The following superlative win by Polugayevsky helped change thinking about the center. Long ago players tried to establish a strong Pawn center. Openings such as the Evans Gambit are a case in point; white hopes to get Pawns on e4 and d4.
Eventually it was learned that a full Pawn center did not always insure success. In fact, the Pawn center could be subject to pressure by piece or a Pawn counterattacks. That was seen, for example, in the development of the Indian defenses.
When Boris Spasky becane World Champion (1969-72) he stated that his greatest ambition in chess was to "think classically." In other words, maybe the old idea of a classic Pawn center wasn’t a bad idea after all. That brings us to the present game in which Polugayevsky successfully demonstrated the use of the classical Pawn center.
Lev Polugaevsky (1934-1995) warded the GM title in 1962 and was a frequent contender for the World Championship and he was one of the strongest players in the world from the early 1960s until the late 1980s. He was also a distinguished author and opening authority. He died of a brain tumor on August 30, 1995.
Lev Polugayevsky–Mikhail Tal1–0D41USSR Championship, Moscow1969Stockfish 17
D41: Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense 1.c4 f6 2.c3 e6 The most popular move here is 2...e5, but David Bronstein clled it a weak move because it creates an outpost or d5 for white's N. There were some recent games at the time, such as the Larsen-Spassky match and several games by Botvinnik that seemd to support that belief. 3.f3 d5 4.d4 This is about the only decent option white has and from here there are many plausible options for both players, but statistically white seems to perform quite well. c5 5.cxd5 xd5 This is the Semi·Tarrasch; the Tarrasch proper is 5...exd4 which allows white the pin witn 6.Bg5 6.e4 At the time this game was played this was a revival of this old move. For many years it had been held to be too simplifying amd so white played 6.e3 hoping for a more long lasting initiative with an isolated d-Pawn, but with freer play for his pieces. These days both moves are popular. xc3 7.bxc3 cxd4 In this position white has enjoyed considerable success, so it is logical for black to reduce the number of pieces and, hopefilly, the possiblility of having to face a dangerous K-side attack. 8.cxd4 b4+ 9.d2 xd2+ Black succeeds in simplification, but at the same time gets a position in which he will have an inferior ending. 10.xd2 0-0 11.c4 There are many moves available to white here, but this is the most active position for the B because it creates the threat of d5 at the appropriate moment. c6 12.0-0 b6 This position was known from as far back as the 1937 Alekhine-Euwe Wotld Championship re-match...the game ended in a draw. It was also reached in Reshevsky-Fine at Hastings 1937/38 which was drawn in 21 moves. 13.ad1 In the aforementioned examples white elected to place his Q on f4. Here white puts both Rs behind the center Ps according to the idea Botvinnik had put forth back 1937 and then directs his attention to the K-side. However, Boris Spassky was actually the first to adopt Botvinnik's suggestion in his 1969 World Championship match against Petrosian. b7 14.fe1 a5 Equally good was 14...Rc8, but black wants to drive the B from its strong position. 15.d3 Even so, here the B is aiming at the K-side. Gligoric observed that Polugaevsky and Spassky were good friends and they worked together. As a result Polugayevsky was very well prepared in this variation. Oddly, so was Tal! He had prepared this variation as white for his game against Korchnoi, so it's incredulous that he entered it as black! c8 This is a critical position. The position is dead equal, but Petrosian instinctively felt black's N is dangerously out of play. T 16.d5 exd5 Black accepts the offer P, but it will not turn out well. 16...c5 leaves him with an isolated e-Pawn, but also equal chances after 17.dxe6 fxe6 18.c1 xc1 19.xc1 h6 There does not seem to be anu way white can take advantage of black's N or isolated P. 17.e5 The point, The opened diagonal is an aggressive feature of white's position, His B is pointed at black's K-side and black in unable to get any pieces to the K's defense. Additionally, white's e-Pawn hinders black. c4 18.f4 b2 A serious, if not decisive, mistake, but his position is very difficult. 18...e7 is a better defense. 19.d4 g6 Prevents Nf5 20.e2 c5 21.de1 c8 22.g3 e6 Black has blockaded the e-Pawn, but after 23.f5 followed by f5 white has a strong attack. 19.xh7+ Of course. This move was probably considered in Polugayevsky's home preparation. xh7 There was no choice. 19...h8 20.g5 c4 21.e4 and there is no way to meet a check on the h-file. 20.g5+ g6 Tal vainly places his hope on this reply. It’s a good move though because white has only one move that continues the attack. Of course, Polugayevsky finds it. 21.h4 The only move to win. 21.e4 does win! dxe4 22.xd8 cxd8 with sufficient compensation for the Q and so it's anybody's game. 21.e4 xd1 22.g4+ h7 23.f6+ gxf6 24.h5+ is a draw 21...c4 21...e7 Believe it or not, this move was to be played a couple of times in years to come.. 22.e6 22.d2 is much less effective. c4 23.g3 h6 24.xb2 f6 25.f3 e4 26.be2 h7 27.exf6 gxf6 28.xe4 dxe4 29.f4 White eventually managed to win. Dreev,A (2698) -Jussupow,A (2583) Mainz 2003 22...f5 23.h5+ xh5 24.f7 xf7 25.exf7 xf7 26.g4+ and wins easily. Ozen,B (2328)-Kukov,V (2351) Manisa TUR 2019 22.h5+ This is not nearly as good as it looks and no annotators picked up on it! It allows black right back in the game. 22.g3 Threatening a devastating discovered checkm so... h6 23.e6 f6 24.exf7 xd1 25.e6 wins 22...h6 After this white has no more than a small advantage. 22...xh5 This, too, was to be played many years later 23.g4+ h6 24.h2+ 1-0 (24) Avrukh,B (2525)-Donk,M (2345) Antwerp BEL 1998 23.xf7+ h7 24.f5+ g8 25.e6 A nice finishing touch that threatens to win with h6, but black can defend himself. f6 Excellent! Past annotators based there comments on the outcome, but today engines don’t have that problem. 26.xf6 gxf6 27.d2 c6 28.xb2 e8 28...c8 puts up a tougher resistance. 29.h6+ h8 30.e7 e8 31.d2 h7 32.f7 g8 Offering white to take the draw by repeating moves. 33.d8 c7 The e-Pawn falls and the chances are equal. 29.h6+ h7 30.f5+- exe6 31.xe6 xe6 Black has established material equality, but it is of no use as he cannot prevent the decisive penetration to the 7th rank by white's R. 32.c2! Rc7+ is the strong threat. c6 33.e2 c8 34.e7+ h8 The final error. 34...g8 puts up a bit of a fight. 35.h4 f5 36.xa7 d4 37.f1 f4 38.g6 c1+ 39.e2 g4+ 40.f3 xh5 41.xf4 with a win ending. 35.h4 f5 36.g6+ g8 37.xa7 Black resigned. 1–0
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