A Fascinating Position

     In describing the following game, Irving Chernev wrote that it “floats along with ease and grace” and Bronstein’s play “charms us with its air of gay nonchalance. We derive pleasure that comes from spontaneous wit.” That’s not the language I’d use to describe it, but ever since I first saw the position after white’s 14th move in this game, it has held a fascination for me. 
     In 1954 the Soviets were unbeatable.  In March they defeated the team from Argentina 20.5-11.5. Other team victories in 1954 were: they won the Amsterdam Olympiad when they won 11 matches, lost none and drew only one (against Argentina). They crushed the US team in a match held in the Hotel Roosevelt in Manhattan by a score of 20-12. They beat teams from France 15-1 and Uruguay 19.5-0.5. 
     This game against Najdorf is especially interesting because it features three united passed Ps pitted against a minor piece. In the ending three united passed Ps are generally superior to either a N or B, but in the middlegame the situation is much more complicated. Sometimes the extra piece can be used to conduct an attack before the Ps can get moving. Once Qs are exchanged the Ps increase in value. 
     In Modern Chess Strategy, Pachman used this game, lightly annotated, as an example of how to play with passed Pawns against a piece. Irving Chernev also presented it in his book Twelve Great Chess Players and Their Best Games which contains 115 games by Capablanca, Alekhine, Lasker, Fischer, Botvinnik, Petrosian, Tal, Smyslov, Spassky, Bronstein, Rubinstein and Nimzovich.
     Everybody has praised Bronstein’s conception when he played 28.d6, but that was based more on the result than on the cold calculation of hundreds of thousands of variations that the engines can produce. And, of course, the engines found good defensive possibilities for Najdorf that are beyond the scope of humans. 

    That doesn’t take anything away from Bronstein’s play though. Thankfully, players like those 12 in Chernev’s book didn’t play like today’s GMs do!! Who wants to watch the rigor mortis brought on by too much computer analysis that prevails in today’s chess?

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[Event "USSR vs. Argentina"]
[Site "Buenos Aires"]
[Date "1954.3.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "David Bronstein"]
[Black "Miguel Najdorf"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteELO "?"]
[BlackELO "?"]

%Created by Caissa's Web PGN Editor
{Sicilian Najdorf} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5
e6 7. Qf3 Nbd7 8. O-O-O Qc7 9. Qg3 b5 {Usual and less critical is 9...Be7.}
10. Bxb5 {Engines don't like this move, but Bronstein is going to get three Ps
for the piece and as he pointed out, it's wrong to judge the position based on
material alone. He will be able to neutralize the activity of black's pieces
without much trouble, but the mobilty of the passed Ps will be more difficult
to handle. He also observed that Najdorf did not take full advantage of his
opportunities.} 10... axb5 11. Ndxb5 {This position has been reached many
times since this game was played and in the database I am using, white has won
half, drawn a quarter and lost the rest, so the position is highly favorable
for white.} 11... Qb8 {In annotating this game in Twelve Great Chess Players
and Their Best Games, Irving Chernev wrote that like it or not, black has to
play this and trade Qs or else he won't be able to breath. Pachman, on the
other hand, gives it a question mark and recommends 11...Qa5 as was played in
the game Kotov-Lilienthal, Moscow 1942. As Pachman points out, Najdorf's move
eases white's task for the reason mentioned in the introduction...once Qs are
exchanged the Ps increase in value.} 12. Nxd6+ Bxd6 13. Qxd6 Qxd6 14. Rxd6 h6
{ Causing a disagreement between GMs. Bronstein wrote that his B is extremely
strong and it would be a pity to exchange it for a N. Pachman went so far as
to give the move a question mark and claimed Bronstein overestimated its
value. Instead, he recommended 15.Bxf6 as in Fichtl-Dolezal, Czech
Championship 1954 (the same year as this game) where white was soon able to
use his united passed Ps. Who is right? In the database white scores much
better with Bronstein's move which is also recommended by Stockfish.} 15. Bd2
Bb7 16. f3 { As Pachman now points out, black's next move is the losing move.
With 16... O-O-O his K would be able to help hold up the three passed Ps and
at the same time he could launch a counterattack by advancing his K-ide Ps
with ...g5-g4. In that case, black would have had some chances. Stockfish
prefers Chernev's alternate suggestion of 16...Ke7 (gaining a tempo by driving
back the R) and then ...Rhc8.} 16... O-O 17. b3 Rfc8 18. Kb2 Nc5 19. Be3 e5
{Questioned by Chernev. The intention is to create a square for the N, but it
also creates a weak square on d5 which is quickly utilized by Bronstein. Black
should probably try to rectify his mistake in castling by playing 19...Kf8.}
20. Rhd1 Ne6 21. Rb6 Bc6 22. Nd5 {An obstreperous N, says Chernev. I had to
look that one up...it means noisy and difficult to control. Black's in a
pickle... he can't allow the N to remain on d5 in view of the fork on e7 as
well as Nxf6 and Bxh3.} 22... Bxd5 23. exd5 {White now has four connected
passed Ps...too many for a piece to handle.} 23... Nc5 24. Rb5 Nfd7 25. c4 e4
{The Ns have succeeded in holding up the advance of the Ps so now Bronstein
eliminates one of them. Bronstein also has in mind a plan to sacrifice a P to
aid in the advance of the others.} 26. Bxc5 Nxc5 27. fxe4 Nxe4 {Bronstein's
next move has been universally, and incorrectly, praised because Najdorf erred
in grabbing the a-Pawn. Correct was first 28.Rd4 attacking the N. Then if
28...f5 and only now 29.d6. In that case, Shootouts using Stockfish only
produced one win and four draws at 15-23 plies. I would suggest setting up
this position and playing through all the possibilities with an engine.} 28.
d6 {Stockfish suggests 28.Rb6 and then a6. With 28.Rb6 the possibility of a
sacrifice on 2 and the fork on c6 are eliminated and white keeps his four Ps.
In that case white would have had a sure win.} 28... Rxa2+ {This is the actual
losing move. Correct was 28...Rc6!! then if 29.d7 and once again Shootouts
resulted in only one win for white and four draws.} 29. Kxa2 Nc3+ 30. Ka3
Nxd1 {While black is losing time with his N, white advances his Ps.} 31. c5
Nc3 32. Ra5 Nd5 33. c6 Nf6 34. Ra6 Kf8 35. b4 Ke8 36. b5 Nd7 {Both sides were
in extreme time pressure so Najdorf is simply trying to complicate. It would
be wrong to take the N and break up his Ps.} 37. Ra7 Rb8 38. Rxd7 Rxb5 {White
has a mate in 12 with 39.Re7, but it takes 23 move with 39.Ra7...not that it
matters.} 39. Ra7 {White intends d7} 39... Rb8 40. d7+ Ke7 41. d8=Q+ Kxd8 42.
c7+ {Mate in 18 after this.} 1-0