[chessmind] Dennis Monokroussos: Karpov-Korchnoi on YouTube, with training questions

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Posted by Dennis Monokroussos:
Karpov-Korchnoi on YouTube, with training questions
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1212640877.shtml


   This is really terrific. YouTube has the full video of Karpov-Korchnoi
   from the recent Pivdenny tournament in Odessa, and unless you already
   know the game well, it's worth the 20 minutes it takes to watch both
   parts. (Part 1 [1]here, part 2 [2]here [or find and follow the link
   after watching part 1].)

   The game is fascinating on a number of levels: it's a very interesting
   game, and despite the G/10 + 5 second increment time control, the
   players, especially Karpov, feel free to take surprisingly long thinks
   from very early in the game - a good lesson for those of us who race
   through the opening like jackrabbits, whether we know what we're doing
   or not! As early as move 5 Karpov starts taking substantial "thinks",
   but more about this below. The game is also fascinating in its own
   right, with some neat tactical ideas from both players before the
   winner has the last laugh.

   I don't want to spoil anything before you've had the chance to watch
   anything yourself, but for those who are interested in a guided tour
   of the game, offering various questions and exercises for you to solve
   during the videos, click on.

   ([3]show)

   Question 1: The game starts 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d6, and
   now Karpov starts thinking. Why? Is 4...d6 especially terrifying?

   ([4]show)

   Answer: No, it's not terrifying, and it's not new, either. It is
   unusual, though, and I imagine Karpov was thinking about one of two
   things. First, it's possible that he was trying to think of any
   potentially relevant predecessors - a game where someone else used
   4...d6 against him, or a game where Korchnoi had employed it against
   someone else. Second and perhaps more likely, he hadn't faced it, and
   was either trying to remember a little of the theory and perhaps
   trying to determine if there was anything wrong with 5.a3, the move
   White uses against most normal moves. (There isn't, and so he played
   it after 1:14; ironically though, 5.Nf3 is the most common move
   there!)

   Question 2: After 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 c5, Karpov thinks for a full two
   minutes over his next move. What are the relevant issues?

   ([5]show)

   Answer: There are at least two sorts of considerations that must be
   kept in mind. First, whenever a fundamental transformation of the pawn
   structure, especially in the center, can be effected, it's worth
   spending some time determining what ought to be done. Should White
   allow ...cxd4, and if so, should he recapture with a piece or a pawn?
   The second consideration is a typical one in the 4.Qc2 NimzoIndian
   when Black plays ...c5 at some moment: the possibility of ...Qa5+.
   White's kingside development is often slow in the 4.Qc2 Nimzo, and
   White has often suffered from quick attacks whipped up by ...Ne4 and
   ...Qa5+. Karpov's 7.Nf3 wasn't the only move, but the questions above
   needed to be answered to his satisfaction before he could play it.

   Question 3: The game continued: 7.Nf3 O-O, and now Karpov thought for
   an incredible four minutes and 23 seconds, leaving him with just 3
   minutes to go after only 8 moves! What could he have been thinking
   about this time?

   ([6]show)

   Answer: In addition to various specific variations, there are further
   general issues to be addressed. First and foremost, there's the
   question of how to develop his bishops and get his king to safety. To
   the bishops: White could bring his bishop to g5, and then perhaps play
   e3 and bring the other bishop out. Or he could play g3, finish
   kingside development and only then worry about the Bc1. And then
   there's fianchettoing the queen's bishop, and that too can be done in
   various ways. Ultimately Karpov chose the latter method, playing
   8.dxc5 dxc5 9.b4. The central tension is removed, and he no longer has
   to worry about his pieces getting displaced after ...cxd4.

   But why not 8.Bg5? I'm not sure it's bad, but Black may have
   interesting avenues for counterplay after 8...h6 9.Bh4. Here's one
   wild, woolly and unforced variation: 9...cxd4 10.Nxd4 g5 11.Bg3 e5
   12.Nb5 Nc6 13.O-O-O Ne4 with serious complications. Karpov's method
   keeps things under control, at least for the moment.

   Question 4: What should Korchnoi play now, after Karpov's 9.b4?

   ([7]show)

   Answer: Probably not the move he played. After his 9...Nc6, Karpov's
   rejoinder, the obvious (given his last move) 10.Bb2 nailed the knight
   down to f6 - no ...Ne4 leaps are permitted (again, at least for the
   moment). So the immediate 9...Ne4 may have been better, or at least
   worthy of consideration.

   Question 5: After 9.b4 Nc6 10.Bb2, what now?

   ([8]show)

   Answer: After (at least) four and a half minutes(!), Korchnoi played
   the dynamic 10...Qb6.

   Question 6: Why?

   ([9]show)

   Answer: The point is to force b5, after which the ...Ne4 and ...Qa5+
   idea is again on. With White's bishop pair and space advantage, Black
   needs to make something happen before White finishes developing. Once
   that happens, White's long-term assets will give him a very
   comfortable and just about unloseable position with decent winning
   chances.

   Question 7: The game continued 11.b5 Nd4 (11...Ne7 may be objectively
   best, but lets White finish developing in peace) , and now Black's
   idea is to meet 12.Nxd4 with Ne4 (no Qxg7# now). Can White cope with
   this idea, or should he abstain from the capture on d4?

   ([10]show)

   Answer: After 1:53(!), Karpov decides that he can safely take on d4.
   After 12.Nxd4 Ne4 13.Qe3 (forced) Qa5+ 14.Kd1 Qa4+ happens quickly,
   and while it's clear that Karpov has at least a draw in hand after
   15.Qb3 Qa5 16.Qe3.

   Question 8: But after 16...Qa4+, repeating the position, does Karpov
   have more than a draw?

   ([11]show)

   Answer: Yes! Karpov plays 17.Nb3, which doesn't seem so special at
   first due to 17...Nxf2+, when Black either wins the rook and seems to
   be doing fine, or else White takes on f2, when 18...Qxb3+ 19.Kc1 Rd8
   20.Qe1 e5 probably wins outright (21...Bf5 is a huge threat, and 21.e4
   Bg4 wins).

   Question 9: So what's Karpov's idea?

   ([12]show)

   Answer: To give away the rook, but win the queen! After 17.Nb3 Nxf2+
   18.Ke1! Nxh1 the bone-crushing 19.Qc3 forced immediate resignation, as
   White threatens both 20.Qxg7 mate and 20.Nxc5, winning the queen for
   free.

   Bonus question: Karpov did make an error in this game. What was it?

   ([13]show)

   Answer: 15.Qb3, offering the repetition the first time around. I'm
   sure Karpov did it for the extra 10 seconds on the clock it gave him
   (the increment for two automatic moves), but had Korchnoi traded
   queens and then played 16...Nxf2+, his disadvantage, though still
   serious, would be less than it was in the game.

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References

   1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1gtWwsjJf8&feature=related
   2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYHt3IhGGNA&feature=related
   3. file://localhost/var/www/powerblogs/chessmind/posts/1212640877.html
   4. file://localhost/var/www/powerblogs/chessmind/posts/1212640877.html
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