Hi there.
One of the more inspirational Garry Kasparov games, which actually got me hooked on Kasparov games
in general.
A lot of my YouTube videos early on on the Kings watching YouTube channel are because Garry Kasparov
games and this course is actually insightful for me because, you know, Alexander Alekhine is a big
focus in this course on Alekhine, which Kasparov, you know, studied greatly, it seems, and inspired
Kasparov greatly.
So we get to see what caused the Garry Kasparov style.
But there's one particular gambit game.
So this is in 1995, Karpov versus Kasparov World Championship match, round 16, which was on the kind
of introduction of battles for chess openings.
It's a fascinating game.
Karpov playing E4, a Sicilian defense from Kasparov 93 e6 d4 C takes D4 nine takes three for 96.
We have Knight b5 d6 and this does allow a kind of rock c bines which is karpov's cup of tea to try
and control the position, make sure the opponent hasn't got too much counterplay.
We see f6 C4 in a six by eight free and now Kasparov repeats what grandmasters thought was an unsound
gambit.
You know, from an earlier round D5 he repeats this D5 so normal move like Bishop e seven more normal
looking move gives Karpov what he wants out of the opening.
I kind of control over the position and counterplay.
So this position, for example, is going to be a small edge for white.
So the proxy point is when you have a pawn on E4 and C4 like this, trying to stop the strategic pawn
breaks from black.
So anyway, but Kasparov played the Kasparov gambit.
D5 This is not entirely sounds.
It's like more of a surprise weapon, especially if people don't know what they're doing against it.
It's a very interesting gambit idea.
Here we have C takes the E5.
8/10.
The five.
8/10.
The five.
And the point is night before we have now Bishop e to.
If bishops see for was played Bishop G4 might be annoying.
So you know the bishop is actually stopping at least Bishop G for this position.
If the bishop is going back and this situation is going to be an interesting variation and that actually
occurred in another game of theirs and it ended up in a draw eventually.
Okay, So anyway.
We have Bishop E in this particular game.
Bishop de Six.
Probably not.
Bishop D6, Bishop C5.
And the thing is, with Bishop C-5, it is a bit of a target.
In itself, White routinely kind of just consulted.
There is actually a move which is looking at the downside of this move.
It is a bit of a target.
The thing is, the point is protected by the bishop.
Let's put those in green.
So the bishop protects the knight.
There's a move for white which actually gives a small edge against this guy.
Can you see what that is?
Ten points.
So I've given a bit of a clue there.
Yeah.
The move is actually not routinely castling, but Bishop is free to lure the bishop away from the Knights.
It's not to have that pawn on a free.
That would be a bad looking pawn.
Now, the point is, Queen, a four track with the king still in the center.
This check taking out before is kind of annoying for black.
If, for example, Queen Bee six, you know, White could get the queen's off and the knight could centralise.
And why?
It's going to be absolutely fine if Bishop A7 here 94 there is a five this position and Queen takes
A5.
But these tactics don't really do black too many favors.
You know, one's got an edge here as well in this position, pulled up, so there's not too many favors
given that.
Yeah.
So this whole thing, it looks as though Bishop E-4 is the antidote.
So anyway, at the time, computer preparation wasn't that significant as today.
So cup after castled we have one of castling, Bishop Geoffrey.
Now this does weaken that de freeze and helps justify the knight actually potentially coming in to be
a kind of octopus knight on day three potentially.
So we're about to see that.
I'll explain what I mean by Oxford.
If rookie one leaving the Bishop on e to bishop at five this position we can see 93 being quite interesting
and having the advantage here.
If Bishop G5 Black could consider taking on D5.
But actually this simplifies we've only kind of an equal position.
So anyway, Bishop F3 so perhaps if White wanted to draw Bishop G5 but he's trying to hold on to the
pawns, try and disprove this game in another way.
There's a positional angle though, to this whole thing, this whole concept.
Bishop F5 is played if b5 instead Knight C to this position.
Knight takes P4, Bishop takes P4.
You can see that why it hasn't gotten so many bad pieces as we're about to witness in the main line
of the game.
So Bishop F5 watch out for these knights then.
They're a bit awkward, basically.
Bishop G5.
We have.
Rookie eight and now Queen D two.
This is actually a mistake.
One should have played 94 one knights got a chance to centralise.
This would have been a good time.
And for example this position Bishop takes 93.
The Knights are not so bad here.
The White Knights as what we're about to see.
And it should be a small edge for white.
So okay, we have Queen D two and this allows this be five stopping point C four.
Yeah, that should have been made use of.
There's some little slip ups from Karpov off so far and in fact now 93.
So that noit is not is cool to not to knight in bats for chess openings.
And I believe by Raymond Keane described it as an octopus tonight because it's got those tentacles in
all directions.
Now, ABC1 makes things worse for whites.
It seems there is an option of before, which maybe it doesn't help too much, but because still blacks
better here.
For example, here blacks are going to be better.
If see to 9/10 be to yeah this is all fun stuff this this is just it's going to be better for black
these six queen 66 this position there's no G for hitting age to.
So black is threatening Queen St's age, too.
And here, Queen D ain't funny enough.
And the thing is, this is crazy.
If before Bishop takes F2 check taking out F2, it leaves a very interesting situation where blacks
are actually better.
It's funny stuff.
So anyway.
Also, we can examine Bishop F3 here.
G takes F2.
This is just funny stuff going on here with Knight takes D1 check and Rook takes the eight.
So that's some amazing variations here instead of AB one with D6.
Amazing stuff with D6 because it looks to be, you know, kind of looking at the rook.
But to get this kind of swing against soft spots is incredible.
So just to recap here, this nine G4 not just looking at H two but also this F2 soft spot and the great
scrutiny here and be able to play like this.
Okay, it's super human stuff, but this position is very dangerous for way it seems.
So anyway, in the game though, the knights are stumbling over each other.
Knight AB one we have H6 Bishop h4 b4 A4 You can see these knights stock their best performance.
Bishop D6 and actually Swafford apparently reached this position in home preparation.
So maybe that's another secret of the attacking player.
You've actually got your attacking position set up from preparation, but we can't all prepare as well
as Garry Kasparov.
But that's amazing that he had this position.
If he had this position, that's absolutely amazing.
We have Bishop Geoffrey.
There's definite compensation here that has huge compensation.
So B3 g5a Now bishop takes these six Queen takes these 6g3 97 Bishop G2 Queen f6 a free A5.
It's the Knights haven't got too many squares.
It's been run out of moves here after 1888 points running out of moves.
So Queen A2 this is a ridiculous move.
But just to show, just to amplify why White's running at move Samuel like F4, we just play Queen D
for and now just shut down everything with G4.
What exactly can we move here?
This is this is getting like, you know, ridiculous.
Basically, White is having difficulty.
Moving things here.
And bear in mind, this might have to check.
Could be useful in many variations.
If, say, D six, then this other night can come to E four potentially might be two is desperate.
But that's a desperate loss of a terrible one is actually you know won't do if Queen eight to the point
is 94 and looking at after this is really vicious what does might do this this would severely weaken
this diagonal and in fact black could play queen D for big fat bishop e4.
So D seven is only a delay.
And now Bishop C six would be a big front.
So I'm just giving you an example where it's diabolical.
Isn't that really for you can see once going into a zugzwang here.
Quite incredibly, but it's similar to the game Queen A2.
We have Bishop Jesus de six G for clamping down.
Now it's running out of moves again.
King G7 just protecting H and free.
If King H won here, we can see why it's lacking in in candidate moves.
These knights do not help.
And there's big threats here now coming up.
So like Knight are free knights fe1.
This is crazy stuff.
You know, if that Bishop's taken out, then that weakens white considering, you know, White's just
getting absolutely slaughtered.
You know, this is a slaughter position, basically.
So.
Okay, so F3 is tried.
We have Queen takes these six F takes G4 and now very similar to what we've seen in a way White's running
out moves off this Knight f6 to F4 business because that means like knight F2 is on the cards.
We have Rook here for 94 and now Queen takes three.
So giving up the queen because of F2 check.
And.
Yeah.
This is very very tricky.
We have now rotates f to.
Bishop 6352 and now Queen Ephraim Rook, 64.
Now stunning move in this position.
White's back row is a bit weak, so none of the downside top ten tapped into of White's position here.
So how how would you exploit the back row here?
There is a move for 20 points.
What would you play in this position?
Yeah, An absolutely amazing move.
Roxy one.
Maybe.
Isn't that amazing?
It's two books for Queen of Queens.
It's not that amazing, but might be to is play.
Let's have a look.
Rook takes every two rooks for a queen.
Potentially.
This position.
White's pieces are not any match for the active rooks.
One's going to be losing more material.
So Knight B too, was tried, but now Queen F two.
And this brings into focus Rook E one.
So Knight D2, we have Rook 61 Check 1961 Rookie one check.
End of game.
Ouch.
If if one wrote Thanks Bishop thanks Queen thanks is made as example so it's an inspirational gambit
but there is there is an Achilles heel of this gambit.
Some comments are much more respectable, like the Marshall Gambit.
You know, Michael Adams plays the Marshall Gambit in many, many games.
And it's almost like a drawing tool, actually.
And he's like super.
He has been a super grandmaster for many, many years, so some gambits are much more respectful.
But as a surprise gambit, this did have a specialist perk, you know, especially advantage to it the
Octopus Knight Construction, the way Karpov played it.
So it's amazing protection of Karpov's moves.
If if you know this deep, deep on this kind of position had been reached in preparation.
So yes.
So the thing is with Garry Kasparov as opposed to Alexander Alekhine, there's more alekhine games in
this course.
While I believe there's going to be as the course evolves because basically when we look at Kasparov
games, there is an enormous amount of opening preparation to factor out With Alekhine it's more clear,
crystal clear, and there was less opening theory.
So you know that perhaps you don't need so much opening theory when you look at Alekhine games.
But yeah, this gambit is absolutely amazing for the dynamic compensation.
And if we get octopus knights like this, sure they help are attacking chess.
You could consider that an ingredient, but it's a kind of perhaps one of the more rarer ingredients.
Okay.
The stumbling moments.
Yeah.
Just the night quality is amazing to contrast between the two sides in this game and the mass centralization
aspect later is also something pretty stunning.
The calm, you know, just improving, improving the pieces and, you know, weaknesses come arrive
through desperation on Wayne's part, this mass centralization causing further concessions when the
knight gets to E4.
So, yeah, this sequence where the queen is kind of lost and Kasparov is offering his own queen and
crashing from that background.
So one of the more spectacular games, in my view, Inspirational game.
You find it inspirational to OC how so much?