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Fischer Game - Rook exchange for Knight

Fischer Game - Rook exchange for Knight

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White (Fischer) to Move

I don't understand why did Fischer play Rxe6 and the opponent refused to take Rook by fxe6. Is there something too trivial here? Please help me understand.

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Originally posted by stunningavni
[fen]1r1q2k1/4bp1p/2R1n1p1/4p1P1/B1p1P1Q1/2P1B1P1/5PK1/8[/fen]

White (Fischer) to Move

I don't understand why did Fischer play Rxe6 and the opponent refused to take Rook by fxe6. Is there something too trivial here? Please help me understand.
It seems that once the exchange starts, black has to keep following through and will lose that pawn e5. Once that happens the black bishop controls the diagonal behind the powerful Queen and Black is all in defense mode.

If you can, could you post the pgn from the real game? I'd like to see where it goes really goes.



What is black to do? Black bishop on d4 will be strong

P-

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1. Rxe6 fxe6 2. Qxe6+ seems promising...

2 edits
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It would help to know what black did play.

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After 1 ... fxe6 2 Qxe6+ if the king goes to h8, 3Qxe5+ followed by Bd4 and wins
if the king goes to f8, Qxe5 and now black doesnt have a good way to meet the threat of 3 Qh8+ Kf7 4 Qxh7+ Ke6 5 Qxg6+ Ke5 Bf4 mate.

I originally thought he might be able to stop it by throwing in 1 ... Qc8, but white could just break the pin on the rook with 2 Bd7 because if the queen takes the bishop Rxg6 wins the queen.

This is just from looking at it though, so don't take my work for it.

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Thank you for the reply and analysis. Actually Black did try Qc8 and resigned after White's Bd7!

I would not have seen this move by myself, had I been playing it for the first time.

Here's the game:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5
7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2
Bd7 13. Nf1 Rfe8 14. Ne3 g6 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Nh2 Rad8 17. Qf3
Be6 18. Nhg4 Nxg4 19. hxg4 Qc6 20. g5 Nc4 21. Ng4 Bxg4
22. Qxg4 Nb6 23. g3 c4 24. Kg2 Nd7 25. Rh1 Nf8 26. b4 Qe6
27. Qe2 a5 28. bxa5 Qa6 29. Be3 Qxa5 30. a4 Ra8 31. axb5 Qxb5
32. Rhb1 Qc6 33. Rb6 Qc7 34. Rba6 Rxa6 35. Rxa6 Rc8 36. Qg4
Ne6 37. Ba4 Rb8 38. Rc6 Qd8 39. Rxe6 Qc8 40. Bd7 1-0

[Edit] Came to know that this was #6 on Fischer's 60 most memorable games list...

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This is Fischer-Shocron, Mar Del Plata 1959. Black has just played 38…Qc7-d8. He should have played 38…Qc7-d7 and Fischer said it wasn’t clear how White could improve his position.

After 39…fxe6
Black actually played 39…Qc8! 40.Bd7 Resigns because 40…Qxd7 41.Rxg6 wins the Q
40.Qxe6+ Kf8
41.Qxe5
Fischer says is crushing. The threat is Qh8+ If 41…Kf7 42.Bd4

Good analysis by everybody.