1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6
3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0
10.0-0 Qc7 11.Rc1 Rd8 12.h3
Spassky had
beaten Fischer with 12.Qe1 in Santa Monica 1966. Anticipating an
improvement from Fischer, he varies first. Nowadays 12.Bf4 is preferred.
12...b6 13.f4 e6
14.Qe1 Na5
14...Bb7
15.Qf2 Na5 16.Bd3 f5 was played in Gligorich-Smyslov 1959.
After 17.e5? c4
18.Bc2 Nc6 19.Rfd1 Ne7 Black enjoyed an advantage.
15.Bd3 f5
16.g4!?
After 16.e5? c4 17.Bb1 Bb7 Black has initiative.16.Qf2 is a
reasonable alternative. But Spassky wants to engage Fischer in a complex
struggle.
16...fxe4 ?
This is bad.
Leonid Stein improved on Fischer’s play and attempted 16...Bb7 17.Ng3 Qd7
18.gxf5 cxd4 19.fxe6 Qxe6.against Spassky in Moscow 1971. After 20.f5 he
should have played 20… gxf5 ! with favourable complications for Black.
Instead he chose 20...Qe7? and the game ended in a draw.
17.Bxe4
Bb7 18.Ng3 Nc4 19.Bxb7 Qxb7 20.Bf2 Qc6 21.Qe2 cxd4 22.cxd4 b5 23.Ne4! Bxd4
24.Ng5 Bxf2+
The
contemporary annotators blamed this move and recommended 24...Bb6. But
after 25.Nxe6 Re8 26.f5 White dominates the board.
25.Rxf2 Rd6
26.Re1 Qb6
Black could also
have tried 26...e5 !? 27.fxe5 Re8 28.exd6 Rxe2 29.Rexe2 Nxd6 30.Ne6 h6
(30...Nf7? 31.Rxf7) 31.Rf8+ Kh7 32.Ng5+ Kg7 (32...hxg5?? 33.Re7+ Kh6
34.Rh8#) 33.Ne6+ =
27.Ne4
Not
27.Nxe6 Re8 28.f5 Rd2 29.Qf3 Rxa2 30.Ref1 Rxf2 31.Rxf2 Qe3 32.Qxe3 ( Not
32.Qb7 Qe1+ 33.Kg2 Ne3+) 32...Nxe3 33.Nc7 Re5 with active play.
27...Rd4 28.Nf6+
Kh8
The alternative is 28...Kg7 29.Qxe6 Qxe6 30.Rxe6 Rf8 31.Ne8+ Kf7 32.Rfe2 Rxf4 33.Re7+ Kg8
34.Rg7+ Kh8 35.Rxa7 R4f7 =
29.Qxe6 Rd6
29...Qxe6 30.Rxe6
Kg7 31.g5 Rf8 32.Re7+ Rf7 33.Rxf7+ Kxf7 34.Nxh7 and the ending is lost
for Black.
But the big
discovery in this CD is the following variation which was supposed to be
winning for White. It doesn’t !
29...Rd1!
Analysis Diagram: after 29...Rd1!
30.Qf7! Rxe1+ 31.Kg2
Ne3+ 32.Kf3! (Not 32.Kg3 Nf5+ 33.gxf5 Qe3+ 34.Kg2 Qe7-+) 32...Qc6+
33.Kg3 Rg1+ 34.Kh4 Rxg4+ 35.hxg4 Qh1+ 36.Kg5 Nxg4!
Analysis Diagram: after 36...Nxg4!
37.Kxg4 Qg1+ 38.Kh3
Qh1+ 39.Kg3 Rd8 ( Not 39...Qg1+? 40.Rg2 Qe1+ 41.Kg4 Qh1 42.Re2+-) 40.Nd7
Qg1+ 41.Rg2 Qe1+ =
30.Qe4 Rf8?
Missing 30...Rad8 !
31.g5 Rd2 32.Ree2 (32.Ref1?! Qe3) 32...Rxe2 33.Qxe2 Qe3
After 34.Qxe3....Nxe3 35.Re2 Nf5 36.Rc2 Ra8 37.Rc7 Ng7 38.Rb7 a6
39.Kf2 is good for White. So Black plays 34…Rd1+! winning a valuable
tempo. 35.Kg2 Nxe3+ 36.Kf3 Nf5 37.Ke4 it is difficult for White to make
progress.
31.g5 Rd2
32.Ref1 Qc7 ?
Not 32...Nd6 33.Qe5
Qd4 34.Qe7+-
32...Rxf2 33.Rxf2
Qe3 34.Qxe3 Nxe3 35.Rd2 is also good for White.
32...Kg7 is better,
with a fighting chance to hold the draw. For example,
33.f5!? 33...Rxf2 34.Rxf2 Qe3 35.Qh4 h5 ! 36.gxh6+( 36.fxg6 36...Qe1+
37.Kg2.Ne3+ 38.Kh2 Nf1+) Qxh6 37.Qxh6+ Kxh6 38.Ng4+ Kg5 39.fxg6 Rd8
(39...Rxf2? 40.g7) 40.g7 Kg6 =
So White should
tighten his grip with 33.h4! Qd4 (33...Rxa2 34.Qe7+ Rf7 35.Qe8 Rf8
36.Qxf8+ Kxf8 37.Nd7+ Ke7 38.Nxb6) 34.h5 Qxe4 35.h6+ Kh8 36.Nxe4 with the upper hand in the ending.
33.Rxd2! Nxd2
34.Qd4 Rd8
If
34...Nxf1? 35.Ne8+ -
34...Qb6?
35.Qxb6 axb6 36.Rc1! Nc4 37.a4! Rd8 38.axb5 Rd4 39.Ra1 Na5 40.Re1
Rxf4 41.Re7 Rh4 42.Kg2 Nc4 43.Kg3 Nd6 44.Rd7 (44.Kxh4 Nf5+ 45.Kg4 Nxe7) 44...Nf5+ 45.Kh2 Ne3 46.Rb7+-
35.Nd5+ Kg8
36.Rf2 Nc4 37.Re2 Rd6
If 37...Qb6?
Analysis Diagram: after 37...Qb6?
38.Re8+! Rxe8
39.Nxb6 +-
38.Re8+ Kf7
39.Rf8+! 1-0
If 39… Kxf8 40.Qh8+ Kf7
41.Qxh7+ wins the queen.
