(Note: White played 55.Nf5? and lost.)>

I was a 9-year old kid in Argentina at the time and the military junta had made a big deal of the soccer world cup. Of course, the world knew about the "dirty war" and the systematic human rights violations going on in Argentina, and the many desaparecidos (plenty of exiles to make everything known). The military junta wanted to project a good image outward and inward (the latter, by winning the tournament). I remember the government propaganda condemning the "Anti-Argentina campaign" going on in the world, a product of the "lies" of the exiles.

Most people in Argentina thought it quite possible that Peru had been bought or intimidated. On the other hand, Argentina's victory in the final game against the Netherlands was clean. It did have a pretty strong team, after all.

BTW, Jim, the president was General Videla. General Galtieri is infamous for producing the Falklands War. But calling the other guy with such a threat sounds too uncharacteristic of General Videla. It sounds like the kind of conspiracy theory my countrymen like to come up with, invariably involving the top dogs. In my opinion, if there was a fix, it must have operated locally. There was no need to get the Peruvian government involved. All this said, put yourself in the shoes of those Peruvian players. They go to the locker room 0-2 at the end of the first half and they are quite aware that they are in Argentina, that Argentina needs more goals, and they feel that there is no guarantee that the Argentine police will do anything to protect them. Isn't that too much pressure? Who knows, maybe they even fell apart without direct outside intervention...

Of course, 9-year old me got really happy with the 6-0 and the subsequent 3-1 to the Netherlands.

Concerning 1974, that format worked well because it was so obvious two teams were above the rest: Holland and Germany.

If groups were used in the second round in 82, two teams advanced from each group to the semis, not just one: France, Germany, Italy, and Poland.

You'll laugh when I tell you I watched that game without understanding the stakes. I thought that two teams from the group would advance to the semis, not one to the final itself. So I didn't understand what the 6-0 meant until it was over.

What I remember of the game was that Peruvian star Teofilo Cubillas, who had played brilliantly up until then, all of a sudden missed connections on all his passes. Just couldn't do anything right.

One thing I can tell you. The current Argentine team does not stand much of a chance next year. In any event, I'm sure the world cup in South Africa will be a feast.>

What I can't figure out is how Lionel Messi can play so brilliantly for Barcelona and then just disappear playing for Argentina. They're loaded with stars, but had to get a last minute goal against terrible Peru even to make it to South Africa.

In that 6-0 game I don't remember any of the goals being cheap. Quiroga had no chance; the defense collapsed.

Carlsen vs Kramnik, 2009, London Chess Classic. Position after 43.Ne2:

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Black is all tied up and can't do anything! White will finish him off with Bxf7+ followed by Qc4+ and a rook penetration on the b-file.

I Jelen vs Larsen, 1977, White to play:

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36.Qc8+! (only move not to lose) Qg4 (only move not to lose) 37.Ng5+ (only move not to lose) Rxg5 (only legal move) 38.fxg4 (only move not to lose) Rg2+ 39.Kh1 Rc5 (the only move that poses a problem for White, who maybe was under time pressure; of course Black could have given perpetual check instead, but why not try a last trick to win?)

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