Karpov vs Spassky
526
[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
1-0
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