(The annotations to this game, by A. E.

Karpov, are from Sto pobednykh partii (Fizkultura i Sport,

1984). The translation from the original Russian is by Douglas Griffin.)

Karpov – Hübner
1st round, Tilburg (Interpolis), 30th September 1982

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3
10.Qxd3 Ngf6 11.Bf4 e6 12.0–0–0
In former times Black aimed to drive the bishop from the f4–square. B. Larsen was the first to
turn away from this plan.

12...Be7
On the board is a position typical of the quiet Caro-Kann Defence, and it is difficult to imagine
that within only a few moves great combinational complications will arise.

13.Ne5 0–0 14.c4

In a later round of the same tournament, in the game Timman-Hübner, White played 14.Nxd7,
and after 14...Qxd7 15.Be5 Rad8 16.Qe2 Qd5 17.Kb1 Hübner made the mistaken move 17...Rd7
(the position of the queen on the d5–square should have been secured with 17...b5). There then
followed 18.c4 Qa5 19.f4 b5 20.c5 Rd5 21.f5 Nd7 22.Bf4 with a losing position for Black.

14...c5
XIIIIIIIIY
8r+-wq-trk+0
7zpp+nvlpzp-0
6-+-+psn-zp0
5+-zp-sN-+P0
4-+PzP-vL-+0
3+-+Q+-sN-0
2PzP-+-zPP+0
1+-mKR+-+R0
xabcdefghy
Played in the spirit of the position. Black wants to open the d-file for the exchange of heavy
pieces. The advance d4–d5 at first sight seems impossible on account of the manoeuvre employed
by R. Hübner at the 15th and 16th moves. And all the same...

15.d5 Nxe5
Bad was 15...exd5 on account of 16.Nf5 with a strong attack, as was 15...Bd6 on account of
16.Ng6.
16.Bxe5 Ng4
XIIIIIIIIY
8r+-wq-trk+0
7zpp+-vlpzp-0
6-+-+p+-zp0
5+-zpPvL-+P0
4-+P+-+n+0
3+-+Q+-sN-0
2PzP-+-zPP+0
1+-mKR+-+R0
xabcdefghy
Now the white bishop and the pawn at f2 are under attack. In the case of 17.Qe2 possible is
17...Nxe5 18.Qxe5 Bf6. However...

17.Bxg7!
Also to be considered were the following variations: 17.f4 Bd6 18.Bxd6 Qxd6 19.Qf3, or
17...exd5 18.Qxd5 Qxd5 19.Rxd5 with advantage for White.

More principled is 17...Nf2 after which, unfortunately, 18.Qc3 does not win (the assessment of
the position after 18.Qe2 is unclear) 18...Nxd1 19.Rxd1 f6! 20.dxe6 Qb6 (20...Qc8 21.Rd7!)
21.Nf5 Qxe6 22.Nxe7+ Qxe7 23.Bd6 Qe4 24.Bxf8 Qxf4+, and Black stands better.

17...Kxg7
The intermediate check 17...Bg5+ should have been preferred, and depending on the move of the
king (18.Kb1 or 18.Kc2), Black was left with a choice between 18...Kxg7 and 18...Nxf2.

18.Qe2 Bg5+
After 18...Nf6 19.dxe6 Qc7 20.Nf5+ Kh7 21.g3 White has a strong initiative for the sacrificed
material.

19.Kb1 Nf6 20.dxe6 Qc8 21.e7 Re8

 XIIIIIIIIY
8r+q+r+-+0
7zpp+-zPpmk-0
6-+-+-sn-zp0
5+-zp-+-vlP0
4-+P+-+-+0
3+-+-+-sN-0
2PzP-+QzPP+0
1+K+R+-+R0
xabcdefghy
22.Rd6!!
Were it not for this move, which I had planned far in advance and which the opponent had
clearly under-estimated, Black would have solved all of his problems with 22...Qe6.

22...Qg4
22...Bf4 fails on account of 23.Rxf6 Kxf6 (23...Bxg3 24.Qf3!) 24.Qf3!.

23.Qe5 Kg8 24.Re1

Of course, not 24.Rxf6 Bxf6 25.Qxf6 – 25...Qe6.

24...Nd7
In the case of 24...Nxh5 25.Re4 Nf4 26.Nf5 f6 27.Qxf6 Bxf6 (27...Qd1+ 28.Rxd1 Bxf6
29.Rxf4) 28.Nxh6+ Kg7 29.Nxg4 Bxe7 30.Rd7 Ng6 31.f4 White has the advantage, but still
stronger is 25.Nf5 (instead of 26.Re4) 25...Bf4 26.Qd5 Ng7 27.Rf6 Qh5 28.g4.

25.Rxd7!
The shortest path to victory.

25...Qxd7 26.Nf5 f6
The only chance of continuing the resistance – 26...Qd3+ 27.Ka1 Qd4 28.Nxd4 Rxe7 – fails to
help after 29.Qxe7 Bxe7 30.Nf5, as well as in the case of transfer to a rook endgame: 30.Rxe7 cxd4
31.Kb1.

27.Qd5+!
White is a rook down, and nonetheless exchanges queens – the most convenient and elegant path
to a win.

27...Qxd5 28.cxd5 Bf4 29.g3 Bc7 30.Kc2

Mistaken would have been 30.Nxh6+ Kh7 31.Nf5 on account of 31...Rad8!.
30...b5 31.Nxh6+ Kh7 32.Nf5 Rg8 33.d6 Ba5 34.Re6 Rg5 35.Rxf6 Rxh5 36.d7 Rh2 37.Ne3
XIIIIIIIIY
8r+-+-+-+0
7zp-+PzP-+k0
6-+-+-tR-+0
5vlpzp-+-+-0
4-+-+-+-+0
3+-+-sN-zP-0
2PzPK+-zP-tr0
1+-+-+-+-0
xabcdefghy
A picturesque position! Black resigned.