[Event "USSR v Rest of the World 1970"] [Site "Belgrade"] [Date "1970.03.29"] [Round "1"] [White "Larsen, Bent"] [Black "Spassky, Boris Vasilievich"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2650"] [BlackElo "2670"] [Board "1"] [Annotator "Mills, Holland"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A01"] [Opening "Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Modern Variation"] [StudyName "The Games of Boris Spassky - Part I"] [ChapterName "The Games of Boris Spassky - Part VII - Spassky's Immortal"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/Ae94i9tP/drzdPAXN"] [Orientation "black"] 1. b3?! { Now known as the Nimzowitsch-Larsen Opening, the immediate fianchetto of the bishop is inspired by the Hypermodernists of the 1920s such as Nimzowitsch and Réti. } 1... e5! { Frittering on the flank is met with a counterstrike claiming the center. } 2. Bb2 Nc6 { Protecting the attacked, loose e-pawn in classical fashion. } 3. c4 Nf6 4. Nf3?! { This invites Black to seize more of the center. } (4. e3!? { Slowly challenging control of the center. }) 4... e4 5. Nd4 Bc5 6. Nxc6?! { White must address the twice-attacked knight but this choice is poor. } (6. Nf5 O-O 7. e3 d5! 8. cxd5 Nb4 9. Ng3 Nfxd5 10. a3! Nd3+ 11. Bxd3 exd3 $10) 6... dxc6! $15 7. e3 Bf5 8. Qc2 Qe7 { Spassky has nearly completed his army's development while White is divided by the thorn of Black's pawn on e4. } 9. Be2?! (9. a3 a5! 10. d4 exd3 11. Bxd3 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Rd8 13. Qf5 Bxe3! 14. O-O! (14. fxe3?? Qxe3+ 15. Kf1 Rd1#) 14... Bh6 $15) 9... O-O-O $17 10. f4? { White's pieces are terribly cramped thanks to Black's straightforward development and central dominance, and now this pawn move undermines the White king's defenses. } (10. a3! { was best: } 10... Qe6 11. b4 Be7 12. Nc3 Nd7 $17) 10... Ng4! $19 11. g3 (11. O-O Rxd2!! 12. Nxd2 Nxe3 $19 13. Qb1 Nxf1+ 14. Kxf1 Qh4 { with a mating attack. }) (11. Bxg4 Qh4+ 12. g3 Qxg4 $19 13. Nc3 Rd3 14. Ne2 Rhd8 15. Rf1 Bxe3 16. dxe3 Rxe3 17. Rd1 Rxd1+ 18. Qxd1 Rd3 19. Qc2 e3! 20. Bc1 Rd2! 21. Qxf5+ Qxf5 22. Bxd2 exd2+ 23. Kxd2 { The queen and extra pawn is far superior and easier to handle than the knight and rook. By continually making threats Black increases his material advantage: } 23... Qh3 24. Rf2 Qd7+ 25. Ke3 Qe6+ 26. Kf3 f5 27. Nc3 Qe1 28. Rc2 b5 29. cxb5 cxb5 30. Ne2 Qd1 31. Rb2 Qh1+ 32. Ke3 Qxh2 $19) (11. Qc1 Qh4+ 12. g3 Qh3 13. Bf1 Qh5 14. Be2 g5!! 15. fxg5 (15. Bxh8 gxf4 16. Nc3 f3 $19) 15... Bd6! 16. Bxg4 Bxg4 17. O-O Bxg3 18. hxg3 Rhg8!! 19. Qe1 Bf3 20. Rxf3 exf3 21. Bf6 Rd6 22. Kf2 Rxf6 23. gxf6 Qe5 { and the threats to g3 and a1 triumph. }) 11... h5! 12. h3 (12. Nc3 Rxd2! 13. Qxd2 (13. Kxd2 Bxe3+ 14. Ke1 Bf2+ 15. Kd2 Ne3 16. Qb1 Rd8+ 17. Kc1 Qd7 $19) 13... Bxe3 14. Qc2 Bf2+ 15. Kd2 { else .. Ne3+ winning the queen } 15... e3+ $19) 12... h4!! 13. hxg4 hxg3 14. Rg1 Rh1!! { A brilliant deflection that opens the critical h4-e1 diagonal with lethal effect. } 15. Rxh1 g2 16. Rf1 (16. Rg1 Qh4+ 17. Kd1 Qh1 $19) 16... Qh4+ 17. Kd1 gxf1=Q+ { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1