[Event "Fischer - Spassky World Championship Match"]
[Site "Reykjavik ISL"]
[Date "1972.07.27"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Robert James Fischer"]
[Black "Boris Spassky"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Jacob531"]
[ECO "A39"]
[Opening "English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Mecking Variation"]
[UTCDate "2017.07.27"]
[UTCTime "19:41:38"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. c4 $146 { BOOM!! Fischer always plays 1. e4, right? Not anymore, Spassky. I'm sure that Spassky was thrilled about all of his opening preparation going out the window because of this little novelty. [%csl Gd5] } 1... c5 { Reasonable. THis game is now officially the Symmetrical English. [%csl Gd4] } 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 { [%cal Gf1g2,Gg2a8] } 4... g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. O-O O-O { It is called the symmetrical English for a reason, but this is much more symmetrical than most Symmetrical English's. Spassky most likely understood that Fischer was more prepared for the opening, so he copied for the first six moves to stay equal. [%csl Rd4][%cal Gc6d4,Gc5d4,Bd1d4,Bf3d4] } 7. d4 cxd4 { [%csl Gd4][%cal Gc6d4] } 8. Nxd4 { [%csl Gd4][%cal Gc6d4] } 8... Nxd4 { [%csl Gd4] } 9. Qxd4 d6 { [%csl Gd5][%cal Gc4d5,Gc3d5,Gd4d5] } 10. Bg5 Be6 11. Qf4 $5 { Slightly unsound, but much sharper than the more popular Qh4. Qd3 is probably the best move, statistically and Stockficially. } 11... Qa5 { Ng4 and Rc8 are perhaps better. [%csl Rf4,Rc3][%cal Gf6h5,Bh5f4,Bg7c3,Ba5c3] } 12. Rac1 $7 { Protects the knight, which would be vulnerable after Nh5. Definitely the best move here. } 12... Rab8 { [%cal Gb8b1] } 13. b3 Rfc8 { [%cal Gb8b1,Gc8c1] } 14. Qd2 a6 { [%csl Gb5] } 15. Be3 $13 b5 $2 { Not sure which chessboard Spassky was looking at, but I don't think that it was this one. Biggest mistake thus far. Ng4 was better. Despite the error, Spassky is only down by a Stockfish score of +0.8. As @tpr pointed out, though, Spassky was trying to trade 1 or 2 points for a better position, and Spassky wasn't gone until 19. Nd7?? } 16. Ba7 $14 { Fischer jumped on the error. Trapped rook. [%csl Ga8,Gb8,Gb7,Gb6][%cal Gg2a8] } 16... bxc4 $6 { Pawn grabbing...maybe a little out of character for a defending world champ. But then again, Fischer's not easy to play, in the way that it's not easy to wrestle an elephant. } 17. Bxb8 Rxb8 18. bxc4 Bxc4 19. Rfd1 { Fischer does not let up. [%cal Gd1d8,Gc1c8] } 19... Nd7 $2 { Spassky begins to falter. Better was Qe5 or Kf8. The point is the e-pawn, queen, and light-squared bishop are all hanging for black, as you'll see in just a moment. [%csl Gc4,Ge7,Ga5] } ( 19... Qe5 ) 20. Nd5 { Three threats at once...wowza. He's using his trident to Fisch. [%cal Gc1c4,Gd2a5,Gd5e7] } 20... Qxd2 ( 20... Bxd5 ) 21. Nxe7+ $1 Kf8 { What? didn't he just lose his knight for a pawn? } 22. Rxd2 Kxe7 23. Rxc4 { Nope...he gained a pawn } 23... Rb1+ { Spassky was probably hoping that Fischer thought that the light bishop looked like a pawn. Good try, good try. } 24. Bf1 Nc5 25. Kg2 a5 26. e4 { How many times has Bobby Fischer played e4.....on the twenty-sixth move? [%csl Ge2][%cal Gf1c4] } 26... Ba1 27. f4 f6 28. Re2 { [%csl Ge4] } 28... Ke6 29. Rec2 Bb2 30. Be2 h5 $16 { Better was Ke7. [%csl Gg4][%cal Ge2f3] } 31. Rd2 Ba3 32. f5+ gxf5 33. exf5+ Ke5 ( 33... Kxf5 34. Rxc5+ Bxc5 35. Bd3+ Ke6 36. Re2+ Kd7 37. Bxb1 { Here's why taking the f5 pawn is not smart. } ) 34. Rcd4 Kxf5 35. Rd5+ Ke6 36. Rxd6+ Ke7 37. Rc6 { And he resigned - Spassky, not Fischer. What a game. Next up, Wesley So plays the English. } 1-0