February 26, 1972 Larry Evans on Chess

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Reno Gazette-Journal Reno, Nevada Saturday, February 26, 1972 - Page 5

EVANS ON CHESS

S. Szekely, Hungary

Problem: (02/26/1972) White mates in two.
Stockfish Analysis.

The Best Laid Plans
The opening game of the recent Fischer-Petrosian match in Buenos Aires was dramatic and exciting. Riding the crest of a 19-game winning streak, Bobby was lucky enough to draw the white pieces against the imperturbable ex-world champion. But 42-year-old Petrosian was well prepared for his youthful antagonist. So well prepared, in fact, that he refuted one of Bobby's pet weapons against the Sicilian Defense. Departing from his usual cautious style, Petrosian seized the initiative with a sensational new 11th move. But he failed to proceed energetically, swapped pieces and drifted into an inferior ending where his great defensive genius was foiled by the clock. Short of time, he missed a draw.
Petrosian tasted brief glory by winning the next game. But this was not enough to halt Bobby's resolute drive to a 24 game title match with Russia's Boris Spassky.

1st match game Sicilian Defense
White: Fischer 1 P-K4 2 N-KB3 3 P-Q4 4 NxP 5 N-N5 6 B-KB4(b) 7 B-K3 8 B-N5 9 QN-B3 10 BxN 11 N-R3 12 PxP 13 NPxB 14 Q-Q2 15 B-B4 16 R-Q1 17 B-Q3 18 QxB 19 0-0 20 K-R1 21 P-84 22 N-K4 23 PxQ 24 R-Q2 25 NxR 26 PxP 27 R-K1 28 R-K2 29 R-K3 30 R-R3! 31 N-B3 32 RxP 33 P-KR4 34 RxP 35 K-R2 36 P-R5 37 RxP 38 R-K4! 39 K-N3 40 N-K5	Black: Petrosian P-QB4 P-K3 PxP N-QB3(a) P-Q3 P-K4 N-B3 B-K3(c) P-QR3 PxB P-Q4!(d) BxN Q-R4 0-0-0 KR-N1! B-B4(e) BxB(f) N-Q5 K-N1 QxRP(g) R-QB1 QxQ R-B7 RxR P-B4! R-K1 N-B7 N-Q5 N-B7 RxP RxP RxP N-K6 R-Q8ch(h) R-R8 P-B5(i) RxP NxP R-R4 Resigns
(a) In the 7th game Petrosian varied with 4 … P-QR3. (b) A dubious time-consuming maneuver. More solid is 6 P-QB4 with a Maroczy bind. (c) Better than 8 Q-R4ch 9 Q-Q2! NxP 10 QxQ, NxQ 11 B-K3, K-Q2 12 QN-B3! NxN 13 NxN as in Fischer-Taimanov, 1st match. game 1971. (d) Prepared analysis, improving on 11 . N-Q5 12 N-B4, P-B4 13 PxP, NxP 14 B-Q3 (Fischer-Taimanov, 6th match game). (e) Also strong is 16 … RxP 17 N-K4, Q-N3! (f) Missing the thematic.17 … P-K5! 18 B-K2 (not 18 NxP? BxN 19 BxB, KR-K1) RxP 19 Q-K3, N-K4 with active chances. (g) Leads to trouble. More viable is 20 … P-B4 21 P-B4 P-B3 with equality. (h) 36 R-Q3! followed by a Q-side Pawn advance should hold the draw, (i) A better try is RxP but White still wins with 37 K-R3.

PROBLEM SOLUTION: 1 Q-K6!