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Bobby Fischer vs Bent Larsen
"Petty Larseny" (game of the day Jan-02-2013)
Portoroz Interzonal (1958), Portoroz SLO, rd 8, Aug-16
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation. Yugoslav Attack Main Line (B77)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 6 OF 8 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Sep-16-12  RookFile: The two games listed by perfidious as drawable for Larsen are accurate - the same two I had in mind. Larsen was well aware of the path to a draw in both games, but tried to steer for the win instead.
Sep-16-12  Alesavio: In the note to 23. g6 e5 <On 23 ... e6 24. gxf7+ Kxf7 (if 24 ... Rxf7 25. Bxe6) 25. Bxg7 Kxg7 26. Rg1+ Kh7 27. Qg2 Qe5 28. Qg6+ Kh8 29. Rg5 Rg7 30. Rxh5+ Kg8 31. Bxe6+ Kf8 32. Rf5+ Ke7 33. Rf7+ wins.> there are others errors too. One is 27.Qg2?!: after the best defence 28...Qe8! the game is level I think. And after 29.Rg5?! again Black has the simple 29...Rg7! and black is ok. In both cases White has the better move Bxe6 with a plus.
Jan-02-13  DanielBryant: Little did Larsen know at the time what Fischer would later do to him.
Jan-02-13  Dragi: Fischer was safe already after the 16 moves ...
Jan-02-13  Castleinthesky: How about "Well-Bent?" In terms of engine-free analysis, Larson's error seems to be 21. Nh5. I am not sure if Nd7 or Nf8 would have saved the day, as White's attack looks overwhelming.
Jan-02-13  kevin86: Loser Bent by winner!
Jan-02-13  YouRang: After 15...Bxd5:


click for larger view

Fischer's bishops are monsters hitting Bent's king position -- especially the LSB which is pinning Pf7.

Bent should have exchanged off the LSB with 15...Nxd5 while he had the chance.

Jan-02-13  Strongest Force: One of those sack sack mate games.
Jan-02-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: 24.Qg5 or 25.Qg5 using the pin of Pe5 looks like quite interesting possibility of white which can be even stronger than the text continuation.
Jan-02-13  haydn20: I'm glad someone brought this up--I haven't seen it in a long time. If I'm not mistaken, the Dragon is still playable after 9...Bd7. In the game 15...Nxd5 followed by e.g. 16. exd5 Qxd5 17. Qxb4 Rab8 18. Bxg7 Rxb4 19. Rxd5 Kxg7= may be objectively better, but it's not "in the spirit of" the Sicilian Qside attack...or for that matter, in the spirit of Larsen.
Jan-02-13  RookFile: That was the humorous thing. For about 30 years, players tried every move possible in that position except 9....Bd7, which a 1300 player totally unfamiliar with the opening might play without hesitation.
Aug-19-13  parisattack: <RookFile: That was the humorous thing. For about 30 years, players tried every move possible in that position except 9....Bd7, which a 1300 player totally unfamiliar with the opening might play without hesitation.>

It certainly seems to be holding its own with 9. ...Bd7. Both 10. h4, Rc8 and 10. 0-0-0, Rb8 Black is OK. I've just never trusted the static pawn structure black has with the Dragon.

Aug-19-13  Sniffles: The flow of this game is poetic. Black maneuvers to crush the defense right up to 16... Rc7. From there on the dastardly pair on g2 and h2 proceed to tear his defense to shreds. 2 pawns and a rook sacrifice later and blacks entire game is a shambles. It isn't until 21 g5 that black sees the attack. Then at 28...Qb7 black has both rooks and the queen diverted to the defense against a pawn and a bishop.
Sep-04-13  victor antoni: lo partio a larsen .. que bien..
Dec-05-13  Meaux: Great game; I love it when Fischer castles queenside. Larsen was still “bent” on winning.
Feb-25-14  Travis Bickle: So this is the Fischer <harrylime> was talking about! ; P
Feb-25-14  john barleycorn: <parisattack: <RookFile: That was the humorous thing. For about 30 years, players tried every move possible in that position except 9....Bd7, which a 1300 player totally unfamiliar with the opening might play without hesitation.>

It certainly seems to be holding its own with 9. ...Bd7. Both 10. h4, Rc8 and 10. 0-0-0, Rb8 Black is OK. I've just never trusted the static pawn structure black has with the Dragon.>

Fischer credited Korchnoi for the improved version with Bd7 and the Kt manouevre Nb8-c6-e5-c4 which is "standard" today.

Feb-25-14  SChesshevsky: < I've just never trusted the static pawn structure black has with the Dragon.>

Interesting point. I've been a die-hard Dragon player since seeing this game in MSMG's strangely enough. Though I guess it's supposed to theoretically be an active defense it never seemed so OTB.

Looking to juice it up, an early ...a6 seemed to do well, threatening ...b5 and mobilizing on the Qside before White castled. This tended to provoke a White 0-0 which often delivered decent opportunities without weakening much and somewhat blunted White's attack. Much later I noticed this game with a similar theme.

Deep Gandalf vs Rybka, 2006

Stein's ...Qb8 never was that effective for me, though I believe Levy thought it very good at the time. Then I noticed this young guy's Fla game with ...Rab8 and thought it juiced Black's Dragon nicely with a similar Qside push.

S Finegold vs Michael Vilenchuk, 2011

I don't know the latest theory on the Qside advance but it does appear to at least try to liven up Black's play.

Oct-11-15  thegoodanarchist: How to play against the Sicilian Dragon: Pry open the h-file, sac and mate.
Jan-17-16  bobbyperez: 31.Qh6+! is a faster win.31...Ke7[31...Bg7 32.Qd6#] 32.Qh7+! Bg7[32...Kf8 33.Qf7#]33.Qxg7# checkmate.
Apr-04-16  Howard: Yes, Fischer mentions that in his book.
Apr-04-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <SChesshevsky....Stein's ...Qb8 never was that effective for me, though I believe Levy thought it very good at the time....>

Levy may well have come to a different view after getting welcomed to the big leagues on the crushification express in Spassky vs D Levy, 1974.

Apr-05-16  Howard: And that game didn't last 25 moves---despite the fact the Levy had written a recent book on the Dragon !
Aug-07-16  Knighthas1000eyes: Bent outta shape
Sep-17-16  andrea volponi: 22...Axd4-Th6!? Ag7-Df4 e5-Dh4
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