Chess

This year, notionally in September, we are promised the long-awaited match between Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov which will unify the two world titles and seal the fault line in the chess world created with the defection of Kasparov and Short in 1993. But will the match really happen? The result in Las Palmas last month has introduced some cause for doubt.

Kasparov may easily feel that he has no need to prove his point again, particularly after beating Karpov in the following game. Kasparov's attacking plan with 18.Ng4!? and 20.g5 was most imaginative, but with only a minute left for his last ten moves, Karpov was foolish not to play 30...Qxb2 which ought to lead to a draw after 31.Qxb2 Rxb2 32.Bxc5 Rb5. he must have missed the strength of White's attack with 31.Qd8! and 33.Qe8! which left White threatening 33.Bd6 Rxd6 34.Bxf7+ with a quick win. As the game went, Black could not hold his Q-side together in the endgame.

White: Garry Kasparov

Black: Anatoly Karpov

1 d4 Nf6 23 Bh4 Nf8

2 c4 e6 24 Bg3 Rd8

3 Nc3 Bb4 25 Bh4 Rdd7

4 Qc2 0-0 26 cxd5 Rxd5

5 a3 Bxc3+ 27 e4 Rxd2

6 Qxc3 b6 28 Qxd2 Ba4

7 Bg5 Bb7 29 Bh5 Be8

8 e3 d6 30 Bf2 Qb5

9 f3 Nbd7 31 Qd8 Bc6

10 Nh3 c5 32 Bg3 Rd7

11 dxc5 bxc5 33 Qe8 Qxf1+

12 Be2 Qb6 34 Kxf1 Rd1+

13 0-0 d5 35 Bxd1 Bxe8

14 Rad1 Bc6 36 Bf2 Bb5+

15 Nf2 h6 37 Be2 Bxe2+

16 Bh4 Ba4 38 Kxe2 Nd7

17 Rd2 Bb3 39 Kd3 a6

18 Ng4 Nxg4 40 Bg1 f5

19 fxg4 Rab8 41 exf5 exf5

20 g5 hxg5 42 Kc4 Ne5+

21 Bxg5 Rb7 43 Kxc5 Nd3+

22 Be7 Re8 44 Kb6 resigns