The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

David Ionovich Bronstein – Rudy Clemens Douven
Eindhoven, June 30, 1996
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Position #491

1. d4! d5 2. Nd3 Nd6 3. g3! e6 4. Bb4! a5?! Then Bronstein suggested 4. ... g5!? eventually followed by ... Nf8-g6. 5. Bxd6! cxd6 6. a4 Qa6 7. Nd2 Nd7 8. b3 Nf6 9. c4. White stands clearly better. 9. ... Bd7 (9. ... Bc6?! 10. Qa3) 10. e3! 0-0 11. Ke2! g6 12. Rgc1 Rfe8 13. Qa3 e5!? 14. dxe5 dxe5 15. b4! e4! 16. Nc5 Bg4+ 17. Ke1! Qd6 18. cxd5 Qxd5 19. bxa5 Qh5 20. h4 Bf5 21. Nxb7 Qg4 22. Bg2 Nh5! 23. Nf1 Be6 24. a6 Be5! 25. Nh2 Qf5 26. Nd6! Bxd6 27. Qxd6 Qa5+! 28. Kf1 Rxb1 29. Rxb1 Rd8 30. Rb8 Bc8

31. Rxc8! “Such sacrifices were Fischer’s specialty”, Bronstein said. 31. ... Rxc8 32. Bxe4 Qxa4 33. Bb7 Rc2!? If 33. ... Rf8?! then 34. Qd4 threatening Nh2-g4-h6 mate. 34. Qb8+! Kg7 35. a7! Nxg3+ 36. Kg2 Nf5 37. a8=Q Nxe3+ 38. Kf3 Rxf2+ 39. Kxf2 Nd1+ 40. Kg3 Qb3+ 41. Bf3 1 : 0. “I liked this game” then Bronstein said. “And, on the same day, I sent it to Fischer, hoping he too would have liked it”.

Robert James Fischer (L.) playing David Ionovich Bronstein (R.) in 1958 Portoroz Interzonal Tournament on a Dubrovnik set. Photo: Chess.com.