this game was played in 1972

Itz impact in 1972 was out of this world.

Pretty good idea. Someone suggested that like CG sometimes shows games in a live mode, they could occasionaly show famous historical games in the same manner. Move-by-move as if live. Can't remember if they also suggested hiding the names also. Kind of like mystery game of the day, week, whatever.

Judging the position every 10 or so moves versus the known outcome might be the next best thing for these standard presentation games. For instance here after 15...Nbd7 looks pretty standard RL-Breyer stuff. Wouldn't guess winning for White.

After some action at 20...Qxe5:

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Maybe white has an awkward discovery on the Queen but doesn't appear that bad for Black. CG computer, which isn't super accurate but maybe good human player like proxy, shows white better but not winning but interesting giving up two bishop play for the knight soon.

Now at 27...Rd7

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Maybe black's not losing but I'd be uncomfortable. White bearing down on target square f7, Kside defense sparse which usually not good in RL, and pieces kind of awkwardly placed. CG computer thinks White better but not by winning amount and even less better than after move 20. So what do I know?

After 36...Bd6

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Black's down the exchange for a pawn but two connected passed on the Qside. Unbalanced and hard to judge. Maybe equal? Old rule of thumb is protected passed pawn on the sixth rank is nearly worth a piece, so Black might have decent compensation. But I'd guess that he is the one who has to play precisely. Could be if he drops a qside pawn, Black's lost or nearly lost. CG computer says White with slight initiative at .30. Good chances to draw from here apparently with best play. Not at all confident I could do it though.

I think Black is already losing by move 27. 27...Rd7 is a mistake, maybe the losing move. Black can maybe hang in with

26... axb5 27. Qf4 c4 28. Bxc4 bxc4 29. Rxb7 Qh5. Now, if 30. Ne5 Rd1 . Black will lose the c pawn, but should be able to hold the 4 vs. 3 pawn ending.

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Actually, Black is doing pretty well earlier on. 19...Qxa5? hands the initiative over to Fischer.

If 25. ...axb5 26. Rxb5 Ba6 27. Rb3 Qxa5, and Black is doing better. Not winning, but he's got the initiative.

click for larger view

World Champs seem very aware that if you can get three pieces bearing down on f7 after ...0-0, good things can happen.

<<Game 10, August 3-4, 1972

Fischer Spassky
White Black
(ar) (0:07)
1. e4 (0:08) e5 (0:05)
2. Nf3 (0:08) Nc6 (0:05)
3. Bb5 (0:08) a6 (0:05)
4. Ba4 (0:09) Nf6 (0:06)
5. 0-0 (0:09) Be7 (0:06)
6. Re1 b5
7. Bb3 d6
8. c3 0-0
9. h3 (0:10) Nb8 (0:07)
10. d4 (0:15) Nbd7 (0:09)
11. Nbd2 (0:15) Bb7 (0:12)
12. Bc2 (0:15) Re8 (0:14)
13. b4 (0:16) Bf8 (0:32)
14. a4 (0:18) Nb6 (0:39)
15. a5 (0:26) Nbd7 (0:41)
16. Bb2 (0:40) Qb8 (1:01)
17. Rb1 (0:48) c5 (1:22)
18. bxc5 (0:53) dxc5 (1:28)
19. dxe5 (0:54) Nxe5 (1:28)
20. Nxe5 (0:57) Qxe5 (1:29)
21. c4 (0:58) Qf4 (1:29)
22. Bxf6 (1:05) Qxf6 (1:35)
23. cxb5 (1:05) Red8 (1:46)
24. Qc1 (1:08) Qc3 (1:49)
25. Nf3 (1:10) Qxa5 (1:52)
26. Bb3 (1:18) axb5 (1:54)
27. Qf4 (1:20) Rd7 (2:02)
28. Ne5 (1:22) Qc7 (2:02)
29. Rbd1 (1:25) Re7 (2:13)
30. Bxf7+ (1:25) Rxf7
31. Qxf7+ Qxf7 (2:13)
32. Nxf7 (1:25) Bxe4 (2:13)
33. Rxe4 (1:47) Kxf7
34. Rd7+ (1:48) Kf6 (2:14)
35. Rb7 (1:50) Ra1+ (2:18)
36. Kh2 (1:50) Bd6+ (2:18)
37. g3 (1:51) b4 (2:18)
38. Kg2 (1:53) h5 (2:20)
39. Rb6 (1:57) Rd1 (2:22)
40. Kf3 (1:58) Kf7 (2:25)
41. Ke2(s) (2:16)

(Fischer sealed his move at this point and his clock was then advanced 20 minutes by the arbiter to complete the 5 hour playing session.)

(The arbiter started the second session on time the next day, opening the sealed envelope, playing Fischer’s sealed 41st move on the board, and starting Spassky’s clock. Neither player was present. Fischer arrived first, 8 minutes late. Spassky was 13 minutes late. The next time control was 3:30 at move 56.)

(ar) (2:38)
41. ... (2:36) Rd5 (2:39)
42. f4 (2:36) g6 (2:44)
43. g4 (2:38) hxg4 (2:48)
44. hxg4 (2:38) g5 (2:48)
45. f5 (2:48) Be5 (2:50)
46. Rb5 (2:54) Kf6 (2:58)
47. Rexb4 (2:59) Bd4 (2:58)
48. Rb6+ (3:06) Ke5 (2:59)
49. Kf3 (3:06) Rd8 (3:05)
50. Rb8 (3:07) Rd7 (3:06)
51. R4b7 (3:07) Rd6 (3:07)
52. Rb6 (3:12) Rd7 (3:07)
53. Rg6 (3:13) Kd5 (3:14)
54. Rxg5 (3:13) Be5 (3:22)
55. f6 (3:17) Kd4 (3:23)
56. Rb1 (3:17) 1-0

(ar) indicates the player’s arrival at the board.

25 ... Qxa5

black could have played

25...axb5 26. Rxb5 Ba6

was actually suggested by Gligoric, but not

my suggested

27... Qxa5

After

25...axb5 26. Rxb5 Ba6 27. Re3

black could try

27... Qxe3 28. Qxe3 Bxb5 29. Qc3 Ra6
30. Nd2 Rda8 31. Nb3 c4 32. Nd4 Be8
33. Qxc4 Rxa5

25...axb5 26. Rxb5 Ba6 27. Re3 Qxe3 28. Qxe3 Bxb5 29. e5 Re8 30. Bb3 c4 31. Bc2 g6

I think black's position is safe, but not

after

25...axb5 26. Rxb5 Ba6 27. Re3 Qxe3 28. Qxe3 Bxb5 29. e5 Re8 30. Ng5 h6 31. Qe4

For example:

click for larger view

Black has lost an exchange but has an extra pawn and two passed pawns, having good drawing chances.

To stay alive, Black has to make his connected passed pawns dynamic or at least create a threat of moving forward.

Till the end of the game, Black's only move with these pawns was 37...b4.

Standing still with these connected passed pawns, not activating his king, and not finding an active and secure square for his bishop are the reasons why Spassky lost that endgame.

The game continued:

35...♖a1+

This move makes sense as it presses White's king away from the centre.

36 ♔h2 ♗d6+ 37 g3 b4 38 ♔g2

Now, White's king is again able to approach the centre.

In his book "Fischer - Spassky 1972" (2022), Tibor Karolyi suggests the move 38...♖a6!.

I like this idea. Black defends against the threat ♖b7-b6 and will hold his rook behind his passed pawns. The idea is to play ♖c6 and then c4. If White blocks with ♖c4, then Black's king can safely approach the passed pawns.

My chess engines are supporting that idea.

But Spassky was in a zeitnot, probably tired, and his intuition failed. Spassky played:

38...h5?

Black should not play on the kingside and should not defend; instead, Black should try to push forward his passed pawns on the queenside.

39 ♖b6 ♖d1?

Black needs his rook to support his passed pawns. Instead, Black puts his rook before his passed pawns and commits it with the defence of the hanging bishop on d6. 39...♔f5! was the move.

The game continued:

40 ♔f3 ♔f7?

Black moves back with his king, completely passive defence. 40...♖d3+ was the move.

41 ♔e2

The sealed move. Black's position is wholly lost already.

PS

I have read all the previous comments superficially.

There have been too many posts containing politicized nonsense above, so much so that it makes me wonder whether it makes sense to continue my subscription to the CG.

[White "GrdM2K"]
[Black "paulmorphy-BOT"]