1.e4
c6
2.d4
d6
Kasparov sticks to his anti-computer opening strategy.
3.Cf3
After this the game transposes to a type of Pirc. More aggressive responses are 3 c4, which might lead to a sort of King's Indian, or 3 f4.
3...Cf6
4.Cc3
Ag4
5.h3
Ah5
6.Ad3
A slightly passive set-up; it isn't obvious exactly what the bishop is doing on d3. A more dynamic build-up would involve g4, Qe2 and Bg2.
6...e6
7.De2
d5
Black's opening strategy is now clesr. His light-squared bishop has ben developed outside the pawn chain and will sooner or later be exchnaged off. Black then erects a light-squared barricade in the centre, so that if the centre becomes blocked then he will be left with his 'good' bishop. The cost is the tempo wasted in playing ...d6 and then ... d5. However, in the relatively closed positions which result, this tempo is not of great significance.
8.Ag5
This appears to be a new move. Hitherto, White has tried [8.exd5
Axf3
9.Dxf3
cxd5
10.0-0
Cc6
11.Ce2
Ae7
12.c3
0-0
13.Af4
a6
14.Cg3
b5=
1-0 Chernysh ov,K-Maiwald,J/Dresden op 1995 (39) with equality, Chernyshov-Maiwald, Dresden Open 1995. The position resulting from the exchange on d5 closely resemble the line 3 exd5 cxd5 4 Bd3 in the Caro-Kann.]
8...Ae7
9.e5
[Not 9.0-0?
which runs into 9...Cxe4
10.Axe7
Cxc3
11.De5
Dxe7
12.Dxg7
Df8
13.Dxf8+
Txf8
14.bxc3
Axf3
15.gxf3
is strategically winning for Black.]
9...Cfd7
[If Black wanted to make sure that his h5-bishop was exchnaged for a knight rather than a bishop, he could haveplayed 9...Axf3
10.Dxf3
Cfd7
11.Axe7
Dxe7
but the problem is that the b8-knight is much harder to develop. Overall, the move played in the game appears most accurate.]
10.Axe7
Dxe7
11.g4
Ag6
12.Axg6
This looks slightly odd to human eyes, because the h8-rook is activated against the backward pawn on h3. It appears more natural to play 0-0-0, then aim to move the knight from f3 and play f4-f5.
12...hxg6
13.h4
However, Deep Blue shows that the exchnage on g6 did have a point. If Black plays a later ...f6, then White can reply exf6, gxf6; g5, undermining Black's control of e5. WE shall see this idea again later.
13...Ca6
14.0-0-0
0-0-0
15.Tdg1
Preparing for kingisde activity by h5.
15...Cc7
A fundamental decision, over which garry thought for a long tiem. Black has two alternative plans: the first is to support the e6-square and then play ...f6. White's likely response is to swap on f6, and then Black can try to play ...e5. If he succeeds in this plan, Black will have a majority of pawns in the centre. The second plan is to attempt a queenside attack. If he were to go for this plan, Black would play 15...Nb6, with the idea of ...Nc4 and ...Qb4 to come. In this case the knight shouild stay on a6 as it might be able to partciipate directly in the attack from this square. The choice in the game shows that Garry has definitely decided for the first plan.
16.Rb1
[The point of this move is not entirely clear - it even looks like a lazy human move, just tucking the king out of harm's way so as to avoid overlooking a possible check later! 16.h5
gxh5
17.gxh5
is more ambitious as the tactical idea 17...f6
18.Ch4
fxe5
19.Cg6
Db4
20.Cxh8
exd4
21.a3
Da5
appears good for White after 22.Cf7
]
16...f6
Challenging White's central control.
17.exf6
Dxf6!
An excellent and combative move. The obvious continuation was 17...gxf6, but then White could reply 18 g5 eliminating the f6-pawn and thereby preventing Black from playing ...e5. The result would be a general opening up of the kingisde, when White's rooks appear well-placed on h1 and g1. The move played leaves Black with doubled and isolated pawns, supposedly the chess-player's worst nightmare. However, White also has serious structural weaknesses; the pawns on g4 and h4 aren't doing much and, even more seriously, his f3-knight and f2-pawn are vulnerable to pressure down the f-file.
18.Tg3
Deep Blue takes steps to defend the exposed knight, but the rook is clumsily placed here.
18...Tde8
Threatening to break through in the centre by ...e5. This would give Black a clear advantage so Deep Blue immediately prevents it.
19.Te1
Thf8
Very natur al play. The f3-knight is immobilised by the pressure along the f-file, since the f2-pawn is insufficiently defended. Garry has excellent compensation for his slight kingisde pawn weaknesses in the form of active piece-play - just the type of situation in which he normally plays very well.
20.Cd1!
Deep Blue finds an excellent counter to Black's plan. Although this looks passive, the knight wasn;t doing much on c3 and it is much more usefully employed defending the f2-pawn. This frees the f3-knight for action; in some lines White might be able to play Ne5.
20...e5!?
An amazing pawn sacrifice. The logic behind this is that there are only two things wrong with Black's posiiton: the backward e6-pawn and the poorly plaved kngith on c7, which has few active prospcets (the g-pawns are not a significant factor provided Black's pieceds remain active, as White will not have the freedom of action to exploit them). By giving up a pawn, Black solves both these problems at a stroke. The c7-knight can move to e6, and then either to f4 or to c5 and then e4. It is certainly a bold stroke to offer a pawn against a computer, as machines (like Kortschnoj) have the annoying habit of hanging on to material. Very good judgement by Kasparov! [Another factor is that an alternative plan is hard to find. 20...Df4
is met, not by 21.Ce5?
Cxe5
22.Dxe5
Dxe5
23.Txe5
Tf4
24.c3
Th8
with strong pressure against White's pawns, but by 21 Qd3 and g6 is hard to defend.; Attempting to activate the c7-knight by 20...Cb5
21.c3
Cd6
fails to 22.Cg5
with Rf3 to come.]
21.dxe5
[After 21.Cxe5
Dxh4
Black has no problems.]
21...Df4
22.a3?
An extremely odd move which has no visible purpose, other than the general one of avoiidng potential back-rank problems. [Neither 22.Dd3
Cxe5
nor; 22.h5
gxh5
23.gxh5
Th8
24.Txg7
Txh5
is promising for White; so the best move is probably 22.De3!
Dxe3
23.Txe3
Ce6
]
22...Ce6
Kasparov gratefull seizes on the free tempo to progress with his plan.
23.Cc3
Deep Blue appears is floundering. This move undoes all the good work that the earlier Nd1 had achieved. 23.Qe3 was still the best move. If White were a human being, one would say that he had 'lost the thead'. It seems odd that computers can have the same problem.
23...Cdc5
24.b4?
A very ugly move. This was clearly the point of White'sprevious move: to be able to expel the knight from c5 without it landing on e4. However, the time White gains is as nothing compared to the serious weakening of his king position. Kasparov must have been mentally rubbing his hands with glee at the sight of this reckless advance.
24...Cd7
25.Dd3
Df7
26.b5
Having played b4 to keep the knights out of c5, it is of course inconsistent to let them back in again. Now White has nothing positive to show for the advance of his b-pawn, while his king position becomes weaker and weaker. White should have just remained passive, although Black has various ways of improving his position, for example by ... Kb8 and ...Rc8, aiming for ...c5. [26.Cd1
Rb8
]
26...Cdc5
27.De3
Df4
White's collection of pawn weaknesses is now so serious that Black feels no hesitation is swapping off queens into an ending a pawn down! His aim is to reach a spotion with doubled rooks on f4 and f8, when White's whole position will be ceaking at the seams.
28.bxc6
bxc6
29.Td1
Deep Blue struggles to maintain control. This move prepares Nd4 in some lines.
29...Rc7
Allowing the rooks to switch to the b-file.
30.Ra1
Dxe3
A surprising decision, but after considerable analysis I think it is correct. Here Black had the opportunity to play for a direct attack against the white king, which Kasparov might not have tunred down against a human opponent. [However, with accurate defence the upshot is far from clear 30...Tb8
31.Tb1
Txb1+
32.Rxb1
Tb8+
33.Rc1
Dc4
34.Cd2
Da6
35.Ce2
also achieves little; 30...Dc4
31.Cd2
(31.Cd4!
Cxd4
(31...Tb8
32.Cxe6+
Cxe6
33.Dxa7+
Tb7
34.Da5+
looks good for White) 32.Txd4
Df1+
33.Cd1
and there is obvious continuation for Black.) 31...Da6
really is dangerous for White]
31.fxe3
Tf7
Doubling rooks will force the f3-knight to move, an then Black's rooks cen penetrate to f2.
32.Th3
Another odd move from Deep Blue. Up to now we could say that Black had a slight advantage, but now White is in deep trouble. [32.Cd4
Tef8
33.Cxe6+
Cxe6
looks better, although Black also has some advantage in this case.]
32...Tef8
33.Cd4
Tf2
34.Tb1
Tg2
35.Cce2
Deep Blue decides to hettison the extra pawn, but there were by now no good alternatives. [35.g5
Tff2
]
35...Txg4
[It is also tempting to play for the attack by 35...Tff2
36.Cxe6+
Cxe6
37.Cd4
Cxd4
38.exd4
Txc2
39.Tf1
c5
40.dxc5
Rc6
41.Te1
Rxc5
, which also strongly favours Black, but there is no reason to criticise the game continuation.]
36.Cxe6+
Cxe6
All White's remaining pawns are isolated, and Black's pieces are all more active than their White counterparts. With all these advantages, it is incredible that Kasparov failed to win this position.
37.Cd4
Another pawn bites the dust, but this is a reasonable decsiion, because the knight on e6 was exrteremely well-placed and White could hardly avoid shedding one of the weak e-pawns in any case.
37...Cxd4
38.exd4
Txd4
39.Tg1
Tc4
40.Txg6
Txc2
41.Txg7+
Rb6
42.Tb3+
Rc5
43.Txa7
White is once again a pawn up, but his three scattered pawns are far less dangerous than Black's two connected passed pawns. Moreover, Black'sking is activ e wherea White's is trapped on the back rank and subjected to mating threats from the enemy rooks. The position should be winning for Black.
43...Tf1+?
This move effectively loses a vital tempo. The somplest win was by [43...Rc4
44.Tab7
c5
45.Tb2
(45.e6
Te2
) 45...Txb2
46.Txb2
d4
47.e6
(47.Tc2+
Rb3
48.Rb1
d3
) 47...d3
48.Tg2
Rc3
and Black's pawns are too strong.]
44.Tb1
Tff2
45.Tb4
Had Kasparov overlooked that this move threatens mate in one? If Black wants to play for a win then he is more or less forced to swap one pair of rooks, but this relieves much of the pressure against White's king.
45...Tc1+
46.Tb1
Tcc2
47.Tb4
Tc1+
48.Tb1
Txb1+
Black is eventually forced to exchnage rooks, but in comparison with the note to Black's 43rd move, his king and pawns are further back. The position should probably still be a win, but it is now more trickly.
49.Rxb1
Te2
50.Te7
Th2
51.Th7
Rc4?
[Now the game appears to be a draw. The correct move was 51...d4!
After 52.Tc7
(52.e6
Te2
53.e7
Rc4
54.a4
d3
55.a5
Te1+
56.Rb2
d2
wins) 52...Txh4
53.e6
Te4
54.e7
Rd6
the point is revealed: White loses his e-pawn.]
52.Tc7!
Deep Blue seizes the drawing chance. First of all, the rook is transferred behind the black pawns with gain of tempo. This is necessary, because it is of no value to push e6-e7 while the rook is stuck on h7 - the rook must be available to restrain Black's pawns from behind,
52...c5
53.e6
Txh4
54.e7
Te4
55.a4
This is the second point. Black no longer has the move ...Kd6 available, so White keeps his e-pawn.
55...Rb3
The position is just drawn. With the rook actively placed on c7, Black can only advance his pawns very slowly, too slowly to beat White's a-pawn to the queening square. [55...Rb4
56.a5
; 55...d4
56.a5
d3
57.a6
]
56.Rc1
1/2-1/2