Reply #5: Iordachescu - Karpov, Gorenje Trmt, Round 5, Valjevo

[Jack Rabbit]

This game is vintage Karpov.



Anatoly Karpov
Photo: ChessBase.com

Viorel Iordachescu vs. Anatoly Karpov
Gorenje Grandmasters' Torrnament, Round 5
Valjevo, Serbia, June 2007

Spanish Grand Royal Game: Clam Opening

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. d3

6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3, but this move found favor with past world champions Wilhelm Steinitz and (you guessed it) Anatoly Karpov.

6. -- b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a4 Bg4

• If 8. -- Bb7 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 b4 11. Ne2 then:
• 11. -- c5 12. Ng3 Bc8 13. c3 Rb8 then:
• 14. d4 b3 15. Bb1 Qc7 16. Nh4 g6 17. f4 cxd4 18. cxd4 Ng4 19. Nf3 is equal (Nunn-Arencibia, Ol, Novi Sad 1990).
• 14. Nd2 0-0 15. Re1 Bg4 16. f3 Be6 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. Ndf1 bxc3 19. bxc3 c4 20. Ba3 Qb6+ 21. Ne3 Rfc8 gives Black the edge in space (Thipsay-Chiburdanidze, Frunze 1985).
• 11. -- 0-0 12. Re1 c5 13. Ng3 Rb8 14. Nd2 Bc8 15. h3 Be6 16. Nc4 Nxc4 17. Bxc4 Bxc4 18. dxc4 Ne8 19. Qg4 Kh8 20. b3 Nc7 gives White the edge in space (Kissinger-Andreson, Cyberspace 1998).

9. c3 0-0 10. Nbd2

• 10. h3 Bd7 11. Re1 Na5 12. Bc2 c5 may be too drawish for White's intentions:
• 13. Nbd2 Re8 14. Nf1 h6 15. N3h2 b4 16. Ne3 Bf8 17. Nhg4 Nxg4 18. hxg4 Be6 19. cxb4 cxb4 20. d4 exd4 21. Qxd4 is equal (Granda-Utman, Amer Cont Ch, Buenos Aires 2005).
• 13. d4 Qc7 14. axb5 axb5 15. Nbd2 Nc6 16. Rxa8 Rxa8 17. dxc5 dxc5 18. Nf1 h6 19. Ne3 Be6 20. Nd5 Qd7 21. Nxe7+ Qxe7 is level (Schmid-Barcza, Ol, Helsinki 1952).

10. -- Na5 11. Ba2!?

• White breaks from the book. This move will give him some trouble later (see note to White's 13th move).
• 11. Bc2 c5 12. Re1 b4 13. h3 Bh5 14. g4 Bg6 15. Nh4 bxc3 16. bxc3 Ne8 17. Nf5 Nc7 18. Nf1 Ne6 19. Rb1 Bg5 20. N1e3 Rb8 21. Rxb8 Qxb8 is equal (Damjanovic-Prameshuber, Zonal, Kecskemet 1964).

11. -- c5

• The text move is a typical Spanish Game queenside expansion for Black.
• 11. -- Nb7 12. b4 c5 13. h3 Bd7 14. axb5 axb5 15. Bb2 Qc7 16. Qe2 Bc6 17. Rfc1 is equal

12. Re1

• White overprotects the e-pawn.
• 12. axb5 axb5 13. Qe2 Nc6 14. d4 exd4 15. Qxb5 Qd7 16. Re1 Rfb8 17. Qd3 d5 give Black the advantage in space and mobility.
• 13. -- Qc7 14. h3 Bd7 15. Ng5 Ra7 16. f4 c4 gives Black the edge in space.

If 12. h3 Bd7 13. d4 exd4 14. cxd4 then:

• 14. -- Nc6 15. dxc5 dxc5 16. e5 Ne8 is level.
• 14. -- bxa4 15. dxc5 dxc5 16. e5 Ne8 is equal in terms of space and mobility with White's Queens's Bishop being a possible proble to develop.

12. -- Qc7 13. Nf1

• White gets his Bishop free by preparing to redeploy the Knight.
• If 13. h3 Be6 14. d4 exd4 15. cxd4 then:
• 15. -- d5 16. exd5 Nxd5 17. Bxd5 Bxd5 18. axb5 axb5 19. Qe2 gives White a tactical initiative.
• 15. -- Bxa2 16. Rxa2 Nc6 17. d5 Nb4 18. Ra3 c4 19. Ree3 doesn't offer very much to either side.

Black: Anatoly Karpov
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White: Viorel Iorachescu
Position after 13. Nd2f1

13. -- c4!

• For all intents and purposes, White's King's Bishop is now entombed on a2.

14. Bg5!?

• Black is enjoying a spatial edge. White is looking for exchanges to relieve his cramped position.
• If 14. Ne3 Be6 15. Qe2 then:
• 15. -- Nb3 16. Bxb3 cxb3 17. axb5 axb5 18. Rxa8 Rxa8 19. Ng5 Bc8 20. Qd1 h6 gives Black the edge in space.
• After 15. -- Rfc8 16. Nd2 Nb3 17. Bxb3 cxb3 18. axb5 axb5 19. Rxa8 Rxa8 20. d4 Black has the advantage in space, mostly on the queenside, while White has more space in the center.
• If 14. dxc4 bxc4 15. Rb1 Qc6 then:
• After 16. Ng3 Rfb8 17. Bg5 Qd7 18. h3 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 Qxa4 Black has won a pawn and the Bishop is still entombed.
• 16. b4 cxb3 17. Bxb3 Nxb3 18. Qxb3 Rac8 wins a pawn.

14. -- Rfc8 15. Ne3 Be6 16. h3

• This move seems unnecessay. The Bishop cannot return to g4 anytime soon.
• After 16. axb5 axb5 17. d4 Nb7 18. Nf5 Bd8 19. Ng3 Ra5 Black retains his spatial edge.

16. -- Bd8 17. Re2 Ne8 18. Bxd8?!

• White swaps his most active piece for one much less important.
• If 18. axb5 then:
• 18. -- axb5 19. d4 Nb7 20. Bxd8
• 20. -- Nxd8 21. dxe5 dxe5 22. Nd5 Bxd5 23. Qxd5 000
• 20. -- Rxd8 21. Ng5 Nf6 22. Qc2 Re8 23. Ree1 000
• Black gains nothing from 18. -- Bxg5 19. Nxg5 axb5 20. d4 exd4 21. cxd4 b4.

18. -- Qxd8 19. Rd2 Qe7 20. Ne1 Nf6 21. Qf3?

• White protects his strong pawn, but it is his weak one that needs attention.
• Better is 21. Qe2 Qb7 22. f3 Nh5 23. Qf2 Nf4 24. dxc4 Nxc4 25. Bxc4 bxc4 26. Rxd6 Qb8 27. Rd2 with equality.

21. -- Qb7!

• Black plays a fine move that sets up exchanges on f5 by pinning the pawn to the Queen.
• 21. -- cxd3? 22. Nxd3 Nc4 23. Bxc4 Bxc4 24. Nf5 Qf8 25. Nb4 a5 26. Nc2 Ra6 27. b3 Bxb3 28. axb5 gives White better piece activity.

22. Nf5 Bxf5 23. Qxf5 bxa4 24. Re2 Nb3 25. Rd1 cxd3 26. Nxd3

• The only good way to recapture the pawn leaves White with a deteriorating position.
• 26. Rxd3 loses immediately to 26. -- Nc1.
• If 26. Re3 d2 then:
• 27. Nf3 Nc1 28. Bd5 Nxd5 29. exd5 a3 30. bxa3 Rxc3 31. Rxc3 Ne2+ gives Black a winning game.
• After 27. Nd3 Nc1 28. Bd5 Nxd5 29. exd5 a3 30. Nxc1 dxc1Q 31. Rxc1 axb2 32. Rb1 a5 White's fate is sealed.

26. -- Rc4! 27. Rde1

• After 27. Rb1 Rxe4 28. Rxe4 Qxe4 29. Qxe4 Nxe4 30. Nb4 Ned2 White, already two pawns down, can free his Bishop at the further cost of the exchange.

Black: Anatoly Karpov
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White: Viorel Iorachescu
Position after 27. Rd1e1

27. -- a5!!

• White is suffocating.

28. Nc1 (28. Re3 Rac8 29. f4 Re8 30. fxe5 dxe5 31. Qg5 Nxe4 32. Qh5 Qd5) 28. -- Rb8 29. Nxb3 axb3 30. Bb1 a4 31. Bd3 Rc5] 28. f4 Re8 29. Kh2

• White has been reduced to passivity.
• 29. fxe5 dxe5 30. Re3 Qb6 31. Kh2 Re6 32. Rf3 Qb7 Black has an extra pawn and still a lot more space.

29. -- h6 30. fxe5 dxe5 31. Re3 Re6 32. Nf2

• White has no effective squares for his pieces.
• White is being smothered after 32. Qf2 Qb6 33. Qf3 Rc8 34. R1e2 Qb5 35. Rc2 Rc4.

32. -- Rc7 33. Rd1 Rd7!

• White finally has a mobile piece, but Black immediately moves to snuff it out.

34. Rxd7 Qxd7 35. Rd3 Qc7 36. Ng4

• After 36. Rg3 Ne8 37. Ng4 Kh8 38. Rd3 Nd6 39. Qf3 Nc4 40. Qf2 Kg8 White has no counterplay.

36. -- Nxg4+ 37. Qxg4 Qb6 38. Qd1

• After 38. Rg3 g6 39. Rf3 Rf6 40. Rxf6 Qxf6 41. Qf3 Qxf3 42. gxf3 f5 Balck has an extra oawn; if White then chooses to exchange on b3, Black wins by advancing his a pawn.

38. -- Rf6 39. Rg3

• White might have lasted longer with 39. Rf3 Rd6 40. Qe1 f6.

39. -- Rf2 40. Qd5

• This move shortens White's agony.
• Better is 40. Qg4 g6 41. Qd7 Rf1 42. Qe8+ Kh7 43. Rf3 Qg1+ 44. Kg3 Rxf3+ 45. Kxf3 Qf1+ but Black still wins easily.

Black: Anatoly Karpov
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White: Viorel Iorachescu
Position after 40. Qd1d5

40. -- Rf1!

• There's a whiff of checkmate in the air.

41. Rd3

• After 41. Qa8+ Kh7 42. Rf3 Qg1+ 43. Kg3 Rxf3+ 44. Kxf3 Qf1+ it's lights out.

41. -- Qg1+ 42. Kg3 Qf2+ 43. Kh2 Qe1 44. 0-1

• Black threatens 44. -- Rh1# and all White can do in order to postpone it is give away his heavy pieces.
• Iodachescu resigns.