CHESS

ETCETERA

LATER this month Mr Garry Kasparov will be defending his PCA world title against the young Indian Viswanathan Anand. One curious aspect of the match is that Anand has selected as his principal second and analyst a man against whom Kasparov scored his best win this year. The champion will no doubt smirk with joy whenever he catches a glimpse of Artur Yusupov in Anand's corner.

White: Artur Yusupov

Black: Garry Kasparov

Novgorod 1995

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5

An indication of pacifist tendencies compared with the standard 3.c4.

3...Bg7 4.c3 c5 5.e3 Qb6 6.Qb3 0-0 7.Nbd2 d6 8.Qxb6 axb6

A solid centre and an exchange of queens: what can be more tedious?

9.Nc4 Nbd7 10.Be2 d5 11.Nce5 h6 12.Bf4 c4! 13.h4 b5 14.g4 Nb6 15.g5 hxg5 16.hxg5 Ne4 17.Nd2 Bf5 18.Bg4 Na4 19.Nxe4 dxe4 20.Bxf5 gxf5 21.Rb1 b4!

While White has been chopping wood, Black has systematically prepared this pawn sacrifice.

22.cxb4 Nb6 23.a3 Rfc8 24.g6 Bxe5 25.gxf7+ Kxf7 26.Bxe5 Nd5

Black plans c3, breaking up the white pawns and leaving them ripe to be plucked by his rooks and knight.

27.Kd2 c3+ 28.Kc2 cxb2+ 29.Kxb2 Rc3 30.Ra1 b5 31.Rhc1 Rd3 32.Rc5 Nb6! 33.Rxb5?

Remarkably, the losing move. 33.Kc2 Nc4 34.a4! Na3+ 35.Rxa3! Rxa3 36.a5 was the way to fight.

33...Nc4+ 34.Kc1 Rg8 35.Bg3 f4!!

Now 36.exf4 is met by 36...e3!

36.Rf5+ Kg6 37.Rxf4 Rc8! (see diagram)

At move 35, this was met Rc5! Now three pawns up, White is lost. The threat is 38...Nxa3+ 39.Kb2 Rc2 mate.

38.Rg4+ Kh5 39.Rh4+ Kg6 40.Rg4+ Kh5 41.Rh4+ Kg5! 42.f4+ Kg6! 43.f5+

Or 43.Rg4+ Kf7 44.Rg5 e5!

43...Kg5 White resigned.

After 44.Rh2 (to cover the second rank) Nd2+! 45.Kd1 (45.Kb2 Rb3+ 46.Ka2 Rc2 is mate) Nb1+ 46.Ke2 Rc2+ 47.Kf1 Rd1+ White is dead and buried.