Hi there.
In this lecture, we're going to have a look at an early game of Anatoly Karpov.
This is in 1968, the Sixth Anaemia Final Group.
A So he's playing against John Timman so C4.
So John Timman went on to be a strong grandmaster as well.
So E6 we have light.
C three nice.
F six might have three.
We have Bishop b4 Queen B free from Karpov C five.
So Karpov is keeping control, relatively speaking of key squares like D5 with this opening with the
Queen on B4, it's also helping support the D5 control.
But we have a free bishop.
A five black is able here.
Soon to start considering D5.
We have EA free.
This is already an interesting decision.
Not think with g free Black councils, Bishop E two and now D five.
We have white castling night C six nights A for hitting the C five pawn queen E seven We have Queen
C two and there's a concrete threat here of C takes the five for taking out C five.
We have 97 protecting the C five pawn, but slightly weakening the defy pawn D four is played.
We have detained c four If c takes dd four white can just play e takes D for this position should be
a small edge.
It's interesting to consider c take d five here.
It looks as though superficially this is really strong for white, but black has actually Bishop C seven.
You might think.
Hold on King's Crusher isn't B5 winning a piece?
There's dynamics going on here which the positional player should be slightly cautious about.
There's a key defender on F three, but what black can do is a p sac to kind of eliminate the free defender.
There's dynamics here taking over the position of the D Free Bishop takes nine, takes F three, G takes
Queen G five, check King H one, Queen H five.
And we're threatened now with checkmate quite quickly.
So if we play a four queen, a free check King's one, Bishop H free, we can resign.
We can delay things with Bishop E4.
But yeah, we can resign here soon.
So it's interesting.
We can simply play it though.
With C takes in this position, we can simply play E takes D four, if C takes D four.
So we're getting a small edge in any case.
So D take C four though was played.
We have D take C five.
And the funny thing is, black's basically doomed upon black's trying to get dynamic play against the
king now with E five to try and push for E four comp Wolf keeps control relative control with E four
if he takes on c4e for 94.
This is a bit uncomfortable with the bishop pointing at our king.
So even though we're a pawn up, yeah, we should be okay.
But it looks a little bit scary to create these weaknesses around the king with E four.
Yeah, Black's black is stopped to play E four.
We have 94 now.
You might think.
What about 90?
Take C five.
Funny thing is, Knight takes five, Queen takes.
Guess what we've got here.
Yeah.
We could play B four here because of that pin pawn.
So C takes we're just going to take on C five and if Black has to give up a piece, that's not going
to be very good for black.
Huge advice for white.
So 94 we have nine times d4e takes and this does open up this potentially dangerous diagonal to our
king Bishop, take C four.
We have 95.
So if Knight takes C five, that's a disaster move.
We just take on C five because ten points.
Yeah.
Bishop takes have seven check and we're winning the queen.
So 95 2.4 black B four now actually.
This might be a slight inaccuracy.
Bishop D5 might be slightly better.
Bishop C seven f4 and now b4 in the game after b4 Bishop C seven.
Karpov played Bishop RD.
Bishop RD five.
And this did technically allow a bit of dynamic play which Black bypassed the opportunity of and basically
got crushed soon after.
Well, on a downhill slope, uphill for Karpov.
There was an opportunity here off the bishop to the five, but Black played DFA, which is actually
a mistake.
Can you see what dynamic opportunity that might have missed if I give you.
A few seconds, 5 seconds to pause the video.
It's a bit subtle, the continuation, actually.
I mean, it's beyond most humans, actually.
They might have free check, but the subtle point is of the Queen H for here to play actually rook t
eight.
Yeah.
This is using this place to get rid of a potentially key defender.
And as example, how black can equalise with Bishop H.
Free.
I'll give you an example.
So, Bishop E five, Queen H five black could potentially equalize in this situation.
Here it's a draw.
Black is threatening Queen G to checkmate.
White's only move is to play not afford to defend that checkmate Black can play Queen G for check only
move King H one and it's perpetual check So yeah, fascinating stuff.
There are really fascinating variations here showing the dynamics of the position, which it's not losing
for Karpov, but it's not ideal if King H one instead, then Queen H four is crushing.
Bishop takes its end of game scenario that would be mating.
But yeah, this is a key move which Black missed, which would have guaranteed it seems with best play
we've looked at, this is going to be very hard to find.
But we've rook the eight.
This is going to be a draw.
If Queen takes h two, there's no problem.
White is winning here without any controversy, but we've rook the eight.
It does seem as though technically black has resources to be able to draw here.
And if we look at this again, just one more thing.
Knight takes default as Columbo says.
One more thing.
Knight takes the E4.
Queen G six check is mating there.
So yes, I mean, it looks a little bit scary for White's king, so the dynamics of the position are
very interesting.
But d Free Karpov is back in the control driving seat, super control over the position Queen D won
Bishop G for.
So yeah Queen RD one extinguishes no affray.
Visually there's no no F3 and now the free square is kind of taken away from black to play with with
free.
And also one is cleared up a defensive second rank here for the rook we have rook two and this reminds
me of Adams's play sometimes where a queenside rook can help defend on the kingside.
So g for Bishop G six And now for winning material, the bishop is about to be squished.
We have nine times g four, so this looks very desperate.
96, G four.
So if 97, we're just going to squish the bishop.
So, yeah, nothing goes back.
We're going to squash the bishop with five rooks holding nicely a from a two to h two.
What is that doing?
So black tried nine times G four.
So peace up F five.
White wants to keep control of the position.
So E takes F five.
Bishop takes.
Bear that in mind.
Queen F three, Rook 80 89c free.
So the Knights improving the pieces, Queen F six and now a cheeky rook g two not even moving the knight
We have queenly for check if Queen takes C three backfires Bishop B two Ouch and black's getting mated
If the queen moves, Bishop takes G seven is checkmate.
Let's put that on the board somewhere.
I know we can take the queen button just to show Bishop G seven is me.
So here This is hopeless for black.
So Queen for checkers.
Try it.
King H one Rook f six Bishop D to Rook H six.
Yeah.
Queen F two Just wanting the Queen's off, not minding, giving back some material.
It's in inaccuracy, but it's still in control of the position, so it doesn't really matter.
This is a kind of academic inaccuracy because a win is a win is a win.
Doesn't matter if you take 200 moves to win if you're winning or winning.
Right.
It might be more exhausting, though, in human terms than to win a game quicker.
So here, if Rook e won, this does seem to stabilize things even better.
There's no real tricks for Black.
If Bishop G.
Six we're taking on B seven.
But Queen, after wanting the Queen's off, Rook takes the five not minding this and now Rookie was
not even taking the queen off immediately So Rookie one we have rookie six So King J here there's nine
takes Queen takes King G one big advantage for white.
So rookie six we have nine takes the five Queen takes the five rook takes e six Bishop takes e, six
king G one.
So why is the exchange up?
And with this I'm pinning this is getting more dangerous.
Now this improves the G two basically.
And there's no Bishop H free now with great effect because that rook is not pinned.
We have queen bee free and now Queen one taking control even more of the possession.
King jf5 Great tactic here.
So if Bishop takes a five, Queen eight is mate.
So we have Bishop F seven and now Bishop H six going on the attack.
Now finally, cop off G six is justified.
Now beautiful gliding move.
Can you see what type of place here?
Ten points.
Yeah, Queen.
I won.
So France, then Queen G7 mate, we have Bishop.
In an E five queen tax e five.
This check is harmless king of two.
So factor in harmless tempo gainers.
This is pretty harmless.
It runs out after Quincey to King G free Black is faced with Queen G.
Some mate Black resigned here so an interesting game by cop off It's really difficult, I have to say,
for humans to estimate the dynamic possibilities of positions.
But overall cop of demonstrates in this 1968 game his willingness to have even small advantages if they're
non controversial.
So he didn't go badly wrong to any force loss.
And it's only in variations we see some interesting resources for black, but those variations are not
even mandatory for white.
So COP I've really kept control of the position early on establishing grip on the position like D five
and even though it was occupied with a pawn, White's pressure on D five is very interesting and this
central tension very, very interesting ended up winning a key pawn here.
Yeah.
Because of these tactics with b4 is fascinating, but White gets the key pawn and keeps things under
control, relatively speaking.
So yes, very interesting game.
I hope you enjoyed this.
It's about control of the position not to make chess like gambling, but a game of ruthless logic.
And if we have to take 200 moves to win a game, we'll take 200 moves.
If there's no element of controversy and gambling with opposition, we want to keep control.
We don't want to gamble away our position and so much.