Bobby Fischer is back in the news. Japan has apprehended him for traveling under an expired U.S. passport. If he is deported to America, Fischer faces charges for violating a U.S. embargo on commerce with Serbia. In 1992, Fischer played a match there against Boris Spassky in violation of U.S. law.

Although he is Jewish by birth, one of the many distinctive things about Bobby Fischer is his long history of anti-Semitic rants.The Hungarian grandmaster Andor Lilienthal, who was on friendly terms with the American genius, remembers interrupting one such tirade: “How can you say such things about the Jews when you know I am one and that my father was a principal in a Jewish school?” Fischer had a ready reply. “No,” he explained, “your father was not Jewish and neither are you. My own mother and sister claimed to be Jewish, but they were also lying.”

Anti-Semitism may be a supremely irrational idea, but at least at the chessboard Bobby Fischer has always been supremely rational. Here we see one of his last masterpieces, this one against Boris Spassky from their 1992 match in Belgrade.

FISCHER VS. SPASSKY

(white) (black)

Sicilian Defense

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.0-0 Bg7 6.Re1 e5

This setup is refuted in this game. The next time Spassky had the black pieces in this match, the same position recurred and he played 6…f6!? 7.c3 Nh6 8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4 0-0 to reach a tenable position. Another good move here is 6…Nh6!? 7.b4!! A novelty! Out of such moves the theory of chess advances. White begins an assault on the black squares in black’s camp. 7… cxb4 8.a3 c5?! Better prospects for defense came from 8…bxa3 9.Bxa3 (9.Nxa3!? Ne7 10.Nc4 d6 11.Ba3 c5 12.d4!? Be6! was not dangerous for black.) 9…d6. For example, 10.d4 exd4 11.e5 dxe5 12.Nxe5 Be6 13.Nd2 Ne7 14.Ndf3 0-0 15.Nxd4 Re8 and black is safe. 9.axb4 cxb4 10.d4 exd4 In the line 10…d6 11.c3! bxc3 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Qc2! white has strong threats. There could follow, for example, 13…Bg4 14.Nxc3 Bxf3 15.Nd5! 11.Bb2 d6 12.Nxd4! This is much stronger than 12.Bxd4 ! Nf6 13.e5 dxe5 14.Rxe5+ Be6 15.Ng5 0-0! and black is fine. 12… Qd7?! Not solving all problems but still the best defense is 12…Qb6!? 13.c3! (Much worse for white was 13.Nd2?! Bxd4 14.Nc4 Bxf2+ 15.Kh1 Qc5 16.Nxd6+ Ke7 17.Nxc8+ Rxc8 18.Bxh8 Bxe1 19.Qxe1 Ke8!) 13…bxc3 14.Bxc3 Nf6 15.e5 dxe5 16.Rxe5+ Be6 17.Qa4+ Nd7 18.Re3 and white still retains a strong initiative. 13.Nd2 Bb7 Black cannot play here 13…Nf6 14.Nc4 0-0 15.Nb6!, which wins the exchange.

(See Diagram)

14.Nc4 Nh6 Black lost after 14…Nf6 15.Nxd6+ Qxd6 16.e5 Qd5 17.exf6+ Kd8 18.Nb3! Bf8 19.Qxd5+ Bxd5 20.Rad1; white was much better as well after 14…Ne7!? 15.Nf5! Bxb2 16.Nfxd6+ Kf8 17.Nxb2. 15.Nf5! A lightening bolt signaling a fierce storm. 15… Bxb2 Losing immediately was 15…Nxf5 16.exf5+ Kf8 17.f6 Bh6 18.Nxd6. 16.Ncxd6+ Kf8 Or 16…Kd8 17.Nxh6! Bxa1 18.Qxa1 and black is defenseless. 17.Nxh6 f6 Avoiding 17…Bxa1 18.Qxa1 Rg8 (of no avail was 18…Qxd6!? 19.Qxh8+ Ke7 20.Qxh7 Rf8 21.Qg7 Qd2 22.Rb1! Qxc2 23.Q e5+ Kd7 24.Qd4+ Ke8 25.Qxb4 as well) 19.e5 Rg7 20.e6 Qxd6 21.e7+ Ke8 22.Qxg7+- with a victory for white. 18.Ndf7! Qxd1 19.Raxd1 Ke7 20.Nxh8 Rxh8 21.Nf5+! Deja vu. The same knight is sacrificed on the same square! 21… gxf5 22.exf5+ Be5 23.f4 Rc8 24.fxe5 Rxc2 25.e6 Bc6! Spassky resists stubbornly, and the struggle continues into the endgame. Also losing was 25…Rxg2+ 26.Kf1 Bf3 27.Rd7+ Ke8 28.Rc1; and 25…Bxg2 26.Rd7+ Ke8 27.e7. 26.Rc1! Rxc1 Again, bad was 26…Rxg2+ 27.Kf1 Bf3 28.Rc7+ Ke8 29.e7. 27.Rxc1 Kd6 A simpler task for white followed after 27…Be4?! 28.Rc4 Bxf5 29.Rxb4 Kxe6 30.Ra4. 28.Rd1+ Ke5 29.e7 a5 30.Rc1! Bd7 Or 30…Be8 31.Rc8 Bd7 32.e8Q+ Bxe8 33.Rxe8+ Kd4 34.Rb8 Kc3 35.g4 a4 36.g5 a3 37.Ra8! and white is winning. 31.Rc5+ Kd4 32.Rxa5 b3 33.Ra7 Be8 The same outcome occurs after 33…Bc6 34.Ra6 Be8 35.Rxf6. 34.Rb7 Kc3 35.Kf2 b2 36.Ke3 Bf7 Another line was 36…h5 37.Rb8 Bd7 (37…Kc2 38.Rxe8 b1Q 39.Rc8+ K! d1 40.e8Q+-) 38.e8Q Bxe8 39.Rxe8 b1Q 40.Rc8+ Kb2 41.Rb8+ winning the queen. 37.g4! Zugzwang. White has avoided black’s final trap: 37.Rb8? Kc2 38.Kd4 b1Q 39.Rxb1 Kxb1 40.Kc5 h5 41.Kd6 Kc2 42.Kd7 Kd3 43.e8Q Bxe8+ 44.Kxe8 Ke4 and the game is a draw. 37… Kc2 38.Kd4 b1Q 39.Rxb1 Kxb1 40.Kc5 Kc2 41.Kd6 After this might follow 41.Kd6 Kd3 42.Kd7 Ke4 43.e8Q+ Bxe8+ 44.Kxe8 Kf4 45.Kf7 Kg5 46.Ke6 and white wins. 1-0