(1) Milos,G (2614) - Karpov,A (2692) [C42]
Najdorf Memorial Najdorf Memorial ARG (1), 04.09.2001
[Malcolm Pein and Mark Crowther]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 Nf6 9.Nc3 0-0 10.cxd5 10.h3 was Kasparov's choice in the 48th and final game of the first K v K match in 1985. Kasparov won the game to make the score 5-3 to Karpov with 40 draws and it was at that point the match was controversially halted.

10...Nxd5 11.Re1 Be6 12.a3 Bf6 13.Be4 13.Ne4 has been played a couple of times here but it seems inferior.

13...Rb8 13. ...h6 has been the choice here in recent years. 13. ...Rb8 is a new move in this position although the plan it implements is well known.

14.Qd3 h6 15.Bh7+ Kh8 16.Bf5 Nxc3 17.bxc3 Bd5 18.Bf4 Ne7 19.Bg4 Ng6 20.Bg3 b5 21.Qf5 a5 22.Re3 Rb7 A nice prophylactic move.

23.Qh5 b4 24.axb4 axb4 25.Rae1 c6 26.cxb4 Rxb4 Karpov is now better. Milos tries to simplify here but misses a key idea.

27.Ne5 Rxd4 28.Nxg6+ [28.Nd7 may be one way to avoid losing a piece.]

28...fxg6 29.Qxg6 [29.Qh3 may be white's last chance to hold on.]

29...Bf7 30.Qf5 g6 31.Qf3 Bd5 32.Qe2 Bc4 33.Qf3 Bd5 34.Qe2 Bc4 35.Qf3 Bg7 Karpov repeats to get closer to time control and possibly to maximise the suffering of his opponent. Now he wins the bishop as white's queen cannot continue to protect it.

36.Qxc6 Rxg4 37.Bd6 Qa8 38.Qxa8 Rxa8 39.Be5 Bd5 40.Bxg7+ Kxg7 41.f3 Rd4 42.R1e2 h5 43.Kf2 Kf6 44.Rb2 Ra6 45.Re8 Be6 46.Rf8+ Kg5 47.Rb5+ Bf5 48.Rb2 Rad6 49.Ke3 Rc4 50.Rfb8 Rd3+ 51.Kf2 h4 52.Rh8 Rdc3 53.Rh7 Rc2+ Karpov exchanges a pair of rooks in preparation for the decisive invasion of his King.

54.Rxc2 Rxc2+ 55.Kg1 h3 56.g4 Bd3 57.Rxh3 Kf4 58.Rh8 Kxf3 59.Rh3+ Ke2 0-1