Next generation

Magnus Carlsen’s world title challenge to Vishy Anand commences on Saturday 9 November and continues to the end of this month. The age gap between the young challenger and the veteran champion is 21 years; such an age disparity has not been seen since the 1981 clash between Karpov and Korchnoi (a 20-year age gap) and Tal v. Botvinnik in 1961 (a 25-year gap). Curiously, reversing the customary narrative of the rising fresh talent, in both of those instances the older man was the challenger.
 
This week, the game which clinched the title for 50-year-old challenger Mikhail Botvinnik in 1961, and a puzzle showing 50-year-old Korchnoi succumbing to 30-year-old Karpov.
 
Botvinnik-Tal: World Championship, Moscow (Game 21) 1961; King’s Indian Defence
 
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 f3 Nbd7 This variation is dangerous for Black since White can build up an almost ready-made kingside attack. Tal doubtless avoided the more natural 5 … 0-0 6 Be3 e5 since Botvinnik could then trade off with 7 dxe5 dxe5 8 Qxd8 Rxd8 9 Nd5 as in game 13 of the match when Black had no chances to win. Tal had to avoid a draw at all costs, even with Black, since only a victory in this game would have kept his slim chances in the match alive. 6 Be3 e5 7 Nge2 Botvinnik accelerates his plan of a direct attack against the black king. He does not expend time on developing his king’s bishop to d3 first as seen in the games Timman-Kasparov, Linares 1992 and Korchnoi-Stein, Tallinn 1965, both of which were won by Black. 7 … 0-0 8 d5 Nh5 9 Qd2 f5 10 0-0-0 a6 11 Kb1 Ndf6 12 exf5 gxf5 13 Ng3 This line is highly dangerous for Black due to the extreme likelihood of the h-file opening up in White’s favour. 13 … Qe8 14 Bd3 Nxg3 15 hxg3 c5 A later game, Zakharachenko-Ertl, Graz 2005 saw 15 … e4 but Black also lost. 16 Bh6 Qg6 17 g4 b5 18 Bxg7 Kxg7 (see diagram 1) 19 Rh4 The thematic doubling of rooks on the h-file confers an initiative to White which persists even after the exchange of queens. 19 … bxc4 20 Bc2 There is no need to recapture since the bishop remains in a strong attacking position. 20 … h6 21 Rdh1 Qg5 22 Qxg5+ hxg5 23 Rh6 fxg4 24 fxg4 (see diagram 2) 24 … Bxg4 Falling in too readily with his opponent’s schemes. Resistance is still possible with 24 … Rf7. 25 Rg6+ Kf7 26 Rf1 White is two pawns down but his attack is now overwhelming. 26 … Ke7 27 Rg7+ Ke8 28 Ne4 Nd7 If 28 … Nxe4 29 Ba4+ wins. 29 Nxd6+ Kd8 30 Rxf8+ Nxf8 31 Nxc4 Bd7 32 Rf7 Kc7 33 d6+ Black resigns