SC Week 7/4: Portisch - Reshevsky, Petropolis 1973 (Space)

 "Simple chess always requires flexibility of thought. The opponent can always avert one form of weakness or disadvantage by accepting another somewhere else."

Michael Stean

Notes and Observations

12 Rac1, 19 Nd5, 23 Rf3 Portisch keeps his options open all the way through the game. His ready to play on the c-file, e-file or the kingside depending on where Reshevsky takes the game. It’s also worth paying attention to Stean’s comments on the different opportunities White could have taken to play Nd5 (semi-outpost) before he finally did it. Rf3 is reminiscent of Hecht - Forintos from Week 3.

14 f4 Another flexible move. Preparing a direct attack and also asking Black if he has enough room for all his pieces.

18 f5 Stean passes over this move without comment but it’s really committal. Leaving an outpost on a central square could mean the end of White’s winning chances if Black could occupy it. How are you going to attack along the e-file, for instance, if you let Reshevsky stick a knight or bishop on e5? White is also now just one piece - the dark-squared bishop - away from losing control of half the board (see Week 6: Black squares and White squares).

But Black can’t usefully get a piece to the outpost (see Stean’s note to Reshevsky’s 25th) and Black can't chop the bishop,  so it’s not a problem. Good judgement or good calculation from Portisch. Or probably both.

Reminders

Compare this game with Donner - Pomar Salamanca (Week 4/2). Why does White end up playing on the c-file there but not here?

The Maroczy Bind is one of those openings that is much less popular now than when Stean was writing. Engines have changed our understanding of space on the chessboard.