[Event "Belgrade"] [Site "?"] [Round "26"] [White "Spassky"] [Black "Fischer"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A56"] [Opening "Benoni: 3.d5 d6 4.Nc3 g6"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 d6 4. Nc3 g6 5. e4 Bg7 {Fischer plays a Benoni-style King's Indian. After a brief spell in a transpositional Twilight Zone, the game returns to well-known channels.} 6. Bd3 { This is a more reliable move than 6.Bg5.} 6... O-O 7. Nf3 {Spassky plays conservatively, confident that Black's formation is not a solid one. The point is that by delaying e7-e6, Black will allow his opponent to recapture at d5 with the e-pawn, and the pawn structure will be good for White} 7... Bg4 { This is a well-known maneuver to fight for the e5 square, but we think that Black could have occupied that key square immediately with a good game. 7...e5 8.O-O Ne8 and f7-f5 will give Black an excellent position.} 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 {The exchange of bishop for knight is a common theme in this variation. The bishop has little future in this pawn formation, and the two knights can be used effectively. Fischer has shown a preference for knights in this match.} 9... Nbd7 10. Qd1 {White avoids Ne5, which would have forked the bishop and queen, leading to the elimination of the powerful bishop.} 10... e6 11. O-O exd5 12. exd5 {We would reach, by transposition, a position from an older game. } 12... Ne8 {12...Re8 13.Bd2 a6 14.a4 Re7} 13. Bd2 Ne5 14. Be2 f5 {Fischer empl oyed an analogous idea in his game against Korchnoi from the Sousse Interzonal, 1967. The idea is to take control of e4 and stop f2-f4- f5.} 15. f4 Nf7 { The e6-square looks weak, but it is not easy to take advantage of this. Still, the knight should have gone to d7, from which it could retreat to f8 later if needed, or work on the queenside via b6.} 16. g4 {White's goal is to increase the activity of his bishop pair and take control of all the important dark squares, in particular e5 and f6.} 16... Nh6 {It is not easy to give a recommendation for Black here, but inviting g4- g5 was hardly the correct plan. There are two alternatives which come to mind, each of which may help justify Fischer's play in the opening. 16...fxg4 17. hxg4 g5!? undermines White's pressure at e5.} 17. Kg2 {17.g5 immediately would have been more accurate.} 17... Nc7 18. g5 Nf7 19. Rb1 Re8 20. Bd3 Rb8 21. h4 a6 22. Qc2 b5 23. b3 { White's general plan is to advance his h-pawn, while Black's potential queenside counterplay has been neutralized by this move. Fischer is a player who requires active piece play, and here he is suffocating.} 23... Rb7 { Fischer's play on the b-file will be futile. Spassky now increases the pressure slowly and surely.} 24. Rbe1 Rxe1 25. Rxe1 Qb8 {The threat is to capture on c4 and infiltrate on b2, but Spassky deprives Fischer of any such play with his next move.} 26. Bc1 Qd8 27. Ne2 { The knight is being transfered to an attacking post at g3.} 27... bxc4 28. bxc4 Ne8 29. h5 Re7 30. h6 {White continues to press against Black's pieces. Now Spassky steers straight for the thematic sacrifice of the knight at f5.} 30... Bh8 31. Bd2 Rb7 32. Rb1 Qb8 33. Ng3 Rxb1 34. Qxb1 Qxb1 35. Bxb1 {The eliminatio n of the heavy pieces favors White, since Black's remaining forces have no scope.} 35... Bb2 36. Kf3 Kf8 {White has achieved a winning position. Now perhaps the most efficient path to victory is the one which both Deep Thought and our analytical team prefer, namely the immediate sacrifice at f5.} 37. Ke2 {37.Nxf5 gxf5 38.Bxf5 Kg8 39.Bc8 and the a-pawn falls. Spassky chooses another path, and it is also convincing.} 37... Nh8 {An ugly move, but otherwise disaster could strike quickly. 37...Ke7 38.Nxf5+ gxf5 39.Bxf5 and the h-pawn falls.} 38. Kd1 Ke7 39. Kc2 Bd4 40. Kb3 Bf2 41. Nh1 {The knight would have been better stationed at e2, covering the d4 square and depriving Black of the outpost there.} 41... Bh4 42. Ka4 Nc7 43. Ka5 Kd7 44. Kb6 {intending Kb7.} 44... Kc8 45. Bc2 Nf7 46. Ba4 Kb8 47. Bd7 Nd8 { 47...Bxg5 was the last chance, but even here White would win with accurateplay. } 48. Bc3 Na8+ {Black's knights are utterly useless. 48...Nf7 49.Be6 Nd8 50.Bg8 } 49. Kxa6 Nc7+ 50. Kb6 Na8+ 51. Ka5 Kb7 52. Kb5 Nc7+ 53. Ka4 Na8 54. Kb3 { The king has accomplished its task of eliminating Black's pawn and now returns home to safety.} 54... Kc7 55. Be8 Kc8 56. Bf6 Nc7 57. Bxg6 hxg6 58. Bxd8 1-0