1.e4
Fischer's favorite move, it places a stake and the center, threatens d4, and opens the lines for the Qd1 and the Bf1.
1...e5
Solid, stopping d4
2.Nf3
Attacking the e5-pawn
2...Nc6
Defending the pawn
3.Bc4
Less ambitious than the Ruy Lopez, Bb5, but a favorite of young players and in chess's romantic era.
3...Nf6
The Two Knight's Defense, a solid choice in the hands of a master
4.Ng5
Often criticized today. After all, the knight, just developed, has moved again, and white's whole queenside remains "in the box." But how to defend the f7-pawn?
4...d5
The usual response, blockling the Bc4's attack on f7. The Wilkes Barre Variation with 4...Bc5 is double edged but playable.
5.exd5
Taking with "the little thing." There's no reason to cede the valuable Bc4xd5?
5...Na5
A key response, avoiding 5...Nxd5 when white has the wonderful choice between 6.d4! and the Fried Liver Attack with 6.Nxf7!?
6.Bb5+
Better than Morphy's occasional 7.d3.
6...c6
7.dxc6
bxc6
All standard and book. Black is down a pawn but has far superiod development. White could try the sharp Qf3 here, but that attack is artificial. Better simply to retreat and develop as quickly the queenside as possible.
8.Be2
h6
Diagram All book, expecting 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5 Bd6 when white will play 11.d4 or 11.f4
9.Nh3!?
Resuscitating a line used successfully by Steinitz in his 1892 world championship match and henceforth forgotten!
9...Bc5
10.0-0
Fischer later improved with d3 (see the following game) with the idea of holding back on 0-0 in case Black captures on h3. The point is that the obvious Bxh3 capture opens the g-file for operations against the Black king [10.d3
0-0
11.Nc3
Re8
12.0-0
Bxh3
13.gxh3
Qd7
14.Bg4
Nxg4
15.hxg4
1-0 Fischer,R-Radojcic,M/Poughskeepie 1963/Fischer (15)]
10...0-0
11.d3
Aiming for f4
11...Bxh3
In the 1992 game, Chigorin never took the knight, preferring instead to leave it there, out of play. [11...Nd5
12.c4
Ne7
13.Kh1
Bxh3
14.gxh3
Nf5
15.f4
exf4
16.Bxf4
Ne3
17.Bxe3
Bxe3
18.Nc3
Rb8
19.Rb1
Qd7
20.b4
Nb7
21.b5
Nd8
22.Bg4
Qd4
23.Rb3
cxb5
24.Nxb5
Qc5
25.Rf5
Qe7
26.Nc3
Rxb3
27.axb3
Bd4
28.Nd5
Qd6
29.b4
g6
30.Rf1
Nc6
31.Qd2
Kg7
32.Bf3
Rd8
33.Bg2
Be5
34.Qe3
Rd7
35.Re1
f6
36.b5
Nd4
37.Qf2
Qb8
38.Be4
Ne6
39.Rf1
Rf7
40.Bxg6
Kxg6
41.Qf5+
Kg7
42.Qxe6
Qb7
43.d4
Bb8
44.Rg1+
Kf8
45.Qf5
Bd6
46.c5
Be7
47.c6
1-0 Steinitz,W-Chigorin,M/Havana 1892/MainBase (47)]
12.gxh3
White remains up a pawn, but the extra pawn is on h3. But the absense of Black's light squared bishop takes the stuffing out of Black's counter-play.
12...Qd7
Attacking the weak h3 pawn
13.Bf3
Avoiding 14.Bg4 Nxg4 when Black gets good attacking chances with ...f5
13...Qxh3
14.Nd2!
[14.Bg2
and Fischer gives 14...Qh4
15.Qe1
Rfe8
16.Qxa5
Ng4
17.h3
Bxf2+
18.Rxf2
(18.Kh1
Qg3-+
) 18...Qxf2+
19.Kh1
e4
]
14...Rad8
15.Bg2
Now on Qh4 Nf3!
15...Qf5
16.Qe1
eyeing the e4-square as well as the unprotected Na5. Fischer also needs to over-protect the f2-pawn in order to play Kh1 (off the diagonal) and f4
16...Rfe8
17.Ne4
White's pawn structure is far superior to Black's, so exchanges should lead to a favorable endgame. Note the weak black pawns on a7 and c6
17...Bb6
18.Nxf6+
Qxf6
19.Kh1
Preparing f4
19...c5
Inhibiting d4, but blocking the Bb6. Fischer felt that g5 was needed to prevent f2-f4
20.Qc3
Stops c5-c4 and strengthens f4.
20...Nc6
[20...g5
21.f4!
gxf4
22.Bxf4
]
21.f4
Nd4
Knight in the the middle of the board, but it can be attacked by a pawn.
22.Qc4
Preparing c3
22...Qg6
23.c3
Nf5
24.fxe5
Activating the bishops
24...Rxe5
25.Bf4
Re2
26.Be4
Diagram
26...Rxb2?
A significant error at a key moment. Fischer gives the following variation. [26...Re8
27.Bf3
(27.Rg1
Qh5
28.Raf1
Ne3
29.Qb5
Rxe4
30.dxe4
Nxf1
31.Qe8+
Kh7
32.Rxg7+
Kxg7
33.Be5+
Qxe5
34.Qxe5+
f6
35.Qe7+
Kg6
36.Qe8+
Kg5
and Black is winning!) ]
27.Be5
And the two bishops are alive. The two attacks on the Nf4 decide the game
27...Re8
28.Rxf5
Rxe5
29.Rxe5
1-0