Kasparov & Tartakower On A Chess Classic

THE King's Gambit, while by no means common, still appears in club-standard games.

What is rare these days, however, is Black trying to hang on to the extra pawn with 3...g5, which used to be almost universal.

Here is an exciting example from Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont's 500 Master Games Of Chess.

Notes in italics are algebraicised from the book, those underlined are by Garry Kasparov in ChessBase Magazine.

Jakob Rosanes - Adolf Anderssen

Breslau, Prussia (now Wrocław, Poland)

A classic, showing how mind can triumph over matter.

1.e4 e5 2.f4

Of course the most popular opening of the mid-19th century. Conventional wisdom at the time assumed that White had an obligation to fight for the initiative at any price. That is why material sacrifice at an early stage of the game was simply a show of good taste, and to decline the opponent's kind material offer was not considered an honourable option.

2...exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5

This variation is known as the Kieseritzky Gambit.

One of the key-positions of underdeveloped chess theory.

5...Nf6

An active defence.

How should White proceed?

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6.Bc4?!

As this immediate action against f7 is easily met, 6.d4 is more useful.

6.d4 was later proved to be a much better move.

The text is easily the most popular continuation in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, while 6.Nxg4!? is recommended by Stockfish17 and Dragon1.
6...d5 7.exd5 Bd6

Continuing to show an active spirit.

8.d4 Nh5!?

Maintaining the same spirit; not only does the text move guard the gambit pawn, but it indicates Black's future line of play,

9.Bb5+?

He gets entangled in an expedition, which neglects the safety of his own king. If 9.Nxg4 [then] 9...Ng3 etc. The best, in spite of all apparent dangers, is 9.0-0, eg 9...Qxh4 10.Qe1 Qxe1 11.Rxe1 Kf8 12.Nc3 etc.

9...c6!

Playing for sacrifices in material, in order to speed up his action on the sector which he recognises as the most important. Otherwise 9...Kf8 is playable.

Anderssen in action! It's time to change colours and play white!

10.dxc6 bxc6!?

The engines reckon 10...Nxc6 is much stronger.

11.Nxc6 Nxc6

If 11...Qd7 [then] 12.Nxa7 wins.

12.Bxc6+ Kf8!

Great play! 12...Bd7 13.Bxd7+ Qxd7 14.0-0 etc would deprive Black's attack of all vitality, and so he prefers to give up his QR for nothing more than an attacking 'tempo'.

13.Bxa8

White is rook and pawn up, but the engines agree Black is winning

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13...Ng3 14.Rh2

Better is Kf2.

Obviously [to] the unknown club player who was playing white it wasn't clear whether Black had sufficient compensation for the sacrificed rook.

This is a bit harsh on Rosanes who, according to ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, had a score against Anderssen of +2=0-2 (Rosanes had white in every game).

14...Bf5?!

The engines show direct play with 14...Qe7+ is much stronger, thanks to meeting 15.Kf2 with 15...Ne2!, eg 16.Qxe2 g3+ 17.Kf1 Qxe2+ 18.Kxe2 Ba6+, when one line runs 19.Ke1 gxh2 20.g4 Kg7 21.Bf3 Re8+ 22.Kf2 Re2+! etc, or 16.g3+!? fxg3 17.Kg2 gxh2 18.Bh6+ Kg8 19.Nd2 Ng3 etc.

15.Bd5 Kg7 16.Nc3 Re8+ 17.Kf2 Qb6

Threatening 18...Be5.

Any modern player would be jealous about Andersen's confidence in playing with a rook down. Meanwhile ...Be5 is a decisive threat.

18.Na4 Qa6

Threatening mate in four by 19...Qe2+ etc.

In other words, 19...Qe2+ 20.Qxe2 Rxe2+ 21.Kg1 Re1+ 22.Kf2 Rf1#.

19.Nc3

If 19.c4 [then] 19...Qxa4.

19...Be5!?

A great fight for the diagonal, which is but weakly defended by White's QP.

20.a4

Intending, after 20...Qb6, to play 21.Nb5 a6 22.c3 etc, but Black is disinclined to wait, and announces mate in four. If 20.dxe5 [then] 20...Qb6+ 21.Ke1 Qg1+ 22.Kd2 Qe3#.

Even the computer defence 20.Kg1 doesn't save White: 20...Qb6 (20...Qf1+ doesn't work [because of] 21.Qxf1 Bxd4+ 22.Be3!) 21.Rh1 Bxd4+ 22.Kh2 Qf6! is crushing.

Black to play and win

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20...Qf1+!!

A splendid sacrifice of the queen, of which the object is to deflect the opposing queen from the protection of d4.

21.Qxf1 Bxd4+ 22.Be3 Rxe3!

A quiet preparation for the mate on the next move.

Despite the obvious inequality in the players' strength this game gives a clear idea of the chess fashions of Anderssen's time.
Not 22...Bxe3+? as the white king escapes after 23.Ke1, when Black has sacrificed too much material.

23.Kg1

Or 23.Nb5 Re2#. There could be no more impressive demonstration of the power of a double check.

23...Re1#

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

AFTER Anatoly Karpov's success against Kasparov's Tarrasch Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined in games seven and nine of their match, you might think he would be keen to take it on again.

But for the rest of the 1984 world championship, which lasted 48 games before being halted prematurely, Karpov never played 1.d4.

This is hard to explain.

In some ways, it became a moot point in that Kasparov, as far as I can discover, never again played the Tarrasch Defence.

It would seem Karpov was not convinced he was getting much out of the opening against Kasparov, while the latter presumably concluded the Tarrasch Defence did not, despite his previous successes with it, suit his style.

Whatever the truth, the Tarrasch Defence is still a viable weapon, especially at club level, and particularly these days when it is not in fashion and so is something of a surprise weapon.

One advantage of playing the Tarrasch Defence at club level is that it gives Black a repertoire against a London System/Colle/Torre set-up (1.d4.d5 2.Nf3) and against the New London (1.d4 d5 2.Bf4).

You may recall from this series that Kasparov in his Tarrasch Defence days was happy to meet 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 with 2...c5, and the same move can be played against the New London.

Another point to note is that the Tarrasch Defence could easily have been called the Tarrasch Counterattack. It owes more to the spirit of the Albin Countergambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5) than to the Orthodox Defence of the Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6).

It should suit players who like to get their pieces out early to engage in tactical hand-to-hand combat. I hope this series has given some ideas on how Black should go about this.

Guess who?

Garry Kasparov's Forgotten Weapon Against The Queen's Gambit (part 15)

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

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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

Garry Kasparov's Forgotten Weapon Against The Queen's Gambit (part 14)

KASPAROV challenged Anatoly Karpov for the world title in Moscow in 1984.

The champion won game three on the white side of a Sicilian and game six on the black side of a Queen's Indian.

Then came game seven:

Karpov (2700) - Kasparov (2710)

QGD Tarrasch

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3!?

Karpov avoids 3.Nc3. This was not normal for him. In his career with the white pieces, after the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6, he played 3.Nc3 twice as often as 3.Nf3, and scored a much higher percentage with it (80% for 3.Nc3, 67% for 3.Nf3, according to ChessBase's 2021 Mega database). I have speculated earlier in this series on possible reasons for choosing 3.Nf3, but only Karpov knows for sure why he played this way.

3...c5 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.Qb3!?

This seems to have been first played by Viktor Korchnoi in a 1970 win over Borislav Ivkov. The queen adds immediate pressure against d5, frees d1 for a rook and pressurises b7.

12...Na5 13.Qc2

Position after 13.Qc2

This position was also reached in the Beliavsky-Kasparov quarter-final match, except there the queen went to c2 on move 12, meaning the black queen's knight was still at c6. Is the knight at a5 an improvement for White or for Black? I guess it depends on the coming moves. If the knight finds useful employment at c4, Black has gained by the manoeuvre. But if the knight has to fall back to c6, Black has lost time.

13...Bg4

The immediate 13...Nc4 has been played by grandmasters, but seems well met by 14.Bf4.

14.Nf5

Previous games had mostly seen 14.h3, until Lajos Portisch played the text earlier in 1984, beating Michael Wilder at New York and drawing with Murray Chandler at Amsterdam. 14.Nf5 is now the main move.

14...Rc8!?

A novelty. Wilder and Chandler preferred 14...Bb4, which is more popular in Mega21.

15.Nxe7+

15.Bxa7?! b6 is problematic for White.

15...Rxe7 16.Rad1 Qe8

16...Be6?! is the type of defensive retreat Black wants to avoid.

17.h3 Bh5

It is too late for 16...Be6? as now 17.Bxa7 works, so Kasparov keeps the light-square bishop pressurising e2.

18.Bxd5!?

This may be too greedy. My main analysis engines Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01 reckon White should increase the tension with 18.Bd4, eg 18...Ne4 19.Rfe1 Bg6 20.Qc1 Rd7, when Stockfish12 gives White the upper hand after 21.Qf4, but Komodo11.01 rates 21...Nc6 as an equaliser. For practical purposes, the position after move 17 should probably be rated as unclear.

18...Bg6 19.Qc1 Nxd5 20.Rxd5 Nc4 21.Bd4

Almost certainly not 21.Bxa7?! b6 22.b3 Ne3! 23.fxe3 Rxa7, when White is two pawns up but White's multiple weaknesses and Black's more-active pieces give the latter an edge, according to the engines.

21...Rec7 22.b3 Nb6 23.Re5 Qd7 24.Qe3 f6 25.Rc5 Rxc5 26.Bxc5 Qxh3

Black has regained his pawn, and the game is equal, according to the engines.

27.Rd1 h5

The engines prefer 27...Be8!?, which both covers the d7 entry point and plans redeployment at c6.

28.Rd4 Nd7!? 29.Bd6

The pawn-grab 29.Bxa7 is probably playable but looks risky after 29...Ne5.

29...Bf7 30.Nd5 Bxd5 31.Rxd5 a6 32.Bf4 Nf8 33.Qd3 Qg4?!

Consistent with previous play are the engines' suggestions of 33...h4 and 33...Ne6.

34.f3

It seems Karpov could have gained an advantage with the engines' 34.Rd6!, the point being to threaten 34.Qd5+, forking king and b7 pawn. The engines reckon best play then goes 34...Qg6 35.Qf3 Qf7, when White has an initiative but there does not seem to be anything immediately decisive.

34...Qg6 35.Kf2 Rc2?!

Kasparov has the slightly more-exposed king, so logical here is 35...Qxd3 36.Rxd3 Rc2 with a likely draw, but he pushes for more and quickly runs into trouble.

36.Qe3!

Threatening to win with 37.Rd8. There is only one defence.

36...Rc8 37.Qe7 b5?

Black had to give up the h pawn by 37...Qf7 38.Qxf7+ Kxf7 39.Rxh5, after which the engines reckon 39...g5 40.Bd6 Ne6 gives drawing chances.

38.Rd8 Rxd8 39.Qxd8 Qf7 40.Bd6 g5 41.Qa8 Kg7 42.Qxa6 1-0

White will win the b5 pawn as well, rendering Black's game hopeless.

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

Garry Kasparov's Forgotten Weapon Against The Queen's Gambit (part 12)

KASPAROV won with white in game nine of his Candidates final against Vasily Smyslov, meaning he led 3-0, with six draws, when game 10 began.

Smyslov (2600) - Kasparov (2710)

Candidates Final, Game 10 (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.Kh1 Bg4 14.f3 Bh5 15.Nxc6!?

Smyslov varies from 15.Bg1 of game eight.

15..bxc6 16.Na4

As usual in the Tarrasch, White's capture on c6 radically changes the play. Instead of targeting the d5 pawn, White now targets the c6 pawn and the c5 square, the latter becoming an outpost for white pieces.

16...Qc8!?

Taking control of the c8-h3 diagonal before it can be occupied by White's light-square bishop. That in turn suggests White could have played 16.Bh3?!, but then Black has a pleasant choice between 16...Bxa3 and 16...c5.

17.Bd4 Qe6

Supporting c6 from a flank, pressurising e2 and freeing c8 for possible occupation by a black rook.

18.Rc1 Nd7 19.Rc3 Bf6 20.e3 Bg6

Thanks to a rook being on c3, White can meet 20...Bxd4 with 21.Qxd4 or 21.exd4.

21.Kg1!?

It is surprising, at least at first glance, that Smyslov can find nothing better than bringing the king closer to the centre. An obvious plan is to double on the c file by 21.Qc1, or 21.Qd2 with Rfc1 to come. But Smyslov presumably decided there is little to be gained thereby as long as a black bishop covers c2.

21...Be7 22.Qd2 Rab8 23.Re1

As an anonymous ChessBase annotator points out, 23.Bxa7 does not win a pawn, viz 23...Ra8 24.Nc5 Qd6 25.Nxd7 Rxa7 26.Nc5 Bf6 27.Rcc1 Qe5, when Black is getting his pawn back and has excellent play.

23...a5 24.Bf1 h5 25.Rec1

25.Bd3?! Bxd3 26.Qxd3 h4 leaves the white king's position looking draughty.

25...Ne5!? 26.Bxe5 Qxe5 27.Rxc6 Bf6 28.R6c5

Not 28.R6c3? d4 29.exd4? Qxd4+ 30.Qxd4 Bxd4+.

But Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01 reckon the position is an example where greed is good and that White should hang on to his extra pawn with 28.Kf2!?, although they believe Black has sufficient compensation.

28...Qxe3+ 29.Qxe3 Rxe3 30.Rxd5 Rxf3 31.Be2 Re3 32.Bxh5

White re-establishes his pawn advantage and gets rid of the black bishop-pair, but after ...

32...Bxh5 33.Rxh5 g5!

... White's pieces are uncoordinated.

34.Nc3!?

34.Rc2 Kg7 35.g4? runs into 35...Re4.

Counterplay with 34.Rc5!? Re2 35.Rxa5 divides the engines. Stockfish12 reckons 35...Rd8 36.Kf1 Rc2 37.Ke1 Kg7 wins for Black, but Komodo11.01 is less sure.

34...Rd8!?

After 34...Rxb2 35.Nd5 Bd4! 36.Rxg5+ Kh7 37.Kh1 Rxa3 Black seems a little better thanks to having bishop-v-knight on an open board with rival passed pawns.

35.Rc2 Kg7 36.Kg2?!

Presumably played with the idea of g4 and Rh3, but this is easily foiled, so 36.Kf2 is probably better.

36...Kg6 37.g4 Rd4 38.h3 ½–½

The final position - should Kasparov have played on, or was Smyslov better?

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Maybe the match situation influenced Kasparov's decision, as Black seems better. One likely continuation given by the engines goes 38...Rdd3 39.Ne2 a4 40.Nc1 Rd1 41.Ne2 Rb3 42.Nc3 Bxc3 43.bxc3 Rd3 44.h4 gxh4 45.Rxh4 Rxa3, when Black has got his pawn back and is better coordinated. However, this is a long line and there are many alternatives along the way.

Garry Kasparov's Forgotten Weapon Against The Queen's Gambit (part 11)

KASPAROV, in games four and six of his Candidates final against Vasily Smyslov, was happy to defend the black side of an Orthodox Queen's Gambit Declined.

In both those games Smyslov played Nf3 on move two, ruling out an Exchange Variation with Nge2.

By the time Kasparov had black again, he was leading the match 2-0 with five draws.

Smyslov (2600) - Kasparov (2710)

Candidates Final, Game 8 (Vilnius, USSR) 1984

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5!? 3.c4

This is the most-popular continuation in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database. Attempting to refute 2...c5!? with 3.dxc5!? is not very popular. The main line runs 3...e6 4.e4!? Bxc5 5.exd5 exd5 6.Bb5!? Nc6 7.0-0 Ne7 8.Nbd2!?, reaching a position in Mega21 where it is normally White to move. Black is fine.

3...e6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.g3 Nf6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nc3 Nc6 9.Bg5

How should Black proceed from this Tarrasch tabiya?

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9...cxd4

This is the main move, but Stockfish12 prefers 9...c4 (Komodo11.01 disagrees), when the main line continues 10.Ne5 Be6 11.Nxc6 (the engines prefer 11.f4!?) bxc6 12.b3 Qa5!? 13.Na4 Rfd8 14.e3 with a position the engines reckon slightly favours White, but there are plenty of promising alternatives for both sides along the way.

10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3 Re8 12.a3

Korchnoi's novelty - used by Smyslov in the drawn game-two of this match.

12...Be6 13.Kh1 Bg4!?

In game two of the match Kasparov played 13...Qd7. A club player who chose the text might be criticised for losing one (at least) tempo, but Kasparov's idea, I believe, is to inhibit f4.

14.f3

Not 14.f4? Bxa3!

White can also hit the bishop with 14.h3, when if, as in the game, 14...Bh5, White has 15.Nf5, eg 15...Bf8 16.g4!? Bg6 17.Nxd5 Bxf5 18.gxf5 Nxd5 19.Qxd5 Qf6, when the engines reckon Black does not have quite enough compensation for a pawn.

14...Bh5 15.Bg1 Qd7 16.Qa4 Bc5 17.Rad1

If 17.Nxc6 then 17...Bxg1.

17...Bb6 18.Rfe1 Bg6 19.Qb5

The natural follow-up to 14.f3 is to get in e4, but it may be too early here, eg 19.e4!? dxe4 20.Nxc6 Qxc6 21.Qxc6 bxc6 22.fxe4 can be met by 22...Ng4!, when the knight gets a fine blockading square at e5.

19...Rad8 20.e3!?

Now both white bishops are obstructed by white pawns. The engines prefer 20.Na4 Bxd4 21.Bxd4 with what they reckon is an equal position.

20...Qd6 21.Nce2?!

The engines prefer 21.Bf2 and if, as in the game, 21...Ne5, then 22.Na4, when 22...Bxd4 23.exd4 Nc4 24.Rxe8+ Rxe8 25.Bf1 is level according to Komodo11.01, although Stockfish12 prefers Black.

21...Ne5 22.Qb3!?

Smyslov had presumably intended 22.Nf4, after which the engines give 23...Bh7 24.Qb3 Ba5 25.Re2 g5!? 26.Nh3 Nc6!?, when they reckon Black has the upper hand.

22...Ba5 23.Nc3 Nd3 24.Re2 Nc5 25.Qa2 Bxc3 26.bxc3 Qa6?!

This seems to give away much of Black's advantage. The engines prefer 26...Bd3 27.Red2 Bc4.

27.Red2 Na4

It is too late to redeploy the bishop, ie 27...Bd3?? 28.Rxd3 Nxd3 29.Bf1.

28.Qb3 ½–½

Stockfish12 reckons Black is much better after 28...Nb6!? 29.Bf1 Nc4 30.Bxc4 dxc4 31.Qb2 Nd7 (intending ...Ne5), but Komodo11.01 gives Black only a slight edge.

Garry Kasparov's Forgotten Weapon Against The Queen's Gambit (part 10)

KASPAROV faced former world champion Vasily Smyslov in the final of the Candidates in Vilnius, then part of the USSR but now the capital of Lithuania.

Smyslov (2600) - Kasparov (2710)

Candidates Final Game 2 (Vilnius) 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

Once again we reach the starting tabiya of the Tarrasch Defence, albeit from a slightly unusual move-order.

9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3 Re8 12.a3!?

As played by Korchnoi against Kasparov in the semi-finals.

12...Be6 13.Kh1!?

Smyslov's new idea (Korchnoi played 13.Qb3). The plan is probably to expand on the kingside with f4 and, after moving the dark-square bishop, e4. Also possible, again after moving the dark-square bishop, is f3 to support the push e4.

13...Qd7!?

Kasparov switched to 13...Bg4 in later games. The text is a general developing move while also envisaging a possible exchange of light-square bishops with ...Bh3, but Smyslov immediately puts a stop to the latter idea.

14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.f4 Red8!?

A surprising redeployment that is quite liked by Komodo11.01. More natural-looking is 15...Rad8, but Kasparov is saving this rook for the open c file.

16.Bg1 Rac8 17.Qa4 Kh8 18.Rad1 Qe8 19.e4 d4! 20.Ne2

Not 20.Bxd4? b5! 21.Nxb5 Nxd4 22.Rxd4 Rxd4 23.Qxd4 Qxb5, when Black has won a knight for two pawns.

20...Bc5 21.Qb5 Bb6 22.h3 e5 23.fxe5 Nxe5 24.Qxe8+ Rxe8 25.Nxd4

Who stands better and by how much?

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White is a pawn up and has the bishop-pair, but the e pawn is weak and the b2 pawn even weaker. Komodo11.01 and Stockfish12 reckon White has a slight edge.

25...Nc4 26.e5!?

White has no good way to defend b2 (26.Rd1?? Nd2) and instead offers his isolani in order to activate his light-square bishop and possibly create a queenside pawn-majority.

26...Rxe5 27.Bxb7 Rc7

The problem for White is he still has no good way to protect b2.

28.Rc1 Nxb2 29.Rxc7 Bxc7 30.Nc6 Re2 31.Nd4

If 31.Nxa7 then 31...Bxg3.

31...Re5 32.Nf5 Bb6 33.Nxh6! Ra5 34.Bxb6 axb6 35.Nf5

35.Rf3 defends the a pawn temporarily, but Black can reply 35...Nc4.

35...Rxa3

The tactical flurry is over, and it is Black who has emerged with the only queenside pawn. But White has the only bishop in a position with rival pawn-majorities, and the engines reckon the ending is equal.

36.Kh2 Nc4 37.g4 Ra7 38.Bh1 Ne5 39.g5 Nh5 40.Re1 Ra5 41.Nd6 ½–½

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

IN game four of their Candidates semi-final, Kasparov let Korchnoi play the Catalan, and the game was drawn.

Two games later, with the score 1-0 to Korchnoi (plus four draws), Kasparov returned to the Tarrasch.

Korchnoi (2600) - Kasparov (2690)

Candidates Semi-Final Game 6 (London) 1983

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5

One point of 3.Nf3 is that in the line 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 Black can play the Von Hennig-Schara Gambit: 4...cxd4!? But the similar-looking line 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4?! is crucially different because, with the knight on f3, White can play 5.dxe6, meeting 5...Bxe6 with 6.Qxd4 or, even better, according to Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01, 6.Nxd4!?

5.g3 Nc6

The first (minor) deviation from game two of the match, which saw 5...Nf6.

6.Bg2 Nf6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Be3!?

Mark Taimanov pioneered this. The idea is to force Black into an early decision about the c pawn.

How should Black proceed?

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8...c4!?

This gives a position reminiscent of the start of the Swedish Variation.

The Swedish Variation begins 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 c4!?

Play in the Swedish Variation usually continues 7.Bg2 Bb4 8.0-0 Nge7 with White breaking in the centre with 9.e4!? The point of 7...Bb4 is partly to restrain the central thrust e4 but also to leave the e7 square for the king's knight so it can develop without being pinned by Bg5.

In the game position after 8...c4!?, Black has developed the kingside in a completely different way, but 8.Be3!? inhibits White from getting in e4. However, that is not White's only plan, as we shall see.

Second in popularity to 8...c4!? is 8...cxd4, when 9.Nxd4 0-0 10.Nc3 Re8 is reminiscent of the absolute main line except Black has not got in the move ...h6, which in the main line drives the white dark-square bishop from g5. Another possibility is 8...Ng4 but 9.Bf4 0-0 10.Nc3 is good for White, according to the engines.

9.Ne5 0-0 10.b3 cxb3 11.Qxb3

Black gets an IQP, as so often in the Tarrasch, but with the major difference that it is not on a half-open file and so is a lot less vulnerable.

11...Qb6?!

This seems questionable.

Taimanov - Lev Aronin, USSR Championship Semi-Final (Almaty) 1963, went 11...Na5 12.Qa4 a6 13.Bd2 Nc4!? 14.Nxc4 b5! 15.Qc2 bxc4 with approximately equal chances (½–½, 42 moves).

12.Rc1!?

12.Qxb6!? axb6 13.Nc3 Be6 was slightly better for White, according to the engines, in Paul van der Sterren (2515) - Jeroen Piket (2495), Netherlands Championship (Hilversum) 1990 (½–½, 57 moves).

12...Qxb3 13.axb3 Nb4 14.Na3 a6 15.Bd2

The knight on a3 has no real future, except to be exchanged for the advanced black knight, which prompts the thought 15.Nc2!?

15...Rb8 16.Bxb4 Bxb4 17.Nd3 Bd6 18.Nc2 Bg4 19.Kf1 Bf5 20.Nc5 Rfc8 21.Ne3 Be6 22.b4

22.Nxe6 fxe6 gets rid of Black's bishop-pair but exchanges a well-placed knight for a passive bishop and solves Black's difficulties with the IQP.

22...Kf8 23.Rc2 Ke7 24.Ke1 h5 25.Rb2!?

A passive square for the rook, but the idea is to redeploy the c5 knight without it then becoming tied to defending b4.

25...Rc7 26.Nd3 Ra8!

The idea is to meet 27.b5 with 27...a5. If Black had whiffed with, say 26...g6, then 27.b5 is strong as 27...axb5 runs into 28.Rxb5 Bd7 29.Rxd5! The engines point out Black can muddy the waters with 29...b6! (29...Nxd5?! 30.Nxd5+ Kd8 31.Nxc7), but the rook on d5 is hard to get at, eg 30.f4 Bc6 31.Re5+! Bxe5 32.fxe5 Ng4 33.Nxg4 Bxg2 34.Nf6 gives a position in which White only has a doubled pawn for the exchange but is much better, according to Stockfish12, although Komodo11.01 reckons Black is almost equal.

27.b5!?

Korchnoi sticks with his plan but after ...

27...a5 28.b6 Rc6

... the game is even, according to the engines.

29.Rb5 a4 30.Nxd5?!

Korchnoi correctly calculates that this wins a pawn, but Black gets connected passers on the queenside.

30...Nxd5 31.Bxd5 Bxd5 32.Rxd5 Rxb6 33.Rxh5 Rb3?!

This move gets an exclamation mark in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, although it is not clear if that is from Kasparov or an anonymous ChessBase annotator. Better seems to be 33...Bxb4+ 34.Nxb4 Rxb4, when the engines reckon White's best plan is to offer the pawn back with 35.Kd2!?

34.Kd2 b5 35.h4 Rc8 36.g4?

Trying to create a passed pawn on the kingside, but this is the wrong way to go about it. The engines reckon 36.Rg5 is much less clear, eg 36...g6 37.g4 Kf6 (stopping h5) 38.Nc5 Bxc5 39.Rxc5 Rxc5 40.dxc5, which seems very drawish, but is not forced.

Definitely wrong, however, is trying to activate the passed d pawn starting with 36.e4? as 36...Rc4 is impossible to successfully meet, eg 37.Ke3 Rcc3 38.Rd1 a3, or 37.Rd5 a3 38.e5 Bb4+ Rcxb4, when in each case White's pieces are too uncoordinated for stopping Black's queenside pawns.

36...a3 37.f4

It is too late for 37.Rg5. Black can ignore it, eg 37...b4 38.Rxg7 Rxd3+! 39.Kxd3 b3 etc.

37...Rcc3

The notes in Mega21 reckon even stronger is 37...Rc4!?, eg 38.Rd5 e6 39.e4 Rcc3 40.Rxd6+ Kxd6 41.Nc5 Rxc5 42.e5+ Rxe5 43.dxe5+ when material is level but Black's advanced queenside pawns and more-active pieces give a large advantage.

38.Rd5 Ke6 39.Rh5 b4?!

The engines' 39...Rc4 looks stronger.

40.Ra5 Rxd3+?!

The less-promising way to sac the exchange. Stockfish12 gives 40...Rb2+ 41.Nxb2 Bxf4+ 42.e3! (42.Kd1 axb2)  Bxe3+ 43.Ke2 axb2 44.Rb1, which is also given in Mega21 via a transposition. After the further moves 44...Bc1 45.Rb5 b3 46.h5 there is an equal sign in Mega21, but the engines' 46...f6! puts White more-or-less in zugzwang, eg 47.Rf5 Bh6! as 48.Rxb2 fails to 48...Rc2+, and 47.Rc5 is met by 47...Rxc5 48.dxc5 Kd5 49.Kd3 Kxc5 50.Kc3 Kd5 51.Kd3 Ke5 etc.

41.exd3 Bxf4+ 42.Ke2 Rc3

42...Rb2+ 43.Kf3 is equal, according to the engines.

43.g5 Bc1 44.h5 b3 45.R5xa3

A possibly simpler way to a draw is the engines' 45.h6!? gxh6 46.gxh6 b2 47.h7 Rc2+ 48.Kf3 Rh2 49.Rh2 Rb1 50.Rxh7 Rxa3.

45...Bxa3 46.Rxa3 b2 47.Ra6+ Kf5 48.Rb6 Rc2+ 49.Ke3 Kxg5 50.d5 Kxh5 51.Kd4?!

More accurate may be 51.Ke4, the point being the king has more influence on the kingside. If, as in the game, 51...g5 then 52.d4 is dead-equal, according to the engines, eg 52...g4 53.d6 Rc6!? Rb5+. And if 51...Re2+ then 52.Kf5 seems fine, eg 52...g6+ 53.Kf6 Rf2+ 54.Ke7 g5 55.d6, which the engines reckon is still dead-equal.

The notes in Mega21 point out 51.d6? runs into 51...Rc6! (52.Rxb2 Rxd6 is a tablebase win for Black).

51...g5 52.Rb8 g4 53.d6 Rc6 54.Ke5 Rc5+ 55.Kf6

55.Ke4!? also seems to draw, eg 55...f5+ 56.Kd4 Rc8!? 57.Rxc8! b1=Q 58.d7, when Black has to settle for perpetual check.

55...g3 56.Rxb2 Rd5 57.Kxf7 Rxd6 58.Rd2 Kg4 59.d4 Kf5!? 60.Ke7 Rd5 61.Rd3 Kf4 62.Ke6 Rg5 63.d5?

Tablebases show White draws with 63.Rd1, eg 63...g2 64.Rg1 Ke3 65.Rxg2!?

63...Rg6+! 64.Ke7 g2 65.Rd1 Ke5!

Another only move.

66.d6 Re6+ 67.Kd7 Rxd6+ 68.Rxd6 g1=Q

The game finished:

69.Re6+ Kf5 70.Rd6 Qa7+ 71.Kd8 Ke5 72.Rg6 Qa5+ 73.Kd7 Qa4+ 74.Ke7 Qh4+ 75.Kf8 Qd8+ 76.Kf7 Kf5 77.Rh6 Qd7+ 78.Kf8 Kg5 0-1

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

KASPAROV lost with the white pieces in the first game of his Candidates semi-final match against Viktor Korchnoi, but in game two he had the chance to play his new favourite weapon against the Queen's Gambit.

Korchnoi (2600) - Kasparov (2690)

Candidates Semi-Final Game 2 (London) 1983

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3!?

Once again a player avoids 3.Nc3 against Kasparov. In his career Korchnoi was almost twice as likely to play 3.Nc3, and he also frequently reached the position after 3.Nc3 by a transposition from the English. Korchnoi was not a fan of the Catalan - if someone met his 3.Nf3 with 3...Nf6 he almost always played 4.Nc3 rather than 4.g3. Perhaps there was no particular reason for favouring Nf3 on this occasion, or perhaps it was a psychological reference to Tony Miles having played the move the last time Kasparov faced 1.d4.

3...c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.g3

This is more common than 5.Nc3 in Mega20.

5...Nf6

Much more popular is 5...Nc6 but most games reach the same Tarrasch tabiya.

6.Bg2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nc3 Nc6

So here we are again, and Korchnoi goes for the absolute main line.

9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3 Re8

Korchnoi with the black pieces preferred 11...Bg4 in a 1957 USSR Championship draw with Boris Spassky, who also played 11...Bg4 early in his career when reaching this position with the black pieces (but Spassky later switched to the text).

12.a3!?

A very unusual choice - it seems to have been a novelty - but one that was to be adopted up by Vasily Smyslov. One point of the move is to take the b4 square away from the black queen's knight; another is to prepare possible queenside expansion. The downside is that the move is a little slow, but White argues that the IQP is firmly blockaded and there is no need to rush as the long-term structural advantage lies with White.

12...Be6

This is Komodo11.01's choice. Stockfish12 prefers 12...Bg4, while 12...Bf8 has also proved popular, albeit from a small sample-size.

13.Qb3

13.Nxe6 and 13.Kh1 will be covered in later games.

13...Qd7 14.Nxe6!? fxe6

Black no longer has an isolani and has a central pawn-majority, but White has the bishop-pair and fewer pawn-islands.

15.Rad1 Bd6

The bishop is more active on d6, and it breaks the rook's pin on the d pawn.

16.Bc1!?

This retreat makes e4 possible.

16...Kh8

Kasparov gets his king off the diagonal of the white queen in anticipation of White levering the centre with 17.e4.

Position after 16...Kh8

17.Qa4!?

The consistent 17.e4 has to be met by 17...d4, according to the engines, when 18.Nb5 e5 19.Nxd6 Qxd6 20.Qxb7 Rab8 does not give Black enough compensation for a pawn, they reckon. Korchnoi was well-known for grabbing pawns and holding on for dear life, which makes it surprising he did not go in for this. However Black is not forced to play 18...e5. Instead he can move the bishop, eg 18...Bc5, when the engines give 19.e5!? Nxe5 20.Be3 Nc6 21.Qc4, after which White regains the pawn and has a slight edge, according to the engines. Another possibility is 18...Bb8 19.f4 e5 20.Nc3, again with what they reckon is an edge for White.

17...Qe7 18.e3 a6 19.Qh4!? Rac8 20.e4 d4 21.Ne2 e5 22.Bh3 Rc7 23.Bg5 Kg8 24.Bxf6 Qxf6 25.Qxf6!? gxf6

White has the better bishop and fewer pawn-islands, but endings will be problematic while Black has a protected passed d pawn.

26.Nc1 Na5 27.Nd3 Nb3 28.Bf5 a5 29.Kg2 Kg7 30.Kh3 Ree7 31.Nc1 ½–½

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

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 1983

1.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?

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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.

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

Predrag Nikolić (2490) - Kasparov (2690)

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

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.

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

IN the same tournament in which Kasparov beat Yasser Seirawan he faced Bent Larsen.

Larsen (2555) - Kasparov (2690)

Nikšić (Yugoslavia) Round 7 1983

1.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

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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.

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

KASPAROV won his 1983 candidates quarter-final against Alexander Beliavsky by the score of +4=4-1.

His next event, five months later, was a tournament in Yugoslavia, where in round one he was drawn against the Damascus-born American grandmaster Yasser Seirawan.

Seirawan (2600) - Kasparov (2690)

Nikšić 1983

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5

Not everyone always wants to challenge Black in the main lines - even such greats as Karpov, Kasparov and Carlsen are among those who have played 4.e3. The most popular continuation then is 4...Nf6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3!? a6!? 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.b4 Ba7 9.Bb2 0-0, reaching a position that the analysis engines Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01 reckon slightly favours White.

Another popular choice is 4.Nf3, although this usually transposes to the game continuation via 4...Nc6 5.cxd5 exd5.

4...exd5 5.Nf3

White can grab a pawn with the somewhat underrated 5.dxc5!?, but then comes 5...d4 6.Na4!? (this is much less popular than 6.Ne4 in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database, but scores 15 percentage points better) b5!? (this sharp response is the only move stopping White from getting an advantage, according to the engines) 7.cxb6 axb6 8.b3, and now the engines reckon the little-played 8...b5!? 9.Nb2 Bb4+ gives Black a slight edge, despite being a pawn down. A possible improvement for White is 8.e3!? (marked as a blunder in Play The Tarrasch by Shamkovich & Schiller) Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 (Shamkowich & Schiller may have missed that this recapture is possible) Rxa4 11.Bb5+ Bd7 12.Bxa4 Bxa4 with an unclear position that the engines reckon is dynamically balanced.

Instead of grabbing a pawn, White can sacrifice one with Frank Marshall's 5.e4!?, when the main continuation is 5...dxe4 6.d5 (Marshall first played 6.Bb5+!? but later switched to 6.d5) Nf6 7.Bg5 Be7 8.Bb5+. Black then usually plays 8...Kf8?!, but White has tremendous compensation for a pawn. The engines prefer 8...Bd7 9.d6!? (fear of this move seems to account for the popularity of 8...Kf8?!) Bxb5! 10.Nxb5 (10.dxe7 Qxd1+ 11.Rxd1 Bd3!) Qa5+ 11.Nc3 h6 12.Bh4 Bd8, when Stockfish12 prefers Black but Komodo11.01 reckons White has full compensation for a pawn. Instead of 6...Nf6, Black can try Dawid Janowski's 6...f5!?, which is recommended by Shamkowich & Schiller. The commonest continuation is 7.Bf4 Bd6, when White's best may be 8.Nh3, but 8...Nf6!? (better than Tarrasch's 8...a6, according to the engines) seems to leave White with not enough compensation for a pawn.

Although 5.Nf3 is overwhelmingly the most popular move, some of these other continuations illustrate how sharp the Tarrasch Defence can become at an early stage.

5...Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Bxf6!?

This "does not make much sense," according to Shamkowich & Schiller, but has been played by Efim Geller and Oleg Romanishin, as well as by Seirawan (three times in 1983).

11...Bxf6 12.Nb3!?

Two other continuations are more popular, but neither 12.e3 Nxd4 13.exd4 Be6 nor 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Rc1 Re8 seems to give White anything.

12...d4

Pushing the d pawn is thematic in IQP positions, but it is not the only move here.

The earlier game Seirawan (2600) - Murray Chandler (2500), OHRA (Netherlands) 1983, saw 12...Be6!? 13.Rc1 (13.Nxd5 Bxb2 14.Rb1 Ba3 is roughly equal, according to the engines) Rc8!? 14.Nc5 Qe7 15.Nd3 Rfd8 16.Nf4 with maybe a slight edge for White, according to the engines (½–½, 68 moves).

At the same tournament, Seirawan (2600) - Eric Lobron (2515) went 12...Bg4!? 13.Bxd5 Bxc3 14.bxc3 Qf6 15.Qc2 Rac8, when the engines reckon Black does not quite have enough compensation for a pawn (but 0-1, 24 moves).

13.Ne4 Be7 14.Rc1 Qb6 15.Nec5 Rfd8 16.Rc4

The engines prefer 16.Qd3 Bxc5!? 17.Nxc5!? Qxb2 18.Rb1 Qxa2 19.Nxb7 Bxb7 20.Rxb7 Rac8, when they reckon White has compensation for a pawn, but no more.

16...Bxc5

The engines reckon 16...a5 gives Black a slight edge.

17.Nxc5

17.Rxc5 Be6 is slightly better for Black.

17...Qxb2 18.Qc2 Qxc2 19.Rxc2

White is a pawn down but his pressure against Black's queenside gives him equal chances, according to Komodo11.01, although Stockfish12 prefers Black.

19...Rb8 20.Rb2

Milorad Knežević (2425) - Milan Draško (2460), Yugoslav Championship (Budva) 1986, went 20.Nxb7 Bxb7 21.Bxc6 Bxc6 22.Rxc6 Rb2 with a slight edge to Black.

20...Rd6 21.Rd1 b6 22.Nb3 Bb7 23.Rbd2 Rbd8 24.Kf1 Ba6 25.Bxc6 Rxc6 26.Nxd4 Rc5 27.Nb3 Rxd2 28.Rxd2 Rc7

How would you assess this ending?

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Black has bishop versus knight on an open board with rival pawn-majorities, a queenside pawn-majority and the better minor piece for cooperating with a rook ... but the position is almost dead-equal, according to the engines.

29.Rd8+ Kh7 30.Ke1 Bc4 31.Kd2 g6!? 32.Nc1 Kg7 33.a3 Kf6 34.e3!?

Kasparov called this dubious but it seems it is OK if followed up correctly. However, White has an easier time of it after the engines' 34.Nd3.

34...Ke7 35.Rd4 Rd7!?

Although rook and bishop usually work together better than rook and knight, and there is no reason to think this position is an exception, Kasparov decides bishop-versus-knight with rival pawn-majorities (and no rooks) gives better winning chances.

36.Kc3 Rxd4 37.Kxd4 b5

The bishop is maintained on c4, from where it dominates the knight.

38.Nd3!?

This is Stockfish12's choice, but Komodo11.01 reckons it is the losing move.

38...Bxd3!?

Although a bishop is usually better than a knight on an open board with rival pawn-majorities, and there is no reason to think this position is an exception, Kasparov decides he has better winning chances in the pawn ending.

What makes this ending remarkable is that Kasparov goes against accepted wisdom on two major occasions - i) swopping rooks, ii) swopping minor pieces - in order to win, although it has to be said he gets a big assist from his opponent.

39.Kxd3 Kd6 40.e4?

Kasparov called this a blunder, and it does seem this is the real losing move. Drawing, according to Stockfish12, is 40.Kd4, which conforms with first world correspondence champion Cecil Purdy's rule-of-thumb that in an ending you should get your pieces to their best possible squares before advancing pawns. Komodo11.01, however, reckons for a long time that 40.Kd4 is also losing. But after the engines' joint-continuation 40...f5 41.e4 fxe4 42.Kxe4 Kc5 43.g4 a5 44.f4 they agree the ending is drawn.

40...g5!?

Kasparov gave this an exclamation mark, but the engines reckon 40...Kc5 also wins.

41.f4 gxf4 42.gxf4 Kc5 43.Kc3 a5 44.Kd3

If 44.e5 then 44...Kd5.

44...h5

Also winning is 44...b4.

45.h4 b4 46.a4

Equally hopeless is 46.axb4+ axb4, eg 46.f5 f6 47.e5 fxe5 48.f6 Kd6 49.Kc4 Ke6 50.Kxb4 Kxf6 51.Kc4 Kf5 52.Kd3 Kg4 53.Ke4 Kxh4 54.Kxe5 Kg3 etc.

46...f6 47.f5 Kc6 48.Kc4 Kc7 49.Kd3

Or 49.Kd4 Kd6.

49...Kd7

Black takes the distant opposition.

50.Ke3

Or 50.Kc4 Kc6, which is the same position as after 48.Kc4 but with White to move rather than Black.

50...Kc6 51.Kd3

If 51.Kd4 then 51...Kd6 52.Kd3 Ke5 53.Ke3 b3 etc.

51...Kc5 52.Ke3

Or 52.e5 fxe5 53.f6 Kd6.

52...b3 53.Kd3 Kb4 54.e5 Ka3 0-1

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

KASPAROV'S use of the Tarrasch Defence in his first Candidates quarter-final game with the black pieces against Alexander Beliavsky was both surprising - it was the first time in his career he answered 1.d4 with 1...d5 - and successful.

Beliavsky no doubt came to the board armed with an improvement the next time he had the white pieces, but Kasparov switched to the Nimzo-Indian Defence ... and lost, levelling the match score at one win each with two draws.

Kasparov restored his lead in game five by winning on the white side of the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined.

In the next game it was Beliavsky's turn to play the Queen's Gambit.

Beliavsky (2570) - Kasparov (2690)

Candidates Quarter-Final (Moscow) Game 6 1983

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5

This is not compulsory. Black scores four percentage points better in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database by playing 4...cxd4!?, the Von Hennig-Schara Gambit. The main line runs 5.Qxd4 Nc6 6.Qd1 exd5 7.Qxd5 Bd7 8.Nf3 Nf6 9.Qd1 Bc5 10.e3 Qe7 11.Be2 0-0-0 12.0-0 g5!? 13.b4!? Bxb4 14.Bb2 g4 15.Nd4. Mega21 has 40 games with this position, the most-recent high-level encounter being Simon Kim Williams (2442) - Spyridon Kapnisis (2464), Dundee 2017, which continued 15...Kb8 16.Ncb5 Nxd4 17.Bxd4 Bxb5 18.Bxb5 Bc3 19.Rb1 Bxd4 20.exd4 Rd6 with a position that Stockfish12 reckons is much better for White, but Komodo11.01 rates as equal (but 0-1, 50 moves). There are lots of alternatives along the way for both sides, starting right at the beginning when White often plays 5.Qa4+. The main line then runs 5...Bd7 6.Qxd4 exd5 7.Qxd5 Nc6, which is a transposition to the main line after 5.Qxd4.

5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6

Black has a major alternative with the Swedish Variation, 6...c4!?, which scores five percentage points better in Mega21.

The starting position of the Swedish Variation

Shamkovich & Schiller in Play The Tarrasch (Pergamon 1984) call this "one of the most-dynamic plans at Black's disposal." They add: "The line has constantly been 'refuted' and resurrected, and both White and Black must be well-versed in theory in order to survive the opening. Although the variation is considered suspect it still has great surprise value and in many cases Black can emerge relatively unscathed, provided that he chooses his lines wisely."

That is far from being a ringing endorsement, but 6...c4!? is quite liked by the engines, especially Stockfish12.

The main line runs 7.Bg2 (the thematic counter 7.e4?! is probably premature, eg 7...dxe4 8.Ng5 Qxd4 9.Be3 Qxd1+ 10.Rxd1 Bxg4 with a sharp but equal position, according to the engines) Bb4 8.0-0 Nge7 9.e4 (White is now much more ready for this break) dxe4 (9...0-0 is also popular) 10.Nxe4 0-0, and here the engines reckon 11.Be3 is just one move that gives White a large edge.

7.Bg2 Be7

The engines prefer trying to save a tempo with 7...cxd4!? 8.Nxd4 Bc5. The main line continues 9.Nb3, when the engines reckon 9...Bb6!? is an improvement on the more-popular 9...Bb4. Hikaru Nakamura (2761) - Daniil Dubov (2690), Fide Grand Prix (Moscow) 2019, went 9...Bb6!? 10.0-0 (10.Nxd5 can be met, according to Stockfish12, by 10...Be6 11.Nxb6 Qxd1+ 12.Kxd1 axb6, when Stockfish12 prefers White but Komodo11.01 reckons the position is equal. Komdo11.01 varies early with 11.e4, continuing 11...Bg4 12.Qd3 Nxd5 13.exd5 Ne5 14.Qb5+ Bd7 15.Qe2 0-0, when the engines agree Black has enough compensation for a pawn) d4 11.Na4 0-0!? 12.Bg5 Re8 13.Nxb6 axb6 14.e3 d3!? with an unclear but probably balanced position (½–½, 28 moves).

8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3

The bishop goes here, rather than, say, f4, because on e3 it helps restrain the d pawn, possibly freeing the d4 knight to move at a crucial moment.

11...Re8 12.Qc2!?

So this is what Beliavsky prepared. The move is given an exclamation mark by Shamkovich & Schiller.

12...Bg4 13.Rfd1

The main line today is 13.h3 Bd7 14.Rad1 Qc8 15.Kh2 Bf8 (a common retreat in the Tarrasch, unmasking the king's rook), which first occurred in Beliavsky (2640) - Miguel Illescas Córdoba (2530), Linares (Spain) 1990. The engines reckon White has an edge (but 0-1, 42 moves).

13...Bf8 14.Rac1 Rc8 15.Nxc6!?

Transforming the pawn-structure is often available and has to be taken into account by Black. The engines prefer 15.Qa4.

15...bxc6

Clearly the d pawn is no longer a target for White, who should change his attention to the new, backward c pawn and, to a lesser extent, to the newly isolated a7 pawn. Black's chances, as is the case when he has an IQP, lie mainly on the kingside and down the e file.

16.Bd4

If Beliavsky entertained hopes of immediately capturing the black a pawn, he would have changed his mind on seeing 16.Bxa7?! c5! as 17.Bxd5? Qa5 18.Qa4 Qxa4 19.Nxa4 Nxd5 20.Rxd5 Ra8 21.Bxc5 Ra8, when the black bishop is worth more than White's three pawns. Less clear is the engines' 17.h3 Be6 18.a4! Qa5 19.Nb5, when White is a pawn up but badly discoordinated, and the engines prefer Black.

16...Bb4 17.Rd2

17.Bxa7!? Bxc3 18.Qxc3 Bxe2 19.Re1 is slightly better for White, according to the engines.

17...Qe7 18.a3 Ba5 19.b4 Bb6 20.e3 Qe6 21.Qb2 Bxd4 22.Rxd4 c5!?

Kasparov dissolves the backward pawn, confident the re-established IQP will not be a decisive liability.

23.bxc5

23.Rd2 Red8 24.Na4!? cxb4 25.axb4 Rxc1+ 26.Qxc1 Rc8 seems at least equal for Black.

23...Rxc5 24.Ne2 Rec8 25.Rxc5 Rxc5 26.Nf4 Qc8 27.h3

White's back-rank weakness means he cannot capture the d pawn, eg 27.Nxd5?? Nxd5 28.Rxd5 Rc1+ 29.Bf1 Bh3 etc.

27...Rc1+ 28.Kh2 Rc2 29.Qb3 Bf5 30.Kg1 Rc1+ 31.Rd1 Be4 ½–½

Kasparov gives a likely continuation as 32.Nxd5 Nxd5 33.Bxd5 Rxd1+ 34.Qxd1 Nxd5 35.Qxd5 Qc1+ 36.Kg2 Qxa3, which he regards as equal.

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

GARRY Kasparov is well-known for playing asymmetrical defences against 1.d4, ie starting with 1...Nf6 and often continuing with the King's Indian or Grünfeld.

At the September 1982 Interzonal in Moscow, which he won with a score of 10pts out of 13 (1.5pts clear of the field), putting him on the road to the world championship, Kasparov faced 1.d4 three times, always replying 1...Nf6.

At the Olympiad the following month in Luzern, he again faced 1.d4 three times and again always replied 1...Nf6.

Then came game two of his Candidates' quarter-final match against Alexander Beliavsky.

Beliavsky (2570) - Kasparov (2690)

Candidates Quarter-Final (Moscow) Game 2 1983

1.d4 d5!?

The first time, at least in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, that Kasparov met 1.d4 with 1...d5. If nothing else, it must have rendered Beliavsky's preparation for the white pieces null and void.

2.c4 e6 3.Nc3

So we reach the starting point of what this series is about - what to do if you are a 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 player as Black but do not want to face the QGD Exchange when White is not committed to playing Nf3.

Kasparov's style with the black pieces, as several commentators have noted, is one in which he would rather have an unbalanced position with counterplay than a theoretically more-or-less equal position, but one in which White has the initiative.

So continuing 3...Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 would be alien to Kasparov's style. Indeed, throughout his career he never met 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 with 3...Nf6.

Instead, in this, his first ever 1.d4 d5 game as Black, Kasparov revived the Tarrasch Defence.

3...c5!?

Statistically, this is an improvement on 3...Nf6. The latter scores a miserable 39% in Mega21, while 3...c5 scores 45%, which is about average for Black in large databases.

4.cxd5

This is played 72% of the time in Mega21.

4...exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6

Shamkovich & Schiller in Play The Tarrasch (Pergamon 1984) state: "When heading for the Tarrasch it is important to remember the dictum that knights should be developed in alphabetical order!" Actually, there seems nothing wrong with 5...Nf6, but the text is a lot more popular.

6.g3

This move was introduced by Carl Schlecter at Prague 1908 and quickly became White's main weapon against the Tarrasch.

6...Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7

Other moves are possible, eg 7...Be6, but according to Shamkovich & Schiller "it is much too early to commit the (queen's) bishop to a particular post."

8.0-0

Black can be said to have lost a tempo after 8.dxc5 Bxc5, which is indeed the continuation favoured by the analysis engines Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01 In practice, games usually transpose to one of the main lines after the further moves 9.0-0 0-0 (more on this later).

8...0-0 9.Bg5

9.dxc5 Bxc5 would transpose to the previous note, although Black has the added option of 9...d4!? The text is the absolute main line in Mega21.

Shamkovich & Schiller comment: "White eschews subtlety in favour of a direct attack on the black centre. He threatens Bxf6 followed by Nxd5."

9...cxd4

The main alternative, 9...c4!?, is preferred by the engines.

A solid alternative, liked by Komodo11.01 but not by Stockfish12, is 9...Be6!?, when 10.Rc1 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Rc8? 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.Bh3 gave White a large advantage in Burak Akguc (unrated) - Spanton (2065), Hastings Challengers 1997-98 (but ½–½, 53 moves). Black can improve with 11...Nxd4, but White can probably improve before that with 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Rc1.

10.Nxd4 h6

We are still very much in theory - there are almost 4,000 games with this move in Mega21.

11.Be3

I will cover the important alternative 11.Bxf6 in part four.

11...Re8

Decision time for White

This is possibly the first point at which either player needed a serious think.

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12.Qa4

White's important alternatives will be covered later.

12...Bd7!? 13.Rad1

White can win a pawn with 13.Nxd5!? Nxd5 14.Bxd5, but then comes the forcing 14...Nb4 15.Qb3 Nxd5 16.Qxd5 Bh3 17.Qxd8 Raxd8, when Black is considered by theory (and the engines) to have enough compensation for a pawn.

13...Nb4 14.Qb3 a5

"Black must play aggressively on the queenside to offset White's central pressure," according to Shamkovich & Schiller.

15.Rd2!?

This move has been widely criticised, but it is the choice of the engines.

The main line runs 15.a4 Rc8 16.Ndb5 Be6 17.Bd4 Bc5 with what the engines reckon is an even position (White can hardly play 18.Bxf6?! Qxf6 19.Bxd5 Bxd5 20.Nxd5 Nxd5 21.Qxd5 because Black equalises the material and gains an initiative with 21...Rxe2).

Note that the d pawn was shown to be immune in Rafael Vaganian - Borislav Ivkov, USSR-Yugoslavia Match (Odessa) 1975, which saw 15.Nxd5? Nbxd5 16.Bxd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5 Bh3, when 18.Qxd8 fails to 18...Raxd8 19.Rfe1 Bb4.

15...a4 16.Qd1 a3 17.Qb1

The engines like 17.Qb3!? Qa5 18.bxa3 Qxa3 19.Nxd5 Nfxd5 20.Bxd5 Nxd5 21.Qxd5, when White is a pawn up but Black's bishop-pair and White's kingside light-square weaknesses give obvious compensation.

17...Bf8 18.bxa3

This is Komodo11.1's choice.

Stockfish12 prefers 18.Nb3, which was played in Vitaly Kunin (2494) - Ernst Weinzetti (2327), Oberwart (Austria) 2006, which continued 18...Qc8 19.Rc1 Bf5 20.Qa1 axb2 21.Qxb2 Rxe3!? 22.fxe3 Qe6, when Black had full compensation for the exchange, according to the engines (but 1-0, 34 moves).

18...Rxa3 19.Qb2 Qa8 20.Nb3!?

Unblockading an IQP is not a decision to be taken lightly, although the move is Stockfish12's choice. Kasparov called the move dubious, suggesting 20.Ndb5 (Komodo11.01's choice) Bxb5 21.Nxb5 Rxa2 22.Qb3, which he and the engines call equal. One possible continuation runs 22...Rxd2 23.Bxd2 Qa5 24.Nd4, re-establishing the blockade, when Black is a pawn up but has two weak pawns, and White has a pair of bishops on an open board - still equal, according to the engines.

20...Bc6 21.Bd4

This is Beliavsky's idea - the dark-square bishop becomes the blockader, indirectly adding pressure against d5.

21...Ne4 22.Nxe4

The engines prefer 22.Bxe4!? dxe4 23.Be3, claiming equality.

22...dxe4 23.Ra1

Kasparov in Mega21 gives as better 23.Nc5!? e3!? 24.Bxc6 exf2+ 25.Bxf2 Nxc6 with a slight edge for Black.

23...Bd5 24.Qb1?

The engines reckon White needs to block the e4 pawn with 24.e3, the point being Black cannot reply, as in the game, by occupying the newly created outpost at d3 as 24...Nd3? loses to 25.Rxd3! If Black tries to set up ...Nd3 with 24...b6, similar to what happens in the game, White has 25.Nc1 and is only a little worse.

24...b6

Now Black is threatening to play ...e3.

25.e3 Nd3 26.Rd1

The engines prefer 26.Nc1, which Kasparov said can be met by 26...Ne1, when one line given by the engines runs 27.Qxb6 Nf3+ 28.Bxf3 exf3 - White is a pawn up but Black is better, according to the engines.

As Kasparov points out, 26.Bxb6? loses to 26...Bb4 27.Rc2 (stopping ...Bc3) Bxb3.

26...b5 27.Bf1 b4 28.Bxd3!?

This gets rid of the strong knight but opens the h1-a8 diagonal, which may be a greater evil.

28...exd3 29.Qxd3 Rxa2 30.Rxa2 Qxa2 31.Nc5

Not 31.Rb1? Be4.

After the text, material is level but White is positionally lost - it is just a question of whether Black will win by pushing the b pawn or by exploiting the weak light squares around the white king.

The game finished:

31...Bf3 32.Ra1 Qd5 33.Qb3 Qh5 34.Nd3 Bd6 35.Ne1 Bb7 36.Rc1 Qf5 37.Rd1 Bf8 38.Qb1 0-1

White lost on time as he made his 38th move. Kasparov gives a likely continuation as 38...Be4 39.Qb3 h5, when Black has a large advantage.