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Boris Spassky vs Robert James Fischer
"Fischer King" (game of the day Nov-01-2008)
Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match (1972), Reykjavik ISL, rd 13, Aug-10
Alekhine Defense: Modern. Alburt Variation (B04)  ·  0-1

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 22 OF 22 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Nov-10-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  harrylime:

<<MissScarlett: < subsequent opening preparation for the eight remaining games plus on the adjournments of Games 18 and 21.> Was Kavalek really this involved after game 13? What did he say on the matter? Have I - perish the thought - been unfair in the past for suggesting he exaggerated his role in the match?>>

No Internet or Laptops in 72 ,,,

Bobby got help from

Everyone it

Seems

lol lol

Nov-10-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  harrylime: This game is just ...

Crazy

Dec-29-21  probabilitytheorist: This game is beautiful but it is full of huge errors, especially 69. Rd1+?? by Spassky, when 69. Rc3+ leads to a draw.
Dec-29-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: <probabilitytheorist: This game is beautiful but it is full of huge errors...>

"Full of huge errors"? I really like this game. I think both players were on top form.

I can't remember many huge errors.

Dec-29-21  Granny O Doul: @Plaskett: Most of the dumbest things I've done are things I haven't done, or didn't do (where my time is now up).

In life there is often no hanging flag.

Jan-13-22  N.O.F. NAJDORF: <Sep-08-19 N.O.F. NAJDORF: 'I found ways that Spassky could get a winning position in the opening of the Alekhine Defence. Fischer played the Alekhine Defence and Spassky missed a very big advantage.' https://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/f...

<Oct-09-20 Morlaf: Karpov has claimed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPd...) that he found over the board a refutation for white, allowing him a near-forced win. Does any1 know Karpov's refutation cosists of, please?>

<Dec-20-20 dejandjakovic: I think that Karpov found 25. e6>

I just visited this page to give my opinion as to what Karpov had in mind and then saw the last two comments above.

I wanted to say that I finally realised that 25 e6 was what he had in mind, after seeing an analysis of it by agadmator on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO8...

which gives

25. e6 Nc4 26. Qe2 Nxb2 27. Nf5 Nxd1 28. Nxg7 Kxg7 29. Qe5+ f6 30. Qxd5 Nc3 31. Qc4 g5 32. fxg5 hxg5 33. Bxg5 fxg5 34. Qxc3+ Kh7 35. Re5 possibly followed by Ne4.

After, for example, 35... Rg8 36. Ne4 Qf8 37. Nxg5+ Rxg5 38. Rxg5

it seems that Black has no answer to the threat of

39. Qd3+

agadmator seems to imply that Fischer was afraid of 25. e6, and that this was why he played 25 ... e6 himself.

agadmator says that Gligoric mentioned 25. e6 in his book of the match, but I don't remember that and certainly do not recall that Gligoric rated it a missed winning move.

Jan-15-22  N.O.F. NAJDORF: If black declines the offer of the bishop, the game might continue:

33. ... b6 34. Nd3 Qa6 35. Qxc3 Qa5 36. Qxa5 Rxa5 37. Bd2 Ra7 38. Bc3 c5 39. Rb1 Ra6 40. Nf4 Rd8 41. g5 Rd6 42. Kf2 a3 43. gxf6+ exf6 44. Rg1+ Kf8 45. Bxf6 Ra8 46. Rg7 forces mate

Jan-15-22  probabilitytheorist: <offramp: "Full of huge errors"? I really like this game. I think both players were on top form.

I can't remember many huge errors.>

I am not taking anything away from the players strength, but in this match, and this game especially, there were many big blunders. In this game there are a few blunders, but mostly there are a ton of major mistakes.

Jan-15-22  RookFile: Well, stockfish analyzed the game and gives Spassky 30 centipawn loss, Fischer 22. It's not a 9 centipawn loss like Fischer was capable of, but it's not bad. That being said, I would rather play over the game any day of the week than a lot of the dry, boring Berlin defenses between 2 guys who have memorized a lot of moves.

https://lichess.org/XtUjOnb3#10

Feb-23-22  jerseybob: It's quite possibly mentioned in an earlier post, but I've seen 18..Be6 recommended. Fischer's 18..Bf5 seems calculated to goad white into a 'weakening' pawn advance, but who benefits by that advance?
Jun-19-22  CapablancaDisciple: According to Stockfish 14+ NNUE, Fischer played absolutely perfectly from move 39 to the very end.
Jun-20-22  CapablancaDisciple: It was after this game that Spassky must have accepted he was done for. Amazed, dumbfounded Spassky, unwilling, unable, to leave the board after feeling like he had just played a game against Chess itself... that was the pinnacle of Fischer's greatness right there.
Jun-20-22  CapablancaDisciple: I have found this incredible source which lists the times for this game, and a few insightful comments. (It is from a website called crackteam.org):

<<Game 13, August 10-11, 1972

Spassky Fischer
White Black
(ar) (-0:02) (ar) (0:06)
1. e4 (0:00) Nf6 (0:07)
(Spassky left when he made his move and returned 2 minutes after Fischer made his move. ) 2. e5 (0:02) Nd5 (0:07)
3. d4 (0:02) d6 (0:07)
4. Nf3 (0:03) g6 (0:08)
5. Bc4 (0:05) Nb6 (0:08)
6. Bb3 (0:06) Bg7 (0:08)
7. Nbd2 (0:23) 0-0 (0:14)
8. h3 (0:25) a5 (0:22)
9. a4 (0:33) dxe5 (0:25)
10. dxe5 (0:33) Na6 (0:26)
11. 0-0 (0:47) Nc5 (0:35)
12. Qe2 (0:50) Qe8 (0:51)
13. Ne4 (0:58) Nbxa4 (0:54)
14. Bxa4 (1:04) Nxa4 (0:56)
15. Re1 (1:08) Nb6 (0:58)
16. Bd2 (1:12) a4 (0:59)
17. Bg5 (1:14) h6 (1:06)
18. Bh4 (1:26) Bf5 (1:16)
19. g4 (1:29) Be6 (1:16)
20. Nd4 (1:31) Bc4 (1:17)
21. Qd2 (1:35) Qd7 (1:19)
22. Rad1 (1:37) Rfe8 (1:23)
23. f4 (1:38) Bd5 (1:30)
24. Nc5 (1:40) Qc8 (1:31)
25. Qc3 (1:51) e6 (1:38)
26. Kh2 (1:57) Nd7 (1:40)
27. Nd3 (2:00) c5 (1:41)
28. Nb5 (2:00) Qc6 (1:42)
29. Nd6 (2:04) Qxd6
30. exd6 Bxc3 (1:42)
31. bxc3 (2:04) f6 (1:46)
32. g5 (2:05) hxg5 (1:47)
33. fxg5 (2:05) f5 (1:47)
34. Bg3 (2:06) Kf7 (1:50)
35. Ne5+ (2:07) Nxe5 (1:50)
36. Bxe5 (2:07) b5 (1:56)
37. Rf1 (2:08) Rh8 (2:02)
38. Bf6 (2:12) a3 (2:04)
39. Rf4 (2:22) a2 (2:08)
40. c4 (2:27) Bxc4 (2:09)
41. d7 (2:36) Bd5 (2:16)
42. Kg3(s) (3:08)
(Fischer was 25 minutes late for the second session. This was a 4 hour Friday adjournment session which started at 2:30 PM. The next two time controls were at move 56 with 3:30 and move 72 with 4:30.) (ar) (2:41)
42. ... Ra3+ (2:42)
43. c3 (3:08) Rha8 (2:42)
44. Rh4 (3:10) e5 (2:42)
45. Rh7+ (3:11) Ke6 (2:42)
46. Re7+ Kd6
47. Rxe5 (3:12) Rxc3+
48. Kf2 (3:13) Rc2+
49. Ke1 (3:13) Kxd7
50. Rexd5+ (3:14) Kc6
51. Rd6+ (3:16) Kb7 (2:43)
52. Rd7+ (3:20) Ka6 (2:44)
53. R7d2 (3:23) Rxd2
54. Kxd2 (3:25) b4
55. h4 (3:26) Kb5
56. h5 (3:26) c4 (2:45)
57. Ra1 (3:37) gxh5 (2:48)
58. g6 (3:39) h4 (2:49)
59. g7 (3:50) h3 (2:50)
60. Be7 (4:08) Rg8 (3:11)
61. Bf8 (4:11) h2 (3:49)
62. Kc2 (4:11) Kc6 (3:51)
63. Rd1 (4:13) b3+ (3:57)
64. Kc3 (4:15) h1Q (4:02)
65. Rxh1 (4:15) Kd5 (4:02)
66. Kb2 (4:18) f4 (4:03)
67. Rd1+ (4:19) Ke4 (4:05)
68. Rc1 (4:23) Kd3 (4:06)
69. Rd1+ (4:26) Ke2 (4:07)
70. Rc1 (4:27) f3 (4:08)
71. Bc5 (4:27) Rxg7 (4:11)
72. Rxc4 (4:28) Rd7 (4:14)
73. Re4+ (4:45) Kf1 (4:15)
74. Bd4 (4:49) f2
0-1

(ar) indicates the player’s arrival.
(s) indicates a sealed move.

Although Fischer was 25 minutes late for the second session, he still had 45 extra minutes to use at the second time control on move 56.

Fischer took 38 minutes for his 61st move, which was the longest of the match for him. And he had spent 21 minutes on the previous move that allowed his Rook to be imprisoned. He had played the first 18 moves of the adjournment quite rapidly, until Spassky’s 60. Be7.

The four-hour playing session had not been exhausted, since Spassky took 32 minutes for his sealed move in the first session, making that session 5 hours 24 minutes long.

After he resigned, Spassky immediately analyzed the last few moves at the board, seeing that at move 69, he would have drawn with Rc3 instead of Rd1. He said something to Lothar Schmidt, but he was busy with the official paperwork. Fischer had already left.>>

Dec-02-22  andrea volponi: e6 nc4-qe2 nxb2(...ra5!?)-nf5 nxd1-nxg7 kxg7-qe5+ f6-qxd5 a3-rxd1 a2-ra1=.
Jun-26-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Plaskett: Miss Scarlett: didn´t you an I "Chat" yrs ago on another site!?
Jun-26-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: I think you've confused me with another.
Aug-17-23  N.O.F. NAJDORF: Here is one variation after 25. e6:

25. e6 c6 26. exf7+ Kxf7 27. Nde6 Bxb2 28. f5 g5 29. Bxg5 hxg5 30. Qxg5 Rg8 31. Qh5+ Kf6 32. g5+ Kxf5 33. Qh7+ Rg6 34. Rf1+ Ke5 35. Qxg6 a3 36. Qf5+ Kd6 37. Qf4+ Be5 38. Ne4+ Kd7 39. Qxe5 followed by Nc5+ and mate.

Sep-11-23  andrea volponi: 25 E6! (smyslov) Nc4 (a3 prins 26 f5 timman Nc4 -Qf4 Nxb2 -f6 Bxf6 -bxf6 -exf6 -Qxf6 Qd8 -Qxf7+ Kh8 -Nf5 gxf5 -Rxd5 Qxd5 -Qf6+ =) Qe2! Nxb2 (26...Ra5 -b4 Rxc5 -bxc5 fxe6 -f5=) -Nf5!! Nxd1 -Nxg7 Kxg7 -Qe5+ f6! -Qxd5 a3! -Rxd1 a2 -Rxd1 -Ra1 Ra5=.
Oct-04-23  N.O.F. NAJDORF: In Smyslov's line

25. e6 Nc4 26. Qe2 Nxb2 27. Nf5 Nxd1 28. Nxg7 Kxg7 29. Qe5+ f6 30. Qxd5 a3 31. Rxd1 a2

White can continue 32. Qd4

For example:

32. Qd4 b6 33. Nd7 Qa6 34. Ra1 Qa4 35. c4 Qc2 36. Nxf6 Qb1+ 37. Kg2 Qc2+ 38. Kf1 Qb1+ 39. Ke2 Qc2+ 40. Ke1 Qb1+ 41. Kd2 Red8 42. Nd7+ Kh7 43. Bxe7 winning

Oct-04-23  N.O.F. NAJDORF: After

25. e6 Nc4 26. Qe2 Nxb2 27. Nf5 gxf5 28. Rxd5 fxg4 29. Qxg4

white threatens

30. exf7+ Kxf7 31. Rf5+ Kg8 32. Ne6

winning the queen

If 29 ... f6 30. Kh2 (or Kh8 31. Rh5 Rg8 32. Qg6 Qf8 33. Nd7 wins) Kh7 31. Rg1 Rg8 32. Qg6+ Kh8 33. Rh5 Qf8 34. Nd7 wins

Oct-04-23  N.O.F. NAJDORF: Another possibility

(after 25. e6 Nc4 26. Qe2 Nxb2 27. Nf5 gxf5 28. Rxd5)

is

28 ... f6 29. gxf5 Ra5 30. Kh2 Kh8 31. Qg4 Rg8 32. Rg1 b6 33. Rd7 Rxc5 34. Rxe7 Rxc2+ 35. Rg2 Rxg2+ 36. Qxg2 Qf8 37. Rf7 Qd8 38. e7 Qe8 39. Rxg7 Rxg7 40. Bxf6 Qg8 41. e8=Q

Oct-04-23  N.O.F. NAJDORF: Alternatively,

after

25. e6 Nc4 26. Qe2 Nxb2 27. Nf5 gxf5 28. Rxd5 f6 29. gxf5

black could play

Kh8 30. Kh2 Rg8 31. Rg1 Bf8 32. Rxg8+ Kxg8 33. Qg4+ Kh8 34. Rd2 Bg7 35. Rg2 Qg8 36. Nd7 a3 37. Qg6 Rf8 38. Bxf6 exf6 39. e7 Rf7 40. e8=Q Qxe8 41. Nxf6 Qg8 42. Qxh6+

and mate next move

Oct-05-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  harrylime:

This is a Holy game.

A candidate for the greatest Chess game of the 20th Century.

Oct-22-23  N.O.F. NAJDORF: How about this variation?

25. e6 c6 26. exf7+ Kxf7 27. f5 Nc4 28. Qf4 b6 29. fxg6+ Kxg6 30. Re6+ Bxe6 (Bf6 31. Qf5+ Kf7 32. Bxf6 Bxe6 33. Ncxe6 Rh8 34. Qh5+ Kxf6 35. Rf1#) 31. Ndxe6 Rf8 32. Qe4+ Kf7 33. Rf1+ Bf6 34. Qh7+ Ke8 35. Qg6+ Rf7 36. Qg8+ Rf8 37. Qxf8#

Oct-23-23  N.O.F. NAJDORF: Or this?

25. e6 c6 26. exf7+ Kxf7 27. Nde6 Bxb2 28. f5 g5 29. Bxg5 hxg5 30. Qxg5 Rg8 31. Qh5+ Kf6 32. g5+ Kxf5 33. Rxd5+ Nxd5 34. Qg4+ Kg6 35. Qe4+ Kf7 36. Qh7+ Rg7 37. Rf1+ Nf6 38. g6+ Ke8 39. Qh8+ Rg8 40. Qxg8+ Nxg8 41. Rf8#

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