Garry Kasparov still leads unofficial FIDE rating list
By Kristianus Liem
JAKARTA (JP): The unofficial FIDE rating list for February 1997 puts PCA champ Garry Kasparov below 2800 and takes Vladimir Kramnik past Anatoly Karpov as the new number three. Only the January and July chess rankings are official and can be used to calculate tournament seedings. The February and other interim lists are not rounded to zeros or fives like official FIDE lists.
Here is list of the top 25 players.
1. Garry Kasparov (Rus) 2806 2. Viswanathan Anand (Ind) 2772 3. Vladimir Kramnik (Rus) 2749 4. Anatoly Karpov (Rus) 2747 5. Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr) 2735 6. Veselin Topalov (Blr) 2727 7. Gata Kamsky (USA) 2720 8. Boris Gelfand (Blr) 2702 9. Alexey Shirov (Esp) 2691 10. Valery Salov (USA) 2679 11. Nigel Short (Gbr) 2677 12. Alexander Beliavsky (Slo) 2668 13. Michael Adams (Gbr) 2665 14. Evgeny Bareev (Rus) 2665 15. Artur Yusupov (Ger) 2665 16. Alex Yermolinsky (USA) 2656 17. Ulf Andersson (Swe) 2655 18. Jeroen Piket (Nld) 2653 19. Vladimir Akopian (Arm) 2651 20. Zurab Azmaiparashvili (Geo) 2650 21. Alexey Dreev (Rus) 2650 22. Alexander Khalifman (Rus) 2650 23. Eduardas Rozentalis (Lit) 2650 24. Matthew Sadler (Gbr) 2650 25. Jan Timman (Nld) 2649
Most of the changes in the top 10 came after the Las Palmas Super Tournament in Spain. It was held in December after the rating cutoff for the January list. Kasparov won the tournament convincingly. He beat Kramnik, Ivanchuk and Karpov, and took 6.5 match points from 10 double round all-play-all systems. Anand took the second place with one point down. Topalov and Kramnik followed with five match points. Ivanchuk and Karpov came last with four match points.
Here is the Kasparov's winning game against Ivanchuk.
White: GM Garry Kasparov
Black: GM Vassily Ivanchuk
Alekhine's Defence
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3
Most players now avoid 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4, they risk Four Pawn Attack variations.
4...g6 5.Bc4 c6 6.0-0 Bg7 7.h3 0-0 8.exd6 exd6
8...Qxd6 is more active, the text hope to play ...Nc7 and ...d5 one day.
9.Re1 Nc7! 10.Bg5 Bf6 11.Bh6 Re8 12.Rxe8+ Nxe8 13.Bb3 d5 14.c4 dxc4
Because the text gives White the important long diagonal a2-g8, so 14...Be6 should be considered.
15.Bxc4 Nd6 16.Bb3 Nf5 17.Qd2!! Nd7
If Black trys to take a pawn with 17...Nxd4 18.Nxd4 Qxd4 19.Qe1! Qe5 (19...Qd8 20.Nc3 Nd7 21.Rd1 with Ne4 coming, White has an advantage) 20.Nd2! Qxe1+ (20...Be6 21.Qxe5 Bxe5 22.Bxe6 fxe6 23.Nc4 followed by Rd1 and White's attack is more than enough for the pawn) 21.Rxe1 Be6 22.Bxe6 fxe6 and then 23.Rxe6 or 23.Ne4 Bxb2 24.Rb1 Be5 25.Rxb7 Na6 26.g4 better for White.
18.Nc3 Nxh6 19.Qxh6 Nf8 20.Rd1
Black has two bishops and a better pawn structure but f7 is weak and he still has to mobilise his pieces.
20...Be6 21.d5!
Another of Kasparov's fine calculations, a pawn sacrifice.
21...cxd5 22.Nxd5 Rc8
Still 22...Bxb2 23.Qd2 Bg7 24.Qb4 (threatening Ne7+) Qb8 (If 24...Bxd5 25.Bxd5 leaves f7 defenseless, for example 25...Qb6 26.Bxf7+ Kxf7 27.Ng5+! Kg8 28.Qc4+ Kh8 29.Nf7+ Kg8 30.Nh6+ Kh8 31.Qg8#) 25.Ne7+ Kh8 26.Ng5 gives White a good game.
23.Qe3 b6 24.Ne5 Rc5 25.Ng4! Bxg4
If 25...Bxb2 26.Nf4! Qe7 27.Nd3 winning material.
26.hxg4 Kg7 27.f4!
White threatens g5 and if 27...Bxb2? 28.Qd2 Ba3 (or 28...Bf6 29.g5 Be7 30.Qd4+ Kg8 31.Qe5) 29.Qd4+ White wins.
27...h6 28.f5 g5!
Black does not fall for 28...Bxb2? 29.f6+! Bxf6 30.Nxf6 Qxf6 31.Rf1 Re5 32.Rxf6 Rxe3 33.Rxf7+ Kg8 34.Rf3+ and White wins.
29.Qe2 Nh7?
Black's position is almost indefensible. The queen is tied to the bishop yet has to watch for a hidden attack, the bishop has no square and the rook no where to go. If 29...Nd7 30.Nxf6 White wins a piece.
30.Nxf6 Qxf6 31.Rd7 Re5
See diagram. There is nothing else.
32.Rxf7+ Qxf7 33.Qxe5+ Qf6 34.Qc7+ Kh8 35.Kh1! a6
Or 35...Qg7 36.Qb8+ Nf8 37.Qd8 with 38.f6 to follow.
36.Be6 Nf8 37.Qxb6
Black resigned 1-0.