Paul Cooksey wrote:
If you have K-k 85 g24, I think you have to have its twin k-k 87 g24, the classic example of playing slowly to win a big game, with a high class BvN lesson included.
That's a debatable one since Karpov missed a clear draw just before the time trouble. But that itself was due to an error by Kasparov, I think. For me it's borderline beacuse I am thinking here of the inherent quality of the chess itself, and am not sure whether that game would be so well remembered if it were game one or two.
Paul Cooksey wrote: k-k 1985 g16 (the d5 sacrifice in the e6 sicilian) has been described by GK as one of his greatest games. The game I associate with awesome adjournment analysis is k-k 90 g16 (3rd great g16. 100 moves, with GK breaking down a fortress with kd8).
definitely I shoud have included game 16 of 1985 since that will still be spoken of in many years to come (domination, or what!). I think I omitted that because it was largely home preparation but that was not a good reason to exclude it (and anyway I included game 10 of kasparov v Anand). You can have game 16 of 1990 too - Kasparov should really have finished him off by move 40 but it was impressive defence by Karpov which kept him in the game.
Paul Cooksey wrote: All GK wins which is odd since my sympathies were always with AK. k-k 90 g23 a remorseless anti KID positional squeeze lives in my memory since I thought AK was going to get the title back. But objectively, I think the consensus is GK was below his best level.
I think I listed game 4 of 1985. But you're right. I think the reason is that I list games where something special happened chess-wise or where a heroic battle was fought - it must be games which we will still be talking about in many years to come - and that does tend to favour Kasparov, who was more creative (Karpov wsas on his part more pragmatic) and who often folded in bad positions, and so some of his losses were missing some of the heroic resistance which we saw from Karpov in some of kasparov's wins.
Paul Cooksey wrote: I'm not going to argue too much about the absence of Gk-Short 93. g9 (The Qc2 Nimzo with the Ne2 novelty) is the one that stays in my mind.
spoilt by the gratuitous drawing opportunity missed by both players at the end. But perhaps I should have included game 8 - some great play by Short and considerable practical resistance from Kasparov
Paul Cooksey wrote: Agree on VK-Leko g13 (the drawn Benoni), slightly disappointed that when I checked the game number, Jonathan had already included it!
we haven't had a comparable draw since
Paul Cooksey wrote: I'd add VK-Topalov g2 (The slav where Topalov conducts a brilliant attack, misses the win and loses.) Between this and the famous GK 1999 Pirc game, arguably Topalov's two best games are loses.
well, the brilliant attack came directly from the opening, so it is almost as though he missed his mate in two opportunity just after he left theory.
Paul Cooksey wrote: VK-Anand I suspect Jonathan means 5+6 not 6+7. I think game 5 (Anand's black meran win with ke7 connecting rooks for the attack and the nice ne3 finish) is the great one.
If I am honest I remember Anand-Topalov more for mistakes than great games, particularly Topalov's self destruct in the last game.
You're probably right about game 5 of Kramnik v Anand but I did mean to include game 7 - a very hard defence of an ending which many thought to be lost, but big Vlad was in his element. high level game on both sides.