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Bobby Fischer vs Miguel Najdorf
Second Piatigorsky Cup (1966), Santa Monica, CA USA, rd 16, Aug-11
Sicilian Defense: Paulsen. Szen Variation (B44)  ·  1-0

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply) 10.Na3 Be7 11.Nc4 O-O 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Qxd6 Qe8 14.Ne3 = 0.00 (26 ply) ⩱ -0.80 (26 ply)better is 12.Nc4 f5 13.exf5 Nxf5 14.Bd3 Nd4 15.Qh5 Rg8 16.Ne3 h6 = -0.05 (20 ply)better is 12...d5 13.Nxd5 Rc8 14.Bb3 Bxd5 15.exd5 Qa5+ 16.c3 Bxa3 ⩱ -0.74 (20 ply)= -0.24 (26 ply)better is 15...h5 16.Nxh5 Kf7 17.Qg4 d5 18.c3 Rg8 19.Qh3 Bxa3 = -0.26 (22 ply)= +0.27 (20 ply) 17...h5 18.h4 Rc8 19.cxb5 axb5 20.Qd3 Kf7 21.Ne2 Nxe2+ = 0.00 (22 ply) ⩲ +1.17 (23 ply) 20.h4 Be7 21.a3 b3 22.Qxb3 Kf7 23.Qd3 Qb7 24.b4 Rag8 ⩲ +0.94 (22 ply)= +0.16 (23 ply) 21...h3 22.g3 a5 23.a3 Qb7 24.axb4 axb4 25.Rxa8+ Qxa8 = +0.07 (23 ply) ⩲ +1.00 (19 ply) after 22.h3 Qc6 23.a3 bxa3 24.Rxa3 Bh6 25.b4 Kf7 26.Rc3 f5 25...Rh8 26.Rda1 Be7 27.b4 Qb6 28.b5 a5 29.Nd2 Kf7 30.Nb3 ⩲ +0.87 (19 ply) ± +2.22 (22 ply) after 26.Qh5+ Ke7 27.c5 Kf6 28.cxd6 Qxe4 29.Ne3 Rg6 30.Qxh3 27.Qh5+ Ke7 28.cxd6+ Kf6 29.Ne3 Bg7 30.g4 Bf8 31.Rc3 +- +2.55 (21 ply) ⩲ +0.91 (24 ply)better is 30...Rab8 31.Rxe4 Rxb2 32.Rh4 Rh8 33.Ne3 Rb5 34.Rxh3 Bg7 ⩲ +1.44 (22 ply) ± +1.95 (23 ply) 33...Rab8 34.Nxa5 Rg5 35.Nc4 Bf6 36.Rh4 Rd5 37.Rh7+ Kd8 ± +1.95 (23 ply)+- +2.82 (25 ply) 34...Bf6 35.Rh7+ Ke8 36.d7+ Kf8 37.Nd6 Kg8 38.Rh6 Bd8 +- +2.62 (23 ply)+- +4.92 (24 ply)47...Rxh2 48.Ra5 Kf7 49.Rexe5 Rh1 50.Ra7+ Kf6 51.Rc5 +- +7.84 (28 ply)1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

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Given 30 times; par: 90 [what's this?]

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35437 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-19-06  Eatman: In the end white is forcing exchange of all major pieces with an easily won pawn ending.
Apr-29-07  Ulhumbrus: In the ending Najdorf would like to advance his a pawn, but Fischer does not give him time, harassing Black's K with his N and R, and finally advancing his own d6 pawn which is in fact more advanced than Black's a pawn.
Dec-27-07  Ulhumbrus: Fischer begins his annotation to the move the move 26 c4-c5 by describing it as <Smashing Black's pawn formation.>. Najdorf's comment on the move 26 c4-c5 is < A great conception. Among all the interesting possibilities the American grandmaster selects a simple ending to dominate without much difficulty.The pawn cannot be taken either way, and my only chance is to exchange Queens, despite the destruction of my pawn centre. In White's conduct of the game one can appreciate the style of the great classical players>
Dec-27-07  RookFile: As they said, in Fischer's hands, a slight theoretical advantage was as good as being a queen ahead.
Apr-26-08  KingG: 11...b5! would have transposed into a Sveshnikov. It's strange that they didn't appreciate the strength of this move at the time as it stops Bc4 and the manoeuvre Nc4-d3. Instead, by allowing Bc4 before playing b5, Black gives up an important part of his compensation, the two Bishops.
Feb-06-09  Eyal: 26.c5 was a great move. After 26...Qxe4 a tempting option was to avoid the queen exchange and continue the attack by 27.Qh5+, but Fischer typically chooses to simplify into a favorable endgame.
Feb-06-09  AnalyzeThis: <KingG: 11...b5! would have transposed into a Sveshnikov. It's strange that they didn't appreciate the strength of this move at the time as it stops Bc4 and the manoeuvre Nc4-d3. Instead, by allowing Bc4 before playing b5, Black gives up an important part of his compensation, the two Bishops. >

I'm sure you're right. But I can understand Najdorf's point of view too, in that he must have thought that Fischer's Bxe6 and the recapture fxe6 meant that white can say goodbye to the blockading square on d5.

Apr-30-09  Aspirador: <26.c5 was a great move. After 26...Qxe4 a tempting option was to avoid the queen exchange and continue the attack by 27.Qh5+, but Fischer typically chooses to simplify into a favorable endgame.> I just skimmed over this game in the "60 memorables". Seems like 27.Qh5+ is not good because of 27...Kd8! and black threatens both 28...d5 and mate on g2. Fischer does not consider 27.Qh5+ in his book either.
Apr-30-09  AnalyzeThis: What happenned in the game was great, because black's a pawn could have been very dangerous. Very dangerous. Fischer saw that in this particular case, it wouldn't be.
Apr-30-09  escottt: tripled e pawns by move 28 leaves black in an almost comical predicament.
Nov-26-10  elohah: 7... 60MG: 'Black can avoid the doubling of his pawns by 7 a6 8 N5c3 Nf6 9 Bg5 Be7. However, Najdorf may have been worried about 9 Bc4! Fischer-Badilles, Manila 1967, then continued: 9...Be7 10 Nd5! Nxd5 11 Bxd5 0-0 12 Nc3 with absolute control of d5.'

Yes, Bobby! And the 1995 game (Beijing ST Lee Cup) between Qi Jingxuan (2390) and Ye Jiangchuan (2555), put this suggestion to the test, with Black getting his butt spanked!

38 'Najdorf was probably hoping for 38 Rc8! Rxc8 39 Nb6+ Kc5 (??) 40 dxc8(Q)+ Rxc8 41 Nxc8 a3 with some practical chances.'

Yes, Bobby. And this is actually very similar to 38 Rc8 (I've removed the exclam here) Rxc8 39 Nb6+ Kc6! 40 Rc1+ Kb7!! - rather than the 39...Kc5? you gave in 60MG. Bobby's move of 38 Nb6+! is actually the best.

Jun-20-11  Ulhumbrus: One point of 10 Bxf6 is that whilst White's KN is on b5 Black cannot play 10..Qxf6 as his Queen has to guard the point c7 against the fork Nc7+

Fischer refrains from the check Qh5+ at four points, at moves 14,16, 17 and 18.

At move 14 Black has the potential threats of ...b4 and ...Nxc2+ whilst at the other three points Black has developed his Q to d7 and can answer Qh5+ with ...Qd7.

26 c5! invites Black's Queen to displace herself forward one square from the long diagonal to the diagonal g1-a7 so that she will no longer threaten potentially ...Qg2 mate and so pin White's e4 pawn, freeing the pawn thereby for the capture exf5.

This combinatorial aspect of the idea may be worthy of Kurt Richter.

Jun-20-11  fab4: <Ulhumbrus><This combinatorial aspect of the idea may be worthy of Kurt Richter.>

I respect Richter immensely. .. But this is Fischer.

Aug-29-12  TheFocus: This is game 54 in Fischer's <My 60 Memorable Games>.
Apr-04-13  DrAttitude: Excellent posts by my comrades(colleagues). Thanks to the link Anand vs Leko, 2006. by <keypusher> and <Ulhumbrus>.
Sep-23-13  jerseybob: Couple of interesting points about this game: First, Najdorf could have played 11..d5, the move Petrosian played in Game One of the 1971 Candidates Match with Fischer. Fischer's 60 Games analyzes several 11th move alternatives, but not 11..d5. But, one move later, criticizing Najdorf's 12..b5, Fischer recommends 12..d5!, proving he was aware of the possibility, just not on the 11th move, and that's a fascinating blind spot.
Sep-24-13  RookFile: And he won the game against Petrosian too. Not bad for a blind guy.
Sep-18-14  Zugzwangovich: Prior to this game RJF had played the Szen variation three times and gotten only three draws, all at Buenos Aires 1960. But beginning with this game he won his last seven outings with it, culminating with #21 against Spassky in the 1992 match.
Oct-23-14  Ke2: I am sure that Fischer swore to this variation because of Morphy vs Anderssen, 1858.
Jan-06-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: In the game Theodore Flasher - Wilbour Iverson, inter schools championship 1973, this exact same position was reached.


click for larger view

White played 38.Rxd4 and was mated next move with 38...Rb1+.

Source 'Boys Life' October 1973. (page 34)

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...

(click on the cover and scroll to page 34.)

Jan-07-17  tonsillolith: In addition to the Anand-Leko game, another incarnation of the c5 idea can be found in Carlsen vs Yifan Hou, 2015 <44. c5>
Aug-08-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  fredthebear: Book:

Second Piatigorsky cup; International Grandmaster Chess Tournament held in Santa Monica, California, August, 1966. Annotated by Jan H. Donner [and others] Introd. by Gregor Piatigorsky. Edited by Isaac Kashdan Hardcover – January 1, 1968 by Isaac Kashdan (Editor), Jan H. Donner (Contributor), Gregor Piatigorsky (Introduction)

Aug-08-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <fred>, excellent work by Kashdan.
Aug-08-20  TommyChess: <<fab4: <Ulhumbrus><This combinatorial aspect of the idea may be worthy of Kurt Richter.> I respect Richter immensely. .. But this is Fischer.>>

Who the foook are you ???

Aug-08-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: Another sock puppet to ignore. What a loser.

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