Chapter Two
Fischer on Defence and Counterattack

Do you ever get that prickle at the back of your neck, an unformed feeling that crisis is waiting for you just around the corner with a lead pipe? Well, Fischer tended to ignore the feeling. If Fischer had a weakness, it was his tendency to overpress, and I think the reason he risked pushing so hard for the win was that he knew he could always fall back on his astonishing defensive skills to save him in positions where virtually everyone else would perish. He concocted endlessly imaginative means of escape from the most dreary of predicaments. Examples from this chapter:

In this ending against Sammy Reshevsky, Fischer was Black, down an exchange. Not only is the b6-pawn weak, but White threatens b4 and a5, creating a fatally fast passed a-pawn. Fischer resisted with the maniacal fury of one who believes he is already dead, and so has nothing to lose. It’s beyond my understanding to explain how his kingside majority became the dominant one, and Fischer actually won the game.

When we trust in an incorrect plan, we become gullible dupes who believe in a land where jewels grow on trees and nobody gets old. Boy, talk about an opening gone wrong! In real life Fischer didn’t seem to care much about money, but on the chess board, Fischer could be a man of inordinate greed. In the above diagram he had White against Matulovic, where he insanely chased a poisoned pawn earlier in the game. As a result:

1. Fisher’s development project has gone nowhere, resembling a fly banging itself on to a window pane over and over, in its attempt to get outside.

2. Fischer is choked on the light squares by the d3-bishop.

3. His e5 pawn looks doomed.

4. Black enjoys a massive development lead.

5. Black owns the bishop-pair.

When examined, each of White’s defensive choices all look more squalid than the last. Fischer, through the help of mysterious unseen forces, somehow managed to limp his way to a draw versus his GM opponent.

Game 11
O.Bazan-R.Fischer
Mar del Plata 1960
Ragozin Defence

1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6

 

Question: No King’s Indian this time?

 

Answer: When Fischer refused to play his beloved KID against queen’s pawn openings, we are reminded of the Pink Floyd lyric, “There’s someone in my head, but it’s not me”.

3 Nc3 d5 4 d4 Bb4

The bishop’s development to b4, as opposed to the traditional e7-square, was popularized by Botvinnik’s use of it, as well as Ragozin, whom the opening is named after.

5 cxd5

Clarifying the centre. 5 Bg5 is played slightly more often.

5 ... exd5 6 Bg5 h6 7 Bh4

White’s most critical line. Black has an easier time equalizing after 7 Bxf6.

7 ... c5 8 e3 Nc6

8 ... c4 is Black’s main line today: for example, 9 Be2 Bf5 10 0-0 Bxc3 (Black normally hands over the bishop-pair to gain a grip on the e4-square, which in turn tends to stifle White’s kingside pawn majority) 11 bxc3 0-0 12 Rc1 Nbd7 13 Ne5 Qb6 14 Nxd7 Nxd7 15 Qd2 Rfe8 16 Rfe1 Qc6 17 f3 b5 18 Bf1 a5 19 g4 Bg6 20 Bg3. I actually prefer Black’s queenside pawn majority and control over e4, over White’s bishop-pair and enhanced dark-square influence, A.Giri-Yu Yangyi, Doha 2014.

9 Be2 g5

 

Question: I understand that Black attempts to take over

the initiative, but isn’t his last move too weakening?

 

Answer: Fischer’s last move is still book. It’s a give and take, between short-term initiative and long-term potential for weakness.

10 Bg3 Ne4 11 Rc1 Qa5!?

 

 

Question: I see that Fischer is going after a pawn,

but doesn’t he do so at a cost in development?

 

Answer: Fischer, whose avoidance of a risky line strikes us as an unnatural abstinence, tended to play high-risk chess versus lower-rated players, trusting in his ability to confuse and out-calculate them. Greed can be a thief which robs us of the contentment we should have with our current wealth. Or, as in the case of this game, greed can be a source of great joy, as long as we get away with the crime. Here we go. This is the first of many risky material grabs Fischer attempts in this chapter. Throughout the chapter we see temptation nibble away and get the better of Fischer’s sense of caution.

Instead, my editor had to face 11 ... c4 12 Nd2 Nxd2 (12 ... Nxg3 eliminating White’s powerful dark-squared bishop is to be considered) 13 Qxd2 Bf5 14 Bd1 Bd6?! 15 0-0 Bxg3 16 hxg3 Qd7?! (Black is unable to wallpaper over a foundational weakness in his position) 17 b3! Bd3 18 Re1 0-0 19 Bf3 Ne7 in R.Palliser-J.Richardson, British League 2010, and here White can play 20 Nxd5! Nxd5 21 bxc4, regaining the piece with a winning position.

12 0-0!

 

There is no easy way to appease a ruthless and greedy creditor, so White’s king leaves town in a hurry. White obtains a nasty development lead for the pawn and the sacrifice is perfectly sound.

12 ... Bxc3

 

Question: This move gives away control over many dark squares. Can Black accept the pawn by capturing c3 with his knight, while preserving his dark-squared bishop?

 

Answer: It’s too slow. 12 ... Nxc3? 13 bxc3 Bxc3 14 dxc5! with a clear advantage for White, since Black is unable to recapture c5, as 14 ... Qxc5?? self-pins and hangs a piece to 15 Qd3.

13 bxc3 Nxc3

So Black wins a pawn at high cost in development and dark-square control. When we decide on such a committal path, the fear of future backlash always lurks unpleasantly in a dark corner of our mind.

14 Qe1 Nxe2+ 15 Qxe2

The opposite-coloured bishops help White, since he will be the attacker.

15 ... c4

Principle: Close the game when lagging in development.

16 e4

16 Ne5! clearing the way for f4, looks like White’s most promising continuation: 16 ... Nxe5 17 Bxe5 Rg8 18 f4! gxf4 19 exf4 Bg4 20 Qe3 0-0-0 21 f5 and I prefer White’s attacking chances over Black’s extra pawn, V.Chekhov-V.Inkiov, Polanica Zdroj 1981.

16 ... Be6 17 Bc7?

 

White peruses a thesis which has yet to be established as true. An idea may be interesting, yet its final test is its eventual success or failure. This is an attempt at a deflection/pin combination, which falls short of its intent. Why is it that so many of our imaginative ideas in chess turn out to be illusions, while the boring ones tend to be the truth? Tactical alchemy doesn’t do us much good when we turn lead into gold, and then a few moves later it reverts back to lead.

Instead, 17 Ne5 dxe4 18 Nxc6 bxc6 19 Qxe4 (also possible is the riskier 19 Bd6!?) 19 ... 0-0 20 Qxc6 Qd5 21 Qxd5 Bxd5 22 Rfe1 is an even ending.

17 ... Qxc7 18 exd5 g4!

Fischer undermines d4 and the complications increase even further.

19 Nd2!?

Sometimes a broken object just gets more broken when we attempt to fix it. This is looking a lot like a mission-creep scenario, where White is induced into further concessions to keep the game complicated.

He can try the more sober line 19 Ne5 Nxe5 20 dxe6 Ng6 21 Rxc4 Qd6 22 exf7+ Kxf7 23 Qxg4 Rhf8 24 Qf3+ Kg8 25 Qxb7 Rab8 26 Qc6 Qxc6 27 Rxc6 Kg7 when Black has all the winning chances. However, the low number of pawns on the board may complicate conversion.

19 ... Nxd4 20 Qe4

 

This looks like a winning position for White for the following reasons:

1. He leads massively in development.

2. Black’s king looks like he is in deep trouble, whichever side he castles.

3. Although White is down a piece, Black has two simultaneously hanging pieces, and the c4-pawn as well.

 

Exercise (combination alert): If you find Fischer’s startling next move, the illusion of White’s advantage is shattered. What is the incantation which released the magic?

 

Answer: Queen sacrifice/knight fork/simplification.

20 ... Qf4!

One of the greatest malicious joys in chess is counter-tricking a player who believed he was the one tricking you. I’m certain Fischer’s jarring response threw his opponent completely off balance at this point.

21 Rxc4

Of course it isn’t a real queen sac: 21 Qxf4 Ne2+ 22 Kh1 Nxf4 23 dxe6 b5! 24 exf7+ Kxf7 and White is just down a pawn in a hopeless ending. He has to try 25 Nxc4 bxc4 26 Rxc4 Ne6 27 Rxg4 Rhc8, although I doubt that White will hold the draw.

21 ... Qxe4 22 Nxe4

Both of Black’s pieces continue to hang.

22 ... Ne2+ 23 Kh1 Bd7?!

This move complicates Black’s conversion task. Fischer missed 23 ... f5! 24 dxe6 fxe4 25 Rxe4 Nc3 26 Rc4 Nd5 27 Rxg4 Nf6 28 Rg7 Rh7! when Black consolidates and wins.

24 Re1 Kf8?!

24 ... Ke7! 25 Rxe2 Rhc8 26 Rxc8 Rxc8 is still a highly promising ending, since:

1. Black’s queenside pawn majority is clearly more dangerous than White’s passed but blockaded d-pawn.

2. Black’s bishop is superior to White’s remaining knight.

3. Black’s king is already activated, when juxtaposed with White’s sullen king in the corner.

25 Nf6?

25 Nd6! saves White after 25 ... Ke7 26 Nxb7 Kf6 27 Rxe2 Rab8 28 Rf4+ Kg6 29 Rb4 Rhc8 30 h4! (not 30 g3? Rc1+ 31 Kg2 Rd1 32 Rc2 Rxd5 and White’s king will be vulnerable on the light squares) 30 ... gxh3 31 Rb3 when he shouldn’t lose.

25 ... Bb5

He manages to keep his knight alive for now.

26 Rb4 Ba6!

Fischer may have been the most alert player in the history of chess. He rarely fell for cheapos, like 26 ... Bd3? 27 Nd7+ Ke7 28 Nc5 Rhe8 29 Nxd3 Kf8 30 Rxb7 and White is fine. Note that Black’s ... Ng3+ trick fails, since White’s e1-rook is protected by his knight.

27 Nd7+ Ke7!

27 ... Kg7?? constitutes a wee bit of a blunder, after 28 Rxg4+ Kh7 29 Nf6 mate. “Since His Grace is obviously incapacitated, I will henceforth assume the duties of ‘Regent-in-Perpetuity’,” declares the self-sacrificing knight.

28 Nc5

Such anarchic positions are in essence, tabooless, policeless societies, where anything goes.

 

Exercise (combination alert): It appears as if Black will lose his extra piece back. White threatens Nxa6, followed by Rxe2. How did Fischer retain a material advantage?

 

Answer: Zwischenzug/double attack/discovered check.

28 ... Rhe8!

Answer no.2: Give yourself full credit if you saw 28 ... Kd6! 29 Nxa6 Rae8! with a similar finish as the game.

29 Nxa6 Kd6!

Zwischenzug. Black threatens both ... bxa6 and ... Ng3+, to which White has no good defence.

30 Rxb7

30 Ra1 bxa6 31 Rxg4 Kxd5 is hopeless for White.

30 ... Ng3+

The knight’s opulent undulations confuse White’s king, who never did comprehend the subtleties of modern interpretative dance. And here is the discovered check, winning the exchange and the game.

31 hxg3 Rxe1+ 32 Kh2

When our position degenerates past a point of no return, no amount of fervent wishing and hoping contains the power to alter the reality before us.

 

Exercise (combination alert): This is no long conversion effort for

Black, as long as you find Fischer’s idea. How did he end the game?

 

Answer: Mating net.

32 ... Rc8!

As it turns out, there is no good defence to ... Rcc1 and ... Rh1 mate. White must hand over even more material to forestall mate.

33 Rxf7

The white king’s non-existent defenders have all long ago, packed up and taken their leave.

33 ... Rcc1 0-1

34 Rf6+ Kxd5 35 Nb4+ Ke5 36 Nd3+ Kxf6 37 Nxc1 Rxc1 leaves White short of a rook.

Game 12
S.Reshevsky-R.Fischer
5th matchgame, New York/Los Angeles 1961
Semi-Tarrasch Defence

In 1961, Reshevsky, the dominant U.S. player of the pre-Fischer era, challenged Fischer to a match. GM prognostications: Petrosian, Larsen, Keres and Gligoric all favoured the 50-year-old Reshevsky over the 18-year-old Fischer, even though Fischer had just won the U.S. Championship. When the score stood at 5.5-5.5, Reshevsky was awarded the match when Fischer, in what was his first – but certainly not his last – dispute with the organizers about the playing time, forfeited when he refused to show up for the 12th game.

 

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6

Reshevsky dismantled Fischer’s KID in the first game of the match, so he tries his luck with another line.

3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5

The Semi-Tarrasch.

5 Nf3

The main line runs 5 e4 Nxc3 6 bxc3 c5 7 Nf3 cxd4 8 cxd4 Bb4+ 9 Bd2 Bxd2+ 10 Qxd2 0-0 11 Bc4.

5 ... c5 6 e3

Reshevsky prefers a classical isolani position over 6 e4 Nxc3 7 bxc3, transposing to the main line.

6 ... Nc6 7 Bd3 Be7 8 0-0 0-0 9 a3

 

Question: Why does White toss in a3 in such positions?

 

Answer: a3 is useful for White, since he plans to set up a queen/bishop battery, aiming at h7, with Bc2 and Qd3. First playing a3 prevents tricks like ... Nb4.

9 ... cxd4

Fischer agrees to the isolani position. There is something to be said for playing 9 ... Nxc3 10 bxc3 when White’s a3 move isn’t all that useful and pretty much represents a wasted tempo.

10 exd4 Nf6

This move, although book at the time, allows White a favourable isolani position. 10 ... Bf6 and 10 ... Nxc3 are also played here.

11 Bc2

Preparing the battery aimed at h7.

11 ... b6 12 Qd3 Bb7

13 Bg5

13 Re1! is White’s most promising path and after 13 ... Rc8 he has:

a) 14 Bg5 (threat: Bxf6 and Qxh7 mate, which in turn induces Black to weaken the dark squares around his king) 14 ... g6 15 Rad1 Nd5 16 Bh6 Re8 17 Ba4 a6?! (Black should perhaps risk 17 ... Nxc3 18 bxc3 Bxa3 19 Ng5 Be7 20 Qe3 when he at least gets a pawn for White’s initiative) 18 Nxd5 Qxd5 (18 ... exd5 gives Black better defensive chances than he got in the game) 19 Qe3 Bf6 20 Bb3 Qh5? (20 ... Qd7 21 d5 exd5 22 Qxb6 is admittedly unpleasant for Black, but still better than the game continuation) 21 d5 Nd8, V.Smyslov-A.Karpov, Leningrad 1971. After 22 Bg5! Black’s defence flops.

b) 14 d5! Na5 (14 ... exd5?? 15 Bg5 g6 16 Rxe7! wins on the spot) 15 Bg5 sees White’s central pressure assumes terrible potency and Black is forced to hand over the exchange with 15 ... Rxc3 (after 15 ... g6 16 d6 Bxd6 17 Bxf6 Qxf6 18 Qxd6 Bxf3 19 gxf3 Black lacks compensation for the piece, S.Pavlov-A.Ivchenko, Kiev 2010) 16 Qxc3 Qxd5 17 Rad1 with a clear advantage to White.

13 ... g6 14 Rfe1 Re8

I would go for the immediate 14 ... Nd5.

15 h4!

Today this is White’s highest-scoring line and probably his most accurate move, since he doesn’t quite know if his a1-rook belongs on c1 or d1.

15 ... Rc8

Alternatively, 15 ... Qd6 16 Rad1 Rad8 17 Bb3 and Black’s position remains under pressure, since he must watch out for sacrificial ideas on e6.

16 Rac1

The alternative is to post the rook to d1.

16 ... Nd5

Exchanges tend to benefit the cramped side. However, Reshevsky refuses to co-operate with his next move.

17 Ne4!?

Reshevsky decides to march his army in the direction of the kingside. He wants more than just the pull he gets from 17 Nxd5 Qxd5 18 Bb3 Qd7 19 d5.

17 ... f5!

Prolonged defence is a cumbersome business, not suited to everyone’s nature. Fischer’s last move is played with the philosophy: complications have a way of cloaking our strategic weaknesses in darkness.

 

Question: Isn’t this a terribly weakening move?

 

Answer: Normally, this kind of rowdy behaviour is frowned upon in isolated queen’s pawn establishments, and it does feel like it’s foolish to pick a fight in a neighbourhood populated by numerous enemies and few friends. It does indeed weaken both e6 and e5. However, it follows the principle: Meet a wing attack with distraction in the centre. Also, the move introduces a distorting element which contaminates White’s harmony and makes his following moves much harder to find. So I think Fischer’s move, re-upholstery on old furniture, perfectly fits his sagging position’s needs.

GM Robert Hübner suggested 17 ... Qc7, but I don’t like Black’s position after 18 Ba4! f6 19 Bd2 Bf8 20 h5 with mounting pressure for White, all across the board.

18 Nc3!

Black’s d5 outpost is challenged.

18 ... Bxg5 19 Nxg5

Stronger than the recapture with the pawn. Reshevsky goes after e6.

19 ... Nf4

Fischer seizes upon his only chance to confuse matters. His move menaces White’s queen and the d4-pawn, as well as worries White about ... Nxg2 tricks.

20 Qe3!?

The riskiest of White’s options:

a) After 20 Qg3 Nh5 21 Qe3 Nxd4 Dvoretsky claimed an advantage for Black, which Houdini disputes with 22 Ba4! when Black’s position feels quite loose to me. I don’t see great responses: for example, 22 ... f4 23 Qh3 Bc6 24 Nxe6! Nxe6 25 Bb3 Kg7 26 Rxe6 Bd7 27 Rd1 Bxe6 28 Bxe6 Rxc3 29 Qxc3+ Qf6 30 Rd7+ Kh8 31 Qxf6+ Nxf6 32 Rd6 Kg7 33 Rc6 Re7 with an approximately even ending.

b) 20 Qf3 Qd6 21 g3 Nd5 22 Nxd5 exd5 23 Rxe8+ Rxe8 24 Qc3 f4 25 Re1 Rxe1+ 26 Qxe1 fxg3 27 Qe8+ Qf8 28 Qe6+ Kg7 29 fxg3 Qe7 30 Qxe7+ Nxe7 once again with an equal ending.

20 ... Qxd4 21 Nb5!

Now the complications increase exponentially. Reshevsky eyes a juicy fork square on d6.

21 ... Qxe3

“Best,” says Fischer, while Kasparov criticizes it. The alternatives:

a) 21 ... Qxb2 22 Nd6 Nxg2 23 Kxg2 Nd4+ 24 Be4 fxe4 25 Rxc8 Rxc8 26 Nxc8 Nc2 27 Ne7+ Kg7 28 Nxe6+! Kf7 29 Qf4+ Kxe6 30 Re2 Qc3 31 Nc8!? (a move only a comp can find) 31 ... Qxc8 32 Qg4+ Kd6 33 Qxc8 Bxc8 34 Rxc2 Bf5 35 Rd2+ Kc5 36 Rc2+ Kd6 37 Rd2+ Kc5 with a draw by repetition.

b) Reshevsky and Fischer considered 21 ... Qd5? to be the critical move. However, under comp analysis, White holds the advantage after 22 Qxf4 Qxb5 23 h5 Qxb2 24 hxg6 hxg6 25 Nxe6 Nd8 26 Nd4 when Black’s king is seriously exposed.

22 fxe3 Nxg2!

 

Our collective heads begin to spin from the complications. No matter how carefully we plan, in virtually every game we play there arises at some point a capricious or unforeseen element to challenge us.

23 Kxg2

The king implies a query through his gaping, open mouth.

23 ... Nd4+?!

This move should lead to a lost ending. Better was 23 ... Nb4+! 24 Be4! Nd3! 25 Bxb7 Rxc1 26 Rxc1 Nxc1 27 Nxe6! Re7 28 Bd5 Rd7 29 Nc3 Kh8 30 Kf3 Nd3 31 b3 when White stands better in the ending, but Black is better off than the way the game actually transpired.

24 Be4!

“Confess your sins to me and I will whisper them into God’s ear to plea for forgiveness,” says the bishop, who is more handy with a sword than with scripture. “I can still hear the audience gasping with each blow,” wrote Fischer.

24 ... Bxe4+ 25 Nxe4

Black is down a piece and threatened with a fork on f6. Fortunately, it’s his move.

25 ... Nxb5 26 Nf6+

This is some crazy geometry. White wins the exchange, but this is really the beginning of the story, not its end.

26 ... Kf7 27 Nxe8 Rxe8

 

 

Question: Who stands better here?

 

Answer: Black has obtained two healthy pawns for the exchange, normally more than enough. Here, however, White’s rooks threaten to infiltrate down the open c- and d-files, which in turn threaten Black’s pawns. White is the one with winning chances. Houdini assesses White up by ‘0.49’, the equivalent of half a pawn. So in essence, Black must make do with a meagre fund of defensive resources.

28 a4!

Reshevsky clears the way for infiltration on c7. His move is more accurate than 28 Red1?! Re7 29 Kf3 Nc7 with ... Nd5 to follow, and according to Fischer, Black is no longer in danger of losing.

28 ... Nd6 29 Rc7+

 

Exercise (critical decision): Should Black challenge White’s seventh-rank

control with 29 ... Re7? Or should he ignore the threats to his pawns and

play 29 ... Kf6? One line puts up greater resistance than the other.

 

Answer: In this case, activity supersedes material concerns.

29 ... Kf6!

Both lines lose a pawn for Black, so there is no reason to go passive, with a line like 29 ... Re7? which Fischer called “hopeless”: for example, 30 Rec1 Ne8 31 Rxe7+ Kxe7 32 Rc8 Kd7 33 Ra8 Nc7 (or 33 ... a5 34 Rb8 and Black can resign) 34 Rxa7 Kc8 threatens to trap the rook next move with ... Kb8. However, White wins by a single tempo after 35 a5!, which either frees the rook, or allows 35 ... b5 36 a6 Kb8 37 Rb7+ Kc8 38 Rb6 winning.

30 Rec1!

Masterful insight by Reshevsky, who correctly prefers to retain control over the open c-file, rather than be bribed by 30 Rxa7?! Rc8 31 Re2 Rc4 32 Rd7 Ke5 33 Rxh7 Rxa4 when Black should hold the game without too much effort.

30 ... h6

Black may be busted, but Fischer continually finds the best practical moves.

 

Question: What is Fischer’s plan?

 

Answer: Fischer plans ... g5, creating a kingside passer. He then plans to go for a direct endgame attack against White’s king, with his own rook, knight, king and pawns. This menace, along with Black’s threat to win the queening race, makes the win extraordinarily difficult for White, despite Houdini’s healthy ‘+1.68’ assessment.

31 Rxa7

GM Artur Yusupov suggested 31 b4!?. There is no way the human brain (with a clock ticking at the board) is capable of fathoming the true extent of such a decision, but when we crank up the comps, we come much closer to the truth. Houdini miraculously saved itself playing Black after 31 ... Ra8 32 R1c6 Rd8 33 Rxa7 Ne4 34 Ra6! g5 35 Raxb6 Rd2+ 36 Kf1 f4 37 exf4 gxf4 38 Rxe6+ Kf5 39 a5 Rd1+ 40 Ke2 Rd2+ 41 Ke1 Ra2 42 Rxe4! Kxe4 43 Rxh6 Ra1+ 44 Kd2 Rb1 45 a6! (after 45 Rb6? f3 Black holds the game) 45 ... Rxb4 46 h5 f3 47 Rf6 Rb2+ 48 Kc3 Rb8! 49 h6 Ke3 50 h7 f2 51 a7 Rc8+ 52 Kb4 Ke2 53 Kb5 f1Q 54 Rxf1 Kxf1 55 Kb6 Rf8 56 Kb7 Rf7+. The game ends in a draw, as after 57 Kc6 Rf6+ 58 Kd7 Rf8 59 Ke7 Ra8 White is unable to make progress.

31 ... Ne4 32 Ra6 Rd8!

There is no point in defending something which can’t be defended. 32 ... Rb8? 33 Rc6 and b6 falls all the same, except that Black got tricked into a passive rook’s position.

33 Rc2?

In winning positions we must be vigilant against floundering in that dulling sense of well being where we enjoy it so much, that we subconsciously resist change. Yet to win, change must take place. Reshevsky, with little time on his clock, incorrectly expends a tempo on a defensive move. White wins with 33 Rxb6! Rd2+ 34 Kf1! (not 34 Kf3?? Rf2 mate or 34 Kh3?? g5! and White must hand over a rook to avoid mate after 35 Rg1 g4+ 36 Rxg4 Nf2+) 34 ... g5 35 Rcc6 f4 36 Rxe6+ Kf5 37 exf4 gxf4 38 a5 f3 (threatening mate) 39 Rxe4 Kxe4 40 a6 when Black can no longer generate mate or perpetual threats.

33 ... Rd3 34 Rxb6

34 Kf3? is met with 34 ... Rb3 when Black no longer stands worse.

34 ... Rxe3 35 a5 f4!

 

Exercise (planning): Fischer managed to generate serious threats on White’s king, since ... f3+ is in the air and ... g5 is coming. The question is: can White promote his a-pawn without getting mated, or allowing Black to promote first? The answer is yes. But only if White hands back the exchange to remove some of the steam from Black’s threats. White can accomplish this by playing either 36 Rf2, or 36 Rb4.

Only one of the lines wins. How would you continue?

 

36 Rf2?

When you possess in your arsenal a last resource, why use it early when less extreme measures suffice? With his flag about to fall, Reshevsky makes an unfortunate decision. He realized that he must return the exchange, but does it the wrong way. He thought, quite reasonably, that Black’s rook had no way to return to halt the march of his a-pawn.

Answer: Correct was the problem-like 36 Rb4!! f3+ 37 Kf1 f2 38 Rxf2+ (the key to the art of accumulation is to give back some but not all of your wealth to keep in check an opponent’s initiative) 38 ... Nxf2 39 Kxf2 Re5 40 Ra4 Rf5+ 41 Ke3 Ke5 42 a6 Rf8 43 Rb4! Kd5 44 a7 Ra8 45 Rb7 is hopeless for Black.

 

Question: What is the difference between the

 two versions of handing back the exchange?

 

Answer: In this version, it is White, not Black who decides the moment.

 

Question: Why does White have to give up the

exchange at all? Can’t he just push his a-pawn?

 

Answer: Black draws after 36 a6? f3+ 37 Kf1 Rd3 threatening mate on d1. Now White is unable to play 38 Rc1?? (38 Ke1 Re3+ 39 Kf1 Rd3 repeats, while after 39 Kd1 f2 40 Rxf2+ Nxf2+ 41 Kc2 Re5 Black certainly stands no worse and may even be winning, despite the comp’s ‘0.00’ assessment) 38 ... Rd2 39 Rb3 Rf2+ 40 Kg1 (or 40 Ke1 Re2+ and mate next move) 40 ... Rg2+ 41 Kf1 Ng3+ 42 Ke1 f2+ and Black wins.

36 ... Nxf2 37 Kxf2 Re5!

Opportunity turns its shining face to Black and Fischer plays the remainder of the game with an air of increasing assurance. This move carries an attitude of irresolution, which in reality camouflages Fischer’s true intent: he induces b4 to get his rook behind White’s passed a-pawn.

After the mundane 37 ... Rd3? we note a precipitous decline in Black’s counterplay after 38 a6 Rd7 39 b4 g5 40 Rb5 g4 41 Ra5 g3+ 42 Ke2! (42 Kf3?? Rd3+ 43 Kxf4 g2 44 Ra1 Ra3! allows Black to draw) 42 ... g2 43 Ra1 Rg7 44 Kf2 e5 45 b5 e4 46 Rg1! Rc7 47 Kxg2 f3+ 48 Kf2 Rc2+ 49 Kg3 Ra2 50 Rb1 Rg2+ 51 Kf4 f2 52 a7 Rg1 53 a8Q Rxb1 (Black is about to promote, but White has a way to force the win of f2) 54 Qd8+ Ke6 55 Qe8+ Kf6 56 Qe5+ Kf7 57 Qd5+ Kf8 58 Qa8+ Kg7 59 Qa7+ Kf6 60 Qxf2 and White wins.

38 b4 Re3!

There is a clear sense of emancipation from Black’s side, which is felt, more than actively expressed. Now Fischer’s rook gets behind the passed a-pawn, and his own pawns begin to advance.

39 a6 Ra3

 

40 Rc6??

Reshevsky blunders on the final move of the time control. This move loses a critical tempo.

White holds the draw with 40 b5! g5 41 hxg5+ hxg5 42 Rb8 g4 43 b6! g3+ 44 Kg2 Ra2+ 45 Kf3 g2 46 Rg8 Rxa6 47 Rxg2 Rxb6 48 Kxf4.

40 ... g5 41 hxg5+ hxg5 42 b5 g4 43 Rc8

Both Fischer and Kasparov felt this move was a mistake. I don’t believe White has any path to save the game. For example:

a) 43 Rc1 Ra2+ 44 Kf1 f3 45 Rb1 g3 46 b6 Rh2! 47 Ke1 Rh1+ 48 Kd2 Rxb1 49 a7 f2 50 a8Q f1Q when there is no perpetual check and Black wins.

b) 43 b6 g3+ 44 Kf1 f3 45 Rc1 Rxa6 46 Rb1 Ra2 47 b7 Rh2 48 Kg1 f2+ 49 Kf1 Rh1+ 50 Kg2 (the king’s palsied hands give us an accurate picture of his state of mind) 50 ... Rxb1 and wins.

43 ... Kf5 44 b6 g3+ 45 Ke1

Alternatively, 45 Kg2 Ra2+ 46 Kg1 f3 47 Rc1 Rg2+ 48 Kf1 Rh2 49 Ke1 Re2+ 50 Kf1 Kg4! 51 b7 g2+ 52 Kg1 Kh3 53 Rf1 f2+! 54 Rxf2 Re1+ 55 Rf1 Rxf1 mate.

45 ... Ra1+ 46 Ke2 g2 47 Rf8+

If 47 Rg8 Rxa6 48 b7 Rb6 49 Rxg2 Rxb7 and Black wins.

47 ... Ke4 48 Rxf4+

A desperado. After 48 Rg8 Ra2+ 49 Kd1 f3 50 a7 Kd3 51 Kc1 f2 52 Rg3+ Kc4 53 Rg4+ Kc5 54 Rg5+ Kd6 Black forces mate.

48 ... Kxf4 49 b7

 

49 ... g1Q?!

The move which achieves the goal to promote. GM Isaac Kashdan pointed out the simpler win 49 ... Ke4! 50 b8Q Ra2+! 51 Ke1 g1Q mate. Sigh, I still can’t underpromote in ChessBase 13. Will someone please tell me how?

50 b8Q+ Kf5

Black’s job is to dodge perpetual check.

51 Qf8+ Ke4 52 Qa8+ Kd4 53 Qd8+

To Black’s king, his sister’s booming commands make him feel like an early Christian being summoned by a lioness in the Coliseum.

53 ... Kc4 54 Qd3+ Kc5 55 Qc3+ Kd6 56 Qd2+

56 Qb4+ is met with 56 ... Qc5.

56 ... Ke5 57 Qb2+ Kf5 0-1

Reshevsky resigned here.

 

Question: How does Black dodge perpetual check?

 

Answer: Let’s turn this into a calculation exercise. Try and play through the remaining moves of the game without moving the pieces.

 

Exercise (calculation): Black wins after 58 Qc2+ Kf6 59 Qc3+ e5 60 Qf3+ (after 60 Qc6+ Kg5 White runs out of checks) 60 ... Kg7 61 Qb7+ Kh6 62 Qc6+ Kg5 when White’s checks run out, and the violence once inherent in his position passes like a sudden squall at sea, which dies down with time. 10-ply if you made it to the end without moving the pieces. What an analytical nightmare of a game!

Game 13
G.Tringov-R.Fischer
Capablanca Memorial, Havana 1965
Sicilian Najdorf

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 Qb6

The dreaded Poisoned Pawn line of the Najdorf. As the years advance and pass by, your possibly senile writer grows more and more muddleheaded, to the point where I hate to memorize long opening variations. So I shake my head in disbelief when I think upon a time when I actually played this position from Black’s side.

8 Qd2 Qxb2 9 Rb1 Qa3 10 e5

Today, this line is considered rather shady for White, and more commonly played are the variations 10 f5, 10 Be2 and 10 Bxf6.

10 ... dxe5 11 fxe5 Nfd7 12 Bc4

Today, most experts on the white side usually go for 12 Ne4, which was first played by Tal: 12 ... h6 13 Bh4 Qxa2 (one must have a high degree of confidence in one’s own attacking abilities to enter such a line two pawns down) 14 Rd1 Qd5 15 Qe3 Qxe5 (make that three pawns down; 15 ... Bc5?! allows 16 Nxe6! Bb4+ 17 c3 Qxe6 18 cxb4 when White’s development lead and dark-square power compensated him for his missing pawn, A.Shirov-Wang Hao, Russian Team Championship 2009) 16 Be2 Bc5 17 Bg3, Yu Yangyi-Wei Yei, Chinese League 2014. Maybe it’s stylistic, but I prefer Black’s side.

12 ... Bb4!

This was Fischer’s improvement over 12 ... Be7?! when White has 13 Bxe6!.

 

 

Exercise (critical decision): Should Black accept the sacrifice, or should

he decline and return a pawn by castling, to catch up in development?

 

Answer: Black should decline, as 13 ... fxe6? allows White a ferocious attack for the piece after 14 Nxe6 Bxg5 15 Nc7+ Kd8, Y.Sakharov-A.Bannik, Kiev 1963. White has a strong attack if he continues 16 Ne6+! (now Black can’t castle) 16 ... Ke8 17 Nxg5 when Black lags dangerously behind in development.

After the correct 13 ... 0-0! 14 0-0 (14 Bb3 Bxg5 15 Qxg5 Qc5! 16 Qe3 Nc6 17 Rd1 Qxe5 is just a miserable, pawn down ending for White) 14 ... Bxg5 15 Qxg5 h6! (Fischer avoids a trap and hands his opponent all sorts of practical problems at the board; 15 ... Qxc3?? walks into White’s devious intent after 16 Nf5 Qxe5 17 Nh6+ Kh8 18 Nxf7+ Rxf7 19 Qd8+ Nf8 20 Qxf8+! Rxf8 21 Rxf8 mate) White has:

a) 16 Qh5!, suggested by Kasparov, seems to be White’s only move: 16 ... fxe6 (16 ... Qxc3?? walks into 17 Rxf7! Qxd4+ 18 Kh1 when Black is busted; if 18 ... Rxf7?? 19 Qxf7+ Kh7 20 Bf5+ Kh8 21 Qe8+ Nf8 22 Qxf8 mate) 17 Nxe6 Qxc3 18 Nxf8 Nxf8 19 Qf7+ Kh7 20 Qxf8 Qe3+ 21 Kh1 Nc6 22 Rbe1 Qd2 23 e6 Bxe6! 24 Qxa8 Bd5 25 Rg1 Bxg2+! 26 Rxg2 Qxe1+ 27 Rg1 Qe4+ 28 Rg2 and Black should probably take the perpetual check.

b) 16 Qh4? Qxc3! (the correct piece; 16 ... fxe6? 17 Nxe6 Re8 18 Nxg7! gives White a powerful attack, with at least a draw) 17 Rxf7 (White’s only chance is to go after Black’s stripped king) 17 ... Rxf7 18 Qd8+ Nf8 19 Bxf7+ Kxf7 20 Rf1+ Kg6 21 Rxf8.

 

 

Question: Isn’t Black completely busted? After all, his

king is all alone and his entire queenside is tangled up.

 

Answer: Black certainly has his share of problems, but he is far from busted. His king is safer than it looks, but it isn’t clear just how he untangles from the eighth rank pin. Houdini has Black up slightly, but my feeling is that White should hold the game.

I.Bilek-R.Fischer, Stockholm 1962, continued 21 ... Bd7! (Fischer correctly plays for the win, doing his best to make certain that his opponent takes his fair share of the position’s risk, as he secures control over e8, preventing Qe8+; Bilek probably expected 21 ... Qe3+ 22 Kf1 Qc1+ 23 Kf2 Qd2+ 24 Kg3 with perpetual check) 22 Nf3! (now Nh4+ will be a big worry for Black) 22 ... Qe3+ 23 Kh1 (23 Kf1?? fails miserably to 23 ... Bb5+) 23 ... Qc1+! (this move forces White’s knight into passivity) 24 Ng1 Qxc2 (Fischer calmly picks up another pawn; several pre-computer annotators claimed that White was lost at this point, but the computers dispute this claim) 25 Rg8!? (this should still be okay for White, who intends Qe7, but he can force a draw with 25 Qe7! Qc4! 26 h3 Qd5 27 Rf3, threatening Rg3+, going after g7, and if 27 ... Qg8 28 Rf8 Qd5 29 Rf3) 25 ... Qf2 26 Rf8 Qxa2 27 Rf3?? (it was critical to create luft with 27 h3! Nc6! 28 Qxa8 Nxe5 29 Qd8 Bc6 30 Nf3 Qa1+ 31 Kh2 Nxf3+ 32 gxf3 Qe5+ 33 Kg2 Qe2+ 34 Kg3 and I don’t think Black can play for a win, so he should probably just settle for perpetual check with 34 ... Qe1+ 35 Kg2 Qe2+) 27 ... Kh7 0-1.

 

 

Question: I don’t get it. Why did White resign?

 

Answer: White lost on time. However, I think at this stage Black is winning after 27 ... Kh7 28 Rf8 Qd5 29 Rh8+ Kg6 30 Nf3 Bc6.

Back at the tabiya, 12 ... Qa5! was another Fischer improvement over his previous 12 ... Be7?! against Bilek: 13 Nxe6? (here we go again as this knight sac on e6, just as in the Bilek game, is unsound; 13 0-0 Nxe5 14 Be2 Nbc6 isn’t very encouraging for White either, but it’s a better shot than the game continuation) 13 ... fxe6 14 Bxe6 Qxe5+ (queens come off the board and White is left wondering just why he gave up a piece) 15 Qe3 (15 Kd1?? Qxe6 16 Re1 fails miserably to 16 ... Ne5 17 Qd8+ Kf7 18 Rxe5 Qxe5 19 Qxc8 Qxg5 20 Rxb7+ Be7! 21 Qxh8 Qc5 and Black consolidates) 15 ... Qxe3+ 16 Bxe3 Nc6 17 Nd5 Bd6 18 0-0 Nf6 (Fischer returns some material to shake off White’s pressure; 18 ... Nde5! was more accurate) 19 Nxf6+ gxf6 20 Rxf6 Ke7?! (20 ... Be5! was correct) 21 Bxc8? (21 Rh6! threatens Bg5+ and 21 ... Be5 22 Bg5+ Ke8 23 Bxc8 Rxc8 24 Rxb7 gives White almost enough compensation for the piece) 21 ... Kxf6 (now Black is winning again) 22 Bxb7 Ne5 23 Bxa8 Rxa8 24 Rb7 Rc8 25 Ra7 Rc6 26 Bd4 Kf5 27 c3 Rxc3! and Fischer went on to convert the ending, G.Mazzoni-R.Fischer, Monte Carlo 1967.

13 Rb3 Qa5 14 0-0 0-0

Also possible is 14 ... Nxe5 15 Be2 0-0 when I fail to see White’s compensation.

 

15 Nxe6?!

Yup. Unsound. White’s needs and his desires are in conflict, with one contradicting the other. So he opts for the make-hay-while-the-sun-shines plan, attempting to inflict as much damage as possible, with limited attacking resources.

 

Question: Can White get away with 15 Bf6?

 

Answer: I think it may be White’s best practical try. Let’s take a look:

a) 15 ... gxf6? 16 exf6 (threat: Qh6) 16 ... Kh8 17 Qh6 Rg8 18 Bd3 Nf8 19 Rf4! (heading for h4) 19 ... Nbd7 20 Rh4 Nxf6 21 Qxf6+ Rg7 22 Rg4 Ng6 23 Bxg6 fxg6 24 Rxb4! Qxb4 25 Qd8+ Rg8 26 Qf6+ with perpetual check.

b) Black does better by declining the sacrifice: 15 ... Nxf6! 16 exf6 Rd8 17 fxg7 Rxd4! (the rook is immune due to the ... Bc5 pin) 18 Qf2 Qf5 19 Qxd4 Bc5 20 Rxf5 Bxd4+ 21 Rf2 b5 22 Be2 Nd7 (now ... Nc5 is in the air) 23 Ne4 Bb7 24 Nd6 Bc6 25 Rd3 Bb6 26 c4 Ne5 27 Rd2 Rd8 28 Kf1 Bxf2 29 Kxf2 bxc4 30 Nxc4 Rxd2 31 Nxd2 a5 and g7 falls, leaving Black up a pawn in the ending.

15 ... fxe6 16 Bxe6+

Everyone is sceptical of the bishop’s claim that God appeared to him in a vision and showed him the path to victory. White’s coming attack is just not enough for the piece. However, White does get practical chances, since Black’s coming defence is far from obvious. Some positions are so complex, that they border on unknowable (at least over the board), as if we took a guess at how many drops of water there are in an ocean.

16 ... Kh8 17 Rxf8+ Bxf8 18 Qf4!

 

An intimidating move, threatening: Qf7 and Qg8 mate..

 

Exercise (planning/calculation): It feels as if Black’s king is surrounded by people who don’t love him, with most of them wishing him ill. This is the position both Tringov and Fischer foresaw. As it turns out Fischer’s assessment power was far more accurate and his analysis deeper. Analysis shows that Black can defend and consolidate. Work out a clear defence for Black which rectifies the festering defensive issues.

 

Answer: Step 1: Calmly continue to develop, seemingly ignoring White’s threat.

18 ... Nc6! 19 Qf7

The black king’s chest tightens, feeling his sister’s invisible claws raking across his heart.

19 ... Qc5+!

Step 2: Cover the f8-bishop with tempo.

20 Kh1

Step 3: Simultaneously cover g8, while threatening to swap off the e6-bishop.

20 ... Nf6!

Black’s king joyfully drinks in the welcome sight of his defender with childlike eyes of wonder. There is nothing as jarring as that initial shock of recognition when we realize we miscalculated a key move. I think this is the move Tringov missed in his initial calculations when entering the line. Kung Fu (and chess!) principle: When under attack, don’t resist an opponent’s blows head on. Instead, step aside and allow empty air to absorb the intended blow. White’s position, which once appeared as a harmonious whole, in the space of a single move, degenerates into splintered anarchy.

21 Bxc8

All of White’s weapons are rendered useless and this remorseful action comes too late. There is nothing better, as shown by 21 exf6 Bxe6 22 fxg7+ Bxg7 23 Qxe6 Nd4 and it feels as if all of White’s army hangs, since Black threatens e6, g5 and b3.

21 ... Nxe5! 22 Qe6

After 22 Qxb7 Rxc8 23 Bxf6 gxf6 White’s attack runs dry and he finds himself down a piece.

 

Exercise (combination alert): Black can simply play 22 ... Rxc8, with a winning position, but there is another move available which is so much stronger. Try and find it.

 

Answer: Smothered mate/double attack.

22 ... Neg4! 0-1

23 Nd1 (or 23 Bxb7 Nf2+ 24 Kg1 Nh3+ 25 Kh1 mate) 23 ... Qxg5 (“Your martyrdom begins, effective immediately,” says Black’s queen to the bishop) 24 Bxb7 Qf4! forces mate.

Game 14
R.Nicevski-R.Fischer
Skopje 1967
Sicilian Najdorf

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 f4 Qc7

 

 

Question: Isn’t ... e6 normal here?

 

Answer: Against White’s early f4, Black often plays ... e5, rather than the traditional ... e6. So Fischer’s move allows him to retain options for both ... e5 and ... e6, keeping White guessing.

7 Nf3

Alternatively:

a) 7 Be2 e5 8 Nf5 Bxf5 9 exf5 (White loses central pawn influence, but gains both bishop-pair and light-square control) 9 ... Nc6 10 0-0 0-0-0 11 Nd5 Nxd5 12 Qxd5 Nb4 13 Qb3 d5 (I don’t trust Black’s position after 13 ... Nxc2 14 Be3 Nxa1 15 Rxa1 when both Rc1 and Bb6 are menaced) 14 Bd2 was V.Ivanchuk-L.Dominguez Perez, Havana 2014. Black looks okay after 14 ... e4.

b) 7 Bd3 e5 8 Nf3 Nbd7 9 0-0 b5 10 Kh1 Be7 11 fxe5 Nxe5 12 Nxe5 dxe5 13 Bg5 Be6 14 Bxf6 Bxf6 15 a4 b4 16 Nd5 Bxd5 17 exd5 when it’s a battle of opposite-coloured bishops and opposite wing majorities, A.Salem-O.Barbosa, Tagaytay City 2013. I slightly prefer White.

7 ... Nbd7 8 Bd3 b5

Fischer refuses to move his central pawns, keeping White guessing how he plans to develop.

9 a3

I’m not a big fan of a3 in most Sicilians, since the time lost tends to be more important than preventing ... b4. I would just castle.

9 ... g6

 

The position begins to take on the flavour of a Pirc Austrian Attack, but a reasonably favourable one for Black since White tossed in the passive a3.

10 0-0 Bg7 11 Qe1

This manoeuvre is common to the Sicilian Grand Prix Attack, where White plans Qh4, f5, Bh6, and Ng5, massing against Black’s king.

11 ... Bb7 12 Kh1 e5!?

Fischer takes back a portion of the centre at the cost of weakening the kingside dark squares, especially f6.

13 Qh4

“A spy’s job is simply to observe,” thinks the queen, as she surreptitiously inches closer to Black’s king.

13 ... h6!

Now White must worry about ... exf4 and if the bishop recaptures, then ... g5 skewers queen and bishop.

 

Question: Doesn’t Black’s last move make kingside castling

almost impossible, since h6 always seems to hang?

 

Answer: Correct. Fischer judges that castling short is an invitation for White to launch a promising attack. Castling long may be a future option, as well as leaving his king in the centre. I think Black can actually get away with castling short: for example, 13 ... 0-0 14 f5 (14 fxe5 dxe5 15 Bg5 Nh5 Black looks okay to me) 14 ... Rac8 15 Bh6 Nh5! and the comps say Black is fine.

14 fxe5 dxe5 15 Bd2 Nc5

Fischer systematically adds pressure to both d3 and e4.

16 Rae1

16 ... g5!

 

Question: Why didn’t Fischer simply play 16 ... Rd8?

It feels to me like White is about to collapse along the d-file.

 

Answer: This is an example of Fischer’s legendary alertness. He probably feared White’s stunning resource, 17 Nxe5!! Qxe5 18 Nd5!. The knight can’t be taken, f6 is threatened, and White menaces Bc3 as well. Indeed, after 18 ... g5 19 Qf2 it appears as if White has a winning attack, but now it’s Black’s turn to come up with a trick: 19 ... Qxh2+! (Black just barely saves himself by returning the piece) 20 Kxh2 Ng4+ 21 Kh1 Nxf2+ 22 Rxf2 Bxb2 23 Bb4 Bd4 24 Rf5 Nxd3 (24 ... Bxd5?? 25 exd5+ Kf8 26 c3 overloads the d4 defender and wins) 25 Nc7+ Kd7 26 Rxf7+ Kc8 27 cxd3 Rd7 28 Nxb5! (the tactics just don’t seem to end in this line) 28 ... axb5 29 Rc1+ Kd8 30 Ba5+ Ke8 31 Rxd7 Kxd7 32 Rc7+ Ke6 33 Rxb7 Rf8 34 Rxb5 Rf1+ 35 Kh2 Be5+ 36 g3 (36 Kh3 h5 threatens mate on h1; Black isn’t worse here) 36 ... Rf3 37 Rd5 Bxg3+ 38 Kg2 g4 39 a4 h5! 40 Rxh5 Rxd3 and Black should hold the draw.

Now Fischer almost certainly didn’t look this deeply into the line, but probably did see White’s 17 Nxe5!! followed by 18 Nd5! and then correctly rejected the line, since it is Black who fights for survival.

17 Qg3!?

This encourages Black’s knight to head to f4 with tempo. I think White was better off playing 17 Qf2 Rd8 18 Nxb5 axb5 19 Bxb5+ Kf8 20 Ba5 Qxa5 21 Qxc5+ Kg8 22 Nxe5 Bf8 (22 ... Rc8 23 Qe7 Qxb5 24 Qxf7+ Kh7 25 Qg6+ Kg8 26 Qf7+ is perpetual check) 23 Qc4 Rh7, which is pretty unclear and rated dead even by Houdini.

17 ... Nh5 18 Qg4 Nf4 19 Bxf4?!

This move hands over too much control of the dark squares to Fischer. In exchange, White hopes to gain an enduring initiative and a potential attack.

White should try 19 Nh4! (improving the position of the knight) 19 ... Bc8 20 Nf5 0-0 with mutually even chances.

19 ... exf4 20 Nd5

20 e5 Kf8 21 Bf5 Re8 also favours Black.

20 ... Bxd5?!

It’s tempting to eliminate that powerful knight, but in doing so, Fischer allows the e-file to open. Black looks better after 20 ... Qd6! 21 Nh4 Bxb2 22 Nf5 Qe5 23 g3 Bxa3 24 gxf4 gxf4 25 Nxf4 h5 26 Ng7+ Kd8 27 Nfxh5 Kc7! 28 Rxf7+ Kb6 29 Rf5 Qc3. His king is relatively safe on the queenside, mainly due to his dark-square domination, while White’s king is open to the breezes on the other wing.

21 exd5+ Kf8

 

Question: Doesn’t White stand better? Clearly, Black’s king rules over a kingdom of sheep, threatened by an army of wolves. After all, the position resembles a King’s Gambit, but without White down a pawn. Also, Black’s h8-rook, just like in Fischer’s game with Petrosian, is a frivolous piece who insists on idling his life away.

 

Answer: White may not be down a pawn, but his position is riddled with weakness. Black threatens to rid himself of a potential attacker and damage White’s structure with ... Nxd3; b2 also hangs. Of course, Black’s king doesn’t appear all that safe, and as you mentioned, the h8-rook languishes. White may even toss in g3 in King’s Gambit style. Maybe I’m biased, since I am a natural defender, but I still slightly prefer Black, while Houdini calls it even.

22 b4

Following 22 Qf5 Qc8 23 b4 Qxf5 24 Bxf5 Nb7! 25 Ne5 Bxe5 26 Rxe5 Nd6 27 Bd3 Kg7 I like Black’s chances in the ending, since the knight is a perfect blockader on d6 and White’s weak queenside pawns may later become a source of trouble.

22 ... Nxd3 23 cxd3 Qc8!

Fischer bullies White’s queen away, since an ending favours Black.

24 Qh5 Qf5!

Both d5 and d3 hang, forcing White to come up with a compensating attack.

25 d6

Intending Re7 next. Instead, 25 Rc1 Qxd5 26 Rc7 Kg8 27 Rfc1 Rd8 28 h3 Rh7 29 R1c5 Qa2 30 d4 Bf8 31 Rc3 Bd6 32 R7c6 Rg7! (covering against Nxg5 tricks) 33 Rc8 Rxc8 34 Rxc8+ Kh7 35 Nxg5+! Rxg5 36 Rh8+! Kxh8 37 Qxh6+ Kg8 38 Qxg5+ Kh7 39 Qf5+ Kg8 40 Qg5+ is perpetual check.

25 ... Rd8

25 ... Re8? costs Black time he can’t afford to spend: 26 Rxe8+ Kxe8 27 Rc1 Bf6 28 Rc7 favours White.

26 Re7 Rxd6

Black picks up a pawn, yet his position remains critical, mainly due to his shut-out h8-rook.

27 Rfe1 Kg8!

28 Nh4?

An idea which misses its mark is a mere husk, devoid of fruit. Don’t you hate that feeling when you are unable to come up with a plan, and your mind turns into this vagrant who loiters about, while your clock continues to run down? After this mistake White’s attack passes harmlessly. White relies on the principle: Create confrontation when leading in development, but chooses the wrong way to do it, since his move wastes precious time. Now the black king’s ample defenders serve as a buffer between his own safety and White’s attacking ambitions.

He should go for 28 h4!, which applies the principle correctly, and if 28 ... Qg6 29 Re8+ Bf8 30 Qxg6+ Rxg6 31 Ne5 Re6 32 Rxe6 fxe6 33 Ng6 Rh7 34 Rxe6 Rd7 35 Nxf8 Kxf8 36 Rxh6 Rxd3 37 Rxa6 gxh4 with a likely draw.

28 ... Qf6

Now f7 remains covered and White’s knight must lose time, returning to f3.

29 Nf3

A clear admission that his last move was an error.

29 ... Rxd3

Fischer’s rook approaches pawns, the way an empty plate is carried to the buffet table. Pawn number two falls. As White’s attack grows more faint, Fischer’s responses grow correspondingly surlier.

30 h4

The trouble is White doesn’t threaten hxg5 as long as his king and queen sit on the h-file.

30 ... Bf8!

Shooing away the rook and intending to unravel with ... Kg7 next.

31 Re8

Fischer allowed the ‘combination’ 31 Rxf7 Qxf7 32 Qxf7+ Kxf7 33 Ne5+ Kf6 34 Nxd3 Bd6 which leaves White down a pawn with a lost ending.

31 ... Rxa3

Pawn number three. The rook continues to desire unearned objects. Don’t the scriptures warn us that it’s difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven? I concede Fischer’s blatant greed, but think about it this way: the only way to not worry about having enough money is to accrue a great deal of it. Fischer continues his policy of exorbitant extortion, with pawns as his payment.

Natural defenders are constructed by nature to both endure hardship and also take joy in pure greed. Fischer, Korchnoi and Lasker were the greatest pawn grabbers in the history of the game. All three willingly suffered temporary discomfort and an opponent’s initiative and attack, all to increase their bank accounts.

32 Ne5 Kg7

 

The much maligned king allows himself a smile of vindication.

33 Nd7?

 

Question: Why not 33 Rd1 intending Rd7? How does Black defend?

 

Answer: He doesn’t, and instead, goes on a counteroffensive with 33 ... f3! 34 Nxf3 (34 Rd7?? fxg2+ 35 Kxg2 Ra2+ forces mate) 34 ... Ra1! and White’s attack is over before it even starts.

 

Exercise (combination alert): Enough of defence. Fischer found

a way to seize the initiative and win heavy material. How?

 

Answer: Interference/double attack/pin.

33 ... Qc6!

Step 1: Threaten White’s knight.

34 Qg4

With 34 Nxf8 Rh3+! we see another aspect of 33 ... Qc6: Black utilizes the pin on the g2-pawn to infiltrate with his rook. After 35 Kg1 Qb6+! 36 Kf1 Rh1+ 37 Ke2 Rxf8 38 Re5 (38 Rxf8 Qe3+ 39 Kd1 Rxe1+ forces mate) 38 ... Rxe1+ 39 Kxe1 Qg1+ 40 Ke2 Qxg2+ 41 Ke1 f3 the game is over.

34 ... Rg3!

“You will kneel before me, and not I before you,” the rook orders White’s queen. The g3 hole represents a sagging, unsightly concavity in White’s position. What a feeling of exaltation to hunt an enemy who once hunted you. The chain of command breaks down in White’s position and Black’s counterattack has the final say in the matter.

35 Qe2 Qxd7 0-1

After 36 Qe5+ f6 White’s attack is at an end, while Black remains up a piece.

Game 15
V.Ciocaltea-R.Fischer
Netanya 1968
Sicilian Najdorf

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

 

Question: Did the people at Everyman trick you into

writing a Najdorf book, without your even knowing it?

 

Answer: I’m beginning to suspect that they did just that! Fischer, unlike most top GMs today, had an unbelievably narrow opening repertoire, so in this book we see the same openings, over and over. So be prepared!

6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 Be7 8 Qf3 Qc7 9 0-0-0 Nbd7 10 g4

White’s main line. 10 Bd3 is a key alternative.

10 ... b5 11 Bxf6

 

Question: Why did White give away the bishop-pair?

 

Answer: The point of playing g4 is to play g5. White’s bishop is in the way, so he hands Black the bishop-pair and gains time in exchange.

11 ... Nxf6 12 g5 Nd7 13 f5

13 ... Nc5

 

Question: Doesn’t White’s g-pawn hang with check?

 

Answer: That is another line. Play normally goes 13 ... Bxg5+ 14 Kb1 Ne5 (or 14 ... 0-0 15 fxe6 Nb6 16 Nd5 Nxd5 17 exd5 fxe6 18 Qg4, T.Radjabov-I.Cheparinov, Heraklion 2007, when I slightly prefer White after 18 ... Bf6 19 dxe6 Bxd4 20 Rxd4 Re8 21 Bd3 Bxe6 22 Qg3) 15 Qh5 (with the dual threats of Qxg5 and Nxe6) 15 ... Qd8 and here White plays 16 Rg1, 16 h4 or 16 Nxe6.

14 f6

This pretty much ends Black’s plans to castle kingside.

14 ... gxf6

14 ... Bf8?? is a known trap. White gets a winning position after 15 Bxb5+!. The wizard raises his arms and invokes his spell, which bends and vibrates the air before him. Now if 15 ... axb5? 16 Ndxb5 Qb8 17 fxg7 Bxg7 18 Nxd6+ Kd7 19 Qxf7+ Kc6 20 Qxg7 and Black can resign.

15 gxf6 Bf8 16 Bh3

16 Rg1 is White’s main move today and after 16 ... h5 17 Bh3 Black must be careful:

a) 17 ... Bb7?! 18 Kb1 b4 (forcing White into a good move) 19 Nd5! Qa5 (19 ... exd5 20 exd5 Kd8 21 Rg5 also looks pretty tough for Black) 20 Rg7 (20 Nxe6! Nxe6 21 Bxe6 fxe6 22 f7+ Kd7 23 Nf6+ Ke7 24 Qf4 Rd8 25 Qh4! Kxf7 26 Rgf1 Ke7 27 e5 is a winning attack for White) 20 ... Nxe4 21 Bxe6 and Black’s position was on the brink of collapse, E.Najer-N.De Firmian, Philadelphia 2009.

b) 17 ... b4! 18 Nd5 exd5 19 exd5 Bxh3 20 Qxh3 Qd7 21 Qh4 0-0-0 and it’s anybody’s game, A.Csonka-A.Peter, Hungarian League 2002.

16 ... b4 17 Nd5!?

Ah yes, the right to bear arms. Don’t expect an implacable enemy, hell-bent on your destruction, to agree to sit down and negotiate. When the attack’s siren-call comes, it’s a force some players are unable to resist.

 

Question: Isn’t this attacking excess on a lavish scale?

 

Answer: Actually not. This kind of sacrifice is so thematic, that it has almost taken on the role of a Najdorf cliché.

 

Question: Is White obliged to sacrifice?

 

Answer: No, White can take a slightly safer route with 17 Nce2 Bb7 18 Ng3, E.Iriarte Gomez-E.Reina Guerra, correspondence 2007. Houdini prefers Black’s side after 18 ... 0-0-0.

17 ... exd5 18 exd5 Bxh3 19 Rhe1+

The very fabric of Black’s society threatens to tear. This move ruins Black’s castling with tempo.

19 ... Kd8

The party of the second part – and I naturally speak of Black’s king – isn’t too happy about the direction the wind blows. So he decides to pack his bags and leave town in a hurry.

20 Nc6+ Kc8

It feels as if Black’s king is encompassed by enemies, too numerous to count. This is of course an illusion and if you know the theory (which Fischer obviously did), you understand that Black is okay.

21 Qxh3+ Kb7

The king contrives excuse after excuse on how he is too busy to see his h3 sister.

22 Nxb4

Black’s pawns feel like stationary targets in a carnival shooting gallery. Believe it or not, this is all theory. For the piece, White got the following:

1. Two pawns.

2. An exposed black king (although less so than optics indicate).

3. White’s knight may rest on c6, thanks to the d5–outpost.

4. Black’s bishop has no squares and is shut out of the game.

5. Black needs to develop his h-rook. This means he will eventually play ... Rg8, allowing Qxh7, adding a third pawn to White’s war chest.

Now this sounds like overwhelming compensation, but Houdini rates it at ‘0.00’, and if given a choice, I would actually take Black for the following reasons:

1. As mentioned above, Black’s king is much safer than it looks, mainly because there are no obvious attacking avenues for White.

2. White’s f6-pawn can become a target. If it falls, then Black’s unemployed bishop is once again free.

22 ... Qd7 23 Qh5

Keeping an eye on d5, f7 and h7. After 23 Qh4 Rg8 24 h3 (stopping ... Rg4) 24 ... Rg6 25 Nc6 a5 (this move cuts out Na5+) 26 Kb1, as in Zhuravlev-M.Zaklauskis, USSR 1971, I prefer Black’s chances after 26 ... Kc7.

23 ... Rg8 24 Nc6 a5!

Escape is much easier if the problem arises from an external threat, rather than from a form of internal rot. When we are unable to fix a problem, the next best thing is to discreetly hide it under the rug. Fischer’s move anchors his knight since it discourages b4, as well as cuts out Na5+.

25 Qxh7

So White picked up his third pawn for the piece, yet I prefer Black’s side. Fischer’s king remains rather safe for now and the f6-pawn looks like a potential target, either now, or later in an ending.

25 ... Rg6 26 Kb1

Ciocaltea invites Fischer to chop the f-pawn to open the f-file for his rooks.

26 ... Rh6

Going after h2?

27 Qg8 Rxf6!?

No. Just kidding.

 

Question: I would have taken h2, to eliminate the possibility

of a passed h-pawn. Why did Fischer choose to take f6?

 

Answer: Black’s main problem (besides king safety) is: how to activate his dark-squared bishop? By taking the f6-pawn, Fischer opens a future possibility of ... Bg7. Now why is this important? Because White’s main attacking theme is to eventually pry open Black’s king with future b4. This will be a lot harder to pull off if Black’s bishop on g7 takes aim at White’s king. Moreover, Fischer isn’t the type to take a repetition draw with 27 ... Rg6 28 Qh7 Rh6 29 Qg8.

28 Qg2 Kb6

 

 

Exercise (planning): With his last move, Fischer adds further cover to a5.

White needs to play for b4 at some point. But as we all know, the devil

hides in the detail. Come up with a concrete attacking plan for White.

 

29 Rd4?

The wrong plan. White plays to expose Black’s king with b4, but goes about it in the wrong fashion. He should play his queen to the g1-a7 diagonal, and then follow with a3!, intending b4.

Answer: According to the comps the game is dynamically even after 29 Qg3! Rg6 (not 29 ... Bh6? 30 Qh4 Rg6 31 b4! axb4 32 Qxb4+ Kc7 33 Re7 Qxe7 34 Nxe7 Rb8 35 Qxb8+ Kxb8 36 Nxg6 fxg6 37 Rg1 and White has a close to winning ending) 30 Qf2! f5 31 a3!. Embedded within change, also lies opportunity. The game is dead even, according to Houdini.

29 ... Qf5!

Strategic threat: ... Qf2.

30 b4?

When we attack from a position of weakness, the battle is lost, even before it starts. White follows through with his incorrect plan. When I am utterly confident in my plan’s correctness and then later am proven wrong, I wince internally when I remind myself of the Buddha’s words: “The fool who believes himself wise, is that much more a fool.”

30 ... axb4 31 Rxb4+

The rook has never been inclined to show much consideration for the black king’s feelings.

31 ... Kc7 0-1

 

Fischer waves away his opponent’s attack with an almost airy caprice. White’s once powerful momentum slowly morphed into a groundless state of eternal suspension. Another bafflingly simple win for Fischer’s side. Why is it we never get wins handed to us to easily?

 

Question: I don’t get it. Why did White resign?

 

Answer: His attack is no more, and Black threatens to simplify with ... Qf2: for example, 32 Nd4 Qf2 and White must swap the queen, leading to a lost ending. If 33 Qh1?? Rf4 34 Rd1 Bg7! and at long last, the bishop gains relevance and White’s position collapses.

Game 16
W.Browne-R.Fischer
Rovinj/Zagreb 1970
Alekhine’s Defence

One time Chicago Bull’s player Stacey King scored one point, juxtaposed with Michael Jordan’s towering 69 point performance that night. After the game King triumphantly declared: “I will always remember this as the night Michael Jordan and I combined for 70 points!” Anyone who ever had the good fortune to draw with Fischer in a tournament game (or even a simul game!) must have had similar thoughts.

 

1 e4 Nf6

 

Question: Wow. No Sicilian?

 

Answer: I see it as a kind of mid-life crisis. Unlike most world class players, Fischer’s repertoire was incredibly narrow. Then around 1970 Fischer began to experiment with different openings, taking up Alekhine’s Defence as Black, and 1 b3 as White, culminating with queen’s pawn openings as White in his championship match with Spassky.

2 e5 Nd5 3 d4 d6 4 Nf3

Most players reach the coming game’s position via the Asymmetrical Exchange move order 4 c4 Nb6 5 exd6 cxd6 6 Nc3 g6.

4 ... g6 5 Be2 Bg7 6 c4 Nb6 7 exd6 cxd6 8 Nc3 0-0 9 0-0 Nc6 10 Be3 Bg4

Black menaces the strategic threat ... Bxf3, when White would either have to drop c4, or play gxf3, ruining his kingside pawn structure.

11 b3 d5 12 c5 Nc8

 

Question: Black looks tangled up. What is his plan?

 

Answer: Theoretically, Black stands okay here. In fact, in my Alekhine’s Defence book, I claimed that it was White, not Black, who had to play accurately to hold equality from this point. The plan is to systematically pressure d4 with ... Bxf3, ... e6, ... N8e7 and ... Nf5.

13 h3

This may be a wasted tempo, since Black intends to chop the knight in any case.

Instead, 13 Rb1 e6 14 b4 a6 15 a4 N8e7 16 b5 axb5 17 axb5 Na5 18 h3 )I guess White wants to break the suspense, but the same comment holds; Black intended to take the knight in any case, so this move can be argued as the loss of a tempo) 18 ... Bxf3 19 Bxf3 Nc4 20 g4 Ra3 21 Rb3 Qa5 22 Bg5 Rxb3 23 Qxb3 f6 24 Bf4 f5 was K.Griffith-C.Lakdawala, San Diego (rapid) 2013. The position is roughly balanced after the correct 25 Ne2.

13 Rc1 and 13 b4 are also played in this position.

13 ... Bxf3 14 Bxf3 e6 15 Qd2

I also had the fortune to face 15 Rc1 N8e7 16 Qd2?! e5! (16 ... Nf5 is favourable too for Black) 17 Nb5 e4 18 Be2 Nf5 19 Bg4 a6 20 Bxf5 axb5 21 Bg4 Qa5! 22 Qxa5 Rxa5 23 Be2 b4 in K.Griffith-C.Lakdawala, San Diego (rapid) 2013. White is busted since a2 and d4 hang.

15 ... N8e7 16 Nb5?

The trouble with this move is White’s knight is easily destabilized with a6, after which White’s d4-pawn becomes chronically weak.

After 16 b4 Nf5 17 Ne2 e5! 18 b5 Nxe3 19 fxe3 Na5 20 dxe5 Nc4 21 Qxd5 Qxd5 22 Bxd5 Nxe3 23 Bxb7 Rab8 24 Rf3 Rxb7 25 Rxe3 Rxb5 26 Rd1 Rxc5 27 e6 fxe6 28 Rxe6 Rc2 29 a4 White still stands a shade worse, but should hold the game.

16 ... Nf5 17 Bg4

An attempt by White to reduce the mounting pressure on d4 by playing Bxf5 next.

17 ... a6 18 Bxf5 axb5!

This opens the a-file, targeting a2.

19 Bc2 Ra3

19 ... b4! is also strong, locking down a2 as an eternal target.

20 b4

 

Exercise (combination alert): White’s position is

about to collapse. How can Black achieve this?

 

20 ... f5?!

Black still stands better after this, but White is unable to withstand:

Answer: 20 ... Qh4! (pin) 21 Rfd1 Rfa8 22 Bb3 and now Black reveals his intent with the pinning combination 22 ... Nxd4! 23 Bxd5 (if 23 Bxd4 Qxd4 24 Qxd4 Bxd4, and if 25 Rxd4 Rxb3 with a winning rook and pawn ending) 23 ... Nc6 24 Bxc6 bxc6 25 Rac1 h6! (more accurate than 25 ... Rxa2) 26 Qd6 (or 26 Rc2 Qe4 27 Qe2 R3a4, and if 28 Rb1? Rxa2! White’s game collapses) 26 ... Qe4 27 Bd4 Rxa2 when he wins a pawn.

21 Bb3 Qf6!

Fischer continues to hammer away at d4.

22 Qd3

Browne counterattacks b5.

22 ... f4 23 Bc1

 

Exercise (critical decision): Should Black back his a3-rook up?

Or should he sacrifice the exchange with ... Rxb3, followed by ... Qxd4?

 

23 ... Ra6?

Answer: Black should sacrifice the exchange: 23 ... Rxb3! 24 axb3 Qxd4 25 Qxd4 Bxd4 26 Ra2 Bc3 with a clear advantage for Black, who picks up b4 and obtains two clean pawns, plus a strategic advantage for the exchange.

24 Bb2 f3 25 g3 Qf5

No choice in the matter, since White threatened Qxb5.

26 Qxf5 gxf5 27 Rad1 Nxb4

Fischer won a pawn, yet Browne achieved full compensation:

1. e6 is weak.

2. Black’s f3-pawn is weak.

3. White has the bishop-pair.

28 Rfe1 f4??

If an anarchist seeks to cause maximum damage upon society, he plants a bomb in a crowded urban location. It makes no sense to detonate the bomb in the middle of a deserted prairie. I hate it when my game begins wonderfully and then progressively gets worse and worse. The position’s reality begins to defy Fischer’s optimism. As painful as it is for your Fischer-loving writer, this move fully deserves two question marks. If Fischer had a stylistic flaw, it was his tendency to overpress in even positions. In a single move, Fischer’s position slides from equal to losing.

Correct was 28 ... Kf7 29 Re3 Nxa2 30 Rxf3 Nb4 31 g4! Ke8 32 gxf5 Rxf5 33 Rxf5 exf5 34 Kf1. Black’s extra pawn compensates his weaker structure and the game is approximately even.

29 a3 Nc6 30 Rxe6

The base of Black’s pawn chain falls and Fischer begins to drop pawns at an alarming level. On top of that, White’s sleeping bishop-pair comes alive and dominates.

30 ... fxg3

30 ... Rd8 31 Rd6 Rxd6 32 cxd6 is also lost for Black.

31 Bxd5 gxf2+ 32 Kxf2 Kh8 33 Re3

The f3 straggler falls.

33 ... b4 34 axb4 Nxb4 35 Bxf3 Ra2 36 Rb3 Nc6 37 Kg3!

Certainly not the boneheaded 37 Rxb7?? Nxd4.

37 ... Rg8 38 Kf4! Rf8+ 39 Ke4 Rf7

If 39 ... Re8+ 40 Kd3 Rf8 41 Be4 and White consolidates.

40 Bg4 Re7+ 41 Kd3 Ra4

Fischer desperately attempts to gain counterplay on d4. Brown’s next move puts a halt to this plan.

42 Ra1! Rxd4+!

Fischer fails to be disheartened by his myriad tribulations, and finds his best chance by transitioning to full damage control mode. 42 ... Rxa1 43 Bxa1 is a completely hopeless ending for Black, who is down a pawn and threatened with Bc8.

43 Bxd4 Bxd4 44 Ra8+ Kg7 45 Rb5

It’s crucial for White to hang on to his c-pawn, otherwise his win is seriously complicated.

45 ... Bf2 46 Bf5

I would just play the immediate 46 Bc8!.

46 ... Ne5+ 47 Kc3 Be1+ 48 Kd4 Nc6+ 49 Kc4 Bh4 50 Bc8!

Brown ties Fischer down to defence of b7.

50 ... Nd8 51 Ra2 Rc7!

Dual purpose: he chases away the attack of b7, while increasing pressure on c5.

52 Bg4 Be7 53 Kd5 Nc6 54 Rab2

Once again tying the knight down to defence of b7.

54 ... Nd8 55 Rb1 Bf8 56 R1b2 Be7 57 Rg2 Kh8 58 Ra2 Kg7 59 Ra8!

White keeps options open for Rb8, Rc8 and Bc8.

59 ... Bh4 60 Rb8 Rf7 61 Rb2 Kh6 62 Rb6+ Kg7

Fischer would love to activate his king, but the trouble is 62 ... Kg5?? blocks coverage of d8 after 63 Rxd8.

63 Rb3 h5 64 Bc8

Naturally not 64 Bxh5?? Rf5+ picking up the bishop.

64 ... Be7 65 Rb5 Rf3 66 Bxb7

 

Now the passed c-pawn’s presence will be a festering wound in Black’s position. So White finally picks up b7, but not for free, since he must hand over his h-pawn in exchange.

66 ... Rxh3 67 c6 Rc3

Stopping c7.

68 Ra8 h4

Black’s only prayer is to attempt to generate counterplay with his h-pawn.

69 Ra4!

Intending Rc4, which seizes control over c7.

69 ... h3 70 Rc4 h2!

Reminding White that he has his own promotion agenda.

71 Rb1 Rxc4 72 Kxc4 Bd6

Fischer continues to hang on like grim death, once again preventing c7. Now everything depends upon his ability to maintain a blockade of c7.

73 Kd5 Bg3 74 Bc8 Kf7 75 Bh3 Ke7 76 Rc1 Kf6 77 Ra1

White is still unable to push to c7 as long as Black maintains his own queening threat.

77 ... Ke7 78 Rf1 Nf7 79 Bg2

This move frees his rook to leave the first rank.

79 ... Ng5 80 Kc5 Ne6+

The knight helps out with the blockade of c7.

81 Kb6 Bc7+ 82 Kb7 Bd6 83 Bd5 Nc5+ 84 Kb6 Na4+

Okay, now this knight is really getting annoying for White’s king.

85 Ka5 Nc5 86 Kb5 Kd8

Now Black’s king gets in on the act as well.

87 Rf7 Kc8

 

 

Exercise (combination alert): This fog-shrouded position isn’t

easy to decipher. We must balance the artistic with straightforward

business astuteness. Work out the exact sequence to White’s win.

 

88 c7?

When we own the raw material for a combination, this is no guarantee that we will find it. The c-pawn appears to be the manacle which chains Black. But this is an illusion. Right idea; wrong move order.

Answer: White wins with 88 Rh7!. Zugzwang! This move rips through Black’s defence as if it were dry, ancient parchment. After 88 ... Kd8 89 c7+! Kc8 90 Kc6 “It is the way of nature for the strong to dominate the weak,” White’s king tells his helpless brother, as he tut-tuts in mock sympathy. The defence crumples. Is it just me, or does the black king remind you of those cruel videos of the clubbing of a baby seal?

88 ... Nd7 89 Kc6

 

Exercise (critical decision): It feels as if White’s once indefatigable attempt to

win, pushed itself too far. Did White just blunder into an e5-knight fork?

 

Answer: No. In reality, this is a case of the serpent slithering into the garden. Browne’s pieces scheme to perpetrate an outrage upon Black’s king. Giving the knight fork walks into Browne’s unbelievably deep trap.

89 ... h1Q!!

Now the harmony in White’s game scatters in disarray. After Fischer’s move circumstances fashion the geometries into futile designs for White, whose win is no more.

If Black forks with 89 ... Ne5+?? 90 Kb6 Bc5+ (or 90 ... Nxf7 91 Be6 mate) 91 Kxc5 Nxf7 92 Kb6! (threat: Be6 mate) 92 ... Nd8 (Black’s knight is curiously helpless to halt White’s promotion attempts) 93 Be4 Kd7 94 Bg2! (zugzwang) 94 ... h1Q (94 ... Nf7 95 Bc6+ Kc8 96 Bb7+ promotes) 95 Bxh1 Kc8 (95 ... Ne6 96 Bc6+ wins) 96 Bg2 and there is no good defence to Bh3+.

90 Bxh1

“God has blessed me with wings,” declares the mad bishop, as he plunges off the cliff’s lip. On h1 the bishop is out of synch with the rest of the world, since he gets temporarily knocked off the crucial h3-c8 diagonal.

90 ... Ne5+!

The knight grins assentingly, motioning White’s king by crooking a finger. Now is the moment to fork.

91 Kb6

91 Kxd6 Nxf7+ 92 Kc6 Ne5+ 93 Kb6 Nc4+ is drawn.

91 ... Bc5+!

This second deflection sacrifice is crucial to Black’s defensive needs. 91 ... Nxf7?? 92 Bb7+ allows White to promote.

92 Kxc5 Nxf7 93 Kb6 Nd6

Just in time to stop a bishop check on b7. The way the position miraculously works out for Fischer is magic.

94 Bd5 Kd7

Now White is unable to force zugzwang and the game is drawn.

95 Bc6+ Kc8 96 Bd5 Kd7 97 Bb3 Nc8+

The king is drawn into the knight’s defensive orbit.

98 Kb7 Ne7! ½-½

 

White is unable to make progress. I’m pretty certain my late friend GM Walter Browne went straight to the hotel bar to purchase liquid solace after coming so close to beating Bobby, and having glory yanked away so cruelly.

Game 17
R.Fischer-M.Matulovic
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1970
Sicilian Rossolimo

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 g6 4 c3

Today, more commonly played are 4 0-0 and 4 Bxc6.

4 ... Nf6 5 Qe2 Bg7 6 e5 Nd5

7 Qc4?

Not such an impressive double attack. When duty and inclination collide, then why is it that we so often ride off into the sunset with the latter? Not all combinations should be played, even if we see them. I already mentioned earlier in the book about the dilemma of the rich man being barred from heaven. This is an incredibly greedy move which wins a pawn, but basically gives away the store, strategically.

7 0-0 is infinitely wiser: 7 ... Nc7 8 Bxc6 dxc6 9 h3 Bf5 10 d4, J.Lechtynsky-I.Privara, Ostrava 1976. I already prefer Black after 10 ... Qd5, yet White’s position is nowhere near as awful as the one Fischer got in the game.

7 ... Nc7!

Black won all the games in the database from this position except for one – this one!

8 Bxc6

Of course such a move implies future deficiency on the light squares, especially d3.

8 ... dxc6 9 Qxc5

Congratulations are in order. Fischer won a pawn, at an insanely high cost. When a glaring problem in our position goes uncorrected, its pervasive influence spreads through our coming moves like an unchecked virus.

9 ... Qd3

Of course. Black cuts out d4 and enjoys a paralysing grip on the position.

10 Qe3 Bf5 11 Qxd3

The queen swap brings little relief for White, since Black’s light-squared bishop is an able replacement.

11 ... Bxd3

“Lower your leering eyes, priest, or I will have you gelded,” recites White’s queen, with an empty threat. The human tendency is to scapegoat Fate for our misfortune, when most of time the true culprit is our own character flaws. In this case, Fischer’s unchecked greed brought him low.

 

Question: OMG. Isn’t this position resignable for White?

 

Answer: When our position grows sour, all we dream about is for life to go back to the way it was ‘before’. In this case “before” is a place to which Fischer can never return. It does have the flavour of one of those Amateur-Morphy debacles, where Amateur goes pawn hunting while Morphy brings out all his pieces. Elie Agur writes: “One gets the impression that White is virtually paralyzed here.” I agree. Black’s advantages:

1. A massive development lead.

2. The bishop-pair.

3. Fischer casts agonised glances at the grievous punctures of his light squares, beginning with d3, where Black plants a piece. And trying to eject the d3 intruder is similarly frustrating to an attempt to adjust a table at a restaurant, which has been screwed to the floor.

4. e5 is likely to fall, or perhaps may be used as a way to open the kingside further for Black, starting with ... f6.

In White’s column: one measly pawn. With a GM playing Black, this is a near-certain execution for White, and it’s hard to imagine any player in the world at the time, except for Fischer, who had the required defensive skills to even make a fight of it for White.

12 Kd1!

Black’s leech-like d3-bishop is priority number one. Fischer opens possibilities of Ne1.

12 ... Ne6 13 Ne1 Nf4!

14 Nxd3!

 

Question: Doesn’t Fischer slip away from his difficulties with 14 g3?

 

Answer: Matulovic set a beautiful trap, which Fischer had foreseen: 14 ... Be2+ 15 Kc2 Nh3. Now White is unable to save his f-pawn: for example, 16 f4?? (after this move White’s frantic efforts spend themselves in vain, but if 16 d4?? Nxf2 17 Rg1 Bd1+ 18 Kd2 Bh6 mate) 16 ... Nf2 17 Rg1 Bd1 mate. This gruesome finish is the point of Matulovic’s trap. When our combination works, the feeling is similar to receiving a letter containing good news.

14 ... Nxd3

 

Exercise (planning): The barrage of violence which plagues Fischer seems to

have no end, and it looks hopeless. Black’s d3-knight chokes White and both

f2 and e5 hang. How did Fischer seize upon his best defensive chance?

 

Answer: Exchange sacrifice.

15 f4!!

Fischer calmly allows the f2 fork. A person out of options will undertake extreme, unconventional measures to survive. We witness the intersection between art and efficiency.

 

Question: Isn’t it true that when one side is down a rook in an

ending, it tends to drain the remainder of a game of all its suspense?

 

Answer: When we fail to understand something, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the doctrine propounded is false. Fischer’s idea almost feels inaccessible to interpretation through logic alone.

Routine play loses: for example, 15 Kc2? 0-0-0 16 a4 (or 16 Na3 b5! 17 f4 Kb7 18 Rf1 Rd7 19 b3 Rhd8 and White just can’t unravel) 16 ... Bxe5 17 Na3 Rd7 18 f3 Bg7 19 Nc4 b5! 20 Na5 Kc7 and White has no good way to remove the d3 obstruction. Indeed, 21 axb5 cxb5 22 b3 Rhd8 23 Ra2 Bh6 24 Rd1 Kb6 25 b4 Rc7! (threat: ... Nxb4+) 26 Kb1 Nxc1 27 Rxc1 (27 Kxc1 is met with the crushing 27 ... Rxc3+) 27 ... Rxd2 28 Rac2 Rd3 29 Re1 Bg7 30 c4 Bc3 31 c5+ Ka6 (White’s wobbly structure loses its remaining structural integrity) 32 Re4 is undermined by 32 ... Bxb4! 33 Rxb4 Kxa5 with an easy win for Black.

15 ... Bh6!?

 

Matulovic’s mind divides between material gain and initiative, It seems that enthusiasm for the knight fork project begins to diminish. Matulovic prefers to operate on his development lead, rather than grab material and hand Fischer an initiative and strategic concessions.

 

Question: How is this an exchange sacrifice

when a knight fork on f2 picks up an entire rook?

 

Answer: The knight picks up the rook, but then is unable to escape, turning it into an exchange sacrifice. Now saying this, I think it was still Black’s best shot to grab the rook with 15 ... Nf2+! 16 Ke2 Nxh1 17 d4 f6 18 Be3 and White picks up the stranded h1-knight with Nd2 and Rxh1, after which he has a pawn for the exchange, plus space advantage, with nearly enough compensation.

Black can still maybe make it tough for White by applying the principle: Create confrontation and open the position when leading in development, with 18 ... g5! 19 e6 gxf4 20 Bxf4 0-0 21 Nd2 f5! 22 Kf3 Rf6 23 Nc4 Rxe6 24 Rxh1 Rd8 25 b4. Black is up the exchange but still faces serious technical issues:

1. White controls both ... a5 and ... c5 pawn breaks.

2. Black must deal with a gaping hole on e5.

Now saying this, I think with perfect technique, it should eventually still be a win for Black. When comparing it with other tries for White, this one is Black’s best practical chance.

16 Kc2 Nxc1!?

Now we see that Black is merely the custodian of d3 and that its rightful owner is White.

Instead, if 16 ... 0-0-0 17 g3 Rd7 18 a4 f6 (18 ... b5? 19 axb5 cxb5 20 Na3 a6?? is met with 21 Nxb5! when Black is unable to recapture, due to his hanging h8-rook) 19 exf6 exf6 20 Na3 Re8 21 Nc4 Re2 22 b4 Nf2 23 Rg1 Ne4 24 Rh1 Bf8 (24 ... b5? 25 Na5 Nxd2 26 Nxc6! and White actually stands better, since Black’s knight has no useful discovery) 25 b5!, which prevents ... b5. White looks like he will survive.

17 Re1!

A brilliant and unexpected zwischenzug.

I will bet Matulovic counted on the auto-recapture 17 Kxc1? Bxf4 18 Kc2 Bxe5.

17 ... 0-0-0

After 17 ... Bxf4 18 g3 Bh6 19 Rxc1 0-0-0 20 Re1 c5 21 d3 Houdini assesses at dead even. If 21 ... Rd5?! preparing to double rooks, White meets it with 22 c4! Rd7 23 Nc3 Rhd8 24 Rad1 Bg7 25 Ne4 b6 26 e6! fxe6 27 Ng5 e5. White’s control over e4, superior minor piece and the fact that Black now owns a pair of doubled, isolated e-pawns, means that the momentum has swung in White’s favour.

18 Kxc1 Bxf4 19 g3 Bh6 20 Kc2 Rd5 21 b4

Discouraging ... c5 and preparing d4.

21 ... b6

He still wants either ... c5 or ... a5.

22 a4 a5

Matulovic does his best to create turmoil while Fischer remains behind in development.

23 bxa5 bxa5 24 d4

The trouble with this move is that it allows Black to counter with a coming ... c5. White should avoid confrontation with 24 Ra2! Rhd8 25 Rf1 Bxd2 26 Rxf7 Bg5 27 h4 Be3 28 Rxe7 Bf2 29 Rxh7 Bxg3 30 Kb3! Rxe5 31 Na3 and he unravels.

24 ... c5 25 Re4 Rhd8 26 Kd3?!

The king’s nervousness is betrayed by the fact that he continually blots his sweaty forehead with a sleeve. Inaccurate.

After 26 Rh4! Be3 27 dxc5! h5 28 Re4 Bxc5 29 Re2 Kd7 (29 ... Rd1 is met with 30 Ra2) 30 Nd2 Rc8 31 Rb1 Bd4 32 e6+ fxe6 33 Rb7+ Ke8 34 Ne4 White doesn’t look worse anymore.

26 ... cxd4 27 cxd4 Bg7!

Threats: ... Bxe5 and ... Rxe5.

28 Ke3?!

28 Na3! is a better practical chance after 28 ... Rxe5 29 Rxe5 Bxe5 30 Rc1+ Kb7 31 Rb1+ Ka6 32 Nb5 Bb8.

The king invokes an outer show of bravery he doesn’t feel on the inside. After this move the dreary interval of White’s defence goes on and on.

 

Exercise (planning/combination alert): Come up with a way for Black to

turn his development lead and pressure into something more tangible.

 

28 ... Bh6+?!

Answer: Black missed 28 ... f5! 29 exf6 (29 Rh4? h5 30 Nc3 Bh6+ and 31 Kd3 is met with 31 ... Rxe5) 29 ... Bxf6 when d4 falls.

29 Kd3 Bg7 30 Kc4!?

This is better than playing the king to e3. But better still is 30 Na3!, which transposes to the note mentioned above.

30 ... f5! 31 Nc3

31 Rh4 g5 32 Nc3 e6! transposes to the game.

31 ... e6! 32 Rh4 g5!

Now d4 is undermined.

33 Rxh7 Rxd4+ 34 Kb5 Bxe5 35 Rc1 Rb4+! 36 Kxa5 Rc4! 37 Ne2 Rd5+ 38 Kb6 Rdc5

This isn’t technically a mistake, but it certainly isn’t Black’s optimal move. In time pressure it’s folly to believe 100% in our own cognition, mainly since every move we make is essentially a wild guess. Matulovic, after conducting his initiative with great force, once again gives Fischer opportunity to create trouble.

After 38 ... Rxc1! 39 Nxc1 Bd4+ 40 Ka6 f4! 41 Rf7 Kd8! 42 gxf4 Ke8 43 Rc7 gxf4 Black’s two central passers, coupled with his superior pieces, will win the game.

39 Rxc4 Rxc4

 

Exercise (planning): Black threatens both ... Rc2 and ... Rxa4. White is lost, no matter what he plays. Come up with White’s best practical chance to confuse matters.

 

Answer: Liquidation/creation of a passed pawn/piece sacrifice.

40 h4!

Fischer’s move actually shouldn’t save the game, but it once again creates tremendous practical difficulties for his opponent, who immediately blunders.

40 ... Rc2?

Matulovic cracks at the eleventh hour:

a) 40 ... gxh4? 41 Rxh4 and White will hold the game.

b) Black wins if he finds 40 ... f4! 41 hxg5 (or 41 gxf4 gxf4 42 Nxf4 Bxf4 43 a5 Be3+ 44 Kb5 Rc5+ 45 Kb4 Rc7 when Black consolidates) 41 ... f3 42 Nf4 f2 43 Rh1 Rc3 44 Nh3 Bxg3 45 Kb5 (45 g6?? Bc7+ 46 Kb5 Rxh3! wins) 45 ... Bh4! (threat: ... Rxh3) 46 Nxf2 Bxf2 and Black should win.

41 hxg5! Rxe2 42 g6

The point: White soon regains his piece, with a drawn ending.

42 ... Rb2+ 43 Ka6!

43 Kc6?? Rc2+ 44 Kb5 Rc7! halts the passed-pawn’s advance.

43 ... Rb4

Threats: ... Rxa4+ and ... Rg4.

44 g7 Bxg7 45 Rxg7 Rxa4+ 46 Kb5

Black’s king is relegated to the last rank, and Fischer holds the draw with ease.

46 ... Rd4

The king and pawn ending is drawn after 46 ... Rg4 47 Rxg4 fxg4 48 Kc6 e5 49 Kd5 Kd7 50 Kxe5 Ke7 51 Kf5 Kf7 52 Kxg4 Kg6.

47 Re7 Re4 48 Kc5 Kd8 49 Ra7

Both kings are cut off from their pawns.

It isn’t too late to throw it away with a boneheaded blunder like 49 Kd6?? Rd4+ 50 Ke5 Kxe7 51 Kxd4 Kf6 when Black wins the king and pawn ending.

49 ... Ke8 50 Kd6 Kf8 51 Rb7 Re3 52 Ra7

It becomes painfully obvious that Black is unable to make progress and the players could have agreed to the draw here.

52 ... Re1 53 Rb7 Re4 54 Ra7 Re2

Come on, come on, get on with it and stop wasting our time!

55 Rb7 Re3 56 Ra7 Kg8 57 Rb7!

Instead, 57 Re7?! Rxg3 58 Rxe6 Kf7 gives Black some practical chances to win.

57 ... Re1 58 Re7!

Now it works.

58 ... Re3 59 Rxe6 Rxg3 60 Ke5 ½-½

Game 18
M.Taimanov-R.Fischer
3rd matchgame, Vancouver 1971
King’s Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Nf3 0-0 6 Be2 e5 7 0-0 Nc6 8 d5 Ne7 9 Bd2!?

This line is Taimanov’s genetically modified organism, prepared specifically for Fischer. The move may have come as a surprise for Fischer, since Taimanov normally played either 9 Ne1, 9 Nd2 or 9 b4.

9 ... Ne8

9 ... Nd7 is also possible and played more often today, although after 10 Ne1 f5 11 Nd3 Nf6 12 f3 Kh8 13 Rc1 c5 14 g4 Bd7 15 a3 I prefer White’s chances, M.Taimanov-E.Geller, Moscow 1973.

10 Rc1

White hopes to engineer a quick c5, accelerating queenside play.

10 ... f5

 

Question: This move allows White’s knight into g5.

Should Black take a tempo to toss in 10 ... h6?

 

Answer: It’s possible, but a tempo is a precious thing in such a sharp position. Play may go 11 b4 f5 12 c5 and the side you pick probably depends upon your style.

11 exf5

White can also play Ng5 without taking on f5: 11 Ng5 Nf6 12 f3 (or 12 exf5 Nxf5, as in J.Radulski-M.Erdogdu, Ankara 2009; I think White has an edge after 13 Bd3 where his control over e4 means more than Black’s control over d4) 12 ... f4 13 Qb3 b6 14 Rfd1 Kh8 15 Be1 h6 16 Ne6 Bxe6 17 dxe6 Ne8 18 Qa4 c6 19 b4 Rf6 20 c5 Rxe6 and White’s queenside initiative is clearly worth more than Black’s extra pawn, P.Littlewood-F.Ynojosa Aponte, British Championship, Torquay 2009.

11 ... gxf5 12 Ng5

The prelude to a strategic pawn sacrifice. White can also play 12 Qb3 b6 13 g3 Ng6 14 Ng5 Kh8 15 Qc2 Qe7 16 f4 e4 17 Nd1 Bd7 18 Ne3 with maybe just a tiny edge, T.Gareev-D.Aldama, Los Angeles 2012.

12 ... h6 13 Ne6

 

Question: Won’t this move eventually lose a pawn for White?

 

Answer: It’s a deliberate sacrifice and all part of Taimanov’s pre-match opening prep. For the pawn, White gets the bishop-pair and enhanced control over the light squares. Before the match, Botvinnik warned Taimanov not to sacrifice pawns against Fischer, since he had the annoying habit of taking them, enduring the opponent’s initiative and then converting his material advantage. Taimanov didn’t heed the advice.

13 ... Bxe6 14 dxe6 Qc8 15 Qb3

Tying Black’s queen to b7.

15 ... c6!

15 ... b6 wins the e6-pawn, but weakens the central light squares. After 16 Nd5 Qxe6 17 Nxe7+ Qxe7 18 c5+ central lines open rapidly and White had full compensation for the pawn in M.Taimanov-M.Tseitlin, Leningrad 1973.

16 Bh5

Now Bf7+ comes next, hanging on to the e6-pawn. This in turn, virtually forces Fischer to chop e6 in exchange for b7.

16 ... Qxe6 17 Qxb7 Nf6 18 Be2 Rfb8

So Fischer wins a pawn after all, on b2.

19 Qa6 Rxb2

Being a pawn up doesn’t make you rich, but nor does it make you poor. Once again we see Fischer snatch a pawn, willing to endure an opponent’s long initiative in exchange for it.

20 Rfd1

 

 

Question: Do you still think White has full compensation for the pawn here?

 

Answer: Probably so. White enjoys the bishop-pair and multiple pawn targets on a7, c6 and d6, which tie Black’s pieces down. Black, on the other hand, enjoys a big, potentially rolling central pawn majority, and the potential to mass for an attack on White’s king. Houdini rates the game at dead even.

20 ... e4!?

With this move Fischer opens a hole for White on f4, but I think it’s a good deal for him, since he activates his own remaining bishop and clears e5 for a piece.

21 Qa3

Ejecting Black’s rook, while increasing pressure on d6.

21 ... Rb7 22 Bf4 d5 23 cxd5

After 23 Qa6 Rb6 24 Qa5 Rb7 25 Na4 Ng6 26 cxd5 cxd5 27 Be3 Rf7 28 Nc5 Qd6 29 Qa6 Qxa6 30 Bxa6 I don’t believe White stands any worse in the ending, despite Black’s extra pawn; Ne6 is in the air and d5 may soon come under fire after Bd4, threatening Bxf6 and Rxd5.

23 ... cxd5 24 Nb5!

The knight heads for the d4 hole, while worrying Black with Nc7 tricks.

24 ... Ng6!

 

Now we begin to catch a glimpse of Fischer’s secret intention. He uses his wealth to buy friends, ignoring the c7 problem to fan his initiative. I think the advantage would swing to White if Fischer went passive with 24 ... Ne8?! 25 Nd4.

25 Nd4!?

No thanks. After 25 Nc7 Qf7 26 Ba6 Nxf4 27 Bxb7 Rd8 28 Qe3 Nd3 29 Rxd3! exd3 30 Qxd3 Rd7 31 Qc2 Ne4 32 Bxd5! Rxd5 33 Nxd5 Qxd5 34 Qc4 Qxc4 35 Rxc4 a5 36 g3 I think only White can win this ending, which if played correctly, probably should end in a draw.

25 ... Qd7

Covering f5.

26 Qe3

Taimanov later wrote that Black’s position was critical after 26 Qg3. Houdini disagrees and rates the game equal after 26 ... Ng4 27 h3 N4e5 28 Bxe5 Nxe5 29 f4 exf3 30 Nxf3 Re8 31 Rc5 f4 32 Qxf4 Ng6 33 Qg3 Rxe2 34 Qxg6 Rbb2 35 Rcxd5 Rxg2+ 36 Qxg2 Rxg2+ 37 Kxg2 Qe6. The ending looks even, with the game likely to end in perpetual check.

26 ... Kh7?!

The correct plan is one of the game’s most important commodities. It’s always tricky to attempt to organize and attack from a position of weakness. Fischer pushes it to the brink, deciding to take new measurements of his position’s limitations, refusing to subdue his will to win to normal conventions. He perhaps pushes matters too far in attempting to avoid a drawish line.

I suppose a born warrior experiences difficulty suffering peace. So he avoids the equal ending arising from the line 26 ... Nxf4 27 Qxf4 Rf8 28 Nxf5 Nh5 29 Bxh5 Rxf5 30 Qg4 Rg5 31 Qxd7 Rxd7 32 Be8 Rd8 33 Bc6.

27 h3?!

White cuts out ... Ng4, but the tempo wasted is too high a price. Taimanov should go for 27 Ba6! Rb6 28 Bb5! Qf7 (28 ... Rxb5?? loses to 29 Rc7, and if 29 ... Qe8?? 30 Bxh6 Ne7 31 Bxg7 wins, since the bishop is immune due to a knight fork on f5) 29 Rc7 Ne7 30 Qa3 Nfg8 when Black’s position gets critically strained.

27 ... Rf8!

Black talks peace, while secretly preparing for war. Fischer not only adds protection to the weak f5-pawn, but also plans to someday shatter White’s f4 blockade and unleash his kingside pawns with ... f4 himself.

28 Ba6?!

28 Bb5! should be met with 28 ... Qf7! 29 Ba6 Nxf4 30 Qxf4 Nh5 31 Qxf5+ Qxf5 32 Nxf5 Rbf7 33 Nxg7 Rxg7 34 Bf1 Rf6, and now White should avoid the greedy 35 Rxd5? Nf4 36 Rd4 Nxh3+ 37 Kh2 Nxf2 which favours Black.

28 ... Rb6?!

Fischer misses a more promising continuation with 28 ... Nh5! 29 Bxb7 Ngxf4 30 Ba6 Rg8 31 Bf1 Bxd4! 32 Qxd4 (not 32 Rxd4?? Nxg2! 33 Bxg2 Qg7 34 Kf1 Qxg2+ 35 Ke2 f4 36 Rc7+ Rg7 37 Rxg7+ Qxg7 38 Qd2 f3+ 39 Kd1 Nf4 and Black dominates) 32 ... Rxg2+! 33 Kh1 (the only move) 33 ... Rg7 when Black’s two extra pawns are worth more than White’s extra exchange.

29 Rc7?

Taimanov again rejected the trick: 29 Bb5! Rxb5 30 Rc7 Qe8 31 Rxg7+ Kxg7 32 Bxh6+ Kf7 33 Nxb5 Qxb5 34 Qxa7+ Nd7 35 Bxf8 Ngxf8 36 Qd4 Nf6 37 a4 with a completely unclear ending, which Houdini rates at ‘0.00’.

 

Exercise (combination alert): Carefully constructed elaborate plans

tend to evaporate in the emergency setting of time pressure. On

his last move, Taimanov overlooked a tactic. What did he miss?

 

Answer: Double attack: d1 and a6 hang.

29 ... Qa4!

When we see a row of question marks, followed by a bunch of exclams, it somehow mars the annotator’s sense of symmetry. Fischer was both watchful of the opponent’s counterplay and ruthless if opportunity arose for his side.

30 Rxg7+

30 Be2? is met with the secondary double attack 30 ... Ne8! 31 Rc5 Nxf4, overloading White’s queen. After 32 Qxf4 Bxd4 33 Rxd5 Qxa2 34 R1xd4 Qxe2 35 Rxf5 Rbf6 36 Rd7+ Kg6 37 Rxf6+ Nxf6 38 Qg3+ Kf5 Black is up a piece, his king is safe (despite appearances to the contrary), and he should consolidate.

30 ... Kxg7 31 Bxh6+

“God rewards the generous,” the bishop tells Black’s king.

31 ... Kf7?!

Inaccurate. Correct was 31 ... Kh7! 32 Be2 Rf7 33 Nxf5 Qxa2 when Black is up the exchange, with the difference that his king is far safer than in the game’s continuation.

32 Be2 Rfb8

Fischer plans to exchange a pair of rooks with ... Rb1, after which his king will be safer.

33 Nxf5 Rb1! 34 Rxb1 Rxb1+ 35 Kh2 Qd7 36 Nd4?

36 g4! maintaining the f5 outpost offers White full compensation for the exchange.

36 ... Qd6+!

Fischer forces a critical weakness on f3.

37 g3 Qb4!

The queen’s covetous eyes rest upon the e1 infiltration point.

38 Nc6

 

 

Exercise (critical decision): Should Black go for 38 ... Qe1? Or should he force

an ending with 38 ... Qb6? One line is even, while the other wins for Black.

 

Answer: Black easily wins the ending.

38 ... Qb6!

38 ... Qe1? allows White to take over the initiative with 39 Qxa7+ Ke8 40 Qa8+ Kd7 41 Qd8+! Ke6 (41 ... Kxc6 42 Qxf6+ Kb7 43 Ba6+ Kc7 44 Qf7+ Kb6 45 Be3+! Kxa6 46 Qe6+! Kb5 47 Qxd5+ Ka6 48 Qa8+ Kb5 49 Qd5+ is perpetual check) 42 Qc8+ Kd6 43 Bf8+ Nxf8 44 Qxf8+ Kxc6 45 Qxf6+ Kc5 46 Qe7+ and Black’s king is unable to escape the perpetual check.

39 Nxa7

If 39 Qxb6 Rxb6 40 Nd4 Rb2 41 a4 Rb4 and a4 falls when Black wins.

39 ... Qxe3 40 Bxe3

 

Exercise (combination alert): It appears as if White is okay.

After all, he has pawns for the exchange. The appearance is

a deception. Find Fischer’s idea and White’s game crumples.

 

Answer: Removal of a key defender. The light-squared bishop is chased away and f3 is weakened to fatal levels.

40 ... Re1!

Just when White’s king felt well fortified, this happens.

41 Bg4 0-1

Taimanov sealed this move but resigned without resuming, since after 41 ... Ne5 Black’s pair of knights gossip about White’s king the way a pair of gregarious crows, eye a plump and elderly mouse in the park: 42 Kg2 (42 Bf5?? allows Black’s knight entry to f3: 42 ... Nf3+ 43 Kg2 Rg1 mate) 42 ... Nfxg4 43 hxg4 Nxg4 44 Bb6 Re2 45 a4 Ra2 46 a5 e3 (threat: ... e2) 47 Kf1 e2+ 48 Ke1 Ne5 with mate next move.