This year’s London Classic tournament is still in progress and features Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand, reigning British champion Gawain Jones, Nigel Short and Michael Adams. As a continuing tribute to classic positions, played in London events, I give this week a number of spectacular conclusions to games played in the capital.
After many years of a Soviet boycott against the defector Viktor Korchnoi, the reigning world champion Anatoly Karpov finally faced him at the Phillips and Drew/GLC tournament in London 1984. With Korchnoi in his habitual time trouble, Karpov finished with a flourish.
Karpov-Korchnoi: London 1984
35 Re7 Rd8 36 Kg2 Qb3 37 Qxg4 Rg8 38 Ng6+ Black resigns
In 1981 I won the Lloyds Bank Masters tournament ahead of, amongst others, the former world champion Vassily Smyslov. The conclusion of the following game was instrumental in obtaining first prize.
Arnason-Keene: Lloyds Bank, London 1981 (see diagram 2)
30 … e2 31 Re1 Qxc4 32 Bxc4 Bxc3+ 33 Qb2 Bxe1 34 Bxe2 Bg3 White resigns
London has been the scene of many events that could be called world championships. These include Staunton’s victory against Horwitz in London 1846, the great London tournament of 1851, won by Adolf Anderssen, Steinitz’s match victory against Anderssen in 1866, and three title defences by Kasparov against Anatoly Karpov, Nigel Short and Vladimir Kramnik. The 1993 match between Kasparov and Short was held in the Savoy Theatre and was broadcast on Channel 4 and the BBC. The game from which the following position is taken was watched live by Princess Diana.
Kasparov-Short: World Championship, London (Game 7) 1993
32 d4 exd4 33 cxd4 Bxd4 34 Ng4 Kg7 35 Nxh6 Bf6 36 Bxf7 Black resigns
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