White: Gata Kamsky     0



Black: Anatoly Karpov  1







Played 2 July 96 in Elista, Kalmykia

GM Gabriel Schwartzman is in New Jersey to compete in the Interplay US Junior Invitational Championship, and will resume doing coverage in early July. Meanwhile, we wish him the best of luck! In his absence well known Grandmaster Walter Browne will be providing the post-game coverage, assisted by IM John Grefe.

 1.  d2-d4   Ng8-f6



 2.  c2-c4    e7-e6



 3. Nb1-c3

This move allows Black to choose a more active opening than after 3.Ng1-f3 but also gives White more dynamic potential.

 3. ...      Bf8-b4

This introduces the Nimzo-Indian Defense, in which Black plans to fight for control of the center squares with as many of his pieces as possible. At b4 the pinning bishop stops White from playing e2-e4, or later e3-e4.

 4.  e2-e3    c7-c5



 5. Bf1-d3   Nb8-c6



 6. Ng1-e2

Normally it would be better to develop this piece at f3, where it controls more key center squares, especially e5. But once Kamsky commits his KN to f3, Karpov could play 6...Bb4xc3 (usually in the Nimzo this unprovoked trade works out well for White) 7.b2xc3 d7-d6, planning to block the center with pawns and stymie White's bishops. The key to Black's strategy is that with the knight already at f3, White's natural pawn break with f2-f4 requires repositioning the knight, which takes time. In the PCA candidates match Kamsky-Anand, India 1994, the second game went 6.Ng1-f3 Bb4xc3 7.b2xc3 d7-d6 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nf3-d2 e6-e5 10.Nd2-e4 b7- b6 11.Qd1-f3 Bc8-b7 12.Ng3?! Kg8-h8! 13.d4-d5 e5-e4!, with complications favoring Black.

 6. ...       c5xd4



 7.  e3xd4    d7-d5



 8.  c4xd5   Nf6xd5

The last two moves for both sides, clarifying the central pawn structure, have become the main line in this vartiation. White's isolated queen pawn at d4 (such a common formation that it's often referred to simply as the IQP) gives him chances of active middlegame play but will be a liability in an endgame. And in this formation White would give anything to have his knight at f3 rather than at the more passive post e2.

 9. O-O      Bb4-d6

Karpov anticipates that Kamsky will soon kick this bishop with a2-a3 and sets up the aggressive possibility of ...Qd8-h4.

10. Nc3-e4

It looks like Karpov's last move has just invited Kamsky to win a tempo with this knight sortie, but now this piece no longer controls d5.

10. ...      Bd6-e7



11.  a2-a3

Kamsky wants to keep a knight out of b4 so he can align his queen and KB on the b1-h7 diagonal. This will not only take a bead on the castled king, it helps Kamsky get his queen to an active post.

11. ...      O-O



12. Bd3-c2   Qd8-c7

This could be a novelty. Karpov's idea is to exert quick pressure on d4 by giving his rook a square at d8, while also stopping Kamsky from bringing a piece to f4. Black isn't worried about a rook going to c1 to harass his queen because White will be occupied with other matters. Further, a tactic involving ...Nb4 will be in the air.

13. Qd1-d3   Rf8-d8



14. Ne4-g5

Kamsky must watch out for ...Nc6-b4, though after 14.Rf1-d1 Nc6-b4 15.a3xb4 Nd5xb4 16.Ne4-f6+ Be7xf6 17.Qc2xh7+ Kg8-f8 he probably wouldn't mind this position. 14.Bc2-b3 looks like a reasonable alternative. Normal would be 14...b7-b6 [14...e6-e5 looks too loosening] 15.Rf1-d1 Bc8-b7 16.Ne4-g5 Nd5-f6 17.Bc1-f4 Qc7-d7 with interesting play.

14. ...       g7-g6



15. Bc2-b3

Once Black plays ...g7-g6 this bishop can't accomplish anything more at c2, so it switches to a more active diagonal. Now ...Nc6-a5 can be met by Bb3-a2, keeping the knight out of c4 and the bishop on its best diagonal.

15. ...      Nd5-f6



16. Rf1-d1

Kamsky gets his KR to where it probably must go in any case while bolstering d4. He's waiting to see what Karpov does before moving his queen away from its vis-a-vis with the d8 rook.

16. ...      Be7-f8

This gives his queen a square at e7 and prepares to shore up the kingside by fianchettoing the bishop at g7, where it will also pressure the sensitive pawn at d4.

17. Bc1-f4   Qc7-e7

In this variation the Black queen sometimes goes to the more active post b6, but Karpov, sitting on a three point lead, has no need to be adventurous. Te ideas ...h7-h6 and ...e6-e5, exploiting the d-file pin, is something Kamsky must be wary of, though the combination of these two moves for Black right away would allow White to grab at g6 with his queen, as f7 would be pinned.

18. Qd3-e3

White's main difficulty in this position is finding an effective plan before Karpov consolidates with moves like ...Bc8-d7-e8 and ...Ra8-c8, after which he can lay seige to d4. 18.Qd3-e3 may be a mistake, but it's hard to see how Kamsky can make progress. Perhaps he should have tried the double-edged 18.h2-h4!?.

18. ...      Nf6-d5

Perhaps Kamsky expected 19...Rd8xd5, since taking on d5 with the pawn often turns out badly for Black in similar positions. But 19...Rd8xd5 20.Ne2-c3 Rd5-d8 21.d4-d5! e6xd5 22.Nc3xd5 would be just what the doctor ordered for White. He gets rid of his weakness at d4 and activiates his pieces, threatening to invade at c7 and f6 with his QN.

19. Bb3xd5    e6xd5



20. Ng5-f3

20.Ng5-f3? is wrong. However, 20.Qe3-d2 h7-h6 21.Ng5-f3 Bc8-g4 threatens to give White ugly doubled kingside pawns. 20.Qe3xe7 Bf8xe7 21.h2-h3 looks best, though the two bishops, especially the strong light-squared one, give Black a slight edge.

20. ...      Qe7xe3



21.  f2xe3

On 21.Bf4xe3, avoiding a backward pawn on the open king file, Karpov has 21...Bc8-g4, which would lead to the crippling of Kamsky's kingside pawns as well as leaving him with a lame bishop.

21. ...       f7-f6

21...f7-f6! takes command of the important square e5 and gets ready to rumble forward with the kingside pawns. Karpov already has a significant advantage.

22. Ra1-c1   Bc8-f5



23.  h2-h3    h7-h5

23...g6-g5 24.Bf4-h2 h7-h5 allows Kamsky a chance to mix it up with 25.h3-h4!. Then 25...g5-g4 would give up control of f4, while 25...Bf8-h6 26.h4xg5 f6xg5 lets Kamsky get a piece to e5.

24. Ne2-c3

It was probably better to fight for kingside space with 24.h3-h4 even though it surrenders g4. From now on Kamsky is reduced to passivity while the champion steadily improves his position.

24. ...       g6-g5



25. Bf4-h2    h5-h4

Black's spatial advantage is an important asset, and fixing the g2 pawn on a white square ultimately proves to be the key to winning for Karpov, who excels in this type of maneuvering game.

26. Nf3-d2   Kg8-f7



27. Nd2-b3   Ra8-c8



28. Nc3-b5

Kamsky tries to provoke a weakening of some dark squares so he can get some activity, but Karpov manages to put his queenside peons to good use.

28. ...       a7-a6



29. Nb5-c3    b7-b5

With 29...b7-b5! Karpov plans to open up the position, always a good idea for the player with the bishops.

30. Nc3-e2    b5-b4



31.  a3-a4

He can't allow 31.a3xb4 Nc6xb4 with a decisive invasion at c2 or d3. But now Karpov has another target on a white square.

31. ...      Rd8-e8



32. Kg1-f2   Kf7-g6

Grandmasters never neglect to use all their pieces, something amateurs must learn to imitate.

33. Ne2-g1

33.Nb3-c5 a6-a5 34.Nc5-b7 b4-b3 35.Bh2-d6 Bf5-c2 36.Rd1-d2 [36.Bd6xf8 Bc2xd1!, etc.] 36...Nc6-b4 is winning for Black.

33. ...      Nc6-a7

Threatening to penetrate on the c-file.

34. Nb3-c5   Rc8-c6



35. Ng1-f3   Re8-c8



36.  b2-b3    a6-a5

Karpov senses the kill and realizes there's no need to hurry with a capture at c5. Perhaps Kamsky will go wrong and lose more quickly.

37. Kf2-e2   Bf5-e4

This nails the knight to the spot or limits him to going to e1. White cannot allow g2 to fall or his entire kingside will crumble.

38. Ke2-d2   Bf8xc5

Karpov decides it's time to cash in and wins a pawn while retaing his positional trumps.

39.  d4xc5   Rc6xc5



40. Rc1xc5   Rc8xc5



41. Rd1-c1

The superior side is almost always happy to trade pieces in the endgame as that brings him nearer his goal of queening a pawn, but Kamsky cannot allow the rook to invade at c2.

41. ...      Rc5xc1



42. Kd2xc1   Na7-c6



43. Bh2-c7    f6-f5



44. Kc1-d2    d5-d4

Despite the added drawing opportunities that bishops of opposite colors bring, there's no way Kamsky can save himself unless Karpov blunders. Black has just too many advantages. 44...d5-d4! forces a further simplification in which Karpov will get passed pawns at opposite ends of the board, the worst case scenario for the defender.

45.  e3xd4    f5-f4

After 45...f5-f4! Kamsky cannot temporize with 46.Bc7-b6 because of the shot 46...g5-g4!. If then 47.h3xg4 [If 47.Nf3xh4+ Kg6-h5 wins] 47...h4-h3! engineers a winning breakthrough because of White's undefended knight. But Kamsky's next move leaves his queenside undefended.

46. Kd2-e2   Be4-d5



47. Ke2-f2   Bd5xb3



48. Nf3-e5+  Nc6xe5



49.  d4xe5   Bb3xa4



50. Bc7xa5    b4-b3



51. Ba5-c3   Kg6-f5



52. Bc3-b2

It's too little, too late for Kamsky. He can only mark time while Karpov creates another passer on the kingside, which will spell 'finito.' An excellent game by the FIDE champion which should seal the fate of the match.

52. ...      Ba4-c6



53. Kf2-f1   Bc6-d5



54. Kf1-f2   Kf5-e4



55. Kf2-e2   Bd5-c4+



56. Ke2-d2    f4-f3



57.  g2xf3+  Ke4xf3



58.  e5-e6   Bc4xe6



59. Bb2-f6    g5-g4



60.  h3xg4    h4-h3



61. Bf6-e5   Be6xg4



    Resigns