APR 17, 2004 THE OTTAWA CITIZEN PAGE: L17

Happy Birthday, Garry

Deen Hergott

The Ottawa Citizen

This past Tuesday, April 13, marked the 41st birthday of arguably the
strongest chessplayer the world has ever known --Garry Kimovich Kasparov,
Russian Grandmaster and 13th World Champion.

Naturally, comparing the World Champions of past and present is a bit like
comparing apples and oranges. The game has evolved enormously in the past
century, and the skill sets to master the game have subtly changed as well
to keep pace with the high-tech 21st century edition of the royal game. How
can one really make an objective comparison of Kasparov or Fischer with
Capablanca or Lasker?

Certainly, there is some room for debate, but whether one puts him at the
top of the list or not, Kasparov has demonstrated phenomenal talent during
his career, time and time again, and his results largely speak for
themselves.

I was fortunate enough to meet Kasparov in a World Youth Team event, at my
first international chess competition. Over the course of many Chess
Olympiads (biannual Team events), I witnessed Kasparov leading the Russians
to the first place gold medal many times, but that first glimpse of the
superstar was a special one.

It was autumn 1981, in the picturesque city of Graz, Austria, and Kasparov,
at only 17 years of age, was in absolutely devastating form, scoring a
brilliant nine points from ten games.

The following game, with punctuation and some notes (indicated as GK) from
his excellent games collection, The Test of Time, is one of my all-time

favourites:

GM Jaime Sunye-Neto (Brazil) - Kasparov: Queen's Gambit, Tarrasch

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 e6 4.e3 Nc6 5.d4 d5 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Bb5 Bd6 8.dxc5
Bxc5 9.O-O O-O 10.b3 Bg4 11.Bb2 Rc8 12.Rc1 Bd6 13.Be2 Bb8!

I have always preferred the White side of these positions, with Black's
isolated d-pawn providing a straightforward strategic objective. Black's
consequent activity from the many open lines is not to be underestimated
however, particularly in the hands of a player as tactically gifted as
Kasparov.

14.Nb5 Ne4 15.Nbd4 Re8 16.h3 Bxf3! 17.Nxf3 Qd6 18.Qd3 Ng5 19.Rfd1 Rcd8
20.Kf1 Ne4 21.a3 a6 22.Qc2 Ba7 23.Bd3 Qe7 24.Re1 Rd6 25.b4 Re6 26.b5 axb5
27.Bxb5 h6 28.Rcd1 Rd8 29.Qb3 Qd6 30.a4 Bc5 31.Re2 b6 32.Kg1

GK: Here the Brazilian player offered a draw. However I managed to find an
interesting way of attacking the K-side, and so I decided to play on.

32...Ne7! 33.Nd4 Rg6 34.Bd3 Qd7 35.Kh1?!

GK: 35.f3! Ng3 36.Bxg6 Nxe2+ 37.Nxe2 Nxg6 leads to rough equality, but Sunye
avoids the slightest weakening of his position.

35...Nf5! 36.Bxe4? dxe4 37.Red2 Nh4! 38.Ne6

GK: Only here did Sunye notice that 38.Nf3 exf3! 39.Rxd7 fxg2+ 40.Kg1 Nf3 is
checkmate!

38...Qxd2 39.Rxd2 Rxd2 40.Nf4 Rg5 41.Kg1 Nf3+! 42.Kf1 Bxe3!!

This is quite brilliant as combinations go, but the alternative 42.Kh1 Bxe3!
43.fxe3 Rdxg2!! 44.Nxg2 Rg3! may be one of the most amazing positions I have
ever seen. Mate cannot be avoided despite White's overwhelming material
advantage.

43.fxe3 Rdxg2! 44.Qc3! Rh2 45.Ne2 Kh7! 46.Qc8?! Rh1+! 47.Kf2 Nd2! White
Resigns

GK: After 48.Ng3 Rh2+ 49.Ke1 Nf3+ 50.Kf1 Rxb2, it is pointless to play on.

Deen Hergott is an international chess master living in the area. For
questions/comments, write to him at Chess Moves, c/o The Citizen, 1101
Baxter Rd., Box 5020, Ottawa K2C 3M4.

E-mail: .

[white "GM Jaime Sunye-Neto"]
[black "GM Kasparov"]
[Result "0-1"]
1.Nf3 Nf6
2.c4 c5
3.Nc3 e6
4.e3 Nc6
5.d4 d5
6.cxd5 exd5
7.Bb5 Bd6
8.dxc5 Bxc5
9.O-O O-O
10.b3 Bg4
11.Bb2 Rc8
12.Rc1 Bd6
13.Be2 Bb8!
{I have always preferred the White side of these positions, with Black's
isolated d-pawn providing a straightforward strategic objective. Black's
consequent activity from the many open lines is not to be underestimated
however, particularly in the hands of a player as tactically gifted as
Kasparov.}
14.Nb5 Ne4
15.Nbd4 Re8
16.h3 Bxf3!
17.Nxf3 Qd6
18.Qd3 Ng5
19.Rfd1 Rcd8
20.Kf1 Ne4
21.a3 a6
22.Qc2 Ba7
23.Bd3 Qe7
24.Re1 Rd6
25.b4 Re6
26.b5 axb5
27.Bxb5 h6
28.Rcd1 Rd8
29.Qb3 Qd6
30.a4 Bc5
31.Re2
{GK: Here the Brazilian player offered a draw.
However I managed to find an interesting way of attacking the K-side,
and so I decided to play on.}
31...b6
32.Kg1 Ne7!
33.Nd4 Rg6
34.Bd3 Qd7
35.Kh1?!
{GK: 35.f3! Ng3 36.Bxg6 Nxe2+ 37.Nxe2 Nxg6 leads to rough equality,
but Sunye avoids the slightest weakening of his position.}
35...Nf5!
36.Bxe4? dxe4
37.Red2 Nh4!
38.Ne6
{GK: Only here did Sunye notice that 38.Nf3 exf3! 39.Rxd7 fxg2+ 40.Kg1 Nf3
is
checkmate!}
38...Qxd2
39.Rxd2 Rxd2
40.Nf4 Rg5
41.Kg1 Nf3+!
42.Kf1 Bxe3!!
{This is quite brilliant as combinations go, but the alternative
42.Kh1 Bxe3!
43.fxe3 Rdxg2!!
44.Nxg2 Rg3!
may be one of the most amazing positions I have
ever seen. Mate cannot be avoided despite White's overwhelming material
advantage.}
43.fxe3 Rdxg2!
44.Qc3! Rh2
45.Ne2 Kh7!
46.Qc8?! Rh1+!
47.Kf2 Nd2!
{White Resigns GK: After 48.Ng3 Rh2+ 49.Ke1 Nf3+ 50.Kf1 Rxb2,
it is pointless to play on.
}
0-1

Probably Kasparov's immortal game in my opinion.

EZoto