AAsbury Park Press Asbury Park, New Jersey Sunday, August 29, 1971 - Page 96
The Chessboard: Fischer Favored on Record
Grandmaster Bobby Fischer of the United States enjoys a psychological advantage over Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union in their candidates' match scheduled to start next month.
Not only does Fischer enter the match with an unblemished record of 12 straight wins in the matches played thus far, but he also scored 3-1 against Petrosian when they met at second board in the Russia vs. World match played last year.
In that match, Fischer won two games and drew two-a stellar performance against the former world's champion. Fischer's victory in the first round of that match has already appeared here. Here is the score of his win in the second round:
ENGLISH OPENING
Petrosian (White) vs Fischer (Black)
5. Nf3 (Also to be recommended is 5. P-K3, but here, too Black does not experience any great difficulties. Now came 5. … e6)
9. a3 (White intends to follow with QR-N and P-QN4), … b6
10. … Bb7 (Black's bishops have assumed excellent position, raking the long diagonals)
12. … dxc4 (Now White's queen bishop's pawn becomes woefully weak).
14. c5 (Feeling that the best way to defend the weak pawn is to advance it, but the results are not favorable to White.)
15. Na5 (White's problem apparently has not be solved);
17. Qc2 Nb7 (Black avoids 17. … BxN; 18. QxB RxP; 19. B-N4!)
19. Nd5 (19. … BxN would yield no more than a draw);
20. Nb2 Bb5 (Black keeps several points under attack, the while improving his position)
21. … Bd4 (dooming the White queen bishop's pawn)
24. … Bxc5 (Black is a pawn ahead and his pieces well poised for the attack).
25. … Bxd3 (Black is forced to part with one of his bishops and the position soon becomes critical)
28. Bg5 (it is doubtful that White should invite the exchange of this bishop) Be7
30. Qd4 (White errs, for after 30 BxN a draw appears the likely outcome) e5
33. … Rc4! (The rook comes into play with good effect, threatening 34. … R-B5!)
41. … Ne8 (After some dubious moves by both sides around the time control, the game again settles down to a difficult struggle).
48. … Ra2 (Luring White into the following inferior reply): 49. Rxf7+ (49 K-N apparently leaves Black with only a draw), Kxf7
54. f4 (also unavailing is 54. K-Q3), Nd7
55. … Nc5 (Black aims at trapping the White bishop);
62. … a2 (the bishop goes lost);
66. … Nd4 (and White resigned.)
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian vs Robert James Fischer
USSR vs. Rest of the World (1970), Belgrade SRB, rd 2, Mar-31
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation. Two Knights Line (A37) 0-1
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044685
