[Event "Palma de Mallorca Interzonal"]

[Site "Palma de Mallorca ESP"]

[Date "1970.12.08"]
[Round "21"]
[White "Robert James Fischer"]
[Black "Henrique Mecking"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A01"]
[EventDate "1970.11.09"]
[PlyCount "83"]
1.b3
{An interesting opening choice. As said in an interview. "I sometimes
play 1.b3 1.c4 or other things just to have them guessing". In this
game against the Brazilian prodigy 1.b3 was played, the Nimzo-Larsen
Attack.}
1...d5
{The other move in this position is e5, which is considered the modern
variation. I find 1...e5 to be more testing altough 1...d5 is also
sound.}
( 1...e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.c4 Nf6 4.e3 Be7 5.a3 O-O 6.Qc2 Re8 7.d3 {Fischer
vs Andersson 1970 Siegen Olimpiad. Fischer won this game. } )
2.Bb2 c5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.O-O
( 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Ne5 e6 8.O-O Rc8 9.f4 Be7 10.d3 {Would transpose into
the game.} )
6...e6 7.d3 Be7 8.Bxc6 Bxc6 9.Ne5 Rc8 10.Nd2 O-O
{And we could say that the opening has ended. Fischer traded the
bishop for the knight to occupy the e5 square in Queen's Indian
fashion. He has also restrained Black pieces with moves like d3/e3
which control critical squares in the center (e4/d4).}
11.f4
{This move signals Fischer's strategy. He will try to attack on the
kingside. f4 wins space on the kingside and introduces several ideas
like f5 or the thematic rook lift in these kind of structures, Rf3.
Lets see how Fischer carries out his plan.}
11...Nd7 12.Qg4
( 12.Nxc6 Rxc6 13.e4 {Was also an interesting continuation.} )
12...Nxe5 13.Bxe5 Bf6 14.Rf3!
{Fischer is able to do this rook lift without worrying about d4
because he has a a nice tactical justification.}
14...Qe7
( 14...d4 15.Rg3!
( 15.e4 {Was also an answer, but I would preffer Rg3 followed by
e4.} )
15...dxe3?? 16.Qxg7+!! Bxg7 17.Rxg7+ Kh8 18.Rxf7+ Kg8 19.Rg7+ Kh8 20.
Rg6+ Rf6 21.Bxf6+ Qxf6 22.Rxf6 {And White is just winning.} )
15.Raf1 a5
{A typical way of using rook pawns to attack is this one, when a rook
pawn is used to attack a fianchetto pawn structure. The idea for Black
here would be to play a4-axb4-Ra8 with counterplay and possible
infiltrations on the queenside.}
16.Rg3 Bxe5?
{A complete mistake that wins the game for White. Mecking surely
miscalculated something.}
17.fxe5 f5
{The defense that Mecking had planned.}
18.exf6 Rxf6 19.Qxg7+!!
{Mecking saw f5 but not Qxg7!!. This move gives White an almost
winning endgame.}
19...Qxg7 20.Rxf6 Qxg3 21.hxg3 Re8

{Another way of defending was Bd7, keeping the rook on the c-file
trying to get a timely c4 pawn break in.}
( 21...Bd7 22.g4 Kg7 23.g5 Rf8 24.Rxf8 Kxf8 25.Nf3 Ke7 26.Kf2 Kd6 27.
d4 {And this endgame should be won after White posts his knight on e5.
Typical bad bishop vs good knight endgame.} )
22.g4 a4 23.Nf3 axb3 24.axb3 Kg7 25.g5 e5 26.Nh4
( 26.d4 {Is also completely winning. } 26...exd4
( 26...cxd4 27.exd4 e4
( 27...exd4 28.Nxd4 )
28.Ne5 )
( 26...e4 27.Ne5 )
27.exd4 Re2 {Probably Black's best try.} 28.dxc5 Rxc2 29.Nd4 Rc1+
( 29...Rxc5?? 30.Ne6+ )
30.Kf2 )
26...Bd7 27.Rd6 Be6 28.Kf2 Kf7 29.Rb6 Re7 30.e4 dxe4 31.dxe4!
{Locking up the pawn on e5 which can be then attacked with moves like
Nf3. }
31...c4 32.b4 Bg4 33.Ke3 Rd7 34.g6+!
{The pawn cant be taken as it would lose a pawn.}
34...Kf8
( 34...hxg6 35.Nxg6 {And the e5 pawn is lost.} )
35.gxh7 Rxh7 36.Ng6+ Ke8 37.Nxe5 Bc8 38.Nxc4 Kd8 39.Nd6 Rg7 40.Kf2 Kc7 41.
Nxc8 Kxc8 42.Rd6
{Mecking could have resigned before but he chose to do it now, in a
hopeless endgame.}
1-0