(The annotations to this game, by M. N. Tal, are from Shakhmaty v SSSR (№ 7, 1975).

The
translation from the original Russian is by Douglas Griffin.)

I was playing in Spain for the second time, and this was my second encounter with Pomar.
After the tournament in Mallorca (1966) I was left with a good impression of the play of the leader
of the Spanish chessplayers.
However, I noticed that in meetings with strong opponents Pomar – from the first moves –
expresses peaceful intentions, as occurred in the present game to the detriment of his own position.

Pomar Salamanca – Tal

6 round, Las Palmas International, 12th April 1975
th

1.Nf3 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.g3

A move that is less aggressive but possibly no worse than the approved continuations 3.e4 or 3.c4.

3...d6 4.Bg2 Nd7

After 4...Nf6 I do not like the reply 5.b3, the more so since this variation was associated with
unpleasant memories: in this way I lost to Polugaevsky in the 39th USSR Championship and to
Rukavina in the last Interzonal tournament in Leningrad.

5.0–0 e5 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Nc3 Ngf6 8.Nd5

Natural is 8.e4 with transposition to the usual set-ups of this variation. Unecessary pursuit of
piece exchanges most often of all passes the initiative to the opponent.

8...0–0 9.Nxf6+ Qxf6

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10.Bg5
A second mis-step, after which one may already speak of a solid advantage for Black. 10.Ng5
was in the spirit of the position.
10...Qb6
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It transpires that problems have appeared for White with the defence of the b2–pawn since
11.Qc1 is impossible on account of 11...e4.

11.Rb1 Qe6
Winning a tempo for the transfer of the queen to a better position.

In reply to 11...e4 White would of course not have played 12.Be3 in view of 12...exf3, but simply
12.Nd2, and Black has not achieved very much.

12.a3 e4
Another possibility – and also quite good – was 12...f5, but I did not like the move 13.Be3. As
the further course of events shows, with the plan chosen by Black the diagonal ...h3–c8 should be
left open for the bishop.

13.Nd4
13.Nd2 was relatively the lesser evil.

13...Qe5 14.Be3 Nf6

Also quite good is 14...Nb6, so as to play on the queen's flank. But from two approximately
equivalent paths everyone will choose that which is more to his taste.

15.Bf4 Qh5
I refrained from the move 15...Qe7 because I very much wanted to play the position with the
queen on h5. For moral peace of mind I found the variation 16.Nb5 Rd8 17.Qc1 Nd5 18.Bg5 f6
19.Bh6.

Now White's reply is forced in view of the threat of 16...c5.

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16.Bxc7 Bh3
The continuation 16...Nd5 appealed to me less on account of 17.Nb5, and if 17...a6, then 18.c4.

17.Bf4
On 17.Qd2 possible is 17...Ng4 18.f3 Bxg2 19.fxg4 Qd5.

17...Ng4
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18.f3 exf3 19.Nxf3
In the case of 19.exf3 there follows the same reply 19...Bxg2 20.fxg4 Qd5.

19...Rad8 20.Qc1
After 20.Qe1 it was possible to regain the pawn after 20...Qc5+ or to increase the initiative with
20...Rfe8.

20...Rfe8 21.Bxh3 Qxh3 22.Rd1

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White has no objection to paying Black off with the exchange (22...Bd4+ 23.Rxd4 Rxd4), but
Black's position is such that he can achieve more. More tenacious is 22.Qe1, on which, out of the
many ways to conduct the attack I wanted to settle on 22...Rd5 with the possible variation: 23.e4
Bd4+ 24.Kh1 Rh5 25.Qd2 (e2) 25...Rxe4.

22...Nxh2 23.Rxd8
Or 23.Ng5 Qh5. Now the matter is forcibly reduced to a pawn endgame.

23...Nxf3+ 24.exf3 Rxd8

Unfortunately, play for mate does not work: 24...Bd4+ 25.Rxd4 Re2 26.Rd8+.

25.c3
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25...Bh6!
After 25...g5 26.Bc7 (26.Be5 f6) 26...Rd7 27.Qxg5 f6 28.Qf4 Bh6 29.Qc4+ Kg7 30.Bf4 (30.Re1
Be3+) I could not find anything real.
26.Qf1
If 26.Bxh6, then 26...Qxg3+ 27.Kf1 Qxf3+ 28.Kg1 Qg3+ 29.Kf1 Rd5 30.Qe3 Rf5+ and then
...Re5. In the case of 26.Qe3, 26...Qxg3+ is decisive.

26...Qxf1+ 27.Rxf1 Bxf4 28.gxf4 Rd2 29.Rf2 Rxf2 30.Kxf2

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30...b5! 31.a4 bxa4 32.Ke3 h5 33.f5 g5 34.c4 f6 35.Kd4 Kf7
White resigned.