'xh8 'i'xd4' .

72



'1Ir'h4 21 f6 �xh6 �xh6 22 23 'i'xh6 'tt'g7 B lack practically forces th e exchange of queens (if 24 '1Ir'h3 fxe5 25 dxe5 Ilxd 1 + 26 Ilxd I 'tt'xe5 27 'tt'h 6 'tt' f6 with equal chances) but, as I am a pawn up, I am quite happy with this. 24 '1Ir'xg7+ 'it>xg7 25 Ilf7 f3 26 fxeS lDe2 Black has to stabil ise the pawn structure, as if 26 . JUd7?! 27 lDf4 cj;f7 White forces a favourable rook ending with 28 d5 ! , when he breaks through to the c7 pawn: 28 . . . ..txd5 29 :xd 5 ! J:xd5 30 lLlxd5. !Hd7 dxe5 27 28 llxd7+ Ihd7 29 lle2 'it>f7 .

13 lDge4! �g7 If 1 3 . '1Ifxd4 Black has to reckon with 14 lDf6+ Wd8 1 5 ..-e2, with the terrible threat of 1 6 .:.!d I . 14 'tt' g4 lDrs �e3 15 lDd5 16 lDxd5 'tt' x d5 17 lDc3 '1Ir'd7 After 1 7 ... '1Ir'a5 1 8 aJ with the threat o r b2-b4 the queen is unable to find an y peace llfd l lld8 18 � llac1 19 Later, instead of this pawn sacrifice, Portisch suggested the solid 19. . '1Ir'e7 followed by .. J:d7 and .. :ilfd8. .

.

35 lle7 li)cs 36 li)b3 In time trouble I should not have forced matters. After 36 a3 and the preparation of the g-pawn's advance it wo u l d have been more difficult for Black to defend. 36 a4 b4 37 li)d4 38 li)c6 Here too 38 a3 was stronger, and after 38 . . . b3 39 lIc ! ! �xg2 40 lDb5 White breaks through to the queenside weak nesses: 40 . . . c6 41 li)d6+ �f8 42 Ilc4 lla7 43 lIb4 c5 44 llb8+ �g7 45 llc8. But, understandably, it is not easy to decide on such manoeuvres in time trouble. b3 38 axb3 axb3 39 lle8 lIc3 40

.

73

session, in order to find a way to realise White's advantage. c6 41 42 g3 lla8 No better is 42 . . . 11h8 43 h4 lla8 44 lDxb3 llb8 45 lDc5 llxb2 46 lDd7 and 48 lDf6, evicting the bishop from its best base at d5. llal lDxb3 43 44 lDd4 llxb2 llb6 llc2 45 lla6 h3 46 lla2 llc3 47 After 47 . . . �g2 48 lDf3 ! Black cannot go into the rook ending. 48 lD f3 ! llg2 After 48 ... c5 White wins with 49 lDg5+ followed by 50 llxc5. �e7 49 lDg5+ lld2+ �d4 50 51 llal �eS 52 lla5+ h4 �b6 llal 53

.

20 ..txfS! gxfS After 20 .. exf5 2 1 -.n3 Black would have to reckon with the threat of d4-d5 (e.g. 2 1 . g5 22 d5 !). .

.

.

Black is practically obliged to observe passively the development of events, as after 29 ...lld l + 30 �f2 and �e3 with the threat of lDd4 the rook is forced to return.' 30 �f2 lld5 31 f4 lld7 32 lDc3 as 33 b5?! �e3 33 ... b6 is sounder, when I was intending to play 34 g3 followed by lDe2d4. 34 lDa4! ..td5

41 lOd4?! This untimely haste was to force my opponent to make the sealed move. After 4 1 lDb4! the game might well not have been resumed, but at this point our team was leading 3-�, and it appeared that the ' fork' of the c7 and b3 pawns would complete the 'whitewash' of the Hungarian team. However, in analysis it transpired that 4 1 . . .c6 is possible, when 42 lOxc6 fails to 42 . . lle8 43 �4 llxc3+ 44 bxc3 b2. A fair amount of work had to be done in the two-hour break before the adjournment .

54 lDh7! After the knight reaches f6, from where it both supports the passed h-pawn and attacks the bishop, it becomes clear that the end is near. llbl+ 54 55 �c7 llb5 No better is 55 ... c5 56 llxc5 llb7+ 57 �c8 llb3 58 lDf6 llxg3 59 llc7+ �f8 60

74

h 5 J:rh3 6 1 tOxdS exdS 62 �d8, when the advance of the e-pawn is decisive. 56 c5 tOf6

57 58 59

tOxd 5+ Wc6

exd5 d4

l:.a3 Black resigns

With everything turning out well for me at the Olympiad, there was no reason not to throw caution to the winds in a double edged variation of the french Defence. Game 26

Lj uboj evic-Belyavsky Thessaloniki Olympiad 1 98-1

French Dc!fence C 1 8

e4 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

d4

tOc3 e5 a3

bxc3 W'g4 W'xg7 W'xb7 tOe2 f4

e6 d5 � b4 c5 �xc3+ CUe7 W'c7 ttg8 cxd4 CU bc6 dxc3

75



present game. Even so, it takes too much time, although subsequently the advance of the h-pawn was used as an end in itself. The main continuation here is 12 'i'd3 .

12 13

�d7 tth3

Th is direct way of e l iminating the c3 pawn suffers a fiasco. The old-fashioned 1 3 '1!t'd3 CUfS 1 4 lIb l is stronger. Here are some exam ples: (a) 14 . . 0-0-0 15 hS d4 1 6 l':t g l CUh6')! ( 1 6 . . . f6 ! ? comes into consideration) 1 7 CUxd4 CUxd4 1 8 'i'xd4 b6 1 9 :::t b 3 Jlg3 20 �d3 tOf5 21 W'b4 �b8 22 !rxc3 �c6 23 'tfc4 :::t c S 24 'i'xc6 'i'xc6 2 5 llxc6 :lxc6 26 �f2 Jlg8? ! 27 g4 and the white pawns began to advance (Djurhuus-lohannessen, Norwegian Championship 1 996). 26 . . . :::t g4 27 :::t h I ttcB was stronger, with only a .

slight advantage to White; (b) 14 ... CUa5 1 5 h5 0--0-0 1 6 :g l 4Jc4 1 7 g4 'i'c5 1 8 'i'xc3 a5 with chances for both sides ( Djurhuus-Antonsen, Torshavn 1 996).

15

'i'b5

Winning another pawn by 15 'Wxf7? d4 16 ttd3 tth8 involved the risk of losing the queen.

20 21 22

'Wg4 ..t>f2 'W b3

'Wa5+ CUde3 'Wd5!

d4

15

A normal idea i n this variation: Black is cramped, and the d5 square i s vacated for his pieces. ttd3 16 If 16 nh3 I was intending 1 6 . . . d3 ! ? 1 7 ttxd3 tOcd4! 1 8 tOxd4 CUxd4 with an attack. CUce7 16

17

.ib2

White should have considered 17 .id2, maintaining control o f e3, which is where the knight is aiming for. After the direct 1 7 . . . �b5 possible was 1 8 'i'xf7 ng6 1 9 .ib4 .ixd3 2 0 cxd3 with compensation for the exchange, but Black could have increased his initiative by 1 7 . . . tthS 1 8 'i'fJ .ic6 19 'i'f2 .ie4.

Now, after the inevitable invasion of the queen, the fate of the white king will be sealed.

23

tOxd4

tOxd4

Now White has several possi bilities, but none is satisfactory: (a) 24 nxd4 'tftJ+ 25 We I CUg4! threatening mate; (b) 24 .1xd4 'i'tJ+ 25 We I (or 25 �g l

13

ttxd4 26 ttxd4 Jlg8) 25 ... llxd4! 26 ttxd4 CUg4! with a mating attack; (c) 24 llxe3 CUfS 25 lld3 W'cS+ 26 �e l (or 26 ..t>e2 llxd3 27 cxd3 'We3+) 26 . . . 11xd3 27 cxd3 'We3+ 28 ..t> d l 'Wf2 29 �e2 lld8 with a decisive attack. There only remains the continuation i n the game . . .

17 18 14

12

b4

This idea of attacking the c3 pawn with the king's rook was first tried in the

ttxc3?

Now the white queen is cut off from the centre of events. It was not yet too late to return with 14 Wd3, although the time wasted on the rook manoeuvre is very

significant. 14

tOd5! ncl

18 .1xd4? leads to the exchange o f this bishop after 1 8 . . . CUxf4 ! 1 9 lOld"4 lOxd4, which exposes the dark squares in White's position. But it is already hard to offer him good advice: 18 Wo .1c6 19 Wf2 lOde3 allows Black to begin a decisive invasion.

18 19

g3

.ic6 nb8

24 25 26

..t>xe3 ..t>d2 ..t>c3

The dS square is like a transit base for the black pieces.

27

ttxd4

l:txd4

A fter the capture with the queen, the king would have hidden at a2. But now 2 8 ..t>b3 i s met b y 2 8 . . . Jld2 (preventing ..t>a2 and threatening ...id5+) 29 .ic4 b5 30 .

.id3 .id5+ 3 1 ..t>b4 ..t>b7 32 .ixb5 ..t>b6 33 ..t>a4 Wc5 34 Wf1 a6 and wins.

76


28 29

�d3 hS

.ll h d8 .!l8dS

Game 27 Belyavsky-DIugy Interzonal Tournament Tunis 1985

Queen's Gambit Accepted D24

2 3 4 5 6

7

d4 c4

dS dxc4

lUn lUc3

lU f6 a6

e4 eS a4

bS tiJdS

Threatening 30 . . . :xd3+. It is interest ing that, after its journey into black terri tory, the powerfu l white queen is unable to come to the aid of its own king: 30 '1!fn =txd3+ 3 1 cxd3 =tc5+ 3 2 � b 3 :b5+.

30 31 32 33

a4 .Ilc5+ f7 25 ttJe5+ and White wins. 18 ':xeS hxgS 'lWd6?! 19 ttJxg6 19 . . ..:.h6 20 xf8 is a tougher defence, although here too after 2 1 'lWd2 White has a strong attack. 20 g8 was also possible.

24 25 26 27 28 29

W'xb8 tOb3 J:l.eel exd5 lIdl tOe6

40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

A fter 29 ... ltc8 30 tObd4 b4 3 1 tObS the passed d-pawn becomes mobile, but on the other hand now it is transformed into a passed c-pawn. tOe8 30 dxe6

31 32 33 34

tOd4

b4

tOrs

iLe5

J:l.d7 J:l.b7

lIa7

c7 c8'i'

lte8

40 J:l.b8 would have won immediately.

lIxb8 ..ixb4 exd5 iLa3 iLd6 iLxe6

ltxe8

..ixc8 J:l.b8 lteI+

iLe6 ¢> g2

iLd5 lle6+

lte6 h4

lLld6

f3

lLld6 bxg6 llat g5 lLlf7 llet ¢>f8

¢>xf7 �e8

lta7 Black resigns

96


Game 3 5

Sci rawan-Belyavsky Brussels (World Cup) 1 988

S lav Defence 0 1 4

2

3 4

d4 c4 lOc3 exd5

dS c6 lO r6

exdS

5

� r4 lOe6 e3 6 � f5 lOO 7 e6 �b5 8 [n this same tournament U l f Andersson played S lOeS against me, but after ·S . . . lOxe5 9 �xeS lOd7 Wh ite cannot count on any advantage.

lOd7

8

The Exchange Variation of the S lav Defence is not as hamlless as it appears at first sight. [f Black continues the symmetry with S ... �b4, hoping for a draw, then after 9 lOe5 ! 'i'a5 10 �xc6+ bxc6 I I 0-0 �xc3 1 2 bxc3 he runs into difficulties. [t is sufficient to recall the famous I I th game of the Botvinnik- Tal Return Match of 1 96 1 , where Tal incautiously took the pawn 1 2 . . .'1ihc3?, and after 13 'ilfc I ! 'ilfxc l 1 4 ::I.fxc l 0-0 I S f3 h6 1 6 lOxc6 the symmetry concluded with an attack on the a7 pawn.

At that time White also used to play 9 'i'a4 ncs 1 0 0-0 (the acceptance of the pawn sacrifice by 1 0 �xc6 nxc6 I I 'i'xa7 is dangerous in view of I I . . . 'i'cS) 1 0 . . . a6 I I �xc6 nxc6 1 2 ruc I �e7 1 3 lOd I b5 1 4 �bJ nc4 (weaker i s 1 4 . . . 'ilfb6 I S a4! 0-0 1 6 ::I.xc6 'i'xc6 1 7 axbS axbS I S !%.a7 ncs 1 9 'Wc3 ! and White gained the advantage, S h i rov-Komarov, USSR 1 985) I S tiJd2 ::I.xc l ! 1 6 nxc l 0-0 1 7 'ilfc3 b4! I S 'lifc6 �d3 19 'i'b7 lOf6 20 l':c7 �d6 2 1 �xd6 'i'xd6 2 2 f4 'i'd8! and Black maintained the balance (Kramnik-Rubl evsky, U S S R 1 990).

9 10

�e7 �xc6? '

After the passive 1 0 h3 0-0 I I ::I.c I ':'cS 12 :e I 'i'b6 1 3 ':::' e 2 lOf6 B lack easily equalises (Andersson-Belyavsky, Belfort World Cup 1 985), but 1 0 nc I comes into consideration.

10 11

bxe6 ::rcl

The outward 'calm' of the position is deceptive. White's attention i s focused on the queens ide and he wants by simple means to attack B lack's weaknesses and in particular to block the pos s i b i l i ty o f . . . c6-cS. B u t Black in t u m h a s a veiled plan of a pawn offensive on the k i ngside. For the moment it is premature - he must wait for the knight to move to a4, otherv.·ise there can follow a counter-break in the centre, which is dangerous for h i m with his uncastled king. For example: I l . . .gS?! 1 2 �g3 h5 1 3 h3 g4 14 hxg4 hxg4 1 5 ttJd2 and White opens the position after e3-e4.

11 12

:re8 lOa4?

Incautiously moving the knight away from the centre. 12 lOeS seems best, although then after 1 2 . . . lOxeS 1 3 �xe5 f6 1 4 .tgJ cS B lack gets rid o f his weak c6

9

0-0

97


pawn. Now, however, the m in e explodes!

The black k i n g makes way for its queen.

19

nel ?

Yasser overlooks the main threat, and hopes to run away with h is king after 1 9 ... 'ilfg8 20 �fl followed by �e2. It was essential to play 19 fJ gxfJ 20 'ilfxfJ , although even then after 20 . . . 'i'gS Black's attack is pretty unpleasant.

nbS

19

12 13 14

�g3 b3

gS! b5 g4

The uniform advance of the pawns by 1 4 ... h4 1 5 �h2 g4 achieves its aim only i n t h e event of 1 6 hxg4 �xg4 1 7 'ilfe2 h3 , but after 16 lOeS ! ttJxe5 I 7 �xeS :rgS I S hxg4 �xg4 1 9 f3 �h3 20 l':f2 B lack ' s attack comes to a halt.

15

hxg4

hxg4

With the calmness of an assassin B lack prepares a mating set-up on the h-file, since if 20 �fl h e has 20 . . . 'i' as ! , and after 2 1 �e2? White is mated by 2 1 . . . 'i'bS+ 22 �d2 'i'd3 . �e4! 20 'i'd2 �fl 21 After 2 1 lOc3 White could have held out somewhat longer, but the pattern o f the attack is the same: 2 1 . . . '1ifhs 22 �fl �fJ ! 23 lOe2 :rh I + 24 109 I '1ifh5 25 e4 nxg I + 26 �xg l ::I.h8. 21 �ol

16

lOeS If 1 6 lOh2 the simp lest is 1 6 . . . lOf6 (after the tempting 1 6 ... �h4 White has 1 7 �d6) 1 7 lOc5 �xcS I S dxcS lOe4 1 9 lOxg4 'ilfg5 with a winning attack for B lack ( i f 20 �f4 �xg4) . 16 lOxe5

17 18

.i.xe5 .i.g3

f6 �fi!

White resigns Game 36

Khalifman-Belyavsky 55th USSR Championship Moscow1 988

Ruy Lopez C9 1

1 2 3 4 5

e4 lDo � b5 � a4 0-0

6

ne1

7 8 9

c3 d4

�b3

e5 lOc6 a6 lDf6 � e7 b5 d6 0-0

This variation also occurs occasionally i n my games with White.

9 10 11

dS

.tel

.i.g4 lDaS

98


�e3 f2 'iii>e2 'iii>d2

34

'iii>xc2?

'1i'xc3

28

tlJxe4!

23 24 25 26

tlJxb8

tlJxd6 �x g7 tlJrs

tlJd7

J:c8

�xc3 .i.x g7

l:td6+

White ends up in a lost position. 34 We2 would have maintained the balance. tlJe3+ 34

35

22

.i.xa2 c2 h5! .i.e6

A blunder in time trouble, after which

�d4

After White's 19th move both players had to anticipate this position and to assess the consequences of the subsequent tactical duel.

c3

'iii>b2

tlJxg2

After 3S...l:td2+? 36 'iii>c3 l:txg2 White is saved by 37 l:tb2.

llbl?

White should have played 28 �a4 c3! (if Black regains the exchange by 28 ...tlJe3. after 29 ttJc3 he runs into difficulties, as after the possible exchange of rooks the passed a-pawn becomes dangerous) 29 lld3! c2 30 llc3 lla6 31 ttJcs l:txa2 32 l:tcl ttJd4 33 'iii>f2 .t!.b2 (intending ...l:tb I) 34 ttJd3! (with the idea after 34..Jtbl of winning the pawn by 3S J:3xc2; 34 �e3 .t!.bl 3S ttJd3 .i.f5 36 �d4 .i.xd3 leads to a draw) 34...J:b8! 3S �e3 ttJfS+ 36 �d2 tlJd4 37 tlJc5 ttJb3+ 38 ttJxb3 �xb3. Here Oleg Stetsko found a way to win after 39 l:td3! �f6 (or 39 ...i.a4 40 lld4 .i.b3 41 'iii>c3 with the threat of 42 J:b4) 40 l:td4 'iii>e5 41 l:te4+ �d5 42 �c3 � c5 43 l:teS+ �d6 44 :a5 hS 45 l:ta3, and the c2 pawn is lost. .

36

�c4

l:td3?

An answering mistake in time trouble, after which the game quickly ends in a draw. 36.. J:dS! 37 tlJb6 l:td2+ 38 l:tc2 l:txc2+ 39 �c2 ltJel+ 40 'iii>dl tlJxD 41 llb2 gS would have led to a won position. 37 tlJe5 l:te3 �f6 38 l:te4 39 l:txe3 ttJxe3 .

40 41

�d3

.i.d5

ttJe1 Draw agreed

It is hard for me to speak impartially about Kasparov. In 1993 he invited me to be one of his seconds for his World Championship Match with Nigel Short. The help that I rendered him was insignificant, since even

117

in my best state I am ill-suited for training work. for the reason that I am able to generate serious chess ideas only when I achieve a high degree of concentration. and for me this is possible only during a tournament game. But if it is borne in mind that for the greater part of 1993 I was in a state of depressed mental activity (the situation improved only after this match), for this reason I could not be useful to Kasparov even to a moderate degree. On the other hand. the benefit that I gained from the contact with him. supported by a significant fee, put me in his debt, since I do not consider myself to be an ungrateful person. Strictly speaking, when preparing for games Kasparov does not need purely chess helpers, since he himself generates nearly all the opening ideas. and his critical evaluation of these ideas is of an extremely high level. Rather what he needs is an attentive listener, capable of understanding his thoughts. asking reasonable questions, and, in so doing, not resorting to flattery. In brief, the main function of the trainer is to maintain in Kasparov a high degree of creative activity. After his match with Short. Kasparov decided to optimise his budget of preparing for competitions under the item 'payments to trainers'. This was undoubtedly a sen sible step, in the light of what I have said. At the same time he lost his taste for philanthropic activities, which to a great extent were hi s efforts at collecting funds for the PCA (professional Chess Asso ciation), since a significant part of these found their way to Kramnik, Anand, Ivan chuk and certain other grandmasters, each of whom preferred to spend his time studying chess, leaving the function of prize fund collector to the World Cham pion. However, Garry's passion for public activities is too deep, and I think that

1 18


when, sometime early in the next m i llen n ium, he considers that he cannot achieve anything more in chess, we will see him in the higher echelons of executive power in Russia. Kasparov ' s chess talent outshines all the champions that preceded him. His mental stam ina enables him to maintain his quality of play for seven hours, which makes his practical strength enonnous, although by this criterion Karpov in his best years could wel l be considered his equal. However, as regards his ability to work between toumaments, he signifi cantly surpasses Karpo\', as well as all the other grandmasters known to me. Karpov is superior to Kasparov only in one sense: he is a game player by nature. [n the majority of mind games he requires the m inimum time to understand the al gorithm, 'W hether it be cards, board games, or games such as Monopoly. On one occasion in 1 990 in Amsterdam, a director of a pension bank remarked that Karpov wou l d make a first-rate banker. Who knows, perhaps he will yet become one. Kramnik will not make a banker, but perhaps he w i l l become a worthy opponent to Kasparov, and possibly his successor on the chess throne. Kasparov was one of the first to draw attention to the 1 6-year-old Kramnik's amazingly subtle sense of position, and predicted that he would soon be competing for the supreme chess title.

6 0-{) 0-{) 7 d5 A sharp variation with a pawn sacrifice, which began to be practised in the 1 980s, and has not yet received a definitive assessment. As compensation White gains active piece play. The main continuation is 7 lOc3. 7 exd5 8 e6 lOh4 exd5 lOxdS 9 I also used to play this variation with White, until that memorable game with Boris Spassky at Baden 1 980, where my rejection of his draw offer virtually cost me first prize. The continuation was 9 . . . cxd5 1 0 4Jc3 4Ja6 I I �f5 tLJc7 12 � f4 �c5 1 3 :tc I �c6 1 4 lOa4 g6 1 5 lOxcs bxc5 1 6 SLxc7 'f¥xc7 1 7 tDe7+ �g7 1 8 tLlxd5 �xd5 1 9 SLxd5 :rab8 and B lack achieved a reasonable position. It is true that the plan chosen by Spassky does not promise more than equality, but I continued playing for a win, overstepped the mark, and lost. 10 lOrs lOe7

Game 44

Yusupov-Belyavsky Munich 1990

Queen's Indian Defence E 1 7

1 2 3 4 5

d4 c4 lOo

g3

i. g2

lOf6 e6 b6 i.b7 i.e7

11 lOc3 In some later games there occ urred I I e4 d5 1 2 l:t.e l dxe4 1 3 'i'g4 (after I 3 he4 .i.. f6 1 4 W'g4 ¢>h8! Black has the better chances, Cummings-Timoshchenko, Brati slava 1996) 1 3 ... .1f6 1 4 lbc3 .i..c 8 I S he4.

1 19

Uncompromising Chess Here in the game Barlov-Abramovic (Yugoslavia 1 994) Black incautiously played I S . . . lOdS?, and after 1 6 i.h6! he found himself in difficulties. 1 5 ... �xf5 is better, when Pigusov Tiviakov, Lee Cup 1 997) continued 1 6 'WxfS g6 1 7 'W D lOe6 1 8 i.h6 lOd4 1 9 'Wg2 11e8 2 0 �e3 a6 2 1 lOe2 l:t.a7 2 2 lOxd4 �xd4 23 �xd4 'Wxd4 24 �xc6 l:t.xe l + 2 5 l:t.xe 1 tLlxc6 2 6 'Wxc6 ¢>g7 with a n equal position.

11

dS

One of the latest attempts was 1 1 ... lOe6 1 2 e4 d6 13 f4 liJd7 14 i.e3 ( 1 4 lOxd6 i.a6 IS l:t.e l lOdeS) 1 4 . . . lOf6 I S l:t.f2 d5! 1 6 exd5 cxd5 1 7 lOxdS �xd5 18 �xd5 lOxd5 19 'Wxd5 l:t.e8 20 :rd I SLf8 2 1 lOd6 i.xd6 22 'Wxd6 'Wc8 (or 22 ... 'Wxd6 23 l:t.xd6 lled8 24 l:t.fd I ¢>f8 25 f5 'i;e7 26 :r6d2) 23 f5 with slightly the better chan ces for White (Salov-Adams, Madrid 1 996). 12 e4 lOba6

13

.i..f6

13

I f 1 3 ... l:t.e8 White attacks with 1 4 'i'g4. 14 lOd6 A committing move, since now White has to reckon with the threat of . . . g7-g5 . Although he regains his pawn, he is forced to exchange his active pieces. 1 4 'Wg4!? came into consideration, making way for the rook ( 1 5 l:t.ad I ). �e8 14

15

exdS

White cannot build up the pressure with I S l:t.c l ? because of 1 5 . . . gS! 16 lOxc8 gxf4, when he loses a piece. � x c3 ! 15

16 17 18

bxe3 �xdS 'WxdS

lOxdS exd5 �e6

i.f4

Also possible is 1 3 exd5 lOxd5 1 4 lOxd5 cxd5 I S i.f4 lOcs ( l S . . .lOc7 also comes into consideration) 16 �xdS i.xdS 1 7 W'xdS with equal chances (Bukic-lelen, Yugoslav Championship 1 98 1 ). In the game Romanishin-Orlov (Bel grade 1988) White tried 13 l:t.e I , and after 1 3 . . . dxe4? he could have gained the ad vantage by 1 4 lOxe4 lOd5 I S 'Wg4, when a possible variation is 1 5 ... g6 ( l 5 ... �f6 loses to 1 6 ttJed6!) 1 6 �h6 l:t.e8 1 7 lOed6 �xd6 1 8 lhe8+ W'xe8 1 9 lOxd6 W'e7 20 lOxb7 W'xb7 21 W'd4 f5 22 l:t.c l lbc5 (or 22 ... l:t.e8 23 lhc6 l:t.e 1 + 24 i.f1 ) 23 b4 lOe6 (or 23 ... tDe4 24 l:t.xc6 lOxb4 2 5 'Wc4+) 24 W'e5 l:t.e8 25 bS W'f7 26 bxc6 lOec7 27 W'd6. Instead of 1 3 . . . dxe4 B lack should consider 13 ...i.f6 14 e5 i.e7 I S 'Wg4 g6 16 lOxe7+ 'i'xe7 1 7 i.g5 'i'b4! 18 'i'D (or 1 8 'WhJ hS ! with the idea of ... .i.. c 8) 1 8 ... lOe6 19 .i.. h 6 l:t.fe8 with a complicated game (Orlov).

Here we can take stock. White has not achieved anything from the opening; more over, the h l -a8 diagonal and his queenside pawns have been weakened. C learly the m iddlegame is more promising for Black. Even so, by centralising his heavy pieces with 19 'Wd4 (not forgetting about the weakness at c3) and 20 l:t.fe l , White would have held firm. However, Yusupov was still under the illusion of his former initiative, and he makes his next move based on his tournament position (at the time Artur was lagging behind), and not on the demands of the position. This is a

1 20


m istake which practically everyone makes: I do not know anyone who is fortunate

enough to b� above such temptation. 19 'i'h5? 'i'd7 20 llfel ttJc5 lle3 21 If 2 1 llad I ? there would have followed 2 1 . . . �g4, and 22 'i'g5 �xd 1 23 ttJfS does not work because of 23 . . . f6. llad8 21 llael 22 This leads to the loss of a pawn. S tronger was 22 ttJe4, which after the exchange of knights would have allowed White to central ise his dark-.square bishop at d4. 22 fia4 a3 23 Hoping after 23 ...'i'xa3 24 !Db5 'i'a4 2 S ttJd4 to gain at least some compensation. lld7 23

A weakness is a pennanent feature, and for the moment B lack has to complete the mobilisation of his forces. �xfS 24 ttJfS ttJe6 25 'ii'x fS �e5 26 With the faint hope of 26...'ii'xa3? 2 7 lle4 and lth4 with a counterattack, but Black has no reason to hUrry. 26 ltfd8 'ii'xa3 27 ltD


h4 28 'ike7 After winning material it is useful to consolidate your forces. The queen has it sights set on the long light-square diagonal. lld5 <Ji>g2 29 'i'g4 'ikb7 30 lld l <Ji>h2 31 lle4 32 Now White's pieces are crowded together and are in one another's way, but things are also bad for him after 32 :t.xd I lhd I 33 fif5 a5 . hS! 32 Tying the queen to the rook. lln 'tffS 33 Not only in order to invade, but also as a defence against 34 g4, on which there follows 34 . . . :dd l 35 :g3 :xf2+. 34 lld5 �d4 llxe5 lleS 35 lle1 � xe S 36 ll d 1 <Ji>g2 37 'li' h2 lld5 38 lla5 <Ji>g2 39

had to play for a win. And although, as they say in Poland, an old love will not be forgotten, in 1 990 I had to expand my Spanish repertoire and take up the sharp Archangelsk Variation - the tried and tested weapon of my friend and trainer Mikha1chishin. Adrian had achieved excel lent results with it, and his ' first aid' soon came in useful. In order to reach the final of the World Cup, in the qualification tournament I needed to win with Black in the last round against grandmaster Dolmatov. Game 4S D o l m atov-Bely avsky

Moscow (GMA) 1990

Ruy Lopez C78 e4 eS 2 ttJO ttJc6 3 �b5 a6 4 �a4 ttJf6 5 bS � 6 �b3 � b7 This extended fianchetto characterises the variation that in its time was analysed in detail by Archangelsk players. 7 ltel �c5 8 c3 d6 9 d4 �b6

Zugzwang! c4 40

llc5 White resigns

At that time in the Breyer Variation of the Ruy Lopez I was increasingly having to solve difficult problems, especially when I

10

.l.gS

121

This makes the position more tense, although it may not be better than 1 0 �e3, as played in Ljubojevic-Belyavsky (Reggio Emilia 1 99 1 ): 1 0 . . . 0-0 I I ttJbd2 h6 12 h3 ttJd7 1 3 iLlfI ! ? (or 1 3 �d5 llb8 14 a4 exd4 1 5 cxd4 iLlb4 1 6 �xb7 llxb7 1 7 as �a7 1 8 d5 iLld3 with counterplay for B lack) I 3 . . .ttJe7 14 iLlg3 c5 1 5 lle2?! ( 1 5 iLlh4! ? would have maintained some initiative) 1 5 . . .'ii'c7 I 6 lld2 ttJf6 1 7 �c2 11ad8 with a good game for Black. I f 10 'i'd3 there can follow 10 . . . h6 I I iLlbd2 0-0 1 2 d5 (or 1 2 ttJfI exd4 1 3 cxd4 iLlb4 14 'i'c3 c S ! with counterplay) 12 ...iLle7 1 3 ttJfl c6 14 dxc6 �xc6 I S ttJg3 'i'c7 16 �e3 llad8 with complicated play (Szalanczy-Mikhalchishin, Budapest 1 990). 10 h6 g5 11 �h4 A committing move, but without get ting rid of the pin Black cannot solve his opening problems. As shown by the Uk rainian player Bondarets, he need not fear 1 2 �xg5 hxg5 1 3 iLlxgS in view of 1 3 . . . .Ilf8. At various stages of the Archangelsk Variation 's development, Black has tried both 1 1 . .. O-Q and I \ ...'ii'd7 followed by 12 . . . 0--0-0, but in the resulting sharp play White's chances were nevertheless better. 12 �g3 � 12 ...'ii'e7 with the idea of . . . h6-hS is also interesting.

1 22

The critical position of the variation. White is at the cross-roads. How can he exploit the pawn weaknesses on both wings? The first idea that suggests itself is the elimination o f the central pawn tension by 13 dxeS liJxeS 14 liJxe5 dxe5, trans posing into a stable structure where these weaknesses should te ll. However, this is not so, and i n Van der Wiel-Be lyavsky (Am sterdam 1 990) after 1 5 'lifO ne8 1 6 liJd2 �e7 1 7 h3 liJd7 1 8 liJfl '1Wf6 1 9 liJh2 'iih o 20 liJxO �g7 2 1 �ad I lle7 Black achieved a completely level endgame. I n the game Prandstetter- Mikhalch ishin (Donmund 1 990) White tried attacking the g-pawn by 13 h4, but a fter I J . . . g4 14 liJh2

The logical follow-up to the previous move. After 16 4.Jb3 B lack carries out his idea of 16 . . .�h8, . . . llg8 and . . . liJf4, probing the weak point g2.

16 17

4.Jxg3 h xg3

The attempt to achieve more by 1 7 axb5 axb5 1 8 'ifixb5 exd4 1 9 �xc6 �xc6 20 'lIt'xc6 dxcJ 2 1 bxcJ allows B lack to attack on the kingside after 2 1 . . . 4.Jh5 with the threat of . . . g5-g4.

17 18 19

axb5 �xc6

�xd5 22 :aa l

�a8 would have given

hS 1 5 'ftc I ( I S 'lifd2 ! ? 'i'h7 1 6 .!iJa3 ! ? 'ifie7

B lack a good gam e.

came into consideration, with a com p l i cated game) 1 5 . . .'.t> h 7 16 'i'g5 :g8! Blac k developed a dangerous attack. Dolmatov takes a different path, but i t turns out that it too has its minuses. 13 'lIf d 3

19 20

The queen suppons the pawn centre, but in so doing it comes within range of B lack ' s king's knight. Under the influence of this game, Dolmatov later experimented

exd4 axb5

19 'i'xbS dxc3 20 bxc3 4.Ja 7 21 Z:xa7

4.Jxd4

�xc6

20 cxd4? g4 21 e5 ·tlfg6 would have led to loss of material.

20 21

4.J2f3?

22 23 24

!Drs exrs bxc3

Now B lack has the prospect of an outside passed pawn on the queenside, which to a cenain extent restricts White's play.

24 25 26

llxel 4.Jh2

l:txe 1+ �g7

26 g4 came into consideration.

26 27 28 29 30

g4

h5 h4

4.Jf3 �d2

l:ta8 l:ta4

4.Jh2

Equally hopeless is 3 0 �xg5+ �xg5 J I 4.JxgS �g4 32 4.Je4 d5 33 liJd2 h3 .

30 31 32

l:tcl �e3

41

�xrs bxc3

this. Adrian, who was one of the leading experts on the A rchange lsk Variation but had given up playing it, became convinced of the effectiveness of this new idea, and as a result expressed the desire to return to his old love. B ut I was the one who had the fortune to carry it out first.

l:tc4 �a5

Game 46

Nunn-Belyavsky Amsterdam 1 990

�d7

Ruy Lopez C 7 8

e4

This defence of f2 leaves the knights overloaded. 21 :e2 ' was stronger. Now B lack firmly seizes the initiative.

2 3 4 5

The

7

'i'f6 Cladouras-Mikhalch ish i n

of an attack on the g- file (after .. .' �h8 and . . . :g8) \Vhite successfully counterattacks on the queenside with 1 7 a4.

llae8 a4

liJf3 � b5 �a4

� �b3 c3

e5 liJc6 a6 4.Jf6 b5 �b7

It was in this branch of the variation

4.Jh5

game

15 16

6

that a surprise awaited Nunn. The English grandmaster, wel l known for his opening erudition, had of course no suspicion of

4.Jbd2

( B udapest 1 990) continued 1 4 . . .liJxg3 1 5 hxg3 'ifif6 1 6 �d5 g4 1 7 liJh4 .:lae8 with a compl icated game, 15 �d5 A subtle manoeuvre. Now in the event of IS . . .4.JN'l! 16 �xf4 gxf4 with the idea

l:tb4 �b3 Wbite resigns

Once, when reviewing the latest informa tion, I came across a game played with the Archangelsk Variation, in which I was not an expert, where I discovered the idea of a piece sacri fice which seemed wonh trying. [ told my colleague Mikhalchishin about

against Zak (Tel Aviv 1 99 1 ) with 13 'lIfd2, but here too after 1 3 . . . liJh5 1 4 a4 liJxg3 I 5 hxg3 '1l'f6 1 6 �dS exd4! B lack solved his problems.

13 14

1 23



32

d5!

this.

Defending the rook. The c3 pawn will not run away.

21

b4!

Black immediately emphasises the drawbacks to White's previous move by striking on the flank where j u st now the opponent was attacking, since 22 cxb4? is not possible because o f 22 . . . g4.

33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

�e8 �d7 l:tdl �xb2 l:tel g3 fxg3 �g2

�xc3 �e5 �xb2+ c6 l:txg4 bxg3+ l:tb4 l:tb2+

7 8

d4

liJ.le4 liJaS

Black has also tried 8. ..�e7 9 .e2 dS 10 dxe5, but now after 1 0 . . . 4.Ja5 1 I �c2 c5 12 4.Jbd2 liJxd2 13 �xd2 o!tJc4 14 .i.f4

are not easy him (Kindermann-Nikolic, Munich 1 990). He also has problems after I O . . .�

(}--{) I S b3 4.Jb6 1 6 e6! things

for

I I l:td I , e.g. I I . . . ttJaS 1 2 .i.c2 .c8 1 3 4.Jbd2 •g4 1 4 h 3 • g6 I S liJxe4 dxe4 1 6

1 24


lLld2 .!lad8 1 7 J::re I f5 1 8 exf6 'ii'xf6 1 9 lLlxe4 fr'c6 20 �e3 lLlc4 2 1 �d4 lLlxb2 22 "'g4 with an attack for White (Kalegin Ibragimov, Russia 1 997).

9 �c2 White commences a forcing l ine. 9 lLlxe5 has also been played: 9 . . . lLlxb3 1 0 fr'xb3 'iii f6 I I f3 ( I I c4 'i'e6! or I I tLld2 can also be considered) 1 1 . .. �c5 1 1 !LJg4' (after 12 lid I !LJe6 13 a4 �d6 14 'i'e2 c5 ' B lack ' s chances are better, Anand Mikhalch ishin, Moscow GMA 1 9 89) 1 2 ... lLlxb3 13 lLlxf6 + gxf6 (at Linares 1 99 2 I f1 ippantly played 13 ...e 7?? against Ivanchuk, and got away with a sl ight fright after 14 axb3 �xf6, after discovering to my surprise in later analysis that after 1 4 �g5 ! tiJxa I W h ite has a forced mate: I 5 !:re l + -;t1d6 1 6 �f4+ �c6 1 7 dS+ �c5 1 8 b4+ �c4 1 9 !LJa3+ �xc3 20 lLle4+ �xb4 2 1 :Ib I + �a3 22 lLlc3 ! and 23 � c l mate) 1 4 :e l + �e7 15 axb3 d6 16 �f4 �d7 1 7 lLld2 a5 1 8 lLlf1 �d5 1 9 c4! with the better ending for White (Wolff-Tal, San Fran cisco 1 990). 9 exd4 10 b4 The most popular move at that time, After 10 :e I ? ! d5 1 1 lLlxd4 Black obtains active counterplay: (a) l l .. .c5 12 lUf5 'ii'd 7 1 3 lUe3 (Mi los recommends 13 f3 ! 'ii'xf5 14 fxe4 dxe4 1 5


lild2 (}-{H) 1 6 'ii'e2 with the idea of lilxe4 and a2-a4) 1 3 . . . {}-{H) 1 4 D d4' 1 5 cxd4 cxd4 with slightly the better chances for Black (Zapata-Milos, Recife 1 99 1 ); (b) 1 1 . .. .ltd6 1 2 lUf5 (after 1 2 D Black can force a draw by 1 2 . . . .ltxh2 + 1 3 �xh2 fr'h4+ 1 4 g I 'ill' f2 + or attack with 12 . . . fr'h4) 1 2 . . . 0-0 1 3 lLld2 tIeS 14 lLlxe-l ' dxe4 1 5 'tifg4 'i'f6 1 6 �gS �g6, and hert! in the game Sadvakasov-V . I vanov (Russia 1 996) White should have played 1 7 Ihe4 ' ixe4 1 8 ixe4 h5 1 9 'i'h4 '1'ie6 20 D , although evt!n here after 2 0 . . . ::::' a c8 Black's chances are better. 10 lLlc-l 11 12 13

.I.

.ltxe4 .!leI lLlxd4

17

�hl

Nunn prefers to remove h i s king from the pin immediately. It stands to reason that later this position was subjected to a serious analysis. When in the last, decisive round of the 57th USSR Championship (Len ingrad 1 990) I again chose the Arch angelsk Variation, my opponent Semion Dvoiris was well prepared: 1 7 .!lxe4 fr'd5.

.ltxe4 d5

� . 1. X i .l � '

c5! 13 It was this discovery that I discussed with Mikhalchishin. It turns out that Black's position is sustained by this piece sacrifice: he is able to exploit the fact that White's queen 's knight is undeveloped. Before this Black used to play 1 3 ... �d6 1 4 D li'h4, sacri ficing a piece, but not obtaining any real attack. 14 �xcS bxc5

15

i t i s not apparent how White can develop his queenside.

f3

�

fxe4 dxe4 16 The outcome of the opening is this: B lack has only one pawn for the piece, but

1 8 .:r.h4 (after 18 'i'D lUeS ! 19 'i'fS :ae8 20 lUd2 b4 2 1 !:rh4 g6 22 lUe4! �xd4+ 23 cxd4 li'xd4+ Black has a good game, Hellers-Shirov, Stockholm 1 990) 1 8 ... !tad8 (with the idea of . . . bS-b4) 1 9 'i'd3 fS 2 0 �g5 !:rde8 2 1 lUd2 lUeS 22 li'f1 f4 23 �h I (nevertheless it transpires that White cannot manage without this move, as if 23 !:rxf4 !:rxf4 Black gains the advantage after both 24 �xf4 �xd4+ 25 cxd4 li'xd4+ 26 �h I l:t£8 27 g3 g5, and 24 li'xf4 lilg6 25 'i'g4 hS 26 'ii'x.h 5 �xd4+ 27 � h l �xc3 28 l:tf1 l:te6) 23 ... lUg6 24 l:th5 �xd4 25 cxd4 h6 26 'i'd3 'ii'f5 2 7 �3+ !:rf7 28 lUD l:te3 with a complicated game, which finally ended in a draw. 17 l:te8 According to analysis by Zadrim, after 1 7 ... b4 1 8 lUd2 �xd4 1 9 cxd4 'ii'xd4 20 !:rb l ! lile3 (20 ... lUxd2 21 'i'xd2 'ii'xd2 22 �xd2 fS 23 �xb4 also favours White) 2 1

125

'i'e2 lUc2 22 'i'xe4 'ii'c3 23 l:tb3 'i'c5 24 l:tg l l:tfe8 25 'ii'c 4 White gains the advantage. �e3 18 There is no time to prevent . . . b5-b4, since if 1 8 a3? there follows 1 8 . . . e3 ! Simplifying by 1 8 lUd2 �xd4 1 9 cxd4 'i'xd4 20 lUb3 'ii'x d I 2 1 l:txd I e3 is also no better. lUxe3 18 llxe3 b4 19 20 bxc3?! tiJd2 A careless move, which allows White adroitly to block the c-pawn with his knights. After 20 ...�xd4 21 cxd4 li'xd4 22 lUf1 fr'e5 it would have been much more difficult for him to hold the position. 21 ttJ2b3 c2 22 'i'd2 �b6 22 ... !:rc8 ! ? also came into consideration, but I did not want to give up the pin. !:rc3 23

Here I though for a long time over how to exploit the pin on the d-file, but I failed to find anything decisive. For example, 23 ... 'i'd5 succeeds only after the immediate capture of the pawn: 24 tLlxc2? 'i'xd2 25 lUxd2 �a5 or 24 l:txc2? e3 25 Wd3 !:rad8 26 lld l �xd4 27 lLlxd4 (27 'ii'xd4 loses immediately to 27 . . . e2 ! ) 27. . .h5 28 'We2 ( 2 8 h3 Wxd4 29 Wxd4 l:txd4 30 l:txd4 e2 leads to a rook ending

126

with Black a pawn up) 2 8 .. Jle4 29 llc4 llg4 30 Ir.a4 (or 30 h3 l:txg2 3 1 'iWxg2 'iWxc4 32 'i'e4 e2 and wins) 30 ... 'tWe4, when White's pieces are completely pin ned and the infiltration of the black pieces is merely a question of time. But by first playing 24 tZ:le2, White unravels his forces after 24 . . . 'ilf'xd2 25 tZ:lxd2 .!lac8 26 tZ:lc4, and then picks up the pawn. B lack also does not have time for 2 3 ... 11a7, strengthening the pin: 24 l'lxc2 lld7 25 llc4 ! ? as 26 a4 e3 27 'tWc3 e2 2 8 lle l 'i'f6 2 9 'li fJ ,*xfJ (29 .. JIxd4 3 0 'tWxf6 lld I fails to 3 1 'tir'h4) 3 0 gxfJ and White eliminates the e-pawn wh ile . retaining his extra piece. e3 23 llxe3 llxe3 24 25 'tWxe3 a5 '*d7 26 a4

27

llci

'tWxa4

After 27 . .. llc8 Black feels the weakness of his back rank: 28 '*h3 ! 'tf'd8 29 'i'd3 'Wf6 30 h3 , and all the same White picks up the c2 pawn. But now he has another passed pawn on the a-file, which gives him hopes. 28 llxc2 'W b 4

29

lld2?

Fortunately for me, my opponent, who was in rather bad time trouble, leaves the queens on, whereas after their exchange it

would have been easier to block the a pawn: 29 'Wd2! 'Wxd2 3 0 lIxd2 a4 3 1 tZ:la l Ir.c8 32 tZ:le2.

29

would have led t o a heavy piece ending with all the pawns on one flank.

a4

a3 30 tZ:lc1 Reminding White that his back rank is also weak: 3 1 tZ:la2? 'tWb 1 + 3 2 'Wg i 'ti'xg l + 33 �xg l lld8 and wins. 'iWbl b3 31 Ir.d8 32 'tWgl 3 2 ... llc8 was also possible. a2 tZ:lcb3 33 Ir.d l 'tWb2 34

35

127



'tWel

�d2

4

�e7

Black tries to disrupt the development of the white pieces: for example, now White is unable to fianchetto his queen's bishop .

g6

How long can the tension be maintained? But in this respect 3S ... h6 was more accurate, threatening to capture on d4. After the immediate 3 S ... �xd4 3 6 :xd4 (not 3 6 tZ:lxd4? h6 and 36 . . . :xd4) 36 . .. .l:tf8 3 7 lld3 'ir'b I White consolidates w ith 3 8 'iWd I . 36 'tWe7? White m isses a good chance with 3 6 lld2 ! : (a) 3 6 . .. 'tWb 1 3 7 lld l 'Wb2 3 8 lld2 'tWaJ 39 'tWa l Ir.a8 40 :1c2 �d8 4 1 ttJc 1 'tWe3 , and after, say, 42 tZ:lce2 �f6 43 :1xa2 llxa2 44 'iWxa2 �xd4 45 tZ:lxd4 'Wxd4 Black's pawn advantage is insufficient for a win in the queen ending; (b) 36 . . . 'Wc3 37 tZ:lfS ! llf8 38 ttJe7+ �h8 39 ttJd5 'Wxb3 40 'Wa l + f6 4 1 tZ:lxb6. 'iWxb6 42 'Wxa2, and again Black has no real winning chances. 36 'Wc3 ?! A mistake in reply. Black could have regained his piece by 3 6 ... llxd4 37 'We8+ �g7 38 'We5+ �h6, when his king escapes from the checks, whereas now White finally is able to approach the next queening candidate. 'Wc4 37 lln 'Wf6 38 38 'We2 'Wa4 39 Ir.a l �xd4 40 lilid4 llxd4 4 1 :txa2 lld l + 42 �h2 'Wf4+ 43 g3

4

have not felt well d is posed to the move 4 tZ:ld2 since the time of my game with Makarychev (47th USSR Champion ship, Minsk 1 979), where after 4 . . . c5 5 a3 �xd2+ 6 'ti'xd2 cxd4 7 ll:\o b5 8 cxb5 �b7 9 'i'xd4 'i'a5+ 1 0 'i'b4 'i'xb4+ I I axb4 a6 Black achieved a good game.

38 39

l:txd4! tZ:lxd4?

The last of a series of errors, which can be explained only by severe time trouble. After 39 lle I ! lle4 40 llxe4 'tWxe4 4 1 'Wxb6 'tWb l + 42 �h2 a l 'tW 43 'Wd8+ the queen ending should again be a draw.

�xd4

39 40

'Wf4

'i'xn +!

White resigns In my 1 4th and last USSR Championsh ip i n 1 990 I was leading before the last round. After a draw with Sem ion Dvoiris I was caught by three other players, but on the tie-break the title of USSR Champion went to me. This was for the fourth time.

4 . . . cS is sometimes played here, in analogy with the similar variation of .the Queen's Indian Defence, where instead of 3 g3 White has played 3 ll:\ O . But, as shown by the game Belyavsky-Grosar (Portoroz 1 996), there is a sign i ficant difference: 5 �xb4 cxb4 6 �g2 0--0 7 e4! (White develops his knight at e2, where it controls d4 from an invulnerable position) 7 . . .d6 8 tZ:le2 e5 9 0--0 ll:\c6 1 0 a3 bxa3 I I tZ:lxa3 as 1 2 'i'd2 b6 1 3 llfd I �a6 1 4 b3 :e8 1 5 ll:\c2 'i'c7 1 6 ll:\e3 g6 1 7 tZ:lf5 �c8 1 8 '1lI'gS �xf5 1 9 exfS c3 ! �b7 25 'i'xa6 �xa6, and B lack maintained the balance.

11

g4

This may not be the best move. I I q;,b I I ?, as played against me by Chemin in a quick-play game (Aubervilliers 1 996). not only moves the king to a safer square, but also threatens the d5 pawn (it is not possible to win it immediately: I I cxd5 lUxd5 1 2 lUxd5 exd5 13 .l:xd5? �xe3+).

11 12

!tfc8 '1t>bl

'Wb6 1 7 !tc I lUe4 with dangerous threats; (c) 14 lUc3 �xa3 ! 1 5 bxa3 'i'xa3 1 6 'Wb2 .!lab8 1 7 �xb8 llxb8 1 8 lUb5 'i'a5 and B lack regains his piece with a continuing attack. Wh ite also cannot be satisfied with 1 3 cxd5 b4! , when he comes under a fierce attack after both 14 dxc6 �xc6 I S axb4 �xb4 1 6 �e2 .txc3 1 7 bxc3 �e4 1 8 !td3 :lab8+, and 1 4 lUa4 �f8 I S dxc6 �xc6. The inclusion of 13 g5 lUh5 and now 1 4 cxb5 runs into 1 4 . . . lUxf4 ! (not 1 4. . .lUe7? 1 5 �e5 a6 1 6 b4 'Wxa3 1 7 bxc5 axb5 1 8 'i'b2, when White parries the threats, retaining his extra piece) 1 5 exf4 (both 1 5 bxc6 �xc6 1 6 exf4 d4 1 7 lUe4 �xa3 and 1 5 'Wa4 d4! also favour B lack) 1 5 . . .lUe7 1 6 lUeS �e8, when Black gains the advantage. 13 lUe 7 14 lUd2 White threatens a fork, and defends against the threat of 14 ... �xa3, on which there follows I S lUbJ 'i'b4 16 lld4. But 1 4 �eS ! ? and 1 4 !tc I ! ? are also interesting.

14 15 Here Boris offered a draw, which I accepted. However, this game was 'con tinued' at the 1 996 Olympiad. Vladim ir Akopian did not offer a draw, and I decided to prevent the threatened check at f6 by 20 ... f5, after which I was consider ably surprised by the reply 2 1 lUf6+! It turned out this move had been analysed i n one o f the issues of New in Chess, which I had not seen. The game continued 2 1 . . J 1xf6 22 �c7 �h6 23 .!ld8+ !tf8 24 .!lxf8+ �xf8 25 !td 1 �d7 26 !txd7 b5 27 �b I .!le8. and when Akopian failed to find the best continuation 2 8 !tf7+ �g8 29 �d7 !tf8 30 !te7, and played instead 28 �e5? !te7, I managed to escape from the vice. The best defence against the check at

12 13

131



b5! exb5

After 1 3 lUxb5 a6 ( 1 3 ...liJe7 ! is also good - Ftacnik) White is drawn into forc ing play, where Black' s attack develops of its own accord: (a) 14 �c7 llxc7 1 5 lUxc7 'Wxc7 1 6 cxd5 �6!? 1 7 dxc6 �xc6 with the threat of . . . �O and . . . �e4; (b) 14 liJbd4 lUxd4 1 5 lOxd4 ( 1 5 exd4 �xa3 16 bxa3 �xa3) 1 5...�a4 1 6 'ird2

'i'd8! lUb3

15 �e2 was simpler, completing his development, but White was hoping after I S ... �b6 to develop his bishops more actively by 16 �d3 lUg6 17 �g5. However, disillusionment awaits him. 15 lUe4! Attacking the c3 knight, which i s covering the queen. Now if 1 6 lUxe4 there follows 1 6 . . . �xe3 1 7 �xc8 !txc8 1 8 �xe3 dxe4 with advantage to B lack, while if 1 6 �e5 Black diverts the bishop with 1 6 . . . �d6 ! 1 7 �xd6 liJxd6, gaining the advantage.

16 17

lUxeS .i.e5

llxcS lUxc3+

The simplest. If 1 7 ... lUg6 1 8 �d4 lUxc3+ 1 9 bxc3 llcc8 20 f4 and White stands better, while after 17 ...�xb5 1 8

�xe4! dxe4 1 9 11xd8+ llxd8 20 �d4 !txc3 2 1 bxc3 .txfl 22 !txfl lUc6 23 �c2 he again has the better chances, e.g. 23 . . . e5 24 �c5 lld5 25 �b4 as 26 c4.

18 19

�xc3 �xb5

�xb5

Of course, not 1 9 b4 �a4!

19 20

llxb5 h4

The situation appears to have clarified, but the apparent simplic ity is deceptive. White's king is less securely covered, and he has to reckon with the possible man oeuvre of the knight to c4, from where it attacks the a3 and b2 pawns. White hopes by the advance of his h-pawn to lengthen the a l -h8 diagonal for h i s bishop, but even so I was more afraid of 20 f4! ? with the idea of f4-f5.

20

.!le8? !

Too slow. After 2 0. . .lOe8! th e knight could have gone via b6 or d6 to c4 with dangerous threats: 2 1 h 5 lUd6 22 h6 ltJc4 23 �a l (23 'Wxh7+ does not work: 23 . . .�xh7 24 hxg7+ �g6 25 llh8 liJxb2 26 �xb2 :'xb2+ 27 �xb2 �f6+) 23 . . . g6 24 �d3 :tab8 2 5 f4 'iii'b 6 . Things are even worse for White after 2 1 'Wa4 liJd6 22 'Wd4 f6 23 g5 e5 24 'Wg4 f5 25 'irg3 lOe4 26 �xe5 �6.

21 22

h5 'Wa4?!

�d6

132


A mistake in reply. Gelfand did not l ike 22 h6 tixa3 23 hxg7 lUg6 24 lld3 'i'a6! with the threat of . . . lla5, when Black' s attack gets there first: 25 'i!i'e2 llb3 2 6 llc I llcb8! or 25 'i'd l e5 26 g5 d4 ! 27 'i'h5 Wxg7 etc., but in defending the a3 pawn White removes a defender from the b2 pawn. The simplest was 22 Wa l l , with less predictable consequences. 22 'i'b8! �es 'i'b7 23 2..

gs?!

The im med iate 24 :tc I was better, although after 24 . . . lUc6 25 h6 f6 26 JLc3 llb8 B lack's initiative is very dangerous. 2.. lUc6 llcl 25

25

26 27 28

�xd4 �c3

gxf7+ 'i'f4+

.::I.a 6 �x f7 �g8

lUd4! White resigns

"d6

Game 49

Belyavsky-Timman Linares 1 9 9 1 King's Indian Defence E86

1

d4

2

c4

3 4 5

lU c3

6

7

lUgc2 'i'd2

e4

lUf6 g6 �g7 d6

f3

0--{)

�e3

e5 c6

8 ttJbd7 9 � The alternative here is 9 dS. For exam ple, the game Timman-Kasparov (Am sterdam 1 996) continued 9 . . . cxdS 1 0 cxd5 a6 I I g4 h5 1 2 h 3 lUh7 1 3 :g l ! h4 14 tOc l :;h8 I S -Db3 � f6 1 6 g5 �e7 1 7 0--0--0 f6 with complicated play. 9 a6

c 5 ! b4 1 2 lUa4 d 5 ! with a complicated game), I chose the simplest one, not often seen in grandmaster play.

10

b5

A race typical of this variation now

commences. The blockading 1 0 ... h5 is un favourable in view of I I dxe5 dxe5 (after l l ...lUxe5 1 2 lUf4 the d6 pawn is a serious weakness) 12 lUa4 ( 1 2 � b l followed by lUc l is also good) 1 2 ... 'i'e7 1 3 c5, fixing the weak b6 and d6 squares in B lack's position. 11 h5 "as It is well known that after 1 1 ... lUxh5 1 2 �h6 with the threat of g2-g4 White i s the first to get at the enemy king. Now the queen is attacking the a2 pawn, but it is unsupported, and White's threats on the kingside are more real. 1 1 . . . lUb6 looks more logical.

12

�h6

13 14 Black prepares a flank attack. 9 .....a5?! I 0 �b 1 bS is premature in view of 1 1 cxbS cxbS 12 tUdS ! ? "xd2 1 3 ttJe7+ �h8 1 4 :xd2 �b7, and here in Meulders-Minero (Novi Sad Olympiad 1 990) White could have gained the advantage by 1 5 d S ! llae8 (weaker is 1 5 ... a6 1 6 1Dc3 ttJc5 1 7 b4) 1 6 ttJc6 with the idea o f tUa5 (Meulders).

10

h4

Of the numerous continuations (of which the most common is I 0 �b I bS I I

"xh6 lU b !

133

Dolmatov played the spectacular 23 . . .11xfS ! (instead of 23 . . . .i.x(5) 24 exfS .i.xf5, when White cannot hold out against the pawn avalanche. The logical comple tion of White' s opening idea was 1 8 g5! tUxh5 and only now 19 lLlg3 with a dan gerous attack, e.g. 1 9 . . . fS 20 lLlxh5 gxh5 2 1 �c4+ �h8 22 llxhS 'i'g7 23 llch2 etc.

�xh6!

It is useful to divert the queen from the centre. After 1 2 . . . b4 I J lUb I ..-xa2 14 lUg3 exd4 I S �xg7 �xg7 ( 1 5 ... lUc5 is not dangerous: 1 6 "h6 lUb3+ 1 7 �c2 lUa l + 1 8 �d2 'i'xb2+ 1 9 �e I lUc2+ 20 f2 tOe3+ 21 �g I tiJfg4 22 fxg4 lUxg4 23 �xd4 "xd4+ 24 .::I.xd4 lUxh6 25 hxg6 with a decisive material advantage) 1 6 "xd4 the queen controls the situation: 16 . . . a5 1 7 "xd6 c5 18 hxg6 fxg6 1 9 e5 with an obvious advantage to White.

d"! llb8 ll:c:b2+

�a! .::I. b6 29 g6 After 29 "c2 'i'a6 30 �a2 Black wins by 30 . . . l:b4! 3 1 g6 hxg6 32 hxg6 (or 32 h6 .::I.a 4 33 h7+ �h8 3 4 �xg7+ �xg7) 32 . . ..::I.a4 33 gxf7+ �xf7 34 "g6+ �xg6 35 .::I. c g l + �f5 .

29 30 31 32


b4 'i'xa2

15 lUg3 Two years later, after Kasparov had neutralised the plan associated with this move, I found another continuation 1 5 :d2, which I employed against Dolmatov (Novosibirsk 1 993). The game continued I S . . . 'i'xc4+ 16 l:c2 "e6 1 7 g4 'i'e7 and here I could not refrain from 1 8 lUg3?!, when after 18 ...exd4 1 9 g5 lUg4! 20 fxg4 lUeS 2 1 hxg6 fxg6 22 lUf5 gxf5 23 gxfS I would have been virtually lost, had

15 lLlb6 It also looks good to include this knight in the attack via c5, which can be vacated by 1 S ... exd4. Now in the event of 1 6 llxd4 lLlcs 1 7 llxd6 lUb3+ 1 8 �c2 lLla l + 1 9 �c I lLlb3+ Black gives perpetual check. The attack 1 6 'i'g5 looks more dangerous: (a) 1 6 ... 1L1c5 (this knight raid proves unsuccessful) 1 7 "xf6 lLlb3+ 1 8 �c2 1Lla 1 + 1 9 �d2 'i'xb2+ 20 �e l lUc2+ 2 1 �f2 lLle3+ 22 lld2 'i'b3 2 3 .i.d3 and wins (but not 23 h6? lLlg4+!); (b) 16 ... 1L1e8 1 7 lLlf5 ttJcs and White breaks through Black's defences by 1 8 1Lle7+ �g7 1 9 hxg6 lLlb3+ 2 0 �c2 lLla l + 2 1 �d3 'i'b3+ 22 lLlc3 fxg6 23 llxh7+; (c) 16 ... :e8 1 7 lLlf5 lLlc5! and after vacating an escape path for his king, Black holds the position: 1 8 'i'xf6 (or 1 8 lLlxd4 lLlfd7 with chances for both sides) 1 8 ... .i.xf5 1 9 h6 lLlb3+ 20 �c2 1Lla1 +, and if White persists with 2 1 �d3?, after 2 1 . . . 'i'b3+ 22 ttJc3 �f8 he risks losing.

1 34

16 17

c5! lld2

lUc4

21

'i'g5

Here also it was not too late for 2 1 �c4 !

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

1 35



33 34

tDd2 lLle4

Game 50 BelYllvsky-Salov Reggio Emilia 199112 English Opening A30

�g7

'lWd8 lLld7 g5! �xfS f6 �h8

dxe5 'i'h6 tDrs

exfS �c.H e6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

tDf3

tD f6

c4 tDc3 g3 i.g2

e6 b6 c5 i.b7 tDc6

0--{)

e4

The other method of development is 7 d4 lLlxd4 8 tDxd4 i.xg2 9 �xg2 cxd4 1 0 'i'xd4 'i'c 8.

17 tD x d 2? Winning the exchange proves to be the decisive m istake, as Black 's attack peters out, whereas White ' s is still to come. 17 . . .tDa5 was essential. as played in the game Belyavsky-Kasparov (Linares 1 99 3 ), which after I S cxd6 lUb3+ 1 9 �c2 tUa 1 + 20 �c l 8b3+ 2 1 �c2 tDa l + 22 �c l ended in a draw by perpetual check. 18 19 20

lLlxd2 tDbl cxd6?!

'i'a1+ �e6

White m isses a chance t o break up t h e opponent's k i n g position b y the divertin g 2 0 i.c4 ! , exploiting the fact that Black cannot take the bishop w ith 20 ... i.xc4? because of 2 1 tDf5 gxfS 22 'i'g5+ �hS 23 'lWxf6+. However, defending the e6 bishop i s also inadequate: (a) 20 ... llae8 2 1 cxd6 �a5 22 d7 lle7 (22...�xc4 23 tD f5) 23 tDf5 �xf5 24 exf5 llxd7 (B lack also loses after 24 . . . exd4 2 5 hxg6 'lWxfS 2 6 'lWx..f8+) 25 hxg6 'lWdS 2 6 dxe5 with a winning position; (b) 20 ... llfeS 2 1 cxd6 'lWa5 (or 2 l ...�xc4 22 lLlfS gxfS 23 �g5+ �f8 24 'lWxf6) 22 tDfS ! �xf5 23 exfS exd4 24 hxg6 with a quick win.

20

�1l5

34 In time trouble Timman misses the

Can one exchange?

27 28

want

any

:!.d 1

more

for

the

tDe5 tDxc4

By giving up a piece: 28 ... lla7 29 e7 llxe7 30 dxe7 'lWxe7 3 1 lLld2 lId8 32 b3 lLlxc4 33 lLlxc4 :xd I + 3 4 'it>xd I �g8 Black could have forestalled the pawn invasion. B ut not for long: after 35 tDd2 and tDe4 he is doomed.

29

e7

'lWe8

After the 'exchange' of queens 29 ... tDe3 ? 30 exd8'i' :r.axd8 3 1 lle l furs 32 �x..f8 + .llxf8 the d-pawn has the final word: 33 d7 tDd6 34 lle6 tDb7 35 tDd2 h8 35 J:[e2 i.c3 1:1f4 36 i.eS 37 J:[h4 lUxe6 ne8 dxe6 38 'i'g8 39 �fS 40 c;t>g2 l:te7 40 ... :xe6 is met by 4 1 l:txh7+. But now comes an explosion.

l:txe3 ! bxaS g4

xg5?!

Evidently tired after his brilliant strategic play, Salov hurries to regain the e3 pawn. He could have achieved the same aim by 27 ... .i.e5 ! with the threat of an attack on the kingside, for example: 28 :fl fS 29 'i'b l 'WgS 30 J:[f2 (or 30 l:tce l h S ! ) 30 . . .'i'xe3, and now after 3 1 J:[cfl lOdJ 3 2 J:[xfS l:txfS 33 l:txfS B lack has perpetual check by 33 . . . lUf2+.

41

l:txe5!

fxe5

Black also has a lost position after 4 l ...dxeS 42 'i'xf6+ 'i'g7 43 'WfS followed by J:[g4. 42

l:tg4

43 44 45 46

�d7 f6

�hl First 27 J:[fl is more accurate, and only i f 2 7 . . . .i.gS 28 �h l . 27

1 37


l:tg7

h5 'i'f6 'Was+ llg6 'Wb7 �h3 l:th6+ Black resigns

Game 5 1 Belyavsky-Gelfand Linares 1992

Slav Defence D 1 0 1 2 3

d4 c4 lUc3

d5 c6 e5

At that time White had not yet found a clear-cut way to gain an advantage in the Winawer Gambit. dxe5 d4 4 5 6

lUe4 lUd2

'Wa5+

When this game was played, Kasparov had not yet demonstrated the virtues of 6 xd2. This occurred in his game with Nikolic at the 1 992 Olympiad in Manila: 6 . . . 'WxeS 7 lUg3 'Wd6 8 lUD lUf6 9 'i'c2 i.e7 (9 ... xe6 1 0 lUe4 ! ) 1 0 (}...()....{) ()....{) I I e3 dxe3 1 2 fxe3 'Wc7 1 3 xc3 xg4? 14 i.d3 lObd7 IS �f5 xxfS (or 1 5 ....:tad8 16 i.xg4 lUxg4 1 7 xxg7 lOxe3 1 8 'Wd2! �xg7 19 'Wxe3 with advantage to White) 1 6 lUxfS llfe8 1 7 lUxg7! �xg7 1 8 'WfS lUf8 1 9 h4! h6 and here, as shown by Kasparov, 20 'Wg4+! lUg6 (20 ...�h8· 2 1 lUgS! i.d8 22 llxd8!) 2 1 h 5 'i'b6 2 2 hxg6 'i'xe3+ 23 � b l fxg6 24 'Wh4 would have . led to a quick win. Subsequently the stronger 1 3 ... lUa6 was played, but after 1 4 a3 lUg4 (or 1 4 ...lUc5 1 5 b4 lUcd7 1 6 liJf5 lle8 1 7 cS b5 1 8 g4! with the initiative for White, Krasenkov Yanofsky, Hastings 1 99213) 1 5 J:[e l xf6 1 6 i.d4! g6 1 7 .i.d3 J:[e8 1 8 �b 1 xd7 1 9 ti:Je4 White still has the better chances (Marin-Cosma, Bucharest 1 994). 6

lUh6

138

Uncompromising Chess 1 99 1 ) continued 12 0-0 .i.xd2 13 'i'xd2

2 3

�xd2 1 4 tUxd2 tUd7 I S tUo as with equal chances. 1 0 ... tUd7 runs into I I e6. However, at f5 the bishop has no future, and with 10 ... tUa6 ! ? I I �g2 .i.e6 1 2 0-0 exd2 1 3 �xd2 �b6+ B lack could have hoped for more.

Gelfand chooses a sharp vanatlon, originally recommended by Euwe. 6 ... tUd7 is considered sounder, although B lack has to reckon with 7 e6 fxe6 8 g3 , for example : 8 . . . tUeS 9 'i'c2 tUf6 1 0 �g2 �e7 I I tUh3 tUf7 1 2 0-0 eS 13 f4 ! with the in itiative for White (Timman-Nikolic, Manila Olympiad 1 992), or 8 ... tUgf6 9 �g2 eS 10 tUgf3 .i.e 7 I I 0-0 �c7 1 2 b3 0-0 1 3 �b2, and here i n the game H.Olafsson-Hertneck (Man i l a O lympiad 1 992) B lack should have played 1 3 . . . lle8, which would have led to an unc lear position. 6 . . . �g4 has also been played. For example, the game Epishin-Shabalov (Tilburg 1 993) continued 7 h3 �hS 8 g4 .i.g6 9 tUgf} hS! 10 .i.g2 hxg4 I I tUxd4 ( I I hxg4 lWl I + 12 �xh l tUh6 ! favours B lack) 1 1 . . . tUd7 1 2 e6 tUeS 1 3 exf7+ �xf7 1 4 ttJ4b3 �c7 I S ttJe4 tUxc4 1 6 �g5 ! .i.dS with equal chances, but perhaps Black could have tried for more with 1 5 . . . l::td 8 ! ?

7 8

tUgO g3

12 13 14 15

fxe3

15 16 17 18

xg5 i.e7+ 3 1 lUxe7+ .tI.xe7 32 �g4! is better, but perhaps the soundest is 29 lUfe3 lUe4 30 .tIhfl fol lowed by c;t;>h3 . Then 30 . . . lUf2+ does not work because of 3 1 .:hf2 and 32 lUc7+. 29 lUe4 30 .tI.ad l ?! 30 lUfe3 was correct, when after 30 . . . lUf2+? 3 1 .tI.xf2 ':xf2 32 lUc7+ �d7 33 lUxa8 :Ixh2 34 ':fl �h6 35 lUb6+ \t;c6 36 lUed5 !1xb2 37 ': f7 Black has no compensation for the piece, and indeed he has to give up his rook to avoid mate, e.g. 3 7 . . . b4 38 llc7+ �b5 39 c4+ a5 40 c 5 b 3 4 1 lUc4+ �b5 4 2 lUxb2 bxa2 4 3 lDc3+. At the same time the pair of connected passed pawns on the g- and h- files is a weighty factor in the endgame, and it only remains for White to consolidate the posit ion of his king: 30 . . . !1h7 3 1 .llad l i.h6 32 q;O, or 3 0 ... .tIaa7 3 1 �h3 i.h6 3 2 c;g2. 30 .tI.aa7 30 . . . .tI.d8, with the idea of evicting the knight from d5 and playing . . . d6-d5, can be met by 3 1 h4 lUf6+ 32 lDxf6 ':xf6 3 3 h5, and if 33 . . . d5 34 .tI.de I , winning material through the threat of 3 5 lUd4+.

I SS


31 lOde3 .tI.ad7 32 �f3! The white monarch is as though laughing at his adversaries (32 . . .11xf5+? 3 3 lUxf5 �xf5 3 4 �e3+). 32 d5 33 g4 i.c5 h4 34 lUf6 Otherwise . . . d5-d4 cannot be played. b4 lldel 35 36 lle2 bxc3 37 bxc3 i.xe3 Possibly it would have been stronger to activate the rook first by 3 7 ... .tI.b7. 38 .llxe3 lUe4 .tI.c7? ! 39 �g2 The second rook would have operated better on this square after the preparatory 39 ... ':b7. Now White fills the ' void' . 40 .ll b l ! .tI.b7 After all B lack has to give in, as he cannot al low the check at b6. l:b3 41 lUd2 42 .llxb7 .tI.xb7 43 .lle2 lObI 43 . . .lUe4 44 c4 is unpleasant for Black. 44 .tI.c2 lUa.3 45 .ll f2 lUbl

46 g5? 46 h 5 lUxc3 47 h6 was stronger: (a) 47...lbe4 48 lbg7+ q;d6 (or 48...�e7 49 J:tfS) 49 J:tf8 lbg5 50 .tI.f5 lUfl

5 1 .tI.xfl! .tI.xfl 52 h7 J:tf8 5 3 g5 q;e7 54 g6 �f6 55 lUe6 the pawns are unstoppable; (b) 47 ... d4 48 lUg7+ q;e7 49 h7 J:tb8 5 0 g5 ! (after SO lUf5+ �f6 ! 5 1 lUxd4+ �g7 52 lUc6 .tI.e8 B lack has drawing chances) 50 ... lOe4 5 1 g6 lUg5 (White wins after 5 l ...lUxf2 52 lUf5+ �f6 53 g7, or 5 1 .. .lUf6 52 lUf5+ �e6 53 lUh6 e4 54 lOg8 llxg8 5 5 .tIxf6+) 5 2 .tI.fl+ lUxfl 5 3 lOf5+ �f6 5 4 g7 llb2+ 55 �g3 lOh6 56 g8'1i lOxg8 5 7 hxg8� �xf5 5 8 'iY' fl + and wins. 46 lLlxc3 47 g6 lld7? Shirov in tum goes wrong, and the game now concludes quickly. After the correct 47 ... lLle4 48 g7 lUf6! Black could have held on: 49 �h3 ttJg8 1 50 h 5 .tI.c7, and if 5 I �g4 llc I ! when the rook assists the knight from the rear. �n 48 g7 h5 �g8 49 h6 50 �h7 51 lUe3 Black resigns The anguish from my failure in the peA tournament was great, but I did not then know that the main unpleasantness lay ahead. The 1 994 Linares Tournament concluded for me with nine defeats and a loss of 35 rating points. The impression from such a ' promising' beginning was somewhat smoothed by successful per formances at tournaments in Leon (Spain) and Munich, but I only managed to defer the creative crisis, and not avoid it. Game 58 Korchnoi-Belyavsky Leon 1994 Queen's Gambit D45 In the race for first place with Ljubomir Ljubojevic this game proved decisive, as his game with Korchnoi ended in a draw.

1 56


1 2 3 4 5

e4 d4

e3 tee3 teD 'i'e2 b3

e6 d5 tef6 e6

tebd7 6 �d6 7 7 SLe2 or 7 SLd3 causes Black more problems. 7 (}-t)

8 9 10 11 12

SLb2 exd 5 dxe5 JLe2 SLxD

e5 exd5 texe5 texD+


�xc3 1 7 �xc3 llc8 1 8 �b4 �d3 , when B lack wins material) 1 5 . . . �e6 1 6 liJf4 nc8 with active play for the pawn. As Korchnoi later mentioned, he did not like 14 .5te2 �g4 1 5 fJ .5th5 16 0-0 -IJkc7 1 7 h3 .5tg6 1 8 JLd3 liJh5 when Black has the initiative on the kingside. 14 � a5 Threatening 1 5 . . . �f5. �b4 15 '1!fd l �d 7 llel 16

Now if 16 ... �f5 there can follow 1 7 g4, but 1 6 . . . �e6 ! ? also came into consider ation. 17 a3 A difficult decision, but how I S 1 7 . . J lac8 to be averted? O f course, 1 7 �xb7? is not possible - 1 7 . . . �xc3 1 8 JLxc3 'it'b5+, winning a piece.

17 18

22 22 23

�xc3

llxc3 1:e3

�al White loses after 2 3 �d2? llxfJ+ 2 4 gxfJ �xfJ+ 25 'Ot>g l � c 6 . In order t o bring his rook into p lay, he has to part with his queens ide pawns.

23 24 25

1:xb3

�f2 �xa4 1:e1 f6 After opening an escape square for his king, Black is threatening to win the queen by 26 . . JIb2+. White parries this, but then comes an attack on the f3 and g2 pawns. 26 �c l �c6

27 28 29 30

'it'f4 h4 � g3

lla3

�c3

�f7

31

'WlS

h5 1:a2

�xc3

.Ihe3 After 1 8 �xc3 �xaJ 1 9 �xb7 :ab8 20 !la l �e7 2 1 �fJ liJe4 22 �xe4 �xe4 White may also have problems on the h 1 a 8 diagonal.

18 19 12

d4!

It is well known that Korchnoi likes accepting pawn offers.

13

exd4?

After this White is deprived of the right to castle and the coordination of his pieces is disrupted. It was correct for him not to take the pawn, but to sacrifice one h imself: 13 liJe4 liJxe4 14 �xe4 dxe3 1 5 0-0 ext2+ 1 6 'it'xt2, with active play in compensation.

13 14

1:e8+

�n In my database I discovered a lighting game Seirawan-Speelman (Roquebrune 1 992), which continued 1 4 liJe2 �b4+ 1 5 �fl (no better i s 1 5 �c3 � f5 ! 1 6 'it'd2

liJd5 �xd5

19 .l::.c 5? loses to 19 . . . �b5+, and i f 20 'Ot>g l lle l +.

19 20 21

a4 D

'Wxd5 1:ae8

This loses immediately, but after 3 1 'Ot>h2 'Wg6 3 2 �d2 Black wins by 32 . . . �xf3 (32 .. .'Wd3 33 �e3 a5 is also good), for example (a) 33 gxfJ 'it'd3 3 4 'Ot>g3 1:xd2 35 1:e8+ 'Ot>h7 36 1:e4 "c2 3 7 'it'f5+ �h6 38 'it'f4+ 'Ot>g6 39 'Wb8 �h7 40 1:e8 'Wg6+, or (b) 33 'it'xf3 1:xd2 34 'ii'xb7 1:xd4 35 'Wb8+ 'Ot>h7 36 1:e8 1:xh4+ 3 7 �g l 'it'd3 38 :11 8+ �g6 39 "e8+ 'Ot>gS. 31 'it'e7+

White resigns

1 57

At the age of 66 Viktor Korchnoi has maintained an amazing chess strength, as I experienced last summer at the European Team Championship (Pula 1 997). I n contrast t o Smyslov, whose emotional balance helps him to retain his compet itiveness, the basis of Korchnoi ' s longevity lies in his passionate love for and devotion to chess. Viktor did not grasp the secrets of chess with such ease as Karpov, but that which he mastered, he mastered pro foundly and for ever. He had to work a great deal, and he absorbed many ideas, evaluations and methods of working, both from his adversary of the 1 960s Tigran Petrosian, and from the fundamental approach of Boleslavsky and Geller. For me he will always be a symbol of those happy times, when chess ideas were generated in the analysis of games, and people aimed to clarify causes and generalisations. Now, however, they aim to classify games in their chess database and to check with Fritz or Rebel whether or not there is a m istake in their calculations on the 4th half move. The elements of research and art are being increasingly excluded, and chess is losing those of its supporters for whom the competitive element is not the main attraction. In an interview more than 1 5 years ago, Karpov called Korchnoi 'a spent force ' . He evidently based this on the fact that Viktor is upset by defeats and does not spare his nervous energy, the reserves of which are not unlimited. But he underestimated Korchnoi's strength of character and his devotion to chess. In his competitive qualities Viktor Korchnoi (I flatter myself with the thought that this also applies to me) resembles a Russian doll : however much it is pushed about, it always ends u p o n its feet. Or, if y o u would like another comparison - the staunch tin soldier from the tales of Hans Christian Andersen.

ISS


After failing on one occasion to win a game after blockading an isolated pawn, Bent Larsen remarked: 'An isolated pawn should not be blockaded, but won .' My game with Bareev is an ill ustration of Larsen 's idea. Game 59 BelyavskJ'-Bareev Munich 1 994

French Defence COS 2 3 -'

5

e4

e6

d-' 4J d 2 ex d S .lt bS+

dS cS exdS �d 7

'i'e2+ 6 'i'e7 Of course, this move has the right to exist, but 6 . . . .lte7 is nevertheless more interesting. However, when preparing for a game with Yevgeny Bareev one always has to be ready for a psychological battle. In our game a few months earlier, at the 1 993 Groningen Tournament, after the inclusion of 5 4JgO 4Jf6 he successfully blocked the check 6 �b5+ .ltd7 7 .e2+ with 7 . . . .lte7. After S dxc5 0-{) 9 4Jb3 ':eS 10 �e3 a6 I I �d3 as 1 2 a4 4Jg4 1 3 0-{) 4Ja6 1 4 �xa6 ( 1 4 .ltd4 was stronger) 14 ...:lxa6 1 5 :fd l 4Jxe3 1 6 fxe3 �cS! 1 7 :::txd5 �e6 I did not achieve anything sig nificant. Therefore Yevgeny had grounds for assuming that [ had prepared an improvement, and so he changes course. 7 8

�xd7+ dxc5

tUxd7 .xe2+

B lack should not have developed the white pieces without necessity. S ... 4Jxc5 was better, as for example in the 1 6th game of the Karpov-Korchnoi World Championship Match (Bagiuo 1 975), where after 9 tUb3 .xe2+ 10 lOxe2 lOxb3 I I axb3 �c5 1 2 �d2 1Oe7 1 3 lOf4 0-{) 1 4 0-{) .l:tfdS I S tUd3 �b6 B lack managed to

equalise. But by following Miroslav Filip's recommendation of 1 4 lOd3 ! �b6 1 5 �b4 .ll feS 1 6 �xe7 Ihe7+ 1 7 'iPd2 White would have retained slightly the better chances. �xc5 9 lOxe2 10 11

lilb3

14 15 16

� g3

.l:tc4 .l:tfc8

�b l !

.ltb6

�f4 lLlgf6 The game Sa."!fie7

Wb4

Now White manages to drive away the queen and retain control of the central files. 20 21 22 23 24

lLle3 l%c4 Ite2 lDc3 Itdl

g6 Wd2 >!fid4 �g7

�

Slav Defence D I S 1 2 3 4

5

d4 c4 ll\f3 ll\c3 a4

dS c6

ll\f6 a6

White has tried in various ways to d isclose the drawbacks to Black's last move, but in the majority of cases without success. At the 1 996 Yerevan Olympiad against Shirov I played 5 lDe5 ll\bd7 6 i. f4

5 6 7 8

g3 i.g2

e6 dxc4 cS

�

After the exchange of queens 8 dxc5 Wxd I + 9 ll\xd I it is easier for Black to defend: 9 . . . ll\c6 (9 ...i.xc5 1 0 i.e3 i.b4+ I I i.d2 ll\c6 is also possible) 1 0 tOe3 i.xcS I I ll\xc4 �e7 12 ()....{) ll\d5 ! 1 3 lDfe5

24

'ifb4?

1 86


The domination of the white pieces is so great that obviously Black is simply bound to seek the exchange of queens. But on which square? After 24 . . .. b6 the black pieces are badly coord inated: 25 'i'xb6 ttJxb6 ( i f 25 .. Jlxb6 \Vhite builds u p the pressure with 26 ttJc4 lla6 27 ttJd6 ttJb6 28 ttJcb 5 a 4 29 ;Xc7 � d 7 3 0 ll x b 7 �xb5 3 1 ttJxb5 ttJc4 3 2 llc 1 and regains the pawn in a favourable situation) 26 liJb5 a4 27 lUd6 . Now 2 8 ttJxc8 is threatened, 27 . . . .:1a5 2 8 llc7 is good for White, and after 27 . . .a 3 2 8 bxa3 llxa3 2 9 llc5 he maintains a sl ight advantage. 24 .. :'i'c5 looks better: 25 ttJcd5 ( i f 2 5 ttJa4 �xc7 26 ;Xxc7 B lack has 2 6 . . . b5 27 tDc3 b4 28 ttJa4 lle6 29 �h3 llee8 30 �xd7 �xd7 31 lldxd7 ttJxd7 32 llxd7 lld8 3J lla7 lla8 34 llxa8 �:Xa8 35 ttJc4 Wf6, when in this ending the rook is quite active: 36 b3 We6 37 e4 f5 3 8 0 :d8 3 9 ttJc5+ �f6 40 �f2 ll d I ) 2 5 . . .lOxd5 2 6 lOxd5 'ifixc7 2 7 lOxc7 ( 2 7 llxc7 llc6 2 8 llxc6 bxc6 29 1Oe7 ttJb8 3 0 ttJxc8 llxc8 3 I lla I ttJd7 32 llxaS llc7 leads to further simplification; Black has good drawing chances, although his position is somewhat unpleasant) 27 . . .llb6 28 lldc I ttJf6 29 ttJa8 lla6 30 :'xc8 llxa8 3 1 �xb7 and Whi te regains h is pawn, retaining a positional advantage. However, White can play in the same way as after 24 ...'ilfb6 - 2 5 ttJcdS lOxd5 26 1Oxd5 'i'xc7 2 7 liJxc7.

25 26

lOcd5 tDxd5

28

28 29

tDe7

Loss of material for B lack is inevitable.

llcd2

lla8 e4?

This accelerates Black's defeat. ..t'h6 30 '1tc3+

31 32

lld4 ttJxc8?!

'tIfb5

Of course, this also wins the game, but after 32 llxe4 f6 33 :Id5 'lWb6 3 4 ttJxc8 l:axc8 3S :Ih4+

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