Winds of the Isle

Stefano Tatai – Zbigniew Doda
21st Chess Olympiad; Nice, June 17, 1974
Sicilian Defence B44

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nb5 d6 6. Bf4 e5 7. Be3 a6. If, instead, 7. ... Nf6 then 8. Bg5 Be6 9. Bxf6! (not 9. N1c3? a6! 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Na3 d5!∓) 9. ... gxf6 10. Nd2!± Tatai – Hartoch, 1st “Costa Brava” International Tournament, Sant Feliu de Guíxols 1973. 8. N5c3 Nf6 9. Bc4 Be7? According to the theory of the time, Tatai afterwards recommended 9. ... Na5!∞ with an unclear balance. 10. Nd5!± Nxd5 11. Bxd5. The domination of the d5-square is more than enough for a crystal clear, elegant and refined positional player such as the twelve-time Italian Chess Champion. 11. ... 0-0 12. 0-0. In his “My 60 Memorable Games” Bobby Fischer cited a clock exhibition game he played in the Philippines in 1967: 12. Nc3 (“With absolute control of d5”) 12. ... Kh8 13. 0-0 Be6 14. Bb3 Na5 15. Nd5 Nxb3 16. axb3 Bxd5 17. Qxd5 Qc7 18. c3 g5 19. Ra4 Rad8 20. Rb4 Rd7 21. Rb6 Kg7 22. Ra1 f5 23. exf5 Rxf5 24. Ra4 Rf8 25. Rc4 Qb8 26. Rcb4 Qa8 27. c4 a5 28. R4b5 a4 29. Rxb7 axb3 30. h4 Rxb7 31. Rxb7 Rf7 32. Bxg5 Qa1+ 33. Kh2 Qxb2 34. Qe6 Qxf2 35. Rxe7 1 : 0 R. J. Fischer – Badilles, Meralco 1967. 12. ... Bg5 13. Re1! Bxe3 14. Rxe3 Be6 15. Na3 Qc7 16. c3. After 16. Rd3 Bxd5 17. Rxd5 Rad8 Black would be ready to free himself from his constraint by ... Nc6-e7, Qc7-c6, and finally ... d6-d5 (Tatai’s analysis). 16. ... Rad8 17. Bb3 b5 18. Nc2 Qb7 19. Rd3 Qb8 20. Ne3 Ne7 21. Qd2 Rd7 22. Rd1 Rfd8 23. Bd5 Bxd5 24. Nxd5 Nxd5 25. Rxd5 Qc7 26. Qd3 Qc6 27. h4 Kf8 28. Rd2 h6 29. Kh2. Tatai was just a bit short of time and delayed his final execution plan: 29. h5! followed by Qd3-f3-f5. 29. ... Ke7 30. a3 Qc4 31. Qf3 g6 32. h5 Rg8 33. R2d3 gxh5? Tatai’s punctuation is a bit exaggerated as he himself was not able to suggest anything better: 33. ... Rdd8 is actually met by 34. Qe3+− and 33. ... f5 34. exf5 e4 by 35. Qe3+− (but Stockfish’s 35. f6+! Kf8 36. Qg4 would be much stronger).

34. Qf5! Threatening Rd5xe5+. 34. ... Rdd8 35. Rf3 Rdf8 36. Qf6+ 1 : 0.