This
is a game that is mainly just (in) text-score - with a few diagrams.
You will probably
want (or need) a chessboard. (!)
Click HERE to see this game in a Java-Script replay format. (No annotations.)
*** Click HERE to see an explanation of some of the symbols that I use in annotating chess games. ***
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***********************************************************************************************************
GAME NUMBER FOUR (# 4.) 1/4-final; Candidates Match.
Quite simply one of the greatest games of chess ever played.
I have been over this game literally
hundreds of times.
(I have taught it
to dozens of my students.)
It is a
truly grand game of chess that even
GM's of today do NOT fully
understand!
(Virtually everything {negative} that has been
written about this game is wrong.)
Perhaps the greatest ending ever
to demonstrate the superiority of
a Bishop
over a Knight ... with an
open (or semi-open) position; and
pawns spread on
BOTH sides
of the chessboard!
REMEMBER:
Bobby Fischer won this match, 6-0
... SIX WINS, NO LOSSES,
NO DRAWS!!!
***
The ratings here are exact and were
taken from Jeff Sonas's web site.
{The April 30th, 1971 - Rating
List.}
Fischer was Number ONE in the
World at that time, and I think that
GM Mark Taimanov was like
number thirteen. (# 13.)
[ By comparison - the # 13 player
in the world currently, {FIDE, July 2003};
is GM Vassily Ivanchuk
of the
Ukraine at 2710. ]
***********************************************************************************************************
1.e4 c5; 2.Nf3 Nc6;
3.d4 cxd4; 4.Nxd4 Qc7;
A normal Sicilian.
But already there are signs that
something is wrong ...
Taimanov
is NOT using the variation that
is named after him! (4...e6)
Perhaps the Soviet team has not
yet figured out an antidote to the
gambit that Fischer used in the
second game of this match?
[ Why not play: 4...e6!?; which is named ... "The TAIMANOV Variation?" ]
Taimanov figures a way to get
back to one of his more favorite
lines,
if not his # 1 set-up.
5.Nc3 e6; 6.g3, ('!')
This is the variation that Fischer
prefers to use against the type
of
formation Black has chosen.
(See his game versus M. Tal from
Bled, 1961. And his game {ct} vs.
T. Petrosian in 1962.)
[ With the moves: 6.Be2 a6;
7.0-0 Nf6; 8.Be3 d6; {Diagram?}
play transposes to a more
'conventional' line of the Sicilian.
(White probably has a small
edge in this position.) ]
Play proceeds relatively normally,
with both sides developing their pieces.
6...a6; 7.Bg2 Nf6; 8.0-0 Nxd4;
One of the main lines here.
[ Instead, the continuation in a well-trusted opening's reference,
is the
following continuation:
8...Be7; 9.Re1! Nxd4!?; 10.Qxd4 Bc5;
11.Qd1 d6; 12.Na4 Ba7;
13.c4! Bd7;
{Diagram?}
The end of the column.
14.Be3 Bxe3;
15.Rxe3 0-0; 16.Nc3 Qxc4; 17.Qxd6,
"+/=" {Diag?}
White has a small, but solid edge
in this position.
Djuric' - Gostisa; Yugoslavia, 1991.
[ See MCO-14; page # 302;
column # 1, and all applicable
notes -
especially note # (f.). ]
]
9.Qxd4 Bc5!?;
An attempt to develop the Black
dark-squared Bishop to an active
post, rather than shut it in behind
its own pawns.
[ After the moves: 9...d6;
10.h3 Be7; 11.Be3 0-0;
12.Rad1,
"+/=" {Diagram?}
White has a fairly small, but
secure edge in this position. ]
10.Bf4!,
Easily the best move for White ... and it leads to a clear advantage for
the first player here. (But this was all known to theory at that time, I
believe.
Even Taimanov himself had once used this move.)
('!' - GM Andrew Soltis.)
[
White could also play:
10.Qd3 d6;
11.Bf4 Nd7; 12.Na4 e5; 13.Bd2,
"+/=" {Diag?}
with a slight edge for White.
(This continuation gives White a much
smaller edge than
in the actual game.)
GM R. Huebner - GM K. Bischoff; Munich, (GER); 1988. ]
10...d6;
{See the diagram just below.}
This could be forced.
[ After: </= 10...Bxd4?!;
11.Bxc7, {Diagram?}
Black has difficulty in the
ending, due to his weaknesses
and the fact that he is so far behind in
his development.
(I.e., ...Bxc3?!; bxc3,
"+/=" and White is better.
but definitely not now
...b5??; d5! winning.);
***
Definitely not: 10...Qxf4?; 11.Qxc5 Qb8;
12.e5! Ng4;
13.Ne4, '±' {Diagram?}
("+/") and
Black is in BIG trouble. (Maybe "+/-") ]
***********
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The position just after 10...d6.
**********
11.Qd2 h6;
This is probably the best ... and
the most accurate.
[ Inferior is: </= 11...Nd7!?;
('?!') 12.Rad1
Ne5; 13.Na4 0-0;
14.Qc3!,
'±' {Diagram?} ... "with
a big edge" to White.
- GM
Andrew Soltis. ]
12.Rad1 e5!?;
This creates a hole on d5 ...
which Fischer promptly begins
to exploit.
(But Black had almost
no choice here, he had to
defend his attacked d-pawn.)
[ If 12...Ke7!?; then 13.Na4!, "+/=" with an advantage. ]
GM
Andrew Soltis also awards an exclam to White's (up-coming)
fourteenth move in this game.
13.Be3 Bg4; 14.Bxc5! dxc5;
This is forced.
[ Of course not: </= 14...Bxd1?;
15.Bxd6 Qb6; 16.Rxd1, "+/-" {Diag?}
and White should be winning. ( -
GM Yuri S. Balashov.) ]
15.f3,
This move is obviously best.
A curious note: I did a position search, and according
to CB's on-line
database ... this actual
position has occurred 29 times!!
[ 15.Qd6!? Qxd6; 16.Rxd6 Rd8; "~" ]
15...Be6; 16.f4 Rd8!?;
Taimanov felt this was best, and
this whole line may have been
prepared in advance by the
Soviet team.
[ Or 16...0-0;
17.Nd5, "+/=" {Diagram?}
and White maintains an edge. ]
17.Nd5! Bxd5; 18.exd5 e4;
At this point, it was obvious from
the looks on the faces of the Soviet
contingent that they felt their
player had done well out of
the opening.
('!'
- GM Andrew Soltis.)
{Soltis likes Black's last move so much, he
gives it an exclam.}
Many GM's - like R. Byrne -
give White's next move an
exclamation point.
(The move is so refined ... it may deserve two!)
19.Rfe1!,
This is probably the best move here, although some have looked
at other tries here for White.
Fischer
explained later that he did NOT want to play c4 - although this
move looked good - as the Bishop was ultimately blocked in.
[
Another author prefers the move c4 in this position, and gives
the following
variation:
19.c4!?
0-0; 20.Rfe1 Rfe8; 21.Re2 b5!?; 22.b3
Rd6?; {Diag?}
Why this ugly move?
23.Rde1 Qe7?!; 24.Bxe4!?,
{Diagram?}
Soltis likes this so much he gives it an
exclam.
( Better was: >/= 24.Qc2!, '±' {White is better.} )
24...Nxe4; 25.Rxe4 Qxe4; 26.Rxe4
Rxe4; 27.Qa5, '±' {Diagram?}
White is clearly better from here, but a
win is NOT an absolute
certainty. - Analysis by GM
Andy Soltis. ]
19...Rxd5; 20.Rxe4+ Kd8!?;
Taimanov felt this was forced.
[
Less attractive was:
</= 20...Kf8?!;
21.Re8+!, ("+/=")
{White is definitely better.} ]
Soltis
likes Fischer's next move so much that he awards this move
an exclam in his annotation's of this game. (See the bibliography.)
21.Qe2 Rxd1+; 22.Qxd1+ Qd7;
Most annotators have said that
this was forced for Black.
[ Or 22...Kc8; 23.Re5, "+/=" ]
23.Qxd7+ Kxd7; 24.Re5,
('!') {See the
diagram just below.}
This forces Black's reply.
(A noted author also likes this move. {For White.} '!' - GM Andrew Soltis.)
**********
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The position just after White plays 24.Re5.
**********
Now Fischer begins a clinic on the
correct way to play these types
of positions.
[ 24.c3!? ]
***
Notice how Fischer will now:
A.) Attack Black's a-pawn and
force it to advance;
B.) Tie the Black Rook down to the
defence of the f-pawn;
C.) Begin a King-side pawn advance,
that Taimanov feels obliged to stop.
(Thus fixing his pawns on the same
color of the White Bishop.)
***
24...b6;
I am not sure this is forced, but it is very hard to find anything that
is distinctly better.
[
One author offers the following continuation:
24...Kd6;
25.a4!, {Diagram?}
This is definitely best.
( Not 25.Bxb7!?, when 25...Rb8; "<=>"
{Diag?}
gives Black a measure of counterplay. )
25...b5; 26.a5,
"+/=" {Diagram?}
... and ... "Black's
Queen-side becomes highly vulnerable."
- GM
Andrew Soltis. ]
25.Bf1!
a5;
GM Andy Soltis provides the following very illuminating comment:
"This weakness proves fatal 30-plus moves later, (57.Ka6!).
But otherwise Black loses a Pawn immediately.
(25...Ra8; 26.Bc4, Ng4; 27.Re2.)"
26.Bc4 Rf8; 27.Kg2! Kd6;
28.Kf3, ('!')
Of course Fischer is well aware
that the King is a fighting piece
in the ending.
[ 28.Re1!?, "+/=" ]
28...Nd7; 29.Re3! Nb8;
30.Rd3+ Kc7;
GM Yuri Balashov - a member of the Russian Team for this match - later
wrote in a Soviet magazine, that this move was forced.
[
Probably even worse for Black was the continuation:
</= 30...Ke7!?; ('?!')
31.Bb5!, "+/=" {Diagram?}
and the Black Knight has no moves.
(piece domination)
Now if ...Rd8??; White simply exchanges Rooks, and then
plays the move Ke4, winning easily.
]
Several
authors have praised the scope and depth of White's play ...
with the plan initiated by Fischer's next move.
31.c3, ('!')
{See the diagram
just below.}
One could almost give every move
that Fischer plays an exclam in
this
wonderful ending. Note now
that a Knight on c6 is denied the
use of
both the b4 and d4 squares. ('!'
- GM Andrew Soltis.)
**********
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The actual game position following White's (last) move, 31.c3.
**********
[ 31.h4!? ]
31...Nc6; 32.Re3 Kd6; 33.a4!,
This is extremely important ... the Black Q-side pawn skeleton
is now fixed.
Watch how White
will later exploit the infiltration
route of e2-d3-c4-b5, etc.
[ 33.g4!? ]
33...Ne7; 34.h3! Nc6;
35.h4!, "+/=" {See the diagram just
below.}
With the idea of:
(pawns) h4-h5, g3-g4,
King-g3-h4,
and then
(pawn) from-g4-to-g5!
[ GM M. Taimanov felt the plan
of simply playing (pawn/g3) to
g4
and then g5 would yield
White a tangible advantage. ]
Fischer himself - at a New York
chess club, shortly after the match -
demonstrated that his plan now is
to expand on the King-side with his
pawns ... gain space, and perhaps
open more lines.
**********
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The exact game position immediately following White's move, 35.h4!
**********
The only question now is will
Taimanov allow Fischer to fulfill
his plans ...
or try to somehow
prevent White from accomplishing
the ideas outlined
above?
[ 35.b3; or 35.Re1!? ]
35...h5!?;
{Box?}
Taimanov felt this was forced.
IT WAS ALSO PART OF A PRE-MATCH STRATEGY WORKED
OUT
BY THE RUSSIANS!!!
(Keep the
positions as closed as possible.
Fischer, at least in his youth, had
not
displayed the mastery and
command of closed and semi-closed
positions that he
had clearly shown
in wide open positions!)
The authors of the book:
"The Games of Robert J. Fischer,"
by Robert G. Wade and Kevin J. O'Connell;
give this move a question mark ...
but offer no analysis to back up
their assertion.
[ </= 35...Kc7?!; 36.h5!, "+/=" ]
Now a seemingly harmless
check is offered ... but poor
Taimanov
pondered quite some
time on his reply.
(The Black Monarch will be forced
to remain on one side of the board,
{or the other}; for some time.)
36.Rd3+! Kc7; 37.Rd5 f5;
Black had to defend his h-pawn
somehow ... he also had to try
and liberate
his poor Rook from
guard-duty at f8!
[ Not 37...f6??;
38.Rxh5, '±' {Diagram?}
(White is clearly better.
"+/")
***
Maybe 37...g6!?; {Diagram?}
but White could be tempted
into f4-f5! ]
38.Rd2! Rf6;
39.Re2 Kd7; 40.Re3! g6!?;
Right around here, the game
was adjourned.
The Russians ALL ... FELT CERTAIN!! - that Black could draw ... without too much difficulty.
****************************************************************
Grand-Master
Andrew Soltis (also) likes Whites (up-coming) forty-second move
enough to award it an exclam. (Pointing out that Rd3 was not as
precise.)
41.Bb5 Rd6; 42.Ke2! Kd8!?;
{See the diagram just below.}
Condemned by some authors, .........
(see the Wade & O'Connell
book again);
Taimanov felt that
this was FORCED to prevent a
Rook intrusion into e8.
I have analyzed this ending very
deeply ... sooner or later, Black
will be
forced into trading Rooks,
so I feel it does not matter.
(Besides, the team of Ruskies
working here, felt this B vs. N
ending was
DRAWN anyway!)
**********
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The position in the game, immediately following Black's 42nd move. (...Kd8.)
**********
[ Or 42...Kc7!?;
('?!') 43.Re8,
"+/="
and White is slightly better.
Also unattractive was: </= 42...Rf6!?;
43.Kd3 Kd8;
44.Kc4
Kc7?!; 45.Re8, "+/=" {D?}
(White is better.)
- GM Andy Soltis ]
Now Fischer dumps the Rooks.
(At the time, several GM's felt
this was NOT the correct approach
and that Fischer would be UNABLE to
win a pure ...
"Bishop-vs.-Knight" ending!)
GM Andy Soltis also likes White's 43rd move enough to award it an exclam.
43.Rd3! Kc7; 44.Rxd6 Kxd6;
45.Kd3 Ne7; 46.Be8!,
This ties down Black's Knight. ('!'
- GM Andrew Soltis.)
[ 46.b3!? ]
46...Kd5; 47.Bf7+ Kd6;
This is forced.
Now here comes the White King
invasion I warned you about
earlier
in the game.
48.Kc4 Kc6; 49.Be8+ Kb7;
50.Kb5 Nc8;
"With a cute threat of 51...Nd6 mate." - GM A. Soltis.
('!' - GM Andrew Soltis.)
****************************************************************
Now
GM Andy Soltis likes White's fifty-second move enough
to award it an exclamation point.
51.Bc6+! Kc7; 52.Bd5, ('!')
52...Ne7;
According to Geller, the Soviet
team of analysts had already
(deeply) analyzed
this position,
prior to the 2nd playing session.
[
Much worse for Black was:
</= 52...Nd6+!?;
53.Ka6 Ne4; 54.Bf7 Nxg3; 55.Bxg6 Ne2;
56.Bxh5!
Nxf4; 57.Bf7! Kc6; 58.h5, '±'
(Maybe "+/-") {Diag?}
and White's h-pawn will cause
Black significant problems.
- Line by GM Andrew Soltis.
]
***
Now White maneuvers slowly ...
almost imperceptibly ... and
uses a highly
skillful series of
zugzwang positions, to eventually
force Black into the exact
set-up
that he wants.
***
(GM
Andy Soltis also awards an exclam to White's 53rd move in this fabulous game.)
53.Bf7! Kb7; 54.Bb3! Ka7;
<< Black can only shift back
and forth to avoid the (impending) zugzwangs.
Taimanov later confessed he "felt like Dr. Watson,
who could only play
along - and admire the resourcefulness and imagination of
the great
Sherlock Holmes!" >> - GM Andrew
Soltis. (page # 249}
(In his book on Bobby Fischer.)
55.Bd1, ('!')
According to the report in the
newspaper, Black looked a little
surprised
at White's 55th move.
[ 55.Be6!? ]
55...Kb7; 56.Bf3+ Kc7;
This is completely forced.
(Black cannot allow White to
invade with his King. Then Bobby
would simply
march over to the
Kingside and eat all of Black's
Pawns on that wing.)
[ </= 56...Ka7?!;
(Maybe - '?') {Diag?}
This is an error.
57.Bg2 Ng8;
58.Kc6, '±' {Diagram?}
and White could be winning.
]
Now White continues to (try)
and tie Black up.
57.Ka6 Nc8;
Some sources have the Knight going to g8 here ... but I do not think it
really
matters. (We transpose back to the game in just one move.)
{Another example of taking a game from a database ... and the score turning out to be incorrect!!??!?}
[ Was the move: 57...Ng8!?;
{Diagram?}
the one actually played in this
historic game?
Now GM Andrew Soltis gives the possible variation of:
58.Bd5
Nf6; 59.Bf7 Ne4; 60.Bxg6 Nxg3; 61.c4!
Kc6;
62.Ka7
Kc7; 63.Bf7! Ne2; 64.Bxh5 Nxf4; 65.Bf7!,
'±' {Diag?}
followed by h5, when White is
definitely better here. ]
58.Bd5!
Ne7;
This could also be forced.
[ </= 58...Nd6?!;
59.Bg8! Ne4; 60.Bf7! Nxg3;
61.Bxg6 Ne2;
62.Bxh5!, '±' {White is clearly
better.} ]
59.Bc4! Nc6;
60.Bf7 Ne7; 61.Be8!,
This is definitely the best move in this position ...
many masters (also) award this move an exclam.
('!' - GM Andrew Soltis.)
[ 61.b3, "+/=" ]
61...Kd8;
{See
the diagram just below.}
This was forced ... but White seems
unable to make any progress.
**********
|
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The position in the game just after Black played the <forced> move, 61...Kd8.
**********
(in
this position) ... If the Bishop (now) retreats to f7,
Black plays Kc7, and
a draw by
repetition of position looms on
the horizon.
[ 61...Nd5??; 62.Bxg6, "+/-" ]
White
to move ... what move would YOU make in this position?
62.Bxg6!!, (Maybe
- '!!!!') {Diagram?}
This beautiful move is the culmination
of White's entire end-game strategy.
Now White's King gobbles pawns on
the Queen-side ... and then starts
shoving his passers. Black is very
strangely helpless to do anything
to
prevent this.
[ 62.Bf7 Kc7; 63.Be8 Kd8; "=" ]
62...Nxg6; 63.Kxb6 Kd7;
64.Kxc5 Ne7; 65.b4!, (Maybe - '!!')
{Diag?}
Apparently Taimanov confessed
after the game that he thought he
still
might have drawing chances ... until Fischer played this stellar
move.
('!' - GM Andrew Soltis.)
White has won enough material.
Now the key to winning is based
on two salient points:
# 1.) SPEED! White must not give
Black a chance to organize a
defence ... or
time to clip White's
King-side pawns and start a pawn
race of his own;
# 2.) ROOK-PAWN! Knights have
GREAT difficulty with pawns on or
near the
edge of the board.
Therefore White must activate a passed
RP ...
and shove it up the board.
[ 65.Kb5!?, "+/=" ]
Fischer's technique is probably
perfect and borders on being both
heavenly and sublime. No further
comment is needed.
(GM Andrew
Soltis also awards White's 70th move with an exclamation point.)
65...axb4; 66.cxb4 Nc8; 67.a5 Nd6; 68.b5 Ne4+;
69.Kb6! Kc8;
70.Kc6! Kb8; 71.b6, ("+/-")
Black resigns.
(His position is hopeless.)
*******
[ White wins easily, for example: 71.b6 Nxg3;
72.a6 Ne2!?; {Diag?}
Perhaps an error, but you can't
blame a guy for trying. (Nxf4)
(After the moves: >/= 72...Ne4; 73.a7+! Ka8; 74.b7+!! Kxa7;
75.Kc7!, "+/-" {Diagram?} Black is clearly lost.)
73.a7+ Ka8; 74.Kc7 Nxf4; 75.b7+ Kxa7;
76.b8Q+ Ka6; 77.Qb6#.
Q.E.D. ]
*******
Fischer's play in this game is so
good, that this game should be studied
REPEATEDLY ... until the very
essence is absorbed into your own
subconscious.
One of the best endings of this type
that was ever played. The play here
more resembles a composed ending
or a problem; than the hurly-burly
world of 'real' chess.
***********************************************************************************************************
Bibliography:
I consulted the following books in an attempt to annotate this game:
# 1.) "Both Sides
of The ChessBoard,"
by GM Robert Byrne
and IM Ivo Nei.
(One of the finest
match books ever written.)
# 2.) "The Golden
Dozen,"
(The twelve greatest players who
ever lived ... plus a small
selection
of annotated games for each player.);
by Irving
Chernev.
(Easily one of the 25
best chess books of all time!!!)
# 3.) "The (complete - collected)
Games of Robert J. Fischer,"
edited
by Robert G. Wade and Kevin J. O'Connell.
(Required reading ...
for any aspiring master!)
# 4.) The FISCHER CD-ROM
... (ChessBase);
by GM Robert Huebner.
(Brand - new ... but
VERY good stuff! Every Fischer fan will
enjoy
this.)
#
5.) The excellent new book:
"Bobby Fischer - rediscovered,"
by GM Andrew
Soltis. (Copyright © 2003.)
{A
good book, which contains a re-examination of Fischer's games.
It includes two
games he played in 1992 - against Boris Spassky.
It is the only
really new or noteworthy Fischer book in the last
15-20 years.
Just ignore most of the question marks ... many of
these could
have been '!?' or even '?!' In fact Soltis seems to have
converted to
the "Modern School" of annotating. What this means
is that if
someone - perhaps using a computer - 25 years later has
discovered a
'!' move ... then the original move is given a full
question mark.
I must state for the record that this is stupid.}
**********
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby I.
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby,
1975 - 2002.
Copyright (c) A.J.G; 2003.
***********************************************************************************************************
(All games ... HTML code initially) Generated with ChessBase 8.0
This is not the
"long" version of this game, but a job of annotation I did
specifically for my
web pages. If you would like a printed copy of this game, I would be glad to mail it to
you.
(For a very modest fee, mainly to cover the costs of paper, printing and mailing/postage fees.)
December 08-09, 2003: I received so many e-mails about this game ... perhaps dozens, really more than I care to count. At first I thought, "I think I have covered all the bases in this game, there is really no need for me to update it." But it seemed more e-mails came in all the time about this game. Then GM Soltis came out with his new book, and then I felt that I really had no choice. Anyway, I took about a week and reviewed Soltis's analysis with a computer. Rather than concentrate on possible errors, (and there were a few - I don't think Soltis uses a computer); I decided instead to focus on the analytical and stylistic issues raised by Soltis. So after spending over a week with Soltis's book - I took several days to add comments and re-work the analysis of this game. This was NOT a small job, the task of transferring the notes from my CB copy of this game to the HTML copy took over two days! In the long run, I feel you should find most or all of the issues raised by Soltis's work have been addressed here.
I still want this to be considered the definitive analysis of this game ... at least on the web.
If you would like to e-mail me, then click here.
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***
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***
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(Last
up-dated: Monday;
June 26th, 2007.)
Last edit or save on: 06/26/2007 00:54
hrs.
Copyright, (c) A.J. Goldsby I
Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 1995 - 2004. © A.J. Goldsby, 2005. All rights reserved.
