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Robert James Fischer vs Mikhail Tal
"Gone 4-0 While" (game of the day Nov-05-09)
Yugoslavia ct 1959  ·  Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B90)  ·  0-1


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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Oct-04-08   Ladolcevita: wow,both of players are my favourites...
Jun-11-09   ROO.BOOKAROO: Ray Keene gives his usual concise but highly relevant analysis in his London Times column of June 10, 2009 http://entertainment.timesonline.co... However in the quiz of the same day, from Gligoric-Keres, 1959 (a brilliant position) Ray Keene prints a solution that includes an egregious error immediately spotted by readers, and which betrays a certain nonchalance towards the accuracy of his comment. And this printed in the prestigious Times of London, without any editor batting an eyelash, signaling that the games page editor does not review the chess column once submitted by its author, assumed to be infallible in his specialty.
Jul-17-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: <aw1988> tal could have 2-3 !'s in the opening.as for later move 26 for black is the hammer, forcing loss of material.
Sep-16-09   Wayne Proudlove: Here's a killer track for your next party. Ladies love it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmd2...
Nov-05-09   zatara: Great move by cheassgames to dedicate this day completely to tal...
Nov-05-09   AxelBoldt: What would White do after 16... Qa5?
Nov-05-09   Manic: <AxelBoldt> 17.a3 looks like it's the only move to save the knight. Guessing play might then go 17...bxa3 18.Nc3 (18.Rxa3? d5! and black has initiative). The semi-open a-file gives white another avenue of attack.
Nov-05-09   paavoh: This is one of the better GOTD puns!
Nov-05-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  ChessYouGood: Fischer was american - americans can't play chess
Nov-05-09   zev22407: Fischer wrote that 10)0-0 is wrong better was 10)f5! e5 11)N(4)-e2 b5 12)g4 or a3.
Nov-05-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  RandomVisitor: After 11...b4


click for larger view

Interesting would be: 12.fxe6!? bxc3 13.exf7+ Kh8 14.Qxc3 Ra7 where it appears that white has compensation for the piece.

Nov-05-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  RandomVisitor: 4 minutes per move:

Robert James Fischer - Mikhail Tal
[B90]

Yugoslavia ct Rd: 21 Yugoslavia ct Rd: 21, 1959

[Rybka 3 ]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6

6.Bc4= -0.04/19
[Rybka 3 : 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0-0 Nc6 9.a3 0-0 10.Qd3 Be6 11.Be3 d5 12.exd5 0.35/18 ]

6...e6= 0.23/18
[Rybka 3 : 6...g6 7.Qe2 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.Bb3 Qc7 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 e5 13.Nf3= -0.04/19 ]

7.Bb3= -0.01/20
[Rybka 3 : 7.0-0 Be7 8.Qf3 Qb6 9.Rd1 Bd7 10.Bb3 Nc6 11.Be3 Qc7 12.Qg3 0-0 13.Nxc6 Bxc6 14.f3 Nd7 15.a3= 0.23/18 ]

7...Be7= 0.20/19
[Rybka 3 : 7...Nbd7 8.0-0 Nc5 9.Qe2 Be7 10.Rd1 Qc7 11.Nf3 b5 12.e5 dxe5 13.Nxe5 Bb7 14.Bf4 Rc8 15.a3 Qb6 16.Qe3 0-0= -0.01/20 ]

8.f4= -0.07/19
[Rybka 3 : 8.Be3 0-0 9.f4 Qc7 10.f5= 0.20/19 ]

8...0-0= 0.20/19
[Rybka 3 : 8...Nbd7 9.0-0 0-0= -0.07/19 ]

9.Qf3= -0.07/19
[Rybka 3 : 9.Be3 Qc7 10.f5 e5 11.Nf3 Bd7 12.Qe2 Bc6 13.Bf2 Nbd7 14.0-0-0 Rac8 15.Kb1 b5 16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.Bxd5 h6= 0.20/19 ]

9...Qc7= 0.09/19
[Rybka 3 : 9...Nc6 10.Be3 Na5 11.0-0 Qc7 12.f5 e5 13.Nde2 Nxb3 14.cxb3 b5 15.Ng3 Bb7 16.Rfd1 Rac8= -0.07/19 ]

10.0-0= -0.18/19
[Rybka 3 : 10.f5 e5 11.Nde2 b5 12.Qg3 Nbd7 13.Bh6 Nh5 14.Qf3 Nhf6 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.Qg4 Bf6 17.Bxd5 Rb8 18.0-0-0 Kh8 19.Be3 Be7 20.Kb1 Nf6= 0.09/19 ]

10...b5 -0.06/17
11.f5= -0.18/20
[Rybka 3 : 11.Nd1 Nbd7 12.c3 Bb7 13.Nf2= -0.06/17 ]

11...b4= 0.03/19
[Rybka 3 : 11...e5 12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.Bxd5 Bb7 14.Bxb7 Qxb7 15.Ne2 Rc8 16.Nc3 Nd7 17.a3 h6 18.Be3 Nf6 19.Bf2 Bd8 20.Rfd1 Rc6 21.Rd3 Ba5 22.Nd5= -0.18/20 ]

12.Na4 -0.45/22
[Rybka 3 : 12.fxe6 bxc3 13.exf7+ Kh8 14.Qxc3 Ra7 15.Bf4 Qxc3 16.bxc3 Bd7 17.Bd5 a5 18.Rae1 Nxd5 19.exd5 Rxf7 20.Rb1 Na6 21.Rb6 Rf6= 0.03/19 ]

12...e5 -0.47/22
13.Ne2 -0.47/20 Bb7 -0.39/20
14.Ng3 -0.57/17 Nbd7= -0.24/19
[Rybka 3 : 14...Nc6 15.c3 bxc3 16.bxc3 Na5 17.Be3 Nxb3 18.axb3 d5 19.Qe2 Nxe4 20.Nxe4 dxe4 21.b4 Bc6 22.Rfc1 Rfe8 23.Nb6 Rad8 24.Rxa6 Rd3 25.Ra5 -0.57/17 ]

Nov-05-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  RandomVisitor: continued:

15.Be3 -0.69/20
[Rybka 3 : 15.c3 a5 16.Be3 Bc6= -0.24/19 ]

15...Bc6 -0.49/18
16.Bf2 -0.78/19
[Rybka 3 : 16.Rfe1 Rab8 17.c3 Bxa4 18.Bxa4 bxc3 19.bxc3 Nc5 20.Bc2 Rb2 21.Rec1 h6 22.Nf1 Rd8 23.Nd2 d5 24.exd5 Nxd5 25.Nc4 Rb5 26.Rd1 Nb7 27.a4 Nxe3 28.Nxe3 Rb2 -0.49/18 ]

16...Qb7 -0.80/18
17.Rfe1 -1.06/21
[Rybka 3 : 17.Rae1 Bb5 18.c4 bxc3 19.Nxc3 Bxf1 20.Rxf1 Nc5 21.Bxc5 dxc5 22.Nd5 c4 23.Bxc4 Nxd5 24.Bxd5 Qb6+ 25.Kh1 Rac8 26.Qe2 Qb5 27.Qd2 Rfd8 28.Rd1 Qc5 29.Qe2 -0.80/18 ]

17...d5 -1.06/20
18.exd5 -1.02/20 Nxd5 -0.82/19
19.Ne4 -1.23/19
[Rybka 3 : 19.Bxd5 Bxd5 20.Ne4 Rac8 21.Rad1 Rxc2 22.Qd3 Bxe4 23.Qxe4 Qxe4 24.Rxe4 Rd8 25.Be1 a5 26.Kf1 g6 27.Re2 Rxe2 28.Kxe2 Nf8 29.Rxd8 Bxd8 30.g4 Nd7 31.Kd3 Kg7 32.h3 h5 33.Ke4 hxg4 34.hxg4 -0.82/19 ]

19...Nf4 -1.05/17
20.c4 -2.28/19
[Rybka 3 : 20.Bg3 Nf6 21.Bxf4 Bxe4 22.Rxe4 Nxe4 23.Be3 Rab8 24.Re1 Rfe8 25.Qh5 Bf8 26.Qe2 Nf6 27.h3 Qb5 28.Qf2 Red8 29.Ba7 Rb7 30.c4 bxc3 31.Nxc3 Qa5 32.Be3 Rbb8 -1.05/17 ]

20...g6 -2.08/18
21.fxg6 -2.71/15
[Rybka 3 : 21.f6 Nxf6 22.Nac5 Bxc5 23.Nxf6+ Kg7 24.Nd5 Bxf2+ 25.Qxf2 Bxd5 26.cxd5 Nd3 27.Qe3 Nxe1 28.Qxe5+ f6 29.Qxe1 Rfe8 30.Qf2 Re4 31.h3 Qe7 32.Rc1 -2.08/18 ]

21...f5 -1.92/16
22.g7?? -4.46/17
[Rybka 3 : 22.gxh7+ Kh8 23.Bc2 Bxa4 24.Bxa4 fxe4 25.Qxe4 Qxe4 26.Rxe4 Nd3 27.Bh4 Bxh4 28.Rxh4 N7c5 29.Bc6 Rac8 30.Bd5 Nxb2 31.Re1 Nbd3 32.Re3 Rf4 -1.92/16 ]

22...Kxg7? -2.86/17
[Rybka 3 : 22...Rf7 23.Bc2 -4.46/17 ]

23.Qg3+? -4.77/18
[Rybka 3 : 23.Bc2 Rad8 24.b3 fxe4 25.Bxe4 Bxe4 26.Qxe4 Qxe4 27.Rxe4 Rf5 28.Ree1 Nf6 29.Be3 Nd3 30.Re2 Ng4 31.Bb6 Nf4 32.Rc2 Rd3 33.Nc5 Rc3 34.Rd2 Rf6 35.Ba7 -2.86/17 ]

23...Kh8 -4.02/18
24.Nec5 -5.02/18 Nxc5 -4.02/18
25.Bxc5 -4.82/17 Bxc5+ -4.02/20
26.Nxc5 -4.02/19 Qc7 -3.43/18
27.Qe3? -5.29/16
[Rybka 3 : 27.Ne6 Nxe6 28.Qxe5+ Qxe5 29.Rxe5 Nd4 30.Kf2 Rad8 31.Bd1 Rg8 32.g3 Be4 33.Ke3 Nc6 34.Re6 Rd3+ 35.Kf4 Rgd8 36.Bh5 Rd2 37.b3 Kg7 38.h4 R8d3 39.g4 Nd4 40.gxf5 Nxe6+ 41.fxe6 Ba8 42.e7 -3.43/18 ]

27...Rae8 -4.89/15
28.Re2? -6.94/13
[Rybka 3 : 28.Nd3 Nxg2 29.Qf2 Nxe1 30.Rxe1 Rd8 31.Rd1 Be4 32.Ne1 Rxd1 33.Bxd1 Qxc4 34.Be2 Qc1 35.Kf1 Qxb2 36.Qh4 f4 37.Qh6 Rf7 -4.89/15 ]

28...Nxe2+ -6.93/15
29.Qxe2 -7.10/14 Bxg2 -6.96/16
30.Nxa6 -6.97/14 Qa7+ -6.75/13
31.Kxg2? -#11/7
[Rybka 3 : 31.c5 Bb7 -6.75/13 ]

31...Rg8+ -#11/7
32.Kh3 -#9/5 Qg7 -#5/4
33.Bd1 -#4/3 Re6 -#4/6
0-1

Nov-05-09   M.D. Wilson: Tal said of these four wins: "Tal was Tal, but Fischer was not yet Fischer". It takes iron to sharpen iron, as they day.
Nov-05-09   sfm: <ROO.BOOKAROO: Ray Keene gives his usual concise but highly relevant analysis in his London Times column of June 10, 2009 http://entertainment.timesonline.co... However in the quiz of the same day, from Gligoric-Keres, 1959 (a brilliant position) Ray Keene prints a solution that includes an egregious error immediately spotted by readers, and which betrays a certain nonchalance towards the accuracy of his comment.>

'Nonchalance'? Much more likely it was just a - mistake.

Annotation history is loaded with mistakes, some of them quite entertaining. The annotator does not have the knife against his throat as the players do. He is (usually) not going to spend 5 hours annotating, like the players did on the game.

Sometimes the job is easy, as he has already seen the next move.

But sometimes he falls into traps that the players already considered.

My own favorite is
R Byrne vs Fischer, 1963

where commentators, while the game is played, get it very wrong.

And note that even Fischer's comment at move 15.Qc2 is an annotational blunder.

Nov-05-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  playground player: "Tal in the Saddle"... "Walking Tal"...Whatever pun you use, here's to one of the all-time super greats!
Nov-05-09   Riverbeast: <ChessYouGood> You want to play on the ICC or FICS some time? Today, maybe?
Nov-05-09   WhiteRook48: interesting pun
Nov-05-09   Everett: <Riverbeast> If you're both Americans, it won't prove anything!

... and I hope he's joking. If not, he's not worth our time...

Nov-05-09   JamesMazur2: <ChessYouGood>

Wow, you are a complete racist...

Nov-05-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  patzer2: At the link http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches... you will find all 13 games played between Fischer and Tal.

There were 8 decisive games and four draws making up these 13 contests. Tal did go "4-0 for a while," but then as Fischer matured he went "4-0" in the remaining decisive contests.

However, the overall record remains a tie with 4 wins for Fischer, 4 wins for Tal and five draws.

Nov-06-09   njchess: A famous game from two would be champions. As for the game and where Fischer went wrong...

7. ... Be7 a passive move that leads to early castling allowing White too much time to get his attack going. Generally, b5 is played, though Nbd7 and Nc6 (Scheveningen) are viable. 8. f4 is preferred over g4, which is equally sound, probably because Fischer preferred to castle short in this position.

8. ... 0-0 is consistent with the previous move. 9. Qf3 (9. f5 exf5 10. Nxf5 Bxf5 11. exf5 Qb6 12. Qf3 d5 ) is White's best move. 9. ... Qc7 (9. ... Nc6 10. Be3 Qc7 11. g4! Re8 12. g5 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Nd7 `14. 0-0-0 b5 15. g6! hxg6 16. h4 ) is Black's best reply.

10. 0-0? is a critical slip. Tal's previous moves might have given Fischer the belief that he had the time to play this move, but he does not. f5 or even Be3 are better plays. 10. f5 e5 11. Nde2 b5 12. a3 Bb7 13. g4 Nbd7 14. g5 Nxe4 15. Nd5 Nxg5 unclear or, 10. f5 Nc6 11. Be3 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 e5 (12. ... b5 13. a3 exf5 14. exf5 Bb7 15. Qh3 Nd7 16. 0-0-0 ) 13. Be3 b5 14. a3 Bb7 15. 0-0 Bc6 (15. ... Rac8!?) 16. Bg5 Nxe4?! 17. Bxe7 Nf6 18. Nd5! Nx5 19. Bxf8 Nf4 20. Qg4 With 10. ... b5, Tal correctly launches queenside counter play.

Fischer plays 11. f5?, underestimating the impact of 11. ... b4!. Not only does it force Na4 (a less than ideal square for the knight in this position), but in combination with 12. ... e4, it allows Tal to 1) undermine White's center, 2) effectively control the a1-h8 diagonal and 3) bring White's attack to a standstill. This is the turning point in the game. Objectively, 11. a3 lets Black achieve full equality after 11. ... Bb7, but nothing more. 11. e5!? leads to an extremely double-edged position slightly favoring Black.

While Fischer spends time maneuvering his knight back into play, Tal simply develops. 13. Ne2 Bb7 14. Ng3 Nbd7. 15. Be3 is normally the correct move in this type of position. However, given White's lack of counter play, I'm surprised Fischer did not play Bg5 or even c3 to try to get his knight back into play. With 15. ... Bc6 and 16. ... Qb7, Tal correctly attacks White's weak hanging pawn. Note that Fischer has almost zero counter play at this point. 16. Bf2 followed by 17. Rfe1 is preferred over c3 as means of defending e4.

Tal prefers the immediate 17. ... d5 over Rac8. 18. exd5 Nxd5 19. Ne4 Nf4 yields Tal a small but tangible advantage. At this point, we have reached a critical juncture. Black is threatening Nf6 thereby attacking the knight on e4, as well as the queen on f3 and the g2 pawn. The only way to counter that attack is for White to play Bc2.

Fischer chooses the aggressive and not altogether sound 20. c4?!. While the pawn seems to be left hanging in the breeze, it is in fact quite safe after Bc2 and b3. Moreover, it controls d5 and b5, and with his knights controlling c5, forms a blockade of sorts. The obvious concession is that his bishop is relegated to a defensive position, but more importantly, Fischer's options for counterplay dwindle to nothing. Objectively, c3 might have been better, though I doubt it.

While Fischer's 20th move is questionable, Tal's 20. ... g6 is not. Tal correctly seizes on the idea that opening the king side will benefit him more since he already has so much material aimed that way. 21. fxg6 is not much better than 21. f6 Nxf6 22. Nac5 Qc7 23. Nxf6+ Bxf6 24. Qg3 Bxg2

At this point, the knight on f4, Tal's control of the h1-a8 diagonal and White's open kingside are just too much for Fischer.

Nov-06-09   Everett: "American" is a race?
Nov-09-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: The big pieces steamroll white's king flat...
Nov-13-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  technical draw: Hey, that's my pun!
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