Drag a piece or tap its starting and destination squares.
BEFORE THE MOVE
Can you improve your pieces’ activity before moving the queen away?
Fischer has Black against Donald Byrne. His queen is threatened by the bishop on c5. You arrive at move 17 in the game that would make the teenager famous.
WHAT HAPPENED
17…Be6 develops the bishop and allows the queen to be captured. After 18. Bxb6, Fischer gains time with …Bxc4+ and his knight’s jumps. The decision’s value lies in the coordination and captures that follow, beyond the material of the first move.
Attack / checkProtectionPlan
Video and complete game ↗Another historic decision →Keyboard: arrow keys between squares; Enter to select.
FOR THE TEACHER
The lesson, step by step.
01Meet the story5 min
Introduce thirteen-year-old Fischer and the 1956 New York tournament.
02Read the board7 min
Locate the threatened queen. Each team chooses between moving it away and developing another piece, then argues its decision.
03Find your move10 min
Reveal …Be6. Follow the captures and checks; list the black pieces taking part.
04Explain the idea8 min
Compare your first opinion with what you have seen. Each team explains what Fischer had to calculate.
Before you start
Check, captures, approximate piece values and basic notation.
A projector or chessboard, paper and pencils. One worksheet per pair.
Compare material and activity; justify a decision with a continuation.
To close the lesson
If your queen is attacked, must you always move it?
If there is time
Explore the complete game and record when each black piece becomes involved again.
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