Baku Baku

Garry Kimovich Kasparov – Nigel David Short
Battle of the Legends; rapid match game 1; Saint Louis, April 25, 2015
Bogo-Indian E11

1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 Bb4+ 4. Nbd2 c5 5. a3 Bxd2+ 6. Qxd2 cxd4 7. Nxd4 0-0 8. e3 d5 9. cxd5 Qxd5 10. Nb5 Qc6. The alternative was 10. ... Nc6 11. Qxd5 exd5 12. f3 Bd7 13. Bd2 a6 14. Nd6 Rab8 15. Rc1 Rfd8 16. b4 b5 17. Nf5 Re8 ½ : ½ I. Sokolov – Timman, London 2008. 12... e5 13. e4 Nbd7. Another way is 13. ... Be6 14. Qf2 Bb3 15. Be2 Qe6 16. 0-0 Nc6 17. Be3 Rfd8 18. Bd1 h6 19. Rc1 Rd3 20. Be2 Rd7 21. Bd1 Rd3 22. Be2 Rd7 23. Bd1 ½ : ½ Gelfand – Andreikin, Moscow 2013. 14. Qf2 Nc5 15. Be3 Nb3 16. Rd1 Be6 17. Be2 Rfd8 18. 0-0 Ne8?! As Kasparov observed after the game, the very impressive Knight on b3 is quite useless. 19. Qg3 f6 20. f4! Grabbing energetically the initiative on the Kingside. 20. ... Nd4 21. Bh5! Bc4

22. fxe5! A very deep Exchange sacrifice, reminiscent of Garry Kimovich in his prime! 22. ... Bxf1 23. Rxf1 Kh8 24. Nd5? The most consistent continuation was 24. Qh4! (with the threat of Bh5-g6) since now 24. ... Kg8 is effectively met by 25. Nd5! Rxd5 26. exd5 Qxd5 27. Bxd4 and White wins. 24... Rxd5 25. exd5 Qxd5 26. Qf2? “[I] Was still winning after ’human’ 26. Kh1 though”, then Kasparov said. 26. ... fxe5 27. Qf8+ Qg8 28. Qe7 Nf6 29. Rxf6! Two Exchanges sacrifices in the same game! 29. ... gxf6 30. Bh6 Nf5 31. Qxf6+ Ng7 32. Qxe5 Rc8 33. Bf3 Qf7 34. h3 b5 35. Be4?! After the game Kasparov suggested 35. Bd2! Re8 36. Qd4 followed by Bd2-c3 retaining some pressure. 35. ... Re8 36. Qd4. On 36. Bxg7+ Kg8 37. Bd5 Rxe5 38. Bxf7+ Kxg7 wins. 36. ... Qe7 37. b4 Qe5. Black ruled out all danger and can even think about the initiative for the first time. 38. Qd7 Qa1+. As then Grandmaster Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Alvarez demonstrated, after 38. ... Re7! 39. Qc8+ Ne8 suddenly is Black who has the upper hand, and White who has to fight for a draw! 39. Kh2. Now Black forces the draw: 39. ... Rxe4 40. Bxg7+ Qxg7 41. Qd8+ Qg8 42. Qf6+ Qg7 43. Qd8+ Qg8 ½ : ½. A very passionate game!

Garry Kimovich Kasparov vs. Nigel David Short
Photo: Austin Fuller

Garry Kimovich Kasparov (@Kasparov63)