Chapter One
Fischer on the Attack

Fischer attacked both viciously and methodically, taking solace in a particularly narrow opening repertoire, from which he rarely veered his entire career. This meant that he possessed vast experience arising from his attacking set-ups, which he honed to perfection. A player like Capablanca attacked with gusto in his youth, but then his games became more and more technical as he matured. Fischer remained an enthusiastic attacker his entire life, and was not averse to taking on great risk. In his attacking games we are reminded of the classic Thunderdome line of two men entering, but only one leaving. Examples from the chapter:

In this position against Cardoso, Fischer mixed Sozin and Keres Attack themes with an early g4, which obviously entails risk to his own king. A pedestrian may sometimes take a shortcut through a park, which is denied to one who drives. In the above diagram, play shifts to less nuanced ground with Fischer’s last move 12 g4!?.

Fischer backing down is a bit like a hawk showing deference to a belligerent sparrow. But having said this, Sammy Reshevsky, playing Black in this position, was no sparrow. Fischer boldly offered a pawn to open kingside lines against Reshevsky’s king, without worrying about recouping his initial investment.

Against Ivkov, Fischer, as White drew upon his enormous understanding of King’s Indian structures to whip up a winning kingside attack, with disarming ease. Ivkov’s central and queenside counterplay never materialized.

 

Petrosian at his best, had a way of depleting his opponent’s energy, the way dusk slowly swallows the day’s light. Unfortunately for him, this didn’t happen in the above diagram, since he played Black’s wretched position against Fischer’s surging assault down the f-file.

Our individual stylistic quirks see to it that we rarely enter a line with a spirit of pure impartiality. Fischer also attacked while trusting in his own defensive skills. On his last move he boldly/recklessly played 16 ... 0-0!?, with the supreme confidence that his own attack would arrive first on White’s king. And it did just that.

Game 2
R.Fischer-R.Cardoso
4th matchgame, New York 1957
Sicilian Najdorf

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6

Cardoso invites a Najdorf against the boy who would one day be crowned king of the Najdorf players. Instead, 5 ... Nc6 6 Bc4 e6 7 Bb3 Be7 8 Be3 0-0 9 Qe2 initiates the Velimirovic Attack.

6 Bc4 e6 7 0-0

A little later, Fischer began playing 7 Bb3 before castling.

7 ... Be7

7 ... Nxe4?! isn’t such a great idea, since 8 Nxe4 d5 9 Bd3 dxe4 10 Bxe4 leaves White with a dangerous development lead.

 

Question: Can Black get away with 7 ... b5 8 Bb3 b4!? 9 Na4 Nxe4?

 

Answer: This pawn grab looks unbelievably risky. I don’t trust Black’s position at all after 10 Re1 d5 (or 10 ... Nf6 11 Bg5 and Black is in serious trouble if he tries 11 ... Be7? 12 Nf5! as the knight can’t be touched and 12 ... 0-0 13 Nxe7+ Qxe7 14 Nb6! threatens both Nxa8 and Nd5!, which costs Black the exchange after 14 ... Bb7 15 Nxa8) 11 Bf4 (threat: Bxb8 and Nc6) 11 ... Bd6. This was seen in L.Babujian-I.Duzhakov, St Petersburg 2009, and now White has 12 Rxe4! dxe4 13 Nxe6! Bxe6 14 Bxd6 when he regains his sacrificed pawn with a winning position.

8 Be3

After 8 Bb3 b5 Fischer tried the somewhat eccentric 9 Qf3!? on Olafsson, in their Buenos Aires 1960 game.

8 ... 0-0

 

Question: I keep wanting to pick off White’s

e-pawn! Can Black try 8 ... b5 9 Bb3 b4 10 Na4! Nxe4?

 

Answer: Same answer as above: inadvisable. White has the trick 11 Nb6! and Black must hand over the exchange. If 11 ... Qxb6? 12 Nxe6 Nc5 13 Bxc5 dxc5 14 Nxg7+ Kf8 15 Qd5! when the dual attack on f7 and a8 is decisive.

9 Bb3

Depriving Black of both ... Nxe4 and ... d5, as well as sudden ... b5, ... b4 and ... Nxe4 tricks.

9 ... Nc6

Later in the chapter we see a version of the Fischer-Sozin Attack where Black develops his knight to d7.

10 f4

Now Black must watch out for both e5 and f5.

10 ... Na5!?

 

Question: Your interesting mark implies that this move entails

some risk. What is the risk, and what other plans does Black have?

 

Answer: We must differentiate between the short-term and the long-term consequences of such a decision. With ... Na5, Black eliminates White’s powerful light-squared bishop. This isn’t without dangers since Black loses time, and also allows White to open the a-file.

I like Spassky’s treatment: 10 ... Nxd4 11 Bxd4 b5 12 a3 (today, most GMs play the immediate 12 e5 dxe5 13 fxe5 Nd7 14 Ne4 Bb7 15 Nd6 Bxd6 16 exd6 Qg5 17 Rf2 with an unbalanced position where it’s difficult to say whether the advanced d-pawn is a strength or a weakness, V.Ivanchuk-Wang Hao, London 2012) 12 ... Bb7 13 Qd3 and now Spassky hit Fischer with Geller’s pawn sacrifice 13 ... a5!, threatening to undermine White’s e-pawn with ... b4. After 14 e5 dxe5 15 fxe5 Nd7 16 Nxb5 Nc5 Black picks up the bishop-pair in the open position, which easily makes up for White’s extra pawn, R.Fischer-B.Spassky, World Championship (Game 4), Reykjavik 1972.

11 Qf3

The immediate 11 g4!? d5 12 e5 Nd7 was tried in R.Fischer-L.Evans, New York 1958/59.

11 ... Qc7 12 g4!?

 

Question: Isn’t this move terribly risky, especially considering the fact

that Black may soon have an unopposed light-squared bishop on b7?

 

Answer: Fischer’s move isn’t as controversial as it looks. White owns a temporary development lead, and to make the most of it he must launch an attack immediately, since failing to do so allows Black to catch up in development and enjoy his future bishop-pair.

12 ... Nxb3

Also possible is 12 ... Nc4 13 g5 and then:

a) 13 ... Ne8 14 f5 Nxe3 15 Qxe3 Qc5 16 Rad1. I’m no Najdorf expert, but it looks to me like White achieved a pretty scary looking attack, A.Danin-F.Amonatov, Moscow 2008.

b) 13 ... Ng4!? is a risky and unplayed idea: 14 Bc1 Qc5 15 Nce2 Na5 16 Qxg4 Nxb3 17 axb3 e5 18 Qf3 exd4 19 c3! (stronger than 19 Qd3?! d5! when Black seizes the initiative by opening the game for his bishops) 19 ... f6! (after 19 ... dxc3+ 20 Be3 Qb4 21 Nxc3 Be6 22 f5 Bxb3 23 f6 it feels to me like White’s attacking chances compensate Black’s extra pawn) 20 cxd4 Qb6 21 gxf6 Bxf6 22 Bd2 Bxd4+ 23 Nxd4 Qxd4+ 24 Rf2 Qxb2 25 Re1 when White may have attacking chances down the g-file, but if given a choice, I would take Black’s side with the extra pawn.

13 axb3 Rb8

Black avoids ... b5? Nxb5 tricks, but this is awfully slow. Kasparov points out the plan, now typical for Scheveningen positions, with 13 ... Re8 14 g5 Nd7, intending to place the bishop on f8 for defence, and meet f5 with ... Ne5.

14 g5 Nd7 15 f5!?

Fischer isn’t worried about handing over the e5-square. He can also try 15 Qh5, planning to lift a rook to f3 and then h3: 15 ... g6 16 Qh6 Re8 17 f5 Ne5 18 Rf4 (now that f3 isn’t available, White lifts the rook to the fourth rank) 18 ... Bf8 19 Qh3 Qd8! 20 f6 Nc6! (threat: ... Nxd4 and ... e5) 21 Nxc6 bxc6 22 e5! dxe5 23 Rh4 h5 24 gxh6 and I still like White in this admittedly messy position.

15 ... Ne5 16 Qg3 Kh8?!

The obese king somehow manages to fill every square centimetre of the broom closet, as he softly closes the door to conceal himself from his g3 sister. He soon finds that h8 isn’t the best square, since White has ways to load up major pieces against the h7-square. Kasparov recommends 16 ... b5 17 f6 Bd8 and 16 ... Re8!, intending to meet 17 f6 with 17 ... Bf8.

17 Nf3

Kasparov awards this an exclam, while I think it’s promising, yet not White’s best move. Fischer’s move is based on the theory that Black’s knight is the key to his defence, and without it, White generates a winning attack. However, to my mind White makes a clear concession himself by retreating the knight.

I prefer the Neanderthal rook lift, 17 Rf4! when it’s hard to envision a defence for Black: for example, 17 ... Re8 18 Rh4 (now we clearly see that h8 wasn’t all that wonderful a spot for Black’s king, since Qh3 is coming) 18 ... Kg8 19 Qh3 h6 20 f6 Bf8 21 fxg7 Bxg7 22 gxh6 Bf6 23 Rf4 Bg5 24 Qg3 Kh8 25 Rf2 f6 26 Bxg5 fxg5 27 Raf1 Bd7 28 Kh1 Qd8 29 Nf3! (Black’s game collapses with the removal of his best defender) 29 ... Nxf3 30 Rxf3 e5 31 Nd5 with a winning attack for White.

17 ... Nxf3+?

It can’t be wise to hand your opponent a free rook lift.

Kasparov suggested 17 ... Nc6, and if 18 Qh3 exf5! 19 exf5 Qd7 20 Nd5 Re8 (after 20 ... Qxf5? 21 Qxf5 Bxf5 22 Nd4! Bh3 23 Nxc6 bxc6 24 Nxe7 Bxf1 25 Rxf1 Rbe8 26 Nf5 White’s two minor pieces for Black’s rook should be decisive in the ending) 21 Nxe7 Nxe7 22 Nd4 b6 23 Rae1 when Black remains under pressure but remains alive, mainly due to his latent power on the light squares.

18 Rxf3 b5?

Black had to take his chances with 18 ... exf5 19 exf5 Bd8 20 Qh4 Re8 21 f6 Qd7 22 Ra4! (cutting off ... Qg4+, while threatening to swing the rook into play, either on the kingside or in the centre) 22 ... Kg8. Black is in bad shape, but still infinitely better off than with what could have happened in the game.

19 Qh4!

Intending Rh3. According to the comps Black is getting crushed at this stage.

19 ... exf5

 

 

Exercise (calculation): White has three tempting continuations: a) 20 Rh3, loading

up on the h-file. b) 20 Nd5, jumping into d5 with tempo. c) The calm 20 exf5. Two

of the three win, while the other allows Black a prayer to escape. Which is best?

 

20 exf5

Fischer’s legendary intuition was at its lowest ebb in irrational positions, and he picks the worst of his choices. But saying this, the move should still win.

Answer: Much stronger were:

a) 20 Rh3! h6 21 Bd4! (threat: Bxg7+) 21 ... f6 22 Nd5 Qb7 23 gxf6 Bxf6 24 Nxf6 and Black collapses.

b) 20 Nd5! Qd8 21 exf5 (threat: f6) 21 ... Re8 22 f6 Bf8 23 g6! fxg6 24 f7! When White wins heavy material since Black’s e8-rook is overloaded and 24 ... Qxh4 is met with 25 fxe8Q, regaining the queen with compound interest.

20 ... Qc6!

Covering d5, while preventing Rh3.

21 Raf1

A slight inaccuracy. 21 Ne4! Re8 22 f6 Bf8 23 g6! fxg6 24 Bd4! strains the defence beyond capacity.

21 ... Bb7

White experiences difficulties in transferring his rook over to h3.

22 Bd4!

Fischer eyes sacrifices on the tender g7-square. Also promising is 22 Qh5! threatening g6, when Black is unlikely to survive.

22 ... b4

Alternatively, 22 ... Qxf3 23 Rxf3 Bxf3 24 Qh6 f6 25 Qh3 Bc6 26 g6 h6 27 Be3 and there is no remedy to the coming bishop sacrifice on h6.

 

Exercise (critical decision): Should White sacrifice his bishop on g7,

or should he play 23 Qh5, intending g6? Only one line forces the win.

 

23 Bxg7+?

Fischer lowers his head and charges in with enraged bull determination. This appears to be one of those involuntary reactions, as when your doctor taps you just below the knee and in response your foot jerks forward. In 1957 Bobby was still a kid, and no kid I ever taught could resist the urge to play such a tempting sacrifice.

Answer: The creeping 23 Qh5!, threatening g6, forces the win: 23 ... Kg8 (or 23 ... f6 24 g6 h6 25 Be3 and nothing can stop Bxh6) 24 f6 Rfe8! (the only path for Black to resist, as 24 ... Bd8 25 fxg7 is game over and if 24 ... bxc3 25 fxg7 Qe4 26 gxf8Q+ Rxf8 27 bxc3 Qg6 28 Qxg6+ fxg6 29 Rxf8+ Bxf8 with an easy win for White in the ending) 25 fxg7 Qxf3 26 Rxf3 Bxf3 27 Qxf3 bxc3 28 Qf5 cxb2 29 Bxb2 and White should be able to convert his advantage.

23 ... Kxg7 24 Qh6+ Kh8 25 g6 Qc5+?

The natural move loses. 25 ... fxg6! 26 fxg6 had to be tried.

 

 

Exercise (combination alert): It appears as if Black’s defence is merely a temporary structure, a sandcastle built at low tide, destined to be washed away at high tide. However Black has a stunning resource only a comp finds at a glance. Take your time. If you find one powerful idea, Black’s once overwhelming troubles shrivel to insignificance. Don’t feel bad if you can’t find the solution. I showed this position to a USCF 2550 IM and a 2450 player, and neither of them found the solution either.

 

Answer: Interference/defensive move: 26 ... Rf7!! A neutron bomb is designed to kill people, yet leave all buildings and structures intact. The implication: Property is more important than people. In this case Black’s rook sacrifices itself to leave his king’s shelter intact. Sometimes an idea can be so crazy, that it sprouts wings and miraculously works.

Following 27 gxf7 Rf8 28 Qe6! Qc5+ 29 R1f2! (not 29 R3f2?? Qg5+ and White walks into mate) 29 ... Bxf3 30 Ne4! (again, White must be careful: 30 Qxe7?? Rxf7! and White suddenly finds himself busted, since his queen must keep watch over the g5-square) 30 ... Qa7 31 Nxd6 Qd4! 32 Qxe7 Qd1+ 33 Rf1 Qd4+ 34 Rf2 Qd1+ the game ends in perpetual check.

26 R1f2!

White’s once invisible intent steps out into the open, in plain sight. There is no good way to protect h7. Black’s next move is forced and the remainder is as predictable as the climax of a Shakespearean tragedy.

However, instead 26 R3f2?? fxg6 27 fxg6 Rf7! 28 gxf7 bxc3 leaves White completely busted.

26 ... fxg6 27 fxg6 Qg5+

The queen makes irritated, flapping ‘go-away’ motions with her hand, directed at her annoying sister. Cardoso must have made his last move with a shudder of distaste, since he now loses material to stave off mate.

28 Qxg5 Bxg5 29 Rxf8+ Rxf8 30 Rxf8+ Kg7 31 gxh7! 1-0

31 ... Kxh7 32 Rf7+ Kg6 33 Rxb7 bxc3 34 bxc3 is a simple win for White in the ending.

Game 3
R.Fischer-S.Reshevsky
2nd matchgame, New York/Los Angeles 1961
Sicilian Dragon

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6

Reshevsky goes for the Accelerated Dragon, which to my mind is safer than the main line Dragon.

5 Nc3

Fischer opts for piece play. I have a feeling his towering strategic skills would have lent themselves well to the Maroczy bind line, 5 c4.

5 ... Bg7 6 Be3 Nf6 7 Be2

In this position Fischer also played 7 Bc4 0-0 8 Bb3 Na5?! (Black should go either for 8 ... d6 or 8 ... Ng4 9 Qxg4 Nxd4 10 Qh4) 9 e5 Ne8??.

 

Exercise (combination alert): White to play and force the win.

 

Answer: Attraction/queen trap. 10 Bxf7+! and then:

a) 10 ... Rxf7 11 Ne6! wins Black’s queen.

b) 10 ... Kh8 11 Ne6 is the same old story. Black’s queen is trapped.

c) 10 ... Kxf7 11 Ne6! And Black’s queen has no place to go, R.Fischer-S.Reshevsky, New York 1958/59. If 11 ... Kxe6 12 Qd5+ Kf5 13 g4+ Kxg4 14 Rg1+ Kh4 15 Qe4+ forces mate in two moves.

7 ... 0-0 8 f4

8 0-0?! is considered inaccurate. Black equalizes at a minimum after 8 ... d5! 9 exd5 Nb4.

8 ... d6

 

Question: If ... d5 worked for Black after White castled, then why not here as well?

 

Answer: 8 ... d5?! doesn’t work out well for Black after 9 e5 Ne8 10 Bf3 Nc7 11 Qd2 with a comfortable space advantage for White.

9 Nb3

White prevents ... d5 freeing ideas, as well as ... Qb6 tricks. The careless 9 0-0 allows 9 ... Qb6! (threat: ... Nxe4) 10 Qd3 Ng4! 11 Bxg4 Bxd4! 12 Bxd4 Qxd4+ 13 Qxd4 Nxd4 14 Bd1 when Black stands about even in the ending.

9 ... Be6

Generally Black first tosses in 9 ... a5 10 a4 and only then follows with 10 ... Be6.

10 g4!?

When we make the decision to enter such a perversely complex line, we internally debate: “What will be our fate? Glory and treasure? Or unimaginable woe?”

10 ... d5

Principle: Meet a wing attack with a central counter.

11 f5

Undermining Black’s control over d5.

11 ... Bc8 12 exd5 Nb4 13 Bf3!

Fischer deviates from the explosive Alekhine-Botvinnik draw with a pawn sacrifice which exposes Black’s king. I think Fischer’s move is superior to 13 d6 Qxd6! 14 Bc5 Qf4 15 Rf1 Qxh2 16 Bxb4 Nxg4! (this move forces perpetual check) 17 Bxg4 Qg3+ 18 Rf2 Qg1+ 19 Rf1 Qg3+ 20 Rf2 Qg1+ ½-½, A.Alekhine-M.Botvinnik, Nottingham 1936 (a tournament in which Reshevsky participated). This game is annotated in Botvinnik: Move by Move.

13 ... gxf5

Of course this weakens Black’s king, but otherwise White just remains up a healthy pawn.

14 a3!

Superior to 14 g5 Ng4 15 Bc5 Na6 16 Bd4 e5! 17 dxe6, as was first played in I.Bondarevsky-V.Alatortsev, Tbilisi 1937. Black stands at least equal after 17 ... Qxg5 18 exf7+ Rxf7 19 h3 Re7+ 20 Kf1 Ne3+ 21 Bxe3 Rxe3.

14 ... fxg4

15 Bg2!

The trademark Fischer accuracy.

 

Question: Why not just play 15 axb4 gxf3

16 Qxf3 when White isn’t even down a pawn?

 

Answer: This line allows Black to seal the g-file with the manoeuvre 16 ... Bg4 17 Qg2 Bh5! intending ... Bg6 next, when Black’s king enjoys a greater degree of safety than in Fischer’s continuation. Surprisingly, Black’s missing g-pawn turns out to be an unimportant vestige, not needed for the implementation of the defence.

15 ... Na6

Now this knight sits offside.

16 Qd3!

Denying Black ... Bf5, while preparing to castle long.

16 ... e6!?

It’s a tricky matter to stir up enmity in a region in which the locals outnumber your own forces. A violation of the principle: Avoid confrontation when lagging in development, yet it follows the principle: Meet a wing attack with a central counter.

Kasparov suggests the line 16 ... Qd6 17 0-0-0 Nh5! intending ... Nf4. I still like White’s position after 18 Kb1 Nf4 19 Bxf4 Qxf4 20 Rde1 Qg5 21 h3! Qg6 22 hxg4 Qxd3 23 cxd3 Re8 24 Be4 h6 25 Reg1 since g5 is threatened.

17 0-0-0 Nxd5 18 h3!

Black’s g-pawn dangles an almost irresistible lure in front of White’s nose. Fischer plays the position a bit like a kingside version of a Benko Gambit, where lines open with alarming rapidity.

18 ... g3

Maybe Reshevsky can take his chances in the line 18 ... Nxe3!? 19 Qxd8 Rxd8 20 Rxd8+ Bf8 21 Be4 f5 22 hxg4! fxe4 23 Nxe4 Kg7 24 Ng5 h6 25 Nxe6+ Bxe6 26 Rxa8 Be7 27 Rxa7 Bd5 28 Rh5 Bg5 29 Na5 Nxg4+ 30 Rxg5+! hxg5 31 c4 Bg2 32 Nxb7 Nb8 33 Nd6+ Kf6 34 b4. I like White’s chances to convert, with his three connected passers, although of course Black has a passer of his own. The comps have White up here by a bit over one point.

However, 18 ... Bxc3?? is absolute suicide for Black after the simple 19 hxg4 f5 20 gxf5! Nxe3 21 Qxe3 Bxb2+ 22 Kxb2 Qf6+ 23 Kb1 exf5 24 Bd5+ Kh8 25 Rh6 Qg7 26 Rdh1 forcing mate.

19 Rhg1

Target: g3.

19 ... Qd6

Robert Hübner suggested 19 ... Qh4 20 Bxd5 exd5 21 Bd4 Bxd4. Now White should just calmly play 22 Nxd4! Kh8 23 Nxd5! Qg5+ 24 Kb1 when 24 ... Qxd5?? 25 Qxg3 Bg4 26 Qxg4 Rg8 27 Qf4 Qd8 28 Nf3 Rxg1 29 Rxg1 f6 30 Ne5! Qe7 31 Ng6+! hxg6 32 Rxg6 Rg8 33 Qh4+ Qh7 34 Qxf6+ Rg7 35 Rh6 wins.

20 Bxd5 exd5

21 Nxd5!

Both Fischer and Kasparov criticized this move, while Houdini claims it is White’s best. Fischer preferred 21 Bd4 Qf4+ 22 Kb1 Bf5 23 Rxg3! Bxd3 24 Rxg7+ Kh8 25 Rxf7+ Qxd4 26 Rxf8+ Rxf8 27 Nxd4 Be4 28 Re1 Bg6 29 Re7 Rf7 30 Nxd5 when Black stood only slightly worse. So it appears as if Houdini’s line (the move Fischer played in the game) may be White’s best after all.

21 ... Kh8 22 Bf4 Qg6 23 Qd2?

The wrong square. An army is an organic entity which must be fed. Now White’s attack begins to grow skeletally weak with hunger.

White’s queen should fight for g4 with 23 Qe2!. Now White amassed serious weaponry in the vicinity of Black’s king and the difference is Black is unable to play 23 ... Bxh3?? 24 Rxg3 as he doesn’t have the ... Bg4 resource he had in the game.

23 ... Bxh3!

Everyone who knows the bishop suspects him of malfeasance, since his wealth continues to increase, despite his modest salary. Reshevsky, one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the game, seizes upon his chance, counter-intuitively allowing the h-file to open.

24 Rxg3 Bg4!

For now, the bishop erects a barrier to White’s ambitions along the g-file, since it can be backed by ... h5 and ... f5.

25 Rh1!

The impact of a sudden shock on the chess board is only fatal to the brittle mind. Legendary players, contrary to popular belief, make mistakes. But they also recover quickly, from a psychological standpoint. The trick is to budget for errors in every game. Fischer now revises his earlier intent, intuitively realizing that the h-file, rather than the g-file, may provide White a new attacking lane.

25 ... Rfe8?!

The wrong rook. Black needs all available defenders near his king. He can achieve this with 25 ... f5! 26 Qh2 Rae8! 27 Kb1 h5 28 Bd2 (idea Nf4 and Nxh5) 28 ... Be5 29 Nf4 Bxf4 30 Bxf4 b6 31 Rd3 Kh7 and Black’s king position isn’t so easy to crack.

26 Ne3 Qe4?

When we fail to understand our opponent’s intent, we become like a king who searches for his enemy in the forest, when in actuality, the enemy may be a trusted minister, sitting across the table from him. Reshevsky, a lifelong time pressure addict, was low at this stage. After this second mistake, Black’s previous defensive gains dwindle down to zero.

He may still have saved the game with 26 ... f5! 27 Qg2 Rad8 28 Kb1 (or 28 Nxg4 fxg4 29 Rxg4 Qe4! and White must swap queens, since Black threatens the f4-bishop and also mate, starting with ... Qe1+) 28 ... Qf6 29 c3 Qe6 30 Nxg4 fxg4 31 Rxg4 Qe4+ 32 Qxe4 Rxe4 33 Rhg1 Rd7 with reasonable chances for Black to save himself.

27 Qh2!

In Shaolin Kung Fu, we are taught: When in combat, one hand should lie, confusing the adversary; the other reveals the truth. Suddenly, White has a winning attack and Black’s defensive backbone – overcooked asparagus – just wilts.

27 ... Be6

 

 

Exercise (combination alert): White has two ways

to win. All you need to do is find one of them.

 

Answer: Annihilation of defensive barrier.

28 Rxg7!

Fischer reduces the once complex argument into a simple formula: Black is unable to defend the dark squares around his king. Even simpler is 28 Nd2! when Black must resign, since he either loses his queen or his king.

28 ... Kxg7 29 Qh6+ Kg8

Forced, since 29 ... Kh8 walks into the deflection shot 30 Be5+! with mate in two moves. The bishop considers himself an intermediary between laity and divinity, even though he considers himself a member of the latter category.

30 Rg1+ Qg6

The human response to trauma takes on multiple shapes and forms. Of course Reshevsky could have resigned here, but somehow when we are low on time, we forget to do so.

31 Rxg6+ fxg6

Black is not only down heavily in material, but his king remains under fire from White’s queen and minor pieces.

32 Nd4 Rad8 33 Be5

Fischer systematically probes the dreadfully weakened dark squares around Black’s king.

33 ... Rd7 34 Nxe6 Rxe6 35 Ng4

Going after the f6-square.

35 ... Rf7 36 Qg5

Threatening to mate with Qd8+, followed by Nh6.

36 ... Rf1+ 37 Kd2

Qd8+ remains a threat.

37 ... h5 38 Qd8+ 1-0

“I rule in the North, South, East ... ” and then the queen pauses for dramatic effect, before revealing “ ... and the West.” 38 ... Rf8 39 Nh6+ Kh7 40 Qxf8 Rxe5 41 Qg8+ Kxh6 42 Qh8+ ends Black’s resistance.

Game 4
R.Fischer-P.Benko
U.S. Championship, New York 1963
Pirc Defence

1 e4 g6 2 d4 Bg7 3 Nc3 d6 4 f4 Nf6 5 Nf3 0-0 6 Bd3

The passive 6 Be2 makes no sense to me: 6 ... c5 7 dxc5 Qa5 8 0-0 Qxc5+ 9 Kh1 Nc6 10 Nd2 a5! 11 Nb3 Qb6 12 a4 Nb4 13 g4? and now Korchnoi found 13 ... Bxg4!, after which Fischer’s position fell apart quickly, R.Fischer-V.Korchnoi, Curacao 1962. This game is annotated in Korchnoi: Move by Move.

6 ... Bg4?

 

This hands White the bishop-pair for no appreciable compensation. Both 6 ... c5 and 6 ... Na6 are played today.

7 h3 Bxf3

One of my goofy comps suggested retreating the bishop to c8, which preserves the bishop-pair at the cost of two tempi.

8 Qxf3 Nc6

8 ... e5 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 f5 doesn’t really alter much from the game’s continuation.

9 Be3 e5

This is Benko’s idea, to seize control over d4. However, he leaves himself even further weakened on the light squares.

 

Question: Can Black forego ... e5 and just go for queenside play instead?

 

Answer: It feels to me that Black will just lose an opposite-wings attack position in those scenarios. Let’s take a look:

a) 9 ... Nb4 10 0-0-0 Nxd3+ 11 Rxd3 doesn’t look all that appealing, since White is ready for e5, followed by h4!, when his attack is obviously faster than anything Black can stir up on the other side of the board.

b) 9 ... Nd7 10 e5 Nb4 11 0-0-0 Nxd3+ 12 Rxd3 c6 13 h4! is similar to line ‘a’ – White’s attack is clearly faster.

10 dxe5

Fischer opens the d-file for his rooks.

10 ... dxe5 11 f5

 

A logical bypass. Fischer isn’t about to allow ... exf4, which opens the e5-square for Black’s pieces.

11 ... gxf5!

Eric Schiller gives this move a question mark, while Fischer called it “best”. In this case I think Fischer is correct, since I don’t see viable alternatives for Black.

 

Question: Why did Black voluntarily destroy his own king’s pawn front?

 

Answer: White threatened a terrible bind with g4 next, and this move was the only way to prevent that idea. But I agree with you that in this case the cure may be only just slightly less risky than the disease.

Alternatively, 11 ... Nd4 12 Qf2 gxf5 (or 12 ... a6?! 13 g4 and one look tells us that Black is doomed against White’s kingside bind/attack) 13 exf5 b5 14 0-0 c5 15 Ne4 c4 16 Nxf6+ Qxf6 17 Be4 and c3 follows, with a strategically won game for White, J.Bednarski-Y.Kraidman, Tel Aviv 1964.

12 Qxf5!

This counterplay-suppressing move opens the f-file and keeps White’s centre stable.

12 exf5?! e4! allows Black fishing chances after 13 Nxe4 Ne5 14 Nxf6+ Qxf6 15 Qf4 Nxd3+ 16 cxd3 Qxb2 17 0-0 Qe5 when White only stands a shade better.

12 ... Nd4

Black, lacking targets of any sort, has his choice of a miserable middlegame or a miserable ending after 12 ... Qd7 13 Qxd7 Nxd7 14 Nd5.

13 Qf2

Fischer said he was sorely tempted to enter the line 13 Qxe5!?, which is given an exclam by him, which I think is completely incorrect, since Black generates all sorts of dark-square play for the pawn after 13 ... Ng4. Now White can try the berserker 14 Qxg7+!? Kxg7 15 hxg4. White clearly has compensation for the queen, but Black isn’t without his chances in a position where he is up so much material. Houdini helpfully rates this unclear mess at even after 15 ... h5.

13 ... Ne8!

Of course all of us loathe retreats, since they impute cowardice upon the retreatee (I’m pretty sure this isn’t a real word, so please don’t Google it!). In this case, however, Black intends ... Nd6, after which White must watch out for both ... f5 and also ... c5 and ... c4.

The alternative is 13 ... Nd7 14 0-0-0 Nc5 15 Kb1 c6 16 Rhf1 b5 17 Ne2 with a strategically won game for White.

14 0-0!

 

Question: Why not castle long?

 

Answer: Castling long is possible, but then Black is given a prayer if he goes after White’s king. By castling kingside, Fischer deprives Benko of any counterplay, since the white king’s safety is an issue removed from the equation: 14 0-0-0 Nd6 15 Ne2 c5 16 c3 and maybe Black can try the desperado 16 ... f5!? 17 exf5 e4 18 Bc2 Rxf5 when he is better off than what occurred in the game.

14 ... Nd6

14 ... c6 is met with 15 Ne2, intending Ng3 and c3, with a crushing light-square bind.

15 Qg3?!

Threat: Bh6. Fischer said of his move, “the only way to sustain the initiative”, but this may not be White’s most accurate move, since it allows Black the freeing ... f5 break.

15 Rad1! disallows Black’s ... f5 break and retains the bind.

15 ... Kh8?!

The decision to refrain from the ... f5 break lingers in its deliberation. I think this was Black’s propitious moment to break loose of the bind with 15 ... f5! even if it opens the game for White’s bishop-pair. The wise general only allows his troops to participate in a skirmish with the enemy when he isn’t outnumbered. This move violates the principle: Avoid confrontation in our opponent’s strong zone, but follows the principle: Counter in the centre when assaulted on the wing. In this case, the latter principle is given greater weight.

Fischer gives 16 Bh6 (after 16 Bg5 Qe8 17 Qh4 f4 18 Nd5 Rf7 19 c3 Ne6 20 Be7 Qd7 21 Rad1 Nf8 22 Qg4 Qxg4 23 hxg4 Re8 24 Bxd6 cxd6 25 Bc4 Ne6 26 g3 Kh8 27 Ne3 Rc7 28 Bxe6 fxe3! 29 Rxd6 e2 30 Re1 Bf8 31 Rd7 Rxd7 32 Bxd7 Rd8 33 Bb5 Rd1 34 Kf2 Rxe1 35 Kxe1 Black will be down two pawns, yet the opposite-coloured bishops offer him excellent chances to hold the game) 16 ... Qf6 17 Bxg7 Qxg7 18 Qxg7+ Kxg7 19 exf5 N6xf5 20 Rae1 Rae8 21 Ne4 “with a comfortable edge, but certainly no forced win”.

16 Qg4!

The endless drizzle and rain continue to plague Black’s kingside counterplay, until his army’s food grows mouldy, and their soggy boots begin to fall apart. Fischer on his last move missed the correct plan, but now he re-reads the book, hoping to catch a glimpse of the truth in the second reading. He correctly clamps down on Black’s potential for an ... f5 break. In the case of White’s attack, supply equals demand, and then some.

16 ... c6 17 Qh5

“My gentle caresses failed to sway you, so now let us try the not-so-gentle stroke of my whip,” says the queen, warningly to Black’s king. Threat: Bxd4, followed by e5.

17 ... Qe8?

17 ... Ne6 18 Ne2 was unpleasant yet necessary for Black.

18 Bxd4! exd4

Benko may now have expected 19 e5? f5! when Black would be okay.

 

Exercise (combination alert): The black king drills his not-so-elite defenders until

they are too exhausted to even curse him. When we strongly sense the presence of

a combination, we search a cave where we know hidden treasure exists. Our only problem: where to dig? White’s visually shocking next move is one of the most

famous combinations of Fischer’s career. Do you see it (or remember it)?

 

Answer: Interference. “A house divided against itself will be destroyed,” warned Saint Matthew. Sometimes a startling shot just reduces us into an astonished silence. It’s time to add oranges and then pull a fast one by subtracting apples.

19 Rf6!!

White’s last move serves quadruple purposes:

1. e5 is coming, when the white queen and bishop gaze lovingly at the h7-square.

2. If Black responds to e5 with ... h6, then White’s rook helps participate in the attack with the deadly shot Rxh6+.

3. Black’s d6-knight now hangs.

4. Black is denied all ... f5 saving graces, since White’s last move gums up the f6-square, and Black’s f-pawn with it.

19 ... Kg8

Everything loses. For example:

a) 19 ... dxc3 20 e5 h6 (all the black king’s yes-men and yes-women smiled, nodded and yessed, telling him: “Just you wait and see: Everything will turn out just fine!”) 21 Rxh6+ Kg8 22 Rh8+! (clearance) 22 ... Bxh8 23 Qh7 mate.

b) 19 ... Bxf6 20 e5 and Black’s loutish bishop is in the way for a saving ... f5.

20 e5 h6

21 Ne2! 1-0

The most accurate of White’s many conversion methods. The trouble for Black is if he moves his knight, White plays Qf5.

Fischer’s finish is more accurate than 21 Rxd6?! Qxe5! 22 Qxe5 Bxe5 23 Ne4 Bxd6 24 Nxd6 and Black is busted, but can play on for a long time.

21 Ne2! threatens Rxd6 and if Black’s knight moves, he loses coverage of f5 after 21 ... Nb5 (or 21 ... Bxf6 22 Qxh6 forcing mate in two moves) 22 Qf5 forcing mate next move. “There are certain people – who shall go nameless – who are unworthy of their high stations,” declares the queen, as she looks meaningfully in the black king’s direction. Note that Black lacks a ... Re8 and ... Kf8 defence, since his own queen plugs the escape route.

Actually 21 Rxh6 also works: 21 ... f5 22 Rg6 Qxe5 23 Rxd6! (threat: Bc4+) 23 ... b5 24 Nxb5 cxb5 25 Rg6 with an extra pawn and a completely winning position, since Rf1 follows.

Game 5
R.Fischer-J.Bednarski
Havana Olympiad 1966
Sicilian Najdorf

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bc4 e6 7 Bb3

Alternatively, 7 0-0 Be7 8 Bb3 0-0 9 f4 b5 10 e5 (Black must be supremely prepared to absorb the force of such lunges) 10 ... dxe5 11 fxe5 Nfd7 12 Be3 (12 Qg4 Nxe5 13 Qe4 Bc5! 14 Be3 Nbc6! is in Black’s favour, since White fails to generate full compensation for the pawn) 12 ... Nxe5 13 Qh5 Nbc6 14 Nxc6 Nxc6 15 Rf3 was tried in N.Short-G.Kasparov, Novgorod 1997. Here Houdini suggests 15 ... Qd6! 16 Rh3 h6 17 Bxh6 Qc5+ (the point of playing the queen to d6) 18 Qxc5 Bxc5+ 19 Be3 Bxe3+ 20 Rxe3 Bb7 21 Ne4 Na5 with an even position.

7 ... Nbd7

 

Question: In the first game of this chapter, Black developed

his knight to c6 in response to the Fischer-Sozin Attack. In this

version Black plays his knight to d7, which one is better?

 

Answer: Both are playable and it’s a matter of personal taste. Fischer thought ... Nc6 was Black’s best, while Kasparov tended to favour ... Nbd7 (although he played both versions).

When we choose an opening, we must find that perfect balance between too much opening theory and too little, to the point where our opponents aren’t challenged. For me, the Najdorf falls under the too-much-theory category. In 1994, in a bout of temporary madness, your writer began playing Najdorf as Black (I beat two IMs with it and promptly abandoned the opening, deciding that the damage done to my delicate nervous system wasn’t worth the potential rating points), and I also played the ... Nbd7 and ... Nc5 systems.

Black can also delay the development of his queenside knight with 7 ... b5 8 0-0 Be7 9 Qf3 Qc7 10 Qg3 0-0 11 Bh6 Ne8 12 Rad1 Bd7 13 f4 Nc6 14 f5 Nxd4 15 Rxd4 Bf6 16 Rd3 Be5 with approximately even chances, A.Morozevich-G.Kasparov, Astana 2001.

8 f4

Instead, 8 Bg5 Qa5 (gaining a tempo on White’s g5-bishop, while unpinning the queen, which threatens ... Nxe4; 8 ... Nc5 is possible too and after 9 f4 Be7 10 e5 dxe5 11 fxe5 Nd5 12 Bxe7 Nxe7 13 Qg4 0-0 14 0-0-0 Qc7 maybe it’s stylistic, but I prefer Black’s position) leads to:

a) 9 f4? of course fails to 9 ... Nxe4.

b) The Richter-Rauzer-like 9 Qd2 is a thought.

c) 9 Bxf6 Nxf6 10 0-0 Be7 (10 ... Qc5!? 11 Kh1 b5 12 f4 Bb7 13 Qd3 Be7 14 Bxe6?! fxe6 15 Nxe6 Qc4! Black forces an ending in which Black stands better, P.Jaracz-D.Khismatullin, Dresden 2007) 11 f4 Qc5!? (“The idea is pretty clear: Black improves the position of his queen (and threatens 12 ... e5)” writes GM Mikhail Golubev) 12 Kh1 b5 13 a3 and Black stood at least even, L.Nisipeanu-V.Topalov, Dresden Olympiad 2008.

8 ... Nc5

Triple purpose:

1. Black reinforces e6 in case White plays f5.

2. Black places a second attacker on e4.

3. Black can pick off White’s light-squared bishop with ... Nxb3.

9 f5

Again, we find alternatives:

a) 9 0-0 Ncxe4 10 Nxe4 Nxe4 11 f5 e5 12 Qh5 Qe7 13 Qf3 Nc5 14 Nc6 Qc7 15 Bd5 a5!? (an ambitious move which cuts off the knight’s retreat squares; 15 ... Bd7 16 Nb4 Be7 is probably the wiser course for Black) 16 Bg5 was V.Topalov-G.Kasparov, Amsterdam 1996. White still stands better after 16 ... Bd7 17 Ne7 Bxe7 18 Bxe7 f6! 19 Qg3 Be6! 20 Bxe6 Qxe7 21 Bd5 0-0-0.

b) 9 e5 dxe5 10 fxe5 Nfd7 11 Bf4 b5 12 Qg4 h5 13 Qg3 h4 14 Qg4 g5! 15 0-0-0 was the earlier N.Short-G.Kasparov, World Championship (Game 8), London 1993. The position is a complete mess. Houdini analysis continues: 15 ... gxf4 16 Nxe6 Nxe6 17 Bxe6 Qe7 18 Bxd7+! (18 Nd5?! is met with 18 ... Nxe5!) 18 ... Bxd7 19 Qf3 Ra7 20 Nd5 Bc6 21 Nf6+ Qxf6 22 exf6 Bxf3 23 Rhe1+! Re7! 24 fxe7 Bxd1 25 exf8R+ Kxf8 26 Kxd1 h3 27 gxh3 Rxh3 28 Rf1 when Black stands slightly better, but the position is still a likely draw.

9 ... Nfxe4?!

On the chess board, temerity tends to be punished far more than passivity. Our expectations rarely allow us to be satisfied with what we have and say: “Good enough”. Black’s last move was played with the thought: “Let’s go pawn grabbing and fall behind in development against the strongest player of the era. What could possibly go wrong?” Black unwisely risks all with a single throw of the dice. Just intuitively, we see at a glance that White’s massive development lead will be worth far more than Black’s extra pawn.

As one of the world’s foremost authorities on the dangers of an overactive imagination, I speak from vast experience (i.e. the misguided readers who hate my writing style and punish my books with a hateful review!) when declaring: To be dull and rational constitutes a virtue. Black is perfectly fine if he follows the dull course 9 ... Be7 10 Qf3 0-0 11 Be3 with dynamically even chances.

10 fxe6!

White may be down material, yet his currency is the fear of war upon Black’s king.

 

Question: Why not first swap knights and then play fxe6?

 

Answer: Fischer’s move takes into account the line 10 Nxe4?! Nxe4 11 fxe6 Qh4+ 12 g3 Nxg3 and now if 13 Nf3?? when Black has the trick 13 ... Qe4+! winning, since he picks up White’s h1-rook next move. This ... Qe4+ trick at the end of the line isn’t possible in Fischer’s version, since his knight remains on c3, guarding the e4-square.

10 ... Qh4+

Black must choose from a set of difficult options:

a) 10 ... Bxe6 11 Nxe6! fxe6 (after 11 ... Nxc3? 12 Nxd8 Nxd1 13 Nxb7 Nxb7 14 0-0! f6 15 Rxd1 White’s bishop-pair, domination over d5 and the light squares, and superior pawn structure give him a winning ending) 12 Nxe4 Nxe4 13 Qg4 Nc5 14 0-0! (White can also play it safe with 14 Be3 Nxb3 15 Qxe6+ Be7 16 axb3 Qc8 17 Qd5 Qc6 18 0-0-0 Rc8 19 c3, with a pleasant edge) 14 ... Qd7 15 Be3 Nxb3 16 axb3 Rc8 17 c4 with massive compensation for the pawn.

b) 10 ... fxe6 11 Nxe4 Nxe4 12 0-0 when White has more than enough compensation for the pawn.

11 g3 Nxg3?

Black had to try 11 ... Nxc3 12 exf7+ Kd8 13 gxh4 Nxd1 14 Bg5+ Kc7 15 Rxd1 Nxb3 16 axb3 Bg4 17 Rd2. Black is down a pawn, but at least in this version he fights on.

 

Exercise (critical decision): Should White play 12 exf7+ or should

he toss in the zwischenzug 12 Nf3 first? One line leads to a

winning position, while in the other, Black equalizes.

 

Answer: Zwischenzug.

12 Nf3!

Uncanny accuracy. Fischer finds a way to keep queens on the board.

I’m pretty certain Bednarski banked on 12 exf7+? Kd8 13 Nf3 where Black has 13 ... Qe7+!, after which his previous difficulties shrivel to insignificance: 14 Ne2 Qxe2+! (14 ... Nxh1?? hangs the queen to 15 Bg5) 15 Qxe2 Nxe2 16 Kxe2 Nxb3 17 cxb3 Be6 and Black is just fine.

12 ... Qh5 13 exf7+ Kd8 14 Rg1 Nf5 15 Nd5!

White’s pieces rule the board and Black’s king has no hope.

15 ... Qxf7

Relatively best:

a) 15 ... h6? 16 Nf4 traps Black’s queen on an open board.

b) 15 ... Nxb3? is met with 16 Bg5+ Kd7 17 cxb3! (threat: Nb6+) 17 ... Rb8 18 Rc1! Ne7 19 Nb6+ Ke6 20 Nd4+, which discovers on Black’s now hanging queen.

16 Bg5+

The bishop crooks his hands so that his fingers look like claws, and then cackles madly, leading some to believe he isn’t quite as virtuous as he previously claimed.

16 ... Ke8

 

Exercise (combination alert): White has a simple way to win Black’s queen. How?

 

17 Qe2+!?

Wow. Fischer, perhaps looking for a bit of fun, ruthlessly goes after Black’s king, rejecting the more mundane:

Answer: 17 Nf6+! (discovered check) 17 ... gxf6 18 Bxf7+ (both the white knight and bishop battle for the black queen’s love, and the bishop wins) 18 ... Kxf7 and Black can resign.

17 ... Be6 18 Nf4

Three pieces attack e6 and only two defend.

18 ... Kd7

That odd staccato sound you hear is the banging of the black king’s head on the table.

19 0-0-0!

Threatening a cheapo on e5.

19 ... Qe8

Everything loses. For example, 19 ... Nxb3+ 20 axb3 Qg8 (or 20 ... Qe8 21 Rge1 Bg8 22 Qd3! with a deadly double attack on e8 and f5, and 22 ... Ne7 23 Qxd6+ Kc8 24 Nd5 forces mate) 21 Qe4! Rb8 22 Rge1 and Black collapses since e6 and f5 are destabilized.

20 Bxe6+ Nxe6

 

Exercise (combination alert): Find White’s most efficient path to end the game.

 

Answer: Double attack when b7 and f5 hang simultaneously.

21 Qe4!

The queen proves she is the one in charge and that events will proceed as she alone outlined.

21 ... g6 22 Nxe6 1-0

22 ... Qxe6 23 Qxb7+ pops the a8-rook. “I withdraw my previous description of you as a ‘vile, serpent traitoress’,” says Black’s king with a weak smile to his sister.

This game is a terrifying example of how Fischer dealt with non-world class opponents. When I was a kid, I thought reading was a kind of magic, which takes impermanent spoken ideas and preserves them in perpetuity. I first went over this game in 1969, when Fischer’s 60 Memorable Games came out, and the joy I receive from playing over the moves of this game remains the same, when I replay it in 2015.

Game 6
R.Fischer-B.Ivkov
Santa Monica 1966
King’s Indian Attack

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d3

Fischer would switch to the King’s Indian Attack when he felt “chicken”, in his own words.

 3 ... Nc6 4 g3 d5 5 Nbd2 Bd6

Next game we look at Black’s main set-up, which arises from 5 ... Nf6 6 Bg2 Be7.

6 Bg2 Nge7

 

Question: What is Black’s idea behind the ... Bd6 and ... Nge7 set-up?

 

Answer: With this system Black attempts to either remove the potency of White’s future e5, or just try and halt it outright with ... f6.

7 0-0 0-0 8 Nh4

Intending to activate his f-pawn. 8 Re1 is met with 8 ... f6.

8 ... b6

I also play Black’s set-up against the King’s Indian Attack, but I prefer 8 ... Bd7.

 

Question: Why?

 

Answer: It’s more flexible for two reasons:

1. If Black later plays to swarm the queenside with ... b5, then he doesn’t lose a tempo.

2. Black’s light-squared bishop may transfer over to the kingside for defence, if needed, with ... f6 and ... Be8.

An example: 9 f4 f6 10 c3 Be8 (10 ... Qc7 may be more accurate) 11 f5 dxe4?! (a violation of the principle: Don’t break central pawn tension without good reason; today, your older and wiser writer would maintain the tension with 11 ... Bf7) 12 Nxe4 Bf7 13 Be3 b6 14 Qg4! (threats: Nxf6+, as well as fxe6) 14 ... Ne5 15 Nxf6+ Kh8 16 Qe4 gxf6?! (16 ... exf5 17 Qxa8 Qxa8 18 Bxa8 Rxa8 19 Nxf5 Nxf5 20 Rxf5 Be6 21 Rxe5 Bxe5 22 Ne4 Bd5 offers Black quite a bit of compensation for the pawn, but he is the one fighting for the draw) 17 fxe6 Bg8 18 Bh6 Rc8 19 Bh3 (19 d4! gives White a winning position) 19 ... Rc7 20 d4 cxd4 21 cxd4 N5g6 22 Bxf8 Qxf8 23 Rac1? (23 Nf5! Nxf5 24 Bxf5 Ne7 maintains White’s advantage) 23 ... Rxc1 24 Rxc1 Qh6! 25 Rf1 Nxh4 26 gxh4?! (26 Qxh4 is an even ending) 26 ... f5! 27 Bxf5 Nxf5 28 Rxf5 Qg6+ 29 Kh1 Bxe6 (now Black’s pair of bishops is worth more than White’s rook and two pawns) 30 Qa8+ Bg8 31 Qc8? (he had to try 31 Qe4) 31 ... h6 (31 ... Qg4! is more efficient) 32 h5?! Qg4 (White’s king is completely exposed) 33 Rf8 Qe4+ 34 Kg1 Qxd4+ 35 Kf1 Bxf8 36 Qxf8 Qg7 0-1, V.Saulespurens-C.Lakdawala, Los Angeles 1998. This game will be annotated in Anti-Sicilians: Move by Move.

9 f4

9 ... dxe4?!

After Black’s last move, a serious inaccuracy, the latent power in Black’s position fails to be harnessed properly.

 

Question: Why a dubious mark? Doesn’t this move follow

the principle: Counter in the centre when menaced on the wing?

 

Answer: It does, indeed, yet is still incorrect, since this is the dreaded exception to the general rule. Principles don’t work 100% of the time. Instead, they must be applied almost arbitrarily, using our best judgement and intuition. Normally when Black captures on e4, this benefits White since he will be able to utilize the e4-square later for his pieces after achieving e5, as in the game.

Black should remain consistent with his opening strategy of making it as difficult as possible for White to achieve e5, by playing 9 ... f6!.

9 ... f5, attempting to gum up White’s kingside play is also possible, but I think White can wrest an edge with 10 exf5! exf5 (maybe Black can try 10 ... Nxf5 11 Nxf5 Rxf5 when White is only a microbe better) 11 Ndf3 Qc7 (Black has a hole on e5, but it is heavily guarded) 12 c3 Ba6 13 Re1 Rae8 14 Be3 h6 15 d4! with advantage to White, since he is now able to occupy e5.

10 dxe4 Ba6 11 Re1

Houdini underestimates White’s coming attacking chances and slightly prefers Black here.

11 ... c4!?

I think Black should play 11 ... e5 12 f5. White has some attacking chances here and also the hole on d5, but Black is better off than in the game.

12 c3!

Now the a6-bishop has very little influence on coming matters. Fischer accurately avoids black counterplay with the inaccurate 12 e5?! Bc5+ 13 Kh1 c3! 14 bxc3 Rc8, when the queenside is opened far quicker than in the game’s continuation.

12 ... Na5?!

The instant a flawed plan is implemented, the inevitable process of its future disintegration simultaneously commences.

 

Question: Where is this knight going?

 

Answer: Black plans ... Nb7, ... Nc5 and ... Nd3, but lacks the time, since Fischer’s kingside attack blossoms quicker.

Black should probably go for 12 ... e5 13 f5 Bc5+ 14 Kh1 (now f6 is a dangerous threat) 14 ... f6. If 15 b4! cxb3 16 axb3 and Black stands worse, no matter how he responds. For example:

a) 16 ... Bd3 17 b4 Bf2 18 Re2! Bxe2 19 Qxe2 Bd4 20 Bb2 and White stands clearly better, since he picks up a second piece for the rook.

b) 16 ... Bb7 17 b4 Bd6 18 Nc4 Nc8 (18 ... Bc7? 19 b5 Na5 20 Nxa5 bxa5 21 Qb3+ Kh8 22 Ba3 is a strategically won game for White) 19 Be3 Bc7 20 Qb3 Kh8 21 Red1 Qe7 22 b5 Nd8 23 Bg1 Nf7 24 Ne3 with a light-squared bind for White.

c) 16 ... Qc8! 17 b4 Bf2 (forced; 17 ... Bd6?? hangs a piece to 18 b5!) 18 Re2! Bxe2 19 Qxe2 Nd4 20 cxd4 Bxd4 21 Rb1 Qc2 22 b5 and White stands better, but conversion won’t be so easy with all those open central lines for Black’s rooks.

13 e5

Now Fischer gets what he is after: access to e4.

13 ... Bc5+

This saves the exchange, but it messes up Black’s original intent, since he planned to post his knight, not his bishop on c5.

14 Kh1 Nd5 15 Ne4 Bb7

16 Qh5!

People in small towns fear drifters (and there are quite a few in Black’s town), since they aren’t rooted in the community, or the town’s set of morality. Fischer, like Morphy and Capablanca before him, just makes chess look easy. He logically masses force around Black’s king. He wasn’t satisfied with 16 f5 (intending f6) 16 ... Ne7 17 fxe6 fxe6 18 Nxc5 Qxd1 19 Rxd1 Bxg2+ 20 Kxg2 bxc5 21 Rd6 with advantage for White in the ending, due to Black’s multiple pawn weaknesses.

16 ... Ne7 17 g4!

Threat: f5 and f6.

17 ... Bxe4!?

When Black’s bishop dies and enters heaven, he is disconcerted when the head angel assigns him the accordion, rather than the harp, as he was led to believe. This is a huge concession, but Ivkov felt that White’s terrible e4-knight had to be removed.

I think he puts up greater resistance in the line 17 ... Ng6 18 Nf3 (threats: f5 and f6, and also Nfg5) 18 ... Bxe4 19 Rxe4 Qd1+ (19 ... Bf2 threatens ... Qd1+, which can be easily dealt with: 20 Bd2 Qd3 21 f5! when the rook can’t be taken and White has achieved a winning attack) 20 Re1 Rad8 21 Qh3! (now Rxd1 becomes a real threat) 21 ... Qc2 22 f5 Rd1 23 fxg6 fxg6 24 Bd2! Rxa1 (24 ... Rxd2 25 Nxd2 Qxd2 26 Rf1 Qxb2 27 Rxf8+ Bxf8 28 Rf1 Qb5 29 g5 Qe8 30 Qg4 is a winning position for White) 25 Rxa1 Qxb2 26 Re1 (threat: Ng5) 26 ... Rf7 27 g5! Re7 28 Rf1 Qxa2 29 Bc1 Qa4 30 Nd2 Qe8 31 Ne4 Nb7 32 Nxc5 Nxc5 33 Ba3 and Black doesn’t have enough compensation for the piece.

18 Bxe4 g6

This creates terrible weakness around Black’s king, but it can’t be helped, since 18 ... Ng6? 19 Nf3! is crushing, as Black lacks a defence to f5, or Ng5.

19 Qh6 Nd5 20 f5

Now Black must deal with both f6 and fxg6 threats. To have a target, we must first be aware of its precise location, or else we risk launching an attack on empty space. Note that Black’s intended queenside ‘attack’ is nowhere to be seen. Magically, Fischer has continually increased his own kingside threats, while simultaneously restraining Black in the centre and on the queenside.

20 ... Re8

Black’s last move enables ... Bf8.

 

Exercise (planning): Black’s queenside ‘defenders’ lie about in heaps

of ungovernable clumps, like a bad haircut. The black king’s lightly

defended garrison is threatened with siege and its terrible aftermath:

starvation. Come up with White’s most efficient attacking plan.

 

Answer: Target and sacrifice on g6.

21 fxg6!

The rote 21 f6?! allows Black to defend with 21 ... Bf8 22 Qg5 when Black’s position remains bad, yet infinitely superior to what happened to him in the game continuation.

21 ... fxg6 22 Nxg6!

Not only winning a pawn, but also shearing away the black king’s pawn cover. Ivkov could have resigned here, but this would have deprived us of witnessing Fischer’s concluding attack.

22 ... Qd7

A person can only take offence if he or she comprehends the insult. The knight can’t be touched: 22 ... hxg6?? walks into a mate in three moves after 23 Qxg6+ Kf8 24 Bh6+ Ke7 25 Qg7.

23 Nf4 Rad8

It would be more logical to remove White’s scary looking knight. Still, this doesn’t even come close to saving Black: 23 ... Nxf4 24 Bxf4 Rac8 25 Rf1 Bf8 26 Qg5+ Qg7 27 Qh5 Re7 28 Bg5 Qxe5 29 Rae1 (threat: Bxh7+) 29 ... Qg7 30 Bf6 Qf7 (30 ... Qh6 31 Qxh6 Bxh6 32 Bxe7 leaves White up a rook) 31 Qg5+ Bg7 32 Bxe7 is complete annihilation for Black.

24 Nh5 Kh8

The nervous king pretends to be deaf to the poisonous, conspiratorial whispers in court.

25 Nf6 Nxf6 26 exf6 Rg8 27 Bf4

Threat: f7, followed by Be5+. To me a simpler path would be to push the g- and f-pawns down with 27 g5 Bf8 28 Qh5 and Black has no good defence to g6.

27 ... Rxg4

Alternatively 27 ... Qf7 28 g5 Bf8 29 Qh4 Rd7 30 Rad1 Rxd1 31 Rxd1 Bc5 32 Be5 Be3 33 Qh5! deflects to force mate in three moves.

28 Rad1 Rdg8

28 ... Qxd1?? walks into 29 Qxh7 mate.

Propriety forbids me to mention the black queen’s many strange quirks. Oh, Ivkov is a sneaky guy. He attempts to con Bobby with a carnival shell game, but who can blame him? When we are busted, even the greatest among us is willing to sink to a most sordid plane of existence, if in return we get one final chance to set up a hideously vulgar ye olde cheapoe!

 

Exercise (combination alert): How did Fischer

deliver Black’s king to his enemies by forcing mate?

 

Answer: Clearance.

29 f7! 1-0

I hope nobody fell for 29 Rxd7?? Rg1+ 30 Rxg1 Rxg1 mate.

After 29 f7! the finish runs 29 ... Qxf7 30 Be5+ R8g7 31 Qxh7 mate. “I love you as a brother, yet must execute you as a traitor,” weeps White’s queen.

Game 7
R.Fischer-L.Myagmarsuren
Sousse Interzonal 1967
King’s Indian Attack

1 e4 e6 2 d3

 

Question: Why would a player as theoretically well prepared as

Fischer play the King’s Indian Attack, where theory says Black equalizes?

 

Answer: In our decision-making process of which openings we should play, the subjective may carry just as much weight as the objective. Will the KIA assure White of a ‘+=‘ after 19 moves? Not if Black knows theory. Yet Fischer accrued vast experience in all kinds of King’s Indian structures, so he banked on the fact that his greater understanding would be enough to win the game. We usually pick an opening which fits our pre-set stylistic prejudices, even knowing that it may not be the theoretically best choice. Also, in the case of this game, Fischer came heavily armed theoretically as well, as you will see on his 13th move.

2 ... d5 3 Nd2 Nf6 4 g3 c5 5 Bg2 Nc6 6 Ngf3 Be7

This is one of Black’s main lines versus the King’s Indian Attack.

7 0-0 0-0 8 e5

8 Re1 Qc7 9 e5 usually transposes to the game continuation.

8 ... Nd7

8 ... Ne8!? tends to throw people off: for example, 9 Re1 b5 10 h4 Nc7 11 a3 Bd7! (normally the bishop goes to a6, but the move played allows Black more possibilities of ... f6 which keeps his king safer) 12 Nf1 a5 13 N1h2 a4 (13 ... b4 is met with the clogging 14 a4!) 14 Ng5 Nd4! (a knight on f5 will drastically slow White’s attack) 15 Ngf3? (this wishy-washy retreat costs White time; he has no choice but to cross the bridge and attack with 15 Qh5 h6 16 Nh3 Nf5! – 16 ... Nxc2?? 17 Bxh6 gives White a winning attack – 17 Ng4 Re8! 18 Nxh6+ – 18 Bxh6?? is met with 18 ... g6! – 18 ... gxh6 19 Bxh6 Nxh6 20 Qxh6 Bf8 when White has adequate compensation for the piece, but no more) 15 ... Nf5! 16 Ng4 b4 and Black’s queenside play is faster than White’s on the kingside, J.Landaw-C.Lakdawala, Southern California State Championship 2008.

9 Re1 b5 10 Nf1 b4 11 h4 a5 12 Bf4 a4 13 a3!!

 

Any time a new move is played, we challenge legal precedence. A stunning new move at the time, with lasting potency, since it remains White’s most commonly played move, even today.

 

Question: Isn’t Fischer’s move in direct violation of the principle:

Don’t create confrontation on your opponent’s strong wing?

 

Answer: It does just that, yet as we will see in the coming moves, it prevents Black from puncturing the queenside dark squares. IM David Levy writes: “A completely new idea in a very well-known type of position. White blocks the queenside attack before Black can complete his undermining of the dark squares with the move P-R6 [ ... a3]. The result of Fischer’s innovation is to render Black’s queenside play quite ineffective.”

Previously played was 13 N1h2 a3 (the point of Fischer’s move is that it prevents Black from this puncture of White’s queenside dark squares) 14 b3 Ba6, when White scores only 44% from this position, since Black’s queenside play is fast.

13 ... bxa3 14 bxa3 Na5

Rather than move an already developed piece twice, perhaps better is 14 ... Ba6 15 Ne3 Rb8 16 c4 dxc4 17 Nxc4 Nb6 (Black is assured of good play since his knight reaches d5) 18 Nd6 Nd5 19 Qxa4 Rb6 20 Rac1?! (White should play 20 Bg5 Bxd3 21 Rac1) 20 ... Nxf4 21 Qxf4 Nxe5! 22 Nxe5, P.Svidler-S.Karjakin, Russian Team Championship 2014. Black stands better after 22 ... Qxd6 with the bishop-pair and a pair of weak pawns to work over.

 

15 Ne3!?

 

Question: Why did Fischer deliberately walk into a tempo loss with ... d4?

 

Answer: I don’t much like this move. Fischer wanted to provoke a weakening of the e4-square, but I agree with you that it may not be worth two tempi. 15 N1h2! preparing Ng5 and Qh5 may be White’s best plan.

15 ... Ba6

15 ... Qc7!? allows 16 Nxd5!, a familiar tactic in KIA. Then 16 ... exd5 17 e6 regains the piece and after 17 ... Bd6 18 exd7 Bxd7 19 Ne5 Be6 20 c4 dxc4 21 Bxa8 Rxa8 22 Qf3 Rc8 23 Nxc4! Bxf4 24 Qxf4 Qxf4 25 gxf4 Nb3! (not 25 ... Nxc4?! 26 dxc4 Bxc4 27 Rac1 Be6 28 f5! Bd7 29 Re7 Bxf5 30 Rxc5 Kf8 31 Rec7 Rxc7 32 Rxc7 when Black is hard pressed to hold the ending) 26 Rad1 White stands better up a full exchange, yet his five isolanis clearly make conversion problematic.

16 Bh3!

 

Question: What is the point of Fischer’s last

move? The bishop just stares at a wall on e6.

 

Answer: The idea is to suppress ... f6 or ... f5 counterplay attempts from Black.

16 ... d4

Black duly gains his free tempo.

17 Nf1!

Correct, as 17 Ng4?! blocks the white queen’s entry to the kingside.

17 ... Nb6

Now ... Nd5 is coming, which gains yet another tempo on the f4-bishop.

18 Ng5

And now Qh5 is in the air. Fischer probes, hoping to provoke an ... h6 weakening at some stage.

18 ... Nd5 19 Bd2

Fischer didn’t like unclear positions, like the one reached at the end of the variation 19 Qh5 h6 20 Nxf7 Nxf4 21 Nxd8 Nxh5 22 Nxe6 c4 23 Nxf8 Kxf8.

19 ... Bxg5

19 ... h6? allows 20 Nxe6! fxe6 21 Bxe6+ Kh8 22 Bxa5 Qxa5 23 Bxd5 with two extra pawns.

20 Bxg5

20 ... Qd7!?

It’s very difficult to pinpoint just where Black went wrong in this game. Intuitively I feel his queen belongs on c7 to pressure e5: for example, 20 ... Qc7! 21 Qh5 Bb7! 22 Bg2 Rfb8 23 Bf6 Nxf6 24 exf6 gxf6 25 Nh2 Bxg2 26 Ng4! Bh3 27 Nxf6+ Kg7 28 Qg5+ Kh8 29 h5 Qe7 30 Kh2 Bf5 31 Qxf5 exf5 32 Rxe7 Kg7 33 Nd5 is only a slightly favourable ending for White according to the comps. Clearly Black will generate serious queenside play in this line.

21 Qh5

Attackers begin to migrate to the kingside.

21 ... Rfc8!?

Black should respond to White’s kingside attack with a swift central counter: 21 ... c4! 22 dxc4 Nxc4 23 Nh2! (after 23 Qg4 Ne7 24 Bg2 (24 h5 Nf5 25 h6 Bb7! 26 hxg7 Rfe8 27 Bg2 Bxg2 28 Kxg2 Qd5+ Black actually stands better due to his powerful centralization) 24 ... Nf5!? (Black’s zombie king is hard to kill, whether or not White accepts the exchange offer on a8) 23 ... Rfc8 24 Ng4 Qe8 25 Bf6!, although now Re4 may soon follow, with a strong attack, and if 25 ... gxf6 26 Bg2 f5 27 Qg5+ Kh8 28 Bxd5 fxg4 29 Bxa8 Rxa8 30 Qf6+ Kg8 31 Re4.

22 Nd2 Nc3 23 Bf6! Qe8

After 23 ... gxf6 24 exf6 Kh8 25 Nf3 the dual threats Ng5 and Ne5 are decisive. If 25 ... Nd5 26 Ne5 Nxf6 27 Qh6 Ng8 28 Qf4 Qe7 29 Nxf7+ Kg7 30 Bxe6 with a winning attack: for example, 30 ... Qf6 31 Qg4+ Qg6 32 Ng5 Nf6 33 Qf4 Rc6 34 Bf7 Qh6 35 Re7 is crushing.

24 Ne4 g6?

Black’s once carefully manicured plan suddenly goes haywire. A move played based on the philosophy: If I don’t strike, then I will in turn, be struck. Black’s last move, a strategic concession, which is impossible to cover up, leads to a catastrophic weakening of the dark squares around his king.

It’s better to retreat and regroup, rather than die in a hopeless cause: 24 ... Bb7! (covering against White’s threat to lift his rook with Nxc3 and Re4) 25 Nd6 Qf8 26 Bg5 Rcb8 27 Nxb7 Nxb7 28 Bg2 Ra7 and it’s anybody’s game.

 

Question: You say that after Black’s last move he is busted, but when I

look at the position, it’s impossible for me to gauge which side is

winning. How do I get my assessments in line with the position’s truth?

 

Answer: You just asked an unanswerable question! If we knew the answer, the book would be (Insert your name): Move by Move! Kasparov once said that the reason Carlsen is world champion is the superiority of his assessment power over his rivals. But when it comes to ordinary players (i.e. you and me) and our assessments in complex positions, more often than not, there is a slight – and sometimes not so slight! – gap between our perceptions and reality.

25 Qg5!

25 Qh6?! loses a tempo to 25 ... Qf8.

25 ... Nxe4

Allowing the rook into the attack looks suicidal, but it’s too late for Black to save himself. If 25 ... Rcb8 26 Nd6 Qf8 27 h5 Rb2 28 hxg6 hxg6 29 Bxe6! forces mate.

26 Rxe4 c4

Following 26 ... Bb7 27 Rf4 Bd5 28 h5 Rab8 29 Bg2! Black has no reasonable defence: for example, 29 ... Rb7 (29 ... Bxg2 30 Kxg2 c4 31 Rh1 is game over) 30 Bxd5 exd5 31 Re1 c4 32 hxg6 fxg6 33 e6 cxd3 34 e7! dxc2 35 Qxd5+ Qf7 36 e8Q+ Rxe8 37 Rxe8 mate.

27 h5 cxd3 28 Rh4!

“It’s obligatory for a mad scientist to hire a stooping, disfigured servant to perform her dark bidding,” thinks White’s queen, of her newly hired h4 henchman, whereas 28 cxd3 Bxd3 allows the black bishop to help in the defence.

28 ... Ra7

Avoiding 28 ... dxc2 29 hxg6 fxg6 30 Rxh7! Kxh7 31 Qh4+ Kg8 32 Qh8+ Kf7 33 Qg7 mate.

 

Exercise (planning/combination alert): Black’s king finds himself a prisoner

in his own castle. White has a forced mate. Find the key to Fischer’s attack.

 

Answer: Re-route the light-squared bishop into the attack by transferring it to the h1-a8 diagonal.

29 Bg2!!

The comp found the bizarro, alternative solution 29 Bg4!! dxc2 30 Rc1 d3 31 Qh6 Qf8 32 Qxh7+ Kxh7 33 hxg6+ Kxg6 34 Bh5+ Kh7 35 Bf3+! Qh6 36 Be4+ Kg8 37 Rxh6 and White mates next move.

29 ... dxc2

If 29 ... Qf8 30 Be4! dxc2 31 hxg6 fxg6 32 Bxg6 hxg6 33 Rh8+ Kf7 34 Rxf8+ winning, while 29 ... Bb7 interferes with the a7-rook’s coverage. White forces the win with 30 hxg6 fxg6 31 Rxh7! Kxh7 32 Qh4+ Kg8 33 Qh8+ Kf7 34 Qg7 mate.

30 Qh6 Qf8

Too late. If Black’s defective queen/defender were bought from a catalogue, Myagmarsuren would be sorely tempted to mail her back with a disgruntled note attached to the manufacturer.

31 Qxh7+! 1-0

What a finish! White’s attack is finally sated, like a blood-gorged mosquito. 31 ... Kxh7 32 hxg6+ Kxg6 33 Be4 is mate. Now we see why the bishop returned to the h1-a8 diagonal.

Game 8
V.Korchnoi-R.Fischer
Herceg Novi (blitz) 1970
King’s Indian Defence

Herceg Novi 1970 was considered the strongest blitz event of the 20th Century. Fischer dominated, placing 4.5 points ahead of second-place finisher Tal. His score against the dreaded Soviet machine was a pounding 8.5-1.5. Fischer swept Tal, Petrosian and Smyslov 6-zip. He beat Bronstein 1.5-0.5. The only Soviet player to break even with Fischer was Korchnoi. There were even reports that Fischer never used more than two and a half minutes in any of his games.

 

Question: Why analyze a blitz game in a best games collection?

 

Answer: This is a blitz game like no other. I feel like the quality of Fischer’s play was easily at a strong GM, 40 moves in 2 hours level, even when using under five minutes on his clock. I put this game in the book to demonstrate Fischer’s towering domination over his rivals in blitz.

 

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Be2 0-0 6 Nf3 e5 7 0-0 Nc6 8 d5

The dreaded Long variation of the Classical King’s Indian, where theory now sometimes nudges past the 30th move.

8 ... Ne7 9 Nd2

This is White’s third most popular choice. Today both 9 Ne1, the Long variation proper, and 9 b4 the Bayonet Attack are more popular.

9 ... c5

 

Question: Why does Black play ... c5, which is on White’s strong wing?

 

Answer: The idea is to keep the queenside closed as long as possible by denying White the natural c5 pawn break, by creating a barrier on that square.

 

Question: So how does White get queenside play then?

 

Answer: By playing for b4, bxc5 and then operating down the newly opened b-file.

9 ... a5 is the more modern interpretation: for example, 10 a3 Kh8 11 Rb1 Nd7 12 b4 f5 13 f3 f4 14 Nb5 b6 (Black attempts to stall c5 for as long as he can) 15 Qc2 a4!? (Nakamura essentially offers to hand over his a-pawn if it buys him time to keep queenside lines closed) 16 Rd1 g5 (Black charges ahead on the kingside) 17 g4!? (this also is a common clogging attempt on the kingside) 17 ... h5 18 h3 Rf6 19 Bb2 Rh6 20 Kg2 Ng6 21 Rh1 Bf8 (more firepower aimed at the c5-square) 22 Kf2 Nf6 23 c5 (White offers a pawn to open the c4-square for his knight) 23 ... dxc5 24 Nc4 Bd6 25 Bc3 Kg7 and the position remains dead even according to Houdini, V.Kramnik-H.Nakamura, Monaco (rapid) 2011.

10 a3?!

This is essentially a tempo loss, since White can play Rb1 and b4, forgoing a3 altogether. Indeed, more accurate is 10 Rb1 Ne8 11 b4 b6 12 a4!? (this is book, but the plan is slow, just as in Korchnoi’s game with Fischer; I would play 12 bxc5 and just leave the a-pawn alone) 12 ... f5 13 a5 Nf6 14 Qa4 Bd7 15 Qa3 Bh6 16 Bd3 Qc7 17 bxc5 bxc5 18 exf5 gxf5 19 Bc2?! (19 Nb5! Bxb5 20 Rxb5 greatly reduces White’s chances of getting mated, since he removes one of Black’s best attackers from the board) 19 ... a6 20 Nde4 (Larsen utilizes a tactic to reduce Black’s kingside attackers, but apparently he didn’t manage to reduce them enough to save his king from Fischer’s attack) 20 ... Bxc1 21 Nxf6+ Rxf6 22 Rfxc1 (the comps like White here, but I don’t believe them; they underestimate Black’s coming attack down the g-file) 22 ... Raf8 23 Rb6 Bc8 24 Ne2 f4! (depriving White of f4) 25 Be4 Nf5 26 Rc6 Qg7 (notice how everything holds together on Black’s queenside, while Fischer’s kingside attack continues to mount) 27 Rb1? (27 Kh1 was necessary, although even then I like Black’s kingside chances) 27 ... Nh4! ( ... f3 is in the air and Black suddenly has a decisive attack) 28 Qd3 Bf5! (eliminating a key white defender) 29 Kh1.

 

Exercise (combination alert): Black to play and win.

 

Answer: Interference/knight fork: 29 ... f3! 30 Ng3 (no choice) 30 ... fxg2+ 31 Kg1 Bxe4 (seizing control over f3 in preparation of a knight fork) 32 Qxe4 Nf3+ 33 Kxg2 Nd2 and there is the decisive knight fork. 0-1, B.Larsen-R.Fischer, 1st matchgame, Denver 1971. This demolition looks like a game between a super GM and an over-the-hill IM (i.e. your writer!), but keep in mind that Larsen was ranked 3rd/4th in the world when this match was played.

10 ... Ne8 11 b4 b6 12 Rb1

Instead, 12 bxc5 bxc5 13 Rb1 f5 14 Re1 Nf6 15 Bd3 f4 16 Nf3 h6 Halting Ng5 and Ne6 ideas. 17 Bc2 g5 18 Ba4! When White goodifies (correct; not a real word) his once bad bishop and chances are about even, A.Maksimenko-P.Capitelli, Bratto 2003.

12 ... f5 13 f3 f4

Also logical is to swap away White’s good bishop with 13 ... Bh6 14 Nb3 Bxc1 15 Nxc1 Nf6 16 bxc5 bxc5 17 Nd3 f4 18 Qa4 g5 19 Nf2 (to slow down Black’s ... g4 break) 19 ... h5 20 h3 Bd7 21 Qa6 Bc8 22 Qa4 Bd7 23 Qa6 Bc8 24 Qa4 with a draw by repetition of moves, B.Malich-L.Vogt, Berlin 1979.

14 a4?!

This move was new and hasn’t been repeated.

 

Question: It looks logical for White to pry open

the queenside. Why give it a dubious mark?

 

Answer: Every time my hot-headed terrier, Kahless, senses the approach of our misunderstood mailman Russ, he bares his teeth, the hair on his back magically goes from curly to straight, and his puny body quivers with untapped rage. Moral: It’s a waste of energy to prepare to attack the wrong enemy. That’s the issue. It really doesn’t pry open the queenside (since White wants to keep the a-pawns on the board), and it simply wastes time, allowing Black’s attack to flare to dangerous levels on the kingside.

Better is 14 Nb3 g5 15 bxc5 bxc5 16 Na4 Qc7 17 Bd2 Bd7 18 Na5 Rb8 19 Qc2 Nf6 with balanced chances. White is unlikely to get mated since rooks come off down the b-file, R.Ciaffone-G.Spraggett, Toronto 1997.

14 ... g5 15 a5 Rf6 16 bxc5

After 16 axb6 axb6 17 bxc5 bxc5 Black is in good shape since he only needs to worry about his now well protected base pawn on d6.

16 ... bxc5 17 Nb3!?

 

 

Question: What is White’s plan? It looks as if the knight has no place to go on b3.

 

Answer: I have a feeling Korchnoi planned Ba3 and Nxc5, with two healthy central passers for the piece. The problem comes later, when for some reason only he can explain, he changed his mind from the logical follow-through.

17 ... Rg6

The ... g4 break is coming.

18 Bd2?

This may be the losing moment for White. Korchnoi should have gone ahead with the logical

18 Ba3! Nf6 19 Nxc5 dxc5 20 Bxc5 when it’s anybody’s game.

18 ... Nf6

Now ... g4 can’t be stopped and White’s queenside play feels like it’s a million miles way.

19 Kh1 g4 20 fxg4!

The only move, after which Korchnoi appears to poke a hornet’s nest with a stick. Principle: Meet a wing attack with a central counter. Understanding your troubles doesn’t necessarily mean you have a perfect answer, but at least it’s a first step.

 

 

Question: Why did Korchnoi exchange on g4, allowing a black attacker in for free?

 

Answer: What to do? To launch a confrontation from a position of weakness courts near-certain annihilation, while not launching it is to virtually insure defeat. Korchnoi undoubtedly feared an entombing effect on his king with a coming ... g3. The trouble is he had little choice.

Indeed, if 20 Qc2? g3 21 hxg3 (21 h3? and the finish is painfully obvious: 21 ... Rh6 22 Rfd1 Bxh3 23 gxh3 Rxh3+ 24 Kg2 Rh2+ 25 Kg1 Qe8 26 Bf1 Qh5 27 Bg2 Rxg2+ 28 Kxg2 Qh2+ 29 Kf1 Qf2 mate) 21 ... Nh5! 22 g4 Ng3+ 23 Kg1 Rh6 24 Kf2 Ng6 ( ... Qh4 is coming) 25 Ke1 Nxf1 26 Bxf1 Rh2 27 Qd3 Nh4 28 Qe2 Bxg4!, and if 29 fxg4 f3 is decisive.

20 ... Nxg4

One glance tells us that White’s king is in deep trouble and Korchnoi’s queenside attack remains at a standstill. Every position contains an outside, superficial level of immediate perception, and an inside (the position’s hidden truth) level. Of the two, the latter is infinitely of greater value. Curiously, most of my comps, suffering from the horizon effect, gleefully inform me that the game is even. It isn’t!

21 Rf3

I think White was better off reducing Black’s attacking force with 21 Bxg4 Bxg4 22 Qc2.

21 ... Rh6

The rook’s probing induces pawn weaknesses around White’s king.

22 h3 Ng6 23 Kg1 Nf6

Also tempting is to sacrifice a pawn to clear f4 and seize control over the dark squares with 23 ... Ne3!? 24 Bxe3 fxe3 25 Rxe3 Nf4, with enormous compensation for only one pawn invested.

24 Be1

 

Exercise (planning): Black obviously has a promising attack. Now we

confront the details. Come up with a clear attacking plan for him.

 

Answer: Transfer the g6-knight to g5, where it looms over both f3 and h3, with a decisive attack.

24 ... Nh8!!

Oh, the Nimzowitschian glory of it all. Fischer decides to assert his dominion over the kingside via a retreat, by placing a premium value on flexibility. When an army mobilizes, it can be for attack or defence. In this case the knight retreats in disorienting fashion, in preparation for an assault on White’s king.

25 Rd3

Korchnoi sees Fischer’s idea and hurries his rook out of the way of Black’s oncoming knight.

25 ... Nf7 26 Bf3

26 h4 prevents Black’s plan at the incredibly high cost of puncturing g4 and weakening h4. White can’t survive that scenario.

26 ... Ng5

Mission accomplished. Black’s attack marches forth with a threatening rhythm.

27 Qe2

The comps, still within their horizon effect haze, only give Black an edge, when in reality Black has a winning attack. I would abandon support for the a5-pawn and air lift another defender for White’s king with 27 Nd2.

27 ... Rg6 28 Kf1?!

“It’s a lot better to be burned in effigy, than to have my actual body burned,” muses White’s king, who hopes to escape to the queenside. He never arrives at his intended destination. White’s king should have slid over to h1, but it wouldn’t have saved him.

 

Exercise (combination alert): A punitive expedition is

clearly on Black’s docket. How did Fischer continue?

 

Answer: Annihilation of the king’s cover.

28 ... Nxh3!

Fierce ambition also requires abundant resources, otherwise it’s just daydreaming.

29 gxh3?

Starvation has a way of making even the most awful tasting food palatable. White’s extra material is his final, not-so-comforting asset in his dwindling fortunes. The offer shouldn’t be accepted. 29 Bh4 Ng5 is lost for White, but at least here he can fight on for a while.

29 ... Bxh3+ 30 Kf2 Ng4+

Clearing h4 for Black’s queen.

31 Bxg4 Bxg4 0-1

32 Qc2 Qh4+ 33 Kf1 (the king believes his eloquence quiets the room, when in reality it is the sight of his terrifying sister who stands directly behind him) 33 ... Qh1+ 34 Kf2 Qh2+ 35 Kf1 Bh3+! (clearance) 36 Rxh3 Rg1 is mate. Is chess really this simple? If Capablanca played the black side of the King’s Indian, then this game is an example of what his games would look like.

Game 9
R.Fischer-T.Petrosian
USSR vs. Rest of the World, Belgrade 1970
Caro-Kann Defence

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 Bd3 Nc6 5 c3 Nf6

In The Caro-Kann: Move by Move, I advocate 5 ... Qc7.

6 Bf4 Bg4 7 Qb3 Na5

This inferior line is no longer in fashion, perhaps solely due to the vicious beating Fisher handed Petrosian in this game.

 

Question: What is inferior about it?

 

Answer: I think Black loses more time than he gains on White’s queen, since it takes him three moves to bring a knight (eventually!) to c6, and two moves to play his bishop to the inferior d7-square. Today, 7 ... Qd7 and 7 ... Qc8 are played.

8 Qa4+

This costs Black time with his light-squared bishop.

8 ... Bd7 9 Qc2 e6

Petrosian agrees to a potentially bad light-squared bishop, perhaps thinking he may be able to exchange it off later on b5 – a plan which Fischer alertly disallows.

Instead, 9 ... Qb6 10 a4! Rc8, as in P.Biyiasas-B.Ivkov, Sao Paulo 1973, may soon transpose to our game’s position after 11 Nd2.

10 Nf3 Qb6 11 a4!

 

 

Question: What was the point of Fischer’s last move?

 

Answer: White’s last move prevents Black from swapping away his bad bishop with ... Bb5.

11 ... Rc8

11 ... Nb3 12 Ra2 doesn’t bother White in any way.

12 Nbd2 Nc6

Strategic threat: ... Nb4, picking off White’s best potential attacker. After 12 ... Be7 13 0-0 0-0 14 Ne5 h6 15 Rae1 Nc6 I’m not a big fan of Black’s position, but this version looks better than what Petrosian got in the game, G.Seul-R.Schulz, Berlin 1997.

13 Qb1

Sidestepping ... Nb4.

13 ... Nh5

This is another ‘tempo-gaining’ move I would have avoided, although it is Black’s main line. I would try 13 ... Be7 14 0-0 h6 15 Ne5 0-0 with only an edge to White, J.Van den Berg-N.Bakker, Dutch League 1995.

14 Be3 h6?!

Petrosian displays the positional player’s chronic disease of underestimation of dynamic factors. Black doesn’t have the time to waste on this luxury. He would have been better off forking over his h-pawn with 14 ... Qc7, and if 15 Bxh7 Nf4 16 Bxf4 Qxf4 17 Bd3 when the bishop-pair and open h-file provide Black with some measure of compensation for the pawn, F.Remiro Juste-L.Fontana Sotomayour, Spain 1997.

15 Ne5

 

15 ... Nf6?!

Petrosian still doesn’t sense the danger. It was time for desperation mode with 15 ... Nxe5! 16 dxe5 Bc5 17 a5 Qc7 18 g4 (trapping Black’s wayward knight) 18 ... Bxe3 19 fxe3 Qxe5 20 gxh5 Qxe3+ 21 Kd1 0-0.

 

Question: Do you believe the sac is 100% sound?

 

Answer: Maybe 90% sound, which is a lot better than just agreeing to a lousy, counterplayless position, which Petrosian got in the game. Black picked up two pawns for the piece, plus fishing chances against White’s exposed king, which looks clearly better than the game’s continuation.

16 h3

Covering against future ... Nxe5 and ... Ng4 tricks.

16 ... Bd6 17 0-0

Of course White isn’t hanging a pawn on e5, due to the discovery on Black’s queen.

17 ... Kf8?!

 

It’s always fun to add a few drops of irrationality to an otherwise reasonable position. This move, which shifts the game to a new, irreversible direction, is made with the thought: When no magical answer suggests itself, the next best thing is to look for unorthodox cures.

I’m convinced that players like Tal embraced a deterministic world view, with the implicit belief that events on the chess board are mainly driven by chaotic causes external to our human will. In essence, he was prepared to ride the flow of chaos. A purely positional player like Petrosian, on the other hand, believed that he alone was the architect of his fate. In this case, Petrosian pushes self-determination too far. Due to his strategic eccentricity/creativity, he manifested this trait, where when he lost a game, he sometimes gave you the impression that he was a weak player, in dire need of lessons. Sadly, this is also the case with your unfortunate writer (except that when I lose, you would swear that my rating is below the D-level).

 

Question: What on earth possessed Petrosian to voluntarily cede castling?

 

Answer: Petrosian was a defensive genius, and geniuses sometimes short circuit. His idea is his king may actually be safer with his rook on h8. The flaw with his reasoning is that his h8-rook will be out of play for an eternity. Instead, Black should go with the unimaginative, yet superior 17 ... 0-0.

18 f4!

Black’s last move is a silent dog whistle which summons Fischer to launch an immediate attack.

18 ... Be8

18 ... Nxe5?? 19 fxe5 Bxe5 isn’t so clever, since White wins a piece with 20 a5.

19 Bf2!

Dual purpose:

1. Now f5 is in the air.

2. Black must be on alert for future Bh4 ideas.

19 ... Qc7

Petrosian puts everything he has on e5 to stall White’s f5 line opening ambitions.

20 Bh4! Ng8!?

Several players informed me that my favourite move in chess is any knight retreat. Somehow I can’t bring myself to give Petrosian an exclam for this one.

After 20 ... Ne7 21 f5! Bxe5 22 dxe5 Qxe5 23 fxe6 Qxe6 24 Qc2, Rae1 is coming and Black is unlikely to survive, thanks mainly to his awful h8-rook.

 

Exercise (planning): White enjoys an obvious strategic

advantage. Now come up with a plan to increase it.

 

Answer: Line opening. White doesn’t even lose a pawn when he self-undermines his control over e5.

21 f5! Nxe5

21 ... exf5 22 Bxf5 Rb8 allows White a promising continuation with 23 Nxf7! Bxf7 24 Bg6 Nf6 25 Bxf6 gxf6 26 Rxf6 Nd8 27 Qf5 Rg8 28 Rf1 Rg7 29 Bxf7 Nxf7 30 Qxd5. White has three pawns for the piece and a winning attack.

22 dxe5 Bxe5 23 fxe6 Bf6?!

Now a light-square pestilence soon spreads through Black’s camp. He shouldn’t allow any more lines to open on his king. Petrosian had to try the admittedly unpalatable 23 ... f6 24 Nf3 Bf4 25 Nd4 Ne7 26 Nf5 Be5 27 Bf2, which keeps White’s advantage under some degree of check.

24 exf7 Bxf7 25 Nf3 Bxh4

Black’s bishop harangues God with prayers to send down fireballs and lightning bolts from the heavens to smite the enemy. Unfortunately God wasn’t paying attention or couldn’t be bothered, so no fireballs or lightning bolts were forthcoming. Black has to develop somehow, but this allows White’s knight access to juicy light squares, like f5 and g6.

26 Nxh4 Nf6 27 Ng6+! Bxg6 28 Bxg6

Black is essentially down a rook, since his h8 loafer just sits on the couch, watching TV and eating potato chips (and not even the low fat, baked kind). Petrosian’s startling next move is a desperate attempt to employ the rook.

28 ... Ke7!

If a demonically inspired person uses a hammer to commit a murder, it doesn’t mean the hammer is evil. This desperate/ingenious attempt clearly projects a strong mood of urgency. Petrosian’s h8-rook is now free to emerge. He bought the privilege by sacrificing his king’s safety.

 

Question: Won’t Petrosian’s king be hunted down in the middle of the board?

 

Answer: Well, that is what happened in game. Still, I think Petrosian’s idea is his only chance. His king makes a desperate bid to reach b8, as if he castled long. Doing nothing and playing without his h8-rook’s participation looks hopeless.

29 Qf5!

The queen inches closer to Black’s king and the a1-rook is ready for activation.

29 ... Kd8

Black’s king teeters and totters, swaying in and out between equilibrium and disequilibrium, but always with the silent prayer that he may one day reach the promised land on the queenside, away from the tyranny of the centre.

30 Rae1 Qc5+

After 30 ... Qd6 31 Bf7! (now Qg6 is in the air) 31 ... Rc7! (and not 31 ... Kc7 32 Qg6 Rcf8 33 b4 Kb8 34 Qxg7 Rh7 35 Rxf6 Rxg7 36 Rxd6 Rfxf7 37 Re3 Rd7 38 Rxh6 when Black is hopelessly lost, down two pawns in the double rook ending) 32 Qg6 Rf8 33 Bxd5! (neither ‘defender’ may touch the bishop) 33 ... Kc8 34 Bf3 Kb8 Black is down a pawn, with the inferior minor piece. Yet this may be Petrosian’s best option in a nest of terrible choices.

31 Kh1 Rf8 32 Qe5!

The queen is open minded, allowing her subjects to think and do as they like – just as long as they never, ever, challenge her authority. Oh, no you don’t! Fischer prevents Black’s king from slipping away to safety via c7.

32 ... Rc7

 

Exercise (planning/combination alert): With his last move, Petrosian

prays for time to play ... Kc8 and ... Kb8. Fischer never gives him the

chance. How did Fischer turn his advantage into decisive proportions?

 

Answer: Line opening/pawn sacrifice/removal of a key defender.

33 b4!

The b-pawn flicks and strikes viper-quick. Fischer’s move is infinitely stronger than the rote 33 Bf5 Re8 when Black still cherishes hopes of survival.

33 ... Qc6

The queen’s tears cause her makeup to run:

a) 33 ... Qxc3?? 34 Qd6+ and the f8-rook hangs.

b) 33 ... Qe7 34 Qd4 Qd6 35 Qxa7 when White picks off a pawn, while his attack continues to rage.

34 c4!

Fischer hits upon the position’s binding truth: Open lines! He never seems to run dry of ideas to fan his initiative. Here we see a brilliant secondary line-opening sacrifice. This time Petrosian has no way of clogging the attacking lanes.

34 ... dxc4

Opening the d-file is of course not what Petrosian wanted. His other options look no better, though:

a) 34 ... Rd7 35 Qb8+ Qc8 36 Qxa7 Qxc4 37 Rc1 Qxb4 38 Qb8+ Ke7 39 Rce1+! and Black lacks an e4 block.

b) 34 ... Qxc4?? 35 Qd6+ is the same old story. The f8-rook hangs.

35 Bf5!

Nyet! Now c8 if off limits and Black’s king isn’t going anywhere.

35 ... Rff7 36 Rd1+ Rfd7

Appeasement. 36 ... Nd7 37 Rfe1 forces mate, since Black is unable to simultaneously defend both e8 and e7.

37 Bxd7

The bishop considers mere material gain a mockery of what he is entitled to: the black king’s head.

37 ... Rxd7

And not 37 ... Nxd7?? 38 Rf8 mate.

38 Qb8+ Ke7

Black’s king enters the room with his ‘haven’t-I-been-punished-enough’ face. He winces as he reconstructs a poorly planned past, out of which his present misery arose.

After 38 ... Qc8 39 Rxd7+ Nxd7 40 Qd6 Ke8 41 Qe6+ Kd8 42 Rc1 the threat of Qg8+ is decisive: for example, 42 ... Qc6 43 Qg8+ Ke7 44 Re1+ Kf6 45 Qe8 Qd5 46 Rf1+ Kg5 47 h4+! Kxh4 48 Qg6 Qg5 49 Qe4+ Kh5 50 Rf5 wins the queen.

 

Exercise (combination alert): How did Fischer end the game?

 

Answer: 39 Rde1+! 1-0

The correct rook, since the f1-rook is needed to pin Black’s knight in case the king runs to f7. If 39 ... Ne4 (or 39 ... Kf7 40 Qe8 mate) 40 Rf4 Rd4 and now the simplest is 41 Qe5+, winning more material and quickly forcing mate.

Game 10
D.Minic-R.Fischer
Rovinj/Zagreb 1970
Sicilian Najdorf

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 Be7

Fischer was the high priest of 7 ... Qb6, the Poisoned Pawn line, as well. With the text, we reach the main line Najdorf. The tackling of this theoretical monstrosity is in equal parts intimidating and gratifying. But you need the right style. I played it in 1970 as a budding 10-year-old wannabe Fischer. Of course I got mated with depressing frequency, until the pain brought me to my senses, and I began playing openings which suited my style, like the French, Caro-Kann and 1 ... e5.

8 Qf3 Qc7 9 0-0-0 Nbd7 10 g4 b5 11 Bxf6 Nxf6 12 g5 Nd7

In case you were wondering, all the previous moves are theory (thank goodness this is a book on Fischer and not the Najdorf, so I can save myself the unpleasant task of sorting out the opening!).

13 a3

This move is considered slightly inferior today. White uses a precious tempo to remove the ... b4 issue. Today, 13 f5 is White’s main line. Black can either decline the pawn with 13 ... Nc5 or risk grabbing g5: 13 ... Bxg5+ 14 Kb1 Ne5 15 Qh5, which is a tabiya position for some Najdorf players.

13 ... Rb8

Dual purpose: Black now doesn’t worry about e5 tricks from White. Secondly, ... Rb8 prepares to pry open the b-file with a coming ... b4.

14 h4 b4 15 axb4 Rxb4 16 Bh3

Now Black must be on high alert for sacrifices on e6, as well as sudden f5 thrusts.

16 ... 0-0!?

A move played with a crafty intent: when we want our opponent to take action, then we must bolster the illusion of weakness first.

 

Question: Isn’t this a case of castling into it? It feels to me

like White’s attack is at least as fast as Black’s on the open b-file.

 

Answer: Fischer had a lifelong deeply abiding faith in the soundness of his beloved Najdorf structures. I prefer Portisch’s treatment with 16 ... Qc5, which leaves Black’s king within the safety of the middle: 17 Nb3 Qb6 18 h5 Nc5! 19 Nxc5 dxc5 20 g6 fxg6 21 hxg6 h6 22 Nd5 exd5 23 Bxc8 0-0 threatened ... Rxf4! and left Black with the more promising attack, R.Bellin-L.Portisch, Teesside 1972.

17 Nf5?

Natural attackers have a talent for constructing both their own paradise, as well as their own misfortune. Sometimes it just isn’t good enough if our attack’s organizing principle is: “That way!”. An idea, no matter how beautiful or imaginative, is doomed to fail if its essence fails to square with reality. In this case Minic’s plan misses by a centimetre, which may as well miss by a kilometre. In these crazy Najdorfs, the great danger is allowing our imaginations to outrun reality. This move doesn’t score well for White. The idea is to clear d5 for the c3-knight, but the problem is White simply wastes time if Black declines the sacrifice.

More promising is 17 Nxe6! fxe6 18 Bxe6+ Kh8 19 Nd5, E.Orujov-A.Kalinichev, Tula 2014. The game looks happily unclear after 19 ... Qb8 20 Nxb4 Qxb4 21 c3 Qb5 when White’s rook and two pawns are the approximate equivalent of Black’s two minor pieces.

17 ... Nc5!

Target: e4. Fischer’s vast Najdorf experience comprehends that his potential for damage on the queenside overrules White’s kingside ambitions. 17 ... exf5? plays into White’s hands after 18 Nd5 Qc5 19 Nxe7+ Kh8 20 Nxf5. I don’t believe in Black’s compensation for the pawn.

18 Nxe7+ Qxe7

Houdini already prefers Black.

19 h5

A later game saw 19 f5 Bb7 20 f6?! Qc7 21 Rhe1 Rc8 22 Rd2 Qa5 23 Rxd6 Qa1+ 24 Kd2 Qxb2 25 Rd1, R.Guzzardo-L.Semer, Argentina 1977. White’s game collapses after 25 ... Rxe4.

19 ... Bb7

The pressure on e4 continues to mount and White’s hoped-for initiative begins to contract and diminish.

20 h6

20 Rhe1 is met with 20 ... Rb8 when there is no good way to stop the coming ... Rxb2.

 

Exercise (critical decision): Should Black play 20 ... Bxe4, which allows White

to open the h-file with 21 hxg7? Or should Black expend a tempo with 20 ... g6?

One line leads to a winning position for Black, while in the other, White is

the one who takes control of the game. Which line would you enter?

 

Answer: 20 ... Bxe4!

The ‘safe’ move 20 ... g6? walks into White’s trap: 21 Nd5! Bxd5 22 Qc3! and the advantage swings to White, who double attacks g7 and b4.

21 Nxe4 Nxe4 22 hxg7

Now White sets his sights on the h7-pawn.

22 ... Rc8

 

23 Rh2

 

Question: Why does White take time out for this defensive move

when he can play 23 Bg2 intending to go after h7 with Qh5 next?

 

Answer: It’s too slow. Black’s attack arrives first with 23 ... Qc7, and if 24 c3 (24 Qxe4 Rxe4 25 Bxe4 d5 26 Bxh7+ Kxg7 is also lost for White) 24 ... Qb6 25 Qd3 Qf2! 26 Qc2 Qe3+ wins, since 27 Kb1? is met with 27 ... Nxc3+ 28 Ka1 Ra4+ picking off the queen.

23 ... Ra4?

Fischer misses an immediate win with 23 ... Qc7! when there is no good response to the coming ... Qa5: for example, 24 Bf1 Qa5 and 25 Qa3 is met with the crushing 25 ... Ra4.

24 Kb1?

White misses his only chance with 24 b3! Ra1+ 25 Kb2 Rxd1 26 Qxd1 f5 27 Qd4 Qxg7 28 Qxg7+ Kxg7 29 Bg2, when Black still has a long way to go to convert his extra pawn.

24 ... d5!

Threat: ... Nc3+ and ... Qa3.

25 c4

Desperation. White’s drooping pawns serve as a flimsy shield against Fischer’s attacking ambitions:

a) 25 Bf1?? Nc3+! and White must hand over his queen, since 26 bxc3 Qa3 forces mate.

b) 25 Rd3 Qb4 26 Qe3 Qa5 27 Ra3 Nc3+! 28 Kc1 (the only move) 28 ... Rxa3 29 bxa3 Qxa3+ 30 Kd2 Ne4+ 31 Ke2 Rxc2+ is also a complete disaster for White.

25 ... Raxc4 26 Bf1 Rb4 27 Qh3

The white queen’s obsession with Black’s king is unnatural, reminding us of the forbidden cross-species muppet love between Miss Piggy and Kermit the frog. Now what? White threatens mate on h7 and Black must get to White’s king first. However, Fischer had the remainder worked out to a forced win for Black.

27 ... Nc3+ 28 Kc1 Na4+ 29 Kb1

29 Kd2 Rc2+ 30 Ke1 Rxh2 eliminates the mate threat, and after 31 Qxh2 Re4+ 32 Be2 Nxb2 33 Rd2 Qb4 there is no defence to the coming ... Nc4.

 

Exercise (combination alert): White’s king position is a leaking old

rain barrel which requires caulking. Black to play and force the win.

 

Answer: Annihilation of the defensive barrier.

29 ... Rxb2+!

“Sons are destined to disappoint their fathers,” laments White’s king, as he sighs at the incompetence of his b2 son and heir. Black’s last move opens the c3- and a3-squares for his attackers. Give yourself full credit for this move, even if you didn’t work out all the coming details. Sometimes a sacrifice doesn’t need to be calculated to observable quantities and mechanical laws. It’s good enough if the win is merely felt.

30 Rxb2 Nc3+! 31 Kc1

White’s exposed king shivers, more from fear than from the chilly weather, but if 31 Ka1?? Qa3+ 32 Ra2 Qxa2 mate.

31 ... Qa3!

Threat: ... Qa1+. The queen’s increasing demands begin to bleed White’s position with the burden of excessive taxation.

32 Bd3

The bishop’s mind swirls with visions of angels, miraculous happenings and divine interventions. A move based on the theory: When in a desperate situation, it’s no problem if our opponent notes our growing anger; but never let him see your despair. White renews a not-so-subtle affirmation of his previous threat to mate on h7.

32 ... Qa1+ 33 Kd2 Qxb2+ 34 Ke1 Ne4! 0-1

Interference. 35 Bxe4 Qb4+ 36 Kf2 Qxe4 leaves White down multiple pawns with a hopelessly exposed king.