Chess

THERE is nothing as effective as defeat to liberate one from the fear of losing. Players with naturally cautious styles who develop reputations for invincibility often find it very hard to win games. Long periods without defeat have a powerfully inhibiting effect on any temptation to take risks.

Since Anatoly Karpov lost to Nigel Short in the world championship semi-final earlier this year, he has been scoring massive victories in tournaments. On his latest outing, in the tournament in Baden Baden which finished this week, he took first prize scoring eight wins and three draws from 11 games. The runner-up, Christopher Lutz of Germany, was two points behind, and Artur Yusupov, another world title semi-finalist, was another half-point away. In the following game, Karpov followed through a simple strategy, weakening his opponent's c-pawns, winning one of them, then defending accurately against the ensuing attack. But there are two original features that give added value. Firstly, Karpov's play with his queen's rook is delightfully original. Its trip from a8-a6-a5-f5- f6-h6-h4 decided the game. The other oddity is Karpov's handling of his queen's bishop: it never moved at all.

White: Hertneck

Black: Karpov

----------------------------------------------------------------- 1 d4 Nf6 21 Rd1 a5 2 c4 e6 22 Rbd4 Ra6 3 Nc3 Bb4 23 Qh5 Rf8 4 Qc2 0-0 24 g4 a4 5 Nf3 c5 25 c4 Nf7 6 dxc5 Na6 26 h4 Ra5 7 g3 Nxc5 27 g5 Rf5 8 Bg2 Nce4 28 Nh3 g6 9 0-0 Nxc3 29 Qe2 fxg5 10 bxc3 Be7 30 h5 Kg7 11 e4 d6 31 Be4 Rf6 12 e5 dxe5 32 Qg4 gxh5 13 Nxe5 Qc7 33 Qxh5 Rh6 14 Qe2 Bd6 34 Qg4 Rh4 15 Bf4 Ne8 35 Qg2 e5 16 Rab1 f6 36 R4d3 g4 17 Nd3 Qxc4 37 f4 exf4 18 Bxd6 Nxd6 38 Rd5 Qb6+ 19 Rb4 Qc7 39 c5 Qf6 20 Nf4 Re8 White resigns -----------------------------------------------------------------