AThe 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.
