Fischer My 60 Memorable Games

The enduring chess classic from a giant of the game
1. Auflage 2012
ISBN: 978-1-84994-104-4
Verlag: Batsford
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 384 Seiten

'Still seen as the classic games collection' - English Chess Federation 'It is a work of genius' - The Compulsive Reader One of the most important chess books ever written, reissued in celebration of a chess genius, Bobby Fischer. The American takes the reader through 60 of his games, describing his thoughts, the intricacies behind his and his opponent's strategies, the tactical justification of moves and the psychological battle in each one. You'll find beautifully simple positional play by out-of-this-world combinations that are just breathtaking. Fischer played nearly all of these games as a grandmaster so they are at the very highest level, but his lucid commentary makes every move and idea both accessible and understandable, meaning that every player will learn huge amounts from this book. It is an essential for each chess enthusiast, competitor and professional alike. The controversial alterations that were made to Bobby Fischer's words in the last edition have been omitted in this book, so only the author's own words are expressed, giving a true insight into one of the most gifted, troubled and controversial minds of the 20th century.

Bobby Fischer (1943-2008) was an American-born chess grandmaster who became famous as a teenager for his phenomenal chess-playing ability. In 1972, at the height of the Cold War, he won the world title from the Russian Boris Spassky in a gripping match in Reykjavik, Iceland that generated worldwide media interest. Fischer not only played brilliant chess but raised the game to new levels of professionalism and his influence is still felt strongly today.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Fischer, Bobby

Leseproben

2 Fischer - Larsen

PORTOROZ 1958

.

.

e4

c5

f3

d6

d4

cxd4

xd4

f6

c3

g6

Larsen was one of the diehards who refused to abandon the Dragon until recently. White’s attack almost plays itself … weak players even beat Grandmasters with it. I once thumbed through several issues of , when the Yugoslav Attack was making its debut, and found the ratio was something like nine wins out of ten in White’s favor. Will Black succeed in reinforcing the variation? Time will tell.

e3

g7

…g4? still loses to b5+.

f3

0-0

d2

c6

c4

…

This refinement supersedes the old 0-0-0. The idea is to prevent …d5.

…

xd4

Just how Black can attempt to thread his way to equality is not clear. Interesting is Donald Byrne’s …a5. The strongest reply is g4 and if …e5 e2 d5? g5! wins a Pawn.

xd4

e6

b3

a5

0-0-0

b5

After …xb3 cxb3! Black cannot make any attacking headway against this particular Pawn configuration. White is lost in the King and Pawn ending, it’s true, but Black usually gets mated long before then. As Tarrasch put it: “Before the endgame the gods have placed the middle game.”

b1

b4

d5

…

Weaker is e2 xb3 cxb3 fd8.

…

xd5

Bad judgment is …xd5? xg7 xg7 exd5 d7 de1 with a crushing bind. (Suetin-Korchnoi, USSR Championship prelims 1953.)

xd5

…

Stronger is exd5! b5 he1 a5 e2! (Tal-Larsen, Zurich 1959) where White abandons the attack and plays for pressure along the e-file instead.

…

ac8?

The losing move. After the game Larsen explained he was playing for a win, and therefore rejected the forced draw with …xd5 xg7 c3+ bxc3 ( xc3 bxc3 xc3 xc3 bxc3 fc8 renders White’s extra Pawn useless.) …ab8! cxb4 xb4+! xb4 xb4+ b2 fb8, etc. After …xd5, however, I intended simply exd5 xd5 xb4, keeping the game alive.

b3!

…

He won’t get a second chance to snap off the Bishop! Now I felt the game was in the bag if I didn’t botch it. I’d won dozens of skittles games in analogous positions and had it down to a science: pry open the h-file, sac, sac … mate!

…

c7

This loss of time is unfortunately necessary if Black is ever to advance his a-Pawn. …b5? is refuted by xa7.

h4

b5

There’s no satisfactory way to impede White’s attack. If …h5 g4! hxg4 (…fc8 dg1 hxg4 h5! gxh5 fxg4 xe4 f4 e5 xe4 exd4 gxh5 h8 h6 f6 g7! wins) h5! gxh5 (on …xh5 xg7 xg7 fxg4 f6 h6+ mates) fxg4 xe4 (on …hxg4 dg1 e5 e3 d8 h6; or …xg4 dg1 xd4 xg4+! hxg4 h6 leads to mate) e3 f6 (…xd4 xe4 g7 xh5) gxh5 e5 h6 wins.

Now Black is threatening to get some counterplay with …a5-a4.

h5!

…

There’s no need to lose a tempo with the old-fashioned g4.

…

fc8

On …gxh5 g4! hxg4 fxg4! xe4 h2 g5 xg7 xg7 d5 c5 h6+ g8 xg5+ xg5 xh7 mate.

hxg6

hxg6

g4

…

Not the impatient xf6? xf6 h6 e6! (threatening …e5) and Black holds everything.

…

a5

Now Black needs just one more move to get his counterattack moving. But for the want of a nail the battle was lost…

g5

h5

Vasiukov suggests …e8 as a possible defense (not …a4? gxf6 axb3 fxg7! bxc2+ xc2! e5 h2 wins); but White crashes through with xg7 xg7 (…xg7? h2) h6! e6 (if …a4 h2 h5 xg6+) h2 h5 xe6! fxe6 (…xg5 xg6+! xg6 xc8, threatening g1) xg6+ g7 h1, etc.

xh5!

…

Fine wrote: “In such positions, combinations are as natural as a baby’s smile.”

…

gxh5

No better is …xd4 xd4 gxh5 g6 e5 (if …e6 xd6) gxf7+ h7 (if …f8 xe5 dxe5 g1 e6 xe6 e7 xc8 xc8 g5 wins) d3! (intending f4) should be decisive.

g6

e5

On …e6 gxf7+ xf7 (if …xf7 xe6) xg7 xg7 g1+ h7 g2 e5 g6+ h8 g5 g7 xh5+ g8 xe6+ f8 f5+ e7 f7+ wins.

gxf7+

f8

e3

d5!

A desperate bid for freedom. On …a4 (if …d8 h6) xd6+ e7 d8+! xd8 xd8+ e8 c5+ mates.

exd5!

…

Not xd5 xc2!

…

xf7

On …a4 d6! axb3 dxc7 wins.

d6

f6

On …d7 White can either regain the exchange with e6 or try for more with h6. And on …xf3 d7,...