Manaraga

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov – Jan Hendrik Timman
Match game 1; Murmansk, October 6, 2016
King’s Indian Defence E62

The revival match between Karpov and Timman takes place alongside the 4th Basamro International Chess Tournament and consists of four classical games with time control of 2 hours for 40 moves (without increment) followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with 30 seconds increment per move.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 0-0 5. Bg2 d6 6. 0-0 c6 7. Nc3 Bf5 8. Ne1 Be6 9. d5 cxd5 10. cxd5 Bd7 11. h3 Na6 12. Nd3 Qc8 13. Kh2 Nc5. Timman’s surprise. For 13. ... Qc4 14. Qb3 Qxb3 15. axb3 Rfc8 see Solozhenkin – Loginov, City Championship, Saint Petersburg 2003. 14. Be3 Nxd3 15. Qxd3 Bf5 16. Qb5 h5 17. Bd4 a6 18. Qb4 b5 19. Rfc1 Qb8 20. e4 Bd7 21. Nd1

21. ... h4! By a timely Pawn sacrifice Timman seizes the initiative. 22. gxh4. Playing into enemy’s hands. If 22. g4 there might follow 22. ... Nh7 eventually aiming for ... f7-f5. 22. ... e5 23. dxe6 Bxe6 24. Kg1 Qd8 25. Be3? As a consequence of his long absence from competitive chess (with the exception of some rapid exhibitions), Karpov looks like he doesn’t feel the dynamic nature of the position. Here 25. f4 was called for, promptly followed by f4-f5. 25. ... Qd7 26. Kh2 d5! 27. e5 Nh5 28. f4 Rad8!? More natural seems 28. ... Rac8 leaving the square d8 free for the Queen. 29. Nf2 a5! Timman doesn’t hesitate to sacrifice a second Pawn in order to deflect the White Queen from the control of the squares d4 and e7. 30. Qe1 d4 31. Bd2 Bd5 32. Rc5! I like this move, even though Stockfish marks it red, because it shows the supernatural defensive skill of the 12th World Chess Champion. Objectively speaking, however, machine’s advice 32. Bxd5 Qxd5 33. Qe4 might have been more promising. 32. ... Bxg2 33. Kxg2 Rfe8 34. Rac1 Bf8 35. Rc7 Qd5+ 36. Qe4 Qxa2. Black has finally won back his Pawn, at the cost, however, to let his opponent consolidate his own position. 37. Nd3 Nf6 38. Qf3 Nd5 39. Rb7 Ne3+ 40. Kh2 Qb3 41. Qe2 Rc8 42. Rbc7 Rxc7 43. Rxc7 a4 44. h5! Qe6 45. hxg6 fxg6 46. Qf3 Rc8 47. Rxc8 Qxc8 48. Bxe3 dxe3 49. Qd5+ Rc8 47. Rxc8 Qxc8 48. Bxe3 dxe3 49. Qd5+ Kh7 50. Qxb5 Qc2+ 51. Kg3 e2 52. Ne1 Qd2 53. Kf2 Qxf4+ ½ : ½.

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov vs. Jan Hendrik Timman
Photo: basamrochesstournament.com