Havana Olympiad 1966 Sicilian Najdorf
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bc4 e6 7 Bb3
Alternatively, 7 0-0 Be7 8 Bb3 0-0 9 f4 b5 10 e5 (Black must be supremely prepared to absorb the force of such lunges) 10 ... dxe5 11 fxe5 Nfd7 12 Be3 (12 Qg4 Nxe5 13 Qe4 Bc5! 14 Be3 Nbc6! is in Black’s favour, since White fails to generate full compensation for the pawn) 12 ... Nxe5 13 Qh5 Nbc6 14 Nxc6 Nxc6 15 Rf3 was tried in N.Short-G.Kasparov, Novgorod 1997. Here Houdini suggests 15 ... Qd6! 16 Rh3 h6 17 Bxh6 Qc5+ (the point of playing the queen to d6) 18 Qxc5 Bxc5+ 19 Be3 Bxe3+ 20 Rxe3 Bb7 21 Ne4 Na5 with an even position.
Que stion:In the first game of this chapter, Black developed
his knight to c6 in response to the Fischer-Sozin Attack. In this version Black plays his knight to d7, which one is better?
Answe r:Both are playable and it’s a matter of personal taste. Fischer thought ... Nc6 was Black’s best, while Kasparov tended to favour ... Nbd7 (although he played both versions).
When we choose an opening, we must find that perfect balance between too much opening theory and too little, to the point where our opponents aren’t challenged. For me, the Najdorf falls under the too-much-theory category. In 1994, in a bout of temporary madness, your writer began playing Najdorf as Black (I beat two IMs with it and promptly abandoned the opening, deciding that the damage done to my delicate nervous system wasn’t worth the potential rating points), and I also played the ... Nbd7 and ... Nc5 systems.
Black can also delay the development of his queenside knight with 7 ... b5 8 0-0 Be7 9 Qf3 Qc7 10 Qg3 0-0 11 Bh6 Ne8 12 Rad1 Bd7 13 f4 Nc6 14 f5 Nxd4 15 Rxd4 Bf6 16 Rd3 Be5 with approximately even chances, A.Morozevich-G.Kasparov, Astana 2001.
8 f4
Instead, 8 Bg5 Qa5 (gaining a tempo on White’s g5-bishop, while unpinning the queen, which threatens ... Nxe4; 8 ... Nc5 is possible too and after 9 f4 Be7 10 e5 dxe5 11 fxe5 Nd5 12 Bxe7 Nxe7 13 Qg4 0-0 14 0-0-0 Qc7 maybe it’s stylistic, but I prefer Black’s position) leads to:
a) 9 f4? of course fails to 9 ... Nxe4.
b) The Richter-Rauzer-like 9 Qd2 is a thought.
c) 9 Bxf6 Nxf6 10 0-0 Be7 (10 ... Qc5!? 11 Kh1 b5 12 f4 Bb7 13 Qd3 Be7 14 Bxe6?! fxe6 15 Nxe6 Qc4! Black forces an ending in which Black stands better, P.Jaracz-D.Khismatullin, Dresden 2007) 11 f4 Qc5!? (“The idea is pretty clear: Black improves the position of his queen (and threatens 12 ... e5)” writes GM Mikhail Golubev) 12 Kh1 b5 13 a3 and Black stood at least even, L.Nisipeanu-V.Topalov, Dresden Olympiad 2008.
Triple purpose:
1. Black reinforces e6 in case White plays f5. 2. Black places a second attacker on e4.
3. Black can pick off White’s light-squared bishop with ... Nxb3.
9 f5
Again, we find alternatives:
a) 9 0-0 Ncxe4 10 Nxe4 Nxe4 11 f5 e5 12 Qh5 Qe7 13 Qf3 Nc5 14 Nc6 Qc7 15 Bd5 a5!? (an ambitious move which cuts off the knight’s retreat squares; 15 ... Bd7 16 Nb4 Be7 is probably the wiser course for Black) 16 Bg5 was V.Topalov-G.Kasparov, Amsterdam 1996. White still stands better after 16 ... Bd7 17 Ne7 Bxe7 18 Bxe7 f6! 19 Qg3 Be6! 20 Bxe6 Qxe7 21 Bd5 0-0-0.
b) 9 e5 dxe5 10 fxe5 Nfd7 11 Bf4 b5 12 Qg4 h5 13 Qg3 h4 14 Qg4 g5! 15 0-0-0 was the earlier N.Short-G.Kasparov, World Championship (Game 8), London 1993. The position is a complete mess. Houdini analysis continues: 15 ... gxf4 16 Nxe6 Nxe6 17 Bxe6 Qe7 18 Bxd7+! (18 Nd5?! is met with 18 ... Nxe5!) 18 ... Bxd7 19 Qf3 Ra7 20 Nd5 Bc6 21 Nf6+ Qxf6 22 exf6 Bxf3 23 Rhe1+! Re7! 24 fxe7 Bxd1 25 exf8R+ Kxf8 26 Kxd1 h3 27 gxh3 Rxh3 28 Rf1 when Black stands slightly better, but the position is still a likely draw.
9 ... Nfxe4?!
On the chess board, temerity tends to be punished far more than passivity. Our expectations rarely allow us to be satisfied with what we have and say: “Good enough”. Black’s last move was played with the thought: “Let’s go pawn grabbing and fall behind in development against the strongest player of the era. What could possibly go wrong?” Black unwisely risks all with a single throw of the dice. Just intuitively, we see at a glance that White’s massive development lead will be worth far more than Black’s extra pawn.
As one of the world’s foremost authorities on the dangers of an overactive imagination, I speak from vast experience (i.e. the misguided readers who hate my writing style and punish my books with a hateful review!) when declaring: To be dull and rational constitutes a virtue. Black is perfectly fine if he follows the dull course 9 ... Be7 10 Qf3 0-0 11 Be3 with dynamically even chances.
10 fxe6!
White may be down material, yet his currency is the fear of war upon Black’s king.
Que stion:Why not first swap knights and then play fxe6?
Answe r:Fischer’s move takes into account the line 10 Nxe4?! Nxe4 11 fxe6 Qh4+ 12 g3 Nxg3 and now if 13 Nf3?? when Black has the trick 13 ... Qe4+! winning, since he picks up White’s h1-rook next move. This ... Qe4+ trick at the end of the line isn’t possible in Fischer’s version, since his knight remains on c3, guarding the e4-square.
10 ... Qh4+
Black must choose from a set of difficult options:
a) 10 ... Bxe6 11 Nxe6! fxe6 (after 11 ... Nxc3? 12 Nxd8 Nxd1 13 Nxb7 Nxb7 14 0-0! f6 15 Rxd1 White’s bishop-pair, domination over d5 and the light squares, and superior pawn structure give him a winning ending) 12 Nxe4 Nxe4 13 Qg4 Nc5 14 0-0! (White can also play it safe with 14 Be3 Nxb3 15 Qxe6+ Be7 16 axb3 Qc8 17 Qd5 Qc6 18 0-0-0 Rc8 19 c3, with a pleasant edge) 14 ... Qd7 15 Be3 Nxb3 16 axb3 Rc8 17 c4 with massive compensation for the pawn.
b) 10 ... fxe6 11 Nxe4 Nxe4 12 0-0 when White has more than enough compensation for the pawn.
11 g3 Nxg3?
Black had to try 11 ... Nxc3 12 exf7+ Kd8 13 gxh4 Nxd1 14 Bg5+ Kc7 15 Rxd1 Nxb3 16 axb3 Bg4 17 Rd2. Black is down a pawn, but at least in this version he fights on.
Exe rcise (critical de cision):Should White play 12 exf7+ or should
he toss in the zwischenzug 12 Nf3 first? One line leads to a winning position, while in the other, Black equalizes.
Answe r:Zwischenzug.
12 Nf3!
Uncanny accuracy. Fischer finds a way to keep queens on the board.
I’m pretty certain Bednarski banked on 12 exf7+? Kd8 13 Nf3 where Black has 13 ... Qe7+!, after which his previous difficulties shrivel to insignificance: 14 Ne2 Qxe2+! (14 ... Nxh1?? hangs the queen to 15 Bg5) 15 Qxe2 Nxe2 16 Kxe2 Nxb3 17 cxb3 Be6 and Black is just fine.
12 ... Qh5 13 exf7+ Kd8 14 Rg1 Nf5 15 Nd5!
White’s pieces rule the board and Black’s king has no hope.
15 ... Qxf7
Relatively best:
a) 15 ... h6? 16 Nf4 traps Black’s queen on an open board.
b) 15 ... Nxb3? is met with 16 Bg5+ Kd7 17 cxb3! (threat: Nb6+) 17 ... Rb8 18 Rc1! Ne7 19 Nb6+ Ke6 20 Nd4+, which discovers on Black’s now hanging queen.
16 Bg5+
The bishop crooks his hands so that his fingers look like claws, and then cackles madly, leading some to believe he isn’t quite as virtuous as he previously claimed.
Exe rcise (combination ale rt):White has a simple way to win Black’s queen. How?
17 Qe2+!?
Wow. Fischer, perhaps looking for a bit of fun, ruthlessly goes after Black’s king, rejecting the more mundane:
Answe r:17 Nf6+! (discovered check) 17 ... gxf6 18 Bxf7+ (both the white knight and bishop battle for the black queen’s love, and the bishop wins) 18 ... Kxf7 and Black can resign.
17 ... Be6 18 Nf4
Three pieces attack e6 and only two defend.
18 ... Kd7
That odd staccato sound you hear is the banging of the black king’s head on the table.
19 0-0-0!
Threatening a cheapo on e5.
19 ... Qe8
Everything loses. For example, 19 ... Nxb3+ 20 axb3 Qg8 (or 20 ... Qe8 21 Rge1 Bg8 22 Qd3! with a deadly double attack on e8 and f5, and 22 ... Ne7 23 Qxd6+ Kc8 24 Nd5 forces mate) 21 Qe4! Rb8 22 Rge1 and Black collapses since e6 and f5 are destabilized.
Exe rcise (combination ale rt):Find White’s most efficient path to end the game.
Answe r:Double attack when b7 and f5 hang simultaneously.
21 Qe4!
The queen proves she is the one in charge and that events will proceed as she alone outlined.
21 ... g6 22 Nxe6 1-0
22 ... Qxe6 23 Qxb7+ pops the a8-rook. “I withdraw my previous description of you as a ‘vile, serpent traitoress’,” says Black’s king with a weak smile to his sister.
This game is a terrifying example of how Fischer dealt with non-world class opponents. When I was a kid, I thought reading was a kind of magic, which takes impermanent spoken ideas and preserves them in perpetuity. I first went over this game in 1969, when Fischer’s 60 Memorable Games came out, and the joy I receive from playing over the moves of this game remains the same, when I replay it in 2015.
Game 6
R.Fischer-B.Ivkov
Santa Monica 1966 King’s Indian Attack
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d3
Fischer would switch to the King’s Indian Attack when he felt “chicken”, in his own words.
3 ... Nc6 4 g3 d5 5 Nbd2 Bd6
Next game we look at Black’s main set-up, which arises from 5 ... Nf6 6 Bg2 Be7.
Que stion:What is Black’s idea behind the ... Bd6 and ... Nge7 set-up?
Answe r:With this system Black attempts to either remove the potency of White’s future e5, or just try and halt it outright with ... f6.
7 0-0 0-0 8 Nh4
Intending to activate his f-pawn. 8 Re1 is met with 8 ... f6.
8 ... b6
I also play Black’s set-up against the King’s Indian Attack, but I prefer 8 ... Bd7.
Que stion:Why?
Answe r:It’s more flexible for two reasons:
1. If Black later plays to swarm the queenside with ... b5, then he doesn’t lose a tempo.
2. Black’s light-squared bishop may transfer over to the kingside for defence, if needed, with ... f6 and ... Be8.
An example: 9 f4 f6 10 c3 Be8 (10 ... Qc7 may be more accurate) 11 f5 dxe4?! (a violation of the principle: Don’t break central pawn tension without good reason; today, your older and wiser writer would maintain the tension with 11 ... Bf7) 12 Nxe4 Bf7 13 Be3 b6 14 Qg4! (threats: Nxf6+, as well as fxe6) 14 ... Ne5 15 Nxf6+ Kh8 16 Qe4 gxf6?! (16 ... exf5 17 Qxa8 Qxa8 18 Bxa8 Rxa8 19 Nxf5 Nxf5 20 Rxf5 Be6 21 Rxe5 Bxe5 22 Ne4 Bd5 offers Black quite a bit of compensation for the pawn, but he is the one fighting for the draw) 17 fxe6 Bg8 18 Bh6 Rc8 19 Bh3 (19 d4! gives White a winning position) 19 ... Rc7 20 d4 cxd4 21 cxd4 N5g6 22 Bxf8 Qxf8 23 Rac1? (23 Nf5! Nxf5 24 Bxf5 Ne7 maintains White’s advantage) 23 ... Rxc1 24 Rxc1 Qh6! 25 Rf1 Nxh4 26 gxh4?! (26 Qxh4 is an even ending) 26 ... f5! 27 Bxf5 Nxf5 28 Rxf5 Qg6+ 29 Kh1 Bxe6 (now Black’s pair of bishops is worth more than White’s rook and two pawns) 30 Qa8+ Bg8 31 Qc8? (he had to try 31 Qe4) 31 ... h6 (31 ... Qg4! is more efficient) 32 h5?! Qg4 (White’s king is completely exposed) 33 Rf8 Qe4+ 34 Kg1 Qxd4+ 35 Kf1 Bxf8 36 Qxf8 Qg7 0-1, V.Saulespurens- C.Lakdawala, Los Angeles 1998. This game will be annotated in Anti-Sicilians: Move by Move.
9 ... dxe4?!
After Black’s last move, a serious inaccuracy, the latent power in Black’s position fails to be harnessed properly.
Que stion:Why a dubious mark? Doesn’t this move follow
the principle: Counter in the centre when menaced on the wing?
Answe r:It does, indeed, yet is still incorrect, since this is the dreaded exception to the general rule. Principles don’t work 100% of the time. Instead, they must be applied almost arbitrarily, using our best judgement and intuition. Normally when Black captures on e4, this benefits White since he will be able to utilize the e4-square later for his pieces after achieving e5, as in the game.
Black should remain consistent with his opening strategy of making it as difficult as possible for White to achieve e5, by playing 9 ... f6!.
9 ... f5, attempting to gum up White’s kingside play is also possible, but I think White can wrest an edge with 10 exf5! exf5 (maybe Black can try 10 ... Nxf5 11 Nxf5 Rxf5 when White is only a microbe better) 11 Ndf3 Qc7 (Black has a hole on e5, but it is heavily guarded) 12 c3 Ba6 13 Re1 Rae8 14 Be3 h6 15 d4! with advantage to White, since he is now able to occupy e5.
10 dxe4 Ba6 11 Re1
Houdiniunderestimates White’s coming attacking chances and slightly prefers Black here.
11 ... c4!?
I think Black should play 11 ... e5 12 f5. White has some attacking chances here and also the hole on d5, but Black is better off than in the game.
12 c3!
Now the a6-bishop has very little influence on coming matters. Fischer accurately avoids black counterplay with the inaccurate 12 e5?! Bc5+ 13 Kh1 c3! 14 bxc3 Rc8, when the queenside is opened far quicker than in the game’s continuation.
The instant a flawed plan is implemented, the inevitable process of its future disintegration simultaneously commences.
Que stion:Where is this knight going?
Answe r:Black plans ... Nb7, ... Nc5 and ... Nd3, but lacks the time, since Fischer’s kingside attack blossoms quicker.
Black should probably go for 12 ... e5 13 f5 Bc5+ 14 Kh1 (now f6 is a dangerous threat) 14 ... f6. If 15 b4! cxb3 16 axb3 and Black stands worse, no matter how he responds. For example:
a) 16 ... Bd3 17 b4 Bf2 18 Re2! Bxe2 19 Qxe2 Bd4 20 Bb2 and White stands clearly better, since he picks up a second piece for the rook.
b) 16 ... Bb7 17 b4 Bd6 18 Nc4 Nc8 (18 ... Bc7? 19 b5 Na5 20 Nxa5 bxa5 21 Qb3+ Kh8 22 Ba3 is a strategically won game for White) 19 Be3 Bc7 20 Qb3 Kh8 21 Red1 Qe7 22 b5 Nd8 23 Bg1 Nf7 24 Ne3 with a light-squared bind for White.
c) 16 ... Qc8! 17 b4 Bf2 (forced; 17 ... Bd6?? hangs a piece to 18 b5!) 18 Re2! Bxe2 19 Qxe2 Nd4 20 cxd4 Bxd4 21 Rb1 Qc2 22 b5 and White stands better, but conversion won’t be so easy with all those open central lines for Black’s rooks.
13 e5
Now Fischer gets what he is after: access to e4.
13 ... Bc5+
This saves the exchange, but it messes up Black’s original intent, since he planned to post his knight, not his bishop on c5.
16 Qh5!
People in small towns fear drifters (and there are quite a few in Black’s town), since they aren’t rooted in the community, or the town’s set of morality. Fischer, like Morphy and Capablanca before him, just makes chess look easy. He logically masses force around Black’s king. He wasn’t satisfied with 16 f5 (intending f6) 16 ... Ne7 17 fxe6 fxe6 18 Nxc5 Qxd1 19 Rxd1 Bxg2+ 20 Kxg2 bxc5 21 Rd6 with advantage for White in the ending, due to Black’s multiple pawn weaknesses.
16 ... Ne7 17 g4!
Threat: f5 and f6.
17 ... Bxe4!?
When Black’s bishop dies and enters heaven, he is disconcerted when the head angel assigns him the accordion, rather than the harp, as he was led to believe. This is a huge concession, but Ivkov felt that White’s terrible e4-knight had to be removed.
I think he puts up greater resistance in the line 17 ... Ng6 18 Nf3 (threats: f5 and f6, and also Nfg5) 18 ... Bxe4 19 Rxe4 Qd1+ (19 ... Bf2 threatens ... Qd1+, which can be easily dealt with: 20 Bd2 Qd3 21 f5! when the rook can’t be taken and White has achieved a winning attack) 20 Re1 Rad8 21 Qh3! (now Rxd1 becomes a real threat) 21 ... Qc2 22 f5 Rd1 23 fxg6 fxg6 24 Bd2! Rxa1 (24 ... Rxd2 25 Nxd2 Qxd2 26 Rf1 Qxb2 27 Rxf8+ Bxf8 28 Rf1 Qb5 29 g5 Qe8 30 Qg4 is a winning position for White) 25 Rxa1 Qxb2 26 Re1 (threat: Ng5) 26 ... Rf7 27 g5! Re7 28 Rf1 Qxa2 29 Bc1 Qa4 30 Nd2 Qe8 31 Ne4 Nb7 32 Nxc5 Nxc5 33 Ba3 and Black doesn’t have enough compensation for the piece.
18 Bxe4 g6
This creates terrible weakness around Black’s king, but it can’t be helped, since 18 ... Ng6? 19 Nf3! is crushing, as Black lacks a defence to f5, or Ng5.
19 Qh6 Nd5 20 f5
Now Black must deal with both f6 and fxg6 threats. To have a target, we must first be aware of its precise location, or else we risk launching an attack on empty space. Note that Black’s intended queenside ‘attack’ is nowhere to be seen. Magically, Fischer has continually increased his own kingside threats, while simultaneously restraining Black in the centre and on the queenside.
20 ... Re8
Exe rcise (planning):Black’s queenside ‘defenders’ lie about in heaps
of ungovernable clumps, like a bad haircut. The black king’s lightly defended garrison is threatened with siege and its terrible aftermath: starvation. Come up with White’s most efficient attacking plan.
Answe r:Target and sacrifice on g6.
21 fxg6!
The rote 21 f6?! allows Black to defend with 21 ... Bf8 22 Qg5 when Black’s position remains bad, yet infinitely superior to what happened to him in the game continuation.
21 ... fxg6 22 Nxg6!
Not only winning a pawn, but also shearing away the black king’s pawn cover. Ivkov could have resigned here, but this would have deprived us of witnessing Fischer’s concluding attack.
22 ... Qd7
A person can only take offence if he or she comprehends the insult. The knight can’t be touched: 22 ... hxg6?? walks into a mate in three moves after 23 Qxg6+ Kf8 24 Bh6+ Ke7 25 Qg7.
23 Nf4 Rad8
It would be more logical to remove White’s scary looking knight. Still, this doesn’t even come close to saving Black: 23 ... Nxf4 24 Bxf4 Rac8 25 Rf1 Bf8 26 Qg5+ Qg7 27 Qh5 Re7 28 Bg5 Qxe5 29 Rae1 (threat: Bxh7+) 29 ... Qg7 30 Bf6 Qf7 (30 ... Qh6 31 Qxh6 Bxh6 32 Bxe7 leaves White up a rook) 31 Qg5+ Bg7 32 Bxe7 is complete annihilation for Black.
24 Nh5 Kh8
The nervous king pretends to be deaf to the poisonous, conspiratorial whispers in court.
25 Nf6 Nxf6 26 exf6 Rg8 27 Bf4
Threat: f7, followed by Be5+. To me a simpler path would be to push the g- and f-pawns down with 27 g5 Bf8 28 Qh5 and Black has no good defence to g6.
27 ... Rxg4
Alternatively 27 ... Qf7 28 g5 Bf8 29 Qh4 Rd7 30 Rad1 Rxd1 31 Rxd1 Bc5 32 Be5 Be3 33 Qh5! deflects to force mate in three moves.
28 Rad1 Rdg8
28 ... Qxd1?? walks into 29 Qxh7 mate.
guy. He attempts to con Bobby with a carnival shell game, but who can blame him? When we are busted, even the greatest among us is willing to sink to a most sordid plane of existence, if in return we get one final chance to set up a hideously vulgar ye olde cheapoe!
Exe rcise (combination ale rt):How did Fischer
deliver Black’s king to his enemies by forcing mate?
Answe r:Clearance.
29 f7! 1-0
I hope nobody fell for 29 Rxd7?? Rg1+ 30 Rxg1 Rxg1 mate.
After 29 f7! the finish runs 29 ... Qxf7 30 Be5+ R8g7 31 Qxh7 mate. “I love you as a brother, yet must execute you as a traitor,” weeps White’s queen.
Game 7