Second coming
Raymond Keene
The great match between Spassky and Fischer has fully lived up to expectations. The nature of the play has been uncom- promising and full of content and, given that Fischer has not played a public game for twenty years, it was extraordinary that game one of this contest should have resulted in a masterpiece.
This week I commence a blow-by-blow account of the progress of the match.
Fischer — Spassky: 'World Championship Match', Game 1, Sveti Stefan, 1992; Ruy Lopez.
I e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 In the past Fischer has flirted with the King's Gambit but it was no surprise here that he resorted to his standard favourite, the Ruy Lopez. 3. . . a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Rel b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-09 h3 Nb8 The so-called Breyer Defence. It looks retrograde and time-wasting but Black sets up an extremely solid position in the centre. 10 d4 Nbd7 11 Nbd2 Bb7 12 Bc2 Re8 13 Nfl RN 14 Ng3 g6 15 Bg5 h6 16 Bd2 Bg7 In game 3 Spassky was to vary with 16 . . . exd4 which does, indeed, Seem an improvement. 17 a4 c5 18 d5 c4 19 b4 After this ambitious stroke Black has no choice but to open up the queenside with 19 . . . exb3 e.p. As played, Spassky hopes that Fischer will not be able to break through, but experience has taught that these positions are in general too passive for Black. 19 . . . Nh7 20 Be3 h5 21 Qd2 RN 22 Ra3 Ndf6 23 Real While Spassky is condemned to inconsequential shuffling of his pieces, Fischer
Position after 29 Nbl !
conceives the plan of massing his forces for a breakthrough on the 'a' file. 23. . . Qd7 24 R1a2 Rfc8 25 Qcl Bf8 26 Qa1 Qe8 27 Nfl Be7 28 N1d2 The first stage of a brilliant and profound manoeuvre. 28. . . Kg7 29 Nbli (Diagram) The amazing culmination of White's plan. Paradoxic- al though it may seem, White's pieces, bunched into the corner, and especially the knight on bl, exert tremendous influence on the further course of the game. White's threat is to trade all the major pieces on the 'a' file, finishing with the move Na3 to annex Black's pawn on b5. Recognising the hidden force of Fischer's sehemes Spassky seeks to disturb the natural flow of events with a turbulent piece sacrifice. 29 . . . Nxe4 30 Bxe4 f5 31 Bc2 fixd5 32 axb5 axb5 33 Ra7 Kf6 34 Nbd2 Rxa7 Black has a mass of pawns for his sacrificed material. If he can trade off all the major pieces into an endgame he will almost certainly avoid defeat. 35 Rxa7 Ra8 36 g4 The best plan, trying to get at Black's king. 36 . . . hxg4 37 hxg4 Rxa7 38 Qxa7 14 If White were now to play the supine 39 Bb6 his pieces would be offside and Black would enjoy plenty of counter-play. Instead, Fischer ingeniously counter-sacrifices his extra piece to drag Black's king into the firing line. 39 Bxf4 exf4 40 Nh4 A wonderful coup. The grandmasters in the press room were unanimously expecting 40 0d4+ Ke6 which does not lead anywhere in particular. 40 . . . B17 41 Qd4+ Ke6 42 Nf5 Another beautiful blow. If 42 . . . gxf5 43 Bxf5 is a pure check- mate. 42 . . . Bf8 43 Qxf4 Kd7 44 Nd4 Fischer's strategy has triumphed and Black's pawns fall like rotten apples. 44. . . Qel+ 45 Kg2 Bd5+ 46 Be4 Bxe4+ 47 Nxe4 Be7 48 Nxb5 Nf8 49 Nbxd6 Ne6 Black resigns. Fischer intended 50 Qe5 with multiple and deadly threats such as 0b5+ or Nc5+ and Nf6+.
Spassky — Fischer: Game 2.
In game 2 Fischer resorted to his well- known philosophy of heroic materialism, but in a simple endgame he amazingly went astray. In the diagram position he should play 50 . . . Nxc4 51 Bxc4 Rxc4 52 Bxb6 Rxa4 53 Kocc5 Ra2 and there is no way that White can draw. Instead, from the diagram position play continued:
50. . . Nb3 51 Bd5 Rxa4 52 Bxb6 Ral 53 Bxc5 54 Bb4 a3 55 c5 Nd4+ 56 Kd7 Rdl 57 Bxa3 Nc2 58 c6 Rxd5+ 59 Ild6 Draw agreed.
Game 3 saw Spassky gain an endgame advantage but he was unable to capitalise on the full point. But game 4 witnessed a vintage Spassky sacrifice redolent of his best days, to tie the score at 2-2 after four games.
Spassky — Fischer: Game 4.
From the diagram position play continued: 20 Rxc5 Nxc5 21 Bxb4 Rhd8 22 Na3 gxf3 23 gxf3 Nfd7 24 Nc4 Ba8 25 K12 Rg8 26 h4 Rc7 27 Nc2 Rb8 28 Ba3 h5 29 Rgl Kf6 30 Ke3 a5 31 Rg5 a4 32 b4 Nb7 33 b5 Nbc5 34 Nd4 e5 35 Nxe5 Nxe5 36 Rt5+ Kg7 37 Rxe5 Nxe4 38 Bd3 Rc3 39 Bb4 Rxd3+ 40 Kxd3 Nt'6 41 Bd6 Rc8 42 Rg5+ Kh743 Be5 Ne8 44 Rxh5+ Kg6 45 Rg5+ Kh7 46 Bf416 47 Rf5 Kg6 48 b6 Rd8 49 Ra5 Bx13 50 h5+ Black resigns.
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