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Robert James Fischer vs Mikhail Tal
"Playing Against Einstein's Theory" (game of the day Mar-09-2008)
Bled (1961), Bled YUG, rd 2, Sep-04
Sicilian Defense: Paulsen. Bastrikov Variation (B47)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 11 OF 11 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Feb-17-14  mrbasso: Tal clearly botched up with the wrong move order here. He intended to play 6...a6 7.Bg2 Nf6 and played 6...Nf6. Happened to almost all lifelong tournament chess players in the World at least once. It was a very unfortunate moment to happen but he went on to win the tournament regardless.

Tal probably didn't play 8...e5! because it leads to a Sveshnikov type position. In 1961 the later called Sveshnikov Sicilian was widely regarded dubious. After move 8 Tal didn't have the slightest chance to save the game IMHO.

Feb-17-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: It was left to the intrepid Igor Ivanov to revive 8....e5, which had already seen its debut in B Kostic vs O Nedeljkovic, 1938.

What has long baffled me is Ivanov's willingness to enter this mess, as he allowed 7.Ndb5 twice in 1989.

Mar-02-15  Clodhopper: <Tal was a tough player. Here he absent mindedly makes a known opening mistake, but doesn't go down until move 47.>

Anybody but Tal could have resigned with good conscience after 25 bXh7

Mar-02-15  detritus: Doesn't the 37… Qxg3, 38. Rh1 Qg7 line lose immediately to the direct capture 39. Rxg7?
Mar-02-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: You are correct Detitus.

These errors happen when the lads don't add a diagram to their preview screen.


click for larger view

If 37...Qxg3 38.Rh1 makes it a simple win.

(We can now see at a glance that 38...Qg7 is silly.)

38...Qe5 Rh8+ and Rc8+ or 38...Qxc7 Rh8+ and Rh7+ is a book King and Pawn win which Fischer would have played perfectly.

Me on the other hand would have balls it up, got to here with White to move...


click for larger view

...and it's a book draw.

Mar-04-15  bennyvsfischer: one of my favorite....brillant..
May-10-15  Alan Vera: Que cojones que buena partida.
May-29-15  TheFocus: <It is difficult to play against Einstein's theory> - Mikhail Tal.
Jan-09-16  Joker2048: Fischer is the man..
Nicely done★★☆★★
Jan-27-16  yurikvelo: 8. ... Ne5?? and game lost.
9. ... Bc5?? and forced mate

16. ... Ra4? 18. ... Qc7? 19. ... Rxa2? 20. ... Ra6? 29. ... Qh6? - make Fischer win easy

http://pastebin.com/fevkAT7m

Feb-04-16  antonioaguilar: What about at move 20, after Kb1, instead of playing the passive Ra6 Tal didn't played Qa5!!.

I don't see a mate in 1 for white, and well, maybe white would defend with b3 opening his queen's diagonal, but Qa5 in my opinion is the best defense for black.

"The best defense is to attack"
-Me.

Feb-05-16  yurikvelo: <instead of playing the passive Ra6 Tal didn't played Qa5!>

+4,93 20. ... Qa5 21.b4 Qa4 22.Qc3 Kd8 23.Rhe1 d5
+6,53 20. ... Ra6 21.Bh5 d6 22.Rhe1 Qe7 23.Qh6 Kd8

Qa5 is a bit better, but doesnot help much, 21.b4! and only move is Qa4

+4,17 21. ... Qa4 22.Qc3 Kd8 23.Bd3 Ra3
+6,82 21. ... Qxb4+ 22.Kxa2 b6 23.Rd3 Qe7
+6,87 21. ... Qa7 22.Bh5 Ra1+ 23.Qxa1 Qxa1+
+6,87 21. ... Qa6 22.Bh5 Ra1+ 23.Qxa1 Qxa1+
+6,87 21. ... Qa3 22.Bh5 Ra1+ 23.Qxa1 Qxa1+
+6,87 21. ... Qa8 22.Bh5 Ra1+ 23.Qxa1 Qxa1+

For Qc3! black have a lot of options to resign :)

+4,44 22. ... Kd8 23.Bd3 Ra3 24.Qb2 f5
+5,48 22. ... Ke7 23.f5 Qxc2+ 24.Qxc2 Rxc2
+6,03 22. ... Qxc2+ 23.Qxc2 Rxc2 24.Kxc2 Rxg7
+6,07 22. ... Rxc2 23.Qxc2 Qxc2+ 24.Kxc2 Rxg7
+6,92 22. ... Qa8 23.Bxb5 Ra3 24.Qd4 Ke7
+7,24 22. ... Ra1+ 23.Qxa1 Qxa1+ 24.Kxa1 Rxg7

Feb-05-16  bobbyperez: 23.Qxe5+? is bad but Fischer played 23.fxe5!!.After 23.Qxe5+,23...Qxe5 24.fxe5 Rxg7 ,black equalized.
Jul-28-16  The Kings Domain: Highly impressive victory by the adolescent Fischer. His precise, aggressive play kept Tal on the defensive all throughout the game. It's strange to see The Magician fending off attack after attack when he's usually the propagator of such a style.
Jan-07-17  The Boomerang: "Remember her was 18 years old when he played this, neither KARPOV nor KASPAROV have reached this level of maturity at this age.."

Well Carlsen did....hit 2800 if Im not mistaken.

Apr-26-17  Mithrain: Great game by Fischer even though Tal didn't play his best game whatsoever. Nevertheless, the magician did win the tournament!!

Moreover, the line you were commenting 20. Kb1 Qa5 21. b3! is a good example of how powerful the Queen is as she's attacking the Black's king while defending his own king from mate!

May-12-18  The Boomerang: "Remember her was 18 years old when he played this, neither KARPOV nor KASPAROV have reached this level of maturity at this age.."

And yet he won the championship at 29, Kasparov at 22.....go figure...

May-12-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: <The Boomerang: "Remember her was 18 years old when he played this, neither KARPOV nor KASPAROV have reached this level of maturity at this age.." And yet he won the championship at 29, Kasparov at 22.....go figure...>

Good point. And the loser of THIS game became World Champion aged 23.

Who was the oldest new champion? I suppose it was Botvinnik.

Nov-08-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Clement Fraud: I feel certain that 14.Ne4 wins for white immediately. There are many variations that might arise from 14.Ne4, suffice it to say that the move creates some deadly tactical threats that black cannot defend against. 14.Ne4: Since the immediate threat is 15.fxg7 Rg8 16.Nf6+, then black would be forced into playing 14... Bf8; but after 15.Qd4 g6 black's position is one of passive defense (and close to resignable).
Mar-09-19  Scuvy: This is my favorite Fischer game. I have replayed it dozens of times but never tire of seeing him take down the "Magician of Riga" for the first time in his career. And typical of Fischer's objectivity, even of his wins, is how his comment begins after 21 B:b5 in MSMG: "I was so intent on snatching material and not botching this one that I missed...." and gives a quicker win. And indeed, he did not botch it; he captured all of Tal's pieces but the Queen and induced Tal's surrender by threatening to capture her, too!
Apr-28-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  Messiah: How did I not know this game? Unbelievable. This game is amazing.
Jun-28-19  chessrookstwo: GREAT GAME ...
Sep-22-19  nunciusaustralis: It´s funny that Fischer said (in the candidates 1959) that the Soviet players were afraid to play the Sicilian because of Bc4. Then he lost 2 games on this line against Tal.
Apr-03-21  kishore4u: Bobby!!!
May-15-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  saffuna: Kasparov in OMGP4:

<23. fxe5!

This is stronger than 23. Qxe5+ Qxe5 24. fxe5 Rxg7, although here even after 25. Rhe1 Kd8 26. Bf5 it is doubtful whether Black can save the game.>

Curious that Kasparov did not even note that this was a queen sacrifice.

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