Searching for Bobby Fischer
MANY consider Bobby Fischer to be the greatest player to grace the table. But like all mortals, he was still prone to error. This game showcases the intertwining of two truths: Fischer’s ability and the frailty of chess positions. Too often we tread the marble floor of critical variations, only to find ourselves misstepping through the adjacent glass. Fischer hated being cut like that more than anyone else.
Today’s game is Fischer v Efim Geller (Soviet Union), played in Skopje, Yugoslavia, in 1967. Skopje is now the capital and largest city in the country now known as North Macedonia.
1 e4c5
2 Nf3 d6
3 d4 cxd4
4 Nxd4 Nf6
5 Nc3 Nc6
6 Bc4
Fischer chooses the FischerSozin attack (B89) to counteract Geller’s pet Sicilian defence. 6—e6
7 Be3
This move is the mainline of the Leonhardt variation (6 — e6). 7 —Be7
8 Bb3 OO
9 Qe2 Qa5
10 OOO
Fischer decides to castle long, indicating that he intends to launch an attack at Geller’s king.
10 — Nxd4
11 Bxd4 Bd7
12 Kb1 Bc6 13 f4 Rad8
14 Rhf1
A reasonable move, but f5 seems better played first. For example, 14 — b5, 15 f5 e5, 16 Be3 b4, 17 Nd5 and with ensuing trades on d5, the rook on f1 will likely still not be advantageous via a rook lift.
14 —b5
15 f5 b4?
Surprisingly, this does not work because 16 fxe6! bxc3, 17 Rxf6! Bxf6, 18 Bxf6 gxf6 (18 — Re8?, 19 Qg4!), 19 e7 leaves White with an advantage. Better was 15 — e5, 16 Be3 h6, closing the position and for the moment keeping sufficient guard of d5.
16 fxe6!
Bobby smells blood in the water! 16 — bxc3
17 exf7+
Better was Rxf6 as per above. 17 — Kh8
18 Rf5??
This move has been praised by various commentaries over the years, but according to Stockfish10 it is no good at all. If as per the game, 18 — Qb4, 19 Qf1 Nxe4, 20 a3 Qb7, 21 Qf4 Ba4!! and the black darksquared bishop will swing to f6, guarded by the e4 knight, and the rook will recapture on f7 before White gets mate.
18 — Qb4!
Now White can’t play Bxc3 without Qxe4 following. Also, a3 will now be followed by Qb7, threatening to take on e4 with the bishop.
19 Qf1
Much better was conceding the centre with 19 Bxc3 Qxe4, 20 Qf1, threatening Re1, and maintaining king safety and harmony between his pieces.
19 — Nxe4
The only move that maintains Geller’s strong advantage.
20 a3 Qb7
21 Qf4 Ba4!
White’s bishop is tied down and suddenly it is evident that White is lost. 22 Qg4 Bf6
23 Rxf6 Bxb3!
01.
White resigned in view of
23 — Bxb3, 24 cxb3 Nxf6, 25 Bxf6 gxf6, 26 Qe6 Qxf7 and White is down a rook with nothing to show for it.
Fischer won this tournament, while Geller tied for second with Milan Matulovic (Yugoslavia).
Solution: 1 Qh6+ Ke7 (1 — Bg7, 2 Qd6#), 2 Qh7+ Kf8 (2 — Bg7, 3 Qxg7#), 3 Qf7#.
Fischer made powerfully decisive use of his queen (in conjunction with the lightsquared bishop) here by cutting across important dark squares. In the actual game, Fischer played 31 Qd6+ (mate in 7), after which Larsen resigned.