The Guardian London, Greater London, England Friday, February 05, 1971 - Page 19
How To Beat Fischer by Leonard Barden
A win against Bobby Fischer, the most successful tournament player of the day, is the ambition of every hopeful master. Last year only three players succeeded — Kovacevic at Zagreb, comprehensively drilled by his fellow Yugoslavs against a weak variation of the French Defence which Fischer had played earlier in the tournament: Spassky at Siegen in a nervy Grunfeld where the world champion pounced on Fischer's weakness in unclear positions: and Larsen at Palma in a Sicilian variation over which the Danish grandmaster burnt midnight oil for five hours before the game.
Paradoxically Fischer is less difficult to prepare for than the eclectic stylists like Larsen and Korchnoi. Bobby still has faith in the opening choices of his boyhood, the Ruy Lopez for White and the Najdorf Sicilian and Benoni for Black. The Najdorf Sicilian in particular ought to be one of his weaknesses. Its sharp queen's side counterplay often leaves the black king at risk in the centre of the board or castled short. If White is better primed theoretically, his reward can be a successful direct attack, as in Spassky's win over Petrosian in the decisive 19th game of the 1969 world title match.
Fischer's stubborn loyalty to the Najdorf Sicilian has been criticized by some of his colleague, one grandmaster even remarked “How can he expect to be a world champion playing only one line for his lifetime?” Gligoric compares Bobby's reliance on the Najdorf to “going with bared chest against the guns of opponents well prepared to direct their fire.
Yet Fischer is so well prepared in the Najdorf, especially in the critical B-KN5 system, that he rarely loses with this opening; so the title of this week's article is justified by the reflection that anyone who comes up with a significant improvement on the white side of the Najdorf can cherish visions of a win against the American grandmaster. The possibility of a Fischer scalp makes games with the sharp lines of special interest even where he is not involved, and this week's game, taken from the recent Russian championship, will be dissected and studied in the analysis rooms of Fischer's likely opponents in the world title series, and ways sought to give White's attack some extra venom.
Remaining Analysis by Barden of Ratmir Kholmov vs Vladimir Savon
USSR Championship (1970), Riga URS, rd 1, Nov-26
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. Main Line (B99) 1-0
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1240369
The Guardian London, Greater London, England Friday, February 05, 1971 White mates in two moves, against any defence...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Saturday, April 25, 2020
White mates in two moves, against any defence (by G. Guidelli).
FEN 8/K1p5/8/R3B3/3Q1p2/4bB2/4R2N/2r3k1 w - - 0 1
