On the Shoulder of a Giant

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov – Alexander Sergeyevich Morozevich

Tournament of Stars; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Moscow, July 17, 2022

Modern Benoni A70

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. e4 d6 6. Nf3 0-0 7. h3 e6 8. Bd3 exd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. a4 Nbd7 11. 0-0 Nh5 12. Bg5 Bf6 13. Be3 Re8 14. Qc2. More often than not, White and Black probe their ambitions through rather unequal equal endgames as four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) has shown in at least two of her games: 14. Nd2 Bd4 15. Bxd4 cxd4 16. Ne2 Ne5 17. Ra3 Qb6 18. Qb3 Qxb3 19. Rxb3 Bd7 20. Ra1 b5 21. a5 Nf6 22. Nxd4 Nxd3 23. Rxd3 Nxe4 24. Nxe4 Rxe4 25. Rc1 Rc8 26. Rxc8+ Bxc8 27. Re3? Rxd4 28. Re8+ Kg7 29. Rxc8 Kf6 30. Rc6 Ke5 31. Rxa6 Rb4 32. Rb6 Kxd5 33. a6 Rxb2 34. a7? Rb1+ 35. Kh2 Ra1 36. Rxb5+ Kc6 37. Rb2 Rxa7 38. g4 d5 39. Kg3 Re7 40. Kf4 d4 41. Kg5 Kc5 42. f4 d3 43. f5 Rd7 44. Rb1 d2 45. Rd1 Kc4 46. f6 Kd3 47. Kh6 Ke2 48. Rxd2+ Kxd2 0 : 1 Galliamova – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12, 4th stage, Kazan 2012, or, alternatively, 14. Re1 Rb8 15. Qc2 Ne5 16. Be2 Nxf3+ 17. Bxf3 Ng7 18. a5 Be5 19. Bd2 f5 20. Na4 fxe4 21. Bxe4 Bf5 22. Bxf5 Nxf5 23. Nb6 Qh4 24. Bc3 Nd4 25. Bxd4 Bxd4 26. Rad1 Rf8 27. Rd2 Rf5 28. Nd7 Rd8 29. Re4 Bxf2+ 30. Rxf2 Qxf2+ 31. Qxf2 Rxf2 32. Kxf2 Rxd7 33. Re6 Kf8 34. Kg3 Kg8 35. Kf2 Kf8 36. Kg3 c4 37. h4 Rc7 38. Rxd6 Rc5 39. Rb6 Rxa5 40. Rxb7 h5 41. d6 Rd5 42. Rb6 a5 43. Kf4 Kf7 44. Ke4 Rd2 45. Ke5 Re2+ 46. Kd5 Rd2+ 47. Kc6 Ke6 48. Kc7 a4 49. Rc6 Rd4? 50. g3 Kf7 51. Ra6 c3 52. bxc3 Rc4+ 53. Kd8 Rxc3 54. Rxa4 Rxg3 55. d7 Rd3 56. Re4 Rd1 57. Re8 Rc1 58. Re7+ Kf8 59. Re2 Kf7 60. Rf2+ Kg7 61. Rf4 g5 62. hxg5 Kg6 63. Rd4 Ra1 64. Rd5 Kf7 65. Kc7 1 : 0 修德顺 (Xiū Déshùn) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 44th Chinese Chess Championship, 兴化 (Xīnghuà) 2013. 14. ... Ne5 15. Be2 Nxf3+ 16. Bxf3 Ng7 17. Qd2 b6. Whether intentionally or not, Morozevich, by his last move, departs from theory — that is, 17. ... Bd7 18. Bf4 Qe7 19. Rfe1 Be5 20. a5 Rab8 21. Be2 Bxf4 22. Qxf4 g5 23. Qd2 Qe5 24. Bd1 b5 25. axb6 Rxb6 26. Ba4 Bxa4 27. Nxa4 Rb4 28. Nc3 Reb8 29. Reb1 R8b6 30. Qe2 Ne8 31. Rxa6 Rxa6 32. Qxa6 Nf6 33. Qe2 h5 34. Re1 Kg7 35. Qd2 Nd7 36. Nd1 Nf6 37. f3 g4 38. h4 Kg6 39. Re2 Rd4 40. Qe1 Qf4 41. Nc3 g3 42. Rc2 Rc4 43. b3 Rxc3 44. Rxc3 Qxh4 45. Qe3 Qh2+ 46. Kf1 h4 47. Qg1 h3 48. e5 Nxd5 49. exd6 Nxc3 50. d7 Ne2 51. Qxh2 gxh2 52. Kxe2 h1=Q 53. d8=Q Qxg2+ 54. Kd3 Qxf3+ 55. Kc4 Qf4+ 56. Kb5 h2 57. Qg8+ Kf6 58. Qh8+ Kf5 59. Qh3+ Kg5 60. Qg2+ Kf6 61. Qc6+ Kg5 62. Qg2+ Kh4 63. Qa8 Qb4+ 0 : 1 Tkachiev – Rapport, 12th MetLife Amplico European Rapid Championship, Warsaw 2012. 18. Rfb1 Be5 19. Bg5 f6 20. Bf4 Ra7 21. b4 Rf7 22. bxc5 bxc5 23. Rb8 Bxf4 24. Qxf4 f5 25. Qd2 fxe4 26. Bxe4 Qf6 27. Rab1 Rfe7 28. Bf3

28. ... Bxh3? A strategic miscalculation which compromises Black’s game. More advisable seems to be 28. ... Bf5! 29. R1b2 h5 with a tenable defence. 29. Ne4 Qf8 30. Rxe8 Nxe8. If 30. ... Rxe8 then 31. Qh6 threatening both Ne4-g5 and the capture of the Bishop. 31. Rb8! Bd7

32. Qc3? Sadistically threatening Ne4-f6+, but Karpov seems to have overlooked Black’s reply. After the consistent 32. Nxd6! Qf6 33. Nc4+− Black’s game falls apart. 32. ... Qg7! 33. Qxg7+ Kxg7 34. Rb6 Bxa4. 34. ... a5! might have been better, in order to deflect the White Rook from the sixth rank. 35. Rxa6 Bd1 36. Nxd6 Nf6 37. Bxd1 Re1+ 38. Kh2 Rxd1 39. Ra7+ Kh6 40. Nf7+ Kh5 41. d6 g5 42. Rc7 Rd5 43. f3 g4 44. Kg3 gxf3 45. gxf3 Kg6? Tempo is more important than a Pawn; hence Black should have played 45. ... c4! 46. Rxc4 Kg6 47. Rc7 Kf5 with a draw in sight.

46. Kf4? Haunted by the clock, Karpov misses his chance by 46. d7! Nxd7 47. Rxd7! Rxd7 48. Ne5+ Kf5 49. Nxd7 c4 50. Nb6! (50. Nc5?? c3=) 50. ... c3 51. Nd5 winning the c-Pawn (51. ... c2 52. Ne3+) and the game. 46. ... Nh5+. 46. ... Rxd6! was an even neater way to a draw. 47. Ke3 Nf6 48. d7 Nxd7 49. Rxd7 Rxd7 50. Ne5+ Kf5 51. Nxd7 c4 52. Nc5. Now after 52. Nb6 c3 53. Nd5 the e3-square is not available for the Knight, so Black can play 53. ... c2 54. Kd2 h5 with a draw in hand.

52. ... h5? A careless inversion of moves by which Black throws away the draw. After the correct 52. ... c3! 53. Nd3 (or 53. Ne4 c2 54. Ng3+ Kg5 55. Ne2 h5=) 53. ... h5= White cannot keep at bay Black’s passed Pawns and defend his own Pawn at the same time. 53. Ne4 Ke5 54. Nf2 c3 55. Nh3 c2 56. Kd2 Kd4 57. Kxc2 Ke3 58. f4 Ke4 59. Kd2 Kf5 60. Ke3 1 : 0.

Karpov is finally back on stage! When asked by TASS correspondents whether he would run for the Presidency of Chess Federation of Russia, he avoided to give a clearcut reply: “The elections are still far away, so we’ll see what happens”. Photo: Pelagia Tikhonova/Moscow Municipal News Agency.