"The most thrilling game of my career also featured an inspired defense after I walked headlong into a prepared variation against the Soviet champion Mark Taimanov in our rubber game with the score tied 1,5-1,5. Tension rode high. At move 18 he had used only two minutes on his clock, while I consumed close to an hour," writes Evans in the introduction to his famous game.
1.c4
Nf6
2.Nf3
g6
3.Nc3
Bg7
4.e4
0-0
5.d4
d6
6.Be2
e5
7.0-0
Nc6
8.d5
Ne7
(The Mar del Plata variation of the King's Indian defense.)
9.Ne1
Nd7
10.Nd3
f5
11.f3
[The most precise move order 11.Bd2
Nf6
12.f3
f4
13.c5!
,with a quick lineup along the c-file, came up later. (In the game Najdorf-Gligoric, Mar del Plata 1953, white played the slower 13.b4
and came quickly under furious attack 13...g5
14.c5
h5
15.Nf2
Ng6
16.Rc1
Rf7
17.cxd6
cxd6
18.a4
Bf8
19.a5
Rg7
20.h3
Nh8
21.Nb5
g4
22.fxg4
hxg4
23.hxg4
a6
24.Na3
Bd7
25.Nc4
Rc8
26.Nb6
Rxc1
27.Bxc1
Be8
28.Ba3
Nf7
29.Qc2
Nh6
30.g5
Rxg5
31.Rc1
Rg3
32.Bb2
Nfg4
33.Nxg4
Nxg4
34.Bxg4
Rxg4
35.Qf2
Bg6
36.Rc4
Qe7
37.Bc3
Qh7
38.Qe2
Rh4
39.Kf2
f3
40.Qe3
Rf4
41.gxf3
Qh2+
42.Ke1
Qh1+
43.Ke2
Bh5
44.Kd2
Rxf3
45.Qg5+
Bg7
46.Kc2
Rf2+
47.Bd2
Qd1+
48.Kc3
Qa1+
0-1 ) ; The first encounter between Evans and Taimanov in New York 1954 did not go well for the American grandmaster: 11.exf5
gxf5
12.f4
e4
13.Nf2
Nf6
14.Be3
Kh8
15.Kh1
Rg8
16.Rg1
c5
17.h3
Ng6
18.g4?
fxg4
19.hxg4
Nh5!!
20.gxh5?
(20.Qd2!
) 20...Qh4+
21.Kg2
Nxf4+
22.Kf1
Bh3+
23.Nxh3
Qxh3+
24.Kf2
Raf8
25.Bf3
Nd3+
26.Ke2
Rxf3
27.Qd2
Rxe3+
28.Qxe3
Qxh5+
29.Kd2
Bh6
30.Rxg8+
Kxg8
31.Nxe4
Bxe3+
32.Kxe3
Qh3+
33.Kd2
Ne5
34.Rg1+
Kf8
35.Rg3
Qh5
and Evans resigned.]
11...f4
[Preventing Taimanov's favorite line 11...Nf6
12.Be3
]
12.Bd2
g5
13.Rc1
Rf6
The idea of floating the rook along the sixth rank, creating attacking chances along the h-file and defending the pawn on d6 at the same time, belongs to David Bronstein and it was used by Boris Spassky. However, the Yugoslav grandmaster Svetozar Gligoric realized in Mar del Plata in 1953 that the rook belongs to f7 to cover the square c7 (see the above game Najdorf-Gligoric), making white's invasion more difficult. It led to his set-up [13...Nf6
14.c5
Ng6
15.cxd6
cxd6
16.Nb5
Rf7
]
14.c5!?
[A positional pawn sacrifice. After 14.b4
h5
15.c5
Rg6
black has good kingside chances. - Evans.]
14...Nxc5
15.Nxc5
dxc5
16.Na4
b6
17.b4
cxb4
[Interestingly, when this position was reached this year at the European Women's championship in Rijeka, black played: 17...Rh6?!
18.Rf2
(After the cool 18.bxc5!
Qe8
19.h3
Qh5
20.Bc4
Bxh3
21.gxh3
Qxh3
22.Kf2
the white king walks away.) 18...Qe8
19.h3
Bd7
20.Nb2
Ng6
21.bxc5
Nh4
22.Bf1
Rg6
23.Qb3
Kh8
24.Be1
h5
25.Rfc2
Bf6
26.c6
Bc8
27.d6
cxd6
28.Bxh4
gxh4
29.c7
Bxh3
30.Qd5
Rc8
31.Qxd6
Qg8
32.Nd3
Qg7
33.Kh2
Rg8
34.gxh3
Rg1
35.Qxf6
Qxf6
1/2-1/2 Lomineishvili,M (2385)-Sandu,M (2277), Rijeka 2010.]
18.Bxb4
Bf8?!
["The text was considered a clever trap, but I must confess that White's reply took me completely by surprise," Evans admits. Commenting on the game, GM Igor Bondarevsky asked what compensation does white have for a pawn. He didn't like Evans's move and preferred 18...c5
,trading the weak c-pawn, 19.dxc6
Qxd1
20.Rfxd1
(20.Bxd1
Nxc6
21.Bb3+
Kh8
22.Bd5
Bd7
) 20...Nxc6
21.Bd6
white is better developed, but he can't accomplish too much. For example, 21...Bb7
(21...Nd4
22.Bc4+
Be6
23.Bxe5+/-
; 21...Bd7
22.Bc4+
Kh8
23.Bb5
Rc8
24.Bxc6
Bxc6
25.Bxe5
but after 25...Rff8
26.Bxg7+
Kxg7
27.Nc3
Rfd8
the chances are equal.) 22.Bb5
(22.Bc4+
Kh8
23.Bb5?
Nd4!-+
) 22...Rd8!
23.Bxc6
Bxc6
24.Rxc6
Bf8-/+
Of course, these variations don't exhaust all possibilities, but they help to get some sense of the position. With his knight on a4 out of play, white doesn't seem to have a compensation for the pawn - Bondarevsky; Today, after 18...c5
white would reshuffle the pieces, for example 19.Bc3
Ng6
20.Nb2
Bf8
21.a4
with pressure on the queenside.]
19.Rxc7?
["I literally broke out into a sweat! The eyes of over a thousand spectators, it seemed, were focused on our wallboard. It didn't take very long to calculate that the upstart rook could not be captured," Evans describes this critical moment of the game. Yet, it is a wrong combination. Taimanov overlooks Evans's splendid reply. Increasing the pressure with 19.Qb3!
was better. ]
19...Nf5!!
[A beautiful counterpunch, leaving many white pieces hanging. The knight is headed for e3. Taimanov was counting on 19...Qxc7
20.d6
Rxd6
(20...Qd7
21.dxe7
Bxe7
22.Bxe7
Qxe7?
23.Qd5+
wins.) 21.Bxd6
Qc6
22.Qb3+
Kg7
23.Bxe5+
Kh6
24.Bb5+/=
; Evans came up with this startling counter stroke while analyzing the line 19...Ng6
20.d6
Bxd6
21.Qd5+
Kh8
but here after 22.Rc6!
Bb7
23.Rxd6
Bxd5
24.Rxd8+
Rxd8
25.Rd1
white still has the advantage.]
20.Bxf8
[Taimanov decides to sacrifice two exchanges after discarding 20.d6
Ne3
21.Qd3!?
(21.Qa1
Bxd6!
(21...Nxf1?
22.Qxe5!+-
) 22.Bxd6
Qxd6
23.Rfc1
Bd7
24.Nb2
g4!-/+
) 21...Bxd6!
22.Rc6
Be7-+
; After 20.exf5
Qxc7
21.d6
Qf7
black should win.]
20...Qxc7
21.Ba3
["White prefers to sacrifice a second exchange rather than ruin his pawn structure by 21.exf5
Kxf8
" - Evans.]
21...Ne3
22.Qc1
Qg7!
[Rather than winning more material, Evans attacks. After 22...Qd7
23.Qb2!?
(23.Nb2?!
Nxf1
24.Bxf1-+
) 23...Qxa4
(23...Nxf1
24.Qxe5
Rg6
25.Bxf1-/+
) 24.Qxe5
Rf5!
25.Qe7
(25.exf5
Qxa3
26.f6
Bf5-+
27.d6
Qc5!
) 25...Qd7
26.exf5
Qxe7
27.Bxe7
Nxf1
28.Kxf1
h6
29.f6
white is still kicking.]
23.Rf2
[23.Bb2
Rg6!-+
]
23...Bd7
"An ideal developing move which gains time by the attack on white's misplaced knight." - Evans
24.Nc3
g4!
25.Bb2
[25.fxg4
Bxg4
]
25...g3!
26.hxg3
Qxg3
[The direct attack 26...Rh6
also wins, for example 27.g4
Qg5
28.Bf1
Bxg4!
29.fxg4
Qh4
30.Rf3
Nxg4
31.Rh3
Qf2+
32.Kh1
Rxh3+
33.gxh3
Qh2#
]
27.Bf1
Rc8
[Again, 27...Rh6
28.Rc2
(28.Rd2
Rh2-+
) 28...Rh2
threatening 29...Qh4, was quicker.]
28.Qe1
b5
[The straightforward 28...Rh6
29.Re2
Qh2+
30.Kf2
Rg6
31.Rxe3
Bh3!
gives black an unstoppable attack.]
29.Ne2
Qh4
30.g3
"Desperation. Otherwise black mates with 30...Rh6." - Evans
30...fxg3
31.Nxg3
Nxf1!
[Simple, but it was possible to call white's bluff with 31...Qxg3+!?
32.Rg2
Nxf1
33.Kxf1
(33.Rxg3+
Nxg3
34.Bxe5
Rc1!+-
) 33...Qxg2+
34.Kxg2
Rc2+
35.Kh1
Rxf3
36.Bxe5
Bh3
and black wins.]
32.Nf5
[Black wins after 32.Rg2
Rg6
33.Qxf1
Rxg3
(33...Bh3
34.Nf5
Bxf5
35.exf5
Rxg2+
36.Qxg2+
Kf7-+
) 34.Bxe5
Rg6-+
]
32...Rg6+
33.Kxf1
Qh1+
34.Ke2
Rc2+
35.Kd1
Qxe1+
36.Kxe1
Rg1+
[36...Rg1+
37.Rf1
Rxf1+
38.Kxf1
Rxb2-+
] 0-1