Based on many (together with GM Magnus Carlsen), GM Garry Kasparov remains to be the Best of All Time (GOAT) in chess. Immediately, it’s precisely 25 years since Kasparov performed his most well-known and probably greatest ever recreation, towards GM Veselin Topalov in Wijk aan Zee. This is the story.
Lodge Zeeduin
It’s Wednesday, January 20, 1999, the day of the fourth spherical within the Hoogovens Match, because it was nonetheless known as. The winter within the Netherlands is a chilly one, and the small coastal city of Wijk aan Zee is seeing some snow this 12 months. Garry Kasparov and his second GM Yuri Dokhoian are carrying thick winter coats, fur hats, and snow boots able to preventing the even more durable Moscow temperatures they’re used to. The 2 are making the 500-meter stroll towards the venue from Lodge Zeeduin, the place event director Jeroen van den Berg had dropped them off a couple of days earlier after assembly them at Schiphol airport.
The lodge proprietor, excited like everybody else within the small village concerning the first-ever go to of the legendary Kasparov, had supplied his greatest room with a view of the North Sea. “No method,” was Kasparov’s shocking response. He realized instantly that the robust wind blowing towards the home windows would preserve him awake at night time. Kasparov settled for room 208 as a substitute, some of the fundamental ones in conjunction with the lodge (and would use the identical room the subsequent two years).
The 2 Russians arrive at De Moriaan, the native sports activities advanced that serves because the event venue annually, round 13:30. As a substitute of utilizing the final cloakroom reserved for gamers, they enter the event committee’s workplace and begin their each day ritual, first taking off their coats and hats. Dokhoian leans ahead slightly and Kasparov makes use of his shoulder to maintain his steadiness whereas changing his snow boots for leather-based brogues. The world champion grabs his bar of chocolate and walks firmly to the enjoying corridor, the place he shakes palms along with his opponent, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria. A historic chess recreation begins.
The Historic Sport
Kasparov opens along with his king’s pawn; Topalov chooses the considerably dangerous Pirc protection. Each gamers citadel queenside, placing their king in a secure space on the western hemisphere of the chessboard, and never a lot occurs within the first 23 strikes. However then, with a collection of beautiful sacrifices, Kasparov paints his Mona Lisa that day. In a recreation that features three rook sacrifices, Topalov’s king is pressured to stroll all the best way towards the primary rank, on Kasparov’s aspect of the board.
The journalists, amongst them masters and grandmasters, are analyzing within the press room however can’t totally grasp what is going on. “I believe the extent was simply too excessive for them,” mentioned Van den Berg. Kasparov decides the sport with an exquisite stroke on transfer 37 which he had seen lengthy prematurely however which was missed by his opponent. “To this present day I keep in mind how the expression on Topalov’s face all of a sudden modified,” he would later write.
To this present day I keep in mind how the expression on Topalov’s face all of a sudden modified.
—Garry Kasparov
When Topalov resigns on transfer 44, an ovation among the many spectators breaks out within the enjoying corridor. As Kasparov enters the press room to elucidate his recreation to the journalists, extra spontaneous applause breaks out, which Kasparov receives with a beaming smile. He’s proud like a baby. “Everybody, together with the winner himself, realized one thing particular had occurred that day,” Van den Berg mentioned.
Journalists dubbed the sport The Pearl of Wijk aan Zee. Amongst them was the Dutch grandmaster Hans Ree, who wrote: “Those that have been lucky sufficient to be current at this recreation will discuss it to their kids and grandchildren, and these tales will proceed so long as chess is alive!”
Those that have been lucky sufficient to be current at this recreation will discuss it to their kids and grandchildren…
—Hans Ree
The sport was the chess equal of Diego Maradona’s Objective of the Century, that unimaginable rush the place he handed 5 defenders and the goalkeeper throughout Argentina’s quarter-final victory over England on the 1986 World Cup — essentially the most stunning second within the profession of the (then) best participant of all time.
Beneath is an in depth evaluation of the sport by GM Rafael Leitao, who occurred to be simply meters away from the place all of it occurred on that twentieth of January 1999.
That is one of the best chess recreation ever performed. I am sorry to those that disagree, however the distance to second place is immense. By no means have so many parts of magnificence been introduced collectively: a deep sacrifice and a protracted variation, stuffed with surprising strikes, unimaginable to calculate from begin to end; a relentless king hunt with unique mating themes; a number of strikes of uncommon magnificence; evaluation that’s as fairly as the primary line of the sport; and even a small dose of imperfection, displaying that we’re human—all too human, which makes all the things much more stunning.
I am proud to say that I used to be there, just some meters from the board the place this masterpiece was performed, and this is among the most outstanding recollections of my profession. The sensation of seeing historical past being written in entrance of my eyes is indescribable. I used to be enjoying within the Wijk aan Zee “B” event, and that day, I used to be going through GM Mykhajlo Brodskyj, however fortunately, my recreation led to a fast draw. Everybody within the corridor solely had eyes for what was taking place within the assembly between Kasparov and Topalov.
I consider that re-reading e book or rewatching your favourite film brings even higher emotions than the primary time. The identical factor occurs to me each time I analyze this recreation, and I’ve achieved this many occasions since that afternoon in 1999. As in essentially the most profound creative expressions, there’s all the time a brand new element that beforehand went unnoticed. Regardless of this being
some of the investigated video games ever, I nonetheless managed to search out a couple of new concepts that I hope will deliver the identical satisfaction to the reader as they did to me.
My notes have been primarily based on two sources that have to be talked about instantly: Kasparov’s evaluation for his e book Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov — Half III, revealed in 2014, and GM Erwin l’Ami‘s glorious feedback for the e book King’s, Queen’s & Rookies, revealed in 2023.
Topalov’s take
After I spoke to Topalov for the e book Kings, Queens & Rookies (which celebrated 85 years of event historical past in Wijk aan Zee), I made a decision to ask him about this recreation. I believed, whereas the main target has all the time been on the winner (and rightly so), it takes two to tango and I felt that the Bulgarian GM’s perspective can be fascinating as effectively.
Because it turned out, Topalov had performed the Pirc solely twice earlier than in his profession. “I used to be very naive,” he mentioned, trying again on his opening selection. “I had by no means misplaced any time I might performed 1…e5 towards him, however I used to be bold.”
About Kasparov’s lengthy and deep mixture, Topalov eliminated a contact of the magic when he famous: “Garry mentioned he’d seen the entire line, however I do not assume that is true. However in some unspecified time in the future, it simply turned pressured. I do not assume he’d seen the ultimate place.”
Garry mentioned he’d seen the entire line, however I do not assume that is true. However in some unspecified time in the future, it simply turned pressured. I do not assume he’d seen the ultimate place.
—Veselin Topalov
It may all have gone in a different way. White’s rook sacrifice on transfer 24 was a “pressured transfer” in line with Topalov: “In any other case, White can be worse.” He took the rook, however that wasn’t pressured: “I had the straightforward transfer 24…Kb6, simply ignoring it. I went for that line as a result of I noticed the place was a bit humorous; once more, I used to be a bit naive as a result of it was not very sensible. I present this line once I educate college students for instance of a nasty sensible selection. It is smart to simply accept the rook sac provided that you are successful. What I did was suicide.”
Topalov mentioned he does not remorse it as a result of “it wasn’t an necessary recreation.” However in fact, Kasparov was extraordinarily glad on the time and shortly sensed that, 25 years later, we might nonetheless be speaking about this recreation. Topalov: “The day after, I beat Loek van Wely shortly, and when Loek resigned, Garry got here as much as me, and we spoke. He talked about 24…Kb6, and mentioned: “When you had performed that transfer, the sport would by no means have been within the historical past books!”
