(1) Karpov,A (2688) - Kasparov,G (2838) [D92]
X3D Rapid Chess New York USA (1), 19.12.2002
[John Henderson]



1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.Rc1 dxc4 7.e3 Be6 8.Ng5 Bg4!?
[ We're basically in unchartered waters here - the standard move is 8 ..Bd5. However, Kasparov's gamble paid off in the time-stakes - Karpov soon got into serious time trouble trying to fathom out the mess that develops. 8...Bd5 9.e4 h6 10.exd5 hxg5 11.Bxg5 b5 12.Qf3 c6 13.dxc6 Qxd4 14.Be2 a6 15.0-0 Qc5 16.Be3 Qxc6 17.a4 e6 18.axb5 axb5 19.Nxb5 Ra2 20.Qxc6 Nxc6 21.Bc5 Rb8 22.Bxc4 Rxb2 23.Bd6 Rb6 24.Nc3 Na5 25.Na4 Bh6 26.f4 Rxg2+ 27.Kxg2 Rxd6 28.Bb5 Nb3 29.Rc6 Rd8 30.f5 gxf5 31.Rxf5 Ng4 32.Rh5 Nd4 33.Rc3 Ne3+ 34.Kh3 Bf4 35.Ba6 Kg7 36.Rc8 Rd6 37.Nc5 Nf3 38.Bd3 Rd4 39.Rh7+ Kf6 40.Ne4+ Rxe4 41.Bxe4 Ng5+ 42.Kh4 Nxe4 43.Rf8 Ng5 44.Kh5 Nxh7 0-1 Babula,V-Kasparov,G/Prague 2001/CBM 86 no vc (44). ]

9.f3 Bc8 10.Bxc4 c6N
[ 10...e6 11.h4 h6 12.Nge4 Nd5 13.g3 b6 14.Bb3 Na6 15.Kf2 Bb7 16.Qe2 1/2-1/2 Dreev,A-Sutovsky,E/Essen 2000/CBM 77 (16). ]

11.Qb3 e6 12.Nge4 Nd5 13.Bxd5 cxd5 14.Nd6 Nc6!
DIAGRAM 1 Now all the fun starts as Karpov starts to eat heavily into his time working out all the complications. In contrast, Kasparov looked quite smug with himself - always a bad sign for an opponent.

15.Nxb7 Qh4+ 16.Bg3
[ 16.g3 Qe7! 17.Nc5 g5 18.Qb5 gxf4 19.Qxc6 Rb8 leaves white in a mess.]

16...Qh6! 17.Ne2
[ 17.Bf4? Nxd4! 18.Qa3 Qh4+ 19.Bg3 Qg5! 20.f4 Qf5 21.exd4 Bxb7 with a big initative.]

17...Bxb7 18.Qxb7 Na5 19.Qb4 Nc4 20.Rxc4
[ Karpov didn't even think for a New York minute here - there was no other option other than taking on c4: 20.Bf4 g5 21.b3 gxf4 22.bxc4 fxe3 23.c5 ( 23.cxd5 exd5 24.0-0 Qa6! ) 23...Rfe8 and e5 is soon coming.]

20...dxc4 21.Kf2 Rfc8 22.Rc1 Bf8 23.Qa4 Qg5 24.Rxc4 Qd5 25.b3
Karpov has finally got a position from this game he could be happy about - the only problem was that he had used so much time achieving it. Kasparov now finds the best way to exchange off rooks on the c-file, after which white has problems keeping the position together.

25...Qb7 26.Be5 Be7 27.Nc3 f6
[ 27...Rxc4! 28.bxc4 Qb2+ 29.Ne2 Bb4 30.Qb3 Qd2 ]

28.Bg3 a6
DIAGRAM2

29.h3
[ Lev Alburt pointed out a missed opportunity that would have put Kasparov under pressure: 29.Ne4! Qb6 ( 29...Kf7 30.Bd6! ; 29...Qb5 30.Bd6 Qxa4 31.Rxa4 Rc2+ 32.Kg3 Bxd6+ 33.Nxd6 is good for white.; 29...Rxc4 30.Qxc4 Qd7 31.Nc5 Bxc5 32.dxc5 Qd2+ 33.Kf1 Kf7 ( 33...Qxe3? 34.Bf4 wins the queen!) 34.Bd6 Qd1+ 35.Kf2 Qd2+ 36.Qe2 Qxe2+ 37.Kxe2 ) 30.Nc5! Bxc5 31.Qd7! Qa5 32.Rc2 Bf8 33.Qxe6+ Kg7 34.Qd7+ Kh6 35.Bf4+ g5 36.Rxc8 Qxa2+ ( 36...Rxc8 37.Qxc8 gxf4 38.Qxf8+ Kg6 39.Qe8+ Kh6 40.exf4 Qxa2+ 41.Kg3 and white wins) 37.Kf1 Qb1+ 38.Ke2 Qb2+ 39.Kd3 Qb1+ drawing.]

29...Kf7 30.Kg1 g5 31.Kh2?
[ 31.Qa5! Rxc4 32.bxc4 Bb4 33.Nb5 Bxa5 34.Nd6+ Ke7 35.Nxb7 Bb4 36.c5 and white is still in the game with good chances of winning.]

31...h5 32.h4 gxh4 33.Bf4 Rxc4 34.Qxc4 Rc8 35.Qd3 f5 36.d5 Qd7 37.e4! Bf6?
[ 37...Kg8= ]

38.Na4?
[ Time. After 38.dxe6+ Qxe6 39.exf5 Qc6 40.Ne4! white is much better.]

38...fxe4 39.fxe4 e5 40.Bd2?
[ 40.Nb6! Qg4 41.Nxc8 Qxf4+ 42.g3! ( Karpov must have missed g3 - not an easy move to find in the time scramble. 42.Kg1? Qc1+ 43.Kh2 Qxc8 ; 42.Kh3 Qg4+ 43.Kh2 Qxc8 ) 42...hxg3+ 43.Qxg3 and white's winning.]

40...Qg4 41.Nb6 Rg8 42.Qf3?
[ 42.Qf1 probably holds]

42...Qxf3 43.gxf3 Rg3 44.f4 exf4 45.Bxf4 Rg4 46.Be3 Rxe4 47.Nc4 Rg4 48.a4 Rg3 49.a5 Ke8 50.b4 Rg4 51.b5 Rxc4 52.bxa6 Rc8 0-1