[Event "World Championship Match"]
[Site "Jakarta"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "20"]
[White "Karpov, An"]
[Black "Timman, J"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Timman, J"]

{ English Opening A33 } 1. Nf3 { A draw was enough for Karpov to win the match, which is possibly why he did not play his usual starting move. Mischa Tal also used to open like this when he was in a peaceful frame of mind. } 1... c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e6 6. a3 { Speelman's move, popular for a while but now out of fashion. } 6... Nxd4 7. Qxd4 b6 { Originally an idea of Hort's, found during preparations for my semi-final match against Speelman in 1989. Later, Sax played it a few times in his match against Kortchnoi, Wijk aan Zee 1991. Black prepares the development of his bishops to b7 and c5, hoping to prove that White's sixth move is a slight weakness. } 8. Bf4 { This is what Kortchnoi played in his first game against Sax. In a later game he tried 8.Qf4 in order to follow up with the push 9.e4. Karpov probably didn't know too much about these games, as he used a lot of time and failed to come up with a convincing new idea. } 8... Bc5 9. Qd2 O-O 10. Rd1 Bb7 11. Bd6 Bxd6 12. Qxd6 Rc8 13. e3 { So far, we have followed - with some minor transpositions - the first match game of Kortchnoi-Sax. (It is remarkable that both Kortchnoi and Karpov, during their first confrontation with this system, opted for the same set-up.) In that game Black played 13...Ba6 in order to provoke 14.b3, after which, he returned to base with 14...Bb7, with the intention of hindering the development of the White king's bishop.
{
After a long think, I decided on a different approach. } 13... Re8 $1 { A useful waiting move. Black is waiting for the weakening f2-f3, after which he will take his bishop to a6 and exert maximum pressure against the White c-pawn.
{
In Inside Chess, Seirawan indicates 13...Rc6 as even better, with the variation 14.Qd4 Qa8 15.Be2 Rc5 16.f3 d5, with advantage for Black. Difficult as I find it to contradict the analysis of one of my seconds, I don't think this recommendation is very sound. 15.Bd3 is much better for White, who can then meet 15...Rc5 with 16.e4, which leaves the Black queen rather stranded on a8. } 14. f3 Rc6 { Less effective was 14...Ba6, as this enables White to reply 15.b3 Rc6 16.Qc6. } 15. Qd4 Ba6 16. Ne4 { White is aiming for simplification, but he is in fact helping Black. Correct was 16.Na2!, relieving the pressure on c4. After 16...Rc5 17.Nb4 Bb7 Black has a comfortable game, but no more. } 16... Nxe4 17. Qxe4 Qc7 { An interesting alternative was the immediate push 17...d5, with the point 18.cxd5 exd5 19.Rxd5 Qa8!, and White is in dire trouble.
Accepting the pawn offer is irresponsible. White would do better to continue with 19.Qd4 (instead of 19.Rxd5) 19...Bxf1 20.Rxf1.
Black can still then try to use his major pieces to wrestle the initiative from his opponent during the middlegame, but there is little hope of a large advantage.
With a natural text-move Black intends to provoke the slightly weakening b2-b3 before going for the breaking move d7-d5. } 18. Bd3 { More accurate was 18.b3, after which Black's best move is the preventative 18...g6. White can then develop his bishop to e2, where it is safer, as we will soon see. After the text, Black's advantage probably takes on decisive proportions. } 18... g6 19. b3 { The alternative 19.0-0, with the point 19...Bxc4 20.Bxc4 Rxc4 21.Rxd7, wasn't attractive either, as Black then takes control of both open files with 21...Qxd7 (not 21...Rxe4 22.Rxc7 Rxe3 23.Rd1!, with sufficient counterplay) 22.Qc4 Rc8.
A possible continuation is 23.Qe2 Qa4 24.Rd1 Rc2, and now:
A) 25.Rd2 Rc1+ 26.Kf2 Qh4+, and wins.
B) 25.Rd8+ Kg7 26.Qd1. The most stubborn defense. In case of 26...Qc4 White has to accept a rook ending a pawn down with 27.Qd4+, which should be technically winning for Black, especially in view of the weakened White kingside pawn structure caused by the advance of the f-pawn. } 19... d5 $1 { Now this advance is strongest, with move 13 turning out to be unexpectedly useful. } 20. cxd5 Bxd3 21. Qxd3 exd5 22. Kf2 { A painful decision, but castling wouldn't have been very good for White either. After 22.0-0 Rc3 23.Qxd5 Rexe3 the Black rooks reign supreme.
This shows very clearly what a weakening move the advance of the b-pawn really was. } 22... Rc3 23. Qxd5 Rcxe3 { In these circumstances, Black takes with the other rook, as 23...Rexe3 would not be very effective after 24.Rhe1. } 24. Rd2 { White is trying to stay on his feet in the middlegame by deploying his major pieces. After 24.Rhe1 Rxe1 25.Rxe1 Rxe1 26.Kxe1 Qxh2 Black would liquidate into a winning queen ending. } 24... Qe7 { 24...Qf4 was also strong, but the text is more effective. The main threat is 25...Re1, forcing White to give up one of his queenside pawns. } 25. Kg3 { Desperation. White hopes to take his king to safety after 25...Qxa3 by playing 26.Rb1, followed by 27.h3, the idea being that with all major pieces around, Black would not be able to go for the final position which is a clear technical win.
But Black has a stronger capture up his sleeve. } 25... Rxb3 $1 { This wins a pawn, while keeping a strong initiative going. 26.Qxb3 would run into the devastating 26...Qg5+. } 26. a4 Rb4 27. Rd4 Rxd4 28. Qxd4 Qg5+ 29. Kh3 Re2 { Forcing White into total passivity. } 30. Rg1 Qh5+ 31. Kg3 Qg5+ 32. Kh3 Rd2 { After repeating moves, Black chases the enemy queen from her dominant position. The end is near. } 33. Qc3 Ra2 34. Qd4 h6 { More subtle than the obvious 34...h5. Black keeps the h5 square for a possible queen check. Now White is more or less in Zugzwang. } 35. Qc4 Qh5+ 36. Kg3 Qe5+ 37. Kh3 Rd2 { With devastating threat of 38...Rd4. Now White commits hara-kiri. } 38. Qh4 Qf5+ 39. Kg3 g5 40. Qxh6 Qf4+ 0-1