PERGAMON RUSSIAN CHESS SERIES

The Sicilian Labyrinth

Volume 1
PERGAMON RUSSIAN CHESS SERIES
Executive Editor: Paul Lamford
Technical Editor: Jimmy Adams
Russian Series Editor: Kenneth Neat
Some other books in this series:
AVERBAKH, Y.
Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge
Comprehensive Chess Endings
Volume 1: Bishop Endings, Knight Endings
Volume 2: Bishop against Knight Endings, Rook against Minor Piece Endings
Volume 3: Queen and Pawn Endings, Queen against Rook Endings,
Queen against Minor Piece Endings
Volume 4: Pawn Endings
Volume 5: Rook Endings
GELLER, E.P.
The Application of Chess Theory
KARPOV, A.
Chess at the Top 1979-84
KARPOV, A. & GIK, Y.
Chess Kaleidoscope
KARPOV, A. & ROSHAL, A.
Anatoly Karpov: Chess is My Life
KASPAROV, G.
London-Leningrad Championship Games
New World Chess Champion
The Test of Time
KASPAROV, G., GELLER, E., LEIN, A. & CHEPIZHNY, V.
Kasparov v. Karpov 1990
LlVSHITZ, A.
Test Your Chess IQ, Books 1 & 2
NEISHTADT, I.
Paul Keres Chess Master Class
Queen Sacrifice
POLUGAYEVSKY, L.
Grandmaster Preparation
Grandmaster Performance
The Sicilian Labyrinth Volume 2
POLUGAYEVSKY, L. & DAMSKY, I.
The Art of Defence in Chess
SHEKHTMAN, E.
The Games of Tigran Petrosian Volumes 1 & 2
SHERESHEVSKY, M.1.
Endgame Strategy
SHERESHEVSKY, M.1. & SLUTSKY, L.M.
Mastering the Endgame Volume 1
SMYSLOV, V.
125 Selected Games
SUETIN, A.S.
Modern Chess Opening Theory
Three Steps to Chess Mastery
TAL, M., CHEPIZHNY, V. & ROSHAL, A.
Montreal 1979: Tournament of Stars
VAINSTEIN, B.S.
David Bronstein: Chess Improviser
A full catalogue of Pergamon Chess books is available from:
Pergamon Chess, Railway Road, Sutton Coldfield 873 6AZ, U.K.
 The Sicilian Labyrinth
Volume 1
by
Lyev Polugayevsky
Translated by
Ken Neat

PERGAMON CHESS
Member of Maxwell Macmillan Pergamon Publishing Corporation
OXFORD· NEW YORK· BEIJING· FRANKFURT
SAO PAULO· SYDNEY· TOKYO· TORONTO
UK Pergamon Press pic, Headington Hill Hall,
Oxford OX3 OBW, England

USA Pergamon Press Inc, Maxwell House, Fairview

Park, Elmsford, New York 10523, USA

PEOPLE'S REPUBUC Pergamon Press, Room 4037, Qianmen Hotel,

OF CHINA Beijing, People's Republic of China
GERMANY Pergamon Press GmbH, Hammerweg 6, 0-6242
Kronberg, Germany

BRAZIL Pergamon Editora Ltda, Rua EQa de Queiros 346,

CEP 04011, Paraiso, Sao Paulo, Brazil
AUSTRALIA Pergamon Press Australia Pty Ltd, PO Box 544, Potts Point,
NSW 2011, Australia
JAPAN Pergamon Press, 5th Floor, Matsuoka Central
Building, 1-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
160,Japan
CANADA Pergamon Press Canada Ltd, Suite No 271,253
College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R5

English translation copyright © 1991 K.P.Neat

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in
any form or by any means: electronic, electrostatic,
magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher.

First English Edition 1991

Library 01 Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Applied lor

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Polugaevski, Lyev 1934-
The Sicilian labyrinth. - (Pergamon Russian chess series).
Vol. 1
1. Chess
I. Title
794.12

ISBN 0-08-032047-3

Distributed in the United States and Canada

by Macmillan Publishing Company/New York
866 Third Avenue, New York NY 10022. 212-702-2000

Cover by Pintail Design

Printed in Great Britain by BPCC Wheatons Ltd, Exeter
Contents

Introduction

Part One: Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence 5

Crushing Opening Defeats 7

Lack of Development 7
The Benefit of Knowledge 18
Carelessness, Leading to Disaster 22

2 Prepared Innovations 26
Reassessment of Values 26
The Triumph of the Experimenter 37
Playing with Fire 48

3 Theoretical Arguments 56
Belief in Yo urself 56
In Search of the Truth 67
Throwing Down the Gauntlet 71

Part Two: Attack and Defence in the Middlegame 79

4 Middlegame Attacks 81
Attacking the King in the Centre 82
Flank Offensives 104
Getting There First, or Who Beats Who? 129

5 Defensive Procedures 147

The Tragedy of Poor Defence 147
On the Edge of the Abyss 150
Tactical Surprises 157
Counterblow in the Centre 161
Prophylaxis 167

Index of Games 178

Introduction
This book is devoted to one of the most
complicated and interesting of modern
openings, or, more precisely - to its most
urgent problems.
The main idea of the given work is to
help a wide range of players in readily
finding their way through the intricate
labyrinth of the Sicilian Defence and in
understanding more deeply the nuances
of opening strategy, to teach the methods
of play in the complicated Sicilian middle-
game, attacking and defensive procedures
in particular, and to give advice and
generalizing evaluations on the playing of
typical endings, which, surprisingly enough,
have their basis at the very heart of the
opemng.
There is no doubt that the Sicilian
Defence is the most popular of modern
openings. And this is natural, since this
opening, like no other, reflects the spirit
of the times. To begin with, anyone
playing it is obliged to take in and process
an enormous stream of information, linking
it with profound independent analysis.
The Sicilian Defence attracts players of
various styles. In some games there is a
sharp struggle, concluding with spectacular
attacks and combinations, while others
take the form of subtle positional manoeu-
vring, where the outcome is often decided
in the endgame. Players who are especially
happy to play against this defence are
those who like actively to attack (when
they have White), and at the same time it
is also chosen by those who can defend
complicated positions, where they some-
times have to balance on the edge of the
abyss and find the only moves to save
seemingly hopeless situations.
It must not be forgotten that in this
opening (as, perhaps, in no other) the
value of a move is very great. From the
very first step one must be psychologically
prepared to take important decisions.
Here it is not possible, for no particular
reason and without a concrete aim, to
scheme and take certain liberties, which
sometimes occurs in the playing of other
openings. For example, in the French
Defence we see how Black, after playing 3
... .ib4, is prepared to return this bishop
home just two moves later (after 4 e5 b6 5
'WIg4 i/8). This manoeuvre is not anti-
positional, and is even recommended by
theory, since, with the centre blocked by
pawns, the loss by Black of two tempi is of
no particular significance. But in the
Sicilian Defence such manoeuvres are
impossible - Black simply has no time for
experiments of this sort. Only in the
Andersson Variation - the 'hedgehog' set-
up, where each player manoeuvres inside
his own territory, do events develop slowly.
Here there is no rapid contact of the
forces, and therefore both White and
Black can make do with half-measures.
This variation is an exception to the
general rule, and is not typical of the
Sicilian Defence in general. Usually every
move is worth its weight in gold, and
often the situation demands that the best,
the only move, be found to solve the
problem. Because of this, a tense struggle
2 The Sicilian Labyrinth
arises from the very start of the game.
All these factors are uncommonly
attractive, and it is probably for this
reason that the Sicilian Defence is so
popular with chess enthusiasts.
Speaking today about this defence, it
can be safely said that it is for players with
strong nerves. After all, with its large
number of variations and lines the opening
resembles a labyrinth with numerous
dead-ends, and to find the only way out
can be not at all simple. The complex
problems of the opening may of course
frighten and restrain a player. Moreover,
often it is not the danger itself which he
fears, so much as the adverse effect on his
state of mind - meeting it face to face, the
player begins to grow nervous, even to
panic, and he loses the thread of his
thoughts and is quickly defeated. It is
clear that for such people the Sicilian
Defence is manifestly unsuitable, and for
their opening repertoire as Black I would
advise them to choose quieter openings.
At the same time, it can happen that the
player with White does not display suffi-
cient determination, typical of this opening
(even when positional schemes are chosen,
one must be prepared for bold actions),
but an attempt to play against the Sicilian
Defence without an element of risk, exces-
sively securely and cautiously, often leads
to White losing his advantage and to the
initiative passing to Black. The conclusion
suggests itself: in that case, when meeting
a Sicilian player, why open 1 e4, if you are
afraid of 'crossing swords' - would it not
be better to begin the game with 1 d4?
After all, closed games do not usually
demand such active actions in the opening,
here there are fewer sharp variations, and
events develop in a quieter vein.
The correct choice of opening is a very
important factor in the career of any
chess player. It can be compared with the
choice of profession, where you must take
account not only of your tastes and
character, but also evaluate accurately
your strengths and possibilities. And if a
player proves to be a genuine 'Sicilian',
his pet opening will become his chief
weapon, and will serve him faithfully and
truly throughout his career. He may not
always be successful, but he is unlikely to
become disillusioned, since the possibilities
of active counterplay are much richer
here than in any other opening.
Attention must also be drawn to another
significant factor which characterizes the
Sicilian Defence. This concerns theoretical
debates, which as though reflect the essence
of the very opening. Of course, disputes
arise in other openinp", but in the Sicilian
Defence they are exceptionally sharp and
polemic, and the evaluation of many
problem positions can only be decided
specifically at the chess board. In crucial,
uncompromising arguments the players
try to find the truth, concealed in this or
that critical position. Experience shows
that any attempt to avoid polemics, and
to deviate from the main variations,
normally leads to a clear deterioration of
the position. Thus in the sharp Dragon
and Najdorf Variations it is illogical for
White to avoid queenside castling: in this
case all the sharpness of the opening is
lost, and Black achieves a fully equal
game. Equally, it can be unfavourable for
Black to avoid the dangers associated, for
example, with the acceptance of sacrifices,
thinking that it is better to keep out of
harm's way. Such tactics naturally free
White's hands, and allow him to dominate
the board. Two opponents, meeting on
the 'Sicilian battlefield', must be ready for
an open confrontation.
As a result, the Sicilian Defence wins,
both for White players, and for Black.
Indeed, the percentage of draws is very
 Introduction 3

small, since Sicilian players are always development.

eager for a fierce encounter.
In this book the reader will come across
a large number of good examples from
the games of well-known grandmasters.
This instructional material should help
players of a high standard, as well as
ordinary club players, in their further
The author hopes that this deep study
of the problems of his favourite opening,
the numerous independent critical analyses,
and the endless search for the Sicilian 'El
Dorado', will help the reader to gain a
better mastery of the complexities of
chess strategy and tactics in general.
 Part One

Opening Experiences in
the Sicilian Defence

Here we will be talking about the initial stage of the Sicilian Defence - the opening. On this
theme a countless number of monographs and articles have been written, both in the USSR
and abroad. We will be examining the Sicilian opening from a certain aspect - from the
viewpoint of the resulting problems for White and for Black. This part consists of three
chapters: 'Crushing opening defeats', 'Prepared innovations' and 'Theoretical debates'.
1 Crushing Opening Defeats
In the Sicilian Defence one often comes
across short games not exceeding a couple
of dozen moves in length. This type of
crushing defeat is most often inflicted by
White, on condition that his play is
vigorous and determined. The main reason
for such a rapid defeat by Black is the
breaking of basic opening principles, which
are the alpha and omega of any opening,
but of the Sicilian Defence in particular.
It should not be forgotten that many
variations of this opening take place in an
exceptionally sharp, complicated and tense
struggle, and that here the carefree inter-
pretation of chess rules can have dismal
consequences.
1.1 Lack of Development
The development of the pieces is a
universal question in any opening. The
correct mobilization of the forces in this
stage of the chess game is of paramount
importance. Therefore the well known
axiom, that the development of the pieces
is the most sacred principle, should be
instilled in every chess player. Because if
he forgets this, severe punishment is
inevitable. Lack of development is felt
especially keenly in the Sicilian Defence,
where rapid skirmishes in the centre can
lead to immediate opening disasters.
A player's practical thinking quite often
contrasts with his knowledge and under-
standing, and it is probably for this
7
reason that even in the games of masters
and grandmasters one encounters ridicul-
ous opening experiments. Attempts to
deviate from familiar theoretical contin-
uations or to carry out 'ultra-original'
ideas can often have dismal results.
In the following example Black broke
two opening principles: he prematurely
opened the centre and he brought into
play his queen, which came under attack
by the opponent's pieces. As a result he
fell behind in development, and this was
exploited in clear-cut style by White.
Boleslavsky-Gurgenidze
Rostov-on-Don 1960
1 e4 c5 2 etJf3 etJc6 3 d4 d5?
The Georgian grandmaster is a player
of considerable and original talent, and
on many occasions he has put interesting
and unusual opening ideas into practice.
But in the present game he clearly oversteps
the mark, especially with his fifth move.
4 exd5 'ilfxd5
5 etJc3 'ilfe6+?
It is hard to understand what prompted
Gurgenidze to give this check. Even on
general grounds it is obvious that this
move is bad, to say nothing about its
concrete refutation.
6 .lte3 cxd4 7 etJxd4 'ilfd7 8 tiJdb5!
How quickly White's threats have arisen!
Black is forced to make ineffective moves.
8 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

8 ... ~b8 5 ~c4 dS?

8 ... ~xd 1+
is not possible, since after 9 Black's premature activity in the centre
~xd 1 White threatens mate, so that the proves fatal. Of course, 5 ... i.xe4 was
loss of a rook is inevitable. also not possible, on account of the
typical blow 6 i.xf7+. He should have
9 ~e2!
played 5 ... i.g7.
A concrete approach to the position!
6 exdS i.xdS?
Now White concludes his attack verv
elegantly. - One mistake leads to another.
9 ... f6 10 ~dl ~g4 11 f3 ~hS (1) 7 ~a4+! i.c6 (2)
7 ... ttJc6 also loses: 8 ttJe5 ~c8 9 ~b5
1 ~c7 10 i.f4 i.h6 11 i.g3 etc.

White's lead in development allows

him to land a concluding blow.
12 i.xa7! ttJxa7 8 ttJeS! Resigns
13 ttJd6+ Resigns
We will now consider a textbook example
In the following instructive miniature of exploiting a lead in development, which
Black chose a poor plan of developmen~ occurred in a famous game between
and again opened the centre too soon, for Emanuel Lasker and Pirc. The 67-vear-
which he was instantly punished. old former World Champion lit~rallv
demolished his young opponent's unsound
opening strategy. While Black was wasting
four (!) tempi (which, after all, should be
Aronin-Kantorovich
not only counted, but carefully weighed)
Moscow 1960
on aimless knight manoeuvres on the
1 e4 cS 2 ttJf3 g6 3 c3 b6 queenside, White not only mobilized his
forces, but also carried o~t the thematic
A dubious continuation; he should
advance f4-f5. Then came a spectacular
have developed a piece with 3 ... ttJf6.
exchange sacrifice, which decided the
4 d4 i.b7 outcome.
 Crushing Opening Defeats
Em.Lasker-Pirc
Moscow 1935
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 ttJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4
ttJf6 5 ttJc3 d6 6 .ie2 e6
The players have chosen the Scheven-
ingen Variation, which is fashionable
even today.
7 0-0 a6 8 .ie3 '¥lIc7 9 f4 ttJa5?
The plan conceived by Black is incorrect,
since it breaks the principle of not moving
the same piece twice in the opening. He
should have played 9 ... .ie7, developing
his kingside and preparing to castle.
10 f5!
The natural reaction to Black's incorrect
play.
10 ... ttJc4?
As the reader may have noticed, mistakes
often came in pairs. True, even after other
continuations, such as 10 ... i.e7 or 10 ...
e5, White retains a big advantage. For
example, 10 ... e5 11 ttJb3 ttJc4 12 .ixc4
'¥lIxc4 13 '¥lIf3 .ie7 14 .ig5.
11 .ixc4 '¥lIxc4
12 fxe6 fxe6? (3)
3
The final and fatal mistake by Black in
9
this game. 12 ... .ixe6 was more tenacious,
although even then his position would
have been very difficult, in view of his
numerous weaknesses in the centre.
13 laxf6!
This strong move punishes Black for all
his preceding errors.
13 ... gxf6
14 '¥lIh5+ \£fd8
The exchange sacrifice was accurately
calculated by Lasker, since both the other
king moves also lose. If 14 ... \£fd7, then 15
'¥lIf7+ iLe7 16 ttJf5! lae8 17 lad1, while 14
. .. \£fe7 can be met by 15 ttJf5+! exf5 (15 ...
\£fd7 16 '¥lIj7+ \£fc6 17 ttJd4+) 16 ttJd5+
\£fd8 17 .ib6+ \£fd7 18 '¥lIf7+, and wins.
15 '¥lIf7 .td7
On 15 ... i.e7 there could have followed
16 ttJf5! lle8 (16 ... '¥lIc7 17 ttJa4! llf818
'¥lIxh7 \£fe8 19 iLb6! '¥lId720 '¥lIh5+ laj7 21
ttJg7+ \£fj8 22 '¥lIh8 mate) 17 ttJxd6! SLxd6
18 i.b6+ .ic7 19 lad1+ etc.
16 '¥lIxf6+ \£fc7 17 '¥lIxh8 .th6 18 ttJxe6t!
'¥lIxe6 19 '¥lIxa8 .ixe3+ 20 \£fhl Black
resigns
This game appeared in chess publications
throughout the world. It seemed most
unlikely that anyone with Black would
deliberately risk going in for the position
which occurred in the Lasker-Pirc game.
But, paradoxically enough, 51 years later,
at the Chess Olympiad in Dubai, to the
great surprise of the players and trainers
of our team (in a very important match,
USSR v England), in the game Nunn-
Sokolov an almost identical position was
reached. The only difference was that
Black did not develop his knight at f6, but
brought out his bishop to e7, which did
not essentially affect the evaluation ofthe
position. Black was again hopelessly
10 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
undeveloped, and White had numerous
ways to realize his positional advantages.
It is difficult to offer an explanation as to
why Sokolov decided to go in for this
position. He undoubtedly knew the Lasker-
Pirc game, since on move 11 he did not
play ... lDf6, and thereby avoided the
exchange sacrifice. It was possibly an
opening experiment, evoked by the call of
battle. Or perhaps he thought that by ...
i.e? he could carry out a new defensive
idea. At any event, even after the game
Sokolov tried in analysis to defend Black's
position, but ... in vain.
My feeling is that in this game the
young and talented grandmaster decided
in the heat of the moment to 'play with
fire', thinking that even in such a position
he would be able to hold out.
But the law of piece development is
merciless, and applies to everyone: both
to club players and to strong grandmasters.
Nunn-Sokolov
Dubai 1986
1 e4 c5 2 lDf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 lDc6 5
lDc3 a6 6 i.e2 d6 7 i.e3 'ffic7 8 f4 lDa5? 9
0-0 lDc410 i.xc4 'ffixc411 f5! i.e7 (4)
4
Had White now played 12 fxe6 fxe6 13
e5! dxe5 14 'ffih5+, Black would have had
no grounds for optimism. However, the
move made by Nunn is also good enough.
12 'ffig4 h5?!
This conclusively weakens Black's al-
ready dubious position. 12 ... i.f6 (12 ...
lDf6?! 13 'ffixg7 'iig8 14 'ffih6) was also
insufficient, in view of 13 fxe6 fxe6 14 e5!
il,xe5 15 lDe4 or 15 'iiadl, with a very
strong attack. The only way of setting up
a defensive line was by 12 ... g6.
13 'ffif3 i.f6
Development, development! 13 ... lDf6
would have been the lesser evil.
14 fxe6 fxe6
Now White's attack develops unchecked.
Good or bad, Black should have recaptured
with the bishop.
15 e5!
Decisively exposing the yawning holes
in Black's position. The white pieces fall
upon the defenceless enemy king.
15 ... dxeS 16 lDe4 'ffic7 17 'ffig3! lDe718
'iiadl h4
On IS ... Jl.d? the most convincing is 19
'iixf6!, and if 19 ... gxf6 (19 ... 0-0-0 20
'iif7), then 20 lDxf6+ ~f7 21 lDf3!, when
there is no point in trying to find a
satisfactory defence.
19 lDxf6+ gxf6
20 'ffig7 'iifS
20 ... 'iigS 21 'ffixf6 exd4 22 'ffif7+ ~dS
23 'iixd4+ il,d? 24 'ffif8+! leads to mate.
21 'iixf6 'iixf6
22 'ffixf6 'ffid6
22 ... exd4 also loses, to 23 'ffihS+ ~d?
24 'iixd4+, or 23 ... ~f7 24 'iifl+.
23 Jl.g5!
 Crushing Opening Defeats 11

This quickly concludes the game. of the f-file quickly decides the game.
23 ... exd4 24 :!:ixd4 ct:Jd5 (if 24 ... ~cS 2S 13 ... ~b4
b4) 24 :!:ixd5! Black resigns
On 13 ... exfS there would have followed
14 i.a4+ bS IS ~dS! :!:ib8 16 ~eS+.
Lack of development is felt especially
keenly when one of the sides (usually 14 fxe6 i.xe6
Black), without completing his develop- 15 i.xe6 fxe6 (5)
ment, begins playing actively. A typical
example is provided by the following
5
game, in which Black's opening strategy
proved faulty due to a deficiency m
fighting units.

Fischer-Dely
Skopje 1967
1 e4 c5 2 ct:Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 ct:Jf6 5
ct:Jc3 ct:Jc6 6 i.c4 e6 7 i.b3 a6 8 f4 ~a5
Black has decided to carry out a plan
involving the thematic Sicilian counter ...
dS. But he has failed to take into account
the nuances of the resulting situation, and
the premature clash of forces allows
White to demonstrate in clear-cut fashion
his superiority in development.
9 0-0 ct:Jxd4
The immediate 9 ... dS is also possible.
In Fischer's opinion, the following vari-
ation gives White the advantage: 10 ct:Jxc6
bxc6 11 fS i.cS+ 12 ~hl 0-0 13 eS ct:Jd7,
followed by 14 f6 or 14 ~hS.
10 ~xd4 d5
11 i.e3
Black's opening plan suffers a fiasco -
he does not succeed in developing his
pieces. White mounts a swift attack on
the black king caught in the centre.
11 ... ct:Jxe4 12 ct:Jxe4 dxe4 13 f5!
Fischer used to handle such positions
with uncommon accuracy! The opening
16 :!:ixf8+!
The concluding tactical blow, anticipated
beforehand by Fischer.
16 ... ~xf8
17 ~a4+!
Black resigns. On 17 ... bS there follows
18 ~xe4 :!:id8 19 ~c6+ :!:id720 :!:idl.
In practice there are numerous examples
of one player forgetting about the develop-
ment of his forces, when trying for material
gam.
There is a distinctive chess disease
called 'pawn-grabbing'. How many grand-
masters, masters and other players have
suffered, and continue to suffer, from this
ailment, which is so difficult to cure!
The consequences of 'pawn-grabbing' are
normally undesirable - greed, as we know,
is a sin. It is 'poisoned' pawns which most
often constitute the Greek gift.
Here it is appropriate to recall the
12 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

advice of Dr Tarrasch: "In the opening ... 8 c3

one should aim to create a good position, Winter was counting on 8 .id2, to
and not strive for a material superiority". which he would have then replied 8 ...
A most instructive example is provided
~b6.
bv the following game, where Black was
u~able to resist temptation, and through 8 cxd4
inertia captured one enemy pawn after 9 .id3!
another. White's lead in development was
"An original idea, thanks to which this
realized by combinational blows.
variation of the Sicilian Defence is trans-
formed into a genuine gambit. 9 ~xd4
ttJc6 lO ~e3 was also good for White, but
the game continuation is more active and
Keres-Winter
sets Black difficult problems". (Keres)
Warsaw Olympiad 1935
9 dxc3
1 e4 c5
10 O-O!
2 ttJf3 ttJf6
Sacrificing three pawns, White brings
From the verv first moves the English
new reserves into play with gain of time.
master tries to' avoid the well-trodden
paths, and chooses the Nimzowitsch 10 cxb2
Variation, which at that time was little
Here it was perhaps time to stop, and to
explored.
begin developing the pieces by lO ... ttJc6.
3 e5 ttJd5 4 ttJc3 e6 5 ttJxd5 But even in this case, in Keres' opinion,
White would have held the initiative after
Modern theory considers 5 ttJe4 to be
11 :8:e 1 .ie6 12 bxc3 dxe5 13 ttJxe5 ttJxe5
more promising.
14 :8:xe5 .id6 15 :8:xe6+! fxe6 16 ~h5+.
5 exd5
11 :8:bl dxe5?
6 d4 d6
The final and decisive mistake. By
Not vet known at that time was the
playing 11 ... ttJc6, Black could still have
sharp ~ariation with 6 ... ttJc6, where
put up something of a defence, although
Black, sacrificing a pa wn, tries to seize the
his position would all the same have been
initiative.
lost. The following is a curious variation:
7 .ig5! 12 :8:el .ie6 13 :8:xb2 ~c7 14 ~bl :8:b815
:8:cl .id7 (16 :8:xc6wasthreatened) 16e6!
This improvisation at the board by
fxe6 17 .ig6+! hxg6 18 ~xg6 mate.
Keres is even today considered the strongest
continuation. The move hinders the de- 12 ttJxe5 .id6 (6)
velopment of Black's kingside. The black
12 ... .ie6 also fails to save Black: after
queen does not have a great choice: 7 ...
13 :8:xb2 White's attack is irresistible. For
.ie7 fails to 8 .ixe7 ~xe7 9 dxc5 dxc5 lO
example, if 13 ... ttJc6, then 14 :8:xb7!
~xd5, and 7 ... ~b6 8 dxc5 leads to the
ttJxe5 15 .ib5+ ttJd7 16 ~xd5!! The move
loss of the d5 pawn.
played also allows a spectacular combi-
7 ... ~a5+ nation.
 Crushing Opening Defeats 13

It is interesting to note that, right to the

end of the game, the knight at bS will
6
create direct threats to the opponent's
king.
9 ... llfd7 10 dxc5 dxc5 11 .tf4!
Black is a pawn up, but the opening
battle has been won by White, as a glance
at Black's undeveloped kingside reveals.
11 .,. 0-0-0
After 11 ... llfxd 1 12 laaxd 1 Black
inevitably loses the exchange.
12 llfa4 llff5
13 tiJxf7! Wxf7
14 llfh5+ g6 On 12 ... a6 there could have followed
13 tiJeS tiJxeS 14 .txeS, with numerous
All king moves lose: if 14 ... We6 IS
threats.
i,fS+, or 14 ... Wg8 ISllfe8+ i,f8 16 i,e7
tiJd7 17 MS, while in the event of 14 ... 13 i,g3 a6 14 laadl laxd115 laxdl tiJf6
Wf8 Keres had prepared IS lafe 1 i,d7 16 (7)
llff3+ Wg8 17 i,e7!
15 j"xg6+! hxg6 16 llfxh8 .tf5 17 lafel 7
i,e4 18 laxe4! dxe4 19 llff6+
Black resigns, in view of the unavoidable
mating threats.

Karaklajic-S.Nikolic
Pristina 1973
1 e4 c5 2 tiJf3 d6 3 i,b5+ i,d7 4 i,xd7+
llfxd75 c4 llfg4?
An anti-positional sortie. Black wins a 16 llfa5! Resigns
pa wn, but in the centre of the board his
Mate is inevitable. On 16 ... tiJe8 there
queen is victimized.
follows 17 tiJa7+ tiJxa7 18 lad8 mate.
6 0-0 llfxe4 Here is another example on the same
7 d4! theme.
The natural reaction. To achieve a lead
in development, White must open up the
centre as quickly as possible.
Browne-Quinteros
7 .. , tiJc6 8 tiJc3 llfg4 9 tiJb5! Wijk aan Zee 1974
14 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 d6 3 i.b5+ i.d7 4 i.xd7+ all his pieces into play.

~xd7 5 c4 ~g4? 12 ttJab5 e5 13 i.xe5! dxe5 14 :!lxe5+
History periodically repeats itself. In i.e7 15 :!ld5 ~c8 16 ttJf5 WfS 17 ttJxe7
this game too Black avoids the natural 5 Wxe7 18 :!le5+ Black resigns
... ttJc6 or 5 ... ttJf6, and chooses a faulty
We have said that the development of
path.
the pieces in the opening is a basic principle.
6 0-0 ~xe4 Nevertheless, chess does not tolerate
7 d4 cxd4 dogmatism. And even the rule of develop-
ment demands a creative interpretation,
Perhaps the Argentine grandmaster
which sometimes runs contrary to generally
knew the previous game, and had decided
accepted norms. In other words, a par-
to deviate.
ticular position may contain such surprising
8 :!leI ~c6 nuances that a solution is provided only
9 ttJxd4 ~xc4? by an exception to the rules. And this is
typical not only of the Sicilian Defence.
Quinteros, as though hypnotized, cap-
Numerous examples are known in which
tures the 'poisoned' pawns. Black's decision
players have seemingly played not accord-
is inexplicable, although even after other
ing to the rules, by breaking the law of
continuations his position is dubious. For
development. Rejecting the routine, they
example,9 ... ~d7 10 ttJb5 e6 11 i.f4 e5 12
solve creatively the problems of the
ttJlc3 a613 ~a4!, or 12 ... ttJf613c5!.But
opening, which ultimately brings success.
after the move played he is bound to lose
A striking example is provided by the well
- he is simply too far behind in develop-
known game Alekhine-Rubinstein, The
ment.
Hague 1921. True, this was not a Sicilian
10 ttJa3 ~c8 Defence, but the game strikingly and
11 i.f4 ~d7 (8) instructively demonstrates the fresh play
and concrete thinking of a great player.
For a better understanding of events, we
give an abbreviated version of Alekhine's
comments.
1 d4 d5 2 ttJf3 e6 3 c4 a6
"Necessary in the greater number of
variations of the Queen's Gambit Accepted,
3 ... a6 is here merely a loss of time, and in
addition creates weaknesses on the queen-
side when White continues by 4 cxd5, or
even 4 c5, as in the present game.
4 c5 ttJc6 5 i.f4 ttJge7 6 ttJc3 ttJg6 7
i.e3!
After completing the pointless man-
oeuvre . . . ~d7-g4-e4-c6-c4-c8-d7, the A move rather out of the common!
black queen has returned home. But White, while preventing 7 ... e5, avoids
during this time White has brought almost the exchange of his queen's bishop.
 Crushing Opening Defeats
7 b6
Black, giving up hope of breaking
through in the centre, at least eliminates
the cramping adverse c-pawn, and reckons
to secure an advantage in development,
by reason of the unusual position of
White's bishop at e3.
8 cxb6 cxb6
9 h4!
The only means of weakening the black
squares of the enemy's position, and thus
obtaining a future for his queen's bishop.
9 .1t.d6
If 9 ... h5 then 10 .1t.g5 f6 11 ~c2
followed by 12 .1t.d2, e2-e3, a2-a3 and
.1t.d3 with the better game for White.
10 h5 tLJge7
11 h6!
The point! If Black captures the h-
pawn, he weakens his own h-pawn without
the slightest compensation. In the other
case White's bishop will occupy the
diagonal h4-d8, where it exercises a very
embarrassing pressure.
11 ... g6 12 .1t.g5 0-0 13 .1t.f6! (9)
9
An extraordinary position after the
13th move of a Queen's Gambit! During
15
the first thirteen moves White has played
his c-pawn thrice, his h-pawn thrice and
his queen's bishop four times, after which
he has obtained a position in sight of a
win, if not actually a winning one.
It is especially with respect to the
original opening of this game that people
often speak of a 'hypermodern technique',
a 'neo-romantic school', etc.
The question is in reality much simpler.
Black has given himself over to several
eccentricities in the opening (3 ... a6, 5 ...
tLJge7, 6 ... tLJg6) which, without the
reaction of his opponent (for example, 7
e3 instead of 7 .1t.e3 or 9 g3 instead of 9 h4)
would in the end give him a good game.
It is therefore as a necessity, and not
with a preconceived idea, that I decided
upon the advance of the h-pawn, preventing
Black from securing an advantage in the
centre. But, as a rule, in the opening
stages of the game such eccentricities are
in accordance neither with my temperament
nor my style."
This is how Alekhine annotated the
opening stage of this game, which after a
complicated and tense struggle ended in a
win for White.
I should now like to mention my
favourite 'dish': the Polugayevsky Vari-
ation.
1 e4 c5 2 tLJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tLJxd4 tLJf6 5
tLJc3 a6 6 .1t.g5 e6 7 f4 b5 8 e5 dxe5 9 fxe5
~c7 10 exf6 ~e5+ 11 .Jte2 ~xg5 12 0-0
~e5 (10)
Even a brief glance is sufficient to
realize how dubious it is from the viewpoint
of chess rules. But at present the Variation
is still alive, and White continues to seek
the key to its refutation. I have already
written in my book Grandmaster Prepar-
ation about how my brain-child was
nurtured, how it suffered, and how masses
16 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
of effort, time and nervous energy were
spent on it. But it was this last, seemingly
senseless move 12 ... ~e5! that cost me
particular effort. I realized that Black,
with his pieces completely undeveloped,
was making a fourth (!) successive move
with his queen. I think that, had he been
observing events, Dr Tarrasch would have
been the most indignant ... But what can
one do - times change in chess, and with
them a reassessment of values occurs.
Strangely enough, painstaking analysis
and then practical experience confirmed
the viability of my paradoxical idea. A
creative, concrete approach to the position
demonstrated that it was by no means
easy for White to exploit his lead in
development. Let us separate the features
of this position, and clarify why the 'crazy
walk' of the black queen is after all
permissible.
It transpires that the centralized queen,
which is not so easily driven away (White
feels the absence of his dark-square bishop
and the weakness of his dark squares), is
one of Black's main trumps. It prevents
White from mounting an attack by playing
his knight to e4, and the attempt to drive
away the queen by 13 lbf3 allows Black to
bring his bishop into play with gain of
tempo by 13 ... ~cS+. In other variations
the threat of 13 ... i.c5 forces White to
waste time on 13 Whl. In addition, Black
has available the strong manoeuvre ...
~a7-d7, which completely neutralizes
White's apparent lead in development
(here the unfortunate placing of the queen
at d 1 and knight at d4 is felt). It should
not be forgotten that the position is an
open one, and that Black has two splendid
bishops. Yes, I am not afraid to say
'splendid', since, although they are still
on their initial squares, everything is
ready for them to become extremely active.
Very shortly the black pieces will become
completely coordinated, supporting and
defending one another. Thus initially Black
allows his opponent the chance to gain a
lead in development, then accelerates and
makes up for his omission.
This is why an antidote has yet to be
found to one of the branches of the
Variation, in which White gives up his
bishop at gS.
In other continuations of the Poluga-
yevsky Variation, where White retains his
dark-square bishop, for example in the
line 10 ~e2 (11),
11
his advantage is again not clear-cut. After
all, he has spent time on the pawn moves
e2-e4, f2-f4 and e4-e5, and to retain his
outpost at e5 he has developed his queen
 Crushing Opening Defeats
awkwardly, blocking in his light-square
bishop. By advancing his pawn to e5,
White appears to create the impression of
a spatial advantage, but at the same time
the h I-a8 diagonal is opened, and along it
Black's light-square bishop becomes active,
also acting as a defender of the king
(which sometimes remains in the centre),
by controlling important central squares.
The following continuation in the
Najdorf Variation is another exception to
the rules: 1 e4 c5 2 tiJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
tiJxd4 tiJf6 5 tiJc3 a6 6 .tg5 e6 7 f4 ~b6
(12) followed by 8 ... ~xb2. We have
already spoken about the inadvisability
of bringing out the queen early, about the
dangers of pawn-grabbing, about the
necessity to develop the pieces, and so on.
Yet on the 7th move Black brings his
queen into play, and then captures an
apparently 'poisoned' pawn. Dogmatic
reasoning suggests that Black has made
incorrect moves, whereas White has played
correctly, and that hence a punishment
should be forthcoming. Nevertheless this
variation remains topical and White has
been unable to refute it during the several
decades of its existence. Why is this?
12
Again let us try to obtain a creative
grasp of what is happening. The more
deeply we delve into the mysteries of this
17
original position, the more clearly we see
just how great Black's potential possibilities
are.
What is the main aim of the queen
move to b6? It is to create disharmony in
the position of White, who has to solve
the problem of defending the g I-a 7
diagonal. Therefore he usually has to
sacrifice his b2 pawn, in order to be able
to castle kingside. After 8 ~d2 (in the
event of 8 tiJb3 the white knight moves
away from the centre, and 7 ... ~b6 is
justified) 8 ... ~xb2 White has to waste
time on 9 :§:bl. The black queen is itself
aiming to take up a good position at a5 or
c5, and here the white rook as though
urges it on. From these squares the queen
will constantly harass the opponent's
pieces (from a5 it creates an unpleasant
pin on the knight at c3 against the queen
at d2, while from c5 another pin arises -
on the knight at d4 against the king at g I).
What we see is that, in one sense, Black
appears to waste time, but also, to a
certain extent White's hands are tied, and
he does not have complete freedom.
Paradoxically, the forced movements of
the black queen create specific difficulties
for White. In many variations the white
rook at b I is inactive, and to transfer it to
the kings ide (via b3) requires time. In
addition, White is prevented from castling
queenside, which is especially dangerous
for Black (who after queenside castling is
sensitive to central attacks by e4-e5 or f4-
f5). After castling kingside it is more
difficult for White to attack, and forcible
piece sacrifices are not always effective
(as demonstrated by practical experience
and numerous analyses, Black has sufficient
defensive resources).
If the development of the white pieces
is carefully analysed, one factor becomes
particularly striking - in the first instance
he has developed his queenside: (his knight
18 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
to c3, bishop to g5, and queen to d2 -
everything is aimed at queenside castling).
The bold raid of the black queen disrupts
White's plans, and, although he has made
developing moves, he must spend further
time on the mobilization of his kingside
pieces (his king cannot be left in the
centre), and this allows Black something
of a respite.
These positional features allow Black's
position to be considered perfectly viable,
but on this condition: his knowledge of
this variation must be combined with an
objective, accurate, and at the same time
creative evaluation of each position arising,
since the play here is of a particularly
concrete nature.
However, I would not be completely
honest if I did not express my personal
attitude to Black's 7 ... 'il¥b6 venture. I
have to admit that, as an 'old Sicilian
player', I do not like trying for gain of
material in this opening, since I am
convinced that the only correct plan is
counterattack, based on counter actions,
on the counter development of the pieces.
It is on this principle that my Variation is
based, Black himself not aiming for
material gain, but thinking of how quickly
he can coordinate his pieces, thus depriving
the opponent of his main trum p - his lead
in development. Even so, although I am
sceptical about the 7 ... 'il¥b6 variation, for
the moment experience convinces me that
this is a subjective opinion.
1.2 The Benefit of Knowledge
The study of a certain opening is a
difficult and painstaking task. Especially
in our times, when an enormous flood of
information falls like rain from the sky,
and at times a player, whether he be a
grandmaster, master, or simply an amateur,
simply cannot manage to assimilate the
mass of new ideas and continuations. For
this reason unequal conditions will some-
times arise in a game, when the level of
knowledge of two players in a particular
variation is markedly different. One has
analysed the position at home, and is
familiar with all the recent theoretical
analyses, whereas the other finds himself
on unfamiliar territory and at the board
begins trying to 'reinvent the wheel'.
Particularly in the Sicilian Defence, it
often happens that ignorance of the correct
opening path is justly punished.
A paradoxical instance occurred in the
lengthy chess career of Samuel Reshevsky,
but one which was evidently justified. The
veteran American is a practical player,
and has always devoted little attention to
theory. This chronic defect was disclosed
in his encounter with the 15-year-old
Bobby Fischer (US Championship 1958-
59). Reshevsky chose a familiar variation
of the Sicilian Defence, where everything
seemed to be well known. But it only
required Black to play incautiously on his
8th move, and White's reaction was
instant - two combinational blows decided
the outcome of the game. How was it that
this experienced and venerable grand-
master, or the 'old chess lion', as his
compatriots affectionately called him,
could lose a game so quickly - literally
within ten moves? The answer is given by
the encounter itself between the two
outstanding American grandmasters.
Fischer-Reshevsky
USA Championship 1958-59
1 e4 cS 2 tbf3 tbc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tbxd4 g6 5
~e3 ~g7 6 tbc3 tbf6
Black's plan is to make the thematic
 Crushing Opening Defeats
advance ... d5 in one go, and so he delays
playing ... d6.
7 i.c4
7 et:Jxc6 bxc6 8 e5 et:Jd5 9 et:Jxd5 cxd5 10
~xd5 was possible, winning a pawn, but
after 10 ... :8:b8 Black has counterplay.
7 0-0
Black persists with his plan. It is perhaps
f or this reason that Reshevsky avoids the
more accurate 7 ... ~a5, since in this case
he would already have had to transpose
into classical Dragon lines with ... d6.
8 i.b3 (13)
13
8 et:JaS?
I was one of the witnesses to the birth of
the trap which caught Reshevsky. The
first to fall into it was Shamkovich in a
game with Bastrikov, in the Russian
Federation Championship, Sochi, 1958.
There can be no doubt that Bastrikov, a
great expert on the Sicilian Defence, had
prepared the surprise in his home labora-
tory. True, Black noticed the possibility
of 10 i.xf7+, and so instead of 9 ... et:Je8
he played 9 ... et:Jxb3, but even so he lost
after 10 exf6 et:Jxal 11 fxg7 et:Jxc2+ 12
~xc2 Wxg7 13 f4. This variation was
mentioned in an article 'New in opening
19
theory' (Shakhmatny Byulleten 1958, No.
10). Fischer, who carefully followed Soviet
chess publications (with this aim he even
learned Russian), had read this article a
few months before the US Championship
- and not in vain!
9 eS et:Je8 10 i.xf7+! Wxf7 11 et:Je6!
If 11 ... Wxe6, then White has a forced
mate: 12 ~d5+ Wf5 13 g4+ Wxg4 14
:8:gl+ Wh5 15 ~dl+ Wh4 16 ~g4 mate.
Therefore Reshevsky preferred to give up
his queen for two minor pieces by 11 ...
dxe6, and after 12 ~xd8 he continued his
pointless resistance up to move 42.
In standard Sicilian set-ups, where
almost everything appears to be known,
for many players there are still plenty of
blank spots. These positions demand
particular attention - the forcing variations
which arise here must be known move by
move, since playing 'on the off-chance',
in the hope of finding the strongest
continuation at the board, offers little
hope of success.
Here are some typical examples, in
which one and the same picture is repeated
- Black demonstrates his lack of knowledge
of a certain variation of the Sicilian
Defence.
Ma tanovic-Gufeld
Skopje 1969
1 e4 cS 2 et:Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 et:Jxd4 et:Jf6 S
et:Jc3 a6 6 i.gS e6 7 f4 et:Jbd7 8 i.c4
The Yugoslav grandmaster is ready to
go into a sharp variation involving a piece
sacrifice, which he had analyzed in detail
beforehand. Gufeld accepts the chal-
lenge.
8 ... bS 9 i.xe6! fxe6 10 et:Jxe6 (14)
20 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

14 15

10 ... 'iVb6? 16 ... ~xe4 17 ~c7+ <;;t>xd5 18 ndl +

Gufeld obviously did not know of the
game Parma-Szabo (Solingen 1968), which
went 11 ttJd5! ttJxd5 12 ~xd5 ~e3+ 13
c,M I ttJb6 14 ttJc7+ <;;t>d7 15 ~f7+ <;;t>c6.
Here Parma chose 16 ttJxa8 ttJxa8 17
'i!¥d5+ <;;t>c7 18 ne 1 ! ~a 7 19 e5, and also
won. It should be mentioned that, in their
notes to the Parma-Szabo game, Matanovic
and Parma suggested 16 ttJd5! as the
strongest continuation of the attack, and
the Soviet grandmaster runs up against
their analysis as far as move 20.
Theory considers the best move to be
10 ... ~a5! with a double-edged game, as
confirmed many times in practice.
11 ttJd5! ttJxd5
12 'i!¥xd5 ~e3+
<;;t>e6 19 nel 'i!¥xel+ 20 <;;t>xel h6
On 20 ... ttJd5 would have come 21 'i!¥c6
nb8 22 <;;t>f2 followed by ne1+.
21 f5+! <;;t>d5
The black king would have also ended
up in a mating net after 21 ... <;;t>xf5 22
'i!¥f7+!
22 'i!¥xb6 hxg5 23 <;;t>f2 nh4 24 ndl +
<;;t>e5 25 'i!¥c6 nb8 26 'i!¥e8+ Black resigns
In a game Urzica-Ungureanu, 1976, one
of the critical positions of the Polugayevsky
Variation arose.
16

12 ... i.b7 fails to 13 ttJc7+ ~xc7 14

'i!¥e6+ .
13 <;;t>f1 ttJb6 14 ttJc7+ <;;t>d7 15 ~f7+
<;;t>c6

(diagram 15)

16 ttJd5!
Now White's attack is irresistible. If 16
... ttJxd5, then 17 exd5+ <;;t>b6 18 .td8+. It is well known that here Black has
Black has little choice. two possible continuations. The first is 12
 Crushing Opening Defeats
~b6, defending e6 from the side and
seriously hindering White's aggressive
intentions. Black's second plan involves
the aggressive, although also very hazard-
ous 12 ... ~xe5. Its aim is to eliminate the
powerful central pawn e5, and with it the
outpost at d6. This continuation has its
'pros' and 'cons', but practice has con-
firmed its viability. A detailed analysis is
given in my book Grandmaster Preparation.
But with his very first move the
Romanian master makes a serious blunder.
12 ... h6??
Now Black is quickly crushed.
13 ttJxe6! ~xe5
14 ttJc7+!!
Black obviously overlooked this strong
reply.
14 ... ~xc7
15 ~e2+ Resigns
In a game Berezyuk-Izhvin, Lvov, 1976,
Black played 12 ... ~xe5, after which
there followed 13 .ixb5 axb5 14 ttJcxb5?!
(17).
17
White has not chosen the strongest way
to attack: after all, the main idea of the
bishop sacrifice at b5 is to bring the king's
rook into play without loss of time.
21
14 h5?
A little knowledge is indeed a dangerous
thing. This 'pseudo-active' move, which
is the strongest reply to 14 E:hel, loses by
force in the given situation. Black should
have defended by 14 ... f5!, and if 15 ttJxf5
(15 ~h3 or 15 ~h4 can be met by 15 .. .
E:xa2, as well as 15 ... rJ;;f7), then 15 .. .
exf5 16 ~c4 ttJa6 17 .if4 ttJb6!, with
advantage to Black.
15 ttJc7+!
Diverting the black queen from the
defence of e6.
15 ... ~xc7
16 ttJxe6!
In order to open the e-file.
16 ... ~e5
17 ttJc7+!
The bewitched c7 square! Here, for the
sake of opening the e-file, the entire white
cavalry has sacrificed itself.
17 '" ~xc7 18 ~e2+ ttJe5 19 ~xe5+!
The white queen is immune!
19 ... .ie7 20 ~xc7 .ixg5+ 21 rJ;;bl 0-0
22 ~xb7 Black resigns
Belyavsky-Stean
Lucerne 1982
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6 5
ttJc3 a6 6 ,ig5 e6 7 f4 ~b6 8 ~d2 ~xb2 9
ttJb3 ttJbd7
Experience in this sharp variation has
shown that it is safer to play 9 ... ttJc6 or 9
... ~a3, but the English player had good
reasons for deviating. Firstly, BeJyavsky
has an excellent knowledge of such posi-
tions and feels very much at home in
them; secondly, this variation occurred in
22 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
the previous round of the Olympiad, in
the game Belyavsky-Pinter, where the
Hungarian played 9 ... tLlc6 and lost.
10 ~d3 b5?
In the game Petrushin-Doroshkevich,
USSR, 1973, after 10 ... tLlc5(lO ... ~e7is
also possible) Black maintained a defens-
ible position: 11 0-0 ~d7 12 tLlxc5 ~b6 13
~f2 ~xc5 14 ~xc5 dxc5.
11 0-0 tLlc5??
These two successive mistakes lead to
Black's immediate defeat. He could still
have put up a resistance after 11 .,. ~a3,
although even in this case White gains a
great advantage by 12 e5! dxe5 13 fxe5,
and if 13 .. , tLlxe5 14 :§:xf6!
12 tLlxc5 dxc5 13 ~xf6 gxf6 14 :§:abl
~a3 (18)
15 tLlxb5! Resigns
On 15 ... axb5 there could have followed
16 ~xb5+ ~e7 17 :§:fdl with inevitable
mate.
1.3 Carelessness, Leading To Disaster
From my own experience I can state
with certainty that a player should develop
concentration, heightened awareness and
watchfulness, just like a driver. Carelessness
can be fatal, either at the wheel, or at the
chess board.
There are quite a number of examples
where, in the initial stage of a Sicilian
Defence, even slight inaccuracies have
left their mark on the further course of
events.
On the 6th move of the following game,
the Soviet grandmaster mechanically com-
mitted a transposition of moves.
Fischer-Tal
Bled 1961
1 e4 c5 2 tLlf3 tLlc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tLlxd4
e6
At that time this defensive system was
especially popular.
5 tLlc3
In this game Fischer plays the opening
safely - after all, before this he had not
once managed to defeat the Ex-World
Champion, and the score between them
was heavily against him (+0 =2 -4).
5 .. , ~c7
6 g3 (19)
"I have to admit that I was somewhat
surprised by this modest continuation",
wrote Tal. "Now after the natural 6 ... a6
7 ~g2 tLlf6 8 0-0 Black has a choice
between 8 ... ~e7, temporarily delaying
the development of his queenside, 8 ... d6,
transposing into normal Scheveningen
lines, and 8 ... tLlxd4 8 ~xd4 ~c5. I was
intending to choose this last variation,
and after making my move I calmly
walked about the stage, awaiting my
opponent's reply."
 Crushing Opening Defeats 23

position after 9 ... a6 lO ~d4 d6 II :8:dl

axbS 12 ~xeS, or 9 ... d6 lO ~d4 tiJc6 11
19
tiJxd6+ Wd7 12 ~bS ~xd6 13 0-0-0 etc.
10 ~xe5! ~xe5 11 f4 ~b8 12 e5 a6
12 ... tiJg8 is totally bad on account of
13 tiJe4 ~e7 14 ~d2, when it is not
apparent how Black can develop.
13 exf6 axb5
14 fxg7
Keres thought that the positional bind
after 14 tiJe4 ~f8 IS ~d4 g6 appeared
more imposing, but the young Fischer
"On the demonstration board a white prefers to win a pawn.
knight quite unexpectedly appeared at
14 ... :8:g8 15 tiJe4 ~e7 16 ~d4 :8:a4
bS. 'What kind of piece sacrifice is this?', I
asked myself in surprise. But, on coming Black's attempts to complicate the game
up to the board, I realized to my horror are bound to be unsuccessful; the white
that instead of 6 ... a6 I had played a pieces are too well placed.
different move."
17 tiJf6+ ~xf6
6 ... tiJf6? 18 ~xf6 ~c7 (20)
7 tiJdb5!
It is interesting that a year later, in the
tournament at San Antonio, Bisguier
failed to exploit this opportunity in a
similar position against Benko.
7 ... ~b8
8 ~f4 tiJe5
After a great deal of thought, Tal
decided on this risky continuation, since
after 8 .. , eS 9 ~gS a6 lO ~xf6 things are
completely bad for Black. On lO ... gxf6
there would have followed 11 tiJa3 bS 12
tiJdS!, while if lO ... axbS II ~gS.
19 O-O-O!
9 ~e2!
The most convincing! By returning the
By controlling f3, White prepares the pawn, Fischer exploits his lead in develop-
strong threat of lO ~d4. ment to begin an attack.
9 ... ~c5 19 ... :8:xa2
20 Wbl :8:a6
Fischer and Tal are unanimous in
commenting that Black has a difficult 20 ... :8:aS was bad on account of 21
24 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
j,h5!, when 21 ... d5 (or 21 ... d6 22
'f1.xd6!) is met by 22 'f1.xd5! exd5 23 'f1.e1 +.
And after 20 ... 'iYa5 the quiet move 21 b3!
maintains the irresistible threat of 22
j,h5.
21 .txbS
"I was so intent on snatching material
and not botching this one that I missed 21
.th5 d6 (or 21 ... d522 T1.xd5!) 22 'f1.he1
'iYe7 23 'iYh6 Wd7 24 'iYxh7, with a quick
win in view", Fischer later admitted.
21 ... llb6 22 .td3 eS 23 fxeS!
The simplest and technically the most
correct way to win. After 23 'iYxe5+ 'iYxe5
24 fxe5 'f1.xg7 Black would have gained
some practical saving chances.
23 ... 'f1.xf6 24 exf6 'iYcS 25 ~xh7 'iYgS
26 ~xg8 'iYxf6 27 llhfl 'iYxg7 28 j,xf7+
Wd 8, and White realized his material
advantage.
In the following game a typical Scheven-
ingen position was reached.
21
In this position Black made the 'pro-
phylactic' move 12 ... Wh8. Prophylaxis is
good, when it is necessary, but here he
should have played 12 ... ltJxd4 13 ~xd4
j,c6, or continued his development with
12 ... 'f1.ac8.
13 'f1.adl 'f1.fe8
At first sight this move cannot be called
a mistake, since it is typical of the
Scheveningen. But a deep consideration
of the position reveals that with his last
two moves Black has weakened his f7
square. Tal promptly exploits this factor.
White's initiative develops with unusual
speed, and the imagination of the chess
magician creates a wonderful work of
chess art.
14 ltJf3 eS
Otherwise White himself would have
played e4-e5.
15 ltJgS ltJd8 16 fxeS dxeS 17 'f1.xf6!
The prelude to a remarkable combin-
ation begins with an exchange sacrifice.
17 ... j,xf6 18 ltJdS 'iYxc2 19 ltJxf6 gxf6
20 'f1.xd7 'iYxe2 21 'f1.xd8!
By eliminating the defender of the f7
pawn, White threatens mate. And the
knight itself is also immune, since after
21 ... fxg5 22 j,xg5, mate by 23 .if6 is
unavoidable.
21 ... 'iYc4 (22)
22
When he began his combination on
 Crushing Opening Defeats 25

move 17, Tal foresaw this position and attack - 23 .th6. But now the game is
prepared a combinational blow of rare decided by the weakness of Black's 2nd
beauty. rank.
22 ctJe6!! fxe6
23 lld7 llg8 24 ~h4 llg7 25 ~xf6
If 22 ... ~xe6, then the bishop joins the Black resigns
2 Prepared Innovations

In the good old times, various opening psychologically. A third type has been
discoveries were made in almost every specially prepared for an opponent, taking
master game, and these gradually developed account of his style and character, or of
chess theory. In those years there were his condition and tournament position.
favourable grounds for the birth of inno-
vations.
Nowadays it is extremely complicated
and difficult to devise something new in 2.1 Reassessment of Values
opening theory. To do this one has to
carry out a great amount of preparatory
In the first game of the Fischer-Petrosian
work. The rational selection of the neces-
Candidates Match, played on 30 Septem-
sary theoretical information and its system-
ber 1971, in a favourite variation of the
ization greatly facilitates the independent
American grandmaster which he had
analysis of the variations being studied. It
thoroughly studied and which had brought
is only in this case that the depth of the
him a number of impressive victories, the
prepared variation can be efficient, and
Ex-World Champion introduced a new
that the innovation, developed in the
idea, which for many proved to be a
player's laboratory, will prove 100%
genuine sensation.
effective. The role of a fresh opening idea
developed in the quiet of a player's study
is very great. After all, at the board the
opponent will himself have to delve into Fischer-Petrosian
the secrets of the innovation, and discover Buenos Aires 1971
its pitfalls, and this is extremely difficult.
1 e4 c5 2 ctJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJc6 5
The psychological effect of an opening
ctJb5 d6 6 .tf4 e5 7 .te3 ctJf6 8 .tg5 .te6 9
innovation should also not be forgotten.
ctJlc3 a6 10 .txf6 gxf6 11 ctJa3
Prepared innovations can vary in content
and depth. Some of them have radically All this was well known and had occurred
changed the evaluations of entire systems many times in practice. Theory considered
and variations, which until their appear- White's chances to be better, but the
ance had for long years faithfully served following reply radically changed this
many players. Other prepared 'surprises' diagnosis.
have been aimed only at one specific
11 d5!! (23)
game, when the element of suddenness
was used to strongly affect the opponent This came like a bolt from the blue.

26
 Prepared Innovations
23
This innovation has an interesting
history. Black's 11th move, with an analysis
of the subsequent variations, was offered
to Petrosian during his preparations, a
month before the start of the match, by
the Moldavian Candidate Master Chebo-
nenko. Then, in the Riga magazine
Shakhmaty it was recommended as a
move deserving consideration by the
Latvian Master Vitolinsh, in his notes to
the sixth game of the Fischer-Taimanov
match. But the most curious thing is that,
back in early August 1971, when analysing
this variation, the author of this book
suddenly asked himself: "Why hasn't the
tempting 11 ... dS occurred to anyone?"
Naturally, playing the Sicilian as Black, it
was vitally necessary for me to find an
antidote against a system which, following
Fischer's example, had proved highly
successful. And my persistent searchings
suddenly suggested to me the idea of 11 ...
dS!, the only difference being that I
followed a slightly different path from
that suggested by Chebonenko (this will
be seen from the comments to Black's
ISth move in the game).
I will give the variations with all the
conclusions and evaluations indicated in
my notebook, deliberately not changing
or adding anything, so that the reader can
27
have a clear impression of the results of
my work. And so, 11 ... dS!!:
A. 12 exdS Sixa3 13 bxa3 ~aS 14 ~d2
0-0-0 IS Sic4 (1S Sid3 hdS 16 t1::JxdS
~xdS 17 SifS+ Wc7 1B ~xdS "iJ.xdS with
an excellent game) IS ... Wb8!
With the aim of vacating the c-file for
the rook. IS ... SixdS (1S ... t1::Je7 16 "iJ.d1)
16 SixdS! t1::Je7 170-0-0 Wb8 18 ~e1 or IS
... ~xa3 16 Sib3 t1::Jd4 17 0-0 is unclear.
16 "iJ.dl (if 16 0-0, then 16 ... t1::Jd4 17
"iJ.d1 "iJ.cB! or 17 Wh1 hdS with advantage)
16 ... SifS! 17 0-0 (17 Sid3 Sixd3 1B ~xd3
t1::Jd4 with the better chances) 17 ... t1::Jd4,
and Black's position is better.
B. 12 t1::JxdS ~aS+ 13 ~d2 ~xd2+ 14
Wxd2 0-0-0 IS c4 (White cannot be satisfied
with 1S t1::Jc4 fS! 16 t1::Jb6+ WbB 17 f3fxe4
1Bfxe4 fS, or 1S Sic4, which can be met by
1S ... t1::JaS or 1S ... ha3) IS ... fS 16 exfS
(Black also has the initiative after 16 f3
fxe4 17 fxe4 fS) 16 ... SixfS 17 t1::Jc2 (on 17
We 1 comes 17... t1::Jb4) 17 ... Sie6 18 t1::Je3
fS, and Black has an obvious advantage.
These variations, with the exact date of
their conception, were recorded in my
secret notebook along with other chess
material. But not long afterwards the
secret of the 'Sicilian notebook' was
exposed. This occurred in the following
circumstances. Early in December 1971 I
was returning with grandmaster Eduard
Gufeld from an international tournament
in Yugoslavia. As we were boarding the
train, through some misunderstanding
the briefcase with my 'golden' notebook
went missing. My confusion knew no
bounds, since I did not have a copy, and
the enormous amount of chess material,
accumulated over the decades, was too
much for me to remember. I leaped out of
the carriage and began dashing along the
platform, hoping for a miracle. And the
miracle occurred. There, by the last
carriage, in splendid isolation lay my lost
28 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
briefcase, awaiting its owner. Understand-
ablv I was as happy as a child! Gufeld,
aw~i~ing me in our compartment, couldn't
understand why I should be in such a
state: "Well, what's so special about losing
a notebook?" And then, in the heat of the
moment, I pulled out my brainchild and
opened the very page where 11 ... dS with
its two exclamation marks appeared, with
the date indicated alongside. Gufeld was
absolutely staggered ...
Returning to the diagram position, I
will disclose a secret: I was literally stunned
bv the opening discovery which had
o~curred to me. Preparing for the next
USSR Championship, the 39th, I was
already anticipating the pleasure of catching
one of the intended victims in my trap,
among whom were some well known grand-
masters, including Yuri Balashov. Alas
... Petrosian forestalled me, and the one to
fall into his trap was Fischer himself ...
Let us continue the commentary.
12 exd5 .txa3 13 bxa3 ~a5 14 ~d2
0-0-0 15 i,c4 :9:bg8!
Here, as shown earlier, I considered
onlv IS ... ~b8!' The way chosen by the
Ex-World Champion appears to be even
more effective. White's defence is very
difficult, since 16 0-0 fails to 16 ... .th3.
16 :9:dl (24)
16 ... .tf5
After this modest continuation the
point of Black's previous move is lost.
The resolute 16 ... :9:xg2! suggests itself.
In this case the attempt to win a piece
does not succeed:
17 ~e3 (17 .td3 tiJd4 18 .te4 :9:g4 with
advantage, or 17 ... i,g4!?) 17 ... tiJd4 18
~f1 tiJxc2 (18 ... Ci¥5 is also strong: 19
~el :9:g4, or 19 ~f3 tiJh4) 19 ~f3 (19
~d3 :9:g4), and by the rook sacrifice 19 ...
:9:xf2+! Black gains a decisive attack, e.g.
20 ~xf2 ~cS+.
White would probably have had to
choose 17 tiJe4, in the hope of 17 ... .tg4
(or 17 ... :9:g6 18 ~xa5 tiJxa5 19 dxe6
tiJxc4 20 exj7 :9:f8) 18 ~xaS tiJxaS 19 i,e2
.txe2 20 ~xe2 :9:g6 21 tiJg3 tiJc4, with a
draw in sight. But as Petrosian's trainers
rightly stated after the game, Black has
the sharp 17 ... ~b6!? (with the threats of
18 ... .tg4 and 18 ... tiJd4). There can
follow 18 ~e3 ~xe3 19 fxe3 .tg4! 20 :9:cl
.tf3 21 tiJxf6 tiJe7!, and in the resulting
ending it is not so easy for White to reach
the safetv of a draw.
Incide~tally, 16 ... .tg4 is also strong
for Black, 17 f3 .tfS being clearly superior
to the game continuation.
17 .td3 .txd3
Black is too hasty. More interesting
was Kholmov's suggestion of 17 ... tiJd4
18 .txfS+ tiJxfS 19 ~d3 tiJd6! and then 20
... fS.
18 ~xd3 tiJd4 19 0-0 ~b8 20 ~bl
Necessary in order to avoid the trap
20 ... ~xc3.
Of Black's advantage not a trace re-
mains. To some extent the sharp turn of
events must have demoralized the Ex-
World Champion, and in the second half
of the game his play is full of inaccuracies.
Here he should have considered 20 ... fS!?
 Prepared Innovations
21 f4 f6 22 fxe5 fxe5 23 llfe1 llc8 or 20 ...
llc8 21 lbe4 ~xd5 22 c3 f5, and although
after 23 lbg3 f4 24 cxd4 fxg3 25 fxg3
White's position is more promising, Black
nevertheless has every right to count on a
draw. However, even in the game Black
had sufficient chances to gain a draw.
20 ... ~xa3 21 f4 llc8 22 lbe4 ~xd3
Taking the pawn by 22 ... ~xa2 is risky l
in view of 23 lld2! (23lbxf6 llxg2!) 23 ...
llxc224 llxc2 lbxc2 25 ~e2! followed by
26 lbxf6. True, Black does better to
continue 24 ... ~xc2 25 ~xc2 lbxc2 26
lbxf6 lbe3! 27 lle 1 lbxg2 28 llg 1 llg6,
with drawing chances.
23 cxd3 llc2 (25)
25
Petrosian creates counterplay, and
Fischer is forced to exchange rooks,
which increases Black's defensive pos-
sibilities .
24 lld2 llxd2
25 lbxd2 fS
The alternative was 25 ... llc8, but
Petrosian prefers to solve the problem of
defending his f-pawns, and also takes
away the e4 square from the white knight.
26 fxeS lle8 27 llel lbc2 28 lle2 lbd4
29 lle3
29
The American grandmaster rightly
avoids the repetition. He gives up his
central pawns, but in return picks up the
important h-pawn.
29 ... lbc2 30 llh3 llxeS 31 lbf3 llxdS
32 llxh7 llxd3 33 h4
Although White has achieved much, by
now continuing 33 ... lbd4 Black could
have held the position after 34 lbe5 lle3
35 lbxf7 f4 36 h5 f3 37 gxf3 lbxf3 38 wg2
lbh4+ 39 Wf2 llf3+ 40 we2 llf6, or 34
lbxd4 llxd4 35 Wh2 f6, or 34 lbg5!? f6 35
lbh3 llg3 36 h5 llg4, when it is not clear
how White can win.
33 ... lbe3?
34 llxf7 lldl +
Another inaccuracy. 34 ... Wc8 was
correct.
35 Wh2 llal?
In time trouble, one mistake follows
another. Here too it was still possible to
save the game - 35 ... Wc8 should have
been played.
36 hS f4?
The only practical chances were offered
by 36 ... llxa2 37 llg7 (37 lbh4 lbfl + 38
Wh3 is also good) 37 ... lbg4+, although
after 38 wg3 White should win.
37 llxf4 llxa2 28 lle4! lbxg2 39 wg3
llaS 40 lbeS Black resigns
Thus, here we witnessed a failure -
formally, the innovation did not succeed.
But although Petrosian did not win, the
value of the innovation was great: the
variation went out of fashion, and practi-
cally ceased to exist.
Sometimes the solution to a complex
opening problem is found during the
direct preparations for a game. One's
thinking at this time is sharpened, it is in a
30 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
specific direction, and the search for new
ideas is significantly accelerated. Such an
enlightenment occurred with me at the
Amsterdam international tournament in
1984. The tournament was run on the
Swiss System, and one's opponent for the
next round became known only after the
pairings were made. Very little time was
left to prepare for the game - one evening
and night. One of my opponents was the
experienced Dutch grandmaster Jon van
der Wiel. I knew that in the Paulsen
Variation he often played 7 ttJxc6, a
continuation which he had developed and
with which he had gained a number of
wins. In particular, at Tilburg in 1983
van der Wiel had won against Andersson:
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJc6
5 ttJc3 a6 6 i.f4 d6 7 ttJxc6 bxc6 8 i.c4
ttJf6 9 'fi'e2 i.e7 10 0-0-0 d5 11 lihel i.b7
12 g4 0-0 13 g5 ttJd7 14 exd5 cxd5 15
ttJxd5 i.xd5 16 i.xd5 i.xg5 17 i.xa8
i.xf4+ 18 Wbl 'fi'c7 19 i.e4 (26).
26
It is interesting to note that this position
was evaluated differently by the two
grandmasters: the Dutchman thought that
White had a tangible advantage, whereas
the Swede's opinion was that Black had
sufficient compensation for the exchange.
As the further course of the game showed,
White proved to be right.
When preparing for our game, I asked
myself: "Why did Black, after making
natural and sensible moves, end up in a
difficult situation? Where is the logic
here?" But I believed that I would find a
solution. And then during my analysis of
the position the thought suddenly struck
me: what if Black should first bring his
queen's bishop into play with 10 ... i.b7!.
After checking the variations several times,
I realized that I had found the answer to
the problem. 10 ... i.b7 proved to be an
unexpected innovation for van der Wiel,
and, as it seems to me, has put paid to his
continuation of 6 i.f4 followed by 7
ttJxc6.
van der Wiel-Polugayevsky
Amsterdam 1984
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 ttJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 e6 5
ttJc3 a6 6 .tf4 d6 7 ttJxc6
Here 7 i.g3 and 7 ttJf3 are also possible,
but my opponent was aiming for his
position.
7 ... bxc6 8 i.c4 ttJf6 9 'fi'e2 d5
This advance is also possible on the
previous move, preventing the development
of the white queen at e2. Lukin-Osnos,
Leningrad 1984, went 8 ... d5!? 9 exd5
cxd5 10 'fi'f3 (the piece sacrifice 10 ttJxd5
exd5 11 .txd5 lia7 is unclear) 10 ... ttJf6
11 0-0-0 i.b7 12 lihel iLe7 13 .td3 0-014
'fi'h3 lic8 15 iLe5 g6 16 lie3 .td6 17 f4
.txe5 18 fxe5 d4! 19 exf6 'fi'xf6 20 ttJe4
'fi'f4 with advantage to Black.
In Fedorov-Cherepkov, Leningrad 1983
Black tried the new move 9 ... e5, but after
10 0-0-0 'fi'c7 11 .tg5 .te7 12 'fi'd3 .tg4 l3
.txf6 gxf6 14 lidfl iLe6 15 f4exf416 ttJe2
he ended up in a difficult position.
10 0-0-0 .tb7! (27)
 Prepared Innovations
him a great advantage.
The main idea of this innovation is the
prophylactic defence of the centre against
possible sacrifices by White. It now trans-
pires that on 11 !!he1 there follows 11 ...
.tb4! with an excellent game. This is also
the point of Black's plan.
11 .tb3
After 11 exd5 cxd5 12 .te5 .te7 13
.txf6 gxf6 14 !!he1 Black's position is the
more promising, in view of his two bishops
and powerful pawn centre.
11 ... .te7 12 exd5 cxd5 13 .ta4+ etJd7
14 1fWg4
On 14 etJe4 there would have followed
14 ... 0-0, and if 15 etJd6 1fWc7.
14 ... 0-015 .th6 .tf6 16 .txd71fWxd717
!!d3
The strongest reply to 17 etJe4 is 17 ...
.te 5, and if 18 etJc5 'i¥b5.
17 ... !!ac8
18 !!el d4!
Black has seized the initiative, and
White's position is unenviable.
19 !!edl?
This loses immediately. But on 19 etJe4
Black had prepared 19 ... .te5!, securing
31
19 1fWc7!
White resigns
In the Najdorf Variation with 1 e4 c5 2
etJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 etJxd4 etJf6 5 etJc3 a6 6
.tg5 e6 7 f4 .te7 for many years I was
unable to find an antidote to White's
standard plan of a rapid pawn advance on
the kingside. For some reason, White
would always succeed in reaching the
black king first, wherever it was - in the
centre or castled on the kingside. The
impression was that Black was delaying
somewhere, since for seizing the initiative
he was short of literally a single tempo. A
thorough study of the position suggested
to me that a tempo could be gained by 7 ...
etJbd7, instead of 7 ... .te7. What is the
main difference between these two con-
tinuations? If White reacts to 7 ... etJbd7
in the same way as to 7 ... .te7, i.e. he
develops his attack according to the routine
pattern of 8 1fWf3, 9 0-0-0, 10 g4, 11 .txf6
and 12 g5, then the tempo saved on 7 ...
il..e7 proves virtually decisive, since with
attacks on opposite flanks and rapid
pawn storms, getting there first is the key
factor. In the following game with Bron-
stein I succeeded in carrying out this new
idea and in demonstrating the correctness
of Black's strategy
Bronstein-Polugayevsky
Moscow 1967
1 e4 c5 2 etJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 etJxd4 etJf6 5
etJc3 a6 6 il..g5 e6 7 f4 etJbd7 8 1fWf3
Against this set-up for Black I consider
the strongest continuation to be 8 .tc4.
White retains a choice between castling
on either side, and his bishop at c4 (or b3)
is especially effective on the a2-g8 diagonal:
32 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

in some variations, for example on 8 ... After this exchange sacrifice White's
bS, the sacrifice 9 il.xe6 is dangerous. position is indefensible.
8 ... 'Wffc7 9 0-0-0 b5 10 a3 20 cxb3 'lWxb3
21 'lWg3
In this position, which has now been
well studied theoretically and in practice, Of course, not 21 liJdS? on account of
White's choice lies primarily between 10 21 .,. il.gS+.
eS, 10 il.d3 and 10 il.xbS. The move in the
21 ... il.xe6
game allows the black forces to come into
22 liJe2 O-O!
contact more quickly on the queenside.
But at the time when this game was Naturally, Black is happy to go into the
played, there were numerous secrets con- endgame.
cealed in such positions.
23 'Wffxb3 il.xb3 24 :a:d4 liJf3 25 Itb4
10 ... Itb8 11 g4 b4 12 axb4 Itxb4 13 il.g5+ 26 Wbl liJd2+ 27 Wal il.c4 28 liJf4
il.xf6 liJxf6 14 g5 liJd7 15 f5 liJxfl 29 liJh3 liJe3 30 :a:xc4 liJxc4 31
liJxg5 h6, and Black realized his material
White's offensive looks threatening,
advantage.
but Black has his trumps, namely the eS
square and the open b- and c-files.
In the Polugayevsky Variation I was
15 ... liJe5 16 'Wffh3 'W!Jb6 17 liJb3 il.e7! for a long time unable to find a way to
equalize after the continuation suggested
Coolly continuing my development, I
by international master Rashid Nezhmet-
was not afraid of White's reply, since at
dinov, 11 liJe4 (29).
home I had prepared a decisive tactical
blow.
29
18 g6 fxg6
19 fxe6 (28)

28

The point of White's 11th move is to

retain the bishop at gS and not allow
Black the advantage of the two bishops,
which is very important in many positions
in the Polugayevsky Variation.
White's threat of20 liJdS seems deadly,
But intuition suggested to me that it
but ...
was not possible for this awkward move
19 ... Itxb3!! to refute the entire Variation. My instinct
 Prepared Innovations 33

did not betray me, and after spending, it is and in the middlegame.
true, a great deal of time on a detailed
14 .te3 .tb7
analysis of the position, I managed to find
15 ltJg3
the completely new idea of 13 ... h6, which
refuted White's entire plan. 15 ltJc3 would perhaps have been more
It is interesting to note that I was able accurate, although after 15 ... ~h4+ and
to put my discovery into operation against 16 ... ~xf6 Black has a perfectly good
Nezhmetdinov himself. game. If instead 15 fxg7 .txg7 16 0-0-0
E:d8 17 ltJc3, then 17 ... E:xd2, with an
equal ending, or 17 ... ~g6 is good
enough to equalize.
Nezhmetdinov-Polugayevsky
Baku 1961 15 ... ~e5
16 fxg7 .txg7
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 5
ltJc3 a6 6 .tg5 e6 7 f4 b5 8 e5 dxe5 9 fxe5 I think that Black's development is the
~c7 10 exf6 ~e5+ llltJe4 ~xe4+ 12ltJe2 more harmonious - his fianchettoed
bishops look very powerful.
12 .te2? loses immediately in view of 12
... ~xg2 13 .tf3 ~xg5 14 .txa8 ~h4+ 15 17 .td3 ltJb4
Wfl ~xf6+ (Ghitescu-Kavalek, Zwolle In addition White is forced to part with
1967).
one of his bishops, which gives Black now
12 ltJc6 a marked advantage.
13 ~d2 (30)
18 0-0 ltJxd3 19 ~xd3 E:d8 20 ~e2 h5!
Now the unfortunate knight manoeuvre
to g3, made on move 15, begins to tell.
Black's attack develops with gain of time.
21 E:ael?
This mistake makes it easier for Black
to develop his kingside offensive. White
could have defended more tenaciously by
seeking chances in the endgame with 21
~f2 ~xe3 22 ~xe3 .td4 23 ~xd4 E:xd4.

21 ... h4 22 ~f2 E:d7 23 ltJe2 h3 24 gxh3

24 .td4 does not help on account of 24
13 h6!! ... ~xd4.

By attacking the bishop, Black forces it 24 ... E:xh3 25 ltJg3 ~d5 26 .tb6 .te5
to leave the h4-dS diagonal, which is later
Creating the direct threat of 27 ...
very important, since it relieves the attack
E:xg3.
on dS.
The earlier continuation 13 ... E:a7 14 27 E:xe5 ~xe5 28 E:el ~g5 29 .te3
0-0-0 E:d7 15 ltJc3! gave White an appreci- ~g4 30 E:fl f531 .tf4 E:dl 32 c3 E:h4 33
able advantage, both in the endgame, .tc7 f4 34 ~xf4 ~xf4 White resigns
34 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

Theory often gives a categorical verdict 18 ... lLld4! 19 Wixe3 .txd5.

on a particular variation - the position 18 lLld4
favours White or Black, or is equal. The 19 Wih3 (31)
inexhaustible nature of chess, as well as
tenacity and resourcefulness in search of
new ideas, can sometimes repeal this
verdict, which may have been established
for years. One very strong move (for some
reason overlooked earlier) in a thoroughly
studied position can sometimes radically
change the evaluation of an entire variation.
This is what happened in the following
game.

Inkiov-Ribli
Plovdiv 1983
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 5
lLlc3 a6 6 .tc4 e6 7 .tb3 b5 8 0-0 .te7
After 8 ... b4?! White gains the advantage
by 9 lLla4, and if 9 ... lLlxe4, then 10 :§:el
lLlf6 (10 ... lLlc5? is bad on account of 11
lLlxc5 dxc5 12 .ta4+ .td7 13 lLlxe6 fxe6 14
:§:xe6+ ~f7 15 Wid5, as is 10 .. , d5 11 .tf4
.td6 12 .txd6 Wixd6 13 lLlf5! exf5 14 Wixd5
Wixd5 15 .txd5) 11 .tg5 .te7 12 lLlf5 0-0
13 lLlxe7+ Wixe7 14 lLlb6 .tb7 (14 ... :§:a7
15 lLld5) 15 lLlxa8 .txa8 16 .txf6 Wixf6 17
Wixd6.
9 f4 .tb7 10 e5 dxe5 11 fxe5 .tc5
Of course, not 11 ... lLlfd7? on account
of 12 :§:xf7! ~xf7 l3 lLlxe6 Wib6+ 14 ~hl
~8 15 lLlxg7+ ~d8 16 e6 etc.
12 .te3 lLlc6 13 exf6 .txd4 14 fxg7
White chooses the sharpest continuation.
Opening books recommend the safer 14
Wiel .txe3+ 15 Wixe3 Wid4 16 :§:ael gxf6
17 lLle4 :§:d8 18 lLlxf6+ ~e7.
14 ... .txe3+ 15 ~hl :§:g8 16 Wif3 :§:xg7
17 he6! Wie7! 18 .td5
On 18 lLld5 there would have followed
Both players had aimed for this position:
White in the hope of gaining an attack,
and Black in view of the rejoinder he had
prepared on the next move.
19 ... .td2!! 20 .txb7 Wixb7 21 :§:f2
.txc3 22 Wixc3 lLle6 23 :§:el :§:g8 24 a4
bxa4 25 Wic4 :§:g6 26 Wid4 Wia7!
White's initiative has evaporated, while
Black has retained his extra piece.
27 Wixa4+ ~f8 28 :§:efl :§:g7 29 Wic6
~g8 30 :§:d2 :§:f8 White resigns
GeIler-Vatnikov
Kiev 1950
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 lLlc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4
lLlf6 5 lLlc3 d6 6 .tc4 e6
This is the Sozin Attack, the variation
bearing the name of the Soviet master
and theorist who developed and intro-
duced it in the 1930s. An important
contribution to the establishment of this
variation was made by Boleslavsky and
Fischer, who gained a number of con-
vincing victories with White.
 Prepared Innovations 35

White's specific plan is to mount a Spassky games, it is more advisable to

pawn offensive on the kingside, namely continue 9 ... a6 10 f4 etJxd4 11 i.xd4 b5
f4-f5, increasing the activity of his c4 12 a3 .tb7 13 lld3 a5!, when White does
bishop along the a2-g8 diagonal. Therefore not have time for 14 f5 on account of 14 ...
Black's primary task is to drive away or b4. After the forced 14 e5 Black obtained
exchange the powerful light-square bishop. a good game: 14 ... dxe5 15 fxe5 etJd7 16
etJxb5 etJc5 17 i.xc5 i.xc5+ 18 Wh 1 't!¥g5.
7 0-0
10 f4 b6
An alternative plan involves castling
11 eS!
queenside: 7 i.e3 i.e7 8 't!¥e2 0-090-0-0.
Also possible is 7 a3 i.e7 80 -0 a6 9 ~a2, The only way! 11 f5 is bad on account
retaining the light-square bishop. of 11 ... e5 12 etJde2 etJxb3 13 axb3 i.b7 14
etJg3 d5!, while White does not achieve
7 ... i;.,e 7
anything by 11 g4, as in Estrin-Aronin,
8 i.e3!
Gorky 1950, in view of 11 ... etJxb3 12
A normal developing move, but why etJc6 't!¥c7 13 etJxe7+ 't!¥xe7 14 axb3 .tb7
attach to it an exclamation mark? The 15 e5 dxe5 16 fxe5 etJd5. Against Botvinnik
point is that the usual move here was 8 at Moscow 1956, Padevsky chose 11 't!¥f3,
Wh 1, which is significantly weaker (this is but after 11 ... i.b7 12 g4 llc8 13 g5
also Geller's opinion), since in one of the llxc3! the initiative was seized by Black
variations after White's 13th move (with (cf. Vol. 2, p.98)
8 Wh 1) his back rank proves weak.
11 etJe8
8 ... 0-0
After 11 .. , dxe5 12 fxe5 etJe8 White
9 i.b3
switches his queen to the kingside with 13
A prophylactic move, suppressing 't!¥f3 i.b7 14 't!¥g3 etJxb3 15 axb3 't!¥c7 16
Black's counterplay with ... d5. llf2, and then creates pressure on the f-
file.
9 ... etJaS
12 fS dxeS (32)
A recommendation of Bondarevsky
and Keres back in 1949. Experience has
shown that this manoeuvre has its good 32
and bad points. Geller is of the opinion
that Black's weakened control over the
centre (the knight has moved to the edge
of the board) will normally allow White
to make the favourable break e4-e5.
Botvinnik too considers that "the diversion
of the knight to the edge of the board
gives great cause for alarm". But never-
theless, Black exchanges the dangerous
b3 bishop, and after 10 ... b6 he develops
his bishop at b7, where it is quite actively
placed. 12 ... exf5 is strongly met by 13 e6!, and
As shown by one of the 1972 Fischer- if 13 ... etJxb3 14 etJc6 't!¥c7 15 etJd5, while
36 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
if 13 ... Ci'Jc7, then 14 exf7+ Wh8 15 Ci'Jxf5
is possible. And after 12 ... Ci'Jxb3 White
has an irresistible attack - 13 Ci'Jc6 fifc7 14
Ci'Jxe7+ fifxe7 15 f6.
13 fxe6
Now the point of 8 i.e3! instead of 8
Wh 1 becomes clear. With the bishop at cl
and king at hi the continuation 13 fxe6 is
unfavourable for White: 13 ... exd4! 14
exf7+ Wh8 15 fxe8=fif fifxe8, whereas
now he' would have 16 i.xd4.
13 ... f6?
An unfortunate reply. However, it is
hard to condemn Black for such a 'solid'
move: during the game he thought that,
after the knight moved from d4, he would
eliminate the b3 bishop and then win the
e6 pawn.
14 Ci'Jf5 Ci'Jxb3 15 Ci'Jd5! Ci'Jd4 16 Ci'Jdxe7+
Wh8 17 Ci'Jg6+! Black resigns
Eleven years later, in the European
Team Championship, the game Bilek-
Petrosian took the same course as far as
Black's 13th move.
33
Black chose the correct move and
played 13 ... Ci'Jxb3.
The Hungarian grandmaster went in
for a continuation which, it seemed,
should win for him.
14 Ci'Jc6 fifd6
15 Ci'Jd5?
This proves to be an empty threat after
Black's unexpected reply. The correct
decision for White was to go into an
endgame: 15 fifxd6! i.xd6 16 axb3 i.xe6
17 Ci'Jxa7 :a:b8 18 :a:a6.
15 ... i.h4!
Now White's rook at al and knight at
c6 are both en prise - loss of material is
unavoidable.
16 exf7+ :a:xf7 17 :a:xf7 Ci'Jxal 18 fifO
i.f6! 19 Ci'Jxf6+ Ci'Jxf6 White resigns
In the 1950s the following line in the
Najdorf Variation was very popular:
1 e4 c5 2 Ci'Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Ci'Jxd4 Ci'Jf65
Ci'Jc3 a6 6 f4
At an early stage White aims to attack
the central squares, preparing a later
offensive on the kingside. By the central
counter ... e5 Black tries to check the
attack, and then build up counterplay on
the queenside.
The game Averbakh-Bronstein, 19th
USSR Championship, Moscow 1951,
developed as follows:
6 ... e5
7 Ci'Jf3 fife 7
Preventing 8 i.c4 and simultaneously
defending the e5 pawn.
8 .td3 Ci'Jbd7 9 0-0 b5 10 a3
A loss of time. 10 fife2 comes into
consideration, or the prophylactic 10
Whl.
10 '" i.e7 11 Whl 0-0 12 fxe5 dxe5 13
Ci'Jh4 .td8!
Black defends accurately. The natural
 Prepared Innovations
13 ... lae8 14 ct:Jf5 i.f8 15 i.g5 i.b7 16
~f3 would have given White a certain
.) advantage.
14 ~el ct:Jc5 15 i.g5 i.e6 16 ct:Jf5 ct:Jh5!?
After this the play becomes doub1e-
edged.
17 ~h4 ct:Jf4 (34)
34
After about an hour's thought, A verbakh
failed to find the strongest continuation
of the attack. He played 18 g3?, and after
18 ... i.xg5 19 ~xg5 f6! 20 ~g4 ct:Jfxd3 21
cxd3 g6 he ended up in an inferior position,
and lost the game.
Annotating this game, grandmaster
Lilienthal found an interesting way of
continuing the attack by combinational
means: 18 ct:Jxg7 Wxg7 19 ~h6+ Wg8 20
laxf4 exf4 21 e5 f5!, and Black can defend.
But a year later, in a Semi-Final of the
20th USSR Championship in Riga, in the
game Ravinsky-Ilivitsky White played
the spectacular 21 i.f6!! (instead of 21
e5?), when it transpired that it was he who
was winning. The game concluded 21 ...
i.xf6 22 e5! ct:Jxd3 23 exf6 ct:Jf2+ 24 Wg1
ct:Jh3+ 25 Wfl i.c4+ 26 ct:Je2 i.xe2+ 27
We 1!, and Black resigned.
After the game Ilivitsky stated that the
sacrifice 18 ct:Jxg7 was incorrect, and he
gave the following variations: 18 ... ct:Jcxd3
37
19 ct:Jxe6 fxe6 20 i.xd8 ~xd8 21 ~xd8
laaxd8 22 cxd3 ct:Jxd3, or 19 i.xd8 ~xd8
20 ~g3 Wh8 21 cxd3 lag8 22 ct:Jxe6 fxe6,
in both cases with advantage to Black.
The impression is that Ilivitsky was right
... But the intermediate move 19 ~g3!,
proposed by Keres, casts doubts on
Ilivitsky's suggestion.
2.2 The Triumph of the Experimenter
Certain chess games sometimes resemble
a drama tical scenario, with a tense setting,
a definite plot, and of course a surprising
finish. But in contrast to the theatre, in a
chess game there are simultaneously two
authors, who are also the script writers,
directors, and actors.
In order to 'strike gold', they often
have to work in one direction, hand in
hand so to speak, so as then to try and
catch each other in a trap.
Of course, it by no means always
happens that a prepared variation causes
a genuine revolution in theory and radically
changes an established diagnosis. More
often, prepared surprises are experimental,
and do not pretend to the absolute truth.
Their aim is for some period of time to
pose a number of serious problems, the
solution to which cannot always be found
quickly, years sometimes passing before
the answer is forthcoming.
New and original ideas in the opening
do not simply arise out of nothing. It is
not enough to know and understand
opening strategy - one must in practice be
able to put it into action. To win an
opening battle one must learn to acquire
the gift of finding at times the only paths
where there is fruitful ground for the
'germination' of fresh ideas, and where
there is freedom for the experimenter's
38 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
true character to manifest itself. Only a
creative approach to the solving of the
complex problems of the opening, and of
the Sicilian in particular, can create a
species of chess innovator with his own
distinctive style.
Of course, this path is not a bed of
roses. It represents the agonizing, pains-
taking work of the experimenter, engaged
in constant searching. But in the final
analysis, this method brings solid dividends:
a sudden opening experiment, employed
in a specific game, is capable of throwing
any opponent out of his stride.
World Champion Garry Kasparov is a
striking example of one of the most
profound of modern chess theorists.
Despite his youth, he has already made a
great contribution to the establishment of
various opening schemes. His fresh ideas
have envigoured and enlivened even those
standard opening positions where every-
thing seemed to be known. In the games
of the talented grandmaster we see a
clear-cut implementation of deep opening
plans, closely linked to the middlegame.
This, I think, is the chief strength of
Kasparov's play, and the foundation of
his outstanding competitive achievements.
The Karpov- Kasparov Sicilian duel has
provoked many disputes. Especially in
their second match, Moscow 1985, when
Kasparov twice employed the gambit
which now in theory bears his name.
During his preparations for the match,
the Challenger devised this interesting
innovation, and spent a great deal of time
on a detailed analysis of the resulting
possibilities and on positionally substan-
tiating his idea. Sacrificing a pawn by 8 ...
d5, Black does not aim for material
equality - it is more important for him to
mobilize his forces and seize the initiative.
When he first encountered 8 ... d5!? in the
12th game of the match, Karpov decided
not to take any risks, and chose a quiet
continuation leading to a draw. But then
in the 16th game he accepted the challenge
(the match situation obliged him to), and
a genuine chess battle developed. But
Kasparov's home preparation proved
much deeper (it was more shrewd than
was imagined by Karpov's trainers and
seconds, who in the short time interval
had not managed to analyze thoroughly
all the variations for Black), and as a
result the young Challenger gained a
deserved victory. It should be mentioned
that the innovation was employed at the
required psychological moment, when
Kasparov felt that the match was turning
his way. After all, in the eleventh game
Karpov had blundered, which meant that
he was not on his best form. And although
it might be argued that Kasparov's dis-
covery was temporary and experimental,
nevertheless it worked effectively and
gained Black one and a half points out of
two. It is quite possible that Kasparov's
invention had a significant influence on
the outcome of the entire match.
Karpov-Kasparov
Moscow 1985
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJc6 5
ttJb5 d6 6 c4 ttJf6 7 ttJlc3 a6 8 ttJa3 (35)
 Prepared Innovations
A well known position, where opening
guides recommend that Black should
continue his development with 8 ... ~e7 9
.te2 0-0 100-0 b6 or 10 ... .td7.
Kasparov employs a sharp gambit
variation.
8 d5!?
This move was first made in the game
Honfi-Dely, Hungarian Championship
1965, where events developed as follows:
9 cxdS exdS 10 exdS ltJb4 11 'i!fa4+ .td7
12 'i!fb3 ~e7 13 iLf4 iLg4 140 ltJfxdS IS
ltJxdS ltJxdS 16 fxg4ltJxf4 17 'i!fa4+ bS 18
'i!fxf4 0-0. For the sacrificed piece Black
has a dangerous initiative.
9 cxd5 exd5 10 exd5 ltJb4 11 :te2
In the 12th game of the match Karpov
chose 11 ~c4, and after 11 ... iLg4 12 iLe2
~xe2 13 'i!fxe2+ 'i!fe7 Black quickly
equalized.
11 iLc5
11 ... ltJbxdS favours White, since after
12 ltJxdS ltJxdS 13 0-0 ~e7 14 iLO ~e6 IS
ltJc2 he has the better development.
12 0-0 0-0
12 ... ~fS would appear to transpose
after 13 iLO 0-0, while preventing 13
ltJc2. But in fact this is not so, since White
has the strong reply 13 ltJc4, and if 13 ...
ltJc2 14 ltJe3!.
13 .ti3
White incorrectly uses his pieces to
defend his extra pawn, which will soon
merely be in his way. 13 ltJc2 looks
sounder, but even then after 13 ... ltJbxdS
Black has everything in order. 13 iLgS
also fails to give White an advantage, on
account of 13 ... iLfS 14 ltJc4 ltJbxdS IS
ltJxdS 'i!fxdS 16 iLxf6 'i!fxdl 17 E:fxdl
gxf6, witch an equal endgame.
;:::. r ~'+-
; ',' \,
39
13 ~f5
14 .tg5
14 ltJc4 does not achieve anything,
since if he wishes Black can force a draw
bv 14 ... ltJc2 IS E:bl ltJd4, or even gain a
siight plus with 14 ... ~d3 IS .te2 ~xe2
16 'i!fxe2 E:e8 17 'i!ff3 ltJfxdS.
14 d6 is very strongly met by 14 ...
'i!fd7!, but not 14 ... iLxd6 on account of
IS ltJc4, and if IS ... i.xh2+ 16 ~xh2
'i!fc7+ 17 ltJd6 ltJd3 then 18 ~f4! ltJxf419
ltJxfS, when White emerges a piece up.
14 ... E:e8
Black also had the sharp continuation
14 ... i.d3 IS E:e1 ltJg4!?, but White
would have refuted it after 16 ~xd8ltJxf2
17 'i!fd2! ltJh3++ 18 ~hl ltJf2+ 19 'i!fxf2
iLxf2 20 iLe7 iLxe1 21 iLxf8 iLxc3 22 bxc3
etc.
15 'i!fd2 b5
Black is playing to restrict the opponent's
pIeces.
16 E:adl
White might well have given up his d-
pawn, to activate his bishop at D.
16 ... ltJd3!
17 ltJabl
The white knights are driven back and
become passive, whereas the black pieces
begin operating at full capacity.
17 ... h6 18 iLh4 b4 19 ltJa4
Playing towards the centre by 19 iLxf6
'i!fxf6 20 ltJe4 does not work on account
of 20 ... i.xe4 21 iLxe4 ltJxf2. And in the
event of 19 ltJe2, White would have to
reckon with 19 ... gS.
19 ... .td6
20 .tg3 E:c8
Black brings up his last reserves.
40 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
21 b3 (36)
36
21 ... g5!
This strong pawn move on the kingside
prevents 22 lDb2, in view of 22 ... lDxb2 23
~xb2 g4 24 ~e2 l::l:c2.
22 ~xd6 ~xd6 23 g3 lDd7 24 ~g2
The best chance for White was 24 lDb2,
when after 24 ... lD7e5 25 ~g2 ~b6 26
lDxd3 lDxd3 he appears to end up in
positional zugzwang, but by continuing
27 d6 ~xd6 28 l::l:fe 1 he obtains some
hopes. Therefore the spectacular 24 ...
~f6! suggested by the World Champion,
seems the most convincing, when after 25
lDc4 (25 lbxd3 bd3 26 ~xd3 is bad on
account of 26 ... lDe5) 25 ... lD7e5 26lDxe5
lDxe5 27 ~e2 ~d3! or 27 ~g2 ~d3 28 f4
l::l:c2! Black must win.
24 ... ~f6 25 a3 as 26 axb4 axb4 27 ~a2
~g6
Black avoids the plausible 27 ... lDf4,
since after 28 gxf4 l::l:c2 29 lDb2 l::l:xb2 30
fxg5 hxg5 31 ~a4 White gains counter-
play.
28 d6
The d-pawn is not required by White.
He needs to coordinate his forces as soon
as possible, especially his knights.
28 ... g4
After 28 ... ~xd6 White could have
defended by 29 lDb2 l::l:c2 30 l::l:d2.
29 ~d2 ~g7 30 f3 ~xd6 31 fxg4 ~d4+
32 ~hl lDf6
Black activates his pieces to the maxi-
mum, and at the same time creates the
irresistible threat of ... lDe4.
33 l::l:f4 lDe4 34 ~xd3 lDf2+ 35 l::l:xf2
On 35 ~gl the simplest would have
been 35 ... lDh3++ 36 ~hl ~xd3 37 l::l:xd3
l::l:el+.
35 ... ~xd3 36 l::l:fd2 ~e3 37 l::l:xd3
The three scattered minor pieces are
no match for the queen.
37 ... l::l:c1 38 lDb2 ~f2 39 lDd2 l::l:xdl +
40 lDxdl l::l:el + White resigns
Just a few months had passed since the
end of the match, when at the international
tournament in Brussels 1986, Karpov
finally employed a 'drastic measure',
which cast doubts on Kasparov's experi-
ment.
Playing White against van der Wiel,
instead of 12 0-0 Karpov chose the un-
expected 12 ~e3! ~xe3 13 ~a4+!.
It now transpires that in the event of 13
... b5 14 ~xb4 ~b6 15 0-0 ~a5 comes the
sacrifice 16 ~xb5+! axb5 17 l::l:fel+, with
a very strong attack.
The game continued 13 ... lDd7 14
~xb4 ~c5 15 ~e4+ ~f8 160-0 b5 17 lDc2
lDf6 18 ~d3, when White retained both a
good position, and a 'good' extra pawn.
Did Kasparov know at that time that
his innovation was defective? It is hard
for me to judge. Perhaps he had some
counter-argument against White's im-
 Prepared Innovations
provement and saw a possibility offighting
for equality, or else somewhere he found
an inferior position which was drawn? At
any event, when employing the innovation,
Kasparov must have evaluated realistically
the likelihood of possible danger.
During preparations for a game, it
often happens that an interesting idea
occurs to you. And even if you are not
firmly convinced, there is a great desire to
tryout your discovery. But when the
inventor employs it in practice, sometimes
he himself sees a possible refutation.
What apparently tells is the increased
concentration during actual play, and with
it a sharper perception of the resulting
position. But nevertheless, even incorrect
'innovations' also have a right to a brief
existence.
I should like to describe several in-
structive instances from my own chess
career.
Knowing how Alexander Belyavsky
sticks to his principles, especially with
regard to contentious problems of opening
theory, before my game with him I realized
that the Lvov grandmaster would go in
for the main line of the NajdorfVariation.
I wanted to catch my opponent unawares,
and I prepared for him a 'tasty little dish'.
My preparatory analysis did not appear
to give any cause for alarm. True, at heart
I had doubts about the correctness of my
idea, but the experimenter in me took
over, and I decided to risk employing it
for one game.
Belya vsky-Polugayevsky
Moscow 1981
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 5
lLlc3 a6 6 .ig5 e6 7 f4 b5 8 e5 dxe5 9 fxe5
Wic7 10 exf6 Wie5+ 11 .te2 Wixg5 12 Wid3
Wixf6 13 lUI Wie5 14 ~dl (37)
41
37
As shown by the game Gheorghiu-
Ljubojevic, Amsterdam 1975, 14 0-0-0
favours Black after 14 .. , ~a7! 15 lLlf3
Wif4+ 16lLld2 Wic7! 17 .ih5 g618 Wid4e5
19 Wif2 .ic5 20 Wif6 0-0 21 lLld5 .ie7!.
Usually in the diagram position Black
plays 14 ... ~a7, and after 15 lLlf3 Wic7 16
lLlg5 he has three natural continuations:
16 ... .ie7, 16 ... f5 and 16 ... Wib6.
But I decided to play 14 .,. Wic7?!
immediately.
Belyavsky's initial reaction was abso-
lutely correct.
15 .th5!
After 15 .if3 ~a 7 16 lLlc6 lLlxc6 17
.,txc6+ .id7 18 Wixd7+ Wixd7 19 ~xd7
~xd7 20 ~e2 ~d8 21 .ixd7 ~xd7 22
~xf7+ ~c6 23 ~a7 ~b6 24 ~a8 g6 25
~e8 .ig7 26 ~xe6+ Black loses a pawn
but gains adequate drawing chances.
15 ... g6 16 i.f3 Iia7 17 lLlc6 lLlxc6 18
.,txc6+ i.d7 (38)
When this position was reached on the
board, I had to experience several anxious
minutes. To my horror I noticed that I
would lose instantly after 19 .txd7+
Wixd7 20 Wie3!, when none of the possible
queen moves saves Black. On 20 ... Wie7
there follows 21 Wie5, on 20 ... Wic7 - 21
42 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

9 i.h5!
The innovation's inventor considered
that in this way White gained a psycho-
logical victory, since the opponent was
put out of his stride.
9 ... ~c4?

White's 9th move (with the threat of 10

et:lxe6) may have shocked Kotov to the
extent that he was unable immediately to
orientate himself, and he made a mistake
in reply. He should have continued 9 ... g6
10 i.e2 i.g7 11 ~d2 b5 12 a3 0-013 :ti:adl
et:lc5 14 f3 i.b7 with an equal game.
et:ld5, while if 20 ... ~7, then 21 ~d4.
White has the more promising position
Belyavsky missed this possibility, played
after 9 ... et:lxh5 10 ~xh5 g6 11 ~h4 i.g7
19 ~xd7+ ~xd7 20 :ti:xd7 :ti:xd7 21 \t>e2
12 :ti:adl, or 9 ... et:le5 10 i.xf6 gxf6 11
\t>d8 22 i.xd7 \t>xd7 23 :ti:xf7+ i.e7, and
\t>hl followed by 12 f4.
gained the better ending, which I never-
theless managed to save. 10 et:lxe6!
Exploiting his lead in development,
Experimental innovations for one game
Keres sacrifices a knight and creates
can be prepared and studied in detail
dangerous threats, against which it is not
beforehand, their sting most often being
so easy to defend.
specially aimed at a specific opponent.
10 ... ~xe6

On 10 ... et:lxh5 White had prepared the

Keres-Kotov
unexpected and spectacular 11 ~d5! et:lb6
Budapest 1950
(11 ... ~xd5? 12 et:lc7mate) 12 ~xc4 et:lxc4
1 e4 c5 2 et:lf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 et:lxd4 et:lf6 5 13 et:lc7+, winning the exchange.
et:lc3 a6 6 i.e2 ~c7 7 i.g5 et:lbd7 8 0-0 e6
11 et:ld5! \t>d8
(39)
In the event of 11 ... et:lxd5 12 exd5 ~f5
the Estonian grandmaster gives a forcing
39
variation leading to a win: 13 ~e1+ et:le5
(13 ... ~e5 14 f4) 14 f4 h6 (on 14 ... i.e7
there would have followed 15 fxe5 ~xg5
16 exd6, while if 14 ... g6, then 15 fxe5
~xg5 16 exd6+ with an irresistible attack)
15 fxe5 ~xg5 16 exd6+ etc.
12 i.g4 ~e5

Retreating the queen to e8 was also

bad, in view of 13 ~d2! followed by 14
~c3.
 Prepared Innovations
13 f4 ~xe4
Since 13 ... ~xb2 is not good in view of
14 :!::l:bl ~a3 15 ii.xd7 ii.xd7 (15 ... Wxd7
16 hf6 gxf6 17 liJb6+) 16 liJxf6, Black
has no choice.
14 ii.xd7 ii.xd7 15 liJxf6 gxf6 16 ii.xf6+
Wc7 17 ii.xh8 ii.c6
Black's last hopes are associated with
his two bishops.
18 ~d2 ii.h6 19 :!::l:ael ~g6 20 :!::l:e7+
Wd8 21 :!::l:fel as 22 ii.d4 :!::l:a6 23 ~f2 ii.fS
If 23 ... ii.xf4, then after 24 ii.b6+ Wc8
25 :!::l:c7+ Wb8 26 :!::l:xc6 bxc6 27 :!::l:e8+
Wb7 28 :!::l:e7+ White wins.
24 ii.b6+ r:J:Jc8 25 :!::l:e8+ ii.xe8 26 :!::l:xe8+
Wd7 27 :!::l:xfS Black resigns
In 1973, when I was preparing for the
play-off in Portoroz with Geller and
Portisch for the two Candidates places, I
once again had to ask myself: what
should I do as Black in a certain variation
of the Sicilian Defence? Using a known
idea in a different setting, I was able to
lure into a piece sacrifice even such an
experienced fighter as Yefim Geller. During
the game we were operating under unequal
conditions: whereas on considering the
sacrifice Geller spent a full hour and a
half in search of the strongest continuation,
for me it was easy, since, when I prepared
11 ... ~b6, I had been obliged to analyze
the tempting 12 liJxe6. Thus White's
attack was easily parried, and Black gained
a very important point.
Geller-Polugayevsky
Portoroz 1973
1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 liJf6 5
liJc3 a6 6 ii.g5 e6 7 f4 liJbd7
43
I prefer this move, since it is more
flexible than the approved 7 ... ii.e7.
8 ~f3 ~c7 9 0-0-0 b5 10 ii.d3
Geller avoids the more critical 10 e5,
aiming for the rapid mobilization of his
forces.
10 ii.b7
11 :!::l:hel (40)
40
This position is well known in theory
and has occurred in several of my games.
I employed this variation since I considered
Black's potential defensive resources to
be adequate. In my game with Geller,
Kislovodsk 1972, Itried 11 ... h6, although
after 12 ii.h4 ii.e7 13 liJd5!? (a typical
blow) 13 ... liJxd5 14 exd5 ii.xh4 15 liJxe6
fxe6 16 ~h5+ Wd8 White gained a
dangerous attack, which I managed to
parry only with great difficulty. A year
later, at the tournament in Hilversum,
Timman in his game with me refuted 11 ...
h6 by playing 12 ~h3! There followed 12
... 0-0-0 13 ii.xf6 liJxf6 14 liJd5 ~a5?
(after 14 ... liJxd5 15 exd5 ii.xd5 16 a4
White has an appreciable advantage) 15
liJb3, and Black resigned in view of the
loss of his queen.
11 ~b6
This was the move planned at home,
44 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

although I realized at heart that somewhere

there must be a refutation, since I, an
experienced grandmaster, was breaking
one of the rules of chess. But where the
refutation lay was practically impossible
to find in a limited time at the board, as in
fact the further course of the game showed.
Geller went in for a tempting, but incorrect
continuation, and in addition used up
nearly all of his time.
12 ttJxe6
Before the refutation of 11 ... 'i!Vb6 was
found after the present game by Geller
and his trainer Gufeld, the strongest 16 ~c7!
continuation was thought to be 12 ttJb3
An important defensive move, coolly
b4 13 ttJa4 'i!Vc7 (13 ... 'i!Vc6 14 ttJa5! 'i!Vxa4
parrying White's illusory threats. 16 ...
15 ttJxb7) 14 ttJd4 i.e7 15 'i!Vh3 0-0-0 (if 15
exf4 was possible, and if 17 i.xf6 gxf6 18
... ttJc5, then 16 ttJxc5 dxc5 17 ttJxe6! fxe6
'ile8 'ilxe8 19 i.xd7+ ~d8 20 i.xe8, then
18 ~c4 'ild8 19 'i!Vxe6 'ilxd1+ 20 'ilxd1
20 ... 'i!Ve3+. But why complicate matters
Iif8 21 hf6 'ilxf6 22 'i!Vg8+ i.f8 23 g3
unnecessarily?
~c8 24 e5 with a decisive attack, Spassky-
Tukmakov, Moscow 1973) 16 f5, with the 17 'ile3
initiative for White.
17 i.xd7 'ilxd7 18 fxe5 dxe5 19 'ilxe5
12 ... fxe6 looks better, with hopes in the future of
13 'i!Vh3 e5 regaining another pawn.
Of course, not 13 ... ttJc5 in view of 14 17 '" b4 18 fxe5 dxe5 19 i.xd7 'ilxd720
e5 dxe5 15 fxe5 ttJxd3+ 16 'ilxd3 ttJd5 17 'ilxe5 i.d6 21 'ile6 'ilf8 22 ~bl?
ttJe4, when White has a dangerous initi-
White could have maintained his falter-
ative, while after 13 ... 0-0-014 e5 dxe5 15
ing attack by 22 'i!Vh4, but the approach of
fxe5 ttJd5 16 ~xd8 ~xd8 the position
time trouble accelerates his defeat.
favours White, since the black king is
badly placed. The point of Black's last 22 ... ttJxd5!
move is to restrict the bishop at d3 and
Now 23 'ilxd5? fails to 23 ... 'ilfl+ 24
rook at e 1.
~cl 'ilxcl+ 25 ~xcl ~f4+.
14 ttJd5 The remainder of the game does not
require any commentary. The conclusion
In this way Geller activates his bishop
was:
and rook, but exchanges his strong knight.
23 'i!Vb3 'ilf5 24 i.h4 'i!Vb5 25 'ileel 'ile5
14 ... ~xd5 15 exd5 O-O-O! 16 i.f5 (41)
26 ~g3 'ilxel 27 'ilxel i.xg3 28 'i!Vxg3+
The win of a pawn by 16 fxe5 dxe5 17 ~b7 29 a3 a5 30 axb4 axb4 31 'i!Vf3 'i!Vc6 32
'ilxe5 allows Black to complete his de- 'i!Vf5 g6 33 'i!Vf3 'ilc7 34 'i!Vd3 'i!Vc4 35 'i!Vdl
velopment with 17 ... ,.td6. 'ilf7 36 'i!Vd2 'ild7 37 'i!Vf2 b3 38 cxb3
 Prepared Innovations
~xb3 White resigns
The innovation 11 ... ~b6 had such an
effect on Yefim Geller and his trainer,
grandmaster Gufeld, that immediately
after this game they began seeking a
refutation of my plan. This demanded, in
the words of the trainer, 'only half the
night', and a spectacular solution was
found. This antidote was prepared for
our next meeting in the play-off, but here
my sense of danger operated, and I did
not risk employing this variation again.
Intuition suggested to me that the move
11 ... ~b6 was nevertheless defective, and
that White's lead in development should
have the decisive word. It was only seven
years later that this word resounded, in
the game Chiburdanidze-Dvoiris. (And
all this time the 11 ... ~b6 variation
occurred from time to time in tournaments,
its supporters essentially acting as 'con-
demned men'). As Gufeld relates, he
merely informed the lady W orid Champion
that the given position was won for
White, and she herself found the forced
win. It should be mentioned that I also
analyzed 11 ... ~b6 in parallel (the move
would not leave me in peace), and I came
to the same conclusion, on finding the
same refutation.
42
Chiburdanidze-Dvoiris
Tallinn 1980
45
12 lLld5!
Although this is a typical Sicilian sacri-
fice, the point of the combination un-
doubtedly lies in White's next move.
12 '" exd5
Later the analysts found that Black had
chances of resisting with 12 ... ~xd4.
Even so, the resulting complications are
more promising for White, and so after
the present game the entire variation
essentially went out of use.
Let us consider a few variations after 12
... ~xd4 13 i.xf6 gxf6 14 i.xb5:
(a) 14 ... ~a7 15 lLlxf6+, and White has
a decisive attack.
(b) 14 ... ~xd 1+ 15 'i.txd I axb5 (in the
event of 15 ... exd5 16 exd5+ 'i.td8 17 iJ..xd7
'i.txd7 18 ~h3+ 'i.td8 19 ~c3 iJ..g7 20
~a5+ White has a dangerous initiative)
16 lLlc7+ 'i.td8 17 lLlxa8 iJ..xa8, and the
resulting position favours White.
(c) 14 ... ~c5 15 lLlxf6+ (15 b4?! ~xb5
16 lLle7+ 'i.te717lLlxb5axb518~d3 ~a6
19 ~xb5 ~b6 favours Black, Mnatsakan-
ian - Georgiev, Yerevan 1982) 15 ... 'i.te7
16 iJ..xd7 iJ..g7 17 lLlh5, and White's
chances are significantly better.
13 lLlc6!!
Like a clap ofthunderfrom a clear sky!
13 ... iJ..xc6
White also had to reckon with 13 ... d4,
on which she was intending 14 e5! dxe5 15
fxe5 lLld5 16 e6 lLl7f6 17 exf7+ 'i.td7 (17 .. .
'i.txj7 18 hf6 lLlxf6 19 i.g6+!, or 18 .. .
~xe6 19 i.g5+ 'i.tg820 i/5 iJ..e8 21 iJ..e4
iJ..e6 22 ~xd4) 18 iJ..xf6 lLlxf6 19 iJ..f5+
'i.tc7 20 ~f4+ i.d6 21 :ile7+ Wxc6 22
i.e4+ 'i.tc5 23 :ile5+ 'i.tb4 (23 ... he524
~xe5+ iJ..d5 25 hd5 lLlxd5 26 ~xd4+
'i.tc6 27 ~xd5+ 'i.te7 28 ~e5+) 24 c3+
dxc3 (24 ... 'i.ta5 25 b4+ hb4 26 exb4+
'i.txb4 27 ~d2+) 25 iJ..xb7+ 'i.ta5 26 ~xd6
46 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

cxb2+ (26 ... ~xd6 27 llxbS+ WxbS 28 The concluding combinational blow!
~xd6) 27 Wxb2 ~xb7 28 ~d2+ Wa4 29 26 ... ~xe7 27 ~xe7 fxe6 28 c7
~c2+ Wa5 30 ~c3+ etc.
The fate of the game is unexpectedly
14 exd5+ Ji.e7 decided by the c-pawn.
On 14 ... Wd8 there would have followed 28 .. , h5
15 dxc6 ttJc5 16 c7+ and 17 ~xa8. 29 ~xf8+ Resigns
15 dxc6 ttJc5 Maya Chiburdanidze conducted the
16 Ji.xf6 gxf6 attack with inspiration, courage and
If 16 ... ttJxd3+, then 17 ~xd3 gxf6 18 youthful ardour. Journalists called this
llxe7+ Wxe7 19 ~xd6+. game the 'Tallinn masterpiece', and Sahov-
ski lnformator awarded it first prize for
17 Ji.f5 ~c7 the best theoretical achievement in volume
17 ... lla7 also does not help, in view of 30.
18 llxd6 Wf8 19 c7! ~xc7 20 llc6 with the I should like to mention that surprise
unavoidable threat of 21 llc8+. innovations, aimed even at one game, can
18 b4! ttJe6 19 ~h5 ttJg7 20 Ji.d7+ Wffl often act as a paralysing venom on the
21 'l!¥h6 d5 (43) opponent. So as not to fall victim to a
sudden innovation, it is very important at
After 21 ... ~d8 the doubling of the that moment to resist psychologically,
rooks on the e-file is decisive.
retain freshness of thought, and not lose
your true chess strength. I recall how in
43 England in 1986, at the international
tournament in London, the talented Nigel
Short employed against me an interesting
idea, suggested by John Nunn. After
thinking at the board for about an hour, I
managed to find a satisfactory defence.
But nevertheless the experiment had done
its 'dirty' work - time and effort had been
expended, and, most important, subse-
quently my tired brain did not operate
ideally. After solving the main problems
and achieving a splendid position, I
nevertheless made a serious mistake, after
22 llxe7!
which I was no longer able to save the
Now all is clear: the black king succumbs. game.
22 ... Wxe7
23 lle 1+ Wffl
Short-Polugayevsky
After 23 ... ttJe6 White has the decisive London 1986
24 Ji.xe6 fxe6 25 ~g7+ Wd6 26 llxe6+.
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6 5
24 ~xf6 Wg8 25 lle7 llffl 26 Ji.e6! ttJc3 a6 6 Ji.e3 e6 7 ~d2
 Prepared Innovations
The young Englishman's favourite line.
For all the apparent harmlessness of this
set-up, it is in fact pretty aggressive.
7 ... lie7 8 f3 0-0 9 0-0-0 ttJc6 10 g4
White puts his plan into effect. Castling
on the queenside, he begins a pawn storm.
Black's response is clear: he reacts in the
same way on the opposite side of the
board.
10 ... ttJxd4 11 'tWxd4 b5 12 e5!? (44)
Nunn's invention. This unexpected blow
in the centre opens the d-file. Earlier only
12 g5 had been played.
12 ... dxe5
13 'tWxe5 ttJd7!
During the game I had to make a
difficult choice between 13 ... 'tWa5, 13 ...
lid7, and the text move. Immediate events
show that, up to a certain point, Black is
equal to the occasion.
14 'tWe4 ~b8 15 lid3 g6 16 'tWf4 lib7 17
h4 ~c8?
This is where the root of the evil lies!
Black completely overlooks White's natural
reply and makes a move on general
grounds. The obvious 17 ... lif6!, seizing
the important diagonal and attacking the
e5 square, would have relieved him of all
47
his difficulties. For example, if 18 h5, then
if he wishes he can force a draw: 18 ... lie5
19 'tWh6 lig7.
18 lie4! lixe4 19 ttJxe4 'tWc7 20 ~h2
White's unchallenged control of the d-
file and the weakness of the d6 square give
him a clear advantage. Black's tactical
attempts to complicate matters in the
endgame do not bring any relief.
20 ... f5 21 'tWxc7 ~xc7 22 ttJg5 lixg5
22 ... ttJc5 23 b4! lixg5 24 lixg5 ttJa425
lih6 ~e8 26 ~d6 is also inadequate.
23 lixg5 fxg4 24 fxg4 ttJe5 25 ~e2
ttJxg4 26 ~xe6
Despite the material equality, White
has an undisputed advantage, since his
bishop is clearly superior to the enemy
knight. Black could subsequently have
offered a more tenacious resistance, but
he was already short of time.
26 ... ~f2 27 c3 as 28 lid8 ~cf7 29
lixa5 ~h2 30 ~e8+ ~g7 31 lid8 h6 32
~d2 ~xd2 33 ~xd2 g5 34 hxg5 ~d7+ 35
We2 ~7 36 ~e4, and a few moves later
Black resigned.
All these examples clearly show just
what a serious effect even a 'one-off
innovation can have on a player's psycho-
logy. After all, in a limited time, directly
at the board, he must delve into the
essence of what is happening, weigh up
everything 'for' and 'against', and only
then take an important decision. To refute
a new and unfamiliar idea, he has to
spend precious time and an enormous
amount of energy, both physical and
mental. And even if the correct path is
found, it is usually so narrow, that in the
end human weakness tells and the player
goes wrong. And the reaction to such
defeats is usually very painful!
48 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

2.3 Playing With Fire Variation in the match, in the preparation

period I too was not idle. I had once again
There is also another type of home to review and in places make repairs to
preparation, which involves great practical positions which were so well known to
risk and sometimes verges on bluff. A me, and, more importantly, to try and
number of players regularly employ this guess precisely where Tal's preparation
type of weapon, and it proves to be not so would be. Naturally, I also had in reserve
easy to play against it. Experience shows other variations of the Sicilian Defence,
that in chess there exists, so to speak, since I knew that it would be hopeless to
reasonable, justified bluff. A player deli- battle with just one weapon against such a
berately goes in for a dubious position, or powerful and experienced match fighter.
a false combination, knowing in advance After beginning the match successfully,
that, by the law of probability, it will be with a win, I decided to take a risk, and in
very difficult at the board for the opponent the second game, as a matter of principle, .
to find his way. Although, if the opponent I chose my Variation. I was overcome
should find the" Achilles' heel", then no with curiosity - what had Tal in fact
good will come of the risky 'invention'. prepared?
By my chess outlook I am personally not
a supporter of such 'tricks', even if the
success percentage may be as high as
Tal-Polugayevsky
80%. But genuine practical players, follow-
Alma-Ata 1980
ing the principle 'fortune favours the
bold' , em ploy this method as one of their 1 e4 cS 2 lLJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLJxd4 lLJf6 S
ways of achieving success. lLJc3 a6 6 ,tgS e6 7 f4 bS 8 e5 dxe5 9 fxeS
During my Candidates Match with 'ti'c7 10 ,txbS+!?? (45)
Mikhail Tal, Alma-Ata 1980, the Ex-
World Champion used against me precisely
this 'recipe'. Before the match it was clear
to me that Tal had set himself a task - to
refute the Polugayevsky Variation. Strictly
speaking, before him other players too
had tried to solve this problem. Their desire
is quite understandable, and not without
justification - after all, the variation
causes definite doubts. As became clear
during the match, I had been correct to
assume that Tal had thoroughly studied
my entire Variation (no doubt spending a
great deal of time on this) and had very
probably prepared some surprises. I also This then was the trap laid by Tal! It
took into account the important fact that later transpired that the architect of this
he had some good helpers, among whom bomb was Vitolinsh. Of course, the initial
I should single out A.Vitolinsh, a talented feeling was not a pleasant one: imagine at
analyst and expert on the Sicilian Defence. the board having to swallow such a pill!
Realizing the danger of employing my But the next few minutes of thought
 Prepared Innovations
reassured me, and I quickly convinced
myself that my opponent was clearly
bluffing. Inwardly I had such a good
feeling for these positions, that I was able
to distinguish the apparent from the real
danger. It was quite possible that, after
weighing things up and assessing the
degree of risk, Tal had reasonably assumed
that at the board, with the clock ticking
alongside, I would be unlikely to find the
truth among the debris of complications.
Later, after the match, I tried to under-
stand Tal's shrewd tactics, planned before-
hand, and, I think, discovered the secret
of why in the second game he went in for
this incorrect piece sacrifice. The point
was that, for the moment, Tal was keeping
in reserve his main innovation, and first
tried to take me virtually with his bare
hands, by employing his risky enterprise.
If the main idea, which was indeed close
to the mark, had immediately been put
into operation, at best its author would
have earned only one point, since obviously
I would have had to take the entire
Variation off the agenda. But would not
this be too cheap a price for the hours,
days, and perhaps even months spent on
his searchings? And then, as it seems to
me, the maximum plan was conceived.
First try to win a game in a round-about
way, by taking me by fright. After all, at
the Interzonal Tournament in Riga in
1979, Tal had defeated me in this way,
and this may possibly have suggested to
him: surprises in the opening unsettle
Polugayevsky. And then, when at home,
after much effort, I find an antidote to the
sacrifice, then land a blow in the main
direction. Such a strategy would give the
chance of gaining two points! Apparently
all very logical. But this subtle plan was
not to be realized. The lesson I learned in
Riga had not been in vain. During my
preparations for the match I had scrup-
49
ulously examined my deficiencies, tried to
take account of all possible nuances, and
prepared as well as possible, both psycho-
logically and theoretically. On top of
everything, during the event I also proved
to be in excellent form. At the board I was
able to concentrate instantly and, despite
spending a lot of time, find and work out
in detail the best path, involving a
manoeuvre with the queen's rook, by
which White's threats were parried:
10 ... axb5 11 exf6 'iYe5+ 12 'iYe2 'iYxg5
13 lLJdxb5 E:a5!!
The correct idea is found! Along the
5th rank the rook comes actively into
play. Now 14 E:d1 achieves nothing on
account of the simple 14 ... .td7.
14 fxg7 i..xg7
14 ... 'iYxg7 also seems good, and if 15
0-0-0 i..d7! White, of course, has the
initiative, but Black is after all a piece up!
15 lLJe4 'iYe5 16 lLJbd6+ <tle7 170-0 f5 18
E:adl E:d5
Black has coordinated his scattered
forces and can be quite content with his
position.
During the game it seemed to me that
White was regretting what had happened.
In any event, he must now seek a way to
save the draw. In the subsequent nervy
struggle, the play of both sides was marred
by serious inaccuracies. In the end the last
mistake was made by White, and Black
won.
It became clear that there would be no
repetition, and in the fourth game Tal
with White employed his main weapon:
After 1 e4 c5 2 lLJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4
lLJf6 5 lLJc3 a6 6 ~g5 e6 7 f4 b5 8 eS dxeS 9
fxe5 'iYc7 10 exf6 'iYeS+ 11 ~e2 'iYxgS 12
'iYd3 'iYxf6 13 E:f1 'iYe5 14 E:dl E:a7 IS
50 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

CLlf3 'Wic7 (46) a well known position was

reached:

46

been properly taken into account in his

It first occurred in my game with
Ljubojevic in 1973 at the international
tournament in Hilversum (Holland). The
Yugoslav grandmaster continued 16 CLleS,
and after 16 .. , il..e7 17 CLlxf7 Black had
available the strong reply 17 .,. 'Wixh2!,
gaining the advantage. This game would
certainly not have escaped Tal's attention,
and he now introduces a significant
correction to White's plan, which he had
prepared for our match:
16 CLlgS!
Undoubtedly the strongest move for
White. Now 16 ... il..e7, in analogy with
the above game, does not work in view of
17 :lixf7!, and if 17 .. 'Wixh2 18 :lixg7,
wmnmg.
But Tal was unlucky. Back in 1973,
after the game with Ljubojevic, this
manoeuvre of the white knight occurred
to me, and I made a serious analysis of the
resulting situation. The outcome of it was
the continuation of the dialogue in our
match game.
16 ... fS 17 'Wid4 hS! IS :lixfS exfS 19
CLldS 'Wid7! (47)
And Tal sank into thought for a long
time. Black's last move, I think, had not
home searchings. A convincing example
of how important it is, when employing
an innovation, to study most thoroughly
all its specific details, so that the effort put
into the preparation should not be wasted!
The point of Black's idea lies in the
variation 20 'WieS+ il..e7 21 'Wixb8 O-O! 22
CLlf6+ il..xf6 23 :lixd7 :lixd7.
Tal could not find anything better than
20 'Wih4, and after 20 ... il..e7 (20 ... 'Wic6
also came into consideration) the initiative
passed to Black:
21 weI il..xgS 22 il..xhS+ Wf8 23 'WixgS
:lixhS 24 'WixhS 'Wif7 25 'WihS+ 'WigS 26
'Wih4,
and now 26 ... CLlc6! 27 CLlb4 il..d7! would
have set White a difficult dilemma: how
to increase the pressure further, since he is
a piece down?
The game went 26 ... Wf7 27 'WihS+ g6
2S 'Wih4 'Wig7 29 'WidS il..e6 30 'WixbS :lid7,
and White saved a half point. Despite the
favourable outcome, on arriving back at
my hotel late in the evening I again sat
down to analyze. Various dangers sud-
denly began to appear. I felt that there
was something wrong, and I decided not
to employ any more in the match the long-
suffering Variation. My sense of danger
 Prepared Innovations 51

did not betray me: following the match

with Tal I did after all find a refutation for
48
White ... It is interesting to note that, in
parallel with me, the Dutch player van
der Vliet discovered the same win for
White and published his analysis.
The key to the solution lies in the
manoeuvre 20 :l::l:d3!! (with the threat of
21 :l::l:e3+) 20 ... :l::l:h6 21 .5txh5+ :l::l:xh522
:l::l:e3+ Wd8 23 ~6+, or 20 ... .5td6 21
:l::l:e3+ Wf8 22 ltJf6!.
Returning to the match, I should remark
that Tal's two innovations merely brought
him disappointment, and largely because
they encountered worthy resistance. his knight at e6, which had been taken
into account by our opponents. (The
There was a unique occurrence at the
Argentine trainer, International Master
Interzonal Tournament in Goteborg, 1955.
Bolbochan, inspired confidence in his
In round 14 the pairings brought together
players, categorically declaring before the
three Argentine grandmasters - Najdorf,
start of the round: "Go on, play it, I
Panno and Pilnik, against three Soviets -
guarantee that the sacrifice on e6 does not
Keres, Geller and Spassky. This unusual
work".) It nevertheless occurred, and the
USSR-Argentina match caused particular
first to make it was Geller in his game
interest among players and spectators,
with Panno. At this point, when Keres
for the reason that the Argentines, playing
and Spassky were still considering their
Black, one after another chose a very
replies, the emotional Najdorf was ani-
sharp variation of the Sicilian Defence.
matedly discussing the events in progress
(It was after these games that the Goteborg
with his colleague Pilnik. Then he went
Variation became part of chess theory.)
up to Geller and launched a 'psychological
The first nine moves were made at rapid
attack' - "Your game is lost; all this has
tempo, and simultaneously in the three
been analyzed by us!"
games there arose one and the same
Analyzed, but how well? At the board
position, for which both White and Black
the Soviet grandmasters thoroughly refuted
had deliberately aimed. (48)
the dubious home preparation of the
On the ninth move the Argentine trio Argentines, who in their analysis had
simultaneously employed the innovation clearly not taken into account the strength
of 13 i.b5!, when White's attack develops
9 g5!?
swiftly. Najdorf and Pilnik, on seeing the
The main idea of this move has a purely catastrophe being suffered by Panno,
strategic basis. Black wishes to exchange who was following their prepared analysis,
the pawn at f4 and obtain the eternal e5 deviated by playing 13 ... Wg7 (subsequently
square for a knight. A laudable aim, but it it was found that the strongest defence is
was essential to take into account his lack 13 ... :l::l:h 7). Now, out of the three twin-
of development and White's combinational games there remained two, which devel-
possibilities. On move 11 White sacrificed oped identically as far as White's 23rd
52 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

move. A unique occurrence in the history

of chess! 49
All three games ended in brilliant vic-
tories for the Soviet players, and one
Argentine paper, commenting on the
results of round 14, began with the
headline: "Argentine Tragedy".

Geller-Panno
Goteborg 1955
1 e4 cS 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 S
ltJc3 a6 6 .tg5 e6 7 f4 Ji..e7 8 'iff3 h6 9 .th4
defender, the knight at eS, must be elim-
A standard position in this variation of
inated. In the event of 14 0-0+ ct>g8! IS
the Sicilian, where Black usually used to
,tg3 hxgS Black has everything in order.
continue 9 ... 'ifc7.
But if now 14 ... ct>g8, then IS .txeS and
9 ... gS!? 16 'ifg6+, while on 14 ... ct>g7 White has
the decisive IS .txeS+! dxeS 160-0 'ifg8
The discovery of the Argentine players.
17 .te8!.
Although dubious, it caused great interest
in the chess world. 14 ... .txgS
IS 0-0+
10 fxgS ltJfd7
11 ltJxe6! IS .txeS dxeS and now 160-0+ is also
possible.
When sacrificing the knight, it was
essential to find the powerful 13th move IS ... ct>e7
.tbS!. In general, however, White is not 16 .txe5 'ifb6+
obliged to part with a piece. As later games
16 ... .te3+ 17 ct>h 1 dxeS 18 'ifxeS .td4
showed, positional pressure on f7 by 11
19 ltJdS+ 'ifxdS 20 'ifc7+ etc. is no better.
'i¥h S also secures him an advantage.
17 ct>hl dxeS 18 'iff7+ ct>d6 19 :gadl+
11 fxe6
'ifd4
12 'ifhS+ ct>f8
On 19 ... ct>cS there could have followed
(diagram 49)
20 :gdS+! exdS 21 'ifxdS+ ct>b4 22 'ifc4+
13 .tbS! ct>aS, and mate by either 23 b4 or 23 'ifa4.
The point of White's idea - his king's 20 :gxd4+ exd4
rook joins the attack, and in addition he 21 eS+ ct>c5
prevents 13 ... ltJc6.
After 21 ... ct>xeS there is a problem-like
13 ... ltJeS mate by 22 'ifc7.
14 .tg3!
22 'ifc7+ ltJc6
For the attack to succeed, the central 23 .txc6
 Prepared Innovations
Black resigns, since he is mated after 23
... bxc6 24 'tIYa5+ \t>c4 25 b3.
50
13 \t>g7
This is better than 13 ... et:Je5 (as shown
by the previous game), but here too Black
encounters great difficulties. True, for
White to win, his handling of the attack
must be accurate and inventive.
In the following years the correct reply
13 ... J::l:h7 was found, by which Black
retains defensive resources. Let us consider
the main variations:
140-0+ \t>g8 15 g6 J::l:g7 16 J::l:f7 ,txh4 17
'tIYxh6 'tIYf6!?
Earlier it was thought that after 17 ...
J::l:xf7 18 gxf7+ \t>xf7 19 J::l:fl+ ,tf6 White
had to give perpetual check by 20 'tIYh7+
\t>e8! (but not 20 ... \t>f8, in view of 21 e5
dxe522 et:Je4 'tIYe7 23 'tIYh8+ \t>j7 24 et:Jg5+,
or 22 ... 'tIYb6+ 23 J::l:f2! axb5 24 g4! etc).
But then analysts found an important
improvement. Instead of 19 J::l:fl + White
should play 19 'tIYh7+ with a winning
attack - 19 ... \t>e8 20 'tIYh5+ \t>f8 21 J::l:fl +
,tf6 22 'tIYh8+ \t>e7 23 'tIYh7+ \t>e8 24
'tIYg6+ \t>e7 (if 24 ... \t>j8, then 25 e5 dxe5
26 et:Je4 'tIYb6+ 27 \t>h1 'tIYxb5 28 J::l:xf6+
\t>e 7 29 J::l:xe6+ \t>d8 30 J::l:e8+ \t>c7 31
53
J::l:xc8+, or 28 .. et:Jxf6 29 'tIYxf6+ \t>g8 30
'tIYd8+ \t>g7 31 'tIYe7+ \t>h8 32 'tIYf8+ \t>h 7
33'tIYj7+, and White wins) 25 J::l:xf6'tIYb6+
26 J::l:f2 axb5 27 'tIYg5+ \t>e8 28 'tIYg8+ \t>e7
29 \t>fl, and Black stands badly.
18 11fl axb5 19 et:Jxb5.
In Diaz-Alzate, Cuba 1984, White
continued his attack with 19 e5!? 'tIYxe5
(much stronger is 19 ... 'tIYxg620 J::l:xg7+
'tIYxg7 21 'tIYxe6+ \t>h8 22 J::l:j7 ltJf8 23 'tIYe8
et:Jd7 24 J::l:xg7 \t>xg7 25 g3, with a
double-edged game) 20 'tIYxh4 et:Jc6 21
et:Je4, with the irresistible threat of 22
et:Jf6+.
19 ... 11xa2. This was the course taken
by Mikhalchishin-Kupreichik, 49th USSR
Championship Premier League 1981. In
Mikhalchishin's opinion, after 20 J::l:7xf6
,txf6 21et:Jxd6et:Jc6 22et:Jf7 J::l:xf7 23 gxf7+
\t>xf7 24 'tIYh7+ \t>e8 25 'tIYg8+ \t>e7 26
'tIYxc8 laxb2 White has the better prospects,
for example, 27 'tIYg8 with the threat of 28
h4.
14 0-0 et:Je5
In the event of 14 ... 'tIYg8, Keres
considers the strongest continuation of
the attack to be 15 g6! and if 15 ... ,txh4,
then 16 'tIYxh4 'tIYd8 (16 ... axb5 17 'tIYe7+
\t>xg618 J::l:f3) 17 J::l:f7+ \t>xg6 18 J::l:e7!.
15 ,tg3 et:Jg6
Here the strength of 13 ,tb5! is still felt,
preventing Black from consolidating his
knights in the centre. And in some vari-
ations the manoeuvre ,te8 proves decisive.
For example, if now Black tries defending
by 15 ... 'tIYg8, then after 16 ,txe5+ dxe5 17
,te8! 'tIYxe8 18 gxh6+ White wins easily.
16 gxh6+ IiIxh6 17 IiIf7+! ~xf7 18
'tIYxh6 axb5
For five moves the bishop at b5 has
been en prise. Now it falls, but it has done
its work. The black king's attempt to
54 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
escape to the queenside via the vacated
light squares also proves unsuccessful.
19 :!lfl + c;t>e8 20 ~xg6+ c;t>d7 21 :!lf7
etJc6
Black is almost out of the woods, but
unexpectedly there follows:
22 etJd5!
Threatening simply 23 etJxe7 etJxe7 24
i.h4.
22 :!lxa2 (51)
In the event of 22 ... exd5 White would
have won by 23 ~xd6+ c;t>e8 24 ~g6! c;t>d7
25 exd5!, or 24 ... i.e6 25 :!lf3+ c;t>d7 26
exd5 i.xd5 27 ~f5+ i.e6 28 :!ld3+.
23 h4
In this position Spassky played 23 h3
against Pilnik, maintaining the concrete
threat of 24 etJxe7 and 25 i.h4. The twin
game concluded 23 ... ~h8 24 etJxe7 etJxe7
25 ~g5 :!lal + 26 c;t>h2 ~d8 27 ~xb5+
c;t>c7 28 ~c5+ c;t>b8 29 i.xd6+ c;t>a8 30
~xe7 :!la5 31 ~b4, and Black resigned.
23 ... ~h8 24 etJxe7 etJxe7 25 ~g5
Black resigns
The examples we have analyzed demon-
strate convincingly just how much explosive
force is contained in an innovation, and
how difficult it is for a player to combat it
directly at the board. Even so, I will offer
some advice. In particular, if misfortune
strikes (although sometimes it may not be
such a misfortune - the preparation may
be defective) you must retain your com-
posure and try to calm yourself. Take the
2nd game from my match with Tal. Had I
lost my equilibrium and begun to panic, I
would certainly not have found a defence.
In such instances you must concentrate
fully and try to delve into the 'value' of
the preparation, discover the point of it,
and thus avoid the dangerous path where
it will operate.
If you feel that you are not capable of
taking all factors into account, or of
calculating exactly the concrete variations,
the most sensible decision is to avoid
conflict and to chose a neutral path,
desirably without any complications, where
you may not solve the problem set, but on
the other hand you will avoid the chief
dangers in the main direction. Instructive
in this sense is one ofthe Karpov-Kasparov
games. On first encountering Kasparov's
gambit (pawn sacrifice), Karpov preferred
not to enter into an argument.
Of course, you cannot always move to
the side, and often circumstances force
you to 'pick up the gauntlet' (this is what
happened in the Karpov-Kasparov match,
when Black repeated his gambit, and also
in my game with Tal, when White sacrificed
a piece). Then the only advice is this: calm
yourself inwardly (here autogenic training
can be of great value), gather your thoughts
and boldly take a decision, without fearing
ghosts. Here is an example from my game
with Belyavsky, from the USSR Spartakiad,
Moscow 1979. Belyavsky employed a
fresh idea, prepared by him at a training
session for the Ukrainian team. Later I
was told how several members of the
 Prepared Innovations
team spent hours together analyzing a
forcing continuation:
1 e4 cS 2 lDf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 lDf6 5
lDc3 a6 6 i.gS e6 7 f4 bS 8 eS dxeS 9 fxeS
'i!Vc7 10 exf6 'i!VeS+ 11 i.e2 'i!VxgS 12 0-0
'i!VeS 13 lDf3 i.cS+ 14 ~hl 'i!Vxf6 15 lDe4
'i!Ve7 16 lDfgS (52)
52
Since I had great experience in my
Variation, after sinking into thought I
was able by effort of will to find the
correct decision, thus effectively neutra-
lizing Belyavsky's innovation: 16 ... f5! 17
i.h5+ g6 18 lDxh7 ~f7!, and with his
solid pawn screen Black can face the
future with confidence. But then suddenly
I hesitated: "What if I am missing some-
thing?". As a result my work was wasted.
I betrayed myself, and played differently:
16 ... 0-0 17 lDxf7! l::i:xf7 18 l::i:xf7 ~xf7
19 i.hS+ ~g8 20 lDxcS lDd7? (20 ... l::i:a7
was the lesser evil) 21 lDxe6!
And after losing a pawn, Black, despite
55
a tenacious defence, in the end lost the
game.
And so, do not be afraid of ghosts,
believe more in yourself! Remember, at
the board, that if you do not save yourself,
no one else will extend a hand to help you!
Try to instill in yourself the thought: "the
danger when encountering an innovation
is great, but I will not exaggerate it
unduly!" .
I should like to share my thoughts on
one further factor. How can you avoid
opening disasters, or at least reduce the
probability of them? In this respect, uni-
versality in the choice of different variations
will enable you to create an additional
defensive armour.
A player choosing the Sicilian Defence
as Black is less vulnerable when he moves
out of the framework of one variation.
From my own experience, I can say with
confidence that it is rational to vary
periodically your choice of different vari-
ations (much depends on the style and
tastes of your opponents). For example,
in my opening repertoire, which is restricted
to the Sicilian Defence, one encounters
the Najdorf, Paulsen and Scheveningen
Variations, to say nothing of the Poluga-
yevsky Variation. Such a diversity hinders
to some extent the preparation of the
opponent, and thus improves my chances
of success. And on the contrary - if, 'as a
matter of principle', you constantly play
just one variation, although this leads to
positions where everything seems familiar
down to the last detail, it does not exclude
the danger of running into a 'mine'.
3 Theoretical Arguments
I have already mentioned, in the intro-
duction, that delving into the labyrinth of
the Sicilian Defence is senseless without
theoretical arguments, since as in no
other opening we constantly encounter
here the problems of critical positions,
which provoke a lively interest both among
theorists, and among players.
A thorough study, be it of the Najdorf,
Paulsen, Dragon or Scheveningen Vari-
ation, reveals a mass of sharp variations
with sacrifices and counter-sacrifices. This
fruitful ground has given rise to a number
of crucial positions, the evaluation of
which can be quite contradictory. Some
prefer playing these positions with White,
while others uphold Black's defensive
resources. A creative conflict arises, one
which is resolved in the struggle at the
chess board.
3.1 Belief in Yourself
It is a matter of honour for every
Sicilian player to defend his views to the
end, although at times it is inevitable that
he will taste the bitterness of defeat. If a
player avoids a theoretical argument, he
makes life much more difficult for himself,
and the point of his own opening prepar-
ation is lost.
Theoretical disputes are of particular
importance in matches. Along with a
competitive struggle of high intensity,
there is a competition between two indi-
56
viduals, each of whom is convinced about
the correctness of his ideas.
In my Candidates Match with Karpov,
Moscow 1974, as Black I persistently
upheld the position arising after 1 e4 c5 2
ct:Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 ct:Jf6 5 ct:Jc3 a6 6
.te2 e5 7 ct:Jb3 J.,e7 80-0 J.,e6 9 f4 'fWc7 10
a4 ct:Jbd7 11 ~hl 0-0 12 J.,e3 exf4 13 :!::i:xf4
(53).
This standard position occurred in all
four games of the match in which I had
Black. In the second game I tried the poor
continuation 13 ... :!::i:fe8, and the game
ended in a draw. In the three following
even-numbered games I employed the
improvement 13 ... ct:Je5, and in all three I
lost, albeit after a hard struggle. Journalists
and commentators considered that the
main cause of my defeats was in fact that I
stuck to the Sicilian Defence and to this
variation in particular - I was too inflexible.
I cannot agree with this categorical evalu-
ation. Of course, flexibility in chess events
 Theoretical Arguments 57

is essential. But if I thought that the 14 .!Dd4

variation was sound, why should I avoid
In the sixth and eighth games White
it? I fancy that the root of the evil lay in
played the stronger 14 as!. The continu-
other causes; the opening was not to
ation chosen by Karpov gives Black good
blame, and it would be wrong for me to
play.
complain about it. And although in one
game I ended up in a difficult position, at 14 ... :ti:ad8
the next attempt I gained an advantage. 15 'YWgl
The quality of my adjournment analysis
This parries IS .. , dS and creates the
was another matter, and it was for this
threat of 16 .!Dxe6 fxe6 17 ~b6.
that I should have been criticized, since it
was not always up to the mark. 15 ... :ti:d7 16 :ti:dl :ti:e8 17 .!DfS .id8 18
.!Dd4
An admission that White cannot find a
Karpov-Polugayevsky clear plan.
(4th Game)
18 .. , .!Dg6 19 :ti:ffl .!DeS 20 .tf4 'YWcS
Moscow 1973
(54)
1 e4 cS 2 .!Df3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 .!Dxd4 .!Df6 5
.!Dc3 a6 6 ..te2 eS
54
Black creates weaknesses in his own
position (the dS square and the backward
d6 pawn), but begins a battle for the
centre, aiming for active piece play.
7 .!Db3 ..te7 8 0-0 ..te6 9 f4 'YWc7 10 a4
.!Dbd7 11 ~hl
Karpov avoids the seemingly active 11
fS, since in his game with Byrne, Leningrad
1973, he did not gain any opening advan-
tage after 11 ... ~c4 12 .ie3 0-013 as bS.
He employs an idea of Geller, which
prevents 11 ... :ti:c8 - in this case White White, who occupies the d- and f-files,
seizes the initiative, as in Geller-I vkov, has a superficially attractive position. But
Hilversum 1973, by 12fS ~c413 as 0-014 in fact Black's position, which resembles
i.xc4 'YWxc4 IS :ti:a4 'YWc6 16 ~e3, and 16 a coiled spring, is in no way worse. His
... bS is not possible, in view of the loss of pieces, although modestly placed, are
the a6 pawn. splendidly coordinated. "How does he
unleash his energy?", asked Tartakower,
11 ... 0-0 12 .ie3 exf4 13 :ti:xf4 .!DeS
regarding Black's problems in the Sicilian
In the second game of the match I Defence. The answer to this complicated
continued 13 ... :ti:fe8, and after 14 .!Dd4 question lies precisely in positions of this
.!DeS IS .!DfS .!Dg6 16 :ti:n ..tf8 17 'YWd4! I type, where the Sicilian spring often catches
ended up in a difficult position. White on the rebound.
58 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

21 etJxe6
This simplification leads to a better
ending for Black.
21 .,. 'i¥xgl+
22 Iixgl Iixe6
22 ... fxe6 was also possible, improving
Black's pawn structure and taking control
of d5. But during the game the move
chosen, with the prospect of pressure on
the e4 pa wn, seemed to me to be stronger.
23 i.f3 etJeg4 24 Iigfl i.b6 25 Iid2 i.e3
26 il.xe3 etJxe3
31 h3 h5
Imperceptibly the picture has changed
32 etJd5 etJxd5??
sharply, and the initiative has passed to
Black. White must now play with extreme A serious error, which reduces Black's
accuracy, since his bishop is passive. advantage to nothing. During the game I
immediately saw 32 ... Iic5!, butat the last
27 Iibl WfS
moment I for some reason rejected it.
28 Wgl
Nervous tension evidently had its effect.
This natural move has serious conse- After 32 ... Iic5! 33 etJxf6 Iixf6 34 Wg3
quences. White should have immediately h4+ 35 Wf2 etJb6 36 c3 etJxa4 Black would
cleared the situation by 28 etJd5! Then have gained very good winning chances.
Black cannot take the pawn: 28 ... etJxe4 Here 34 We2 can be met by 34 ... etJe5,
29 i.xe4 Iixe4 30 Iie1 etJc4 31 Iixe4 attacking the c2 pawn and threatening 35
etJxd232 Iid4, and after 28 '" etJfxd5 (28 ... g4, while after 33 b4 Iic8 34 Iic3
... etJc4 29 Iid4) 29 exd5 Iie5 30 c3 White (otherwise 34 ... etJe5 is threatened) Black
can hold the position. wins by 34 ... g4!.
28 ... Iic7 33 Iixd5 etJe5
29 'iM2 34 c3 h4?!
29 Iie2 was worse, since after 29 ... etJc4 34 ... Iif6 was better.
30 etJd 1 d5! 31 exd5 Iixe2 32 i.xe2 etJd2
35 Iibdl We7
33 Iial Iixc2 Black's advantage is undis'-
36 Iild4 f6?
puted.
Another poor move. Shortage of time
29 ... etJc4
was beginning to tell, as well as the
30 Iid3 g5! (55)
sudden change of scene. After 35 ... b6 or
Black aims to increase his positional 36 ... Iig6 Black would have maintained
advantage by seizing space on the kingside. the balance.
The resulting position is a clear example
37 a5!
of the superiority ofthe black knight over
the helpless white bishop. Even then, the young Karpov played

/
 Theoretical Arguments
excellently in technical pOSItIons. He
accurately exploits all my errors.
37 :lic6
38 .te2!
Preparing a pawn offensive on the
queenside.
38 Wd8?
The final and decisive mistake. It was
still possible to hold the position by 38 ...
et:Jf7, and if 39 :lib4, then 39 ... :lic7
followed by 40 ... :lie5.
39 c4 Wc7 40 b4 et:Jg6 41 bS axbS
On 41 ... :lic5 there would have followed
42 b6+ Wc6 43 .tdl.
42 cxbS :lic2 43 b6+ Wd7 44 :lid2 Il:xd2
45 :lixd2 :lieS
After 45 ... :lixe4 White would have
won by 46 .tb5+ Wc847 :lic2+ Wb8 48 a6
bxa649 .txa6 :lie8 50 b7 et:Je7 51 :lie2 etc.
46 a6 Wc6 47 :lib2 et:Jf4 48 a7 :liaS 49
.tc4 Black resigns
A genuine Sicilian duel developed in
the second match for the World Cham-
pionship between Karpov and Kasparov,
Moscow 1985. With enviable constancy
the Baku grandmaster defended the Schev-
eningen 'goal', against which the Moscovite
tried various ways of scoring. The culmi-
nation of their argument came in the
famous 24th game, which was not only of
enormous theoretical importance, but also
decided the question of the World Cham-
pionship title.
The intensity of the creative and com-
petitive struggle had reached a peak. The
match situation obliged Karpov to play
only for a win, and so, with White, he
chose a very sharp variation, involving a
kingside pawn storm, which had already
59
occurred ill the game Sokolov-Ribli,
Montpellier, 1985. Kasparov and his
trainers, in their own words, had thorough-
ly studied the resulting complications and
had worked out a comprehensive plan of
defence. It should be mentioned that
Karpov's camp had also not been idle,
and they too displayed subtle analysis.
From later interviews we have learned
that Black was happy with the opening,
but on his 20th move he delayed. White
gained the chance of obtaining a dangerous
attack: 23 f5!, which Karpov did not take.
Black consolidated his forces, was the
first to begin playing tactically, and the
initiative passed to him. As a result of this
historic game, the chess world gained a
new World Champion, the 13th in history
- Garry Kasparov.
The heated discussions regarding the
events in this exciting game also continued
after the match. To me personally, it
seems that neither the analysts, nor the
players themselves, have been able to give
a definitive evaluation of the variation .
They have merely poured fuel on the fire,
posing numerous additional questions. I
think that this variation will continue to
be a stumbling-block for many researchers.
I am convinced that the theoretical argu-
ment has not ended, and that a continuation
of it is highly probable.
Karpov-Kasparov
Moscow 1985
1 e4
Despite his negative score in the Sicilian
(+0 =5 -1) Karpov agrees to play this
opening in this highly important game.
And so, the gauntlet is once again thrown
down!
1 ... cS 2 et:Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 et:Jxd4 et:Jf6 5
60 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
ltJc3 a6 6 .te2 e6 7 0-0 .te7 8 f4 0-09 <t>hl
'ti'c7 10 a4 ltJc6 11 .te3 ne8 12 ~f3 nb8
13 'ti'd2 ~d7 14 ltJb3 b6 15 g4!?
In the 18th game of the match Karpov
continued 15 .tf2, and after 15 ... ~c8 16
.tg3 ltJd7 17 nael ~b7 18 e5 libd8 he
did not gain anything from the opening.
In the present game he chooses a drastic,
but at the same time, risky measure. In
mounting a pawn storm on the kingside,
White exposes his own king, and if the
attack does not succeed he risks having
nothing to show for it. Nevertheless, the
World Champion decided to try and
uphold his title in this way, since analysis
of the Sokolov-Ribli game had shown
that White has a wealth of attacking
possibilities, and that Black must be on
the alert.
15 ... ~c8 16 g5 ltJd7 17 'ti'f2! (56)
An important subtlety. Sokolov con-
tinued 17 ~g2, and after 17 ... ltJa5 18
'ti'f2 the Hungarian grandmaster should
have played 18 ... ltJc4 (instead of 18 ...
~f8), forcing the retreat 19 .tel, after
which the white rook at al is out of play.
But now this knight manoeuvre does not
achieve anything, since on 17 ... ltJa5
White has time to bring his rook into
play: 18 nadl.
17 ... ~f8 18 .tg2 .tb7 19 nadl g6 20
.tel nbc8?!
In this situation the 'value' of every
move is very great, and this typical
manoeuvre, made by Black on general
grounds, does not prevent White from
carrying out the menacing plan of switching
his rook to the kingside. In the opinion of
the experts and of Kasparov himself, 20 ...
ltJc5! was in the spirit of the position.
21 nd3 ltJb4
22 ~h3 .tg7
The double-edged 22 ... f5!? came into
consideration.
23 .te3?!
White delays, and yet he is already
prepared for decisive action, i.e. for 23 f5!
(57). It was around this move that a
heated debate developed after the match.
analysis diagram
Karpov considers that he missed a very
real chance of winning; Kasparov contends
that his defences are solid and that Black
has possibilities of counterplay. Who then
is right? In my opinion, paradoxically,
both grandmasters are. It is simply that
they approach the situation differently,
and both viewpoints have the right to
exist.
 Theoretical Arguments
Kasparov, aimIng for the 'absolute'
truth, subjected the diagram position to a
scrupulous analysis at home. After the
forced 23 ... exf5 24 exf5 he initially gave
24 ... lbe5 and the following variations: 25
f6 .txg2+ 26 c,!;>xg2 'iYb7+ 27 c,!;>gl .tf8 28
'iYh4 h5 29 'iYxb4 :e:c4 30 lba5! 'iYc8! 31
lbxc4 d5! 32 'iYxf8+ c,!;>xf8 33 lbxe5 'iYxh3,
with unclear play, or 25 'iYh4 'iYc4 26
'iYxh7+ c,!;>f8 27 lbd2 .txg2+ 28 c,!;>xg2
'iYc6+ 29 lbf3 gxf5 30 'iYxf5 lbd5!. But
later the World Champion introduced a
significant correction: in this last variation,
instead of 26 'iYxh7+ White replies 26
:e:f4!, when Black is in difficulties (26 ...
i,xg2+ 27 Wxg2 'iYc6+ 28 c,!;>g1 gxf5 29
lbd4!).
As a result, Kasparov rejected 24 ...
lbe5, and as the main defence he recom-
mended 24 ... .txg2+ 25 Wxg2 'iYb7+ 26
wg 1 :e:c4! 27 fxg6 :e:g4+ 28 :e:g3 :e:xg3+
29 hxg3 (29 'iYxg3 hxg6 30 'iYf4 lbe5 is
weaker) 29 ... lbe5 30 gxh7+ Wh8, with
fair counterchances for the sacrificed
pawns. For example: 31 lbd4 lbed3!, 31
.tf4 lbc4, or 31 'iYf5 lbxc2! 32 'iYxc2
lbf3+ 33 :e:xf3 (33 c,!;>f2 lbd4!) 33 ... 'iYxf3
34 'iYf2 'iYd3 etc.
Kasparov's analysis is pretty convincing,
and it is difficult to disagree with him. But
now let us also look at the position after
23 f5 through Karpov's eyes. He does not
set himself the aim of searching for the
truth by the method of 'trial and error',
by analyzing dozens of moves, but proceeds
rather from purely practical considerations:
in such a dangerous situation, even the
greatest player may be unable to analyze
in detail all the nuances of the mind-
boggling complications and find the correct
path. And in fact, as we see, Kasparov
gave his diagnosis only at the second
(moreover, reached at home!) attempt.
So that in his way Karpov too is right.
I should mention, incidentally, that
61
during the match both grandmasters
repeatedly demonstrated such a practical
approach to the game, taking account
both of the psychology of the moment
and the state of the opponent.
I have already mentioned the Sicilian
innovation - the pawn sacrifice (it has
been named the "Kasparov Gambit"),
made by Black in the 12th and 16th games
of the match. Almost certainly, its author
himself realized that his venture was
unlikely to be fully correct. But he fearlessly
launched it, being almost one hundred
per cent sure that, at the board, to the
ticking of the clock, Karpov would not be
able to refute the experiment. Such is the
reality of chess!
I have many times commented on the
24th game in front of various audiences,
and chess enthusiasts have often asked
one and the same difficult question: what
would have happened, had White played
23 f5!? How, in conditions of extreme
nervous tension, would the two players
have performed?
About this one can only surmise. But
we, aiming for chess justice, should be
guided by the reality of objective, concrete
research. And so? After spending countless
hours on a study of this long-suffering
position, I have after all come to an
indisputable conclusion: to give a cate-
gorical evaluation today is impossible!
The game has barely come out of the
opening, and the position is too compli-
cated - just one step separates 'better'
from 'worse'. I will not be surprised (in
this I am convinced by my considerable
experience as a Sicilian player) if the
supporters of White - and perhaps even
Karpov himself - continue the discussion.
And only time can give (if it is in general
possible) a definitive verdict.
For me personally, what is important is
not the question of "what if?", but the
62 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

very existence of a creative conflict between 25 :9:dl f5!

outstanding specialists. I am all in favour 26 gxf6
of such an open, genuinely 'vicious' chess On 26 ~d2 Black had prepared 26 ...
argument. It must be confessed that we, eS!
grandmasters, have become literally ab-
sorbed in the chaos of endless competitive 26 ... lLlxf6
events, and would appear to be forgetting 27 :9:g3
about creative values. Nowadays you
Of course, Karpov saw 27 ~xb6 and
rarely see heated discussions about this or
the reply 27 ... lLlg4. The following analysis
that problematic position, or about this
by Lepyoshkin shows that, despite being
or that move. Even critical comments -
a pawn down, Black can hold the position:
these too we are sometimes afraid to
28 ~xc7 lLlxf2 29 ~xd6 lLlxdl 30 ~xe7
make, in case we may by chance make a
:9:xe7 31 lLlxdl lLlxc2 32eS ~xg233 <t>xg2
mistake. Therefore we should warmly
gS!, or 32 :9:d3 .ih6! 33 lLlcS ~xf4 34 .ih3
welcome any sharp, heart-to-heart dis-
<t>f7 3S ~xe6+ :9:xe6 36 :9:d7+ :9:e7 37
cussion - both between theorists, and
:9:xb7 :9:xb7 38 lLlxb7.
between players - between all for whom
It was possibly on these grounds that
the chess truth is dear ...
Karpov preferred the text move. In fact
23 ... :9:e7! on 27 .ixb6 Kasparov had in mind the
simple reply 27 ... ~8 followed by 28 .. ,
Later Kasparov himself admitted that
:9:f7 or 28 ... eS. But what would have
this was the most difficult move in the
happened in the game, we do not know ...
game. It came as a complete surprise not
only to the spectators, but also to the 27 ... :9:f7 28 ~xb6 ~b8 29 ~e3 lLlh5 30
grandmasters and masters in the press :9:g4
centre. By this unusual prophylaxis,
White is forced to defend his f4 pawn in
Kasparov prepares to give a hostile recep-
this awkward way. On 30 :9:f3 there could
tion to the advance of the f-pawn.
have followed 30 ... ~xc3 31 bxc3 lLla2,
24 <t>gl winning material.
After thinking for half an hour, Karpov 30 lLlf6
decides to switch to positional rails, but 31 :9:h4 (58)
White's position is already somewhat
compromised for playing for a win.
58
Nothing is achieved by 24 ~d4 in view of
24 ... eS (the strength of 23 ... :9:e7 is
shown; the f7 square is protected) 2S fxeS
.ixeS 26 .ixeS dxeS 27 :9:f3 lLlf8, while if
24 fS!?, then 24 ... exfS 2S exfS .txg2+ 26
<t>xg2 (26 ~xg2 gxf51) 26 ... .ixc3 27 bxc3
~xc3, and Black is OK.

24 ... :9:ce8
With the idea of beginning a counter-
attack by 2S ... fS, or possibly 2S ... eS.
 Theoretical Arguments
A reply dictated not by chess consider-
ations, but purely competitive ones: White
could not contemplate a repetition of
moves. If 31 ~g5, then after 31 ... ~h6 32
~g3 et:Jh5 33 ~f3 ~ef8 34 ~h3 ~c8 the
loss of the f4 pawn is inevitable.
31 g5!
After this sacrifice of a second pawn,
the black pieces become very active and
dominate the board.
32 fxg5 et:Jg4
32 ... et:Jxe4 is dubious on account of 33
'tWxf7+ ~xf7 34 et:Jxe4, with good counter-
play.
33 ~d2
Now the queen sacrifice 33 'tWxf7+ does
not work, in view of 33 ... ~xf7 34 ~xg4
et:Jxc2 35 ~f2 ~a8.
33 ... et:Jxe3 34 'tWxe3 et:Jxc2 35 'tWb6
The queen is forced to guard the gl-a7
diagonal, otherwise it will be occupied by
its black counterpart.
35 ... ~a8!
36 ~xd6?
This essentially loses the game. Time
trouble was interfering, and events began
to take an unpredictable turn. White's
only chance was 36 'tWxb8 ~xb8 37 ~h3!,
with wild complications.
Grandmasters Taimanov and A verbakh
offered to readers the following analysis:
37 ... ~xb3 38 ~xe6 ~d4+! 39 ~hl ~xb2
40 ~f1 ~xc3 41 ~xf7 et:Jd4 42 ~a7+ (42
~c4? d5) 42 ... et:Jxe6 43 ~xa8+ et:Jf8 44
Il:xa6 ~e5, or 40 Il:f4 ~xc3 41 Il:xd6 ~f8
42 ~xf7 (42 Il:xf7+ ~e8 43 Il:f1 et:Je3!) 42
... ~e7 43 Il:xa6 et:Je3! 44 h4, when Black
has a choice of two pleasant possibilities:
44 ... ~b7 45 Il:e6+ ~d7, and 44 ... et:Jf5!.
Kasparov also recommends another
63
interesting way: 37 ... Il:e7!? 38 Il:xd6
Il:xb3 39 Il:d8+ (39 ~xe6+ Il:xe640 Il:xe6
et:Jd4!) 39 ... ~f7 40 Il:xa8 Il:xb2 41 et:Je2
(41 e5 be5!) 41 ... et:Jd4 42 g6+ ~xg6 43
Il:g4+ with a draw.
36 Il:b7
37 'tWxa6 Il:xb3
This prolongs the game. 37 ... et:Jb4! 38
'tWa5 'tWxd6 would have won instantly.
38 Il:xe6 Il:xb2 39 ~c4 ~h8 40 e5?
More tenacious was 40 g6 h6 41 Il:xe8+
'tWxe8 42 et:Jdl et:Ja3, although it would not
have saved the game.
40 ... 'tWa7+ 41 ~hl ~xg2+ 42 ~xg2
et:Jd4+ White resigns
A sharp Sicilian 'dialogue' has arisen
between two leading grandmasters - the
Dutchman Jan Timman and the Yugoslav
Ljubomir Ljubojevic. Frequent meetings
in international tournaments enable them
to settle their differences. In the period
from 1983 to 1986 alone, the two grand-
masters played each other about ten times,
and, as a rule, each of them, with either
colour, upheld the honour of the Sicilian
Defence. When Ljubojevic had White the
argument switched to Scheveningen lines,
while when Timman was White the arena
of discussion became the NajdorfVariation.
This creative conflict developed on fruitful
ground - both grandmasters have a leaning
towards a combinational struggle and
happily play the Sicilian Defence with
either colour, also choosing the sharpest
continuations. It is natural that in this
argument the priority belongs to White,
since their ability to maintain the initiative
is higher than their skill in defence. But,
despite the negative score, each player
continues with Black too to uphold his
ideas, correcting and renewing them. Of
enormous importance in their chess dia-
64 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

logue is the element of surprise, when the
grandmasters vary their choice of continu-
ation, and employ various improvements.
Here are two examples:
Timman-Ljubojevic
Niksic 1983
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 5
ltJc3 a6 6 .tg5 e6 7 f4 .te7 8 'iWf3 'iWc7 9
0-0-0 lLlbd7
One of the basic positions in the classical
line of the Najdorf Variation.
.txc8 l'ixc8 23 h4 .txh4, when in Matulovic-
Gheorghiu, Vraca 1975, the players agreed
a draw. True, Matulovic in his analysis
recommends continuing the attack for
White with 24 l'ihl, and this was tried in
the game Groszpeter-Orso, Hungary 1980.
After 24 ... l'ic4? 25 b3 l'ic8 26 'iWh2 g5 27
lLlf5 l'ie6 28 'iWh3 l'ie8 29 lLlde7 White
won quickly. It should be said that after
24 llhl Black's play was not the best, and
for a definitive evaluation of the position,
further research is required.
59

10 g4
White immediately begins an offensive
on the kingside - time is precious! Other
ways of developing his initiative are also
possible - 10 'iWg3 is especially common.
10 ... b5
Black gives as good as he gets, and tries
to create counterplay on the opposite
side.
11 .txf6 lLlxf6 12 g5 lLld7 13 f5! 16 lLlxe6!
Timman chooses the most critical con- Black's outpost - his e6 pawn - falls,
tinuation. Without loss of time, White after which his entire defence collapses.
makes an immediate attack on the e6
16 ... g6!?
pa wn. In previous years 13 a3 used to be
more popular. White would have gained an appreciable
advantage in the event of 16 ... .txe6 17
13 ... .txg5+
fxe6 g6 18 exf7+ wxf7 19 'iWe2 wg7 20
14 Wbl lLle5
lLld5, as occurred in the game Ervin-
14 ... O-O? loses to 15 fxe6 lLlb6 16 lLld5 Gligoric, USA 1972.
lLl xd5 17 exd5 .tf6 18 .td3 .txd4 19
17 'iWxg5 fxe6
.txh7+ Wxh7 20 l'ixd4 'iWe7 21 'iWh3+
18 f6?
wg822 l'ih4 'iWxh4 23 'iWxh4 fxe6 24 'iWe7.
Played automatically. Now, with the
15 'iWh5 'iWe7 (59)
best defence, the advantage should have
15 ... 'iWd8 is stronger, and if 16 l'igl, passed to Black. The logical completion
then 16 ... .tf6 17 fxe6 0-0 18 .th3 g6 19 of White's good play was 18 'iWh6!, after
lLld5 Wh8 20 'iWe2 fxe6 21 .txe6 l'ie8 22 which his opponent would have been in
 Theoretical Arguments 65

great difficulties. not averse to repeating the previous game,

but on the 13th move Ljubojevic chose
18 ... ttJf7?
another continuation.
Returning the compliment. The Yugoslav
grandmaster could have seized the initiative 60
by 18 ... 'ti'd8!, and if 19 i.h3 then 19 ...
0-020 E:hfl E:a7! followed by 21 ... E:af7.
19 'ti'f4 g5 20 'ti'f3 g4 21 'ti'f4 e5
After 21 ... 'ti'c7 22 e5! dxe5 23 'ti'e3
Black's hopes would have been dashed.
22 'ti'f2 'ti'a7 23 'ti'g3 h5 24 ttJd5 ttJg5 25
'ti'a3!
White's lead in development begins to
tell - Black's position is on the verge of
collapse. 13 ttJc5
25 ... ttJxe4 14 f6
Passive defence by 25 ... ttJf7 naturally In practice 14 h4 is more popular (14
does not suit Ljubojevic, and he throws fxe6 fxe6 15 h4 b4 16 ttJce2 g6! 17 i.h3 e5
caution to the winds. 18 ttJb3 E:f8 19 'ti'e3 bh3 20 'ti'xh3 E:f2
favours Black), and if 14 .. , b4 15 ttJbl!?
26 i.g2 ttJc5
Later Ljubojevic himself played this
27 ttJe7!
against de Firmian (Wijk aan Zee 1986).
Strangely enough, winning the exchange
14 ... gxf6 15 gxf6 i.f8 16 'ti'h5
by 27 ttJc7+ 'ti'xc7 28 i.xa8 i.e6 would
have given Black sufficient compensation. As the following two games show, after
16 i.h3 Black maintains the balance by
27 ... i.b7 28 ttJc6 i.xc6 29 i.xc6+ Wf7
16 ... b4 17 ttJd5 exd5 18 exd5 i.xh3 19
30 i.d5+
E:he1 + Wd8 20 ttJc6+ Wc8 21 'ti'xh3+ Wb7
30 E:xd6 with the threat of 31 i.d5+ 22 ttJxb4? (22 E:e2! is stronger) 22 ... 'ti'd7
was also possible. 23 'f9h5 E:g8 24 ttJc6 a5 (Ciocaltea-Fischer,
Netanya 1968), or 20 'ti'xh3 'ti'd7 21 ttJe6+
30 ... Wf8 31 i.xa8 'ti'xa8 32 h3 Wf733
fxe6 22 dxe6 ttJxe6 (Mestrovic-Vukic,
'ti'a5 'ti'd8 34 'ti'd2 g3 35 h4! ttJe6 36 E:hgl
Yugoslavia 1974).
E:g8 37 'ti'd3! g2 38 'ti'd5 'ti'a8 39 'ti'xd6
'ti'e4 16 ... E:g8!
39 ... Wxf6 is decisively met by 40 The idea of this move is to play the
E:dfl+. rook to g6 to attack the f6 pawn.
40 'ti'e7+ Resigns 17 i.h3
Literally a month later, at the tournament 17 'ti'xh7 leads to a promising position
in Tilburg, the two players again chose for Black. After 17 ... E:g6 18 'ti'h4 b4 19
exactly the same variation. Timman was ttJce2 i.b7 he has good attacking chances.
66 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
17 .,. :8:g6 18 :8:hel i.d7 19 lLld5
The king is preparing to shelter on the
queenside, and so White begins drastic
play, involving the sacrifice of both his
knights. But the point is that Black is not
obliged to take the knights immediately.
19 ... 'iYb7
Of course, it would be dangerous to
play with fire: 19 ... exd5 20 exd5+ Wd8 21
'iYxh7!, and if 21 ... i.xh3 22 'iYh8!
20 lLlf5 (61)
To withstand such an onslaught, strong
nerves are required! Ljubojevic defends
coolly, and now, when the knight has
moved away from the centre, he accepts
the sacrifice.
20 ... exd5 21 exd5+ Wd8 22 'iYxh7
White is forced to concern himself with
pawns, so as to have at least material
compensation for the piece. But this
allows the exchange of his active knight,
and the situation clears somewhat.
22 ... .txf5
23 i.xf5 :8:g2!
Black is playing to seize the initiative.
24 ~h8 is not to be feared, in view of 24 ...
Wc7, when the king hides at b6.
24 :8:e3 b4
Securing a safe post for his knight at c5.
25 :8:g3 :8:f2
26 :8:g7
26 :8:g8 Wc7 27 'iYxf7+ Wb6 28 :8:xf8
was possibly the best practical chance,
although even then 28 .. , 'iYxf7 29 :8:xf7
:8:xf5 leaves Black with winning chances.
26 ... .txg7 27 fxg7 We7 28 g8='iY :8:xg8
29 'iYxf7+ Wb6 30 'iYxg8 :8:xf5 31 'iYg4 'iYf7
32 'iYxb4+ wa7 (62)
White has won a third pawn for his
knight, but the black king has managed to
find a shelter, and he has problems over
the defence of his h2 pawn. However, it
has to be admitted that White does have
some practical drawing chances.
33 'iYd4 :8:f4
34 'iYe3
34 ~8 was perhaps very slightly better.
34 ... :8:f3 35 'iYd4 'iYf4+ 36 'iYxf4 :8:xf4
37 b3 :8:h4 38 :8:d2 Wb6 39 Wb2 lLld7 40 a3
Incorrect. After 40 c4 Black would
have had technical difficulties to overcome.
40 We5
41 We3
 Theoretical Arguments
Another poor move. With the loss of
the d5 pawn the game loses its interest.
41 ... as 42 a4 ttJf6 43 Wb2 ttJxdS, and
Black realized his advantage on the 59th
move.
It can be assumed, however, that after
the game, evaluating critically his inno-
vation, Ljubojevic did not rule out the
possibility of counter-surprises, and so in
subsequent games with the Dutch grand-
master he switched to the 7 ... ~b6
variation. As a result a new argument in
the Najdorf Variation has now arisen.
Such situations are characteristic of
many modern players. In the creative
clash of views, they are drawn to one
another as if by a magnet. True to their
principles, they launch into battle without
fear or doubt. But when the duel is ended
and passions have died down, the two
opponents try as soberly as possible to
evaluate everything with a view to the
future. If we study the games of chess
innovators, we witness unexpected deci-
sions, the breaking of old viewpoints on
the interpretation of entire systems and
variations, and it is on this that the
progress of chess theory is based.
3.2 In Search of the Truth
Wh~n a theoretical argument arises,
the quality of your home analysis becomes
of decisive importance. Moreover, it should
always be objective, and in it you should
invest all the passion of your chess soul.
Here you cannot draw hasty conclusions,
and variations must be polished right to
the end, not once, but dozens or even
hundreds of times. Only in this case will
be seen the triumph of the truth, which, as
is well known, is born in arguments, and
only then will the gigantic labours be
67
rewarded with corresponding results.
On this theme I could give several
examples. In the Dragon Variation, for a
long time many players with Black have
been successfully employing the idea of
Tony Miles, which involves ... h5, as
though placing an obstacle in the path of
White's offensive. The English grand-
master analysed in detail and thoroughly
studied the subtleties of the resulting
positions, and while theorists in the quiet
of their studies were seeking a refutation,
he slowly but surely was earning himself
points in almost every event.
I will give you one of Miles' early
games, where he was able successfully to
carry out his plan.
Ljubojevic-Miles
Malta Olympiad 1980
1 e4 cS 2 ttJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6 5
ttJc3 g6 6 .te3 §;..g7 7 f3 0-0 8 ~d2 ttJc6 9
§;..c4 §;..d7 10 h4 E:c8 11 .tb3 hS!?
This defensive plan has its pros and
cons. By blocking the advance of the h-
pawn, Black tries temporarily to halt
White's attack on the kingside, in the
meantime creating counterplay on the
queenside,or sometimes also in the centre.
But the weakening of the g5 square and of
his pawn formation (Black has to reckon
with g2-g4) gives White good preconditions
for an attack.
12 0-0-0 ttJeS 13 §;..gS E:cS 14 f4 ttJc4 15
'tIfd3 bS 16 eS
Against Miles at Vrbas 1980, Ivanovic
unsuccessfully tried 16 f5?, and after 16 ...
ttJe5 17 ~e3 as 18 fxg6 ttJxg6 19 a3 b4 20
§;..xf6 §;..xf6 21 ttJa4 §;..xa4 22 §;..xa4 'tIfb6
23 E:h3 bxa3 24 'tIfxa3 §;..xd4 25 E:xd4
E:xc2+ 26 Wxc2 ~xd4 Black won a pawn,
and soon the game.
68 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
16 ... tLlg4
In the game Klovan-Gufeld, Daugavpils
1978, Black chose 16 ... dxe5. After 17
..txf6 .ixf6 18 tLldxb5 tLlxb2!? 19 'iVxg6+
.ig7 20 tLle4 White gained a dangerous
attack.
17 tLle4 (63)
This was the second time that the two
players had reached this position. At the
Interzonal Tournament in Riga 1979,
Miles replied 17 ... lld5, and in the end
the sharp tactical skirmish concluded in
Black's favour. But it should be said that
during the game the Yugoslav grandmaster
missed several favourable opportunities.
Here is how this interesting game went:
18 tLlxd6 tLlcxe5 19 fxe5 tLlxe5 20 .ixd5
(20 'iVg 3 llxd6 21 .if4 came into consider-
ation, and if 21 ... .ig4, then 22 he5
he5 23 'iVxe5 hd1 24 llxd1 with
advantage to White) 20 ... tLlxd3+ 21
llxd3 'iVb6 22 .ixe7 .ixd4 23 llfl! 'iVc5!
24 ..txf8? (significantly stronger is 24
..tb3! hb2+ 25 rJ;;b1 'iVe5 26 .ixf8 .ia3
27.ixf7+ rJ;;xf828 llxa3 'iVxd629 llxa7,
when White should win) 24 '" 'iVxd5 25
llxf7 .if5 26 tLlxf5 ~xf7 27 tLlxd4 ~xf8,
and on move 60 Black realized his material
advantage.
Realizing the dangers associated with
17 ... lld5, on this occasion Miles chooses
a different continuation.
17 .. , lle8! 18 exd6 f6 19 llhel
19 dxe7 'iVxe7 20 llhel is unfavourable
on account of 20 ... fxg5! 21 tLlxg5 'iVf6,
when Black can defend, while if 19 tLlxb5,
then 19 ... .ixb5 20 'iVd5+ rJ;;h8 21 'iVxb5
fxg5! (threatening 22 ... .ixb2+ 23 rJ;;b1
tLla3+) 22 ..txc4 (22 'iVg5 can be met by 22
... exd623 'iVxg6 'iVe8) 22 ... llb8 23 'iVxg5
..txb2+ 24 rJ;;d2 'iVb6!, creating numerous
threats against the white king.
19 ... exd6
20 tLlxd6 rJ;;h7!
Black plays very resourcefully, and
with great inventiveness.
21 f5
If 21 tLlxc8, then 21 ... tLlf2 is rather
strong.
21 ... tLlxd6 22 fxg6+ rJ;;h8 23 .if4
All Ljubojevic's attempts to change the
course of events in his favour have proved
unsuccessful, thanks to Miles' brilliant
defence. The variation 23 tLle6 .ixe6 24
llxe6 fxg5 25 llxd6 'iVe7 was also in
Black's favour.
23 ... tLle5 24 ..txe5 fxe5 25 tLlf3
If 25 'iVe2, then 25 ... .ig4, while on 25
tLle6 there follows 25 ... .ixe6 26 ..txe6
'iVf6! 27 'iVxd6 (27 'iVe2 ..th6+ 28 rJ;;b1
'iVxe6) 27 ... e4!
25 ... e4 26 'iVxd6 exf3 27 lle7 .ig4! 28
'iVe5
(diagram 64)
28 '" 'iVxdl+!! 29 ~xdl fxg2+ 30 ~d2
llfd8+ 31 .id5 llxd5+ White resigns
 Theoretical Arguments
64
Back in 1981, during preparations for
the World Championship Match in Merano,
openings innovator Yefim Geller suggested
to Karpov a plan of attack for White
which, in his opinion, struck a serious
blow against ... h5.
And then at the World Chess Olympiad
in Dubai 1986, after the moves 1 e4 c5 2
lLlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 5 lLlc3 g6 6
.te3 .tg7 7 f3 0-0 8 'ilfd2 lLlc6 9 .tc4 .td7
100-0-0 lLle511 .tb3 :!lc812 h4 h513 .tg5
:!lc5 (65), the game Karpov-Sznapik reached
a position which in the Dragon set-up is
the latest word in fashion.
65
14 Wbl!
A subtle prophylactic move, which had
69
already occurred in practice (Belyavsky
played this against Hubner and Ljubojevic
at Tilburg 1986), but with rather different
ideas. White's plan becomes clear within
a few moves.
14 ... b5
15 g4!
Sacrificing one pawn, and then a second,
White opens the g- and h-files for an
attack on the black king.
15 ... hxg4
In the game Karpov-Kir.Georgiev, also
from Dubai, the Bulgarian grandmaster
diverged from the main line with 15 ... a5,
and here Karpov went wrong - he deviated
from the correct path by playing 16 .txf6
.txf6 17 a3 (17 gxh5 is correct), and after
17 ... hxg4 18 f4 lLlc4 19 'ilfd3 'ilfc8! 20 lLld5
:!lxd5! 21 exd5 .tf5 22 lLlxf5 'ilfxf5 23 c3
lLle3! Black had sufficient compensation
for the exchange .
16 h5 lLlxh5
17 lLld5!
Implementing the idea of 14 Wbl! The
point is that, without the inclusion of 14
Wbl b5, Black obtains good counterplay
by giving up the exchange with 16 ...
:!lxd5! 17 .txd5 'ilfb6! But in the given
situation this sacrifice is pointless, since
the pawn at b5 is in the way of the black
queen.
17 ... :!le8
18 :!lxh5!
This new sacrifice is the point of White's
idea. He clears the h-file, eliminating the
main defender - the black knight - and
breaks through with his queen into the
enemy position.
gxh5
18
19 'ilfh2 (66)
70 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

"It was this position that was the
subject of our old analysis. We had
established that, despite the considerable
material sacrifices, White's attack is ex-
tremely dangerous", wrote Geller.
19 '" E:c4
In the event of 19 ... gxf3 20 'Y:!Vxh5 ~g4
21 ~4 Black is helpless. His only chance
is to eliminate the white knight: 19 ...
E:xd5 20 ~xd5 'Y:!Vb6, preparing 21 ... e6.
However, even then 21 tbf5! gives White
a powerful attack.
20 ~xc4 bxc4 21 'Y:!Vxh5 f6 22 f4!
The most precise reply, leaving Black
with no hope at all. Now on 22 ... fxg5
there follows 23 fxe5 dxe5 24 tbf5, when
Black's position is unenviable.
22 ... tbf7 23 ~h4 'Y:!Vb8 24 E:hl
The final preparations for the decisive
blow. Black's pieces are not able to
defend their king.
24 ... c3 25 b3 'Y:!Vb7 26 f5! tbe5 27 tbe6,
and Black resigned in view of the mating
threats along the h-file.
The course of this game shows that the
Polish player Sznapik was unprepared for
a theoretical argument, and fell victim
to it.
This seemed to herald the eclipse of
Miles' idea, the impression being that
Black was playing too much with fire. But
that was not the case ... Literally a month
later, at the international tournament in
Hastings, December 1986, the familiar
position was repeated in not one but two
games, Chandler-Petursson and Mestel-
Kudrin. Both times Black chose Geor-
giev's move 15 ... a5?! (67), having of course
first thoroughly analysed in the quiet of
their study the wild complications that
ensue.
16 ~xf6 ~xf6 17 gxh5 a4.
Now Chandler played 18 hxg6 axb3 19
tbxb3 E:xc3 20 gxf7+ Wxf7 21 'Y:!Vxc3 tbc4
22 tbd4, but after 22 ... 'Y:!Vb6 he did not
achieve any particular advantage.
Mestel decided to give up his bishop on
another square: 18 ~d5 e6 19 hxg6 exd5
20 h5 E:xc3! 21 bxc3 (after 21 'Y:!Vxc3 White
would have had to reckon with 21 ...
tbc4!) 21 ... ~g5 22 f4 ~h6 (22 ... l'jjc4!?
was also unclear) 23 E:dgl, and now
Black should have continued 23 ... dxe4!
with great complications. And so, Black
is again alive! And we once again see how
difficult it is nowadays to bury a theoretical
variation.
 Theoretical Arguments 71

3.3 Throwing down the Gauntlet 9 ~a3

10 f5
For manv vears the ultra-sharp line of
The most popular plan for developing
the Najdorf Variation, 7 ... '4!¥b6 and 8 ...
the initiative. 10 e5 and 10 i.e2 have
'i!¥xb2, has been tested theoretically and in
become much more rare.
practice. This topical theme has been the
subject of detailed studies by theorists of 10 ltJc6
various countries, hundreds of games by
Black also has other ways of defending
grandmasters and masters have been
- 10 ... b5, 10 ... i.e7 and 10 ... ~c5. The
played, and the argument continues.
Dutch grandmaster is well versed in the
In 1981 the Dutch town of Tilburg
latest fashion - he chooses the main line
assembled almost the entire elite of the
in this variation, one which has occurred
chess world. Here a major international
especially often in practice.
tournament took place, with twelve grand-
masters competing. The average rating of 11 fxe6 fxe6
the tournament, 2608 (FIDE category 15),
11 ... i.xe6 has also been played, but
speaks for itself. Only Karpov and a few
after 12 E:xb7ltJxd4 13 ~xd4 i.e7 14 .ic4
other top-class players were missing. Fate
E:c8 15 i.b3 White gained the advantage
brought together in the last round the
in Belyavsky-Buljovcic (Frunze 1979).
leaders Belvavskv and Timman. Both
grandmasters decided not to avoid a 12 ltJxc6 bxc6
crucial Sicilian debate. Of course, this 13 e5 (68)
involved something of a risk, but they did
13 i.xf6 gxf6 14 e5?! leads to an
not betrav themselves. As shown by the
advantage for Black after 14 ... i.h6!, and
developm-ent of events in this gripping
if 15 ~d3, then 15 ... dxe5 16 i.e20-0 17
encounter, Belyavsky's analysis proved
0-0 E:a7 18 'i!¥c4 E:g7.
more thorough, which deservedly brought
him victory both in the game and in the
tournament. 68

Belyavsky-Timman
Tilburg 1981
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6 5
ttJc3 a6 6 i.g5 e6 7 f4 'i!¥b6 8 'i!¥d2
Belyavsky accepts the challenge, and
the analytical duel commences!
8 'i!¥xb2
9 E:bl
This position has occurred hundreds of
9 ltJb3 used to be popular (especially
times in tournaments, and was of course
after the Spassky-Fischer match, Reykjavik
well known to the two players.
1972), but times change, and with them
the evaluations of theoretical variations. 13 dxe5
72 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
13 ... 12Jd5 is also possible, but opening
guides do not consider that it equalizes.
14 ii.xf6 gxf6
15 12Je4
A second pawn sacrifice, for which
White gains sufficient positional compen-
sation. Both sides must play with great
accuracy in this position - the slightest
mistake can lead to a rapid defeat.
Here Black has only two acceptable
possibilities - 15 '" ii.e7 and 15 .. , ~xa2.
For example, 15 ... f5? is bad in view of 16
.te2! fxe4 17 ii.h5+ <J;;e7 18 0-0 ~d6 19
Ilf7+ <J;;d8 20 Ilxf8+!
15 ... ii.e7
16 .te2 h5
It is dangerous to castle immediately.
After 16 ... 0-0 l7 Il b3 ~a4 18 c4 <J;;h8 (18
.. , Ilf7? 19 0-0 f5 20 Ilg3+ <J;;h8 21 ~c3
~8 22 ~xe5+ ii.g7 23 12Jd6! Ile7 24
Ilxf5) 190-0 Ila7 20 ~h6 ~a5 (20 ... f5?
21 Ilg3 ii.b4 22 12Jf6) 21 Ilh3 White's
attack develops unchecked.
17 Ilb3
At the cost of great effort and material
sacrifice, White has shut the black queen
out of the game. For the moment everything
is following the prepared scenario.
17 ... ~a4 (69)
18 12Jxf6+!
A bold and interesting piece sacrifice,
suggested by the Latvian master Vitolinsh.
18 ... ii.xf6
19 c4
Alas, theory has also made a fundamental
study of this position.
19 ... Ila7
In the same Tilburg tournament, Hubner
played 19 ... ii.h4+ against Belyavsky, on
which there followed: 20 g3 ii.e7 21 0-0
Ila 7 22 Il b8 Ilc7 23 ~d3 ii.c5+ 24 <J;;h 1
<J;;e7 25 ~e4!
An important improvement. The game
Vitolinsh-Gavrikov (Kalinin 1977) went
25 ~g6, and Black defended by 25 .. , <J;;d6
26 ~f6 Ile8 27 .txh5 Ilce7 28 Ildl + ii.d4
29 Ilxd4+ exd4 30 ~xd4+ <J;;c7 31 ~b6+
<J;;d7 llz-lh. Belyavsky tried 25 ~f3 in a
game with Platonov (Tashkent 1980), but
here too Black managed to find a defence:
25 ... Ile8 26 ~f6+ (26 ~f7+ <J;;d8 27
~f6+ Ilce7 28 ii.xh5 ~xc4 29 ii.xe8
~d5+ 30 Ilj3 e4! 31 ii.g6 exf3 32 ~fl'+
<J;;c7 33 ~xc8+ <J;;d6 34 ~d8+ <J;;e5 35
~h8+ with a draw; if instead of 28 ii.xh5
White continues 28 ~xe5, then 28 .. , ~a3
29 Ilb3 ii.d630 Ild1 Ild7 31 ~f6+ ii.e7is
sufficient, while 31 ~fl'?!, instead of 31
ii.g6, can be met by 31 .,. Ilxe832 Ilxc8+
<J;;xc8 33 ~xe8+ <J;;c7 with advantage to
Black) 26 ... <J;;d6 27 ii.xh5 Ilce728 Ildl+
ii.d4 29 Ilxd4+ exd4 30 ~xd4+ <J;;c7 31
~b6+, again with a draw as in the
previous game.
25 ... <J;;d6 (in analogy with the preceding
games, but here this move does not
guarantee a draw) 26 Ildl+ ~xdl (forced,
since 26 ... ii.d4? loses immediately to 27
Ilxd4+) 27 ii.xdl h4 28 ~d3+ ii.d4 (28 ...
<J;;e7 29 ~g6 <J;;d6 30 gxh4 Ilxh4 31 ii.g4)
29 c5+ <J;;xc5 30 ~a3+ <J;;d5 31 ii.b3+ <J;;e4
32 ii.c4! <J;;f5 33 ~f3+ <J;;g5 34 gxh4+
 Theoretical Arguments 73

l:i'.xh4 35 1!fg3+, and Black resigned. His 25 Il:f2 ~d4 26 ~f3 e4 27 'iWf4 (70)
only defensive resource was 27 ... i.d4!
The attempt by Black to free his queen
70
with 19 ... c5 has also proved unsuccessful.
In the game Belyavsky-Mikhalchishin
(Moscow 1981), White gained victory in
the endgame: 20 0-0 1!fd7 21 1!fxd7+
i.xd722 l:i'.xf6 We7 23 l:i'.g6! Il:ad824 Il:e3
i.e8 25 Il:g5 Il:d2 26 Il:gxe5 Il:h6 27 Il:a3
~g6 28 Il:xa6, and White realized his
advantage.
20 0-0 Il:d7
In the game Kasparov-Rashkovsky
(47th USSR Championship 1979) after 20
... i.e721 Il:b8 Il:c7 221!fd3 i.c5+ 23 Wh1 It is not easy to find one's way in this
We7 241!fg6 Wd6 White forced a draw by sharp position. To me, White's chances
perpetual check: 25 Il:d1 + i.d4 26 Il:xd4+ seem preferable, since the black king is so
exd4 27 1!fg3+ e5 28 c5+ Wd5 29 .to+ e4 insecure, although, in Belyavsky's opinion,
30 1!fg5+ Wc4 31 1!fc1 + Wd5 32 i.d1 Black has a choice of continuations to
1!fxa2 33 1!fg5+. maintain the balance - 27 ... Wd7 or 27 ...
24 1!fg3 is possible (instead of 241!fg6), Il:gg8! But Timman makes a decisive
as in the game Htibner-Portisch (Til burg mistake.
1979), which continued 24 ... Wd6 25
27 ... Il:g4?
Il:d 1+ 1!fxd 1+ 26 i.xd 1 Il:f7 27 .to h4 28
1!fg6 Il:f4 29 Il:b1 i.d4, with complicated Now White wins easily. The game
play. concluded:
21 1!fe3 28 1!fc7+ 1!fd7 29 Il:xc8 1!fxc7 30 l:i'.xc7+
Wd6 31 Il:a7 e3 32 Il:e2 Il:e433 Il:xa6 Wc5
21 1!fc3 is somewhat weaker, since after
34 Il:a3 Black resigns
21 ... i.g7 22 Il:a3 Black forces the
exchange of queens (at the same time
returning the piece) by 22 ... e4! 23 1!fxg7 71
Il:xg7 24 Il:xa4 Il:g5 25 Il:f4 Il:e5 26 Il:a3
We7 27 Wf2 h4 28 We3 Il:g529 Il:g4 Il:xg4
30 i.xg4 e5 31 i.xc8 Il:xc8 32 Wxe4 Il:g8
33 g3 We6 34 wO with a draw (Tim man-
Ljubojevic, London 1980).
The move played sets Black more prob-
lems.
21 ... 1!fxa2
21 ... Il:f7 loses to 22 Il:xf6! Il:xf6 23
1!fxe5.
22 Il:xf6 1!fa1 + 23 i.fl Il:g724 Il:b8 We7 The fifth game of the World Champion-
74 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
ship Match between Chiburdanidze and
Alexandria (Borzhomi 1981) took an
identical course to the previous game as
far as White's 20th move (71).
With her next move the Challenger
employed an improvement for Black, by
playing 20 ... laf7!. The chief arbiter of the
match, the Czech grandmaster Miroslav
Filip, described how, delayed by some
administrative business, he arrived for
the game some 5-6 minutes late. To his
surprise the position on the board was not
one from the opening, but already the
middlegame. Both players had made a
thorough study of this variation, but
nevertheless, as the present game shows,
Alexandria's analysis proved deeper.
At 'blitz' tempo there followed:
21 'f!Yd6 J.e7 22 'f!Yxe5 laxfl + 23 J.xfl
lah7
This move was not in the World
Champion's files, and she thought for an
hour here before playing:
24 labS ~d7 25 'f!Yd4+ J.d6 26 'f!Ya7+
~d8!
After 26 ... J.c7 White would have had
a dra w by perpetual check.
27 nxc8+ ~xc8 28 'f!Yxh7 J.c5+ 29
'f!Yxa2 (72)
It is quite possible that Alexandria had
reached this position at home, since her
collaboration with grandmaster Gavrikov,
a major specialist in this variation, could
not have been in vain.
Black has created the deadly threat of
30 ... 'f!Yf2, against which it is not so easy
for White to defend. For example, if 30
~e4, then after 30 ... ~f2 31 ~xc6+ ~d8
32 ~a8+ ~c7! White has no more checks.
One has to give Chiburdanidze her due: in
a critical situation she finds the best
practical chance.
30 ~h8+ ~c7 31 ~g7+ ~b6 32 'f!Yg5!
Threatening perpetual check, which
Black nevertheless parries.
32 ... ~2 33 ~d8+ ~a7 34 'f!Yc7+ ~7
35 'f!Ye5 'f!Ye7 36 ~xh5
Material equality has been restored,
but Black retains a positional advantage,
in view of the activity of her pieces.
36 ... ~d6 37 ~h7+ ~b6 38 'f!Ybl + J.b4
39 g4 as 40 g5 'f!Yd4 41 c5+
41 g6 would have been more tenacious.
By sacrificing a pawn, Chiburdanidze
tries to activate her bishop.
41 ... ~xc5 42 g6 J.c3 43 ~c1 ~b6 44
~hl
~c2 ~c7 45 J.g2 'f!Ye3
Black has activated to the maximum
her bishop and queen, and has created
threats to the white king. In a difficult
position Chiburdanidze commits an over-
sight.
46 J.xc6? ~xc6 47 g7 ~f3+ 48 ~gl
~g4+ White resigns
In the mid-1960s the Yugoslav grand-
master Dragoljub Velimirovic developed
an interesting system of attack for White,
basically an improved version of the
Sozin Attack. VelimiroviC's modernization
 Theoretical Arguments 75

is that White castles queenside and throws As Larsen wrote, this move put him in
forward his g-pawn (in the Sozin Attack the mood and made him feel bolder.
the f-pawn is usually advanced) as far as
8 ... a6 9 i.b3 0-0 10 0-0-0 lIVe7 11 llhgl
g5, and then, depending on circumstances,
ttJd7 12 lIVh5!? (73)
he advances his h- or f-pawn. Black has
two plans of active defence: he can continue A psychological move, clarifying whether
the development of his kingside (which is Black is agreeable to a draw after 12 ...
the more advisable) in combination with ttJf6 13 lIVe2, or if he is playing for a win.
the preparation of counterplay on the Larsen's reply is an affirmative "no draws".
queenside, or else, not bothering to castle
(leaving his king in the centre), he can
73
immediately try to develop his initiative
on the queenside.
Initially in the Velimirovic Attack, White
gained a number of impressive victories
in events of various standards, but in time
Black began to show his teeth. For example,
Fischer himself (and at the height of his
powers) suffered a defeat - in 1970 at
Palma de Mallorca against Larsen. It
should be mentioned that the Danish
grandmaster (a Sicilian player to the core)
could not reconcile himself to White's
successes in this variation. He spent 12 ttJxd4!
numerous nights trying to refute it, and
In principle, this exchange of knights is
considers that he found some ideas. After
unfavourable for Black, since the bishop
his excellent win over Fischer, Larsen's
at d4 is actively placed. But in the given
opponents avoided playing the Velimirovic
concrete situation Larsen's move is good,
Attack against him, but nevertheless
since it allows Black to advance his b-
speculators have not yet been eliminated
pawn without loss of time. And time in
in chess. And in the penultimate round of
this type of position is the most precious
the major international tournament in
factor ...
Nik"Sic 1983 (the result of the game de-
cided the distribution of the prize places, 13 i.xd4 b5
since in the last round Larsen was free) in 14 g4?
his game with Ivanovic the Dane happily
And this is a mistake. White should
fell in with the wishes of the Yugoslav
have played 14 lld3, transferring the
grandmaster.
rook to the kingside, since 14 ... g6 fails to
15 lIVxh 7+!.
14 ttJf6!
Ivanovic-Larsen
NikSi(; 1983 Exploiting the poor position of the
white queen.
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 ttJe6 3 ttJe3 d6 4 d4 exd4 5
ttJxd4 ttJf6 6 i.e4 e6 7 i.e3 i.e7 8 lIVe2 15 lIVh4
76 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence

15 ~h3 fails to 15 .,. b4 16 g5 ttJe8!, since there would have followed 24 .,. e2
when White loses a piece. 25 llf2 llxa5 26 .ti:xf5 ~xf5 27 ~xa5 .tc5
28 llel b4! 29 axb4 .te3+ 30 'it'bl ~fl.
15 ... ttJxe4 16 gS ttJxc3 17 .txc3
The standard attack 17 .i.f6 (with the
threat of 18 ~h6!) does not work in view
of 17 ... ttJe2+.
17 .,. eS
By including his light-square bishop in
the defence of the kingside, Black neut-
ralizes the opponent's threats. 17 ... a5
would have been dangerous, since after
18 .tf6! lle8 19 lld3! White gains an
irresistible attack.
18 f4 .tfS
19 lldfl ~cS! 24 llxa2!!
Of course, not 19 ... exf4? since there Bent Larsen does not miss such oppor-
follows 20 ~xf4 and 21 ~d4. tunities! He concludes the game with a
worthy combinational blow!
20 fxeS dxeS
21 ~el? 25 'it'bl .txc2+
After the game Ivanovic thought that There was also another way to win: 25
21 ~g3 would have been better, but in .. , llfa8 26 .txa2 ~xc2+ 27 'it'al .txb4
this case too Black has an excellent game and 28 ... .te6.
after (if there is nothing better) 21 .,. e4 22
26 .txc2 ~a7 27 .txh7+ 'it'xh7 28 ~c3
h4 .td6 23 ~g2 (if 23 llxf5, then 23 .. ,
.txb4 29 g6+ fxg6 30 ~c6 llxfl + White
hg3 24 llxc5 i.!2 is decisive) 23 ... a5
resigns
with a strong attack.
Nevertheless the theoretical debate in
21 e4
the Velimirovic Attack continued, and
22 h4
subsequent games introduced changes
If 22 a3, then 22 ... .th3 is good which gave optimism to supporters of the
enough, while 22 .tb4 leaves White in a White side.
difficult ending: 22 ~xb4 23 ~xb4 Of particular interest is the following
.txb4 24 llxf5 g6. gripping encounter between Sokolov and
Salov, in which White demonstrated the
22 ... as!
depth of his home preparation. Back in
23 .txaS
1977 Andrei Sokolov, together with Yur-
What else? kov, his trainer, had prepared an inno-
vation which awaited its hour. It was only
23 ... e3!
six years later that their labours bore
24 .tb4 (74)
fruit, the most surprising thing being that
24 a3 would also not have saved White, right to the end the game followed their
 Theoretical Arguments 77

home analysis. repeat moves by 20 ... i.c8 (20 '" ~xh2

An extremely rare occurrence, once loses to 21 .:t:le2!, creating two threats, 22
again demonstrating how difficult it has ~d7, and 22 ~h1 'ifxg2 23 ~dg 1 'ifxJ224
now become to play chess! ~xg6+!).

12 ... .:t:lcS
13 .:t:lfS bS
Sokolov-Salov
In Sokolov-Grigorian, Kharkov 1978,
Nikolayev 1983
Black risked taking the knight and lost
1 e4 cS 2 .:t:lf3 .:t:lc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 .:t:lxd4 quickly: 13 ... exf5 14 gxf5 ~d7 15 .:t:ld5 'ifd8
.:t:lf6 S .:t:lc3 d6 6 ~c4 e6 7 ~e3 a6 8 'ife2 16 'ifh5 'tt>h8 17 ~xg7! 'tt>xg7 18 f6+ etc.
'ifc7 9 0-0-0 ~e710 ~b3 0-0 11 ~hgl .:t:ld7
14 ~dS! ~b7
12 g4 (75)
If 14 ... exd5, then 15 .:t:lxd5 'ifb7 16 e5!
with numerous threats.
IS gS!
The critical line! Now the way for the
queen is open to h5, followed by ~g3-h3.
IS ... exfS (76)
Against Levitina at Lvov 1977, Ioseliani
played 15 ... b4 and went on to win after
16 g6? hxg6 17 .:t:la4 exd5 18 .:t:lxc5 dxc5 19
exd5 ~f6 20 dxc6 ~xc6 21 .:t:ld6 'ife7 22
'ifg4 ~ad8 23 ~xc5 'ife5 24 'ifxb4 ~b8 25
'ifd4 'ife2 26 ~gel ~xd4 27 ~xe2 ~xc5.
Sokolov chooses the main line of the As shown by Sokolov, White should have
Velimirovic Attack. Although it does not replied not 16 g6? but 16 'ifh5!, and if 16
give an advantage, the prophylactic 12 ... bxc3 17 ~g3 'ifb6 18 bxc3 exf5 19 ~h3
'tt>bl is also possible, and if 12 ... .:t:lc5, with a mating attack, or 16 ... g6 17 'ifh6
then 13 1fWh5!? (the knight has moved exf5 18 exf5, with irresistible threats.
a way from the defence of the kingside) 13
... 'ifa5!? (sounder is 13 ... .:t:lxd4 14 hd4
76
'ifa5 15 g4 .:t:lxb3 16 axb3 'ifxh5 17 gxh5 J6
18 ~b6 ~d7 19 ~c7 'tt>j7 20 ~xd6 ~xd6
21 ~xd6 ~c6 22 ~gd1 'tt>e723 'tt>cl ~ad8
with an equal game in Kengis-Lerner,
Yurmala 1983) 14 .:t:lxc6 bxc6 15 ~xc5 g6
16 ~xd6! 1fWxh5 17 ~xe7 ~e8 18 ~f6 e5,
as in the game Taborov-Salov, Nikolayev
1983. White now went wrong by playing
19 h4? As shown by Salov, he should have
continued 19 ~a4!, and on 19 ... ~b7
returned with 20 ~b3!, forcing Black to
78 Opening Experiences in the Sicilian Defence
16 g6!!
The idea of White's entire subsequent
combination is bound up in this move.
16 .. , hxg6
16 ... GtJe5 does not help, in view of 17
exf5, and if 17 .,. b4 then 18 'fi'h5 hxg6 19
lIxg6 .ixd5 20 lIxg7+ wxg7 21 'fi'h6+, or
17 ... GtJcd7 18 f4 .ic4 19 gxf7+ lIxf7 20
.txf7+ Wxf7 21 .id4 GtJf6 22 'fi'e6+ Wf8
23 lIxg7 Wxg7 24 lIgI+ and wins (Sokolov).
17 lIxg6 GtJe5 IS lIxg7+! Wxg7 19
lIgl+ GtJg6 20 exf5 lahS 21 i.d4+ ~f6 22
fxg6 fxg6
On 22 ... .ixd4 White had prepared 23
gxf7+ Wf6 24 'fi'g4 We7 25 'fi'xd4 lIaf8 26
lIg8 etc.
23 'fi'g4 lIh6
If 23 ., . .txd4, then 24 'fi'xd4+ Wh7 25
lag4 'fi'g7 26 lah4+ 'fi'h6 27 lIxh6+ Wxh6
28 'fi'h4+ Wg7 29 'fi'e7+ Wh6 30 .ixb7.
24 .ixf6+ Wh7
After 24 .,. Wxf6 25 'fi'd4+ We7 26
'fi'g7+ Wd8 27 'fi'xh6 all is clear.
25 lael .ixd5 26 GtJxd5 'fi'cS 27 lIe7+
WgS 2S lIg7+ WfS 29 lagS+ WxgS 30
GtJe7+ Black resigns
Yes, anyone would be envious of such
an analysis!
Summing up the problems of the given
theme, it can be confidently stated that a
triumph in a theoretical argument brings
a player both great joy and considerable
'dividends'. The vivid examples given
will, I hope, convince even the severest
Sicilian sceptic of the need constantly to
prepare himself for an uncompromising
theoretical argument at the board.
From my personal experience I know
that, in this double-edged creative conflict,
what proves decisive is a player's dili-
gence and his insight into the opponent's
psychology.
 Part Two

Attack and Defence

in the Middlegame
4 Middlegame Attacks
Attack. The meaning of this symbolic
word is best revealed in two genres -
military and chess literature. We will not
delve into the subtleties of warfare, but in
chess, as in war, success in battle is most
often brought about by deeply conceived
and well organized offensive strategy.
Moreover, the fate of a battle is not
always decided by the number of fighting
units. Decisive factors in the achievement
of victory have always been, and remain,
such qualities as boldness, suddenness,
resoluteness, purposefulness, and also the
concrete implementation of decisions, and
the coordination and mobility of forces.
Attack is of great importance in chess,
but before turning to methods of organizing
an attack in the Sicilian, we will touch on
the essence of it in general.
An attack cannot arise out of nothing.
It should be the product of a complete
strategic plan, carried out in the opening
and middlegame. If there is no such basis,
the resulting premature attacks will usually
be unsound and will not achieve their
aim. Success is a reality only when the
attacking side has gained certain positional
advantages: spatial superiority in the centre
or on the wings, control of the central
squares, more active pieces, superiority in
force in the attacking sector, vulnerable
points in the opponent's position, defects
in his pawn formation, and so on. By
exploiting his positional advantages, the
attacker can confidently storm the enemy
defences, and the offensive can be con-
ducted using a broad arsenal of tactical
81
means - sacrifices, combinations, unex-
pected blows, and so on. In other words,
before beginning an offensive, it must be
thoroughly prepared.
In the study of Sicilian attacks, the link
between strategy and tactics is a recurrent
theme. An objective evaluation of the
position must be closely linked with a
sharp appreciation of tactical nuances,
and an accurate calculation ofthe numer-
ous variations arising during the play.
Consider, for example, White's strategy
in the Closed Variation of the Sicilian
Defence. Events normally develop here
unhurriedly. White's pawn ranks slowly
advance on the kingside, their task being
to remove the opposing defenders and
open lines along which the white pieces
can assail the black king. Although this
plan appears to be a purely strategic one,
a player carrying it out must keep sharp
his combinational vision, and sense the
culminating moments of the attack, when
a tactical blow needs to be landed, by
sacrificing a pawn or a piece (cf. the game
Spassky-Geller, p.143).
And strategy is worthless if it is not
supported by tactics. After all, the very
opening and its numerous set-ups are so
full of combinational possibilities (here a
tense struggle takes place over the entire
board), that it is simply impossible to
manage without tactics, and their role in
the Sicilian Defence is exceptionally great.
Chess history knows of a number of
great masters of attack. La Bourdonnais,
Morphy, Anderssen, Chigorin, Alekhine
82 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
and many others ... All of them possessed
outstanding combinational vision and
exceptional intuition in sharp and complex
positions. In other words they possessed,
figuratively speaking, "absolute chess pitch"
with regard to approaching storms. When
we analyze their games, we are captivated
by amazingly beautiful creations, which
afford enormous pleasure to genuine chess
connoisseurs. And it is easy to understand
why an enormous number of chess master-
pieces have concluded with spectacular
attacks.
Speaking about his creative credo, the
leader of Soviet chess, Mikhail Botvinnik,
wrote: " ... When we are preparing for a
~me, when we set ourselves certain creative
aims, when we wish to create on the board
a work of art, we think mainly about the
initiative, attack and counterattack, and
not about passive defence".
These thoughts will undoubtedly appeal
to every Sicilian player, because he does
not have the right to yield to his opponent's
wishes, or to submissively mark time. The
ability to attack is a very important
barometer, characterizing the mastery of
a player, especially when he plays against
the Sicilian Defence with White. The
brilliant 'white' victories of Tal, Stein,
Geller and Nezhmetdinov, who worked
miracles at the board, have entered for
ever into the golden treasury of chess.
Many of these games were awarded brilli-
ancy prizes for their swift and vivid
attacks with spectacular sacrifices. It is no
accident that, playing Black, even grand-
masters experienced in defence did not
es pecially like meeting such sharp special-
ists on the 'Sicilian path'.
But in the Sicilian Defence it is not
always White who is the first to initiate
the battle. There are positions where
Black, by beginning a counterattack, is
the one who sets the tone. In this chapter,
where the subject is offensive methods,
the threads of attack and counterattack
are too closely interwoven. And while in
other openings, counterattack is more
often a means of defence, here this forced
reaction to the opponent's aggressive
intentions is not associated with defence.
Black's counterattack is an attack in its
own right, and is usually carried out after
castling on opposite sides, when to counter
White's actions, for example, on the king-
side, Black harasses his opponent on the
opposite side. Essentially this answering
attack is no less resolute and effective,
and present here are all the elements for
carrying it out - sacrifices, rapidity, playing
to outstrip the opponent, and so on.
When there is play on opposite flanks, as
in a race, the winner is the one who builds
up the greater speed, and who better
displays his ability in the precise calculation
of variations, and also boldness and
purposefulness.
As for the problems of the counterblow,
of which the defending side makes use
when the opponent is mounting an attack,
for example the opening of the centre, the
surprise tactical blow, or the attack on a
weak spot when the opponent has exposed
his king - all these features will be
considered in the section on defence.
In order to demonstrate broadly and in
more detail the various methods of attack,
it has been necessary to arrange the
accumulated material by different themes.
4.1 Attacking the King in the Centre
The king, wherever it is situated, is
always the main object of attention. And
when it has been left in the centre, it
naturally serves as a strong enticement to
the opponent's pieces. Usually White's
 Middlegame Attacks 83

.Jtd7 10 .Jte3 tDa5?! 11 'Wid3 b5 12 Ii:adl

pieces, and much more rarely Black's, for
the simple reason that White, in contrast tDb7 13 b4 Ii:c8 14 i.d2 i.e7 (77)
to his opponent, is normally always able
to castle, and remove his king from the 77
danger zone.
The attacker's first aim is to breach the
enemy defences in the centre. Hence the
necessity for opening the d-, e- or f-files,
the most typical procedures. Here one
should not be concerned about material,
but should be prepared to offer pawns
and pieces. The slightest delay in the
conduct of the attack, the loss of the
initiative for even an instant, is inadmissible
in the Sicilian Defence, and will have sad
consequences for the attacker. A player
mounting a direct attack in the centre It has to be said that Black has not
must be prepared both for a hand-to- played the opening in the best way possible.
hand skirmish (after all, kings do not For this reason he loses quickly.
resign without a fight), and also for any
15 e5! tDg8
sacrifices, at times even risky sacrifices,
16 f5!
which cannot be calculated precisely. The
main thing in such cases is to force a Now the position is opened up, and
breach in a vulnerable place, and, holding White's attack becomes irresistible.
the initiative, not allow the opponent to
16 ... dxe5
come to his senses and take counter-
17 fxe6 fxe6
measures.
The attack on the king in the centre 17 ... .Jtxe6 loses to 18 tDxe6 fxe6 19
achieves its aim most quickly, when the tDxbS axbS 20 'WixbS+ 'Wid7 21 .Jth6!
defender is careless and allows the unhin-
18 .Jth5+ g6 19 .Jtxg6+ hxg6 20 'Wixg6+
dered opening of lines. The attacker has
'it>d8 21 Ii:f8+!
to solve much more complicated problems
when the opponent is vigilant, setting up Black resigns, in view of 21 ... .Jtxf8 22
barriers in advance, and hindering the .JtgS+ .Jte7 23 tDxe6 mate.
activity of the pieces.
But when the opponent is unfamiliar
with defensive procedures, and takes Keres-Fuderer
certain liberties in the opening, the attack Goteborg 1955
can develop particularly effectively.
1 e4 c5 2 tDf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tDxd4 tDf6 5
tDc3 a6 6 .Jtg5 e6 7 f4 'Wib6 8 'Wid2 'Wixb2 9
Flis-Sjoberg Ii:bl 'Yl!¥a3 10 e5 tDfd7? 11 f5! tDxe5 12 fxe6
Katowice 1984 fxe6 (78)
1 e4 c5 2 tDf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tDxd4 tDc6 5 More than thirty years ago this variation
tDc3 'Wic7 6 .Jte2 a6 70-0 tDf6 8 'it'hl d6 9 f4 had not been sufficiently analyzed, and
84 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
the players often tried to solve their
problems directly at the board. In this
double-edged line Black has made a serious
mistake (lO ... dxe5 11 fxe5 ti'Jfd7 was
more accurate), and allowed White advan-
tageously to open the central files.
78
13 .,te2!
White completes his mobilization as
quickly as possible. Black's lack of de-
velopment is an irreparable calamity for
his king stuck in the centre of the board.
13 .. , ti'Jbc6
14 ti'Jxc6 bxc6
After 14 ... ti'Jxc6 15 0-0 White has the
unpleasant threat of 16 ~f4.
15 ti'Je4! d5
Black's reply is forced in view of the
threat of 16 lab3 and 17 ti'Jxd6+.
16 0-0 ~a4
Black is not able to defend against the
opponent's numerous threats - 17 ~d4,
17 ~f4 and 17 .,th5+.
17 .,th5+ <;;t>d7
What else? On 17 ... g6 there follows 18
ti'Jf6+, while if 17 ... ti'Jg6, then 18 .,txg6+
hxg6 19 ~f2!.
18 laxf8! Resigns
Another crushing win against the Sicilian
is provided by the following game, where
White again decided matters by e4-e5!,
which is most characteristic of the Sche-
veningen Variation.
Boleslavsky-Steiner
Saltsj6baden 1948
1 e4 c5 2 ti'Jf3 ti'Jc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ti'Jxd4
ti'Jf6 5 ti'Jc3 d6 6 .,te2 e6 7 0-0 a6 8 .,te3
~c7 9 f4 ti'Ja5? 10 <;;t>hl .,te7 11 ~el ti'Jc4
12 i.c1 b5 13 b3 ti'Jb6 14 .,tf3 ..,tb7 15 a3
ti'Jbd7 16 .,tb2 ti'Jc5? 17 b4! ti'Jcd7 (79)
Black's handling of the opening has
been impulsive. Ignoring White's threats
in the centre and on the kingside, he has
embarked on premature play on the
queenside. Boleslavsky has exploited in
the best way possible the inaccuracies
made on the 9th and 16th moves, and now
with a vigorous advance in the centre he
begins an attack on the king.
18 e5!
A favourite device of the Minsk grand-
master, one which repeatedly occurred in
his games.
 Middlegame Attacks
18 ... dxe5
19 fxe5 tbg8
The knight has to retreat. 19 ... tbd5 is
even worse on account of 20 tbxd5 exd5
21 tbf5, with numerous threats.
20 'i!fg3
It is as if Black has not developed his
kingside - his pieces have again taken up
their initial positions.
21 :t:!ae1
White has completed the mobilization
of his forces, and it is clear that the
position is ripe for a decisive blow.
21 ... tbh6 22 .txb7 'i!fxb7 23 .tel g6 24
.txh6! .txh6 (80)
80
25 'i!fh3!
This quiet move leaves Black in a
hopeless position, since he has no good
move with his bishop. On 25 ... .tg7
White wins by 26 :t:!xf7!, while 25 ... .tf8
can be met by 26 tbxe6! fxe6 27 'i!fxe6+
'Ot>d8 (27 ... .te7 28 tbd5 tbf8 29 tbf6+
'Ot>d8 30 :t:!d1+) 28 :t:!f7 :t:!a 7 29 :t:!d I!. As
shown by Boleslavsky, in the event of 25
... 'i!fb6 White also has a forced win: 26
'i!fxh6! 'i!fxd4 27 tbe4 tbxe5 28 tbf6+ 'Ot>e7
29 :t:!dl 'i!fc3 30 tbe4 'i!fc7 31 'i!fg5+ 'Ot>f8 32
tbd6.
85
25 ... .tg5 26 ttJe4 i.e7 27 E:xf7!
And here is the blow which crowns
White's purposeful strategy.
27 ... 'i!fd5
On 27 ... 'Ot>xf7 there would have followed
28 'i!fxe6+ 'Ot>f8 29 :t:!fl + etc.
28 :t:!xe7+! 'Ot>xe7 29 'i!fh4+ 'Ot>f7 30
tbd6+ 'Ot>g7 31 'i!fe7+ 'Ot>h6 32 :t:!e3 Black
resigns
A most instructive game!
Experience has shown that, in the
Sicilian Defence, the most vulnerable
point in Black's pawn structure is e6.
Several white pieces can be aimed at it -
sometimes the bishop from c4 or b3, very
often a knight from d4 and a rook on the
e-file. Exerting pressure on the e6 pawn,
at the necessary moment one of the minor
pieces can be sacrificed, with the idea of
destroying the pawn screen of the king
caught in the centre. On coming under
fire by the white pieces, the king usually
perishes, and attempts to find a refuge on
one of the flanks do not normally save it.
Gligoric-Sofrevski
Kragujevac 1959
1 e4 c5 2 tbf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tbxd4 tbf6 5
tbc3 a6 6 .tg5 tbbd7 7 .tc4 'i!fa5 8 'i!fd2 e6
9 O-O-O! b5 10 i.b3 .tb7 11 :t:!he1 :t:!c8 12
.txf6! tbxf6? 13 e5 dxe5 14 :t:!xe5 .tb4?!
(diagram 81)
By opening the e-file Gligoric has
prepared the ground for a sacrifice on e6.
Now events develop by force, and so
White does not concern himself with
material.
86 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
81
15 lDxe6! fxe6
Black does not have time for IS ...
i.xc3 - 16lDc7++ WfS 17 'iid8+!
16 Il:xe6+ ~e7
16 ... <M'8 also does not help, in view of
17 Il:xf6+ gxf6 18 'iih6+ We8 19 'iihS+.
17 Il:xe7+!
This move resembles a point-blank
shot!
17 ... Wxe7 18 'iid6+ We8 19 'iie6+
Black resigns
This game has associations with my
encounters with Tal and Spassky, played
a vear earlier, in Riga, at the 2Sth USSR
Championship. In them too, everything
was decided by the key sacrifice at e6.
Tal-Polugayevsky
Riga 1958
1 e4 c5 2 lDf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 lDf6 5
lDc3 a6 6 ~g5 lDbd7 7 ~c4 'iia5 8 'iid2 e6
9 0-0
Spassky continued 9 0-0-0, and after 9
... bS 10 ~b3 ~b7 11 Il:he1 ~e7 12 f4lDcS
13 eS! dxeS 14 ~xf6 ~xf6 IS fxeS ~h4 16
g3 ~e7 the tactical stroke 17 ~xe6! gave
White a material and positional advantage.
9 ... ~e7 10 Il:adl lDc5 11 Il:fel ~d7 12
a3 'iic7 13 b4 lDa4 14 lDxa4 ~xa4 (82)
15 ~xe6!
Destroying the enemy king's pawn
screen. Black is unable to successfully
parry White's attack.
15 ... fxe6 16 lDxe6 'iixc2 17 'iid4 Wf7
18 Il:c1 'iia2 19 e5!
This powerful move had to be seen by
the Riga grandmaster far in advance,
since it is the only one that leads to a win.
White could not have achieved anything
by 19 lDxg7, since after 19 ... Wxg720 Il:c7
'iie6 21 ~xf6+ 'iixf622 Il:xe7+ Wg6 only
Black has winning chances.
19 ... dxe5
19 ... 'iixe6 would also not have saved
Black, in view of 20 exf6 ~xf6 21 ~xf6
'iixf6 22 'iidS+ WfS 23 'iixb7 Il:e8 24
'iixa6, when White's passed pawns cannot
be stopped.
20 'iixe5 'iixf2+
This attempt to simplify the position
does nothing to reduce Black's difficulties .
But what else could he do? On 20 ... Il:he8
 Middlegame Attacks 87

there could have followed 21 ~xf6 .txf6

22 ~c7+ ~g8 23 ~xg7+!, while after 20 ... 83
'iVd5 21 'iVg3 White would have maintained
his attack.
21 ~xf2 ttJg4+ 22 ~gl ttJxe5 23 ~xe5
.txg5
A practical chance. On 23 ... ~ac8
White would have won by 24 ~fl + .tf6
25 ttJxg7!.
24 ttJxg5+ ~g6

24 ... ~f6 loses to 25 ~cc5 ~he8 26

ttJe4+, when White wins the exchange.
25 ttJe6 ~he8 26 ~e3 ~ac8 27 ~f1
28 ~g3+ ~h6 29 ttJxg7 ~f8
White would have had technical diffi-
culties to overcome in the rook ending
after 29 ... .txfl 30 ttJxe8 ~xe8 31 ~xfl.
30 ~el ~f6 31 h3 ~c2 32 ~e4
~e5 ~c1 + 34 ~h2 Black resigns
White's attack with his small army was
conducted brilliantly.
In the Sicilian Defence White has
numerous ways of mounting an attack on
a black king which has remained at e8.
The following example illustrates a com-
bination of two typical piece sacrifices at
e6 and b5. Despite his great material
expenditure, White's attack proceeds suc-
cessfully, for the reason that all his
remaining pieces become extremely ac-
tive, whereas their black counterparts are
uncoordinated.
Nei-Darga
Beverwijk 1961
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 a6 5
~e3 ttJf6 6 ttJc3 d6 7 f4 ttJbd7 8 'iVf3 'iVc7 9
0-0-0 b5 10 e5 ~b7 11 'iVh3 dxe5 (83)
12 ttJxe6!?
.tb5
Nowadays this sacrifice is well known
(although it is more usually seen in similar
positions with the white bishop at g5).
But then, when the game was played,
White had to work out the consequences
of his combination, and to calculate the
~c4 33
variations at the board was a practically
hopeless matter. Even so, such tactics on
the part of the Estonian player have every
right to exist - firstly, lines are opened,
secondly, the black king comes under fire
by the white pieces, and thirdly, it is not
easy for Black to defend in the purely
psychological sense - it is difficult for him
to find the only saving moves.
12 ... fxe6 13 'iVxe6+ iie7 14 .txb5
There is no time to halt, otherwise the
fish will get away!
14 ... axb5
Black is forced to accept the second
sacrifice, since 14 ... ~d8 fails to 15 .tb6,
while if 14 ... 0-0-0, then after 15 'iVxe7
axb5 16 ttJxb5 Black's position is un-
enviable.
15 ttJxb5 'iVc6 16 ttJd6+ ~d8 17 fxe5
~c7!
17 ... ttJe4 favours White after 18
88 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
.tb6+!.
18 lld4
I ntensifying the direct threats. 18 'ti'xe7
is unfavourable, since after 18 .. . IIxa2
Black acquires counterplay, and 18 exf6
.txd6 also fails to achieve anything.
18 ... lIaS?
A fatal error. Black should have relieved
the situation by 18 ... ..txd6!. After 19
IIxd6 'ti'e4 20 exf6 'ti'xe6 21 :!1xe6 gxf6
a draw is the most likely outcome, but 19
... 'ti'xg2 is even more convincing.
19 exf6 lleS (84)
84
It was on this move that the German
grandmaster was pinning his hopes when
he played 18 ... lla5. Three of White's
pieces are en prise, but it transpires that
he has anticipated everything.
20 lDbS+! 'ti'xbS
If 20 ... llxb5, then 21 .tf4+ ~b6
'ti'xe7, and White wins.
21 E:xd7+! 'ti'xd7
On 21 ... \t>c8 White had prepared 22
fxg7 llxe6 23 gxh8='@'+ ~xd7 24 ..tf4!,
when the black king again comes under
attack.
22 'ti'xeS+ .td6 23 'ti'c3+ 'ti'c6 24 'ti'aS+
~c8 25 fxg7 llg8 26 .id4 .tf4+ 27 ~bl
'ti'd7 28 'ti'cS+ .tc6 29 'ti'f8+ Black resigns
The pawn at e7 directly defends the
black king in the centre . In the Sicilian
Defence it can happen that White reaches
even this square.
In the following game Black chooses an
opening variation in which he deliberately
keeps his king in the centre. At the
moment when he is all ready to castle,
there follows a typical destructive rook
sacrifice at e7. The black king is stuck for
ever in the centre (for the sake of this
White does not mind giving up a whole
rook), and the white pieces embark on a
decisive attack.
Dementiev-I.Zakharov
Tuapse 1967
1 e4 cS 2 lDf3 g6 3 d4 ,tg7 4 lDc3 cxd4 5
lDxd4 lDc6 6 .te3 lDf6 7 lDxc6 bxc6 8 eS
lL\g8 9 .td4 ~a5? 10 .ic4! ..txe5 11 0-0
lDh6 12 llel .txd4 (85)
22
13 llxe7+!!
This interposition came as a surprise to
Zakharov (he had only considered 13
 Middlegame Attacks 89

~xd4 0-0, with the better game for Black). sacrifice at e 7, ex posing the black king. In
The rook is given up for just one pawn, general such sacrifices are atypical, and
and the opponent's king immediately rarely occur at such an early stage of the
ends up in a hopeless position. A striking game. But a concrete, creative approach
example of the transformation of quantity to the evaluation of the position suggested
into quality, when a 'great-big' rook is this idea to Kholmov.
given up for a 'tiny-little' pawn, and the
picture is instantly transformed through
180°.
Kholmov-Keres
13 ~e7 Tbilisi 1959
14 ~xd4
1 e4 c5 2 tDf3 tDc6 3 iLb5 tDf6 4 e5 tDg4
Now the other white rook joins the 5 ~xc6 dxc6 6 0-0 g6 7 Il:el iLg78 h3 tDh6
attack with gain of tern po along the e-fi1e. 9 tDc3 b6? 10 d4! cxd4 11 tDxd4 c5 (86)
It is curious that three of Black's pieces
(his rooks and bishop) have not in fact
86
moved. By the elimination of one single
pa wn, White has essentially demonstrated
the hopelessness of all Black's remaining
forces, which are unable to come to the
help of their lone king.
An instructive example of how important
it is to be resolute in the Sicilian Defence!
14 ... d5
Black could have put up a more desperate
resistance after 14 ... Il:g8! 15 ~h4+ g5 16
Il:e1+ <J;>d8 17 'iYxh6 <J;>c7 18 'iYxh7, butas
Tartakower picturesquely put it, an attack 12 tDc6!!
is mounted not only against the opponent's
A grandiose conception! The point of
position, but also against his psyche.
White's combination lies in the variation
Black could not withstand the sharp
12 ... 'iYxdl 13 Il:xdl iLb7 14 tDb5! iLxc6
change of scene and such a furious assault,
15 tDc7+ .<J;>f8 16 tDxa8, when the white
and so was unable at the board to find the
knight is immune on account of the mate
best defence.
at d8.
15 'iYxh8 dxc4
12 'iYd7
16 Il:el+ ~e6
13 tDxe7!
On 16 ... <J;>d7 there would have followed
Here it is ! Such a 'pill' is unpleasant to
17 ~d4+.
swallow.
17 'iYxa8 ~c7 18 'iYb8 tDg4 19 'iYxh7,
13 <J;>xe7
and White realized his advantage.
The author of the combination thinks
In the following example, grandmaster that 13 '" 'iYxe7 was the best defence,
Kholmov carried out an unusual knight although even then White has the better
90 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

prospects after 14 ltJdS 'ti'd8 IS ltJf6+
.txf6! (15 ... r:JiIe 7? is decisively met by 16
.tg5 'ti'xd1 17 "iJ.axd1 .te6 18 ltJh5+! r:JiIj8
19 ltJxg7 r:JiIxg720 .tf6+ r:JiIg8 21 g4!, and
Black is in an unusual zugzwang) 16
exf6+ .te6 17 .txh6 'ti'xf6! (17 ... 'ti'xd1 is
bad on account of 18 "iJ.axd1 "iJ.d8 19
"iJ.xd8+ r:JiIxd8 20 "iJ.xe6! fxe6 21 .tg7!,
winning easily) 18 c3!. The black king is
stuck in the centre, since on 18 ... "iJ.d8
there follows 19 'ti'a4+, while if 18 ... gS 19
'ti'dS!.
Black also comes under a dangerous
attack after 13 ... 'ti'xd114 "iJ.xdl r:JiIxe7 IS
.tgS+! r:JiIe6 (15 ... f6? 16 exf6+ hf617
ltJd5+) 16 "iJ.d6+ r:JiIfS (16 ... r:JiIxe5? 17
"iJ.d5+ r:JiIe618 "iJ.e1+) 17 f4! .txeS (17 ...
.te618 ltJe2! r:JiIe4 19 ltJg3+ r:JiIe320 "iJ.e1
mate) 18 "iJ.dS f6 19 .txh6 .tb7 20 fxeS
.txdS 21 ltJxdS r:JiIxeS 22 c4, and White
wins.
14 .txh6! .txh6 IS 'ti'f3 .tg7 16 ltJdS+
On 16 'ti'xa8? there would have followed
16 ... .t b7 17 'ti'xa7 'ti'c6 18 f3 "iJ.a8 19
ltJdS+ 'ti'xdS, with chances for both sides.
16 ... r:JiId8
Other king moves also fail to save
Black: for example, on 16 ... r:JiIe8 White
wins by 17 ltJf6+ .txf6 18 exf6+ and 19
'ti'xa8, while if 16 ... r:JiIf8 then 17 e6! 'ti'b7
18 e7+ r:JiIe8 19 'ti'f6! 'ti'xdS 20 'ti'xg7 'ti'd4
21 "iJ.eS! is possible.
17 "iJ.adl .tb7
17 ... 'ti'b7 would not have saved Black,
on account of 18 e6! fxe6 (18 ... .txe6 19
"iJ.xe6 fxe6 20 ltJxb6+ r:JiIc7 21 "iJ.d7+) 19
ltJb4+, when his king succumbs: on 19 ...
r:JiIc7 White wins by 20 'ti'g3+ eS 21 "iJ.xeS!
cxb422 "iJ.cS mate, if 19 ... r:JiIe8 20 "iJ.xe6+,
or 19 ... r:JiIe7 20 ltJc6+, while on 19 ... .td4
White had prepared 20 "iJ.xd4+! cxd4 21
'ti'f6+ r:JiIc7 22 'ti'eS+! r:JiId7 23 'ti'xd4+ r:JiIc7
24 'ti'eS+ r:JiId7 2S "iJ.d1+ r:JiIe7 26 'ti'g7+.
18 'ti'b3 .tc6 (87)
87
19 ltJxb6!
The logical conclusion to the combina-
tion begun on the twelfth move!
19 ... axb6 20 'ti'xf7! .txeS 21 "iJ.xd7+
.txd7 22 "iJ.xeS r:JiIc7 23 "iJ.e7 "iJ.ad8 24 a4 gS
2S 'ti'dS "iJ.he8 26 "iJ.xh7 g4 27 as gxh3 28
axb6+ r:J;;xb6 29 "iJ.xd7 Black resigns
One of the most typical procedures,
one which repeatedly occurs in the Sicilian
Defence,is the sacrifice of a white minor
piece (usually a knight) at dS. This is
especially effective when the black king
does not manage to castle, and after the
opening of the e-file it naturally begins to
feel uncomfortable. Moreover, not only
does the black king fail to carry out the
role of uniting its forces, but, on the
contrary, it cuts its own territory into
two parts, essentially separated from each
other. The main arguments in favour of
the success of White's operation are,
firstly, the scattered nature of the op-
ponent's pieces, preventing them from
coordinating, and secondly, the growing
activity of his own forces, which wreak
havoc in the uncoordinated enemy ranks,
disrupting or completely restricting them.
 Middlegame Attacks 91

In making the sacrifice lDd5! or jLd5!, 10 exdS

it is not usually possible to calculate in 11 exd5+ Wd8
concrete terms all its consequences, and
After 11 ... jLe7 12 lDf5 lDg8 13 lDxg7+
so it is extremely important to be guided
Black would have lost quickly.
by general considerations and to rely
more on one's intuition. 12 .tg5 lDd7
Black prepares to evacuate his king to
the queenside.
Konstantinopolsky-Gilman
USSR Correspondence Championship 13 ~e2 Wc8
1948-1951 14 c4!
1 e4 c5 2 lDf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 lDf6 5 White is not tempted by the win of a
lDc3 d6 6 g3 b6 7 .tg2 .tb7 8 0-0 a6 9 ~el pawn by 14 ~e8+ ~d8 15 ~xf7; he starts
~c7 (88) an immediate pawn storm, in order to
open lines on the queenside by any possible
Black's idea offianchettoing his bishop
means.
with 6 ... b6?! and delaying the develop-
ment of his kingside pieces cannot be 14 ... Wb8 15 b4 Wa7 16 a4 ~e8 17 jLe3
recommended.
Creating numerous threats: 18 a5, 18
lDb5+ and 18 lDc6+.
88
17 ... lDe5
18 lDc6+!
Undoubtedly the strongest continuation
of the attack.
18 ... lDxc6 19 dxc6 .txc6 20 a5 ~xe3!

Black defends in the best way possible,

and the struggle flares up with renewed
strength.
21 ~xe3 .txg2 22 Wxg2 d5! 23 b5!
10 lDd5! Any way to open lines!
Since this game was played by corres- 23 ... .tc5
pondence, when White made this sacrifice 24 axb6+ .txb6
he had to assume that his opponent
24 ... ~xb6 fails to 25 ~xa6+ ~xa6 26
would find the best defence. The given
~xc5+ ~b6 27 ~e7+.
example demonstrates the correctness of
the piece sacrifice at d5, and is therefore 25 ~xa6+ Wb7
of particular interest. This is considered 26 ~a3 ~d8!
to be a pioneering game in chess history,
The threat was 27 ~e7 lDd7 28 ~xd7!
since it fully discloses the global idea of
~xd7 29 c5.
lDc3-d5! when the black king is in the
centre. 27 ~e7 lDd7 (89)
92 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

If 27 ... :!ld7, then 29 :!la8. 11 lLld5!

The position reached is almost identical
89 to that in the previous game, but with the
difference that Black's queenside is signi-
ficantly weakened.
11 ... exd5 12 exd5+ Wd8 13 .tg5 lLld7
The attempt by Black to cover the fS
square by 13 ... .tc8 (with the aim of
developing his kingside) allowed White to
build up a decisive attack by 14 .txf6+
gxf6 IS 'i!¥hS :!la7 16 :!le4 .tg7 17 :!lael
in Quinones-Higashi, Siegen Olympiad
1970.
28 cxd5!
14 'i!¥e2 'ittc8
The quickest way to win, giving Black
In the game Smirin-Gelfand, Sverdlovsk
little choice.
1987, Black tried 14 '" 'i!¥b6, which also
28 ... 'i!¥c5 29 'i!¥f3 'i!¥xb5 30 :!la3 Wc731 led to disaster: IS c3 lLleS 16 as 'i!¥cS 17
:!lxf7 Wd6 32 :!lxg7 lLle5 lLlc6+ Wc8 18 .te3 'i!¥bS 19 .th3+ lLlfd7
20 i.xd7+ Wxd7 21 lLlxe5+ Wc8 22 c4.
32 ... 'i!¥xdS is adequately met by 33
:!ld3 .td4 34 'i!¥xdS+ WxdS 3S :!lg4. 15 c3! b3
33 'i!¥f6+ Wxd5 Black's unwillingness to open lines is
34 'i!¥xe5+ Resigns quite understandable.
16 lLlc6! .txc6 17 dxc6 lLle5 18 lla3! d5!
Stein-Furman In order to bring the dark-square bishop
Moscow 1969 into play. 18 ... lLlxc6 was unfavourable
on account of 19 .txf6 gxf6 20 'i!¥e8+, as
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 a6 5
was 18 ... .te7 19 :!lxb3 lLlxc6 20 'i!¥f3!
lLlc3 'i!¥c7 6 g3 b5 7 .tg2 .tb7 8 0-0 lLlf6 9
(not 20 bc6 'i!¥xc6 21 'i!¥xe7? :!le8!) 20 ...
:!leI d6 10 a4 b4 (90)
dS 21 i.xf6 gxf6 (21 ... .txf622 .th3+!)
22 'i!¥xdS, when White wins.
90
19 :!lxb3
White consistently carries out his plan.
19 'i!¥xeS 'i!¥xeS 20 :!lxeS .txa3 would have
been less dangerous for Black.
19 ... .td6 20 j.xf6 gxf6 21 .txd5 lLlxc6
Black has at last got rid of the 'bone in
his throat' - the c6 pawn - and appears to
have beaten off the opponent's attack.
But this impression is deceptive. White
 Middlegame Attacks 93

finds a brilliant solution: he takes play White's combination concludes with a

into an ending (having two pawns for a quiet move. After 32 :§:xa6+ Wb3 33 :§:xf6
piece) where his attack continues. Wxc3 he would still have had to demon-
strate his technique.
22 'tWg4+ 'tWd7
32 ... a5 33 bxa5 :§:hd8 34 :§:xf6 :§:8d735
On 22 ... Wd8 there would have followed
a6 :§:c1 36 .id3! :§:xc3
23 'tWg7.
The bishop is immune, on account of
23 'tWxd7+! Wxd7
37 a7. But now the white pawns cannot be
24 :§:b7+ ~c7 (91)
stopped. The game concluded:
37 .ixh7 Wb438 .ie4 :§:a3 39 .ib7 Wc5
91 40 h4 Wd4 41 :§:f5 :§:e7 42 h5 :§:e543 :§:f4+
Wc5 44 h6 Black resigns

Nunn-Marin
Szirak 1987
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tDxd4 ltJf6 5
tDc3 a6 6 i.e3 e6 7 'tWd2 b5 8 f3 ltJbd7 9 g4
h6 10 0-0-0 .ib7ll .id3 tDe512 :§:hel (92)

25 i.g2! 92

The following combination by Stein,

although forcing, makes a great aesthetic
impression. The activity of his light-
square bishop is especially staggering!
25 ... :§:ad8
The only defence against the deadly
check at dl. 25 ... :§:hd8 would have lost
quickly - 26 :§:d1+ Wc8 27 :§:xd8+ Wxb7
(27 ... tDxd822 :§:xc7+!) 28 .ixc6+.
26 ~3+! Wd6 27 :§:dl + Wc5 28 b4+
12 ... tDfd7?!
Wc429 i.f1+!
A new defensive try; Black wants to
It is this check, covering the back rank,
switch his king's knight to the queenside,
which secures the win for White.
to obtain counterplay, but even superficially
29 ... Wb3 30 :§:xc7 :§:xdl 31 :§:xc6 Wxa4 this idea looks dubious, since it disrupts
32 wg2! the harmony of his pieces. The tested 12
... b4! was correct, with a good game.
F or ten successive moves the events in
the game have been forced, and now 13 f4!
94 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

The English grandmaster is obliged to
act resolutely. For example, after the
passive 13 'iVe2 liJc5 Black would have
solved his opening problems.
13 .. , b4
In the event of 13 ... liJxg4 14e5! White
would have gained a crushing attack,
after both 14 .. , dxe5 and 14 ... liJxe3, by
15 liJxe6!. Black would possibly have
retained better chances of a defence by
playing 14 ... liJc5!.
14 liJd5!
White's lead in development allows
him to offer a typical piece sacrifice, after
the acceptance of which his attack on the
'centralized' black king becomes irresistible.
If 16 ... liJc5 then 17 'iVc4 Wd7 (17 ...
~e7 18 liJf51) 18 'iVxb4 'iVc7 19 liJc6 is
decisive, since after 19 ... i.xc6 20 dxc6+
Wxc6 21 ~xc5 dxc5 White wins by 22
'iVa4+.
17 liJc6!
This is much stronger than 17 liJf5,
since after 17 ... 0-0 Black's position is
defensible.
17 ... ~xc6
18 dxc6 liJf6?
The awkward move 18 ... liJf8 would
have been more tenacious, although even
then White's initiative proves decisive
after 19 f5 (threatening 20 iJ..b6 'iVxb6 21
~xe7+) 19 ... ~b8 20 ~d4 f6 21 'iVxa6,

14 .,. with a clear advantage.

liJxd3+
19 ~b6!
After 14 ... exd5 15 fxe5 dxe4 16 exd6
~xd6 17 liJf5 or 14 ... liJxg4 15 'iVxb4 ~b8 In the concluding stage of the attack
16 'iVa4 White's advantage is undisputed. White is not concerned about material.
15 'iVxd3 exd5 19 ... 'iVxb6
20 ~xe7+
In the later game Short-Sax (St John
1988) Black tried to improve with 15 ... The rook is immune on account of
liJc5! 16 'iVc4 ~c8 17 'iVxb4 exd5 18 exd5 mate in a few moves.
i.xd5 19 liJf3!, and now, despite the
20 ... WfS 21 'iVxd6 wg8 22 g5 hxg5 23
obvious danger, he should have played 19
fxg5 ~c8 24 c7!
... ~xf3 20 ~xc5+ wd7.
This quickly concludes the game, where-
16 exd5 ~e7 (93)
as after 24 gxf6 'iVxc6 25 'iVxc6 ~xc6
White would still have had to realize his
93
advantage.
24 ... 'iVxd6 25 ~xd6 liJg4 26 ~d8+ Wh7
27 ~ed7 Black resigns

Karpov-Dorfman
Moscow 1976
1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 liJf6
5 liJc3 e6 6 g4 ~e7 7 g5 liJfd7 8 h4 liJc6
9 ~e3 a6 10 'iVe2! 'iVc7 11 0-0-0 b5 (94)
 Middlegame Attacks
94
Karpov's tenth move caught his oppo-
nent unawares. 10 ~d2 was more common,
and possibly for this reason, Dorfman
was unable to find his way correctly in the
tactical nuances of the given position. By
10 ... liJxd4 11 .txd4 0-0120-0-0 b5 13 a3
.tb7 14 f4 ~a5 or 14 ... l:l:c8,orimmediately
l3 ... l:l:b8 with the threat of 14 ... b4,
Black could have gained counterplay.
12 liJxc6! ~xc6
13 .td4!
By clearing the e-file, White prepares
the standard knight sacrifice at d5.
13 ... b4
Black himself provokes the opponent.
Of course, 13 ... e5 14 .te3 would have
seriously weakened his d5 square, but he
should have calmly castled.
14 liJd5!! exd5
15 .txg7
An important interposition. The im-
mediate 15 exd5? fails to 15 ... ~xd5 16
.txg7 ~xh 1 17 l:l:e 1 liJe5 18 .txe5 dxe5 19
~xe5 O-O!, when Black unexpectedly wins.
15 ... l:l:g8 16 exd5 ~c7 17 .tf6 liJe5
Other moves are unacceptable, e.g. 17
... liJb6 18 l:l:el liJxd5 19 .tg2, or 17 ...
95
liJc5 18 l:l:el ~a7 19 .ih3 .ixh3 20 ~xh3,
when the threat of 21 l:l:e3 is deadly.
18 .txe5
On 18 f4 there would have followed 18
... .tg4.
18 ... dxe5
19 f4 .tf5
After 19 ... e4 20 d6 .txd6 21 ~xe4+
Black loses instantly.
20 .ih3
This move demonstrates one of the
secrets of Karpov's strength. Many in his
place would have played the straight-
forward 20 fxe5, and if 20 ... l:l:c821 l:l:h2.
But the Moscow grandmaster thinks in
the first instance of how to deprive his
opponent of active possibilities (a skill of
which Tigran Petrosian, in his time, had a
complete mastery). The bishop at f5 is too
troublesome, and White immediately eli-
minates it by an exchange. Later Karpov
explained that after 20 fxe5 l:l:c8 21 l:l:h2
he was concerned about 21 ... ~a5 with
unclear consequences, since during the
game the possible ending after 22 ~xa6
~xa6 23 .ixa6 l:l:c5 did not appear very
promising to him.
20 ... .txh3 21 l:l:xh3 l:l:c8 22 fxe5
In Karpov's opinion, 22 b3 was more
accurate, depriving the black queen of the
important c4 square. After 22 ... e4 23
~xe4 Wf8 24 f5 life would not have been
easy for Black, whereas now he gains
counterplay.
22 ... ~c4! (95)
In a dangerous situation Dorfman finds
a surprising defensive possibility. By a
series of best moves he sets the opponent
a mass of problems (as regards playing
for a win). In addition, Karpov had to
96 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

spend precious time on the calculation of 29 llel (96)

numerous variations. During the game White hesitated be-
tween this move and 29 ~c6+ Wf8 30
95 dxe7+ ~xe7 31 ~h6+ llg7. Perso~al~y, I
find this latter variation more convmcmg.

96

23 lldd3 ~f4+!

Karpov indicates the two m.ain con-

tinuations which he had to examme at the
board: 29 ... ~g2
(a) 23 ... llxg5 24 hxg5 ~xa2 25 d6
Up till now, balancing on t.he edge of
(after 25 ~g4 llc4 26 lld4 i.xg5+! 27
the abvss, Dorfman has played Irreproach-
~xg5 llxd4 28 ~g8+ We7 29 ~g5+ We8
ablv but at the last moment, in the heat of
30 ~g8+ White has only perpetual check)
the" ~truggle, he becomes reckless and
25 ... i.xg5+ 26 llhe3 llc4 27 ~g2. Now
cannot resist the temptation to carry out a
the threats of 28 ~xg5, 28 d7+ and 28
deep raid with his queen, in doi~g so
~a8+ give White a big advantage.
losing control over his own terntory.
(b) 23 ... ~xa2 24 d6 llc6 (24 ... llc525
What the situation demanded was the
~f2) 25 ~e4 ~c4 26 ~xc4 llxc4 27 dxe7
calm 29 ... ~g4! On 30 ~d3 Black can
with advantage, while if 24 ... llc4, then
continue his pursuit tactics - 30 ... ~g3,
25 dxe7 ~a1 + 26 Wd2 ~xb2 27 lld8+
while after 30 ~c6+ ~d7 31 ~xd7+
Wxe7 28 lld7+! Wxd7 29 ~xc4 etc.
Wxd7 32 dxe7 he has everything in order.
24 Wbl llc4 25 d6 lle4 26 llhe3 llxe3 Of course, White would not have been
27 llxe3 ~xh4 obliged to exchange queens, but after t~e
riskv 31 ~e4 ~d8 32 ~xh7 llf8 hIS
27 ... llxg5 loses quickly to 28 hxg5
cha~ces of success, in my opinion, would
~xg5 29 d7+ Wd8 (29 ... We7 30 ~d3) 30
have been dubious: Black has succeeded
~xa6.
in uniting his forces, and two pawns for a
28 ~f3! ~xg5 piece is not a very good price.
28 ... llxg5 can be met by 29 ~c6+ Wf8 30 ~f5 llg6
30 dxe7+ Wxe7 31 a3!, while if 28 ...
Preventing the e5-e6 breakthrough and
i.xg5 then 29 e6 fxe6 30 llxe6+ Wd8 (31
... Wd7 32 ~f7+ Wc6 33 d7+) 31 ~c6! is
at the same time defending the h7 pawn.
decisive. 31 llf1 ~d5
 Middlegame Attacks 97

32 dxe7 46 'iWd8+ We6 47 Wb2 f6 48 llf8 'iWg7 49

'iWc8+ Wd5 50 'iWc4+
The time has come to eliminate the
bishop, which the d-pawn attacked back The final step in the white queen's
on the 25th move. 'marathon'. Black resigns.

32 ... Wxe7
Play has gone into a heavy-piece ending, Lepyoshkin-Yurkov
which is level only materially. Black's Moscow 1963
position is difficult in view of the open
position of his king, which Karpov exploits 1 e4 c5 2 lDf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 lDf6 5
masterfully. lDc3 d6 6 i.e2 a6 70-0 lDbd78 f4 b5 9 i.f3
.i.b7 10 llel lDb6 11 a4! b4?! (97)
33 'iWf4! a5 34 'iWh4+ We8 35 'iWxh7 'iWf3
This attempt by Black to exploit the
weakness of the back rank is accurately
parried.
36 'iWh8+ We7
36 ... Wd7 is weaker on account of 37
e6+ llxe6 38 'iWd4+ We8 39 Itdl, or 37 ...
fxe6 38 'iWd4+ 'iWd5 39 'iWa7+ Wd6 40
'iWb6+ Wd7 41 b3!, when Black can
resIgn.
37 'iWh4+ We8
3ff 'iWc4!
Routine play, which allows White to
"Figaro here, Figaro there!" The white
strike a blow in the centre, his a-pawn
queen manages to be everywhere.
having been assigned an important role.
38 ... 'iWb7 11 ... bxa4! was correct, with counterplay.
39 b3
12 lDd5! exd5
White opens an escape square for his
Declining the sacrifice by 12 ... lDbxd5
king, and can now go onto the attack with
13 exd5 lDxd5 (or 13 ... .1xd5) 14 lDxe6!
an easy heart.
would not have been good for Black.
39 ... lle6 40 llgl! llxe5 41 llg8+ We7
13 exd5+ Wd7
42 'iWh4+ Wd7 43 'iWf6!
After 13 ... i.e7 14 lDf5 lDc8 15 lDxg7+
The strongest continuation. The tempt-
Wf8 16 lDf5 White would have gained two
ing 43 lld8+ does not achieve anything
pawns for the sacrificed piece, plus an
after 43 ... Wc7 44 'iWd4 lle 1+ 45 Wb2 'iWc6
attack.
46 lld5 a4!, when White's winning chances
are minimal in both the queen and the 14 lDc6 i.xc6 15 dxc6+ Wc7 16 a5!
rook ending.
Causing complete chaos in the black
43 ... lle7 44 'iWf5+ Wd6 45 'iWxa5 lle5 position.
98 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

16 ... tDc8 On 29 ... tDf6 White wins by 30 'ti'xd6+!

17 c4 i.e7 'ti'xd6 31 lIe7+ Wd8 32 i.xd6.
17 ... d5 was possibly more tenacious, 30 'ti'xf6 tDxf6 31 lIe7+ Wd8 32 i.xd6
and if 18 i.e3 then 18 ... i.d6 19 cxd5 lIb533 lIxf7, and a few moves later Black
lIe8, blocking the white pawns. resigned.
18 f5 g6 Black lost in similar fashion in the
foll~wing game, except that here the piece
If 18 ... lIe8, then 19 .tf4 i.f8 20 'ti'd4
with the unpleasant threat of 21 c5, wa~
sacnficed at d5 was the bishop.
pretty strong.
19 'ti'd4 lIe8 Fischer-Rubinetti
20 c5!
Palma de Mallorca 1970
The success of White's attack depends
1 e4 c5 2 tDf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tDxd4 tDf6 5
on the opening not only of files, but also
tDc3 e6 6 i.c4 a6 7 i.b3 b5 8 0-0 i.b7 9
of diagonals - after all he has two
lIel tDbd7 10 i.g5 h6 11 i.h4 tDc5? (99)
bishops! '
20 ... dxc5 (98)
99

98

Black should have played 11 ... g5 12

:~.g3 tD~5.Now the American grandmaster
21 lIxe7+! lI~medIately punishes the opponent for
hIS 'active' move.
~ow the outcome is bound to be
decIded by the mortal pin on the knight 12 i.d5! exd5
at d6.
The challenge is accepted, and the
21 ... 'ti'xe7 22 i.f4+ tDd6 23 'ti'xc5 black king begins its Journey to the
lIeb8 24 lIdl tDe8 25 'ti'f2! gxf5 26 lIel queenside.
'ti'd8
13 exd5+ Wd7
If 26 ... 'ti'f6, then 27 lIxe8! lIxe8 28 14 b4!
'ti'b6+.
27 'ti'd4 tDf6 28 lIdl tDe829 lIel \lX.ltf6 . Now the f~rced exchange of knights
'El' Illustrates the Idea behind the sacrifice at
 Middlegame Attacks 99

dS. The white c-pawn goes on the rampage. On 14 ttJxe6 fxe6 15 ~h5+ Black can
coolly reply 15 ... Wf8! 16 fxg5 ttJe5 17
14 ... ttJa4 15 ttJxa4 bxa4 16 c4 Wc8 17
~xh7 ~c4, Miscevic-Masic, Vrsac 1973.
~xa4 ~d7 18 'tWb3 g5
14 ... fxe6
It is hard to offer Black good advice,
15 ttJxe6 (100)
but 18 ... ~e7 may possibly have been
more tenacious. The alternative 15 ~h5+ g6 16 ~xg6+
hxg6 (not 16 ... We7? 17 ~xg5+ ttJf618
19 ~g3 ttJh5
ttJf5+! Wd7 19 ~xf6) 17 ~xh8+ ttJf8 18
20 c5! dxc5
ttJxe6 ~xf4+ 19 ttJxf4 0-0-0 is favourable
On 20 ... ttJxg3 White wins by 21 c6!, to Black.
and if 21 ... ~g4 22 ~c4.
21 bxc5 ~xd5 100

After 21 ... ~xdS 22 ~b6! ttJxg3 23 c6

~xc6 24 lIacl it is time to capitulate.
22 lIe8+ Wd7 23 ~a4+ ~c6 24 ttJxc6
Black resigns

Of course, it would be absurd to think

that the sacrifice of a piece on dS is always
a universal remedy for White. It can turn
out badly, when it runs up against the best
defence by Black.
15 ... ~b6!

The only way of neutralizing all White's

Pioch-Pytel
Poland 1973
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6 5
ttJc3 a6 6 ~g5 e6 7 f4 ttJbd7 8 ~f3 ~c7 9
0-0-0 ~e7 10 ~d3 b5 11 lIhel ~b7 12
ttJd5
A typical sacrificial operation in the
Najdorf Variation, in this, one of its
standard positions. But the current evalu-
ation of theory is that Black has sufficient
defensive resources.
threats. In the game Velimirovic-Ljubojevic
(Yugoslav Championship 1972) Black
played the seemingly more active 15 ...
~a5, but after 16 ~h5+ g6 17 ~xgS lIg8
(17 ... Wj7 18f5!) 18 lId2! he was quickly
crushed (there is no good counter to 19
lIe2): 18 ... ttJf8 (18 ... wj7 19 ~h6) 19
ttJxf8 ~d8 (19 ... lIxf820 lIe2+ or 19 ...
Wxf8 20 ~f6+) 20 ttJxh7 ~xgS 21 fxg5.
16 ~h5+ g6
17 ~xg6+

12 ... ttJxd5 Only 17 ~xg5 ~e3+! (preventing White's

18f5) 18 Wb1 Wf7 19 ~h6 lIag820 ttJgS+
Unclear complications result from 12
We7 (or 20 ... We8) 21 ~h4 would have
... exdS 13 ttJfS Wf8 14 ~g3.
retained any hopes, although after 21 ...
13 exd5 ~xg5 Wd8! Black's advantage is undisputed.
14 lIxe6+ Now however, it all ends very quickly.
100 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

17 ... We7 18 ~xg5+ et:Jf6 19 ~f5 a lead in development. In Fischer's opinion,

Or 19 lle1 ~f2 20 Wd1 hxg6!'
19 ... :!lag8
Black's defence has triumphed, and
White has simply been left empty-handed.
20 ~4 ~e3+ 21 Wbl llxg2 22
~f2 23 ~xf2 llxf2 White resigns
Another effective means of mounting
an attack against a king in the centre can
be the exchange sacrifice. The point of
sacrificing rook for minor piece is to
create on a certain part of the board
(where the offensive is being mounted) a
superiority in more mobile minor pieces,
which in fact decide the outcome of the
attack, while the opponent's rooks are
out of play, asleep at their posts.
Fischer-Najdorf
Varna Olympiad 1962
1 e4 c5 2 et:Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 et:Jxd4 et:Jf6 5
et:Jc3 a6 6 h3 b5!? 7 et:Jd5!? ~b7 8 et:Jxf6+
gxf69 c4! bxc4 10 i.xc4 i.xe4 11 0-0 d512
llel! e5 (101)
White has played the opening in original
fashion, and has sacrificed a pawn to gain
the Argentine grandmaster did not respond
in the best wav to the bizarre knight
advance on mov'e seven (thUS 9 ... b4! was
stronger), after which he got into diffi-
culties. In such positions an onslaught by
Fischer was impossible to stop!
~h3
13 ~a4+!
This check is a very important prelude
to the subsequent combination. The imme-
diate exchange sacrifice 13 llxe4 did not
work on account of 13 ... dxe4 14 ~a4+
~d7 15 ~b5 axb5 16 ~xa8 exd4 17
~xb8+ We7.
13 ... et:Jd7
But now 13 ... ~d7 is very strongly met
by 14 .tb5! axb5 15 ~xa8 .td6 16 :!lxe4
dxe4 17 ~xe4 and et:Jf5.
14 llxe4!
And here is the exchange sacrifice, the
point of which is to activate the bishop at
c4 and gain the f5 square for the knight.
The coordination of all White's pieces
becomes ideal, and it is this harmony
which brings him victory.
14 ... dxe4
15 et:Jf5!
Weaker is 15 ~b3 ~b6 16 i.xf7+ Wd8,
when Black can hold on.
15 ... .ic5
16 et:Jg7+!
Preventing the opponent from castling.
16 ... We7
Of course, not 16 ... Wf8? on account of
17 i.h6 Wg8 18 ~b3, with a mating
attack.
17 et:Jf5+ We8 18 i.e3 i.xe3 19 fxe3
~b6 20 :adl
 Middlegame Attacks 101

If 20 ~xf7+, then 20 ... <t>d8! 21 lIdl 1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 5

~b5, and Black can defend. liJc3 e6 6 ..te2 liJbd7 70-0 a6 8 f4 ~c7 9 g4
b5 10 a3 i.b7 11 .tf3 liJc5 12 ~e2 e5 13
20 ... lIa7
liJf5 g6 14 fxe5 dxe5 15 liJh6! liJe616 i.g2
21 lid6! (102)
.tg7 (103)
Now it is all over - Black has no
satisfactory moves.

Black has somehow consolidated his

forces and is ready to evacuate his king.
21 ... ~d8
But at this point there comes to White's
On 21 ... ~xb2 there could have followed aid a sacrifice which disrupts the co-
22 i.xf7+! wxf7 (22 ... Wd8 23 ~a5+ <t>c8 ordination of the black pieces.
24 liJe7+ <t>b825 liJc6+ <t>a826 lIxd7) 23
lIxd7+ lixd7 24 ~xd7+ <t>g6 25 ~g7+ 17 lIxf6! .txf6
18 liJd5 ~d8
Wxf5 26 ~g4 mate.
After 18 ... i.xd5 19 exd5 liJd4 20 ~f2
22 ~b3 ~c7
~6 21 g5 liJe2+ 22 Wfl ~xf2+ 23 Wxf2
22 ... lIf8 did not help on account of 23 liJxc1 24 gxf6 White wins.
liJg7+ <t>e7 24 ~a3!
19 ~f2 liJf4
23 i.xf7 + <t>d8
19 ... i.xd5 20 exd5 liJf4 21 i.xf4 exf4
24 i.e6
22 ~xf4 ~b6+ 23 <t>h1 0-0-024 c3 lIhe8
Black resigns. The following forced 25 g5 i.e7 26 lDxf7 was more tenacious
variation leads to a hopeless ending: 24 ... although even in this case White has a~
lIb7 25 ~a4 ~c8 26 ~a5+ We8 27 ~xa6 undisputed advantage.
<t>d8 28 i.xd7 lIxd7 29 lIxd7+ ~xd7 (29
20 i.xf4 exf4
... Wxd7 30 ~d6+ <t>e8 31 ~e7 mate) 30
21 e5!
~xf6+ Wc7 31 ~xe5+ Wb6 32 ~xh8 etc.
The decisive opening of the e-file, after
which things become difficult for the
black king.
Nezhmetdinov-Tal
Baku 1961 21 ... i.xe5
102 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

In the event of 21 ... .th4 22 ~d4 Ia:f8 20 Ia:xd7!

23 Ia:dl Black is in an unusual form of The grounds for White's attack did not
zugzwang. arise by accident - Black's lack of de-
22 Ia:el f6 23 liJxf6+! ~xf6 24 ~d4 velopment is clearly apparent. Therefore
only determined measures can guarantee
Black has an extra rook, but it is of no success in positions of this type.
benefit. His king no longer has any satis-
factory defence. 20 ... liJxd7
21 liJxe6!
24 ... <M8 2S Ia:xeS ~d8 26 Ia:fS+
Having begun, White must continue in
This forces the win.
the same vein. Black's material advantage
26 ... gxf5 27 ~xh8+ rJ'Je7 28 'i!¥g7+ rJ'Je6 is of no significance; his king is stuck for
29 gxfS+ Black resigns ever in the centre, where it inevitably
succumbs.
The following game demonstrates a 21 fxe6
classic handling of the attack by White,
22 ~xe6+ .te7
where Black was punished for neglecting
to castle. The two exchange sacrifices, 22 .. , ~d8 would have lost by force
with the sacrifice of a knight interposed, after 23 .tg5+ ~c7 24 ~c6+ ~b8 25
completely exposed the opponent's king, .tf4+ Ia:c7 26 .txc7+ ~xc7 27 ~a8 mate.
which came under the cross-fire of the
23 Ia:el ~c5
powerful white bishops and queen.
If 23 ... liJb6, then 24 .tg5 Ia:c7 25
.tc6+ ~f8 (25 ... ~d8 26 Ia:d1+ liJd727
Ravinsky-Panov .txe7+ ~c8 28 .txd7+ Ia:xd729 Ia:d6) 26
Moscow 1943 Ia:e3, with the irresistible threat of 27
Ia:f3+.
1 e4 cS 2 liJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 liJf6 S
liJc3 d6 6 g3 liJc6 7 .tg2 .td7 8 0-0 a6 9 24 b4 liJf8
.te3 Ia:c8 1 0 ~e2 bS 11 a3 liJeS 12 Ia:adl The black queen is obliged to control
liJc4 13 .tel liJxa3 14 eS! dxeS IS liJc6
g5.
~c716 liJxe5 liJc4 17 liJxd7 liJxd718 liJd5
~a7 19 liJf4 liJce5 (104) 25 ~g4 ~c3 (105)

105
 Middlegame Attacks 103

26 :s.xe7+!
Now the coordinated actions of the 106
queen and two bishops force checkmate.
26 ... c:J'Jxe7
27 .ig5+ c:J'Jd6
27 ... c:J'JeS would also have led to a
mating finish: 2S ~e2+ c:J'Jf7 29 .idS+
c:J'Jg6 30 ~e4+ c:J'JxgS 31 ~f4+ c:J'JhS 32
.if7+ and 33 ~h4 mate.
28 ~dl +! c:J'Jc7 29 .if4+ c:J'Jb6 30 ~d6+
c:J'Ja7 31 ~e7+
Black resigns. On 31 ... :s.c7 there and therefore lines have to be opened. IS
would have followed 32 .ie3+ c:J'JbS 33 ... :s.adS would not have achieved anything
~dS+ :s.cS 34 ~b6 mate.
after 16 b4!.
To conclude this section, and as a 16 fxe5 .ixe5
counter to all these White wins, we give
The only way! Not 16 ... :s.adS 17 b4!,
an attack carried out by Black. Here too
and if 17 ... .ixeS IS bxaS .ixc3+ 19 .id2!
White kept his king in the centre, forgetting
about the golden rule of castling. This 17 ~d3 :s.ad8
example is a rare instance in the opening 18 ~f3 .id4!
of White beginning to play actively but
Preventing White from castling.
forgetting about his own king. Black
accurately exploits the opponent's mistakes, 19 g3
sacrificing a piece in the centre to open
This loses quickly, but it is difficult to
files, after which his attack develops
offer White any good advice. For example,
swiftly and becomes irresistible.
on 19 .if4 there could have followed 19 ...
:s.feS+ 20 c:J'Jf1 gS 21 .id2 ~a6+ 22 etJe2
.ixb2 23 :s.dl .ic3!, when he can resign.
Shiyanovsky-Gufeld
19 ... :s.fe8+ 20 c:J'Jfl .ixc3 21 bxc3
Moscow 1966
On 21 ~xc3 Black wins by 21 ... :ad1+
1 e4 c5 2 etJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 etJxd4 etJc6 5
22 c:J'Jg2 ~dS+.
c4 etJf6 6 etJc3 etJxd4 7 ~xd4 g6 8 c5 .ig7 9
.ib5+ .id 7 10 cxd6 0-0 11 e5? .ixb5 12 21 ... ~b5+
etJxb5 etJd7 13 f4? ~a5+ 14 etJc3 exd6 15 22 c:J'Jf2
~xd6
In the event of 22 c:J'Jg2 Black would
(diagram 106) have continued 22 ... :ad3 23 ~f6 ~dS+
24 c:J'Jh3 :ae6 2S ~f1 ~hS+ 26 c:J'Jg2 :ae2+
15 etJxe5! etc.
The white king is exposed in the centre, 22 ... :ad3 23 ~f6 :ae2+! White resigns
104 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

4.2 Flank Offensives White by a2-a3 accelerates the pawn

contact (by ... b4), which also assists the
This section will describe the events rapid development of the attack.
which occur on one side of the board - the It is another matter when the pawns in
kingside or the queenside - when one front of the castled position have retained
player attacks, and the other defends. The their initial form. In such cases it is much
typical picture here is usually as follows: more difficult to mount a successful attack.
White mounts an attack on the kings ide In storming forward with his pawns, the
(if the opponent's king has been evacuated attacker naturally cannot conclude his
there), or Black on the q ueenside (if offensive without the inclusion of the
White has castled long). more powerful pieces. This is why the
In Sicilian set-ups a typical technique reserves must be ready, since in the end
for White to mount an attack is by a pawn it is they that will decide the fate of the
storm against Black's kingside. The f-, g- battle.
or h-pawns are thrown forward, opening In the following examples we see suc-
the necessary files and at the same time cessful attacks on the flanks, both by
pushing back the opponent's pieces. If, White and by Black, where the chess
on the other hand, the offensive is being 'infantry' succeeds in breaking through
mounted by Black, the pawn pair a6-b5 is the opponent's barricades, or else sacrifices
set in motion (as a result of which the a- or itself to open files along which the enemy
b-file is opened), and in addition use is target can easily be hit.
almost always made of the half-open c-
file. In each case the principle is the same:
the attacking side tries by the advance of
Kholmov-Bronstein
his pawns to open up the opponent's king
Kiev 1964/65
and create weaknesses in his position, and
only then, using the space gained, to 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 liJf6 3 liJc3 d6 4 d4 cxd4 5
embar k on a piece attack. liJxd4 a6 6 i.g5 e6 7 f4 i.e7 8 ~f3 ~c7 9
Such attacks achieve their aim more 0-0-0 liJbd7 10 g4 b5 11 i.xf6 gxf6 12 f5
quickly if there is a pawn deformation in liJe5 13 ~h3 0-0 14 g5 b4? 15 gxf6 i.xf616
the opponent's castled position, when the llgl+ Wh8 17 ~6 ~e7 (107)
enemy defences are either exposed or
weakened. It is sufficient, for example,
107
for just one of the pawns covering the
king to have moved, and its position may
prove uneasy. If Black has castled kingside,
a seemingly insignificant weakening such
as ... h6 or ... g6 may allow White to come
into conflict more quickly, by g4-g5 and
h4-h5, making it significantly easier for
him to carry out his plan. (This we have
already observed, for example, in the
game Karpov-Sznapik, p.69). A similar
picture arises when Black attacks on the
queenside. 'Prophylaxis' on the part of
 Middlegame Attacks lOS

Both grandmasters deliberately went in 20 'fJ.xgS f6

for this position. Black, because he thought
Now it seems that Black can hold the
that he had counterplay, and White,
7th rank, but this is a mirage, and White's
because he had prepared a far from
attack triumphs.
obvious combination, all the "Variations
of which were rather difficult to calculate. 21 exd6 ~f7 22 'fJ.g3 bxc3 23 .tc4!
The basis for success of Kholmov's tactical cxb2+ 24 Wbl l'Lld8 2S 'fJ.dgl
operation is the activity of his queen at h6
25 d7 .tb7 26 'fJ.dgl was much stronger,
and rook at g 1, which exert powerful
when Black could resign.
pressure on the g- and h-files.
It becomes clear that with his 14th 2S ... 'fJ.a7 26 d7! 'fJ.xd7 27 fxe6 l'Llxe628
move Black wrongly allowed White to .txe6 'fJ.dl + 29 'fJ.xdl .txe6 30 Wxb2
open the g-file. Instead of 14 ... b4?, Black 'fJ.b8+ 31 Wal .txa2 32 'fJ.gd3!
has an adequate defence after 14 ... fxg5!
The rook concludes the attack along
15 fxe6 fxe6 16l'Llxe6 ~d7! 17l'Lld5 ~xe6.
the d-file. Black cannot hold the 7th and
18 l'Llc6!! 8th ranks, and at the same time keep his
bishop.
This and White's next move belong to
the category of extreme difficulty. Black 32 ... ~e7 33 Wxa2 ~e6+ 34 'fJ.b3 Black
has no choice, he must accept the gift. resigns
18 ... l'Llxc6
19 eSt!
011-Balashov
The point of White's plan. Depending
Tallinn 1983
on Black's reply, either his knight at c3 or
bishop at f1 can join the attack. 1 e4 cS 2 l'Llf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 l'Llxd4 a6 5
19 ... l'Llc3 ~c7 6 .te2 l'Llf6 7 0-0 d6 8 f4 .te7 9
.tgS+?
Whl 0-0 10 ~el l'Llc6 11 .te3 l'LlaS?! 12 g4!
Bronstein was evidently so stunned l'Llc4 13 .tel bS 14 gS l'Lld7 IS fS l'LldeS
that at the board he was unable to find the (108)
best defence. As shown by Kholmov,
Black should have played 19 ... l'Llxe5! 20
l'Lle4 l'Llg6! (20 ... l'Lld7 is weaker on
account of 21 'fJ.xd6 exfS! 22 'fJ.xf6! 'fJ.g8
23 'fJ.xg8+ Wxg8 24 'fJ.xfS l'Llf8 2S l'Llf6+
Wh826 'fJ.eS! .te627 'fJ.gS) 21 l'Llxf6 ~xf6
22 fxg6 ~~7 23 ~xg7+ Wxg7 24 gxf7+
Wxf7 25 'fJ.xd6, with the better ending for
White.
If instead 19 ... .txe5, then White's
attack would have developed as follows:
20 f6! .txf6 21 .td3 .tg5+ 22 'fJ.xg5 f5! (22
.. ./623 'fJ.g3 bxc3 24 .txh7!) 23 'fJ.dgl 'fJ.a7
24 l'Lle2! l'Lle5 25 l'Llf4 followed by 26 l'Llh5
and 27 'fJ.g7. 16 f6
106 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

White's aim is to open up the opponent's

Tal-Mohrlock
castled position. Varna Olympiad 1962
16 ... .td8 17 fxg7 :8:e8 18 b3 ~c5?
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 ttJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4
18 ... ttJb6 would have led to a position ttJf65 ttJc3 d6 6 .tg5 e6 7 ~d2 .te7 8 0-0-0
with chances for both sides. 0-0 9 ttJb3 ~b6 10 f3 a6 11 g4 :8:d812 .te3
~c7 13 g5 ttJd7 14 h4 b5 (110)
19 ~f2 ttJb6
20 .th5!
White's initiative on the kingside grad-
ually becomes threatening. Black has to
be on the alert and to reckon with
combinational possibilities.
20 :8:a7
21 ttJce2 ttJg6? (109)

109

In such a posItiOn it is difficult to
suggest anything significant, but the move
played loses by force.
22 .txg6! hxg6 23 ~4 <tJxg7 24 .tb2 e5
25 ~h6+ <tJg8 26 :8:f6!
The storm clouds are gathering over
the black king.
26 ... :8:ae7 27 :8:afl .tb7 28 ttJg3 .tc6
If 28 ... exd4, then 29 :8:xf7 :8:xf7 30
~xg6+ :8:g7 31 ~xe8+ <tJh7 32 :8:f8.
29 ttJe6!!
Black resigns. A spectacular conclusion
to the attack.
15 g6!
A standard way of opening the g- and
h-files. Nothing is achieved by the slow 15
h5, to which Black replies 15 ... b4 16 ttJe2
ttJde5, attacking the f3 pawn and threaten-
ing 17 ... ttJc4, exchanging the dark-
square bishop. If instead White answers
15 ... b4 with 16 ttJa4, then after 16 ... ttJc5
17 ttJaxc5 dxc5 Black achieves simpli-
fication with a perfectly acceptable game.
The move made by Tal had already
occurred in previous games. Spas sky-
Boleslavsky, Riga 1958, went 15 ... fxg6
16 h5 gxh5 17 :8:xh5 ttJf6 18 :8:g5 ttJe5 19
~g2 .tfS 20 f4 ttJc4 21 .txc4 bxc4 22 ttJd4
:8:b8 23 :8:g1, when White had a great
positional advantage.
15 ... fxg6
Black's prospects are also not very
bright after 15 ... hxg6. A training game
Tal-Koblents, Riga 1957, went 16 h5 gxh5
17 :8:xh5 ttJf6 18 :8:hl d5 19 e5! ttJxe5 20
.tf4 .td6 21 ~h2 <tJf8 22 ~h8+? (22 <tJb1
 Middlegame Attacks 107

was correct) 22 ... ctJg8? (22 ... rJiJe7 was 24 :8:h6! rJiJf7
better) 23 :8:h7 f5 24 ~h6 :8:d7 25 ~xb5!
On 24 ... g6 there would have followed
:8:f7 (25 ... axb5 26 ctJxb5, 27 ctJxd6 and 28
25 :8:hxg6+ hxg6 26 :8:xg6+ rJiJf7 27 ~g5
~xg 7+) 26 :8:g 1 :8: a 7 27 ctJd4 ctJg4 28 fxg4
ctJh7 28 ~h5 ctJf6 29 :8:xf6++! rJiJxf6 30
~e 5 29 ctJc6! ~xc3 30 ~e3! d4 31 :8:gh 1
ctJf5! !, when against the threat of 31
:8:d7 32 ~g5 axb5 33 :8:1h6, and against
~g5+ there is no defence.
34 :8:f6+ there was no defence.
The attempt to decline the gift in the 25 :8:h4 ~6 26 ctJdl ~c7 27 f4 h6 28
telegraph game Tal-Stoltz (1960) ended :8:g6 :8:e8 29 f5 e5 30 ctJc3!
dismally for Black after 15 ... ctJc5 16
Now 31 :8:xf6+ is threatened.
gxf7+ rJiJxf7 17 ~h3 ctJa4 18 f4 ctJ b4 19 f5
e5 20 ctJxa4! ctJxa2+ 21 rJiJb1 bxa4 22 ctJa5 30 ~d8
:8:b8 23 ~d5+! rJiJf8 24 rJiJxa2 ~xc2 25 31 ctJc6 Resigns
:8:d2!.
16 h5 gxh5
17 :8:xh5 ctJf6 Spassky-Petrosian
Moscow 1969
17 ... b4 is met by 18 ctJd5!,and if 18 ...
exd5, then 19 ~xd5+ rJiJh8 20 :8:xh7+ 1 e4 c5 2 ctJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJf6 5
rJiJxh7 21 ~h5+ rJiJg8 22 ~c4+ with ctJc3 a6 6 ~g5 ctJbd7 7 ~c4 ~a5 8 ~d2 h6
inevitable mate. 9 ~xf6 ctJxf6 10 0-0-0 e6 11 :8:hel $..e712
f4 0-0 13 ~b3 :8:e8 14 rJiJbl ~f8 (112)
18 :8:g5 ctJe5
Here too 18 '" b4 achieves nothing,
112
because of 19 ctJa4 with the threat of 20
~b6.

19 ~g2 ~f8 20 ~e2 ctJc4 21 ~xc4 bxc4

22 ctJd4 :8:b8 23 :8:hl :8:b7 (111)

White has concentrated his forces in

the centre, and is ready at any moment to
switch them to the kingside. Black is
behind in development and has no counter-
play. A significant defect of his position is
that his kingside pawn structure has been
weakened by ... h6, and this allows Spas sky
White's major and minor pieces are
to begin an immediate pawn storm.
aimed at the opponent's king, and the
showdown is approaching. 15 g4! ctJxg4
108 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
The terribly strong 16 gS was threatened,
breaking up the black king's defences (16
... hxg517fxg5 t'iJh518g6!fxg619~g5).
Therefore Petrosian accepts the pawn
sacrifice, but in doing so he opens the g-
file. And yet 15 ... eS was the lesser evil,
although even in this case Black would
ha ve faced a difficult defence after 16 fxeS
dxeS (16 ... ~xe5 17 t'iJj3followed by 18g5)
17 t'iJfS .txfS 18 gxfS :!lad8 19 ~g2 ~c7 20
:!lxd8 :!lxd8 21 :!lgl Wh8 22 t'iJdS.
16 ~g2 t'iJf6
On 16 ... eS the following possible
variation would secure White a consider-
able advantage: 17 t'iJfS .txfS 18 exfS t'iJf6
19 fxeS dxeS 20 ~xb7 .te7 21 :!lgl :!lab8
22 ~g2 .tf8 23 t'iJd5 t'iJxdS 24 :!lxdS.
17 :!lgl .td7
18 f5!
Opening yet another file.
18 ... Wh8
18 ... exfS 19 exf5 Wh8 was more
tenacious, returning the b7 pawn.
19 :!ldfl ~d8
In Bondarevsky's opinion, 19 ... ~eS
was essential, making it more difficult for
White to develop his attack.
20 fxe6 fxe6 (113)
113
After 20 ... .txe6 21 t'iJxe6 fxe6 22 t'iJe2
the knight manoeuvre via f4 to g6 would
have decided the outcome, while if 22 ...
e5, then 23 .tn, winning the exchange (23
:!le7 fails to 24 :!lxf6).
21 e5!
White has numerous ways to conclude
his attack. For example, 21 t'iJo and then
22 t'iJh4 or 22 eS is possible. Spassky finds
the quickest and most spectacular way to
WIll.
21 ... dxe5
22 t'iJe4 t'iJh5
On 22 ... exd4 White had prepared 23
t'iJxf6 gS (~g6 was threatened) 24 ~h3
:!le7 2S :tIxgS .tg7 26 :tIxg7 Wxg7 27
:tIgl+ etc.
23 ~g6!
This 'quiet' move puts a conclusion
to the battle.
23 ... exd4
23 ... t'iJf4 would not have been sufficient
to save Black after 24 :tIxf4 exf4 2S c3! and
26 .tc2.
24 t'iJg5!
Black resigns. On 24 ... hxgS there
follows 2S ~xhS+ wg8 26 ~f7+ Wh8 27
:tID with unavoidable mate. White con-
ducted the concluding attack with great
energy.
Ostojic-Sofrevski
Skopje 1969
1 e4 c5 2 t'iJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 t'iJxd4 tLlf6 5
t'iJc3 t'iJc6 6 .tc4 .td7 7 .tb3 e6 8 .te3 .te7
9 ~e2 :tIc8 100-0-0 a6 11 t'iJxc6 :tIxc612
g4 :tIxc3?! 13 bxc3 t'iJxe4 14 .td4 d5 15 f3
t'iJf6 (114)
 Middlegame Attacks 109

114

Black has sacrificed the exchange in the 28 ... i.f6

hope of starting counterplay. But the
Black would have retained more chances
further course of the game shows that he
of defending his position by playing 28 ...
was wrong, since he does not gain the
.tf8.
slightest compensation, whereas White's
attack becomes threatening. 29 :!axd7!
16 c4! The combinational blows rain down
thick and fast.
The first part of White's plan: he opens
the centre, in order to increase the activity 29 ... .txd7
of his bishops. 30 :!axf6! e5
16 .. , dxc4 17 ~xc4 0-0 18 ~e2 ~c7 19 Of course, not 30 ... gxf6, since after 31
~e5 ~c8 20 ~b2 ~c7 21 ~e5 ~c8 22 .txf6 there is no way to defend against the
~b2 ~c7 23 g5 mate.
Perhaps the approach of time trouble 31 ~g2 ~c5 32 :!ah6 .tf5+ 33 Wal
was the reason for White repeating the ~b4 34 ~gl :!ad8 35 ~xe5 ~g6 36 c5!
position twice. Wf8 37 :!ah8+ We7 38 ~xd8 Wxd8 39
~d4+ ~xd4+ 40 i.xd4 Black resigns
23 ... ~b5 24 c4 ltJd7 25 Wbl ~c6 26
:!ahgl!
White prepares the opening of the g-
file. Fischer-Gligoric
Bled 1959
26 :!ae8
27 g6! hxg6 1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 ltJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4
28 :!axg6!! (115) ltJf6 5 ltJc3 06 6 .tc4 .td7 (116)
It transpires that the rook cannot be Fischer has chosen his favourite, uni-
taken, on account of mate in a few moves: versal weapon, and Gligoric, it would
28 ... fxg6 29 ~xe6+ Wh7 30 ~h3+ wg8 appear, was ready for it. Black wants to
31 c5+ etc. fianchetto his king's bishop, for which his
110 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
last move is a necessary preparation (if
immediately 6 ... g6?, then 7 Cfjxc6 bxc6 8
e5 dxe5?? 9 hj7+).
116
7 i.b3
70-0 is also possible, and if 7 ... g6, then
8 Cfjxc6! i.xc6 (8 ... bxc6 9 f4) 9 i.gS i.g7
10 CfjdS!, with advantage to White.
7 .. , g6
8 f3
As shown by Fischer, White could have
tried to gain an advantage by 8 i.e3 Cfjg4
9 Cfjxc6 bxc6 (9 ... Cfjxe3 10 hj7+!) 10
~f3 (10 ha7? c5) 10 ... CfjeS 11 ~g3.
8 .. , Cfja5
Aimed against the set-up 9 i.e3 :!lc8
10 ~d2 Cfjc4 11 i.xc4 :!lxc4, when White
does not have time to weaken the oppo-
nent's kingside by 12 i.h6, on account of
12 ... :!lxd4. As the course of the game
shows, Fischer's evaluation was more
concrete: "Releasing the central tension
this way is wrong. Correct is 8 ... Cfjxd4 9
~xd4 i.g7, but after 10 i.gS! White still
keeps control."
9 i.g5 i.g7
10 ~d2 h6
Of course, it would be dangerous to
castle, since after the exchange of dark-
square bishops there follows h2-h4-hS
with a strong attack.
11 i.e3 :!le8 120-0-0 Cfje4 13 ~e2! (117)
117
Usually, especially at that time, in this
type of situation White used to give up his
light-square bishop by 13 i.xc4 :!lxc4,
and then begin attacking with 14 g4.
Fischer handles the position in an unusual
way - he unexpectedly gives up his dark-
square bishop, allowing Black to castle,
but retains his bishop at b3, which
simultaneously fulfils two functions -
defending and attacking.
13 ... Cfjxe3
14 ~xe3 0-0
The Yugoslav grandmaster accepts the
challenge, openly demonstrating that he
is not afraid of White's attack. He hopes
to create counterplay along the c-file by
doubling rooks, and by the coordinated
action of his queen from as and bishop at
g7. And yet the steadier 14 ... ~aS (not
hurrying to castle) looks both sounder
and more promising for Black.
15 g4
The correct order of attacking moves,
since on IS h4 there would have followed
 Middlegame Attacks 111

IS ... hS.
15 ~a5
16 h4 e6
If here 16 ... hS then White's attack
would have developed of its own accord -
17 gS liJe8 18 f4 and then 19 fS.
17 liJde2 :l::l:c6
18 g5 hxg5
18 ... liJh5 19 gxh6 ~f6 20 f4 certainly
favours White.
19 hxg5 liJh5 20 f4 :l::l:fc8 21 Wbl!
The black king's fortress is taken! The
Avoiding the clever trap 21 f5 exf5 22
attack along the h-file is irresistible.
liJd5 ~xa2!.
26 ... gxh5
21 ... ~b6 22 ~f3 :l::l:c5 23 ~d3!
27 ~xh5 ~e8
The threat to the d6 pawn is combined
27 ... Wf8 would not have helped, in
with the possible breakthrough f4-f5.
view of the forced mate in 7 moves: 28
Black is unable to defend against the
~h8+ We7 29 ~f6+ We8 30 :l::l:hl ~b5 31
mounting threats.
~xe6! fxe6 32 ~xe6+ Wd8 33 :l::l:h8+ Wc7
23 ... ~xc3 34 :l::l:xc8 mate.
This significant weakening of the dark 28 ~h6! :l::l:xc3
squares (by the exchange of such an 29 bxc3
important defender) hastens Black's defeat.
More accurate was 29 g6! l:l:g3 30
But Gligoric's position was so difficult
~h7+ Wf8 31 ~h8+ We7 32 ~h4+ Wd7
that he was lost in all variations. For
33 ~xg3 fxg6 34 ~xe6+! Wxe6 35 ~g4+
example: 23 ... :l::l:5c6 24 f5! exf5 25 :l::l:xh5!
and 36 ~xc8.
gxh5 26 exf5, or 23 ... :l::l:8c6 24 liJa4,
winning the exchange, while if 23 ... ~f8, 29 ... :l::l:xc3
then 24 f5! exf5 25 liJd5 ~d8 (or 25 ... fxe4
After 29 ... ~e3 White would have had
26 ~xe4 ~f5 27 ~xf5, winning a piece) 26
to find the accurate 30 ;ghl ~xc3 31 g6
l:l:xhS! gxh5 (or 26 ... :l::l:xd5 27 hd5 gxh5
~g7 32 ~h2!
28 exf5) 27 liJf6+ Wg7 28 ~h3 (Fischer).
30 g6 fxg6 31 :l::l:hl ~d4 32 ~h7+
24 liJxc3 liJxf4
25 ~f3! liJh5 Black resigns. A brilliant creation by
the great champion!
(diagram 118)
And now it is the turn of Black ...
On 25 ... e5 White wins by either 26
liJe2, or 26 liJd5.
Solovyev-Simagin
26 :l::l:xh5! Gorky 1954
112 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

1 e4 c5 2 tLlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tLlxd4 tLlf6 5 that he will be able to set up an impregnable

tLlc3 a6 6 .tg5 e6 7 .tc4 .te7 8 .tb3 0-0 9
f4 tLlc610 tLlf3 h611 .th4 d5! 12 e5 tLle413
.txe7 ~xe7 14 tLlxe4 dxe4 15 tLld2 (119)
defence. It would have been better to
return the pawn and try to simplify the
position: 19 ~e2 a5 20 c3 b4 21 ~f2 bxc3
22 bxc3 ~c7 23 c4.
19 ... a5 20 a3 .tb7 21 ~e2 a4 22 .ta2
I:tfc8 23 I:td2 (120)

White's opening errors (the combination

of 6 Jl.g5 and 7 Jl.c4 in the Najdorf
Variation is unsuccessful, and 14 tLle2
would have been better than 14 tLlxe4) 23 ... b4!!
ha ve led to him falling slightly behind in
Sacrificing a second pawn, Simagin
development. To exploit his advantage,
breaks through the opponent's defences.
Black must deploy his forces as quickly as
possible. 24 axb4 a3
25 b3
15 .. , b5!
What else? But now the white bishop is
An active move, which increases Black's
transformed into a 'large pawn', and
initiative on the queenside and prepares
Black is essentially a piece up.
the development of his bishop at b7.
25 ... ~b6
16 ~e2
26 c4
White underestimates Black's possi-
On 26 b5 there could have followed 26
bilities. His plan of castling queenside
.. , ~a5 27 ~d3 I:tc3! 28 ~d7 I:txf3.
would appear to be incorrect, allowing
the opponent to mount an attack. Sounder 26 ... ~xb4
was 16 0-0 I:td8 17 ~e2 tLld4 18 ~xe4 27 I:tc2
.t b 7 19 ~ e3 tLlf5 20 ~f2, retaining
Here there is no longer any satisfactory
defensive resources.
defence, and other continuations also
16 ... tLld4 17 ~xe4 ~a7! 18 tLlf3 tLlf5 19 lose. If, for example, 27 I:td3, then 27 ...
0-0-0 .td5! 28 tLld2 tLld4! 29 I:txd4 ~c3+ 30
Wd 1 ~a 1+ 31 .tb 1 ~xd4 is crushing.
White's position already looks dubious.
He has decided to castle long, thinking 27 ... .txf3
 Middlegame Attacks 113

28 ~d2 king stands.

Either capture on f3 would have been 19 .txb5
answered by 28 '" lbd4, winning the
Declining the sacrifice also gives Black
exchange. White preferred to play on a
an excellent game, e.g. 19 .td3 f6! 20 g4
piece down, thus prolonging his hopeless
lbb4 21 h4 ~a5 22 a3 lbd5, with the
resistance. The game concluded:
threats of 23 ... lbc3+ and 23 ... b4.
28 ... ~xd2+ 29 Iixd2 .tc630 Iiel h5 31
19 ... lbb4 20 .td3 ~a5 21 a3 lbd5 22 f6
g3 Iiab8 32 Wc2 WfS 33 Wc3 We7 34 b4
:8:b8! 23 fxg7 (122)
Iic7 35 .tb3 .td5 36 :8:a2 :8:d8! 37 b5
,i,xc4! 38 b6 :8:c6 39 .txc4 Iid4 White
resigns

Ma tulovic-I vanovic
Belgrade 1985
1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 lbc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lbxd4
lbf6 5 lbc3 d6 6 .tg5 e6 7 ~d2 .te7 8 0-0-0
0-0 9 f4 h6 10 .th4 e5 11 lbf5 .txf5 12 exf5
exf4 13 ~xf4 d5 14 Wbl d4 15 .txf6 .txf6
16 lbe4 :8:c8 17 .tc4 (17 lbxf6+ was
better) (121)

23 ... :8:xb2+!
121
In order to get at the king, Black does
not begrudge a whole rook! The rest is all
forced.
24 Wxb2 :8:b8+ 25 wet .tf4+ 26 :8:d2
lbc3 27 lbxc3 ~xc3 28 .th7+ Wxh7 29
~d3+ Wg8 30 Wdl ~al + White resigns

Gavrikov-Tukmakov
Yerevan 1982
17 ... .te5! 1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lbxd4 lbf6 5
Black must retain his bishop, which lbc3 lbc6 6 .tg5 e6 7 ~d2 a6 8 0-0-0 h6 9
will prove useful in the coming attack. .tf4 .td7 10 lbxc6 .txc6 11 ~el ~a5 12
.tc4 .te7 13 f3 b5 14 .tb3 ~c7 15 lbe20-0
18 ~f3 b5! 16 g4 as (123)
A pawn is sacrificed with the aim of Black begins a minority attack on the
opening the b-file, on which the opponent's queenside.
114 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

24 il..d2 ttJd5
25 ttJc1
123
25 ttJc3 would have been very strongly
met by 25 .. , axb2+ 26 Wxb2 (26 :§:xb2
~xel+ 27 fuel ttJxc3) 26 ... ttJxc327 il..xc3
:§:xa2+ 28 Wxa2 ~c2+ and 29 .,. :§:a8
mate.
25 ... ~xel 26 :§:xel il..f6 27 :§:dl :§:e2
(124)

17 a3?
A positional mistake. This weakening
allows Black to build up a crushing
attack. 17 ttJd4 il..d7 (17 ... a4 18 il..xe6) 18
e5 dxe5 19 il..xe5 'lWb7 was essential,
although even in this case Black has the
better prospects.
17 ... lUe8
18 Wbl a4!
A picturesque position. The white pieces
18 ... b4 would have allowed White to are helplessly crowded into the left corner
block the queenside by 19 a4. of the board, and are merely getting in
one another's way.
19 il..a2 b4
20 axb4 28 ttJd3 ttJb6
29 il..c1 ttJe4
20 ~xb4 is bad, since after 20 ... e5 21
il..g3 il..xe4! 22 fxe4 ~xc2+ 23 Wal ~xe2 Preparing a problem-like finish.
Black has both an attack and a material
30 b5
advantage.
30 :§:f1 also fails to save the game.
20 ... il..xe4!
Tukmakov gives the following variation:
An accurately calculated piece sacrifice, 30 ... axb2+ 31 :§:xb2 (31 il..xb2 ttJd2!) 31
which increases Black's attacking power. ... ttJxb2 32 il..xb2 il..xb2+ 33 ttJxb2 :§:xh2,
The lack of coordination of White's pieces and White can resign.
has led to complete chaos in his position.
30 ... ttJa5!
21 fxe4 ~xe2+ 22 Wal a3 23 :§:bl
~xe4!
Threatening 31 ... ttJb3+ 32 il..xb3 axb2
mate, and if 31 il..d5 then 31 '" ttJb3+ 32
23 ... ttJxe4 was weaker on account of 24 wa2 ttJxcl + etc. Therefore Gavrikov
ttJd4 ~d3 25 ~e3. resigned.
 Middlegame Attacks
Nikitin-Polugayevsky
Tbilisi 1959
1 e4 c5 2 etJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 etJxd4 etJf6
5 etJc3 a6 6 i.g5 e6 7 f4 b5 (125)
8 ~f3
By avoiding the strongest continuation
8 e5, White tries to deviate from positions
studied by his opponent.
8 ... i.b7 9 a3 etJbd7 10 f5 e5
Black has no reason to fear the weaken-
ing of the d5 square, since it is not apparent
how White can exploit this factor.
11 etJb3 i.e7
12 0-0-0 :t{c8!
With the direct threat of 13 ... :t{xc3!.
13 i.d3 0-0
Here too the exchange sacrifice followed
by 14 ... d5 was possible, giving Black a
good game. But I decided to strengthen
my position by bringing my king's rook
into play.
14 i.xf6 etJxf6
15 etJd5
Now White's plan becomes clear: after
the forced exchange on d5 he acquires the
115
e4 square, and by occupying it he hopes to
mount a pawn offensive on the kingside.
But he does not manage to carry out his
idea, since the activity of the black pieces
on the queenside and the weakening of his
pawn structure (by a2-a3) allow Black to
go into action first.
15 ... .txd5!
16 exd5 ~c7!
White begins to experience certain
difficulties. On 17 etJd2 there follows 17
'" ~7, and besides, Black is threatening
the pawn sacrifice 17 ... e4! 18 ~xe4 etJxe4
19 ~xe4 :t{fe8, which is also unpleasant
for White on account of the weakness of
his c2 pawn and the threat of 20 ... .tg5+
followed by 21 .. , :t{e3.
17 Wbl :t{fe8!
While strengthening his position, Black
maintains the aforementioned threats.
18 etJd2 ~b7
19 etJe4 (126)
19 ... b4!
The attack on the flank begins! 19 ...
etJxd5?? would have been a fatal mistake,
since after 20 f6! the roles would have
been sharply reversed.
20 a4 b3
116 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

21 e3 ~d7 after evacuating his king, he turns his

sights to the queenside.
After seriously weakening the oppo-
nent's queenside, Black begins creating
concrete threats. 127

22 liJxf6+ .i.xf6
23 ~e4 :!::re5
With the idea of playing the rook to a5,
after which White is lost.
24 ~b4

If 24 ~xa6 then in the variation 24 ...

ga8 25 ~b5 gxb5 26 axb5 :!::ral + 27
Wxal ~a7+ 28 Wbl ~g5, mate at a2 is
unavoidable.
24 ... ~a7! 10 ~d2?!
The black queen displays its strength. Tome personally this seems a loss of
The b3 pawn is immune (25 ~xb3 gb8 time, and I would strongly suggest 10 h4.
26 ~a3 e4 followed by capturing on c3).
10 ... a6 11 0-0-0 liJxd412 .i.xd4 b513 f4
25 ~e4 gaS 26 ~b4 ~e7 27 ~xb3
Here too 13 h4 is more convincing,
Despair, but there is nothing better. since now the e4 pawn is weakened, which
Black exploits.
27 .. , gb8
28 ~e4 ~7 13 ... b4 14 liJe2 ~a5 15 Wbl e5 16 .i.f2
liJe5 17 ~e3 .i.e6 18 liJc1 exf4 19 ~xf4
28 ... :!::rc5 and then 29 ... :!::rxc3 was also
gae8 (128)
possible.
29 ~b4 ~xb4 30 exb4 :!::rxb4 31 ~e2 e4
128
32 WeI :!::re5 White resigns

Ljubojevic- Kasparov
Belfort 1988
1 e4 e5 2 liJf3 e6 3 d4 exd4 4 liJxd4 liJf6 5
liJe3 d6 6 g4 liJe6 7 g5 liJd7 8 .i.e3 ~e7 9
ggl 0-0 (127)

A sharp struggle on opposite flanks is

particularly evident in the Keres Attack
against the Scheveningen Variation. Cast- White's passive play at the transition
ling by Black is the most critical reply. He from opening to middlegame has led to him
shows that he is not afraid of ghosts and, completely losing the initiative. Nothing
 Middlegame Attacks 117

favourable has come of his actions on the

kingside, whereas Black's chances on the
129
c-file are very real.
20 .td4 :8:fe8
Vacating f8 for his bishop and aiming
at the central pawn.
21 tLJb3 'iWa4 22 ~f6 .tfS 23 :8:g3 'tWc6
The triumph of harmony! White's weak-
nesses at c2 and e4 force him into an
unfavourable exchange.
24 tLJxc5 dxc5!
A convincing example of the transfor- 13 ... b5!
mation of one type of advantage (the c-
Again this favourite idea. Exploiting
file) into another (a pawn storm by the b-
White's passive play in the opening, the
and c-pawns to break up the enemy king's
Soviet grandmaster begins an offensive in
defences).
the vicinity of the opponent's king.
25 .te5 c4
14 e5 d5 15 'tWel b4 16 ~xd4?
26 .td6
In anticipation only of 16 ... tLJxd4, when
White tries by exchanges to ease his
White has a good game after 17 tLJe2 tLJbS
position, but this merely hastens the end.
(17 ... tLJxe2 18 'tWxe2 gives only equality)
26 ... b3 27 c3 :8:cd8 28 e5 .txd6 29 exd6 18 c4, with chances for both sides. The
:8:xd6! immediate 16 tLJe2 was better, maintaining
the tension.
An elegant tactical stroke on the theme
of back rank mating threats. On 30 :8:xd6 16 ... cxd4!
there follows 30 ... .tfS+ 31 ~cl (31 'tWxf5
Now the pawn at d4 will torment White
:8:e 1+) 31 ... bxa2. The rest is simple.
like a bone in his throat.
30 :8:c1 'tWc5 31 ~al :8:ed832 :8:e3 :8:dl
17 tLJe2 :8:b8
33 :8:el :8:xel 34 :8:xel 'tWa5 35 a3 'tWd5 36
18 :8:dl
i..e2 g6 37 h4 'tWd2 38 'tWfl .th3 39 'tWgl
:8:e8 White resigns Otherwise the black rook would have
gone to a6 via b6.
18 ... 'iWc5
Lobron-Tukmakov
Clearing the way for the advance of the
Lucerne 1984
a-pawn.
1 e4 c5 2 tLJc3 tLJc6 3 g3 g6 4 .tg2 .tg7 5
19 tLJg4 a5 20 tLJcl a4 21 tLJf6+ ~d8!
d3 d6 6 .te3 e6 7 'tWd2 'tWa5 8 tLJh3 hS 9 f4
tLJd4 10 tLJf2 h4 11 0-0-0 tLJe7 12 ~bl 21 ... ~e7 is weaker on account of 22
tLJec6 13 :8:c1 (129) gxh4 .txf6 23 exf6+ ~xf6 24 .tf3 followed
118 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

by 25 h5. great loss of material.

22 g4 ttJa7! 27 axb2
White resigns
The knight aims for b5, from where it
will create direct threats to the white king. However, Sicilian attacks do not always
inevitably involve a broad preparatory
23 :8:d2 pawn offensive. Often a flank attack is
White does not know what to do, and is mounted by pieces alone, the half-open f-,
obliged to mark time. In the event of 23 f5 g- and c-files providing excellent precon-
the black bishop would have come into ditions for the active side. Experience
play at h6. shows that the attacker usually gains the
upper hand when he is able to create an
23 ttJb5
advantage in fighting units in the attacking
24 :8:f2 (130)
sector. And one should not disregard the
fact that the player holding the initiative
130 normally has more space to switch his
pieces from one flank to the other.
When mounting a flank attack, it is
also very important to be able to evaluate
correctly the efficiency of each participant.
It is no secret that sometimes a small but
mobile and well-organized detachment is
able to overcome the opponent's superior
but uncoordinated forces. Therefore, when
beginning an attack, a player must ac-
curately evaluate, both quantitatively and
qualitatively, his own and the opponent's
resources. Since reckless, premature attacks
24 a3!
inevitably fail, if they encounter a resource-
The black pawns have reached the king! ful and tenacious defence.
An offensive on the flank demands of a
25 ttJb3
player both great inventiveness and bold,
On 25 b3 the following forcing variation decisive steps. It is no accident that
was possible, leading to a hopeless position successful piece attacks are often accom-
for White: 25 ... ttJc3+ 26 Wal ttJdl! 27 panied by beautiful and spectacular sacri-
:8:e2 ttJe3 28 Wbl ~xf6 29 exf6 ttJxg4. fices. Long ago, Grandmaster Rudolf
Spielmann remarked that "The object of
25 ~a7!
denuding a hostile king and of confining
26 ~xb4 ~f8
him to a corner is a major purpose for
The seemingly dead bishop unexpectedly which, at times, the heaviest sacrifices can
joins the attack. be made."
27 ~el

If 27 ~a5+ then 27 ... ~xa5 28 ttJxa5 Ragozin-Veresov

ttJc3+ 29 Wcl axb2+, and White suffers Moscow 1945
 Middlegame Attacks 119

1 e4 c5 2 ct:Jf3 ct:Jc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 Geller-Anikayev

ct:Jf6 5 ct:Jc3 d6 6 ~e2 g6 7 0-0 ~g7 8 ~e3 Minsk 1979
0-09 ct:Jb3 ~e6 10 f4 ~c8 11 ~el ct:Jg412 1 e4 c5 2 ct:Jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 ct:Jf6 5
~xg4 ~xg4 13 f5! gxf5 14 h3 f4 15 :ti:xf4
ct:Jc3 d6 6 ~e2 ~e7 7 0-0 0-0 8 f4 ct:Jc6 9
~h5 16 ct:Jd5 ~d7 17 ~4 ~g6 18 :ti:afl
i.e3 a6 10 a4 ~d7 11 ~f3! ct:Ja5 12 ~e2
:ti:ac8 19 c3 :ti:fe820 :ti:g4 b5 21 ct:Jd4 ct:Jxd4
~c7 13 g4 :ti:fc8? (13 ... ctJc4 was correct)
22 .i.xd4 llc4 23 ~xg7 Wxg7 (131)
14 g5 ct:Je8 15 f5 ct:Jc4 (132)

White's heavy artillery on the f-, g- and 16 ~h5!

h-files has the black castled position
The weakening of the f7 square begins
under direct fire. The centralized knight
to be felt.
at d5 is also aiming at the kingside. These
factors enable Ragozin, by the sacrifice 16 ... g6 17 fxg6 fxg6 18 ~f2 ct:Je5
of both rooks, to close in on the black
One gains the impression that Black is
king. holding the position, but Geller's next
24 :ti:xg6+! hxg6 25 :ti:xf7+! Wxf7 26 simple move dispels this illusion.
~7+ We6 19 ct:Jf3! ct:Jg7 20 ct:Jxe5 :ti:f8 21 ct:Jf7
The king is obliged to embark on a ct:Jxh5 (133)
journey across the board, since on 26 ...
Wf8 White would have won by 27 ct:Jf4.
27 ~xg6+ We5 28 ~g7+ Wxe4 29
ct:Jf6+! exf6 30 ~xd7
Now, exploiting the uncoordinated
state of Black's rooks and the weakness
of his pawns, White wins easily. The finish
was:
30 ... :ti:e5 31 ~xd6 Wf5 32 ~d7+ wg6
33 ~xa7 :ti:e2 34 ~a3 :ti:f4 35 ~d6, and
Black overstepped the time limit.
120 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

22 ltJd5!! the power of his pieces against the oppo-

nent's castled position.
A striking example of piece coordina-
tion. The white knight sacrifices itself, 19 b3!
clearing the long diagonal for action bv
Occupation of the al-h8 diagonal will
the bishop. .
be of great assistance to the attack.
22 ... exd5
19 ... .td7 20 .tb2 Il:fd8 21 'ti'g4 .tfS 22
Now comes the conclusion to the attack .tf6!
- an attractive combination very much in Setting Black the problem of where
Geller's style.
to move his rook.
23 ltJh6+ ~g7 24 'ti'f7+! Il:xf7 25
22 ... Il:e8?!
Il:xf7+ ~h8 26 .td4+ .tf6 27 Il:xf6
A tactical oversight. A few moves later
In this hopeless position Black was
it transpires that 22 ... Il:dc8 would have
obliged to resign.
been correct, so that the queen should be
defended.
23 .td3!
Gufeld-Osnos
Kutaisi 1978 The difficulty of the coming combina-
tion with the sacrifice of both bishops is
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 ltJf6 3 e5 ltJd5 4 d4 cxd4 5
that its decisive step is a quiet move, not
'ti'xd4 e6 6 .tc4 ltJc6 7 'ti'e4 d6 8 0-0 dxe5 9
creating any direct threat.
ltJxe5 'ti'c7 10 ltJf3 ltJf6 11 'ti'e2 .td6 12
Il:el ltJg4 13 h3 ltJge5 14 ltJxe5 .txe5 15 23 ... .tc6 (135)
ltJd2 0-0 16 ltJf3 ltJd4 17 ltJxd4 .txd4 18
Il:dl .tc5 (134)
135

134

24 i.xh7+! ~xh7 25 ~h5+ r;t>g8 26

White can be happy with the outcome
of the opening. He should be able to
consolidate his advantage by choosing
the correct plan, which will determine the
further course of the game. Gufeld directs
Il:d4! !
Splendid!! This study-like move, pre-
paring to play the rook to h4, leaves Black
with no choice: he has to take the second
bishop.
 Middlegame Attacks
26 ... gxf6 27 Ilg4+ i.g7 28 ~6 Wf8
29 Ilxg7!
Had Black played ... IldcS on his 22nd
move, White's entire combination would
have been ruined, since there would have
been the defence 29 ... 'itie7. But now on
29 ... We7 there follows 30 Ilxf7+!.
29 ... Ilac8
29 ... IlecS can be met by 30 '1!¥xf6 i.e4
31 Ilel i.xc2 (31 ... Ild8 32 '1!¥g5) 32 '1!¥g5
WeS (or 32 ... i.g6 33 '1!¥h6! We8 34
Ilxe6+!) 33 Ilxe6+ fxe6 34 Ilxc7 Ilxc7
35 '1!¥gS+, and White wins.
30 ~7 b5
31 Ildl!
The black king is trapped.
31 ... i.d5 32 e4 bxe4 33 bxc4 Black
resigns
The following two examples are on the
theme of 'the knight sacrifice at gT, des-
troying the black king's shelter. Before
deciding on it, White had to clarify
whether or not the opponent's pieces
would be able to come in time to the aid of
their exposed king.
Tolush-Kotov
Moscow 1945
1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6
5 ttJe3 d6 6 g3 ttJc6 7 i.g2 i.d7 8 ttJde2 a6
9 0-0 b5 10 a3 '1!¥e7 11 h3 i.e7 12 Whl 0-0
13 g4 Wh8 14 ttJg3 b4 15 axb4 ttJxb4 16 g5
ttJg8 17 f4 i.e6 18 ttJee2 i.b5 19 i.d2 d5
20 i.e3 dxe4 21 ttJh5 f6
(diagram 136)
22 ttJxg7!
Alexander Tolush was a true master of
121
136
attack. And naturally, he could not dis-
regard such a sacrifice, the consequences
of which were practically impossible to
calculate at the board. He was aided by
his great intuition and his sure dynamic
evaluation of complex positions. As shown
by the further course of the game and the
variations which remained off-stage, his
bold decision was proved one hundred
per cent correct.
What were the preconditions accom-
panying the sacrifice? Firstly, the al-hS
dark-square diagonal is exposed, and the
bishop at c3, which was restricted by the
f6 pawn, now comes to the fore. Secondly,
the weakness of the e6 square (White intends
23 ttJd4). Finally, and possibly the most
important - the g-file is opened (the white
king has already vacated gl for the rook),
and after .ixe4 the heavy artillery will
begin operating along it.
22 ... s&'xe2
This simplifies White's task. In the
event of 22 ... 'itixg7 it would not have
been easy to find a win, which could only
have been achieved by 23 ttJd4 i.c4 24
i.xe4. Now the deadly 25 '1!¥h5 is threat-
ened. 24 ... WhS loses to 25 '1!¥h5 i.c5 26
gxf6 i.d5 27 f7!! ttJf6 (of course, not 27 ...
i.xe4+ 28 ttJf3+!) 2S '1!¥xh7+! ttJxh7 29
122 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

lDxe6+ etc. The attempt to evacuate the
king to f8 also fails to save Black: 24 ...
lifd8 25 'il!Ih5 c;t>f8 26 ligl!, and after the
opening of the g-file White's attack is
irresistible.
And if Black tries 22 ... liad8, then
White has 23 lDd4 lixd4 (23 ... il.,xfl 24
'il!Ixfl, and there is no defence to the threat
of 25 lDgxe6) 24 'il!Ixd4 il.,xfl (after 24 .. .
c;t>xg7 White wins by 25 lig 1!, e.g. 25 .. .
lDxc2 26 gxf6+ il.,xf6 27 il.,f3+ c;t>f7 28
it.h5+ c;t>e7 29 lig7+) 25 lDxe6 il.,xg2+ 26
c;t>xg2 'il!Ib8 27 lDxf8 'il!Ixf8 28 'il!Ixe4, after
which the white rook comes into play
with decisive effect along the d-file.
23 'il!Ixe2 c;t>xg7 24 it.xe4 lDd5 25 'il!Ih5
lifd8
On 25 ... lif7 there could havefollowed
26 g6 hxg6 27 ~xg6+ 'i7f8 28 lig 1, when
White wins.
26 ligl it.c5
In the event of 26 ... lDxc3 Tolush was
intending 27 gxf6++ c;t>f8 (27 ... c;t>xf628
'il!Ixh 7, with inevitable mate) 28 lixg8+!
c;t>xg8 29 ligl + c;t>f8 30 'il!Ixh7 c;t>e8 31 fxe7
'il!Ixe7 32 il.,c6+ lid7 33 lig8+ etc.
27 gxf6++ c;t>f8 (137)
(if 28 ... lid7, then 29 il.xd5 exd5 30 liag 1
il.xg 1 31 it./J4+ it.c5 32 it.xc5+ 'il!Ixc5 33
lixd7 is possible) 29 it.xf6 lDxf6 30 lixc7
lDxh5 31 it.xa8.
28 ... c;t>xg8
29 it.xh7+ c;t>f8
Or 29 ... 'il!Ixh7 30 f7+ 'il!Ixf7 31 'il!Ih8 mate.
30 'il!Ig6 lDxf6
The end is in sight. Black drags out his
resistance in a hopeless position.
31 'il!Ixf6+ 'il!If7 32 'il!Ih6+ c;t>e7 33 'il!Ig5+
c;t>d7
33 ... c;t>d6 would also not have saved
Black; after 34 lid1+ c;t>c6 35 it.e4+ c;t>b6
36 it.a5+! he is mated.
34 'il!Ixc5 'il!Ixh7 35 lidl + c;t>e8 36 'il!Ic6+
c;t>f8 37 it.b4+ c;t>f7 38 'il!Ic7+ c;t>g6 39 f5+
c;t>h6 40 'il!If4+ c;t>g7 41 'il!Ig5+
Black resigns, in view of the variation
41 ... c;t>f7 42 'il!Ie7+ c;t>g8 43 lig1+ c;t>h8
44 'il!If6+ (or 44 it.c3+).
Stein-Portisch
Stockholm 1962
1 e4 c5 2 lDf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 a6
5 it.d3 lDf6 6 0-0 'il!Ic7 7 lDd2 lDc6 8 lDxc6
bxc6 9 f4 it.c5+ 10 c;t>hl d6 11 lDf3 e5 12
fxe5 dxe5 13 lDh4 0-0 14 lDf5 it.e6 (138)

28 lixg8+
Quicker was 28 lig7, e.g. 28 ... lDgxf6
 Middlegame Attocks
Imperceptibly, Black's position has
become significantly inferior. Many com-
mentators thought that Portisch should
have eliminated the dangerous white
knight, but in this case too Black's defence
would have been difficult: 14 ... .txfS IS
:g,xfS lLJe8 16 ~g4 f6 17 .tc4+ <t>h8 18
E:hS with numerous threats, or 16 ... 'fife7
17 i.c4 lbd6 18 .th6! lbxfS 19 exfS 'fiff6
20 .tgS 'fifd6 21 E:dl .td4 22 c3, and
White wins.
Black's entire plan would appear to be
bad. He should have made a choice between
9 ... dS, or 9 ... d6 followed by 10 ... i.e7.
15 'fife2 a5
16 i.c4!
Preventing 16 ... lbd7 and 17 ... f6.
16 ... <t>h8
17 .tg5 lbd7?
In Stein's opinion, 17 ... lbg8 would
have been more tenacious, with hopes of
a defence.
18 E:adl
lbb6 (139)
Black also has a cheerless position after
18 ... .txc4 19 'fifxc4 f6 20 .th4! .ib621
E:d6.
139
19 lbxg7!!
With this unexpected combinational
123
blow White is right on target. Now Black's
position quickly collapses.
19 ... .txc4
Accepting the sacrifice would also have
lost: 19 ... <t>xg7 20 .if6+ <t>g8 21 'fifO
'ifc8 22 'ifg3+ JLg4 23 llf5!, and Black
can resign.
20 i.f6!
This quiet move is the point of Stein's
combination. Mate in two moves is threat-
ened by 21 lbfS+ and 22 lbh6.
20 ... i.e 7
21 'fiff3
No defence is apparent against the
mating threats, and the Hungarian grand-
master conceded defeat. On 21 .. , <t>g8
there could have followed 22 lbhS :e:fc8
23 'fifg3+ <t>f8 24 'fifg7+ <t>e8 2S 'fifg8+ .if8
26 lbg7 mate.
No less sharp and dangerous are piece
attacks carried out by Black on the queen-
side, when the white king hides there after
castling long. Black's main trump is such
positions is the c-file, as is vividly demon-
strated by the following games.
Kupreichik-Tseshkovsky
Minsk 1982
1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 lbc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lbxd4 e6
5 lbc3 d6 6 .te3 lbf6 7 f4 e5 8 lbf3 lbg4
9 'fifd2 lbxe3 10 'fifxe3 exf4 11 'fifxf4 .ie7
12 0-0-0 0-0 13 lbd5 .ie6 14 <t>bl :e:c8 15
.td3 h6 16 g4 .ig5 17 'fifg3 ii,xd5 18 exd5
lbb4 (140)
19 h4
Superficially an active move, but one
which allows Black to get his attack in
first. White should have eliminated the
124 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

bishop by 19 ltJxg5 ~xg5 20 .if5 1:1.cd8 26 ... .ixb2!

21 c3 ltJa6 22 lide1, with the better game.
The attack is concluded by the coordi-
nated action of queen and rook.
140
27 1:1.xb2 ~d3+ 28 ~a2 ~xd5+ 29 ~al
1:1.e3 White resigns

Spassky-Polugayevsky
Leningrad 1960
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 5
ltJc3 a6 6 .ig5 e6 7 f4 b5 (142)

19 ... .if6
20 c3
On 20 g5 there could follow 20 ... .ixb2!
21 'it>xb2 ~a5, with numerous threats.
20 ... .ixc3!
21 1:1.h2
After 21 bxc3 Black wins easily with
21 ... 1:1.xc3 followed by 22 ... ~b6.
21 ... ltJxd3 22 1:1.xd3 ~6 23 a3 ~5
24 1:1.e3 1:1.fe8! 8 .id3
Black brings his last reserve into play This game saw the appearance of a new
and forces White to concede the e-file. line against the Polugayevsky Variation.
25 1:1.xe8+ 1:1.xe8 8 ... ltJbd7
26 1:1.c2 (141)
Black does not hurry with the thematic
... .ib7, but prepares for counterplay in
the centre.
9 f5
Now a battle for the d5 square com-
mences. White aims to occupy it, while
Black does everything possible to frustrate
his wishes. My strategy triumphs, only
because White requires many tempi to
carry out his plan, and during this time
Black manages to gain sufficient counter-
play. The attempt by White to launch an
 Middlegame Attacks
immediate bayonet attack by 9 'iWe2 'iWb6
10 lLlxe6 fxe6 11 e5 dxe5 12 fxe5 was
refuted by 12 ... 'iWc5! in Sakharov-
Polugayevsky (Leningrad 1960) - cf. p.
158.
9 ... e5 10 lLle6!? 'iWb6 11 lLlb4 ~b7
'iWe2 ~e7 13 0-0-0 I1c8!
In the event of 13 .. , O-O? Black loses the
battle for d5 after 14 g4! followed by 15
~xf6, 16 g5 and 17 lLl bd5. Black also had
the possibility of 13 ... a5, leading to
interesting complications: 14 ~e3 axb4!?
(14 ... 'iWd8 15 lLlbd5 hd5 16 lLlxd5 lLlxd5
17 exd5 b4 is also possible) 15 ~xb6 bxc3
16 ~xb5 I1xa2 17 bxc3 0-0. I saw this
sacrifice of queen for two pieces, but I
nevertheless preferred the 'normal' move
13 ... I1c8.
14 ~xf6 lLlxf6
15 g4
Spassky plays too directly. To avoid
the worst, he should have continued 15
lLl bd5 ~xd5 16 lLlxd5 lLl xd5 17 exd5 h5!,
although even in this case Black has the
better game, since White's offensive on
the kingside has reached an impasse,
whereas Black has fine attacking chances
on the queenside.
15 'iWa5
16 a3 (143)
143
125
16 I1xe3!
This exchange sacrifice destroys the
white king's shelter.
17 bxe3 d5!!
12 The only way! On 17 ... 'iWxa3+? there
could have followed 18 ~d2, and if 18 ...
d5, then 19 I1al dxe4 20 ~xb5+.
18 exd5 .O-O!
Black has created numerous threats.
Apart from 19 ... 'iWxa3+ and then 20
... ~xb4, 19 ... lLlxd5 is also unpleasant.
19 'iWxe5 'iWxa3+
20 Wbl ~xb4
With his attack in full swing, Black
plays inaccurately. 20 ... ~c5! was much
stronger, after which it is difficult for
White to defend against 21 ... I1e8 and 21
... lLlxg4. In addition, Black acquires the
possibility of switching his knight to the
queenside via d7 and b6 to a4.
21 exb4 lLlxd5?
Another hasty decision. Black would
have retained better winning chances
after 21 ... 'iWxb4+ 22 'iWb2 'iWc5!. In my
calculations, after 23 c4 bxc4! 24 'iWxb7 I
overlooked the quiet move 24 ... 'iWd6!!,
when White is forced to give up his queen,
since on 25 ~a2 there follows 25 ... I1b8
26 'iYc6 'iYb4. And in the event of25 .1xc4
I1b8 26 'iWxb8+ 'iWxb8+ the combination
of queen and knight looks dangerous
against the exposed white king.
22 'iWb2 lLle3+ 23 WeI lLla2+ 24 Wbl
lLle3+
Black is obliged to force perpetual
check, since no way offurther strengthen-
ing his position is apparent.
Strategic preparation, the accumulation
of a number of advantages - these are
126 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

important guarantees of the success of a about - his e7 pawn, which reqmres

piece attack on the flank. Combinational defending.
blows and sacrifices cannot arise out of
12 ... ltJxd5 13 exd5 ~b7 14 c4 a5
nothing, of their own accord; the position
must be ripe for tactical operations. And This decision to block the queenside
here a spatial advantage for the attacking looks rather rash. Although a post at c5 is
side -is of particular importance. secured for the black knight, it proves to
The following games are a good demon- be unemployed there. 14 ... !ife8 was
stration of the link between strategy and better.
tactics.
15 ltJb5 "Wic8 16 "Wid2 ltJc5 17 !ia3!
White parries the fork and plans the
possible transference of his rook to the
Kholmov-Bannik
kingside where it will support his offen-
Minsk 1962
sive.
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 5
17 ... ~a6
ltJc3 a6 6 ~e2 g6 7 0-0 ~g7 8 f4 ltJbd7 9
18 ltJd4!
c;t>hl 0-0 10 ~e3 "Wic7 11 a4 b6 (144)
Of course, White cannot agree to the
exchange of his strong knight for a bad
144
bishop.
18 ... !ie8 (145)
Here Black should have played for
complications with the pawn sacrifice
18 ... ltJe4 19 "Wic2 ltJf6 20 ltJc6 "Wid7 21
~xb6 e6!.

The Kiev master's handling of the

Sicilian Defence has not been the best. On
the 6th move he avoided the Boleslavsky
Variation and decided to play the Dragon,
in which 5 ... a6 is weaker than the usual 5
... ltJc6. Black persisted with his plan of
developing his light-square bishop on the
a8-h 1 diagonal, and with his last move
weakened the c6 square, which Kholmov
immediately exploits. Let us evaluate this position. White has
a number of advantages: spatial superiority
12 ltJd5!
in the centre, and harmonious deployment
Now Black has something else to worry of his pieces, which are ready at any
 Middlegame Attacks 127

moment to take part in an attack on the

kingside. Black's position contains the
following defects: his rook at a8 and
bishop at a6 are passive and out of play,
and his king has only one defender (the g7
bishop), a situation which cannot be
changed by the knight now coming to its
aid.
19 f5!
Now the white pieces are activated and
take up a stance, as if in expectation of a
fierce battle.
19 ... '1:le4
24 ~e6!!
20 'ti'c2 '1:lf6
A dagger blow at the very heart of
On 20 ... ~xd4 there could have followed
Black's position.
21 ~xd4 gxf5 22 Il:af3 e6 23 dxe6, when
23 ... fxe6 loses to 24 'ti'xe4! fxe4 25 llg3 24 ... Wg7
mate, while if 23 ... 'ti'xe6 then after 24
The bishop at e6 is immune: 24 ... fxe6
Il:xf5 White wins easily.
25 'ti'xg6+ i.g7 26 '1:lxe6.
21 Il:c3!
25 i.h6+! Wxh6
In parrying the threat of 21 ... '1:lxd5, 26 '1:lf5+!!
Kholmov creates one of his own - 22 fxg6
This knight sacrifice, the concluding
hxg6 23 '1:le6!.
stroke of White's combination, is the
21 ... '1:ld7 only way to win. Against other moves
Black could have defended - 26 ~xf7 is
Black's desire to centralize his knight at
well met by 26 ... '1:le5, while if 26 Il:h3+
e5 proves unrealizable.
Wg7.
22 fxg6 hxg6
26 ... gxf5
23 ~g4!

The activity of all the white pieces is

admirable. There is no longer any defence
against the impending threats.
23 ... Af6 (146)
23 ... 'ti'c7 would not have helped on
account of 24 llxf7! Wxf7 25 Ae6+ Wf8
26 ~h6!! '1:le5 27 'ti'xg6!!, while 23 ... f5 is
again met by a sacrifice - 24 .ixf5 gxf5 25
Ah6!! ~xh6 (or 25 ... hd426 Il:g3+ Wh8
27 'ti'xf5! and 28 ~g7+) 26 '1:lxf5 .tf8 27
Il:g3+ Wh8 28 '1:lxd6.
Declining the sacrifice would also have
lost. On 26 ... Wh7 White had prepared 27
Il:h3+ Wg8 28 '1:lxe7+! Wg7 (28 ... !ixe7
29 'ti'xg6+ Wf830 !ih8+!) 29 '1:lxc8 .i.xc8
30 .txf7 '1:le5 31 ~xe8 .i.xh3 32 il.b5 il.f5
33 Il:xf5 gxf5 34 'ti'xf5, and wins.
27 'ti'd2+ ~g5 28 I:th3+ Wg629 i.xf5+
Black resigns
Larsen-Petrosian
Santa Monica 1966
128 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 ttJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 g6 5 15 ... ttJc7

Jte3 Jtg7 6 c4 ttJf6 7 ttJc3 ttJg4 8 'i!¥xg4 16 f5
ttJxd49 'i!¥dl ttJe6 10 'i!¥d2 d6 11 Jte2 ~d7
The opening of the f-file is part of
12 0-0 0-0 (147)
White's overall plan, and gives him good
prospects.
16 ... ttJa6
16 ... ttJxd5 is unfavourable, since after
17 exd5 Black has no possibiity of gaining
counterp1ay.
17 Jtg4!?
White had available the excellent move
17 b4!, after which Black would have had
serious problems. But Larsen has his
sights set on the kingside.
17 ... ttJc5 18 fxg6 hxg6 19 ~f2 :§:f8
13 :§:adl! (148)
The placing of the rooks is enormously
important, and should be inseparably
linked with the subsequent plan. Here the
Danish grandmaster chooses a more ag-
gressive deployment of the rooks than in,
for example, the game Keres-Petrosian,
Bled 1959, in which White did not achieve
anything by 13 :§:ac1 and 14 :§:fdl.
13 .. , .ic6
14 ttJd5 :§:e8
Larsen considers this continuation to
be too slow, allowing White to begin
playing actively. Better is 14 ... ttJc5 15 f3
20 e5!!
a5!, when Porath-Larsen, Amsterdam
1964, continued 16 ~d4 .ixd4 17 'i!¥xd4 Larsen himself considers this the finest
e5 18 'i!¥d2 ttJe6, and Black took the move in the game.
initiative. Black also does not have to fear
20 ... be5 21 'i!¥h4 ~xd5 22 :§:xd5
15 ~c2, since all the same he plays 15 ...
a5!, when the win of the queen by 16 In this tense position Black has several
.ixc5 dxc5 17 ttJf6+ gives him a good possible continuations: after 22 ... ttJe423
game. .if3 ttJf6 24 :§:b5 White regains his pawn,
maintaining a positional advantage;while
15 f4!
if 22 ... e6 23 'i!¥xd8 :§:fxd8 24 :§:xe5 dxe5
Signalling the start of the attack. 25 i.xc5 f5 26 .id1 :§:d2 27 .ib3! :§:ad8
 Middlegame Attacks
(or 27 ... 'i1xb228 'i1dl) 28 'i1e 1! 'i1xb229
.ta3 'i1bd2 30 .tel 'i12d3 31 .tgS 'i18d7 32
'i1xe S, then the white bishops are bound
to have their say.
22 ... ltJe6?
Petrosian makes a mistake. In his cal-
culations he may have missed White's
spectacular 2Sth move.
23 'i1f3! .tf6?
In his notes to the game, the Danish
grandmaster points out that Black's only
chance was 23 ... fS. After 24 'i1h3 he has
two possible defences: 24 ... 'ilf7 and 24 ...
ltJg7 (if 24 ... .tg7, then 25 fjfh7+ 'ilj7 26
'i1xf5+!).
Later analysis showed that 24 ... 'ilf7
would have given Black chances of a
defence: 2S .txfS! gxfS 26 fjfhS+ 'ilf6 27
g4 ltJg7! (27 ... 'i1h8 28 fjfxf5+ 'ilg7 29
"'iJ.xe 5!, and 29 ... 'i1xh330 'i1xe6 is bad for
Black, as is 29 ... dxe5 30 fjfxe5+ 'ilj7 31
'i1f3+) 28 $.gS+ 'ile6 29 fjfg6+ .tf6 30
gxfS+ 'ild7 31 .txf6 'i1xf6 32 fjfxg7 fjfg8,
with a hard struggle still in prospect.
Against 24 ... ltJg7 Larsen considers
the strongest reply to be 2S .t[3!!, threaten-
ing 26 fjfh7+ and then 27 'i1h6. If Black
now tries 2S ... 'ilf7 then 26 'i1bS! 'i1h8 27
.tdS+ ltJe6 28 fjfgS etc is strong.
24 'i¥b6 .tg7 (149)
129
25 fjfxg6!
Now the idea of the seemingly 'innocent'
move 23 'i1f3 becomes clear.
25 ... ltJf4
On 2S ... ltJc7 there would have followed
26 fjfxg7+!.
26 'i1xf4 fxg6
27 .te6+ 'i1f7
If 27 ... 'ilh7 then 28 'i1h4+ .th6 29
.txh6 'i1fS 30 'i1xfS gxfS 31 .tf7 eS 32
'i1h3, and things are completely bad for
Black. 29 ... gS also does not help here,
since after 30 'i1xgS fjfb6+ White has the
decisive 31 cS.
28 'i1xf7 'ilh8 29 'i1g5! b5 30 'i1g3 Black
resigns
4.3 Getting There First, or
Who Beats Who?
Here we will be talking about attacks
on different flanks, usually associated
with castling on opposite sides. We will
witness 'contests' between attack and
counterattack, these being fights 'to the
death'. Both sides aim to engage maximum
speed in their offensives, acting in the
most resolute fashion, sometimes even
recklessly. And there is nothing surprising
in this. You only need to deviate some-
where, reduce the 'tempo of the race', or
display the slightest passivity, and you
will be 'ground into the dust'. Speed
above all else, don't reduce 'steam' - this
is the sacred principle in attacks on
opposite flanks. In the struggle to get
there first, the question 'who beats who?'
is decisive. Therefore, before launching
into the gulf of mutual attacks, you must,
130 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

relying on your intUltlOn, penetrate as But in the overwhelming majority of

deeply as possible into all the nuances of cases, there is one main question on the
the position, soberly evaluate your own agenda: "Who will be first?".
prospects, and compare them with your And therefore you should go forward
opponent's possibilities. This is extremely without fear and doubts, remembering
important, since during sharp mutual the "if you don't beat him, he will beat
attacks the value of each move is increased you!". Every Sicilian player should learn
tenfold. When an attack is in progress on this principle by heart.
only one part of the battlefield, the two
players try to bring up significant forces,
and if the attacking side senses that his
Tolush-Taimanov
initiative is fading, he can often withdraw
Riga 1958
his pieces in good time, even changing the
direction of their action, and in doing so 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 liJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4
come to no great harm. In other words, liJf6 5 liJc3 d6 6 i.g5 e6 7 ~d2 i.e78 0-0-0
the attacker is by no means obliged to liJxd4 9 ~xd4 0-0 10 f4 h6 11 i.h4 ~a5l2
burn his boats behind him. ~gl!? (150)
It is another matter when attack and
counterattack come into conflict. In this
case thoughts about possible withdrawals
are better rejected immediately. After all,
the two players mainly deploy their pieces
on diametrically opposite 'shores' from
where they assail the enemy positions.
And if in such a tense situation you
suddenly become frightened of something
and give the signal to retreat, all the same
you will not have time to switch your
forces to the defence of the opposite
flank, where the opponent's main firing
power is concentrated. Life confirms this
indisputable truth: only boldness and
Tolush carries out an unusual queen
decisiveness can guarantee success in a
manoeuvre, the aim of which is to throw
conflict between two well-matched attacks.
forward his g-pawn, and also to prepare
But this does not mean that, when carry-
for the possible central counter ... e5, on
ing out overall plans on opposite flanks,
which there now follows f4-f5.
prophylactic measures cannot be taken.
It can happen that prophylaxis is simply 12 i.d7
essential (for example, ... 'iJ.j8-e8 in 13 g4
Scheveningen set-ups, and so on). On no
White begins his flank offensive while
account should it be confused with passi-
vity. The role of certain prophylactic retaining the possibiity of the unpleasant
devices is first to halt the opponent's central break e4-e5.
attack and only then begin a counter- 13 i.c6
offensive. 14 i.el!
 Middlegame Attacks 131

With the idea of driving the black have had something of a psychological
queen from its active position and ad- effect on Taimanov", wrote Tolush. Indeed,
vancing the h-pawn. Black's very next move is not the best,
allowing White to gain counterplay.
14 ... 'J/Iic7 15 i.d3 d5 16 e5 ltJe4 17
ii.xe4?! 21 ... exd5
22 'J/Iidl l'ifd8?
Tolush himself regards this move as a
mistake, after which the initiative passes A loss of time. After 22 ... i.c5 23 'J/Iixd5
to Black. In his opinion he should have i.e3+ 24 Wb1 l'iad8 25 'J/Iixe4 l'id226ltJcl
continued the pawn storm: 17 h4! and if Black has the decisive 26 ... l'ic8, since on
17 ... i.c5 then 18 'J/Iih2 ltJxc3 (on 18 ... 27 c3 he wins by 27 ... l'ixb2+!.
i.e3+ 19 Wbl ltJxc3+ 20 hc3 d4 there
would have followed 21 i.b4!) 19 i.xc3 d4
23 ltJd4 'J/Iic4 24 Wbl i.c5 25 i.f2 as
20 i.d2 i.xh1 21 l'ixh1, when for the In this double-edged position the result
sacrificed exchange White creates irresi- of the game depends on only one factor
stible threats on the kingside. - which side can get at the opponent's
king more quickly.
17 ... dxe4
18 h4 b5 26 g5 h5
27 e6!
It transpires that Black's attacking
prospects are significantly better, since 19 White is the first to come into contact,
'J/Iie3 b4 20 ltJxe4 'J/Iib7! 21 l'id4 fails to 21 creating direct threats.
l'iad8.
27 ... fxe6
19 i.g3 b4 28 g6!
20 ltJe2 i.d5 (151)
Impending over the black king is the
danger of 'J/Iixh5 and 'J/Iih7+.
151
28 ... a4 (152)

152

21 l'ixd5!?
Tolush masterfully 'stirs up' the play,
in an attempt to change the course of
events. "This exchange sacrifice, altering
the situation on the board, would seem to
Taimanov underestimates the combi-
national possibilities in the position and
allows a spectacular blow. He should
132 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

have eliminated the knight at d4: 28 ... gxf6, and only now 38 ~xh5, when the
j,xd4 29 j,xd4 e3! 30 ~el (30 j,xe3 queen on the 5th rank parries the possible
~e4), and only now 30 ... a4, when 31 perpetual check in the above variation.
~xe3leads to a position where both sides
37 ... ~xd8
ha ve chances.
38 f6!
29 tDxe6!
This move concludes the struggle in
The bishop at f2 is immune on account this interesting game.
of ~xh5.
38 '" gxf6 39 ~xh5 ~a7 40 ~hl ~d3 41
29 ... d4 ~c5! ~xa3+ 42 ~xa3 dl=~ 43 ~xdl
30 f5! d3 ~xdl 44 ~e7 Black resigns

Black has no choice, and he tries to

confuse matters.
Minic-Fischer
31 j,xc5 Rovinj/Zagreb 1970
Of course, not 31 cxd3 ~xd3+ 32 ~xd3 1 e4 c5 2 tDf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tDxd4 tDf6
~xd3, when a hard struggle is still in 5 tDc3 a6 6 j,g5 e6 7 f4 j,e7 8 ~f3 ~c7
prospect. 9 0-0-0 tDbd7 10 g4 b5 11 j,xf6 tDxf6 12
g5 tDd7 13 a3 ~b8 14 h4 b4 15 axb4 ~xb4
31 ... b3
16 j,h3 (153)
32 cxb3!?
The technical realization of White's
153
advantage by 32 cxd3 ~xd3+ 33 ~xd3
~xd3 34 ~el would have been safer, but
he prefers to continue the tactical battle.
32 ... axb3 33 axb3 ~a6 34 j,a3 d2!?
Like a drowning man clutching at a
straw, Black battles on to the end, seeking
practical chances. White, in a winning
position, must be on the alert.
35 tDxd8
35 ~xh5? would have unexpectedly
allowed Black to win by 35 '" ~d3+ 36 Theory states that 13 a3 does not give
Wa2 ~xa3+!' White any opening advantage, since in
this case the ... b4 break gains in strength.
35 ... ~d3+ 36 Wa2 e3 37 ~h2
The most critical continuation is 13 f5,
37 ~xh5? again does not work, since with an immediate attack on Black's
Black forces a draw after 37 ... ~xa3+! 38 front-line pawn at e6.
Wxa3 ~d6+! 39 b4 (39 Wa4 ~d7+) 39 .. ,
16 ... 0-0
~d3+ 40 Wa2 (or 40 Wa4) 40 ... ~a6+ 41
Wbl ~d3+, with perpetual check. True, 16 ... tDc5 was usually played here,
White also had another way to win: 37 f6! preventing the sacrifice 17 tDxe6. By
 Middlegame Attacks 133

contrast, the American grandmaster as If now 22 i.f5 then Black had prepared
though invites his opponent to make this 23 ... ~xc2+! 24 Wxc2 1iWc7+ 25 Wbl
sacrifice, having possibly prepared some- ttJc3+ 26 Wc2 ttJxd 1+ 27 Wxd 1 ~d4+ etc.
thing. As shown by the game Kuzmin-
23 ... ~a4 24 Wb1 d5 25 c4
K. Grigorian (Leningrad 1971), after 17
ttJxe6 fxe6 18 i.xe6+ Wh8 19 ttJd5 1iWc4! 25 i.f5 does not achieve anything after
(best) 20 i.xd7 i.xd7 21 ttJxe7 i.a4 22 25 ... exf5 26 1iWh3 ttJc3+.
1iWd3 1iWa2 23 1iWa3 1iWxa3 24 bxa3 ~xe4 25 25 ... ~axc4 26 i.f1 ~b4 27 1iWh3
ttJd5 ~e2 26 ~d2 ~xd2 27 Wxd2 i.c6 28
c4 i.xd5 29 cxd5 ~xf4 30 ~bl wg8, White tries to create threats, but Black
Black gains a draw. gets there first.
17 ttJf5 ttJc5 18 ttJxe7+ 1iWxe7 19 h5? 27 ... ttJc3+ 28 Wc1 ttJa4+ 29 Wb1
~xb2+! 30 ~xb2 ttJc3+ 31 Wc1 1iWa3 32
The Yugoslav grandmaster stubbornly
i.d3 1iWa1 + 33 Wd2 1iWxb2+ 34 WeI ttJe4
tries to develop his attack on the kingside,
White resigns
but the further course of the game demon-
strates that this plan is incorrect. He
should have intensified the pressure in the
centre with 19 1iWe3! followed by 20 ~d4 Fischer-Geller
and 21 ~hdl. Skopje 1967
19 ... i.b7 20 h6 i.xe4 21 ttJxe4 ttJxe4 1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6
22 hxg7 (154) 5 ttJc3 ttJc66 i.c4 e6 7 i.e3 i.e7 8 i.b30-0
9 1iWe2 1iWa5 100-0-0 ttJxd411 i.xd4 i.d712
154 Wb1 i.c6? 13 f4 ~ad8 14 ~hf1 b5 (155)

155

22 ~c8!

The opening of the b- and c-files enables

In the opinion of Geller, White's posi-
Black to be the first to reach the opponent's
tion is won (be~ause of Black's mistake
king. Of course, he could not play 22 ...
on his 12th move; 12 ... ~fd80r 12 ... ~fc8
Wxg7?, since after 23 i.f5! exf5 White
was correct), "but to show this requires
would have won by the rook sacrifice 24
very energetic and exact play in a highly
~xh7+ Wxh7 25 1iWh5+ wg7 26 ~hl.
complex position". The American grand-
23 ~h2 master chooses the correct plan of attack,
134 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
but then loses his way.
15 f5!
Fischer carries out the main idea of the
Sozin Attack. In such positions he many
times demonstrated powerful and purpose-
ful play. But in the present game, although
he comes up with a brilliant plan, he is
unable to put it successfully into practice.
15 ... b4 16 fxe6! bxc3 17 exf7+
Also possible was the continuation
suggested by Murey and Boleslavsky: 17
:t1xf6! gxf6 18 exf7+ (18 ~g4+ ~g5! 19
exf7+ 'ilxf7 20 ~e6 'ilf8 21 ~xe7 ~d2!)
18 ... Wh8 (if 18 ... :t1xj7 19 Ji.xj7+ Wxj7
20 ~c4+ and then 21 ~xc6) 19 ~g4! :t1b8
(19 ... Ji.d7 does not help, in view of 20
~h4 Wg7 21 :t1d3 :t1xj7 22 :t1g3+ Wf8 23
~xh7) 20 ~e6 ~d8 21 :t1fl :t1b4 22 Ji.xc3
:§:xe4 23 :t1xf6! :t1e 1+ 24 Ji.xel Ji.xf6 25
Ji.a5!, and White wins.
If Black replies to 17 :t1xf6! with 17 ...
Ji.xf6, then after 18 Ji.xf6 gxf6 19 e7 ~e5
20 exd8=~ 'ilxd8 21 ~c4 Ji.e8 22 ~xc3
White has a great positional advantage.
17 ... Wh8
18 :t1f5 ~b4!
Now ... :t1xf7 is a possibility.
19 ~f1 ttJxe4
20 a3? (156)
156
Up to his last move Fischer has played
splendidly, and by a correct piece sacrifice
he has gained a winning attack. As he
himself showed in later analysis, he could
have won by 20 ~f4!, when there appears
to be no defence against the threat of 21
:t1h5.
If 20 .. , cxb2, then 21 :t1h5! ttJc3+ 22
Wxb2 ttJxdl + (22 ... :t1xf7 23 ~xj7 ttJxdl+
24 Wb1 ~xd4 25 lhh7+! Wxh7 26 ~h5
mate) 23 WeI :t1xf7 24 Ji.xf7, with the
unavoidable rook sacrifice 25 :t1xh7+!
Wxh7 26 ~f5+. White wins more easily in
the variation 21 ... Ji.f6 22 ~f5 h6 23
'ilxh6+! gxh6 24 ~g6, while on 21 ... ttJf6
he plays 22 'ilh6! with the threat of 23
'ilxf6.
Other continuations also fail to save
Black: 20 ... ttJd2+ 21 :t1xd2 cxd2 22 c3!,
when both 22 ... ~xb3 and 22 ... ~b7
lose to 23 Ji.xg7+ Wxg7 24 ~g4+ Wh8 25
~d4+, or 20 ... d5 21 ~e5 ttJf6 22 :t1xf6
Ji.xf6 23 ~xf6!.
Thus by playing energetically White
could have won. But as the further course
of the game shows, the tempo wasted by
Fischer proves precious - the situation
changes sharply.
20 ~b7
21 ~f4 (157)
157
21 ... Ji.a4!!
 Middlegame Attacks 135

Geller immediately exploits the weaken- prospects of counterplay.

ing of the b3 square, and Black's threats
15 ~f2 :g:b8
become irresistible.
16 h4 ct:Ja4!
22 ~g4
The idea of this unusual knight man-
On 22 ~h6 there would have followed oeuvre is to exchange a piece defending
22 ... i.f623 :g:xf6 i.xb3 24 cxb3 (24 :g:xd6 the king. Naturally, it is unfavourable for
i.a2+) 24 ... ~xb3 25 :g:f2 ~xd 1+ and 26 White to take on a4, since this opens the
... ~xd4. b-file. In the event of 16 ... b4 17 ct:Je2 a5
18 ct:Jed4 the white knight would have
22 ... i.f6
been excellently placed in the centre.
23 :g:xf6 i.xb3!
17 i.d2 ct:Jxe3 18 i.xe3 b4 19 i.d2 a5
White resigns. Against 24 ... ~a2+ and
24 ... ct:Jxf6 there is no defence. Black imitates his opponent, byadvan-
cing his pawns.
20 Wbl a4 21 ct:Jc1 i.d7 22 ..td3 lUe8
Nezhmetdinov-Taimanov
We see that each player has his sights
Baku 1951
set on the enemy king.
1 e4 e5 2 ct:Jf3 ct:Je6 3 d4 exd4 4 ct:Jxd4
23 h5 etJa5 24 f5 etJe4 25 f6 .ifS (159)
ct:Jf65 ct:Jc3 d6 6 i.g5 e6 7 ~d2 i.e7 8 0-0-0
0-0 9 ct:Jb3 ~6 10 i.e3 ~e7 11 f3 a6 (158)
159
158

26 g6!
12 g4 b5 A picturesque position! The white pawns
have reached the enemy defences, which
A typical picture with castling on oppo-
seem about to collapse, and yet it proves
site sides: the infantry is thrown forward.
not so easy to take them. Such positions
13 g5 ct:Jd7 contain an inconceivable number ofpossi-
14 f4 ct:Jb6 bilities, and it is not always possible to
find the strongest continuation of the
Black's knight aims for the queenside
attack.
to support his pawn storm. The direct 14
... b4 fails to 15 ct:Ja4, when Black has no 26 ... ~e5!
136 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

By offering the exchange of queens,

Black tries to safeguard himself against
160
further dangers.
27 gxh7+
As was shown later, White should have
maintained the tension and retained his
threats by 27 '¥Wg2. But now the black king
finds shelter behind the enemy pawn,
which essentially acts as a defender.
27 ... Wh8!
28 '¥Wxc5
This simplification favours Black, and
gradually the initiative passes to him. the opponent.
28 ... :S:xc5 14 g5 lLld7
29 ..tf4 15 f5!?
In Taimanov's opinion, an inaccuracy When you very much want to win a
- White should have eliminated the power- game, it is often necessary at some point
ful knight at c4. to overstep the bounds of risk, by provok-
ing unfathomable complications. With
29 ... gxf6 30 lLle2 lLle531 ..te3 :S:cc832
his last move White tries to provoke a
:S:hgl Wxh7 33 h6 b3!
hand-to-hand fight as soon as possible,
At last Black takes decisive action. His but in doing so he seriously weakens his
counterattack proceeds unchecked. central e5 square. On reaching there, a
black knight can successfully combine
34 cxb3 axb3 35 a3 lLlxd3 36 :S:xd3 :S:c2,
two functions - defending the kingside
and Black realized his advantage.
and attacking the opponent's castled posi-
tion.
15 .,. b4 16 lLle2 as 17 '¥Wh3 exf5?
Kengis-Nevednichy
Moscow 1979 An unfortunate exchange, which proves
to be a serious positional mistake, since
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 a6
White now acquires the d5 square, for
5 .id3 .ic56 lLlb3 .ia7 7 '¥We2 lLlc68 ..te3
which his knight immediately heads. The
.ixe39 '¥Wxe3 lLlf6 10 lLlc3 d6 11 0-0-00-0
correct move was 17 ... lLlde5, when it is
12 f4 '¥Wc7
difficult for White to increase the pres-
sure, e.g. 18 f6 .id7 19 fxg7 :S:fe8 with a
(diagram 160)
promising game for Black, or 18 lLlbd4
.id7!, again with the better chances.
13 g4 b5!
18 exf5 lLlde5 19 lLlf4 a4 20 lLld5 '¥Wd8
Again we see a familiar picture. It
21 :S:hgl!
would have been foolhardy to take the
'poisoned' g4 pawn, opening the g-file for With the direct threat of 22 lLlf6+.
 Middlegame Attacks 137

21 .,. ltJxd3+ ~d5 i.e6 35 ltJxe6 h2 36 :§.xg6+ Black

22 :§.xd3 ltJe5 resigns
On 22 ... axb3 there would still have
followed 23 ltJf6+!.
23 ltJf6+! gxf6 (161) Vidarsson-Polugayevsky
Akureyri 1988
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 5
ltJc3 a6 6 f4 ~c7 7 i.e2 e6 8 g4 b5 9 g5
ltJfd7 10 a3 i.e7 11 h4 ltJc612 ltJxc6 ~xc6
13 i.f3 i.b7 14 ~e2 0-0 15 i.d2 :§.ac8
16 :§.h3 ~c7 17 h5 (162)

162

24 ~6!!

This move, 'quiet' but of terrible strength,

is the point of White's plan. Black faces
loss of material.
24 ... ltJxd3+
24 ... <;t>h8 would not have saved Black,
Without yet safeguarding his king,
in view of 25 :§.h3 i.xf5 26 g6! with
White hurries to force a breach by g5-g6.
inevitable mate.
For his part, Black has completed his
25 <;t>bl! mobilization on the queenside, and is
fully prepared for the opponent to castle
White must not waste time on captur-
long, the weakening move a2-a3 being an
ing the knight, since in the variation 25
additional trump in his favour.
cxd3 <;t>h8! 26 g6 (26 gxf6 :§.g8 27 :§.g7
i.xj5) 26 ... fxg6 27 fxg6 Black has the 17 ... :§.fe8!
saving check 27 ... ~c7+ followed by 28
An important prophylactic measure,
... ~g7.
noteworthy of this type of position. Before
25 ... fxg5 26 f6 ~xf6 27 ~xf6 g4 28 creating concrete threats on the c-file (for
~g5+ <;t>h8 29 ~f6+ <;t>g8 30 ltJd4 ltJe5 example, by ... ltJb6-c4), with his seeming-
31 h3! ly modest rook manoeuvre Black sets up
in advance a barrier against White's
The quickest way to win, after which
plans, and thereby reduces the tempo of
there followed:
his attack. Thus in the event of 18 f5 exf5
31 ... h5 32 ~g5+ ltJg6 33 ~xh5 gxh3 34 White has to reckon with the opening of
138 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

the e-file, while after 18 g6 fxg6 19 hxg6 h6 25 Jl:g3

and then 20 ... i.f8 Black securely defends
White is relying on the g-file, but
his front-line pawns at e6 and h6, and
Black is the first to land a blow along the
prevents White from opening the g-file.
c-file.
18 ~g2
25 QJd3+
White decides against castling; on 18 26 Wfl Jl:xc3! (163)
0-0-0 there could have followed 18 ... d5,
when c2, the "Achilles' heel" of his posi-
tion, makes itself felt.
18 ... i.f8
Black's final preparations are complete,
and now his hands are freed for deter-
mined action on the queenside. Since
after 19 0-0-0 there comes an immediate
pa wn storm by ... a5 and ... b4, when
White's king is in trouble, he prefers to
lea ve it in the centre.
Wishing to change the course of events,
with the following pawn sacrifice White
transfers his bishop to the al-h8 diagonal, This shatters White's dreams, as his
by which he hopes to increase the effective- last hope - the bishop at c3 - is elimi-
ness of the g5-g6 breakthrough. But Black's nated.
excellently coordinated pieces are better
27 QJxc3
prepared for the coming battle.
Forced. On 27 Jl:xg6 Black had pre-
19 QJe2 ~xc2 20 i.c3 QJc5 21 g6 fxg6
pared the terrible 27 ... QJel!!, and if 28
22 hxg6 hxg6
Wxe 1 Jl:xf3.
Of course, 22 ... h6 was also possible,
27 .,. ~xg2+ 28 i.xg2 QJf429 i.e4 i.h5
when White was intending to continue 23
30 i.f3 d5 31 i.xh5 QJxh5 32 Jl:e3?
f5. But Black is not afraid of ghosts, and
he accepts the challange. This time trouble blunder merely hastens
White's inevitable defeat.
23 f5
32 ... d4 33 Jl:e5 QJg3+ 34 Wg2 dxc3
23 ~xg6 ixe4 24 ~h5 would have
White resigns
offered better chances.
23 .. , i.xe4
24 fxg6
Polugayevsky-Boleslavsky
24 i.xe4 ~xe4 25 ~xe4 QJxe4 25 fxg6 is Riga 1958
hopeless in view of 26 ... e5! followed by
1 e4 c5 2 QJf3 QJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 QJxd4
27 ... Jl:e6, when the g6 pawn is doomed.
QJf6 5 QJc3 d6 6 i.g5 e6 7 ~d2 i.e 7 8 0-0-0
24 .. , i.xg6 0-0 9 QJb3 ~b6 10 i.e3 (164)
 Middlegame Attacks
164
This was one of those rare instances
when I ventured to play 1 e4!, thus playing
as though against myself, since this was a
meeting of two 'confirmed' Sicilian players.
White's last move has to be criticized.
He should not have immediately driven
the enemy queen to its favourite post, at
the same time making it easier for ... b5 to
be played. The logical continuation was
10 f3 (threatening 11 $.,xf6) and then 11
g4.
10 ... IJJ!ic7 11 f3 a6 12 g4 b5 13 g5 ltJd7
14 f4 ltJb6
As a result, White himself has expedited
the manoeuvre of the black knight to the
queenside, where it has put under fire the
important c4 and a4 squares. Of course,
I did not want to make the weakening
move 15 a3, although this would have
kept my knight at c3 in the centre of
events.
Note that the same position was reached
in the game Nezhmetdinov-Taimanov,
Baku 1951 (cf. p.l35).
15 f5 b4 16 ltJbl ltJe5 17 f6
White is obliged to act resolutely. A
'quiet' life would not have promised
anything: 17 ltJd4 ~b7 18 ~g2 ltJbc4 19
lJJ!ie2 ltJxe3 20 ~xe3 exf5.
139
Superficially one gains the impression
that, by opening the g-file, White is the
first to force a breach and is bound to
triumph. But in fact, such a perception of
the situation is deceptive. A more thorough
evaluation of the attacking and defensive
resources reveals that it is Black, rather
than White, who has achieved some real
gains. By carrying out the thematic ... b4,
he has essentially blocked in the white
knight, which in addition has taken away
from its king the only safe square in view
of the mounting threats along the c-file.
For the moment, the other knight at b3
also has no bearing on the kingside. But,
of course, the position is very tense,
and the slightest mistake will be irrepar-
able.
17 ... gxf6 18 gxf6 ~xf6 19 ~g5 ~g7 20
llgl ?
This natural move is in fact ruinous, as
Boleslavsky convincingly demonstrates
by brilliant play. White should have
continued pursuing the black bishop with
20 ~h6!, since only by exchanging it can
he create threats on the dark squares.
Of course, on 20 ~h6 he has to reckon
with 20 ... ltJec4 (20 ... ~b 721 llg 1 ltJg6 is
also interesting) 21 ~xc4 ltJxc4, and if 22
~g2 then 22 ... f6 and 23 ... llf7 with an
extra pawn. But White has available the
tactical 22 llhgl ltJxd2 23 llxg7+! (not
23 llxd2 f6 or 23 ~xg7 ltJxb3+ 24 axb3 h5
25 ~h6+ ~h7 26 ~xf8 ~b7) 23 ... ~h8 24
llg2 ltJxb3+ 25 axb3, when Black has no
more than a draw: 25 ... llg8 26 llxg8+
~xg8 27 llgl + ~h8 28 ~g7+, with
perpetual check.
20 ltJg6
21 ~h6 ~e5! (165)
A splendid and typical exchange
sacrifice; for the sake of his fine dark-
square bishop, Black does not begrudge
140 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
a rook! After 22 ~xfS WxfS 23 ~6+
Wg8 24 h4 ~b7 25 h5 lic8 White has
no defence along the c-file, e.g. 26 ~d3
d5! 27 lidfl ~g7 28 ~e3 dxe4 29 hxg6
hxg6 30 .,txe4 ~e5.
22 h4 ~b7 23 h5 life8 24 hxg6 hxg6 25
~e2
Apart from 25 ... ~xe4, Black was also
threatening 25 ... ttJa4.
25 ... ttJa4
26 ttJd4 ttJe5
Black has a pleasant choice. He also
has a winning position after 26 ... ~c5
27 .te3 ~xe4 28 lid2 liab8! followed by
the decisive 29 ... ttJc3.
27 ~g2 ~a5
28 ~e4 ttJa4
With both players short of time, Black
forces a draw by repetition of moves. A
pity! Afterwards the two participants
spent several hours analyzing the game
and came to a definite conclusion: by 28
... ~c6! Black could have placed his
opponent in a hopeless position. After 29
a3 (the deadly 29 ... ~b5 was threatened,
and 29 ttJxc6 lixc6 30 c3 liac8 does not
help) 29 ... bxa3 30 ttJxa3 liab8 Black's
attack on the b-and c-files is irresistible.
Velimirovic-M.Nikolic
Yugoslavia 1967
1 e4 e5 2 ttJf3 ttJe6 3 d4 exd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6
5 ttJe3 d6 6 ~e4 e6 7 ~e3 ~e7 8 ~e2 0-0 9
0-0-0 ~e7 10 .tb3 a6 11 g4 ttJxd412 lixd4
(166)
166
One of the most uncompromising vari-
ations of the Sozin Attack; here the attacks
on opposite flanks are especially tense.
With his next few moves White aims his
pieces at the kingside, and his threats on
the h-file, to where he intends to transfer
his heavy units, are extremely dangerous.
The utmost accuracy in his choice of
concrete action is therefore demanded of
Black. It is important for him not to delay
with his counterplay, but simultaneously
he must devise defensive measures against
White's attack. Modern-day theory con-
siders that Black should not hurry with
the exchange on d4, and as a better plan
recommends 11 ... ttJd7 and 12 ... ttJc5.
12 ... b5 13 g5 ttJd7 14 ~5 ttJe5?!
This knight manoeuvre does not cause
White any difficulty, and merely assists
his initiative. Correct was the prophylactic
14 ... lid8!, vacating fS for the bishop to
defend the king's position, and then pre-
paring rapid counterplay on the queenside,
 Middlegame Attacks 141

where the white king has taken shelter.

For example: 15 :§:gl (l5liJd5?!isrefuted
167
by 15 ... exd5 16 hd5 liJe5!, Kuzmin-
Vdovin, correspondence 1977) 15 ... g6!
16 ~h4 liJc5 17 f4 :§:b8! 18 f5 a5, and the
storm clouds also gather over the position
of the white king, Radulov-Ribli, Kecs-
kemet 1972.
15 f4 liJc6 16 :§:d3 liJb4 17 :§:d2
Black's venture has essentially failed.
White's c2 square is completely safe,
whereas Black's knight has blocked the
path of his b-pawn, which in principle is
inadmissible in the Sicilian Defence. As a Such a 'sharp' specialist as the Yugoslav
result he is unable to create any concrete grandmaster Velimirovic was bound to
threats, and White's attack on the kingside find a sacrifice of this kind!
clearly gets there first.
27 ... liJxh8
17 ... :§:d8 18 f5 g6 19 fxg6 hxg6 20 ~h4 28 g6 ~f6

20 ~d I! followed by 21 h4 was possibly Or 28 ... d5 29 :§:xh8+ ~xh8 30 ~xe5+.

even stronger.
29 gxf7++ ~f8
20 ... liJc6 30 :§:h7!
Admitting the failure of his plan. A spectacular conclusion.
21 ~g3 liJe5 30 ... liJxf7 31 ~g6! ~g5+ 32 ~bl :§:d7
22 h4 ~b7 33 ~g7+ ~e8 34 ~g8+ Black resigns

22 b4 would have offered better

chances.
23 h5 Vasyukov-Ulyanov
Sochi 1966
After the opening of the h-file it is all
over, since the white rooks are ready to be 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 liJf65
doubled. Black is in such a disastrous liJc3 a6 6 ~g5 e6 7 f4 ~e7 8 ~f3 ~c7 9
position that White does not have to 0-0-0 liJbd7 10 g4 b5 11 a3 :§:b8 12 ~xf6
worry about giving up material. The liJxf6 13 g5 liJd7 14 f5
following sacrifices are most spectacular.
Lines with a2-a3 in the Najdorf Vari-
23 ... b4 ation do not usually bring White any
24 hxg6! liJxg6 advantage, since in reply to his attacking
thrust on the kingside Black succeeds
24 ... bxc3 fails to 25 :§:h8+!.
(usually more quickly) in creating counter-
25 :§:dh2 bxc3 26 ~d4 e5 27 :§:h8+!! threats along the b-file by advancing ...
(167) b4. With his last move White has offered
142 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

a temporary pawn sacrifice. Theory re- secure, which cannot be said about its
commends that it be accepted, evaluating white counterpart. White's attack has
the position as favourable for Black: 14 ... petered out, and Black begins to create
.txgS+ IS WblliJeSI6~hS'ti'd817fxe6 unpleasant threats in the vicinity of the
0-0 18 .th3 g6 19 ~e2 b4 20 axb4 :§:xb4 21 enemy king.
liJdS :§:xd4 22 :§:xd4 fxe6, and for the ex-
19 exf7+ :§:xf7 20 ~g3 .tf6 21 :§:gl
change he has a splendid knight in the
centre and excellent piece play, van der 21 'ti'xg6 is bad in view of 21 ... 'ti'c3.
Wiel-Andersson, Moscow 1982.
21 ... as 22 bS 'ti'cS 23 liJc6 .tg4!
14 liJcS
Brilliant! The bishop is immune, on
IS b4 (168)
account of 24 ... .tc3. The immediate 23
... .tc3 would not have worked, in view of
24 ~xd6. The diversionary manoeuvre
carried out by Black also has another
significant point: it exploits the acquisi-
tion of the gS square to neutralize the
threat of 24 :§:dS, as in fact occtlrs in the
game.
24 :§:dS .tgS+ 2S Wb2 ~xc6 26 'ti'xg4
.tf6+ 27 wet 'ti'c3
Breaking into the king's position along
the dark squares. The presence of opposite-
colour bishops merely increases the attack-
ing energy of the black pieces, and here
White hurries to drive away the knight,
we see very clearly the great difference in
but in doing so he weakens his queenside
the 'worth' of the two bishops!
defences. More natural is IS f6 gxf6 16
gxf6 .tf8 17 .th3 or 17 'ti'hS, with the 28 :§:d3 'ti'al + 29 Wd2 .td4 30 :§:f3
initiative. (169)
IS ... liJa4 16 liJxa4 bxa4 17 g6?
169
A mistake, which has serious conse-
quences. White allows Black to shelter his
king by castling and gives the dark-square
bishop the opportunity to deploy itself
very powerfully on the al-h8 diagonal.
Only after 17 f6 gxf6 18 gxf6 could White
hope for an advantage.
17 ... hxg6
18 fxe6 O-O!
The picture has turned through 180°.
Now the black king feels comparatively
 Middlegame Attacks 143

N ow on 30 ... .txg1 there follows 31

Spassky-Geller
'i¥e6, and meanwhile 31 .tc4 is threatened.
Sukhumi 1968
White appears to be alright, but now
comes another blow on the dark squares! 1 e4 c5 2 et::Jc3 d6 3 g3 et::Jc6 4 .tg2 g6 5 d3
.tg7 6 f4 et::Jf6 7 et::Jf3 0-0 8 0-0 :Sb8 9 h3 b5
30 .tf2!
10 a3 as 11 .te3 b4 12 axb4 axb4 13 et::Je2
With the deadly threat of 31 ... 'i¥e1+. .tb7 (170)
And on 31 :Sxf7 there follows a mating
finish: 31 ... 'i¥e 1+ 32 Wd3 'i¥e3+ 33 Wc4
'i¥d4 mate.
31 .tc4 'i¥d4+ 32 We2 'i¥xc4+ 33 Wxf2
'i¥xc2+ 34 Wg3 :Sxf3+ 35 'i¥xf3 :Sxb5
The white king has escaped to the
opposite flank, but this has not made its
life any easier. Black has a decisive mat-
erial advantage, and irresistible threats.
36 :Sg2 :Sg5+ 37 Wh3 'i¥xg2+ 38 'i¥xg2
:Sxg2 39 Wxg2 Wf7 40 h3 g5 White resigns

In the preceding examples we have

observed mutual attacks on the two king
positions. However, a no less sharp con-
flict can arise when one player, let us say
White, attacks the enemy king, while the
other, Black, is active on the other side,
from which the white king is absent. By
seizing the initiative on the queenside,
Black aims to divert there a part of the
opponent's resources, and thus markedly
reduce the effectiveness of White's attack.
This picture is typical ofthe Closed Vari-
ation of the Sicilian Defence. Experience
has shown that Black's counter-threats
are quite serious, and so this set-up occurs
rather rarely in tournaments. Even so, the
Closed Variation is a double-edged weapon.
As was convincingly shown by the 1968
Spassky-Geller Candidates match, Black
must all the time be on the alert since, in
contrast to White, whose sights are set on
the king, he is attacking, metaphorically
speaking, 'bare walls'.
Here is the sixth game from the match.
14 b3!
In his comments on the game Geller
gives this move an exclamation mark, for
Spassky's anticipation of the coming events.
In the fourth game of the match White
played 14 'i¥d2, and after 14 ... :Sa8 IS
:Sb 1 'i¥aS! 16 b3 Black failed to find the
strongest continuation 16 ... dS!, which
would have given him a good game, e.g.
17 eS d4 18 .tf2 et::JdS.
14 :Sa8
15 :set :Sa2
The seizure of the a-file by Black's
heavy pieces comes into his plans, only it
must be carried out consistently and
energetically, and at a certain point he
should have ... dS in mind.
16 g4 'i¥a8?
A loss of precious time. 16 ... 'i¥aS was
significantly stronger, and if 17 'i¥el then
17 ... 'i¥bS 18 'i¥f2 :Sfa8 followed by 19 ...
144 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

ctJd7 and 20 ... ~al. If 27 ... i.xh6 then 28 ctJxh6 We8 29

17 ~el ~a6?
The final and decisive mistake, after
which White's attack develops with great
speed. There were still chances of setting
up a defence after 17 ... d5 18 e5 ctJd7 19
~4e6.
18 ~f2 ctJa7
Black embarks on a prolonged knight
manoeuvre, clearly underestimating the
imminent dangers on the kingside. The
last try was again to play 18 ... d5,
although he would have lost a pawn after
19 e5 d4 20 exf6 dxe3 21 ~xe3 i.xf6 22
~xc5.
19 f5 ctJb5 20 fxg6 hxg6 21 ctJg5 ctJa3 22
~h4 ~c8 (171)
ctJg8 !.
28 ~xg7+ We8
29 g5
Also possible was 29 e5 i.xg2 30 e6
with inevitable mate.
29 ... f5 30 ~xg6+ Wd7 31 ~f7+ wc632
exf5+ Black resigns
We already know how important it is
for Black to play actively on the queenside
as a counter to White's attack on the
kingside, where both kings are sheltered,
although in this case it would appear that
Black does not harass the main enemy
piece. But in fact, by counterattacking on
the queenside, Black diverts part of White's
forces from the kingside, and thereby
'softens' his threats.
And, on the contrary, any delay in the
taking of determined measures (usually
on the c-file) can have tragic consequences
for Black. The reader will have seen this
in several games examined earlier, in
particular in the chapter where the pro-
blems of flank attacks were studied.
Here is another fresh example from my
own experience: a game played in the
England-USSR Match, from the 1990
Visa/IBM 'Chess Summit'.

23 ~xf6!
Mestel-Polugayevsky
This exchange sacrifice decides the
outcome.
Reykjavik 1990
1 e4 c5 2 ctJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJf6 5
23 ... exf6 24 ~h7+ WfS 25 ctJxf7 ~xc2
ctJc3 a6 6 f4 e6 7 ~f3 ~b6
After 25 ... Wxf7 26 ctJf4 White's attack
Black submits to the influence of fashion.
is deadly (26 .,. ~g8 27 ~xg6+ We7 28
ctJh5). He does not wish to allow the sharp
variation 7 ... ctJc68 i.e3 and then 9 0-0-0,
26 i.h6 ~xc1+ although objectively this is the most
27 ctJxcl Wxf7 logical for him.
 Middlegame Attacks
8 ttJb3 'V)jfc7 9 g4 b5 10 ~d3 ~b7 11 g5
ttJfd7 12 ~e3 ttJc5!?
The standard continuation is 12 ...
ttJc6, but during the game I wanted to
exploit immediately the position of the
white bishop at d3, since 13 ttJxc5 dxc5 is
unfavourable for White.
13 a3 ttJc6
14 0-0 (172)
172
14 ... ~e7?!
It is hard to criticize this move, but in
the given concrete situation this natural
development of the bishop is the cause of
Black's subsequent troubles. Yet another
example of how great the value of a single
move is in our opening.
The truth was to be found in the
fianchetto of the bishop: 14 ... g6, and if
15 h4 then 15 ... ~g7!, not fearing 16
ttJxc5 dxc5 17 ~xc5 in view of 17 ... ttJd4
18 ~xd4 ~xd4+, when the extra pawn is
little consolation to White in his battle
against Black's two splendid bishops.
And after 15 'V)jff2 ttJxb3 16 cxb3 ~g7 the
black bishop would have immediately
moved onto an active diagonal.
15 'V)jff2
Forcing Black to decide which piece to
145
take: knight or bishop? 15 ... ttJxd3 did
not appeal on account of 16 cxd3 0-0 17 f5
!ife8 18 g6! hxg6 19 fxe6 fxe6 20 'V)jff7+,
but the cool 18 ... ~f6! is possible, when
the fate of the game remains an open
question.
15 ... ttJxb3 16 cxb3 0-0 17 h4 !ife8
Black plays routinely, failing to take into
account the fact that after the exchange
on b3 the picture on the queenside has
qualitatively changed. He no longer has
time for prophylaxis. He should have
immediately 'displayed his character' and
harassed the white knight by 17 ... b4!.
Only in this case could he have gained
counterplay on the queenside.
18 b4!
By this stabilizing pawn advance White
immobilizes the enemy pieces. Black's
play on the c-file comes to a standstill,
whereas on the kingside White's hands
are freed. In football language, the play is
all at one end. A player cannot afford to
waste his own trumps!
18 ~f8
19 !iad1 g6
After the loss of several tempi, Black
reverts to the plan mentioned earlier, but
it is already too late. White is fully
prepared for a kingside pawn storm.
Black would probably have done better
to 'grit his teeth' and play 19 ... 'V)jfe7
followed by 20 ... !iad8.
20 h5 ~g7
21 ~b1
There is no reason to hurry, and White
deploys his pieces in the best way possible,
making use of the d-file. Black no longer
has the patience to watch passively as
White increases the pressure, and he goes
in for desperate complications, but the
146 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

hopeless weakening of his position merely to the weakness of his d6 pawn Black is
hastens the logical outcome. paralyzed.
21 ... fS?! 22 gxf6 i.xf6 23 hxg6 hxg6? 24 ... Wfe7
After this Black loses his last hopes. Or 24 ... Wfg7 25 il:xd6 g5 26 f5.
Only by 23 ... ~h8 might he have counted ..
25 Wfg3' gS
on something, although after 24 e5 dxe5
25 fxe5 ~xe5 26 Wfh4 or simply 24 f5 he On 25 ... ~h8 White would have won
has little to be cheerful about. by 26 E:d2! E:g8 27 e5 dxe5 (27 ... ~h4 28
exd6, or 28 Wfg4! dxe5 29 E:h2 g5 30 Wfh5+
24 ~b6! (173)
~g7 31 Wfg6+) 28 ~c5 Wff7 (28 ... Wfe8
29 liJe4) 29 fxe5.
26 eS! liJxeS
26 ... dxe5 27 fxg5 ~h8 (27 ... jL,xg528
liJe4) 28 ~c5 would have been equally
hopeless.
27 fxeS ~xeS 28 Wfg4 E:ac8 29liJe4 E:c4
30 b3!
The black rook is not destined to show
its worth along the fourth rank. White's
extra knight decides the game.
30 ... E:c6 31 liJxgS E:xb6 32 E:f7 Wfxf7
Mestel finds the best continuation; due 33 liJxf7+ i.g7 and Black resigned .
5 Defensive Procedures
For chess players who are afraid of
ghosts, and are not ready to meet danger
face to face, the Sicilian Defence is sheer
hell. And they would do better not to
tempt fate, but immediately turn to some-
thing different.
The reality of chess life willy-nilly
forces one of the players periodically to
end up in an unpleasant position 'on the
ropes', when he has to experience the
powerful pressure of the opponent. And
without the ability to withstand in such a
situation, without great skill in defence,
there is little chance of a successful out-
come. It is no accident that all the World
Champions have been outstanding spe-
cialists in the saving of difficult, and at
times critical, situations. It is hardly
necessary to explain how great the value
of defence is in the 'Defence Sicilian',
where in many variations the attacks can
be especially fierce and lethal. It only
requires the defender - and the formula of
the opening is such that this usually
means Black - to delay slightly or retreat,
and disaster will be imminent. Resource-
fulness and ingenuity, precise calculation
of variations and tactical vision, boldness
in the taking of important decisions -
these are the components of worthy
defence. And a basis for it is provided by a
belief in one's own powers and in the
inexhaustible nature of chess, which con-
tains enormous reserves for the saving of
a lost cause.
147
5.1 The Tragedy of Poor Defence
What is meant by weak defence? In the
first instance - passive and planless actions
in creating counter-measures. In such
cases the attacker acquires complete free-
dom. Seeing the helplessness of the oppo-
nent, he can calmly take risks and even
bluff.
From their own know-how, experienced
Sicilian players are deeply aware that
only active, and at times desperate, defence
is capable of giving real chances of survival.
The lack of the required sense of danger
can also prove highly unpleasant for the
defender.
We have already seen several examples
of the sad consequences of such dubious
enterprises as the unnecessary weakening
of the king's pawn screen, or excessive
'greed', when in the process of 'grabbing'
pawns a player completely forgets about
his most important piece.
In the Sicilian an optimist, lacking in
vigilance and not taking full account of
the opponent's attacking potential, is very
quickly transformed into a pessimist ...
We will consider a few instances where
poor quality defence by Black quickly left
his position in flames.
Martsinkevich- Krinitsky
USSR 1975-76
148 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lbxd4 lbf6 5 lbf6 16 lbce4 lbbd7 17 :tl:xd7 etc.

lbc3 a6 6 .tg5 e6 7 f4 b5 8 e5 dxe5 9 fxe5
'iHc7 10 lbf3 lbfd7 (174)
174
On the tenth move White avoided the
topical continuations and chose a less
energetic path. Black had the possibility
of immediately initiating complications
by 10 ... b4, and if 11 exf6 bxc3 12 b3 (12
fxg7 .txg7 13 b3 0-0 favours Black) 12 ...
lbd7, or 11 lbbS axbS 12 exf6' lbd7 13
.txbS :tl:aS 14 'iHd4 gxf6 IS 'iHxf6 :tl:g8 16
lbeS :tl:g7, but he preferred to attack the
eS pawn.
11 'iHd2 .tb4
After 11 ... lbxeS 120-0-0 White has a
dangerous initiative.
12 0-0-0 O-O?!
As it turns out, castling is not always
good. Black underestimates the opponent's
tactical reply. He should have played 12
... .tb7 or 12 ... lbc6.
13 .tf6! lbxf6
The acceptance of the sacrifice 13 ...
gxf6? loses in all variations after 14 'iHh6.
For example: 14 ... lbxeS IS lbe4lbg4 (15
... lbbd7 16lbxe5 'iHxe5 17 :tl:xd7! 'iHxe418
.td3) 16 lbxf6+ lbxf6 17 'iHgS+ 'i!1h8 18
'iHxf6+ 'i!1g8 19 :tl:d4, or 14 ... fxeS IS lbgS
13 ... .txc3 is slightly better, but even
then after 14 bxc3 gxf6 IS exf6 'i!1h8 16
'iHh6 :tl:g8 17 .td3 lbf8 18 :tl:dfl 'iHcS
19 h4! White's attack is irresistible.
14 exf6 :tl:e8
Here too 14 ... gxf6 is bad, on account
of IS ~6 .txc3 16 :tl:d3!, and the pre-
paratory exchange also does not help: 14
... .txc3 IS bxc3 gxf6 16 'iHh6 'iHxc3 17
:tl:d3! 'iHa 1+ 18 'i!1d2 lbc6 19 lbd4 lbeS 20
lbc6! lbg6 21 h4.
15 'iHg5
Forcing a weakening of the dark squares.
And although Black has his dark-square
bishop, it is not able to defend the
weaknesses.
15 g6
16 h4! (175)
175
The simplest plan. The opening of the
h-file is bound to decide the outcome.
16 ... lbd7
16 ... 'iHcS would not have saved Black
after 17 lbeS .txc3 18 bxc3 'iHxc3 19 hS
'iHa 1+ 20 'i!1d2 'iHd4+ 21 .td3 'iHb4+ 22
'i!1e2, when the checks come to an end .
17 h5 .txc3
 Defensive Procedures
Here too 17 ... ~c5 18 hxg6 ~xg5+ 19
ltJxg5 hxg6 does not help. White has
numerous threats, which Black is unable
to parry. After 20 ltJce4 there is the very
strong 21 l1h7. Black's attempt to elimi-
nate the dangerous white knight leads to
his immediate defeat.
18 l1xd7!
Black resigns in view of the variation 18
... iLxd 7 19 bxc3 ~xc3 20 hxg6 ~a 1+ 21
<t>d2 fxg6 22 f7+ <t>xf7 23 l1xh7+, or
immediately 19 hxg6! fxg6 20 f7+ <t>xf7 21
l1xh 7+ iLg7 22 ltJe5+.
Boleslavsky-Kan
Moscow 1942
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 5
ltJc3 d6 6 iLe2 a6 7 0-0 ~c7 8 f4 ltJbd7 9
iU3 Jl.,e7 10 \Sih1 0-0 11 ~e1 l1e8 12 g4
ltJf8 13 g5 ltJ6d714 .te3 ltJb6 15 l1d1ltJc4
16 .tc1 .td717 ~f2 l1ac818 f5 ltJe5 19 f6!
(176)
This pawn sacrifice, of course, is not
essential. The simple 19 iLg2 would have
retained for White a spatial advantage
and excellent prospects on the f-file. But
he rightly assumes that the time has
come for determined action.
149
19 ... gxf6 20 gxf6 iLxf6 21 l1g1 +?
An obvious error. It is not clear why
White rejected 21 .th5, which strongly
suggests itself, with the sequel 21 ... iLg7
22 iLxf7+ ltJxf7 23 ~xf7+ <t>h8 24.tg5!.
Since 24 ... ltJg6 fails to 25 iLf6 iLxf6 26
~xf6+ \Sig8 27 l1g1 followed by the
unavoidable 28 E:xg6+, Black is forced to
go into a dubious ending: 24 ... .tc6 25
ltJxc6 ~xf7 26 l1xf7.
21 ... ltJfg6 22 iLe2 ~d8! 23 l1dfl iLg7?!
Indeed, "fear sees danger everywhere".
Black is not guided by concrete measures,
but withdraws into his shell, thinking only
about the over-consolidation of his own
territory. Had he not panicked, he would
easily have found the energetic 23 ... iLh4!
followed by 24 ... <t>h8 and 25 ... l1g8.
24 i.g5 'i!¥b6
Black should have considered 24 ... f6
25 .txf6 iLxf6 26 ~xf6 ~xf6 27 l1xf6
l1f8 when, although the position is
materially level, his control of the e5
square gives him the advantage.
25 h4 ~xb2
A senseless decision. Black captures a
'poisoned' pawn, abandoning his king to
the mercy of fate. The vulnerable point in
his position is at f7. Therefore he should
have strengthened it by 25 ... l1f8, and if 26
h5 then 26 ... f5! with great complications
- the position is opened up, and the white
king also begins to feel uncomfortable.
26 ltJd1 ~a3 27 l1g3 ~a4 28 h5, and
White's threats became serious. And
although the position is still fairly
unclear, he eventually went on to win.
The final result of this game was largely
determined by the fact that Black's actions
were chaotic, and not based on concrete
calculation.
150 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
(For the record, here are the concluding
moves: 28 ... f5 29 exf5 exf5 30 hxg6 ltJxg6
31 c3 'ti'xa2 32 rie3 :axe3 33 ltJxe3 c,t>h8 34
ltJdxf5 :af8 35 c4 'ti'a5 36 ..td3 ltJe5 37
i.e4 'ti'c5 38 i.e7! ..tc6 39 ..td5! ..txd540
cxd5 llf7 41 ..txd6 'ti'b5 42 'ti'c2 ltJg6 43
'ti'c8+ ltJf8 44 :ag 1 'ti'd7 45 'ti'c2 ltJg6 46
'ti'e4 b5 47 riel 'ti'd8 48 'ti'e6 :ad7 49 ltJg4
h5 50 'ti'xg6 hxg4 51 c,t>g2 Black resigns.)
Hellers-Piket
Amsterdam 1985
1 e4 cS 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 S
ltJc3 ltJc6 6 ..tgS e6 7 'ti'd2 i.e7 8 0-0-00-0
9 ltJb3 'ti'b6 10 f3 a6 11 h4 :ad8 12 hS h6?
(177)
Black's last move irreparably weakens
his king's shelter since, after all, pawns
cannot move backwards! He should have
played 12 ... d5 13 exd5 ltJxd5 14 i.xe7
ltJdxe7 15 ..td3, when White has only a
slight advantage.
13 .i.e3 'ti'c7 14 'ti'f2! ltJd7 IS g4 ltJceS
16 :agl
White's attack develops smoothly. After
the opening of the g-file the fate of the
black king will resemble that of a trapped
mouse.
16 ... bS 17 gS hxgS 18 i.xgS .i.xgS 19
:axgS ltJrs 20 a3
White has no reason to hurry, and first
he secures the position of his knight.
20 ... f6 21 :ag3 ltJf7
Black has brought up considerable
forces to the defence, but this does not
help, since the efficiency of the white
pieces is too great.
22 i.d3 ltJh6 23 Il:dgl :ad7 24 'ti'd2!
The threat of 25 'ti'xh6 forces the black
king to occupy an unfortunate square. 24
... c,t>h8 loses to 25 ltJd5! exd5 26 'ti'xh6+!!
gxh627 llg8+ c,t>h7 28 exd5+.
24 ... c,t>h7 2S eS+ fS 26 exd6
26 ltJe4! dxe5 27 :axg7+! :axg7 28 ltJf6+
c,t>h8 29 'ti'xh6+ ltJh7 30 'ti'xh7+! was
equally convincing.
26 ... 'ti'xd6 27 ltJe4 'ti'c7?
At the finish comes a tactical oversight.
27 ... 'ti'e5 was the only way to resist,
although after 28 ltJbc5 Black's position
is dismal.
28 :axg7+! :axg7 29 ltJf6+
And Black resigned in view of the
piquant variation 29 '" c,t>h8 30 'ti'xh6+
ltJh7 31 'ti'xh7+!.
S.2 On the Edge of the Abyss
The Sicilian player is often obliged to
balance on the edge of the abyss. There is
nothing that can be done about it, life in
the opening is not a bed of roses ... And
he must become accustomed to this from
early times. In such situations the main
thing is not to lose your composure and,
like a tight-rope walker, to stand confident-
 Defensive Procedures
lyon your feet even at the most critical
moments. Incidentally, when everything
hangs by a thread, both defender and
attacker are threatened to the same extent.
And much depends here on how self-
confident a player is, and to what extent
his tactical weaponry will operate under
extreme conditions.
Gufeld-Espig
Leipzig 1980
1 e4 c5 2 tbf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tbxd4 tbf6 5
tbc3 d6 6 f4 a6 7 .td3 ~c7 8 0-0 b5 9 a3
.tb7 10 ~e2 tbbd7 11 \t>hl .te7 12 .td2
:Sc8 (178)
178
13 b4!
Gufeld chooses an unusual plan. By
creating the concrete threat of 14 a4, he
initiates play on the queenside, drawing the
opponent's pieces there, while gradually
he prepares a bombardment on the king-
side. With the following manoeuvre Black
aims immediately to exploit the resulting
weakness, but in doing so he loses control
over eS, which White later exploits to his
advantage. 13 ... 0-0 was correct.
13 ... tbb6? 14 a4 bxa4 15 b5
Of course, not IS .txa6 .txa6 16 ~xa6
151
0-0 17 ~d3 tbc4, when Black is threatening
to take the initiative. For this reason,
White sacrifices a pawn with the aim of
activating his pieces.
15 axb5
16 tbcxb5
This way, rather than the apparently
more dangerous 16 .txbS+, when after 16
'" tbfd7 17 fS eS 18 tbe6!? fxe6 19 fxe6
.tc6 20 i.xc6 ~xc6 21 exd7+ ~xd7 22 ~f2
Black has the defensive resource 22 ...
.td8!.
16 ~b8
17 .tb4!
A move which is good from the view-
point of both strategy and tactics. The d6
square is a good target for White, and he
now has the possibility of striking at the
centre with e4-eS. The immediate 17 eS
would have been overhasty, since after 17
'" dxeS 18 fxeS tbfd7 19 :Sae1 tbcS! Black
has everything in order.
17 ... tbfd7
Practically forced, since 18 eS was
threatened. In addition, 18 ... tbcS is
planned. Understandably, the German
player is not concerned about losing the
right to castle in return for two pawns after
18 eS dxeS 19 .txe7 \t>xe7. But White
acquires another possibility.
18 :Sael?
Gufeld fails to exploit the concrete
features of the position. 18 fS! looks much
stronger, and if 18 ... eS then 19 f6!
followed by 20 tbfS, when it is not clear
how Black can defend. But now the
players plunge into a maelstrom of wild
complications.
18 ... tbc5 19 e5 dxe5 20 fxe5 0-0 (179)
Black has no time to eliminate the
152 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

light-square bishop, since 20 ... ttJxd3 can
be met by 21 i.xe7 ttJxe1 22 ttJd6+.
In pure Sicilian style! Black's composure
does not desert him at this difficult moment.
He prevents the rook from going to h3,
and manages to include his light-square
bishop in the defence. In the event of the
immediate 23 ... i.e4, Black is unable to
defend after 24 ~h3 f6 25 exf6 ~xf6 26
~xf6 i.xf6 27 i.xc5 'VJ!if4 28 ttJf3! 'VJ!ic1+
29 ttJgl, when White's threats are deadly.
24 ~g3 i.e4 (180)
If Black should succeed in switching his
bishop to g6, White's attack will peter
out.

21 i.xh7+!
It starts! For both White and Black it
was difficult to work out the resulting
complications. One thing is clear - White
must press his attack determinedly, not
concerning himself about loss of material,
while Black must seek defensive resources,
and the one who is able to tip the scales
in his favour will triumph. When both
players are up to the mark, the storm is
very often replaced by stillness, and peace
breaks out on the chess board.
It should be pointed out that White had 2S ~fS!!
the possibility of forcing a draw by 21
A problem-like move, which saves White.
i.xc5 i.xc5! (21 ... ~xc5 is bad on
account of 22 ttJxe6! fxe6 23 'VJ!ih5 ~f5 24 2S ... i.xfS
~xf5 exf5 25 'VJ!ixf5 g6 26 'VJ!ie6+ etc) 22
Also possible is 25 ... exf5 26 'VJ!ih6 g5!
ttJxe6. Now comes the same variation,
(26 ... g6 27 wg I! and then 28 ~h3), after
and White is obliged to force a draw by
which White has to give perpetual check.
perpetual check, since the black bishop is
no longer attacked. But Gufeld stakes 26 lDxfS exfS
everything by choosing a sharp continu- 27 ttJd6!
ation. Again the only move which allows
White to save the half point. 27 ~h3 fails
21 ... Wxh7 22 'VJ!ihS+ WgS 23 ~e3
to 27 ... f6 28 i.xc5 'VJ!ie4! and if 29 i.xb6
Now the threat of ~h3 seems deadly, 'VJ!ie1+ 30 i.gl i.c5, when it is Black who
but ... gives mate.
23 ... 'VJ!iaS! 27 ... i.xd6
 Defensive Procedures
The threat of 28 lLlxfS forces Black to
eliminate the dangerous knight, after
which a draw is inevitable.
28 :Sxg7+ Wxg7
Draw agreed. But after what a struggle!
A veritable 'sword-dance' on the edge of
the abyss. Both players must be given their
due for their boldness, ingenuity and
refusal to compromise.
Fischer-Tal
Belgrade 1959
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 5
lLlc3 a6 6 .tc4 e6 7 .tb3 b5 8 f4!? (181)
Before going through this game, it is
essential to know the psychological state
of the two players. It is absolutely clear
that the young American grandmaster,
playing White, was aiming only for victory.
He was obliged to do this by the score in
their preceding games, 0-3, which Fischer's
pride could not endure. Besides, he had
nothing to lose (the game was played in
the penultimate round, and he was already
assured of sixth place in the tournament).
But for Tal the result of this game was of
enormous importance. Hard on his heels
was Keres, and a draw, and especially a
153
defeat, would have reduced the gap. In such
a tournament situation, Tal's decision to
go in for such great complications was
an extraordinarily bold step, although in
keeping with his temperament as a chess
fighter.
8 b4
The young Tal could not act otherwise.
He wins the pawn and is ready to try and
parry the terrible onslaught of the white
pieces. Of course, quieter was 8 ... .tb7,
which has earned a good reputation in
practice.
9 lLla4 lLlxe4
Here too 9 ... .tb7 looks sounder, and
if 10 eS dxeS 11 fxeS lLldS.
10 0-0 g6!?
Black is playing with fire. But there is a
justification for this: there is no other
satisfactory continuation. For example,
10 .. .tb7 is very strongly met by 11 fS eS
12 lLle6! fxe6 and 13 'ti'hS+ (Vukovic), or
by 11 .txe6! fxe6 12 lLlxe6 'ti'e7 13 fS
(Panov), in each case with a very strong
attack. While if 10 ... lLlf6, then 11 'ti'f3 dS
12 fS! eS 13 :Se1 e4 14 'ti'g3 .td6 IS 'ti'xg7
.txh2+ 16 Wxh2 :Sg8 17 :Sxe4+!, and
White wins (analysis by Keres).
11 f5!
Fischer begins a direct attack on the
black king caught in the centre.
11 gxf5
(diagram 182)
12 lLlxf5!!
The two players have as though ex-
changed colours, and both are playing in
unaccustomed style - Fischer is impetu-
ously attacking, while Tal is defending,
154 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

Now, by an unusual rook manoeuvre,

Tal demonstrates the potential possibili-
182
ties of the Sicilian Defence - Black's
position hangs by a thread, but it holds.
15 ... :!ie7!
16 i.xcS
A forced exchange, since otherwise 16
... i.b7 is dangerous. White's light-square
bishop, after completing quite a journey
around the board, is exchanged for Black's
undefended bishop - an unequal exchange.
16 ... ~xcS
17 i.f4?
seeking the slightest chance for counter-
play. And this is an oversight. Fischer fails to
see the opponent's shrewd plan, and falls
12 ... :!igS
into a clever trap. In his comments he
The knight at f5 is taboo - 12 ... exf5? rightly points out that the best move was
loses to 13 ~d5 :!ia7 14 ~d4, when both 17 c3! and if 17 ... ~c6 18 :!if2, maintaining
rooks are attacked. Even so, 12 ... i.b7 an attacking position.
would have offered better chances.
17 ... ~c6!
13 i.d5 18 ~f3 ~xa4

Spectacular, but irrational. Gligoric's "Such a surprise that I didn't dare

recommendation would have promised believe my eyes!", Fischer admitted.
White a simply enormous positional ad-
19 i.xd6 ~c6! 20 i.xb8 ~b6+ 21 'it'hl
vantage: 13 ~h5 tDf6 14 ~f3 :!ia7 15 tDg3
~xb8 (183)
and 16 i.e3.
13 ... :!ia7
14 i.xe4
Again not the strongest continuation.
The variation suggested by Kevitz would
have given better prospects: 14 i.e3! tDc5
15 ~h5 :!ig6 (15 ... tDxa4? 16 i.xa7 exd5
17 :!iae 1+) 16 :!iae 1, and White's significant
lead in development sets his opponent
insoluble problems.
14 ... exf5
15 i.xf5
Fischer gradually loses the thread and This interesting position attracted many
throws away his gains. 15 i.d5! was commentators, who incorrectly thought
correct, retaining the attacking bishop. that 22 :!iae1 would have won the game.
 Defensive Procedures 155

In his analysis Fischer showed that this

move is the strongest, but that against
184
Black's best defence it would only have
led to equality: 22 ... Wd8! (22 ... 'ilg6?
loses to 23 'JliIxj7+ Wd724 'ild1+! 'ild625
'ilxd6+ Wxd626 'ilf6+!) 23 'ild1+ Wc7!
(23 ... Wc8? 24 'JliIc6+) 24 'JliIf4+ Wb7 25
'ild6 'JliIc7 26 'JliIxb4+ Wc8 27 'ilxa6 'JliIb7!
28 'JliIxb7+ Wxb7 29 'ilaf6 'ilg7 etc. After
the move played by Fischer, White's
attack peters out.
22 'JliIc6+?
Now White is psychologically lost. The
scales begin to tip Black's way. Fischer considers that he could have
drawn by 29 cxb4! 'JliIxb4 (29 ... axb430
22 ... 'ild7
a3! bxa3 31 bxa3 'JliIxa3) 30 'JliIf3+ Wg731
23 'ilael+
'JliIe2, when the exchange of the black a5
In the variation 23 'iladl ~d6! 24 'ilxf7 pawn at some time in the future is inevi-
'JliIc7! 25 'JliIxc7 'ilxc7! Black defends suc- table.
cessfully.
29 ... Wg7 30 'JliIc4 ~d8 31 cxb4 axb4 32
23 ... ~e7 24 'ilxf7 wxf7 25 'JliIe6+ wes! g3?
25 ... Wg7? loses to 26 'JliIxd7. The last and decisive mistake in this
ill-starred game. 32 'JliIe4 would have
26 'JliIxd7
retained practical saving chances.
Nothing is achieved by 26 'ilfl + Wg7
32 ... 'JliIc6+ 33 'ile4 'JliIxc4 34 'ilxc4 'ilb6
27 'ilf7+ Wh8 28 'JliIxd7 'ild8 29 'JliIg4 in
view of 29 ... 'JliIe5, when Black is able to Having kept his important b-pawn,
defend. Black easily realizes his material advan-
tage.
26 ... 'JliId6 27 'JliIb7 'ilg6 28 c3!
35 Wg2 Wf6 36 Wf3 We5 37 We3 .tg5+
The situation has changed sharply, and
38 We2 Wd539 Wd3 ~f6 40 'ilc2 ~e5 41
it is now White who is seeking a dra w. On
'ile2
the way to it Fischer again goes wrong,
after which he can no longer save the In this position the game was adjourn-
game. ed, after which Tal demonstrated his
technique:
28 as
41 ... 'ilf6 42 'ilc2 'ilf3+ 43 We2 'ilf744
(diagram 184)
Wd3 ~d4 45 a3 b3 46 'ilc8 ~xb2 47 'ild8+
All the same, 28 ... bxc3 29 'JliIc8+ ~d8 We6 48 'ilb8 'ilf3+ 49 Wc4 'ilc3+ 50 Wb4
30 'JliIxc3 ~f6 was more accurate, retaining ~al 51 a4 b2 White resigns
winning chances.
Despite having one leg over the very
29 'JliIc8+? precipice, Tal courageously stood his
156 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

ground, and his fiery and resourceful

defence bore its fruit. But in this duel on
185
the edge of the abyss, the young Fischer
was let down by his hot-tempered and
impulsive play.

Haag-Polugayevsky
Sochi 1963
1 e4 c5 2 et:Jf3 et:Jc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 et:Jxd4 e6
5 et:Jc3 'iYc7 6 .ste2 a6 7 0-0 et:Jf6
One of the most sound and long-lived
systems for Black in the Sicilian Defence.
Up till now, all attempts by White to find
a vulnerable spot in Black's set-up have
failed to shake at all seriously the repu-
tation of the given variation. Haag does
not succumb to the temptation of chess
fashion, namely 8 .ste3 .tb4 9 et:Ja4, but
chooses the most natural continuation.
8 ~hl .tb4
9 'iYd3
Here grandmaster Adorjan recom-
mends 9 .stgS.
9 0-0
10 f4
Here too 10 .stgS was possible, when
Black was intending 10 ... .stxc3.
10 .. , d6
11 .std2
An obvious continuation, but hardly
the best. In my opinion, 11 et:Jb3 and then
12 .std2 looks more convincing.
11 ... et:Jxd4 12 'iYxd4 .stc5 13 'iYd3 b5
14 .stf3 .stb7 15 b4!? (185)
The black pieces are excellently placed,
and this forces White to resort to active
measures. The weight of the struggle
temporarily switches to the queenside.
15 ... .ta7 16 a4 bxa4 17 a:xa4 et:Jd718
a:a5 et:Jb6 19 a:h5
White plays riskily. 19 .ste2 followed by
20 a:fal was a quieter alternative.
19 ... g6 20 a:h6 et:Jc4 21 .stet a:ac8 22
et:Je2 'iYb6
It is now clear that strategically White
has lost the battle. Black has taken
control of the important gl-a7 diagonal.
The white rook at h6 stands in complete
isolation, and on glancing at the position
it is hard to believe that this is the same
rook that was once at all With his last
move Black prevents the opponent from
coordinating his forces. In the event of23
.stg4 (with the threat of 24 'iYh3) there
would follow 23 ... et:Je3, and the same
reply had been prepared against 23 c3.
Here is a possible variation: 23 c3 et:Je3 24
a:el 'iYbS 2S 'iYxd6 a:cd8 26 'iYe7 (26 'iYe5
'iYxe5 27 fxe5 et:Jdl) 26 ... .stxe4 27 .stxe4
'iYxe2.
23 e5 d5
A mistake, based on an oversight.
After 23 ... dxeS 24 .txb7 'iYxb7 2S fxeS
.stb8! 26 'iYh3 .stxeS 27 a:xh7 'iYe4 Black
would have gained a substantial advantage,
whereas now the game enters a phase of
 Defensive Procedures
great complications. But as a result of
Black's mistake, the subsequent events on
the board were such that, from the purely
chess viewpoint, I did not regret what had
happened.
24 et:Jg3!
The storm clouds are gathering over
the black king's position. The deadly 25
et:Jh5 is threatened.
24 ... f5 25 exf6 :!:ixf6 26 et:Jh5 :!:if7 27
.tg4 'itfB! (186)
186
28 :!:ixh7?!
A spectacular sacrifice, destroying the
defences of Black's king. His defeat seems
inevitable. But, paradoxically enough,
while balancing over the abyss, Black gets
away with a 'slight fright'. One can forgive
White: at this point it was difficult to
imagine that Black would find an unex-
pected defence. It is possible that a thorough
analysis might reveal a stronger continu-
ation for White.
28 ... :!:ixh7 29 ~xg6 :!:if7 30 .txe6
Or 30 f5 et:Je3.
30 ... et:JeS! 31 ~h6+ We7 32 ~g5+
This loses immediately. To be honest,
during the game I regretted that Haag did
157
not play 32 f5, against which I had
prepared 32 ... et:Jg4! with the terrible
threat of 33 ... ~gl+. White is not saved
by either 33 .tg5+ Wd6 34 ~f4+ Wc6 or
33 ~g5+ Wf8 34 ~xg4 ~xe6.
32 ... Wxe6 33 ~xe5+ Wd7 34 f5 :!:ie8
White resigns
The desperate defence to which I had to
resort in this game enabled me not only to
win the given encounter; like an invigor-
ating elixir, it gave me confidence in my
powers and the required state of mind to
achieve overall victory in the tournament.
5.3 Tactical Surprises
What experiences the Sicilian defender
has to endure! Sometimes he ends up in a
position which players describe as 'busted',
where it appears that nothing and nobody
can help him. And yet, even if the position
is not a pleasant one, but your tactical
vision is in order and does not desert you
at difficult moments, all sorts of miracles
are possible!
There is a simple explanation for this.
The attacker is often blinded by his own
'exploits' and this can easily go to his
head. This is just the time to seek a
tactical blow, which the overstretched
attacker may let through his own goal.
When this happens, and the defensive
'mine' explodes, there is no limit to the
defender's happiness. He resembles a
drowning man falling into a whirlpool
and taking his first gulp offresh air, when
unexpected aid rescues him from a watery
grave.
How many such instants I have experi-
enced at the chess board!
I remember 1961, Moscow, the USSR
Championship, the game with Eduard
158 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
Gufeld, myoid friend and creative oppo-
nent. He likes to say: "With Black I always
play with my favourite bishop at g7, and
you with White always battle against it."
But in this unforgettable encounter it
was Gufeld who had White, and we of
course played the Sicilian Defence.
Gufeld-Polugayevsky
Moscow 1961
1 e4 c5 2 ctJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJf6
5 ctJc3 a6 6 ..te2 e6 7 0-0 'ffic7 8 f4 ..te7 9
<Jihl 0-0 10 'ffiel b5 11 ..tf3 ..tb712 e5 dxe5
13 fxe5 ctJfd7 14 'ffig3 <Jih8 15 ..tf4 ctJc6
(187)
187
Black has played the opening badly
(instead of 12 '" dxe5, much stronger is
the immediate 12 ... ctJe8, which has
earned a reliable reputation in practice),
and I was feeling despondent. Sensing
blood, Eddie impetuously played 16 ctJd5!.
His triumphant glance literally pierced
me, and he silently mouthed: "I'll show
you the Sicilian Defence!". Under the
psychological pressure, I succeeded with
great difficulty in composing myself, and
I unexpectedly saw a cunning trap (and
for some reason I immediately sensed
that Gufeld would without fail fall into
it!). But so that it wouldn't be apparent, I
decided to play up to my opponent, and
with a sour expression on my face I took
the knight. We resembled two actors ...
And so there followed 16 ... exd5, and
in the same energetic vein came 17 ctJf5??
I could not believe my eyes. "Has he really
swallowed the 'pill'?" And I breathed a
sigh of relief ... Of course, 17 e6! was
correct, with an excellent game for White.
Black's reply came like a bombshell:
17 ... g5!!. At this moment I so wanted to
exclaim: "Bravo, Eddie, thanks for the
performance!". As if at the waving of a
magic wand, virtually all the participants
in the tournament encircled our board.
Putting his head in his hands my opponent
discovered to his horror that he had fallen
into a trap, but it was already too late.
White loses a piece.
True, White should have tried his only
chance: 18 ..txd5!, when if Black chooses
the incorrect 18 ... :!lg8? then after 19
..td2!! ctJdxe5 20 ctJxe7 'ffixe7 21 ..tc3 f622
..txc6 ..txc6 23 :!lxf6! it is White who
wins. But to be fair, I should mention that
at the board I had noticed a second blow
of terrible strength: 18 '" ctJd4!!, and it is
all over - on 19 ..txb7 there follows 19 ...
ctJxf5, while if 19 ctJxe7 gxf4.
The game went 18 e6 'ffixf4 19 'ffixf4
gxf4 20 exd7 :!lad8 21 ..txd5 :!lxd7, and
White resigned.
In the 27th USSR Championship, the
Kiev master Sakharov employed against
me a specially prepared line in my favour-
ite variation:
Sakharov-Polugayevsky
Leningrad 1960
1 e4 c5 2 ctJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJf6 5
ctJc3 a6 6 ..tg5 e6 7 f4 b5 8 ..td3 ctJbd7
 Defensive Procedures
All this had already occurred with me
before, for example, in the first round of
the same event against Spassky.
9 ~e2
The start of the prepared line.
9 ~b6 (188)
This reply by Black seems logical,
driving the knight from its central square.
And here came the immediate combina-
tional blow:
10 etJxe6?!?
From the excited appearance of my
opponent, who was anticipating a quick
win, I realized that all this had been
devised beforehand by the Ukrainian
players, which meant that, metaphorically
speaking, I had walked slap into it ... In
the initial moments I felt despondent. But
the one reassuring thing was that Black
had not done anything anti positional,
and so there was no reason to lose belief
in a defence. During the course of half an
hour's thought I not only delved into the
details of the situation, but also discovered
a brilliant defensive idea.
10 ... fxe6 11 e5 dxe5 12 fxe5 ~c5!
This is it! After 13 exf6 ~xg5 14 ~xe6+
~d8 White remains empty-handed.
159
Sakharov sank into thought for a long
time. It became clear that Black's tactical
rejoinder, discovered at the board, had
simply not occurred to my opponent, and
perhaps also to a whole group of his
colleagues. In short, by landing this
counterblow, Black repaid White with
interest for all that he had suffered ...
An instance, indeed, of one's 'chickens
coming home to roost'. The game pro-
ceeded without any particular adventures.
13 ~f4 etJd5
14 etJxd5
14 etJe4 fails to 14 ... etJxf4.
14 exd5
15 0-0-0
White loses after 15 ~h5+ g6 16 ~xg6+
hxg6 17 ~xh8 ~b4+!.
15 ~c6!
The most clear-cut. Black takes control
of the e6 and g6 squares, and frees c5 for
his knight.
16 ~f5 ~e717 ~g4 g6 18 e6 etJc5 19
~xg6+ hxg6 20 ~xg6+ ~d8 21 llhel
~xe6 22 b4 ~d7! 23 bxc5 llag8 24 ~d3
llxg2 25 ~f3 llg6 White resigns
Yes, my opponent was simply unfortu-
nate that, in those youthful years, tactics
were a true and faithful friend of mine. In
trying to surprise me in the opening, he
himself had to drain the bitter cup. As
they say, it is one step from the sublime to
the ridiculous, and in this game they were
separated by just a single move!
Diagram 189 arose after White's 17th
move. Even a brief glance at the position
is enough to reveal that Black is in a sorry
plight. The white pieces are bearing down
on his king, and in the first instance he
must find some defence against 18 llh3.
160 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

American grandmaster considered his

position to be easily won, and so he plays
189
for brilliancy, intending to give a spec-
tacular mate. Naturally, I guessed his
intentions, and happily fell in with his
wishes, since I had prepared a surprise ...
25 ... f6
26 ~g6

This seems to be the end: there is no

defence against the mate . . . One can
easily imagine Black's state of bliss at this
moment. With what pleasure he made the
following move!
26 ... ~f2!! (190)

17 ... e5 19 i.xe5 b4 19 i.f6!

190
Brilliant! Black is deprived of his last
chance. On 19 ... bxc3 the murderous 20
~6! is immediately decisive.

19 ... i.xf6 20 gxf6 ~xf6 21 liJd5

All the white pieces are aimed at the
black king, and the lone black queen is
merely getting in the way. My mood was
such that I wanted to resign. Only one
factor restrained me: the game was of
enormous competitive significance, since
it was from the match with the USA team,
one of our main rivals for first place. A very rare instance from a practical
Therefore I ordered myself to battle on game where both queens simultaneously
and seek the slightest chance, as long as sacrifice themselves. Had there been a
strength remained. prize not for the most brilliant game, but
for the most brilliant move, this 'dying'
21 ~xf2
duet of the queens would have had every
22 :l::l:ddl
chance of winning it.
White fails to find a forced win: 22 White had nothing better than to go in
:l::l:dg3 g6 23 ~h4 <;!;g7 24 liJf4!. This was for the exchange, when, instead of a swift
a hopeful sign. conclusion to his attack, he had to playa
protracted endgame.
22 ... <;!;h8 23 ~g5 :l::l:g8 24 :l::l:dfl ~c5
True, the ending favours White, but
25 :l::l:f4?
that is of little significance! Both as
White does not bother with such a regards the actual position and psycho-
'trifle' as the f7 pawn, although 25 :l::l:xf7 logically, the situation on the board has
i.e6 26 :l::l:c7 would have won easily. The changed dramatically. The events had
 Defensive Procedures 161

such a depressing effect on White that was forseen earlier, when I made my 17th
later too he failed to make use of his move.
chances, and as a result this topsy-turvy Later analysis showed that after the
game ended in a draw. Such was the price best move 21 axb3! l::l:a1+ 22 Wd2 ~d7+
for White's loss of vigilance. 23 We3 it.c5+ 24 Wf4 g5+ the game
should have ended in a draw. But White
was completely stunned by Black's tacti-
cal surprise.
Griinfeld-Polugayevsky
Riga 1979 21 Wbl? lLlaS 22 l::l:d4 l::l:c8 23 l::l:edl gS,
and Black retained his extra piece.
1 e4 cS 2 lLlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 S
Curiously enough, Grtinfeld is not the
lLlc3 a6 6 it.gS e6 7 f4 bS 8 eS dxeS 9 fxeS
only player to have fallen victim to such a
~c7 10 ~e2 lLlfd7 11 0-0-0 lLlc6 12 lLlxc6
tactical blow. Some ten years earlier, in
~xc6 13 ~d3 h614 it.h4 it.b71S it.e2 ~c7
1968, something similar occurred in a
16 l::l:he 1 lLlcS 1 7 ~h3
game Kuijpers-Jongsma, played in a
Here Black could have played 17 ... tournament in Holland.
l::l:c8, with a sound game. But after
prolonged thought he preferred to go in
192
for wild complications, having foreseen a
tactical justification for this.
17 ... b4!?
18 lLlbS
White accepts the challenge, otherwise
after 18 lLlbl the initiative would have
been taken over by Black.
18 ... axbS! 19 it.xbS+ it.c620~f3(191)

Has tllack miscalculated?

White, in a state of euphoria from the

anticipation of a quick win, played 16
lLldbS?, and after 16 ... axbS 17 lLlxbS
lLlb3+! he was obliged to resign.
What can be learned from the above
examples? Never lose hope. Be optimistic.
And psychologically reassure yourself
slightly with the thought that, in the event
of failure, it is not your life that you are
losing, but just one game!

S.4 Counterblow in the Centre

20 lLlb3+!!
This beautiful move, into a triple attack, It is an obvious rule that, when the
162 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

opponent is attacking you must not sit move is justified by purely tactical con-
idle. You must prepare counter-measures siderations: by attacking the black pieces,
and concentrate extremely hard, to avoid White aims to gain several tempi.
missing the critical moment for landing
an answering blow. Of particular import-
ance is the carrying out of a counterblow
in the centre of the board as a counter-
weight to the plans of the opponent, when
the latter has advanced his flank pawns a
long way and thereby exposed his own
king. It is then that a sudden breakthrough
on a central square, opening up the
position, can enable the defending side to
begin a swift counterattack. After this
operation the attacker and defender essen-
tially exchange roles.
And such thrusts can be especially un-
pleasant for the attacker, since they disturb 10 ... d5!
both his composure and his offensive
A counterblow in the centre is the best
plans.
antidote to a flank diversion! In the game
Thus the counterblow in the centre is
Levenfish-Botvinnik, Moscow 1936, White
one of those standard procedures of
continued 11 e5, and after 11 ... d4! 12
which a player should have a complete
ct:Jxd4 ct:Jxd4 13 .txd4 ct:Jxg4 14 ~d3 a6
mastery.
Black obtained the better game.
We will examine some games which
vividly demonstrate the enormous explo- 11 f5 .tc8
sive energy of a dagger blow in the centre. 12 exd5 ct:Jb4
We will begin with a classic example,
As Botvinnik described, in this game he
Alekhine-Botvinnik, a game which was
had to endure several difficult minutes.
destined to become historic. It appeared
Let us hand over to him:
in dozens of publications, and literally
"This position shows how thoroughly
stunned the chess world.
Alekhine used to prepare for tournaments.
This variation of the Sicilian Defence had
been employed by me three months be-
Alekhine-Botvinnik
fore the Nottingham Tournament and
Nottingham 1936
was thought to favour Black. Therefore
1 e4 c5 2 ct:Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 ct:Jf6 at first I could not understand why my
5 ct:Jc3 g6 6 .te2 .tg7 7 .te3 ct:Jc6 8 ct:Jb3 opponent had employed this opening.
.te6 9 f4 0-0 10 g4!? (193) But when the given position was reached,
I sensed from the expression on Alekhine's
At first sight White's last move gives
face that he had found something, and
the impression of being antipositional.
prepared something tactical. This was
Black is splendidly developed and ready
indeed the case. Alekhine played:
to advance ... d5, whereas the white king
in the centre is insecurely placed. But the 13 d6! (194)
 Defensive Procedures 163

Not every master would notice this 16 ... ttJxg4! 17 ~xg4 ~g3+ 18 ~f2
move, since the pawn sacrifice is highly ~gl + 19 ~f1 ~g3+ 20 ~f2 ~gl + Draw
unexpected; the idea of it is to weaken agreed
Black's f6 square.
I managed to wriggle out of this difficult
position, although not without some un-
Pogats-Cherepkov
pleasant experiences. At the critical point,
Budapest 1959
searching for a way to save the game, I
had to spend some twenty minutes in 1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6 5
thought, and during this time Alekhine ttJc3 d6 6 ~e2 a6 7 f4 ~c7 8 0-0 ~e7 9 ~e3
circled round and round our table, ready 0-0 10 ~el b5 11 a3 ~b7 12 ~f3 ttJc6 13
to pounce. ~dl ~ac8 14 ~hl ttJxd4 15 ~xd4 e5 16
Mobilizing all my will-power, I never- ~e3 ~fe8 17 f5 ~b8 18 ~g5 h6 19 ~c1
theless managed to escape from this strong ~a8! 20 ~f2 (195)
'psychological' pressure and find a way
out of the trap!"
These vivid reminiscences as though
transport us back into the heated atmos-
phere of the struggle which reigned
during this historic encounter.

The plans for the two sides have taken

shape. White intends an offensive on the
kingside by g2-g4, ~g2 and g4-g5. Black
has no right to wait passively, and his
natural reaction is the prepared break-
through in the centre.
13 ~xd6!
20 ... d5!!
14 ~c5 ~f4!!
21 exd5 e4!
The only way to save the game. By
sacrificing two pieces, Black gains a draw. All the black pieces begin operating
at full power, and White loses without
15 ~fl ~xh2 managing to know why. In fact the out-
16 ~xb4 come has been decided by this timely
counterblow.
White is obliged to accept the gift, but
now comes a second knight sacrifice, 22 ttJxe4 ttJxe4 23 ~xe4 ~h4! 24 g3
which forces perpetual check. ~xd5! 25 ~xd5 ~xd5 26 ~f4 ~g5
164 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

White resigns. A textbook example, fall apart.

demonstrating the strength of the break-
20 ~dl i..f8 21 cxd4 ltJxd4 22 ltJxd4
through in the centre.
il.xg2+ 23 ~xg2 ~xd4 24 il.c3 ~c4! 25
~c1 :§:e2+ 26 ~g3 :§:d3+ 27 ~h4
i..e7+ 28 g5 :§:xh3+! White resigns
Blagidze-Boleslavsky
Kiev 1957
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 a6 5 Rauzer-Botvinnik
ltJc3 ~c7 6 g3 ltJf6 7 il.g2 ltJc6 8 ltJb3?! Leningrad 1933
il.e79 0-00-010 f4 b5 11 a3 il.b7 12 g4
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 ltJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4
(196)
ltJf6 5 ltJc3 d6 6 il.e2 g6 7 il.e3 il.g7
8 ltJb3 il.e6 9 f4 0-0 10 0-0 ltJa5 11 ltJxa5
196 ~xa5 12 i..f3 i..c4 13 :§:el :§:fd8 14 ~d2
~c7 15 :§:ac1 (197)

In the opening White has avoided a

critical clash, but the weakening of his
kings ide allows Black to take the initiative
by active play.
White's handling of the opening has
12 ... d5! not been the best, and this allows the
young Botvinnik to initiate active play in
It is important here that this counter-
the centre.
blow is carried out in one go, so that
Black as though gains a tempo. 15 ... e5
13 exd5 ltJxd5 14 ltJxd5 exd5 15 c3 lUe8 The point of this move lies in the
16 ~hl :§:ad8 17 il.d2 d4! following counterblow in the centre.
After mobilizing all his forces, Black 16 b3
opens files for his heavy pieces, and his
White should have played for equality
attack becomes irresistible.
by 16 fxeS dxeS 17 ~f3, since now Black
18 ~c1 ~d7 seizes the initiative by an unexpected pawn
19 h3 h5 sacrifice.
White's weakened kingside begins to 16 ... d5!
 Defensive Procedures 165

17 exd5
Forced, otherwise there follows 17 ... 198
d4.
17 ... e4!
18 bxc4
The best practical chance. If 18 lLlxe4
then 18 ... lLlxd5! 19 bxc4 lLlxe3.
18 ... exf3 19 c5 ~a5 20 E:edl?
As Grigoriev correctly pointed out,
White could have successfully defended
by 20 ~d3, to which Botvinnik considers
the best reply to be 20 ... b6!. The move
the f2 pawn.
made by Rauzer loses by force - Black's
attack is irresistible. 25 E:cdl ~h4 26 ~d3 E:e8 27 E:e4 f5!
28 E:e6 lLlxh2+
20 ... lLlg4!
21 .td4 There are now many ways to win. Here
is one of them, suggested by Tarrasch: 28
On 21 lLle4 there could have followed
... E:ad8! 29 ~b5 (29 ~g3 ~xg3 30 hxg3
21 ... ~xd2 22 .txd2 i.d4+ 23 ~hl fxg2+
E:xe6 31 dxe6 lLle3+) 29 ... E:xe6 30 dxe6
24 ~xg2 E:xd5, with a clear advantage to
E:xdl+ 31 lLlxdl lLlxh2+ 32 ~e2 f1=~+.
Black.
29 ~e2 ~xf4
21 ... f2+
22 ~f1 White resigns. Loss of material IS
inevitable.
If 22 ~h 1 then the game is concluded
by the pretty 22 ... E:xd5! 23 lLlxd5
Here are two examples on this theme
f1 =~+, winning the queen.
from my own games.
22 ... ~a6+
23 ~e2

23 ~d3 does not help; there can follow

23 ... .txd4 24 ~xa6 lLle3+ 25 ~e2 f1 =~ +
26 E:xfl bxa6, winning a piece.
23 .txd4
24 E:xd4

(diagram 198)

24 ~f6!

In one instant the black queen switches

across to the kingside, concluding the Campora-Po)ugayevsky
attack in combination with the knight and Amsterdam 1984
166 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

The advance of White's pawns on the

kingside has proved ineffective and has 200
merely broken up his own position. By
playing along the entire front and ex-
ploiting both wings, he has taken on an
intolerable burden, and as a result his
awkwardly placed pieces are simply not
able to mind over his extensive territory.
Black is threatening to double on the c-
file, after which White will be faced with
the impending breaks ... b5 or ... d5. Rod-
riguez does not wish passively to await
trouble, and he tries to relieve the situation.
25 b4 lLlxc4! 26 i.xc4 b5 27 lLlxbS
27 i.xe6 is bad on account of27 ... :ilxe6.
16 dS!
27 axbS 17 exd5 i.xa3
28 i.d3 dS!
17 ... exd5 may not be good for Black
The logical outcome of Black's strategy. on account of 18 g5! hxg5 19 hxg5 lLle420
In reply to White's lateral actions, this lLlxe4 dxe4 21 i.g4.
timely central breakthrough emphasizes
18 bxa3 lLlxdS!
the shakiness of White's position. White
19 cxdS
is not able to block the position: on 29 e5
comes 29 ... d4!, and on the yawning hl-a8 White rightly rejects 19 lLlxd5 in view
diagonal, onto which the black queen will of 19 ... exd5 20 cxd5 ~xh4.
step, disaster cannot be avoided.
19 :ilxc3
The game went 29 :ilc2, when Black
20 i.d4
(instead of 29 ... dxe4 30 :ilxc7 exd3 as
played, with an unclear position) had a White seeks an active continuation. He
pleasant choice between 29 ... :ilxc2 30 is not attracted by either 20 i.d2 :ilxf3 21
~xc2 dxe4 31 i.xe4 :ilc8 32 ~d3 i.xe4 ~xf3 ~xh4 or 20 dxe6 i.xf3 21 ~xf3
33 ~xe4 :ilc3 with an obvious advantage, fxe6.
and, probably even stronger, 30 ... :ilc8 31
20 :ilxa3
~e2 dxe4 32 i.xb5 i.d6! 33 :ilfl :ilc3.
21 gS!
(diagram 200) Avoiding the trap 21 dxe6 i.xf3 (21 ...
:ilxf3? 22 e7f :ilg3+ 23 Wh2 :ilg2+ 24
In anticipation of the explosion in the ~xg2f, and wins) 22 :ilxf3 :ilxf3 23 e7
centre, with his last move 15 ... h6 Black ~a8!, with advantage to Black.
has deliberately weakened his position, in
order to 'persuade' White to play 16 h4. 21 hxgS
And now that the opponent has burnt his 22 hxgS eS
boats, the signal for the counteroffensive A second blow in the centre. But 22 ...
is given: :ile8!? came into consideration, and if 23
 Defensive Procedures
'ifb2 then 23 ... :tl:xf3 24 :tl:xf3 e5, when
White's position gives great cause for
alarm.
23 fxe5 ~xg5+ 24 ~g2 ~xg2+ 25 ~xg2
:tl:e8 26 :tl:fel
And now, by continuing 26 ... :tl:a4!
(instead of 26... :tl:d3 27 :tl:ad1!) Black
would have had every right to count on a
win.
5.5 Prophylaxis
When taking necessary measures in de-
fence, one should have accurate data
about the opponent's attacking power. If
a player could calculate with scrupulous
precision the means needed to be switch-
ed to defence to parry the opponent's
threats, such a chess economist would be
worth his weight in gold. But since accurate
pharmaceutical scales have not been in-
vented for chess, for the moment we rely
largely on our intuition. In chess the term
'sense of danger' has acquired a particular
significance. In principle, creativity does
not like exaggeration, and yet I would
venture to assert that in chess it is better
to overestimate the opponent's threats
than to underestimate his attack. In the
latter case a severe defeat is inevitable, as
we have already seen several times.
Brilliant masters of defence have always
been distinguished by their ability to
'mine' squares in good time, and to
prepare in advance for an attack by the
other side, even when it is being contem-
plated. Here one cannot avoid recalling
that outstanding specialist in defensive
prophylaxis, World Champion Tigran
Petrosian. How many times he surprised
his opponents with his amazing "spinning
of spiders' webs" around his own zone, in
167
situations where all appeared calm and
the enemy forces had not yet reached his
territory. It is no accident that over a
period of 2-3 years 'iron Tigran' could
permit himself the luxury of losing just
one single game ...
Alongside him stands another out-
standing magician of defence - Anatoly
Karpov, for whom hopeless positions as
though do not exist ... Or look at the
games of the Swedish grandmaster Ulf
Andersson. Cramped positions are for
him his natural element, in which he feels
like a fish in water.
These unique virtuosos of defence are
characterized above all by a heightened
sense of danger, which rarely betrays them.
And it is of no importance that the
games of such grandmasters are not out-
wardly vivid, and do not hypnotize too
much those passionate enthusiasts who
are accustomed to opening their eyes wide
only at brilliant combinations.
To me such 'strategy of caution' is a
very rare gift in the hands of the chess
sorcerer-cum-surgeon, who uses a wide
selection of prophylactic instruments for
the saving of a difficult position.
Prophylactic measures in defence have
a wide range: they include the discharging
of a threatening atmosphere by simplifi-
cation, by exchanging active enemy pieces,
and the regrouping of forces to make use
of additional resources for defence, and
the erecting in good time of a defensive
barrier in the path of the offensive, for
example, as in the 'Hedgehog' set-up,
which creates viscous and insecure ground
for the attacker.
In other words, prophylactic procedures
are exceptionally important, and their
main aim is to reduce the pace of the
attack and thereby ease the lot of the
defender. We will now make the acquain-
tance of them in some concrete examples.
168 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

'trench' for manoeuvres: the rook moves

Jansa-Taimanov
to f7, giving up its square for the knight to
Sukhumi 1972
defend h7. This prophylactic idea has oc-
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 lLlc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 e6 5 curred several times in various situations
lLlc3 a6 6 i.e2 lLlge7 in Taimanov's games, and has essentially
become his 'hobby'. If in chess, authors'
Grandmaster Taimanov's favourite
rights existed to this or that discovery,
move in the Paulsen variation, in which
the patent for ... f6 would undoubtedly
he is a great expert.
belong to him.
7 lLlb3 lLlg6
14 Ir.f3
On the one hand, the knight is isolated
In the event of 14 fS lLlge5 IS Ir.f4
here and does not exert pressure on the
comes IS ... Ir.f7!, and then 16 Ir.h4 gS 17
centre, but on the other hand it carries out
fxg6 lLlxg6 followed by 18 ... lLlceS.
defensive functions and after White's
natural reaction f2-f4-f5 the eS square 14 .. , Ir.f7!
comes into its sphere of influence.
The second stage of Black's pro-
80-0 i.e79 i.e3 0-010 f4 ~c7 11 i.d3 phylactic plan. On IS Ir.h3 he responds IS
b5 12 ~h5 ... lLlf8 16 e5 f5 17 g4 g6, with a solid
defence.
White does not hide his intentions, but
plans a direct attack along the h-file, for 15 e5 f5
where the white rook is aiming. 16 g4
12 b4 Aiming to make a breach by forcible
13 lLle2 f6! (201) means, but Black is prepared for a close-
range fight.

201 16 .. , lLlgxe5!
By this sacrifice Black gains three
pawns for a knight and seizes the initiative.
16 ... d6 17 gxfS exf5 18 i.c4 lLlcxe5! was
interesting, but White could play more
strongly: 18 exd6 and only then 19 i.c4.
17 fxe5 g6!
18 ~h6

18 ~h3 is bad on account of 18 ... fxg4.

18 ... lLlxe5
19 Ir.g3 lLlxg4
From the prophylactic viewpoint, an
Black's pieces are too active, and his
ideal move. Black creates a kind of barb-
pawn mass in the centre is very threaten-
ed wire defence: on e4-eS there follows ...
ing. To avoid the worst, White parts with
f5, swinging a barrier across in front of
the exchange and simplifies the position.
the light-square bishop. In addition,
metaphorically speaking, Black digs a 20 Ir.xg4 fxg4
 Defensive Procedures
21 E'.fl
The variation 21 ~xg6 hxg6 22 ~xg6+
E'.g7 23 ~e8+ ~f8 24 E'.f1 ~d6 could
not satisfy White: if 25 ~c5 ~b7!.
21 ... ~f8 22 ~4 E'.xfl + 23 Wxfl ~b7
24 ~xg4 ~xh2 25 tbc5 (202)
25 ~6?
But this is wrong. Black forces events,
trying to use the f-file as quickly as
possible, but in doing so he forgets about
his d7 pawn. The quiet 25 ... ~c6 seems
the natural move, keeping in reserve the
exchange of bishops (26 ... ~h6). During
the game Black was evidently concerned,
and not without reason, about 26 tbxe6,
but if he wished he could have forced a
draw: 26 ... ~h1+ 27 Wf2 dxe6 (27 ... ~e7
28 ~g 51) 28 ~xe6+ Wh8 29 ~d4+ ~g7
30 ~xg7+ Wxg7 31 ~e5+ Wh6 32 ~f4+.
But Black, in my opinion, should play
more accurately, by first giving a check:
25 ... ~h1+!. Now 26 Wf2 is not good on
account of 26 ... ~e7, and after 26 tbgl he
can try playing for a win with 26 ...
~xc5!? (26 ... ~c6 27 tbxe6 E'.e8 is also
interesting, when 28 bg6? is refuted by
the tactical rejoinder 28 ... ~g2+/) 27
~xc5 a5, preparing 28 ... ~d5.
26 ~xh6 ~xh6
169
27 tbxb7?
White returns the compliment. In time
trouble he fails to play 27 tbxd7, when the
chances of the two sides are completely
unclear.
27 ... ~hl+
28 Wf2 ~xb7
The evaluation of the position is clear:
Black's rook and three pawns are superior
to the white minor pieces. The attempt by
White to achieve perpetual check, by
sacrificing his bishop at g6, does not
succeed, since the king escapes to the
queenside via f8.
29 We3 ~6+ 30 Wd2 ~d6 31 tbf4 ~d4!
The domination of the black pieces
deprives White of his last hopes.
32 ~g3 ~xb2 33 tbe2 ~g7 34 ~d6 as
35 ~e4 E'.f8, and a few moves later White
resigned.
In certain lines of the Scheveningen,
Paulsen and Sozin Variations, Black's
conception is often to avoid an initial
battle in the centre of the board, but to
retreat into his shell, invite the attacking
opponent onto his territory, and only
there meet him fully armed. This course is
most clearly observed in those games where
Black, with prophylactic aims, deploys
his pawns along the sixth rank (chess
players call this a 'Hedgehog' set-up),
where they create barriers against the
movements of the enemy pieces. To break
through them the opponent is forced,
against his will, to open up, weakening
important strategic points.
Chandler-Ribli
London 1984
1 e4 c5 2 tbf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tbxd4 tbf6 5
170 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame

et:Je3 a6 6 .te3 e6 7 f4 b5 8 ~f3 .tb7 9 .td3 14 ... .tg7 15 f5 et:Je5 16 ~e2 0-0 17 Wb1
et:Jbd7 10 g4 E:e8!
In contrast to the standard lines of Another typical 'Hedgehog' move.
the Scheveningen Variation, White has Black securely reinforces his e6 pawn,
chosen a double-edged plan with queenside and wishes to exploit the favourable op-
castling and a kingside pawn offensive. 10 position of his rook with the white queen.
a3 would be unfavourable in view of 10 In addition, he secures the f8 square for
... E:c8, when on 11 g4 comes a typical the retreat of his bishop, should White
exchange sacrifice: 11 ... E:xc3 12 bxc3 play f5-f6.
et:Jc5, seizing the initiative.
18 E:f2 E:e8
10 ... b4 11 et:Jee2 et:Je5 12 et:Jg3 et:Jfd7 13 19 E:dfl d5
0-0-0 (203)
Black is excellently mobilized, and his
counterblow in the centre is fully in accor-
dance with the demands of the position.
20 et:Jxe6!?
The best way out. After 20 fxe6 fxe6 it
is hard to offer White any good advice.
20 ... et:Jxe6
Of course, not yielding to the provo-
cation 20 ... fxe6? 21 f6.
21 fxe6 E:xe6
22 .tel E:e7 (204)

13 g6
An important and typical link in
Black's prophylactic strategy. The point
of it is not so much to give the dark-
square bishop freedom of action along
the al-h8 diagonal, but rather to prepare
... e5, for which the white knight must be
deprived of the strongpoint at f5. White
naturally tries to hinder Black's plan. But
in breaking open the f-file, he allows
Black to take complete control of the e5
square.
Defending f7, in order to begin decisive
14 E:hfl?! action. Realizing that quiet play will not
achieve anything, the English grand-
Everything is ready for f4-f5, but ex-
master tries to confuse matters.
perience has shown that the plan with 14
h4 is more advisable. 23 et:Jf5!?
 Defensive Procedures
The best practical chance, which un-
expectedly proves successful.
23 ... dxe4
24 ctJxg7 Wxg7?
Black wrongly avoids any compli-
cations. The simple 24 ... exd3! 25 ctJxe6
dxe2 26 ctJxd8 exfl =~ 27 l::!:xfl ~e4
gives him a virtually decisive advantage.
25 ~xe4 ctJxg4
26 ~xg4 l::!:xe4?
A further mistake. Why not 26 ... ~xe4?
27 ~g3 l::!:d7 28 b3 Wg8 29 l::!:f4 as 30 h4
h5 31 l::!:f6 l::!:g4 32 ~e5 ~e4?
The final and decisive error. Ribli was
evidently dispirited by the unfavour-
able turn of events.
33 :e:b6! ~xc2+ 34 Wxc2 l::!:c7+ 35 Wbl
~d3+ 36 Wal ~c3+ 37 ~b2 ~xe5 38
l::!:b8+
Black resigns, but the final result had
no connection with his excellent strategic
handling of the opening.
Sax-Polugayevsky
Haninge 1989
1 e4 c5 ctJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJf6 5
ctJc3 e6 6 g4 ctJc6 7 g5 ctJd7 8 ~e3 ~e7 9 h4
0-0 10 ~h5!? (205)
171
In the Keres Attack the storm begins
from the very first moves. Here White has
other ways of preparing queenside cast-
ling - 10 ~d2 or 10 ~e2. The move played
is the most aggressive. White's entire
appearance declares: I am playing only
for mate! But the queen move also has a
significant drawback: it blocks the path
of the h-pawn. The Hungarian grand-
master, however, is pinning his hopes on
his f-pawn.
10 ... l::!:e8
A familiar motif. Before setting his
sights on the queenside, Black takes pro-
phylactic measures in anticipation of the
coming storm. And yet the rook manoeuvre
should have been put off until later, and
10 ... a6 11 0-0-0 ctJxd4 12 ~xd4 b5,
intending 13 '" b4, played first.
11 0-0-0 a6 12f4 ctJxd4 13 ~xd4 b5 14 f5
~f8!
The only move. Black reinforces his e6
pawn and his kingside. 14 ... b4? would
have been wrong on account of 15 fxe6
fxe6 16 ~c4! bxc3 17 ~xe6+ Wh8 18
~xg7+! Wxg7 19 ~h6+ Wh8 20 g6 with
decisive threats.
15 ~h3 b4
Now the white bishop can no longer go
to c4.
16 fxe6 fxe6
17 g6?
This direct play does not succeed,
since Black's kingside is securely defended,
and he acquires the additional square f6.
The strongest move was the unhurried 17
ctJe2!, aiming for f4, when White would
have retained active possibilities. But
Sax can be excused, since the continuation
chosen looks very threatening:
17 ... h6
172 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
18 lLJd5!?
White's pieces are indeed menacingly
placed, and it only remains for him to add
19 ~hfl. But Black's reply came as a
complete surprise to the Hungarian grand-
master. After the game he admitted that
he had totally overlooked my modest
rejoinder.
18 ~b8!
Cool prophylaxis at such a critical
moment! At one stroke Black solves three
problems: he moves his rook to a safe
place, thereby threatening 19 ... exd5, he
securely defends the b6 square, and he is
ready to use the transit square b5 for his
rook, where with gain of tempo, by
attacking the queen, it will come into play
in the quickest way.
19 ~hn
White throws down the gauntlet, hop-
ing to invade on the f-file, but Black accepts
the challange, having accurately worked
out the concrete complications. However,
retreating the knight was unpromising for
White: 19 lLJe3 e5, or 19 lLJf4 e5! 20 lLJe6
lLJf6! 21 lLJxd8 lLJxh5 22 lLJc6 i.xh3,
winning a piece.
19 .. , exd5 20 ~xd5+ <t>h8 21 ~f7! (206)
206
The tempting 21 ~h5 would have been
refuted by 21 ... lLJf6!! (the only move; not
21 ... lLJe5 in view of 22 ~xf8+! ~xf8 23
i.xe5). In the event of22 ~xf6 gxf6 Black
continues 23 ... i.g7, firmly 'cementing'
his position.
21 lLJe5!
Again Black finds the only move, but a
sufficient one; such is the strict logic of
chess! In this very sharp struggle Black
has nowhere disturbed the sensible course
of events. White was very much hoping
for 21 ... ~b5?, which would have been
met by the stunning 22 ~xg7!! i.xg7 (or
22 ... ~xd5 23 ~h7++ <t>g8 24 ~h8 mate)
23 i.xg7+ <t>xg7 24 ~f7+ <t>h8 25 ~h7
mate!
22 ~xe5 ~xe5 23 ~xe5 .txh3 24 ~d5
~e8!
Again Black is equal to the occasion.
Exploiting the fact that f1 is covered by
his bishop, he succeeds in blocking the
a2-g8 diagonal.
25 ~d2 ~e6
Only not 25 ... .te6? 26 ~xf8+.
26 ~df2 ~xd5
27 exd5 <t>g8
At last Black can stop to draw breath.
He has the advantage, with two bishops
for rook and pawn, but is still faced with
considerable technical difficulties.
28 ~a7 .tg4
Intending to follow up with 29 ... .th5.
White should have immediately taken the
pawn by 29 ~xa6. His next move is a
poor one, which makes things signifi-
cantly easier for Black.
29 <t>d2? .th5 30 ~g2 ~b5 31 ~xa6
~xd5+ 32 <t>e3 ~e5+ 33 <t>d4 ~f5 34 ~b6
 Defensive Procedures
34 a4 would have offered more chances.
34 ... d5 35 llb8 llf6 36 a4 bxa3 37 bxa3
.txg6 38 a4 lla6?!
The only time in the game that Black
should be criticized; he allows White to
gain counterchances. The simple 38 ...
.tf7! 39 a5 llf4+ 40 Wc3 lla4 41 llb5 d4
would have concluded the struggle.
39 a5 .tf7 40 llb5 .te741 lle2 .txh4 42
Wc5 .tf6 43 llb8+ Wh7 44 Wb5 lla7 45 a6
d4! (207)
207
Black again begins playing accurately.
He gets rid of White's annoying passed
pawn, and takes play across to the other
wing, where he has an obvious advantage.
46 llb7 llxa6! 47 llxf7 lla3 48 Wc4
~g6 49 ~f8 ~g3!
The final finesse, before advancing his
pawns.
50 llf2 llg4
51 Wd3
After 51 ll2xf6+ gxf6 52 llg8+ Wf5 53
llxg4 Wxg4 54 Wxd4 Wf5! 55 Wd5 h5 the
pawn ending is won for Black.
51 ... h5 52 We2 h4 53 Wf3 Wg5 54 llg2
llxg2 55 Wxg2 Wg4!
White is in zugzwang: on 56 llf7 Black
173
has the decisive 56 ... Wf5!, while 56 Wh2
loses to 56 ... .te5+ 57 Wg2 g5. The
remainder is clear.
56 lle8 g5 57 llg8 h3+ 58 Wgl Wf5 59
llfS g4 60 Wf2 Wg561 llg8+ Wf462 llfS
g3+ 63 Wgl Wg5 64 lle8 wg4 65 llg8+
.tg5 White resigns
Many researchers immediately began
analyzing the position after Black's 16th
move, the most active being Sax himself.
He suggested an innovation of fearful
strength: 17 LDd5!! (incidentally, this
move has already been tried in practice).
Indeed, after 17 ... exd5? 18 g6! or 17 ...
g6 18 ~f3! exd5 19 e5! dxe5 (19 ... .tb720
e6 LDe5 21 ii.xe5 dxe5 22 ~j7+ Wh8 23
~xb7 d4 24 ~e4) 20 ~xd5+ Wh8 21 .te3!
Black stands badly, while 17 ... llb8 is
met by another strong blow: 18 LDc7! g6
19 LDxe6!.
It seemed that the fate of Black's
experiment was sealed, and yet I would
ask for just a little delay in drawing
conclusions.
In the variation 17 ... g6 18 ~f3 exd5 19
e5 Black has another possibility, which
may save him: 19 ... ttJc5!. Now on 20
~xd5+ there follows 20 ... .te6 21 .txe6+
LDxe6 22 exd6 ~xd6, while by 20 .txc8
llxc8 21 ~xd5+ LDe6 White also does not
achieve anything. 20 llhfl seems to be the
most dangerous, but after 20 ... dxe5 21
~f7+ (21 ii.xc5 .txc5 22 llxd5 ~e7 23
llxc5 ii.xh3) 21 ... Wh8 22 .txe5+ llxe5
23 ~xf8+ ~xf8 24 ~xf8+ wg7 25 ~xc8
(25 lldf1? llel+!) 25 ... llxc8 26 .txc8
h6! the ending does not cause Black any
anxiety. So let us wait for new analyses!
Lukovnikov-Polugayevsky
Krasnodar 1983
1 e4 c5 2 LDf3 ttJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 LDxd4 e6
174 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
5 tDc3 d6 6 f4 tDf6 7 .te3 .te7 8 'i¥f3 e5
9 tDxc6 bxc6 10 f5 llb8 11 0-0-0 'i¥a5 12
i.c4 (208)
208
When I met my opponent I had abso-
lutely no idea about his opening tastes. I
will not hide the fact that his aggressive
handling of one of the sharp variations
caught me unawares to a certain extent. I
had a rough knowledge of some games
by, in particular, Balashov, where White
attacked swiftly with g2-g4-g5, and even
the sacrifice of Black's rook at b2 did not
allow him to create real counterplay. In
my home laboratory I had not analyzed
in detail the resulting position, and there-
fore I was not familiar with how to exploit
the open b-file. Consequently at the board
I was guided by one single thought: to
deviate at any cost from the familiar
routine, and to try and discover some
fresh idea ...
12 h5!!
Yes, sceptics will easily be able to find
fault with this audacious move, since
Black weakens the wing where his king
should take shelter (now where will it go
to?). And yet, as applied to the concrete
situation, and taking account of what was
said earlier, I am not afraid to attach two
exclamation marks to Black's reply,
despite all its drawbacks. In a difficult
psychological situation this prophylactic
operation enabled me to solve a problem
of primary importance: to prevent the
white g-pawn from storming forward.
Now the implementation of g2-g4 will
require several extra tempi by White,
which in itself is a small (or possibly a
big!) victory for Black - he obtains the
desired respite to search for counter-
measures.
13 .tb3 .ta6
14 Wbl
In contrast to Black, White's prophylaxis
- his 14th and 15th moves - is by no means
dictated by circumstances and is simply a
loss of time. He should have stuck to the
general course: 14 g3, then 15 h3 and 16
g4, but during the game this seemed to my
opponent to be too slow.
14 c5!?
A positionally routine player would
call this weakening of the d5 square
'monstrous', but a creative approach to
Black's problems suggested to him this
original reply. Later, in Volume 2, I will
be dwelling in detail on the importance of
the central squares in the Sicilian Defence.
But the occupation of some outpost, in
the absence of a concrete context, is often
meaningless. And in the given instance we
see precisely such a situation, where White's
excellently placed bishop does not bring
him any particular joy.
15 .tel c4! 16 .ta4+ Wf8 17 .tc6 'i¥c5
18 .td5 .td8!
Dancing around the bishop at d5, the
black pieces take up harmonious positions.
How can it be explained that such a fine
bishop has suddenly become a burden to
White? The point is that Black has not in
fact lost control of the d5 square, which is
 Defensive Procedures 175

being carefully guarded by the knight at

f6, while the central bishop is essentially
209
tying the hands of its own knight and
rook, which cannot leave it in proud
isolation. What joy is there to be gained
from the fact that the light-square bishop
looks so grand? The following comparison
suggests itself: the 'handsome' bishop is
equivalent to one of those 'handsome'
men, about whom women say scornfully
"he is not over-blessed with intelli-
gence!".
19 h3?
Admitting the failure of his strategy, 24 i.xf5
since the g-pawn has not, after all, played
Black lands a blow at the seemingly
its main role in the spectacle. There is no
most protected place, exploiting the in-
denying that White has been very late in
security of the white bishop's position.
putting his plans into effect, but even
His combination is based on accurate cal-
now,forbetter or worse,he had to play 19
culation.
g3 followed by 20 h3. His one definite
chance was that, for all Black's advantage 25 i.xf7
on the queenside, his rook at h8 would
If 25 exf5 then 25 ... i.xc3 26 .ltxc3
still be out of play.
Ci:Jxd5, and 27 i.xe5 fails to 27 ... dxe5 28
19 ... h4 20 g4 hxg3 21 ~xg3 i.a522 ~xe5 ~6!'
:!:;Ihgl :!:;Ih7!
And after 25 :!:;Igfl Black's simplest
Securely defending g7, and also de- reply is 25 ... i.g6 (25 ... i.xc3 26 i..xc3
monstrating to White that the future of i.xe4? 27 be4 Ci:Jxe4 28 ~g6!), which
the rook on the h-file is secure. As a denies White any chance of creating an
result, Black's last unemployed piece has attack.
gained the right to make an active con-
25 '" i.xc3 26 i.xc3 Ci:Jxe4 27 ~f3
tribution. Now 23 i.xf7 would fail to 23 ...
i.xc3. White was relying on this move, but
bitter disappointment awaits him.
23 'it>al i.c8!
27 '" ~f2! 28 ~xf2 Ci:Jxf2 29 l'hd6
After carrying out its mission on the
fl-a6 diagonal, the bishop switches to 29 :!:;Idfl 'it>xf7 30 :!:;Ixf2 'it>e6 is hopeless
different duties, in passing setting a trap. for White.
24 .td2? (209) 29 ... 'it>xf7 30 :!:;Ifl :!:;Ixh3 31 :!:;Id2 lbe4!
32 :!:;Id7+ 'it>e6 33 :!:;Ifdl :!:;Ihl 34 :!:;Ixhl
Seeing no real prospects, White loses
'it>xd7 35 i.xe5 :!:;Ig8
his head and commits a tactical error. 24
:!:;Igfl was correct (but not 24 bj7 in view White resigns. The value of prophylaxis
of 24 ... i.xc3 25 ~6 Ci:Jxe4). in this game proved quite considerable.
176 Attack and Defence in the Middlegame
And now two more chess sketches on
the given theme.
210
Unzicker-Andersson
Munich 1979
White is pinning his hopes on the f-file;
in particular 18 :!lxf6 is threatened. On
17 ... ttJd7 Black has to reckon with 18
ttJd5, when 18 ... f5 fails to 19 ttJe7!. But
with the following subtle prophylactic
manoeuvre Andersson immediately over-
comes all his difficulties.
17 .. , ttJg8!
A worthy reply. On 18 ttJd5 Black has
prepared 18 ... f5, when the e7 square is
covered.
18 .te2 :!lad8 19 :!lad1 :!lxd1 20 :!lxd1
~4!
Black has not only fully equalized, but
is already thinking of more. And he has
grounds for this, since his bishop and
rook are more active than White's.
21 :!lb1 :!le8 22 ~g3 f6 23 ~e1 ttJe7 24
.td3 a6 25 a3 ~a5 26 ~e3 ttJe6 27 ttJe2
~e7 28 :!ld1 :!ld8!
By purposeful play Black has gained a
slight but enduring advantage, which he
methodically realized on move 72.
S tein-Petrosian
Las Palmas 1973
White intends by 15 g5 to drive back
the black knight onto the back rank,
where it will helplessly vegetate, merely
interfering with the coordination of the
rooks. But Petrosian's wonderful intuition
enables him to find the correct course.
14 ... .te8!
Black demonstrates a subtle under-
standing of the position. This prophylactic
regrouping enables him to free an impor-
tant square for the evacuation of the
knight to the queens ide. 14 ... .tc8!? would
have pursued the same aim.
15 g5 ttJd7 16 ~g2 ttJb6 17 :!lae1 ttJe4
18 .tel as
In a few moves the picture has changed.
Black's offensive is markedly ahead of
White's.
19 ~h1 b4 20 axb4 :!lxb4 21 f5 a4 22
ttJd2 ttJ4e5 23 .td1 ttJd4 24 f6 .td8
(212)
Here we can take stock: the black
knights dominate in the centre, White's
pieces are passively placed, and for an
attack on the kingside he clearly lacks
potential. White makes a last attempt,
 Defensive Procedures 177

which involves using the h-file for his h 7, and the other important square, f6, is
heavy pieces. also under his control.
30 l2Jf3 l2Jb5!
212
And again we see a prophylactic device:
Black exchanges knights, probing the
most vulnerable place in the opponent's
position - the e4 pawn ( ... ~b7is planned).
To reinforce his centre, White is obliged
to withdraw a part of his resources, which
is equivalent to the loss of the initiative.
True, in the subsequent play Black did
not make full use of his chances - time
trouble had a detrimental effect on the
game. And on move 44 the grandmasters
concluded peace in a position full of life,
25 E'.e3 ~c6 where the resources of the two sides were
26 E'.h3 l2Jg6 still far from exhausted. We give the con-
cluding moves without commentary:
Again prophylaxis! Black takes urgent
measures to neutralize the attack on the h- 31 l2Jxb5 i.xb5 32 E'.el ~c6 33 l2Jd2
file. 26 ... ~b7!? also merits consideration. E'.b5 34 l2Jbl rJ-Jg8 35 l2Jc3 E'.c5 36 rJ-Jgl
~b7 37 E'.fl ~b6 38 ~e3 E'.xc3 39 bxc3
27 ~g4 E'.e8 28 ~5 l2Jf8 29 fxg7 rJ-Jxg7
i.xe4 40 ~h4 a3 41 ~h5 ~f5 42 E'.hf3
As a result Black has securely defended i.xe3+ 43 E'.xe3 a2 44 ~d4.
Index of Galtles

(bold type indicates that the player had the white pieces)

ALEKHINE-Botvinnik 162 DARGA-Nei 87

-Rubinstein 14
DELY-Fischer 11
ALEXANDRIA-Chiburdanidze 74
DEMENTIEV-Zakharov I. 88
ANDERSSON-Unzicker 176
DORFMAN-Karpov 94
ANIKAYEV-Geller 19
DVOIRIS-Chiburdanidze 45
ARONIN-Kantorovich 8
ESPIG-Gufeld 151
A VERBAKH-Bronstein 36
FISCHER-Dely 11
BALASHOV-Oll 105 -Geller 133
-Gligoric 109
BANNIK-Khohnov 126
-Minie 132
BELYAVSKY-Polugayevsky 41 -Najdorf 100
-Polugayevsky 54 -Petros ian 26
-Stean 21 -Reshevsky 18
-Timman 71 -Rubinetti 98
-Tal 22
BILEK-Petrosian 36
-Tal 153
BLAGIDZE-Boleslavsky 164
FLIS-Sjoberg 83
BOLESLAVSKY-Blagidze 164
FUDERER-Keres 83
-Gurgenidze 7
-Kan 149 FURMAN -Stein 92
-Polugayevsky 138
GAVRIKOV-Tukmakov 113
-Steiner 84
GELLER-Anikayev 119
BOTVINNIK-Alekhine 162
-Fischer 133
-Rauzer 164
-Panno 52
BRONSTEIN-Averbakh 36 -Polugayevsky 43
-Khohnov 104 -Spassky 143
-Polugayevsky 31 -Vatnikov 34
BROWNE-Quinteros 13 GILMAN-Konstantinopolsky 91
CAMPORA-Polugayevsky 165 GLIGORIC-Fischer 109
CHANDLER-Ribli 169 -Sofrevski 85

CHEREPKOV-Pogats 163 GRUNFELD-Polugayevsky 161

CHIBURDANIDZE-Alexandria 74 GUFELD-Espig 151
-Dvoiris 45 -Matanovie 19

178
 Index of Games 179

-Osnos 120 LARSEN-Ivanovic 75

-Polugayevsky 158 -Petrosian 127
-Shiyanovsky 103
LASKER-Pirc 9
GURGENIDZE-Boleslavsky 7
LEPYOSHKIN-Yurkov 97
HAAG-Polugayevsky 156
LjUBOjEVIC-Kasparov 116
HELLERS-Piket ISO -Miles 67
-Tirnrnan 64
INKIOV-Ribli 34
-Tirnrnan 65
IVANOVIC-Larsen 75
LOBRON-Tukmakov 117
-Matulovic 113
LUKOVNIKOV-Polugayevsky 173
jANSA-Taimanov 168
MARIN-Nunn 93
jONGSMA-Kuijpers 161
MARTSINKEVICH-Krinitsky 147
KAN-Boleslavsky 149
MATANOVIC-Gufeld 19
KANTOROVICH-Aronin 8
MATULOVIC-Ivanovic 113
KARAKLAjIC-Nikolic S. 13
MESTEL-Polugayevsky 144
KARPOV-Dorfman 94
-Kasparov 38 MILES-Ljubojevic 67
-Kasparov 59
MINIC-Fischer 132
-Polugayevsky 57
-Sznapik 69 MOHRLOCK-Tal 106
KASPAROV-Karpov 38 NAjDORF -Fischer 100
-Karpov 59 -Keres 53
-Ljubojevic 116
NEI-Darga 87
KAVALEK-Polugayevsky 160
NEVEDNICHY-Kengis 136
KENGIS-Nevednichy 136
NEZHMETDINOV-Polugayevsky 33
KERES-Fuderer 83 -Taimanov 135
-Khohnov 89 -Tal 101
-Kotov 42
NIKITIN-Polugayevsky liS
-Najdorf 53
-Winter 12 NIKOLIC S.-Karaklajic 13
KHOLMOV-Bannik 126 NIKOLIC M.-Velirnirovic 140
-Bronstein 104
-Keres 89 NUNN-Marin 93
-Sokolov 10
KONSTANTINOPOLSKY-Gilman 91
OLL-Balashov lOS
KOTOV-Keres 42
-To lush 121 OSNOS-Gufeld 120

KRINITSK Y-Martsinkevich 147 OSTOjIC-Sofrevski 108

KUIJPERS-jongsma 161 P ANNO-Geller 52
KUPREICHIK-Tseshkovsky 123 PANOV-Ravinsky 102
180 Index of Games

PE TROSIAN-Bilek 36 -Inkiov 34
-Fischer 26
RODRIGUEZ AM.-Po1ugayevsky 166
-Larsen 127
-Spassky 107 RUBINETTI-Fischer 98
-Stein 176
RUBINSTEIN-Alekhine 14
PIKET-Hellers 150
SAKHAROV-Polugayevsky 158
PlOCH-Pytel 99
SALOV -Sokolov 77
PIRC-Lasker 9
SAX-Polugayevsky 171
POGA TS-Cherepkov 163
SHIYANOVSKY-Gufeld 103
POLUGAYEVSKY-Belyavsky 41
SHOR T-Polugayevsky 46
-Belyavsky 54
-Bo1es1avsky 138 SIMAGIN-Solovyev III
-Bronstein 31
SJOBERG-Flis 83
-Cam.pora 165
-Geller 43 SOFREVSKI-Gligoric 85
-Griinfeld 161 -Ostojic 108
-Gufeld 158
SOKOLOV-Nunn 10
-Haag 156
-Salov 77
-Karpov 57
-Kavalek 160 SOLOVYEV -Simagin III
-Lukovnikov 173
SPASSKY-Geller 143
-Mestel 144
-Petros ian 107
-Nezhm.etdinov 33
-Polugayevsky 124
-Nikitin 115
-Rodriguez Am.. 166 STEAN-Belyavsky 21
-Sakharov 158
STEIN-Furman 92
-Sax 171
-Petrosian 176
-Short 46
-Portisch 122
-Spassky 124
-Tal 48 STEINER-Boleslavsky 84
-Tal 49
SZNAPIK-Karpov 69
-Tal 86
-van der Wiel 30 TAIMANOV-Jansa 168
-Vidarsson 137 -Nezhm.etdinov 135
-Tolush 130
PORTISCH-Stein 122
T AL-Fischer 22
PYTEL-Pioch 99
-Fischer 153
QUINTEROS-Browne 13 -Mohrlock 106
-Nezhm.etdinov 101
RAGOZIN-Veresov 118
-N.N. 24
RAUZER-Botvinnik 164 -Polugayevsky 48
-Po1ugayevsky 49
RAVINSKY-Panov 102
-Polugayevsky 86
RESHEVSKY-Fischer 18
TIMMAN-Belyavsky 71
RIBLI-Chandler 169 -Ljubojevic 64
 Index of Games 181

-Ljubojevic 65 VAN DER WIEL-Polugayevsky 30

TOLUSH-Kotov 121 VASYUKOV-Ulyanov 141
-Taimanov 130
VATNIKOV-Geller 34
TSESHKOVSKY-Kupreichik 123
VELIMIROVIC-Nikolic M. 140
TUKMAKOV-Gavrikov 113
-Lobron 117 VERESOV-Ragozin 118

ULYANOV-Vasyukov 141 VIDARSSON-Polugayevsky 137

UNGUREANU-Urzica 20 WINTER-Keres 12

UNZICKER-Andersson 176 YURKOV-Lepyoshkin 97

URZICA-Ungureanu 20 ZAKHAROV I.-Dernentiev 88