CHESS

There are only two stylish ways of winning a chess game: complete control or chaotic complexity. The former, favoured by champions such as Karpov and Capablanca, demands perfect tactical and strategic mastery to ensure that the opponent is denied any prospects. The latter, championed by such as Tal and Kas-parov, exemplifies the joy of incalculability. As the following game shows, if the complications are deep enough, the opponent will drown.

White: Alexander Belyavsky

Black: Garry Kasparov

Belfort 1988

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 Na6

I first showed this move to the Dutch master Lodewijk Prins in the 1940s. "Pay for the Advocaat," I said, "and you can call it the Prins Variation."

8.Be2 c5 9.d5 e6 10.Bg5 exd5 11.Nxd5

Taking with the pawn is more usual. The move played is very sharp.

11...Be6 12.0-0-0 Bxd5 13.Rxd5 Qb6

Now White must capture on f6 to avoid losing time. The question is whether his initiative will last long enough to prevent Black's dark-squared bishop from asserting itself.

14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.e5 Qf5 16.Bd3 Qc8 17.Rd1 b5! 18.Qh4 Nb4! (see diagram)

Forcing White into a sacrifice that looks highly promising.

19.Bxg6!? fxg6

19...hxg6 loses to 20.Ng5 Re8 21.Qh7+ Kf8 22.Rd7.

20.Rd7 Qe8

20...Rf7 (to prevent Qe7) would have lost to 21.Rd8+ while 20...Re8 gave White at least a draw with 21.Qf4.

21.Re7 Bh6+! 22.Kb1 Rd8!! 23.Rd6

With his queen and bishop under attack and 23...Rxd6 24.exd6 Qc8 25.d7 most unclear, Black appears to have shot his bolt. But wait!

23...Qc6!!

Superb! Either 24.Rxc6 Rd1+ or 24.Qxh6 Qe4+ leads to mate.

24.a3 Rxd6 25.exd6 Qxd6 26.axb4 cxb4 27.Qe4 b3 White resigned.

28.Qe6+ (best) Qxe6 29.Rxe6 Rc8 30.Re1 Rc2 wins easily for Black.