Apr-06-05 PivotalAnorak : Tolya, I love you ! :-) Gliga blocks the K-side, so we get a Ruy with White attacking on the Q-side. Black seems to have good counterplay, but White breaks through in the center, and finishes the game off with a clever exchange sac... Original and beautiful. Sep-11-05

patzer2 : Karpov initiates a winning attack on the weakened Kingside castled position with 44. c5!! The exchange sacrifice 48. Rxd3! serves as a combined deflection (removing the guard) and clearance move to help put White's Queen, Bishop and pawns in position for the final assault. Here's a move-by-move look at the entire combination with Fritz 8 @ 14 to 15 depth: <44. c5!! Bd7> A better try for Black, but one which still loses accoring to Fritz 8, is 44... h5 45. Ra3 Bf8 46. d6+ Kh7 47. Qf7+ Bg7 48. Ne1 Rf8 49. Qc7 a4 50. Nf3 Kg8 51. c6 Rc8 52. d7 Rxc7 53. d8=Q+ Bf8 54. Qxc7 Bxa3 55. Bg3 Qd5 56. Bxe5 Kf8 57. Nd4 Ke8 58. Qb8+ Ke7 59. Qh8 Bc8 60. c7 Kf7 61. Qf6+ Ke8 62. Qxg6+ Ke7 63. Qxh5 Qd7 64. Qh4+ Ke8 65. Qe4 Bc1 66. Qg6+ Qf7 67. Qc6+ Qd7 68. Qxc1 Qd5 69. Qg5 a3 70. Qf6 a2 71. Nf5 Kd7 72. Qd8+ Ke6 73. Qxc8+ Kxe5 74. Qh8+ Kxf5 75. c8=Q+ Ke4 76. Qh4+ Kd3 77. Qg3+ Ke2 78. Qc2+ Qd2 79. Qgd3+ Kf2 80. Qcxd2#. <45. Ra3 Bb5> Black puts up more resistance, but also loses after 45... Bf8 46. d6+ Kh8 47. Qf7 Bc6 48. Qf3 Qxf3 49. gxf3 Bxf3 50. Nxe5 Be4 51. d7 Rb8 52. d8=Q Rxd8 53. Nf7+ Kg8 54. Nxd8 . <46. cxd6 Bxd3 47. d7 Rd8 48. Rxd3!> This deflection removes a key guarding defender. Premature would be 48. d6+? Bc4 , giving Black surivival chances. <48... Qxd3 49. d6+ Kh8> If 49... Kf8 or 49...Kg7, then 50. Qe6 is decisive. <50. Qxa5 1-0> This forced Black's resignation in lieu of 50...Rxd7 51. Qxe5+ Rg7 (51... Kg8 allows the double attack 52. Qe8+ Kg7 53. Qxd7+ ) 52. Bd4 .

Sep-27-05

pilobolus : In his book Karpov finds

an amazing move for black.

Discovered attack which would

lead to win for black or at the best

for a draw:

43...Qd4!44.Bxd4 exd4+45.g3 dxc3

and white has to fight for a draw. Oct-07-05 Helios727 : Why didn't black play 38...dxc5 ? Also, if black did not resign, what happens after Rxd7 ? Dec-15-05 Bobwhoosta : 38....dxc5 would leave a position too easy for Karpov to win, allowing a protected passed pawn would allow Karpov to trade pieces in order to increase the power of his pawn while black looked on helplessly. Also, if rxd7 from the ending position white plays qe5+ followed by qe8+ and the rook is dead. Dec-15-05

Honza Cervenka : <Also, if rxd7 from the ending position white plays qe5+ followed by qe8+ and the rook is dead.> Yes, and if 50...Rxd7 51.Qxe5+ Rg7, then 52.Bd4. Apr-03-06 babakova : I looked through this game solitaire style, guessing the moves not seeing the notation and I thought that ---- 42.c5 was a very interesting possibility. obviously ...Bxd6 fails to 43.cxd6 Rxc3 44.Qxc3 Qxd3 45.Qxd3 Bxd3 46.d7 There are ways to sidestep this variation of course but they result in black being down in material. So when I was done with the game I went back and analyzed 42.c5 and to see what Fritz thought was the best option to meet this. It gave 42...Qd4 then a good continuation is 43.Bf2 Qxd5 44.Nb4 (quite a strong move) this position looks very juicy for white. 44...Qf7 45.Qd2! it seems almost impossible for black to stop the connected passers. if instead 44...Qb7 then 45.Qb3+ Qf7 46.Qxf7+ Kxf7 and 47.Ra3 which is decisive for white. In conclusion it seems as if "my" move 42.c5 is a very strong move, Im not saying better than Karpovs but, maybe it is. Now it is up to all of you to refute it and make me look stupid. Jul-08-09 Knight13 : <Bobwhoosta: 38....dxc5 would leave a position too easy for Karpov to win> Right. Taking on e4 and White gets an even stronger passed pawn than ...dxc5. Sep-07-13 Everett : <babakova: I looked through this game solitaire style, guessing the moves not seeing the notation and I thought that ---- 42.c5 was a very interesting possibility. obviously ...Bxd6 fails to 43.cxd6 Rxc3 44.Qxc3 Qxd3 45.Qxd3 Bxd3 46.d7 There are ways to sidestep this variation of course but they result in black being down in material. So when I was done with the game I went back and analyzed 42.c5 and to see what Fritz thought was the best option to meet this. It gave 42...Qd4 then a good continuation is 43.Bf2 Qxd5 44.Nb4 (quite a strong move) this position looks very juicy for white. 44...Qf7 45.Qd2! it seems almost impossible for black to stop the connected passers. if instead 44...Qb7 then 45.Qb3+ Qf7 46.Qxf7+ Kxf7 and 47.Ra3 which is decisive for white. > Since <42.c5> sidesteps Gligoric's missed opportunity on move 43, I would say that this move may indeed be an improvement on a near-perfect game. Good find, though I'm guessing you may no longer be around to see me type it. Sep-07-13

offramp : <Pilobolus> That line with 43....Qd4 leads to this position:

click for larger view That looks like white is winning. Sep-08-13 Everett : <offramp> there may be a wrinkle in your line that may help Black, if only for a little bit. After <43..Qd4 44.Bxd4 exd4+ 45.g3 dxc3 46.Qxa6 c2! <not 46..Rd8 47.Nc1> > and though White still has strong pull, he cannot simply take the B without having to calculate <46..c2! 47.Qxd6 Bxd3> . One full line may go <43..Qd4 44.Bxd4 exd4+ 45.g3 dxc3 46.Qxa6 c2! 47.Nc1! Be5> which is likely still a win for White with the two passed pawns, but it certainly isn't a smooth win. Sep-08-13 JoergWalter : Karpov gives these lines:

After 42.c5 Qxd5 (of course not 42...Bxd6? 43.cxd6 Rxc3 44.Qxc3 Qxd3 45.Qxd3 Bxd3 46.d7)the white pawns are blocked and without LSB the pawns on c4 and d5 are more valuable. 42.g4 !? should be considered. 43.Qa2 is a mistake, the correct move is 43.c5!. May-04-18 Toribio3 : Karpov is solid player. He can afford to win even with only microscopic advantage! May-04-18 RookFile : Yeah, it's an awesome game by Karpov. You could see Gligoric trying stuff, trying to wriggle off the hook. Karpov stayed in control of everything.