Chess World.net Classic Instructive Game: "Brilliancy prize!" - Robert Byrne vs Fischer 1963

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[Event "US Ch."]
[Site "-"]
[Date "1963.12.18"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Robert Eugene Byrne"]
[Black "Robert James Fischer"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D71"]
[Annotator "Microsoft"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "1963.??.??"]

1. d4 {Notes from various sources.} Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 c6 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 {
5.Qb3 maintains more tension. -- Fischer} (5. Nf3 dxc4 6. Nc3 (6. Na3)) 5...
cxd5 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. e3 O-O 8. Nge2 Nc6 9. O-O b6 (9... Bg4 10. h3 Bf5 11. g4 Bd7
12. Ng3) 10. b3 {It's hard for either side to introduce an imbalance into this
essentially symmetrical variation. Deadeye equality also ensues afer 10.Nf4 e6
11.b3 Ba6 12.Re1 Rc8 13.Ba3 Re8 14.Rc1 (Stahlberg-Flohr, Kemeri 1937) --
Fischer} Ba6 11. Ba3 {After White's 11th move I should adjudicate his position
as slightly superior, and at worst completely safe. To turn this into a mating
position in eleven more moves is more witchcraft than chess! Quite honestly, I
do not see the man who can stop Bobby at this time. -- K.F. Kirby, South
African Chess Quarterly} Re8 12. Qd2 e5 {! I was a bit worried about weakening
my QP, but felt that the tremendous activity obtained by my minor pieces would
permit White no time to exploit it. 12...e6 would probably lead to a draw. --
Fischer} 13. dxe5 (13. Nxd5) 13... Nxe5 14. Rfd1 {"Add another to those
melancholy case histories entitled: The Wrong Rook." -- Fischer ~ "This is
very much a case of 'the wrong rook'. One can understand Byrne's desire to
break the pin on the e2-knight, but this turns out to be less important than
other considerations. Fischer spends a lot of time and energy analysing the
superior 14. Rad1!, but still comes to the conclusion that Black can keep the
advantage." -- John Nunn} (14. Rad1 Qc8 15. Nxd5 (15. Rfe1 Nd3 16. Rf1 Ne4 17.
Nxe4 dxe4) 15... Nxd5 16. Bxd5 (16. Qxd5 Bxe2) 16... Rd8 17. f4 (17. e4 Nf3+)
17... Rxd5 18. Qxd5 Bb7 19. Qd2 Qc6 20. Qd5 (20. Nd4 Qh1+ 21. Kf2 Qxh2+ 22. Ke1
Qxg3+ 23. Qf2 Qxf2+ 24. Rxf2 Ng4 25. Rf1 (25. Rc1 Re8) 25... Nxe3) 20... Qc8 (
20... Qxd5 21. Rxd5 Bxd5 22. fxe5 Bxe5) 21. Qd2 Qh3 22. Nd4 Ng4 23. Nf3) 14...
Nd3 {Now it's all systems go for the Fischer rocket. -- Robert Wade} 15. Qc2 {
There is hardly any other defense to the threat of ...Ne4. -- Fischer} (15. Nf4
Ne4 16. Nxe4 (16. Bxe4 dxe4 17. Bb2 Qf6 18. Nxd3 exd3) 16... dxe4 17. Nxd3 (17.
Rab1 Rc8 18. Nxd3 Bc3 19. Qe2 Bxd3 20. Qg4 h5 21. Qh3 Bxb1 22. Rxd8 Rcxd8) (17.
Rac1) 17... Bxa1) (15. Nc1) 15... Nxf2 {! The key to Black's previous play.
The complete justification for this sac does not become apparent until White
resigns! -- Fischer} 16. Kxf2 Ng4+ 17. Kg1 Nxe3 18. Qd2 {Byrne: As I sat
pondering why Fischer would choose such a line, because it was so obviously
lost for Black, there suddenly comes...} Nxg2 {!! This dazzling move came as
the shocker... the culminating combination is of such depth that, even at the
very moment at which I resigned, both grandmasters who were commenting on the
play for the spectators in a separate room believed I had a won game! --
Robert Byrne} (18... Bxe2) 19. Kxg2 d4 {!} 20. Nxd4 Bb7+ {The King is at
Black's mercy. -- Fischer} 21. Kf1 {In a room set aside for commentaries on
the games in progress, two grandmasters were stating, for the benefit of the
spectators, that Byrne had a won game. Byrne's reply to Fischer's next move
must have been jaw dropping! -- Wade} (21. Nf3 Qxd2+ 22. Rxd2 Bxc3 23. Rd7 (23.
Rad1 Bxd2 24. Rxd2 Re3 25. Rf2 Rae8 26. g4 Rxf3 27. Rxf3 Re3) 23... Bxf3+ 24.
Kxf3 Bxa1) (21. Kf2) 21... Qd7 {And White resigns. Fischer writes: "A bitter
disappointment. I'd hoped for 22.Qf2 Qh3+ 23.Kg1 Re1+!! 24.Rxe1 Bxd4 with mate
to follow shortly."} 22. Qf2 (22. Kg1 Rad8 23. Nde2 (23. Nf3 Qxd2 24. Rxd2 Rxd2
25. Nxd2 Bxc3 26. Rd1 Rd8 27. Bc1 Bf3) 23... Qxd2 24. Rxd2 Rxd2 25. Rc1 Ba6 26.
Bb4 Bxe2 27. Nxe2 Rdxe2) (22. Ndb5 Qh3+ 23. Kg1 Bh6 24. Qf2 (24. Qc2 Be3+) (24.
Re1 Bxd2 25. Rxe8+ Rxe8) 24... Be3) (22. Kg1 Rad8 23. Nf3 Qxd2 24. Rxd2 Rxd2
25. Nxd2 Bxc3 26. Rd1 Rd8 27. Bc1 Bf3) 22... Qh3+ 23. Kg1 Re1+ 24. Qxe1 (24.
Rxe1 Bxd4 25. Qxd4 (25. Re3 Bxe3 26. Qxe3 Qg2#) 25... Qg2#) 24... Qg2# 0-1

Category:

Education

Tags:

• chess
• letsplaychess.com
• chessworld.net
• byrne
• fischer
• 1963

[kingscrusher]

If any of you are on Twitter, please feel free to retweet any interesting video posts. I am of course kingscrusher on twitter. Cheers, K

[MrInalbert]

the final position is so amazing. black is a minor piece down, all of his pieces are not further advanced than the second rank and white has to resign!

this shows also, how good and dangerous bishops are in open positions and without their counterparts. Great Game! Thanks KC!

[MrSniggles1]

im not that good at chess, but i could watch this stuff all day!

[kbzero5]

@KarlW24 I loved that line!

[KarlW24]

"These bishops are absolute assassins..." hahahahahahaha!!!

[biernico]

why did u stepped over bd6 after qc8 seems weird and a computer move but maybe it has hidden points

[RollinLikeABetch]

best game ive ever seen. and ive seen em all

[MVDrudge]

One day I hope my bishops can become "absolute assassins." :-)

[jaileroflove]

cool to see how much of kasparov there is in this game. i'm in the "kasparov would have crushed fischer" camp, but you can also see that kasparov learned a lot and found many of his creative ideas from fischer games.

[johncenaa7]

double fianchetoo bishops