KASPAROV MELTDOWN
By John Henderson

IT’S always a bad sign for the other party when the bookie’s stop taking bets on someone to win – and they’ve more or less stopped taking any more money on Vladimir Kramnik to become the fourteenth world champion! The truth of the matter is that you can just about get better odds on a group of Japanese tourists capturing the Loch Ness Monster than Garry Kasparov regaining his title.

Meltdown

More ominous, however, is the reaction of one of London’s leading tourist attractions, Madame Tussaud’s. Finding myself at a lose end since there’s still no sign of Braingames allowing back into the press centre at the Riverside Studios, I idled away some of my free time among another group of dummies at the waxwork museum. With a little bit of help from the staff, I soon discovered Gazza’s image hidden away in a poky little recess – this was as close I was now going to get to him while in London. It was then that I started to wonder (always a bad sign!): What would happen to his image should he lose his world title and then “suddenly” announce his retirement from the game?

Seeking out their highly efficient Managing Director, Prof. Henry Jarrod, he informed me that, should this indeed come to pass, then poor old Gazza's head would be destined for the furnace to be melted down in the time-honoured fashion - much like other has-been's in the past. Admittedly a sad way to go - but hey, that's life in the waxwork business! One day you're famous, the next you're a blob of molten wax! It sort of puts the whole thing in perspective, doesn't it?

So, as we head for the big Kasparov meltdown, what’s going to happen in the chess world? Well, Mig and myself have been speculating into the wee small hours that, after the match, Garry just might take-off for New Delhi in India, where FIDE have conveniently invited him as the No.1 seed in their Knockout World Championship that’s due to start in late November. You can see FIDE’s wisdom with regard to this. Much like Beavis & Butthead, they were probably sniggering to themselves: “Hee! Hee! Let’s do as we’ve done in the past and give our No.1 enemy the top seed spot. Hee! Hee! And, like before, he’ll never accept the invitation. Hee! Hee!” Can you picture their faces if he did show up?

Well, lets speculate that Garry did indeed go!

GK: “What do you mean I can’t play? I have here a special initiation from Kirsan! Who do I play in the first round? Who’s this sitting opposite me? Surely this can’t be my opponent? What, with that Panama hat and flowery shirt, he looks more like a tourist!” FIDE: “Aaagh! Don’t mention the word ‘tourist’ again, Garry!”

And, like a bear with the mother of all sore heads after his Braingames mauling by Kramnik, he just might take it out on the opposition to once again be World Champion: “What’s the big problem? I’m World Champion again!” I know it’s fanciful scenario and just not realistic. However, FIDE now find themselves for once in a strong position to ACTUALLY do something positive in the chess world – they could start making arrangements for a reconciliation match with Kramnik!

Willy Iclicki

I received an email today from FIDE Executive board member and leading World Championship committee member, Willy Iclicki. He wrote back to me after he received my latest Scotsman column following game 13, that stated: “…the chess world is getting ready for the coronation of the fourteenth world champion…”. In the email, Willy asks: “Are you sure about the number 14th World Champion? That means you don't recognize FIDE and Khalifman as 14th World Champion?” Yo! Willy! Got news for you here: Nobody does apart from FIDE – Not even Alexander Khalifman!

Alexander Khalifman

The fact of the matter is that, since the Kasparov-Short breakaway in 1993, the chess world has done a pretty darn good job at making the boxing world look a model of efficiency. Believe me, Don King (apart from the stupid hair cut) is looked at in a much better light compared to our own dictator, Kirsan Iljumzhinov!

Stewart Reuben

However, now is the time for FIDE to strike. Before heading off to the Olympiad in Istanbul, Stewart Reuben, another member of the FIDE World Championship committee, and chairman of the Organisers committee, came round to see me in my exiled home at the London Chess Centre. Now Stewart and I go way, way back, and he’s a nice guy (despite that fact that he claimed that I was the sort of person that would be likely to ruffle-up more feathers than Bernard Matthews a month before Christmas!). On the record, Stewart informed me that, the minute Kramnik is declared World Champion, he would be making arrangements in Istanbul for specially convened meeting of the World Championship committee. Once called, he would recommend that FIDE would make overtures towards the new champion for such reconciliation match. With Kramnik able to dictate quite a lot of the terms, Stewart said the most likely date for such a match would be December 2001, between Kramnik and the winner in Tehran.

Viswanathan Anand

However, for FIDE to mount such a creditable reconciliation match (and not forgetting the restoration of a proper challenger cycle!), I suppose they are praying that someone like Vishy Anand, Alexei Shirov or even Mickey Adams emerges from the dust after the final in Tehran. Of course, let’s not rule out that it could also be Garry Kasparov…!

Alexei Shirov

Kramnik,V (2770) - Kasparov,G (2834) [E55]

Game 12

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 0–0 5 Bd3 d5 6 Nf3 c5 7 0–0 dxc4 8 Bxc4 Nbd7 The Parma Variation: named after the Slovenian GM, Bruno Parma. 9 a3 cxd4 10 axb4 dxc3 11 bxc3 Qc7 12 Be2 Qxc3!

Kasparov has to take on c3 if he's looking for a win. Ignoring the pawn allows White to play c4 with advantage. 12 ..e5 13 c4 b6 14 Bb2 Bb7 15 Qb3 Rfe8 16 Rfd1 a5 17 c5 axb4 18 cxb6 Nxb6 19 Rxa8 Bxa8 20 Bxe5 Qc6 21 Bf1 Nfd5 22 Bd4 Qa4 23 Rb1 Qxb3 24 Rxb3 Na4 25 Ne5 f6 26 Nd3 Kf8 27 g4 Bc6 28 Bg2 Nac3 29 Bc5+ Kf7 30 Nxb4 Nxb4 31 Rxb4 Rc8 32 Bxc6 Rxc6 33 Rb7+ Kg8 34 Ba3 Ra6 35 Bb2 Ne4 36 Kg2 Ra5 37 Re7 Nd6 38 h4 h6 39 Rd7 Nc4 40 Bd4 Ne5 41 Rd8+ Kf7 42 Kg3 Ke7 43 Rg8 Kf7 44 Rc8 Nd7 45 Rc7 Ke7 46 f4 Rb5 47 Kf3 Kd6 48 Ra7 Ke6 49 Ke4 Kd6 50 Kd3 Rb1 51 Ra6+ Ke7 52 Kc4 Rg1 53 Kd5 Rxg4 54 Ra7 Rg1 55 Bc5+ Ke8 56 Bd6 Re1 57 Ra8+ Kf7 58 Kc6 Ne5+ 59 fxe5 Rxe3 60 Kd5 fxe5 61 Bxe5 Kg6 62 Ra7 Kh5 63 Rxg7 Kxh4 64 Bf4 Re2 65 Bxh6 Kh3 66 Bf4 Rg2 67 Rh7+ Kg4 68 Ke4 Rc2 69 Be3 Rg2 70 Rh1 Kg3 71 Bf4+ Kf2 72 Rc1 Ke2 73 Rc3 Kf2 74 Ra3 Ke2 75 Bg3 Kf1 76 Rf3+ Ke2 77 Re3+ Kd2 78 Kd4 Kd1 79 Ra3 Ke2 80 Ke4 Kf1 81 Kf3 Rf2+ 82 Kg4 Rc2 83 Re3 Re2 84 Rf3+ Kg2 85 Rf4 Ra2 86 Re4 Rc2 87 Bd6 Kf1 88 Bb4 Rg2+ 89 Kh3 Rc2 90 Ba5 Ra2 91 Bb6 Ra3+ 92 Kg4 Rg3+ 93 Kf4 Rf3+ 94 Ke5 Kg2 95 Re2+ Kg3 ½–½ Garcia Gonzales,G-Balashov,Y/Leningrad 1977 13 Ba3 13 Bd2 Qc7 14 Qb1, with compensation for the pawn, is a suggestion of the Russian maestro, Mark Taimanov. 13 ..Nd5 14 Qb1 Qf6 15 Bd3 h6 16 b5 Rd8 17 Bb2 Qe7 18 Ra4 The rook lift to a4 may be speculative. Kramnik would have been better with 18 Ba3!? Qe8 (18 ..Nc5? 19 Bh7+ Kh8 20 Ne5 Qc7 21 Nxf7+ Qxf7 22 Bxc5 Nc3 23 Qb2 Nxb5 24 Be4) 19 Rc1 with again compensation. 18 ..Nc5 19 Bh7+ It's imperative that Kramnik keep's the Bishop pair - after all, this is his compensation for the pawn. 19 ..Kh8 20 Rh4 f6 21 Rc4 Despite the ideal hole for the White Knight on g6, Kramnik can't play for it: 21 Rg4 e5 22 Nh4 Qc7 23 Bf5 Ne7!; 21 Rh5 e5 22 Nh4 Qe8! 23 Bg6 (23 Ng6+ Kxh7 24 Nxe5+ Kg8) 23 ..Qxb5! 21 ..Bd7 22 Ba3 b6 23 Be4 a6!

The worst is over for Kasparov - he can now look forward to trying to take advantage of his extra pawn. 24 bxa6 Rxa6 25 Bxc5 bxc5 26 Rfc1 Ra5 27 Qb2 Rb5 28 Qa3 Nb6 29 R4c3 Rb4 30 Nd2! f5? Time trouble - Kasparov had great chances of converting for the full point with either of 30 ..Bc6!? 31 Rxc5 Rxe4! 32 Qa5 (32 Nxe4 Bxe4 33 Qa5 Qd6 (33 ..Rd6) ) 32 ..Ra4 (32 ..Rxd2 33 Qxd2 Bd5) or 30 ..Be8 31 Rxc5 Rb5! 31 Bf3 Na4?

Too clever by half! Kasparov fails to notice Kramnik's retort. Instead, he could have claimed winning chances after: 31 ..Rc8! 32 Rb3 (32 Bb7? Rb8 33 Rxc5 Ra4! 34 Qc3 Rxb7) 32 ..Bb5 33 Rxb4 cxb4 34 Rxc8+ Nxc8 35 Qa5 Na7 with excellent converting chances. 32 Rxc5! Rb2 33 Nc4 Qxc5 ½–½

Kasparov,G (2849) - Kramnik,V (2770) [C67]

Game 13

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 Kramnik: "Ich bin ein Berliner!" 4 0–0 Nxe4 5 d4 Nd6 6 Bxc6 dxc6 7 dxe5 Nf5 8 Qxd8+ Kxd8 9 Nc3 h6 10 h3 Ke8 11 Ne4

After nearly 35 minutes thought, Kasparov come up with Ne4. Surely he had analysed this position with in-depth with his team? It's almost as if the most prepared chess player the world has ever seen is now just making it up at the board. 11 ..c5 Played in under one minute, Kramnik left the stage to Kasparov vigerously shaking his head. This is an improvement over 11 ...b6 12 b3 c5 13 Re1 Be6 14 Bb2 Be7 15 c4 Rd8 16 Rad1 Rd7 17 g4 Nh4 18 Nh4 Bh4 19 Rd7 Kd7 1/2–1/2 Unzicker, Wolfgang-Troianescu, Octav. Venice 1969. 12 c3 b6 13 Re1 Be6 14 g4 And with this, a draw offer from Kasparov. It now looks as if he's abdicated his title. A sad day for the chess world. ½–½

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center.