Chessplayers lost that year were Vyacheslav Ragozin, Ernst Gruenfeld, Czech IM Josef Rejfir, Milan Vidmar, Ossip Bernstein and Frank Graves, a former USCF president.
On October 25, 1962, the strong US Senior Master 38-year old Abe Turner was stabbed to death in the offices of Chess Review by Theodore Smith, an ex-mental patient. Turner was stabbed in the back 9 times and then his 280 pound body stuffed in a large safe.
The Stockholm Interzonal was won by 18-year-old Bobby Fischer who was undefeated. Tigran Petrosian won the Candidates tournament at Curacao. US representatives Bobby Fischer and Pal Benko finished 4th and 6th (out of 8 places) respectively. After the tournament Fischer accused the Russians of cheating by rigging the outcome of their games; later Korchnoi confirmed the accusations.
The following game was played in the 1962 Soviet Championship. The tournament, which had been preceded by six semifinals events, was held from November 21 to December 20 in Yerevan, the capital and largest city of Armenia.
Korchnoi scored +10 -1 =8, losing only to Vladas Mikenas. Curiously, Mikenas defeated both Korchnoi and Tal.
The following game has been widely published and was included by Korchnoi in his own best games collection.
While referring to notes by GM John Emms, GM Andy Soltis and USCF Life Master A.J. Goldsby, and with the help of Stockfish 15, Komodo 14, I have tried to weed out a lot of variations, including some erroneous analysis, and just capture the essence of this struggle between these two leviathans of the chess world. Enjoy the game!
[Event "USSR Championship, Yerevan"]
[Site "Yerevan URS "]
[Date "1962.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Viktor Korchnoi"]
[Black "Mikhail Tal"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A62"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 15"]
[PlyCount "107"]
[EventDate "1962.??.??"]
{Modern Benoni: Fianchetto Variation} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5
5. cxd5 d6 6. Nf3 g6 {At the time Tal was almost the only titled player that
played the sharp Benoni and he was responsible for its surge in popularity.
Black plays for a Q-side attack while white tries to use his center Ps.} 7. g3
{A Korchnoi favorite.} Bg7 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O Na6 {At the time this move was
all the rage; today either 9...a6 or 9...Re8, or sometimes 9...Nbd7 are the
standard moves. In the book of his best games Korchnoi slapped a ? on the move,
but it's quite playable.} 10. h3 {An important part of white's strategy. He
wants to advance his center Ps, but first prevents black from playing ....Bg5
and ...Bxf3 thereby getting rid of his bad B. An alternative is 10.Nd2} Nc7 {
GM John Emms disapproved of this move blaming it for black's opening problems,
claiming that 10...Re8 in order to hinder white's center advance makes more
sense. Komodo doesn't see much difference between the two moves.} (10... Re8
11. Nd2 Nc7 12. a4 b6 13. e4 Ba6 14. Re1 Nd7 15. Nf3 Qe7 16. Bf4 Qf8 {with
equal chances. Kamsky,G (2735)-Topalov,V (2700) Dos Hermanas 1996}) 11. e4 Nd7
{Emms was critical of time Tal spends fiddling with his Ns and makes the handy
observation that it is usually a sign that something has gone wrong if black
has to capture on e5 with his d-Pawn.} (11... Re8 {is the main alternative,
but it hardly seems better.} 12. Re1 h6 {White stands slightly better, but
with the R on e8 the advance e5 is rendered ineffective.} 13. e5 {Despite
Emms' observation this leads nowhere after} dxe5 14. Nxe5 Nfxd5 15. Nxd5 Bxe5
16. Bf4 Bxf4 17. Rxe8+ Nxe8 18. Nxf4 Qxd1+ 19. Rxd1 {with a likely draw,
black's extra P notwithstanding.}) 12. Re1 {12.Bf4 is equally good. It was
played in two GM games in my database. The same applies to 12.Bg5} Ne8 {
The position was critical and Tal is still fiddling with his Ns.} (12... b5 {
This is premature.} 13. e5 b4 14. exd6 bxc3 15. dxc7 Qxc7 16. bxc3 Bxc3 17. Bh6
Bxe1 18. Qxe1 Bb7 (18... Rd8 19. Qe7 {followed by Ng5 wins}) 19. Bxf8 Rxf8 20.
Rd1 {White is slightly better.}) (12... f6 {Hindering e5 was a reasonable try
even though it further weakens the K's position.} 13. a4 Ne5 {is equal.}) (
12... Ne5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Be3 Re8 {and white is slightly better.}) 13. Bg5
Bf6 14. Be3 Rb8 (14... b5 {was suggested by Korchnoi as being black's best
practical chance.} 15. Nxb5 Ba6 16. a4 Bxb5 17. axb5 Bxb2 18. Ra6 Nb6 {with an
unclear position, but in the long run white should have the better chances.})
15. a4 a6 16. Bf1 {Prevents b5.} Qe7 17. Nd2 Nc7 18. f4 b5 {This move has been
condemned by many critics, but oddly, in The World's Greatest Chess Games, GM
John Emms passed over it without comment. Stockfish drops its evaluation to 2.
5 Ps in white's favor, but Komodo 14 is much less harsh, favoring white by
only one P. In any case, Tal's temperament would not permit a passive defense.}
19. e5 {Korchnoi breaks through in the center in classic fashion and quickly
develops a K-side attack.} dxe5 20. Nde4 {Threatening 21.d6 so...} Qd8 (20...
exf4 21. d6 Qe6 22. dxc7 Bxc3 23. cxb8=Q Nxb8 24. bxc3 fxe3 25. Qf3 {costs
black a R.}) 21. Nxf6+ Nxf6 {Now in addition to the move he played, white has
a couple of other reasonable moves: 22.axb5 and 22. Bxc5.} 22. d6 (22. Bxc5 {
is OK, but not as forceful.} b4 (22... Re8 23. fxe5 Nfxd5 24. Nxd5 Nxd5 25.
axb5 axb5 26. Qd4 {Black can hope to play on.}) 23. Ne4 Nxe4 24. Rxe4 Re8 25.
Rxe5 Rxe5 26. fxe5 Nxd5 {and black is still fighting.}) 22... Ne6 23. fxe5 b4
24. Nd5 {White's pieces are swarming in preparation of an attack.} (24. exf6 {
allows black to equalize with} bxc3 25. bxc3 Qxf6 26. d7 Bb7) 24... Nxd5 25.
Qxd5 Bb7 26. Qd2 Qd7 27. Kh2 {White has the advantage: more space, the B pair
and a strong, protected passed P. In addition, black's dark squares around his
K are weak.} b3 {Trying to distract his opponent with a Q-side demonstration.}
(27... Qc6 {Threatening mate on h1 is adequately met by} 28. Bc4 Qf3 29. b3 {
with a clear superiority.}) 28. Rac1 Qxa4 29. Bc4 Bc8 30. Rf1 {[%mdl 32]} Rb4
31. Bxe6 {This was universally slapped with a ? because is should have allowed
black to seize the initiative and get back in the game, but engine analysis
shows that white is still superior. That said, 31.Bxe6 was not the best move.}
(31. Bd5 Qd7 32. Bh6 Rd4 33. Qg2 Ng7 34. Bc6 Qe6 35. Rxc5 {There were other
reasonable moves for both sides, but in any case, black is unlikely to survive
much longer.}) 31... Bxe6 32. Bh6 {Korchnoi is rightly unconcerned about
grabbing the c-Pawn.} Re8 33. Qg5 Re4 34. Rf2 {Prevents Re2.} (34. Qf6 {
allows black to equalize after} Re2+ 35. Rf2 Rxf2+ 36. Qxf2 Qd4 37. Qxd4 cxd4
38. Rc7 Ra8 {The position is completely even.}) 34... f5 35. Qf6 {Attacking on
the dark squares.} (35. exf6 {is less effective than keeping possession of the
pair of passed Ps.} Bf7 36. Qxc5 Qd4 {White is clearly better, but black can
still put up stiff resistance.}) 35... Qd7 {Prevents Qg7+.} 36. Rxc5 Rc4 37.
Rxc4 Bxc4 38. Rd2 Be6 {Now comes a repetition in order to reach adjournment
and allow Korchnoi time to figure things out at his leisure.} 39. Rd1 Qa7 {
aiming for ... Qf2+.} 40. Rd2 {Care must be taken even to the very end.} (40.
d7 Qf2+ 41. Kh1 Qf3+ 42. Kh2 Qe2+ 43. Kh1 Qxd1+ 44. Kg2 Qe2+ 45. Kg1 Qe1+ 46.
Kg2 Bd5+ {mates next move.}) 40... Qd7 41. Rd1 {The game was adjourned here.}
Qa7 42. Rd4 {Korchnoi found this keen move during adjournment...it prevents
the Q from reaching f2 (obviously black can't take it because his Q is
preventing mate on g7). It should be mentioned that white's advantage here (2
Ps according to Komodo) is sufficient to win, but even so, white must continue
to find good moves and he has to remain alert so that he does not offer his
very dangerous opponent counterplay.} Qd7 43. g4 a5 44. Kg3 {[%mdl 32] The
beginning of a K march on the dark squares in preparation of the final attack.
As Steinitz said, the K is a fighting piece.} Rb8 {Not a move without purpose!
It prepares ...Qf7} (44... Qf7 {immediately is met by the winning move} 45. d7
Bxd7 46. Qxf7+ Kxf7 47. Rxd7+ Ke6 48. Rxh7 {etc.}) 45. Kh4 (45. gxf5 {would
also win.} Bxf5 46. Rc4 Qa7 47. Rc5 Re8 {This leaves white to figure out how
he is going to grind out the win.}) 45... Qf7 46. Kg5 fxg4 47. hxg4 Bd7 48. Rc4
{[%mdl 512] As far as I know this brilliant move has not been commented on.} (
48. Rf4 {allows black to equalize after} Qxf6+ 49. Kxf6 Re8 50. Re4 Re6+ 51.
Kg5 Re8 {and the Bs of opposite color allow black to set up a blockade,}) 48...
a4 (48... Qxf6+ 49. Kxf6 Re8 50. Rc7 Re6+ 51. Kg5 Be8 52. Kf4 Bb5 53. Rc8+ Re8
54. Rxe8+ Bxe8 55. e6 {wins}) 49. Rc7 a3 {Korchnoi is not about to be
distracted by this Q-side demonstration.} 50. Rxd7 {[%mdl 512] Well played!
This is the only move that wins!} (50. Qxf7+ Kxf7 51. Rxd7+ Ke6 52. Re7+ Kd5
53. d7 axb2 54. Re8 b1=Q 55. Rc8 Kxe5 56. d8=Q Rxc8 57. Qxc8 {This position
should be drawn with careful play by both sides.}) (50. bxa3 {would lose to}
Qxf6+ 51. Kxf6 b2) (50. Qe7 {This attempt at being clever also loses.} Qxe7+
51. dxe7 Be8) 50... Qxd7 51. e6 {[%mdl 32] White's strategy as noted on move 6
is successful. After the best move, 51...Qb5+, Komodo shows a mate in 25 moves.
} Qa7 {This shortens the misery...it's mate in 10 moves.} 52. Qe5 {White mates.
} axb2 53. e7 Kf7 54. d7 {A great game with an unbelievable finish and one in
which Korchnoi deserves credit for his very precise play.} (54. d7 Qe3+ (54...
Qxd7 55. Qf6+ {mate next move.}) (54... b1=Q 55. Qf6+ Kg8 56. Qg7#) 55. Qxe3
Rb5+ 56. Kh4 g5+ 57. Bxg5 Rb8 58. e8=Q+ Rxe8 59. dxe8=Q+ Kg7 60. Q3e5#) 1-0
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