AThe Guardian London, Greater London, England Thursday, March 19, 1964 - Page 14
Chess By Leonard Barden
A Prepared Surprise
In modern tournaments, it is common practice to prepare a special variation against your opponent's favorite opening. if you choose a system where he has previously done badly, you are liable to come up against improvements he has thought up at home. The subtle approach is to play into a line where he has previously scored a crushing victory, and then to produce your prepared improvement.
A vital game from the Soviet zonal eliminator for the world title was decided in this way. Geller, as White, follows the same plan with which Fischer defeated him at Bled, 1961. Spassky has an improvement on the previous play and, faced with unexpected problems, Geller misses the best line and is brilliantly mated Spassky won the event with 7 out of 12 followed by Bronstein and Stein 6½ (these three qualify for the interzonal). Kholmov 6 Korchnoi and Suetin 5½ and Geller 5.
31 Resigns. An elegant game. Spassky, who was at one time thought a better prospect than Tal, is now again in the running for the world title; but can he stop Bobby Fischer?
