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Lubomir Kavalek vs Bobby Fischer
Sousse Interzonal (1967), Sousse TUN, rd 6, Oct-22
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. Poisoned Pawn Accepted (B97)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 1 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Mar-07-03  drukenknight: The poison pawn w/ Kavalek, a game where its hard to find fault with any move.

Well okay has. 12 Bb5+ has ever been tried?

How does Kavalak lose the N anyhow? I think he should have brought it over to smack the Q. 20 Qc3 looks a little dodgey why not 20 Qd1 in order to set up the check?

Mar-08-03  ughaibu: Qd1 looks much better to me. About the possibility of Bb5, I remember something similar from an early Tal game. I'll see if I can find it.
Mar-09-03  drukenknight: wow a game w/ Bb5+ would be very interesting to me, ugi, since it fits into my basic chess theory (questionable though it may be) that if you go down in material you then have to attack in the most direct/efficient way.

On the other hand it would technically lose more material which seems to be wrong, since if you go down in material, can you give up more material? Hmmmm. So you see, that for me it would be an interesting test of my theories.

If 20 Qc3 is a mistake then surely we must try to punish white, what if 20...Bc5 followed by Bd4?

May-29-04  drukenknight: More Fischer at Souza. This is another famous Poison Pawn sicilian. It is interesting to compare this game to game 11 vs Spassky in 72.

This is one of the rare games when Bobby was in time trouble. Instead of going for the draw Kavalek had the option of playing this as a blitz game! When the game was over, fischer had 8 minutes and Kavalek 13 so it would have been an interesting game.

13 Rb3 might be better to hit the Q.

24...Qa5 might not be the best way to cover that, but Bobby is in time trouble and relying on his tactical strenth.

Did Bobby miss a win w/ 20...Bc5+?

Jun-01-04  drukenknight: Souza month continues...Hey is anybody interested in this stuff? because I've got some more notes on Bobby's games but if no one is interested it's hard to get motivated to do more work and punch in more combinations...

ANyhow getting back to this:

Did Bobby miss a win? it looks like he did but he was running short of time and it would have required some effort, but then again, dont most lines require some effort? And if one only has like 20 minutes to find all the moves vs a Kavalek isnt going to be some more effort, no matter how you look at it? Whether you play agressively or conservatively? or playing what you think is right in theory and what you think is easier to play in practical terms, vs my opponent, with the way I am playing today.

21…Bc5+
22. Kh1 Rf8
23. Rxf8+ Kxf8
24. Qxe5 Qf2
25. Qh8+ Ke7
26. Qg7+ Kd6
27. Qg3+ Qxg3
28. hxg3 a5
29. Bxh5

looks like it will be difficult to play for Kavalek but no forced win, yet. How well could he have played this under time pressure?

Jun-01-04  Benzol: <dk> Wasn't this the game that started Fischer's aversion to being photographed. He had two lines to consider and whilst thinking the camera flash went off and he selected the wrong continuation.
Jun-01-04  drukenknight: Is this the one? Or the one w/ Korchnoi? I have the book somewhere...Have you looked at the Korchnoi game from this tourney?

Or the one that Benjamin Lau is working on?

Jun-01-04  Benzol: <dk; ughaibu> You two were looking at something similar in Fischer vs Geller, 1967, and there is also Tal vs R Bogdanovic, 1967
Jun-01-04  drukenknight: Benz. I was thinking of Fischer v Miagmasuren, the French def. game.
Dec-23-05  aw1988: drukenknight hasn't kibitzed in ages, but the game he is referring to is Tal-Tolush, USSR championship 1956, round 17.
Sep-03-07  Chessmensch: Kavalek himself comments on this game in his Washington Post chess column dated September 3, 2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...
May-09-08  CharlesSullivan: Fischer overlooked a convincing win here: 21...♖g8! 22.♗xh5+ ♔d8 23.♖d1+ ♗d7 and now White must pause for 24.♖b2 <or 24.♖d2 ♗c5+ 25.♔h1 ♖f8! 26.♗e2 ♕a4 winning> and Black has enough resources to consolidate to a winning game. For example: 24...♕a3 25.♖b7 ♕c5+ 26.♔h1 ♗d6 27.♖b2 e3! 28.♖e2 e4! 29.♕xe3 <29.♗f7 ♖f8 30.♗g6 ♔c7 31.♕xe3 ♕xe3 32.♖xe3 ♗c5 33.♖xe4 and Black should win because of his extra bishop> ♔c7 30.♕xc5 ♗xc5 31.♖xe4 a5 and Black will win.
Nov-14-09  SugarRaySam: What about

13...Nd5
14.Nxd5 cxd5
15.c4 dxc4
16.Bxc4 d5

Blacks position looks better than in that game

Other options are available but they lead to Black having an advantage

Feb-28-12  drukenknight: Another interesting story, in the Wash Post story linked to above, Kavalek says that a day or two later Fischer saw him on the street and said that he (Fischer) had missed a win and showed him the following line:

21…Bc5+
22. Kh1 Rf8
23 Bh5+ Kd8
24 Rd1+ Bd7
25 Rb7 Bd4 (no further moves given)

Try it and see; what do you think?

Feb-28-12  diceman: <drukenknight: Try it and see; what do you think?>

21...Bc5+ looks good.

(also 21...Rg8)

Feb-29-12  drukenknight: diceman; maybe you should look at Kavalek's line a little more. Jes saying...
Feb-29-12  diceman: <drukenknight: diceman; maybe you should look at Kavalek's line a little more. Jes saying...>

Why?
You think it doesnt win?

Nov-28-12  drukenknight: no it should win. I had set up the pieces wrong the last time i tried to work this.
Jun-02-14  Howard: Would anyone care to contribute some engine analysis regarding alternatives to Fischer's 21st move ?!

Did he really miss a forced win or not ?

May-01-15  Howard: So, Charles Sullivan was apparently correct----Fischer DID miss a win, correct ?
May-01-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Retireborn: <Howard> Yes, both 21...Bc5+ and 21...Rg8 win, according to Houdini, whereas 21...Rf8 allows White to force the draw.
May-01-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <Benzol: <dk> Wasn't this the game that started Fischer's aversion to being photographed. He had two lines to consider and whilst thinking the camera flash went off and he selected the wrong continuation. >

Paul, this game is indeed said to be the genesis of Fischer's feelings about the matter.

May-02-15  Howard: Thanks, Retireborn ! Wonder why no one discovered those lines earlier--for decades, it seems, this game was believed to be a complete draw all the way through.
May-03-15  Howard: Yes, that photographer incident is mentioned in Bobby Fischer's Chess Games, and also in Brady's Profile of a Prodigy.
Feb-05-17  The Kings Domain: Good play by both sides. Impressive defense by Fischer.
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