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Bent Larsen vs Boris Spassky
Spassky - Larsen Candidates Semifinal (1968), Malmo SWE, rd 2, Jul-07
English Opening: King's English. Taimanov Variation (A25)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 7 times; par: 95 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Mar-04-15  Buttinsky: 1st Buttinsky canst believe is no kibitz
Mar-04-15  Poulsen: White cannot avoid exchange of rooks - and being a pawn down - and given the structure of pawn on g- and h-files, there is no more.

This time Larsens risky play was dismantled by an a-file move: 20.-,a5!

Apr-12-15  A.T PhoneHome: Bent Larsen was a brilliant flank player. But one thing you learn from this game... Don't leave your a- and b-file like that. Especially against Boris Spassky at his peak.
Mar-04-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: 33...Raf2+ 34.Ke1 Rh2 with threat 35...Ra2 was a quicker way to win. 35.g4 is the only defense but then 35...Re2+ 36.Kd1 (36.Kf1 Rhf2+ 37.Kg1 Rg2+ 38.Kf1 Ref2+ 39.Ke1 hxg4 etc.) 36...Rhg2 (Black is threatening with 37...Rb2) 37.Bb4 hxg4 with easy win for black.
Jul-21-18  Ulhumbrus: 6...h5? looks like a completely unsound attacking move but if so it is up to White to find a way to take advantage of it and one example of an explanation for the move is that Spassky may have guessed after Larsen's loss in the first game that Larsen's state of mind taken together with Larsen's style means that Larsen won't choose the right way to answer it over the board.

As the move omits to develop the king's knight by 6...Nge7. This suggests 7 Nd5.

Another alternative is 7 d4 reducing Black's advantage in space

The move 24 Bxb4 suggests that the game has gone wrong for White and by the time Black has played 26...Bxd3 it looks a bit disastrous for White

Sep-14-18  edubueno: 19 e4 de Larsen mantenía la posición. Al permitir que las negras abran la gran diagonal con 19...e4!! las blancas quedan ahogadas.
Dec-27-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  woldsmandriffield: Spassky missed the first two opportunities Larsen gave him to win (27..Bb2 and 33..Raf2). He must have been mightily relieved to get a 3rd chance: 47 Ba5? leads to a forced exchange of Rooks and White's resignation. Had Larsen held the ending, the match initiative might have tilted the great Dane's way.

While White misplayed the opening, the computer nevertheless gives a quite incredible middle-game line: 21 bxa5! Bb2 22 Qa4 Be2 23 dxe4 Bxf1 24 e5! Completely unreasonable for humans to play this way but a fantastic illustration of how to find some strengths (the Nc5, a passed flank pawn) a rocky-looking position.

Dec-27-18  Howard: Apparently, the above writer has an interest in Boris' games.
Jul-03-25  ewan14: Good !

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