James Mason

Every Pawn is a potential Queen.

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[Event "Varna Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1962.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, Bobby"]
[Black "Robatsch"]
[Result "1-0"]
[BlackElo "unknown"]
[ECO "B01"]
[TimeControl "0"]
[WhiteElo "unknown"]

{ Bobby Fischer demonstrates his attacking skill in this short game against
his opponent's pet line.  The game is documented in Fischer's "My 60
Memorable Games."  The game illustrates two mistakes that black must avoid;
Qd8 after 2... Qxd5, and opposite side castling where white almost always is
better prepared to launch an attack. } 1. e4 { B01: Scandinavian Defence } 1... d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. d4 g6 5. Bf4 $1 { The common 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. h3 Nf6
offers white little advantage. } 5... Bg7 6. Qd2 $1 { How can white ignore the
obvious threat of Q or Bxd4?  We can quickly see that black cannot play 6...
Qxd4 7. Qxd4 Bxd4 8. Nb5 Bb6 9. Bxc7 (9. Nxc7+ Bxc7 10. Bxc7 leaves white
with the bishop pair and good play also) Na6 10. Bxb6 axb6 and black's queen
side pawns are worthless.  More critical is 6... Bxd4 7. O-O-O Nc6 8. Bb5 Bd7
9. Nd5 e5 10. Nf3 f6 11. Rhe1 and black is done. For example, 11... Kf8 12.
Nxd4 Nxd4 13. Bxd7 Qxd7 14. Nxf6 Nxf6 15. Bxe5 etc. } 6... Nf6 7. O-O-O c6 { Secures
b5. } 8. Bh6 { White is in command. } 8... O-O $2 { A natural but losing move.  Black
should avoid castling on the opposite side of white in most lines of the
Center Counter Opening because white is usually better developed and prepared
to launch a pawn storm than black.  This game is an excellent demonstration
of white's attacking technique. } 9. h4 Qa5 { With this move we see black
posting his Queen on the square it should have moved to on move 3. } 10. h5 { Black must keep the h-file closed, but how?  Here the natural 10... Nxh5
provides no relief. For example, 10... Nxh5 11. Be2 Nf6 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13.
Qh6+ Kg8 14. g4 Rd8 (to give the black King room to run) 15. g5 Nh5 16. Bxh5
gxh5 17. Rxh5 Bf5 18. g6! fxg6 19. Re1! is better than 19. Qxh7 (also
winning). } 10... gxh5 { Another alternative is 10... Bf5 11. f3 winning for white. } 11. Bd3 { Not only a strong attacking move, but it also keeps black's Bishop
from f5. } 11... Nbd7 { 11... Bf5? is refuted strongly by 12. Qg5. } 12. Nge2 { White
prepares for the final assault. } 12... Rd8 13. g4 $1 { Who cares about pawns when
the black King is laid bare.  Now if 13... hxg4 14. Bxg7 begins the final
assault. } 13... Nf8 { Trying to strengthen the ever weak h7 pawn. } 14. gxh5 { Now
that black has finally strengthened the h-file, the g-file is opened for the
attack.  Black cannot plug all the holes. } 14... Ne6 { Black must not grab the pawn
because 14... Nxh5? 15. Rdg1 Ng6 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. Rg5 wins the Knight. } 15. Rdg1 Kh8 { Even worse is 15... Kf8 16. Bxg7+ Nxg7 17. Qh6 Ng4 (17... Nxh5 18.
Rg5) 18. Qxh7 etc. } 16. Bxg7+ Nxg7 17. Qh6 { Now 17... Ne6 is refuted by 18.
Nf4. White's pieces are beautifully coordinated. } 17... Rg8 18. Rg5 { Gaining time
on the queen.  Now black's poor development prevents 18... Nf5 19. Rxg8+ Nxg8
20. Qf8 followed by 21. Rg1. } 18... Qd8 19. Rhg1 Nf5 $2 { Simply drops a piece. If
instead black had played the best defense 19... Qf8, then white had the
surprise move 20. d5! (not 20. Ne4 blocking white's white-square bishop and
allowing the freeing 20... Ne6) Bd7 (20... cxd5 21. Nxd5 and black is lost)
21. d6! completely disintegrating black's fragile pawn structure. } 20. Bxf5 { There might follow 20... Bxf5 21. Rxg8+ Qxg8 22. Rxg8+ Rxg8 where black is
down a queen for a rook. } 1-0