[Event "London *rap'd("] [Site "London"] [Date "1993.??.??"] [Round "4"] [White "Short, Nigel D"] [Black "Kasparov, Garry"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B22"] [WhiteElo "2665"] [BlackElo "2815"] [Annotator "1907a"] [PlyCount "74"] [EventDate "1993.??.??"] {On October 21, 1993, the PCA World Championship Match between Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short came to an end with a score of 12½-7½. Although the match, played on the stage of London’s Savoy Theatre, was one-sided in Kasparov’s favor, the excitement it generated gave British chess a new impetus. Indeed, the possibility that Short, who had defeated Speelman, Gelfand, Karpov (!), and Timman in succession to face the Russian champion, might also pose a challenge to Kasparov must have excited British chess enthusiasts. One of the rapid games played after this significant match was, in my opinion, one of Kasparov’s most special victories. Today, I wanted to analyze this game.} 1. e4 c5 2. c3 {The Alapin Variation against the Sicilian Defense, which is not often seen at the highest level.} Nf6 {Black does not want to allow his opponent to create a favorable pawn phalanx consisting of e4-d4 pawns in the center. Another popular option is, of course, 2...d5.} 3. e5 {After the pawn push, the focus of the struggle is often the e5- pawn: This quite-advanced pawn provides significant attacking opportunities for White, but can sometimes become a target itself, or in some cases cause weaknesses to develop in the squares it leaves behind.} Nd5 4. g3 $5 {[#] Nigel Short, who had been troubled by Kasparov’s mastery of theoretical variations throughout the match, must have wanted to avoid the main lines in this game.} d6 5. exd6 e6 6. Bg2 Bxd6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. O-O Nc6 9. d3 $5 {[#] Thus, White shows that he wants to play the King’s Indian Defense with reversed colors. If that were not the case, White could simply play d2-d4:9 d4.} b6 10. Nbd2 Bb7 11. Qe2 Bc7 { An early precaution taken against a possible Nd2-e4 (or Nd2-c4) maneuver.} 12. Nc4 Re8 13. a4 {Consolidating c4- knight’s position: Doesn't White's approach resemble the ...a5/...Nc5 setup seen in King’s Indian structures?} h6 14. Bd2 Qd7 15. Rad1 Rad8 {Black has thus fully completed his development. Therefore, the time for moves and, consequently, contact between the forces of the opposing sides must be approaching.} 16. Bc1 {Strengthening the d3- pawn and considering the idea of disturbing Black’s queen, which is in a vulnerable position on the d-file (by playing d3-d4).} e5 17. Rfe1 f5 {[#]} 18. Nh4 $1 {With the text move, the knight is targeting the f5- pawn along with the now vulnerable g6- square.} Qf7 {Stopping the potentially dangerous Qe2-h5 idea.} 19. Bf3 {However, this time the Bg2-f3-h5 maneuver is coming into play.} Rf8 20. Bh5 Qd7 21. Ng6 Rfe8 {[#] White has improved his position in the last few moves, but what will be the next move?} 22. Qf1 $6 {This retreat should not be good. After all, all of White’s active forces will be repelled at once. 22 Nf4!? Nxf4 (22...exf4 23 Bxe8+-) 23 Bxf4 Re6 24 Bf3 Nd4!? 25 cxd4 Bxf3 26 Qxf3 exf4 was a computer variation with full of complexities; 22 Nh4 Rf8 23 Ng6 could have been a ‘silent’ draw offer, but in the final game of the four-game rapid section (current score: Kasparov-Short: 3-0), the Englishman must have wanted to show that he could at least win a game.} Nf6 $1 {First the bishop.} 23. Bf3 Kh7 {And then the knight...} 24. Nh4 g5 $1 25. Ng2 {[#] Following the suspicious retreat of the white queen, Black completely gains positional advantage in the center and on the kingside. Moreover, Horwitz bishops, which had targeted the kingside, were also an important bonus. } f4 $1 {Deciding which pawn to push is not easy when there are attractive options. The fundamental idea behind Kasparov’s move is to open the diagonal for the ...Qd7-h3 maneuver.} 26. Qe2 Kg7 {Another prophylactic move. While Black has placed all his pawns on the dark-squares, this simple move aims to avoid possible counterattacks that could come from the light-squares.} 27. Qc2 Qh3 {27...Nb4 could have won the d3- pawn with a discovered attack: 28 Qe2 (28 cxb4 Bxf3-+) 28...Bxf3 29 Qxf3 Nxd3-+ but Kasparov’s ‘ideals’ were much higher!} 28. Nd2 {[#] Things seem to be progressing as White desires, with the (so-called) blockade established through light-squares. However, Kasparov firmly disagrees!} e4 $3 {This clearance sacrifice can be considered thematic, as similar ones are seen in many other games. Still, the blow from the square, considered to be the best protected with five different forces, resembles a dagger piercing the heart.} 29. Rxe4 {With this exchange sacrifice, White tries to minimize the damage of ...Nc6-e5 reply. 29 dxe4 Ne5! was the main point of the pawn sacrifice; 29 Bxe4 Nxe4 30 Rxe4 Ne5-+; 29 Nxe4 Ne5-+.} Nxe4 30. Bxe4 {[#] After his b7- bishop was left unprotected, would Black abandon the ...Nc6-e5 maneuver? Not at all!} Rxe4 $3 {Of course, in addition to the attacking possibilities possessed, superiority in the materials department facilitates such sacrifices.} 31. dxe4 Ne5 $1 {[#] Finally!} 32. Ne1 Ba6 { With the threat of ...Rxd2 followed by ...Qf1#!} 33. c4 Rxd2 $1 {Kasparov in his element.} 34. Rxd2 Bxc4 35. Rd3 Bxd3 36. Nxd3 Nf3+ 37. Kh1 Qf1# {An amazing game. To commemorate this interesting match, reviewing the booklet by the chief arbiter, none other than Yuri Averbakh, is a good idea!} 0-1 [Event "Battle of the Legends (blitz)"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2015.04.26"] [Round "8"] [White "Short, Nigel"] [Black "Kasparov, Garry"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A48"] [WhiteElo "2664"] [BlackElo "2812"] [Annotator "1907a"] [PlyCount "76"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [EventType "blitz"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 {In the final game of a relatively poor match, the English Grandmaster opts for the Torre Attack variation, where the lines are more clearly defined. However, it has rarely been possible in the past to stifle Kasparov’s dynamism with a single opening variation that tends towards ‘calmness’.} Bg7 4. Nbd2 h6 $5 {The first step in increasing the tension: when considered individually, this move, which attempts to determine the bishop’s route, is essentially the first step in the ...g5-...Nh5 aggressive plan.} 5. Bh4 d6 6. c3 {No matter what Black does, Short gives off an image of being determined to play calmly.} g5 7. Bg3 Nh5 {[#] With the idea of obtaining the bishop pair and gaining space on the kingside.} 8. e3 Nd7 9. Bd3 e6 10. O-O Qe7 11. a4 f5 {[#] White’s solid but somewhat cautious approach must have encouraged Black to make such moves.} 12. Ne1 {Questioning the position of the h5- knight.} Ndf6 13. f4 {After this move, the c8- bishop’s participation in the game is made more difficult (as seen in some variations of the Closed Sicilian), and the black knights are also intended to be rendered ‘ineffective’. This is especially a legitimate case for the h5- knight.} Nxg3 {Thus, Black was able to gain some advantages from his minor plan: the advantage of the bishop pair and a structural flaw in White’s camp. } 14. hxg3 O-O 15. e4 {Raising the stakes: Yes, opening the position will leave the black king, positioned behind the advanced pawns, somewhat vulnerable, but were the white forces in a position to take advantage of this vulnerability? We'll see shortly.} c5 $1 {What an amazing approach! When the tension in the center reaches its peak, the calm game intended at the beginning of the game becomes nothing but a dream!} 16. dxc5 {[#]} d5 $3 { Brilliant! Pattern recognition alert! The aim here is clear: the c5- pawn can be captured with check, and the double attack threat from e4- leaves White in a difficult position.} 17. exf5 Qxc5+ 18. Kh1 exf5 19. Nb3 {Chessboard geometry alert! How should Black plan a route for his queen?} Qe3 20. Qf3 Qe8 21. Nc2 Ng4 22. Kg1 Qh5 $17 {Mission completed!} 23. Rfe1 {Black is certainly in an advantageous position with threats of breaking through the h2- square, but more firepower is needed to give the attack a decisive dimension. Unwilling to let the queenside forces remain as ‘spectators’, Kasparov comes up with another brilliant idea:} Bd7 $3 {After capturing the d5- pawn, the d7- bishop would either be left unprotected, or some pieces intended for attack would be pinned (for example, after 24...Rf7). At this point, let us not forget that the d3- bishop is also vulnerable and, in John Nunn’s words, “Loose pieces drop off (LPDO)!”} 24. Qxd5+ Kh8 25. Qxd7 Qh2+ 26. Kf1 Rad8 27. Qxb7 {While watching the game, everyone was expecting 27...Rxd3, but constantly changing conditions and developments drove Kasparov to pursue even greater advantages:} Qxg3 $1 28. Re2 Rxd3 29. Nc5 Qxf4+ 30. Ke1 Qg3+ 31. Kf1 Qh4 {With the threat of checkmate on h1-.} 32. g3 Rxg3 33. Ne6 Rg8 {Short must have wanted to try to take advantage of his opponent’s time pressure with a one-move checkmate threat.} 34. Nxg7 {The knight on g7- can surely be captured, but it currently serves as a shield for the black king. Kasparov, who is in a winning position, proceeds to the end in the most impressive manner.} Nh2+ 35. Ke1 Nf3+ 36. Kf2 Rh3+ 37. Ke3 Qf4+ 38. Kd3 Ne5# {[#] with a picturesque checkmate.} 0-1