Fischer-Spassky 1992 (Game 30)

November 5th, 1992

Bobby Fischer won the 30th game in the match with his old nemesis Boris Spassky in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.  The win additionally sealed the match for Fischer by the score of 10 games to 5, as well as the winner’s purse of $3.35 million dollars.  The return match of their classic 1972 encounter began in Sveti Stefan on September 2nd and moved to Belgrade on September 30th, lasting just over two months and 30 games.

Leading 9 games to 5 and needing only one victory to clinch the match, Fischer had to settle for hard fought draws in the previous three games, as Spassky was not going down without a fight.  Fischer had the Black pieces in game 30 and answered his opponent’s queen’s pawn opening with his trusty King’s Indian defense.  Spassky chose the route of the Saemisch attack with 5.f3 and Fischer countered with the Panno variation by playing 6…Nc6 and 7…a6.

Fischer played aggressively and removed his king’s best defender with 9…Nd7 from his post in an effort to free the king’s bishop and press the attack.  After 15.h5 cxd4 16.Nxd4 Nc5, Fischer had achieved an ideal post for his king’s knight, severely hampering the movement of Spassky’s pieces.

Spassky tried to open up the g-file with a knight sacrifice, but after 18.Nf5 gxf5 19.gxf5, but the plan was not sound.  Fischer replied with 19…Bxd5 20.exd5 and picked off another pawn with 20…Bxb2.  Spassky now had a losing position and resigned seven moves later after 27…Kg7.  Fischer’s comeback was complete, but where would he go from here?

Next week, we’ll do a post-mortem on the match and give some quotes from the players themselves and hear the opinions of some of the other grandmasters who were intently watching this match.

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