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The ability to play decisive games is an essential quality for a chess master. Games on whose result hangs the match, tournament or even the whole of one's life, are quintessentially what chess is about, as a sporting event. In my books Ι always devote serious space to this topic.

But the ability to play key games is by no means the same as loving exceptions.

Anatoly Karpov has won many decisive games in the course of his brilliant career, but in doing so, his best friend was not a love of risk and gambling, but cold-blood­

edness and patience.

In general, the biggest factor in being successful in such situations is the ability to remain true to yourself, especially when a great deal is at stake. In the games given below, the dominating factors are decisiveness, nerve and risk. It is not coin­

cidence that we start with two games by Mikhail Tal. As we know, a striving to attack was the keynote ofhis career, but in situations where he needed to win, he became even more fearless and irresistible.

Chapter 8 ^-When α Win is the Only Acceptable Result

Game94 Mikhaii Tal Bent Larsen

Bled m 1 965 (10)

It seems entirely appropriate to give the word about this game to Tal himself:

'Before the 1Oth and final game, Ι had the advantage of the white pieces and was in a good mood. Ι also believed in my ability to play decisive games.'

1 .e4 c5 2.tl:J13 tl:Jc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.tl:Jxd4 e6 5.tl:Jc3 d6 6 . ..te3 ttJ16 7.14 ..te7 θ. 'if13 0-0 9.0-0-0 'ifc7 1 0.tl:Jdb5 'ifbθ 1 1 .g4 a6 1 2.tl:Jd4 tl:Jxd4 13 . ..bd4 b5 1 4.g5 tl:Jd7 1 5 . ..td3 b4

Ι hate to ask the discerning reader this ques­

tion, but here goes: where is the knight going to move to?

1 6.tl:Jd5!

Only those with no acquaintance with Tal could have any doubts. Besides, the variation 16.tbe2 eS 1 7.�e3 exf4 1 8.tbxf4 tbes promises White little.

But risk and danger were the ex-World Champion's calling card, and this was the ideal atmosphere for a decisive game.

1 6 ... exd5 1 7.exd5

This game attracted enormous interest from chess lovers the world over and it has been the subject of detailed

analy-sis from generations of explorers. But even with the help of SF, the answers to many of the questions remain com­

pletely unclear.

One can only sympathise with Larsen, who had to resolve such questions and take crucial decisions at the board.

White threatens to win immediately with the standard two bishops sacri­

fice. So Black must decide between two continuations (17 ... f5 and 1 7 ... g6), but even the machine, let alone a human, can calculate all the consequences of the two moves. One must rely ση intuition, which in this case let down the Dane.

But what does your intuition tell you?

1 1 ... 15

The final conclusions of numerous ana­

lysts, including Kasparov and SF, is that 1 7. .. g6! is stronger, and places White's brave idea in doubt. The main varia­

tion looks like this: 18 . .!::r.de1 ! (the most threatening) 1 8 ... �d8 1 9.'iVh3 tbes 20.'iVh6 �b6! 2l.fe5! �d4 22.�e4!

�f2! 23.e6 fe6 24.de6, and here both 24 ... �b7 and 24 ... d5 lead to a large advantage to Black.

However, after 1 7 ... g6 the move 18.�he1 also deserves serious attention.

The drawback of this move is obvious:

the rook leaves the h-file. In the game, it was the march of the h-pawn, sup­

ported by the rook, which decided the

issue. Οη the σther haηd, the bishσp d3 remaiηs defeηded, which is alsσ sigηif­

icaηt iη several variatiσηs. Here is σηe:

1 8 ... �d8 19.'t!Hh3 lLJeS 20.'t!Hh6 �b6 2 1.fS!.

Νσw Black faces a ηew chσice: what to take with ση fS. Takiηg with the piece is perfectly pσssible: 21. .. �xfS!? 22.�xfS (weaker is 22.�xe5 dxeS 23.�xfS gxfS 24 . .!::!.d3 .l::!.a7! 2S . .l::th3 f6 26.gxf6 f4 27 . .!::!.hS Φh8! 28 . .!::!.hxeS .!::!.af7 aηd Black wiηs) 22 ... gxfS 23.Ι:ιχe5! dxeS (wσrse is 23 ... �xd4? 24 . .!::!.xd4 �a7 2S . .!::!.h4 f6 26 . .!::!.el .!::!.ae8 27 . .!::!.dl!±) 24.�xb6.

analysis diagram

The resultiηg cσmplicated pσsitiση is hard tσ assess defiηitively, but it is σbvi­

σus that White has gσσd cσmpeηsatiση fσr the exchaηge.

Νσ less iηterestiηg is 2 1 . .. gxfS 22.�xb6 l2Jg4 23 . .!::!.gl! (23.�d4! t2Jxh6 24.gxh6 leads tσ the same pσsitiση) 23 ... t2Jxh6 24.gxh6+ Φh8 2S.�d4+ f6 26.1::f.del!.

We have reached a cσmpletely uηique pσsitiση, iη which White has σηly a piece fσr the queeη, but it is Black whσ has to seek a way tσ save the game. Eveη sσ, he is able tσ dσ sσ: 26 ... �b7! (the σηly mσve!) 27 . .!::!.g7 �xdS 28 . .!::!.ee7

�g8 29.�xfS (the same result cσmes frσm 29 . .!::!.xg8+ Φχg8 30 . .I:!.g7+ Φh8 31.�xfS) 29 ... ds

analysis diagram

aηd White has to fσrce perpetual check.

Οηe caη σηly sum up by sayiηg that after the strσηgest reply (17 ... g6) the game is σηly begiηηiηg.

1 8.1:.de1 !?

Equally gσσd is 1 8 . .!::!.hel !? �d8 (with this arraηgemeηt σf white rσσks, 1 8 ... .!::!.f7!? makes mσre seηse thaη iη the game, e.g. 19.�xfS (after 19.h4 lΔf8 20.h5 the rσσk ση dl wσuld lσσk better ση hl) 19 ... t2Jf8 20.�e6! lΔxe6 21.dxe6 J::tfs 22.�f6!! �xf6 23.'ife4 g6 24.gxf6 l:f.xf6 2S.'ifd4 .!::!.f8 (2S ... .!::!.xe6?

26.�d5; 2S ... Φg7? 26.fS) 26.e7 .!::!.e8 27.'i:VdS+ Φg7 28.'i!Vd4+ Φh6 29.fS

�xfS 30.�h4+ Φg7 31.'i!Vd4+; SF's irση haηd briηgs everythiηg to a draw)

19.'i!Vh3 'fkc7 20.�xfS J::f.xfS 2l.'iνxfS lΔf8 22.'ffe4 't!Hf7 23.h4 with mutual chaηces. Ιη geηeral, it is hard to assess the rσσk ηuaηces eveη after patieηt

Chapter 8 ^-When α Win is the Only Acceptab1e Result

analysis with the computer, so what can one say about the chances of the players, over the board?

1 8 ... :tf7?

Larsen makes the wrong choice. In this situation, he had to play 18 ... i.d8! after which White has many possibilities.

The best, probably, is Tal's suggestion 19.'iνh5! (not 19.hg7 Φχg7 20.'ifh5 1:1g8! 2I.hf5 W8 and Black defends) 19 ... tbc5 20.hg7! tι:Jxd3+ 2l.Φbl! 'iνc7!

(2I . .. tι:Jxel? 22.g6 loses at once) 22 . .txf8 tι:Jxel 23 . .!hel 'iνf7 24.'ifxf7+ Φχf7 25.hd6 with a roughly equal ending.

1 9.h4!

Exactly! Now it turns out that the white pieces are ideally placed. Significantly weaker was 19.i.xf5? tbf8! and the black pieces come to life miraculously.

1 9 ... .tb7

Black's task has become much more compli­

cated. For example, activating the knight Joses:

I9 ... tbc5? 20.h5 tbxd3+ 2 I.'ifxd3 �f8 22.g6 lιc7 23.gxh7+ Φχh7 24.'ifg3!. But now how shou]d White develop his attack?

20 . .bf5!?

Tal's comment here is interesting: Ά result of the sporting situation. if this had not been the final game, Ι would have played the sharper 20.g6 hxg6 21 .h5 g5 22.i.xf5! with extremely dan­

gerous threats.

analysis diagram

However, Ι could not find a forced win at the board after 22 ... i.f6 23.i.e6 'iff8 (not 23 ... �xd4 24.fxg5 'iff8 25.g6) and there­

fore decided not to get into time-trouble by calculating a lot oflengthy and compli­

cated variations'. As it turns out, this was a wise decision. Certainly, it would be impossible to calculate precisely all of the variations in such a complicated position, although the line given by Tal turns out

to be clearly better for White: 24.i.xf6 g4 25.'iνxg4 tι:Jxf6 26.'iνg5 Φh8 27.i.xf7 'iνxf7 28.h6 g6 29.f5.

analysis diagram

On the other hand, in the line 23 ... �xd4 24.fxg5 Black has the strong reply 24 ... 'iνe8! and after the forced 25.'iνg4 Φcs 26.i.f7 'iff7 27.'i!Vd4 'ifds we reach a completely unclear position.

It only remains to mention SF's recommendation: 20.h5! 'iff8 2 l .g6

1:1f6 22.gxh7+ �xh7 (22 ... �h8 23.h6) 23.�xf6 'ifxf6 24.'ifh3 1::f.f8 25.1::i.e6±.

20 ... :Xf5

There were more chances of a success­

ful defence after 23 ... 'ifxe7 24.'ifxf5

After this move, it is impossible to save the black position. More tenacious is 28 ... 'iff7! 29.'ifxf7+ �xf7 30.�c5 1::f.e8 31.1::f.xe8 �xe8 32.�xb4 �xdS although the resulting opposite-coloured bishop endgame offers only certain practical chances of making a draw.

29.1Wf4 .J:.fθ 30.1We4 b3 31 .axb3 .J:.f1 + 32. �d2 1Wb4+ 33.c3 1Wd6 34.�c5!

The most elegant and the quickest way to win.

34 ... 1Wxc5 35 . .J:.e8+ .J:.fθ 36.1We6+

Φhθ 37.1i'f7! 1 -0

One of Tal's most famous games. Of course, half a century later, we look at this game through different eyes. Now­

adays, every club player knows about would not usually permit themselves to stop to such cheap tricks. It was the eighth World Champion who expanded the horizons of chess and made such sacrifices into a standard device.

The following game between the same two players had a quite different char­

acter. Both players had already lost their Candidates' semifinal matches.

The battle for third place, which gave the right of entry to the next Interzonal tournament, only had significance for Tal, since the qualification stages had much less significance for a Western player than a Soviet one. Unlike his opponent, Larsen could play in a com­

pletely relaxed manner. Possibly for this reason, or maybe some other, the sit­

uation before the fifth game was very bad for Tal - he was trailing 1 -3. Con­

sequently, one can understand his fears and worries at the critical stage.

Game95 Bent Larsen Mikhaii Tal

Eersel m 1 969 (5)

ο

Chαpter 8 ^-When α Win is the Only Acceptαble Result

20.tlJxa8

After 20.tbe6!? 'i!Vb6+ 2I.Ilf2 we reach a complicated position and, of course, the Dane would have played this way had the match situation been different.

But when every half-point brings one closer to overall victory, it makes sense to avoid any risk.

20 ... tlJxe4!

This tempting blow is only sufficient for a draw.

21 .fxe4 11Vg5+ 22.'itf2

Is Blαck obliged to force the drαw?

22 ... 11Vg2+??!

From a purely chess viewpoint, a terri­

ble mistake. Of course, he should have played 22 ... 'iνh4+ 23.Φgl 'iVgS+.

analysis diagram

Tal undoubtedly understood this, and it was also obvious to Larsen. At this point, Tal thought for a long time.

What could he have been thinking about in this position? About the fact that the match situation was critical and a win essential? Yes, it probably was.

But defeat in this game would practi­

cally deprive him of any remaining chance. So, it seems the only thing to do was to end the game with perpetual check and prepare for the next.

However, Tal would not have been Tal if he had missed a chance to stake everything ση one card. But so as to give his bluff more chance of work­

ing, he thought himself into hopeless time-trouble.

Larsen, convinced that such a double risk was impossible, suddenly had to mobilise all his reserves for the fight.

This is extremely difficult, and in the latter lay the one miserly chance of suc­

cess for Tal's bluff.

23.�e1 li::Jh4 24.�e3?

The bluff works! Larsen panics, although there was no need at all. After all, if one looks calmly at the position, it is clear that Black has no real threats.

The simplest win was 24.lbf2! but in fact almost any sensible move wins, because for all the threatening appear­

ance of the black forces, he simply lacks the reserves to develop his initiative. It is even possible to play the ineffective 24.a3 f3 25.�e3.

24 ... 11Vxe4!

Probably Larsen had missed this move.

Black increases the pressure, ignoring his huge material deficit.

However, if you think about it, Black had no alternative here: 24 ... fxe3 25.l::txf7 Φχf7 26.�h5+ is completely bad.

25 . ..tf2 f3 26.bh4 'ifxh4+ 27.li::Jf2 fxe2 28. 'ifxe2 e4!

Playing for the maximum!