Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Performance
L POLOGAYEVSKY
PERGAMON RUSSIAN CHESS SERIES
Grandmaster Performance
PERGAMON RUSSIAN CHESS-SERIES
AVERBAKH,Y.
Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge
Comprehensive Chess Endings
Volume 1 : Bishop Endings & Knight Endings
Volume 2: Bishop v. Knight Endings & Rook v. Minor Piece Endings
BOTVINNIK,M. M.
Achieving the Aim
Anatoly Karpov: His Road to the World Championship
Half a Century of Chess
Selected Games 1967-70
GELLER,E. P.
The Application of Chess Theory
LIVSIDTZ,A.
Test Your Chess IQ, Volumes 1 & 2
NEISHTADT, Y.
Catastrophe in the Opening
Paul Keres Chess Master Class
POLUGAYEVSKY, L.
Grandmaster Performance
Grandmaster Preparation
SHERESHEVSKY, M. I.
Endgame Strategy
SMYSLOV, V.
125 Selected Games
SUETIN, A. S.
Modern Chess Opening Theory
Three Steps to Chess Mastery
VAINSTEIN, B. S.
David Bronstein-Chess Improviser
Grandmaster Performance
By
LYEVPOLUGAYEVSKY
International Grandmaster
Translated by
KENNETH P. NEAT
PERGAMON PRESS
OXFORD · NEWYORK · TORONTO · SYDNEY · PARIS· FRANKFURT
)
U.K. Pergamon Press Ltd., Headington Hill Hall,
Oxford OX3 OBW, England
U.S.A. Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park,
Elmsford, New York 1 0523, U.S.A.
Printed in Hungary
Contents
V
From the Author
Some 30 years ago, when I was still a boy, I was given some advice by one of the oldest
Soviet chess masters, one of Alexander Alekhine's fellow players back in the 1909 S t Peters
burg Tournament, Pyotr Romanovsky. "If you want to play well," he said, "in the first in
stance study games. Your own and other peoples'. Examine them from the viewpoint of the
middlegame and the endgame, and only then from the viewpoint of the opening. This is more
important than studying textbooks."
Perhaps such advice is not indisputable, perhaps it will not appeal to everyone, but I accept
ed and have followed this recommendation all my life. O f course, on becoming a master, and
then a grandmaster, I had to make a detailed acquaintance with opening monographs and with
endgame guides, but nevertheless the analysis of games still remains for me the most important
thing. To a great extent, this is why I am now offering this collection of my own games, played
over nearly a third of a century.
They have been selected such that the reader should obtain as clear an impression as possible
of what promises victory in chess. This is a fundamental knowledge of the openings (even if
not all, but only certain ones), a mastery of the skills of attack and defence, and an ability to
· form a strategic plan. (The following aphorism is after all true: "It is better to follow a bad plan,
than to play without any plan at all".) This is the ability to play endgames, and the ability to
play in critical situations, which is acquiring greater and greater significance: psychology today
is the key to the solving of many problems, including those associated with chess.
But I hope that the reader will take note of, evaluate, and arm himself with the main message
of the book: at whatever stage of the game the victory was gained, by whatever means it was
achieved, it was always as a result of effort. Always great, and sometimes enormous. The author
is firmly convinced that without this it is impossible today to mount even half the steps of
the chess staircase, leading upwards.
I consider myself to have been fairly fortunate in chess. I have scored victories in many major
tournaments, and have more than once been a Candidate for the World Championship. But
the greatest joy in this field of my life has nevertheless been gained from individual, quite
specific games. When everything succeeds, and victory is gained, these are the happiest
moments in the life of any chess player.
To all readers of this book, I should like to wish as much happiness of this type as possible.
LYEV POLUGAYEVSKY
International Grandmaster
VI
Problems From the First Move
The opening has always attracted me as an means. I know of many top grandmasters
essentially independent field of chess thought. who have a different, more economic, more
Throughout my chess career I have tried practical approach, and there is no reason
to find my own approach to the handling at all to condemn them for this. They prefer
and study of the opening. This has been a to make use of all the opening guides, and
striving to 'conceive' something new, even if carefully follow all the tournament bulletins.
in my younger years my findings were not They immediately pick up all opening inno
-of ve ry high quality, or were even simply vations, and, without much hesitation, they
dubious. immediately employ them.
This is explained by the fact that I lived There are also other players. They are
in Kuibishev, where at that time chess books sceptical about everything in the opening,
were not always readily available. Besides, and employ only that on which they have
my studies and my work left little time for a worked a great deal. It is they who determine
deep analysis of all the openings, and I the present-day state of opening theory, and
chose for myself the more sensible path of a advance it.
certain self-limitation. Of course, it is a matter of individual feel
It cannot be said that I have been alto ing, but for me personally such work and
gether happy with this. At some point I such players are closer to my heart.
have even regretted that I have not normally And one more thing : had I studied all the
played 1 e4, or, for example, the Ruy Lopez openings, had I played the Ruy Lopez, and
as Black. At any event, a situation arose in the French, Caro-Kann and Alekhine's De
which, having only gone deeply into certain fences, I am convinced of this : then there
opening systems, I became an experimenter in would have been no 'Polugayevsky Varia
them. tion', and no innovations of twenty-five to
In adopting this stance I was aided by the thirty moves in length, which are given in
fact that I never liked making ten to fifteen this book and which have cast doubts on
'book' moves during the first minute of play. the correctness of entire systems and varia
I was accustomed to taking important deci tions. A n ew idea has to be sought for wee ks,
sions from virtually the first· few moves, or even months, and sometimes costs hund
and wanted some sort of problems to arise reds of hours of work. The result makes its
immediately on the board. appearance in a single moment, in a single
I do not wish to asser t that the path of the game, but at the same time the theory of
experimenter is strewn with roses. By no openings takes a step forward .
1
Problems from the first move
No. 1 King' s Indian Defence to the •rebirth' of this line. The game con
tinued 8 Nge2 c5 9 d 5 e6 1 0 0-0 e x d 5 11
Polugayevsky-Stein e x d5 Nbd7 12 Bc2 Re8 13 Qd2 b5 !, with
gre at advant age to Black.
28th USSR Championship Slightly late r, still in 1 960, this was all
Moscow, 1961 repeated again in a game between Poluga
yevs ky and Geller from the USS R Team
1 d4 Nf6 Tournament. This time White answered 7 . . .
2 c4 g6 a6 with 8 d5, but after 8 . . . c5 9 d x c6 N x c6
3 Nc3 Bg7 1 0 Nge2 Ne5 Geller obtained a good game.
4 e4 d6 Stein was undoubtedly familiar with all
5 f3 0-0 the subtleties of the line, and was the refore
6 Be3 b6 not averse to it all being repeated in the pres
ent g ame.
7 Bd3 a6
8 Nge2 c5
9 e5!
9 ... Nfd7
2
No. 2 Polugayevsky-Tal, 1969
After this natural advance Black's position This move is the point of the combination.
becomes critical. Here too 16 . . . Re8 was 22 . . . g X f5 is decisively met by 23 Bxf5.
better.
22 . . . Qf6
23 R x d5 Rfd8
20 Nf5 + Kh8
21 N X d5 N x d5 No. 2 Queen' s Gambit
Polugayevsky-Tal
1 c4 Nf6
2 Nc3 e6
3 Nf3 d5
4 d4 c5
5 c X d5 N X d5
6 e4 N x c3
22 Qh6! 7 b X c3 c x d4
3
Problems from the first move
14 . • . Na5
4
No. 3 Portisch-P olugayevsky, 1970
5
Problems from the first move
6
No. 3 Portisch-Polugayevsky, 1970
23 . . . Qg4!
24 f3
24 . . . Qf4
An accurately calculated manoeuvre, for
25 g3
cing White to declare his intentions: 21 Racl
is very strongly met by 21 ... Rac8. This weakens the king's position and
invites Black to fall into a simple trap. How
21 R x d4 ?
ever, White's position is all the same lost:
White i s s o impressed b y the threats to apart from anything else, there are no strong
his knight and his e-pawn that he becomes points in the centre for his minor pieces.
7
Problems from the first move
34 B X d3
This position has occurred countless times
in practice, including my games. The usual
Or 34 NX d3 B X d3 35 Bb3 Bf5, and there
continuation here is 12 Nb3, to which Black
is no defence against the rook's invasion
replies 12 . . . Na5, but my opponent played
at d3.
differently.
34 • • • Bxd3
35 Ba5 Rd7 12 Qe1
36 g4 Be2
The white queen wishes to find a post
37 Rcl ReS
either at f2 (with sights on b6), or on the
In allowing this pin, Black had made an K-side. But when studying this position on
accurate calculation of the resulting tactical one occasion I had found a way of casting
'complications. doubts on White's idea.
3S f5 Rd5 12 . . • Nb4!
13 Qg3
Threatening 39 B X f5.
Now Black is able to carry out his plan
39 e6 f X e6
in full. True, after 13 Bd3 e5 Black has a n
40 fxe6 ReS
excellent game, while o n 1 3 Qd2 h e would
41 Nd3 Rxe6
have continued 13 . . . e5 14 Nf5 (14 /X e5
42 Nb4 Re2
d x e5 15 Nf5 B X/5 gives Black the initia
43 Kfl R X h2
tive) 14 . . . B x f5 15 e x f5 e x f4 1 6 R x f4
44 Kg1 Rb1 + !
d5, with counter-play.
Wbite resigns: 45 K X h 1 Be4+. To be considered was 13 Rdl ! ?, with
attacking chances after 13 . . . e5 1 4 fx e5
d x e5 1 5 Nf5 N X c2 1 6 Qg3.
8
No. 4 Jansa-Polugayevsky, 1 980
17 • . • Bf6
18 Bd4 B X d4!
19 N X d4 f5
13 . • • R x c3
20 B X e4
It is this exchange sacrifice (which, inci
Otherwise the white rooks simply cannot
dentally, is typical of a slightly different
come into play.
Sicilian position-with the bishop at b7)
that constitutes Black's idea. 20 • • • Nxe4
21 Qb4
14 b X c3 N X e4
15 Qe1 White was pinning great hopes on this
attack, but back on his 1 8th move Black had
This makes things easy for Black. Better
planned a favourable arrangement of his
was 15 Qf3 N X c3 16 Q X b7, although even
pieces.
then Black has perfectly sufficient compen
sation for his minimal material deficit after
1 6 . . . d5, or 1 6 . . . a5, or, perhaps strongest,
16 . . . Nbd5 17 Bgl (17 Bd2 B/6) 17
N x e2 1 8 N x e2 Qc8.
15 . • . Nd5
16 Bf3
9
Problems from the first move
40 Rb1 NcS
(see diagram next column)
Not giving the opponent the slightest
chance, e.g. 40 ... RXa5 41 c4, although 8 Nb4! !
even here Black's advantage is undisputed.
In this way White reaches the desired
41 b3 variations, while avoiding 8 ... Bc6, and
also 8 ... Nc6.
White sealed this move, but resigned with
out resuming play. 8 • • • c6
10
No. 5 Polugayevsky-Korchnoi, 1 980
9 c x d5 N X d5 13 B X b4
10 Nf5
Black should probably have tried 1 3 .. .
This position had frequently occurred in Ba6, so that after 14 Re 1 the white rook
the 8 Nd4 c6 variation, although there White should be less actively placed than in the
usually continued 10 e4 followed by 11 Nc3. game. But here too White has a strong
But here the vulnerable position of the white initiative, e.g. 14 . . . B X b4 15 Qd4 + f6
knight dictates that it should immediately 1 6 Q X b4 c5 1 7 Qc3 Nbc6 1 8 e5 !
move to f5. Black decides to try and cast
14 Qd4 + f6
doubts on this.
15 Q X b4 c5
10 • . . Bc5 16 Qd2 Nbc6
17 Bb2
Vacating e7 for the knight, from where
it will dislodge its white opponent from its The check at h6 is unnecessary, since there
active position.As will be seen, White is able is no point in driving the black king out of
to refute this plan. the firing line. White's overall plan consists
Later, at the Malta Olympiad, two other of organizing the e4-e5 breakthrough, after
continuations were tried. But both after which it will all be over. Realizing this, Black
1 0 ...Nc7 1 1 e4 d5 12 Nc3 Bf6 1 3 e x d5 c x d5 tries by tactical means to hinder or at least
14 Bf4 Nba6 1 5 Re 1 (Kasparov-Marjanovic), delay it.
and after 10 ... Nf6 1 1 e4 d5 12 Nc3 d X e4
17 . . . Ba6
13 N X e4 with the threat of Bg5 (Poluga
18 Rd1 Ne5
yevsky-Stean went 13 Bg5 ?! h6, when Black
19 Na3
parried the attack) White has a serious
initiative for the pawn. White is not afraid of this sideways de
velopment, since the knight and the black
11 e4 Ne7
bishop mutually restrict each other. Mean
while, the threat of f2-f4 hangs over Black
(see diagram next column)
like the sword of Damocles.
12 N X g7! K X g7 19 . . . N7c6
13 b4 20 Qe3!
2 11
Problems from the first move
This modest move, over which I thought won more quickly by 27 Re1 Qe6 (27 . . .
for more than half an hour, prevents Black Qg4 28 Qf6 + Kg8 29 Qh8 + Kf7 30 Q X h7+
from confusing matters in variations such as and mate next move, o r 27 . . . Be6 28 Qf6 +
20 f4 Nd3 21 e5 NXb2 22 QXb2 Nd4 23 Kg8 29 Qg5+ Kf7 30 f5 and wins) 28 Qc7+
BXa8 QXa8, and thus acts like a proverbial Ke8 29 Q X c6 + , winning an important pawn
cold shower. in comparison with the game.
But I had worked out beforehand the
20 . . . Qe7
variations after 26 ... Kg6, and with time
On 20 . . . Nb4 White had prepared the trouble approaching I did not want to be
murderous 21 Rd6!, with the threat ofRad1, diverted by a search for additional possibili
and after 21 ... Nbd3 (21 . . . Ned3 loses ties.
immediately to 22 Qg5 + ) 22 f4 NXb2 (or
27 Qf6 + Kg8
22 . . . Ng4 23 Qf3) 23 fXe5 Black is lost.
28 Qg5 + Kf7
21 f4 Nc4 29 Re1 Qe6
Of course, there was little cheer in retreat Black has to give up his queen, since
ing to f7 or g6, but nevertheless this would 29 ... Be6 fails to 30 f5.
have been the lesser evil.
30 Qg7 + Ke8
22 N X c4 B x c4 31 R X e6 + B x e6
23 e5 r x e5 32 Bf6 Bf7
24 B x c6 d X c6 33 Bg5
33 ... Kd7
34 Bb6 c4
35 Q X h7 c5
36 B X f8
Correct was 26 . .. Kg6, which would have And here White should have restricted
transposed into the game after 27 Qg5 + the rook by 39 Qf6, or advanced the pawn
Kf7 28 Qf6+. But now White could have after the preparatory 39 Qg7 Ke7.
12
No. 5 Polugayevsky-Korchnoi, 1 980
50 h5 c3
51 Qf6 +
51 • • • Be6
43 Qf5 + Kd6
44 Qf8 + Kc6
45 Qc8 + Kd6
46 Qd8 + Kc6
47 Qa8 + Kd6
48 Qf8 +
2* 13
Problems from the first move
Vacating f5 for the king. The rest is ob- work, suddenly my heart literally skipped
VlOUS. a beat : I had seized on an absolutely new
idea . . .
57 ... Kb6 In the match it was not required, and the
58 K X h3 b4 piece of paper with my analysis stayed with
59 a x b4 c X b4 me for more than four years !
60 h6 Qh1+
61 Kg4 Qd1+ 11 e X f6
62 Kf5 Qc2+
If White plays 1 1 g3, he has to reckon
63 Kf6 b3
both with 1 1 . . . b4 12 Ne4 N X e4 13 B X d8
64 h7! Q x h7
K X d8 (experts on the variation have doubts
65 Qe3+ Kc6
about the conclusion of theory, that all this
66 Q x b3 Qh8+
favours White), and 1 1 . . . Qa5 . But now
67 Ke7 Qh4
after 1 1 . . . Qb6 12 g3 White transposes into
68 Qc4+ Kb6
the main line, where he has the advantage.
69 Qb4+ Kc6
Therefore Black first plays
70 Qe4+ Kb5
71 Kf7 a5 11 . . . Bb7
72 g6 Qg4 12 g3!
73 Qe5 + Resigns
Nevertheless !
12 . . . c5
No. 6 Queen' s Gambit 13 d5 Nb6
Polugayevsky-Torre
Moscow, 1981
1 d4 d5
2 c4 c6
3 Nf3 Nf6
4 Nc3 e6
5 Bg5 d x c4
6 e4 b5
7 e5 h6
8 Bh4 g5 This position had frequently been the sub
9 N X g5 h X g5 ject of theoretical analyses, and had been
10 B X g5 Nbd7 tested in practice, with Black maintaining
approximate equality.
This is essentially the initial position of the 14 d X e6 Q X d1 +
Botvinnik Variation. For roughly two weeks, 15 R X dl B x h1
at the risk of wasting precious time, I ana 16 e7 a6
lyzed it when preparing for my match with
Henrique Mecking. The risk justified itself. Obviously Black has no time for 1 6 . . .
One sleepless night, totally engrossed in the Bh6, in view of 1 7 N X b5 Rc8 1 8 Nc7 + .
14
No . 6 Polugayevsky-Torre, 1 98 1
19 . . . Rb8
After 19 . . . b X c3 20 R X b6 c X b2
(if 20 . . . c2 21 Kd2 Kd7 22 B X c4 Be4,
White wins even by the seemingly paradox
What i s White to do ? My analysis, and ical 23 R X a6!) 2 1 B X c4 followed by R X b2
also the game Belyavsky-Bagirov from the Black loses due to the weakness of f7 and
Match Tournament of Four USSR teams, the amazing helplessness of his rooks. More
Moscow, 1981, showed that after 17 e X f8 over, after placing his rook on the d-file,
=Q + K X f8 1 8 Rd6 Rb8 19 Be3 Rh5 White can even exchange bishops and play
White has good compensation for the ex a unique 'three-rook' ending ! After lengthy
change, but perhaps not more, since he has thought the Philippine grandmaster finds
constantly to reckon with the possible ad the best chance.
vance of Black's Q-side pawns.
20 Nd1 B x g5
17 b4! ! Bb6 21 f X g5 Nd5
18 f4! !
Preventing Ne3, and simultaneously pre
paring to give up the knight for the e- and
f-pawns.
22 B X c4 N x e7
23 fX e7 K x e7
24 Rf6!
24 . . . Rbf8
25 Ne3
Having given up a rook, White has no
intention of regaining the lost material, but 25 Nf2 followed by Nd3 is also quite good,
contents himself with the fact that the rook but I did not like the fact that, after the
at h8 is not destined to come into play for capture on c5, the white pieces do not defend
some time. one another, and in certain cases can be left
'hanging' . Therefore, instead of the c5 pawn,
18 . . . b4 White attacks the important d5 and f5
19 Rd6! squares.
15
Problems from the first move
Now, with the e-file securely blocked and A mistake, which could have cancelled out
the black rook unable to come into play all White's achievements. He could have won
from e8, White re-establishes material equal by the simple 34 h6 followed by 35 h7 and
ity, maintaining a highly significant posi the advance of the king into the centre.
tional advantage and excellent winning In addition, Black would be unable to keep
chances. his king at d5, since he would be threatened
with 36 g6, and if 36 . . . fX g6 37 Bb3 +
26 • • • Rbd8
and 38 Bg8.
27 Rf6
34 • • • Ke5
27 h5 suggests itself, but at the board I re
35 g4 Kf4?
frained from making this committing ad
vance, due to the possibility after 27 . . . Rg8
In time trouble Black fails to take the
28 g6 of Black giving up the exchange by
excellent chance granted him by White-35
28 . . . fX g6 29 B X g8 R X g8, when, al
. . . d3 ! ! (with the bishop at c2 this move
though White is a pawn up, it may prove
would not have been possible). Now on 36 g6
no easy matter to realize it. Therefore the
fx g6 37 h x g6 he retreats his king to f6,
game continues in positional vein.
while after 36 Kd2 Kd4 ! 37 g6 fX g6 38 h X g6
27 • • • Rd6 Rf2 + (or 36 h6 Kf4 37 B X /7 Ke3 !) he has
28 Rf4 Rd4 powerful counter-play, and it is White who
29 h5 has to think in terms of saving the game.
Now 29 . . . Rg8 is no longer possible; 35 g6 Ke3
and Black tries to disentangle himself.
On 36 . . . d3 White has 37 Kd2, while
29 • • • Bd3
after 36 . . . fX g6 37 h X g6 the pawn reaches
30 Nd5 + Kd6
the queening square. But in the game too.
31 R X d4 c X d4
Black is not able to create a counter-attack
32 Bb3 Bc2
using mating threats.
33 B x c2 K X d5
34 Bb3 + ? 36 g7 Rc8
37 Kfl
37 . . • d3
38 Kg2 Kf4
39 b6
16
In Search of the Truth
Truly great chess players are universal. The enormous pleasure. I myself like carrying
genius of combinations, Alexander Alekhine, out a swift attack, but - based on certain
could win an intricate, technically complex positional principles. It is important that
ending, while that deep strategist Mikhail the integral nature of strategy and attack
Botvinnik played some wonderful attacks. should be retained, and that a combination
And yet even at a very high level we find should lead to a determination of the truth
players who are definitely one-sided. More in the chess position.
over, this leaning is normally in the direction There is also one more factor which ex
of tactics. I have met many masters who have plains why attacks occur comparatively
possessed a sharp tactical vision, and whose rarely in my games. Since childhood I have
play is aimed only 'at the king'. They burn been playing the Sicilian Defence, in which
their boats behind them, not even considering it is necessary to have a very subtle feel for
the possibility of their attack breaking down, the opponent's attacking possibilities, and
and very often take the liberty of bluffing. at the same time for one's own defensive re
Such reckless play has never appealed sources. So that even in an offensive position
to me. Just as it has never appealed to me I see many ways of parrying an attack, and
to make a sacrifice, merely to take the oppo my interest in it wanes. Although I realize
nent off the normal path, to disturb his that it is highly probable that a less ex
equilibrium. I will admit that such an ap perienced opponent will not find these de
proach has a certain justification, and that fensive subtleties.
sometimes the effect of a surprise can be very But to give in to such a temptation would
strong. But in principle this is an erroneous mean acting contrary to my basic convic
path, and in confirmation I can cite the tions. And I endeavour not to do this.
words of Capablanca, who said that excessive
boldness, like excessive timidity, are con
tradictory to the essence of chess.
No. 7 Queen' s Gambit
All my life I have been aiming in chess
for the truth, and have tried to play clean,
Polugayevsky-Lutikov
correct chess. And if I sense at heart that
an attack or combination is dubious, I will Semifinal 25th USSR Championship
not go in for it. And I will not debase myself, Sverdlovsk, 1958
just so that some spectator should later say:
'See how brilliantly he attacked!' 1 d4 Nf6
This does not mean, of course, that a 2 c4 e6
beautiful combination does not give me 3 Nf3 c5
17
In search of the truth
19 • . . g6?
20 Qf3 Rg8
14 Rd1 NbdS
15 Rd3
15 • • • ReS
16 Rg3 Kh8
17 BgS Nb4
18 Rd1 Rc7 22 Q X f7!
Preparing 1 9 Nfd5, which was not This spectacular move is the quickest way
possible immediately due to 1 9 N x d5 N X d5 to win.
18
No. 8 Polugayevsky-Suetin, 1 958
22 • • • Bc6 11 • • • Bf6
23 Q x e6 Rg7
24 d5 Bd7
25 B X e7 R x e7
Suetin also made this move instantly, so
26 Qd6 Qe8
that it had obviously been prepared before
27 Nf6 N x £6
hand. In the Tal-Boleslavsky game Black
28 Q x f6 + Rg7
would not have equalized, if (after 11 . . .
29 d6 Resigns
B X/5 12 Bd3! e4! ? 13 Jx e4 Qe7 14 e xj5
Apart from 30 Nf7 +, mate in two is also Q X e3 + 15 Qe2 Qg3+ 16 Kd2 Nc7) instead
threatened : 30 R Xh7+ KXh7 31 Qh4. of 1 7 Qh2 Tal had played 17 Nf3 !, e. g.
1 7 . . . ReS 1 8 Ne4 Qf4+ 19 Qe3, with
advantage to White. Suetin's last move is
No. 8 King ' s Indian Defence an attempt to improve Black's play, but
the further course of the game shows that
Polugayevsky-8uetin the innovation is not able to alter the evalua
tion of the position as difficult for Black.
25th USSR Championship 12 Bd3!
Riga, 1958
After 40 minutes' thought White finds the
1 d4 Nf6 correct plan. He is not afraid to sacrifice
2 c4 g6 a pawn in the interests of completing his
3 Nc3 Bg7 development as quickly as possible, and of
4 e4 d6 building up an attack on the black king.
5 f3 0-0
e5 12 Ng7
6 Be3
• . •
c5 13 Qe2 B X h4 +
7 d5
8 g4 Ne8
A mistake, after which i t i s unlikely that
9 h4 f5
White's attack can be parried. Better was
10 g x £5 g X f5
13 . . . NXf5 (13 . . . B X/5 14 Ne4) 14 BXf5
11 e x f5
BXf5, although even then after 1 5 0-0--0
White retains an obvious advantage.
The two players made these first 1 1 moves
instantly, aiming for a position reached in 14 Kd2 B x f5
the 3rd round game between Tal and Bole 15 Ne4 Be7
slavsky. 16 Nh3 b5
19
In search of the truth
Black tries to create complications on the The concluding move, which is immedi
opposite wing, but his counter-play is too ately decisive.
late .
27 . . . Rh8
17 Rag1 b X c4 28 Qf5 Resigns
18 Bc2 Qa5 +
12 . • • Bb7
25 B X g7! R X g7 13 Rad1 Nb4
14 Bb1 Rc8
On 25 . . . Nd3 White has the decisive 26 15 Ne5 Nbd5
RXh7 !
The play of both sides is natural, but never
26 R X g7 + K x g7 theless Black's last move seems to me not
2 7 Qe4! altogether good. He should not have given
20
No. 9 Polugayevsky-Khasin, 1 961
the white queen immediate access to d3, but The only way of avoiding loss of material.
should have let White waste a tempo on a2-
24 N X f6 +
a3. To be considered was 1 5 . . . Qd6.
In 'justification', it might be said that Black
O n 24 Rd2 there would have followed
was sticking firmly to his plan, and was not
24 . . . Bg5.
suspecting that White might have prepared
a trap. 24 . . . g X f6
25 Rc1 Kg7
16 Qd3 N X c3
17 b X c3 Qd5
18 Qb3! R X c3
26 d5!
26 ... e X d5
27 Qg4 + Kb8
28 Qd4 Rfc8
Z9 Q X f6 + Kg8
19 f3 !
30 Q X h6
The trap snaps shut ! Of the two threats -
against h7 and the bishop at b7 (by Be4), In making this move, White calculated that
only one can be parried. he did not have to fear the advance of the
d-pawn, since he continues his pursuit of the
19 • • • b6
king.
20 B X f6 B X f6
21 Be4 Q X e4 30 • • • d4
22 R X e4 B x e4 31 b4!
23 Nd7
This is the whole point !
Concluding the combination begun six
31 • • • d3
moves earlier. Material is level, but there will
32 b5 R3c5
be numerous targets to attack in the black
position. Parrying the threat of 33 Qg5 + and 34 h6.
21
In search of the truth
The following two lines allow White to win the two threats of 36 R X h5 and 36 R X f7
a pawn : K X f7 37 Q X h7 + , for example :
(a) 29 . . . B X d2 30 N X d2 e3 (30 . . . Qe8 (a) 35 . . . h4 36 R X f7 Nf8 37 Rafl h X g3
31 Rae1) 3 1 Qc3 + . 38 h X g3 R X g3 39 Qh2 ! Qh3 (39 . . . Rh3
22
No. 1 1 Polugayevsky-Maslov, 1 963
After 41 . . . Q X fl + 42 R X fl h X g3 43
The position reached is essentially one from
Rgl the rook ending is obviously hopeless
the King's Indian Defence with colours re
for Black.
versed and an extra tempo for White. Such
42 R X h4 ReS set-ups used to occur in my games, and do
43 Rch6 KJ8 even now sometimes. In this way White does
44 Re6! not gain an opening advantage, but on the
other hand it leads to a complicated strategic
The most exact move, suppressing Black's
counter-play. struggle, where the players have to solve all
the problems directly at the board.
44 • • • R X e6
7 d X e4
45 d X e6 Ke8
• • •
46 Qf3 Qcl +
Black immediately relieves the tension.
47 Kg2 Qb2 +
The alternative was 7 . . . Nc6 8 e x d5 (now
Mter 47 . . . Q x c4 48 Qc6 + Black is or on the next move White is obliged to
mated. concede the centre) 8 . . . N X d5 9 Re l ,
when White begins a n attack o n the e-pawn,
48 Kh3 Qb6
but Black reinforces it and has a comfortable
49 e X f7 + R X f7
game.
Now comes the concluding mating attack.
8 d X e4 b6
50 Qa8 + Kd7 9 b3
51 QdS + Ke7
52 Re4 + KJ8 White could also have tried the immediate
53 Qa8 + Kg7 9 Nc4 and then used his bishop on the cl-h6
23
In search of the truth
diagonal, but he thought that it would be Vacating the a-file for the possible invasion
more promisingly placed at b2. of the rook after the exchange on b3. The
alternative plan was 14 . . . a x b3 1 5 a X b3
9 • • . aS
h6 with the idea of placing the queen at e6,
The natural reaction - advancing the but Black rejected it, evidently because of
a-pawn to exploit the slight weakening of the 1 6 Kh2, when after 17 Bh3 the white rook
opponent's Q-side. on the d-file may make itself felt.
10 Bb2 15 h5 Qa6 ?
17 • • • Na5
14 • • • Bb5 21 • • . Qb5
24
No. 1 1 Polugayevsky-Maslov, 1 963
25 • . . N X d5
After 25 . . . B X d5 26 e X d5 Qc5 + 27
Rf2 there is no satisfactory defence against
the threats of 28 Ne6 + and 28 B X f6, since
on 27 . . . N X d5 White wins by 28 Be6 Ne7
(28 . . . /X e5 29 Qg8 + Ke7 30 Q X g7+
Kd6 31 Q x e5 + Ke7 32 B x d5 + ) 29 B x f6
Rd l + 30 Kg2 Qc6 + 3 1 Nf3.
25 Rd5! ! ? ? 26 Be6
25
In search of the truth
This was what White intended when mak Qg8 + Ke7 28 Q X g7 + Kd8 29 B X f6 +
ing his 25th move. He threatens mate in two N X f6 30 Q X f6 + Kc8 3 1 B X d7 + Q X d7
moves - 27 Qg8 + and 28 Qf7 mate, and if Here for the moment he is a pawn up, but
26 . . . Ne7 then 27 B X f6. An interesting the position remains double-edged, with
continuation of the attack would have been Black threatening to capture on a2 or to play
26 Q X g6, but after 26 . . . Re7 ! I could not his queen to g4, and so on.
see any clear-cut winning variation, either
27 N X e6 + Ke7
during the game, or after a lengthy subsequent
28 Nd4!
analysis. The countless continuations for
White and for Black in this position would The queen is attacked, and - most impor
suffice for a long article, but there is probably tant - the diagonal along which it might
no point in giving them. I will mention the check the white king is blocked.
important thing : Black's defence is based on
the captures . . . fxg5 and . . . B X fl in the 28 . • • QcS
event of the f-file being opened, and also on 29 Q x g7 + Ke8
the intermediate queen check at c5, which 30 Q x g6 + Ke7
is useful in certain cases. 31 Rf2
31 • . . rxes
32 Qe6 + Kf8
33 f x e5 +
26
No. 12 Polugayevsky-Padevsky, 1 966
The alternative plan is to undermine at any moment will begin an attack on the
White's centre by . . . cS, but in this game cS pawn. But Black has a tactical defence.
Black is aiming for a Q-side pawn majority.
17 . . • Nb4
9 0-0 e X d4 18 B X b4 c x b4
10 N X d4 a6 19 NcdS N x dS
20 N X dS R X dS!
An unexpected decision, but not without
point. Black plans . . . cS, and for this he This is the basis of Black's defence. White
first deprives the white knights of the square retains a positional advantage, it is true, but
b5. The standard 10 . . . c6 leaves White there is little material remaining on the
with the freer game. board, and the bishops are of opposite
colour . . .
11 b3 c5
12 Nde2 Qe7 21 B X d5 Bd3
22 e4 B X fl
After 12 . . . Q X d 1 13 R X d 1 followed
23 Q x fl Bc3
by Ba3 and Racl White obviously has a good
game . But the drawback to the move played Black blocks the c-ille, but it would per
is that Black's queen ends up in a pin. haps have been better to leave it open and
13 Ba3 play 23 . . . Qd7, preparing 24 . . . Rc8.
In this case, incidentally, 24 Rc4 Rc8 25
The routine 13 Bb2 would have allowed R X b4 would have failed to 25 . . . bS, when .
Black to advance . . . c4 without hindrance. the white rook is trapped.
24 h4 ReS
25 Kg2 ReS
26 Qd3 bS
27 h5 Be5
13 . . . Bg4! 28 R X c5 Q x cS
29 Qf3 Qc7
Probably best. Black plans active counter 30 h6!
play.
The culmination of White's strategic plan.
14 Rcl Nc6
In spite o f the exchange .of rooks, his ad
15 h3 Rfd8
vantage has increased considerably; since
16 Qe1 BfS
the pawn wedge at h6 creates the precon
17 Nf4
ditions for various mating threats against the
White appears to have an undisputed ad black king, while here the opposite-coloured
vantage. He has gained control of d5 and bishops merely strengthen the attack.
3 27
In search of the truth
1 c4 e5
2 Nc3 Nf6
3 g3 c6
4 Nf3 e4
41 Kg3
10 d3! a4
There is nothing else. 11 Be3!
28
No. 13 Polugayevsky-Rossetto, 1968
White sacrifices a piece, but in return ob 18 Nc7 + Ke7 1 9 N X a8 Bd7 (19 . . Ba7 .
tains three pawns and a powerful centre. is also unclear) would hardly have satisfied
1 1 .. . d4 12 Nxd4 Nxd4 13 d X e4 is bad White.
for Black, and therefore his reply is forced. However, he would also have had other;
more effective continuations : the quiet 16
11 . . . Qb4
B X c5 Q X c5 1 7 Rac l , or the sharp 16 Nb5.
1 6 Bb6
14 e x d5 Ne5
15 Q X b3
3* 29
In search of the truth
30
No. 14 Polugayevs ky-Bilek, 1 969
16 B x c5 b6
17 N x e5
17 • . . B x e5
Schmidt (Polanica Zdroj, 1 975), Black re mediate 19 . . . Qh4 20 g3 Qe4 should have
31
In search of the truth
24 b4 Nb7
25 Bf3
25 • • • Qb8
32
No. 15 Polugayevs ky-Pfleger, 1969
7 d4 c x d4
13 Nd6 + ! Ke7
s N x d4 Bc5 ?
33
In search of the truth
6 Bg2 Nc7
7 d3 e5
34
No. 1 6 Polugayevs ky-Gheorghiu, 1 972
Also promising was the immediate 9 Nc4 he continues playing on both wings, which
followed by 10 Qa4, renewing the threat of in principle is always promising for the side
B X c6. with the initiative . Of course, an accurate
evaluation of the resulting position was re
9 • • • b6
quired, and time confirmed the correctness
Black hurries to solve the problem of his of White's plan.
white-squared bishop, which is perfectly
14 • • • N X f4
logical. After 9 . . . Be7 10 Nc4 f6 1 1 f4
15 R X f4 Rb8
(or 11 Qa4, as in Timman-Hort, Montreal,
16 a x b6 a X b6
1 979*) he has a mass of trouble over the
17 NdS
development of his Q-side .
Increasing the tempo of the offensive, and
10 Nc4 f6
not allowing the opponent a respite. After all,
11 a4!
White must constantly remember : if Black
Although this weakens b4, it forces Black had, for example, castled, he would be per
in the event of 1 1 . . . Bb7 to reckon with fectly alright.
the advance a4-a5-a6. Besides, in this way
17 • . • Bd8
White prepares operations over the entire
front, and not only on the K-side. Necessary, since after 1 7 . . . b5 1 8 Ncb6
Qd6 1 9 N x c8 R X c8 20 Ra6 Black is bound
11 • • • Be7
hand and foot.
12 f4 e x f4
13 B X f4 Ne6 18 Re4 + !
35
In search of the truth
successful defence, since his king's rook is Taking e8 away from the black rook, and
ready to come into play, his king does not beginning to switch the attack to the black
appear to be threatened, and 19 Qb3 is bad king. White now threatens 25 Ra8 with
because of 19 . . . Nd4. And even so a 'mortal' pin along the 8th rank, and on
24 . . . Bb7 he has a forced win by 25 B X b7
19 Qb3! Nd4
Q X b7 26 Nd6 Qe7 27 Qf5 + Kh6 28 Qh3 +
Now 1 9 . . . Kf8 would have enabled Black Kg5 29 Qh4 + Kg6 30 Qg4 + Kh6 3 1 Nf5
to avoid the combination in the game, but mate.
would have left him under severe pressure
after 20 Qb5. It should be noted, incident 24 . . . Qc7
ally, that White's 'central striker'-his 25 QdS
knight at d5-would have remained immune
under the protection of the Re4/Bg2 battery.
20 R X d4 c X d4
36
No. 1 7 Balashov-Polugayevsky, 1973
33 Q x e4 + Kh5
34 Qh7 + Kg4
35 Qh4 mate
37
In search of the truth
Now the exchange of the black-squared After this the attack develops rapidly.
bishops no longer works. On 15 . . . Bg5 It is difficult for White to find a defence
16 Ne4 B x c 1 Black has to reckon with the against the numerous threats .
intermediate capture 17 N X d6. The text Qf6
24 Be4
move secures c5 for his knight. 25 Qc2
16 Re1 Nc5 Or 25 Rc2 Rac8 26 Qa4 Rc4 !
20 Racl 28 Rh3
Essential was 20 Qb5 Ba6 21 Qc6, prepar So as to answer 28 . . . Rc4 with the un
ing the exchange of queens. White decides expected 29 Rf3 !, relieving the situation.
to carry out this manoeuvre at a more con
28 . . . Bg5
venient moment, and, as often happens in
Now 29 Rf3 allows 29 . . . Bf4 and 30
such cases, loses time.
. . •
23 h X g4 Bh4! 30 . . . R x e4!
38
No. 1 8 Polugayevsky-Vasyukov , 1974
Removing the bishop which is defending on the centre (to this end 2 Bg5 is also played).
f3 . In addition, 3 e4 is threatened, gaining all
the advantages of the Staunton Gambit,
31 R x e4
but . . . for free !
3 1 Q x e4 loses quickly to 3 1 . . . Q X f2 + 2 • • • d5
3 2 Kh1 (32 Kh3 Rf4) 32 . . . Qh4 + 3 3 Kg 1 3 Bg5 c6
Rf4.
If 3 . . . Nf6, then 4 B X f6 e X f6 5 e3
31 Bd3
followed by Bd3 and Qf3, forcing Black to
. . .
Of course, Black also wins after 3 1 think of how to defend his pawn mass.
7 • . • Ngf6
8 Ne5 Rg8
No. 1 8 Dutch Defence
The exchange on e5 clearly favours White.
Polugayevsky-Vasyukov 9 Bd3
39
In search of the truth
18 • • • f X g4
19 b4 Bc7
20 Ne2 Be6
21 Qc3!
14 a3 Ba5
15 Bf4!
40
No. 19 Polugayevsky-Larsen, 1978
Here 25 Be5 is parried by 25 . . . Rh7. play, each player ha d t o pass two ( !) time
25 .• • Rh7 controls : he was allowed an hour and a half
26 Rbb1 R X b6
for thirty moves and a further hour for the
27 R X b6 Bf5 next twenty . . . Two time scrambles, the one
2S Qa1! more terrible than the other, with the first
being guaranteed in practically every game.
The queen heads for h l , and the threats That is why in this game there is liveliness,
become decisive. an attack, and sacrifices. But it is lacking in
2S • • • Bb7 that depth which gives a player creative
29 Be5 Bc7 satisfaction . . .
10 Qa4
Reykjavik, 1978
41
In search of the truth
10 . . . Qc8
11 Ne1 B x g2
12 N X g2 c5
13 d5 e x d5
14 c x d5 Nc7 28 g x f6! Nf7
15 e4 b5
The knight could not be taken because of
16 Qc2 d6
the decisive queen check at g5, and Black
This leads to a typical and . . . difficult is no longer able to hold the position.
position, since White's strong pawn centre 29 Ngh4! b4
allows him to develop a K-side attack, where
30 Bb2 ReS
as Black's pawn phalanx on the opposite
wing is less dangerous. Better was 16 . . . c4, 30 . . . g X f5 loses to 3 1 Rg1 + Kh8
reserving the c5 square for his minor pieces . 32 Qg2, but in any other case White was
threatening to bring up his forces for a sac
17 Nd1 Qa6
rifice on g6.
18 Nde3 Bf8
31 Rg1 Ne8
The a2 pawn is obviously immune.
32 B x es d x es
19 f3 Rac8 33 N x g6 h x g6
20 Bc3 Nd7 34 R X g6 + Kh7
21 b3 35 Rcg1
The bishop is maintained on the long The remainder of the game was unneces
black-squared diagonal, and the concentra sary.
tion of White's pieces on the K-side is about
35 . . . c4
to become threatening.
36 Qe1 Bh6
21 ... Qb6 37 N X h6 Q X g1 +
22 Khl a5
O r 3 7 . . . N x h6 38 R X h6 + , mating.
23 Qd2 a4
24 Nf5 f6 38 R X gl Resigns
42
No. 20 Chikovani-Polugayevsky, 1978
15 Qg4 d X e5
when it becomes free). But it seemed rather
16 d X e5 Qc7
unnatural to me, and at the board I was able
17 Rde1
to cast doubts on it.
17 . . . Rad8
18 b4
18 . . • Ndb4
19 Be4 Nd3
4 43
In search of the truth
21 Red8
22 Nc2
29 . . . Bh2 + !
30 Kg2
30 . . . h6
22 . . • R X f3! 31 Qe7 Bc7!
23 g X f3
This very fine bishop manoeuvre destroys
F orced : 23 Q X f3 Nd4. the co-ordination of the white forces, and
maintains its white-square colleague in its
23 ... N x e5 menacing attacking position. Now 32 Rd7 is
24 Bf4 Bd6 simply met by 32 . . . Qf5, when 33 R X c7
25 B X e5 B x e5 allows mate in two.
26 Rd1
32 Qf8 + Kf6
Played in the hope of exploiting the weak 33 Qh8 + Kg5
ness of the back rank, since after 26 Ne3 34 Rd4
B X b2 material is level but Black has a totally
won position. In the game Black could have 'Everybody back !'
avoided the exchange of rooks, but he ac
curately calculated all its consequences. 34 . . . Qf5
35 Kf1 B X f3
26 ... R X d1 36 Ke1 Qb1 +
27 R X d1 Q X c2 37 Kd2 Q X b2 +
28 Rd8 + Kg7 38 Kd3 Be2 +
29 Qg5 39 Ke3 Bf4 +
40 R X f4 Q X h8
29 h X g6, with the idea of 29 . . . h X g6 White resigns
30 Qh4, does not work since Black has 29 . . .
Q X g6 But now White threatens both 30 h6
.
mate and 30 Q X e 5 + . . .
44
No. 21 Polugayevsky-Romanishin, 1 978
20 . • . f5
4* 45
In search of the truth
21 Bd6!
After 28 . . . c X d4 29 R X g7 + Q X g7 30 36 e7 Re x e7
Rg3 Q X g3 3 1 fX g3 d3 32 Qg6 + Kh8 33 37 B x e7 R X e7
Q x h5 + Kg7 34 Qg5 + Kf7 (34 . . . Kh7 38 Qg5 + Kf8
loses more quickly to 35 Be7 !, when against 39 h5 c4
36 Qh5 + and 37 B/6 there is no satisfactory 40 b6 c3
defence) 35 Qf6 + Kg8 White concludes the 41 Qf6 + Resigns
46
No. 22 Polugayevsky-Petrosian, 1 98 1
No. 22 Queen' s Indian Defence pleasant game. But even so, I think that that
is how Black should continue. Of course,
Polugayevsky-Petrosian his rook stands rather better at dS than at eS,
but this is a slight consolation for the freedom
Moscow, 1981 which White now acquires on the K-side.
Meanwhile, 13 . . . Nc6 would have forced
1 Nf3 Nf6 White to concern himself over the defence
2 c4 b6 of d4, and would to a certain extent have
3 Nc3 Bb7 curtailed his activity.
4 d4 e6
14 Qe2 Rd8
5 a3
5 . • . d5
6 c x d5 N X d5
7 e3 Be7
8 Bb5 + c6
9 Bd3 N x c3 15 h4! Nc6
16 Be3
The most accurate . After 9 . . . c5 Black
has to reckon with 10 N X d5 Q X d5 1 1 d X c5 As a result the d-pawn is defended by the
B X c5 12 Bb5 + , which after 12 . . . Ke7 bishop, and not the rook, which may possibly
gave White the more comfortable position find work on the f-file.
in, for example, Gheorghiu-Karpov (Mos
16 • • • Bf6
cow, 1 9 S 1 ) .
Black is wrong to force the opponent to
10 b X c3 c5
advance his e-pawn with gain of tempo,
11 0-0 0-0
since this is part of White's plan. The weaken
In my game with Portisch (Moscow, 1 9 S 1 ) ing of the d5 square is less significant, and
I deferred castling with Black, so a s to avoid therefore 16 . . . Rd7 should have been con
the enforced weakening of the K-side, and sidered.
first played . . . Nc6 and . . . ReS. The Ex
17 e5 Bg7
World Champion handles this position rather
18 h5
differently.
The resulting position is similar to one
12 Qc2 g6
reached in the main line of the Grtinfeld
13 e4 Qc7
Defence . But I think that here White has a
In the game Kasparov-Petrosian (from couple of extra tempi, and his knight stands
the same Moscow Tournament) after 13 . . . better at f3 than at e2, so that his advantage
Nc6 1 4 Bh6 ReS 1 5 Rfd 1 White had the more is undisputed .
47
In search of the truth
24 • . Bd5
31 . . . Bf6
32 Qh6 + Ke7
25 B X f5! 33 Rc1!
48
No. 22 Polugayevsky-Petrosian, 1 98 1
The plausible 3 3 Ng6 + would have compli change, after which the outcome of the game
cated matters. But now Black's king is not is definitely decided .
only cut off from the Q-side, but he also has
to meet the specific threat of 34 N X dS + 40 • • • K x £6
R X dS 3 5 B X f6 + Q X f6 36 Rc7 + . 41 N X d7 + R X d7
42 f3
33 • • • Rad8
34 Rfel White's plan is clear : to place his king at e3
and his rook at h l .
Black is in complete zugzwang, and it is by
no means of his own free will that he decides
42 • • • b5
to part with the exchange .
43 Kf2 Rb7
34 . • • B X g5
35 Q X g5 + Qf6 Blocking the c-file by 43 . . . Bc4 would
36 Ng6 + Kf7 merely have prolonged the game.
37 Ne5 + Ke7
44 Rbl Rb6
38 Ng6 + Kf7
39 Ne5 + Ke7 45 Rc7 Ra6
40 Q X f6 + 46 f4
By repeating moves White has gained time In view of inevitable mate - 46 . . . Kg6
on the clock, and now he picks up the ex- 47 Rch7 and 48 Rlh6 mate -:- Black resigned • .
49
From Defence to Attack
There are basically two types of defenders . goalkeeper, and a single mistake can mean
One is, so to speak, the prophylactic defender. a goal.
By preventive measures he creates a certain But on the other hand, defence - and in the
exclusion zone, and is ready to accept a direct first instance, active defence - can teach
attack, after preparing for it beforehand. a great deal. The ability to await the con
I belong to the defenders of a different type. venient moment for a counter-blow, or to
In the language of chess they say to their find counter-play on the opposite wing, or to
opponents : 'Attack, but remember that sacrifice a pawn, the exchange, or even the
instead of a zonal defence you will encounter queen, in order to change the character of
active counter-play.' the struggle and to go onto the offensive .
It stands to reason that chess life sometimes It seems to me no accident that all the World
dictates its own will. On occasion I have had Champions - from Steinitz to Karpov -
to conduct a difficult, gruelling, passive, have been, apart from anything else, outstand
'trench warfare' type of defence, but in princi ing masters of defence .
ple, when I am attacked I prefer to have a plan And, in addition, defending cultivates good
of counter-measures, often based on a veiled competitive qualities . Because, like no other
tactical blow. aspect of the battle, defending demands of a
It has to be said that in general the defen player coolness, composure, and the ability to
sive resources in chess are very great. How avoid panic.
many times have we seen how seemingly
hopeless positions have been saved by one or
two unexpected and surprising moves. More
No. 23 Queen' s Gambit
over, to find them one requires fantasy no
Accepted
less than that needed in searching for the
most brilliant combination.
Portisch-Polugayevsky
So that defence is an excellent field for
the development of one's purely chess and Hungary v. RSFSR
purely human character. Yes, the role of the Budapest, 1963
defender is difficult and responsible . The skil
ful chess attacker always has ways of deviat 1 d4 d5
ing, such as transposing into a reasonable 2 c4 d x c4
endgame, etc. But in defence one sometimes 3 Nf3 Nf6
has to make a series of difficult moves in order 4 Qa4 + c6
to hold the position. To make a comparison 5 Q X c4 Bg4
with football : the defender in chess is the 6 Nbd2 Nbd7
50
No . 23 Portisch-Polugayevsky, 1 963
7 g3 e6 20 Rae1 Bc8 ! !
8 Bg2 Bd6
9 0-0 0-0
10 Qc2 Bc7
11 b3 e5
12 Bb2 ReS
13 e4 e x d4
14 N X d4 Ne5
15 b4 aS
21 Ndb3 Nb2!
51
From defence to attack
33 fX e6 R X d4
34 e x f7 + K x f7
35 Rc3 RedS!
36 R x a3 Rd3
52
No. 24 Polugayevsky-Torre, 1 976
15 c X b5 a6
No. 24 King's Indian Defence
Polugayevsky-Torre
Interzonal Tournament
Manila, 1976
1 d4 g6
2 e4 Bg7
3 c4 d6
4 Nc3 Nf6
5 h3
16 b4!
I do not consider Makogonov's Variation
In this position the pawn move in front of
to be stronger than the Samisch Variation.
the king is the most logical. It transpires
But in this game I wanted to surprise my
that Black is forced to part with his knight,
opponent, a great lover of the King's Indian
since after 1 6 . . . Ne4 1 7 N x e4 B X e4 1 8
Defence. Black has several continuations
Ng5 or 1 6 . . . Nd3 + 1 7 B x d3 B x d3 1 8
leading to a good game. Torre chooses the
Q x d3 R x f3 1 9 b X a6 h e stands badly.
plan of rapidly advancing . . . f5.
During the game it seemed to me that Torre
quite simply overlooked this outwardly risky
5 • • • 0-0
move by White .
6 Be3 eS
7 dS Nbd7 16 • • • a X b5
8 Nf3 Ne8 17 b X c5 b4
9 g4 fS 18 Nb5 RaS
10 g X f5 g X fS 19 Bc4 Qa8
11 e x f5 Nc5 20 Q x b4 Nf6
12 Rgl B X fS
13 Qd2 Kh8 Nothing is achieved by 20 . .. R X a2
2 1 B x a2 Q x a2 22 Qb2 (22 Na3 is also
A standard position has been reached, in good) 22 . . . Qc4 + 23 Nc3 . Now one gains
which success depends on who is the first the impression that White's position is
to create threats. completely won, but Black's threats are not
exhausted, and White has to display ex
14 0-0-0 bS ? ! treme composure, caution and accuracy.
53
From defence to attack
Thus, for example, 21 N x c7 would be an ing for the fact that, with the 'curtain about
swered by 21 . . . Rb8 ! to fall', it was possible to find counter
chances so original, that during a subsequent
21 R X g7!
joint analysis one of the other players called
This counter-sacrifice reduces Black's at them 'miraculous' .
tacking potential by one unit, and a highly
2 6 Rg1 + Kh8
significant one.
27 Q X d6!
21 • • • K X g7
In this critical situation White takes the
22 Nh4 Be4
only correct decision : to head into the storm.
23 c x d6 R x a2
The white king does not sit and await its
After 23 . . . c X d6 24 Rg1 + Kh8 25 fate, but travels around the board, energetic
Q X d6 things are totally bad for Black, so ally battling for its existence.
Torre decides to throw in the exchange as
27 • • • Rc8 +
well.
28 Kd1 Qa1 +
24 B x a2 Q x a2 29 Ke2
29 • • • Qb2 +
30 Bd2
25 Na3 ?
54
N o . 25 Polugayevs ky-Adorjan , 1 976
31 Rg4
31 . . . Nf4 +
32 Ke3
55
From defence to attack
14 Q X b5 c6
15 Qb3 Na6
17 • • • Q X d6 24 • • • h6
18 Nd4 25 Bf3
56
No. 25 Polugayevsky-Adorjan, 1 9 76
For a long time I looked for something I must admit to being pleased with this
else, more decisive, but failed to find it, e.g. : move. White cannot exchange rooks, since
(a) 25 Rd l Bb5 26 R x d5 R x e2 ! then he is unable to avoid perpetual check.
(b) 25 Bf4 Q X f4 26 Q X d5 + Kh8 27 Bc4
34 • • • ReS
Bg7 28 Nf7 + Kh7 29 Q X d7 Q X c4 30 Nd6
Qe6. Black had to play 34 . . . Qa4, when for
(c) 25 Ne4 Qc6. the last time he would have retained drawing
I therefore had to be patient. chances.
h X g5 35 Bal
25 • • •
30 Q x a7
37 • . •
30 • • • Qc6! 38 K X h2 R x a3
31 Qa5 R X b2
32 Rael Re4! On 38 . . . Bd6 + 39 Kgl Rg3 there would
33 Bc3! Rb3 have followed 40 Qh8 + Kf7 41 fX g3 + .
39 Qh8 + Kf7
40 Reel Raa2
41 Rbl
57
From defence to attack
41 • . . R X f2 9 B X g2
42 R x f2 + R X f2 10 K x g2 Qb8
43 Rb7 + Ke8
44 Qe5 + Kd8 The bishop's place at b7 is taken by the
45 Rb8 + Kd7 queen. This could also have been achieved by
46 Qe8 + Resigns 10 . . . Qc8, but the move played creates a
possible threat of . . . c5, when the knight's
position at e5 may prove shaky.
No. 26 Queen' s Indian Defence
ll e4 Qb7
Timman-Polugayevsky
Forced, since 1 1 . . . c5 can be met by 12
Bf4, and if 12 . . . d6, then 1 3 Nc6 Qc7 14
Wijk aan Zee, 1979
N x e7 + Q X e7 1 5 d X c5, when Black loses
the exchange .
1 d4 Nf6
2 c4 e6 12 Qf3 c6
3 Nf3 b6
4 g3 Bb7 An essential link in Black's plan, who must
5 Bg2 Bb4 + aim for the pawn break . . . d5, or possibly
. . . b5. In general, it should be noted that
Formally Black loses a tempo, but in
the position is highly dynamic and flexible,
fact the move pursues an idea which will be
even though the centre is in White's posses
explained a little later.
sion. But he fails to find a plan and makes a
mistake. Meanwhile, his knight was not
6 Bd2 altogether well placed at e5, and if Timman
had sensed this he would have immediately
6 Nbd2 is also quite good.
retreated it to d3. In this case White would
have been threatening e4-e5, and would
6 • . • Be7 have had a slight spatial advantage . But . . .
7 Nc3 0-0
8 0-0 Na6 13 Rfe1
Black's plan becomes clear. Now in the An unfortunate move, which gives Black
event of the natural 9 Rc 1 he replies 9 . . . c5, the tactical opportunity to exchange his in
and the bishop which was decoyed to d2 sufficiently active knight at a6 for White's
prevents White from advancing to d5 (be centralized knight. Better, as already men
cause of 10 . . . e X d5 11 Nh4 Nc7). tioned, was 13 Nd3 or 13 Rad l .
13 . . . Nb4
9 Ne5
Threatening to win the exchange by 14 . • •
58
No. 26 Timman-Polugayevsky , 1 979
21 d X e6 fX e6
22 f3
22 . . . Rd8
23 Red1
19 • • • Rac8
5 59
From defence to attack
But White failed to sense the danger, and, The best practical chance. After 35 Ra l
hoping to regain the pawn, played Rc2 + 36 Kh3 Bc3 37 e7 Kf7 38 e x f8 =
29 Qb3 Nf8 37 • • • al = Q
30 Nf4 ? 38 e8 = Q Qa2 +
39 Bd2 B X d2
30 Q X a3 was essential, agreeing after 30
40 ReS Bb4 +
. . . d5 31 e x d5 B X b4 to a slightly inferior,
41 Re2 Qd5
but defensible position. But White assumed
that his position was still preferable, and it
was only after
30 • • • d5
31 e x d5
32 Q X b4
Or 32 Qa2 Qb2 + 33 Q X b2 a X b2 34 Rb 1
Rc2 + .
The lesser evil was first 33 R X c8 R X c8 But even so, with his next move White should
and only then 34 d X e6, definitely leading not have given himself an extra weakness
60
No. 27 Griinfeld-Polugayevsky, 1979
44 Re2 b6 Griinfeld-Polugayevsky
50 Qa8 Qc4 +
51 Ke3 Bc5 +
52 Kd2
5* 61
From defence to attack
with the threat of Bf4) 16 Qg3 Kh8 1 7 Bf4, course, my opponent's pos1t10n cannot be
and White has an obvious advantage (Tom considered bad or even inferior : after all,
son-Kovacevic, USSR v. Yugoslavia, 1 96 1 ) . White has not done anything 'unlawful' .
In Grandmaster Preparation (Pergamon It was simply that the resulting situation gave
Press, 1 9 8 1 ) I consider 13 . . . Bb7 14 Be2, great scope to fantasy, demanded deep,
again with advantage to White. The idea of exact and lengthy calculation, and I was
Black's move in the present game is that in hoping for success.
some cases he has counter-play with . . . g5.
18 Nb5!
I hit upon this idea a long time ago, but the
subtleties and certain details were only White accepts the challenge, which, more
polished up before the tournament and . . . over, he is unable to decline. After 1 8 Nb l
during my night-time preparations for this the initiative is with Black, while the 'attack
game with my trainer Oleg Averkin. ing' 1 8 Na4 simply loses to 1 8 . . . N x a4
19 Q X e6 + f X e6 20 Bh5 + Qf7 21 B X f7 +
14 Bb4 Bb7
K X f7 22 Rd7 + Kg6 23 R X b7 Bc5, when
15 Be2 Qc7
for the piece White has no compensation.
16 Rbe1
But now it appears that things are bad for
White indirectly defends his e-pawn. Black, and that he must reconcile himself
The alternative was to try an immediate to an obviously inferior position after
attack on f7 by 16 Rhfl or 16 Bh5 . 1 8 . . . Qa5 19 Nd6 + B X d6 20 e X d6, since
1 8 . . . a x b5 19 B X b5 + Bc6 20 Qf3 ! leads
16 . . . Nc5
to mate after 20 . . . B X b5 21 Q x a8 + ,
1 6 . . . N x e5 is bad : 1 7 Qg3 g5 1 8 B X b5 + or 20 . . . Rc8 2 1 B X c6 + Q x c6 22 Q X c6 +
a x b5 1 9 N X b5 followed by capturing on e5. R X c6 23 Rd8 mate.
But after checking the variations once
17 Qb3
again, Black nevertheless followed the second
'ruinous' path.
18 . . . a x b5!
19 B X b5 + Bc6
20 Qf3 Nb3 + ! !
17 • . . b4! ?
62
No. 27 Griinfeld-Polugayevsky, 1 979
prise to Griinfeld, who, in spite of prolonged h5, and Black wins. For Black in turn, after
thought, promptly committed the decisive 32 Qd8 + Kg7 33 Qf6 + Kg8 34 Qd8 the
mistake . attempt by 34 . . . Bf8 to avoid perpetual
check is risky.
21 Kbl ? Thus the complications provoked by Black,
with 'correct play', could have led only to
This loses and . . . leaves behind the scenes a draw. But what a mockery was made of
a mass of interesting variations, which I had this term many years ago by Mikhail Chi
been considering for roughly an hour. gorin ! The resulting position was full of
It stands to reason that neither 21 Q X b3 ? life - and for this reason alone it had every
B X b5, nor 2 1 c x b3 B X b5 + is playable. right to exist. I need hardly remind the reader
Therefore, by the method of elimination, how difficult it was at the board to calculate
White was bound to choose 21 a x b3 !, all these - and many other - variations,
when my calculation continued 21 . . . Ra l + and correctly weigh up the chances of the
22 Kd2 Qd7 + 23 Ke3 ! (not 23 Ke2 B X b5 + ) two sides.
2 3 . . . Bc5 + 24 Kf4 g5 + 2 5 Kg3 ! R X d l !
(if 25 . . g X h4 + ?, then 26 Kh3! R X dl
.
21 . . . Na5
27 B X c6! R X el 28 B X d7+ , and White
has the advantage wherever the king moves : Now Black keeps his extra piece, although
28 . . . KX d7 29 Qb7+ and 30 Qb8+ , or the battle is not yet over.
28 . . . Ke7 29 Qf6 + , or 28 . . . Kf8 29 Qf6
22 Rd4!
Rh7 30 B X e6), and since after 26 R x d l ? !
gXh4 + 27 Kh3 B X f3 28 R X d7 Be2 !
The best chance, threatening both Rc4;
29 Rb7 + B X b5 30 Rb8 + Ke7 3 1 R x h8
and the doubling of rooks on the d-file.
Bd4 things are bad for White, he has to
choose between capturing on c6 with queen 22 • • • Rc8!
or bishop : 23 Redl! gS!
(a) 26 Q X c6 Rd3 + ! 27 c x d3 g X h4 +
28 K x h4 Q x c6 29 B X c6 + Ke7, and White Both sides are accurate in exploiting their
is two pawns up, but his pawn formation chances, simply Black has more of them . . .
is irreparably spoiled, and the opposite
coloured bishops guarantee Black a draw. 24 B x c6 +
(b) 26 B X c6 R X e l 27 B X d7 + Kf8
(with the threat of 28 . . . Re3) 28 Qf6 Re3 + After 24 Rd7 Q X d7 2 5 R X d7 Black wins
29 Kg4 (29 Kf2 ? loses to 29 . . . R X e5+ both by 25 . . . K X d7 26 Q x f7 + Be7 27
30 Kg3 Re3 + 31 Kf2 Re4+ 32 Kg3 Bd6 + B X c6 + N x c6, with the threats of 28 . . •
63
From defence to attack
39 c5!
39 • • • Nd5
40 Rc4 Nf4
41 Qb2 Rd1 +
41 . . . Q x b2 + 42 K x b2 Nd3 + and
Here we can take stock, and it is depressing 43 . . . Ne5 would have won easily, but I was
for White. In the middlegame his passed vexed, and wanted without fail to conclude
pawns will not go far. the game with an attack on the king.
29 b3 42 Ka2 Qf8
43 Rfc3 Qd8
A trap in Black's time trouble . If now 44 Rc2 Nd3
29 . . . Na3 + 30 Kb2 N x c2 (30 . . . Q X c2 + 45 Qc3 Qd5
31 KX a3), then 3 1 Rc4. However, i t is 46 Ka3 Ne5
unlikely that White could have kept his
The black pieces have achieved maximum
e-pawn.
activity, and there is no longer any defence
29 • . . N x e5 against the numerous threats.
30 Qe2 Qc3
47 Rb4 Rd3
31 Re4 Nc6
48 Rb8 + Kg7
In time trouble I overlooked the elegant 49 Qb4 Rd1
31 . . . Rfd8 ! , which after 32 R X d8 + 50 Ka2 Ra6!
R X d8 33 R X e5 Rd2 34 Rc5 ! Qd4 ! wins
Threatening 51 Rd4 and 52 . . •
64
No. 28 Polugayevsky-Braga, 1 982
14 . • • Ne4
65
From defence to attack
Over-hasty. Black could still have retained For the second time the black bishop goes
some advantage by 17 . . . Nd7 1 8 Bb2 to c5, and for the second time it is a mistake.
N x cs 19 B X c3 b x c3 20 Q x c3 Rc8, when After the correct 25 . . . Bc3 26 R X d8
he has more than sufficient compensation for R X d8 27 Rb l Black would still have had
the pawn. chances of fighting for a draw.
19 B X c3! b X c3
20 Q X c3 Bb4 26 b4! B X f2 +
21 Qc4! B X f3 27 Kg2 Nb3
28 a5!
Had Black accepted the exchange sacrifice
by 2 1 . . . B X e 1 , he would have lost material The point of the manoeuvre begun by
after 22 Q x e4 Bc3 23 Rc 1 , to say nothing White : the black queen loses control of d8,
about White's splendid attacking prospects and the weakness of the back rank soon
on the K-side. becomes a decisive factor.
66
No. 28 Polugayevsky-Braga, 1 982
67
The Touchstone of Mastery
These games I have assigned to the category from this even than from some spectacular
of positional strategy. In contrast to the ex combination. And although I am regarded
amples where there was a swift attack on the as a 'concrete' player, which is in principle
enemy king or a plan of defence in depth, true, I frankly do not care for play where, for
here I used positional means to solve concrete example, the king's rook is first placed at
problems. Problems, such as the exploitation d l , and is then moved back to el. Nowadays,
of some weakness, the activity of the pieces it is true, such play is considered flexible and
or a spatial advantage, the creation of a fa spontaneous, a variation in semi-tones. Per
vourable pawn formation, the transforming of haps it is sometimes alright, for there are
one type of advantage into another, and so on. numerous players who successfully employ
In practice I have made use of many dif such methods. But what can I do : to me
ferent strategic ideas, such as the creation personally, such a style, such a 'method of
of open lines on the Q-side for counter-play, trial and error', does not appeal. A com
or the exploitation of a bad enemy piece (for plete, logical plan of positional strategy has
example, the bishop at g7 in the Siimisch always laid and will lie at the basis of chess.
Variation of the King's Indian Defence). This is the touchstone on which chess mastery
Or the strategic device of transposing from is both whetted and tested.
the opening into a favourable endgame,
especially if it should lead to my favourite
ending with the advantage of the two bishops. No. 29 Sicilian Defence
A large place in my practice has been
occupied by the strategic problems of posi Boleslavsky-Polugayevsky
tions with an isolated pawn. I have played
23rd USSR Championship
both against it, setting up a blockade and
Leningrad, 1956
aiming for the endgame, and 'for it', exploit
ing the spatial advantage to take the initiative l e4 c5
on the K-side. And in all these cases I have Nf3
2 Nc6
learned from the games of the chess greats, 3 d4 c X d4
whom I have always considered great autho 4 N X d4 Nf6
rities in the field of positional strategy. Their 5 Nc3 d6
games are notable for the steadfast carrying 6 g3
out of a plan, and their play never gives the
impression of being 'jerky'. Boleslavsky had played this against me
If I should succeed in carrying out a com in the Semifinal of the previous USSR
plete strategic plan, I gain more satisfaction Championship (Gorky, 1 954), the game con-
68
No . 29 B oleslavsky-Polugayevsky, 1 956
occasion the encounter develops along differ 15 . . . e6 1 6 Ne3 Qe7 and then 17 . . . Rfd8.
ent lines.
15 • • . Qb6
6 • • • g6 16 c3 Rfe8
7 Nde2 Bg7 17 Re1 Qa6
8 Bg2 0-0
9 0-0 Bd7 Black takes control of the important a6-fl
21 • • . Bf5
22 Be3 Nd3
23 Rfl Nb2
24 Qb3
69
The touchstone of mastery
41 • • • Rc4
42 Qd2 Rc2
43 Qb4 Qc4
44 Qd6
26 . • . Bd3
27 Rfel Ne5
28 Nd4
28 . . . Bc4
29 Qdl
70
No. 30 Polugayevsky-Spassky, 1 959
It is with this move that White's hopes In this way White reduces somewhat the
are associated. He creates a pawn majority activity of the bishop at c7. In addition, he
on the Q-side, while in return, of course, prepares the development of his bishop at
allowing his opponent active possibilities in g2, which after e5 will be very active.
the centre.
10 • • • e5
11 Bg2 Bg4
12 f3
12 . . . Bf5
7 ... Nc6 13 0-0 0-0
In the well-known game Averbakh-Panno 14 Nb5
(Portoroz, 1958) Black played differently :
Probably not the best. To be considered
7 . . . Ne4 8 Bd2 N X d2 9 Q X d2 b6 10 a3
was 14 Bg5 h6 15 B X f6 g X f6 1 6 f4 !, with
B X c3 1 1 N x c3 b X c5 12 Bb5 + Bd7 1 3 d x c5
an advantage.
a5, with good counter-play. But White is not
obliged to check with his bishop at b5, and 14 • • . Bb8
can play 12 d x c5 immediately. 15 d X e5 N x e5
71
The touchstone of mastery
72
No. 3 1 Polugayevsky-Korchnoi, 1 966
40 c7 Re2
have maintained a considerable positional
41 Qf8 + Resigns
advantage.
But Spassky took me 'at my word' Mter 41 . . . Kg6 White wins by 42 Rd6 +
31 . . • N x d5 ? f6 43 R X f6 + .
The only defence, but an adequate one, Black is right to part with his bishop, which
against the threat of 37 . . . Re2, on which has little in the way of prospects. 8 . . . d4
there now follows 38 Qd8 + Kg7 39 Qd4 + . is weaker due to 9 Na4.
73
The touchstone of mastery
25 Rael b6
14 • • • NhS
15 e3 f6
26 fS
16 Qe2
This breakthrough is the natural conse
An important zwischenzug, forcing Black
quence of the co-ordination of all the white
to weaken still further his K-side.
pieces. Black now loses after 26 . . . e x f5
16 • • • g6 27 Re7, or 26 . . . g X f5 27 g X f5 e x f5
17 g4 Ng7 (27 . . NX/5 28 R X/51 e X/5 29 Qg3+ ,
.
74
No. 32 Polugayevsky-Gheorghiu, 1968
Polugayevsky-Gheorghiu
Skopje, 1968
1 c4 Nf6
2 Nc3 e6
3 Nf3 d5
4 d4 c5
5 c x d5 N X d5
6 e3 Nc6
7 Bc4 c x d4
6 75
The touchstone of mastery
23 Nc4 Qc7
24 d X e5
76
No. 33 Polugayevsky-Gligoric, 1 969
This accelerates Black's defeat, which, it is The main continuation in this positiOn.
true, was by now inevitable, since White was In the event of 6 . . . d6 Black has to reckon
threatening both the advance of his h-pawn, with 7 Bf4 e5 8 Bg5 a6 9 Na3, when the result
and the doubling of rooks on the d-file . ing formation (which after a possible sub
sequent e2-e4 is similar to the Chelyabinsk
32 Qg5 Rf8
Variation of the Sicilian Defence) is, in my
Covering f6 by 32 . . . Ng8 also loses after opinion, favourable for White .
33 Red 1 , with the same threat as is carried out If instead Black chooses 6 . . . d5, instead
in the game . of accepting the pawn sacrifice by 7 c X d5
N x d5 8 N X d5 e X d5 9 Q X d5 Bb4 + ! 1 0
Bd2 Be6 with a dangerous initiative for Black,
White can gain a clear advantage by 7 Bf4 !
e5 8 c X d5 e x f4 9 d x c6 b X c6 10 Q X d8 +
K X d8 1 1 0-0-0 + Bd7 12 Nd6, Bilek-Jansa,
Harrachov, 1 966.
7 Bf4
1 c4 c5
2 Nf3 Nf6
3 Nc3 Nc6
4 d4 c X d4
5 N x d4 e6
6* 77
The touchstone of mastery
In the first and fifth games of the afore how he can neutralize the mounting pressure
mentioned match White continued 8 Bc7 on the d-file.
Qe7, and now 9 Bd6. In this way he gains a
12 c x b5 a x b5
tempo, but after 9 . . . B X d6 10 Q x d6 (10
13 Nd X b5 Ba6
NX d6 looks tempting, since Black does not
14 0-0 Rfb8
have the usual counter-play with . . Qb6;
.
nevertheless, 10 . . . Ne8 gets him out of his Of course, the king's rook would have also
difficulties, since 11 Ncb5 a6 12 NX e8 a X b5 been useful on the d-file, but after 14 . . .
13 Nc7 Ra4! 14 c x b5 Qb4+ 15 Qd2 Nd4 is Rab8 Black would have lost his control of the
unfavourable to White) 10 . . . Qd8 ! it trans a-file.
pires that the blockading position of the
15 a4
white queen is highly insecure, and in each
case Black gained sufficient counter-play : Of course, this weakens b4, but on the
(a) 1 1 g3 a6 12 Na3 Qb6 13 Rb l Qb4 1 4 other hand the protected knight at b5 para
Q x b4 N x b4 1 5 Bg2 d5 1 6 c x d5 e x d5 1 7 lyzes all Black's counter-play.
Rd l Be6 1 8 0-0 Rfd8 (1st game).
15 • • • d5
(b) 1 1 0-0-0 (a sharper try) 1 1 . . . a6 12
16 Rcl
Nd4 Ne8 (12 . . . NX d4 13 R X d4 b5 also
looks satisfactory, trying to emphasize imme With the unpleasant threat of 1 7 N X d5 .
diately the vulnerable position of the white
16 • • • Qb6
king) 1 3 N x c6 b x c6 14 Qd6 1 5 c5 d5 16 f4
17 Qd2 Rd8
Nf6 1 7 e4 a5 ! 1 8 g3 Ba6 (5th game).
18 Rfdl e5
Perhaps for this reason, in the later games
19 Qc2 Bb7
of the match White played as in the present
20 Bf3! d4
game.
8 ... B X d6 The centre could have been held by 20 . . .
9 N X d6 Qa5 Ne7, but then White's Q-side pawns would
10 e3 a6
10 . . . Qb4 1 1 Qd2 Ne8 can be met by
12 Ncb5, when 12 . . . a6 is bad in view of
13 N X e8 a x b5 14 Nc7.
11 Be2 b5
78
No. 34 Polugayevsky-Browne, 1971
This reply, which was envisaged before No. 34 King's Indian Defence
hand by White, enables him to retain his
material advantage. Thanks to the bishop at Polugayevsky-Browne
b7 being undefended, the threat of . . . g6 is
neutralized. Mar del Plata, 1971
25 • . • Q X c7 l c4 Nf6
26 R X c7 Bc6 2 Nc3 g6
3 e4 d6
26 B X g2 27 K X g2 K X h7 fails to
4 d4 Bg7
28 Rc4 !
5 Be2 0-0
27 Bbl 6 Nf3
Simultaneously defending the 1 st rank, and I knew that Browne usually played the
preparing to exploit the weakness of the 8th King's Indian Defence with . . . c5 . Why did
rank. he play it in its 'pure' form ? Perhaps he was
expecting 6 Bg5 ? 'Just in case', for purely
27 • • . R X a4 psychological reasons, I chose the continua
28 Nd6! tion in the game.
79
The touchstone of mastery
20 . . . Qe8
21 Ne3 Qg6
22 Bc3
13 f3
13 f5
Played not so much with defensive inten
• • •
14 e x f5 g X f5
tions, but rather in anticipation of an attack.
15 f4
In view of the weakness of the h5 square, the
Exploiting the fact that the black knight white queen at h4 will restrict the black
is at e8, and not d7, so that it cannot reach pieces.
e5. 23 • • . Bh8
e4 24 Qh4 Raf8
15 • . •
N X b3 25 h3
16 Nb3
With the idea after Kh2 and Rg1 of playing
Forced, since otherwise the white knight g2-g4. Black therefore exchanges queens, and
goes to d4. goes into an inferior ending.
17 a X b3 Bd7 25 • . • Qg3
18 Qd2 Nf6 26 Q X g3 R X g3
19 Bd4 Kh7 27 Kf2 Rgg8
Black vacates the g-file for his heavy pieces : Doubling rooks on the g-file would have
he has no other counter-play. left Black's Q-side completely undefended.
20 Nd1 28 b4 a x b4
80
No. 34 Polugayevsky-Browne , 1971
29 B X b4 Ra8
30 Bc3 h5
81
The touchstone of mastery
58 R X b6 Kc7 59 Nd5 + Kd7 60 b3 Rc6 61 shown that Black does not gain complete
Rb7 + Ke6 62 Kd4 Rcl 63 Re7 + Kf5 64 equality. For example, 9 . . . Nc5 10 f3 Nh7
Ne3 + Kf4 65 R X e4 + Kf3 66 Re7 Rb1 67 1 1 h4 h5 12 0-0--0 f5 13 e x f5, and Black
Kc3 Re1 68 Nf5 Resigns. is obliged to continue the battle for e4 by
13 . . . g X f5, since 13 ... B x f5 15 g4
h x g4 1 5 fx g4 gave White a strong attack
No. 35 King' s Indian Defence in Portisch-Gligoric (Ljubljana/Portoroz,
1975).
Polugayevsky-Donner
9 • . . Nc5
10 Qc2 b5
Amsterdam, 1970
Later it was established that 10 . . . c6 ! is
1 c4 Nf6 preferable, with counter-play after 1 1 h5
2 Nc3 g6 c x d5 12 c x d5 g5 ! (Farago-Uhlmann,
3 e4 d6 Leipzig, 1 975).
4 d4 Bg7
5 Be2 0-0 11 f3 c6
6 Bg5 12 b4 Na6
This simple system is not without venom. 12 . . . Nbd7 was better, since on the edge
In the same tournament I employed it several of the board the black knight is badly placed .
times, with invariable success.
13 a3 c x d5
6 • . . b6 14 c x d5 Bd7
15 Nh3
The alternative is 6 . . . c5 7 d5 e6, opening
the centre and aiming for counter-play on the Objectively speaking, there were more
e-file . grounds for 1 5 Bd3 and Nge2.
7 Be3 e5
15 . • • Qb8
8 d5 Nbd7
Illogical. Black shuts his main piece out
of the game . He should have commenced
action o n the K-side : 15 . . . Ne8 or 15 . . .
Nh 7, preparing 16 . . . f5 .
16 Nf2 b5
17 Nd3 Nc7
18 0-0 Qb7
19 Net Rac8
9 h4
20 Qd2 Na8
A double-edged move. The quiet 9 Qd2 21 Nb3 Nb6
was possible, when subsequent practice has 22 Na5 Qb8
82
No. 35 Polugayevsky-Donner, 1970
This move has a double aim. Firstly, Again gaining time for thought and . . .
83
The touchstone of mastery
44 Nc3 Kh7 7 . • . d6
45 Nd5 fX g3 + 8 e4
46 Q X g3 B X h4
8 e3 seems more flexible, with the possi
47 Qg2 Bg5
bility of Bd3-e4.
Kislovodsk, 1972
1 d4 Nf6
2 c4 e6
3 Nf3 b6
4 Nc3 Bb7
5 Bg5 h6
6 B X f6 Q X f6
7 a3
9 • • • g5!
After 7 e3 Black obtained a comfortable 10 Be2 Bg7
game in Vaisman-Gheorghiu (Bucharest, 11 0-0 0-0
1967) : 7 . . . Bb4 8 Be2 B X c3 + 9 b X c3 12 Rc1 Ne5
<16 1 0 0-0 e5. Instead of 8 Be2, more logical 13 g3
is 8 Rcl , not allowing the doubling of pawns A poor plan, with the aim of advancing
on the c-file. f2-f4 and thus casting doubts on Black's 9th
7 e4 has also been played, and in Geller move. Instead White should have been think
Boleslavsky (Zurich Candidates Tournament, ing in terms of counter-play on the Q-side
1 953) White had an excellent game after - 1 3 b4 with the idea of c4-c5.
7 . . . Bb4 8 Bd3 c5 9 0-0 c x d4 1 0 Nb5
Qd8 1 1 Nb X d4 0-0 12 Qe2 Nc6 13 Rad l . 13 • • • c6!
In analogy with the previous variation, here
The bishop, wich has been asleep since
too 8 . . . B X c3 9 b x c3 d6 followed by . . .
d4-d5 is now activated. Should White be
e5 would have been good.
tempt; d by the pawn - 14 d x c6 B x c6 1 5
In the light of what has been said, White's
Q X d6 - after 1 5 . . . Rfd8 ! 1 6 Q x e5 an
last move will be understandable. But, as the
unpleasant surprise awaits him : 1 6 . . . Qe7,
course of events shows, even after the pro
and the queen is trapped.
phylactic a2-a3 the bishop at f8 is not with
out work. 14 Nd4 Rac8
84
No. 36 Nezhmetdinov-Polugayevsky, 1972
White has serious difficulties over the de Even now it is difficult to establish which
fence of his centre. Unfavourable, of course, of the two continuations 22 . . . Kh8 and
is 15 d x c6 N X c6 16 N x c6 B x c6, when the 22 . . . N X g2 is the most accurate. In all
black bishops become terribly powerful, probability they are roughly equivalent, and
while 15 f4 loses material after 1 5 . . . N X c4. retain for Black a serious initiative.
The move played is essentially the only 22 . . . Rc4 was tempting, aiming at the f4
possible attempt to stabilize the position. pawn (the threat is 23 . . . NXg2 24 KXg2
The knight aims for e3, in order to hold the R X/4 25 R Xf4 Qg5+ ) . If 23 Re 1 , then 23 . . .
key point d5. Qd8, maintaining all the threats. During the
game, at the last moment I noticed 23 Qe2 !,
15 . . . c X d5
which is probably the best reply. Here Black
16 c x d5 Qe7
has only one reasonable continuation : 23 . . .
Now Black's plan is revealed : he is pre Q X e2 24 B X e2 Bd4 + 25 Kh1 R X c3 ! 26
paring . . . f5. b X c3 B X d5 27 c X d4 B X g2 + 28 Kg1
B X fl 29 K X fl d5 30 Kf2, although it leaves
17 Ne3 f5
Black little chance of realizing his extra
pawn.
23 Re1 Qd8
85
The touchstone of mastery
24 • • • N X g2 36 Bd3 + Kh8
25 K X g2 Rc4 37 Rf3 Rf4
26 Qf3 Qh4 38 Re3 Rf7
27 Rfl Rd4 39 Ne4 Rc8
40 b3 Rcl
I avoided the tempting 27 . . . Rg8 not 41 a4 Kg7
because of 28 Bf7, which is advantageously
met by 28 . . . R X f4, but due to the simple Here the game was adjourned. �'hite's
28 Kh1 . position is hopeless, and Black won without
much difficulty :
28 Rf2 Rg8 42 Bc4 Rc2 + 43 Re2 R X e2 + 44 B X e2
Rf8 45 Ba6 h5 46 Be2 Kh6 47 Kh3 Rf5 48
Kg2 Bd4 49 Bc4 Bc5 50 Kh3 ReS 51 Nc3 Kg5
52 Ne2 Be3 53 Nc3 Bf2 54 Ne2 Re3 55 Kg2
Bel 56 b4 B X b4 57 Nd4 Bel 58 Nf3 + Kf5
White resigns.
Tallinn, 1973
29 Rg6
1 c4 Nf6
White avoids a devilish trap : 29 Khl Rd3 !
2 Nc3 e6
30 Q x d3 Q x f2 3 1 Qe2 (31 Qf3 Q x b2) 3 Nf3 d5
31 . . . Qg1 + ! ! 32 K X g 1 Bd4 + + , and
4 d4 c5
mates. More tenacious was 29 Bg6, although
5 c x d5 c x d4
even then 29 . . . Rc4 ! would have set White
virtually insoluble problems . Nowadays this move does not enjoy a good
86
No. 37 Polugayevsky-Keres , 1973
A poor reply, in my opinion. The d-file After 1 5 . . . Qc7 Black would have had
will belong to White, and the bishop merely to reckon with 1 6 Bb2 and 1 7 Be5, but even
obstructs it. 8 . . . Nc6 was better. so that is what he should have played. True,
in making this move, Black was counting
9 Be2 Na6
only on 1 6 Bb2 in reply . . .
Black's plan becomes clear : . . . Rc8 and 16 Ba3!
the transfer of the knight to c5. But the future
will show that it was very important for Not only development, but consistent,
Black to keep control of the key e5 square. purposeful action. There is the threat of 1 7 b4
More sensible therefore was 9 . . . Nc6 and and 1 8 b5, and 16 . . . b5 is unpleasantly
then 10 . . . Rc8 . met by 1 7 Ne5 Qb7 1 8 N x d7 Q X d7 1 9 Rac l ,
when the b5 pawn i s i n danger.
1 0 0-0 ReS
16 • • • Qa6
17 Bb2 Rfd8
18 Rfcl!
19 e5 Nd7
In this way Black tries to solve the problem
of his queen, since at any moment a white Forced in view of the threat of 20 Nd6,
rook will occupy the d-file. But it fails to find which would also have followed on 19 . . .
a comfortable post on the Q-side, and there Qc6 after the interposition of 20 b4. But now
fore to be considered was 14 . . . Qe8, pre on 20 Nd6 Black first exchanges rooks with
paring the freeing . . . Bb5. check.
87
The touchstone of mastery
29 B x e8 R x e8
30 b4 Ng6
31 Rd7 Ne7
32 Qf3 Rf8
33 R X b7 Qa5
34 Qe2
21 Qf3 !
Defending e l and threatening 35 Rb5 .
An important interim step in White's plan.
34 . . . a6
By keeping the bishop at e2 defended, he re
35 Qe1
news the threat of Nd6, and lures the black
queen to c6, where it now comes under the The effect of time trouble, since 35 Qc4
unpleasant observation of the white rook. would have immediately terminated Black's
resistance .
21 • • . Qc6
22 Q g 3 Qe4 35 Q x e1 +
36 R x e 1 Nd5
An attempt to break out, since bad, for
37 Rcl Bb4
example, is 22 . . . Rb8 23 Nd6 Qb6 24 a5.
38 Rc4 a5
2 3 Bd3 Qd5 39 Bd4 Rd8
24 Rd1 Qc6 40 Bc5 Bc3
25 Racl 41 Bd6 f6
42 Be7
Back where we started ! The white rooks
have regrouped with gain of tempo, and the With the time control reached, Black
black queen, which has made 7 moves almost resigned.
in succession, still has failed to find a safe
place . Loss of material for Black is now
inevitable. No . 38 Queen's Gambit
25 Rb8
Polugayevsky-Saidy
26 Nd6 Qb6
27 N x e8 Tallinn, 1973
White could perhaps have won more
1 c4 Nf6
simply by 27 Bb5 B X d6 (otherwise 28 NX e8)
2 Nc3 e6
28 R X d6 (28 e X d6 is also decisive) 28 . . .
3 Nf3 d5
Qa5 29 Bc3 Qc7 (or 29 . . . Rbc8 30 B X a5
4 d4 Be7
R X cl + 31 Bf1) 30 Bd2, but after the move
5 B g5 0-0
played he similarly has little trouble.
6 e3 b6
27 . . . R x e8 7 Bh4 b6
28 Bb5 Nf8 8 Bd3
88
No. 38 Polugayevsky-Saidy, 1 973
After being fashionable for many years, . . . Qb8. But for an instant Black has left
the line 8 c X d5 N X d5 9 B X e7 Q X e 7 1 0 the e5 square uncontrolled, a factor which
N X d5 was shown by the World Champion I was able to exploit : 14 Ne5 Bd6 1 5 f4.
ship Matches Petrosian-Spassky (Moscow, After 1 5 . . . Nf6 16 e4 my opponent thought
1 966) and Spassky-Fischer (Reykjavik, 1 972) for 62( !) minutes, and, not wishing to defend
to promise little for White, since after 1 0 . . . after 16 . . . d X e4 1 7 N X e4, plunged into
e X d5 Black does not develop his white a maelstrom of complications - 16 . . . c5 ? !
squared bishop at b7, but at e6, when the 1 7 d X c5 B x c5 + 1 8 Kh1 d X e4 (18 . . . d4
hanging pawns resulting after . . . c5 are is unpleasantly met by 19 Bc4) 1 9 B X e4 Qc8
securely defended . (19 . . . Qc7 is better) 20 Bg6 ! , and, even
However, the text move allows Black to with the rook at f8, the weakness of f7 be
obtain a good game . Therefore in later came very apparent, especially since 20 . . .
games against Doroshkevich (mentioned Qe6 ? would have lost to 2 1 B X f7 + . The
below) and Tal (in the 1980 Candidates game continued 20 . . . Qc7 2 1 Nb5 Qe7
Match) I chose a different move order, and 22 Rfe l , when there was no satisfactory
played 8 Qb3. defence against 23 N x f7.
8 ... Bb7
9 B x f6 B x f6
10 c x d5 e x d5
11 0-0 Nd7
89
The touchstone of mastery
All the same Black cannot maintain control 42nd USSR Championship
of dS. For example, on 16 . . . Nf6 there Leningrad, 1974
would have followed 17 e4 d x e4 18 NeS
NdS 19 B X e4 Qd8 20 N x c6, winning a 1 d4 Nf6
pawn. 2 c4 e6
3 Nf3 Bb4 +
17 e4 d X e4
4 Nc3
18 N x e4 Re7
1 8 . . . Rf8 also loses after 19 Qd3 g6 20 Tal is true to himself. He avoids the
NeS N x es 21 Nf6 + Kg7 22 d x es B x es simplifying 4 Bd2, and goes into the main
23 Nd7, while in the event of 1 8 . . . Nf8 variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defence.
19 Ba2 Ne6 (19 . . . Re6 20 Qc3 Re7 21
NX d6 Q X d6 22 R X e7 Q x e7 23 Ne5 is even 4 . . • c5
worse) 20 NeS B x es 21 d x es White has 5 e3 0--0
an overwhelming positional advantage . 6 Bd3 d5
7 0--0 d X c4
19 Ba2 Qc7 8 B X c4 Nbd7
9 Qd3
9 a6
10 a4 c X d4
11 e X d4 b6
90
No. 39 Tal-Polugayevsky , 1974
I thought that 12 Bg5 seemed more logical, Had Black been interested only in a draw,
when I was intending to reply 12 . . . Bb7 he would have chosen 1 8 . . . B X c3 and
and then . . . Be7 and . . . Nd5 with simpli 19 . . . Nd5, but by now he already had
fication. In the game Black succeeded in ex ambitious intentions.
ploiting a slight drawback to White's 12th
19 Bf4
move.
20 . • . Rad8!
21 h3 Rd4!
16 Bg5 N x es
17 d X e5 Q X d3
18 B X d3 Emphasizing that White will be unable
to 'disentangle himself' by playing one of his
After 1 8 R X d3 White would have had
minor pieces to e4. Insufficient now is 22 Bg3
to reckon with 1 8 . . . B X c3 and 1 9 . . Ne4.
Red8, while 22 g3 is very strongly met by
.
7 91
The touchstone of mastery
in view of 22 . . . N x f2 23 N x d4 N x d 1 , 31 ... R X g2
and h e therefore appears t o have nothing 32 Rd4 Rh2
better than the move played. 33 Be3 Rb2
34 Bd2 a5
22 B X h7 + K X h7
23 R X d4 B X d4 A crucial move : a passed pawn on the
24 h X g4 ReS b-file would have been less of a danger to
White than one on the a-file .
Formally White is a pawn up, but the
35 Ke1 Ra2
black bishops are so strong that Tal is pre
36 Be3 Bb3
pared to return the extra pawn immediately
37 Rd6 R X a4
for the sake of exchanging one of them.
38 R X b6 Bd5
25 Rd2 Rc4! 39 g5
There is no reason to hurry, and Black It would have been better to agree to 39
intensifies the pressure. Now White takes Ra6 R X g4 40 R X a5 Re4 41 Kf2 R X e5,
what I consider to be a debatable decision. since in the game Black could have won
By 26 Be3 he would have retained good quickly and without any particular difficulty :
chances of a successful defence. 39 . . . Re4 40 Kf2 R X e5 41 Rb5 a4 42 Ra5
Re4. But I was enticed by the idea of ad
26 b3 B X f2 + vancing the a-pawn .
27 R X f2 R X c3
39 . . . Ra1 +
28 Bd2
At first sight 39 . . . Ra2 seems better, when
All White's pawns are weak, and he is un 40 Ra6 fails to 40 . . . Bc4, while on 40 Kd 1
able to maintain material equality. Even so, there follows 40 . . . a4 41 Ra6 a3 42 Bc5
28 b4 Rc4 29 Bd2 R X g4 30 a5 was probably Bb3 + 43 Ke 1 Ra 1 + and 44 . . . a2, with
better, since the passed pawn Black obtains
a decisive advantage. But--40 Bc5 !, and the
on the Q-side gives him a great advantage. advance of the black pawn is hindered.
28 • • • R X b3 40 Kd2 a4
29 R X f7 Bd5 41 Ra6 Ra2 +
30 Rf4
30 • • . Rg3
31 Kf1
92
No . 39 Tal-Polugayevsky, 1 9 74
52 • • • K X f7
(see diagram next column) 53 Kc5 Bc2!
7* 93
The touchstone of mastery
11 . . • b X c4
94
No. 40 Polugayevsky-Espig, 1975
24 • • • Nd3
25 Qe3 !
A quiet conclusion to the manoeuvre begun
on move 1 5 . Black is unable to parry success It was possibly this modest move that Black
fully the threat of 19 Bd4. underestimated.
95
The touchstone of mastery
Montilla, 1975
1 e4 c5
2 Nf3 d6
3 d4 c X d4
4 N X d4 Nf6
5 Nc3 a6
25 . . . a4 6 Be3 e6
On the natural 25 . . . Rd8 White wins Of course, Black also has other good moves,
most simply by 26 N X b5 Q X e3 27 fX e 3 such as 6 . . . Nbd7 or 6 . . . Qc7. I also took
c X b5 2 8 Rd l Rd7 2 9 Bc6, when the undoing account of the fact that on 6 . . . e5 Byrne
of Black, on top of everything else, is the lack happily plays 7 Nde2. Therefore I decided
of an escape square for his king. for the moment to adopt a normal set-up,
and wait to see what my opponent's further
26 Rd1
intentions were.
This is simpler than 26 N X b5 Q X e3 27 7 Be2 Be7
fX e3 a X b3 28 Nc3 b2 29 Rb l R a3 30 Nd l 8 g4 ?
R X a2 3 l Be4.
A question mark can confidently be attach
26 • • • a X b3 ed to this move. The main virtue of the plan
27 a X b3 Nb2 involving g2-g4, which is carried out in many
28 Re1 Rf8 variations of the Sicilian Defence, lies in its
29 Qd2 precipitate nature . But here this is lost. In
combination with the development of the
The trap snaps shut, and the knight cannot bishop at e2, the move g2-g4 is clearly inap
be saved. propriate . White should of course have gone
29 Qa2 into the normal Scheveningen Variation by
30 N X b5 c X b5 8 f4.
31 Qc2
31 • • • Rd8
32 Bfl Qa5
33 Re2 h5
Or 33 . . . Nd3 34 Q X d3 .
3 4 Q X b2 Rd1
35 ReS + Resigns 8 • • • b5!
96
No. 41 Byrne-Polugayevsky, 1 975
I think that this is the most logical reply. On 15 Q x d4 I was intending to reply 15
Also possible is 8 . . . d5 9 e X dS N X dS 1 0 .. . Bc6, when after 1 6 b3 (16 Q X b4 loses to
N x d5 Q X d5 1 1 B f3 Qa5 + ( o r 11 . . . Qe5) 16 . . . Rb8 17 Qc4 Bb5) Black has a choice
with a good game, but Black is already think between 16 . . . B X a4 and 16 . . . e5.
ing of more . Thus on 9 a3 he has a choice
between 9 . . . Bb7 10 f3 d5 and the immediate 15 . . • e5
9 . . . d5 10 e x d5 Bb7, with a very attractive 16 f X e5
position.
This capture is equivalent to capitulation.
9 g5 Nfd7 Byrne, on the basis of 'negative' thinking,
10 f4 b4 immediately rejected 16 Be3 because of the
11 Na4 Bb7 same 1 6 . . . Bc6 . But now Black's hands are
12 Bf3 Nc6 freed for operations on both wings !
16 . . • d X e5
Perhaps the most precise. Black intends
17 Bf2 Bc6
first to dislodge one white knight from d4,
18 c3 Qa5
and then to attack the other at a4.
19 b3
13 • . . 0-0
14 0-0
97
The touchstone of mastery
21 Qe1 Qb7
22 Qe3
22 . • . B X a4
27 . . . Ng6
23 b X a4 Bc5!
It transpires that after the exchange of all
Black's main task is to get rid of the oppo
the minor pieces White's defence is not at all
nent's active pieces ; the difficulty lies in the
easier. One form of advantage is transform
choice of many tempting continuations. Thus
ed into another, and the weakness of his
23 . . . Nc5 24 Rad 1 N x a4 25 Rd5 ! would
K-side remains incurable .
have been a 'false trail'. Note that opening
the position by 23 . . . f6 would also have 28 B X g6 h X g6
eased White's defence . 29 Rbd1 Qe6
30 Kh2
24 Qe2 B X f2 +
25 Q X f2 Nf8! On 30 Qf3 there would have followed 30
. . . Rd4 (Black also has 30 . . . Q X a2 in
The knight aims for d4, and in particular, reserve) 3 1 R X d4 e X d4, when, on top of all
f4. In my opinion, White's last chance was his other troubles, White has to worry about
26 Qc5 !, trying to tie down the black pieces stopping the passed d-pawn.
to the defence of the e-pawn. After missing
this possibility White ends up in a strategic 30 ... Rac8
ally lost position. 31 R X d8 + R X d8
32 Qe2 Rd4
26 Rab1 ? 33 a5 Ra4
34 Rf2 R X a5
This merely helps the black pieces to occupy
attacking positions. The immediate 34 . . . Ra3 is also possible,
but just in case, taking advantage of White's
26 . . . Qe7! helplessness, I decided first to pick up a pawn .
27 Bh5
35 Kg3 Ra3 +
White no doubt felt a sense of relief at this 36 Rf3 R x a2
point, since on 27 . . . g6 he cuts the access 37 Qd3 Qb6!
of the knight to the centre by 28 Bg4, while 38 Qfl Qb2
27 . . . Ra 7 is well met by 28 Rb6, and if 39 Kg4 Qh2
28 . . Ne6, then 29 Q X f7 + Q X f7 30
. 40 Rg3 Rf2
B X f7 + R X f7 3 1 R X e6 . White resigns
98
No. 42 Polugayevsky-Korchnoi, 1 977
Polugayevsky-Korchnoi
1 d4 Nf6
2 c4 e6
3 Nf3 Bb4 +
4 Bd2 Be7
5 g3 d5
99
The touchstone of mastery
12 • • • Rc8
13 Nbd2 N x d2
14 R X d2 g5 ? !
By natural moves White has deployed his The strength of White's position could
pieces on the most convenient squares, even have been demonstrated by the sacrifice
whereas Black's minor pieces are tota lly unco 2 1 Ng5 h x g5 22 h X g5 followed by K h2-g3
ordinated one with a nother. In addition. a nd an attack on the h-file . In this case the
White intends to explo it the wea kening of g 4 pawn would ha\ e been doomed . But Black
Black's K-side, by a ttacking g5. is not obl i ged to accept the 'gift' immediately,
and ca n interpose 21 . . . Qf6, threatening
17 h6
22 . . . h X g5 23 h X g5 Qf5 . Therefore White
• . •
A further wea kening. but it is n o t easy to rightly avoids anything 'demonstrative'. espe
offer Black any good advice . For exa mple. c ia l ly since he holds the initiative on all parts
the attempt to hold g5 by 1 7 . . . R f7 1 8 Qd2 o f the board .
Rg7 would have a llowe d White after 19 R c2
21 N x es
and Rdc l to create the t h r e a t of exchanging
. • .
22 d x e5 Q x h4
on d5, and the black queen wo ul d have been
23 c x d5 c x d5
overloaded by h a vi n g t o defe n d b ot h c8 a nd
g5 . Tota lly bad is 23 . . . e x d 5 24 R >< c6 .
Black therefore attempts tohis relieve
2 4 R X c8 B x c8
bishop of the need to defend t h e g5 p awn .
so as to withd raw i t a nd v aca te f6 fo r his Black is forced to concede the open c-file.
knight. But it i s too late . since after 2 4 . . . R X c8 the 25 f5 break
th rough is decisive .
18 Qd2 Bg7
25 Rcl g3
(see diagram next column) 26 Rc7 Ba6
100
No. 43 Bagirov-Polugayevsky, 1 977
behind the black pawn, and in addition White chooses a set-up which often occurs
there is the threat of 28 B X f2 Qg4 (28 . . . - with colours reversed - in the Tarrasch
Q X/4 loses a piece to 29 Q X/4) 29 Bf3 Qh3 + Defence Deferred. But there is a significant
30 Ke 1 followed by Qc2-g6. difference here : while for Black the achieve
ment of an equal game must be considered an
27 fX g3 Q X g3
achievement, the same cannot be said of
28 R X a7 Bc8
the 'achievement' of an equal game for White .
29 b4 Kh8
30 Bf2 10 • • • Be5
30 • • • Qg4
Or 30 . . . Q X f4 3 1 Q X f4 R X f4 32 Ra8
Rf8 33 B X b6 etc.
31 Rc7 b5
32 Qe3 Rg8
33 Qf3 Qf5
34 Bh4 d4
35 Bg5 Qg6
36 Qd3 Resigns 11 N x c6
11 . • • b X c6
1 d4 Nf6 12 Bd2
2 c4 c5
3 Nf3 c x d4 Preferable was 12 Qd2 followed by the
4 N X d4 Nc6 fi.anchetto of the black-squared bishop.
5 Nc3 e6
12 . . . Qd6
6 e3
13 g3 Bh3
14 Bg2
A passive continuation, allowing Black an
easy game . More critical is 6 g3 or 6 Ndb5.
White's position is already slightly inferior�
6 ... d5 and the exchange of white-squared bishops,
7 c x d5 e x d5 as it seems to me, favours Black here . At any
8 Be2 B d6 rate, after the opening of the centre planned
9 0-0 0-0 by Black the weakness of the white squares
10 Bf3 will become more appreciable.
101
The touchstone of mastery
16 . . • B x c3 24 Qb3! h5!
17 B X c3 Ne4 On 24 . . . d3 Black would have had to
18 Qf3 Rfe8 reckon with the invasion by the white rook
on the 7th rank - 25 Rc7, and if 25 . . . Re6,
Black's advantage has taken real shape.
then 26 R x d3 R X d3 27 Q X d3. Therefore
It comprises pressure on the e-file, the pos
he begins combined play, linking breaks on
sibility of creating a passed pawn in the centre
the K-side ( . . . h4) and in the centre ( . . . d3)
by . . . d4, and also the excellent co-ordina
with pressure on the weakened white squares.
tion of his queen and knight.
25 Qc4
19 Rfdl
Trying for an endgame . 25 Rc7 would
have been unpleasantly met by 25 . . . Qe2 +
26 Kg l and now 26 . . . Re6.
25 . • . Qb7
26 Qc6 Qe7!
27 BaS
19 • . • Qb6!
27 Qc4 was bad due to 27 . . . d3 ! 28 R x d3
A highly unpleasant move for White. Nd6, with a double attack on White's queen
He was evidently expecting the routine 19 . . . and bishop.
Rad8, which would have allowed him to play 27 . • • Rd6
20 Be5 and 21 b3 . But now 20 b3 is im 28 Qc7 Qe6
possible, and the d-pawn is immune due to 29 Qc4 RdS!
20 . . . N x c3 21 b x c3 Qb2 + .
Again the pursuit of the queen has not
20 Racl Rad8 achieved anything, whereas the . . . h4 break
21 Rc2 is now a reality.
102
No. 44 Polugayevsky-Smyslov, 1979
32 . • • h3 + 5 g3 d6
33 Kg1 d3
Black chooses a plan which is more typical
of Old Indian set-ups. I consider the system
with . . . b6 and . . . Bb7 to be more logical,
in order to neutralize the pressure of White's
fianchettoed bishop.
6 Bg2 Nbd7
7 0-0 e5
8 Nc3
On 36 Kfl there could have followed 36 Black is wrong to give up the centre.
. . . N X g3 + 37 h X g3 d2 3S Rc2 h2 39 Kg2 Preferable was S . . . 0-0, and if 9 a3 B x c3
Re l . 10 B X c3 Ne4. Therefore White had decided
beforehand that on S . . . 0-0 he would con
36 • • • Ree5 tinue as in the game.
37 Rc4 d2
38 b4 Nc3 9 N X d4 0-0
White resigns 10 Qc2
1 03
The touchstone of mastery
10 . • • Ne5
12 B X f6 Q X f6
agreeing after 20 Qb3 to the loss of the b4
13 Nd5 Qd8
pawn. But my opponent pins his hopes on
14 N X b4 a x b4
a trap, into which White, after calculating
15 c5
slightly further, readily 'falls'.
T he pos1t10n now becomes open, and
White's lead in development acquires even 20 Rae1 Qd7
greater significance. The d-file is opened, and 21 b3! B X h3
a white rook will soon appear on it, while
also important is that the b4 pawn finds itself 21 . . . Bf5 is met by 22 N X f5 Q x f5 23 f4,
'surrounded'. and 21 . . . Bh5 by 22 R X e5 .
15 • • • c6 22 B X h3 Q X d4
16 Rfdl d5
17 e4
17 • • • Bg4
18 Re1 !
1 04
No. 45 Polugayevsky-Larsen, 1 979
This is what Black had in mind, rightly This position was 'twice new' for me,
thinking that after 23 R X d4 Nf3 + he would as it were. Firstly, Larsen had never played
be alright : 24 Khl R x e l + 25 Kg2 N x d4 this against me (and we have met at the board
26 Qd2 Re4. dozens of times). Secondly - and this is the
important thing ! - this was the very first time
23 Bg2! ! that it had occurred in any of my games.
Therefore I s i mply did not know that, on the
This was the reply that White had pre basis of the game Gligoric-Green (Hastings,
pared . He now wins a piece. 1 96 1), theory considers the strongest to be
9 Qc2 B x f3 10 g x f3 Qa5 1 1 0-0 Be7 12 Kh 1
23 • . • Qd5 Nb4 1 3 Qe2 h6 14 f4 Qh5 1 5 f3 gS 1 6 e5 Nfd5
24 f4 R x a2 1 7 B x d5 ! e x d5 1 8 f5, with advantage to
25 r x e5 b3 White. After the game it transpired that
26 Qc3 Rd8 it was precisely this variation in which Larsen
27 e6 fx e6 was trying to catch me, having prepared some
28 Rg4 Qd7 improvement . So that in this game I was
29 Q x b3 RaS helped by my own . . . 'illiteracy', which,
30 Qc3 Rda8 however, should in n o way be given as a rea
31 Kh2 eS son for not studyin g theory . . .
32 Rge4 Resigns But there is nothing new under the sun !
The move played by White had also occurred
before !
9 • . • B x f3
10 g X f3 Nc7
No . 45 Slav Defence
1 1 Rg1 NbS
12 Ke2 ? !
Polugayevsky-Larsen
1 05
The touchstone of mastery
19 • • • BeS
20 a5 Nf4 +
21 Kf1 Rd2
0--0-0 and then exploited the weakening of 22 Nd1! Na8
White's K-side and the position of his king.
Forced, since on 22 . . . Bd4 White wins
13 • . • Bd6 ? by 23 Bb8 and a5-a6, while if 22 . . . B X b2,
then 23 N X b2 R x b2 24 Be3 e5 25 a6.
White's risky tactics justify themselves.
Essential was 13 . . . e x d5 1 4 e x d5 Qe7 23 Be3 Rd7
(with the threat of 15 . . Nf4 + ), gaining
.
a tempo for castling Q-side - 15 Kf1 0-0-0, Black's temporary activity has petered out
after which Black's chances in this very sharp (23 . . . Rc2 ? 24 Bb3), and his game goes
position would be preferable . rapidly downhill.
14 d x c6 b X c6 24 a6 Kf8
1S Qd4! 25 Nc3 g5
A highly important interposition. The im In this way Black prevents Na4-b6, ex
mediate 1 5 Rgd 1 was weaker in view of 1 5 changing the blockading knight at a8 .
. . . Nf4 + 1 6 B x f4 B X f4, when Black's
26 Na4 Bd4
bishop is markedly stronger than its white
opponent.
15 • . • 0--0?
16 Rgd1 B X h2
106
No. 46 Polugayevsky-Ljubojevic, 1980
31 . . . Bb6 6 . . • d6
32 B X b6 N X b6 7 e4 Nbd7
33 Na5 Ke7 8 Be2 e6
9 0-0 Be7
Or 33 . . . c5 34 Nb7 Ke7 35 N x c5 Kd6
10 Be3 0-0
34 b4.
34 N x c6 + Kd6
35 Nb4 Ne6
36 Nd5 Na8
37 Nf6 b6
38 Bd5 Nec7
8 107
The touchstone of mastery
Both sides have made 'their' moves . Their Unexpected and very strong. Now that
strategy is basically different. Black will en White has achieved the required deployment
gage in manoeuvring, awaiting a convenient of his pieces and consolidated his pawn for
moment for counter-play on the Q-side and mation, he regroups his rooks, preparing the
in the centre. White, on the other hand, must advance of his a-pawn. It would appear that
aim to convert his 'extra' space into some such a plan was seen for the first time in this
thing real. game : after all, it was considered 'statutory'
to have one of the rooks on the d-file. But
15 b4! White very reasonably assumed that his
planned deployment would make life difficult
A correct decision, in my opm10n. Ex for the black queen.
ploiting the fact that the c4 pawn is securely
defended by his bishop, White restricts still 20 • • • Qc7
further the mobility of the black pieces. 21 Rdcl
The idea of advancing the b-pawn two
squares had already occurred in my game On the agenda is the threat of 22 Nd5 .
with Rodriguez from the Riga Interzonal Where should Black move his queen to ?
Tournament, where it fully justified itself. Possibly the lesser evil now was 21 . . . Qd8,
although this would have broken the co
15 • • • Rac8 ordination of his rooks.
16 a3 Qb8 The move in the game allows white to send
17 Nb3 forward his a-pawn with great effect.
20 Rb1! 24 • • • B X b4
108
No. 48 Psakhis-Polugayevsky, 1 982
8* 1 09
The touchstone of mastery
This concedes d5 to Black, but White has hand, White could have avoided the troubles
no other active plan. in store.
11 • . . Nd5 16 Ne2
16 • . . Nd7 \
17 Qg4 ? !
17 • • • Qb8!
18 Qg3
12 Qe4 ? !
White is forced to attend to the defence
All i n the same extravagant manner-this of his e-pawn, since on 1 8 Bb5 I was intend
is already the 5th move with the queen ! ing to sacrifice the exchange - 1 8 . . . N X e5
It stands to reason that such a waste of time 1 9 N x e5 Q x e5 20 B x es R x e 8 21 N X d 4 f5
is bound to cost White dearly. 22 Qd 1 Bf6, with more than sufficient com
After the game the two players spent a long pensation.
time considering the alternative 12 h4 ! ?, and
18 . . . Nc5
pronounced it best. I did not especially care
19 Bb5
for the position with chances for both sides
after 12 . . . f5 13 e x f6 N x f6 14 Ng5 Qd6,
and therefore I was intending to play 12 . . .
N x c3 13 b X c3 c5, and on 14 Ng5 - simply
14 . . . g6. Now the tempting 15 N x h7 K x h7
16 h5 fails to 16 . . . Rh8 ! (but not
16 . . . Kg7
17 Bh6 + !), when White's attack is parried.
Better therefore is 1 5 Be2, but after 1 5 . . .
c x d4 16 c X d4 Nc6 I consider Black's posi
tion to be more promising.
12 • • • c5
13 Bd3 g6
14 Bb6 ReS 19 d3!
15 0-0 c x d4
Already here Black had worked out
This is perhaps the only move in the game accurately all the resulting complications,
with which I am now unhappy. Black is which in the end lead to gain of material.
wrong to force events. He should have first
20 Nf4
played 15 . . . Nd7, threatening 16 . . . c x d4
and 1 7 . . . Nc5, and retaining all the ad After 20 Ned4 ReS 2 1 b4 a6 ! Black has
vantages of his position. Now, on the other an undisputed advantage.
1 10
No. 48 Polugayevsky-Seirawan, 1982
Ill
The touchstone of mastery
11 a3 16 Nd2
1 12
No. 48 Polugayevsky-Seirawan, 1 982
18 Nb3 f5
25 Ra3
19 a4 Bf6
This prophylactic move is unnecessary.
Of course, the immediate 1 9 . . e4 did
.
The immediate 25 Na5 should have been
not work because of 20 Nd4, but there was played, and if 25 . . . Ba8 26 b5 !, invading
some point in making the 'sideways' move then at c6 with a strategically won position.
1 9 . . . Bh4 ! ?, with the idea of either provok But now for an instant Black can catch his
ing g2-g3, weakening the position of the white breath.
king , or (in view of the inevitable a4-a5 and
a X b6) of attacking f2. At any rate, this would 25 . . . Nf6
have given White some additional problems 26 NaS Ba8
to solve. 27 Rd1
1 13
The touchstone of mastery
Interzonal Tournament
37 d7! Toluca, 1982
The most energetic. The white rook
1 d4 Nf6
reaches e6, and further loss of material for
2 c4 g6
Black is inevitable.
3 Nc3 Bg7
37 . • • N X d7 4 e4 d6
38 Re6 Rf8 5 Be2 0-0
39 Q X e4 g3 6 Nf3 e5
40 f3 g X h2 + 7 Be3
41 Kh1
I n this position the game was adjourned : This continuation often occurs in practice.
Black was obviously hoping for a miracle . . . It is true that I have normally played differently
in this position, but for this tournament I de
41 KhS
cided to change slightly my opening reper
. • •
1 14
No. 49 Polugayevsky-Rodriguez, 1 982
12 a4 Qe7 13 Qd2 Nc7 14 a5, and White's bishop at g7 (as is known, in the King's
advantage became appreciable. Indian Defence this bishop is either very bad,
8 d5 Ne7 or very good, and this frequently determines
9 Nd2 cS
the chances of the two sides) gives White
a clear advantage.
Practically forced, since otherwise White's Black is unable to maintain the tension
Q-side initiative develops unchecked. For either by 12 . . . h5, since after 13 B X h5
example, 9 . . . Nd7 10 b4 f5 1 1 f3 followed g X h5 14 Bg5 the h5 pawn is lost, or by 12 . . .
by c4-c5 and Nc4. b6, since after 13 f3 the capture of the bishop
10 g4 at g4 is all the same forced.
16 g5!
16 . . . Rb8
At the board White finds a reply which
17 a5
casts doubts on Black's plan. He is essentially
forced to take the bishop immediately, and White's superiority has become more than
open the h-file for White . obvious. It is interesting that, after the inevi
table advance of the black b-pawn, the second
12 • • . fX g4
rook's file is also opened to White's advant
After 12 . . . f4 1 3 B x c5 d X c5 14 B X c8 age, whereas the b- and f-files do not pro
Q x c8 15 Qg4 the constant factor of the bad mise Black anything real.
115
The touchstone of mastery
21 ... Be8
Although insufficient, the last chance was
22 Ra3 Ra7 nevertheless to give up the exchange-30 . . .
23 Qat Rbb7 c X b4 3 1 B X b6 Q X b6. True, White would
24 Ra5 have continued 32 N x b4, and if 32 . . . Qd8,
For the moment the black pawn is immune then 33 Qe3 Nc5 34 Nd3 N x d3 35 K X d3
(24 R X a6 ? ? R X a6 25 Q x a6 Ra7, and the Be7 36 R x a6 R x a6 37 R x a6 B X g5 38 Qb6,
queen is caught), but White fixes it, at the which was bound to win.
same time forcing the black pieces to cluster
31 b X c5 N X c5
on a cramped sector of the board.
32 N x c5 d x cs
24 . . • Qc7 33 Rbl!
33 • • • R X bl
34 N X bl Bd6
35 Nd2 Ra7
36 Qa3 Qh3
37 R X a6 Qg2 +
25 Ndl ! 38 Kd3 Resigns
1 16
Finale of the Chess Symp hony
This was the name given to the endgame by just been published. But, feeling eager, I de
Savielly Tartakover. And he was quite right. cided to find the winning path for myself.
Because a chess game can be figuratively Deep into the night I joyfully discovered how
compared with a house. It stands on the to win the ending, and it was only as a pre
opening - its foundations, the walls are its caution that I compared it with the already
middle game, and the roof- the endgame. And known procedure. I think that such an ap
if the roof leaks, if it is badly made, the very proach to the problem was of much more
first rain will wash away the best built walls, benefit to me than the the generally-accepted
and will begin to rot the most solid founda using of a reference book.
tions. In the same way, any player with high By similar means I also mastered other
ambitions is obliged to like, know, and be types of endings, in particular rook endings.
able to play the endgame. It is no accident The results of this work are seen in some of
that a microscopic superiority of one grand the games given here .
master over another in the endgame has
And it stands to reason that one's skill in
frequently decided even the fate of matches
playing the endgame can be improved espe
for the World Championship.
cially markedly by the analysis of adjourned
In my career it so happened that I learned games. It is constantly mentioned in chess
my endgame mastery not so much from literature, but to the question - what is the
books, as from my own experience. Of course, art of analysis ? - no single answer exists.
I could not pass by the game collections of This is natural, since too much depends on the
Capablanca and Rubinstein, which are full individuality of the player. Some outline only
of endgame masterpieces. I was also familiar general plans and the piece set-up for which
with the splendid books of Rabinovich and they are aiming. This, for example, is how
Fine, and later with Averbakh's fundamental Ex-World Champion Smyslov analyzes, and
three-volume work. But the main thing is that in this he is helped by his brilliant intuition.
I have always extended beyond the minimal Grandmaster Geller's method is rather dif
bounds in the analysis of adjourned end ferent. Apart from the plan itself, he also
game positions. works out in great detail the most specific
For example, once in a junior event I ad ways imaginable of carrying it out. That is
journed a game with a rook and white h-pawn also how I try to operate, and with experience
against Black's white-squared bishop. I knew I have begun more and more often - and
that, if the pawn had not crossed the fourth nowadays almost always - to resort to Bot
rank, White could win. But how ? . . . vinnik's principle : not to disregard any moves
Of course, it would have been easy to in the position which are at all possible, even
look it up in the book by Lisitsin which had the most 'stupid' and apparently absurd . For
1 17
Finale of the chess symphony
45 Rgal ReS
46 Kd2 Ra8
1 18
No. 50 Polugayevsky-Averbakh, 1 963
47 ReS Rb8
48 Racl
of his rooks.
68 . . . Ke7
56 Rc X h5 Rgl
57 Rh8 Be6 Black has nothing better, all the alterna-
tives being bad :
(see diagram next column) (a) 68 . . Rb3 69 B x f5 Ke7 70 B x e6.
.
1 19
Finale of the chess symphony
Skopje, 1968
1 d4 Nf6
2 c4 g6
3 Nc3 Bg7
4 e4 d6
5 Be2 0-0
6 Bg5 Nbd7
7 Qd2 c5 Both players had aimed for this position.
Black assumed that after 15 Q x b2 B X b2
Usually Black plays 7 . . . e5 here, but, in 1 6 B X f8 (insufficient is 16 Rae1 Ba6, or 16
contrast to our previous meetings, in this Rab1 Re8 17 R X b2 R X e7 18 NX d6 Ba6
game Geller chooses a plan involving rapid 19 Rei Rd8, with counterplay) 16 . . . B X a 1
activity on the Q-side. 1 7 B X d6 (or 17 R X a1 KX/8 18 NX d6 Nf6)
120
No. 5 1 Polugayevsky-Geller, 1968
/X e3 is also interesting) 16 . . . ReS 1 7 N X d6 but in the first case Black can hold on for
R x e7 1 8 N x c8, when on both 1 8 . . . Re2 the moment by 2 1 . . . Bd4, while in the
and 1 8 . . . ReS the invasion 19 Qc7 is highly second it will not be easy to realize the ad
unpleasant. vantage of the exchange, in view of White's
spoiled pawn formation.
16 B X f8 R X f8
17 Rfe1 Bc4 21 . . • Bc6
22 Rd2 Q X d2!
Rightly judging that the passive 1 7 . . .
Qb6 1 8 Rab l Qc7 1 9 Qf4 holds no promise, Again the best decision. For his queen
Black pins his hopes on his two bishops and Black obtains only two bishops, but they are
the passed c-pawn. strong, and to win White has to follow a
completely untrodden path.
18 Rad1 Q x a2
23 Q X d2 B x es
19 N X d6 B X d5
Of course, it is to Black's advantage to
retain the rooks, and therefore White's
immediate efforts are aimed at forcing their
exchange.
24 Qd8 Ba4
25 Qa5 Bb3
26 Q x c5 Be6
27 Qd6
20 Ne8 ! 27 . . . h5
121
Finale of the chess symphony
31 Qf4 Bc3
32 b3 Kg7
33 g4 h X g4
34 h X g4 Bf6
35 Qe4
1 22
No. 5 1 Polugayevsky-Geller, 1 968
9 123
Finale of the chess symphony
of the g4 pawn, can hope to create that same the bishops cannot defend each other, and
drawn position which has already been it only needs the black-squared bishop to
given. move away from his own king for one of
Incidentally, so as not to have to return Black's fighting units to fall.
again to the initial stage of my analysis, I E.g. 46 . . . Ba l 47 Kf2 ! Be4 48 Qe7, and
should say that I also discovered another the breakaway pawn at g5 is lost. If Black
ideal position for Black. attempts to keep the white king out of d3
by 46 . . . Bfl , then after 47 Qd5 ! he is de
prived of the long diagonal, and his forces
are paralyzed : if 47 . . . Be?, then 48 Kf2 !
Ba6 49 Qc6 Bd3 50 Qc3 + , and the bishop is
lost, while 47 . . . Bc3 is again answered
by 48 Kf2 !, with the follow-up 48 . . . Ba6
49 Qc6 Bd4 + 50 Kf3 Bfl 5 1 Qc2, when the
road to e4 and d5 is open to the king.
White's task appears to be the most diffi
cult after 47 . . . Ba6, but in fact it is fairly
simple : 48 Qc6 Bfl 49 Kf2 Bd3 50 K.f3 Bfl
5 1 Ke3, and once again triangulation, this
[Here White's king is centralized, but he
time by the king, is used to give Black the
has no possibility of crossing a different
move ; he is forced to move his black-squared
barrier this time - along the a l -h8 and a2-g8
bishop, which inevitably leads to loss of
diagonals. Thus while fighting against the
material.
first drawn position, White all the time has
Black therefore attempts to retain posses
to take care that Black does not set up the
sion of the a8-hl diagonal.
second . . .
But let us return to the game. Following 46 • • . Bb7
White's queen manoeuvre, the white-squared 47 Kd3
bishop is unable to reach the a6-fl diagonal. The first step is made : the king heads for
45 • . • Bg2 c4.
46 Qd6! ! 47 • • • Bf3
48 Qg3 BdS
124
No. 5 1 Polugayevs ky-Geller, 1 968
49 . . • Kg8! 50 • . . Kg7
It would seem that White cannot put all Now 50 . . . Bh 1 fails to the flank attack
three pieces in zugzwang. But the whole 5 1 Qh3 and 52 Qh6, with an immediate win.
point is that this does prove possible. Here we see for the first time how White
exploits the hanging position of the black
50 Kd2! ! squared bishop.
If instead 50 . . . Bg2 (50 . . . Ba2 51
Qb6 Kg7 52 Qb5 and 53 Kd3), then 5 1 Qg3,
and bad is both 51 . . . Be4 52 Ke3 ! (the
return of the king enables White to trap one
of the bishops or to invade with his king)
52 . . . Bc2 53 Qc7 Ba4 54 Ke4, and 5 1 . . .
Bfl 52 Qf3 Bb5 53 Qd5 Be8 (53 . . . Bf1 54
Ke1 !) 54 Ke3 etc.
51 Kc2
9* 125
Finale of the chess symphony
the retreat of the king similarly fails to save Qd6 ! (it is here that the undefended state of
Black. the bishop is decisively exploited !-what's
To be honest, I do not know whether it more, it is cut off from e5) 53 . . . Kg7 54
has ever occurred in practice, that one piece Kb3 Bf3 55 Qg3 Bd5 + 56 Ka4 Bc6 + 57
has essentially paralyzed the activity of three Ka5 . Now it finally becomes clear why White
enemy pieces on a completely open board ! needed to resort to the triangulation ma
noeuvre with his king : at the decisive moment
51 • • • Kg8
his opposite number was forced to retreat to
The last stage of the realization of White's g8, when the black-squared bishop lost its
advantage commences . As I have already support.
said, I reached this position during analysis
53 Qd6 Be4 +
in my hotel room, and I relished the manoeu
54 Kb3 Kg7
vres discovered with a special sort of chess
55 Kc4
delight, which, incidentally, has nothing in
common with the joy of gaining a point in The remainder, as it is customary to say,
the tournament table. is a matter of technique .
55 . . . Bf3
56 Qg3 Bhl
57 Qh3
57 • • • Be4
58 Qe3 Bc6
52 Qd3 Bc6 59 Kc5
Other moves similarly fail to save Black. At last the Rubicon is crossed !
For example, 52 . . . Bb7 53 Kb3 Be5
(53 . . Bal 54 Qd8 + ), and Black does not
.
59 • . • Bd7
succeed in achieving a fortress by 54 . . .
A final attempt : the bishop retreats onto
f6-54 Qb5 wins one of the bishops. If the
the a4-e8 diagonal, and so long as it is there
bishop stands not at b7, but at a8, then 54
the white king cannot advance any further
Qd8 + immediately concludes the game.
than d6. But the diagonal is short, and it is
On 52 . . . Bg2 White takes control of e5
not difficult to drive the bishop off it.
with gain of tempo by 53 Qg3, and after
53 . . Be4 + (53 .
. Bhl 54 Kd3) 54 Kb3
. . 60 Kd6 Bb5
Bd5 + 55 Ka4 Bc6 + 56 Ka5 Be8 57 Qb8 ! 61 Qb3 Be2
Kf8 58 Qd6 + Kg7 59 Kb6 his king penet
Or 6 1 . . . Be8 62 Qc4 Kg8 63 Qc8 Kf8
rates into the opposing position. The bishop
64 Kd5 Bb2 65 Qd8.
similarly cannot move to a2 : 52 . . . Ba2 53
Qa6, while in the event of 52 . . . Bh1 White 62 Qb4 Bf3
wins (as after the move actually played) by 53 63 Qc4
126
No. 52 Polugayevsky-Ivkov, 1 969
The g4 pawn is defended, and the road to Championship Match held in the Spring of
e8 is open. At the same time, Black will not that year.
now have a check from c6.
12 Nd5 !
13 K X d2 B X d5
it was necessary to find an accurate way of
utilizing her inexhaustible energy. Black has to give up his bishop, since in
the event of 13 . . . N x d5 14 c x d5 Bc8
15 b3 the rook's threatened invasion at c7
No. 52 Sicilian Defence is highly unpleasant.
14 c x d5 Rfc8
Polugayevsky-lvkov
Belgrade, 1969
1 N£3 N£6
2 c4 c5
3 Nc3 Nc6
4 d4 c x d4
5 N X d4 N x d4
6 Q X d4 g6
7 e4 d6
8 Be3 Bg7
9 £3 0-0 From the opening the game has gone di
10 Qd2 Be6 rectly into an endgame, which is favourable
11 Rcl Qa5 for White. He has not only the advantage of
the two bishops, but also good prospects
A phenomenon fairly typical of modern of a pawn offensive in the centre and on the
day chess has occurred : an English Opening K-side . And yet the ideal for him would be
has transformed into . . . a Sicilian Defence . for all four rooks to disappear from the
To some extent my opponent could have board !
been happy, since normally, as the reader will 15 Be2
already know, I do not open with the king's
pawn. Nevertheless I was familiar with this A few rounds later I reached the same
position, if only for the reason that it had position in a game with Ostojic, and there
occurred in the third game of the World the complete solution was found : 15 R X c8 + !
127
Finale of the chess symphony
this game (in particular, Kholmov), 1 5 . . . Black tries to maintain the status quo .
e5, can hardly be considered good : after 16 But, perhaps, taking account of the long
d X e6 fX e6 the position is opened up, and term prospects, he should have sought
the bishops (especially the white-squared counter-chances by the more active 22 . . . e6
one) acquire additional strength. 23 d X e6 fXe6. At any rate, this would have
16 b4 Kf8 allowed his knight to reach c6 via b8 or e5,
17 a4 Nd7 with the threat of invading at d4. Now, on
18 a5 the other hand, White tightens the squeeze .
1 28
No. 52 Polugayevsky-Ivkov, 1 969
38 e x d6 e x d6
39 Re3 + Kd8
40 Re4
34 Rd3!
34 . . . Ba7 40 • • • Bgl
Forced, since totally bad is 34 . . . Ba l (hS) This loses immediately. The only way for
35 B X d7 ! R X d7 36 Bc3 ! B X c3 37 R X c3 Black to prolong the resistance was by 40 . . .
KeS 3S b5 ! (38 Rc8 + Rd8 39 Rc7 Rd7), when ReS, when to win White would still have had
the threat of 39 b X a6 b X a6 40 Rc6 Ra7 41 to make several accurate moves : 41 Re2 !
ReS + Kd7 42 RhS(fS) forces Black to allow B X f4 42 Bf6 + ! (but not 42 B X d7 ? KX d7
the white king into his position after 3S . . . 43 Rf2 Be5! 44 B X e5 dX e5 45 R X/7 +
a x b5 39 Kb4 KdS 40 K x b5 . He then loses Kd6 46 R X h7(b7) e4, when Black has suffici
after both 40 . . . Rc7 4 1 R X c7 K X c7 42 e5 ! ent counter-chances) 42 . . N x f6 (42 . . .
.
with zugzwang and the threat of e5-e6, fol Kc7 43 Re7) 43 B x cS K X cS 44 g X f6 Be5 !
lowed by f4-f5, g5-g6 and the queening of the 45 b5 a X b5 (otherwise after b5-b6 the white
h-pawn, and 40 . . . e6 41 Kb6 e x d5 42 e X d5 rook breaks through at c7) 46 Kb4, and now :
Re7 43 Rc4 ! Rd7 44 Re4, when Black is in (a) 46 . . . B X f6 47 ReS + ! (less convinc
complete zugzwang. ing is 47 Rf2 Bg5 48 R X/7 B X h6 49 R X h7
Be3 50 Rg7 g5 51 KX b5 Bj4 52 Rg6 Kb8!)
35 Bh3
47 . . . Kd7 48 RfS .
Here 35 B X d7 ? would be an irreparable (b) 46 . . . KbS 47 K X b5 Ka7 (or 47 . . .
mistake, since after 35 . . . R X d7 36 Rc3 BX/6 48 Re8 + Ka7 49 Rf8 Bg5 50 R Xf7
KeS 37 b5 Black blocks the c-file by 37 . . . B X h6 51 a6) 48 R X e5 ! d X e5 49 d6 Kb8
Bc5 . 50 Kb6 KcS 5 1 d7 + K X d7 52 K X b7 e4 53
129
Finale of the chess symphony
Polugayevsky-Vhlmann
Interzonal Tournament
Palma de Mallorca, 1970
1 c4 Nf6
2 Nc3 g6
3 e4 d6
4 d4 Bg7
5 Be2 0-0
6 Nf3 e5
7 d5 a5
11 . . . Bd7
1 30
No. 53 Polugayevsky-Uhlmann, 1970
On 1 4 f3, with the idea of bringing the The threat o f 24 c 5 i s now highly unpleasant,
bishop into play via f2, Black would have and Black has to take concrete measures
answered . . . Nh5 ! followed by . . . Nf4. against it.
14 . • . b X c5 23 BM
15 Rb1 Nh7
16 f3 f5 By this bishop manoeuvre Black wishes to
17 Bf2 weaken the white king's position, but in this
way he loses time. He should have played
White prepares for active play (a2-a3 and either 23 . . . Rab8, although after 24 Ra l
b3-b4) on the part of the board where he is White's chances are all the same better,
stronger. Aiming for play on the K-side by or the active 23 . . . Ra2, and only on 24
Qd2 and g2-g4, as occurred in Hamann-Uhl Bd3-24 . . . Bh4.
mann (Amsterdam, 1 975), is quite unjusti
fied. 24 g3 Bf6
25 c5 d X c5
17 • . . Bf6
Black is reluctantly forced to agree to this
An imperceptible mistake, which, however, move . No better was 25 . . . B X b5 26 B X b5
has serious consequences. Black's desire to Rab8 27 Qc4, for example, 27 . . . d X c5 28
activate his bishop is quite understandable, d6 + Qf7 29 d X c7 R X c7 30 Q x f7 + , and
but it should have been played to h6. On f6 White wins.
the bishop deprives the knight of an impor
tant square, and prevents it from coming 26 B x cs Qe8
into play.
In order to answer 27 Qc4 with 27 . . . B X b5,
18 a3 Qe7 easing his lot by a series of exchanges, but
the position of the queen at e8 allows White
It is essential to connect the rooks, but on
to land a tactical blow.
the other hand the black bishop can no longer
take part in the defence of c5.
19 Qe1 Rfb8
20 Nb5 Rb7
131
Finale of t4e chess symphony
On 27 . . . c6 I had prepared a fine queen Kg7 37 e x f5 Nf6 38 Ra8 Rc7 39 Kg2, and
sacrifice : 28 Qc4 + Be6 29 Nc7 R X c7 30 prefers to retain the black-squared bishops
d X c7 B x c4 31 B x c4 + Kg7 (or 31 . . . Kh8) in the hope of counter-play. I think, neverthe
32 Bd6, and Black is helpless against the less, that in time trouble he should have
threat of 33 Rb8. Here is a pretty variation : chosen the above continuation, since, in view
32 . . . Qd7 (32 . . . Rc8 33 Rb8) 33 Rb8 of the limited amount of material remaining
Q x d6 34 R X a8 Q x c7 35 Rg8 mate . on the board, it would have been very difficult
for White to realize his extra pawn.
28 Qc4 + !
40 fX g6 ? ?
1 32
No. 53 Polugayevsky-Uhlmann, 1970
This immediately changes the picture. Black begins pursuing the king : 42 . . . Re3 + .
White is threatened with mate in two Where should it move to ? If 43 Kd 1, then
moves--41 . . . Rd2 + and 42 . . . Rf2, and 43 . . . Rd3 + 44 Kc2 Bf6, and the already
he cannot capture on d4 because of the loss familiar threat of 45 . . . Nd4 + is highly
of a piece. disagreeable. I therefore had to look for a
winning plan in the line with 43 Kfl .
It turns out that after 43 . . . h5 ! (the most
unpleasant ; White's task is simpler after
43 . . . NX h2 + 44 Kg2 Re2 + 45 Kh3 h5 46
Bd6!, when it is Black who is the first to be
mated, e. g. 46 . . . Nf3 47 Rb7 + Kh6 48
Rh7 + Kg5 49 Bf4 + Kf6 50 Rf7 mate) there
follows 44 Bc4 ! (now 44 Bd6, which was so
strong in the previous variation, is not possi
ble, since it loses the rook after 44 . . . Nd2 + ;
while the other attempt to mount a mating
attack, 44 Ba5, similarly does not work, in
41 Bb4 view of 44 . . . NX h2 + 45 Kg2 Re2 + 46 Kh3
Nf3 47 Rb7 + Kh6 48 Rh7 + Kg5 49 Bd8 +
With his sealed move White is forced to Bf6 50 B XJ6 + KXf6 51 R X h5 Rh2 + 52
block the b-file, and his rook is no longer Kg4 Ne5+ , and White loses his rook ; there
able to participate in the attack, but there fore the white bishops retreat, in order, as it
is simply no other continuation. were, to make a running start and move into
41 . . .
the attack) 44 . . . Nx h2 + (or 44 . . . Kf6
N X h2!
45 Rdl ! KXf5 46 R X d4 NX d4 47 g7, and
Without doubt the strongest. But, since wins ; 44 . . . Ne5 is similarly unsatisfactory
I had no right to restrict myself to this one for Black, because of 45 Be2 Ng4 46 Bd6!
move, I considered in my analysis a whole less clear is 46 Bd2 Nx h2 + 47 Kef Nf3 +
series of other continuations for Black. 48 Kdl NX d2 - 46 . . . NX h2 + 47 Kef
41 . . . Bc3 42 B x c3 R X c3 43 Rd 1 was Nf3 + 48 Kdl Rc3 49 Rb7 + Kg8 50 Rb8 +
immediately rejected, since without his bishop Kg7 51 Bf8 + Kf6 52 g7 Be3 53 Ba3! KXg7
Black has no way of opposing the advance 54 Bb2, and White wins) 45 Kg2 Nf3 ! (if
of the f-pawn, and the intrusion of the white 45 . . . Ng4, then 46 Bd6 Rc3 47 Rb7 + , mat
rook onto the 7th or 8th rank. ing) 46 Ba5 ! !
It was quickly established that after 41 . . .
Re3 + the white king finds safety : 42 Kfl
(weaker is 42 Kdl Rd3 + 43 Kc2 Bf6, when
the d4 square is vacated for the knight to
join the attack) 42 . . . N X h2 + 43 Kg2
Re2 + 44 Kh3, and if 44 . . . h6, with the
threat of 45 . . . Nf3 and 46 . . . Rh2 mate,
then simply 45 Kh4.
The analysis was by no means so easy after
the possible 41 . . . Kg7. White obviously
has to support his g6 pawn by 42 f5, and then
1 33
Finale of the chess symphony
With the idea of giving a decisive check for the king, and, secondly, the white rook
at d8 at the essential moment. The co-ordina i s already in play on the opposite wing.
tion of both White's and Black's pieces is
43 R X h6 + ! Kg7
quite amazing. The play revolves around who
44 Rh7 + K X g6
will be the first to give mate. This normally
45 Rd7!
happens in the middlegame, with castling
on opposite sides, when both players launch White utilizes literally every chance of
an attack on the king, but here we have an success. At first I was very happy when in
ending with relatively few pieces ! my analysis I found this set-up for my pieces .
If now Black plays 46 . . . Kf6, then 47 I t i s true that White has lost his far-advanced
Rb5, defending the f5 pawn, followed by passed pawn, but his pieces have acquired
Bd8 + , driving the black king back into the the co-ordination which was lost on the
trap, and White is the first to land a decisive 41st move, and the two passed f- and g-pawns
blow. In reply to 46 . . . h4 there follows soon threaten to become a formidable force.
47 Rb7 + Kh6 48 Bd8 ! ! (also sufficient, how But nevertheless, it was the irony of fate
ever, is 48 Rh7 + Kg5 49 g7, when White must that in every variation I succeeded in finding
gradually be able to realize his advantage, an amazing saving line for Black. This was
despite the limited number of pieces remaining also discovered by Uhlmann, although in
on the board) 48 . . . Bg7 49 Bc7, and if various lines it is one single move that each
49 . . . Ne5, blocking the bishop's path to time comes to Black's rescue.
f4, then simply 50 g X h4, while in the event
of 49 . . . Be5 White first exchanges, 50 B X e5 45 • . . Bc3!
N x e5, and again wins after 5 1 g X h4.
All these secondary variations - although
it is difficult to call them such - demanded
many, many hours of work : here I have not
given the numerous false trails which my
second, Boleslavsky, and I analyzed on the
way. Did Uhlmann see all this ? I think that
he must have examined something similar,
although it is by no means impossible that he
may have chosen the strongest 41st move
intuitively.
Mter this White has no time to improve the
placing of his bishops, since 42 . . . Re3 + Now after 46 R x d3 e x d3 + 47 K x f3
is threatened, and on the Q-side it is diffi B X b4, or 46 Bc5 Nd4 + , opposite-coloured
cult for the king to avoid pursuit. Therefore bishops are left. White has to give up his
White's subsequent play deserves credit, advantage of the two bishops.
but - alas ! - it nevertheless does not lead 46 B x c3 R x c3
to a win. 47 Rd6! !
1 34
No. 53 Polugayevsky-Uhlmann, 1970
while on 48 Kd2 he replies 48 . . . Rf3 !, and cases, but only when I defended inaccurately
not only White's but also Black's pawn for my opponent.
threatens to advance and queen.
48 g4 Rf3
The move made by White looks terribly
strong. Indeed, if 47 . . . Ng l + , then 48 Kf2 Black immediately exploits the one defect
e3 + 49 K X g l e2 50 Bc4 + , and White wins . in White's otherwise sensible move-for an
It doesn't help for Black to forestall the instant the f4 pawn is undefended.
discovered check by 47 . . . Kg7 ; White has
49 Bd5 + Kg7
in reserve 48 Bf5 ! Ng l + 49 Kf2 Rf3 + 50
Kg2 ! ! (the only way : 50 KXg1 R X g3 + 51 Once again the irony of fate. White appears
Kh2 Rf3 52 Rg6 + Kf7 53 Rg4 e3 54 Bd3 e2 to be able to win by 50 Rg6 + Kh7 (not, of
leads to a draw) 50 . . . Ne2 5 1 Rg6 + Kf7 course, 50 . . KXg6 51 B X e4+ and 52
.
(after 51 . . . Kf8 White simply captures B Xf3) 5 1 f5 N X g4 52 R X g4, since the last
the e4 pawn) 52 Rg4 ! ! N x g3 53 B x e4 Re3 white pawn is taboo : 52 . . . R X f5 ? ? 53
54 Bd5 + , and wins. B X e4. But Black again has a single saving
move, 5 1 . . . Rf4 !, when the white pawns
47 . . . Nh2! ! are driven forwards to their doom : 52 Bg8 +
Kh8 53 f6 N X g4 54 f7 Ne5 .
I n m y analysis I therefore decided to seek
success in a different variation.
50 Rd7 +
1 35
Finale of the chess symphony
imagine how much mental torture I suffered Drawn. Although Black's knight is on
during my analyisis, on finding all these the edge of the board, it cannot be caught .
fantastic possibilities ! An example of the amazing and inex
haustible nature of chess !
51 . . . Ke8
52 g5 Nfl
It was only here that the game diverged No. 54 Sicilian Defence
from our analysis. We thought that Black
would gain a draw by 52 . . . Ng4, and if Planinc-Polugayevsky
53 g6, then 53 . . . Re3 + , with perpetual
check or the win of the bishop. But Uhlmann's
Mar del Plata, 1972
move is also good enough.
1 e4 c5
53 g6 Ng3 + 2 Nf3 d6
54 Kel Re3 + 3 d4 c X d4
55 Kf2 Rf3 + 4 N X d4 Nf6
56 Kg2 5 Nc3 Nc6
6 Bg5 Bd7
Or 56 Kg l Ne2 + .
7 Qd2 ReS
56 . . . Nh5 ! 8 f4
62 Rf8 + Kc7
136
No. 54 Planinc-Polugayevsky, 1972
1 37
Finale of the chess symphony
28 g3 Rc4
29 Rh6 h4
30 Rb3 h X g3
31 h X g3 Rc6
20 R X g4 g X h4
32 Rh4
21 R X h4
22 Nf6 + Ke7
By playing according to the principle of
23 Rf1 Bg7
' only forward', White ends up in a difficult
24 Rhf4 h5!
position. He should not have cut himself off
from the g3 pawn. After 40 Kf3 Rc2 41 a5
A little finesse. Black gains an important
b X a5 42 R X b7 + Kd6 43 Ra7, or 41 . . .
tempo (the h-pawn subsequently proves a
R2 x c4 42 R X b6 R x b6 43 R X b6 he could
useful battering-ram), since 25 Nd5 + Ke8
have maintained the balance.
(25 . . . Kd8 is also possible) 26 R X f7 is
bad for White because of 26 . . . Bh6 + 27 40 • • . Re2
Kd 1 e x d5 28 R X b7 Rf8 . 41 aS
138
No. 54 Planinc-Polugayevs ky , 1 9 72
42 Kd3 b X a5
43 R X b7 + Kd6
44 R3b6 ?
10 139
Finale of the chess symphony
side pawns, since his king must constantly This loses quickly. Black has most diffi
keep an eye on the passed f-pawn. At the culties after 57 Rd8 + Kc5 58 Rc8 + (bad is
appropriate moment Black places his rook 58 Rd2 Rd4 followed by 59 . . . Kb4, with
on the b-file, and ties his opponent down. an easy win) 58 . . . Kd4 ! 59 Rd8 + ! (if 59
KXf4, then 59 . Kd3+ ! 60 Kf3 R X b2, and
. .
49 Ra6 a4
the a-pawn decides the game) 59 . . . Kc4 60
SO RaS +
K X f4 Kb3 + ! 61 Ke3 K X b2.
50 Rb6 is answered by 50 . . . Rg3 + ! White appears to be defenceless, but in
fact he has an excellent counter-chance : 62
SO • • • Ke6
Rd2 + !
51 Ra6 + KeS
52 RaS + Kf6
53 Ke3
53 • • • Rb4
1 40
No. 55 Gheorghiu-Polugayevsky, 1973
And so, even with best defence White session. True, on returning t o Moscow I
could not have gained a draw ! discovered something similar by our cele
brated composer Troitsky, but I should like
to flatter myself with the hope that the result
ing study will retain its right to exist. If
only for the reason that it emerged during
a practical game - the most refined 'compo
sition' of a chess player.
Here it is.
10 • . . d X e5
11 fx e5 Nfd7
12 Qb5
12 . . . Nc6
13 N x c6 Qb6 +
White to play and win 14 Be3!
1 0* 141
Finale of the chess symphony
18 a4 b4
19 Nb5 B x e3
The first impression is that it favours Black,
20 Re x e3 Nc5
since both 27 N X b3 Rd 1 + and 27 R X b3
21 Nd4 Qa6
e5 are simply not possible . But everything
22 Rf4 Rad8 ?
is put in its place by 27 Rg3 !, when the
A dubious, although plausible move . threatened sacrifice at g6 cannot be ignored.
Sounder was 22 . . . Be4 !, switching the bish For example : 27 . . . N X d4 28 R X g6 + Kf7
op to the defence of the K-side. 29 R X d4 ! (not 29 Rg7 + Ke8, and the king
escapes) 29 . . . Bd5 30 Rg7 + Ke8 3 1 R X d7
23 Kg1 g6
Qb6 32 R X d5 e X d5 33 f7 + , winning the
In order to divert the white queen from the queen.
defence of d 1 , where in some cases the black Black is therefore forced to play 27 . . .
rook is ready to invade . White could now Be4 28 c X b3 (not 28 R X e4 R X/6 !, when
have fallen into a piquant trap after 24 Rg3 thanks to the mate threat at f1 the initiative
142
No. 55 Gheorghiu-Polugayevsky, 1 973
passes to Black) 28 . . . Qb7 ! (a worthy d5 (27 . . . Qc4), White would not have had
reply ; neither 28 . . . Qa7 29 R X e4 R X d4 30 such a choice.
R Xg6 + h X g6 31 Q X g6 + Kh8 32 Qg7+
31 . . . Q x e5
Q Xg7 33 fXg7 + KXg7 34 R X d4, nor
32 b5 Rg7
especially 28 . . . e5 29 R X e4 ! Qa7 30R X g6 +
33 b X g6 Kh8
h X g6 31 Q Xg6 + Kh8 32 Rh4+ Rh7 33
R X h7 + Q X h7 34 Qg7 + Q X g7 35 fXg7 + It was better to go into an ending : 33 . . .
KXg7 36 Ne6 + is good enough to equalize) Qel + 34 Kh2 Q X g3 + 35 K X g3 R X g6 +
29 h3 (29 N� e6 ? Qb6 + ) 29 . . . R X d4 3 6 Q X g6 + (36 Rg4 i s bad due to 36 . . .
(29 . . . e5 30 #e6 Qb6 + 31 Kh2 Q X e6 32 R X g4 + ) 36 . . . h X g6 37 N x e6 Rd3 +
R X e4 also leads to equality) 30 R X e4 38 Kh4 Re3, with fair winning chances .
R X e4 3 1 R X g6 + h X g6 32 Q X g6 + Kh8
3 4 Kb2
33 Qh6 + , and the game ends in perpetual
check. This is fair, since it is unlikely that ei It was essential to prevent the black queen
ther of the players has an advantage in the from going to f6, and to this end a further
diagram position. queen move was perfectly appropriate. After
25 • . . N X b3 34 Qh4 the following variations are possible :
26 R X b3 f5 34 . . . Qd6 (intending . . . Qe7) 35 Qf6 !
Q X f4 (35 . . . Qe7 36 Qe5 Rd5 is dubious
Exploiting a favourable opportunity (27 in view of 37 Qb8+ Rg8 38 g7+ Q X g7
e Xf6 e5), Black gets rid of his backward 39 R X g7 R X b8 40 NX e6, when there ap
pawn and obtains the better chances. pears to be no defence against 41 Rh4)
2 7 Rg3 Qb6 36 Rh3 ! (36 Qf8+ Rg8 37 Qf6 + Rdg7 38
Rh3 h6 39 Qe5 Qg5) 36 . . . Qd6 (36 . . .
Possibly more accurate was 27 . . . Qc4, Kg8 37 g X h7 + R X h7 38 Qg6 + , and Black
and if 28 Qh6, then 28 . . . Qd5. In this case is lost) 37 R X h7 + (37 NXf5!? hoping for
Black would have forced 29 h4 and a favour 37 . . . e XJ5 38 R X h7 + Kg8 39 R X g7 + ,
able ending, which will be mentioned in the is dubious because of 37 . . . Qc5 + ) 37 . . .
note to his 33rd move. Kg8 38 Rh6, and White will be quite happy
28 Qb6 after 38 . . . Qe7 39 Qe5, or 38 . . . Qd5 ?
39 Rh8 + ! K X h8 40 Qf8 + .
The queen returns to its post. On 28 The probable outcome of all these compli
R X d4 White has a draw by 29 R X g6 + , cations is a draw.
while after 28 . . . Qc5 (28 . . . Qc7 ? 29
Q X/8 + !) White does not need to hurry- 34 . . . Qf6
29 h4 Q X e5 30 h5, and the knight is neverthe 35 Rb4
less immune .
At this point both players were seriously
28 ... Rff7 short of time, which explains the following
29 c3 b X c3 obvious oversights.
30 b X c3 Qc5
35 ... e5
31 b4
36 Nf3 f4
3 1 Re3 was more circumspect, when it 37 Rg5 B X f3
would not have been easy for Black to attack 38 g X f3 Rd2 +
the e5 pawn. Had the black queen been at 39 Kb3 Qc6?
1 43
Finale of the chess symphony
A ghastly mistake. Now White could have of a mating attack, but instead of play typical
won instantly by 40 Q X g7 + K X g7 4 1 in such positions, on the principle of 'who
g X h7 + Kf7 42 Rg7 + ! Black should have is quicker', here both sides permit themselves
played 39 . . . Rf2 40 Q X g7 + Q X g7 4 1 quiet moves.
R X h7 + Q X h7 + 42 g X h7 R X f3 + 4 3 Kh4, On the resumption I found, as expected,
which would have left him with good winning that with his sealed move Gheorghiu had
chances. captured a pawn.
1 44
No. 55 Gheorghiu-Polug,ayevsky, 1973
145
Finale of the chess symphony
11 Rdl f5
12 g3 Qf6
13 Bg2
146
No. 56 Polugayevsky-Kagan, 1 973
1 3 h4 is better, since later White will all This seriously weakens the a-pawn, but it
the same place his bishop at h3. In the game is difficult to suggest anything better.
I played with a 'margin of safety', to avoid
21 B x cS b X c5
having to calculate the variations after 13 h4
22 Rdh1 Rh8
fx e4.
23 Bg2 Qg5
13 b6
Otherwise Black cannot disentangle him
• . •
14 h4 Ne7
self, since after 23 . . . Bg5 the double ex
15 h5 Kf7
change on h8 leads to the loss of the c7 pawn.
16 Nb5
24 Qc3
For a long time tying a black rook to the
defence of the c7 pawn. This is especially From here the queen observes not only
advantageous to White, for the reason that the Q-side along the e l -a5 diagonal, but also
both his rooks will be employed on the the K-side along the a l -h8 diagonal ! Black
K-side. must now keep a careful watch on the white
f-pawn, and not allow it to advance to f4.
16 Rac8
17 Bh3 24 . • . f X e4
25 B X e4 Nf5
With an 'X-ray' beam the bishop begins
26 B X f5 Q x fs
probing the weakness of the white squares
in the opponent's position. If 26 . . . g x f5, possible now is 27 Q X a5,
or 27 f4 Qg4 + 28 Kf2, when Black is tied
17 Kg7
hand and foot, even 28 . . . Kg6 being im
• • •
18 Rh2!
possible due to 29 Rh4.
27 Qd3 Qg4 +
28 Kfl Qd7
29 Rh4 Rcf8
30 R1h2 Rf7
31 Qe4 Rf6
32 Nc3
147
Finale of the chess symphony
the pressure on the h-file, and the move in the It was I who made the sealed move .
game would have been forced sooner or later.
41 Ke2 Bel
35 R X h8 R X h8 42 N x c7 Bb2
36 R X h8 K X h8 43 NbS Be5
37 Qe4 44 f4 e x £3 +
An inaccuracy in time trouble. It was better 45 K x £3 KgS
to play 37 Ne4 and only then prepare the Having got rid of the strong black pawn
exchange of queens by 38 Qf3 etc. But now at e4, White begins the execution of his plan.
Black's pawn formation is slightly improved, First the knight must be activated, after
and at the cost of a pawn his bishop acquires which both Black's king and his bishop will
the ability to 'breathe' . be tied down by attacks on the weak pawns
37 ... Kg7 at aS and d6.
38 Q X fS g X fS
46 Na7 Kf6
39 NbS e4
47 Nc6 Bc3
40 Kfl Kf6
48 Nd8!
148
No. 57 Polugayevsky-Grigorian, 1 973
55 . . • Kc7
56 Ne7 f4 +
57 Kf3 Bel
58 a6 Kb6
59 Nc8 + K x a6
By triangulation the king nevertheless 60 K x f4 Ka5
penetrates to the key f4 square . 61 N X d6 Kb4
62 Ke4
50 • • • Bb4
51 Ke3 Bc3 Another small finesse, which wins the most
52 a4! quickly. Now on 62 . . . K X b3 there follows
63 Kd3 Kb4 64 Nb7, and the black king
The hasty 52 Kf4 fails to achieve its goal
is shut out.
-52 . . . Kf6, and the d-pawn is taboo in
view of 53 . . . Be5 + , winning the knight. 62 . . • Ka5
Therefore the opponent has to be given the 63 Nf5 Kb4
move. 64 d6 K x b3
Now after 52 . . . Kd7 the piece sacrifice 65 Kd5 Resigns
wins : 53 Kf4 Kc7 54 N x a5 B X a5 55 K X f5
Kd7 56 g4 Ke7 57 g5 Bd2 58 g6 Bc3. It appears
that White is unable to strengthen his posi No. 57 Queen's Gambit
tion, but this is not so : by repeating the same
king manoeuvre. he gains a tempo-59 Kg5 Polugayevsky-K. Grigorian
Bd2 + 6 0 K.h5 Kf8 (White wins very easily
after 60 . . . Kf6 61 a5 B X a5 62 Kh6) 61 Kg4 ! 41st USSR Championship
Ke7 (if 61 . . . Bc3, then 62 Kg5, and either Moscow, 1973
Black loses control with his bishop of one
of the squares f6 or h6, or else after 62 . . . 1 Nf3 c5
Kg7 the white king breaks through to e6) 2 c4 Nf6
62 g7 Kf7 63 Kf5, and at the cost of his 3 g3 e6
passed g-pawn White reaches the Q-side with 4 Bg2 Nc6
his king.
Black is ready to go into a position typical
52 • . . Be5 of the Tarrasch Defence. Earlier in this event
the variation 5 Nc3 d5 6 c x d5 N X d5 7 0-0
Black decides to part with his a-pawn, so as
Be7 8 d4 0-0 9 N x d5 e x d5 occurred in the
to eliminate the white g-pawn. But this fails
game Petrosian-Grigorian. At the Inter
to save the game .
zonal Tournament in Petropolis Keres played
53 N x a5 B x g3 in similar fashion against Portisch. I wanted
54 Nc6 + Kd7 to deviate from the well-trodden path; and
55 aS therefore instead of 5 Nc3 I chose :
1 49
Finale of the chess symphony
5 0-() d5
6 c x d5 N X d5
7 d4 Be7
8 d X c5 B X c5
9 Qc2 Qe7
1 50
No. 57 Polugayevsky-Grigorian , 1973
All Black's hopes lie in counter-play on I preferred to retain my bishop and exchange
the h-file. off the active enemy rook.
33 . . • R X cl
34 B x cl Ke7
35 Rd4
27 Radl 37 Bd6
To be considered was 27. a4, not determin A poor move. The exchange of rooks after
ing for the moment the position of the queen's 37 f4 Rc4 38 R X c4 N x c4 39 Bel would
rook. have led to an easily won ending.
27 . . • RhcS 37 • • . Nc4
38 Bb4 Rc7
An admission of failure. On the h-fi1e 39 h5 e5
there is nothing more for the rook to do. 40 Rd8 Nb2
28 a4
28 . . . Na5
29 Qd3 Q X d3
30 R X d3 N X c6
31 R X d6 Ne5
32 Bf4 Rc2 As I was sealing my move, I saw an in
33 Rcl
teresting idea, which, of course, would have
to be analyzed carefully at home. The 'finish
Perfectly possible was 33 B X eS fx es, ing' process unexpectedly proved to be highly
when the rook ending should be won, but complex and painstaking, with a large number
151
Finale of the chess symphony
of variations to be considered. Time for me Kh4 !, and without wasting time on the
was at a premium, but I nevertheless had to capture of the knight, makes for g6 with
'borrow' from my own sleep, and spend a his king.
number of hours on the analysis . However, all this analysis remained 'un
seen', since on his very first move my oppo
41 Bd6 nent went a different way, but . . . one which
was not unexpected.
Black incorrectly considered the adjourned
position to be drawn (it is unlikely that White 41 . . . Rb7 ?
can hold on to his extra pawn). He was
clearly superficial as regards his analysis, This possibility had also been examined
and, as it turned out, had no suspicion of by White in his analysis, and just in case
the dangers threatening him. Even on the he had prepared a 'bomb'.
resumption at the board he should still have
42 e4! N x a4
been on his guard : why, in fact, does White
part with his a-pawn, and keep his bishop 42 . . . Ke6 was much more tenacious,
on the same diagonal ? Perhaps he has some although after 43 f4 e X f4 44 g X f4 f5 White
aim other than the superficial one of trying had found the problem-like move 45 Ba3 (if
to drive the rook off the 7th rank ? After all, 45 Be5, then 45 . . . Nc4!), when after 45 . . .
the black king has only one free square at Nc4 46 ReS + Kf7 47 RfS + Ke6 4S e x f5 +
e6 . . . Kd5 49 Bb4, o r 45 . . . N x a4 46 ReS + Kf6
In short, there was plenty for Black to 47 RfS + Ke6 (if 47 . . . Rf7, then 48 e5 +
think about, and, if he had taken account Ke6 49 Rc8) 4S R X f5, he wins.
of all these considerations, he would natu The continuation in the game simplified
rally have tried moving his rook down the my task considerably.
c-file, to prevent the advance of the white
e-pawn. 43 f4
In the event of this I had prepared at home
the following variations : 41 . . . Rc4 42 a5 !
b X a5 43 RaS, and if 43 . . . Ke6, then 44 Ba3
followed by R X a7. After 42 . . . Rd4 (instead
42 . . . b X a5), 43 a6 ! is decisive : 43 . . . Ke6
(or 43 . . . Nc4 44 Rf8+ Ke6 45 Bb4 - with
his pawns on black squares the ending is
hopeless for Black) 44 RaS ! R X d6 45 R X a7,
and White's passed pawns are irresistible .
4 1 . . . Rc3 is perhaps the most interesting
variation. But then comes 42 Rd7 + Ke6 43
R X g7 K X d6 44 h6 ReS 45 h7 RhS 46 R X a7,
and the resulting ending is hopeless for Black. It turns out that, after re-establishing mate
E.g. 46 . . . N x a4 47 R x a4 R X h7 4S Rc4, rial equality, Black is in danger of being rather
with an easily won rook ending. Mter 46 . . . economically mated-by 44 f5 and 45 RfS.
Ke6 the break-through a4-a5 is decisive, Defending by 43 . . . Nc5 44 f5 Nd7 leads to
while if 46 . . . Nc4, then 47 Kh3. Finally, a tragicomic position, in which there is
on 46 . . . f5 White plays 47 Kh3 N x a4 4S nothing for Black to do on his next move .
1 52
No. 58 Polugayevsky-Mecking, 1 975
1 53
Finale of the chess symphony
The point is that the knight is aiming to Bd6 23 B X d6 R X d6 led to equality in the
occupy an aggressive post at c4 or e4. It ap later game Magerramov-Bagirov, USSR,
pears that it should be possible to refute this 1976), but this is just what he should have
manoeuvre, by exploiting the fact that the played, since after 21 . . . Qc6 22 Qe2 White's
bishop at d3 is undefended . position is merely slightly preferable .
But where can the knight move to ? 1 5 . . .
Ne3 is bad because of 1 6 Bb5 + Kf8 1 7 21 Qc4 Nd4
f x e3 B X e3 + 1 8 Kh 1 Qd5 1 9 Nf3, when 22 Q x d5 R X d5
Black loses a piece : 1 9 . . . B X cl 20 Q x d5 . 23 Bd6
O n 1 5 . . . Nf4 White has the simple 1 6 23 Be4 was pointless in view of 23 . . . Rb5,
Be4, ensuring him an advantage. And even but at the same time I did not want to give
so, it is not a question of the position guaran up my e-pawn.
teeing White an advantage. Not at all. It is
simply rich in possibilities for both sides. 23 • • • Nf5
Black in fact followed a highly tempting 24 Bc4 Rd4
path, but it was here that White was able
After 24 . . . Rd2 25 Bb4 R X b2 26 Bc3
to seize the initiative .
Black loses the exchange.
15 ... Nc3
16 Qc2 25 Bb5 + Kd8
Qd5
26 Ba3 Rd5
17 Nf3 Rd8
18 Ne1 ! 26 . . . Rd2 is stronger. In regaining his
pawn, Black loses time and comes under
Black's pieces are seemingly very actively
an attack.
placed, but he is not able to exploit the
obvious motif of the knight at e 1 being over 27 Bc4 R x e5
loaded. Meanwhile, the knight at c3 has 28 Nd3 Re4
nowhere to retreat, since 18 . . . Ne4 1 9
B X e4 leads t o the loss o f a piece .
18 • . . Bd4
19 Bd2
1 54
No. 58 Polugayevsky-Mecking, 1975
29 .
• • Kc7
30 Racl Kb8
31 Nc5 Rd4
32 Nd7 +
11 1 55
Finale of the chess symphony
No . 59
Polugayevsky-Balasbov
49 • • • Rel
SO Rc7 45th USSR Championship
Leningrad, 1977
Now 50 . . . K x a2 5 1 R X f7 K X b3 52
R X g7 leads to a position where, although
Black can win the white rook for his b-pawn,
he is unable to give up his rook for all the
remaining white pawns .
so . • . Rgl
51 R X f7 R X g4
52 Ra7 + Kb2
53 KeS Rg2
1 56
No. 59 Polugayevsky-Balashov, 1 977
49 • . • e x f3 +
50 K X f3 h5 ? !
62 Bc6 Kc7
thing, since 57 Bc6 can be met by 57 . . . Ke7.
63 Ke2 f5
If only it were Black's move ! Then . . . Kg7
would be bad because of Be8, and . . . Kf8(e7) After 63 . . . Kc8 64 Ba4 Kd8 65 Kf3 Bd3
because of Bd1 . . . (65 . . . Kc7 66 e4 and then e4-e5) 66 Bb3
f5 67 Kf2 Ke7 68 Ke 1 White transfers his
(see diagram next column) king to c3, places his bishop at e8 (stopping
off en route at c6), and nevertheless advances
57 Kf3! e3-e4.
11* 1 57
Finale of the chess symphony
67 • • • Ke7 78 Ke3
68 f5 B x rs
Also possible was the immediate 78 h5
This allows White an outside passed pawn, Bf5 79 h6 Bb 1 80 Ke3 (with the threat of
but Black also loses after 68 . . . Be8 69 81 Bg4) 80 . . . Kg5 8 1 Bfl , and in either
K X e4 Kf6 70 Kf4 Bf7 7 1 Ba4. case (on 81 . . . KX h6 or 81 . . B/5)-82
.
Bh3.
69 B X h5 Kf6
78 • • • Bf5
70 Kf4 Bh3
79 Bd3 Bg4
71 Be2
80 Bc2 Bh3
81 Bh7 Bfl
82 Bd3 Bh3
83 Kf4 Bd7
84 hS Ba4
85 h6 Bb3
Accuracy is necessary right to the end .
86 h7 Kg7
The black bishop cannot now reach fl , and
87 Kf5 Resigns
after 71 . . . Bg2 72 Kg3 it is trapped .
71 • • • Bf5
72 Bg4 e3 No. 60 Catalan Opening
After 72 . . . B x,g4 73 K X g4 Ke5 75 h5 Polugayevsky-Reshevsky
Kd4 the white pawn queens with check,
while 72 . . . Bg6 allows the white bishop to Lone Pine, 1978
attack the a-pawn.
1 d4 Nf6
73 Be2 Bd7 2 c4 e6
74 K X e3 KfS 3 g3 d5
75 BbS Kf6 4 Bg2 Nbd7
158
No. 60 Po1ugayevsky-Reshevsky, 1978
5 Nf3 c6 13 . . • a6
6 Qc2 Be7 14 c x d5 c X d4
7 0--0 0-0
8 b3 b6 Perhaps Black's best practical chance .
9 Rd1 After 14 . . . N X d5 1 5 N X d5 B X d5 1 6
d X c5 White's pressure on the d-file becomes
The slight subtlety of this move order is highly unpleasant.
that for the moment White avoids determin
15 N X d4
ing the position of his queen's knight, which
he will choose depending on Black's plans 1 5 R X d4 might have been stronger, but
with regard to his queen's bishop. during the game I was attracted by the idea
of transferring the knight to f5 .
9 • • . Bb7
10 Nc3 15 . . . B X d5
The knight can now occupy a more active
There is no choice . If 15 . . . N X d5, then
position.
16 B X d5 B X d5 1 7 Qf5 Bb7 1 8 Ne6, and
10 . . . ReS White wins.
11 e4 c5
16 Nf5 B X g2
Played in analogy with variations where 17 K x g2 Bb4
the white rook is at f1 or e 1 , but in the present 18 Qd3 Rc5
situation this move leads to great difficulties. 19 Qf3 B x c3
Essential was 11 . . . d X e4 12 N x e4 N X e4
1 3 Q X e4 Nf6, aiming to relieve the tension in The immediate 1 9 . . . Qa8 fails to 20 Ne7 +
the centre . Kh8 2 1 Ncd5.
12 e x d5 e x d5 20 B x c3 Qa8
21 Ne7 + Kh8
22 Bd4 Q X f3 +
23 K x £3
13 Bb2!
(see diagram next column)
This simple move emphasizes White's
advantage. Black cannot now play 13 . . . The resulting ending clearly favours White.
d x c4, in view of 14 d5 c x b3 1 5 a x b3, His king is closer to the centre, his bishop
when both 16 d6 and 1 6 R X a7 are threaten is the superior minor piece, and his king's
ed. rook is excellently placed.
1 59
Finale of the chess symphony
28 • • • Kh6
29 Nf5 + Kg6
30 Nh4 + Kh6
23 • • • Ra5 31 R x e8
On 23 . . . Rc2 there would have followed Exchanging off Black's only active piece.
24 Rdc l , when White seizes the open c-file.
31 • • • N x e8
24 h3
32 Nf5 + Kg6
White has no reason to hurry, and he pre 33 Ne7 + Kh6
pares the potentially useful g3-g4.
The knight has returned, again depriving
24 Re8
• • •
the black rook of d5. Now all Black's pieces
25 Re1 b5
are passively placed, and the second white
26 a4 Kh7
rook comes into play with decisive effect.
This loses by force. The only move was
26 . . . Ne5 + , although after 27 R X e5 (also
34 Rc1
pretty strong is 27 B X e5 R X e7 28 B Xf6
Threatening the decisive invasion at c8,
R X el 29 B Xg7 + , winning a pawn) 27 . . .
against which there is no satisfactory defence.
R X e5 28 B x e5 R X e7 29 Bd4 Black faces
a difficult defence . 34 • . . Nf8
27 b4! Rg5 35 Be3!
28 Kf4
The bishop sets up an 'ambush', and loss
of material for Black becomes inevitable.
35 . . • Ng6 +
36 Kf3 N X e7
37 h4 Nd5
38 Rc6 + Kh7
39 h X g5 b5
40 R x a6 Resigns
1 60
Psychology of the Chess Struggle
The art of chess is in many respects syno And I have been faced with a number of
nymous with strength of character. An ag such problems. Different ones at various
gressive, trained character, often created by times. Thus there were years when for me
the player's own hands. How ? There are no important tournaments would follow roughly
easy recipes for this, no books, and I do not one and the same course : due to nerves
know whether in general such books could I would make a very bad start, then, with
be written. Although at some time in the all chances seemingly lost, I would play well
future every top player will acquire his own and improve my position, only to collapse
psychologist, who for many years will ob at the most crucial moment. Yes, how many
serve him and give him advice. times did excessive emotion overwhelm me,
Does this mean that for success in the chess depriving me of composure and good sense !
struggle it is necessary to make a radical How many times, in a good position, was
change to your character ? If I am kind, one incidental and insignificant mistake
should I become malicious ? If I am malicious, followed by a second, no longer incidental
should I become kind ? and more serious, and then a third, this time
Not at all ! In this sense, it would seem, fatal ! How many times, instead of calmly
a person is not able to change. If that's the transposing into a won ending, did I launch
way he is, that is how he will stay. into a whirlpool of mutual attacks, aiming
The question is a different one : how cor to decide the game immediately, without
rectly to build up your character for a adj ourning, as a result of which the win was
struggle. It must be simultaneously made missed !
both firm and flexible - otherwise it will lose Many of these ailments passed as ex
the ability to react to the various types of perience was accumulated, but many had
situation during an individual game and to be literally rooted out of me . And I learned
a tournament as a whole . how to play the most importan.t, decisive
This is the chief problem. For many, and games, a few of which are given here.
for me in particular. Because, in contrast Other 'games of my life' - this is what
to others, I was not a ready-made aggressive players call those encounters which are of
competitor from birth . . . particular competitive or psychological sig
I have spent more than 30 years in chess. nificance - can be found by the reader in my
I have been unable to solve all problems of book Grandmaster Preparation, published
a psychological nature, but I have neverthe in 1 98 1 , also by Pergamon Press .
less achieved something. And I think that
even my purely competitive results will con
firm the correctness of my words.
161
Psychology of the chess struggle
1 62
No. 6 1 Polugayevsky-Portisch, 1973
This was a cry from the heart. And al dations to me on both possibilities, and we
though this may seem like a poor fabrication, began considering opening with the king's
it was as though heard by the veteran pawn. In its favour, apart from its surprise
Argentinian grandmaster Miguel Najdorf value, was the fact that after 1 e4 Portisch
who had come to Petropolis especially for feels much less confident . . .
the concluding rounds. His optimism is 'But if it should be a Lopez, what then ?',
legendary, and he spent evenings with us I asked dubiously.
in the hotel at chess and cards, when his 'Play the Italian Game !'
voice would not die down even for a minute . 'But I never played it even as a child !'
'What ? ! Who are you playing ? Portisch ? 'So much the better ! Portisch plays only
And you need to win ? You'll win ! ! ' the variation with . . . Bc5 .'
'How will I win ?' And I was shown a multitude of varia
'You have the better chances. He needs tions of primordial antiquity, which had bee n
a draw, but you need a win !', Najdorf de worked out taking Portisch's games into
clared not altogether logically, but most con account . . .
vincingly. And he added : I hesitated, and was all ready to agree,
'You are playing well ! Do you want to when I suddenly sensed : this is no way to
take a bet on it ? ! ' play ! This is not the way to plan a decisive
I suddenly sensed a growing feeling of con battle . After all, if I were to fail to gain an
fidence in victory. Indeed, it was equally advantage from the opening, I would not for
likely for me as it was for Portisch. What give myself for having betrayed 'my sort'
about a draw being in his favour ? Yes ! But of chess . Very well, it might be easier for
after all, not only I, but also he had to play Portisch in the opening, but even if I were
'to order' ! to fail to achieve what I wanted in my own
A further half hour's walking, a sound schemes, I might quietly be able to gain an
sleep, and in the morning I felt that I couldn't advantage in the middlegame .
wait for the moment when I would sit down And the Italian Game fell away of its own
at the board. Jumping ahead , I should per accord. And after it - also the Exchange
haps mention that, in the bus on the way Variation of the Ruy Lopez, and 1 e4 in
to the game, I listened with genuine pleasure general.
to some amusing stories, and myself related But I also did not wish to permit the
some anecdote . Later, grandmaster Yuri Nimzo-Indian Defence, which had been so
Averbakh admitted that both he, and all the well studied by my opponent, and by the
competitors, had been astonished to see me method of elimination my choice fell on
in such a mood prior to so important an en 1 Nf3 : I would attempt to gain a slight ad
counter. vantage . In the end it would depend on me
And so, I awoke with a thirst for battle, whether or not I was able to increase it.
but not a reckless battle, but one prepared I must admit that I did not guess com
beforehand, like a decisive encounter in a war. pletely the course of events in the opening.
Hence the stages in my opening preparation, Portisch chose against me that very same
carried out on the morning of the game. variation in which a few rounds earlier I had
First I had to decide the question : should lost as Black to Panno . Did that mean that
I play what I normally play, or should I try he was aiming for a different piece set-up ?
to surprise my opponent with my choice of At the board I took a radical decision :· I de
opening ? My second made his recommen- viated from the path chosen by Panno, and
1 63
Psychology of the chess struggle
was ready to agree both to the Queen's After 8 Be2 B X e2 9 Q X e2 0-0-0 the
Gambit, and to the Tarrasch Defence . The chances would have been roughly equal.
result was a highly unusual form of the Reti Also possible was 8 Qb3 Bf3 9 Rg1 , when
Opening. White did not achieve anything White gradually throws back the active black
in it, but . . . I lost the opening advantage pieces.
'promised' by theory, but gained more :
8 ... Bf5
a complicated position was reached, which
9 g4 Bg6
was unfamiliar - or only slightly familiar - to
Portisch, and we were both forced to think The retreat of the bishop to d7 was more
for ourselves. natural. After 9 . . . Bd7 10 Qe2 e6 1 1 Be3
The fact that this was to my advantage Qd6 12 Nc3 Be7 13 Ne4 a double-edged game
is shown by the game. results, but I continue to prefer White's
1 Nf3 d5 position.
2 c4 d4
3 g3 c5
4 e3! ?
164
No. 61 Polugayevsky-Portisch, 1 973
1 65
Psychology of the chess struggle
Now White gains a won position. 28 and here the destination of first prize would
Ne8 was more tenacious, planning 29 be decided literally in the dash for the
Nd6 . finishing line. Leading, with 5t points out
of 8, was the Bulgarian grandmaster Radulov,
while Bellon and I had 5. I was in no doubt
that Radulov would not take any risk, but
would agree a draw, so that a win would
give me a share of first place, and - on the
tie-breaking coefficient - a special prize.
But to win with Black . . .
When preparing psychologically for this
game, I sensed that I would be unable to
'persuade' myself that this was a so-called
'game of my life' - it was not a sufficiently
29 h4 Nf8 important event. And I tuned myself up for
30 Rhe1 Rh3 the sort of game in which it would be im
31 ReS Ne6 possible to make normal, every-day moves
32 Be4 B X e4 with a cold heart and sober mind I had to
33 R x e4 Ra8 seek only the best continuations
34 Rf1 Rf8
1 c4 e5
3S Kc3 fS
2 g3 d6
36 ReS! f4
37 Ra1 Of course, 2 c6 3 Nf3 e4 4 Nd4 d5
5 c X d5 Q X d5 is by no means bad, but I did
Black is powerless to oppose the intrusion
not want to reveal my plans so quickly and
of the white rooks.
to clarify the position. It seemed more
37 . . . Re3 appropriate to transpose into a King's
38 Ra7 + Kc8 Indian set-up.
Or 38 . . . Kd8 39 Rd5 + Kc8 40 R5d7 3 Bg2 g6
Nd8 41 Nd6 + , and mates. 4 d4 Nd7
39 R X e6 Resigns 5 b3
1 66
No. 62 Bellon-Polugayevsky, 1975
Black could already have tried to expose For the moment d4 is defended. But al
the drawbacks to White's plan by 7 . . . e X d4 though the knight is more active at a4 than
8 B X d4 0-0 and 9 . . Re8, but he had some
. at e2 (to where it could also have moved)
thing else in mind . it is nevertheless on the edge of the boar9.
8 d X e5 14 • • • Nd7
15 Rfd1
It transpires that normal development by
8 Ne2 would have allowed 8 . . . e X d4, and Possibly White should have played 1 5 c5
if 9 N X d4, then 9 . . N x e4 10 B X e4 Re8.
.
immediately, with a view to a subsequent
Meanwhile, the elimination of the pawn Nd2-c4.
tension in the centre can be considered 15 • • • b6
a slight achievement for Black. 16 Bh3
18 h4
13 b4 Ne6
14 Na4
1 67
Psychology of the chess struggle
In parrying the above-mentioned threat, The knight again goes to d7, from where
White weakens his K-side. The variation it attacks the c5 pawn and simultaneously
1 8 c5 b5 1 9 Nc3 a5 20 a3 Ng5 appealed to intends to occupy e5.
him even less . . .
18 . . . f5!
19 Rd2 ? !
22 N x d4 e x d4
23 Ne2 Bg4! 31 Bg2
24 c5 B X e2 32 • • • N X b2
25 Qb3 + Kb8 33 Q X g6 Qf7
26 R X e2 b X c5 34 Q X c6 d3
27 b X cS Nd7 35 BdS
1 68
No. 63 Timman-Polugayevsky, 1 982
1 d4 Nf6
Bugojno, 1982
2 c4 e6
3 Nf3 b6
I will state straight away that this game
4 g3 Ba6
could not be called a complete one . And,
5 Qb3
indeed, there was no question of it being so,
so great was the significance of it for both Timman likes playing White in the Queen's
players . Hence the great tension and the Indian Defence, and has great experience in
gripping chess drama of this encounter. it. In this opening the Dutch grandmaster
In order to understand all this, it is simply does not normally conduct the game in a po
essential to know the conditions under which sitional vein, but imparts to it a sharp nature.
the game was played . . . The queen move rarely occurs in practice,
Firstly, the tournament in Bugojno was and for this very reason it is interesting.
one of the currently popular super-class events, The game takes on an unusual form, demand
and success in such a tournament is an es ing a creative approach from both players.
pecially desirable honour for any grandmas
ter (however, the invitation itself to such 5 ... Nc6
a tournament is an honour). For Timman
Black has several alternatives -5 . . . c6,
and myself it was especially important, for
5 . Bb7, but the move played is the most
. .
169
Psychology of the chess struggle
The alternative is 7 Qa4, but then after This move has its virtues, of course, but
7 . . . Bb7 White does not have 8 e4. its drawbacks are also clearly apparent-time
7 ... c5 is lost, and Black may be able to exploit the
8 e4 opening of the rook's file.
11 . . . ReS
Now White's plan is revealed. His strong
central pawns cramp Black, and may cause In this way Black emphasizes the draw
him considerable unpleasantness. A similar backs to the opponent's previous move . Now
pawn formation occurs in several other lines 12 Bd3 is well met by 12 . . . N x c4 13 N x c4
of the Queen's Indian Defence, but with the B X c4 14 B x c4 b5. Timman finds the best
black knight at b8, rather than a5. In this chance .
case the difference is in Black's favour : his
12 Be4 Qc7
knight is already developed, and he can
occupy the c-file . There is no point in taking the pawn
(12 . . . Nx c4) in view of the unpleasant
8 . c x d4
reply 13 Qa4, while 12 . . . B X c4 13 N x c4
. .
9 e5 Ng8
.
R X c4 14 Qd3 is unclear. Black might have
This reply is forced, since dubious is tried 12 . . . b5, and if 13 c5, then 1 3 . . . Nd5
9 . . . Ng4 1 0 h3 Nh6 and now 1 1 g4 (if there 14 B X d5 R X c5, when he seizes the initia
is nothing better), preparing Ne4. tive . The move played is in itself not bad, but
10 Bd3 it is less energetic.
13 b3 Nec6
It transpired that Timman had examined
this continuation in his pre-game prepara A poor reply-Black incorrectly imple
tions. White's idea is tempting, but he has ments his idea . The point is this . White's
not yet completed his development. The weak Achilles' heel is his e-pawn. Black thought
ness of the e5 pawn and the possession of the that his knight at a5 would be needed to
c-file give Black counterchances. support the advance of his b-pawn, but, as
10 . • • Ne7 it turns out, the knight does little to help this,
and therefore it should have been moved to
Heading for c6. For the moment Black c6. After 13 . . . Nac6 the following varia
is a pawn up, and is threatening to seize the tion is of interest : 14 Bb2 N x e5 15 N X d4
initiative. Not wishing to agree to this, f5 ! 1 6 Bg2 b5, when it would seem that Black
Timman embarks on a dangerous course . wins a pawn and creates threats on the c-file .
After missing this opportunity he ends up
in an inferior position.
14 Bb2 N x es
15 N X d4 Nac6
16 N x c6 N x c6
11 B X h7 17 0-0 Nb4!
1 70
No. 63 Timman-Polugayevsky, 1 982
This move may or may not be good, but Clearing the way for the bishop, and in
it deserves an exclamation mark. After tending 23 Qe2 and 24 f3 .
'normal' replies, White, with his greater com
mand of space, has the advantage . Account 22 • . . Rd8
must also be taken of the fact that Black's 23 Qe2 Qc6
king is stuck in the centre . But he now in 23 . . . Qd7 is also a possibility, but then
tends to use the a6-fl diagonal for counter Black has to reckon with 24 Qg4.
play.
24 f3 Qd7!
18 Qc3
A critical point. Timman thought that he Black has to exchange the queens. Then,
had refuted Black's plan, but in fact this is not thanks to the more active placing of his pieces,
so . The strongest was 1 8 Qb1 (18 Qdl is also he will be able to exploit the weakness of
possible), so as to answer 18 . . . d5 with White's Q-side pawns.
19 a3 d X e4 20 a x b4. But now Black dis 25 Bel
covers a strong counter-chance .
Now Black has no problems. To be con
18 . . . d5
sidered was 25 Bc3, maintaining the pressure
19 a3
along the important diagonal. Interesting
play then results after 25 . . . Qd3 26 Qe l ,
when analysis shows that 26 . . . B X e4 27
fx e4 Bc5 + 28 Kg2 Bd4 retains for White
his extra pawn, but this is neutralized by
Black's counter-play.
25 . . . Qd3
26 b4 Rh5
12 171
Psychology of the chess struggle
Threatening 44 . . . f4.
45 Re2 Bd6
The correct idea . Black has to play
Rc8, and then after Rc2 advance the f-pawn.
46 g4 Bf4!
A typical example of transforming one form
of advantage into another.
47 g X fS +
32 R x f3 !
47 Bb2 is more tenacious.
• • •
33 R X f3 B x e4
34 Rff2 B x e2 47 . . . K X f5
35 R x e2 Kd7 48 Re2 e3
36 Kg2 fS This wins quickly : on 49 cS there follows
Black has obtained an obvious advantage . 49 . . . e2 50 Kf2 Re8 5 1 Ke l Bg3 + . White
On the Q-side the white pawns are ossified, unsuccessfully tries to organize a blockade .
whereas Black's central pawns are mobile. 49 Kf3 Rh8
In addition his rook is active. And even so 50 Ke2 R X h3
the win is not easy, and a concrete plan must 51 Kd3 e2 +
be found. White resigns
1 72
No. 64 Polugayevsky-Petrosian, 1 982
6 Bc2 c5
7 d4 c >< d4
No. 64 English Opening s N x d4 Be7
9 0-0 0-0
Polugayevsky-Petrosian 10 b3 a6
11 Bb2 Nc6
Kislovodsk, 1982
In this way Black aims to exchange a pair
A special character was imparted to this of minor pieces. The usual move is 1 1 . . .
game by the fact that it was played in a team Nbd7, creating a flexible formation in the
event - the USSR Cup. 'Spartak', who have spirit of 'Andersson's 6th rank' - the Swedish
for many years been led by my opponent, grandmaster's favourite pawn 'hedgehog' on
had on paper a much stronger team than the 6th rank.
'Locomotiv', for whom I play. But from my 12 N x c6 B x c6
experience of team events I knew that some
times the success of just one player is able
to change the course of the struggle on all
the boards, especially if it is the success of
the leader. In this case chess players suddenly
become similar to pilots, to whom the lead
ing pilot gives the well known aviation signal
'Do what I do.' . . .
It was these considerations that gave rise
to the decision to engage the Ex-World
Champion in a battle on literally every
square of the board. And my most optimistic 13 Qd3!
hopes were realized : the win as though im
parted strength to my colleagues, and we This idea occurred in a similar position
defeated 'Spartak' by a big score . It is suffici in the last game of my match with Mecking
ent to say that the Spartak quartet of grand in 1 977 (there the moves Khl and . . . Qd7
masters gained only half a point ! had been included). Exploiting the battery
This is why I assign this seemingly every of queen + bishop along the b 1 -h7 diagonal,
day game, in an every-day event, to my list White creates the threat of 14 Nd5 !
of decisive games. 13 . . . g6
12* 1 73
Psychology of the chess struggle
The correct place for the rooks is at d8 White vacates e4 for his knight, and thus
and e8. In this way Black both prevents e4-e5, forces the opponent into making further
and himself aims for . . . d5. weakenings, since 22 . . . Nf6 is unpleasantly
met by 23 Qe5 . On 22 . . . Qb4 White had
16 Qe2 Rfe8
prepared 23 Bc6 !, and now :
17 Rad1 Bb7
(a) 23 . . . B X d6 24 B x d7 B X d7 (24 . . .
18 Kh1 QcS ?
R X d7 25 Nd5, and wins) 25 R X d6 Q X d6
Black's vigilance wavers, and White's cen 26 Ne4 followed by the inevitable 27 Nf6 + .
tral breakthrough gains markedly in strength, (b) 23 . . . Q X b3 24 Ne4, and f6 is again
since he is able to exploit the e4 square for indefensible : 24 . . . Bg7 25 B X g7 K X g7
his minor pieces with gain of tempo . Black 26 Rd3 Qb4 27 B x d7 B x d7 28 Nf6 !, and
should have continued 1 8 . . . Nd7, recon the knight is immune-28 . . . K X f6 ? ? 29
ciling himself to the exposure of the a 1 -h8 Qe5 mate .
diagonal. Of course, in this case too White has 22 . • • fS
a positional advantage and chances on the
K-side, but for the moment there would at
least have been nothing concrete in view.
19 e5 Nd7
1 74
Main Tournament and Match Results
Year
I Event
I Result
I Place
I
USSR Championship !-Final, Vilnius 12/ 1 7 1 -3
1 75
Main tournament and match results
Year I
I
Event / Result
!
Place
I
1961 ' 28th USSR Championship, Moscow 1 0!/1 9 7-8
European Team Championship, Oberhausen (board 9) 6t /9
RSFSR Championship (USSR Championship f-Final),
Omsk 12t/ 1 9
Chigorin Memorial Tournament, Rostov-on-Don 6t/1 1 4
29th USSR Championship, Baku 14/20 2
1 76
Main tournament and match results
Year
I Event I Result I Place
_I
1 77
Main tournament and match results
Year
I Event I Result I Place
1 978 Reykjavik 11;/ 1 3 7
Lone Pine 1 /9 2
Buenos Aires Olympiad (board 3) 8 /1 1
46th USSR Championship, Tbilisi 1 0/ 1 7 3
1 78
Index of Openings
(numbers refer to games)
1 79
Index of Opponents
(numbers refer to games)
Adorjan 25 Larsen 1 9, 45
Averbakh 50 Lj ubojevic 46
Lutikov 7
Bagirov 43
Maslov 1 1
Balashov 17, 59
Mecking 58
Bellon 62
Bilek 1 4
Nezhmetdinov 36
Boleslavsky 2 9
Braga 2 8
Padevsky 1 2
Browne 3 4
Petrosian 22, 64
Byrne 41
Pfleger 1 5
Planinc 54
Chikovani 20 Portisch 3, 23, 6 1
Psakhis 47
Donner 35
Reshevsky 60
Rodriguez 49
Espig 40
Romanishin 21
Rossetto 13
Geller 5 1
Gheorghiu 1 6, 3 2 , 55 Saidy 38
Gligoric 3 3 Seirawan 4 8
Grigorian 5 7 Smyslov 44
Griinfeld 27 Spassky 30
Stein 1
lvkov 52 Suetin 8
Tal 2, 39
Jansa 4
Timman 26, 63
Torre 6, 24
Kagan 56
Keres 3 7 Uhlmann 53
Khasin 9
Korchnoi 5, 3 1 , 42 Vasyukov 1 0, 1 8
1 80
Grandmaster
Perfonnance