Spassky - Bronstein
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***
The ratings here are estimates of what these players might be in 2001 terms.
Simply one of the most brilliant chess games ever played.
It also features one of the most amazing and stunning chess moves of all time.
(My annotations are primarily based on the book, "The 100 Best," by GM Andrew Soltis.)
1. e4
e5; 2.
f4
exf4;
The King's Gambit Accepted. (I believe there is nothing wrong with
this opening. GM/Dr. John Nunn gave GM M. Adams an exclam for 'reviving'
this opening in the nineties.)
3. Nf3
d5!?;
This was the theoretically approved
way of playing the King's Gambit at the time this game was played. (At least one of the methods.)
[ The move: 3...d6; will lead
to the "Fischer Defense."
(This is nothing more than an
attempt to transpose to favorable
variations
of the Kieseritsky Gambit,
in most cases.) ].
4. exd5
Bd6; 5.
Nc3
Ne7!?;
The 'book' line at that time.
6. d4
0-0; 7.
Bd3
Nd7!?;
This looks dangerous, but was a line that Bronstein had great experience
and had analyzed for a Soviet chess magazine.
8. 0-0
h6!?; (Maybe '?!')
Black wishes to prevent Ng5.
But this is probably too slow and
a little too risky.
(BUT ... that was NOT known at
the time this game was played! Also, Bronstein had won several games in this line.).
White's next move activates his
game and gives him great piece
play.
(And it also came as a big
surprise to poor Bronstein.)
9. Ne4!
Nxd5; 10.
c4
Ne3[]; 11.
Bxe3
fxe3;
Black believed at this point that
he had a good game.
White's next move is the start
of a very deep plan.
12. c5!
Be7; 13.
Bc2!
Re8!?;
Black wishes to clear the
f8-square for the Knight
at d7.
[ 13...Nf6!? ].
White now forms a battery on the b1-h7 diagonal.
14. Qd3
e2!?; 15.
Nd6!!, (Maybe - '!!!/!!!!')
Simply one of the most amazing
moves ever played on a chess board.
[ Most players would have played the simple 15.Rf2!? "+/=" ].
15...Nf8?!; (Probably inferior.)
This is too passive to be any good. Already poor Bronstein is scrambling.
('?' - Soltis, Nunn, & Burgess.)
[ The best defense is probably:
15...Bxd6!; 16.Qh7+
Kf8;
17.cxd6
exf1Q+;
18.Rxf1
cxd6!;
(18...Nf6!?; 19.Qh8+
Ng8;
20.Ne5!
f6; 21.Bh7
Be6;
22.d7!! Re7; 23.Bxg8
Bxg8;
24.Rxf6+!!
gxf6; 25.Qxf6+
Bf7;
Or 25...Rf7; Ng6 mate. 26.Ng6+
Kg8; 27.Qh8#).
19.Qh8+
Ke7;
20.Re1+
Ne5;
21.Qxg7
Rg8; 22.Qxh6
Qb6;
23.Kh1
Be6; 24.dxe5
d5;
25.Qf6+,
{Comp.} White still has both an attack
and a solid initiative.
Of course calculating this line
correctly over-the-board, perhaps
while
getting short of time, would
have been a super-human feat!
(25.Ba4!?
- Soltis.);
Not 15...exf1Q+; 16.Rxf1
Nf8!?;
(The move, 16...Bxd6!; would
transpose
back to the best line.
Not 16...cxd6??; 17.Qh7+
Kf8;
18.Qh8#),
17.Nxf7!,
with a winning attack.
(See the variations after move
17 in the actual game.) ].
White's next move is a fantastic
sacrifice, (maybe a double exclam); designed to dig the
Black King out of his bunker.
16. Nxf7!
exf1Q+; 17.
Rxf1
Bf5[]; This is forced.
(Many writers
have noted Black must give back
material here to avoid a mate.)
[ 17...Kxf7?; 18.Ne5+
Kg8;
(18...Ke6?!; 19.d5+!
Qxd5; 20.Qf5#).
19.Qh7+!!
Nxh7[]; 20.Bb3+!
Qd5;
21.Bxd5+
Be6; 22.Bxe6+
Kh8;
23.Ng6#
].
Now White concludes brilliantly:
18. Qxf5
Qd7; 19.Qf4!,
The best. (White maintains the
pressure on the K-side.)
[ 19.Qd3!? ].
19...Bf6; 20.
N3e5!
Qe7; 21.
Bb3!
Bxe5; 22.Nxe5+
Kh7; 23. Qe4+, (Almost - '!')
Black resigns, 1-0.
[ 23.Qe4+
Kh8;
(23...g6!?; 24.Rxf8!
Rxf8[];
25.Qxg6+
Kh8;
26.Qxh6+
Qh7;
27.Ng6#).
24.Rxf8+!
Rxf8; 25.Ng6+
Kh7;
26.Nxf8+!
Kh8; 27.Qh7#
]
One of the most beautiful games in all of the annals of chess.
The heights to which Spassky's fertile imagination soared to in this game have rarely been equaled and certainly never surpassed.
1-0
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby I, (c) 2001, (c) 2002.
One of the greatest games of chess ever played. (PERIOD!)
One
of the most beautiful games of all time.
Maybe the best King's Gambit ever?
Could this be Spassky's greatest game???
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Click
HERE
to go to my web page on my Geo-Cities web site, where I examine this game in GREAT
detail!!!
(But there is only one diagram, so you have to use a
chess board & set!)
This
is a MUCH shortened copy of the game than the version that exits in my
database.
(I had to shorten it for publication. The other version was simply
too difficult to convert to an HTML [re-play] document.)
The
original "ChessBase" file contains a fairly good look at the opening
of this game,
"The King's Gambit."
This would be an asset to have, if you wanted to study this
opening.
If you would like a copy of this game, please contact me.
Copyright,
(©) A.J. Goldsby I. ©
A.J. Goldsby, 1985-2013.
Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 2014. All rights reserved.
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