Kasparov Gambit
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Basic position of the Kasparov gambit after 8th .... d6 – d5
The Kasparov Gambit is an opening variant named after Garry Kasparov in the Taimanov variant of the Sicilian Defense , which he introduced into grandmaster practice in his 1985 world championship match against Anatoli Karpov and thus achieved an important victory.
The gambit was played once in 1965 in a game between the Hungarian players Károly Honfi (white) and Péter Dely (black), but was ignored (the game ended in a draw after 93 moves ). According to Kasparov, he did not know the predecessor and found the train preparing for the World Cup fight. Karpov was able to refute the variant, but only after the World Cup fight.
The gambit
The gambit arises after the opening moves 1. e2 – e4 c7 – c5 2. Ng1 – f3 e7 – e6 3. d2 – d4 c5xd4 4. Nf3xd4 Nb8 – c6 5. Nd4 – b5 d7 – d6 6. c2 – c4 Ng8 – f6 7. Nb1-c3 a7-a6 8. Nb5-a3 .
Now, instead of the well-known 8… Bf8 – e7, which leads to the usual hedgehog position , Kasparov played a completely surprising 8… d6 – d5 !? (see diagram). This move was seen as a sensation because it was unusual to find a new gambit in a known position at such an early stage in the game - and that during a World Cup. The Austrian grandmaster Stefan Kindermann wrote about it: " If there were a Nobel Prize in chess, it would have to be awarded to Kasparov's innovation ".
9. c4xd5 e6xd5 10. e4xd5 Nc6 – b4 Black wants to attack White's underdeveloped position for the pawn.
In the regular game, the 12th of the competition, Karpow now played to hold the pawn: 11. Bf1 – c4 (Honfi played 11. Qd1 – a4 + Bc8 – d7 12. Qa4 – b3), but after 11.… Bc8 – g4 12. Bc4 – e2 Bg4xe2 13. Qd1xe2 + Qd8 – e7 14. Bc1 – e3 Nb4xd5 they soon agreed on a draw.
In game 16 Karpov wanted to refute the gambit after domestic preparation: 11. Bf1 – e2 The purpose of the move: White gives Black the choice of either taking back to d5, after which White can “massage” Black's position with Be2 – f3 can, or White keeps the pawn. Karpov was not prepared for the following: 11.… Bf8 – c5 Black picks up the gauntlet, does not care about the pawn and plays on a developmental advantage. 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Be2-f3
If White does not hold the pawn, he has no advantage if Black is well developed. After 13.… Bc8 – f5 14. Bc1 – g5 Rf8 – e8 15. Qd1 – d2 b7 – b5 , according to Kasparow, White was able to equalize with 16. Qd2 – f4 Bf5 – g6 17. Bg5xf6 Qd8xf6 18. Qf4xf6 g7xf6. But as 16. Ra1 – d1? Nb4 – d3! happened, Black gained a great advantage thanks to his dominant knight and eventually won the game. That was a preliminary decision for the world championship fight. Kasparov received the award for the best game in volume 40 of the Chessinformator .
The antidote
Only after the World Cup was Karpov able to use the refutation of the gambit, which he put into practice in the 1986 Brussels tournament in a game against the Dutch champion John van der Wiel : 11. Bf1 – e2 Bf8 – c5 (11.… Bf8 – e7 12 Be2 – f3 Bc8 – f5) 12. Bc1 – e3! Bc5xe3 13. Qd1 – a4 + Nf6 – d7 (13.… Bc8 – d7 !? 14. Qa4xb4 Qd8 – b6 15. Qb4xb6 Be3xb6) 14. Qa4xb4 (14. f2xe3 !?) Be3 – c5 15. Qb4 – e4 + Ke8 – f8 16. 0–0 with a clear advantage for White. The game ended in a draw after 63 moves.
Karpov said after the match that the strong move 12. Bc1 – e3 was already known to his second Igor Saizew during the World Cup fight, but he forgot to show it to Karpov. He would have played the innovation months later against van der Wiel because he knew that Kasparov would not repeat this variant against him. Kasparov himself said immediately after the match that he could play the variant again at any time.
The refutation of the gambit, for which Karpov received the Chessinformator's Award for the best theoretical innovation in volume 41, forced Black in future games to repulse the d5 pawn on move 11, after which White retains a slight advantage. For this reason the Kasparov Gambit is no longer popular in today's tournament practice. However, it helped Kasparov to the title and thus influenced chess history .
Literary use
The gambit was used as a literary motif in Tim Krabbé's story Master Jacobson .
literature
- András Adorján : Quo vadis Garry . Dreier, Mannheim 1990. pp. 133-142.
Individual evidence
- ↑ New In Chess 1/1987, p. 51.
- ^ Tim Krabbé: Master Jacobson