MARK RUBERY CHESS
An interesting situation developed during the latter rounds of the 1991 Linares tournament, when the then world champion, Garry Kasparov, totally miscued with a faulty combination. On one hand we have perhaps the strongest attacking player of all time playing minus a rook and on the other, a strong grandmaster with barely a minute to play eleven moves...
Ljubojevic,L (2590) - Kasparov,G (2800) [B23]
Linares (12) 1991
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 Nc6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.0-0 Bg7 7.d3 a6 8.Bxc6 Bxc6 9.Qe1
Qd7! (The beginning of a plan to thwart the basic attacking formation of Qh4, f5, and Bh6) 10.a4 b6 11.b3 Nf6 12.h3 Nh5 13.Bd2 f5 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Qh4 Nf6 16.Rae1 0-0-0 17.a5 b5 18.b4 cxb4 19.Na2 Nd5 20.Nxb4 Bf6 21.Qf2 Nxb4 22.Bxb4 Rhg8 23.Re2 Rg6 24.Qe1 Rdg8 25.Kh2 e5 26.fxe5 Bxe5+ 27.Kh1 Qb7 (Better was…Qg7!) 28.d4
…Rxg2?? (A blunder of epic proportions. Normally a move like this would signal the unveiling of another Kasparov brilliancy, instead we are treated to a combination with a hole big enough to drive a truck through) 29.Rxg2 Rxg2 (The intended follow up 29... Bxf3 walks into 30 Rxf3 Qxf3 31 Qc3+! Qxc3 32 Rxg8+) 30.Kxg2 Qg7+(A glance at the Yugoslav GM’s clock convinces the World Champion to forgo resignation and enter blitz mode) 31.Kh1 Bf4 32.Qe6+ (A simple win was to be had with 32 d5 Bxd5 33 Qc3+)...Bd7 33.Qd5 Qg3 34.Qa8+? (Losing the thread of the game completely. 34 Re1 immediately was essential. White now disdains all perpetuals and unfortunately for him conjures up a stunning reversal)... Kc7 35.Re1 Qxh3+ 36.Kg1 Qg3+ 37.Kf1 Qh3+ 38.Ke2? (38 Kg1=)... Bc6 39.Qa7+ Kc8 40.Rf1 Qg2+ 41.Ke1 Bg3+ 42.Kd1 Qxf1+ 43.Ne1 Bxe1 0-1
Whilst on the subject of Rook odds:
At the end of the 2015 at the Sinquefield Cup the English commentator, IM Lawrence Trent, challenged Magnus Carlsen to a blitz match where they each had three minutes but the world champion was playing without his queen’s rook. The wager was whether Carlsen could get 4 points out of 10 games. Carlsen then proceeded to stun everybody (particularly his opponent) by losing only by 4-5 to win the bet. Immediately afterwards the French super star, Vachier Lagrave, then challenged Trent to a similar match where he gave the IM two pawns start…Trent crushed him 10-0