How to Play the English Opening E-Book

Anatoly Karpov

• Herausgeber: Batsford
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 254

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

The English Opening, from the Flank Games group, was developed by Howard Staunton. In this opening, white avoids or delays the occupation of the centre with Pawns. Once considered a minor diversion, the English is now one of the main openings and all modern world champions have played it. One of the most famous world champions, Anatoly Karpov, brings his sharp eye and extensive experience to bear in this concise introduction to the opening. Like the previous volumes from Karpov on the Caro-Kann, it is a rich book with terrific insight that is ideal for all players, particularly club players.

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First published in the United Kingdom in 2007 by Batsford 10 Southcombe Street London W14 0RA

An imprint of Anova Books Company Ltd

Copyright © Batsford 2007 Text copyright © Anatoly Karpov

First published in 2006 by Russian Chess House, Moscow

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

first eBook publication 2013 ISBN 9781849941303 also available in paperback ISBN 9780713490657

This book can be ordered direct from the publisher atwww.anovabooks.com, or try your local bookshop.

Contents

Foreword

1 Garry Kasparov – Anatoly Karpov

2 Garry Kasparov – Darmen Sadvakasov

3 Garry Kasparov – Anatoly Karpov

4 Garry Kasparov – Vasily Ivanchuk

5 Robert Hubner – Anatoly Karpov

6 Viktor Korchnoi – Anatoly Karpov

7 Joel Lautier – Garry Kasparov

8 Boris Gelfand – Anatoly Karpov

9 Mihail Marin – Anatoly Karpov

10 Jaan Ehlvest – Anatoly Karpov

11 Mikhail Gurevich – Alexei Shirov

12 Anatoly Karpov – Johann Hjartarson

13 Ljubomir Ljubojevic – Anatoly Karpov

14 Loek van Wely – Garry Kasparov

15 Anatoly Karpov – Miguel Illescas

16 Vladimir Kramnik – Anatoly Karpov

17 Vladimir Kramnik – Miguel Illescas

18 Zbynek Hracek – Rustem Dautov

19 Vladimir Kramnik – Vishy Anand

20 Anatoly Karpov – Viktor Korchnoi

21 Eric Lobron – Vladimir Kramnik

22 Jan Timman – Boris Alterman

23 Anatoly Karpov – Ljubomir Ftacnik

24 Viktor Korchnoi – Alla Grinfeld

25 Anatoly Karpov – Michael Adams

26 Vishy Anand – Vadim Milov

27 Valerij Filippov – Loek van Wely

28 Anatoly Karpov – Veselin Topalov

29 Anatoly Karpov – Garry Kasparov

30 Anatoly Karpov – Michael Adams

Symbols used in games

+

check

++

double check

slight advantage for White

slight advantage for Black

±

clear advantage for White

∓

clear advantage for Black

+-

decisive advantage for White

-+

decisive advantage for Black

equal game

!

good move

!!

excellent move

!?

move deserving attention

?!

dubious move

?

weak move

??

blunder

Foreword

My new opening book is devoted to the English Opening. There is no way that chessplayers can get round this opening. If you are playing Black, then there is nothing to stop your opponent from choosing the move 1 c2-c4. And with White? Among grandmasters you cannot find anyone who sometime or other has not turned to the English Opening. Of course, this opening is not so fundamental, as, let’s say, the Spanish Game, Sicilian Defence or Queen’s Gambit. But when you want to avoid long theoretical variations and rely more on ‘understanding’, you won’t come up with anything better than the English Opening. Here opening revolutions are rarely encountered and you don’t get such forcing variations on the board – indeed the price of a move if not as great as in the majority of other openings.

In this way, the English Opening lies rather on the side from fashionable trends, but in terms of its frequency of use it is quite popular. It is sufficient to recall that it has been constantly adopted by such leading lights as Botvinnik, Smyslov, Petrosian, and Spassky. This opening is also a frequent guest in the games of Karpov and Kasparov. In our matches for the chess crown, the ‘English’ discussion arose regularly. Finally, super-grandmasters Kramnik, Ivanchuk, Gelfand and Topalov also employ this opening with success.

It is necessary to say that you have in front of you not a standard opening manual or reference book, which is obliged to contain all systems, including those which at the present moment in time have gone out of fashion. The book has a different format: it represents a collection of 30 interesting and important games of recent times, played with the English Opening. Many of them have a place in the development of the theory of the opening. The games are systematically arranged according to variations; in precisely which order, the reader can see for himself.

Be assured that a careful study of the presented games will be more beneficial for mastering the English Opening than the blind memorisation and learning by rote of different variations and schemes. As a result you will be able to penetrate deep into the opening and discover its close connection with the middlegame and even the endgame. You will discover strategical plans of struggle, learn some technical devices, and trace the development of various ideas in this opening. Besides this, getting to know the games of famous grandmasters is in itself a pleasant and useful pursuit.

Overall, as we have already said, in the book are assembled 30 games, played in competitions of the highest level and in the last decade. But if we take into account the examples given in the annotations, then the total number of games increases no less than three times. Many valuable ideas first saw the light of day in my games and it is not surprising that 17 illustrative games out of the 30 are by the author. So the book can also treated as a thematic collection of selected games by the 12th world champion. Here are gathered together all the most interesting games I have played in the present opening over recent years. And in the annotations I have also given older examples.

I must admit that it is not by chance that the year 1987 has been chosen in the book for the start of the countdown: it was then in Seville, in the match against Kasparov, that I succeeded at once in winning three ‘English’ openings!

I hope that the book will be useful and of interest to all chess amateurs, irrespective of rating and opening tastes, including also those readers who have still not managed to include the English in their opening repertoire.

To conclude it remains for me to thank chess master and writer Evgeny Gik, my co-author in many books, for his great help in the work.

Anatoly Karpov

1 Garry Kasparov – Anatoly KarpovWorld Championship Match, 2nd Game, Seville 1987

I recall that Kasparov’s use of the English Opening in this match was unexpected for me. However, strange as it may seem, it was I who managed to produce a surprise at the start. In any case, in the present game my opponent thought for almost one and a half hours over his tenth move! It is interesting that the novelty, which had such an effect on Kasparov, was prepared by me as far back as the end of the 70s for my match in Baguio. But at that time it had remained unused.

1 c4 f6 2 c3 e5 3 f3 c6 4 g3 b4 5 g2 0-0 6 0-0 e4 7 g5 xc3 8 bc e8 9 f3

9…e3!?

It was precisely this move, suggested in his day by my long time second, Igor Zaitsev, that plunged my opponent into deep thought. Previously Black had automatically taken on f3; incidentally, I had played this in the fourth game of the match (it is included in the comments to Game 4). In principle, the point of the thrust e4-e3 lies in upsetting the harmonious development of White’s pieces, driving a wedge into his position. Though this idea is not original, I was convinced it had not been played before in the present situation.

But how surprised I was one day, when, upon opening the Chess in the USSR magazine, I saw the game Berndt – Seitz, played nearly ten years before the duel in Seville, in an international correspondence tournament… After 9…e3 White took the pawn – 10 de, then ventured a desperate attack and quickly lost: 10…b6 11 f4?! b7 12 d5 e7 13 e4 h6 14 xf7 xf7 15 xf7+ xf7 16 e5 e8 17 d5+ f8 18 a3+ d6 19 ad1 a5 20 d3 a6 21 f5+ g8 22 ed xc4 23 f8+ xf8 winning. More accurate was 11 e4 h6 (an immediate 11 a6?! is dangerous: 12 f4 h6 13 xf7! xf7 14 e5 g8? 15 d5+ f8 16 a3+ ge7 17 d3 d6 18 h7! winning; after 14…xc4 15 ef White also has an obvious advantage) 12 h3 a6. The c4 pawn is doomed and Black can be satisfied with the results of the opening.

10 d3!

The most accurate reply. A further advance of the d-pawn is hardly better: 10 d4 a5 (10…d5 is not so successful: 11 cd xd5 12 f4 h6 13 b3 ce7 14 f3 b6 15 c4!) 11 d3 b6 12 c5?! (more reliable is 12 xe3 a6 13 fe1 xc4 14 f2, preparing e2-e4) 12…b7! 13 xe3 e7 14 f4 xe2 15 f5 h6 16 e4 xe4 17 ae1 xg3 18 hg b5 19 g4?! (19 xc7 led to equality) 19…c6, and Black has a serious initiative (H. Olafsson – I.Naumkin, Belgrade 1988).

Instead of 17…xg3 even stronger is 17…xc3! 18 xe2 xe2+ 19 h1 xd4 20 xd7 ad8 21 g4 c8 with a clear advantage for Black.

10…d5

The only reply, otherwise the presumptuous e3 pawn will be quickly surrounded.

11 b3!

Yet another essential move. After 11 cd xd5 there are two possible paths, both pleasant for Black:

12 e4 f5 13 c4 fe 14 cd ef 15 xf3 d4 16 xe3 g4 17 e4 f6 18 b2 b6! 19 xd4 xd4 20 c1 xe2 21 g2 xd3 and Black is winning;

12 b3 a5 (12…xg5 leads to sharp play after 13 f4 xf4 14 xf4) 13 a3 xg5 14 xa5 e5 (14…b6 15 f4) 15 d4 (15 f4? xf4 16 xe5 xe2+ 17 h1 xe5 18 b2 b5) 15…d6. The game is approximately equal: 16 a3 c6 17 f4 xc3 18 a4 f6.

Instead of taking on g5, the move b7-b6 is possible, as played in the game B.Gulko – V.Ivanchuk (Horgen 1995): 13…b6 14 f4 b7 15 b2 c5! 16 c4 b4 17 c3 f6 18 xb7 xb7 19 f3 d6 20 g4 c6 21 h1 d7 22 g1 b7 23 g5 d4 24 gf g6 25 g2 6f5 26 g5 f8 27 f7+ xf7 28 xf7 xf7 29 e1 c2 Drawn (30 c3 cd4).

11…a5 12 a3 c6 13 cd cd 14 f4 c6 15 b1

15…c7

After 15…g4 16 xb7 xe2 17 xf7 a5! 18 d6 xf1 19 h6+ h8 20 f7+ White is forced to give perpetual check, but more accurate is 16 e1 h6 (18…d7 17 h3) 17 f3 d7 18 d4 and, by dispatching the knight to e5, White stands a little better.

The not too successful novelty h7-h6 was adopted in the game D.Komarov – Mark Tseitlin (St.Petersburg 1997): 15…h6 16 f3 c7 17 b2 d8 18 c5! g4 19 d4 (19 c4 is even stronger) 19…b6 20 b3 f2 21 fc1 h3+? (more tenacious is 21…g4 22 c2) 22 f1 g5 23 fg hg 24 c4 d4 25 xc6 xc5 26 xc5 bc 27 b3 b8 28 a1 xb3?! 29 xb3 g4 30 c5!

30…d5 31 xd4! xd4 32 c4 xc4 33 dc e6 34 xe3 xc4 35 a3 a6 (35…f5 36 a4 – but not 36 g2? xe2 37 xh3?? f1 mate – 36…b5 37 xa7 f4 38 a3 g4 39 gf xf4 40 e3 etc.) 36 a4 b5 37 b4! f5 (37…a5 38 xb5) 38 a4 Black resigned.

16 b2 g4

17 c4

Of course, it is a great temptation to harass the enemy king, but this will surprisingly hand the initiative to Black. Also not dangerous is 17 f3 d7 18 a1 e7!? 19 fc1 h3, and Black has sufficient counterplay. However, by continuing quietly with 17 fe1, White retains good prospects.

17…dc 18 xf6 gf 19 e4 g7

Interesting is 19…xe4!? 20 xe4 f5! 21 f3 d4 22 dc xf3 23 ef e2 24 fe1 xc4.

20 dc

Now the advantage completely transfers to Black. 20 xf6!? leads to immense complications: 20…xf6 21 b5 ad8 22 c3+ e7 23 xc4. Some commentators suggested 20 c3, when after 20…e7 21 xb7! xb7 22 xf6 f8 23 xg4! White gains the upper hand. However correct is 20…d8! 21 dc d4 22 xb7 xe4 23 xd4 xd4 24 xc6, and the chances of the two sides are equal.

The other dangerous manoeuvre is 20 d6, against which Black must play very carefully: 20…e6 21 xc4 d8 22 f5 ee8 23 b2 d4 24 xb7 xe2+ 25 h1 xg3+! 26 g1 (but not 26 hg? xg3) 26…e2+ (26…xb7 is no good: 27 xb7 xf1 28 xf1 xf5 29 d6 or 26…xf1 27 xc7 e2 28 xa7 e1= 29 xf7+ h6 30 xf6+! g5 31 g7+ f4 32 h6 mate) 27 h1 g3+ with a perpetual check. However, in the last variation Black can risk 27…c8!? 28 d6 xd6 29 xd6 xf5 with sufficient compensation for the exchange.

20…ad8

More reliable than 20…xe2 21 xf6!

21 b3?

Apparently the decisive mistake. After 21 c3 d4 22 d5 there is still a stubborn struggle ahead. Much depends on where the queen goes – to d6 or c4:

22…d6 23 xd6 xd6 24 xb7 xe2 25 e1 xc4 26 xe3 de6 27 b4 e2+ 28 f2 d3 29 d5 xf4 30 xf4 xe1 31 xd3 8e2+ 32 f3 e3+ 33 f2 1e2+ 34 f1 xg2 35 xg2 xc3 36 a4, and the chances are equal;

22…xc4 23 xe3 xe2 24 xg4 xg4 with a tense situation on the board.

21…d4! 22 xe3 xc4

By now many ways lead to the objective. 22…c2 23 c3 xe3 24 xf6+ (24 xf6 g6) 24…f8 25 h6+ e7 26 f6+ d7, and the king takes refuge from the chase.

23 h1 f5! 24 d3 xe2 25 xd8 xd8 26 e1 e8

The game is decided, Black has prepared a simple mating construction: 27 d6 xd6 28 xd6 f3 29 xe8 f1 mate…

27 a5 b5 28 d2 d3 29 b3 f3 30 xf3 xf3+ 31 g1 xe1+ 32 xe1 e3

White resigned.

2 Garry Kasparov – Darmen SadvakasovAstana 2001

14 years after the match in Seville, Kasparov again faced the 9…e3!? variation with White. His opponent at the super-tournament in Astana was Darmen Sadvakasov – the rising star of Kazak chess.

1 c4 e5 2 c3 f6 3 f3 c6 4 g3 b4 5 g2 0-0 6 0-0 e4 7 g5 xc3 8 bc e8 9 f3 e3 10 de!?

During the match in Seville the continuation 10 d3 was considered the main retort to Black’s gambit idea. However, the strongest chessplayers in the world always have their own opinion on key questions of theory. In annihilating the e3 pawn, White allows his queenside pawns to be irreparably weakened. To compensate for this static factor in the position, he hopes for a dynamic release of potential energy in his two bishops and the formation of a mobile pawn ‘fist’ on the right hand side of the board.

10…e7!

An interesting manoeuvre, allowing the black queen to be effectively included in the struggle via the c5 square. Such an idea has already been seen before, but implemented only a couple of moves later: 10…b6 11 e4 h6 (a delay in driving away the white knight might prove dangerous: 11…a6?! 12 f4 h6 13 xf7! xf7 14 e5 g8? 15 d5+ f8 16 a3+ ge7 17 d3 d6 18 h7 winning) 12 h3 (now the positional sacrifice of the knight is not quite so effective: 12 xf7?! xf7 13 f4 g8 14 e5 h7 15 a3 b7 16 e4 h8 17 c2 xe5! 18 fe xe5, and the return sacrifice of a piece leaves White back to the drawing board, V. Topalov – B.Gelfand, Novgorod 1997) 12…e7 13 f4 c5+ 14 h1 xc4 15 d5 xd5 16 ed a5 17 e4 c6 18 d6 b7 19 g4 xc3 20 d2 f6 21 xa5 ba 22 d3. In this position a draw was agreed, though White’s chances appear to be preferable (L.Psakhis – B.Avrukh, Groningen 1996).

Black can attack the weak c4 pawn also with minor pieces. Let’s have a look at a game by Boris Gulko, one of the specialists in playing the white side of this variation.

B.Gulko – M.Illescas, Spain 1996: 10…h6 11 h3 e5. The black bishop can also join in the hunt of the c4 pawn: 11…b6 12 e4 a6 13 c5 (13 a4!? a5 14 c5 xe2 15 e1 a6 16 f4 b7 17 f2 Gulko) 13…bc 14 a3 d6 15 a4 (15 f4!?) 15…b8 (15…b7?! 16 ab1 c8 17 xb7! xb7 18 f4 d7 19 e5 db8 20 e4! with the decisive threat of b1 – Gulko) 16 e5!? de 17 fd1 c8 18 e4 bd7! (18…e2 19 d2 xf3 20 xf3 xh3 21 ad1±) 19 f2 with a complicated game, B.Gulko – G.Timoshenko, Nova Gorica 1997.

12 e4 xc4 13 d4 e5 14 c4 d6 15 f4! The manoeuvre g5-h3-f4-d5 is one of White’s main resources in this variation.

15…b6 16 d5 c5 17 c3 xd5 18 cd b5 (worth considering is the solid 18…f6) 19 f4 b4 20 c2 d7

21 e5! Finally opening the diagonal for the white bishop! 21…de 22 fe xe5 23 d6! a6 (23…b8 24 xc5) 24 xa8 xa8 25 b2 c6 26 xe5 xe5 27 ad1 c8. The transfer of the bishop to d7 turns out to be poor, more chances lay with 27…b7 28 f3 d7) 28 d3 d7 29 f3! xf3 30 ef f8 31 f4 e2 32 fe1!, and White gains the upper hand in the endgame.

The continuation 10 de has also been seen in Kasparov’s practice. True, this was… in a simultaneous exhibition! Nevertheless let’s look at his instructive game, in which one of White’s basic ideas stands out – the activation of pawns on the kingside: 10…d6 11 e4 h6 12 h3 e6 13 g4 d7 14 c5! dc 15 e1 e5 16 g3 c4 17 e1 g6 18 f2 e6 19 h4 a6 20 h5 f8 21 e5 d5 22 f4 a5 23 xd5 xd5 24 f5 c4 25 g5 hg 26 xg5 h7 27 h2 d7 28 f4 c6 29 g1 g8 30 h3 af8 31 g5+ h8 32 h6, and Black resigned (Kasparov – Rao, Harvard 1989).

11 h3!

White immediately leads his knight along the itinerary h3-f4-d5. This is undoubtedly more accurate than 11 e4 c5+ 12 h1 xc4 when, in comparison with the game continuation, Black has gained an important tempo.

11…c5 12 f4 xc4 13 e4 d6 14 d3

Worth considering is the positional pawn sacrifice 14 e3!? xc3 15 f2 (Kasparov) with the idea of continuing the complicated struggle into the middlegame.

14…e5

Later 14…e6 15 e3 was played here, and in this combative position a draw was agreed (A.Khalifman – A.Grischuk, Halkidiki 2002).

15 xc4 xc4

16 g4!

The advance of the white pawns on the kingside also proves effective in the endgame. One of its objectives is to prepare an invasion of the white knight on d5.

16…b8

Parrying the threat of 17 g5 d7 18 d5.

17 d1 b6 18 g5 d7 19 d5 b7

After 19…c6 20 e3! Black has problems with the defence of the d6 pawn.

20 f4 f8 21 d4 a5 22 f5 d7 23 b1

White’s space advantage can become threatening but with his next moves Black finds possibilities of counterplay on the queenside.

23…c5! 24 d3 a4

25 f4!

White energetically fights for the initiative. By sacrificing the exchange, he finally straightens out his pawn structure and will eliminate his opponent’s important light-squared bishop.

25…c2 26 b2 xd3 27 ed d8 28 h4

The active knight on d5, two menacing bishops and mobile pawn chain on the kingside provide full compensation for the sacrificed exchange.

28…c6!

Black’s immediate task is to drive away the knight on d5 from its dominating position.

29 h5 e7 30 e3!

The white knight is transferred to g4 in order to support an offensive on the black king by means of f5-f6 or h5-h6.

30…bd7 31 g4 c6!

The black knight shadows its white counterpart.

32 h6 e5 33 xe5 de 34 hg xg7 35 f1

White wants to retain his knight on g4 for the attack, whereas it would be exchanged after 35 xe5 xd3 36 xd3 xd3. His position looks threatening, but in mutual time trouble Black manages to defend.

35…d6 36 xe5 f6 37 g4 fg 38 h2 e8 39 e5 d5 40 f6+h8 41 h6 dxe5 42 f7+ g8 43 h6+ Drawn.

3 Garry Kasparov – Anatoly KarpovWorld Championship Match, 16th Game, Seville 1987

1 c4 e5 2 c3 f6 3 f3 c6 4 g3 b4 5 g2 0-0 6 0-0 e8

7 d3

Another direction of play is associated with the sortie of the white knight to d5, which became particularly popular after the following spectacular game: 7 d5 xd5.

Among the most recent recipes for contending with the thrust 7 d5 we mention the following: 7…c5!? 8 d3 xd5 9 cd d4 10 d2 d6 11 e3 f5 12 c4 a6!? 13 b3 e7 14 b2 b5 15 d4 (15 xe5!? de 16 d6 b8 17 de xe7 18 d4!? – L.Christiansen) 15…ed 16 ed b6 17 xb6 cb 18 e1 b7 19 h5 d7 20 e2 f5 21 ae1 g6 22 g5 xd5 23 g4 xe2, drawn (Y.Seirawan – B.Gulko, USA 1999).

8 cd d4 9 xd4 ed 10 e3! c5? This natural move turns out to be a serious mistake (10…de 11 de; 10…c5!?). 11 a3 a5 12 ed cd.

13 d6! The pawn sacrifice hampers Black and allows White to obtain a great advantage in development.

13…f6 14 d3 xd6 15 f4 a6 (15…f6 16 a4 b6 17 fe1+-) 16 b4 d8 17 e1 f8 (17…e6 18 d5 d6 19 b3) 18 h5 d6 19 d5 d7 (19…g6 20 xf7+! xf7 21 e8+ f8 22 d5+ g7 23 xf8 xf8 24 h6+ +-) 20 a4 c8 21 e4 g6 22 f3 c7 23 b5 b6 24 h6 a6 (24…e8 25 d5 +-) 25 d5 f5 26 g4 c8 27 e2 Black resigned (J.Timman – R.Hubner, Sarajevo 1991).

7…xc3

This apparently unforced exchange of bishop for knight has been recognised as the optimal way of playing for Black ever since the game T.Petrosian – F.Gheorghiu (Moscow 1967). I suggest you acquaint yourself with this classic: 7…h6 8 d5! f8 9 xf6+ xf6 10 d2! d6 11 e4 d8 12 c3 d7 13 b4 c8 14 b1 h3.

15 e4! A typical device – on the threshold of an exchange of light-squared bishops White switches his pawns to light squares!

15…xg2 If Black avoids the exchange of bishops, then will follow the favourable advance f2-f4.

16 xg2 g6 17 h4! g7 18 h5 g5 19 d5 d4 20 e3 f5 21 b2! fe 22 de. The light-squared strategy bears fruit – White has an undoubted positional advantage.

22…e6 23 c3 b5?! 24 cb xa2 25 d3 e2 26 xe2 xe2 27 d5 ab8 28 fe1! d4 29 xd4 ed 30 bc1! b7 31 xc7 e5 32 c6 g4 33 d5 xb5 34 xd6 b7 35 g6 h7 36 xg4, and White soon won.

8 bc e4

A necessary advance. Otherwise White threatens to clamp his opponent’s position by e2-e4.

9 d4

9…h6

Black’s other possibility is to take first on d3. Let’s look at it.

9…ed 10 ed h6

The position after 10…xd4 11 cd was seen thirty years ago in the game M.Botvinnik – M.Basman (Hastings 1966/67). After 11…d5 12 e3 e6 13 c1 White’s chances were superior, but equally good for him is 12 g5 h6 13 xf6 xf6 14 cd (B.Malich – J.Hecht, Skopje, 1972). White also has the initiative after 11…h6 12 f4 d5 13 b3 c6 14 fe1 (Z.Azmaiparashvili – B.Martin, Sydney 1990).

11 e3

11 e1 leads to an approximately equal game: 11…xe1+ 12 xe1 xd4 13 cd d5 14 a3 e6 15 b1 b6 16 c1 d7 17 d2 e8 (H.Pfleger – V.Korchnoi, Hastings 1971/72) or 11 b1 xd4 12 cd d5 13 h3 b6 14 c5 h7 15 e1 xe1+ 16 xe1 a6 17 b3 d7 (E.Ubilava – I.Naumkin, Belgrade 1988). However in the latter case Korchnoi suggested that 14 f4!? was more elastic.

11…e5 12 e1 d6 13 h3 c5 14 f3 g6!? 15 d4 c7 16 d2 d7 17 b1 c6 18 xc6 xc6 19 f3 and the chances of the two sides are equal (M.Gurevich – V.Salov, Linares 1991).

10 de!

White plays a novelty – important for the time; however I was not taken unawares. Harmless for Black are 10 c5 d5!, 10 xc6 bc or 10 c2 ed 11 ed xd4 12 cd d5. From the latter example we mention the following game on the same theme: 13 b1 c6 14 c5!? (Black obtains comfortable play after 14 e3 g4 15 cd xe3 16 fe cd 17 f2 e7 18 e4 e6) 14…h7! 15 h4 (or 15 f4 g5 16 e5 f6 17 d6 b5! 18 cb xd6 19 b7 b8 20 bc=exc8 with unclear play) 15…f8 16 e3 g6 17 fe1 e7 with completely equal chances for Black, S.Conquest – V.Bologan, Pamplona 2001.

10…xe4 11 c2 d5!

While preparing for the game, this move was suggested by one of my seconds, international master Mikhail Podgaets. Black obtains excellent counterplay. It was not by chance that Kasparov thought for nearly 40 minutes on his reply. He had to look at various paths, and, we must say, for the fans there were quite a few spectacular variations. In our analysis we analysed, for example, the dangerous looking move 12 b5, on which follows 12…f5! 13 cd xg3 14 e4 xf1 15 ef (15 dc xe4 16 xe4 h4) 15…e1 16 xf1 xd5 17 xc7 c4, and Black has the upper hand.

12 cd xd5 13 e3

I assumed that after 13 d1 the move 13…f5 would also come to my assistance: 14 xf5 xf5 with the threats of 15…xf2+ and 15…xg3, or 14 f3 f2! 15 e4 xd1 16 ed e1+ 17 f1 h3! and White is in for it. However, later, an important game was played, L.Portisch – V.Salov (Tilburg 1994), in which after 13 d1 f5 14 b2!? xd4 15 cd d7 16 f4 c6 17 a4 ad8 18 a5 f6 19 a3 d5 20 c1 e7 21 f3 c7 22 e4 e6 23 e3 b5 24 ad3 White exerted serious pressure on his opponent’s position.

13…a5!?

Also worth considering is 13…xd4!?, for example: 14 cd c6 15 b2 f5 16 f3 xg3 17 e4 xe4 18 fe xe4.

14 f3