(This game is annotated by Evgeny Vasiukov (who was Taimanov's trainer at that time) in '64' (№ 52, 1970). The translation from the original Russian is by Douglas Griffin.)

Fischer – Taimanov 19th round, FIDE Tournament, Palma de Mallorca, 6th December 1970

In this tournament it was much more difficult to prepare for Fischer than it had been before. If previously his first move when playing White - 1.e2–e4 - was always known, then in Mallorca in the games of the American various openings were encountered, to the point of 1.b2–b3 (in the game v. Filip).

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nb5 Seemingly, this continuation had not been encountered in Fischer's games. Usually he played 5.Nc3 or g2–g3 with to various forms of the Paulsen System. (Translator’s note: This is hardly true. In a well-known game v. Najdorf at the 2nd Piatigorsky Cup (Santa Monica, 1966), Fischer had played this move. However, there he had associated it with a different idea - 5...d6 6.Bf4 rather than, as in the present game, 6.c4; he was to return to this line in his Candidates' Quarter-final match v. Taimanov the following year.)

5...d6 6.c4 a6 7.N5c3 Nf6 8.Be2 Be7 9.0–0 0–0 10.Na3 Black had transposed the moves somewhat, playing 6...a6 instead of the usual 6...Nf6, but Fischer does not try to exploit this circumstance.

10...b6 11.Be3 Bd7 The beginning of a new piece regrouping, which was prepared specially by us for the Interzonal. Black aims to dispose his pieces in the following way: ...Qb8, ...Ra8–a7–b7, ...Rd8, ...Bd7–e8, preparing the breaks ...b6–b5 or ...d6–d5. It is characteristic of Taimanov that it is in precisely this important game that he should choose to defend his theoretical idea.

12.Rc1 Qb8 13.f3 Ra7 14.Nc2 Rd8 15.Qe1 Be8 16.Qf2 Rb7 XIIIIIIIIY 8-wq-trl+k+0 7+r+-vlpzpp0 6pzpnzppsn-+0 5+-+-+-+-0 4-+P+P+-+0 3+-sN-vLP+-0 2PzPN+LwQPzP0 1+-tR-+RmK-0 xabcdefghy

This position had stood on our board at home not long before the game.

17.a4 The other possibility of preventing ...b6–b5 consisted in 17.Na3. However, this would have been inconsistent; after all, the only recently left a3, and moreover, Fischer does not like to have 'bad' pieces in his camp.

17...a5 Now the black knight directs itself from f6 to c5, where it will feel very well - the -side pawns have been deprived of their mobility and cannot attack it.

18.Nd4 Nxd4 19.Bxd4 Nd7 20.Qg3 Bf6 21.Bxf6 Nxf6 22.Rfd1 e5 XIIIIIIIIY 8-wq-trl+k+0 7+r+-+pzpp0 6-zp-zp-sn-+0 5zp-+-zp-+-0 4P+P+P+-+0 3+-sN-+PwQ-0 2-zP-+L+PzP0 1+-tRR+-mK-0 xabcdefghy

A correct positional move. In the time of Tarrasch such a move would have provoked only irony: Black voluntarily creates for himself a weakness at d6 and cedes to White perpetual use of the d5–square. It is altogether clear that Black's is better, while the vulnerable points in his position are easier to defend than those of White. There is threatened, for example, ...Nf6–h5–f4.

23.Qh4 h6! Black's idea is to transfer the knight to c5, either along the route ...Nf6–h7–f6–e6 or along that chosen in the game.

Weaker is the immediate 23...Nd7 on account of 24.Rxd6 Qxd6 25.Qxd8 Rb8 26.Qg5 and, controlling the d2–square, White gains time for counter-play: 26...Qd4+ 27.Kf1 h6 28.Qe7!.

24.Rd2 Nd7 25.Bd1 Nc5 26.f4 exf4 27.Qxf4 Without having committed a single noticable mistake, White has fallen into a clearly worse position. Promising here looks 27...Re7 28.Bc2 Re5 29.Rcd1 f6!. In this case Black's strategic advantage is obvious. In particular, the difference in the strength of the bishops catches the eye. In the subsequent joint analysis, Fischer assessed this position as very unpleasant for himself. XIIIIIIIIY 8-wq-trl+k+0 7+r+-+pzp-0 6-zp-zp-+-zp0 5zp-sn-+-+-0 4P+P+PwQ-+0 3+-sN-+-+-0 2-zP-tR-+PzP0 1+-tRL+-mK-0 xabcdefghy

27...Ne6 Clearly, letting slip the advantage. Taimanov decided to transfer the queen to c5. This plan is mistaken, since for its implementation the knight has to be removed from c5, while a better place for it does not exist.

28.Qg3 Qc7 29.Nd5 Qc5+ 30.Kh1 Bc6 31.Rc3 Black had under-estimated the strength of this move. At first he had reckoned on exchanging minor pieces, reducing the play to a typical position where the good knight is superior to the bad bishop. Now the is defended, and on 31...Bxd5, 32.cxd5 wins.

31...Ng5 32.Bc2 Bxd5 Impossible is 32...Re8 on account of 33.h4 Nxe4 34.Bxe4 Rxe4 35.Nf6+.

33.Rxd5 Qc7 XIIIIIIIIY 8-+-tr-+k+0 7+rwq-+pzp-0 6-zp-zp-+-zp0 5zp-+R+-sn-0 4P+P+P+-+0 3+-tR-+-wQ-0 2-zPL+-+PzP0 1+-+-+-+K0 xabcdefghy

34.e5! At the first opportunity, Fischer undermines the blockade and enlivens his bishop. Only a few moves ago, it seemed that the e4– would never move forward.

34...dxe5 35.Qxe5 Rdb8 35...Ne6 was also sufficient for equality.

36.Bf5! Now White does not permit the knight to e6. Fischer conducts this part of the game excellently.

36...Qxe5 37.Rxe5 g6 38.h4! Nh7 Also possible is 38...f6 39.Rb5 gxf5 40.hxg5 fxg5.

39.Bg4 Nf6 40.Bf3 XIIIIIIIIY 8-tr-+-+k+0 7+r+-+p+-0 6-zp-+-snpzp0 5zp-+-tR-+-0 4P+P+-+-zP0 3+-tR-+L+-0 2-zP-+-+P+0 1+-+-+-+K0 xabcdefghy

40...Rd7? From inertia, Black fights for the . After 40...Rc7 followed by ...Rc5 or ...Kf8 and ...Nf6–d7–c5, Black could still achieve a .

41.Rb5 Rd4? The sealed move, continuing the mistaken plan. After 41...Rdd8 Fischer's task would have been much more complicated.

In Moscow, I found out that all the chess amateurs had analysed this position with the white pawn at h2. Naturally, this was a complete misunderstanding.

In our analysis we discovered that for victory, Fischer had to make 17 'only' moves in a row! Alas, Fischer found all of them...

First and foremost White has to part with the h4–pawn, since after 42.h5 there follows not 42...gxh5?, nor 42...Nxh5, but 42...g5!. Here is one of the fantastic variations: 43.c5 Re8 44.cxb6 g4 45.b7 gxf3 46.b8=Q f2!! XIIIIIIIIY 8-wQ-+r+k+0 7+-+-+p+-0 6-+-+-sn-zp0 5zpR+-+-+P0 4P+-tr-+-+0 3+-tR-+-+-0 2-zP-+-zpP+0 1+-+-+-+K0 xabcdefghy (analysis diagram)

47.Qg3+ Ng4 48.Rc1 Re3 49.Qh4 Rde4 50.Rg5+ hxg5 51.Qxg5+ with perpetual . (Translator’s note: in fact, after 51...Kh8 Black wins: 52.Rc8+ Re8 53.Rxe8+ Rxe8 and there are no more checks.)

Instead of 43...Re8 Black could play 43...g4, and if 44.Rxb6, then after 44...Rxb6 45.cxb6 gxf3 46.b7 Rb4 47.Rc8+ Kg7 48.b8=Q Rxb8 49.Rxb8 f2 he wins.

Also after 43.c5 g4 44.Bc6 Rxa4 45.Rcb3 Rc4 Black is out of danger.

42.c5! Rxh4+ 43.Kg1 Rb4 At first we feared here the variation 44.Rb3 Rxb3 45.Rxb3 Nd7 46.c6 Ne5 (46...Nc5? 47.Rxb6) 47.Bd5 (47.Rxb6? Nxf3+) 47...Rc8! 48.Rxb6 Kf8. However, after thorough analysis it became clear that Black is out of danger here: 49.b4 axb4 50.a5 Ke7 51.a6 Kd6 52.a7 Kxd5 53.Rb8 Nxc6, and the chances are only with Black; 49.Ra6 Ke7 50.Rxa5 Kd6, and again Black defends succesfully; 49.Rb7 Ke8 50.b4 axb4 51.a5 Nxc6 52.a6 Nd8, and Black has everything in order. If 44.c6 (instead of 44.Rb3), then 44...Rxb5 45.axb5 Rc8 gives a draw.

Fischer again chooses the strongest continuation.

44.Rxb4! Fischer thought over this move for half an hour. Judging from everything, he had found it at home and was simply checking the variations.

44...axb4 45.Rc4 bxc5 Impossible is 45...Nd7 46.c6 Nc5 47.a5! or 46...Ne5 47.c7 Nxf3+ (47...Rc8 48.Bb7) 48.gxf3 Rc8. (Translator’s note: Here Vasiukov continues the variation 49.b4 Kf8 50.b5 Ke7 51.a5, etc; in his analysis he had mistakenly removed the black pawn from the b4–square. Instead, on 45...Nd7 46.c6 Ne5, 47.Rxb4 looks simple and good.)

46.Rxc5 Kg7 The strongest defence; otherwise in a number of variations the pawn promotes to a queen with check, and besides, the b4–pawn has not yet been given up.

47.a5 Re8 48.Rc1 Re5 XIIIIIIIIY 8-+-+-+-+0 7+-+-+pmk-0 6-+-+-snpzp0 5zP-+-tr-+-0 4-zp-+-+-+0 3+-+-+L+-0 2-zP-+-+P+0 1+-tR-+-mK-0 xabcdefghy

49.Ra1! The whole time Fischer plays in the strongest way. For example, 49.a6 suggests itself, but after 49...Ra5 50.Bb7 Nd7 the pawn is held up, while ...Nb8 is threatened.

49...Re7 50.Kf2! After 50.a6 there again appear saving chances for Black: 50...Ra7, threatening ...Nd7–c5(b8).

50...Ne8 51.a6 Ra7 52.Ke3 Nc7 53.Bb7 Ne6 54.Ra5! Kf6 55.Kd3 Ke7 56.Kc4 Kd6 57.Rd5+ Kc7 58.Kb5! Black resigned. XIIIIIIIIY 8-+-+-+-+0 7trLmk-+p+-0 6P+-+n+pzp0 5+K+R+-+-0 4-zp-+-+-+0 3+-+-+-+-0 2-zP-+-+P+0 1+-+-+-+-0 xabcdefghy