ANew York Times, New York, New York, Thursday, October 21, 1971 - Page 44
Chess: In 5th Game at Buenos Aires Ancient Strategies Employed by Al Horowitz
Bobby Fischer is off on another streak. The American star, who posted his 20th straight victory in the opener of his present 12-game series against Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union has gone unbeaten after dropping the second contest. Fischer played three straight draws with the Soviet ace, then defeated Petrosian, a former world champion, in the last two games at Buenos Aires.
As a result, Fischer holds a 4½-2½-point lead in the competition to determine a challenger for the world title held by Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union. The eighth game, scheduled for tonight, was postponed until Sunday because Petrosian was suffering from nervous exhaustion.
In the fifth game, Petrosian employed the Petroff Defense, whose origin and background dates to before 1850, but was closely investigated by two Russian masters, Petroff and Jaenisch, before them. Two American grandmasters, Harry Nelson Pillsbury and Frank J. Marshall, contributed substantially to the knowledge of this debut.
From the standpoint of strategy, Black's 2. ... N-KB3, a median counteraction may seem premature. Yet, no refutation appears when Black does not exaggerate his aggressive attitude.
White's Edge Minimal
White is able to steer the opening into symmetrical channels, always to some extent making his initial tempo count. This fact explains why the Petroff is so rarely adopted today. White's advantage, however, is no more than the first-move initiative.
The move 3. P-Q4, recommended by a one-time world champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, was once considered best. Today, the line of Emanuel Lasker, also a world champion, 3. NxP, is considered best. It is singularly curious that the strategies of these former champions should be used by rivals, nearly a century later, in a game to determine a challenger for the world title.
The book line, 5. Q-K2, gives White a minimal plus. In fact, Keres' move, 5. P-QB4, to undermine the stability of Black's central knight with . . . P-Q4, has succeeded.
Black, however, soon retires with his king-knight, minus a couple of tempi, defying White to make something of it.
Black Fights Hard
Black's 12. … P-QR3 and 15. … P-QN4 seem to indicate he is fighting hard to fabricate plans. And White can progress here by 20. Q-N3 or 20. N-N5, with pressure on the king-bishop pawn.
Black can then advance with … P-Q4. But this will limit his queen bishop.
An alternative choice for White is 15. P-QR4, to contain Black's queen-side pawn-advance. Black will then be hard up for any campaign.
With 22. … P-QR4, Black maneuvers to get rid of some force and runs for the draw. The move entails danger. For White is able to gain an outside passed pawn. And after 29. … RxP, the continuation is swap, swap, swap and draw.
Robert James Fischer vs Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian Fischer - Petrosian Candidates Final (1971), Buenos Aires ARG, rd 5, Oct-14 Russian Game: Classical Attack. Closed Variation (C42) 1/2-1/2 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1106927 19. … Nc7
