3/18/2018 – Our fascination with Bobby Fischer never ends. When ChessBase mentioned an unknown game that came to haunt him for decades, one of our readers was quick to identify the encounter and send us on a memorable journey into the past. In the first part of the article our columnist recreated the drama surrounding that game, and here he unravels the mystery with inputs from GM Michael Bezold and Leonard Barden. | Photo of Pyotr Romanovsky: chesspro.ru
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The Four Continents has a visitor
Greenwich Village, New York City, 1960. A tall young man is moving along the street with purposeful strides. His destination: Four Continents, a shop that specializes in Soviet literature, periodicals and music records. Our hero, however, is only interested in Russian chess books and magazines. At seventeen he is not only the US Champion but also a serious contender for the world title. You have guessed his name by now. It’s Bobby Fischer.
The staff at Four Continents have known him ever since he began to visit the place when he was a boy. Now he has grown up and he is very demanding as a customer. But then how do you say no to Bobby? Such is his charm. Anyway, today he is in for a surprise. There is a new book at the counter.
Bobby picks up the book and rushes home. When he scans the work, the very first game that he comes across is a little-known encounter, Klaman-Smyslov 1947, from the 15th USSR Championship. It’s a short game and in no more than 17 moves Smyslov lands in a lost position (never mind that he escaped with a draw). Bobby wonders, “How could it happen?” The author, Romanovsky has his own explanation. But Bobby is not convinced. He thinks, Black has not done badly and his play could be improved. He analyses for a while and then gives it up. Too much to prepare and too little time.
He leaves his fans stunned
Years pass. Bobby crosses one hurdle after the other on his way to the World Championship. He wins the Palma de Mallorca Interzonal with a score of 18½ out of 23, far ahead of Larsen, Geller and Huebner who finished with 15. In Candidates Matches, first he beats Taimanov 6 : 0. This is followed by an even more spectacular victory over Larsen, 6 : 0. Only in the final match with Petrosian, he slows down a bit, prevailing over the Armenian with a score of. 6½ : 2½ (+5 -1 =3). The ensuing World Championship duel with Spassky is hailed as the Match of the Century. Trailing with a 2 : 0 deficit Bobby stages a dramatic comeback in a sensational match that results in the score of 12½ : 8½ (+7 -3 =11) in favour of the American.
Photo: Harry Benson
His fans believe the domination of the Soviets has ended and a new era is about to begin, only to be disillusioned soon as their hero does not play a single serious game in the next three years. Worse, he forfeits his title after a breakdown of negotiations with the FIDE over the conditions of the match. After this disaster, he is no longer a reigning monarch, but a wandering king who moves restlessly from place to place. He shuns public gaze and seeks anonymity. He needs privacy.
A boy meets his hero
October 1990. Fifteen years have passed since he forfeited his title as world champion. The chess world has changed and it’s Garry Kasparov who has captured the imagination of the public. Bobby, though, continues to have a legion of fans. But nobody knows where he is. Their hero is looking for a quiet place to stay.
When he visits Lothar Schmid in Bamberg, the latter offers to help him. As is known, Schmid was the arbiter of the Fischer-Spassky World Championship Match and had earned Bobby’s trust on account of his decency and goodwill during the Match.
Schmid arranges for Bobby’s stay as a house guest in a countryside inn, Pulvermühle, in Waischenfeld, Bavaria. The owner, Kaspar Bezold, is a friendly host and a dedicated chess amateur himself. Aware that the presence of Bobby Fischer would create a stir and draw the attention of the press, Bezold has him registered under an assumed name. A satisfactory arrangement for the recluse.
He has young Michael Bezold for company. The 18-year-old is a talented player. In the ensuing three months, they spend quite some time together playing and analyzing. As Michael recalled later:
"He was obsessed with a game… and the question was whether or not to move the pawn to h6. This was the only question. And he said he’d been analyzing this game for more than 30 years, and he couldn’t figure out whether it’s better to play h6 or not. It was fantastic."
Michael Bezold
But where was the position? There would be any number of positions in which Black would have that kind of choice to make. So I decided to ask Michael Bezold, now a well-known grandmaster. Here is what he wrote:
Dear Prof.
I do remember that episode, to move or not to move the pawn to h6. But I have completely no memory anymore which game it was.
Another story about Bobby: I like studies very much, especially endgame studies. From to time I showed some of them to Bobby. Of course he was very interested. He solved quite a lot instantly. But there were also some very difficult ones. When he could not solve one after something like ten minutes he would retire into his room and come out only when he had discovered the solution. Sometimes it took hours. But he never appeared before then. In his opinion there was nothing in chess that he could not find.
Best regards, Michael Bezold
Sadly, the idyll did not last, as a German journalist recognized him and before the rest of the press hounds caught the scent, Bobby checked out of the inn and was not seen there again.
The wandering king finds a haven
I shall not recall the painful period that followed from the Fischer-Spassky Return Match 1992, to Bobby’s incarceration in a Japanese prison till March 2005. It would suffice to say that Bobby’s fans rejoiced when he was set free thanks to the efforts of a dedicated band of friends. It was they who arranged for his asylum in Reykjavik, with Miyoko Watai, his companion helping out at the Tokyo end. At last the wandering king had found a haven of peace.
Photo: Einar Einarsson
There are several accounts of those last years in Reykjavik. In a way, his old passion for chess had abated, though he still recalled old games (especially, his own from the historic 1972 World Championship).
…he now wanted to show me a position in the Queen’s Indian Defense that had come up in a game Smyslov had played in the 1947 Soviet Championships. That game was to be found in Romanovsky’s magnificent textbook. On Smyslov’s behalf he wanted to try to find an improvement that he was sure must be there to be found. When I thought we had spent more than enough time on experiments in our hunt for a better answer for Smyslov, Bobby was far from ready to quit. I opined that at this point, we were unlikely to find the good counter-move that Bobby was so certain was hiding somewhere in the position. But he kept on scrutinizing the board and turning Smyslov’s options over in his mind.
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“Woodford” makes a discovery
What was Bobby looking for? It was the position below and it happens to be taken from the very first game, Klaman-Smyslov 1947 in Romanovsky’s book. We owe that discovery to an alert reader, going by the name of "Woodford", in the feedback section of this news page.
Klaman-Smyslov, 1947
Black to play (after 11.Qf3-h3)
Houdini loves it all
In the first part of this article, I analyzed the position and thought Black would find salvation with 11…h6 even if it invited the sacrifice 12.Bxh6. Surely, there would be no greater tribute to Bobby if I succeeded in showing that his line worked. Sadly, it fails and it took Houdini to find that out. The final position is quite picturesque.
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Klaman-Smyslov, 1947
I am afraid, that’s the end of the road for 11…h6. The only consolation is that there are improvements for Black before.
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1.d4Nf62.Nf3Deviating from2.c4to avoid Smyslov's opening preparation2...b63.Nc33.c4e64.Nc3Bb4transposes to the Nimzo-Indian.and3.g3Bb74.Bg2to regular lines of the Queen's Indian.3.Bg5Bb74.Bxf6inflicting doubled pawns is a Palliser recommendation. However, with two bishops Black is not without resources.3...Bb74.Bg5d5Romanovsky is critical of this move as it allows an early occupation of e5 by the White knight. However, there may be ways to neutralize the pressure.4...c5only allows White to expand with5.d55.e3e6 not5...Ne46.Bb5+c67.Bd3Nxg58.Nxg5±6.Ne5Be7If6...Nbd7?7.Bb5c68.Nxc6Bxc69.Bxc6Rc810.Bb5±White is a pawn up.7.Bb5+c6not7...Nbd7?8.Bxf6gxf69.Bxd7+Kf810.Bc6+-8.Bd3c5 This move could have waited.It's preferable to complete development with8...Nbd79.0-0A routine move that allows Black to equalize.Instead9.Bb5+deserves attention.Kf8(Romanovsky suggestion) threatening...c4, encircling and trapping the bishop White may try9...Nbd7?10.Bxf6gxf611.Bxd7+Kf812.Bc6+-9...Nfd710.Bf410.h4!?10.Qf3Qc811.Be29...0-0Romanovsky recommends9...a6preventing Bb5+ and preparing...Nbd7 followed by queenside expansion10.Qf3Nc610...Nfd711.Bf4After11.Qh3Abernathy's movef5is satisfactory.11...Nxe512.Bxe5Nd7also looks reasonable. However, White has a slight advantage on account of better development.11.Qh3Now Bobby Fischer hoped to rescue the line withh6However, afterThe actual game continued11...g6? If Black is allowed to play...Re8 followed by...Bg7, he would have a satisfactory position. That is not to be.12.Ba6!Qc812...Bxa613.Nxc6Qd714.Nxe7+Qxe715.Qh4Kg716.Bh6+Kg817.Bxf8Rxf818.Rfe1±13.Nxc6Qxc614.Bxb7Qxb715.Qh4Kg716.Bh6+Kg817.Bg5This leads to a draw by repetition of moves. It's possible that Klaman was in time trouble here. Otherwise he would have played17.Bxf8Rxf818.f3±with an exchange up and the better position.17...Kg718.Bh6+Kg819.Bg5Kg712.Bxh6 An obvious sacrifice.12.Bf4Rc8=or12...Nb413.Rac1Nxd314.cxd3∞12...c4The best practical chance.not12...gxh6?13.Qxh6Nxe514.dxe5Ne415.f4followed by 16.Rh3 winning,13.Bxg7Kxg714.Qg3+Kh815.Qh4+Kg716.Qg5+Kh817.Qh6+Kg818.f4Nxe5Abernathy, a chess aficianado gives18...cxd319.Rf3Nxe520.fxe5Ng421.Rg3f522.exf6Bxf623.Rxg4+Kf724.Qh7+Ke825.Qxb7+-19.fxe5Ne4preparing to play...Bg5 and...f520.Rf6!+-
Would Bobby have found this out? The younger man had not managed it only for want of time and focused attention. Otherwise, it was not beyond him. Take a look at the position here:
19.Rf6!A bolt from the blue!Kg8On19...dxc3or 19...Bxf620.e5mates.20.e5h621.Ne2!Black resigns. There is no defense to the threat of Rxd6. On Black was hoping for21.Rxd6?Qxe5!and he survives to an ending.21...Nb5Or21...Bxf622.Qf5forces mate.22.Qf5wins. (The game is fully annoated by Bobby Fischer in his book, "My 60 Memorable Games".)1–0
The older man could not do it. He was fighting a losing battle against time, and in the end Death had the last word.
The Maestro from Moscow did not know
The pity is that Vassily Smyslov never came to know Bobby was so much interested in this game. The grand old man would only have been pleased. If Bobby had interacted with Smyslov and discussed this game with him, the two legends together would have come up with a wealth of variations. That is lost to posterity.
Barden draws a parallel
The writing of this feature for ChessBase had one happy windfall. Leonard Barden, the doyen of English chess journalism, happened to read the first part of this article. He is known as an authority on openings – in the good old days he was called “The Walking Encyclopedia” by late Assiac. Barden informed me that the tactical theme, Bd3-a6 is seen in a well-known trap in Queen’s Indian Defence. When I checked MegaBase 2018, I found as many as 24 games with this idea. Here is one of them:
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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
---
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1.d4Nf62.Nf3b63.c4e64.e34.a3preventing...Bb4 and preparing b2-b4 is the Petrosian Variation.4...Bb7The Queen's Indian defence5.Bd3The Classical VariationWhite avoids the Nimzo-Indian with5.Nc3Bb45.g3followed by Bg2 is in currently in vogue.5...c5seeking complex play5...d5followed by...Bd6,...0-0 and...Nbd7 is a solid alternative.6.0-0Be76...d6followed by ...Nbd7, ...Be7 and...0-0 leading to a hedgehog formation is also seen here.7.Nc3cxd47...d6followed by ... Nbd7 and...0-0 is still possible.8.exd4d5This leads to a sharp, double-edged game.9.cxd5Nxd510.Ne50-011.Qg411.Qh5Nf6comes to the same thing.11...Nf611...f5!?12.Qe2Bf6is the other line.12.Qh4Nc612...Ne4!13.Qh3Qxd414.Bf4Nf615.Ne2Qa416.Bg5g617.Rac1Na6White has some compensation for the pawn with his better development. However, Black is catching up with counterplay. This line needs more tests over the board.13.Bg5g6?13...Nxe5!14.Bxf6Nxd315.Bxe7Qc716.Bxf8Rxf8Black has compensation for the exchange with his active knight and bishop.14.Ba6!Nxe514...h615.Bxh6Nd516.Qh3Nxc317.bxc3Bxa618.Nxc6Qd619.Nxe7+Qxe720.Bxf8Rxf821.Rfe1Bc422.Qh61-0, Yusupov, Artur-Gurevich,Dmitry,HB Global 200515.dxe5h616.Bxf6Bxf617.exf6Bxa618.Rfd1+-1–0
It only remains for me to thank everyone involved in this journey.
First, there are the readers of this news page, especially, "Woodford", "Abernathy" and "clement41", whose lively interest and comment spurred me on. Over the years GM Michael Bezold must have answered endless questions on Bobby’s visit and stay at the family inn. Nevertheless, he patiently answered my query and came up with a nugget of info. Last, but not least I owe a debt to Leonard Barden for pointing out the tactical theme, Ba6 in the opening. My generation learnt from his writings for years and it still continues to learn.
Correction: The Klaman-Smyslov, 1947 diagram was initially missing a knight on f6.
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.
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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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