Anatoly Karpov vs Eugenio Torre, B67, Sicilian Defense, Richter-Rauzer Variation
1976, Manila, Philippines, Kings Challenge Chess Tournament
This is the second video in the series about the great chess masters of the 20th century. It covers Eugenio Torre’s immortal victory over Anatoly Kaprov, who was the world champion at the time.
The game took place in Manila in 1976., soon after the Manila Interzonal which helped determine the challenger to Karpov in his World Championship Match. It was a double round robin with four players. Anatoly Karpov, the world champion at the time (since 1974., when Bobby Fischer forfeited his title without a fight), Eugenio Torre, Walter Browne (2585 ELO) and Ljubomir Ljubojevic (2620 ELO).
Eugenio Torre played amazing chess in all six rounds and he ended up winning the event in clear first place with 4.5/6. Karpov came in second with only 3 points! This game from round two is considered Torre’s most beautiful and most memorable game. It was a fighting Ruchter-Rauzer Sicilian. Karpov decided to deviate from well known theory and Eugenio swiftly punished that with a relentless attack and perfect, ingenious play!
Eugenio Torre was born in the Philippines in 1951. He was a promising young player and in 1974. he became a grandmaster at the age of 22 (which was very early for those days). He was the first Asian grandmaster in history!
He had a remarkable career. He played on the Olympiad 18 times, and he was at the very top of world chess, despite being from a chess-wise very undeveloped background.
He was one of the rare people who was friends with Bobby Fischer, and in 1992., he was his second in the match against Spassky held in Serbia (which Bobby won convincingly). His peak rating was 2580 FIDE, which might seem low according to today’s standards, but at the time it was a very high rating.
Standings after Round 6:
Eugenio Torre 4.5/6
Anatoly Karpov 3/6
Ljubomir Ljubojevic 2.5/6
Walter Shawn Browne 2/6
Game Moves:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2
a6 8.O-O-O Bd7 9.f4 b5 10.Qe1 Nxd4 11.Rxd4 Qb6 12.Rd2 Be7
13.Bd3 b4 14.Nd1 Bb5 15.Nf2 h6 16.Bh4 g5 17.fxg5 hxg5 18.Bg3
Nh5 19.Ng4 Nxg3 20.hxg3 Rxh1 21.Qxh1 Rc8 22.Kb1 Bxd3 23.cxd3
Qd4 24.Qd1 a5 25.Nh2 g4 26.Nxg4 Bg5 27.Rc2 Rxc2 28.Kxc2 a4
29.a3 b3 30.Kb1 d5 31.exd5 Qxd5 32.Nf2 Qxg2 33.Ne4 Be3 34.Nc3
Qc6 35.d4 Qc4 36.d5 e5 37.Qh1 Qd3+ 38.Ka1 Bd4 39.Qh8+ Kd7
40.Qa8 Qf1+ 41.Nb1 Qc4 42.Qb7+ Kd6 43.Qb8+ Kxd5 44.Qd8+ Ke6
45.Qe8+ Kf5 46.Qd7+ Kg6 47.Qg4+ Kf6 48.Nc3 Qf1+ 0-1