1.Nf3
Nf6
2.c4
g6
3.Nc3
Bg7
4.d4
0-0
5.Bf4
Byrne is avoiding the King's Indian (with 5.e4), probably because he had heard that the lad sitting across from him was already one of the best KI players in the country.
5...d5
6.Qb3
dxc4
7.Qxc4
c6
8.e4
Nbd7
9.Rd1
Nb6
10.Qc5
Bg4
11.Bg5?!
Na4!!
Reuben Fine awards this move three exclamation points (in "The World's Great Chess Games") and calls it "a brilliant reply". Flohr and Botvinnik in "64" called it "a shocking and stunning move." Fred Reinfeld called it "one of the most magnificent moves ever made on a chessboard," and recently GM Jon Rowson referred to it as "one of the single most powerful chess moves of all time."
12.Qa3
This is forced, probably the only playable move in the position. [12.Nxa4
The knight sacrifice cannot be accepted: 12...Nxe4
13.Qc1
(13.Qxe7
Qa5+
14.b4
Qxa4
15.Qxe4
Rfe8
16.Be7
Bxf3
17.gxf3
Bf8
and Black is winning) 13...Qa5+
14.Nc3
Bxf3
15.gxf3
Nxg5
and Black is clearly better (Shipov)]
12...Nxc3
A kibitzing GM here said that Black was simply lost in this position.
13.bxc3
Nxe4!
Fine and Reinfeld give two exclamation marks.
14.Bxe7
Qb6!
15.Bc4
[Taking is not advisable: 15.Bxf8
Bxf8
16.Qb3
Nxc3!
"and Black is clearly better here" (Gligoric).]
15...Nxc3!
"Black comes up with one beautiful move after another" (I. Chernev).
16.Bc5
[16.Qxc3
Rfe8
17.Bxf7+
Kxf7
18.Ng5+
Kxe7
(Interesting that 18...Kg8??
would have given the opponent a spectacular finish: 19.Qc4+
Be6
20.Qxe6+
Kh8
21.Nf7+
Kg8
22.Nh6+
Kh8
23.Qg8+
Rxg8
24.Nf7#
A smothered mate for White!) 19.0-0
Bxd1
20.Rxd1
Qb5
and Black is winning.]
16...Rfe8+
17.Kf1
Be6!!
The move that brought the 13-year-old instant world-wide fame. Reuben Fine gave it four exclamation marks ("An astounding reply ... which wins in all variations"), Flohr gave it three. "To have foreseen this spectacular queen sacrifice several moves in advance - as Fischer must have done - is extraordinary"; writes Graham Burgess in "The World's Greatest Chess Games". Our chess engine Fritz considers only this move from the first second onwards, giving it a +2 pawns score after a 16-ply search. Actually, everything else is bad for Black, [for instance 17...Nb5?
18.Bxf7+!
Kxf7
(18...Kh8
19.Bxb6
Nxa3
20.Bxe8+/-
) 19.Qb3+
Be6
20.Ng5+
and White is winning. This confirms what Burgess says: Fischer had seen the queen sacrifice many moves in advance.]
18.Bxb6
After this move Fritz immediately shows a 4.5-pawn advantage for Black, displaying the game continuation up to move 25 in it's main line. [The alternative 18.Bxe6
is even worse: 18...Qb5+
19.Kg1
Ne2+
20.Kf1
Ng3+
21.Kg1
Qf1+!
22.Rxf1
Ne2#
and this time it is Black giving a smothered mate! It is extraordinary that the threat of smothered mate occurs for both side in a single game.; But one must consider 18.Qxc3
Qxc5!
19.dxc5
Bxc3
20.Bxe6
Rxe6-+
but Black is a pawn up and easily winning.; The same applies to 18.Bd3
Nb5
with a clear advantage.]
18...Bxc4+
Thus begins one of the greatest king hunts in chess history – and certainly one that gives enormous aesthetic pleasure.
19.Kg1
[19.Rd3
Bxd3+
20.Kg1
Ne2+
21.Kf1
Nf4+
22.Kg1
axb6
and White loses everything.]
19...Ne2+
The start of a windmill check series – the Germans call it "zwickmühle".
20.Kf1
Nxd4+
After removing the d-pawn the knight is protected on c3 by the Bg7 two moves later.
21.Kg1
[21.Rd3
axb6
22.Kg1
(after 22.Qc3
Nxf3
the queen falls) 22...Ne2+
23.Kf1
Nf4
and White is completely lost.]
21...Ne2+
22.Kf1
Nc3+
23.Kg1
Black has at least a draw here, which may have been part of young Bobby's original calculations. But now he has more on his mind.
23...axb6
24.Qb4
Ra4!
25.Qxb6
Nxd1
"Bobby has a Rook, two minor pieces, and a Pawn for the Queen – more than enough, materially speaking. Besides this, he has a mating attack against the White King. The rest is a mopping up operation, which he conducts with absolute precision" (Reuben Fine). Byrne is stubborn and plays on against the 13-year-old.
26.h3
Rxa2
27.Kh2
Nxf2
The advantage has grown to rook, two bishops and three pawns for the queen.
28.Re1
Rxe1
29.Qd8+
Bf8
30.Nxe1
Bd5
Instead of simply pushing and promoting a queenside pawn the young Fischer plays for mate.
31.Nf3
Ne4
32.Qb8
b5
33.h4
h5
Rawson notes that every black piece is defended, "a sure sign of good technique."
34.Ne5
Kg7
35.Kg1
To avoid the pin ...Bd6. But now it is a forced mate for Black.
35...Bc5+
36.Kf1
[36.Kh2
Nd2
threatening 37...Nf1+ 38.Kh3 Bxg2# 37.Kh1
Ra1+
38.Kh2
Nf1+
39.Kh3
Ra2
and mate to follow.]
36...Ng3+
37.Ke1
Bb4+
[There were shorter mates: 37...Re2+
38.Kd1
Bb3+
39.Kc1
Ba3+
40.Kb1
Re1#
; or even 37...Bb3
38.Qh8+
Kxh8
39.Nxf7+
Kg7
40.Nd6
Re2#
]
38.Kd1
Bb3+
39.Kc1
Ne2+
40.Kb1
Nc3+
41.Kc1
Rc2#
Bobby went for the elegant, systematic mate, which Byrne very gamely allowed him to deliver. 0-1