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"In Russia every school boy knows better!"

Heinrich_24
| 17 | Amazing Games

In 1972 started world championship between Russian titleholder Spasski and American challenger Fischer. Fischer had played brilliantly in the candidate matches and now whole Russia feared him to "rob" the title from the best chess country in world. It was like in table-tennis a Jan-Ove Waldner started to break Chinese domination. Unbearable ...Smile

So in the first match there it came to following position:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It looks very drawish and normally Grandmaster would here shakehands and prepare for the next day. But Fischer thought a while and played then:

29. ...Bxh2

I imagine, that in that moment all watching Russian grandmasters in analysis roomswere shockfrozen, when that move was reported to them But after a short  view on that position, one of them may started with laughing. And then the whole room might have been filled with laughter, cheers, joking  and headshaking: "Unbelievable, he has really taken the pawn! Every schoolboy knows  better ...!" And so on!

Ok., let`s go back in reality. What could be Fischer`s  reason for taking the pawn? Clearly his bishop would be locked in and there was no way out. Only a loosing endgame was waiting for him.- His decision is a secret till today!

Some say he hoped to come out of it by:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fisher lost that endgame. But perhaps there was a way to save the game into a draw:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So was Bxh2 at last a ingenious  move? Do you see a winning plan for white?

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