Minic versus Fischer

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044678
Dragoljub Minic vs Robert James Fischer
"Can't Minic This" (game of the day Jul-10-2008)
Rovinj/Zagreb (1970), Rovinj/Zagreb YUG, rd 3, Apr-14
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. Main Line (B99) · 0-1

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1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cd4 4. Nd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4

Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. g4 b5 11. Bf6 Nf6 12. g5 Nd7
13. a3 Rb8 14. h4 b4 15. ab4 Rb4 16. Bh3 O-O 17. Nf5 Nc5 18.
Ne7 Qe7 19. h5 Bb7 20. h6 Be4 21. Ne4 Ne4 22. hg7 Rc8 23. Rh2
Ra4 24. Kb1 d5 25. c4 Rac4 26. Bf1 Rb4 27. Qh3 Nc3 28. Kc1
Na4 29. Kb1 Rb2 30. Rb2 Nc3 31. Kc1 Qa3 32. Bd3 Qa1 33. Kd2
Qb2 34. Ke1 Ne4 0-1

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Mar-10-13
Premium Chessgames Member patzer2: Thanks
chessgames.com for a week of puzzles from Bobby Fischer's
games, celebrating the 70th anniversary of his birthday on
March 9, 1943 in Chicago, Illinois.
In this game, the Sunday puzzle solution 27...Nc3!!, combined
with the strong follow-up 31...Qa3!, provides a magnficient
example of Fischer's ability to combine defensive and offensive
tactics.

Fischer's attack against the White King on the Queen side

provides just enough tempo to win

Mar-11-13
Premium Chessgames Member patzer2: Here's an
analysis using Fritz 12 and the Opening Explorer:
<1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6> The
Najdorf variation was one of Fischer's favorites as Black.
According to the chessgames.com database, 49% of the games
Fischer played as Black against 1. e4 (77 of 137 gamses) were
Sicilian Najdorfs.

<6. Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. g4> Fischer
played this before in Smyslov vs Fischer, 1959 and Gligoric vs
Fischer, 1959, where the final move 57...Kb8 = was the solution
for last Tuesday's puzzle.

<10...b5 11. Bxf6 Nxf6 12. g5 Nd7 13. a3 Rb8 14. h4 b4 15. axb4
Rxb4 16. Bh3 O-O?> This was a mistake, overlooking the
strong demolition 17. Nxe6! to .

Instead 16... Qb6! as analyzed by <Random Visitor> avoids this

possibility and keeps a solid grip on the position.

<17. Nf5?!> White overlooks the strong 17. Nxe6! fxe6 18.
Bxe6+ Kh8 19. Nd5 , when White maintains a lasting initiative
after 19...Qc5 (19... Qc4 20. b3 Qxe4 21. Qc3 Qxe6 22. Qxb4 Bd8
23. Rhe1 Qf7 24. Qxd6 Qg6 25. Qb4 ) 20. Nxe7 Ne5 21. Qc3
Bxe6 22. Qxc5 dxc5 23. fxe5 Rxe4 24. Nc6 Kg8 25. b3 .

<17... Nc5!> Fischer wisely declines the poisoned Knight offer

with this solid defensive and developing move.

If 17...exf5?, then 18. Nd5 Qa5 19. Qc3!

(weaker is 19. Nxe7+ Kh8 and Black has drawing chances after
20. Bxf5 Qa1+ 21. Kd2 Qxb2 22. Qh5 Rd4+ 23. Ke2 Qxc2+ 24.
Ke3 Qc3+ 25. Ke2 g6 26. Bxg6 fxg6 27. Nxg6+ Kg7 28. Qh6+
Kg8 29. Ne7+ Kh8 30. Ng6+ Kg8 31. Ne7+ Kh8 32. Ng6+ Kg8 =.)

19... Qa1+ 20. Kd2 Qxb2 21. Nxb4 Qxc3+ 22. Kxc3 to .

Mar-11-13
Premium Chessgames Member patzer2: <18. Nxe7+ Qxe7
19. h5 Bb7 20. h6 Bxe4 21. Nxe4 Nxe4 22. hxg7 Rc8!> This
strong move combines defense and offense in wisely declining
the poisoned pawn offer.
Weak is 22... Kxg7?, when play could continue 23. Bg2! Rc8 24.
Rxh7+! Kxh7 25. Qh5+ Kg7 26. Qh6+ Kg8 27. Bxe4 Rxe4 28. Rh1
Re1+ 29. Rxe1 Qc7 30. Qh2 Kf8 31. Kb1 Ke7 32. g6 Qa5 33.
Qh4+ Kd7 34. g7 Rb8 35. Qf2 Rg8 36. Rd1 Rxg7? (36... Qc7 37.
Qd4 Ke7 38. f5 exf5 39. Re1+ Kd7 40. Qa4+ Kd8 41. Re3 f6 42.
Qxa6 Rxg7 43. Qa8+ Qc8 44. Re8+ Kxe8 45. Qxc8+ ) 37. Qd4
Rg8 38. Qxd6+ Kc8 39. Qd7+ Kb8 40. Qxf7 Rd8 41. Rxd8+ Qxd8
42. Qxe6 .

<23. Rh2 Ra4 24. Kb1?> This natural move loses.

Black's last chance at resistance was 24. b3! (as posted by
<Jimfromprovidence>) when play might continue 24...Ra1+ 25.
Kb2 Rxd1 26. Qxd1 f5 27. gxf6 Qxf6+ 28. Ka3 Rc5 29. Qe1 Kxg7
30. c4 d5 31. Rh1 h5 .

<24... d5 25. c4 Raxc4 26. Bf1 Rb4!>

Also winning, with less complexity than the game continuation,

is 26... Nc3+! 27. bxc3 [27. Kc2 Rxf4 28. Qe3 (28. Qh3 Nxd1+ 29.
Kxd1 Rxf1+ 30. Qxf1 Qxg5 ) 28... Nxd1+ 29. Kxd1 Rxf1+ 30. Ke2
Rcc1 ] 27... Rxc3 .

<27. Qh3 Nc3+!!> This solution to our "insane" Sunday puzzle

was probably anticipated by Fischer several moves earlier.

<28. Kc1>

If 28. Kc2, then Black wins after 28...Na4+ 29. Kb1 (29. Kd2
Rxb2+ 30. Ke3 Rxh2 31. Qxh2 e5 32. fxe5 Qxg5+ ) 29... Rxb2+!
30. Rxb2 Nc3+ .

<28... Na4+ 29. Kb1 Rxb2+ 30. Rxb2 Nc3+ 31. Kc1>

If 31. Kc2 (Crafty's reply at <David2009>'s link), then Black wins

after 31...Qa3! 32. Bd3 Ne4+ 33. Kb1 h5 34. gxh6 Nc3+ 35. Kc1
Qa1+ 36. Kd2 Qxd1+ 37. Ke3 Qc1+ 38. Kf3 Qxb2 39. Qg2 (39.
h7+ Kxg7 40. Qg3+ Kh8 ) 39... Qxg2+ 40. Kxg2 a5 .

<31... Qa3!>

This strong move is an essential follow-up to 27...Nc3+!!

<32. Bd3 Qa1+ 33. Kd2>

If 33. Rb1, then 33...Nxb1+ 34. Bc2 Na3+ 35. Kd2 Qd4+ 36. Ke1
Nxc2+ 37. Ke2 Qxf4 .

If 33. Bb1, then 33...Nxb1+ 34. Rc2 Nc3+ 35. Kd2 Qxd1+ 36. Ke3
d4+ 37. Kf2 Ne4+ 38. Kg2 Rxc2#.

<33... Qxb2+ 34. Ke1 Ne4 0-1>

Black resigns a clearly lost position in lieu of such possibilities
as 35. Be2 Rc3 36. Qg4 Rg3 37. Qh5 Rg1+ 38. Bf1 Qf2#.

Mar-12-13
Premium Chessgames Member patzer2: Correction to
analysis above:
<Black's> should be White's <last chance at resistance was 24.
b3! (as posted by <Jimfromprovidence>) when play might
continue 24...Ra1+ 25. Kb2 Rxd1 26. Qxd1 f5 27. gxf6 Qxf6+ 28.
Ka3 Rc5 29. Qe1 Kxg7 30. c4 d5 31. Rh1 h5 > should be
favoring Black.

<Black resigns> should be White resigns <a clearly lost

position in lieu of such possibilities as 35. Be2 Rc3 36. Qg4
Rg3 37. Qh5 Rg1+ 38. Bf1 Qf2#.>

Mar-12-13
Premium Chessgames Member patzer2: Correction:
<From here, after 21. Bf4!, practically forced is 21...Rxf4>
should be 21...Rxf5 <22...Nxb5> should be 22...Nxb4 <22...Rf8
23. Nd5 >

Mar-12-13 Boomie: <patzer2: After <17. Nxe6!> (The

strong demolition move White missed) <17...fxe6 18. Bxe6+
Kh8 19. Nd5 Qc4 20. b3 Qc5 21. Bxd7>, perhaps 21. Bf4!>
Making some corrections to your post. Maybe you had the
board turned around?

21. Bf5 Rxf5 22. Nxb4 Bb7 23. Nd5 Rf8 24. b4 Qc6 25. Qc3 Qxc3
26. Nxc3

click for larger view

21. Bf5 seems to work, too. White has a slight edge. Although
engines may be able to play this down to a draw, I doubt
humans could. Too bad we didn't get to see Fischer play this.

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