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By International Master Jimmy Liew
Game
of the Century
I got to know the game of chess after watching
my cousins playing the game. This was probably in 1970. I remember
happening to see a TV programme called Chatur (the Malay word for Chess).
I still remember that episode well. The host or commentator was
showing a smothered mate. The final mating move was so amazing to me.
Imagine a lone knight checkmating the king. I remember being puzzled
by the moves. Why didn't the pawn capture the knight on h6? Why did
black capture the queen with the rook and not the king thereby
avoiding the mate? The answers were so astonishing to me, someone who
had just learnt the moves.
1
1. Qe6+ |
2
1. ..... Kh8 |
3
2. Qg8 |
4
2. ..... Rxg8 |
5
3. Nf7 mate |
Later I came across a game by Fischer.
Black’s moves using discovered checks in this game reminded me of
what I learnt in that TV programme. Many later referred to this game
as the Game of the Century.
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Donald
Byrne - Fischer, 17.10.1956
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1.Nf3
Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.d4 0–0 5.Bf4 d5 6.Qb3 dxc4 7.Qxc4 c6 8.e4
Nbd7 9.Rd1 Nb6 10.Qc5 Bg4 11.Bg5
[Better was 11.
Be2]
11...Na4
12.Qa3 Nxc3
13.bxc3
Nxe4
14.Bxe7
Qb6 15.Bc4 Nxc3 16.Bc5 Rfe8+ 17.Kf1 Be6!!
[If
18. Bxe6 then 18 .... Qb5+ 19. Kg1 Ne2+ 20.
Kf1 Ng3+
21. Kg1 Qf1+ 22. Rxf1 Ne2 mate. Yes, smothered mate!!]
18.Bxb6
Bxc4+ 19.Kg1 Ne2+ 20.Kf1 Nxd4+
21.Kg1
Ne2+ 22.Kf1 Nc3+ 23.Kg1 axb6 24.Qb4 Ra4 25.Qxb6 Nxd1 26.h3 Rxa2 27.Kh2
Nxf2 28.Re1 Rxe1 29.Qd8+ Bf8 30.Nxe1 Bd5 31.Nf3 Ne4 32.Qb8 b5
33.h4
h5 34.Ne5 Kg7 35.Kg1 Bc5+ 36.Kf1 Ng3+ 37.Ke1
Bb4+ 38.Kd1 Bb3+ 39.Kc1 Ne2+ 40.Kb1 Nc3+ 41.Kc1 Rc2 mate 0–1
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