Geller: The Tree That Keeps Bearing Fruit! (Part II)

The following game is a Master Class; and moreover, it is free, and given by the great Geller himself!

In Part I of this theme, we showed a game in which the newly-minted USSR Champion, Alexander Beliavsky, was on the receiving side of a brilliant game by Geller, a 28-move whooping in which Geller played his own variation against the English Opening. That game ended with a pure bishop mate!

The theme in common with the game in the present post is that, at the time this game was played in 1982, Lev Psakhis was the Soviet Co-Champion (with Kasparov), and had won his game against Kasparov in that tournament as well! So Psakhis was a very strong player at the time this game was played, but in Geller he met a Master, a Teacher of the highest order.

At the time this game was played, Psakhis was 24 years old, and Geller was 57!

In this game, Psakhis tries an an idea championed by Petrosian in which, in the Tartakower Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, White plays Rd1, to intimidate Black and prevent Black from playing ....c5. Well, not only does Geller play it, but he also sacrifices a pawn for development. When Psakhis decides to take it, he faces the Lesson for the Day: piece activity is more important than material, specially if you have not completed your development and your King is still in the centre.

Let's take a look!