--- title: The game that ended Bobby Fischer's historic 20 wins in a row winning streak description: A classic game by Tigran Petrosian in the Gruenfeld defence image: https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=kingscrusher-youtube:ublog:i3cszH19:Yzhi65mB.jpg&w=880&sig=a81817109ac62f24052ac3d840f3be7765d40644 --- Hi all Bobby Fischer had a run of seven wins in the Interzonal tournament leading to the candidate matches of 1971. Surely the Candidates matches would be a much harder challenge. However, Fischer started mowing down opponents on his way to challenge Boris Spassky for the 1972 World chess championship. He had beaten Taimanov 6-0. Then he had beaten Larsen 6-0! And then he had to face Tigran Petrosian - a two times World chess champion. Bobby Fischer won game 1 of the match. So Fischer at this stage had accumulated 7 + 6 + 6 + 1 = 20 straight wins in a row! As a result of all of these wins, and other great results, when the first official FIDE rating list was published in July 1971, Fischer was listed as the highest-rated player by a wide gap. **But this is what happened in game 2:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0C7\_eXp3kE (Check out my Tigran Petrosian playlist here: https://kingscrusher.tv/tigranpetrosian ) The opening was a Gruenfeld defence - the same opening Fischer had used when he was 16 years old and played the "Game of the Century" https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#6 The odd looking Ne2 as opposed to Nf3 was perhaps "Over-punished" by Fischer, trying to do something very specific in regards to this move: https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#23 Ne5 - using that e5 square: https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#24 An interesting decision to take out the knight on e5 giving up the dark square bishop: https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#27 Black's structure fractured: https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#32 A fantastic positional pawn sacrifice, denying black a delayed c5 blockade https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#39 Now White's bishop is quite active and liberated, and can take part in King attacks more easily Exciting tactical moment - has Petrosian fallen victim to a tactical "cheapo" - threats of Qxh2 and e2: https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#46 f4! Positionl exchange sacrifice: https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#47 Black's king safety and shelter are in ruins: https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#53 Key attacking move hitting both b7 and f7: https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#55 Brutally undermining the f6 pawn: https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#59 **Final position** https://lichess.org/study/JIEm0Eqe/NPPPKdU5#63 It doesn't matter that black has a check on d1 or a1 - the rook would return for a moment to f1 and then be ready to help checkmate the King after with Rf6 check as the variations show. *** **Key takeaway points** * Bobby Fischer's 20 game win streak came to an end with this dramatic game - Fischer sometimes seems to want to play "too accurately" to punish opponents - and perhaps underestimates the dynamic sacrifices that could be available to counter-punish the punishment * Be careful when not blockading a key square immediately. The c5 pawn sac perhaps caught Fischer by surprise * Even when an exchange down, if there is visible compensation, then sometimes accurate moves like Qb3 can help prove the visual evidence. Hope you enjoyed this blog :). Any likes and follows are really appreciated. Also, I also have some interesting chess courses at [https://kingscrusher.tv/chesscourses](https://kingscrusher.tv/chesscourses) to check out. Cheers, K