Table Of Content__________________ChessCafe.com
Inside Chess
Yasser Seirawan
A potpourri of old and new from the three-time American champion. A
new column is posted the third Wednesday of each month.
© Yasser Seirawan 2001-2012
1
Table of Contents
November 2012 -- The PCA World Championship, Game Two
October 2012 -- The PCA World Championship, Game One
September 2012 -- The Dangerous Trio
August 2012 -- Ehlvest-Spassky, Reykjavik 1988
July 2012 -- A Question of Style?
June 2012 -- S.W.I.F.T. World Cup I, Part Seven
May 2012 -- S.W.I.F.T. World Cup I, Part Six
April 2012 -- S.W.I.F.T. World Cup I, Part Five
March 2012 -- S.W.I.F.T. World Cup I, Part Four
February 2012 -- S.W.I.F.T. World Cup I, Part Three
January 2012 -- S.W.I.F.T. World Cup I, Part Two
December 2011 -- S.W.I.F.T. World Cup I, Part One
November 2011 -- Xie Jun Regains Women's World Crown
October 2011 -- 1997 World Team Championship, Part Three
September 2011 -- 1997 World Team Championship, Part Two
August 2011 -- 1997 World Team Championship, Part One
July 2011 -- 1999 Interplay U.S. Championship, Part Three
June 2011 -- 1999 Interplay U.S. Championship, Part Two
May 2011 -- 1999 Interplay U.S. Championship, Part One
April 2011 -- Inside Track: Center Counter with 2...Nf6
March 2011 -- Georgia Peaches Bloom
2
February 2011 -- Slavic Requiem and Rebirth
January 2011 -- Inside Profile: Asa Hoffmann
December 2010 -- Inside Track Theoretical, Meran 8.Be2 Bb7
November 2010 -- The Two Knights Defense, Part Three and Four
October 2010 -- The Two Knights Defense, Part Two
September 2010 -- The Two Knights Defense, Part One
August 2010 -- Speelman-Seirawan, St. John 1988, Game Five
July 2010 -- Seirawan-Speelman, St. John 1988, Game Four
June 2010 -- Speelman-Seirawan, St. John 1988, Game Three
May 2010 -- Seirawan-Speelman, St. John 1988, Game Two
April 2010 -- Speelman-Seirawan, St. John 1988, Game One
March 2010 -- Inside Interview by GM Larry Evans
February 2010 -- In Search of the Elusive TN
January 2010 -- The Schacknytt Festival in Malmö
December 2009 -- 1987 United States Championship, Part Three
November 2009 -- 1987 United States Championship, Part Two
October 2009 -- 1987 United States Championship, Part One
September 2009 -- Alburt-Seirawan, U.S. Championship 1990
August 2009 -- Piket-Shirov, Aruba 1995
July 2009 -- Anand-Kamsky, Las Palmas 1995
June 2009 -- Shirov-Topalov, Madrid 1997
May 2009 -- Beliavsky-Tiviakov, Linares 1995
April 2009 -- Karpov-Kamsky, FIDE-Wch Elista 1996
March 2009 -- Fedorowicz-Gulko, U.S. Championship 1987
3
February 2009 -- Portisch-Timman, Candidates 1989
January 2009 -- Andersson-Hübner, Ter Apel 1997
December 2008 -- Benjamin-Kaidanov, US-ch sf 1995
November 2008 -- Ivanchuk-Topalov, Linares 1995
October 2008 -- Christiansen-Seirawan, U.S. Championship 1997
September 2008 -- Gelfand-Kasparov, Linares (5) 1992
August 2008 -- Kasparov-Karpov, Seville (24) 1987
July 2008 -- Karpov-Kasparov, Seville (23) 1987
June 2008 -- Seirawan-Christiansen, U.S. Championship 1997
May 2008 -- Seirawan-Hjartarson, Barcelona 1989
April 2008 -- De la Riva Aguado-Morozevich, Pamplona 1999
March 2008 -- Nunn-Seirawan, Wijk aan Zee 1992
February 2008 -- DeFirmian-Shabalov, Denver 1998
January 2008 -- Sadler-Forster, Lucerne 1997
December 2007 -- Portisch-Timman, Candidates Match 1989
November 2007 -- Yusupov-Karpov, Candidates Semifinal 1989
October 2007 -- Morovic-Seirawan, Novi Sad 1990
September 2007 -- Ivanchuk-Seirawan, Novi Sad 1990
August 2007 -- Short-Topalov, Linares 1995
July 2007 -- Kasparov-Karpov, Linares 1992
June 2007 -- Damljanovic-Seirawan, Belgrade 1991
May 2007 -- Christiansen-Gurevich, World Open 1989
April 2007 -- Fedorowicz-Seirawan, U.S. Championship 1998
March 2007 -- Timman-Nikolic, Dutch Championship 1997
4
February 2007 -- Van der Wiel-Ehlvest, Rotterdam 1989
January 2007 -- Topalov-Kasparov, Las Palmas 1996
December 2006 -- Seirawan-Yusupov, Rotterdam 1989
November 2006 -- Anand-Karpov, Lausanne 1998
October 2006 -- Seirawan-Ftacnik, Thessaloniki Olympiad 1998
September 2006 -- Anand-Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1998
August 2006 -- Topalov-Kasparov, Yerevan 1996
July 2006 -- Seirawan-Lein, World Open 1998
June 2006 -- Sokolov-Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1996
May 2006 -- Christiansen-Alburt, Jacksonville 1990
April 2006 -- Dreev-Shirov, Wijk aan Zee 1996
March 2006 -- Van der Wiel-Ehlvest, Rotterdam 1989
February 2006 -- Gelfand-Dreev, Tilburg 1993
January 2006 -- Kasparov-Sokolov, Sarajevo 1999
December 2005 -- Anand-Ivanchuk, Dortmund 1997
November 2005 -- Short-Speelman, London qf 1988
October 2005 -- Karpov-Timman, Jarkata 1993
September 2005 -- Topalov-Seirawan, Biel 1993
August 2005 -- Short-Gelfand, Brussels cm 1991
July 2005 -- Kasparov-Anand, PCA World Championship 1995
June 2005 -- Anand-Sokolov, Brussels 1992
May 2005 -- Beliavsky-Karpov, Brussels 1998
April 2005 -- Kortchnoi-Timman, Brussels 1998
March 2005 -- Karpov-Anand, Linares 1991
5
February 2005 -- Yermolinsky-de Firmian, Parsippany 1996
January 2005 -- Seirawan-Shabalov, Key West 1994
December 2004 -- Shirov-Khalifman, Amsterdam 1995
November 2004 -- Karpov-Anand, Brussels 1991
October 2004 -- Seirawan-Kasparov, Skelleftea 1989
September 2004 -- Fischer-Spassky, Sveti Stefan 1992
August 2004 -- Fischer-Spassky, Sveti Stefan 1992
July 2004 -- Gurevich-Kamsky, Los Angeles 1991
June 2004 -- Timman-Karpov, Hoogeveen 1999
May 2004 -- Two from Lugano 1989
April 2004 -- Timman-Nikolic, Dutch Championship Playoff 1997
March 2004 -- Kasparov-Short, Amsterdam 1994
February 2004 -- Karpov-Gelfand, SanghiNagar 1995
January 2004 -- Seirawan-Gurevich, Biel 1993
December 2003 -- Browne-Seirawan, 1987 American Open
November 2003 -- Karpov-Anand, Wijk Aaan Zee 1998
October 2003 -- Karpov-Kasparov, Linares 1993
September 2003 -- Kasparov-Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999
August 2003 -- Adams-Seirawan, Bermuda 2000
July 2003 -- Kasparov-Nikolic, Linares 1997
June 2003 -- Shabalov-Seirawan, 1998 U.S. Men's Championship
May 2003 -- Seirawan-Dzindzichashvili 1999
April 2003 -- Kasparov-Kramnik Linares 1997
March 2003 -- Kramnik-Topalov, Monte Carlo 1998
6
February 2003 -- Svidler-Kasparov, Tilburg 1997
January 2003 -- Anand-Ivanchuk, Dortmund 1997
December 2002 -- Timman-Piket, Wijk aan Zee 2000
November 2002 -- Morozevich-Aleksandrov, Shenyang 2000
October 2002 -- Piket-Van Wely Amsterdam 1994
September 2002 -- 1997 Rematch: Kasparov versus Deep Blue
August 2002 -- Kasparov-Kraceck, Yerevan 1996
July 2002 -- 1997 Rematch Kasparov versus Deep Blue
June 2002 -- Vladimir Kramnik-Garry Kasparov Novgorod 1997
May 2002 -- 1997 Rematch, Kasparov versus Deep Blue
April 2002 -- Shirov-Polgar, Madrid 1997
March 2002 -- 2002 U.S. Championships, Part 2: Yasser Annotates
February 2002 -- 2002 U.S. Championships: An Insider’s Perspective
January 2002 -- 1997 Rematch: Kasparov versus Deep Blue
December 2001 -- 1997 Rematch: Kasparov versus Deep Blue
November 2001 -- Wijk aan Zee 2000, Corus
October 2001 -- Japfa Classic, Bali 2000
September 2001 -- 1997 Rematch: Kasparov versus Deep Blue
7
Inside Chess
Next month, World Champion Vladimir Kramnik takes on the
latest version of the silicon chessplaying monsters in a match
against Deep Fritz beginning October 12 in Bahrain. We thought
it would be appropriate to take a look back at the 1997 match that
shocked world when Deep Blue defeated then World Champion
Garry Kasparov. Actually, many people forget that things started
Orders? Inquiries? You can
well for the carbon-based life forms...
now call toll-free:
1-866-301-CAFE
1997 Rematch:
Garry Kasparov
versus
Deep Blue
Game 1
Annotations by Yasser
Seirawan
The Garry Kasparov -
IBM Deep Blue rematch
started amongst the on
May 3rd at 3:00 PM
EDT with all the world's
major media in
attendance. The game
itself was played on the
35th floor of the
Equitable Insurance
Building in a beautiful
set that was designed as if in a professor's study. A lamp blew out
in the middle of the game as if in sympathy to the tactics that
were produced on the chess board. Garry turned in a model game
that was a vintage performance on how a human should play
against computer. Garry chose a very cautious opening and
extended this same strategy throughout the game. None of his
pieces crossed the fourth rank preferring to play, "on my side of
the board." Two passed pawns however did cross the divide and
they brought home the bacon.
For Garry this victory brought him a 1 - 0 lead in the match and
as importantly it was his third straight victory over the team from
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Inside Chess
IBM. We were not witnessing the playing style of Kasparov
rather a well prepared Kasparov that had adapted his game to
match the play of Deep Blue. It worked to perfection.
White: Garry Kasparov
Black: Deep Blue
1.Nf3
The first indication that Garry had prepared a different strategy.
Normally he would open the game with main line openings after
1.e4 and 1.d4 grabbing the center. Garry has correctly understood
that playing waiting maneuvering chess with no clear lines of
battle along with blockaded positions is the best way of meeting
the computers.
1..d5 2.g3 Bg4 3.b3
Another early moment
of great import. Garry
had considered this first
game as a kind of
reconnaissance mission
wishing to find out what
Deep Blue's priorities
were in the relationship
between Bishop's and
Knight's. Here he offers
Deep Blue the
opportunity to trade a Bishop for a Knight while doubling his
own pawns. If Deep Blue declines the opportunity he will have
discovered that the computer's valuations have placed a high
regard for the Bishop over the Knight. This crucial piece of
information becomes a critical factor in the game. Most human
players would have quickly played 3.Bg2 protecting the Knight
and avoiding the doubled pawns. Another important point is that
with the text Deep Blue was out of its preprogrammed opening
book.
3...Nd7
While not in itself a mistake, this move can be construed as a
matter of taste, it was in fact better to play 3...Bxf3 4.exf3 e6
5.Bb2 Ngf6 6.Bg2 Bd6 7.f4 O-O 8.O-O c6 with a balanced game.
4.Bb2 e6 5.Bg2 Ngf6 6.0-0 c6 7.d3 Bd6 8.Nbd2 0-0
At this point both players moved very quickly indicating that
Deep Blue had transposed back into its opening library of moves.
9.h3 Bh5 10.e3!?
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Inside Chess
A rather cagey move.
Kasparov wants to disguise
his intentions by not defining
the center structure. Should
he play 10.c4 and play on the
Queenside? Or play 10.e4 and
play in the center? The text
does neither and leaves it up
to Deep Blue to decide where
to draw the battle lines.
10...h6?!
Given the opportunity to take
a bigger bite of the center, Deep Blue should have. Best was
10...e5 controlling more squares and threatening ...e5-e4 winning
a piece. Why didn't Deep Blue make this move? He was
concerned about the loss of a Bishop for a Knight! After 10...e5
11.g4 Bg6 12.Nh4 White would have weakened his Kingside but
would manage to capture Black's light squared Bishop. With the
text, Deep Blue makes the retreat ...Bg6-h7 possible.
11.Qe1
White intends to shift his pieces to the Kingside making attacking
opportunities there possible. The hidden idea behind the text is to
protect the h4-square.
11...Qa5?
An intriguing mistake to try and understand. The computer is
programmed to optimize its pieces by controlling as much space -
squares on the opponents side of the board - as possible.
Certainly on her a5-perch Black's Queen does that. The problem
however is the Queen lacks any possibility of creating a
coordinated attack with her other pieces. Black's Queen will soon
lack cover and get into trouble. Better was 11...Qe7 12.g4 Bg6
13.Nh4 Bh7 14.f4! which was White's point of defending the
h4-square. White will try to move more and more of his pieces
Kingside. A kind of "student body right" football play if you will.
In this case Black should continue 14...Ba3 in order to force the
exchange of the attacking b2-Bishop.
After the text, Garry knitted his eyebrows as if to say, "what's
this"?
12.a3!
This simple move stops Black's Queenside activity cold. It was
important to prevent a possible ...Bd6-a3 and at the same time
White keeps the tempo b3-b4 in his pocket. Although the armies
are not in a hand to hand conflict, White has made important
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