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Chess

William Hartston
Friday 27 September 1996 23:02 BST
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Garry Kasparov made a subdued start to the Chess Olympics, drawing four games before scoring his first win. But when it came, it had been worth the wait.

Playing against the Czech top board, Hracek, Kasparov's explosive finish began with the diagram. It's White to play and win.

The answer was pure geomerty: 1.Bxd5! when 1...Qxd5 loses to 2.Qf4, 1...exd5 loses to 2.Qe3+ and 1...Rxf5 is met by 2.Bc6+!

Once the d-pawn was gone, Black had no chance. 23...Rxf5 loses to 24.Bxe6! and in the final position there was again no defence to the threat of Bxe6.

White: Kasparov

Black: Hracek

1 e4 c5 14 Ne2 a5

2 Nf3 d6 15 Ng3 f5

3 d4 cxd4 16 Nh5 Rb8

4 Nxd4 Nf6 17 g4 fxg4

5 Nc3 Nc6 18 f5 Rg8

6 Bg5 e6 19 Nf6+ Bxf6

7 Qd2 a6 20 exf6 Qd6

8 0-0-0 Nxd4 21 Bg2 Rg5

9 Qxd4 Be7 22 Bxd5 Bd7

10 f4 b5 23 Rhe1 h6

11 Bxf6 gxf6 24 fxe6 fxe6

12 e5 d5 25 Qa7 resigns

13 Kb1 b4

Latest Olympiad scores: Russia 29; Ukraine 251/2; Hungary, China, Uzbekistan, Israel 25; England 241/2.

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