This game, like the last two, illustrates Fischer’s ability to blend the tactical and technical in the endgame. Botvinnik later compared him to his most famous student. “From a combinational point of view, I suggest Kasparov outstripped Fischer,” he wrote. “But in the endgame, Fischer was stronger.”
Bent Larsen – Fischer
Monte Carlo 1967
King’s Indian Defense, Classical Variation (E97)
1 |
d4 |
♘f6 |
2 |
c4 |
g6 |
3 |
♘c3 |
♗g7 |
4 |
e4 |
d6 |
5 |
♗e2 |
0-0 |
6 |
♘f3 |
e5 |
7 |
0-0 |
♘c6 |
8 |
♗e3 |
|
Larsen had injected several ideas into the Classical King’s Indian. For example, in Benko’s line, 8 d5 ♘e7 9 ♘e1 ♘d7 10 f3 f5 11 g4, he showed that what was considered the book refutation – 11...h5 12 g5 h4 13 ♘d3 f4 followed by winning the g-pawn – was actually a strong gambit after 14 ♔h1 ♔f7 15 c5 ♖h8 16 ♕b3!.
8 |
... |
♖e8 |
9 |
dxe5 |
|
Black is at least equal after 9 d5 ♘d4! (10 ♘xd4 exd4 11.♗xd4 ♘xe4).
9 |
... |
dxe5 |
10 |
♕xd8 |
♘xd8 |
11 |
♘b5 |
♘e6 |
12 |
♘g5 |
♖e7 |
White’s pressure is strong after 12...♘xg5 13 ♗xg5 ♖e7 14 ♖ad1 ♗e6 15 f4!.
13 |
♖fd1 |
|
Najdorf, who popularized 8...♖e8, had pronounced 13 ♘xa7 ♘f4! good for Black.
13 |
... |
b6! |
Fischer is the first to vary from book (his ninth match game with Reshevsky, which went 13...c6 14 ♘xe6 ♗xe6 15 ♘c3 ♖d7). Larsen had been waiting to test a new idea – 13...c6 14 ♘xa7! ♗d7 15 ♘xe6 ♗xe6 16 f3.
14 |
c5! |
♘xc5! |
One point of the pawn sacrifice is 14...bxc5 15 ♘xe6 ♗xe6 16 ♗xc5 ♖d7 17 f3 and Black’s pawns are just too weak (17...c6 18 ♖xd7 ♘xd7 19 ♘c7).
15 |
♖d8+ |
♗f8 |
White also has a big edge after 15...♖e8? 16 ♖xe8+ ♘xe8 17 ♗xc5 bxc5 18 ♗c4 (18...♘d6 19 ♘xd6 cxd6 20 ♘xf7 ♔f8 21 ♘xd6).
16 |
♘xa7 |
♖xa7 |
17 |
♖xc8 |
♔g7 |
With this Black anticipates ♗h6 (17...♘cxe4?? 18 ♘xe4 ♘xe4 19 ♗h6 and wins) and declines an invitation into 17...♘b3 18 ♖d1 ♖xa2 19 ♖dd8 ♘d7 20 h4! threatening ♗c4 or ♗b5.
Fischer later said 17...h6 18 ♘f3 ♔g7 19 ♗xc5 bxc5 was a straighter road to equality but even then White is a bit better, e.g. 20 ♗d3 c4 21 ♗xc4 ♘xe4 22 ♖d8. Better is 17...♖e8 18 ♖xe8 ♘xe8 with equality.
18 |
f3 |
♘e8 |
19 |
a3 |
|
Fischer thought 19 ♗xc5 bxc5 20 ♖b8 was best but there’s little if anything after 20...f6 followed by ...♘d6/...♖e8.
19 |
... |
♘d6 |
Now 20 ♖b8 ♘d7! 21 ♖d8 ♘b7 leads to a repetition of moves.
20 |
♖d8 |
h6 |
21 |
♘h3 |
♘e6 |
22 |
♖b8 |
♖e8 |
23 |
♖xe8 |
♘xe8 |
24 |
♗b5 |
|
The position is dead even and only Larsen’s eternal optimism changes that. He wants to prevent ...♗c5 and considers planting the bishop on c6.
24 |
... |
♘d6 |
Now 25 ♗c6? ♘c4 26 ♗c1 ♗c5+ favors Black.
25 |
♗f1 |
♘b7! |
26 |
♘f2 |
♗c5 |
27 |
♗xc5 |
♘bxc5 |
28 |
♖d1 |
h5 |
This avoids the complications of 28...♘d4 29 ♘g4 f6 30 f4! – although Black stands perfectly well after 30...♘xe4 31 fxe5 fxe5 32 ♘xe5 c5.
After the text White should acknowledge the way of the world, play 29 ♘d3 and ♔f2 and offer a handshake.
29 |
♖d5 |
♔f6 |
30 |
h4 |
♔e7! |
Now 31 ♖xe5?? c6 seals the rook’s doom (32...f6). White’s position slowly deteriorates now.
31 |
♗c4 |
c6 |
32 |
♖d2 |
♘d4 |
33 |
♔f1 |
f5! |
34 |
b4? |
|
In his calculations Larsen missed either Black’s 34th or 35th move. Again 34 ♘d3 was better although Black can play for a win after 34...♘xd3 and ...f4.
34 |
... |
b5! |
35 |
♗g8 |
fxe4! |
Now the e-pawn is a major weakness. Black is also winning after 36 bxc5 e3 37 ♖d3 exf2 38 ♔xf2 (38 f4 ♔f6 39 ♔xf2 ♘f5 is slightly better) ♖a8 39 ♗a2 b4 or 37 ♖xd4 exd4 38 ♘d3 ♖xa3.
36 |
fxe4 |
♘d7 |
37 |
♖d3 |
♖a6 |
38 |
♖c3 |
|
38 |
... |
c5 |
This is one of Fischer’s most famous moves – an echo of Larsen’s own pawn sacrifice on the same square, at move 14. But it’s an error.
With the more precise 38...♖a8! Black wins quickly, e.g. 39 ♗a2 c5! 40 bxc5 b4. Then 41 ♖g3 ♘xc5 and ...b3 wins. The key point is that 41 ♖c1 ♖xa3 now attacks the bishop – and after 42 ♗d5 ♖c3 43 ♖b1 ♘xc5 44 ♘d1 ♖c2 or 43 ♖xc3 bxc3 44 ♘d3 c2 the game would likely have ended some 10 moves earlier than it did.
39 |
g4? |
|
A typical time-pressure stab. White could have exploited Black’s miscue with 39 bxc5 b4! 40 ♖c1!. Fischer said the outcome is uncertain then (40...♖a8 41 ♗d5; 40...♖xa3 41 c6 or 40...bxa3 41 ♗a2). Closer to a win is 40...♘f6 41 ♗a2 ♖xa3 42 c6 ♔d8.
39 |
... |
c4 |
40 |
gxh5 |
gxh5 |
The crippled a-pawn and the lack of a good square for White’s bishop prove decisive.
41 |
♗d5 |
♘f6 |
White has counterplay after 41...♘b3 42 ♖g3!.
42 |
♖g3 |
♘xd5 |
43 |
exd5 |
♖f6 |
Now 44 ♔g1? ♘e2+ or 44 ♔e1 ♖f4.
44 |
♔g2 |
♘f5 |
45 |
♖h3 |
♖g6+ |
46 |
♔f3 |
♘d4+ |
47 |
♔e3 |
|
Fischer pointed out that 47 ♔e4 ♔d6 was zugzwang. For example, 48 ♖h2 ♖g3 or 48 a4? bxa4 49 ♖a3 ♖g1 50 ♖xa4?? ♖e1 mate.
47 |
... |
♖g2 |
The rest was kinderspiel:
48 ♖h1 ♔d6 49 ♘e4+ ♔xd5 50 ♘c3+ ♔e6 51 ♖c1 ♖h2 52 a4 ♖h3+! 53 ♔f2 ♘b3 54 ♔g2 ♘xc1 55 ♔xh3 bxa4 56 ♘xa4 ♘e2 57 b5 c3 58 b6 c2 59 ♘c5+ ♔d5 60 ♘b3 ♔c6 61 ♔g2 ♔xb6 White resigns
