Rook Star

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov – Jan Hendrik Timman

5th International Chess Festival “Vila de Platja d’Aro”; Tornament “Legends of World Chess”; Platja d’Aro, June 30, 2017

Nimzo-Indian Defence E36

The time control is 25 minutes, with a 10-second increment per move. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 d5 7. Bg5 dxc4 8. Qxc4 b6 9. Nf3 Ba6 10. Qa4 c5 11. Rd1 Qd7 12. Qc2 Qc6!? 12. ... cxd4 is generally played here; for instance: 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Rxd4 Qc6 15. Rg4+ Kh8 16. Qxc6 Nxc6 17. e3 Bb7 18. Bd3 f5 19. Rg3 Ne7 20. Ke2 Ng6 21. Rc1 Rac8 22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. Kd2 Rd8 24. Kc3 Kg7 25. Nd4 Kf6 26. f4 Rc8+ 27. Kd2 Rd8 28. Kc3 Rc8+ 29. Kd2 Rd8 ½ : ½ Khenkin – Bacrot, 27th Christmas Open, Geneva 2010. 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Qd2 Qe4? Timman’s Pawn sacrifice looks interesting, but it will turn out to be unsound – at least against Karpov. Deserving consideration was 14. ... Nd7 to which White would probably have objected 15. h4 eventually followed by h4-h5 and Rh1-h4. 15. dxc5 Nc6 16. Qc3. Clearly not 16. cxb6? on account of 16. ... Rfd8 with huge compensation. 16. ... Rfd8 17. Rc1 Kg7 18. Nd2 Qg6

19. h4! Rac8 20. Rh3! If once in a lifetime – even though by mistake – you’ve seen the game Karpov – Hort, 2nd Alekhine Memorial, Moscow 1971, you must also know that Anatoly Yevgenyevich moves the Rooks like a magician. 20. ... Kf8 21. h5 Qh6 22. Qe3! Karpov plays the whole game with his usual technical virtuosismo, without giving his opponent a single chance to save himself. 22. ... Qxe3 23. Rxe3 Nd4 24. Rec3 Nb5 25. Rc4! Nd4 26. Ra4 Bb5 27. Rxa7 bxc5. 27. ... Rxc5 28. Rxc5 bxc5 29. Ra5 is hardly better. 28. Rb7 Ba4 29. e3! Nc2+ 30. Ke2 c4 31. Ra7 Bb5 32. Rxc2 c3+ 33. Kd1 Bxf1 34. Rxc3 Rxc3 35. bxc3 Bxg2 36. Ke2. After all, Black is only a Pawn down, but has no chance to save the endgame, due to White’s passed Pawns on a3 and c3. 36. ... h6 37. c4 e5 38. f3 f5 39. a4 e4 40. Ra5 Bh3 41. Rd5 Rb8 42. a5 Rb2 43. c5 f4 44. exf4 exf3+ 45. Kxf3 Be6 46. Rd6 Rc2 47. Ne4 Ke7 48. Rb6! Karpov finishes off with a display of technique well worth his place in chess history. 48. ... Bd5 49. Ke3 Bxe4 50. Kxe4 Rxc5 51. a6 Rxh5 52. f5 Rh1 53. Kd5 Ra1 54. f6+ Kd7 55. Rb7+ Kc8 56. Rxf7 Rxa6 57. Ke5 Kd8 58. Re7 h5 59. Kf5 h4 60. Rh7 Ra3 61. Rh8+ Kd7 62. f7 Rf3+ 63. Kg6 Rg3+ 64. Kh5 1 : 0.

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov and Jan Hendrik Timman playing each other at 21st IBM international Chess Tournament in Amsterdam, Netherlands on May 27, 1981. Photo: Rob Bogaerts/Anefo/Nationaal Archief.