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Robert James Fischer vs Cesar Munoz
Leipzig Olympiad qual-4 (1960), Leipzig GDR, rd 2, Oct-18
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation. Yugoslav Attack Main Line (B77)  ·  0-1

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FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jul-28-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: <ughaibu: The database only gives two Fischer losses to the Dragon and no examples after 1970. Here's the other game: Fischer vs D Ballard, 1964> That other major dragon-killer, Karpov, lost just the once to the Dragon - to Kortschnoj in their 1971 training match.
Dec-29-05  Caissanist: There was a Charles Powell from Virgina who beat Fischer in a simul in 1964, perhaps that was the game?

http://www.vachess.org/content/Fisc...

May-08-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: I apologize for completely forgetting about this thread. I had done some research and spoke to friends of the late Mr. Powell. <Caissanist> is correct, this is the same person and the same game. So it wasn't the last *tournament* game Fischer lost to an untitled player. Which leaves open the question of what game of any kind was the last Fischer lost to an untitled player. Who knows? This could be it.
May-08-06  monad: Ah, the game with the famous move 16...Qa5 -e5!

This was one of the few times that Fischer was taken by surprise apparently.

The fact that he lost this game made him adopt this manoeuvre of centralising his Queen for himself in later games, though he was not always as successful with it as the player from Ecuador in this 1960 game.

Jul-23-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: A big upset. Munoz was a NM when he played and won this game against Bobby.
Nov-10-07  Petrosianic: <mdorothy: The question then becomes, what was Fischer's excuse for losing this one??>

You'd have to ask Rookfile about that. I think he's working on a master database of excuses for all known Fischer failures. Fischer himself usually didn't make excuses.

<How about his game against Kovacevic in Bled in 1970?>

That was Fischer's last loss to someone who wasn't a world class GM (unless you want to count his losses in the 1992 match), but Kovacevic wasn't untitled, he was an IM at the time.

Nov-10-07  RookFile: This is silly. Fischer lost a game of chess. It happens.
Jan-17-08  awdunno: From the time Fischer became a GM until his retirement, this was his only loss to the Dragon. The most remarkable thing is that he lost in a variation (...a6) considered to this day to be dubious at best, and, furthermore, that he lost to a relatively ordinary player (relative to Fischer, that is). I mean, who's Cesar Munoz? All I know about him is that he played top board for Ecuador in the Leipzig Olympiad of 1960. Does anyone know if he ever became a GM or even an IM?
Jan-17-08  timhortons: <benzol> he lost to larsen,spassky, najdorf in the middle of piatogorsky cup 66 tourney.......when the smoke cleared in that tournament bobby fischer shot from the cellar to the top that even spassky who win that tourney claim that it was bobby fischers tournament "he did better than me" ....borris spassky
Jun-21-08  Some call me Tim: I'm with you <RookFile> Every player, even a great one, loses occasionally. And sometimes it isn't pretty. Munoz just played very well and threw Bobby off his usual Yugoslav Attack which requires pinpoint timing. Munoz, an unknown who was never above NM level as far as I can tell, also tossed Larsen once, and with an underpromotion no less. Larsen vs C Munoz, 1957

Fischer's loss to Kovacevic 1970 was a simple oversight, not something to psychoanalyze, and as sometimes is the case the lesser player rose to the occasion nicely. His Bxh2 in the first match game against Spassky 1972 is the same, a hasty miscalculation. Those who say Fischer played that move purposely to allow Spassky the win and become overconfident (if this is the "theory") have no understanding of this player. He dreaded loss, absolutely and viscerally. He hated draws (except in the last third of his match with Spassky), but losses and the fear of them had a profound impact on his behavior. IMO it led to his inability to defend his title. In his last playing years (1970-1972) he didn't lose much but at times when he did he was simply outplayed in a difficult position (Spassky at Siegen 1970), others he just failed to appreciate dangers through overconfidence and overwhelming desire to win (Kovacevic game, 2nd game vs Petrosian 1971, 1st and 11th games vs. Spassky). Yet the number of games where he turned equally complex positions into wins by deft balance of attack and defense in those years greatly outnumbered the failures. An excellent example, and one which must have deflated his overoptimistic opponent, is the 1st match game against Larsen in 1971. Play through that one and tell me Fischer was uncomfortable in sharp double-edged positions. Fischer vs Larsen, 1971

Mar-23-09  newzild: Mr. Fischer got his panties ripped big time by the South American. Good to see!
Jun-01-09  andrevicuna: as everyone asks. he is from ecuador, he actually is my grandaunt (the aunt of my dad), he grew his interest for chess when he was young, he won a lot of chess tournaments here in ecuador, he was the minister of sports and he earned other titles, lawyer; he dindt even finished the carrer becaouse he said that no one can teach him, little bit arrogant but true, he was considered ''superdotado'' i dont know how to say it in english, sorry. well, its true, he beated bobby because he did a bad movement, it always happans, but you must admit, Cesar is a really good chess player. this is most of his life, hope its usefull for you.
Oct-11-09  nezhmet: Charlie Powell beat him? Charlie Powell was a very strong player from Virginia who later moved to San Francisco.
Jan-18-10  TheFocus: <Caissanist>< There was a Charles Powell from Virgina who beat Fischer in a simul in 1964, perhaps that was the game?>

http://www.vachess.org/content/Fisc...;

Here is the Powell win. Source: NOST (Knights of the Square Table) July 1964, page 11.

Fischer – Powell, Charles
French Defense
Richmond, Virginia
March 5

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Rb1 c4 9.Qg4 Qxc2 10.Qxg7 Qxb1+ 11.Ke2 Bd7 12.f3 Ba4 13.Qxh8 Qd1+ 14.Ke3 Qxf1 15.Qxg8+ Ke7 16.Kf4Nd7 17.Qxa8 Qxg2 18.Be1 Qxh1 19.Bh4+ f6 20.exf6+ Kf7 21.Qh8 Qxh2+ 0-1. If White tries 22. Bg3 then Black answers 22...Qh6+ and the White Queen is lost after 23...Nxf6+.

Feb-11-10  muwatalli: sac sac FAIL
Feb-12-10  TheFocus: Does anyone know if Munoz ever annotated this game? Source?
Feb-12-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: Another of Muñoz's victims:

Larsen vs C Munoz, 1957

Feb-12-10  Cibator: The so-called "science" suffered its own ultra-viole[n]t catastrophe here. Fischer pried open the h-file all right, but never got in even one sac (part from "involuntary" ones), let alone mate. And he never got another chance to snap off the [Dragon] bishop after his 18th move.
Oct-28-11  newzild: Hail Cesar!
Oct-30-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: César Munoz only has five games in the database, but his results are <extremely> impressive: +3 =1 -1 against world-class opponents (Fischer, Larsen, Polugaevsky, Olafsson, and Lombardy).
Oct-30-11  DrMAL: After 13.g4! Fischer had solid advantage but his follow-through was unusually poor, playing 14.Bh6?! instead of 14.Nd5 and then after getting big advantage via mistakes anyway, losing it again with 17.h4?! instead of 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.g5! (or 18.Rhe1 in center instead). After 18.Bf5?! (instead of 18.Bxg7 still good) game was equal. Munoz did good job of playing accurately here while Fischer went haywire with 22.e5? a reckless attack that should, and did, lose. Terrible game for him, everyone has some.
Dec-16-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  harrylime: Munoz's play in this game is impressive.And looking at the post two spots above well. What happened to him ?!

As for this game. Deserved win for Munoz.. Bobby's 26. Qe2 and all it led to looks suspect to me at a glance. Maybe 26. f4 instead ..

All great players lost tho.. And that's really that.

Nov-30-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Tabanus: Picture from this game:

http://bp3.blogger.com/_qiRgsnx7G1U..., with Paul Klein (who played for Ecuador and became an int. arbiter) watching.

Jul-21-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  mifralu: Photo:

http://c7.alamy.com/zooms/e11412b8d...

Jun-04-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  ajk68: Two successive bad moves, 17 and 18 squandered Fischer's opening advantage.

22. e5? was the losing move.

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