01/05/2025
1990 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 13
Drawn after Adjournment
Nov 24, 1990 by Bjarke Kristiansen (polished a bit by Elliott Winslow).
KARPOV KASPAROV
1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 g6
3. Nc3 d5
[Welcome to game 13th ..and the GI that's Grunfeld-Indian. Fight from the start.]
4. cxd5 Nd5
5. e4 Nxc3
6. bxc3 Bg7
7. Be3 c5
8. Qd2 O-O
[So far on two minutes each. "GK [Garry Kasparov] looks tense," says Mike Valvo. Now Karpov took full 9 minutes to play ...]
9. Rc1 Qa5
[Kasparov thought six minutes here. Time now: White 0:19; Black 0:08. Now 9 minutes has gone and AK [Anatoly Karpov] is still thinking. Kasparov has left the stage. Who is fooling who? 9. ...Qa5 might be a new move. It's not in the pressroom database. Karpov is still thinking, so time for a little presentation. At your service in Lyon - IM Bjarke Kristensen. (Now Valvo says, "AK is nodding his head up and down alone on stage.) As kommentators: Boris Spassky and a number of strong Drench IM's. IM Mike Valvo from New Jersey is here for a week.]
10. Nf3 e6
[And the "soon-to-be" GM Will Watson from England is here too."I don't understand the GI,"he just said. Kasparov stays on stage. Time: White 0:37; Black 0:10. Says Will Watson (now WW): "I predicted the opening this morning. And so did many others." Valvo say, "I think this shows that the Kings Indian hasn't worked out for Kasparov." IM Levy suggests b7-b6 for Black. IM Jonathan Tisdall says, "I've seen this before. But nobody can find a game with it."]
11. d5 exd5
12. exd5 Re8
13. Be2
[Time: White 0:53; Black 0:24. Valvo observed GK tapping his fingers impatiently on the table after move Re8. It just might all be preparations! Both are sitting deeply concentrated at the table.]
13. ... Bf5
14. O-O
[The atmosphere in the pressroom is a bit "fuzzy." The game hasn't found its own personality yet, and the fact that the US is playing the Soviets at the Chess Olympiad in Novi Sad at this very moment is also widely discussed.]
14. ... Nd7
[Interesting is now: 15.Nh4 Be4 16.f3 Bxd5! 17.Qxd5 Rxe3 18.Qxd7 18...Rxe2 "...with a big Black plus," says Watson. Rumours say that GK might be better here, but nobody really dares to risk his neck. The game is still in its childhood. But AK surely is in for a deep think. Now he's on 1:16 and still thinking. Garry has left the stage. Valvo says, "The Mephisto computer thinks Black is better! It's no Deep Thought, but the Mephisto Chess Computer IS already world champion in its class. No one else dared to test their program against it!]
15. h3
[Time: White 1:18; Black: 0:31. Now Karpov has left stage. And GK hangs over the board as if to power up his chess muscles. Kasparov seems relaxed and satisfied. White's problem is his weakened pawns on the Q-side. And as for his pride-pawn on d5? In an endgame it could be pure gold, but until then it gives a good square to a Black piece on d6. Kasparov now hangs his head between his hands. A very typical posture for the WC.]
15. ... Nb6
[GM Lein thinks White is in deep trouble. GK might play Nb6-a4. Another of GK's ideas might be Qa5-a4.]
16. g4
[Now ...that's a man! Karpov's idea obviously is 16... Be4 17.c4 Qxd2 18.Nxd2 with 19.Nxe4 and 20.Bd3 to come. After a very slow start suddenly the game is very exciting. Now the Russian GMs in the pressroom find: 16...Be4 17. c4.... Qa3! with a Black edge. But...]
16. ... Bd7
[Time: White 1:31; Black 0:49. GM-elects Watson and Gallagher say Karpov is still under pressure, but improving. Mephisto "thinks" it's slightly better for Black. And the Russians say that Kasparov should have played h7-h5, not Nd7-b6.]
17. c4 Qxd2
18. Nxd2 Na4
19. Bf3 Nc3
20. Rxc3 Bxc3
21. Ne4
[The heat is on in the Palais des Congress. Watson thinks GK is still doing well. Might be a British understatement. Kasparov is in for at deep think. Time: White 1:42;Black: 1:12. IM. Tisdall: "He'll take on e4 now and it is a draw."]
21. .. . Rxe4
22. Bxe4 Re8
23. Bd3 b6
24. Kg2
[Tisdall says, "The first one who can bring himself to offer a draw will get it." He might be right. A drastic change of the game has taken place. And where did Kasparov drop his advantage? Maybe ...Nc3 should have been prepared. Time: White 1:46; Black 1:17. If Karpov plays Be3-c1 to press f2-f4 (hoping for an endgame advantage with f4-f5) GK might play Re8-e1 to enter a tame double-bishop ending. Draw.]
24. ... f5
25. gxf5 Bxf5
26. Bxf5 gxf5
[Karpov sits thinking alone at the board. Black's Bc3 is potentially weaker than Be3, but White's c4 pawn is GK's major target. I think that Black's still better. White's d-pawn looks strong (and it is) but right now it's quite impotent. If advanced it'll just be lost since Kg8 is to close.]
27. Rd1 Kf7
[Time: White 2:07; Black 1:28. Now Kasparov's lead on the clock begins to count. Karpov must be considering lines like: 28.d6 Ke6 29.Bf4 Be5 30.Bxe5 Kxe5 31.Rd5+ Ke6 32.d7 Rd8 and Black is much better.]
28. Rd3 Bf6
29. Ra3 a5
30. Rb3
[Time - White 2:12; Black 1:31. It might look simple, but in fact the game is balanced on an edge. Which is most important: Black's weakness on b6 or White's on c4?]
30. ... Bd8
[People in the pressroom seems to be losing interest a bit. I think that a long endgame battle may be ahead. The fight for the initiative is still very much on. Now Watson arrived with news: "The Russians think GK is slightly better, the Americans thinks AK is slightly better and it might be a draw," he says.]
31. Rc3
[Both are leaning across the board. If Karpov can get his king to d3, he might play on forever. Kasparov seems "speculative" now. One point in Karpov's favour is: 31.... Bc7 32.Kf3 Re4 33.Ke2 f4 34.Kd3 and Re4 has to move.]
31. ... Bc7
[Karpov is hiding his head behind his hands, looking through his fingers. Nine minutes left.]
32. a4 Kf6
33. Kf1 f4
[33...f4! GK played this with determination. I don't understand Karpov's Kg2-f1.]
34. Bc1 Kf5
35. Rc2 Rg8
36. Re2 Be5
37. Bb2 Bd4
38. Bxd4 cxd4
39. Re7 d3
40. Ke1 Rc8
41. Kd 2 Rxc4
[Kasparov has moved from c8 to c4. Move 41 made. The last seven moves took only 11 minutes. Now all analysis goes: 42.Kxd3 Rxa4 43d6 Ra3+ 44.Kc4 Ra1 45.Kd5 Rd1+ 46.Kc6 a4 and White might be the one who in trouble. Both still sit at the board. GK is looking everywhere else, waiting for Karpov to decide on if he want to seal his move now. Some say that Kasparov might have proposed a draw earlier on. Not verified. Time: White 2:42; Black 2:08. Karpov sealed his 42nd move. The game will be continued (maybe) tomorrow at 11:00 AM ET.]
