A few women players like Vera Menchik, the Polgar sisters, Maia Chiburdanidze, and more recently Koneru Humpy and Hou Yifan are the ones who have made their own place in Open Chess tournaments and defeated top Grandmasters and World Champions alike. Judith Polgar is the highest ever woman rated player in the World and just a day before the International Women’s Day, it is befitting to go through one of her games.
In the game which follows, Judith is pitted against one of the toughest World Champions Anatoly Karpov, who in his hey days was considered one of the players most difficult to win.
White: Judit Polgar (2670) – Black: Anatoly Karpov (2735)
Budapest ,1998
Caro-Kann Defence
1.e4 c6
The Caro Kann Defence
2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Ng5 Ngf6 6.Bd3 e6 7.N1f3 Bd6 8.Qe2 h6 9.Ne4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4 Qc7 11.Qg4
Prodding for weakness?
11. ..Kf8
Black could also have played 11…g5 or 11. ..Rg8
12.Be3
If 12.0–0 c5 13.c3 b6 14.Re1 Bb7 15.h4 c4
12...c5
This decision by Black to open up on the queen side is a bit surprising. If 12...b6 13.Nd2 (13.0–0–0 Bb7 14.Rhe1 Rc8 15.Kb1 Nf6 16.Qh3 c5 17.dxc5 bxc5 18.c4 Bxf3 19.Qxf3 Ke7) 13...Nf6 14.Qe2 Nd5 15.Nc4 Ba6 16.Nxd6 Bxd3 17.Qxd3 Qxd6 18.0–0 Rd8 19.Rad1 b5 20.a4 interestingly was played in a previous game between these same players and resulted in a draw
13.dxc5 Bxc5
If 13...Nxc5 14.0–0–0 e5 (14...Nxd3+ 15.Rxd3 e5 16.Qe4 Be6 17.Rhd1) 15.Bf5 Ne6 16.Nh4! Qe7 17.Bxe6 Bxe6 18.Nf5 Bxf5 19.Qxf5 b6 20.Rd5 with White enjoying advantage
14.0–0–0
A surprising and an interesting decision to castle long!
14. ..Nf6 15.Qh4
If 15.Bxc5+ Qxc5 16.Qg3 Bd7 results in an unclear position
15...Bxe3+ 16.fxe3
This move opens up a very crucial file and one where the Black King is temporarily positioned!
16. ..Bd7
If 16...e5 17.Qg3 Ng4 (17...Bg4 18.Nxe5) 18.h3 Nxe3 19.Nxe5 Qc5 (19...Qb6 20.Qf3 Be6 21.Rde1) 20.Rde1 Nf5 21.Qf3 with White distinctly better
17.Rhf1 Rc8 18.Kb1 Bc6 19.e4
Diagram 1
19. .. Kg8
The Black King is very badly positioned! If 19...e5 20.Nd2
20.c3 Nd7 21.Bc2 Ne5 22.Nxe5 Qxe5 23.Qf2 f6
If 23...Bxe4 24.Qxf7+ Kh7 25.Rfe1 (25.Qxb7 Bxc2+ 26.Kxc2 Qe2+ 27.Kc1 Rb8) 25...Bxc2+ 26.Kxc2 Qxh2 27.Qxb7
24.Qxa7 Qxh2
If 24...Bxe4 25.Qa4 Bxc2+ (25...Bxg2 26.Rfe1 Qc7 27.Rxe6 And if 25...Bc6 26.Qg4 h5 27.Qh3)
25.e5 Qxe5 26.Rfe1 Qc7 27.Rxe6 Kf7 28.Bb3 Kg6
Getting out of the dangerous diagonal
29.Qd4
Planning to target the King
29. ..Rhd8 30.Qg4+ Kh7 31.Bc2+
White can wrap it up quickly with 31.Qf5+ Kh8 32.Rde1 Re8 33.Bc2 Kg8 34.Qh7+ Kf8 35.Bg6
31...Kg8 32.Rxd8+
If 32.Rxf6 Rxd1+ 33.Bxd1 Rd8 34.Bb3+ Kh8 35.Rf1
32...Rxd8 33.Re1
If 33.Rxf6 Qh2? 34.Rf1 Qxg2 35.Qe6+ Kh8 36.Qf5
33...Kf8 34.Bg6 Qd6 35.Qc4 Qd5
Black wants to trade queens and eliminate the dangerous threats
36.Qe2 Qd7 37.c4 Qd6 38.a3 Qd7 39.g4 Kg8 40.Bf5 Qd6 41.Qc2 Re8 42.Rd1 Qc5 43.Bg6 Ra8
Driving away the defending pieces!
44.Qd3 Qe7 45.Qd4 Be8 46.Be4 Bf7 47.c5 Rc8 48.Bf5 Rxc5 49.Qd8+ Qf8
A blunder !If 49...Qe8 50.Rd7 (50.Be6 Kh7 51.Bf5+ g6) 50...Re5 (50...b5 51.Be6) 51.Qxe8+ Rxe8 52.Rxb7
50.Bh7+ And Black resigned.
Diagram 2
Black to play and win
1. ..Qf5 and White is lost.
Manisha Mohite
