ETCETERA / Chess

THE TWO men still in contention for both world titles are currently facing each other in a Fide eliminator in Sanghi Nagar, India. Their second game was a thrilling draw.

Viswanathan Anand and Gata Kamsky are a curiously contrasting pair to be the greatest threats to the long-established dominance of Kasparov and Karpov. Anand, fast-moving and fast-talking, has a natural genius for the game and once said that he gets bored if he thinks too long over his moves. Kamsky, diligent, intense and withdrawn, lets his father, a former boxer, do all the shouting. But at the board, they match each other blow for blow for brilliance.

White: Kamsky

Black: Anand

Second match game 1994.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d6 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Nd2

Experience has shown that the position after 9. e4 e5 10. d5 Ne7 is fine for Black.

9 . . . e5 10. Ne4 b6 11. Qf3 Bb7 12. Ng3 Kh8] 13. d5 e4]

A fine pawn sacrifice that wrecks White's strategy. Note how 12 . . . Kh8 ensures that after 14. Nxe4 Ne5 White cannot capture on f6 with check.

14. Bxe4 Ne5 15. Qf4 Ba6 16. Rd1 g5]

The other point of Kh8. White must take the pawn, since 17. Qf5 Bc8 is even worse.

17. Qxg5 Rg8 18. Qh6 Rxg3 19. hxg3 Nxe4

White has rook and two pawns for two knights, but with both c- pawns under attack and Nxf2 threatened, he is in a terrible mess.

20. f3 Nxg3 21. e4 Qf8 22. Qxf8+ Rxf8 23. Kf2 Rg8 24. Bf4 Nh5 25. Bxe5+ dxe5 26. Rh1 Nf6 27. a4 Bxc4 28. g4 Rg6

White has made the best of it and his wedge of pawns hampers Black's communication. But he should still be losing.

29. a5 b5 30. Rh4 Kg7 31. Ke3 a6 32. Rg1 h6 33. Rh2 Ne8 34. Rh5 f6 35. f4 exf4+ 36. Kxf4 Nd6 37. e5 fxe5+ 38. Rxe5 Rf6+ 39. Ke3 Nf7 40. Rf5 Kg6 (see diagram)

Now 41. Rxf6+ Kxf6 lets Black pick up the d-pawn with an easy win, while 41. Kf4 Bxd5 is no improvement. Kamsky finds a brilliant resource.

41. Ke4]]

Walking into a fork, but 41 . . . Nd6+ 42. Ke5 Nxf5 43. gxf5+ Kf7 44. d6 leaves Black struggling: 44 . . . Bd3 45. d7 Rxf5+ 46. Kd6 wins for White. This trick seems to throw Anand completely off his stride.

41 . . . Rd6 42. Rd1 Be2 43. Rd2 Bc4 44. Kf4 Kg7 45. Rd1 Bb3 46. Rd2 Rf6 47. Rd3 Nd6 48. Rxf6 Kxf6 49. Re3] Bxd5 50. Re5 Bb7 51. Rxc5 Nc4 52. Rc7 Nxa5 53. Rh7 Kg6 54. Rd7 Bc8 55. Rd8 Be6 56. Rd6 Kf6 57. Rxa6 Nc4 58. Rc6 Ne5 59. Rb6 agreed drawn.