Lesson
White to move. Main line: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e6 7. O-O Be7 8. f4 O-O 9. Kh1 Qc7 10. a4 Nc6 11. Be3 Re8 12. Bf3 Rb8 13. Qd2 Bd7 14. Nb3 b6 15. g4 Bc8 16. g5 Nd7 17. Qf2 Bf8 18. Bg2 Bb7 19. Rad1 g6 20. Bc1 Rbc8 21. Rd3 Nb4 22. Rh3 Bg7 23. Be3 Re7 24. Kg1 Rce8 25. Rd1 f5 26. gxf6 Nxf6 27. Rg3 Rf7 28. Bxb6 Qb8 29. Be3 Nh5 30. Rg4 Nf6 31. Rh4 g5 32. fxg5 Ng4 33. Qd2 Nxe3 34. Qxe3 Nxc2 35. Qb6 Ba8 36. Rxd6 Rb7 37. Qxa6 Rxb3 38. Rxe6 Rxb2 39. Qc4 Kh8 40. e5 Qa7+ 41. Kh1 Bxg2+ 42. Kxg2 Nd4+
Karpov must win and attacks with g4–g5 and a rook lift to h3. Kasparov refuses passive defense: ...f5 opens lines, ...Nh5–f6 challenges the rook, and ...g5 turns White’s own kingside expansion into tactical targets.
The knight jumps through g4, e3 and c2 while Black’s rook invades b2. The final 42...Nd4+ forks and checks amid a mating attack, forcing Karpov’s resignation and deciding both the game and championship.
For a post, contrast match strategy with board strategy. A draw would have been enough for Kasparov, yet active counterplay was safer than absorbing pressure. The result made him the youngest world champion at the time.