10/11/2023 – Last year GM Yuri Averbakh turned 100 and set a world record. He became the oldest ever grandmaster in chess history. Sadly, he passed away in May. Averbakh led a rich and extraordinary life that he narrated himself in his autobiography, “Centre-stage and Behind the Scenes”. In the series here, our columnist draws on this important work and also explains much that was left unsaid. | Photo: Averbakh playing Kasparov (B. Dolmatovsky via Douglas Griffin’s website)
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After the 1958 Interzonal, Averbakh’s sporting career drew to a close. However, he did not have to seek employment. As it turned out, his services as a trainer were in demand. It had begun way back in the 1950s when Botvinnik had asked him to be his second for world championship matches. Botvinnik’s rival was Smyslov, formidable in all phases of the game and importantly, a virtuoso in endings. Averbakh was also known for his prowess in the endgame and his writing on its theory. Smyslov was 15 years younger as compared to Botvinnik and it made sense for the world champion to practise with a relatively young trainer. During the period 1955-1957 Averbakh was to play a series of training games with Botvinnik. While the general score was in the world champion’s favour, the games gave him much-needed practice in match play.
The playing conditions in the early days were unusual. Botvinnik had a radio right under the table going full blast announcing news of factories and fields. He wanted to get himself accustomed to any noise emanating from the spectators in the hall or from outside.
Averbakh writes:
This was a man who was capable of like no other of self-programming. If the noise in the playing hall started to bother him, he would say to himself, “But I trained especially for such conditions, therefore, the noise should not bother me!”
Averbakh and Botvinnik played a short match just before the 1957 World Championship Match. Here is one of the games:
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Elo
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1.e4
1,184,215
54%
2421
---
1.d4
958,932
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
286,327
56%
2441
---
1.c4
184,722
56%
2443
---
1.g3
19,884
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,598
54%
2428
---
1.f4
5,953
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,906
50%
2384
---
1.b4
1,790
48%
2378
---
1.a3
1,250
54%
2406
---
1.e3
1,081
49%
2409
---
1.d3
969
50%
2378
---
1.g4
670
46%
2361
---
1.h4
466
54%
2382
---
1.c3
439
51%
2425
---
1.h3
289
56%
2420
---
1.a4
118
60%
2461
---
1.f3
100
47%
2427
---
1.Nh3
92
67%
2511
---
1.Na3
47
62%
2476
---
Please, wait...
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nd2The Tarrasch Variation that avoids the pinning of
the knight by the Black bishop as in the Winawer Variation.Botvinnik
played the Winawer Variation3.Nc3Bb4like a virtuoso.3...Nf6
The other Main Line3...c54.exd5exd55.Ngf3Nc6leads to open positions
that did not suit Botvinnik's style.4.e5Nfd75.Bd3c56.c3b67.Ne2
White cannot avoid exchange of his bishop with7.Qe2cxd48.cxd4Nc69.Ngf3Nb410.0-0Nxd311.Qxd3Be7=as seen in Abramian S-Botvinnik M, USSR
Champonship Semi-final 1938 (1/2 -1/2, 41 moves)7...Ba68.Bxa6Nxa69.0-0A slight inaccuracy.Later Averbakh came to prefer9.h4aiming to seize
space for active play on the kingside. Ifh510.Nf3Be711.Bg5±9...Nc7!Better than9...Be710.f4f511.exf6Bxf6played in Botvinnik
M-Petrov V, 12th USSR Championship 1940 (1-0, 37 moves)11...Nxf6?12.Qa4++-10.Ng310.Nf4Be711.Qg4g612.Nf3is better-known.
The other standard line was already known.10.f4f511.exf6Nxf612.Nf3Bd613.Ng30-0as in Kan I-Botvinnik M, Training Match 1952 (0-1, 40 moves)10...h5"Keeping his king in the cenre for the moment, the World Champion
aims to restrict White's possibilities on the kingside and to mount a pawn
offensive on the queenside. However, White too has his trumps."-Averbakh. In
other words Black prevents Qg4 before playing...Be7.The immediate10...Be7?is met by11.Qg4g612.Nf3h513.Qf4±11.Nf3Be712.Be3Nb8
"The knight is transferred to a more active position, from where it will be
able to support the advance of Black' s pawns."- Averbakh12...a5deserves
attention. It keeps both options of ...c5-c4 and...Nd7-b8 open.13.Ne1g614.Nd3?Inviting Black to block the centre."If I had tried to exchange
the dark-square bishops immediately by14.Nf3Nc615.Qd2there would have
followedRc816.Bg5Bxg517.Nxg5cxd418.cxd4Nxd419.Nxf7Nf3+20.gxf3Kxf7"-Averbakh. However, after21.Rac1!Na622.Rxc8Qxc823.Rc1Qb724.Rc3followed by Ne2-d4 White has all the chances.-NSH14...c415.Ne1Nc616.Qd2b517.Nf3a518.Bg5?As Averbakh points out, White had to play18.a3!to stop Black's pawn avalanche. Now there can followb419.axb4axb420.Bg5Bxg521.Nxg5±18...Bxg519.Nxg5b420.h4Qe7The queen
guards the b-pawn and now the advance ...a5-a4 is threatened.21.a4Forced
according to Averbakh.Kd7The king moves aside so that the rooks are
connected and Black can play...Rhb8.22.Rfe1Averbakh thought he could
prevent Black from connecting the rooks with22.Qf4However, there is not
much that White can do here.Rhf823.Rfe1Rab824.Nh7His line24.Re3?is met byf6!25.Nf3fxe526.Nxe5+Nxe527.Qxe5Qf628.Qxf6Rxf624...Rh825.Ng5repeating the position.22...Rhb823.Re3bxc324.bxc3Rb325.Rf3Nd826.Qf4Ke8?The king is vulnerable here.26...Kc6!
is preferable.27.Nh7Kd728.Ng5?A slight inaccuracy. The queen should
invade h6 first before the knight returns to target f7.28.Qh6!Kc629.Ng5Ra330.Rxa3Qxa331.Qg7Qxa432.Nxf7±set more problems for Black.28...Kc629.Nf1Playing it safe.Averbakh saw the line29.Nxf7Nxf730.Qxf7Qxf731.Rxf7Rxc3=and held the sharp lines arising out of the same
far from clear.29...Rab830.Qc1Ne831.Ne3Ng7?Botvinnik tries to
activate the knight and bring it to ...f5 in more suitable circumstances.
However, this weakens his control of f6.Black has to play the waiting game
with31...Qd732.Rf6Ne8?Anxious to get rid of the rook, Botviinnik
makes a mistake.He would have held the position with any reasonable move
like32...Kc7!33.Nxd5!Kxd534.Qf4Kc635.d5+Kb7If35...Kxd5??36.Rd1+Kc637.Nxf7Nxf737...Nxf638.Qxc4+Qc539.Rd6++-38.Qxc4+Kb739.Rxe6+-Black is two pieces up and helpless. A spectacular line.36.Qxc4Ka837.Rf4Averbakh thought, he could avoid exchange of queens with
37.Rf3However, afterRb1+38.Rxb1Rxb1+39.Kh2exd540.Qxd5+Kb841.Qxa5f6!42.exf6Nxf6Black would be calling the shots.37...Qc738.d6"Of course I wanted to keep queens on, but after38.Qa6+Qa739.Qd3Nc7the Black pieces would have occupied active positions."- Averbakh38...Qxc439.Rxc4Rb1+The engine gives a simplifying line that deserves attention.39...f640.d7Nd641.exd6fxg542.hxg5R3b643.Rc7Rxd644.Re1Nf745.f4Rd846.f5exf547.Re8R6xd748.Rxd8+Rxd849.Rxf7Rd1+50.Kh2Ra151.Rg7Rxa452.Rxg6Kb7=40.Rxb1Rxb1+"The game was adjourned in this
position and White sealed his next move.41.Kh2"He no longer has an attack,
but his strong protected passed pawn and the active placing of his pieces give
him an advantage. The question is - can it be converted into a win?"-AverbakhKb842.Rc5"42.d7Nc743.Ne4suggests itself, but afterRd144.Nd6Rd3it is doubtful whether White can win."-Averbakh42...Rb7!"Black's
No. 1 enemy is the passed d-pawn, and so he prepares to undermine its defences
by...f7-f6."-Averbakh. With this plan in view the rook first prevents d6-d7
advance.Not the immediate42...f6??43.d7+-NSH43.Ne4Or43.Rxa5f6!44.Ne4fxe545.c4Ng746.Rxe5Ra747.a5Nf748.Rb5+Kc849.c5Nf5=Black knights have performed a real feat of defence."By
continuing43.f4f644.Nf3White would still have every chance of winning.
"-Averbakh. If we continue the line, the engine gives the verdict,fxe545.fxe5Ng746.Rxa5Nf5=In a tournament game, with the clock ticking,
chances are with White.43...f644.exf6"A mistake."-Averbakh"Here too
44.f4was stronger, maintaining the powerful pawn phalanx."- Averbakh.
Afterfxe545.fxe5Ng746.Rxa5Nf547.Kh3Rb148.Rb5+Rxb549.axb5Kb7=is the engine verdict. The position is still unclear to the ordinary
human eye.44...Nf745.Rxa5Rd7!"I overlooked this move."- Averbakh
"I had assumed, after45...Nfxd646.Nxd6Nxd647.Re5White would win the
e6 pawn while retaining his f6 pawn. Now, however, he must lose both d- and f-
pawns, and with them his winning chances, although the advantage remains on
his side."- Averbakh. If we continue this line, again the engine verdict is a
draw.Rf748.Rxe6Nb749.Rb6Kc750.Re6Kb8=But the position is far
from clear and a lot of play is left.46.Rb5+Kc847.Nc5Rxd648.a5Nc7!"Black defends very accurately." -Averbakh"After48...Nxf6?49.a6
his position again would have become critical."- Averbakh. In fact White is
winning. Black would have to sacrifice his rook to stop the pawn from queening.
49.Rb6Not49.Rb7??Rc6-+49...Rxb650.axb6Ne850...Nd5!51.b7+Kb8=is the short and direct way to draw.51.Nxe6Nxf652.c4Ne553.c5Nc654.f3Kd7Again54...Kb7=is the easy and simple way to
draw.55.Nf8+"This leads to further simplification and a quick draw, but
there is nothing better."-AverbakhKe856.Nxg6Nd757.Nf4Nxc558.Nxh5Nd759.b7Kf760.g4Nc5½–½
Smyslov cultivated a clear positional style and even in sharp tactical positions often relied more on his intuition than on concrete calculation of variations. Let our authors introduce you into the world of Vasily Smyslov.
In the book he writes:
We fought unusually hard for a training match. Several games ended in extreme time-trouble, which often resulted in serious blunders… these battles may have cost Botvinnik too much strength and nervous energy. I cannot rule out the possibility that when he sat down at the board a month later with Smyslov Botvinnik had not fully recovered, and that this somehow influenced the course of the match.
Not really! Averbakh is modest about his contribution to Botvinnik’s match preparation and goes too far with this self-deprecatory comment. Botvinnik would have lost the 1957 Match anyway, as Smyslov was well-prepared and played better. Admittedly, he, the younger player, had more energy and stamina to endure the stress and strain of this match.
Averbakh was not involved in Botvinnik’s preparation for the Return Match in 1958. Next year he received an offer from Koblenz to work as Tal’s second for the Candidates’ Tournament.
He writes:
Although I had no obligations to Botvinnik, I decided to advise him of the matter, just to ensure a clear conscience. He listened to me, but said nothing. I took his silence as a sign of agreement, and immediately sent a telegram to Riga, saying that I accepted the offer. How little I knew Botvinnik! He took my actions as a betrayal and never asked me to play training games with him again.
Surely, Botvinnik should not have seen it as betrayal, as he had not even availed of Averbakh’s services as a second for the 1958 Return Match. However, he was right in not having Averbakh as his sparring partner. As Tal was a potential rival for the crown, there was no way in which Averbakh would have trained both the world champion and the candidate.
Mikhail Botvinnik facing Vasily Smyslov | Photo: Dutch National Archive
Averbakh as Tal’s trainer
Averbakh had an easy wavelength with Tal and did not interfere with his ward’s way of preparation, and still saw to it that he was helped in every possible way:
In the spring of 1959 I went to Riga, to begin preparing Tal for the Candidates’ Tournament. His manner of analysing was unique. Whereas Botvinnik, in the first instance, tried to find the most expedient plan, the most rational arrangement of his forces, the Rigan looked instead for the most aggressive plan, leading to sharp play, rich with combinational possibilities. Whereas Botvinnik sought the rule, Tal sought the exception.
The Candidates’ Tournament was due to take place that autumn. When there were only a few days to go before we were to leave, the news came from Riga that Tal had appendicitis , and had undergone an operation to remove his appendix. Seeing him in Moscow, I was horrified - he was pale, and noticeably haggard. Only his eyes were the same, piercing and burning like fire. Koblents had been delayed in getting his travel documents, so Misha and I went to Yugoslavia together. He had still not recovered fully from the operation, and I had to carry his suitcase for him. We had to develop our tactics at the start of the tournament, to suit his state of health. I suggested that in the first cycle (there were four in all), Tal should try to avoid adjournments. Even if he only scored 50%, that would be fine. The important thing was to conserve his strength fully at first.
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As it happened, Averbakh’s judgment turned out to be right. Tal’s health improved and after two cycles he was only half a point behind the leader, Keres. How he prevailed over the veteran in the rest of the Tournament is history.
But it was far from easy. In the last cycle, Misha was leading the event and was ahead of Keres by 2½ points. But he still had to face the Estonian, who was determined to play for a win and retain at least theoretical chances of gaining first place. So both Koblents and Averbakh advised Tal to play quietly for a draw. Tal, however, was outplayed by Keres and lost only after a valiant in the session after adjournment.
In the book Averbakh regrets that he and Koblenz gave Misha the wrong advice. Instead they should have let him follow his own instinct and play as he chose. But on that day Tal himself was in two minds about how he should play. On the one hand, he realized that he only had to draw with Keres and would win the Candidates’ as no one else would be able to catch up with him in the remaining rounds. On the other hand, he wanted to even the score with the Estonian in their personal match, 2-2.
He told Koblenz:
Keres has two and a half fewer points, and I have no moral right to avoid a fight.
First, he played aggressively, but then saw that something was wrong with his position. So changing his mind he played for a draw. Sensing the indecision, the great Estonian pressed for a win and the game was adjourned in a difficult position for Tal. In the book Averbakh does not mention what they did about the analysis of this position. Probably they concluded, the game was lost and it was left to Tal to make a last-minute rally on resumption of the session.
Keres, however, found, the position was a minefield and discovered some amazing possibilities. Here is one of them.
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48...Nf2+!Thus Black avoids a diabolical trap.It was tempting to play
48...h5+?49.Kxg549.Kxh5Qh3+50.Kxg5f6#49...Qf6+50.Kxh5Ne5
It appears that the White king is going to be mated. However, he turns the
tables with51.Qd6‼and White wins.49.Kf5Qd3+50.Ke5Ng4+51.Kd6Qxa3+and Keres went to win only after facing even sterner resistance from
Tal (0-1, 79 moves).0–1
Now Tal had only a slender lead, and the rest of the cycle was not without adventures. In the penultimate round he faced young Fischer. He had had some fun teasing Bobby.
Tal pushes the pawn only one square, holding it on c6 pretending to play the Cao-Kann. Then he smiles and pushes it to c5. It would be a Sicilian after all.
But this time the game was a dangerous affair. Bobby had lost to Misha thrice before and was determined to beat him this time.
On the morning of the game, Tal prepared with Averbakh, Koblenz and Tigran Petrosian who had called in. They all knew what to expect from young Bobby. He would take a principled position and play 6.Bc4 against the Najdorf Sicilian. So they analysed the same line further and here 9…Nxe4 appealed to Tigran. “Such a nice little central pawn… I think, I would take it”. But Misha had his doubts, and it was only after sitting down at the board and glancing at Fischer, that he waved his hands, “Ah, what the devil — I take it!”
Now the American prodigy, all fired up, played “just like Tal”, first sacrificing a pawn and then both his knights & a rook for an attack. If he lost, Keres would catch up with him for first place in the tournament. Averbakh could not bring himself to watch the ensuing debacle and walked out of the hall. Koblenz and Mikenas, Keres’ second remained in the hall, tense, with sedative tablets in their mouths.
Subsequently Koblenz recalled, earlier during the games, he used to make regular phone calls to relay the moves to his colleagues in Riga, who would then display the moves on large demonstration boards so that the local chess fans could follow the progress of their national hero. During this game with Fischer, however, he stopped calling as he did not want to cause “a collective heart attack”!
Sadly, Bobby lost his way in complications and managed to lose the game. He was to include this encounter in his book, My 60 Memorable Games.
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Elo
Players
1.e4
1,184,215
54%
2421
---
1.d4
958,932
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
286,327
56%
2441
---
1.c4
184,722
56%
2443
---
1.g3
19,884
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,598
54%
2428
---
1.f4
5,953
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,906
50%
2384
---
1.b4
1,790
48%
2378
---
1.a3
1,250
54%
2406
---
1.e3
1,081
49%
2409
---
1.d3
969
50%
2378
---
1.g4
670
46%
2361
---
1.h4
466
54%
2382
---
1.c3
439
51%
2425
---
1.h3
289
56%
2420
---
1.a4
118
60%
2461
---
1.f3
100
47%
2427
---
1.Nh3
92
67%
2511
---
1.Na3
47
62%
2476
---
Please, wait...
1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3a6The Sicilian Najdorf that
Bobby himself played6.Bc4Bobby played this move almost all his life.e67.Bb3b57...Be78.f40-09.Qf3Qc710.0-0b5was seen in a previous
round between the same opponents. Fischer-Tal, Candidates' Tournament 1959
(0-1, 33 moves)8.f4Currently8.0-0is in vogue. Fischer himself was
to play it with success in later years.8...b4!8...Bb7is usual.9.Na4"Indirectly undermining White's center" - FischerNxe4!?9...Bb7
also played here allows10.e5Nfd711.Qh5with a lot of complications.
A thematic try is9...Qc710.0-0Be711.e5dxe512.fxe5Qxe513.Bf4Qe4
seen in Abdrlauf E-Salem AR, Titled Tuesday Chess.com Blitz 2022 (0-1, 39
moves)10.0-0g6?Tal probably thought, he could stop the advance, f4-f5
with this move.Fischer's suggestion10...Bb7?is met by11.f5e512.Ne6!fxe613.Qh5++-The cool retreat,10...Nf6!is playable.
Black prepares the thematic advance, ...d6-d5, freeing his position. White has
a slender lead in development, but his knight on a4 is out of play. Practical
results have favoured Black. Here is a sample line,11.Qf3d512.f5e513.Re1Be714.Rxe50-0=11.f5!"This riposte caught Tal completely
unaware." - Fischergxf5If11...exf5?12.Bd5Ra713.Nxf5!Bxf514.Qd4±12.Nxf5!Rg8?"Woozy. Tal stumbles into a dubious defense." -
Fischer"Not12...exf5?13.Qd5Ra714.Qd4spearing a rook"- FischerAfter12...d5?13.Be3!±is very strong. Black cannot play 13...
exf5 on account of 14.Bd5.13.Bd5!"A shot!" - Fischer.Ra7If13...exf5?14.Bxa8±Or13...exd5?14.Qxd5Bxf515.Qxf5Ra716.Qxe4+Re717.Qxb4+-14.Bxe4Fischer thought, this move was bad and endorsed 14.
Be3, a Kevitz recommendation. In retrospect the move he played still appears
OK.14.Be3Rc7!14...Nc5?15.Qh5Rg616.Rae1+-(Kevitz)15.Bxe415.Bb6?exd516.Bxc7??Qxc717.Qxd5Bb718.Qd4Qxc2-+15...exf516.Bxf5Bxf517.Rxf5±14...exf5If14...d515.Be3!Rd716.Bd3d417.Bf4Bb718.Ng3with an irresistible attack. White follows up with
Qh5 and Rae1.15.Bxf5?"Probably it's better to avoid exchanges with 15.
Bd5 or 15.Bf3."- FischerAfter15.Bd5Be616.Be3Re717.Bf3
Black has avoided the worst, though White still has an advantage.15.Bf3
followed by 16. Be3 sets more problems for Black.15...Re7"A unique way
of shielding the K -file" - FischerIf15...Bxf516.Rxf5Qd717.Qe2+Be718.Qh5±A better try is15...d516.Qh5Nc617.Be3d418.Be4Rg6!19.Bd2±But not19.Bxg6?hxg620.Qf3Ne521.Qe4dxe322.Qxe5+Re723.Qf4e224.Rfe1a5∞16.Bxc8This is not bad.Tibor Karolyi
suggests the better16.c3!Bb717.Bh3±16...Qxc817.Bf4?17.Qxd6??loses toRxg2+!18.Kxg2Re2+19.Kf3Bxd620.Kxe2Qxc2+-+
Fischer rightly gives the line,17.c3!Qc618.Rf2and it favours White.
IfRg619.cxb4Nd720.Bf4±A more recent suggestion is17.Rf2!Rg618.c3Qb719.cxb4Nc620.Bf4±17...Qc618.Qf3Qxa4!"Such a
surprise that I didn't dare believe my eyes"-Bobby Fischer19.Bxd6Qc6
Tal finds an inspired defence.Not19...Rd7?20.Rae1+Kd821.Qf6++-20.Bxb8Qb6+21.Kh1Qxb8"The crowd was shouting and whistling with each
move. Later I was informed that many sports fans were in the auidience. Maybe
some soccer match had been canceled. As a consequence, chess was the main
attraction that day in Belgrade."-Fischer22.Qc6+?Unfortunately, this
check allows the Black bishop to become free."Many commentators believed
that22.Rae1!was the winning move.Tal himself confessed, he thought
Black was lost after that. ButKd8!holds in all lines.22...Rg6?23.Qxf7+Kd724.Rd1+Rd625.Rxd6+Kxd626.Rf6+!+-was seen in Amonatov
F-Savchenko B, KIIT Cat.A Open, Bhubaneshwar 2022 (1-0, 72 moves)23.Qd3+
Fischer gives the line23.Rd1+Kc724.Qf4+Kb725.Rd6If25.Qxb4+?Ka726.Qc5+Qb627.Qf5Rg628.Rd7+Kb8-+White would be on retreat and
then Black takes over the offensive- NSH25...Qc7Karolyi gives25...Qe8!26.Qf3+Re427.Qxf7+Qxf728.Rxf7+Kc829.Rc6+Kd830.g3!"White
has good chances to hold the endgame."26.Qxb4+Kc827.Rxa6Qb728.Qxb7+Kxb729.Raf6Rg7=23...Rd724.Qxh7Rg725.Qh4+Kc726.Qc4+Kb727.Rf6Bd628.Qe4+Kc7=22...Rd723.Rae1+"Finally Tal "develops his bishop."
- FischerBe724.Rxf7?Karolyi suggests24.Qf6!Kd8Or24...Rf825.Qxa6Qb726.Qh6Qd527.Qxh7Rd625.Qxf7Re826.Qxh7Qd624...Kxf725.Qe6+Not25.Qxd7?Qd6-+25...Kf8!"I thought he had to
go to25...Kg7?whereupon26.Qxd7+-wins easily." - Fischer26.Qxd7Not26.Rf1+Kg727.Rf7+Kh828.Qxd7Rd829.Qg429.Rxh7+Kxh730.Qxe7+Kg6-+NSH29...Qe5-+Fischer26...Qd627.Qb7If27.Rf1+Kg728.Qg4+Kh8-+27...Rg6!"Within a handful of moves the game has
changed its complexion. Now it is White who must fight for a draw."- Fischer.
The rook shields the black King while preserving its attacking potential as
Karolyi rightly uts it.27...Rg5may be better as it clears the path for ..
.Qh6 and prepares..Rh5 among other things-NSH28.c3"Black's extra piece
means less with each pawn that is exchanged."-Fischera5Stronger is28...Re6!29.Rf1+Rf630.Re1Qe6!31.Ra1bxc332.bxc3Qxa2!-+An
elegant line featuring back rank mate.29.Qc8+29.cxb4?fails toQxb430.Qf3+Rf631.Qe2Bd6-+as pointed out by Karolyi.29...Kg730.Qc4Bd8Black aims for...Bc7 targeting h2.30...Bf6!31.cxb4Qd232.Qe4axb4-+may be the other route to victory.31.cxb4axb432.g3White
can not save the game with the queens on.32.Qe4Bc733.Qe7+Kg834.Qe8+Qf835.Qe4Bd6-+32...Qc6+33.Re4Qxc434.Rxc4Rb6!"I overlooked
this. Now Black has winning chances."- Fischer"I had planned on a draw
after34...Be735.a3dissoving Black's QNPb3is answered by36.Rc7
followed by Rb7.35.Kg2Kf635...Bf636.Rc2Kf7-+36.Kf3?
Allowing the Black monarch to advance.36.Re4!Be737.Kf3offered
sterner resistance, though Black still has a plus - NSH36...Ke537.Ke337.a3is met byb3-+37...Bg5+38.Ke2Kd539.Kd3Bf6"White might be
able to draw this ending, but it's an ugly defensive chore."- Fischer40.Rc2?Too passive (Fischer)"I wanted to avoid immobilizing my queenside
pawns with40.b3, but it is the best hope now. OnBe741.Rd4+preserves
drawing chances."- Fischer. Karolyi analyses the line further.Kc542.Rc4+Kb543.Re4Bc544.Rh4h6It is still not easy for Black to make
progress.40...Be541.Re2Rf6The sealed move.42.Rc2Rf3+43.Ke2Rf744.Kd3Bd4!"Little by little Tal inches his way in." - Fischer45.a3
On45.b3Rf3+46.Kd2Rf2+47.Kd3Rxc248.Kxc2Ke4-+wins-Fischer45...b346.Rc8"Equally hopeless is46.Re2Rf3+47.Kd2Bxb2-+
" -FischerOr46.Rd2Rf3+47.Ke2Rf2+-+Fischer46...Bxb247.Rd8+Kc648.Rb8Rf3+49.Kc4Rc3+50.Kb4Kc751.Rb5Ba152.a4b2!An elegant
finish!52...b2!53.Kxc3b1Q+-+0–1
Our experts show, using the games of Botvinnik, how to employ specific openings successfully, which model strategies are present in specific structures, how to find tactical solutions and rules for how to bring endings to a successful conclusion
It was here that a widely-known psychological duel took place between us. Every player has his own habit: one will first make his move and then write it down, while another will do things the other way round. In our game Fischer first wrote down the move 22.Rae1!, without doubt the strongest, and wrote it, not in his usual English notation, but in European, almost Russian! Then he not very deftly pushed the scoresheet towards me. ‘He’s asking for an endorsement’, I thought to myself, but how was I to react? To frown was impossible, if I smiled he would suspect ‘trickery’, and so I did the natural thing. I got up and began to calmly walk up and down the stage. I met Petrosian, made some joke to him, and he replied. The 15-year-old Fischer, who was essentially still only a large child, sat with a confused expression on his face, looking first at the front row of the spectators where his second was sitting, and then at me. Then he wrote down another move: 22.Qc6+? and after 22…Rd7 23.Rae1+ Be7 24.Rxf7 Kxf7 25.Qe6+ Kf8! 26. Qxd7 Qd6 I held on to my extra piece and adjourned the game in a won position. When I later asked Fischer why he hadn’t played 22.Rae1, he replied, “Well, you laughed when I wrote it down!”
Some in the Soviet establishment gloated over Tal’s victory in this game. Vasily Panov, with typical iron curtain “objectivity”, commented in the Soviet tournament bulletin, “Almost all game Fischer played in Tal style. But all his trouble was in vain because Tal did not defend in Fischer style — instead he found the one and only one saving counterchance!”
It was an unwise comment to make. Two years later Bobby beat Misha at the 1961 Bled Tournament. Tal himself was to acknowledge the genius of Fischer in the ensuing years.
Averbakh sums up his portrait of Tal with fine words, “He burnt the candle at both ends.”
Notes
1) One limitation of this book is that there are no games in it. From this point of view, his other work, Averbakh’s Selected Games (Cadogan, 1998), deserves mention. However, I have found Big DataBase also useful, as it has many of the games mentioned by Averbakh in this book.
2) Averbakh offers two of his games from the training match with Botvinnik in his book, Averbakh’s Selected Games. The former world champion also annotated two of the games from this match and they may be found in Botvinnik’s Best Games Vol.3 (1957-1970).
3) The picture of Keres here first appeared in the book of the 1959 Candidates’ Tournament, Turnir pretendentov 1959 by Gligorić & Ragozin. Here it is reproduced from Douglas Griffin’s Twitter Page (now named X) on Soviet Chess History: https://twitter.com/dgriffinchess
4) The picture of Tal appeared in his blog on Soviet Chess History, which has a section on the 1959 Candidates’ Tournament: https://dgriffinchess.wordpress.com/
5) Keres analysed his game with Tal in great detail, and it may be found the book, Paul Keres, The Quest for Perfection by Paul Keres and John Nunn (B.T. Batsford 1997)
6) The Fischer-Tal 1959 encounter is also analysed in detail in Mikhail Tal’s Best Games of Chess Vol. 1 The Magic of Youth by Tibor Karolyi.
Nagesh HavanurProf. Nagesh Havanur (otherwise known as "chessbibliophile") is a senior academic and research scholar. He taught English in Mumbai for three decades and has now settled in Bangalore, India. His interests include chess history, biography and opening theory. He has been writing on the Royal Game for more than three decades. His articles and reviews have appeared on several web sites and magazines.
Rossolimo-Moscow Powerbase 2025 is a database and contains a total of 10950 games from Mega 2025 and the Correspondence Database 2024, of which 612 are annotated.
The greater part of the material on which the Rossolimo/Moscow Powerbook 2025 is based comes from the engine room of playchess.com: 263.000 games. This imposing amount is supplemented by some 50 000 games from Mega and from Correspondence Chess.
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