Benko, Fischer and the Pirc

Many chess fans are familiar with Fischer's drubbing of Pal Benko's Pirc Defense in the 1963 US Championship, thanks especially the attractive (though not original) Rf6 idea.

But just a year before, the roles were reversed. In the first round of the 1962 Candidates Tournament, before the Soviet "fix" had a chance to do its damage, fellow American Benko crushed Fischer's Pirc in the same line (albeit via transposition) I examined in this week's ChessBase show. Here's the game, showing Benko at his smooth, positional best:

Benko,Pal C - Fischer,Robert James [B07]
Candidates Tournament Curacao (1), 02.05.1962

1.g3 Nf6 2.Bg2 g6 3.e4 d6 4.d4 Bg7 5.Ne2 0-0 6.0-0 e5 7.Nbc3 c6 8.a4 Nbd7 9.a5 exd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5 11.h3 Re8 12.Re1 Nfd7 13.Be3 Qc7 14.f4 Rb8 15.Qd2 b5 16.axb6 axb6 17.b4 Ne6 18.b5 Nxd4 19.Bxd4 Bxd4+ 20.Qxd4 c5 21.Qd2 Bb7 22.Rad1 Re6 23.e5 Bxg2 24.Kxg2 Qb7+ 25.Kf2 Rd8 26.exd6 Nf6 27.Rxe6 fxe6 28.Qe3 Kf7 29.Qf3 Qb8 30.Ne4 Nxe4+ 31.Qxe4 Rd7 32.Qc6 Qd8 33.Kf3 Kg7 34.g4 e5 35.fxe5 Rf7+ 36.Kg2 Qh4 37.Rf1 Rxf1 38.Kxf1 Qxh3+ 39.Qg2 Qe3 40.Qe2 Qh3+ 1-0