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The Chessboard 29 Jun 1969, Sun Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, New Jersey) Newspapers.com
The Chessboard: Match Victory Quite Elementary by Harry T. Conover
An examination of the games in the recent world title match reveals that Grandmaster Boris Spassky won the championship for a rather elementary reason — he played better chess than his countryman, Tigran Petrosian.
Time and again during the protracted struggle Spassky is seen willing to take a calculated risk in exchange for an attack offering some promise of success. The final score, 12½-10½, put Spassky a full two points ahead of his adversary — no mean accomplishment against a player of Petrosian's ability.
Petrosian, unaccountably, had several things against him in this match. In one game, he touched a piece in error and lost the exchange when he was obliged to move it; in another, he made an outright blunder. Then, in a game which may haunt him for years to come, he had a won position but let Spassky escape with a draw.
In contrast, Spassky played precisely, made few errors, and in game after game gained maximum advantage from positions in which he enjoyed only a minimal edge. His vaunted attacking style seldom has been displayed to better advantage.
Take, for example, the 19th match game in which he demolishes Petrosian's Sicilian Defense in only 28 moves. Here is the score:
Boris Spassky vs Tigran V Petrosian
Petrosian - Spassky World Championship Match (1969), Moscow URS, rd 19, Jun-04
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B94) 1-0
1. e4 c5
It is to be expected that the Sicilian which offers Black exceptional chances would find favor with Petrosian who only rarely replies to 1. P-K4 with 1. … P-K4.
2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6
The Najdorf Variation, not without risk, but full of possibilities for counterattack.
6. Bg5
Fischer has tried 6. B-QB4 against the Najdorf, often with devastating results. The text appears to be the most popular move for White at present. Less frequently seen in 6. B-Q3 with which Seidman defeated Lombardy in a noteworthy game in the 1968 U.S. championship tournament.
6. … Nbd7
Here, Black generally plays 6. … P-K3 as in Parma-Szabo, Solingen 1968 which continued 7. P-B4 QN-Q2; 8. B-QB4, running into a lost game.
7. Bc4
Spassky appears to favor combining the two systems.
7. … Qa5 8. Qd2
Black's queen move, cutting two ways, is answered by a queen move—cutting two ways.
8. … h6 9. Bxf6 Nxf6 10. O-O-O!
Spoiling for a fight! White declares his intention of risking Black's action on the queenside for an all-out assault on the opposite wing.
10. … e6 11. Rhe1 Be7 12. f4
Leaving little doubt of his intentions.
12. … O-O
As is usual in the Sicilian, Black has assumed a strong defensive position full of latent power.
13. Bb3
A strong post for this bishop in this variation.
13. … Re8 14. Kb1 Bf8
Black is looking to his defenses in the face of the gathering storm.
Position After Black's 14th Move15. g4!
Getting his kingside pawn storm into full swing and presenting Black with a hard choice—accept the pawn offer or permit the knight pawn's advance.
15. … Nxg4
Black decides to take the pawn rather than risk its speedy intrusion into his territory.
16. Qg2 Nf6 17. Rg1
The open file certainly is worth the sacrificed pawn.
17. … Bd7
A strange spectacle! After only 17 moves, the champion is reduced to purely defensive moves.
18. f5! Kh8
After 18. … PxP; 19. QN-6! would pose too many threats for Black to survive.
19. Rdf1 Qd8
Otherwise, after 20. PxP, Black would be defenseless against the threatened 21. RxN.
20. fxe6 fxe6 21. e5
Clearing the way for White's next move.
21. … dxe5 22. Ne4!
Renews the threat against the defensive knight.
22. … Nh5
Forced, since 22. … NxN would lose quickly to 23. RxBch!
23. Qg6! exd4 24. Ng5!
([Editor note: Unclear for reason why Harry Conover continues here with further moves not listed on chessgames.com, except perhaps as an elaboration of theoretical moves.])
24. … PxN; 25. QxNch K-N; 26. Q-B7ch K-R; 27. R-N3 P-N5
Black's harried king is defenseless.
28. R-B5! Resigns.
Petrosian was helpless against Spassky's relentless attack.
Asbury Park Press The Chessboard Sunday, June 29, 1969 Asbury Park, New Jersey Chess Problem No. 111 by R. Prytz, Dansk...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Monday, November 22, 2021
Chess Problem No. 111 by R. Prytz, Dansk Skakproblem Klub, 1947. White mates in 5 moves.
FEN 8/8/5p2/2K1kp2/3N1R2/6P1/4b3/4N3 w - - 0 1
Key: 1. N(1)-B2 B-Q6; 2. N-K3 (threat 3. N-Q5 4. N-K7), B-N4; 3. N-N2 (threat 4. N-R4), B-K7; 4. N-K. ([1. Nec2 Bd3 2. Ne3 Bb5 3. Ng2 Be2 4. Ne1 Bd1 5. Nd3#])
