FOR the fourth time in one tournament, Kasparov gets a chance to play the Tarrasch Defence.
Tony Miles (2585) - Kasparov (2690)
Nikšić (Yugoslavia) Round 11 19831.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3!?
Why would someone play 3.Nf3 instead of 3.Nc3? One reason might be because White wants to play the Catalan, a main line of which runs 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0.
Edmar Mednis in Strategic Chess: Mastering The Closed Game (Summit 1993) gives a different take on the issue, writing of another encounter: "In this game White delays Nc3 until he has completed kingside castling. This is a common occurrence in GM games when the Tarrasch Defence arises by transposition. There is no disadvantage in delaying Nc3 ... and the advantage is increased flexibility for White if Black chooses something else rather than mainline play."
I covered several such non-mainline possibilities, including the Von Hennig-Schara Gambit and the Swedish Variation, in part three of this series.
3...c5
The most-popular move is 3...Nf6. That fits in with the original purpose of this series, which was to suggest a response when White threatened to play the QGD Exchange Variation without being committed to Nf3 (and so having the option of Nge2). However, Kasparov here prefers to head for a Tarrasch, and Miles is happy to oblige.
4.cxd5 exd5 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0
Finally reaching a position that has featured so heavily in this series, but as Mednis stated in Strategic Chess: "For well over 30 years [now over 70 years] this has been the starting point for international play, is so currently and I expect that it will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. The reason is straightforward - both sides have efficiently completed kingside development and are ready for the dynamic play to come. Because Black's build-up has been perfectly executed, White cannot afford to tarry. White must immediately apply pressure to d5."
9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Bg5 d4 11.Bxf6
This is easily the most-popular move in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database.
11...Qxf6
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
12.Nd5
Whites always used to play 12.Ne4, which is marginally preferred by the analysis engines Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01, after which the main line goes 12...Qe7 13.Nxc5 Qxc5 14.Rc1 Qb6 15.Qd2 Be6 16.b3 with what the engines reckon is an equal position.
The text was apparently first played by Jan Timman in 1977 and quickly became the main move.
12...Qd8 13.Nd2 Re8
A favourite move of Kasparov's in the Tarrasch.
14.Rc1 Bb6
Kasparov is happy to give back the bishop-pair if it means getting rid of the well-placed knight.
15.Re1
Since this game was played the main move has become 15.Nc4, when the chief continuation is 15...Bg4 16.Re1 Ba5!? 17.Nxa5 Qxa5 18.b4! Qxb4 (18...Qxa2? can be hit by 19.Nc7 or 19.Ra1) 19.Qxd4 Nxd5 20.Qxg4 with a slight edge for White, according to the engines. A possible improvement is preserving the bishop-pair with Murray Chandler's 16...Bc5!?
15...Be6 16.Nf4!? Qd7
16...Bxa2?! 17.b3 Ba5 18.Rc2 Bxb3 19.Nxb3 d3!? 20.Rxc6! Bxe1 21.Rc1 d2 22.Rb1 was played in a handful of games in 1984, but seems much better for White. A possible improvement is 18...Nb4!?, and after 19.Rb2 the engines suggest 19...d3!?, although they prefer White.
17.Qa4
17.Nxe6 Qxe6! brought Chandler a win as Black against Ulf Andersson in 1984.
17...Rac8 18.Nc4 Bd8 19.Nxe6
Miles (2565) - Chandler (2515), Phillips & Drew (London) 1984, went 19.b4!? a6 20.Nb2 Bg5 21.Nbd3 with a slight edge for White, according to the engines (1-0, 72 moves).
19...Qxe6 20.Qb5 Rc7 21.Qd5 Qf6 22.Qf3 Qe6!?
Kasparov would rather repeat moves than exchange queens, although the engines reckon exchanging queens is fine for Black.
23.Qd5 Qf6 24.Qd6!? Re6 25.Qa3 Rce7 26.Qd3 Re8
Black's pressure against e2 seems to compensate for White's against d4.
27.a3 h5 28.Bd5 R6e7 29.h4 Rd7 30.Bf3 g5!?
Trying to grab the initiative, but weakening his king's position.
31.hxg5
31.Bxh5?! gxh5 exposes both kings.
31...Qxg5 32.Kg2 Ne7?
Kasparov overdoes it. The position is far from clear after 32...h4, but note that 32...Ne5? fails to 33.Nxe5 Qxe5 34.e3 or 33...Rxe5 34.Bc6! bxc6 35.f4.
33.Qd2?
33.Rh1? is met by 33...Ng6 (threatening ...Nf4+), but 33.Qe4, pinning the black knight, makes Rh1 a huge threat. The engines reckon best after 33.Qe4 is 33...Kf8 34.Ne5 Rd6 35.Rh1 with a large advantage.
33...Ng6 34.Qxg5 Bxg5 35.Rcd1 h4 36.Bg4 Rdd8 37.f4 b5!? 38.Na5 Re3 39.Bf3 Bf6 40.Nc6 Rde8
The game was agreed drawn in this somewhat unclear and rather sharp position. After 41.Nxd4, the engines reckon 41...hxg3 42.Nf5 Nxf4+ 43.Kxg3 Nh5+ 44.Kg4 R3e5 45.Bc6 is slightly better for White.
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