MARK RUBERY CHESS

After losing an epic world championship to Karpov in 1978 (+5 =21 –6) Viktor Korchnoi went on to the Olympiad being held in Buenos Aires where he took the 1st board prize with 9/11. The following game is an example of Korchnoi’s dynamism against a grandmaster who was content to place his pieces on natural squares and await events.

Torre,eugenio (2490) - Korchnoi,viktor (2665) [B15]

Buenos Aires ol (11) 1978

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6

(Even though Black elects to play solid variation of the Caro Kann, the unbalanced pawn structure gives him possibilities to fight for the initiative) 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Be2 Na6 8.0–0 (8 Bxa6 is more than adequately met by…qa5+) …Nc7 9.c4 0–0 10.Be3 Re8 11.Qd2 Bf5 12.Rad1 Be4 13.Qc1 h6 14.Nd2 Bh7 15.Bf3 f5! (Black will now march his pawn majority and tempi will be gained by push back Torre’s ‘naturally’ posted pieces) 16.Nb3 g5 17.Na5 (This attempt to deflect Black from his plans is precisely dealt with)…g4! 18.Be2? (18 Nxb7 Bxh2+ 19 Kxh2 Qh4+ 20 Kg1 gxf3 21 Bf4 seems playable for White)…bb4! 19.Nxb7 Qc8 20.Nc5 f4 (Although White gains a number of pawns for the piece the activity of the Black forces soon decides the issue) 21.Bxg4 Qxg4 22.Bxf4 Ne6 23.Be3 Rad8 24.Nd3 Bd6 25.Ne5 Bxe5 26.dxe5 Bd3 27.f3 (27 Rfe1 Be4) …Qxc4 28.Qxc4 Bxc4 29.Rxd8 Nxd8 30.Rd1 Bxa2 31.Bxa7 Bd5 32.f4 Ne6 33.Be3 h5 34.h3 Rb8 35.Rd2 Rb3 36.Kf2 h4 37.Rc2 Bxg2 0–1

I have heard so many times that Korchnoi had the great misfortune of meeting me when his best playing was already behind him. Nothing of the sort! Kortchnoi’s best years arrived exactly at the time he battled me …. - Anatoly Karpov

Those who think that it is easy to play chess are mistaken. During a game a player lives on his nerves, and at the same time he must be perfectly composed. Korchnoi

As a rule, the more mistakes there are in a game, the more memorable it remains, because you have suffered and worried over each mistake at the board. - Korchnoi