1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5
This looks like the Modern Benoni, but it isn't.
3.d5 g6
This is an astute psychological move. Spassky
forces Kasparov to battle against his own defence, the King's Indian.
4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Be2 0-0 7.Bg5
The Averbakh Variation. "Here Spassky hesitated
and then decided to sacrifice a pawn in the spirit of the Benko
Gambit, hoping to seize the initiative and force White to defend
accurately, i.e. to give the play a character that was unpleasant for
me." - Kasparov
7...b5
Garry adorns this move with a '?!' mark, indicating
that it is a doubtful move.
8.cxb5 a6 9.a4! Qa5?!
Here he recommends 9...h6! 10.Bd2! e6 11.dxe6 Bxe6
12.Nf3 axb5 13.Bxb5 Na6 14.0-0 Nc7 15.Re1 Nxb5 16.Nxb5 d5 17.exd5 Nxd5
"with more or less sufficient compensation for the pawn" as he himself
played two months later against Tukmakov in the USSR Championship,
1981.
But the compensation may be nebulous after 18.Ne5 Re8
(forced on account of the threat of Nxg6) 19.Qc1 -NSH
10.Bd2! Nbd7?
The only chance of confusing matters is 10...Qb4!?
11.Ra3! Bb7 12.Nf3 axb5 13.Bxb5 Qc7 14.0-0
"White's position is already technically won: he is a
healthy pawn to the good, without any counterplay for the opponent.
Thus Spassky's venture had failed. However, he carried on
playing as though nothing had happened, with a completely unperturbed
appearance...'' - Kasparov
14...Ng4
14...e6? 15.dxe6 fxe6 16.Ng5 Rae8 17.Bf4 e5 18.Bc4+
Kh8 19.Nb5 Qb8 20.Nxd6+-
15.Bg5 Ngf6
"A pragmatic decision by an experienced contestant!
Black must hold his ground, be patient and wait-the opponent may
over-press or make a second -rate move..." - Kasparov
The hasty move 15...Nde5? loses to 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.f4
Nd7 18.Bxe7 Rfe8 19.Bg5 h6 (Or 19...Bxc3 20.bxc3 Rxe4 21.c4)
20.Bh4 Bxc3 21.bxc3 Rxe4 22.c4
16.Nd2 e6 17.Nc4 exd5 18.exd5 Rad8
Not 18...Nb6? 19.Nxb6 Qxb6 20.Qf3 Nh5 21.g4+-
19.a5 h6 20.Bh4
After this move Black has some counterplay.
Stronger is 20.Bf4! Ne5 21.Nxe5 dxe5 22.d6 Qxd6 23.Qxd6 Rxd6 24.Bxe5
Rd2 25.a6 Ba8 26.Na4+-
20...Ne5 21.a6 Ba8
22.Re1 g5 23.Bg3 Nfd7 24.a7! f5 25.Bxe5 Nxe5
26.Nxe5 dxe5!
This recapture, permitting the White pawn advance to
d6 looks risky. But the other way of capture 26...Bxe5? loses to
27.Qh5 Kg7 28.Ra6 Bxc3 (28...Bb7 29.Rxe5 Bxa6 30.Re6+-) 29.bxc3
Bxd5 30.c4 Bf7 31.Qf3 Ra8 32.Rea1+-
27.Ra6 e4 28.Bc4 Qf7 29.Nb5 Kh7
29...Bxd5? 30.a8Q! Rxa8 31.Bxd5+-
30.Re6
Spassky was already in severe time trouble, and still
finds the only moves to hold this position. In such a terrible
position another player would have lost heart, but Spassky fights back
under the motto: ''He is young and hot-tempered-this may tell
somewhere!"
And this is what happens now:
30...Qb7!
The tempting 30...Qxe6? fails to 31.dxe6 Rxd1 32.Rxd1
Be5 33.e7 Re8 34.Rd8+-
31.Qh5?!
On the wrong track. White would have won with
31.f3! Rxd5 32.Bxd5 Qxd5 33.Qxd5 Bxd5 34.Rd6 Ba8 35.fxe4 fxe4
36.Rf1!+-
31...Rf6 32.Rxf6 Bxf6
33.g4?
Youthful impetuosity. Again missing a
straightforward win with 33.f3! Qd7 34.fxe4 fxe4 35.Rf1 Qg7 36.Qg4+-
33...f4!
An instant reply! Now Black has real
counter-chances.
34.h4!?
The hasty 34.Rxe4? only draws: 34...Rxd5
Analysis Diagram: after 34...Rxd5!
35.Bxd5 Qxd5 36.f3 Qd1+ 37.Kg2 Bxe4 38.Qf7+ Bg7
39.fxe4 Qe2+ with perpetual check.
34...Kg7?
With the flag about to fall!
34...e3! 35.hxg5 (35.fxe3 Rxd5 36.Bxd5 Qxd5 37.e4
Qd3 38.Qf7+ Bg7 39.Qf5+ Kh8=) 35...Bxg5 36.Qh1 Qe7 would have led
to a sharp unclear position.
35.Nc3?
The win was still there with 35.d6! e3
Analysis Diagram: after 35...e3
36.f3! Rc8 (36...Rf8 37.Nc7! Qxf3 38.Ne6++-)
37.Nc7 Rxc7 38.dxc7 Qxc7 39.Qe8+-
35...e3!
Kasparov had only reckoned on 35...Qxa7? 36.Nxe4 Qe7
37.Kf1 Bxd5 38.Bxd5 Rxd5 39.Nxf6 Qxf6 40.Qe8+-
36.Bd3 exf2+ 37.Kxf2 Qxb2+
38.Re2?
"A blunder- now in my own trouble. White gives
up his knight for a couple of checks!" - Kasparov
After the only correct move, 38.Ne2! he would still
have retained the advantage:
38...Bd4+!
-
Black too has to avoid pitfalls. 38...Bxd5? 39.Qg6+
Kf8 40.Qxh6+ Ke7 41.Kf1 Kd7 42.hxg5 Bg7 43.Qg6+-) ; or
-
38...Rxd5? 39.Qg6+ Kf8 40.Bc4 Bd4+ 41.Kf1 f3 42.Bxd5
fxe2+ 43.Rxe2 Qc1+ 44.Re1 Qf4+ 45.Ke2 Bxd5 46.a8Q+! Bxa8 47.Rf1+-
39.Kf1 f3 40.Qg6+ Kf8 41.Qf5+ Kg7 42.Qxf3 Rf8 43.Bf5±
"Although Black is clearly worse, he can still fight on." - Kasparov
38...Qxc3 39.Qg6+ Kf8 40.Qxh6+ Bg7 41.Qxg5
41...Qf6?
Had Spassky known that the time control had already
been reached, he would have stopped to think- and could have won
immediately: 41...Qd4+! 42.Kf1 Qf6! 43.Qxf6+ Bxf6 44.g5 Bd4 45.Bc4 f3!
46.Ra2 Re8 47.Ra3 f2 48.Kg2 Re1 49.Rf3+ Ke7 50.Rf5 Rc1 51.Be2 Rg1+
52.Kh3 Ra1-+
42.Qxf6+
"The game was resumed the same day, two hours later.
The sharp change of scene had a dispiriting effect on me and I
squandered all my chances..." - Kasparov
42...Bxf6 43.Bc4
White thinks that it is important to retain the
d-pawn. Perhaps he could have drawn with 43.g5!? Bd4+ 44.Kf3
Bxd5+ 45.Be4 Bxe4+ 46.Kxe4 Be3 47.Ra2 Ra8 48.Ra4 c4 49.Rxc4 Rxa7
50.Kf3 Kg7 51.Rc6! (pointed out by Spassky)
43...Bxh4+ 44.Kf3 Rd7
45.Ra2?
White should have played 45.Rh2! Bf6 46.g5! and it is
not apparent how Black can win.
45...Bg5!
Now White is unable to play g4-g5 and his position is
lost.
46.Ke4 Rf7! 47.Ra5
47...Kg7!
The tempting 47...f3? would only have drawn after
48.Rxc5 Rf4+ 49.Ke5 Rxc4! Isn't White lost? No!
50.Rxc4 f2 51.Rc8+ Kg7 52.Rxa8 f1Q 53.Rg8+ Kxg8 54.a8Q+=
48.Rxc5 Kf6?!
The immediate 48...Rxa7 would have won. 49.Kf5
Be7 50.Rc8 f3-+
49.Rc8
He would have saved the a-pawn, but not the game.
49.Ra5 Re7+ 50.Kd4 Bh4 51.Ra2 Kg5-+
49...Rxa7
It is all over, and after a desperate resistance,
White loses:
50.Rf8+ Kg7 51.Rc8 Kf6?!
The second time- trouble.
52.Rf8+ Kg7
Not 52...Ke7? 53.Rf5!
53.Rc8 Bb7 54.Rc7+ Kf6 55.Kd4 Bh4! 56.d6 Bf2+
57.Kc3 Be4!
Not 57...Ke5? 58.d7 Bh4 59.g5!=
58.Re7
Other attempts also fail: 58.g5+ Kxg5 59.d7 Ra8
60.Rc8 Bb6; or 58.Bb5 Ke6 59.Rc4 Be1+! 60.Kb2 Bd3 61.Rc7 Bxb5! 62.Rxa7
Bg3=
Or 62...Bd7=
Why not 62...Kxd6? 63.Rf7 Bd2 64.Kc2 Be3 65.Rf8 Be2
66.g5 Bh5 67.Rf6+ Ke5 68.Kd3= Amazing.-NSH
58...Rxe7 59.g5+ Kg6 60.dxe7 Bc6 61.Kb4 Bb6 62.Bb3
62.Bb5 also loses to 62...Bxb5 63.Kxb5 Kf7-+
62...Bd7
The last trap: 62...f3? 63.Bd5!=
63.Bd5 Be8 64.Bc4 f3 65.Bd3+ Kxg5 66.Bb5 f2
A terrific struggle. Spassky fought back on the
edge of precipice and won.
0-1
