Fischer vs Sherwin – Deception of perception
While rereading an old copy of Bobby Fischer teaches chess, I ran into a delightful yet averagely simple problem (it's a beginner oriented chess book after all) chosen by Bobby from a position of a game he had during 1957, when he was competing, only fourteen years old, for his first US title.
It's a game dated 27 December 1957, played against James Sherwin, which I bring to you with a couple of interesting considerations for me, who am just a novice; considerations that arised especially while observing the final phase of the game, and figuring out how to verbalize my motivations to suggest it to Agadmator for his YouTube channel.
So, Bobby started with 1. e4, and Sherwin opted for the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defense, to which Bobby answered with 6. Bc4 (the so called Lipnitski Attack).
So far so good. Both players continue the development, until Sherwin pushes 8. d4, pressuring the Knight, which a bit awkwardly backs up to its original square.
The game goes on without particular cues from both players, until Sherwin's first real inaccuracy, capturing Fischer's Knight with the Pawn on move 16 instead of using his Bishop or Knight, therefore pressuring (and then capturing) Fischer's e4 Pawn, and in the end freeing the f file to White's Rook after the last Pawn exchange.
After this, it gets even worse for Sherwin: black Queen starts an imprecise dance, wandering around from move 18 to 20, finishing in an inconsistent position where, in the probable intent of building some counterattack against the short-castled white King, she finds herself cut off from White's action on the queenside, and White's pieces gently escort her and her courtiers to Black's coveted position, having no fear, since after White's 24. Kh1 everything seems fine, and Black finds himself concentrated with three pieces in a pointless attack, while White is dominating the queenside with great coordination.
The real Black debacle takes place when, instead of the more solid Ng6, the risky Ng4 is played by Sherwin on move 27, probably trying to come up with some sorts of mating threats in the future, in this way compromising even more Black's kingside situation.
But is here that the teenager Bobby Fischer's brilliancy truly shines, in terms of reading his opponent mind and distorting his risk-benefit assessment of the situation: instead of responding with Bd8 on move 28 (the most solid move, maintaining the advantage, beginning another Queen hunt and concretizing his control of the board by restricting even more Black's activity on the kingside), he seems to properly bait Sherwin, acting materialistically (28. Rxa4!!), thus giving his opponent the hope to regain the pawn Bobby just stole (28. Rxa4!! Bxc3 29. bxb3 Rxc3?!), at the same time with an apparent good mobility advantage for Black: letting him free the Rook on the c file, and possibly coordinate it with the kingside pieces in order to give oxygen to his stagnant counterplan and his frustrated Queen and Knight.
And here, finally, comes Bobby's finesse. But also will come Sherwin's blunder (wait for it), a blunder elegantly induced by White's 28. Rxa4!!. A genial move in terms of opponent's perception deception by Bobby, risking to lose the positional advantage in order to gain the definitive initiative.
The deceptive variation that was actually played
Then comes 30. Rxf7! by Bobby, finishing bringing Sherwin to think he can finally get his counterplay after so much middlegame restrictions, so that Black responds with the blunder Rc1+??, evidently not foreseeing those brilliant mating combinations Bobby has now at his disposal after 31. Qf1 (the only move), apparently sacrificing his Queen, actually preparing numerous mating traps (and finishing being a full Rook up on material, if black doesn't fall for any of them).
But, for these variations, I leave the floor to Mr. Fischer himself: «Here [on move 31] Black was faced with the threat of Rook-takes-Rook-mate! Taking my Queen wouldn't have helped him because I could then have played Rook-takes-Rook, "discovering" a check with my bishop. If Sherwin had then moved his king into the corner, Rook-takes-Rook would have been mate!
Or, if the Rook interposes, the Rook on the left would mate Black.
Taking my Bishop with his Queen wouldn't have helped because I would have played Rook-takes-Rook-check first and then (!) Pawn-takes-Black Queen. This would have left me with enough material advantage to win: Rook and Pawn against Knight.»
The game actually went on without any of that, yet no less dramatically.
And Black resigned.
28. Rxa4!!, what a shamelessly pleasant, predaceous move.
