The Dutch magazine, New In Chess, recently reported that Petromir, a Russian energy company, owns a tract of Siberia with 43 trillion cubic meters of natural gas underneath it. What does that fact have to with chess?

The answer is that Petromir is solely owned by one Anatoly Karpov, former chess champion of the world. Karpov is now a wealthy man, worth approximately $2 billion. Is it the pursuit of lucre that has kept Karpov from playing much chess in recent years? The answer is unclear, but after the Petromir revelation came out, he participated in a grandmaster-level tournament in Serbia. The result demonstrates once again that having a big wallet is not everything. Karpov finished third, behind Suat Atalik of Turkey and Michael Roiz of Israel, who became the first player in history to defeat a billionaire grandmaster. What is more, Roiz triumphed in the immaculate positional style of the young Karpov himself.

ROIZ VS. KARPOV
(white) (black)
Nimzoindian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 Ne4 7. Qc2 c5 8. dxc5 Nc6 9.e3 Qa5+ 10. Bd2 Qxc5 In case of both 10…Nxd2 11. Qxd2 dxc4 (or 11…Qxc5 12. Rc1 dxc4 13. Bxc4) 12. Qxa5 Nxa5 13. Rc1 black is a little worse and would have to fight for a draw. The former world champion chooses a more complicated continuation. 11.b4 Qe7 12. Bc1! This paradoxical move–the only piece developed by white returns to its starting position–was introduced in the sensational game Rjumin – Capablanca, 1935, where the former world champion suffered one of his rare defeats. 12… Nf6?! Black deviates from the above mentioned game, in which Capablanca played 12…a5 13.b5 Ne5 14. Bb2 Ng4 15. Nh3 Qh4?! (This year, the Hungarian grandmaster Almasi improved on black’s and obtained an excellent game after 15…0-0! 16. Be2 e5! Probably Karpov, busy with his natural gas business, had not seen these games.) 16.g3 Qh6 17. Qe2! and encountered difficulties. After Karpov’s move black is a little worse and lacking real counterplay. 13. Bb2 dxc4 14. Qxc4 a6!? The relieving push 14…e5?! was premature here because of 15.b5 Be6 16. Qc3 Nd5 17. Qd2 and black loses the e5 pawn. 15. Nf3 0-0 16. Rc1 Bd7?! Starting from this moment black plays passively and fails to play the necessary move e6 -e5! White could try to exploit it in the complications that follow 16…e5 17. Qc5 Qxc5 18. Rxc5 Ne4 19. Rc1 Re8 20.b5 axb5 21. Bxb5 f6 22. Rxc6!? bxc6 23. Bxc6 Rb8 24. Bc1 Bb7 25. Bxe8 Rxe8 26.0-0 Ba6 27. Rd1 Rc8 but the black pieces are very active here. 17. Bd3 Rfe8 Here appropriate was 17…e5 18. Qc5 (Not at all dangerous for black was 18. Qh4 h6) 18…Rfe8. 18. Qc5 Rac8 Still not too late for 18…e5. 19. Ke2! h6 20. Rhd1 Qxc5?! The last chance for the world champion billionaire to obtain a playable position by playing 20…e5. Now he’ll be under permanent pressure. 21. Rxc5 Nd5

(See Diagram)

22. Nd2! This knight starts a long journey, harassing black from different squares along the way. 22… Na7 23. Ne4 Rxc5 In the lengthy line 23…Bb5 24. Nd6 Rxc5 25. bxc5 Bxd3+ 26. Rxd3 Rb8 27. Rb3 b5 28. cxb6 Rxb6 29. Rxb6 Nxb6 30. Bd4 Nac8 31. Nxc8 Nxc8 32. Bc5 black is defenseless against the march of the white king to a5 because the black king has to guard the f8 square. 24. Nxc5 Bc6 25. Rc1 Nb6 26.f3 Rc8 27. Be4! Nd5? Black still could defend after 27…Bxe4 28. fxe4 (28. Nxe4 Nc4) 28…Rb8 (28…Rc7 29. Bxg7 Kxg7 30. Nxe6+) 29. Be5 Rc8. 28. Kf2! Kf8 29. Bb1 Nb5 30.e4 Nf6 31. Bd3 Ke7 32. Ke3! Simply improving the position. A hasty 32.a4 Na7 (32…Nc7 33. Nxa6 Nxa6 34.b5) 33. Bd4 Bxa4! 34. Nxa4 Rxc1 35. Bxa7 Nd7 would have given black significant survival chances. 32… Nc7 33. Nb3! Nb5 34. Na5! Kd7 35. Nc4 Ke7 36.a4! Na7 There is no escape after 36…Nc7 37. Ba3 either. 37. Bd4! Ra8 38. Bc5+ Ke8 39. Nd6+ Kd7 40.b5 axb5 41. axb5 b6 42. Ba3 Nxb5 43. Nxb5 Ra5 44. Rb1

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