Karpov (2700) - Kasparov (2710)
World Championship (Moscow) 1984 Game 9
QGD Tarrasch
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.cxd4 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.Qb3 Na5 13.Qc2 Bg4 14.Nf5 Rc8 15.Bd4!?
Karpov is the first to deviate from game seven of the match, in which he gained the bishop-pair with 15.Nxe7+.
15...Bc5 16.Bxc5
Probably not 16.Bxf6?! Qxf6 17.Ne3 (definitely not 17.Nh4? Bxe2) Bxe3 with an edge for Black.
16...Rxc5 17.Ne3
 |
| Position after 17.Ne3 |
*****
*****
*****
*****
17...Be6
17...d4!? is the thrust both players must look out for in the Tarrasch. The analysis engines Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01 continue 18.Rad1 Nc4 19.Nxg4 Nxg4 20.Nd5 (they also like 20.Qb3) Rxd5 21.Qxc4 Rxd7 22.Qa4 with what they reckon is a slight edge for White.
18.Rad1
18.b4 Rc8 19.bxa5 d4 is fine for Black.
18...Qc8 19.Qa4 Rd8 20.Rd3 a6 21.Rfd1
The engines reckon White can safely win the d pawn with 21.Ncxd5 Nxd6 22.Bxd5 Bxd5 23.Qd1!, which suggests Black has already gone wrong (perhaps at move 17).
21...Nc4 22.Nxc4 Rxc4 23.Qa5 Rc5 24.Qb6 Rd7 25.Rd4 Qc7 26.Qxc7 Rdxc7
We have reached a queenless middlegame that seems slightly better for White, who is more active.
27.h3 h5 28.a3 g6 29.e3 Kg7 30.Kh2 Rc4 31.Bf3
This will allow the king to protect f2.
31...b5 32.Kg2 R7c5 33.Rxc4
Not 33.Nxd5?? Nxd5 34.Bxd5 Rxd4, when Black emerges up a bishop for a pawn.
33...Rxc4
33...dxc4?! 34.Rd6 a5 (34...Bc8? 35.Rxf6!) 35.Rb6.
34.Rd4 Kf8
White is better after 34...Rxd4 35.exd4, but by how much? Komodo11.01 reckons the edge is small; Stockfish12 at first gives White the upper hand, but gradually comes nearer Komodo11.01's evaluation.
35.Be2
Karpov evidently thinks it is worth spending a tempo to encourage an exchange of rooks.
35...Rxd4 36.exd4
The ending is better for White because his bishop has targets while Black's is a purely defensive piece, apart from hitting h3, which White can easily remedy.
36...Ke7 37.Na2 Bc8 38.Nb4
Black's queenside pawns cannot move, so there is no need to fix them with 38.b4?!, which is probably a mistake anyway as it turns c4 into a possible outpost square for the black knight which, after 38...Ne4, is also a menace to the a3 pawn.
38...Kd6 39.f3 Ng8 40.h4 Nh6 41.Kf2 Nf5 42.Nc2 f6 43.Bd3 g5
43...Ne7!? intends 44...Bf5 but White can stop this with 44.Ne3 as 44...Bf5? 45.Nxf5+ Nxf5 46.Bxf5 gxf5 47.Ke3 is a winning pawn-ending for White. So after 44.Ne3 Black has to play something like 44...Ke6 and await developments. The engines prefer the text.
44.Bxf5 Bxf5 45.Ne3
The knight is slightly better than the bishop in this ending because the bishop has no real targets, apart from the f3 pawn, and Black has to be wary of White infiltrating on the dark squares.
45...Bb1 46.b4!?
Fixing Black's queenside pawns, but ruling out a queenside invasion by the white king.
46...gxh4?
Black should temporise with 46...Ke6 or a similar non-committing move.
47.Ng2!
Komodo11.01 very slightly prefers 47.gxh4, but it is far from certain White can break through after that.
47...hxg3+ 48.Kxg3 Ke6
Black cannot hold the h pawn, so this is not a pawn-losing blunder.
49.Nf4+ Kf5 50.Nxh5 Ke6 51.Nf4+ Kd6 52.Kg4 Bc2 53.Kh5 Bd1 54.Kg6!
There is no need to save the f3 pawn, eg 54...Bxf3 55.Kxf6 Bg4 56.Nd3 Bh3 57.Nc5 Bc8, after which the bishop cannot move, so 58.Kf7 Kc6 59.Ke7 Kc7 60.Ne6+ Kc6 61.Kf6 Kd6 62.Nc5 Kc6 63.Ke5 etc. This is a long line, but both players would have realised Black eventually arrives in zugzwang after 54...Bxf3.
54...Ke7! 55.Nxd5+?!
This natural-looking capture may be premature. The engines prefer 55.Nh5!?, eg 55...Bxf3 56.Nxf6 Be4+ 57.Kg5 Bc2 58.Ng4 Be4 59.Ne5 Kd6 60.Kf6 Bg2 61.Nf7+ Kd7 62.Ke5 etc.
55...Ke6 56.Nc7+ Kd7?
Better is 56...Kd6, keeping the king closer to the d pawn, eg 57.Nxa6 Bxf3 58.Kxf6 Kd5 59.Nc7+ Kxd4 is a database draw (despite Komodo11.01 giving White the upper hand). White should therefore try 57.Ne8+ Ke7 58.Nxf6 Bxf3 59.Kf5, but after 59...Kd6 it is hard to see how White makes progress (Stockfish12 agrees, but Komodo11.01 again gives White the upper hand).
57.Nxa6 Bxf3 58.Kxf6 Kd6
Black is a tempo down on the first line in the previous note.
59.Kf5 Kd5 60.Kf4 Bh1 61.Ke3
White's king is in time to save the d pawn.
61...Kc4 62.Nc5 Bc6 63.Nd3 Bg2 64.Ne5+ Kc3 65.Ng6 Kc4 66.Ne7 Bb7?!
The bishop is more active if it stays on the kingside with 66...Bh1! Then if, as in the game, 67.Nf5, Black can play the desirable 67...Kd5 as White does not have 68.Kd3??, which loses to 68...Be4+. It therefore seems Black has a draw - at least the engines and I have not been able to find a win for White.
67.Nf5 Bg2
Here 67...Kd5 is simply met by 68.Kd3, after which the black king will eventually be forced back, eg 68...Ke6 69.Ng7+ Kd5 70.Ne8 Bc6 71.Nf6 Ke6 72.Ne4 Kd5 73.Nc3+ Kd6 74.d5! Bxd5 75.Nxb5+.
68.Nd6+ Kb3 69.Nxb5 Ka4 70.Nd6 1-0
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