Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
B. T. Batsford Limited
London
First published in the USSR
This selection first published 1972
©English translation - The Chess Player 1972
7134 OS37 8
B. T. Batsford Ltd.
4 F itzhardinge Street, London WlH OAH
Contents
viii
Preface
Bronstein had taken the lead by winning the fifth game but Botvinnik
responded with two successive victories and the whole match was
conducted in just such a tense cut and thrust atmosphere, with not a single
grandmaster draw. After the twentieth game Botvinnik held a point lead,
but then two successive victories by his opponent radically changed the
whole situation. However in the penultimate game the challenger failed to
appreciate all the finer points of a simplified position and lost a classic
ending (game 9). This game, like several others in the match, showed
Bronstein's weak points to be a dislike for playing simple positions and a
tendency to underestimate endgame technique.
Hence the whole issue was decided by the last game in which Bronstein
sought complications by sacrificing a pawn in the opening, but Botvinnik
defended accurately and offered a draw in a position in which he stood
b etter. Bronstein accepted after long thought and so the match was drawn
twelve all.
To repair the obvious faults which were due to his lack of practice,
Botvinnik then took part in two top chess events - the XIX U.S.S.R.
Championship and the Maroczy Memorial Tournament. His results in both
of these showed that he was still far from his best form, and he was
subjected to criticism by his colleagues and friends, notably by Ragozin in
an article in "Chess in the U.S.S.R." of 1952.
Botvinnik also found it difficult at this time because the very methods
of scientific training and preparation which the Soviet School had
developed with his co-operation, had produced a fine new generation of
players 1uch as Taimanov, Geller, Averbach, and Petrosian.
However, the next Soviet Championship showed an improvement in
Botvinnik's play and in a number of crucial contests wit�1 his main rivals
Keres, Geller and Bronstein the former confident Botvinnik reappeared As
a result he tied for first place with Taimanov and won the play-off match.
Then came Botvinnik's turn to defend his title again, this time against
Smyslov who had convincingly won the marathon 28 round Candidates'
Tournament played at Zurich in 1953. A notable contrast between this
match and the preceding one was that whereas Bronstein preferred to
conduct the main fight in the middle game, Smyslov preferred to go into a
number of crucial opening lines as a result of which the 1954 match made
a significant contribution to opening theory.
Botvinnik began the match well by exploiting Smyslov's failure to make
the most of his drawing chances in the adjournment session of the first
game, and then won the second in fine style by a typical Botvinnik move
JO P-KN 4! (game 19). After six games the title holder led 4� I� and the
challenger's chances were assessed very pessimistically by the experts.
However the situation changed when Botvinnik lost a drawn ending in the
seventh game, and after Smyslov had won the ninth game by an elegant
que-=n sacrifice, he proceeded to win the next two as well to take the lead.
Then came Botvinnik 's best achievement in the match. (see game 21) which
resulted in another kaleidescopic change - Botvinnik scoring four points
out of five to lead by two points after nineteen games.
Once again, however, as in the Bronstein match, Botvinnik played badly
4
at the end of the match and the score was again level with the last game to
play. This game, in fact, was the only one not to be played to a finish as
after Botvinnik had gained the advantage, Smyslov offered a draw when
each player had six pawns and seven pieces left. Naturally Botvinnik
accepted this surprising offd and so once again retained his title after a
drawn match.
The next three years saw Botvinnik very active, playing on top board
for the U.S.S.R. in the 1954 and 1956 Olympiads and getting good
percentages. In the XXII Championship in 1955 he experimented a great
deal without much success, and so shared third to fifth places. In this
event he played a number of complex endings of which the most notable
was his study-like win in an opposite bishop ending versus Kotov (game
28).
Botvinnik was in fine form in the 1956 Alekhine Memorial Tournament
held in the birthplace of the great Russian genius.. In the last round against
Keres, Botvinnik only had to draw to ensure winninit first prize oO.tright.
Many players in such a situation would have chosen an opening system
which would allow speedy simplification, but that is not Botvinnik's way.
!le chose a complex variation of the Sicilian, came under strong attack and
lost his only game of the tournament, so letting Smyslov draw level with
him. The latter had already won the 1956 C andidates event so that such a
result provided a most fitting prelude to the next World Championship
duel in the spring of the following year.
In this match Botvinnik took the lead at the start, but thereafter
Smyslov seized the initiative and hung onto it to the end winning by six
wins to three with thirteen draws, and thereby became the seventh World
Champion. Botvinnik, with his usual objectivity, admitted that Smyslov's
victory was deserved. He played confidently in this match without any
great tension, made fewer mistakes and analysed the adjourned games
better. Nevertheless the breakthrough, in Botvinnik's opinion, came as late
as the eighteenth game in which he adjourned with some advantage, and
took it that his opponent could not exchange rooks and transpose into an
opposite bishop ending as this ending would be a win for Botvinnik.
However, Smyslov, in fact, chose to do this very thing, Botvinnik could
not find a win and offered a draw in a position which he subsequently
published as a study in which he claimed a win! After this upset Botvinnik
could no longer play at full strength as he felt that he was now failing to
assess positions correctly.
According to F .I.D.E. rules, Botvinnik had the right to a return match
within a year on the same conditions as the original match.Many people
wondered whether Botvinnik would exercise this right. The public and
even well qualified commentators are usually strongly influenced by the
most recent results and the score of the 1957 match was quite a
convincing one in Smyslov's favour. Thus one Soviet commentator wrote,
"At the transitional point from the first half of the twentieth century to
the second, M. M. Botvinnik was undoubtedly the strongest player in the
world, but when the second half of the century began this proposition
became somewhat doubtful .. .. Smyslov has shown that the three year
5
period since the last match has been profitably used by him. Now he has
gone ahead of Botvinnik, a full three points ahead"
It is possible that Smyslov himself was one of those who were
convinced by this line of reasoning. Two months after his victory he wrote
an article which might be open to the interpretation that he thought that
Botvinnik now belonged to the past history of the game.
Botvinnik decided to exercise his right and informed the President of
F .I.D.E. of his decision in July 195 7. Thus he had only nine short months
in which to improve his form, and his chances must have appeared slim to
most people, especially as he did not play a single tournament game during
this period However, those who reckoned on an easy victory for the
World Champion failed to take account of Botvinnik's ability to diagnose
the causes of his failures and his ability to overcome them. Certainly his
challenge was no mere symbolic gesture. So in 1958 the world saw a new
Botvinnik, well prepared both physically and psychologically.
Right away in the first game he surprised his opponent by adopting the
Caro-Kann which he had never played before. Smyslov was unprepared for
this, handled the opening rather superficially and ultimately lost. Note the
strong impression made by Botvinnik's twelfth move, Q-Q5 ! playing his
queen to the very centre of the board which is normally disadvantageous
on a full board (game 42).
In the second game Smyslov strove for complications but made some
slight inaccuracies and lost again. In the third game he got a good position
but overlooked a fairly simple combination and lost yet again. Hence in
the space of six days, the three points by which he had "got ahead" of
Botvinnik had evaporated. Nevertheless these reverses did not break
Smyslov's will to win as he could remember the 195 4 match in which he
had been 314-14 down, yet fought back to draw the match. However,
though he-fought hard this time, he did not succeed in reducing his deficit.
Botvinnik conducted the fifteenth game very strongly and adjourned with
a material and positional advantage. The expectation was that Smyslov
would not even play on from the adjourned position as only a miracle
could save him. Nevertheless a miracle did occur. In the adjournment
session Botvinnik made his task harder than was necessary, surrendered his
extra pawn, and then in a position where he still had good winning chances
with only two moves to make in a few minutes, completely forgot about
the clock and lost on time - a unique occurrence indeed!
The remaining games showed clear signs of fatigue on both sides,
especially the eighteenth in which the advantage swung to and fro several
times. Finishing up with a score of seven wins to five with eleven draws,
Botvinnik won back the title and was crowned champion for the fourth
time.
Just as the chess world was thus seeing the end of the titanic series of
games Botvinnik versus Smyslov, it fell to its lot to look on at an even
more gripping series of events. The Riga player Mikhail Tai, who was born
in the year of Botvinnik's Nottingham success (1936) scored a series of
marvellous victories and at the early age of 23 won the right to a World
Championship match, without having once played the current title holder.
6
Tal's meteoric rise to the summit, and his bold style, captured universal
attention. As a Soviet journalist remarked, apart from the case of Morphy
there was no other player who had so stirred the imagination of the chess
public as Tai.
The first game of the Botvinnik-Tat match saw the former true to
himself adopting his favoured 3 .. B-N 5 variation in the French
.
Defence. However, this was just what Tai wanted, an early upsetting of the
balance, tactical threats and, finding himself in his element, he forced
resignation on the 32nd move.
Then Botvinnik changed his plans and went over to the Caro-Kann
which had served him so well against Smyslov.He succeeded in getting the
play into manueuvring channels and in the next four games he achieved
the sort of position which did not appeal to Tai, and the latter's attempts
to force matters put him close to defeat. Thus in the third game Tai chose
to play (after 1 P-K4 P-QB3 2 N-QB3 P-Q4 3 N-83 B-N5 4 P-KR3
B x N) the strange recapture 5 P x B which was universally criticised, and
in the fifth'had to play very hard to save an inferior ending.
However, the very next day Tai achieved his aim and by a typical
intuitive piece sacrifice forced Botvinnik to rely entirely on the calculation
of concrete variations. Botvinnik blundered when he failed to see a
winning line, which his opponent too had missed, and lost. The next game
too was lost by the title holder probably under the influence of the
previous game and so he fell three points behind Two wins in a row
thereafter almost levelled the scores and the match was only decided in the
l 7th game which saw a repetition of the third in that Tai played what
seemed a clearly inferior move and Botvinnik got the better game.
However, when he was two pawns up, he made a losing blunder on the
39th move when in serious time trouble. Hence Tai became the youngest
World Champion in the history of the game.
However the match did not solve the "problem of Tai" iri the sense that
it did not provide an answer to the question whether the so-called intuitive
style was the very latest word in the development of the game which was
destined to replace the classical style of play in its modern scientific sense.
Tai himself, summing up on the match, expressed the opinion that one
should not draw the conclusion that the combinational school had
triumphed over the positional as the result of the match had been
influenced considerably by Botvinnik's inadequate practical preparation
which had given rise to many cases of time trouble and lack of confidence.
Before he won the World Championship, Botvinnik rarely got into time
trouble, and when he did he rarely blundered. Now, however, with
advancing age his life-long custom of checking all likely variations and
attaching less weight to intuition led to fatigue and therefore to errors.
Once again, just as three years previously, the intriguing question was -
would there be a return match? Botvinnik was now on the threshold of his
fiftieth year, his name was already written for all eternity in the annals of
chess history, he had achieved so much that he could well have taken his
rest and let the younger ones fight on. All the same he chose to exercise
his right yet again and, one rather thinks, not seeking further glory but
7
the problem of age seemed intractable and Tal's victory (six wins to two
with thirteen draws) looked more impressive than Smyslov's in 1957.
However the lessons of 1958 were not so easily forgotten and the
authorities on the whole preferred to refrain from forecasts. As Euwe
wrote, only Lasker had played top class chess at the age of fifty, but one
could not exclude the possibility that after a year's deep study, Botvinnik
would find a solution to his problems and so would be bracketed along
with the German colossus as a marvel of longevity.
In the return match, Botvinnlk did, in fact, manage to achieve what he
had failed to do a year previously. He imposed his own method of play on
Tai, and deprived the younger man of the possibilities of choosing
"intuitive" lines, or when Tai did choose them, exacted too high a price in
return. Tai stubbornly kept on paying the price and made more and more
antipositional decisions (see for example his P-QN4 in game 60). However
Botvinnik showed that against a player who had full mastery of all the
modem arsenal of the games' weapons, such methods were doomed to
failure. Consider, for example, the forcing way in which Tai tried to
complicate matters in the ninth game (Tai Black ): 1 P -QB4 N-KB3 2
N-QB3 P-K4 3 P-KN3 P-83 4 N-83 P-K5 5 N-Q4 P-Q4 6 P x P
Q-N3 7 N-N3 P x P 8 B-N2 P-QR4 9P-Q3 P-R5 10 B-K3 Q-N5 11
N-Q4P-R612 N-B2! Q xP 13 B-Q4
Tai has made eig�t pawn moves and three queen moves out of twelve.
He has managed to complicate matters and he has won a pawn, but White's
superior development gave Botvinnik a clear advantage and though the
game went to another sixty moves, Tai was unable to save it.
Nor is it true to say, as Kotov did, that Botvinnik scrupulously avoided
all complications and would even give away part of his advantage to get
simple clear positions in which Tai became bored In fact probably no
other World Championship match of the twentieth century abounded in
sharp positions in which the balance of position or material had been
disturbed, but Botvinnik assessed these positions no worse than did Tai.
Despite the fact that by the fifteenth game Tai was five points behind,
he did not give up, and won the 17th and 19th games. He was very close to
victory in the 20th tpo, in which Botvinnik managed to save an apparently
hopeless rook and pawn ending in a game that went to a record 121
moves. Botvinnik, however, finished off the match strongly (see game 62)
and a score of ten wins to five with six draws meant that for the second
time he had won back the world crown - a real sporting feat, a triumph of
logic, will power and preparation.
Having returned for a second time to the chess throne, Botvinnik began
to think seriously of v oluntary abdication. He made a half joking hint
about this at the closing ceremony in 1961 when he pointed out that he
had not won any of his four World Championship matches (two draws and
two losses) and could only win return matches. Now that the right to a
return match had been removed his position had become critical. In fact
this tradition of the defending champion doing badly goes back as far as
the 1921 Lasker versus Capablanca match, and was not broken (and that
8
Petrosian soon took himself in hand and did not try to force matters,
which was perhaps what Botvinnik had e x pe ct ed and although he had to
,
withstand serious pressure in several of the early games he took the lead by
winning the fifth and seve n th. Botvinnik levelled the sc ore s by winning the
fourteenth game, but then made a psychological error. He tried too
ambitiously to go one better, chose a difficult variation of the Gruenfeld
and lost in face of Petrosian's accurate e xploi t a t io n of a small advantage.
The result still remained in doubt till the eighteenth game which was
adjourned in a position about which different authorities held conflicting
views. Petrosian himself only expected a draw, but straight away after the
adjournment Botvinnik chose the wrong plan and lost. Botvinnik was
without a second in this match, apparently relying on his many years of
analyti ca l experience. However this time it let him down, p robably
because of fati gue. No less than thirteen of the eighteen games had been
acljoumed and demande d deep study, in which Petrosian had the help of
Boleslavsky. If one does not count the last three games of the match in
which Botvinnik had largely given up the fight, all the othergames were
contested very stubbornly and were normally decided in the ending.
The opening repertoire too was somewhat unusual. I P-K4 was never
played, apd instead of the fashionable Indian Defences, the players
preferred to play various forms of the Que en s Gambit. Petrosian displayed
'
high level technique, exact positional j udg ment and staying power, and by
winning five games to two with fifteen draws became the ninth World
Champion.
At the closing ceremony Petrosian. declared, "We all consider ourselves
pupils of M. M. Botvinnik, the acknowledged leader of Soviet chess
9
players. F uture generations too will learn from his games." B otvinnik
attributed h is defeat to his failure to adjust properly to P e trosian's style
and to lack of form despite the fact that he had trained himself in
accordance wjth all the rules of his previously successful practice.
Moreover he considered that nowadays the World Champion was merely a
first among equals and Pe trosian's play and results since 1963 seem to
confirm this.
However, Botvinnik's chess career was far from over, and in some ways
one could take the view that his play since the loss of the title in 1 963 has
shown little s ign of deterioration ( apart from the European Team
Championship at Hamburg in 1 965).
Certainly his more frequen t appearances in mixed tournaments in
recent y e ars have shown him in a very favourable light, as the will to win
which has always marked his p lay is shown to l:.o�st advantage in such
events rather than in World Championship matches where the
determination not to lose seems a more valuable quality.
The year following the Petrosian match saw Botvinnik make what was
his last appearance for the Sovi e t Union in an Olympiad when h e played
second board a t Tel-Aviv. He was not selected for the Havana Olympiad in
1966 when Smyslov and Keres too were dropped as part of what seemed a
pol icy of preferring youth for this most exacting event. Then in 1965
came Botvinnik's withdrawal from the C andidates' Matches for which h e
h a d qualified as the loser of the 1963 match. H i s statemen t justifying h i s
decision came as a disapp ointment to h i s supporters a s his victories over
Petrosian (game 78), S myslov (game 79) and S tein (game 8 0) had shown
that he had not lost the knack of beating the stronge st players in the
world. H e argued, however, that he did not like the F.I.D. E. decisions
connected with the conduct of the World Championship, in p articular its
removal of the right to a return match. Moreover the p rospect of h aving to
play about 56 gam es in a s ingle year as p art of the new Candidates'
Match /Tournament would mean, he declared, that he would h ave to give
up for that year both his ordinary work in electricity technology and in
the drawing up of a programme for a chess playing computer , a step that
he was not prepared to take.
However, he still continued to show both this year and in subsequent
years that he remained one of the strongest players i n the world - see his
victories over World Championship candidates Larsen (game 84) and
Spassky (game 98 ) .
The first sign of a slight weakening of Botvinnik's powers came a t t he
end of 1969 when he could only come seventh in a tournament at
B elgrade which, although strong, was won by players against whom, with
the exception of G eller, he had had up to now a plus score.
The reason for this comparative failure was almost certainly the harsh
playing schedule under which there were no rest days and adjourned games
were compl eted on the same day as actual rounds.
Nor did Botvinnik impress too much when he was back in B elgrade the
following Spring. Several good judges thought he was put on too low a
board in the U . S.S.R. team against the R es t of the Worl d, and that h e
10
would score two or three wins against Matulovic. However, the ingenious
Yugoslav got away with only a minimal minus score.
Shortly after this there came Botvinnik's last long tournament - the
rather strange match/tournament of four at Leiden. The event featured
some excellent chess but even the victor, Spassky, complained about the
difficult nature of a competition in which there were no outsiders.
Certainly the high percentage of draws makes the promotion of such
events a doubtful business in these days when more stress is being laid on
attracting a live public as well as on satisfying the growing numbers of
chess supporters who play through the games months afterwards.
Then, late in 1970, Botvinnik formally announced his retirement from
top class play, indicating that he might play again in minor events when
(some might say in wishful thinking "ir') he had finished the task of
preparing a programme for a chess playing computer.
So ends the chess playing career of a genius who many think must be
put on a par with Alekhine and Capablanca.He has met every holder of
the world title except Steinitz, has a plus score against a great majority of
the world's leading players of the last four decades, and has largely
determined by his own example the future development of chess along
both scientific and creative lines.
11
1 Moscow 1 947
Black : A. Tsvetkov
Catalan Open!ng
B-B4.
26 Q -N3 1
This move is decisive as Black
can no longer satisfactorily meet
the threats of 2 7 Rx P and 2 7
P-Q5 followed by ·B - R7.
26 R(2 )-Q I
2 7 P -Q5 KP x P
28 B- R7 Q R-Bl
29 Q x NP P-KB4
23 R-Q2 30 P x QP Resigns.
2 Moscow 1 94 7
Black : V. Ragozin
Nimzoindian Defence
19 B�B l Q-N l
20 R-KN 5
Decisive as i f 2 0 . . . N - K l then
2 1 N-R5 P - B 3 22 N x P+.
20 QN -Q2
{Diagram in next column)
21 R x P+ ! Kx R
22 N - R5 + K-N 3
Retreat t o the back rank was
also hopeless.
23 Q-K3
Mate is now forced. Black
stopped the c l oc k when he had
only a few seconds left.
17 N x P+ 25 P x R
18 K-N l N x B+ 26 Q-Q4 P-B6!
19 QxN Q x QBP
20 KR- K l P-K R 3
This is . play able· though it look s
risky. White ' s attack cannot
succeed as his own king is op en, so
Black prepares to exchange off his
bishop by B-N2 which was not
feasible at once because of N-N5
followed by N x KP .
21 R-K5 Q-B2
22 P-KN 4 B-N2
23 Bx B
Or �3 R x NP B x B 24 R x R
B x R while if 23 P-N5 then
23 . . . P-N5 24 Q-K3 B x B 25 27 P-N3
Q x B N-Q4 threatening Q x R. I f 2 7 Q x P+ Q- B2 while the
23 Rx B answer to 27 QNP x P is
24 P-N5 2 7 . . . Q- B 5 .
White was not keen on 24 27 Q-Q2
R x KP N x P 2 5 R-KN6 Q-B2. 28 N-B 2 P- B 7 +
24 N-Q4 29 K- B I p x J>
25 R(l) x N 30 R x NP Q-K3
His last hope - a mutual time 31 R-K5 Q-Q3
scramble. In that case, as the ninth 32 KxP R-B2+
game had shown, the main role is 33 K-Q2 Q- B 4
not played by material advantage. Now even time trouble cannot
(The reference is to the famous help White.
game where Botvinnik won a rook 34 Qx Q RxQ
on move fifteen by a combination 35 N-Q3 R-QB3
involving a temporary queen 36 RxP P-R3
sacrifice, but made a number of
· 37 P-R4 R-R3
errors in a time scramble and the 38 P-R5 R ( 3 )- K B 3
game was ultimately drawn on 39 P-N4 R- B 4
move forty- one after adjournment 40 R-Q6 R ( l)-B 3
analysis - B . C . ) Resigns.
24
.2 4 B x N+
25 Bx B PxB
26 P-N5
A movt: characteristic o f the
y � u ng Bronstein. I n a lost position
he starts stirring up muddy waters
in a very clever way - by trying to
open up Black's king position.
26 p x p
27 px p Q-Q l
28 Q x P+ K-R l
29 Q-N 4 !
Black's king is lacking i n pawn
S ubsequently i t was established cover and the white QP is
that this move leads to a draw. dangerous but after all a piece is a
Hence Black should have made the piece.
very delicate intermediate move 29 Q- K l
21 . . . P- R 6 ! which is the sort of 30 P-N6 B-R 3
move one can only find in analysis The only defence, but adequate.
but hardly in practical play . Then if 31 Q x RP K- N2
22 B x P P-QB4 23 N x P B-Q4 32 P-Q7 Q-Ql
and Black's bishops- are very 33 QxP B-N4
dangerous, while after 2 2 B- B 3 , as 34 P-QR4 Q-K2
the reader will shortly see, White 35 Q-N4 Q-B3
would be denied the drawing 36 K- R2
chance which now presents itself. O r 36 P x P P- B 6 ! 37 P x P
22 Q-N4 Q x BP 38 Q x B ( 3 8 P-Q8 ( Q)
Missing his opponent's 23rd Q- N 6 + 3 9 K- R l Q-R5+ and t hen
move and so losing a piece. The 40 . Q x P+ and 41 . R x Q)
drawing line was as follows :- '22 38 . . . Q-N4+ 3 9 K- B l Q- B 5 +
P-Q7 R-Ql 23 P- B 5 P-B4 24· 4 0 K- N l Q x P+ 4 1 K- B l Q- B 5 +
N - Q6 B x B 25 P x P (this is the and 42 R-N l +.
difference, with the bishop 36 P-N5
capturing on K B 3 , White would not An inacc uracy in time trouble.
have this chance ) 25 . . . P x P 26 36 . . . P - B 6 won at once.
Q x P + K- R 2 27 Q- B 5 + with 37 R- KN I
perpetual. N or can White avoid the B e l ter 3 7 Q x P but White is
draw as after 2 7 R-K l R-K B l 28 relying on a deep trap.
N- K8 R-B8 29 Q x Q R x R+ 3 0 37 P-N6+
K-B2 P x Q 3 1 P-Q8 (Q) R-K 7 + 38 K-R3 B-K6
3 2 K-Q l B-B 6 h e would b e badly 39 Q-R5 B-R3
placed: Black n o t ices in t i m e that
22 P-KB4 3 9 . . . R- K R I is met -by 40
23 Q-N6 P-B4! P-Q8 (Q) Q x Q (40 . . . R x Q(4)
24 P-KN4 4 1 Q x Q+ K x Q 42 P-N 7 or
24 N x P Q x N 2 5 B x B would 40 . . . R x Q ( l ) 4 1 Q- R 7 + K- B l
obviously be bad because of 42 P-N 7+) 4 1 Q- K 5 + and 42
25 . . . Q-KB 7 ! Q x B.
Maroczy Memorial Tournament, Budapest 1952 33
40 QxP R- Q l 42 K-R2
4 0 . . . B- K 6 ! wins a t once. 43 K-N4 R-N l +
41 R-Ql 44 K- B 5 B-K6+
The last chance was 4 1 Q x B P ! 45 Qx B Q-N 3 +
as Black n o w wins prosaically by 46 KxP QxQ
cap turing the KNP. 47 P-Q8(Q) RxQ
41 KxP 48 RxR Q-K3+
42 Q-N l + 49 R-Q5 P-R4
,Now it is too l at e for 4 2 Q x BP 50 P-R4
- 42 . . . B- B l + 43 K x P R-N l +. and R e signs.
S o he s h o w s h i s h a n d at l as t -
the king will go to KR2. It soon
becomes cle\f.r that White has
nothing b e t t e r than to exchange his
black square bishop, which he
could have done earlier with greater
effect.
17 N-B4 K-N l
18 QN-K2 K-R2
19 B x N P x B
20 P-QN4 R- R l
21 P-N5 B-N2
22 P-QR4 KR-Kl
23 B-R3
By trying to solve h i s task b y of the chance to carry out a pawn
using t h e p i e c e s alone, White adva n c e which is so ne cessary to
gradually gets a difficult position, give his bishops more scope. The
but the closed nature of the obvious 3 1 . . . K x P ! followed by
position militates against Black P-B4 a t the appropriate time
achieving much. should decide the game. Now the
23 N-N l )Vin is very difficult, if indeed
24 N-B l Q- Q l p ossible at all in the face of
25 N -N 3 ! accurate defence.
Forcing P-K4 w h e n t h e position 32 K-N2
becomes even more rigid. . 32 R-B 7 would be met by
25 P - R4 33 . . . B-K3 forcing the rook to
26 Q- Q l N-R3 retreat.
27 N ( 4)-K2 P-K4 32 R-R2
28 P-B4 33 N- N l B-KR3
This i s p l ayed very l a t e i n the 34 N- R l !
day and White fails to get adequate Se tting off to defend the key
compensation for the weakness point K3.
created on his K 3 . 34 R-K R l
28 B-QB l 35 N-B2 K- N l
29 P-KB5 36 R-B2 QR - R 2
C o n demoing himself to 37 Q-K2 B-N4
passivity. He could try to 38 K- R l B-B5
complicate matters by 29 Bx B To gain time for further
Qx B 30 P x P P x P 31 P-B5 ? ! thought. White naturally now
but see mingly without much avoids 39 P x B P-N6.
suc cess - 3 1 . . . P x P 32 Q-B 2 39 R-N2 B-N4
B - B l e tc. 40 R-KB 1 B-K3
29 N-N5 41 R ( l )- B 2
30 B x N P x B Analysis of the adjourned
31 P x P+ position showed that Black could
(diagram in nex t column) win only if he could play a rook to
31 p x p the K B file via KB4. Putting the
A serious lapse, depriving Black rooks on K B l and KB2 would only
Maroczy Memorial Tournament, Budapest 1952 35
41 B-K3
R e signs.
R -B 7 ) R-B2 31 Q- R4 ( 3 1 Q-R5
Q-Q4 32 P-B5 Q-R4 ! )
3 1 . . . Q-B l 3 2 B-B 3 ! ( 3 2 R-R3
R-B 8 + ) White ough t to win. T h e
move 3 2 B-B 3 was found by
"C zechoslovak players if
32 . . . R x B 33 Q-R8+!
27 P-N7 R-Kl
A rare case of mutual chess
blindness. Only after the game was
it established that Black could take
the pawn with his king. In the heat
of the moment, this seemed too
risky to both players. After
2 7 . . . K x P ! attempts to attack the B-Kl R-R4 ! ) .
king by 28 R-N2+ K-B2 or 28 32 P-K4
.Q -R5 R-B2 fail as the king would After long thought Taimanov
be safe on K2 or K l . True by 28 decides on a line that is equivalent
P-B 5 ! K-B 2 ! 29 P-K4 K-K2 30 to resignation. H owever Black no
B -Q2 White would still have some longer had a satisfactory defence.
practical chances of drawing. After 33 R-R3 Qx R
27 , , . R-K l , Black loses by force. 34 QxQ P x BP
28 Q-R8+ K- B 2 35 PxP B-N3
29 Q-R5+ 35 . . . R-K8+ was also bad
By comparison with the because of 36 K-B2 R x B 3 7
variations given after the 2 6 th Q-R 7 + ! and mate i n two.
move, White has won a vital tempo 36 B-N2 R-N4
for doubling his major pieces on the 37 K- B l
KR file. The KNP is now definitely This avoids the last trap - 37
not to be captured · 2 9. . . K x P Q-Q7 R-K8+ 3 8 K-B2 R x B + 39
(or 29 . . . K-K2 30 Q-R7) 30 K x R R x R 40 Q x P R-QN 7 .
R-N2+ K-B l 3 1 Q-R8 (or R6)+ 37 B-R4
K-K2 3 2 R-N 7 + N - B 2 33 38 R-QB2 R-N6
R x N+ ! 39 Q-Q7 R ( 6 )-K6
29 K-N l 40 Q x RP R-K8+
30 R-KN 2 N-B2 41 K-B2 B-B2
31 R-B3 ! R-R4 42 Q x R+ Resigns.
32 Q- R4 ! 42 . . . R x Q 43 R x B R-N l 44
(diagram in n e x t column) K-B3 leaves no doubt about the
This quiet queen retreat finally outcome of the game.
• nakes it clear that B lack's po si tion
is indefensible. In fact if
32 . . . P-B4 33 Q-R5 threatening
34 R-R3, while after 32 . . . Q-B3
3 3 Q-R8 + ! and mate in three.
32 . . . Q-B2 is also bad because of
33 B-Q2 Q-B 7 34 B x R ! (but not
34 R - R3 because of Q-Q8 + 35
49
"
Smy slov . had successfully Apparen t ly even in 1 9 5 4 S myslov
employed th is defence in , th e didn't know this game.
Candidates' Tournament at Z urich 8 BxB
so it wa s n o surprise that h e ch ose 9 KxB PxP
it in h i s very first game as B l ack. Of course n o t 9 . . . N x P 1 0
4 P-K3 P-QN 3 QN x N ! P x N 1 1 Q- R5 P-QB3
But th is was hard to understand 12 N - K 6 P-N 3 1 3 Q-K5 B - B 3
as at Zurich he h ad played 1 4 N x Q B x Q 1 5 N x KBP.
4. . . P-B4. Why change a tested 10 P-KN 4!
line? Th e t ex t leads to a line Very unpleasant fo r B lac k!
analagous to th e one used by Master Shainswait played here 10
Bronstein against me in the fifth Q - B 3 P - Q B 3 and only th e n 1 1
game of our 1 9 5 1 match . I lost th at P-K N4, but after 1 1 . . .0-0
game and th e line was also met with achieved noth ing as the knigh t h as a
in subsequen t games w here I was convenient retreat square o n K 1 .
Wh ite against Moiseyev and Fine won th at particular game.
N ovotelnov ( XIX USSR Now h owever, 1 1 P -N5 is a
Ch amp ionsh ip 1 9 5 1 ) . I d i d n o t get strong th reat.
any particular advantage out of 10 P -Q B 3
th ose games either, wh ich A fter this B lack i s in a very bad
apparently was sufficient way. Th e correct line was
"psychologic al " reason fo r using it 10 . . . P -K.N 4 th o ugh then after 1 1
in this match. N - R 5 N x N 12 P x N Q -Q 2 1 3
5 N-K 2 B-R3 Q- B 3 1 4 P-K4 is promising for
Th is rath er unusua l move is White.
characteristic o f B lack's ch o sen 11 P-N5 KN- Q2
line. Forced , as th e o th er move ,
6 P -QR3 B-K2 1 1 . . . N - K 5 , leads, after 1 2 N x N
7 N-B4 P -Q4 P x N 1 3 P - KR4 B-Q3 1 4 N - R 5
8 PxP 0-0 1 5 Q - N 4 th reatening N - B 6+,
Against Novo telnov I played 8 to th e clear loss of a pawn.
P-QN 3 as at t ha t time I assessed 12 P-KR4 B-Q3
th e p iece sacrifice 8 . . B x B 9
. Failing to fo rei;ee h i s opponent's
P x P B- R 3 1 0 P x P+ K x P 1 1 inten tion to open th e centre by
Q-N 3 + K- K l 1 2 N-K 6 Q-Q2 1 3 P -K4, B lack makes h is position
N x NP+ K- Q l 1 4 N-K 6+ K-B l even worse. However, Wh ite h as an
a s not disadvantageous for B lack. l u ndoubted advantage after
think that Bondarevsky' s 12 . . . 0- 0 1 3 P-K 4 P x P 1 4 N x P
suggestions, 1 1 P - K 4 , can give N-B4 1 5 N x N P x N 1 6 B-K3.
50 World Championship Match, Moscow 1 95 4
13 P-K4! PxP
14 NxP BxN
15 BxB 0-0
16 P-R5 !
Black's game is lost as White
threatens to provoke irreparable
weaknesses in his king po sition by
P-R6, e.g. 16 . . . N-R3 1 7 P-R6
P-N3 ( 1 7 . . . R-K l is too late - 1 8
P x P R x N 1 9 Q- R5 K x P 2 0
Q x RP+ K-B l 2 1 B-Q6+ K-K l
22 Q x R+} 1 8 Q-R4 N-B2 1 9
Q x B P o r 1 6 . . . Q-K2 1 7 Q-B 3
Q-K3 1 8 P - R 6 P-N 3 19 N -Q 6 !
and 2 0 R-K l . Hence Black must Q-R5 22 R-N 4 Q-Q l 2 3 R- B l
attack the knight and drive it away which also left h im with no real
from control of KB6. hope.
16 R-Kl 20 Q x QP
17 N-Q6 R-K3 Smyslov chooses the first
It was better to give up the alternative, which is most in
exchange straight away by keeping with his style.
1 7 . . . N-B l 18 N x R Qx N 21 Qx Q p x Q
threatening Q-K5 . If Black should 22 R-QB l
manage to establish a knight on his The ending is hopeless for Black.
Q4, he could put up considerable 22 N-R3
resistance mainly because of the 23 P-N4 P-R3
slightly poor white king position. 24 R-R3 K- R2
18 P-Q5 25 R-Q3 N-B3
Simple and convincing as the 26 P-N5 N-B4
variation 1 8 . . . P x P 1 9 Q x P 27 BxN PxB
N - R 3 20 N x P ! K x N 2 1 P-N6+ 28 R x BP R-N l
P x P 22 P x P+ K-K2 2 3 B-Q6+! 29 P-R4 R-N2
K-B3 (23 . . . R x B 2 4 Q-B7 30 R( 3)-QB3 Resigns.
mate) 24 Q-B 3+ K x P 2 5 R-N l + 30 . . . N-K5 is met by 31 R- B 7 .
K- R2 2 6 Q-B5+ i s hopeless for
Black. He has to give up the
exchange though this is only a
slightly better alternative.
18 RxN
19 BxR QxP
20 Q-B 3 !
(diagram in nex t column}
The last difficult move in the
game. Black is forced to choose
between exchanging queens, and
thereby losing all hope of
exploiting the exp osed white king,
and the line 20 . . . P x P 2 1 R-KN l
51
7 B-K3 ! (7 N-Q5 8 B x N
. . .
P x B 9 N -N 5 ) White would
profitably advance P-Q4. Now
however, if 7 B-K3 Black can reply
either 7 . . . N-Q5 or 7 . . P - K 4.
.
7 0-0 B-N2
8 P- B 4
Hardly a good advance. I t was
certainly better to play 8 B-K3 so
as to meet 8 .N-Q5 by 9 B x N
. .
24 XI Olympiad, Amsterdam 1 9 5 4
Black : G. Stahlberg
Reti System
25 XI Olympiad, Amsterdam 1 95 4
Black : N. Minev
Queen's Gambit D eclined
BP x P ( 19 . . . B x QBP 20 P x B 26 Q x Q+ KxQ
R x B 21 Q x R B x P 22 N-Q6+ 27 p x p PxP
Q x N 23 Q x B) 20 N x B+! R x N 28 R-8 7 + K-83
2 1 B-N 5 ! ! ( 2 1 . . . R x P 22 P-86 29 B-K3 K-Q4
followed by B-K 3 ) when the Black 30 -R x K RP
p osition is hopeless. It was also possible to play 30
Unfortunately I did not see this QR x P .
continuation either during the game 30 N- B 3
or in the p ost-mortem. The move 31 B-B4
2 1 B-N 5 ! ! only occurred to me Once again White commits an
several days later when I was having oversight. He doesn' t notice his
a stroll. opp onent's pretty obvious reply.
19 N - R5 P-B5 ! ! Now the game begins again. After
I had overlooked this 31 R-KR 5 + K - B 5 ( 3 1 . . . K-K5
intermediate move. The threat 32 R-K l ) 32 R -B 5 + the game
B-R6 is now eliminated and ought to end quickly.
instead of a quick win, White has to 31 R ( 3 )- QI
be satisfied with a p ositional 32 B- B 7 R-KR l !
advantage. In this way Black keeps the
20 Nx B P x B -white rook away from Q7. An
21 N x B+ R x N exchange of rooks is forced and the
2 1 . . . Q x N was h ardly better in QP is lost.
view o f 2 2 Q x P P x P 2 3 Q- B4+ 33 R-N7 R( R l ) -N 1
K-N2 24 P-B5. The exposed 34 R-R7 R-K R l
position of the black k ing gives 35 R-N7 R ( R l ) -N l
White the advantage. 36 R- B 7 R (N 1 ) -B I
22 QxP PxP 37 QR-K B l R x R
Black would also be badly o ff 38 Rx R R-QB l
after 22 • . N x P 23 B-K3 K-N l
. 39 B-K5
24 P-Q5 . In the resulting rook ending the
23 Q-K2 Q-N2 centralised p o sition of the black
No better were either king gives him reasonable
23 . . . R x P B-K 3 or 23 . . . R-Q4 counterchances.
24 P-B5 R x BP 25 R x R P x R 26 39 NxP
Q-R6+. 40 BxN K x B
24 P-B5 41 K-B2
With the opening of the diagonal The sealed move. Possibly
KR2 /QN8 , the position of the slightly simpler was 41 R x P or the
black king becomes so bad that immediate 41 P-KN4.
Minev is prepared to go into an 41 P - R4
ending two pawns down merely to If 4 1 . . . R-QN l the same
avoid immediate loss. answer would follow as in the game
24 N- Q4 whereas after 4 1 . . . R - B 7 + 42
25 QxP N xP K- 8 3 R x QNP 43 P - R 4 P-R4 44
Also hopeless for Black is P-R5 R-N8 45 K-N 4 P-K4 46
25 . . . P x P 26 Q x P+ K-N l 2 7 R-Q7+ K-B5 47 K- B 5 there can
P-KN 3 ( but n o t 2 7 Q x B P R x P + ! be no doubt of White's decisive
2 8 K x R N - B 5 +) . advan tage.
XI Olympiad, A msterdam 195 4 67
26 XI Olympiad, Amsterdam 1 95 4
Black : M . N ajdorf
King's Indian Defence
K4. 26 Q- Q2 Q-N5
15 P-B4 Q-K2 27 P -KR3 Q-N3
16 QR- B l 28 Q-KB2 P-KR4
29 K- R2 P-R4
30 B-R3 P-QN4
31 B-B5 P-N5
The breakthrough P-QR5 has
now become feasible.
32 R ( 3 )� B l KR-QBl
33 B-Q4 B-B7
To win time on the clock.
34 R-Q2 B-K5
35 R(2)-Ql Q- B4
36 Q-K2 Q-N3
37 Q-KB2 P-QR5
38 R x R+ R x R
39 P x P Q- K l
At this point I was afraid of 40 R-Q2 Qx P
B - K l - R4, thinking that thereby So Black has succeeded in
White would get a positionally won feeling out another object of
game. True, after the immediate 1 6 attack, the QRP. But this modest
B-Kl R-Kl 1 7 B-R4 Q x P + 1 8 achievement was clearly inade quate
Qx Q R x Q 19 B x N P x B 20 for winning the gam e . After the
N x P R-Q 6 2 1 N x P + K- R l the simple 41 R-N 2 White would
position is unclear, but Black maintain the balance, but he sealed
should not now have tempted fate a weak move and had to struggle on
by putting his rook on Ql as after in an ending a p awn down.
that move 17 B-Kl would have 41 Q-R4 R- B 7
been stronger. 42 R x R Qx R
16 R-Ql 43 Q- N 3 Q x RP
17 R-QB2 Unfortunately there is no time
So my fears were unnecessary - for 43 . . . K-B 2 (44 P-B5 ! B x BP
my opponent did not notice the 45 Q-B3 with a strong attack ) .
bishop manoeuvre. 44 B x P Q x P+
1 7· B-QB4 The reader who is familiar with
Now White has no compe:Qsation my game with Kotov in the XI
for the weakness of his K4. U . S .S.R. Championship 1 9 3 9 , and
18 N-R4 B x N the XIII U.S.S.R. Championship
19 Q x B B-B4 1 944, will observe that his KN2
20 B-N4 Q-Q2 square was a fatal one in his game
21 R-QB 3 N-K5 with me.
22 R(3)-B l P-QN 3 45 Qx Q B x Q
23 KR- Q l P-B3 46 B:- Q4
Black's l as t two moves were 46 B-K 7 is no better after
measures to restrict the scope of 46. . . P-N6 when Black remains a
the enemy bis�p. pawn up. H ow ever, a win is very
24 N-B 3 N x N problematical.
25 R x N B-K5 46 B-K5
XX/I USSR Championship, Moscow 1955 75
47 K-N3 K-B2
48 P-R4 P-N3 • •
49
50
K-B2
K-K2
K-K3
K-B4
• • • •
51 K'-Q2 K-N5 • ·�• t •
52 B-B6 K-N6 8 D t B IJ :t
53 B-K7 K-R 6
54 B-B6
IJ B e.
N aturally not 54 B x P Kx P • •••
when Black 's RP is too dangerous.
54 K-N5
•
55 B-K7 B-B4!
At this point I realised that
Black's bishop must defend his
QNP from K3.
56 B-B6 K-B6
57 B-K7 P-N 6 The N P must be guarded ( see
58 K-B3 B-K3 note to move 5 5 ) .
58 . . . K x P 5 9 K x P K x P 60 61 px p
K-B3 K-K6 61 B-N5+ K-K5 62 If 61 B x P Black wins by
K-Q2 is only a draw. 6 1 . . . K-N6 62 P-N6 K x P 63
59 B-B5 K-Q2 K - R 6 ! ! 64 B - B 6 P - R 5 65
Kotov fails to spot a decisive K-K2 K-N 7 !
combination. He could save the 61 K-N6
game by 59 K-Q2 as after Of course not 6 1 . . . K-N5 62
59 . . . P-N7 60 K-B2 Kx P 61 P-Q5 B x P 63 B-B2 with a draw.
K x P K x P 62 K- B 3 White 62 B-R3
doesn't lose, as the reader has 62 P-N6 K x P 63 P-N7 K-N5
already seen. makes no difference.
In losing control over the 62 K x P
diagonal KR4/Q8 White allows the 63 K-Q3 K x P
blocking of this important line of 64 K-K4 P-R5
defence and B lack creates a pass�d 65 K- B 3
KRP. Or 6 5 P-Q5 B x P +
(diagram in nex t column) 65 B-Q4+
59 P-N4 ! Resigns.
60 BP x P Probably my most elegant
60 RP x P also loses in view of ending with opposite coloured
60. . . P-R5 61 B-Q6 B-B4 62 bishops.
P-N6 B xP 63 P-B5 B x P 64
K x P K-N 7 .
60 P-Q5 + !
76
l N-KB 3 N-KB 3
2 P-KN 3 P-KN 3
3 B-N2 B-N2
4 0-0 0-0
5 P-Q3 P-B4
White's opening formation is
justified only i f Black plays both
P-Q4 and P-QB4, thus producing
a reversed King' s Indian Defence
with an extra tempo for White. If,
however, Black abstains from one
of these pawn moves then he has
good chances of equalising.
6 P-K4 N-B3
7 QN-Q2 P-Q3 I feel that Korchnoy would not
8 P-B3 N-Kl have played this unless he was
9 Q-K2 N-B2 convinced that his opponent had
10 N-N3 P-N 3 overlooked the combination.
Although the positioning of the The exchanges it in volves are
bishop at QR3 looks very tempting grist to Black's mill as he now frees
it does not turn out too well. himself from his cramp ed po sition
Probably better was 10 . . . P-K4. without too much bother.
11 R-Ql B-QR3 19 NxN
12 B-N5 P-R3 20 Bx N P x B
13 B-K3 K-R2 21 P-Q6 Q-Q2
14 Q-B2 22 P x N Qx P
Now White will have some 23 P-B4
advantage after the inevitable Looks natural, but in fact White
P-Q4. weakens his Q4 without obtaining
14 P-K4 any advantage in return. The
15 P-Q4 Q-K2 manoeuvre N - Q2 - B l - K 3 would
16 P-Q5 guarantee him equality.
A plan worthy of approval. 23 P- N 5 !
Black's game is cramped · and in Of course not 2 3. . . P x P
view of his bishop at QR3 and the because of 22 B- B l . Now it is not
weakness of his KNP he will not easy for White to realise the knight
find it easy to get in the counter manoeuvre reco mmended
P-KB4. previously, for example 2 4 N-Q2
16 N-Nl QR-Q l 2 5 N- B l R x R and White
17 P-QR4 N-Q2 loses either his QRP or his QBP. As
18 P-R5 P-QN4 Black controls QB6 he only has to
19 N x BP advance his pawn to KB5 in order
XXl/ USSR Championship, Mosc o w 1 955 77
advance P - K B 4. 44 Q- B2
26 B-Bl B-QN 2 45 N-N 3 B-B2
27 P-B 3 B-N4 46 B-Bl K-B l
28 Q-B2 B-K2 47 B-K2 Q- B3
29 B-K2 K-N2 48 N-B l
30 R xR Here too 48 . . . Q-R5 leads
White i s forced to exchange both nowhere be cause of 49N-Q3. If
pairs of rooks so as to simplify the the black king were on QB2 this
position somehow and so free m a n o e uvre would w o rk
himself from the constant worry of (40 . . . B - Q 3 ) . But how can the
defending Q4. king be transferred to the Q-side?
30 R x R The exchange of queens is unwise
31 R-Ql R x R+ as then the ending becomes
32 B x R B-QB l drawish. B-Q3 is met by P-N5, so
33 Q-Q2 B-K3 for the moment Black has to
34 B-K2 B-N4 defend his KP by putting the king
35 Q-Q3 P - B4 on B 3 .
36 K-B2 P-B5 48 Q-B2
Rather straightforward play. 49 N-N3 K-- K l
This move was better made after a 50 Q-Ql B-K3
preliminary P-R4 so as to render 51 K- B l B-Ql
more difficult the blockade of the 52 K-N2 B-K2
K-side which somewhat limits the 53 K- B l K-B2
activity of the black bishops. 54 K-N2 K- B 3
37 P-N4 P -R4 55 Q- K l Q-Q2
38 P-R3 B-K2 56 Q-B2 Q-Q3
T h e blocked nature o f the The way to QR5 is still closed:
position reduces Black's winning 5 6 . . . Q- R5 5 7 N x P Q x P 58
chances. H i s hopes lie in the N x B.
weakness of the white pawns on the 57 B- B l Q-B2
Q-side. 58 Q-Q2 Q- B 3
39 K-Kl B-R5+ 59 Q- K B 2 B-B2
40 K- B l Q-K2 Now there is a real threat of
The last move before the time 60 . . . Q- R5 6 1 N x P Q x P . The
control. Adj ournment analysis game would then be opened up and
allowed me to envisage a plan of the black Q-side pawns supported
how to continue. by the bishops would press
41 Q-Q l Q-QB 2 forwards. After the following check
42 Q-Q2 B - K2 White is no longer able to prevent
78 XXII USSR Championship, Moscow 1955
threatened. 1 0 P x P P x P 1 1
N-QN5 gets nowhere if only
because of 1 L . . B-Q2. Hence
White 's next move is forced but
after it the initiative passes over to
Black.
IO P-Q4 B-B 4
It becomes clear that Q-B2 was 21 PxP BxP
premature. Forced, as if 2 1 . . N x P 2 2
11 Q-B l N-K5 N x N B x N 2 3 R - Q 7 ( t h e move
12 R-Ql NxN missed by S tahlberg) 23 . . . R-K B l
Black wrongly goes for 2 4 P-QN 4 an d Black loses a piece.
simplification after which White no 22 P-QN 4
longer stands worse. 12 . . . R-QB 1 22 N x B N x N 23 B x N Q x B
was essential. 2 4 R-Q7 gets nowhere because of
13 BxN B-K5 24 . . . R-K2.
14 N-Kl 22 P-QN4
If 1 4 B - R 3 B x N 1 5 P x B A witty response. The retreat of
P-K3 and White's two bishops Black's queen to B2 would be
would give him no advantage at all. followed by 2 3 N x B N x N 24
14 Bx B Q-B3 P- B 3 25 P-K4 and a
15 Kx B N-Q2 subsequent P - B 4.
16 Q-B2 Q- B 2 23 p x Q
17 B-N2 QR-B 1 White chooses the simplest line.
18 QR-B l PxP In an ending his advantage i s even
Black aims for counterplay by more obvious because B lack finds it
P-K4. It was probably safer to get difficul t to defend the weak pawns
rid of the threat P x P by on the Q-side.
1 8 . . . Q-N l . 23 PxQ
19 Q x BP Q- R4 24 Nx B
20 N-Q3 P-K4 Also good was 2 4 R x P B x B
(diagram in nex t column) 25 N x B R x P 2 6 R x N R x N 2 7
2 0. . . Q-Q4+ 2 1 P-B 3 Q x Q P-QR4 followed by R-KB4.
80 XJI Olympiad. Mosc o w 1956
18 Kx B Q-K2
19 N-K4
Properly sp eaking this is an
unconvincing move as Black can
easily def end his KR3 and the
knight occupies a far from
"permanent" square. However,
White has no really p romising
possibilities in the current
position a pawn attack by P-K4
and P-KB4 is clearly too late.
19 KR-QI
20 P-KR4 Rx R
After this move I felt rather
better I realised that my If 22 . . . K-R3 then 2 3 N-B 6 !
opponent had overlooked a tactical ( 2 3 . . . R x R 2 4 N - N 8 + ) with very
finesse. Apparently he considered unpleasant threats. After the text
that he merely had to exchange Black loses two pawns.
rooks in order to conclude a peace 23 N x P! K-B2
treaty. This was correct so long as I f 2 3 . . . R x R then 24 N-:-Q5+
he first made one more accurate or 2 3 . . . R-Q5 24 P-K3 !
move - 20 . . . P-B3. 24 Rx R Qx R
21 RxR -R-Ql 25 N xP N-K3
(diagram in nex t column) 26 Q-K5 P-QN4
My supposition was thus 27 N - N5+ Nx N
confirmed. Here too i t was essential 28 Px N Q- R I +
to play 2 1 . . . P-B3, although 29 P-K4 Q-QB I
Black would have had to concede 30 K- B3 P-B5
the Q-file. 31 PxP Qx P
22 Q-N2+ P-B3 32 Q-Q5 + Resigns.
30 P-N4
Now the threat of 3 1 Q-Kl
cannot b e met. White could also
win by 30 R - N l + K x R 3 1
Q-R l + K-N7 3 2 Q - B l+ K-N6
33 Q-N l + K-R5 3 4 Q-N5-+.
Black resigns.
keeps his distant passed p awn, as The attack o n the king decides
43 . . . Q x RP is impossible - 44 quickly. 43 . . . Q x QP 44 P-R5
P-N4+ P x P e.p. 45 Q- K2+. N x P 45 P-R6 is dubious for Bla ck
Stronger therefore is 42 P-R4 as the passed p awn would let White
Q x R P 43 Q-N l ! (here 43 P-N4+ struggle on.
P x P e.p. 44 Q-,-- K 2+ K-R5 45 44 P x P+
Q x N Q x B P 46 Q-N 1 K x P 4 7 Or 44 P-R5 P x P 45 P x P
Q-B l + P-N 7 + or 44 Q x P ( 3 ) Q- B 3 + 46 K-R2 Q x P+
Q- R 8 + 4 5 Q-N l Q-R l + 4 6
_ 47 K-Rl Q-K5+ 48 K-R2
K- R 2 Q-B6 are wins for Black) Q- B 5 + 49 K-R l Q-B6+ 5 0
4 3 . . . N-B4 44 Q-Q l + K-N3 45 K- R 2 N-B8+.
Q-B3 when Black would still have 44 K-N 4 !
to overcome some technical Naturally after 4 5 . . . N x P 46
difficulties. Q-KB l the white queen would
Black has a curious win after 42 become active.
K-N l namely 42 . . . K-N 3 ! (but 45 P-R5
not 42 . . . Q x BP 43 Q-K5 This loses at o nce. White could
Q-K8+ 44 K-R2 N-B8+ 45 resist ·a little longer by 45 Q-QB l
K-N l ) 43 P-N4 (43 P-R4 is b ad but then 45 . . . K x P 46 P-R5
because of 43 . . . P-N5 44 P x P Q x QP 47 P-R6 P-R6 48 P x P+
Q- B 3 45 K-R l N x NP 46 Q-N l K x P leads to mate.
Q-B 5 ) 43 . . . P x P e.p. 44 Q x P 45 P-R 6 !
Q x P 45 P-KR4 P-N5 46 Q-Q6+ White resigns. B oth 4 6 P x P
K-R4 47 Q-K5+ K x P 48 Q- B 6+ Q- B3+ 47 K-R2 Q- B 6 48 P-R4+
K-R6 49 Q-R6+ K-N6 5 0 K- B5 and 46 P-N3 Q - B 3 + 4 7
Q-Q6+ K- B 6 5 1 Q-KB6+ K-K 7 K-R2 Q x P + 4 8 K-R l N x P 49
5 2 Q-B2+ K-Q8 53 P - Q 5 Q-K4 P-R6 Q-K5+ lead to mate.
54 P-Q6 P-N6 5 5 Q-B3+ K -Q7. The fi nal position is not without
42 Q x BP a certain picturesquenr:ss.
43 P-R4 P-N 5 !
Black's best plan in this variation. At this point Black cannot p lay
White's chances are to be found in 2 1 . . . N x P because of 22 Q-B2.
active play on the K-side. 21 NxN
9 P-K5 N-Q2 22 PxN R-Q l
10 N-Bl P-QN4 23 N-N4 N-N3
11 P-KR4 B-R3 S t i l l not being able to make up
A loss of time. In mutual his mind to play B-Q2. I t was
a nalysis after the gam e , Uhlmann better to keep the KN3 square free
and I established that it is correct for his queen. The text weakens his
to advance the QRP and QNP KB 2 and gives White a tempo for
s traigh taway. S ub s eq u e n t doubling his rooks on the KR file.
tournament practice confirmed this 24 K-N 2 B-Q2
opinion. Rather late in the day.
12 N ( l )-R2 P-N5 25 Bx B Rx B
13 B-B4 B -N 4 26 R- R l . Q-K3
14 B-R3 P-B5 If 26 . . . N - B l 27 N - B 6+ wins.
In principle a mistake after 27 R-R5 R:- N3
which White gets a chance to 28 QR-Rl N- B l
solidify his strongpoint in the 29 N- B6+
centre, his KP , whereas Black is T h e shortest w ay home.
denied all counterplay. He ought to
adv ance his QRP to R 6.
15 P-Q4 Q-N3
16 B-K3 KR-B l
17 N-N5 N-B l
The threat was 1 8 N x KP.
18 P-B4 N-Ql
19 P- B 5
Excessive haste. True the K B file
is opened but at the same time
Black's pieces get a certain freedom
of action. 1 9 P-N 4 deserved
preference.
19 Px P
20 B xP N ( Q l )-K 3 29 PxN
Black doesn't straigh t away 30 NP x P BxP
think of the right idea of There is no o ther way of
exchanging the white-squared defending his king.
bishops by means of 20 . . . B-Q2 31 P x B Q-K5
which would reduce White's The ending will be lost as Black's
attacking chances. pawns are weak and fall one after
21 Q-B3 another. H ow ever, a f t er
A controversial point. After the 3 1 . . . Q x P 32 R - B 5 (Pano:v's
exchange on N5 the doubled pawns recommendation 32 Q-N4+ gets
hinder White's attacking operations nowhere after 3 2 . . . Q-N 2)
and his only chance consists then in 32 . . . Q-K3 33 R ( l ) - R 5 Q-K5
the manoeuvre N-N4- B 6+ but this 34 Q x Q P x Q 35 R- B5 the
i s far i n the future. position is reduced to much the
94 World Championship Ma tch, Moscow 1 95 7
board. 19 Kx B N- R 3
11 N-K2 20 P-QR3
12 P-K4 P-KB4 N o w White's advantage on the
13 P-KR4! Q-side, his control of the diagonal
This refutes Black's ·opening KR3/QB8 and the weakness of
strategy. Now the central exchange Black's KBP ough t to be enough to
1 3. . . P x P 24 Nx P merely give White a win.
accentuates White's advantage on 20 P-B3
the w hite squares. There is also the 21 Q-Q3 N- B 2
unpleasant threat of P-R5 x NP - 22 QR-QN I R-N l
here is where B lack's premature 23 KR-QB I P-QR4
castling is sh own up. This merely leads to a new pawn
S myslov takes the correct weakness on his QR4. Slightly
decision to limit the scope of his better was 23 . . . P-N3.
opponent's QB, even though 24 P-N5 P-B4
thereby his own k night on K2 Even worse w a s 24 . . . P x N P 2 5
becomes very s er iously P x P P - N 3 26 N-R4 when White
immobilised. controls the QB file.
13 P-B5 25 P-N6 N- K l
14 B-R3 R- B 3 ! 26 R- K l N-N2
Apparently only t o free K B 1 for 27 R-K3 Q- KB l
his knight, but in actual fact 28 R-N5 R- R l
provoking his opponent into 29 N-R.4
playing into the variation 1 5 Now either the KBP or QRP
B-K6+ K- R l 1 6 P-R5 P-KN4 must fall.
when the p ossibility of an exchange 29 Q- B 2
sacrifice on K3 would hand over 30 Q- B 3 P-R4
the initiative to Black. 31 R x RP R-N l
15 Q-K2 B-R3 32 N-N 2
16 B-Q2 N-QB4 The piece sacrifice 3 2 N x P
Sup erficial play. Of course i t was P x N 33 Q x P R- K l 34 B-Q7
tempting to rob his opponent of R-KB I w ould lead to
the right to castle but in this case complications.
the results are not worth the 32 K- R 2
concessions made. Black loses his 33 Q-N3 N- N l
last chance of play along the KB 34 N -Q 3 N-R3
file, l oses t ime on the Q-side and 35 R- K l N-N5
gives White a tempo to unite his Black has finally managed to
rooks. Isn't that rather too much? block the diagonal KR3/QB8 but
1 6 . . . P-QR4 was essential this is now a fact of p urely
though after 1 7 N-R4 Black had a "historical interest".
difficult game. 36 Q-R4 Q- K2
17 P -QN4 P-B 6 37 K-B2 KR- B l
18 Q-B l 38 R- R 7 N-K l
Not, of course, 1 8 Q-Ql 39 Bx N Px B
because of 1 8 . . . N-Q6+ 1 9 K- B l 40 Q-N5 N- B3
B x B 2 0 Q x B N x NP. 41 P-R4 K- N l
18 B x B+ (see diagram over page)
98 World Championship Match, Moscow 1 95 7
D 44 N-Ql N-B3
The pawn capture by either
queen or knight would, after 45
N-K3, merely lead to an ending in
which" Black lost material.
45 Q-N5 Q-K2
46 P-QR5 Q-R2
47 K-Q 3 R-B2
48 Q-N2 N-R4
49 R-Nl P-N4
50 Px P QR-KB l
51 Q-Q2 R-B5
Attempting at any price to
complicate things. Alas, White just
42 Q-R5 ! ignores this.
Parrying the threat to the KP 52 N-B3 NxP
(42 . . . Q-R 2 and P-N4) by 43 53 RxN Q-R 7
Q-Q2. A s will be seen the white What if his opponent fails to
QNP is quite safe. notice th.. 'threat" 54. . . Q x R 55
42 Q-Q l P x Q �-B7?
43 N-N2 N-Q2 54 Q- Kl Resigns.
White falls into a small trap. 9 keeps his QNP on N5 after P-QB3
0- 0 or 9 R-QB I were simpler. by replying P-QR4 - the QN file is
However, the further course of the kept closed and Black's game
game shows that Black cannot remains
" difficult.
derive any advantage from the confident of the fact that
weakening of QN3. 1 5 . . . P-K4 was completely
9 N-Q2 obvious and essential as Black's
Clearly intending to attack the next move, White now commits an
central square Q4 by P-K4. Hence annoying error and almost loses a
White must guard his QP once more great part of his positional
so as to be able to answer advantage.
1 0 . . . P-K4 by 1 1 P-Q5. 15 0-0 P-QB 3 !
10 B-N l ! O f course! Now P-QN5 is
Just so! Now White can defend impossible and it becomes clear
his QBP by B-R2 and Black's that White should h ave played 1 5
Q-side attack is repulsed. P-N5 and castled only after
10 N-QR4 1 5 . . . P-K4.
11 B-R2 P-QN4 16 Q-Q2 N-N3
Smyslov sticks to his plan, and A careless piece of play to which
in actual fact there was no other the loss of the game might even be
choice. If 1 1 . . . P-QB4 then 1 2 attributed. True, the plan
P-QN4 followed by R-QN I and 1 6 . . . P-K4 is now dubious, as
White's advantage is clear. after I 7 P-Q5 White would get two
12 px p px p united passed pawns on the on the
13 P-QN4 N-B5 Q-side, but by 16 . . . R-Kl Black
14 BxN PxB could retain his last trump - the
Here White had occasion to two bishops. Once -black-squared
consider the position deeply. It bishops are exchanged, Black gets a
would appear that his advantage is position quite lacking in prospects.
clear - he has a passed pawn on the 17 B- R6 BxB
Q-side while Black's QBP is safely 18 QxB P-B3
blockaded. But B lack's two bishops Pr o b a bl y e s s e n tial. If
are a hidden strength which could 18 .. . N- R l then 19 P-KR4
come out into the open if Black P-B 3 20 P-R5 P-N4 21 P-B4
could play P-K4 followed by P x P with an attack.
and then N-K4-Q6 and P-QB4. 19 P-QR4 N-Rl
Then there would be no trace l eft 20 KR-N I P-KB4
of White's advantage. Black is forced to try for
If in answer to 1 5 . . . P-K4 counter play, but the opening of
White plays P-Q5, then the new the KB file is favourable to White,
line of play P-KB4-B5 followed despite the fact that the white
by P-N4-N5 gives Black a rooks have been drawn over to the
dangerous attack. Q-side.
Finally I managed to find the 21 Q- K3 Px P
correct plan to answer 22 Px P N -B2
1 5 . . . P-K4 with 1 6 P-N 5 ! when Now Black is definitely lost.
the final move of Black's plan Apparently he underestimated
(P-QB4) has no force. White also White's next move. 22 . . . Q-N3
World Championship Match, 1 95 8 105
was essential, when there were still 2 8 Q x BP P-Q4 giv es him definite
chan ces of a stubborn resistance. coun terplay. H owever, White finds
23 P-Q5 it better to l e ave the BP on the
The two passed pawns guarantee
- board as i t shields his QN from
victory for White. attack.
23 px p 28 Q-N4 KR-Kl
24 Px P B-N2 Smyslov tries all sorts o f tactical
25 R-KB I tric ks to liquidate the bl ockading
This move is feasible because the knight.
QP is indirectly defended by the 29 N-Q4 Q- N 2
queen ( 2 5 . . . N x P 26 Qx K6+). 30 QR -Q I
T h u s t h e b l a c k threat R - B 4- K 4 is 3 0 N x N Q x N 3 1 Q- B 4 K - R l
rendered harmless. 3 2 QR- B l Q-K4 was hardly any
25 Q-Q2 simpler. Now the QP will also be en
26 Q-Q4 prise, so Black retreats his knight
White also considered 26 Q-R7 30 N-B2
threatening 27 R x R+. Black could 31 Q-B4 R-K4
then reply 2 6 . . . K R -Q I . White Probably an oversight, but t h e
chose t h e possibly weaker text p osition w a s indefensib l e anyway.
because i t seemed the simpler of 32 N- B 6
the two - the fifth hour of p l ay There is now no longer any
demands a particularly careful point in not having the BP as its
approach ! capture is accompanied by the
26 P-K3 exchange of the long-ranging
A t e mp ting pawn sacrifice bishop.
having only one defect - White 32 B x N
need not accept it an d can thereby Or 3 2 . . . N-K3 34 Q x BP
r etain all the advantages of his R,-QB l 3 4 R x P.
pos ition. 33 Q x P+ P-Q4
27 p x p N x Pl 34 Qx B R-Ql
3 4 . . . R x P loses t o 35 N x P .
W h i t e n o w h a s t o prevent N - K 3
followed by P-Q5.
35 Q- N 6 Q- K 2
36 Q-Q4 Q-Q3
37 KR-Kl
The exchange of rooks makes
Black's pos i tion even worse.
37 QR-Kl
38 R x R R x R
39 P·- N 5
39 P-R5 was also p ossible,
controlling QN6, but this is of no
real significance now.
After 27 . . . Q x P 28 N-B4 39 N - K3
Q-K4 (not 28 . . . Q- B 2 29 His last hope - to answer 40
N- R 5 ) 2 9 QR- Q I Black is in a N-K4 by 4 0 . . . R x N 4 1 Q x R
bad way. After the text, h owever, Q-N3+.
106 World Championship Match, 1 958
placed and he has nothing to fear) wins the QRP and gets two united
45 B-B l P-QN4 46 P-KR4 and passed pawns. However, a serious
Black cannot strengthen his drawback to this is that his king
position (46 . . . P-B6 is risky - 47 remains stuck on the back rank.
B-Q3 threatening P-N4-N5+) "44 RxP R-Q7
whereas White can await 45 K-K5 R x QRP
developments by B-K2- B l .
B y refusing t o go in for this line
Black only subjects himself to risk.
Why did my opponent go in for this
dubious plan? I think there can
only be one explanation - Black
was preparing the following
psychological trick. He chooses a
continuation which he is sure his
opponent had not examined in
adjournment analysis and makes his
move at lightning speed (it is
sufficient to indicate that Smyslov
made his first five moves at th�
start of the adj ournment session in Now after the natural 46 K-B6
about three minutes while White R-QB 7 ! 4 7 R-Q4 B-Kl ! the
took more than half an hour over advance of the white king has
those moves; while White was achieved nothing and Black's p assed
thinking over these five moves, pawns press forward. Naturally
Smyslov spent all his time walking after further deep though t, White
about the hall and the greater part chose another line.
of these three minutes went on 46 R-B8+ B-Kl
returning to the b oard, making his A tragic mistake - S myslov falls
move and stopping his clock ) . The victim to his own trick. At this
calculation was a simple one, the moment he yet once more sat down
disconcerted opponent put out by at the board and instantly played
the unexpected plan and Black's 46. . . B - KI . Possibly he confused
confident play, would check the the present position with the one
variations, get into time trouble and which could have arisen in the
then . . . previously note where B-Kl was
I n principle, such an approach to quite right. He had to play
chess has little in common with art, 46 . . K-N2 ( or 46 . . . K-K2) 47
.
but in practice it could work out all R-B7+ K-B 1 with a draw by
right. In the present game there was repetition. 47 . . . K-R3 however,
no serious basis for this trick, as the is risky.
p osition is so simple that it is 47 B-Q7
difficult to confuse White. Now B lack loses two pawns and
43 K-K4 P-N5 the result of this confused game
By sacrificing a p awn Black finally becomes clear.
brings his bishop back into the 47 R- K7+
defenc e; then by penetrating with This move too was made in the
his rook to the seventh rank he same quick tempo as if it had all
World Championsh ip Ma tch, 1 95 8 111
chances.
13 Nx N
14 BxN N-Q2
15 R-N2
Uhlmann is so engrossed with his
plan of Q-side attack that he
becomes careless and commits an
error that leads in a surprising way
to a quick loss. He had to exchange
pawns.
15 NP x P !
Now the threat o f 1 5 . . . N-N3
followed by P-R5 forces White to
attack the QRP with his rook.
16 R-Rl N-N3 thought for 50 minutes but could
17 RxP find no saving move.
(diagram in next column} 18 Bx B Px B
Naturally White had envisaged 19 Q-N3
this position when he played 15 Or 19 Q x P N x P 20 Q x KP+
R-N2. He had worked out that Q- B 2 winning the exchange.
1 7 . . . N x P doesn't work after 1 8 - 19 N xP
B x N Q x R 19 R x B . However, 20 Qx N Qx R
Black has a hidden resource at his 21 Q x P+ K-Rl
disposal. 22 R-R2 Q- B 2
17 B-K5 ! ! 23 Q x KP
Decisive. Because of his This only speeds up h i s defeat.
awkwardly placed rooks, White has 23 Q- B 2
no defence to N x P. lnhmann Resigns.
48 Wageningen 1 95 8
Black . J . H . Donner
King's Indian Defence
12 B-N2 Px P P-K3 B - B 4 1 9 Q- B 3 B - N 2 2 0
An essential preliminary to his Q- R 3 B x B 21 N x B Q - N 3 2 2
next move. Black creates a weak N-Q3 although here t o o W hite's
pawn on W hite's QB4. advantage is undeniable.
13 P x P B-;.R 3 18 B-QB3 B-Q2
This i s D onner's idea which h e The threat w as 1 9 Q-R4.
had tried b efore in practice. To 19 P-K3
understand the nature of t his game Now that B - B 4 is no longer a
one has t o b ear in mind that it was threat (the bishop has to guard
played in the last round and only a QR 5 ) White has no need to hurry
win would guarantee White first things.
place in the tournament. Hence 19 N-R4
Black's c hoice of op ening must be 20 N-B2
admitted to be p s y chologically Now White only h a s t o play his
exact. He now threatens Bx N knight to Q3 and everything will be
followed by N x BP, while if 14 ripe for an advance.
P-K3 t hen 1 4 . . . B-B4 is an 20 B-N2
unpleasant reply. 21 B x B Nx B
White c hoses the most active 22 Q- B3
continuation even tho ugh it Here the queen is placed no
facilitates the development of his worse t h an t he bishop and the
opponent's count erplay. weakening o f Black's KB3 helps the
14 P-B4 development of White's attack. The
N o w if 14 . . . N-'N5 t hen 1 5 advance of the centre p awns is also
N - Q l meets the immediate t hreats. threatened, which Donner tries to
14 P-K4 hinder.
15 QR-Kl Px P 22 P-B4
16 P x P R-Kl 23 B-B3
W hen the game w a s over I Dilatory p l ay in a critical
expressed the opm1on that position. White loses time in h is
1 6 . . . N - R 4 was t he best move for attempt to control h is K R 5 . After
Black, provoking P-K3. Eight years 2 3 P-K4 P x P 24 N ( B 2 ) x P Black
later Petros ian tried out-this idea in could not defend b o t h his KB3 and
his game with Portisch at Santa Q3. If he were to answer
Monica, but Portisch proved it to 23 . . . N - R 4 then 24 N - Q 3 P x P
be no good - 1 6 . . . N-R4 1 7 25 N x KP B - B 4 1 6 N x QP R x R
P-K3 R - K I 1 8 N ( 2 ) - K4! B·B4 19 27 R x R Q x N 2 8 R - K 8 + K - B 2
B-Q B 3 - the w hole point i s t hat 2 9 Q-R8 w i t h decisive t hreats.
White controls K4. Now, however, Black manages to
17 N-Ql R-N2 parry the advance of the KP and
As soon a s White transfers his the worst is behind him.
bishop to QB3, Black's game 23 B-Bl
deteriorates as the b asic defect of 24 N-Q3 R- KB2
the whole variation begins to show Now P-K4 is no l o nger
up - the poorly placed knight at dangerous as then Black's knight
R4 c an occupy Q5 via KB4. It is not
Black was obliged to continue to clear how W hite can strengthen his
play actively - 1 7 . . . N-R4 18 positio n.
118 World Championship Match, Moscow 1 960
25 R -B 2 N-N2 27 N-K B l Q- R4
26 R (2)-K2 R ( l )- Bl Black's swift reaction !
28 Qx Q Nx Q
29 R-QB2 R-N2
!}O N-Q2 N-Kl
31 R- B 3 !
A decisive manoeuvre.
31 R-N3
32 R-R3 N-QN2
33 R-Nl R x R+
34 NxR N-B2
35 N-Q2 K-B2
36 K- B 2 K-K2
37 P-R4 P-R3
A weakening which no longer
has any real significance.
Now a Black attack by P-KN4 38 B-Ql B-Q2
cannot be ruled out. So White plays I n hindering the transfer of the
his last trick. His only chance lies in bishop to B 6 , Black removes a
an exchange of queens after which defence from his QRP.
he can transf �r his pieces to the 39 R-N3 N-R4
Q-side and exploit Black's many 40 R-N6 R-QR l
weaknesses there - QR3, QN 3, A blunder in a hopeless positioIL
QB3, Q3. Hence White 41 Nx P Px N
provocatively plays his knight away 42 P-Q6+ K- B 2
to KB 1 which all o ws Black and not and Resigns.
White to occupy the Q N , file with
his rooks - which has no real
significance!
8 0-0 0-0 13 N- B 6
9 K-Rl Forced. As already noted 1 3
9 B-K3 is stronger. Now Black R P x N B-N 2 1 4 R - R 3 P-N 3 ! is
has various ways to get counterplay in Black's favour.
of which he c hooses what is q Q-Q2
probably the simplest. 14 N x B+ QxN
9 N-QR4 15 RP x N P-B 3 !
This, followed by P-QN 3, was
adopted by me with particular
success in a game against Padevsky
( 3 6 ) where he had played 9 B-K3.
The manoeuvre is good because : 1
Black exchanges White's K B ; 2
Black's QB reaches N2 one move
earlier than by the usual N-QR4,
P-QR3, P-QN 4; and 3 the QB can
be defended by the QN in certain
variations.
Naturally it is not essential for
all three factors to apply
simultaneously.
10 P-B4 P-QN3 The crucial point o f the game.
11 P-K5 N-Kl White 's only positional chance is to
Not 11 . . . P x P 12 P x P N-Q2 exploit the awkwardly placed black
because of 1 3 R x P. knight. Now this knight becomes
12 R-B3 active and its co-operation with the
The Bulgarian master made this strong bishop will cause White a
move after long thought - which is great deal of trouble.
not surprising. The attack which 16 P x QP
occurred in the well-known game, Probably the decisive p ositional
Geller-Vatnikov, 9 B-K3 N-QR4 mistake. The white bishop is l eft
1 0 P-B4 P-QN3 11 P-K5 N - K l blocked by its own K�]J.White had
1 2 P-B 5 ! QP x P 13 P x P P - B 3 1 4 to wait for Black to exchange
N-B5 N x B 1 5 N -Q 5 ! doesn't pawns when his KPB would
work here as Black would reply disapp ear, the bishop would have
1 3 . . . P x N 1 4 P x P+ K - R l 1 5 more scope and there would be
P x N=Q Q x Q when t h e weak some counterpl3y.
back rank will cause White a lot of 16 NxP
bother. 17 R-Q3 N-B4
The text is not without its bite 18 R-R4
as 1 2 . . . B-N2 13 R-R3 N x B His best chance in a difficult
(er 1 3 . , . . P-N3 1 4 N x P ! ) 1 4 position. By R-K4-Kl he should
Q-R 5 ! (14 RP x N P-N 3 ! ) be able to ensure the defence of his
1 4 . . . P-KR 3 1 5 N x N leaves back row.
White with attacking chances. 18 Q-K l !
Hence Black goes for simplification Of course not 18 . . . B-N2 1 9
so as to seize the initiative ! R-Q7 with simplification. Now the
12 Nx B black bishop i s guaranteed a
XIV Olympiad, Leipzig 1 96 0 125
30 Q-B6 Resigns.
27 Q-B 4 B-B4
28 K-N2 Q-Q3
29 B-K6 RxR
30 RxR R-KB l
31 RxR QxR
32 Q-Q5 K-R3
33 B-N4
Of course not 3 3 Q x KP P-Q6.
33 Q-Q3
34 K-B3 K-N2
35 Qx Q BxQ
36 K-K2 B-N5
37 K-Q3 K- B 3
Black resigns in view o f the
38 K- B4 B-K8
following p ossible variation
39 K-Q5 B-N5
42 . . . B-R4 43 K- B 7 K - N2
Black commits an inaccuracy
(43 . . . P-N5 44 B-Q7 K-N4 45
allowing White's b ishop to B-K6 K-R4 46 B-B4 K-N4 47
penetrate to KB without any
B-K2 K-R4 48 P- R3 ) 44 K -Q6
difficulty. He should play
K- B 3 45 B x Pl This is where the
39 . . . B - B 6 so as to answer 40
weakness of th e KNP shows itself.
B-Q7 with 40 . . . K- K2.
45 . . . K x B 4 6 K x P B-B 6 4 7
40 B-Q7 B-K8
K-K6 P-N5 4 8 P-K5 B-N5 49
41 B-K8 B- B 6
K-Q7 K-B 2 50 P-K6+ K-B l 5 1
42 K-B6
P- R5 etc.
35 N-K8
All Black's pawns are scattered
and the bishop is unable to defend
them. B efore "gathering in the
harvest" White places his pawns on
black squares.
35 P-B4
36 P-KR4 K- B l
37 N-Q6 B-B8
38 P-N3 K-K2
39 N x P+ K-K3
40 P-K4 K-K4
41 K-Q2 Resigns.
65 Hastings 1 96 1 -6 2
White : J .E. Littlewood
Sicilian Defence
66 Hastin� 1 9 6 1 -6 2
Black : J . Penrose
King's Indian Defence
N x B 1 9 Q x N K -R2! with
counterplay for his pawn) and meet
1 8 B-K3 with 1 8. • P-R5. The
.
67 Hastings 1 9 6 1 -6 2
Black : A. Bisguier
Reti Opening
68 Stockholm 1 9 62
White : P. Skold
Sicilian Defence
69 S tockholm 1 962
Black : 0. Olson
English Opening
KR into play, and no less obviously despite his two pieces up, White is
Black must double on the K-file. helpless and doesn't have a single
17 R-K2 satisfactory move.
18 KR-Kl B-B4 White could try to defend by 22
19 P-R3 • Q-Q l (instead of 22 K-N I ) when
This move has only one good there would equally follow
point about it - he is freed of the 22 . . . B x P 23 P x B N - K5 + !
necessity of calculating variations ( 23 . . . N x P + i s less convincing
involving P-R6 for Black. Its bad because of 24 K-N 2 R x P 25
points from a positional point of N x R Q-N4+ 26 N-N4) 24 K-N2
view are clear. KN3 is weakened Q-N4+ 2 5 K- R 2 N - B 7 26 Q-Q2
and the possibility of P - KN 4 is R x P 2 7 B - Q I Q-B5+ 28 K-N2
once and for all removed from the N x B 29 QR x N Q x P+ 30 K-Nl
agenda. R-K7 3 1 R x R R x R 32 Q-N5
19 QR-Kl Q-B7+ 33 K- R l R x P - a
20 N- B l N-K3 variation p o inted out by Averbach.
21 Q-Q2 This would have been the logical
S ticking to his waiting tactics. If conclusion to the game and would
21 . B-Q3 then 2 1 . . . P- B 4 ! 22 clearly demonstrate the risk
B x B P x P 23 P x P Q x B 24 involved in such unj ustified waiting
�-K5 Q-B5 25 QR-Kl R - B 2 moves as 1 3 P-B3 and 1 9 P-R3.
and White has serious difficulties. Now, however, Black has only
some p ositional advantage and the
struggle goes on.
22 QR-Q I N-R4
23 R-B l Q-Q3
24 R-B3 N-N6
25 K-N l N-R4
26 B-Ql R-K3
27 Q- KB 2 Q-K2
28 B-N3 P-KN4
29 B-Ql B-N3
30 P-KN4
It is curious that at the very
moment when White was not
directly threatened by anything at
21 N-N2 all. Petrosian, who had adopted
Here I spent a long time careful tactics throughout the
exammmg 2 1 . . . N-N4 followed game, suddenly throws himself into
by a sacrifice on R 6. After the complications - and wrongly so.
forced 22 K-N l B x P 23 P x B Could it be that this was connected
N x RP+ 24 K- R l ( 24 K-R2 with hopes based on his opponent's
R x P 25 N x R Q- B 5 + 2 6 K- R l coming time trouble?
N - B7 + 2 7 K-Nl Q-N6+ 28 30 P x P e.p.
K-B l N-R6 2 9 B-QI Q-N 8 + 30 31 NxP N-B5
K-K2 N-B5 mate) Q-N4 25 This move was apparently
K-R2 Q-N 8+ 26 K x N R x P it overlooked or underestimated by
was difficult to perceive that White.
World Championship Match, Moscow 1 963 159
1 P- Q4 P-Q4 11 0-0
2 P-QB4 P-K3 12 K-N 2 Px P
3 N-QB3 B-K2 13 KN x P
4 PxP Px P In this way White wins time to
5 B-B4 P-QB3 play P-B3. After the inevitable
6 P-K3 B- KB4 exchange of knights White once
7 P.... K N 4 B-K3 again gets a central pawn on Q4.
8 P-KR 3 13 NxN
This i s stronger than I played in 14 Px N N-Q2
the 1 2 th game. If 14 . . . N-K5 1 5 N x N P x N
8 N-B3 1 6 B x P P-B4 1 7 P x P B x P 1 8
9 B-Q 3 Q-Q3 Black's temporary initiative
An even more unpleasant move would not compensate for his lost
for Black is 9 N - B 3 , a conclusion I pawn.
reached in the 1 8th game. 15 Q- B 2 N-B3
9 P-B4 Black waits, trying to av oid a
Black finds a means of weakening of his K-side pawn
exploiting the fact that it i s not position. He would answer 1 6
good for White to open up the P-N5 b y 1 6 . . . N-R4 attacking
game ( 1 0 P x P) because of his the bishop and KNP.
weakened K- side. 16 P-B3 R-QB I
10 N-B3 N-B3 17 B-K5 B-Q3
11 K-B l Exploiting the fact that 1 8
Artificial castling is the most B x N Q x B 1 9 B x P + K - R l i s not
logical play in this variation - it is in White's favour. However the
clear that the KR has to stay at R 1. exchange of black-squared bishops
160 World Championship Ma tch, Moscow 1 963
5 Q- K2 play.
If 5 P-K5 P x P 6 N x P 0- 0 and 10 P-K5 K N-Q2
Black will play the freeing P- QB4. 11 P-KR3
5 P-B3 1 1 P-K6 B x KP 1 2 N-N5 fails
162 III Spartak iad, Moscow 1 963
7 S Amsterdam 1 963
Black : T. van Scheltinga
Reti Opening
I P-QB4 N-KB3
2 N-QB3 P-B4
3 P-KN3 P-K3
4 N-B3 P-Q4
The line is somewhat akin to the
Queen's I ndian Defence.
5 . . . P-QN3 6 B-N2 B -N 2 is
probably preferable here.
5 PxP NxP
And now Black avoids the
Tarrasch Defence which would arise
after 5 . . . P x P 6 P-Q4.
6 B-N2 N-QB3
7 0-0 NxN
This exchange has little to The critical point. Black should
justify it. 7 . . . B-K2 is more play here 1 7 . . . B - K5 ! and would
natural. thereby greatly hinder White's
8 NP x N B-K2 course of action. In that case the
9 P-Q4 0-0 plan of creating a passed QP would
10 P-K4 perhaps not have proved all th at
This speeds u p the real action. strong. Now, Black loses an
White creates a passed QP. important tempo and White's
10 P-QN3 attack can no . longer be held back.
11 P-Q5 N-R4 18 N-K5 Q- R5
12 B-B4 19 P-Q6! QR-QI
A useful move as it will now b e 20 B-Q5 B-K3
hard t o blo ckade White's passed Or 20 . . . R-KB I 2 1 B-R6
pawn. B- N 2 2 2 N x B P R x N 2 3 B x R+
12 Px P K x B 24 R- K7+.
13 Px P B-B3 21 P-Q7 R- K B I
Black prevents N-K5 - B 6 as 22 R- K4
now 1 4 N-K5 is m e t by Winning a tempo for the transfer
1 4. . . P-KN4. of this rook to the K-side.
14 Q- B 2 P-N 3 ! 22 P-B5
Excellent play, The black QB 23 B-R6 B-N2
will be well p laced on KB4 and 24 Bx B Kx B
Black also protects his KRP. 25 R-R4
1 4. . . Q x P is obviously bad A fine p oint probably
because of 1 5 N -K l . underestimated by my o pponent.
15 QR-QI B-B4 H e apparently was expecting the
16 Q-B l R-Kl obvious 25 B x B when the KB file
I7 K R-Kl Q-Q2 is opened and Black would have
166 A msterdam 1 963
76 Amsterdam I 963
Black : J. H. Donner
Reti Opening
19 BxB P-N3 - 40 B x R Q x R+ 41 R x Q
This loses a pawn. 1 9. . . K-Rl R x R+ 42 K-R2.
was essential. 40 P-R6 R-N3
20 QR-Kl B-B3 41 B-K4 Resigns.
21 Q-Q3 K-R l If 4 1. . R - K3 ( or
Or 2 1 . . . B-N4 2 2 P-KR4 4 1 . . . R( 3)-N l ) 42 B x P! K x B
B-B5 23 P-KN3 (23 . . . B x P 24 44 P-N6+ K-Nl (43 . . . K x P 44
QR-N I - which is why Black P-N7 and 45 R-R l + ) 45 P-N7
should have moved his king from etc.
1 77
6 B-Q3 N-B3
7 P-Q5
This only encourages the
development of Black's initiative, as
he gets the chance to .undermine
the centre by P-QB 3. 7 B-K3 is
stronger.
7 N-QN5
8 0-0 P-B3
9 P-QR3 NxB
10 QxN PxP
11 NxP
White's powerful pawn centre
has disappeared, and Black has the
advantage of the two bishops. Such 20 BxP
are the consequences of White's 21 P-K5
error on move 7 . It was bad for At least a l ogical follow-up.
White to recapture on Q5 with the White would achieve noth ing after
pawn as Black develops with gain of 2 1 Q-R4 P-K4 followed by P-B3.
time - B-B 4. 21 P-B 3 !
11 NxN The correct reply. Black
12 QxN Q-N 3 + safeguards his advantage by getting
13 K-Rl B-Q2 a p aw n on K4.
14 R-Kl QR- B l 22 P x BP P-K4
Of course n either h ere nor o n 23 Q-R4 R-KB2
the l a s t m o v e c o u l d Black capture 24 B - K3 BxB
the QNP because of the reply 25 RxB R-B5
R-QN L 26 Q-R6 R x KBP
15 P-B3 P-QR4 This liquidates White's last hopes
16 Q-Q3 B-N4 of attacking Black's KR2. Black
17 Q-B2 P-R5 gets mating threats on the back
F ixing Wh ite's Q-side p awns. rank.
18 B-K3 Q-R3 27 N-N5 R-QB2
19 B-Q4 B- R3 28 R-B3
This i s very similar to my game E quivalent t o capitulation. Only
with Bernstein at Groningen 1 9 4 6 now did White notice that 2 8
where t h e s am e sort of idea was R - R 3 i s m e t by 28 . . . B...:... B 3 ! 2 9
used by Black with the difference R-KN l Q-K 7 and 3 0 N x P i s
that in that game queens were i m p o s s ible b ecause of
exchanged. 3 0 . . . Q x P+.
20 Q-B 2 28 RxR
(diagram in next column) 29 NxR B-B3
A tempting but incorrect pawn 30 Q- R3 R-B2
sacrifice. True, 20 N-N5 P-K4 2 1 31 R-KN l BxN
B-K3 B x N 2 2 P x B B-Q6 would 32 Px B Q-Q6
lose a pawn without compensation, 33 Q-N4
but after 20 P-B5 there would still Or 3 3 R-K B l P-K5. The
be a lot of fight left. remaining moves: 33 . . . Q x P+ 34
Noordwijk 1 96 5 180
84 N oordwijk 1 965
Black : B. Larsen
Queen's Gambit Declined
85 Noordwijk 1 965
White : P. Trifunovic
Robatsch Defence
13 BP x P Px P 26 B-K2 P-KR 3
14 P-QB 4 ! 27 P-KR 3
Black i s left with the unpleasant
choice of advancing his QP when
White's P-KB4 will ..follow with
great effect, as B-QR 3 , P-B5 and
N-Q6 are in the offing, or of
exchanging pawns and so presenting
his opponent with the Q-file on
which there are the possible
outposts at Q 7 and Q5.
14 P x KP
15 Px P BxN
In this way Black guarantees
that the enemy knight will not
settle at Q5 or Q6 but now the KB
comes into play. Played in the ' Capablanca style'.
16 Px N N-K2 In view of the opponent's lack of
17 Bx P R-N l useful moves, White p atiently waits,
18 Qx Q KR x Q so as t o start active play in the most
19 B-K3 R-Q2 advantageous situation. The aim of
20 B-B3 R-Q B l both sides now is to bring up their
21 P-N4 kjngs.
Despite his two good bishops 27 N (B 3 ) - K l
White finds it difficult to 28 K-N2 K- B l
strengthen his position further. He 29 K- N3 K-K2
decides to defend hill' KBP This leads to the loss of a pawn,
intending a pawn advance in that but it was hard to find a good move
sec t or , as well as to exploit the QB for Black.
fil e . 30 R-R5 N- B l
21 RxP 31 R-K5+ K-Ql
22 R-N8 + R- B l 32 B-QN5
23 R x R+ Nx R F orcing a d v a n t a g eo u s
24 R-Q B l N-Q3 simplifications.
25 R-B5 P-K5 32 R-K2
The basic drawback of this move 33 RxR KxR
i s that now the pawn on B5 is 34 BxN KxB
guarded by the roo k and P-N5 35 K- B4 K-Q 2
becomes a threat. If, howev er, 36 B-85 Resigns.
25 . . . R-K2 then R- B 6 is an Black can get his knight into
unpleasant reply. play only at the cost of a pawn.
188
P x N Q x Q 22 N x Q R x P)
2 1 . . . N- B 5 22 Q x P ! N x B
( 2 2 . . . Q-K3 23 N-K4) 23 Q x R 22 B x R+ N(3) x B
N x P+ 24 K-Q2 Q x P+ 2 5 K x N 23 R-R4 R- R l
R- B 7 + 26 K- N 3 Q-N 3 + 2 7 The exchange o f rooks leaves
K-B4 Q- R 3 + 2 8 K-Q4 Q-N 3 + Black's king thoroughly safe. 24
29 K-Q3 Q- R 3 + 30 K-K3 R x N N x R 25 Q x N loses to
Q- N 3 + and the game must end in a 25 . . . R- R 8 + and 26 . . . R x R.
draw. My opponent, however, 24 Rx R Kx R
could not reconcile himself to such 25 Q- R2+ K-N 2
a prospect after my provocat ive 26 Q-B4
1 9 . . . N x NP. An obvious error. He should not
20 P-Q5 RxP allow the entry of the· black queen.
21 B-Q4 However, after 26 Q-N3 Q- B4 27
A picturesque position it 0-0 - 0 Q- B 3 28 R- R l P-QN4
looks as if it is t i m e f o r B l a c k to 2 9 Q- R 3 N - B 2 ! (30 R - B l
resign. There was no danger for Q- N4+) White's position would
Black in 21 P x N Q x P 22 B-Q4 also be critical. The rest of the
Q x R+ 23 K-Q2 Q-R3+ 24 game is easily understood without
K-Kl Q- R5+. no tes : - 26 . . . Q- R 6 27 N - Q l
(diagram in nex t column) Q- N 7 2 8 Q-Q4 K- N l 2 9 Q- 8 2
21 N- B 5 ! Q- R8+ 3 0 K-K2 Q- K5+ 3 1
Now it becomes apparent that K- B l Q- R8+ 3 2 K-K 2 Q x P 33
White has fallen victim t o an optical N- B 3 Q-Q 7 + White resigns.
illusion - because his queen still
1 90
developed to K B 3 . 16 N-B3
4 B-N2 Admitting that his 1 3 th move
5 B-K3 was mistaken. 1 6 Q-R 5 + would
White already experiences now be pointless because of
certain difficul ties; 5 N - B 3 can be 1 6.- . . Q-N 3 .
met advantageously by 5 . . . B -N 5. 16 Q- N 3
5 Q- N 3 17 Bx N BP x B
6 R-N l 18 N-K5 B x N!
Not a very aesthetic move, and it Black succeeds in getting a
renders Q-side castling impossible, knight on KB4 which practically
but what can b e suggested as decides the game.
b et ter? 19 QP x B
Explo iting the fact that P- K5 is Possibly 19 BP x B was just a
ruled out by the unguarded bish op little better, e.g. 1 9 . . . N-B4 20
at K 3 , Black immediately advances Q- B 2 P-KR4 21 N-K2. The pawn
his KBP to get outpost squares for at B4 only impedes White's pieces.
his pieces. 19 N- B4
6 P-KB4 20 Q- B2
7 N-B3 N-Q2 !
Black's main problem was the
development of his QN. H e plays it
to KB3 and the other knight who
has thus given up his usual 'station'
will come into play nicely on KR3.
P-K5 is still not_ playable (8 P-K5
P x P 9 BP x P N x P 1 0 N x N
B x N 1 1 N-R4 Q- R4+). All the
same White ought to refrain from
the exchange on B5 which lets
Black gain control of his K5.
8 PxP PxP
9 B-Q3 QN- B3
10 Q-K2 N- R 3 Equivalent to capitulation. His
11 P-K R 3 last chance seems to be 21 P-KN4
Preparing a possible P-KN4. N-Q5 2 2 Q-K3 ( 2 2 P- B 5 Q- N 2
11 B-Q2 2 3 P- B6 Q- B 2) 22 . . . N - B6+ 2 3
12 0-0 Q- B 2 R x N but after 2 3 . . . P x R 2 4
13 N-KN5 P-Q4 P- B5 is impossible because o f
Exploiting the fact that White 24. . . B x P while if 24 Q x B P
has made an apparently active move Q x BP.
which has p layed his knight away 20 P-KR4
from the centre, Black prepares to 21 P-QN4 R-KN l
occupy his K 5 . With the threat of 22 . . . P-K6
14 B-Q2 Q-Q3 winning a piece.
It is e ssential to defend his K3. 22 R-N l P-R5
1 5 . . . N-K5 is premature because Again threatening 23 . . . P-K6
of 1 5 Q- R 5 +. ( 24 B x P Q- N6+).
15 K-R2 N-K5 23 B-Kl K- B 2
A msterdam 196.6 193
91 Amsterdam 1 966
Black : D. Szilyagi
King's Indian Attack
92 Amsterdam 1 966
White : L. Szabo
English Opening
93 Amsterdam 1 966
Black : A. Pomar
Slav Defence
94 Amsterdam 1 966
Black : K. Zuidema
Griinfeld Defence
95 Amsterdam 1 966
Black : K. Robatsch
Queen's Gambit Declined
22 Px P by 25 R x P+! K x R 26 Q-N3+
Hoping for 23 N x P Q-Q4 with mating.
28 K- B 2 38 P-N5
This move was played so White ' s p l an of e x c h an gi n g off
hurriedly that two obvious the K-side pawns is apparently
conclusions suggest themselves: i;ufficient for a draw.
After the
,
Spassky assessed the now inevitable game Spassky demonstrated a more
exchanges as in White's favour, and convincing drawing possibility - 3 8
a t the same time was worried about K-K3 B - B 2 3 9 K- B 3 ! K-Q5 40
giving the i mpression that h e had N - B 2 K - B 6 4 1 K-K2 K-N7 42
overlooked Black's last move. Of K- Q3 K x P 4 3 K- B 2 a n d B l a c k
course he c o u l d not take the rook cannot now break through
because of mate ( 2 8 R x R Q-Q6+-) a nywhere.
but he should cold-b loodedly 38 P x P
return his knight to Q6. Now White 39 N x P B-B5
has to play an ending a pawn down. 40 N-K4 B-R3
28 , , , , R x R 41 N- B 2 B-N4
29 Qx R Q x Q+ 42 N-N 4 B- B 5
30 Kx Q B-K6! 43 N-B2 B - Q3
White has to be careful . The 44 N-N4
following continuation would lead . If 44 N - K 4 B - B l 45 N-B2
to a lost pawn ending - 3 1 P - N 3 R- K2 4 6 N - K 4 K-K4 4 7 N- B 2
B- B 7 3 2 P - N 4 B - B 4 33 K - K 2 K- B 4 4 8 K - B 4 K-N4 4 9 N-Q3
P - R 3 34 N - Q 6 B x N 3 5 P x B K x P 50 N x P P-N4 51 P-R4
-
P-QN3 36 K- Q 3 K - N 2 3 7 K-Q4 P-N5 52 N-Q3 and White seems
K-B3 38 K- K5 K-Q2. Hence to draw but by 44 N-K4 B - B 2 45
White has to surrender the KP. N- B 2 B-N3 4 6 N-K4 K-K4 4 7
31 K- K 2 B-B8 N-Q2 K - B5 4 8 K- B4 K - K 6 4 9
32 P-N3 B-N7 N- B l + (49 N - N l B - R 4 ) K-K7 5 0
33 N-Q6 B x P N-N3+ K-B6 51 N- B l B-B2 !
34 N-K4 K- B 2 Black wins.
This move i s p o ssible because 3 5 Now the K-side pawns are
N - B 5 B x P 3 6 N x P + K-Q3 3 7 exchanged but Black's passed pawn
N x P K-K4 38 N-K8 K-K3 advances a little.
would trap the knigh t. 44 B-B4
35 P-N4 K- B 3 45 P-R6 P x P
36 K-Q 3 P-QN4 46 N x P P-K4
37 P x P+ 47 N- B 5 P - K5 +
This exchange was forced sooner 48 K-K2 K-K4
or later. Thanks to the inevitable 49 N-R4 K- Q5
Zugzwang the black king could When the game was adj ourned I
always play t o the centre by had analysed only what appeared in
K - B 2 - Q 3 - K4. the pr evious note. Hence in what
37 K-Q4 follows Black does not play very
Black's o nly hope of winning lies consistently but this can hardly
i n activating his king. The NP has affect the ultimate result.
no great significance. If 37 . . . K x P 50 N- B 5 + K-Q4
38 N-Q2 K- B 3 39 K-K4! 51 N-R6
followed by N - B 3 and W h i t e h a s Doubtful, b u t o n e m u s t point
set up an impregnabl e fortress. out that after 5 1 . . . K-K3 52
208 Hastings 1 966- 6 7
99 Hastin� 1 966-67
Black : M. Cz erniak
King's Indian Defence
1 00 Hastings 1 966-67
Black : Y. Balashov
Nimz oindian Defence
1 02 IV Spartakiad 1 967
Black : L. Polugayevsky
English Opening
37 B-B4 R- 84 48 K- K l K- B 2
Or 3 7 . . . P- B 3 38 Q-N3 and if 49 B-Q6 K-N 2
38 . . . N- B 2 39 Q x P with mating Black has struggled o n manfully,
threats. but he has no active plan and must
38 BxQ RxQ just wait.
39 BxN 50 N- N 2
Thus perishes the unhappy Moving his superbly placed
knigh t ! knight so as to try and incarcerate
39 R-K6 the rook.
40 K-Nl R-K7 50 R- R 8
41 B-Q l 51 N-R4 N-K4
The sealed move. 52 BxN PxB
41 R -Q7 53 NxP
42 N-B2 N- B l Finis. Black resigned .after
43 K-B l N-Q2 5 3 . . . P-R4 54 K-Q2 R- R 7 + 5 5
44 B-N5 R x RP K- K3.
45 N-Q3 K-N2 N o tes based o n those in Russian
46 B-K7 R-R4 periodicals.
47 P-R4 P- B 3
1 03 IV Spartakiad 1 96 7
White : M . Taimanov
Slav Defence
P- K4 ! 44 K- B 5 K x P 45 K x P
White has played well so far, but P-N5 46 K- B4 K- R5 47 P-K5
now fails to see that he could reach P-N6 48 P-K6 P-N7 49 P- K 7
a draw by the sacrifice of a second P-N8 (Q) 5 0 P - K8 ( Q) Q- B 7 + 5 1
216 Palma d e Mallorca 1 96 7
K- K 5 Q-K8+. That is the way who wins, not Black! However after
Levenfish won my qu een." 42 . . . P- R4 ! White is in Zugzwang
Taimanov then op ened the as if 43 P- R 3 then 43 . . . P-R5,
sealed envelop e , and wrote "and while if 43 P-K5 then 43 . . . P-R5
resigns" on his score sheet. al�o.
Note that in the above variation Notes based o n those in Russian
after 42 P-R4 P-K3 ? 43 P-R5 or periodicals.
42 . . . P-K4? 43 P-K3 it is White
1 04 Palma de Mallorca 1 96 7
Black : R. Toran
Sicilian Defence
by B-B2. 24 Px P R-K3
19 R-Q3 QR-QB l 25 K- B 2
20 N-Q5 A little tactical trick which
Strictly speaking hardly the best Black fails to �pot. After the
move, as in the ending Wpite finds it immediate 25 R-Q7 R-Nl
hard to realise his positional 26 K-B2 P-B4 Black would still be
advantage. But from the practical able t o defend his position. Now
point of view this decision can be 25 . . . P-B4 26 R-Q7 R-Nl
understood if one bears in mind would produce the same situation
that S my slov and I arrived late for but the Spanish master decided
the tournament and this game was instead to exploit what appeared to
played less than 24 hours after our him to be the bad white king
plane had landed on the island positio1L
Hence there hadn't been any time 25 R-KB l
for rest or acclimatisation. This parries the threat of 26
20 Qx Q P x P as then 26 . . . R ( l ) x P+ arid
21 RxQ BxN White loses a rook. In actual fact
the a<;tive looking text is a waste of
valuable time.
26 R-Q7
Now if 26 . . . R-QN l White
gains a decisive advantage by 27
P x P. Hence Black is forced t o
cap ture t h e pawn.
26 P x P+
27 K-1\3 R-QN I
28 K- K4
The entry of the king into the
game soon decides matters.
28 K-N l
29 K-Q5 K-B2
22 RxB 30 R(l) x P R-Q3+
Something o f a surprise decision Or 30 . . . R x R + 31 K x R
but the choice is well grounded K-Kl 32 K-K6 etc.
After the standard 22 KP x B Black 31 Rx R Px R
could easily defend against the 32 Kx P R-Ql+
pressure on his KP (22 . . . R-B2 23 33 K-B7 R-Q7
R ( 2)-K2 R-N2 etc.). Now, 34 Kx P R x 'N P
however, the threat is P-K5 35 P- B 5 R x KRP
opening lines in White's favour. As 36 P- B6 R-QB 7
for example 22 . . . R-B 4 fails to 23 37 P-N4 Resigns.
R x R P x R 24 R-Q l , the correct
defence was 22 . . . R - B 2 and if 23
P-K5 QP x P 24 P x P P-B4 25
R ( l )-Ql R ( l )-QB l and Black has
good chances o f successful defence.
22' R-B3
23 P-K5 QP x P
218
1 05 Palma d e Mallorca 1 96 7
White : A. Medina
Robatsch Defence
1 06 Palma de Mallorca 1 96 7
Black : l Diez del Corral
King's Indian Defence
1 07 Palma de Mallorca 1 96 7
Black : B. Larsen
English Opening
1 P-QB4 P-KN3
2 P-KN3 B-N2
3 B-N2 P-K4
Producing a Sicilian Defence
with colours reversed.
4 N-QB 3 N-K2
5 P-K4 P- Q3
6 KN-K2 QN - B 3
7 P-Q3 P-B4
Careful p l a y characteristic o f a n
experienced grandmaster. Black
defers castling for one more move
so as to reduce White ' s attacking
chances against the enemy king in
the event o f White not castling on away by 13 . . . BP x P so as to force
the K-side. However, my opponent the pawn to recapture ( 1 4 B x P
had another plan i n mind. N - B 4 ) after which the white KP
8 N-Q5 might become an object of attack;
A typical m aoeuvre; before 2) exchanging white square bishops
playing 9 B - K 3 White occupies a ( B � R 6 ) so as to weaken the KP and
cen tral square with his knig h t . The also the white king position; 3) by
immediate 8 B-K3 could be exchanging the p awn on his KB5,
answered by 8. N-Q5 ! Black opens the way for pressure
8 0-0 on K5 along the K- fil e , White will
9 B-K3 B-K3 be forced to recapture with t h e
The only way to complete p a w n so as not to lose control o f
development. Now, however, his K5 ; 4 ) B l a c k ' s rook w i l l attack
Black's pieces will come into p l ay the KP from Kl and White will
even earlier than White's as the defend i t b y N-KN3 which also
moves P-QB4 and N-Q5 have cost helps to def end his king position; 5 )
two temp i ! finally , there comes P-KR4- R 5 ! ,
10 Q-Q2 Q-Q2 the weakness o f the K P and the
11 0-0 R- B 2 exposed white king po sition m ust
12 QR-Kl QR-K B l then tell.
13 P-B4 13 BP x P
(diagram i n nex t column) 14 QP x P N- B l !
The plan that Black has in mind An essential link in exchanging
is not without its pos itional novelty white square bishops is the defence
or psychological elements (see note of the QBP by the KR . Benko
to White's 1 9t h move). This p l an meets my idea by a n active and
consists of t h e following: 1 ) Black dangerous plan of counterplay on
exchanges in the cen tre straight the Q-side.
Mon te Carlo 1968 225
22 P x NP R x R 28 . . . N x N 2 9 Q - R 6 ) 29 N x N+
23 R x R P x N ( 29 R-B3 Q- R4+ 30 K-N2
24 R- B 7 N x N) 29 . . . R x N ! 30 R x R
{diagram in nex t column) N x R 31 P x P N - B 4 ! White could
Instead 24 B-R6 would not hardly hope for a draw, e.g. if now
achieve its aim because of 32 Q- Q 5 + K- B 1 and the attack on
24. . . Q-K3. At this moment the bishop gives Black a vital
Smyslov was standing b y our board tempo.
and it s eemed to me that I could [The long note t o White's 26th
read alarm i n his look. I n fact at seems incorrec t as at the end White
first sight it would appear t h at can play 3 3 P x P ! (not 33 P-Q 7?
Black is in trouble. R x B+ is25 Q x B + 3 4 K-R l Q- R5+ 3 5 K- N l
threatened followed by 26 Q-Q4+ N-Q3) 3 3. . •. Q x B+ 34 K- R l .
e.g. if 24. . . Q-N5
R x B+ 26 Now i f 3 4. . . Q x P 3 5 Q x N + with
K x R 2 7 Q-Q4+ K x P 28 Q__::_ B6+ level material while if 34 . . . N - Q 3
226 Bev erw ijk 1 969
35 Q x N+! or 34 . . . N-K2 35 26 Q- R4
Q-Q8+ and 3 6 P- B 8 ( Q ) . Black can With the double t h r e a t of Q x P+
t h e n win a pawn by 36 . . . N x Q 3 7 or N x N .
Q x N Q- K8+, Q-K7+ and Q x N P 27 B x B Q x P+
but c a n h e win t h e ensuing e nding? 2.8 K- B 3 Qx Q
If 3 4 . . . Q-R6+ 35 K-N l 29 N-B6+ K- N 2
N-K6 36 Q x P! and Black must 30 N x R+ Kx P
give perpet ual check, while if 31 R-B6+ K- R 2
34 . . . Q- R 6 + 35 K-N l N - K 2 T h e simplest.
t h e n 3 6 Q x P N- B l 3 7 P - R 4 and 32 B x NP Q- Q6+
how does Blac k prevent the 33 K- B 2 Q x NP
exchange of the l a s t p a w n b y P - R 5 34 px p Qx N
a n d P - N6? H i s q u e e n i s t i e d down Resigns.
to the defence of the knight -
B.C.]
1 09 Beverwijk 1 969
Black : L. Kavalek
Benoni Defence
Q-Q2 White has gained more time Now although material equality
and would get a very p owerful has been re-established, White has a
attack. Black's idea is to provoke winning attack.
P - K4 s o as to then es tablish his 21 B-Q2
knight on K 4. M or eover the pawn 22 Q- B 6
advance somewhat restricts the It is comical that I th ought
activity of White's pieces. Alas the about this error for about 20
open KB file has greater minutes. First of all I intended 22
significance. R -B6 threatening R x QP and
13 P-K4 QN- Q 2 R-Ql , but I was rather put off that
14 Q- Q 2 P-QR 3 after 22 R - B 6 K - N 2 2 3 R-Ql
Essential as at a n appropriate R-KB 1 2 4 R x Q R x R as Black
juncture N-QN 5 could come. has some chances of resisting. I
15 R- B 2 N-K4 overlooked the prosaic 22 R- B 6
Black follows through logically K- N 2 23 R x QP R-KB l 29
with his plan, but gets a lost R - KB6. However, White still has a
position. He had to play decisive advantage.
1 5 . . . R- B l followed by N-Kl 22 N x R
and P-B3. 23 Q x N+ K- R l
16 N x N Qx N 24 Qx B R-KB l
17 QR-KB l N-Q2 25 Q x QP
18 R x P Q- Q 5+ As K avalek pointed out 25
19 K- R l R- KB 7 was simpler and after
Naturally 19 R ( 7 ) - B 2 N - K 4 20 25 . . . R x R 26 Q x R Q-N2 the
R - Q l B x P is in B l ack's favour. game would be reduced to an
19 N-K4 ending.
20 Q-B4 25 R x R+
26 B x R Q- B 7
27 Q- K5 + K- N l
28 Q- K6+ K- R l
2 8 . . . K- N 2 was certainly
stronger as now Black loses his last
chance of exploiting the exposed
position of the enemy king - the
black king is now in the greater
danger, whereas on K R3 the black
mo narch would be safe.
29 Q- K 5 + K-N l
30 Q-K6+ K- R l
31 B - K2 R-KB l
32 Q-K5+ K- N l
Threatening 2 1 R - B 8 + . Kaval ek 33 B-N4
had overlooked that after And n o w i t is only a draw!
20 . . . � B 4 2 1 R x NP N x B 2 2 White hurries
to preve nt
Q- R 6 B lack cannot defend his R- B 5 - R 5 + and is confident that
second rank. he has an easy mate if the rook
20 B x P leaves the b ac k rank. Grandmas ter
21 B-K2 O'Kelly pointed out the simple win
228 Mosc o w Team Champio nship 1969
22 P-R4 34 K- Q l B x R
23 N x N B x N 35 Q- Q5 Q-B3
24 Q-KB3 K- N 2 36 K- K2
25 KR-Kl B- B3 A better defensive chance w as
26 P-B3 P-B4 3 6 P-B4 Q-R 8 + 37 K-K2 B- B 3
White's l a s t h o p e is that the 38 Q x QBP Q-KN8 39 B-N3.
major p i e c e s will b e exchanged Now however 3 6 . . . Q-QB6 does
26 . . . Q x P achieves nothing after not work because of 37 B x P !
2 7 P - N 3 or 27 Q x BP. 36 B-N3
27 R x R R x R 37 P-B4 Q- B6
28 P-N3 38 Q-K4 B-Q5
2 8 P - R 3 was more careful. The A new slip. After 38 . . . B-N8
pawns o f the king side o n black 39 P- B 5 P x P 40 Q x P ( 5 ) Q-K6+
squares may well become objects of 41 K- B l B x P Black would win a
attack. second pawn. N o w , h owever, White
28 P-B5 could keep some hopes of saving
29 B-B2 P-N5 the game by 39 K-B l ! Q- R 8 + 40
30 RP x P P x P K-N2 Q-N8+ 41 K- R 3 Q- B 8 +
31 P x P Q- N 3 4 2 Q-N2. H i s next move loses
I t w a s probably simpler to p l ay ano ther two pawns.
3 1 . . . Q-R 2 ! 32 K- N l Q-Q5 3 3 39 P-B5 P x P
Q- B 3 Q x P 3 4 Q-K3 Q x R P or 40 Qx P Q- K6+
3 2 . . . . R -Q R I 33 Q-R3 Qx P 41 K- B l
( 3 3 . . . Q-Q5 34 R - Q l Q-K4 3 5 Or 41 K-Ql P - B 6 ! with forced
P - B 4 ) 3 4 Q-K3 Q x R P . mate.
32 R-Ql Q x NP 41 Q- N 8 +
A s erious mistake. After The sealed move.
32 . . . R - K l (during the ga m e 42 K- K2 Q x P+
BIack o n ly considered 43 K- Q l Q- N 8 +
3 2 . . . R-QN l ) 3 3 R-Q7 Q x N P 44 K-K2 Q-K6+
3 4 Q-Q5 R - K 8 + mate i s forced, 45 K- B l Qx P
so White would have t o allow the 46 Q- R 7 + K- B l
c ontinuation 33 Q-R3 Q x B P . Resigns.
33 R x R Q x P+
233
Geller 1 95 1 - 6 9 1 5 4 Pomar 1 9 5 8- 6 6 3
Gip slis 1 96 3 - 5 2 Portsich 1 960-69 1 3 -
Gligoric 1 94 7- 6 9 2 6 2 Rabinovich 1 92 6 - 3 9 4 5 3
Golombek 1 9 5 2- 6 3 -
Ragozili 1 9 2 7- 4 7 19 1 4 -
Grigoriev 1 9 2 7- 3 3 2 2 - Rauzer 1 9 2 7- 3 3 3 1
Holmov 1 94 7- 6 9 3 1 Reshevsky 1 9 3 6- 5 5 5 7 2
Hort 1 9 68 1 Robatsch 1 9 6 1- 6 6 3
lljin- Z henevs ky Riumin 1 9 2 9- 3 6 4 3 1
1 9 26-3 8 4 7 2 Savitsky 1 9 3 0- 3 3 4 1 -
23 4
+ + =
Schmid 1 96 0 - 6 5 1 1 1 Tai 1 96 6- 6 6 12 20 12
Simagin 1 943-64 1 4 - Taimanov 1 9 5 1- 6 7 4 6 2
Sliwa 1 9 5 2- 6 4 2 1 Tolush 1 9 3 8- 6 5 6 1 l
Smyslov 1 9 4 6- 7 0 26 5 0 22 Sir G . llmmas 193436 1 1
Sokolsky 1 9 3 8- 4 7 2 1 Trifunovic 1 94 7 - 6 5 1 1
Sozio 1 92 9- 3 3 1 1 Uhlmann 1 9 5 6- 6 8 2 4 1
Spassky 1 95 5-6 9 1 6 -
Unzicker 195462 2 3 1
Spielmann 1935 1 van Scheltinga 1 95 8- 6 9 4 -
Stahlberg 1 9 3 5- 5 6 4 1 Veresov 1 9 3 8- 6 3 4 -
Stein 1 9 6 3 -6 6 1 2 -
Vidmar 1 93 6-4 6 2 -
+ Pos.
1967 Palma de Mallorca 9 7 1 2-3
1 96 8 Monte Carlo 5 8 2
1 9 69 Beverwijk 6 9 1 2
-
_ Openings Index
(numbers refer to gam es)
Benoni:
49, 53, 1 09
Caro-Kann:
34, 42, 5 8, 6 1 , 98
Catalan:
1 , 9, 5 1
Dutch Defence :
7
English :
1 � 3 1 , 3 3 , 4� 46, 69, 7 � 7� 8 7 , 92, 96, 97, 1 0 1, 1 0 � 1 07 , 1 08
French Defenc e :
2 7, 3 7
Griinfeld Defence :
8, 1 3, .94
King's Gambit:
15
King's Indian Attack:
29, 38, 54, 9 1 ,
King's Indian Defence :
1 2, 1 7 , 26 , 3 2 , 40, 4 3 , 45, 4 8 , 5 0, 60, 6 2 , 6 3 , 66 , 7 7 , 8 0, 8 1 , 8 2 , 99,
1 06
N imzoindian :
2, 4 , 5, 1 8, 1 9, 4 1 , 4 7 , 5 5, 56, 5 7 , 7 1 , 74, 89, 1 00, 1 1 0
Queen's Gambit Accepted:
20
Queen's Gambit Declined:
3 , 1 0, 1 6 , 2 5 ,, 2 � 6� 7 2 , 84, 8 � 95
Reti:
24, 30, 6 7 ' 75, 7 6
Robatsch Defence :
7 0, 7 3 , 8 3 , 8 5 , 88, 90, I 05 , 1 1 1
Ruy Lopez:
35
Sicilian Defenc e :
� 1 1 , 2 2 , 2 3 , 3 6 , 3� 5 2 , 6 5 , 68 , 1 0 4
Slav Defenc e :
2 1 , 59, 9 3 , 1 03
CONTEMPORARY CHESS OPENINGS
General Editor: R. G. Wade
Already publishe d :
The King' s Indian De fe nce
Leonard Barden, William Hartston,
Raymond Keene
The Sicilian Flank Game (Najdorf}
A: O' Kelly de Gal way
The Benoni
William R. Hartston
The Cl osed Ruy Lopez
R. G. Wade, L. S. Blackstock,
P. ]. B ooth
The Griinfeld Defence
William R. H artston
Also published:
Rook Endings
Grigory Levenfish, Vasily S myslov
Transla ted by Ph ilip l B o o th
Think like a Grandmaster
Alexander Kotov
Transla ted by Bernard Cafferty
7 1 3 4 03 5 7 8