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Chess by Richard Shorman 06 Jan 1969, Mon The Argus (Fremont, California) Newspapers.com
Sound or not, Spassky's sacrifice of a piece on the tenth move shows unbelievable class.
Boris Spassky vs Vladas Mikenas
Riga (1959), Dec-??
Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit (D08) 1-0
1.d4 d5
2.c4 e5
3.dxe5 d4
4.e4(a) Nc6(b)
5.f4(c) g5(d)
6.f5(e) Nxe5
7.Nf3 Bb4+(f)
8.Nbd2(g) Nc6
9.Bd3 g4
10.O-O(h) gxf3
11.Nxf3 Bd6(i)
12.e5 Nxe5
13.Re1 f6
14.c5(j) Be7
15.Nxe5 fxe5
16.Rxe5 Nf6
17.Bg5 O-O(k)
18.Qb3+ Kh8(l)
19.Rae1 Bxc5(m)
20.Rxc5 Qd6
21.Rce5 Ng4
22.Bf4(n) Bd7
23.Bg3 Bc6
24.R5e4 1-0
(a) Sharper and riskier than N-KB3. Still good for an occasional quick win is 4. P-K3? B-N5ch; 5. B-Q2 PxP!; 6. BxB? (Disastrous, but even 6. PxP Q-R5ch; 7. P-N3 Q-K5; 8. N-KB3 QxPch leaves Black in command.) PxPch; 7. K-K2 PxN/Nch!; 8. K-K1(forced) Q-R5ch; 9. K-Q2 N-QB3; 10. B-B3 B-N5, and White is just about finished.
(b) Grandmaster Vasily Panov suggests a preliminary 4. … B-N5ch before committing Black to N-QB3 and after White plays P-B4) P-KN4 in order to circumvent Spassky's improvement on move 8. See note (g).
(c) On 5. N-KB3 Black regains his Pawn and obtains a comfortable game after 5. … B-N5ch; 6. B-Q2 Q-K2 followed by B-N5 and O-O-O.
(d) A potent, though odd-looking, thrust. Black cannot afford to let White's center pawns go unchallenged.
(e) Best.
(f) Black gets a fighting game with near even chances after 7. … NxNch; 8. QxN Q-K2!; 9. B-Q3 B-Q2!; 10. O-O O-O-O (Panov).
(g) Spassky remarked after the game that 8. K-B2 N-N5ch; 9. K-N1 B-B4; 10. P-QN4! gives White a substantial advantage. But Hans Kmoch points out in Chess Review (July, 1960. p. 222) that Black does better with 8. K-B2 NxN; 9. QxN Q-K2; 10. B-Q3 B-Q3.
(h) It takes some courage to play such a move in international competition (and win!) against a modern master.
(i) Intending to stop P-K5 but provoking it instead. White still has a lot to prove after 11. … P-B3.
(j) The Pawn is immune from capture. 14. … BxQBP; 15. NxN PxN; 16. RxPch B-K2; 17. Q-R5ch K-Q2 (best); 18. R-Q5ch B-Q3; 19. B-N5ch P-B3; 20. B-KB4 (Kmoch).
(k) Castled at last but not safe.
(l) Or 18. … K-N2; 19. QR-K1 R-K!; 20. B-N5! P-B3; 21. Q-KR3 PxB; 22. Q-R6ch K-N1; 23. BxN BxB; 24. RxRch QxR; 25. RxQch K-B2; 26. Q-B8 mate.
(m) The piece cannot be held, e.g., 19. … R-K1; 20. RxB or simply 20. BxNch.
(n) White concludes with a few (more) sharp blows.
