Before databases and the internet this was only real way to keep up with the
games latest theoretical wrinkles and what openings the top players were using.
Five of Fischer’s Informators are in the American Hall of Fame.
Here is a picture of Fischer working with an Informator.
One feature they started with Vol 4 was voting on the best game in the issue.
The first to win this honour was Fischer v Stein at the Sousse 1967 Interzonal.
Which is pretty funny because officially this game does not exist.
Fischer walked out of the tournament before finishing at least half
of games so all his previous results were annulled and did not count.
I’d thought I’d select my best game from Volume One...a game that does exist!
H. Hecht - R. Keene, Switzerland, 1966
This is an inspired classic by the player of the White pieces.
The final combinations revolve around this mating pattern
1. e4 c6 {I recently read Ray Keene saying he had lost only two games as Black with the Caro Khan. This one and one in a University match.} 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Bc4 Ngf6 6. Ng5 e6 7. Qe2 {Now timid moves like 7..Be7 and 7...h6 which have both been played on RHP get thumped with 8.Nxf7 and Qxe6+} 7... Nb6 8. Bd3 h6 9. N5f3 c5 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. Ne5 O-O 12. Ngf3 Nbd5 13. a3 {So far all 1966 theory. This move stops Nb4 from hunting down the d3 Bishop. 13 c3 is also playable.} 13... a5 14. O-O b6 15. c4 Ne7 16. Rd1 {Spot the trap. Bh7+ winning the Black Queen.} 16... Qe8 {The other choice was 16...Qc7 but then 17.Bf4 with Ng6 threats on the board.} 17. Bd2 a4 18. Bc3 Nf5 19. g4 {The burning of the bridges. There is no going back after this one. Game On.} 19... Nd6 20. g5 hxg5 21. Nxg5 Bb7 22. Bc2 g6 {This natural looking defensive move opening the a1-h8 diagonal and weakening f6 has (in hindsight) been deemed an error with 22,,,Nf5 being cited as a better move. Now the fun begins.} 23. Nd7 {If 23...Nxd7 24.Qh5 and the mating pattern shown at the start of this game is popping up.} 23... Qxd7 24. Bxf6 Qc6 {This is the defensive resource Black was counting on. Mate on h1 or g2 is threatened.} 25. Rd5 {And this is the attacking/defending shot White saw when setting up this attack.} 25... exd5 {A defence was to had with 25...Ne8 but Black has another defensive idea he is relying on.} 26. Qh5 {26...gxh5 27. Bh7 mate is the mating pattern I told you to look out for.} 26... Bxf2+ {Not desperation, part of the plan. The Bishop has to be taken.} 27. Kxf2 Ne4+ {This check stops the c2 Bishop from going to h7 to deliver the mate.} 28. Nxe4 gxh5 {Black has taken the Queen with no Bh7 mate.} 29. Rg1+ {OOPS! where did that Rook come from.} 29... Kh7 30. Nc5+ {The checkmate is not coming with Bh7 but....} 30... Kh6 31. Bg7 {...Bg7.}
A good game and as 99% of you will not have a copy of Informator Vol 1,
you cannot argue with my choice for this being the best game in that issue.
Of course Informator should have a ‘Blunder of the Book’ much like we do
here with our ‘RHP Hall of Doom’. but I fear some blunders may not make
it into the publication. A lot depends on who is playing, who is blundering.
R. Keene - M. Botvinnik, Hastings (round 3), 1966
This game did not make Informator (it should have been in Vol.2)
FEN
2r2rk1/1p4bp/1q1p4/p2Pp3/Pn2p3/1PB3P1/3Q1P1P/1RN1R1K1 w - - 0 26
[FEN "2r2rk1/1p4bp/1q1p4/p2Pp3/Pn2p3/1PB3P1/3Q1P1P/1RN1R1K1 w - - 0 26"] 26. Bxb4 Bh6 {Botvinnik played 30.Ba3 in a famous win over Capablanca in 1938, Here he plays a mirror of Ba3 from the Black side.} 27. Qxh6 Qxf2+ 28. Kh1 Qf3+ 29. Kg1 Qf2+ {Botvinnik has a perpetual but declines it.} 30. Kh1 Rc2 31. Qh3 Qf3+ 32. Kg1 axb4 33. Ne2 {The ex World Champion can just take on e2 with the Rook but first tries....} 33... Qe3+ 34. Kh1 Rxe2 {And now takes it.} 35. Qg4+ {OOPS! Botvinnik has just dropped a whole Rook, he slapped his forehead (he really did) and resigned.}
So without further ado a section to give us patzers hope as we visit...
We start with a bad blunder. Black resigned the moment they played it.
I. Ney - K. Langeweg, Beverwijk 1966
FEN
1rrb2k1/5ppp/3Pp3/8/p7/Bp2N1P1/5P1P/1R1R2K1 w - - 0 29
[FEN "1rrb2k1/5ppp/3Pp3/8/p7/Bp2N1P1/5P1P/1R1R2K1 w - - 0 29"] 29. Rd4 Ra8 30. Kf1 {Black now thinks it is a good idea to get the King to d7 to block the passed d-pawn.} 30... f6 {This has to be played to open a route to d7 as going to f8 drops the c8 Rook to the discovered check d7. } 31. Ke2 Kf7 32. Kd3 Ke8 {The next move was to be Kd7. Unfortunately a pawn gets there first.} 33. d7+ {Black actually resigned before this was played.}
C. Partos - M. Matulovic, Bucuresti 1966
If we must watch out for our unprotected pieces, then so do the good guys.
FEN
5rk1/2n5/3p2p1/1p1P3p/1PpqP3/2n2BPK/4Q2P/1R1N4 w - - 0 41
[FEN "5rk1/2n5/3p2p1/1p1P3p/1PpqP3/2n2BPK/4Q2P/1R1N4 w - - 0 41"] 41. Nxc3 Qxc3 42. Kg2 {OOPS! Rf1 was better. The b1 Rook is unprotected.} 42... Rxf3 43. Qxf3 Qc2+ {And the unprotected Rook falls off the board.} 44. Kh3 Qxb1 45. e5 Ne8
V. Antoshin - L. Schmid, Venezia 1966
Black makes an exchange dropping blunder.
FEN
2rb2k1/5p1p/1p1pr1p1/8/R1pP4/2P1N3/1P3PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 28
[FEN "2rb2k1/5p1p/1p1pr1p1/8/R1pP4/2P1N3/1P3PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 28"] 28. Rxc4 Ra8 29. d5 {Now Re5, Re7, or Re8. One move I have not mentioned is....} 29... Rf6 30. Ng4 {And there goes the exchange. Black resigned. If....} 30... Rf5 {...then.} 31. Nh6+
The Romantics from the 1850 and 1860’s showed us how Black must always
watch the tender square f7 .They also left us hundreds of examples of what can
happens if Black carelessly grabs the QNP. Put these two together and we have:
D. Janosevic - K. Honfi, Sarajevo 1966
A well known pattern, years ago I fell for a shot like this in a league game.
FEN
5rk1/2p2ppp/p4qn1/2Q5/1pP5/1B5P/PP3PP1/3R2K1 w - - 0 23
[FEN "5rk1/2p2ppp/p4qn1/2Q5/1pP5/1B5P/PP3PP1/3R2K1 w - - 0 23"] 23. Qxc7 Nf4 24. c5 {It is this move opening up the hit on f7 that does the damage.} 24... Ne2+ 25. Kf1 {How about Nd5 going for that b3 Bishop.} 25... Qxb2 {OOPS!} 26. Qxf7+ {Yes it works. Black resigned.} 26... Rxf7 27. Rd8 {That is checkmate.} 1-0
I have saved the best till last. This really is alert play.
D. Minic - K. Honfi, Vrnjacka Banja 1966
We expect to be back rank mated every game but not the good guys.
When it does happen to one of them, it happens with a piece of class.
FEN
r2r2k1/2q2ppp/4b3/pp1pP3/2p2N2/1PP1Q3/1P1R1PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 21
[FEN "r2r2k1/2q2ppp/4b3/pp1pP3/2p2N2/1PP1Q3/1P1R1PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 21"] 21. Nxd5 Bxd5 22. Rxd5 {Black should swap on d5 and then play cxb3.} 22... cxb3 {Now comes a finish reminiscent of another famous Capablanca game.} 23. Qa7 {White wins the Queen or is back rank mated. Brilliant.}
Apart from my copy of Informator One The rest of pictures used came from:
