Reshevsky Plays the Old Switcheroo

 

     Yugoslav GM Svetozar Gligoric started the year 1952 with a first place finish at Hastings. Then came tie for places 3-5 (with Erich Eliskases and Larry Evans behind Samuel Reshevsky and Miguel Najdorf at Havana. His next event was a first place finish in Hollywood ahead of Arturo Pomar. 

     After giving a ten board simul in Los Angeles it was time to return home and on the wat back he stopped in New York to play a match against Reshevsky. After the match it was on to the Olympiad in Helsinki and then he participated in the Interzonal in Stockholm. His final tournament that yer was the Yugoslav championship. 

     Played in New York from June 2-22, according to Chess metrics estimated rating Gligoric went into the match rated 2705 placing his at number 11 in the world. Reshevsky’s estimated rating was number 1 in the world with a 2777 rating. He was followed by Vassily Smyslov (2766) and Paul Keres (2758). 

     For his part, in 1952, Reshevsky had run over Miguel Najdorf in a, 18-game match that was unofficially called "The Match for the Championship of the Free World.” The games were played in New York, Mexico City and San Salvador. Reshevsky scored a crushing victory, winning 8, losing 4 and drawing 6. 

     The Gligoric-Reshevsky match was arranged rather suddenly in order to take advantage of the presence of Gligoric in New York after Reshevsky had returned from his match with Najdorf. 

     In his match against Najdorf, Reshevsky started off with a +6 -0 =2. Gligoric fared a little better...Reshevsky started off with a +2 -0 =4. 

     The first game in the match is an instructive example of switching the attack from one side of the board to the other. 

 

     The mark of great players is their flexibility and their readiness to switch objectives the moment opportunity presents itself. In Chess Fundamentals Capablanca wrote, “...at times the way to win consists in attacking first on one side, then, granted greater mobility of the pieces, to transfer the attack quickly from one side to the other, breaking through before your opponent has been able to bring up sufficient forces to withstand the attack.” 

     In this game Gligoric played the King’s Indian, a defense which is usually played with the idea of starting a counterattack. But, instead, in this game he abstained from aggressive play and only tried hold his own. His strategy proved to be safe, but his defense turned out to be overly cautious and when the position became partly open Reshevsky seized this opportunity to switch his forces to the King-side. He then obtained a strong attack which Gligoric was unable to defend against. 

     It's true, the game is not perfect because in the midst of the attack both players missed better opportunities. The game shows that defending is a lot harder than attacking and the consequences of a slip by the attacker are usually far less serious that a slip by the defender. 

[Event "Match (Game 1), New York"] [Site "New York, NY USA"] [Date "1952.06.01"] [Round "?"] [White "Samuel Reshevsky"] [Black "Svetozar Gligoric"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E95"] [Annotator "Stockfish 16"] [PlyCount "84"] [EventDate "1952.06.01"] {E95: King's Indian: Classical Variation} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 {At this point white has a variety of ways to continue. With 7.dxe5 black gets an easy game. By 7.d5 closing the center, a positional, maneuvering game results where white will likely be attacking on the Q-side and black on the K-side. Reshevsky's 7.O-O is neutral, reserving all the options and leaving black to make the exchange if he wishes.} 7. O-O Nbd7 8. Re1 c6 9. Bf1 {How do you explain this retreat? White played 6.Be2 in order to get castled, but after 8.Re1 returning the B to f1 unmasks the R so it has effect on the e-file. Additionally, the B is not badly place on f1 from where it serves both for defense and for supporting the coming Q-side P advance.} Re8 {The threat is to play 10...exd4 with the hope of making use of the r file.} 10. d5 {After this push black can exchange Ps, but then white would be able to make good use of the c- file. Gligoric decides to close the center completely. It's then up to white to decide how he wants to break through.} c5 11. a3 Rf8 { A mysterious looking move, but this Rs return to f8 has a pirpose...it foreshadows K-side expansion by ...f5 after black plays ...Ne8. Note that the R served no purpose on e8 after white played 10.d5} 12. g3 (12. Rb1 {is also acceptable.} Ne8 13. b4 h6 14. g3 b6 15. Bd2 Qe7 16. Qc2 {with equal chances. Abdelnabbi,I (2452)-Haddouche,M (2329) Tripolis 2009}) 12... Ne8 (12... h6 { was played in Sosonko,G (2575)-Camara,H (2325) Sao Paulo 1978} 13. Qc2 Kh7 14. b4 b6 15. Rb1 Ng8 16. Bd3 Ne7 {The chances are about equal.}) 13. b4 Qe7 { Passive play, but there is little choice. Gligoric makes no attempt to get in . ..f5. If...f5 really was his intention he has apparently changed his mind.} ( 13... f5 {is met by} 14. Ng5 Nc7 15. Nb5 Nf6 (15... Nxb5 16. Ne6 Nc3 17. Qc2 Qf6 18. Qxc3 {is decisive.}) 16. exf5 gxf5 17. bxc5 dxc5 {and white has a favorable position.}) (13... b6 {This worked out well for black after} 14. Rb1 Kh8 15. Bd2 Qe7 16. Qc2 f5 {Jaracz,P (2395)-Urban,K (2470) Augustow 1996 and black has equal chances...the game was eventually drawn.}) 14. Ra2 {White is better.} Nc7 (14... f5 {Apparently Gligoric still deemed this too risky.} 15. exf5 gxf5 16. Nh4 e4 17. Ne2 Ne5 18. Nf4 Bf6 {Am unclear, complicated position has arisen, but white seems to have the advantage after} 19. bxc5 dxc5 20. d6 Qf7 21. Nd5 Bxh4 22. gxh4 Nf3+ 23. Kh1 Nf6 24. Ne7+) 15. Be3 b6 16. Nh4 Ne8 17. Qc1 Nc7 {It appears that Gligoric has decided that there is nothing positive he can accomplish and so he has decided to awaits developments. Shifting his N back and forth is not so bad in itself, but it gives Reshevsky time to build up his position.} (17... f5 {Is still a tad risky.} 18. exf5 gxf5 19. Bh3 Nb8 ( 19... Ndf6 20. Nxf5) 20. f4 Na6 (20... exf4 21. Bxf4 Qf6 22. Ne4 fxe4 23. Bxc8 {White's position is a winning ione.}) (20... e4 21. Nxe4 fxe4 22. Bxc8 { White's advantage will prove decisive.}) 21. fxe5 dxe5 22. Bg5 {Here, too, white's advantage should prove decisive.}) 18. Bg5 Bf6 19. Bh6 Bg7 20. Bh3 { Reshevsky's plan is to eliminated all 4 Bs, then open and occupy the b-file.} Re8 {Clearly Gligoric has no plans for the f-file.} 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. Qd2 { Black's options are becoming few.} Nf8 23. Bxc8 Rexc8 24. bxc5 {This exchange has to be played at a time when black can't relake with a N. Now after this exchange black won't be able to keep the b-file half-closed by recapturing with the d-Pawn., because of the repky d5-d6.} bxc5 $14 (24... dxc5 25. d6 { wins}) 25. Rb2 Nd7 26. Na4 Rcb8 27. Reb1 Qd8 (27... Rxb2 {is a reasonable try because he can then challenge white on the b-file.} 28. Rxb2 Ne8 29. Nc3 Nb6 ( 29... Rb8 30. Rxb8 Nxb8 {looks drawish.})) 28. Kg2 h6 {This move gas been wrongly criticized as being a superfluous precaution that ruins black's game, but that's an overstatement; black's game is perfectly OK. What Gligoric's problem is that he has been paying too passively. 28...Nb6 was also a good move.} 29. Qa5 Nb6 30. Nxb6 axb6 31. Qc3 {This position is equal, but Reshevsky is quietly preparing to switch operations to the K-side. With 31.Qc3 he defends the a-Pawn and takes advantage of the pin on the e-Pawn and threatens to launch a K-side attack with f2-f4.} Kg8 {Generally it's not a good idea to keep the K on the diagonal with white's Q.} (31... Ne8 32. f4 Kh7 33. fxe5 dxe5 34. Qxe5 Nd6 {is technically equal, but in practice black;s position is very passive and therefore difficult to defend.}) 32. Qd2 {Now Reshevsky's two-pronged attack has become serious, but even so, with careful play black can still hold his own.} (32. Rxb6 {would be a horrific mistake.} Rxb6 33. Rxb6 Nxd5 34. exd5 Qxb6 {and white has lost a R.}) 32... Rxa3 { After this Gligoric finds himself in serious difficulties. Now that the Q is off the long diagonal and the e-Pawn is no longer pinned the K can safely guard the h-Pawn.} (32... Kh7 {leaves his K-side safe and so there is nothing better for white than to go back to Q-side operations, but after, for example} 33. Qd3 (33. Rxb6 Rxb6 34. Rxb6 Rxa3 {the position is void of any damger for black.}) 33... Ne8 34. Rb3 Nf6 35. Nf3 {the position is dead equal.} (35. f4 exf4 36. gxf4 Nh5 {wins})) 33. Qxh6 {The appearance of white's Q on the K-side plus the N being poised to play a role in the attack means that black is now in serious danger.} Ne8 34. f4 {Reshevsky is now going all out for a mating attack, but black has good defensive resources after this.} (34. Nf3 {This quiet move, clearing the way for the advance of the h-Pawn, is very dangerous to black. For example...} Nf6 35. Ng5 Ra7 36. h4 Qf8 37. Qxf8+ Kxf8 38. Rxb6 Rxb6 39. Rxb6 Ke7 40. Rb8 Ng4 (40... Ra4 41. Rb7+ Kf8 42. Rxf7+ Kg8 43. Rxf6) 41. Rb2 Nf6 42. f3 {White is better, but the question is, does he have enough of an advantage to win? The answer is, yes. White won 5 out of 5 Shootouts. Here is the example at 17 plies.} Nh5 43. Kh3 f5 44. exf5 gxf5 45. Rb3 Kf6 46. Rb6 Ke7 47. Rb3 Kf6 48. Rb6 Ke7 49. Rb2 Nf6 50. Rb3 Nh5 51. Ne6 Kf6 52. Rb8 Ke7 53. g4 fxg4+ 54. Kxg4 Nf6+ 55. Kg5 e4 56. fxe4 Nd7 57. Rh8 Nf6 58. Kf5 Ra1 59. Nf4 Kf7 60. Rd8 Re1 61. Rxd6 Nxe4 62. Re6 Ng3+ 63. Kg4 Ne4 64. Nd3 Rg1+ 65. Kf5 Ng3+ 66. Ke5 Rd1 67. Nxc5 Kg7 68. d6 Nf1 69. Ne4 Ne3 70. Re7+ Kg6 71. c5 Rd5+ 72. Ke6 {with an easy win for white.}) 34... exf4 35. Rf2 $1 Qe7 (35... Qf6 { was a much better defense.} 36. Rxf4 Qg7 {White's attack is at an end and it's doubtful that he has enough of an advantage to win.}) 36. Qxf4 {This, too, is imprecise!.} (36. Rxf4 {is a different story.} Ra2+ 37. Kg1 g5 38. Nf5 Qf6 39. Rff1 Qxh6 40. Nxh6+ Kg7 41. Nxf7 {and it's doubtful that black will survive.}) 36... Ra4 {This attack on the b-Pawn is impotent.} (36... Rba8 37. Rbb2 Rc3 38. Nf3 Rxc4 39. Ng5 f6 40. Ne6 Qh7 41. Rxb6 Rb4 42. Rc6 {And the game is still in full progress with the outcome uncertain.}) 37. Rbf1 {Seven moves ago all white's heavy pieces were on the Q- side. Now they are well placed on the f-file while black's Rs are unable to be of much use in the defense.} Rb7 38. Nxg6 {This move was highly praised, but it's actually premature. Old annotators often praised moves based on the success of the winner and that's why you cannot trust a lot of analysis in old books and madazines. Of course they didm't have engines so they often missed a lot. Of this move it was written that it was "a superficially brilliant sacrifice which forces the final entry' and "it probably needed very little calculation." Another annotator gave it a "!!" and wrote, "A neat sacrifice which makes white's sudden attack irresistible." On the other hand, Stockfish slapped a "?" on it.} (38. Qg4 {is correct and it leaves black with no defense. For example...} Raa7 39. Rxf7 Qxf7 40. Rxf7 Rxf7 41. Qxg6+ Kf8 42. Nf5 Ra2+ 43. Kh3 Raa7 44. Qh6+ Kg8 45. Qe6 Kf8 46. Nh6 Rfb7 47. Qg8+ Ke7 48. Nf5+ Kd8 49. Nxd6 Rh7+ 50. Kg2 Rhe7 51. h4 {and white is clearly winning. Here is a possible continuation...} Rad7 52. e5 Rxe5 53. Nf7+ Rxf7 54. Qxf7 {etc.}) 38... fxg6 {The reality is that at this point white is only slightly better.} 39. Qh6 {[%mdl 128] White threatens Rf8+ but if black finds the right reply he equalizes and is right back in the game!} Qxe4+ {[%mdl 8192] Missing the equalizer.} (39... Ng7 40. Qxg6 Rxc4 41. e5 dxe5 42. d6 Qe8 43. Qxe8+ Nxe8 44. Rf8+ Kg7 45. Rxe8 Rc2+ { and the double R ending should be drawn...theoretically at least.}) 40. Kg1 ( 40. Kh3 Qf5+ 41. Rxf5 gxf5 42. Qe6+ Kh7 43. Rf4 Rxc4 44. Rxc4 Kg7 45. Qxe8 Kf6 46. Qe6+ Kg7 47. Rh4 c4 48. Qxf5 c3 49. Rg4+ Kh8 50. Qf6+ Kh7 51. Qh4#) 40... Qd4 41. Kg2 Qe4+ 42. Kh3 Qf5+ {Black resigned} 1-0