[Event ""] [White "Spassky,Boris Vasilievich"] [Black "Keres,Paul"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Havanur Nagesh"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "1965.??.??"] [PlyCount "99"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {Keres relies on the Nimzo-Indian with which he has a lot of knowledge and experience.} 4. Bg5 {The Leningrad Variation, an idea that Spassky picked up from his trainer, Vladimir Zak and developed in his own games.} h6 5. Bh4 c5 6. d5 d6 (6... Nxd5 $6 {is too "imaginative" and unsound.} 7. Bxd8 Nxc3 8. Qb3 Ne4+ 9. Kd1 Nxf2+ (9... Kxd8 10. Qf3 f5 11. g4 $18 )10. Kc2 Kxd8 11. Qg3 Nxh1 12. Qxg7 Re8 13. Qf6+ Re7 14. g4 Nc6 15. Bg2 Nd4+ 16. Kd3 $16 )7. e3 e5 {This move plays for the control of dark squares and limits the scope the White bishop. Currently it is out of vogue.} (7... Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 e5 {is preferred in current praxis. Black exchanges the bishop for doubled pawns and then only plays...e7-e5. Keres, however, tries to preserve the other bishop throughout the game.} )8. Nge2 {White has other options like 8. Bd3, 8.Rc1 and 8.Qc2. Here Spassky varies from his previous encounter with Keres way back in 1957.} (8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Nge2 {was seen in Spassky-Keres, 24th USSR Championship 1957 ( 1-0, 46 moves)} )Nbd7 9. a3 Ba5 ({If} 9... Bxc3+ 10. Nxc3 Nf8 11. Bd3 Ng6 12. Bg3 O-O 13. O-O $16 {White has two bishops and their power would be felt once the position opens up.} ({ not} 13. Qc2 $2 Nh5 $1 14. Bxg6 fxg6 15. Qxg6 Nf4 $44 ))10. Qc2 $2 {A routine move.} ({Engines prefer the subtle} 10. Qb1 $1 O-O $11 )O-O $2 {Keres also plays safe, completing development.} ({Engines come up with} 10... g5 11. Bg3 b5 $1 12. cxb5 a6 13. bxa6 Bxa6 $15 )11. Nc1 $6 {Spassky spent 37 minutes on this move and the next.} ({In a tournament game he might have played} 11. O-O-O $1 a6 12. Ne4 Bc7 13. g4 $16 {with a sharp double-edged position and attacking chances.} )Re8 $2 {Keres prepares...e5-e4 and it would help to place one of his knights on e5, in the long run.} ({Engines, however, prefer} 11... Bxc3+ 12. Qxc3 b5 (12... Nxd5 13. Bxd8 Nxc3 14. Bc7 Ne4 15. f3 Nef6 16. Bxd6 Re8 {led to a draw in Ivanov-Karklins, Midwest Masters, Chicago 1985.} )13. cxb5 a6 14. bxa6 Qb6 $15 )12. N1a2 {The point of the elaborate plan. If Black plays 12...Bxc3 he yields the advantage of two bishops to White. If he does not, he has to face the prospect of b2-b4.} ({It's rather late for} 12. Be2 Bxc3+ 13. Qxc3 (13. bxc3 e4 14. Nb3 Ne5 $17 )Nxd5 14. Bxd8 Nxc3 15. Bc7 Nxe2 16. Nxe2 Nf6 17. Bxd6 b6 $17 )Qe7 {The queen guards d6 and c5 pawns against b2-b4 and bxc5. She also offers more power to the advance... e5-e4. Still it is too slow.} ({Instead he could have played} 12... e4 $1 13. O-O-O a6 14. Be2 g5 15. Bg3 Ne5 16. Nxe4 Nxe4 17. Qxe4 b5 18. cxb5 c4 19. Bxe5 Rxe5 20. Qxc4 Bf5 $13 )13. f3 {White preserves his options of castling and with this move prevents the opening of the central file, denying the square e5 to Black. He also has other options, 13.0-0-0, 13.e4 and 13.Be2.} (13. O-O-O a6 14. Be2 Rb8 15. g4 b5 {offers counterchances for Black with the sacrifice of the b-pawn.} )(13. e4 Nf8 14. Bg3 Ng6 15. h3 Bd7 16. Be2 a6 17. O-O $14 )(13. Be2 Nf8 14. O-O Bd7 15. Bxf6 Qxf6 16. Ne4 Qg6 17. b4 Bb6 18. Nac3 $14 )e4 14. f4 g5 15. Bg3 ({If} 15. fxg5 $2 Ng4 16. Qd2 hxg5 17. Bg3 Nde5 $17 )Nh5 ({Tal's suggestion} 15... b5 $5 {is met by the calm} 16. Be2 $1 b4 (16... bxc4 $6 17. O-O Nb6 18. fxg5 hxg5 19. Rf2 Nbxd5 20. Nxd5 Nxd5 21. Bxc4 Be6 22. Qe2 {is dangerous for Black.} )17. axb4 cxb4 18. Nc1 Bb6 19. Nb5 $14 )16. Be2 Ng7 {on the way to f5. Instead Tal preferred bringing the other knight to the kingside with16...Ndf6.} ({He could have played safe with} 16... Nxg3 17. hxg3 Kg7 $11 {The vulnerable h6 point can be eaily defended with... Rh8.} )({ Sharper is} 16... gxf4 $5 17. Bxf4 (17. exf4 Ng7 18. O-O Nf5 $17 )Nxf4 18. exf4 Nf6 $13 {But Keres avoids violent play. He is ahead in the match and rejects this line as Jan Van Reek rightly puts it in his book, "Grand Strategy", a colllection of Spassky's Best Games.} )17. O-O Nf5 18. Qd2 Nf6 { So far the game has seen a manouevering phase and this is a remarkable position with all 32 pieces on the board.} ({After} 18... Nf8 19. Be1 Ng6 20. g4 Nd4 $5 {the ensuing complications may favour White.} )({He could have got rid of the bishop with} 18... Nxg3 $1 19. hxg3 Rf8 $13 )19. fxg5 hxg5 20. Be1 Ng7 $2 {Keres withdraws this knight and then another, preparing f7-f5 advance. However, his rook on a8 and bishops on c8 & a5 still remain out of action.} ({ He had a road to equality with} 20... Bd7 $1 21. Rb1 (21. g4 Nh6 $11 {only helps Black.} )Rac8 $11 )21. b4 Bb6 22. Na4 Nd7 $2 {The knight moves to d7, freeing the bishop from the duty of guarding c5 and preparing f7-f5 next move. However, this plan fails on account of White's siege of c5 and d6.} ({ It was necessary to play} 22... Bc7 23. N2c3 b6 24. Nb5 Bb8 25. Qb2 $16 )23. N2c3 Bd8 $2 {Keres preserves his bishop allowing the advance, d5-d6. Thereafter he is lost.} ({He had to play} 23... f5 24. Bg3 Rf8 25. Nb5 Rf6 26. Rab1 $16 )24. bxc5 Nxc5 ({If} 24... dxc5 25. d6 Qe6 26. Nb5 f5 27. Nac3 { and White's attack should prevail in the end.} )25. Nxc5 dxc5 26. d6 {This advance is menacing enough and it also frees d5 square for the knight.} Qe6 27. Rd1 Bd7 28. Bg3 {This is not bad.} ({Even better may be} 28. Qb2 $1 Bc6 29. Nd5 Rc8 30. Bc3 $18 )f5 29. Nb5 Rf8 30. Qc1 $2 {Spassky is rather indecisive here.} ({Stronger is} 30. Nc7 $1 Bxc7 31. dxc7 Ba4 32. Rb1 Bc6 33. Qc3 $16 )Qf6 $4 {Keres throws the weight of his queen to advance the pawn to f4. However, the queen is vulnerable on this square as Spassky demonstrates. After this move the game cannot be saved.} (30... Qg6 31. Nc7 Rc8 32. Be5 $16 { followed by Qc3 was the lesser evil for Black.} )31. Nc7 Rc8 32. Nd5 Qe6 33. Qb2 Ba4 34. Rc1 {Spassky is racing towards time control and this does not spoil anything.} ({Stronger is} 34. Rb1 $1 Bc6 35. Be5 Ne8 36. Rbd1 Qd7 37. Bh5 $1 $18 {White plays 38. Bxe8 folllowed by 39.Nf6+ and Black's position collapses.} )Rf7 35. Be5 Qg6 36. g4 Bc6 37. gxf5 Nxf5 38. Bg4 Bd7 (38... b6 {is met by} 39. Qg2 {and the e-pawn falls.} )({Or} 38... Bxd5 39. cxd5 Bb6 40. Bxf5 Rxf5 41. Rxf5 Qxf5 42. Rf1 Qg4+ 43. Bg3 c4 44. Qf6 Bxe3+ 45. Kh1 Qd7 46. Qg6+ $18 )39. Qxb7 Be6 ({"If} 39... Nxd6 {White can permit himself the luxury of sacrificing the queen by} 40. Rxf7 $1 Nxb7 41. Rxd7 {with an easy win"-Tal} )40. Qb1 Nxd6 41. Bxe6 Qxe6 {The sealed move. Keres was known for his legendary skills in adjournment analysis. But this is beyond redemption even for him.} 42. Bxd6 Qxd6 43. Qxe4 Rb8 44. Rxf7 Kxf7 45. Qh7+ Ke8 46. Rf1 Qe6 47. h3 $1 {"This quiet move shatters the last of Black's illusions"- Tal. White prevents...Qg4+ and threatens in turn 48.Rf6 Bxf6 49.Nc7+ winning.} ({Not } 47. Qxa7 $2 Qg4+ 48. Kh1 Qe4+ $11 )Rc8 48. Qg7 Be7 49. Rf5 $1 Bd6 { This is forced on account of the threat of 50.Re5.} (49... Qxf5 $4 50. Qxe7# )50. Rf6 (50. Rf6 Qe5 (50... Qxh3 51. Qf7+ Kd8 52. Rxd6+ Qd7 53. Qxd7# )51. Rf8+ $18 )1-0