Dr. Miroslav Filip Hoodwinks Tal

    Miroslav Filip (1928 - 2009) was a Czech Grandmaster. He was born in Prague and like Ludek Pachman, he benefited from the occasional presence of the world champion Alexander Alekhine in Prague competitions during the early 1940s. However, it was not until the age of 25 that Filip began to make a serious mark on the postwar chess scene. 

    From 1955 to 1962, the 6 foot 9 inch tall Filip became a world force. During this period he twice achieved the arduous feat of qualifying for the Candidates Tournaments for the World Championship at Amsterdam in 1956 and again at Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles, 1962. Filip never was chess professional so his two appearances in these events are an impressive achievement. 

    After the Candidate tournaments Filip grew less enthusiastic about tournament play and was more concerned with avoiding defeat than in scoring wins. He also became more involved in journalism and serving as an arbiter. 

 

 

    The following game, mentioned in the previous post, was probably Filip’s best in the tournament. Tal was playing his usual sharp game and had established a significant advantage when he got hoodwinked. Filip’s sacrifice of the exchange caught Tal off guard and he played a few weak move before totally collapsing.

 

 

 

[Event "Curacao Candidates"] [Site ""] [Date "1962.05.20"] [Round "12"] [White "Mikhail Tal"] [Black "Miroslav Filip"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B43"] [WhiteElo "2706"] [BlackElo "2618"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "78"] [EventDate "1962.05.02"] {B43: Sicilian: Kan Variation} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 { The moves ...e6 and ...a6 are the flexible Kan Variation in which black keeps his options open. He has the optio of where to place his dark squared B and 4.. .a6 prevents Nb5 and prepares ...b5} 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. f4 b5 7. a3 Bb7 8. Qf3 { Normal is 8.Bd3 and then if he chooses, placing the Q on e2, but Tal liked playing with fire.} Nf6 9. Bd3 Bc5 10. Nb3 Be7 11. O-O O-O {Safer was 11...d6 followed by ...Nbd2} 12. Bd2 (12. Qh3 {threatening e4-e5 would have been more Tal-like!} d5 (12... e5 13. fxe5 Qxe5 14. Rf5 Qe6 15. Nd4 {is crushing.}) 13. e5 Ne4 14. Nd2 {White has the initiative.}) 12... d6 13. g4 d5 {A safe alternative was 13...g6, but Filip is not inyerested in defending, he is alsi playing aggressively,} 14. e5 Nfd7 15. Qh3 {[%mdl 2048]} g6 16. Nd4 Nc6 17. Nce2 Nxd4 18. Nxd4 Nc5 19. b4 Ne4 20. Be3 (20. Bxe4 {Turns out ot be in black's favor after} dxe4 21. Be3 Bd5 22. c3 f6 (22... Qxc3 23. Rfc1 Qd3 24. Rd1 Qc3 25. Rdc1 {draws}) 23. exf6 Bxf6) 20... Rfe8 21. Rae1 Bf8 22. Nf3 a5 23. f5 (23. Bxb5 axb4 24. axb4 (24. Bxe8 {does not win the exchange.} Rxe8 25. axb4 Ba6 $17 {wins bacj the exchange and white is left with two weak Ps.}) 24... Bxb4 25. Bxe8 Rxe8 26. Rb1 Bc5 27. Bd4 Ba6 {White has win the exchange but black has compensation in the form of the well placed N, two Bs and white's weak c-Pawn}) 23... exf5 24. gxf5 Rxe5 {This offer of the exchange is nothing more than a bluff, but there was really nothing better and Tal now fails to find the correct way to keep his advantage.} 25. fxg6 (25. Nxe5 Qxe5 26. Bxe4 dxe4 27. Rd1 {White is in complete control of the game.}) 25... hxg6 26. Nxe5 Qxe5 27. c3 {Better was 27.Qd7} axb4 28. Bd4 {Filip has now managed to equalize.} Bc8 {Very good. The exgchange of Qs would only be to black's advantage.} 29. Qg2 Qh5 {Threatening ...Bh3.} 30. Bxe4 dxe4 31. Qxe4 {White has a small material advantage (R vs B+P). His B and Q are well placed and he has control of the e-file and...he has a lost game after this! Watch Filip's pieces spring into life!} (31. axb4 Bh3 {regains the exchange and equalizes.}) 31... Qg5+ 32. Kh1 (32. Qg2 Qxg2+ 33. Kxg2 bxa3 34. Ra1 Be6 35. Rfb1 Bc4 { White is reduced to shuffling pieces/} 36. Kf3 a2 37. Rc1 Rd8 38. Rc2 Bg7 39. Ke3 Bxd4+ (39... b4 40. Bxg7 b3 41. Rcxa2 bxa2 42. Bf6 Rd6 43. Bd4 Re6+ { Black has a win ending.}) 40. cxd4 Rxd4) (32. Kf2 Rxa3 33. Re3 Ra2+ 34. Re2 b3 35. Qe5 Qxe5 36. Bxe5 Bc5+ 37. Bd4 Bxd4+ 38. cxd4 Rxe2+ 39. Kxe2 Bf5 40. Kd2 b2 {wins}) 32... Be6 {...Bd5 is the threat.} 33. Be5 Rd8 {Renewing the threat of . ..Bd5} 34. h4 Qh5 {Threatens to win with ...Bd5.} 35. Qf4 Rd3 {35...bxa3 was even stringer.} 36. Bf6 {This loses instantly.} (36. axb4 {at least gives him a fighting chance.} Rh3+ 37. Kg1 Rxh4 38. Qf3 Qg5+ 39. Kf2 Bd5 40. Qxd5 Rh2+ 41. Bxh2 Qxd5 42. Be5 Bg7 43. Bxg7 Kxg7 {and white can play on hoping for a miracle.}) 36... Qd5+ 37. Kg1 bxc3 38. Re4 Bc5+ 39. Kh2 Qa2+ {White resigned. Tal's collapse was sudden and complete.} (39... Qa2+ 40. Rf2 Qxf2+ 41. Qxf2 Bxf2 42. Re2 Bg3+ {is hopeless for white.}) 0-1