Raymond Keene

Fischer favourite

issue 30 March 2019

A favoured line of the great Bobby Fischer was to meet both the French Defence (1 e4 e6) and the Caro-Kann Defence (1 e4 c6) with 2 d3, introducing what is known as the King’s Indian Attack. Fischer won celebrated games with this line against such powerful opponents as the Argentine grandmaster Oscar Panno and World Championship candidate Boris Ivkov. This week’s puzzle shows a further coruscating finish by Fischer with the King’s Indian Attack from the Interzonal stage of the World Championship cycle which brought Fischer the supreme title.
Ever a good learner, the three-times British champion grandmaster Julian Hodgson put the King’s Indian Attack to good use in this week’s win against an illustrious opponent.
 
Hodgson-Seirawan: Wijk aan Zee 1986; French Defence
 
1 e4 e6 2 d3 d5 3 Nd2 Nf6 4 Ngf3 c5 5 g3 b6 6 Bg2 Bb7 7 0-0 Nc6 8 Re1 Be7 9 c3 h6
 
(See diagram 1)
 
10 a3 Hodgson cleverly avoids advancing in the centre with e5 before Black has castled.








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