As we bid farewell to the great Viktor Korchnoi, it is worth pointing out that he was one of those rare players who at various times held a diversity of national titles. His record included winning the championships of the USSR, the Netherlands and finally Switzerland.

I conclude my tribute to him this week with one of his classic wins in the French Defence. This week’s game is a Korchnoi masterpiece that I found in a new book on one of his favourite defences.

   First Steps: The French Defence by Cyrus Lakdawala is published by Everyman Chess.
 
Braga-Korchnoi: Sao Paulo 1979; French Defence
 
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Nge2 White protects his c3-knight from the potential damage to his structure, but at a high cost: 1) White’s e4-pawn is sacrificed and there is no guarantee he regains it. 2) 4 Nge2 clogs White’s kingside development. 4 … dxe4 The most natural. Black grabs e4 and dares his opponent to either regain the pawn, or prove compensation. 5 a3 Bxc3+ The more adventurous path. 5 … Be7 6 Nxe4 Nf6 is a safer path to equality for Black. 6 Nxc3 Nc6 7 Bb5 After 7 d5 exd5 8 Qxd5 Be6 9 Qxe4 Nf6 Black’s development lead makes up for White’s bishop pair. 7 … Nge7 8 Bg5 White regards the capture of Black’s e4 pawn as superfluous. In any case 8 Nxe4 is met with 8 … Qd5 when White does not get full compensation for the pawn. 8 … f6 9 Be3 0-0 (see diagram 1) 10 Qd2 It isn’t so easy for White to regain his sacrificed pawn in this line. If 10 Nxe4? f5 11 Ng5 f4 12 Bd2 Qd5! 13 Bxc6 Nxc6 14 Nf3 Nxd4 and Black picks up a clean pawn. 10 … f5 Black manages to hold on to his extra pawn. In return White gets some degree of dark-square control and the bishop pair. 11 Bg5 This proves to be a waste of time. Better is 11 0-0-0 a6 12 Bxc6 Nxc6 13 f3. 11 … h6 12 Bxe7 Nxe7 13 0-0-0 Nd5 14 Bc4 c6 15 f3 exf3 16 gxf3 Qh4 17 Ne2 f4 Korchnoi seizes the initiative on the kingside, which is normally White’s province in this line. 18 Rdg1 Qf2 19 Rg6 Qxf3 20 Rhg1 Rf7 (see diagram 2) 21 Kb1 The new arrangement is unworkable for White to reach his goals. He had to be consistent and try 21 Rxh6.
21 … Qe3 22 Qd1 Ne7 23 R6g4 23 Rxh6 is met with 23 … f3! with a double threat of … fxe2 and … Qxh6. 23 … f3 24 R4g3 Nf5 White resigns
 
The former world champion Garry Kasparov recently played a simultaneous display in Germany from which this week’s puzzle is taken.