MARK RUBERY CHESS
In 1977 Korchnoi and Spassky contested one of the most bitterly fought matches in chess history with the winner going through to play Karpov for the world title. After ten games Korchnoi led the former champion 7.5-2.5 and then incomprehensibly proceeded to lose the next four games! Korchnoi blamed this lapse on his opponent’s bad behaviour due to his absence from the board during these games. Spassky preferred to analyse by looking at the demonstration board and only returned to the stage to execute his move. After initially threatening to walk out Korchnoi managed to hold his nerve eventually triumphing 10.5-7.5 although relations between these two titans was remained tense for a number of years.
The following game was regarded by Kasparov as one of the best creative achievements in Korchnoi’s career.
Korchnoi,Viktor (2665) - Spassky,Boris V (2630) [D58]
Candidates final Belgrade (7), 1977
1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 0–0 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 b6
(The exquisitely titled ‘Tartakower-Makogonov-Bondarevsky Variation’) 8.Rc1 Bb7 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.cxd5 exd5 11.b4 c6 12.Be2 Nd7 (12…Qd6 13 Qb3 Nd7 14 0-0 a5 is thought to be more reliable for Black) 13.0–0 a5 14.b5 c5 15.dxc5 Nxc5 16.Nd4 Qd6 17.Bg4!? (17 Bf3 Rfd8 would be the route followed by most play but Korchnoi has something more interesting in mind)… Rfd8 18.Re1 Ne6 19.Bxe6 fxe6 20.Nc6! (The point of White’s play)…Bxc6 21.bxc6 Bxc3?! (The pawn on c6 might have looked too dangerous to grab but after 22…Qxc6 23 Ne4 Qb7! 24 Nxf6+ gxf6 25 Qg4+ Kf7 White should take the perpetual since 26 Qf4 e5! is adequate 27 Qxh6? Rh8 snares the queen) 22.Rxc3 Rac8 23.Qc2 e5? (Black’s plan of creating a passed d pawn that can be used to divert the white pieces from the c-file fails to some sublime play from Korchnoi. Blockading with 23…Rc7 was better) 24.c7! Rd7 25.Rc1 d4 26.Rc6 Qd5 27.Qb1 d3 28.Qxb6 d2 29.Rd1 Qxa2 30.h3!! (‘A very important move as Black can no longer speculate on the weakness of White’s back rank’-Korchnoi. The more obvious 30 Qb7 is insufficient after …Qa4!! [Not the tempting 30… Qa1? 31 Qxc8+ Kh7 32 Qh8+! Kxh8 33 Rxh6+ gxh6 34 c8=Q+ Kg7 35 Qxd7+ winning] 31 Qxc8+ Kh7 32 h3 Qxc6 33 Rxd2 Qc1+ 34 Kh2 Qxd2 35 Qb8 Rxc7 36 Qxc7=)…Qa4 31.Rxd2 Rxd2 32.Qb7 Rdd8 33.cxd8Q+ Rxd8 34.Rc7! (Now the only way to protect g7 is to give up the e pawn after which it is a matter of technique.) Qa1+ 35.Kh2 e4 36.Qxe4 (‘It would be interesting to know how far ahead Korchnoi calculated the variations!?-Larsen)…Qf6 37.f4 Qf8 38.Ra7 Qc5 39.Qb7 Qc3 40.Qe7 Rf8 41.e4 Qd4 42.f5 h5 43.Rxa5 Qd2 44.Qe5 Qg5 45.Ra6 Rf7 46.Rg6 Qd8 47.f6 h4 48.fxg7 1–0 ‘A strong player knows all the rules and laws of the game. A talented player knows everything that a strong player knows, but he also sees exceptions to these rules. But major chess talents (we call them chess geniuses) gradually transform these exceptions into new rules. And so on ad infinitum, since chess is inexhaustible.’ (Petrosian)