A Look at the Poisoned Pawn Variation
In a recent post on the previous blog, I presented a quote from Edmar Mednis's How to Beat Bobby Fischer alluding to a number of games in the so-called Poisoned Pawn Variation of the Sicilian Najdorf, mostly by Fischer. Here are the games:
Keres,Paul - Fuderer,Andrija [B97]
Gothenburg Interzonal Gothenburg (16), 1955
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6
8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5 Nfd7 [10...dxe5 11.fxe5 Nfd7 is the approved response nowadays. It might look odd for Black to throw in the exchange of pawns, as it opens both the d- and f-files for White. In return, however, Black's Bf8 can develop quickly, facilitating castling, and White no longer has the f5 option.] 11.f5 Nxe5 [11...dxe5 12.fxe6 exd4 13.exf7+ Kxf7 14.Bc4+ Ke8 15.Qe2+ Be7 16.Nd5 Qa5+ 17.Kd1 Nc6 18.Nxe7 Nce5 19.Nf5+- Nunn in The Complete Najdorf: 6.Bg5] 12.fxe6 fxe6 13.Be2 Nbc6 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Ne4 d5 16.0-0 Qa4 17.Bh5+ Kd7
18.Rxf8! [18.Rxf8 Rxf8 19.Nc5+] 1-0
Parma,Bruno - Fischer,Robert James [B97]
Bled Bled (5), 09.09.1961
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Be2 Nc6
12.Nb3 [12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.0-0 is more common nowadays.] 12...Bg7 13.f5 0-0 14.0-0 Ne5 15.Nd4 b5 16.Kh1 Bd7 17.Bh5 Rac8 [unclear - Nunn]
18.Rb3 Qc5 19.Nce2 Nc4 20.Qc1 e5? [20...Qe5 21.Rg3 Kh8 22.Rxg7 Kxg7 23.Rf4 Rg8 24.Rg4+ Kh8-+] 21.Rg3 Kh8 22.Rxg7 Kxg7 23.Rf3 Rg8 [23...Rh8 24.Rg3+ Kf8 25.Qh6+ Ke7 26.Bxf7 Rcf8 27.Be6+-] 24.Rg3+
24...Kf8 [24...Kh8 25.Qh6 leads to mate - the pawn on e5 prevents the Black queen from defending the f-pawn. 25...Rxg3 26.Nxg3 Rg8 27.Bg6 fxg6 28.fxg6 Rxg6 (28...Rg7 29.Nh5) 29.Qf8+ Rg8 30.Qxf6+ Rg7 31.Nh5 Qxd4 32.Qxg7#] 25.Qh6+ Ke7 26.Qxh7 exd4 [26...Rxg3 27.Qxf7+ Kd8 28.Ne6+! Bxe6 29.fxe6+-] 27.Qxf7+ Kd8 28.Rxg8+ Kc7 29.Nf4 [29.Rxc8+ Kxc8 30.Qxf6 Ne5 31.h3+-] 29...Qa3 30.Nd5+ Kb8 31.h3 Ne3 32.Rxc8+ [32.Nxe3 dxe3 33.Rxc8+ Kxc8 34.Qxf6 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Qd2 36.Qg5+-] 32...Kxc8
33.Nxe3? [33.Qf8+ first is a big improvement, keeping the king away from c7 where it would defend the d6-pawn. 33...Kb7 34.Nxe3+-] 33...Qxe3= 34.Bf3 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Qf4+ 36.Kg1 Qc1+ 37.Kh2 Qf4+ 38.Kg1 Qc1+ 1/2-1/2
Fischer,Robert James - Geller,Efim P [B97]
Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (11), 04.04.1967
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.f5 Nc6 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.e5
13...Nd5 [13...dxe5 is both more common and scores better, but I don't think Geller's move is "officially" a mistake.] 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Be2 dxe5 16.0-0 Bc5+ [16...Ra7 is better.] 17.Kh1 Rf8 18.c4 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 Bb7
20.Bg4? [20.Qc2 e4 21.Bg4 Be7 (21...Qd3 22.Qa4+ Bc6 23.Qxc6#; 21...Bc8 is Black's best, according to Nunn (The Complete Najdorf: 6.Bg5).) 22.Qf2 0-0-0 23.Bf4 Bd6 24.Bxe6+ Kb8 25.Qb6 Bxf4 26.Qxd8+ Ka7 27.Rb1 Qd6 28.Bxd5! Bxd5 (28...Qxd8 29.Rxb7+ Ka8 30.Rd7++-) 29.Qxd6 Bxd6 30.cxd5 1-0, Tal-Bogdanovic, Budva 1967; 20.Bd1 Be7 21.Bxe7 Kxe7 22.Qg5+ Kd6 23.Rf7 Re8 24.c5+! Qxc5 25.Rxb7 Qf2 26.h3 Qf1+ 27.Kh2 Qf4+ 28.Qxf4 exf4 29.Rxg7 e5 30.Rxh7+/- Nunn (same source).] 20...dxc4 21.Bxe6 [21.Qc2 is better here, too, though Black is in control after 21...Bd5] 21...Qd3-+ 22.Qe1 Be4! 23.Bg4 Rb8! 24.Bd1 [Threatening 25.Ba4+] 24...Kd7 25.Rf7+ Ke6
0-1
Spassky,Boris V (2660) - Fischer,Robert James (2785) [B97]
World Championship 28th Reykjavik (7), 25.07.1972
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Nb3 Qa3 10.Bd3 [10.Bxf6 is by far the most common move here.] 10...Be7 11.0-0 h6 12.Bh4
12...Nxe4! 13.Nxe4 Bxh4 14.f5 exf5! 15.Bb5+ axb5?! [15...Ke7 is a suggestion of Shredder 9's, but perhaps a little suspicion is in order here!] 16.Nxd6+ Kf8 17.Nxc8 Nc6! 18.Nd6? [18.Qf4 Rxc8 19.Qxh4 Qa4=] 18...Rd8 19.Nxb5 Qe7-/+ Nunn 20.Qf4 g6 21.a4 Bg5-+
22.Qc4 Be3+ [22...Kg7] 23.Kh1 f4 24.g3 g5 25.Rae1 Qb4 26.Qxb4+ Nxb4 27.Re2 Kg7 28.Na5 b6 29.Nc4 Nd5 30.Ncd6 Bc5 31.Nb7 Rc8 32.c4 Ne3 33.Rf3 Nxc4 34.gxf4 g4 35.Rd3 h5 36.h3 Na5 37.N7d6 Bxd6 38.Nxd6 Rc1+ 39.Kg2 Nc4 40.Ne8+ Kg6 41.h4 f6 42.Re6 Rc2+ 43.Kg1
[Black has been better all the way, but the position has been sharp and the edge has drifted away a little at a time. After the move played, the position is drawn, but Black could have kept some edge with 43...Rxe8 44.Rxe8 Nd2 45.Kf2 Nf3+ 46.Re2 Rc4 , but 47.Rxf3 (47.Rb2 Rxf4 48.Ra3 Nxh4+ 49.Kg3 Kg5 50.Rxb6 Nf3-+) 47...gxf3 48.Kxf3 Kf5 49.Rb2 Rxf4+ 50.Kg3 Rxa4 51.Rb5+ Ke4 52.Rxb6 lets White escape into a theoretically drawn rook ending.] 43...Kf5 44.Ng7+ Kxf4 45.Rd4+ Kg3 46.Nf5+ Kf3 47.Ree4 Rc1+ 48.Kh2 Rc2+ 49.Kg1 1/2-1/2
Spassky,Boris V (2660) - Fischer,Robert James (2785) [B97]
World Championship 28th Reykjavik (11), 06.08.1972
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Nb3 Qa3 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Be2 h5 12.0-0 Nc6 13.Kh1 Bd7 14.Nb1
[This move excited many early commentators, but if so it was only on psychological grounds, as Black can force a repetition with 14...Qb2 15.Nc3 a) 15.a3 Rc8; b) 15.a4 d5 16.exd5 Nb4 17.Na3 Nxd5!-/+ (17...Rc8 is evaluated as clearly better according to Timman (cited in Nunn's The Complete Najdorf: 6.Bg5), but after 18.dxe6 fxe6 19.Bc4 , threatening both 20.Bxe6 and 20.Rfb1, for starters, Black has to play very accurately to equalize: 19...Rxc4 20.Nxc4 Qxc2 21.Nd6+ Bxd6 22.Qxd6 Rg8 (22...Qxb3 23.Qb8++-) 23.Qb8+ Kf7 24.Qxb7 Qc6 25.Qxc6 Bxc6 26.Rf2 Bd5 27.Nc5 Rc8 28.Rb2 a5 29.Nb3 Nd3 30.Rd2 Nxf4 31.Nxa5=) ; 15...Qa3 and White gets to decide all over again.] 14...Qb4 15.Qe3 d5?! [15...Ne7 16.c4 f5 17.a3 Qa4 18.Nc3 Qc6 19.Nd4 Qc5 20.exf5 Bg7 21.fxe6 fxe6 22.Rad1 Bxd4 23.Qxd4 Qxd4 24.Rxd4 Nf5 25.Rd2 Rc8 26.Rf3 Ke7 was better for Black in the game Qi Jingxuan-Karpov (!!!), Hannover 1983, which concluded 27.Kg1 h4 28.Bd3 Rc5 29.Bxf5 Rxf5 30.Rfd3 Rxf4 31.Rxd6 Bc6 32.c5 Rhf8 33.h3 Rf1+ 34.Kh2 Rc1 35.R6d3 Rff1 36.Nd1 e5 37.Nf2 Rg1 38.Nd1 Re1 39.Rd6 e4 40.R2d4 a5 41.Nf2 e3 42.Rxh4 exf2 43.Rh7+ Ke8 44.Rh8+ Kf7 0-1 Qi Jingxuan-Karpov,A/Hannover 1983/MCL] 16.exd5 Ne7 17.c4 Nf5 18.Qd3 h4? 19.Bg4 Nd6 20.N1d2+- f5 21.a3 Qb6 22.c5
22...Qb5 23.Qc3 fxg4 24.a4 h3 25.axb5 hxg2+ 26.Kxg2 Rh3 27.Qf6 Nf5 28.c6 Bc8 29.dxe6 fxe6 30.Rfe1 Be7 31.Rxe6
1-0
Keres,Paul - Fuderer,Andrija [B97]
Gothenburg Interzonal Gothenburg (16), 1955
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6
8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5 Nfd7 [10...dxe5 11.fxe5 Nfd7 is the approved response nowadays. It might look odd for Black to throw in the exchange of pawns, as it opens both the d- and f-files for White. In return, however, Black's Bf8 can develop quickly, facilitating castling, and White no longer has the f5 option.] 11.f5 Nxe5 [11...dxe5 12.fxe6 exd4 13.exf7+ Kxf7 14.Bc4+ Ke8 15.Qe2+ Be7 16.Nd5 Qa5+ 17.Kd1 Nc6 18.Nxe7 Nce5 19.Nf5+- Nunn in The Complete Najdorf: 6.Bg5] 12.fxe6 fxe6 13.Be2 Nbc6 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Ne4 d5 16.0-0 Qa4 17.Bh5+ Kd7
18.Rxf8! [18.Rxf8 Rxf8 19.Nc5+] 1-0
Parma,Bruno - Fischer,Robert James [B97]
Bled Bled (5), 09.09.1961
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Be2 Nc6
12.Nb3 [12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.0-0 is more common nowadays.] 12...Bg7 13.f5 0-0 14.0-0 Ne5 15.Nd4 b5 16.Kh1 Bd7 17.Bh5 Rac8 [unclear - Nunn]
18.Rb3 Qc5 19.Nce2 Nc4 20.Qc1 e5? [20...Qe5 21.Rg3 Kh8 22.Rxg7 Kxg7 23.Rf4 Rg8 24.Rg4+ Kh8-+] 21.Rg3 Kh8 22.Rxg7 Kxg7 23.Rf3 Rg8 [23...Rh8 24.Rg3+ Kf8 25.Qh6+ Ke7 26.Bxf7 Rcf8 27.Be6+-] 24.Rg3+
24...Kf8 [24...Kh8 25.Qh6 leads to mate - the pawn on e5 prevents the Black queen from defending the f-pawn. 25...Rxg3 26.Nxg3 Rg8 27.Bg6 fxg6 28.fxg6 Rxg6 (28...Rg7 29.Nh5) 29.Qf8+ Rg8 30.Qxf6+ Rg7 31.Nh5 Qxd4 32.Qxg7#] 25.Qh6+ Ke7 26.Qxh7 exd4 [26...Rxg3 27.Qxf7+ Kd8 28.Ne6+! Bxe6 29.fxe6+-] 27.Qxf7+ Kd8 28.Rxg8+ Kc7 29.Nf4 [29.Rxc8+ Kxc8 30.Qxf6 Ne5 31.h3+-] 29...Qa3 30.Nd5+ Kb8 31.h3 Ne3 32.Rxc8+ [32.Nxe3 dxe3 33.Rxc8+ Kxc8 34.Qxf6 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Qd2 36.Qg5+-] 32...Kxc8
33.Nxe3? [33.Qf8+ first is a big improvement, keeping the king away from c7 where it would defend the d6-pawn. 33...Kb7 34.Nxe3+-] 33...Qxe3= 34.Bf3 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Qf4+ 36.Kg1 Qc1+ 37.Kh2 Qf4+ 38.Kg1 Qc1+ 1/2-1/2
Fischer,Robert James - Geller,Efim P [B97]
Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (11), 04.04.1967
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.f5 Nc6 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.e5
13...Nd5 [13...dxe5 is both more common and scores better, but I don't think Geller's move is "officially" a mistake.] 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Be2 dxe5 16.0-0 Bc5+ [16...Ra7 is better.] 17.Kh1 Rf8 18.c4 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 Bb7
20.Bg4? [20.Qc2 e4 21.Bg4 Be7 (21...Qd3 22.Qa4+ Bc6 23.Qxc6#; 21...Bc8 is Black's best, according to Nunn (The Complete Najdorf: 6.Bg5).) 22.Qf2 0-0-0 23.Bf4 Bd6 24.Bxe6+ Kb8 25.Qb6 Bxf4 26.Qxd8+ Ka7 27.Rb1 Qd6 28.Bxd5! Bxd5 (28...Qxd8 29.Rxb7+ Ka8 30.Rd7++-) 29.Qxd6 Bxd6 30.cxd5 1-0, Tal-Bogdanovic, Budva 1967; 20.Bd1 Be7 21.Bxe7 Kxe7 22.Qg5+ Kd6 23.Rf7 Re8 24.c5+! Qxc5 25.Rxb7 Qf2 26.h3 Qf1+ 27.Kh2 Qf4+ 28.Qxf4 exf4 29.Rxg7 e5 30.Rxh7+/- Nunn (same source).] 20...dxc4 21.Bxe6 [21.Qc2 is better here, too, though Black is in control after 21...Bd5] 21...Qd3-+ 22.Qe1 Be4! 23.Bg4 Rb8! 24.Bd1 [Threatening 25.Ba4+] 24...Kd7 25.Rf7+ Ke6
0-1
Spassky,Boris V (2660) - Fischer,Robert James (2785) [B97]
World Championship 28th Reykjavik (7), 25.07.1972
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Nb3 Qa3 10.Bd3 [10.Bxf6 is by far the most common move here.] 10...Be7 11.0-0 h6 12.Bh4
12...Nxe4! 13.Nxe4 Bxh4 14.f5 exf5! 15.Bb5+ axb5?! [15...Ke7 is a suggestion of Shredder 9's, but perhaps a little suspicion is in order here!] 16.Nxd6+ Kf8 17.Nxc8 Nc6! 18.Nd6? [18.Qf4 Rxc8 19.Qxh4 Qa4=] 18...Rd8 19.Nxb5 Qe7-/+ Nunn 20.Qf4 g6 21.a4 Bg5-+
22.Qc4 Be3+ [22...Kg7] 23.Kh1 f4 24.g3 g5 25.Rae1 Qb4 26.Qxb4+ Nxb4 27.Re2 Kg7 28.Na5 b6 29.Nc4 Nd5 30.Ncd6 Bc5 31.Nb7 Rc8 32.c4 Ne3 33.Rf3 Nxc4 34.gxf4 g4 35.Rd3 h5 36.h3 Na5 37.N7d6 Bxd6 38.Nxd6 Rc1+ 39.Kg2 Nc4 40.Ne8+ Kg6 41.h4 f6 42.Re6 Rc2+ 43.Kg1
[Black has been better all the way, but the position has been sharp and the edge has drifted away a little at a time. After the move played, the position is drawn, but Black could have kept some edge with 43...Rxe8 44.Rxe8 Nd2 45.Kf2 Nf3+ 46.Re2 Rc4 , but 47.Rxf3 (47.Rb2 Rxf4 48.Ra3 Nxh4+ 49.Kg3 Kg5 50.Rxb6 Nf3-+) 47...gxf3 48.Kxf3 Kf5 49.Rb2 Rxf4+ 50.Kg3 Rxa4 51.Rb5+ Ke4 52.Rxb6 lets White escape into a theoretically drawn rook ending.] 43...Kf5 44.Ng7+ Kxf4 45.Rd4+ Kg3 46.Nf5+ Kf3 47.Ree4 Rc1+ 48.Kh2 Rc2+ 49.Kg1 1/2-1/2
Spassky,Boris V (2660) - Fischer,Robert James (2785) [B97]
World Championship 28th Reykjavik (11), 06.08.1972
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Nb3 Qa3 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Be2 h5 12.0-0 Nc6 13.Kh1 Bd7 14.Nb1
[This move excited many early commentators, but if so it was only on psychological grounds, as Black can force a repetition with 14...Qb2 15.Nc3 a) 15.a3 Rc8; b) 15.a4 d5 16.exd5 Nb4 17.Na3 Nxd5!-/+ (17...Rc8 is evaluated as clearly better according to Timman (cited in Nunn's The Complete Najdorf: 6.Bg5), but after 18.dxe6 fxe6 19.Bc4 , threatening both 20.Bxe6 and 20.Rfb1, for starters, Black has to play very accurately to equalize: 19...Rxc4 20.Nxc4 Qxc2 21.Nd6+ Bxd6 22.Qxd6 Rg8 (22...Qxb3 23.Qb8++-) 23.Qb8+ Kf7 24.Qxb7 Qc6 25.Qxc6 Bxc6 26.Rf2 Bd5 27.Nc5 Rc8 28.Rb2 a5 29.Nb3 Nd3 30.Rd2 Nxf4 31.Nxa5=) ; 15...Qa3 and White gets to decide all over again.] 14...Qb4 15.Qe3 d5?! [15...Ne7 16.c4 f5 17.a3 Qa4 18.Nc3 Qc6 19.Nd4 Qc5 20.exf5 Bg7 21.fxe6 fxe6 22.Rad1 Bxd4 23.Qxd4 Qxd4 24.Rxd4 Nf5 25.Rd2 Rc8 26.Rf3 Ke7 was better for Black in the game Qi Jingxuan-Karpov (!!!), Hannover 1983, which concluded 27.Kg1 h4 28.Bd3 Rc5 29.Bxf5 Rxf5 30.Rfd3 Rxf4 31.Rxd6 Bc6 32.c5 Rhf8 33.h3 Rf1+ 34.Kh2 Rc1 35.R6d3 Rff1 36.Nd1 e5 37.Nf2 Rg1 38.Nd1 Re1 39.Rd6 e4 40.R2d4 a5 41.Nf2 e3 42.Rxh4 exf2 43.Rh7+ Ke8 44.Rh8+ Kf7 0-1 Qi Jingxuan-Karpov,A/Hannover 1983/MCL] 16.exd5 Ne7 17.c4 Nf5 18.Qd3 h4? 19.Bg4 Nd6 20.N1d2+- f5 21.a3 Qb6 22.c5
22...Qb5 23.Qc3 fxg4 24.a4 h3 25.axb5 hxg2+ 26.Kxg2 Rh3 27.Qf6 Nf5 28.c6 Bc8 29.dxe6 fxe6 30.Rfe1 Be7 31.Rxe6
1-0
Posted by chessmind on
Wednesday April 20, 2005 at 10:44pm