Zapata–Anand

Biel, 1988

 

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nf3 Nxe4 5 Nc3

5…Bf5?? 6 Qe2

1-0

 

Nick Pelling explains Anand’s mishap in his entertaining Chess Superminiatures:

‘While looking through the Informator chess journal, he found a Petroff’s Defence game (Miles-Christiansen) with an opening novelty where the game was drawn quickly. So when he happened to reach that same position, he played the novelty … only to discover it immediately lost a piece. And so resigned.

What had actually happened was that Grandmasters Tony Miles and Larry Christiansen had agreed a draw in advance, but decided to play to move 20 for show. But Christiansen blundered on his fifth move, and accidentally allowed Miles to win a piece … had Miles played the correct 6 Qe2.

What Tony Miles then did was spend a few seconds polishing the e2 square until Christiansen’s face had gone bright red with embarrassment at his mistake. Miles then captured the Black knight on e4 instead, before agreeing their pre-agreed draw a few moves later.’