Nine Karpov games annotated by Karsten Müller

Anatoly Karpov, the twelfth world champion

14) Game submitted by José Fernando Blanco (Madrid, Spain)

Anatoly Karpov – José Fernando Blanco
Moratalaz (Madrid), 1987
English Opening

1.c4 d6 2.d4 e5 3.dxe5 dxe5 4.Qxd8+. This variation is relatively harmless as Black's king is quite safe on c7. 4...Kxd8 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Bg5 c6 7.0-0-0+ Kc7 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.e3 a5 10.Bd3 Na6 11.Nge2 Be6 12.Ng3 Nc5 13.Be2 a4 14.Kc2 Be7 15.e4 Rhg8 16.Rhg1 a3 17.b3 Bd7?! 17...Na6 18.Na4 Rad8 activates Black's pieces in a better way. 18.Bh5 Be6 19.Nf5 Bf8. Of course not 19...Nxe4?? 20.Nxe7 Nxc3 21.Kxc3 Rge8 22.Nd5+ cxd5 23.cxd5+/-. 20.g4 b6 21.Rgf1

21...Nb7?! The active 21...Na6!? was preferable. For example, 22.f4 Nb4+ 23.Kb1 exf4 24.Rxf4 Bc5 25.Nh6 Rgd8 26.Rff1 Rxd1+ 27.Rxd1 Bd6 with good play. 22.f4 Bxf5 23.exf5 Nd6 24.fxe5 fxe5 25.f6 Bh6 26.h4 Be3 27.g5 Rad8 28.Rde1

28...Nf5? Black panics. After 28...Bd4 it is not easy for White to make progress. 29.Ne4. Not bad, but 29.Nd5+! wins immediately 29...cxd5 30.Rxf5 d4 31.Bxf7 Rgf8 32.Bd5+-; 29.Rxf5?? runs into 29...Rd2+ 30.Kb1 Rb2+ 31.Ka1 Bd2 and Black draws. For instance, 32.Na4 Bxe1 33.Nxb2 axb2+ 34.Kxb2 Bxh4 35.Bxf7 Rxg5. 29...Bf4 30.Bxf7 Rgf8 31.Bh5 Ne3+?! Now White's kingside pawn mass will decide matters. 31...Nxh4 was more tenacious. 32.Rxe3 Bxe3 33.Re1 Bf4 34.Bg4 Rd4 35.Bf5 Rf7 36.Re2. 36.Bxh7 also wins. 36...Kd8 37.Rg2 Ke8 38.h5 Kf8 39.g6 hxg6 40.hxg6 Rxe4 41.g7+ Kg8 42.Bh7+ 1-0. [Click to replay]

15) Game submitted by Luca Barillaro (Montale Rangone, Italy). This game comes from a 20-board display.

Anatoly Karpov – Luca Barillaro
Modena, 10 January 1990
Sicilian Defence

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.0-0 Bg7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.Bxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.d3. 8.c4!? Nc7 9.d4 cxd4 10.Qxd4 0-0 11.Qh4 , as in G. Kasparov-V. Salov, Dortmund, 1992, is more aggressive. 8...Rb8 9.h3?! Now the position is more or less level. 9...0-0 10.Nbd2 d6 11.Nc4 Ba6 12.Qe2 Bxc4 13.dxc4 Nc7 14.Rb1 Ne6 15.c3 Qc7 16.b3 Rfd8 17.exd6 Qxd6 18.Bd2

18...Qd3. The offer to exchange queens is, at first sight, a little surprising, but Black's activity compensates for his weak queenside pawn structure. 19.Qxd3 Rxd3 20.Rec1 Rbd8 21.Rc2 a5 22.Kf1 Kf8?! Black wastes time with his king, which will ultimately come to f7 in any case. 22...f5 was called for. 23.Ke2 Ke8 24.Rbc1 R8d7 25.Be3 f5 26.g3 Bf6 27.h4 Kf7?!

28.Rd2. 28.Ng5+!? Bxg5 29.hxg5 Rd8 30.Rh1 Kg8 31.Rcc1 was worth trying. 28...Rxd2+ 29.Bxd2 1/2-1/2. [Click to replay]

16) Game submitted by Ted Cross (Dulles, VA, USA)

Anatoly Karpov – Ted Cross
Moscow, 1 April 1996
King’s Indian Defence

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.e4 d6 4.d4 Bg7 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5 7.Nge2 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Qd2 c6 10.0-0-0 Ne8?! 10...cxd5 11.cxd5 Bd7 12.Kb1 b5 is the main line. 11.g4 Qa5 12.Ng3

12...b5?! The pawn sacrifice is not quite sound, but good advice is hard to give. The endgame after 12...cxd5 13.Nxd5 Qxd2+ 14.Rxd2 Nxd5 15.cxd5 Bd7 16.Rc2 is unpleasant for Black. 13.cxb5 cxb5 14.Bxb5 Nc7 15.Bc4 Ba6 16.Bb3 Rab8 17.Kb1!? Nb5 18.Nxb5 Qxd2? This endgame is hopeless. 18...Qxb5 19.Bxa7 Rb7 20.Be3 Rfb8 offered better practical chances. 19.Rxd2 Bxb5 20.Bxa7 Rb7 21.Be3 f5 22.gxf5 gxf5 23.Bg5 fxe4 24.fxe4 Rf3 25.Rg1 Ng6 26.Nf5 Bf8 27.Bd1 Rf1 28.Rxf1 Bxf1 29.Ne3 Bh3 30.Bg4 Nf4 31.Bxh3 Nxh3 32.Rg2 Nxg5 33.Rxg5+ Kf7 34.Nc4 Rb4 35.b3 Be7 36.Rg3 Rb8 37.a4 Bf8 38.Kb2 Ke7 39.Rh3 h6 40.a5 Kd7 41.Ka3 Kc7 42.b4 Kb7 43.b5 Ka7 44.Kb4 Ka8 45.a6 Be7 46.Rxh6 Rf8 47.b6 1-0. [Click to replay]

17) Game submitted by Matthias Krallmann (Bielefeld, Germany). In this exhibition against 25 players Karpov lost only one game.

Anatoly Karpov – Matthias Krallmann
Preußisch Oldendorf, 21 September 1996
Queen’s Gambit Accepted

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 Nc6 4.Be3 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.d5 Na5 7.Nf3 Bd6 8.Bxc4 Nxc4 9.Qa4+ Bd7 10.Qxc4 a6 11.h3? This prophylactic move on the kingside is too slow. The prophylactic moves on the queenside 11.Qd3 and 11.a3 are the main lines. 11...b5 12.Qd3 b4 13.Ne2? Now it will prove extremely difficult to deal with Black's pressure on the a6-f1 diagonal. 13.Nb1 was better. For example, 13...Bb5 14.Qc2 c6 15.a4 bxa3 16.Nxa3 Bb4+ 17.Nd2 Bxa3 18.bxa3 cxd5 19.a4. 13...Bb5 14.Qc2

14...c6! A strong opening-up of the position to bring the major pieces quickly into play. 15.dxc6 Rc8 16.Rd1 Rxc6 17.Qb1 Qa5. 17...Qc7 was also strong. 18.b3 0-0 19.Rd2 Bxe2! 20.Rxe2 Qb5. The point of ...Bxe2 is revealed. Krallmann makes it difficult for Karpov to evacuate his king from the centre. 21.Nd2

21...Qd3!! A beautiful blow in the heart of Karpov's position. Now it was almost impossible for him to hold a draw in a simultaneous game. 21...Rfc8? is met by 22.Nc4. 22.f3. 22.Qxd3?? Rc1#. 22...Rc2 23.Kf2? 23.Qd1 to prepare Nc4 was necessary. After 23...Nh5 White can try 24.Nf1 or the exchange sacrifice (24.Nc4 Qxd1+ 25.Kxd1 Rxe2 26.Kxe2 Ng3+ 27.Kd3 Nxh1 28.Nxd6 Rd8 29.Bc5 In both cases Black stands better, of course, but some hope remains.) 23...Rfc8 24.Rhe1?

24.Rc1 to exchange the attacking forces was more tenacious, but Black should win in the long run. 24...Bc5! This exchanges White's most important defender. Now it is all over: 25.Bxc5 R8xc5 26.g4. 26.Nc4 loses to 26...Rxe2+ 27.Rxe2 Qxb1-+. 26...Rxd2 0-1. [Click to replay]

18) Game submitted by Uğur Yuvarlak (Istanbul, Turkey). Mr Yuvarlak has submitted a game contested by a friend who is a fellow blind player, Selim Altinok. The occasion was a simultaneous display on 22 boards.

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.d4 Be7 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3 c6 7.Rc1 0-0 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.0-0 Nxc3 12.Rxc3 e5 13.Bb3!? A strong prophylactic move in typical Karpov style. The bishop retreats before ...Nb6 is played, and a path is opened up for the rook. 13...e4 14.Nd2 Nb6?! 14...Nf6 as in J.R. Capablanca-G. Ståhlberg, Buenos Aires Olympiad, 1939 is more logical. 15.Rc5 Nd7 16.Rc3 Nb6 17.Qc2 Bf5 18.Rc5 [18.f3!?] 18...Bg6 19.Re5 Qh4 20.g3 Qg4?! The retreat 20...Qd8 was called for, as 21.Nxe4? can now be met by 21...Nd7 winning the exchange. 21.Re7. 21.Nxe4!? was playable immediately. For example, 21...Qf3 22.Qb1 Nd7 23.Re7 Rae8 24.Rxe8 Rxe8 25.Nd2 and White disentangles his position. 21...Nd7?

21...Rfe8 was better as 22.Rxb7? can be met by 22...Qc8! 22.Qd1? Too cautious. Karpov should have taken boldly on e4: 22.Nxe4! and Black cannot exploit the pin. For instance, 22...Rae8 (22...Qf3 23.Qd1 Bxe4 24.Qxf3 Bxf3 25.Rxd7+-) 23.f3 Qh3 24.Rxe8 Rxe8 25.Qf2+/-. 22...Qxd1 23.Rxd1 Rfd8! Winning the exchange as the rook e7 cannot escape. 24.Rxe4. 24.Nxe4? Kf8 25.Rxd7 Rxd7 26.Nc5 Re7 is better for Black than the game. 24...Bxe4 25.Nxe4 Nf8 26.Rc1 Rac8 27.f4 g6

28.g4!? Karpov grabs space on the kingside. He has sufficient compensation for the exchange. 28...Kg7. 28...Rc7 29.Kf2 Re7 30.Kf3 Nd7 31.f5 Rde8 32.Bc2=. 29.Kf2 1/2-1/2. [Click to replay]

19) Game submitted by Igor Lutz (Goiânia-Goiás, Brazil)

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.e4 d6 4.d4 Bg7 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5 7.Nge2 exd4 8.Nxd4 Bd7. A rare sideline. The main moves are 8...Nc6 and 8...c6. 9.Qd2 Na6 10.Be2 Nc5 11.0-0 a6 12.b4 Ne6 13.Nb3 Qe7 14.Rac1 Rfd8 15.Nd5 Qf8 16.Rfd1 Ba4 17.Nc3 Bxb3 18.axb3 a5 19.Nd5?! 19.bxa5 Rxa5 20.f4 Rda8 21.Bf3 makes better use of White's light-squared bishop. 19...a4 20.Qa2 Qe8 21.Rd2 axb3 22.Qxb3 Qa4 23.Qxa4 Rxa4 24.Bd1 Ra3 25.Kf2 Rda8 26.g3 Nd7 27.c5?!

Karpov rushes to open the position, which is is an extremely rare occurrence in his games. The prophylactic move 27.Be2 was better. 27...Ne5? Black misses his chance. 27...c6 gives him surprinsingly strong counter-play. One sample line runs 28.Nf4 Ne5 29.Be2 Ng5 30.Rxd6 Ng4+ 31.fxg4 Nxe4+ 32.Kf3 Ng5+=. 28.cxd6

28...Nd3+? This is refuted tactically. Karpov would most probably have refuted 28...cxd6 positionally, but it is nevertheless more tenacious. 29.Rxd3 Rxd3 30.dxc7 Nxc7 31.Nxc7

31...Ra2+. 31...Rc8 is answered by 32.Bf4 g5 33.Bxg5 Bb2 34.Rb1 Rxc7 35.Ke2 Rcd7 36.Ba4+-. 32.Be2 Bd4 33.Bxd4 Rdd2 34.Re1 Rxd4 35.Nd5 Rdd2 36.h4 Kg7 37.g4 h6 38.g5 Rab2 39.Ke3 h5 40.b5 Rdc2 41.b6 Kf8 42.Bd3 Rh2 43.Rc1 Rxh4 44.Rc8+ 1-0. [Click to replay]

20) Game submitted by Alejo Lingua (Córdoba, Argentina)

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.e4 d6 4.d4 Bg7 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5 7.Nge2 c6 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.d5 cxd5 10.cxd5 a6 11.Ng3 h5 12.Bd3 b5 13.0-0 h4 14.Nge2 Nh5 15.b4. 15.a4 b4 16.Na2 (16.Nd1!?) 16...Nc5 17.Bc4 a5 18.Bxc5 dxc5 19.Nac1 Kh7 with unclear play occurred in V. Arbakov-G. Kasparov, Paris, 1994. 15...f5 16.exf5 gxf5 17.a4 bxa4 18.Rxa4 Nb6 19.Ra5 Kh8 20.Bg5 Bf6

21.Bxh4. Giving up the strong bishop was certainly not an easy decision for Karpov, but Black has good counter-play in any case. For example, 21.Bxf6+ Qxf6 22.Qe3 Rb8 23.Qf2 Rg8 24.Kh1 (24.Bxa6 Bxa6 25.Rxa6 Nc4 26.Rb1 Rb7) 24...Na8. 21...Bxh4 22.Qh6+ Kg8 23.Qxh5 Rf7 24.g3. This allows a forced draw, but White does not have more. 24...Rh7 25.Qg6+ Rg7 26.Qh6 Bg5 27.Qh3?

Probably missing Black's strong reply. Karpov should have taken the draw with 27.Qh5 Rh7 28.Qg6+ Rg7 29.Qh5=. 27...e4! 28.Bb1 Nc4 29.fxe4. 29.Ra2 does not save the exchange: 29...Ne3 30.Qh5 Bd7 31.fxe4 fxe4 32.Rf4 Bxf4 33.Nxf4 Rc8-+. 29...Nxa5 30.bxa5 f4 31.Qg2 Qxa5 32.e5 Bg4 33.Kh1

33...f3? Winning the second exchange is not good as Black's light squares are too weak. The rook on a8 should be activated immediately: 33...Rf8! 34.Qe4 (34.gxf4 Bxf4 35.Nxf4 Qxc3) 34...Bh3 35.Rf2 Bf5 36.Qf3 Bxb1 37.Nxb1 dxe5-/+. 34.Rxf3 Bxf3 35.Qxf3 Rf8 36.Bf5 dxe5 37.Be6+ Rff7

38.Kg2? Karpov wants too much. He should have forced the draw with 38.Bxf7+ Rxf7 39.Qg4 Qa1+ 40.Ng1 Qxc3 41.Qxg5+ with perpetual check. 38...Qb6 39.Qf5?! Karpov probably underestimated Black's next move. 39.Nd1 was necessary. 39...Kf8! 40.Bxf7 Rxf7

41.Qxg5? This loses the queen by force, but 41.Qc8+ Kg7 42.Ng1 Rf2+ 43.Kh1 Rf1 44.Nce2 Qf6 should also be lost for White in the long run. 41...Qf2+ 42.Kh3 Rh7+ 43.Kg4 Rg7 44.h4 a5 45.d6 Rxg5+ 46.hxg5. Now the a-pawn decides the issue: 46...a4 47.g6 a3 48.Kg5 Kg7 49.Kh5 a2 50.d7 a1Q 0-1. [Click to replay]

21) Game submitted by Jorge Ferreira (Salvador, Brazil). Karpov faced 21 players and conceded only one draw.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.c4 Nf6 8.Nc3 g6 9.0-0 Bg7 10.Bd2?! 10.Qd3 0-0 11.Nd4 Nd7 12.b3 Nc5 13.Qe3 Qb6 14.Bb2 as in E. Rozentalis-P. Blehm, Krynica, 1997 looks more harmonious. 10...0-0 11.Qd3 a5 12.b3 Nd7 13.Nd4 Nc5 14.Qe3 Qb6 15.Nde2

15...e6?! Too slow. 15...a4! 16.Rab1 axb3 17.axb3 Ra3 18.b4 Na4 gives Black the initiative. 16.Rab1! Rfc8?! Again, Black should have acted to profit from his bishop pair: 16...f5 or; 16...Rae8 17.f3 f5 was needed. 17.Rfd1 Qd8 18.Be1 Qe7 19.f3 Rd8 20.Bg3. Now Karpov has complete control. Black's game is difficult in any case but his next move is a positional mistake. 20...e5?

Now Karpov slowly but surely improves the position of his whole army in typical style: 21.Nd5 Bxd5 22.Rxd5 Ne6 23.Rbd1 Nc7 24.R5d2 Ne6 25.Bf2 Bf6 26.Qb6 Ra6 27.Qb5 Bg5 28.Rd3 Rb8 29.Nc3 Nc7 30.Qa4 and Black resigned, rather prematurely. One sample line runs 30...Rc8 31.g3 Bh6 32.Nb5 Nxb5 33.cxb5 Raa8 34.Rxd6+/- 1-0. [Click to replay]

22) Game submitted by Paolo Fiorelli (Cernusco, Italy)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nf3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 c6?! 8...Nc6 9.Bg2 Nd7 10.d5 Na5 11.Nd2 c5 is the main line. For example, 12.Rb1 Rb8 13.a3 Qc7 14.Qc2 Rfc8 15.b3 b5 16.Bb2 Bxb2 17.Rxb2 Qd8 18.e4 Qf8 19.cxb5 Rxb5 20.Rc1 Rbb8 21.Qc3 Qg7 22.Qxg7+ Kxg7 23.Bf1 c4 24.Bxc4 Ne5 25.Rbc2 Naxc4 26.bxc4 Nd3 27.Rd1 1/2-1/2 S. Mamedyarov-M.Zulfugarli, Baku, 2001. 9.Nc3 Nbd7 10.Bg2 e6?! 10...e5 is more logical. 11.e4 e5 12.Be3 Re8 13.Re1 Nb6 14.Qd3 Nfd7 15.b3

15...c5? Closing the position gives White complete control. 15...exd4 16.Bxd4 Nc5 was necessary. 16.dxe5. 16.dxc5 was slightly more precise. 16...dxe5? 16...Nxe5 17.Qd2 a6 18.Rad1 Qc7 gives Black more counter-play. 17.Rad1 Nf6? This simply loses the c5 pawn, but 17...Bf8 18.h4+/- is also not the kind of position to play against Karpov. 18.Bxc5 Qxd3 19.Rxd3 Nc8 20.Red1 Ne7 21.Nb5 b6 22.Ba3 Rab8 23.Nc7 Rec8 24.Bxe7 Rxc7 25.Rd8+ Rxd8 26.Rxd8+ Bf8 27.Bxf8 h5 28.Bd6+ 1-0. [Click to replay]

Links

• The Great ChessBase Simul Hunt (article by Edward Winter launching the hunt)
• The Great ChessBase Simul Hunt (1)
• The Great ChessBase Simul Hunt (2)
• The Great ChessBase Simul Hunt (3)
• The Great ChessBase Simul Hunt (4)
• Submit games that you have played in simultaneous displays
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