Kasparov and Karpov coming on strong as they prepare for world rematch
World champion Gary Kasparov and former titleholder Anatoly Karpov have taken different routes in preparing for their rematch, scheduled to start July 28 in London. Karpov, who has been playing with unaccustomed vigor and renewed determination, competed in two very strong recent tournaments -- in Brussels and in Bugojno, Yugoslavia -- and won both.
Kasparov, on the other hand, has not played in a tournament since winning a big international event at Niksic, Yugoslavia, in September 1983. But recently the world champion has been taking on the strongest of the top Western European masters in match play -- and with enormous success. In the last year he has conquered Robert H"ubner of West Germany, Ulf Andersson of Sweden, and Jan Timman of the Netherlands. In his latest match, concluded recently in Basel, Switzerland, he turned in what is probably his most impressive performance to date when he trounced Tony Miles of England.
Miles, the ninth-ranked player in the world, fought hard in each game but managed just one draw in six games to lose by a 5- score. Miles is nobody's doormat, and in the past he has scored well against Soviet players. He plays with great confidence; once he defeated Karpov while the latter was world champion by replying to Karpov's 1. P-K4 with P-QR3. But apparently his style was tailor-made for Kasparov, who thrives on complications and originality.
Today's game, the third of the match, features original, creative play right from the outset, with both players throwing away their opening texts and going at each other with hammer and tongs. Queen's Pawn Opening Kasparov Miles 1. P-Q4 N-KB3 2. N-KB3 P-B4 3. P-Q5 P-QN4 (a) 4. B-N5 N-K5 5. B-R4 Q-R4 ch 6. QN-Q2 B-N2 7. P-R4! (b) BxP 8. PxP Q-B2 (c) 9. R-R4! (d) Q-N2 10. P-B4 NxN 11. PxB NxB 12. Q-Q3! (e) P-Q3 (f) 13. P-K4 N-Q2 14. QxN P-KR3 15. Q-K2 P-N4 16. B-N3 B-N2 17. P-K5 O-O 18. P-R4 QxQP 19. RPxP NxP? (g) 20. BxN PxB 21. PxP B-B3 22. R-KR5 (h) K-R1 23. NxP Q-N6 (i) 24. R-QR3 Q-N5 ch 25. K-B1 QR-Q1 26. N-B6 QxP/N7 27. QxQ BxQ 28. RxRP R-B1 29. RxKP P-B5 30. K-K2 P-B6 31. K-Q3 Resigns (j)
A. A bizarre opening has emerged which bears certain resemblances to the Blumenfeld Countergambit, with the fundamental difference that White's QBP is not on QB4, encouraging Black to encircle and attempt to capture the White QP.
B. A clever move, which gives the game a lively and quixotic turn.
C. A point of White's play is that 8. . . . QxP? loses a piece to 9. P-B4.
D. It is unusual to see a rook this active so early in the game. Now Black is forced to do something about his advanced knight.
E. This important move had to be foreseen. If White immediately captured the knight, Black has an easy game with 12. . . . QxNP.
F. Here, or on his next move, Black could capture White's rook pawn with his desperado knight. Such a policy would be ill advised, as it would cost a tempo as well as immediately activating White's KR.
G. Black has defended quite well, but this is an error which allows White's king rook to enter decisively. There were great complications after Black's best move of 19. . . . RPxP, but they offered better drawing chances. Two of them follow. 20. NxP, NxP; 21. R-R8 ch, BxR; 22. Q-R5, Q-Q6; 23. R-K4, and the queen administers perpetual check; 20. R-N4, P-B3; 21. NxP, PxN; 22. RxP, R-B2; 23. Q-R5, Q-K5 ch, and again Black can check perpetually with his queen.
H. White now wins by the threat of entering a favorable ending.
I. White was threatening to win the queen with 24. N-N6 ch. 23. . . . QxP; 24. R-N4, Q-N2; 25. R-N7 poses more problems than Black can solve.
J. White's QNP will eventually win at least the exchange.
