In the second installment of our series on American grandmaster and world chess champion Bobby Fischer, we’ll examine how Fischer used the opening principles to start a game off on the right foot and propel himself into a winning position. This friendly battle took place in 1963, with Fischer playing White and Reuben Fine, a grandmaster and prolific chess author, playing Black.
Fischer vs. Fine
Both players started off by aiming for control of the center and developing their pieces. On the fourth move, Fischer sacrificed his b-pawn to lure Fine’s bishop to the b4 square, where he could apply more pressure to it by pushing his pawn to c3.
Once the bishop had retreated, Fischer pushed his d-pawn into the center and castled. Instead of continuing to develop additional pieces, Fine chose to capture another pawn, allowing Fischer to get ahead in development by moving his queen and knight:
Fischer realized he could gain a nice advantage if he was able to stop Fine from castling. He came up with a plan to capture the g7 pawn with his bishop, but before he could do so, he had to remove its guard: the queen. He sacrificed another pawn to lure the queen to the h-file, then launched his attack:
With Fine’s king still sitting in the center of the board, Fischer was able to deliver check with his rook. Two moves later, Fine resigned.
Conclusion
Outdeveloping an opponent in the opening phase of a chess game can help players gain a lead, as can preventing an opponent from castling. Young chess players should aim to follow the opening principles to ensure their king’s safety and their ability to launch attacks on opposing pieces.
