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Here Fischer missed a win by 36...Ng3+! (a logical consequence of the attacking formation created in the previous moves by Nh5-Bf4-Qg5-Rh8) 37.hxg3 hxg3+ 38.Kg1 Qh4; or 37.Nxg3 hxg3 38.h3 Rxh3+! 39.Kg1 (39.gxh3 g2+ 40.Kg1 Qg3 with quick mate) 39...Rh2 and Qh4; or 37...Nxf1 38.Bxf1 (38.Rxf1 Be3+; 38.Kxf1 Bxh2) 38...h3 39.g3 (39.Re2 Bxh2+!) 39...Bxg3! 40.hxg3 Qxg3+ 41.Kh1 Qxf3+ 42.Kh2 Qf4+ 43.Kh1 g5 and the mass of the connected passed pawns should prove decisive.

Fischer also missed two good opportunities later on: 55...h3! 56.g3 Ng2 winning the exchange, since 57.Re2 Bd8! followed by Bb6 is crushing; as well as 68...Qa6! (with the threat of 69...Rxc1 70.Rxc1 Qf1 or Nf1+) 69.Rxc7+ (or 69.b5 Rxc1 70.Rxc1 Qa3! 71.Ra1 Bd4 72.Rb1 Be3! 73.Nxe3 fxe3 and the queen can't keep defending the bishop on a2) 69...Rxc7 70.b5 Qxb5! (71.Rxb5 Nf1+).

Another example of Fischer's bad - or sloppy - form in the first half of the Santa Monica tournament, which he finished with a disastrous score of 3.5/9, one place before the last, before his fantastic finish in the second half, scoring 7.5/9. In round 2 he missed a relatively simple win against Portisch (with 50.Ne3 in Fischer vs Portisch, 1966), in round 4 he missed good wining chances against Donner by a careless move (30.Bd3?? in Fischer vs J H Donner, 1966), this game was played in round 5, and next he suffered three consecutive losses in rounds 6-8.

(64.Bf1 f4 65.Ng4 e5! and black is blocking white to a very small area, eventually switching rooks to the e file)

so: 64.fxe4 f4! is the main idea

Unzicker plays the opening very timidly, forgoing a break with 16.f4, and then just kind of moving his pieces around. Fischer has a big advantage but misses his chances to break through: not only with 36....Ng3+ but also with 41.....h3 42.g3 Ng2 43.Re2 e4 44.f4 g5.