Kasparov vs. the World

In 2010 all correspondence chess will be played by e-mail.

-- Nol van't Riet at the ICCF Congress in Switzerland, 1999

At the end of 1999, Garry Kasparov entered the world of correspondence chess, and as usual his entrance was spectacular, dramatic, and victorious. As befits modern times, the game was hailed by some as the greatest correspondence games ever -- and there was the inevitable touch of controversy.

The game was played by e-mail over the Internet. A team of youthful coaches, Florian Felecan, Elisabeth Pahtz, Irina Krush, and GM Ettiene Bacrot, all 16 or under, suggested moves and supplied analysis for the rest of the world to vote on. The move that received the majority of votes would be the move played. The result was a fascinating game, three million votes from 75 countries, and a mixture of correspondence chess, computer chess analysis, art, will power, and technology.

GAME OF THE MONTH

SICILIAN DEFENSE [B52]

W: GM Garry Kasparov

B: The World

www.zone.com/kasparov 1999

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7

Three per cent of the audience voted for 4. ... Kxd7?! The other 97% made a wiser choice.

5. c4 Nc6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. 0-0 g6 8. d4 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bg7 10. Nde2 Qe6!?

This is a theoretical novelty -- Hort-Petrosian (San Antonio, 1972) continued with the natural 10. ... 0-0. The text is a daring pawn steal while uncastled. This move was suggested by Krush and Pahtz, but it might have originated from the Russian GM school headed by GM's Khalifman, Svidler, Sakaev, Epishin, and ICCF Grandmaster Vladimir Nesis.

11. Nd5 Qxe4 12. Nc7+ Kd7 13. Nxa8 Qxc4 14. Nb6+ axb6

The Soviet GM school evaluated this position as superior for Black, with two pawns for the Exchange and a solid pawn mass to protect the king.

15. Nc3 Ra8 16. a4 Ne4 17. Nxe4 Qxe4 18. Qb3 f5 19. Bg5 Qb4 20. Qf7 Be5 21. h3 Rxa4 22. Rxa4 Qxa4 23. Qxh7 Bxb2 24. Qxg6 Qe4 25. Qf7 Bd4 26. Qb3 f4?!

This move, selected by the narrowest of margins, is an overplay on Black's part. Black has little chance for a successful wing attack. Instead, Black should go through the center as suggested at www.gmchess.spb.ru/, which recommends 26. ... Bc5 27. h4 Kc7 28. Qf7 d5 29. h5 Nd4 30. h6 Nf3+! 31. gxf3 Qxf3 and White cannot avoid perpetual check.

27. Qf7 Be5 28. h4 b5 29. h5 Qc4 30. Qf5+ Qe6 31. Qxe6+ Kxe6 32. g3 fxg3 33. fxg3 b4

Taking the g-pawn is too risky; it removes the bishop from the queening square and loses a tempo in the pawn race to queen.

34. Bf4 Bd4+ 35. Kh1 b3 36. g4 Kd5 37. g5 e6 38. h6 Ne7 39. Rd1 e5 40. Be3 Kc4 41. Bxd4 exd4 42. Kg2 b2 43. Kf3 Kc3 44. h7 Ng6 45. Ke4 Kc2 46. Rh1 d3 47. Kf5 b1=Q 48. Rxb1 Kxb1 49. Kxg6 d2 50. h8=Q d1=Q 51. Qh7 b5

This is where the controversy occurred. One hacker bragged that he loaded the votes in favor of 51. ... b5. Irina Krush, whose suggestions were almost always followed by the players, was late in posting her suggestion of 51. ... Ka1!.

It was close -- 38% voted for 51. ... b5, 34% for 51. ... Ka1, and so the world falls to Kasparov's electron-accurate endgame play.

52. Kf6+ Kb2 53. Qh2+ Ka1 54. Qf4 b4 55. Qxb4 Qf3+ 56. Kg7 d5 57. Qd4+ Kb1 58. g6 Qe4?

Definitely losing, but later Kasparov demonstrated a win against the better 58. ... Qf5.

59. Qg1+ Kb2 60. Qf2+ Kc1 61. Kf6 d4 62. g7, Black resigns.

Kasparov later produced detailed analysis that demonstrated a mate in 25 from this position. This was a great game that introduced thousands to the joys of e-mail chess!

The participants in the XVI World Championship Final have been announced. They are Erik Bang 2663 (Denmark) Spyros Kofidis 2592 (Greece) Achim Soltau 2577 (Germany) Anatoly Kamenets 2540 (Ukraine) Tunc Hamarat 2603 (Austria) Roland Pfretzschner 2503 (Germany) Igor Samarin 2535 (Russia) Ove Ekebjaerg 2635 (Denmark) Dieter Mohrlok 2533 (Germany) Rudolf Sevecek 2602 (Czech) Rudolf Maliangkay 2618 (Netherlands) Siegfried Kluve 2550 (Germany) Alexandr Volchok 2602 (Ukraine) Stefan Brozka 2570 (Poland) Horst Rittner 2601 (Germany) Igor Kopylov 2544 (Russia) Jorn Sloth 2610 (Denmark).

(Note -- Kopylov may have started late, since he replaced Umansky. Note and full names courtesy of Tim Harding of Chess Mail -- Assist Ed)

The World Correspondence Chess Federation has announced the winners of its world championship. A three way tie between Stan Vaughan (U.S.) Leopold Kuntschke (Poland) and Kristo Miettinen (U.S.) ended a six year tournament.

Maurice Carter (Fairborn, OH) and Dr. G. S. Benner (Katy, TX) were awarded the Bertl von Massow gold medal and certificate at the ICCF congress at Thun, Switzerland, in recognition for the work they have done for correspondence chess.

White's fine 21st move with the threat of 22. Re7 mate and if 22. ... cxd6 23. Ng5+! must have come as a nasty shock to Black's plan to win a pawn up endgame.

LATVIAN GAMBIT REVERSED [C40]

W: Anthony Fillipone (2005)

B: Anthony Aliberti (2105)

1997 Golden Knights

1. e3 e5 2. e4 Nf6 3. f4 Bc5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. d4 Qh4+ 6. g3 Nxg3 7. Nf3 Qe4+ 8. Be2 Bb4+ 9. c3 Nxe2 10. Qxe2 Qxe2+ 11. Kxe2 Be7 12. Rg1 Rg8 13. Bh6 g6 14. c4 d6 15. exd6 Bxd6 16. Nc3 Bf5 17. Rae1 f6 18. Nd5 Kf7 19. c5 Be4 20. cxd6 Bxd5 21. Kd2 Rc8 22. Re7+ Kg8 23. d7 Nxd7 24. Rxd7 Bxf3 25. Rf1 Be4 26. Rxf6 Rd8 27. Rg7+ Kh8 28. Rff7 g5 29. Bxg5 Rd6 30. Bf4 Rf6 31. Be5 Rxf7 32. Rg3+ Rg7 33. Rxg7, Black resigns.

Black's inventive play is rewarded by a final error that clears the board of White pieces for an elementary win.

GRUENFELD DEFENSE [D97]

W: Andrew Ward (unrated)

B: Fred Aversa (2047)

1998 Golden Knights

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 0-0 7. e4 Na6 8. Be2 c5 9. d5 e6 10. 0-0 exd5 11. exd5 Re8 12. Rd1 b6 13. Bf4 Nb4 14. Qb3 Ne4 15. Bb5 Bd7 16. Nxe4 Rxe4 17. Bg5 f6 18. Bxd7 Qxd7 19. Be3 a5 20. Nd2 a4 21. Qc3 Rg4 22. Nc4 Nxd5 23. Qc2 Qe6 24. Rac1 Re8 25. h3 Re4 26. Bd2 Qc6 27. b3 Re2 28. Qd3 axb3 29. axb3 f5 30. b4 Bd4 31. Rf1 R8e4 32. bxc5 Bxc5 33. Bh6 Re6 34. Kh1 Rxf2 35. Rxf2 Bxf2 36. Ne5 Qxc1+ 37. Bxc1 Rxe5 38. g3 Kf7 39. Bb2 Re1+ 40. Kg2 Rd1 41. Qb3 Bc5 42. Be5 Ke6 43. Bf4 Ra1 44. Qc4 Ra3 45. g4 Rc3 46. gxf5+ gxf5 47. Qe2+ Be3 48. Bh6 Ra3 49. h4 Rb3 50. Qa2 Rc3 51. Bxe3 Rc2+, White resigns.

Black's resignation appears premature, but loss of material and White's continuing attack are harsh realities that must be faced.

GRUENFELD DEFENSE [D87]

W: Jim Monacell

B: Carlo Menghi

IECG 1999

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 0-0 8. Be3 c5 9. Ne2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qa3 12. 0-0 Nc6 13. Rb1 Qd6 14. Bf4 Qd8 15. Be3 Na5 16. Bd3 b6 17. Qa4 e6 18. Rfc1 f5 19. exf5 exf5 20. Bd2 Bd7 21. Qa3 Be6 22. Nf4 Bf7 23. d5 Nb7 24. Bb4 Nc5 25. Bxc5 bxc5 26. Ne6 Bxe6 27. dxe6 Bd4 28. Rb7 Re8 29. Bc4 Kh8 30. Qf3 Rb8 31. Rd7 Qg5 32. Rd1 Rb2 33. Rf1 a5 34. Bb3 Qd2 35. h4 Qb4 36. Qc6, Black resigns.