SC Week 3/3: Spassky - Fischer (5), Reykjavik 1972 (Weak Pawns)
"Contrary to popular belief, doubled pawns are not invariably weak but in many cases are definitely advantageous."
Michael Stean
Notes and Observations
11 … Ng6 Allowing white to double his pawns whilst simultaneously getting rid of a knight on the rim. Against that Fischer opens the f-file, and - unlike some of the games from chapter two - doesn't have to worry about a knight coming to f5.
16 … a5 Fischer isn’t afraid to take on a backward pawn on an open file to go with isolated e-pawn and the doubled g-pawns. Weaknesses that can’t be attacked aren’t really weaknesses.
23 ... Nf5 Like Botvinnik - Introduction/2 although not Outposts /3 (what makes the difference?) - Fischer allows all the rooks to be traded along the one open file.
Why does offer the exchanges now rather than, say, move 20? Or later?
Reminders
This is probably one of the most annotated games of all time. For example in any of the many books on the Reykjavik match and Revolution in the 70s. Kasparov's book is also a good source on the history of the development of this line. Keep an eye out for what other sources have to say about Black's play.
At one time 9 h3 became fashionable rather than 9 d5. It keeps the central outpost open, perhaps to be occupied one day after Nf3-h2-f1-e3-d5. Why didn't playing this way become the main line?
When he got this position again - against Hort, Interpolis 1979 - Spassky chose 13 0-0 rather than 13 fxe5 giving himself a passed pawn. What's the advantage of playing this way?
I didn't know that this is one of the most annotated games. Is it also the most annotated one of the match? Because of the big blunder at the end?
ReplyDeleteI think the move Ng6 is one of the hardest to make in the game. And yes, the saying 'weaknesses that can't be attacked arent't real weaknesses' is one I like a lot as well. :)
My notes:
- A new form of 'weak pawns' is introduced, namely the pawns that block the way of their own pieces, in this case white's bishops, especially the light-squared bishop. The dark squared bishop's reach is limited by Fischer's pawns with which he created a strong dark squared pawn formation. He started did this by playing c5-d6-e5 and a5 and g5.
- In the end Spassky blunders away the position with 27. Qc2??, but as Stein writes down it also shows that just defending a position (even for a worldclass player like Spassky) can disrupt the concentration at some point.
- Fischer proves in this position that backward, isolated and doubled pawn don't have to be real weaknesses if they can be defended actively and create space or squares for the pieces to flourish. The moves 11… Ng6 and 16… a4 show this concretely.
In the end black is the one who can target white's pawns on a4 and e4.
Compare the acitivity of the pieces and you see that all three black's pieces are active and well placed All the three white's pieces are forced to mere defending. The open f-file and with that the forced trading of the rooks made it possible to leave white with just these passive pieces.
I was familliar with the fact that doubled b or g pawns can actually be helpful if they create open a- or h-files. The moves 16… a5 (to block white's a-pawn) and especially the move 11… Ng6 are superb and also good examples in my eyes of the maxim: 'what matters most?! '