MARK RUBERY CHESS

The World Championship match between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi held in the Philippines in 1978 was one of the most dramatic and bitterly fought contests in chess history. Having defected a couple of years earlier, Korchnoi was playing the best chess of his career and posed a serious threat to the Soviet champion after brushing aside Polugayevsky and Spassky in their candidates matches. Karpov eventually prevailed 6-5, although his 5-2 lead was reduced by some sublime performances by the challenger in the endgame.

Their 28th encounter, when he was 2-5 in arrears, is regarded as Korchnoi’s finest achievement of the match.

Karpov,A (2725) - Korchnoi,V (2665) [C82]

World Championship Baguio City (28) 1978

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Nxe4 (The Open Variation of the Ruy Lopez was Korchnoi’s first line of defence against the world champion) 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Nc5 10.Bc2 Bg4 11.Re1 Be7 12.Nbd2 Qd7 13.Nb3 Ne6 14.h3 Bh5 15.Bf5 Ncd8 16.Be3 a5 17.Bc5 a4 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.Nbd2 c6 20.b4 Ng5 21.Qe2 g6 22.Bg4 Bxg4 23.hxg4 Nde6 24.Qe3 h5! 25.Nxg5 Qxg5 26.Qxg5 Nxg5 27.gxh5 Rxh5 28.Nf1 Rh4 29.Rad1 Ke7 30.f3 Ne6 31.Ne3 Rd8 32.Ng4 Ng5 33.Ne3 Ne6 34.Ng4 Ng7 35.Ne3 Nf5 36.Nc2 Rc4 37.Rd3 d4! (This temporary pawn sacrifice gives Black a clear edge) 38.g4 Ng7 39.Nxd4 Ne6 40.Red1 Nxd4 41.cxd4 Rxb4 42.Kf2 (At this stage the game was adjourned-the era of the chess program had not yet arrived)

… c5!? (‘Taking into account the enormous fatigue after the sharp time scramble and five hours of tense play Korchnoi did not choose the expected continuation beginning with 42… Rb2+, preferring another move which also sets White unpleasant problems. This decision was not an easy one as he was one step away from defeat in the match, yet he allowed his opponent to create mobile passed pawns in the centre! As a result on resumption he had only 22 minutes to complete his next 14 moves. However, this proved sufficient for victory’-Kasparov) 43.d5 Rb2+ 44.Kg3 Rxa2 45.Re3 b4 46.e6 Ra3 47.Re2 fxe6 48.Rxe6+ Kf7 49.Rde1 Rd7! (49…Rxd5? 50 Re7+ Kf6 51 R1e6+ Kg5 52 Rg7! wins) 50.Rb6 Rd3 51.Ree6 R3xd5 52.Rxg6 a3 53.Rbf6+ Ke7 54.Re6+ Kf8 55.Ref6+ Ke7 56.Re6+ Kd8 57.Ra6 Rb7 58.Rg8+ Kc7 59.Rg7+ Rd7 60.Rg5 b3 61.Rxc5+

Kb8 0–1

‘The Gods on Mount Olympus have abandoned their child and drawn attention to an outcast… Karpov’s play wasn’t working, something had broken down in his splendid chess motor. The almost classical style of the artist not only lost its usual brilliance-it simply became deformed under the weight of the pressure exerted on it…-E Sztein (Korchnoi’s future press attache).