The great Svetozar Gligoric passed away last week at the age of 89. Gligoric represented Yugoslavia at a time when that nation was second only to the USSR in terms of chess strength. Three times a world title candidate, Gligoric was able to defeat such champions as Fischer, Botvinnik, Tal and Petrosian. Petrosian seemed to bring out the best in him.
Petrosian-Gligoric: Rovinj/Zagreb 1970; King’s Indian Defence
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Be2 0-0 6 Nf3 e5 7 0-0 Petrosian avoided his favourite 7 d5 Nbd7 8 Bg5, because his opponent was very confident in his handling of the variation 8 … h6 9 Bh4 g5 10 Bg3 Nh5. 7 … Nc6 8 d5 Ne7 9 b4 Nh5 At that time 9 … Ne8 or 9 … Nd7 was more often chosen, but Gligoric preferred an active reply: Black begins a battle on the part of the board where he is stronger. 10 Nd2 Nf4 11 a4 f5 12 Bf3 g5 13 exf5 Nxf5 14 g3 A weakening. 14 Be4 and Nb3 was more solid, maintaining White’s influence on events in the centre and quite good prospects (see diagram 1) 14 … Nd4 After prolonged thought Gligoric sacrifices a piece in the style of Tal. 15 gxf4 Nxf3+ 16 Qxf3 It was more cautious to try 16 Nxf3 exf4 17 Bb2 g4 18 Kh1, returning the piece in order to restore the balance. 16 … g4 17 Qh1 A passive reply but such manoeuvres are typical of Petrosian’s original style. 17 Qd1 and 17 Qd3 are improvements. 17 … exf4 18 Bb2 Petrosian wants to exchange the powerful bishop at g7 as soon as possible, but the place for the bishop was at d2, where it could have defended the rook at e1 and given the queen the opportunity to came back into play. 18 … Bf5 19 Rfe1 f3 20 Nde4 Black would also have had a strong attack after 20 h4 gxh3 21 Nxf3 Bg4 22 Nd2 Qh4 etc. 20 … Qh4 (see diagram 2) Threatening a possible … Qh3, shutting in the white queen for ever. 21 h3 A mistake. Much better is 21 Nd1, which keeps the game alive. For example 21 … Qh3 22 Bxg7 Kxg7 23 Ng3 and it is not apparent how Black can exploit the stalemated position of the queen at h1. 21 … Be5 22 Re3 gxh3 23 Qxf3 Bg4 The queen is again driven into the corner, and the final agony begins. 24 Qh1 h2+ 25 Kg2 Qh5 26 Nd2 Bd4 27 Qe1 If 27 Rae1 Black mates with the elegant 27 … Bh3+! 28 Rxh3 Rxf2+ 29 Kg3 Qg5. 27 … Rae8 28 Nce4 Bxb2 29 Rg3 Be5 30 Raa3 Kh8 31 Kh1 Rg8 32 Qf1 Bxg3 33 Rxg3 Rxe4 White resigns
Two world champion opponents of Gligoric have recently become entangled in weird off-board developments. Boris Spassky has defected back from France to Russia, claiming he was being drugged and held captive in his own home. Meanwhile, Garry Kasparov was arrested at a pro-Pussy Riot assembly in Moscow and accused, doubtless falsely, of biting a police officer.
Comments