AThe Guardian London, Greater London, England Friday, April 16, 1971 - Page 6
Chess : The Eight Challengers
The eight challengers for the world championship will meet next month in quarterfinal matches of ten games beginning on May 13. The Russians Geller and Korchnoi will play in Moscow with chances about even. Larsen (Denmark) will be a hot favourite to beat. Uhlmann (East Germany) in the Canary Islands while the ex-world champion Petrosian (USSR) will probably be too experienced for Hubner (West Germany).
The most interesting match will be between Fischer (U.S.) and Taimanov (USSR) to be held in Milan. Agreement on the venue was reached after a haggle when the Russians refused to play in the United States, while Fischer turned down the USSR, Holland, and Spain as suitable venues. Fischer should win, but the game between the two players in the interzonal showed that he will not have an easy job for at one stage Taimanov had almost a winning position. Interzonal Chess Tournament, by R. G. Wade and L. S. Blackstock (obtainable from The Chess Player, 12 Burton Avenue, Carlton, Nottingham, at £2.08 post free), is a full survey of the 276 games in this event, with penetrating comments which provide an insight into the techniques of professional master chess.
Robert J. Fischer—Mark Taimanov
Sicilian, Taimanov Variation
1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 e6
5. Nb5
Taimanov was expecting 5. N-QB3 followed by P-KN3, which Fischer used at Zagreb earlier in the year.
5. … d6
6. c4 a6
7. N5c3 Nf6
8. Be2 Be7
9. O-O O-O
10. Na3 b6
11. Be3 Bd7
12. Rc1 Qb8
13. f3 Ra7
14. Nc2 Rd8
15. Qe1 Be8
16. Qf2 Rb7
Taimanov and his trainer Vaskukov prepared this (illegible) specially for the interzonal. Black's cramped but Fischer's position prepared a freeing break either by P-QN4 or by P-Q4.
17. a4
This stops P-QN4 but now White has five pawns on white squares. In the next part of the game Taimanov aims to swap minor pieces apart from White's KB which is handicapped by its own pawns.
… a5
18. Nd4 Nxd4
19. Bxd4 Nd7
20. Qg3 Bf6
21. Bxf6 Nxf6
22. Rfd1 e5
23. Qh4 h6
24. Rd2 Nd7
25. Bd1 Nc5
26. f4 exf4
27. Qxf4 Ne6?
The turning point of the game. 27. … R-K2; 28. B-B2 R-K4; 29. R(1)-Q1 P-B3! would set up a black square blockade, keep White's bishop passive and justify Black's strategy. As the game goes, Fischer's 34th brings his bishop back to life and drives Black on the defensive.
28. Qg3 Qc7
29. Nd5 Qc5+
30. Kh1 Bc6
31. Rc3 Ng5
32. Bc2 Bxd5
33. Rxd5 Qc7
34. e5 dxe5
35. Qxe5 Rdb8
36. Bf5 Qxe5
37. Rxe5 g6
38. h4 Nh7
39. Bg4 Nf6
40. Bf3 Rd7
40. … R-B2 and … R-B4 would still hold the game, but Taimanov expects too much from winning the KRP.
41. Rb5 Rd4
Taimanov sealed this move some time before the end of the session, which Fischer regarded as a “chicken” attitude. The Russian analysts found that Fischer now needed to play 17 precise moves in succession to win “Unhappily,” writes Vasyukov in the Russian magazine “64.” Fischer found all these moves.”
42. c5 Rxh4+
43. Kg1 Rb4
44. Rxb4 axb4
45. Rc4 bxc5
46. Rxc5 Kg7
47. a5 Re8
48. Rc1 Re5
49. Ra1 Re7
50. Kf2 Ne8
51. a6 Ra7
52. Ke3 Nc7
53. Bb7 Ne6
54. Ra5 Kf6
55. Kd3 Ke7
56. Kc4 Kd6
57. Rd5+ Kc7
58. Kb5 Resigns.
The Guardian London, Greater London, England Friday, April 16, 1971 White mates in two moves against any defence (by...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Thursday, May 7, 2020
White mates in two moves against any defence (by A.P. Guhayev).
FEN 2K5/2N5/Q1PkN3/8/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1
