For many years, chess players associated winning with the Soviet Union and afterward, with Russia. The Soviets had created a hegemony on chess and world champions – except for Cuba’s Jose Raul Capablanca and America’s Bobby Fischer – during the past century, were natives of the Soviet Union.
It was during the late 1950s that Fischer, at the age of 15, became a threat to the Soviets. If Fischer or Bent Larsen of Denmark were in a tournament, the Soviets were no longer automatically assured of sweeping it. These two players from the West began to threaten the Soviet monopoly.
In 1962, Mikhail Botvinnik was the world chess champion, and was playing Board One for his country. Fischer was playing top board for America. The two were destined to clash. Botvinnik had the white pieces and Fischer answered with the Grunfeld Defence.
Former world champion Garry Kasparov made the point in his book, My Great Predecessors, “The current event of the [Varna] Olympiad was, of course, the Botvinnik-Fischer game.” Although the results of the Olympiad were never in doubt since the Soviets were the prime favourites, there was a chance Fischer could defeat the world champion. The game ended in a draw. But Fischer had a winning advantage. However, analysts say Fischer simplified too early and when the game reached adjournment the win became problematic.
I replayed the game and at one stage Fischer had a significant pawn advantage.
Chess game
White: Mikhail Botvinnik
Black: Bobby Fischer
Event: 1962 Varna Olympiad, Varna, Bulgaria
Type of Game: Gruenfeld Defence, Smyslov Variation
1. c4 g6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Bg4 8. Be3 Nfd7 9. Be2 Nc6 10. Rd1 Nb6 11. Qc5 Qd6 12. h3 Bxf3 13. gxf3 Rfd8 14. d5 Ne5 15. Nb5 Qf6 16. f4 Ned7 17. e5 Qxf4 18. Bxf4 Nxc5 19. Nxc7 Rac8 20. d6 exd6 21. exd6 Bxb2 22. O-O Nbd7 23. Rd5 b6 24. Bf3 Ne6 25. Nxe6 fxe6 26. Rd3 Nc5 27. Re3 e5 28. Bxe5 Bxe5 29. Rxe5 Rxd6 30. Re7 Rd7 31. Rxd7 Nxd7 32. Bg4 Rc7 33. Re1 Kf7 34. Kg2 Nc5 35. Re3 Re7 36. Rf3+ Kg7 37. Rc3 Re4 38. Bd1 Rd4 39. Bc2 Kf6 40. Kf3 Kg5 41. Kg3 Ne4+ 42. Bxe4 Rxe4 43. Ra3 Re7 44. Rf3 Rc7 45. a4 Rc5 46. Rf7 Ra5 47. Rxh7 Rxa4 48. h4+ Kf5 49. Rf7+ Ke5 50. Rg7 Ra1 51. Kf3 b5
52. h5 Ra3+ 53. Kg2 gxh5 54. Rg5+ Kd6 55. Rxb5 h4 56. f4 Kc6 57. Rb8 h3+ 58. Kh2 a5 59. f5 Kc7 60. Rb5 Kd6 61. f6 Ke6 62. Rb6+ Kf7 63. Ra6 Kg6 64. Rc6 a4 65. Ra6 Kf7 66. Rc6 Rd3 67. Ra6 a3 68. Kg1. ½-½. Draw.
