Hi there.
In this lecture we see Anatoly Karpov against Andrew Jonathan Masto.
So this is in 1994.
So Mestre, a British grandmaster.
This was organized by Phillips Andrew and it's actually a company I kind of worked for actually for
a while after a merger.
So I was working for a fund management company and they got kind of merged in with Phillips and Drew
to be part of UBS Asset Management.
Just a bit of trivia there for you.
So these finance companies did sponsor tournaments in the 1980s, and this was a very, very strong
tournament indeed.
So Anatoly Karpov invited to it.
So E four from Karpov, E six from British Grandmaster Mesto.
d4d5.
So French defense 90 to the terrace variation.
And these Karpov games may have been an influence on Michael Adams to play the Terrace variation.
It is a very positional approach where you don't really get the double pawns in balance of, say, the
winner, which suits perhaps more attacking players.
You know, this structural damage, it's more about attacking in general because we have a bishop with
our counterpart.
So this positional continuation is very interesting.
The Territory ation.
And one key point about the parish is if Bishop before here we can just play the move C free.
So there's no byte in bishop before.
So nine of six we have a 5.57 C free C five and now bishop defray 9692 And yeah, this is a funny bit
of opening theory where the knights have fancy maneuvers.
So this knight going to E two, this one's free to reinforce D4 in a stronger manner that than is possible
than if the knight had gone to free.
You can see that Knight's not really holding up the four.
But if we have our knights arranged like this with one knight on free and one on E two, they're both
holding DD four, which is the base of the pawn chain, so that immediately undermines the pawn chain.
E takes Knight six.
We have white castling, Bishop dd six now Knight F3 so you can see this strong point DD four held by
both knights and also there's a facilitation potentially of Bishop F4, which is to exchange off the
dark square bishops to amplify the Outpost square E five.
Now that is stopped.
Quincy seven Here we have knight C free, so now takes up that C free square and there's an immediate
threat of Knight B five that's stopped.
We have Bishop G five and quite often the positional plan stereotypically is Bishop h42g3, perhaps
one which will players like myself perhaps.
Sometimes we use this to stereotypically we see black castling and now Bishop h4 as if the continuation
will be Bishop G three We see Knight H five but now it's not really going to be an exchange of bishops
if Black has an option of Knight takes G free.
So this strategic bishop exchange is prevented basically.
So Black has a number of prevention moves so far we have rookie 1g6, rook C one and now Queen G seven.
So putting pressure on D four.
So here the bishop drops back, so reinforcing D four, Bishop DD seven and four.
For me this move is a little bit strange but can totally logical if you think about it.
So sometimes Karpov is moving pieces backwards, moving one square back, one one step back to go,
two steps forwards.
But here it's like backwards from his own move, so it's not literally backwards.
But didn't he just play the bishop to age four?
It goes to G five.
So what is this move?
What is this about?
Well, D4 support is still a priority.
You know, Bishop, the bishop could come back to F3.
There is the wrath of the F file the semi failed to deal with.
If Bishop Jeffrey, it turns out here this bishop's exchange is not going to happen.
You know, it takes g free is more likely to happen.
And then g five with the idea of undermining d four.
And this is not such a pleasant story for white, say, Queen D to, let's say, H six White's best
might be to play 95 and with careful play black can actually get an advantage.
So 96d takes bishop B eight not bishop takes E five because there's nine takes D five here with good
tactics.
If E takes D five, Queen D five check.
And this is better for white.
So this position is better for white Here White's dominating there.
If any bishop takes G to white can actually even do this.
The king is exposed somewhat and there's an idea of Bishop D Frechette picking up the queen.
So there's lines where, you know, basically it's more prudent to play Bishop B eight here.
But if Black does this with the Bishop Hare, Black is looking forward.
To a significant advantage with Bishop.
A seven black has that bishop without a counterpart.
The same file does mean something.
That's a great coordination point in F two black would be better.
So all in all, the whole Bishop G free is going to lead to advantage for black.
It's not achieving a strategic bishop exchange, it's just amplifying Black's activity and giving a
dangerous bishop potentially looking from a seven to F two.
So safety points.
So Bishop G five starts to make a lot more sense.
We have now H six, Bishop E three and now Rook have seven.
So it seems logical that Black's piling the pressure on the file for potential exchange sacs.
Sometimes that's often a thematic idea.
If G five here, in fact, 95 is strong.
First of all, it's looking at h five and what were black do might have six.
We have a four that strong.
If Knight takes takes Bishop takes.
We have Bishop.
Sorry we have an idea of Bishop C five but first Knight B six and actually black is in trouble here
after Bishop C if I'm looking at the rook.
So black's losing an exchange for not too much.
If we look at this again, if Knight takes E five, D takes Bishop takes E five, we're just going to
take on H five.
That's simple.
And if Bishop takes E five, takes like a four.
Like a four is strong hair.
These dark squares, now that the bishop's gone, is actually to White's advantage.
So say Knight B 688, Bishop D four And there's nasty pin here.
This knight takes D seven, Bishop D three This is looking very nasty for e five.
So black's losing material that's going to be losing material by force.
This position, you know it doesn't matter about Queen f2 Queen takes F two.
White's got the advantage there so yes.
So this looks as though Karpov wasted time, but he has provoked weaknesses around the king and we have
now G three.
Yeah.
So basically after Rook 7g3 So it seems as though this is blunting the bishop a little bit.
If you can't exchange it off, then just blunt it.
And also the F file is being blunted.
If Bishop G two and F two is kind of solid here as well, not just D four with that lovely bishop on
E three.
So it's interesting.
So G three is an interesting move.
A four was also interesting here, this situation with 9c5 if rook takes a free this doesn't do much
for black.
Why it should have the edge and if Bishop b4 rocky so this again it seems as though white has the edge
if might be six happens 95 White's getting an edge here.
There's a tendency to want to break down the CFO here.
So Rook have six.
Bishop takes a six trying to break down the C file.
This is to White's advantage as well.
So anyway, so 98 four is a good move as well.
But g free we have rook a for Bishop G to have six h free.
So just preventative here.
So this seems a little bit unusual how this situation has evolved here, why it's super solid against
that dynamic file.
Black has that backward pawn.
It seems very difficult to put it under lock and key, but defy would be perilously weak if if I was
dead.
Play.
So we have g59h2.
So that's preventing any G for dissuading any G for King H eight.
Now A four here we have rookie seven now 9c5, Bishop E eight, Queen DD two So everything's really
under control here.
We have 97 knights 67 Rook takes d7a3.
We have the rook going back to F seven, rook df7 knight G four rook and 5b4 Bishop Yates and now 95
here.
This is very, very interesting stuff.
So Knight takes E five, D takes.
So what on earth is going on here?
We have Bishop B five.
Well, it should be pointed out, perhaps if Bishop takes E five, we have Bishop C five tactics work
out for white.
The rook moves.
Guess what?
We would play here for ten points.
The king is in a skewing line with the queen.
We can play rook takes.
So yes, if Queen takes, we pin the queen.
And if Rook takes it, it's still pretty bad, this position, because we're just mounting up pressure
and then playing G for winning material.
So Bishop B5 was tried, but now Bishop C five.
There's also let me point out something else as well.
If look see seven here, the technical resources and we just take that.
Yeah, we just piece up.
It's not really a big deal.
So Bishop five was tried.
So avoiding taking on if that's a good idea.
Bishop.
C five Rook.
F seven.
Bishop.
DD four But it seems karpov's getting control of the position.
Rook f eight.
If Bishop takes E five.
Here, the same thing kind of holds.
Rook takes E five and then Quincy free.
This is just terrible for black losing material.
So rook f eight we have rook c free.
There is a tactic here which was a tactician might consider.
Bishop takes D five to play 4e6 to pin the queen, but rook d A Yeah, white would get an advantage
here.
But the thing is, Queen D seven would need to be factored in.
And in this situation with Rook takes F two with best play.
White should still be doing well here.
You know this kind of situation one is doing well with advantage.
That is another way of playing it it seems.
So Bishop takes D five does have something going for it, but Rook C free.
We have King G eight Queen D one Queen of seven, Queen C two, Bishop C four.
And this is a really funny move of the game.
And it turns out there might be something technically better than what Karpov played, but it is a very,
very funny.
Conception.
Indeed.
Well, maybe not that funny, but can you guess what camp you've played here?
And can you guess the tactical alternative?
The rook doesn't have too many squares on a five.
And given that F two is solid.
This is very interesting.
Bishop Fry was played by Karpov, luring the rook away to be able to get in a Queen G6 six.
Eventually.
The interesting tactical move is Bishop E4.
If DD takes Rook, take C for Bishop takes E5, White can play G4, which forces the winning material.
Bishop takes d4, g takes.
It's not the end of the story yet.
After E five, it's dangerous for white, but with best play.
With absolute best play here after Queen takes F5, the only move for advantage is Rook E two.
So looking at the Queen, reinforcing even more F two.
And if say Queen takes H free Rook seven, you can see the error around the king is backfiring.
There's entry points if Queen G check King F one, rook five there's queen for check.
And here key move rook dd seven and one is threatening Quincy eight mating.
So if Queen H free checking on black would have to get the queen's off.
And this ends up being better for white.
Just about black does have two pawns for the exchange, but it's better for white overall.
So anyway.
But Karpov's moves are very, very interesting as well.
But technically yet Bishop E4 seems to be a way for forcing material gain with Bishop affray.
It's very interesting.
Rook takes a freight.
So the point is Rook takes a free drawing the queen away from the king, so the queen gets into G six.
So for a bishop, Karpov starts collecting pawns.
So one pawn, the king is very exposed check, and it's all running with check.
And so here Queen takes E six.
So it's a funny situation, really funny situation.
We have King H seven, which seems a good idea in principle to get off the bishop line, Queen E seven
and now queen of seven.
It seems maybe a slight inaccuracy.
Rook Half seven here.
And giving up another pawn should lead to a position where black has a resource coming up.
If ever e six black has Bishop f one to threaten mate just before oblivion if the Queen is like checkmate.
So just before oblivion, Bishop takes G, Queen takes F one, and White is forced into perpetual check
situation.
Yeah, there's fascinating variations, but Rook F seven is slightly more accurate.
Queen F seven we have Queen six, G five, Queen E six King G two.
Protecting the Free Pawn Bishop D three.
Free Bishop G six.
So there's a lot of pawns versus a Bishop G for Bishop C seven.
Queen H four Check King G eight.
Queen G Free Queen six.
So if Bishop da head, this should be enough in a theoretical sense for black to hold the position should
be equal.
Butter Queen C six.
Queen F two.
Bishop E four.
Rookie Free Queen E six.
Queen H six Should be about equal with Rook C free Bishop D eight.
But you know, time pressure is creeping in as well into these games.
So a move 53 Queen one Bishop G six rook C4 in here.
A big mistake, maybe a time pressure mistake.
Rook F four So this turns out to be a very big mistake if Bishop dictates just keeping the pieces on
the board.
Basically.
Queen E free King H seven White has a small edge, but it's something which if we start moving the pawns
up, our kings can be exposed.
It could be quite dangerous for white.
There's work to do, but we've rook our four things.
Just simplify with the black king exposed.
So Rook, take C seven is looking across the king and we can see that we're going to get a tempo and
switch across with very dangerous attack possibilities.
So Queen E free here rook c4 rook takes B seven.
So now with the threat of Queen H six, we have D four and this looks very nasty for King safety.
Queen H six check.
And here, King G one.
So the queen is looking after the C one square is the kings.
Not totally the white kings.
Not totally in trouble here because of C one and Queen two.
So we have Bishop F seven offering the exchange of queens.
But first rook B h, check.
Rook Kate are now taking the queens off, leaves black with a dreadful end game and black actually resigned
here if Bishop takes Essex, the bishop is no match here for all the pawns.
So this position we can understand why Black resigned because this other pawn is going to drop off and
the bishops just no match.
There's too much past pawn potential here.
As example, the king marches up here and over stretches the Bishop 2220 pawn majority over there.
And this is just far too much.
The pressure's too much, the pawns crashing through, basically.
So yeah, an absolutely fascinating game.
There's some interesting mysteries of the French defense transformation which unveil themselves here.
But for me, one of the mystery moves was Bishop G.
Five.
Just because we have this bias that we've played the bishop from G five to H, for we have a right to
change our minds.
If the strategic Bishop exchange is not going to happen, then change minds and just neutralize the
foe.
It's like the semi file was neutralized and neutralized nine G force.
So it's kind of very solid now against face of peace, counterplay and again solidly controlling light
squares against the face of G four.
So preventative measures and then starting to work on the queenside.
It's an absolutely fascinating game in many, many respects with the rook kind of awkward on air five,
it turned out to be.
But yeah, this fascinating concept of playing bishop and free to get a very interesting kind of imbalance.
I say fascinating imbalance.
So if you have like as in this case, swapping a bishop for lots of pawns are fascinating difference
in material distribution between the two players.
But yeah, it seems as though it wasn't in any big trouble doing this.
And there is even a tactical option to have considered as well.
But yeah, very, very interesting game.
I hope you enjoyed this.
Got some points from it.
If not, you know, if at the very least the idea of switching where the bishop is going to go, just
because you've implied A, you don't have to sing B, you have to look at the position A BCD, you don't
have to follow your logical steps.
You have to react to what the opponent's doing without bias.
You know, we don't have to have that gravity of decision making that we've moved the bishop from G
five to H for we can actually move it back.
It's not totally absurd.
It's depending on the exact details of the position, really not driven by past events.
So it's about playing the position.
Removing bias.
Karpov is set himself.
I have no style.
When asked about style is play the position player primarily, primarily like all the greats, they're
playing to the details of the positions.
So unusual moves in this game, but seemingly justified the more you look into them.
Okay.
Have you enjoyed this so much?