Black to Play

Pete Tamburro on Mar 21, 2025

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When I realized I had forgotten one of Spassky’s most famous games, I had to include it. It was a dramatic occasion, and he annihilated a top grandmaster before move 20, and Boris had the black pieces no less!

Larsen-Spassky, Belgrade, USSR v. World, 1970. The whole game went 1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nf3 e4 5.Nd4 Bc5 6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.e3 Bf5 8.Be2 Qe7 9.Qc2 0–0–0 10.f4 Ng4 11.g3 h5 12.h3 h4 13.hxg4 hxg3 14.Rg1 See diagram 14… Rh1!! 15.Rxh1 g2 16.Rf1 Qh4+ 17.Kd1 gxf1=Q+ and White Resigned because if 18.Bxf1 Bxg4+ 19.Kc1 Qe1+ 20.Qd1 Qxd1 mate

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.