So White is forced to play 57.Rf1 where ...Re3 mops up the White pawn and the game.

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 c5 <The risky Tarrasch defense, an old favorite of Kasparov until Karpov busted it in their first match.> 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3<Larsen chooses the almost standard Rubinstein variation, in which black attempts to secure his kingside to avoid any black aggression and place tremendous pressure upon the soon-to-be isolated d5-pawn.> 6...Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.b3<Larsen chooses a characteristically offbeat continuation, not unlike his patent opening move, 1.b3. Theoretically, black can reach equality, though I can speak from experience that the resulting positions require very precise and active play from Black.> 9...Ne4 10.Bb2 Bf6<A multi-purpose move. the bishop vacates the e7 square upon which the queen will eventually take residence, it opposes the long diagonal, and opens the e-file for the KR.> 11.Na4 Re8 12.Rc1<The pressure builds, but Garry is unperturbed; this is standard white play in which he hopes to lure black into a passive position. Without sufficient activity, black will be crushed.> 12...b6 13.dxc5 Bxb2<13...b5?! 14.Nc3 b4 15.Nxe4 Bxb2 16.Nd6! Bxc1 17.Qxd5 Re7 18.Rxc1 > 14.Nxb2 bxc5<G.K. accepts the so-called 'hanging pawns'. If mobile, they push the opposing pieces out of their way, marching down to become queens or opening lines of attack. Blockaded, they're bottlenecks and usually rounded up. very double-edged play.> 15.Na4 Ba6!<The only move which doesn't cede the advantage. the obvious point is 16.Nxc5 Nxc5 17.Rxc5 Bxe2 18.Qxd5 Qxd5 19.Rxd5 Bxf1 20.Bxf1 > 16.Re1 c4!<They must be advanced. Quite often, the c5-c4 advance of the hanging pawns is very commital, but successful<see O Bernstein vs Capablanca, 1914 , M Bertok vs Fischer, 1962 , and Timman vs Short, 1993 for similar c5-c4 games.>> 17.Nh4!?<Larsen begins a long maneuver to blockade on d4; a true pupil of Nimzowitsch! Unfortunately, the tempi involved prove costly.> 17...Qa5! <the most precise choice. If 17...Rc8 18.Bxe4 Rxe4 19.Nc5! is annoying. > 18.Nf5 g6 19.Nd4<The knight has reached d4 but Black's pieces are now ready for action.> 19...Rac8<All the black pieces are working now.> 20.h4!?<Larsen was legendary for his affinity for pushing rook pawns, but this was objectively speaking, not the best. Clearly, Kasparov was not perturbed.> 20...Ne5< The two black knights give black at least an edge here. >

21.Bh3 Rc7 22.Nc2 cxb3
23.axb3 Bc8<Fritz prefers 23...Qd2!? here, but I suspect that White would like to enter an endgame in this position. Kasparov's decision seems more logical.> 24.Bg2 Ng4!<very bold! The knights terrorize the castled king's position and practically dare white to play f3, forking them. Kasparov, however, has prepared several cunning replies if white dares to do so.> 25.Rf1<if 25.f3? Ngf2 26.Qd4 Rxc2! 27.fxe4 Nxe4 28.Bxe4 Rxe4 29.Qf2 Rxc1 30.Rxc4 Bf5 > 25...Bd7!<He continues to leave f3 in the air!> 26.Ra1<This time, 26.f3? Nxg3! 27.fxg4 Nxe2+ 28.Kh1 Nxc1 29.Qxc1 Bxa4 30.bxa4 Qxa4 > 26...Bxa4 27.Rxa4 Qc3! 28.Bxe4<The knights must go!<28.f3? Qc5+ 29. e3 Nc3 30.Qd2 Nxa4 31.bxa4 Qxc2 >> 28...dxe4 29.e3 Qxb3 30.Rxe4 Rxe4 31.Qd8+ Kg7 32.Qxc7 Rc4 33.Nd4 Rxc7 34.Nxb3 Rc2< Black has all of the chances in this endgame because of his active rook and outside passed pawn. It's almost insult to injury to 'seize the 7th' in the style of Nimzowitsch.> 35.Nd4 Ra2 36.e4 Rd2<very busy rook!> 37.Nc6 a6 38.e5?<essentially the losing move, doubtless in time trouble. If 38.f3 Ne3 39.Re1 Nc2 40.Rb1 is a very slight advantage for black; he has many technical difficulties ahead.> 38...Re2 39.Ra1 Rxf2 40.Rxa6< 40.e6 isn't any better. 40...Rf3 41.e7 Rxg3+ 42.Kf1 Re3 43.Rxa6 Nf6 > 40...Rc2 41.h5 Kh6 <What follows is excellent technique from the soon-to-be Champ.> 42.hxg6 hxg6 43.Ra4 Kg5 44.Nd4 Rc3 45.e6 Rxg3+ 46.Kh1 f5 47.e7 Re3 48.Nc6 f4 49.Ra5+ Kh4 50.Ra8 Nf6!<Now the win is secure.> 51.Kg2 f3 52.Kf1 Kg3 53.Nd4 Ng4 54.Nxf3 Rxf3+ 55.Kg1 Nh2 56.Rf8 Rc3 0-1

<56.Ne5> g5 57.Nxf3 Ng4+ 58.Kg2 Ne3+ 59.Kf2 g4 60.Ne5=

I believe it's ridiculous that there are many books out there today which haven't been computer checked in new editions...

tpstar: [Fritz 7]: 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. b3 Ne4 10. Bb2 Bf6 11. Na4 Re8 12. Rc1 b6 13. dxc5 Bxb2 14. Nxb2 bxc5 15. Na4 Ba6 [Black prepares the advance c4] 16. Re1 c4 17. Nh4 Qa5 18. Nf5 g6 19. Nd4 Rac8 20. h4 Ne5 21. Bh3 Rc7 22. Nc2 cxb3 23. axb3 Bc8 24. Bg2 [last book move] (;>D) Ng4 25. Rf1 Bd7 26. Ra1 Bxa4 27. Rxa4 Qc3 28. Bxe4 [28. Qxd5? Ngf6 29. Rxe4 Rxe4 30. Qd8+ Re8 ] dxe4 29. e3 Qxb3 30. Rxe4 Rxe4 31. Qd8+ Kg7 32. Qxc7 Rc4 33. Nd4 Rxc7 34. Nxb3 Rc2 35. Nd4 Ra2 36. e4 Rd2 [36 ... a5!? ] 37. Nc6 [=] a6 38. e5 [38. f3 Ne3 39. Re1 Nc2 =] Re2 39. Ra1 Rxf2 [39 ... Nxf2 40. Nd4 Rd2 41. Rxa6 Nh3+ 42. Kf1 Rxd4 43. Kg2 ] 40. Rxa6 [40. e6!? has some apparent merit 40 ... Re2 41. e7 =] Rc2 [ ] 41. h5 Kh6 42. hxg6 hxg6 43. Ra4 Kg5 44. Nd4 Rc3 45. e6 Rxg3+ 46. Kh1 f5 47. e7 Re3 48. Nc6 f4 [48 ... Kf6 ] 49. Ra5+? [49. Ra3! and White could well hope to play on 49 ... Re6 50. Ra5+ Kf6 51. Kg2 ] Kh4 [ ] 50. Ra8 Nf6 51. Kg2?? [51. Kh2 f3 52. e8=Q Nxe8 53. Ra4+ Kh5 54. Kg3 ] f3+ 52. Kf1 Kg3 53. Nd4 Ng4 54. Nxf3 Rxf3+ 55. Kg1 [55. Ke1 the last chance for counterplay 55 ... Re3+ 56. Kd2 Rxe7 57. Rg8 ] Nh2 56. Rf8 Rc3 0-1.

This is an interesting RN vs RN endgame which are quite tricky. We wondered if an Interference motif would work for White after 49. Ra5+ Kh4:

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However Fritz quickly finds 50. Ne5 Kg3 or 50. Re5 Rh3+ 51. Kg1 f3 allowing the Pawn to Queen while Black sets up mate.

Note 29. e3 is a Discovery on the Ng4; 29 ... Qxc2 30. Qxg4 with a major piece endgame. After 29 ... Qxb3 then 30. Rxe4! Rxe4 31. Qd8+ is a nice tactic to regain the Pawn.

50.Re5 Nxe5 51.e8Q Re1+ 52.Kg2 f3+ 53.Kf2 Nd3+ .

JIRKA KADLEC:

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22...cxb3?! - 22...Nd3!! 23.exd3 cxd3 24.Re3 (24.Rxe4 Rxe4 25.Ne3 Rxc1 26.Qxc1 d4 ) 24...dxc2 25.Qd4 Bb5! 26.Qxd5 Qb4

This tournament, by the way, was probably Larsen's last big triumpth (sp). He came in second in a very strong event, but his best days were definitely behind him by that point.

Solve for black on move 52...

Larsen then defends well after that but loses his mind at the end with the howler 51. Kg2??

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