Kasparov crushes Karpov on first match day in Valencia (UPDATE: video added)


Nowadays the best is deemed to be 6...Bd6! (the source game: Beliavsky-Geller, Moscow Interzonal 1982). I remember that Geller played this after a long think, stood up from the board, and, sorrowfully shaking his head, whispered: 'I seem to have blundered a pawn...' Of course, this was a joke - in fact 7.Nxd5?! Bxf4 8.Qe4+ Ne7 9.Nxf4 Qa5+ 10.Kd1 Bf5 favours Black. Beliavsky chose 7.Bxd6 Qxd6 8.e3 Nf6 9.Bd3 and won the game, after which 6...Bd6 almost went out of use. But later the idea of 8...Ne7 9.Bd3 b6! and ...Ba6 was found, with a comfortable game for Black (...). In the end 6.Qc2 lost its attraction because of 6...Bd6!Karpov actually played 6...Bd6 and 8...Ne7, but after 9.Bd3 he went for 9...Nd7 which gave him a slightly passive position. At the press conference, Kasparov indicated that 15...Qb8 was probably "too passive", after which Black has a very difficult position. After 21.Qd2! Black position seems very difficult to hold already, and in time trouble Kasparov had no difficult finding the win Rybka had spotted immediately. When we asked him whether Karpov's choice of variation had surprised him, Kasparov replied that Karpov probably wanted to play a solid game but he didn't refer to their game played in London in 1986. The interpretor couldn't keep up with Kasparov's stream of variations, which inspired Kasprov to remark that 'the chess moves aren't important anyway'. In any case, the win gave Kasparov a very comfortable 2-0 lead in their rapid games, and we seriously wonder if Karpov will be able to overcome this painful match.After the game, Karpov was apparently too devastated to attend the press conference. If anything, this indicates that despite all the media attention, the need for sponsors, business opportunities and the wish the promote chess both in Valencia and the rest of the world, Kasparov and Karpov are still chess players when it comes down to it. They still hate losing and still take chess seriously, even though they claim to see this match mostly as entertainment. Perhaps this is why Kasparov, too, said he had mixed feelings after this first day. Who knows, it should give us hope for tomorrow and the day after: Karpov surely wants to avoid a total humiliation, and Kasparov can hardly boast about any kind of victory, let alone promote further exhibition matches, if Karpov turns out to be no match for him at all. Can Karpov return the way Muhammad Ali returned against George Foreman? Or are such comparisons preposterous and out of context? Tomorrow, we'll know for sure.A video of the first day and the press conference will be added as soon as possible.
Game viewer
Game viewer by ChessTempo
The venue is a big auditorium inside the Palau de les Arts

Kasparov, with full determination facing his old rival

Karpov, having trouble handling the clock

Kasparov at the press conference after the first two games
Simuls Monday night








City of the Arts and the Sciences

The whole event takes place at the stunning Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias - the City of the Arts and the Sciences - this one was taken with an iPhone from the 19th floor of a building at the other side of the street
Map of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Sciencias (click for bigger version)

The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, where the lectures take place and the games are being played

The Umbracle

The Palau and the Hemisfèric

The promenade between the Umbracle and the Hemisfèric and Museo

A beautiful bridge between the first section and the Ágora

The Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe, where the simuls took place

The Hemisfèric and the Museo

By night the photos got even better: again the Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe

Hemisfèric and Palau...

Hemisfèric and Palau from the other side

The Umbracle again...

...and one more of the Museo, the bridge/Agora and the promenade