Games: Chess

Garry Kasparov has just finished a whirlwind tour of Britain during which he gave simultaneous displays in Oakham, Oxford and London in the space of three days. The event at Oakham School was the most interesting, where he played eight opponents in the clock simul. Each player had 100 minutes to complete all their moves, with Kasparov facing the little problem that whenever he stopped to think, his clock might well be running on all eight boards at the same time.

I have always felt that the best strategy for the team facing a champion in such a display is to co-ordinate their efforts to produce synchronised moving, but as far as I know the Oakham team did not do so. Perhaps that explains why they lost 8-0, though Kasparov's excellent technique may also have contributed.

The two best games both saw Kasparov tempting his opponents into tactical adventures which led to his advantage in the endgame. In his game against Nicholas Pert, Kasparov allowed White to win two pieces for a rook in the complications that began with 13...Bd3, but he had seen through as far as 20...Rxa2 and realised that the black a-pawn would prove too strong.

White: Nicholas Pert

Black: Garry Kasparov

1 d4 Nf6 23 Bf4 a6

2 Nf3 g6 24 Nc7 a5

3 g3 Bg7 25 Nd5 a4

4 Bg2 d5 26 Be5+ Kg8

5 0-0 0-0 27 Nxb6 a3

6 c4 dxc4 28 c4 Rc2

7 Na3 c3 29 Kf3 a2

8 bxc3 c5 30 Ke3 Rc1

9 e3 Nc6 31 Kd2 Rf1

10 Qe2 Bf5 32 f4 Rf2+

11 Bb2 e5 33 Kd3 Rxh2

12 Nxe5 Nxe5 34 Nd7 Rh3

13 dxe5 Bd3 35 Nxc5 Rxg3+

14 Qd1 Bxf1 36 Kc2 h5

15 exf6 Qxd1 37 f5 f6

16 Rxd1 Bxg2 38 Bxf6 h4

17 fxg7 Rfd8 39 Kb2 h3

18 Rxd8+ Rxd8 40 Be5 h2

19 Kxg2 Rd2 41 Bxg3 h1=Q

20 Bc1 Rxa2 42 Kxa2 Qg2+

21 e4 Kxg7 43 Kb3 Qxg3+

22 Nb5 b6 White resigned

David Garner's game was very similar. After 14 moves, he saw an opportunity for a series of exchanges. Perhaps when playing 15.Nxc6, White expected 17...Rxe4 with a more or less equal game, but Kasparov had it all under control with the clever 18...Red8! leading to a double rook endgame in which, despite initial appearances, Black always had the advantage.

Kasparov's technique in keeping the white rooks tied down to the defence of his weak pawns, then gradually advancing his own pawns and increasing his grip, is very instructive. At the end, White resigned without waiting for the decisive 38...Rff3, winning the pawn on h3 and leaving White's cause hopeless.

White: David Garner

Black: Garry Kasparov

1 e4 c5 20 Qxf3 Qxf3

2 c3 e6 21 gxf3 g6

3 d4 d5 22 Re2 Ra5

4 exd5 exd5 23 Kh2 Rd3

5 Nf3 Bd6 24 a3 Rxf3

6 dxc5 Bxc5 25 Rg1 Raf5

7 Bd3 Nf6 26 Rg2 Kg7

8 0-0 0-0 27 Rd2 b5

9 h3 Nc6 28 Rc2 R5f4

10 Nbd2 Bb6 29 Rd2 h5

11 Nb3 Ne4 30 Re2 h4

12 Nbd4 Qf6 31 Rd2 f6

13 Be3 Re8 32 Re2 g5

14 Re1 Bd7 33 Rd2 Kg6

15 Nxc6 bxc6 34 Re2 c5

16 Bxb6 axb6 35 Rd2 c4

17 Bxe4 dxe4 36 Rd5 Rf5

18 Qxd7 Red8 37 Rd2 Rd3

19 Qg4 exf3 38 Re2 0-1