Chess Strategy

Anatoly Karpov - Vladimir Savon
USSR ch Moskow, 1973

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. g3 Bb7 4. Bg2 c5 5. O-O g6 6. d3 Bg7 7. e4 O-O 8. Nc3 Nc6 9. Rb1 Ne8 10. Be3 Nd4 11. Ne2 e5 12. b4 d6 13. bxc5 dxc5 14. Nexd4 cxd4 15. Bd2 Nc7 16. Ne1 Ne6 17. Bb4 Re8 18. f4 exf4 19. gxf4 Qc7 20. Qg4 Nc5 21. Bxc5 bxc5 22. Rb2 Rab8 23. Rbf2 Bc8 24. Qg3 Rb1 25. h4 h5 26. Nf3 Rxf1+ 27. Bxf1 Bh6 28. Nd2 Kh7 29. Kh2 Bg4

Black has pair of bishops and white has flexible pawn structure. How to continue?

30. e5

White is “cleaning” e4 square for his knight, opens long a8-h1 diagonal and creates supported outposts d6 and f6. 30. Nf3 was tricky, because if 30… Bf4, white has discovered check 31. Ng5+!

But black plays simple 30. Nf3 Bxf3 trading one of the white’s valuable attackers.

If now 30. e5 Bg7 31. Ne4, knight is storming forward with huge energy. White can then proceed, for example, with Ne4-Bg2-Ng5-Bd5 creating strong pressure on black’s king-side.

30… f5

Black is preventing Ne4 but at the cost of closing his Bg4. Other bishop is not that great either. White will now combine play on a8-h1 diagonal and along b-file.

Taking exf6 is not the best because black gets some counterplay after 31. exf6 Re3 32. Nf3 Qf7 (but not 32… Bx4 33. Ng5+!)

31. Qg2 Rb8 32. Kg3

No need to hurry anywhere. Karpov is using his king to support f4 and h4 pawns so other pieces can go for positions that are more active. Note that even if black rook is on b-file, it has to be kept in defence because Qd5 can do some serious damage.

32… Rd8 33. Nf3

Preparing Rb2. White has nothing against the trade Bg4 for Nf3 because after f5, knight has lost active squares. Instead, Bf1 is more important for making use of weak light squares in black camp.

33… Rd7 34. Rb2 Qa5

Black rook has to stay on d-file to prevent Qd5. This attempt of activity with Qa5 is immedietly met with queen’s trade offer. Control of the open b-file and passed e-pawn should be sufficient for the win.

35. Qd2 Qc3

Good try but nothing more. White is not forced to take. 36. Qxc3 dxc3 37. Rc2 Bxf3 38. Kxf3 Rd4 with strong counterplay. Black is in zugzwang after 36. Bg2.

36. Bg2 Rd8 37. Rb3 Qa1 38. Rb7+ Kh8 39. Qe1!

Decisive move! Either trade queens or e-pawn is going forward.

39… Qc3 40. e6 Qxe1+ 41. Nxe1 1-0

There is no defence against 42. e7 and 43. Bc6 so black resigned.