[Event "USSR Teams"] [Site "?"] [Round "0"] [White "Karpov"] [Black "Spassky"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C70"] [Opening "Spanish: 4.Ba4"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Nb8 { The Breyer Variation of the Spanish Game, one of Boris Spassky's favorites.} 10. d3 {For a long time Karpov preferred this quiet move to the standard 10.d4. } 10... Bb7 11. Nbd2 Nbd7 12. Nf1 Re8 13. Ng3 Nc5 14. Bc2 Bf8 {This is th e main starting position for the 10.d3 variation. White will now spend some time attending to the queenside before attacking the enemy king.} 15. b4 Ncd7 16. d4 h6 17. Bd2 Nb6 18. Bd3 g6 {Too passive. Black should stake a claim on the queenside before it is too late and the best way of doing so would be to aim for c7-c7 with a preparatory Rc8. That plan is not without risk, but it is better than treading water.} 19. Qc2 Nfd7 20. Rad1 {Karpov care fully completes his mobilization before launching his attack. More importantly, he recognized the potential usefulness of this rook on the d-file, despite the fact that the file is almost filled with pieces!} 20... Bg7 {Now Karpov must create his plan. The center is still filled with tension. The Rd1 has distant "man-on-man" coverage against the Black queen.} 21. dxe5 {A well-timed exchange. Black should now recapture with the knight, even though after 22. Nxe5 Bxe5 23.f4 White will have a strong central positon.} 21... dxe5 22. c4 { This forces the weakening of Black's queenside pawn structure.} 22... bxc4 23. Bxc4 Qe7 {Spassky wants to play c7-c5 as soon as possible, eliminating his weak pawn. But he should have taken the opportunity to exchange his knight for White's powerful light-squared bishop.} 24. Bb3 c5 25. a4 {Karpov already has the idea of a plan in which he will sacrifice the exchange by allowing Black to play Bb7-c6-a4 after the Bb3 is chased back to a2. This plan is based on an evaluation of the Re1 as relatively useless.} 25... c4 { 25...cxb4 26.a5 Rac8 27.Qa2 Na8 28.Bxb4! is a decisive blow.} 26. Ba2 Bc6 27. a5 Ba4 28. Qc1 Nc8 29. Bxh6 {The superior activity of White's forces which results from the sacrifice of the exchange will enable him to attack on the kingside.} 29... Bxd1 30. Rxd1 Nd6 {Understandably, Black wants to get this knight into a position to help with the defense of the king. Best was 30.. . Ra7, though that would have parted with the c-pawn after 31.Bxg7 Kxg7 32.Qxc4.} 31. Bxg7 Kxg7 {White now observes that the horses are guarded only by the queen, which can be deflected.} 32. Qg5 {with the amusing point that 32... Qxg5 33.Nxg5 leaves Black with no way to stop the loss of one of the knights, while 32...Nf6?? drops the queen to 33.Nf5+.} 32... f6 33. Qg4 { Maintaining the threat of Nf5+.} 33... Kh7 34. Nh4 {and Black resigned rather than invite 34...Rg8 35.Bxc4! or 34...Nf8 35.Nxg6! Nxg6 36.Qh5+ Kg7 37.Rxd6! and the thematic Nf5+ follows. The entire plan was based on play along the d-file which Karpov anticipated with 20.Rad1!} 1-0