The position starts to crack: 19.Ncxe5!
So is already in command, but instead of protecting the advantage he chooses the most energetic continuation. With 19.Ncxe5!, he throws a knight into the center and invites 19...fxe5. After 20.Bxb5, the point becomes clear: lines are opening while Black’s king is still stranded in the middle.
This is the first real “wow” moment of the game. The sacrifice is not a gamble born of necessity. So is converting a powerful initiative into something concrete, trading material for open lines, tempi, and direct access to the king.
The blow: 22.Rxc6!
Then comes the move that gives the game its reputation: 22.Rxc6!. The rook crashes through on c6 and the material count suddenly becomes almost irrelevant. Black’s pieces are badly coordinated, the king remains exposed, and White’s queen is poised to enter with tempo.
Kasparov answered with 22...Nxc6, but the tougher defense was 22...Qxc6. Even then, Black would still face a very difficult position. In the game, the knight recapture allows So to strike immediately with check.
The queen arrives: 23.Qe6+
23.Qe6+! is the payoff. The queen arrives with check and Black has no time to regroup. Kasparov answers with 23...Ne7, but the knight now becomes part of the problem: it is tied to the king, while White’s bishops and queen coordinate around the central files and diagonals.
The attack has changed character. The spectacular sacrifices have done their job; now So wins by geometry, pins, and the fact that Black’s pieces simply cannot move freely.
The quiet move that finishes the job: 24.Bc5!
The most elegant move may be 24.Bc5!. There is no need to rush. So simply brings the bishop to the perfect square, tightening the pin and leaving Black with no satisfactory way to untangle.
After 24...Rc8 25.Bxe7!, Kasparov resigns. The resignation is not premature: mate is unavoidable. White’s queen and bishops dominate the king’s escape squares, while Black’s pieces are too tied down to create a defense.
That final detail completes the story of the game. So’s attack begins with activity, explodes through sacrifices, and ends with precise coordination. Against one of the greatest attacking players in chess history, he produced a blitz miniature of remarkable clarity.