Robert James Fischer – Boris Vasilievich Spassky
World Chess Championship match game 6; Reykjavík, July 23, 1972
Queen’s Gambit Declined D59
World Chess Championship match game 6; Reykjavík, July 23, 1972
Queen’s Gambit Declined D59
Notes by Grandmaster Mario Monticelli, “Fischer – Spasskij. La Sfida del Secolo”, U. Mursia & C., Milan, 1972, pp. 92-96.
“Nothing succeeds like success”, so goes an English proverb. And since Bobby Fischer wins (he has already regained the two points of disadvantage he had after two games) the attitude of the public towards him has changed. When Spassky arrived on time in the Sports Hall for the beginning of the sixth game, the applause was more sparse than usual. Instead, when Fischer appeared (late as usual, this time by ten minutes) there was almost an ovation.
1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 0-0 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 b6. By transposition, the game has reached an ancient line of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, the so-called “Tartakower Variation”. And in fact the game is so far identical with the game Capablanca – Tartakower of the London 1922 tournament: nihil sub sole novi!
8. cxd5. Thus Capablanca also played, and Black recaptured with the Pawn.
8. ... Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 Be6 12. Qa4 c5. All these moves are given by Tartakower in the notes to his London game (“My Best Games of Chess, 1905–1930”): however, 13. ... c5 is there preceded by 12. ... Rc8.
13. Qa3 Rc8 14. Bb5 a6? No doubt a lost tempo, albeit the purpose of the move is to bring the a8-Rook to a7. Tartakower recommends at this point 14. ... Kf8.
15. dxc5 bxc5. With the King on f8, one could consider 15. ... Rxc5, bearing the isolated Pawn on d5.
16. 0-0 Ra7 17. Be2 Nd7 18. Nd4 Qf8. Spassky pondered for 35 minutes before retiring the undefended Queen which constituted the main weakness of his position. But now another one will be created.
“Nothing succeeds like success”, so goes an English proverb. And since Bobby Fischer wins (he has already regained the two points of disadvantage he had after two games) the attitude of the public towards him has changed. When Spassky arrived on time in the Sports Hall for the beginning of the sixth game, the applause was more sparse than usual. Instead, when Fischer appeared (late as usual, this time by ten minutes) there was almost an ovation.
1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 0-0 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 b6. By transposition, the game has reached an ancient line of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, the so-called “Tartakower Variation”. And in fact the game is so far identical with the game Capablanca – Tartakower of the London 1922 tournament: nihil sub sole novi!
8. cxd5. Thus Capablanca also played, and Black recaptured with the Pawn.
8. ... Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 Be6 12. Qa4 c5. All these moves are given by Tartakower in the notes to his London game (“My Best Games of Chess, 1905–1930”): however, 13. ... c5 is there preceded by 12. ... Rc8.
13. Qa3 Rc8 14. Bb5 a6? No doubt a lost tempo, albeit the purpose of the move is to bring the a8-Rook to a7. Tartakower recommends at this point 14. ... Kf8.
15. dxc5 bxc5. With the King on f8, one could consider 15. ... Rxc5, bearing the isolated Pawn on d5.
16. 0-0 Ra7 17. Be2 Nd7 18. Nd4 Qf8. Spassky pondered for 35 minutes before retiring the undefended Queen which constituted the main weakness of his position. But now another one will be created.
19. Nxe6! One of the characteristics of Fischer’s play is the promptness with which the American is able to transform a manifest but not yet realisable positional advantage into another kind of superiority, intended to give greater fruit: and the exchange of the d4-Knight for the e6-Bishop is an example. He now goes on to attack the light squares in the enemy camp, desisting from exerting a stubborn pressure on the c5-Pawn.
19. ... fxe6 20. e4 d4. Taking on e4 would make Black’s Pawn position even worse; but now Fischer has his new target.
21. f4 Qe7 22. e5 Rb8 23. Bc4 Kh8 24. Qh3 Nf8. Inconsistent with the last two moves. As things go, White easily achieves the opening of the two diagonals he needs for the attack against his opponent’s castling: c4-g8 and d3-h7. So Spassky might have ventured on 24. ... Rxb2 25. Bxe6 Nf8 26. Bb3 a5! or 25. Qxe6 Qxe6 26. Bxe6 g6 followed by ... Kh8-g7 and Black is still fighting on.
25. b3 a5 26. f5 exf5 27. Rxf5 Nh7 28. Rcf1 Qd8 29. Qg3 Re7 30. h4 Rbb7. By 30. h4 White was threatening Rf5-f7 (which would have been ineffective immediately because of the exchange of Rooks followed by ... Qd8-g5). Now the advance of the passed Pawn prepares for a decisive irruption.
31. e6 Rbc7 32. Qe5!
19. ... fxe6 20. e4 d4. Taking on e4 would make Black’s Pawn position even worse; but now Fischer has his new target.
21. f4 Qe7 22. e5 Rb8 23. Bc4 Kh8 24. Qh3 Nf8. Inconsistent with the last two moves. As things go, White easily achieves the opening of the two diagonals he needs for the attack against his opponent’s castling: c4-g8 and d3-h7. So Spassky might have ventured on 24. ... Rxb2 25. Bxe6 Nf8 26. Bb3 a5! or 25. Qxe6 Qxe6 26. Bxe6 g6 followed by ... Kh8-g7 and Black is still fighting on.
25. b3 a5 26. f5 exf5 27. Rxf5 Nh7 28. Rcf1 Qd8 29. Qg3 Re7 30. h4 Rbb7. By 30. h4 White was threatening Rf5-f7 (which would have been ineffective immediately because of the exchange of Rooks followed by ... Qd8-g5). Now the advance of the passed Pawn prepares for a decisive irruption.
31. e6 Rbc7 32. Qe5!
Black is now completely paralysed.
32. ... Qe8 33. a4 Qd8 34. R1f2 Qe8 35. R2f3 Qd8. Black is reduced to making waiting moves.
36. Bd3! Qe8 37. Qe4 Nf6. White’s threat was Rf5-f8+.
38. Rxf6 gxf6 39. Rxf6 Kg8 40. Bc4 Kh8 41. Qf4 1–0.
32. ... Qe8 33. a4 Qd8 34. R1f2 Qe8 35. R2f3 Qd8. Black is reduced to making waiting moves.
36. Bd3! Qe8 37. Qe4 Nf6. White’s threat was Rf5-f8+.
38. Rxf6 gxf6 39. Rxf6 Kg8 40. Bc4 Kh8 41. Qf4 1–0.
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