Game 2
Game 2
Ruy Lopez
Kasparov played 1.e4. Karpov did not hesitate to enter into the Zaitsev variation of the Ruy Lopez despite that he had already some problem with it in the Candidates matches against Timman.
Karpov avoids the most crucial lines by adopting a safer, thought slightly less reputable side variation. Both players played very fast their first 18 moves. Kasparov unveils a quite novelty of tremendous strength playing 19. f3 with White claiming the central superiority..
Karpov’s answer 19… Qd7 was not the best. Probably d5 recommended by the French GM J. Lautier could have given to Black some compensations. Then Kasparov decided to go to a safe variation letting Karpov to be careful with his shortage of time and to debate on his critical position. But after another criticized 33…Ba6 the general opinion was that the game will be soon over. The final verdict came 8 moves later after Kasparov played 41.Qf1. The general reaction was that the chess amateurs had witnessed a truly special performance from Kasparov.
Game 3
Game 3
King’s Indian Defense
Game three was electric and the intensity of the payers was felt even in the pressroom, one building over and eight floors up from the scene of play. The match enjoyed tremendous public interest, on a level approaching that of organizers’ hopes. Celebrities also turned up. Kasparov looked tense as play began repeating the razor-sharp King’s Indian. Karpov’s choice of variation seemed quite cleaver. It was ambitious without being as risky as the heavily analyzed main lines.
After 9 moves Kasparov decided to offer first the Exchange and then his Queen. Karpov tried to decline the largest sacrifice, but eventually felt obliged to take the loot. The black piece, splendidly coordinated dominated the center, while White’s pieces were pushed back. At move 25 Karpov relieve the situation by giving back his queen. Black had 2 pawns for the exchange and an advantage. At the adjournment White was still with an exchange up but Black’s chance were still better. Once the game resumed Karpov’s moves were good enough to take out all Black’s hopes to score the full point.
Game 4
Game 4
Ruy Lopez
Kasparov was late for the start, a rarity. Flags disappeared from the chess table: the tri-colored Russian one, under which Kasparov was appearing, and the red flag of Karpov. Despite his defeat in the 2nd game, Karpov again played the Zaitsev Spanish. Using a sharp variation he went into an amazingly long think at a very unusual juncture in the game. In a standard position he thought for over 50 minutes. Surely the position was not new for him, and the game must have been prepared to some stage deeper. After 23.Re6 and 27.g3 White was for sure not worse. Karpov was already short of time but Kasparov tried to go more sharply with his 28th move. Few moves later Karpov was completely winning but with 2 minutes 28 sec on his clock he missed the final touch with 39…d4 and instead the let the White escape with a perpetual check.
Game 5
Game 5
King’s Indian Defense
Karpov didn’t try to hard in this game to fight an unusual king Indian Na6. After opening the center and the early exchange of the Queen the final issue was more or less clear. That’s what happened after 36 moves: just a draw.
Game 6
Game 6
Ruy Lopez
Karpov decided to continue with the Spanish avoided home preparation by switching the variation. Now he was better prepared reaching without to spend too much time a comfortable position. However after letting passed his chance to blow the center and after the sleepy 29…h6 Karpov gave Kasparov some chances to build a strong attack. GM Ljubojevic who was as visitor said: one of the worst they ever played” saying Karpov had been better all the way until some miserable play left him lost. No one understood Kasparov decision to play 39.g4?? instead of Rc8 with very good chances. Kasparov sat alone onstage for over half an hour considering his sealed move. Shaking without interruption his head everyone could see his disappointment on his face. Both players share the point three moves later.
Game 7
Game 7
King’s Indian Defense
For the fourth time Kasparov chose the King Indian with this time a curious 6… Na6 which gave a slight plus for his opponent. When the Champion missed the 12…dxe5 with equality, many observers then forecasted bad time for Kasparov. The 15…Bf6? was the second warning accord IGM Van der Wiel missing 16…Qe8 which looked much better and finally the red card came after 27…Qa5?? terrible blunder, which gave a hopeless endgame. “I didn’t see anything” said the Champion after the game. IGM Salov called the game Kasparov’s worst in a decade. The blunder was so outrageous that even the imperturbable Karpov rose back in his seat and shot Kasparov a suspicious glance.
Game 8
Game 8
Ruy Lopez
Karpov repeated the choice of Ragozin variation and continued to dominate on the theoretical front with another novelty, this time against one of the side lines. Karpov facing a real bashing after a few inaccuracies and he uses up virtually all of his time trying to choose between two unpalatable evils. He makes the right choice but must still fend off a multiple of threats with his flag hanging. Kasparov seems transfixed by his foe’s flag and cannot bring himself to control his nerves and concentrate properly. When Kasparov makes an aggressive-looking blunder, Karpov hesitates for only a second before calling it and reaching adjournment a pawn up
Karpov’s brilliant defensive display wins him fans in the gallery, the time pressure tightrope making it even more attractive. The adjournment further confirms Kasparov’s stature as a brilliant analyst. It takes him only a handful of moves to confound Karpov and set him up for another time scramble. Karpov pitches away a pawn for some reason, but still manages to squeeze for a long time. Kasparov can see the draw, however, and after all this effort doesn’t let it get away. Both players smile at the end of marathon and begin to have a postmortem discussion. the first lapse in hostilities.
Game 9
Game 9
Gruenfled Defense
The champion finally discarded the King-Indian for the more familiar Grünfeld. There is no rekindling of their Seville battles the players steering the game into quite queenless waters. Kasparov was all the time to give up a pawn, after which the position would have become clearly drawish thanks to the opposite-color bishops. But just the opposite occurred. Karpov committed a transposition of move after which Kasparov said tank you. Hopefully for Karpov, unlike the 7th game for Kasparov, this blunder was not fatal and immediately after the draw was agreed.
Game 10
Game 10
Petroff Defense
Was Kasparov skeptical after the novelty played by Karpov in the Petroff 12… Nf5? In any case he spent 10 minutes and played a move, which didn’t give too much for the rest of the game. After couple of exchanges both players to draw the quickest game for far played in this tournament.
Game 11
Game 11
King’s Indian Defense
In a King-Indian avoiding the insipid Na6 the champion sacrified the exchange on his lucky move number (13). If some GMs were categorical and said :”Black has no compensation” Kasparov continues as through nothing has happened, without forcing the destiny. With 18…Be6 Kasparov showed the preparation for an attack. Karpov not very courageous decide to play for the security accepting a forced variation with end-up with a perpetual check.
Game 12
Game 12
Ruy Lopez
After a Spanish opening, Kasparov builds up a threatening position and then steadily dissipates his advantage. Karpov then sized the initiative but didn’t risk sacrificing the exchange, which could give him some very good perspective. In time trouble both player decided to quite New York with a draw in the last game and with a score reflecting the complete equality 6-6.
Kasparov answer to Fred Waitzkin publish in Chess
Q: How would you assess the first half of the match? It appears to have been dominated by brilliancies and blunders.
A: To begin with, we have to remember that we are summansing not the match but the first half of the match. And there are some lessons. Yes, there were some brilliancies. And at the risk of sounding immodest, most were from my side. And, yes, there were blunders, mostly from my side as well. Karpov’s game was very stable, except for his blunder in game nine. He didn’t play any better in game twelve, say, than in game two or game eight. In each, his position was quite bad out of the opening. The difference was what Kasparov did by the end of the game. (Laughs a little.) These games would be better for me if I could just stop after move 30. Just stop the game and judge the position. (More laughter.)
So in these games Karpov played chess and I played up and down and sometimes I committed suicide. Some people are explaining my blunders on the basis of rustiness, or that I had too many distractions during the past year. And it is true that except for the practice games against Psakhis I hadn’t played serious chess in nine months, since Linares. But sometimes blunders happen. I made the same kind of blunder against Tal in the World Cup tournament last year.
In spite of this I feel good about my playing strength. I am a better player now than in Seville. I think it is obvious that lam stronger than Karpov. In nearly every game I made the fight and used bold ideas. But chess is a very interesting game. It’s a very honest game. A pure fight. If you are stronger, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will win. There are other factors.
Q: Are you surprised by how tenaciously Karpov is defending?
A: No. He has always done it, but it is important. He fights to the last inch. He uses all his resources. Sometimes, like in game eight, he was in big time trouble and still found the only defensive moves. But when you have a winning position sometimes the level of defence from the other side isn’t important. In game two he exerted the same efforts to save the game, but I made all the best moves and I crushed him. In game eight I didn’t find the best moves and almost lost the game. I don’t think his strength in this match is a big factor. If I play at my normal level, as I did in the first six games, I will win the match.
Q: I think what is curious about your blunders is that, with the exception of game seven, they have come in winning positions.
A: This has happened to me before. It happened in the first match. But I think my problems here began in game six. I was so close to the win, and then letting go of it on the 41st move was shattering. Game eight was the result of game seven. This blunder was like a wound. It was bleeding. It was working somewhere inside me. Every game after game six was painful.
Q: Do you look forward to Lyons?
A: I believe I will regain my confidence in Lyons. New York is a great city for the world championship from the publicity point of view, but it’s very hard to play chess here. I’m not complaining. This was the best-organised match ever. I was the man who wanted to play in America and from my point of view, except for the score, the match was a great success. The theatre was sold out every night. The New York Times and ABC provided great coverage. People loved it. This was a big start for chess in America.
Q: Let’s talk about game twelve a little. It was the last game of the first half and seemed to encapsulate most of the tendencies of the earlier games.
A: It was only game twelve, but with the break coming it felt like the last game. And you tend to think: “Come on, it’s the last game. Don’t take too much risk.” But it’s not the last game. You want to forget this voice of caution but you cannot. And at a critical moment it is very dangerous. That’s what happened in this game. I started playing a rare line that’s not bad for White. Karpov played an innovation 13 … Na5, which in my opinion is rather weak.
In fact the positional quality of all his novelties, in games eight, ten and twelve, was quite suspect. In this last game his position was rather bad. I had a wide choice of possibilities. I didn’t play my best in the middle game, but even with some second-best moves I had a good position. I was pressing him. My plan was to bring my queen to the kingside. The black pieces are on the queenside but his king is on the kingside. The plan was so obvious.
The young Kasparov, any Kasparov in any kind of form, would play the moves without hesitation. There is no need to calculate any variations. I felt it. But after! played 27 Qf5 Karpov thought. for eight or nine minutes and during this time I began to second-guess myself, then when he attacked my queen with 27…Ne7. I retreated for no good reason.
Q: You started thinking too much.
A: Too much. So I retreated my queen to d3 when 28.Qh5 was the obvious decision. There are some moves that should be played by instinct. A chess player must trust himself in the same way that a pianist believes in his fingers. After 28.Qh5 Black’s position is practically lost. It is very easy to play with White. Your pieces are coming. It’s very unpleasant to defend. If you are Black you must continually choose between two evils. But after 28. Qd3 White is not even better. The position is equal.
Q: So at this midway point do you think Karpov is pleased with his result?
A: Kasparov: He appears to be pleased. He can say: “After 12 games I’m not worse than Kasparov.” But at the bottom of his soul he knows what happened. Kasparov played as badly as he can play and still the score is even.