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Anatoly Karpov vs Tony Miles
"The Incorrect Opening" (game of the day Jun-04-2014)
European Team Championship (1980), Skara SWE, rd 1, Jan-20
St. George Defense: General (B00)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 49 times; par: 80 [what's this?]

Annotations by Tony Miles.

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 9 OF 9 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-24-15  thegoodanarchist: <Petrosianic: ...
Perhaps you're being funny, and you have a very self-deprecating sense of humor. But the character you play, of someone jarred to the core any time anything remotely negative is said about Fischer is funny>

Again, reading stuff into my comments that simply is not there on my end. If I slam an anti-Fischer post for being completely ridiculous it is because I am not going to let utter nonsense pass without a refutation. I am having a good time. You should try to as well.

<...just a part of the comedy act ...>

Stubbornly refusing to understand, you are. Probably just to try to get a rise. Hmmm, curious.

Oct-21-15  kamagong24: ah! opening of the day! my favorite!
Oct-21-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  eternaloptimist: When I think of the St. George Defense I think of this game. It's amazing that Karpov didn't even change expressions after Miles played 1...♙a6. The fact that Miles beat him w/ this opening shows that psychology can play a huge part in a chess game.
Apr-04-16  The Kings Domain: Playing 1)... a6 against the champ? Miles was a character indeed.
Apr-04-16  Howard: This game received widespread attention when Miles died, in late 2001.
Apr-23-16  whiteshark: Two game related photos (© Lars Grahn): http://larsgrahn.blogspot.de/2009_0...
Jul-19-16  Hunter16: To do this against Karpov(Super GM and current world champion at that time)requires an equally large amount of bravery and positional understanding vs.Karpov,one of the best positional players in history.
Jul-19-16  Petrosianic: Yes, beating the world champion is difficult. You certainly 'it the nail on the 'ol head there.
Aug-02-16  j4jishnu: There is nothing wrong in the opening, especially when Miles is playing against one of the best Champions that ever lived. The opening repertory is just "unorthodox", all you can say. Well played Miles.
Aug-02-16  Ultra: Fischer has an effect on patzers not unlike Trump has on the establishment.

Their true motivations are revealed by ugly characters....

Aug-07-16  Hunter16: Well actually look at it,the opening is only 'incorrect'because it doesn't challenge the centre.But on the other hand though,Miles plays in a true hypermodernist style (Cough Cough Nimzowitsch!:))and goes for a queenside fianchetto and proceeds to attack White's centre.Nothing very major long really in my eyes.But yes,certainly not one of the better openings out there.
Aug-07-16  Hunter16: I meant if we look at it* and nothing wrong*sorry for the typo!;)
Aug-08-16  WorstPlayerEver: Well.. Fischer didn't lose to 1... a6 afaik
Nov-04-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  Domdaniel: Didn't Korchnoi (in 1974, before his first match with Karpov, when he was still a Soviet citizen) say something like "I will try to beat Karpov to save him from Fischer" ...?

I love what Miles did here. But it's not as radical as some people seem to think.

Jan-19-19  Pyrandus: ? " didn't lose to 1... a6 afaik"

"Afaik"? Dont understand. Afaik?

Jan-19-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: as far as i know
Jan-19-19  Granny O Doul: It has always bothered me that 1...a6 got dubbed the "incorrect opening" rather than the "incorrect defense".
Jul-28-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: <Domdaniel: ... I love what Miles did here. But it's not as radical as some people seem to think.>

I think it was pretty radical, both in psychological and historic ways. The underdog provokes the beast in a completely unexpected, shocking way, and comes out victorious. It's a lesson on attitude, especially when you are the underdog.

For Miles himself, however, it may have been less heroic than we often assume. Until this, Miles had an =2 -5 score against Karpov, having had the black pieces in all five losses. Miles must have thought, what the heck, if I am going to lose, at least I'll have fun.

Jul-28-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: I don't see it as any more "incorrect" than Alekhine's Defense or the Modern Defense or the English Defense.

It is just another example of hypermodernism.

Jun-20-20  ovalenti: 12. Bg5 Bxg5 13. Nfxg5 h6? 14. Nxf7!
Jun-20-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: <ovalenti>
Yes, but from the notes, Miles intended to reply 12 Bg5 <f6> 13 exf6 gxf6, so you need to start evaluating from there.
Aug-18-21  Ulhumbrus: Karpov's attack barely fails instead of barely succeeding and so it fails instead of succeeding and so he loses instead of winning.
Aug-18-21  RookFile: Karpov would have done better if he had built the big pawn center rather than emphasize piece play.
Oct-20-24  Dr. Siggy: The main line of St. George Defence seems to be almost unplayable since a theoretical novelty at move 6 was introduced in the following Internet game:

[Event "Aljubarrota Vs Castela ~ from sam_barroqueiro"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2019.10.10"] [Round "-"] [White "dr_siggy"] [Black "sam_barroqueiro"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2300"] [BlackElo "2134"]

1. e4 a6 2. d4 b5 3. Nf3 Bb7 4. Bd3 d6 5. O-O Nf6 6. e5 [!?] dxe5 7. dxe5 Ne4 8. e6 [!] f5 9. Bxe4 fxe4 10. Qxd8+ Kxd8 11. Ng5 Kc8 12. Nf7 Rg8 13. Rd1 Nc6 14. Nc3 Kb8 15. Nxe4 Nb4 16. Rd8+ Bc8 17. c3 Nc6 18. Re8 Kb7 1-0

Jan-13-25  andrea volponi: 19 Bxh7!? Kxh7 - Ng5+ Kg6 -Qg4 f5 -Qg3 Qd4! -Nxe6+ Qg4 -Qxg4+ fxg4 - Nxf8 + Bxf8 - Rfd1 (=).
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