Analyze with KIMPLODES! Bishop Sac for Multiple Pawns

Count 'em up, folks! Black has four extra pawns, White has an extra bishop. Plus, White seems to have a lead in development, though that light-squared bishop looks like a problem, as does the rook on h1. Finally, the black queen, bishop, and c4-pawn are all under attack. What is going on here?!?

I'll try to answer some of your relevant and even irreverent questions using KIMPLODES!, a human-oriented approach to analysis. We'll be heavily focused on whether or not Black has, and can maintain, sufficient compensation for the material imbalance, with M standing for "Material" in KIMPLODES! [Links providing additional information on KIMPLODES! are found after the post's end.]

The game under the microscope was played by Anatoly Karpov and Jan Timman in 1988, in between some of their encounters in various World CC venues. Why this game? TBH, it's because I was looking for examples where White sacrificed a minor piece for a sufficient number of pawns to be able to claim material equivalency, at least on the somewhat antiquated points scale.

Luckily, I happened to learn that ECO D17 (the Krause Attack in the Slav Defense) has thousands of high-level games that fit the bill perfectly! Much like a duck's bill that has evolved to serve perfectly as a multi-functional tool...for a duck. I've deeply analyzed ten games I found, but had to pick only one for the blog or you would find me running off at the mouth/keyboard for many an hour. So, why not present a game by an individual who, at the time, was both a former and future FIDE World CC playing against top opposition?

Table of Contents
Player Introductions
Some Key Positions
Let's see this game analysis ASAP!
I want to skip right to the puzzles.
Do you have any puzzles that aren't from this analysis?
Conclusion
Related KIMPLODES! links

Player Introductions

Gentlepersons, chess connoisseurs, novitiates, masters of the 64 squares, and simple spectators! Let me introduce today's contestants!!

#6 All-Time! Anatoly Karpov | Chess.com Hall of Fame

 Maestro of the white pieces and former World CC, "The Boa Constrictor", Anatoly Karpov. At the time he was also a future World CC.

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (Russian: Анатолий Евгеньевич Карпов, IPA: [ɐnɐˈtolʲɪj jɪvˈɡʲenʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈkarpəf]) was born May 23, 1951 and is a Russian GM and former World CC, both undisputed and disputed! The undisputed 12th World CC from 1975 - 1983, Karpov then won the FIDE World CC again in 1993 when Kasparov broke away to form the PCA. Karpov went on to defend his renewed reign twice.

He also earned six Soviet team gold medals in Olympiads. His peak rating was 2780 in July 1994, and he spent a total of 102 months ranked as the #1 player in the world. Karpov also won the World Junior CC, in 1969, and has 160 first-place tournament finishes on his scorecard to date. He is still a member of the 2600 club, coming in at 2617 in January 2025.

Karpov's tournament schedule seriously diminished after 1996 as he became more involved in Russian politics. Karpov ran for the FIDE Presidency in 2010 with the support of luminaries such as Kasparov, Carlsen, and Nigel Short. That bid came up short.

On a personal note, I paid attention when Karpov opened the Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess in Lindsborg, Kansas in 2003. As a one-semester student at Bethany College, I was well aware of this town otherwise known as "Little Sweden".  

 #41 All-Time! Jan Timman | Chess.com Hall of Fame

NOW, rev it up for his opponent, "The Best of the West" (a movable label, dontcha know), and former #2 in the world, Jan Timman!

Jan Timman, born 14 Dec 1951, is a Dutch GM who reached #2 in the world in January 1982 (behind Karpov), with a peak ELO eight years later at 2680. But hey, ratings inflation is a myth! ChessMetrics lists Jan's peak at 2768 in August 1988, placing him at #3 in the world. Jan is still rated 2531 at age 72...still behind his birth-year nemesis, Karpov.

A nine-time winner of the Dutch CC he participated in the Candidates several times. Timman lost twice in Candidates Finals matches, losing to Karpov in 1990 and to Short in 1993. Jan made it to the FIDE World CC once, losing to Karpov (that's an unbroken record, but not one Jan enjoyed) in 1993 while Kasparov had broken with FIDE and was playing Short in the PCA World CC. Timman represented the Netherlands in thirteen Olympiads and won an individual gold on first board in 1976.

One of the chief editors of New in Chess and a high-end author, he wrote the classic The Art of Chess Analysis. Then Timman’s Titans won the English Chess Federation’s Book of the Year in 2017. For the querulous masses, no, we are not going to bring his analytic approach into this blog.

Table_of_Contents
or
Game_Analysis

 Some Key Positions
Let's look at some key positions in this game. Just to set the stage and ease the burden of reading notes in chess.com's somewhat viewer-unfriendly game format. 

Key Position 1
In chess, space is our frontier for expansion, similar to human migrations over millennium. As nature (and most dogs) abhor a vacuum, so we chess players tend to seek out and grab chunks of space, looking for a profitable return on our investment.

In the position below, White just played e4. "Space, the final frontier!" Wait, that's Star Trek. 

But my goodness gracious, White just grabbed great gobs of central space with that pawn push. Retreating the black bishop to g6 would leave a gleeful white pawn on e4, shaking his fist in the forlorn cleric's face, a reduced figure now consigned to limbo with no foreseeable future. It's usually ended up poorly for Black as White scored 76% when Black's bishop beat a hasty retreat and slowly drifted from purgatory to hell, exhibiting all the traits of a very bad bishop indeed. (The notes seen below are also found in the Game_Analysis, so you don't need to read them here unless so inclined.)

So, what's a mitre-wearing, self-righteous bishop to do? Well, one could foreswear playing this opening ever again. But that won't help at the moment, so you might stop to ponder for a moment.🤔

Considering the number of 2600 - 2800 players who have taken a shot at this position as Black, not to mention the thousands of lower-rated folks, leads one to conjecture that there must be more to this opening than a pusillanimous retreat to passivity and an hours-long endurance contest between your bodily functions and boredom while White slowly improves their game.

Okay, then. A bishop sacrifice on e4 it is!! An all-in pursuit of four pawns and a significant imbalance on the board.

Key Position 2
Unfortunately for Timman, immediately after making the bold sacrifice he uncorked a lollapalooza of a novelty...and not a good one. Oof, that hurts! The wrong check, by the wrong piece, from the wrong square. Black needed to capture with 12...Bxd2+ instead of the ungainly 12...Qh4+. 

Timman has strayed off the narrow path to equality and stepped in some deep kimchi. This move takes spiciness towards a putrid pungency, not at all the way this dish should be handled. It was certainly a novel approach, but one that should never have been repeated. That said, it has been played several times.

My takeaway? Faulty cognition frequently results in misplaced repetition. For those who know me well, my actual catch phrase here is, "Stupid is easy. Thinking is hard." No slurs intended for GM Timman, just his tepid imitators. After all, it took one of history's best players to refute Timman's novelty over the board!

Key Position 3
Another critical moment in the game is shown below. Black still has three pawns for the piece and the only under-utilized piece is the rook on a8. White just pushed the h-pawn two squares, perhaps in preparation for a pawn storm against the black king. Black had a last chance to stir things up and maintain dynamic equality on the board.

Initiative and pawn structure! Black should have played 24...b5 to create imbalances on the queenside. This change of pawn structure creates questions that White must address.

The move actually played, 24...Qe7?, definitely changes the balance on the board, but not in a good way.

Instead of creating imbalances on the queenside, Black gave away an important part of their compensation, the central, passed d-pawn. Perhaps after 24...Qe7 Black did not believe that White could safely capture on d5 as it clearly opens the d-file where White's king lurks in the center. White accurately surmised that the king remained quite safe on d2.

The brief descriptions of three key positions offered a flavor of the analysis that follows shortly. I believe the analysis is more easily grasped with the commentary above fresh in one's mind. While acknowledging that my astute readers may believe otherwise!

Table_of_Contents

 Game Analysis
This is a rather hefty analysis, certainly not the type of analysis my personal games usually merit. The reason for the intense focus is two-fold.

First, the idea is to present some granular examples of the application of KIMPLODES! elements such as:

• King safety,
• The initiative,
• The relative value of a specific material imbalance,
• Changes in pawn structure,
• The opening, closing, occupying, and use of lines (diagonals, ranks, and files),
• The relative value of the minor pieces (aka, officers), in varying circumstances,
• Development of the various pieces and how the placement of those pieces impacts their ability to coordinate with other pieces,
• The potential energy of pieces lurking behind pawns, awaiting a pawn break (not examined in this game), and
• The value of space and squares.

Second, this detailed analysis can serve to demonstrate a small encapsulation of the depth required to deeply understand an opening variation (imo). Perhaps even a chance to peer gently under the hood of opening preparation for we mere chess mortals. That said, truly serious titled players are much more computer-oriented and often looking for a move that can be deployed once for shock value because the odds of their opponent finding a computer-like refutation over the board are miniscule.

So, grab a cup of coffee, or a pint of beer, or whatever other beverage fortifies you for a journey into the crevices, caverns, and corners of analysis. If you plan to solve the puzzles afterwards, I strongly advise you to also pay attention to the analytic alternatives. My point? All the answers are provided up front, but only if you looked at the main line and all the alternatives...or the right ones.😏

Need a breather? I know I did after first conducting the analysis. So, I took some time off before crafting the puzzles. You might want a bit of a walkabout yourself before jumping into this first set of puzzles.

Table_of_Contents

These puzzles are taken directly from the analysis presented above. Be forewarned (again) that some are based on analytic lines and not moves played in the game.

Karpov - Timman #1
Black is about to castle long and develop a rook with check.

Should White:
a. Bring the rook to d1 so the king can drop back to c1 if a black rook appears on d8.
b. Develop a piece by capturing the pawn on c4.
c. Tuck the king away on the c1 square.
d. Some other move.

Development and material: The bishop finds a good square and now Black only has three pawns for the piece.

Initiative: White threatens to capture on a6, destroying any inherent value in the black queenside majority.

Pawn structure: The a- and c-pawns would be targets, particularly the pawn on c6 residing on a half-open file.

Assessment: White is better.

Karpov - Timman #2
White found a very sufficient move in the game. But there appears to have been a better move.

Can you find a better line than a former world champion?

Material and pawn structure: Black only has two pawns for the missing piece and White's queenside majority means a passed pawn can be created on that side of the board. That will eventually cost Black their rook.

Assessment: White is winning.

Karpov - Timman #3
How did White advantageously change the assessment of the game?

Lines: Taking advantage of the pin along the e-file.

Initiative: In return for the loss of the important d-pawn Black hopes to create threats along the newly opened d-file.

Assessment: White is better.

Karpov - Timman #4
White just captured the f-pawn.

Should Black:
a. Immediately regain a pawn with ...Qxa4.
b. Capture the rook on f7.
c. Some other move.

Assessment: The connected passed pawns on the queenside offer some compensation for the missing piece.

Karpov - Timman #5
Black overreacted to the threat to capture on f8 and missed a different threat. Can you find White's real threat?

King safety: Black's king has to be wary as the white queen and knight constitute a formidable attacking force, even in an endgame. Meanwhile, White's king will wander towards the kingside to use those pawns as a shield against checks by the black queen.

Material: Black has two pawns for the piece but is unlikely to be able to hold onto the e-pawn.

Pawn structure: Black's queenside pawns are so far from promotion that they are unlikely to be able to influence the outcome of the game.

Assessment: White has a decisive advantage but must prove the win.

Let's move on to some puzzles from similar games. They're not quite the same but you should recognize the outlines.

---

 Do you have any puzzles that aren't from this analysis?

Ah, a masochist in the crowd, I see. Well, just to please thee, below thou shalt find a puzzle or three.

---

 Conclusion
We've reached the end. Hope you found it insightful enough to prove useful and challenging enough to be enjoyable.

Please let me know if you found any mistakes and whether you enjoyed this. I know I have fun finding the examples and putting them through the wringer to see what I learn along the way. If you did enjoy it and would like to see others, there are links to the KIMPLODES! series proffered below. The analyses are still extensive but not as deep as what you encountered here...imo.

I am only posting intermittently on this topic at the moment as I am collaborating with IM Attila Turzo (@AttilaTurzo) and we are busy compiling examples for a textbook regarding KIMPLODES! Currently that includes 70 fully analyzed games and 330 puzzles.

The most recent post in my other main series, Secrets of Trapping Pieces, can be found at Secrets of Trapping Pieces: 23 King Killers Celebrating 2024, a post offering 23 very difficult puzzles involving mating patterns. That post providentially provides links to all the other blogs in that series.

Table_of_Contents

---

It will blow your mind.

2. If you want a full blog on a specific topic, for example, E=Energy (a particularly complex topic, skip it unless you want to reach FM), then click the relevant link below.

3. If you'd like to see more puzzles from individual games, then click here.

Specific KIMPLODES! Topics

Additional analyses and puzzles from specific games
Analyze with KIMPLODES! Two games, 12 puzzles 
Analyze with KIMPLODES! Early Black Pawn Sac Philidor's Defense 
Analyze with KIMPLODES! An Evans Gambit Game & Puzzles 
Analyze with KIMPLODES! K = King Safety in the Endgame! Attila Turzo beats a former World Champion!
Analyze with KIMPLODES! Exchange Sac for Virulent Passed Pawn   

Table_of_Contents