Icannos/chess_studies huggingface dataset:
[Event "Soviet Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1972.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal"]
[Black "Zilberstein"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "53"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 c6 3. c4 { This move is the reason that Black rarely adopts this particular move order. } 3... d5 { 3...Bg7 4.Nc3 d6 would allow Black to later transpose into the King's Indian Defense, but the pawn does not belong at c6. } 4. e5 { This blunts the effect of a Black bishop at g7. } 4... Bg7 5. Nc3 Nh6 { There is no other good square for the knight, since 5...e6 would build a barricade across which the bishop at c8 could not pass. } 6. h4 { A rather rash attacking move so early in the game. } 6... Be6 { This move is anti-positional in that the e6 square is an unnatural post for the bishop in this variation. 6...f6, chipping at the center, would have been more to the point. } 7. Nh3 dxc4 { Such pawns are rarely worth the trouble. } 8. Nf4 Bd5 { 8...Qd7 would have been much more sensible. } 9. b3 cxb3 10. axb3 e6 11. Bd3 { Black was already in some difficulty. He could not just castle, so he probably should have sacrificed the bishop for the pawn at g2, when the weaknesses in White's position might be exploited. } 11... Nf5 { A big mistake, which leads to horrible structural weaknesses. } 12. Bxf5 exf5 13. Ba3 { This diagonal will kill Black if it is not contested. } 13... Bf8 14. Bxf8 Kxf8 15. Qd2 { Now there are important holes on the kingside, and the White queen moves into diagonal mode. } 15... Be6 16. Rd1 { As usual, a winning move is preceded by simple development. The pawn at d4 does require support. } 16... Qe7 17. Rh3 { The rook will move to e3, and the center will start to roll. } 17... Na6 18. d5 { The decisive breakthrough, made possible by the wise move of the rook to d1. } 18... cxd5 19. Nfxd5 Bxd5 20. Nxd5 Qxe5+ { This just hastens the end but Black was in bad shape anyway. } 21. Re3 Qd6 { 21...Qg7 22.Nc7! } 22. Qc3 f6 { 22...Rg8 23.Nf6 Qb4 24.Nxh7++ } 23. Nc7 { Black resigned. The game might have ended in the following way: } 23... Qxc7 24. Qxf6+ Kg8 { 24...Qf7 25.Rd8+ Rxd8 26.Qxh8+ Qg8 27.Qf6+ Qf7 28.Qxd8+ } 25. Re7 Qa5+ 26. Kf1 Qb5+ 27. Kg1 { Both kings wind up on the castling square, but Black's gets mated there! } 1-0
[Event "Sarajevo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1972.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian"]
[Black "Hort"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "51"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. b3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Bb2 e6 5. c4 Nc6 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Be2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. d4 { We have transposed into a Tarrasch Defense, which usually involves active piece play for Black but a better pawn structure for White. } 9... Bg4 10. dxc5 { Black's choice of opening involves accepting an isolated d-pawn. } 10... Bxc5 11. Nc3 Rc8 12. Rc1 Be7 13. Nd4 { As Aron Nimzovitch showed there are three steps to playing against the isolated pawn: Blockade, attack, destroy. } 13... Bxe2 14. Ncxe2 { White has the d-pawn firmly blockaded. } 14... Qd7 15. Nf4 Rfd8 16. Qd3 Ne4 17. Nxc6 { White exchanges one advantage for another. Black no longer has to worry about an isolated pawn, but the pawn which will land on c6 will be a new target. } 17... bxc6 18. Rc2 { Preparing to double rooks, bringing more pressure against Black's weak c- pawn. } 18... Bf8 19. Rfc1 Qb7 20. Qe2 Re8 21. Qg4 { Practically forcing Black to weaken his kingside due to the threat of 22. Nh5. } 21... g6 22. Qd1 { A new weakness has arisen in the Black camp, namely the a1-h8 diagonal. } 22... Bd6 { Played with the idea of meeting 23. Qd4 with Be5. } 23. Nxd5 Rcd8 { 23...cxd5 24.Rxc8 Rxc8 25.Rxc8+ Qxc8 26.Qd4 f6 27.Qxd5+ Kg7 28.Qxe4 leaves White with a winning material advantage. } 24. Rxc6 Qb8 25. f4 Re6 26. Qd4 { Black resigned due to his material disadvantage. If you don't see a clear winning plan for White after 26...f6 try playing it out against Gambit. } 1-0
[Event "USSR Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1972.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal"]
[Black "Shamkovich"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "65"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Nc3 e6 7. Bd3 c5 8. Qe2 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bc5 10. Nb3 Bd6 11. Bg5 a6 12. O-O-O Qc7 13. Kb1 O-O 14. Ne4 Be5 15. f4 Bxf4 16. Nxf6+ Nxf6 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. Qg4+ Kh8 19. Rhf1 Be5 20. Bxh7 f5 21. Qh4 Kg7 22. Rf3 Re8 23. g4 f4 24. g5 Kf8 { White's attack is proceeding nicely, but there are no open files to work with, so the rooks do not play a significant role. On the other hand, Black has a beautiful bishop which does help defend by guarding the a1-h8 diagonal. } 25. Rxf4 { Tal, one of the most romantic of all chess champions, gives up a whole rook just to deflect the bishop from covering g7. } 25... Bxf4 26. Qh6+ Ke7 27. Qf6+ Kf8 { White has successfully infiltrated with the queen, but even queen and bishop are not enough to deliver mate. But aided by a pawn... } 28. g6 Bh6 { Otherwise the pawn would advance to g7 and deliver mate. But now the f-file, which had been blocked by the bishop, is wide open. } 29. Rf1 { Black resigned, faced with certain mate) } 29... Rd8 30. Qh8+ Ke7 31. Rxf7+ Kd6 32. Qd4+ Kc6 33. Qc5# 1-0
[Event "Skopje Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1972.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal"]
[Black "Gonzales"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "35"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. c3 Nf6 { Black seeks to meet White's planned 5.d4 by 5...cxd4 6.cxd4 d5. } 5. Qe2 Qc7 6. O-O a6 7. Ba4 { White preserves his bishop and tempts Black to advance his queenside pawns, so they will become targets. } 7... b5 8. Bc2 c4 { Now Black can meet 9.d4 by 9...cxd3, but his queenside is very exposed. } 9. a4 { White attacks on the queenside before Black has the chance to cover his weaknesses. } 9... Rb8 10. axb5 axb5 11. d3 { White is willing to allow 11... cxd3 now that he has the a-file and the b5 pawn as a target. } 11... d5 { A decisive blunder. Black hopes to get some piece play but simply loses a pawn and lets White's pieces flood into his queenside. } 12. exd5 Nxd5 { 12...cxd3 13.Qxd3 Ne5 14.Nxe5 Qxe5 15.Bb3 } 13. dxc4 bxc4 14. Qxc4 Nb6 { He has to break the pin on the c6 knight before White plays Be4 and Nd4. } 15. Qf4 { Black resigned here. This may seem a little premature, but after... } 15... Qxf4 { 15...e5 16.Qf6 Rg8 17.Re1 Bd6 18.Bf4 } 16. Bxf4 Rb7 17. Be4 Bd7 18. b4 { It's hopeless. } 1-0
[Event "Bath"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hug"]
[Black "Spassky"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "60"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c6 3. Bg2 Bf5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 e6 6. Nbd2 Be7 7. Qe1 { Against Hug's King's Indian Attack, Spassky has selected a solid defensive formation. } 7... h6 8. e4 Bh7 9. Qe2 O-O 10. b3 { White turns his attention to the queenside. The more direct 10.e5 might have been more effective. } 10... a5 11. a3 c5 12. a4 Nc6 { Black's position looks much more natural. } 13. Bb2 Re8 14. Ne5 { White's strategy involves using the a1-h8 diagonal, and, in particular, the e5-square. Spassky cuts across this plan with the next move. } 14... Nd4 15. Qd1 { 15.Bxd4 cxd4 The c-file will be used by Black to put tremendous pressure on the backward pawn at c2. } 15... Qc7 16. Nef3 dxe4 17. dxe4 Red8 { This is an example of what I call man-on-man coverage, similar to the basketball notion that one piece sometimes plays the role of dealing with a particular enemy piece. The rook confronts the enemy queen from a distance. } 18. Re1 Nxf3+ 19. Bxf3 { Forced, because of the pin on the knight at d2. } 19... c4 { Threatening a fork at c3. } 20. bxc4 Bb4 { More pressure is added to the pin. } 21. c3 Be7 22. Qe2 Nd7 { The next battleground is the c5-square. } 23. Nb3 Ne5 24. c5 Bxc5 25. Nxc5 { We have reached the critical position. Now Spassky uses a deflection which, in combination with a fork, leads to a winning position. Do you see how? If not, set this game up against Gambit. } 25... Rd2 26. Nd3 { 26.Qxd2 Nxf3+ 26.Qe3 Nc4 The queen and bishop at b2 are forked. } 26... Rxe2 27. Bxe2 Nc4 28. Bf1 Qc6 29. Bc1 Bxe4 30. Nc5 Bd5 0-1
[Event "Tallinn"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Spassky"]
[Black "Tal"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "76"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bg5 { A line which Spassky favored for many years even though White has no real chance to gain an advantage against best play. } 4... h6 5. Bh4 c5 6. d5 b5 { Tal decides to make a fight of the game, casting aside the more prosaic 6...d6 . } 7. dxe6 fxe6 8. cxb5 d5 { The investment of a pawn has gained Black a very strong central pawn wedge. } 9. e3 { The threat was 9...d4. } 9... O-O { The f-file now is available for attacking operations. } 10. Nf3 { 10.Bd3 is considered stronger. } 10... Qa5 11. Bxf6 Rxf6 12. Qd2 a6 { A typical idea in formations where the b-pawn has been sacrificed. Black wants to open up more lines and diagonals. } 13. bxa6 Nc6 { There is no need to capture the pawn at a6. Now that it is out of the way Black is able to bring the knight into the game. } 14. Be2 { A critical moment. White is getting ready to castle to safety. } 14... d4 { This additional pawn sacrifice is part of a strong combination which leads to a win of material. } 15. exd4 Rxf3 { The knight defended the pawn at d4, so it is eliminated. } 16. Bxf3 cxd4 { Now the pin on the a5-d1 diagonal is exploited. } 17. O-O dxc3 18. bxc3 Bxc3 { This fork of queen and rook was foreseen by Tal many moves back. } 19. Qd6 Rxa6 { Now if the rook moves then 20...Nd4 will create tremendous problems for White. } 20. Bxc6 Bb4 { This is the finishing touch of the combination, preventing the White queen from moving to e7. } 21. Qb8 Rxc6 22. Rac1 { Black has two powerful bishops for the rook, but his position has some holes in it. } 22... Bc5 23. Rc2 Qa4 24. Qb3 Qf4 25. Qg3 { A serious miscalculation. 25.Qf3 Qxf3 26. gxf3 e5 27.Kh1 Bb7 28.Rb1 Rb6 29.Rxb6 Bxf3+ 30.Kg1 Bxb6 31.a4 might have been better, as suggested by Viktor Korchnoi. } 25... Qf5 26. Rfc1 Bb7 27. Qf3 { 27.Qb8+ Kh7 28.Qxb7 Bxf2+ 29.Rxf2 Rxc1+ 30.Rf1 Rxf1++ } 27... Qg5 28. Qb3 Rc7 { Black has regrouped effectively and is ready for the final assault on the White king. } 29. g3 { Now we have a combination of an x-ray and a skewer along the c-file. } 29... Bxf2+ 30. Kxf2 { 30.Rxf2 Rxc1+ 31.Rf1 Qc5+ } 30... Qf6+ 31. Ke1 Qe5+ 32. Kf1 { 32.Kd1 Qd4+ 33.Ke1 Qg1+ } 32... Ba6+ 33. Kg1 Qd4+ 34. Kg2 Qe4+ 35. Kg1 { 35.Kh3 Rxc2 36.Qxc2 Bf1+ 37.Rxf1 Qxc2 } 35... Bb7 36. h4 Qh1+ 37. Kf2 Rf7+ 38. Ke2 Qe4+ 0-1
[Event "USSR Teams"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov"]
[Black "Spassky"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "67"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Nb8 { The Breyer Variation of the Spanish Game, one of Boris Spassky's favorites. } 10. d3 { For a long time Karpov preferred this quiet move to the standard 10.d4. } 10... Bb7 11. Nbd2 Nbd7 12. Nf1 Re8 13. Ng3 Nc5 14. Bc2 Bf8 { This is th e main starting position for the 10.d3 variation. White will now spend some time attending to the queenside before attacking the enemy king. } 15. b4 Ncd7 16. d4 h6 17. Bd2 Nb6 18. Bd3 g6 { Too passive. Black should stake a claim on the queenside before it is too late and the best way of doing so would be to aim for c7-c7 with a preparatory Rc8. That plan is not without risk, but it is better than treading water. } 19. Qc2 Nfd7 20. Rad1 { Karpov care fully completes his mobilization before launching his attack. More importantly, he recognized the potential usefulness of this rook on the d-file, despite the fact that the file is almost filled with pieces! } 20... Bg7 { Now Karpov must create his plan. The center is still filled with tension. The Rd1 has distant "man-on-man" coverage against the Black queen. } 21. dxe5 { A well-timed exchange. Black should now recapture with the knight, even though after 22. Nxe5 Bxe5 23.f4 White will have a strong central positon. } 21... dxe5 22. c4 { This forces the weakening of Black's queenside pawn structure. } 22... bxc4 23. Bxc4 Qe7 { Spassky wants to play c7-c5 as soon as possible, eliminating his weak pawn. But he should have taken the opportunity to exchange his knight for White's powerful light-squared bishop. } 24. Bb3 c5 25. a4 { Karpov already has the idea of a plan in which he will sacrifice the exchange by allowing Black to play Bb7-c6-a4 after the Bb3 is chased back to a2. This plan is based on an evaluation of the Re1 as relatively useless. } 25... c4 { 25...cxb4 26.a5 Rac8 27.Qa2 Na8 28.Bxb4! is a decisive blow. } 26. Ba2 Bc6 27. a5 Ba4 28. Qc1 Nc8 29. Bxh6 { The superior activity of White's forces which results from the sacrifice of the exchange will enable him to attack on the kingside. } 29... Bxd1 30. Rxd1 Nd6 { Understandably, Black wants to get this knight into a position to help with the defense of the king. Best was 30.. .Ra7, though that would have parted with the c-pawn after 31.Bxg7 Kxg7 32.Qxc4. } 31. Bxg7 Kxg7 { White now observes that the horses are guarded only by the queen, which can be deflected. } 32. Qg5 { with the amusing point that 32... Qxg5 33.Nxg5 leaves Black with no way to stop the loss of one of the knights, while 32...Nf6?? drops the queen to 33.Nf5+. } 32... f6 33. Qg4 { Maintaining the threat of Nf5+. } 33... Kh7 34. Nh4 { and Black resigned rather than invite 34...Rg8 35.Bxc4! or 34...Nf8 35.Nxg6! Nxg6 36.Qh5+ Kg7 37.Rxd6! and the thematic Nf5+ follows. The entire plan was based on play along the d-file which Karpov anticipated with 20.Rad1! } 1-0
[Event "Dubna"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal"]
[Black "Vaganian"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "25"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd7 6. Nb3 f6 { This is risky, but it's Black must attack White's center somehow. } 7. Bb5 { This protects e5 by pinbning one of the knights. } 7... fxe5 8. dxe5 Nc5 9. Ng5 { White begins to exploit the weaknesses Black has given himself, setting up possible attacks by Qh5+ and Qh4 or Qf3. } 9... Bd7 { In his eagerness to attack e5 Black completely misses the threat. } 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Qh5+ g6 12. Qf3 { Black resigned here, since he can only defend the mate by Qe7. } 12... Qe7 13. Nxc5 { Black loses a piece, since 13...Qxc5 allows 14 Qf7+ Kd8 15 Qf6+ forking king and rook. } 1-0
[Event "Madrid"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov"]
[Black "Uhlmann"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "83"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Ngf3 Nc6 6. Bb5 Bd6 7. dxc5 Bxc5 { This is called an "isolated queen pawn" (IQP) position because the pawn at d5 cannot be protected by any other pawn. The pawn is weak and White will try to win it, but Black has counterplay on the adjacent open files. } 8. O-O Ne7 9. Nb3 Bd6 { In IQP positions like these White has two main objectives: the blockade of the isolated pawn and the elimination of Black's dark-squared bishop. } 10. Bg5 { This move directly implements White's plan by transfering the bishop to a post from which it can reach the h2-g8 diagonal (via h4 to g3). } 10... O-O 11. Bh4 Bg4 12. Be2 Bh5 { The superior 12... Re8! had already been introduced by Uhlmann, but he was probably afraid of a prepared innovation. } 13. Re1 Qb6 14. Nfd4 { Not only does White achieve half of his goal, but he also places Black in a position where he faces a difficult decision concerning the fate of the Bh5. } 14... Bg6 { If Black had exchanged bishops the isolated pawn would have less protection. Uhlmann decides that the bishop may be of use at e4, since any eventual f2-f3 will weaken the a7-g1 diagonal. } 15. c3 Rfe8 16. Bf1 Be4 17. Bg3 { Now that all of White's pieces have been properly positioned, the exchange of bishops is appropriate. } 17... Bxg3 18. hxg3 { White need not worry about the doubled g-pawns. They are actually strong from both offensive and defensive perspectives. } 18... a5 { The weakening of b5 is probably more significant than Black's mild initiative, but perhaps the move was played without taking into consideration White's potential sacrifice of the b-pawn. } 19. a4 Nxd4 20. Nxd4 { Karpov correctly maintains the blockade with the piece, since if 20...Qxb2 then 21.Nb5! threatens both 22.Nc7 and 22.Re2. } 20... Nc6 { The position remains rather closed, and the e-file is the only line which can be exploited. To do this, White must drive the Re8 away. } 21. Bb5 { The pin encourages Black's rook to leave the e-file. Probably 21...Bg6 would have been best here. } 21... Red8 22. g4 { A very clever move, the point of which is to create threats of trapping the enemy bishop should it retreat to g6 (with f2-f4-f5). } 22... Nxd4 { This is a major positional concession, since it leads to an endgame where Black has a bad bishop and White controls the e-file. } 23. Qxd4 Qxd4 24. cxd4 Rac8 25. f3 Bg6 26. Re7 { The immediate objective has now been achieved, and after the doubling of rooks on the e-file Karpov illustrates his famous endgame technique to secure the point. } 26... b6 27. Rae1 h6 28. Rb7 Rd6 29. Ree7 h5 30. gxh5 Bxh5 31. g4 Bg6 32. f4 Rc1+ 33. Kf2 Rc2+ 34. Ke3 Be4 35. Rxf7 Rg6 36. g5 Kh7 37. Rfe7 Rxb2 38. Be8 Rb3+ 39. Ke2 Rb2+ 40. Ke1 Rd6 41. Rxg7+ Kh8 42. Rge7 1-0
[Event "Leningrad Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov"]
[Black "Torre"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "47"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 { A fairly recent preference in the Alekhine Defense. } 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Bg7 7. Ng5 d5 8. f4 Nc6 9. c3 f6 { The point is to support the center. } 10. Nf3 Bf5 11. O-O Qd7 12. Nbd2 fxe5 13. fxe5 O-O 14. Rf2 Na5 { Karpov now decides to eliminate the light-squared bishops. } 15. Bc2 Bxc2 16. Qxc2 Qf5 17. Qd1 e6 18. Nf1 { Here Torre finally launches his hypermodern counterattack in the center. } 18... c5 19. h3 cxd4 20. cxd4 Nc6 21. b3 Nd7 22. Ba3 Rf7 { Black's minor pieces are not doing much but observing the play. By deflecting the queen, Karpov manages to trap it. } 23. g4 Qe4 { 23...Qf4 24.Bc1 Qe4 25.Ng3 also leaves the queen without an escape route. } 24. Ng5 { The queen is trapped, so Black resigned. } 1-0
[Event "Dubna"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rukavina"]
[Black "Tal"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "54"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. b3 d5 3. c4 d4 { This is a strong move since now the advance b2-b3 makes little sense. In fact, Rukavina soon changes his mind and advances it another square, wasting a tempo, so that it is just as if Tal were playing White. } 4. g3 Nc6 5. d3 Nf6 6. Bg2 e5 7. O-O Be7 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. b4 { A reckless move, but White was beginning to suffocate from lack of space. } 9... cxb4 10. a3 { This position somewhat resembles the Benko Gambit with colors reversed, but if so, then White has chosen an inferior variation because there is no counterplay on the queenside, because Tal is not going to open up lines. } 10... a5 { If 10...bxa3, then White would have room to operate on the queenside. } 11. Ne1 Bg4 { This pin will play a very important role in the next few moves. } 12. Nc2 Qd7 { Threatening 13...Bh3, after which the exchange of light-squared bishops would be in Black's favor. } 13. Re1 { The idea behind this move is to meet 13... Bh3 with 14.Bh1, but there is a greater danger which Rukavina fails to appreciate. } 13... e4 { A strong move. There are three legal captures, but two of them lead to immediate disaster. } 14. dxe4 { Or 14.Nxe4 b3, trapping the knight at c2. } 14... d3 { This advance exploits the pin on the e-pawn. } 15. Ne3 Bxe2 16. Qa4 Ng4 { The attack continues. } 17. Ndf1 Bf6 { This not only threatens the rook at a1, but also brings the bishop into the game. } 18. Ra2 Bc3 19. Bd2 Qd4 20. axb4 Bxd2 21. Rxd2 axb4 { This is a discovered attack against the White queen, which allows the rook to join the attack, a factor which will weigh heavily in a few moves. } 22. Qb3 Ra1 23. Rxa1 Qxa1 24. Nxg4 { Now White perhaps expected 24...Bxg4, but Tal doesn't bother with such material considerations. } 24... Nd4 25. Qb2 Nf3+ 26. Kh1 Qe1 27. Ne3 { This looks like a move which will hold White's position together, but Tal's queen carves a new path to the mating square. } 27... Qxf2 { White resigned since checkmate is inevitable. } 0-1
[Event "Bath"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian"]
[Black "Lombard"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "45"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 { Petrosian w as the first to use this system regularly as White, but now it is more closely associated with the Kasparov name. } 7. e3 Nd7 8. Nxd5 exd5 9. Bd3 Bd6 10. Qc2 { Notice how the White queen and bishop form a powerful battery against the Black kingside. } 10... h6 11. b4 a6 12. O-O O-O 13. Rb1 Qe7 14. a4 Nf6 15. b5 axb5 16. axb5 { White has given Black a backward c-pawn. } 16... Ne4 17. Bb2 Ng5 18. Ne5 { White stands better due to his more active bishops. } 18... Bxe5 19. dxe5 d4 { Black thinks that the opening of the a8-h1 diagonal is worth the investment of a pawn. But Petrosian simply ignores the offering and maintains the initiative instead. A valuable lesson in the relative merits of the two! } 20. f4 { Stopping Black's trick of Nf3+ and Qg5. } 20... Ne6 21. f5 Qg5 22. fxe6 Qxe3+ 23. Qf2 { Black resigned as after 23...Qxd3 24. exf7+ Kh8 25. e6 as he has no good way of stopping the White pawns. Otherwise he is just a piece down. } 1-0
[Event "Hastings"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal"]
[Black "Hartston"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "53"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Be2 { A typical Sicilian Defense. Black uses the small center and flanking knights to keep White pieces off of the 5th rank and to keep some pressure on White's center. } 7... Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. f4 Qc7 10. Kh1 { All these moves are in line with the spirit of the Scheveningen Variation, which is a particular favorite of Kasparov. 10.Qe1 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 e5 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Qg3 Bc5 This wild sequence of moves ends with an important pin on the a7-g1 diagonal } 10... Bd7 11. Qe1 a6 12. Qg3 { White will attack on the kingside and Black will play on the queenside. Thus it is written in the Book of the Sicilian. Time is of the essence. } 12... b5 13. e5 dxe5 14. fxe5 { Here the position is critical. } 14... Nxd4 { The wrong capture. 14...Nxe5 15.Bh6 Ne8 16.Bf4 Bd6 With a playable position for Black. } 15. Bxd4 Ne8 16. Bd3 { Even more efficient was 16.Ne4, as pointed out by Tal himself in his notes to this game. } 16... Bc6 { Now the e4-square is covered. } 17. Qh3 g6 18. Rae1 { It is impossible to overstate how strong this move is. In order for winning combinations to appear on the board one's forces must be in their optimal positions. It is little moves like this that distinguish master level play. } 18... Rd8 19. Qe3 Rd7 20. Bb6 Qc8 { White has a huge advantage in space, and Black is going to have a hard time defending all the holes in the position. The f7-square is particularly weak, a fact that Tal does not fail to notice. } 21. Ne4 Bxe4 22. Bxe4 h5 { This is a very bad move because it undermines the support of the g6-pawn. } 23. Qh6 Ng7 { Now Tal finishes in typical brilliant style with a sacrifice that undermines the entire kingside. } 24. Rxf7 Rxf7 { If Black captures with the king he gates mated in two moves. Do you see how? 24...Kxf7 25.Bxg6+ Kg8 26.Qh7+ } 25. Bxg6 Nf5 { 25...Bd8 26.Qh7+ Kf8 27.Be3 The bishop circles round to the kingside and will be able to move to g5. } 26. Bxf7+ Kxf7 27. Qh7+ { Black resigned. If you are not sure why, play out this position against Gambit and you will quickly find out! } 1-0
[Event "Dubna"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal"]
[Black "Platonov"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "49"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Nb3 Qa3 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Be2 Nc6 12. O-O Bd7 13. Bh5 Bg7 14. Rf3 O-O 15. Raf1 Na5 16. Rh3 Nxb3 17. axb3 Rac8 18. Kh1 f5 19. exf5 Qb4 { White's pawns on the f-file just seem to be in the way, so Tal gets rid ofthem! } 20. f6 Bxf6 21. f5 { This not only offers up the pawn at f5, but also invites Black to capture the knight at c3. Tal realizes that the knight has no useful role in the attack on the enemy king. } 21... Rxc3 22. Rg3+ { The check drives the king into the corner, because the rook at c3 is pinned to the queen at b4. } 22... Kh8 { 22...Bg7 23.f6 Rxg3 24.Qxb4 and White wins. } 23. Qh6 { The double ack on the rook at f8 and the bishop at f6 forced Black to resign. Why? It seems that Black can capture the rook at g3 and escape, but White is prepared for this. } 23... Rxg3 24. Bg6 { The threat is Qxh7 mate. There is no defense except to capture at g6. If Black captures with the f-pawn (the h-pawn is pinned by the queen), then White captures the rook at f8 with checkmate. So... } 24... Rxg6 25. fxg6 { Now White has the same threats. The next move is either Qxh7 mate or Qxf8 mate . } 1-0
[Event "Reykjavik"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sigurjonsson"]
[Black "Smyslov"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "48"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4 { A developing move which prepares for rapid castling. It is more active than 4...Be7. } 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O { This position is still a popular way for both sides to play the English opening. } 6... e4 7. Ng5 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Re8 9. f3 { Smyslov has played this position for both White and Black. } 9... exf3 10. Nxf3 d5 11. cxd5 Qxd5 { An interesting position where White has the two center pawns(long term advantage) while Black has active piece play. } 12. Nd4 Qh5 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. e3 { 14.Bxc6 looks tempting but it actually leads to the loss of a piece after 14...Ng4 } 14... Bg4 15. Qa4 Re6 { The right idea but wrong move order. Better was Be2 first. 15...Be2 16.Rxf6 Bb5 17.Qc2 gxf6 } 16. Rb1 { A mistake which later exposes the rook to attack. 16.Ba3 Be2 17.Rf4 would be much better than the game continuation, as White's queen rook is actually safer on a1 than b1. } 16... Be2 17. Re1 Ng4 { Threatening a quick win after Qxh2+ and Rf6+. } 18. h3 Qf5 { This is a clas sic example of a double attack, with the queen hitting both the rook at b1 and the vulnerable f2-square. } 19. Rxe2 { 19.hxg4 Qxb1 20.Rxe2 Qxc1+ } 19... Qxb1 20. Qxg4 Qxc1+ 21. Kh2 { Black has won the exchange which gives him a winning material advantage. } 21... Rd8 22. Qb4 h6 23. c4 Qd1 24. Rf2 Qe1 { White resigned because he is the exchange down and losing his d-pawn. } 0-1
[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Korchnoi"]
[Black "Karpov"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "37"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 b6 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. c4 Be7 6. Nc3 O-O 7. Qc2 c5 8. d5 exd5 9. Ng5 { White exploits the pin on the h1-a8 diagonal to maintain his outpost on d5. } 9... Nc6 { Black gives up on fighting for d5. He should play 9...g6 to neutralize the mate threat on h7. } 10. Nxd5 g6 11. Qd2 { Black has neutralized the b1-h7 diagonal, so White prepares to attack the new weakness on h6 with his queen. } 11... Nxd5 { Black brings White's g2 bishop to a strong attacking square. He should have played 11...Re8 to cover the h6 square by 12...Bf8. } 12. Bxd5 Rb8 { Black unpins his c6 knight, but this costs a fatal tempo. He had to simplify. 12...Bxg5 13.Qxg5 Qxg5 14.Bxg5 White has a great endgame because of the two bishops and Black's backward pawn on d7. } 13. Nxh7 Re8 { White gets a winning attack after 13...Kxh7 14.Qh6+ Kg8 15.Qxg6+ Kh8 16.Qh6+ Kg8 17.Be4 f5 18.Bd5+ Rf7 19.Qg6+ Kh8 20.Bxf7 } 14. Qh6 Ne5 15. Ng5 Bxg5 16. Bxg5 Qxg5 { 16...Qc7 17.Bf6 } 17. Qxg5 Bxd5 18. O-O { White can't take the bishop. } 18... Bxc4 19. f4 { Not only is Black down a queen for only two minor pieces, but White still has an attack. So Black gave up. } 1-0
[Event "Nice Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian"]
[Black "Venalainen"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "57"]

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. e4 d6 { By transpos ition we have reached a Sicilian Defense, the Maroczy Bind Variation where White's twin pillars at e4 and c4 restrict Black's options, but the bishop at g7 can become powerful. } 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O Nc6 9. Be3 Bd7 10. Qd2 a6 11. f3 Qa5 12. Nb3 Qd8 { Black has invested some time in luring the White knight away from d4. } 13. Rfd1 b6 14. Rac1 { White stands better due to his better development and bind on the light squares. } 14... Rb8 15. Kh1 { If the position opens up White's king will be safer tucked away in the corner. } 15... Be6 16. Nd5 Nd7 { 16...Bxd5 17.cxd5 Na7 18.Bxa6 } 17. Nd4 { White's central superiority is obvious. } 17... Nxd4 18. Bxd4 Bxd4 19. Qxd4 Re8 20. Rc3 { The rook lift is an important prelude to White's coming kingside attack. } 20... Qc8 21. f4 Qc5 22. Qd2 Rbc8 23. Rdc1 Qf2 24. Rf1 Qh4 25. f5 Bxd5 26. exd5 { Black resigned as he is defenseless against the White attack on the h-file. For example: } 26... Ne5 27. fxg6 hxg6 28. Rh3 Qe4 29. Qh6 1-0
[Event "USSR"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal"]
[Black "Petrosian"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "59"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Be2 O-O 6. O-O { This is the Classical Pirc, an opening in which Black concedes the center in return for rapid development, hoping to strike back later. } 6... Nc6 7. d5 Nb8 8. Re1 e5 9. dxe6 Bxe6 10. Bf4 h6 11. Nd4 Bd7 12. Qd2 Kh7 13. e5 dxe5 14. Bxe5 Ne4 15. Nxe4 Bxe5 16. Nf3 Bg7 17. Rad1 Qc8 18. Bc4 Be8 { Black's pieces are out of play, and although there are a few defenders near the monarch, White's pieces can break through quickly. } 19. Neg5+ { White sacrifices a knight in order to shatter the pawn barrier protecting the Black king. } 19... hxg5 20. Nxg5+ Kg8 21. Qf4 { There is now additional pressure at f7, and the queen threatens to transfer to h4 from which it can deliver mate at h7. } 21... Nd7 { Black plans to bring this knight to f6 to defend the critical f6 square. But Tal puts paid to this plan with a simple and effective sacrifice. } 22. Rxd7 Bxd7 23. Bxf7+ { Here Black resigned, because the king gets mated if it moves to the h-file but capturing the bishop also leads to immediate disaster: } 23... Rxf7 24. Qxf7+ Kh8 25. Qxg6 Bf5 26. Nf7+ Kg8 27. Nh6+ Kh8 28. Nxf5 Qg8 29. Re7 Bf8 30. Qh5+ 1-0
[Event "Portoroz"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov"]
[Black "Mariotti"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "43"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 4. O-O Qf6 { Black hopes to prevent a future d4 by White, but his queen is exposed on f6. } 5. c3 Nge7 { Black must play this move to avoid an immediate d4 by White. For example, see what happens in the following variation: 5...h6 6.d4 exd4 7. e5 Nxe5 8.Nxe5 Qxe5 9.Re1 and Black loses his queen because of the pin. } 6. b4 Bb6 7. Na3 g5 { Black believes that with the center closed for the time being he can get away with weakening his own kingside. He should have played a normal move like 7...a6 and followed up by d6 with a reasonable position. } 8. d4 { White wastes no time in punishing Black's eccentricity. The center will be torn open and Black's pieces will be kicked around. } 8... g4 { 8...h6 9.Nc4 And Black will have to give up his pawn on e5 which will give White a huge edge in the central. } 9. Nxe5 Nxe5 10. dxe5 Qxe5 11. Qxg4 Qxc3 { After a series of exchanges White has emerged with a much better game. He has a great lead in development. } 12. Rb1 Rg8 { Do you see why White can't play 13.Qf3? } 13. Qh5 Qg7 { Black tries to gain time to coordinate his pieces by threatening mate on g2. } 14. g3 c6 15. Bd3 d6 16. Nc4 Bg4 17. Qh4 Nc8 18. e5 { White forces the center open. Black's king will perish in the ensuing crossfire. } 18... dxe5 { 18...d5 19.Nd6+ Nxd6 20.exd6 And the open e-file and threat of mate on e7 will doom Black's king. } 19. Bh6 Bd8 { 19...Qh8 20.Bg5 And White will follow up by Bf6 and Bxe5. } 20. Bxg7 Bxh4 21. Bxe5 f5 22. Na5 { Black is losing a pawn and his king is still not safe, so he gave up. } 1-0
[Event "Biel Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1976.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Huebner"]
[Black "Tal"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "82"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4 { This is an aggressive line which appealed to Tal's attacking instincts. } 4. Qc2 c5 { With the queen gone from the d-file, Black puts pressure on d4. } 5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Qe7 8. d3 h6 { Black can afford such luxuries thanks to his advanced development. } 9. e4 d6 { White now tries to mobilize a kingside attack before Black can blast open the queenside. } 10. Nh4 Rb8 11. f4 Bd7 12. h3 Nd4 { This square is unguarded because the knight has moved from f3 to h4. } 13. Qf2 b5 14. Be3 bxc4 15. dxc4 Bc6 16. Rae1 Qb7 17. Bc1 Qa6 { Black has plenty of queenside counterplay. } 18. e5 dxe5 19. fxe5 Nh7 { This knight will find an effective home at g5. } 20. Bxc6 Qxc6 21. Re3 Ng5 22. Qg2 Qa6 23. b3 { The stage is set for a deflection sacrifice. Tal has a vision of a knight check at e2. That seems impossible, given that the square is covered by a rook, knight and queen. But of such dreams, combinations are made! } 23... Nxh3+ 24. Qxh3 Bxc3 25. Qg4 { 25.Rxc3 Ne2+ 26.Kh2 Nxc3 } 25... Qxa2 26. Rxc3 { Now Black could regain material with the fork at e2, but instead Tal uses yet another deflection, this time to take the pressure off the g-file. } 26... h5 27. Qxh5 Ne2+ 28. Kh1 Nxc3 29. Bh6 { This has no sting now. } 29... Qe2 { An offer to exchange queens which White cannot afford to accept. } 30. Qg5 Qe4+ { This check provides a road home for the queen. } 31. Rf3 Qh7 { Now everything is defended, and the remainder of the game is easy. } 32. Bxg7 Qxg7 33. Qxg7+ Kxg7 34. Rxc3 Rfd8 { Rooks belong on open files! } 35. Nf3 Rd1+ 36. Kg2 Rbd8 37. Rc2 R8d3 38. Ra2 Rxb3 39. Ng5 { 39.Rxa7 Rdd3 } 39... Rdd3 40. Ne4 Re3 41. Nxc5 Rxg3+ 0-1
[Event "Hastings"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1976.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov"]
[Black "Farago"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "34"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 d5 4. e5 Nfd7 { This is too passive. Black does better with either 4...Ne4 or 4...d4. } 5. cxd5 exd5 6. d4 c5 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. Bb5 { The pawn on e5 cramps Black's position, so White works hard to maintain it. } 8... a6 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. O-O Be7 11. dxc5 { Now White's knights will become quite active. } 11... Nxc5 12. Nd4 Qb6 13. Be3 O-O { 13...Qxb2 would be horrible after 14 Nxc6, since 14...Qxc3 (else 15 Nxd5) gets crushed by 15 Nxe7 Kxe7 16 Rc1 and 17 Bxc5+. } 14. Rc1 Rd8 15. b4 Ne4 { 15...Qxb4 allows 16 Nxc6. } 16. Na4 Qb7 17. Nxc6 { Black will lose at least one more pawn after, e.g. 17...Re8 18 Nb6 Rb8 19 Nxe7+ Rxe7 20 Rxc8+ Rxc8 21 Nxc8 Qxc8 22 Qxd5. } 17... Re8 1-0
[Event "World Cadet Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1976.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov"]
[Black "Sendur"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "43"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 { The Pirc Defense. Black builds a kind of King's Indian formation, ceding the center to White, though with the intention of attacking it later on. } 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 Nbd7 { 5...O-O Keeps Black's options open. } 6. O-O O-O 7. e5 { 7.Bf4 is also good. } 7... dxe5 { A mistake as Black opens up the center too early. Better was 7... Ne8 8.Bg5 f6 9.exf6 exf6 10.Be3 c6 with a space advantage for White. } ( 7... Ne8 8. Bg5 f6 9. exf6 exf6 10. Be3 c6 ) 8. dxe5 Ng4 9. e6 Nde5 { 9...fxe6 would allow White to win material. } ( 9... fxe6 10. Ng5 ) 10. Qxd8 Rxd8 { The exchange of queens has weakened Black's queenside. } 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Nb5 c6 13. Nc7 Rb8 14. f4 { The Black knight has been trapped in the center of the board! } 14... Ng4 15. Bxg4 Bd4+ 16. Kh1 Bb6 17. f5 Bxc7 { Black has regained his lost piece. However, in so doing all his pieces have ended up over on the queenside, leaving his king exposed to attack. } 18. fxg6 fxg6 19. Bh6 { White's pawn on e6 keeps Black's pieces from entering the game. } 19... Be5 20. Rad1 { White intends to exchange Black's only piece that defends the back rank. } 20... Rxd1 21. Rxd1 Bd6 { 21...b6 allows White a forced mate. } 22. Rf1 { Black resigned since he has no good defense to the back rank mate with 23.Rf8. } 1-0
[Event "Soviet Union"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1976.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian"]
[Black "Kupreichik"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "45"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bf4 e6 7. e3 Bd6 8. Bg3 { This retreat allows White to recapture with the h-pawn and open a file in the event that Black chooses to capture at g3. } 8... Ne4 { A violation of the opening principle that one should generally not move a single piece twice in the opening before completing development. } 9. Nxe4 dxe4 10. Nd2 { Now Black has to worry about defending the weak pawn at e4. } 10... Bxg3 11. hxg3 e5 12. dxe5 Qa5 { 12...Nxe5 13.Qa4+ Nc6 14.Qxe4+ } 13. Qb3 { White is w illing to give back the pawn at e5, in return for the right to develop his pieces quickly. } 13... Qxe5 14. Be2 Qe7 { Black drops the queen back to defend the b-pawn, thus freeing up the bishop. But the real problem is that he is behind in development. } 15. Rc1 O-O { Black falls into a trap. Castling should be done early in the game, but not after the h-file is already open! } 16. Nxe4 Qxe4 17. Bd3 Qb4+ { Perhaps Black counted on this move to solve his problems. 17...Qxg2 18.Bxh7+ Kh8 19.Be4+ Qxh1+ 20.Bxh1 } 18. Qxb4 Nxb4 19. Bxh7+ Kh8 20. Bb1+ { White has two pawns for the piece but more importantly his pieces are in no position to defend the king because they have never entered the game. } 20... Kg8 21. Rc4 { Black probably missed this rook lift when he castled. White's idea is to play Rch4 and Rh8 mate. } 21... a5 22. Bh7+ Kh8 23. Bf5+ { Black resigned as mate in unavoidable. } 1-0
[Event "Tbilisi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1976.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lputian"]
[Black "Kasparov"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "76"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 { I have played the King's Indian Defense throughout my career, as it leads to dynamic play for Black } 5. f3 { With this move White has chosen the Saemish variation to combat the King's Indian Defense. } 5... Nc6 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 Rb8 8. Rb1 O-O 9. b4 { White usually plays 9.Nge2, strengthening the central point d4, and only then initiating operations on the queenside. By playing b4 here, White actually provokes Black's reply and the following sacrifice of a pawn. } 9... e5 { This move is designed to take advantage of Black's lead in development by opening up the position. } 10. d5 Nd4 { I played this move with the idea of sacrificing a pawn to open up the diagonal for dark squared bishop. } 11. Nge2 { 11.Bxd4 exd4 12.Qxd4 would allow Black to win material. } ( 11. Bxd4 exd4 12. Qxd4 Nxe4 13. Qxe4 Bf5 ) 11... c5 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Nxd4 exd4 14. Bxd4 Re8 { This move poses White a more difficult problem: to find the correct path in the minefield. } 15. Be2 { Perhaps the proper decision was 15.Bd3. } 15... c5 16. bxc5 Nxe4 { This unexpected move brings out the weaknesses of White's 8.Rb1, 9.b4 plan. } 17. fxe4 Qh4+ 18. g3 Rxb1+ 19. Kf2 ( 19. Nxb1 Qxe4 ) 19... Rb2 { Played with the idea of deflecting the White queen from the protection of the d4 bishop. } 20. gxh4 { 20.Qxb2 Bxd4+ 21.Ke1 Bxc3+ 22.Qxc3 Qxe4 is winning for Black do to the dual threats of mate on e2 and the capture of White's rook. Can you find the winning move now? It is tricky! } ( 20. Qxb2 Bxd4+ 21. Ke1 Bxc3+ 22. Qxc3 Qxe4 ) 20... Rxd2 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. Ke3 Rc2 23. Kd3 Rxc3+ 24. Kxc3 dxc5 { The combination has given Black a technically won endgame, despite the material equality. This is due to White's shattered pawn structure. } 25. Bd3 Bb7 26. Re1 Re5 { 26...f5 27.e5 Be4 28.Bxe4 Rxe5 was also sufficient. } 27. a4 f5 28. Rb1 Bxe4 29. Rb6 f4 { Black's passed f-pawn decides the game. } 30. Rxa6 f3 31. Bf1 Bf5 32. Ra7+ Kh6 33. Kd2 f2 34. Be2 Bg4 { Played with the idea of deflecting the bishop from the promotion square at f1. } 35. Bd3 Re1 36. Rf7 Bf5 37. a5 Bxd3 38. Rxf2 Rf1 { White resigned because of his material deficit. } 0-1
[Event "Tbilisi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1976.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lputian"]
[Black "Kasparov"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "76"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 Nc6 { White is playing to set up a solid pawn center, so I'd like to provoke him to push forward by 6.d5, when I would have a target on d5 to play against. } 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 Rb8 8. Rb1 O-O 9. b4 e5 { White is a long way from getting his king out of the center, so I think it's time to open things up there. } 10. d5 Nd4 { Do you see why White can't just win a pawn by taking twice on d4? } 11. Nge2 c5 { Now I'm willing to sacrifice a pawn because to win it White must give me a few open files onto his own king. } 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Nxd4 exd4 14. Bxd4 Re8 15. Be2 { 15.Bd3 d5 I want to open up the whole center before White castles. } 15... c5 { Now I can take advantage of my rook on the b-file to open still more lines in the center. } 16. bxc5 Nxe4 17. fxe4 Qh4+ 18. g3 { 18.Bf2 Bxc3 19.Bxh4 Rxb1+ 20. Kf2 Bxd2 21.Rxb1 dxc5 Here I am winning because White's king is misplaced and I can attack his isolate pawns. } 18... Rxb1+ 19. Kf2 { 19.Nxb1 Qxe4 I am winning this position because I attack White's unprotected pieces on d4, h1 and b1. } 19... Rb2 { I don't want to stop attacking. Now even after the queens come off I'll have a strong attack. } 20. gxh4 { 20.Qxb2 Bxd4+ 21.Kg2 Bxc3 22.Qxc3 Qxe4+ } 20... Rxd2 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. Ke3 Rc2 23. Kd3 Rxc3+ { Remember, I don't want to give up the initiative. After White takes my rook, material will be equal but White won't be able to defend all his isolated pawns. } 24. Kxc3 dxc5 25. Bd3 Bb7 26. Re1 Re5 { Now White can't advance his e-pawn to a square where my bishop can't attack it. } 27. a4 f5 28. Rb1 Bxe4 29. Rb6 f4 30. Rxa6 f3 31. Bf1 Bf5 32. Ra7+ Kh6 33. Kd2 f2 34. Be2 Bg4 35. Bd3 Re1 36. Rf7 Bf5 37. a5 Bxd3 38. Rxf2 Rf1 { White resigned because I will save my extra piece. If he had played on the game might have continued: 39.Rxf1 Bxf1 40.Kc3 Kg7 41.a6 Kf6 42.a7 Bg2 and my king will capture several White pawns and escort one of my own pawns to its promotion square. } 0-1
[Event "telex"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov"]
[Black "West"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "23"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 { Black is willing to lose a lot of time to weaken White's queenside. } 6. e5 Nd5 7. Bd2 Nxc3 8. bxc3 Bf8 { Black doesn't like the looks of 8...Be7 9 Qg4, but now he's down four tempi. } 9. Bd3 d6 { Offering to open lines with the opponent so far ahead in development is suicidal, but he probably didn't like 9...Nc6 10 Qe2 either. } 10. Qe2 Nd7 { Blocking in his bishop like this is a bad idea anyway, and here it loses by force. } 11. Nxe6 Qb6 { 11...fxe6 12 Qh5+ doesn't work after either 12...g6 13 Bxg6+ hxg6 14 Qxg6+ Ke7 15 Bg5+ or 12...Ke7 13 Bg5+. } 12. Nc7+ { 12...Qxc7 loses the queen after 13 exd6+, so Black loses a whole rook. } 1-0
[Event "Leningrad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dolmatov"]
[Black "Kasparov"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "44"]

1. e4 c6 { I sometimes used to play the favorite openings of my former coach Mikhail Botvinnik. } 2. d3 { This move is too slow to give White any serious initiative. Better is 2.d4. } 2... e5 3. g3 g6 4. d4 { Taking two moves to advance the pawn allows Black to solve his opening problems. } 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 Qa5 { Pinning the knight on c3 and therefore threatening to play 6...Nxe4. } 6. Bg2 d6 7. Ne2 Bg7 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. Qd6 { Although the queen looks impressive here. It turns out that she is needed for the protection of the c-pawn. } 9... Na6 10. O-O Be6 11. Rd1 Nb4 { Taking advantage of the White queen not staying to protect the queenside. } 12. Be3 Nxc2 13. b4 Nxb4 { Black has a winning position because of his two pawn advantage. } 14. Bc5 Bf8 15. Qxe5 Ng4 { This intermediate move gives Black a winning initiative. 15...Bxc5 16.Qxf6 O-O 17.Nf4 Rae8 18.Nh5 gxh5 19.Qg5+ Kh8 20.Qf6+ Kg8 21.Qg5+ With a draw by repetition. } 16. Qxh8 Qxc5 { The White f-pawn now comes under a furious assault. } 17. Rf1 { 17.Kh1 Nxf2+ 18.Kg1 Nh3+ 19.Kh1 Allows Black a forced mate. } 17... O-O-O { Black's temporary loss of the exchange is fully compensated for by his active pieces. } 18. Qxh7 Nd3 { Black is relentless on his quest for the f-pawn. } 19. Nd1 Qe5 { A very strong move. Black intends to place his bishop on c5 and rook on h8. } 20. Rb1 Bc5 { White has no defense to the coming Rh8. } 21. h3 Ngxf2 { 21...Rh8 22.Qxh8+ Qxh8 23.hxg4 Gives White two rooks for the queen. } 22. Nxf2 Rh8 { White resigned since material loss in unavoidable. } 0-1
[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov"]
[Black "Miles"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "32"]

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e6 6. g3 Qb6 7. Nb3 Ne5 { Black threatens to win a pawn by 8...Qc6 or 8...Nxc4. } 8. e4 Bb4 9. Qe2 a5 { Black hopes to undermine White's Nc3 by a5-a4-a3. White has a strong pawn center and Black's knights, queen and Bb4 may get driven back, so Black seeks quick counterplay. } 10. Be3 { White continues his development before taking more space. 10.f4 allows Black to use his advantage in development to gain counterplay. } 10... a4 11. Nd2 { fxe5  axb3  favors  Black. } 11... Neg4 12. e5 Nxe3 { Qc6 } 13. f3 { White continues to reinforce his center. } 13... O-O { Nd4  Qa6  12...Bxc3+ 13.bxc3 Qa4 14.f4 Neg4 15.e5 Nxe3 16.exf6 Black's apparently active pieces are misplaced for the defence of his king, so...  Ndb5  d5  Black makes a final attempt to get counterplay against White's uncastled king, but Karpov is too clever.  Nc7  White wins a rook by this fork, demanding that Black show he has compensation.  Qd6  Black's pieces seem very active but White's pawn center is a strong defensive wall.  Nxa8  dxe4  Black finally begins to chip away at White's pawn center, but it is too late. 15... dxc4 16.Rd1 Nd3+ 17.Rxd3 cxd3 18.Qxd3  fxe4  Nxe4 } 14. Rd1 { White gains a final tempo against Black's queen. } 14... Qc6 15. Bg2 Nxc4 { Bd4  Now White has protected everything and he will be able to use his extra rook.  Bxc3+  bxc3  f5 } 16. O-O Nd6 { Nb6  e5  Nxc8  Rxc8  Bxe5  Qc5+  Bd4 } 1-0
[Event "Cagnes sur mer"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jansson"]
[Black "Kasparov"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "44"]

1. e4 c5 2. d4 { White intends to play the Smith Morra gambit, where White sacrifices a pawn for a lead in development. } 2... e6 { I now prefer to capture the pawn, since the only way to refute a gambit is to accept it. } 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Be3 { 6.Ndb5, bringing pressure on the d6 square, is the true test of Black's opening play. } 6... Bb4 { Black now has numerous tactics based on the pinned knight at c3. For example Black's immediate threat is to play 7...Nxe4 winning a pawn. } 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 { 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.e5 Nd7 10.Qg4 is a more aggressive continuation. } 8... Nxd5 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bd4 Nxc3 11. Bxc3 { 11.bxc3 allows Black to win material. } 11... Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Qf6 { Black stands slightly better because of White's doubled c-pawn. Still, with correct play I don't believe this is a big enough advantage for Black to win. } 13. O-O { 13.Qd2 Qe5+ 14.Be2 Ba6 is better for Black due to the pin on White's bishop. } 13... Qxc3 14. Qf3 g6 { Played to take away the b1-h7 diagonal from White's light squared bishop. 14...O-O would allow White a winning continuation. } 15. Rab1 O-O 16. Rb3 { 16.Rfd1 is better, when White's lead in development compensates for his lost pawn. } 16... Qc5 17. Be4 Ba6 18. Bxc6 Rac8 19. Rc3 { A miscalculation which costs White material. Better was 19.Be4. } 19... Qa5 { White has serious problems as his bishop is pinned down on the c-file. The immediate threat is 20...Bb5 or Bb7. } 20. Rd1 Be2 { The deflection of White's queen costs him the exchange. } 21. Qxe2 Qxc3 22. Ba4 Rfd8 { White resigned because of his material deficit. For practice setup this game and try defending White's position against Gambit. } 0-1