1.d4
Nf6
2.c4
g6
3.Nc3
Bg7
4.e4
d6
5.f3
In 1975 in Wijk aan Zee, I won the Leo van Kuijk prize for the most spectacular game of the tournament against Lajos Portisch and the tradition of the spectacular prizes begun. As in this game, the Samisch variation of the King's Indian defense was played and I positionally sacrificed my queen for a mere bishop and a pawn and eventually the game was drawn.
5...Nc6
I decided to accelerate Panno's idea to play on the queenside.
6.Nge2
0-0
7.Bg5
[For some reason, the bishop move too far has better results than the dominant 7.Be3
]
7...a6
8.Qd2
Rb8
9.h4!?
[Portisch goes for the sharpest line. The positional answer is 9.Rc1
]
9...b5
10.0-0-0
[Larry Christiansen's 10.h5!?
is preferable. The white king is pretty safe in the middle.]
10...bxc4
[The stopper 10...h5
makes it more difficult for white to ignite the attack, but in the blindfold game, with the eyes closed, you just go.]
11.h5
Nb4
I only found out after the game that everything was played before.
12.Ng3
[Portisch makes a stronger move. In the game Wallach,K (2189)-Naroditsky,D (2242), Las Vegas 2008, white played 12.Nf4
c5
13.dxc5?!
(13.hxg6
cxd4
14.Qxd4
hxg6
15.Nxg6
fxg6
16.e5
Be6
17.exf6
exf6
18.Qxd6
Qxd6
19.Rxd6
Kf7
the game is roughly equal.) 13...Qa5=/+
14.hxg6?
(14.Bxf6
Bxf6
15.Bxc4
Qxc5
16.Bb3=/+
) 14...Nxe4?!
(The talented San Francisco junior missed 14...Nxa2+!
15.Nxa2
Qxa2-+
) 15.Nfd5!
Rb7
16.gxh7+
(16.Nxe4
Nxa2+
17.Kb1+-
) The rest went: 16...Kh8
17.fxe4
Nxa2+
18.Kc2
Bd7
19.Bxc4
Nxc3
20.Nxc3
Rxb2+
21.Kxb2
Qa4
22.Bb3
Rb8
23.Qc2
Be6
24.Rd5
Bxd5
25.exd5
dxc5
26.Rh4
c4
27.Kc1
Qa1+
28.Kd2
cxb3
29.Qd3
Qb2+
30.Ke3
Qxg2
31.Bf4
Rc8
32.Ne2
b2
33.Qf5
e6
34.dxe6
fxe6
35.Qxe6
Qb7
36.Be5
Rd8
37.Nf4
Qe4+
38.Kxe4
1/2-1/2 ]
12...c5
I thought I should bring as many pieces as possible on the queenside to tickle the white king. [12...d5
did not cross my mind. 13.Bh6
gives white a powerful attack.; 12...Nd3+
13.Bxd3
cxd3
would have slowed white's advances.]
13.d5
[Lajos is playing it safe. He could have gain a clear advantage with 13.hxg6
cxd4
14.Bxf6
exf6
15.gxf7+
Rxf7
16.Qxd4
]
13...Qa5?!
[Bringing the queen out seems natural, but the computer engines scream for the stunning knight sacrifice: 13...Nfxd5!
14.exd5
(14.Nxd5
Nxd5
15.Qxd5
(15.exd5
Rxb2
16.Qxb2
Bxb2+
17.Kxb2
Qb6+
18.Kc2
Bd7
and black should win.) 15...Qa5!
threatening 16...Bxb2+, black has a winning attack.) 14...Bxc3
15.bxc3
Qa5!
16.cxb4
Rxb4
17.Qc2
black doesn't have to win immediately and can bring more pieces to the attack with 17...Bd7
(17...Qa3+
18.Kd2
Rb2
19.Rc1
Rxc2+
20.Rxc2
Qb4+
21.Ke2
(21.Ke3
f6
22.Bh6
Qe1+-+
) 21...Qb1
22.Rxc4
Bb7-+
) 18.Bxc4
Qa3+
19.Kd2
Rb2
with a winning advantage.; The knight manuever 13...Nd7!
seems also strong, for example 14.Bxc4
Ne5
15.Qe2
Nxc4
16.Qxc4
a5
17.e5
h6
18.Be3
Ba6
19.Qe4
Qb6
with a massive attack.]
14.Bxc4
Nd7!
I came to this idea one move too late. The knight wants to leap into the fray, creating havoc in white's camp. "As a former King's Indian player you know you should have known to keep the knight on f6 to defend your king," GM Jan Plachetka told me after the game, but I felt the knight could play a more ambitious role in the game.
15.hxg6
At this point Lajos announced "pawn h5 to h6," but it was an obvious slip of the tongue and he quickly corrected himself with "pawn h5 takes g6."
15...Ne5?
I should have been punished for this reckless move. I was briefly contemplating to retake with the f-pawn, but I thought I could gain tempo by attacking the bishop. As a matter of fact [15...fxg6
was correct, for example 16.Bh6
Bxh6
17.Qxh6
Rf7
stops white's attack and after 18.a3
Qb6
white can't cash in the knight since after 19.axb4
Qxb4
20.Rd2
Qxc4
black is clearly on top.]
16.Bh6?
[Lajos could have finished the game with 16.gxh7+!
Kh8
17.Bh6
when black would have had to resort to some acrobatics with 17...Bf6
18.Qe2
Rd8
but after 19.Rd2
making room for the king to move to the kingside, white enjoys sufficient material advantage to win.]
16...Nxc4??
I must have been on another planet, thinking about previous misses and not paying attention to the situation on the board. But it was a decisive moment and I failed to fight back with [16...fxg6
17.Bxg7
Kxg7
and white has to be careful, for example 18.Qh6+
(18.Qe2
Qb6=
(18...Bd7
) ; 18.Nf5+!
the best reply 18...Bxf5!?
(18...Rxf5
19.Qh6+
Kf7
20.exf5
Bxf5
21.Qxh7+
Ke8
22.Qg8+
Kd7
23.Qxb8
Nxc4
24.Rh8+-
; 18...gxf5
19.Qh6+
Kf7
20.Qh5+
Ng6
21.Qxh7+
Ke8
22.Qxg6+
Kd8
23.a3
Qb6
24.Rd2+-
) 19.exf5
Qb6
(19...h5
is possible) 20.Rde1
Rxf5
21.Qh6+
Kf7
22.Qxh7+
Ke8
23.Na4
Qa5=
) 18...Kf7
19.Qxh7+
(19.Nf5!
is still good here.) 19...Ke8
white went too far, burning bridges behind him. Black has a deadly attack, for example: 20.Bb3
c4
21.Ba4+
Bd7-+
]
17.gxh7+
This led to a quick mate, but before we got there, lots of pieces disappeared from the live board. The spectators got their money's worth since every capture resulted in a swashbuckling duel on the live board.
17...Kxh7
18.Bxg7+
Kg8
19.Rh8+
Kxg7
20.Qh6#
*