The following game was awarded the first brilliancy prize. In it Byrne conducted an overwhelming K-side attack featuring some spectacular sacrifices against Larry Evans (1932-2010). He was awarded the GM title in 1957 ans was known for his long association with Bobby Fischer.
[Event "U.S. Championship, New York"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1965.12.30"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Robert Byrne"]
[Black "Larry Evans"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B97"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 18"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "1965.12.12"]
{ B97: Najdorf Sicilian}
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 {This cane as a surprise to Byrne who was expecting to see
Evans' favorite Taimanov Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6).
Instead, he transposes into another favorite, the Najdorf Sicilian.} 3. Nc3 d6
4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 {[%mdl 32]} Qb6 {The other main choice
is the less aggressive. 7...Be7. The point of ...Qb6 is to force white to
choose either the tame retreat 8.Nb3 or play the following speculative P
sacrifice.} 8. Qd2 Qxb2 {This move is still more popular than 8...Nc6, but at
the time this game was played this P grab had heavily favored black.} 9. Rb1
Qa3 10. e5 {Very aggressive and yielding better results than the more passive
10.f5 or 10.Bxf6.} dxe5 11. fxe5 Nfd7 12. Bc4 {This move prepares to to
sacrifice on e6, but today ot is known that white should play 12.Ne4!.} (12.
Ne4 h6 13. Bh4 Qxa2 14. Rd1 {The chances are equal.}) 12... Bb4 {At the time
this was cutting edge theory. The move's purpose is to us this annoying pin to
keep the white pieces tied up. Prior to this move, which is still considered
best today, black had tried 12...Be7 with little success because white plays
Bxe6! with complete equality.} (12... Nxe5 {is a serious mistake.} 13. Nxe6 {
Black is threatened with mate on d8.} Qa5 14. Bd8 Nxc4 15. Bxa5 Nxd2 16. Nc7+
Kd7 17. Kxd2 {White is better.}) (12... Be7 13. Bxe6 O-O {Now white should
play either 14.O-O or matbe 14.Nd5, but not} 14. Bb3 Bxg5 15. Qxg5 Qc5 {
and pressure on the e-Pawn gives black the advantage.}) 13. Rb3 Qa5 14. O-O O-O
{This very complicated position was reached in the then well known game
Tringov-Fischer, Havana 1965 in which Fischer (with his opponent's help)
scored a convincing win.} 15. Bf6 {This is Byrne's prepared analysis, but
against correct play it should also come up short.} (15. Nxe6 $4 fxe6 16. Bxe6+
Kh8 17. Rxf8+ Bxf8 18. Qf4 Nc6 19. Qf7 Qc5+ 20. Kh1 Nf6 21. Bxc8 Nxe5 22. Qe6
Neg4 {0–1 Georgi Tringov-Robert Fischer Havana 1965}) (15. Qf2 $3 {This
obscure move is the only way white can maintain equal chances.} Bc5 $1 16. Ne4
Bxd4 17. Qxd4 Qxe5 18. Qe3 Nc6 19. Rd3 {with unclear complication.}) 15... gxf6
$2 {[%mdl 8192] This loses.} (15... Nxf6 $1 {This move maintains the upper
hand after} 16. exf6 Rd8 {White's most aggressive continuation is} 17. Rxb4
Qxb4 18. Qg5 g6 19. Rf4 $1 Rxd4 20. Rxd4 Qb6 21. Qe3 {Black is a solid P up.})
16. Qh6 $1 Qxe5 {Desperately trying to get some pieces to the defense of the
K-side.} (16... fxe5 17. Rf3 {[%emt 0:00:04] mates in} f6 18. Bxe6+ Rf7 19.
Rg3+ Kh8 20. Bxf7 exd4 21. Rg8#) 17. Nf5 exf5 {Of course 18...Qxe4 loses the Q
to 19.Rg3+} 18. Ne4 {[%mdl 32]} Bd2 19. Nxd2 Qd4+ 20. Kh1 Ne5 {By returning a
piece Evams he has forced white to retreat the N from attacking f6. This
allows black's own N to reach the defense of the K-side. Even so, white is
still winning.} 21. Rg3+ Ng4 22. h3 {[%mdl 96]} Qe5 23. Rf4 {[%mdl 64]} Qe1+
24. Nf1 Qxg3 25. Rxg4+ Qxg4 26. hxg4 {Evans' clever defensive strategy has
been to give up his Q for two Rs in the hope that white's attack would come to
an end, that's not the case. White is now threatening to bring his N up
(Ng3-h5) which leads to mate.} Nd7 27. Ng3 Kh8 28. Bd3 Rg8 29. Bxf5 Rg6 30.
Bxg6 fxg6 {Byrne now finishes off his opponent in the fashion of a top level
GM!} 31. Ne4 $1 b5 32. g5 {Still attacking!} Bb7 {This allows a mate in 4, so
he should have defended the 7th rank with 32...Ra7} 33. Nxf6 {Now instead of a
mate in 4, according to the engine it's a mate in 19.} (33. gxf6 Rg8 34. Ng5
Bxg2+ 35. Kxg2 Nxf6 36. Nf7#) 33... Nf8 34. Qh2 Bc8 35. Qe5 {Intending Ng4+
and mate.} Ne6 36. Nd7+ {Black resigned. He is facing loss of more materia;
after 36.Nb6} 1-0
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