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The Chessboard Sun, Nov 21, 1971 – Page 34 · Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, New Jersey) · Newspapers.com
The Chessboard by Harry T. Conover Sunday, November 21, 1971 Asbury Park Press Asbury Park, New Jersey Chess Problem...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Chess Problem No. 234 by B.G. Laws v. 1st Prize, 1892, Jamaica Gleaner. White mates in 2 moves.
FEN 2n5/n5Q1/4R3/1Pk2B2/8/P1N5/3N3b/5K2 w - - 0 1
Key: R-Q6/Rd6
The Chessboard: 6th Game a Turning Point
The sixth game of the match between Bobby Fischer of the United States and Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union appears to have been the turning point in their contest to choose a challenger for the world championship.
As the two grandmasters sat down to play, each had won a game and drawn three for a score of 2½-2½. The game was adjourned on the 41st move with Fischer as Black holding a slight advantage. The next day the American methodically squeezed out the win in a difficult position after 66 moves.
The seventh game was played the following day and Fischer again was the winner. Apparently the strain of the long sixth game struggle had told on Petrosian. The prospect of having to face Fischer again in the eighth game obviously was too much for the Russian who suffered a nervous disorder.
When Petrosian was able to resume play Fischer went on to win the next two games, the match, and the right to play Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union next year for the world title.
Here is the score of the sixth game:
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian vs Robert James Fischer Fischer - Petrosian Candidates Final (1971), Buenos Aires ARG, rd 6, Oct-17 Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation (A04) 0-1 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1106930
1. Nf3 c5
2. b3 …
Nimzovich's Attack, initiated by this move, was favored by this move, was favored by the Soviet masters in the 1940s. Today, Larsen likes to play the text on his first move.
2. … d5
3. Bb2 f6
Black has nothing to fear in this opening if he can establish a strong pawn center—hence this move. An alternative is 3 … N-Q3; 4. P-K3 N-B3; 5. B-N5 Q-N3; 6. BxNch QxB; 7. P-Q3 P-KN3; 8. QN-Q2 B-N2; 9. Q-K2 O-O; 10. P-QR4 R-Q; 11. O-O P-N3; 12. P-K4 B-N2 and Black's game is preferable.
4. c4 …
Here, 4. P-K3 is stronger, preventing the advance of the Black queen's pawn. Now came 4 … P-Q5 (now the White queen's bishop is shut in and Black gains a firm hold in the center)
4. … d4
5. d3 e5
6. e3 Ne7
7. Be2 Nec6
8. Nbd2 Be7
9. O-O O-O
10. e4 a6 (with the center blocked, Black prepares for action on the queen-side)
11. Ne1 b5 (although Black's development lags on the queenside, he has little to fear since White's pieces, for the most part, are not happily placed)
12. Bg4 Bxg4
13. Qxg4 Qc8
14. Qe2 … (the exchange of queens would favor Black)
14. … Nd7
15. Nc2 Rb8
16. Rfc1 Qe8
17. Ba3 (a futile looking move, suggesting that White has gained virtually nothing from the opening)
17. … Bd6
18. Ne1 g6
19. cxb5 axb5
20. Bb2 Nb6
21. Nef3 Ra8
22. a3 Na5
23. Qd1 (White's queen knight's pawn has become woefully weak)
23. … Qf7
24. a4 bxa4
25. bxa4 c4!(this push, long in the making, yields Black a central, advanced passed pawn and good play for his pieces)
26. dxc4 Naxc4
27. Nxc4 Nxc4
28. Qe2 Nxb2
29. Qxb2 Rfb8
30. Qa2 Bb4 (the bishop heads for a strong post at Q-B6)
31. Qxf7+ Kxf7
32. Rc7+ Ke6
33. g4 Bc3
34. Ra2 Rc8
35. Rxc8 (if 35. RxP, then 35. … R-B5 and White's passed pawn falls)
35. … Rxc8
36. a5 Ra8
37. a6 Ra7
38. Kf1 g5
39. Ke2 Kd6
40. Kd3 Kc5 and White replied
41. Ng1 Kb5
Here the game was adjourned. White's queen rook's pawn is doomed, but as compensation he will have greater freedom of movement for his rook and knight.
42. Ne2 Ba5
43. Rb2+ Kxa6
44. Rb1 Rc7
45. Rb2 Be1
46. f3 Ka5
47. Rc2 Rb7
48. Ra2+ Kb5
49. Rb2+ Bb4
If Black allows the exchange of rooks, a draw is the likely outcome. There followed:
50. Ra2 Rc7
51. Ra1 Rc8
52. Ra7 Ba5
53. Rd7 Bb6
54. Rd5+ Bc5
55. Nc1 Ka4
56. Rd7 Bb4 and White played.
57. Ne2 Kb3
58. Rb7 Ra8!
Black is willing to part with a pawn or two in exchange for a mating attack on the eighth rank. Now came
59. Rxh7 Ra1
60. Nxd4+ (desperation in the face of Black's mating threat) exd4
61. Kxd4 Rd1+
62. Ke3 Bc5+
63. Ke2 Rh1
64. h4 Kc4
65. h5 Rh2+
66. Ke1 Kd3 and White resigns. Mate is unavoidable.
