Rally Keeps Chess Crown for Kasparov

World chess champion Gary Kasparov came from behind Saturday to win the final game of his match with Anatoly Karpov in Seville, Spain, retaining his title for at least three more years. The match ended in a 12-12 tie, and the players will split the purse of about $2.17 million.

Saturday’s game capped four days of unprecedented suspense in chess championship history. Until Wednesday, the 24-game match was limping along to a disappointing finish. Each player had won three games, but the last six had been drawn, and in dull fashion. After losing the 16th game, Kasparov appeared content to draw the remaining eight games.

The first session of the 23rd game, on Wednesday, also began quietly, but Karpov managed to obtain a tiny advantage before adjournment. Most observers predicted a draw. The following day, Kasparov cracked under the pressure of passive defense, sacrificed a rook unsoundly and soon resigned. Reportedly both players left the playing hall in tears.

Comeback Moves

Karpov’s comeback in the penultimate game gave him a 12-11 lead. Now it was Karpov who needed only a draw, and Kasparov who desperately needed a victory. Kasparov, playing white, chose the Reti Opening, a first for him in the match. Karpov defended satisfactorily but used up too much time, leaving himself only four minutes to make 12 moves. With a tricky pawn sacrifice, Kasparov created threats to Karpov’s king. Karpov barely reached the time control at Move 40, and adjourned the game a pawn behind.

The grandmasters on the scene couldn’t agree on the proper assessment of the adjourned position. Some allowed Kasparov few chances to win, others gave him as much as a 50% chance. Shortly before play resumed on Saturday, Josif Dorfman, one of Kasparov’s assistants, put the figure at 90%. His evaluation proved most accurate, as Kasparov gradually inched his pieces forward. When a second pawn was about to fall, Karpov resigned the game.

Grueling Series

This match was the fourth in a grueling series between the two Soviet grandmasters. Their first encounter was halted in February, 1985, after 48 games. Karpov led, five wins to three, when the president of the World Chess Federation called the match off without a winner, claiming that both players were exhausted. The decision still rankles Kasparov, who had won the previous two games against an obviously tired Karpov.

Later in 1985, at the age of 22, Kasparov became the youngest world champion in history by defeating Karpov in their second match, 13-11. At that time, a defeated champion could demand an immediate rematch, a rule that has since been changed by the federation. Karpov exercised his right to a rematch, and lost again, 12 1/2-11 1/2. To qualify for the present match, Karpov had to defeat another Soviet grandmaster, Andrei Sokolov, who had won a series of knockout matches against other worthy contenders.

The next world championship match, according to the federation, will be held in 1990. The number of contenders has already been whittled down to 15. All but Karpov will compete in the first round of Candidates matches in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, in January, 1988. Karpov, the heavy favorite, is seeded into the second round. He needs to win three matches to become the official challenger again, and face Kasparov a fifth time.

Here are the moves of the final game.

Kasparov-Karpov 24: 1 c4 e6 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 g3 d5 4 b3 Be7 5 Bg2 0-0 6 0-0 b6 7 Bb2 Bb7 8 e3 Nbd7 9 Nc3 Ne4 10 Ne2 a5 11 d3 Bf6 12 Qc2 Bxb2 13 Qxb2 Nd6 14 cxd5 Bxd5 15 d4 c5 16 Rfd1 Rc8 17 Nf4 Bxf3 18 Bxf3 Qe7 19 Rac1 Rfd8 20 dxc5 Nxc5 21 b4 axb4 22 Qxb4 Qa7 23 a3 Nf5 24 Rb1 Rxd1+ 25 Rxd1 Qc7 26 Nd3 h6 27 Rc1 Ne7 28 Qb5 Nf5 29 a4 Nd6 30 Qb1 Qa7 31 Ne5 Nxa4 32 Rxc8+ Nxc8 33 Qd1 Ne7 34 Qd8+ Kh7 35 Nxf7 Ng6 36 Qe8 Qe7 37 Qxa4 Qxf7 38 Be4 Kg8 39 Qb5 Nf8 40 Qxb6 Qf6 41 Qb5 Qe7 42 (sealed) Kg2 g6 43 Qa5 Qg7 44 Qc5 Qf7 45 h4 h5 46 Qc6 Qe7 47 Bd3 Qf7 48 Qd6 Kg7 49 e4 Kg8 50 Bc4 Kg7 51 Qe5+ Kg8 52 Qd6 Kg7 53 Bb5 Kg8 54 Bc6 Qa7 55 Qb4 Qc7 56 Qb7 Qd8 57 e5 Qa5 58 Be8 Qc5 59 Qf7+ Kh8 60 Ba4 Qd5+ 61 Kh2 Qc5 62 Bb3 Qc8 63 Bd1 Qc5 64 Kg2, Black resigns.

Jack Peters, an international master, writes The Times’ weekly chess column.