Annotated chess game: Better move than Fischer's? Stockholm Interzonal

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ANNOTATED GAME

Better move than Fischer's? Stockholm Interzonal
Robert James Fischer (?) vs. Julio Bolbochan (?)
Annotated by: sergeidave (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B90), Najdorf, Adams attack

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1. e4	I found this game cool game by Bobby Fischer vs. Bolbochan, but I found an interesting move, which was not actually played, but I think it would've been a better move, unless I'm missing something. What do you guys think? Replay the game and stop by move 25, to read my suggestion. Thanks and enjoy! Additional comentaries are from other sources, except on move 25.
	2 comments ruachessnut2 (1200) on 01-Oct-08: Fischer was a grandmaster at 16 & a master at 13 when he played this. Master's ratings start at 2200. If he were as low as 2218, he would still 600 points higher than you. I don't think that the committee that awarded Fischer the prize for brilliant game missed your move & neither did Fischer. sergeidave (1200) on 02-Oct-08: I know all that, that's why I put a question mark on the title. I just wanted to share this variation and maybe get some comments about it. I'm not saying that Fischer missed it, I'm just wondering why didn't he play it. Although the brilliancy prize and elegancy explains the whole matter.


1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 Nc6 7. g4 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 e5 9. Qd3 Be7	More accurate is 9...B-K3 immediately.--Fischer
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2334) on 24-Sep-08: I.e. 9...Be6


10. g5 Nd7 11. Be3 Nc5 12. Qd2 Be6 13. O-O-O O-O 14. f3 Rc8 15. Kb1	Amateurs are often puzzled by this apparent loss of time. Actually it is a handy defensive move, getting out of the pin on the QB-file which could become annoying after ...P-QN4-5. One never knows when lightning will strike! -- Fischer



15... Nd7 16. h4 b5 17. Bh3 Bxh3 18. Rxh3 Nb6 19. Bxb6 Qxb6 20. Nd5	White has a strategically won game; his Knight cannot be dislodged. -- Fischer



20... Qd8 21. f4 exf4 22. Qxf4 Qd7 23. Qf5 Rcd8 24. Ra3 Qa7 25. Rc3	Here's my find: Instead of this Rc3, why not Nf6 ? Black is forced to take the knight to avoid mate by Qxh7#. He can either take with the pawn, which leads to a quick win for white, or he can take with be bishop, which leaves white with good advantage. Here are the options: 25.Nf6 gxf6 26.gxf6 Kh8 27.Qg5 Rg8 28.fxe7 and white is winning. Or 25.Nf6 Bxf6 26.gxf6 g6 (not gxf6?) 27.Qg5 which, I think, wins quicker than what Fischer played. What do you guys think??
	5 comments archduke_piccolo (2334) on 24-Sep-08: The main line runs: 25.Nf6+!? Bxf6 (25...gxf6?? does indeed lose quickly, by 26.gxf6 Kh8 27.Qg5! Rg8 28.fxe7! Re8 29.Qf6 Rg7 30.Rg3) 26.gxf6 g6 27.Qg5 Qf2 (stops White's threatened 28.Qh6) 28.Rxa6. This does leave White with an advantage. Is it better than 25.Rc3, then? It is highly probable - but by no means certain - that Fischer saw the 25.Nf6 line, but, following the advice of the 'Praeceptor Germanorum', looked for and found an improvement. The move played threatens 26.Rc7, picking up the e7-bishop. The following sequence is an impressive strategic squeeze such that Black is reduced to a move like 30...Qh8 in order to survive a little longer. freeman8201 (1770) on 24-Sep-08: This would be a 2nd best move ruachessnut2 (1200) on 01-Oct-08: On page 215 of "My 60 Memorable Games" Bobby said, "Objectively best is 25 NxB, QxN; 26 RxRP, KR-K1; 27 P-R4! But I was hoping to win in the middle game. Ironically, I wouldn't have been awarded the brilliancy prize had I chosen the best line here. They don't give medals for endgame technique!" Annotating Bobby's games isn't easy. While 2 grandmasters were commenting on a R. Byrne vs. R. Fischer game explaining that Byrne had a won game, Byrne resigned on move 21. Fischer & Byrne were the only GMs that saw the combo that led to mate. Six years prior to this game Bobby gave his queen on move 17 & mated Master Donald Byrne on move 41. Which is good for a 13 year old! That game is called ,"The game of the century." "Undoubtably,the greatest combination ever germinated by a child prodigy," National Master Bruce Pandolfini in his book " Bobby Fischer's Outrageous Chess Moves" Ten years after beating Julio, Bobby became world champ. The odds are that Bobby is right & a 1618 player is wrong. fletch1729 (1200) on 05-Oct-08: It's surprising Fischer that mentions 25.Nxe7 and not 25.Nf6+, which is very much in his style. After 25.Nf6+ Bxf6 26.gxf6 g6 27.Qf4 Kh8, White again has a powerful bind. damalfi (1200) on 06-Nov-09: I met Julio Bolbochan, and I took a master class with him... a wonderful weekend, I was much too young to take advantage of. He seemed me a wonderful teacher and very nice person. I would like to ask him why he played the 27. move, why he felt The urge to move this queen, allowing the rook to penetrate his battlefield.


25... g6 26. Qg4 Qd7 27. Qf3 Qe6 28. Rc7 Rde8 29. Nf4 Qe5 30. Rd5 Qh8 31. a3 h6 32. gxh6 Qxh6 33. h5 Bg5 34. hxg6 fxg6 35. Qb3	The coup de grace.--Fischer
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2334) on 24-Sep-08: Well ... sort of. Bolbochan's reply is a complete blunder - probably due to demoralisation. 35...Kh8 keeps Black in the fight. E.g. 36.Nxg6+ Qxg6 37.Rxg5 Rxf1+! 38.Ka2 Qxg5 39.Qh3+ Kg8 40.Qxf1 - White can not press the attack on account of 40.Qh7+?? Kf8 41.Qh8+ Qg8 is check!


35... Rxf4 36. Re5+ Kf8 37. Rxe8+	Black resigns. After 37...KxR; 38 Q-K6 , K-B1; 39 Q-B8 mates.--Fischer