Vaganian — Karpov

Leningrad, 1969

• Rafael Vaganian (1951)Armenian grandmaster who was a world top-ten player in the 1980s and won the USSR Championship in 1989.
• Anatoly Karpov (1951)The twelfth World Champion, champion from 1975 to 1985 and again under FIDE in the 1990s, and one of the most prolific tournament winners in the game's history.

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

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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