London has seen three World Championship matches in the post-war period, Kasparov-Karpov 1986, Kasparov-Short 1993 and Kasparov-Kramnik 2000. The game I have chosen to start the new year is Kasparov’s most convincing win from his 1986 title defence at the Park Lane Hotel, a match opened by the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and closed by her predecessor, former Prime Minister James Callaghan. The position is taken from the historic encounter 14 years later, when Kasparov lost his title to the up-and-coming Vladimir Kramnik.
Next week I shall focus on games, results and critical positions from the 4th London Classic, which concluded last month.
Kasparov-Karpov; World Championship London (Game 4) 1986; Nimzo-Indian Defence
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Nf3 c5 5 g3 cxd4 6 Nxd4 0-0 7 Bg2 d5 8 Qb3 Bxc3+ 9 bxc3 The critical move: White spoils his own pawn structure in the hope of exploiting dynamic factors, the pair of powerful bishops, and the threat of Nb5.
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