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Vaganian — Karpov ​

Leningrad, 1969

  • Rafael Vaganian (1951)Armenian grandmaster, USSR champion in 1989, and a two-time Candidate. In 1985 he won the Biel Interzonal and rose to world No. 4.
  • Anatoly Karpov (1951)The twelfth World Champion (1975–1985) and FIDE World Champion again from 1993 to 1999. He played five title matches against Kasparov and won more than 160 tournaments.

With 12. dxc4, White presented Black with a choice — hanging pawns or an isolated pawn. Young Karpov chose the former:

  1. 12.
  2. 13.
  3. This move's purpose is not only to free a square for the bishop but also to limit the hanging pawns' mobility
  4. 13.
  5. 14.
  6. 15.
  7. 16.
  8. 17.
  9. This move looks somewhat timid
  10. Worth considering was an attempt to win back the d4 square from Black. For example:
  11. 17.
  12. 18.
  13. 19.
  14. A prophylactic move, with the clear intention of later opening the h1-a8 diagonal with d5-d4
  15. 20.
  16. 21.
  17. 22.
  18. A programmatic breakthrough, well prepared by Black
  19. 23.
  20. Black builds a decisive attack, bringing all its pieces into it:
  21. 23.
  22. A beautiful blow
  23. 24.
  25. 24.
  26. 25.
  27. 26.
  28. 27.
  29. 28.
  30. 29.
  31. 30.
  32. White resigned