Boris Spassky vs Marcel Bieler (2009)

Boris Spassky vs Marcel Bieler
World Champions Simultaneous Exhibition 2009 · Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. Traditional Line (B98) · 1-0

[Event "World Champions Simultaneous Exhibition"]
[Site "Zurich"]
[Date "2009.08.22"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Boris Spassky"]
[Black "Marcel Bieler"]
[ECO "B98"]
[WhiteElo "2548"]
[BlackElo "1706"]
[PlyCount "64"]

1. e4 {Notes by Marcel Bieler. *** This simul was played in
the great hall of the Zurich Main Station. It was part of the
celebrations for the 200 year anniversary of the
Schachgesellschaft Zurich, the oldest chess club in the
world. I had won a seat against Spassky in a
competition. Boris Spassky was a little odd in the
beginning. He wore thick, dark glasses, and he did not shake
any hands nor make his first move. Instead, he shouted all
around "Pawn to e4". It actually took the players a while to
realize he had just made his first move - the acoustics were
very bad in the Zurich Main Station. Spassky had a very mean
demeanor and did not seem to be in a good mood. } c5 {
Everyone answering 1...e5 was treated to the King's Gambit. I
was expecting a closed Sicilian. His hand hovered above the
b-Knight but after a couple of seconds he moved: } 2. Nf3 {
Never before have I seen a professional chess player move the
pieces like Spassky. Sometimes he moved them with a sloppy
nonchalance, but most often he would slam them onto the board,
just like in the movies, when some patzer is making a clever
move. } 2... d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6
7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nc6 { The most common move is
9...Nbd7. I used to like the Nbd7 move in similar positions
but thought it was bad in my game against Morozevich so I did
not consider it here. } 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. e5 dxe5 12. fxe5 Nd5
13. Bxe7 Qxe7 { I was not sure whether to take with the Knight
or the Queen. I settled on the Queen because I wanted her to
stay connected to f7. According to my engine, 13...Nxe7 would
have been better, though. } 14. Ne4 O-O { In another game,
something very odd had happened: Spassky made a move, then
took it back again, then sat down and had a very long
think. Then shook the opponents hands but after some analyzing
they settled for a draw--even though Spassky had indeed
lost. All of a sudden Boris was not behaving as meanly
anymore. He started joking and talking trash to intimidate
us. He would say "Behold my whole army", "I am very happy now
that you made this move" or "You're opening was good but now
we're in the middlegame. I am an expert of the middlegame." }
15. c4 Nc7 16. Qg3 Ne8 17. Bd3 Rb8 { This might have been a
decisive mistake but Spassky failed to play 18...Nf6+
immediately. } 18. Rhf1 Qb4 19. Rd2 g6 20. Qg5 Rb7 21. Nf6+ {
Every check Spassky delivered was accompanied by a loud
exclamation of "Chookee!" } 21... Nxf6 22. exf6 Kh8 23. Qh6 {
Spassky said "I am looking for a mate". } 23... Rg8 24. Rf3
Qf8 25. Qg5 Rc7 { It's quite obvious that this was a bad move
but I was in some kind of Zugzwang and did not have many
options. } 26. Rh3 e5 27. Rh6 Bg4 28. h3 { Spassky said to me
"I can kill you in my business." } 28... Bh5 29. Qxh5 {
Actually, I was ready to give in here, but my goal was to
reach move 30. As I told him this he just smiled. Well
then... } 29... Rg7 30. fxg7+ { He counted aloud how many
moves it would take to mate now. } 30... Qxg7 31. Bxg6 fxg6
32. Rd8+ { 32... Qf8 33.Rxg6 Qxd8 34.Qxe5+ Qf6 35.Qxf6+ Rg7
36.Qxg7# } 1-0

To move:

Last move:

Given 6 times; par: 50 [what's this?]

Annotations by Marcel Bieler. [1 more game annotated by M Bieler]

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Boris Spassky vs Marcel Bieler (2009)

Oct-19-09		smitten: Interesting annotation. After immediate 18.Nf6+ White is threatening not only Nxh7 followed by Qh3 but also Qxb8 in case of 18..Nxf6 19.exf6.

Dec-20-09		coolthing76: Very entertaining annotation

Dec-24-09		Richard Taylor: Amusing! He has changed since I played him in 1982. It is actually hard to play in a simul as there isn't so much time...usually you can only pass once. I don't like playing simuls - I avoid them I prefer it if the GM gives a lecture - I have been to quite few free ones and I always argue the toss! (Or I contribute quite a lot shall we say!) When one GM was here I almost took over the lecture!

Dec-24-09		Richard Taylor: I think 9... Nbd7 is still better as you can get to c5 which guards e6. I;ve got abook on the Najdorf. These days at GM level the Bg5 lines* are less common but it is still tough to deal with. But there are also all the anti Sicilians to deal with! *Dennis Monokroussos says that the white players fear the poison pawn lines. But then Spassky trapped Fischer's Q in that line in the World Champs!!

Dec-24-09		cu8sfan: <usually you can only pass once.> I waved him on once and he wouldn't have it and forced me to make my move...

Dec-24-09		cu8sfan: <the white players fear the poison pawn lines.> I never realized white players feared the poisoned pawn lines. I never play them because I fear them.

Dec-31-09		parisattack: I enjoyed you annotations; thanks for sharing and taking the time to post the game and comments.

Jan-01-10		diagonal: <<In another game, something very odd had happened: Spassky made a move, then took it back again, then sat down and had a very long think. Then shook the opponents hands but after some analyzing they settled for a draw--even though Spassky had indeed lost. All of a sudden Boris was not behaving as meanly anymore. He started joking and talking trash to intimidate us. He would say "Behold my whole army", "I am very happy now that you made this move" or "You're opening was good but now we're in the middlegame. I am an expert of the middlegame">> Funny annotations and anectodes, and thanks to <<Marcel Bieler>>, our chessgames fellow <<cu8sfan>>. happy new year everybody

Jan-01-10		aragorn69: Great photo, Marcel! Spassky looks like a MIB (or some king of maffia thug maybe) and his behaviour is awfully similar to his appearance... 8-/

Jan-01-10		zanshin: I enjoyed reading the annotations - good photo too. <25...Rc7: It's quite obvious that this was a bad move but I was in some kind of Zugzwang and did not have many options.> Maybe <25...e5> sacing the pawn to prevent Rh3 was a little better.

Jan-11-10		BISHOP TAL: Really cool HQ photo brings you in touch more, with the chessboard in there as well.Cool. You never said if he signed your book or not.I like Spassky if he was a jerk the 72 WC never takes place im glad to see he got some real cash in 92, He deserves it.Tks for the visit to Zurich, Marcel.

Sep-07-10		Everett: Obviously he was having fun, but for many at age 70+, i imagine it just hurts to get out of bed. One things for sure: he wasn't saying "I am an expert of the middlegame" nor "behold my whole army" when he played Karpov.

Sep-12-10		Brandon plays: lol, that's hilarious.

Jan-05-11		talisman: chookie!!! LOL!

Aug-27-11		Psihadal: Very interesting annotations. Chookie!

Aug-27-11		ToTheDeath: Haha, very good. CHOOOKE!!

Aug-27-11		Everett: <Bieler's Day Off>

Nov-08-11		cu8sfan: I just found this video of the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg9U... The draw that is on the video from 2:20 onwards is the one mentioned in my annotations of move 14. <Everett: <Bieler's Day Off>> Very funny, I like it!

Feb-04-12		offramp: Spassky looks a lot like Karl Lagerfeld.

Aug-21-12		Tigranny: Spassky looks cool in those sunglasses.

Jan-13-13		DarthStapler: Here is the draw: http://www.chess.com/forum/view/gen...

Feb-15-13		FSR: <cu8sfan: <usually you can only pass once.> I waved him on once and he wouldn't have it and forced me to make my move...> That is mean and very hard for the players. When I've played in simuls, the simul-giver has always allowed three passes. When I've given simuls, I've followed the same rule.

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