(The annotations to this game, by S. A.

Furman, appear in Semyon Furman (Fizkultura i Sport,

Moscow 1988). Their original source is not indicated; a footnote in the book indicates that
Bronshtein participated in the writing of the commentary to this game. The translation from the
original Russian is by Douglas Griffin.)

Furman (Leningrad) – Bronstein (Moscow)

Board 2, 2nd round, Match Leningrad v. Moscow, Leningrad 1967

1.d4
Why did I play thus? I always proceed in this way!

1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5!

Why did he play thus? “I had prepared a novelty” – my opponent could have replied. But at
this moment only his glasses on his face sparkled.

4.Bg5 c5
This move was played so quickly that I understood: Bronstein had not come to Leningrad
empty-handed. (Translator’s note: Evidently, Bronstein had prepared this line in some detail. He
had already employed this continuation two months earlier, playing on 1st board for Dinamo in the
Moscow Spartakiad against the leader of the Spartak team, Tigran Petrosian.)

5.cxd5
I sensed that a surprise awaited me, and hesitated a little: should I not go in for 5.e3 ? However,
my creative convictions, held for many years, demanded that I accept the challenge. Now, when the
game is already over, to me this is especially pleasing. (Translator’s note: Petrosian had typically
avoided a theoretical debate, and chose this quiet continuation instead.)

5...cxd4 6.Qxd4 Be7 7.e4 Nc6 8.Qd2

XIIIIIIIIY
8r+lwqk+-tr0
7zpp+-vlpzpp0
6-+n+psn-+0
5+-+P+-vL-0
4-+-+P+-+0
3+-sN-+-+-0
2PzP-wQ-zPPzP0
1tR-+-mKLsNR0
xabcdefghy
Here again there was again some hesitation on my part. For example, should I not go in for
8.Qe3 ? But since I considered the move 8.Qd2 to be strongest, I decided both now and later to
strictly follow theory. It was already very interesting to me – what had my clever opponent
prepared in the quiet of his home?

8...Nxd5!
Here it is, the novelty! The usual continuation here is 8...Nxe4 9.Nxe4 exd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7
11.Qxd5 with sharp and unclear play, the consequences of which had still not been studied to their
conclusion. (Translator’s note: - Later, it was established that after 11...0–0 (11...f5 12.Bb5) 12.f3
Nb4 13.Qc4! Be6 14.Qc5 Qxc5 15.Nxc5 Nc2+ 16.Kd2 Nxa1 17.Nxe6 fxe6 18.Bd3 White emerges
with a winning endgame.)

Bronstein’s move places on the agenda new problems, which in the present game I was not able to
fully resolve.

9.exd5 Bxg5 10.f4 Bh4+ 11.g3 exd5 12.gxh4 Qxh4+ 13.Qf2 Qe7+ 14.Qe2 Be6
XIIIIIIIIY
8r+-+k+-tr0
7zpp+-wqpzpp0
6-+n+l+-+0
5+-+p+-+-0
4-+-+-zP-+0
3+-sN-+-+-0
2PzP-+Q+-zP0
1tR-+-mKLsNR0
xabcdefghy
15.0–0–0
It was just this position that I had examined after the move 9.exd5. However, at a closer
distance I discovered that the defence appeared more difficult than I had supposed.

For example, the move 15.Nf3 could prove to be a dangerous loss of time on account of the
variation 15...d4 16.Nb5 0–0 17.Nbxd4 Nxd4 18.Nxd4 Rfd8 19.0–0–0 (19.Nxe6 Qb4+ 20.Kf2
Rd2) 19...Rac8+ 20.Nc2 (Translator’s note: or 20.Kb1 Rxd4.) 20...Bf5!. With attentive study of
the position it is possible to discover further sharp combinations, which will not always be in White’s
favour. Sensing that this position was more familar to my opponent than to me, I took the
decision to immediately castle long. Although Black has a formidable attack, whatever the
appearance White has the advantage of a whole extra piece, while for the defending side this factor
has paramount significance.

(Translator’s note: Two years later (at the 37th USSR Championship Semi-final, Rostov-on-Don
1969) Dzindzichashvili was naïve enough to repeat this line against Furman, who on that occasion
demonstrated the correct way to an advantage for White – 15.Nf3 d4 16.Nb5 0-0 17.f5! d3 (or
17...Bxf5 18.Qxe7 Nxe7 19.Nbxd4) 18.Qe4 Bxf5 19.Qxe7 Nxe7 20.Nbd4 Be4 21.Kd2 Nc6
22.Bxd3 and White won the ending.)

15...d4 16.Nb5 0–0

I expected the move 16...a6. Then for White there was a choice: either to retreat the knight to
a3 or to continue 17.f5 with a probable drawn outcome – 17...Qc5+ 18.Kd2 Qb4+ 19.Kc1 Qc5+
etc.

17.Nf3 Qc5+
The check appears very threatening, but White had foreseen this leap of the Black queen and had
prepared an interesting reply, not falling into the net that had been cast: 18.Kb1 d3! 19.Qxd3 Bf5.

18.Qc2 Qd5 19.Ng5 Bf5

XIIIIIIIIY
8r+-+-trk+0
7zpp+-+pzpp0
6-+n+-+-+0
5+N+q+lsN-0
4-+-zp-zP-+0
3+-+-+-+-0
2PzPQ+-+-zP0
1+-mKR+L+R0
xabcdefghy
The struggle sharpens to the limit. At first sight Black has won the battle, since not only the
queen, but also the rook at h1 are under attack. While if White blocks the diagonal b1–h7 with
the move 20.Bd3, there follows the crushing 20...Nb4.

What then is to be done? To decide on this question now would have been too late. I had
considered this position already before the move 15.0–0–0 and had foreseen the possibility of
delivering a combinational blow in reply. Possibly, Black ought to have conducted the atatck in a
more reserved way, for example by increasing the pressure with the moves ...Rfd8 and ...Rac8.

20.Bc4! Bxc2
Forced! If 20...Qd7?, then after 21.Bd3! Nb4 at White’s disposition is the move 22.Bxf5, which
with the position of the black queen at d5 did not have any force.

This example shows that in chess even an insignificant displacement of only one piece often
changes the assessment of long forcing variations. This is why chess is difficult, but also so
interesting!

21.Bxd5 Bxd1 22.Rxd1

XIIIIIIIIY
8r+-+-trk+0
7zpp+-+pzpp0
6-+n+-+-+0
5+N+L+-sN-0
4-+-zp-zP-+0
3+-+-+-+-0
2PzP-+-+-zP0
1+-mKR+-+-0
xabcdefghy
22...Rac8
Distressed by the unsuccesful course of the battle in general Black, from inertia, continues to
attack, whereas it was more expedient to think of defence.

The variation 22...Rad8 23.Bxc6 bxc6 24.Nxd4 led to a position where White’s advantage would
not have been felt so clearly, because in Black’s camp the pawn at a7 is retained and there would not
have been the threat of the pawn run a2–a8-Q!

However, who knows whether Black deliberately provoked the move Kc1–b1, counting on the
fact that the opponent would not risk taking the pawn at a7 with the knight.

23.Kb1 Rcd8 24.Bxc6 bxc6 25.Nxa7!

This decision demanded accurate calculation. To me it was clear that the knight would be able
to free itself from the ‘swamp’, but all the same I was somewhat nervous – the pawn at h2 was too
little defended, particularly if account was taken of the fact that Black has retained both of his
long-ranging rooks.

25...Rd6 26.Ne4 Rh6 27.Rxd4 Ra8 28.f5!

A difficult and committing step. I did not like the move 28.Rd6 on account of the reply
28...Rh4. After the fall of the pawn at f4 the black pawns could rapidly stride forward to promote.

Now, however, exploiting the absence of an escape square for the black king, White breaks up the
pawn configuration of the opponent on the king’s flank.

28...Kf8 29.f6 gxf6

 XIIIIIIIIY
8r+-+-mk-+0
7sN-+-+p+p0
6-+p+-zp-tr0
5+-+-+-+-0
4-+-tRN+-+0
3+-+-+-+-0
2PzP-+-+-zP0
1+K+-+-+-0
xabcdefghy
30.Nxc6
Not at all the blunder of a piece. If Black wants to ‘eat’ the knight, then he is duly mated:
30...f5 31.Nd6 Ra6 32.Nxf5 Raxc6 33.Rd8#.

30...f5 31.Nd6 f4
Proving to be in a difficult situation after the unsuccesful manoeuvre of the rook (...Ra8–c8–d8),
Black seeks defensive resources and creates the maximum difficulties for White. The attempt to
win one of the white pieces by 31...Ra6 fails to 32.Nxf5 Raxc6 33.Rd8# mate.

32.Ne5 Rxh2 33.Rxf4 Rh1+ 34.Kc2 Rxa2

In serious mutual time trouble Black commits a decisive mistake. After the more cautious
34...Kg7 White’s task, as previously, would have been difficult, although in my opinion he would
have won also after such a development of the play.

35.Rxf7+ Kg8
XIIIIIIIIY
8-+-+-+k+0
7+-+-+R+p0
6-+-sN-+-+0
5+-+-sN-+-0
4-+-+-+-+0
3+-+-+-+-0
2rzPK+-+-+0
1+-+-+-+r0
xabcdefghy
36.Ng4
 Did my opponent think that I had my whole life dreamed of at least once playing the famous
endgame “two knights against one pawn” – 36.Rb7 Rh2+ 37.Kc3 Raxb2 38.Rxb2 Rxb2 39.Kxb2 ?
Incidentally, it was not clear if White is in time to block the black pawn on the required square.

36...Kh8 37.Ne8 Kg8 38.Nd6 Kh8 39.Nf5 Ra8 40.b4 Rg8

XIIIIIIIIY
8-+-+-+rmk0
7+-+-+R+p0
6-+-+-+-+0
5+-+-+N+-0
4-zP-+-+N+0
3+-+-+-+-0
2-+K+-+-+0
1+-+-+-+r0
xabcdefghy
The most cunning of traps! In the case of the natural 41.Ngh6 Black ‘unfolds the sails’ of not
one, but immediately both rooks, since their fall would have brought the black king the desired
escape - stalemate!

41.Nf6 Rc8+ 42.Kd3

Black resigned.