Chess - The Game of the Century by Bobby Fischer

 

Game of the Century 
Final Position
Byrne vs Fischer (0-1#; 1956)

Learn and be a better chess player! Chess is a game that has been played for centuries. It is a game that has been played by nobles, politicians, inventors, artists and the common people. Throughout those years, chess has never lost is appeal. It has that unexplainable allure tha captivated people from all walks of life. The challenge the game of chess brings is something that players and chess enthusiasts cannot forget. The moment you played a game of chess, you immediately become a fan.

Despite the advent of the internet, chess remained very popular. It was once thought that the emergence of the internet and now “artificial intelligence (AI)” will make the game of chess obsolete. However, the internet has made chess more popular. With the internet, you can play chess anytime and against any opponent around the world. There is no more barrier in playing chess. Before the internet, your opponent is limited to you friends, relatives or anyone you can physically meet. Now, the internet has made chess accessible to everyone. 

Computers and the internet have altered the way we play chess.  “Online” is now the new way to play chess. Face to face chess is very limiting. During the pandemic, most chess players were constrained to play online. To avoid the spread of the COVID -19 virus, face to face tournaments were put to a halt. Chess tournaments were held online and rules were established to ensure the integrity of the tournament. At first, online tournaments were not fully accepted. After a few months and several online tournaments, online chess were accepted as “the new normal”.

However, despite the popularity of the internet and online chess tournaments,  there are chess games that will never be forgotten such as the “Evergreen Game”, “A Night at the Opera”, “The Immortal Game” and “The Game of the Century” among others. These games are considered to be the best chess games ever played. These games were played by grandmasters considered to be the “greatest” during their time. These chess games have provided inspiration for future chess players. The strategy and tactics employed by the players in these games are worth the analysus and review.

One example is the chess game known as “The Game of the Century”. This is the game played by Bobby Fischer against International Master Donald Byrne in October 17, 1956. Fischer was 13 years old at that time. This game was played in New York City at the Marshall Chess Club during the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament.  In this game, Fischer sacrificed the most valuable piece in chess - the Queen - for a continuous attack leading to a checkmate. Fischer used the King’s Indian Defense and demonstrated how to exploit the weakness of the centralized pawns. 

If you employ the King’s Indian Defense (KID) against the “d4” opening, the Game of the Century is a perfect example of how to effectively use the said defense. The KID is an opening that is a favorite by several attacking players including Bobby Fischer. In the KID, Black allows White to control the center by an apparent impenetrable pawn structure. Black will challenge this pawn formation by forcing weaknesses on different parts of the pawn structure. The Game of the Century played by Fischer is a very instructive game on how to attack the center. The way Fischer sacrificed his pieces to attain the objective of destroying pawn structure revealed the weaknesses in White’s attack. 

The Game of the Century and other famous games have chess popular and exciting. Chess is a game where the creative mind is challenged and tested. The mind is forced to comprehend the situation on the chessboard and evaluate the existing position. In the Game of the Century, Fischer showed that the relative value of pieces is less important compared to attaining dynamic mobility. After Fischer sacrificed the Queen, the Bishops and other minor pieces became a coherent fighting machine. The continuous checks and threats to the White’s King have become relentless ending in a checkmate.

The internet and other advances in technology may have changed the way chess is played. Artificial intelligence is now considered superior to the human mind. However, human creativity can never be surpassed by any artificial intelligence. The emotion and excitement when playing a particular move win a chess game cannot be replaced by a computer. When Fischer sacrificed the Queen in 1956 for what is now known as the Game of the Century, it revealed an extraordinary talent  of the man that would later become a World Chess Champion.