My best Move GM PAL BENKO
Chess Life’s endgame columnist for 45 years
W
ith my long career, it is difficult to pinpoint a single “best move.” I find it more interesting to give my best
move against Fischer, which occurred in our first meeting. Bobby, while only 15 at the time, was the U.S. champion and had qualified for the Interzonal. I had qualified for this prestigious event once earlier but instead of playing I sat in a communist prison after at tempting an escape to the free world, so this was my first time playing this event too—though I was twice as old as Fischer.
KING’S INDIAN DEFENSE, SÄMISCH VARIATION (E81) Pal Benko Robert J. Fischer Portoroz Interzonal (4), Portoroz, Yugoslavia, 08.10.1958
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 e5 6. Nge2 0-0 7. Bg5 exd4 8. Nxd4 Nc6 9. Nc2 Be6 10. Be2 h6 11. Bh4 g5
An impatient choice to shake off the pin.
12. Bf2 Ne5 13. Ne3 c6 14. 0-0 Qa5 15. Qd2
Not 15. Qxd6 Rfd8 16. Qa3 Qxa3 17. bxa3 destroying my pawn structure for a pawn.
15. ... Rfd8 16. Rfd1 a6 17. a4 Qc7 18. a5 c5?!
“
AFTER 18. ... c5?! Some critics labeled this a mistake since 18.
... Qe7 is more prudent, but Bobby was looking for counterplay.
19. h4! My best Move. The main alternative was
72 April 2016 | Chess Life
I sat in a communist prison after at tempting an escape to the free world ...
19. Ncd5 Nxd5 20. cxd5 Bd7 21. b4 with promising queenside play. Weakening his kingside was more threatening, though this is a little unusual when both players are castled on the same wing.
19. ... Qe7? A mistake. He could have continued his plan
with 19. ... Nc6 and then 20. Ra3 Nd4 (20. ... Nxa5 21. Ncd5 Bxd5 22. cxd5 b6 23. Nf5 when White’s position is worth more than a pawn.) 21. Bd3 keeps the tension.
20. hxg5 hxg5 21. Nf5 Bxf5 22. exf5 g4 Houdini sees the danger here and prefers 22.
... Nc6 23. Qxg5 Nd5 24. Qxe7 Ndxe7 25. Bd3 Rab8, heading into an endgame a pawn down.
23. Bh4 Qf8 24. fxg4 Nexg4 25. Bxg4 Nxg4 26. Qg5! Nf6 27. Rd3 Nh7 28. Qg4 f6 29. Nd5 Qf7 30. Re1 Re8 31. Rde3
Black gets some air after this time-trouble move. After 31. Re6 (that I had planned before)
Black should think about resigning. For exam - ple, after 31. ... Kh8 (31. ... Kf8 32. Bg3) 32. Bxf6 (32. Nxf6, or 32. Rxf6 are also good) 32. ... Bxf6 33. Rxf6 Nxf6 34. Nxf6 wins; 32. ... Rg8 33. Re7 Bxf6 34. Rxf7 Rxg4 35. Rxh7+ wins.
”
31. ... Re5 This is what I forgot about, but my position
is so good that the win is still on the board.
32. Bg3 Rxe3 33. Rxe3 Re8 34. Re6 Ng5 35. Rxd6 Re4 36. Rd8+ Kh7 37. Bf4 Bh6 There was nothing against the threat of 38. Qh4+ followed by 39. Rd7.
38. Rd7! Re1+ 39. Kf2 Ne4+ 40. Kxe1 Qxd7 41. Qg6+, Black resigned. After this event, Bobby and I were awarded
the grandmaster title (at a time when there were only about 50 grandmasters) and became world championship candidates.
Photo: GM Pal Benko in 1964..
PHOTO: DUTCH NATIONAL ARCHIVES, THE HAGUE, FOTOCOLLECTIE ALGEMEEN NEDERLANDS PERSBUREAU (ANEFO), 1945-1989
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