[Event "'Clash In Crete'"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.09.23"]
[Round "?"]
[White "GM Garry Kasparov (RUS)"]
[Black "GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili (GEO)"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C41"]
[WhiteElo "2830"]
[BlackElo "2693"]
[Annotator "Muhammad,S"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 {Philidor's Defense: the
Hanham variation. The defense is considered passive but solid, and it's rarely
seen at this level of play.} 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 c6 8. a4 {
Black must not be allowed to expand on the queenside.} 8... b6 9. d5 $1 {
Clamping down on the center and securing a lasting edge based on the hole at
d5 or the weak white-square complex involving b7-c6-b5-a6, depending on
black's response.} 9... cxd5 10. Nxd5 Bb7 11. b3 Rc8 12. Re2 Nxd5 13. Bxd5 Bxd5
14. Qxd5 Nf6 15. Qd1 d5 {Black sacrifices a pawn rather than allowing white to
pile up on the hole at d5.} 16. exd5 Qxd5 17. Qxd5 Nxd5 18. Nxe5 Rfe8 19. c4
Bd6 {Diagram #} (19... Nc3 20. Re3 Bc5 21. Rxc3 Bd4 22. Bb2) 20. Bb2 Nf4 21.
Ree1 Bb4 22. Red1 Ne2+ 23. Kf1 Nc3 24. Rd3 {
White had to do some fancy footwork to keep the pawn!} 24... Ne4 25. Rad1 Bc5
26. Rf3 Rcd8 27. Rxd8 Rxd8 28. Rd3 {Kasparov is known to dislike passive
position. With his last move, he returns the pawn but thwarts the dangerous
activity that was building in black's forces.} 28... Rxd3 29. Nxd3 Nd2+ 30. Ke2
Nxb3 31. Be5 {Now we reach a very technical endgame that the highest rated
player in the world plays masterfully.} 31... f6 32. Bb8 Nd4+ 33. Kd2 Nc6 34.
Nxc5 Nxb8 35. Nd3 Kf7 36. Kc3 Ke6 37. c5 {The position looks drawish to the
untrained eye, but the activity of white's king and knight could prove to be
decisive.} 37... Kd5 38. cxb6 axb6 39. Kb4 Kc6 40. Kc4 {#} 40... Na6 $6 {
It's easier to hold the draw with the steeds on the board. The players should
split the point after say:} (40... Nd7 41. Nb4+ Kb7 42. Kb5 (42. Kd5 Nc5 $11)
42... Ne5 43. Nd5 Nd3 44. f4 Ne1 45. g3 Nf3 46. Nxb6 (46. h3 Nd4+ 47. Kc4 Nf3
48. g4 Ka6 49. Kb4 Kb7 50. f5 Ng5 51. Nf4 Ka6 52. h4 Nf7 53. Ne6 Nh6 54. Nxg7
Nxg4 55. Ne8 Ne3) 46... Nxh2 47. a5 Nf3 48. a6+ Kb8 49. Nd5 Ka7) 41. Nb4+ Nxb4
42. Kxb4 {Diagram # Now we're at the part of the game that really impressed me.
Pawn endgames can be so tricky.} 42... h5 (42... f5 43. f4 Kb7 44. Kb5 h6 45.
g3 Kc7 46. Kc4 Kc6 47. Kd4 Kd6 48. h3 h5 49. Kc4 Kc6 50. Kb4 Kd6 51. Kb5 Kc7
52. h4) 43. f4 g6 $2 {This is the culprit. Black had to play:} (43... g5 $1 $11
) 44. Kc4 Kd6 $2 {It still wasn't too late!} (44... g5 45. Kd4 Kd6 46. fxg5
fxg5 47. h3 h4 48. Ke4 Ke6 $11) 45. Kb5 Kc7 46. Ka6 {Now black gets "zuged".}
46... Kc6 47. h4 f5 48. g3 Kc5 49. Kb7 {
White gets to the kingside first and mops up the black pawns. Black resigns.}
1-0

