Grossguth,C - Fischer,Robert James [B92]
USA-ch Juniors USA, 1956
[Chessfriend.com]
Bobby Fischer was 13 years old when he played this game. He is already using the Najdorf Sicilian (5.-a6 named after GM Miguel Najdorf), his main defence against 1.e4 during his whole career. About the opponent I don't know much. He played like about ELO 2100 this game.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6
The Sicilian Najdorf
6.Be2
Other main lines are 6.Bg5, 6.Be3, 6.Bc4 or 6.f4
6...e5
A good alternative is 6...e6
7.Nb3 Be7
Possible is also 7...Be6. With 6...Be7 wants to castle fast.
8.Be3
The main line is 8.0–0
8...0–0
More often 8...Be6 is played
9.Qd2?!
9.0–0 is more popular, but the best results White is getting after 9.g4!?
9...b5
9.-Be6 is normally preferred
10.f3 Be6 11.g4?!
Better are 11.0–0 or 11.Nd5 The text move tries to start a king side attack. But Bobby is now able to play a classical counter-attack in the centre
11...d5!
White has now immediate problems with his centre. Black has the initiative.
12.g5?!
[12.exd5 Nxd5 13.Nxd5 Bh4+ 14.Kf1 Qxd5 15.Qxd5 Bxd5 16.Kg2 Nc6 17.Rad1 would have been ok for White]
12...d4
Now Bobby already has the better position. This means his prospects to win this game are about 60:40 now.
13.gxf6 Bxf6 14.0–0–0 dxe3 15.Qxd8
[15.Qxe3? Bg5 16.Rxd8 Bxe3+ 17.Rd2 Nc6–+ Black is winning here]
15...Rxd8 16.Nc5
tries to win time with the attack on the Be6. But Bobby doesn't try to save his bishop pair and instead finishes the development of his pieces. [16.Na5!?; 16.Nd5!? would have been better possibilities to survive]
16...Nc6!
17.Nxe6 fxe6–+
Now White's position is already very complicated to hold. Blacks chances to win the game have improved to about 80:20.
Black is not scared of the exchange of the white knight for his bishop. The pawn on e6 will deny White using the d5 square and therefore the exchange is in Black's favor.
18.Rhf1
[18.a3 to prevent 18...b4 18...Nd4 19.Kb1 Rac8 20.Rd3 a5 21.Bd1 b4 22.Ne2 Nxf3 23.Rxe3 Nd2+ 24.Ka2 Bg5 25.Rd3 Nxe4–+]
18...b4 19.Na4 Nd4 20.Rxd4
[20.Rde1 Bh4 21.Nb6 Ra7 22.Nc4 Bxe1 23.Rxe1 Nxe2+ 24.Rxe2 Rad7 25.Nxe3 with an advantage for Black]
20...Rxd4 21.Bd3
[21.Nb6!? Rd2!! 22.Bd3 Bg5! 23.Kb1 Rd8 24.Nc4 Rxh2 25.Rg1 Rxd3! 26.cxd3 e2–+]
21...Rad8
Bobby is improving his position with every move and White has no useful moves
22.Kd1
[22.Bxa6? Bg5 23.Be2 Rd2 24.Re1 Bh4–+]
22...Bg5 23.Ke2
here Bobby missed a faster win:
23...Bf4?!
[23...Rxd3!! 24.cxd3 Rc8 and his opponent would have probably resigned already 25.Nc3 (25.f4 exf4 26.Kf3 Bh4 27.Rg1 Rc2 28.d4 Rf2+ 29.Kg4 e2 30.Re1 Rg2+ 31.Kxh4 f3 32.Nc5 f2–+) 25...bxc3 26.Rc1 c2 27.a3 Kf8–+]
24.h3 Rc8 25.Rd1 Rc6 26.b3 Kf7
all the black pieces are in ideal positions, so it's time to improve the king and White cannot do anything himself to improve his position.
27.h4
Zugwang for White ( according to the rules he must make a move, although he would prefer not to do so )
27...Kf6 28.h5 a5 29.Nb2 Rxd3!
the final blow [29...Rxd3 30.Kxd3 Rc3+ 31.Ke2 Rxc2+ 32.Kd3 Rxb2–+]
It doesn;t matter how White is recapturing the rook. He will lose decisive material.
0–1
A very strong game from the 13 year old Bobby Fischer. We have to remember that the game was played 1956, where no chess databases, chess engines or most of current chess books existed.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 June 2010 11:23