Nikšić (Yugoslavia) Round 9 1983
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.dxc5!?
This is not as popular as 9.Bg5 but is preferred by the analysis engines Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01.
9...Bxc5
An active alternative is 9...d4!? 10.Na4 Bf5 [10...Bg4?! 11.a3 a5 12.Ne1!? Re8 13.Nd3 was much better for White in David Clear (176 ECF) - Spanton (163 ECF), London League 1995 (1-0, 50 moves)] 11.Bf4, when Black does not have enough compensation for a pawn, according to the engines, although there is a lot of play in the position.
10.Bg5 d4
Pushing the d pawn is the main move.
11.Ne4!?
11.Bxf6, described by Shamkovich & Schiller in Play The Tarrasch as "the only serious attempt to preserve the advantage," will be covered in the next part of this series. The text is slightly preferred by Stockfish12, but not by Komodo11.01.
11...Be7 12.Bxf6 Bxf6
White has given up the bishop-pair but has a well-placed knight on e4 - a theme often seen in ...dxe4 lines of the French.
13.Rc1 Re8 14.Ne1!?
The knight heads for the blockading square d3.
14...Be7!?
Kasparov decides it is worthwhile spending a tempo to preserve the bishop-pair. Emanuel Lasker - Siegbert Tarrasch, Berlin 1918, saw 14...Bf5 15.Nc5 Bc8? (15...Qb6 is a later improvement) 16.Nxb7 Bxb7 17.Rxc6 (1-0, 56 moves).
15.Nd3 Bf8!? 16.Qd2 a5 17.Rfd1
Later the same month, the game Nikolić (2490) - Svetozar Gligorić (2510), Boris Kostić Memorial (Vršac, Yugoslavia) 1983, went 17.a3 a4!? 18.Nec5 with advantage to White, according to the engines (1-0, 58 moves). The engines reckon 17...Bg4!? 18.Rfe1 Rc8 keeps White's edge to a minimum.
17...Bg4 18.Ndc5 Bxc5 19.Rxc5 Qe7
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| Which reasonable (looking) move should White avoid? |
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20.h3?
Nikolić must have missed Black's reply. The engines reckon 20.Rcc1 is equal.
20...Bxe2! 21.Re1
21.Qxe2? Qxc5.
21...d3 22.Qc3 Rad8 23.Nd2 Nd4!
The engines agree this is better than 23...Rc8 24.Bxc6 Rxc6 25.Rxc6 bxc6 26.Qxa5, although that too seems good for Black.
24.Qxa5 h6!?
This is a little slow but ensures no nasty accidents on the back rank, and Kasparov believes Black can afford it as the black pieces are much-better coordinated than their white counterparts.
25.Rc3?!
The engines do not like this, preferring 25.Rc7 Rd7 and now 26.Rc3, when ...b6 is not possible, as will be explained in the next note.
25...b6! 26.Qa6
Not 26.Qxb6 Qg5!, eg 27.Ne4 Nf3+ (27...d2 is also strong) 28.Bxf3 Bxf3 29.Qc6 (29.Nxg5? Rxe1+ 30.Kh2 Rh1#) d2 etc.
If the game had gone 25.Rc7 Rd7 26.Rc3, then 26...b6? 27.Qxb6 Qg5?! runs into 28.Rxd3! Re6 29.Rxd4 Rxb6 30.Rxd7, which the engines reckon is at least equal or may even favour White.
26...Qg5 27.Rxd3
This is best but hopeless, according to the engines. As before, Ne4 fails to ...Nf3+ or ...d2 (or ...Rxe4).
27...Qg6
Other moves also win, including the simple 27...Bxd3.
28.Bf1
White's rook is pinned because of the backward capture ...Bxa6.
28...Qxd3 29.Qxd3 Bxd3 30.Rxe8+ Rxe8 31.Bxd3 Re1+ 32.Bf1 Ra1 33.Nc4 b5 34.Nd6 Rxa2 35.Nxb5 Nxb5 36.Bxb5 Rxb2 37.Bc4
I suspect Nikolić felt like resigning here, but it is instructive to see how Kasparov brings home the full point. A noteworthy aspect is the way Kasparov holds back his pawns while he manoeuvres to get his pieces, especially the king, to their best-possible squares.
37...Rc2 38.Bd5 Kf8 39.h4
It is no improvement to put the pawns on the same-coloured squares as the bishop in order to give the bishop a secure post as Black's pieces would then invade on the dark squares.
39...g6 40.Kg2 Ke7 41.Kf3 Rc7 42.Ke4 Kd6 43.Ba2 Re7+ 44.Kd4 Ra7 45.Bb3 Ke7 46.Ke4
If 46.Ke5 to try to prevent the black king advancing, White's pawns are too vulnerable, eg one line given by the engines runs 46...Ra3 47.Bd5 (covering a2 and f3) Ra4 (threatening 48...f6#) 48.Bc6 f6+ 49.Kd5 Ra2 50.f3 Rg2 51.g4 Rh2 etc.
46...Kf6 47.Bd5 Re7+ 48.Kf4 Re2 49.Kf3 Rd2 50.Bc4 Rd4 51.Ba2 Rd7 52.Bc4
52.Ke4? Rd2.
52...Ke5 53.Ba2
53.Ke3 cannot keep the black king back for ever, eg 53...Rc7 54.Ba2 Ra7 55.Bc4 Ra3+ 56.Bd3 Rb3 57.f3 Ra3 etc.
53...Kd4 54.Bb1 Rc7 55.Ba2 Ra7 56.Bb1 Ra1 57.Bc2 Kc3 58.Be4 Kd2 59.Kg2
59.Bd5Ra5 60.Bxf7?? Rf5+.
59...Ke1 60.Bd5 Ra7 61.f4 Ke2 62.h5!?
This is best, according to the engines, but breaking up the black pawns does not give drawing chances because the rook is so much more powerful than the bishop in this ending.
62...gxh5 63.Bf3+ Ke3 64.Bxh5 Ra2+ 65.Kh3 f6 66.Be8 Kf2 67.Kh4 Ra8 68.Bc6 Rg8 69.g4 Ke3 70.Kg3
70.f5 Kf4.
70...f5 71.Bf3 h5 0-1
If 72.g5 then 72...h4+ wins.
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