Lesson 4: Encirclement

A long siege of the opponent is best known from middle games with a closed centre. The opponent is slowly crushed through the flanks. Encirclement also occurs in the endgame. An interesting case is the decisive game in Sevilla 1987. Kasparov trails by 11-12 and has to win the adjourned game in order to keep the title.

[Kasparov prefers Kg7 White will play 47. g4 and 47.g5. This allows an exchange on g5. Thereafter a pawn advances to e5 and White will win anyway. ]

47. Qc6 Qe7 48. Bd3 Qf7 49. Qd6 Kg7 50. e4 ! Kg8 51. Bc4 Kg7 52. Qe5+ Kg8 Black has to remain passive.

[ Qf6 53. Qc7+ Qf7 54. Qxf7+ Kxf7 55. e5 Nd7 56. f4 +-The bishop is aimed at g6 and white's king marches to the queenside. The weaknesses e6 and g6 are fatal for Black. ]

53. Qd6 Kg7 54. Bb5 Kg8 55. Bc6 Qa7 56. Qb4 ! Qc7 57. Qb7 Qd8

[Even Qxb7 58. Bxb7 e5 does not save the game. ]

58. e5 !The encirclement has been completed. Black misses a pawn on f7 dearly. White conquers square f7 and thus penetrate the fortress. Qa5

[ Qd3 59. Be8 Qf5 60. Qf3 !(Kasparov ). ]

59. Be8 Qc5 60. Qf7+ Kh8 61. Ba4 Qd5+ 62. Kh2 Qc5 63. Bb3 Qc8 64. Bd1 Qc5 65. Kg2 Black can only move his queen in the final position. Karpov resigned and Kasparov kept the world title.

[ Kasparov analyses 65. Kg2 Qb4 66. Bf3 Qc5 67. Be4 Qb4 68. f3 !

[ 68. Bxg6 ?? Nxg6 69. Qxg6 Qb7+ 70. Kh2 Qg2+ ! 71. Kxg2 ]

Qd2+ 69. Kh3 Qb4

[ Qh6 70. f4 Qg7 71. Qxg7+ Kxg7 72. Bc6 +- ]

70. Bxg6 Nxg6 71. Qxg6 Qxh4+ 72. Kg2 !+- ]

1-0