White: Robert Byrne —
Black: Robert Fischer, US Championships, New York, 1963, Neo-Grunfeld.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c6 4.Bg2
If 4.d5 b5! 5.dxc6 bxc4 6.cxd7+ Nbxd7 7.Bg2 Rb8 8.Nf3 Bg7 9.0–0 0–0 led to a draw in a previous game between these players
4...d5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.e3
If 7.Nf3 0–0 8.Ne5 (8.0–0 Ne4) 8...Bf5 9.0–0 Ne4 10.Qb3 Nc6 11.Qxd5 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Qxd5 13.Bxd5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Bxe5
7...0–0 8.Nge2 Nc6 9.0–0 b6 10.b3
If 10.Nf4 e6 11.b3 Ba6 12.Re1 Rc8 13.Ba3 Re8 14.Rc1
10...Ba6 11.Ba3 Re8 12.Qd2
If 12.Rc1; 12.f4 e6µ
12...e5
12...e6 leads to equality
13.dxe5
If 13.Rac1 exd4 (13...Rc8 14.Rfd1 e4 15.f3) 14.exd4 Rc8 15.f3 with advantage for Black
13...Nxe5 14.Rfd1
A mistake. Better would have been 14.Rad1 Ne4
14...Nd3.
A fantastic move!
15.Qc2
The game was going along equal lines till now but this is a mistake! If 15.Nd4 Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.Bb2 Rc8 and if 15.Nf4 Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4 (16...Bxa1 17.Nd6) 17.Rab1 Rc8 18.Nxd3 Bc3 19.Qe2 Bxd3 20.Qg4 f5 21.Qh3 Bxb1 22.Rxd8 Rexd8 23.Bf1 Rd1 24.Kg2 Bd3! 25.Bxd3 exd3 and if 15.f3 Bh6 16.f4 Bg7
Diagram 1
15...Nxf2. This knight sacrifice is no surprise
16.Kxf2 Ng4+ 17.Kg1 Nxe3 18.Qd2 Nxg2
Preferring not to take the exchange but capture the bishop and keep up the attack. If 18...Nxd1 19.Rxd1
19.Kxg2 d4
This innocuous looking pawn moving does the most damage
20.Nxd4 Bb7+ 21.Kf1
There are no squares to run away to! If 21.Kg1 Bxd4+ 22.Qxd4 Re1+ 23.Kf2 Qxd4+ 24.Rxd4 Rxa1 25.Rd7 Rc8 26.Rxb7 (26.Bb2 Rh1) 26...Rxc3 27.Rb8+ Kg7 28.Bb2 Rxa2 and if 21.Kf2 Qd7! 22.Rac1 Qh3 23.Nf3 Bh6 24.Qd3 Be3+ 25.Qxe3 Rxe3 26.Kxe3 Re8+ 27.Kf2 Qf5
21...Qd7. If 21...Qd7 22.Qf2 (22.Ndb5 Qh3+ 23.Kg1 Bh6) 22...Qh3+ 23.Kg1 Re1+ 24.Rxe1 Bxd4 and White resigned.
Game of the Century
Instead of the regular puzzle, here is the Game of the Century by Fischer which has been the most annotated game and is virtually found in any book dealing with the best games in chess.
This game, incidentally was annotated in Chess Checks a few years back. The diagram below is on the 17th turn which gave evidence that here indeed was a chess genius! How many 13-year-olds or for that matter even Masters would think of this sacrifice?
This is one game which will definitely find a place in the romantic era of chess.
White: Donald Byrne- Black: Robert Fischer
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.d4 0–0 5.Bf4 d5 6.Qb3 dxc4 7.Qxc4 c6 8.e4 Nbd7 9.Rd1 Nb6 10.Qc5 Bg4 11.Bg5 Na4 12.Qa3 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Nxe4 14.Bxe7 Qb6 15.Bc4 Nxc3 16.Bc5 Rfe8+ 17.Kf1
Diagram 2
17. ..Be6 18.Bxb6 Bxc4+ 19.Kg1 Ne2+ 20.Kf1 Nxd4+ 21.Kg1 Ne2+ 22.Kf1 Nc3+ 23.Kg1 axb6 24.Qb4 Ra4 25.Qxb6 Nxd1 26.h3 Rxa2 27.Kh2 Nxf2 28.Re1 Rxe1 29.Qd8+ Bf8 30.Nxe1 Bd5 31.Nf3 Ne4 32.Qb8 b5 33.h4 h5 34.Ne5 Kg7 35.Kg1 Bc5+ 36.Kf1 Ng3+ 37.Ke1 Bb4+ 38.Kd1 Bb3+ 39.Kc1 Ne2+ 40.Kb1 Nc3+ 41.Kc1 Rc2 check-mate.
