1.c4
g6
2.Nf3
Bg7
3.d4
Nf6
4.Nc3
0-0
5.e4
d6
6.Be2
e5
7.0-0
Nc6
8.d5
Ne7
9.b4
[The Bayonet Attack was the main reason why even the most stubborn King's Indian players gave up on the defense. Gligoric's legacy is the incredibly effective kingside set-up in the The Mar del Plata variation 9.Ne1 Nd7 10.Nd3. It premiered in the Argentinian resort in 1953 and it is still on fire more than a half century later. Here is the original: 9.Ne1
Nd7
10.Nd3
f5
11.f3
f4
12.Bd2
Nf6
13.b4
g5
14.c5
h5
15.Nf2
Ng6
16.Rc1
Rf7!
Gligo's invention. 17.cxd6
cxd6
18.a4
Bf8!
19.a5
Rg7!
A beautiful combination of attack and defense. 20.h3
Nh8!
Threatening to maneuver his knight via f7 to h6 and break through with g5-g4. 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 Najdorf,M-Gligoric,S/Mar del Plata 1953.]
9...Nh5
10.Nd2
[Up to the present game Petrosian kept this idea secret. It was usual to play 10.g3
,taking the f4 square away from the black knight, but it costs white a tempo and weakens the kingside. For example 10... 10...f5
11.Ng5
Nf6
12.f3
h6
13.Ne6
Bxe6
14.dxe6
f4
15.b5
fxg3
16.hxg3
Qc8!
17.Nd5
Qxe6
18.Nxc7
Qh3=
threatening perpetual check, Pachman-Taimanov 1964.
Petrosian's move increases the queenside pressure in extra-quick time. Black is no longer able to block the queenside, as after 9.Nd2 c5, so white's king's knight can play an important role there. - Gligoric; 10.Re1
became popular 25 years later and it is still the main line.]
10...Nf4
The knight is strongly placed on this square but it can't stay there forever. Petrosian's idea is based on the assessment that black has spent two moves on this maneuver and the knight is standing in the way of the black kingside pawn mass. - Gligoric
11.a4
[The bishop can't immediately run away to f3: 11.Bf3
because of 11... 11...Nd3
12.Ba3
a5!
and white's dark bishop has no good place to hide. - Gligoric]
11...f5
At this moment I had the feeling that I was in grave danger of being outplayed on the queenside so all my moves were motivated by my hurry to carry out a counter-action that would neutralize white's initiative. - Gligoric [Perhaps the simple 11...Nxe2+
was also playable, clearing the way for the black pawns.]
12.Bf3
[Until here black has been fighting in the dark, not knowing exactly the essence of white's plan, and his last move came as a small psychological shock that lasted some five minutes. Should I have taken the light bishop earlier? Because now it is too late. After 12.c5
I wanted to reduce white's menacing pressure by playing 12... 12...fxe4
(12...Nxe2+
) 13.Ndxe4
Nf5
- Gligoric]
12...g5!
[After the initial surprise, black spent twenty minutes searching for the best solution at this critical moment of the battle. The move played, threatening 13...g4, is probably the only sound solution. Black weakens his ligth squares, but speeds up his action on the kingside, which is important to maintain balance. 12...Nd3?
13.Ba3
the dark bishop is active, safely hidden behind the a-pawn, which was the idea od white's previous move. After 13... 13...a5
14.bxa5 [White is better]
; The variation 12...fxe4
13.Ndxe4
Nf5
14.g3
was much slower than the move I played. - Gligoric]
13.exf5
Nxf5
Threatening 14...Nh4.
14.g3
[14.Nde4
Nh4
; 14.Be4
]
14...Nd4!
The knight sacrifice seemed to me the only good reaction at this point. It is a positionally active continuation and it should solve the problem of maintaining the balance. After 14...Ng6 the black pieces would be pushed back and white would not only have a spacial advantage but also superiority on the light squares. - Gligoric [The game Keene - Kavalek, Teeside 1975, showed that black doesn't need to retreat or sacrifice the knight and can play 14...Nh3+
15.Kg2
Qd7!
indirectly protecting the knight on h3. Leading the bishop-queen battery with the queen is not common, but I had the opportunity of playing it with the white pieces against Wolfgang Pietsch and Bent Larsen used it against me. 16.Nb3
(16.Kxh3
Ne3+
17.g4
Nxd1-+
; 16.Bg4
Nxf2
17.Kxf2
Nd4+
18.Bf3
g4
; 16.Be4
g4
17.Nb3
h5
) 16...Nd4
17.Nxd4
exd4
18.Nb5
c6!
19.Na3
Keene goes to the edge, leaving black with a sizeable advantage.
(19.Nxd4
Rxf3
20.Kxf3
Qg4+
21.Ke3
c5
) 19...Rxf3!?
(I could not resist the temptation to sacrifice the exchange, but the simple 19...Be5
solidifies black's gains.) 20.Qxf3
g4
The noose around the white king gets tighter. Black only needs to prepare a deadly bishop check on the square e4. Keene tried 21.Qb3
Qe7
(Preventing 22.f3.) 22.Ra2?
Bf5
23.f3
White is doing all he can to prevent an outright defeat, but it is not good enough. Black now has several ways to win the game: I played 23...d3
(23...Be4!
Andrew Martin's suggestions in "The Main Line King's Indian" by John Nunn and Graham Burgess, p.281 24.dxc6
bxc6
25.Nb1
Bxf3+
26.Rxf3
Qe1
27.Rf1
Qe4+
28.Rf3
Rf8
29.Bf4
Nxf4+
(29...gxf3+
30.Kxh3
Qe6+
31.g4
Rxf4-+
) 30.gxf4
gxf3+-+
; 23...Rf8!
suggested by Deep Fritz 12, is even better, leaving the threats 24...Be4 or 24...gxf3+ 25.Rxf3 Be4 open. After 24.fxg4
Be4+
25.Kxh3
Rxf1
and black wins.) 24.fxg4
Qe4+
25.Rf3
Ng1?
(Showing off. The knight leap landed me in trouble. I missed 25...Qxg4!
and black should win.) 26.Qxd3
Qxd3
27.Rxd3
Bxd3
28.Kxg1
cxd5
29.cxd5
Re8
½-½ Keene,R-Kavalek,L/Teesside 1975]
15.gxf4
[Petrosian has to accept the sacrifice because after 15.Bg4
Bxg4
16.Qxg4
h5
17.Qd1
Nh3+
18.Kg2
g4
19.f3
Qd7
black is better.]
15...Nxf3+
[Removing one of the defenders seems more logical than 15...exf4
]
16.Qxf3?!
[Gligoric thought that 16.Nxf3!?
was more cautious. It was the right move. Black has to juggle with 16... 16...g4!?
17.Nd2
exf4
18.Nde4
Bf5!?
19.Ra3
Qe8!
20.f3
Qg6
21.Kh1
(21.Bxf4
gxf3+
22.Ng3
Bg4
23.Qd2
Rae8 [Black is slightly better]
) 21...Rae8
22.Rg1
Rxe4!
(22...g3
23.Bxf4
Bxe4
24.Nxe4
Rxf4
25.Rxg3
Qh6
26.Ra2
Kf8
27.Rag2
Be5
28.Qc1 [White is better]
) 23.Nxe4
Bxe4
24.Rg2
(24.fxe4?
Qxe4+
25.Rg2
f3
26.Rf2
Bd4 [Black is better]
) 24...Bf5
25.Bxf4
h5
hoping to survive.]
16...g4
17.Qh1?
A strange decision. Petrosian burries his queen in the corner, limiting his own king. The Armenian grandmaster was known to predict danger many moves ahead, but I am not sure he was such a great defender once his opponent got his attack rolling. [Gligoric expected 17.Qd3
and hoped to keep equality with 17... 17...Bf5
for example 18.Nde4
(18.Nce4
exf4
19.Rb1
f3
20.Bb2
Qh4
with compensation, for example 21.Kh1
(21.Bxg7?
Qh3-+
; 21.Rfe1!?
Bxb2
22.Rxb2
Rae8
23.Qf1
Qh6
24.Re3
(24.Ng3
Bd3
) 24...Re5
25.Rb1
(25.c5
Bg6=
; 25.Ra2
Bg6 [Black is slightly better]
) 25...Bxe4
26.Rxe4
(26.Nxe4
Rh5-+
) 26...Qxd2
27.Rxg4+
Kf7 [Black is slightly better]
) 21...Bxb2
22.Rxb2
Rae8
23.Rg1
(23.Rbb1!?
Rxe4
24.Nxe4
g3
25.fxg3
Bxe4
26.gxh4
Bxd3 [Black is better]
) 23...Rxe4
24.Nxe4
Re8
25.Qd4
Rxe4
26.Qxa7
Rxc4
with roughly equal chances.) 18...exf4
19.f3
(After 19.Bxf4
Bxe4
20.Qxe4
Bxc3
21.Ra3
Qf6
black is fine.) 19...gxf3!
(19...g3
20.Bxf4!+-
) 20.Rxf3
Bxc3
21.Qxc3
Bxe4
22.Rxf4
Qg5+
23.Qg3
Qxg3+
24.hxg3=
; 17.Qd1
exf4
18.Nde4
Bf5
has been discussed above.]
17...exf4
18.Bb2
[The computer engines prefer to consolidate with 18.Nde4
Bf5
19.Bd2
for example: 19...Qe8
(19...f3
20.Rae1
Qd7
) 20.h4
(20.h3
Qg6
21.h4
h5
) 20...Qe5
21.h5
Qd4
22.h6
Be5
23.Rae1
Qxc4
24.Qh4
Kh8
with roughly equal chances.]
18...Bf5
[Black could have locked the white queen immediately with 18...f3
]
19.Rfe1
f3
20.Nde4
Qh4
Preparing to bring the rook from a8 to the battle, the move also gives an impression that black intends to lock the white queen with Qh4-h3. Petrosian gets nervous and worsens his position.
21.h3?
Petrosian tries to free his queen, but he opens his king up to danger. Other moves keep black in charge: [21.Ng3
Bg6
(21...Bd3
22.Rad1
Rfe8
23.Nce4
Bxe4
24.Bxg7
Bc2
) ; or 21.Nd1
Bxb2
22.Nxb2
Rae8
23.Ng3
Bg6
white is playing without queen and black threatens 24...Qf6.]
21...Be5!
It's over now. Black has a winning attack.
22.Re3
gxh3
23.Qxf3
Bg4!
[According to Gligoric, this is more energetic than 23...Bxe4
24.Rxe4
Rxf3
25.Rxh4
Bxc3
26.Bxc3
Rxc3 [Black is better]
]
24.Qh1
h2+
25.Kg2
[25.Kf1
Rf3!-+
]
25...Qh5!
(It took me some time to find this fine maneuver which is the most efficient way of continuing the attack and battle for the light f3 and h3 squares around the white king. White's reply is forced because he has to protect the f3 square. - Gligoric)
26.Nd2
Bd4!?
[Attacking the main defender - the rook protects the third rank. - Gligoric. However, 26...Qg5!
is swifter, for example 27.Rxe5
(27.Kf1
Qxe3-+
) 27...Qxd2-+
]
27.Qe1
[27.Rae1?
Bh3+!
28.Rxh3
(28.Kxh2
Rxf2+
29.Kg1
Rxd2-+
) 28...Rxf2+
29.Kg3
Qg5#
]
27...Rae8!?
[Gligo brings the last piece into battle, but he could have finished the game more efficiently with 27...Bxe3!
28.Qxe3
(28.fxe3
Bh3+
29.Kh1
Bg2+!
30.Kxg2
h1Q+
31.Qxh1
Qg4+
32.Kh2
Rf2+
33.Qg2
Qxg2#
) 28...Rf3!
29.Nxf3
Qh3+
30.Kh1
Bxf3+
wins.]
28.Nce4
[After 28.Kh1
comes 28... 28...Rxe3!
29.fxe3
Bf3+
30.Nxf3
Qxf3+
31.Kxh2
Be5+
32.Kg1
Qg4+
33.Kh1
Qh3+
34.Kg1
Qh2#
]
28...Bxb2
29.Rg3
Be5
[The straightforward 29...Bxa1!
30.Qxa1
Rxe4!
31.Nxe4
Rf3!
32.Nd2
Rxg3+
33.fxg3
Qh6
also wins.]
30.Raa3
[After 30.f3
Bxg3
31.Qxg3
Rxe4
32.fxe4
Rf7
33.Rh1
Qh6
34.Nf1
Rg7-+
]
30...Kh8
31.Kh1
Rg8
32.Qf1
Bxg3
33.Rxg3?
Speeds up the end. [33.Nxg3
Qh6-+
; 33.fxg3
Rgf8
34.Qa1+
Re5-+
]
33...Rxe4!
[33...Rxe4!
34.Nxe4
Bf3+
wins.] 0-1