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.At the end of next week, Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand will begin their PCA world title match in New York. On the evidence of their past encounters, it promises to be a thriller. Both men have sharp styles, and several games have been decided by brilliant attacks in fewer than 30 moves.
The key to the match may well be their preparation with the black pieces. White has scored very heavily in their previous games, so Kasparov's Sicilian Defence will need to hold up better than it did against Nigel Short's onslaught two years ago. Meanwhile, Anand will need a reliable defence to 1.d4 as well as a decent reply to 1.e4.
However the openings go, both players have shown that they lack nothing in fighting spirit. In the following Kasparov-Anand game, from Linares 1993, the Indian fought like a tiger before finally having to concede defeat.
Kasparov's play in the middlegame is beautifully judged. His persistence in recapturing on d5 with pieces rather than with the e-pawn is designed to preserve White's K-side pawn majority and keep the attacking plan of e5 and e6. With Black's bishop cut off on b4, opening the K-side will leave White attacking with an extra piece.
When 30.e6 came, Black's game looked hopeless, but Kasparov may have missed something when he played 31.e7 instead of 31.exf7+. His 35.Bxg6+! was a brilliant idea: 35...Kxg6 loses to 36.Qd3+ when 36...Kh6 loses the rook to 37.Qd6+. Yet after 35...Kh6, he could find no way to finish his opponent off. Sadly for Anand, the endgame was always lost.
White: Kasparov Black: Anand
1 d4 d5 12 Qc2 Rc8
2 c4 c6 13 Rd1 Qb6
3 Nf3 Nf6 14 e4 c5
4 Nc3 dxc4 15 d5 Ne5
5 a4 Bf5 16 Be2 exd5
6 e3 e6 17 Nxd5 Nxd5
7 Bxc4 Bb4 18 Rxd5 Nc6
8 0-0 Nbd7 19 Bc4 Nd4
9 Nh4 Bg6 20 Qd3 Rcd8
10 h3 0-0 21 Be3 Rxd5
11 Nxg6 hxg6 22 Bxd5 Rd8
23 Qc4 Rd7 45 Bd3 Rg4
24 Rc1 Qf6 46 Kh3 Be7
25 Rd1 Ne6 47 Re6 Rxh4+
26 Qb3 a5 48 Kg3 Rd4
27 Rd3 Nf4 49 Rxg6+ Kh5
28 e5 Qf5 50 Bf5 Bd6+
29 Bxf4 Qxf4 51 Kf3 Bc5
30 e6 Rd8 52 g4+ Kh4
31 e7 Re8 53 Rh6+ Kg5
32 Rf3 Qc1+ 54 Rg6+ Kh4
33 Kh2 Rxe7 55 Be4 Rd6
34 Bxf7+ Kh7 56 Rg7 Rf6+
35 Bxg6+ Kh6 57 Bf5 Rb6
36 Qd5 Qg5 58 Rh7+ Kg5
37 Bf5 g6 59 Rh5+ Kf6
38 h4 Qf6 60 Bd3 Bd4
39 Bd3 Qe5 61 g5+ Kg7
40 Qxe5 Rxe5 62 Rh7+ Kf8
41 Rf6 c4 63 Bc4 Rxb2
42 Bxc4 Be7 64 Rf7+ Ke8
43 Rb6 Bc5 65 g6 resigns
44 Rf6 Re4
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments