Kamsky- Morozevich

Round 10 in the Thessaloniki Grand Prix is currently in play. Dominguez Perez has just drawn a wild King's Indian Defence as black against Grischuk, but an hour or so earlier, his co-leader Kamsky has crushed Morozevich after the latter took a poisoned b2 pawn in the closed Ruy Lopez.

The denouement of this game was 21 Ng7! a sacrifice which would have a rightful place in Cordingley or any other puzzle book collection. I loaded the game into Houdini to see precisely where Moro had gone wrong, thinking it was the unusual 20…Bd8. In a way, it was: the 'obvious' (to me, at least) 20…Ne5 is said by Houdini to be level, though I think that is in the sense 'anything can happen'): 20…Bd8 was the second losing move. The first losing move was missed by Kamsky: 17…Nb2?? should have been answered by the fabulous 18 Nd5!! which wins in all lines.

The lines are too numerous for me to visualise: too many loose pieces and too much complexity. But it appears that the threats against g7 are so strong, and black's forces so disorganised, with the Nb2 out of the action, that there is mate or ruinous loss in all lines.

Once an engine has shown you the lines, it becomes understandable. But if a player of Kamsky's standing couldn't see it, there is hope for us all: provided we are playing carbon to carbon matches.

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