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Best of Chess Fischer Newspaper Archives
• Robert J. Fischer, 1955 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1956 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1957 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1958 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1959 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1960 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1961 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1962 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1963 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1964 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1965 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1966 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1967 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1968 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1969 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1970 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1971 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1972 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1973 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1974 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1975 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1976 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1977 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1978 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1979 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1980 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1981 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1982 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1983 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1984 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1985 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1986 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1987 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1988 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1989 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1990 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1991 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1992 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1993 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1994 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1995 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1996 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1997 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1998 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1999 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2000 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2001 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2002 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2003 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2004 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2005 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2006 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2007 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2008 ➦
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Chess - Fischer's Opening

Back to 1971 News Articles

The Guardian London, Greater London, England Friday, July 09, 1971 - Page 6

Chess - Fischer's Opening by Leonard Barden
Bobby Fischer, the US world title contender, has made one opening system specially his own. This is the early development of White's king's bishop on the attacking square KB4 in the Sicilian Defense, an idea which twenty years ago was regarded as inferior because the bishop can be opposed by a pawn wall at K3 and KB2. Fischer's simple yet effective discovery which has revolutionized the theory of this opening is that Black's solid wall can be stormed by a rapid advance of White's king's bishop's pawn. Once the wall is undermined, the white bishop is effectively trained on the weakest squares in Black's defenses at K3 and KB2.
Black may be able to defend Fischer's system in theory, but in practice there is a high proportion of quick and often brilliant white wins. This week's game and analysis surveys the variation and spotlights the critical positions.

Heikki Westerinen-Kaarle Ojanen, Helsinki 1971

1. P-K4 P-QB4
2. N-KB3 P-Q3
3. P-Q4 PxP
4. NxP N-KB3
5. N-QB3 P-QB3

After 5. … N-B3 White does best to play a slightly different attacking system popularized by Velimirovic 6. B-QB4 P-K3 7. B-N3 B-K2 8. B-K3 followed by Q-K2, O-O-O, king's side pawn rush.

6. B-QB4 P-QN4

Black does best to advance his queen's side. Fischer recommends against the simple development by 6. … P-K3 7. B-N3 B-K2 8. P-B4 O-O 9. Q-B3 Q-B2 10. P-B5 P-K4 11. N(4)-K2 P-QN4 12. P-QR3 B-N2 13. P-N4 with a strong attack. Also unsuccessful is 6. … P-K3 7. B-N3 QN-Q2 8. P-B4 N-B4 9. P-B5! KNxP 10. PxP (Fischer-Bednarski, Havana, 1966) or here 9. … NxB 10. RPxN B-K2 11. Q-B3 O-O 12. B-K3 B-Q2 13. P-KN4 and White won quickly in Fischer-Bielicki, Mar del Plata 1960.

7. B-N3 P-K3
8. O-O

The alternative plan 8. B-K3 will be discussed in a later article.

8. … B-K2

Fischer-Tal, Belgrade 1959 showed that the pawn snatch 8. … P-N5 9. N-R4 NxP is risky after 10. P-B4 P-N3? 11. P-B5! NPxP 12. NxBP while 8. … B-N2 allowed 9. R-K1 (Fischer-Rubinetti, Palma 1970) when Black's king is trapped in the center because if 9. … B-K2 10. BxP! is a strong sacrifice.

9. P-B4

Fischer in My 60 Memorable Games recommends 9. Q-B3 Q-B2 10. Q-N3 P-N5 11. QN-K2 P-N3 12. B-R6, but Black can improve this by castling on move 10. 9 P-QR4 is another idea.

9. … O-O

There are two other plans in this critical position. Fischer suggest 9. … Q-B2 10. P-B5 P-N5 11. QN-K2 (11. PxP PxN 12. PxPch K-B1 13. B-N5 N-N5! is unsound) P-K4 12. N-KB3 B-N2 as good for Black; White might improve by 10. Q-B3 and 11. Q-N3 9. … B-N2 10. P-K5 PxP 11. Q-N3 9. … B-N2 10. P-K5 PxP 11. PxP B-B4 12. B-K3 N-B3 13. PxN BxN 14. PxP BxBch 15. K-R1 R-KN1 allows White a strong attack for his sacrificed bishop by 16. Q-R6 or 16. BxP. Here White could try instead 10. P-B5

10. P-K5

Better than 10. P-B5? P-N5 which now favours black.

10. … PxP
11. PxP B-B4?

The tactical idea which works in the note to Black's ninth move fails when Black has castled. More solid is 11. … KN-Q2 12. B-KB4 N-B4.

12. B-K3 N-B3
13. NxN BxBch
14. K-R1 Q-B2
15. PxN QxN

15. N-Q5! The winning move, for if 15. … PxN 16. BxP and Black loses rook for bishop without compensation. 15. Q-B4

16. N-K7ch K-R1
17. Q-B3! Resigns.

White threatens both QxR and PxPch followed by Q-B6 mate. A good illustration of the sharp tactical play which results from Fischer's controversial system.

Game not found among the games of Kaarle-Sakari Ojanen and Heikki Westerinen.

Chess - Fischer's Opening

Recommended Books

Understanding Chess by William Lombardy Chess Duels, My Games with the World Champions, by Yasser Seirawan No Regrets: Fischer-Spassky 1992, by Yasser Seirawan Chess Fundamentals, by Jose Capablanca Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, by Bobby Fischer My 60 Memorable Games, by Bobby Fischer Bobby Fischer Games of Chess, by Bobby Fischer The Modern Chess Self Tutor, by David Bronstein Russians versus Fischer, by Mikhail Tal, Plisetsky, Taimanov, et al

'til the world understands why Robert J. Fischer criticised the U.S./British and Russian military industry imperial alliance and their own Israeli Apartheid. Sarah Wilkinson explains:

Bobby Fischer, First Amendment, Freedom of Speech
What a sad story Fischer was,” typed a racist, pro-imperialist colonial troll who supports mega-corporation entities over human rights, police state policies & white supremacy.
To which I replied: “Really? I think he [Bob Fischer] stood up to the broken system of corruption and raised awareness! Whether on the Palestinian/Israel-British-U.S. Imperial Apartheid scam, the Bush wars of ‘7 countries in 5 years,’ illegally, unconstitutionally which constituted mass xenocide or his run in with police brutality in Pasadena, California-- right here in the U.S., police run rampant over the Constitution of the U.S., on oath they swore to uphold, but when Americans don't know the law, and the cops either don't know or worse, “don't care” -- then I think that's pretty darn “sad”. I think Mr. Fischer held out and fought the good fight, steadfast til the day he died, and may he Rest In Peace.
Educate yourself about U.S./State Laws --
https://www.youtube.com/@AuditTheAudit/videos
After which the troll posted a string of profanities, confirming there was never any genuine sentiment of “compassion” for Mr. Fischer, rather an intent to inflict further defamatory remarks.

This ongoing work is a tribute to the life and accomplishments of Robert “Bobby” Fischer who passionately loved and studied chess history. May his life continue to inspire many other future generations of chess enthusiasts and kibitzers, alike.

Robert J. Fischer, Kid Chess Wizard 1956March 9, 1943 - January 17, 2008

The photograph of Bobby Fischer (above) from the March 02, 1956 The Tampa Times was discovered by Sharon Mooney (Bobby Fischer Newspaper Archive editor) on February 01, 2018 while gathering research materials for this ongoing newspaper archive project. Along with lost games now being translated into Algebraic notation and extractions from over two centuries of newspapers, it is but one of the many lost treasures to be found in the pages of old newspapers since our social media presence was first established November 11, 2017.

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