Result: 1–0 (Korchnoi, White)
Date: October 12, 1978 (City of Baguio)
Match Score Before the Game: Karpov 5 – Korchnoi 4 (first to 6 wins)
A Battle of Endurance and Spirit
Introduction
There have been few chess matches in the history of the game that carry the same raw psychological heft as Karpov–Korchnoi (Baguio 1978). This is a game from the World Chess Championship Match that year. It was sport, politics, and endurance entangled: the Soviet champion Anatoly Karpov, supported singly by the USSR, against Viktor Korchnoi, the defector who fought largely alone. The match became an emblem of stubborn human will, where every half-chance mattered and every endgame was a test of nerves.
Game 31 arrived with ultimate tension: Karpov needed just a single win to retain the title; Korchnoi needed two. Rather than risk a sharp tactical opening, Korchnoi steered the game into a long, technical grind—a domain where his patience, defensive technique, and endgame skill could be fully unleashed. The result was a 71-move master class in building pressure, preparing the central break 41.e4!, and winning a superior rook endgame with perfect king activity.
Opening Game: English Transposing to Queen's Gambit
The game begins as an English, before transposing soon into an Exchange-QGD structure—symmetrical but with long-term possibilities.
White's ambitions: close the queenside with a4–a5 and b4, rooks behind the pawns coordinating, and delay a central pawn break until the pieces coordinate.
Black Knight's aims: textbook Karpov—harmonious development, elastic piece placement (typically …Nf8–e6/d7–b6 or …Nd6), and ideal timing for a counter in the center or on the queenside.
The Knight's early exchange of queens is not the hallmark of a drawish intention but of confidence: Korchnoi cheerfully commits to a long game in the expectation of outmaneuvering and outlasting.
Middlegame: Gradual Constriction and the Long March
From moves 20–40, Korchnoi plays "boa constrictor" chess: small gains everywhere on the board, no weaknesses, and ongoing questions for the defender.
White expands both wings with g4, f4 on the kingside and a5 on the queenside.
The king walk—Kf1–e2–d3—is textbook modern technique: with queens off and the center relatively closed, the king belongs near the action.
Karpov's pieces do hold, but they are reactive: he reacts to threats, wards off blatant breaks, but struggles to seize the initiative.
The entire phase is about one idea: prepare e4 under the best circumstances. When the moment finally arrives, it's decisive.
The Critical Break: 41.e4! — Timing is Everything
Having organized his forces patiently, Korchnoi strikes at the heart with 41.e4!. The move trades space for open lines, forces exchanges on good terms, and creates an endgame where White's king and rook activity weigh in against Black's counterplay. This is where decades of experience and a lifetime of toughness become real on the board.
Transition to the Endgame: Structure, Activity, and Targets
After this pivotal break and reciprocal exchanges, we reach a materially equal but positionally unequal endgame:
White's king is significantly more active and closer to the queenside theater.
46.Nxb5! breaks open Black's queenside and wins a pawn, improving White's winning prospects.
The pawn storm 52.a6! is the spearhead: it fixes weaknesses, pressures Black's king, and imposes zugzwang-like constraints.
Karpov is perhaps chess history's greatest defender, yet here he's been relegated to constant damage control.
The Rook Endgame: Corralling the King, Harvesting Pawns
The endgame is a clinic:
The trajectory of White's king …Kf1–e2–d3–Kb4–Ka5–Kb6 commands key files and squares.
Rook moves like Rb3, Rb7, Rb6 strangle the black king and sink teeth into pawns.
The play from 59.Kc6 through 63.Kb5 shows the principle: "Cut the king, attack the pawns, keep checks handy."
Black's final meaningful passer disappears after 67.Rxa3. The rest is technique; 71.Rh7 seals it.
Importance of the Game and the Match
Psychological Momentum: Karpov was one win away from the title; this loss permitted Korchnoi to level the wins at 5–5, reviving the match and sending a shockwave through the chess world.
Didactic Value:
*Space advantage → prepared central break.
*The king as an attacking piece in queenless middlegames and endgames.
*Rook endgame principles: activity, cutoffs, creating passed-pawns, and precise checks.
Historical Symbolism: Beyond sheer chess, the game carried the symbolism of defiance—a homeless challenger beating the Soviet champion in a game they had to win.
Legacy: Although Karpov eventually won the match 6–5 (by winning the final required win), Game 31 is among the most analyzed examples of strategic preparation resulting in a technically won endgame.
Complete Move-by-Move Annotated Score
Opening Phase (Moves 1–20): English Transposing to Queen's Gambit
1. c4 e6 – The English. Black retains central flexibility and optionality (…d5 or …c5).
2. Nc3 d5 – Transposing into Queen's Gambit structures.
3. d4 Nf6 – Typical development; Black attacks e4 and prepares …c5 later.
4. cxd5 exd5 – Exchange structure: symmetrical pawns, asymmetrical plans.
5. Bg5 Be7 – White pins; Black simply breaks the pin and prepares …Nbd7 and …Re8.
6. e3 O-O – Safety first; White keeps a solid center and dark-square bishop flexible.
7. Bd3 Nbd7 – Strengthening e5/c5 and clearing the c-file.
8. Nf3 Re8 – Good prophylaxis against e4; also improves coordination on the e-file.
9. Qc2 c6 – Supports d5 and prevents Nb5; prepares …Bd6 or a future …c5.
10. O-O Nf8 – Classic Karpov: knight finds its way to g6/e6.
11. Bxf6 Bxf6 – White removes the pin and slightly weakens Black's dark squares in the long run.
12. b4 – Gains queenside space; announces a minority-attack atmosphere.
… Bg4 – Developing and provoking; eyes f3 and potential trades on f3/d4.
13. Nd2 Rc8 – Black gets a rook on the half-open c-file to meet c-pressure.
14. Bf5 Bxf5 15. Qxf5 – Trades activate White's queen; keeps minor-piece imbalance options open.
15… Qd7 – Rooks connected and puts White to a choice.
16. Qxd7 Nxd7 – Queens traded; White is happy to play a long squeeze.
17. a4 – Clamps queenside space and prepares a5; fixes a hook on a6/b7 later.
… Be7 – Modest development, holding the structure together.
18. Rfb1 – Textbook: rooks behind the pawns before pushing.
… Nf6 – Black completes development toward central squares.
19. a5 a6 – Useful clamp by White; …a6 stops a5-a6 but gives White a target.
20. Na4 – The knight eyes b6/c5; rerouting begins.
… Bf8 – Bishop moves back to cover key squares and facilitate flexibility.
Middlegame Phase (Moves 21–41): The Great Maneuvering Battle
21. Nc5 – A great outpost. The White pieces now enjoy clear harmony.
… Re7 – Multitasking: defends e-file, keeps options open for future rook lift.
22. Kf1 – King begins the epic journey toward the center.
… Ne8 – Black redirects the knight toward d6/f6; also defends c7 ideas.
23. Ke2 Nd6 – White's king moves forward; Black centralizes the knight.
24. Kd3 Rce8 – Both sides complete ideal setup before the break.
25. Re1 – Doubling on e-file is looming; White is threatening e4 (ultimately).
… g6 – Luft and dark-square protection; also dissuades pieces from alighting on f5.
26. Re2 – Getting ready to double; e-file pressure is potential.
… f6 – Prevents e5/e4 concepts but slightly weakens dark squares in the vicinity of e6/g6.
27. Rae1 – Total e-file domination.
… Bh6 – Karpov eyes e3/f4 squares and watches over c1–h6 diagonal.
28. Ndb3 – The White knights coordinate; c5 and a5 are in the air.
… Bf8 – Black shuffles to remain flexible; waiting for White to commit.
29. Nd2 – Back again: Korchnoi maneuvers until everything is perfect.
… Bh6 – Another waiting move; Black tries to provoke.
30. h3 – Useful luft; prepares g4 without back-rank worries.
… Kf7 – The king recovers; Black would prefer to reach e6/f6 safely.
31. g4 – Space gainer; threatens f4–f5 or g5 clamps.
… Bf8 – The bishop withdraws; Black holds a tight shell.
32. f3 – Overprotects e4 and stabilizes the kingside structure.
… Rd8 – Centralizes; Black is prepared to meet e4 with file pressure.
33. Ndb3 – Circling again: White still refuses to rush the break.
… Nb5 – Good outpost idea for Black; eyes c3/d4 and queenside action.
34. Rf1 – Re-arranging so that e4 will have maximum effect (rook ready to swing).
… Bh6 – Probing f4 again.
35. f4 – Now the clamps are real; e4 or f5 at any moment.
… Bf8 – Karpov waits; his position is passive but solid.
36. Nd2 – Eyes c4/e4; keeps Black in uncertainty.
… Nd6 – Centralization; Black dreams of …Ne4 or …f5 someday.
37. Rfe1 – Everything is aimed at e4.
… h6 – Prevents pieces from g5 and restricts f5 breaks; makes luft.
38. Rf1 – Last touch; rook position is important before the blow.
… Rb8 – Strengthens b-file to deter b5.
39. Ra1 – Aligning with a-pawn clamps; another waiting move.
… Rbe8 – Black keeps both rooks flexible.
40. Rae1 – Maximum pressure on e-file; gun is loaded.
… Rb8 – A last waiting move.
41. e4! – The breakthrough. White fulfills his preparation, opening lines on the best terms.
… dxe4+ – If 41…Nxe4, White obtains a strong initiative after 42.Ndxe4 with pressure on d6/f6; the text is best but still gloomy.
Endgame Phase (Moves 42–71): King March and Rook Domination
No comments:
Post a Comment