Technique and Sensibility

Jan Hendrik Timman – Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov
Match game 2; Murmansk, October 7, 2016
English Opening A11

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c6 4. c4 Bf5 5. Qb3 Qb6 6. d3 Qxb3 7. axb3 Na6. For 7. ... e6 8. Be3 a6 9. Nh4 Bg6 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. h3 Nbd7 12. 0-0 Bd6 13. Nd2 0-0 14. Rfc1 Rfc8 see Benkö – Addison, 20th U.S. Chess Championship, New York 1969. 8. Be3 Bd7! A novelty and a very deep plan of survival! 9. Ne5 e6 10. 0-0 Bd6 11. f4 Ke7 12. Nd2 Rhc8 13. Nxd7 Kxd7 14. Nf3 Ke7 15. Rfc1 Nd7 16. f5 e5 17. cxd5 cxd5 18. Ne1 Rxc1 19. Rxc1 Nc7 20. Nc2 h6 21. Bf2 Nf6 22. Ne3 Kd7 23. g4 g5 24. fxg6 fxg6 25. Bh4 g5 26. Bg3 Re8 27. Nf5 Nb5 28. e3 e4. In spite of his shortage of time, Karpov has maneuvered well and seems to have equalized. 29. dxe4. Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly even considers 29. Rf1 Bxg3 30. Nxg3 Re6 31. dxe4 Nxe4 that produces an unclear (but substantially balanced) position. 29. ... Bxg3 30. Nxg3

30. ... Nd6! An elegant zwischenzug which enhances a certain latent weakness in White’s field. 31. Rf1 Nfxe4 32. Bxe4 Nxe4 33. Nf5. Safer looks 33. Rf7+ Re7 34. Rxe7+ Kxe7 35. Nf5+ Kf6 36. Nd4, although after 36. ... Nc5 Black keeps the edge. 33. ... Rh8. Apparently 33. ... Nd6! 34. Nxh6 Rxe3 35. Nf7 Rxb3 36. Nxg5 Rb4 37. h3 Rxb2 leaves Black with an extra Pawn and excellent winning chances. 34. Rd1 Ke6 35. Nd4+ Kd6 36. Rc1 a6 37. b4 h5 38. gxh5 Rxh5 39. Kg2 Rh7 40. b5 axb5 41. Nxb5+ Ke5 42. Rf1 Nd2 43. Rf8 Nc4 44. Re8+ Kf6 45. b3 Nd2 46. Rd8 Nxb3 47. Rxd5 Re7 48. Nd4. A flashy hazard by Timman, who could have achieved a nearly immediate draw by means of 48. Kf3 (and if 48. ... Rh7 then 49. Kg2=). 48. ... Rxe3. Of course Karpov cashes in the Pawn and will concede his opponent the draw only after trying everything that he can do. 49. Nf3 g4 50. Ng1 Re5 51. Rd6+ Kf5 52. Rb6 Nc5 53. Rb4 Re4 54. Rb5 Rc4 55. h3 gxh3+ 56. Nxh3 Ke6 57. Nf2 Kd7 58. Kf3 Kc6 59. Rb2 b5 60. Ke2 b4 61. Nd1 Kb5 62. Rd2 Re4+ 63. Kf3 Rh4 64. Rd8 b3 65. Ke3 Kc4 66. Rc8 Rh2 67. Rc6 Kb4 68. Rc8 Na4 69. Rb8+ Ka3 70. Ra8 Kb4 71. Rb8+ Kc4 72. Rc8+ Nc5 73. Rc6 Rc2 74. Rc8 Ra2 74. Rc8 Ra2 75. Rc6 Rg2 76. Rc8 Rh2 ½ : ½. And Timman could finally claim a draw by repetition.

Jan Hendrik Timman vs. Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov
Photo: Oleg Barantsev (‏@olegbarantsev)