MARK RUBERY CHESS
One of the more insightful writers on the game is the Dutch GM, Hans Ree. Here is his account after witnessing one of the greatest games ever played… ‘Sometimes Kasparov does things that no other chessplayer is able to do, things that are so stunning that colleagues and spectators ask themselves in astounded admiration how for heaven’s sake it is possible that a human being can invent them. So it was in the fifth round of the Hoogovens tournament. Against Topalov he conjured up an attack out of nothing, with a rook sacrifice. Topalov thought long before he accepted the sacrifice. He could have reached an equal position by refusing, which of course he saw. After the game Kasparov said grinningly that for a brief moment Topalov had looked up, maybe receiving a message from above that he should contribute to Beauty by taking the rook. After that not only the moves that Kasparov made were stunning, but also the speed with which he executed them. Fifteen mortal blows in a row, all of marvellous beauty. Neither humans nor computers knew what to make of it while they saw it happening before their eyes, but Kasparov had already seen everything long before. After he had won, he said that this had been one of the most beautiful combinations of his career, maybe the most beautiful. This was no exaggeration. Those who were privileged to be present knew they would tell it to their children and grandchildren, as long as chess will be played in this world.’ Kasparov,G (2812) - Topalov,V (2700) [B07] Hoogovens Wijk aan Zee NED (4) 1999 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 Bg7 5.Qd2 c6 6.f3 b5 7.Nge2 Nbd7 8.Bh6 Bxh6 9.Qxh6 Bb710. a3 e5 11.0–0–0 Qe7 12.Kb1 a6 13.Nc1 0–0–0 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!! (Kasparov said that he had seen this sacrifice back on move 19 when he allowed Black to play ...d4)
...cxd4?! (Although realising that 24...Kb6 is a safer alternative Topalov should be applauded for having the nerve to call Kasparov’s bluff.) 25.Re7+ Kb6 (25...Qxe7 26 Qxd4+ Kb8 27 Qb6+) 26.Qxd4+ Kxa5 27.b4+! (It is absolutely amazing that Kasparov could weave a mating web with so few pieces on the board and see the one exact move that would win in every line whereas the next best move would lose!) … Ka4 28.Qc3 Qxd5 29.Ra7 Bb7 30.Rxb7 Qc4 31.Qxf6 Kxa3 (31...Rd1+ 32.Kb2 Qd4+ 33.Qxd4 Rxd4 34.Rxf7 wins) 32.Qxa6+ Kxb4 33.c3+! Kxc3 34.Qa1+ (A beautiful triangulation: Qf6-a6-a1) ...Kd2 (34...Kb4 35.Qb2+ Ka5 36.Qa3+ Qa4 37.Ra7+ Kb6 38.Rxa4 bxa4 39.Qb4+) 35.Qb2+ Kd1 (35...Ke1 36.Re7+ Kd1 37.Bf1 Rd2 38.Be2+ Rxe2 39.Rxe2 Rd8 40.Rc2! wins) 36.Bf1! (The bishop lives! Kasparov had to have seen this resource long ago) ... Rd2 (36... Qxf1 37.Qc2+ Ke1 38.Re7+ Qe2 39.Qxe2#) 37.Rd7!
SEE DIAGRAM
(Now all the pieces are hanging in the air!) ... Rxd7
38.Bxc4 (Black can’t move his rook because of the dual mate threats on c1 and e2.) ...bxc4 39.Qxh8 Rd3 40.Qa8 c3 41.Qa4+ Ke1 42.f4 f5 43.Kc1 Rd2 44.Qa7 1–0 (44… h5 45.Qe3+ Kf1 46.Qxc3) Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece. – Ralph Charell