Kasparov – Belyavsky

3.d4 would have transposed into more normal lines. This formation is designed to discourage 3…d5 at all costs, though it is possible for Black to play it anyway.

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Date: 1991.??.??
Location: ?
Tournament: Linares
Round:
Opening:
Submitted by:
Published on: February 9, 2020

[Event "Linares"] [Site "?"] [Date "1991.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Kasparov"] [Black "Belyavsky"] [Result "1-0"] [PlyCount "73"] 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 {3.d4 would have transposed into more normal lines. This formation is designed to discourage 3...d5 at all costs, though it is possible for Black to play it anyway.} c5 {My opponent's last move is an attempt to create a hole on the d4-square. This is a potential weakness in White's center, specially if a Black knight can be posted there.} 4.e5 Ng8 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.d4 {6.Be2 d6 7.exd6 Bxd6 8.O-O Nf6 White no longer has any serious threats in this position.} cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nxe5 {For the price of a pawn, I have maintained the initiative.} 8.Ndb5 a6 {8...Nf6 9.Bf4 d6 10.c5! The perch that the e5-Knight is resting on iscollapsing . In other words, Black has lost control of the center.} 9.Nd6+ Bxd6 10.Qxd6 f6 11.Be3 Ne7 12.Bb6 Nf5 13.Qc5 d6 14.Qa5 Qd7 {Since his Black square bishop is missing, Belyavsky's position is vulnerable on the dark squares.} 15.f4 Nc6 16.Qa3 e5 {As a general rule, it is unwise to open the position up when your opponent has two bishops and you have only one. Furthermore, advancing the pawn from e6 to e5 creates a hole in the d5-square.} 17.Bd3 O-O 18.O-O exf4 19.Rxf4 Nfe7 20.Rd1 Ng6 21.R4f1 Nge5 {My opponent fight's back by centralizing his Knight to e5. However, he has a horrible gash in his position in the shape of the d5 hole.} 22.Be4 {I now have four pieces aiming at the d5 square. Also, the isolated pawn at d6 is under attack due to the combined efforts of the White queen and rook. Lastly, Belyavsky has yet to develop his queenside. Black is lost.} Qf7 23.b3 {23.Bd5 is met by 25...Be6.} Be6 24.Qxd6 {White has achieved material equality with out giving up his initiative.} Kh8 25.Qc7 Qxc7 26.Bxc7 Rf7 {My queenside pawn majority, combined with the bishop, gives me every expectation of winning.} 27.Bb6 Re8 28.h3 Rd7 29.Nd5 {Utilizing the d5-square which has been a terminal weakness in Black's position.} Rc8 30.g4 Ng6 31.Kh2 Nce5 32.a4 Rd6 33.a5 Nd7 34.Nc7 {Here Black resigned, since his position was hopeless.} Rxd1 35.Rxd1 Nxb6 36.axb6 Bf7 37.Bxb7 1-0