Hitchhiking

Garry Kimovich Kasparov – Fabiano Caruana

2019 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX; match game 9 (30+10); Saint Louis, September 4, 2019

nrnkqrbb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/NRNKQRBB w FBfb - 0 1

Position 175

1. f4 f5 2. g3 g6 3. d3 Nab6 4. c4 d6 5. Nc2 e5 6. fxe5 Bxe5 7. Qa5 Qa4 8. Nb3 c6 9. Bd4 Qxa5 10. Nxa5 Ne7 11. Kd2 Kc7. It’s like if they had agreed to switch from chess960 to a kind of shuffle chess, without castling. 12. b4 f4

Now Kasparov makes a powerful breakthrough into his opponent’s court: 13. c5! Nd7 14. gxf4 Bxf4+? Caruana would have retaken with the Rook if only he had suspected what was on Kasparov’s mind. 15. Rxf4! This not obvious sacrifice of the Exchange is the tactical pointe of White’s 13th move and gives him a great advantage. 15. ... Rxf4 16. cxd6+ Kxd6 17. Bxa7 Ra8 18. Be3. The win should be quite easy, but once again Kasparov is tremendously short of time. 18. ... Rff8 19. Bh6. Not bad, but 19. Nxb7+ Kc7 20. Na5+− looks simpler and stronger. 19. ... Rfe8? Black’s best chance was to give back the Exchange by 19. ... b6, as after 20. Bxf8 Rxf8 21. Nb3± White should content himself with a solid Pawn ahead. 20. Nxb7+ Kc7 21. b5? Again, 21. Na5+− was White’s best, and if 21. ... Bxa2 then 22. Bf4+ followed by Rb1-c1 and Nc2-d4. 21. ... Ra4 22. Nb4 Nd5? Correct was 22. ... Kxb7 23. bxc6+ Kc8 24. cxd7+ Kxd7 with a kind of dynamic balance. 23. bxc6 Rxb4 24. cxd7 Kxd7 25. Nc5+ Kd6 26. Rxb4 Nxb4 27. Ne4+ Ke6 28. Nc3 Kf5 29. a3. In spite of Black’s material compensation, White’s endgame is much better because of his three passed Pawns, but the mutual crisis of time is to play its tragic role, turning a tense fight into a comedy of mistakes. 29. ... Na6 30. Bc6 Rb8 31. Bd7+ Be6 32. e4+ Kf6 33. Bxe6 Kxe6 34. Bf4 Rb2+ 35. Ke3 Rb3 36. Kd2. 36. Kd4 Rxa3= does not make that much difference, but it is aesthetically more to the point. 36. ... Rxa3 37. d4 Nb4 38. d5+ Kd7 39. e5?? Ra5?? (39. ... Rxc3!−+) 40. e6+ Ke7 41. Bc7 Ra6 42. Ke3 Ra3 43. Kd4 Nc2+?? And this is the last gross mistake of a young man. 43. ... Rxc3 was still good enough for a draw. 44. Ke5+− Rxc3 45. d6+ Kf8 46. d7 Re3+ 47. Kf6 0 : 1. “Even an old Ferrari needs time to warm up!”, Kasparov said before sitting at his board today, but, as may happen with fast racing machines, the one-off sports car ran out of gas in the very last lap. Kasparov’s clock flag fell — metaphorically speaking — just a few moves before mate. After 47. ... Rf3+ 48. Ke5 (48. Kg5 wins as well: 48. ... Rd3 49. Bd8+−) 48. ... Re3+ 49. Kf4 Rd3 50. Bd8+− Black is out of tricks.

Kasparov is about to move his King at f6 with a win in sight, but like clockwork, his time has come to an end. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.