Piscatorial

Raymond Keene

Game 5 in my blow-by-blow account of the Fischer-Spassky match saw Spassky complete an impressive double by un- ravelling Fischer's favourite Ruy Lopez with an impressive counter-attack. That said, this was one of Fischer's least im- pressive games, marred by unwonted hesi- tancy in a promising attacking situation.

Fischer — Spassky: 'World Championship Match', Game 5, Syeti Stefan, 1992; Ruy Lopez.

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 13b5 a6 4 Ba4 Nit 5 0-0 Be7 6 Rel b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 c3 d6 9 h3 Nb8 10 d4 Nbd7 11 Nbd2 Bb7 12 Bc2 Re8 13 Nfl Bt8 14 Ng3 g6 15 Bg5 h6 16 Bd2 exd4 17 cxd4 c5 18 d5 Improving on the feeble 18 Bf4 of game 3. 18 . . . Nb6 19 Ba5 The bishop looks out of place on this square, but the temporary pin is, in fact, well Position after 21 . . . Qf6 motivated. 19 . . . Nfd7 20 b3 Bg7 21 Rd Qf6 (Diagram) 22 Rbl? A quite unnecessary defen- sive measure directed against . . . Qb2. In fact, White should play 22 h4 and if 22 . . Qb2 23 h5 Qxa2 24 Bxb6 Nxb6 25 Nxg6 fxg6 26 Nh4, with a murderous attack. Imagine how Kasparov would have revelled in such glorious attacking chances against the black king. After 22 h4 h5 23 Re3!! White enjoys a multitude of aggressive prospects, such as the plan of Ng5 followed by Nxh5, demolishing Black's defences. One illus- tration of White's chances after 23 Re3 is 23 . . . c4 24 Bc3 0e7 25 Bxg7 Kxg7 26 Nd4 Qxh4? 27 Ng3f5+ winning. Alternatively 23 Re3 Bh6 24 Ng5 Bxg5 25 hxg5 Qxg5 26 Nf5! with a devastat- ing attack. 22 . . . b4 23 Ne2 Qe7 24 a3 A misguided sacrifice. 24 . . . bxa3 25 Bc3 f5 This, combined with Black's 28th, institutes a series of

hammer blows which tear apart the White position. 26 Bxg7 Qxg7 27 Nf4 fxe4 28 Nh4 g5 29 Ne6 Qf6 30 Qg4 NxdS The final key to Black's victory. White's impressive-looking knights are shown to be impotent and Black's passed 'a' pawn decides the game. 31 NxgS hxg5 32 Qxd7 NM 33 Qxb7 Nxc2 34 Rxe4 a2 35 Rfl NM 36 Rg4 alQ 37 Rxal Qxal+ 38 Kh2 Qg7 39 Qf3 QeS+ 40 g3 RN 41 Qg2 Qf6 42 f4 Ra7 43 RxgS+ Rg7 44 Rh5 Qe6 45 g4 Rxf4 White resigns.

Spassky was on the verge of a sensation- al hat-trick with game 6. He repeated the seemingly harmless variation he had chosen against Fischer's Queen's Gambit Accepted from game 4 and maintained a nagging edge deep into the endgame. With an extra pawn and the better position Spassky should have won, but in a reversed role replay of game 2 Spassky fluffed the win at the last minute and permitted Fischer to esape.

Before the match I had predicted that Fischer would be rusty and experience severe difficulties over the first 6 games. However, if he survived that difficult period he would regain his form from game 7 onwards. This prediction appeared to be coming true when Fischer cunningly in- vited Spassky to over-extend in game 7 and then refuted the Russian's attack by re- fined defensive play combined with an icily precise conduct of the endgame.

Fischer — Spassky: Game 7; Ruy Lopez.

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Rel b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 c3 d6 9 d3 Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 Nbd2 Re8 12 h3 Bf8 13 Nfl Bb7 14 Ng3 g6 15 Bg5 h6 16 Bd2 d5 17 exd5 c4 18 b4 cxd3 19 Bxd3 QxdS 20 Be4 Nxe4 21 Nxe4 Bg7 22 bxa5 f5 23 Ng3 e4 24 Nh4 Bf6 25 Nxg6 (Diagram) 25 . . . e3 26 Nf4 Qxd2 27 Rxe3 Qxdl+ 28 Rxdl Rxe3 29 fxe3 Rd8 30 Rxd8+ BxdS 31 NxfS BxaS 32 Nd5 Kf8 33 Position after 25 . . . Nxg6 e4 BxdS 34 exd5 h5 35 Kf2 Bxc3 36 Ke3 Kf7 37 Kd3 Bb2 38 g4 hxg4 39 hxg4 Kf6 40 d6 Ke6 41 g5 a5 42 g6 Bf6 43 g7 Kf7 44 d7 Black resigns.

Spassky — Fischer: Game 8.

In the d"agram position Spassky should play 31 Bg2 with the following possible continuation: 31 . . . Rf8 32 f4 exf4 33 Rxf4 Qe5 34 Rhfl Kd8 35 Nf5! gxf5 36 exf5 when Black's previously dominant squadron of knights, entrenched on the dark squares, are revealed to have hooves of clay. Instead there came an atrocious blunder, reminiscent of some of Spassky accidents, e.g. from games 5 and 8 of their 1972 encounter: 31 Rcl?? Ncb3 32 axb3 Nxb3 33 Rc6 Nxd2+ 34 Rxd2 108 35 Rxa6 Ra7 36 Rc6 Kg7 37 Bfl Ral+ 38 Kxal Qa7+ 39 Kbl Qxe3 40 Kc2 b4 White

resigns.

Running score:

Fischer 1 1/2

1/2

0 0 1/2 1 1 Spassky 0 1/2 1/2 1 1 1/2 0 0