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(875522) Kasparov,G (2851) - vanWely,L (2646) [B80]
Corus 2000 Wijk aan Zee (3), 18.01.2000
[Rohde]
1.e4 Kasparov plays 1 e4 against the sharp Van Wely. 1...c5 Van Wely never hesitates or backs away. The Sicilian is his favorite defense. 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 The Open Sicilian. 3...cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 The Najdorf Variation - the favoriate of Fischer - and Kasparov! 6.Be3 A very topical variation. Black's main replies are 6 ... e5 6 ... e6 and 6 ... Ng4. 6...e6 A true Scheveningen move. Kasparov's own choice of late in this position has been ... Ng4. 7.f3 The start of the so-called English Attack. White builds the spike g2-g4-g5 on the kingside. 7...b5 The radical preventive move 7 ... h5 is too anti-positional. 8.g4 h6 Kasparov played an important novelty against Anand last year playing Black in this variation. 9.Qd2 Nbd7 10.0-0-0 Castling on opposite wings is a given in the Sicilian although sometimes Black will hold off on castling and then go queenside as well. 10...Bb7 11.h4 b4 12.Na4 Anand has played the less reliable 12 Nb1 in this position against Kasparov last year. 12...d5 A well-known theme in the Sicilian is to push the White knight from c3 and then break in the center with ... d6-d5. But here tactics will be all-important. 13.Bh3 The theoretical move, planning a sacrificial assault against e6. On 13 ... dxe4 Kasparov will continue with 14 g5. 13...g5 Radically holding up White from playing g4-g5. This stroke is now well-known in the variation where White retreats the c3 knight to b1 but it is not clear how it will fare with White's knight on the developed but vulnerable a4 square. 14.Bg2 Van Wely has taken a huge chance playing 13 ... g5 against Kasparov who is one of the originators of the concept. The idea is that 14 hxg5 hxg5 15 Bxg5 allows 15 ... dxe4 and White has been stymied as he cannot get g4-g5 in quickly. Kasparov's response is a new move which shores up the long diagonal and puts pressure on the h-file. 14...gxh4 In this tremendously complicated position, 14 ... Rg8 seems indicated with the idea 15 hxg5 hxg5 16 Bxg5 Qa5. The text seems passive. 15.Rxh4 dxe4 16.g5 White is becoming dangerously active in the center. 16...Nd5 17.Rxe4 Kasparov is focussing on the assault on e6 and may be trying to teach Van Wely a lesson not to mess with his variations! The basic idea here may be 17 ... Nxe3 18 Rxe3 hxg5 19 Nxe6. 17...hxg5 This must have been a very difficult decision - whether to play 17 ... Nxe3 first or 17 ... hxg5 straight away. Other moves would fail to the push g5-g6. Van Wely decides to keep his d5 knight to block the d-file. 18.Bxg5 Qa5 Forced. Van Wely has to at least take a hit against the knight on a4. 19.f4! Opening the long diagonal! The idea is 19 ... Qxa4 20 Nxe6! fxe6 21 Rxe6+ and White can follow with Bg2xd5. 19...Rh2 This appears to be the only way to lessen the pressure against d5. Note that White's bishop on g5 is now very strong - stopping Black from castling. 20.Nxe6!? Kasparov goes ahead with the sacrifice anyway! 20...fxe6 21.Rxe6+ Kf7 22.Qd3 This is a vicious blow threatening 23 Qg6 mate and if 22 ... Kxe6 23 Qg6+ and Black's position is caving in! 22...Bg7 On 22 ... Kxe6 23 Qg6+ N5f6 - or 23 ... N7f6 24 Bxd5+ and destuction - 24 Re1+ Kd6 25 Bxf6 is an attack that will not run out of steam. 23.Qf5+ Kg8 24.Rxd5 Neatly maintaining the light-squared bishop which is both a better attacker than the d-file rook and keeps the Black rook on h2 at bay so that White gets there first on 24 ... Qxa4 25 Re7! 24...Qxa4 On 24 ... Bxd5 25 Qxd5! is simplest and after 25 ... Qxd5 26 Bxd5 Black will have to cough back up a whole rook leaving him a piece down. 25.Re7 A conclusive shot threatening 26 Qf7+ followed by mate. If 25 ... Rf8 then 26 Rxg7+ Kxg7 27 Rxd7+ wipes Black out. A brilliant game by Kasparov and Van Wely is to be commended both for his fighting spirit and his curiousity about this variation. 1-0
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