Candidates Knockout Games
Bobby Fischer's 1971 Candidates run — 6–0 against Taimanov, 6–0 against Larsen, 6½–2½ against Petrosian — is remembered primarily for its scorelines. The results were so overwhelming that the individual games have sometimes been overshadowed by the sheer statistical improbability of the achievement. But within those twenty matches lie some of Fischer's finest chess — games annotated with characteristic precision in My 60 Memorable Games and later analyzed by Kasparov — that reveal exactly how he dismantled three of the world's strongest players.
Fischer vs. Taimanov, Game 1, Vancouver 1971 — Setting the Tone
Bobby Fischer vs. Mark Taimanov Candidates Quarterfinal, Game 1, Vancouver, 1971 Result: 1–0
The first game of the Candidates run established the pattern that would define all three matches: Fischer built a small positional advantage from the opening, nursed it through a complex middlegame, and converted it in the endgame with merciless technique.
Taimanov, a versatile grandmaster known for his cultured play, found himself in a slightly uncomfortable position after the opening and was never able to equalize. Fischer's handling of the resulting middlegame was a masterclass in the accumulation of small advantages — each move slightly improving his position while restricting Taimanov's options, until the advantage became decisive.
The game was a psychological statement as much as a chess one. By winning the opening game cleanly and convincingly, Fischer put Taimanov on the defensive for the remainder of the match — a position from which the Soviet grandmaster never recovered.
Fischer vs. Taimanov, Game 4, Vancouver 1971 — The Sicilian Lesson
Bobby Fischer vs. Mark Taimanov Candidates Quarterfinal, Game 4, Vancouver, 1971 Result: 1–0
With the match already at 3–0, Fischer produced one of his cleanest tactical victories of the entire Candidates run. Playing against Taimanov's Sicilian Defense, Fischer demonstrated the kind of deep opening preparation that made him so feared — springing a novelty that left Taimanov in a position he had clearly not studied.
The resulting middlegame was a demonstration of total control. Fischer's pieces occupied ideal squares, his pawn structure supported his plans perfectly, and Taimanov's attempts at counterplay were refuted with precise calculation. The game ended with a tactical flourish that seemed almost effortless — the hallmark of a player operating at the peak of his powers.
Larsen vs. Fischer, Game 1, Denver 1971 — The Counterattack
Bent Larsen vs. Bobby Fischer Candidates Semifinal, Game 1, Denver, 1971 Result: 0–1
The semifinal against Larsen was supposed to be Fischer's toughest test before the final. Larsen was the strongest non-Soviet player in the world (apart from Fischer himself), an experienced match player, and the only competitor at the Palma de Mallorca Interzonal who had beaten Fischer.
Fischer responded by winning the first game with Black — always a devastating blow in match play, since it shifts the psychological burden entirely onto the opponent. Larsen, playing White, had the theoretical advantage of the first move and the choice of opening, but Fischer's preparation was deeper, his middlegame understanding sharper, and his nerves steadier.
The game demonstrated Fischer's counterattacking genius. Rather than trying to equalize passively with the Black pieces, Fischer played for dynamic imbalances, created complications, and then outplayed Larsen in the resulting tactical battle. It was a warning shot that went unanswered — Larsen never won a game in the match.
Fischer vs. Larsen, Game 2, Denver 1971 — The Grip
Bobby Fischer vs. Bent Larsen Candidates Semifinal, Game 2, Denver, 1971 Result: 1–0
Leading 1–0 after his first-game win with Black, Fischer pressed home his advantage with a White victory in Game 2 that demonstrated the suffocating positional control that was the other side of his attacking brilliance.
Fischer chose an opening system designed to limit Larsen's counterplay and then methodically improved his position while his opponent struggled for active ideas. The game was a slow-motion demolition — not a flashy tactical win but a relentless positional squeeze that left Larsen with no good moves and no prospects.
By the time Larsen resigned, the match was effectively over at 2–0. The remaining four games were a formality.
Fischer vs. Petrosian, Game 1, Buenos Aires 1971 — The Twentieth Win
Bobby Fischer vs. Tigran Petrosian Candidates Final, Game 1, Buenos Aires, 1971 Result: 1–0
The first game of the Candidates Final carried enormous historical weight: it was Fischer's twentieth consecutive victory against elite competition, extending a winning streak that had begun at the end of the Palma de Mallorca Interzonal. No player had ever won twenty consecutive games at this level.
Petrosian — the former World Champion, legendary for his prophylactic genius and his ability to neutralize attacking players — was supposed to be the one who stopped the streak. Instead, Fischer won the opening game with a performance that combined deep preparation with precise execution, reaching a favorable endgame and converting it with the kind of surgical technique that left Petrosian no defensive resources.
The streak ended in Game 2, when Petrosian fought back to win — an event that was treated as front-page news in the chess world. But the psychological damage was done. Fischer had demonstrated that even Petrosian's legendary defensive fortress could be breached.
Fischer vs. Petrosian, Game 6, Buenos Aires 1971 — The Closing Statement
Bobby Fischer vs. Tigran Petrosian Candidates Final, Game 6, Buenos Aires, 1971 Result: 1–0
With the match at 4½–1½ and needing just a draw to clinch the Candidates, Fischer characteristically played for a win — and got one. Game 6 was a fitting conclusion to the most dominant Candidates run in history: a well-prepared opening, a precisely played middlegame, and a conversion that gave Petrosian no chances.
The game demonstrated the completeness of Fischer's superiority. Petrosian was not beaten by tricks or luck — he was outplayed in every phase by a competitor who was simply operating at a higher level. Fischer's preparation was deeper, his calculation more accurate, his endgame technique more precise, and his fighting spirit more relentless.
The final score — 6½–2½ — confirmed what the chess world had already come to accept: Fischer was the strongest player alive, and the road to Reykjavík was open.
For the full narrative of the 1971 Candidates run, see Candidates Matches →. For analysis of the games that followed in Reykjavík, see The 1972 World Championship →.