An After-Dinner’s Sleep

In an article for the Daily Tribune of February 16, 2022, Filipino Grandmaster Eugene Torre shared some details about the one and only game he ever played with Bobby Fischer, if only on friendly terms. It took place in Sveti Stefan, Yugoslavia, in the summer of 1992, when Torre was to serve as Fischer’s second for his rematch with Boris Vasilievich Spassky, it being his first public appearance after twenty years in seclusion. In order to shake off dust and rust, Fischer had just played a friendly training match with Serbian Grandmaster Svetozar Gligorić, a long time friend of his, winning handily. Just a few days before the beginning of the rematch with Spassky, Fischer asked Torre for a training game. “I did not expect his request to be honest. Maybe he wanted to test my skills”, Torre recalled. The game proved quite unpleasant to Fischer, who appeared to be sleepy. “We had a big lunch before our match. That’s probably the reason why Bobby was fighting to keep awake”, Torre recalls. Fischer suddenly woke up before it was too late and eventually succeeded at drawing the game — also thanks to the help of Torre, who contented himself with a half success. Right after the game ended, Fischer asked Torre for his score sheet, which inevitably became a coveted collector’s item.

Eugene Torre – Robert James Fischer
Sveti Stefan, August 1992
Sicilian Defence B22

1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bc4 e6 7. cxd4 d6 8. 0-0 Be7 9. Qe2 0-0 10. Qe4 a6 11. a3 b5 12. Bd3 g6 13. Bh6 Re8 14. Nbd2 Bb7 15. Rfe1 Nb6 16. Bf1 Rc8 17. Qf4 Nd5 18. Qg4 dxe5 19. dxe5 Nb8 20. Rac1 Nd7 21. h4 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 Qb8 23. Re1 Qc7 24. Bd3 Nc5 25. Bb1 f5 26. exf6 Nxf6 27. Qd4 Qd6 28. Bg5 Qxd4 29. Nxd4 Bd5 30. Rc1

30. ... Na4? (⌓ 30. ... Kf7!) 31. Nc6 Kf7 32. Ne5+ Kg8 33. Nc6 Kf7 34. Nxe7 Rxe7 35. b3 Nb6 36. f3 Rb7 37. Bd3 Nbd7 38. Kf2 Ne5 39. Be2 Nc6 40. Ke3 Ne7 41. g4 Rd7 42. Bxf6 Kxf6 43. Ne4+ Kg7 44. Nc5 Ra7 45. Bd3 Kf7 46. Be4 a5?! (⌓ 46. ... Rc7) 47. Bxd5 Nxd5+ 48. Kd4 Nb6

49. Nd3? (49. Nxe6! Rd7+ 50. Kc5 Kxe6 51. Kxb6 Rd3 52. b4+−) 49. ... a4 50. Ne5+ (50. Rc6) 50. ... Kf6 51. b4 Nd7 52. g5+ Kf5 53. Nc6 Ra6 54. Ke3 e5 55. Ne7+ Ke6 56. Nc8 Nb8 57. Rc7 Rc6 58. Re7+ Kd5 59. Na7 Rc3+ 60. Kf2 Rxa3 61. Rxh7 e4 62. fxe4+ Kxe4 63. Nxb5 Rb3 64. h5 Rb2+ (64. ... gxh5 65. g6 Rf3+ 66. Ke2 Rg3=) 65. Kg3

65. ... Kf5? (65. ... gxh5! 66. g6 Rb3+ 67. Kh4 Kf5 68. g7 Rxb4+ 69. Kxh5 Rb1! 70. Nd4+ Kf6=) 66. Nd4+ Kxg5 67. Nf3+ Kf6 68. h6 Rxb4 69. Ra7? (69. Rh8+−) 69. ... Rb5 70. Nh2 Rh5 71. Ng4+ Ke6 72. Rxa4 Nd7 73. Ra6+ Kf7 74. Ra7 Rd5 75. h7 Kg7 76. Nf6 Rd1 ½ : ½.