Thursday, September 9, 2021

An Unfinished Tale

Garry Kimovich Kasparov – Wesley So
4th Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX; time control: 20 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Saint Louis, September 8, 2021
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Position #280

1. e4 e5 2. Ne3 Ne6 3. c3 Nb6 4. 0-0-0 g6 5. g3 c6 6. Nb3 0-0-0 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 d5 9. e5 Nc4 10. Ng4 f5 11. Nf6? (⌓ 11. Ne3) 11. ... Rf8? (11. ... Nxd4!) 12. Nxe8 Rdxe8? A little better seems 12. ... Rfxe8 vacating the f8-square for the Queen. 13. f4 g5 14. Qf3 Qg7 15. Bb4 Rf7 16. Nc5 Qh6 17. Nxe6 Rxe6 18. b3! a5 19. Bc3 Na3 20. Bd3 g4 21. Qe2 Qf8


22. h3! h5 (22. ... gxh3 24. g4!+−) 23. hxg4 hxg4 24. Bb2 Rh6? (⌓ 24. ... Bd6!) 25. Rh1. Apparently Kasparov is too concentrated in his slow and methodical squeeze to notice that 25. e6! followed by e6-e7 wins material immediately. 25. ... Rfh7 26. Rxh6 Rxh6 27. Qg2 Bc7 28. Rh1 Rxh1+ 29. Qxh1 Kb8 30. Qe1 a4 31. Bc3 Bd8 32. Bb4 Be7 33. Bxe7 Qxe7 34. Kb2 Nb5 35. Bxb5 a3+ 36. Kc2 cxb5


37. Qa5? A moment of eclipse probably due to fatigue and lack of time. After 37. e6!+− Black was completely helpless against the invasion of the White Queen on e5. 37. ... Qh7! 38. Qd8+ Ka7 39. Qa5+ Kb8 40. Qd8+ Ka7 ½ : ½.

Kasparov put his younger opponent on the ropes, only missing the last bit. Photo © Bryan Adams/Saint Louis Chess Club.

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