Chess: The Search

for Mona Lisa

Eduard Gufeld

B.T. Batsford Ltd, London

First published in 2001
© Eduard Gufeld 2001

ISBN 0 7 1 34 8477 2

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced, by any means, without prior permission
of the publisher.

Printed in Great Britain by

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A BATSFORD CHESS BOOK

 Contents

Page

Preface 5

Three Tributes 7

Part One: My Life in Chess 9

Soccer or Chess? 9
Refuting Sokolsky 10
From the Ukraine with love 11
Seeking the Master title 14
Sergeant and Grandmaster 16
The Gufeld bishop 18
Dance of the elephant 22
Caissa's whims 23
A detective story 24
Who saw it? Who heard it? Who said it? 29
Seeking the truth 31
Fischer as I know him 33
The maximum discount 36
Non-Olympian motives 39
There is a girl in Kutaisi ... 40
The Tallinn pearl 42
The flying coach 43
How far is it to immortality? 45
According to the Grandmaster... 47
Why I did not eat m y hat 49
A barber of Seville 51

Part Two: Higher Chess Education 53

Who is faster? 53
A rare king march 56
Once in eight years 63
Korchnoi is Korchnoi 71
The beauty of symmetry 74
He was called a peace-loving man 76
Postscript: a parade of champions 79
 Page

Part Three: My Immortal Game 82

Part Four: Unforgettable Encounters 90

A gift from a friend 90

Good and bad bishops 95
How I became world champion 97
Second-degree threats

Intuition-the cornerstone of chess art 102

A provocation 105
Conveyor-belt sacrifices 109
Where is the mistake? 114
The tragedy of one tempo 118
Due respect for knights 121
White to play and win 125
What kind of games do we appreciate? 133
Art born out of struggle 137
Across the Pacific Ocean 151
A worthy opponent 155
eo-champion of America 158
Postscript: Alexander Matrosov 161

Part Five: Theoretical Controversies 164

Star-Gazing 164
A lifelong duel 174

Part Six: Extracts from an unwritten book 100 Games I Almost Won

Cartegena cannot be destroyed 199

The last round 201
Bringing the fateful moment back 205

Part Seven: Chess Kaleidoscope 210

Miniatures, Mini-Ideas, Maxi-Effects 241

Experience develops intuition 246

Index of Players of Games 253

Index of ECO Opening Codes 255

Index of Openings 256

 Author's Preface
In producing this book, I hope to
show all those who love chess that
they too can have their special place
in the chess world. They can do this
not merely by striving for ever
higher Elo ratings, but also through
their contributions to chess as pro­
moters, writers, journalists, teachers,
coaches, and chess organizers.
The chess world acknowledges
that there are at least three main
components in chess, namely art,
sport, and science. The Elo list re­
flects the sporting component,
which is objectively measured. But
what about the art and science of the
game? Although these are subjec­
tive features, they too ought to be
quantifiable by relation to a given
set of standards. Otherwise, as we
know from other disciplines, it
would be impossible to pick the
winners of an art or music competi­
tion or to award Nobel Prizes in the
sciences. For chess, the artistic and
scientific criteria could be: 1) nov­
elty of ideas, and 2) strength of op­
position and accuracy of play.
Thus I suggest that the true chess
rating of a player could be corn-
puted as a combination of his rat­
ings in all three departments. For in
the end, the true value of a chess­
player lies not only in his
superiority as a sportsman but also
in his contribution of novel ideas
that can enhance the development of
chess, and the creation of beautiful
games that provide aesthetic
pleasure.
The meaning of our "search for
the Mona Lisa"---our permanent
striving to create aesthetic beauty
over the chessboard--<:an be under­
stood in this light. Successful sport­
ing results will guarantee us Elo
ratings that reflect our competitive
ambitions, but all of us who play the
Royal Game are also familiar with
the joy that comes from a beautiful
conception-a combination, for ex­
ample, that arises "out of nowhere"
in a sterile position. I hope to share
with my readers, in the pages that
follow, some of the great joy I have
been privileged to experience in the
course of my chess life.
This book is fondly dedicated to
my mother.
 Symbols used in this book

+ check
+- winning advantage for White
± large advantage for White
;!; slight advantage for White
-+ winning advantage for Black
+ large advantage for Black
+ slight advantage for Black
level position
good move
!! outstanding move
!? interesting move
?! dubious move
? bad move
?? blunder
1-0 the game ends in a win for White
0-1 the game ends in a win for Black
'h-'h the game ends in a draw
Ch Championship
 Three Tributes
Gufeld has a fine collection of
"scalps" to his name: victories over
Spassky and me, two excellent ones
against Smyslov, successful games
against many a famous grandmaster
.. . in sum, Gufeld is a chessplayer
who, when inspired, can defeat any­
body. If he is out of sorts he can just
as easily lose to anybody. To this
day I can recall his fierce reaction to
the agonies of a lamentable defeat in
one of our games-he is a very tem­
peramental person. Eddie walked
round the tournament hall continu­
ously mumbling in suppressed an­
ger: "No, Tal is not a genius!" So it
went on for about ten minutes. Then
we made up and I was restored to
my former place of "honour" .. . Of
course he is not a person you can be
angry with for long, because Gufeld
is a man who wears his heart on his
sleeve. Besides, as the reader will
discover-he can take a humorous
look at himself ...
Mikhail Tal
Ask any chessplayer to name his
best game, and you can count on
getting the stock retort: "I have yet
to play it!" Everyone would answer
that way except one grandmaster,
who, gesticulating wildly, would be­
gin enthusing about his "immortal"
game, which, in his opinion, over­
shadows all other masterpieces cre­
ated in the whole history of chess.
Yes, this Bagirov-Gufeld game­
affectionately called "la Gioconda,"
the Mona Lisa, by its creator-has
been published in chess literature
the world over, but its matchless
fame remains intact. Do we talk too
much about one game, even an "im­
mortal" one? I don't think so. But
then, Gufeld's contribution to chess
is not confined to a single game.
Suffice it to look at several of his
games with Black, in which you are
immediately struck by this grand­
master's idee fue: his fanatical faith
in the omnipotence of the black­
square bishop on the long diagonal.
The notorious "Gufeld bishop" has
long been the talk of the town
among chessplayers, but please tell
me who else can boast of such a
steadfast attachment ...
Garry Kasparov
Eduard Efimovich Gufeld, affec­
tionately called Eddie by friends
and admirers, has at various times
been interchangeably introduced as
a Ukrainian, a Georgian, a Russian,
or a Soviet International Grandmas­
let". He is all of these and more! It is
true that he was born and now re­
sides in Kiev, Ukraine; he married a
Georgian and made Tbilisi, Georgia,
his second home; he has an address
in Moscow; and he represented the
USSR in international tournaments.
But he may be called, more aptly,
an international citizen, as he has
8 Three Tributes
been to so many countries around
the world, and everywhere he goes
he is warmly received and made to
feel at home.
Jestingly, Eduard claims that he is
the World Champion at Chess by
Telex, having won an experimental
championship by telex for the USSR
team. For more than fifteen years he
coached the renowned super­
grandmaster Efim Geller who, dur­
ing this period, consistently quali­
fied to play in candidates matches
for the World Championship. Edu­
ard was also the coach of Maya
Chiburdanidze when she won the
Women's World Chess Champion­
ship at the age of 17-a record that
will probably remain in The
Guinness Book of Records for all
time and one that Eduard rightfully
shares in.
A more multi-talented chess per­
sonality than Eduard will be diffi­
cult, if not impossible, to find. One
chess magazine editor declared, not
altogether facetiously, that Eduard
did more for the positive promotion
of chess than the combined efforts
of Bobby Fischer and Garry Kas­
parov. He is an international chess
grandmaster by title, chess journalist
by education, chess author by avo­
cation, chess promoter by profes­
sion, chess coach by choice, FIDE
official by merit and a chess artist
by nature.
Elmer D. Sangalang
(Philippines)
 Part One: My Life in Chess
Soccer or chess?
Rumours circulate that Eduard
Gufeld was born on the first of
April. Having known myself for
many years now, I can authorita­
tively declare that they are just ru­
mours. As a matter of fact I was
born on 19 March 1936. My first
love was football ...
On 22 June 1941, the inhabitants
of Kiev were preparing for the
opening of a new stadium, built al­
most at the foot of the ancient
Cherepanov Hill. But it was only
after four grim, war-ravaged years
had passed that the new Republican
Stadium was opened in 1946.
There was rejoicing, especially
among us boys who lived nearby.
No matter which direction you took
when coming out of School No.
131, you were sure to end up where
the football field, running tracks,
courts and sports halls were.
Most of the boys, of course, were
crazy about football. My father had
been killed in the first months of the
war, and I had just returned with my
mother to ruined Kiev from Samar­
kand. I was in the second form and
scarcely knew my multiplication ta­
bles, but I did know all my football
idols by heart. Whenever an oppor­
tunity arose, I would run off to the
stadium. I played in the Palace of
Young Pioneers team in my first
real football shirt with the number 8
on my back. "Come on, Gufa!" the
supporters shouted to me. And a
slim, nimble inside forward would
shoot goals into the net, gliding past
clumsy defenders and getting warn­
ings from the referee for shouting
and wild gesticulations. In my opin­
ion the referees were too strict, and
very often downright unfair. I
would escape their interminable
censures by relaxing at the chess­
board. There you don't have to fear
an unfair shove! You don't have to
stop and wait for a pass! And the ar­
biter is more silent than the whis­
tlers on the football field, where I
had no sooner made a mistake than
the coach bitingly remarked:
"You're not playing chess now.
Here you have to think!" But I stub­
bornly persisted in fighting on both
fronts.
It was a cousin who first ac­
quainted me with chess, and when
my love for chess prevailed, the soc­
cer forward finally joined the fans of
this ancient game. In a way it was a
pity, for at that time I used to play in
the Kiev Junior League and in the
selected team of Ukrainian schools
in which there were stars like Andrei
Biba and Victor Kanevsky. But I
10 My Life in Chess

was lucky: the experienced and
talented chess teachers
A.Olshansky, E.Poliak and
I.Lipnitsky (the latter was also a re­
markable player) thought it was a
good thing I had switched from the
field game to the table game. So the
choice was made.
All the same, I have retained my
interest in soccer throughout my
life. At the Student Olympiad at
Helsinki in 1961 I captained the
combined team of what were then
called the Socialist Countries, in a
match against the "Rest of the
World" team. I consider this the
peak of my career-together with
my exploits at the remote Sousse In­
terzonal in Tunis, 1967, where I
played football with Gligoric,
Matulovic and even Fischer. But let
me tell you about that later.
I was eleven when I first came to
the city's chess club Spartak. Soon I
was enrolled at the chess circle of
Kiev's Pioneers' Palace. There I had
an opportunity to take part in a num­
ber of simultaneous displays given
by Bronstein, Lipnitsky, Bole­
slavsky, Goldenov and others. The
greatest influence on me was Lipnit­
sky. Even now his books on chess
strategy are counted among the best.
One can judge their quality by the
high estimates given by Botvinnik
and Fischer.
When I was eighteen, I became
Junior Champion of the Ukraine. It
was my first formal step towards the
chess heights.

Refuting Sokolsky

One of the textbooks which we l Philidor Defence [C41]

were not supposed to criticize was Y.Nikolaevsky White
· Sokolsky's Contemporary Chess E.Gufeld Black
Openings. Its authority seemed un­ USSRCh Semi-final, Kiev, 1951
questionable. But I realized that
books are written by human beings
and nobody is free from error. I
found some inaccuracies in Sokol­
sky's reference work. In a variation
of the Philidor Defence the author
recommended an original manoeu­
vre with a temporary sacrifice of
two minor pieces for a rook. I inves­
tigated this variation very carefully
and managed to find two holes in it
-not just one but two, which is
rather unusual. In the following
game against Nikolaevsky, I used
the Philidor Defence for the first
time in my life, being sure I would
be able to entice him into the trap. I
knew that Yuri had been studying 9 tt:Jxti?
the book thoroughly.

At first, Yuri played 9 4Jf3. As
soon as he stood up from the table,
everybody rushed over to him.
"Yuri, what are you doing?! You
could have won at once! Sokolsky
gives such a nice manoeuvre here!"
I could see Yuri's confusion. Then
he came over to the board, gave me
a very strange (or, as they say, "sig­
nificant") look, and said, "You've
got all the luck in the world, Edu­
ard." I pretended not to understand
what he meant. "Do you realize," he
began to explain, "I could have won
at once."
"Oh, really... how could you have
done that?"
After a pause Yuri exclaimed in
great excitement: "If you let me take
my move back, I'll show you!"
From the Ukraine with love
There is a story about a man who
was wooing a beautiful girl. He had
tried nearly everything from flowers
to nice love letters to win her heart
and hand in marriage. But nothing
worked. Then one day, he found out
that she played chess. And so in his
next letter to her, he used a few
metaphors to describe his love. One
was: "You are for me the queen on
d8. And I'm the pawn on d7!!" His
chess metaphors won her heart, and
they got married and lived happily
ever after. Now I will tell you a
story from my own life, where I was
not so lucky and did not have such
words.
It happened a long time ago----40
kilograms ago (I have my own
method of measuring time), when I
was playing for the Ukrainian team
in the Soviet Junior Team
My Life in Chess 1 1
To be perfectly frank with you, I
let him do it. Having taken my gen­
tleman's word that I would not
whimper and complain to the arbi­
ters, the happy Yuri cheerfully took
the f7-pawn. There followed:
9...l:txf7 10 �xf7+ �xf7 1 1 fxe5
dxe5 1 2 dxe5 lt:Jxe5 13 'ifhS+ lt:Jg6
14 e5 Sokolsky asserts that White
wins here, but ... 14 ...i..c 5+! 15
�h1 1i'd3!-+ 0-1
After I had won the game with
this counter-combination (to the
great dismay of my friend), I said:
"Now if you don't mind giving me a
couple of moves back, I'll show you
another way that Black could have
won." We replaced the pieces and I
demonstrated the second refutation,
which is 14... 1i'd5!-+.
Championships. I was also in
love. Her name was Bella or, in the
affectionate Russian diminutive,
Belochka. She was beautiful, had
blond hair, big blue eyes, and
played chess-which made me love
her all the more. Of course I had my
rivals who offered her opening ad­
vice and adjournment analysis. I
tried to do the same. Incomprehensi­
bly, she ignored me and refused all
my offers to help her at chess. But I
still remember the five wonderful
hours that I spent each day with her
in the same hall. I would divide that
time between playing my game and
watching her beautiful eyes. Those
were the best hours of my life. Then
came the disastrous day when my
team played against Uzbekistan.
The game went as follows.
12 My Life in Chess
2 King's Indian Defence [E99]
A.Khasidovsky White
E.Gufeld Black
Soviet Junior Team Ch, 1 953
1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 g6 3 ltJc3 i£.g7 4
e4 d6 If only Belochka had under­
stood my faithful nature, for after all
this time I am still true to my first
love-the King's Indian Defence!
Today, every time I play this de­
fence, I remember the sweetness of
my love for Belochka. 5 ltJf3 0-0 6
i£.e2 e5 7 0-0 ltJc6 8 d5 ltJe7 9 ltJe1
ltJd7 10 i£.e3 f5 1 1 f3 f4 12 i£.f2 g5
13 b4 .l:f.f6 14 c5 h5 15 h3 .l:f.g6 1 6
cxd6 cxd6 1 7 l:tc1 g4 1 8 hxg4 hxg4
19 fxg4 ltJf6 20 g5 .l:f.xg5 21 ltJf3
.l:f.h5 22 ltJd2 .l:f.h7 23 'WWb3 ltJg6 24
a4 i£.f8 25 ltJb5 i£.g4 26 'ii'd3 f3 27
i£.xf3 ltJf4 28 'ii'b3 'i!Ve8 29 :c7
%1hl+! ! 30 �xh1 'ii'h5+
I had sacrificed a rook to gain a
tempo and reach a winning position.
It was really fantastic and I felt in­
spired by my love for Belochka. At
this point many of the tournament
participants rushed to my table to
see the combination. I was hoping
to see Belochka but she did not
come. She remained in her seat
playing for the Russian team. I ran
over to her table and with my eyes
and heart I said to her, "See my
combination. This sacrifice that I
have made-it's for you." Suddenly
she looked up and pierced me with
her beautiful big blue eyes. Surely
she knew that I was not interested in
her game. I even thought that she
had heard what my heart had said to
her, and maybe, just maybe, she
understood my feelings. It was as if
time stood still for that moment
when we gazed into each other's
eyes. Her eyes then turned away
from me as she looked back at her
game. She then quickly made her
move and . . . blundered her queen
away! It was a tragedy and immedi­
ately she resigned her game. A
steady stream of tears began to flow
from these beautiful blue eyes. I was
stunned by her grief and blamed
myself for what had befallen her.
But being a great fan of Indian mov­
ies, I knew what had to be done-I
had to share her tragedy, just like
the hero!
But I couldn't resign my game, as
I was playing for my team. So I of­
fered my opponent a draw which he
quickly accepted. The spectators
were shocked by the draw, but they
didn't understand the love I had for
her. The post-mortem established
that Black was winning, for exam­
ple: 3 1 i£.h4 (3 1 �g1 i£.xf3-+)
3 1 ...'ii'xh4+ 32 W g1 i£.xf3 33 .l:f.xf3
(33 'ii'xf3 ltJg4-+; 33 ltJxf3 ltJe2
mate) 33 ... ltJg4 34 .l:f.xf4 'WWh2+ 35
�fl 'ifh1+ 36 �e2 'WWxg2+ 37 �d3
exf4 38 ltJd4 ltJeS+ 39 �c2 f3! 40
ltJ4xf3 i£.h6 41 �d1 ltJxf3 42 ltJxf3
.l:f.f8 43 .l:f.c3 .l:f.xf3 44 .l:f.xf3 'ii'd2
mate!!
And what about Belochka? She
ran to her team trainer to complain
that I was to blame for the loss of
her game ! She didn't accept my sac­
rifice and only blamed me for her
loss. The tournament officials

reprimanded me for causing Be­
lochka to blunder away her queen
and also forbade me to go near the
Russian Ladies Team while they
were playing their games. This was
like going to the guillotine! Before
the game she didn't want to see me,
after the game she didn't want to see
me, and now, during the game, I
was not allowed to see her! But God
gave me a chance to see her again­
the best chance of my life. For on
the day of the match between Russia
and the Ukraine, the edict was not in
effect. The games started on time
and my chair was facing my
Belochka and not my opponent. Of
course, I can't remember what she
played, only how she moved the
pieces with her hand! By the end of
the playing session, both her game
and mine were to be adjourned and
played off the following day,
thereby permitting me extra hours in
her presence. It seemed that our
games would last forever. Only
those who have been in love at the
age of seventeen will understand
how I felt. When play resumed, I
continued where I had left off the
previous day-watching her every
movement. But on move 1 50 my
o.pponent announced that on playing
�7 in the position below, he
would claim a draw by threefold
repetition.
My Life in Chess 13
I was i n trouble, for i f this re­
sulted in a draw I would have to
leave the room and Belochka. This
must not happen. I begged my
opponent to play on as long as
possible, but he didn't agree. Imme­
diately I tried to complicate the
situation. I argued that on move 1 20
the rook that was now on d4 had
been on d5, and the rook that had
been on d4 then was on d5 now.
And with that I claimed that there
were no grounds for a draw. I sug­
gested we should play through the
game and mark the underside of the
rooks at move 1 20 with a Q (for
queen's rook) and a K (for king's
rook). We could thereby ascertain
whether it was the same rooks on
the same squares on moves 1 3 5 and
1 50. Total confusion! The officials
were at a loss for words and decided
to retire to another room to decide
the issue. I had another twenty min­
utes to be with my Belochka. Before
I knew it, the officials were back.
They declared the game a draw and
reprimanded me for trying to con­
fuse them.
Since that time many years and
countless tournaments have come
and gone, but I have not seen
Belochka again at chess events. But
there is a final twist to this story.
When this account was published in
the Georgian newspaper Lelo, the
editors received an angry letter from
a lady who wanted to know about
Belochka's destiny. She wrote, "I
can't imagine how Bella could have
turned down such a nice and charm­
ing man (and future grandmaster!)
like Eduard Gufeld."
A few years ago I gave some
chess lectures and simultaneous
displays all over Australia. As one
of my assignments, in Melbourne,
was coming to a close, the Chess
14 My Life in Chess
Association held a dinner at a res­
taurant on a beautiful beach. Over
one hundred chessplayers and their
families enjoyed this luxurious
atmosphere; both the food and the
setting were beautiful beyond de­
scription, even though I was from
the country of Georgia, the seat of
hospitality. I was so relaxed from
the friendliness of the people and a
glass of fine wine, that I could not
refuse when the organizer asked me
to relate some more interesting sto­
ries. Of course they provided a dem­
onstration board, and I told them the
Belochka story in my best "Gufeld
English."
Emotion radiated to all the listen­
ers. My attention was drawn to a
beautiful young girl seated several
tables away. She was about seven­
teen years old, with stunning red
hair; very large blue eyes, flushed
pink cheeks and ... tears! Maybe she
empathized with my feelings for
Belochka. When I came to the last
phrases I had an inspiration: "But I
was only looking for Belochka in
the Soviet Union. Maybe she's with
us here in Australia! "
I t i s difficult to explain what hap­
pened next, but everyone knew who
was on my mind and they all looked
at the lovely young woman with the
flaming red hair. As the evening
ended, the organizers presented me
with several gifts, and this girl came
Seeking the Master title
Si jeunesse savait. . .
In 1953 the chess heights seemed
like rocky, inaccessible peaks to me.
This future grandmaster had just
finished school and only dreamt of
the master's title which in those
years was extremely difficult to get.
to me and gave me the traditional
Australian souvenir-a boomerang.
He name was Felicity. She said,
"Grandmaster, we believe this sou­
venir will help you return again to
Melbourne."
The chess tour, which began in
Sydney and Canberra, continued:
Tasmania, Adelaide, Perth ... From
there I flew to Brisbane, re-crossing
the continent in the opposite direc­
tion in two hops like a kangaroo:
there was a brief stop in Melbourne
at three in the morning before flying
on to Brisbane a few hours later.
When I arrived at the waiting area, I
saw Felicity with one of her friends.
"Where are you flying to?", I asked.
"Nowhere," she said. "We knew
your schedule and we want to spend
a few hours with you." As we had a
pre-dawn snack, the time flew by ...
We started writing to each other and
exchanging souvenirs. She signed
her letters "Felicity (Belochka)."
As the boomerang foretold, I was
to return again down under. Again
short flights, again my chess assign­
ments, and again on to Melbourne,
again a rendevouz with Felicity.
With a shy and hesitant smile she
told me she had married three
months before, and wished to intro­
duce me to her husband. I met him
the next day, and as we shook
hands, his first words were: "/know
everything!"
But I wasn't content with just
dreams. The same year I made my
first step towards the cherished aim:
in an adults' tournament I took sec­
ond place and qualified for the title
of Candidate Master. The following
year, I was already sharing 2nd-4th

places in the Ukrainian Champion­
ship. My game against Levin in
round nine was acclaimed as the
most brilliant of the tournament.
3 Dutch Defence [A80]
E.Gufeld White
M.Levin Black
Ukrainian Ch, Kiev, 1 954
15 d5 tba6 1 6 dxc6 lbxb4 17
l:.xa8 'ir'xa8 1 8 cxd7! tbxd3 1 9
i.xb7 'ir'd8 20 dxe8='ir' 'ir'xe8 2 1
i.d5+ �h8 22 l:. a 1 g 6 2 3 tbd4 tbc5
24 l:.a8 'ife7 25 tbc6 'ti'g7 26 l:.a7
1i'h6 27 tbd8 ifh5 28 tbti+ �g7 29
h4! 29 i.f3? leads nowhere because
of 29 ...ifxf3 30 tbe5+ ifb7.
29 ... tbe4 30 tbd8+ �h8 31 tbti+
�g7 32 tbxd6+ Things start
humming ... 32 ... �h8 33 tbti+ �g7
34 tbg5+ �h8 35 l:.xh7+ ifxh7 36
tbxh7 'it>xh7 37 i.xe4 fxe4 38
tbxe4 1-0
In the 1 954 chess yearbook the
following game was marked as one
of the best:
My Life in Chess 15
4 French Defence [C 1 1 ]
E.Gufeld White
K.Lubensky Black
Ukrainian Ch, Kiev, 1 954
1 e4 e6 2 ttJf3 d5 3 tbc3 ttJf6 4 e5
ttJfd7 5 d4 c5 6 dxc5 i.xc5 Alterna­
tives are 6 . .. tbc6 and 6 ... tbxc5. 7
i.d3 tbc6 8 i.f4 a6 9 0-0 i.e7 Or
9 . . . b5 1 0 l:.e 1 .tb7 1 1 tUgS 'ti'c7 1 2
tbxd5 exd5 1 3 e6 'ifxf4 1 4 exf7+! .
1 0 l:.e1 0-0 1 1 i.g3 tbc5 1 2 i.fl
i.d7 1 2 ... f5. 13 l:.b1 a5 1 3 ...tba7 1 4
b 4 tba4. 1 4 lbb5 'ifb6 1 4 ... tba7 1 5
tbd6? (1 5 tbxa7! ; 1 5 lbbd4!)
15 ... i.c6 1 6 c4 tbc8 1 7 cxd5 i.xd5!
15 c4 dxc4 16 tba3 ii'c7 17 tbxc4
l:.fd8? 1 7 ...lbb4 ! and 1 8 ... tbd5. 1 8
a3 ! a4 19 ifc2 tba5 2 0 tbd6 'ifb6
2 1 l:.e3 Intending 22 tbxf7 ! .
2 1 .. .i.xd6 2 2 tbg5! g6 2 2 ...i.c7 23
'ti'xh7+ �f8 24 i.h4 ! , or 22 ... f5 23
exf6! g6 24 f7+ (24 lbxh7 i.e8 !),
and now: (a) 24 ... �g7 25 'ifc3+
�h6 (25 ... e5 26 i.xe5+ i.xe5 27
'ti'xe5+ iff6 28 'ti'xc5) 26 i.xd6
ifxd6 27 iff6; (b) 24 ...�f8 25 il'c3
i.xg3 (25 ... �e7 26 i.h4) 26 iff6.
23 exd6
23 ...i.b5
Or 23 . . . f6 24 tbe4 tbxe4 25 1i'xe4
e5 26 'ti'd5+ �g7 27 l:.xe5 fxe5 28
i.xe5+ �f8 (28 ... �h6 29 i.f6)
1 6 My Life in Chess
29 i.f4! �g7 30 'ife5+ �g8
(30 ... �f7 3 1 'ii'e7+ �g8 32 i.e5 !)
31 i.h6 ! . 24 ltJxh7 'Wttxh7 25 i.e5 f5
26 l:.h3+ 'ili>g8 27 l:.h8+ �f7 28
l:th7+ �g8 29 l:tg7+ �f8 30 'ili'd2
1-0
In those years, even one of the top
places in the Ukrainian Champion­
ship was not sufficient to earn a
master title. For that, you had to get
through a number of elimination
contests, qualify at least for the
USSR Championship semi-finals,
and attain quite a high result there.
Sergeant and Grandmaster
In late 1 957 I began my almost
20-year career in the Armed Forces
Chess League.
For about a year I underwent
training in a Sergeants' School. One
day a telegram arrived from the
region's top leaders with a request
to send Private Gufeld to
Dnepropetrovsk to take part in the
Ukraine Championship semi-finals.
It should be said that chess at that
time was not so popular in the
Armed Forces. "Until the return of
the Division Commander to the unit,
we don't even want to hear about
it," was the reply. I was greatly de­
pressed. But, as luck would have it,
the CO came back to the Division.
He quickly examined the matter and
ordered me immediately to
Dnepropetrovsk. I arrived at the
competition for the second round.
My emotional inspiration was so
high that it helped me qualify again
for the championship final, where I
shared 5th-7th place and not only
achieved the much coveted master
norm but also won the right to play
Only a handful could manage it. In
the 1 955 and 1 956 tournaments I
failed to surmount these barriers. In
1 957 the Ukrainian Sports Commit­
tee decided to hold a contest for the
strongest candidates and promised
the winner a match for the master
title. I was able to participate in this
tournament, which took place in
Odessa in the summer, and took first
place. But the match with a master
wasn't arranged for me: that autumn
I was drafted into the army and went
to Cherkassky Region to do my
military service.
in the semi-finals for the Champion­
ship of the USSR. At this tourna­
ment, held in Tashkent, I reaped a
new success, taking fourth place!
The editorial office of Cherkasskaia
Pravda was exultant-Gufeld had
struggled through to the 26th Soviet
Championship Finals!
You can well imagine the excite­
ment of a young master who for the
first time found himself in a
tournament of a very high level. In
Tbilisi where the tournament was
held, I played against Petrosian,
Bronstein, Taimanov and other
famous chessplayers and finished in
twelfth place. For a start it was not
bad at all, considering that I
managed to defeat Tal, Holmov and
Vasiukov.
The next year I took third place in
the Ukraine Championship, then
took part in the 27th USSR Champi­
onship Finals. But my main event
of 1 960 turned out to be the Armed
Forces Championship, held in Riga
in late July. Here is one of my
games from that event. I triumphed

over my opponent by exploiting an
advantage secured in the opening.
5 Sicilian Defence [B9 1 ]
E.Kogan White
E.Gufeld Black
Riga, 1 960
1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lbxd4 lbf6 5 lbc3 a6 6 g3 e5 7
lbde2 i..e7 8 �g2 0-0 9 0-0 lbbd7
10 a4 b6 1 1 h3 �b7 12 g4 b5! 13
lbg3 b4 14 lbd5 lbxd5 15 exd5 a5
1 6 lbf5 g6 17 lbxe7+ 'i!Vxe7 18 �h6
l:tfc8 19 f4 l:tc4! 20 fxe5 lbxe5 2 1
'i!Vd2 l:tac8 22 l:tacl �a6 2 3 l:t f2 b3
24 �g5 'li'a7 25 �e3 'li'd7 26 c3
l:txa4 27 �d4 lbd3 28 �f6 'ii'a 7!
29 l:tcfl l:tf4 30 �d4 l:txd4! 3 1
l:txti lbe5! 32 l:txa7 l:txd2 3 3 l:txa6
l:txb2 34 l:txd6 l:tf8 35 l:te1 l:tff2 !
36 �e4 l:tfe2! 37 �fl l:tf2+ 38 �g1
l:tfe2 39 �fl l:th2 40 g5 l:thf2+ 41
�g1 lbti 0-1
The year 1 96 1 was strenuous for
me: the Armed Forces Champion­
ship, the Student Olympiad in Hel­
sinki, the tournament of the Central
Chess Club of the USSR. This was
my debut in international competi­
tions (where I won the first norm for
the International Master title). The
army service and my participation
in tournaments proceeded simultan­
eously with my studies at the
Cherkassky Teachers Training
Institute: I was studying for a
qualification as a coach. In 1 964 I
achieved my second IM norm at a
tournament in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
Almost three years flew by and I
received my first personal invitation
to the Leningrad International Tour­
nament, dedicated to the 50th
Anniversary of the Great October
Revolution. How could I have imag­
ined that this tournament would
My Life in Chess 1 7
procure me the GM title, so greatly
coveted? I began the contest with
two victories. My game with
Vlastimil Hort is especially in­
grained in my memory.
6 Slav Defence [D 1 5]
E.Gufeld White
V.Hort Black
Leningrad, 1 967
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 lbf3 lbf6 4 lbc3
dxc4 5 e3 g6 6 �xc4 �g7 7 0-0 0-0
8 b4! ? lbbd7 9 e4 lbb6 10 �b3 a5
1 0 ... �g4 1 1 �e3 e5 ! 1 2 dxe5 lbfd7.
1 1 bxa5 l:txa5 12 l:tb1 l:ta6 13 h3
lba8 14 �f4 'ii'a5 15 'ii'd3 lbc7 16
l:tfcl lbe6 1 7 i..d2 'i*'d8 1 8 i..e3
lbc5 19 'i!Vc2 lbxb3 20 axb3 lbd7
21 b4 l:ta8 22 b5 lbb8 23 �f4 �d7
Not 23 ...�xd4? 24 �xb8 l:txb8 25
bxc6+-. 24 l:ta1 l:ta5 25 l:txa5 'li'xa5
26 'i!Vb2 'ii'b6 Or 26 ... cxb5 27 l:tb 1 .
27 lba4!±. 'i!Vxb5 28 'iVxb5 cxb5 29
lbb6 e5 30 i..xe5 i.. xe5 3 1 lbxe5
l:td8 32 lbbxd7 lbxd7 33 lbxd7
l:txd7 34 d5 f5 35 f3 fxe4 36 fxe4
l:te7 Or 36 ... �f7 37 �f2 �e7 38
�e3 �d6 39 �d4 l:te7 40 l:tfl !+-.
37 d6+- l:td7 38 e5 �f7 39 l:tc7
�e6 40 l:txd7 �xd7 41 �f2 b4 42
�e3 1-0
I mishandled my sixth-round
game with Jimenez Zerquera, but
was back in the leaders' group after
round eight and finished the
tournament with ten out of sixteen!
Congratulations poured in from
everywhere, from my friends,
acquaintances, and the Army Chess
Federation.
But there was a fly in the
ointment. R.J.Malinovsky, Minister
of Defence of the USSR, was not
among those who congratulated me.
He had passed away a few months
before the tournament began. A
passionate lover of chess, the
18 My Life in Chess
Marshal had contributed a great deal
to its development in the Armed
Forces. He saw in it a means of
training young soldiers in such
qualities as self-control, memory
development, quick wits, the ability
to think logically-in short, good
mental gymnastics. I greatly cherish
the personal gifts of this famous
military leader-engraved watches
and a camera. Especially dear to me
is a unique Cuban chess set, a gift
from Fidel Castro, which Mali­
novsky presented to me in 1 962
when I won the title of Armed
Forces Champion for the second
time. The set is beautiful indeed.
Both the board and the pieces are
hand-made from a rare kind of
sandalwood which is said to have
healing properties. The pieces are
inscribed with the Havana Declara­
tion of the young Cuban Republic
The Gufeld bishop
Journalists like to joke about my
attachment to the g7-bishop. "It is
well known," wrote Salo Flohr,
"that when Gufeld plays Black his
bishop can be put on g7 in advance.
This bishop is his cup of tea."
Referring to the zonal tournament in
Vilnius ( 1 975), the famous chess
writer Henkin wrote: "The grand­
master from Tbilisi plays
resourcefully and adventurously. He
is especially attached to his
dark-squared bishop. There was not
a single game in which he did not
conceal this beloved piece on g7, in
order to advance it in due course for
a decisive strike."
and are highly original, created in a
"revolutionary" style. There are no
traditional kings and queens; the
pawns represent Cuban fighters
armed with rifles. My collection
includes many other prizes and
awards from army competitions.
But I also appreciate other marks
of distinction. I am very proud of
five medals which were awarded to
me by the government for, among
other things, "Ten Years of Irre­
proachable Military Service" and
"Fifteen Years of Irreproachable
Military Service." These medals re­
mind me that while serving in the
Soviet Army I not only played chess
and taught young chessplayers but
at the same time honestly performed
my hard military duty. Those high
awards inspired me to further
progress in chess. I became the first
grandmaster among military men.
I admit it-there is no life for me
without the "Gufeld bishop". Maybe
everything began with a game
against Kavalek in which I became
the victim of my opponent's
dark-squared bishop. This historic
event had a certain connection
with football. In 1 962 at the Student
Olympiad in Marianske-Lazne, on
the eve of the match between the
USSR and Czechoslovakia, a
traditional football game took place
in which Ljubomir Kavalek, now a
famous grandmaster, took a good
beating from me. Kavalek was very
angry at the result of the contest on
the football field, and vowed to get
his revenge on me over the
chessboard.

7 Ruy Lopez [C65]
E.Gufeld White
L.Kavalek Black
Marianske-Lazne, 1 962
1 e4 e5 2 l0f3 l0c6 3 .tb5 .tc5
This variation was just becoming
fashionable. 4 c3 f5! ? The most
promising and consistent sequel. 5
d4 fxe4 6 l0g5?! It is now thought
that White has the better position
after 6 dxc5 exf3 7 'fixf3. 6 .tb6!•..
7 d5 I remember looking through
Shakhmatny Bulletin shortly before
this game. I saw the game
Vasiukov-Giterman where White
adroitly captured the Black queen
after 7 ... l0ce7?? 8 l0e6! . However:
7 ... e3! Here I understood that I had
fallen into a well-laid trap, which I
knew very well. This whole varia­
tion had been shown to me by can­
didate master A. Konstantinov in
1 96 1 . It turned out that the same
variaton was known in the Prague
Club of Film-makers, of which
Kavalek was a member. 8 l0e4 Af­
ter a long think I found what may be
the only move. After 8 dxc6 bxc6
White's position would scarcely be
pleasant. 8...'fih4 8 ... exf2+ 9 �fl!
as in the next note. 9 'fif3 lDf6 ! ?
Black sacrifices a piece but i t would
have been better to sacrifice with
9 . . .l0ge7 ! . If 9 ... exf2+ 1 0 �fl with
the strong threat of 1 1 .tg5 ! . 1 0
l0xf6+ gxf6 1 1 dxc6 exf2+ 1 2
�d1 ? ? After 1 2 �fl bxc6 1 3 �e2
d5 14 �e3 White gets the advan­
tage. 12 ...dxc6! I had expected
12 . . . bxc6. 1 3 �e2 �e6 14 'fih5+
Otherwise the attack on the white
king stuck in the centre would be­
come dangerous after .. 0-0-0. . bishop. 25 f4 26 b4 l:tg5!
14 ... 'fixh5 15 �xh5+ �e7 16 b3
Trying to develop the queenside.
My Life in Chess 1 9
1 6....td5 1 7 .ta3+ �e6 1 8 .tg4+
f5 19 .th3 l:thg8 20 l0d2 .txg2 2 1
.txg2 l:txg2 22 l:tfl The last moves
were made hastily in time-trouble.
22 l:td8 23 �e2
•••
It is known that in moments of
emotional inspiration people can
work miracles. Once during a fire, a
man who was not distinguished by
great physical strength carried out a
large safe, which he couldn't even
move an inch afterwards. Another
man, pursued by a rabid dog, not
only ran away from it but also
jumped over a very high fence, un­
officially breaking the world high
jump record. This also holds true for
flights of mental activity. There are
critical monents in a chessplayer's
life when he is inspired. That is
when brilliant masterpieces are
born, recorded in the scanty lines of
chess notation. It seems that my op­
ponent had such a moment of inspi­
ration. 23 ... l:txd2+! 24 �xd2 e4 I
began feverishly seeking a way to
stop the advancing pawns. 25 .tf8!?
A thought occurred to me: to nullify
the activity of the main assistant to
the advancing pawns-the black
••.
Threatening 27 ... l:td5+. 27 .tc5
Here I heaved a sigh of relief.
20 My Life in Chess
27 .. Jhc5! ! 28 bxc5 �xc5 29
l:tab1 f3 30 ltb4 Trying to appease
the rampaging bishop. 30 <ifr>f5 The
•••
bishop did not even bat an eyelid
towards the fawning rook. 3 1 ltd4
�xd4 32 cxd4 <ifr>f4 and after a few
more moves White resigned. 0-1
This lesson wasn't wasted on me.
8 Sicilian Defence [B36]
V.Shianovsky White
E.Gufeld Black
USSR Team Ch, Moscow 1 966
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
ltJxd4 ltJc6 5 c4 ltJf6 6 ltJc3 ltJxd4 7
'ii'xd4 g6 8 c5 �g7 9 �b5+ Or 9
cxd6 0-0 10 e5 ltJ g4 1 1 f4 ( 1 1 �f4
exd6 1 2 'ii'xd6 tt'lxe5 ! 1 3 �xe5
�xe5) 1 l . ..exd6 1 2 'ii'xd6 'ii'xd6 1 3
exd6 ltd8. 9 �d7 10 cxd6 0-0 1 1
••.
e5 Was this a novelty worked out in
the seclusion of home analysis? Or
maybe a slip at the chessboard?
1 1 ...�xb5 1 2 ltJxb5 ltJd7 13 f4? !
Better, perhaps, 1 3 dxe7 'ii'xe7 1 4
0-0. 13 ...1!fa5+ 1 4 ltJc3 exd6 15
'it'xd6
15 ... ltJxe5! Against an exposed
king this is a fairly natural sacrifice,
expecially since on 1 5 ...1:tad8 White
had prepared 16 b4! . 16 fxe5 �xe5
Tempting was 16 ... 1:tad8, and now:
(a) 17 ..,a3 is clearly bad:
I 7 ...'i!i'xe5+ 1 8 ltJe2 ( 1 8 <ifr>fl ?
'i!Vf5+) 1 8 . . .1:tfe8 and all that re­
mains is to find the quickest win for
Black. One of my solutions would
be 1 9 ..-n ..-as+ 20 <ifr>£2 l:te6 2 1
�f4 g5 etc.
(b) White should play 1 7 b4!
�xe5 1 8 bxa5 �xc3+ 19 �d2 !, but
not 19 'i!Vd2? l:txd2 20 �xd2 �xa l .
1 7 ..-d3 l:tad8 1 8 ..-n After 1 8
'i!Vc2 �d4 ! 1 9 �d2 l:tfe8+ 2 0 <it>d l
(20 ltJe2 �£2+ 2 1 <ifr>x£2 l:txd2 22
'i!Vc4 b5!) 20 ... �e3 2 1 ltel , how
does Black continue the attack?
(a) 2 l .. .ltxd2+ 22 ..,xd2 �xd2 23
l:txe8+ <it>g7 24 <ifr>xd2 with
compensation.
(b) 2 l ...�xd2 22 l:txe8+ l:txe8 23
<it>xd2 and Black has nothing.
(c) 2 1 .. . ..-h5+! 22 <ifr>c1 (22 l:te2
l:txd2+) 22 ...1:txd2 !-+.
18...�d4 Keeping the white king
in the centre. 19 g3 The quickest
way to lose. It is true that 1 9 �f4
could be met by 1 9 ... ltfe8+ 20 <ifr>fl
g5 2 1 �d2 11fa6+ 22 ltJe2 �xb2 23
ltdl �c3 ! ! -+. 19 ...1:tfe8+ 20 <ifr>fl
.i.xc3 21 bxc3 2 1 ..-xc3 ltd1 + 22
<it>g2 'i!Vd5+ +-. 21. ..'ii'b5+ 22 'Ot>f2
Also hopeless is 22 'it>g2 ltd3 23
'iff6 'it'd5+ 24 'it>h3 l:te6 25 'iffl
..,h5+. 22 1:td3 23 'iff6 lte2+! 0-1
•.•
Two more years passed, and fate
conferred on "Gufeld's bishop"
another lucky break. It is to be noted
that in both cases a poor knight was
sacrificed for the sake of the
bishop's high ambitions.
9 Pirc Defence [B07]
R.Klovsky White
E.Gufeld Black
USSR Team Ch, Riga 1 968
1 e4 g6 2 d4 �g7 3 ltJc3 d6 4
�c4 ltJf6 5 'ife2 c6 6 e5 dxe5 7
dxe5 ltJd5 8 ltJf3 8 �d2 !; 8 �xd5

cxd5 9 'iib 5+ lt:'lc6+ 8 ... .ltg4 9 0-0
0-0 10 'ilr'e4 .ltxf3 l l 'ilr'xf3 e6 12
l:te1 lt:'ld7 l3 'it'g3 'ilr'c7 14 f4lt:'lxc3
15 'ilr'xc3= l:tfd8 16 .lte3 1 6 b3.
16...lt:'lxe5! 17 fxe5 .ltxe5 1 8 it'b3
.ltxh2+ 1 9 �h1 .ltg3 20 l:tfl ? 20
.ltg5. 20 ...'ilr'e7 21 l:tf3 'ilr'h4+ 22
�g1 'ilr'h2+ 23 �fl 'ilr'h1 + 24 .ltg1
i£.h2 25 'ilr'e3 l:td2! 26 'ilr'xd2 26
l:tg3 .l:txc2. 26...'ilr'xgl+ 27 �e2
'ir'xg2+ 28 l:tf2 28 �e3. 28 ... 'it'g4+
29 �e3 .ltc7! 30 'ir'e2 .ltb6+ 3 1
�d2 l:td8+ 3 2 .ltd3 32 �c l .lte3+! .
32 ...'ir'b4+ 33 �cl 3 3 �d l .ltxf2 34
'ir'xf2 'i!Vxb2+ 33 ...l:txd3 34 cxd3
'ir'c5+ 35 �d2 'ir'xf2 0-1
In the following encounter, the
bishop did not budge from g7 dur­
ing the whole game. This time
his fearful appearance sufficed.
1 0 King's Indian Defence [A48]
K.Klaman White
E.Gufeld Black
Sevastapol 1 976
1 d4lt:'lf6 2lt:'lf3 g6 3 .ltf4 �g7 4
e3 d6 Even at this early stage a cer­
tain accuracy is called for. I was
aware of the perfectly positioned
black pieces in the game
Bondarevsky-Boleslavsky, played
as long ago as 1 947 in the 1 5th
My Life in Chess 21
USSR Championship and still very
popular. 5 .lte2 Bondarevsky con­
tinued in that game with 5 i.c4, but
after 5 ... 0-0 6 lt:'lbd2 c5 7 c3 b6 8
it'e2 a6 9 a4 lt:'lh5 1 0 .ltg5 h6 1 1
.lth4 cxd4 ! 1 2 cxd4 lt:'lc6 1 3 0-0
lt:'lb4 Black completely equalized. If
I had been in Klaman's chair I
would have kept the dark-squared
bishop from exchange by 5 h3. I
now have a chance to seize the ini­
tiative, for my "beloved" will not
have a worthy counterpart. 5 ...lt:'lh5
6 .ltg5 h6 7 .lth4 g5 8 lt:'lfd2 Kla­
man's favourite trick. 8 ... gxh4 9
.ltxh5 e5 Elephants need space, not
only in Africa. 10 dxe5 lt:'lc6 l l
lt:'lc3 lt:'lxe5 l2 'ilr'e2 0-0 l 3 0-0-0
One can understand White's wish to
attack Black's weakened king posi­
tion. But the way things turned out,
it was not feasible. 13 ... b5! 14 f4 1 4
'ilr'xb5 would have been more con­
sistent. 14 ...b4 15 lt:'ld5 c6! 1 6
lt:'lxb4 aS! 17lt:'ld3 lt:'lxd3+ 1 8 cxd3
l:tb8 1 9lt:'lc4 Or 19 d4 c5 ! . 19 ... .lta6
20 l:td2 a4 21 l:tc2 'ir'f6 22 l:td1
l:tb5!
Black plans to exchange off the
c2-rook and strike at the key point
in his opponent's fortress. 23 .ltf3
l:tc5 24 g3 24 lt:'la3? 'ilr'xb2+.
24 ... hxg3 25 hxg3 l:tb8 Aiming for
26 ... d5 ! . 26 'i!Vg2 Klaman might
have set a cunning trap with 26 d4
22 My Life in Chess
.l:txc4 27 Ihc4, when 27 ...d5? al­
lows the stunning 28 .l:tb4! ! . Correct
is 27 . . .'�e6! . 26 ... .txc4 27 dxc4 d5
28 e4 dxe4 Not 28 ... .l:txc4 29 .l:txc4
dxc4 30 e5, and White can put up a
good defence. 29 �xe4 a3! Now
that the d-file is open, this move is
decisive. 30 'ir'f2 Or 30 b3 1li'a1+ 3 1
'it>d2 .l:td8+ -+. 30 ... axb2+ 31 'it>b1
.l:ta5 32 .l::.cd2 .l:txa2 33 'it>xa2 .l:ta8+
0-1
Incidentally, chess commentators
often call me an authority on the
black pieces. Thus in 1 968 at the
Dance of the elephant
Strange as it may seem, there is
no generally accepted account of the
origin of chess, though there are
plenty of hypotheses. The one that
is closest to my heart is one which
says that chess was a gift from
aliens.
Many years ago-maybe thou­
sands or even millions of years­
they presented chess to the earthmen
in the hope that sometime in the
future a meeting of the two
civilizations would take place, and
chess would be the common lan­
guage of communication! You may
smile sceptically at this, but even
nowadays people of different conti­
nents and religions find in chess a
form of Esperanto. They instantly
reach mutual understanding over the
chessboard.
Now I would like to share with
my readers a fantastic story and a
position that sings the praises of the
bishop. In Russian, the bishop is
known as an elephant and the knight
is called a horse. According to sta­
tistical data, the former is stronger
team championship of Voluntary
Sport Societies, I had Black in all
nine games.
Of course, as the reader has possi­
bly guessed, it could only happen to
a reserve. I was playing for the
Armed Forces team, which finally
won silver-yet I did not get a
medal. The point is that the
medals allotted were one fewer than
the members in the team. I did,
however, record a rare achievement:
playing with opponents who all had
the advantage of the first move, I
scored 51h points from nine games.
than the latter. If anyone disbelieves
this, I advise them to visit the near­
est zoo and see for themselves ...
How often I like to repeat it: no
matter how much you feed a horse,
it will not turn into an elephant!
This story happened in 1 992 in
Manila, Philippines, during the
Chess Olympiad there. Mok Tze
Meng, a member of the Malaysian
team, received an anonymous phone
call for me, and the caller provided
Mok with an extraordinary position,
adding that this was a gift for
Gufeld.
White to play and win

The combination contained in the
position is of unsurpassed beauty
and reinforces my statement that the
bishop is stronger than the knight.
Both Garry Kasparov and Anatoly
Karpov expressed astonishment at
the ideas revealed in this "Dance of
the Elephant". Until now nobody
has claimed to be the creator of this
extraordin�ry position. To me there
is only one possible answer to the
puzzle-the inventor is from Outer
Space! Yes, my friend, you may
smile at the thought, but even you
cannot prove me wrong! Go through
the solution and enjoy it! I assure
you that your delight will be similar
to when you listen to beautiful mu­
sic. You will realize that chess is not
only sport and science, it is also
great art!
Solution: 1 ltJf6+ <&t>g7 Only
move. If 1 . .. <it>h8 then 2 d8=�+
wins; if 1 ...<&t>g6 2 .lth5+! <it>xf6 3
d8='ih wins. 2 lbh5+ <it>g6 Only
move again. If 2 ... <it>h7, then 3
.ltc2+. Other moves allow White to
queen. 3 .ltc2+! <&t>xh5 4 d8=�! !
C aissa's whims
As you see, I am not afraid of the
colour black. And I am not
superstitious at all. I am not scared
of black cats or ladders or wretched
hares crossing my path. And yet,
what tough luck I have had!
It was 1 963 , in Leningrad-at the
3 1 st USSR Championship which
was also a Zonal Tournament. The
winners were to play in a
so-called "tournament of seven," to
qualify for places in the Interzonal.
It was also known that qualifying
for the "seven" practically guaran­
teed the grandmaster title.
My Life in Chess 23
lbti+ 5 <&t>e6 lbxd8+ 6 <it>f5 Sud­
denly there is the threat of 7 .ltd I+.
6 e2 7 .lte4 Threatening 8 .ltf3
•.•
mate. 7 el=ltJ Knight number 3. 8
..•
.i.d5 ! ! With the idea of 9 .ltc4 and
1 0 .lte2+, mating. 8 ... c2 9 .ltc4
c1=ltJ Knight number 4. 1 0 .ltb5
Threatening 1 1 .lte8+ and mate.
10 ...ltJc7 1 1 .lta4!
Incredible! Four knights plus one
bishop against a lone white bishop,
and still Black is doomed. If you,
my dear reader, can prevent the
threat of 1 2 .ltd 1 + mating, then I
promise to enter your name into The
Guinness Book ofRecords.
I played aggressively and re­
sourcefully in strong company, and
before the last round I was in the
leading group. I was one point be­
hind Stein and a half point behind
Holmov and Spassky. In the· final
round I was playing my friend the
Latvian master Janis Klovan. For
me to miss getting into the
"tournament of seven," the follow­
ing events had to happen: I had to
lose to Klovan, Geller had to win
against Bondarevsky and Suetin had
to beat Novopashin.
24 My Life in Chess
I ought to explain a certain rule
which was then in force. A partici­
pant in the national championship
who scored one third of all possible
points was automatically admitted to
the semi-finals of the next champi­
onship. This was an important cir­
cumstance, for by the last round
Novopashin and Klovan had already
amassed the coveted number of
points.
The round got under way. As fate
decreed, this very day Stein was
literally smashed in 20 moves
playing the White side of a French
Defence against Bagirov. This unex­
pectedly gave me a chance that I
hadn't even dreamt of: if I won my
game I would catch up with the
leader and share 1 st-2nd places.
Having obtained a promising po­
sition in the Pirc Defence (the open­
ing of this game was, incidentally,
to find its way into the theoretical
literature), I was faced with
a dilemma. Should I play to win, or
to draw? A draw would practically
guarantee me a place in the "tourna­
ment of seven," but in case
A detective story
I should like to tell you a real-life
detective story which occurred at
the Zonal Tournament in Vilnius,
1 975
First of all, a prelude. Once, at a
meeting with sports reporters,
grandmaster Kuzmin and I were
asked: "What were your highest
sporting achievements?" Seeing that
Kuzmin was hesitant, I decided to
answer for him: "My friend is very
modest, but I can tell you that
he twice took part in the Interzonal
Tournament. Once he came very
close to the Candidates. As for me
of victory I was in contention for
the USSR championship gold
medal. I was in two minds and as a
result played irresolutely, which
cost me very dearly. Literally a mo­
ment before Klovan's flag would
have dropped, I overlooked a mate
in two moves. There is a rare photo
in which this particular moment is
captured: my palm is in my mouth.
The tragedy was not only that I
had enough time to think about the
position where I overlooked the
mate, but that all the other events
fell into place to complete the pic­
ture. Suetin defeated Novopashin
and Geller won against Bondar­
evsky.
Afterwards I was amicably re­
proached by many people: "Why
did you play to win? A draw meant
you were bound to share 1 st-4th
places."
Yes, of course it meant that, but at
the time I didn't know how the
other games would end.
And anyway, tough luck! Tough
luck indeed!
-I twice wanted to take part in the
Interzonal." And now, about
Vilnius.
When I played my game against
Savon, a win would practically
guarantee me a place in the Inter­
zonal. After a strenuous struggle the
game was adjourned, and thorough
analysis with master Yuferov
showed that there was a quick way
to victory.
Achieving an overwhelming
advantage on resumption, I again
acted true to my character. There
were five minutes left to the time

control. I could have played the
winning move, but when it dawned
on me that this move would get me
into the Interzonal Tournament, I
suddenly lost the thread and began
groping about in a haze. Delightful,
beguiling visions floated across my
mind-visions of penetrating into
the "Holy ,of Holies", the circle of
illustrious i grandmasters contending
for the world chess crown . . . This
hardly helped me to concentrate on
the decisive move. I decided not to
force events, but to adjourn the
game a second time and then, in the
seclusion of my hotel room, think it
over thoroughly.
Here is that memorable game.
1 1 Ruy Lopez [C93]
E.Gufeld White
V.Savon Black
Vilnius Zonal, 1 975
1 e4 e5 2 tt:\f3 tt:\c6 3 i.b5 a6 4
i.a4 tt:\f6 5 0-0 i.e7 6 l:te1 b5 7
i.b3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 h6
The initial move of the Smyslov
system, once very popular. In adopt­
ing it, Savon evidently didn't want
to take risks with his position in the
tournament. But there are risks and
risks! You may put yourself in
danger of defeat not only by using a
sharp variation of the Sicilian
Defence, but also by playing a
rather sedate opening, i.e. by
playing passively.
10 d4 l:te8 ll ltJbd2 i.rs 12 tt:\n
i.d7 13 tt:\g3 tt:\a5 14 i.c2 c5 15 b3
cxd4
1 5 . . .tt:\c6 1 6 d5 is also inadequate
to equalize; so is 1 5 ... g6 1 6 i.e3
't!Vc7 1 7 't!Vd2.
16 cxd4 tt:\c6 17 i.b2 l:tc8 1 8
'iVd2!
My Life in Chess 2 5
I wanted to get away from the
well-known scheme with 1 8 a3.
That move constantly gained White
the advantage-but could Savon
have found an improvement for
Black?
18 ... 't!Vb6 19 l:tad1 't!Va5
After some hesitation Savon de­
cides to force the queens off, hoping
to ease the defence.
20 'ir'xa5 tt:\xa5 21 i.b1 tt:\c6 22
dxe5 dxe5 23 tt:\h5!
As long as pieces are retained, a
variety of tactical strokes are
possible-so what does White gain
by this exchange? Is it so important
to double the black pawns on the
kingside? Yes-because later on, a
black piece will be tied to the de­
fence of the f6-pawn, and break­
throughs on the h-file will pose a
permanent threat.
23 ... i.e6
Black can't allow the white rook
onto the seventh rank.
24 tt:\xf6+ gxf6 25 tt:\h4 i.b4 26
l:te3 l:ted8 27 l:ted3 l:txd3 28 i.xd3
28 l:txd3 might seem more prom­
ising, but then Black has a tactical
chance with 28 ... tt:\d4 ! .
2 8...l:td8 2 9 i.e2 l:txd1 + 3 0 i.xd1
After the game Savon said, "If I'd
known the endgame would be so
difficult, I wouldn't have traded off
the second rook." I replied, "I doubt
if the position with rooks on would
have been any easier."
30...i.c5 31 i.c2! tt:\d4
Possession of the d4-square is a
purely symbolic comfort, while the
defects of the black pawn structure
are a grim reality! White intends to
play tZ:\h4-f5 to force an exchange
on this square, after which the
e4-point will be available to his
bishop and/or king.
32 i.d3 'i;g7 33 'it>fl i.d7 34
i.c3 i.b6 35 tt:\f5+ tt:\xf5
26 My Life in Chess
What else? If 35 ... i.xf5, White's
advantage of the two bishops is very
significant.
36 exf5
So the game reduces to quite a
rare four-bishop endgame. White
has very real chances of winning,
based on these advantages: I ) space;
2) weakness of the black kingside
pawns; 3) the pivotal square e4,
from which a path into the enemy
camp may be cleared for the white
king; 4) much greater king activity
-I am inclined to say that White is
a king up! All this is clear, but it is
not yet obvious how to use these
positional advantages concretely. In
fact I came to the conclusion that all
these advantages would not be
enough to win if I did not create one
more weak point for Black on the
queenside.
36...a5
Sooner or later White would have
forced this advance by penetrating
to b7 with a bishop.
37 b4
Not letting Black block the queen­
side with ...b5-b4 ! .
37... axb4
In the case of 37 ... a4, White
would carry out the following plan:
38 .i.e4 and thereafter £2-£3, g2-g4,
'it>fl-e2-d3, i.e4-b7, 'it>e4-d5 and
.i.b7-c6 winning the b5-pawn. Now
it is not so easy.
38 i.xb4 i.c6! 39 f3 i.d5 40 a3
i.c6 4 1 �e2
The pawn structure is stabilized.
Although an additional weakness
has appeared in Black's camp on b5
and his king is cut off by the white
dark-square bishop, he keeps the
h 1 -a8 diagonal safe. White can't
fight for it by means of 4 1 i.e4 be­
cause of 4 1 ...i.xe4! 42 fxe4 and the
position is equal.
4l. ..i.d4 42 'it>d2
White would like to advance his
pawn to h5, shift the bishop to c I
and then transfer the king to the
queenside, in order with its aid to
exchange the a3-pawn for the
b5-pawn. Finally the king would
penetrate to e8, putting Black in
zugzwang. Unfortunately Black can
nip this plan in the bud by prevent­
ing h3-h4-h5. In this case White
must prepare to bring his bishop to
e4 at a moment when he can recap­
ture with the king. Can this be real­
ized? After the game Savon told me
that everyone who analysed this po­
sition, including himself, failed to
see this possibility, thinking that
White could not break through. An
important question is whether Black
can activate his king. Let us see:
42 ... h5 43 'it>c2 'it>h6 44 i.d2+ 'it>g7
45 'it>b3, when Black has these
choices:
(a) 45 ... i.c5 ! 46 i.b4 i.£2 47
i.e7 ! i.e 1 (keeping the white king
out of b4) 48 i.c5 ! and now:
(a 1 ) If Black then stays passive,
White forces his dark-squared
bishop off the e1-a5 diagonal:
48 ... i.d2 49 'it>c2 i.e 1 50 'it>d 1 i.g3
5 1 'it>d2 'it>g8 52 i.e2 ! 'it>g7 53 i.e3 !
(threatening 54 <it>c3 i.e 1 + 55 i.d2)
53 ... e4 54 f4 ! winning.
(a2) Black can play more actively
with 48 ... 'it>h6; then after 49 'it>c2!
two variations are possible:

(a2 1 ) 49 ... h4 50 'it>dl .ll. g3 5 1
.ll.e3+ 'it>g7 52 'it>d2! 'it>f8 53 'it>c3
.ll.e 1 + 54 .li.d2 .ll.xd2+ 55 'it>xd2
'it>e7 56 Wc3 'it>d6 57 'it>b4 .li.d7 58
.ll.xb5 .ll.xf5 59 a4 e4 60 .ll. e2 exf3
6 1 .li.xf3 . Many endgame subtleties
remain in this position: 6 1 .. . .li.d3 !
62 'it>c3 .ll.a6 63 'it>d4 �c8 64 'it>e3
.li.d7 65 .li.d l ! . Th�te is no other
way for White to win, for his bishop
doesn't control the queening square
of the h-pawn. If Black were al­
lowed to take the a-pawn, he could
sacrifice his bishop on h3 at the
right moment. Now after 65 ... i.c6
66 'it>£2 White creates a second pass­
ed pawn on the kingside with g2-g3.
(a22) 49 ...'it>g5 50 'it>d 1 �c3 5 1
'it>e2 Wf4 5 2 'it>£2 i.d4+ 53 i.xd4
exd4 54 h4 'it>e5 55 g3 'it>d6 56 g4
hxg4 57 fxg4 'it>e7 58 'it>g3 Wf8 59
'it>f4 'it>g7 60 i.e4 ! . At last White
seizes the long diagonal, and after
60 . . . i.d7 61 i.d5 he breaks through
with the king via e4.
(b) 45 ... 'it>f8 46 'it>b4 i.b2 47 i.e3
'it>e7 48 i.c5+ 'it>d7 49 'it>a5 ! (but
not 49 i.xb5 i.xa3+!=) 49 . . ..li.d4 50
'it>b6! +-.
The game continuation was:
42 ....ll.b6 43 Wc2 i.fl 44 i.e7
i.el 45 �c5 i.a5 46 'it>dl �c3 47
'it>e2 h5 !
White is very close to realizing
his plan, but should Black meekly
let the enemy king into e3? Could
that not have been prevented by
47 ... i.b2, threatening check on c l ?
No-because then 4 8 'it>d2 ! follows,
and the king penetrates to b4.
48 'it>e3 h4 49 i.e4 i.d7
That is why Black moved the
pawn to h4! Preventing g2-g4, he
ties the white bishop to the f5-pawn
and thus keeps the king out of e4.
50 'it>d3 i.el 51 i.e7 i.f2 52 'it>c3
i..e l+ 53 'it>b3 i.a5 54 i.c5 i.el 55
i.e7 i.a5 56 i.d3
My Life in Chess 27
Everything i s now ready for the
king to break through to b4 !
56 i.el 57 i.b4 i.fl 58 i.e4!
.•.
Black now has no good move. His
bishop can't leave the £2-square be­
cause of i.b4-e I xh4! There is noth­
ing for it but to let the king come to
b4.
58 'it>h6 59 i.d2+ 'it>g7
..•
Savon apparently wanted to acti­
vate his king by 59 ... 'it>h5, but no­
ticed in time that he would be
exposed to a mating attack: 60 f4
exf4 6 1 i.xf4 and i.e4-f3 mate! .
60 'it>b4 'it>f8 6 1 'it>a5 'it>e7 62
�b4+ 'it>d8 63 i.d6! �e3 64 'it>a6
i..d 2 65 'it>b6 i..e3+ 66 i..c5 i.. d2 67
i..d3 i.. f4
Black is forced to give up the
b5-pawn, but in return he intends to
take the pawn on f5. However, the
game is already beyond saving;
Savon could have resigned at this
point with a clear conscience. There
is an easy win with 68 i..xb5, but I
decided to see whether I could take
the pawn in more advantageous
circumstances.
68 .tfl i..c l
Now White has a pleasant choice:
he can play 69 �xh4 i..xa3 70
i.xb5 ! , or he can win in the way I
just mentioned (i.e. by 69 i.. c 5 i.. f4,
then 70 i..x b5). I was in the position
of Buridan's ass. Worn out with the
complex calculations during the
28 My Life in Chess
adjournment session, I could not
come to a decision and thought
there was no hurry to do so.
I must explain that I cannot repro­
duce in detail the ensuing events of
this game. Its final climax was on
move 72 when I played my bishop
to d3, whereupon Savon called the
deputy chief arbiter, V.Mikenas,
and declared that by 72 ...i.f4 he
could bring about a threefold repeti­
tion of the position in the last dia­
gram. Mikenas checked the game
score and said: "No, a threefold
repetition hasn't come about. Carry
on playing!" I remember that par­
ticular moment when, being very
nervous, I made Savon's move on
the board myself and replied 73
.ltxb5. My opponent's position
was completely hopeless.
But then something most unex­
pected happened. Master Fridstein,
also a deputy chief arbiter, butted in.
He was not higher in rank than
Mikenas. Yet after investigating the
situation on his own initiative, he
scored the game as a draw and con­
firmed this decision by his signature
on Savon's scoresheet.
Evidently the arbiter was sure that
he had registered the draw accord­
ing to the regulations. How can I
comment on that? One can't argue
against the "Regulations." And yet
it is a pity that the only aspect of
chess they cover is that of sport, not
of art or science. If we regard this
game as a creative work, then it has
a winner and a loser. As far as the
tournament situation was concerned,
it is very difficult to explain how
despondent I was. But I still had a
real chance of taking one of the first
places! I just had to win in the last
round, playing White against Tai­
manov. I should have shaped myself
up for victory. I should have ...
1 2 Sicilian Defence [B46]
E.Gufeld White
M.Taimanov Black
Vilnius Zonal, 1 975
1 e4 cS 2 lbf3 lbc6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lbxd4 e6 S lbc3 a6 6 i.e2 lbge7 7
f4 lbxd4 8 'ir'xd4 bS 9 0-0 .ltb7 10
fS! When I made this move (no
doubt one of the strongest moves in
my chess career) many participants
in the tournament were amazed at
how unnatural it seemed. Some
were even convinced that the move
was a direct consequence of the pre­
vious day's game with Savon. But
the move f4-f5 was evidence of
deep insight into the mysteries of
the position. In two more moves I
had an overwhelming positional su­
periority. 10 ...lbc6 1 1 'ir'f2 'ir'f6 12
'ir'g3 lbd4 After this I suffered, in­
comprehensibly, a total loss of con­
centration: I could not exploit the
advantage I had gained. 13 i.gS?!
Commenting on this game in
lnformator, Taimanov expressed the
opinion (with which I entirely
agree) that White could have se­
cured a winning position by 1 3
i.d3 ! e 5 14 lbd5 i.xd5 1 5 exd5
i.c5 1 6 'itth 1 b4 1 7 l:te 1 0-0 1 8
'ir'xe5. 13 ...lbxe2+ 14 lbxe2 i.d6
1S .ltxf6 i.xg3 16 i.xg7 l::tg8 17
lbxg3 l:txg7 18 l:tf4? 1 8 l:tf2! .
18 eS! 19 l:tf2 l:tg4 20 l:te1 f6 2 1
•.•
l:tfe2 'itte7 22 lb n l:tc8 2 3 c 3 a S 24
h3 l:tgg8 2S 'ittf2 b4 26 cxb4 axb4
27 l:td2 l:tc4 28 'ittf3 hS 29 g3 l:tg5
30 g4 dS! 31 lbe3 hxg4+ 32 hxg4
l:txe4 33 lbxdS+ i.xdS 34 l:txe4
i.xe4+ 3S 'ittxe4 l:txg4+ 36 WdS
l:tf4 37 l:th2 l:txfS 38 l:th7+ 'itt f8 39
l:tb7 l:tf4 40 'ittcS fS 41 l:txb4 l:txb4
42 'ittxb4 and soon we agreed to a
draw: 42 ... f4 43 'ittc3 f3 44 'ittd2
'itte7 4S a4 'ittd6 46 aS 'ittc6 47 b4
'ittbS 48 'itte3 e4 49 'itt f2 'itta6

50 �e3 �b5 5 1 �12 �a6 52 �e3
�b5 1h-1h
The interesting thing is that the
story did not end here. In the tourna­
ment bulletin I found that in place of
the moves 66 to 72 of my game
against Savon, some moves had
crept in from another game-the
famous encounter Grigorian­
Bronstein. After the tournament, a
selection of the games was pub­
lished. I looked through it and found
the same anomaly, reproduced from
the bulletin. Literally every night for
the next few weeks I was replaying
that ill-fated game against Savon
over and over again, and I failed to
find the triple repetition on the 72nd
move.
Time passed. The Armed Forces
championship in Leningrad ended,
and it was time for me to go back
home. Suddenly I remembered
something that the chess beaurocrat
Victor Baturinsky, who was
present in Vilnius, used to tell me.
He said that instead of boiling with
rage I should lodge a complaint. I
had not paid proper attention to his
words until now.
As we know, a claim to a draw by
threefold repetition is dependent on
the availability of a clear and or­
derly record of the game on a
scoresheet. A clear record? That has
nothing to do with me-I can hardly
make out my own handwriting. But
Who saw it? Who heard it?
Who said it?
Tragedies are tragedies, but one
has to carry on living and
working. Anyway, I had learnt to
live with my grudge against chess
My Life in Chess 29
what about Savon 's scoresheet? I
flew to Moscow, saw V.Antoshin
(the coach of the USSR chess team)
and asked him to gather some wit­
nesses. Then we all went to the
room where the Vilnius scoresheets
were kept. We found the folder with
the games, opened it, and . . . there
were all the scoresheets except
Savon's score of our game with the
arbiter's verdict. As for my own
scoresheet, none of those present
could find in it any traces of
triple repetition of the position.
The finishing touch to the story
was added by the chess writer Hen­
kin. Meeting me a few years ago, he
said, "There's one unsavoury story I
should tell you. I don't know why I
haven't done it before."
He recalled that as editor of the
special bulletin Tournaments and
Matches in those far-off days, he
had been preparing to publish the
games from the final rounds of the
Vilnius tournament and had found
that my game with Savon contained
impossible moves, beginning at
move 66. Applying for advice to
Fridstein, who was secretary of
Shakhmatny Bulletin, he received an
answer that was very strange
coming from an arbiter: "Look,
Victor Lvovich, there's a lot of con­
troversy about that game. We've got
to sort out what version of the game
score to publish, and make sure we
both get it identical."
arbiters in the faraway dawn of my
youth, when I enjoyed my first tour­
nament successes. By their nature
these arbiters turned out to be
30 My Life in Chess

as high-handed as their football col­ in my throat." Having confused

leagues. The boy of those times had the arbiter, Matulovic saved half a
grown up to understand that getting point.
hot under the collar and arguing Next round, Matulovic arrived
means losing. And yet, how could I late. When he appeared at last,
not argue? he explained to the arbiters that he
At the Ukrainian championship in had choked at dinner and the doctor
1955 a funny episode happened in had had to remove a fishbone from
my game with Kots. The following his throat. I was standing nearby
moves were made: 1 d4 li:1f6 2 c4 e6 and asked with interest: "A fish­
3 li:1c3 i..b4 4 e3 0-0 5 i..d3 d5 6 a3. bone? I thought it was the words
Here Kots, in his neat handwriting, j 'adoube that were stuck there! " I
wrote down 6 ... i..d6 on his have never heard louder or more
scoresheet and confidently moved to unanimous laughter anywhere in the
d6-with his rook from f8 ! Then, chess world!
getting the difference between rook Now an example on the theme of
and bishop straight, he returned the audio-hallucinations.
piece to its square. I told him: "The
1 3 E.Gufeld White
rook's got to move! " My opponent
J.Dorfman Black
came back with an irrefutable argu­
USSR Ch, Kishinev 1 975
ment: "Who saw it, though?'' Here
the controller came over and or­
dered me to stop my "tricks" and
carry on playing. I was annoyed-it
was not fair! And I lost. It never
rains but it pours! In the next round
my opponent was the famous master
Kopayev. One moment he touched
his queen, the next he made a move
with another piece. In a low voice I
said, "You 've got to be joking! "
"Sucker!" shouted Kopayev. "Yes­
terday you wound somebody else
up, today it's me! " And the arbiter 2 1 ...li:1e3 This game had featured
suggested I should visit a a major theoretical dispute in one of
psychiatrist. the popular variations of the
After the tournament I was beg­ Richter-Rauzer System. The preced­
ging my friend Yuri Kots to tell the ing moves can be found in Gufeld­
truth to the arbiter. Alas, I could not Tukmakov, Vilnius 1975 (see the
persuade him. In the Interzonal notes to game 45). There the GM
Tournament at Sousse, a similar from Odessa continued 2 l . ..li:1d4
event happened. In desperate time­ but went on to lose. 22 li:1xe3 'ii'xd2
trouble Matulovic picked up a 23 .l:txd2 fxe3 24 .l:td5 If 24 .l:td7,
bishop, then thought better of it and White has to reckon with 24 ... a5 !?.
put it back. His opponent, Grand­ 24 ... .l:tfd8 25 .l:txe3 l:lxd5 26 cxd5
master I.Bilek, protested but Matu­ �f8! Not 26 ... .txh2? 27 .l:te7!+-. 27
lovic was adamant: "I said) 'adoube h3 .l:tb4 28 .l:te2 �e7 Or 28 ... a5 29
but in my agitation the words stuck a4 30 .l:tc4+-. 29 .l:tc2 .l:td4 30 a4

The opposite-coloured bishops are,
as we know, a sign of a draw, but
they frequently remain no more than
a sign. 30 J:td3 31 �a2 aS 32 l:.c5
•.
l:.d2 33 l:.xa5 i.xb2 In the case of
33 ...l:.xb2+ 34 �a3 l:.xg2 35 l:.a7+
�d6 36 aS, White has good winning
chances. 34 l:.a7+ �d8 35 l:.b7
l:.xg2 35 ...i.d4+ 36 'it;b i . 3 6 i.c4
i.e5+ 37 �a3 i.d6+ 38 �b3 l:.g3+
39 �c2 i.c7 A critical moment in
the game, and, as it turns out, a
tragi-comic one. I was sitting there
pondering the position, growing
confident of victory. But in one of
the variations I suddenly noticed
there was insufficient advantage to
win. In my disappointment I
Seeking the truth
The stories behind my "Interzonal
tragedies" do not fully explain the
cause of my misfortunes, losses,
failures. I think the answer lies, first
and foremost, in my character.
As Tigran Petrosian justly stated,
in chess every player is fighting
with himself as well as against his
opponent. Much is written about my
excessive emotionality and my ap­
parent lack of self-control after los­
ing crucial games. "When Gufeld
has a bad position he is plunged into
despair as though his entire future
hinged on the result of his game,"
wrote Henkin. "But if the grandmas­
ter from Tbilisi has the initiative
he skips among the chess tables like
a shooting star, bestowing smiles
all round."
It has also been noted that when I
am elated I place my pieces on the
board accurately, but as soon as low
spirits take over, "the pieces are al­
most tossed from square to square."
My Life in Chess 31
murmured under my breath: "Is i t a
draw?" Then I heard my opponent
say, "Make your move." I immedi­
ately came to, not realizing what
had happened. On hearing the word
"draw," Dorfman had taken it as a
formal draw offer. I played 40 i.b5
-with the threat of 41 d6. It is not
difficult to see that after 40 ...�c8 4 1
i.c6 l:.xh3 4 2 l:.a7 o r 4 1 ... i.b8 42
l:.f7, White has all the winning
chances. No one would offer a draw
in this position. Realizing the inevi­
tablility of defeat, Dorfman said: "I
accept a draw," and the arbiter,
being notified of our "dialogue,"
registered that result.
I confess that in the past I have
often suffered psychological
breakdowns at tournaments.
But of course psychology is not
the only point here. I belong to the
artistic, or, as I would rather call it,
the romantic category of chessplay­
ers. In search of truth and beauty I
sometimes forget about points on
the score chart, and see on the board
not the things which are there, but
the things which I want to see.
Games that are masterpieces are
produced, in my opinion, not by the
opponents but by two "sparring
partners." Moreover, the partner
needs to be a high-class master.
What if you are playing a weak op­
ponent? It is like asking a good mu­
sician to play a piano which is out
of tune. What is a top-level tourna­
ment for a chessplayer? It is what an
easel, paints, high-quality brushes
are to an artist: the means to realiz­
ing his ideas. It is too bad that I
32 My Life in Chess
have only rarely played against the
world's very strongest players.
Of course, before the start of a
tournament, a player of "creative"
leanings possesses the same amount
of energy as a "rationalist" who is
eager to attain high sporting results.
But how is this energy used? I am
sure that a "romantic" puts all of
himself into every game and there­
fore exhausts himself more rapidly.
In the intervals between his brillian­
cies he allows the "rationalist" to
forge ahead, for the latter, like a
sportsman, skilfully apportions his
energy over the distance of the
competition.
Personally, I would never ex­
change my best games for a dozen
first places. While not pretending to
the title of "Champion of Master­
pieces," I have often been awarded
the best game prize in tournaments
where I did very badly. And I am
proud of it. But the public has
always applauded those who arrive
first at the finishing line, frequently
forgetting about the race's spiritual
winners.
The matter is sometimes carried to
an absurdity. During the "Chess
Week" in Evpatori in April 1 980, an
interviewer asked me without any
mincing of words: "They often talk
about you as a chessplayer in the
'creative' tradition. Do you care
about competitive achievements
too?" To which I replied, reasonably
enough, that without any competi­
tive achievements I would hardly
have become a grandmaster.
Indeed, I would not like my
reader to form the wrong impression
that Gufeld loses all his crucial
games. That is not the case at all. A
clear-cut proof of my sporting and
creative efforts is my game against
the American Jim Sherwin in the
Students World Team Champion­
ship at Helsinki, 1 96 1 . The previous
year's champions, the Americans,
were losing 2- 1 in their match
against us. If I won my game, the
Soviet students were virtually cer­
tain to be world champions.
I had two extra pawns, and had to
queen at least one of them to win.
14 J.Sherwin White
E.Gufeld Black
Helsinki, 1 96 1
3 1 ..i.h5 I made this move after
.
long deliberation. All those watch­
ing the game were disappointed,
among them Yuri Averbakh, the So­
viet team captain. After the game he
reproached me: "What a way to
play! Some master you are! Didn't
you see 3 l ...e3?"
I had seen that move and calcu­
lated an easy nine-move manoeuvre:
3 l . ..e3 32 i.xd5 ..t>xd5 33 i.xe3 a4
34 i.c 1 Wc4 35 Wf3 Wb3 36 We2
a3 37 i.f4 a2 38 i.e5 ..t>c2 and after
39 . . ...t>b 1 Black wins.
However, when I showed Aver­
bakh that during my deliberations I
had found the move 33 i.b6 ! ! , the
much-acclaimed grandmaster and
endgame researcher, who can
appreciate true beauty in chess, was

impressed and dedicated a whole
chapter of his book Seeking the
Truth to the analysis of this end­
game. 32 �f2 �e6 33 �g3 i.e2! 34
�h4 �d6 35 �g3 Jt.b5! 36 Jt.c2
Jt.d3 37 Jt.b3 e3! This sacrifice now
leads quickly to victory. 38 Jt.xd5
�xd5 39 Jt.xe3 Or 39 $(.b6 a4 40
�f3 e2. 39 ...a4 40 Jt.c1 �c4 4 1
�f2 �b3 4 2 Jt.f4 a3 4 3 �e3 a 2 44
Fischer as I know him
In 1 967 the Interzonal tournament
was held in Sousse (Tunisia). At
first Bobby Fischer did not want to
take part, on account of the small
prizes. But later he agreed to play.
I came to Sousse as Geller's
trainer. It was there that I got ac­
quainted with Fischer. On meeting
me, he exclaimed, "Oh, Gufeld! I
know you! I've seen your game
against Smyslov."
Just before the opening of the
tournament, the Soviet chessplayers
were playing dominoes in the hotel
lounge. Bobby came in, greeted the
players and began watching the
game which, as it turned out, he had
never seen before. A few minutes
later he asked for permission to join
the players and, strange as it may
seem, he demonstrated a good un­
derstanding of this difficult game ...
After the tournament h e took the
domino set to America!
At that time there was much
gossip and guesswork concerning
Fischer's withdrawal from the tour­
nament. As an eyewitness, I would
like to retrace the events preceding
his withdrawal.
A special decision had been is­
sued allowing Fischer to avoid play
on religious holidays. As ill luck
My Life in Chess 33
i.e5 �c2 45 �f4 Jt.g6 46 Jt.d4
�b1 0-1
When I showed the position after
33 i.b6! ! to Alexander K.halifman,
then School Students' Champion of
the USSR, he exclaimed: "It's a su­
pernatural move! " K.halifman later
won the 1 999 FIDE World Champi­
onship in Las Vegas.
would have it, these holidays fol­
lowed each other in rapid succes­
sion. Therefore Fischer had to
postpone several games. The jury
decided that he should play these
games within one week so as to
catch up with the other players.
Fischer was indignant and de­
manded one extra free day. The ar­
biters did not want to budge an inch,
since it was Fischer's fault that the
games had not been played yet.
Then Bobby failed to show up to
play against Gipslis, and he was de­
clared to have forfeited this game.
On learning this, Fischer lodged a
protest, and when his protest was
declined, he left for Tunis, Tunisia's
capital.
A delegation of peacemakers was
sent to Tunis. Fischer was per­
suaded to come back to Sousse. He
played several games and then
asked when his game against Gipslis
would be played. The arbiters an­
swered that they would not recon­
sider their decision, and again
Fischer went to Tunis. Again nego­
tiations and promises to reconsider
the Gipslis issue. Fischer came back
again and played one more game.
Then came the day when the tour­
nament reached its half-way stage.
.�4 My Life in Chess
Bobby was to play against Hort. At
this moment Fischer displayed his
best qualities. According to the
rules, if a player withdrew from the
tournament having played less than
50% of his games, all his results
would be cancelled. However, if he
had played 50% or more of his
games, he would merely forfeit the
unplayed ones.
As the result of an artificial
method of drawing lots, Fischer had
encountered the Soviet contestants
-not without success-in the first
half of the tournament. In the sec­
ond half he was due to face the
Yugoslavs, the main rivals of the
Soviet players.
If Fischer withdrew after the Hort
game, all our rivals would collect a
point against him by default, to help
them qualify for the Challengers
matches. Therefore, before his game
against Hort, Fischer wanted to
know once and for all if he was go­
ing to play his game against Gipslis.
"If I play this game today and
withdraw from the tournament,"
Bobby said, "it will be unfair to my
colleagues. But if I'm given a
default I shan't continue the
tournament!"
The arbiters had to face a n insolu­
ble dilemma. To allow Fischer to
play the missed game meant violat­
ing the regulations, but if the game
was unplayed, Fischer could with­
draw . .. Finally, Bobby was given a
second default and again left for
Tunis.
The rules stipulated that a player
could default only two games. If he
missed a third game he would auto­
matically be expelled from the
tournament.
Fischer's next opponent after Hort
was Bent Larsen. The game was
scheduled for Saturday, but on that
day Bobby used to sit down at the
chessboard only at 6 p.m. (one hour
after the beginning of the round), in
other words when his religion al­
lowed him to begin worldly life.
Again negotiations followed, with
the participation of the US Ambas­
sador to Tunisia. Bobby was per­
suaded to continue the tournament
with two defaults. However, the ar­
biters asked Larsen to begin the
game at 7 p.m., so that Fischer
could cover the 1 50 km between the
capital and Sousse.
The American embassy sent out
the speediest car, the road was pa­
trolled by a police helicopter to give
the "green light" to the car with
Bobby. But ... at 6 o'clock there was
a telephone call from the capital,
and after that the "hot line" from
Sousse to Tunis was engaged for an
hour. All this time I was in the tele­
phone booth from which Fischer's
second, the Yugoslav journalist
D.Bjelica; was talking to Bobby,
who demanded that the jury's deci­
sion should be reconsidered so that
he might have a chance to play the
two forfeited games. Bjelica went to
talk with the arbiters who confirmed
their decision. Now I tried to per­
suade Fischer, but he was insistent.
Probably at this moment Fischer
subconsciously felt that he could
still make it by 7 o'clock. But time
was pressing .. . On the phone he
was losing confidence; ten minutes
later his clock was due to be started,
and one hour after that the game
would be forfeited.
At 7 o'clock Fischer gave in. We
heard the voice of a desperate man
who repeated into the telephone that
he was ready to continue the tourna­
ment with two defaults, but asked
Larsen to wait.

Everyone rushed to Larsen to ask
him to agree. But the Dane an­
swered firmly, "No! The clock has
been started." One hour later
Fischer forfeited the game, and for
three years he dropped out of the
World Championship cycle.
At that stage, with 8 1h points out
of 12 games (even with two de­
faults!), Fischer was leading the
field ... and I am sure that if he had
continued the tournament, he would
have qualified for the Candidates.
Fischer's eccentric behaviour
earned him a unique reputation.
However, his character and eccen­
tricities went together and the main
thing was his fanatical devotion to
chess! When asked if he had many
friends, Bobby invariably answered:
"All those who love chess."
He has always been polite to other
chess players. When Fischer sat
down at the chessboard, he was a
gentleman, an extremely polite and
sophisticated man. His terrific sense
of dignity and his principled attitude
to chess were always coloured by
his childlike naivety, of which I
would like to mention one example.
One day a group of grandmasters
gathered by the Mediterranean sea­
side. I decided to play a joke on
Fischer. I arranged with the other
grandmasters that I should give him
a tricky position to solve, and while
he was thinking the others would
say that the position was easy and
all of them had found the solution,
but Bobby couldn't!
I opened my pocket chess set and
showed the position to Fischer.
My Life in Chess 35
The solution is not obvious: 1
ii'f5+ g6 2 ii'f6 ! ! and there is no de­
fence against 3 ii'g7+ lhg7 4 lLlf6
mate (2 .. gxh5 3 ii'xh6 mate).
.
"Shall we give you a clue?" asked
the grandmasters sarcastically.
"No! No! I'll do it myself1"
answered the American grand­
master.
Just imagine-the chess genius
unable to find the solution which
was "obvious" to everyone else
around. Horror was written across
Bobby's face-the horror that his
reputation as a chess prodigy might
go to pieces!
When, a minute later, he found
the solution, his face which had
been so desperate brightened up
with such happiness that I pictured
Archimedes' face exclaiming
"Eureka! " Possibly no actor in the
world could imitate this sequence of
horror and delight on Fischer's face.
During the Sousse tournament I
often talked with Bobby. We played
soccer and swam. These episodes
had a sequel which I should now
like to relate.
3 6 My Life in Chess

At one time the newspaper Kom­ beginning with the words "Amigo
somolskaya Pravda used to offer its Eduardo"!
readers some speculations on the I also told the Komsomolskaya
likely results of thirteen sports duels how I had played soccer with Bobby
in hockey, soccer, chess etc. Fischer on the beach in Tunisia. Af­
"Famous" sportsmen were invited to terwards I gave my forecast for the
the first session-I say it with coming sports matches.
tongue in cheek because I was one The next day I looked through the
of those invited. But in addition to newspaper. I read my forecast, and
making his predictions, each of the then I read that Gufeld had
invited sportsmen was supposed to "successfully played chess against
tell an entertaining story that had Bobby Fischer and no less success­
happened to him. fully played soccer against Pele! "
I told them how I had once given I instantly grabbed the phone and
an unusual interview to the Brazil­ asked for the reporter who had
ian newspaper Journal du Sport. interviewed me. The reporter had
There I was asked about soccer, and already seen the paper and made his
the legendary Pele was asked about apologies: "You see, one of our col­
chess. Afterwards, Pele sent me a leagues who was on night duty in
remarkable souvenir: wonderful col­ the newspaper office thought he had
oured photos with the badges of discovered a mistake-'caught a
Brazilian soccer clubs. But the most flea', as Russian journalists say. So
important thing was his signature. he 'corrected' it by 'returning'
Imagine the faces of soccer fans, Fischer to the chessboard and Pele
when I showed them the lines to the soccer field."

The maximum discount

We were flying back from the
Brazilian Interzonal tournament.
Our plane landed in Conakry, the
capital of Guinea.
We checked in at our hotel. An
open-air market was nearby. The
hotel was fenced round on all sides:
the vendors had no admittance to
the hotel, but we could go to the
market. And indeed, how could one
be in the heart of Africa and not
bring home some token made of
ebony!
Trading abroad in bazaars differs
sharply from our own practice. Cer­
tain relations between buyer and
seller are traditional. As many tour­
ists can testify, vendors appreciate
people who can drive a hard bargain
without being aggressive or impu­
dent: one should haggle hard, but
amicably.
It seems to me (and life has con­
firmed this) that I possess all the
requisite qualities of the "oriental"
buyer. At least, I can always man­
age to find a common language with
even the most disparate audiences
and I always try to find the shortest
way to the seller' s heart.
Our delegation (Smyslov, Poluga­
evsky, Geller, Keres, Taimanov, Sa­
von and others) had made a decision
to send me as a representative to the
market to buy souvenirs. The rest of
them drew up along the "line of

demarcation" by the hotel, and
awaited the result of my exploits.
As is well known, bargaining in
the East involves a specific ritual.
On the one side are those who are
trying to buy cheaper, on the other
-those trying to sell dearer. Both
sides get satisfaction from this Pfoc­
ess. The emotionality of the market
vendors, their exotic and pictur­
esque temperaments-all this is so
difficult to express in words. But
imagine, too, the fantastically col­
ourful garments and the seductive
allure of the various goods laid out
on the tables and everywhere on the
ground ...
The vendors quickly saw that I
was a promising customer. They
shouted and ran over to me with
goods in their hands but I resisted,
waiting for the right moment.
Finally, after making the round of
numerous stalls, I was attracted by
one of the mask sellers. He was a
towering, handsome black man,
completely dressed in white. In an
instant both of us felt a mutual
capitalistic attraction, if I may call it
that. Kindred spirits.
I asked him in my broken English
what the price of a seven-piece set
of masks was. He didn't reply right
away. He took me by my arm and
began walking with me along the
wares laid out on the ground. As we
walked, he declared in his excellent
English that he saw a friend in me,
felt a great attraction towards me
and therefore he could offer me the
set of masks for the lowest price
possible: one hundred dollars!
I said I was grateful to him, re­
leased my hand and took him by his
arm, and we began to walk back in
the opposite direction. I told him
that I also felt an attraction for him
-and in order to preserve the finest
My Life in Chess 3 7
memones of him and Africa, I
wanted to buy for myself and my
friends (I nodded in the direction of
our delegation) several sets of
masks.
He joyfully nodded his head and
asked what my price would be. I po­
litely replied that I was ready to pay
him, for each set-one dollar!
This tall, nice-looking black man
actually jumped with surprise. Real­
izing that in my person he was en­
countering a worthy opponent, he
looked at me and said:
"I see you can appreciate my art.
Fifty dollars."
"Two," I said firmly.
The bargaining was under way.
"Forty-five."
"Three."
"Forty."
"Four."
There was no deal. I turned round
and walked without any hurry to­
wards the hotel. I had to inform my
friends that given our modest finan­
cial means, we could not afford to
buy the African souvenirs we cov­
eted so much.
The vendor guessed at once that
he was losing the only customer he
had had so far that day. His conces­
sions became more tempting. He
shouted to me in hot pursuit. There
were about ten yards left to the hotel
when he yelled:
"Twenty!"
"Five." I showed my widely
spread palm, not turning back.
"Fifteen."
And just as I was about to cross
the "line of demarcation," we at last
agreed upon eight dollars per set.
Many years later all of the chess
players who were present in
Conakry recalled the unusual
haggling at the market in which
their colleague took part. But few of
38 My Life in Chess
them knew that a similar event had
already happened to me. That time I
came a total cropper.
It had happened much earlier. On
our way back from Tunisia, we
spent a few days in the capital. At
one point during a stroll a stranger
came over to us and suggested we
buy a sheepskin. The smell of that
skin has haunted me all my life. We
said we didn't want it but the
stranger doggedly followed us. For
a long time we couldn't get rid of
him, and all the while with this
awful smell was hanging over us. At
last I couldn't stand it any more. I
stopped and said, "How much do
you want for this skin?"
"Fifty dinars."
Being absolutely sure that he
would refuse, I said: "One."
No sooner was this word out of
my mouth than he heaped the dis­
gusting thing onto my shoulders and
blurted out: "Agreed! "
Another curious trade perform­
ance took place at the chess Olym­
piad in Dubai, 1 986. There we made
there the acquaintance of an expatri­
ate Soviet citizen, a lady from Len­
ingrad. She had married an Arab
studying in the Soviet Union and
had moved to a permanent residence
in the capital of the United Arab
Emirates. She persuaded us to visit
her husband's store "Majestique",
where French goods were on sale.
She promised that she could get us
good discounts. So a group of us
chessplayers went to this store.
Once we reached it we immediately
realized that no matter how great the
discount, we wouldn't be able to af­
ford any of these luxurious French
wares.
In order to secure a face-saving
retreat, I tried to confuse our
amiable hosts by hinting that we
couldn't find what we needed in
their store. They were surprised. I
asked the man whether he had a
leather belt in my size. I should in­
form you that a belt of my size-53
inches-isn't possible to find in our
country. And suddenly I heard the
reply:
. "We do have belts of your
SlZe. "
Frankly, I was surprised: "Do you
really?" Indeed they did.
The host took us to the counter
where they sold a great variety of
leather goods. Here were belts to
satisfy anyone's taste. In addition,
these belts had metal buckles of ex­
traordinary beauty. But the main
thing was that various belts of my
size were available. I tried on one
belt made of four layers of multi­
coloured, high quality leather. A
very nice one! The host came over
and said: "Do you like it?"
"Very much."
"I will give you fifty percent
discount."
Keeping in mind the approximate
prices for belts in our shops, I re­
joiced and asked: "What if I get
two?"
"Of course! If you like them so
much, I will give you the first belt
with a fifty percent discount and the
second one will be my gift to you."
I was deeply touched by the
Arab's gracious behavior, and took
the belt in order to see its price. It.
was over 200 dollars! What was I to
do?
I got my bearings at once. I don't
even know how this impudent
thought dawned on me.
"Dear friend!" I said. "I greatly
appreciate your kindness, but
honestly, I don't want you to bear
such expense for my sake: one belt
for half-price and the other as a free
gift. I would rather just have the

free gift!" And to everyone' s cheer­
ful laughter I presented some souve-
Non-Olympian motives
\
In my younger years I somehow,
easily became the centre of atten­
tion. In 1 974 I was a member of a
tourist group at the Chess Olympiad
in Nice. The group comprised sports
executives, grandmasters and
spouses of USSR team members. At
the airport in Paris, some represen­
tatives of the "USSR-France" soci­
ety met us and presented gifts­
attractive cases with "USSR­
France" inscribed on them. Inside
the cases there were some other sou­
venirs. We got on a bus and started
our tour of Paris. Our guide was a
Russian woman who had settled in
France not so long before. Everyone
was elated and happy.
After a while it occurred to me to
play a trick on my companions. I
put my hand into the case that had
been presented to us and took out an
envelope, a few postcards and . . . a
fancy pen. In those days attractive
objects were hard to come by in our
country. I said for everybody's
attention:
"This is the pen I've been dream­
ing of all my life! What a beauty!"
What happened next? Everyone,
of course, began searching for the
same pen. At first the hands were
groping about slowly, as if absent­
mindedly sorting something out in
their cases. The tourists pretended
they were listening to the guide,
looking out of the window at the
views of Paris. Meanwhile, as the
hands could not find the ill-starred
pen, the movements became quicker
My Life in Chess 3 9
nirs to the host, shook his hand
firmly and put on the belt.
and fussier, puzzled expressions ap­
peared on the faces: how come the
pen was missing from my bag? The
people started a thorough examina­
tion of the bag's contents. Still no
luck. "Where is the pen?" the facial
expressions were asking.
You must already have guessed
that my case was not different from
the others. I had surreptitiously put
my fine American pen inside it be­
fore beginning the small perform­
ance. I still recall the faces of my
companions; some of them did not
speak to me for a few days
afterwards.
The Philippines, 1 992. By agree­
ment with Florencio Campomanes,
then FIDE President, I was looking
for someone to sponsor the best
game prizes for the Olympiad. Next
to the tournament hall there were
souvenir stands and among them
there was one selling chess comput­
ers. The proprietor was a handsome
young man, not rich. He loved
chess, had opened a chess school
and written a book. When I shared
my idea with him, his eyes sparkled.
I asked him:
."Do you want to become world
famous? There's an idea to set up
prizes for the best games in the
Olympiad. Afterwards they may be
published as a separate book. Every­
thing will appear under your name."
He answered:
"That's it! I agree. How much is
needed?"
40 My Life in Chess
I gave a very modest estimate.
"Probably $5,000 would be
enough."
"I will give $ 10,000 "
At the sponsor's stand they were
also selling splendid summer caps
with long peaks. You could have
one with your name on it. I still
keep such a cap with the inscription
"Eduard Gufeld." Honorary guests
received these caps as gifts. Seeing
that I was on friendly terms with the
owner of the stand, people now and
again asked me to exert my "influ­
ence". The chess official Boris Pos­
tovsky wanted one of the caps.
When he approached me with his
request, I replied:
"Sure, no problem. But you've
got to keep in mind that there's a
certain tradition ... "
"What do you mean, tradition?
Are you having me on, as usual?"
Postovsky is a very serious person
and always tries to steer clear of
frivolous situations.
"No way, Boris. After I introduce
you, they'll give you twenty caps to
choose from. When you pick one
and try it on, they'll photograph you
in it. Then they'll ask you to intro­
duce yourself and say what country
you're from. They need to keep
track .of who's received their
souvemr. "
"Are you making this up?"
"That's the custom. Afterwards
they'd like to have their picture
taken with you." I must mention at
There is a girl in Kutaisi ...
In 1 970 something happened to
me which at first glance was not at
all remarkable. I was about to leave
the comfortable chess club on
this point that the caps were pre­
sented by three young beauties. I
added:
"Then according to the rules of
Filipino hospitality, you're to kiss
one of these girls."
"That's enough of your pranks,"
said Boris with a smile. "Save them
for someone else, they won't work
with me."
I accompanied him to the table,
introduced him, and twenty caps
were put before him. When Pos­
tovsky picked up a cap, he was
asked to put it on and have his pic­
ture taken. Then they asked what
country he was from, what team he
represented. Could it be that Gufeld
had not been kidding? Then they
asked Postovsky to have his picture
taken with the girls. Here Boris
dropped his guard. After the joint
photo session (all according to the
customs and conditions of hospital­
ity ... ), he strained himself, stood on
tiptoe, and to everyone's surprise
kissed the prettiest girl. She was
thunderstruck with embarrassment.
As luck would have it, on that day
her husband was present. Of course
I could not have predicted such a
turn of events. The husband turned
out to be so jealous that I forgot all
my jokes at once. I had to use all my
diplomatic skills to apologize to
him, to her, and to Boris. An inno­
cent prank could have ended lamen­
tably. Thank God it did not ...
Rustavcki street when my old friend
Georgi Kantaria, a chess instructor
from Kutaisi, asked me to examine
one of his charges.

A girl of about eight or nine,
dressed in a school uniform and
wearing a huge snow-white bow in
her hair, was sitting at the chess­
board. Without being in the least
embarrassed in the presence of a
grandmaster, she confidently played
out the closed variation of the Sicil- '
ian Defence. Then another game
was played. Her natural gift and
great devotion to chess was evident.
Now, many years later, I can't re­
call my first meeting with Maya
without a smile. But then in an in­
terview which I gave to the Soviet
Sport newspaper, I said: 'There is a
girl in Kutaisi, who is just nine
years old. I will not give her name,
out of professional discretion, but
very soon everybody will hear about
her."
That particular event would have
remained a curious episode if it had­
n't had a peculiar sequel a few years
later. In January 1 976 the USSR
Championship for Girls was held in
Tbilisi. Maya Chiburdanidze, by
that time already an International
Master, was considered one of the
tournament favourites. After the
first two rounds she only had half­
points on the cross-table. On the eve
of the next game, a delegation came
to visit me: Maya herself, her
mother, and her uncle Gamlet
Khurtsidze. (It is difficult to over­
estimate the role of this man in
Maya's progress to the world
crown.) They declared: "Until you
agree to be Maya's coach, we will
not leave this room."
I agreed to help. I was also asked
to do so, moreover, by a number of
public organizations of the Republic
of Georgia. We were just starting to
train when, as if in gratitude to me,
Maya won a game. And afterwards
My Life in Chess 41
all the rest of them. Thus she
became the USSR Girls' Champion.
It is notable that when I accepted
the offer to become Maya's coach, I
first asked Nona Gaprindashvili, the
then Women's World Champion,
whether she had any objections. The
question was of some significance,
for even then I saw Maya as Nona's
future rival. Nona replied as a real
queen would: "Of course I have no
objections."
It was very interesting to work
with Maya in those days. We tried
to prepare her for playing "correct"
chess. If only the girl had added a
little more diligence to her remark­
able natural talent: it is a truism that
talent is first and foremost hard
work. As it was, after a slip-up in a
game (which no one is safe from),
Maya could say without batting an
eyelid: "You didn't teach me about
that." Or in the heat of our theoreti­
cal work she could ask with con­
cern: "Eduard Efimovich, wasn't it
Morphy who found it was impossi­
ble to mate the king with bishop and
knight?" The merry twinkle in her
eyes always gave her away, even
though she tried to hide it.
I was very grateful to Maya 's for­
mer teachers: my colleagues from
Kutaisi, the ex-champion of Geor­
gia, J.Chikovani, and the respected
Soviet coach M. Shiskov. They
taught her to think independently
and not to copy the games of others.
Chiburdanidze in her teens acted
like an experienced master.
Together with the eminent Geor­
gian journalist A.Eremian, I have
written in detail about the career of
the sixth Women's World Cham­
pion. I should like to recall a few
episodes here.
42 My Life in Chess
The Tallinn pearl
There used to be a symbolic
"Vera Menchik Club"; its members
were those grandmasters whose
chess pride had suffered in tourna­
ment games against the legendary
woman champion. The foundation
of the "Maya Chiburdanidze Club"
dates back to 1 975. But she began to
beat members of the sterner sex
only after she had won the
chess crown. In 1 980 an All-Union
qualifying tournament was held for
the next USSR Men's Champion­
ship. Maya led the tournament for
most of the way; only two draws in
the concluding stages enabled the
ex-World Junior Champion,
V.Chekhov, to overtake her and ob­
tain the only entrance ticket to the
Top League. But even second place
was an excellent achievement for
young Maya, who had outdistanced
a lot of masters and grandmasters. A
convincing example of this is her
game against Dvoiris, called by
reporters "The Tallinn Pearl."
The prelude to this game is curi­
ous. At Portoroz in 1 973, Portisch,
Geller and Polugaevsky were play­
ing off for the two remaining places
in the Candidates Tournament. In
the first game Polugaevsky used
an interesting novelty against Geller
and won. Geller and I spent half a
night analysing the game and found
an excellent refutation. But we were
not able to use it, and for many
years chessplayers were repeating
Polugaevsky's idea. Nobody saw
the effective refutation found by us.
I had no secrets for Maya, but when
we touched on this variation in our
opening studies, I was in a dilemma.
Was it ethical to reveal the variation
which I hadn't discovered alone?
However, taking into consideration
that 50% of the "shares" were mine,
I found a solution and said:
"Maya, in this position White gets
the advantage by force. I can't tell
you how-find it for yourself." The
next day Maya discovered this idea.
Afterwards she used it against
Dvoiris and won.
1 5 Sicilian Defence [B96]
M.Chiburdanidze White
S.Dvoiris Black
Tallinn, 1 980
1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lbxd4 lLlf6 5 lbc3 a6 6 .i.g5 e6 7 f4
lbbd7 8 'it'f3 An aggressive plan.
White is preparing to castle long,
though Black's forces might easily
be deployed on the queenside for a
counter-attack. 8 'ii'c7 9 0-0-0 b5!
...
10 .i.d3 Black was not afraid of 10
e5 .i.b7! . But White is up to some­
thing else. 10 .i.b7 1 1 .l:the1 'ii'b6
.•.
1 2 lbd5!
It was in the Geller-Polugaevsky
game that Black played l l ...'iVb6 for
the first time. The antidote 1 2 lbd5
and 1 3 lbc6! was ready for their

next clash, but Polugaevsky took no
chances and didn't repeat this
variation. 12 ... exd5 Why not
1 2 . . .'Wxd4 ... ? Because of 13 �xf6
gxf6 1 4 �xb5, and after 1 4 .. .'iVc5
15 tLlxf6+! . 13 tLlc6 ! ! If the first
sacrifice wasn't exactly unexpec�ed
(the excursion to d5 in similar posi­
tions is more or less a textbook
ploy), the second one, from Black's
viewpoint, was a bolt from the blue.
He was expecting the standard 1 3
exd5+ 'it>d8 with mutual chances.
For instance, 14 ltJc6+ 'it>c7! and
Black defends all his weak points.
13 .i.xc6 The opening of the e-file
.•.
could not be prevented by 1 3 ... d4?
because of 14 e5 ! ! . 14 exd5+ .i.e7
1 5 dxc6 ltJc5 16 .i.xf6 gxf6 17 .i.f5
The forced sequence has ended, but
the positional sequel reveals the
idea of the piece sacrifice: the black
king is detained in the centre, hence
White possesses an initiative which
The flying coach
In 1 977 Maya Chiburdanidze and
Elena Akhmilovskaya met in the
Women's World Championship
semi-finals match, the youngest
challengers to the crown in chess
history. At first Maya was doing
well, but later she fell ill, committed
several mistakes, lost, and the score
became dire, 5-4 in her rival's fa­
vour. The situation was further com­
plicated by the fact that the match
was taking place in Tallinn but
Chiburdanidze's coach had to play
in Moscow in the Armed Forces
Team Championship. It was then
that I introduced a new term, flying
coach, into the sporting vocabulary.
From 20-29 September I could be
seen regularly on a flight from
My Life in Chess 43
may develop into an attack.
17 .'11Vc7 18 b4 ltJe6 1 8 ... tLla4 19
.•
.i.d7+ and 2 0 %he7+ +-. 19 't�Vh5
ltJg7 20 .i.d7+ 'it>f8 2 1 'Wh6 d5
Black sets a trap. 22 l:txe7 'it>xe7 23
l:tel+ If White takes the bait with 23
1\Vxg7?? then 23 .. .'iWxf4+! and Black
wins. 23 ... 'it>f8 24 1Wxf6 Maya con­
ducts the attack with true inspira­
tion. She has already sacrificed a
rook, but it is as if each of her re­
maining pieces has magical powers.
24 '1t>g8 25 l:te7 l:tf8 26 .i.e6!
•..
1\Vxe7 27 1\Vxe7 fxe6 Or 27 ...ltJxe6
28 f5 ltJg7 29 c7+-. 28 c7 The sur­
prising service of this pawn must
have been difficult to predict 1 3
moves earlier, when it seemed
almost doomed-if not to a quick
death, then to slow suffocation.
28 ... h5 29 'ii'xf8+! 1-0 In !nforma­
tor No. 29 this game was awarded
first prize for the best theoretical
achievement.
Tallinn to Moscow. My acquain­
tances joked: Eduard has a double?
Playing on two fronts was rather
difficult, but thanks to Aeroflot's
efficiency Maya could prepare for
each game with her coach.
Moreover, this tandem work even
brought us some profit. There were
three games left until the end of the
match, and in two of them Maya
was to play White. It was necessary
to force her rival into our type of
game. But how was it to be done? In
those days, with White, Maya inevi­
tably played 1 e4. Akhmilovskaya
invariably replied l . ..e5. In our
opening repertoire there was only
the Ruy Lopez. For this match Elena
had prepared a variation against
44 My Life in Chess
which we couldn't find any way to
achieve a decisive advantage.
We were nonplussed. Maya took
her last time-out. On the eve of her
decisive tenth game I played against
Khasin in Moscow, where I used a
curious opening idea. Weary after
the game, I took the plane (for the
umpteenth time! ) to Tallinn. At 2
a.m. I decided: what if Maya could
use this opening in her next game?
In the morning I went to Maya.
We sat down at the board, and I
straight away blurted out: "Maya!
Today you're going to start your
game with 1 c2-c4!" It is difficult to
explain how amazed she was. I
showed her my game with Khasin.
She was staring at me blankly. "But
Elena doesn't have to play the
Queen's Indian. What if she re­
plies . . . " Understanding that it is
much easier to win a car in a lottery
than to guess your rival's opening
in this situation, I resorted to the
best argument: "You will have this
position on the board!" I don't
know if it was my firm conviction
which helped, or Maya's boundless
trust in me as a coach, but she be­
gan the game with the move c2-c4,
probably for the first time in her
life.
16 Queen's Indian Defence [E 1 8]
M.Chiburdanidze White
E.Akhmilovskaya Black
Tallinn, 1 977
1 c4 lLlf6 2 lt::lf3 b6 3 g3 SLb7 4
�g2 e6 5 0-0 SLe7 6 lt::l c3 0-0 7 d4
d5 8 cxd5 exd5 9 lt::le5 White has a
slight positional advantage. 9 h6?
.•.
Incredible! Our scheme has paid
off. Instead of the unsuccessful
9 . . . h6? Khasin continued with
9 ... c6. There followed 1 0 e4! lt::lbd7
1 1 exd5 (better 1 1 lt::lxc6 SLxc6 12
exd5 i.b7 1 3 d6 i.xg2 1 4 dxe7
'it'xe7 1 5 ..ttxg2±) 1 L.lt::lxe5 1 2
dxe5 lt::lxd5 1 3 lt::lxd5 cxd5 1 4 �e3
and White kept a small positional
plus. 10 SLf4 :e8 1 1 'it'b3 lt::lbd7 12
:rd 1 Maya isn't tempted by the
chance to win a pawn with 1 2 tt'lxd5
lt::lxd5 1 3 SLxd5 SLxd5 1 4 'ii'xd5
lt::lxe5 1 5 'it'xd8 :axd8 16 dxe5
SLf8= (or 1 6 ... SLc5=). 12 ... lt::lf8 13
e4 c6 14 :acl lt::le6 15 SLe3 lt::lf8 16
h4! a6 1 7 lt::l e2 b5 1 8 lt::lf4 'ii'd6
19 lt::lx c6! This combination has
been hanging over Black's head for
some time like the sword of Damo­
cles. 19 ... dxe4 20 d5 lt::l8d7 2 1 lt::la5
'it'b8 22 lt::l xb7 Maya resorts to a
technical method of realizing her
superiority: the advantage of two
bishops and a strong passed pawn in
the centre. These factors are espe­
cially strong in the endgame. Maya
carried out the endgame impeccably
and won.
Incidentally, the team of the
Transaucasian Military District, for
which I was playing, won silver
medals in the championship.

How far is it to immortality?
At an early age I realized that I
had inclinations to be a teacher, a
coach, a tutor. I was training the
Ukrainian women's team when still
in my teens. At the age of twenty I
completed, with honours, an
advanced trammg course for
coaches, where we were instructed
by Botvinnik, Rokhlin and other
famous teachers.
At the May festivities in Moscow
in 1 9 8 1 , the 1 5th USSR team cham­
pionship brought together
experienced warriors from Moscow,
the RSFSR, the Ukraine, Georgia,
Lithuania and other republics. Fans
who had come there could see Pet­
rosian, Tal, Spassky, Smyslov,
Bronstein, Gaprindashvili, and
Chiburdanidze. As chief coach of
the Georgian team, I was tom
between playing my own game and
watching the boards where my
friends and proteges were playing.
"How is Maya doing? Not bad. But
Georgadze is losing to Beliavsky."
Anxiety for my friends affected my
own game against Romanishin.
"I've got to win this game--oh well,
the position is to my taste. Next
round we're playing the team from
Belarus. That'll be a tough nut to
crack! " The situation before the last
round was that our team needed four
points to gain one of the top places.
On the eve of the decisive battle, I
hung up a wall poster which read:
"Genatsvale! (Georgian for 'my
dear ones ! ') Only four points sepa­
rate us from immortality!" The ap­
peal had a positive effect: the
Georgian team won bronze.
One of the peaks of my coaching
career was, I believe, the Lucerne
My Life in Chess 45
Olympiad in 1982. The Soviet
victory was brilliant: the men
outstripped the second prize winners
by 6Ih points and the women did so
by 3 points. The women were chess­
players from Tbilisi: Chiburdanidze,
Gaprindashvili, Alexandria and
Ioseliani. Seeing that our business
was prospering, I had time to spare
from my coaching work and took
upon myself the job of arranging a
gala dinner. The hall of the restau­
rant where our chessplayers were to
dine was very nicely decorated, the
table being set for 40 persons.
Russian music was to be played. I
selected the dishes in consultation
with the hotel manager. We settled
on meat dumplings (pelmeni), a
typical Russian dish. We unearthed
cookbooks on Russian cuisine and
chose the most traditional recipe.
But something we had not
bargained for happened: I tried to
explain in my broken English that
there should be a lot of dumplings,
but instead of "many" I said "big,"
and that was how I was understood.
Then came the majestic moment:
to the strains of a solemn march,
several cooks dressed in white with
tall caps brought out the main dish
of our feast: huge dumplings, each
the size of a plate. When the ear­
splitting laughter had faded away
and the misunderstanding was
cleared up, the new dish was
immediately christened "Gufeld
dumplings," and the manager of the
hotel promised to put it on
the restaurant menu.
I can't help adding a few words
about my "English," in which I can
fairly fluently speak and write-
46 My Life in Chess
"Gufeld English," as I refer to it
myself. One thing strikes me as re­
markable: my foreign fellow chess­
players whose mother tongue is not
English assert that when they hear
Englishmen speak English they
very often fail to understand them,
whereas when Gufeld speaks
"English" they can grasp everything
very well.
I could also tell you about some
of my short-term coaching assign­
ments. In the 1 984-5 Karpov­
Kasparov match I was working in
the press centre. It had been planned
that when the match was over, I
would go and do some coaching
with some talented juniors in a very
picturesque location in India. But
the match dragged on and I arrived
in India two weeks late. The Indians
were very pleased when I finally ar­
rived that morning, but one of the
mothers explained that she was
leaving in the evening with her son,
Viswanathan Anand, who was play­
ing in the Asian Junior Champion­
ships in Madras. Without unpack­
ing, I sat down at a board and
crammed in a few hours with him
before his flight. I always like to
joke: "A mere couple of hours with
me, and now look where he is! "
Max Euwe once wrote to the So­
viet ministry of sport asking if I
could work with a young talented
player from Holland, Jan Timman.
We gladly accepted him in Tbilisi,
and thanks to the generous hospital­
ity of the Georgian people and the
strong tournament that was then tak­
ing place, his stay was both enjoy­
able and productive. A handsome,
·blue-eyed youth with a huge heap of
curly hair, he was very popular in
Georgia. It was a pleasure to share
my chess knowledge with him.
In those days international chess
tournaments in Georgia were usu­
ally interspersed with "highly offi­
cial" banquets. I should like to
describe one of them. It is common
knowledge that Georgian hospitality
has its own peculiar rules. The toast­
master was proposing one toast after
another: to peace and friendship, to
chess, to parents and children, to
women (there is a long list of man­
datory toasts). From time to time the
toastmaster would delegate his role
to one of the guests. At first young
Timman demurred, but finally he
gave in and told me he would like to
uphold the Georgian custom. How­
ever, he wished to deliver his toast
in his native language--Dutch.
I informed the toastmaster of
Jan's desire. Interpreters for all
major languages-English, German,
French, Chinese, etc.-were pre­
sent, but, alas, nobody knew Dutch.
After a fruitless search for a Dutch­
speaking interpreter, the toastmaster
suddenly turned to me and asked if I
could be of any assistance. No prob­
lem, sir!
So Timman started speaking, and
. . . I was "translating." I was in top
form! As the reader may have
guessed, I had no idea what our
Dutch friend was saying. But what
would somebody say on such an
occasion? I was saying what I
would have said myself in our
guest's place. I interspersed his
speech (sorry, my speech) with kind
and good-natured jokes, anecdotes,
etc ...
When I finished the "interpreta­
tion" there was a storm of applause.
I recall that Jan asked me why
everybody had been laughing and
was was so cheerful, as he had been
saying some fairly serious things.

"They like you and they appreciate
your eloquence," I replied.
As an elected member of the
FIDE commission to assist develop­
ing countries, I conduct seminars
and lectures to raise the standard of
their chessplayers. Among other
places, I have visited the Philip­
pines, where for a while, at the re­
quest of Florencio Campomanes, I
According to the Grandmaster ...
A game recorded i n the arcane
symbols of chess notation is a par­
tially closed book even to the initi­
ated. Without a commentary to lay
bare the thoughts and intentions of
the players, their manoeuvres and
combinations, many things remain
incomprehensible. To annotate and
evaluate a game objectively is diffi­
cult if you don't have a certain stock
of experience, solid theoretical
knowledge, and, finally, some skills
as a writer.
As a commentator I try to com­
bine chess analysis with humour,
sometimes involving self-irony. I
strive to give the reader or listener a
sense of involvement in the events
taking place on the chessboard. But
I admit that at times I cannot resist
the temptation to play a practical
joke on lazy non-professionals.
At the World Championship
match in Merano ( 1 9 8 1), many
reporters were present who had no
knowledge of chess. Some of them
went out of their way to seek
sensation of any kind. I played a
joke on one such bothersome
reporter.
My Life in Chess 47
coached a selected national team.
My charges were very well in­
formed about the chess events in
our country and were well ac­
quainted with our chess literature.
They would no sooner glimpse a
good-looking lady on the streets of
Manila than they would turn to me
with a smile: "Eduard, here comes
Belochka! "
I said, "You can take this down:
in Grandmaster Gufeld's view,
White has an extra pawn in the ad­
journed position." The next day this
"opinion" appeared in the local
newspaper without alteration.
Sometimes my jokes are published
without the wish of their author.
One article on the 1 969 USSR
championship noted how GM Tuk­
makov, who was playing an ad­
journed game, transferred his king
first to the kingside, then to the
queenside, and after that to the cen­
tre. A reporter wrote, "Here came
Gufeld and casually remarked, 'If
this king is not stopped it will take a
walk among the audience.'"
Once spectators witnessed a curi­
ous episode. It occurred on a clear
September day at the 1 982 Moscow
Interzonal. Those who came into the
conference hall of the "Sport" ·hotel
td watch the adjournment session
greatly enjoyed the endgame be­
tween Rodriguez and Van der Wiel.
In the first half of the game the Fili­
pino master had brilliantly sacri­
ficed two pieces to force his c-pawn
through to queen.
48 My Life in Chess
1 7 R.Rodriguez White
J. van der Wiel Black
Moscow, 1982
35 tt:lxd7 l:lxd7 36 c6 l:lxd6 37 c7
tt:ld7 38 c8='1W+ tt:lf8 39 '1Wa8 l:ld2
40 'ii'xa5 l:lxe2+ 41 'it>gl b4 42
'1Wxb4 l:lxa2 43 '1ir'd4 The game was
adjourned in this position. Excite­
ment ran high among the spectators.
43 l:la5 44 b4 l:ld5 45 '1Wc4 g6 46
..•
b5 tt:ld7 47 '1Wc8+ 'it>g7 48 f4 h5 49
'1Wc7 l:lxb5 50 '1Wxd7 "This is fantas­
tic," I couldn't help exclaiming, see­
ing the position on the huge demo
board. "It's the exact position from
game two of the semi-final match
between Chiburdanidze and Akhmi­
lovskaya! White wins by sacrific­
ing . . . " I didn't finish the sentence
but turned to GM Najdorf who was
standing by: "Miguel, do you want
me to show how White wins?"
"Please do," smiled Najdorf, who
speaks perfect Russian. "Should I
do it for free?" I teased him. "How
much?" replied the Argentianian,
pretending he was about to take out
his wallet. "I was just kidding," I
replied. "Me too," said Najdorf and
we both burst out laughing. After­
wards, in the press centre, I demon­
strated a most interesting variation
in which Black's fortress is de­
stroyed by a queen sacrifice and
White goes on to win the pawn
ending. It happens that the ad­
journed position from the game
Chiburdanidze-Akhmilovskaya and
the endgame of this duel were as
like as twins.
1 8 M.Chiburdanidze White
E.Akhmilovskaya Black
Tallinn, 1977
The diagram position is most in­
teresting. How would the game end
if Black tried to construct a fortress?
Thus: 43 ...l:ld5 44 h3 'it>g8 45 'it>e4
'it>g7 46 g4, and now:
(a) Black exchanges pawns with
46 . . . hxg4 47 hxg4. Now White
threatens to transpose into a winning
pawn ending, for example: 47 ...'it>g8
48 'ifxd5 ! ! exd5 (after 48 ... f5+
White wins by 49 'it>e5 ! exd5 50 g5)
49 'it>xd5 'it>f8 50 'it>d6 'it>e8 5 1 f5 !
g5 52 'it>c7 'it>e7 53 'it>c8 ! . Nor does
49 ... 'it>h7 save the game: 50 'it>d6
'it>g7 5 1 'it>d7 'it>h7 52 'it>d8 'it>h8 53
f5 ! or 5 1 . .. 'it>f6 52 'it>d8 ! 'it>e6 53
'it>e8 'it>f6 54 g5+ 'it>e6 55 'it>g7 and
White wins.
If Black refrains from exchanging
on g4, it is more difficult for White
to win. But in any case there is only
one way to achieve the aim.
(b) 46 ... 'it>g8 47 '1Wxd5 ! exd5+ 48
'it>xd5 'it>f8 49 gxh5 gxh5 50 'it>e5
'it>g7 5 1 'it>f5 (but not 5 1 h4? 'it>g6
ending in a draw) 5 l ...h4 52 'it>g5

f6+ 53 'iiti>h5 ! (53 'iiti>xh4 would be a
mistake, because after 53 ...'iiti>g6 54
'iiti>g4 f5+ a drawn endgame would
result) 53 ...'iiti>h7 54 f5 and White
wins.
It is clear, then, that White can
sacrifice his queen on d5 and go intoi
a winning pawn endgame because of
the remote location of the black
king. So maybe Black should try to
bring his king nearer to the centre?
(c) 46 ... hxg4 47 hxg4 'iiti> f8 (now
the pawn endgame promises noth­
ing, for instance: 48 'ifd5 exd5+ 49
'iiti>xd5 'iiti>e 7; but there is another
plan) 48 'ifa4 ! playing for
zugzwang! Let us examine the pos­
sible replies:
(cl ) 48 ... 'iiti>g7 49 'ifa l + 'iiti>h7
(49 . . . 'iiti>g 8 as we know is no good,
because of 50 'ifa8+ 'iiti>g7 5 1 'ii'xd5
winning) 50 'ii'a 8! Now White either
takes on d5 or plays 5 1 'iff8 ruining
Black's stronghold and achieving
success quickly.
(c2) 48 ...<it>e7 49 'ii'a3+ 'iiti>e 8
(49 ... 'iiti>f6 50 �f8! ) 50 'i!fb4! l:td7 5 1
'iiti>e5 and the king's march to f6
quickly does the trick.
(c3) 48 ...l:td2 49 'ifa8+ 'iiti> g7 50
'iWa 1 + 'iiti>g 8 5 1 'iiti>e 5! 'iiti>g7 52 f5 !
exf5 53 gxf5 gxf5 54 'iiti>xf5+ 'iiti>g 8
55 'ir'g l + 'iiti>f8 56 'ii'c 5+ 'iiti>g8 57 'iiti>f6
and White wins.
In analysing this endgame, one
should constantly keep in mind
Why I did not eat my hat
Writing in Inside Chess magazine
( 1996), Y asser Seirawan congratu­
lated Zsuzsa Polgar on winning the
Women's World Championship,
and recalled that I did not keep my
promise to eat my hat if the Soviet
women's team failed to win gold in
My Life in Chess 49
those positions in which the queen
fails to win against rook and pawn.
For instance, if in the last variation
Black placed his rook on e6 with his
pawn on f7 a drawn position would
arise.
43 ...g5
This is what Akhmilovskaya
played. It lets Maya use the g-pawn
as a battering ram against the black
stronghold:
44 fxg5 l:txg5 45 h3 'iiti>h7 46 'iiti>e4
l:td5 47 'ifb8 'iiti> g7 48 'ii'b2+ 'iiti>h7 49
'ir'hl 'ilti>g7 50 �al+ 'iiti>g6 51 'i'i'h8
l:tg5 52 'i'i'g8+ 'iiti>f6 53 'i'i'd8+ Wg6
54 'ilff8 l:tf5 55 g4! hxg4 56 hxg4
l:td5 57 'i'i'g8+ 'iiti>f6 58 'i'i'h8+ 'iiti>g6
59 'iiti>f4 l:tc5 60 'i'i'g8+ 'iiti>f6 61 g5+
'iiti>e7 62 g6! l:tf5+ 63 'iiti>e4 fxg6 64
'ir'xg6 1-0
The position with the pawn on the
sixth rank has arisen. There is no
fortress. Black resigned.
Incidentally, at the Moscow Inter­
zonal I was inseparable from the
73-year-old Najdorf, who came to
the tournament as a second for
Quinteros and as a reporter for an
Argentinian newspaper. The pen­
chant for irony and repartee, and
game commentaries in which we
spare no effort to seek the truth, are
common to us both. But if anyone
calls me a "Russian Najdorf," they
are mistaken; rather Miguel is an
"Argentinian Gufeld."
the 1 988 Olympiad. The following
is an extract from my reply.
"My dear friend Yasser, I do re­
member this promise. However, to
fully understand my reason for not
eating my hat, a bit of historical
perspective is in order ...
50 My Life in Chess
In 1 988, for the first time ever,
three sisters from one family played
in the same chess team. Now of
course, there is no question that the
Polgars are very, very strong, but at
that time I believed the Soviet team
was the best. As one of their
coaches, I believed that our team
would win the Olympiad and that if
they didn't I would eat my hat. Be­
fore the last rounds, they had a com­
manding lead. The real leader of the
Soviet team at that moment was
Elena Akhmilovskaya with an ex­
cellent result: eight and a half points
out of nine.
As was traditional at Olympiads,
about three or four rounds from the
end, the Soviet and American teams
had a party. The Soviets brought the
caviar and vodka while the Ameri­
cans took care of the rest. I had no
idea of the hidden meaning of that
particular party, as it also served as
an engagement or a wedding party
for Elena and the captain of the
American team!
Everything became clear the fol­
lowing morning. Elena departed
from Thessaloniki having left a
touching note in which she in­
formed us that she had literally
'jumped into marriage. ' She asked
the team management to replace her
in the Soviet team for the next
round and ... for the rest of her life!
Everything had been done in se­
cret in the best Georgian tradition.
In Georgia a man steals a virgin,
puts her on a horse and takes her to
the mountains. In the 1 988 version a
man steals the bride, puts her on a
large plane and flies her to another
country!
I wonder why all of this happened
three rounds before the end of the
tournament. Possibly the newlyweds
didn't want to start their honeymoon
in a dangerous zone of the Balkan
peninsula, or they were concerned
that the Soviets would send a sub­
marine to the Mediterranean Sea to
steal back their near-Gold Medallist.
In any event, they headed for
Germany.
Of course, as coach I was awfully
upset to have lost my best player.
The rest of the girls became nervous
after Elena's departure and went to
pieces. Yes, we lost the Olympiad
gold medals. Quite naturally, as a
hapless alchemist who had received
silver out of pure gold, I completely
lost my appetite. That, my dear
friend Yasser, is why I didn't eat my
hat.
These events happened at a time
when Russia was undergoing much
change. Even in the light of such
matters, we did not lose our sense of
humour. So, after some discussion, I
suggested that we must counter­
attack. I shall now reveal for the
first time the counterstroke that I
suggested.
Since America had ' stolen' Elena
from the Soviet women's team, we
had to counterattack by 'kidnap­
ping' someone from the American
men's team. My idea was to steal
you, Yasser, and have you marry
our Maya Chiburdanidze!
I recall that a year before the inci­
dent Maya and I visited Seattle at
the invitation of the Goodwill
Games Organizing Committee. You
paid us much attention. And I wit­
nessed mutual sympathy and 'intel­
lectual exercises' (speed chess) that
occupied you and Maya till the wee
hours of each morning. Since I was
the chief delegate of our team I had
to stay close to Maya and act as the
' arbiter' in your blitz matches. Little
did you realize you were in such
happy danger!

However, the problem was that
my counterattack scheme might
have worked in reverse-and our
team might then have been reduced
by two members!
\ Polgar family."
A barber of Seville
Seville, autumn 1 987 . . . Spain
lives and breathes chess. Everyone
is interested in the exciting World
Championship duel Kasparov­
Karpov, the fourth battle between
the two K's in as many years.
I attended the match as correspon­
dent for Sovietsky Sport. My story
of Belochka (see "From the Ukraine
with Love") was published in El
Pais, one of the most popular Span­
ish newspapers, and I had to sign
several hundred autographs on cop­
ies of the paper for the benefit of
chess amateurs. I recall numerous
personal encounters, including one
with ... a real barber of Seville.
Quite by chance, in the Lope de
Vega theatre where the champion­
ship was held, I met a certain Luis
Joaquin who was most eager to be
interviewed by a Russian journalist.
He assured me that he respected my
country and had been following the
developments there with interest.
He told me his story. He had been
a Republican Army officer in the
Civil War. After his army's defeat
he had changed his career and be­
come ... a barber.
Joaquin started his own small
business. His barber's shop soon be­
came well known-and not only for
the prompt and good service. It
turned into a real chess club. Chess
was Joaquin's passion. In the old
days he was Champion of Seville
My Life in Chess 51
I hope my story will help people
to understand why I did not eat my
hat, and I wish to extend my con­
gratulations to Zsuzsa Polgar for her
recent achievement and to the whole
and a member of his country's chess
federation. He even participated in
the Spanish Championship. Small
wonder, then, that his clientele in­
cluded an increasing number of lov­
ers of the ancient game. They
derived genuine pleasure from dis­
cussing chess issues with the pro­
prietor. He gave them expert advice
and played blindfold games.
It happened that the zenith of the
shop's popularity coincided with the
golden age of Soviet chess. Sharp­
witted Andalusians immediately
nicknamed their barber in the
Russian way-Hoakinov. "You can
imagine," Joaquin said with an air
of importance, "how much respect I
got from having a Russian
nickname."
I became close friends with
Joaquin. I presented him with al­
most the whole collection of badges
and souvenirs that I had brought
from Tbilisi. He immediately pinned
them all on the lapels of his fancy
jacket. So if you happen to come to
Seville and see an individual cov­
ered from head to foot in Georgian
chess badges, you may be sure that
this is none other than my friend
Joaquin/Hoakinov.
I decided to write a scenario for
Spanish television: a visit to a bar­
ber of Seville who is fond of play­
ing chess. Moreover, I wrote it in
the natural expectation that Luis
52 My Life in Chess
would participate. The TV crew,
however, had a different opinion,
though I found this out only when
we arrived at the shooting site. But
the actor chosen by the director
suited the part. He was on the short
side, balding, and certainly of an ex­
pansive nature.
There was no need to make me up
for the role: my hair hadn't seen a
barber's scissors for a long time.
The sketch was shot and later shown
on Spanish television. What did the
viewers see?
A small salon called "Barbero de
Sevilla." A short, pleasant man wel­
comes me in and asks how he can
help me. I explain. He seats me in a
chair and begins his job. In due
course I turn my head and notice a
chessboard with the pieces set up in
the starting position. I know full
well that thanks to the Kasparov­
Karpov match, chess is all the rage
here. Still, I cannot hide my
surprise.
"Sefior, are you a chessplayer?"
"Yes," comes the proud answer.
"What about you?"
I introduce myself, and the de­
lighted barber suggests we play a
game. "With pleasure," I reply, "But
maybe you'll finish my haircut
first."
"Why," the barber condescend­
ingly smiles at the naivete of the
Soviet Grandmaster, who is ignorant
in business matters and doesn't
realize that time is money. "I can
cut your hair and play simultan­
eously."
"Well, OK," I am forced to agree,
"Only please be careful."
The game begins. The barber goes
on with his work. One can hear the
famous aria from the Barber of
Seville. Indeed the situation is quite
similar: Figaro here, Figaro there.
The tempo of the music, and, to my
horror, the speed of the work be­
come faster and faster. The barber
finishes the haircut and is going to
shave me. He steps aside, takes out
the traditional strop and meaning­
fully sharpens the razor. I have a
spare moment and glimpse at the
board. I look closely, and say to the
barber in a tone of surprise: "Sefior,
you are in check, and next move
you'll be checkmated ... "
"What?! " In a flash his razor is
under my chin. "What did you say?"
The barber's eyes are full of desper­
ate determination. I realize I have
committed an incorrigible mistake.
My whole life passes before my
eyes. I try my last chance: "Sefior, I
offer a draw." The barber breaks
into a smile.
They tell me that the whole of
Spain was watching the videofilm
and was heartily laughing. The main
character of the film was also laugh­
ing, having received a substantial
reward. The script-writer was laugh­
ing at himself too, being content
with moral satisfaction and a free
haircut done by a barber of Seville.
 Part Two: Higher Chess
Education
Who is faster?
This game was played when I was
a modest debutant and admirer of
famous chessplayers. One of them
was Mikhail Tal, who had won the
Soviet Championship twice and fin­
ished first in the Portoroz Interzonal
Tournament. Though Tal was my
age, even at that time he was far
ahead of me in chess development
and erudition, and it was with mixed
feelings of astonishment and delight
that I witnessed his fantastic leap to
fame. During the game I felt a crea­
tive excitement and inspiration.
Playing against a chess genius, you
always get a charge of creative
energy, trying to be a worthy
opponent-no, not an opponent but
a partner-in creating a chess
masterpiece. You put more, much
more fantasy and imagination into
such games than into ordinary chess
games!
1 9 Ruy Lopez [C77]
E.Gufeld White
M.Tal Black
26th USSR Championship,
Tbilisi 1 959
1 e4 e5 2 ltJf3 lLlc6 3 ..i.b5 a6 4
..i.a4 lLlf6 5 ..i.xc6
Perhaps Tal hadn't expected this
as he was looking at the board with
dissatisfaction before making his
next move.
5 dxc6 6 d3
..•
Spassky commented: "Taking into
account the attacking style of the
Soviet champion, the simplifying 5
..i.xc6 leads to a quiet game where
Black can't display activity." The
Exchange Variation was often prac­
tised by young Ukrainian chess
players who wanted to get away
from the "book" and avoid the
beaten track. Yet this was done with
a view to getting a double-edged
game, castling queenside-not a
quiet game castling kingside! I
wanted to reduce to a minimum one
of Tal's advantages, a better knowl­
edge of opening theory.
6 lLld7 7 lLlbd2 ..i.e7 8 ltJc4 ..i.f6
...
In my annotations I wrote that if
8 ... f6 then 9 lLlh4 0-0 10 f4 exf4 1 1
..i.xf4 g5? 1 2 lLlf5 gxf4 1 3 'ii'g4+
<j)fl 1 4 'ii'h5+ <l;g8 1 5 'ii'g4+ with a
perpetual. Of course, White should
prefer 14 lLlh6+! with mate in two.
It is better to correct one's mistakes
late than never. Certainly Black can
avoid this variation (for instance, by
not playing 1 1 ... g5) .
9 'ii'e2
White could have obtained a quiet
game by 9 d4 exd4 10 e5 ..i.e7 1 1
54 Higher Chess Education
'iVxd4 but then why did I "sac" my
king's bishop?
9 ... c5 10 i..d2 0-0 1 1 g4!
Shall we begin?
l l ..b5
. 2 1 ...'ii'xf6
The challenge is accepted. The
centre is immobile, the flanks go
into perpetual motion.
1 2 llle3 g6
Here Tal became, I believe, over­
confident. It looks as if he wanted to
say "I am not afraid of my oppon­
ent's threats." Passive but safer was
12 . . .I;!e8 13 g5 i.. e7 14 lllg4 i.. f8
providing no targets for a pawn
attack. At that time, however, Tal
despised such defensive formations
and instead played for open combat.
13 h4 lllb8 14 0-0-0 lllc6 15
l:tdg1 i.. e6?
I think this is a decisive mistake.
Black is under the illusion that by
attacking a2 he wins a tempo, but on
the contrary he loses one!
16 �b1 lllb4
Suddenly it turns out that after
1 6 . . . llld4 1 7 lllxd4 cxd4 1 8 lllf5 !
(this strike is now possible because
the bishop is on e6) 1 8 . ..�h8 1 9
lllh6 White gets a strong attack. If
Black had played 1 5 . . .lt:Jd4 ! this
variation would not have worked.
Now Black has to abandon the idea
of placing his knight on d4.
17 i.. xb4 cxb4 18 g5 i.. g7 19
lllg4 f5
In a difficult situation Tal
characteristically sharpens the
game! Many times this helped him
to outplay his opponents in
breathtakingly double-edged
situations. Now Black's king
becomes exposed but Tal gets an
open file for his heavy pieces. This
is what Tal's trainer, Alex Koblentz,
said: "If Misha has just one open
file, he will checkmate you!"
20 gxf6 i.xg4 2 1 I;lxg4
The first tactical hurdle; the
seductive 2 1 fxg7 is refuted by
2 l ...I;lf4!
Here I somewhat lost confidence.
I didn't know how to keep up the
initiative. Had I made some
mistake?
After 22 I;!g3 i.. h6! 23 h5 i..f4 24
I;!g2 g5 ! 25 h6 �h8, White is dead­
locked. But with 22 I;!h3 ! he can
open up the h-file.
22 I;!h3! a5 23 hS
The harmony of the pieces pro­
duces an aesthetic impression even
without sacrifices. It was difficult to
find the plan to frustrate Black's
counterplay on the kingside.
23...I;!a6 24 hxg6 hxg6 25 I;!g2 !
This is the right plan! Everything
seems simple: one rook protects the
knight, the other supports the weak
pawn and releases the knight for a
decisive attack. But not so fast!
Black's resources are not yet
exhausted.
25...b3!
On 25 ...'iVf4 26 lllg5 I;laf6 27 £3 !
White puts the finishing touch to the
harmony of his pieces-they are all
simultaneously attacking and de­
fending! Therefore Tal abandons his
king and sets his queenside on fire.

26 axb3
Now Black opens up the a-file but
I decided that my attack was faster.
The alternative was 26 cxb3 l:t.c6,
giving Black counterchances based
on 27 . . .'ti'f4.
26 a4 27 lbh4 axb3!
•.•
27 ... g5 or 27 .. .'iJ/f7 could be met
by 28 l::tf3 ! .
2 8 l:t.xg6! l:t.fa8!
The climax of the struggle: White
is threatened with mate. Someone in
the playing hall even suspected that
Tal had outwitted his next "cus­
tomer." They said, "Gufeld had only
counted on 28 .. .'ii'xf2 29 l:t.xg7+!
but he just didn't see this."
29 cxb3! 'illf7
30 l:t.xg7+ !
Against Tal in Tal's style!
30 'itxg7 3 1 lbf5+
..•
This knight is stronger than both
ofBlack's rooks.
3 1 . ..'itg8 32 'i!Vg4+ l:t.g6 33 lbe7+!
'itg7
33 ...'iJixe7 34 'illxg6+ 'iJig7 35
'iJie6+ 'illf7 36 'ti'xe5! 'ii'g7 3 7 'iVd5+
+-
34 lbxg6 'illxb3 35 lbxe5+ 'itf6
36 'ii'g6+! 'itxe5
Making him take off the trouble­
some knight at last.
37 d4+! 1-0
Higher Chess Education 55
20 Sicilian Defence [B70]
M.Tal White
1 E.Gufeld Black
Latvia-Georgia, Yurmala, 1 977
1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lbxd4 lbf6 5 lbc3 g6 6 �e2 .ltg7 7
0-0 lbc6 8 lbb3 0-0 9 �g5 a6
Another plan is connected with
9 ...�e6.
10 f4
Also possible was 10 a4 prevent­
ing the development of Black's
counterplay on the queenside.
10 b5 1 1 .i.f3 �b7 12 'ith1 ? !
•..
Better 1 2 lbd5.
12 lbd7 13 'ii'e 1 a5! ?
.••
White was threatening, after 14
l:t.d 1, to carry out the advance e4-e5
with a serious initiative. In the event
of 1 3 ...b4 14 lbd5 �xb2 1 5 l:t.dl
.i.g7 16 e5 Black's position be­
comes precarious. That is why he
first curbs White's activity by sacri­
ficing a pawn.
14 lbxb5 a4 15 lbd2 h6 16 �h4
Keeps the white queen from h4.
1 6 lbc5!
.•.
If 1 6 ... �xb2 1 7 l:t.b 1 a3 1 8
lbxa3 ! ; or 1 6 ...lbb4 1 7 'ii'h 1 ! .
1 7 lbc4 �a6 1 8 lbba3 lbd4! 19
l:t.f2 l:t.c8?
A pure, positional "Sicilian"
move, and yet everything was ready
for decisive action. 19 ... lbb5 ! ?
seems good; alternatively 19 ... d5 ! ?
2 0 exd5 lbxf3 2 1 gxf3 'ii'xd5 22
lbb6 'ii'h 5; but perhaps most con­
vincing was the line that Black
chooses a little late: 1 9 ...lbxf3 ! 20
gxf3 f5 ! 2 1 exf5 g5 ! 22 fxg5 hxg5
23 �xg5 l:t.xf5 with promising
counterplay.
20 l:t.d1 tt:Jxf3 21 gxf3 'ii'c7
The inaccuracy on move 1 8 costs
Black two tempi (22 lbxd6 was the
threat).
56 Higher Chess Education
22 b3 f5! ? 23 exf5 g5 24 fxg5
hx g? 25 .i.xg5 l::txf5 26 'i!ixe7 d5!
27 tt:ld6
After 27 liJe3 'i!ixe7 28 .i.xe7
liJe4 Black has reasonable
counterp lay.
27 ...Wixe7 28 .i.xe7 liJe4 29 fxe4!
A cold shower! The line 29 lbxe4
dxe4 was dangerous for White.
29 ... l::txf2 30 liJxc8 .i.xc8 3 1 exd5
axb3 32 axb3
In the time-trouble shoot-out
Black loses all his infantry.
32 ....i.h3 33 .i.c5 l::te2
Of course, Black's initiative is not
worth four pawns.
34 l::td3?
Unlikely though it may seem, it
turns out that this inaccuracy blocks
the way to victory. After 34 liJc4
l::txc2 35 d6 .i.d7 36 .i.d4 .i.c6+ 37
�g 1 White should win.
A rare king march
21 King's Indian Defence [E86]
D.Bronstein White
E.Gufeld Black
28th USSR Championship,
Moscow, 1 96 1
This was my second appearance
in the USSR championship. The
game was played in round 3, after I
34 ...l::te l + 35 .i.gl .i.f5 36 l::te3
l::ta l 37 liJc4 �d4 38 l::tg3+ <li>h7 39
h4 l::tc l 40 liJd2
Not 40 <li>h2? .i.e4 ! .
40....i.xc2 41 d 6 ltdl ! 42 liJc4
.i.f2 43 l::tg4
After 43 l::tg2 .i.e4 44 <li>h2 .i.xg2
45 .i.xf2 .i.d5 the position would
have been close to equal.
43 ....i.xb3 44 liJb2 .i.d5+ 45 <it>h2
i..x gl + 46 l::tx gl l::td 2+
Here both of us shrugged our
shoulders, but we each meant some­
thing different.
47 <it>g3 l::tx b2??
How could I have made this slip?
I don't know. After 47 ... .i.b3 or
47 ... .i.e6, a drawn position would
have arisen.
48 d7 l::tb8 49 l::td l l::tg8+ 50 <it>f4
.i.e6 51 d8='ili l:hd8 52 l::txd8 1-0
The game was adjourned but not
resumed. Tal was in a hurry to get
to the international tournament in
Leningrad and the victory was
awarded to White according to the
analysis later published in Aver­
bakh' s book Chess Endings. Having
enriched my collection of absurdly
lost games with another curious
item, I stayed behind in Yurmala to
heal my chess wounds.
had drawn with Boleslavsky and
Averbakh.
1 d4 liJf6 2 c4 g6 3 liJc3 .i.g7 4
e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 6 .i.e3 e5 7 liJge2
Nobody is surprised by this move
today, but 7 d5 was more popular in
those years. Bronstein, however, has
always had his own opinions, often
perfectly well founded, about all of
 Higher Chess Education 57

the openings. Still, since he had possibilities a s 1 2 g 5. If Black were

played the text move before, I was forced to move his knight, the in­
in some measure prepared for it, at v�ding 1 3 ti:Jd5 would turn out to be
least psychologically. unpleasant for him. But I duly no­
7...c6 8 'ifc2 ticed the artful counterblow 1 2 ...d4!
Here I confess I was rather ex­ 13 gxf6 ti:Jxf6 and Black has noth­
pecting the natural 8 'ifd2, which ing to complain about.
Bronstein had played recently 12 cxdS bS 13 ti:Jg3 tt:Jcs
against Zakharov in the USSR team
championship. Zakharov reacted too
sharply with 8 ... exd4 9 ti:Jxd4 d5?,
which backfired after 10 cxd5 cxd5
1 1 e5 ti:Je8 1 2 f4 f6 1 3 .i.b5 ! .
.8 ..ti:Jbd7 9 0-0-0 'ii'e 7!
One of my "patents" in the King's
Indian Defence. I arrived at the con­
clusion long ago that the queen, in
many variations, is placed most ef­
fectively on this very square. In par­
ticular if the opponent opens up the
h-file, the h-pawn is defended so
that the exchange of the Gufeld 14 b4!
bishop and the expulsion of the Only thus can White stem his op­
knight from f6 are not dangerous for ponent's mounting queenside initia­
Black. There is also a more obvious tive, which might turn out to be
idea: the queen removes itself from dangerous after 14 h4 .i.d7 1 5 �b 1
the watchful eye of the rook on d 1 . l:lfc8 1 6 'iiid2 .l:tab8. Black is now
Finally, in chess strategy there exists presented with a difficult problem.
the problem of flexibility. Where The natural retreat of the knight to
will the queen feel most at ease? On d7 doesn't appeal to me; the knight
aS, of course, some attacking player takes the square from the bishop and
will say, but let us see: 9 ...'iVa5 1 0 can't be quickly transferred to b6. It
�b 1 a 6 1 1 ti:Jc 1 b5 1 2 ti:Jb3 ! and the is true that White has seriously
queen must return with nothing to weakened the shelter of his king,
show for its pains. but that is merely a general consid­
10 g4 a6 eration. In concrete terms, while
White now has reason to continue Black is regrouping for an attack,
his advance with 1 1 h4, but Bron­ White will succeed not only in con­
stein takes a different decision. solidating but also in seizing the c­
1 1 dS file for himself. Nonetheless, it is
The closing of the centre would hard to accept White's operations as
look more convincing with the entirely well-founded, whereas
queen on d2. In the present case the Black has played logically up till
opening of the c-file provides Black now. Why should the advantage
with additional chances. turn out to be White's?
l l ...cxdS! 14 ...ti:Ja4!
In calculating this move, it was The right answer to all the prob­
important not to overlook such lems. Black is obliged to sacrifice a
58 Higher Chess Education

pawn if he wants to prove his strat­ 'it>a1 would be safer, but psychologi­
egy correct. This is a typical posi­ cally White's move was justified: I
tional sacrifice, of which the was confused by it. I recalled the
consequences do not lend them­ expression "David the cunning! "
selves to precise calculation. This affectionate nickname was
15 tbxa4 bxa4 1 6 gS tbe8 17 h4 popular in the years when Bronstein
Bronstein declines the sacrifice,radiated paradoxical and surprising
though probably without reason. Of ideas in literally every game. There­
course Black would have compensa­ fore in considering my plan for fur­
tion in the form of free development ther operations, I decided to use the
and targets on the queenside, so thatwell-known device called a "sham
White would have to neglect his repetition of moves." This ploy
own kingside play. At the moment (which is quite legitimate) consists
Black cannot expect to obtain more in forcing a twofold repetition and
than that, seeing that White' s inac­ then deviating the third time round
curacies have been relatively slight. and continuing with active opera­
But by declining the sacrifice, tions. What is the purpose of this
White is faced with the same prob­ stratagem? Normally it is employed
lems, only with material equality in time trouble, in order to gain time
instead. and to get nearer to the control, but
17 ... i.d7 18 'it>b2 l:t.c8 19 'i!Vd2
in this case we were not in time
Why not 1 9 'ii'h 2? Indeed, the trouble. In fact Bronstein was theo­
threat would be h4-h5 with pressure retically closer to it than I was. But
on h7. But this threat is imaginary; Ithe first aim of my sham repetition
have already explained the ideas be­ was precisely to make Bronstein
hind the 'i!Ve7 move, and here is an think longer. For there was some­
illustration: 1 9 ... tbc7 20 h5 i.h8 ! 2 1
thing for him to think about. Bron­
hxg6 fxg6 and the h7-pawn i s de­ stein used to complain that young
fended. Therefore the white queen masters·playing grandmasters would
does better to stick closer to its own
often take any opportunity to stop
king. the struggle and "snatch" a half­
19 tbc7 20 hS l:t.b8 21 'it>a3!
•.. point, sometimes even in better po­
sitions. Perhaps he would now form
the impression that my intention
was to shirk a continuation of the
struggle. The second aim was to dis­
tract my opponent somewhat; pon­
dering abstract themes during the
game (as was his habit) and lament­
ing the "cowardliness" of the young
master, he might lose his concentra­
tion entirely. Then my decision to
bypass the draw would turn out to
be a good psychological coup.
2 l ...i.b5 22 i.h3 i.d7 23 ii.fl
Bronstein puts his king in an Bravo! The trick works beyond
original position, giving the game expectation. Bronstein spent about
an unusual character. Of course 2 1 twenty minutes on these obvious

replies, and this expenditure of valu­
able time was to make itself felt
later on. Playing my next move with
emphatic resolve, I could tell from
the changed expression on my op­
ponent's face that my arrow had
found its target.
23 l:tb7
.••
Best was 23 ... ltJb5+ 24 .txb5
l:txb5 with a subsequent ... l:tf8-b8. I
thought it didn't matter how I dou­
bled rooks on the b-file. The way I
did it turned out to be wrong; it
would have been useful to exchange
the knight off in the process.
24 l:tcl l:ttb8
Consistent, but underestimating
the "insidiousness" of my opponent.
It was still not too late to play
24 . . .ltJb5+, albeit with loss of
tempo.
25 l:txc7!
This is what the grandmaster had
prepared! The exchange sacrifice
allows White to parry the immediate
threats and obtain counterchances.
The struggle flares up again and
intensifies as time trouble
approaches.
25 ...l:txc7 26 .txa6
The king is now well placed on a3
and Black is deprived of the major
resource ...a6-a5. In such situations
it is important to be able to readjust
and draw up fresh battle lines.
Black's task is now to parry White's
temporary threats and gradually re­
alize his material advantage.
26 ...'ife8 27 hxg6 hxg6 28 l:tcl
l:txcl 29 'i!Vxcl .ltb5 30 .ltxb5
'ilfxb5 31 .td2 .tf8 32 'ifc6 'i!fd3+
33 'i!fc3 'i!fa6 34 'i!fc6 'i!fa7
The problem is complicated by
the circumstance that Black has to
avoid the exchange of queens, for
then the a4-pawn would perish. It
may fall anyway, but with queens
on the board the price will be the
Higher Chess Education 59
exposure of White's king. The battle
gets tougher move by move.
35 lDe2!
/ The knight hastens towards the
a4-pawn for the sake of which
White is prepared to give up his
£3-pawn.
35 ...'i!ff2 36 'i!fc4! 'i!Vxf3+
The culminating moment. I ex­
pected the logical 37 ltJc3, to which
I had intended the reply 37 .. .'ifh3
followed by 38 ...l:tc8. White takes
the a4-pawn but has to repulse the
tactical threats. However, Bronstein
is not attracted by this prospect; he
prefers to take the pawn straight­
away. You can imagine how this
pawn must have bothered him and
how long he must have dreamed of
removing it, since he now can't
resist destroying it at the first
opportunity.
37 �xa4?! l:ta8+ 38 �b5
38...'iff2 ! !
Bronstein has underestimated this
modest one-square transfer of the
queen. This recalls a well-known
chess anecdote from a hundred
years ago. A certain lady who hap­
pened to be watching a chess tour­
nament saw a master play a similar
single-square queen move after a
half hour meditation. She ex­
claimed: "Such a short move after
such a long think! " Unlike the
60 Higher Chess Education
master in that tale, I hardly thought
at all about my move. There was no
time.
39 a4 .l:tb8+ 40 <;;tc6 'iVb6+ 41
�d7
Doomed.
41. .l:td8 mate.
.•
You don't often get the chance to
deliver mate on the board against a
famous GM in a serious tournament
game. During the championship this
game was published in lzvestia, un­
der the same heading as in this
book.
22 Ruy Lopez [C79]
E.Gufeld White
D.Bronstein Black
3 1 st USSR Ch, Leningrad 1 963
1 e4 e5 2 l2Jf3 lLlc6 3 i.b5 a6 4
i.a4 d6 5 0-0 lLlf6 6 .l:te1 i.g4
Better 6 ...b5 7 i.b3 i.e7 (or
7 ...l2Ja5).
7 c3 l2Jd7 8 d4
Black was hoping for the modest
8 d3 lLlc5 9 i.c2 lLle6 with comfort­
able play.
8 ... i.. e7 9 h3 i.xf3 10 'ii'xf3 i.g5
Or 10 ... exd4 1 1 i.xc6 bxc6 1 2
cxd4 ±.
1 1 lLla3 i.xcl 12 .l:taxcl 0-0 13
.l:tcd1 'ir'e7 14 lLlc2
White has a strong pawn centre
and his knight is heading for f5 or
d5, but Black has no obvious
weaknesses.
14 ...b5 15 i.b3 lLla5
Black decides to exchange off the
bishop which might cause problems
for him in the future. At the same
time, doubled pawns appear in
White's camp. But a6 now becomes
the weak point in Black's position.
16 lLle3 lLlxb3 17 axb3 'ii'e6
1 7 ... c6 would be met by 1 8 'ii'g3
.l:tfd8 19 lLlf5 'ii'f6 20 .l:td2 (intend-
ing .l:te1 -d 1 ) 20. . .d5 2 1 dxe5 lLlxe5
22 exd5 'ii'xf5 23 'ii'xe5±.
1 8 lLld5 .l:tac8 19 dxe5!
White first planned 1 9 'iVf5, but
realized in time that after 19 ....l:tfe8
20 'iVxe6 fxe6 21 lLlb4 .l:ta8 he
achieves nothing.
19 ... lLlxe5 20 'ii'g3 f6
White threatened a swift advance
of the f-pawn, for example: 2 1 f4
lbc6 22 f5 'ir'e5 23 'ir'xe5 dxe5 24
b4 .l:tfe8 25 .l:ta 1 lLlb8 26 f6 with
better chances.
21 f4 lLlc6 22 b4 .l:tfe8 23 �h2
'iVf7 24 'i!Vg4 .l:tcd8 25 .l:ta1 lLlb8 26
f5
While the black knight is assigned
to "sentry" duties, his counterpart is
transferred to a more active
position.
26 ... .l:te5 27 lLlf4 .l:tde8 28 lLle6
�e7 29 b3!
White has a positional advantage
and now wants open lines.
29 ....l:te8 30 c4 lLlc6!
Black eliminates White's active
knight by sacrificing a pawn. This is
his best practical chance.
31 .l:txa6 l2Jd8 32 lLlxd8 .l:txd8 33
.l:tc6 .l:tb8 34 cxb5 .l:tbe8 35 .l:tecl
.l:txb5 36 1:11c4 .l:tbe5 37 'i!Vf3 g6?
Better 37 ...h6 or 37 ...d5.
38 fxg6 hxg6 39 ii'c3 .l:txe4 40
.l:txe4 �xe4 41 .l:txc7 ii'e6 42 b5
.l:te3 43 ii'c4

43...'iixc4
In response to 43 ...d5 there was a
forced win: 44 l:tc8+ <l;g7 45 'fic7+
<l;h6 46 l:th8+ (not 46 b6? l:txh3+
and draws!) 46 ... <l;g5 47 b6 l:txb3,
and now:
(a) The immediate 48 b7 fails to
48 . . .l:txb7! 49 'iig3+ (or 49 'iixb7
'iie5+, drawing) 49 ... <l;f5 50 'iif3 +
<l;e5 51 l:te8 l:te7. (b) 48 'fic l + !
4 8 . . .l:te3 4 9 b7+-.
44 bxc4 +- l:tb3 45 l:td7 l:tb4 46
.:.xd6 l:txc4 47 l:txf6 <l;h7 48 l:tc6
l:tb4 49 b6 <l;h6 50 <l;g3 <l;g5 5 1
<l; f3 l:tb2 5 2 h4+ <l;h6 5 3 g4 l:tb3+
54 <l;e2 <l;g7 55 l:tc7+ <l;f6 56 b7
<l;e5 57 h5 gxh5 58 gxh5 <l;f6 59
h6 <l;g6 60 h7 1-0
23 E.Gufeld White
D.Bronstein Black
Kislovodsk 1 968
At the end of a six-hour adjourn­
ment session, I had to seal a move in
this position.
I quickly wrote down 90 <l;fl on
my scoresheet. Afterwards it turned
out that this move would have won
easily. But then I had another think
about the position and decided I
could play something stronger, so I
changed my sealed move to 90
<l;g7?? All the participants in the
tournament went on an excursion to
the famous castle "Perfidy and
Love." There a curious conversation
Higher Chess Education 61
between Bronstein and me took
place. "Which move did you seal,
90 <l;fl or 90 <l;g7?" asked the ami­
able David. I replied that as far as I
was concerned it made no differ­
ence. Bronstein smiled craftily and
said: "If 90 <l;g7 is the sealed move,
you're in for a shock. I'll play
90 ... <l;g4, and after 9 1 l:td4+ <l;h5
92 c4 l:txc4 there's a stalemate! "
My face fell. O n resumption there
followed: 90...<l;g4 91 l:th2 Of
course I didn't play 9 1 l:td4+ but the
move in the game didn't change
anything. 91 ... <l;g3 92 l:thl l:txc2 93
h5 l:tc7+ 94 <l;f6 l:tc6+ 95 <3;(7
l:tc7+ 96 <l;e6 l:tc6+ 97 <l;d5 l:th6 98
<l;e4 <l;g2 But not 98 ... <l;g4?? 99
l:tg 1 + <l;xh5 1 00 <l;f5 and White
wins. 99 l:th4 <l;g3 100 l:thl <l;g2
Draw! 1/z-1/z
24 Torre Attack [A48]
D.Bronstein White
E.Gufeld Black
Tallinn, 198 1
1 4:Jf3 g6 2 d4 4::lf6 3 i.g5 .i.g7 4
4:Jbd2 d6 5 e4 h6
In this system the fashionable
plan for Black is to drive back the
active bishop to g3, followed by
. . .4::lh5 to force its exchange. This
seriously weakens the kingside,
however, so Black must be careful
about the position of his king.
6 i.h4 g5 7 i.g3 4::lh5 8 c3 e6
Black prepares queenside castling
by freeing a square for the queen. It
is too early to insert the exchange
8 . . .4::lxg3 9 hxg3 e6 10 i.d3 4::lc6 1 1
'iie2 i.d7 12 b4 'ile7 1 3 b5 4::la5 14
4::lb 3 4::lxb3 1 5 axb3 0-0 1 6 e5 f5 17
exf6 'ilxf6 1 8 'ii'e4, and i n view of
the weakness of the light squares on
the kingside, White has the
advantage; Karpeshov-Zilberstein,
Chirchik 1 983.
62 Higher Chess Education

9 ll:lb3 Not 1 9 ....txa4? 20 exd6 cxd6?

White's principal continuations (20 ... ii.xb3) 2 1 .l:f.xa4 �xa4 22
are 9 .td3 and 9 Ji.c4, but the text �xe6+ +-.
aims to provoke a crisis on g3. An 20 dxe5 .txa4 21 .l:f.xa4 �xa4 22
interesting way to implement this ii.bS 'ii'a2 23 ii.d7 .l:f.a6 24 .l:f.b1
plan is 9 ll:lg l . Kiselev-lvanchuk, The events of this game constitute
Frunze 1 988, continued 9 . . .lt:Jxg3 1 0 a tragedy in two acts. The first act
hxg3 c 5 1 1 dxc5 dxc5 1 2 f4 e 5 1 3 can be described as Black's success­
f5 0-0; Black has managed to block ful battle for material advantage, but
the kingside, but White keeps a firm in order to exploit it, some accurate
grip on the initiative. 14 il.c4 ll:ld7 moves are required.
1 5 ll:lh3 ll:lf6 1 6 lt:J£2 ii.d7 17 lt:Jg4
b5 1 8 ll:lxf6+ �xf6 1 9 Ji.d5 ii.c6 20
0-0 .l:f.fd8 2 1 a4 a6 22 ii'c2 c4 23
'it>h 1 i..f8 24 Ji.xc6 �xc6 25 f6 lid6
26 1:1£5 1:1ad8 27 lt:Jf3 .l:f.xf6 28 axb5
axb5 29 ll:lxe5 �e6 30 .l:f.afl lixf5
3 1 .l:f.xf5 ii.g7 32 lt:Jf3 �d6 33 �£2
'i!Vg6 34 g4 �e6 3 5 e5 �d5 36 �a7
.l:f.£8 37 'it>h2 �e4 Jh-1/z.
9 ... ll:ld7 10 ll:lfd2 ll:lxg3
After White's somewhat artificial
knight manoeuvre, this exchange is
no longer premature and allows
Black to seize the initiative. 24 ...ll:le7
1 1 hxg3 a5 12 a4 0-0 13 ii.d3 f5 The curtain is raised on the sec­
14 �e2 ll:lf6 1 5 f4 gxf4 1 6 gxf4 ond act; 24 ... .l:f.d8! would have con­
ii.d7 17 e5 lt:Jd5 18 g3 ii'e8 cluded the battle. For instance: 25
ll:lc 1 (or 25 lt:Jc5 .l:f.b6 26 ii.xe6+
s��-�- �t�m�� .l:f.xe6 27 ll:lxe6 ll:lxc3 !-+) 25 ...ll:lxf4
� t J.%AR • 26 gxf4 �d5-+.

R �:l t R �:1 ·-
25 �c4! a4?!

t1 �-���r- ---- '

Black is still chasing the illusion
of an advantage. He expects to gain
ifR�-��- -----�'�-- ---,�·�
·· · ·"'��.
��-�- �
material after 26 Ji.xe6+ 'it>h8 27

� �llR -
lt:Jc5 �xc4 28 ii.xc4 .l:f.c6, but there
�f'l�
�·····�·' ��-
is a surprise in store. It was neces­
.
� � sary to settle for 25 ...'it>f7 26 'Wxc7

� � � ��
%
a4 27 ll:ld4 a3 28 �xb7 axb2 29
• • • ••

lixb2 �a5 30 ii'b3 ll:ld5.

1 9 'it>f2
1 9 exd6 cxd6 20 lt:Jc4 i.xa4, and
19 ii.b5 Ji.xb5 20 �xb5 �xb5 2 1
axb5 a4 2 2 lt:Jc I a3 both lead to
Black's advantage.
19 ... dxe5
26 ll:lc5!
The second act IS set to
Bronstein's music.
26 ...�xc4 27 ll:lxc4 .l:f.a7
It was correct to return the ex­
change with 27 ... 'it>f7 28 ll:lxa6 bxa6
29 Ji.xa4 h5 so as to free the bishop

after ... h5-h4 and . . . i.g7-h6. With
the fall of the e6-pawn, however,
White's cavalry turns out to be
stronger than Black's clumsy rooks.
28 .:d1 ! .:ra8
28 ...b6 29 lt::lxe6 .:b8 30 lt::ld4
would be a little more stubborn.
Once in eight years
I have more than once suffered
annihilation at the hands of Vassily
Smyslov. I still remember the lesson
in endgame technique that he gave
at the 1961 international tournament
of the Central Chess Club. And
what a splendid game he won
against me in the USSR champion­
ship at Tbilisi in 1 966! A brilliant
lesson in chess strategy!
However, I have twice been lucky
against Smyslov, and now I'd like
to review those games to show that
the lessons of the outstanding
grandmaster were really beneficial
to me.
25 King's Indian Defence [A1 5]
V.Smyslov White
E.Gufeld Black
USSR Team Ch, Moscow, 1 967
1 c4 lLlf6 2 lt::lf3 g6 3 b4
This unusual method of develop­
ment, seldom employed by
Smyslov, was a surprise to me. It is
interesting to note that it is identical
to the classic game Reti-Capablanca
(New York, 1 924) in which the
World Champion from Cuba suf­
fered a sensational loss after an un­
defeated 8-year run! Here is how
Alekhine commented on b2-b4:
"This is Nimzowitsch's move
(Carlsbad, 1 923), which White can
use quite successfully. However, we
Higher Chess Education 63
29 i.xe6+ �f8 30 g4 b5
30 ... fxg4 3 1 f5 i.h8 32 f6 lt::lc6 33
.:d7+-.
31 lt::le3 fxg4 32 f5 g3+ 33 'Wt>g2
lt::lc6 34 lt::ld7+ 'Wt>e8 35 f6 i.f8 36
lt::lf5 lt::ld8 37 ti+ lt::lxti 38 lt::lf6
mate.
believe that it is easier for Black to
get counterplay than in the case of
the symmetrical 3 g3 and i.g2; in
the latter case White has a tempo
which is extremely important in the
forthcoming struggle for the
centre." Frankly speaking, I got to
know this game and the annotations
much later. I had to solve all the
problems over the board.
3 �g7 4 i.b2 0-0 5 e3
•..
In the Reti-Capablanca game
Black equalized easily after 5 g3 b6
6 �g2 i.b7 7 0-0 d6 but lost as a
result of mistakes in the middle­
game. Smyslov chooses a plan
which seems more promising to
him. But the organic defects of
White's set-up still remain. White
has no advantage. I wish to add a
few words to Alekhine's analysis.
White can afford many things in the
opening without getting an inferior
game; at worst, he might lose the
minimal advantage he gets with the
first move. But what price is too
high for an interesting experiment? I
will not criticize my opponent, but
only state that the chances are now
equal.
5 b6 6 d4
.••
Too aggressive and risky. But
Black has to face the difficult prob­
lem of finding the right plan to
avoid being stifled in the centre.
6... c5!
64 Higher Chess Education

That's it! Opening lines before
White has castled gives Black
counterplay.
7 dxc5 bxc5 8 b5 a6 9 a4
The simple 9 ... .i.b7 would be
good here. But I preferred a sharper
continuation involving material sac­
rifices, so as to come face to face
with White's king which is stuck in
the centre.
9 ltJe4!
...
Now White gets the chance to
bring his queen into play, but in re­
because after 1 5 ...d6! Black can
hope, as a minimum, for perpetual
check. But Smyslov was ready for
that. Instead of 1 4 'ifxa8 he planned
the subtle 1 4 l:td I ! and after
1 4 . . .1:1a7 1 5 'ifxc5 and 1 6 'ii'd4+
White's superiority is obvious. No­
ticing the anxious faces of my
friends, I knew they thought I had
miscalculated. You can imagine
their surprise when I sacrificed two
pieces in a row !
1 2 .i.b7 ! !
•..

turn Black has some exciting After this unexpected move

combinative possibilities.
10 .i.xg7 �xg7 11 'ii'd 5!
1 1 .i.d3 'ii'a 5+ 1 2 lLlbd2 lLixd2 1 3He frowned and plunged into medi­
�xd2 axb5! 1 4 cxb5 d5 followed by
. . .l21d7-b6 and Black is better.
l l ...'ii'a5+
Smyslov, known for his tranquility,
could not conceal his astonishment.
tation. I was trying to control my
excitement, checking my calcula­
tions and not paying attention to the
people around me. Easier said than
done! There was such a crowd
round our board that you would
have thought all the other games
had finished. Suddenly I felt some­
thing like an electric shock: I caught
�ight of Mikhail Botvinnik's pierc­
mg eyes.
13 'ifxb7
This is definitely forced. Never­
theless, Smyslov took a long time to
make the capture.
13 l21c6 ! !
•.•

12 �e2! At this moment I saw Botvinnik

After 1 2 l21bd2 l21xd2 1 3 l21xd2 again. He studied the position on the
axb5! Black would have the advan­ chessboard, then he looked at my
tage. The text 1 2 �e2! gives an ex­ face, and after that he went over to
tremely interesting position which Geller and whispered something.
attracted tremendous interest from Many years later, Geller told me
all participants in the tournament. what he had said: "Who' s this
All of them and probably Smyslov yobbo who's playing in our team?"
too believed that Black would want The positional foundation of the two
to save himself by means of sacrifices lies in White's poor devel­
12 . . .l21c3+ 1 3 l21xc3 'ii'x c3, and both opment, the exposed position of his
rooks are en prise. Then after 1 4 king and the possibility of hunting
'ifxa8 'ii'xa 1 it is dangerous for his queen down.
White to win a piece with 1 5 'ifxb8, 14 l21fd2!

Smyslov is up to the mark. He
could capture the second piece with
14 bxc6 .l:tab8 1 S lLlfd2!, leading to
the same position as in the game,
but excessive greed with 1 S 'Wi'xd7
would cost him dearly: 1 S . . Jlfd8,
and in spite of his tremendous mate­
rial advantage White is defenceless.
14 .l:ta7
.•.
The queen is trapped. In material
terms, the compensation-rook and
two minor pieces-is more than suf­
ficient. But it is important to realize
that the position is tremendously un­
balanced. Black's king is absolutely
safe, whereas all White's pieces are
either underdeveloped or badly
protected.
15 bxc6!
Not 1S 'Wi'xa7 lbxa7 16 lbxe4
axbS 17 cxbS lLlxbS.
15 ....l:txb7 16 cxb7
The storm has abated somewhat.
White has his material advantage
but Black possesses the initiative.
Which is more important?
16...'Wi'b4
I thought that Black had good
chances after 16 ... lbd6 1 7 g3 lbxb7
1 8 .ltg2 lbd6 1 9 .l:tc 1 .l:tb8 and
White is on the defensive. In an in­
dividual tournament I would have
been content with equality against
my formidable opponent. But this
was a team match, the positions on
Higher Chess Education 65
the other boards were quite favour­
able, so why not take a risk?
17 lbxe4?!
Here Smyslov got carried away.
He too was probably affected by the
character of team play. He decided
to give up the exchange, keeping the
pawn on b7. He had, however, a
strong move in 1 7 .l:ta2 ! . Let us see:
(a) It is true that Black could have
played 1 7 . . .dS ! ?, but it was next to
impossible to evaluate the conse­
quences of such an aggressive move
over the board. For example:
(a 1 ) 1 8 .l:tc2 d4! ( 1 9 ... lbc3+,
1 9 ...d3+) 1 9 exd4 cxd4 20 lbxe4
'Wi'xb 1 2 1 'it>d3 'Wi'b3+ 22 'it>d2 'ifb4+
23 'it>e2 (23 'it>d 1 'Wi'b 1 +) 23 ...'Wi'b 1 .
(a2) 1 8 g3 ! and now:
(a2 1 ) 1 8 . . .d4 19 .ltg2 t2Jd6
( 1 9 ...lbc3+ 20 lbxc3 dxc3 2 1 .l:tb 1 ±;
1 9 ... d3+ 20 'it>xd3 lbxf2+ 2 1 'it>c2
lbxh 1 22 .ltxh 1 .l:tb8 23 .l:ta3! in­
tending 24 a4, 2S i.c6 and 26 .l:ta4;
if 23 ... aS, then 24 .l:tb3 'i'xa4 2S
'it>c3 'Wi'd7 26 .i.g2!±) 20 .l:tc1 lbxb7
2 1 .l:tcc2! lbd6 22 aS! 'ifb8 23 .l:tcb2
'Wi'c7 24 .l:tb6±.
(a22) 1 8 ...dxc4 19 .ltg2 lbd6 20
.l:tc l .
(a3) 1 8 cxdS? ! 'Wi'xb7 19 f3 'Wi'xdS
20 .l:ta3 (20 .l:tc2 .l:td8 2 1 .l:tb2 lbxd2
22 lbxd2 c4) 20 ...lbxd2 2 1 lbxd2
.l:td8+.
(b) 1 7 ...'i'xb7 could be met by:
(b 1) 1 8 f3 ! lbxd2 1 9 lbxd2 ltb8
20 'it>f2 (20 .l:ta 1 'i'c6!) 20. . .'i'b4 2 1
.lte2 'Wi'c3 2 2 aS fS.
(b2) 1 8 lbxe4?! Black has a
choice of knights to take 1 8 ...'ilfxb1
19 lbc3 'Wi'c 1 20 'it>d3 dS ! ! (20... .l:tb8
2 1 .l:tc2 'i'a 1 [intending 22 . . . .l:tb3] 22
.l:ta2 ! 'i'c 1 23 llc2=) 2 1 cxdS (2 1
lbxdS 'ifh 1 + 22 .l:tc2 e6-+; 2 1 g3 eS!
22 lLlxdS e4+!-+) 2 l ...c4+! 22 'it>d4
eS+ +-.
The American GM Yasser
Seirawan, who entertained me m
66 Higher Chess Education
Seattle in May 1 987, considered the
text 1 7 lLlxe4?! a fatal mistake and
suggested the alternative 1 7 g3, but
after the simple 1 7 ...'ii'xb7 1 8 it.g2
'ii'b2 he agreed that Black's chances
were preferable.
17 ... 'ii'b 2+ 18 lLlbd2 'ii'x a1 19
lZ:lxc5
A new transformation. White has
a material advantage but in a differ­
ent form. The trouble is that the po­
sition of the king and the kingside
pieces is still bad. Assessing the po­
sition, Smyslov was probably con­
tent with the fact that his king could
be safe. "After all," he probably
thought, "I can develop my rook
and bishops while my opponent is
busy with the pawn on b7. "
19 J:.tb8 20 g3 'ifa3!
•.
This is the tactical surprise! After
the "natural" 20 ... d6? 2 1 ltJd7 .l:hb7
22 it.g2 'ii'h 2 23 .l:lb 1 White wins.
Black evacuates his queen from the
first rank just in time.
21 lLlxd7
After the logical 2 1 lLld3 .l:1xb7 22
it.g2 .l:1b8 White loses the pawn on
a4. He seeks chances in a double­
edged game.
2l. .l:1xb7 22 it.h3 'ii'd 6 23 c5
.•
1Wd5 24 f3
This is what Smyslov had fore­
seen. The threat of 24 ... 'ifh5+ has
been repelled, his kingside is mobi­
lized, the pawn on a4 is alive. Of
course, Black can win two pieces
for the rook, but after 24 ...1:1xd7 25
it.xd7 'ifxd7 26 .l:lc 1 White, who has
the rook, the knight and the passed
c5-pawn, can hope for a draw. But
there is one factor in this position
which White has ignored. The
knight is stuck on d7!
24 .l:1b2 25 .l:1d1 e6 26 c6
•..
At the expense of pawn sacrifices
White could salvage the knight, but
26 lLlb6 'ifxc5 27 aS 'ilkxa5 (or
27 ...'ilkh5) 28 lLlbc4 'ilkbs would be
in Black's favour.
26 'ilkc4+ 27 <ifte1 'ilkd3!
.•.
It is important to capture the pawn
on e3 .
28 it.fl 'ifxe3+ 29 it.e2
It seems that Black must now play
_
29... 'ii'c3 and after 30 it.xa6 'ifxc6
3 1 i.b5 White can put up some
stubborn resistance. But ...
29 ... a5! !
In my chess classes with young
players I sometimes offer this posi­
tion for analysis, betting that none
of them will be able to find the best
and only move in this situation. All
junior players usually start with
attacking continuations yielding no
positive results. And although I
sometimes give them a hint, playing
a4-a5 and lDd7-b6, nobody under­
stands that Black should prevent
White from bringing his knight back
into play. Now the ring round the
knight on d7 gets tighter. Black's
queen is on guard by White' s king,
and the black rook is hunting down
the c6-pawn.
30 f4 f6! 31 c7 .l:1c2 32 <iftfl .l:1xc7
33 lLlc4
Smyslov brings the game to an
abrupt end. I expected 33 ltJf3 hop­
ing to play 33 ...<iftf7 ! For instance:
34 lLle 1 <ifte7 35 it.bS h5! 36 .l:1d3
'ife4 37 <iftf2 .l:1c1 3 8 ltJf3 .l:1c2+ 39
.l:1d2 (In case of 39 ltJd2 the game

boils down to a prosaic pawn end­
ing: 39 ...'ii'xd3 ! 40 .i.xd3 nxd2+ 4 1
�e3 nxd3+ 42 �xd3 �xd7)
39... nc3 40 .i.e2 'ii'xa4 and- the
passed a-pawn decides the game in
Black's favour.
33 nxc4 34 .i.xc4 'it'f3+ 35 �e1
•.•
'ii'c3+ 0-1
Botvinnik would not have been
Botvinnik if he hadn't tried to give a
profound assessment of the play.
The day after the game he came up
to me. "Eduard Efimovich," he
asked me respectfully, "what do you
think of your combination
yesterday?"
"I think Black stood well in all
lines."
"I've analysed the game," Botvin­
nik said, "and I agree with you."
Some chessplayers have preferred
this game to my "Immortal"­
Geller for example, and Efim
Lazarev, who selected the Smyslov
game for his book The Best
Ukrainian Chessplayers. It is
difficult to argue with the two
Efims, but I stick to my old opinion
that the Bagirov game is my "Mona
Lisa."
We now travel to Riga for the
sixth Soviet Spartakiad. In the last
round the Georgian team (which I
was representing) was to play
against Moscow, a half-point ahead.
A draw in this match could secure
4th place for Georgia. To achieve
this result, I needed another win
against Smyslov.
26 King's Indian Attack [B l O]
E.Gufeld White
V.Smyslov Black
Riga, 1 975
1 e4 c6 2 d3 d5 3 lt:Jd2 g6 4 g3
.i.g7 5 .i.g2 dxe4
Higher Chess Education 67
White's plan contains a fair dose
of poison and it seems to me that the
most promising continuation was
s ...es.
6 dxe4
6 lt:Jxe4 could be met by 6 ...lt:Jh6
and later ... lt:JfS, exerting pressure
on d4.
6 e5 7 lt:Jgf3 �e6
.••
The almost symmetrical pawn
structure doesn't give Black com­
plete equality, since White is better
developed. The weakness of d6 is
particularly obvious after 7 ...'ii'c7 8
tbc4 ! .
8 0-0 lt:Jh6
Where else can Black develop his
knight? On e7 it would have no
prospects. The most natural devel­
opment, on f6, would be hindered
by the weakness of the eS-pawn.
The attempt to prepare this develop­
ment by protecting the pawn
( ...'ii'c7) delays the mobilization of
the kingside after 9 b3 ! (?) when
White' s bishop on c l has excellent
prospects and White can eventually
play tb£3-gS.
9 'ii'e2
White could have played 9 lt:Jb3,
heading for cS or aS. But it would
be difficult to find a good plan after
9 ...'ii'c7 1 0 lt:JcS �c4, or 1 0 'ii'e 2 f6
1 1 tt:Jcs .i.f7 1 2 h3 0-0 1 3 �e3 b6
1 4 lt:Jb3 �e6! 1 5 'ii'd2 lt:Jfl and
Black protects all the weaknesses. If
instead 9 ...'ii'xd l 1 0 nxd l tbd7,
then 1 1 lt:JaS! .
9 . 0-0 1 0 lt:Jc4 f6 1 1 b3
. .
It was possible to strengthen the
knight's position by 1 1 a4, but I
didn't consider Black's next move
to be good.
l l ... b5
Who would like to play Black af­
ter, say, l l ...'ii'c 7? But possibly that
was the lesser evil.
12 lt:Je3
68 Higher Chess Education
1 2 l:td1 �c7 1 3 lbd6? .:.d8 1 4
�a3 �£8-+ would b e almost
suicidal.
12 lbd7 13 h4!
..•
This might seem to be the right
time to play a2-a4. But the threat is
stronger than the execution. Mean­
while it turns out that Black has cer­
tain difficulties on the kingside.
After the eventual h2-h4-h5, h5xg6
and lbf3-h4 Black's knight and
bishop would like to get to f7 both
at once.
13 ... �c7 14 h5 l:tfd8 15 lbh4
lb£8
Now both of Black's knights are
passive.
16 �b2! �e7 17 hxg6 hxg6 18 f4
exf4 19 gxf4 f5 20 �xg7 '>t>xg7 2 1
exf5
Not 2 1 lbf3 fxe4 22 lbe5 �c5 and
Black is getting more active.
21...�xh4
2 1 . . .gxf5?? 22 lbexf5+ +-.
22 fxe6 lbxe6
Black has defended excellently
but White still has a slight advan­
tage. It's hard to say whether this
should be enough, but White runs
no risk in playing for a win. He has
a choice of attractive plans. The
most tempting plan is to organize an
attack with f4-f5 now or a little
later. However, it is time to think
about Black's queenside weaknesses
which have become especially
conspicuous after the opening of the
long diagonal for the bishop. The
bishop in such positions is always
superior to the knight. Therefore I
arrived at a paradoxical decision.
23 'ii'f2 !
Playing an endgame against
Smyslov? Has White gone mad?!
But if you understand the position,
you must believe in yourself. The
post-mortem showed that White had
made the best move.
23 ...'ii'xf2+
Otherwise Black would lose the
c6-pawn without compensation.
24 l:txf2 l:td6
If it were a matter of strategic ma­
noeuvring and quiet calculation,
then Smyslov's famous endgame
technique would be decisive! But
this ending is a labyrinth of tactical
possibilities. Black might have pro­
tected the pawn on c6 by means of
24 . . . lbd4; for example, after the im­
patient 25 c3 (the quiet 25 l:td 1 is
better) 25 ...lbdf5 26 lbxf5+ lbxf5
27 �xc6 l:tac8 28 �xb5 l:txc3
White has an extra pawn but loses
his positional advantage.
25 a4!
The right move at the right
moment. A brilliant career is in
store for this pawn.
25 ...b4 26 lbc4 l:td4 27 lbe5!
Black will capture the pawn on f4
but will lose more than the c6-pawn
in return.
27 ... l:txf4 28 lbxc6 l:txf2 29 '>t>xf2
l:tf8+
Intuition tells Smyslov that it is
better to give up the pawn and
maintain the initiative than to play
the passive 29 ...a5. After 30 l:te 1
lbf4 3 1 �f3 ! it would be difficult
for Black to counter both 32 lbxb4
and 32 .l:r.e5.
30 '>t>g1 ! lbf4 31 .tfl ! lbf5

The superiority of the bishop over
the knight in such situations is
manifest in both attack and defence.
The bishop controls the knight on f4
which is only apparently active. In
case of 3 1 . .Jlc8 32 lLixb4 a5 3 3
4Jd3 ! White has an extra pawn.
32 4Jxb4 4Jd4 33 .l:ldl ! 4Jf3+ 34
'itf2 4Je5
The attempt to do away with the
bishop by 34 ... 4Jh2 is refuted by 3 5
i.c4! 4Jd5+ 36 'itg3 ! .
35 'ite3 ! 4Jg4+ 36 'itd2 g 5 37
4Jc6!
The only possibility. White strives
to win the pawn race.
37 . 4Jf2 38 .l:lel g4 39 b4! g3 40
..
b5!
If now 40 ... g2? 4 1 i.xg2 4Jxg2,
then 42 .l:lg 1+-.
40 ....l:lf5
White has an extra pawn, but this
is not the main thing. Black's pawn
has almost reached its queening
square and White will have to give
up his bishop for it. Meanwhile, the
white pawns are not as far advanced
as I would like them to be. The im­
pression is that the game will be
drawn. But ...
41 c4!
41 a5 would seem to get closer to
queening but it could be met by
4 l ...g2 42 i.xg2 .l:lxb5! Therefore
the b5 pawn should be protected
first.
41...g2
Could Black avoid this continua­
tion? If 4 1 . . . .l:lg5 then 42 'ite3 g2 43
i.xg2 lLixg2+ 44 'itxf2 lLixe 1 45
'itxe1 .l:lc5 46 a5 .l:lxc4 47 lLixa7
'itf7 48 b6 'ite8 49 b7 .l:lb4 50 4Jb5 !
.l:lxb5 5 1 a 6 and queens.
42 i.xg2 4Jxg2 43 .l:le7+ 'itf6 44
a5!
The active rook is more important
than another pawn! After the obvi­
ous 44 .l:lxa7 Black's knights arrive
Higher Chess Education 69
on the queenside in the nick of time:
44 . . ..l:lc5 45 'itc3 4Jf4 ! .
44 .l:lf4
.•.
It looks as if White 's pawns have
been stopped. The threat is
45 ....l:lxc4 followed by 46 b6 axb6
47 axb6 4Je4+ and ... 4Jc5 (if 45 c5
then 45 ... 4Je4+). The answer to
44 ....l:lc5 is 45 .l:le2! attacking both
knights, so we see why it was too
soon to send the rook to a7.
45 c5! !
Sacrificing the exchange. Now the
active pawn is more important than
the rook!
45 ... 4Je4+ 46 .l:lxe4 .l:lxe4
Black has an extra rook, but
White's pawns are far advanced.
Can White hope for a win? It looks
as if he can't. For instance, 47 4Jxa7
'ite6 and Black's king gets to the
queenside just in time.
47 b6! !
The tempo is more important than
the pawn!
47 .l:le8
.•.
If 47 ... axb6 48 cxb6 4Je3 49 b7
.l:le8 50 a6 4Jc4+ 5 1 'itd3 4Jb6 52
b8=� and White wins. For exam­
ple, 52 ... .l:lxb8 53 4Jxb8 lLic8 54
'itc4 'ite7 55 'itc5 'itd8 56 'itc6
lLie7+ 57 'itb7 lLic8 58 4Jc6+ 'itd7
59 lLieS+ 'itd8 60 'itb8 4Jb6 6 1 a7
4Ja8 62 'itb7 ! (62 'itxa8?? 'itc7=)
62 ... 4Jc7 63 lLic4 lLia8 64 4Je3 4Jc7
65 4Jd5 4Ja8 66 'itc6 with the
70 Higher Chess Education
domination of the knight over the
knight! But Black seems to have an
adequate defence.
48 l:i'Jxa7
Again the pawn is most important
( 48 bxa7 l:.a8, or 48 b7 'ite6).
48 l:i'Je3
.•.
Now Black' s king arrives too late:
48 ...'ite6 49 b7 'itd7 50 a6 l:i'Je3
(50 . . . 'itc7 5 1 l:i'Jb5+ 'itc6 52 l:i'Jd6
.l:td8 53 a7 and queens) 5 1 l:i'Jc8 !
'itc7 5 2 l:i'Jd6 with the threat of 53
l:i'Jxe8 and 53 a7. But can the knight
get there in time? Alas, no! 48 ...l:i'Jf4
(aiming to insert .l:te2+ if ap propri­
ate) would be met by 49 a6 ! We6 50
l:i'Jc8 ! ! (The following variation
shows how White can go wrong: 50
b7 Wd7 5 1 c6+ �c7 52 l:i'Jc8 l:.e2+!
53 'itc3 l:.a2 54 a7 .l:txa7 55 l:i'Jxa7
l:i'Jd5+ 56 �c4 l:i'Je7 57 l:i'Jb5+ �b8
58 'itc5 l:i'Jxc6!=) 50 ...'itd7 5 1 a7+-.
49 a6 l:i'Jc4+
It is a pity that Black has taken the
line of least resistance. More stub­
born was 49 ... 'ite6! with the trap 50
�xe3 'itd5+ bringing the king
closer to the pawns. It should be
noted that 49 ... 'ite5 is refuted by 50
b7 (50 l:i'Jc8? 'itd4 ! ) 'itd4 5 1 l:i'Jc6+.
And what would White do after
49 ... �e6? The straightforward line
is pointless: 50 c6? l:i'Jc4+ or 50 b7
�d7. The victory can be secured
only by another sacrifice: 50 l:i'Jc8 ! !
l:i'Jc4+ 5 1 'itc3 l:i'Ja5 52 b7 l:i'Jc6 53
a7 l:i'Jxa7 54 b8=� l:i'Jxc8 or
51 ... l:i'Jxb6 52 l:i'Jxb6 .l:te7 53 'itc4
.l:ta7 54 'itb5 .l:tc7 55 c6 'itd6 56
l:i'Jc4+ �d5 57 l:i'Ja5.
50 'itc3 l:i'Je5 51 b7 �e6 52 c6
l:i'Jd7 53 c7 1-0
Which of these two games do you
like more, dear reader? As for me, I
I regret only one thing: that such
games against World Champions
are played only once in eight years!
27 Richter-Veresov [DO 1 ]
V.Smyslov White
E.Gufeld Black
New York Open, 1 989
1 d4 l:i'Jf6 2 l:i'Jc3 d5 3 i.g5 l:i'Jbd7
4 l:i'Jf3 g6 5 'it'd3 j_g7 6 e4 dxe4 7
l:i'Jxe4 0-0 8 l:i'Jxf6+
The sharp 8 0-0-0 seems more
thematic here.
8 ... l:i'Jxf6 9 j_e2 c5 10 dxc5 'Wi'a5+
1 1 c3 'W!Vxc5 12 0-0 j_e6!
Controlling the important central
point d5.
13 'it'd4
This game was played on 24
March, which was Smyslov's 68th
birthday. That may have been the
reason for his peaceful inclinations.
But you must agree that struggle is
struggle.
13 ...'ifa5 14 a3 h6!
Clearing up the position of
White's dark-squared bishop.
15 j_xf6
If it had retreated, Black would
have obtained good play: 1 5 j_f4
l:i'Jd5 ! 1 6 j_e5 f6 1 7 i.g3 i.f7
(intending ... e7-e5); or 1 5 i.h4
l:i'Jd5.
15 .. ,j_xf6 16 1lr'e3 i.g7 17 l:i'Jd4
j_d5 18 .l:tfdl ?!
18 1lr'xe7?? .l:tfe8-+; better 1 8
.l:tad 1 leaving the other rook on the
kingside.
18 ....l:tad8 19 .l:td2
The active 19 c4 would be met by
1 9 ... j_xc4! 20 j_xc4 'WIVeS 2 1 j_xf7+
.l:txf7 22 l:i'Je6 .l:txd1+ 23 l:.xd 1 1lr'xe3
24 fxe3 i.xb2+, and 1 9 b4 'W!Vb6 is
not good for White either.
19 ... e5 20 l:i'Jf3 i.b3 2 1 .l:tel a6 22
h3 1lr'c7 23 i.fl l:.xd2 24 l:i'Jxd2
j_d5 25 c4 j_c6 26 c5 f5
Black's pawn majority goes into
motion.
27 b4 e4 28 l:i'Jc4 'ith7 29 l:i'Jd6
j_e5!

Gradually preparing to assault the
White fortress.
30 .l:.d1 'lie7!
Not 30... .l:.d8 3 1 'Wb3.
31 'ifb3 f4 32 a4 e3! 33 b5
33 fxe3 fxe3 is worse.
33 exf2+ 34 �h1
.•.
Or 34 �xf2? 1i'h4+ 35 �gl f3 36
bxc6 'lig3 37 'tixb7+ 'ith8 3 8 tt:'lf7+
.l:.xf7 39 .l:.d8+ �g7-+.
34...axb5 35 axb5
35 ... i.d7?
In time trouble (oh, that
perfidious enemy of chessplayers! ) I
Korchnoi is Korchnoi
In 1 976 Victor Korchnoi did not
return to his motherland after par­
ticipating in an international tourna­
ment in Amsterdam. He became just
another defector. For many years
afterwards it was even forbidden to
pronounce his name, to say nothing
of printing it. Korchnoi's deed was
regarded as treason to his country. It
was impossible to publish his
games. But what was to be done if
the "villain" remained one of the top
chessplayers in the world, and his
games naturally aroused profes­
sional interest?
Higher Chess Education 71
passed up an opportunity to force
the issue at once. After the game,
Smyslov said that the "logical"
finale was 35 ...i.xg2+ 36 i.xg2 f3
37 i.xf3 i.xd6 38 cxd6 1i'el + with
a draw; but the more convincing
35 ... 'it'g5, with the idea of trans­
ferring the queen to to g3 or f4, was
possible. Now White has time to
defend himself against the direct
threats to his king.
36 '1!if3!
Not 36 tt:'lxb7? f3 .
3 6...i.xd6 3 7 .l:.xd6! ! i.xb5! 38
'lixf2 i.xfl ?
3 8 . ..i.c6 keeps a positional ad­
vantage with an extra pawn. 39 i.d3
is not dangerous due to 39 ....l:.f6.
39 '1i'xfl f3?! 40 gxf3 .l:.f7 41
'ikg1 ! .l:.g7 42 'i'd4!
White's heavy pieces attain
Smyslovian harmony. A peaceful
outcome of the struggle is not far
off now.
42 ... 1We2 43 f4 'ikfl+ 44 �h2 h5
45 .l:.d7 .l:.xd7 46 'iixd7+ �h6 47
'ikd4 �h7 48 'i!kd7+ 1h-1h
This happened during the USSR
Championship (top league) in
Minsk. In the opening of the game
Lerner-Tal, Black carried out an un­
usual knight manoeuvre from g8 to
b7. The positional drawbacks of this
tour are evident. Tal, the genius,
suffered defeat. Afterwards he
explained:
"You see, just before the game I
got the new issue of Informator and
saw an original variation played by
Korchnoi against Unzicker. I
thought the idea was interesting and
played it at first sight, trusting the
72 Higher Chess Education
'villain' . So don't be too hard on
me, Korchnoi and I share
responsibility for the disastrous
idea."
I had to write a review of that
round in the tournament bulletin.
Here is what I said: "In the game
Lerner-Tal, a Nimzo-Indian, Black
carried out a highly dubious
knight's tour from f6 to b7. This
idea had been employed for the first
time in a game played in the ex­
treme south of Africa. Quite likely,
the fellow who played Black there
simply got too much sun. But why
on earth did Tal take up this African
motif, here in the moderate climate
of Belarus?" How else was I to de­
scribe the whole episode, when it
was impossible to name not only
Korchnoi but also Johannesburg and
South Africa because of apartheid?
I have never played in an Inter­
zonal, but at one of them-Manila,
1990-I almost felt like a partici­
pant, for I passionately supported
the contestants of my own age
group. Not for the first time, I was
amazed by Korchnoi's high profes­
sionalism, his energy and fighting
spirit. Thinking about his difficult
fate, I recalled a game from long
ago, on top board of a match
between Georgia and Leningrad.
28 French Defence [CO?]
E.Gufeld White
V.Korchnoi Black
Georgia-Leningrad, Moscow 1 972
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 lt:Jd2 c5 4 lt:Jgf3
lt:Jf6 5 exd5 lt:Jxd5 6 lt:Je4 lt:Jd7
6 . . .cxd4 7 lt:Jxd4;!;.
7 a3! ?
A new idea, the meaning o f which
will later become clear.
7 lD5f6 8 lt:Jxf6+ lDxf6 9 .i.d3
..•
cxd4 10 0-0 .i.e7
On 10 ... .i.c5?! 1 1 b4 ! .i.b6 1 2
i.b2 White would win back the
pawn with a marked advantage in
development.
1 1 tl:lxd4 0-0 12 .l:te1 i.d7 13
'ii'e2 'ifh6 14 lt:Jf3 .l:tfd8 15 c4 a5 16
i.g5 h6 1 7 i.h4 i.a4
I somehow cannot bring myself to
give this interesting move a question
mark. Black controls the d 1-square
and will bring his bishop to b3, sup­
porting it with ... a5-a4. Is this not
tempting? But at the same time the
black king loses an important
defender.
18 .l:tac1 �f8 19 .l:tc3 .l:tac8 20
i.b1
White's plan becomes clear: to
shift his knight to the ideal central
e5-square and set up a formidable
battery of heavy artillery along the
e-file.
20 ...i.b3 !
It was not too late to pull back
with 20... i.e8, but that is not
Korchnoi's style!
21 lDe5! a4
Not 2 1 ....l:td4?! 22 'ii'e3 a4? be­
cause of 23 i.xf6 i.xf6 24 lt:Jd7+ +­
Making the last move my opponent
unexpectedly offered a draw, but I
turned it down. Victor went slightly
pale and exclaimed, "But I've got
the better position! " How often does
it happen in life that a single phrase
can have a hypnotic effect?
22 .l:te3 'ii'd 4?

23 lt:Jxf7!
Boom! A bomb goes off in
Black's camp.
23 .. .'�xh4
If 23 ... �xf7, then 24 l:txb3 ! axb3?
(24 .. .'ihc4 25 l:td3 l:tc6=) 25
'ii'xe6+ �f8 26 �g6! 'ii'xc4 27
'ii'xe7+ �g8 28 �xf6+-.
24 lt:Je5! .i.xc4!
Just like Korchnoi-in defence he
utilizes all possible resources;
24 . . .'ii'd4, for instance, was bad
because of 25 lt:Jg6+ c;!;>f7 26
l:txb3 !+-.
25 lt:Jg6+ c;!;>f7
26 lt:Jxh4??
Here comes the devastating result
of the "hypnosis." 26 l:txe6! wins
outright. The endgame arising after
26 ... �xe2 27 l:txe7+ c;!;>g8 28 lt::lxh4
offers no hope for Black. 26 . . .it.xa3
also fails to save him on account of
27 'ii'£3 'ii'd4 28 'ii'xa3 it.xe6 29
'ii'e7+ c;!;>g8 30 'ii'xe6+ c;!;>h7 3 1
lt:Je5+ c;!;>h8 3 2 lt:Jf7+ c;!;>g8 33
lt::lxh6+ c;!;>h8 34 'ii'g8+ l:txg8 3 5 lt:Jf7
mate. To this day I cannot explain
why I didn't play 26 l:txe6! .
26...i.xe2 27 l:t3xe2 lt:Jd7! 28
lt:Jf3?
White lets slip the advantage
which could have been preserved by
Higher Chess Education 73
28 lt:Jf5 ! lt:Jc5 29 lt:Jxe7 <j;xe7 30
l:tc 1 , with l:tc l -c4-b4 to follow.
28 ... lt:Jc5 29 h4 i.f6 30 g4?
Painfully aware of the missed op­
portunities, I make an awful move,
only creating pawn weaknesses on
the kingside. Now Black gets the
advantage.
30 ...4:Jd3! 31 �xd3 l:txd3 32 �g2
l:tc4
"Stop," I said to myself at this
moment, "pull yourself together! It
wouldn't do to lose this game."
33 l:te4
33 g5 l:tg4+ 34 c;!;>h3 l:tf4+.
33 ...l:txe4 34 l:txe4 b5 35 lt:Je5+!
Black's bishop is very dangerous.
35 ...�xe5 36 l:txe5 l:tb3 37 l:te2
c;t>r6 38 f3 g5 39 c;t>g3 c;t>n 40 h5!
c;!;>e7 41 l:td2 e5 42 c;t>n �e6 43
c;!;>g2 e4 44 fxe4 c;!;>e5 45 l:te2 l:td3
46 c;t>n l:td4 47 c;t>n b4 48 axb4
l:txb4 49 c;!;>g3 l:txe4 50 l:tf2
Quite obviously, the transition to
a pawn ending would be tantamount
to suicide.
50 ... l:tb4 51 l:.f5+ c;!;>d4 52 l:tf6
l:tb3+ 53 c;!;>g2 l:txb2+ 54 c;!;>g3 l:tb3+
55 c;!;>g2 a3 56 l:txh6 c;!;>c3 57 l:ta6
l;l- lh
We agreed to a draw: 57 ... c;!;>b2 58
h6 a2 (58 ... l:tb7 59 c;!;>£3 ! , to get to
f5) 59 h7 l:tb8 60 l:tb6+.
74 Higher Chess Education
The beauty of symmetry
In the tournament bulletin, David
Bronstein wrote: "Gufeld, who had
been more than modest in the last
five rounds, decided to remind
Spassky of his existence." This turn
of phrase was meant to conceal
from the public the simple fact that I
had lost five games in a row! One
chass master, G.Bastrikov, used to
say in such cases: "After the first
loss I play better, after the second I
play very well, and after the third
loss you can knock me down with a
feather." Unfortunately he didn' t
say anything about his behaviour
after a fifth loss.
But if the competitive result be­
comes unimportant, the question of
creativity comes to the fore. I just
wanted to play one good game.
29 French Defence (in effect) [C l l ]
E.Gufeld White
B.Spassky Black
27th USSR Ch, Leningrad 1 960
1 e4 li:Jf6 2 li:Jc3
It is quite easy to understand why
my formidable opponent chose this
double-edged and somewhat risky
opening. He was tempted by the
idea of inflicting a sixth loss on me.
The reason for White's "modest"
continuation is less obvious, but it
does not testify to his caution. It
contains some psychological
subtlety.
2 d5
.•.
The natural continuation approved
by theory. I think that with 2 ... e5,
transposing into the Vienna De­
fence, Black could set his opponent
more problems in the struggle for
the initiative.
3 e5 li:Jfd7 4 d4 e6 5 li:Jf3
As we see, the game has trans­
posed from the Alekhine Defence to
the French. The variation in which
White cannot protect the pawn on
d4 by means of c2-c3 was consid­
ered quite unpromising at that time.
5 ... c5 6 dxc5!
Even as a junior, I felt an irresisti­
ble sympathy for this plan and tried
it in various competitions. I used to
analyse · this variation for hours on
end with my friend Yakov
Yukhtman, the extraordinary tal­
ented Odessa Master (though he was
of Grandmaster strength), who died
in New York in 1 985. Spassky had
not seen my games and didn't know
about the subtleties of the plan, the
strategical and tactical poison con­
tained in it. But after the game he
became an ardent supporter of this
variation. In 1 966 in the 1 9th game
of his World Championship match
against Petrosian he tried it and
won.
6 li:Jc6 7 �f4 .txc5 8 �d3
.••
White' s idea gradually becomes
clear. Having given up the
d4-square he wants to complete his
development, strengthening the
 Higher Chess Education 75

outpost on e5 and setting up his fu­ moves prevent this plan from being
ture attack. Later I learned that this carried out.
plan had been championed by that l l l:.el 0-0 12 ti:Je2 b4 13 c3!
famous chess innovator Aron A very simple idea: to reserve the
Nimzowitsch, 50 years before. Un­ c2-square for the bishop and to con­
fortunately, at that time I hadn't trol the d4-square.
read his books, and though it may l3 ... bxc3 14 bxc3 aS 15 ti:Jf4
sound paradoxical, it was better that i.a6 16 .i.c2
I hadn't, since a chess player must The bad bishop is now developed
invent his own ideas to ensure his but is worthless. Now look at
creative development. White's bishops! One of them
8... h6 attacks the kingside and the other
An essential error, though the mo­ supports the important central pawn
tive is quite clear: Black takes pre­ -which also exerts strong kingside
cautions against the thematic pressure. Black can't undermine
sacrifice 8 ... 0-0 9 .i.xh7+! . The White's centre with the natural
game Spassky-Petrosian went 8 . f6 ... f7-f6. What can he do? Only
..

9 exf6 tl:lxf6 1 0 0-0 0-0 1 1 tL:le5 (I manoeuvre ... and wait.

would prefer 1 1 .i.g3) 1 l .. . .i.d7 ! , 1 6...l:.c8
and Black will win the fight for the The pawn on c3 is White's only
e5-square. Spassky decided that this weakness. But it is easily defended.
variation was not dangerous for 17 �d2 l:.e8 18 tL:lh5!
Black. In game 2 1 of the match, af­ The knight is on the edge but is
ter 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 tL:lc3 4Jf6, he aggressively posted, attacking the
continued with 4 .i.g5 . g7-square. Can Black protect g7 by
"Just a minute," a greedy chess­ playing ... .i.f8? Yes, but that allows
player might say, "why not 8 ...1ib6 White's rook to move via e3 to g3
snatching a pawri?" The answer is where it can exert pressure on g7.
simple: this is just one of those 18....i.f8 19 l:1ac1 tl:Je7 20 4Jd4
cases when you can sacrifice a tL:lc5 21 .i.h4
pawn for the sake of development. Remember this manoeuvre, my
Let us glance at the variation: 9 0-0 dear readers! The bishop vacates the
'ifxb2 1 0 tLlb5 ! threatening both 1 1 g3-square for the rook and occupies
tl:Jc7+ and 1 1 �e2 followed by 1 2 the important diagonal. Why? We
l:.fb 1 . The experienced master shall soon see.
knows these patterns and doesn't 2l ...�d7 22 .i.xe7!
have to calculate the actual It was so difficult to decide on
variations. this exchange! All chess rules con­
9 .i.g3 a6 10 0-0 b5 demn such exchanges-a strong
Why doesn't Black castle king­ bishop for a miserable knight! But
side? Maybe he wants to castle the creative approach to chess tran­
queenside? Of course not. But I scends all sorts of routines. In this
managed to discern Spassky's main position it is necessary to eliminate
idea, which was to advance his Black's knight, as it could be useful
pawns to b4 and a5 so that he could in defence. Now White has suffi­
exchange his "bad" light-squared cient resources for the attack. Not
bishop for White's "good" bishop or 22 l:.e3 tLlg6! .
knight. But White's subsequent
76 Higher Chess Education
22 ... 'ilhe7 23 l:te3 l:ted8 24 l:tg3
'ith8
25 'ili'f4!!
A positional move that contains
brilliant combinative possibilities.
Bronstein wrote that it creates the
threat of 26 liJf6! (26 ... gxf6 27
'ili'g4). Actually, I played the move
without thinking-! relied entirely
on my intuition without calculating
any concrete variations. Afterwards
I even thought that the chess pieces
in this game just moved by
themselves. Spassky understood the
profound idea of this move before I
did, and plunged into meditation for
an hour. If he thinks so long, I
decided, then there must be
something here. I also sank into
meditation and discovered a beauti­
ful idea.
25 ...tiJd7
He was called a peace-loving man
In life I was good friends with
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian. Over
the chessboard, the score of my
clashes with him was a sheer disas­
ter: three draws and six losses.
In the 1969 USSR Championship
I started successfully, and was due
to play Petrosian with White. Here' s
the opportunity, I thought, t o end
This is not a defence but merely
the postponement of imminent
defeat.
26 ..ta4!
Symmetry! I don't know another
game where White had to carry out
such geometrically aesthetic ma­
noeuvres on the flanks. On one
flank the bishop goes to h4 and cap­
tures the knight on e7, and on the
other the bishop goes to a4 to cap­
ture the knight on d7. Incidentally,
in chess problem competitions these
echo-manoeuvres are regarded as
elements of the highest artistry.
26 ltJxe5
.•.
Practically speaking, the best
chance, allowing Black to escape an
immediate rout at the cost of one
ptece.
27 'ii'xe5 'ii'c 7 28 'iVe3
Curiously enough, in the event of
the queen exchange (and isn't it
desirable to have an extra piece?)
Black is down materially but has
sufficient compensation positionally
with the two bishops and mobile
central pawns. Also White' s c-pawn
is weak and his pieces are
uncoordinated. So in the endgame
the struggle could have begun all
over again.
28 e5 29 ltJf3 e4 30 'ili'd4! exf3
..•
31 l:txg7 'ii'c5 32 'ii'g4 l:td6 33
l:tg8+ 'ith7 34 ..tc2+ 1-0
my unlucky run and defeat him for
the first time.
Petrosian was fond of ice hockey.
On the very day of our meeting, his
favourite team, "Spartak", Moscow,
was playing, and on the evening be­
fore he said that he would like to at­
tend this match which was to begin
at 5 p.m. Our game was scheduled

for 4.30. I understood him to be
hinting at a draw. I spent a sleepless
night wondering whether I should
go with Tigran to the hockey match
or try to defeat him over the board.
The crucial day arrived. After din­
ner I decided to heed the voice of
reason, which told me that I was not
destined to defeat "iron Tigran." I
dialled his number and said, "Tigran
Vartanovich! Could you possibly
help me get a ticket to the ' Spartak'
hockey match today?" After a pause
I heard a voice with a southern ac­
cent: "I'd love to buy a ticket for
myself, but I don't know how ! " As
you will no doubt have guessed, I
had the wrong number-! had been
let down once again by my "calli­
graphic" handwriting.
So fate decreed that we should
fight. My friend and rival looked
alert and determined. Thinking I had
decided to get my revenge for at
least one of the previous defeats, he
had evidently prepared himself for
an all-out struggle. If only he'd
known about my peaceful phone
call!
30 Three Knights Game [C46]
E.Gufeld White
T.Petrosian Black
37th USSR Ch
Moscow, 1 969
1 e4 e5 2 lt:Jf3 lt:Jc6
Something gave way within me: I
can never defeat "iron" Tigran ! My
hand reached for the knight and
made a meek move.
3 lLlc3
Chessplayers know that this is the
shortest way to a peace offer:
3 . . .lt:Jf6 4 �b5 lt:Jd4 5 t:Dxd4 exd4 6
e5 etc. It seemed to me that an un­
kind smile hovered across my oppo­
nent's face. He was probably
Higher Chess Education 77
thinking, "That's the way you play
for a win? Now I won't be able to
get to the hockey match, because
we're going to have to play chess! "
Tigran confidently replied:
3 ...g6
From the psychological point of
view the game was already lost. Just
have a look at what kind of a merci­
less beating awaited White.
4 d4 exd4 5 lt:Jd5 �g7 6 �g5
lt:Jce7 7 lt:Jxd4 c6 8 lt:Jc3 h6 9 ..ie3
lt:Jf6 10 �c4 0-0
�
� r�!�fl
BtU
� � � t �:l " · ' .. . . . . ,
� -�- ·
BA � " ·aft B �.B �
�
'��ibm
J1. J1. � ��: ; �---ib�m
�- ---��.&·'-
• � �-� '��ibm
�....�
J1.
� ��w �§
1 1 1li'f3?
Correct was 1 1 e5 lt:Je8 12 1li'd2,
but I was already drifiting with the
current.
1 l ...d5! 12 exd5 c5! ! 13 lLldb5
l 3 lt:Jde2 �g4 14 1li'g3 lt:Jf5 1 5
1li'f4 g5 1 6 'ii'e5 .l:.e8-+.
l3 ...a6 14 d6 lLlf5 15 lt:Jc7 lt:Jxd6
16 0-0-0 1li'xc7 17 �f4 �g4 18
1li'd3 b5 19 ..id5 .l:.ad8 20 f3 b4 21
1li'xg6
Agony.
2 1 ... bxc3 22 fxg4 1li'b6 23 b3
1li'b4 0-1
The following game was once an­
notated by GM Isaak Boleslavsky,
Petrosian's coach. Presumably pro­
ceeding from the end result, he gave
a false evaluation of the position.
Nine years later his mistake was re­
peated by Boris Gulko in an article
78 Higher Chess Education

entitled "The Mystery of 'Bad' 14 ...'iixf6 15 i..g4?

Bishops". At last I have a chance to
express my own view of this game
and to vindicate my beloved
fianchettoed king's bishop.
3 1 King's Indian Defence [E92]
T.Petrosian White
E.Gufeld Black
27th USSR Ch, Leningrad 1 960
1 d4 lZ'lf6 2 c4 g6 3 tt:Jc3 �g7 4
e4 0-0 5 tt:Jf3 d6 6 �e2 e5 7 d5
lZ'lh5 8 g3 lZ'la6 9 lZ'ld2 lZ'lf6 1 0 h4
c6 l l lZ'lb3 lZ'lc7 1 2 .i.g5
A serious mistake (given a ques­
tion mark by Gulko). The only way
to cast doubt on Black's strategy
was 1 5 h5 ! , because 1 5 ... g5 would
inhibit the g7-bishop. I would there­
fore have been forced to weaken my
kingside pawn structure and let
White open the h-file, but even then
Black's chances after 1 5 ... 'iWg5 1 6.
hxg6 f5 ! ? would not be that bad.
Now my position is simply better.
15 ... h5 16 �xc8 ltaxc8 17 'iWe2
.i.h6
According to Gulko, this bishop
"doesn't attack anything and doesn't

l,,�.fl f
take part in active operations". Nev­
ertheless it controls c l , White's fo­

- t �� B· t .
cal point for concentrating his major

�--if�" · · � �
pieces on the only open file! My
main error in this game lay in my
�.r.� t.�;��m stereotyped approach. Rightly be­

�,,....,% , ·�� ��-;;�

�� �� -·····>
.
lieving that my position was better, I
considered myself obliged to contest

�;; - �
. >
.. .

the c-file. Petrosian's positional

� ��w � §
>
,
, .. genius was demonstrated by his
ability to find different terrain on
1 2 ...cxd5 which to fight.
"In spite of clarifying the situation 1 8 lba5 ltb8 19 0-0
in the centre, I think this move was
a decisive mistake," Gulko writes.
How easily the famous grandmaster
passes sentence on a standard open­
ing exchange! Does it mean that it's
time for me to resign?
13 cxd5 h6 14 �xf6?
Neither Boleslavsky nor Gulko
explains this exchange. White aims
to leave Black with a "bad" bishop,
but to this end he doesn't spare the
life of his own "good" one! This re­
minds me of the joke about the man
who decided to pull out his eye be­ 19...1Ifc8?
cause he wanted his mother-in-law There is no future in this plan. I
to have a one-eyed son-in-law. I quite agree with Boris that I ought to
hope that Petrosian, with his good have launched an offensive on the
sense of humour, would not have kingside (which, as a matter of fact,
taken this comparison amiss. has been deserted by most of

the white army) with 19 ... 'ile7, fol-
lowed by . . .tt:le8-g7 and . . . f7,- f5 . Af-
ter the death of both his bishops and
the loosening of the pawn cover in
front of his king, White's position
would be quite miserable. The at­
tack seems so natural now that I
wonder why I missed it. It is amus­
ing, however, that while indicating
the right plan for Black, Gulko does
not see the position in its proper
perspective and evaluates it in
White's favour.
During the next 8 moves I was
marking time. I only understood
what to do when it was too late and
my opponent had worked up deci­
sive pressure on the queenside. Pet­
rosian demonstrated his genius by
Postscript: A parade of champions
I came into the pub and walked
towards the barman. It had been a
difficult day and I wanted to rejuve­
nate myself. I asked for a pint of
Guinness and seated myself com­
fortably in a cosy corner. As I
slumped into my chair, I let my
thoughts wander. I could not help
noticing a group of gentlemen who
were having a boisterous discussion
nearby. The men had each drunk
about three pitchers of beer and
their coarse voices showed it.
There was this thin, bespectacled
man who spoke in a clear and pow­
erful voice: "But you've been for­
getting about Steinitz. Spassky isn't
a patch on Steinitz. And if Petrosian
competes with that Double Fi­
anchetto, I reckon he'll be unbeat­
able. But if Kasparov follows The
King's Indian, I'm sure he'll have a
great chance of first prize! "
Higher Chess Education 79
finding a brilliant way to outflank
the enemy artillery (the dark­
squared bishop). His plan with
b2-b3, l:ta l -a2-c2 and .:tfl-b l -b2 is
indeed awesome! He simply
narrowed the board to 63 squares,
cutting out the c l -square, and after
that my bishop really did start to
shoot at empty space.
20 a4 'ili'd8 2 1 tt:lc4 tt:le8 22 l:ta2
'ilc7 23 b3 'ili'd7 24 'it>g2 l:tc5 25
l:tb1 l:tcc8 26 l:tc2 tt:lc7 27 l:tbb2
l:tf8 28 b4 tt:le8 29 a5 tt:lg7 30 a6
bxa6 31 tt:la5 f5 32 tt:lc6 l:tbe8 33
tt:lb1 'it>h7 34 l:tb3 fxe4 35 'it'xe4
l:tf5 36 l:ta3 'it'b7 37 lL'lc3 l:tef8 38
'ii'c4 l:tf3 39 l:txa6 i.e3 40 tt:le4
i.h6 41 l:txa7 1-0
" I can just picture the Grand Prix
this Sunday," said a second person
who was noticably balding.
"Alekhine' s very fast. If the last
outing's anything to go by, he'll
leave Fischer and Kasparov both
way behind! "
"And of course w e mustn't forget
this Catalan Opening that beat
Karpov with his Ruy Lopez in
Melbourne on April the fourth,"
said the first man, whose lean stat­
ure showed itself as he stood up.
At this point it occurred to me that
Alekhine didn't really need any "en­
couragement" from anyone to win.
But how could the late Champion
play against two World Champions
who are still alive, though one of
them has only played two matches
in the last 29 years? Then there was
a third man, nothing special about
his appearance except that he wore
80 Higher Chess Education
an old sweater which had big elbow
patches. As he downed a pint, he
proclaimed: "Karpov will win!"
Suddenly, as if in defiance of
FIDE, the whole group started be­
rating this quiet gentleman for his
choice of champion. "Maybe you
think Capablanca's got a chance of
winning too," said the second man
sarcastically, as the whole group
roared with laughter.
"Then of course there's Botvinnik
the prodigy, who did such fantastic
things when he was only one year
old! There's nothing else like him,
only the rules stopped him compet­
ing so young! " added the thin man.
"Even now, when he' s old and has
been out of competition for some
time, he still keeps active on the
polo field!"
Just then I thought that maybe this
company of gentlemen possessed
some extraordinary, hitherto unpub­
lished information about the World
Champions. I had read Botvinnik's
bestseller Achieving the Aim, but I
didn't recall reading that he began
competing at such a young age!
"You can say what you like," re­
torted a fourth person, short and
stout, who seemed to be very sure
about the favourite. "If you ask me,
there'd be no question about who
was best if Euwe hadn't died in
quarantine!"
I immediately straightened up and
rubbed my eyes in disbelief. I felt
that something unreal was happen­
ing. I realize I may not be all that
knowledgeable about chess, but I
remember that Steinitz was laid to
rest in New York more that a hun­
dred years ago, and Euwe did in­
deed pass away-but in his own
house in Amsterdam!
Finishing my pint, I made my way
towards the bar again. I took care
not to bump into anyone from the
group. Just then a fifth person spoke
up. He was bearded and very sullen
looking. "If Lasker hadn't broken
his leg and been shot, there' d be
nothing at all for you to talk about,"
he lamented.
One man from another table hob­
bled over and said with a heavy
Georgian accent: "Your argument's
given me a brilliant idea. Lots of
people want to know who's
strongest-Petrosian or Capablanca,
Fischer or Kasparov, Karpov or
Steinitz. But nobody knows for
sure. It'd be very nice if all the
champions could compete against
each other to decide who was the
greatest. But of course we'd have to
give some of them handicaps ac­
cording to their ages."
I was full of confusion and disbe­
lief as the group carried on their
conversation. Fortunately, all be­
came clear on the following Sunday
when a friend invited me to the
racecourse. There they all were:
Fischer, Catalan Opening, Karpov,
Ruy Lopez, Botvinnik, King's Gam­
bit, Tal, Slav Defence, Spassky,
Capablanca, Petrosian and Kaspar­
ov. But they were all horses!
My dear friends, if you happen to
be in some other part of the world
and notice a jockey wearing a black
and white checkered jersey, then
you must know that his horse
belongs to Dato Tan Chin Nam of
Malaysia. Dato Tan has two beloved
pastimes--<:hess and horse racing.
In horse racing, over the years, he
has owned many winners who bear
the names of World Chess Champi­
ons and chess openings! In chess, he
was a prominent figure in FIDE for
a long time. In fact, some of you
may remember him for energetically
promoting speed chess. Having

learned about this wonderful combi­
nation of chess and horses, \� can
feel Dato Tan' s excitement when he
sees his horses in chess tournaments
and the World Chess Champions
and chess openings on the
racetrack!
A most talented and youthful stu­
dent of mine (in 2000 he celebrated
his 74'h birthday), Dato Tan Chin
Nam recently bought several new
Higher Chess Education 81
horses. He still names his horses
after chess champions, but made
just one exception in calling one of
them Gufeld. He speaks highly of
this horse's potential: "Gufeld is
very strong and very tall, he eats
like two elephants!" I wish my
namesake greater success in horse
racing than I have had myself in
chess competitions ...
 Part Three: My Immortal
Game
Everyone is born to be a genius,
but very few people actually be­
come geniuses. What about the rest?
With some people their genius re­
mains fast asleep throughout their
lives. With others, their genius
wakes up at the most inappropriate
moment-for instance, not at the
moment when the painter is creating
his new picture, but when he is set­
ting up furniture in his new apart­
ment. Some people are luckier.
Rouget de Lisle wrote the "Marseil­
laise" at the right time and at the
right moment, and became, in the
words of Stefan Zweig, a "genius
for one night."
I was also lucky. If I had any gen­
ius, it woke up on the night I played
against Bagirov. Sad as it may be, it
turned out to be a "genius of one
evening." This game was unique in
my career. I am not Fischer, Karpov
or Kasparov, whose genius is al­
ways awake. But I am grateful to
my destiny for this particular
evening.
Sometimes you hear it said that
You will now see a game in
which Black sacrificed practically
all his pieces except the king's
bishop (it had been exchanged in the
opening) and the queen which was
destined to deliver the decisive
blow. In a critical situation I man­
aged to carry out a counterattack
leaving my opponent just one tempo
behind. And it was for this tempo
that I had sacrificed so many pieces.
32 King's Indian Defence [E84]
V.Bagirov White
E.Gufeld Black
USSR Ch 1h-Final, Kirovobad 1 973
1 d4 g6 2 c4 .i.g7 3 ltJc3 d6
All my life I have been harnessed
to the "Kings Indian chariot", but
this is a "servitude" that I volun­
teered for, since I am deeply con­
vinced that the advantages of this
defence outweigh its drawbacks.
4 e4 tiJf6 5 f3
.•.�..��� �-
�' .t ���
� �'�����
�'· ��
.t �fg.t
� ,
·
� - - ·�
··--· ' · - -- - -· · · · ·

we are more practical and rational ..... , " · · · ·'

chessplayers than in the last century.

There is no doubt that the con­
temporary chess struggle proceeds B
��.ft ��'· �-B�
.ft B
� �; � Jj, �
-- - · · ·

along more positional and rational

lines than it did then. But sometimes
.ft ��' B B .ft ��
it happens that sacrifices are
completely necessary. And then ...
,�
w r ·M M!� '�'ii!f
�
· ··

r;g���: b

I am sure that situations on the
chessboard depend not only o� the
will of the individual chessplayer,
but also on extrapersonal factors
that pertain to the life of a nation at
a particular time. There are cultural
trends in science and art that sweep
over an entire generation. Let us
consider the Samisch System, born
in the 1 920s. The set-up is a geo­
metrically clear-cut line of white
pawns at c4, d4, e4, and f3 with all
White's pieces placed solidly be­
hind this line. There is a distinct
plan for the capture of the centre
and, proceeding from this, a king­
side attack. At the same time
White's set-up looks somewhat un­
wieldy; is it not reminiscent of
architectural ideas in the style of ra­
tionalism or constructivism which
prevailed in those years? Samisch,
the chess Le Corbusier, created his
system against the Nimzo-Indian
Defence with a powerful pawn
structure in the centre: c3, c4, d4, e4
and f3. Years have passed, construc­
tivism is long gone, the Samisch
System in the Nimzo-Indian has be­
come less popular. I am sure that the
same will happen to the Samisch
System in the King's Indian. Our
grandchildren will smile at this sys­
tem just as we smile now at the
clumsy ferro-concrete monsters of
the twenties. If you, my dear
friends, disagree with me about 5 f3,
which is the cornerstone of the
Samisch, then you might want to
ask the knight on g 1 what it thinks
about this move.
5 0-0 6 il.e3 ltJc6
...
One of the up-to date methods of
struggle against the pawn centre.
Certainly there are other possibili­
ties: 6 ... e5, or 6 ... c5.
7 ltJge2 l:tb8
My Immortal Game 83
Before embarking on central
operations ( ... e7-e5) it is advisable
to capture, by means of ...b7-b5,
some space on the queenside where
White's king is going to hide. In his
King's Indian book Geller points
out: "7 ... a6 is more popular, and if 8
'iVd2 then 8 ... l:tb8, getting ready for
the counter-blow ...b7-b5. In this
game everything merely boiled
down to a transposition of moves.
However, in case of 8 a3 a6 9 b4 the
rook would be better placed on a8,
because after the possible ...b7-b5
the a-file will open up." This is true,
but 7 ... l:tb8 nullifies 8 ltJc l because
of 8 ... e5 9 d5 ltJd4 1 0 lLlb3 c5 1 1
dxc6 bxc6 and Black's rook is quite
happy.
8 'Wifd2 a6
9 il.h6
Bagirov laughs: "If I exchange the
'Gufeld bishop' on g7, Gufeld will
be disarmed." Incidentally, there is a
grain of truth in that. But in this case
I was not so upset at the loss of my
favourite bishop. White is wasting
time; his kingside attack, which is
strategically justified, is tactically
behind schedule, since Black has
enough time to create threats on the
queenside. 9 ltJc 1 is the old line, for
example: 9 ... e5 1 0 d5 ( 1 0 ltJb3 exd4
1 1 ltJxd4 lLlxd4 1 2 il.xd4 il.e6)
84 My Immortal Game
10 . . .4Jd4 1 1 ti:Jb3 ti:Jxb3 1 2 axb3 c5!
1 3 b4. A more challenging alterna­
tive is 9 h4! , e.g. 9 ... b5 10 h5 ! bxc4
1 1 hxg6 fxg6 1 2 ti:Jf4 e6 1 3 il.xc4
d5 14 �b3 ! ?.
9 b5
.••
Black should play 9 ... �xh6! 1 0
'ii'xh6 e 5 1 1 0-0-0 b5 1 2 d5 ( 1 2 h4
meets with the vigorous reply
1 2 . . .4Jxd4 1 3 tt:Jxd4 exd4 1 4 nxd4
ti:Jh5!) 1 2 ... 4Ja5 1 3 ti:Jg3 bxc4 1 4 h4
�d7 1 5 h5 "iie 7 1 6 il.e2 nb6 1 7
nd2 c5 ! .
1 0 h4 e5
We all know that a flank attack is
best countered by action in the cen­
tre, and this is a perfect example of
correct play.
1 1 �xg7 �xg7 12 h5
The attack is imminent, as the
queen can gain access to h6. With
an open h-file, an impressive assault
can be mounted. Black will not take
the bait, however. It is time for
counter-attack, not defence.
1 2 �h8!?
...
Very few brave souls have re­
peated this move in professional
tournaments, but some amateur
players have had fun with it in
correspondence play. 1 2 ...bxc4!
does, in fact, lead to a tremendous
game for Black. I must concede that
point at last.
(a) Useless is 13 hxg6 fxg6 14
'iih6+ �g8 1 5 ti:Jf4 (or 1 5 ti:Jd5 l:tt7
1 6 ti:Jxf6+ 'iixf6, when the poor
White knight has nowhere to go and
is stuck defending the weak
d4-square) 1 5 ... exf4 1 6 �xc4+ �h8
17 ti:Jd5 ti:Jh5; White cannot take
advantage of the weakened dark
squares, and is just a p iece down.
(b) 1 3 ti:Jd5 1 3 ... l2Jxd5 14 hxg6
(after 14 exd5 ti:Jb4 1 5 ti:Jg3 �f5 ! 16
�xc4 c6 Black is better), and now:
(b 1 ) 14 ...4Jf6 1 5 'ilfh6+ �g8 1 6
g7 l:te8 17 ti:Jg3 exd4? 1 8 ti:Jh5
l2Jxh5 19 'ilfxh5 (not 19 nxh5? ..tf5 !
2 0 nxf5 :e6 and Black maintains
his material advantage.) 1 9 ... �xg7
(b2) 14 ... 4Jf4 1 5 ti:Jxf4 exf4 1 6
'ilfxf4 hxg6 1 7 'ilfh6+ �f6 1 8 'ilfh4+
�g7 1 9 'ilfh6+ with a draw. How­
ever, Schiller suggests 1 8 ... g5 ! 1 9
'ilfh6+ �e7 2 0 'ilfxg5+ �d7 21 'ilfd5
nxb2 22 �xc4 l2Jb4 ! and White
cannot continue the attack. Black
has an extra piece and a threatened
fork at c2. If 23 'ilff5+ Black escapes
with 23 ...�c6-+.
Undoubtedly these variations are
very interesting. But I think that 1 2
... �h8 i s not s o bad. According to
Geller, White could have obtained
an advantage later in the game. I
will try to convince you of the re­
verse, but right now I would like to
point out that acceptance of the sac­
rifice by 1 2 ... 4Jxh5? 1 3 g4 ti:Jf4 14
ti:Jxf4 exf4 1 5 cxb5 axb5 1 6 �xb5
ti:Je7 1 7 'ilfxf4 would be losing for
Black.
13 ti:Jd5!
The right strategy. The threat is
14 ti:Jxf6 and 15 d5, after which the
attack will play itself. What is to be
done? Moves like 1 3 ...4Je8 are too
passive; in such situations delay is
fatal. Looking through the game in
retrospect, you will see that Black
 My Immortal Game 85

hereafter develops his counterplay advantage after 1 5 . . .li:Jxd5 1 6 exd5

using the b-file. Therefore t�e ques­ li:Jb4 1 7 'ii'h6 l:tf7 ... ?
tion arises: "Shouldn't White have
radically solved the problem of the
b-file with 1 3 cxb5 ... ? After that, he
could have attacked on the same
lines as in the actual game." Well,
nobody knows what would have
happened if . .. (This calls to mind
everyday thoughts of the type: "If I
had married the other person. .. ")
1 3 hxg6 fxg6 1 4 0-0-0 'Wie7 1 5
li:Jd5 'i!Vg7 1 6 li:Jxf6 'ii'xf6 1 7 d5
gave White too much space in
Schoeneberg-Marcinkiewica, 1 983,
but 1 4 ...bxc4! was an improvement. 1 5...li:Jh5!
13 bxc4
••. The only move. Not good is
Black is permitting White to at­ 1 5 ... l:tf7? because of 16 'i!Vxg6! 'ii'g8
tack, but to do so White has to bring 17 'ii'xf6+! ! . In 1973, when the So­
the rook on a 1 into play. This factor viet chessplayers were flying to the
facilitates Black's queenside Interzonal Tournament in Brazil, I
counterplay. Alternatives are worse: suggested that they could warm up
1 3 . . . li:Jg8?! 14 cxb5 axb5 1 5 l:tc 1 by analysing this position. The dis­
i.d7 allows White to seize the init­ cussion really was at top level-and
iative with 1 6 f4 ! exf4 1 7 hxg6 fxg6 by that I don't just mean that the
1 8 lt:Jexf4; while 1 3 ...li:Jxd5? 1 4 plane was cruising at 39,000 feet
cxd5 lt:Je7 1 5 hxg6 fxg6 1 6 dxe5 above the Atlantic. I would never
dxe5 1 7 'i!Vc3 'i!Vd6 1 8 f4 ! was crush­ have managed to organize such a
ing in Kummer-Laske, 1 988. discussion on earth, including such
14 hxg6 fxg6 1 5 'ii'h6 famous GMs as Smyslov, Keres,
Now there is no hope of a quiet Bronstein, Vasiukov, Geller,
life. But who would not have gone Polugaevsky and Savon. Almost all
in for this aggressive adventure? It of them attacked Black's position.
seems improbable that this move We had travelled across a quarter of
concedes the minimal advantage the earth's circumference before I
that White is supposed to have in succeeded in defending my opinion
the opening. Much quieter was 1 5 that the chances are equal.
li:Jxf6 'i!Vxf6 1 6 d5, with a complex 16 g4
positional struggle. But to choose Let us look at the alternatives:
this continuation it was necessary to (a) Geller recommended 16 0-0-0,
abandon for a moment the assault and now:
on the kingside which was so tempt­ (a 1 ) 16 ...li:Jxd4 1 7 l:txd4 exd4 1 8
ing and seemed to promise quick li:Jef4 l:txf4 (not 1 8 ... l:tg 8 1 9 g4 l:tg7
success. Another line that is too 20 gxh5 g 5 2 1 li:Jg6+ � g8 22 i.xc4
quiet is 1 5 0-0-0, as recommended i.e6 23 lt:J ge7+ l:txe7 24 lt:Jxe7+ +-)
by Karpov, Razuvayev and even 19 li:Jxf4 'Wg8 20 lt:Jxg6+ 'i!Vxg6 2 1
Schiller! Does White really have an 'ii'f8+ 'i!Vg8 2 2 'i!Vxg8+ �xg8 23
86 My Immortal Game
i.xc4+ rJ;;g7 24 l:hh5 c6 25 Itg5+,
and Geller thinks White is better.
(a2) I suggested the following:
16 ...Itf7 1 7 g4 4Jf6 1 8 1Wxg6 1Wg8!
19 't!Vxg8+ l'bxg8 20 Ith3 a5 ! 2 1
t'De3 i.a6 22 d5 lZJb4 23 tt:Jc3 tt:Jd3+
24 i.xd3 cxd3 25 b3 tt:Je7 26 rJ;;d2
lZJg6 27 tt:Jf5 lZJf4 etc., with
equality.
(b) 16 dxe5 tt:Jxe5 1 7 lZJdf4, and
now:
(b 1 ) 1 7 ... c3? should be punished
immediately by 1 8 lZJxg6+! lbxg6
I 9 't!Vxh5-a simple solution that
should have been spotted even in a
blitz game. Instead, I 8 lZJxh5? gxh5
19 Itxh5 Itf7 led to a win for Black
after a long struggle in Eckstein­
Franz, I 985.
(b2) 17 .. Jlf6! I8 lZJxh5 gxh5 19
'i¥xh5 lZJd3+! 20 rJ;;d2 Itxb2+ 2 1
rJ;;c3 't!Ve7 ! defends h7, and after
. . .d5 the queen has access to her
own side of the board.
Of course it is impossible to show
all the variations, but later Geller
agreed with my argument and in his
King' s Indian book he removed the
question mark from 1 2 ... rJ;;h 8.
16...Itxb2
Planning sacrifices. Of course,
this is just counterplay distracting
White's attention.
17 gxh5 g5
Chess really is an amazing game.
Just look atthis position. My oppo­
nent has an extra piece and serious
threats on the kingside. Neverthe­
less, both players are walking a
tightrope. It is the centre of the
board that matters most in this posi­
tion. Black is striving to break up
the centre, thereby cancelling out
White's material advantage.
18 Itg1 g4!
Now the fight is in full swing.
White's king too is under fire. Bagi­
rov makes the right decision.
19 0-0-0!
I9 dxe5 comes into consideration.
After 1 9 ...tt:Jxe5 20 0-0-0 there are
two branches, each of which is very
complex. We will have to let the
moves speak for themselves.
(a) 20 ...Itxa2 2 I tt:Jef4 keeps the
game moving at a furious pace.
Here there are four branches, but
only one works:
(a 1 ) 2 l . ..i.f5 22 exf5 't!Vb8 23
tt:Jb6 ! .
(a2) 2 1 . ..Itf7 2 2 lZJg6+ tt:Jxg6 23
hxg6 Itg7 24 i.xc4 Ita I+ 25 rJ;;c2
Itxdi 26 Itxdi Itxg6 27 't!Ve3 gxf3
28 11i'xf3 i.g4 29 't!Vc3+ Itg7 30 Itfl
i.e6 3 I tt:Jxc7 ! .
(a3) 2 l . ..Ita l + ! 2 2 rJ;; c2 (22 rJ;;b2
Itxd I 23 lZJg6+ rJ;;g8 24 lZJge7+ rJ;;f7
25 'iixh7+ rJ;;e6 26 tt:Jxc8 Itf7! 27

ii'h6+ 'it'd7 and Black should win)
22 ...l:la2+ 23 'it'b 1 l:lh2! slows the ·
White attack.
(a4) 2 1 ...l:lg8 could lead to a bril­
liant win for White: 22 i.xc4 ! de­
flects the knight. Black loses after
22 . . .l:la l + (22 ... tt:Jxc4 23 tLlg6+
l:lxg6 24 hxg6 \!kg8 25 l:lh l ! and
White will checkmate: 25 ... l:la1 + 26
'it'c2 lZJe3+ 27 'it'b2 ! ! l:lxd 1 28
'i!kxh7+ ifxh7 29 l:lxh7+ 'it'g8 30
tLlf6+ �f8 3 1 l:lf? mate) 23 'it>c2
l:lxd1 24 tLlf6 ! .:.g7 25 .:.xd1 iLd7
(25 . . . gxf3 26 l:lg1 "fie7 27 'fi'xh7+
l:lxh7 28 l:lg8 mate) 26 l:lhl ! tLlg6
27 tLlxg6+ l:lxg6 28 'ii'xh7 mate.
. (b) 20 . . . l:lb7! 2 1 tLld4 c5 (2 1 ...c6
22 f4 ! cxd5 23 fxe5 l:l£2 24 l:lg2
l:lb 1+ 25 'it'xb 1 'i!kb6+ 26 tLlb3 !
dxe4) 22 tLlc2 ! tLlxf3 (22 ... l:lxf3 23
tLlf4 tLlf7 24 tLlg6+ 'it' g8 25 i.xc4!
d5 26 l:lxd5 'i!kb6 27 tlle 7+!+-) 23
tLlf4 ! (23 i.xc4 lZJxg1 24 l:txg1
l:lg7!), and there are three lines to be
examined:
(b 1 ) 23 ...tt:Jxg l 24 tLlg6+ 'it'g8 25
i.xc4+ l:lff? 26 l:lxg l .
(b2) 23 . . .l:lxf4 24 'ir'xf4 lZJxg1 25
l:lxd6 has actually been played:
25 ...'ii'e7 (25 ...l:ld7 26 'fi'e5+ 'it'g8
27 i.xc4+) 26 l:lf6! tLlh3 (26 ...i.e6
27 'ir'e5 i.g8 28 'ii'c3 !) 27 'ii'h6 1 -0
Heemsoth-Keller, correspondence
1 976.
(b3) 23 .. JH6 24 tLlg6+ 'itg8
(24 . . . l:lxg6 25 hxg6 lZJxgl 26 l:lxd6!
'ile7 27 g7+) 25 i.xc4+ i.e6 26
l:lxg4! (26 i.xe6+ l:lxe6 27 l:lxg4
hxg6 28 l:lxg6+ l:lxg6 29 'ii'xg6+
l:lg7!) 26 . . .i.xc4 27 tLle7+ (27 e5
l:lxg6 28 hxg6 i.xa2 29 tLle3 !)
27 . . .'it'f7 28 tll c6 l:lb l + 29 'itxb 1
'i!kb6+.
19 ...l:lxa2
What a mess! Both kings are
under fire, but there isn't a lot of
attacking force in either corner.
My Immortal Game 87
20 tt:Jef4
Of course, if it had been possible
to foresee the course of events, a
more effective continuation might
have been chosen here.
For example, 20 dxe5 tLlxe5
(20 ... i.d7 2 1 tt:Jef4 l:lxf4 22 tt:Jxf4
tLla5 23 'ilf6+ 'ilxf6 24 exf6 c3 25
l:lg2 l:lal + 26 'iifc2 i.a4+ 27 �xc3
l:lxdl 28 l:lxg4 i.e8 29 i.xa6 l:lb l
30 l:lg7 l:lb3+ 3 1 'it'd2 Bowers­
Frankema, correspondence 1 979;
20 ...l:lxf3 21 tt:Jef4 tLlxe5 22 tLlg6+
lZJxg6 23 hxg6 'ir'd7 24 l:lhl l:lal +
25 'it'd2 l:txd l + 26 'it'xd l 'ii'a4+ 27
�e 1 'ii'a 1 + 28 'it'e2 'i!kb2+ is another
draw.) 2 1 tLlef4 'itg8 ! 22 tLlg6 hxg6
23 hxg6 'ii'd7 24 l:lh1 l:la l + 25 �b2
\!kb5+ 26 'it'xa l 'fi'a4+ 27 'itb2
'iib 3+ 28 �c l 'ir'a3+, and now (a)
29 �d2?? 'i!kb2+ 30 �el (30 'ite3
.l:txf3 mate) 30 ... tt:Jxf3 mate, or (b)
29 �c2 with a draw.
A still more fantastic draw would
have arisen after the problem-like
20 i.h3 ! ! .Uxe2 2 1 i.xg4 l:l£7 ! 22
i.xc8 'ii'xc8 23 tLlf6! 'Wb8 where
Biack's mating attack can be held
off by 24 .l:tg8+ \!kxg8 25 tt:Jxg8
tLlb4 ! (threatening perpetual check)
26 l:ld2 l:le l + 27 l:ld1 (27 'it'b2?
.l:txf3 ! threatening 28 ... l:lb3 mate)
27 ....Ue2= .
20 exf4 2 1 tLlxf4? ! !
..•
88 My Immortal Game
Geller thought that White could
now have punished Black for 1 2
... �h8 b y playing 2 1 i.xc4, but here
I show that 2 1 . .Jhl + 22 �b2 lhd1
23 l:Ixd 1 l:Ig8 ! 24 tbf6 (24 tbxf4
�g5 ! ) 24oo .l:Ig7 25 i.g8! 'jjje7 26
i.xh7 l:Ixh7 27 tbxh7 'jjjxh7 28
�f8+ �g8 29 'jjjh6+ is a draw. So,
why do I attach a question mark and
two exclamation marks to 2 1 tbxf4?
This is my way of thanking Bagirov
for his eo-authorship in creating a
chess masterpiece. Now Black has
enough time to organize a powerful
counter-attack.
2 1 ...l:Ixf4 22 �xf4
White has a material advantage,
but his immediate threats have been
repulsed.
22 ...c3
To resume the attack, White has
to move his bishop to c4, take with
the pawn on g4 and move a rook to
fl . So Black has three tempi in
hand. How can he use them? Not by
22oo.l:Ia 1 + 23 �d2 c3+ 24 �e1
l:Ixd 1+ 25 �xd1 tbxd4 26 i.c4 with
initiative to White. With the text
Black illustrates that good knowl­
edge of general principles and good
technique make the calculation of
variations easier. When the rook
cuts off the white king on the 2nd
rank, there is always the possibility
of coordination with the pawn and
the knight (oo.tbc6-b4). Though this
threat is repelled, the c3-pawn re­
mains like a bayonet held against
the white king' s throat.
23 i.c4
If 23 �t7 tbb4 24 i.d3 l:Ial + 25
i.b l , then 25oo.i.e6! 26 1lfxe6
'ii'g5+ and Black will soon mate the
white king; but not 25oo.c2 26 �b2
cxdl=� 27 l:Ixd1 and it is White
who has the winning position be­
cause the black pieces are not
coordinated.
23 l:Ia3! !
•..
If 23 .l:Ia 1 +, then 24 'iii>c2 tbxd4+
00
25 l:Ixd4 l:Ixg1 26 �e5+. But why
doesn't Black play his rook to a4
right away? 23.o ol:Ia4 24 i.b3 ! and:
(a) with GM Alexander Belyav­
sky in 1 987 I analysed 24.ootbxd4 25
l:Ixd4 l:Ixd4 (25 .l:Ia 1 +? 26 �c2
00
l:Ixg1 27 �e5+! ! would have won a
brilliancy prize for White!) 26 fxg4;
White is two pawns down, but his
king is safe while Black's is looking
vulnerable. Can White advance the
g-pawn to g5?
(b) 24oo .l:Ia3 25 �c2 i.e6 26 d5
tbb4+ 27 �xc3+-.
24 fxg4
The value of this game is en­
hanced by the fact that White is not
making "desperado" moves but
keeps setting new obstacles for his
opponent and putting up a most
stubborn resistance. By giving up
the extra material Bagirov repels the
immediate threats to his king, and
Black's attacking pieces lose their
coordination just for a moment.
Therefore Black must gather his
strength and make heroic efforts.
After 24 l:Idfl , satisfactory is
24oo.tbxd4. If 24 'it>b1 , then
24o o.i.e6 ! , aiming for 25oo.'ifb8 win- ·
ning; but not 24oo.tbb4? 25 l:Idfl
i.e6 26 i.xe6 tbd3 27 1!ft7 'jjjbS+
28 i.b3 l:Ixb3+ 29 'it>c2 tbb4+ 30
'it>d 1 ! .

24 ... lZ:lb4 25 �bl !
25...�e6 ! !
The position seems to b e i n total
chaos. White owns the centre, but
that hardly seems relevant. It is a
question of who can get his pieces
into a mating formation first.
Patterns emerged which helped me
to calculate the rest. White was hop­
ing for 25 ... c2+?? 26 �b2 cxdl ='ii'
27 .l:f.xdl .l:f.a5 28 .l:f.fl d5 (28 ... i.d7
29 'ii'h6) 29 'ii'h6 i.e6 30 .l:f.£8+
'ifxf8 3 1 'i!i'xf8+ i.g8 32 'ii'f6 mate.
26 i.xe6
26 'i!i'c 1 was the last practical
chance for Bagirov to avoid going
down in chess history in the role of
a Kieseritzky (by analogy with the
Immortal Game Anderssen-
Kieseritzky, London 1 8 5 1 ).
However, in that case too, after
26 ... c2+ 27 �b2 i.xc4! 28 �xa3 c5
the white king 's doom would be
sealed. For example: 29 dxc5 (or 29
�b2 'i!i'b6-+) 29 ...'ii'a 5+ 30 �b2
'i!i'a2+ 3 1 �c3 'i!i'b3+ 32 �d4 lZ:lc6
mate.
26 lZ:ld3!
.•.
Sacrifices start raining down on
the board, and the white king cannot
find shelter from the storm. The b­
file is open for the black queen, and
her majesty is in a fighting mood. It
looks as if 26 ... lZ:ld5 was also good,
My Immortal Game 89
but after 27 exd5 ! the king has a
narrow escape along the b 1 -f5
diagonal.
27 'i!i'ti
White may as well set up a mate
threat. If 27 .l:t.xd3, White would be
mated quickly by 27 ...'i!i'b8+ 28 �c2
'i!i'h2+ 29 �d 1 .l:f.a 1 + 30 'i!i'c l .l:t.xc 1
mate.
27 .. .'ifb8+ 28 i.b3
If 28 �c2, then 28 ...'i!i'b2+ 29
�xd3 c2+ is good enough, but a
quicker win is 28 . . .lZ:lb4+ 29 �b 1
.l:f.a 1 + 30 �xa 1 lZ:lc2+ 3 1 �a2 'ifb2
mate.
28 .l:t.xb3+ 29 �c2
•..
Bagirov was hoping to take ad­
vantage of the lack of coordination
between the black pieces. Both the
rook and the knight are under fire.
How can Black now bring up more
heavy artillery?
29 lZ:lb4+!! 30 �xb3
.•.
A century earlier, during the ro­
mantic age of chess, Black would
have stood up and announced mate
in six! White would have had to suf­
fer in silence as the moves were
played out. These days players get
the chance to resign. 30 �c 1 would
have been met by 30 ... .l:t.b 1 + 3 1
�xb 1 lZ:ldS+ 3 2 �c2 'i!i'b2+ 33 �d3
'i!i'hS+ 34 �c2 'ii'e2+ 35 .l:f.d2
'ii'xd2+ 36 �b3 'i!i'b2+ 37 �c4 'i!i'bs
mate.
30 lZ:ld5+ 31 �c2 'ii'b2+ 32 �d3
.•.
'ii'bS+ 0-1
White resigned because of 33
�c2 'ii'e2+ 34 .l:f.d2 'ii'xd2+ 35 �b3
'i!i'b2+ 36 �c4 'i!i'bs mate. Every
painter dreams of creating his own
"Mona Lisa". No other game has
ever given me so much satisfaction.
Even now, after over a quarter of
century, I still take pleasure in re­
calling this game. Then I forget my
troubles and remember the dream
that came true.
 Part Four: Unforgettable
Encounters
A gift from a friend
During tournament games you are
not allowed the services of consult­
ants. Nevertheless, some games can
yield the fruits of creative coopera­
tion: two players prepare for the
game, and one uses the idea against
his opponent. In the following
game, my friend the late Grandmas­
ter Leonid Stein is by rights the co­
author of Black's victory. You
won't find his signature on the
scoresheet, but his brilliant idea in­
directly paved the road to my
success.
33 King' s Indian Defence [E97]
M.Taimanov White
E.Gufeld Black
28th USSR Ch, Moscow 1961
1 d4 4Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 tt:Jc3 ..tg7 4
e4 d6 5 ltJfJ 0-0 6 .i.e2 e5 7 0-0
tt:Jc6
It took a fair amount of audacity,
even impudence, to use this varia­
tion against Mark Taimanov, who in
those years himself played it quite
masterfully. I could hardly have de­
cided on such a step in the crucial
game of a crucial tournament if I
had not had one or two ideas up my
sleeve, which I had jointly prepared
with Stein. He was scarcely past 26
years old, I was not yet 25 ... How
young we were, and how we be­
lieved in ourselves!
8 d5 tt:Je7 9 b4
This is the very continuation that
was Taimanov's "staple diet." Still
fresh in my mind was an interesting
game he had played against Gligoric
in a tournament at Santa Fe. Of
course that game, together with sev­
eral others, had been thoroughly
analysed by us young masters. We
came to the conclusion that in reply
to the . rapid pawn offensive by
White on the queenside Black
should counter with immediate op­
erations on the opposite wing.
9 ... tt:Jh5 10 g3 f5 1 1 ltJg5
!��.t. �-? �����
� t,
· · · ·'·'····'�tf .•f.
�� -:
�.-if�� :�:
���:�ftfM,
' ···' ���� .�
�•
?� • �m
�la '•lrfl 3�·
·· �,
��r� ��- ,,;··· ·'
§ ���§�
. �
..
·'w
. ...
I t i s precisely because of this pos­
sibility that Black's plan was then

considered somewhat risky. When
the white knight comes to e6, Black
will have to give up his ' light­
squared bishop for it. Here I should
reveal one of my little professional
secrets (there is no point in hiding it
now). The g7-bishop has for a long
time been described as the "Gufeld
bishop," and so many of my oppo­
nents instinctively try to separate me
from my friend--even to the detri­
ment of their own position. What
they do not know is that I have also
contracted a secret alliance with my
light-squared bishop, without which
Black is often in even more trouble
in the King's Indian Defence than
he is without its renowned
colleague.
1 l...lt'lf6 12 f3 f4
In the aforementioned game,
Taimanov-Gligoric, after 1 2 ... h6 1 3
tbe6 �xe6 14 dxe6 c6 1 5 b 5 ! White
seized the initiative on the queen­
side. Since Stein and I did not see
how Black could later have im­
proved, we opted for a different
continuation here.
13 b5
A well-considered move: White
hinders the ... c7-c6 break and devel­
ops a queenside offensive. Its draw­
back, however, is that it does not
create any concrete threats, so Black
obtains a tempo in which to organ­
ize counterplay. The big question is
how effective this counterplay will
turn out to be. Before our game it
was considered that White had noth­
ing to fear, so Taimanov went into
this position full of confidence. If
only he had known what an original
combination had entered the head of
Leonid Stein! But in that case, alas,
this fine game would not have
occurred.
Unforgettable Encounters 91
13 ... fxg3 14 hxg3 lDh5
Now how should White defend
the g-pawn? It does not seem to
matter-say, with 1 5 'ir'el . In that
case, however, 1 5 ...c6 1 6 bxc6 bxc6
is possible, and it is not clear that
there is anything better than 1 7
'i!tg2, to make h3 available to the
knight. For the invasion of e6 is no
longer so clear as it was with the
queen on d l .
1 5 'i!tg2?
White should after all have played
1 5 'ir'e l , which would have pre­
vented Black's stunning combina­
tion. The variation indicated in the
preceding note leads to an
approximately level game. Now,
however, White's position has only
the outward appearance of solidity ...
1 5...lbf4+!!
A textbook example of a purely
positional piece sacrifice. The price
White pays for this knight is high:
his king is deprived of its pawn
cover and the black pieces spring to
life. Is that sufficient? Stein had no
doubt on this score. Nor had I.
16 gxf4 exf4
What is threatened? In the first
place, obviously, the capture of the
knight on c3. If White defends it,
Black's knight on e7 will jump
92 Unforgettable Encounters
forward. For example: 1 7 j(,d2 lDf5 !
or 1 7 'ii'e 1 lDxd5 ! Therefore White
is practically forced to give up a
second pawn in order to free the
e4-square for his pieces.
17 e5 j(,xe5 18 lDge4 tDrs
1 9 ...j(,xc3 20 lDxc3 'ii'g 5+! is
threatened.
19 l:.g1 lDg3! 20 �d2 j(,xc3 2 1
j(,xc3 lDxe4 2 2 fxe4 'i!Vg5+
The accurate continuation of the
attack. It seemed to many, during
the game, that 22 . . . f3+ was stronger.
The idea is 23 j(,xf3 'i!Vg5+ 24 � £2
j(,g4 and now:
(a) If 25 �xg4 'i!Vxg4 26 'it>e3,
then 26 ... 'i!Vf4+ 27 'it>£2 �t7 with the
decisive threat of28 ... �af8.
(b) However, post-mortem analy­
sis quickly extablished that White
has 25 �g3 ! . Black then gains noth-
ing by 25 . . .j(,xf3 (or 25 ...ii'h4 26
'it>g2; not to mention 25 ...�f7? 26
'i!Vd4 ! ; admittedly Black does have
25 ... �xf3+! 26 ifxf3 l:tf8 emerging
with queen and pawn for two rooks.
But the exchanges involved in this
line would weaken his attack) 26
�xg5 j(,xd 1 + 27 'it>e3 .
23 'it>fl j(,b3+
Quite a rare case of the light­
squared bishop instead of the dark­
squared one playing the leading role
in a King's Indian-type attack.
24 'it>f2 'ii'h4+ 25 'it>f3 ii'h5+ 26
'it>f2 ifh4+
By no means with the intention of
giving perpetual check. With time
trouble impending it is useful to get
nearer the control without spending
time deliberating.
27 'it>f3 g5 28 �fl g4+ 29 'it>e2
f3+ 30 �d3 g3 31 j(,xh3 ifxh3
With the forcing play finally over,
we can take stock. White has re­
tained his extra piece, which occu­
pies a highly attractive position on
the long diagonal, and his king has
escaped the direct threats. All well
and good, but how is White to stop
his opponent's duo of passed
pawns? If he does not create coun­
terplay, he will have to give up a
rook for one of them.
32 'ii'd2
White creates a threat for the first
time in the whole game, but so
what? It is hardly a mating attack!
Black has to find moves which com­
bine attack with defence.
32 'i!Vg4 33 'iWf2 g2
..•
The passed pawns are now se­
curely blockaded, but a third infan­
tryman is presently coming to help.
How does White oppose its march,
while the e4-pawn may also come
under attack?
34 �ael
He could have tried to regroup by
way of 34 ifd4 'ii'g6 35 j(,e 1 �ae8
36 j(,£2 l:%.f4 3 7 ltae 1 , but then
White's pieces would be tied up,
with the h-pawn deciding the issue.
34...�ae8!
There is no need to hurry with the
advance of the pawn. It is useful to
finish developing first, at the same
time preventing any active notions
such as e4-e5.
35 'it>c2 ii'f4 36 '>t>b3 ltxe4 37
ltxe4 'i!Vxe4 38 'i!Vxa7 'i!Vg6 39 'ii'f2
'i!Vg4 40 'i!Va7 lte8

The game was adjourned here,
with Taimanov sealing his move.
Home analysis did not reveal any
special difficulties.
41 ..lt.el
Attempting to erect a barrier in
front of the pawns, White abandons
his king to its fate.
4l. 'We4
••
_ 42 ..lt.f2 �d3+ 43 'it.i'b4
ii'd2+ 44 'it.i'b3
Black has more than one road to
victory, but he chooses the simplest.
44 b6! White resigns. 0-1
•••
He must give up a piece for each
of the pawns. As you see, the turn of
the h-pawn has not even come.
The most sincere congratulations
that I received for this victory, as
you might guess, were from Leonid
Stein. He came specially to see the
adjournment session, although he
didn't have an adjourned game him­
self. To be honest it was rather a
pity that his clever resource had
brought all its fruits to me alone, but
it happened that fate was to redress
the balance.
This happened eight years later, at
the USSR Team Championship in
Grozny. I was playing in the Geor­
gian team for the first time, and in
the Ukraine-Georgia match I had
Black against Stein. Of course I
played the King's Indian, and ... my
game with Taimanov was repeated
up to move 1 3 ! Here Leonid di­
verged with 1 3 c5, but I dogmati­
cally remained true to precedent!
There followed 1 3 . . . fxg3 1 4 hxg3
lLlh5 1 5 ii'e 1 (again a slight differ­
ence) 1 5 ...tt::l f4 !?.
Alas! The sacrifice is not so effec­
tive in the present situation, for the
knight on c3 is defended. After 1 6
gxf4 exf4 1 7 l:H2 ! �d4 1 8 'it.i'h1
tLlf5 1 9 exf5 �xg5 20 .l:tg2 ii'xf5 2 1
ii.d2 ii.d7 2 2 lLle4, White kept the
Unforgettable Encounters 93
attack and retained a material ad­
vantage. By the 30th move it was
my turn to congratulate Leonid. It
was as if in this game I involuntarily
"showed my gratitude" to him for
his help in my win over Taimanov.
But in the end, of course, it was
opening theory that gained the most,
being enriched with two valuable
games.
As to a definitive assessment of
the variation, it appears that Black
has hidden tactical possibilities eve­
rywhere. In particular, after 1 3 c5 he
can improve straightaway-for
example, simply 1 3 ... h6 14 lLlxe6
ii.xe6 1 5 dxe6 d5! or 1 5 ... c6. In
fact, even after the sacrifice,
20 ...'ii'h6+ is worth considering-
2 1 .l:th2 'ii'g7 22 ii.d2 ii.xf5 with a
definite initiative.
Here is a more recent game, in
which the King's Indian bishop is
raging against me, in the hands of
my opponent. Well, I somehow
manage to come to terms with it.
34 King's Indian Defence [E67]
E.Gufeld White
M.Golubev Black
Alushta Open, 1993
1 g3 e5 2 � g2 d6 3 c4 lLlf6 4
lLlc3 g6 5 ltJf3 �g7 6 0-0 0-0 7 d4
lLlbd7
Irony of Fate: the King's Indian is
my favourite opening with Black,
and now I am playing White against
it. But the bishop on g7-I felt some
inner voice saying to me, "This
bisho.p will not be your enemy ... "
8 'Wc2 exd4
Theory offers many alternatives
(8 ... .l:te8, 8 ... c6, 8 ... ife7) but my
young opponent wants to clear up
the situation at once. Young players,
94 Unforgettable Encounters

as a rule, hate protracted positional followed by doubling rooks on the

manoeuvring. d-file. In that case Black would have
9 ttJxd4 ttJb6 1 0 .l:.dl ! trouble organizing counterplay, so
White is better developed and Golubev sharpens the position.
ready for immediate tactical 17 .i.g4 18 .l:.d2 d5 19 exd5
.•.

fighting. Tempting was 19 h3 .i.e6 20 .i.b2

10 ... 4:\xc4 1 1 liJcb5 a6 12 'ii'xc4
axb5 13 liJxb5 liJe8
So Black has opened the a-file for
his rook, the g7-bishop is crowing
loudly, and there are no weaknesses
in his position. White has more
space, however, and consequently
the better chances.
liJc7 with a slight advantage, but I
decided to meet the challenge head­
on, hoping for more.
l9...ttJd6!
Courage always deserves respect.
20 dxc6 'iif6 2 1 .i.b2
I didn't like 2 1 .l:.b 1 which allows
Black some counterplay after

li ��)������
� t �� . t l] t
2 l .. . .i.f5 22 liJe4 liJxe4 23 i.xe4
i.xe4 24 'ii'xe4 .l:.fe8 25 'ii'c2 'iif3 .
2 1 ...liJc4 22 liJa4

B �� �
� Bt� B The only move; 22 liJd 1 ?? loses

�4)- • •
······'
to 22 ... i.xd l .
22 liJxb2
-�- . .
•..

If 22 ...'ii'f5 or 22 ...'ii'g 5, then 23

%"'� .i.xg7 �xg7 24 'iic 3+ �g8 25
� - • -• �m
ft �� • ft ����J�
.l:.d5+ .
-

23 liJxb2 .trs 24 'ifb3

,��
� Mb�
f
��� M
�'0}:
24 'ii'c5 !?.
24 'ii'c3!
•..

14 'ii'c2! ! An excellent move: the tension is

A theoretical novelty ( 1 4 .i.f4 was
usually played here). The idea is un­
derstandable: White wants to protect
his weak pawns first and to move
his queen away from its exposed po­
sition. Development is to be com­
pleted later.
14 .i.d7
.••
Or 1 4 ... c6 1 5 liJxd6 liJxd6 1 6
.i.f4±.
l5 ttJc3 c6 16 e4 b5!?
Bravely played, although in a way
forced. If Black is passive, White
will complete his development and
put the weak d6-pawn under a last­
ing siege.
17 b4!
An excellent reply. The advance
of the dangerous b-pawn is pre­
vented, while White plans .i.c 1 -b2
mounting. In spite of being two
pawns down, Black's position
seems threatening due to his two
powerful bishops. The dark-squared
one is particularly strong, having no
opposite number. And to tell you
the truth, a couple of times during
the game I was ready to shout:
"What are you doing, my friend, are
you really against me?"
25 .l:.ad1 'ii'xb3 26 axb3 .i.c3 27
.l:.e2 :a2
Quite logically played: he pins the
white knight along the second rank.
27 . . . .i.xb4 is bad, as Black would be
unable to overcome the passed
pawn. And if 27 ... i.g4, then 28 f3
.i.e6 29 .l:.xe6! ? fxe6 30 ttJd3
(intending i.h3 and ttJc5 +-) would
clearly favour White.

28 tba4!
Another jump to the same place,
this time winning the game. The
point can be seen in the line
28 .. Jhe2 29 tbxc3 (Black has won
the exchange but lost his King's In­
dian bishop) 29 ... ltb2 30 tbd5 (or
30 �d5) and the result is no longer
in any doubt. Now Black must grab
the "kamikaze knight" and try to
muddy the waters, but the tactics go
my way this time.
28 ... bxa4 29 ltxa2 axb3
The passed pawn seems very
threatening, but I had seen how to
pacify it well in advance.
Good and b ad bishops
I have the impression that at the
tournament in Sukhumi, Robert
Hiibner had deliberately decided to
test his defensive abilities. In this
particular game, he goes in for one
of the toughest variations of the
French Defence.
35 French Defence [C04]
E.Gufeld White
R.Hiibner Black
Sukhumi, 1 972
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 tbd2 tbc6 4
tbgf3 tbf6 5 e5 tbd7 6 lbb3 i.. e7 7
i..b5 0-0 8 0-0 lbcb8
Unforgettable Encounters 95
30 lta3 i..c2 3 1 ltxb3!
This is the point. The dangerous
pawn is eliminated, but in spite of
the opposite-coloured bishops the
way to victory is not too compli­
cated. (There is nothing to discuss
after 3 l ...i..xd 1 , leaving bishops of
the same colour.)
31 ... �xb3 32 ltd3 �xb4 33
ltxb3 �d6
As will be obvious later, 33 ... �a5
would be more precise, although
White would still have a won
position.
34 ltb7 ltc8 35 ltd7
A precious tempo.
35 i..e5 36 f4 �c7 37 �d5
..•
i..b6+ 38 <otn ltc7 39 i.. xti+
Two extra pawns victory.
=
39 'it>f8 40 ltxc7 �xc7 41 �d5
...
h6 42 h4 g5 43 fxg5 hxg5 44 hxg5
�xg3
Black has no more weak pawns,
but what about White' s passed
pawns?
45 g6 1-0
The white king goes to the centre
and wins.
Black intends by way of ...b7-b6
and ... i..c8-a6 to exchange off his
light-squared bishop. Less favour­
able is 8 ... a6 because of 9 �xc6
bxc6 1 0 c4! and White begins active
actions on the queenside.
9 �f4 b6 10 ltcl �b7
"It becomes clear that Black's in­
tended bishop exchange doesn't
give him equality: 1 O ... i..a6 1 1
i..xa6 tbxa6 1 2 ii'e2 lbab8 1 3 c4! .
1 1 �d3 tba6
Or 1 l ...c5 12 c4 ! .
12 c3
The strategical chess concept of
good and bad bishops. With the
96 Unforgettable Encounters
centre pawns fixed on dark squares,
White's light-squared bishop has
plenty of scope, but the role of his
dark-squared one is limited; hence
his immediate aim is to get rid of it.
12 ...c5 13 i.b1 .l:te8 14 'ii'd 2 .l:tc8
On 14 . . . h6, White would gladly
sacrifice his "redundant" bishop.
Black is therefore unable to prevent
the exchange of this piece.
1s .tgs tt:'lf8 16 h3
This move has several aims. First,
it gives the king a "loophole". Sec­
ondly, it vacates a square for ma­
noeuvring the knight along the route
f3-h2-g4. In the third place, it makes
an infantry advance possible (f2-f4,
g2-g4, f4-f5, etc.).
16....txg5 17 ltJxg5 f6 18 ltJf3
.l:!c7 19 .l:tce1
I wished I had a third rook to put
on e l ! I'm not joking: one rook sup­
ports the advancing f-pawn, another
is useful in case the c-file opens,
and the third is needed to strengthen
the e5-square. But alas, one has only
two rooks in chess!
19 ... (5
In case of 1 9 . . .ltJb8 White was
going to continue with 20 �h l i.a6
21 .l:tgl and then ltJf3-h2, f2-f4 and
g2-g4, working up a menacing ini­
tiative on the kingside. Black should
not have released the tension in the
centre, however, as White now has a
free hand for a pawn assault.
20 ltJh2 ltJb8 21 f4 i.c8 22 g4 c4
23 ltJa1
The knight intends to storm the
opponent's main strongpoint, the
square f5.
23 ltJc6 24 ltJc2 .l:tti 25 ltJe3
•..
ltJg6 26 ttJ_g2 ltJh4 21 ..-n
Not 27 tt:'lxh4 ,..xh4 28 ,..g2 fxg4
29 hxg4? (29 ltJxg4) 29 ....l:txf4 ! .
2 7 ltJxg2 2 8 '1Wxg2 ltJe7 29 'it'g3
.•.
bS
Prospects on the queenside are
bleak because Black will be busy
defending his kingside.
30 ltJf3 aS 31 .l:te2
Since White can't break through
his opponent' s defences via the
square f5, he prepares a build-up of
heavy pieces on the g-file.
31. ..�h8 32 ltJg5 .l:tff8 33 .l:tg2
�c7
The threat was 34 ltJxe6 i.xe6 35
gxf5 .
34 'it>h2 ltJg8
Black's knight is headed for h6,
intending to defend the g7-square
with heavy pieces on the seventh.
35 ltJxh7!
A small combination which trans­
forms positional superiority into
something more concrete.
35 'it>xh7 36 'ii'h4+ ltJh6 37 gS
•••
ii'ti
37 . . .'ile7 38 'iWh5 .l:tg8 (with the
idea 39 gxh6 gxh6) fails to save
Black because of39 .l:tfgl with deci­
sive threats.
38 g6+?
Probably quicker was 38 .l:tfg l g6
39 ii'xh6+ �g8 40 h4 'iWh7 41 h5
gxh5 42 i.c2 and 43 i.dl .
38...'iVxg6 39 .l:txg6 'it>xg6 40
.l:tgl+ 'it>h7 41 i.c2 .l:tti 42 i.d1
Here the game was adjourned, and
though it was played in the first
round, it was resumed only after
round ten. All this time Hiibner and
I were willy-nilly debating with

each other every day without 1 meet­
ing, and this adversely affected our
results. In answer to 42 . . J:tc7 ! , I was
intending to try to open a file on the
queenside with 43 b3 ! The attempt
at a straight attack fails, as is
attested by the following variation:
42 .. J:tc7 43 �h5 l:tg8 44 l:tg6 .l:t£8
45 'i'g5 'ith8 (the threat was 46
l:txe6 �xe6 47 'ili'g6+) 46 l:txh6+
gxh6 47 'ili'xh6+ �g8 and White
cannot strengthen his position.
42 l:tg8
.••
This was sealed. During the game
Huhner may have thought that if he
How I became world champion
There is no need to emphasize
how hard it is to become World
Champion. Long, long years of
strenuous labour are spent in
achieving it, sometimes an entire
lifetime. But all is relative in this
world. I managed to gain the title of
"World Champion by Telex" in just
one day, with a short break for
dinner.
36 King's Indian Defence [A48]
U.Bonsch White
E.Gufeld Black
Telex Finals, 1 978
l ltlf3 g6
Unforgettable Encounters 97
could play 43 ...g6 next move, he
would construct an impregnable for­
tress. He couldn't play 42 ...g6 right
away because of 43 l:txg6! 'itxg6 44
�h5+ 'itg7 45 'ili'g5+.
43 l:tg6!
An unpleasant surprise.
43 ...l:tb7
If 43 ...'itxg6 44 .ih5+ 'ith7 45
�xf7 and the white queen will
break into the enemy camp.
44 �h5 b4 45 'ili'g5 bxc3
Opening up the queenside doesn't
help. Black's position is already
very difficult.
46 bxc3 l:tb2+
Or 46 ... :£8 47 ikh4 ! .
4 7 'itg3 l:tc2
Or 47 ...ltlf7 48 'i'e7 ltlh8 49
l:th6+! 'itxh6 50 'ili'g5+ 'ith7 5 1
�g6+! ltlxg6 52 'i'h5 mate.
48 'i'e7 l:txc3+ 49 'ith4 'ith8 50
l:txh6+ gxh6 51 'ili'f6+ l:tg7
Or 5 l . ..'ith7 52 'ii'f7+ 'ith8 53
�g6+-.
52 �g6 1-0
It is mate in 3 .
The first move took about two
hours to reach me. Meanwhile I had
time to prepare a "parking space"
for my dark-squared bishop.
2 d4 ltlf6
My opponent probably didn't
doubt that I would choose the
King's Indian. In that case he was
ready to go into a reversed French
set-up, in which German chess play­
ers excel. For instance: 3 e3 i..g7 4
�e2 0-0 5 b3 d6 6 i..b 2 e5 7 0-0 e4
8 ltle l , etc.
3 e3 .tg7 4 .te2 0-0 5 b3 c5!
So all along I was going to veer
away from the road which had been
1)8 Unforgettable Encounters
"paved" for me in Berlin.
6 .tb2 cxd4 7 lt:Jxd4
Also after 7 .. . exd4 Black's pros­
pects are no worse.
7 ... d5 8 0-0 lte8!
Strange as it might seem, this
move is a theoretical novelty.
Weaker is 8 ... e5 9 lt::\£3 e4 1 0 lt:Jd4,
or 8 ... lt::\c6 9 lt::\xc6 bxc6 1 0 c4, and
in both cases White's position is to
be preferred.
9 lt::\d2
Here my rival made a slip, possi­
bly the only one in the game. After
the obligatory 9 c4! e5 1 0 lt::\£3 lt::\c6
1 1 cxd5 lt:Jxd5 1 2 lt:Ja3, the chances
are about e'lual.
9 ... e5 10 tt:\413 lt:Jc6
Black now has the centre.
l l c4?! d4! 1 2 exd4 e4! 13 lt:Je1
In the light of subsequent events it
would probably have been better for
White to choose 1 3 lt:Je5 lt:Jxd4 1 4
f4! .
13 ...lt:Jxd4 1 4 lt:Jc2 lt:Jxe2+ 1 5
'ifxe2 .tg4 1 6 'ife3
On 1 6 'ife 1 'ifd3 1 7 lt::\e 3? ( 1 7
lt:Jb4) 1 7. . ..te2 1 8 .txf6 .txf6 1 9
lt:Jd5 .tg5, White will suffer mate­
rial losses on top of his positional
concessions.
16...lt:Jd5!
First of all, it is necessary for the
g7-bishop to get rid of his rival.
17 cxdS .txb2 18 ltab1 .tg7 19
h3 sus 20 l:tbd1 !
Is the d5-pawn a strength or a
weakness? White seems to be in no
doubt that after 2 1 lt::\c4 this pawn
will start sweeping aside the black
pieces like a battering ram; whereas
after 20 g4 Black would himself
have undertaken decisive action
with 20.. .l:tc8 2 1 lt:Jc4 b5 22 gxf5
bxc4 23 fxg6 hxg6, etc. In fact the
move White plays, 20 l:tbd 1 , is the
strongest. How should Black con­
tinue? At first glance, capturing the
d5-pawn allows White a formidable
initiative after 2 1 lt::\c4. Maybe
20 ... l:1c8, hoping after 2 1 lt::\c4 b5 22
lt::\4a3 l:tc3 23 'it'xa7 'it'h4 to start
hand-to-hand combat on the king­
side? But in the first place, it is not
obvious who would come off better
from these complications; and sec­
ondly, the simple 2 1 lt:Jd4 'it'xd5 22
lt:Jxf5 enables White to look to the
future with confidence. There is no
sense in 20 ... l:te5 2 1 d6! Nor did I
spend much time on 20 ...ilh4, plac­
ing the strongest piece on the edge
of the board.
20...'ifxd5! 2 1 lt:Jc4
21 ...1i'd3 !
Now the telex was silent for about
an hour.
22 lt:Jb4
White did not dare accept the sac­
rifice, as after 22 l:txd3 exd3 23 'iff3
(actually White should give the
queen back and search for a way to
equalize after 23 lt:Jd6!? l:txe3 24
lt:Jxe3) 23 ... dxc2 24 lt:Jd6 l:te7 the
c2-pawn would be very dangerous.
22 ...'ifxe3 23 fxe3 .li.e6! 24 lt:Jd6
l:te7 25 g4
Hoping to cut off the e4-pawn
from reinforcements, but this is like
trying to put a fire out with petrol!
25 lt:Jxe4 .txb3 did not help either.
25 ... a5 26 lt:Jc2

After 26 lDd5 ii.xd5 27 l:txd5 .l:.d7
White would be a knight dowt\.
26 ... h5! 27 lDd4 ii.xd4
I silently apologized to the
1-(7-bishop, but he has to understand
t hat this is the quickest route to vic­
tmy. Besides, the bishop has already
�ot through his eight-hour working
day.
28 l:txd4 hx g4 29 hxg4 ii.xg4 30
li\xe4 ii.f5 31 l2Jd6 ii.h3
There is no need to concede a file
with 3 l . ..ii.e6 32 l:r.c l .
32 l:tf3 ii.e6 33 l:r.f2 l:tc7 34 'it;;>g2
�g7 35 'it;;>g3 l:th8 36 l:[f3
Second-degree threats
Combinations are usually exe­
cuted in a forcing sequence, for
example: check-threat--capture­
check and mate! In his book Chess
Tactics for Advanced Players, Aver­
bakh applies the term "first-degree
threats" to forcing moves of this
type. Considerably more complex
combinations, he tells us, incorpo­
rate second-degree or even third­
degree threats. For those whose
knowledge of such terms in contem­
porary chess science is shaky, the
following game may be a very use­
ful experience, demonstrating the­
ory in practice.
37 Sicilian Defence [B29]
E.Gufeld White
V.Osnos Black
Karseladze Memorial, Kutaisi 1 978
1 e4 c5 2 l2Jf3 lDf6
A pleasant surprise! This
Nimzowitsch variation has long
gone out of fashion, and I might
have been in some danger if I had
not faced it many times before, in
Unforgettable Encounters 99
On 36 l:th2, Black has a convinc­
ing win with 36 ...l:txh2 3 7 lDe8+
'it;;>h6 38 lDxc7 l:txa2 39 lDxe6 fxe6
40 l:td6 b5-+.
36 l:tc5
•.•
At this point a misunderstanding
occurred: my opponent maintained
that he had played 36 l:th2, but the
telex operator sent the move 36.
l:tf3 . In fact the move 36 l:r.f3 was
confirmed several times by further
inquiries. The game was sent for ad­
judication to former World Cham­
pion Dr. Max Euwe, who awarded a
win to Black. 0-1
the remote fifties when it was fre­
quently seen in tournament play.
Since then the variations might have
been forgotten, but the underlying
idea-never!
3 e5 lDd5 4 d4 cxd4 5 'ir'xd4 e6 6
il.c4 l2Jc6 7 1ie4 d6 8 0-0 dxe5 9
l2Jxe5 'ir'c7
Here it was possible to go straight
from the opening to the endgame
with 9 ... lDf6 1 0 lDxc6! lDxe4 1 1
lDxd8 'it;;>xd8 1 2 l:td 1 + 'it;;>c7 1 3 ii.d3
l2Jd6. However, after 1 4 c4! , as was
shown in the game Martinovic­
Bjelajac (Novi Sad 1 978), White re­
tains the initiative and Black has an
unpleasant fight ahead for a draw.
In the middlegame the play is much
livelier.
10 l2Jf3 lDf6 1 1 'ir'e2
The white pieces, which were oc­
cupying dominant posts in the cen­
tre, have retreated. Is this a success
for Black? Not at all! The black
army is retarded in development,
inhibited in space, and clearly losing
the struggle for the centre, where
White controls all the important
strongpoints.
100 Unforgettable Encounters
l l .. .li.d6 12 .lle 1 ll'lg4
.
Realizing that with routine play
he will not be able to stem his oppo­
nent's mounting pressure, Osnos
struggles for control of the central
squares.
13 h3 ll'lge5 14 lt:Jxe5 .li.xe5 1 5
tt::ld2 0-0 1 6 ll'lf3 tt::ld 4
In case of the more natural retreat
of the bishop to f6, White's queen
could have returned to e4 (at once
or after the preliminary c2-c3) with
overwhelming superiority in the
centre.
17 ll'lxd4 .li.xd4 1 8 .lld 1 .li.c5
Where do you think this bishop is
heading? To f8 ! But an attempt to
keep control over the centre with
1 8 . . .iH6 1 9 it'e4 did not hold out
any bright prospects.
19 b3
The vacated diagonal should be
seized immediately.
19 ... .li.d7 20 .li.b2 .llfd8 2 1 it'g4
.li.f8 22 .li.f6!
The pressure has reached its
maximum, and Black is confronted
with concrete problems. Where
should the rook be moved? At first
it seems to make no difference. Far
from it! The tactical phase is
commencing-it will be necessary
to keep finding the only move.
22 .. J:te8?!
Strange though it might seem, this
mistake is a tactical one-as will be­
come clear after a few more moves.
If Osnos could have foreseen the
not-too-distant future, he would
have played his rook to c8. But at
this stage it is very hard to predict
that the black queen will be left
hanging.
23 .li.d3! .li.c6?!
Better 23 ... .lla c8, though after 24
h4! Black would still be facing a
very difficult defensive task.
24 .li.xh7+!
This sacrifice is nothing remark­
able even to a beginner, as long as
White can follow it up with "first­
degree" threats: a check with the
knight on g5 and a queen sortie to
h5 (or vice versa). Here this se­
quence is impossible (there is no
knight). So what is White counting
on?
24 .. .'itxh7 25 it'h5+ �g8 26
.lld4! !
Here i s the idea of the combina­
tion, which from beginning to end
might serve as an example for stu­
dents. As in the well-known attack
with sacrifices on h7 and g7, White
gives away both his bishops­
though in this case the combination
is the more notable because of its
non-forcing character. White is
about to create a mating threat by
way of .lld4-h4. This is precisely
what we call a "second-degree"
threat. How can Black find two
tempi for defence?
26 ...gxf6
In the post-mortem we analysed
all the nuances of this combination
which was not subject to exact cal­
culation over the board. We found
that this was the very moment when
Black had his only chance to reach
an endgame with some hopes of sal­
vation: 26 ... .li.f3 ! ? 27 gxf3 it'xc2 28

Everything is forced. White cre­
ates a threat of the first order: a
double-check with capture on f7,
afterwards a check on h7 and the
black queen 's vulnerability becomes
obvious. I wonder whether there is
any satisfactory defence to this
threat? To tell you the truth, when I
sacrificed the bishop on h7 I did not
figure out all the variations, but just
believed in the power of my attack.
It was risky. But it was justified not
only from the competitive viewpoint
but also from the creative one! The
post-mortem showed that the com­
bination was correct in all its
ramifications.
29 l:tac8
.••
Alternatively:
(a) 29 ...�d8 30 �h7 ii'd7 3 1
�g8+ +-.
(b) 29 ...l:tec8 30 �xf6 (not 30
ii'h7? �e8 !-+) 30. . . �e4 (30 ...�e7?
3 1 l:tg8+!) 3 1 l:te 1 ! �xc2 (3 1 . ..l:td8
32 �g5 !+-) 32 ii'g5 ..tg6 (32 .. .'it>e8
33 .l:.xe6+ fxe6 34 l:txc7 l:txc7 3 5
�g8+ +-) 33 'ii'h6! 'iti>e8 (3 3 ...�c2
34 l:txe6+-) 34 l:txe6+ +-.
(c) 29 ... �e4 30 l:tg4+ 'iti>e7 3 1
l:txe4 �xc2 3 2 l:tc4 'ilfh2 33 l:tacl +-
Unforgettable Encounters 101
(d) 29 ...�d7 30 �xf6 �e4 3 1
ii'g5 ! , or 30. . .�e7 3 1 �h6 �d7 32
'ii'g 5+-.
30 ii'h7!
Does this threaten 3 1 �g8+ at
once? No! A much stronger threat is
3 1 l:td l ! , and if 3 1 . . .-tdS then 32
c4! regaining the piece and launch­
ing a decisive attack.
30. .b5
.
After the hasty 3 1 'ii'g8+ 'iti>e7,
there is no decisive stroke. White
can deliver a lot of checks, but
Black manages to escape from di­
rect danger without too painful
losses.
31 l:td1 !
Some combinations run like
clockwork: everything in them can
be faultlessly figured out. But the
combination in this game, in my
opinion, is characterized by that
level of difficulty where precise
mathematical calculation is not pos­
sible, owing to the large number of
variations. One has to find threats
not only of the first degree but of
higher degrees, and if they turn out
to be decisive, then the game makes
an aesthetic impression. Here the
impression is enhanced by the coor­
dination with which White's entire
force joins in the fight.
31 ...�d5 32 c4 bxc4 33 bxc4 1-0
The impudent pawn cannot be
captured because of the mate. That
is why the bishop is destined to
perish, and further resistance is
pointless. I like this game because
White's attack was a logical
continuation of the right strategy
and a consequence of the
opponent's obscure mistake, which
wasn't revealed by concrete
variations until after a few more
moves.
102 Unforgettable Encounters
Intuition-the cornerstone
of chess art
38 Sicilian Defence [B33 ]
E.Gufeld White
B.lvanovic Black
Sochi 1979
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 lLlc6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lLlxd4 lLlf6 5 lLlc3 e5 6 lLldb5
The most consistent reaction. In
the game Schlechter-Lasker in
which this variation originated,
White decided to play more conser­
vatively, and after 6 lLlb3 �b4 7
�d3 dS Black gradually took over
the initiative.
6 ... d6
"Will it be the Cheliabinsk varia­
tion?" Black seems to ask, making
this move. It is possible to avoid it
by 6 . . .h6 but as practice has shown,
the simple 7 lLld6+ �xd6 8 �xd6
�e7 9 �xe7+ lLlxe7 1 0 �e3 ! fol­
lowed by 1 1 0-0-0 confronts Black
with long-term difficulties.
7 lLld5
It was possible to accept the oppo­
nent's invitation with 7 �gS a6 8
�xf6 gxf6 9 lLla3 bS 1 0 lLldS, but
the plan with 7 lLldS seems to me
quite promising. One of its points is
that the knight doesn't have to re­
treat from bS to the edge of the
board (which is part of the compen­
sation Black gets for the weaknesses
he has voluntarily given himself).
The knight will be more comfort­
able on c3, behind the c-pawn's
back.
7 ... lLlxd5 8 exd5 lLlb8
The knight's retreat to e7 is also
encountered in practice, but it gives
Black little hope of an easy life.
From d7 the knight can combat both
the break with f2-f4 and the march
c2-c4-c5, which are likely plans at
White's disposal.
9 c4 a6 10 lLlc3 lLld7
If Black intended to put his bishop
to e7, this move would be appropri­
ate. But as it turns out, the bishop is
going to move to g7. In this case the
knight's transfer to d7 is premature.
First, kingside castling is delayed by
a whole tempo, and secondly, the
d6-pawn remains temporarily un­
protected. If Black wanted to play
... g7-g6, he should have done it
right away.
1 1 �e2 g6
After the knight's development to
d7, this plan gives White chances
for an early attack. There was still
time to get back on the right path
with 1 l . . .�e7 ! .
1 2 0-0 �g7
- �..�.�� � f�
� 1 ·�- 1 1] 1
1 . �� . 1�.
�� ·--·· · '�r·��•
%
� · .ft ��
• .ft . • •
� �: " � • � •
.ft �� -A� .ft ��
§f· · �- �'iG��f3!·· -�
The first critical moment. If White
allows Black to castle, Black will be
doing well. But how can this be
prevented?
13 lLle4!
I played this move after much
hesitation. Outwardly, the attack on

the d6-pawn doesn't look sensible­
it will be protected, then the enter­
prising knight will be driven back
with tempo by ...f7-f5 . Afterwards
the avalanche of black pawns could
roll on further.
13 'ir'e7
.•.
After 1 3 ... 'ir'c7 1 4 'ir'a4! 0-0 1 5
'ir'a3 ltJc5 1 6 ltJxc5 dxc5 1 7 .i.e3
White has the initiative.
14 'ir'a4 f5
And now if 1 4 ... 0-0 1 5 'iVb4 ltJc5
16 ltJxc5 dxc5 1 7 'iVb6, with the
threats .i.c1 -e3 and b2-b4, Black's
position is unenviable.
15 .i.g5 'ir'f8 16 f4! h6
Not 1 6... fxe4? 1 7 fxe5 'ii'g 8 1 8 e6
with an inevitable rout.
17 .i.h4 exf4 1 8 l:txf4
Threatening 1 9 l:txf5 ! .
18... .i.e5
The second important moment.
Black has defended the d6-pawn
with tempo and threatens to repulse
White' s attacking pieces. If White
can find nothing better here than in­
glorious retreat, it will mean that the
assault he began with the knight' s
move t o e 4 was merely an unjustifi­
able risk. The variation 1 9 l:t£3
'ir'g7 ! , with 20 ... 0-0 to follow, is
only to Black's advantage.
19 l:tafl !
When considering 1 3 ltJe4 I had
calculated the variations up to this
move, and the subsequent events
were rather vague in my mind. Now
it became possible to assess the
situation more thoroughly. It turned
out that sacrifices were not to be
avoided. To begin with, White of­
fers the exchange. Acceptance with
19 . . . .i.xf4 20 l:txf4 (20 lLlf6+ <it'f7)
would keep Black on the defensive,
as the threats are both 2 1 l:txf5 and
2 1 lLlf6+.
l9.. 'ir'g7!
. mate ! . Black now seems to have a
Unforgettable Encounters 103
White would also have a very
strong attack after 1 9 ... .i.xf4 20
l:txf4 'it>f7 2 1 'iVb4. Now it is time
for some important decisions. After
a long think and some doubts, I
glanced at the portrait of Mikhail
Ivanovich Chigorin, which hung in
the tournament hall, and made up
my mind.
20 l:txf5!!
I think that Chigorin would have
been satisfied with this sacrifice,
based not on calculations but rather
on intuition and inspiration. Did
White have an alternative? Yes he
had, but after 20 l:t4f3 0-0 he would
have to defend himself with material
equality. Isn't it better to attack,
even at the cost of a rook?
20 ...gxf5 21 l:txf5!
The pawn could have been cap­
tured with check: 2 1 .i.h5+ <it>f8 22
l:txf5+. However, after 22 .. .'�g8
White would scarcely have anything
better than "winning" the queen for
two rooks and a piece by 23' l:tf7
'ii'x f7 24 .i.xf7+ <it'xf7 25 'ii'd 1 , with
hopes of a perpetual. Was the rook
sacrificed just for that?
2 1 ...h5 22 c5!
22 ltJg5 is met by 22 ...'ii'e7 or
22 ....i.d4+ 23 <it'h 1 ife7-+; but not
22 ... b5? 23 ltJe6 bxa4 24 ltJc7
104 Unforgettable Encounters
choice of continuations, given that
White has not created any specific
threats of sufficient weight. I was
hoping there was no clear way for
my opponent to bring his king to a
safe haven and develop his pieces.
In the meantime, White can increase
the pressure. One of the ideas of 22
c5, in addition to striking at d6 and
creating the possibility of c5-c6, is
to clear the way to e4 for the queen.
For instance, in case of 22 ...dxc5 23
liJf6+! �xf6 24 �xf6 there is no
defence to 25 it'e4+. On 22 ...'ii'g6 I
had prepared 23 ltJxd6+! �xd6 24
'i!t'e4+ with these variations:
24 . . .ltJe5 25 .l:.xe5+ r:J;f7 26 'ii'f4+
r:J;g7 27 cxd6, or 24 ... �e5 25 .l:.xe5+
(25 c6! is also possible) ltJxe5 26
_
'ii'xe5+ <i;;f7 27 'Wxh8. In both cases
White has far the superior position.
22 ...'ii'h6!
For the time being Black repulses
both threats, enticing the opponent's
bishop to g5. What for? We shall
soon find out.
23 �g5 'ii'g6
Now White has to play forcefully,
or his_p ressure may dis ��pate.
24 tt::l xd6+ �xd6 25 'ife4+ �e5
Black is a rook and a piece up.
But it is not profitable, for the time
being, for White to regain the lost
material: 26 .l:.xe5+ lbxe5 27
�xe5+ r:J;f7 28 'ir'xh8 'i!Vxg5! 29
�xh5+ r:J;e7 30 'ii'e 8+ r:J;f6 3 1
'ir'd8+ r:J;f5 32 g4+ r:J;f4 ! . That is
why Black lured the bishop to g5 !
White has to seek other ways to at­
tack. I contemplated the following
nice variation: 26 c6 .l:.f8 27 cxd7+
r:J;xd7 28 'ii'xe5 .l:.e8 29 'i!Vf4! .l:.xe2
30 .l:.f7+ r:J;e8 3 1 .l:.f8+ r:J;d7 32 .l:.d8
mate, but discovered the correct an­
swer in time: 26 ...'ii'x f5 ! 27 'iixf5
�d4+ 28 r:J;h 1 lbf8 ! 29 'ii'e4+ lbe6!
30 �c4 0-0. During the game I was
not convinced that White has
enough superiority here for victory.
This prompted a different contin­
uation:
26 �d3!
This move, in my opinion, fulfils
the prime criteria of chess art: an or­
chestra sounds its best when all the
instruments without exception are
taking part. White's army, numeri­
cally inferior to Black's, surpasses it
in the total coordination of its
pieces.
26 ...'i!Vg7
The attempt at exchanging is
hopeless: 26 ...'ir'xf5 27 'ii'xf5 �d4+
28 r:J;h 1 lbxc5 29 'iVg6+ followed by
mate in six.
27 c6 bxc6 28 dxc6 lbc5 29
.l:.xe5+
Now the material advantage
passes to White. Black lays a
cunning trap.
29... tt::l e6!

30 i.c4!
It seems that the simple 30 c7
does the trick, but then Black has
30 . . . 0-0! Analysing the game in the
peace and quiet of your home, you
find it hard to imagine how the pos­
sibility of castling might be over­
looked. During the game, things are
different. Four hours of strenuous
calculations cause tremendous fa­
tigue. You can actually forget that
the opponent's king and rook have
not yet moved. When the thought
first dawned on me that Black might
castle, I couldn't believe it myself.
Was it true that his king had not
been moved? I even began to check
through my scoresheet, but alas, my
scrawl is such that I cannot even
read it myself, never mind arbiters
and reporters. But letting that pass, I
A provocation
39 King's Indian Defence [E83]
A.Beliavsky White
E.Gufeld Black
VII Spartakiad, Moscow 1 979
1 d4 l21f6
1 d4 came as a relief. In all our
previous encounters Beliavsky had
opened with 1 e4, and events had
turned out in his favour. So why
does he change his weapon? In pro­
voking me to choose my favourite
King's Indian he must have some­
thing up his sleeve. It will be inter­
esting to see what.
2 c4 g6 3 l21c3 i.g7 4 e4 d6 5 f3
0-0 6 i.e3 l21c6 7 l2\ge2 l:1b8 8 ltJcl
In the Encyclopedia of Chess
Openings this move is given
preference by Karpov and
Razuvaev.
8... a6 9 'ii'd 2 e5 10 l21b3
Unforgettable Encounters 105
looked for another continuation just
in case, and when I found it, I did
not hesitate. At this moment the fate
of the game hung by a thread! Now
30 0-0 does not save Black: 3 1
il.xe6+ i.xe6 3 2 l:!xe6, and the
threat 33 l:1g6 cannot be prevented.
30 .'ii'a7+ 31 il.e3 1Vh7 32
••
l:1xe6+
The final blow.
32 i.xe6 33 ji'xe6+ 'ii'e7
..•
Or 33 .. .'.ti>f8 34 il.h6+ 'ii'g7 35
'iVfl mate.
34 'ii'g6+! 1-0
After 34 . . .c;t>f8 35 i.h6+ or
34 ... c;t>d8 3 5 i.b6+ c;t>c8 36 i.e6+
c;t>b8 37 'ii'g3+ Black would be
mated. The white bishops have
proved stronger than the black
rooks. This game was acclaimed as
the best in the tournament.
Here my opponent displays inde­
pendent thought. Karpov and Razu­
vaev append an equals sign to the
variation beginning with this move,
and prefer instead 1 0 d5 l21d4 1 1
l21 1 e2. I agree with their preference,
although I think that even then
Black's chances are no worse. For
example, 1 1 ...l21xe2! (in ECO
1 1 .. .c5 is considered to be the main
line, which after 12 dxc6 l21xc6 1 3
l:1d1 fails to equalize for Black) 1 2
i.xe2 l21h5 1 3 0-0-0 ( 13 0-0 f5 1 4
c5 l21f6 1 5 'ii'c2 f4 1 6 i. fl g5, and
Black's kingside attack is more dan­
gerous than White's initiative on the
queenside, since 1 7 l21a4 is parried
by 1 7 ...b5! when the pawn on a6
and the rook on b8 prove highly
useful !) 1 3 ... f5 14 c5 f4 1 5 il.fl
i.f6! with the idea of ...il.f6-h4. Af­
ter 1 6 h4, Black has 1 6...l21g3 ! but
I 06 Unforgettable Encounters
the lines nevertheless remain closed,
whereas after the text move they
open up, to the great relish of the
bishop on g7.
10...exd4 1 1 �xd4
1 l. ..�e5!
ECO recommends 1 l ...�xd4 1 2
.txd4 but then the centralized
knight is replaced by a strong
bishop. After 1 2....te6 1 3 .te2 c6
1 4 0-0 b5 15 b3! White prevails in
the centre, for example: 15 ... bxc4
(or 15 ...c5 16 .te3 b4 17 �a4 �d7
1 8 'ii'xd6!) 16 bxc4 'i!Va5 1 7 l:ac1 c5
1 8 .te3 l:.fd8 1 9 llfdl .
12 .te2?
The first critical moment. ECO
recommends 1 2 ltd 1 ! to prevent the
advance ...c7-c5. After 12 ... c6 1 3
.te2 b5 1 4 0-0 c5 1 5 �b3 �xc4 1 6
.txc4 bxc4 17 �xc5 Black has dif­
ficulty creating counterplay. Now
my task is somewhat simplified: I
can follow the trail blazed long ago
by Lajos Portisch.
12 ... c5! 13 �c2 .te6 14 b3
White has to look to the defence
of c4.
1 4 'ilfa5!
.••
Black too must display a certain
caution. 1 4... b5 comes to mind, but
White's position is not yet bad
enough to justify such sharp meth­
ods. I once analysed the variation 1 5
cxb5 axb5 1 6 �xb5 d5 1 7 .txc5
dxe4 1 8 .txf8 'ii'xf8 19 'ii'd6 and
could not find sufficient compensa­
tion for the sacrifice.
1 5 0-0 bS 16 cxbS axbS
There is the constant threat of
...b5-b4 hanging over White's posi­
tion, with a subsequent ... c5-c4 or
...d6-d5.
1 7 ltfd1 !
Beliavsky takes measures against
Black's incipient initiative. On
17 ...b4 1 8 �a4 c4 he plans 1 9 �d4,
when 1 9. .. c3 20 'ilfc2 is not danger­
ous since White has the break
a2-a3 ! in reserve.
1 7...ltfe8
During the game, this move
greatly appealed to me on account
of the "x-ray" lte8-.te3. Analysis
showed this to be pure speculation,
however, unsupported by concrete
variations. With 1 8 �d5! White
could now have forced simplifying
exchanges. Therefore 17 ...�ed7!
deserved preference, not only clear­
ing the path for the g7-bishop but
also fortifying the c5-pawn in
advance.
1 8 .tfl
White shows excessive optimism
in refraining from 1 8 lbd5. The
point of the text move is not to re­
move the bishop from the rook's
x-ray, since the dose of "radiation"
is not yet great. White's aim, sim­
ply, is to free the e3-square for his
knight, since from there it will be
able to control the important d5 and
c4 points! That these points are ex­
tremely important, the following
variation adequately testifies: 18
ltacl b4 19 lDa4 c4 20 ltb 1 (20
lbd4 cxb3 21 axb3 .txb3!) 20... d5!
2 1 exd5 .txd5 and the game opens
up in Black's favour. But if the
knight gets to e3, then in the event
of ... b5-b4, �c3-d5 would seem
good. However, although the knight

is only one step away from the
e3-square, it will not find time to get
there.
18 li:Jed7!
•..
The knight retreat is based on
concrete considerations: Black pre­
vents 1 9 lZ'ld5 and himself threatens
19 . . .d5 ! , when 20 exd5 would be
met by 20...li:Jxd5 ! , for example 2 1
li:Jxd5 'iVxd2 2 2 .l:.xd2 �xd5 which
is to Black's advantage. Another
idea behind this flexible move is
that if White still carries on with his
planned 19 lZ'le3, Black has either
1 9 . . . li:Jg4! 20 .l:.aCl lZ'lxf2 2 1 'it>xf2
�h6, or 1 9 . . .b4 20 li:Jcd5 (20 li:Ja4
d5! 2 1 exd5 li:Jxd5) 20 ... �xd5 2 1
exd5 �h6, threatening . . .li:Jd7-b6
li:Jxd5 ! Therefore White must move
his rook from a 1 , which weakens
not only the a2-pawn, but the whole
of his queen's flank.
19 .l:.acl
Would 19 .l:.ab 1 have been better?
The b3-pawn needs supporting, as
soon becomes apparent. On 1 9
.l:.ab 1 there i s the strong 1 9 . . .b4 20
li:Ja4 (20 li:Jd5 �xd5 2 1 exd5
'i!Vxa2-+) 20 ... d5 ! 2 1 exd5 �xd5 22
li:Je3 (22 li:Ja3 .l:.xe2! ) 22 ... �h6 ! . I
was trying to extract the maximum
possible from the position. The
result was a combination several
moves deep, which gives a clear win
in all variations except two.
Unforgettable Encounters 107
19 li:Jg4?!
.••
The alternative was 1 9 ... b4 20
li:Ja4, and now:
(a) 20 ... d5? 2 1 exd5 �xd5 22
li:Je 1 ! and the rook on c 1 does White
valuable service: 22 ... .l:.bc8 23 �c4!
�c6 24 li:Jd3 .
(b) I had a long think about an­
other possibility: 20 ... c4! with
threats on the queenside. In this
case:
(b 1) 2 1 li:Jd4 cxb3 22 axb3 �xb3
23 lZ'lxb3 'i!Vxa4 would be unaccept­
able for White.
(b2) Over the board I couldn't
find a way to realize the advantage
after 2 1 .l:.b 1 ! . The possibilities now
are:
(b2 1 ) 2 1 . . .c3 22 'i!Vxd6 and the
protected passed pawn is no com­
pensation for the pawn sacrificed,
with White planning the break
a2-a3.
(b22) 2 l . ..cxb3 22 axb3 i.xb3 23
.l:.xb3 'i!Vxa4 24 .l:.xb4, restoring the
material balance.
(b23) After 2 1 . . .d5 ! White could
have obtained a playable game with
correct defence, but this was found
only in subsequent analysis, and I
have given the move an exclamation
mark on account of its practical ef­
fectiveness. 22 exd5 (not 22 li:Jd4
cxb3! ), and now:
(b23 1 ) 22 ...�xd5 23 bxc4 'Wxa4
24 cxd5 'iVxa2 25 .l:.xb4 .l:.xb4 26
108 Unforgettable Encounters
lt:lxb4 l:txe2 is not good enough, as
Black simply remains the exchange
down,
(b232) 22 ... c3 ! . Analysis shows
that this variation was objectively
Black's strongest, though it may not
have given a decisive advantage: 23
'ii'c 1 .i.xd5 24 .i.fl .i.c6 (24 ... �f8
also deserves consideration) 25 a3
bxa3 26 'ii'xa3 .i.f8 27 'ii'a 1 ! and de­
spite its outwardly unattractive ap­
pearance, White's position does not
lack defensive resources.
The conclusion is that after
19 ... b4 White might have saved the
game, while the move played pre­
sented him with problems which he
was unable to solve over the board.
20 .i.el
The exchange sacrifice could have
been accepted: 20 lt:lxb5! l:txb5
(20...ii'xd2 2 1 l:txd2 �h6 22 .i.e l !
.i.xd2 23 .i.xd2 lt:lge5 24 lt:lxd6!±)
21 .i.xb5 ii'xb5 22 fxg4 lt:lf6 23
ii'xd6, and although Black has a
strong initiative, with accurate de­
fence White's material advantage is
sufficient to avoid defeat.
20 ...b4
Of course nothing is gained by
20 ... .i.h6 2 1 'ii'xd6! �xc 1 22 l:txc1 ,
and now:
(a) 22 ...lt:lge5 23 f4 l:tb6 (or
23 . . .lt:lg4 24 f5 gxf5 25 exf5 .i.xf5
26 .i.xg4 .i.xg4 27 ii'g3) 24 'ii'c 7.
(b) 22 ... lt:lgf6 23 lt:la4 b4 24 lt:le3
with initiative to White.
21 lt:la4?
He should have played 2 1 lt:ld5
.i.xd5 (on 2 1 .. .lt:lgf6 or 2 1 . ..lt:lge5
White has 22 a3 ridding himself of
his queenside difficulties) 22 1i'xd5
lt:lgf6 (22 ...lt:lge5 is again met by 23
a3 ! ; nor is anything gained by the
piece sacrifice 22 ...'ii'xa2 23 fxg4
tDf6 24 'ii'xd6 lt:lxe4 25 'ii'd3+-) 23
'i!Vxd6 'i!Vxa2 24 .i.c4. Beliavsky's
mistake can be explained primarily
on psychological grounds: he seems
to have made a subconscious mental
note that in the event of ... b5-b4 he
should withdraw his knight not to
d5 but to a4. He replied automati­
cally, not delving deeply enough
into the details of the new situation.
21. c4!
•.
22 l:tbl
Other continuations do not save
White either:
(a) 22 fxg4 cxb3 23 axb3 i..xb3
24 'i!Vxd6 i..xa4 25 i.. xb4 'ilia?+ 26
�h1 �b2-+.
(b) 22 ii'xd6 i..e5 23 i..xb4 l:txb4
24 'i!Vxb4 �a7+! -+.
(c) 22 lt:lxb4 cxb3 23 axb3 i..xb3
24 lbc6 ii'xa4 25 lbxb8 'ii'a7+ 26
�h 1 'ii'xb8 27 fxg4 i.. x dl 28 l:txd l
l:txe4 and Black remains a pawn up,
because if 29 'ii'xd6? then
29 ...'i!Vxd6 30 l:ixd6 l:txe2-+.

(d) 22 i..xc4 i..xc4 23 fxg4 i..b 5
(23 ... lbf6!) 24 'i!Vxd6 i..xa4 25 bxa4
(25 i..xb4? 'ii'a7+ 26 Wh1 l:te6! +)
25 . . . lbf6! 26 .i..xb4 'i!Vxa4 27 a3
lbxg4 ! 28 'i!Vf4 'i!Va7+ 29 Wfl ? !
l:txe4! -+.
The weakness of the g 1 -a7 diago­
nal is a weight which tips the scales
in Black's favour in all the above
variations. But what of the game
continuation?
22 ... c3 23 'i!Vxd6 'i!Va7+!
The same motif, only in another
form.
24 Whl lbf2+ 25 .i.. xf2 'i!Vxf2
Black threatens not only the
bishop, but also the king by way of
26 . . . i..e5 and 27 ...'i!Vh4.
26 'i!Vd3! lt.Jc5! 27 lbxc5 'ii'xc5
Only now can the combination be
considered complete, for the evalua­
tion of the position is no longer
open to doubt-White' s queenside
is defenceless.
There is no adequate defence
against the threat to double rooks on
the a-file.
Conveyor-belt sacrifices
A chessplayer is usually proud of
a beautifully won game, but very
rarely proud of a draw. Yet to my
mind such rare cases are extremely
interesting. If everything possible
has been done for victory but the
opponent is up to the mark and hon­
ourably overcomes all difficulties,
then this game rightly deserves to be
recorded among the creative
achievements of both sides, who are
equal co-authors of a chess
masterpiece.
Unforgettable Encounters 109
28 'i!Ve3 'i!Vxe3 29 lbxe3 l:ta8 30
.:tal
Or 30 i..b 5 l:teb8 3 1 i.. a4
l:txa4!-+.
30 ...l:ta5 31 i.. c4 c2 32 lbxc2
i.. xc4!
White could still have put up re­
sistance after 32 ... i..x a1 33 i.. xe6 ! .
Now, however, he can resign imme­
diately, in view of 33 bxc4 i..x a1 34
l:txa1 b3 35 axb3 l:txa 1+ 36 lbxa 1
l:td8. But in a team tournament you
fight to the end.
33 l:tacl i.. e6 34 lt.Jxb4 l:tea8 35
h3 i.. f8 36 lbd5 l:txa2 37 lbc7
i.. xb3 38 l:td3 .:tal 0-1
40 Sicilian Defence [B82]
E.Gufeld White
L.Espig Black
Leipzig, 1 980
1 e4 c5 2 lt.Jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lbxd4 lbf6 5 lbc3 d6 6 f4
The plan White chooses in this
game may not be objectively very
dangerous for Black, but it is little
used and therefore good.
6 a6
•.•
Black bravely faces the challenge,
agreeing to a less explored
I f0 Unforgettable Encounters
variation. More common is 6 ... i.. e 7,
but why not go ahead on the queen­
side at once?
7 .ltd3!?
Here the bishop is posted reliably,
strengthening the e4-pawn (so the
undermining ... b7-b5-b4 is not dan­
gerous), but also actively, aiming at
the h7-point in case of a subsequent
e4-e5! But certainly this develop­
ment has some shortcomings, which
Black will try to exploit.
7 .'i!lc7
.•
The move sequence should be
precisely observed. In case of
7 . ..ll:Jc6 8 lDf3 the black pieces
would be less favourably posted for
launching a counter-attack.
8 0-0 b5 9 a3
Not necessary with the bishop on
d3 . It would be quite possible to
play 9 a4 b4 1 0 lDa2 a5 1 1 c3 ! cap­
turing the important stronghold b5.
9....ltb7 10 'ife2 lDbd7 11 �h1
i.. e7 12 .ltd2
12 ..J:tc8!
It might seem tempting to play
12 . . .lDc5, but Black's position is not
yet ripe for such aggression-as
shown by 1 3 b4 ! lDxd3 14 cxd3.
The e4-pawn is solidly protected
and on the queenside White has
scored a success, threatening not
only to take the c-file with tempo
but also to break through by a3-a4.
After the text move Black is well
prepared to repulse any attacks.
Objectively White's best solution
would appear to be 1 3 !:tael , but I
was fully aware that Black would
have sufficient resources for gradu­
ally equalizing.
13 b4!
The idea is simple: by way of an
undermining a3-a4 to win a pawn.
Parrying this threat is fairly easy,
but to this end Black has to remove
his knight from the central area.
13 ...tiJb6! 14 a4 bxa4
All of this was calculated by
Espig very accurately. In vain I
hoped for 1 4 ...lDc4 1 5 lDcxb5! axb5
1 6 lDxb5 'ifc6 1 7 lDa7 disrupting
the material equality and seizing the
initiative.
15 b5
White has to sacrifice a pawn.
What if he plays differently? After
1 5 i..xa6 .ltxa6 1 6 'it'xa6 0-0 1 7
'i!ld3 lDc4, his "greed" would lead to
an unclear position, where White
would probably win the a4-pawn
but at the expense of losing the
initiative.
1 5... axb5
1 5 ...d5 1 6 lDc6 ! .
16 lDcxb5
I was reluctant to disturb this
knight which had one eye fixed on
a4 and the other on e4. But in case
of 1 6 lDdxb5 'it'b8 White's initiative
might have been exhausted. For in­
stance: 1 7 lDxa4 lDxa4 1 8 !:txa4 0-0
1 9 .ltb4 i.c6! and again the same
dismal picture-you do not so much
rejoice at having won back the
pawn, as feel regret because of the
reawakening of the rival's activity.
It might appear more pleasant to
take on b5 with the bishop. But hav­
ing figured out to the end the varia­
tion 1 6 .ltxb5+ lDfd7 1 7 f5 e5 1 8
lDe6 ! ? fxe6 1 9 fxe6 i.c6 20 .ltxc6

ii'xc6 2 1 exd7+ ii'xd7 22 ii£2 �d8,
I made the decision to capture with
the queen' s knight.
16 'ifb8 17 �b4!
••.
It was for the sake of this move by
the bishop, not too typical in the
Sicilian Defence, that I removed the
knight from the excellent square c3.
In terms of strategy the move is jus­
tified: the most active deployment
of all the pieces is hereby accom­
plished. In terms of tactics the plan
is good too, inasmuch as it helps in­
crease the threats associated with
the move e4-e5 ! Why not 1 7 e5 at
once? Because after 1 7 ...dxe5 1 8
fxe5 liJfd7 1 9 l::tae 1 ltJc5 ! Black
would destroy the dangerous
bishop. Now it has a brighter future.
17...liJfd7!
Beautifully played! Black is not
afraid of losing the right to castle
after 1 8 e5 dxe5 1 9 il.xe7 �xe7-
for two pawns one can bear some
suffering. And Black himself threat­
ens the thrust ...lbd7-c5, making his
life easier by the exchange of one of
the white bishops.
18 I:tae1
White's non-standard opening
plan demanded non-standard meth­
ods for developing an initiative. He
should have continued 1 8 f5 e5 1 9
f6 ! . Then in response to any capture
of the pawn, the knight would
Unforgettable Encounters i l l
invade the f5-square with decisive
effect.
18 ltJc5
..•
Blocking the dangerous diagonal.
19 e5
In the event of the sharp 1 9 liJf5
exf5 ! 20 exf5 0-0 2 1 'ikxe7 liJxd3,
Black gets counterplay.
19 ... dxe5 20 fxe5
20 ... 0-0
Both sides are now treading a
very narrow path of 'only-moves'.
Premature is 20 ...liJxd3 21 liJd6+!
(or 2 1 il.xe7 lLlxe 1 22 liJd6+)
2 1 ... il.xd6 22 il.xd6.
Now White is at a loss. There is a
wide choice of sacrificial possibili­
ties, but none of them promises
quick success. Yet White cannot do
without sacrifices, or he will lose
the initiative and remain a pawn
down. So let's work out some varia­
tions: 2 1 il.xc5 I:txc5 22 ltJxe6! fxe6
23 'ifh5 I:tf5 24 I:txf5 exf5 (24 ...g6
25 l:tg5 ! �xg5 26 'ifxg5, and White
wins) 25 'ilr'xf5 g6 26 'iie6+ with a
rout. There remains 2 l ...il.xc5.
What then? 22 ltJxe6 fxe6 23 'ifh5
l:tf5 24 l:txf5 exf5 25 'ifxf5 g6 26
We6+ is again possible. But now the
bishop is missing from e7, therefore
26 .. .'�g7 is not dangerous and
White is obliged to give perpetual
check (if 27 liJd6, then 27 ... I:tf8 !
and Black even wins). What is
1 1 2 Unforgettable Encounters

White to do? Accede to a draw? No, the piece by way of 25 i..x c5, for
there are still ways. For example, 22 after 25 ... jl_d4 there is a mate threat­
l:tf4 ! ? with various threats. But this ened on fl . The sole way to main­
is not clear. On the other hand if the tain the attack is by 25 l:lh3, to tie
bishop is sacrificed with 22 jl_xh7+ down the f6-bishop with a mating
�xh7 23 'ii'h 5+ �g8 24 l:te3, what threat and resume the assault on the
would it lead to? Alas, Black could pinned c5-knight. Now the brilliant
successfully repulse all threats: attempt 25 ...jl_h4 is refuted by 26
24 ... 'ir'a8! 25 l:tf2 'illa5 ! 26 c3 tLlf3 ! jl_xf3 27 gxf3 jl_e7 28 l:lgl .
'illxb5 ! . On 25 ...tLlbd7 there follows 26
2 1 jl_xh7+ lt:Jxe6 lt:Jxe6 27 tiJd6! and Black is
During the game, I was viewing forced to sacrifice his queen, gain­
the consequences through "rose­ ing three minor pieces for it but
tinted spectacles." If the move 1 8 coming under attack. 25 ...'ii'a8
l:tae 1 let slip a decisive advantage, would be refuted by 26 tbf3 ! Play­
the bishop sacrifice takes me to the ing 25 ... ife5, however, Black can
brink of defeat. All this came to still count on keeping the material
light later on, however; in the heat advantage. After 26 'ifh7+ �fl 27
of battle I was bent on winning. l:lh5 ! it is very important for him to
2 l .. .C.ii'x h7 22 'ii'h 5+ �g8 23 l:te3
make the right choice. Thus, on
27 ...'illb 8 there might follow 28
jl_xc5 llh8 29 llxf6+ �xf6 30 llf5+
exf5 3 1 'ifxf5 mate. On 27 ...llh8,
there is the strong reply 28 'ii'x h8!
i.xg2+ 29 �xg2 'ille4+ 30 l:tf3
ii'g4+ 3 1 llg3 llxh8! 32 lt:Jd6+ �e7
(32 ...�g6? 33 llxh8 costs a rook)
3 3 llxg4 llxh5, and though Black
will retain an extra pawn the win­
ning chances for him are practically
nil. Apparently the best variation
would be: 27 ... jl_e4 28 llxe5 jl_xh7
29 tiJd6+ �g6! 30 tbxc8 llxc8 3 1
How is Black to repulse the mat­ l:lxf6+ �xf6 3 2 llxc5 e5 and
ing threat on h8? It looks fairly sim- 33 ... jl_xc2, capturing the pawn. Yet
ple: on 23 ...jl_e4 24 jl_xc5 there after the game I discovered that at
follows 24 ...jl_g6! , but in the case of the first branch of the calculation
24 l:th3 f6 25 exf6 l:txf6 26 l:txf6 tree I had overlooked Black's op­
jl_xf6 27 i.xc5 'illf4 Black, regain­ portunity to give away a piece at
ing the piece, launches a counter­ once, in order to disturb White's co­
attack. But that is where White finds ordination of attacking forces and
an insidious sequel: 28 lt:Jf3 'illc l + seize the initiative: 24 ...llxf6! 25
29 tLlg1 !, demolishing all Black's l:txf6 jl_xf6 26 jl_xc5 iff4 ! , and
hopes. And what if 23 ... f6! at once? Black wins after either 27 'ille2
After 24 l:th3 follows 24 ...'illxe5. l:lxc5 28 tbe6 llxb5 or 27 lt:Jf3 'ii'c4.
My attention was mostly concen­ 23 ..ii'a8
.

trated on the continuation 24 exf6 This move is so unobtrusive

jl_xf6. Here White cannot win back (though full of significance) that on

returning to the board I couldn't un­
derstand why my clock was going
when the position hadn't changed.
Could I have forgotten to press it? I
even tried to do so, but my oppo­
nent stopped me, forcefully gestur­
ing towards his queen.
24 l:tg3 i.e4
This is what Espig was counting
on! Having prevented the rook from
stepping onto the h-file, he is now
going to transfer his bishop to g6,
providing full security for his king,
and then settle down to the realiza­
tion of his extra piece. At first
glance it looks as if White has mis­
calculated, underestimating the im­
portance of this defensive ploy. The
attempt 25 4Jf5 exf5 26 'ilfh6, with
hopes of perpetual check (after
26 ... g6 27 l:txg6+), is easily refuted
by 26 ...4Je6! 27 i.xe7 l:txc2 28 i.f6
l:txg2! , and Black wins.
25 1:tf5 ! !
Black's light-squared bishop was
ready to come to the rescue of its
king (i.e4-g6), after which White
could rightfully resign. But the rook
throws itself in the bishop' s path ...
Espig jumped up in his chair. Small
wonder-a move like this is not
seen every day! What is it-a
winning combination? No, just a
saving one, as the variation
25 . . . exf5 26 'ii'h6 g6 27 l:txg6+ ends
Unforgettable Encounters 113
in perpetual check. These notes ap­
peared in a number of publications;
one magazine reader wrote to me
that White may not have to make do
with perpetual check, but can try to
accomplish more with 27 �gl
threatening l:tg3-h3 or e5-e6. There­
fore instead of 26 ... g6 Black should
play 26 ...g5 ! , forcing a draw.
White is threatening mate with 26
'ii'h6 g6 27 l:txg6+ fxg6 28 'iixg6+
�h8 29 l:th5, apart from 26 l:txg7+
�xg7 27 'iig4+ �h8 28 'iih5+ with
the same perpetual check. However,
it is not yet obvious what White is
going to do if the sacrifice is ac­
cepted the other way.
25 ...i.xf5 26 tt:Jxf5 exf5
Now 27 'iih6 tt:Je6! is no use­
there is no knight on d4.
27 4Jd6!!
The saving move. Black has an
overwhelming material superiority,
but White has had time to weave a
net round the black king. No, not a
mating net, of course-the resources
are not sufficient for that, but they
are enough for perpetual check.
Now the threat of 28 tt:Jxf5 cannot
be ignored: 27 ...4Je6? 28 tt:Jxf5
i.xb4 (28 . ..1:tfe1 29 l:txg7! ! tt:Jxg7
30 'iig4 i.f6 3 1 exf6+- or 30 . . .i.f8
3 1 i.xf8+-) 29 l:txg7+ (or 29 4Jh6+
�h8 30 tt:Jg4+! �g8 3 1 4Jf6 mate)
29 ... 4Jxg7 30 'iig 5, with a
1 14 lh�fingettable Encounters
conclusion in the spmt of the
1 9th-century romantics. It should be
noted that this variation lacks the
dual solution 28 l:r.h3? because of
28 . . .'it'xg2+! It goes without saying
that it is impossible to play 27 l:r.h3?
at once, with the idea 27 ... f6 2 8
i.xc5 i.xc5 (or 28. . .l:r.xc5) 2 9 e6! ,
and mate o n h 8 . There are several
refutations, for instance 28 ...'it'e4 29
i.xb6 'ii'e l + 30 .ltgl �c5 and
mates.
27 .Jtxd6 ! !
.•.
The only move! Black tacitly
agrees to a draw. But couldn't he
have won with his huge material ad­
vantage? Let us check: 27 . . . lDe6 28
lDxfS .ltxb4 29 ltxg7+! lDxg7 30
'it'gS and mate in two; 27 ...ltc6 28
lDxfS g5 29 l:r.h3 and mate in three;
27 ... lDe4 28 l:r.xg7+! �xg7 29
Where is the mistake?
Sometimes even seemingly fault­
less play doesn't save you from
defeat-as is the case with Black in
the following game.
4 1 Caro-Kann Defence [B 1 7]
E.Gufeld White
V.Bagirov Black
Tallinn, 198 1
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 liJd2 dxe4 4
ltJxe4 liJd7 5 i.c4 lDgf6 6 lDg5 e6 7
'ife2 lDb6
This line may not create abundant
counter-chances, but it does estab­
lish a solid defensive structure for
Black.
8 i.d3!
Analysis of some recent games
has convinced me that with the
bishop on b3 you have to pay too
lDxfS+ 'it>g8 30 lDxe7+ 'it>g7 3 1
_
lDfS+ and mate in four; 2 7.. 'ii' e4 28
.
llh3 ! 'ii'h4 (28 ... �h4 29 tDxe4+-)
29 lDxfS ! 'ii'xh5 30 lDxe7+ 'it>h7 3 1
.l:txh5 mate.
28 l:bg7+ 'it>xg7
much attention to the advance
. . .a7-a5-a4. If you prevent it with
a2-a4, the black knight will secure a
position on d5, or (in case of c2-c4)
on b4. Besides, from d3 the bishop
drops a hint-that Black should
play ... h7-h6.
8... h6
If 8 ...'it'xd4? 9 lD 1 f3 ! and White
immediately gains a decisive superi­
ority: if the queen retreats, the
f7-pawn is defenceless after 1 0
lDeS. Also 9 . . .i.b4+ doesn't help
because of 1 0 c3 �xc3+ 1 1 �fl !
and Black gets no real compensa­
tion for the piece.
9 lD5f3 c5 10 dxc5 �xc5
If 1 0 ...t2Jbd7, then 1 1 b4! is very
eromising; and if 1 1 ...b6, then 1 2
t'Dd4 with a dangerous initiative.
1 1 ttJes

For the time being the impression
is that White has no more than a
minimal positional superiority due
to the advantage of the first move.
But that doesn't mean that Black,
playing precisely, can count on the
draw. A minimal advantage may be
increased up to a decisive level.
l l ...li::lb d7 12 li::lgf3 'fllc7
The consequences of the move
... h7-h6 are already felt. Black has
to be wary of castling short. After
12 . . . 0-0 1 3 J.d2 White can prepare
to castle long and begin an attack
with g2-g4-g5 ! Bagirov's strategy
consists in bringing a knight to c5,
either exchanging one of White's
bishops or significantly improving
the position of his pieces.
13 0-0
Black's energetic pressure on the
centralized knight forces White to
give up the long castling plan. No
good is 1 3 J.d2? lt::lxe5 14 lt::lx e5
J.xf2+! 1 5 �xf2 'fllxe5 16 'fllxe5
li::lg4+.
13 ...J.d6
Perhaps this is · the only moment
where we can assume that Black
makes a slip. Instead 1 3 ... 0-0 would
have been preferable.
14 lt::lc4 J.e7
Now is the critical moment. The
superiority of White's development
is evident-but how to exploit it?
15 li::ld 4!
E�A�� � ��
'
� t �·r
... .. ,�
� ��
�--&-�i�E
f· �
t �i'f''·�
· ·· ��
� �
" ····' '·····'
� - · ·
-4J� .
. • • . �. :
�%"�BAB B
- %"� %"�
.ft �m .ft a'l§'�m .ft �m
� a � §�
Unforgettable Encounters 1 15
A theoretical novelty, though it is
hard to understand why such a logi­
cal move had not been encountered
before. The white knight creates
threats in two directions, on b5 and
e6; the first one is more obvious but
the second is more dangerous.
1 5...lt::lc5
Thinking about 1 5 ... a6, Bagirov
was once again reminded of the
snags of having his pawn on h6; af­
ter 1 6 'fllx e6! ( 1 6 lt::lxe6 fxe6 1 7
J.g6+ �d8!) Black emerges a pawn
down with a wrecked position. For
instance: 1 6 ... fxe6 (or 1 6 ...b5 1 7
l:te 1 ! and White wins a second
pawn.) 1 7 .tg6+ +-. Black has no
time to play 1 5 . . .0-0 because of 1 6
li::lf5 ! .
16 li::lb5 �8
Where else? In case of 16 ...'fllc6
1 7 lDe5 White gains an extra tempo
for the attack, and if 1 6 ...'flid8 then
1 7 l:td 1 ! li::lxd3 1 8 l:txd3 li::ld5 1 9
li::lcd6+! J.xd6 2 0 l:txd5 J.xh2+ 2 1
�xh2 'flixd5 22 li::lc7+ +-.
17 l:td1
White is ready to exchange his
strong bishop. He has positional
compensation, again connected with
the move ... h7-h6 which has seri­
ously weakened Black's pawn for­
mation. Another possibility 1 7 'iif3
seemed more tempting at first
glance, because it creates a direct
threat to win the black queen with
1 8 J.f4. But isn't Bagirov a well­
known master of defence? He had in
fact prepared a very elegant
counter-combination: 1 7 ...a6! 1 8
.tf4 (otherwise Black would elimi­
nate the light-squared bishop, get­
ting into the clear) 1 8 ... axb5 1 9
J.xb8 bxc4! and Black takes a third
piece, gaining enough compensation
for the queen.
17... J.d7
1 1 (, l lnfin'}!.cttuhle Encounters

Here it is already difficult, if not is gradually turning into a festering

impossible, to recommend a satis­ wound.
factory defence. In case of an ex­ 24 'ii'h 5!
change on d3, the rook moves
successfully to g3 and Black has no
good way of defending g7. With his
pawn on h7 the defence ... g7-g6
would be adequate, but as it is he
will be threatened with ltJc4-e5xg6.
Of course, 17 ...0-0 is possible, but
what then? The point is that Black
cannot develop his queenside with­
out losses. Against the positional
threat ltJc4-e5 and S..c l -f4 there is
no counterplay. The text move par­
ries a different threat: 1 8 ltJcd6+
S..xd6 1 9 ltJxd6+ 'ii'xd6 20 S...b 5+!. 24...g6
18 a4! Black has the choice of which
The white knight is ready to re­ square to be mated on. Another
turn to d4 but not before Black has player might prefer 24 ... 0-0 25
weakened his pawn structure on the S..x h6! ltJf6 26 �g5 ltJe8 27 'ii'g3
queenside too with ... a7-a6. Again I and there is the threat of catastrophe
had to avoid a cunning trap laid by on g7; or even 24 ... %:.f8 25 ltJfS!
my opponent. 1 8 ltJe5 suggested exf5 26 l:.xd5.
itself, with a tactical punch-line: 25 'ii'f3
1 8 . . .ltJxd3 19 ltJxd7 ltJxc1 20 'it'c4 Even with a winning position one
(not 20 'ii'd2 ltJe2+!-+ and Black has to be careful. The variation 25
saves himself), and if 20 . . .ltJe2+ ltJxg6 suggests itself, but after
then 2 1 �fl ! . However, after 25 ... ltJxf4 26 ltJxf4 �xh5 27 ltJxh5
20 . . .ltJxd7 2 1 ltJc7+ �d8 (not l:.g8 Black gets off lightly-only a
2 l . . .�f8 22 l:.xd7) 22 ltJxa8 'ii'xa8 pawn down in the endgame, resis­
23 l:.axc 1 'ii'c 8, Black has a material tance is possible.
superiority and nothing decisive is .•.25 l:.h7
evident for White. This move seems awkward but as
18 a6.•. it turns out, Black has chosen the
In a bad position any move looks most tenacious path of resistance.
like a mistake. Most importantly, f7 is defended
19 ltJd4 'ilfc7 20 ltJeS once and for all. What else can
The white knights, after roaming White try?
on the queenside and doing useful 26 S..g3 i.. c8
work there, have returned to their Black ignores the a4-pawn. The
original places. It is more difficult bait was filled with the same poison
for Black to finish his development as before, called "e6": 26 ... S..xa4 27
than before. ltJxg6! fxg6 28 ltJxe6 and Black's
20 ...ltJxd3 21 l:.xd3 l:.d8 22 S.. f4 position collapses. After the text
'ii'c 5 23 l:.ad1 ltJd5 move I tried hard to see a decisive
The a4-pawn is poisoned: continuation, but could not find
23 . . . S..xa4? 24 ltJxf7 ! . The f7-square anything forceful. How come?

White clearly has the better posi­
tion, because his pieces are
interacting perfectly while Black's
present a sad picture of total
disarray. The remedy I chose turned
out to be more effective than a more
drastic one.
27 c3
Pondering this move took me
about half an hour. All this time I
was trying to find an acceptable re­
ply for Black. There isn't one! It
gradually becomes clear that with
the board full of pieces there is vir­
tual zugzwang.
27 ... a5
Bagirov pondered this move for
the same reason, not for half an hour
as I did, but for a whole hour, and
found nothing suitable. So after the
search, which continued for one and
a half hours, the two grandmasters
couldn't find a good defence. But
who knows-perhaps the reader,
with no time restriction, might be
more successful? To other replies
White could strengthen his position
Unforgettable Encounters 1 1 7
with b2-b4 and a4-a5, pushing the
queen almost back to a8 and retain­
ing the possibility of various break­
throughs with or without sacrifices.
For instance: 27 ...lbf6 28 b4 'ii'd5
29 lbdc6! with either mate or the
capture of the queen. The move
played secures the queen against
"molestation" but weakens the
b5-square, where the knight finally
rushes in with decisive effect.
28 lbb5 g5 29 c4 lbf4 30 l:hd8+
it.xd8 31 it.xf4 gxf4 32 'ii'd 3! 'ii'b6
33 lbd6+ 1-0
So where did Bagirov go wrong?
In my opinion, nowhere. I wonder
whether such games have been
played before? Yes-and the higher
the level of the chessplayer, the
more often it happens. In his youth,
Botvinnik used to say, "Sometimes
you can get into a losing position
without any mistakes." That is why
Smyslov's remark-that if you have
made 40 good moves before ad­
journing, you can at least be sure of
not losing the game-seems dubi­
ous to me. No matter how well your
opponent plays, you can play better.
Let inspiration come!
My move from Kiev to Tbilisi did
not break off the friendly ties I had
with Ukrainian chessplayers. It is
small wonder, then, that each meet­
ing at the board with my country­
men, especially those of the younger
generation, stimulated my creative
impulses.
1 1 8 Unforgettable Encounters
The tragedy of one tempo
42 Sicilian Defence [B46]
E.Gufeld White
O.Romanishin Black
USSR Team Ch, Moscow 1 9 8 1
1 e4 c5 2 tiJ f3 e6 3 d 4 cxd4 4
t2Jxd4 tLlc6 5 tLlc3
Perhaps Romanishin wanted to
draw me into a dispute about the
"hedgehog" position after 5 ltJbS d6
6 c4 tiJf6 7 ltJ 1 c3 a6 8 ltJa3 i.e7,
where, "according to Andersson,"
Black can set up a fence of pieces
and pawns along the 6th rank. No,
this will not do--let us come out
into the open!
5... a6 6 f4? !
I admit that 6 i.e2 i s technically
stronger and safer, but I always go
for the more aggressive text move.
6...t2Jxd4
Black strives to deviate from a
standard classical formation. In his
time, Taimanov was a real virtuoso
in playing such positions in the
Sicilian Defence where Black
violates nearly all opening princ­
iples. Even Bronstein, a highly
original player, often marvelled at
the positions Taimanov created,
where White was way ahead in
development while Black only had
distant strategic prospects in case
White became too reckless. This
way of playing captured the imagin­
ation of many talents, who began to
follow Taimanov's example.
7 �xd4 b5 8 e5! ?
Of course this i s not classical ei-
. ther, but rather in a gambling spirit.
To be perfectly frank, I wouldn't let
myself play this way in the opening
against a grandmaster of my own
generation. However, I hate to see
my pieces expelled from the centre,
and in case of 8 ..b4 I want to have
.
the "proud" square e4 for my
knight!
8 ... i.b7 9 i.e3 tLle7 10 0-0-0
l:tc8?
Many players would have made
the centralizing move 1 0 ...4Jd5 !
without thinking. Thus Black could
have punished his opponent for ex­
cessive aggressiveness and obtained
quite an acceptable game. Instead,
Romanishin makes a no less natural
and more standard move-he is
already dreaming about active play
on the queenside.
1 1 tLle4 ltJf5 12 �d3 �c7!
It would be tempting to play
12 ... ltJxe3, not only obtaining the
superiority of the two bishops but
also depriving the white pieces of a
chance to threaten Black's weak­
ened flank. But here it is much more
important for the f5-knight to con­
trol d6 and thereby fortify Black's
overall position.
13 i.f2 h5 14 i.e2 i.d5
Black manages to locate his minor
pieces in the centre anyway.

However, they are merely perform­
ing defensive functions and are in­
securely situated. Exchanging the
bishop for the formidable knight on
e4 might lead to trouble. Black's
problems would be somewhat less
difficult if he had played 1 O . .'�Jd5 ! .
. chances in concrete ways? I failed
1 5 �b1
To be fair, I have to reproach my­
self: 1 5 �f3 is possible at once, as
after 1 5 ...�xa2 1 6 �b6!+- Black is
either mated or loses his queen.
15 �b4
..•
Now and a move earlier it was un­
profitable to sacrifice the exchange
for two pawns: 1 5 .. ."i!hc2+ 1 6
'fixc2 l:txc2 1 7 Wxc2 ..ltxe4+ 1 8
..lid3 ( 1 8 Wb3) 1 8 . . .�xg2 1 9 l:thg1
and White wins, if only gradually.
16 lbg3!
Steering clear of an obvious trap:
1 6 �f3? �c4! 1 7 lbd6+ ( 1 7 �b6
�xd3 1 8 �xc7 �xe4 1 9 �xe4
l:txc7-+) 1 7 ...lbxd6 1 8 exd6 'ili'a5-+.
16... �c4
Black didn't have the courage to
accept the exchange sacrifice by
16 . . . �xg2 1 7 lbxf5 exf5 1 8 'ili'xf5
�xh 1 1 9 l:txh 1 , as he would have
been entirely reduced to repelling
the many threats.
17 'i!i'e4 h4 1 8 lbxf5 exf5 19 'ii'f3
.i.e6
Unforgettable Encounters 1 1 9
Black has managed to get rid of
the dangerous knight, but his pieces
look crippled and as a result his
king cannot find a safe hideout.
Still, these are just general consid­
erations. How do I exploit my
to find the objectively best plan at
once, but hit upon a curious psycho­
logical ploy which had helped me
when playing Bronstein in 1 96 1
(see game 2 1).
20 'ili'd3!
The meaning of this move seems
to be obvious: White does not see
any way to develop the initiative
and tacitly invites Black to repeat
moves with 20 . . ..ltc4 2 1 'ili'f3 �e6
22 'fid3, etc. As a matter of fact I
had no intention of repeating moves,
and to 20... .tc4 I would have re­
plied 2 1 'ii'e3 . Then after the com­
pulsory 2 1 .. .�e6 it would turn out
that White had won a tempo for the
useful transfer of his queen to e3 .
20 'fia5
.•.
My strategem did the trick at
once: Oleg did not dwell for one
second on the possibility of a draw,
which he hates. Nonetheless the
move 20 ... .tc4 was strongest, for
after 2 1 'i¥e3 ..lte6! White has diffi­
culty in carrying out g2-g4. If 22
.td3, then 22 . . .'ii'a5 23 a3? .txa3 ! is
somewhat unpleasant.
2 1 a3! .te7 22 g4! g6 23 h3!
White has expanded his territory,
and though he has no open lines for
himself yet, he is getting there. Ex­
changing on g4 is unprofitable for
Black, but White can increase the
pressure on the f5-pawn. Black
seems to have hardly anything to
oppose against White's plan to
transfer his bishop to d3. During the
game I was under the impression
120 Unforgettable Encounters
that White had a considerable strate­
gic advantage. Looking back, how­
ever, I have to say that Black's rich
tactical possibilities make for a
situation of dynamic balance.
23...'ilfa4
Or 23 ...b4 24 'ilfxa6 'ifxa6 25
Si.xa6 l:1a8 26 Si.d3 bxa3 (better
26 . . . fxg4) 27 b3, and Black faces
the worse endgame.
24 Si.d4!
Regrouping is under way, with a
view to the bishop's transfer to d3.
24 0-0
•..
Not 24 ...b4 25 b3 'ilfxa3 26 Si.b2
'i�Va5 27 'ilfxa6.
25 1:1hgl 'it>h7 26 �d2 l:1c7
Having made this move Roman­
ishin surprised me with a draw
offer. This merely confirmed my
guess that his confidence was
ebbing away.
27 b3!
It was on this unusual pawn sacri­
fice that I pinned my hopes of in­
creasing the initiative.
27 ...iha3 28 Si.d3!
The g-file will open and the black
king will come under fire from the
heavy artillery.
28 ...Si.b4!
An impulsive, last-ditch throw,
but as is often the case, it is the best
and only move.
29 �f2
29 ...i.c3?
Here Romanishin should have
trusted his intuition and sacrificed
his bishop: 29 ...Si.xb3 30 cxb3 Si.c3 !
3 1 Si.xc3 l:1xc3 32 i.c2 l:1fc8, and
now:
(a) 33 gxf5 l:1xc2 34 fxg6+ 'it>g7
(34 ... fxg6 35 �xh4+ 'it>g8 36
l:1xg6+ 'it>£7 37 �f6+ +-) 35 gx£7+
'it>x£7 36 l:1xd7+ 'it>e8 and now it is
White who has to play ingeniously
to avert defeat: 37 l:1d8+! ! (37
l:1g8+?? 'it>xd7 38 �d4+ 'it>e7-+)
37 ...'it>xd8 38 �6+ l:12c7 39 l:1g8+
'it>d7 40 l:1g7+ 'it>d8 with a draw.
(Not 40 ... 'it>e8?? 4 1 'ilfe6+ 'it>d8 42
l:1g8+ 'ir'f8 43 l:1xf8 mate.).
(b) 33 l:1d2 l:1xc2! 34 l:1xc2
'i!Vxb3+ 35 l:1b2 'ii'd3+ 36 'it>a 1 (36
'it>a2 l:1c4! 37 'ir'xh4+=) 36 ... 'ir'a3+
37 'it>b 1 (37 l:1a2?? l:1c 1+ 38 l:1xc 1
'i!Vxc l mate) 37 ...'ir'd3+ and draws.
My friend and collegue GM Leonid
Shamkovich showed me this varia­
tion and made me reconsider the
whole course of the game, which
amounts to a one-tempo tragedy: in
the above analysis White is just one
tempo short of victory, while in the
game itself Black lacked one tempo
to survive.
30 Si.xc3 l:1xc3 31 gxf5 Si.xb3
Is White facing a mating attack?
He would be if Black were to move,
or if the black king could find just
one square unexposed to attack.

32 fxg6+ <Ji;g7 33 gxf7+ <it>xf7 34
..tg6+ <Ji;g8
White has to find a suitable square
for the bishop, which has not been
participating in the struggle for long,
but now plays a major role in the
"tragedy of one tempo."
Due respect for knights
The idea of Zaitsev's variation in
the Ruy Lopez it is very tempting:
to save a tempo as compared with
Smyslov's variation (9 ... h6). In the
following game, however, I lt:le3 .l:Ixe4! ? 29 i.xe4 .l:Ixe4 30 fS
delivered a strong blow to this
variation at the height of its
popularity.
43 Ruy Lopez [C92]
E.Gufeld White
G.Timoshchenko Black
USSR Team Ch,
Kislovodsk 1 982
I e4 eS 2 lt:lf3 lt:lc6 3 i.bS a6 4
..ta4 ltlf6 S 0-0 ..te7 6 l!el bS 7
..tb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 ..tb7 1 0 d4
.l:Ie8 1 1 lt:lgS l!f8 1 2 lt:lf3 .l:Ie8 13
lt:lbd2 ..trs 14 i.c2 h6 IS a4 exd4
16 cxd4 lt:lb4 17 i.bl cS 1 8 dS
ltld7 19 l!a3! ? g6 20 ltlfl i.g7 21
aS! .l:Ie7
Unforgettable Encounters 121
3S ..te8+!
The winning move. If now
35 ...l!g3, then 36 l!xg3+ hxg3
(36 ... <Ji;h8 37 .l:Ixb3+-) 37 'it'xg3+
<Ji;h8 38 �h4, with mate to follow.
Black resigned. 1-0
22 .l:Ie2! An alternative is 22
'it'b3 ! ? intending i.d2. 22 ...'it'f8 23
..tf4± lt:leS 24 lt:lxeS i.xeS 2S i.xeS
.l:IxeS 26 f4 .l:Ie7 27 .l:Ig3 .l:Iae8 28
gS 31 lt:l g4! .l:Ixe2 32 'it'xe2 lt:lxdS
33 h4! <i;g7 34 'it'd2 34 lt:lxh6!
<Ji;xh6 35 'it'g4+-. 34 ...f6 3S .l:Id3 35
lt:lxh6 <Ji;xh6 36 hxg5+ <i;g7±.
3S ...'ife7 36 ltle3 lt:lxe3? 36 ... lt:lf4
37 .l:Ixd6 ltle2+ 38 <J;; f2 lt:ld4 39 l:lb6
'it'e4 40 b4 !±. 37 .l:Ixe3+- i.e4 38
'ilt'dS i.xdS 39 l!xe7+ <J;;f8 40 .l:td7
i.e4 41 .l:Ixd6 b4 42 l!xf6+ 1-0
I nonetheless thought that Psakhis
--one of the zealous supporters of
Zaitsev's variation-would not be
afraid to engage in a theoretical dis­
pute with me when I played him in
the same event. At short notice,
however, he did not manage to find
an antidote to White's plan, and fell
back on the Breyer System instead.
44 Ruy Lopez (C95]
E.Gufeld White
L.Psakhis Black
USSR Team Ch, Kislovodsk 1982
I e4 eS 2 ltlf3 lt:lc6 3 i.bS a6 4
i.a4 ltlf6 S 0-0 ..te7 6 .l:Iel bS 7
i.b3 0-0 8 c3 d6 9 h3 ltlb8
I confess that I had even forgotten
the name of this variation, though
1 22 Unforgettable Encounters
for a number of years before Zait­
sev' s invention it was standard fare
in tournaments. But my memory
never has served me as a reliable
assistant.
10 d4 lbbd7 1 1 lbbd2 i.b7 1 2
i.c2 .:.es 1 3 lDfl i.f8 1 4 lbg3
White's plan, of course, is not a
new one. It was used as early as a
quarter of a century ago in
Chigorin's classic variation. The
alternative involving lDfl-e3 and
lbf3-h2-g4 is also quite strong. Af­
ter the game I learned that at the
tournament in Las Palmas in 1 98 1 ,
Timman against Garcia-Padron had
played 1 4 i.gS h6 1 5 i.h4 cS 1 6
dxeS dxeS 1 7 lD3h2 'iic 7 1 8 'i/£3
i..e7 19 lbe3 g6 20 .:.ad1 and Black
faced some difficulties. It is true that
the knight is less flexible on g3 (es­
pecially after ... g7-g6), but on the
other hand White does not have to
worry about the e4-pawn' s fate.
14 c5 15 d5 g6 16 i..g 5 h6 17
..•
i..e3 lbb6
Here it is not even necessary to
know that the best plan for Black is
1 7 . . . c4 followed by .. .'ir'd8-c7 and
. . .lbd7-c5. It is only necessary to re­
alize that against White's forthcom­
ing play on the queenside urgent
measures must be taken at once. It is
also important to keep in mind that
the knight on b6, as a rule, is badly
posted. This position is no excep­
tion. The knight prevents Black
from organizing an effective queen­
side defence. Nonetheless this move
is still in fashion, though White can
gain a solid advantage every time if
he plays correctly.
18 b3 lbb7?!
This is going too far! You cannot
treat your knights so heartlessly.
They might be offended and set out
for faraway lands. At this moment I
was thinking that Black had spent
quite a few tempi on this intensive
"horse-riding," and I decided to
keep count. Not relying on my
treacherous memory, I began to put
a circle on my scoresheet every time
Black made a knight move. By that
time there had been six of them. No­
ticing the mysterious signs on my
scoresheet, Psakhis began to eye
them with anxiety, and at last he
could not restrain himself any
longer: "Eduard Efimovich, tell me
please, what are you marking with
circles on your scoresheet? My
mistakes?"
19 'i!Ve2!
Exposing all the defects of my op­
ponent's position with one move!
White is of course not scared by the
"threat" of . . .f7-f5, which is only a
false alarm. But how will Black
repulse White's strategic threat of
a2-a4-a5, and at the same time pre­
vent the opening of the b-file where
the black pieces are crowded?
19 a5
•••
This is not the answer! If Black
wants to brick up the file, let him!
There are also diagonals on the
board.
20 a4
Of course nobody would dream of
taking the bS-pawn, because of
20. . . i. a6. To secure the point bS,
though-that is another matter.
20 b4 21 cxb4 cxb4
..•

22 'i!VbS!
Chess logic is superbly revealed
not only in combinations but also in
positional play. Isn't it a paradox: it
was poor play to take the pawn on
b5, but to transfer the queen to this
square is very strong. It seems that
the mightiest piece should feel un­
comfortable on this square, in the
_
midst of the enemy forces. But in
fact, molesting the queen is far from
simple. The move was all the more
difficult to find since White had at
his disposal another tempting se­
quence which seemed more reliable:
22 �d3 with the idea of 23 �b5 .
But in circumstances like these a
chessplayer should stick to bis
principles.
22 .l:.a6
.•.
It is already obvious that the
knight on b6 has many reasons to
complain about its fate. And now
the rook joins it in being a laughing
s�ock for the white pieces for a long
time to come.
23 .l:.acl
A strong positional threat hangs
over Black's position: �c2-d3 and
l:tc l-c6 ! .
23 lbf6
•..
Here I drew another circle. The
knight confesses its mistake on the
1 8th move. But is it the knight's
fault?
24 lL'Id2 .l:.e7
Unforgettable Encounters 123
To 24 . . .lbfd7 there is the reply 25
lbc4 ! , which practically ends the
struggle.
25 �d3
While Psakhis was pondering his
next move, Boris Postovsky, who
was in charge of the "Burevestnik"
team and always very attentive to­
wards his players, came over and
put a glass of fruit juice in front of
him. Susceptible as I am to fantasy
and free association, I found myself
thinking that an oxygen mask would
have been more appropriate than
fruit juice. But to give my opponent
his due, he assessed the position ob­
jectively and found a way to breathe
some life into it.
25 ...lbbxd5! ?
The knight prefers to perish rather
than drag out a miserable existence.
26 exdS lbxdS
This sacrifice is typical of
Psakhi� 's energetic style. Outwardly
Black IS domg_ better: fewer pieces
but more pawns, and they are very
strong! One can easily lose one's
head in such a position. Objectively,
however, Black cannot possibly
have enough compensation for the
piece, for the main feature of
White's camp is the harmonious co­
ordination of his forces. That means
that the initiative seized by Black
can only be temporary. What is
ll4 l lnfingettable Encounters
required now is to be precise and
resolute.
27 Si.e4! 'iVa8
Not 27 ... 4Jc3 28 :1xc3 ! bxc3 29
Si.xb7 cxd2 30 :1dl +-, or 27 ... ltJxe3
28 Si.xb7 :1b6 29 'iVxa5+-.
28 Si.xd5!
It was difficult for me to make
this move. Tarrasch called the ad­
vantage of bishop against knight the
"minor exchange". Should you give
up a bishop for a knight when it
doesn't lead to anything concrete?
Never! Tarrasch's statement is apt
and concise, but it lacks expressive­
ness. I would like to put it this way:
the bishop is stronger than the
knight, as turkey is tastier than
chicken. Despite this, I decided to
destroy the second black knight. I
was bored with drawing circles on
my scoresheet.
28 J.xd5 29 ltJde4!
.••
The rook needs space, and White
opens u_p the cl-file for it. The threat
is 30 l'llf6+ or 30 :1ed l . Against
29 . . . Si.xb3 I had prepared 30 t'llf6+
�g7 3 1 ltJd7, and there is no de­
fence to 32 ltJxf8 or 32 ltJb6 and 33
:1c8.
29 .. J1e6
If 29 ... Si.g7, then 30 :1ed l +-. As
you can see, Black has got rid of his
awkward knights, but the rook on a6
remains, lending no help to the
defence and merely asking for all
kinds of trouble.
30 :c7 Si.c6 31 'iVe2 f5
Better 3 l ...d5 32 ltJc5 Si.xc5 3 3
Si.xc5±.
32 :ct !
There is no turning back! Perhaps
Psakhis hoped that I would be
tempted by 32 ltJxf5? gxf5 33 �h5,
whereupon Black repulses the ill­
prepared attack by 33 ...�e8 34
'iVxf5 �g6.
32 ... Si.g7
Or 32 . . . fxe4 33 �g4 �e8
(33 ...:1f6 34 ltJh5+-) 34 :r t xc6+-.
33 �c2
It is a pity I didn't find the short­
est way to finish the game: 33 �c4
d5 34 �xa6! �xa6 35 ltJc5, and a
hurricane rages over Black's
position, sweeping away all his
pieces to the last man-like at the
Alamo. The text is not a mistake,
only a careless slip-up which pro­
longs the struggle a little.
33 ... J.e8 34 :c8 �b7 35 �c4 d5
36 'iib5 �f7 37 ltJc5 :ab6 38
ltJxe6!
Simplest, bringing about the de­
struction of nearly all Black's
pteces.
38...nxb5 39 ltJxg7 �xg7 40
axb5 d4 41 n1c7 1-0
This last move should have been
sealed, but I made it openly. In
gratitude for such a favour, Psakhis
 Unforgettable Encounters 125

resigned the next day without re­
suming the game.
I present this game to the reader
in the conviction that my opponent,
a gifted young master, conducted
the struggle according to the last
word of chess science and did not
commit a single mistake. Or perhaps
we should consider the entire Sicil­
ian Defence a mistake?
The game was judged to be the
best in the tournament.

White to play and win

45 Sicilian Defence [B64] Vilnius in 1 975 I defeated GM
E.Gufeld White Tukmakov in fine style. Black's
T.Utasi Black other possibilities appear to be
Havana, 1 985 9 ... ltJxd4 and 9 ... ii.d7.
10 ..th4
l e4 c5 2 ltJf3 ltJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 White has three choices here.
ltJxd4 ltJf6 5 lbc3 d6 6 ii.g5 e6 7 Apart from the bishop 's retreat he
'li'd2 ii.e7 8 0-0-0 0-0 9 f4 also has the exchange on f6 and the
It is useless to search for errors in sharp 1 0 h4. What is to be
these moves; they have been made preferred? I adhere to my own
thousands of times in top-level theory which has never failed me
events including matches for the and my pupils: with a wide choice
World Championship. And I am of possibilities available, you must
sure that for many years to come first of all consider a capture. Why?
this variation will faithfully serve Is it just that I don't like to lose a
the adherents of the Sicilian De­ tempo? In my early years playing
fence as well as those of Rauzer's the King's Indian with Black, to
attack. everybody's surprise, I invariably
9 h6
..• answered h4-h5 with ... g6xh5, and
Here we might pause to consider: frequently won. So why don't I
is it worthwhile for Black to create exchange now? Because there is
this weakness in his camp? If you another principle involved-respect
look through the game to the end, for the dark-squared bishop! Why it
you will see that this very weakness deserves this respect can be seen,
acts as a "fifth column" enabling for example, in the variation 1 0
White to organize a victorious ii.xf6 ii.xf6 1 1 lbxc6 bxc6 1 2 'it'xd6
storm. And yet the move 9 . . . h6 'it'b6 1 3 'ii'd3 l::tb 8 14 b3 l::td8 1 5
should by no means be viewed as a 'it' f3 ii.d4 1 6 �b 1 ii.xc3 ! 1 7 l::txd8+
mistake. In a number of variations 'i!Vxd8 1 8 'it'xc3 'it'd 1 + 1 9 �b2 ii.a6
Black cannot do without it. To put it 20 'ii'f3 and White's superiority is
concisely: if this move loses you the quite doubtful. Black's dark-squared
game, any other move is sure to lose bishop has done its utmost on the
it too. My opponent may, however, long diagonal. As for 1 0 h4, it ap­
have committed a psychological pears aggressive only at first glance
error. He was highly unlikely to -it might better be called a pseudo­
know that I have the fondest memo­ active move. Black just takes the
ries of this variation. For instance, at bishop, his knight retreats to h7,
/ 2() UnjiJrgettable Encounters
then at the right moment he gives it
back on gS and obtains a positional
advantage. All this has been seen
countless times, and the study of it
is well worthwhile.
10...�d7
This amazed me! Shortly before
our game, in the Karpov-Kasparov
match (Moscow 1984/8S) the chal­
lenger had played 10 ...eS and
quickly equalized. How could my
opponent fail to follow this ultra­
modem and ultra-popular fashion? I
had no doubt he knew about that
game. "Aha! So this is where he
goes wrong!"--confess, dear reader,
that this is what you are thinking. If
Kasparov plays 10... eS and quickly
draws, and then another player
chooses 10 ... .td7 and loses, the
conclusion is obvious.
However, I do not agree that
10...eS can be relied on to equalize.
For example: 11 lbfS i.xfS 12 exfS
exf4 13 'itb 1 dS 14 i.xf6 i.xf6 1S
lbxdS i.eS 16 .tc4!. I feel this cen­
tralizing manoeuvre is stronger than
16 g3 as played in the Karpov­
Kasparov game; it is noteworthy
that Kasparov did not use this
variation again in the match. In case
· lnformator volume 20 is not on your
bookshelves, 16 i.c4! occurred in
the Gufeld-Tukmakov game
(Vilnius 197S), which continued:
16...bS (otherwise Black obtains no
counterplay) 17 �xbS l:b8 18 c4
lbd4 19 l:hei ! f6 20 .ta4 lbxfS 2 1
.tb3 lbd4 22 'ii'd3 aS 23 .ta4! l:tf7
24 'ii'e4! and after five more moves
Black gave up. Another game,
Gufeld-Dorfman (Kishinev, 197S),
varied at move 21 with 21...lbe3 22
lbxe3 'ii'xd2 23 l:txd2 fxe3 24 l:tdS.
An endgame has arisen with
opposite-coloured bishops, but with
much better chances for White.
24 ...l:tfd8 2S lhe3 l::xdS 26 cxdS
�f8 27 h3 l:tb4 28 l:te2 �e7 29 l:c2
l:td4 30 a4 l:td3 3 1 �a2 aS 32 l:cS
l:d2 33 l:xaS �xb2 34 l:a7+ Wd8
3S l:tb7 l:txg2 36 .tc4 .teS+ 37 'it>a3
.td6+ 38 'it'b3 l:g3+ 39 <it?c2 i.e7,
and now the simple 40 i.bS leaves
Black on the brink of defeat.
1 1 lbf3
I did not know the game Sax­
Utasi (Hungarian Championship,
1984) which went 1 1 .txf6? .txf6
12 lbdbS iiaS 13 'ii'xd6 a6 14 eS
lbxeS with equal chances. But even
if I had known it, I would not have
considered a move like 1 1 .txf6 for
long: my affection for the dark­
squared darling is too great. Another
possibility was 1 1 lDdbS, which
could be answered by 1 1... lbxe4!.
This is where the manoeuvre
... h7-h6, pushing the bishop back to
an unprotected square, turns out to
be profitable for Black.
1 1 ...'ii'a5

12 'it>b1 !
Now I know why queenside cas­
tling is called "long." It is long be­
cause it is carried out in two steps:
0-0-0 and then 'it>b 1 . As I learned
later, 1 2 eS was tried in the game
Sokolovsky-Utasi, Iasi 1 984. There
followed 1 2 ...dxe5 (not 1 2 ... lbe8?
1 3 i..xe7 lbxe7 14 exd6 lbfS 1 5
li.JeS+-) 1 3 �xf6 �xf6 1 4 'i!Vxd7
cxf4 ! (or 1 4 ... e4 1 5 lbxe4 i..xb2+
1 6 'i.txb2 .l:.ad8 1 7 'i!Vxd8!) 1 5 'ii'xb7
( l 5 lbe4 �xb2+ -+; 1 5 .l:.d3 lbb4 1 6
a3 �xc3-+) 1 5 ... �xc3 (after
1 5 . . .lbb4 1 6 'i!VbS ! lbxa2+ 1 7 lbxa2
...xa2 1 8 �c4 �xb2+ 1 9 'i!Vxb2
-.xc4 20 'i!Vd4 White's chances are
preferable.) 16 'i!Vxc6 ( 1 6 bxc3
l:tfc8-+) 1 6 ...�xb2+ 1 7 'i.txb2
l:tab8+ 1 8 �bS ( 1 8 'i.tcl ? 'i!Va3+ 1 9
�d2 'i!Ve3 mate; 1 8 �a1 .l:.fc8-+)
1 8 ....l:.xb5+ 19 'itta 1 .l:.cS 20 We4 (20
�7? .l:.xc2-+) 20 ...'i!Vc3+ 2 1 'it>b1
l:tb8+ 22 'i.tc 1 .l:.cbS 0-1 . White also
has the developing move 1 2 �c4,
but Black can deliver the successful
counterblow 12 ... b5! 1 3 �xbS .l:.fc8
14 �c4 (or 14 i..xc6 .l:.xc6 15 'i.tb I
l:r.a6 with uncertain CO!t:J:plications).
The manoeuvre 1 2 We1 also de­
serves close attention. It aroused
general interest after Karpov used it
in a game with Timman (Buenos
Aires, 1 980). After 1 2 ....l:.fd8 1 3 eS
dxeS 1 4 fxeS the idea behind the
manoeuvre became clear: White has
carried out the planned advance
e4-e5 with great ease. But is it suffi­
cient to keep the advantage from the
opening? That game does not
provide an affirmative answer:
1 4 ... lbh7 1 5 i..xe7 lbxe7 1 6 i.. d3
i..c6, and having taken over the
point dS, Black is not worse. In
lnformator Timman gives 1 6 i.. d3 a
question mark and recommends 1 6
ltJdS. Black can then choose be­
tween the quiet 1 6 ... lbc6 and the
Unforgettable Encounters 127
double-edged 1 6...Wxa2, which af­
ter 1 7 lbxe7+ 'i.tf8 1 8 Wh4 aS 1 9
'ii'c s b 6 2 0 lbg6+ �g8 2 1 lbe7+
leads to a perpetual.
The move in the game, 1 2 �b 1 ! ,
retains all the benefits of White's
position and confronts Black with
new problems. Having defended the
a2-pawn, White raises a sword over
the enemy in the shape of the poten­
tial threat lbc3-d5 ! .
1 2 .l:.fd8
...
Maybe this rook should be on c8.
Let's check: 12 ....l:.fc8 1 3 g4! bS 14
�d3 lbb4 15 a3 lbxd3 16 lbdS!
'i!Vxd2 1 7 lbxe7+ 'i.tf8 18 .l:.xd2
�xe7 1 9 .l:.xd3 eS (Dolmatov­
Beliavsky, 49th USSR Ch, 198 1 ),
and here White could deliver the
crushing blow 20 lbxeS ! .
13 i..d3
By now the reader may be getting
a little bored. The game has not yet
started. All these moves have been
encountered many times before, and
the post-mortem is looking like a
theoretical article on one of the
variations of the Rauzer attack. I
must point out, however, that the
foregoing comments are not just dry
data but serve to support my main
thesis-the impossibility of pin­
pointing Black's mistake.
The opening phase may be said to
be over. All the pieces have been
mobilized for battle, the rooks are
connected and ready to seize the
major files, the pawns are about to
go into the attack. Each player has
his own guidelines. White can ig­
nore his queenside: his eyes are
fixed on the h6-pawn, which has un­
willingly turned into his ally. If this
pawn were on h7, the black king
would feel much more at ease. Now
the idea of g2-g4-g5 is in the air,
and the only question is when and
how White should start the
128 Unforgettable Encounters

offensive. Black, for his part, is pre­ Black's initiative may become dan­
pared to implement a classical rule gerous. At any rate, White would
of chess strategy: to launch a have to transfer his attention from
counter-attack in the centre in reply the kingside to the queenside. None­
to a flank offensive. He has done his theless this tempting thrust of the
utmost to prepare the breaks ... e6-e5 knight's pawn does not turn out suc­
and . . . d6-d5, which are highly dan­ cessfully for Black. Must we then
gerous given the opposition between consider it a mistake? But if we
the white queen and the black rook. view this multi-purpose, active
Returning to theory, I have to note move 1 3 ... b5 as a mistake, we natu­
that in addition to 1 3 i.d3, 1 3 jfe 1 rally have to ask: what is not a mis­
has been seen. In the game take in chess? Would it have been
Mnatsakanian-Tukmakov, Erevan better for Black to content himself
1 980, Black soon went wrong: with the passive retreat ... i.e8?
1 3 . . .i.e8 1 4 i.d3 lbb4? 1 5 g4! and Only practice will provide the
White's onslaught led to a quick answer.
victory. The effectiveness of the 14 l::th gl ! !
queen manoeuvre to e 1 was there­ At first glance this quiet prelimi­
fore not tested. But it is hard to tell nary move is not in the spirit of the
how White's attack would fare, say, position. And yet it is exactly the
in the case of 1 4 .. J:tac8. The text right solution. All other contin­
move, 1 3 i.d3, is less committal uations lead nowhere, for example:
and more solid. (a) 1 4 ll'lxb5 �6, and now:
13 b5
... (al ) 1 5 i.f2 ll'lxe4 16 i.xe4
jfxb5+.
(a2) 1 5 l::th e1 l::tab8 ! 16 b3 i.e8
1 7 f5 ll'le5 ! and Black gained a dan­
gerous initiative in Byrne-lvanovic,
Reykjavik 1 982.
(b) 1 4 g4 b4 15 ll'le2 ll'lxg4 ! , and
in view of the possible ...ll'lg4-f2
White doesn't have time to organize
real threats to compensate for the
pawn.
By contrast, after the seemingly
sluggish move 1 4 l::thg l , no defence
Black is first to make an attacking can be found against the attack with
move. Of course, he is not going to g2-g4-g5 . To be sure, all this was
mate the white king this way. A only established after the game was
positional struggle for the central over and had been thoroughly
points is in progress: Black wants to analysed. While it was being played,
drive away the knight from c3 so everything appeared rather vague,
that he can undermine the centre for the players as well as for the
with . .. e6-e5 or ... d6-d5. To be sure, public watching this fierce battle.
a pawn is thereby sacrificed, but if 14 b4 1 5 ll'le2 e5
...

White takes on b5, the b-file be­ Black sticks to classical principles
comes exposed, and in that case and starts operations in the centre. It

would have been far worse to do it
with l 5 ... d5, for after 1 6 ii..x f6
Jtxf6 1 7 e5 Black has nothing to
offset his opponent's plan to push
the g-pawn. It looks like a typical
French position where Black has a
bad bishop and a white knight domi­
nates the d4-point.
16 g4
There is no time to prepare for
this strike. Now everything has to be
worked out move for move.
16 ii..e6
•..
If 1 6 . ..llJxg4 1 7 ii.xe7 f?Jxe7 1 8
1'5 ! , Black is lost.
17 b3 dS!
The merit of this game lies in the
fact that both White and Black play
very precisely, finding the best con­
tinuations. Black now almost ap­
pears to have seized the initiative.
The blow against e4 may prove
painful for White. From now on,
however, strategy yields to tactics.
The decisive factor which tips the
scales in White's favour turns out to
be the "fifth column" in his oppo­
nent's camp--the h6-pawn.
18 ii.xf6!
My love for the dark-squared
bishop was outweighed by my
concern for the central points. The
strike against e4 must be nullified at
any cost!
18 ii.xf6
..•
The sharp variation 1 8 ... dxe4 1 9
iJ...xe7 f?Jxe7 20 f?Jxe5 ! had to be
precisely figured out.
19 gS hxgS 20 fxgS ii.e7
Thus Black's first line of defence
is broken through. But White cannot
procrastinate here, or he will come
up against a brick wall.
21 g6! !
There must not b e any pause in
the offensive, even if sacrifices are
necessary.
Unforgettable Encounters 129
2l ...dxe4
During the game this reply
seemed logical to me. The position
was later analysed with Garry
Kasparov. What happens after
2 l . ..f6 ... ?
(a) I was banking on 22 'ii'e 1 (in­
tending 23 'iVh4) 22 ...dxe4 23 ii.xe4
l:txd 1 + 24 'iVxd 1 , for instance:
(a1 ) 24 ...'iVb6?? 25 ii.d5 ! .
(a2) 24 . . .'iVc5 2 5 'ii'e 1 �£8 26
'iVh4 �e8 27 'iVh8+ ii.£8 28 f?Jc l
.Ud8 29 f?Jd3 'iVb6 30 l:tfl ! .
(a3) 24 ....l:tc8 25 f?Jg3 ! ii.c5 26
ii..d5 ! .
(a4) 24 ....l:td8 25 'ii'e 1 , and if
25 .. .'i'c5 then 26 'iVh4 ! . The fact
that the knight on c6 lacks support,
so that Black's heavy pieces have to
share responsibility for taking care
of this "sickly mustang", only pro­
motes White's initiative. However,
all my thoroughly polished analysis
was questioned by American GM
Yasser Seirawan during a theoreti­
cal discussion in Seattle in May
1 987. He suggested 25 ... 'iVa6! and
explained with a smile: "Your plan
of attack is specifically connected
with the black knight's unprotected­
ness, so by way of revenge I
' accost' the white knight on e2." We
analysed together for many hours.
The following forced variation that
we found is probably strongest.
130 Unforgettable Encounters

Judge for yourself: 26 %1fl �c5 ! 27 true. In fact, White can play 24 lL'lf4
�xc6! 'Wxc6 28 lbxe5! \i'e4 29 and his position is preferable.
lL'lf4! 'Wxe1 + 30 .l:txe 1 �f5 3 1 lL'led3 (c3) 22 ... �xd5 23 lbh4, and now:
�d6 32 h4 .l:tc8 33 .l:te2, and the (c3 1 ) 23 ... e4 24 lL'lf4!
result is a position of dynamic (c3 1 1 ) 24 . .. exd3 25 'ikxd3 lbd4
equality. (25 ... lbe5 26 'We2) 26 lL'lf5 ! (not 26
(b) 22 lbg3 (threatening ii'd2-e2, 'ilr'xd4?? �xb3 27 'Wb2 �c4+)
lbf3-h4 and 'ii'e2-h5), and now: 26 ...lbxf5 27 'Wxf5+-.
(b l ) 23 ...dxe4 24 lbxe4 lbd4 25 (c3 1 2) Black can try the less obvi-
lbxf6+! gxf6 26 'Wh6 'Wc7 27 lL'lxd4 ous 24 . . .�xb3 !?
(27 g7? 'i!r'xg7 28 .l:tg 1 �g4 2 9 (c3 1 2 1 ) 25 axb3? exd3 26 lbxd3
l:txg4 'Wxg4 30 l:tg 1 'ii'xg1 + 3 1 lbd4+.
lbxg1 Wt7! and Black can success- (c3 1 22) 25 cxb3 exd3 (25 ... lbe5
fully defend himself) 27 ... �xd4 (or 26 lL'lf5 �c5 27 'ilr'g2+-), and White
27 . . .l:txd4) 28 l:txf6 with irresistible has two ways of carrying on the at­
threats. tack. One is 26 1i'e3 ! (aiming for 27
(b2) 23 ...lbd4 24 lbxe5 fxe5 25 'i!r'e6+ Wh8 28 "ifh3), for example:
'ikg5 and there is no defence to 26 26 ...'ir'e5 27 'ii'h3 d2 28 lbf3 il'e4+
\i'h5. 29 Wb2 �c5 30 'ilr'h7+ Wf8 3 1
(b3) Obviously Black's counter- 'ii'h8+ We7 32 'ii'xg7+ Wd6 33
play is associated with the weak- 'ili'xf6+ Wc7 34 lbe6+ +-. The alter­
ened periphery of White's camp. I native is 26 'ii'g2, and now:
spent a lot of time during the game (c3 1 22 1 ) 26 ...'ii'g5 is inadequate;
looking for a specific way in which 27 'ii'xc6 'ikxf4 (or 27 ...'ii'xh4 28
this counterplay might take shape, 'ii'e6+ Wh8 29 l:tg3+-) 28 il'e6+
but could not find it. But when I re- Wh8 29 lbf5 �f8 30 l:tg3 and wins.
cently discovered 23 ...'ii'a3 ! ! , after (c3 1 222) 26 ...lbd4 27 'ii'h3 lbb5
which White is constantly under 28 lL'lf3 ! lbc3+ 29 Wc l 'ii'a3+ (after
threat (24 'ike2 lbd4!), I understood the inkrmediate 29 ... d2+ 30 l:txd2
that 22 lbg3? is an ugly move and, 'ii'a 3+ White wins by 3 1 l:tb2
worse, not an attacking move. lbxa2+ 32 'itr>b 1 lL'lc3+ 33 Wc2+-) 30
(c) 22 exd5 leads to the following 'it>d2 \i'xa2+ 3 1 'ifr>e I �c5
possibilities: (3 l . ..'ir'xb3 32 'ii'h7+ Wf8 33 'ikh8+
(c l ) 22 ...'ii'xd5 23 �c4 'ii'xf3 'ikg8 34 lbe6+ +-) 32 \i'h7+ Wf8 33
(Kasparov and I eventual�y agreed 'iih 8+ �e7 34 \i'xg7+ Wd6 35
that Black's best is 23 ...'Wxc4_ ! 24 'ifxf6+ Wc7 36 lbe6+ +-. ·

'ii'xd8+ �xd8 25 bxc4 �xc4 26 (c32) 23 ...�e6 is very strongly

lbg3 �b6 with chances of saving answered by 24 lbg3 ! , aiming to oc­
the game, though White retains a cupy the key point f5 and transfer
plus) 24 �xe6+ Wh8 25 �d5. the queen to the h-file, e.g.
(c2) 22 ... l:txd5 23 'ike 1 (releasing (c3 2 1 ) 24 ... �c5 25 .l:tgfl lbd4 26
the white bishop) 23 . . . f5 (23 ... �c5 'i!Vg2 lbb5 27 �xb5 il'xb5 28 lL'lhf5
24 .l:tfl ), and now in answer to 24 'ii'e 8 29 lbxg7 ! l:txd 1 + 30 %1xd l
lbg5 Kasparov suggested the inter- 'it>xg7 3 1 lbh5+ Wf8 32 lbxf6 l:td8
esting 24 ... e4 25 lbxe6 �f6 (32 ...'ii'c 8 33 'ii'g5+-) 33 g7+ We7
(26 ...'i!Vxa2+ is threatened) 26 a4 34 g8=lb+ �xg8 35 'ikg7+ �fl 36
bxa3 ! . However, we concluded that l:tel 'ii'h8 37 l:txe5+ 'it>d6 38 lbe4+
this is too pretty to be absolutely +-.

(c322) 24 ...lZJd4 (intending
25 . . .lZJb5) 25 'ii'g2 ! i.c5 26 .:tgfl ,
with a view to 27 lZJhf5 .
(c33) 2 3 . . . i.c5 probably sets
White the most difficult problems.
I n this variation it turns out that time
is more valuable than material. 24
lilf5 ! threatens to transfer the queen
nlong the route d2-e 1-h4. Black has:
(c33 1 ) 24 ... i.xg1 25 'ii'e 1 and
White's threats are very dangerous,
for example:
(c33 1 1 ) 25 ...i.e3 ! ? 26 lZJxe3 ! (or
26 ,..h4! ? .i.h6 27 lZJeg3) 26 ... e4 27
'ii'h4 exd3 28 %lxd3 lZJe7 29 lZJf4
nnd Black can hardly repel the
nttack.
(c33 1 2) 25 ...e4 26 'ii'h4 'ii'c 7 27
Jlxe4 ! ! 'ifxh2 28 i.xd5+ 'i!?f8 29
'ii'xf6+! and mate in 5.
(c33 1 3) 25 ... .tc5 26 'Wh4 lZJe7
( 26 . . .'Wc7 27 i.c4! .i.xc4 28 'ifxc4+
.J.>f8 29 'ii'x c5+ �g8 30 'ii'c4+ 'i!?f8
) I l.tfl 'ifd7 32 'i!t'h4 'ii'd5 33 lZJxg7!
nnd White's position is preferable)
27 'ii'h7+ �f8 28 'ii'h 8+ lZJg8 29
'ii'xg7+ �e8 30 i.b5+! 'Wxb5 3 1
l:r.xd5 %lxd5 32 'ifxg8+ �d7
()2 ... .i.f8 33 g7+-) 33 'ii'xd5+ �c7
)4 'ili'xa8 'Wxe2 35 'ii'h 1 !+-.
(c332) 24 ... e4 25 'ii'f4 ! exd3 26
l:r.xd3, and now:
(c332 1 ) 26 ... .txg1 27 'ii'h4+-.
(c3322) 26 . . .lZJe7 27 lZJxe7+
Jlxe7, and White faces a choice:
(c3322 1) The tempting 28 'ii'f5 is
refuted by 28 ...%lac8! (but not
28 ...'iVb5 29 lZJf4 i.c4 30 'iVh3
l:r.xd3 3 1 'ii'h7+ �f8 32 bxc4 'ii'xc4
)3 'ii'h8+ 'ii'g 8 34 lZJe6+ +-) 29
l:r.gd 1 %lxc2 30 �xc2 (30 a4 bxa3 3 1
l:r.xd5 %lb2+ 3 2 �a1 %lxe2 33
l:r.xd8+ i.xd8-+) 30 ...'ii'xa2+ 3 1
'lt.>c l i.c5 ! ! 3 2 %lxd5 i.e3+ 33 %l1d2
Jlxd2+ 34 �d1 'ii'xb3+ -+.
(c33222) 28 'ifh4 ! threatens the
"quiet" 29 lZJf4. The reply seems
obvious:
Unforgettable Encounters 131
(c33222 1 ) 28 ....td6 29 lZJd4! (the
knight changes its route) 29 ...'ifc7
30 lZJf5 i.e6 (or 30 ...i.e5 3 1 %lxd5
and mate in 5) 3 1 %le 1 ! .ie5 32
%lxe5 %lxd3 (32 . . .fxe5 33 lZJe7+ �f8
34 'ii'h8+ �xe7 35 'ifxg7+ +-) 33
lZJe7+! ! 'i!t'xe7 (33 ...�£8 34 'ii'h8+
�xe7 35 'i!t'xg7+ �d6 36 %lxe6+ +-)
34 %lh5 ! and mate in 6.
(c332222) Kasparov suggested a
more subtle defence: 28 ...�£8 29
'ii'h 5! %lac8 30 lZJf4 'iVb6 (30 ...'i!t'c5
3 1 'ii'h8+ i.g8 32 lZJe6+ +-) 3 1
lZJxd5 ! 'ii'xg 1+ 32 l::d l ! (32 �b2?
lhc2+! 33 �xc2 %lc8+ 34 lZJc3
�e8 ! !) 32 . . .�xd 1+ 33 'i!Vxd1 %lc5
34 'ii'h5 �e8 35 'iVh8+ .tf8
(35 ... �d7 36 'ii'h3+ �e8 37
lZJxb4±) 36 lZJxf6+ �e7 37 lZJh7+-.
(c3323) 26 ... i.e6 27 'ifh4 ! i.xf5
(after 27 ...%lxd3 White forcefully
wins by demolishing Black's rear:
28 'ii'h7+ �f8 29 'ii'h8+ .tg8 30
'i!t'xg7+ �e8 31 'ii'xg8+ �d7 32
'ii'f7+ lZJe7 33 cxd3 i..xg1 34
'ifxe7+ +-) 28 'ii'h7+ �f8 29 'ii'h8+
�e7 30 'i!Vxg7+ �e6 3 1 lZJf4+ �e5
32 .:te l + .t e4 (or 32 ... �xf4 33
'i!t'h6+ �g4 34 h3 mate), and now:
(c3323 1 ) A mistake would be 33
%lxd8 %lxd8 34 lZJd3+ �d6 35 %lxe4
(35 'ii'xf6+ �c7 36 %lxe4 i.d4 37
'ili'f4+ �b7) 35 ... .td4! 36 'ii'f7 'ii'd5,
and Black keeps an extra piece.
(c33232) 33 lZJh5 ! .i..e7 (33 ...
%lxd3 34 'i'xf6+ �d5 35 lZJf4 mate)
34 'ifh6 %lxd3 (34 ...f5 35 'Wg7+ .i.f6
36 'ii'xf6 mate) 35 'iff4+ �e6 36
'ii'xe4+ with a won position for
White.
Of course, if Black manages to
bring about a queen exchange, his
two bishops and powerful pawn
centre will ensure him a comfortable
game. But a middlegame position is
on the board, and the pawn on g6
calls to mind a bayonet held at the
black king's throat.
1 32 U1�{ilrgettable Encounters
22 gxf7+
22 i.xf7
...
If 22 ... �f8, then 23 lbg5 ! (but not
23 l:txg7 exd3 ! and White hasn't the
mating threats). During the game I
had to figure out the consequences
of 22 . . .�xf7:
(a) 23 lbg5+ leads nowhere after
23 . . .i.xg5 24 'i!Vxg5 exd3 25 'ii'xg7+
�e8; Black repels the attack while
preserving his material advantage.
(b) 23 l:.Xg7+! and now:
(b 1 ) It was necessary to figure out
accurately the consequences of the
king's retreat: 23 ... �e8! ? 24 lbg5 !
exd3 2 5 lLlxe6 dxe2 2 6 'ii'x e2, and
now:
(b l l ) 26 ...e4 27 lbc7+ �f8 28
l:.dg 1 'ii'xc7 (28 ... i.. f6 29 lbe6+
�e8 30 l:t 1 g5 !+-) 29 l:tg8+ �f7 30
'ii'c4+ and mate in 5.
(b 1 2) 26 ... l:txd 1+ 27 'ii'xd 1 , when
the following variations are
possible:
(b 1 2 1 ) 27 ...lbd8 28 'ii'g 4!+- (but
not 28 l:tg8+? �f7 29 'ii'g4 i.f6! 30
l:tf8+ �e7 31 'ii'f5 i.h4; Black has
an extra piece and White' s attack is
spent).
(b l 22) 27 ...lbd4 28 'ii'h 5+ �d7
29 lbxd4+-.
(b 1 23) 27 ... e4 28 'ii'g4
(b 1 23 1) 28 ... l:tb8 29 'ii'xe4 l:tb6
30 lbc7+ �d8 (30 ...�d7 3 1 lbd5
'ii'c 5 32 'ii'f5+ +-) 3 1 lbd5 'ii'c 5 32
l:tg8+ +-.
(b 1232) 28 ...lbe5 29 lLlc7+ 'ii'xc7
30 'ii'e6 lbg6 3 1 l:txg6 'ii'f4 32 l:tg8+
'ii'f8 33 'ii'c6+ +-.
(b 1 24) 27 ... l:td8 28 'ii'g4! l:td6 29
l:tg8+ �d7 30 lLlc5+ �c7 3 1 'ii'c 8+
�b6 32 lLla4+ �b5 33 'ifb7+ +-.
(b2) 23 ...�xg7 24 l:tg l + �f7 25
'ii'h6, and now:
(b2 1 ) After 25 ...l:tg8, the obvious
ways of attacking do not succeed. I
felt an emotional uplift when I
finally found 26 l:tfl ! ! . The rook
sets up a powerful battery. After
26 ... exd3 27 lbxe5+ �e8 there fol­
lows the subtle 28 'ii'h5+, and Black
will lose most of his army.
(b22) After 25 ... ..tf6, White can
expect no more than perpetual
check if he continues 26 l:tg7+
i.xg7 27 lbg5+ �e8 28 'ii'xe6+
lbe7. It is much easier to find the
decisive move if you rotate the
board through 90 degrees. Then the
seizure of the open rank by heavy
pieces is obvious: 26 l:tg6!, and all
the Black pieces along the 6th rank
become exposed to attack. This
situation reminds me of the "dom­
ino effect," when after you hit one
piece the others all fall down. For
instance: 26... exd3 27 l:txf6+ �e8
28 l:txe6+ lbe7 29 cxd3 ! . This unex­
pected "quiet" move in the midst of
the attack is louder than any check.
Black is helpless against the mating
threats.
(b23) 25 .. . exd3 26 'ifh5+! and
mate in 4.
Finally, 22 ...�h8 23 l:txg7! �xg7
24 l:tg1 + �xf7 25 'ii'h 6! transposes
to variation (b2).
23 'ii'h6!
Black resigned 1-0
If 23 ... i.f8, then 24 l:txg7+ i.xg7
25 l:tg 1 �f8 26 'ii'xg7+ �e7 27
lL\g5 ! exd3 (27 ...'ii'd5 28 i..xe4 l:tg8
29 'ii'h7!+-) 28 'ii'xf7+ �d6 29 lbe4
mate.

What kind of games do we
appreciate?
Personally, I do not like games­
even beautiful ones-that are
marred by mistakes on both sides. It
is well known that Emanuel Lasker
relished such chess duels, those
tilled with dramatic events, re­
sourceful skirmishes and struggles. I
do not deny that such games have
an aesthetic quality of their own.
But I prefer those in which victory
is achieved in the absence of errors
on the part of one's opponent-to
say nothing of the winner: his play
should be irreproachable.
Let us take the following game as
an example. I like its finale. I want
to compare it with some famous
creation in the fine arts ... But there
is one thing in this game which still
embarrasses me. It seems my oppo­
nent could have played better, more
dangerously. And if that is so, then
it means that . somewhere my own
play was not the best. That is why
this game loses something in my es­
timation, though Lasker would no
doubt have liked it. I am not even
consoled by the purely sporting as­
pect of the game-by the thought
that if I had not played so reck­
lessly, if I had not taken risks and
endangered my position, a draw
would have been the likely result.
Nor is it entirely consoling to think
that without my earlier inaccuracy,
the pretty finish might never have
come about.
Unforgettable Encounters 133
46 King's Indian Defence [E8 1 ]
V.Kotronias White
E.Gufeld Black
Athens, 1 985
1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 lL'lc3 ..ltg7 4
e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 6 ..ltg5
The Siimisch System is usually
played with ..lte3 . If White disdains
this centralizing move he must be
tempting Black to play 6 ... h6. Then
the bishop will retreat to e3, having
provoked a weakness in the pawn
cover in front of the black king. But
does Black even need to pay atten­
tion to the bishop which, for the
time being, threatens no one?
6...tbc6
If White neglects the d4-square, it
is natural to attack it. Would it not
be better to use the infantry to this
end? But if 6 ... c5 7 d5 e6 8 'ifd2
exd5 9 cxd5, White closes the d-file
and finds a useful function for his
queen's bishop. It seems paradoxi­
cal to me, but the resulting position
provides more sporting chances for
White. The essence of the move
6 . . .tbc6 is also a peculiar provoca­
tion, like White's 6th move. Black
invites the pawn forward to attack
the knight. But after 7 d5 lLle5 fol­
lowed by ... e7-e6 and the opening of
the centre, Black's pieces will gain
space for their activity, and the
move f2-f3 will prove useless.
7 lLlge2 a6!
134 Unforgettable Encounters
I like this move. It s.ets in motion
the hidden springs of the counter­
attack by ... b7-b5, with threats to the
c4-point as well as to the centre (af­
ter ...b5-b4). This counterplay of
Black's is no less powerful than
White's attack on the kingside.
8 'i!Vd2 i.d7
Black's plans can also develop
along different lines, e.g. 8 ... l:tb8 or
8 ... l:te8. He has a number of active
plans at his disposal. This is the
main consequence of White's over­
committal move f2-f3 .
9 h4 h5!
Again, the same recipe for maxi­
mum activity. It would be danger­
ous to let the white pawn reach h5,
but now, in order to prepare the
g2-g4 break, White has to waste
several precious tempi which Black
can use for the deployment of his
forces. Some very sharp play now
ensues.
10 'i!Ve3
The latest fashion. It is now
disadvantageous for Black to play
... e7-e5, for after White castles long,
the opposition of the rook on d1 and
the queen on d8 is in his favour. But
Black has other resources.
10 ...b5 1 1 0-0-0 tt:la5 12 tt:lf4
tt:lh7
The black knights are rather going
against the rules, which say that
they should not be placed on the
edge of the board. Their decentrali­
zation involves some risk, but this is
justified by factors that are no less
important. Indeed, even in their
seemingly awkward positions the
knights are creating threats against
enemy units!
13 e5 tt:lxg5
Why not 13 ... f6 ... ? Because the
bishop would sell its life too dearly:
14 exf6 exf6 1 5 tt:lxg6 fxg5 1 6
tt:le7+ cj;;fl 1 7 i.d3 ! .
1 4 hxg5 c5
Black has accomplished the de­
ployment of his forces and is ready
for hand-to-hand combat on any
part of the board. White has no time
to waste, for otherwise his combat
formation will collapse.
15 dxc5 i.xe5!
Of course not 1 5 ...dxe5 16 tt:lfd5 ! .
1 6 tt:lfd5
A strong move, which presents
Black with fresh problems. f3-f4 is
threatened, so that attention must be
switched instantly from the flanks to
the centre, where the major hostili­
ties are impending.
If instead 1 6 g4, how should
Black defend? I presented this posi­
tion to many masters and some
GMs, giving each of them ten at­
tempts. If they found the right move
on just one of these attempts I
would lose the bet. I can say that
none of them managed to find the
right solution on the first try. Moves
like ... hxg4, . . . h4, ...b4 and others
caught the eye at once, but these
only play into White's hands. When
playing 1 5 ... i.xe5, I had in mind the
far from obvious rejoinder
1 6 . . .l:tc8 ! ! with the idea of drum­
ming up counterplay against the
white king after 1 7 gxh5 l:txc5 ! . All
the variations are favourable for
Black; all his pieces are partic-

ipating in both attack and defence.
True, his king also gets caught in
the crossfire, but he should be able
to defend successfully. I would say
that the move 1 6 ....l:.c8 epitomizes
my style. I have been playing like
that all my life. Though I sometimes
miscalculate and make an aggres­
sive move when the position de­
mands defence or waiting tactics,
my decision is justified 80 percent
of the time, for it is in accordance
with the spirit of chess which pro­
claims: "Attack!" I will cite just one
variation: ( 1 6 g4 .l:tc8 1 7 gxh5
l:txc5) 1 8 hxg6 lbxc4 1 9 �xc4
l:txc4 20 gxt7+ l:ht7+.
16 .l:te8?!
•.•
You have probably guessed it:
this is the dubious move about
which I spoke in the preamble to the
game. My move seems logical, as it
repels White' s threat, defending the
e7-pawn and bringing the rook to
the central zone. But it has a defect:
it weakens the t7-square, and this, it
appears, could have had serious
consequences. Therefore 1 6 ... �e6!
deserved attention, after which eve­
rything would be in order for Black.
17 g4! hxg4
At this point the "star" move
17 . . ..l:.c8 is no good: 1 8 gxh5 .l:txc5
19 hxg6 lbxc4 20 �xc4 .l:txc4 2 1
gxt7+ and Black has to capture with
the king (not the rook), and tread a
dangerous path.
18 cxd6 exd6 19 f4
A critical position has arisen, and
the result of the game depends on
what happens now. White follows
his projected plan, which turns out
to be a mistake. He could have
played 1 9 lLJe4! with the threat of
check on f6. What should Black do
then?
(a) There is no time for the pro­
phylactic 1 9 ...�f5 20 lLJef6+ �xf6
Unforgettable Encounters 135
21 gxf6! with the decisive threat of
22 .l:th8+! 'it>xh8 23 'i!fh6+ and mate
next move. Black has other tries, but
they are not very promising:
(b) 1 9 ... .l:tc8 20 lLJdf6+ 'it>g7 2 1
.l:th7+ 'it>f8 22 .l:txd6 ! lbxc4 23 �xc4
.l:txc4+ 24 'it>b 1 �xd6 25 lbxd6+-.
(c) 1 9 ...'it>f8 20 lLJdf6 'iWc7 2 1
.l:th8+ 'it>g7 2 2 .l:th7+ �f8 23 f4
lbxc4 24 �xc4 'i!fxc4+ 25 �b 1 +-.
(d) 19 ... .l:te6 20 lLJdf6+ .l:txf6 2 1
gxf6 �xf6 2 2 .l:txd6+-.
(e) 1 9 ...'it>g7 is unplayable be­
cause of 20 f4 ! . One might suggest
other attempts to find defensive
resources for Black. But would they
bring success?
19 �g7 20 lLJe4
•..
This is too late now, since the
knight does not have pawn support
on the e4-square, the bishop solidly
defends the king and the rook oper­
ates along the e-file. Concealed and
highly effective counterplay materi­
alizes for Black.
20 ... �c6!
The "stock" 20 ... .l:tc8 would now
also be possible. For example 2 1
lLJdf6+ �xf6 22 lLJxf6+ 'i!fxf6 23
'i!fxe8+ �xe8 24 gxf6 lbxc4 25
�xc4 .l:txc4+ 26 'it>b 1 �c6+.
21 lbef6+
2 l ...'it>f8
2 l ...'i!fxf6 was playable straight­
away, but I had not yet fully worked
I 36 Unforgettable Encounters
out this possibility. On the other
hand 2 1 . . .�xf6 would fail to 22
'ifxe8+ �xe8 23 ltJxf6+ 'ifxf6 (or
23 . . .�f8 24 l:rh8+ �e7 25 l:rel
mate!) 24 gxf6 �c6 25 l:rh2 !±.
22 l2J h7+ �g8 23 lLlhf6+
Forcing Black to make the correct
move.
23 'ifxf6! 24 lLlxf6+ �xf6 25
••.
'i!Va3
In this situation 25 'ifb6 warrants
consideration, so that after 25 ... �d8
this bishop has been deflected from
the major thoroughfare. However,
after (e.g.) 26 'ii'g l �xhl 27 'ifxhl
l:rc8, Black has an even more com­
fortable game than before.
25 �g7 26 l:rh2
.•.
26 l:rg l is possibly better, but
would not of course alter the basic
evaluation of the position.
26 ltJxc4 27 �xc4 bxc4 28 'ii'g3
.•.
Surprisingly, the queen is not in a
position to fight successfully against
the two bishops and the g-pawn.
The whole point is that Black's
forces are excellently coordinated­
something you cannot say about
White's.
28 .�f3 29 l:rxd6
..
29 ... c3!
The triumph of Black's strategy.
How greatly his forces, which are
numerically weaker, surpass
White's in activity!
30 l:rf6
The "Gufeld bishop" is
particularly awesome; it is worth the
enemy queen on its own, so it is not
surprising that White hastens to
subdue it at any price. However, the
white king is now driven into the
open, so 30 b4 would have been
more stubborn, although Black
retains winning chances in that case
too.
30 ... cxb2+ 3l l:rxb2 l:red8!
The signal for the mating attack.
Naturally; the bishop on g7 rejects
the offered rook.
32 f5 l:rdl + 33 �c2 .l:Ic8+ 34 �b3
l:rd3+ 35 �b4
35 �a4 �c6+.
35 ...�f8+!
To my chagrin, my opponent im­
mediately resigned, not allowing me
to demonstrate the pretty mate on
the board: 36 �aS l:ra3+ 37 �b6
�c5 mate! 0-l

Art born out of struggle
This remarkably fierce chess clash
was acclaimed as the best at the in­
ternational tournament in Hastings.
This move would seem to go
against the laws of chess strategy. It
is not aimed at' conquering the cen­
tre (compare it with f2-f4), not is it
a mobilization of forces (ask the
knight on g l !). White's intentions
are clear, however. He is going to
strengthen the centre and under its
protection launch an all-out assault
on the king's flank. What are the
grounds for this aggressive plan?
The g6-pawn has moved and is a
target. White can also see the obvi­
ous intention of his rival to castle
short. "My plan is f2-f3 , then
�cl -e3 (or .il g5), ii'd l -d2,
h2-h4-h5, .ilh6 and tt:Jc3-d5, so as to
destroy all the defenders and cap­
ture the hostile king! " Facing these
threats, Black immediately has to
work out a plan of counteraction.
Unforgettable Encounters 1 3 7
5 0-0 6 .ilg5
...
A popular sortie, hindering the
advance ... e7-e5 (6 i.e3 was popu­
lar previously). The move involves
a kind of provocation: White wants
his opponent to play ... h7-h6, in or­
der to retreat the bishop to e3 and
afterwards gain a tempo for the at­
tack by ii'dl -d2. How should Black
respond? First of all, we must un­
derstand that trying to build up an
"impregnable" defence amounts to
defeat. Sooner or later the attempt
will end in a total rout of your com­
bat forces. The best defence is
counter-attack. The classic method,
of course, is the thrust ... c7-c5.
However, the statistics from games
proceeding 6 ... c5 7 d5 e6 8 'iVd2 are
in White's favour. After some con­
templation I chose another way,
well known to me from the variation
with 6 .ile3.
6...lbc6
This too, like 5 .ilg5, is a kind of
provocation-Black invites his op­
ponent to attack this piece. But after
7 d5 lbe5 he will play ...c7-c6! and
will achieve his objective of open­
ing lines for a counter-attack and
diverting the enemy forces. Black
reasons like this: "White will hardly
hide his king on the kingside, for
that would mean forgetting about
his planned attack there. That means
he must evacuate his king to the
queenside. Therefore a 'second
front' should be opened on that part
of the board! The method is simple:
...lbb8-c6! , ... a7-a6, ...l:t.a8-b8, and
afterwards, at the appropriate
moment, ...b7-b5 !" As for the centre,
Black will now rely on ... e7-e5 to
open lines there. Let us point out
1 . 18 / Jnjinp,cttahle Encounters
White's blind spot, the square d4,
which is accentuated by having the
bishop on g5.
7 4Jge2
Both development and prophy­
laxis. White understands the neces­
sity of controlling d4. On 7 11i'd2 e5
8 d5 4Jd4, the enemy knight reaches
a vantage point from which to sur­
vey the entire position. Then 9
lDge2 is met by 9 ... c5! intending
.. a7-a6, ...l:ta8-b8 and ...b7-b5; and
if 1 0 dxc6 then 1 0 . . .bxc6, and an
exchange on d4 would only benefit
Black.
7 a6 8 'ii'd 2 l:tb8 9 h4
...
Far from amicable behaviour to­
wards the opposing king! Essen­
tially this is the signal for hostilities
to commence.
9 h5!...
The very case where an exception
to the rule applies. Of course, the
move ... h7-h5 doesn't strengthen the
defence of the king, but it does win
valuable time for organizing the
counter-offensive.
10 0-0-0
There is now no better sanctuary
to be found for the white king.
lO bS 11 .th6? !
•••
White's desire to exchange off an
important defender is perfectly un­
derstandable and fits in with his
aggressive plan. Yet there are two
serious objections to this move: ( 1 )
I t involves a loss of time. White is
exchanging off the bishop in two
steps (.tc1 -g5 and j_g5-h6) for a
piece which has made just one move
( ... .tf8-g7). This may seem a thing
of little importance. But if we com­
pare a chess game 40 moves long
with a human life of 80 years, then
it appears that the loss of one tempo
is equal to the loss of two years! (2)
It exchanges the "good" bishop for
the potentially "bad" one. Let us re­
call that in allowing his opponent to
occupy the centre and in playing
... 4Jb8-c6, Black accepted the ne­
cessity of proceeding sooner or later
with the counter-stroke ... e7-e5,
which unfortunately would block
the path of his own king's bishop.
With the exchange of the bishop this
one drawback disappears, so now is
the right time for...
l l eS!
...
If the white b ishop were on g5,
this move would immediately be an­
swered by d4-d5. But now after 1 2
i..xg7 r#;;xg7, the move 1 3 d5 in­
volves many positional discomforts.
Above all, White is left with a "bad"
bishop on f1 (as his centre pawns
are on the light squares d5 and e4),
whereas the bishop on c8 (with
pawns on d6 and e5) is perfectly
"good." In addition, after 1 3 ...4Ja5 !
it appears that White will have to
block his own g-pawn with 1 4 lDg3,
abruptly diminishing his attacking
potential. We should note, inciden­
tally, that in this kind of position it
is highly disadvantageous to reply
to d4-d5 with ...lDc6-e7. On this
square the knight is restricted by the
pawn on e4, and, devoid of any
prospects, merely gets under the feet
of Black's other pieces, causing
havoc in his ranks. Indeed, in this
game something similar happens to

the knight on e2 . What should
White do, then, if d4-d5 is no good?
12 .i.xg7 \t>xg7 13 dxe5
The only move. On 13 liJd5 Black
plays 13 ...bxc4, with a counter­
nttack which is even more danger­
ous because White cannot complete
his development. His bishop is not
only "bad" but also "blind"-the
knight on e2, guarding the d4
Nquare, firmly shuts off his view.
All this points to the conclusion that
nfter 1 1 .i.h6?! e5 ! Black has a
small advantage.
13 ...dxe5
1 3 ... liJxe5 would be a positional
error: after 1 4 cxb5 axb5 1 5 liJf4
White's pieces spring to life, and the
�.:haracter of the battle shifts to his
ndvantage.
14 'ifg5? !
All i n the same spirit o f direct ag­
gression, although in a worse posi­
tion the accepted thing is to try for
simplifications. But Mestel did not
play h2-h4, 0-0-0 and ..tg5-h6 in or­
der to work for the draw in an end­
ing with chroniCally weak dark
squares and a bad bishop on fl .
14 'ife7 15 liJd5
••.
Again there is practically no other
move. The impetuous 1 5 g4? hxg4
16 h5 would be subjected to a "cold
shower": 16 ... liJh7 ! 1 7 'ifd2 'ifg5,
and White's position would
collapse.
15 liJxd5 16 exd5?!
••.
A very interesting, debatable
move. One must not think that the
English GM did not consider the
more solid 1 6 cxd5. Mestel saw that
in response Black has two promis­
ing possibilities: 1 6 ... 'ifxg5+ 1 7
hxg5 liJa5 1 8 liJc3 liJb7 with
liJb7-d6 to follow, preparing to
break with ... c7-c6; or 1 6 ...f6 1 7
'i'd2 liJd8 with a subsequent
...liJd8-f7, .. JH8-d8, ... ..tc8-d7,
Unforgettable Encounters 139
...l:r.a8-c8 and ...c7-c6. Therefore
White gives up the important
f5-square, but undertakes a desper­
ate attempt to activate his unfortu­
nate bishop, trusting in the tactical
resources of the position. A gripping
duel of the knights now begins. The
black knight dreams of getting to
d4, while the white one waits impa­
tiently for his opposite number to
leave c6, so that he may at last open
the way for the bishop.
16 f6
••.
The only move. If 16 .. .'ii'xg5+?
1 7 hxg5 the black knight moves
away and the advantage is now with
White: he has the e4-point at his dis­
posal, while the e5-pawn, cut off
from its base, is left weak.
17 'it'd2
Practically a forced reply. If 17
'ife3 liJa5 ! White i s unable to
coordinate his forces and finds
himself subjected to an onslaught.
But where does the black knight go
now?
17 ...l:r.d8!
This pin is the cornerstone of
Black's entire strategy! His knight
continues to fight for the key
d4-square.
18 g4!
Mestel also heeds the principle
"the best defence is a counter­
attack". The text flows logically
140 Unforgettable Encounters
from all of White's previous play,
and of course I was now expecting
it. Two or three more moves
(g4xh5, nh 1-g 1 , etc.) and Black's
position would collapse (such would
be the long-term consequences of
. . . h7-h5). If instead 1 8 liJc3, then
1 8 . . . lbd4 ! follows with great force;
Black will subsequently prepare
... c7-c6. Maybe White should have
moved his queen away. But 1 8 'i!Ve3
is bad in view of 1 8 ... lba5, while 1 8
�c2 or 1 8 �c3 would be met by
1 8 . . . lbb4.
There remains only 1 8 'ii'e l ! ?
Stop! Here is the crucial moment for
precise calculations. If up to here
Black was basically guided by the
general laws of the chess struggle,
the time has come now to prove the
correctness of his play with concrete
computations:
(a) 1 8 ... lba7 is possible: 19 lLlc3
bxc4 20 �xc4 lbb5, with reason­
able counterplay. But this is actually
too passive.
(b) A far more energetic reply is
the knight sacrifice 1 8 ...'i!Vc5 ! ! , and
now:
(b 1 ) It turns out that on 1 9 dxc6,
the under-development of White' s
kingside lets him down: 1 9 ...'ii'e 3+
20 'it>b 1 (if 20 :d2 then 20 . . .bxc4,
threatening 2 1 . . .:xb2 or 2 1 .. .c3 ! 22
bxc3 iH5 with unstoppable mate on
b l ) 20 ... bxc4 (probably 20 ...�f5+
2 1 'it>a 1 bxc4 leads to the same
thing) 2 1 'it>a 1 (2 1 lbg3 ila3 ! ; or 2 1
lbc3 :xd 1 + 2 2 iixd 1 'i!Vxc3-+; or
21 :xd8 �f5+ 22 'it>a1 :xd8 and
White is helpless) 2 l ...�f5 22 lLlg3
:xd 1 + 23 iixd 1 :d8 24 lbxf5+
gxf5 25 � 1 c3 26 �xa6 (26 b3 c2
27 iixc2 iie1 + -+) 26 ...:d2 27
'Wg1 (27 b3 iid4 28 'ii'g 1 ilb4-+)
27 . . . cxb2+ 28 'it>b 1 ilc3-+.
(b2) Declining the knight with 1 9
lbc3 would b e disastrous, because
after 1 9 ... lbd4 ! 20 lbe4 the knight
on d4 (in addition to being situated
in enemy territory! ) is more secure
than its White counterpart.
18 bxc4!
...
I never let the initiative slip for
the sake of material gains. More­
over, it seemed to me during the
game that 1 8 ... hxg4 simply loses. I
was troubled by both of White's
replies:
(a) 19 fxg4 (with the threat of 20
g5 and h4-h5) 19 ...�xg4, and now:
(a1 ) 20 �h3 is refuted by
20 ...�xh3 2 1 :xh3 'ii'c 5 ! .
(a2) Another line that looks dan­
gerous is 20 :g 1 f5 21 'i!Ve3 ! lba5,
when White has:
(a2 1 ) 22 lbd4 l:[b6! 23 :e 1 :e8! ,
but not 23 . . .lLlxc4 24 �xc4 bxc4 25
lbe6+.
(a22) 22 lbf4! is better, aiming to
use the h-pawn as a battering ram.
There can follow:
(a221 ) 22 ...lLlxc4 23 �xc4 bxc4
24 lbe6+ 'it>h7 25 'i!Vxe5 :e8 26
:xg4! fxg4 27 h5 etc.
(a222) 22 ...:b6 23 c5! :f6 24
:e 1 :e8 25 h5 g5 and White has
the choice between the simple 26
lLlh3 and the more vigorous 26
:xg4 fxg4 27 lbe6+ :xe6 28 dxe6
'i!Vxe6 29 'ii'xg5+ 'it>h8 30 h6 etc.
(a223) 22 . .. �xd1 23 :xg6+ 'it>h7
24 :e6 'i!Vf7 (not 24 ...'ifxh4 25
'ifxe5+-) 25 iixe5 :e8 26 �d3
�g4-+.
(b) 19 h5 g5 20 'i!Vc2?! (a double
attack) 20 ... gxf3 2 1 lbg3 Admitted­
ly, I later figured out that after
2 l ...lbd4! 22 'i!Vg6+ 'it>h8-+ the
white h-pawn shields the black king,
and there is nothing more to fear.
No doubt some defensive players
would have taken on g4, in the hope
of repelling the opponent's numer­
ous threats and realizing Black's
material advantage. You must

ulways trust in your own intuition,
however, and I felt there was some­
thing not right there! Imagine that
you are receiving the serve in ten­
nis. The ball flies high and seems to
he going out-but what if it does­
n ' t? Overcoming your doubts, you
take the game firmly into your own
hands with a powerful stroke
( 1 8 . . .bxc4!).
19 tt:'lc3
The counter-blow 1 9 gxh5 de­
manded delicate calculation. In re­
ply I had planned 1 9 . ..tt:'lb4 (aiming
for ... tt:'ld3+) 20 tt:'lc3 i.f5 2 1 i.xc4
(not 2 1 hxg6 .l:txd5 22 tt:'lxd5??
tt:'lxa2 mate) 2 1 .. .'ii'c 5. How should
White continue now?
(a) What if 22 b3 ! ?. I got no sleep
for a month thinking about this
move. It is clear that Black stands
well, but where is the win? I wor­
ried and fretted, but believed that, as
in a good algebraic problem, every­
thing must fit together. When I
awoke one morning, having looked
at the position who knows how
many times, I couldn't believe my
eyes. It turns out that there is the
quite simple move 22 ... tt:'lxd5 ! ! .
Now 23 tt:'lxd5 is met by
23 . . .'ii'xc4+! -+, and 23 i.xd5 by
23 ....l:txd5-+. After 23 tt:'le4, whole-
sale exchanges take place:
23 ...i.xe4 24 fxe4 tt:'le3 25 'ii'xd8
Unforgettable Encounters 141
.l:txd8 26 .l:txd8 tt:'lxc4 27 bxc4
'ii'xc4+ 28 'it>b2 'ii'xe4 29 .l:tg l 'ii'e2+
and 30 ...'ii'x h5, with a winning end­
game for Black.
(b) My happiness was short-lived;
I then and there replaced the move
22 b3 with 22 i.b3, and sank into
deep thought-for two more
months!
(b 1 ) It became clear that
22 ... tt:'ld3+ was no good; after 23
'it>b 1, not one discovered check
wins. There are many tempting
combinations, but nothing better
than perpetual check is to be found.
For example: 23 ... .l:txb3 24 axb3
tt:'lb4+ 25 'it>a1 'ii'a5+ 26 tt:'la4
tt:'lc2+=.
(b2) You can imagine what joy I
felt upon discovering the devastat­
ing force of the "quiet" 22 ... a5 ! !
(with the idea of 23 ... a4 24 i.xa4
tt:'lxa2 mate) 23 'ii'e2 a4 24 i.c4
..itd3 ! ! 25 ..ltxd3 tt:'lxa2+ 26 <ittc2,
and now:
(b2 1 ) 26 ....l:txb2+ 27 <ittxb2 tt:'lxc3
(not 27 .. .'ii'xc3+ 28 'it>xa2 .l:tb8 29
.l:tb l !) 28 'ii'c2 (28 h6+ <itth8-+)
28 ... .l:tb8+ 29 'it>c l 'ii'a3+ 30 'it>d2
.l:tb2 3 1 .l:tdg1 tt:'lxd5-+.
(b22) 26 ... a3 ! 27 .l:tb1 .l:txb2+! 28
.l:txb2 'ii'xc3+ 29 <ittb 1 axb2 30 'ii'c2
.l:tb8. White's position is completely
hopeless, and he can resign with a
clear conscience.
(c) If 22 'ii'e 2, then 22 ...i.d3 ! 23
i.xd3 tt:'lxa2+ 24 'it>c2 .l:txb2+! 25
'it>xb2 'ifxc3+ 26 <ittxa2 .l:tb8 27 i.b5
'ifa5+ 28 'it>b3 .l:txb5+ 29 'ii'xb5
'ii'xb5+, and after 30 ...gxh5 Black
obtains a winning endgame.
These later findings brought me
great creative satisfaction, since I
value the merits of artistic achieve­
ment above everything else in chess.
However, let us return to the game.
Mestel's move 19 tt:'lc3 also de­
mands the most precise calculation.
142 Unforgettable Encounters
19 .hxg4!
..
Many magazines in which this
game was published considered the
transposition 1 9 . . .lt:Jd4 to be play­
able. In fact, though, White has the
remarkable reply 20 'i'g2! changing
the whole complexion of the battle.
So 1 9 ...hxg4 is the only acceptable
solution.
20 .i.xc4
Most serious attention had to be
given to 20 h5 ! ? g5 2 1 "ilfc2, with
the dual threat of capturing on c6
and paying an unwelcome visit to
the black king's residence. But
Black replies 2 1 . ..lt:Jd4! 22 "i!Vg6+
�f8 23 d6 (23 .i.xc4 'i'g7! )
2 3 . . .cxd6 2 4 h 6 (or 24 l:hd4 exd4
25 .i.xc4 'iig7-+) 24 ...iH5 25 h7
(the only chance) 25 . .. .i.xg6 26
h8="ilf+ rj;fl 27 i..xc4+ d5 28
i..xd5+ �xd5 ! 29 'iixb8 lt:Je2+! 30
lt:Jxe2 'ifc5+ 31 lt:Jc3 'i'e3+ 32 �d2
"i!Vxd2 mate. This whole variation
had to be calculated when playing
1 9 ...hxg4! because if there were no
mate, Black would have to resign.
After the text (20 i..xc4) White's
attack all at once subsides, and his
position collapses like a house of
cards.
20...lt:Jd4
The knight's dream finally comes
true. It invades the central square
with decisive effect.
21 fxg4 i.. xg4 22 .:tdfl l:.b4! 23
h5
A desperate attempt to complicate
Black's task. The alternatives are
hopeless too: 23 b3 l:.xc4 24 bxc4
l:.b8-+, or 23 i..xa6 l:.db8 24 b3
.l::txb3-+.
23 l:.xc4 24 hxg6 l:.xc3+! 25
.••
"i!Vxc3
Or 25 bxc3 "i!Va3+ 26 "i!Vb2 (26
rj;b 1 l:.b8+ 27 �a 1 lt:Jb3+ +-)
26 ...lt:Je2+ 27 rj;c2 'i'xb2+ 28 'iti>xb2
lt:Jg3-+.
25...lt:Je2+ 26 rj;c2 lt:Jxc3 27 l:.h7+
rj;xg6
White resigned: after 28 l:.xe7
lt:Jxd5 his rook is trapped. 0-l
48 King's Indian Defence [E83]
M.Petursson White
E.Gufeld Black
Hastings, 1 987
1 d4 lt:Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 lt:Jc3 .i.g7 4
e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 6 i..e3 lt:Jc6
I prefer this approach to the clas­
sical 6 ... e5. Black aims to open a
"second front", forcing White to di­
vert some of his forces from action
on the kingside.
7 "ilfd2 a6 8 0-0-0
In my imagination the chess
pieces talk to each other during the
game. Someone with a perfect chess
ear will hear the white king saying,
"I hereby declare war!" Just at this
moment an image flashed across my
mind, and I smiled involuntarily.
Maya Chiburdanidze, playing at a
neighbouring table, saw it and asked
me after the game why I was so be­
mused. It was an image of me and
my opponent: a young, good­
looking, invariably courteous, slim
guy, wearing big glasses, weighing
scarcely 1 20 lbs-locked in combat
with a super-heavy weightlifter!

8...b5!
Off we go! Strangely enough, this
pawn sacrifice for the initiative was
actually a novelty.
9 cxb5
9 4Jge2 might be an alternative,
although after 9 ... e5 1 0 d5 lLla5
Black would have plenty of play.
9 ... axb5 10 .li.xb5 4Ja5!
It is quite possible that prior to
this game someone had considered
the pawn sacrifice on b5, but had
not thought of following it up with
I 0 . . .4Ja5. The idea behind this
move is to fight for the strategically
important c4-square. The alternative
I O . . .li.b7 seems insufficient. For ex­
.
ample, 1 1 4Jge2 4Ja5 12 .li.d3 ! .
1 1 <i1i>b1
The attempt to hinder 1 1 .. . .li.a6 by
way of 1 1 'ife2 looks ugly, and the
knight on g 1 would be appalled by
it! This verdict is borne out by the
variation 1 l ...c6 1 2 .li.d3 'iib6, in­
tending ....li.c8-a6, ... d6-d5, and a
struggle for the c4-square.
l l . .li.a6 12 .i.xa6 .l:txa6 13 'ii'd3
..
,.a8 14 4Jge2
If White isn't careful, Black's ini­
tiative will grow into a formidable
attack on the king. A series of pro­
phylactic moves is called for.
14 .l:tb8 15 .li.cl
•••
Black's direct threats are tempo­
rarily contained, but let's recall the
motives behind the pawn sacrifice
and the fight for the strategically
important c4-square. In this connec­
tion the moves ... e7-e6 and ...d6-d5,
with a subsequent jump of the
knight to c4, look logical. The trans­
formation in Black's central pawn
structure will permit the "Gufeld
bishop" to gain in strength while
remaining at its post.
15 e6! ! 16 h4!
••.
Petursson correctly decides that
the best defence is counter-attack.
Unforgettable Encounters 143
16 d5 17 h5
•..
Of course, after 1 7 e5 4Jd7, with
...c7-c5 to follow, Black can con­
tinue his attack unhindered.
17 4Jc4
••.
I didn't even consider accepting
the gift with 1 7 ... 4Jxh5.
18 hxg6 hxg6 19 b3!
This move, which brings the game
to its crisis and forces White to walk
on the edge of a precipice, is, in es­
sence, the strongest in the position.
In view of White's initial advantage
of the move, Black can be consid­
ered the moral victor of the theoreti­
cal duel if he succeeds in equalizing
as a result of his opening
experiment.
19 c5
•..
1 9 ....l:txb3+ 20 axb3 .l:ta1 + 2 1 <Ji>c2
.l:ta2+ is also playable, and now
either 22 'iti>b 1 .l:ta 1 + or 22 4Jxa2
'ii'xa2+ 23 'iti>c3 'iia 1 + 24 'iti>c2 (24
'iti>b4?? 'ii'a 5 mate) 24 ...'iia2+, with a
draw in both cases-which can be
counted on the credit side for Black.
However, I decided to pour oil on
the fire.
After the text, the threats are
many. For example: 20 ... 4Ja3+ 2 1
.li.xa3 c4 ! .
2 0 dxc5
Only move.
20 4Jd7!
•.•
144 Unforgettable Encounters
Again Black has a draw if he
wants one: 20 .. Jhb3+ 2 1 axb3
:ta l+ 22 'ifi>c2 l:ta2+ 23 �bl ! l:tal +.
21 exdS!
Again the only move.
2 1 ... exd5!
Once again declining a peaceful
conclusion to this enthralling con­
test by way of ... l:txb3+.
22 'ii'x dS!
Here too White finds the only
continuation. The following varia­
tion indicates the dangers for him:
22 tLlxd5 tLlxc5 ! 23 'ifxc4 l:txb3+ 24
axb3 :ta l + 25 �c2 'ii'a2+ 26 �b2
'ii'xb2 mate. The intense struggle
reaches its climax. White has a large
material plus on his side, and the ex­
change of queens is threatened.
22 ...l:txb3+ 23 axb3!
White could also have played 23
�c2. In that case Black would have
a pleasant choice:
(a) 23 ...tLle3+!? 24 �xe3 (24
�xb3?? 'ii'b8+ -+) 24 ...l:txa2+ 25
�xb3 'ii'a3+ 26 �c4 'ifa6+ 27 �b3
(27 tLlb5?? 'ilr'a4+ 28 �d3 'ii'c2
mate) 27 ...'iia3+, and draws.
(b) 23 ... l:tb2+! 24 �xb2 tLle3+ 25
�bl tLlxd5 26 l:txd5 tLle5 ! (not
26 . . .tLlf8 27 l:thdl tLle6 28 tLlf4±) 27
l:thdl tLlc6! 28 g4 (Black's chances
are also preferable after 28 tLlc 1
'ii'e8 ! 29 tLlb3 l:ta8) 28 ...'ii'b 8! 29
tLlcl l:ta8 ! 30 tLlb3 'ii'e 8, with the
better chances; Black has ambitions
of transferring his knight to c4.
23 ...l:tal+ 24 �c2
24 l:txcl+!
..•
Many moves earlier, when prepar­
ing to rush headlong into the whirl­
wind of complications, I could not
find a satisfactory continuation after
25 �d3 . Later, as an experiment, I
showed this position to several col­
leagues and asked them what they
would play. Psychological parame­
ters were undoubtedly involved;
finding the right solution in this ex­
ample was inversely proportional to
the strength of the chessplayer. Here
it is: 25 �d3? 'ikxd5+ 26 tLlxd5
tLlxc5 mate! So, whence the para­
dox? The point is that strong chess­
players form certain stereotypes,
e.g. that when attacking sacrificially
one should avoid exchanging
pieces.
25 tLlxcl
Not 25 �xc 1 'ifa3+ 26 �c2 tLle3+
-+.
25 ...tLle3+ 26 �bl
Events now develop along forced
lines.
26 tLlxd5 27 l:txdS �xc3 28
•..
l:txd7
It is as if an Oklahoma tornado is
sweeping over the chessboard,
carrying away the erstwhile heroes
of this remarkable duel.
 Unforgettable Encounters 1 45

28 .. .'�a3! 29 �c2 'ii'xc5 30 31 �bl 'ii'c3 32 l:t7d2 �g7

l:thdl? The possibility of drawing the
The tempest subsides. Let us king out of his sanctuary was tempt­
cnlmly attempt to evaluate the posi­ ing, for instance: 32 ...'ii'a 1 + 33 �c2
t ion. There is approximate equality 'i'ib2+ 34 �d3 'j!fc3+ 35 �e2, but
of forces on the board, but Black here too Black fails to increase his
Htill holds the initiative. White advantage significantly. Thus,
Nhould be thinking about peaceful 35 ... i.g5 36 llld3 ! 'ii'xb3 (36 ...i.xd2
solutions to his problems. With this 37 l:txd2 1i'xb3 leads only to a
in mind, 30 l:th4! deserves attention, "moral" victory) 37 f4.
NO that after 30 ...'ii'f2 + 3 1 �xc3 33 f4?
Wxh4 White would have the possi­ The explanation of this error lies
bility of setting up an impregnable in the extreme pressure to which my
fortress. amiable opponent had been sub­
jected. Interestingly, in our post­
mortem analysis Petursson insisted
that there is zugzwang on the board
and that White has no other move
here. In fact, though, White has only
one acceptable move, and it is not
33 f4 but 33 l:ta2! after which it
would be practically impossible for
Black to improve his position. With
Black running a little short of time,
there followed:
33 ... 'ii'a l+ 34 �c2 'ii'c3+ 35 �bl
30 ... i.f6+? 'ii'a l+ 36 �c2 'ifh2+ 37 �d3 'ii'd4+
This game was widely acclaimed 38 �c2 'ifb2+ 39 �d3 'ii'd4+ 40
in chess literature. The important �c2 'ii'x f4
Yugoslav lnformator published it Black's position improves dra­
with annotations, and a number of matically with the win of this pawn.
chess magazines in other countries The realization of his advantage in­
featured it too. It appeared in the volves the accurate advance of his
London Times with a commentary kingside pawns to the f4 and
by the British GM R.Keene. The g4-squares. So the logical continua­
most surprising thing is that neither tion here was 4 1 ...'ii'e 5 followed by
Keene nor I, nor any other commen­ ...g6-g5, ... �g7-g6, ... i.f6-g7,
tator, saw what was found by one of ... f7-f5, ...i.g7-f6, ... g5-g4 and
the scrupulous readers of the news­ ... f5-f4.
paper-namely, that Black could 41 �bl 'i'ig4?
have won by playing 30 ...i.d4+, It was necessary to advance the
breaking the co-ordination of the pawns, i.e. 4 l ...g5 and ... g4. In ac­
white rooks. On 3 1 �b l , Black cordance with the playing schedule,
wins with 3 1 ...'ii'f5+ 32 l:td3 'ii'xd7 this tense game was resumed after a
33 lt:le2 'i!ib5 or 33 ...'i'if5 . If 3 1 few hours which were allotted to a
�d3, then 3 1 . ..'ii'c 3+ 32 �e4 f5+ 33 dinner and a short break. To my re­
�f4 'ii'e3+ 34 �g3 i.e5+ followed gret, I spent the whole time on din­
by 35 ...'j!fh6 mate. ner. The further course of the game
146 Unforgettable Encounters

-in which, after having every 3 i.f4

chance of victory, I committed
many technical errors and ended up
with a draw-patently confirms the
truth of scientifically based discov­
eries that it is difficult to play after a
lavish meal:
42 l:tfl ! 1fe4+ 43 l:tc2 g5 44 l:tf3
g4 45 l:td3 1fe5 46 l:ta2 i.g5 47
l:tc2 i.f6 48 l:ta2 i.g5 49 llc2 1ff5
50 l:tdc3 1ffl 51 g3! i.f6 52 l:tc4
1ff3 53 l:tf4! 'ikxg3 54 l:tcc4 'ikh2
55 l:txg4+ 'it>h6 56 l:tc2 'ii'e5 57
l:ta4!
I had overlooked this move in
time trouble.
57 i.g5 58 l:tac4 i.f6 tlz- th
••.
The game was adjourned a second
time here, and we agreed a draw
without resuming.
49 Trompowsky Attack [A45]
A.Cooper White
E.Gufeld Black
Hastings Challengers, 1 993
1 d4 lt.'lf6 2 i.g5
In England, a powerful chess
country, there are idols-some peo­
ple admire them, envy them and
strive to be like them. These idols
are not necessarily the strongest
GMs in terms of Elo rating, but they
are players who are distinguished by
their original style of play and
thought, by a charm which is
Apart from the backward step 3
i.h4, Hodgson has supported the
eccentric 3 h4?! .
3 ...d5 4 f3
If White still wishes to struggle
for his "advantage of the move", he
should play 4 lt.'ld2 and trade
knights. In my opinion, the move 4
f3 does not correspond to the main
laws of chess openings-specifi­
cally, to strive for control of the
centre and rapid mobilization of the
pieces towards it. A move such as 4
f3 is a cancer forming in the organ­
ism of White's army. Soon White
will be dreaming about how nice it
would be to play f3-f2 (!). In such
cases of j 'adoube, it is better if the
controller isn't nearby!
4 ... lt.'lf6 5 lt'lc3 e6! !
I n the process of preparing the an­
notations for this game, I found out
that this move is far from being a
novelty. But during the game, I felt
that the transposition to the channels
of the French Defence (with the bad
move f2-f3) was a brilliant discov­
ery for Black.
6 e4 !i..e7 7 1fd2
White's intentions take shape. He
will castle long, and afterwards use
all his forces to storm the black
king's fortress.
7 .. 0-0 8 0-0-0
.

peculiar to them. The talented GM

Julian Hodgson is one such idol;
many young British players try to
follow his chess ideas. The opening
here is a "nuclear weapon" in his
arsenal.
2... lt.'le4
Of course, other replies are also
possible: 2 ...c5; 2 ... d5; 2 ...g6. But
why not react to the aggressive
lunge of White's bishop, which has
crossed into my territory, with a
lunge of my own? Is it not correct?

The two hostile forces are already
111 a state of high military alert. In
order to begin active hostilities on
the kingside, White has to make up
his mind about the centre. There are
two solutions: to exchange with
c4xd5, keeping open the diagonals
for the bishops, or close down the
centre by playing e4-e5. In the latter
case, White will advance the f- and
g-pawns, intending to open the f­
file. This can only be done after de­
veloping all tlie pieces, which takes
time. In order to let the tanks and
infantry go forward (to play f3-f4-f5
backed up by rooks, etc.), White
will first have to clear the boulders
away (for example, to get rid of the
bishop on f4). It is here that the loss
of time with f2-f3 makes itself felt.
Even at a glance, not armed with
opening manuals on the French De­
fence, it is easy to see the unfavour­
able difference between White's
position here and in the theoretical
lines. Meanwhile, what is Black to
do? Should be build up his Maginot
Line? No, he should not! The strat­
egy in positions where the players
castle on opposite sides is to create
as strong a counter-attack as possi­
ble. In other words, the best defence
of the black king is an attack against
his counterpart. Passive defence
would mean certain defeat.
8 a6!
...
By now we understand this move.
Black must make preparations for
his queenside counter-attack.
9 exd5
If 9 e5, as already explained,
Black has a favourable French-like
position. He will get in first with his
counter-attack by way of 9 ...lbfd7
and 1 0 ... c5 ! . Since the situation in
the centre needs to be clarified, my
opponent decides to do so in the
most straightforward way.
Unforgettable Encounters 147
9 exd5!
...
The right move! The exchange of
knights, 9 ...lbxd5 10 lbxd5 exd5,
was not good. Why? Both the
f6-knight and the c3-knight will be
forced to leave their places when at­
tacked by the enemy g- and b­
pawns. The wounded f6-knight, af­
ter being forced to retreat to the rear
(e8), will immediately return from
hospital to the front (the d6-square).
From there he will join in active
hostilities, eyeing c4. At the same
time the wounded white c3-knight
will be in hospital for some time,
certainly not at the front. First we
imagine him in hospital (the
e2-square), then convalescing (on
g3) and finally seeing some active
hostilities from the f5-square. It be­
comes clear from this sequence of
thought that my f6-knight is des­
tined for an act of heroism worthy
of a medal!
10 g4 b5
"Who is faster?" That is the theme
of this part of the game. The white
pawns are racing on the kingside,
the black ones on the queenside.
The black b-pawn seems to be in the
lead-it will pass the 50-yard line
earlier than the g- or h-pawn. Even
so, we shall see White's g-pawn
reach the penultimate rank, grab­
bing Black's monarch by the throat
148 Unforgettable Encounters
with substantial support from the
outside. Yet the absolute winner of
the contest of charging pawns will
be Black's a-pawn! It will accom­
plish the cherished dream of all
pawns, to be promoted to a queen!
1 1 h4 b4 1 2 lll ce2
I couldn't help enjoying my first
smile. "That' s one white piece re­
porting sick." An attempt to stop the
advance of the black infantry by 1 2
llla4 would be met by 1 2. . .lllbd7
followed by ... St.b7 and ... St.c6,
removing the knight. But that might
be better for White than the actual
game. For example: 1 2 llla4 lllbd7
1 3 h5 St.b7 1 4 St.d3 ! St.c6 1 5 lllc 5 a5
etc.
12 ... a5 13 lll g3 a4 14 'it'b1
Now you can see why castling
queenside is called "castling long".
It almost always takes two moves­
first 0-0-0, then 'it'c 1 -b 1-to get a
properly built castle.
14 ...lllc6
When preparing a pawn assault,
you should keep in mind that the
main and sometimes decisive role is
played by the more powerful forces
(the minor pieces). That's why you
should not get carried away by just
pushing the pawns; you should first
complete the development of your
forces.
15 g5 llle8 1 6 h5 b3!
The black infantry reaches the
opponent's line of defence first.
1 7 a3
Of course, 1 7 axb3 axb3 1 8 cxb3
lllb4, intending ... c7-c5 and ... 'ili'a5,
would be disastrous for White. He
naturally tries to keep his line of de­
fence as closed as possible.
1 7 ll:ld6
..•
Black doesn't need to force events
before the development of his
pieces is completed. Once his re­
serves are mobilized (including
those from the hospital) he can un­
dertake decisive actions. The hasty
1 7 ...bxc2+ 1 8 'ii'xc2 St.xg5?! would
be ill-advised: 1 9 St.xg5 'ii'xg5 20
'ii'xc6 ll:ld6 2 1 lll 1 e2 .l:[b8 22 f4 ! etc.
1 8 c3
Superficially, White has achieved
his plan-he has resolved the cen­
tral tension, closed the queen's
flank, and now thinks that active
hostilities will take place only on
the kingside. This assessment is far
from the truth, however: the closing
of the queenside front is illusory.
White's fortifications may yet be
blown up. Alongside his headquar­
ters, there exists a bridgehead of
Black snipers. It is clear that the two
black knights will use all the
advantages of the favourable
c4-post to detonate their explosives.
The move 1 8 g6 would be
premature owing to 1 8 ... fxg6 1 9
hxg6 nxf4! 2 0 'ili'xf4 i.g5 trapping
the white queen!
18 lll a5 19 St.d3
..•
If 1 9 g6, then 1 9 ...llldc4 is un­
pleasant for White.
1 9 ll:ldc4
•..
The strategic part of the game has
reached its culmination and the
main role on the board is played by
Caissa's tacticians.

20 i..xh7+
White' s point. He proceeds with
his plan of attack, and the sacrifice
of his bishop does not concern him.
In any case he hardly had any
choice, for 20 'i!Vc l fails against
20 ... i..xa3 ! 2 1 bxa3 b2 winning at
once.
20 ... 'it>xh7 21 g6+ 'it>g8
Of course not 2 l . ..fxg6? on ac­
count of 22 hxg6+ 'it>xg6 23 'ifh2,
and I don't even want to examine
the possible ways of parrying
White's terrible attack. Intuition
tells me that White's chances are
better.
22 'ilfh2
Threatening the murderous
h5-h6xg7, opening the h-file.
22 ...i.. g5
The only reply.
23 h6 gxh6 24 g7
24. .J�e8
Unforgettable Encounters 149
White's g7-pawn is temporarily
playing the role of defender for the
black king. But it is a snake in the
bosom, which seeks a suitable mo­
ment to bite him mortally. For the
time being, the king has managed to
squeeze its throat, but for how long?
I can hear the weakened king tell his
army, "Men, for the time being I
can hold this snake by the throat,
but I am losing my strength. Please,
quickly, redouble your efforts and
destroy the enemy! Hurry! I cannot
hold him off much longer! " To
achieve success, the black army
must capture the enemy king. An
attempt to help its own king is
hazardous. For instance, after
24 . . . i.. xf4?! there follows 25
gxf8='i!V+ 'ilfxf8 26 lb l e2 i.. f5+ (or
26 ... lbxb2 27 lbxf4 lbxdl 28 :txdl
with a scrappy position) 27 lbxf5 !
i..xh2 28 1:txh2, and the result is
unpredictable.
25 lbte2 1:ta6!
An important (and probably the
only) active, prophylactic move. It
is clear that both the g- and h-files
represent great danger to Black's
beleaguered king. But my cannon
can fire horizontally! Chessplayers
often miss play along the ranks.
They sit opposite one another and
expect their armies simply to go up
and down the board. They miss the
fact that sometimes the pieces can
cut "across" the field as well.
26 :tdgl
White deploys his pieces on the
kingside with the obvious intention
of making the snake on g7 bare its
fangs!
26...'ilff6!!
Not the most obvious, but this is
the shortest path to the white king. I
was pleasantly dreaming of my
queen landing on the c2-square with
mate to follow.
150 Unforgettable Encounters
27 liJe4!
Well played! I was hoping for 27
..txg5 �g6+ 28 �a 1 iic2 29 i.c l
liJxa3 30 i.xh6 iib 1 + 3 1 l:.xb 1 liJc2
mate, which would have been a tri­
umph for my previously hospital­
ized warrior.
27 ...dxe4 28 i.xg5 'iixf3
29 i.xh6
White just needs to move the
h6-bishop away, and the fate of
Black's king will be decided. But it
is Black's turn to move, and tempo
plays the main role now. For in­
stance, if 29 l:.g3 (trying to keep the
black queen from coming to d3 with
check), then 29 .. .'�f5 30 i.xh6 e3+
3 1 �a 1 liJxa3 ! with events similar
to the game.
29... tll xa3+!
Actually 29 .. .'�d3+ leads to the
same thing. This being so, why did I
choose the text? The answer is, to
keep an offer of peace in my pocket
and gain time on the clock to check
my calculations.
30 �al
If 30 bxa3 'iid3+ 3 1 �a1 ii'c2,
White is defenceless. There are
simultaneous threats of 32 ...'i'a2
mate as well as 32 ... b2+ 33 �a2
b l =ii mate!
30 .. .'i!Vd3
With the primitive threat of 3 1
. . .iih 1+! 3 2 l:.xb l liJc2 smothered
mate. I say "primitive" only because
I was brought up on such mating
patterns.
31 liJf4 liJc2+
Here I had an alternative leading
to a clear result: 3 1 ...iih l + 32 l:.xb l
liJc2+ 33 iixc2 bxc2 34 l:ibg 1
lilb3+ 35 �a2 c l =if, and now:
(a) During the game I was afraid
of 36 liJxd5 ! ?, refusing to capture
the new queen. The first and most
natural reply was to rip White's
army apart by 36 ...l:.xh6??
(36 .. .iixgl and 36 ...ii'xh6 lead to
victory), but to my horror I saw the
reply 37 tllf6+! l:.xf6 38 l:.h8 mate
-when the snake on g7 shows its
venom! I must confess that, for me,
each chess game is like life itself. It
has its comedies, tragedies and sur­
prises-in situations of stress it has
all of them. I desperately wanted to
avoid a tragedy!
(b) 36 l:.xc l liJxc l + 37 l:.xc l
l:.xh6, which I turned down. Why?
The artist within me felt that this
variation was too vulgar for such an
unusual game.
32 �bl liJa3+
Gaining time and collecting my­
self for the forthcoming events.
 Unforgettable Encounters 151

33 �al tt'lc2+ 34 �bl a3! pawn which made a brilliant career

returns home in triumph) 45 �h6
�e6+ 46 �g6 �xg6 mate.

The king hunt reminded me of a

composition by Alexander Petroff
( 1 824):

The die is cast.

35 tt'lxd3 a2+ 36 �cl al='ili'+
A brilliant career for the black
pawn! I should like to bring a hero
l ike this to the next game too!
37 �d2 tt'lc4+ 38 �e2 exd3+ 39
oJ.>f3 ..i.b7+ 40 �g3 �g6+ 41 �g5 The solution goes like this: 1
At long last White has a tempo to tt'ld2+ �a2 2 tt'lc3+ �a3 3 tt'ldb 1 +
move his bishop. He needs just one �b4 4 tt'la2+ �b5 5 tt'lbc3+ �a6 6
more move. He won't get it! tt'lb4+ �a7 7 tt'lb5+ �b8 8 tt'la6+
41...�e3+ 42 �g4 �xg5+ 43 �f4 �c8 9 tt'la7+ �d7 1 0 tt'lb8+ �e7 1 1
l:.e4+ 0-1 tt'lc8+ �f8 1 2 tt'ld7+ �g8 1 3 tt'le7+
White resigned, not waiting for �h8 1 4 �g2 mate.
the obvious 44 �xg5 'ili'a5+ (the

Across the Pacific Ocean

Gregory Kaidanov ... I was quite M.Taimanov White

familiar with this name in the for­ G.Kaidanov Black
mer Soviet Union. He was a protege Belgrade GMA, 1988
of my colleague, the prematurely
deceased Yakov Estrin who worked
at the Moscow Regional Chess
C lub. Gregory was known as a
capable, interesting chessplayer,
though at that time he had not
reaped any particular laurels outside
his own region. He did gain some
recognition when Garry Kasparov
carried out my idea of conducting a
GMA Best Game Contest; the fol­
lowing game swept away the first
prize.
152 Unforgettable Encounters
1 4 ... lL'lg4 1 5 i.xg4 i.xg4 1 6 f3
�xh2 17 fxg4 l:.xe3 1 8 i.f6 l:.h3 19
l!f3 l:.xg3+ 20 'it>h1 gxf6 2 1 l:.xg3
i.xg3 22 lL'lf3 ir'd7 0-1
This miniature made a strong im­
pression on me. (I was one of the
members of the jury together with
Kasparov, Timman and others.) I
suspect that while playing the game
Taimanov underestimated his
opponent.
Having arrived in the USA, Kai­
danov began winning one tourna­
ment after another. Many were
taken by surprise: "He had been
'suppressed' in the Soviet Union
and then he revealed his potential."
There is no doubt that Kaidanov
possesses professional qualities and
a rich baggage of chess knowledge
that he successfully "smuggled" into
the USA. Now he transforms his ca­
pabilities and higher chess educa­
tion into prize-winning perform­
ances.
My first chance to compete with
my former countryman in the USA
occurred in the second round of the
tournament in Reno, Nevada. Old­
timers of American open tourna­
ments will not remember an occa­
sion when Grandmasters played one
another at the very start. Normally
for a few rounds they warm up
against lower-rated players. Only
then-if their results measure up to
their title--does the computerized
pairing program match them for a
duel.
50 King's Indian Defence [E74]
G.Kaidanov White
E.Gufeld Black
Reno, 1 995
1 d4 lL'lf6 2 c4 g6 3 lL'lc3 i.g7 4
e4 0-0 5 i.e2 d6 6 i.g5 c5 7 d5 h6
8 i.f4 'it'a5 9 i.d2 e6 10 lL'lf3 exd5
1 1 exd5 i.f5
In this kind of situation, where
White replies to ... e6xd5 with
e4xd5, he usually does so with the
aim of restricting his opponent's
pieces. If Black plays passively,
White gradually develops and is
prepared to trade some of his major
pieces on the e-file; he then starts a
typical attack on the queenside with
a2-a3 and b2-b4. Here he gains a
space advantage, and Black often
finds himself in quite a difficult
endgame. If Black tries to launch a
kingside offensive, White forms a
pawn fortress-f4, g4, h3-restrict­
ing the mobility of the opposing
army. Sometimes in these variations
White prepares f4-f5 and crosses the
centre line on the kingside himself.
This strategy may be found in nu­
merous games.
For the moment, if White doesn't
react to the bishop manoeuvre
( l l ...i.f5), Black will comfortably
place a knight on e4. Then he will
trade off a knight and get definite
counterplay on the kingside.
1 2 lL'lh4
White's reaction is quite justified.
However, the knight temporarily
standing on the sidelines needs to be
attended to.
12 ... i.d7 13 'it'cl 'it>h7 14 0-0
'i!Vd8
White must keep his M-knight
constantly in mind: it should either
retreat or be protected. If it retreats,
... JH5 once again has to be reck­
oned with, followed by ...lL'le4.
15 g3
Now Black is able to finish his de­
velopment in a natural manner. On
d7 the bishop is depriving the knight
on b8 of its only suitable square. It
is not promising to develop the
knight via a6.
 Unforgettable Encounters 1 53

15 .lii.h3 16 l:te1 l2Jbd7

.•.
Black has solved his opening
problems.
17 'ii'c 2 l:te8 18 .lii.fl .lii.xfl 19
l:txfl
Virtually forced events begin to
unfold. Maybe White should prefer
19 l:txe8+ and 20 Wxfl . But then
24 i.e3 J:tac8 25 I:tad1
I always liked Kaidanov's skill in
manoeuvring in the centre of the
board. Only a top-class GM is able
to build a reliable defence and at the
same time launch an offensive in the
centre.
25 cxb3 26 'i!Vxb3 l:tc4! 27 ..td4
•••

again, if White had played that way l:tec8

and lost, an annotator would proba­ It is difficult to calculate varia­
bly have written that 19 l:txfl was tions in this position. I intuitively
the right choice. It is hard to guess. felt that I had compensation for the
The position is approximately equal, sacrificed pawn.
although at that moment I consid­ 28 b6! ?
ered it more favourable for Black. Kaidanov acutely realizes that
19 ... l2Je5 20 b3 'i!Vd7 Black's initiative has taken a dan­
The black queen prepares to infil­ gerous turn. He decides to give back
trate via the weakened light squares. the pawn in order to change the
21 Wg2 course of events, to slow his oppo­
nent down.
- � �- � � 28 ... axb6 29 l2Jb5 'i!Vd7 30 f4
fl. t �
B*B t E� For many moves, GMs use under­
• �11 � 1 �11 � .. standing and positional principles

� ���-11- rft�- '•. .�

.. /
more than hard analysis. But sooner
� or later, long and accurate calcula­
��WA����J � : �
u <!> u u � tions become necessary. Our game
� �
�
.. . . ..

� .u. �.r g
calls for this now.
�mJ
�
ft -�� .
�����
� - - - ··; � . . 30...l2Jeg4!
A critical moment. This knight's
� � � §� retreat is cut off. It has crossed the
centre-line to open up paths for the
Forced. The white king has to other black pieces to join in the at­
protect the light squares. tack. The tempting 30 ... 'i!Vh3?! was
2l...b5! probably too hasty because of the
This typical stroke emphasizes counter-sacrifice 3 1 fxe5 dxe5 32
Black's aggressive ambitions and .l:txf6! .lii.xf6 33 'iff3±.
should be regarded as a formal dec­ 31 l2Jf3
laration of war. The other move to be considered
22 cxb5 and calculated was 3 1 h3 . Then the
Or 22 l2Jxb5 l2Jxd5 23 l:tad1 l2Jc7 question for Black is how to sell the
with a good position. g4-knight for the best price. The
22 ifb7 23 Wg1 c4!
•.. first plan that came to mind was
23 . . .l2Jxd5?? would be wrong be­ 3 1 . . .l:tc2, but here things are not so
cause of 24 'i!Ve4. Black hopes to clear: 32 hxg4 'i!Vxg4 33 'ii'f3 'ii'h3
make use of the d3-square for his 34 l:tf2 l2Jg4 35 l:tg2 and Black can­
knight. Another idea is to open the not make further progess even
c-file for the rook now sitting idle though his pieces are all aggres­
on a8. sively placed. Instead, the sacrifice
154 Unforgettable Encounters
3 1 ...tt':le3 ! ! is effective: after 32
.txe3 (32 'iixe3 'iixb5 leaves Black
with a positional advantage)
32 . . .'iix h3, White has serious prob­
lems. At least, Kaidanov confirmed
after the game that he did not see
how to defend that position.
31...h5
I was getting worried about the
fate of the g4-knight. The move
played intends ... ll'lg4-h6-f5, but
now the black king is exposed to a
check. A better move may have
been 3 1 ...tt':le4, but I rejected it be­
cause I emphasize to my students
that in most cases the player who
has the initiative should not trade
pieces.
32 �fel tt':lh6 33 tt':lg5+ �g8
In mutual time-trouble Kaidanov
was probably trying to "muddy the
water", hoping I might miscalculate
some variation. However, I was re­
lying mostly on my intuition and it
did not let me down.
34 tt':le6?!
Also possible was 34 il.xf6!?, but
I did not give a lot of attention to
this move because in most cases a
bishop is stronger than a knight.
However, this move could have led
to some complex tactics; 34 . . ..txf6
35 tt':le4 .tg7 ! ! (35 ... i.e7 36
tt':lbxd6±) 36 tt':lbxd6 �c3 ! 37 tt':lxc3
�xc3, and now:
(a) 38 'ii'b4 with the following:
(a 1 ) 38 . . .tt':lg4 39 tt':le4 .Uc2 40
�d2 il.c3 4 1 ii'xc3 �xc3 42 tt':lxc3
'iic 8 43 tt':le4 f5 44 d6 fxe4 45 d7
'ir'd8 46 �c l +-.
(a2) 3 8 ...h4 39 tt':le4 'it'h3 40
tt':lxc3 hxg3 41 'ifb2 .txc3 42
'it'g2±.
(a3) 3 8 ...'ii'h3
(a3 1 ) 39 'it'e4 i.f8 ! 40 tt':lb7 (40
tt':lxfl il.c5+ 4 1 �h1 tt':lf5 ! -+)
40 ... h4 4 1 ii'g2 ii'd7+.
(a32) 39 tt':le4 tt':lg4 (39 ... �c2 40
�d2 ! i.c3 4 1 'iVxc3 �xc3 42
tt':lxc3±) 40 �e2 h4 4 1 tt':lxc3 hxg3
42 �c l g2! .
(a4) 38 ... �c2
(a41 ) 39 �e8+ �h7 40 ii'e4 �xa2
4 1 tt':lc4 ii'h3-+.
(a42) 39 ii'e4 'ii'c 7! (intending
.. .'�c5-f2) 40 'ilfe8+ (40 tt':le8 ii'c5+
4 1 'iVe3 'iic4! 42 tt':lxg7 tt':lg4!+)
40 ... �h7 4 1 tt':le4 tt':lg4 42 �e2 (42
tt':lg5+ �h6 43 tt':lxfl+ �h7=)
42 .. .'ili'c4! 43 �de l �h6! .
(a43) 3 9 tt':le4 �b2! 40 'i'c4 (40
'iVa3? ii'h3 4 1 �d2 .td4+ 42 �h l
�xd2 43 tt':lxd2 tt':lg4-+) 40 ...b5 4 1
'i'd3 'ii'a7+ 42 �hi tt':lg4 43 �d2 f5 !
44 �xb2 fxe4 45 'ii'b3 .txb2 46 d6+
�h7 47 'ii'xb2 (47 d7? 'iif2 ! )
4 7 ... 4Jf2+ 48 �g2 tt':ld3 4 9 ii'f6=.
(b) 38 'ii'xb6 �c2 39 'ii'h 8+ .tf8
40 �e8 'iih3 4 1 �xf8+ rJ;;g7 42
tt':le8+ �xf8 43 'ii'd6+ �g8 44 tt':lf6+
�g7 45 tt':le8+ �g8=
So 34 tt':le6 may be regarded as a
mistake. This risky knight move,
against an opponent in severe time­
pressure, suggested itself because
the white queen and black king were
aligned on the a2-g8 diagonal. If the
diagonal opened, the d5-pawn
would become dynamite.
34 fxe6 35 dxe6 'ii'e7 36 i.xf6
.••
i.xf6 37 tt':lxd6 �c3! 38 ftl
38 tt':lxc8 'iVc5+ -+.
38 �c2! 39 'iixb6
•••

Again 39 lZJxc8 1s met by
39 . . .'ifc5+ -+
39 ... l:.8c6-+ 40 'ii'b8+ 'it>h7 41 f5
A worthy opponent
There are chessplayers who are
not only fun to play with but simply
a pleasure to meet. Six-times USA
champion Waiter Browne is just one
of this kind. Despite his seeming
aggressiveness, sinister look and
ominous glance, he is a kind,
decent, interesting man.
What a sight it is to watch him
play a game! I have happened to see
him not only at the chessboard but
while he was playing poker. When
engaged in a chess duel Waiter
abruptly moves pieces, jerkily
presses the clock, then grabs his
head as if he is about to lose it ...
From time to time h e scorchingly
glances at his opponent. You would
think he had no energy left for
thinking. But not at all--cool, accu­
rate calculations dominate an out­
wardly hot-tempered individual.
Walter Browne is absolutely in­
fatuated with chess. He promotes
his favourite game by publishing
Blitz magazine from Berkeley, Cali­
fornia, though one can hardly say
anything about the profitability of
this publication. At the same time,
Browne is one of the strongest tour­
nament backgammon, scrabble and
poker players in the USA. His style
of playing poker resembles his
chess. He may instantly make up his
mind and make a bet. Sometimes it
seems to his poker as well as his
chess opponents that he is bluffing,
but there is no element of bluff
there. You are facing a worthy
opponent, a colleague who subtly
understands the game.
Unforgettable Encounters 1 55
4 1 lZJe4 l:.xe6 42 lZJxf6+ 'ifxf6 43
l:.d7+ lZJf7-+, or 4 1 lZJe8 'ifc5+ -+.
4l...gxf5 White resigned 0-1
I was paired against Walter in the
last round of the 1 995 Los Angeles
Open. I was a half a point ahead. If
he won, he would at least tie for
first. I would be satisfied with a
draw to make me eo-champion. This
was my third encounter with
Browne over the 64 squares.
5 1 King's Indian Defence [E97]
W.Browne White
E.Gufeld Black
Los Angeles, 1 995
1 d4 lZJf6 2 c4 g6 3 lZJc3 i.g7 4
e4 0-0
I expected that 5 e5 would follow
now, and we would immediately be­
gin hand-to-hand combat. Black
would retreat with 5 ... lZJe8 and then
organize a traditional break in the
centre. Indeed White's reply was
made instantly, but it was not 5 e5.
5 i.e2 d6 6 lZJf3 e5 7 0-0 lZJc6 8
d5 lZJe7 9 lZJd2 c5
A well-known theoretical posi­
tion. 9 lZJd2 has recently been popu­
lar; White seeks the initiative on the
queenside. In reply, 9 ... aS has often
been played since Kasparov adopted
it. In the number of his imitators,
Kasparov resembles the famous
designer Versace. I hate to imitate
anyone-that is why I prefer 9 ... c5,
which I consider to be no worse
than the fashionable move.
10 l:.b1 lZJd7
This move forced White into
deep, lengthy thought. After the
game Browne told me that he had
seen the move before, but was
15 6 Unforgettable Encounters
trying to recall what the
Encyclopedia of Chess Openings
recommended.
l l lLlb5 lLlb8!?
Browne said that ECO recom­
mended 1 l ...ifb6. Frankly I was not
aware of that recommendation, but
in any case it would not occur to me
to place my queen opposite the rook
on b 1 . I dare say experts would treat
this theoretical novelty l l ...lLlb8 as
a paradox: the knight from b8 has
been transferred to e7 and will later
go to g8, while the knight from g8
has journeyed to b8. The knights
"work in mysterious ways". The
course of the game will show that
the knights' perambulations deserve
some recognition; they are not a
waste of time. By moving to d7, the
king's knight liberated the f-pawn.
By going to a6, it will keep control
of the crucial square c5. Meanwhile
the position of White's knight on b5
interferes with his operations in the
b-file.
12 a3 fS 13 b4 lLla6 14 lLlb3 b6
15 f3
This move seems inaccurate to
me; White should have opened the
b-file. After 1 5 bxc5 lLlxc5 1 6 lLlxc5
bxc5 1 7 f3 a complicated position
arises that is very hard to weigh on
the scales. I like it for Black, but
others would prefer to take the
White side. I believe Black's posi­
tion is good enough for creating
kingside counterplay.
15 cxb4!
..•
A forthright solution. The battle
commences.
16 axb4 lLlxb4 1 7 lLl3d4
Waiter presumably convinced
himself that 1 7 Sl.a3 a5 1 8 'ii'd2 Sl.a6
1 9 Sl.xb4 axb4 20 'ii'xb4 Sl.xb5 2 1
'ii'xb5 Sl.h6 was dangerous for
White, as the black bishop breaks
out to freedom and seizes a very
important diagonal. Black would
then be in good shape.
17 exd4
••.
Browne thought 1 7 ... a5? !
stronger, but I didn't agree. He was
considering the continuation 1 8
lLlc6 'it'd7, when indeed White
might not have enough for the
pawn. I considered instead the tradi­
tional recipe 1 8 lLle6 Sl.xe6 1 9 dxe6,
with the bishop-pair and possession
of d5. Such positions do not appeal
to me. Now a forced sequence of
moves follows.
18 l:txb4 fxe4 19 fxe4 l:txfl+ 20
Sl.xfl Sl.d7!
The white knight on b5 is in my
way. It entered my territory without
invitation. It must now retreat or it
will be destroyed.
2 1 lLlxd4
Not 2 1 lLlxd6 Sl.e5 ! .
2 l ...'it'c7
Development needs to be
completed.
22 Sl.e3 l:te8
Black has problems in his camp,
i.e. the poor placement of the knight
on e7. He now threatens ...lLle7-f5
to bring about its exchange. White
must prevent this.
23 'ii'd2 �h8
The king himself starts to show
concern for the refugee knight, step­
ping aside to provide a comfortable
-albeit temporary-residence on
g8. From here, the knight will enter
the decisive battle.
24 lLlf3!
The Grandmaster from San Fran­
cisco realizes it will take time to
breathe new life into the black
knight. The best thing White can do
is increase the activity of his own
pieces.
24 lLlg8
..•
If Black manages to post his
knight on f6, his position will

become far more optimistic. Browne
doesn't want to give me any
chances.
25 eS!
An original pawn sacrifice. Tak­
ing advantage of the fact that Black,
essentially, has not yet finished his
development, White launches an
attack.
25...dxe5 26 d6 ii'c6 27 c5
Perfectly correct strategy. In case
of 27 tLig5 tL!f6 28 c5 bxc5 29 l:th4
lH8, White's hasty flank offensive
would be repelled. The actions Wai­
ter undertakes in the centre seemed
more dangerous for me.
27 ...tL!f6!
Probably the only move; other­
wise I might have fallen under a
strong attack. Returning the Greek
gift of a pawn, I complete the devel­
opment of my pieces.
28 cxb6 axb6 29 l:hb6 't'i'd5!
Centralization; in essence, this
move was the only one. Short of
time, my opponent now goes wrong.
30 .l:.a6?
Were there any other possibili­
ties? During the game I was consid­
ering 30 ii'c2, and after 30 ... .l:.c8 I
discovered an interesting queen sac­
rifice: 3 1 ii'xc8+ i..x c8 32 .l:.b8.
However, Black holds with 32 . . .
�c6 33 tL!xe5 'i'i'e8-+. Browne' s
best move in the position may be 3 0
Unforgettable Encounters 1 5 7
i.. g5 ! . Black should then probably
_
trade queens with 30 ... 'Wxd2 3 1
tL!xd2 e4, after which his position
seems preferable.
30 e4 31 tL!el ii'xd2 32 i.. xd2 e3
•.•
33 i.. c3 e2 34 i..xe2 .l:.xe2 35 tt::lf3
tt::ld S! 36 .l:.a8+ .l:.e8 37 i.. xg7+
�xg7 38 .l:.a7
38 ... tt::l f6?
Here I committed an error. Hav­
ing won a piece I failed to find the
strongest continuation, which
emerged only during the post­
mortem analysis: 38 ....l:.d8 39 tt::le5
tLib6! 40 .l:.b7 �f6 with an easy win.
At times, like here, attack is the best
defence. However, the move I
played still preserves Black's ad­
vantage. It has recently been con­
cluded that the endgame with king,
rook and two minor pieces against
king, rook and one minor piece is
winning most of the time. In most
cases, success comes from creating
an attack on the king. This game
may be of interest to those who
study positions with such a correla­
tion of forces. It is difficult to give
any variations-to defend such a
position is extremely challenging,
and maybe only computers are
equal to it.
39 g4 gS 40 h4!
Not 40 tt::lxg5 �g6-+.
158 Unforgettable Encounters

40 h6 4 1 hxg5 hxg5 42 ti:\xg5

•.• the possibilities, but he came to the
conclusion that most of the positions
l:te3 43 'it>f2 ti:\xg4+ 44 'it>fl ti:Jf6 45
could practically be won. My own
'it>f2 l:te5 46 ti:Jf3 l:td5 47 l:ta6 'it>f7
48 'it>e3 practice confirms this: I have always
Theoretically a won game for won for the stronger side and lost
Black, if we play active chess. for the weaker side. In particular I
48 .tr5 49 ttJd4 ti:\g4+ 50 ..t>r4
..• remember a disappointing loss to
the Swedish GM Ulf Anderson
.tc8 51 l:ta7+ 'it>f6 52 'it>e4 l:txd6 53
llc7 .td7 54 l:tcl na6 55 'it>d5 (Cuba, 1 974). I made the high score
of eleven out of fifteen, but still
ti:Je3+ 56 'it>c5 l:ta8 57 l:tel ti:Jf5 58
ti:Jxf5 .txf5 yielded first place to Andersson by
half a point. This was because I lost
to him from a position which at first
was better, then was drawn, and
finally reduced to rook against rook
and bishop. I have every reason to
disbelieve an analyst who says,
"Yes, this is a draw ... " Nothing of
the kind!
59 l:tfl 'it>e5 60 l:tel+ .te4 61
'it>b6 l:tc8 62 ne2 :cl 63 l:te3 'it>d4
64 l:te2 nbl + 65 �c7 'it>e5 66 .l:td2
l:tb7+ 67 'it>c8?
In my opinion the white king
Chess is an amazingly profound went in the wrong direction. · He
game. Although it seems to be thor­ should have played 67 �d8, intend­
oughly studied, there are still plenty ing 'it>e8-f8. When the attacker has a
of grey areas. I don't know who can white-squared bishop, the position is
say for sure whether this position is considered drawn if the defender
a win or a draw. Many years ago my has his king on f8 and controls f7
friend and colleague, GM Efim with his rook.
Geller, worked for a year and a half 67 .. J�h7 68 'it>b8 .td5 69 l:tdl
to publish analysis of the endgame 'it>d6 70 l:td2 l:tb7+ 71 �c8 l:tbl 72
with rook and bishop against rook. l:td4 l:thl 73 'it>b8 l:th8+ 74 'it>a7
It proved impossible to disclose all 'it>c5 0-1

Co-champion of America
This was the first time in my life
that I had competed in a tournament
for seniors only. Although the ad­
mission age for the World Senior
Championships is 60 years, in the
USA one becomes a senior at 50.
The state of Nevada hosted the US
Senior Open and I headed from Los
Angeles to Las Vegas.
The mere sound of "Las Vegas"
brings smiles to many faces. "Oh,
that's a place where you can get
rich!" Indeed, gambling (politely re­
ferred to as "gaming") reigns su­
preme there, and the attraction or
entertainment starts at the very bor­
der of the state. It has been esti­
mated that every car crossing the

border into Nevada brings on its
wheels a thousand dollars to the
state' s treasury. Fancy but inexpen­
sive hotels, incredibly cheap food ...
I will not dwell too much on Las
Vegas, where at any hotel, 24 hours
a day, people voluntarily give away
their dollars. They leave their
money in casinos on the craps and
blackjack tables and in slot­
machines. The latter will even try
your luck for 5 cents, but even nick­
els earn good fortunes for the own­
ers. Well, there are, of course, the
lucky ones!
About 70 seniors between 50 and
87 years old took part in the tourna­
ment. Here I met, in particular, my
old friend GM Arnold Denker from
Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Half a
century ago he had headed the USA
team and played Mikhail Botvinnik
in the radio match against the Soviet
Union. He still demonstrated out­
standing form. Among the partici­
pants were grandmasters Arthur
Bisguier (USA) and Rosendo Bali­
nas (Philippines), who had gained
his title almost two decades earlier
in Odessa, USSR. How many other
foreign participants can you remem­
ber winning first prizes in Soviet
tournaments? The posters publiciz­
ing that competition included the
name of Victor Korchnoi, but a few
days before the tournament he had
defected in Holland, and local or­
ganizers were hastily painting over
his name everywhere. Rain came
and restored it, giving the posters a
bizarre appearance. By scoring 1 0
points out o f 1 4 in Odessa, Balinas
won the tournament and the GM ti­
tle! Having missed our chance to
play in the Ukraine, we were des­
tined to meet in Las Vegas. After
three rounds I was tied with
Rosendo with 3 points; the rest had
Unforgettable Encounters 1 59
less, so our pairing was a foregone
conclusion.
Balinas was an interesting and tal­
ented chessplayer. He somehow re­
minds me of my close friend from
Tbilisi, GM Buhuti Gurgenidze. He
too plays in an original, "eccentric"
manner. Gurgenidze has had many
students but none of them adopted
his peculiar style.
52 Ruy Lopez [C70]
E.Gufeld White
R.Balinas Black
USA Senior Championship,
Las Vegas 1 995
1 e4 eS 2 tt:lf3 tt:lc6 3 .tbS a6 4
.ta4 .tcs S 0-0 bS 6 .tb3 d6 7 c3
.tg4?!
I prefer 7 ...tt:lf6.
8 .tdS! 'ifd7
Not 8 ... tt:lge7?? 9 .txf7+! +-.
9 .txc6!
9 d4! ? is also possible. It leads to
complicated play. Black probably
does not have much after 9 ... exd4
1 0 cxd4 tt:lxd4? 1 1 .txa8 .txf3 1 2
gxf3 'ilfh3 1 3 e5.
9 ...'ifxc6 10 lLlxeS dxeS
1 0 ....txd1 ? 1 1 tt:lxc6 .te2 1 2 l:te 1
.td3 1 3 tt:lb4± leaves Black without
sufficient compensation for the
pawn.
1 1 'ii'xg4 lLlf6 12 'ii'g3!
The best choice; the exceptional
tactical talent of the GM from the
Philippines begins to show, and
White must be totally alert. A ·care­
less 1 2 fixg7?? would have
promptly sent me to the casino after
1 2 ... l:tg8 1 3 'ifh6 l:txg2+! 1 4 �xg2
'ii'xe4+ -+. In my view, 1 2 'ii'e 2 is
also good for Black; after 1 2 ...'ii'xe4
1 3 'ifxe4 tt:lxe4 14 d4, White has to
reckon with 1 4 ...exd4 1 5 l:te1 f5 1 6
f3 dxc3+ +.
12 ...'ifxe4 13 d4
1 60 Unforgettable Encounters
The black king remains in the
centre, so it is understandable that
White wants to start an offensive.
13 ...St.d6
I also had to examine 1 3 ... exd4 1 4
'ikxc7 St.a7 1 5 liJd2 'ike6 1 6 4Jf3.
Black may then hang on to his pawn
with 1 6 ... dxc3 1 7 l:te1 ltJe4 1 8 liJg5
St.xf2+ 19 �fl± (not 19 �h 1 ??
ltJg3+ -+), or sacrifice it, retaining
control of the blockading square d5
after 16 ... 0-0 1 7 cxd4±. Although
the positions in these variations are
incredibly complex, they still favour
White. That is why Ba1inas prefers a
bird in hand to two in the bush.
14 liJd2 'ike2! 15 'ii'x g7!
An uncompromising move. Evi­
dently the only right solution in this
position is to fight for the initiative.
15 ... �e7 16 dxe5 St.xe5 17 'ii'g5!
If White succeeds in placing his
knight on f3, Black's temporary ini­
tiative will peter out.
17 ...l:thg8
li ��� �� 1 - 1
�
r.-•,� .,rs�.� - -�.
' �---�.
�-�--
.....
� �Jj • •
%"� � �
�-- - -'�� · -�-l�ff�r·- '
4), �
� ���� 4), ��
�ill k.r �ill �ill
.,u. e .,u.
18 'ike3!?
The strongest move would have
been 1 8 'ii'f5 ! . However, during the
game I did not see that after
1 8 . . . St.xh2+? 1 9 �xh2 l:txg2+ 20
�xg2 l:tg8+ 2 1 �h 1 (2 1 �h3? l:tg6)
2 l .. .l:tg4 (2 l ...l:tg6?! 22 Wh3 !)
White can untie the Gordian knot
with 22 b3 ! ! . Then if Black pro­
ceeds 22 ...l:th4+ 23 �g2 l:tg4+ 24
�h3 b4, White has 25 St.a3 ! ! +-.
18 .. .'ikxe3 19 fxe3 l:tg4 20 4Jf3
l:tag8!? 2 1 l:tf2
Rosendo plays ingeniously, creat­
ing dangerous traps. If White cap­
tures the bishop with 2 1 ltJxe5?,
there follows: 2 l ...l:txg2+ 22 �h1
4Je4 (with the idea 23 ...l:tg 1+ 24
l:txg 1 4Jf2 mate) 23 4Jd3 c5 ! 24 h3
c4 25 4Jf4 liJf2+ 26 l:txf2 l:txf2 27
b3 l:tfl + 28 �h2 'itd7 (threatening
. . .l:tgg 1 -+) and Black is in good
shape.
21...�e6 22 St.d2 ltJe4 23 l:te2 c5
24 St.e1 f6 25 l:td1
25 a4?! looks attractive, but Black
has 25 ... 4Jd6 26 axb5 axb5 intend-
ing ... l:ta4! ?.
25 ... St.c7 26 l:td3 c4?!
Black yields control of the
d4-square. However, even after
26 ... St.b6 27 c4 ! ? bxc4 28 l:ta3 l:ta8
29 l:tc2 White is better. Now events
proceed apace.
27 l:td4! f5
27 ... St.b6? would be countered by
28 h3+-.
28 l:td1± St.b6 29 liJd4+ St.xd4 30
exd4 �d5 31 St.d2 f4 32 l:tfl+­
ltJg5 33 �hl 4Je6
On 33 ... f3, White wins with 34
l:te5+ �d6 35 g3+-.
34 h3+- l:th4 35 l:tef2 l:tf8 36
�h2 l:tf6 37 l:te1 l:tf5 38 l:tfe2 l:th6
39 l:te5+ l:txe5 40 l:txe5+ �d6 41
l:tf5 l:th4 42 d5 ltJg7 43 St.xf4+ �c5
44 d6+ 4Jxf5 45 d7 l:txf4 46 d8='ii'
4Jd6 47 Wg5+ l:tf5 48 'ike3+ �d5
49 'ii'a7 l:te5 50 Wxa6 l:te2 51
'ilfa8+ �e5 52 b3 1-0
In the final round I was paired
against the veteran Amold Denker.
The opening went my way. I equal­
ized quite quickly and gradually
started gaining the initiative, but at
one point my indecision allowed
Denker to reduce to a roughly equal
ending.

Although a generation younger
than the former leader of American
chessplayers, in this game I got
more tired. Denker was playing with
inspiration, finding very strong
moves and and confirming to me
what a great player he is and how
deeply he understood chess. Eventu­
ally my opponent dominated the po­
sition, and I had to put up a most
difficult defence.
The endgame was similar to the
one I had reached after blundering
in a drawn position against the great
Mikhail Tal in the match Georgia­
Latvia, Yurmala 1 977. There was an
unusual balance of forces: White
had king, rook and h-pawn, I had
king and a light-squared bishop. Tal
was in a hurry for the next round,
and the position was adjudicated. At
that time I was not acquainted with
such endings. Its analysis was pub­
lished and I lost the game.
Experience in such matters is of
prime importance. Endings of this
kind have one notable feature.
Denker either didn't know it or
forgot it-his pawn crossed the
Postscript: Alexander Matrosov
Every generation has its idols. In
the early years of Soviet power,
many young people admired the
heroes of the revolution: Chapayev,
Shehors, Kotovsky ... Modern youth
has a different scale of values, al­
though all idols of the past, present
and future have one common fea­
ture: they represent models for imi­
tation. The catch-phrase "a hero of
our time" means that people try to
follow their idols.
My generation did not have a
chance to fight for the Motherland.
Unforgettable Encounters 1 61
demarcation line at the wrong mo­
ment, and a theoretically drawn po­
sition arose where king and bishop
(! !) successfully fought against
much superior forces!
Thus in my first senior tourna­
ment I scored 4 lh points out of 5
and became eo-champion of the
USA. Overwhelmed with joy, I
shared my booty (in the style of
Janowski) with the treasury of Las
Vegas.
During the tournament Denker
once remarked, with his characteris­
tic sense of humour: "How can they
put all the seniors together in one
section? Some have just turned fifty,
others are enjoying their ninth dec­
ade!" He himself was one of the
oldest.
At the closing ceremony I sug­
gested running the tournament with
several age divisions: "cadets" un­
der 65, "juniors" under 80, and
"seniors" above 80 ... My proposal
was warmly received. Shortly after­
wards I turned 60 myself, and re­
ceived an official invitation to play
in the Seniors' World Open.
We were still little at the time of the
German invasion. However each
one of us could tell of our own
heroes. No wonder the majority of
them were the people who had
defended the country and had been
ready to sacrifice their lives for it.
After the war we watched numerous
films depicting the heroism of So­
viet soldiers on the battlefields. We
learned of the brave men who had
committed fantastic exploits that
considerably exceeded the limits of
common notions of life and death.
1 62 Unforgettable Encounters

For some reason the heroic deed die, I just felt curious. The pilot in
of the young Russian Alexander head-piece and goggles leaned over
Matrosov became most deeply im­ and was smiling while pouring bul­
printed in my mind. When I was lets on the train.
still making my first steps in school Here my grandma performed a
I distinctly memorized a phrase feat like the later one of Matrosov.
from the English Language School She pushed me into the top layers of
textbook: "Alexander Matrosov's grain, covered me with pillows and
regiment was attacking the village other stuff that happened to be
of Chernushki." As you may know, around, and shielded me with her
Matrosov died during that fight after body.
covering the enemy's machine-gun When later on I learned of Matro­
post with his own body. Thus he sov's feat, I had a vision of that
paved way for the offensive and situation and the German's face in
saved the lives of his fellow­ the aeroplane. I doubt if his com­
soldiers. mand had given him orders to shoot
Even then I had a feeling that dur­ at unarmed refugees after the bomb­
ing the war many parents had to ing raid. When a war is raging one
cover their children with their bod­ should not see evil from one side
ies without thinking of heroism. I only. It is likely that the pilot had a
recall how we were being evacuated mother or maybe a grandmother
from Kiev. There was no transporta­ who would have done the same as
tion for refugees. The families of my grandma did under the
servicemen were on the priority list. circumstances.
As the German troops approached, Why am I telling this? So many
we were given a last chance to leave years have passed, but I cannot for­
the capital of the Ukraine. We had get the image of the hero covering
to board a railway freight car that the deadly weapon with his body.
was carrying grain. The car was al­ Chess became my profession. I was
most fully loaded, and we were not destined to repeat Matrosov's
forced to travel on top of the grain. I exploit in real life. However, I man­
have a clear picture of it in my aged to realize it twice on the chess­
mind: our train was naturally mov­ board-and no one died.
ing without armed protection. When I demonstrate my game
Then an enemy warplane ap­ with Espig (number 40), I always
peared above. The pilot had proba­ pause in the position before 25· l:tf5,
bly fulfilled his mission by bombing and tell the story of Alexander
some targets, and was returning to Matrosov.
his airbase. He was flying right In that position Black has an extra
above the train, in full view. There piece, and if he can reinforce his
were no jet aircraft at the time-the kingside with i..e4-g6, White may
speed of flight was relatively low, as well surrender. How is White to
and he was in no risk of being prevent this? At this point, a chess
thrown out of his cockpit. Having Matrosov (l:tfS ! !) dashes forward to
no opportunity to bomb the train, intercept the bishop.
the pilot was shooting from his Average chessplayers find it prac­
machine-guns at the unarmed refu­ tically impossible to find this move
gees. I did not realize that I might until I have told my story. Then,

even low-rated players immediately
try to put some piece on f5 . They
usually start with the knight, but I
show them why that doesn't work
(25 lL'lf5 exf5 26 'ilfh6 lL'le6 27 il..xe7
:xc2 28 il..f6 :xg2 -+). Then they
find the rook move which leads to a
draw.
In my game with Bonsch (number
36), the sacrificial role of Matrosov
was performed by the black queen.
On move 2 1 , White opened fire on
the queen with lL'ld2-c4. Should the
queen retreat and give White a
chance to rake the Black position
with concentrated fire? Never!
Following Matrosov's exploit, the
queen itself moved foward to cover
the embrasure and silence the
machine-gun: 2 1 . 'ii'd3! . I explain
..
that it took me an hour to figure out
this move.
God forbid me to call for any
revenge against Germans, although
you may agree that this is a surpris­
ing coincidence: both of my oppo­
nents were Germans, nice guys by
the way.
I once happened to play in a tour­
nament in New Zealand. As usual, I
gave lectures; I toured both of the
country's islands. In Wellington I
met one of the top officials of the
New Zealand Chess Federation,
who also worked as editor of a chess
magazine. Although he worked
without pay on this job, the publica­
tion was of good quality. He was
also the chief of the city police, and
had been knighted for flying to Ant­
arctica as a member of a special
commission searching for an aero­
plane with tourists that had crashed
close to the South Pole.
Unforgettable Encounters 163
The editor suggested I should
write some articles for his maga­
zine. I told him the story of Matro­
sov and showed him my game with
Espig. He was so impressed with the
game that he immediately published
it, using all my images and the story
of Matrosov. Of course, the people
of New Zealand had not come
across that name. It was quite un­
usual for the story of a Russian sol­
dier to be told in a remote country,
especially in the language of chess.
On returning to Tbilisi, I told the
story to a friend of mine who had
earlier defended his doctoral thesis
on the theory of propaganda. In es­
sence my lecture in New Zealand
might have been construed as a
propaganda scenario of Soviet sol­
diers' courage during World War Il.
I asked my friend:
"What would happen if you went
to another country and began talk­
ing about the heroism of our sol­
diers, thus proving the advantages
of the Soviet way of life?"
He answered: "They would order
me to leave the country within
twenty-four hours, which would be
quite fair."
"Well, there you are," I said.
"Through chess, you can achieve
effects that are out of reach of any
propaganda expert."
Incidentally, here is one of the an­
cient Indian legends about the origin
of chess. The wife of a restless rajah
was fed up with eternal wars, so
with the aid of her retinue she in­
vented such an exciting game that
her husband forgot everything else,
and solid peace was established in
those parts. That game was chess.
 Part Five: Theoretical
Controversies
Star-Gazing
The Dragon Variation of the Sicil­
ian Defence is over 1 00 years old.
This system has been used and ana­
lysed by many outstanding chess
masters. No wonder! It is a unique
system abounding in brilliant ideas
and combinations. And if I consider
the King's Indian as my "first love,"
I think that the "Dragon" claims my
strongest and never-ending
affections!
The Dragon is characterized by
the flank development of Black's
king bishop. In the middle of the
1 9th century, this plan was revolu­
tionary. At that time open games
predominated. Closed and semi­
open games were played (if at all!)
in accordance with the principles of
open games: rapid mobilization of
the pieces with a view to attacking
the enemy king. Therefore, as far as
the Sicilian is concerned, the most
popular plans involved the develop­
ment of the king bishop on the a3-f8
diagonal. For example: 1 e4 c5 2
lbf3 lbc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 lDf6 5
lDc3 e6 and ... .tb4 (Sicilian At­
tack), or 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4
4 lDxd4 .tc5 (Morphy-Paulsen,
match 1 857). Paulsen constantly
employed this variation when play­
ing with Black. Then, possibly
owing to his failures with it against
Morphy, he tried to find some other
weapon in his favourite Sicilian. So,
in his game against Steinitz, in the
famous London tournament of
1 862, Paulsen played 1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3
g6! . It's the idea rather than the
move that deserves an exclamation
mark. The idea happened to be very
fruitful: without weakening the cen­
tral squares, Black piles up pressure
on the e5 and d4 squares, as well as
on the whole queenside. Besides,
the position assumes a closed char­
acter, and "hussar" attacks, which
were in vogue at that time, are no
good here. The young Steinitz was
naive: 3 lDc3 .tg7 4 .tc4, and later
Black's queenside counter-attack
turned out to be more effective than
White's aggression on the kingside.
Thus an idea was born which at­
tracted the attention of the chess
world.
Two years later the idea was ana­
lysed by Johann Lowenthal. He
pointed out the following possibil­
ity: 3 d4! cxd4 4 'ii'xd4 lDf6 5 e5
lbc6 6 'ii'h4 lDxe5 7 lDxe5 'ili'a5+ 8
lDc3 'ili'xe5+ 9 .te2. Can White's
initiative serve as sufficient com­
pensation for the sacrificed pawn?
At that time, the position was as­
sessed in White's favour (quite in
the spirit of the epoch !). It seems

that Paulsen agreed with this judge­
ment because later on he seldom
fianchettoed the bishop, preferring
the system with ... e7-e6 and ... a7-a6.
In the game Schallopp-Paulsen
(Wiesbaden 1 880), Black employed
the fianchetto only after White had
chosen a closed set-up. Paulsen
demonstrated the classical method
of development: 1 e4 c5 2 lL"Ic3 lL"Ic6
3 g3 g6! 4 �g2 �g7 5 lL"Ige2 e6 6
d3 lL"Ige7 7 �e3 lL"Id4! . Against the
Closed System the king' s fianchetto
became acknowledged as an excel­
lent method. Its suitability against
White's d2-d4, however, remained
an open question. Since the 1 880s a
fierce struggle began between
"dragonists" and "anti-dragonists."
The struggle is going on even today
One of the most widespread re­
sources in opening play is the
choice of move order. By resorting
to various tricks, changing the move
order, both sides try to get advanta­
geous positions. The first blow
against the Dragon was inflicted on
the a 1 -h8 diagonal . Hence Black
found the new move order 1 e4 c5 2
4Jf3 lL"Ic6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lL"Ixd4 g6! For
decades this method was popular,
but in the 1 930s it underwent a seri­
ous crisis--only to be resuscitated
in the 40s. One hundred years ago
this transposition of moves was em­
ployed with one aim: to avoid the
"formidable" 'ti'xd4 capture. It was
noticed that after 5 lL"Ixc6 bxc6 6
'ti'd4 f6 White had difficulties fight­
ing against Black's powerful pawn
centre. White's attempts to capital­
ize on his slight advantage in devel­
opment brought him nothing but
disappointments. For example, at
Hastings in 1 895, Schlechter tried to
prove White's superiority against
Lasker; but after 7 �c4 e6 8 0-0
Theoretical Controversies 1 65
4Jh6 9 lL"Ic3 lL"Ifl 1 0 �e3 �g7 1 1
llad1 0-0 1 2 'ti'd2 f5 1 3 exf5 gxf5
1 4 �d4 d5 1 5 �xg7 �xg7 1 6 �e2
e5 Black's pawns crushed the en­
emy defence. Later it was found that
6 ...4Jf6! was even stronger. So
Black had nothing to fear on the
a 1 -h8 diagonal.
The first serious trial for the
Dragon came about in 1 887 during
the 5th Congress of the German
Chess Union. A number of games
were played with the same varia­
tion: 1 e4 c5 2 4Jf3 lL"Ic6 3 d4 cxd4
4 lL"Ixd4 g6 5 lL"Ic3 �g7 6 �e3 d6.
After 7 �b5 �d7 8 0-0 4Jf6 White
failed to achieve anything. Macken­
zie against Paulsen continued cau­
tiously with 9 h3 0-0 1 0 4Jde2
1 0 ... a6 1 1 �d3. However, after
1 1 ...lL"Ie5 1 2 f4 lL"Ixd3 1 3 cxd3 b5
Black obtained excellent chances.
Gunsberg-Gottschall varied with
7 �e2 �d7 8 0-0 lL"If6 9 f4 0-0 1 0
'ti'd2 llc8 1 1 llad1 lL"Ig4 1 2 �xg4
�xg4 1 3 llde 1 �d7 1 4 lL"Ide2 �e8
1 5 llf3 'ti'd7 1 6 llefl b5 1 7 b3 'ti'b7
1 8 llh3 b4 1 9 lL"Id5 e6 20 f5 ! exd5
2 1 f6 �h8 22 �d4 �d7 23 llh4 h5
24 llxh5 ! �g4 25 llxh8+! , and
White mated his opponent.
However, Black made some serious
mistakes in the middlegame. For
instance, instead of the passive
14 ...�e8? he should have played
1 66 Theoretical Controversies

14 . . .b5 with active counterplay. It was noticed that after 1 e4 c5 2 lt:Jf3

soon became clear that a direct at­ lt:Jc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lt:Jxd4 g6 5 lt:Jc3
tack on Black's fortifications is fu­ i..g7 6 i..e3 Black could play (in­
tile. Black's counterplay is based on stead of 6 ... d6) 6 ...lt:Jf6 7 i..e2 0-0 8
. . . a7-a6 and ...b7-b5 in conjunction 0-0 d5! ! .

E�J.� �S'II�
with ... lt:Jc6-e5-c4 (or ... lt:Jc6-a5-c4 ).
In search of more efficient weap­
ons against the Dragon, White re­ � t R �� t rl t
� � Bt�
��� �
sorted to new, positional man­
X . . . .•
oeuvres. Let's return to the
Gunsberg-Gottschall game. � RtR R
� �·g
R �.R
ft R �X

Position after JO. . . 'l:.cB
Instead of the straightforward 1 1
l%ad l , another plan was proposed:
1 1 h3 a6 1 2 i.. f3 b5 1 3 ll'lb3. The
idea becomes clear if we consider
what occurred in a game Marco­
Weiss ( 1 895): 1 3 . . .'ilic7 14 lt:Jd5 ! ! .
What should Black do now? He
cannot tolerate the knight on d5 for
long. If he tries to drive it away with
. . . e7-e6, his d6-pawn will be too
weak. The game continued:
�
���if·��ft1 ��ft1
� ��� §W
Black now gains absolute freedom
at the same time as frustrating
White's attacking plans. In the game
Tarrasch-Lipke (Vienna 1 898)
Black obtained excellent chances
after 9 exd5 lt:Jxd5 1 0 lt:Jxd5 'ii'xd5
1 1 .tf3 'ifc4 1 2 lt:Jxc6 bxc6 1 3 c3
i.. e 6. Later Tarrasch suggested 8 f4
(instead of 8 0-0) so as to counter
8 . ..d5 with 9 e5. But Black found an
interesting possibility: 8 ...d6 9 0-0
'it'b6 ! .
I n response to this line, White
adopted a new continuation: 8 lt:Jb3
d6 9 0-0. But that was not all. In the
game Marco-Mar6czy (Monte
Carlo, 1903) the famous Hungarian
GM found a neat idea: 9 ... .te6!
(threatening ... d6-d5).

�
14 . . .lt:Jxd5 1 5 exd5 lt:Jd8 1 6 c3 and
-� �-*�
� ;·· ���1�1] ;
1 7 'l:..fe 1 and White got the
advantage.

����J."· t ��
-

Many years later Akiba Rubin­

stein and Mikhail Botvinnik demon­ � " "''

strated how such positions should be

handled. But as we see, the idea of
� - - ·
R R ft R R
4J� U R
lt:Jc3-d5 had been employed long
before! At the close of the 1 9th cen­
tury Black was faced with the prob­ '���
��/�'�
.�d:!!.
� -;.���� '���
�
.ll. �----� .ll. � . �- ---� .ll. �. ...�
lem of countering this idea. An
antidote was found quite soon. It � ��� § W
 Theoretical Controversies 1 67

Marco warded off this threat by Mar6czy' s system posed new

10 f4, but after lO ... ltJa5! Black ob­ problems for Black. At first, Black
tained counterplay on the queenside, tried to hinder c2-c4. After 1 e4 c5 2
keeping White's knight away from ltJ£3 ltJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 he
d5. This plan was popular then and played 4 ...ltJf6, inducing 5 ltJc3, and
was still being analysed 50 years only then 5 ... g6. But White immedi­
later. ately found an antidote. This is how
However, a very significant point the game Leonhardt-Tartakower
about this variation was made by continued (Carlsbad 1 907, 2nd bril­
Mar6czy. He showed that after 1 e4 liancy prize): 6 ltJxc6 bxc6 7 e5
c5 2 ltJ£3 ltJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 g6 ltJg8 8 'iVf3 i..g7 9 ..tc4 e6 10 ..tf4
White has the very strong 5 c4! , in­ 'iVc7 1 1 0-0! ..txe5 1 2 ltJb5 'iVb8 1 3
troducing the "Mar6czy Bind"-the ..txe5 'iVxe5 1 4 l:.ad 1 d5 1 5 l:.fe 1
most radical way of seizing the 'i!Vb8 1 6 .Jlxd5! cxd5 1 7 'iVxd5 ..tb7
d5-square! After 5 ... ..tg7 6 i.. e3 1 8 ltJd6+ 'iit;f8 1 9 'iVe5 ..td5 20
ltJf6 7 ltJc3 d6 8 ..te2 0-0 9 0-0 .Jld7 'iVxh8 'iVxd6 2 1 c4 and White won.
White can play 10 f3 followed by Mar6czy's Attack was a serious
ltJc3-d5. Weaker is 1 0 h3 ltJxd4 1 1 blow to the Dragon. But in 1 920 an­
.Jlxd4 .Jlc6 1 2 'iVd3 ltJd7 1 3 .Jlxg7 other Hungarian master, G.Breyer,
rj;xg7 14 b4 b6 1 5 !Ud l a5 ! found interesting counterplay: 1 e4
(Swiderski-Mar6czy, Monte Carlo c5 2 ltJ£3 ltJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 g6
1904), and Black eased his defence 5 c4 ..tg7 6 .Jle3 ltJf6 7 ltJc3 ltJg4 ! .
by a series of exchanges. Inciden­ Puzzled by the novelty, B.Kostich
tally, this is the first known game went in for exchanges: 8 ltJxc6
where 5 c4 was employed. Mar6czy ltJxe3 9 ltJxd8 ltJxd 1 10 ltJxdl
was playing Black! So why is the 'il;xd8, and the game was soon
whole system named after him? drawn (Kostic-Breyer, Goteborg
Possibly because he was the first to 1 920).
annotate this game. As we see, the However, two years later, there
foundation of the contemporary the­ came a new blow for the Dragon in
ory of the Dragon variation was laid the game Alekhine-Siimisch
down at the start of the twentieth (Vienna, 1 922). White played 6
centuries. It was about this time that ltJb3! (instead of 6 .Jle3), and
it was named the Dragon Variation. Breyer's plan was nipped in the
The Russian master Fedor Dus­ bud. Some time later it turned out
Chotimirsky, who frequently em­ that 6 ltJc2! was even stronger.
ployed this system, wrote: "This
name was used for the first time by - �J.�� ���­
me in Kiev in 1 90 1 . I was keen on ..
� :t D :t �l :t t
astronomy, and studying the sky, I
noticed the apparent resemblance -�- D :t D
between the Dragon constellation � - - ·
and the configuration of black
pawns d6, e7, f7, g6 and h7 in the D ft D ft D D
Sicilian Defence. On account of this � - - ·
visual association, I decided to call ft ��{) - �� ft ��
it the "Dragon Variation".
�{J���il� §
1 68 Theoretical Controversies
In the late 1 920s the move order
used in the Dragon was somewhat
different: 1 e4 c5 2 lUf3 lUc6 3 d4
cxd4 4 lUxd4 lUf6 5 lUc3 d6. Black
avoids both the constricting c2-c4
and the attacking e4-e5 (following
an exchange on c6). After 6 i.e2
g6 ! he gets the position he wants.
This new interpretation of the
Dragon gave a new boost to its
popularity. The new classical sys­
tem (7 0-0 i.g7 8 �e3 0-0) came
into vogue. True, White did not
have to reckon with . . .d7-d5. But it
turned out that ...d6-d5 (in reply to 9
'i!Vd2 or 9 h3) gives Black good
chances of equality. So theoreticians
again turned their attention to the
position ansmg after 9 lUb3
(reached by a different move-order
in the Marco-Mar6czy game).
The Soviet theoretician Vsevolod
Rauzer enriched opening theory
with many profound and original
ideas in the attempt to assert his
paradoxical concept " 1 e2-e4 and
White wins." His inventions caused
hard times for Sicilian lovers be­
cause in the early 1 930s Rauzer sug­
gested 6 �g5 ! (after 1 e4 c5 2 fi)f3
lUc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lUxd4 lUf6 5 lUc3
d6). Can Black play the Dragon
now? No good is 6 ... g6? 7 �xf6
exf6. So, Black has to play ... e6
choosing the Scheveningen varia­
tion, or he has to delay the develop­
ment of his kingside pieces by
6. . .�d7. However, soon a radical
method of preventing both
Mar6czy's system and 6 �g5 was
found: 1 e4 c5 2 lUf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4
4 lUxd4 lUf6 5 lUc3 g6. Rauzer
continued nevertheless with 6 �g5.
In his game against V.Ragozin
(Leningrad 1 936) he obtained the
advantage after 6 ... �g7 7 'ilfd2 lUc6
8 0-0-0
8 ... lUxe4 9 lUxe4 lUxd4? 1 0
lUf6+! . However, in the same. tour­
nament the young Soviet master I.
Kan played 8 ... 0-0! against Rauzer
and got excellent chances. White's
attempt to win a pawn after 9 lUxc6
bxc6 1 0 e5 lUeS 1 1 exd6 lUxd6 1 2
�xe7 'i!Vxe7 1 3 'i!Vxd6 was energeti­
cally refuted by 1 3 ...'i!Vg5 ! .
Another interesting game from the
same tournament was Rauzer­
Chekhover: 6 f3 �g7 7 �e3 0-0 8
'i!Vd2 lUc6 9 0-0-0. This is the fa­
mous Rauzer Attack which enriched
the whole system tremendously.
White's consistent and logical
build-up sets Black many problems,
and Chekhover could not solve
them all. The game continued
9 ... lUxd4 1 0 �xd4 �e6 1 1 Wb 1
�c8 1 2 h4 lUh5 1 3 �xg7 Wxg7 1 4
lUd5 ! �xd5 1 5 exd5 lUg3 1 6 �h2
e5 1 7 dxe6 fxe6 1 8 h5! lUxh5 1 9
'ilfxd6 'i!Vxd6 2 0 �xd6, and although
Black had managed to avoid the
attack along the h-file, he got an
inferior endgame. White's novelty
proved to be a powerful weapon.
The whole history of the Dragon
may be likened to the contest be­
tween shells and armour. The inven­
tion of the tank posed serious
problems for the designers of guns.
They increased the striking power
of the shells. The tank engineers

increased the thickness of the
armour ... Rauzer's attack is a most
powerful shell. Many improvements
have been made, but the essence of
the system has remained the same:
White combines his threats on the
kingside (h2-h4-h5) with pressure in
the centre (lLlc3-d5).
Discussions about Rauzer's attack
and ways of avoiding it are still go­
ing on. First of all, the old move or­
der was tried: 1 e4 c5 2 lLJf3 lLlc6 3
d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 g6, because here
White has certain difficulties in car­
rying out Rauzer' s idea. For exam­
ple, 5 lLlc3 i..g7 6 i.. e3 lLlf6 7 f3
(stronger is 7 i.. c 4, but White has to
reckon with the problematic 7 ... d6 8
f3 'tib6 !?. Also playable is 7 .. .'tli'a5,
forcing 8 0-0) 7 . . . 0-0 8 'ii'd2 d5 ! .
True, this move order does not
prevent the Mar6czy Bind, but the
latter is not as formidable as
Rauzer' s Attack. In the 1 6th USSR
Championship semi-final (Moscow,
1 94 7) the game Averbakh-Veresov
attracted the attention of theoreti­
cians: 1 e4 c5 2 lLJf3 lLlc6 3 d4 cxd4
4 lLlxd4 g6 5 c4 i..g 7 6 lLlc2. We
know that in the 1 920s this plan was
regarded as best. But Black discov­
ered some drawbacks to White's
set-up: 6 . ..d6 7 i..e2 lLlh6!
Theoretical Controversies 1 69
The retreat of White's knight per­
mits Black to carry out ... f7-f5. Af­
ter 8 lLlc3 0-0 9 0-0 f5 1 0 exf5 lLlxf5
Black obtained active piece play and
control over the important d4-square
as compensation for weakening his
pawn structure.
This game gave rise to deep in­
vestigations of the lines with
2 . . . lLlc6 and 4 ... g6. Special emphasis
was placed on Breyer's 7 ...lLlg4, in
earticular the continuation 8 'ii'xg4
ttJxd4 9 'ili'd l . Some interesting
ideas were employed in the games
of the Swedish grandmaster
G. Stoltz, who had played this sys­
tem in the early 40s. Later, a num­
ber of original ideas in the Dragon
were introduced by Simagin. Nowa­
days, by way of strengthening his
"armour", Black sometimes resorts
to the old move-order 2 ...g6 and
combines it with new ideas. For ex­
ample, after 3 d4 Black does not
hurry to exchange pawns but main­
tains the tension by 3 ...i.g7.
I would now like to cite some of
my own games in which the Dragon
Variation was employed. To some
extent they have been important for
the development of the theory of
this variation.
1 70 Theoretical Controversies
53 Sicilian Defence [B76]
V.Tokarev White
E.Gufeld Black
Odessa, 1 957
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
ll:\xd4 ltJf6 5 ll:\c3 g6 6 .te3 .tg7 7
f3 0-0 8 'ifd2 ll:\c6 9 0-0-0 d5 10
exd5 ll:\xd5 11 ll:\xc6 bxc6 1 2 .td4
e5 13 .tc5 .te6 14 ll:\xd5 cxd5 15
.txf8 'i!Vxf8
For the exchange, Black acquires
a strong centre and the bishop pair.
16 'ifa5 'ir'e7
This is stronger than 1 6 ...l::.b 8 1 7
l::.d3 d4 1 8 l::.a3 .th6+ 1 9 'ito>b1 .
1 7 l::.d3 e4 1 8 l::.b3 d4 1 9 l::.b 5
19 ... d3!
A breakthrough in the centre is
the right idea. Having sacrificed a
pawn, Black literally cuts through
his opponent's defences, acting ac­
cording to the motto "divide and
rule".
20 cxd3 l::.c8+ 2 1 'ifi>b1 exf3 22
gxf3 .tf5 23 l::.xf5 gxf5
23 ...'ife3 ! 24 .th3 'ifxd3+ 25 'ifi>a1
.txb2+ 26 'ito>xb2 l::.c2+ 27 'ifi>a1
'ir'd4+ 28 'ito>b1 'ifb2 mate.
24 d4 .txd4 25 .ta6 l::.b8 26 b3
.tg7 27 ir'xf5? 'i!Va3 28 'ir'c2 ir'xa6
29 l::.g 1 'iff6! 0-1
54 Sicilian Defence [B78]
E.Mats White
E.Gufeld Black
Novosibirsk, 1 962
1 e4 c5 2 ll:\f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
ll:\xd4 ll:\f6 5 ll:\c3 g6 6 .te3 .tg7 7
f3 0-0 8 'ii'd2 ll:\c6 9 .tc4!
This position occurred very often
in top-flight competitions and was
thoroughly analysed by theoreti­
cians. For a long time, however, 9
0-0-0 was considered obligatory,
after which Black usually obtained
sufficient counterplay. The text
move hinders Black's counterplay
and enables White to work up a
kingside initiative. In this game
Black tries a new idea.
9 ... .td7 10 0-0-0 'ir'b8 1 1 g4
An inaccuracy permitting Black to
seize the initiative. Necessary was
1 1 ll:\d5 ll:\xd5 1 2 .txd5 ll:\xd4 1 3
.txd4 .txd4 14 'ir'xd4 'ii'c7 1 5 l::.d2,
and White maintains some posi­
tional advantage.
l l ...b5 12 .td5 l::.c 8 13 .txc6
.txc6 14 h4
White doesn't sense the danger.
Better 14 ll:\xc6 l::.xc6 1 5 ll:\d5.
14 ... b4 15 ll:\ce2 ll:\xe4! 16 fxe4
Not 16 ll:\xc6 ll:\xd2 1 7 ll:\xb8
ll:\c4 ! -+.
16 ... .txe4 17 ll:\g3 .txc2! 18
ir'xc2
Or 1 8 ll:\xc2 b3 !-+.
18...l::.xc2+ 19 �xc2 'ii'c8+ 20
'ifi>b1 'ir'xg4 21 l::.h g1 'ii'xh4 22 'ito>a1
e6 23 ltJde2 d5! 24 l::.h 1 'ii'f6 25
.td4 e5 26 .tc5 d4 27 .txb4 'i!Vb6
28 .ta3 l::.c 8 29 ll:\e4 l:.c2 30 l:.cl
'ii'c6 31 l:.xc2 'ii'x c2 32 ltcl 'i'xe4
33 l::.c8+ .trs 34 .txf8 'i!Vf5 0-1

55 Sicilian Defence [B78]
V.Tseshkovsky White
E.Gufeld Black
USSR Ch Semi-final,
Daugavpils 1 978
1 e4 c5 2 4Jf3 d 6 3 d4 cxd4 4
li.:lxd4 4Jf6 5 4Jc3 g6 6 .lte3 .ltg7 7
f3 4Jc6 8 .ltc4 0-0 9 'ifd2 1Ld7 10
0-0-0 l:tc8 11 i..b3 4Je5 1 2 h4 h5
13 �bl 4Jc4 14 i.. xc4 l:txc4 1 5
lt::lce2?! b5! 1 6 c3 O r 1 6 i..h6 e5! 1 7
i.x g7 �xg7 1 8 4Jb3 d5 ! . 16 ...�b8
17 tllb3 l:tfc8 1 8 lLlecl �c7 19 4Jd3
aS 20 �f2 l:tc6! 21 4Jd4 l:ta6 22
i.g5 e5! Better 22 ...�7. 23 .ltxf6
i.xf6 24 lt::lc 2 i..e6 25 lt::le3 b4 26
%:cl �a7! 27 c4! i..d 8! 28 �e2
%:ac6! Or 28 ...b3 29 axb3 a4! . 29 g3
i.b6 30 4Jd5 i..d4 31 g4 b3 32
gxh5 bxa2+ 33 �xa2 l:txc4 34
l:txc4 l:txc4 35 hxg6 'Wb7 36 gxfi+
�xfi 37 �bl .ltxd5 38 exd5 �xd5
39 l:.cl! l:.xcl+! 40 �xcl a4 41 h5
'ir'c4+ 42 �bl 1/z. lJi
56 Sicilian Defence [B70]
L.Gofstein White
E.Gufeld Black
Moscow, 1978
1 e4 c5 2 4Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lt::lxd4 lt::lf6 5 4Jc3 g6 6 i..e2 i..g7 7
0-0 0-0 8 i..g5 4Jc6 9 4Jb3 a6 10 f4
b5 1 1 1Lf3 b4! 12 4Ja4 Or 1 2 4Jd5
lt::lxd5 1 3 exd5 tLla5. 1 2 ...i..d 7! 13
a3 If 1 3 e5, then 1 3 ...4Je8 . 13 ... l:tb8
14 axb4 4Jxb4 15 �hl 1 5 e5 dxe5
16 4Jac5 e4! ?. 15 ...�c7 16 4Jc3
i.e6 17 4Ja5 1 7 4Jd4 .ltc4 1 8 l:te 1
e5. 17 ... l:tfd8 18 'ife2 d5 19 exd5 If
19 e5, then 1 9 ...d4 ! . 19 ... 4Jfxd5 20
lt::lxd5 4Jxd5 2 1 c3 l:tb5! 2 l ...h6 22
i.h4 l:tb5 23 lLg3. 22 4Jc6 �xc6-+
23 c4 l:txb2 24 cxd5 i..x d5 25
ilxe7 l:tc8 26 'ii'e3 i..xf3 27 'ii'xf3
Theoretical Controversies 1 71
'ifxf3 28 l:txf3 l:tcc2 29 l:tgl i..d4
0-1
57 Sicilian Defence [B70]
A.Vitolins White
E.Gufe1d Black
USSR, 1979
1 e4 c5 2 lt::lf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
4Jxd4 4Jf6 5 4Jc3 g6 6 i..bS+ i..d7
7 'ife2 1Lxb5 7 ... tllc 6. 8 �xb5+
'ili'd7 9 �xd7+ lt::lbxd7 10 lt::ldb5
�d8 1 1 f3 a6 12 lLld4 l:tc8 13 i.e3
i..g7 1 3 ... lt::le5 14 0-0-0 4Jc4 1 5
lLg5±. 1 4 0-0-0 e6 1 5 g4 h 6 1 6 h3
�e7 17 l:thel 4Je5 1 7 ... g5 1 8 h4!
gxh4 1 9 .ltf2±. 18 f4 lt::lc4 19 i..f2
tlld 7 20 b3 4Ja5 21 l:te3
21 ...g5
If 2 1 . ..4Jc6, then 22 4Jxc6+!
l:txc6 23 4Jd5+ ±. 22 4Jf5+!? exf5
23 exf5+ �d8 23 ... �f8 24 4Je4 24
lt::l e4 gxf4 25 l:ted3 l:tc6! 26 lt::lxd6
�c7! Not 26 ...4Je5? 27 l:td5+-. 27
lLlxti lt::le 5! 28 4Jxe5 .ltxe5 29 l:td5!
.ltc3 30 .ltd4 1Lxd4 31 l:t1xd4 b5
32 l:txf4 l:td6+ 33 l:tc5+ 4Jc6 34 f6
l:tf8 35 ti �d7 36 h4 �e7 37 l:tcf5
4Jd4?! 37 ... 4Jd8. 38 l:te4+ �d7
38 ...4Je6 39 l:th5. 39 l:tff4 lt::le6 40
l:tf6= lLld8 41 l:tef4 4 1 l:txd6+ �xd6
42 l:te8 4Je6. 41 ...l:te6 42 g5 hxg5
tJi.IJi
1 72 Theoretical Controversies
58 Sicilian Defence [B70]
V.Faibisovich White
E.Gufeld Black
USSR, 1 979
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lDxd4 lDf6 5 lbc3 g6 6 i.e2 i.g7 7
0-0 0-0 8 i.g5 lDc6 9 lbb3 a6 10 a4
..te6 1 1 'it>hl :tc8 12 f4 lba5= 13
lDd4 i.c4 14 :tf3?! ii'b6!+ 1 5 e5 1 5
b3 lbg4 ! . 1 5...dxe5 1 6 fxe5 ltJg4!
16 . . .:tfd8 1 7 exf6 exf6 1 8 i.e3 f5
1 9 lDxf5 ! l:!xdl + 20 :txd l . 17 :tf4
1 7 i.xc4 :txc4+. 17 ...i.xe2 1 8
lbcxe2 1 8 'ifxe2 'ifxb2-+. 18 ...lDxe5
19 i.xe7 :tfe8 20 i.a3 lbac4-+ 21
b3 lbxa3 22 :txa3 'ifd6 23 :tal
lbc6 24 'ii'fl 24 lbxc6 :txc6-+.
24 ... i.e5!-+ 24 ... lbxd4 25 lbxd4
..txd4 26 :td 1 :txc2+. 25 :th4 25
:tg4 h5 26 lDf5 �f6-+. 25.. .'ilr'f6 26
'ii'xf6 ..txf6 27 :tf4 :txe2 0-1
59 Sicilian Defence [B78]
A.Rodriguez White
E.Gufeld Black
Barcelona, 1 979
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lbxd4 lDf6 5 lbc3 g6 6 i.e3 i.g7 7
f3 0-0 8 'ifd2 lbc6 9 i.c4 i.d7 10
h4 :tc8 1 1 i.b3 h5 1 2 0-0-0 lDe5
13 i.g5 :tc5 14 f4 lDc4 15 'ii'd3
It turns out that White, when play­
ing h2-h4 and f2-f4, drove his own
bishop into a cage.
15 ...b5 16 e5
This was the way Klovans played
against me in one of the USSR team
championships.
16...'ifb6!
The Klovans game was eventually
drawn after obscure complications
beginning with 1 6 ... dxe5 1 7 lbdxb5
lbxb2. The Cuban GM had probably
seen that game and found some
improvement for White. But I had
found more that one improvement
of my own! Probably the most inter­
esting idea for Black is to leave the
knight under attack and concentrate
his fire against the d4-point. Of
course the main player in this kind
of action is my beloved dark­
squared bishop on g7.
17 i.xf6 exf6 18 exf6 ..txf6 19
lbe4 i.g7
The long diagonal has cleared.
20 c3
I don't think White would enjoy
20 lbxc5 dxc5.
20...:td5!
Being armed with this mini-idea
(pressure on d4), I easily found this
non-obvious move. You must agree
that the rook looks impressive on
d5.
21 i.xc4 bxc4
Closing down the c-file, but open­
ing up the b-file.
22 it'c2
Not 22 'ifxc4 :txd4! 23 :txd4
:tc8-+.
22 ...:tb8 23 :td2 :ta5
The agile rook zips around like a
fish in water on the 5th rank.
24 b4
Impetuous, but who would have
enough patience to bear it all?
24 ...cxb3 25 lbxb3 i.f5!
A deadly pin.
26 :txd6 it'e3+ 0-1
Jnformator judged this game to be
the best achievement in the second
half of 1 979.

60 Sicilian Defence [B76]
J.Dorfman White
E.Gufeld Black
Volgodonsk, 1 9 8 1
1 e4 c 5 2 liJ f3 d 6 3 d 4 cxd4 4
liJxd4 liJf6 5 liJc3 g6 6 .i.e3 .i.g7 7
f3 0-0 8 .i.c4 a6 9 .i.b3 liJbd7 Or
9 . . .b5 10 a4!?. 10 1Vd2 l2Jc5 l l 0-0
1 1 0-0-0. l l ... b5 12 liJd5 If 1 2 lDc6,
then 1 2 ...liJxb3 ! . 1 2 ....i.b7 l3
lDxf6+ .i.xf6 14 .i.d5 1Vc7+ 1 5
:tact? 1 5 .i.xb7 1Vxb7+ 1 5. ...i.xd5
16 exd5 �7 17 b4 l2Ja4 18 liJc6
liJc3!+ 19 .i.g5 .i.xg5?! 19 . . .liJxd5 !
20 1Vxd5 .i.xg5 (not 20 .. . e6?? 2 1
�xf6) 2 1 1Vxg5 1Vxc6 22 1Vxe7
l:[fe8+. 20 1Vxg5 liJe2+ 20 .. .e6! ? 2 1
l2Je7+ �g7 2 2 dxe6? (22 .l:tce l !+)
22 ...fxe6 23 1Ve3 1Va7!-+. 21 �f2!
f6 2 l ...h6 22 1Vxe7 'Wb6+ 23 1Ve3
'Wxe3+ 24 �xe3 l2Jxc 1 25 .l:txcl . 22
'ii'e3 liJxcl 23 1Ve6+ 23 .l:txc 1 ? e5+.
23 ...�g7 24 .l:txcl .l:tac8 25 c4 bxc4
Or 25 ....l:txc6 26 dxc6 1Vxc6 27
�xe7+ .l:tf7 28 1Ve6 (28 1Ve4=)
28 ....l:tc7 29 c5 dxc5 30 1Vxc6 .l:txc6
3 1 bxc5=. 26 1Vxe7+!= .l:tti 27
�xb7 .l:txb7 28 a4! 28 .l:txc4 a5 !
28 ... .l:te8! 29 .l:txc4 f5 30 .l:tc3 f4! 31
.l:tc4 1h-1h
6 1 Sicilian Defence [B40]
L.OII White
E.Gufeld Black
Tbilisi, 1 983
1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
liJxd4 liJf6 5 liJc3 g6 6 .te3 .tg7 7
f3 liJc6 8 1Vd2 0-0 9 0-0-0 d5 10
exd5 liJxd5 ll l2Jxc6 bxc6 12 .td4
e5 l3 .tc5 .te6 14 l2Je4 .l:tb8 15 c4
.l:te8! A novelty. 16 g4 16 cxd5
cxd5; 16 liJd6 .l:te7. 16 ... liJb6! 17
1Vc2?! liJd7! 18 h4 1Va5 19 .ta3
liJf6!+ 20 g5?! 20 l2Jc5 .tf8+; 20
lDxf6+ .txf6, intending ... .te7+.
20...liJxe4 21 fxe4 .tf8 22 .txf8
Theoretical Controversies 1 73
.l:txf8 23 �b1 .l:tfd8! 24 .td3 .l:td4
25 1Ve2 �4!-+ Black threatens
... .tg4. 26 b3 a5 27 �b2 a4 28 'ike1
1Vd6 Not 28 ...axb3? 29 1Vxb4 .l:txb4
30 �c3 ! . 29 .tc2 .txc4 30 1Vc3
axb3 31 axb3 .i.xb3 0-1
62 Sicilian Defence [B76]
X.Jun White
E.Gufeld Black
Kuala Lumpur, 1994
1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
liJxd4 liJf6 5 liJc3 g6 6 .te3 .tg7 7
f3 0-0 8 1Vd2 liJc6 9 0-0-0 d5 10
1Ve1
A popular move move these days.
10 ...e5 1 1 l2Jxc6 bxc6 12 exd5
liJxd5
Not 12 . .. cxd5? 13 .tg5 d4 14
1Vxe5±.
13 .tc4 .te6 14 liJe4 1Vc7 15 .tc5
.l:tfd8 16 g4 liJf4 17 �c3 .l:td5!
This novelty drastically alters the
nature of the position. Against
Tokarev in Odessa, 1957 (see game
53), I had sacrificed a rook for
White's dark-squared bishop and
convincingly won. In this case I am
able to give up my rook for the
light-squared bishop to obtain the
same benefits-a highly mobile
pawn centre, two very strong
bishops and a possible attack on the
1 74 Theoretical Controversies
white king. All this is quite suffi­
cient compensation for the small
material deficit. The regular move
17 . . . i.d5 allows White a small
advantage.
1 8 Wb1 .:t.ad8 19 i.xd5 cxd5 20
i.e3
Or 20 lLlg5 d4+.
20 .'ife7! ?
•.
The aim of this move is to stop
White from taking my knight on f4
and following with ttJ f6+, shutting
the mouth of the "Gufeld elephant"
-the bishop on g7.
2 1 'ii'c5 'ii'b7 22 'ii'a3 'ii'c 6 23
'ifc3 'ifa8!
23 ... 'ii'e 8!? 24 i.xf4 dxe4 25
.:t.xd8 'ii'xd8 26 i.xe5 'ii'd5 ! .
2 4 i.xf4 l::tc 8!
Not 24 ... exf4? 25 lLlf6+! +-.
25 ii'a5 exf4 26 lLlg5 'ifb8 27 c3
A Lifelong Duel
Don't worry, I am not speaking
about a clash for the World Crown. I
am speaking of a creative dispute
about the King's Indian Defence,
between Lev Polugayevsky and me.
The dispute was carried on in our
games whenever he played White.
Each of us had his own approach to
this rich and difficult opening. The
game would sometimes acquire
theoretical value from an idea that
one of us used from his home
analysis.
Most frequently it occurred in the
same variation-the Siimisch Sys­
tem. Here we were always on oppo­
site sides of the fence! Often the
author of a novelty would deliver
such a powerful blow that his oppo­
nent could not find an antidote for
months or even years. But eventu­
ally the light would shine again! The
Not 27 b3 'ife5-+, or 27 'it'a3
l::tc 3-+.
27 ...i.xc3
It is more logical to play
27 ...l::txc3 ! 28 l::td2 h6 29 lLlxe6
fxe6, intending ...Wh7; Black then
has prospects of even increasing his
advantage.
28 ii'a3 i.f6
Better 28 . . . i.g7 29 lLlxe6? (29
.:t.c l ! l::te8 30 l::the l =) 29 ...%:tc3! 30
b3 (30 'ii'a 5?? l::tc l + 3 1 'it>xc 1 'ii'xb2
mate) 30 ... fxe6 3 1 l::the 1 l::te3-+.
29 lLlxe6 fxe6
29 ... .:t.c3?? 30 ii'f8+! +-.
30 .:t.ct lte8 31 .:t.c6 'ii'e5 32 .:t.hcl
.:t.e7 33 'ii'b4 �ti 34 a3 aS?
Better 34 ...g5.
35 'ii'b5 a4 36 l::tc8 'ife3??
36 ... g5.
37 %:.1c7 1-0
coveted antidote would be found,
and the player would arrive for the
next clash with a secret weapon be­
hind his back. Occasionally it hap­
pened that neither of us had
anything new in store. Then we
would avoid the most dangerous
continuations, but the "discussion"
was still carried on in the King's In­
dian. Polugaevsky and I were
grandmasters of different "weight
categories" and did not often play in
the same tournaments, but whenever
I had Black against him I knew what
the opening would be.
The King's Indian! Over the years
this defence has undergone a multi­
tude of ups and downs, and not a
few reappraisals. How many times
has it been "refuted"? Exactly as
many times as it has been reinstated.
All these vicissitudes have brought

me both victories and losses. The
losses were sometimes very painful,
but nonetheless I have never wa­
vered from my original devotion to
this opening. And if at times I had
to wait for years to overcome the
next King's Indian "crisis," then I
bore it with patience. One such wait
lasted for thirteen years.
Our King's Indian argument be­
gan in 1 960 in a crucial duel. My
opponent was already renowned for
his skilful play against this defence.
Our clash was therefore of impor­
tance not only from the competitive
but also from the theoretical
standpoint.
63 King's Indian Defence [E82)
L.Polugaevsky White
E.Gufeld Black
28th USSR Ch. Semi-final,
Vilnius 1 960
1 d4 lt:Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 lbc3 �g7 4
e4 0-0 5 �e3 d6 6 f3 b6
In the late fifties this move be­
came popular. The move ...b7-b6
initiates a broad-based strategic plan
to combat the formidable Siimisch
set-up. At first sight it looks as
though Black simply intends to de­
velop his bishop on b7. But appear­
ances are deceptive. The fianchetto
of the queen's bishop is only a
Theoretical Controversies 1 75
minor detail in Black's plan: the
main part of it is the advance
... c7-c5. If White answers this ad­
vance with d4-d5, Black will have
brought about the closure of the
centre without resorting to ... e7-e5
(blocking his own king's bishop).
This would not worry White if he
had not already committed himself
with f2-f3. Suppose this move had
not occurred: then he could play
lbg 1 -£3, �fl -e2, 0-0, and strive for
the break e4-e5. But as it is, his
pawn is already on f3 ; his entire
dark-square complex is weakened;
his knight cannot join in the fight
for e5; and his attack against the
black king is also disrupted, since
while White is assembling his army
behind the g- and h-pawns, Black
will be able to organize a powerful
counter-offensive in the centre and
on the queenside. That, basically, is
what Black has in mind if White
meets ... c7-c5 with an immediate
d4-d5. But what if White, in true
Siimisch style, maintains the central
tension? Then a further feature of
Black's plan is disclosed: since he
has not played ...lbb8-d7, his knight
can effectively join in the fight for
the centre with ...lbb8-c6! And if
White still refrains from d4-d5,
Black seizes the d4 point with
... e7-e5 ! What can White do against
this plan? In Bobotsov-Spassky,
Sofia 1 958, White ignored it and
went on developing: 7 'ii'd2 c5 8
lt:Jge2 lbc6 9 0-0-0 (if 9 d5; then
9: .. lbe5 ! is good) 9 ... �d7 1 0 �b1
e5 1 1 dxc5 dxc5 1 2 �g5. The future
World Champion replied 1 2 ...lt:Jd4!
1 3 lt:JdS �a4! and already it was
White, not Black, who had to think
about equalizing.
7 �d3!
Today this move is the usual theo­
retical line. At the beginning of
1 76 Theoretical Controversies
1 959, the great King's Indian expert
Bronstein played it against Lutikov
in the 26th USSR Championship at
Thilisi. Lutikov unsuspectingly re­
plied 7 ... c5, which was met by the
thunderbolt 8 e5 ! ! . The two excla­
mation marks denote not merely the
strength of the move but also its sur­
prise effect. Black has been paying
attention to only one of the long di­
agonals-the dark-squared one. It
now becomes clear that the chess­
board contains one other main thor­
oughfare of no less importance-but
which nobody, in the King's Indian,
had thought of bothering about. Af­
ter 8 . . .l2Je8 9 Ji.e4 l2Jc7 1 0 Ji.xa8
l2Jxa8, White is the exchange up
with the better position. Bronstein
had dealt the system such a blow
that 6 . ..b6 disappeared from tourna­
ment practice for a year and a half.
For this reason, the erudite
Polugaevsky was extremely sur­
prised when all of a sudden I dared
to play the discarded 6 . . .b6 against
him. Of course, he replied like
Bronstein-and gave me a quizzical
look. · Had I really forgotten that
game in Tbilisi, which he and I had
watched together? Was I really go­
ing to give away the exchange?
However, I surprised him with
7...a6!
Thus it was that a new variation
of the King's Indian was born. The
effect of the innovation surpassed
all my expectations. White's hope
of winning the rook on a8 evapo­
rates, since the a7-square has been
freed for it. At the same time, the
move ... a7-a6 is useful in its own
right, since Black hopes above all
that an opportunity for ...b6-b5 will
turn up. Not finding an antidote
over the board, Polugaevsky went to
pieces and subsequently played like
a doomed man. It isn't often that I
succeed in beating world-class GMs
in 30 moves with Black.
8 lbge2 c5 9 d5
Submissively allowing Black to
carry out the aims of his system.
9 ... e6!
This stock move is especially ef­
fective when f2-f3 has been played.
10 0-0 exd5 1 1 exd5
1 1 cxd5 is out of the question in
view of l l ..�b5 ! . So ... a7-a6 has
proved quite useful.
ll .. lbbd7 12 .tc2
.
Mikenas recommended 12 Ji.gS
ltJeS 13 f4.
12 ...l:t.e8 13 'iWd2 b5!
After this thematic break, White's
position collapses like a house of
cards.
14 cxb5 axb5 15 l2Jg3 b4 16
lbce2 lLlb6 17 Ji.g5 Ji.a6 18 .!:t.fe 1
'iWd7 19 .te4 .tc4! 20 b3 Ji.xe2 21
'iWxe2 lbxe4 22 fxe4 lbxd5!
The game is as good as over.
White could hoist the flag of surren­
der at once. But Lev didn't decide to
do this for another eight moves.
23 'iWd2 lbc3 24 �d3 'iWg4 25
Ji.d2 lbxe4 26 lbxe4 Ji.xa1 27 h3
'iWf5 28 g4 'iWe5 29 'Wf3 'iWd4+ 30
'lt>g2 d5 0-1
But I was very much mistaken in
naively supposing that after this
game the 7 ... a6 line would encoun­
ter no problems.

In January of the following year
( 1 96 1), the championship final
started in Moscow. I had been pre­
paring for the tournament together
with Stein. We both decided to play
our beloved King's Indian against
Polugaevsky, but the pairings
brought a disappointment: I was to
face him with White. Stein, on the
other hand, was to play Black
against Polugaevsky in the very first
round.
I followed that game in suspense:
64 King's Indian Defence [E82]
L.Polugaevsky White
L.Stein Black
28th USSR Ch, Moscow 1 96 1
1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 lLlc3 iLg7 4
e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 6 iLe3 b6 7 iLd3 a6
Stein and I expected Polugaevsky
to play 8 d5, which had brought him
success in a few games after the
fiasco in Vilnius, and we had pre­
pared suitable counterplay against it.
However, here is what followed:
8 lLlge2 c5 9 e5!
This is the novelty Polugaevsky
had been preparing. Since he was
due to play me with Black, it was
not me but the innocent Stein who
became the object of his revenge.
Still, who says Stein was not guilty
of anything? He was to be punished
Theoretical Controversies 1 77
for putting his trust in a plan with­
out probing all its subtleties.
Outwardly, White's thrust looks
analogous to the one carried out by
Bronstein against Lutikov. But in
this case the long White diagonal is
of secondary importance; White's
main aim is to gain space in the
centre.
9 ...liJfd7
After 9 ...dxe5 1 0 dxe5 lLlfd7 1 1
iLe4 l:ta7 1 2 f4 Black's position
would be without prospects, and
7 ... a6 would prove a wasted tempo.
10 exd6! exd6 11 0-0 lLlc6 12
iLc2 .ltb7 13 �d2 lLlf6 14 :ad1
Black has nothing with which to
resist his opponent's powerful cen­
tral pressure. He tried tactical play:
14 ... cxd4 15 lLlxd4 lLle5 16 b3 d5
But it was refuted:
17 iLh6! :c8 18 iLxg7 'it>x g7 19
�g5 lLlc6 20 lLlf5+ 'it>h8 21 lLl xd5
lLlxd5 22 �h6!+- �f6 23 :xd5
l:tfd8 24 :xd8+ :xd8 25 iLe4 liJd4
26 lLlg3 iLxe4 27 fxe4 'fie7 28 �f4
'it>g8 29 e5 lLle6 30 �f6 �xf6 31
exf6 :d2 32 :f2 l:td1 + 33 liJfl g5
34 :d2 :xd2 35 liJxd2 h6 36 lLle4
'it>h7 37 b4 'it>g6 38 g4 lLlf4 39 c5
bxc5 40 bxc5 1-0
So my curiosity about
Polugaevsky's novelty was satisfied
at no cost (though this was not Ste­
in's point of view). The unfortunate
thing was that a flaw in the variation
had been exposed. The search for an
improvement to Black's play en­
tered a new stage. Instead of 7 ... a6,
the move 7...iLb7 was introduced.
As it turns out, one of the first
games in which this move was tried
was Spassky-Gufeld, from the 3 1 st
USSR Championship, Leningrad
1 963. Play went: 8 lLl ge2 c5 9 d5 e6
10 0-0 liJ bd7 11 iL g5 exd5 12
lLlxd5? i.xd5 13 cxd5 a6 14 :et
1 78 Theoretical Controversies

14 a4 b5 ! 1 5 axb5 1fb6 1 6 �h1 can the bishop do on b7, confronted

axb5 is clearly in Black's favour. with a "pill-box'" of pawns
14 ... b5 15 b3 l:te8 16 'ifd2 'ii'b 6 17
(e4-f3-g2)? In any case, if White
�h1 l:tac8 18 nre1 tt.Jes 19 i.b1 b4 plays d4-d5 the bishop will be in a
20 ti.Jg3 c4 21 i.e3 c3?? After complete cui-de-sac. Won't it have
2 l . ..'ifb5 followed by ... a5-a4, theto waste another tempo going back
position is in Black's favour. But to c8?
now after 22 'ifxc3 Black is down Not that 7 ...�b7 entirely lacks a
and out. 22 ...bxc3 23 �xb6 ti.Jfd7 positive side. In the first place, of
24 �aS ti.JcS 25 l:txc3 fS 26 exfS course, Black no longer has to fear
tt.Jg4 27 l:txe8+ l:txe8 28 l:IxcS e4-e5. If White continues along the
ti.Jf2+ 29 �g1 �d4 30 nc4 iJ...a7 3 1 lines of Polugaevsky-Stein with 8
� fl ti.Jd1 32 l:te4 1-0 ti.Jge2 c5 9 e5, this move will no
longer merit an exclamation mark,
The move 7 . . .i.b7 is the simplest but a question mark, since on
way to avoid unpleasantness on the 9 ...dxe5 1 0 dxe5 ti.Jfd7 1 1 f4 Black
h 1 -a8 diagonal. Perhaps the reader has 1 1 ...i.xg2! There are also some
will ask why this obvious-looking concealed strategic resources such
solution was so long in coming. as 8 ti.Jge2 c5 9 d5 e6 1 0 'ifd2 exd5
Why did players first try the less 1 1 exd5 ti.Jbd7 1 2 �h6 �xh6 1 3
"aesthetic" move .. .a7-a6? Why 'ifxh6 ti.Je5 1 4 l:rd 1 a 6 1 5 0-0 b5 !
wasn't the natural development of The half-alive bishop on b7 shows
the bishop thought of sooner? its teeth! White cannot consider tak­
ing on b5, since Black would then
win the pawn on d5 and his light­
squared bishop would come to life.
This being so, White has to take
measures to curb Black's initiative.
Of course, in this line 1 0 'ifd2 is far
from best, but even after the more
natural 1 0 0-0 Black has 1 0 ... exd5
1 1 exd5 ti.Je8 ! followed by
... ti.Je8-c7; he then has no trouble
preparing ...b6-b5, relying on the
services of his bishop, which keeps
the White d-pawn in its sights in
Well, some attention was of case of c4xb5.
course given to 7 . . .i.b7 immedi­ Despite this, it is with good reason
ately after the Bronstein-Lutikov that seasoned "King's Indianites"
game. Yet a true "King' s Indianite" shake their heads sceptically, assur­
will never make such a move ing you that in the King's Indian
lightly. It is on the c8-h3 diagonal Defence the move ... i.c8-b7 cannot
that the light-squared bishop per­ be good. White has found ways to
forms highly important services­ tame this impostor bishop, which is
controlling the key point f5, assist­ usurping a role that by rights be­
ing the advance ... g6-g5-g4 if the longs to its dark-squared colleague.
case arises, and also (from d7) sup­ (a) Furman successfully intro­
porting the thematic ...b7-b5. What duced 8 ti.Jh3 into practice. The idea

is that after 8 . . . cS 9 dS e6 1 0 0-0
cxdS White replies 1 1 cxdS ! and
transfers the knight to f2, where it
will support the important points e4
and g4 in the case of a later advance
of the f-pawn.
(b) Another method was discov­
ered, too: 8 lLlge2 cS 9 dS e6 1 0
i.gS ! Now Black can't bring his
knight back to e8, and without
transferring this knight to c7 it is
hard for him to achieve . ..b6-bS. For
example: 1 0... lbbd7 1 1 b3 ! tOeS 1 2
i.c2 a6 1 3 a4! Even the ending after
9 0-0 tbc6 1 0 �c2 eS 1 1 dxeS dxeS
1 2 �gS 'ifxd1 1 3 l:taxd 1 tbd4 14
..lta4! turns out to favour White. In a
game with Botvinnik (USSR Team
Championship 1 964), Stein tried
sacrificing his queen rather than ex­
changing it: 1 2 ... h6 1 3 �h4 tbd4 1 4
tbdS tbxdS, but here again, after 1 S
..ltxd8 tbe3 1 6 'ifd3 l:taxd8 1 7 'ii'xe3
tbxc2 1 8 'ii'c3 tbxa1 19 l:txa1 �a6
20 'ifc2! hS 2 1 'ii'a4 l:td2 22 tbc3
...ltc8 23 l:td1 , the play resolved itself
in White's favour. The "King' s
Indianites" were despondent. The
plan with 6 ...b6 had to be relegated
to the archives.
Several years passed, and then
Master Kapengut had a say. This
was in 197 1 , in the USSR Team
Championship at Rostov-on-Don.
To the astonishment of his opponent
Tukmakov, he selected the plan
which had supposedly been dis­
carded for good: 6 b6 7 �d3 a6.
•.•
After 8 tbge2 c5 Tukmakov contin­
ued with Polugaevsky's 9 e5,
whereupon Kapengut answered not
with Stein's 9 ...tt:Jfd7, but with his
own move: 9 tt:Je8! "But what dif­
..•
ference does it make?" I wondered.
After 1 0 exd6 exd6 1 1 0-0 the same
sort of position arises, and I don' t
Theoretical Controversies 1 79
see why the knight should be better
on e8 "
Play continued: 10 exd6 tt:Jxd6!
So that's why the knight went back
to e8! The pawn sacrifice cuts the
Gordian knot in which Black's
pieces seemed to be enmeshed. 1 1
dxc5 bxc5 12 �xc5. White accepts
the sacrifice. However, declining it
with 1 2 0-0! may have been more
sensible, for example: 1 2 ... �e6 1 3
b 3 tbd7 1 4 l:tc 1 'iWa S 1 S tba4 threat­
ening 1 6 tbf4, or 1 2 ... tbd7 13 b3
�b7 1 4 l:tc 1 with the better pawn
structure-two islands against three.
However, accepting the pawn sacri­
fice is the most uncompromising
continuation. 12 tbd7 13 ..ltf2 1 3
•..
�xd6? amounts to positional sur-
render. After 1 3 ... exd6 Black al-
ready threatens 14 ...'i!Vb6 ! . 13 tt:Je5
•.•
14 c5 tbxd3+ 15 'ii'xd3 �f5 16
'i!Vd5 �e6 17 'ifd1 tbc4 18 'ifxd8
l:tfxd8 19 b3 tbb2 20 0-0 l:td2 21
l:tacl �f5 22 g4 �d7 At this point
the players unexpectedly agreed to a
draw.
Afterwards it transpired that I had
been inadequately informed: Kapen­
gut had played 1 0 ... tbxd6! before,
in the 1 968 Belorussian Champion­
ship, against no less an opponent
than Boleslavsky. This game was
even published in Boleslavsky's
1 80 Theoretical Controversies
monograph on the King's Indian
Defence, which was printed in
Germany in 1 969.
But let us leave Rostov and travel
to Moscow for the USSR Team
Championship in March 1 972. The
Russia-Georgia match brought me
up against Polugaevsky again. I had
Black, just as in Vilnius twelve
years before.
65 King's Indian Defence [E82]
L.Polugaevsky White
E.Gufeld Black
USSR Team Ch, Moscow 1 972
1 c4 tiJf6 2 ltJc3 g6 3 e4 d6 4 d4
.Jtg7 5 f3 0-0 6 .Jte3 b6 7 .Jtd3 a6 8
ltJge2 c5 9 e5
At Vilnius, you may remember,
Polugaevsky played 9 d5 at this
point. But here in Moscow he em­
ployed the same plan as against
Stein. I replied like Kapengut:
9 ltJe8 10 exd6 ltJxd6!
•••
And we followed Tukmakov­
Kapengut for three more moves.
1 1 dxc5 bxc5 12 .Jtxc5 ltJd7 13
.Jtf2 ltJe5 14 b3
White's last move-in what is
perhaps the key position of the
variation-is not Tukmakov's but
Boleslavsky' s. Boleslavsky­
Kapengut had gone 1 4 . . .ltJb5 ! 1 5
.Jte4, and a draw was agreed. In his
book on the opening Boleslavsky
indicates that after what he consid­
ers the best line for both sides-
1 5 ...ltJxc3 1 6 ltJxc3 ltJd3+ 1 7 'i!Vxd3
'i!Vxd3 1 8 .Jtxd3 .Jtxc3+ 19 'it>e2
.Jtxa1 20 .Jte4 l:tb8 2 1 l:txa 1-White
has enough for the exchange, but no
more. No doubt Polugaevsky had
thoroughly familiarized himself
with this recommendation, and de­
cided to test it in practice. Perhaps
he had found an improvement for
White somewhere.
14 ... ltJb5 15 .Jte4 ltJxc3 16 ltJxc3
Now watch! So far, we have not
played a single new move. But here,
instead of 16 ... ltJd3+ as recom­
mended by Boleslavsky, I found a
way to add fuel to the flames:
16 .Jtf5!
.••
Black not only declines White's
exchange sacrifice, he offers one
himself. But 1 7 .Jtxa8 tiJd3+ looks
unattractive for White. Indeed, the
threat of a check on d3 has in­
creased in strength overall. White
urgently needs to decide where his
king is going.
1 7 'it>e2
I cannot say that I like this move.
I would have preferred 1 7 0-0.
17 ...'i!Va5 18 ..txf5?
Evidently not the best. 1 8 .Jte 1 is
more sensible. In short, we have the

same situation as in Vilnius: having
been surprised in the opening,
Polugaevsky takes some time to
recover ...
l8 gxf5 19 ltJd5 e 6 20 .Jii.b6
•.•
'ii'a3!
Black now has the better game.
21 tbe3 tbc6 22 l:t.bl l:t.fd8!
Again offering a rook for a
bishop, but this time White would
have to part with the dark-squared
one. For the moment Black ignores
the "small fry" on a2, as 22 ... 'Wxa2+
23 'iic2 'iia 3 24 �fl would permit
White to defend himself.
23 'iic l
Not 23 .Jii.xd8 l:t.xd8 24 'iie l
'ir'xa2+ 25 �fl il.c3 26 'ir'c l l:t.d2!
and Black breaks into the heart of
White' s position.
23 ...'ir'xa2+ 24 'iic2 'ir'a3 25
l:t.hdl l:t.xdl 26 'ii'x dl 'iib4
After his successful attack, Black
needs to consolidate the ground he
has gained.
27 c5 tt:Je5 28 �f2 'ir'b5
Black has regained the sacrificed
pawn while keeping the initiative.
29 'ir'e2
White has to struggle for equality,
and 29 tbc4 is best suited to that
end. Disconcerted by the outcome
of the opening, however,
Polugaevsky does not display his
usual tenacity.
29 ...ltJd7
Better 29 ...tbd3+ 30 �fl il.d4,
setting White difficult problems.
30 'ir'xb5 axb5 31 l:t.dl lt:Jxb6 32
cxb6 l:t.b8
This wins a pawn, but now the re­
duced material allows White to
organize protracted resistance.
33 b7 l:t.xb7 34 :ds+ ii.f8 35
'iit>e2 �g7 36 tbc2 ii.e7 37 l:t.c8 b4
38 l:t.c4 �f6 39 f4 h5 40 g3 ii.d6 41
l:t.c6 �e7 42 l:t.c4 �d7 43 �e3 l:t.b8
44 ltJd4 f6 45 �f3 l:t.b6 46 h3 ii.e7
Theoretical Controversies 181
47 g4 hxg4+ 48 hxg4 fxg4+ 49
�xg4 f5+ 50 �h5 l:t.a6 51 tbc2
l:t.b6 52 ltJd4 i.d6 53 �g5 l%a6 54
lbb5 ii.e7+ 55 �g6 l:t.c6!
The foregoing phase of the game
may frankly have seemed boring,
but now some diverting tactical sub­
tleties crop up.
56 l:t.d4+
For instance, on 56 l:t.xc6 �xc6
57 �f7 Black has 57 ... i.c5 !
unexpectedly winning the knight.
56 ...�e8 57 l:t.dl l:t.c2 58 ltJd6+
�f8 59 ltJf7
Or 59 lt:Jc4 l:t.c3.
59 l:t.g2+ 60 tbg5 ii.xg5 61 fxg5
•..
'iit>e7 62 l:t.d3
The struggle has come to life, and
to realize his advantage Black needs
to unearth some study-like finesses.
62 l:t.f2! !
.•.
Sacrificing the pawn on b4 to
clear the way for his passed pawns.
63 l:t.d4 e5 64 l:t.xb4 e4 65 l:t.b5
'iit>e6 66 l:t.b6+ 'iit>e5 67 l:t.b5+ 'iit>e6
68 l:t.b6+ �e7 69 l:t.b5 �d6 70 'iit>f6
e3 71 g6
7 1 l:t.e5 f4 ! .
71...l:t.g2 ! ! 72 l:t.b6+ 'iit>d5 73
l:t.b5+ 'iit>d 4 74 l:t.b4+ �d3 75 'iit>xf5
e2 76 l:t.e4 l:t.g5+!
The point of the combination.
77 c;t>xg5 �xe4 78 g7 el ='ii 79
g8='ii 'ir'gl+ 0-1
182 Theoretical Controversies
Was this the end of the debate?
The following contests will answer
this question. I have already related
how my dispute with Polugaevsky
involved the participation of Stein.
Many years after that, Polugaevsky
got someone on his side-Bagirov.
In the following game, the long­
standing dispute was continued.
66 King's Indian Defence [E82]
V.Bagirov White
E.Gufeld Black
4 1 st USSR Ch ( 1 st League),
Tbilisi 1973
1 d4 g6 2 c4 Ji.g7 3 lll c3 d6 4 e4
lll f6 5 f3 0-0 6 Si.e3 b6 7 Ji.d3 a6 8
lllge2 c5 9 e5 llle8 10 Si.e4!
This exclamation mark was
attached by Bagirov (read
Polugaevsky) in Volume 1 6 of
Informator. It is noteworthy, by the
way, that the position after 1 0 exd6?
lllxd6 1 1 dxc5 bxc5 1 2 Si.xc5 llld7
1 3 Si.£2 llle5 is assessed by Bagirov
as favourable to Black. From this I
inferred that my dispute with
Polugaevsky would not follow this
path any further.
10 .l::i.a7 1 1 dxc5 bxc5 12 Si.xc5
.•.
:d7 13 Si.e3 Si.b7 14 Si.xb7 .l::i.xb7
15 �d2 Si.xe5 16 .l::i.d l lllc 6 17 0-0
�a5
White has acquired nothing out of
the opening. All the same, let me
state quite frankly that the type of
position which arose in this game
did not suit me-it seemed too arid.
That was one reason I game up
playing this variation for several
years.
1 8 b3 lllc7 19 lll a4 'i!Vxd2 20
.l::i.x d2 llle6 21 f4 Ji.g7 22 .l::i.fdl .l:.c8
23 �fl f5 24 g3 �f7 25 lll g l lllb 8
26 � g2 lLld7 27 ltJe2 liJdc5 28
.
.llxc5 l'llx c5 29 ltJxc5 .l:.xc5 30 .l:.d5
.l:.bc7 31 �f3 �e6 32 �e3 �d7 33
.l:.ld3 Ji.f8 34 .l:.xc5 .l:.xc5 35 .l:.d5
.ig7 36 l:.xc5 dxc5 37 ltJct �d6 38
lll d3 a5 39 �f3 e5 40 fxe5+ .llxe5
41 h3 .id4 42 h4 �e6 43 lLlf4+
�e5 44 lll d3+ �f6 45 �f4 h6 46
�f3 g5 47 hxg5+ hxg5 48 �e2
.ie5 49 �f3 .id6 50 �f2 �g6 51
�g2 �h5 52 �f3 g4+ 53 �g2 �g6
54 �f2 �f6 55 'it>g2 1h-1h
For his own part, in his later en­
counters with me and other King's
Indian addicts, Polugaevsky side­
stepped the Samisch controversy.
Perhaps he was impressed by the
ideas unearthed by the talented GM
N. Rashkovsky.
67 King's Indian Defence [E82]
J.Dorfman White
N.Rashkovsky Black
49th USSR Ch, Volgodonsk 198 1
1 c4 lLlf6 2 lLlc3 g6 3 e4 d6 4 d4
.ig7 5 f3 0-0 6 .ie3 b6 7 .id3 a6 8
lll ge2 c5 9 e5 lLlfd7

White now returned to
Polugaevsky' s plan:
10 exd6
...and Black played the "brand
new"
10 cxd4!
.•.
There followed:
1 1 lLlxd4
A game Zakharov-Godes in
Yaroslavl showed that after 1 1 dxe7
...xe7 1 2 lLld5 'ii'c 5 1 3 i.g5 lbc6 1 4
0-0 lbde5 1 5 lbg3 f5 1 6 b 4 'ii'd6
Black has better chances.
l l ... lbc5 12 dxe7
Tsamryuk-Rashkovsky, 1 98 1 ,
went 1 2 lbb3 exd6 1 3 0-0 lbc6 1 4
lbxc5 dxc5 1 5 i.e4 i.d7+.
12 ...'iVxe7 13 lbd5 'iVe5 14 f4
'ii'd6 15 0-0 :!e8!
A significant improvement on an
earlier attempt to resurrect the varia­
tion. Polugaevsky-Rashkovsky, So-
chi 1 974, had seen 1 5 ... i.b7? 1 6
i.c2 i.xd5?! (better 1 6. . .%!e8) 1 7
cxd5 'iVxd5 1 8 ltJfS !±.
16 i.f2
Better 16 lbc2! lbxd3 17 'iVxd3
i.f5 1 8 'ir'd2, when Black's initia­
tive compensates for the sacrificed
pawn.
16 i.b7 17 l:r.cl lbbd7! 18 b4
•••
lbxd3 19 'ir'xd3 b5
Black is now in full possession of
the initiative.
20 lbc3 bxc4 2 1 'ii'xc4 'ii'xf4 22
lbd5 'iVg5 23 lbc6 lbe5 24 lbxe5
l:1xe5 25 h4 'iVd8 26 lbb6 :!b8 1/z-1/z
There is, then, ample scope for
analytical work by both sides in this
theoretical duel .
Once I had to witness the loss of
Polugaevsky's theoretical home
preparations. We were returning by
train from Skopje to Belgrade, when
at the railway station Polugaevsky
suddenly found that his invaluable
notebooks had disappeared. The
Theoretical Controversies 1 83
grandmaster rushed to the train with
a shout: "My briefcase ! "
"Leva!" I said, trying to calm him
down, "Why do you need the brief­
case when you've got suitcases?"
Paying no attention to me,
Polugaevsky ran over to the rail
tracks towards the steam-shrouded
locomotive and shouted, desperately
gesticulating: "I won't let you go!"
I still remember the engine
driver's amazed face as he was
about to start the engine. The note­
books were found.
Later on, I was able to gauge the
dimensions of the misfortune which
had nearly befallen my friend. He
showed me a time-yellowed sheet of
paper. On it there was written the
analysis of the novelty 1 l ...d5 ! ,
which was used by Petrosian in his
first match game against Fischer (af­
ter 1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lbxd4 lbc6 5 lbb5 d6 6 i.f4 e5 7
i.e3 lbf6 8 i.g5 i.e6 9 lD1 c3 a6 1 0
i.xf6 gxf6 1 1 lba3). Polugaevsky
had discovered this variation ten
years earlier.
This great friend and grandmaster
died on 30 August 1 995 in Paris,
where he had been living for a few
years. He was 60 years old. As an
epilogue, I would like to show you
some other games I played with
Polugaevsky in the course of our
long dispute. In all these games, one
or other of us deviates from the
Samisch.
·68 King's Indian Defence [E75]
L.Polugaevsky White
E.Gufeld Black
33rd USSR Ch, Tallinn 1 965
1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 d6 4 lbc3
g6 5 e4 i.g7 6 i.e2 0-0 7 i.g5 e6 8
'ii'd2 exd5 9 exd5 'iVb6 10 lLlf3 i.f5
Better 1 0 ...i.g4.
/84 Theoretical Controversies
11 lDh4 ltJe4 1 2 lDxe4 .txe4 13
f3 ii'xb2 14 ltcl h6 1 5 .txh6
'ii'xd2+ 16 .txd2 .tf6 17 g3 g5 1 8
fxe4 gxh4 19 .tf4
In this ending White has a slight
edge.
19 ... lbd7 20 .txd6 ltfe8 2 1 .td3
.te5 22 .txe5 lDxe5 23 \te2 hxg3
24 ltcg1 ltad8 25 ltxg3+ \tf8 26
lab1 b6 27 h4 ltd6 28 h5 lth6 29
ltg5 f6 30 ltf5?!
Better 30 lt fl ! lDfl 31 ltg6.
30...ltJf7 31 ltbfl \te7
32 \te3
Here White could have created
interesting threats with 32 e5 ! ?
lDxeS 33 !txe5+ fxe5 34 .tg6, when
34 . . .l:tf8? cannot be played in view
of 35 d6+!.
3 2...ltJd6 33 lt5f4 ltg8 34 .te2
!tg3+ 35 \tf2 lta3 36 ltg1 ltxa2 37
e5 fxe5 38 ltg7+ \te8 39 ltg8+ \te7
•h-•h
69 King' s Indian Defence [E75]
L.Polugaevsky White
E.Gufeld Black
34th USSR Ch, Tbilisi 1 966
1 c4 lDf6 2 lDc3 g6 3 d4 .tg7 4
e4 d6 5 .te2 0-0 6 �g5 c5 7 d5 e6
8 ii'd2 exd5 9 exd5 lte8 10 lDf3
il.g4 11 0-0 lDbd7 12 h3 .txf3 1 3
.txf3 a 6 14 a4 ii'c7 15 'ifc2 lte7 16
ltae1 ltae8 17 ltxe7 ltxe7 18 �e2
h6 19 .td2 lDe8 20 g4 liJdf6 21 f4
'ii'd7 22 'ii'd3 b6 23 'ii'f3 'ifb7 24
.td3 lDc7 25 g5 hxg5 26 f5! b5 27
cxb5?!
Better 27 fxg6 bxc4 28 il.xg5 ! .
2 7...c4 2 8 .tb1 lDcxd5 2 9 fxg6
axb5 30 lDxb5 ii'h6+ 31 'iWf2 lte2!
32 gxf7+ \tf8 33 'ir'xb6 lDxb6 34
.tc3 lbbd5 35 .td4 ltJf4 36 lDxd6
lD6h5 37 �c5?
37 ...ltg2+
Even today I wish I had given an­
other mate: 37 ...lDxh3+! 3 8 \th l
lDg3 mate.
38 \th1 lDg3 mate.
Incidentally, at that time film­
makers were keen on the trick called
"candid camera." None of the par­
ticipants in the championship sus­
pected that a camera was hidden
behind a curtain in the playing hall.
Later this film was used in the docu­
mentary called "Chessplayers"
(screenplay by Beilin). It turned out
that the camera showed the episode
when I mated Polugaevsky. At that
moment Polugaevsky's hair was
practically standing on end!

70 King's Indian Defence [E73]
L.Polugaevsky White
E.Gufeld Black
37th USSR Ch, Moscow, 1 969
1 c4 g6 2 e4 il.g7 3 d4 d6 4 li:Jc3
li:Jf6 5 �e2 0-0 6 ii.g5 li:Jbd7 7 'ii'd 2
e5 8 li:Jf3 c6 9 l:td 1 ! 'ii'b 6 10 0-0
:e8 1 1 d5 cxd5 1 2 cxd5 li:Jc5 13
'ii'c2 ii.d7 14 li:Jd2 .:tec8?!
Better 14 ... h6 !? 15 ii.e3 li:Jg4.
15 'ii'h 1 h6 16 ii.e3 'ii'd 8 17 l:tcl
li:Jg4?
Better 1 7 ... li:Je8.
18 �xg4 ii.xg4 19 li:Jc4 ii.f8 20
b4 li:Ja6 21 li:Ja5 'ife7 22 a3 b6 23
lt:Jc6 'ii'b7 24 'ii'd3 li:Jc7 25 'ii'd 2 h5
26 f4! exf4 27 ii.d4! lt:Je6 28 dxe6
:xc6 29 lt:Jd5 ii.xe6 30 li:Jf6+ Wh8
31 lt:Jxh5+ f6 32 .:txc6 'ii'x c6 33
'ii'xf4 1-0
71 King's Indian Defence [A48]
L.Polugaevsky White
E.Gufeld Black
VII USSR Spartakiad,
Moscow 1 979
1 d4 tLlf6 2 li:Jf3 g6 3 il.f4
If I was a little surprised by
White's previous move (I had ex­
pected the Samisch system), this
one simply baffled me. What was
Polugaevsky up to? Why had he de­
viated from the principal variations?
3 ... ii.g7 4 e3 d6 5 h3 0-0 6 ii.e2
c5 7 lt:Jbd2
The point is that on 7 c3 cxd4 8
cxd4 Black has 8 . . .'ii'b6 and White
experiences some discomfort.
7 ... cxd4 8 exd4 lt:Jc6
Black has achieved something:
after the inevitable c2-c3 he has the
possibility of planning the well­
known minority attack with
. . .b7-b5-b4, so as to give his oppo­
nent pawn weaknesses on the
queenside.
Theoretical Controversies 1 85
9 0-0 �f5 10 c3 .:tc8 1 1 ii.h2
Now I know what tournament
controllers are for: but for their
watchful eye, the bishop might have
gone back still further, so as not to
block the "loophole" square of its
own king. Seriously, though,
White's 1 1 th move illustrates the
harmlessness of his strategy: he
could not find a more active move.
l l ... a6 12 a4 .:te8 13 lt:Jc4! d5 14
lt:Jce5
White has obtained an outpost on
the e5-square, and the bishop on h2
begins to "breathe."
14...'ii'b6 15 l:ta2!
This move looks clumsy, yet it
solves several problems at once, in­
cluding one which does not seem
very urgent at present-removing
the rook from the "sights" of the
g7-bishop. The rook has to remain
on the a-file.
1 5 li:Je4
•••
Not seeing any prospects on the
queenside, Black switches to the
centre, with ... f7-f6 and ... e7-e5 in
mind.
16 tLlxc6
A hasty move. 1 6 g4 first would
be more accurate, making the
bishop go to e6, not d7.
16 bxc6!
•••
Immediately exploiting White's
inaccuracy. After 1 6 ... .:txc6 1 7 a5
he would have everything in order,
but now with the text White will al­
ways have the threat . .. c6-c5! hang­
ing over him.
17 aS 'ii'b7
With a view to preparing ... c6-c5
the queen would like to move to a7,
but then the attack on the b2-pawn
is instantly removed, and the rook
comes into play via 1 8 .:ta3 ! with
.:tb3 to follow.
18 g4 ii.d7! 19 lLle5
1 86 Theoretical Controversies
t9 i.xe5!
.•.
This is what I had in mind when
retreating my bishop to d7. The psy­
chological basis of Polugaevsky's
plan was: surely Gufeld won't
decide to give up his favourite
bishop?! However, a sober glance at
the position shows that the
g7-bishop has few prospects.
20 i.xe5 f6 2t i.b2 c5!
It is now clear why White should
have forced the bishop to e6, not al­
lowing it to go to d7: from there it
jumps to b5.
22 f3 lt:Jg5 23 h4 lt:Jf7 24 :et
i.b5 25 b3?
The decisive blunder. The weak­
ness of c3 destroys White' s posi­
tion. He should have defended with
25 '*ib3 ! trying for simplifications,
for example: 25 ... c4! 26 'ifc2 e5 27
:aa1 bringing the second rook into
play.
25 cxd4 26 cxd4 :c3
•..
Aha, if White could retreat his
g4-pawn back to g2 his position
would almost become defensible.
27 'ltg2
Maybe 27 i.xb5 'ifxb5 28 !lae2
would be the lesser evil, for exam­
ple: 28 ...!ld3 (28 ... 'ltf8 29 .l:te3
l:f.xe3 30 !lxe3 'i'xa5 3 1 'ii'd3 with
the threat of 32 !le6 and White may
yet resist, though a pawn down.) 29
'ii'c2+.
27 ... e5! 28 i.xb5
An amusing variation (but by no
means forced) could arise in the
event of 28 g5 fxg5 29 hxg5 exd4 1
30 ..txb5 (30 'ifxd4 .l:txb3 I )
30 ....l:txe 1 3 1 'ii'xe 1 'ii'xb5 32 I:te2
l:t.c8 33 .l:te7 .l:tf8 34 'ife6 d3 35 i.e5
d2 36 'iff6. The black king is threat­
ened with seemingly inevitable
mate, but ... 36 ... 'ife2+ 37 'ltg3
'ifxe5+ -+.
28 'it'xb5 29 .l:tae2 .l:td3 30 !ld2
..•
.l:txd2+ 3t 'ii'xd2 'ii'xb3 32 I:te3
'ifb5 33 g5 li:Jd6 34 !let lt:Jc4 35
'ii'f2 exd4 36 :xe8+ 'ifxe8 37 gxf6
lt:Je3+ 38 'ltgt 'ifb5! 39 i.e5 'ii'bl +
40 'iti>h2 'ii'f5 4t i.g3 'ii'c2 42 'ifxc2
lt:Jxc2 43 i.e5 'ltf7 44 'iti>g2 d3 45
'ltf2 d2!
Even in the technical stage, it is
pleasant to shine with a tactical
coup.
46 'lte2 lt:Je3 0-t
72 King's Indian Defence [E99]
L.Polugaevsky White
E.Gufeld Black
Sochi, 1 98 1
t c4 g6 2 d4 li:Jf6 3 lt:Jc3 i.g7 4
e4 d6 5 i.e2 0-0 6 li:Jf3 e5 7 0-0
lt:Jc6 8 d5 lt:Je7 9 lt:Jet li:Jd7 t 0 li:Jd3
f5 t t i.d2 li:Jf6 t2 f3 'lth8
Polugaevsky had incorporated this
system into his armoury not long
before our game. It brought him a
string of convincing victories, for
example in his quarter-final candi­
dates match against Tal (Alma-Ata,
1 9 80). The forcing play after 1 2 ... f4
1 3 c5, where White develops a rapid
queenside attack, had been thor­
oughly studied by my opponent, and
I did not wish to test his home
analysis over the board.
t3 g4
No, this is not an attempt to seize
the initiative. White's aim is rather
to establish his kingside defences in
 Theoretical Controversies 187

a fmward position. The idea of the 16 a3 aS 17 lbf2

move is to set up a blockade, for
example: 1 3 ... f4?? 1 4 h4! and all
Black's pieces are deprived of mo­
bility, whereas White's queenside
The e4-pawn is defended, but
White's position is now cracking in
the seemingly most fortified place.
17 b4! ! 18 axb4 axb4 19 lba2
...

initiative develops automatically fxe4 20 fxe4 cxdS 21 cxdS

f�J.� f� �
(exchanges on e4 or g4 would also
be a mistake).

� B� • Et
13 ...c6!

- �tf '• t •
��"""'�.jf�tf .• �
� · � ft �
· ft �
·
� it - • •
r.-- - i?
� � i?
� �
�
"Z..J . ���: �ill
� 0�����(��
21. .'�b6??
•

Trying to eat my cake and have it.

One of the classic rules of chess
strategy states: "Don't move pawns
where you are weaker! " The queen­
side is White's sphere of influence
-he has a space advantage there.
However, in the present specific
case, the continuation chosen by
Black is not even an exception to
this rule, but rather a consequence
of White being the first to break the
"convention" with the move 1 3 g4.
14 �h1
Maybe White should prefer 1 4 a4,
but after 14 . . . a5! he would have to
reckon with the fact that Black
could close the queenside at will
with ... c6-c5.
14 b5! 15 b3
..•
After 1 5 dxc6 lbxc6 the knight,
which was miserable on e7, would
have fine prospects of establishing
itself on d4.
15 l:tb8
••.
With the threat against e4, Black
wants to force his opponent to make
a concession on the kingside.
I wanted to strengthen my position
still further, so that after 22 �g2?
(as if there were no other moves!) I
could play the combination
22 . . .lbfxd5 23 exd5 lbxd5 with de­
cisive effect. Instead, I should have
carried out the long prepared strike
on d5 without further delay. In this
case Polugaevsky would have had
to apply his defensive skills to the
full. Here are some sample varia­
tions: 2 l . ..lbfxd5 ! ! 22 exd5 lbxd5,
and now:
(a) 23 .ltf3 .ltb7 24 .ltg5? nxf3 !
25 .ltxd8 lbe3-+.
(b) 23 lbe4 .ltb7 24 nxf8+ 'ifxf8
25 .itf3 l:ta8 ! 26 lbg5 h6! (not
26 ...e4 27 .ltxe4 'iff6 28 'iffl 'ifxal
29 lbf7+ �g8 30 lbh6+=) 27 tt::le6
'iff6-+.
(c) 23 �g l 'ifb6-+.
22 tt::lxb4 lDfxdS
Better 22 ... .ltb7.
23 tt::lxdS lbxdS 24 .ltaS ! !
I had underestimated this move.
The advantage now swings over to
White, and although I count myself
the winner of the theoretical
188 Theoretical Controversies

argument, my opponent became the 24 'ii'e3

•.•

actual victor in the tournament On my planned 24 ... ltJe3 I

table. thought White had the decisive 25
�xb6 ltJxd l 26 ltJxd l ! .l:r.xb6 27
.l:r.xf8+ �xf8 28 .l:r.a8 .l:r.c6 29 �c4.
However, after 29 .. .'�g7 30 ltJe3
�e7 Black could still resist.
25 exd5 e4
Hastening the outcome.
26 �d2 'iVd4 27 �h6!! .ltb7 28
'iVxd4 �xd4 29 �xf8 e3 30 liJh3
�xd5+ 31 'it>g1 �xa1 32 �xd6
.l:r.a8 33 .l:r.f8+ .l:r.xf8 34 �xf8 �xb3
35 i.c5 1-0
 Part Six: Extracts from an
unwritten book
1 00 Games I Almost Won
A book I have been dreaming of
writing would have such a title.
Missed possibilities, annoying mis­
calculations, blunders-to put it
briefly, games which ended "im­
properly" are examples as interest­
ing as they are instructive. I would
like to invite my readers to judge a
few passages from this future book.
73 E.Gufeld White
A.Gipslis Black
Tbilisi, 1 966
Here I played 36 �gl, and after
36 ...'iid4+! the reply 37 �hl looks
impossible on account of 37 .. .'ii'e3.
Yet after 38 .l:.e7! 'jj'xe7 39 .ltc3 the
king or the queen must perish! The
threats are 40 li:Jd5+ and 40 li:Jg4+
'iti>g8 42 li:Jh6 mate. If I had played
38 �h1 I could have won ...
74 E.Gufeld White
J.Augustin Black
Sochi, 1979
This game appeared in Informa­
tor. The adjourned position has the
quality of an endgame study. White
has two extra pawns, but the pres­
ence of opposite bishops compli­
cates the realization of his
advantage. A few years ago a Fin­
nish chess magazine held an original
type of endgame contest in which
the bulk of the entries were to be
taken from tournament games. I sent
in this endgame, together with a
"study" based on my game against
IM James Sherwin (Helsinki 196 1 ),
and also a position from the game
Chiburdanidze - Akhmilovskaya
(Tallinn 1 977). Even today I can't
understand why none of these posi­
tions took first prize.
1 90 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won
On that particular day, a heavy
tropical shower descended on the
city. My opponent got to the tourna­
ment hall in time to stay dry, but I
got drenched on my way to the ad­
journment session. The chief arbiter,
fearing I might get pneumonia, al­
lowed me to take off my clothes and
play in my bathing trunks and un­
dershirt. For a long time everyone
was looking for a press photogra­
pher to record this moment forever,
but they failed because of the rain.
In these conditions I was not exactly
in top form:
41 .ltfl ! rt;e7
Not 4 1 . ...ltg3 42 g5 fxg5 43 hxg5
hxg5 44 .lth3 rt;e7 45 rt;c5+-.
42 .lth3! We8 43 rt;c4 rt;d8 44
rt;b5 rt;c7
The king cannot be allowed into
c6. Now White opens the "second
front."
45 g5! fxg5 46 hxg5 hxg5 47 f6
.lte5 48 ti .ltd6 49 .lte6!
It would be a mistake to transfer
the king to the kingside at once: 49
'itc4? 'ittd8 50 Wd4 rt;e7 5 1 .lte6
g4!=.
49....ltf8
Or 49 ... g4 50 .ltxg4 .ltf8 5 1 rt;c4
.ltd6 52 .lte6 rt;d8 53 rt;d3 ! ! rt;e? 54
�d4! and now whichever way the
black king goes, the white king
heads for the opposite flank with de­
cisive effect.
50 rt;c4 rt;d8 5 1 rt;d4 rt;e7 52
�e5 g4 53 d6+
53 rt;f4 also wins.
53 ...rt;d8 54 .ltxg4?
54 rt;d5 ! g3 55 .lth3 .lth6 56 �c4
�f8 57 rt;c5 would have led to
victory.
54....ltxd6+
And the bishop cannot be touched
because of stalemate!
lh-lh
75 King's Indian Defence [E74]
S.Lputian White
E.Gufeld Black
8th USSR Spartakiad,
Moscow 1 983
In those years Smbat Lputian
achieved a number of impressive
successes and at the Spartakiad he
made the best result on second
board.
1 d4 ft:Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 ft:Jc3 .ltg7 4
e4 d6 5 .lte2 0-0 6 �g5 c5 7 d5 h6
8 .lte3 8 .ltf4 8 ... e6 9 h3 exd5 1 0
exd5 :e8 1 1 ft:J f3 .ltf5! 1 2 g4!?
Black equalizes after 1 2 0-0 ft:Je4
1 3 ft:\xe4 �xe4, and would have the
better chances after 1 2 'ii'd2 ft:\e4!
1 3 ft:Jxe4 .ltxe4 14 .ltxh6! .ltxh6 1 5
'ii'xh6 �xf3 1 6 gxf3 .
1 2 ... .lte4 13 'ii'd2 ft:Jbd7 14 0-0
�xf3!
Not 14 ... h5 1 5 ft:Jg5 and the
bishop is in trouble.
15 .ltxf3 h5! 16 g5
Not 1 6 gxh5 ft:\e5 17 .lte2 ft:Jxh5
1 8 .ltxh5? ft:Jxc4.
16 ...ft:Jh7 17 rt;h1
1 7....ltxc3!
I never enjoy making this
exchange.
1 8 bxc3 ft:Je5 1 9 �e2 'ii'd7 20
'itth 2 'ii'r5
20 ...'ii'a4? 2 1 'ii'd l .
 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won 1 91

2 1 f4 32 'i!id3
•••

White has to force events because I didn't see that after 32 ... 1:1d7 33
of the threat 2 l .. .'�We4. On 2 1 f3? i.xe5 'ifxe5 34 'ilixg6+ l:1g7 35
Black doubles his rooks on the e-file ifxh5 (or 35 'ifh6 'ilie l + 36 rJi;g2
and White' s bishops, deprived of 'i!ixh4-+ and White is in serious
support, are helpless. trouble.) Black could take the rook
2 1 ...'ife4! 22 1:1ael with 3 5 .. .'iVxf6!-+.
After 22 fxe5 'ifxe5+ Black 33 it'xd3 lt:lxd3 34 1:1xg6+ rJ;;f7 35
would take off the "fatter" bishop 1:1h6
on e3 or the light-s'luared one: 23
i..f4 it'xe2+ 24 1:1£2 'ifxd2 25 1:1xd2
1:1ad8.
22 lt:lxc4 23 i.xc4 'ifxc4 24 i.. f2
•..

White's intention is to launch an

attack on the kingside, opening up
the f-file with f4-f5 . Incidentally,
while Lputian was pondering the
situation, I went to the press bar for
a cup of coffee. There I ran into my
friend Kiknadze, a writer. He re­
proachfully shook his head: "What
have you done with your knight?"
In order not to hurt his feelings I Having made the move, Smbat
quickly moved the knight towards offered me a draw in a low con­
the centre. spiratorial voice. I had about a min­
24 lt:lf8 25 i..g3 1:1ad8
.•• ute and a half left, and this
Not 25 ... lt:ld7? 26 f5 . diplomatic trick all but paralysed
26 h4 me. I treated my talented colleague
Now 26 f5 is met by 26 ...h4 ! 27 with great respect and decided that
i..f4 gxf5 followed by ... lt:\f8-g6. his offer meant that I had over­
26...lt:ld7 27 f5 1:1xe 1 ! 28 it'xe1 looked something. I looked for this
Or 28 1:1xe 1 lt:le5 ! . "something" for about a minute, but
2 8...lt:le5 2 9 fxg6 fxg6 failing to find it, I cast a glance at
29 . . . lt:lxg6 30 1:1xf7 ! . my clock and its rising flag and
30 1:1f6! agreed to a draw. As a matter of
The best chance. fact, natural moves would have led
30 .. .'ifxa2+! to a simple win: 35 ... a5 36 1:1h7+
On 30 ...'i!ixd5 I had calculated 3 1 (36 1:1xh5 b5) 36 ... rJi;g8 37 1:1xb7
..ixe5 'ilfxe5+ 32 'ifxe5 dxe5 33 1:1a8 38 i..xd6 a4 39 1:1b1 a3 40 .l:ta 1
1:1xg6+ rJ;;fl 34 1:1h6 rJ;; g7 3 5 1:1xh5 a2 4 1 fj;;fl .l:ta6 42 i..g3 (42 i.e7
1:1e8 and decided that it led to a 1:1e6) 42 . . .lt:lc 1 etc. I was upset by
draw: 36 rJi;g3 b5 37 rJ;;f3 a5 3 8 rJi;e4 the result of the game, but the con­
b4 39 cxb4 cxb4 40 1:1h6! . soling thing was that my opponent
3 1 rJi;g1 'i!ixd5 3 2 'Wb 1 ! hadn't suggested my resignation in­
The best move. stead of offering a draw. 1/z-1/z
1 92 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won
76 King's Indian Defence [E97]
R.Henley White
E.Gufeld Black
Tbilisi, 1983
1 d4 4Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 4Jc3 �g7 4
e4 d6 5 �e2 0-0 6 4Jf3 e5 7 0-0
4Jc6 8 d5 ltJe7 9 b4 4Jh5 10 c5
White immediately starts queen­
side action, so Black must also act
quickly.
10 ... 4Jf4 1 1 �xf4
White parts with his dark-squared
bishop, but in return obtains a pow­
erful pawn centre.
l l ... exf4 12 l:tcl
It would be a mistake to defend
the knight with the queen: 1 2 �d2
�g4! 1 3 l:tac 1 .it.xf3 1 4 .it.xf3 g5 !
with a subsequent 1 5 .. . 4Jg6, and
Black obtains formidable chances
on the kingside.
12 ...h6
At New York, 1 983, Spraggett
played 1 2 ... a5 against Henley here,
and after 1 3 cxd6 cxd6 1 4 1Wd2
axb4 1 5 4Jb5 f5 1 6 �d3 fxe4 1 7
�xe4 l:ra4 1 8 l:rc4 .it.f5 1 9 �xf5
4Jxf5 20 l:rxb4 1Wa5 2 1 l:rxa4 �xa4
22 �e2 White obtained a small but
solid advantage.
13 a4
Another possibility would be to
bring his knight to c4, e.g. 1 3 4Jd2
g5 14 4Jc4 a6 1 5 ltJa4 ltJg6 1 6 cxd6
cxd6 17 4Jab6 l:rb8 1 8 �g4 and
White's position is preferable.
l3 ... g5 14 h3 4Jg6 15 cxd6
1 5 a5 l:re8 1 6 4Jd2 is weaker be­
cause of 1 6 ... .it.xc3 ! 1 7 l:rxc3 �f6
1 8 1Wc2 4Je5 1 9 l:rc 1 r:Jiig 7 20 1Wd 1
with approximately level play.
15 ... cxd6 16 4Jb5 ltJe5 17 4Jfd4
The exchange of knights is in
Black's favour, since after 1 7 4Jxe5
�xe5 he is excellently placed to
storm the enemy king.
17 ...�f6 1 8 �h5 ! ?
An interesting idea. White does
not allow the queen the important
post g6.
18 �d7 19 �b3 a6
•••
1 9 . . .'1ti'h8 is worth considering.
20 ltJc7 l:rab8
If 20 ... l:rac8 White would have the
interesting possibility 2 1 4Jde6!?
2 1 l:rfd1
The two knights are good when in
contact, but now the one on d4 has
lost the support of its stable-mate
and a direct queenside assault fails
for this reason. For example: 2 1 b5
4Jd3 !?; and in the event of the
flashy 2 1 4Jde6 simplest would be
2 1 . ..l:rfc8 22 4Jxg7 <1ttxg7 with a
level game.
21. <1tth8 22 b5 g4! 23 hxg4
.•
4Jxg4
It is evident to the naked eye that
on both wings Black has outdone
his opponent in creating threats.
Thus, on 24 ltJce6 he has the strong
24 ...4Jxf2! and in the case of 24
4Jde6 4Jxf2! 25 4Jxf8 l:rxf8 Black
has the initiative.
24 4Jf3 l:rg8
An attempt to win the bishop does
not work: 24 ...1We7 (intending 25 . . .
4Jf6) 2 5 4Je6 4Jf6 2 6 4Jxf8 l:rxf8 27
bxa6 bxa6 28 :c7 4Jxh5 29 1Wb7
4Jf6 30 l:re 1 and White 's position is
preferable. On the other hand,
24 ... 4Je5 was possible.
 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won 1 93
25 tbe6!
The only move in what is now a
difficult situation.
25 .. .ll'lxf2 26 'Otxf2 fxe6 27 .l:.c7!
Again the best decision. On 27
i.g4 there is the strong 27 ...exd5 !
28 i.xd7 dxe4.
27 ... i.e8 28 i.xe8 .l:.bxe8 29
dxe6
Events now make a kaleidoscopic
impression owing to severe
time-trouble.
29 ....l:.xe6 30 'ir'd3 axb5 31 axb5
'ir'g6 32 lLlh4
32 ...'it'g4?
After 32 ...�h5 33 tbf5 .l:.g6 the
position offers attractive combina­
tive possibilities: 34 'it'f3 'ilfh2!
threatening 35 . . . .l:.g2+ 36 'i!Vxg2
i.d4+. On 35 .l:.g1 there follows
35 . . ..l:.g3 and in the event of 3 5
.l:.xg7 .l:.8xg7 3 6 tbxg7 the winning
move is 36 ....l:.g3 ! Now let us exam-
ine 34 tbe7. 34 ... .l:.g3 35 �d5 is fol-
lowed by 35 ...l:Ixg2+ 36 'Otxg2
'ilfe2+ 37 'Oth 1 'i!Vf3+ 38 'Oth2 'i!Vg3+
39 'Oth1 'i!Vh3+ 40 'Otg l i.d4 mate.
Instead of 35 'i!Vd5, more astute is 3 5
�c4. A draw results from 35 ....l:.g2+
36 �xg2 'i!Vg4+ 37 �f2 'i!Vg3+ 3 8
�e2 'i!Ve3+ 39 �fl 'ii'f3 + 40 �e1
�e3+ 41 �fl= (but not 41 'it'e2??
i.c3+ and 42 .l:.g1 mate). But there
is an excellent move which leads to
victory: 35 . .. d5 ! ! For instance, 36
'i!Vxd5 .l:.xg2+, or 36 tbxd5 .l:.xg2+
37 �xg2 �d4+, or 36 .l:.xd5 'ifh l .
The only acceptable continuation
after 32 ...'i!Vh5 33 lLlf5 .l:.g6 is 34
.l:.g7 .l:.8xg7 35 tbxg7 <3;xg7, when
Black has an extra pawn. The rest of
the game is a circus requiring no
comment.
33 tbf5 i.f6 34 'ii'f3 i.h4+ 35
�fl .l:.xe4 36 lLlxh4 'ilfxh4 37 'ii'xe4
�h1 + 38 'Otf2 1kh4+ 39 'Otg1 0 40
1kh7 mate.
Thank goodness it is over. As
they say in Russia, "The patient
feels better . . . he has stopped
breathing."
It was only after the game that I
learned that GM Ronald Henley
from Texas was quite well-known
and had a number of brilliant results
to his credit. In particular he was the
winner of the chess marathon held
in Djakarta in 1982 (with 26 grand­
masters and international masters).
Henley finished first with a "score"
of 1 3,000 US dollars.
77 Pirc Defence [B07]
L.Yudasin White
E.Gufeld Black
USSR Team Ch, Volgograd 1985
1 e4 d6 2 d4 lLlf6 3 tbc3 g6 4
i.e3 c6 5 0 'ii'b6! ? 6 b3
6 'ii'c 1 .
6 ...�g7 7 'ii'd2 'it'a5= 8 tbge2 0-0
9 0-0-0 b5 10 �b1 tLlbd7 1 1 g4?!
1 1 tbd5 'ii'd8 1 2 lLlxf6+ lLlxf6=.
1 1 ... b4 12 tba4 tLlb6 13 tLlb2
1 3 a3 tbxa4 14 axb4 'fkb6 1 5 bxa4
a5+.
13 ...c5+ 14 h4 c4! ?
14 . . .i.a6.
15 bxc4
15 tbxc4 tbxc4 16 bxc4 i.xg4! 1 7
fxg4 tbxe4+.
15 ... i.xg4!
1 94 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won
Not for the first time, my oppo­
nent asked for permission to adjust
the pieces. "May I adjust your
bishop?"-"But of course-it is
yours now."
16 fxg4
1 6 e5 dxe5 1 7 dxe5 .i.xf3-+.
16...lDxe4 17 'ii'e l .l:tab8!
Not 1 7 ... lDc3+? 1 8 lDxc3 bxc3 1 9
.l:td3 !+-.
18 :d3 d5! ! 19 c5
19 cxd5 lDxdS+.
19 ...ltJc4 20 .l:tb3 lDxb2?
Black was developing a danger­
ous initiative, but for some reason I
became nervous and at this stage
started playing indifferently.
20 ...lDxe3? is also bad: 2 1 :xe3
lDc3+ 22 lDxc3 bxc3 23 'ii'xc3
'ii'xc3 24 :xc3 .l:txb2+ 25 'it>xb2
.i.xd4 26 .l:thh3 !+-. Black should
play 20 . . .lDxc5 ! 2 1 lDxc4 (not 2 1
dxc5 lDxb2 2 2 .l:txb2 .i.xb2 23
'it>xb2 'ii'a3+ -+) 2 l . ..dxc4 22 dxc5
cxb3 23 cxb3 l:Ud8+.
21 :xb2 lDxc5 22 .i.d2! ltJe4!?
23 .i.xb4 'ii'b6 24 .i.g2 aS 25 .i.a3
'ii'e 6! 26 g5 :xb2+ 27 .i.xb2 .l:tb8
28 'it>al ltJd6! 29 lDf4 'ii'f5 30 ltJd3
ltJc4 31 .i.c3 'i!Vg4! 32 'i!Vf2 lDa3!
From the position in the diagram
White blundered with
33 i.xd5?
Retribution was swift:
33 ....i.xd4! 34 .i.xti+
Not 34 .i.xd4 'i!Vxd4+ 35 'ii'xd4
lDxc2 mate.
34 ...'it>f8!
Having demanded (not for the
first time) that I should stop shaking
my left leg, my young opponent
carried out the move
35 'i'id2
with such a terrible bang on the
board that, believe me, I forgot what
the reason was for sacrificing the
bishop on d4. At that moment I
sincerely wished we were in a
boxing ring. Forgive me a short
historical digression. In his time
Doctor McLean, the famous
physician and psychologist,
conducted some experimental
observations on grandmasters, using
the most up-to-date equipment. He
told me, "Eduard! The results of
your examination show that you
should have chosen prize-fighting as
your profession." What a pity I
learnt about it so late.
35...'it>xti??
Black has a number of ways to
finish the game. Take your p ick: __
35 ... .txc3+ 36 'ifxc3 ifd4 ! ;
35 . . .'ii'g2 ! ; 35 ...'ii'e2! . These all win
outright.
36 lDe5+ i.xe5 37 .i.xe5 'iff3
The game begins all over again.
38 :cl .l:tb5 39 i.h8 'iib7 40
'ii'd l 'ii'c8 41 i.b2 lDc4 42 i.d4
'i'irs
The game was adjourned here.
Black still has a marked positional
advantage.
43 'ir'd3 'ifxd3 44 cxd3 ltJd6 45
.i.. c5 'it>e6 46 d4 lDf5 47 a4 .l:tb3 48
'it>a2 .l:th3 49 i.b6 .l:txh4 50 :c5
I think 50 .i.xa5 gives more sav­
ing chances.
50 ...ltJxd4! 51 .l:txa5 lDc6 52 .l:ta8
'it>d5 53 aS �c4 54 'it>b2 �b5
 Extracts from 100 Games I Almost Won 1 95

Here it became clear that victory 31 l:tti! l:bti 32 ,..x f7 ,..d6 33

was in the bag, but alas-as it 'ii'f2 l:.f8 34 'ii'h4+ �g7 35 'ii'e4 l:tf4
turned out-not in the crosstable! 36 'ii'd3 l:tf3?!
SS l:tf8 lLlxaS 36 ... 'ii'f6! with a spatial plus; after
My opponent asked again: "May I 3 7 ... h5 Black will have a decisive
adjust your knight?" I replied advantage.
affirmatively, and then Yudasin 37 'ii'd2
turned to the arbiter: "May I adjust Not 37 gxf3? ,..g 3+.
all the pieces?" 37...ltJxg 2 38 l:te6!
56 .i.xaS �xaS 57 l:.ti l:te4 ?? Not 38 �xg2 l:tg3+! .
Under normal conditions I would 3 8 "ii'f4 39 'ii'x f4 ltJxf4 40 l:te7+
•••

undoubtedly have found the simple <J?h6 41 h4! ? d3?!

way to victory: 57 ... e6 58 �c3 <J?b5 4 l ...a5.
59 l:.e7 l:th5 60 <J?d4 l:txg5 61 l:txh7 42 l:td7
<J?c6-+. 42 l:txa7. .
58 <J?c3 �bS 59 �d3 l:te6 60 42 l:th3 43 l:r.xa7 l:txh4 44 a4
•••

�d4 'it>c6 61 l:txh7 �d7 62 l:th8 ltJe2+ 45 �f2 l:tb4 46 .i.g8 l:txb2
J:.a6 63 l:tg8 1!2-•!2 47 l:txh7+ �gs 48 l:thl ?
48 l:td7 ! .
48 ...ltJcl+?
78 I.Giek White 48 ... ltJc3+ 49 <J?e3 d2.
E.Gufeld Black 49 �e3 l:te2+ SO 'itr>d4 d2 51
Kusadasi, 1 990
l:td l= �f4 52 .i.c4 l:.e4+ 53 'itr>c3
�e3?
After 53 ... lLle2+ White is slightly
better.
54 l:txd2 gS!
54 ... l:txc4+ 55 'itr>xc4 'itr>xd2 56 aS.
SS aS g4 56 a6 l:te7 57 l:tg2!?
�f4?
57 ... l:tg7 ! 58 l:txg4 (58 �c2 'itr>d4 !
59 l:txg4+ l:txg4 60 a7 'itr>c5 ! ! =)
58 ...l:txg4 59 a7 lLla2+ 60 'itr>b3
liJc l + 6 1 'itr>b4 lLla2+=.
58 l:tf2+ �e3 59 l:tf7! lLle2+ 60
�b2! ! :e8 61 a7 g3 62 l:le7+ l:txe7
30 l:.f8
63 a8='ii' l:te4 64 .i.xe2! g2 65
...

Black has achieved an over­

'ii'a3+! 'itr>f2 66 ,..f3+ �el 67 'ii'g3+
whelming advantage and can now
and Black resigned. 1-0
quickly tip the scales in his own fa­
vour. Here is a possible variation:
79 King's Indian Defence [E63]
30 . . ....g3 ! 3 1 l:tf2 l:tf8! 32 l:tfe2 l:tc5
K.Arkell White
33 'ii'xa7 l:tcf5 34 l:txe3 l:tfl + 3 5
E.Gufeld Black
l:txfl ,..x e3+ 36 �h2 l:txfl winning
Hastings 1 994/95
easily. During the game I formed
the impression that White could de­ Last round of the tournament. If I
fend himself by 3 1 ,..f3 , But this is win, I share first place.
impossible on accourit of 3 1 ... 1 d4 lLlf6 2 ltJf3 g6 3 c4 .i.g7 4 g3
lLlxfl . 0-0 5 .i.g2 d6 6 0-0 ltJc6
1 96 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won
A move I have loved playing for
many years.
7 ltJc3 a6 8 h3
8 d5 leads to a complicated posi­
tion. If 8 e4 then 8 ... .tg4, and Black
fights for the d4-square.
8 l:tb8 9 e4 b5 10 cxb5 axb5 1 1
.•.
e5 lt'ld7!
Most books recommend 1 1 ... dxe5
1 2 dxe5 'ili'xd1 1 3 l:txd1 lt'ld7 14 e6
fxe6, but I don't want to play with
so many pawn islands. Most open­
ing variations are a matter of taste,
and I always maintain that if you
show me somebody's opening
reportoire, I can show you that per­
son's character.
1 2 lt'lg5
This is better than 1 2 e6 fxe6 1 3
lt'lg5 lt'lxd4 14 .te3 h6. After the
text I spent the next 30 minutes re­
membering what I had prepared 30
years ago, while spectators won­
dered if I had made a mistake in my
beloved King's Indian.
12 ... .tb7! ! 13 e6 lt'lxd4
A very strong centre is compensa­
tion for this positional sacrifice.
14 .txb7
It was perhaps better for White to
keep the bishops on.
14...l:txb7 15 exd7
Or 1 5 exf7+ 'it>h8 16 it.e3 e5 1 7
i.xd4 'ili'xg5. If 1 5 lt'lxf7, then
1 5 . . .ir'e8=.
15 ...'i!fxd7 16 a4
The position is complicated and it
is not possible to calculate all varia­
tions. Here intuition and experience
told me that Black has enough
compensation.
16 ... bxa4 17 l:txa4 c5 18 lt'lf3 e5!
The knight on d4 is like a bomber
escorted by two fighters on c5 and
e5. After 1 8 ...'ilfxh3?? 19 lt'lxd4
cxd4 20 l:txd4 ! i.xd4 2 1 'ili'xd4
White has a comfortable advantage;
in the middlegame the two pieces
are stronger than the rook and two
pawns.
19 h4 f5
Alternatively 1 9 ...'ilfc6 (Arkell) 20
lt'lxd4 cxd4 2 1 lt'le2 d3 22 lt'lc3 e4,
and the centre pawns are steaming
ahead.
20 lt'lxd4 cxd4 2 1 lt'le2
2 1 lt'ld5 'ili'h5 22 lt'lb4 l:tc8.
2 1 ...h6 22 b4 f4! ?
Psychologically, i t might have
been better to keep more of my ini­
tiative with 22 ... d3 23 lt'lc3 e4. After
the text, Black might have problems
with his weak 6th rank.
23 lt'lxf4!
23 gxf4 d3 24 lt'lg3 exf4 25 lt'le4
f3.
23. . .exf4 2 4 i.xf4 d 5 25 'ili'b3
l:tc8?!
Better 25 ...'ir'h5! with positional
advantage, for example if 26 l:tc I
(or 26 l:te l ir'c4), then 26 ...l:te8.
Also interesting is 25 ...d3, intending
26 ... l:txf4 ! .
2 6 l:ta6 'ifi>h7 2 7 l:td6 'ilfti
27 . . .'ilfb5 28 l:txd5 'ili'xb4 29
'i!fxb4 l:txb4 30 l:td7+-.
28 'i!fxd5 'ifxd5 29 l:txd5 l:tc4!
29 ...l:txb4? 30 l:td7 l:tb5 3 1 l:te 1 ! .
30 i.d2
30 it.d6? ! l:td7 3 1 l:tc5 l:txb4.
30...l:tc2 31 l:td1 l:ta7 32 it.el
l:tb2 33 'it>g2 'it>g8 34 l:td6 �ti 35
 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won 1 97
.!:td3 .!:te7 36 �d2 �e5 37 .!:tc6 .!:te6
38 .!:tc5 ..t>g7 39 b5 h5
39 ... �f6 with the idea of ... ltb6.
40 l:td5
Here I lost on time. After 40 ...�f6
a draw would be a fair result. 1-0
80 Trompowsky Attack [A45]
J.Hodgson White
E.Gufeld Black
London, 1 995
The 1 6th King's Head rapidplay
of 29 January 1 995 was a very
strong tournament contested be­
tween top Grandmasters like Nunn,
Speelman, Hodgson, Lalic, myself
and many IMs. The following is my
last round game against the talented
and friendly GM Julian Hodgson,
with whom I have played three
times. In all these games I have
reached good positions, and in all
these games the result was the same.
Julian and I always seem to create
interesting and entertaining games,
and this was no exception. Winning
this game would put me in equal
first place.
1 d4 lt:Jf6 2 �g5
This is his "nuclear weapon".
2 ... lt:Je4 3 h4
People assume that GMs know
everything about the game. Hodg­
son labels this move " ! ?", but I
would label it "?!". 3 .Jtf4 or 3 .Jth4
is more solid.
3 c5 4 d5 g6 5 'i!Vd3 tt:\xg5 6
•.•
'i!Vc3 f6!
After the game I was surprised
when Hodgson congratulated me on
this theoretical novelty.
7 hxg5 �g7 8 ltJd2 d6 9 gxf6
exf6!
Black has solved all his opening
problems and his g7 bishop has no
opposite number. Black's chances
are better.
10 'i!Vg3
Threatening 1 1 .!:txh7.
10 0-0 1 1 'ifh4
..•
White cannot immediately exploit
the weakness of d6, e.g. 1 1 lt:Je4 f5
1 2 lt:Jxd6? f4-+ or 1 1 lt:Jc4 f5 1 2
'tlfxd6 �xb2 1 3 'tlfxd8 �c3+ 1 4 .
..t>d l .!:txd8 with a winning position
for Black.
l l h6 12 'ifg3
...
Surely her majesty is tired of
moving around so much after only
1 2 moves!
12 ... g5 13 f4
Merely throwing oil on the
flames.
13 ... tt:\a6 14 a3 f5
After the bishop has had his eye­
sight improved Black must surely be
better.
1 5 0-0-0 'i!Vf6 16 c3 b5
I agree with Hodgson that
1 6 ... gxf4 1 7 'ii'xf4 b5 is much
stronger.
17 fxg5 hxg5 18 lt:Jh3
Probably the only way to com­
plete his development, as after 1 8 .
t:Dgf3 g4 1 9 tt:\h4 b4 Black has a
winning position.
18 b4!
.•.
If 1 8 . ..g4? then 19 lt:Jf4 and 20.
lt:Jh5.
19 lt:Jxg5
What else can White do? 1 9
'i!Vxg5 bxc3 wins immediately.
19 ...bxc3
1 98 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won
Hodgson thinks 1 9 . . .bxa3 would
finish the game quicker, but I think
this is a matter of taste.
20 lt:Jh7
Hodgson finds an opportunity to
complicate the battle; if 20 bxc3 f4,
White must resign.
20 cxd2+ 2 l l:txd2 'ifeS 22 'ii'g6
.•.
The only chance to stay in the
game, e.g. with the prospect of 23
t"Llg5 followed by 24 l:th8+ �xh8 25
'it'h7 mate.
22 ... f4!
During the game I was expecting
White to resign. I was congratulat­
ing myself on coming equal first,
and was looking forward to slipping
1 50 pounds sterling into my pocket.
But Julian searched hard to find
some hope in the position and came
up with ...
23 g4!
He is now rewarded with very
good practical chances. Everything
else loses, e.g. 23 lt:Jg5 or t"Llf8 is
met by 23 ...�f5.
23 ... fxg3?
Why didn't I forget about the en
passant rule ?! After 23 ...l:tf6 24
lt:Jxf6+ 'ifxf6 White has a lost
position.
24 e4!
24... l:tb8??
Mistakes sometimes come in
palfS. The position 1s quite
complicated now. e.g.: 24 ...l:tf2? 25
lt:Jg5 l:th2 26 l:thxh2 gxh2 27 'ifh7+
�f8 28 l:tf2+ +-; 24 . . . .tf5?! 25 exf5
'ii'e l + 26 :Z.d1 'it'e3+ 27 'itb l ! (27
l:td2 'ife 1+) 27 ...l:tab8 28 f6 l:txb2+
29 �xb2 l:tb8+ 30 �c2 'it'b3+ 3 1
�d2 'ii'h2 + 32 �e3 'iff2+ 33
�e4+-; 24 ... l:tf6 25 lt:Jxf6+ 'ifxf6 26
'ii'e 8+ 'ii'f8 27 'ifc6 :Z.b8 28 .txa6
with a big advantage for White;
24 . . . 'it'e8?? 25 lt:Jf6+; Black's best
chance is 24 ...lt:Jc7! 25 lt:Jxf8 �xf8
26 �c4 (26 �b5 lt:Jxb5 27 l:tfl +
�e7 28 l:tf7+ �d8 29 l:txg7 i.d7 is
unclear) 26 ... lt:Je8.
25 lt:Jxf8 �xf8
I forgot I couldn't play 25 ...
l:txb2 2 6. l:th8+, with a nice mate on
h7!
26 �c4!
Black is in time-trouble.
26 g2?
.•.
No better is 26 ... �h3 27 :Z.xh3
l:txb2 28 'iff5+ +-; or 26 ...l:tb7 27
i.xa6+-; or 26 . . .l:txb2 27 l:tfl + �g8
28 'iff7+ �h7 29 l:th l + +-; Black
should play 26 ... �g8 ! 27 'ifh7+
�f8 28 l:tfl + (28 'ii'g6=)
28 ... �e7-+.
27 l:tf2+
Now my opponent finishes
prettily.
27 ... �e7 28 l:tti+ �d8 29 l:th8+
�xh8 30 'ii'g8+ 'ife8 31 'ii'gS+ �f6
32 'ifxf6+ 'ife7 33 'ikxe7 mate.
 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won 1 99

Maybe the queen wasn't so tired particular gentleman, an expert on

after all. After the game the audi­
ence (numbering 200) was treated to
a commentary by Hodgson and my­
self. I think this is good for the
popularity of chess; many thanked
us for the entertainment. One
astrology, offered to examine my
horoscope by way of thanks for
such a splendid post-mortem. I
asked him to look closely in my sign
to see if I was fated to lose won
positions! 1-0

C artagena cannot be destroyed

The catch-phrase "Carthage must 8 1 Sicilian Defence [B23]

be destroyed" has been handed O.Cartagena White
down from ancient history to our E.Gufeld Black
times. I remembered it in the USA Los Angeles, 1995
after twice competing against the
talented International Master Omar 1 e4 c5 2 ltJc3 ltJc6 3 f4 g6 4 ltJf3
Cartagena from the Philippines. The �g7 5 .tc4 e6 6 0-0
similarity of the proper names-and Theory recommends 6 f5 ltJge7 7
the results of the two games--called fxe6 dxe6 8 0-0.
the phrase to mind. Both games 6 ltJge7 7 �el 0-0 8 d3 d5 9
.•.

ended in draws. I did manage to �b3 ltJa5! 10 �d2 ltJxb3

"destroy" Cartagena' s positions, but There is no need to repeat my
could not make him admit it at the graphic comparison to illustrate the
board. superiority of bishop over knight. In
In the first game I seized the ini­ Russian terminology a bishop is an
tiative and gained a decisive advan­ elephant, a knight is called a horse.
tage. Then endless time trouble set My final argument is: "No matter
in-the "sudden death" time control how much food you give to a horse,
hung over the board like the sword it will never become an elephant."
of Damocles. At the crucial moment 1 1 axb3 ltJc6 12 �h1 b6 13 e5
my dark-squared bishop "diso­ White dreams of relocating a
beyed" me with 58 ... .txf6??. It did knight to d6.
not like being an accomplice in the 13 ... ltJb4!
shameful spectacle, as I had twice On 1 3 . . .'it'd7, White could transfer
missed a win. his queen to an active post with 14
Knowing my affection for Black's �h4 (not 14 ltJb5? ltJxe5).
dark-squared bishop, my opponents l4 l:tc1 �a6 15 llf2
sometimes chase after it. In our sec­ The idea is after d3-d4 ! to trans­
ond game, Omar carried out a re­ form the game into a French De­
markable knight's tour (tUb 1 -a3-c4 fence type of structure where the
-d6-c8) to lasso my other bishop. black light-squared bishop might be
He will hardly find imitators-too reduced to the function of a fly.
much time is wasted. My failure to 15 ...ltJc6 16 lla1 �c8 17 lt::la4
win the game practically cost me �b7 18 b4 d4! 19 lt::lg5
first place in the tournament. 1 9 bxc5 b5.
200 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won
19 li:Jxb4 20 �xb4 cxb4 2 1
..•
'ifxb4 l:td8 2 2 b 3 h 6 2 3 li:Je4
23 li:Jf3 �xf3.
23 �xe4 24 dxe4 �c6 25 l:te1
•.•
d3 26 cxd3 l:txd3 27 li:Jb2 �f8
Black has a winning position.
28 'ifc4 'ifxc4 29 bxc4 l:tb3
Black wants to put the other rook
on d4.
30 g4 l:td8 31 �g2 l:td4 32 f5
�a3 33 li:Jd1 l:tb1
33 ... l:txc4.
34 l:te3 �c5 35 li:Jc3 l:txc4 36
l:td3! �xf2
Not 36 ... l:txc3 37 l:txc3 �x£2 3 8
�x£2.
37 l:td8+! �g7 38 f6+ �h7 39
li:Jxb1 �c5 40 l:td7 �g8 41 l:td8+
�h7 42 l:td7 �g8 43 l:td8+ �f8 44
li:Jd2 l:tc3 45 �f2 aS 46 �e2 a4 47
l:ta8 a3 48 li:Jf3 b5 49 li:Jd4 b4 50
�d2 g5 51 lllc 2! ? l:tc4
5 1 . . .l:tc5 52 lllxb4 l:ta5 ! wins
outright.
52 �d3 l:tc3+ 53 �d2 l:tb3?!
53 . . .l:tc5-+
54 li:Jd4 l:tb2+ 55 �d3 a2 56 li:Jc6
�h7! 57 lll e7!
The position looks like a chess
problem.
57 �g7! 58 l:tg8
.•.
White had a chance with 58 �c4
b3? (58 ...h5! saves the day) 59 l:tg8
�h8 60 l:tf8 h5 61 l:txt7+ �h6 62
li:Jg8+ �g6 63 l:ta7 .l:Ib1 ? (63 ... hxg4
64 li:Je7+ �h5 65 l:ta8 g3 66 h3 g4
67 l:txh8+ �g5 68 h4+ �f4 69 f7
g2-+) 64 li:Je7+ �t7 65 li:Jf5+! �e8
66 t7+ and mate in 7 for White.
58 �xf6??
.•.
My lifetime buddy (the
g7-bishop) was bored to death
watching my indecision, and on my
behalf sued for peace. Yet even here
I have a win: 58 ... �h8 59 l:tf8 h5 60
l:txt7+ �h6 61 l:tf8 (6 1 li:\g8+ �g6
62 l:ta7 l:tb3+ -+) 6 l .. .�g7 62 l:ta8
l:tb3+ 63 �c4 l:ta3-+.
59 exf6 a1='if 60 l:tg7+ 1h-1h
82 Sicilian Defence [B3 1]
O.Cartagena White
E.Gufeld Black
Reno Open, 1 999
1 e4 c5 2 li:Jf3 li:Jc6 3 �b5 g6 4
0-0 �g7 5 c3 e5 6 li:Ja3
Possibly 6 d4 or 6 d3 .
6 li:Jge7 7 li:Jc4 0-0
..•
7 ...d6 8 d4=.
8 �xc6?!
More precise is 8 li:Jd6 'ifc7 9
li:\xc8 l:taxc8=.
8 li:Jxc6 9 li:Jd6 'ife7 10 li:Jxc8
..•
l:taxc8 1 1 d3 h6 12 a3 'ife6! 13 b4
1 3 c4 f5 .
13 d5 14 bxc5
.•.
If 1 4 'ifb3 l:tfd8 1 5 bxc5 dxe4 16
'ifxe6 fxe6 17 dxe4 li:Ja5, Black's
game is more favourable.
14 dxe4 15 dxe4 'ifc4 16 'ifd5
•..
'ifxc3 17 �e3
1 7 �d2 'ifc2 1 8 l:tac l 'ifa4 and
Black is a little better.
17 ...l:tfd8 18 'ifa2 'ifd3! 19 l:tfel
1:1d7 20 l:tab1 l:tcd8 2 1 h3 �h7 22
l:tb3?! 'ifxe4 23 �g5?
23 �xh6 'iVc4 24 �xg7 �xg7.
23 l:tdl
••.
Black dominates the field.
24 �xd8
24 l:tbe3 l:txe l + 25 l:txe l 'ifd5-+.
 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won 201
24 ..Jhel+ 25 li:Jxel 'ii'x el + 26
Wh2 li:Jxd8 27 l:td3 li:Je6
Better 27 ...'ii'a 5, aiming for ... i.f6
and . . .Wg8.
28 l:td7 Wg8 29 l:txb7 e4 30 l:tbl
'ii'c3 31 l:tb8+ Wh7
Better 3 1 ... i.f8.
32 l:tb7 li:Jd8?!
32 ... Wg8-+
33 l:txa7 �xc5 34 l:td7 e3 35 fxe3
Not 35 l:txd8? �c7+.
35 h5??
.••
3 5 ... 'ii'xe3 36 l:txd8 i.e5+ 37 g3
'ii'xg3+ 38 Wh 1 'ii'xh3+ 39 Wg1
Wg7-+.
36 �d2 i.f6 37 Whl 'ii'b6 38 a4
Wg7 39 a5 'ii'b 8 40 a6
Incredible! I have made just a few
weak moves, and the character of
the position has drastically changed!
The black pieces have lost co­
operation; basically, my opponent
was going under but saved himself
by clinging to a straw. Now it is
Black who has to make the forced
moves.
The last round
83 Reti Opening [A05]
E.Gufeld White
J.Peters Black
3 1 st American Open,
Los Angeles 1 995
This game was played in the last
round. The tournament leader, half a
point clear, was the highly talented
International Master lgor lvanov. (In
1 979 he overcame the World Cham­
pion Anatoly Karpov in the USSR
Spartakiad. A year later he defected
to the West; he now lives in Ari­
zona.) Only victory would give me
the chance to become eo-champion.
40... li:Jc6! 41 a7
White could have forced Black to
look really hard for the sole equaliz­
ing moves by playing 4 1 'ili'a2! 'iVe8
42 a7 'ii'xd7 43 a8='ili' 'ii'd 1 + 44
Wh2 i.e5+ 45 g3 h4 46 'ili'xc6 (46
'ili'e8?? �fl -+) 46 ... 'ii'f l=.
4l ...li:Jxa7 42 'ili'd5 ir'bl+ 43 Wh2
Wh6!! 44 'ifxfi 'i!Vb8+ 45 g3 'i!Vb2+
46 Wgl 'i!Vbl+ 47 Wfl 'ii'f5+ 48
Wgl l'll c6 49 h4! 'i!Vbl+ 50 Wg2
'ili'b2+ 51 Wh3 i.g7 52 'ii'f4+ Wh7
53 'ili'c7 li:Jb4 54 'it'b7 li:Jd3 55
'ili'xb2 li:Jxb2 56 g4 li:Jc4 57 gxh5
gxh5 58 l:td5 Wh6 59 e4 i.f6 60 e5
l'll xe5 61 l:txe5 i.xe5 th-th
I was facing IM Jack Peters, the
respected chess columnist of the LA
Times.
1 li:Jf3 li:Jf6 2 g3 b6 3 i.. g2 i.b7 4
0-0 d5 5 c4 dxc4
Possible too was 5 ... e6, but not
5 ...d4 6 'ii'a4+.
6 'ili'a4+ li:Jbd7 7 �xc4 e6 8 li:Jc3
c5 9 e4
White possesses a small positional
advantage. Why? Black has some
problems finding a safe and com­
fortable position for his most power­
ful piece.
9 ... i.e7 10 'ii'e 2!? 0-0
Here 1 O ... e5 looks worthwhile, to
202 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won
prevent the opening of the centre.
Then, however, Black has to reckon
with 1 1 d3, aiming for ltJh4 and f4.
The character of such a position
would be to White's liking.
1 1 d4 a6
Black is searching for a suitable
place to put his queen, and the
square b6 looks like an appropriate
spot. But while doing this, Black is
wasting time. What might be recom­
mended? 1 l ...cxd4 1 2 ltJxd4 ltJc5
13 l:td 1 is better for White. Just one
minus-Black's problem with his
queen position-may not seem like.
a big deal for an amateur. But an ag­
gregate of tiny advantages and/or
disadvantages is an essential feature
of modem chess. These slight im­
balances add up to make a position
either very strong or very weak.
12 l:td1 b5 13 d5!
A typical breakthrough in the
centre.
13 b4
.•.
Or 1 3 ... exd5 14 e5±. The follow­
ing moves are almost forced.
14 dxe6
After 14 d6? bxc3 1 5 dxe7 'ii'xe7
Black would have no problems.
14 ... fxe6 15 e5 ltJd5 16 ltJe4
The position is clarified and
White' s prospects are obviously bet­
ter. Black's camp consists of several
pawn islands and weaknesses­
especially d6-and the knight on d5
does not compensate for all the
drawbacks. White's plan is to the
seize the d6 square; for that it is
necessary to trade dark-squared
bishops, which in addition will
weaken the dark squares in Black's
camp.
16 ...'ii'b6 17 �g5 �xg5 1 8
ltJexg5 l:tf5!
Black offers an exchange sacri­
fice. But is it a Greek gift?
19 l:tac1!
After the greedy 1 9 i.h3? l:taf8
20 �xf5 l:txf5, the position would
become completely unclear. Eventu­
ally, the b7-bishop would gain such
power that I would not advise my
enemies, let alone my friends, to
play such a position.
19 ... l:taf8 20 ltJe4!
Now come a series of very strong
moves.
20 ...ltJxe5 21 ltJh4
Strategically Black has lost the
battle in the opening and his only
chance lies in tactical complications.
But then there are no pure strategi­
cal gam.es, unless your opponent of­
fers no resistance. The play will
always be transformed into some
kind of tactical operation.
21 ...ltJf4
The drowning man clutches at a
straw, but I had precisely calculated
the consequences. (Instead 2 l . . .c4
22 ltJxf5 l:txf5 would have been
quite pitiful.) Forced moves begin.
22 gxf4 l:txf4 23 ltJd6!
The queen is not protected on b6.
If I managed to capture the pawn on
e6 with my queen, I would start
dreaming of a knight check on fl,
with a smothered mate or win of the
queen to follow.
23 ...�xg2 24 'fixeS
I preferred a bird in the hand to
two in the bush. 24 ltJxg2?! would
 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won 203
create certain difficulties: 24 ...tLlf3+
25 lti>hl :4f6 and the white king is
not in complete safety.
24 i..h3
•.•
The only move. On 24 . . .llxh4?
White gives a problem checkmate:
25 'ii'xe6+ lti>h8 26 ltJ£7+ lti>g8 27
tLlh6+ lti>h8 28 'i!Vg8+ :xg8 29 ltJ£7
mate.
25 :d3!
The only move for White.
25 ...c4
This prolongs Black's resistance,
though saving the game is out of the
question. If 25 ... :xh4, then 26
:xh3+-.
26 :xh3 'ii'xf2+ 27 lti>hl :xh4 28
:gt g6 29 'Wxe6+
An immediate 29 tLle4 is not good
because 29 . . .'ii'f4 30 'i!Vxe6+ lti>h8 3 1
:xh4? would allow a well-known
perpetual check with 3 1 ...'i!i'f3+.
29 ...1ti>h8
On 29 ...1ti>g7? White wins the
h4-rook with 30 'i!Ve7+.
30 'i!Ve5+ lti>g8 31 'i!i'd5+ lti>h8
Not 3 l . ..lti>g7 32 :xh4 'i!i'xh4 33
ltJf5+ +-.
32 :xh4?!
Not a mistake, but it delays the
the moment of trium_ph. Of course I
also considered 32 ttJe4 ! . After the
game Jack told me he would have
resigned at once if I had played that
move. The only possible reply is
32 . . .'ii'f4 (32 ...ife2 33 'i!Ve5+ lti>g8
34 tLlf6+ wins the Black queen). I
imagined that after 33 'i!id4+ lti>g8
34 tiJf6+! :xf6 35 .l:f.xh4 'i!i'f3+ 36
:g2 Black would check with ... 'ili'dl
(the well-known mechanism: :g l
'i!i'f3+), and if I covered with 'ii'g l I
would be hit by ...:f8-fl . . . Alas,
this is quite a common case of chess
blindness! The fl-square is out of
bounds to the black queen, and after
36 ... 'i!i'fl+ 37 'ikg l Black could have
"turned out the lights." At that mo­
ment Igor Ivanov had a drawn
position.
32 'ii'xh4 33 tLlxc4
•..
In time-trouble, I suddenly
wanted to finish the game with a
tactical combination; 33 'ikxc4+­
was also possible. Of course it is a
rare thing in tournaments to see an
International Master playing on with
a piece less.
33 ... l:.f5!? 34 tLle5 'ili'f6
I was hoping for the striking
34 . ..'Wf4 35 :xg6!. I now played
some forcing moves to reach the
time control.
35 'i!i'a8+ lti>g7 36 'ii'b7+ lti>h8 37
'i!i'c8+ lti>g7 38 'i!Vd7+ lti>h8 39 lL:lg4!
'ikxb2 40 :et :rs 41 'i!i'e7 'i!i'g7
42 'ikxb4
At this point I could have
swapped queens and won an easy
technical endgame: 42 'iixg7+
lti>xg7 43 l1e7+ :n (43 ...1ti>h8 44
:a7+-) 44 :x£7+ lti>x£7 45 lL:le5+
204 Extracts from 100 Games I Almost Won
and �c6+-. Frankly speaking, I suf­
fered a kind of psychological
breakdown.
Alas, looking at the leader' s posi­
tion, I saw that Igor was now win­
ning. My hopes of tying for first
place were receding. This was my
eighth game in the tournament, and
the only one in which I had been in
time trouble. The first time control
had passed, and I inquired when the
next one would be. At the 60th
move? How much time was allowed
until the end of the game? All at
once the ground was cut from under
my feet: "You have 1 2 minutes left,
only 12 minutes !" In such cases, ob­
viously, games are played on until
checkmate. A couple of months be­
fore this I had attended the Intel
Grand Prix Tournament in London,
and had witnessed famous grand­
masters playing on without a queen
or two, scoring points and earning
big prizes when their opponents'
flags dropped. The present game
would definitely have benefited
from a 'Fischer clock' !
42 h5 43 �e5 .:tf6 44 �e4 .:tf5
•..
45 �f3
Better 45 .:te2, intending h4, .:tg2,
�f3.
45 ..�fi 46 �e8+
. ment and finishing their games. The
Even now it would be a good idea
to play 46 c,!tg2 �xa2+ 47 .:te2±.
46 ...�xe8 47 .:txe8+ c,!tg7
48 c,!tg2?!
Another winning chance missed:
48 �eS! c,!(f6 (48 ....:tt2 49 .:te6+-)
49 �d7+ c,!tg7 (49 .. c,!tf7 50 .:tf8+
.
+-) 50 .:te6; 48 .:te3 !? .l:taS 49 a3+-.
48....:ta5 49 .:te2
49 h4 !? .:txa2+ 50 c,!tg3±.
49 ... g5 50 �d4
Better 50 h3 'it>f6 5 1 �d2 and
�e4-g3±; alternatively 50 �eS !?.
50...c,!(f6 51 �f3 .:ta3+ 52 �e4
c,!tg6 53 'it>d5 g4 54 'it>c5 h4 55 �b4
.:td3 56 'it>c4
There was no time left to work
out 56 �e6, aiming for a4-a5 and
�cS± with good winning chances.
56 .:ta3 57 'it>d5? 'it>g5 58 'i.ite4
...
h3! 59 .:tc2 g3 60 �f3+
60 hxg3 .:txg3 61 �f3+ 'it>g4 62
.:tc8±.
60...'it>g4 61 �e5+ 'it>g5?!
6 1 . . . 'it>h4! .
62 hxg3? .:lxg3 63 .:tc8??
63 �f3+ 'it>g4 64 .:tc8±.
63....:ta3 64 .:th8??
Better 64 .:tc2.
64 ..Jha2 65 .:txh3 'iz-'/z
It is not accidental that in Elista
both Anatoly Karpov and Gata
Kamsky rejected the "sudden death"
time control in favour of adjourn­
time control should be for a definite,
fixed number of moves! Any
reforms that involve increasing the
number of moves for the second or
third control would be a lesser evil
than "sudden death." Let us trust
statistics: a very small percentage of
games last more than 60 moves.
Even in open tournaments where, as
a rule, chessplayers are "harnessed"
for two games a day, it must be
possible to work out a civilized time
control. Then chess will again
acquire a human face.
 Extracts from 100 Games I Almost Won 205
Bringing the fateful moment back
You may-at a price!
With a heavy heart I have seen
how chess masterpieces, games in­
vested with enormous emotional
and intellectual tension, have been
spoiled by a single (!) careless or
hasty move. How many chess ca­
reers have been damaged in this
way! So I have hit on the idea for a
new rule, inspired by American
practices: in every game, each
player should have the right to take
one (and only one!) move back after
his opponent's reply, provided that
he pays a certain fee laid down by
the tournament regulations.
The destination of the money
would be a matter for serious con­
sideration. For example, half of the
sum could go directly to the oppo­
nent by way of compensation, while
the other half could go into a special
fund aimed at stimulating creative
achievements. The fee should vary
according to the total prize fund and
the stage in the tournament-less at
the beginning but steadily increas­
ing up to the last round. In the inter­
ests of "democracy," the opponent
would have the right to reject the
whole transaction (why on earth
should he be compelled to give
moves back?!), but ... for twice or
three times the price!
Note that the right of rejection is a
strong deterrent against anyone who
deliberately plays an unsound trap
in the hope that his opponent will
miss the refutation.
I must add that my idea is not in­
tended for official tournaments in
which players qualify for contests at
a higher level. But it can work
pretty well in the usual commercial
tournaments of which we have had
plenty recently. I should apply to
patent this suggestion, being con­
vinced that Americans will accept it
as soon as they hear about it.
The idea did not come to me by
pure chance. In many popular sports
the recent tendency has been to seek
more attractive and competitive ten­
sion even at the cost of changing the
rules. I am ready to discuss it with
everyone except those tiresome con­
servatives with a mentality akin to
that of aged women who say that
mini-skirts should be forbidden ... to
young pretty girls! Arguments like
"I spent half an hour preparing the
trap, but my opponent took his
move back and my whole plan went
down the drain" seem unfounded
because both sides are on equal
terms during the game, and the
same statement could just as well
begin with the words "my opponent
"
In the following two games, I
would gladly have paid a lot of
money for the right to take a single
hasty move back.
84 King's Indian Attack [AOO]
E.Gufeld White
A.Kharlov Black
Helsinki 1992
1 g3 d5 2 �g2 e5 3 d3 4Jc6 4
4Jf3 g6 5 c4 d4
I am fully satisfied with this
position-White has, with an extra
tempo (!), a favourable line of the
King's Indian Defence. In addition,
206 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won
Black's c-pawn has failed to jump
to c5, so White has no trouble even­
tually preparing b2-b4, with fine
play.
6 0-0 i.g7 7 ll'la3!? ll'lge7 8 ll'lc2
aS
Trying to prevent White's b4.
9 b3 h6 10 i.b2 g5 11 a3 ll'lg6 1 2
b4
I would be willing to start all my
games with White from this
position!
12 ... g4 13 ll'ld2 h5 14 e3!
Undermining the black centre.
14 0-0
.•.
I liked the p osition resulting from
14 ...dxe3 1 5 t:Dxe3 'ii'xd3 1 6 t:Dd5 ! .
1 5 b5 ll'lce7 1 6 exd4 exd4
Black's d4 pawn is weak and he
must keep an eye on it.
17 ll'lb3 ll'lf5 18 a4 h4 19 l:r.e1
hxg3 20 hxg3 'ii'g5
Intending an extravagent
manoeuvre.
21 'ii'c 1
21...'ii'h5
After the exchange of queens
2 1 .. .'ii'xc 1 22 l:r.axc 1 ll'le5 23 l:r.cd 1 ,
Black will not get out alive.
22 ll'lcxd4!
Cutting the Gordian knot!
22 ...'ii'h8
This was the point of Black's
plan. The pin along the diagonal
a 1 -h8 looks dangerous for White in
spite of the · cornered queen. How­
ever, I was perfectly sure of the
correctness of my strategy.
23 l:r.e4! l:r.d8 24 ll'lxf5 i.xb2 25
ll'le7+! ll'lxe7 26 'ii'g5+ 'ii'g7
Black's only defence, as you can
easily see.
27 'ii'xe7 i.f5 28 l:r.ae1
"An exchange sacrifice for the
sake of winning a tempo," to quote
the famous humorists I.Ilf and
E.Petrov.
28... l:r.xd3
28 ...i.xe4 29 i.xe4 is bad for
Black.
29 l:r.4e3 i.c3 30 l:r.xd3 i.xd3 31
l:r.e3 i.xc4 32 'ii'xc7 i.xb3 33 l:r.xc3
i.xa4
The tactical skirmish has
decimated the pawns and pieces on
both sides. Just glancing at the
position you might think Black was
OK-he even has an extra pawn­
but White's next move makes the
situation clear.
34 l:r.c5!!
Black's poorly protected king
must find better shelter! The terrible
threat is 35 'ii'f4 with the double
threat of 'ii'xa4 and, more
importantly, l:r.g5.
34 'ii'f6 35 'ii'd7 ! 'ittf8
.•.
 Extracts from 100 Games I Almost Won 207
36 'ii'xg4
This is the move I would be glad
to take back. There was no need to
capture this pawn. The ultimate
solution is on the queenside
battleground: 36 Itc8+ Itxc8 37
'i!Vxc8+ <iile7 (I forgot that 37 ... <iilg7
38 'ili'xg4+ would pick up the bishop
as well as this "paltry" pawn! ) 3 8
'ii'xb7+ <iilf8 39 'ii'c8+ <iife7 40 'ii'c7+
<iitf8 41 'ii'xa5 ir'a 1 + 42 .il.fl 'ii'd4
43 ikc7 and White should win.
36 ... i.b3
Now the passed a-pawn, still alive
and well, will play an important part
in future events.
37 l:.c8+?!
A better choice was 37 i.xb7 al­
though Black would get some
counterplay.
37...Itxc8 38 ir'xc8+ <iilg7 39
i.xb7 a4 40 ir'g4+ <iilf8 41 ..tc6
'ii'd6
Now White has the extra pawn.
But the a-pawn is dangerous and
Black makes the most of it. He
builds up a dark-square defensive
line while threatening the pawn's
advance.
42 'ii'c8+ �e7 43 'ii'e8+ <iilf6 44
'ii'e4 'ili'c5 45 <iilg2 i.c2 46 'ii'f3+
We7 47 .il.d5 f5!? 48 'ike2+ <iitd6 49
'ii'e6+ <iilc7 50 .il.c6 Wb6! 51 f3! a3
52 Jl.e8+ �c7
This inaccuracy could have cost
him the game. He should have
played 52 ... <iila5 53 'ii'a6+ Wb4 54
b6 ir'd6 with the possibility of
perpetual check.
53 'ii'd7+
A risky shot could be 53 'it'a6!?
and if 53 .....tb3 then 54 b6+ 'ikxb6
55 'ikxa3 with some winning
chances for White.
53 ... <iltb6 54 'i!Ve6+ Wc7
We both wanted to gain time on
the clock.
55 fi'd7+ <iifb6 56 'ili'd8+ ft'c7 57
'ilff6+ WaS 58 'i!Va6+ <iltb4 59 b6
'ii'd6!
A superb defence. In spite of the
slight material advantage Black's
threat of perpetual check along the
c 1 -h6 diagonal (after ... 'ili'd2) makes
White's task considerably more
difficult.
60 'ili'b5+ <iltc3 61 'i!VaS+
I must protect the square d2, e.g.
61 b7 'ii'd2+ with a draw.
61 ... Wb2 62 ..tf7 .il.b3 63 .il.xb3
Wxb3 64 b7 a2 65 Wf2
Even after 65 1ib5+ 'if.?c3 66
b8='i!V 1i'd2+ White's two queens
cannot prevent the perpetual. Even a
few more white queens, on the
wrong squares, could not stop it.
65 ...1i'd4+ 66 <iile2 'ii'c4+ 67 <ilte3
'ii'e6+ 68 <iilf2 'i!Vd6 69 'ii'b5+ Wc3
70 'ii'a5+ <iilb2 71 fibS+ Wc3 72
b8=1i'
72 ...'i!Vd4+
208 Extracts from 1 00 Games I Almost Won

Playing with the necessary

precision.
73 �g2 �d2+ 74 'it>h3 'ii'h6+ 7S
'it>g2 'ii'd2+ 1h-1h

85 King's Indian Attack [AOO]

E.Gufeld White
E.Sveshnikov Black
Podolsk, 1 992

1 g3 dS 2 �g2 eS 3 d3 tt::lc6
As you can gather from the
previous game (which had been
played a few months earlier), I was
quite fond of this opening-and still
am.
4 ttld2
The knight feels good on this
square too.
4 ... g6 S c4 d4 6 tt::lgf3 �g7 7 0-0
I would guess White has a very
small advantage here.
7 ...tt::lge7 8 a3 aS 9 b3 h6 10 .l:tbl
gS 11 b4 axb4 12 axb4 tt::lg6 13 bS
Don't you agree that White is now
well ahead in developing the initia­
tive on "his" wing-the queenside?
13 ...tt::lce7 14 �3 0-0 IS �a3
White' s pieces occupy comfort­
able posts.
IS ... �e6 16 .!:tal rs 17 ttlel .l:tb8
18 ttlc2 hS
There is no need to explain the in­
dividual moves; both players play
their own instruments-! mean,
wings.
19 b6
An unpleasant splinter in Black's
position.
19 ... c6 20 �cS .!:tf7 21 .!:taS h4 22
'Wb4 tt::lc8 23 .!:tfal hxg3 24 hxg3 g4
2S .!:ta8 .!:txa8 26 .!:txa8
White's plan is neatly fulfilled,
his rook has intruded into Black's
back rank-the fate of the game is
strategically decided.
The threat is �xc6, and if ... bxc6
the passed pawn on b6 advances to
promotion. Realizing how poor his
position is, Black tries desperately
to complicate matters.
26 ... e4 27 tt::lb3 .!:td7 28 'ii'd2 'iii>h7
29 dxe4 d3
Can you think of anything better
for Black?
30 exfS �xfS 31 tt::le3 �h6 32
tt::ld4
This move should have victori­
ously crowned the game.
32 ... .!:txd4 33 �xd4 'ii'xd4 34
tt::l xfS �xd2 3S tt::lxd4 tt::lxb6
The job is done-almost. After
the skirmishing the tension abates,
and I felt White was winning. But at
this point I went to sleep. It is easier
to find winning moves here than the
only move to lose-which I played!
You may have a hard time trying to
 Extracts from 100 Games I Almost Won 209
find or even understand my losing
move.
36 :dS??
I would be very happy if I could
take this move back for an appropri­
ate sum of money. The simplest way
to win was 36 :a7; but 36 :b8, as
well as 36 :a3, or 36 :a2, or even
36 :al was good enough to score
the full point.
36...i.g5!
My rook now has no good way to
retreat.
37 exd3
Or 37 :d6 i.e7-+. The white
rook cannot leave the d-file because
the passed pawn will queen. Thus
Black obtains a large material plus.
37 ...i.xd8 38 i.e4 'iti>h6 39 i.f5
lt:Je5 40 c5
40 ...'iti>g5?
Now it is Black's turn to blunder.
If my new rule were in force, he
could have paid to take this move
back. But then if I had played
differently at move 36, he would
have had no cause to do so. I could
have done Sveshnikov a favour by
saving him some money . . . Better
40 ...lt:Ja4 or 40 ...li:Jd5.
41 i.e4 lt:Ja4 42 lt:Je6+ 'iti>f6 43
li:Jxd8 lt:Jxc5
44 d4?!
Finally ruining White's game. Af­
ter 44 f4 ! gxf3 45 li:Jxb7 I could
have gobbled the last two black
pawns for a theoretical draw. Unfor­
tunately I did not bother much about
such things after the shock of my
36th move. Here is the final act of
this dramatic tragedy:
44 ... lt:Jxe4 45 dxe5+ 'iti>xe5 46
li:Jxb7 'iti>d4 47 'iti>fl �d3 48 li:Jd8 c5
49 lt:Jc6 li:Jd2+ 50 'iti>el li:Jf3+ 51
'iti>d l c4 52 lt:Je7 'iti>c3 53 'iti>cl lt:Je5
54 li:Jd5+ 'iti>b3 55 'iti>d2 li:Jf3+ 56
'it�>cl
56 'iti>e3 c3 57 lt:Jxc3 'iti>xc3 58 'iti>f4
li:Jh2 59 'iti>e3 'iti>c2 60 f4 gxf3 61 g4
'iti>d l 62 'iti>f2 'iti>d2 63 g5 'iti>d3 64 g6
'iti>e4 65 'iti>g3 lt:Jg4 !-+ .
56 ... c3 57 li:Jf4 lt:Je5 58 'iti>bl lt:Jc6
59 li:Jd5 li:Jb4
This endgame was played
precisely and powerfully by
Sveshnikov. 0-1
I do not enjoy the conventional,
purely technical work that forms the
natural complement of a creative
process. This is a general trait of my
character that manifests itself in my
chess. To my regret, my technique
leaves much to be desired.
 Part Seven: Chess
Kaleidoscope
86 Pirc Defence [B08]
E.Gufeld White
V.Savon Black
Ukraine Ch, Kiev 1 962
1 e4 g6 2 d4 jlg7 3 �c3 d6 4
�f3 �f6 5 jtc4 0-0
On 5 ...�xe4 White gains a small
advantage by 6 jlxf7+ (or 6 �xe4
d5 7 jtd3 dxe4 8 jtxe4) 6 ...'iitxt7 7
�xe4.
6 jlgs h6?
The chief cause of all Black's
subsequent difficulties. Better
6 ...�xe4, but not 6 . ..�bd7? 7 e5
�e8 8 �d5+-.
7 jlf4 i.g4
Black's strategic plan involves
fighting for the d4 point. He wants
to make White advance d4-d5,
opening the diagonal for the
g7-bishop; alternatively he aims to
establish a knight on d4 after
...�f6-d7, ... �b8-c6 and ... e7-e5.
8 h3 jlxf3 9 'i!i'xf3 �c6 10 0-0-0
�d7 1 1 e5! �b6 12 .ibs �as 13
h4
Charge! Having gained the advan­
tage in the centre, White transfers
the activities to the kingside.
13 ... �bc4 14 h5 g5
Certainly Black saw the following
combination, but what could he do?
If 14 ... c5, then 1 5 .ixc4 �xc4 1 6
hxg6 fxg6 1 7 'ii'g4 'iii>h7 1 8 .ixh6
.ixh6+ 19 'ii'g5 !+-.
15 jlxgS hxg5 16 h6 jtxeS
l 6 ... i.h8 loses outright to 1 7 h7+
rl;g7 1 8 'ii'h5 and mate in 3.
17 dxe5 �xe5 18 'ii'g3 f6 19 f4
�f7 20 jtd3
Or 20 'ii'd3 �h8 2 1 fxg5.
20...'ii'd7
Repelling the threat of 21 'ii'g4
followed by 'ii'h4 or 'ili'f5.
2 1 fxg5 �xg5 22 �e4 'iii>h8 23
�xg5 fxg5 24 'ii'xgS e5 25 l::tdfl
�c6 26 g4 d5
At last Black sets his powerful
pawn centre in motion, but he has
no time to start a counter-offensive.
21 jlfs
This move stops Black from shut­
ting off the bishop with 27 ... e4 and
prepares the decisive combination.
27 ...'ii'e7
28 'ii'g7+!
This is the shortest route to
victory. Temporarily sacrificing a
pawn, White breaks into the
opponent's camp.

28 .'ii'xg7 29 hxg7+ �xg7 30
.•
l:th7+ �g8
Or 30 ...�f6 3 1 �c8+ �g6 32
l:txf8 l:txc8 33 l:txc8 �xh7 34
l:.xc7+ +-.
31 l:txc7 lZJd4 32 i..h7+ �h8 33
l:.h1 .l:.ad8
Trying to defend against the threat
34 �e4+ and 35 �xd5+.
34 c3 lZJe2+ 35 �d2 lZJf4 36
i..f5+ �g8 37 .l:.hh7 .l:.f6 38 .l:.cg7+
<ttf8 39 .l:.xb7 �g8 40 .l:.bg7+ 1-0
87 Ruy Lopez [C73]
E.Gufeld White
N.Minev Black
Ukraine-Bulgaria,
Kiev 1962
1 e4 e5 2 lZJf3 lZJc6 3 �b5 a6 4
�a4 d6 5 0-0 lZJf6 6 �xc6+
Alternatives are 6 .l:.e 1 , or the
sharper 6 d4 combined with a pawn
sacrifice: 6 ...b5 7 �b3 lZJxd4 8
lZJxd4 exd4 9 c3 (9 1i'xd4?? c5-+ is
the notorious Noah's Ark Trap)
9 ... dxc3 10 lZJxc3 with initiative to
White.
6 .. bxc6 7 d4 lZJxe4 8 'ii'e2 f5 9
.
dxe5 d5 10 .l:.d1 c5
Black was probably guarding
against 1 1 lZJd4, but now he lags in
development.
1 1 c4 c6
Or 1 l . ..d4 1 2 b4! i..e7 1 3 �b2±.
12 lZJc3 �e7
Chess Kaleidoscope 2 1 1
How is White to develop his
initiative?
13 lZJxd5!
This sacrifice doesn't require
careful calculation. White gets an
awesome pawn pair in the centre
that threatens to wipe out everything
in its way. Not 1 3 cxd5 lZJxc3 14
bxc3 cxd5 followed by ... �e6 and
... 0-0, and Black is fine.
13 ... cxd5 14 cxd5 1i'b6
Or 14 ... 0-0 1 5 d6 �g5 16 lZJxg5
lZJxg5 1 7 �xg5 'ii'xg5 1 8 e6 �b7
1 9 f4 1i'xf4 20 e7 and Black is in
bad shape.
15 lZJd2! lZJxd2 16 �xd2 0-0 17
d6 �xd6
Returning the piece, Black sets his
hopes on the drawing potential of
opposite bishops. In any case, he
had no other way out: 1 7 ... �d8 1 8
1i'c4+ �h8 19 �e3 1i'b5 20 1i'xb5
axb5 2 1 d7 �b7 22 �xc5+-.
18 'ii'c4+ 'it>h8 19 exd6 'ii'xd6
20 i..c3!
White doesn't fall for 20 i..e3
'ii'c6 2 1 �xc5, winning a pawn but
allowing Black some counterplay
after 2 l ...i..b 7. The further course
of events events confirms the well­
known rule: an attack is much
stronger if there are bishops of
opposite colours.
20...1i'b6
212 Chess Kaleidoscope
20...'ii'c6 loses to 2 1 'ii'f7 ! +-,
while 20 ...'ii'g6 21 l:td3 f4 22 iVxf4
.ib7 23 'iig3+- would not help
much either.
2 1 'ii'f4 l:ta7 22 l:td6 'ii'bS 23 l:te1
Or 23 'ii'h4, intending l:td8.
23...l:taf7
Now how is White to undermine
Black's solid king position? The h­
pawn comes to the rescue.
24 h4 ct>g8 25 h5 h6 26 l:txh6
.l:te8
Or 26 ...gxh6 27 'ii'g3+ <t>h7 28
ir'g6 mate.
27 l:txe8+ iVxe8 28 l:tg6 <t>h7 29
.ixg7 1-0
88 King's Indian Defence [E70]
N.Minev White
E.Gufeld Black
Ukraine-Bulgaria,
Kiev 1962
1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 g6 4 ltJc3
.ig7 5 e4 d6 6 .igS
White plays a very sharp variation
which has been thoroughly re­
searched by Bulgarian chessplayers.
6 ... h6 7 .ih4 VaS
Taking advantage of the bishop's
absence from the queenside, Black
launches counterplay there.
8 .id3 ltJbd7 9 f4 0-0 10 ltJge2
b5
By this typical pawn sacrifice
Black simultaneously clears lines
for his rooks, shatters White's cen­
tre and creates the opportunity to
pressurize the b2-point.
l l cxb5 a6 12 bxa6 c4!?
Exploiting the fact that 13 .ixc4
is unprofitable owing to ...ltJxe4,
Black clears the c5-square for his
queen' s knight and creates a strong­
point on d3.
l3 .ic2 ltJcS 14 0-0 .ixa6 15 e5
dxe5 16 fxe5 ltJg4 17 .ixe7 .ixe5!
In such positiOns the Gufeld
bishop is as strong as a rook.
18 ll:\g3
1 8 .ixf8 l:tx£8 and Black has a
formidable initiative.
18 ...ltJe3 19 'ii'e2 .id4 20 <t>h1
White in turn offers an exchange
sacrifice to rid himself of the dan­
gerous intruder on e3 .
20 ...'ii'b6!
Black is not tempted by material
but aims instead at the vulnerable
b2-point.
21 c!bge4 c!bxe4
Not 2 I ...ltJd3 22 c!bf6+ and 23
c!bd7.
22 .ixe4 c!Dxfl 23 l:txfl l:rab8 24
d6!
The passed pawn supported by the
bishops will set Black quite a few
problems.
24 ...ihb2 25 'ii'xb2 l:txb2 26 d7
Or 26 lDd5 l:ttb8 27 d7 (27 ltJf6+
.ixf6 28 .ixf6 l:td2-+) 27 ...f5 with
advantage to Black.
26 ....ixc3 27 .ixf8
27 .id5 l:td2 28 l:txf7 l:td8 ! .
27 ...l:td2 28 .ixh6 l:txd7
The complications are over, and
Black has gained a strategic victory:
he has destroyed his main enemy,
the passed pawn on d7, and restored
material equality.
29 .ic1 .id2 30 .ixd2 l:hd2 31
h3 f5!

Making the bishop leave the
b 1-h7 diagonal and ensuring the ad­
vance of the passed c-pawn.
32 �c6 c3 33 �cl c2 34 'ifi>h2
.ltd3 35 �f3 �c4 36 �c6
The pawn is not to be stopped, as
36 a3 or 36 a4 would be met by
36 ... i..b3 and 37 ...�dl .
36...�xa2 37 �a4 i..b l 38 'ifi>g3
'ifo>g7 39 h4 'ifi>f6 40 'ifi>f3 'ifo>e5 41
llel+ 'ifo>d4 42 g4 �d3+ 43 'ifi>f4
lle3! 0-1
89 King's Indian Defence [A68]
I.Nei White
E.Gufe1d Black
3 1 st USSR Ch, Leningrad 1 963
1 d4 lt:lf6 2 c4 g6 3 lt:lc3 �g7 4
e4 d6 5 f4 0-0 6 lt:lf3 c5 7 d5
7 dxc5 'ii'a5 8 cxd6? lt:lxe4 with
complications favouring Black.
7...e6 8 �e2 exd5 9 cxd5 b5 10
e5
Or 1 0 �xb5 lt:lxe4 1 1 lt:lxe4
'ii'a5+ 1 2 'ifi>f2 ( 1 2 lt:lc3? �xc3+ 1 3
bxc3 'ii'xb5) 12 . . .'ii'xb5 1 3 lt:lxd6
'ii'a6 with good play for Black.
10 ... dxe5 11 fxe5 lt:lg4 12 �g5
'i!i'b6 13 0-0
White played the opening quite
quickly, so it must be supposed that
his home analysis had prepared him
for this position.
13 ... c4+ 14 'ifi>hl lt:lxe5
Not 14 ...lt:lt2+? 1 5 �xf2 'ii'xf2 1 6
lt:le4 with an almost irresistible at­
tack for White.
15 �e7
This move is probably the whole
point of the variation White has
chosen.
15 ...lt:lbd7
Indeed, if Black were forced to
play 1 5 ...�e8 he would have a very
difficult game. For example, 1 6 d6
�b7 1 7 lt:ld5 �xd5 1 8 'ii'xd5 lt:lbd7
19 lt:lxe5 lt:lxe5 20 a4 ! .
Chess Kaleidoscope 2 I 3
16 d6
White decides not to take the ex­
change yet. After 16 �xf8 'ifi>xf8
Black has, in my view, sufficient
compensation for the small material
deficit.
16...�b7 17 lt:ld5 i..xd5
I spent a long time on this move,
being very reluctant to part with my
strong bishop. But I did not like
1 7 .. .'fi/c5 because of such continua­
tions as 1 8 lt:lxe5 lt:lxe5 19 d7! ? ( 1 9
lt:lf6+ �xf6 2 0 �xf6 �ad8 2 1 �e7
�fe8+) 1 9 ...'i!Vxd5 20 'i!Vxd5 i..xd5
2 1 �xf8 'ifi>xf8 22 �ad 1 lt:ld3 23
�xd3 �e6 24 �e4 �d8 25 �d2 and
it is not clear if Black can win. Yet
at the outset I evaluated my position
as better.
18 'ii'xd5 lt:lg4 19 a4
Probably best.
19 ... lt:lf2+ 20 �xf2
Although there is no smothered
mate after 20 'ifi>g1 , the threat of a
discovered check is unpleasant
enough.
20...'i!Vxf2 21 i..xf8 �xf8 22
'i!Vxb5 'i!Vxe2 23 'ii'xd7 'ifxb2 24
�el
The position is quite fascinating.
Since White's counterplay is bound
up with with the d-pawn, the black
pieces need to control the queening
square. To this end, the bishop
should be placed on f6 and the
214 Chess Kaleidoscope
queen on the d-file. At the first op­
portunity the a-pawn must escape
from attack. In this way, Black in­
tends to realize his advantage.
24...i..c3
The impression is that the c-pawn
should decide the outcome of the
struggle, but the immediate advance
achieves nothing: 24 ... c3? 25 it'xa7
c2 26 ikc5 i..h6 27 ltJg5 ! .
2 5 J:tfl ike2 26 J:tgl a5 27 ii'c7 Schmid, Hamburg 1965; and now
�d3 28 d7 �f6 29 J:tel �g7!
This move is directed against the
threat of 30 1:te8. Not 29 ...c3 30
J:te8, and Black can't play 30 ... ii'fl+
3 1 ltJg1 i..d4 on account of 32
J:tx£8+ r:J;g7 33 J:tx£7+ ! .
30 h3 c3 31 1:te8 c2 3 2 ikc5 1:tg8! event of 1 3 lDf2 f4! 14 i..d2 g5 1 5
This is the whole idea of the ma­
noeuvre starting with 29 ... �g7.
33 ii'c8
White opts for the natural move in
time trouble and gives Black the
chance to conclude the struggle
spectacularly. Even after the better
33 J:tc8 .Ud8 ! White's position
would still be difficult.
33 ii'fl+ 34 �h2
.•.
Or 34 lDg 1 c 1 ==ii' 35 1:txg8+ �h6 crease pressure on the f3 square.
36 it'£8+ �g5 and the king will
escape further checks.
34...i..e5+! 35 J:txe5
Or 35 ltJxe5 ii'f4+ 36 g3 'i!Vd2+
37 �g1 c l =='ili'+ -+.
35 cl='ir' 36 1Wxg8+ �xg8 37
•..
d8='i!V+ �g7 38 'ilid4 'i!Vcc4 39
'i!Vxc4 iVxc4 40 J:txa5 iVc7+ 0-1
90 King's Indian Defence [E62]
A.Kolarov White
E.Gufeld Black
Bulgaria-Ukraine, Odessa 1 968
I d4 liJf6 2 liJf3 g6 3 g3 i.. g7 4 way of invading the queenside.
i..g2 0-0 5 0-0 d6 6 c4 ltJc6 7 t"Llc3
e5 8 d5 ltJe7 9 e4 ltJd7 10 ltJel
This manoeuvre is less convincing
than in the line 9 ... ltJh5 10. ltJe1 ,
when the white knight's move hin­
ders the advance ... f7-f5, since the
black knight on h5 is left without
support.
IO f5 l l liJd3 liJf6!
.••
1 l ...h6?! 12 f4 �h7 13 i..d2 fxe4
14 ltJxe4 ltJf5 1 5 �h1 exf4 16 ltJxf4
ltJe5 1 7 J:tc I c5 was Botvinnik­
1 8 dxc6 bxc6 19 J:te 1 with advan­
tage to White.
12 f3
Better 12 f4.
12 h6 13 �hi
..•
Black has a strong attack in the
g4 ltJg6.
13 ...g5! 14 exf5 lDxf5 15 lDf2
ii'e8 16 ltJce4 ikg6 17 'ii'd3 i..d7
It is evident that Black has done
well out of the opening. He pos­
sesses the d4 square and has good
chances of organizing an attack
against the white king .
18 i..d2 ltJxe4 19 t"Llxe4 1:tf7
Black doubles his rooks to in­
20 1:tf2 J:taf8 21 J:tafl ltJd4! 22
i..e3 i.. f5 23 �gl h5!
The direct assault on the white
king begins.
24 i..xd4 exd4 25 J:te2 g4!
Thus the pawn support of the
e4-square is undermined; soon
Black will attack this crucial
strongpoint with all available forces.
26 f4 1:te7 27 J:tfel 1:tfe8 28 b4!?
c6 29 b5 cxd5 30 cxd5 �f8 31 a4
b6 32 �f2 h4 33 �gl h3 34 i..h l
1:tc8
Black's pieces suddenly find a
35 iVa3
 Chess Kaleidoscope 215

9 1 K.Honfi White
E.Gufeld Black
Kislovodsk, 1968

35 ...d3!
A thematic blow! It opens the di­
agonal for the dark-squared bishop
and lures the white queen on to d3
so that the knight will be pinned. In the above rare endgame posi­
36 'ili'xd3 l:tc3 37 'ir'd1 l:tc4 38 tion the game was adjourned. Home
lllf2 l:tec7? analysis showed that it was not at all
A gross mistake. After 38 ...i.c2! easy to win. Exchanging pawns
White will lose material. doesn't work because the h i-square
39 �e4! is white and Black has a dark­
Now White exchanges his passive squared bishop. I worked out an­
bishop for its active counterpart, and other plan: to molest the f2-pawn
the complexion of the battle because it is the root of the chain.
changes abruptly. This might force White to advance
39 ... i.c3 40 i.xf5 'ir'xf5 41 l:te8+ one of his pawns. But this is easier
<J;;f7 42 lt:le4! said than done. The game
White unexpectedly creates continued:
threats against the black king, and 41 l:te2 (sealed) 41 ...l:tb3 42 l:te8
Black now needs all his resources to l:tb2
save the game. In the event of 42 White knew .. . l:tb2 was coming
lt:lxg4?! Black could still have but it was necessary for him to pre­
played for a win: 42 ... 'ir'g6! 43 l:t8e6 serve his rook.
�xe l ! 44 lt:lh6+ <Ji;g7! 45 l:hg6+ 43 l:tf8 <Ji;e4 44 l:te8+ rbd5 45
<Ji;xg6 46 'ir'g4+ <Ji;xh6 47 'it'xh3+ l:te3 i.d4 46 l:r.f3 l:r.a2
<Ji;g7 ! . Black's pieces are trained on f2,
4 2. ..l:txe4! 43 l:tlxe4 �e5 44 but now what? The manoeuvre
'ii'd3!? l:tc3 l:r.b2-b6-f6 does not work: 46.:.l:tb6
44 ...<Ji;xe8 loses, of course, to 45 47 l:ta3! l:tf6 48 l:r.a2 and White can
l:txe5+. hold on.
45 l:t8xe5! 47 l:lf5+ c;i;>c4 48 l:tf7 <Ji;d3
Leading to a drawn queen Black should play 48 ...l:r.a7 49
endgame. l:r.f8 l:ta6 50 l:te8 <Ji;d3 etc., which
45 ... dxe5 46 'ii'xc3 'ifxe4 47 was in fact played eight moves later.
'ii'c7+ <Ji;g6 48 'ir'd6+ <J;;f7 49 'ir'e6+ 49 Af3+ <Ji;e2 50 l:tf4 l:td2 51
<J;;f8 50 'ii'f6+ <Ji;g8 51 'ii'd8+ Wf7 l:te4+ <Ji;d1 52 l:r.f4!
1h-1h
216 Chess Kaleidoscope
The white rook must be on the
f4-square to answer 52 ... <it>e 1 with
53 .l:le4+.
Shortly after the game I published
an article about this ending in a
theoretical bulletin. My "ancient"
analysis stated that Black could win
by 52 . . . g5 53 hxg5 hxg5 54 .l:lf5 g4
55 �f4 .:.xf2+! 56 .l:lx£2 .i.xf2 57
<it>xf2 <it>d2. At that time I was so
proud of my research. A quarter of a
century later, in a game against the
young Bangladeshi player Rahman
(Calcutta, 1 994), we reached the
same position (in effect; actually the
colours were reversed). I felt so
good about my old discovery of the
winning method and about the fact
that I did it before my opponent had
been born. I played the game me­
chanically following my old analy­
sis. But after I had played 54 ... g4,
Rahman replied 54 .l:lg5 ! My good­
ness! Only then I realized that there
was a "hole" in my analysis, as the
g-pawn would be captured. At the
same time I discovered that even af­
ter 55 .l:lf4 I could not win with 55
. . . .l:lx£2+, as White would escape
with 56 <it>h 1 ! ! .l:lxf4 57 gxf4 <it>e2
58 <it>g2 .i.f2 59 f5 <it>e3 60 f6 and
draws. I was stunned ! My old analy­
sis was wrong! I lost half a point, a
prize award, rating points... But
what really bothered me was that
my chess autobiography My Life in
Chess was coming out in a few days
-with wrong annotations. I thor­
oughly studied the position again
and again, and finally discovered a
winning recipe: 52 ... g6 !, and White
is in zugzwang. Here are a few
variations:
(a) 53 <it>fl g5 54 hxg5 hxg5 55
.l:lf5 g4 56 .l:lf4 .l:lx£2+ -+.
(b) 53 <it>g 1 g5 54 hxg5 hxg5 55
.l:lf5 .l:lx£2 56 .l:lx£2 <it>e 1 .
(c) 53 .l:lf7 <it>e l 54 .l:le7+ .l:le2.
I phoned the editor who was pub­
lishing my book in the USA (just
several hours before it went into
print), and the analysis was
amended. My frustrating draw was
well compensated by the correction
of the mistake in the book and great
artistic satisfaction. In life we never
know for sure what we've got and
what we've lost, whether we are for­
tunate or unfortunate. Just compare
my experience with these two
anecdotes:
( 1) A man goes to a bar and asks
the bartender: "Was I here yester­
day?"-"Yes."-"And did I spend a
$20 bill?"-"Yes"-"Thank good­
ness! I thought I'd lost it! "
(2) A husband comes home and
tells his wife: "I've had a lucky
day!"-"What was so lucky?"­
"Do you remember how much I
paid for your fur coat?"­
"$ 1 ,000"-"Well, today I lost it at
poker, paying a debt of $2,000!"
52 ...�e2 53 .l:le4+ <it>d3 54 .l:lf4
.l:la2 55 .l:lf3+ <it>c4
55 ...<it>e2 56 .l:lf4 .l:ld2 57 .l:le4+
<it>dl 58 .l:lf4 g6! is the winning
method discussed before.
56 .l:lti
Returning to the position after
White's 48th. So:
56....l:la7! 57 .l:lf8 .l:la6 58 .l:le8
58 <it>h3 does not help: 58 ... .l:lf6 59
.l:lxf6 .i.xf6 60 <it>g4 i.d4 61 f4 .i.f2

62 'it>f5 Si.xg3 63 'it> g6 Si.xf4 64
tj;;xg7 'it>d5 65 'it>g6 We4 66 'it>h5
tj;; f3-+.
58...'it>d3!
The white rook cannot reach the
second rank to defend the pawn on
12.
59 .l:!.e7 .l:!.f6
60 f3
The triumph of Black's plan: he
has induced the advance of the
white pawn and gained the impor­
tant points of access to the white
camp.
The rest is easy.
60 ... .l:!.f5 61 .l:!.d7 .l:!.b5 62 .l:!.e7 .l:!.e5
63 .l:!.d7 l:te2+ 64 'it>h3 'it>e3 65 h5
Si.c3 66 .l:!.f7 l:tf2 67 f4 'it>f3 68 .l:!.c7
.l:!.c2 69 l:td7 .l:!.d2 70 l:tc7 Si.d4 71
l:tb7 .l:!.d1 72 .l:!.b3+ i.e3 73 �h2
l:te1 74 l:tb7 Si.f2 75 l:txg7 i.gl+
Black resigns because of 76 'it>h 1
Si.d4+ or 76 Wh3 l:te2, etc. 0-1
For this game I was awarded a
special prize for the most interesting
endgame of the tournament.
92 King's Indian Defence [E70]
J.Pribyl White
E. Gufeld Black
Budapest, 1 970
1 c4 g6 2 tiJc3 Si.g7 3 d4 tiJf6 4
e4 0-0
4 ... d6 is played more often.
Chess Kaleidoscope 21 7
5 f4
Black has nothing to fear from the
advance 5 e5, as after 5 ... tiJe8 he
can undermine White's pawn centre
by way of ... d7-d6 and ... c7-c5.
5 c5 6 d5 b5?!
..•
In the opening, besides seizing the
centre with pawns, no less a role­
and perhaps a greater one-is
played by the rapid deployment of
forces. I will reveal a little profes­
sional secret: when I cannot evalu­
ate an opening position precisely, I
count the pieces developed by me
and by my opponent. In the present
case Black's pieces are better devel­
oped, so I decided to proceed with
active operations. Of course, it
would be somewhat risky to assert
that the move 6 ... b7-b5 is new in
this position. When I showed this
game to GM Lajos Portisch, he ex­
claimed: "My brother will be glad
he has found a supporter!" He added
that F.Portisch plays 6 ...d6 7 Si.e2
first, and only then 7 ... b5.
7 e5
It is difficult to refrain from such
a tempting continuation. But it is not
good to begin a pawn offensive be­
fore completing your development.
7 cxb5 would be wiser, whereupon I
had intended to continue 7 ... a6, tem­
porarily managing without the move
... d7-d6.
7 ... tiJe8 8 tiJxb5
White's reason for playing 7 e5
was to avoid having to spoil his
pawn chain here.
8 ... d6 9 tiJf3 tiJd7!
Attacking the centre by way of
9 ... Si.g4 seemed less convincing to
me in view of 10 Si.e2.
10 e6?
Perhaps a serious mistake already.
White should play 10 exd6, but pos­
sibly Pribyl did not like the position
after 1 0 ... a6 1 1 tiJc3 (in reply to 1 1
218 Chess Kaleidoscope
0,c7 Black would play 11.. .l:tb8 12
0,xe8 l:txe8 with a strong initiative)
11. ..0,xd6.
10 ... fxe6 1 1 tt:'lg5 tt:'ldf6 12 dxe6
.ib7 13 .id3 d5
Of course there was no sense in
calculating the variations which win
the pawn back. Black's whole strat­
egy is directed at the speedy deploy­
ment of his forces rather than
materialistic considerations.
14 0-0 'Wb6 15 'ii'e2 dxc4 16
i..xc4 a6 17 0,c3 0,d6 18 .ie3
0,xc4 19 'ii'xc4 'ii'xb2
Despite its apparent simplicity
(mate on g2 is threatened), this
move demanded accurate
calculation.
20 i..f2 !
Not 20 t'fjf3? fiJ.g4-+; if 20 0,e2,
then 20 ... i..d5 21 ifd3 c4+.
20...ifb4
Not 20 ... 0,g4 21 l:tab1 'i!t'xc3 22
'ii'xc3 .ixc3 23 l:txb7 0,xf2 24
�x£2 l:txf4+ 25 �e2 l:txfl 26 �xfl ,
as White can defend successfully.
Black refrained from the tempting
20 ...0,h5 in view of 21 l:tab1 Wxc3
22 'ii'xc3 i..xc3 23 l:txb7 0,xf4 24
g3! and nothing decisive is evident.
21 'ii'xc5
After 21 'ii'xb4 cxb4 White's posi­
tion is hopeless.
2 l. ..'ii'xf4
22 i..g3
It was necessary to weigh the con­
sequences of 22 'ii'xe7, on which I
had prepared 22 ...0,g4 ! (22 ... i..xg2
23 �xg2 'ii'g4+ 24 .ig3 is inferior)
23 g3 'it'd4! . This is the point. Now
on 24 i..xd4 (24 .l:.ad1 l:tx£2! 25
l:txd4 l:tg2+ 26 �h1 l:txh2+ 27 �g1
l:th1 mate) there follows 24 ....ixd4+
25 l:t£2 .ix£2+ 26 �fl .ic5+ -+.
22 0,d7?!
•..
The position is better for Black
after 22 ...l:tac8 23 'ii'xc8 'ii'xfl +, but
during the game I thought the text
move was decisive.
23 i..xf4?
White could have resisted more
stubbornly after 23 l:txf4 0,xc5 24
llc4; but what neither of us saw at
the time was that White has 23
'ii'xe7! .id4+ 24 i..£2 i..x£2+ 25
�h1, with the better prospects in a
complicated position.
23 ... 0,xc5 24 .id2 l:tfd8 25 i..e3
Material loss is also inevitable in
the case of 25 .ie1 0,d3 26 i..d2
0,b4; and if 25 l:tad1, then
25 . . Jtxd2-+.
25 i..xc3 26 i..xc5
..•
Or 26. l:tac1? i..d2-+.
26 ...l:td2 27 t'fjf3 .ixf3 28 gxf3
.ixa1 29 l:txal l:te2 30 i..xe7 l:txe6
31 .ic5 l:tc8 32 .if2 l:tc2 33 a4
l:tee2 34 .ig3 l:ta2 0-1
93 King's Indian Defence [E62)
R.Vaganian White
E.Gufeld Black
Moscow, 1972
1 t'£jf3 t'fjf6 2 g3 g6 3 i..g2 i..g7 4
0-0 0-0 5 c4 d6 6 d4 0,c6 7 0,c3 e5
7 . . ..ltg4 is a less purposeful
continuation, for example: 8 d5
(White also gets an advantage with
8 h3 .ixf3 9 i..xf3 ! with d4-d5 to
follow) 8 . . .0,a5 9 0,d2 c5 10 h3
.i.d7 11 'ii'c2 e5 12 dxe6 .ixe6 13
b3 and White has a clear plan for
 Chess Kaleidoscope 219

pressure in the centre with .ltc I -b2
and l:la i-di etc., while the d4-point
can be taken under control with
e2-e3.
8 d5
It would be difficult for White to
count on an advantage after 8 dxeS,
for example: 8 ...dxeS 9 .ltgS .lte6
10 liJdS .ltxdS I 1 i.xf6 'iWxf6 I 2
cxdS ll\e7 1 3 e4 c6 I4 'irb3 cxdS I S
exdS lDfS 16 l:lfe I l:lae8=
Thorbergsson-Stein, Reykjavik
1972.
8 ll\e7 9 c5
.•.
9...e4!?
This interesting possibility tempo­
rarily cuts off the white king bishop
from the dS-square and obtains
counterplay in the centre. The alter­
natives are 9 . .. dxcS I O lDxeS ll\fxdS
1 1 lDxdS i.xeS ( I I ...lDxdS 1 2
ll\xf7!) I 2 .ltgS f6 ( 1 2 ... i.d6 1 3
'ii'd2) 1 3 .ltxf6! (or 1 3 lDxf6+ i.xf6
14 'iWxd8 l:lxd8 I S .ltxf6); and
cxd6 1 S ll\xd6 l:lb8 I 6 ll\xc8 with
the advantage of the two bishops.
10..Ji'xd6! l l ll\g5
Nothing is gained by I I i.f4?!
'iWd8.
1 1 . ..ll\fxd5!
This is stronger than I I ...lDexdS
I 2 lDgxe4 'ii'eS 1 3 lDxf6+ lDxf6 14
i.f4 �aS 1 S 'ii'a4 'ii'xa4 I 6 lDxa4 c6
I 7 i.eS l:le8 1 8 f4 ll\g4 with equal­
ity, Furman-Gufeld, Kiev 1963.
12 ll\gxe4 'iWe5 13 lDxd5?!
Better 1 3 .ltd2.
13 ...ll\xd5+ 14 'i!ib3
The simplifying combination I 4
'il'xdS 'iWxdS I S lDf6+ .ltxf6 I 6
.ltxdS c6 would leave Black with a
small advantage in the ending.
14 ...c6 15 l:le1 aS! 16 lt:Jc5?!
A poor decision.
16...lt:Jb4
Black's pressure on the queenside
becomes appreciable, and White
finds it difficult to complete his
mobilization.
17 a3
On I 7 lt:Jd3 Black has the choice
of 1 7 ...ll\xd3 I 8 'iWxd3 .lte6 or the
more spectacular 1 7 ... .lte6!.
1 7. . .�xc5 18 axb4 .lte6!
This intermediate thrust refutes
White's plan.
19 bxc5
After 19 'iWxe6 'ii'xb4 White has
two major pieces hanging.
19 ...i.xb3

���•�-
.t ��
9 . . .ll\e8 10 cxd6 lDxd6 I I e4 .ltd7
I 2 �3 cS I 3 a4 b6 1 4 ll\d2 'iWc7
� .t - • .t
• .t . . .t .
I S f4 f6 I 6 ll\c4 ll\ec8 I 7 fxeS fxeS
1 8 l:lxf8+ 'iti>xf8 1 9 lDbS lDxbS 20
axbS ll\d6, when White's position is � -.�
....., � ..., .
� .
�
·� ·� .%.�
just a little freer.

�A• • �m
10 cxd6 .

The immediate 10 lDgS is more

accurate, without exchanging first. ���J -
� it �
�--��J
--� . ��
.J
� a �� w
For example: I O ...dxcS 1 1 tt:lgxe4 ... . .

ll\xe4! 12 lDxe4 b6 1 3 a4 aS I 4 d6
220 Chess Kaleidoscope
There is material equality on the
board and the players have two
bishops each, yet the "advantage of
the bishop pair" is clearly with
Black here. The black bishops
paralyse the entire white army.
20 e4 a4 21 e5
An attempt to block the "Gufeld
bishop".
21 ..J:tfe8 22 iLf4
Nor can the centre be held by 22
f4 f6 23 .te4 fxe5 24 f5 gxf5 25
.i.xf5 e4 ! .
22 ...l:r.a5 23 l:r.acl .i.f8
The stranded white pawns fall like
dominoes.
24 .i.e3 l:r.xe5 25 .i.d2 :taxeS 26
.i.c3 l:r.xe1 + 27 l:r.xe1 a3 28 .i.b4
a2 ! 29 .i.xc5 .i.xc5
Intending ... .i.d4 and ... .i.xb2.
0-1
94 King's Indian Defence [E84]
S.Giigoric White
E.Gufeld Black
Belgrade, 1 974
1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 g6 3 lbc3 .i.g7 4
e4 d6 5 f3
The veteran Yugoslav grandmas­
ter's choice of the Samisch System
came as a surprise to me. The point
is that Gligoric often plays the
Black side of the King's Indian, and
frequently has to contend with this
system himself.
5 ... 0-0 6 .te3 lbc6
I had every reason to choose this
particular variation, since Gligoric
himself is a devotee of 6 . .. e5, or
6 ... c6 7 .i.d3 e5.
7 lbge2 l:r.b8 8 'ii'd2
This sequence of moves was in­
troduced into tournament practice
by Igor Zaitsev. The point is that in
the variation 8 lbc 1 e5 9 d5 lbd4 1 0
lbb3 c5 Black is prepared in ad­
vance for the opening of the b-file.
8 ... a6 9 a4
But this goes against the character
of the variation. White extends his
front line too far, and Black's
queenside counterplay accordingly
gains in strength.
9...e5
A counterthrust which, in con­
junction with the following knight
manoeuvre, secures full equality for
Black.
10 d5 lba5
Not 10 ...lDe7 1 1 c5 with initiative
for White on the queenside.
1 1 lDc1 c5 12 l:r.b1
1 2 dxc6 bxc6 would be playing
into Black's hands .
12 ... b6 13 b4 cxb4
Not 1 3 ... lbb7 14 a5.
14 l:r.xb4 lbd7 15 .i.e2 lbc5 16
0-0 f5
The regrouping 1 6 ...'ii'c 7,
17 ... .i.d7 and 18 ... l:r.f8-c8 is also
worthy of consideration, keeping
the break ... f7-f5 in reserve.
17 'ii'e 1
White does not succeed in trans­
ferring his knight to b4, since on 1 7
lD 1 a2 there follows 1 7 ... lbab3 and
...lbb3-d4; but the text move is su­
perfluous, as becomes clear. A pos­
sibility is 1 7 .i.xc5 dxc5 1 8 l:r.b 1
'ii'h4 1 9 d6.
17 ... .td7 18 'ii'd 1 'it'h4
Exerting pressure on the point e4,
Black pursues a double aim: either
to force his opponent to take on f5
(after which ... g6xf5 would secure a
clear advantage), or to exchange on
e4 himself, creating an additional
pawn weakness for White. But
1 8 ... .i.f6 19 'ii'd2 f4 20 .tf2 .i.h4
does not look bad, either.
19 .i.f2 'ii'g5 20 lbd3 .i.h6 21
'ii'b 1!
An excellent manoeuvre.
21...fxe4

Despite Black's outward activity,
concrete ways for him to obtain the
advantage are not evident, e.g.
2 l .. .'ii'd2 22 i.e 1 'ii'e3+ 23 i.f2=.
22 l2lxe4
22 l2lxc5? ex£3-+.
22 l2lxe4 23 fxe4 l:f.bc8
.••
The tempting 23 ... i.h3 does not
work owing to 24 lZ:le 1 .
24 'ii'a 2!
With accurate play Gligoric neu­
tralizes Black's initiative, and but
for impending time trouble, the
game would seem to be heading for
a draw.
24 ... iid2 25 l:.b2
A mistake. With 25 'ii'xd2 i.xd2
26 l:f.xb6 l2lxc4 27 l:f.xa6 l:f.a8 28
l:f.xa8 l:f.xa8 29 l2lc5 White could
draw easily.
25 ...'ii'g5
25 ...'ii'c3 ! is more energetic.
26 l:f.c2
He should have played 26 l:.b4.
26...l2lb7 27 i.xb6?
Better 27 �h l .
27...l2lc5!
The dark-squared bishop finds it­
self cut off from the king's flank,
and White quickly perishes.
28 i.xc5
28 l2lxc5 sets a pretty trap:
28 . . .'ir'e3+ 29 �h1 'ikxe2?? 30 l:f.g l !
and White wins. However, 29 ...dxc5
wins for Black.
Chess Kaleidoscope 221
28...dxc5 29 l:f.xf8+ l:f.xf8 30 �h1
'ir'e3 31 l:f.c1 'ii'xe4 32 l:f.e1 i.h3 33
llg1 i.e3 0-1
95 Sicilian Defence [B37]
V.Tseshkovsky White
E.Gufeld Black
Vilnius Zonal, 1975
1 e4 c5 2 l2lf3 l2lc6 3 d4 cxd4 4
l2lxd4 g6 5 c4 l2lf6 6 l2lc3 i.g7 7
l2lc2
At one time it was thought that
this move consolidated White's
opening advantage. Instead, 7 i.e3
allows Black counterplay with
7 ...l2lg4.
7 ... 0-0 8 j_e2 b6 9 0-0 i.b7 10
l:f.b1
White has in mind the classic plan
based on l2lc3-d5. The task may
seem simple, but in this situation its
realization is not. The time spent on
the move l2ld4-c2 tells, as Black has
developed his minor pieces before
White has set up the necessary forti­
fications with b2-b3 and f2-f3 .
These moves have to be prepared.
10 ...l2le8! 11 'iid2
In view of the positional threat
... i.g7xc3 White has to make one
more awkward move. Maybe 1 1
l2ld5 e6 1 2 l2lf4 was simpler, but
then Black would soon play
... d7-d5, fully equalizing. That is
why White persists with the stan­
dard build-up, b2-b3 and i.c1 -b2.
But unfortunately he does not have
the time for it.
l l ...l2ld6! 12 f3 f5 13 l2lb5!
White has to resort to tactical
tricks to avoid getting the worse po­
sition. If 1 3 exf5 l2lxf5 1 4 b3, then
1 4 ... l2lcd4! .
13 ...fxe4! 14 l2lxd6 exd6 15
'i!Vxd6 l2le5! 16 f4 t2ld3!
A promising pawn sacrifice. A
more placid game results from
222 Chess Kaleidoscope

1 6 ... tbt7 1 7 'ilfd 1 dS. Black is happy 21 .:tbe1 'ii'g4

with his passed pawn, White is Overlooking an intermediate
happy with the blockading square in move again-this time for my
front of it. opponent:
22 c5+
I had only considered 22 tbe3
..td4 23 l:tf2 'ii'e6 with formidable
centralization.
22 'it'h8
•..

Not 22 ... 'ii'e6? 23 .:txe4!+-.

23 tbe3 'ife6 24 cxb6 d5?
There is nothing worse than when
you feel you're losing the ground
under your feet, and with it your
objectivity in evaluation. Just a
moment ago I had a better position,
so how could I face up to the fact
that after 24 ...'ii'xb3 25 axb3 axb6
17 ..txd3 exd3
26 iLc3 dS the game is simplified
It has long been known that a
common reason for mistakes is the and the advantage slips away?
so-called involuntary reaction: if an 25 b7!
Now my opponent has the
opponent takes off one of your
pieces or pawns, you at once take advantage.
25 ... .:tab8 26 f5!
something in return. That is why in­
termediate moves always seem so
striking. The move 1 7 ... .:tf6! would
not occur to you at once. But after
1 8 'ifa3 exd3 1 9 'ifxd3 .:te6! 20
..td2 'ii'h4! 2 1 .:tbe 1 l:tae8 Black
doubles rooks on the e-file and
gains a clear advantage. Now he has
no time for that.
18 'ilfxd3 .:te8
1 8 ...d5 1 9 .:tdl d4 was tempting,
and if 20 tbxd4 then 20 ....:te8! with
the idea of ... ..tb7-e4. But I recalled
that chess is not checkers, and one is
not obliged to capture. After the bet­ 26...'ifa6?
ter 20 tbb4 ! d4 White would return Finally losing the thread. Black
the pawn by playing tbb4-d5, de­ seems to have a great variety of
priving Black of the initiative and moves to choose from, but there is a
the two bishops. problem with every one of them.
19 ..td2 .i.e4 20 'ilb3 'i!kh4?! For example, the most natural
But here 20 ... d5 ! was the right 26 ... gxf5 27 lDxfS 'ii'g6 28 l:txe4!
plan, because the diagonals would dxe4 (28 ....:txe4 29 ifxdS with a
be cleared for the bishops. How­ rout) 29 tbxg7 ! leads to the total de­
ever, I wanted more: to deliver mate struction of Black's position. After
on g2. the game we came to the conclusion

that probably best was 26 ...'ii'c6
when White has just a minimal
advantage.
27 f6! i.xf6 28 ltJxd5!
Tseshkovsky carries out this part
of the game in the strongest way. 28
l:txf6 'Wxf6 29 ltJg4 seemed tempt­
ing, but after 29 ...'ii'd6 Black still
holds his ground.
28 ... i.d4+ 29 i.e3 i.e5 30 i.f4
i.d4+ 31 i.e3 i.e5 32 ltJc7!
Decisive.
32 ... i.xc7 33 i.d4+ i.e5 34
i.xe5+
34 l:tf8+ was also good: 34 ...l:txf8
35 i.xe5+ l:tf6 36 i.xb8+- (but not
36 'ii'f7 ? because of 36 ...'itb6+ 37
�hi i.g2+! 38 c;l;xg2 'ii'f2-+).
34....1he5 35 l:tf8+??
He should have played 35 'ii'c3 !
-.b6+ 36 l:tf2 'ii'c5 37 'ifxc5 l:txc5
38 l:txe4 winning the pawn. But
who needs a mere pawn when he
can put a second queen on the
board? It never occurred to him that
the white king might be in danger...
· 35 l:txf8 36 b8='ii'
•..
Here Tseshkovsky gave me a
quizzical look, awaiting my
resignation.
36 'ii'f6! !
.•.
An all-purpose move: it not only
defends the two attacked rooks, but
also threatens a mating attack from
which White cannot escape.
Chess Kaleidoscope 223
37 'ii'xa7
Or 37 Wxf8+ 'ii'xf8 38 'iVc3 'ii'f5
39 'it'd4 �g8-+.
37 i.d3! 38 'ii'd 1 l:txel+ 0-1
•.•
White resigns because of mate in
two: 39 'ii'xe i 'ii'fl + 40 'ifxfl .l:f.xfl
mate.
96 Sicilian Defence [BS I ]
E.Gufeld White
N.Popov Black
VI USSR Spartakiad, Riga 1 97 5
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4
ltJxd4 liJf6 5 ltJc3 d6 6 g4
The Keres Variation.
6 a6
•..
Theory recommends 6 ...h6 though
even then Black faces some
difficulties.
7 i.g2
After 7 g5 liJfd7 8 i.e3 i.e7 9
'ii'd2 'iic7 10 f4 White obtains a
strong attacking position.
7 :iic7
••
lf 7 ... b5, then 8 e5 !±.
8 g5 liJfd7 9 f4 ltJc6 10 i.e3
ltJxd4 1 1 'ifxd4! b5 12 0-0-0 i.b7
13 l:the1 l:tc8 14 ..ti>b1
Black now faces a decision.
Should he castle soon? Should he
begin active operations on the
queenside, or continue manoeu­
vring? He has to keep in mind that
his chances are objectively worse.
This prompts him to choose a re­
strained strategy.
14 'ii'c4
••.
What could have happened· with
sharp play is well demonstrated by
this variation: I 4 ... a5 I 5 ltJxb5!
'ii'xc2+ 1 6 �a I 'iixg2 1 7 ltJxd6+
i.xd6 1 8 'ii'xd6 i.c6 1 9 f5! and
Black himself comes under attack.
15 'ifd2 i.e7
A more active approach is still not
appropriate to the position. For in­
stance: 1 5 ...b4 1 6 ltJe2 ( 1 6 ltJd5
224 Chess Kaleidoscope
exd5 1 7 i..d4 is unclear) 1 6... i..xe4
1 7 i..xe4 'it'xe4 1 8 i..d4 and it ap­
pears that the pawn was "poisoned":
the diagonals and lines in front of
the black king get opened. If the
pawn is not taken, the attack is car­
ried out "free of charge" with the
knight joining in via e2-g3-h5.
16 i..d4 0-0
Thus, Black successfully accom­
plishes the development of his
pieces. It remains only to advance a
pawn in the centre in order to gain
equality there as well. What plan is
White to adopt? He has to take into
consideration both strategic and tac­
tical factors. The knight manoeuvre
lLlc3-e2-g3 -h5! comes to mind at
once. But the straightforward execu­
tion of this plan with 1 7 lLle2 is
countered by 17 ... e5 ! What then?
White is reluctant to trade on e5.
17 b3! 'it'c7 18 lLle2
It seems that nothing can prevent
Black from playing ... e6-e5. After
the bishop retreats he will take the
pawn on f4, and there is no way for
White to recapture: taking with the
knight means giving up the pawn on
g5, and taking with the queen means
leaving c2 undefended.
18 ... e5 19 i..b 2 exf4
Black cannot stop halfway, be­
cause of the threat of lLle2-g3-f5 !
20 h4! f3 21 i.xf3 ltJeS 2 2 i..g2
l:tfe8 23 lLlf4 i.. f8
At first glance Black is close to
equalizing. The layout of his pieces
is harmonious, he has seized the
central e5-point, and the weak
pawns on e4 and d6 are balancing
each other. What can White think of
doing?
24 .l:r.e2! aS 25 i..h3 .l:r.a8 26 lLld5!
Here is the solution to the posi­
tion! Seizing the strong d5-point se­
cures White a small but persistent
advantage.
26 ... 'it'd8 27 .l:r.fl b4 28 .l:r.ef2 i..a6
29 .l:r.g1 i..b7 30 h5 i..xd5 31 'it'xd5
'it>h8 32 h6!
Threatening 33 .l:r.xf7! The posi­
tion of the king is crumbling, and
White has only to finish him off
with a few well-aimed shots.
32 ... .l:r.a7 33 i..d 4! .l:r.ae7 34 .l:r.h1!
The attack switches to the
h7-square.
34 ...'ifa8 35 hxg7+ i..xg7 36
'it'xa8!
The simplest solution. The attack
develops quickly even without
queens.
36 ... .l:r.xa8 37 i.. f5 ltJg6 38 i..f6
i..xf6 39 gxf6 .l:r.e5 40 .l:r.tb2 'it>g8 41
.l:r.xh7 1-0. Mate is inevitable.
97 King's Indian Defence [E76]
Z.Lanka White
E.Gufeld Black
Yurmala, 1 977
1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 d6 4 ltJc3
g6 5 e4 i.g7 6 f4 0-0
One of the fundamental positions
of the Four Pawns Attack has arisen
by transposition.
7 i..d3
7 liJf3 e6 is encountered more
often.
7 ... e6 8 dxe6
An original choice. As a rule the
continuation 7 i..d3 (in contrast to 7
i..e2) is connected with the

development of the king's knight on
t he e2 square. For example: 8 l2Jge2
cxd5 9 exd5 �g4 1 0 0-0 l2Jbd7 1 1
�c2 l2Jh5 12 h3 'ii'h4! with fine
play for Black.
8...�xe6 9 f5
White cannot delay this, or Black
obtains good counter-chances in the
centre.
9 ... �d7 10 l2Jf3 l2Jc6
10 ... gxf5?! is weaker in view of
1 1 0-0! fxe4 1 2 lLlxe4 l2Jxe4 1 3
�xe4 and the white pieces are very
active. In addition to the text move,
1 O ... �c6 is possible, with the idea
of . . .l2Jb8-d7.
11 0-0 l2Jg4!? 12 lLld5
12 �g5 f6 13 �f4 lLlce5.
12 ...lLlb4!
It is essential to swap off the
strong centralized knight. The sym­
metrical position of the black
knights creates a unique artistic im­
pression. The exchange of the other
knight leads to advantage for White:
12 ...l2Jd4 13 h3 l2Jxf3+ 14 'ii'xf3
l2Je5 15 'ii'g3 .
13 'ifi>h1
13 h3 ! ? l2Je5 14 l2Jxe5 jixe5 1 5
�f4 and now not 1 5 ...'ili'h4? (better
1 5 . . . l2Jxd5 ! ? 1 6 exd5 'ii'f6) 1 6 'ii'd2
lLlxd5 1 7 exd5 with advantage to
White.
13 l2Jxd5 14 exd5 .l:le8
.•.
After this we may conclude that
Black has emerged from the open­
ing slightly ahead. If instead
14 . . .'ii'e 8?! , then 1 5 �f4 lLle3 1 6
'ii'd2 lLlxfl 1 7 .l:lxfl .
15 �g5 'it'aS!
This is the best square for the
queen. The attempt to win a pawn
works out badly: 1 5 ...'ir'b6 1 6 "ir'd2
( 1 6 l2Jd2!? lLle3 1 7 'iWf3 lLlxfl 1 8
.l:lxfl is also interesting.) 1 6. . .1r'xb2
1 7 'ifxb2 �xb2 1 8 .l:lab1 �g7 1 9
lhb7 �c8 2 0 .l:lc7 and White's ad­
vantage is obvious; 1 5 ...jif6 1 6
Chess Kaleidoscope 225
'ifd2 �xg5 17 l2Jxg5 lLle3 is dubi­
ous because of 1 8 lLlxf7!?.
16 'ir'c1
Better than 1 6 i.d2 'ilib6.
16...b5!
Black undermines the centre at
the first opportunity and opens up
play on the queenside.
17 'ii'f4
White's threats on the kingside
look very dangerous; nevertheless,
as the game shows, it was worth
thinking about 17 b3, trying to neu­
tralize Black's counterplay.
17 ...bxc4 18 "ir'xd6
If 1 8 �c2, then 18 ... .l:le2! (or
1 8 ...l2Je3 !).
18...�b5
After 1 8 ... cxd3 1 9 'ii'xd7 White
has serious threats.
19 fxg6
The correct reply to 19 a4 is
1 9 ... cxd3 (but not 1 9 ... �a6 20 fxg6
fxg6 in view of 2 1 �xg6!) 20 axb5
'ii'xb5 maintaining some advantage.
19 ...fxg6 20 �xg6! hxg6!
Acceptance of the sacrifice is the
best decision. The exchange of
queens leads to an unclear position
after 20 ...'ilib6 21 'ir'xb6 axb6 22
jixe8 .l:lxe8.
21 'il'xg6 'ii'a6!
Only with this far from obvious
move can White's attack be parried
and the material advantage retained.
Black must control the d3-square!
226 Chess Kaleidoscope
22 d6 c3 23 l:tael
The point of the move 2 1 . ..'ii'a6!
is revealed in the variation 23 �h6
lt:Jxh6 24 lt:Jg5 �d3 ! -+; or 23 lbh4
lbe5-+.
23.. ."ii'xa2!
24 �e7
On 24 �h6 I had prepared
24 . . .'ii'f7 ! and after 25 li'xg4
�xfl-+ Black wins.
24...�xfl 25 l:txfl
Again 25 lbg5 IS refuted by
25 . . .�d3 ! .
2 5...li'c4 26 l:te1 lDf2+ 27 �g1
li'f7
27 ...li'g4 ! 28 ltJg5 lt:Jh3+ is even
more accurate, concluding the strug­
gle immediately.
28 1t'c2
Or 28 li'x£7+ �x£7 29 �x£2
cxb2-+.
28 ... lt:Jh3+ 29 �h1 cxb2 30 liJh4
lt:Jf2+ 31 'it>g1 �d4 32 lt:Jr5 lt:Jd3+
33 �h1 'ii'xf5 0-1
98 Sicilian Defence [B8 1 ]
E.Gufeld White
G.Timoshchenko Black
Krasnoyarsk, 1 980
1 e4 c5 2 lt:Jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lt:Jxd4 lt:Jf6 5 lt:Jc3 d6 6 g4
In many reference books on the
openings Keres's move is given an
exclamation mark. However,
statistics from recent years show
that chessplayers increasingly try to
avoid making large commitments at
such an early stage of the game, pre­
ferring calmer continuations.
6 ll'lc6 7 g5 lt:Jd7 8 lt:Jdb5
..•
8 �e3 is played more often.
8 lt:Jb6 9 �f4 lt:Je5 10 'ii'h5 lt:Jg6
.••
l l �e3
Or 1 1 �g3 a6 1 2 lbd4 h6!+; after
1 1 �xd6? �xd6 1 2 l:td 1 0-0 1 3
l:txd6 'ii'e 7, the extra pawn does not
compensate for the defects of
White's position.
l l ... a6 12 ltJd4 �d7 13 f4 e5 14
fxe5 lt:Jxe5
On 14 ...dxe5 1 5 lLlf5 lDf4 1 6 'ii'f3 ,
White would acquire a substantial
opening advantage.
15 �h3?!
With this lunge White reveals his
aggressive intentions. It seems that
the exchange of light-squared bish­
ops will enable him to seize the
d5-point. But to be objective, we
should note that in White's camp
there are also weak points, for in­
stance the pawn on e4.
1 5 l:tc8
..•
Just in time. It was obvious that
White was intending to hide his
king on the queenside.
16 0-0
Not very comfortable, but better
than 16 0-0-0 l:txc3 ! 1 7 bxc3 lba4
and White would be facing
difficulties.
16 ... g6 17 'ii'h4 �g7 18 .i.xd7+
lt:Jexd7
In case of 1 8 ...'ii'xd7 the knight on
b6 would be undefended for a mo­
ment, and by playing 19 lt:Jf5 White
would gain a strong attack;
1 8 ...lt:Jbxd7 19 lt:Jd5 also leads to
White's advantage. The following
variation is noteworthy: 19 ...0-0 20
lDf6+ lt:Jxf6 21 gxf6 lt:Jd7 22 .i.g5
l:tc5 23 lbe6!.

19 l:tad 1 0-0 20 l:tf3 l:te8!
After this strong move, the posi­
tion is one of dynamic equality.
Less convincing is 20 ...h5 2 1 llJf5 !
gxf5 22 exf5; or 20 . .. llJc5 2 1 llJf5
with complications favourable for
White.
21 l:txf7!? 'it>xf7
That the position is approximately
equal is proved by the variations
following 2 1 . ..llJc4. I had the draw
in hand with 22 l:tdfl llJxe3 23
Sxg7+ 'it>xg7 24 l:tt7+ 'it>xt7 25
'iixh7+ and perpetual check. At any
rate, 2 l . ..llJc4, in my opinion, was
Black's best.
22 'ii'xh7 l:th8
22 ...llJf6 is quite cunning move:
23 gxf6? 'ii'xf6 24 l:tfl 'ii'xfl + 25
'5ti>xfl l:th8-+; however, White has
23 l:tfl llJbd7 24 gxf6 llJxf6 25 llJd5
l:th8 26 'ii'xg7+! '5ti>xg7 27 llJe6++.
Black's strongest move is 22 ...l:tg8 ! .
During the game I was contemplat­
ing the attack developing by way of
23 h4 or 23 llJd5. These lines were
not totally clear, but I had a con­
tinuation in reserve which guaran­
teed security for White: 23 l:tfl +
'it>e7 24 'ii'xg6 'ii'e 8 25 llJf5+ 'it>d8
26 'ii'xe8+ �xe8 27 llJxd6+ 'i;e7 28
llJxc8+ l:txc8 29 g6, etc.
23 l:tfl+
Chess Kaleidoscope 227
23 ...llJf6
I was ready for the move
23 ...'ii'f6, and now:
(a) 24 gxf6 llJxf6? (better
24 ...l:txh7 ! 25 fxg7+ 'i;xg7 and
Black is the exchange up) 25 l:txf6+
'i;xf6 26 e5+ dxe5 27 llJe4+ <:J;f7 28
llJd6+ 'i;f6 29 i.g5+ +-.
(b) The best reply is 24 'ii'xg7+! !
24 ...'5ti>xg7 25 gxf6+ llJxf6 (25 ... <:J;f7
26 llJf3 ! llJc4 27 llJg5+) 26 llJe6+
r:i;t7 27 llJg5+.
24 'ii'xg7+! 'it>xg7 25 llJe6+ ct>g8
On 25 ...'it>t7 26 llJxd8+ Black
loses all his cavalry; better 25 ...'i;h7
26 llJxd8 llJc4 27 llJxb7 llJxe3 28
l:txf6±.
26 llJxd8 llJfd7
Or 26 ... l:txd8 27 i.xb6.
27 llJf7!
As my opponent confessed after
the game, this was the move he had
not considered. (Instead, 27 llJxb7 is
met by 27 ... llJc4!) Now White, us­
ing minimal forces, creates a mating
net around the opponent's king.
27 ...llJc4
Or 27 ...l:th5 28 llJh6+ +-.
28 llJxh8 'it>xh8
Or 28 ... llJxe3 29 llJxg6!+-.
29 .i.d4+ ct>g8 30 llJdS!
Black could have resigned with a
clear conscience, but time trouble
was at hand!
228 Chess Kaleidoscope
30 ...�e8 3 1 �f4 4:Jd2 32 4:Jf6+
4:Jxf6 33 �xf6 �xe4 34 �xg6+ �f7
35 �f6+ �e7 36 c3 �g4+ 37 �f2
4:Je4+ 38 �f3 �h4 39 �g6
Better 39 �f41 l1:Jxg5+ 40 �g3
l:th5 4 1 �h4! reaching an easily
won endgame. (White should not go
after the piece: 4 1 �g4?! �xh2 42
�xg5 �xb2 allows Black to put up
resistance.) You always have an op­
portunity to lose if you wish: 39
�h6? l1:Jxg5+!-+.
39 d5 40 �g7+ �e6 41 �xb7
•..
�xh2
As the flag on my clock had
dropped, the arbiter told us to
adjourn.
42 g6?
I sealed a bad move. After 42
.l:tb6+! �f5 43 �e3 ! Black could
resign at once.
42 �f5! 43 �e3!
.••
If White isn't careful Black may
draw by perpetual: 43 g7 4:Jd2+ 44
�g3 (44 �e3 liJfl+ 45 �d3?? �d2
mate) 44 ...tt:Jfl + 4 5 �f3=. I had to
overcome quite a few difficulties to
win this game that was long since
won.
43 ...�h3+
43 . . . �xg6 44 �f4 ! would have
simplified White' s task.
44 �e2 �xg6 45 a4! �fS 46
�e7! �h2+ 47 �d3 �h3+ 48 �c2
�h2+ 49 �b3 4:Jd2+ 50 �b4 l1:Jc4!
51 b3 �b2 52 �a7! aS+
Or 52 ...4:Jd2 53 �xa6 4:Jxb3
(53 ... �xb3+ 54 �c5 l1:Je4+ 55 'iti>xd5
tt:Jxc3+ 56 'iti>c4+-) 54 �a3 �bl 5 5
�f6+ ! �e4 56 �b6+-.
53 �c5 �xb3 54 'iti>xdS 4:Jb6+ 55
�xb6 �xb6 56 �f7+ �g6 57 �fl
�b3 58 c4 �b4 59 cS �xa4 60 c6
�a2 61 �cl �d2+ 62 �cS 1-0
99 King's Indian Defence [E63]
E.Geller White
E.Gufeld Black
USSR Team Ch, Moscow 1981
1 4:J f3 4:Jf6 2 c4 g 6 3 4:Jc3 �g7 4
g3 0-0 5 �g2 d6 6 d4 4:Jc6 7 0-0 a6
8 h3 �b8 9 e4 bS
The idea of 9 e4 lies not only in
the occupation of the centre, but
also in the immediate advance
e4-e5. If Black tries to prevent this
with 9 . . . 4:Jd7, then 1 0 �e3 leads to
an advantage for White after either
1 0 ...4:Ja5 1 1 b3 c5 1 2 �cl b5 13
cxb5 axb5 14 dxc5 dxc5 1 5 e5 ! or
1 0 ... b5 1 1 cxb5 axb5 1 2 't!Vc l ! e5 13
� d 1 exd4 14 4:Jxd4 4:Jxd4 1 5 �xd4
�xd4 1 6 �xd4.
10 eS 4:Jd7!?
10 ...dxe5 1 1 dxe5 'fixd l 1 2 �xd l
4:Jd7 13 e6 fxe6 1 4 cxb5 axb5 1 5
4:Jg5 4:Jd4 gives equality.
1 1 e6!?
My opponent in this game is a
well-known King' s Indian specialist
like myself. So in this case he is
playing not only against me but
against himself too! The last move
is a new idea of his. It should be
noted that after 1 1 cxb5 axb5 1 2
exd6 cxd6 White already has to
fight for equality. That occurred in a
game in Moscow 1969, where I had
Black against that other brilliant
King's Indian specialist Leonid
Stein. Play continued 1 3 �g5 h6 14
�e3 b4 1 5 4:Jd5 �b7 1 6 �c l e6 17
4:Jf4 l1:Je7, and Black had an excel­
lent game.
In addition 1 1 l1:Jg5 has often been
seen, with the threats of 1 2 �xc6
and 1 2 e6. In reply, Black has two
reasonable possibilities: l l ... dxe5
1 2 �xc6 exd4, or 1 1 ...4:Jxd4 1 2
'ti'xd4 4Jxe5 1 3 't!Vh4 h 6 1 4 4Jge4

e6! 1 5 'ii'xd8 .l:f.xd8 with an unclear
position (Geller).
l l ... fxe6 12 d5 exd5!
Better than 1 2 ... lDa5 13 cxb5
exd5 14 lDd4 lDf6 1 5 lDxd5 axb5 1 6
.ltd2± as in Geller-Chiburdanidze,
USSR 198 1 .
13 cxd5
Not falling for 13 'ii'xd5+? e6 1 4
'ii'xc6 il.b7, and the queen is
trapped!
13 ...lDa5 14 lDd4 lDe5 15 b4! ?
The position o f the black knight
on e5 does not look too secure.
However, Black's strategy is aided
by a tactical device: 1 5 f4 c5 ! .
1 5...lDac4 1 6 f4
16...c5! 17 dxc6 lDxc6 18 lDxc6
1 8 .ltxc6 would also be answered
by 1 8 . ..'ii'b6 without check, but with
a dangerous pin.
18 ...'ii'b6+ 19 �h2 .ltxc3 20
lDxe7+ �h8 2 1 lDxc8
2 1 lt:ld5 'ii'd4 22 lDxc3 'ii'xc3 23
.l:f.b 1 .ltb7 leads to approximate
equality.
2 1 ... .!:1bxc8 22 .l:f.bl .l:f.ce8
It is this rook that must occupy
the e-file, since on 22 . . ..l:f.fe8 White
has 23 f5 ! . As a whole the position
may be evaluated as roughly level.
23 .l:f.b3 .ltg7 24 .l:f.d3 a5!
24 ....l:f.e7 is well answered by 25
.!:1e 1 ! .
Chess Kaleidoscope 229
25 bxa5 'ii'x a5 26 a3 .l:f.e7 27 .l:f.d5
.l:f.fe8
Black increases the tension;
27 ... lDe3 would only have led to
equality.
28 f5 .l:f.el
A typical time-trouble decision.
When short of time it is difficult to
refrain from such an apparently
spectacular invasion of the back
rank, expecially when it involves a
trap. The straightforward 28 ... gxf5
is simp ler and stronger.
29 'W!Vd3!
The only move, but quite ade­
quate. Naturally my very experi­
enced opponent did not fall into the
trap: 29 .l:f.xe 1 ? .l:f.xe 1 30 'ii'c2 'ii'b6
with decisive mating threats.
29 ...lDe5
On 29 ....l:f.xfl 30 'i!Vxfl , White has
the double threat of 3 1 'iixc4 and 3 1
f6.
30 .l:f.xel
Now that Black's rooks are split,
White can exchange one of them
off, relying on the pin of the knight.
Another possibility is 30 'ii'xb5
'iixb5 3 1 .l:f.xb5 l:txfl 32 .ltxfl lD£3+
33 �g2 lDd4 and White's position
is preferable.
30...'ii'x el 31 'ii'xb5 l:tc8
On 3 1 ... l:tf8, White would happily
go into an ending with 32 'ii'fl ! .
3 2 .ltf4 gxf5 33 l:txd6 lt:lg6!
Offering yet another pawn in re­
turn for activating his forces to the
maximum.
34 'ii'd 5
34 'ii'xf5 l:tf8 gives sharp play.
34 ...'ii'e7!
The only correct queen move.
34 ...lDxf4?? loses to 35 l:td8+.
35 .ltd2
Now the draw is obvious.
35 ... .lte5 36 l:td7 'ii'xa3 37 l:td8+
l:txd8 38 'ii'xd8+ 'ii'f8 1h-1h
230 Chess Kaleidoscope
1 00 Ruy Lopez [C92]
E.Gufeld White
H.Westerinen Black
Seville, 1 987
1 e4 e5 2 li:Jf3 li:Jc6 3 .li.b5 a6 4
.ta4 li:Jf6 5 0-0 .te7 6 l:te1 b5 7
.li.b3 0-0 8 c3 d6 9 h3 .te6
9 . . ..tb7 1 0 d4 l:te8 is popular
nowadays. But the move 9 ... .te6,
which leads to rather a passive but
stable position, used to be in the
repertoire of some famous GMs,
e.g. Botvinnik and Holmov.
10 d4
1 0 .txe6 promises nothing sub­
stantial for White: 1 O ... fxe6 1 1 d4
'ili'd7 1 2 dxe5 dxe5.
10. ...txb3 1 1 axb3
If 1 1 'ili'xb3, then 1 l .. .d5 is possi­
ble. The text move forces Black to
surrender the centre, in view of the
positional threat d4-d5 followed by
c3-c4.
l l .. exd4 12 cxd4 li:Jb4
.
It is unclear whether Black has
sufficient compensation for the
pawn in the variation 1 2 . . .d5 1 3 e5
t2J e4 1 4 li:Jc3 f5 1 5 exf6 .txf6!?
(after 1 5 ... li:Jxf6 1 6 .li.g5 ! the
position favours White) 1 6 lLlxe4
dxe4 1 7 l:he4 'ili'd5 1 8 l:tg4. I think
he has some compensation, but not
enough.
13 li:Jc3 c5 14 'ili'e2! ?
A new move. The continuations
1 4 dxc5 dxc5 and 1 4 d5 l:te8 have
been tried, but without very much
success for White.
14 ...l:te8?
The initial cause of Black's prob-
lems. Better 14 ...lLld7 1 5 dxc5 (or
1 5 e5 cxd4) 1 5 ...lLlxc5.
15 dxc5!
15 e5?! would have led to totally
unclear play: 1 5 ... .tf8 1 6 .tg5
cxd4.
15 ... dxc5 16 e5 li:Jfd5
16 ... li:Jd7 could be answered by
1 7 e6, but this may be premature, so
perhaps 1 7 l:td1 is stronger.
17 l:td1 'i'd7
What else?
18 li:Jxd5 li:Jxd5 19 'i'e4 li:Jf6
Black was fortunate to find even
this opportunity, because the pin is
very unpleasant. Instead 1 9 . . . li:Jc3
20 'ili'xh7+! loses material, while
1 9 . . .l:tad8 is bad too in view of 20
l:txa6. If 1 9 ... l:ted8, then 20 .tg5 !
looks excellent.
20 'i'c2
Still aiming at the h7-point!
20 ... li:Jd5 21 .tg5! 'ili'b7
2 l . ..f6 was more stubborn.
22 'i'e4!
The queen appears again on this
central square, this time with deci­
sive effect.
22 ... l:tad8 23 i.xe7 l:txe7
Now everything goes very
smoothly.
24 lt:Jg5 g6 25 'ili'h4 h5 26 lt:Je4
With the idea of 27 l:txd5 .
26 ...<.t>g7 27 li:Jd6
The black queen is obviouly
"overloaded", defending the rook
and the knight. This is why Black
has to shed the exchange.
27...l:txd6 28 exd6 l:te6 29 'i'g5
f5
29 . . .l:txd6 is bad on account ·of 30
'ili'e5+.
 Chess Kaleidoscope 231

30 ltxa6! develop the bishop on b7, thereby

Deflection. preparing the central counter-stroke
30 ...'iha6 31 d7 . . . c7-c5? No, that would be too
If you like maths, you will appre­ straightforward and primitive. At
ciate the subtle geometric patterns the same time as implementing your
{'ifd 1 -e2-e4-c2-e4-h4-g5). To figure own plan, you should try as far as
skating fans the queen's manoeu­ possible to prevent the realization of
vres might recall a graceful dance your opponent 's plans.
on the ice. 6... a6!
1-0 With the intention of meeting 7
ii'd2 with 7 . .. b5, counter-attacking
1 0 1 Pirc Defence [B08] against the pawn on e4.
M.Chandler White 7 a4
E.Gufeld Black This is just a small thing, but a
Wellington, 1 98 8 success for Black already: now
White will scarcely wish to castle
1 e4 d 6 2 d 4 lbf6 3 lbc3 g 6 4 lbt3 long.
.tg7 5 h3 7...b6
Chess incorporates elements of I don't know what the authors of
science and that means that strategi­ monographs on the Pirc Defence
cally speaking, some reliable laws would think about it, but I was satis­
can be stated. Of course, chess strat­ fied with the results of this particu­
egy is far from being just a code of lar opening dialogue.
laws ... but what are the principal 8 e5?!
laws, let us say, in the opening stage It seems this aggression in the
of the game? First, you must strive centre should not yield success for
to develop as quickly as possible the White, for his forces are not yet de­
forces to be used in the coming ployed to back it up. 8 �c4 was
middlegame. Does White's fifth possible: 8 ... e6 (aiming for ...d5) 9
move meet this requirement? Cer­ i.b3 .tb7, but not 8 ... i.b7 9 e5±.
tainly not. It is purely a prophylactic 8...lbfd7 9 e6
action which prepares the bishop's Chandler chooses an obscure
development on e3 (hardly its ideal path, because after 9 exd6 exd6 it is
square in any case), with subsequent unclear who should be thinking
queenside castling. But White, about equalizing; while on 9 �f4
whose initial superiority consists in c5 ! , the forthcoming crisis could not
having the first move, may claim benefit White who is behind in
that he has time for this kind of development.
build-up. •••9 fxe6 10 lbg5 lbf6 1 1 h4
5 0-0 6 �e3
.•. ·An attempt to fix the e6-pawn by
It should also be mentioned that 1 1 �c4 d5 12 �b3 would not suc­
the move 5 h2-h3 raises some ques­ ceed, for after 1 2 ...'ii'd6, followed
tions about the prospects of Black's by ... c7-c5 and ...lbc6, the strong
light-squared bishop. Evidently a potential of Black's centre would be
bright future awaits it not on the di­ mobilized.
agonal c8-h3, but on the main ..l l .c5
"highway" a8-h l . Should Black, There is a classic chess law that
then, play an immediate 6 ...b6 and states: "The opponent's aggressive
232 Chess Kaleidoscope

actions on the flank should be met lt::l g4-+. Also after 20 .tc4 l:rxb2
by active counterplay in the centre! " Black would in my opinion have a
1 2 h 5 cxd4 1 3 .txd4 decisive advantage.
20 i.d3! h6 21 lt::l ge4 l:rb8 22
0-0-0 4Jxc3 23 bxc3 �e5 24 .tc5
.tb7 25 .txe7 lt::lxd3+ 26 cxd3
l:rfc8
White's position is clearly
unenviable, but the GM from New
Zealand with the British passport is
known as a distinguished defender!
27 .td6! l:ra8
Here I hesitated. I wanted to sacri-
fice the exchange by 27 ... .txe4 28
.txb8 l:rxc3+ (not 28 ... .txg2? in
view of 29 l:rhg l .tf3 30 .teS±),
13 gxh5!
..•
but after 29 Wd2 l:rxd3+ 30 We2 I
It is obvious that by playing this could not find a way to strengthen
way Black is far from strengthening Black's position.
the defence of his monarch. But he 28 Wd2 .txe4 29 dxe4 l:rxc3 30
gains valuable time, and while llxh5!
White is defusing the mines on the My opponent is walking a tight­
king' s flank he will launch a rope over a ravine, but he keeps his
counter-attack. balance.
14 'iff3 30...llc4
14 l:rxhS looks formidable, but How I wished, after the game, that
Black has the cool reply 1 4 ... h6. I had played naturally and simply
White has no direct attack, while with 30 ...llac8! In analysis it was
Black's centre is ready to begin an clear that most variations led to a
irresistible advance. decisive advantage for Black. But
14 ... d5 15 'ii'e3 lt::lc6 later it was discovered that White
As chess reporters later wrote: could still have resisted by playing
"The opening duel ended in Black's his only good move, 3 1 l:raS ! ! . Of
favour." course, he would have had to find
16 .txb6 this beautiful move over the board.
Or 16 lt::lxe6 lt::lxd4 ! +. 31 'it>e3 llxa4 32 ltd3 ltd8
1 6...d4 At this stage both players were
I wonder whether I was right to moving quickly in time-trouble.
play this. 1 6 ...'ifd7 was quite possi­ 33 llc5 ltd7 34 l:rc6 'it>ti 35 l:rd2
ble. But now events develop h5 36 ltd3 .th6+ 37 'it>f3 'it>g6 38
forcefully. g3 .tg7 39 We3 Wti 40 .tf4 l:rxd3+
17 .txd8 dxe3 18 .tb6 exf2+ 19 41 Wxd3 l:ra3+ 42 We2 .td4 43
.txf2 lLld5?! ltd6 e5 44 .td2
But this is definitely wrong. A very interesting endgame has
19 ... l:rb8 ! was much stronger. If arisen. Which pawn should be left
then 20 b3? then 20 ...lt::lg4-+, or if on the board-the a-pawn or the h­
20 0-0-0? then 20 ... .th6 2 1 .te3 pawn? I reasoned like this: I have

the dark-squared bishop and the
a 1 -square is dark too, so I should
hang on to the a-pawn.
44 a5?
..•
It was necessary to stake every­
thing on the h-pawn! After
44 . . Jhg3 45 l:ha6 :g2+ 46 'it>d3
h4, there were good chances of
success.
45 :d7+!?
I did not see this move-or, to be
more precise, I did not understand
it. I only examined 45 :h6 a4 46
:xh5 :a2 (intending ... SLc3) 47
'it>d3 a3, and thought there was no
defence to the threat of 48 . . .:xd2+
and 49 . .. a2, seeing that 48 :h7+
'it>g8 ! would not help White-his
rook cannot be stationed on the
a7-square which is controlled by the
black bishop.
45 ...'it>e8
It turns out that after 45 ... 'it>e6 46
:h7 a4 47 :xh5 :a2 48 'it>d3 a3
White saves himself by 49 :h6+!
'it>d7 50 :a6. Alas the d4-bishop
does not control a6.
46 :h7 a4 47 :xh5 :xg3 48
:hs+ 'it>d7 49 :as a3 50 'it>d1 SLb2
51 'it>c2
An endgame with an extra
pawn-so close to the cherished
aim-has come about, but . . . the
black king is not able to cross the
barrier erected by the white pieces.
Chess Kaleidoscope 233
And without the aid of the king, all
the ambitious dreams of the black
pawn come to nothing.
51 ...'it>c6 52 %:ta6+ 'it>b5 53 %:ta5+
'it>c4 54 %:ta4+ 'it>b5 55 :as+ 'it>b6
56 :as %:th3 57 %:ta4 'it>b5 58 %:ta5+
'it>c4 59 %:ta4+ 'it>c5 60 :as+ 'it>b6
61 :as %:tf3 62 %:ta4 'it>b7 63 %:tb4+
'it>c6 64 :c4+ 'it>d7 65 %:ta4 %:tf2 66
:a6 %:tg2 67 'it>d1 'it>e8 68 :a7 %:tg3
69 Wc2
Grandmaster Chandler's resource­
fulness in the most difficult posi­
tions is masterly.
69 ... SLd4 70 %:ta6 'it>d7 71 SLb4
.li.b2 72 ..td2 rl;e7 73 :a7+ �f6 74
%:ta6+ 'it>f7 75 %:ta8 Wg7 76 :a6
%:th3 77 .li.b4 %:tf3 78 SLd6 %:te3 79
Wd2 :h3 80 Wc2 'it>f7 81 ..tb4 and
we agreed to a draw. 1h-1h
1 02 Ruy Lopez [C92]
E.Gufeld White
L.Christiansen Black
Wellington, 1988
1 e4 e5 2 tt:'Jf3 tl'Jc6 3 ..tb5 a6 4
..ta4 tt:'Jf6 5 0-0 ..te7 6 %:te1 b5 7
..tb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 tl'Jd7
This ancient variation, the main
idea of which is to give maximum
support to the pawn on e5, became
popular again in American tourna­
ments. American analysts have
given it a new, contemporary
interpretation.
10 d4 ..tf6 1 1 ..te3
1 1 a4 has been tried here dozens
of times.
l l tl'Ja5
...
Another possibility is l l ...tl'Jb6,
but after 12 tt:'Jbd2 White's position
is to be preferred.
12 ..tc2 tl'Jc4 13 ..tcl exd4! ?
This i s the method favoured by
the American researchers-the for­
mal surrender of the centre, and af­
terwards a counter-attack against it.
234 Chess Kaleidoscope
After 13 ... l:te8 1 4 b3 lDcb6
( 1 4 . . .lCJa5 is playable) 1 5 lDbd2,
White has the better chances.
14 cxd4 c5 15 lCJc3
In the Ruy Lopez if the white
knight gets an opportunity to jump
to such a rare and wonderful square,
situated almost in the centre, then it
should not think twice about doing
so.
15 ...i.b7
16 b3!
The most thematic way-perhaps
the only one-to struggle for an
opening advantage. But events will
now assume a forcing character, and
White will have to sacrifice a pawn
to keep the initiative.
16 cxd4 17 lCJxd4 'iVa5!?
..•
The attempt to restore this ancient
variation is connected with this
peculiar queen sortie.
1 8 bxc4!
1 8 lDce2 is not in the spirit of the
position; after 1 8 ... lCJa3 ! Black' s
game i s only to be envied.
18 .'ii'xc3 19 i.e3 'ilfxc4
•.
1 9 . . .bxc4 20 l:tb l is worse, as the
defects of Black's position are
scarcely counterbalanced by his
small material plus.
20 i.b3 'ifc7?!
The desire of the black queen to
hide herself in her own camp is
quite understandable, but at the
same time White gains crucial time
for expanding the potential of his
pieces. After the game the American
GM suggested it might be more sen­
sible to move the queen to b4.
21 l:tc1 "ifb8
After 2 1 ...lCJc5 22 iDf5 l:tfd8 23
i.d4 ! Black is in trouble; while if
2 1 .. .'iid8 22 iDf5 i.xe4 23 iDxd6
i.g6, White has 24 iDb7 'ife7 25
l:tc7+-.
22 lt:'lf5 i.xe4 23 lt:'lxd6 i.g6 24
i.d5!
If 24 f4, then 24 ... i.e7 ! .
24...lt:'le5
In this particular situation the
rook is "poisoned". After 25 i.xa8?
'Wxa8 the advantage is with Black,
who has two powerful bishops and,
as further compensation, an enemy
knight caught in a spider's web.
Therefore:
25 lCJe4! i.xe4?!
25 .. J:td8 is stronger, not fearing
26 iDxf6+ gxf6 when the d3-square
in White's camp caves in. In the
case of 26 'ifb3 Black would part
with the exchange, perhaps in a bet­
ter way than in the game.
26 �xe4
Black faces a dilemma. For which
of the bishops should he give up the
rook? But whatever his decision is,
White's advantage is obvious.
26 l:ta7 27 i.xa7 'Wxa7 28 'i'c2
..•
g6
For White, the game enters the
stage of realizing his material supe­
riority. Task number one is to ex­
change queens.
29 'i/c7 'Wd4 30 l:tcd1 1i'a4 31
i.d5 'Wf4
With the small threat of
32 ...lCJf3+.
32 'ifc2 �g7 33 'ii'e4 'Wxe4 34
i.xe4 lCJc4
The first stage is successfully
completed. The second part of the

plan is to weaken the black pawns
on the queenside, shaking the foun­
dations of the knight on c4.
35 .ltb7 aS 36 .l:[dS! b4 37 .l:[e4!
.l:[bS
There is nothing better.
38 .l:[xc4 .l:[xb7 39 .l:[xaS b3 40
axb3 .l:[xb3
To achieve victory now, it is nec­
essary and sufficient to exchange
the rooks-but Black understands
this too. The final, purely technical
stage of the game is just beginning.
There is no need to hurry.
41 g3 hS 42 .l:[a7 .ltd8
The most vulnerable point m
Black's camp is the f7-p awn.
43 .l:[d7 .l:[bS 44 'it'g2 .ltf6 45
.l:[cc7 .l:[f8
White's plan is to smoke the
Black rook out of the 8th rank and
threaten it with exchange. I decided
for the time being-until the time
control-to do nothing, just mark
time, and afterwards to analyse the
game in the seclusion of my hotel
room.
46 �f3 .lteS 47 .l:[b7 .ltc3 48 �e4
.ltel 49 �e3 .ltc3 50 �d3 .ltel 51
.l:[b2 .l:[cS 52 .l:[e7 .ltaS 53 .l:[bb7 .l:[f8
54 �c4 �f6 55 .l:[ed7 .ltel 56 .l:[b6+
�g7 57 .l:[b2 :es 58 �d3 :as 59
.l:[c2 .l:[a6
A pleasant surprise for White: the
rook voluntarily ( ! ) leaves the back
rank.
Chess Kaleidoscope 235
60 l:.e7 .ltaS 61 �e2 .l:[f6
There is no going back: 6 1 . . .:a8
62 .l:[a2 decides.
62 �fl .ltb6 63 �g2 .l:[fS
The black rook feels crowded.
64 .l:[b7 .ltd4 65 .l:[b4 .ltf6 66 .l:[c7
..tdS 67 .l:[d7 ..tf6
Where else is the bishop to go? If
67 . . . .lta5, then 68 .l:[b3 .lte1 69
.l:[f3+-. Now at last, the pawn which
was getting tired of waiting receives
its call to advance.
68 g4! hxg4 69 hxg4 :es 70
.l:[bb7 gS 71 .l:[xfi+ �g6 72 �f3
.l:[e6 73 .l:[fd7 .l:[a6 1-0
1 03 Pirc Defence [B09]
I.Rogers White
E.Gufeld Black
Canberra, 1 988
1 e4 d6 2 d4 lLlf6 3 lbc3 g6 4 f4
.ltg7 5 .ltd3
In the Three Pawns Attack I am
used to White first developing his
knight to f3, and then afterwards his
bishop to d3. The transposition here
made me wonder: "What is this
for?" Soon it became clear to me
that in this straightforward way the
Australian GM wanted to exclude
the variation 5 4Jf3 c5 6 dxc5 'ifa5,
when the threat 7 ...4Jxe4 means that
White can't continue eating pawns.
5 ... 4Jc6!
Now the pawn on e4 is supported
by the bishop, so that after 5 ... 0-0?!
6 4Jf3 Black would be forced to
seek out new methods of struggling
against his opponent's aggression.
In the 5 lbf3 variation the text move
would look clumsy, for after 6 d5
Black would have to lose valuable
time with his knight.
6 4Jf3
This time, in the case of 6 d5 lbb4
(an experimental but rather curious
continuation would be 6 ...4Jd4! ?),
236 Chess Kaleidoscope
the "knight errant" is ready to de­
stroy the opponent's bishop. If the
latter moves, Black has comfortable
play, for instance 7 .lte2 0-0 or 7
.ltc4 c6.
6 e5 promises nothing good for
White: after 6 ... dxe5 7 fxe5 (or 7
dxe5) 7 ...lbd5, Black has good
prospects.
6 ... .ltg4 7 .lte3
Better 7 e5 dxe5 8 dxe5 lbd5=.
7 e5 8 dxe5
..•
My opponent apparently did not
like continuations such as 8 d5 exf4
9 .ltxf4 lbd4, or 8 fxe5 dxe5 9 d5.
8...dxe5 9 �b5
An ingenious attempt to struggle
for the initiative. 9 f5? ! would be
unsuccessful because of 9 ... gxf5 ! 1 0
exf5 lbdS+.
9 ...exf4 10 'ifxd8+ l:txd8 1 1
.ltxc6+
As a player who is fond of bish­
ops, I would prefer 1 1 .ltxf4.
ll . bxc6 12 �xf4 0-0 13 h3?
..
Apparently it would be out of the
question to speak of an advantage
for White after 1 3 .ltxc7 l:td7 (in­
tending ...l:tf8-e8). But this (or 1 3
0-0) is the continuation that should
have been chosen.
13 ... .ltxf3!
It seems that this exchange was a
surprise for my opponent, but in this
situation my affection for bishops
was transformed into an affection
for the initiative.
14 gxf3 lbh5 15 .Jid2
When offering the pawn sacrifice
I had not yet made up my mind how
I would continue after 1 5 .ltxc7 l:td7
1 6 .lth2. Black has the pleasant
choice between 1 6 .. . l:tfd8 with a
subsequent invasion of the seventh
rank, and 1 6... f5 with a powerful
initiative. Understanding this, White
prepares to evacuate his king to the
queenside.
15 f5 16 0-0-0 fxe4 17 fxe4
.•.
l:tf3! !
The coordination o f White's
pieces is ruined by this action of the
black rook.
1 8 h4
Trying to free the rook from the
function of guarding the pawn. In
the case of 1 8 l:tdfl l:td£8 1 9 l:txf3
l:txf3, White faces no fewer
difficulties.
18 lbg3 19 l:the1
..•
19 ...1:txd2! !
No, this combination does not
yield any material goods for Black,
nor does it lead to a formidable at­
tack. But after the forced exchanges
an endgame with minimum forces
comes about, and White finds him­
self literally paralysed. I confess I
made this move with peculiar pleas­
ure ...
20 l:txd2
Not 20 Wxd2? .lth6+ -+.
2o .lth6 21 'it>d1
••.
The threat was 2 l . . .lbfl .
2 1 .ltxd2 22 Wxd2 Wti! 23 e5
.•.
The last chance: White is ready to
give up the pawn on h4, hoping to
transfer his rook to the queenside.
23 l:tf4! 24 e6+ 'it>e7 25 l:te5
•.•
l:tf5!
25 ...l:txh4?! is met by 26 l:ta5.
26 l:te1 l:tf4 27 l:te5 l:tf5 28 l:te1
l:th5! 29 b4

Or 29 .l:tg1 lDf5 30 .l:tg4 .l:txh4-+.
29 ... .l:txh4 30 b5 .l:td4+ 31 <itcl
3 1 We3 is followed by 3 1 ...lDf5+.
Note how well coordinated the
black pieces are.
3 1 ...h5 32 bxc6 a6! 33 .l:te5 lDf5!
34 lDe2
Also losing was 34 lDd5+ Wd6 3 5
e7 lDxe7 36 .l:txe7 .l:txd5-+.
34 ....l:tc4-+ 35 Wd2 Wf6 36 .l:ta5
lbc6 37 lDf4 h4 38 c3 lDe7 39 'it>c2
.l:td6 40 .l:tc5 .l:tc6 41 .l:ta5 .l:td6 42
ltc5 c6 43 .l:ta5 lDd5 44 lDh3 .l:txe6
45 Wd2 lDxc3 46 lDf4 lDe4+ 47
'it>e3 .l:te8 48 'it>f3 g5 49 lDh3 'it>g6
50 .l:txa6 Wh5 51 Wg2 g4 52 lDf4+
'it>g5 53 lDd3 h3+ 54 '>t>h2 .l:td8 55
.:la3 Wh4 56 Wgl c5 57 lDel .l:tdl
58 .l:te3 lDg5 59 'it>t2 g3+ 60 wn
'it>g4 61 .l:te8 g2+ 62 'it>f2 gl=�+ 63
Wxgl .l:txel + 0-1
This victory, achieved in the final
round, enabled me to become the
winner (with US GM Larry Chris­
tiansen) of the international tourna­
ment held in the Australian capital.
1 04 Sicilian Defence [B70]
J.Benjamin White
E.Gufeld Black
New York Open, 1 989
1 e4 c5 2 lDf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lDxd4 lDf6 5 lDc3 g6 6 .i.c4 i.g7 7
h3 0-0 8 lDf3
In the Dragon Variation, if White
avoids the theoretical dispute, he
cannot count on obtaining an
opening advantage-as this game
demonstrates.
8 ... lDbd7 9 0-0 a6 10 a4 b6 1 1
'ii'e2 .i.b7 1 2 i.f4 �c7
The piece pressure doesn't bother
Black too much. The f4-square
should be occupied by a white
pawn, when Black would seriously
have to reckon with the break e4-e5.
13 .l:tfel e6
Chess Kaleidoscope 237
A move with a long-term objec­
tive, though its immediate aim is to
control the d5-point.
14 .l:tadl lDe5 15 i.b3
After 1 5 lDxe5 dxe5 Black's dou­
bled pawns are not a weakness at
all, but on the contrary a strength:
they form a barrier against the oppo­
nent's pieces in the centre.
1 5. ..li:Jfd7 1 6 lDd2
Continuing to regroup his pieces .
The attempt to pressurize the
d6-pawn with 1 6 �d2? ! promises
nothing good: 1 6 ... lDxf3+ 1 7 gxf3
lDe5.
16...lDc5 17 i.e3 .l:tad8 18 .i.g5?!
The New York grandmaster's per­
sistent refusal to advance f2-f4
scarcely deserves imitation.
18 ....l:td7 19 'ii'e3?! d5!
Obviously my colleague underes­
timated the force of this break in the
centre.
20 exd5 exd5 2 1 'ii'g3 lDe6! 22
h4 lDxg5 23 hxg5
Here I felt that the "King's In­
dian" bishop was starting to breathe
easily and freely-his opposite
number has disappeared from the
board.
23 ....l:tfd8 24 lDfl
24 ...'it>f8!
You will no doubt agree that this
move is far from obvious. Covering
the squares e7 and e8, the king
238 Chess Kaleidoscope
heads towards the centre in readi­
ness for an endgame. At the same
time he is politely offering his
opponent a "tidbit"-an unprotected
pawn.
25 'it'h4 lt:Jc4! 26 it.xc4 'it'xc4 27
'ii'xh7
This is what I had been dreaming
of! It was as though the perfidious
black king had made a secret date
with the white queen. Such meet­
ings do not always end happily. But
I am sure that my monarch here felt
only the most positive emotions.
27 ... 'it'g4 28 l:.d3 'it'xg5
I considered 28 ...d4 here too, but
the situation after 29 l:.g3 'i*'fS 30
lt:Je2 Wxc2 31 lt:Jf4 (threatening 32
lt:JhS) seemed to me, at the least,
unclear.
29 l:.h3 d4! 30 lt:Je4 'ife5 3 1 lt:Jfd2
d3!
Not only bishops, but rooks too
need space. Black goes into action
against the enemy king.
32 lt:Jf3 'it'xb2 33 cxd3 l:.xd3 34
lt:Jeg5 l:.d1 35 l:.xd1 l:.xdl+ 36 �h2
'ilfxf2
At this moment mutual time­
trouble demanded swift reactions
. from both of us.
37 lt:Jxfi
37 lt:Je6+ would have led to a cu­
rious finale, for example: 3 7 ... fxe6
38 'it'xg6 it.eS+! 39 lbxeS 'ir'gl + 40
�g3 it'xg2+ 4 1 �h4 'it'xh3+! (but
not 4 1 . ..l:.d4+? 42 lt:Jg4) 42 �xh3
l:.h1 + 43 �g4 l:.g 1 + -+.
37 ... it.xf3! 38 l:.xf3 'Wgl+ 39
�g3
39 �h3 'i*'h l +.
39 ... 'ifel+ 40 �g4 l:.d4+ 41 �g5
'it'e7+ 42 �xg6 'i*'e6+ 43 �g5 'it'g4
mate.
Making this move, in the thick of
the struggle, I said to my opponent:
"Excuse me, but if I am not
mistaken, you are checkmated."
0•1
1 05 Sicilian Defence [B66)
E.Gufeld White
M.Chiburdanidze Black
Kuala Lumpur, 1 994
1 e4 c5 2 lt:Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lt:Jxd4 lt:Jf6 5 lt:Jc3 lt:Jc6 6 it. g5 e6 7
'it'd2 a6 8 0-0-0 h6 9 it.f4 it.d7 10
it.g3 l:.c8 1 1 lt:Jb3 b5
Maya played this move aggres­
sively, knowing that I had been
playing badly in the tournament so
far. However, I have taught Maya
that a player with poor results in the
crosstable is not "dead" but only
"wounded"-and sometimes a
wounded animal is more dangerous!
12 it.xd6! b4 13 it.xf8 bxc3 14
'ii'xc3 l:.xf8 15 �xa6 l:.b8 16 lt:Jc5
'ii'b 6
After the game Maya said she
thought 1 6 ... 'if c7 was better, but I
demonstrated that after 17 lt:Jxd7
lt:Jxd7 1 8 a4 l:.b6 1 9 �bS± Black
has problems.
17 l:.d6 it.c8 18 .i.e2 'ii'c7 19
l:.hd1 lt:Jb4 20 'ii'e5
Just look! White is almost win­
ning. I overheard my white pieces
quoting the Russian Marshal Suvo­
rov to their opponents: "Victory is
achieved not with numbers but with
skill !"
20...l:.b7!?

Refusing to resign, Black can only
resort to ugly moves like this. If she
tries 20 ...lbd7, then 2 1 .l:txe6+ fxe6
(or 2 l ...�d8 22 .l:ted6+-) 22 �h5+
�e7 23 'ilfxg7+ and mates.
21 c3?!
Now it is my turn to make an
"ugly" move. Of course 2 1 a3
would have won outright. However,
I saw 2 l ...lbxc2 which would have
complicated matters, though White
would still have many possibilities
to win.
2 1 . ..lbxa2+ 22 �b1 .l:ta7 23 �c4
�e7
During the game I was more
_
afraid of 23 ... lllxc3+!? but White
can still win: 24 bxc3 �e7 25
lbxe6 ! 1Wh7+ 26 �cl .l:tal +
(26 . . .'ilfxe4 27 'ilfc5+-) 27 �c2
'ilfxe4+ 28 'ilfxe4 lbxe4 29 .l:txa l
lbxd6 30 .l:ta7+!+-.
24 �xa2
Another winning line is 24 lbxe6!
lbxc3+ 25 �c2 lbg4 26 "ii'xg7 .l:tg8
27 'illxg8+-.
24....l:td8
FIDE President Campomanes was
watching, and afterwards suggested
24 .. .'ii'a 5 with the idea of 25 �b3
lbxe4! 26 'ii'xe4 'ii'x c5. However,
we agreed that after 27 .l:tc6 White
should win.
25 lbxe6??
White would win outright with 25
�xe6 fxe6 26 lllxe6+-.
Chess Kaleidoscope 239
25...�xe6 26 �xe6 .l:txd6 27
�f5+
After the greedy 27 �xfl+??
�xfl 28 'illxd6 'illc4 Black would
have the advantage.
27....l:te6
In time pressure I overlooked this.
28 'ii'xc7+ .l:txc7 29 �xe6 �xe6
30 f3 lbe8 31 �c2 lbd6 32 b3?
In spite of my mistakes I might
still have had winning chances with
32 b4 ! .
32 f5
.••
I had to accept the draw proposed
by Maya. In any case, my inspira­
tion was depleted after the unfortu­
nate 25 lbxe6??
1/z-lh
1 06 Petroff Defence [C43]
E.Gufeld White
L.Sokolin Black
New York City, 1 996
1 e4 e5 2 lbf3 lbf6 3 d4 lbxe4 4
i.d3 d5 5 lbxe5 lbd7
The modem move! Instead,
5 ...i.d6 6 lbd2 i.xe5 7 dxe5 tileS 8
lbb3 lbxd3+ 9 'ii'xd3 0-0 1 0 0-0
lbc6 1 1 i.f4 was Gufeld-Kochiev,
USSR 1 979.
6 lbf3!?
Strange as it may seem, this was a
novelty! Theory considered 6 lbxd7
i.xd7 7 0-0, or complications with 6
lllxfl �xfl 7 'ii'h5+ �e6! , but
White doesn't really want an
exchange of pieces that would give
up his original "advantage of the
m.ove".
6 ... i.d6 7 0-0 0-0 8 c4 c6 9 lbc3
lbxc3 10 bxc3 dxc4 1 1 i.xc4 lbb6
1 2 �b3
White maintains a small
advantage.
1 2...i.g4 13 'ii'd3 i.h5
Or 13 ...'ii'c7 14 h3 i.h5 1 5 lbh4 ! ?
with the idea o f 1 6 'ii'f5, when
Black will have problems.
240 Chess Kaleidoscope

14 �gS?! 26 ...a5 ! ! and White has a problem

14 c4 ! �g6 1 5 �c3, intending 1 6. escaping from the pin: 27 'iii>f l e5 ! .
�b2±. 2 6 dxeS d 4 2 7 tt::ld 6
14 �c7 1 5 llfel!? llae8
••. Forced moves follow.
Maybe Black is afraid to play ... 27 dxc3
•••

llfe8 because the pawn on f7 always 27 ...d3 28 e6 d2 29 e7+-.

needs attention. If 1 5 . . .i.xf3 1 6 28 e6 llb8 29 e7 �c6 30 llcl c2
'ii'x f3 �xh2+ 1 7 'iii>h 1 �d6 1 8 lle4, Black had set high hopes on this
White has compensation for the move.
pawn. 31 'iii>h 2! llbl 32 e8='iW+ �xe8 33
16 h3 lt:JdS= llxc2 llb8
1 6 ...j(_g6 1 7 �d2 i.e4 1 8 lt:Je5 ! 33 ... �d7 34 llc7 �e6 35 lle7+-.
�xe5 1 9 dxe5 'ifxe5 ( 1 9 ...llxe5 20 34 ltc7 a6 35 g4
�f4) 20 f3. After 35 lt:Jxe8 llxe8, Black has
17 lt:Jh4 �f4 chances to draw the rook and pawn
1 7 ...lt:Jf4 1 8 �xf4 �xf4 1 9 �f5± ending.
g6 20 'ilff6, aiming for g2-g4. 35 �b5
.•.

18 �xf4 �xf4 Usually rook and bishop are

1 8 ... 4Jxf4 1 9 'ilfd2 ( 1 9 �f5 �g6 stronger than rook and knight in an
20 lt:Jxg6 hxg6 2 1 li'c2=) 1 9 ... lle2! ending, so White must play actively.
20 ltxe2 lt:Jxe2+ 2 1 'iii>h 1 (2 1 �fl ?? 36 'iii>g3 �d3 37 'iii>f4 h6 38 h4
�h2-+) 2 1 .. .lle8 22 lle1 li'e7-+. On 38 llc8+?! llxc8 39 lt:Jxc8
19 g3 �f6 20 �xd5 cxd5 21 �fS g5+! Black has good drawing
I thought, "Against young play­ chances.
ers, go straight into an endgame." 38... �bl 39 a3 llb6 40 lt:Je8 llb3
(IM Sokolin was 29 when this game 41 lt:Jxg7 llxa3 42 tt::lfS lla4+ 43
was played.) 'iii>eS hS 44 f3! hxg4 45 fxg4 'iii>h 8
2 1..J!fxf5 22 lt:JxfS 46 lt:Jh6!+- aS 47 hS llb4 48 lla7
The endgame is better for White a4 49 'iii>f6 �d3
because Black's pieces are With the idea of ...llb6+ and
uncoordinated! .. J:ta6.
22... �f3 50 lt:Jti+ 'iii>h7 51 lt:JgS+ 'iii>h6
How can Black defend against
White's next?
23 lt:Jd6 lte6! 24 ltxe6!
If 24 lt:Jxb7?! llfe8, Black more or
less has compensation: not 25
'iii>f l?? �g2+.
24...fxe6 25 lt:Jxb7
25 lle 1 would also be a good
move.
25 e5
.••

25 . . . llb8 26 llb 1 (26 lt:Jc5 llb2 27

lt:Jd3 llc2 28 llb 1 llxc3? 29 ltb8+
'iiffl 30 lt:Je5+ + -. Black should play
28 ...h6 or 28 ... h5, but White would
still have a considerable advantage) 52 lth7+! �xh7 53 lt:Jti mate.

Miniatures, Mini-Ideas,
Maxi-Effects
Miniatures, the reader will say,
are games with a small number of
moves, aren't they? Yes, but I am
going to suggest something else.
The point is not at all in the number
of moves made. Sometimes the out­
come of the struggle is decided by a
single, even small, idea. If you have
an idea in mind, that already means
something. Try to act on it and your
labour will be justified.
Here are a few instances in which
mini-ideas brought about maxi­
effects.
1 07 Vienna Game [C27]
E.Gufeld White
U.Tarve Black
Tallinn, 1 969
1 e4 e5 2 ll'lc3 ll'lf6 3 �c4 ll'lxe4 4
'iWhS
4 ll'lxe4 d5; 4 �xt7+ �xt7 5
ll'lxe4 d5 6 'ir'f3+ �g8 7 ll'lg5 'ii'd 7.
4 li:'ld6 5 �b3 �e7 6 li:'lf3 0-0?
.•.
A move which had been consid­
ered playable before this game. The
right resp onse is 6 ... ll'lc6 7 ll'lxe5
0-0 (7 ... tt:Jxe5? 8 'ii'xe5 0-0 9 li:'ld5
�e8 10 0-0 �f8 1 1 �f4, Alekhine­
Euwe, match 1 935) 8 ll'ld5 li:'ld4.
7 h4!
Keep in mind that each tempo is
now worth its weight in gold. I de­
cided to keep my king in centre and
launch an immediate attack.
7 ll'lc6
••.
On 7 ... g6 White would play 8
ifxe5 �f6 9 'ii'f4 �e8+ 1 0 �fl
�g7 1 1 d4 ll'lc6 1 2 h5 with a strong
attack.
Chess Kaleidoscope 241
8 ll'lg5 h6 9 'ii'g6! �xg5 10 hxg5
'ikxg5 1 1 ifxg5 hxg5 12 d3
Black has managed to trade
queens, but is still under pressure.
12 ll'lf5
.•.
1 2 ... li:'ld4 1 3 li:'ld5 ! threatening
ll'le7 mate.
13 �xg5 ll'lcd4 14 ll'ld5! ll'lxb3
Has Black escaped danger?
1 5 ll'lf6+! !
He would answer 1 5 axb3?! with
1 5 ... f6, and the worst is behind him:
16 ll'lxc7 �b8 17 �d2 a6 1 8 �b4
d6 1 9 g4 li:'ld4.
15 gxf6 16 �xf6 ll'lg7 17 axb3
.•.
Black is a piece up, but he is com­
pletely helpless against the simple
plan of doubling rooks on the h-file.
17 ... �e8 18 g4!+-
If 1 8 �a4 then 18 . . . e4! but not
1 8 ... �e6? 1 9 �ah4+-.
18 ...�e6 19 g5 b6 20 �e2! e4
20 ... �b7 2 1 f3 ! .
2 1 d4 e3 2 2 f3 d 5 23 �h4 �a6+
24 c4!
24 �xa6 was possible, but why
waste time?
24 ...dxc4 25 �ah1 1-0
242 Chess Kaleidoscope
1 08 King's Indian Defence [A36]
B.Gurgenidze White
E.Gufeld Black
Kirovobad, USSR, 1 973
1 c4 g6 2 �c3 jtg7 3 g3 c5 4
.tg2 �c6 5 l:.b1
White intends to launch an offen­
sive on the queenside. His plan is to
play a2-a3 and b2-b4. Note how the
lines of action of the rook on b 1 and
the bishop on g2 intersect at the
b7-point. The classical laws of chess
strategy teach us that counter­
actions must be carried out in the
centre: ... �g8-f6, . . . e7-e6, . . . d7-d5.
5 �f6 6 a3 aS
•••
Slightly slowing White down.
7 �h3?!
An original and concealed idea
connected with his 5th move.
Thinking over the position I figured
he was going to transfer this knight
via f4 to d3 to support b2-b4 and
also attack cS with tempo. In gen­
eral, if one can figure out the oppo­
nent's plans then half the work is
done. Since the best defence is the
counterattack, it became clear to me
that Black had to go into action
either in the centre or on the
kingside. I decided on the latter.
7 h5! 8 �f4 h4 9 �d3 d6 1 0 b4
.••
cxb4 1 1 axb4
A crucial moment. White has car­
ried out his plan and now Black
must continue his. A small idea oc­
curred to me-to drive a wedge into
the enemy camp and base my subse­
quent play on this "foothold". The
trouble for White is that his king
cannot remain in the centre for long.
He wants to castle short, but. . .
l l .. h3! ! 12 .t f3 �d4
. Master Goh. During our game it oc­
Exchanging an important body­
guard of His Majesty.
13 bxa5 �xf3+ 14 exf3 d5!
The thrust in the centre is now
possible.
15 0-0 0-0 16 cxd5 �xd5 17
�xd5 'ifxd5 18 �f4 'ifxa5 19 jtb2
jLfS 20 .txg7 <li>xg7 21 l:.xb7
White has won the b7-pawn, the
dream of his opening scheme, but
now Black's mini-idea begins to
work . . .
21...e5 2 2 �e2 .td3 23 l:.b3
23 l:.el 'ifdS 24 l:.b3 .txe2! 25
l:.xe2 'iVxb3 ! 26 'ii'xb3 .:tal + +-.
23 'ii' d 5! 24 �c3 'ii'c6 25 l:.e1
.•.
25 l:.a1 ! !
•••
A lethal blow based o n the deflec­
tion theine.
26 �b1
26 'ilkxal 'ilkxf3 leads to mate-the
triumph of the mini-idea conceived
on the 1 1 th move.
26 jtc2!
••.
White was hoping for 26 .. J�xb1
27 l:.xb 1 .txb 1 28 'ifxb 1 'iix f3 29
'ii'e4! .
0-1
In 1 99 1 I played a simultaneous
match with clocks against a Malay­
sian team. One of my opponents
was the country's ex-champion
curred to me to make a move that
completely changed the theory of a
variation of Alekhine's Defence.
 Chess Kaleidoscope 243

1 09 Alekhine Defence [B05] l l lZJc4! b5

E.Gufeld White
C.Goh B/ack
Penang, 1 99 1
1 e4 tlJf6 2 e5 tlJd5 3 d4 d6 4
4Jf3 i.g4 5 i.e2 c6 6 0-0!
Strange though it may seem, this
natural move has a bad reputation.
Opening manuals recommend 6
lZJg5 here, maintaining that it is the
only way to keep the initiative. This
may be true if the bishops are ex­
changed, but if the black bishop re­
treats to f5 things are not so simple.
I prefer to castle safely rather than
move a developed piece twice in the
openmg.
6 ... i.xf3 7 .i.xf3 dxe5 8 dxe5 e6
9 lLld2!
Black provokes a cnsts, seeing
that 1 l ...i.e7 would be met by 1 2
4Jd6+ .i.xd6 1 3 exd6 and the d6
pawn cannot be captured because of
c2-c4. On l l ... tt:J7b6 Kasparov
thinks White can sacrifice the
c-pawn with 1 2 lZJd6+ i.xd6 13
exd6 'i'xd6 1 4 c4! lLlxc4 1 5 'ii'd4. I
prefer 1 2 'i'e2 and White has the
two bishops and some space
advantage.
12 .i.xd5! cxd5
1 2 ...bxc4 1 3 i.xc4 lZ:\xe5 14 i.f4
i.d6 1 5 i.xe5 i.xe5 1 6 'i!Vh5 i.xb2
1 7 %lxe6+ Wf8 1 8 %lxc6 'ii'e7 1 9
%ld1 favours White.
13 4Jd6+ .i.xd6
• � �e � ��
��.�� �� r.- - -�.
- - .t �� .t
.... .

- �f'� -
� .t • .t �m •
• • • •
'���m
.D.
'��
� -
�- - --��
.D.
�·�
�
����� �
�
�----��
��m �----�
� �m
.D.
t::!}, M tB �� ��
14 'i'xd5! ! l:tc8
14 ... exd5 1 5 exd6+ Wd8 1 6
Pursuing the idea begun by the dxc7+ Wxc7 17 %le7+-.
6th move. Previous theory had as­ 15 exd6 'ii'c4
sessed Black's position favourably, No matter where Black moves his
claiming that the e5-pawn is a queen, he is in trouble: 1 5 ...'i'xc2
weakness rather than a strength. The 1 6 %lxe6+! fxe6 1 7 'ili'xe6+ Wf8 1 8
knight's manoeuvre targets the .i.g5 lLlf6 1 9 d7+-; or 1 5 ...'ii'c6 1 6
d6-point, and Black proves to have %lxe6+! fxe6 1 7 'W!Vxe6+ Wf8 1 8
no reliabl� counterplay. .i.g5 lLlf6 1 9 i.xf6 gxf6 20 'ii'e7+
9 ...4Jd7 10 %le1 'ii'c 7 Wg8 2 1 d7+-.
It might have been better to re­ 16 'ii'b7 'ilr'c6 17 'ii'xa7 0-0 18
frain from this natural move, but .i.f4 %lfd8 19 %lad1 4Jb6 20 c3 1-0
then the e5-pawn together with the
two bishops would have invalidated White' s 1 4th move may be con­
Black's plan initiated by the ex­ sidered not just as a single-move
change on f3 . novelty but as a new plan leading to
244 Chess Kaleidoscope
the reappraisal of a position that was
long thought to favour Black. The
game appeared in Informator with
the key position diagrammed, and
was highly esteemed: the move 14.
'ii'xd5 was printed at the head of the
game and marked: N,****
I was jubilant. I wanted to go
straight to a supermarket and buy a
bottle of cognac with the same num­
ber of stars. I was positive that I was
a prize contender for the best theo­
retical novelty (to be announced in
the following volume), and that the
game would be listed among the
thirty best of its half-year. Yet in the
next volume it was not mentioned at
all, because ... it had been played in
a "simul".
Strange! This is like rejecting
Newton' s law of gravitation just be­
cause it occurred to him under a tree
in the garden instead of in a labora­
tory. According to this logic we
should not recognize Archimedes'
principle, because bitter tongues al­
lege that his inspired idea-Eureka!
--dawned on him as he was taking a
bath.
I told Garry Kasparov about the
incident. He too was outraged:
"Does it really mean that if I had
played a brilliancy in a simultaneous
match against the German All Star
Team, they would not have consid­
ered it?"
Incidentally, the game that !tifor­
mator judged to be best was one be­
tween Ivanchuk and Yusupov,
which had occurred in a rapid chess
play-off with shortened time con­
trol. Well, here we have a chess
variation on the theme of "some are
more equal than others."
1 1 0 King's Indian Defence [D03]
A.Machulsky White
E.Gufeld Black
Moscow, 1 99 1
1 d 4 lLlf6 2 lLlf3 g6 3 i.g5 �g7 4
lLlbd2 d5!
Of course, other moves are play­
able. However, it is well known that
the Torre Attack structure works
well against a King's Indian set-up
based on 4 ...d6. The reason is that
the counter-thrusts ... e7-e5 and
... c7-c5 come up against the well­
fortified rock on d4. Maybe White
was looking forward to seeing a
crippled "Gufeld bishop".
5 e3 0-0 6 c3 b6 7 b4
7... �f5!
Here is a brand new mini-idea,
which represents a non-traditional
treatment of the position! After ...
b 6 you would usually expect a
fianchetto, but this move of the
queen's bishop occupies an active
post and hinders White's use of d3 .
At the same time, Black prepares an
attack on the centre with the c-pawn
in the style of the Grunfeld Defence,
backed up by an efficient tandem of
bishops!
8 c4
Isn't White making too many
pawn moves in the opening? More
cautious was 8 �e2. The long

diagonal is weakened now, and
Black's counterattack in the centre
picks up steam.
8 ... c5! 9 bxc5 bxc5 1 0 cxd5
10...l2Je4
The piece sacrifice 1 0. ..l2Jxd5 1 1
e4 l2Jc3 1 2 'ifc2 l2Jxe4 1 3 l2Jxe4
l2Jc6! was tempting but difficult to
analyse over the board. White is a
piece up but how will he complete
his development? On 14 .l:.d 1 l2Jxd4
1 5 l2Jxd4 cxd4 1 6 iLd3 ( 1 6 f3 may
be better) Black has 1 6 ...'ii'd5 ! 1 7
iLd2 .l:.ab8 and . . ..l:.fc8. But White
might have other lines available.
1 1 l2Jxe4 i.xe4 12 i.d3 1Lxd3 13
'ii'xd3 cxd4 14 e4
1 4 exd4 'ifxd5+.
14... h6!
If 14 ...l2Jd7 is played at once, then
1 5 'ifa3 ! is very unpleasant, as
Black has to sacrifice material with
only vague compensation: 1 5 ... l2Jf6
1 6 0-0 ( 1 6 1Lxf6?! is doubtful here,
as after 1 6 ... exf6 the threat of
. . . f6-f5 gives Black the advantage)
16 . . .l2Jxe4 1 7 iLxe7 'ifxd5 1 8 1Lxf8
l:.xf8 1 9 'ii'xa7 d3.
15 iLf4
If now 1 5 iLh4 l2Jd7, the move 1 6
'ifa 3 misses the mark, because after
Chess Kaleidoscope 245
16 ...l2Jf6 17 0-0 there follows
1 7 ... g5 1 8 lLg3 l2Jxe4.
15 ... l2Jd7 16 .l:.c1
After 1 6 l2Jxd4 l2Jc5 17 'ife3 e5 !
1 8 l2Jc6 exf4 1 9 'ifxc5 'ii'g5 the ad­
vantage is with Black.
16 ... .l:.c8! 17 .l:.xc8 'ii'x c8 18
l2Jxd4 l2Jc5 19 'ifc4
If 1 9 'ife3 l2Jxe4 20 'ifxe4 'ii'c3+
Black has a strong attack.
1 9...l2Jxe4 20 l2Jc6?
He should have settled for the
worse endgame with 20 'it'xc8 .l:.xc8
2 1 l2Jc6 �f8 22 0-0 l2Jf6 23 l2Jxa7
.l:.c4 ! , but was tempted to create two
threats at once (2 1 l2Jxe7+ and 2 1
'ii'xe4).
20 ...1i'g4!
The maxi-effect stemming from
the mini-idea in the opening!
White's double threat is repelled by
Black's own double threat of 2 1
...'ifxf4 and 2 1 ... 'ifxg2.
2 1 0-0
2 1 'ifxe4 i.c3+ 22 �fl 'ifdl + -+.
21 ...'ifxf4 22 l2Jxe7+ �h7 23 d6
1Le5 24 g3 l2Jxg3 25 'ifxf4 l2Je2+ 26
�h1l2Jxf4 0-1
·
This game was awarded the
Kasparov prize as the best of the
tournament.
246 Chess Kaleidoscope
Experience develops intuition
The chessplayer has to evaluate
large numbers of variations while
his clock is ticking. Abstract evalua­
tions are unavailing because of
complicating factors-weaknesses
on both sides, mutual chances and
counterchances. Nevertheless a
player may make the right "guess"
leading to the optimal solution. It is
a matter of intuition.
It is generally believed that intui­
tion is something inborn, given to a
human being at birth. Probably it is
so. But I don't agree with those who
believe that it is impossible to de­
velop and improve intuition. The
more you study your speciality and
accumulate experience, the better
your intuition develops. The chess­
player is no exception to this. Some­
where deep in his subconscious he
stores all the necessary information
which seems, at times, to be forgot­
ten, but which, at the necessary mo­
ment, turns up and points to the
right decision in non-standard posi­
tions. Let's get down to some
examples.
1 1 1 E.Geller White
E.Gufeld Black
26th USSR Ch, Tbilisi 1 959
Geller had just played 35 :e5, of­
fering a "favour" to the g7-bishop.
It is clear that Black should not ex­
change this bishop for either of
White's rooks, but how can he save
himself from the various threats?
What is there to help his king, other
than the bishop? The rooks are busy
blockading the passed pawn and the
queen cannot get to the kingside.
35...'ii'b2! !
This looks extremely paradoxical.
However, White will have to make
haste attacking Black's king, as oth­
erwise his rooks will be annihilated.
36 ltJf6+ it.xf6 37 l:tg4+ it.g5?
The best defence is 37 ... it.g7 ! ! 38
'iM'f6 'itb l + 39 �h2 'ii'h7 40 ne7
�h8 !-+. It looks as if the text cannot
save Black, in view of the striking
38 'ii'xg5+ hxg5 39 nexg5+ and the
king is mated no matter where it
goes. But why should the king
move? Black can save himself with
39 .. .'ii'g7 ! ! , because after 40 nxg7+
Wh8 there is no mate, and the mate­
rial equality in the four-rook ending
gives Black drawing chances Plac­
ing the queen on g7, where it is at­
tacked by both rooks, can hardly be
considered a conventional defence.
In ordinary situations the chess­
player does not even consider such
moves. But this position is extra­
ordinary ! I don't know if Geller saw
this variation or not, but he didn't
sacrifice the queen, preferring to
give up the rook by playing:
38 nxg5+ hxg5 39 'iM'xg5+ �h7
40 'iM'h5+ �g8 41 'ii'g5+ 1/z-'h
If 4 1 :g5+ then 4 1 ...1i'g7 ! .
This resource-when the queen
protects the king against the rook
check-sank so deep into my
 Chess Kaleidoscope 247

subconscious that several years later 33 .li.xh6 34 .:t.b7+! !

•••

it extricated me once again, in a A beautiful and unusual idea. Will

game against the same formidable the sacrificial fireworks culminate
opponent. in a mating attack?
34 .'ihb7 35 'ii'xfS+ \t>g8 36
1 1 2 E.Geller White
••

l:.xg4+
E.Gufeld Black
It seems there is no satisfactory
USSR Army Team Ch, Odessa 1 965
defence. The only plausible-looking
reply, 36 . . .j_g7, will be refuted by
37 h6! threatening mate on h7. But
while thinking about my 33rd move
I had seen the way to salvation! My
memory helped me find the
6-year-old move which I now trium­
phantly demonstrated on the
chessboard:
36 .'ifg7! !
•.

The move which I didn't have the

chance to play before! This time, I
was lucky enough to play it just
when lots of people were standing
One of the most decisive events of round our chess table waiting for
the competition was the match be­ my resignation. If I hadn't remem­
tween Odessa, led by Geller, and bered that other game and this spe­
Kiev, where I was doing my mili­ cial resource, I would not have
tary service. In our game my oppo­ found the defence.
nent obtained a clear-cut advantage 37 l:txg7+ \t>xg7
and went in for a tempting combina­ If 37 ... �xg7 then 38 li:lg4 ! .
tion involving a piece sacrifice: 3 8 'ifg4+ \t>h7 3 9 'ife4+ \t>g7 40
27 j_xh6?! li:lxe4!? 'ifg4+ \t>h7 41 'ife4+ with perpetual
This counter-combination was check. A draw again! 1/z-1/z
dictated by the desire to wrest the
initiative, or, to be more exact, it
1 1 3 A.Zamikhovsky White
was an attempt not to lose at once.
E.Gufeld Black
28 �xe4 j_xfS 29 li:lh2 j_xe4 30
Kiev Ch, 1 956
.:t.xe4 fS! 31 'i!VgS �h7 32 hS li:lh8
Here I thought that I had outwit­
ted the grandmaster because the
avalanche of pawns in the centre
provides Black with counterplay,
whereas White' s threats seem to
have evaporated. But at this moment
Geller found a terrific blow which I
had overlooked:
33 .:.b1 !
The only move maintaining
White' s advantage. The continua­
tion is forced.
248 Chess Kaleidoscope

White has a considerable posi­ one of the positions which occurred

tional advantage, but: in my training game before the 8th
27 1'i'a5? Soviet Spartakiad.
Instead of the correct 27 liJc6 he
chooses a continuation which allows
Black to make an interesting 1 14 Sicilian Defence [B33]
combination. A.Ivanov White
27 ... ll:\xg3! 28 hxg3 E.Gufeld Black
White has to capture the knight Druskininkai, 1 983
because of the threat of 28 ...4Je2+
and 29 .. .'�£3 mate. 28 fxg3 would 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 ll:\c6 3 d4 cxd4 4
be met by 28 ... .li.d4+ and 29 ... .l:r.b2+. l2Jxd4 'ifb6 5 liJb3 liJf6 6 ll:\c3 e6 7
28 ... .li.d4 29 ..Wxc7 g3 .ltb4 8 .ltg2 d5 9 0-0!? .ltxc3 10
In this difficult position White bxc3
makes a decisive mistake. The game 1 0 exd5.
would have been drawn after 29 10 l2Jxe4 11 �g4!?
.•.

'it>h2 'it'£3 30 liJbS ! 'ii'h5+ 3 1 .li.h3 1 1 .ltxe4 dxe4 1 2 'ifg4 .li.d7 13

g4 32 liJxd4 �xh3+ 33 'it>g1 .l:r.xg3+ ..Wxg7 0-0-0 aiming to bring the
34 fxg3 1Wxg3+ 35 'it>h1 �h3+, etc. knight to f3 .
29 .l:r.xg3+ 30 'it>h2 �f4?
••. l l ....li.d7
Missing the win. 30 ...�£3 ! 3 1 1 l .. .g6 ! ?.
�c8+ (3 1 fxg3? 1We2+ -+) 3 l ...'it>g7 12 �xg7 0-0-0 13 c4
32 .lth3 (or 32 'ii'd7+ 'it>h6 33 .lth3 1 3 .lte3 'i!Vb5.
�e5 ! -+) 32 ....l:r.xh3+ (I had worked 13 ....l:r.hg8 14 'i!Vb2
out 32 ... .lte5 33 �f8+ ! ! �xf8 34
fxg3+-, which is why I rejected
30 . . .'it'f3 !) 33 'ii'xh3 .lte5+ -+.
���- � - �
il t B.t.B t B t
•
3 1 fxg3 'ii'xfl 32 .l:r.a1! 'ii' e2+ and
another perpetual check. 1h-1h ��-
,_ y �1-
� �
What helped me find the non­
� BtB B
obvious 27 ...ll:\xg3 ! which utterly B it B�B B
��- .
�• m �--�
changed the course of the struggle? �
�
I should admit that before 27 �a5
ft � ft �
- �� � ��
the knight sacrifice could not have
occurred to me; it looked senseless, · · -{ ·�g
9 �-�- �
�-§W
- -3�, � . .. .

especially because the king was so

nicely protected. But when the most
powerful defender left the king to
attack the rook, the king' s shelter
became quite precarious. It is at
such moments that motives for the
most unexpected combinations are
born.
What happened in that game was
not completely forgotten. However,
almost 30 years passed before this
experience came in handy. Look at
How should Black defend against
the positional threat of 1 5 cxd5 exd5
1 6 c4, opening files against his
king? Among various other plans I
considered the aggressive
1 4 ... ll:\xg3 . This sacrifice is quite
obvious, but it was difficult to fore­
see and evaluate its consequences. I
did not see a forced win, but re­
membered that in a similar situation
in my game against Zamikhovsky,
 Chess Kaleidoscope 249

30 years before, my success was Now 20 ... 'ilt'h6 looks attractive

facilitated by the enemy queen's (for instance, 2 1 'iVe7 'ifh3+ 22 ..ttg 1
expedition to far-off places. .ltc6, o r 2 1 l:th 1 ? ! .ltc6+ 2 2 'iVe3).
Intuitively, I felt that it would be However, White can cut the Gor­
difficult for White to defend with dian knot by playing 2 1 lbxd4 ! !
his queen cut · off from the king. exd4 2 2 'iVxe7 and the "x-rays" of
Instead, 14 'iVh6 was unclear. the queen and bishop intersect on
14 ... lbxg3! 15 hxg3 1hg3 16 .lte3 the fatal c7-square.
It was necessary to think about 1 6 20 ... 'iVc6+ 21 f3!
c5 . I didn't spend much time o n this The only reply, but strong
move but was sure that even in this enough. Not 2 1 ..ttg 1 ? 'i!ff3-+ with
case the attack would at least be the fatal threat of 22 ... .ltc6.
strong enough to draw. For exam­ 21 ... lbf5 22 ..ttf2 ??
ple: 1 6 c5 l:txg2+ 1 7 ..ttxg2 l:tg8+ Returning the compliment. With
(not 1 7 ...'iVb4? 1 8 'iVg7! +-) 1 8 c;;ftf3 22 'ifxa7! White could remind his
( 1 8 ..tth 1 ?? 'ii'd 8 1 9 .tf4 'ili'h4+ 20 opponent that he too has a king to
.lth2 'ii'h3 mates) 1 8 . . . 'ifa6! 1 9 .lte3 protect.
f6! ! 20 l:tg1 (or 20 'iVxf6 e5 !) 22 ... lbxg3 23 ..ttxg3 'ifh6! 24 'i!fcl
20 . . .l:txg 1 (20 ...lbe5+?? 2 1 'iVxe5+-) Finally the queen arrives in the
2 1 nxg1 lbe5+ 22 ..ttg3 (or 22 ..ttg2) danger area, but it is rather late. The
22 ...'i1Ve2=. active try 24 'ii'c5+ .ltc6 25 1ixe5
16...l:txg2+! would have left the king absolutely
If 1 6 ...l:tdg8, then not 1 7 .ltxb6?? defenceless, for instance: 25 ... l:tg8+
1 7 . . . l:txg2+ 1 8 ..tth 1 l:t2g5 and mate 26 c;;ftf2 'ilr'h4+.
in 3, but 1 7 fxg3 'iVxe3+ 1 8 l:tf2. 24 ...l:tg8+ 25 ..ttf2 1ih2+ 26 ..tte 1
Also playable was 16 ... l:txe3 1 7 l:tg2 27 t"Ud2
fxe3 dxc4 with bewilderingly un­ White is still a rook up, but it is
clear variations. It was difficult to hopeless.
calculate them all, but my opponent 27 ... .lta4! 28 l:tb1 d3
believed (also intuitively) that all A winning continuation, but
complications were favourable for 28 . . .l:te2+! 29 ..ttd 1 l:te3 ! ! -+ wms
White. But he had paid less atten­ outright.
tion to the exchange sacrifice. 29 l:tb3 l:te2+
17 ..ttxg2 d4! Better 29 ... e4 30 cxd3 e3 and
Black is a rook down, but he has mate in 6.
active moves keeping the enemy 30 ..ttd 1 l:te3?
queen out of play. Better 30 ... .ltxb3 3 1 axb3 'ilr'g2 32
18 .itf4 cxd3 l:txd2+ 33 'iVxd2 'ilr'xfl + 34
Or 1 8 .ltxd4? lbxd4 1 9 'iVxd4? ..ttc2 'ilfxf3-+. With two extra pawns
.ltc6+ -+. Black should win.
18 ... e5 19 .ltg3 lbe7? 31 cxd3
Apparently, a good idea-vacat­ Now both of us were in time trou­
ing c6 for a queen or bishop check. ble, and when my opponent, all in a
But had I foreseen my opponent's flurry, offered a draw, I hastily ac­
reply, I would have played cepted. This was another intuitive
1 9 . . . l:tg8! intending to advance the decision, which, practically speak­
f- or h-pawns. ing, should be regarded as wholly
20 'ifa3 ! rational. We could not assess the
250 Chess Kaleidoscope
posttlon in the time remammg
(though subsequent analysis showed
it was probably in Black's favour),
and it was not clear whose flag
would fall first. 1h-1h
And now take a look at this
position:
A.Pomar White
B.Larsen Black
Palma de Mallorca, 1 969
White played 1 9 .ltc2, and after
some complications the game ended
in a draw. Bent Larsen, who anno­
tated this game for Informator,
didn't comment on this move. Nev­
ertheless the move is a mistake,
missing a win.
I found the winning combination
during the post-mortem. Some
months later I showed this position
to Bobby Fischer (it was during the
Sousse Interzonal Tournament,
where I assisted Geller). Almost
without thinking Fischer played 1 9
g4 and smiled, waving his hand, as
if to show that the position con­
tained no secrets for him. (Inciden­
tally, all those to whom I showed
this position started with this move.)
However, after 19 . . .tbe5 ! , threaten­
ing 20 ...'ifxd4, Bobby moved the
g-pawn back. On close examination,
he found the combination and
beamed. Certainly, Fischer's skill in
finding solutions in such positions is
more than sufficient.
But then, he was in a more advan­
tageous situation because he had
been told that White had a win! As
for me, I didn't know that there was
a win here, but when I reached this
position during the analysis I felt in­
tuitively that there was something in
the position. I should never have
discovered that "something" if it
had not occurred in two previous
games of mine-both of which I
lost. Take a look:
1 1 5 B.Ivkov White
E.Gufeld Black
Sarajevo, 1 964
White has just played 22 l:t.d6! ! .
Black's position would otherwise
have been solid, but now White
seizes the d-file paralysing Black's
pieces.
22 c4
•..
If 22 . . .'ifxd6 23 tbh5! (I thought
the rook sacrifice was no good be­
cause of 23 tbf5 'iff6!) 23 ...4Je6 24
tbg5 ! . Black can't fight for the d­
file with 22 ...l1a6 because of 23
tiJfS ! .
2 3 l1edl tbc5
Clearly a blunder.
24 tbxe5!
Winning an important pawn.

24 �e6
..•
Or 24 ...'ii'xe5 25 l:U d5 'i!fe7 26
lhc5 'i!fxd6 27 tiJh5 !+-.
25 liJc6 'ii'c7 26 e5 �d7 27 l:Ud5
tiJd3 28 :xd7! tiJxd7 29 :xd7
'i!fxd7 30 ltJe4 :e6 31 tiJf6+ 1-0
Less than a month later, in a game
with Vasiukov, I reached this
position:
1 1 6 E.Vasiukov White
E.Gufeld Black
Army Team Ch, Moscow, 1 964
White has just played 25 tiJhf5 ! .
There followed:
25 ... gxf5 26 liJxf5 'i!fc7 27 :xd6!!
With horror I recognized the
familiar contours from the Ivkov
game. The same bad position, the
same blow, the same gloomy
prospects ... I felt like a boxer who
had been knocked out twice within
one month. However, whereas in
the Ivkov game the move :d6 led to
a win, here it was just a natural
development of White's initiative,
and I could have saved the game if I
had found the right reply. Yet the
psychological shock was too strong
27 ...lt:Jg6 28 h4 :xd6??
Chess Kaleidoscope 251
I could not tolerate this audacious
rook. Nevertheless, I should have
been more patient. The coldblooded
28 . . . f6! could have held the
position.
29 :xd6 i..d7 30 :d3
I was happy-the rook had re­
treated. But did my position im­
prove? No, it deteriorated. There is
no satisfactory defence against
h4-h5.
30 �e6 31 h5 �xa2 32 hxg6
.••
fxg6 33 'ii'g5 �c4 34 tt:le7+ <J;;g7 35
tiJd5 'i!fd6 36 lt:Je3! 'Wc7 37 :d2
tiJf6
Or 37 ... a3 38 bxa3 :xa3 39 :ds
etc.
38 :d6!!
Incredible! Hitting the same target
over and over again!
38 ... tiJe8 39 'ii'xe5+ <J;;g8 40
ltJxc4 bxc4 41 'i!fd5+! 1-0
And now, dear friends, try to find
the combination which did not oc­
cur in the Pomar-Larsen game. If
you do, you will understand why I
found it so easily.
19 c5! dxc5 20 lt:Jxf5 exf5 21
�c4+ <J;;b8 22 :d6!
The point of the combination!
White threatens 23 :h6! mating,
and if 22 ... �xd6 23 �xg7+! <J;;xg7
24 'ii'g5+ ! . In case of 22 ... �e7,
White wins by 23 'it'h6! :gs 24
:g6 ! ! .
What i s the conclusion? Experi­
ence develops intuition. I think that
if I had lost about a hundred games
incorporating defeats on all 64
squares of the chessboard, I should
have become a much stronger
player, as I could sense danger in
practically any place.
 Index of Players of Games

Akmilovskaya 16, 1 8 Khasidovsky 2

Arkell 79 Klaman 1 0
Augustin 74 Klovsky 9
Bagirov 32, 4 1 , 66 Kogan 5
Balinas 52 Kolarov 90
Beliavsky 39 Korchnoi 28
Benjamin 104 Kotronias 46
Bonsch 36 Kovacevic
Bronstein 2 1 , 22, 23, 24 Lanka 97
Browne 5 1 Levin 3
Cartegena 8 1 , 82 Lputian 75
Chandler 101 Lubensky 4
Chiburdanidze 1 5, 1 6, 1 8, 1 05 Machulsky 1 1 0
Christiansen 1 02 Mats 54
Cooper 49 Mestel 47
Dorfman 13, 60, 67 Minev 87, 88
Dvoiris 1 5 Nei 89
Espig 40 Nikolaevsky 1
Fabisovich 58 011 6 1
Geller 99, 1 1 1 , 1 1 2 Osnos 37
Gipslis 73 Peters 83
Glek 78 Petrosian 30, 3 1
Gligoric 94 Petursson 48
Gofstein 56 Polugaevsky 63, 64, 65, 68,
Gob 109 69, 70, 7 1 , 72
Golubev 34 Popov 96
Gurgenidze 1 08 Pribyl 92
Henley 76 Psakhis 44
Hodgson 80 Rashkovsky 67
Honfi 9 1 A.Rodriguez 59
Hort 6 R.Rodriguez 1 7
Hiibner 35 Rogers 1 03
lvanov 1 14 Romanishin 42
Ivanovic 38 Savon 1 1 , 86
Ivkov 1 1 5 Sherwin 14
Jun 62 Shianovsky 8
Kaidanov 50 Smyslov 25, 26, 27
Kavalek 7 Sokolin 1 06
Kharlov 84 Spassky 29
254 Index ofPlayers of Games

Stein 64 Utasi 45
Sveshnikov 85 Vaganian 93
Taimanov 1 2, 33 Van der Wiel 1 7
Ta1 1 9, 20 Vasiukov 1 1 6
Tarve 1 07 Vitolins 57
Timoshchenko 43, 98 Westerinen 1 00
Tokarev 53 Yudasin 77
Tseshkovsky 55, 95 Zamikhovsky 1 1 3
 ECO Opening Codes

AOO 84, 85 C l l 4, 29
AOS 83 C27 1 07
AlS 25 C41 1
A36 1 08 C43 1 06
A45 49, 80 C46 30
A48 1 0, 24, 36, 7 1 C65 7
A68 89 C70 52
A80 3 C73 87
805 1 09 C77 1 9
807 9, 77 C79 22
808 86, 1 0 1 C92 43, 100, 1 02
809 1 03 C93 1 1
810 26 C95 44
817 4 1 D01 27
823 8 1 D03 1 1 0
829 37 DlS 6
831 82 El8 44
833 3�, 1 14 E62 90, 93
B36 8 E63 79, 99
B37 95 E67 34
840 6 1 E70 88, 92
846 1 2, 42 E73 70
864 45 E74 50, 75
B66 1 05 E75 68, 69
870 20, 56, 57, 58, 1 04 E76 97
876 53, 60, 62 E81 46, 47
878 54, 55, 59 E82 63, 64, 65, 66, 67
881 96, 98 E83 39, 48,
882 40 E84 32, 94
B91 5 E86 2 1
896 1 5 E92 3 1
C04 3 5 E97 33, 5 1 , 76
C07 28 E99 2, 72
 Index of Openings

Alekhine Defence 109

Caro Kann Defence 4 1
Dutch Defence 3
French Defence 4, 28, 29, 3 5
King's Indian Defence 2, 1 0, 2 1 , 2 5 , 3 1 , 32, 3 3 , 34, 36, 39, 46, 47, 48, 50,
5 1 , 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 7 1 , 72, 75, 76, 79, 88, 89, 90, 92, 93, 94,
97, 99, 1 08, 1 1 0,
King's Indian Attack 26, 84, 85
Petroff Defence 1 06
Philidor Defence 1
Pirc Defence 9, 77, 86, 1 0 1 , 1 03,
Queen's Indian Defence 1 6,
Reti Opening 83
Richter-Veresov Opening 27
Ruy Lopez 7, 1 1 , 1 9, 22, 43, 44, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 6 1 , 62,
87, 1 00, 102
Sicilian Defence 5, 8, 1 2, 1 5 , 20, 3 7, 38, 40, 42, 45, 8 1 , 82, 95, 96, 98, 1 04,
1 05, 1 14
Slav Defence 6
Three Knights Game 30
Torre Attack 24
Trompowsky Attack 49, 80
Vienna Game 1 07