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<aragorn69: Such a typical Fischer game. Aparently simple means and deadly efficiency. His precision in killing his opponent's counter-attack on the queenside is impressive: <<<21.Bb5! is one of the prettiest defensive combination I have seen.>>>>

21 ♗f1-b5!

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The G-pawn

A move that was a Fischer peculiarity and kept appearing throughout his career was g4 (as White) or - though less often - ...g5 (as Black). If Fischer had any distinct bias towards a certain device, it was this one. As far as this move was concerned, he could lose his usual composure, restraint and good judgement, and give vent to a certain impulsiveness, which was seldom apparent otherwise.

[several examples follow, the last one from Fischer-Bisguier, US ch 1962-63]

Fischer managed to win this game, as well as the next one (Fischer-German, Stockholm 1962), though here too, <13.g4> allowed his opponent to get some counterplay after <13...Bb4 14.Ne2 Nb6 15.Nd4 Qe8 16.c3 Be7 17.c5 18.Nb5 d4! 19.Bf4>, and now <19...Bb7 20.Rg1 a6!> would have caused White some headaches. Instead of g4, the restraining <13.Na4> was indicated.*

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Someone just did!

• 13.g4= - seems to be just a waste of time. If White was thinking of a kingside pawn storm, this move was not needed to start it: <13.Bd3 Nb6 14.f5 Bg5 15.f6> guarantees a plus without g4.

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Black has to be watch his step, e.g. <15...Bxe3?+ 16.Qxe3 gxf6? 17.Qh6 f5> and here <18.g4> is timely and decisive.

• 18.Nb5?! - this hands the initiative to White. <18.Nc2> was more circumspect, although Black still could stir up trouble immediately with <18...Na4> Δ<...Rxb2, ...Rxc2+ and ...Qa4+> or play the preparatory <18...Bd8> first.

• 18...d4! - a timely thrust that threatens to cut off the white Knight and to break up the white King's pawn cover.

• 19...dxc3? - Black's first big mistake. This premature exchange achieves neither of the above goals.

Here Mikenas' recommendation <19...Bb7 20.Rhg1 a6> doesn't seem to achieve more than dynamic balance provided White reacts energetically: <21.f6>

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a) <21...axb5 22.Qh4 Nd5 23.Bd3 g6 24.Bg5 > is too risky for Black

b) <21...gxf6 22.Bd3 fxe5 23.Nxc7 Qa4 24.Bxe5 Bg5+ 25.Kb1> is an interesting drawing line. It looks suicidal

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but now follows <25...Be4! 26.Bxe4 Nc4!> and White might as well take the perpetual <27.Bxh7+ Kxh7 28.Qf5+ Kh6 29.Bg7+ Kxg7 30.Qxg5+ etc.> since after <27.b3 Rxb3 28.Ka1> (28.axb3? leads to checkmate: 28...Qxb3+ 29.Ka1 Qxc3 30.Ka2 Qa3+ 31.Kb1 Rb8+ etc.) <28...Rb2> it's his only option anyway.

Black had a stronger continuation - <19...Nd5!>, centralizing the Knight, covering c7, unblocking the b-file, threatening to to exchange White's DSB and putting more pressure on the white King. Here even energetic play doesn't guarantee White equality:

<20.f6> (21.Bc4 Nxf4 22.Qxf4 Rxb5!) <20...Rxb5! 21.Bxb5> (21.fxe7 transposes into the main variation) <21...Qxb5 22.fxe7 Nxe7>

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For the sacrificed exchange Black has a pawn and a strong attack, e.g. <23.cxd4> (otherwise Black takes on c3 and meets b3 with ...c4) <23...Bxg4 24.dxc5> White offers to return the exchange, as after <24.Rd2 Bf5> the threat of <25...Qc4+> is very unpleasant, but Black can afford to ignore it for the time being <24...Nd5! > and White will have to add at least a pawn to his offer to parry the unequivocal threats to his King.

So, <21...Nxc3 22.Bxe8 Nxa2+> and now White has two alternatives.

a) The simple <23.Kc2> is good enough: <23...Rxe8 24.Rhe1 Nb4+> (24...Ba6 25.Bd2 Bc4 26.Re3) <25.Kb1 c4> (25...Bc6 26.Qe3) <26.e6 c3> (26...exf6 27.Qxa7 Rb7 28.Qa4) 27.exf7+ Kxf7 28.Ka1 Rb5 29.bxc3 Bf6>

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<30.Qb2 Rxe1 31.Rxe1 Ba6> the Bishop comes into play at last <32.Bd2 Ra5+ 33.Kb1 Bc4> and here White should give back the Queen and go into an endgame where he is up an exchange - <34.Qxb4 Rb5 35.Kc2 Rxb4 35.cxb4 >.

b) <23.Kb1!> is the cunning plan. The idea is to clamp down on the black King at the price of an exchange: <23...Nc3+ 24.Kc2 Nxd1 25.Bxf7+!> the point <25...Rxf7 26.Rxd1 Rb4 27.Qe3 Rf8 28.e6>

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The white kingside wedge is like a fishbone in Black's throat. The Bishops cannot move, as the LSB has to guard d7 and the DSB e7, the kingside Rook is cut off behind them, and Black cannot very well attack with just the queenside Rook. He cannot sit and wait either, as White will simply set his kingside steamroller in motion with Qe5, g5 and f6.

At this point the engines give a couple of checks, putter around a bit, acknowledge running out of ideas and sac an exchange just to get some air - <28...Rc4+ 29.Kb3 Rb4+ 30.Ka2 h6> pointless and weakening <31.h3> tit for tat, White now threatens 32.Bxh6 too <31...Rxf4 32.Qxf4 Bxe6+ 33.Kb1> and with a Queen for two Bishops the win is just a question of time.

• 23...Bb7?! - too slow and drives the white Rook where it wants to go. It was high time to do something about White's kingside threats, and once again tactics could come to Black's help:

<23...Bh4!> - Black forces the exchange of the DSBs which takes most of the sting out of White's kingside attack <24.Qxh4 Rxh4 25.Qg3 Rd4 >. White can't avoiding the exchange as <24.Qe3> can be met with <24...f6>, completely neutralizing the wedge, e.g. <25.e6 Rxf4! 26.e7> (26.Qxf4?? Bg5 ) <26...Rxf5! 27.exfQ+ 28.Kb1 Re5=>.

You gotta agree that <23...Bh4> would have been a nice counterpart to <21.Bb5>

• 24...Kh8 ? - Black's other big mistake, a thoroughly incomprehensible move that does nothing to improve the King's defence and gives White an extra tempo for his attack. Black had to try <24...Qc8 25.f6 gxf6 26.Bh6 Qe6>. After the blunder in text White's attack was irresistible.