The Last Next Time

Leinier Domínguez Pérez – Garry Kimovich Kasparov
Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz Grand Chess Tour 2017; Saint Louis, August 18, 2017
Sicilian Defence B81

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6! “I remembered in the last game with Domínguez that it might be my last Najdorf”, Kasparov said afterwards. 6. h3!? e6 7. g4 h6 8. Bg2 g5 9. Be3 Nbd7 10. Qe2 Ne5 11. 0-0-0 Nfd7 12. h4. Forget her not: 12. f4 gxf4 13. Bxf4 b5 14. Rhf1 Bb7 15. Qf2 Rc8 16. Nce2 Bg7 17. Ng3 Rh7 18. Nh5 Bh8 19. Kb1 Nc5 20. Bg3 Nxe4 21. Bxe4 Bxe4 22. Bh4 Qc7 23. Bf6 Bg6 24. Bxh8 Rxh8 25. Nf6+ Kd8 26. h4 Qc5 27. h5 Bh7 28. Qh4 Bxc2+ 29. Nxc2 Qxc2+ 30. Ka1 Rc4 31. Ne4+ Kc7 32. Nxd6 Rf4 33. Qe7+ Kb6 34. Qb7+ Ka5 35. Qa7 b4 36. Rfe1 Nf3 37. Rc1 Nxe1 38. Rxc2 Nxc2+ 39. Kb1 1 : 0 J. Polgár – Topalov, 10th Essent Chess Tournament, Hoogeveen 2006. 12. ... Rg8 13. hxg5 hxg5 14. Kb1 b5 15. a3. White’s plan appears a little too slow. Deserving consideration was 15. f4 gxf4 16. Bxf4 Bb7 17. g5 Qa5 18. Rh7 0-0-0 19. a3 Kb8 20. Qf2 Rc8 21. Na2 Ka8 ½ : ½ Kasimdzhanov – Sasikiran, French Team Championships Top 16, Évry 2000. 15. ... Bb7 16. Bc1 Rc8 17. Rh3. White was justly worried about the possibility of Black’s Exchange sacrifice on c3. 17. ... Ng6 18. Bh1 Nde5 19. Rg3? White’s position was none too comfortable anyway, but probably after 19. Nf3 it was tenable enough still. 19. ... Be7 20. Na2 Rh8 21. Rc3 Rxc3 22. Nxc3 Qc7. Now and on the next move Kasparov disdains the gain of the Pawn by 22. ... Nf4, judging his positional initiative to be worth more. 23. Bg2 Qc4 24. Qxc4. It was perhaps better not to exchange Queens (by 24. Qe3), because now Black’s initiative will slip on velvet. 24. ... bxc4 25. f3 Rh2 26. Bf1 Nf4 27. Be3 Bd8. Black stands much better, but White’s next move is one of the worst possible: 28. Rd2? Rxd2 29. Bxd2 Bb6 30. Bxf4 gxf4 31. Nce2

31. ... d5! And finally the Sicilian triumph! The rest is easy. 32. exd5 Bxd5 33. Bg2 Nxg4 34. Nxf4 Ne3 35. Nde2. 35. c3 Bb7 36. Nc2 Nxg2 37. Nxg2 Bxf3 was also totally hopeless. 35. ... Nxg2 36. Nxg2 Bxf3 37. Nef4 Ke7 38. Kc1 e5 39. Nh4 Be3+ 40. Kb1 Bxf4 41. Nxf3 Ke6 42. b3 e4 43. Nd4+ Kd5 44. c3 Be5 45. bxc4+ Kxc4 46. Nf5 Kxc3 47. Kc1 Kd3 48. Kd1 e3 0 : 1. So Kasparov closes at 8th place of the Rapid & Blitz combined score, just half a point behind the tie for 5th place, and eight and half points behind the sole winner Levon Grigori Aronian. I hope such comebacks will continue, if only to give a little life to the self-referential and elitist Grand Chess Tour’s circuit.