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Chess by Isaac Kashdan Sun, Mar 19, 1972 – 118 · The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Newspapers.com
Fischer's Accuracy
Last year Bobby Fischer rolled up the most fantastic winning streak in chess history, 20 straight victories against grandmaster opposition.
Many attempts were made to explain the feat. Clearly Fischer was one of the greatest players of this or any age. But had he added a new dimension to chess? Was he truly the super player?
Examination of the games shows no brilliancies, no devastating king side attacks, no combinations in the style of Tal or Alekhine. The wins were achieved mainly by errors on the part of the opponents or by the accumulation of small advantages which proved sufficient in Fischer's hands.
The key word to describe Fischer's play is accuracy. He made no serious mistake at any time during the stretch. He was never in time trouble, and almost always had more time left on his clock at the end of the session.
Fischer won a number of games that almost anyone else would have considered as drawn. Slight theoretical advantages were a good as a queen ahead, with the forceful and exact play of the American genius.
A typical example was the fourth game of the match played last year between Fischer and Mark Taimanov of the Soviet Union. With an early advantage in the center, Fischer planted a knight on Q5 which Taimanov had to take with a bishop.
Fischer was then content to exchange pieces and simplify to the position in the following diagram, which occurred after 45. K-Q3.
Robert James Fischer vs Mark Taimanov Fischer - Taimanov Candidates Quarterfinal (1971), Vancouver CAN, rd 4, May-25 Sicilian Defense: Paulsen. Bastrikov Variation (B47) 1-0 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044361 45. Kd3
White has two pluses. First, he has the better king and pawn ending. In fact he is threatening to win by 46. BxN, KxB; 47. K-B4. The main difference is the spare pawn moves. If then 47. … K-B2; 48. K-Q5 K-Q2; 49. P-B4 and the white king will penetrate via K6 or QB6.
The second advantage for White is the bishop for knight, especially with pawns on different color on both sides of the board. It is Black's move, and he seems to have ample defensive resources, but watch how Fischer works his way through.
The game continued: 45. … N-K2; 46. B-K8, K-Q4; 47. B-B7ch K-Q3; 48. K-B4 K-B3; 49. B-K8ch K-N2; 50. K-N5 N-B1. Threatening mate in one, but Fischer is of course prepared. If 50. … K-R2; 51. B-B7 K-N2; 52. B-N3; would be the position that occurs later in the game. 51. B-B6ch K-B2; 52. B-Q5 N-K2; 53. B-B7 K-N2; 54. B-N3, K-R2; 55. B-Q1 K-N2; 56. B-B3ch, K-B2.
Fischer is about to accomplish his major objective, to get his king behind the black pawns, one way or the other. If 56. … K-R2; 57. P-B4 N-N1; 58. K-B6 N-B3; 59. K-Q6 N-K5ch; 60. K-K6 NxNP; 61. K-B6, and White will win on the king side. Taimanov allows the white king to enter on the rook file, which does not seem serious.
57. K-R6 N-N1; 58. B-Q5 N-K2; 59. B-B4 K-B3; 60. B-B7 K-B2; 61. B-K8 K-Q1. This is the critical position. How does WHite make progress? If 62. B-B7, K-B2, and the pawns are held on both sides, White can keep gaining tempos, but there is no additional weakness to hit.
What comes now is part of Fischer's plan. He does not even consider it brilliant. He gives up the bishop for three pawns, and wins “simply.” 62. BxP! NxB; 63. KxP K-Q2; 64. KxBP N-K2; 65. P-QN4 PxP; 66. PxP N-B1; 67. P-R5 N-Q3; If 67. … K-B2, Black will stop the queen side pawns, but 68. K-Q5 will win. The black king and knight cannot cover the whole area.
The final moves were: 68. P-N5 N-K5ch; 69. K-N6 K-B1; 70. K-B6, K-N1; 71. P-N6. Here Taimanov resigned. His knight can no longer get back to defeat, and one of the pawns will soon queen.
