Checkers is for tramps.
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[Event "World Championship, 6th Game"]
[Site "Reykjavik"]
[Date "1972.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, Bobby"]
[Black "Spassky, Boris"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "David Hayes"]
[BlackElo "2700"]
[ECO "D59"]
[TimeControl "0"]
[WhiteElo "2700"]
{ This 6th game of the World Championship match between the brilliant, but
tempermental Bobby Fischer, and Boris Spassky was a symphony of coordinated
attack. It is the best game from the best player of his time at the height of
his skills.|Much has been written about Bobby Fischer, but little is known
about the motivations that compelled this teenager from Brooklyn to crush the
Soviet Chess system before his 30th birthday. His story epitomized some of
the independent ideals of America while other aspects of his character can be
described as just plain ugly. His poor behavior before, during, and after the
match, and the political nature of a symbolic clash between Soviet and
American systems attracted the glare of world media.|Like Paul Morphy
before him, he left chess almost totally after taking the title from Spassky
in 1972. Perhaps he felt he had nothing else to prove to himself or the
world. Perhaps he realized he had no where else to go, but down. Perhaps he
was just burned out.|Bobby Fischer seized the lead with this game by
playing cat and mouse with the world champion. It was a decisive turning
point of the match. It was an impressive victory where the challenger
switched the attack from one wing to the other.|Afterwards, the game was
described by GM Miguel Najdorf as a Mozart Symphony. The name was widely
reported and has stuck to this day.|Fischer shocked 1500 spectators and
his opponent by abandoning his favorite king pawn opening in favor of this
queen's Gambit. Fischer had never played this opening - a favorite of
Spassky - in a serious tournament. } 1. c4 { D59: Queen's Gambit Declined:
Tartakower Defence } 1... e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 b6 { Spassky has often used this opening before. It is a thoroughly
tested and well understood opening. Furthermore, Spassky has never lost this
opening variation. } 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 Be6 { Did
you expect Bb7 here? Oddly enough the bishop is better used as a tall pawn
here rather than block black's rooks later on b7. The pawn on b6 will support
a c5 push. } 12. Qa4 c5 13. Qa3 { Black has made his c5 break. Now white pins
and attacks the bold pawn which hangs by a thread. } 13... Rc8 14. Bb5 a6 { Efim
Geller, Spassky's second and expert in this opening, found an improvement
later with 14... Qb7 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. Rxc5 Rxc5 17. Qxc5 Na6! with good play
for the pawn sacrifice. } 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. O-O Ra7 17. Be2 Nd7 18. Nd4 { The
new move by Fischer's genius. He intends to trade the slow hopping knight
for black's bishop and an improved end game. A clever use of the pin on c5
to improve his position. White's pieces dance around the board with perfect
coordination. 18. Bxa6? is refuted by 18... Rca8 winning the bishop. } 18... Qf8 { Breaking the pin on c5. } 19. Nxe6 fxe6 20. e4 $1 { A great move in the
American tradition of Morphy, Pillsbury, and Capablanca. The move breaks up
black's center pawn mass. Now the temporary gain of material by 20... dxe4
leaves black's pawns in such disarray, the white would regain the pawn with
interest later. } 20... d4 ( 20... dxe4 21. Qh3 Qf6 22. Bc4 Re8 23. Qe3 Qxb2 24. Qxe4 Nf6 25. Qc6 Rae7 26. Qxc5 Ne4 27. Qc6 Nd2 28. Rfe1 Nxc4 29. Qxc4 Qb5 30. Qe4 Qa5 31. a4 e5 32. g3 Rd7 33. Rcd1 Rxd1 34. Rxd1 Qb6 35. Rd5 Qb2 36. Qc4 Kh7 37. Qxa6 Qa2 38. Qb5 e4 39. Qd7 Rf8 40. Rf5 Rb8 41. Rb5 Rf8 42. Qd4 e3 43. Qxe3 Qxa4 44. Qd3+ Kh8 ) 21. f4 Qe7 22. e5 { This push gains space without
the weakness of losing control of the d5 square. For example, if black tries
to plant his knight there via 22... Nb6 heading for d5, then white has the
luxury of two excellent moves. First, 23. Qb3 24. Nd5? f5 where the pressure
on the black king's diagonal is too great. Second, 23. f5! and then if 23...
exf5 24. Qb3+ picks off the knight next. } 22... Rb8 23. Bc4 { An excellent post for
the bishop. Now if 23... Nb6 24. Qxc5! Qxc5? 25. Bxe6+. } 23... Kh8 24. Qh3 { A
dramatic shift from queen side play to more lethal king side initiative.
Fischer has played for dynamic energy on all theaters of the board. First,
he won the queen side, then the center, and now the king side is his play
ground. } 24... Nf8 { If instead, black played 24... Rxb2, then white would clean up
the center with 25. Qxe6 Qxe6 26. Bxe6 Rab7 27. Bb3. Then black's unconnected
rooks and white's mobile center pawns would favor white to win. } 25. b3 a5 26. f5 { White maintains the initiative and breaks open a critical file. } 26... exf5 27. Rxf5 Nh7 28. Rcf1 Qd8 29. Qg3 Re7 30. h4 { Preventing Ng5. White plays to
reduce black's potential of counter play, before he crushes the king side. } 30... Rbb7 31. e6 Rbc7 32. Qe5 { Now 32... Nf6 is bad. 33. Rxf6 gxf6 34. Rxf6 and
black is not long for this world. } 32... Qe8 33. a4 Qd8 34. R1f2 { Perhaps Fischer
is toying with the world champion, or is tired, or in time trouble, but this
move is not as efficient as the immediate 34. Bd3. This move is the only
pause in an otherwise beautiful game. } ( 34. Bd3 Qg8 35. R5f3 Rb7 36. Qd5 Rb6 37. Rf7 Rbxe6 38. Bxh7 Kxh7 39. Rf8 Kh8 40. Rxg8+ Kxg8 41. Re1 Kf7 42. Rxe6 Rxe6 43. Qxc5 d3 44. Qf5+ Ke7 45. Qxd3 Re1+ 46. Kf2 { White wins with a large
material advantage. } ) 34... Qe8 35. R2f3 Qd8 36. Bd3 { Now the threat is Qe4 to set
up mate via Rf8+ Nxf8 Rxf8+ Qxf8 Qh7#. Also winning is 36. Rf7. } 36... Qe8 37. Qe4 { 37. Rf7!? Rxf7 38. exf7! Qxe5 39. f8=Q+ is mate next. } 37... Nf6 38. Rxf6 $1 { Demolishes the pawn shield. } 38... gxf6 39. Rxf6 Kg8 40. Bc4 Kh8 41. Qf4 { Black
resigned here because the only way of preventing Rf8+ is Kg8 where Qxh6
brings an end to black. } 41... Kg8 42. Qxh6 Rc6 43. Rf5 Rexe6 44. Rg5+ Kf7 45. Qg7# 1-0