"The whole game resembles an artistic creation of the highest order. The Latvian artists Juta & Mareks used the position before 19.exf6 to honor their countryman. They recreated it on an one-by-one meter palette, but they left out the black pawn on c5. In early November 2008, I discovered the piece in an art shop in Munich and immediately bought it even with the artistic mistake." - Hecht)
1.d4
Nf6
2.c4
e6
3.Nf3
b6
4.Nc3
Bb4
5.Bg5
Bb7
6.e3
h6
7.Bh4
Bxc3+
8.bxc3
d6
9.Nd2
e5
10.f3
Qe7
11.e4
Nbd7
12.Bd3
Nf8
13.c5
dxc5
14.dxe5
Qxe5
15.Qa4+
c6
16.0-0
Ng6
17.Nc4
Gone is Hecht's solidly-built game. Instead, he finds himself in the middle of Tal's beautiful combinational dance.
With a pawn sacrifice, Tal unbalanced the game and opened it up. The hitting game begins.
17...Qe6
18.e5
b5
19.exf6!
["I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this reply, since I was counting only with 19.Qb3
But that was not all. Suddenly a large demostration board appeared on my right and our position was being quickly set up. Sensation-seeking spectators were rushing towards our table. In addition, Tal's teammates were crowding around our board, resembling organ pipes." - Hecht
"Here the temperamental Najdorf, who was watching the game, gave me a kiss. The same move, also announcing a queen sacrifice, appeared in the famous game Lilienthal-Capablanca, Hastings 1934/35, in which the young master quickly forced the former world champion to resign. Hecht played his replay without thinking," Tal saw the key moment of the game, where the crowning glory is a positional queen sacrifice.]
19...bxa4
20.fxg7
Rg8
21.Bf5!!
Diagram
"This is where I lost it. It took me several minutes before I was able to calculate the next variations. Tal considered this game one of the most beautiful in the Olympiad. For me, it represents a wonderful example of harmonious coordination of the pieces. I was still able to find the best defense." - Hecht
21...Nxh4
[21...Qxf5
22.Nd6+
Kd7
23.Nxf5
Nxh4
24.Nxh4
with a bad endgame for black.; 21...Qxc4
22.Rfe1+
Qe6
23.Rxe6+
fxe6
24.Bxg6+
Kd7
25.Rd1+
Kc7
(25...Kc8
26.Bf6
) 26.Bg3+
Kb6
27.Rb1+
Ka6
28.Bd3+
Ka5
29.Bc7#
]
22.Bxe6
Ba6!
" I chose this move not to win a piece, but to remove the terrible white knight." - Hecht
23.Nd6+
Ke7
24.Bc4
Rxg7
25.g3
Kxd6
26.Bxa6
The end of the combination. Black is left with a shattered pawn structure. Hecht is not lost by all means, but he has to defend precisely.
26...Nf5?
[Allowing Tal to control the b-file. Black could still defend with 26...Rb8!
]
27.Rab1
f6
28.Rfd1+
Ke7
29.Re1+
Kd6
30.Kf2
c4
31.g4
[31.Re4!
picking up a few pawns, wins easily.]
31...Ne7
32.Rb7
Rag8
33.Bxc4
Nd5
34.Bxd5
cxd5
35.Rb4
Rc8?
[Missing the last drawing chance. The computers propose to equalize with 35...h5
36.h3
f5=
; 35...f5
36.h3
h5=
]
36.Rxa4
Rxc3
37.Ra6+
Kc5
38.Rxf6
h5
39.h3
hxg4
40.hxg4
Rh7
41.g5
Rh5
42.Rf5
Rc2+
43.Kg3
Kc4
44.Ree5
d4
45.g6
Rh1
46.Rc5+
Kd3
47.Rxc2
Kxc2
48.Kf4
Rg1
49.Rg5
[After 49.Rg5
Rxg5
50.Kxg5
d3
51.g7
d2
52.g8Q
d1Q
53.Qb3+
white wins.] 1-0