Garry Kasparov vs. the Rest of the World

[3/Jan/00: Welcome, Chess Life readers. Aside from this message, this file is unchanged from November 7, when I publicized my refutation of Kasparov's analysis (done with and typed by Israeli GM Boris Alterman) and my overall claim that 58...Qf5 draws. On November 20, Peter Karrer of Switzerland completed an exhaustive computer analysis of all positions with King, Queen, and g-pawn >= g6 vs. d-pawn >= d6. My refutation of Kasparov's analysis (in PositionG.html and lines A,C,D (numbered D,B,C in Chess Life) of Qf5orig.html) was upheld 100%, BUT the computer found two wins for White (in my line B) that all of us missed! Professional commitments have kept me from completing a full examinination of [whether] the computer's play [is perfect---Karrer had to make some compromises e.g. not considering underpromotion], but I am satisfied that White wins, and I explained why in an insert on Nov. 22 to my Nov. 7 file:

58Qf5.html

I am in the process of building a new Kasparov-World site, which will include a full analysis of the game, mirroring and updating Irina Krush's own article. The files there are incomplete, and material will be added piecemeal all month during my spare moments---I hope to finish most of it soon after Jan. 23. Irina's article (with co-credit to me for editorial and analytical assistance) is freely available now at SmartChess Online:

Full Game Analysis

A few updates/corrections to Alex Dunne's CL article: The strong 10...Qe6 novelty was Irina Krush's own discovery (during the World Open!)---see page 02 of her article. Irina ran it by Elisabeth Paehtz (German umlaut over the 'a'), before learning that contacts between panelists were discouraged. At move 26, Dunne's suggestion 26...Bc5 appears to run into trouble after 27. Qb1(!), as explained on page 08. (It is possible that 26...d5!? is even better---this and whether 25. Be3!? would have assured White an edge are things we haven't even gotten to in this astoundingly deep game!) Irina was NOT late in posting 51...Ka1---this seems to be a conflation of the 58...Qf5 story. (Indeed, Krush was the only panelist with perfect punctuality until that point.) Strictly speaking, this game was not e-mail chess; rather, it was moderated by a central third party, the Microsoft Gaming Network.

Peter Kurzdorfer's facing article is entirely right as far as I know, except that in line "A" (= my "B"), I found between 10/28 and 11/7 that 74. Kd8(? not !) d4! draws. The win here is 74. Qe6 Qc7+ 75. Ke8 Qb8+, and now not Kasparov-Alterman's "Kf7!" (numbered 80.Kf7 in their transposing line) heading for Position G, but 76. Kd7 Qb7+ 77. Kd6! Qb8+! 78. Kc6! Qa8+! 79. Kb6! Qb8+ 80. Ka5!! with astounding, glorious, seemingly suicidal play by White that I haven't had time to fully explore. Several URLs for Kasparov's analysis file in plain-text, PGN, and ChessBase format, are below. PGN and ChessBase versions of my work are slated for the near future. All my material will be in the same reader-friendly style (explanation as well as analysis) as the "World Team Endgame Strategy" article I wrote in September during the actual match and posted for all participants to read (perhaps even Kasparov read it---compare his quote in the first paragraph of MSN's Move 58 file with what I'd written in point 29 of mine---at least we thought in the same terms:-). ]

OLD AND STILL NEW: My original analysis of 58...Qf5, as it stood overnight 10/27--10/28 before the Kasparov-Alterman analysis was released by Club Kasparov.

58Qf5orig.html

NEW (11/7): To prove that 58...Qf5 leads to a draw, basically all one needs to do is combine the above analysis with the following proof that the position that I had flagged as critical in "Line B" is a draw. This is the same position that Kasparov and Alterman call "G" and claim +/- after 75. g7, and their winning ideas depend entirely upon it.

PositionG.html

This collects my analysis posted on 99% Energy's bulletin board (with forwards from the official World Team Strategy Bulletin board) of the critical lines and rounds out the proof with all the lesser ones.

Kenneth W. Regan reserves all copyrights to the above articles 58Qf5.html and PositionG.html. No permission for reproduction of the whole is granted without the prior consent of Kenneth W. Regan, and any use of a part must meet "Fair-Use" guidelines as applicable, including citation of this original source and its author.

Sources for Kasparov-Alterman Analysis File:
Zipped Downloads from Club Kasparov (only game material released so far): PGN ChessBase
Edited Version on MSN Pages---"Position G" here labeled "D) 75 g7".
Plain-Text Version, formatted by KWR from the 99% Energy BBS version.

OLD BUT IMPROVED:

The following explains Black's strategy as it stood when this endgame was entered after both sides queened on Move 50. Relative to these principles, The World erred by 52...Kb2 when 52...Kc1 (not blocking Black's Pawn!) was strongly believed to be drawing; 52...Kb2 and 53...Kb3 as recommended by Elisabeth Paehtz represents an effort to undertake what my article called "Strategy K", but Black is two tempi behind the "K" line here, and my article makes clear that undertaking K by effort will land us with the undertaker! (Another aspect of strategy is that we will often be glad to let White take our d-pawn, and maybe not too sorry to lose our b-pawn as well---these pawns get in the way of Black's Queen for crucial checking defenses.)

World Team Endgame Strategy Explained, by Dr. Kenneth W. Regan ("K.W.ReganIM2405" on BBS). For all chess players to read, enjoy, and understand.

Report on 51. Qh7 Ka1 --- highly playable for Black, though only after one verifies that Black survives the highly specific twin dangers of (a) having to run the King to d1 in front of our pawn on d3 in one line, and (b) having to block White's King from taking a pinned pawn on d5, which would lead to a deadly discovered check.  

If your browser does not have the European-looking "Monaco" fixed-width font, try instead

Courier/Monospaced version of the "Strategy" article.

Courier/Monospaced version of the WT Move Tree.

Courier version of 51. Qh7 Ka1 Report.

More about this historic match and enchanting game will appear in these pages soon, including the terrible breakdown over 58...Qe4?.