Garry Kasparov's Forgotten Weapon Against The Queen's Gambit (part 13)

Vasily Smyslov (2600) - Kasparov (2710)

Candidates Final, Game 12 (Vilnius, USSR) 1984

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.g3 Nf6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nc3 Nc6 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3 Re8 12.a3 Be6 13.Nxe6!?

Smyslov is again the first to vary. White gets the bishop-pair, but strengthens d5.

13...fxe6 14.Qa4 Rc8 15.Rad1!?

It might be thought this rook would go to c1, and the king's rook to d1, but Smyslov plans to attack the black centre by f4-f5 and so wants the king's rook on the f file.

15...Kh8 16.Kh1 a6 17.f4 Na5 18.f5 b5!?

The c4 square will be occupied later. My main analysis engines Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01 reckon White is slightly better after 18...Nc4 19.Bc1 Qd6 20.fxe6 b5 21.Qb3.

19.Qh4 Ng8

The engines reckon 19...Nc4?! 20.Bxh6+ Nh7 (20...gxh6? is worse, eg 21.Qxh6+ Kg8 22.Qg6+ Kh8 23.fxe6 with a winning attack) 21.Bxg7+!? Kxg7 22.Qg4+ Kh8 23.fxe6 is good for White, who gets three pawns and attacking chances for a knight.

20.Qh3

The engines prefer 20.Qg4!?

20...Nc4 21.Bc1 Bg5 22.fxe6 Bxc1 23.Rxc1 Ne3 24.Nxd5!

Offering the exchange is the only way to get equal chances, according to the engines.

24...Nxf1 25.Rxf1 Rf8 26.Nf4

A usually reliable rule-of-thumb is that the side the exchange down should avoid trading rooks, but here the engines reckon 26.Rxf8!? Qxf8 27.Bf3 is at least as good as the text.

Position after 27.Bf3

26...Ne7 27.Qg4?

Correct, according to the engines, is 27.Qh5, which prevents Black's next.

27...g5 28.Qh3 Rf6 29.Nd3 Rxf1+ 30.Bxf1 Kg7

Position after 30...Kg7

The difference in the two diagrams is that Black's knight and queen have gained activity while White's knight and bishop have fallen back. This turns a drawn position into one winning for Black, according to the engines.

31.Qg4 Qd5+ 32.e4

Not 32.Bg2?? Rc1+ 33.Nxc1 Qd1+ 34.Bf1 Qxf1#.

If 32.Kg1?! then 32...Rc4 33.Qh3 (otherwise Black picks up the e6 pawn with ease) Qd4+ 34.Kh1 Qe4+ 35.Kg1 Qe3+ 36.Kh1 Re4 and the e6 pawn still falls.

32...Qd4 33.h4 Rf8 34.Be2 Qe3 35.Kg2 Ng6 36.h5?!

Possibly better, but also losing, is the engines' 36.e7 Re8 37.hxg5 hxg5, after which White cannot save the e7 pawn.

36...Ne7 37.b4 Kh7 38.Kh2

White's other pieces cannot move without losing material.

38...Rd8 39.e5

Or 39.Nc5 Rd2 etc.

39...Rxd3 40.Bxd3+ Qxd3 0-1