That was also the year the legendary Soviet GM Grigory Levenfish (1889-1961) died in Moscow and the great Akiba Rubinstein (1880-191) died in Antwerp.
Also in '61, Botvinnik regained the world championship by smashing Tal 10 to 5 with six draws. In September the nefarious Master Emeritus Norman Whitaker was badly injured and Expert Glen Hartleb killed when they were involved in a car accident in Arkansas. I posted about it a few years back HERE.
In 1961 the long awaited match between the US Champion Bobby Fischer and former champion Samuel Reshevsky was a dream that came true. It was arranged by the American Chess Foundation with Jacqueline Piatigorsky putting up about $6,000 in prize money.
Bent Larsen, Svetozar Gligoric, Paul Keres and Tigran Petrosian predicted Reshevsky would win by up to three points. Even though he had won four straight US titles few US players thought Fischer would win. One exception was Isaac Kashdan who predicted that he would win by two points.
The first four games were played in New York before moving to Los Angeles. The match tied after the eleventh game when, in order to satisfy the personal needs of Mrs. Piatigorsky, the twelfth game was switched to three or four different times with the agreement of all the parties. Then it was suddenly changed to 11am and Fischer objected, refused to appear and was forfeited.
Game 12 was scheduled to be played back in New York on Tuesday, August 15. On that date Fischer, who was still in Los Angeles, phoned and said he would not continue unless the forfeit was voided.
He was told to show up by Thursday, August 17 and play game 13 and the forfeit would be ruled on later. Under those circumstances Fischer failed to show up and the New York referee, Al Horowitz, declared a temporary forfeit pending the arbiter's decision. Walter Fried, President of the American Chess Federation, then declared the match forfeited in favor of Reshevsky.
One of the more exciting games was the second game. Adapting a little known suggestion in Modern Chess Openings Fischer emerged from the opening with a strong attack. Reshevsky held his own until time pressure took its toll and eventually he blundered and allowed Fischer a tactic that netted Reshevsky's Queen.
Robert Fischer - Samuel Reshevsky
Result: 1-0
Site: Match, New York, Los Angeles
Date: 1961
Sicilian Dragon
[...] 1.e4 c5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘xd4 g6 Reshevsky was the only major GM who still had confidence in the Dragon in spite of all the improvements that had been discovered. The accelerated fianchetto he plays here is designed to provoke the Maroczy Bind (5.c4), the merits of which had become questionable. 5.♘c3 In the 11th game of the match Fischer obliged with 5.c4 and got a favorable position. 5...♗g7 6.♗e3 ♘f6 7.♗e2 A bit of a surprise. Fischer does not play his usual 7.Bc4 which he played in the 4th and 6th games. It was also the move he had played against Reshevsky in the 1958-59 US Championship and Reshevsky made a catastrophic blunder on move 8! Reshevsky played on before finally admitting defeat on move 42.
21...♔h8 22.♗f4
7.♗c4 O-O 8.♗b3 ♘a5 My database has several games in which black fell into this same trap years after this famous game, including GM Predrag Ostojic who fell into it in 1988! Correct is 8...d6 or even 6...a5 9.e5 ♘e8 10.♗xf7+ ♔xf7 11.♘e6 which wins the Q because if 11...♔xe6 12.♕d5+ ♔f5 13.f4 mates in 4. 13...♘c7 14.g4+ ♔xg4 15.♕g2+ ♔h4 16.♕g5+ ♔h3 17.♕g3#
7...O-O 8.f4 Fischer wrote that despite Reshevsky's familiarity with the Dragon, he was pretty sure that Reshevsky's opening knowledge of it wasn't up to date.
8.O-O Fischer rejected this routine move because he didn't like 8...d5 9.exd5 ♘b4 equalizing.
8...d6
8...d5 is now bad because of 9.e5 ♘e4 10.♘xe4 dxe4 11.♘xc6 bxc6 12.♕xd8 ♖xd8 13.♗c4 with a winning ending. Olafsson-Larsen, Wageningen 1957.
9.♘b3 ♗e6 Fischer called this old fashioned and recommended 9...a5.
9...a5 10.a4 ♗e6 11.O-O ♘d7 12.f5 ♗xb3 13.cxb3 ♘c5 14.♗c4 ♘e5 Equals. Fedorov,A (2684) -Makarov,M (2513)/Smolensk 2000
10.g4 The old way was 10.O-O. Instead Fischer chooses a move made famous in Alekhine-Botvinnik, Nottingham, 1946 which ended in a draw. The move 19.g4 was actually introduced by Levenfish in his game against Botvinnik in Moscow, 1936. At the time this game was played experiece with Levenfish's move was scant.
10.O-O ♕c8 11.♔h1 ♗g4 12.♗g1 ♖d8 13.♘d5 ♗xe2 14.♕xe2 e6 15.♘xf6+ ♗xf6 16.c3 the position is slightly in white's favor, but in Anand,V (2610) -Fedorowicz,J (2565)/Amsterdam 1990, black managed to win.
10...d5 11.f5 ♗c8 12.exd5 ♘b4 13.♗f3 Alekhine continuded with 13.d6 against Botvinnik and got a quick draw. 13...gxf5 14.a3 fxg4 15.♗g2 This was the suggestion given in MCO. Fischer turns the opening into a promising gambit. According to Euwe 15. axb4 was promising.
15.axb4 Euwe's untested suggestion leads to an unclear situation after 15...gxf3 16.♕xf3 ♗g4 17.♕g3 ♘xd5 In Shootouts white scored +0 -2 =3 with the draws coming at the higher plies, so all the chances are in black's favor.
15...♘a6 16.♕d3 Hans Kmoch stated this is Fischer's improvement over MCOs suggestion of 16. Qe2. Black has tried several moves here, but the position remains in white's favor. 16...Qd6, 16...Nc7, 16...Nd7 and Reshevsky's move. Kudos to Fischer who properly gave the credit to Soviet analyst Ivo Ney for 16.Qd3
16.♕e2 was was the old move, but after 16...♗f5 followed by ...Bg6 the B is able to defend the K-side.
16.d6 hands over the initiative after 16...exd6 17.O-O ♘h5 18.♕d2 ♗e5
16...e6 17.O-O-O
17.d6 This was played in Isupov,V (2300) -Zaitsev,I (2430)/ Moscow 1994, but it was no improvement over Fischer's move. 17...♘d5 18.♘xd5 exd5 19.O-O-O ♕xd6 20.h3 ♕g6 21.♕d2 the position is equal.
17...♘xd5 (17...exd5 18.h3 g3 19.♗d4 is good for white.) 18.h3 g3 It's important that black keep the g-file closed or else white gets excellent attacking prospects on the file. 19.♖hg1 ♕d6 20.♗xd5 exd5 In spite of the fact that white stands much better Reshevsky has been putting up a tough defense. Fischer now claimed that with his next move he missed the strongest continuation that would have all but ended the game. 21.♘xd5
21.♗d4 Fischer said that this is the move that he should have played. 21...♗xd4 22.♕xd4
22.♖xg3+ Fischer's move which is faulty. 22...♗g7 23.♖dg1 ♔h8 24.♖xg7 ♕f4+ 25.♔d1 ♗f5 26.♕g3 ♕xg3 27.♖7xg3 ♘c7 and black's position is slightly better.
22...♘c7 23.♕h4 ♗f5 24.♖xg3+ ♔h8 Best 25.♘xd5 ♘xd5 26.♖xd5 ♕e6 Capturing the R allows mate with Qe6. 27.♕d4+ f6 28.♖e3 ♕g8 29.♖f3 ♗g6 30.♘c5 ♖ae8 31.♖xf6 ♖xf6 32.♕xf6+ ♕g7 33.♕xg7+ ♔xg7 34.♖d7+ with a won ending. 22.♗d4 was also good here. 22...f6 23.♕f3 ♗e6 24.♗c3 ♕c6 25.♘a5 ♗xd5 26.♖xd5 ♕c7 27.♖h5 followed by Qf5 with a decisive attack.
22...♕g6 23.♕d2 Kmoch claimed that instead of recovering the P because it might be too drawish after the ensuing exchange of the Qs, Fischer chooses the more enterprising text which also sacs the h-Pawn.. Actually, Fischer confessed that he simply overlooked Reshevsky's clever reply!
23.♕e2 is best. The after 23...♗f5 24.♖xg3 ♕e6 25.♖e3 ♖ac8 26.♖xe6 ♖xc2+ 27.♕xc2 ♗xc2 28.♖e3 ♗xd1 29.♔xd1 ♗xb2 The ending, though difficult, should be won for white as happened in five Shootouts. Here is one example. 30.♖d3 ♖d8 31.a4 b6 32.♔e2 ♖c8 33.♖d2 ♖d8 34.♖d3 ♖e8+ 35.♔f3 f6 36.♖d2 ♗e5 37.♗e3 ♔g7 38.♘d4 ♖c8 39.♘b5 ♖c4 40.♘xa7 ♖xa4 41.♘c6 ♖h4 42.♘xe5 fxe5 43.♔g3 ♖c4 44.♖b2 ♘c7 45.♘xc7 ♖xc7 46.♖xb6 ♖c3 47.♔f3 ♖c4 48.♗g5 e4+ 49.♔g3 e3 50.♗xe3 ♖c3 51.♖e6 ♖a3 52.♔g4 ♔f7 53.♖e5 ♖a4+ 54.♔h5 ♔f6 55.♖b5 ♖a3 56.♗g5+ ♔f7 57.h4 ♖a6 58.♗e3 ♖e6 59.♖f5+ ♔g7 60.♗d4+ ♔g8 61.♖g5+ ♔f8 62.♖f5+ ♔g8 63.♖g5+ ♔f8 64.♗g7+ ♔f7 65.♗h6 ♔f6 66.♖b5 ♖e1 67.♖b7 ♖g1 68.♗g5+ ♔f5 69.♖xh7 and white wins.
23...♗xh3 Played instantly by Reshevsky. In spite of some questionable moves and his precarious position he still has plenty of play and white's game will not play itself. 24.♖xg3 ♗g4 An important defensive maneuver has been made...Reshevsky has gotten his B onto the g-file thereby sealing it. Fischer now has to find another way to continue his attack. 25.♖h1 Thinking about switching operations to the h-file. 25...♖fe8 26.♘e3 ♕e4 A catastrophic mistake in a lost position. It's explained by the fact that Reshevsky was in time trouble and was anxious to simplify. The alternative 26.. .f5 may hold for the time being but has the general disadvantage of reducing the P protection of black's K. (26...f5 27.♕g2 ♖ad8 28.♘xg4 fxg4 29.♖xg4 ♕e4 strongly favors white.) 27.♕h2 ♗e6
27...♗f5 offers little hope though because black gets slaughtered after 28.♖xg7 ♔xg7 29.♘xf5+ ♕xf5 30.♘d4 ♕e4 31.♕h6+ ♔g8 32.♖g1+
28.♖xg7 Winning the Q. 28...♔xg7 29.♕h6+
29.♖g1+ ♗g4 30.♖xg4+ ♕g6 31.♖xg6+ fxg6 32.♗h6+ ♔g8 33.♕f4 ♖e6 34.♘d5 ♖ae8 35.♘d4 g5 36.♕xg5+ ♖g6 37.♘e7+ ♔f7 38.♘xg6 hxg6 39.♕d5+ ♔f6 40.♗g5+ ♔g7 41.♕d7+ ♔g8 42.♕xe8+ ♔g7 43.♘e6+ ♔h7 44.♕f7+ ♔h8 45.♗f6#
29...♔g8 30.♖g1+ ♕g6 31.♖xg6+ fxg6 32.♘d4 ♖ad8 33.♗e5 ♖d7 34.♘xe6 ♖xe6 35.♘g4 ♖f7 36.♕g5 ♖f1+
36...♖fe7 does not save the day 37.♗d6 ♖e1+ 38.♔d2 ♖7e2+ 39.♔d3 ♔f7 40.♕d5+ ♖e6 41.♕xb7+
37.♔d2 h5 (37...♔f7 38.♕d8 leaves black with no reasonable move.) 38.♕d8+ Reshevsky resigned.
38.♕d8+ ♖f8 39.♘h6+ ♔h7 40.♕xf8 ♖xe5 41.♘f7 ♖d5+ 42.♔e3 g5 43.♔e4 ♘c7 44.♕h8+ ♔g6 45.♘e5+ ♖xe5+ 46.♔xe5 ♘d5 47.♕g8+ ♔h6 48.♔xd5 g4 49.♔e6 g3 50.♔f6 g2 51.♕h8#
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I think that this was the catalyst for Fischer's anti- Semitism. Most of the involve parties were Jewish and Fischer felt robbed (rightfully so,imho.
ReplyDeleteFisher had a weakness: his psychological frailty
ReplyDeleteFor this he did not want to continue the match, the story of the forfeit was just an excuse
Over the years I have become convinced that for this same reason he did not play against Karpov and, if the match had been there, he would have found an excuse to leave the tournament and Karpov would have become champion in any case.