Chess: With one queen behind his back

PERHAPS the most curious game of the year so far is the one Anatoly Karpov lost against Viktor Korchnoi last month in Dortmund. It was Korchnoi's first win against Karpov since their world title match in 1981 and, if that is not curious enough, he did it with one queen tied behind his back. It's a long game, but worth playing through for the fun at the end.

For the first 20 moves, it looked like going the way of so many Karpov-Korchnoi games. Karpov was playing solidly, while Korchnoi was weakening himself with moves such as f5 and g5. Then it became clear that White was getting nowhere. Karpov took a gamble with 32. Nxc4, winning a pawn, but giving his opponent a strong initiative. When White had to play 42. b4 to free his game, it looked terrible, but Karpov fought back well and seemed to be bamboozling Korchnoi in complications. In the confusion, White queened his f-pawn, but then with two queens he was helpless. A strange game.

----------------------------------------------------------------- White: Karpov ----------------------------------------------------------------- Black: Korchnoi 1 d4 Nf6 38 Rf2 g4 2 c4 e6 39 Kg1 Rgb8 3 Nf3 b6 40 Qe2 h3 4 a3 Bb7 41 Bf1 Bc7 5 Nc3 d5 42 b4 cxb3 6 Bg5 Be7 43 Nb2 Bd6 7 Qa4+ c6 44 a4 Qe6 8 Bxf6 Bxf6 45 Rd1 Ra7 9 cxd5 exd5 46 Rd3 Kh7 10 g3 0-0 47 Qd1 c5 11 Bg2 Nd7 48 Rxb3 Rxb3 12 0-0 Be7 49 Qxb3 c4 13 Rfd1 f5 50 Qb6 Ra8 14 e3 Bd6 51 e4 fxe4 15 Ne2 Qe7 52 f5 Qe7 16 Nf4 a5 53 Nd1 Rb8 17 Nd3 b5 54 Qa5 Bc6 18 Qc2 a4 55 f6 Qe6 19 Re1 Kh8 56 Ne3 Rb3 20 Rac1 Nb6 57 Qa7+ Bb7 21 Nfe5 Nc4 58 a5 Bf8 22 f4 g5 59 Rf4 Bh6 23 Qe2 Rg8 60 f7 Bxf4 24 Kf2 Raf8 61 f8Q Bxe3+ 25 Nf3 h6 62 Kh1 Bh6 26 Nfe5 Kh7 63 Qf2 Bg7 27 Kg1 Qe8 64 a6 Rf3 28 Qc2 Kh8 65 Qe1 Bxa6 29 Nf2 Rg7 66 Be2 Rf7 30 Re2 Bc8 67 Qc5 c3 31 Rce1 Rfg8 68 Qcxc3 Bxe2 32 Nxc4 bxc4 69 Qxe2 Qf6 33 Qxa4 Rb7 70 Qc1 Bh6 34 Nd1 h5 71 Qb1 Qf5 35 Kf2 Bd7 72 Kg1 Rc7 36 Qc2 Qg6 White resigns 37 Kf1 h4 -----------------------------------------------------------------