Pawn sacrifice by the young challenger proved champion's undoing in key game

When Gary Kasparov crushed Anatoly Karpov in the 19th game of their world title match, it gave the 22-year-old challenger an apparently insurmountable two-point lead. To his credit, Karpov rallied in the next few games, defending skillfully with black and winning once with white to force the match all the way to a decisive 24th contest. In the end, though, Kasparov prevailed, winning the last game and with it the match, 13-11, thus becoming the youngest world champion in the game's history. And so in th e final analysis it was today's featured 19th game -- a combination of aggressive and positional chess -- that built the margin from which Karpov could never recover. In my opinion, the caliber of play in the whole match was extremely high, particularly by Kasparov, who seemed better prepared in opening selection. He continually posed thorny problems for Karpov, not all of which the champion was able to solve effectively. Another pawn sacrifice was the lever in Game 19, and the modus operandi by which the youthful challenger obtained a sustained initiative that led to the key victory. Nimzo-Indian Defense Kasparov Karpov Kasparov Karpov

1. P-Q4 N-KB3

2. P-QB4 P-K3

3. N-QB3 B-N5

4. N-B3 N-K5 (a)

5. Q-B2 P-KB4 (b)

6. P-KN3 N-QB3

7. B-N2 O-O

8. O-O BxN

9. PxB N-R4 (c) 10. P-B5 P-Q3 11. P-B4 (d) P-QN3 (e) 12. B-Q2 NxB 13. NxN P-Q4 (f) 14. PxQP PxQP 15. P-K3 (g) B-K3 16. Q-B3 R-B2 17. KR-B1 R-N1 18. QR-N1 R-K2 19. P-QR4 B-B2 20. B-B1 P-KR3 21. B-Q3 Q-Q2 22. Q-B2 B-K3 23. B-N5 Q-Q1 24. R-Q1 (h) P-N4 25. N-B3 R-KN2 (i) 26. N-K5 P-B5 27. B-B1 (j) Q-B3 28. B-N2 R-Q1 29. P-K4 (k) QPxP 30. BxP R-K2 31. Q-B3 K-N2 32. R-K1 B-Q4 33. N-N4 Q-B2 34. BxB RxB 35. RxR QxR 36. R-K1 Q-Q1 37. N-K5 Q-B3 38. PxNP QxP 39. PxP RxP (l) 40. N-B3 N-N6 41. R-N1 Q-KB3 42. QxP ch Resigns (m)

A. An aggressive continuation. Previously in the match Karpov played 4. . . . P-B4 in the 1st, 13th, and 17th games and 4. . . . O-O in the 7th and 11th games. Now, a point behind in the match, he is playing for a win with the Black pieces.

B. Transposing into a form of the Dutch Defense, an occasional favorite of former world champion Mikhail Botvinnik, but eschewed by all subsequent world champions because of its uncertain central structure.

C. The idea behind Black's sixth move. He hopes to lay siege to the light squares, particularly his QB5.

D. Typical Kasparov. Even at the cost of a pawn he frustrates Black's strategic goals. Karpov had hoped for 11. PxP, PxP, when Black gets good play by posting a rook on the half-open QB file, pressuring the White bishop pawn.

E. Accepting the proffered pawn was unappetizing in view of 11. . . . PxP; 12. PxP, NxP/B4; 13. B-QR3, Q-K2; 14. N-K5, or here, 13. . . . P-QN3; 14. BxN, PxB; 15. Q-R4. It seems that Black must relinquish his extra pawn, when he will remain with no compensation for his positional inferiority.

F. Unpleasant, since his pawns now become weak and he is left with a bad bishop to boot, but after the natural 13. . . . B-N2; 14. BxB, NxB; 15. P-B6, N-R4; 16. P-Q5, the hapless Knight remains in chancery.

G. This guards against 15. . . . P-KB5, which would give Black some kingside play and activate his bishop.

H. This ``mysterious'' rook move may be the finest in the game. White wishes to maneuver his knight to K5, but the immediate 24. N-B3 would allow the Black knight to escape with 24. . . . N-B5.

I. But now 25. . . . N-B5 is met by 26. BxN, PxB; 27. P-Q5, BxP; 28. QxKBP, P-B3; 29. P-K4, RxP; 30. Q-N6 ch, K moves; 31. QxP ch, K moves; 32. NxP, and Black may as well resign.

J. The peripatetic prelate returns to bolster the kingside defense.

K. Following another excellent Steinitzian maxim -- an attack on the wing should be met by a counterattack on the center.

L. If 39. . . . PxP, then 40. Q-B3 threatens the rook as well as 41. Q-N4 ch, with a quick decision; but now Black, in a hopeless situation, falls victim to a series of pins that will cost him at least the exchange.

M. Kasparov sealed this move open, a hint that resignation was long overdue. Karpov took the hint, but not until the audience, which had been cheering Kasparov, had left the theater.

International Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier is a former US champion and has won or shared the US Open title five times.

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