CHESS

A remarkable game from the PCA world championship match in New York.

While Viswanathan Anand's victory over Garry Kasparov in their ninth game was just the thing to send a Ganesh gleefully to the milk bowl, the next game was a disaster, with Anand gunned down by pre-game preparation. Anand may have the support of 900 million people in his home country, but this counts for little against the analysis of Kasparov's team of hired gunslingers. In New York, as usual, the cowboys beat the Indians.

White: Garry Kasparov

Black: Viswanathan Anand

Hastings, 9 August 1895.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.exd5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 11.Ng5 dxc3

Taking the knight is considered better for White after 11...Qxg5 12.Qf3 0-0-0! (12...Kd7 13.Bd5 is worse) 13.Bxe6+ fxe6 14.Qxc6 Qxe5 15.b4.

12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.bxc3 Qd3

Thus far, exactly as in game six.

14.Bc2! Qxc3 15.Nb3!! (see diagram)

Inviting 15...Nxb3 16.Bxb3 Qxa1 when 17.Qf3 leaves Black in great difficulties.

15...Nxb3 16.Bxb3 Nd4 17.Qg4! Qxa1 18.Bxe6 Rd8

After 18...Qc3 19.Bd7+ Kf7 simply 20.Be3 is decisive.

19.Bh6!

Vulgar but effective. 19...gxh6 allows mate in two with Qh5+ and Qf7.

19...Qc3 20.Bxg7 Qd3 21.Bxh8!

"Falling into" the trap of 21...Ne2+ 22.Kh1 Ng3+ since 23.hxg3 Qxf1+ 24.Kh2 Qxf2 25.Bf6 wins on the spot.

21...Qg6 22.Bf6 Be7

Black could as well have resigned, but it is hard to do so when your opponent has used only six minutes on his clock.

23.Bxe7 Qxg4 24.Bxg4 Kxe7 25.Rc1! c6 26.f4 a5 27.Kf2 a4 28.Ke3 b4 29.Bd1 a3 30.g4 Rd5 31.Rc4 c5 32.Ke4 Rd8 33.Rxc5 Ne6 34.Rd5 Rc8 35.f5 Rc4+ 36.Ke3 Nc5 37.g5 Rc1 38.Rd6 resigns

After 38...b3 39.f6+ Kf8 40.Bh5! it is all over. Fine analysis - one can hardly use the word "game" - by Kasparov.