Azerbaijan Pavilion

Nigel David Short – Garry Kimovich Kasparov
Battle of the Legends; rapid match game 2; Saint Louis, April 26, 2015
Sicilian Defence B91

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. g3 e5 7. Nb3 Nbd7 8. a4 b6 9. Bg2 Bb7 10. 0-0 Be7 11. Re1 Rc8 12. Nd2 h5! A straightforward, thoughtful theoretical novelty! For 12. ... Rc5 13. Nf1 Qa8 14. Qd3 0-0 15. Ne3 Rfc8 see Marinković – Erdogdu, 10th European Individual Chess Championship, Budva 2009, whilst for 12. ... Nb8 13. Nf1 Nc6 14. Ne3 Nb4 15. Nf5 Bf8 16. Bg5 h6 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Ne3 h5 see David – Paragua, 37th Chess Olympiad, Turin 2006. 13. Nf1 h4 14. Ne3 g6 15. Re2 hxg3 16. hxg3 Rxc3! “This is a case of Black using his hand rather than his brain when performing the sac. Kasparov has done it so many times in the past, and he even accused once Movsesian of ‘lack of chess culture’ for allowing the sacrifice. True, the situation there was different as White had castled long”, Grandmaster Dejan Bojkov said. 17. bxc3 Nxe4 18. Bb2 Ndf6. We’d have much preferred 19. ... f5! so to obtain a tight grip on the centre. 19. c4 Qc8. 19. ... Qa8 looks more natural. 20. Nd5! Nxd5 21. cxd5 Ng5 22. c4! a5! Obviously, after 22. ... Qxc4?? 23. Rc2 Her Majesty is trapped. 23. Rc1 Ba6 24. Qb3 Qg4 25. Rcc2 Bc8 26. f4 Nh3+ 27. Kf1 f6 28. Qf3 Qf5 29. Re4?! White’s Rook is very badly placed here, but at least it defends the f4-Pawn. “However, if Short had found 29. Ba3! things might have not ended that well for Kasparov. The threat Rc2-b2 is hard to parry and as the Bishop on e7 needs to protect d6 as well Black would be in trouble”, Bojkov said. 29. ... Kf7 30. Rce2 Qg4 31. fxe5. While this is not bad, “31. Ba3! was still strong”, Bojkov said. 31. ... Qxf3+ 32. Bxf3 dxe5 33. Rh4? A clear error. Much stronger was 33. Rh2 Bf5 34. Kg2 Bc5 35. Bc1, where White remains somewhat superior. 33. ... Rxh4 34. gxh4 Nf4 35. Rd2 Bc5 36. d6 Bh3+ 37. Ke1 Bb4 38. Kd1

38. ... Bd7! A wonderful move which should decide the game brilliantly! Black prefers to hang on to his Bishop pair rather than win back the Exchange. 39. Rh2 Bxa4+ 40. Kc1 Bxd6 41. Kb1 f5 42. Bc1 e4? Both players were in tremendous time constraints. The most consistent continuation was 42. ... Nd3 43. Bd5+ Kg7 and Black remains on top. 43. Bh1? White’s last chance was 43. Bxe4, although even then Black keeped an edge by 43. ... Nd3! 44. Bd5+ Kg7 45. Rd2 Nxc1 46. Bc6! Bb4 47. Rd7+ Kf6 48. Bxa4 Ne2. 43. ... Nd3. Now it is all over. 44. Re2 Bd1 45. Rd2 Bb3 46. Rxd3 exd3 47. Bd5+ Kf6 48. Kb2 a4 49. Kc3 b5 50. Kxd3 Bxc4+ 51. Bxc4 bxc4+ 52. Kxc4 f4 53. Kd4 0 : 1.

Garry Kimovich Kasparov
Photo: Austin Fuller