by Prof. Nagesh Havanur

At 77 Victor Korchnoi (b.1931-)  is the oldest active grandmaster on the international  circuit.  He has had a long and distinguished career spanning half a century with more than 4500 games on record.  He won the USSR Championship four times and was a Candidate for the World Championship on ten occasions.  He has played three matches against Anatoly Karpov for the World Championship. (Wikipedia).

A number of his battles from his peak years are well-known.  Unfortunately, his games from the early years still remain relatively unknown.  This is indeed a pity as it was in those games that Korchnoi honed his skills and developed his extraordinary talent.  Of course, competition was fierce in the Soviet era and Victor’s uncompromising attitude (No draws!) brought him both sterling victories and stunning defeats.  These battles are wonderful to watch as they bear testimony to his intense passion for the game and his incredible fighting spirit.

Here are two memorable encounters.  In the first game Korchnoi meets with a surprise in the opening and comes up with a TN over the board.

Korchnoi – Shapkin
Moscow 1949

Albin Counter-Gambit [D08]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.e4

4.Nf3 Nc6 5.g3 Bg4 6.Nbd2 Qd7 7.Bg2 0–0–0 is the Main Line.  But Korchnoi does not wish to fall into his opponent's preparation, so he goes his own way.

4...Nc6

This line is also part of theory.

But 4...Bc5 !?deserves attention.

After 5.f4 f6 6.exf6 Nxf6 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.a3 a5 9.Nf3 0–0 10.0–0 Re8 Black has more than adequate compensation.

If White presses ahead without preparation, he meets with a disaster.

11.e5?Ng4 12.Re1 Bf5 ! 13.Bxf5 d3+ 14.Kf1 Qh4 ! 15.Qd2 Qxh2 ! 16.Bxd3 Qh1+ 17.Ke2 Qxg2+ 18.Kd1 Qxf3+ 19.Be2 Qb3+ 20.Qc2 Nf2+ 21.Kd2 Be3# Berger-Krejcik, Vienna 1907.

5.f4 g5?!

This move only wrecks Black's kingside.

5...f6 6.exf6 Nxf6 is necessary.  Black's lead in development compensates for the pawn.

6.f5!

This is Korchnoi’s improvement over the board.  White returns the pawn for smoother development.

6...Nxe5 7.Nf3 Nxf3+ 8.Qxf3 Qf6?!

Black hopes to prevent e4-e5 with this move, but it only makes the queen vulnerable to attack.  It also loses a tempo and he lags behind in development.

He should have played 8...Bd6 instead.

9.Bd3 Bd6 10.e5! Bxe5?

Not 10...Qxe5+? 11.Kd1 Qf6 12.Nd2 threatening both Ne4 and Re1+.

11.Nd2 Qe7 12.0–0 f6?

This blunder opens the gates for the enemy.

After 12...g4 13.Qxg4 Nf6 Black is at least in the game.

13.c5! Qxc5 14.Nc4 Kd8 15.b4! Qc6

15...Qxb4? 16.Nxe5 fxe5 17.Bxg5++-

16.Nxe5 fxe5 17.Bxg5+ Ne7 18.f6 1–0
 

The second game shows young Korchnoi as the master of counterattack.

Khavsky - Korchnoi
Leningrad 1950

Sicilian Defence [B21]

1.e4 c5 2.f4

White departs from theory and declares his aggressive intentions.

2...Nf6

Current theory prefers 2...d5.

3.Nc3 e6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Nxd5 exd5 6.Qf3

6.Nf3 is preferable.

6...d4 7.Bc4 Be7 8.f5

White should first complete his development with moves like 8.d3.

8...Nc6 9.Qe4

This move protects the e-pawn and also threatens f4-f5.

 9...0–0!

Black ignores the threat.

10.Nf3

Now 10.f6? is met by 10...Bxf6! 11.exf6 Re8–+

10...d5! 11.exd6 Bxd6 12.0–0 Qf6 13.g4 Bd7 14.Qe2 Rae8 15.Qg2 Ne5 16.Bd5 d3! 17.Nxe5 Rxe5 18.g5

Once again White rushes headlong into attack.

18...Qd8 19.f6 c4! 20.g6 Bc5+ 21.Kh1 hxg6 22.Qxg6

The climax of the campaign.  Isn't Black lost?

22...Qxf6!! 23.Rxf6 Re1+! 24.Kg2 Rg1+ 25.Kf3 Rf1+!

It's a king hunt.

26.Kg2 Rxf6 27.Qe4 Re8 28.cxd3 cxd3! 29.Qxd3 Re1 30.Kg3 Bf2+ 31.Kg2 Rg1#

0–1
 

Courtesy: Chess Mate Magazine, India

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