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Chess Spassky-Larsen 1968 Part 1

Article on Spassky Larsen Chess match.

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145 views5 pages

Chess Spassky-Larsen 1968 Part 1

Article on Spassky Larsen Chess match.

Uploaded by

pureimagination26
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SPASSKY vs. LARSEN Recounted by Dr. PETAR TRIFUNOVICH 5 the Semi-final Matches of the Challengers Round toward the match for the world title begin, it seems that chess at the summit has not altered much. ‘Three pretenders for the world throne once again, just as three years ago, are Spassky, Tahl and Larsen. Only in fourth place is there a difference; Korchnoy has moved in in place of Geller. That one change, however, has made the Semi-finals stronger. But it is still Larsen against three Russians with, so far, all going according to program and prognosis. The favorites have won, and so it is Spassky to meet Larsen; Korchnoy to confront Tahl. Boris Spassky of the USSR (left) against Bent Larsen of Denmark PRESIDENT FOLKE ROGARD of the FIDE stepped into what were becoming eniless negotiations a5 to the place of meeting for Spessky and Larsen, He ruled for the city of Malmo. His decision did not cause Spassky to rejoice, For Spastky felt that, between Copenhagen and Malmo, there would be little difference for Larsen who then must feel quite at home. During the match, however, Spassky, who is more ‘of a Northman than Larsen (Spassky was, born in Leningrad), changed his epinion, finding this elime more agreeable for him than for his opponent. “The match was given a place of honor in the Malmo city hall. The arbiter was Harry Golombek from England, rather a specialist in matches within the world championship program. And the ceremo: nial opening’ was held before more than two hundred—a special record for Malmo hut more than half were from Copen: Ieagen optimistically bent on seeing their favorite player and representative start. ‘CHESS REVIEW, OCTOBER, 1968, Spassky came escorted by his second Grandmaster Igor Bondarevsky; and Lar- en, again by his wife in the role of second as Larsen pointedly announced. Too much was expected of Larsen. In sum, his great victories in the Sousse In- terzonal and in Palma de Mallorca (and thence his Oscar for 1967 as the most successful tournament player of the yea plus his super-optimistic, journalistic in terviews had induced in advance an ‘opinion that, in this match, there would be a ereat, violent and alleven fight from which Larsen could emerge the winner. Such, however, was more than Larsen ‘was equipped to demonstrate. For that opinion overlooked how formid- able an opponent Spassky could be in a match, how easily he had eliminated his great rival, Yefim Geller, in the Quarter. finals and'even, alas, the pertinent point that a successful tournament player might not be so successful in a match. (We have a drastic example, somewhat in reverse, in ‘World Chess Champion Tigran Petrasyan. No one will argue for him as one of the ‘most successful tournament players these days. And the tournament players, indeed, hhave come rather to regard him lightly. But, when you begin to speak of a match with Petrosyan, the heast of « prospective challenger begins to pound ahost his heels.) Now, before his match with Spassky, Larsen had a real workout wi Lajos Portisch, But his victory was neither great nor too convincing. Any- thing could have happened there. Nenotheloce, Spaszky did not embask ‘upon this match with Larsen easily and fearlessly, And even the convinced ad- hherents of Spassky were surprised by the course and result of the match. Spassky's true fans expected him to win, but not ia ssuch an easy way. Game One led to an equal position ‘which could at several points have been conceded as a draw, Neither player had a minimal chance to play for a win, But Larsen evidently misjudged Spassky’s re- served and cautious play and decided to undertake something though the position ‘offered no reason for such action. Even superficially, his innocent Queen exeur- sion to the Queenside was a serious mis. take. It permitted the entry of Spassky’s Queen into Larsen’s camp, and the “timid” Spassky at once became a wolf mercilessly chasing its victim. The hunt ‘was perfectly organized, and Spassky’s originally nil advantage became a win. Tho importance of a first win in a ‘match is enormous. The winner gains in orale, and the loser, desiring to catch up and even the score ‘as soon as possible, resoris t0 dubious and risky attempts. Tt is not as in a tournament where one de- feat by Spassky can be nullified by two for three victories against weaker oppo- nents, The point lost to Spassky must be retrieved in only one way, by a point taken back from Spassky himself In Game Two, Larsen emerged from the ‘opening with an advantage. Bot, instead of fortifying it, he carelessly permitted Spassky to repair his position and equal- ize. Unable to reconcile himself with the changed circumstances, Larsen continued with risky play. And Spassky beat him Results by rounds Spusky 1 1 1g Oa TE then 0 0 0 3 $f 0 4 ‘Spassky had Write {0 the od games. Score by row gouny 122 4 Md EB Gime’ 9 G0} 2 2 down with a fine and extraordinarily pre. cisely calculated combination. Even then, it was not easy to win, but Spassky played as though with a computer in his head, So, at the very start, Larsen had two defeats. The surprise was too. great. No ‘one could have believed it would go so easily, and Spastky now was counted the winner of the match. No one even con- sidered that Spassky might let the two points be nullified as Larsen had against Portisch, And then Game Three came as 4 veritable catastrophe for Larsen. In Game Four, Spassky overlooked an ceagy vin in a mating attack. No wonder, For he was somnolent, like « boa con: strictor after overeating, from the Jirst tree points. Games Five and Six, however, repre- sented an iinportant change in Une match for Larsen. Not that he could, perhaps, save the match, but hecause ‘he could fight better against Spassky and perhaps ven fight equally with him, it seems, if aly he were better prepared Game Five, the only game won by Larsen, was an_ excellent technical dis. play. With purely positional moves, Lar. sen strengthened his game; and, before the iron front of the Black men, Spassky's game fell apart of itself Tn Game Six, Larsen managed, from nearly nothing, with a fine sacrifice of the Exchange, to imperil Spassky's King. But Spassky, extraordinarily and with seem. ingly impossible moves, held out. Larsen came very elose to winning but could not break through Spassky’s stubborn defense, ‘And the Soviet Grandmaster knew vell ‘what he was defending: after a second successive loss to Larsen, who could tell, he must have thought, “how the match might end. With only four more games scheduled and a two-point lead, Spassky had too much. Larsen’s morale and resistance broke in Game Seven. He blundered away a Pawn; and, after that, rather than a fight, Spassky conducted a demonstration cof how such a position ought to be won. Game Eight was played very quickly and, judging from that fact, apparently was carried out merely to fulill the terms of the mateh, Spassky collected his 5% points and so qualified to meet Kozchnoy. Still, the question remains as to how player of 1967.” The answer may lie in this Spassky interview wfter the mateh. “ have the impression that Larsen con- ducted this match not like # professional bbut rather like a good amateur. I mean, hhe was stale from too many tournaments. 'No one ean support such a tempo. As for myself, I abstained from all chess activity before the match, not playing in exhibitions nor even writing up chess. In @ match of this sort, a man must put everything of himself into the effort. 314 “Also, Larsen ought to have had a sec. ond. Many grandmasters would have heen proud to act as second for a player like him, And a second amounts to a great deal more assistance than can be imagined. “What else to say? My impression is that Larsen is unquestionably greater as 4 toummament fighter than as a match op- ponent. “Beyond that, I think that the FIDE program for the world championship de- pends too much on the honor conferred on the participants, and it eannot last long.” (The prizes actually were more of an in sult than an honorarium.) ‘As against Spassky’s interview, this ‘commentator can assert Spassky is a dif. ficult foe for the exponents of “active chess.” He puts up openings and positions in which they are unable to realize their ‘ideas or to play as they wish, He bridles their aggressiveness and, when they err, he gine them no chance to caich thet reath. ‘The Korchnoy-Spassky Match will be the most interesting chess event of many years. Game 1 Departure from Equality. At the start, ‘the score was equal, of course. And, {0 fairly short order, the game was. Dut then things happened. SLAV DEFENSE is Spassky Bent Larsen Soviet Union Denmark ‘white Black 1P-Qt N-KBS 3 PBe PBS 2N-KBS —P-Q4 4 PxP Why this drawish Exchange Variation of the Slav? First and contrary to com mon opinion, it is not so easy to play against this variation, Second, Spassky does not wish to confront Larsen on his own territory in the first round. He seeks quiet play rather than the Meran De fense in which Larsen is so expert and in which tactical possibilities would suit Larsen so well fee PxP, 5 NBS N-B3 6 BBs Bt ‘Likely, White has not expected Black to choose this symmetrical line Al though some authorities, like Smyslov, adopt . . . PKG, that is a bit inferior to the symmetrical which alone gives Black the chance for full equalization, 7 PKS P-Ka 8 B-QNS For long, 8 Q-N2 was considered very strong. But Rotvinnik-Trifunovich (Mos cow 1947): 8... B-QNS! 9 B-QN5, 0-0 10 0-0, BeN and analyses by Teifurovich show that Black need not fear that con tinvation Bee N-a2 Black must guard his Ké and defend against an eventual attack by 9 N-K5 TS cece Gr chock: | = Gis, ch followed by Q-RA. The text appeared in Tomovich-Trifunovich (Yugoslav Cham- plonship, Zagreb 1946), 90-0 BK 10 R-Bt 0-0 11 PKRS RABI Now Black has easily attained fully ‘equal play. 12 8-3 Though equality exists, 1 Is not easy to hold the balance over a long row of moves. White perceives it useful to elim: inate Black's Queen Bishop as it con- tole some important squares in the ‘White camp, m.. BxB 16.N-Q3_ NS 13. QxB" N-NS) 17 PONS NxN WQ-K2 PLQRS 18QxN NANG 1SN-KI ON-BS 19 PBS ‘White does not alm at P-K4 but does take Ki under control and opens @ con neeting way for his Bishop via KN3. ‘Neither player has an advantage, and the accent Is on improving the position ‘or holding the balance. 19.. 8-03 Black can much more easily force the draw by 19... B-RG 20 R-QB2, Q-Q2! 20 N-K2 aKe Again, 20 B-R6 is somewhat better, 21 exe xs 22 @-a2 Bverything is prepared for the socalled “grandmaster draw” What else can be ‘expected in so simple a position? Reese ORS Bot Larsen suddenly takes his Queen on an excursion for the North Pole, He could go quietly to sleep with a draw In his pocket after the simple 22... . RxR 23 RXR, RBI 24 RxRY, NeR 26 Q-B3, N-KD of 25 Q-RS, P-KN3! 23 NBS RR ‘The text is in error. Black's Queen needs to return to winter quarters: 23 = Q-Q8 24 N-Q3, N-Q2 is sate. 24 eR RBI 25 Pert Nar 26 Q-B2 Here our lambitke Spassky turns wolf. Given a chance he goes for the Jugular. But who could imagine that this position is already lost? Brees N-K2 ‘Tho alternatives are: 1) 26... . N-QB 27 _QBT, P-KNS 28 Q-Q81, KND 29 Q-B7, KINI 80 K-R2 with’ threat of N-Q9-K5; 2) 26... Q-BL 27 Q-B7, N-Q3 28 N-Q8 ‘with threat of N-BS. 787 P-KNS 28 N-@3t ‘White abtains from 28 QxNP because of 28... . Q-BBF etc. 2. N-B4 And Black avoids 28... QxRP 29 N-K5, Q-RG 80 Q-Q8t, K-N2 81 Q-K8! (See diagram. top of next page) 20 P-KNAL saa Now the polar tompest sets in quite suddenly. ‘The toxt 1s unexpected, for it leaves Black's King badly exposed. (CHESS REVIEW, OCTOBER, 1968 Position after 28 Bees N-RS 2... N

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