Game 13
Game 13
Grünfeld Defense
The draw of this game was much more interesting than the previous one. A high-level game with a number of unique moves said the Georgian IGM Gufeld. Karpov played brilliantly but Kasparov had achieved a comfortable equality with Black.
Game 14
Game 14
Caro Kann
Was part of his strategy when Kasparov made another quick draw with the white pieces on game 14? With 9…Qd5 Karpov showed his intension to go for a peaceful day. Kasparov delayed the exchange but without any fighting mood agreed to share the point after 21 moves. Both were satisfied. Kasparov was leading in the match and Karpov was not ready to take risk with black’s pieces.
Again Kasparov answered few questions ask by the Spanish Journalist L. Garcia.
Q: Spectators are already becoming tired with this lock of fighting spirit.
A: I indicated already that the end of this Championship is still far ahead and that there are sports targets which are prevailing. This is why it has no sense to fight mercilessly in each game. Besides, much energy is used up already. Therefore, if a position is complicated, you play; if it is simple, a draw is signed.
Q: Does this mean that you will not play win any more, as long as Karpov takes no risk?
A: Of course, it would not have been bad if Karpov had attacked. It is him who has to push. I can wait. It depends on the development of the game. Karpov plays more solid openings than I do. It is difficult for me to play to win. I give him better chances with Black. I don’t know. We shall see what happens in the next games, how Karpov plays with White and how h does with Black. It depends more on him than on me.
Q: But these three consecutive draws may favor Karpov’s psychic recuperation…
A: I know from my own experience that it is difficult to recover and to adopt positive attitudes for a chess player with a disadvantage on the scoreboard. Karpov is too expert as a fighter to allow me to knock him out by one stroke and to win the Championship immediately. There is still a long way, and you can’t solve anything definitely with just one stroke. I believe that further on the blood will be spilled which the fans have been waiting for.
Game 15
Game 15
Grünfeld Defense
Kasparov took his second time-out before the game. In TV interviews sometime during this period, Kasparov was criticized for his strategy of coasting along and letting Karpov do the entire pressing. So a very interested game was on the board with another Grünfeld but this time the Prins variation. In a very complicate middle-game both players played at their best but the Black’s initiative was obvious. Karpov reacted with an exchange sacrifice to lunch a sharp counterattack. Now the initiative became White but time scramble didn’t let Karpov to conclude this game and his 33.Qf5 made the ending draw.
Game 16
Game 16
English Opening
Kasparov continued his temporary spirited play in this game. He discarded his e-pawn opening, which in all probability would have led to another drawn Caro-Kann to go back to his English Opening. The result was a disaster.
Karpov didn’t want to enter into analyzed variations and decide to avoid the 6…e4 and play Re8, which gave him a very comfortable game. Suddenly after Black 26th move Qc8 the complicated position became advantageous for Karpov and lack of time push Kasparov to commit a losing 29th move. The match was again deadlocked at 8-8.
Game 17
Game 17
King Indian Defense
Karpov surprises all by playing 1.Nf3 and Kasparov to answer with the King Indian defense. Karpov proceeded defensively and after the traditional exchange on e4 and f5 both players went into an interesting Rook ending. Karpov was better and probably winning but after he missed 43. Rd7 with no winning chance on the board, the players agreed to draw on move 46.
L. Garcia: It must be extraordinarily hard to withstand Karpov’s initiative for six hours, after having lost a game the day before, isn’t it?
G. Kasparov: I do not agree with your statement that Karpov had the initiative during the whole game. I chose sufficiently aggressive opening. I did not want a one-sided game. I chose the King’s Indian Defense because it also meant a surprise. Black’s position was quite satisfactory. White never took any risk. Black always had sufficient counter play. I was not sure if it was convenient for me to exchange the queens, but maybe it was the right thing to do. Afterwards, I made a series of imprecise moves. For example, Rf6, which meant on easy draw, and then there was also a draw with Rf3. In general, I don’t think that there was such serious pressure on my position as in games seven and nine.
L. Garcia: A long time has passed since the two of you remained on stage to analyze a game together. Why did you do it today?
G. Kasparov: There is a psychological explanation for this fact. Frankly, I was unable to control myself. I had not done this since game 47 of our first match. We never analyzed adjourned games, not a single one, but today, there were special reasons for it. The game had been adjourned in a position which nearly everyone considered a draw, and no one believed it would be resumed. This influenced us, and we began to think the same way. Afterwards, it turned out that Karpov had thought the same. Until a quarter to four, I was convinced that we were going to carry out some simple moves, as we did in the end. But suddenly we discovered on almost study- like ending for White by surrounding Black on the Q-wing. We had to decide which way to choose. In a Queen-ending, White being a pawn up, Black would lose practically in all variations. This was a variation which would have had to be played for several days, and I might have lost the game in the end. The other possibility was to play for a draw in a Rook-ending. Move by move, we managed to find on study-like draw.
Game 18
Game 18
Queen’s Gambit Declined
Kasparov succeed finally to put some pressure…until move 23 when he choose an unclear continuation and went into a draw rook and pawn ending
Game 19
Game 19
Queen’s Gambit Declined
Kasparov opted to defend with the favorite Tartakover variation of Karpov in an apparent psychological move. Karpov not satisfy with the game 18 produced a major improvement, which gave him a clear plus. Kasparov erred and had to give up a pawn to avoid being reduced to passivity but finally found the best way of creating drawing chances and no overnight analyse could help Karpov to claim the full point.
L. Garcia: Does the fact that you analyzed together for the second time in this match mean that your personal relations ore better now than before?
G. Kasparov: The analysis we carried out has an objective reason, since Karpov told me after the game —certainly because he wished to reduce the impression caused by the quick finish— that there were no possibilities, there was no way to win, half asking me and half assuring it. And if someone starts a conversation. I have no right to reject him. Besides, in game 17 I had set a precedent. I would not like to make long-tern, conclusions, but things really seem to be smoothening. We may like it or not, but we hove now finished game 19, and the tension is increasing as we are approaching the end of the match, though it decreases abruptly after the game, which means that the tension we ore undergoing during and offer a game could be represented graphically by a sine curve. This could be an explanation of our analysis. Besides, the course of this match did not show —on either side— the ups and downs of the previous matches.
L G.: How does one sleep w the opponent is a pawn up?
G. Kasparov.: It is always very unpleasant to be a pawn down, even more so if we take into account that the result of this game was very important. I was Block and knew that Karpov was going to use all his resources. But I think I was mentally well prepared for the game, though, unfortunately, I found no continuation which would have forced the draw. I believe I mode an incorrect queen move, but later I managed to defend quite well and to control my nerves. When the game was adjourned, I was a pawn down and felt evidently uneasy. Visually, l knew that my position was a draw, and this was confirmed by analysis, but you always ask yourself.
And if White plays something else? In all variations, Black could resist and maintained a safe position. We analyzed the forced variations, but also in the remaining lines Black could overcome the danger. A very important factor was the pawn ending which appeared in the game was very important for me, and for the first time I reached the same score as in the return match, where I had always had more points than here in Seville. I hope that the final stretch of this match will not go worse than in the return match. I feel less nervous now and I am approaching my goal in reasonable good shape. It could be worse, taking into account the tension I am suffering from.
L Garcia.: The match will be won by the player who has the stronger nerves, and Karpov is famous for his solid nervous.
G. Kasparov.: All our matches were decided in the last games. The player won who had the better nerves, if we follow the sense of your question. I won the two last matches from a similar situation, and I hope that my nerves won’t betray me now.
Game 20
Game 20
Queen’s Gambit Declined
Kasparov played aggressively in the opening and emerged into the middle game with a clear strategic edge. Despite a shortage of time but with a good defense Karpov maintain his chance alive but playing the only move 32…f5! cutting the Bishop’s power and White chance to play for a win.
Game 21
Game 21
Grünfeld Defense
Karpov decided to test again Kasparov’s Grünfeld preparation with a new 14. Bf4. But finally realize that he didn’t get too much of it and players agreed to draw on move 28.
L. Garcia: Was your difficult decision to offer a draw yesterday determined by your character or by your experience?
G. Karpov: What happens is that the decision to agree upon o draw was not so much determined by my personal character, but by the character of the position itself. I thought about if for a long time… The game had developed in a very interesting way. First, it seemed that White was better. Then, after placing his Knight on d3, Black obtained a considerable advantage. I think that Kasparov did not expect it. He played f5 and allowed me to take on d3, after which he undoubtedly did not evaluate the possibility of taking Pawn d3 with the Queen. After this, Kasparov became absorbed in a long reflection and found the chance of repeating moves. I could avoid this only by means of withdrawing my Queen to b3. Apparently, Kasparov sow no other solid reply. However, I saw Qf3 after which White had no chance to win and even risked to lose. Therefore, I was obliged to agree upon a draw.
L. Garcia.: Last year in Leningrad, the score was also leveled at this stage of the match, and you lost the following game. This time, ore you psychologically prepared in order to avoid that the same thing happens?
A. Karpov.: I think that no one is ever ready to lose a game, and even less if we talk about top-ranking chess players. Everyone is mentally prepared to fight and to win each new game. I believe that Kasparov will try to win tomorrow, because this is one of his last occasions in this match. And this is also convenient for me, since, when one of the rivals ploys to win, he offers also chances to his opponent.