Suddenly

Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler – Garry Kimovich Kasparov

4th Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX; time control: 20 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Saint Louis, September 10, 2021

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Position #47

1. c4 f5 2. d4 c5 3. d5 Nb6 4. g3 d6 5. b3 g6 6. Nc3 e6 7. dxe6 Bxe6 8. f3?! White’s clumsy development will soon be put to the test. 8. f4 seems much more natural. 8. ... Nc6 9. Be3 0-0 10. 0-0 Rfe8. Black has a much more harmonious and developed position, which Kasparov proves to be not only abstract concepts. 11. Nb5 Qb8 12. Bg5 Rd7 13. Bf4 Ne5 14. Nc2 a6 15. Nba3

15. ... d5! 16. Ne3 d4 17. Ng2 Qd8 18. Ne1! No matter whether classical or Fischerandom chess, the Knight claims to be the best blocker on the board. 18. ... Bf6 19. Nac2? Oblivious to the avalanche. ⌓ 19. Bxe5 Bxe5 20. Nd3 was almost called for. 19. ... Bf7. 19. ... Nexc4! at once was probably even stronger as after 20. bxc4 Bxc4 21. Nd3 Na4 White is literally crushed. 20. Qd2? But Svidler feels like “giving Caesar what is Caesar’s”. A little better was 20. Nd3 whereupon would have followed 20. ... Nexc4! anyway.

20. ... Nexc4! And finally Kasparov delivers his knockout blow. 21. bxc4 g5 22. Bxg5 Bxg5 23. f4 Nxc4 24. Qd3 Nb2 25. Qxf5 Nxd1 26. fxg5 Nc3 0 : 1.

“The rumours of my chess death probably have been slightly exaggerated!”, Kasparov joked seriously. Photo © Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.