1.b3
The Larsen opening. Bent played it successfully, but all his efforts were overshadowed by his famous defeat against Spassky in 17 moves at the match USSR vs. Rest of the World in Belgrade. It began 10 days after Lugano finished.
1...c5
2.Bb2
Nc6
3.c4
e5
4.g3
d6
5.Bg2
Nge7
6.e3
g6
[6...d5
is a good move. Kavalek tries to transfer the game into a known position from the English opening.- Larsen]
7.Ne2
[7.Nc3
was best with the idea 7...Bg7
8.d3
to meet 8...Be6
9.Nd5
with -BL]
7...Bg7
8.Nbc3
0-0
[Better was 8...Be6
,e.g. 9.Nd5?!
Bxd5
10.cxd5
Nb4
-Larsen]
9.d3
Be6
10.Nd5
Qd7
11.h4!
Larsen's trademark - a rook pawn move. Here it prevents 11...Bh3.
11...f5
Stopping white's advance with 11...h5 was better.
12.Qd2
Rae8
Larsen thought that 12...Rab8!? gave black more chances for a counterplay on the queenside.
13.h5
b5
14.hxg6
hxg6
15.Nec3
bxc4
16.dxc4
e4
17.0-0-0
Ne5
18.Nf4
Rd8
[After 18...g5?
19.Nxe6
Nd3+
Larsen planned the exciting 20.Qxd3!
exd3
21.Nxg7
Kxg7
22.Nd5+
Kg6
23.Bf3!!
white is winning.]
19.Kb1
I thought here for 16 minutes about the sacrifice 19...Bxc4! and left myself with only 12 minutes for 21 moves. It is remarkable, since the time control in those days was 40 moves in 2 1/2 hours. What was I doing for the first 19 moves?
19...Bf7?!
[Chickening out, although my instinct told me that the bishop sacrifice is the right thing to do. Larsen did not think much of it, saying that after 19...Bxc4
20.bxc4
Nxc4
21.Qe2
black does not have anything. However, Gavril Veresov, a Belorussian master, later provided splendid analysis, confirming that black's attack was indeed very powerful after 21...Nxb2
22.Kxb2
Qa4!
and suddenly a disaster is looming on the long diagonal a1-h8 after 23.Qd2
(23.Qc2?
Rb8+
24.Kc1
Qa3+
25.Kd2
Rb2
) 23...Rb8+
24.Ka1
Qa3!
25.Rc1
d5!!
and white has a hard time coping with black's threat to push his d-pawn. 26.Bf1
(26.Nfxd5?!
Nxd5
27.Qxd5+
Rf7
28.Qd2
Rd7!
29.Qc2
Rd3-+
; Black has to be more creative after 26.Ne6
with 26...Bf6!!
27.Nxf8
Kxf8
28.Rc2
(28.Qc2
c4
29.Qd2
Rb3-+
) 28...Rb3
29.Rhc1
Nc6
threatening 30...Nb4, and after 30.Qxd5
Bxc3+
31.Rxc3
Qb2#
) 26...Rb4!
(Less spectacular, but very effective is 26...Rf6
27.Nfxd5
Nxd5
28.Qxd5+
Kf8
29.Bb5
Rfb6
30.Qd2
Be5!
threatening 31...Rxb5.) 27.Nfxd5
(27.Ne6
Rfb8
28.Nxg7
Rb2
29.Rc2
Qxa2+
30.Nxa2
Rb1#
) 27...Rd8!!
(Veresov suggested only 27...Qxc1+
28.Qxc1
Nxd5
which is not as clear after 29.a3
) 28.Nxe7+
Kf7
29.Ned5
(29.Qc2
Bxc3+
30.Qxc3
Qxc3+
31.Rxc3
Rd1+
32.Rc1
Rxc1#
) 29...Kf8!!
and amazingly, white does not have a good defense to 30...Rxd5!, for example 30.Be2
Rxd5
31.Qc2
Rd3!
32.Bxd3
exd3
33.Qd2
Rb3
and there is no defense to 34...Rxc3 winning.]
20.g4!
In his book Studies for Practical Players, published by Russell Enterprises, the outstanding Russian chess composer Oleg Pervakov writes:" White has opened the h-file, and taken aim at the black king. It would be nice to push the queen over to h2 - but how? The d2-e1-g1-h2 route is pretty long and would grant Black time to whip up counterplay on the queenside. Larsen finds a cardinal solution to the problem." And indeed, Larsen's line-clearing on the second rank is remarkable.
20...Nxg4
[Now after 20...Bxc4
white plays 21.gxf5
and his attack is faster.]
21.f3!
exf3
22.Bxf3
Ne5
[Larsen claims correctly that after 22...Nf6
23.Qh2
Rfe8
24.Nb5
Nc8
25.Bxf6
Bxf6
26.Qh7+
Kf8
27.Bd5
white wins quickly, e.g. 27...g5
28.Ng6+
Bxg6
29.Qg8+
Ke7
30.Rh7+
Bxh7
31.Qf7#
]
23.Qh2
Bxc4!?
[23...Rfe8
24.Nb5
Nc8
25.Qh7+
Kf8
26.Bd5
threatening 27.Nxg6+, white wins.]
24.bxc4
Nxf3
25.Qh7+
Kf7
26.Ncd5
Rg8
27.Nxe7
Rb8
28.Ka1
[28.Kc1
won less brilliantly, e.g. 28...Qxe7
29.Qxg6+
Kf8
30.Bxg7+
Qxg7
31.Ne6+
]
28...Qxe7
29.Qxg6+
Kf8
30.Ne6+
Qxe6
31.Bxg7+!
[Sidestepping the last trick 31.Qxe6
Bxb2+
32.Kb1
Ba3+
33.Ka1
(33.Kc2
Rg2+
34.Kd3
Ne5+-+
) 33...Bb2+
and black draws.]
31...Ke7
Almost escaping, but Larsen nails down a magnificent finish.
32.Bf8+!
Rbxf8
33.Rh7+
[33.Rh7+
Rf7
34.Rxf7+
Qxf7
35.Qxd6+
Ke8
36.Qd8#
] 1-0