1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4
The Slav Gambit made its debut way back in the game
Chajes-Schlechter, Carlsbad 1911. It was revived by Tolush and Geller.-NSH
5...b5 6.e5 Nd5 7.a4 e6 8.axb5
A more modern plan is 8.Ng5 h6 9.Nge4 b4 10.Nb1 Ba6
8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 cxb5 10.Ng5 Bb7 11.Qh5 g6
A bad move weakening the dark squares in the kingside
and virtually making the position of the White pawn on e5
unassailable.
After the more logical 11...Qd7, 12.Be2! is best with
chances for both sides. In this connection Kasparov mentions
only his game against Petursson in Malta Olympiad, 1980. But
Garry's opponent played too weakly in this game.-NSH
Not 12.Nxh7?! Nc6 13.Nxf8? (Kasparov-Kupreichik, 47th
USSR Championship,1979) on account of 13...Qxd4! (a shot missed by
both the players!) 14.cxd4 Rxh5 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Be3 Rh4-+) 12...Bd5
13.Nxh7 Nc6 14.Nxf8 (14.Nf6+?! gxf6 15.Qxh8 0-0-0 16.Qxf6? Bxg2 17.Rg1
Nxd4 18.cxd4 Bb4+-+) 14...Rxf8 15.Qg5 a5
∞
12.Qg4 Be7 13.Be2 Nd7
14.h4?!
A dubious move. More problems are posed by
14.Bf3 when the best is 14...Qc8! (Szabo-Petrosian, Budapest 1955).
14...h5! 15.Qg3 Nb6
15...Bd5!? preventing White pawn advance on d5 is also
possible.
16.0-0
16.Bf3 with the idea of Ne4 deserves attention.
16...a5!
This position was also reached in the game Geller-Flohr,
played in the same round.
17.d5!!
Sacrificing the second pawn, opening up the position.
17.Ba3? is bad on account of 17...b4; Worried by Black's last move,
Geller played 17.Rb1? After 17...b4 18.f4 Qd7 19.Ra1 b3 he was
outplayed and lost.
17...Nxd5
17...0-0?? 18.Bxh5!+-; Petrosian recommended 17...Bxd5
preventing the white knight from occupying e4. However, after
18.Rd1 Qc7 19.Be3! White has strong pressure and the position of the
king is still a cause for concern according to Kasparov.
18.Rd1 Qc7 19.Ne4 0-0-0!
19...0-0?? is still bad on account of 20.Bxh5!
20.Bg5 Bxg5 21.Qxg5
21...a4?
21...f6!! A fantastic resource discovered by
Kasparov. 22.exf6 Nf4 23.Rxd8+ Rxd8 24.Bf3 Bd5!
"The position is very sharp, but the unpleasant threat of ...b5-b4
means that it can be evaluated in Black's favour."
22.Qg3 f5 23.Nd6+ Rxd6 24.exd6
24...f4?
Better chances were offered by 24...Qg7! After 25.Bf3
the c-pawn is taboo according to all commentators from Lilienthal to
Kasparov. 25...Nxc3?? 26.d7+!+-
(Matters are not so clear after 25...Qxc3 .-NSH)
Garry recommends 25...Qf6! 26.Bxd5 exd5 with the idea of ...Rd8
and...d5-d4! The other point of the move is that the White queen
is tied to the defence of the pawns on d6 and h5.)
25.Qxg6 Qxd6 26.Bf3 Bc6 27.Re1 Re8 28.Bxd5! Qxd5
29.Rad1! Qf5 30.Qxf5+- exf5 31.Rxe8+ Bxe8 32.f3! Kc7 33.Kf2 Kb6 34.Ke2
Ka5
34...Kc5 35.Rb1! a3 36.Kd2 b4 37.cxb4+ Kd4 38.Ra1 c3+
39.Kc1 Ke3 40.Rxa3 Kf2 41.Rxc3 Kxg2 42.Kd2+- according to Colin
crouch.
35.Rb1! a3 36.Kd2 b4 37.cxb4+ Ka4 38.Kc3 a2 39.Ra1
Ka3
40.Kxc4!
A brilliantly calculated rook sacrifice just at the
time of adjournment.
40...Kb2 41.Re1 a1Q 42.Rxa1 Kxa1 43.b5 Bd7 44.b6
Bc8 45.Kd4 Kb2 46.Ke5 Kc3 47.Kxf4 Kd4 48.Kg5 Ke5 49.Kxh5 Kf6 50.g4 Bb7
51.Kh6!
...and Smyslov resigned.
If 51...Bxf3? 52.g5++- 1-0
In his youth Petrosian was a free and
uninhibited spirit ready to attack and combine, unmindful of risk. In
the first two rounds of this tournament Petrosian had “thrown himself” at
his opponents, Kopylov and Aronin and lost. Then he picked up the pace, winning
game after game.
