MARK RUBERY CHESS

Garry Kimovich Kasparov turns 57 today.

For twenty years Kasparov had strode the chess world like a colossus, and at an age where most players were on the decline, he was still clearly the number one player on the rating list when he decided to retire in 2005. After defeating Karpov for the world title in 1985 he went on to contest successfully some memorable matches with his arch-rival, before a match against England’s Nigel Short in 1993 was held outside the jurisdiction of FIDE. Even when he lost his title to Kramnik in 2000 there were few who doubted who was number one. Kasparov then pursued a career in politics with an equal measure of energy that he devoted to his beloved game although with significantly less success. He has since launched the Kasparov Chess Foundation that has held a number of important tournaments in this country.

Here is a sparkling game played that he played during the 1981 World Junior Championship.

Sunye Neto,J (2475) - Kasparov,G (2630) [D32]

WchTJ U26 Graz, 1981

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 e6 4.e3 Nc6 5.d4 d5 (The Tarrasch Defence to the Queens Gambit was the young Kasparov’s major answer to 1 d4) 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Bb5 Bd6 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.0-0 0-0 10.b3 Bg4 11.Bb2 Rc8 12.Rc1 Bd6 13.Be2 Bb8 14.Nb5 Ne4 15.Nbd4 Re8 16.h3 Bxf3 17.Nxf3 Qd6 18.Qd3 Ng5 19.Rfd1 Rcd8 20.Kf1 Ne4

(A typical Isolated Queen pawn position where Black has more space, along with the launching square e4 for his knights as compensation) 21.a3 a6 22.Qc2 Ba7 23.Bd3 Qe7 24.Re1 Rd6 25.b4 Re6 26.b5 axb5 27.Bxb5 h6 28.Rcd1 Rd8 29.Qb3 Qd6 30.a4 Bc5 31.Re2 b6 32.Kg1 Ne7 33.Nd4 Rg6 34.Bd3 Qd7 35.Kh1 Nf5 36.Bxe4 dxe4 37.Red2 Nh4 38.Ne6 (38 Nf5 Qxf5 39 Rxd8+ Kh7 leaves Black with too many threats. However, the move chose allows Kasparov to weave a variety of mating nets)... Qxd2 39.Rxd2 Rxd2 40.Nf4 Rg5 41.Kg1 Nf3+ 42.Kf1 … Bxe3! (Opening the floodgates to the White king) 43.fxe3 (43 Qxe3 Rd1+ 44 Ke2 Re1#)…Rdxg2 44.Qc3 (44 Nxg2 Nd2+)… Rh2 45.Ne2 Kh7 46.Qc8 Rh1+ 47.Kf2 Nd2! 0-1

“Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.”

― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe