The Chaos of Now

Wesley So – Garry Kimovich Kasparov

6th Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX; time control: 20 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Saint Louis, September 8, 2023

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Position #823

1. e4 e5 2. b3 d6 3. Bb2 Ne7 4. Ne3 f5 5. exf5 Nxf5 6. 0-0-0

6. ... g5! Much more enterprising than 6. ... g6, which was also possible.
7. g3 Nd4 8. c3 Nf5 9. Be4 Nc6 10. f4 Nxe3 11. Qxe3 gxf4 12. gxf4 Bg4 13. Rde1 (13. Bxc6 Qxc6 14. fxe5 0-0-0)
13. ... 0-0-0 14. h3 exf4 15. Qd3 Be6 (15. ... Ne5 16. Qc2 f3 17. hxg4 f2 18. Bf5+ Kb8 19. Re4 fxg1=Q 20. Rxg1⩲)
16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. Nf3 Kb7 18. Qe4 Be5 19. Qb4+ Ka8 20. Nxe5 dxe5 21. Rxe5 Qd7

22. c4? The losing mistake. White’s situation was not so comfortable but still quite sound: 22. Rf2 Rg8 23. Re1 f3! 24. c4 Rg2 25. Qc5 Qd6 26. Qxd6 Rxd6 27. Rxf3 Rxd2 28. Bc3 Rc2+ 29. Kb1 Bf5 30. Rxf5 Rxc3= with a drawish ending in sight.
22. ... Qd3!−+ 23. Rf2 Bf5 24. Rxf5 Rxf5 25. Bc3 f3 26. Qe7 Rd7 27. Qe6 Kb7 28. Kb2 Rff7! 29. a4 Rde7 30. Qh6 (30. Qg4 Re2!−+)
30. ... Re2! 31. a5!? Sheer desperation.
31. ... Rxf2 32. a6+ Kb6 33. Qg5 c5 34. Qg8

34. ... Rxd2+! 35. Bxd2 Qxd2+ 36. Kb1 Qd3+ 37. Kb2 Qd4+ 38. Ka2 Rg7 0 : 1.

“I decided that I have to trust my hand”, Kasparov said eventually. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.