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Evans On Chess Sun, Jan 23, 1972 – 101 · Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Florida) · Newspapers.com
Evans On Chess: Defense Plan Foiled
The opening game of the recent Fischer-Petrosian match in Buenos Aires was dramatic and exciting. Riding the crest of a 19-game winning streak, Bobby was lucky enough to draw the white pieces against the imperturbable ex-world champion.
But 42-year-old Petrosian was well prepared, in fact, that he refuted one of Bobby's pet weapons against the Sicilian Defense. Departing from his usual cautious style, Petrosian seized the initiative with a sensational new 11th move. But he failed to proceed energetically, swapped pieces and drifted into an inferior ending, where his great defensive genius was foiled by the clock. SHort of time, he missed a draw.
PETROSIAN tasted brief glory by winning the next game. But this was not enough to halt Bobby's resolute drive to a 24 game title match with Russia's Boris Spassky.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6(a) 5. Nb5 d6 6. Bf4(b) e5 7. Be3 Nf6 8. Bg5 Be6(c) 9. N1c3 a6 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Na3 d5(d) 12. exd5 Bxa3 13. bxa3 Qa5 14. Qd2 O-O-O 15. Bc4 Rhg8! 16. Rd1 Bf5(e) 17. Bd3 Bxd3(f) 18. Qxd3 Nd4 19. O-O Kb8 20. Kh1 Qxa3(g) 21. f4 Rc8 22. Ne4 Qxd3 23. cxd3 Rc2 24. Rd2 Rxd2 25. Nxd2 f5! 26. fxe5 Re8 27. Re1 Nc2 28. Re2 Nd4 29. Re3 Nc2 30. Rh3! Rxe5 31. Nf3 Rxd5 32. Rxh7 Rxd3 33. h4 Ne3 34. Rxf7 Rd1+(h) 35. Kh2 Ra1 36. h5 f4(i) 37. Rxf4 Rxa2 38. Re4! Nxg2 39. Kg3 Ra5 40. Ne5 1-0
Robert James Fischer vs Tigran V Petrosian
Fischer - Petrosian Candidates Final (1971), Buenos Aires ARG, rd 1, Sep-30
Sicilian Defense: Paulsen. Szen Variation (B44) 1-0
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044350
(a) In the 7th game Petrosian varied with 4 … P-QR3.
(b) A dubious time-consuming maneuver. More solid is 6. P-QB4 with a Maroczy bind.
(c) Better than 8. … Q-R4ch; 9. Q-Q2! NxP; 10. QxQ NxQ; 11. B-K3 K-Q2; 12. QN-B3! NxN; 13. NxN as in Fischer-Taimanov, 1st match game 1971.
(d) Prepared analysis, improving on 11. … N-Q5; 12. N-B4 P-B4; 13. PxP NxP; 14. B-Q3 (Fischer-Taimanov, 6th match game.)
(e) Also strong is 16. … RxP; 17. N-K4 Q-N3
(f) Missing the thematic 17. … P-K5!; 18. B-K2 (not 18. NxP? BxN; 19. BxB KR-K1) RxP 19. Q-K3 N-K4 with active chances.
(g) Leads to trouble. More viable is 20. … P-B4; 21. P-B4 P-B3 with equality.
(h) 36. … R-Q3! followed by a Q-side Pawn advance should hold the draw.
(i) A better try is 36. … RxP but White still wins with 37. K-R3.
