Sailing with Strangers

Hikaru Nakamura – Garry Kimovich Kasparov
Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz Grand Chess Tour 2017; Saint Louis, August 14, 2017
Grünfeld Defence D80

It was the first day of 13th World Chess Champion’s comeback – and it was not a bad one. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Bg7 5. Bxf6 Bxf6 6. cxd5 c6 7. e4 0-0 8. Nf3. Theoretically speaking, 8. e5 Bg7 9. Bc4 might be a little more promising for White; for 9. ... b5 10. Bb3 b4 11. Nce2 cxd5 12. h4 h6 see Wojtaszek – Tari, 14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2016. 8. ... cxd5 9. e5 Bg7 10. Qd2. This could be a new idea, even though far from an improvement on the old ones. The older try was 10. h4 Nc6 11. h5 Bg4 12. hxg6 hxg6 13. Rh4 Qd7 14. Be2 f6 with Black standing better already, Turner – Navara, 4NCL 2006/2007, Wokefield Park 2007. 10. ... Nc6 11. Bb5. White’s whole plan seems deeply inadequate. The more reserved 11. Be2 might have been safer; Black would have probably continued 11. ... Bg4 followed sooner or later by ... f7-f6. 11. ... Bg4 12. Ng1. This looks odd, but White has hardly anything better. No doubt Kasparov clearly won the opening duel. 12. ... f6! 13. h3 Be6 14. exf6 Rxf6! 15. Bxc6 bxc6. Black can be content with his two powerful Bishops against White’s two Knights. 16. Nge2 Qd6 17. 0-0 Raf8 18. Rae1 Bc8! 19. Na4 e5. This seems all very natural, but it may be a little premature. Stockfish gives 19. ... R6f7 20. b4 a5! 21. bxa5 e5! which might actually be more effective. 20. dxe5 Qxe5 21. b4

21. ... Re6!? It is aesthetically very appealing as Black redeploys his Rooks into classical and romantic forms, but perhaps he missed the moment for pushing on his initiative further. Stockfish prefers 21. ... g5 22. Nc5 g4 (which, indeed, looks very strong at this point), and 21. ... a5! 22. bxa5 Qd6! 23. Rc1 g5! seems very appealing also, even though I mostly like 23. ... R8f7!! 24. Nc5 Qf8 (Alekhine’s Gun) with continuations such as ... g6-g5 or ... Bg7-h6 to come. 22. Nc5 Ree8 23. Nb3! It is probably the only way to hold together the position. 23. ... Qb2! 24. Qxb2 Bxb2 25. Ned4 Rxe1 26. Rxe1 Bd7 27. Re2 Bc3! Kasparov keeps his symbolic initiative, but only at the cost of a Pawn. 28. Rc2. If 28. a3 then 28. ... Rf4 with a draw in sight (28. Nf3 Bxh3). 28. ... Bxb4 29. Nxc6 Bd6 30. Nxa7 Re8 31. g4 h5 32. f3 Re1+ 33. Kg2 Kf7 34. Nc6 h4 35. Ncd4 Rd1 36. Rd2 Rxd2+ 37. Nxd2 Kf6 38. Kf2 Ke5? A slip which might have been fatal but was doomed not to be! Black should have played first 38. ... g5, if just he wanted to play his music such as it is. 39. Ke3 g5 40. f4+! I imagine Kasparov might have overlooked this tremendous move, which, in fact, prevents Black’s King from penetrating the enemy's camp on the Kingside. 40. ... gxf4+ 41. Kd3 Be7 42. N2f3+ Kd6 43. Nf5+ Bxf5+ 44. gxf5 Kc5 45. Nd4 Kd6 46. a4 Bd8 47. Ne6 Bb6 48. Nxf4 Ke5. However desperate the ending, Kasparov plays the only moves to cling to some hope that something will happen. 49. f6! Bc5. 49. ... Kxf4 50. f7 Bc5 51. a5 Ke5 52. a6 Kf6 53. a7! is just a didactic win. 50. f7 Kf6 51. Nxd5+ Kxf7 52. Ke4? And Nakamura (quite incredibly) takes the wrong direction! His Majesty should have supported the a-Pawn by 52. Kc4 and after, for instance, 52. ... Bf2 53. Kb5 Ke8 54. Kc6 Kd8 55. Kb7 Be1 56. Ne3 Black seems to be actually doomed to defeat. 52. .. Ke6. Now Black draws, even though it took much time for Nakamura to convince himself about it. 53. Nf4+ Kd6 54. Ng2 Bf2 55. Kf3 Bg3 56. Kg4 Kc5 57. Nxh4 Bf2 58. Nf5 Kb4 59. Ng3 Kxa4 60. h4 Kb5 61. h5 Be3 62. Ne4 Kc6 63. Ng5 Kd7 64. h6 Ke7 65. h7 Bd4 66. Kf5 Ba1 67. Kg6 Bb2 68. Nf7 Ba1 69. Nh6 Bh8 70. Ng4 Ba1 71. Ne3 Bh8 72. Nd5+ Ke6 73. Nf4+ Ke7 74. Nh3 Ke6 75. Ng5+ Ke7 76. Nf7 Ba1 77. h8=Q Bxh8 ½ : ½.

Garry Kimovich Kasparov
Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour