Garry Kasparov Garry Kasparov Garry Kasparov Garry Kasparov [Event "Hoogovens A Tournament"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"] [Date "1999.01.20"] [Round "04"] [White "Kasparov, Garry (RUS)"] [Black "Topalov, Veselin (BUL)"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2812"] [BlackElo "2700"] [ECO "B07"] [Opening "Pirc Defence"] [Variation "Ufimtsev-Pytel"] [PlyCount "87"] 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 Bg7 5.Qd2 c6 6.f3 b5 {[#]} 7.Nge2 {Generally speaking, the move ♘ge2 makes no sense; its motive is purely psychological. I remembered a conversation from before the game. When we discussed the strategy with GM Yury Dokhoian, he said, suddenly looking through Topalov’s games, ”You know, Garry, he does not like it when the opponent makes moves he cannot predict. This affects him strangely. That is why I played 7.♘ge2 and surprised Topalov. This move does not contain any threats, but continues development. However, it seemed to me that he did not like the character of the fight, as it did not correspond to the ideas he had before the game. (Kasparov)} Nbd7 8.Bh6 Bxh6 9.Qxh6 Bb7 10.a3 e5 11.O-O-O Qe7 12.Kb1 a6 13.Nc1 O-O-O 14.Nb3 exd4 15.Rxd4 c5 16.Rd1 Nb6 17.g3 Kb8 18.Na5 Ba8 19.Bh3 d5 20.Qf4+ Ka7 21.Rhe1 d4 22.Nd5 Nbxd5 23.exd5 Qd6 {[#]} 24.Rxd4 {When I made this move, I saw only the repetition of the moves and the opportunity to continue the attack, though the whole picture of the combination was not yet clear. I already saw the idea 30…♖d6 31.♖b6, but I still could not get rid of the thought that all lines should be checked to the very end. Maybe Black will find some opportunity for defense. Topalov spent about 15 minutes thinking I walked around the hall – rather, I fled – and at these feverish moments it seemed to me that there were very few participants and that most of the games had already been finished. My mind worked only in one direction, and one of these moments brought me the image of the whole cluster of various lines. I saw the move 37.♖d7. I don’t even remember how this line was formed in my head, but I saw the whole line up to the end. I saw the journey of the black King after 36.♗f1, 37.♖d7 and I could no longer suppress my excitement, because at that same moment I realized that the move 24…♔b6 ruined the whole construction. The mere thought that I could spoil such a combination drove me crazy, and I only prayed that Topalov would capture on d4. I still was not sure that this would win, but the beauty of the combination I saw impressed me. I could not believe my own eyes when Veselin twitched abruptly and grabbed the Rook. As he explained after the game, he was exhausted by the tense fight and he thought that White would have to force a draw by the repetition of moves after the Rook was captured. He saw the main idea of the combination, but it did not occur to him that White would play without the Rook, trying to make use of the King’s forward position on a4. (Kasparov) } cxd4 25.Re7+ Kb6 26.Qxd4+ Kxa5 27.b4+ Ka4 28.Qc3 Qxd5 29.Ra7 Bb7 30.Rxb7 Qc4 31.Qxf6 Kxa3 32.Qxa6+ Kxb4 33.c3+ Kxc3 34.Qa1+ Kd2 {[#]} 35.Qb2+ Kd1 36.Bf1 Rd2 37.Rd7 Rxd7 38.Bxc4 bxc4 39.Qxh8 Rd3 40.Qa8 c3 41.Qa4+ Ke1 42.f4 f5 43.Kc1 Rd2 {[#]} 44.Qa7 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.
