Modern Classics

Anand-Karpov, 1996

Anand-Karpov, Las Palmas 1996

Position after 20...Bb7-a6

The frequently cited as the strongest tournament of all time Supertorneo Las Palmas 1996 was the first ever category 21 tournament. The event had an Elo rating average of 2756 and included six of the top seven rated players competing in a double round robin format. The victor was Garry Kasparov, with Vishy Anand finishing in second place.

In the presented game Anand-Karpov, the Indian player started the game quietly with 1.Nf3, not willing to face Karpov's beloved Caro-Kann. The game transposed into a rare variation of the Queen's Gambit Accepted with an isolated queen's pawn (IQP) for White. Karpov, who at that time was still the second-best player in the world after Kasparov, has always been known to be a master of playing against IQP.  However, in the resulting position Anand's pawn on b5 hindered the normal development of Black's queenside and Karpov decided to change the pawn structure. In the newly created situation, "the Tiger of Madras", as the Indian Grandmaster is sometimes called, found a far from obvious deep idea of transferring his bishop to a better diagonal. Anand already had in mind a standard sacrifice rarely seen in top modern practice, which happened five moves later. Karpov spent all his time trying to find a defence, but in vain, as after the sacrifice White was winning in all variations. On move 28 Karpov lost on time in a hopeless position.

 

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MoveNResultEloPlayers
Position not in LiveBook
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 e6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e4 4.e3 4...b5 5.a4 c6 6.axb5 cxb5 7.b3 Bb7 7...Bb4+ 8.bxc4 Bxe4 9.cxb5 Nf6 10.Be2 Be7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Nc3 Bb7 13.Ne5 a6 14.Bf3 Nd5 14...Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Qxd4 16.Bf4 15.Nxd5 exd5 15...Bxd5 16.Bd2 Qb6 17.Bxd5 exd5 18.Qa4 16.Rb1 Qb6 16...axb5 17.Rxb5 Ba6 18.Rxd5 Qb6 19.Re1 Bb7 20.Nd7 Nxd7 21.Rxd7 16...Nd7 17.bxa6 Bxa6 18.Nc6 17.Be2 axb5 18.Rxb5 Qc7 19.Bf4 Bd6 20.Bd3 Ba6 21.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.Qh5+ Kg8 23.Rb3 Bxe5 23...Bc8 24.Rg3 23...f6 24.Rh3 fxe5 25.dxe5 Rxf4 26.e6 24.Rh3 24.Bxe5 Qc4 25.Rfb1 Qe2 24.dxe5 Qc4 25.Rfb1 Qxf4 26.Rh3 Qh6 24...f6 25.dxe5 Qe7 25...Qc4 26.Qh7+ Kf7 27.Re1 Qxf4 28.e6+ Ke8 29.Qg6+ 26.Qh7+ Kf7 27.Rg3 Ke8 27...Rg8 28.Qg6+ Kf8 29.exf6 Qxf6 30.Bd6+ 28.Rxg7 Qe6 29.exf6 Nc6 29...Rxf6 30.Bg5 30.Ra1 Kd8 31.h4 Bb7 32.Rc1 Ba6 33.Ra1 Bb7 34.Rd1 Ba6 35.Qb1 Rxf6 36.Bg5 Kc8 37.Qb6 1–0
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Anand,V2735Karpov,A27751–0 Las Palmas7