2015 Fischer Random 960 Tourney Final Round This Monday - and Casual Chess.

LCCC League action!

The first player listed has White. The player with Black picks the position envelope or how the position is determined. The pairings are:

Board 1:  Paul M - VinceV
Board 2: Mike N - Gene M
Board 3: Ken T - Luke S
Board 4: Zack R - Tom H

This Fischer Random Tournament posting is a great time to post a Boris Spassky game. You have to remember,  there is no Chess Match of the Century for Bobby Fischer without the sportsmanship of Boris Spassky.

With the movie on Bobby Fischer Pawn Sacrifice coming out in September, I am sure many of Bobby’s finest games will be placed on chess web sites. I want to focus on his most worthy opponent for the Chess Match of the Century. Notes by Andrew Soltis - prior to these powerful computers. Notes by Igor3000 in [ ].

Boris Spassky plays Yogoslavian GM Ciric in an Olympiade competition.

1. e4                    c5

2. Nf3                  Nf6

This the a sharp Nimzovich line with which Larsen (unsuccessfully) surprised Gligoric at Zurich, 1958. It became suddenly popular with tactical players and analysts in the early 1960’s but disappeared from play after a few years. This game was played in this line’s heyday (1961).

Now if 3. Nc3, Nc6 4. d4, d5?!

3. e5                    Nd5

4. Nc3                 e6

Unlike the comparable position in the Alekhine Defense, if Black exchanged the Knights, White would re-capture with the d-pawn, exerting pressure on the file and possibly delaying Black from playing …..d6.

5. Nxd5               ed

Boleslavsky gives this positional treatment in his book on the Sicilian: 5. Ne4, Nc6 6.c4, Nb6 7. B3, Be7 8. Bb2, O-O 9. Be2, f6 10. Ef, gf 11. O-O, and Black establishes a firm central game with e5! [Igor3000 has White with a half-pawn positional lead in the Boleslavsky line (.5). Currently, White enjoys a (+.6) lead.]

6. d4                    Nc6

7. dc                    Bxc5

8. Qxd5               Qb6

9. Bc4                  Bxf2+

10. Ke2                 O-O

11. Rf1                  Bc5

The demise of this line can be attributed to the discovery of 11. Rd1!, after which Black's brief attack is over......Nb4 12. Qe4, d5 13. Ed, Bd7 14. Bg5!

[Igor3000 says it’s even after 14. ….Rae8.]

12. Ng5                 Nxe

13. Qxe5               d5

14. Qxd5!              Re8+?

White to move after 14. ......Re8+

Here on the Bishop check, White can reply 15. Rf3 and the White King Bishop rests on the vital diagonal. [But Black still needed ….Bg4+ to keep the game drawable at (+1.1) instead of (2.8).

15. Kf3                  Qf6+

Hoping for 16. Bf4, Re3+
 

16. Kg3                 Bd6+

17. Rf4                  Be6

Again the only move, but suddenly Black has nothing. He forces White into an attractive Queen sacrifice that leave Black hopeless.

18. Nxe6               Rxe6

19. Qxd6!              Qg6+

Actually, this sacrifice is quite obvious to first rate players, but never ceases to confound anyone below that level [like your humble scribe]. The rest is easy.
[A non-master wold have a hard time playing without his queen and with an exposed King - winning position or not. It just doesn't look like a good position to us mere mortals. Spassky has no such concerns.]

20. Rg4                 Re6+

21. Bxe3                Qxd6+

22. Kf2                  Re8

23. Rf4                  Re7

24. Bb3                 Qe5

Once White consolidates his position and gets his King to safety, White’s material advantage will settle the game.

25. Re1                  g5

Taking the g-pawn loses to 26. Bd4 (3.8)

26. Rf3                  Kg7

27. Rd1                 f6

28. Kg1                 g4?

A blunder, but it’s over in any event.

29. Bd4                Black Resigns