Pursuits: Chess
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.AS CHRISTMAS and the winter solstice approach, so too comes the force of nature that is Gary Kasparov. Hurricane Gazza will sweep through London next week with a simultaneous display for the Kisharon School for special needs children at 6.15 at the Berkeley Hotel in London on Wednesday evening. A very few boards are still available for this event at the not inconsiderable price of pounds 5,000 for five people, from David Rosenberg - 0171-631-1303.
Kasparov will also be launching an Internet-based service, Play Games Now! for the BT games network Wireplay on Thursday, and can be seen from 1.30pm onwards at http://www.wireplay.co.uk/chess/.
Although he has shined in side-shows - particularly the 7-1 demolition of the Israeli national team in two clock simultaneouses in May - 1998 has not been a particularly good year for Kasparov.
In Linares in March he was only third equal with Kramnik, behind both Anand and Shirov. At the start of May he did have one magnificent result with a comprehensive 4-0 victory against Veselin Topalov in a quickplay match in Sofia. But their rematch in Leon in Spain in June in so-called (by Kasparov) "Advanced Chess", in which both had the aid of computers, went right to the wire. And in the Frankfurt quickplay a week later he narrowly avoided the indignity of last place.
Since then, Kasparov has appeared only in the 4-2 match victory against Jan Timman in Prague in September, where he was effective but not scintillating; and his 24-game workout against Vladimir Kramnik earlier this month, even if only at blitz, certainly showed some "match fitness".
The scarcity of play is certainly not all Kasparov's fault, since only the collapse of the World Chess Council scuppered the projected match against Alexei Shirov in October for his Professional Chessplayers Association world championship title. Nevertheless, he still needs to show something soon. Some more like this - his only win in Linares - would do wonders.
Anand tried a new idea in the opening - 11... Rg8 inviting complications after 12 Bxh6 Nf6 13 Qg5 but Kasparov ignored him. In his notes, Kasparov implies that Anand should have tried 16... Bxb2!? Anand's position deteriorated rapidly after several inaccuracies, especially the weakening 19... g5? At the end, Anand lost on time, though it would be hopeless anyway after 3...Qg5 36 Qxg5 hxg5 37 h6.
White: Gary Kasparov
Black: Viswanathan Anand
Caro Kann Defence
1 e4 c6
2 d4 d5
3 Nd2 dxe4
4 Nxe4 Nd7
5 Ng5 Ngf6
6 Bd3 e6
7 N1f3 Bd6
8 Qe2 h6
9 Ne4 Nxe4
10 Qxe4 Qc7
11 Qg4 Rg8
12 Nd2 Nf6
13 Qf3 e5
14 dxe5 Bxe5
15 Nc4 Be6
16 Bd2 0-0-0
17 0-0-0 Nd7
18 Rhe1 Rge8
19 Kb1 g5?
20 h4 Bf4
21 Bxf4 gxf4
22 Bf5 Nf8
23 Qh5 Kb8
24 Bxe6 Nxe6
25 a4 Qe7
26 Qe5+ Qc7
27 Qh5 Qe7
28 b3 Qf6
29 Ne5 Re7
30 Ng4 Rxd1+
31 Rxd1 Qg7
32 f3 Re8
33 Qf5 Ka8
34 h5 Rf8
35 Rd7 1-0
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments