(1) Tigran V Petrosian - Bobby Fischer
Portoroz Interzonal (round 13), 27 August 1958


The following work by Charles Sullivan was published, in a slightly different form, by Karsten Müller in his "Endgame Corner" at ChessCafe.com on 15 July 2009.

What Fischer (and Petrosian and Hübner) Never Knew
At the Portoroz Interzonal in 1958, fifteen-year-old Bobby Fischer finished in a tie for 5th place and thus qualified for the Candidates' Tournament and became, at the time, the youngest grandmaster in chess history. As the round commenced, Fischer's score was 6-5 and he was in danger of not advancing to the Candidates'. His opponent was the future World Champion Tigran Petrosian. In 1969, Fischer published his notes to the game in My 60 Memorable Games and conceded that Petrosian had missed the winning variation at move fifty-seven. Robert Hübner came to the same conclusion in his CD-based monograph of 2003, World Champion Fischer. But perhaps modern computers will show us a few undiscovered subtleties? Here are the moves leading to the fateful position:

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nf3 d6 6.0-0 Nc6 7.d3 Nh5 8.d4 e5 9.d5 Ne7 10.e4 f5 11.exf5 gxf5 12.Nxe5 Nxg3 13.hxg3 Bxe5 14.f4 Bg7 15.Be3 Bd7 16.Bd4 Ng6 17.Re1 Rf7 18.Bf3 Qf8 19.Kf2 Re8 20.Rxe8 Qxe8 21.Bxg7 Rxg7 22.Qd4 b6 23.Rh1 a5 24.Nd1 Qf8 25.Ne3 Rf7 26.b3 Qg7 27.Qxg7+ Kxg7 28.a3 Rf8 29.Be2 Ne7 30.Bd3 h6 31.Rh5 Be8 32.Rh2 Bd7 33.Rh1 Rh8 34.Nc2 Kf6 35.Nd4 Kg7 36.Be2 Ng8 37.b4 Nf6 38.Bd3 axb4 39.axb4 Kg6 40.Ra1 Ng4+ 41.Ke2 Re8+ 42.Kd2 Nf6 43.Ra6 Rb8 44.Ra7 Rc8 45.c5 bxc5 46.bxc5 dxc5 47.Nf3 Kf7 48.Ne5+ Ke7 49.Nxd7 Nxd7 50.Bxf5 Rf8 51.g4 Kd6 52.Bxd7 Kxd7 53.Ke3 Re8+ 54.Kf3 Kd6 55.Ra6+ Kxd5 56.Rxh6 c4










57.Rh1 [On pages 29-30 of My 60 Memorable Games, Fischer wrote: "As Petrosian points out in the Russian bulletins of the tournament, White can win with the following line: '57 R-R7!, P-B3; 58 R-Q7+, K-B4; 59 R-Q1, P-B6; 60 P-N5, K-B5; 61 P-N6, P-B7; 62 R-QB1, K-B6; 63 P-B5, R-KN1; 64 K-B4, K-Q7; 65 RxP+, KxR; 66 K-N5, P-B4; 67 P-B6, P-B5; 68 P-B7, RxP+; 69 KxR, P-B6; 70 P-N8=Q.' White is a tempo ahead of the game, where Black's Pawn succeeds in reaching B7, instead of B6 (as here)." Indeed, after 57.Rh7 c6 58.Rd7+ Kc5 59.Rd1 c3 60.g5








the computer confirms that 60...Kc4 is a lost cause. The line quoted in Fischer's book wins for White, as does, for example, 61.g6 Rg8 62.f5 c5 63.Kf4 Kb3 64.Rb1+ Ka2 65.Rg1 c2 66.Kg5 Rd8 67.g7 Ka3 68.Kg6 Rd1 69.Rg3+ Kb4 70.g8=QRb3 68.Rc1 Rg3+ 69.Kh6 Rh3+ 70.Kg5 Rg3+.However, you may, with the help of your computer, find that all is not hopeless for Black. After 60...Kb4! 61.f5 c5 62.g6 (Worth a try is 62.f6 but 62...Rf8 63.Rf1 (or 63.Kf4 c4 64.Kf5

(Karsten Müller asked about 64.Ke5. A (somewhat) "easy" draw is 64...c2! (A tricky draw follows 64...Re8+!? 65.Kf5 c2! 66.Rf1 (66.Rc1 Kc3 67.f7 Rf8 68.g6 Kd2 69.Rxc2+ Kxc2 draws; for example: 70.Ke6 c3 71.g7 Rxf7 72.Kxf7 Kd2 73.g8Q c2= ) 66...Rd8! 67.f7 Kb3!! (67...Kc3? 68.Ke4!! wins; e.g. 68...Kb2 69.g6 c1Q 70.Rxc1 Kxc1 71.g7 c3 72.f8Q Rxf8 73.gxf8Q c2 74.Kd3 etc.) 68.g6 Rd1! 69.Rf3+ Rd3! 70.Rf4 c1Q 71.f8Q Rd5+ 72.Ke6 Rb5! 73.Rf3+! (73.g7?? Qe3+ mates) 73...c3 74.g7 Qe1+ and Black has enough counterplay to hold the draw; for example: 75.Kf7 Rb7+ 76.Kg8 Qe4 etc.) 65.Rc1 Kc3! (after 65...Kb3? Black has a mate-in-70 beginning 66.g6 Kb2 67.Rxc2+ Kxc2 68.g7! etc.) 66.g6 Re8+! 67.Kd6 (or 67.Kd5 Rd8+! 68.Kc5 Rc8+! 69.Kd6 Rg8 transposes) 67...Rg8! 68.f7 (or 68.g7 Kd2 69.Rxc2+ Kxc2= ) 68...Rxg6+ 69.Ke5 (69.Ke7?? Rg7! wins) 69...Kd2 70.f8Q Kxc1= )

64...c2 65.Rc1 Kc3 66.g6 Kd2 67.g7 Rxf6+ 68.Kxf6 Kxc1= ) 63...c2 64.Ke4 Kc3 65.Kf5 c4! 66.g6 Rd8! 67.f7 Rd1! 68.Rf3+ Rd3! draws) 62...Rg8! 63.Kf4








(63.Rb1+ Ka3! 64.Ke4 c2 draws) 63...c4!! (Now we see why 60...Kb4 (instead of 60...Kc4) was necessary -- the c4-square was needed for this pawn. After 63...c2? 64.Rc1! Kb3 65.Kg5 Kb2 66.Rxc2+ Kxc2 67.f6 it's mate-in-72, according to the endgame tablebases) 64.Kg5 (If 64.Ke5 then 64...c2 draws) . The situation is critical. Still bad is 64...c2 when White wins with 65.Rc1 Kb3 66.f6 Rd8 67.g7 Rd1 68.Rxc2 Rg1+ 69.Kh6 Rh1+ 70.Kg6 Rg1+ 71.Kh7 Rh1+ 72.Kg8. Can Black find a move that doesn't lose a tempo? The beautiful 64...Rd8!!








draws! For example:65.Rc1 (Black also has a draw after 65.Rxd8 c2 66.Rb8+ Kc3 67.g7 c1Q+ 68.Kf6 Qh6+ 69.Kf7 Qh5+








and the Black queen holds the game.) 65...Kb3! 66.f6 Kb2! (Wrong is 66...c2? 67.f7 and White has a winning position) 67.Rh1 c2 68.f7 c1Q+ 69.Rxc1 Kxc1 70.g7 c3 71.f8Q Rxf8 72.gxf8Q c2 is a book draw.; Eventually, you (and your computer) find that the stunning resource of ...Rd8!! can be played much earlier in the critical variation: 57.Rh7 c6 58.Rd7+ Kc5 59.Rd1 c3 60.g5 and now 60...Rd8!!








leads to a draw; here is a tricky line:61.Rg1! Kd4! 62.g6 c2 63.Rc1! Rd6! 64.f5 (64.Rxc2 Rxg6= ) 64...Ke5! 65.g7 Rd8 66.Kg4 Kf6 67.Rxc2 Rg8 68.Rxc6+ Kxg7= ; So 60.g5 is good for no more than a draw. Is 60.f5 any better? After 57.Rh7 c6 58.Rd7+ Kc5 59.Rd1 c3 60.f5








the trusty60...Kb4!! saves the day: 61.f6 (61.g5 c5! 62.f6 Rf8! 63.Ke4 c4 64.Ke5 Re8+ 65.Kf5 c2! 66.Rh1 Rh8 67.Rg1 Rd8 68.f7 Kc3 69.g6 Rd1 70.f8Q c1Q= ) 61...c2 62.Rc1 Kc3 63.g5 Rf8! 64.Kf4 c5! 65.Ke5 c4! 66.g6 Re8+! 67.Kd6 Rg8! 68.g7 Kd2 69.f7 Rxg7 70.f8Q Kxc1 71.Qxg7 Kb1= ; Once again, more research reveals that ....Rd8 can be played: 57.Rh7 c6 58.Rd7+ Kc5 59.Rd1 c3 60.f5 Rd8! One interesting draw is 61.Rc1 Kd4 62.Kf4 Kd3 63.f6 Kd2 64.Ra1 c2 65.g5 Ra8!








66.Rh1 Re8! 67.f7 Re1!= ; So now we have shown that in Petrosian's main variation, neither 60.g5 nor 60.f5 can win against perfect defense, which we can be sure Fischer was anxious to prove. Believing that his position had been completely lost -- in such an important game! -- must have galled him. Fischer probably spent hours (days?) looking for a way to bust Petrosian's 57.Rh7. Not only did he examine the lengthy main variation, he discussed two sub-varations after asking, "What if Black tries to improve?" He gave 57.Rh7 c5 58.Rd7+ Ke6 59.Rd1 Rb8 which he demonstrated is drawn after 60.g5; but Fischer himself then showed a victory for White after 60.f5+








Ke5 61.Re1+ Kd4 62.g5 c3 63.f6 c2 64.Rc1 Ke5 65.Kg4. Now here's the kicker to the story. Fischer was so close, I'm surprised that he did not find the relatively simple60...Kf6! 61.Kf4 c3 62.g5+ Kg7 63.Rc1 Rb3 -- this is a position that Black will draw without much difficulty. Perhaps the finish would be 64.Ke5 Kf7 65.Kd5 Rb2 66.Rxc3 Rg2 67.g6+ Kf6 68.Ke4 c4 69.Rxc4 Rg4+ 70.Kd5 Rg5 71.Rf4 Rg2 72.Rf3 Rg5








etc. Poor Bobby never knew that he had the draw in hand.] The concluding moves to the actual game were

57...c3 58.g5 c5 59.Rd1+ Kc4 60.g6 c2 61.Rc1 Kd3 62.f5 Rg8 63.Kf4 Kd2 64.Rxc2+ Kxc2 65.Kg5 c4 66.f6 c3 67.f7 1/2-1/2