IN the same tournament in which Kasparov beat Yasser Seirawan he faced Bent Larsen.
Larsen (2555) - Kasparov (2690)
Nikšić (Yugoslavia) Round 7 19831.c4 e6
Kasparov angles for another opportunity to play the Tarrasch Defence.
2.Nc3
Larsen indicates he is happy to oblige. He could have avoided the Queen's Gambit with, for example, 2.Nf3, when 2...d5 3.g3 c5 could be classified as a Réti or as a Symmetrical English.
2...d5 3.d4 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.b3!?
This move goes back to at least 1920 but is dubbed the Uhlmann Variation in Play The Tarrasch by Shamkovich & Schilller (Pergamon (1984). As is pointed out in the book, the position can arise from a Nimzowitsch-Larsen Opening, ie 1.b3.
9...Ne4!?
This is the main move in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, and is called "very sharp" by Shamkowich & Schiller.
10.Bb2 Bf6 11.Na4
A reasonably popular alternative is 11.e3, when 11...Bg4 12.h3 (12.Ne2 is the main move, but the engines slightly prefer the text) cxd4?! (Black should probably capture on f3 or withdraw the dark-square bishop) 13.Nxd5! was better for White in Spanton (1968) - John G Cooper (Hull - 2193), Hull 2017 (but ½–½, 53 moves).
11...Re8!?
More popular, but not by much, is 11...b6 (note that after 11.Na4, White is not threatening 12.Nxc5?? as that loses to 12...Nxc5 13.bxc5 Bxb2, but White is threatening 11.dxc5).
12.Rc1
12.dxc5 does not even come close to winning a pawn as Black replies 12...Bxb2 13.Nxb2 Nc3 etc.
12...b6!?
This had been played before but largely slipped under the radar because of Spassky's 12...cxd4 13.Nxd4 Bxd4 14.Nxd4 Bf5, when White has the bishop-pair and a slight edge, according to my main analysis engines Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01, but Black's position looks solid enough.
Today the text is the main move.
13.dxc5 Bxb2 14.Nxb2 bxc5 15.Na4
Black's hanging pawns come under immediate pressure.
15...Ba6
Active defence. Black's position looks problematic after 15...Nb4?! 16.a3 Na6, while the pawn sacrifice 15...c4?! 16.bxc4 d4 did not work out in Attila Jakab (2367) - Nathaniel Graham (2346), Budapest IM-A 2002, after 17.Nd2 Bf5 18.Nxe4 Bxe4 19.Bxe4 Rxe4 (1-0, 60 moves).
16.Re1
Not 16.Nxc5? Nxc5 17.Rxc5 Bxe2 etc.
16...c4 17.Nh4?!
This move has not find favour with later players. Today the main line runs 17.Nd2 Qf6 18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.bxc4 Rad8 20.Qb3 e3!, when Black has full compensation for a pawn, according to the engines, eg 21.fxe3 Qh6 24.Nc5 Rxe3 25.Qb2 Ne5, which led to a quick draw in a 'freestyle', ie computer-assisted, rapid game in 2006.
17...Qa5 18.Nf5 g6 19.Nd4 Rac8 20.h4?!
The engines dislike this, reckoning White keeps the balance with 20.Bh3 f5 (20...Rc7? 21.Nxc6 Rxc6 22.Bd7) 21.Nxc6 Rxc6 22.Bg2.
20...Ne5 21.Bh3 Rc7 22.Nc2?
This allows a combination. The engines prefer 22.Kg3, albeit reckoning Black is on top.
22...cxb3
Even stronger is the engines' 22...Nd3! 23.exd3 cxd3 24.Re3 (24.Ne3 Rxc1 25.Qxc1 d2) dxc2, when 25.Rxc2? only makes matters worse after 25...d4 26.Re1 Rxc2 etc.
23.axb3 Bc8 24.Bg2 Ng4 25.Rf1 Bd7?!
And here almost certainly stronger is 25...Ba6, eg 26.Nd4 Rec8, eg 27.Rxc7 Qxc7 28.Bxe4 dxe4, when the threat of ...e3 is extraordinarily hard to meet.
26.Ra1 Bxa4 27.Rxa4 Qc3 28.Bxe4
Forced, but good.
28...dxe4 29.e3?!
White should have protected the b pawn, for example by 29.Na3, according to the engines.
29...Qxb3 30.Rxe4 Rxe4 31.Qd8+ Kg7 32.Qxc7 Rxc4 33.Nd4 Rxc7 34.Nxb3 Rc2
Larsen correctly calculated that 29.e3?! did not lose material, but the ending favours Black thanks to his farside passed pawn and more-active pieces.
35.Nd4 Ra2 36.e4 Rd2?!
Black should have got on with it on the queenside with 36...a5, according to the engines, who reckon the text allows White to equalise.
37.Nc6 a6 38.e5
Stockfish12 is happy with this, but Komodo11.01 does not like it. Perhaps a surer draw is to be had with 28.f3!?, eg 38...Ne3 39.Re1.
38...Re2 39.Ra1 Rxf2 40.Rxa6 Rc2 41.h5 Kh6
Black is a pawn up but with almost zero winning chances after 41...gxh5?!
42.hxg6 hxg6 43.Ra4 Kg5 44.Nd4 Rc3 45.e6 Rxg3+ 46.Kh1!?
Kasparov gave this a question mark, but it seems that the losing move comes later.
46...f5 47.e7 Re3 48.Nc6 f4 49.Ra5+!?
Kasparov also gave this a question mark, but again that may not be right.
49...Kh4 50.Ra8 Nf6
 |
| White to play and draw |
*****
*****
*****
*****
51.Kg2?
This is the losing move, according to the engines.
I will explain later why they reckon 51.Kh2 is correct, but for now here is how the game ended:
51...f3+ 52.Kf1
52.Kf2 Ng4.
52...Kg3 53.Nd4 Ng4 54.Nxf3 Rxf3+ 55.Kg1 Nh2 56.Rf8 Rc3 0-1
Going back to the last diagram, White seems to draw with 51.Kh2, after which ...f3 does not come with check. The engines reckon 51...f3 is still best, but then comes 52.e8=Q! Nxe8 53.Ra4+ Kh5 54.Kg3, after which there seems no way for Black to save the f pawn, and then White should be able to give up his knight for the other pawn and reach a reasonably easy-to-draw ending, at least for a player of Larsen's calibre, of rook versus rook and knight. Best play seems to go 54...g5 55.Nd4 Re6 (55.Rc3 Ne5) 56.Nd4 Rf6 57.Nxf3! g4 58.Ra5+ Kh6 59.Ra3 gxf3 60.Rxf3 - Draw.
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