The older I grow, the more I value pawns.
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[Event "World Championship Match"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1966.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Spassky, Boris"]
[Black "Petrosian, Tigran"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "David Hayes"]
[BlackElo "0"]
[ECO "A46"]
[TimeControl "0"]
[WhiteElo "0"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 d5 4. Nbd2 Be7 5. e3 Nbd7 { Learning Point: Both
players do not block the advance of their c-pawn as is appropriate in a
queen-pawn opening. The c-pawn can be used to attack the center. } 6. Bd3 c5 { Black is the first to play an aggressive c-pawn advance. } 7. c3 { White
defends his center. } 7... b6 { Learning Point: Black does not mindlessly castle
king-side. Instead, he looks for development and play on the queen-side
awaiting further development by white. } 8. O-O { White commits his king to the
king-side. } 8... Bb7 9. Ne5 { White invades black's side of the board with a second
piece. This knight's placement is too good and must be removed. } 9... Nxe5 10. dxe5 Nd7 11. Bf4 { This bishop becomes no more than a tall pawn or little
value other than to defend e5. } ( { Much better is the exchange of bishops. } 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. f4 ) 11... Qc7 12. Nf3 h6 { This move is a thinly vailed threat
that black intends to castle long and conduct a pawn storm of the king-side. } 13. b4 { Anticipating black's pawn storm, white launches his own pawn storm. } 13... g5 ( { Winning a pawn while still uncastled is risky business. } 13... cxb4 14. cxb4 Bxb4 15. Rc1 Nc5 16. Bb5+ Bc6 17. Nd4 Bd7 18. Qg4 { White has good
initiative for the price of a pawn. } ) 14. Bg3 h5 15. h4 ( { Both sides get
lively play that favors black after: } 15. h3 g4 16. hxg4 hxg4 17. Nh2 Nxe5 18. Nxg4 Bd6 19. bxc5 bxc5 20. Qa4+ Ke7 21. Bxe5 Bxe5 22. Nxe5 Qxe5 23. Rfb1 ) 15... gxh4 { Black is the first to open a file on his opponent's king. } 16. Bf4 { White wisely maintains his defense of e5. } 16... O-O-O 17. a4 c4 { Learning point:
Kicking the bishop, but allowing white to post a strong knight on d4. Only
two kinds of players make this type of a move, beginners and grandmasters.
Beginners make this move oblivious to the fact that black weakens the d4
square. Grandmasters make this move to stop white's pawn storm. } 18. Be2 a6 { Learning point: A great move designed to stop white's pawn storm cold. Now
the advance of either white's a- or b-pawn is met with the advance of black's
b- or a-pawn. Afterwhich, white can make no further progress. } 19. Kh1 Rdg8 { Black can now build up an attack on the g-file at his leisure. } 20. Rg1 Rg4 21. Qd2 Rhg8 22. a5 b5 { Black's king is as safe as a baby in mother's arms. } 23. Rad1 Bf8 24. Nh2 { White goes for the exchange, but white has no open
files for his rooks to exploit. } 24... Nxe5 25. Nxg4 hxg4 26. e4 Bd6 ( { Of course
not: } 26... dxe4 27. Bxe5 Qxe5 28. Qd8# ) 27. Qe3 Nd7 28. Bxd6 Qxd6 29. Rd4 e5 30. Rd2 f5 { An excellent move by black. } 31. exd5 ( { Capturing to the
outside gives black the better game. } 31. exf5 Qf6 32. f3 g3 33. Rgd1 h3 34. Kg1 Qxf5 35. gxh3 Qxh3 36. Bf1 Qh7 37. Bg2 Rf8 38. Bh1 Qh5 39. Re1 Rf4 40. Ree2 Qg5 41. Rg2 Re4 42. Qe2 Rxe2 43. Rgxe2 e4 44. fxe4 dxe4 45. Rd1 Ne5 46. Rde1 Qh5 47. Bxe4 Bxe4 48. Rxe4 Qh2+ 49. Kf1 Qf2# ) 31... f4 32. Qe4 Nf6 33. Qf5+ Kb8 34. f3 ( { White would like to trade queens to take some of the pressure
off his king, but cannot do so immediately because: } 34. Qe6 Qxe6 35. dxe6 Ne4 36. Rgd1 Nxf2+ 37. Kh2 g3+ 38. Kg1 h3 39. Rd8+ Ka7 40. gxh3 ( 40. Rxg8 h2+ 41. Kf1 h1=Q# ) 40... Nxh3+ 41. Kf1 g2+ 42. Ke1 g1=Q+ 43. Kd2 Rxd8+ 44. Kc1 Qe3+ 45. Kc2 Qxe2+ 46. Kc1 Rxd1# ) 34... Bc8 { A well timed move to eject white's queen. } 35. Qb1 g3 36. Re1 h3 { Black's pawns just keep marching. } 37. Bf1 Rh8 38. gxh3 Bxh3 39. Kg1 Bxf1 40. Kxf1 e4 { If the rook or pawn captures on e4, then
black pushes f3, and mate soon follows. } 41. Qd1 Ng4 42. fxg4 f3 43. Rg2 { How
else does white stop the threat of Rh1+? After making this move, white
resigned. } ( 43. Kg1 Qh6 44. Qxf3 exf3 45. Re8+ Rxe8 46. Rf2 Rh8 47. Rxf3 Qh1# ) 43... fxg2+ 44. Kxg2 Rh2+ 45. Kf1 Qf4+ 46. Kg1 Qf2# 0-1