SPOT ON CHESS PUZZLES for Friday, April 7th of 2023

Today we take a look at Game 6 from "MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES" by Bobby Fischer & Larry Evans. The game Fischer vs Shocron... offers us much in terms of learning about tactics, the Ruy Lopez opening and strategy. I give the game in full down below... Three puzzles are taken from the game and are offered at the start of the video so you may want to wait before playing through the game.

[Event "Mar Del Plata"]
[Date "1959.??.??"][Round "?"]
[White "Fischer"]
[Black "Shocron"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C97"]
[EventDate "1959.??.??"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 ( 7...
O-O 8. c3 d5 )8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Bd7 ( 12...
Kh8)( 12... Re8)( 12... Rd8)( 12... Nc6)( 12... Bb7)( 12... Nd7)( 12...
cxd4)13. Nf1 Rfe8 14. Ne3 g6 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Nh2 Rad8 17. Qf3 ( 17. Nhg4 Bxg4
)17... Be6 18. Nhg4 Nxg4 19. hxg4 Qc6 20. g5 ( 20. Qg3 f6 21. g5 {
Boleslavsky-Tal, USSR 1957} )20... Nc4 ( 20... Bxg5 21. Nd5 Bxc1 ( 21... Bxd5
22. Bxg5 { "Wins an exchange" - Fischer.} )22. Nf6+ Kh8 23. Raxc1 Rf8 24. Qg3
Qc7 25. Qg5 Kg7 26. Nh5+ ( 26. Re3)( 26. f4)26... Kg8 ( 26... Kh8 27. Qf6+ Kg8
28. Qg7# )27. Nf6+ Kg7 28. Nh5+ Kg8 29. Nf6+ )21. Ng4 Bxg4 22. Qxg4 Nb6 23. g3
c4 24. Kg2 Nd7 25. Rh1 Nf8 26. b4 Qe6 27. Qe2 a5 28. bxa5 Qa6 29. Be3 Qxa5 30.
a4 Ra8 ( 30... Qxc3 31. axb5 { "Leads to equal play." - Fischer.} )31. axb5
Qxb5 ( 31... Qxc3)( 31... Qxa1 32. Rxa1 Rxa1 33. Qxc4 { "But not 31. ...Qxa1?
32. Rxa1 Rxa1 33. Qxc4, resigns." - Fischer.} )32. Rhb1 Qc6 33. Rb6 Qc7 34.
Rba6 Rxa6 35. Rxa6 Rc8 36. Qg4 Ne6 ( 36... Bc5 37. Bxc5 Qxc5 38. Ba4 Ne6 (
38... Rd8 39. Rc6 Qa7 40. Rxc4 Rd2 41. Qf3 { "staying a Pawn ahead." -
Fishcer/Evans.} )39. Bd7 )( 36... Kg7 37. Ba4 Kg8 )37. Ba4 Rb8 38. Rc6 Qd8 (
38... Qd7 39. Rxc4 ( 39. Kh2 Rb1 40. Rb6 Qd3 41. Rxb1 Qxb1 42. Bd7 Nc7 43. Bc6
Qd3 { with drawing chances. - Fischer/Evans.} )39... Qd3 40. Rc6 Rb1 { "with
a strong attack." - Fischer/Evans} )39. Rxe6 Qc8 ( 39... fxe6 40. Qxe6+ Kf8
41. Qxe5 { "is crushing." - Fischer/Evans.} )40. Bd7 { "40. Bd7! Black
resigns. This is the shot he overlooked. On 40. ...Qxd7 41. Rxg6 wins his
Queen." - Fischer.} 1-0

Enjoy the lesson! See you next time... ~ Coach Sean Tobin.