European Junior Championship Final A 1967-68, Groningen NED, 1968,
1-0
Annotator: McAlister, David
[Event "European Junior Championship Final A 1967-68"]
[Site "Groningen NED"]
[Date "1968.01.03"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Karpov, Anatoly"]
[Black "Moles, John"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C77"]
[Annotator "McAlister, David"]
[ICUid "15547"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Qe2 Be7 6. c3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8.
a4 Bb7 9. O-O O-O 10. d3 h6 11. Re1 Nh7 12. d4 Ng5 13. Bxg5 hxg5 14. d5 Na7
15. Rd1 g4 16. Ne1 Bc8 17. axb5 Nxb5 18. Bc4 Bd7 19. Nc2 Qc8 20. Nd2 g6 21.
Nb4 Bg5 22. Ra5 Qb7 23. Nb3 Kg7 24. Rda1 f5 25. Nxa6 Qb6 26. Bxb5 fxe4 27.
c4 Rxf2 28. c5 Rxe2 29. cxb6 Be3+ 30. Kh1 ({ Karpov was concerned about
being mated playing this move but considered 'Black has an excellent
position' after the alternative } 30. Kf1 Rf2+ 31. Ke1 cxb6 ({ in fact it's
even worse than that; the engine gives } 31... Bxb5 { and mate in 8). }))
30... Bxb5 ({ The modern engine again sees more: Karpov had considered the
possibility of a mating attack starting with } 30... Rh8 { and he was going
to rely on } 31. Bxd7 ({ White would need to play } 31. Bxe2 { when, as
Karpov had foreseen, } 31... g3 32. h3 Bxh3 33. gxh3 Rxh3+ 34. Kg2 Rh2+ 35.
Kxg3 Bf4+ 36. Kg4 Rg2+ 37. Kh3 Rh2+ 38. Kg4 { is a perpetual check }) { ,
but after } 31... Bf4 32. h3 Rxh3+ 33. gxh3 g3 ({ (Precise move order is
important here; Karpov had only considered } 33... Rh2+ 34. Kg1 g3 35. Re1
{ winning for White }) 34. Kg1 { (the threat was Be3 and Rh2 mate) } 34...
g2 35. h4 Be3+ 36. Kh2 g1=Q+ { and Black mates next move. }) 31. b7 Rh8 32.
b8=Q Rxb8 33. Nxb8 { Karpov simply remarks: 'White is a rook ahead.'
However it appears that things are still not that simple. } 33... Bc4 34.
R5a3 ({ Probably an error. The engine prefers } 34. Na6 { assessing it at
about -0.5. }) 34... Rxb2 ({ It would seem that only here did Moles go
wrong. If instead } 34... Bxd5 { White will still have great difficulty
unravelling his pieces. Analysing this position is above my pay grade but
the engine is confident that White is at least -2.0. }) 35. Na5 Rxb8 36.
Nxc4 Bd4 37. Rd1 Rb4 38. Ne3 Rb5 39. g3 Rc5 40. Kg2 Rb5 41. Rc1 1-0
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1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Qe2 Be7 6. c3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a4 Bb7 9. O-O O-O 10. d3 h6 11. Re1 Nh7 12. d4 Ng5 13. Bxg5 hxg5 14. d5 Na7 15. Rd1 g4 16. Ne1 Bc8 17. axb5 Nxb5 18. Bc4 Bd7 19. Nc2 Qc8 20. Nd2 g6 21. Nb4 Bg5 22. Ra5 Qb7 23. Nb3 Kg7 24. Rda1 f5 25. Nxa6 Qb6 26. Bxb5 fxe4 27. c4 Rxf2 28. c5 Rxe2 29. cxb6 Be3+ 30. Kh1 ( Karpov was concerned about
being mated playing this move but considered 'Black has an excellent
position' after the alternative 30. Kf1 Rf2+ 31. Ke1 cxb6 ( in fact it's
even worse than that; the engine gives 31... Bxb5 and mate in 8). ) ) 30... Bxb5 ( The modern engine again sees more: Karpov had considered the
possibility of a mating attack starting with 30... Rh8 and he was going
to rely on 31. Bxd7 ( White would need to play 31. Bxe2 when, as
Karpov had foreseen, 31... g3 32. h3 Bxh3 33. gxh3 Rxh3+ 34. Kg2 Rh2+ 35. Kxg3 Bf4+ 36. Kg4 Rg2+ 37. Kh3 Rh2+ 38. Kg4 is a perpetual check ) ,
but after 31... Bf4 32. h3 Rxh3+ 33. gxh3 g3 ( (Precise move order is
important here; Karpov had only considered 33... Rh2+ 34. Kg1 g3 35. Re1 winning for White ) 34. Kg1 (the threat was Be3 and Rh2 mate) 34... g2 35. h4 Be3+ 36. Kh2 g1=Q+ and Black mates next move. ) 31. b7 Rh8 32. b8=Q Rxb8 33. Nxb8 Karpov simply remarks: 'White is a rook ahead.'
However it appears that things are still not that simple. 33... Bc4 34. R5a3 ( Probably an error. The engine prefers 34. Na6 assessing it at
about -0.5. ) 34... Rxb2 ( It would seem that only here did Moles go
wrong. If instead 34... Bxd5 White will still have great difficulty
unravelling his pieces. Analysing this position is above my pay grade but
the engine is confident that White is at least -2.0. ) 35. Na5 Rxb8 36. Nxc4 Bd4 37. Rd1 Rb4 38. Ne3 Rb5 39. g3 Rc5 40. Kg2 Rb5 41. Rc1 1-0
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