Game 12: Bobby Fischer vs Boris Spassky: World Chess Championship Match (1972) - Queen's Gambit

Instructive game tags: 1972 match, Fischer vs Spassky, most famous match in chess history, english opening, Fischer rarely used English opening, transposition into queens gambit declined, early h6 to kick bishop, white preserves dark squared bishop, early Rc1 before moving kings bishop, undermining pawn chain with a4 before castling, black volunteers some structural damage in return for piece activity, Nxd4 used by Fischer to avoid IQP, Fischer avoids Isolated Queens pawn, black forced to give up light squared bishop, white had advantage of bishop pair, fischer tries to keep queen locked out on a7, a5 used by black to give queen the a6 square, bishops complementing each other on f3 and g3, fischer sets a little trap offering b3 pawn, because of Rxc5 and Qa8 check, fischer doubles blacks pawns with Bxf6, opposite coloured bishops, white tries to undermine light squared pawns, neat simplifying tactic to draw, forcing moves to draw safely, drawish endgame, agreed draw ►Playlists: http://www.chessworld.net/chessclubs/playlistvideosstructure.asp ►Kingscrusher's Greatest Hit Videos! : http://tinyurl.com/6vvx6qe ►FREE online chess at http://www.chessworld.net/chessclubs/asplogin.asp?from=1053 or realtime at http://www.chessclub.com/from/kingscrusher [Event "Reykjavik-Wch"] [Site "Reykjavik-Wch"] [Date "1972.08.08"] [Round "12"] [White "Robert James Fischer"] [Black "Boris Spassky"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D55"] [PlyCount "110"] [EventDate "1972.??.??"] {The World Chess Championship 1972 was a match between challenger Bobby Fischer of the United States and defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union for the World Chess Championship. The match took place in the Laugardalshöll arena in Reykjavík, Iceland and has been dubbed the Match of the Century. Fischer became the first American to be the official World Champion since Wilhelm Steinitz (the first world champion) became a naturalized American citizen in 1888. Fischer's win also ended 24 years of Soviet domination of the World Championship. The first game started on July 11, 1972. The last game began on August 31 and was adjourned after 40 moves. Spassky resigned the next day without resuming play. Fischer won the match 12½â€"8½, becoming the eleventh official World Champion.} 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 O-O 7. e3 Nbd7 8. Rc1 c6 9. Bd3 dxc4 10. Bxc4 b5 11. Bd3 a6 12. a4 bxa4 (12... Bb7) 13. Nxa4 Qa5+ 14. Nd2 Bb4 15. Nc3 ( 15. O-O) 15... c5 16. Nb3 Qd8 17. O-O cxd4 18. Nxd4 Bb7 19. Be4 Qb8 20. Bg3 Qa7 21. Nc6 Bxc6 (21... Qb6 22. Na4 Qb5 23. Nd4) 22. Bxc6 Rac8 23. Na4 (23. Bf3 Qb6 ) 23... Rfd8 24. Bf3 a5 (24... Ne5 25. Bxe5 Rxd1 26. Rxc8+ Kh7 27. Rxd1) 25. Rc6 (25. Rxc8 Rxc8 26. Qd3) 25... Rxc6 26. Bxc6 Rc8 27. Bf3 Qa6 28. h3 (28. Qb3 ) 28... Qb5 29. Be2 Qc6 30. Bf3 Qb5 31. b3 Be7 32. Be2 Qb4 33. Ba6 Rc6 34. Bd3 Nc5 35. Qf3 Rc8 36. Nxc5 Bxc5 37. Rc1 Rd8 (37... Qxb3 38. Rxc5 Rxc5 39. Qa8+) 38. Bc4 Qd2 39. Rf1 Bb4 40. Bc7 Rd7 41. Qc6 Qc2 42. Be5 Rd2 43. Qa8+ Kh7 44. Bxf6 gxf6 45. Qf3 f5 46. g4 Qe4 (46... fxg4 47. Qxf7+) 47. Kg2 Kg6 48. Rc1 Ba3 49. Ra1 Bb4 50. Rc1 Be7 51. gxf5+ exf5 52. Re1 Rxf2+ 53. Kxf2 Bh4+ 54. Ke2 Qxf3+ 55. Kxf3 Bxe1 1/2-1/2 ►Subscribe for my regular chess videos: http://goo.gl/zpktUK ►Support the channel by donating via PayPal: http://goo.gl/7HJcDq Fischer 1972 By Verhoeff, Bert / Anefo [CC BY-SA 3.0 nl (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons Spassky picture By Punt / Anefo [CC BY-SA 3.0 nl (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons