Chess

William Hartston
Monday 07 September 1992 18:02 EDT
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FORGET Fischer, for the events so far in Sveti Stefan are beginning to resemble the Boris Spassky comeback as much as any Fischer resurrection.

Spassky's equalising win came in the fourth game with a superb positional exchange sacrifice after a soporific opening.

Fischer, most unusually for him, accepted the Queen's Gambit, which Spassky met in dozy fashion with an early queen exchange. The critical moment came after 19. Ba3.

After an exchange of bishops, the game is dead level, but Fischer's ambitious 19 . . . b4?] gave White the chance of a deep sacrifice of rook for bishop and pawn. As Spassky's knights headed for the fine squares of c4 and d4, Fischer's problems became apparent. His pawns could not advance without creating unacceptable weaknesses, his rooks had no way to penetrate the White position, and his remaining bishop was stifled.

It is difficult to believe that Black is in danger of losing, but Fischer's game just became worse and worse, with the tactical skirmish beginning with 30. Nxe5] sealing his fate. At the end, 50 . . . Bxh5 51. b7 is fatal.

----------------------------------------- Spassky-Fischer: Game 4 ----------------------------------------- 1 d4 d5 6 0-0 a6 2 c4 dxc4 7 dxc5 Qxd1 3 Nf3 Nf6 8 Rxd1 Bxc5 4 e3 e6 9 b3 Nbd7 5 Bxc4 c5 10 Bb2 b6 11 Nc3 Bb7 31 Rg5 a4 12 Rac1 Be7 32 b4 Nb7 13 Nd4 Rc8 33 b5 Nbc5 14 f3 b5 34 Nd4 e5 15 Be2 Bc5 35 Nxe5 Nxe5 16 Kf1 Ke7 36 Rf5+ Kg7 17 e4 g5 37 Rxe5 Nxe4 18 Nb1 g4 38 Bd3 Rc3 19 Ba3 b4 39 Bb4 Rxd3+ 20 Rxc5 Nxc5 40 Kxd3 Nf6 21 Bxb4 Rhd8 41 Bd6 Rc8 22 Na3 gxf3 42 Rg5+ Kh7 23 gxf3 Nfd7 43 Be5 Ne8 24 Nc4 Ba8 44 Rxh5+ Kg6 25 Kf2 Rg8 45 Rg5+ Kh7 26 h4 Rc7 46 Bf4 f6 27 Nc2 Rb8 47 Rf5 Kg6 28 Ba3 h5 48 b6 Rd8 29 Rg1 Kf6 49 Ra5 Bxf3 30 Ke3 a5 50 h5+ 1-0 -----------------------------------------

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