Moscow, 1985. In game 16 of his title match against Anatoly Karpov, the 22-year-old Garry Kasparov sacrificed a pawn in the opening to plant a knight on d3 — an 'octopus' whose tentacles strangled White's whole position. It sat there from move 16 to move 34, when Karpov finally had to give up his queen to remove it. Chess Informant readers later voted it one of the greatest games ever played; Kasparov went on to win the match and the title.
A single dominant piece deep in the enemy camp can be worth more than a pawn — or even an exchange. Kasparov's knight on d3 tied down Karpov's pieces for nearly twenty moves while Black built up everywhere else. Positional domination, not immediate tactics, decided the game.
It's Kasparov's knight on d3 — a piece planted so deep in White's position that its influence reached in every direction like an octopus's tentacles. It could not be removed without huge concessions, and it paralysed Karpov's pieces for nearly twenty moves.
Chess Informant readers voted it one of the greatest games of its era. It is a perfect demonstration of how a single dominant piece and long-term positional pressure can outweigh material — and it helped Kasparov win the world title at 22.
Yes — take the board as Kasparov at move 16 and try to find the octopus knight, or replay the whole game move by move, no sign-up.
BetterChess is a practice tool. We make no guarantee you'll reach 1800 or any rating. This is a historical game; the analysis is our own.