Bobby Fischer, 64

The legendary Robert J. Fischer (1943-2008), who ended the Russian hegemony of the world chess championship, died Thursday of kidney ailment in an Icelandic Hospital.

Fischer, who renounced his US citizenship in 2005  and had lived in Iceland since then, had been hospitalized for a number of months, but reports said he was released after doctors diagnosed his case as hopeless.

The US-born chess champion became an American idol for beating then world title-holder Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War in 1972.

Fischer crushed Spassky in the famous Chess Match of the Century in Reykjavic, Iceland, and earned the distinction as the individual who triumphed over the might of the Communist system and the much-vaunted Soviet School of Chess.

The Russians had dominated the world championship since 1948.

He was the only player in the game’s history who had held the world title undefeated.

In 1975, he defaulted his world crown against Russian opponent Anatoly Karpov, over rules dispute with the world chess federation (FIDE).

He since then declined to play under the auspices of the FIDE. In 1992, he played a controversial $5 million rematch with Boris Spassky in Yugoslavia (despite UN and US sanctions), and pocketed $3.7 million for his victory.

He had been living outside the United States since 1992 and was granted Icelandic citizenship in 2005.

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 Everything is called a sacrifice these days. When the combination leads to a forced win or mate, the annotator registers ecstasy on the beautiful piece sacrifice!

To offer material, however, with no return on sight merits the appellation “sacrifice.”

In this game, White allows his opponent the gain of a piece in a complicated, unclear middlegame.

At the end of his combination, White had an active Queen against his adversary’s uncoordinated pieces. The refutation is subtle and piquant.

World Cup 2007

W) J. Gustafsson g 2607 GER

B)  M. Rodshtein g 2614 ISR

Queen’s Gambit

1. d4 d5  2. c4 c6

3. Nf3 Nf6  4. Nc3 e6

5. Bg5 h6  6. Bh4 dxc4

7. e4 g5  8. Bg3 b5

This, the Meran-Moscow Gambit, leads to a sharp, more complex type of struggle, and thus appeals to the aggressive style of young GMs. The variation offers a pawn in return for free piece-play, resulting in a dynamic equilibrium.

9. Be2  Bb7  10. 0-0 Nbd7

11. Ne5 Bg7  12. Nxd7 Nxd7

The alternative 12...Qxd7 allows the crippling 13. Be5.

13. Bd6 ...

The text, which prevents Black from castling is annoying, although unclear if White’s advantage in space is critical. White, however, has fine compensation for the Pawn.

13... a6  14. a4  ...

The game Kramnik-Anand, WCC 2007 went 14. Bh5 Bf8 15. Bxf8 Rxf8 16. e5 Qb6 17. b3 0-0-0 18. bxc4 Nxe5 19. c5 Qa5 20. Ne4 Qb4 21. Nd6ch Rxd6 22. exd6 Nd7 23. a4 Qxd6, with unclear consequences, drawn 41.

14... e5

Black tries to open up the center, hoping to activate his two Bishops.

15. d5  c5!?

Threatening to win a piece with 16...Qb6.

16. b4! ...

Securing the Bishop, and retaining control of the important diagonal a3-f8.

16.. cxb4

The continuation 16...cxb3 17. axb5 axb5 18. Nxb5 Rc8 19. Ra7 clearly favors White.

17. Bxb4 a5  18. Bd6 b4  19. Nb5 Rc8

Black has successfully closed the a-file, and may have defended in time all points of attack, but White’s next is a stunning rejoinder.

20. Bxc4!! ...

A brilliant sacrifice designed to open up the c-file for White’s major pieces.

20...  Rxc4  21. Qb3!  ...

The point, and perhaps decisive as Black now cannot satisfactorily meet White’s coming invasion via the open c-file.

21...  Qc8

Other moves also favors White. If 21...Nb6 22. Rc1 Rxc1ch 23. Rxc1 Na8 24. Qe3! with the idea of 25. Qa7 is hard to meet,  while after 21...Rc8 22. Rac1 Bf8 23. Rxc8 Qxc8 24. Qe3 Nf6 25. Rc1 Qd8 26. Bxe5 Be7 27. d6 0-0 28. dxe7 Qxe7 29. Bd6 and White wins the Exchange (1:0=78), Zhao-Harikrishna, Russia 2007.

22. Bc7  Qxc7

After 22...Rc3 24. Nd6ch Kf8 25. Qxc3 bxc3 26. Nxc8 Bxc8 27. Bxa5, White’s active pieces and advanced Passed Pawns are clearly superior than Black’s poorly developed pieces.

23. Nxc7ch Rxc7

24. Rac1 ...

Although the material is about even, White’s mastery of the open c-file, coupled with Black’s uncoordinated pieces, will be a major factor.

24...  Nc5  25. Qh3 Bc8  26. Qf3 g4?

26...Bf8 may have offered longer resistance, although with some purposeful maneuverings and multiple threats, White will work his opponent into a zugzwang position.

27. Qe3 Bf8  28. f4!  ..

The inevitable has occurred.

28... gxf3  29. Qxf3  f5  30. Qg3  1:0

 There is nothing better. For example 30...Bg7 (if 30...Rhh7 31. d6 wins, or 30...Bd6 31. Qg6ch, White wins) 31. Rxc5, etc.

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Solution to last week’s puzzle:

1. Qa1 ... If 1...Kxg1/Bf4/Bb2 2. Qxc1/Be3/Rh2 mates.