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1998 Karpov vs Anand FIDE Championship Match, Game 1:

[Title "Karpov - Anand, WCC Game 1, 1998"]
[FEN ""]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.O-O a6 10.e4 c5 11.d5 Qc7 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.Bc2 c4 14.Qe2 Bd6 15.Nd4 Nc5 16.f4 e5 17.Ndxb5 axb5 18.Nxb5 Qb6 19.Nxd6+ Qxd6 20.fxe5 Qxe5 21.Rf5 Qe7 22.Qxc4 Rc8 23.Qb5+ Ncd7 24.Qxb7 Rxc2 25.Bg5 Qd6 26.Qa8+ Kf7 27.Qxh8 Qd4+ 28.Kh1 Qxe4 29.Rf3 Rxg2 30.Kxg2 Ne5 31.Qxg7+ Kxg7 32.Bxf6+ Kg6 33.Bxe5 Qxe5 34.Rg1 h5 35.b3 Qe2+ 36.Rf2 Qe4+ 37.Kf1 Kh6 38.Rg3 Qb1+ 39.Kg2 Qe4+ 40.Rgf3 Qg6+ 41.Kf1 Qb1+ 42.Kg2 Qg6+ 43.Kh1 Qb1+ 44.Rf1 Qxa2 45.Rf6+ Kg7 46.Rf7+ Kh8 47.Rf8+ Kg7 48.R8f7+ Kg8 49.R7f3 Kg7 50.h3 Qc2 51.R1f2 Qe4 52.Kg2 Qb4 53.Re2 Qd4 54.Re7+ Kg6 55.Re6+ Kg7 56.Rg3+ Kf7 57.Rge3 Qd5+ 58.Kg3 Qg5+ 59.Kf2 Qh4+ 60.Ke2 Qd4 61.R6e4 Qa1 62.Kd3 Kf6 63.Re6+ Kf5 64.b4 Qc1 65.Kd4 Qc8 66.b5 Qd8+ 67.Kc5 Qc7+ 68.Kb4 Qf4+ 69.Kb3 Qc7 70.b6 Qd7 71.R3e5+ Kf4 72.Re4+ Kg3 73.Re3+ Kh2 74.Kc4 h4 75.Kc5 Qc8+ 76.Kd5 Qd8+ 77.Ke4 Qd7 78.Kf5 Kg2 79.Kg5 Qg7+ 80.Kxh4+ Kf2 81.R3e5 Qh8+ 82.Kg4 Qg7+ 83.Kf5 Qh7+ 84.Kf6 Qh4+ 85.Kf7 Qh7+ 86.Ke8 Qb7 87.h4 Qb8+ 88.Kf7 Qb7+ 89.Kg6 Qb8 90.h5 Qg8+ 91.Kf5 Qh7+ 92.Kf6 Kf3 93.Re3+ Kf2 94.Re2+ Kf3 95.R2e3+ Kf2 96.Kg5 Qg8+ 97.Kh4 Qd8+ 98.Kh3 Qd1 99.Re2+ Kf3 100.Kh2 Qd8 101.R6e3+ Kf4 102.b7 Qb6 103.Re4+ Kf3 104.R2e3+ Kf2 105.Re7 Qd6+ 106.Kh3 Qb8 107.R3e5 Kg1 108.Rg7+ 1-0

According to Stockfish 14.1 the white game can be improved with 34. Rf2! (with forced tablebase win later on) while the text move 34. Rg1? gives away the win due to 34...Kh5.

Can you add your own analysis (hand or computer) to back up or contradict this verdict?

SecretAgentMan
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user27314
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1 Answers1

2

...Kh5 is a better way to get the king out of danger, as compared to ...h5, since now if the white king moves, there's no discovered check. Some lines:

a) 34...Qxb2+ is what Black wants to play, but this blunders to 35.Kf1+ Kh5 36.Rh3#.

b) 34...h5, as played in the game, continued 35.b3 Qe2+ 36.Rf2 Qe4+, at which point Karpov should have played 37.Kh3+ Kh7 38.Rf7+ Kh8 39.Rf6, and the geometry of the position gives White a winning advantage. If the king were on f1, Black would be able to get a draw (with correct play) by checking from the side.

c) 34...Kh5 is best. Now:

  • c1) 35.Rh3+ Kg4 36.Rxh7 (36.Rg3+ Kh4 37.b3 Qe2+ will be a perpetual) Qxb2+ 37.Kh1+ Kf5 is a tablebase draw. Although Stockfish gives this as +0.63, which indicates this may not be so trivial for a human to draw.
  • c2) 35.Kh1 threatens Rh3#, but 35...Qd5 36.Rgf1 Qxa2 snags a queenside pawn anyway, and once again a tablebase draw.
  • c3) 35.b3 is met with 35...Qe2+ 36.Rf2 (36.Kg3 Qe5+ gets White nowhere) 36...Qe4+. This position was reached in the game (and in this answer earlier), but where the black king and pawn were on g6 and h5 respectively. But now, since the king is no longer on the g-file, 37.Kh3 does not come with check. After something trivial like 37...Qh4+ 38.Kg2 Qe4+, the position repeats.
Inertial Ignorance
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