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

Karpov, are from the tournament book Turnir zvezd,

Monreal’ 1979 (edited by V. I. Chepizhny and published by Fizkultura i Sport, 1979). The
translation from the original Russian is by Douglas Griffin.)

Spassky – Karpov
13 round, ‘Tournament of Stars’, Montréal, 28th April 1979
th

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Bf4

XIIIIIIIIY
8rsnlwqkvl-tr0
7zp-zpp+pzpp0
6-zp-+psn-+0
5+-+-+-+-0
4-+PzP-vL-+0
3+-+-+N+-0
2PzP-+PzPPzP0
1tRN+QmKL+R0
xabcdefghy
A surprise. In the Queen’s Indian Defence Spassky employs a system which was introduced into
tournament practice in the skilful hands of A. Miles. This is a relatively new plan, and for the time
being it is difficult to give a judgement regarding its true merits.

At any rate, playing with Black against Miles, Spassky twice suffered defeat in this variation. In
the first duel (Montilla, 1978) after 4...Bb7 5.e3 Be7 6.h3 0–0 7.Nc3 d5 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bd3 c5
10.0–0 Nc6 11.Ne5 c4 (11...cxd4 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.exd4) 12.Bc2 a6 13.g4 b5 14.g5 Ne8 15.Qg4
g6 16.Rad1 Ng7 17.h4 the English grandmaster had taken hold of the initiative. In the second
duel (Buenos Aires, 1978) Spassky played differently on the 11th move: 11...a6 12.Qf3 Re8
13.Rad1 cxd4 14.Nxc6 (14.exd4!? Nxd4 15.Bxh7+ Nxh7 16.Rxd4 Nf6 leads to complications)
14...Bxc6 15.exd4 b5 16.a3 Ne4! 17.Bb1!, but also could not fully equalise the game. The many
hours of analysis of these games had evidently prompted Spassky to think of himself trying to play
this set-up for White, but modifying it somewhat.

4...Bb7 5.e3 Be7 6.Nc3

Miles, the inventor of the system, always plays the prophylactic move 6.h3, preserving the
dark-squared bishop from exchange. The continuation chosen my Spassky looks more energetic,
but it is less flexible. With it he loses the advantage of the first move.

6...Nh5 7.Bg3 d6
Perhaps the main difficulty in playing this position is in taking timely prophylactic measures
against a possible attack and only then to plan active operations.

8.Bd3
Clearly, White is inclined towards short castling. More promising, in my view, appears the plan
associated with long castling, acting in the spirit of similar variations of the queen’s gambit.

8...Nd7
Black does not hurry to evacuate his king from the centre, so that there should not be castling on
opposite sides and the additional sharpness arising from this.

9.0–0 g6
XIIIIIIIIY
8r+-wqk+-tr0
7zplzpnvlp+p0
6-zp-zpp+p+0
5+-+-+-+n0
4-+PzP-+-+0
3+-sNLzPNvL-0
2PzP-+-zPPzP0
1tR-+Q+RmK-0
xabcdefghy
A useful move in all respects. Sooner or later the dark-squared bishop will all the same go over
to g7; in addition, the diagonal d3–h7 is closed. At the same time Black makes it known that he
will agree to exchange knight for bishop only after further pawn concessions on the part of White.

10.h3
I perceived this move as a slight moral victory. Indeed, would it not have been simpler to lose
this tempo on the 6th move? Knowing how Spassky values time in chess, I sensed that at the
present moment he did not see a definite plan for himself. Only in this way could the move 10.h3
have come about.

10...Nxg3
The knight could hardly have dreamed of a better fate. It eliminates the bishop and at the same
time spoils the opponent’s pawn chain. While the defect in the pawn position will sooner or later
make itself known.

11.fxg3 0–0 12.Rc1 Bf6 13.Rc2 Bg7 14.Rcf2

One of Spassky’s favourite strategems – the doubling of rooks on a half-open file. However, in
the present case this increasing of the pressure does not have any practical force, since Black’s
position is very adaptable. Only as a consequence of the opponent’s inaccurate and inattentive play
can White count on breaking through to the f7–square.

14...Qe7
One of those low-key but highly useful transfers, being a link in the general plan of unfolding an
offensive in the centre.

15.Kh2
The chronic shortcoming of White’s position consists in the fact that in the absence of a
dark-squared bishop it is extremely dangerous to begin the advance of the central pawns. Therefore
his position, with his forces fully mobilised, at the same time makes something of an anonymous
impression. He must await the development, like an army waiting to withstand a prolonged
siege...

15...a6
Defending against Nc3–b5, which is possible in some cases.

16.Qe2 Rae8 17.Bb1

Here at Black’s disposition there are rather a lot of interesting plans. One of them is associated
with ...c7–c5, another with the move ...f7–f5. The position could all the same be level, but White
should adhere to waiting tactics. Thus the strategic initiative is on the side of Black. Afraid of
‘spilling’ such an insignificant advantage, I resolved to delay making a clear-cut decision, retaining all
the abundance of possibilities.

17...c6 18.a3!
This move forced me to think and to hurry to begin active play. The intended advance 18...b5
is in general pointless, since after 19.Ba2 the bishop proves to be very well placed. Then White
plays b2–b4 and in general gains an excellent position. In short, it is already impossible to delay.

18...f5
XIIIIIIIIY
8-+-+rtrk+0
7+l+nwq-vlp0
6pzppzpp+p+0
5+-+-+p+-0
4-+PzP-+-+0
3zP-sN-zPNzPP0
2-zP-+QtRPmK0
1+L+-+R+-0
xabcdefghy
 After this move several of the white pieces (the rooks on the f-file and the bishop on b1) begin to
feel very out of place. At this moment I noted that Spassky, who plays so masterfully in tense pawn
structures, was looking with envy at my half of the board.

19.e4
Finally White all the same decides on energetic measures, but the main forepost of his position –
the d4–pawn – is now weakened, and Black immediately rams it with his c-pawn.

19...c5 20.exf5
I think that Spassky should have retained the tension in the centre. But, clearly, he decided that
he had to try to draw, and went in for simplification without assessing its consequences with
sufficient accuracy.

20...exf5
Black must agree to the exchange of queens, since after 20...gxf5 unecessary weaknesses are
created in his camp.

21.Qxe7 Rxe7 22.dxc5

Disadvantageous is 22.d5, after which Black possesses the e-file unchallenged and gains clearly the
better chances.
XIIIIIIIIY
8-+-+-trk+0
7+l+ntr-vlp0
6pzp-zp-+p+0
5+-zP-+p+-0
4-+P+-+-+0
3zP-sN-+NzPP0
2-zP-+-tRPmK0
1+L+-+R+-0
xabcdefghy
22...bxc5!
The strongest of the three continuations that I had available. After the obvious 22...dxc5 White
develops pressure along the d-file. Then he would have borne the exchange on c3 painlessly and he
could even have claimed the b6–pawn.

Reasonable appears 22...Nxc5, since now ...Bg7xc3 is threatened very strongly. However,
after 23.Nd5 Bxd5 24.cxd5 it seemed doubtful to me that Black would manage to win.
23.Rd1
If 23.Nd5, then after 23...Bxd5 24.cxd5 Rb8 Black has a great position.

Now it only remains for him to play ...Nd7–b6 in order to achieve a strategically winning
position. Therefore Spassky seeks an object of attack.

23...Bxc3 24.bxc3 Rf6!

I had played for this position from far back, and I remain very happy that my assessment of the
given endgame proved to be correct and precise.

25.Rfd2
XIIIIIIIIY
8-+-+-+k+0
7+l+ntr-+p0
6p+-zp-trp+0
5+-zp-+p+-0
4-+P+-+-+0
3zP-zP-+NzPP0
2-+-tR-+PmK0
1+L+R+-+-0
xabcdefghy
The pressure on the d-file is White’s sole counter-chance. How is Black to proceed? After the
seemingly natural 25...Bxf3 26.gxf3 Ree6 the king transfers to f2, and White himself begins to
threaten an invasion along the b-file. Also possible is the immediate 25...Ne5, but then 26.Ng1
Rd7 27.Ne2, and all the time the capture on c4 is impossible on account of the pin Bb1–a2.

Delving into the position, I came to the concusion that it was essential to urgently activate the
rook.

25...Re3! 26.Ng1
After 26.Rxd6 Rxd6 27.Rxd6 Bxf3 28.gxf3 Ne5 the rook, co-ordinating with the knight, quickly
punishes White’s disunited forces. For instance: 29.f4 Nf3+ 30.Kg2 Rxc3 31.Rd5 Nd4 32.Rxc5
Rb3 33.Rd5 Rb2+ etc.

26...Kf7! 27.Rxd6 Rxd6 28.Rxd6 Ke7

Strangely enough, although White has an extra pawn, Black wins the endgame virtually by force.

29.Rd3 Re1 30.Ba2

Once again the only move, since 30.Bc2 Ne5 31.Rd2 Nxc4 makes the white pawns easy prey for the
black pieces.
XIIIIIIIIY
8-+-+-+-+0
7+l+nmk-+p0
6p+-+-+p+0
5+-zp-+p+-0
4-+P+-+-+0
3zP-zPR+-zPP0
2L+-+-+PmK0
1+-+-tr-sN-0
xabcdefghy
30...Rc1!
Perhaps one of the most accurate moves in the game. In order to fully exploit the power of the
b7–bishop, the rook aims at the c2–square.

31.Nf3
If 31.Bb3, then 31...Ne5 32.Re3 Kf6 with the irresistible threat of 33...Rb1, after which the
c4–pawn is lost, but, perhaps this was all the same the best chance for White.

Now White holds on to the material, but it was difficult to foresee that within a few moves he
will turn out to be in complete zugzwang.

31...Bxf3! 32.Rxf3 Ne5 33.Re3 Kf6 34.Bb3 a5 Diagram

XIIIIIIIIY
8-+-+-+-+0
7+-+-+-+p0
6-+-+-mkp+0
5zp-zp-snp+-0
4-+P+-+-+0
3zPLzP-tR-zPP0
2-+-+-+PmK0
1+-tr-+-+-0
xabcdefghy
A picturesque position of zugzwang. Any move by White lead to the immediate loss of several
pawns.
35.Ba4 Nxc4 36.Re8
36.Rd3 Nb2 is completely bad.

36...Rxc3 37.Rc8
Here an amusing thing happened to me. In writing down the game, I had mistakenly missed
out five lines on the scoresheet (from the 16th to the 20th moves). Therefore I believed that I was
already faced with making my 42nd move and, having considered this, I decided that it was best to
adjourn the game. When I advised Spassky (who happened to be in time trouble) of my wish, he
spread his arms in surprise and said that I did not have the right to do so, since we had not reached
the time control. This confusion could have cost me dearly! It was a good thing that I still had 10
minutes in reserve.

37...Ne3 38.Bb5
XIIIIIIIIY
8-+R+-+-+0
7+-+-+-+p0
6-+-+-mkp+0
5zpLzp-+p+-0
4-+-+-+-+0
3zP-tr-sn-zPP0
2-+-+-+PmK0
1+-+-+-+-0
xabcdefghy
38...c4
All the same the incident that took place had flustered me, and I missed the quickest win –
38...Rc2 39.Bc6 Nf1+ 40.Kg1 Nxg3 and then ...f5–f4, creating a mating net. But, despite the fact
that the black rook gives the white king a little more freedom, the win still remains no more than a
matter of time and of straightforward technique.

39.Kg1 Rc2 40.Bc6 c3 41.Bf3 g5 42.g4 f4

White resigned.