Mýthos e Lógos

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Brief notes by Donald Duck

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Bent Larsen – Boris Vasilievich Spassky
USSR vs. Rest of the World; Belgrade, March 29, 1970
Larsen’s Opening A01

1. b3. The Queen’s Fianchetto Opening, already mentioned by Lucena (1498). 1. ... e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. c4 Nf6 4. Nf3. If 4. g3 then 4. ... d5 with equality. A more “responsible” course would be 4. e3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5! 6. a3! Bd6 7. Qc2 0-0 8. Nf3 Qe7 9. Nc3 Nxc3 10. Qxc3 f5! with roughly equal chances, B. Larsen – Spassky, Leiden 1970. 4. ... e4 5. Nd4 Bc5 6. Nxc6. If 6. e3 then 6. ... Bxd4 7. exd4 d5 with advantage to Black (B. Larsen). 6. ... dxc6 7. e3 Bf5 8. Qc2 Qe7 9. Be2. Alexey Suetin suggests 9. d4, but 9. ... exd3 10. Bxd3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 Rd8 slightly favours Black. 9. ... 0-0-0 10. f4? The first and only error of Larsen in the whole game! White is intending 11. Bxf6 Nxf6 12. Nc3, but he will not succeed. Nikolai Krogius suggested 10. Nc3 (intending 0-0-0), but after 10. ... Rd7! 11. 0-0-0?! Rhd8 Black holds a clear edge (Kasparov’s analysis). If, instead, 10. Bxf6 Qxf6 11. Nc3 at once, may follow 11. ... Qe5 12. 0-0 Bd6 13. g3 h5 with a Black’s powerful attack (Schiller’s analysis). The most interesting try is probably 9. a3!? (B. Larsen). 10. ... Ng4! 11. g3. Black is already in trouble. If 11. Bxg4 then 11. ... Qh4+ with advantage to Black, whilst 11. 0-0 Qh4 12. h3 h5 (B. Larsen) is simply catastrophic. Finally, if 11. Bxg7 then 11. ... Rhg8 12. Bb2 (12. Qb2 Bxe3!) 12. ... Nxe3! 13. dxe3 Qh4+ 14. g3 Rxg3 with overwhelming threats (Kasparov’s analysis). 11. ... h5! Starting an offensive which is characteristic of this type of position. Worth considering as well was 11. ... Rxd2 12. Nxd2 Nxe3 13. Qc3 Rd8 (Spassky) with some initiative for Black. 12. h3. Now after 12. Nc3 the sacrifice 12. ... Rxd2! wins outright. 12. ... h4!! “After this fine move, the hall with over two thousand spectators, bubbled over with enthusiasm”, wrote Bernard Cafferty in his celebrated book “Spassky’s 100 Best Games”, London, Batsford, 1972, page 223. 13. hxg4. After nearly an hour of thinking, just to find out that also 13. Bxg4 Bxg4 14. hxg4 hxg3 15. Rg1 is met by 15. ... Rh1!! 16. Rxh1 g2 17. Rg1 Qh4+ 18. Ke2 Qxg4+ 19. Ke1 Qg3+ 20. Kd1 (or 20. Ke2 Qf3+ 21. Ke1 Be7-+) 20. ... Qf2 21. Qxe4 Qxg1+ 22. Kc2 Qf2 and wins (Spassky’s analysis). 13. ... hxg3 14. Rg1

14. ... Rh1!! A magnificent conception, disintegrating the King’s defences. It was not bad either 14. ... Qh4 15. Rg2 (B. Larsen) 15. ... Qxg4!-+, but when one is painting his masterpiece, “The rest is silence”. 15. Rxh1 g2 16. Rf1. Despair, but 16. Rg1 is elegantly refuted by 16. ... Qh4+ 17. Kd1 Qh1 18. Qc3 Qxg1+ 19. Kc2 Qf2 20. gxf5 Qxe2 21. Na3 Bb4!-+ (Spassky’s analysis). 16. ... Qh4+ 17. Kd1 gxf1=Q+ 0 : 1. For if 18. Bxf1 then 18. ... Bxg4+ and mate in two moves. A masterpiece of Boris!

Young chess masters at Kastrup Airport in 1957, on the way to the Students World Championship: Mikhail Tal, Bent Larsen, Miroslav Filip and Boris Spassky. Photo: Skakbladet.