[Event "World-ch27 Fischer-Spassky +7-3=11"] [White "Fischer,Robert James"] [Black "Spassky,Boris Vasilievich"] [Site "Reykjavik"] [Round "6"] [Annotator "Nagesh Havanur"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "1972.07.23"] [PlyCount "81"] 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 {Spassky hopes for a transposition to Queen's Gambit Declined, an opening with which he has a lot of experience} 3. d4 {Fischer readily obliges as he has a novelty in mind.} Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 0-0 6. e3 h6 {The Tartakower Variation also carries the names of Soviet masters, Makogonov and Bondarevsky who contributed to it. Under Bondarevsky, his mentor's influence Boris also used it, drawing his games in 1969 World Championship Match.} 7. Bh4 b6 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 Be6 12. Qa4 c5 13. Qa3 Rc8 14. Bb5 $5 {Furman's novelty with which he beat Geller in Moscow 1970.The idea is to discourage...Nb8-d7 supporting c5.} (14. Be2 {is standard.} )a6 $2 ({If} 14... Nd7 15. Bxd7 Bxd7 16. dxc5 bxc5 17. 0-0 {followed by Rfd1 with pressure on Black's queenside pawns.} )({After his defeat to Furman Geller found} 14... Qb7 $1 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. Rxc5 Rxc5 17. Qxc5 Na6 $1 {an idea that he employed with success against Timman in Hilversum 1973. The game continued} 18. Bxa6 ({If} 18. Qc6 Qxc6 19. Bxc6 Rb8 20. 0-0 (20. b3 $2 Rc8 $19 )Rxb2 $15 )Qxa6 19. Qa3 Qc4 20. Kd2 Qg4 21. Rg1 d4 22. Nxd4 Qh4 23. Re1 Qxf2+ 24. Re2 Qf1 25. Nxe6 fxe6 26. Qd6 Kh8 27. e4 Rc8 28. Ke3 Rf8 29. Rd2 e5 30. Qxe5 Qe1+ 31. Re2 Qg1+ 32. Kd2 Rd8+ 33. Kc3 Qd1 34. Qb5 Qd4+ 35. Kc2 a6 36. Qxa6 Qc5+ {Timman,Jan-Geller,Efim/Hilversum 1973/0-1} )15. dxc5 bxc5 (15... Rxc5 16. 0-0 {leaves Black with an isolated d-pawn and cedes key squares, d4 and e5 to the White knight.} )16. 0-0 Ra7 $2 {Now the rook and queen defend each other and Black also threatens 17...axb5, not to mention ... c5-c4. Yet it is inadequate.} ({Geller's idea} 16... Qb7 {is also not feasible on account of} 17. Ba4 {Black is underdeveloped and advancing the c-pawn only opens lines for White.} c4 18. Nd4 Qb6 19. Rfd1 Nd7 20. Nxe6 Qxe6 21. e4 $16 )({However, Donner's suggestion} 16... Nc6 {is playable, though White has good play against the hanging pawns.} 17. Bxc6 Rxc6 18. Ne5 Rc7 19. Rfd1 $14 )({The same goes for Larsen's} 16... Qa7 {and White has similar pressure on those pawns.} 17. Be2 ({Not} 17. Ba4 $2 a5 $1 )Nd7 18. Rfd1 $14 )17. Be2 {So far the game has followed Furman-Geller, Moscow 1970.} Nd7 ({Here Geller tried } 17... a5 {and was outplayed.} 18. Rc3 Nd7 19. Rfc1 Re8 20. Bb5 Bg4 21. Nd2 d4 22. exd4 cxd4 23. Qxe7 Rxe7 24. Rc8+ Kh7 25. Nb3 Ne5 26. Rd8 Rac7 27. Rxc7 Rxc7 28. f4 Bd7 29. fxe5 Bxb5 30. Nxd4 Rc1+ 31. Kf2 Rd1 32. Rd6 {Furman, Semyon-Geller,Efim/Moscow 1970/1-0} )18. Nd4 $1 Qf8 $2 {Anxious to get away from the pin, Boris falls back on passive defence.} ({After} 18... Nf6 $1 19. Nb3 {Kasparaov proposed} Rac7 $1 $13 {(threatening...d5-d4) with a complex middlegame.} ({Seirawan's} 19... c4 20. Qxe7 Rxe7 21. Nd4 a5 $11 {is also good enough to hold the position.} ))19. Nxe6 fxe6 20. e4 $1 {Probing Black's pawn centre at its most vulnerable point.} d4 $2 {This move, opening the a2-g8 diagonal for the bishop plays into White's hands.} ({Tal came up with the right idea,} 20... c4 {But after} 21. Qh3 {he and other commentators couldn't find a reasonable plan for Black. Decades later in the computer era Kasparov found} Rc6 $1 ({Not} 21... Nc5 $6 22. b4 cxb3 23. axb3 {liquidates the c4 pawn and keeps pressure on Black-Graham Burgess} )22. b3 Nb6 {However, white still enjoys initiative on account of Black's vulnerable pawns.} 23. Rfd1 $14 )21. f4 Qe7 22. e5 Rb8 $6 ({On} 22... Nb6 {Kasparov gives} 23. Qd3 $1 (23. f5 {allows Black counterchances with} c4 )Nd5 24. Qe4 Qf7 25. f5 Ne3 26. fxe6 Qxe6 27. Bd3 Rf7 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Rxf7+ Qxf7 30. Bc4 $1 Nxc4 31. Rf1 $18 )23. Bc4 Kh8 ({After} 23... Nb6 $2 {White wins a pawn with} 24. Qb3 $1 {-Jan Timman} )24. Qh3 Nf8 ({Black could have tried the more active} 24... Rxb2 25. Bxe6 Rab7 {But after} 26. Rce1 $16 {White should prevail according to Kasparov.} )25. b3 a5 26. f5 exf5 27. Rxf5 Nh7 (27... Ng6 $2 {loses to} 28. Qg3 $1 ({The careless } 28. Rf7 $2 {is met by} Qg5 $1 )Qe8 29. Rcf1 {followed by e5-e6.} )(27... Ne6 $2 {is no worse.} 28. Bxe6 Qxe6 29. Rf8+ $18 )28. Rcf1 ({White also has to be vigilant.} 28. Rf7 $2 Ng5 29. Rxe7 Nxh3+ 30. gxh3 Rxe7 $19 )Qd8 ({If} 28... Rf8 $2 29. Rxf8+ Nxf8 30. Qc8 $18 )29. Qg3 Re7 30. h4 $1 {After this move neither the Black queen nor the knight can use g5 as a springboard.} (30. Rf7 $2 Rxf7 31. Rxf7 Qg5 {would have given Black a breather.} )Rbb7 31. e6 Rbc7 32. Qe5 Qe8 33. a4 Qd8 34. R1f2 Qe8 ({Or} 34... d3 $2 35. Rd2 $18 )35. R2f3 Qd8 36. Bd3 Qe8 (36... Qg8 {only leads to a suffocating end.} 37. Rf7 Rxf7 38. exf7 Rxf7 39. Bc4 $18 )37. Qe4 $1 Nf6 (37... Rxe6 $4 {is worse.} 38. Rf8+ $1 Nxf8 39. Rxf8+ Qxf8 40. Qh7# )38. Rxf6 $1 $18 gxf6 39. Rxf6 Kg8 40. Bc4 Kh8 41. Qf4 1-0