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Famous Fischer game · 1967

Bobby Fischer – Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren, Sousse Interzonal 1967

Fischer’s King’s Indian Attack against the French: the h-pawn’s advance and a queen sacrifice on h7 decide the game, played before his Sousse campaign collapsed.

White
Bobby Fischer
Black
Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren
Result
1–0
Date
Event
Sousse Interzonal 1967
Place
Sousse, Tunisia
Round
3
Opening
French Defence, King’s Indian Attack (ECO C00) (C00)
Moves
31

Position after 11.h4

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.
  6. 6.
  7. 7.
  8. 8.
  9. 9.
  10. 10.
  11. 11.
  12. 12.
  13. 13.
  14. 14.
  15. 15.
  16. 16.
  17. 17.
  18. 18.
  19. 19.
  20. 20.
  21. 21.
  22. 22.
  23. 23.
  24. 24.
  25. 25.
  26. 26.
  27. 27.
  28. 28.
  29. 29.
  30. 30.
  31. 31.

Background

The 1967 Interzonal in Sousse, Tunisia, held from 15 October to 16 November, was Fischer’s next attempt at the world championship after the 1962 Candidates tournament. In round three he had White against Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren of Mongolia, the 1965 national champion and an international master since 1966. Fischer started strongly: after eight rounds he led the field without a loss, and from the ten games he actually played he scored seven wins and three draws.[1][2]

Against the French Defence Fischer used the King’s Indian Attack, a set-up he employed mainly earlier in his career: he fianchettoed his king’s bishop, fixed the centre with 8.e5 and began to push his h-pawn with 11.h4. Black’s counterplay on the queenside advanced quickly, and by move 29 a black pawn stood on c2. Fischer’s attack arrived first: after 30.Qh6 he threatened mate on g7, and 31.Qxh7+ ended the game.[3]

The tournament ended badly for Fischer. Disputes over the playing schedule, linked to the rest days his church required, led him to leave Sousse, return and leave again; after a third forfeited game he was excluded, and Bent Larsen won the event. Fischer’s next Interzonal came three years later, in Palma de Mallorca in 1970, where Pal Benko gave up his own place to him.[1][4]

Key moments

  1. With the centre fixed by the pawn on e5, Fischer starts his kingside play with the h-pawn, while Black has already begun his queenside advance with 9…b5 and 10…b4.[3]

  2. The queen arrives on h6 and threatens 31.Qg7 mate, because the bishop on f6 protects g7. 30…Qf8 parries this threat, but not the next move.[3]

    Engine check: The DeepSquare engine (depth 22) also chooses 30.Qh6 here; evaluation afterwards: mate in 6 for White.

  3. Myagmarsuren resigned. After 31…Kxh7 32.hxg6+, a double check by pawn and rook, 32…Kxg6 is met by 33.Be4 mate and 32…Kg8 by 33.Rh8 mate.[3]

    Engine check: The DeepSquare engine (depth 22) also chooses 31.Qxh7+ here; evaluation afterwards: mate in 2 for White.

PGN

[Event "Sousse Interzonal 1967"]
[Site "Sousse, Tunisia"]
[Date "1967.10.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Fischer, Robert James"]
[Black "Myagmarsuren, Lhamsuren"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C00"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[Source "Chess Database by Ana L. Schaigorodsky, DOI 10.6084/m9.figshare.4276523, CC BY 4.0"]

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. g3 c5 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. Ngf3 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. e5
Nd7 9. Re1 b5 10. Nf1 b4 11. h4 a5 12. Bf4 a4 13. a3 bxa3 14. bxa3 Na5 15. Ne3
Ba6 16. Bh3 d4 17. Nf1 Nb6 18. Ng5 Nd5 19. Bd2 Bxg5 20. Bxg5 Qd7 21. Qh5 Rfc8
22. Nd2 Nc3 23. Bf6 Qe8 24. Ne4 g6 25. Qg5 Nxe4 26. Rxe4 c4 27. h5 cxd3 28. Rh4
Ra7 29. Bg2 dxc2 30. Qh6 Qf8 31. Qxh7+ 1-0

Download PGNOpen in the game archive →

Sources

  1. Fischer setzt sich selber matt: Sousse 1967 · André Schulz / ChessBase · 2017-10-25
  2. Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-25
  3. King's Indian Attack (includes the Fischer–Myagmarsuren score) · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-25
  4. Pal Benko 1928-2019 (quotes Wayne D. Komer, CHESS, April 1964, p. 223) · Edward Winter / Chess Notes · undated feature article; accessed 2026-09-25

Game data: Chess Database by Ana L. Schaigorodsky, DOI 10.6084/m9.figshare.4276523, licensed under CC BY 4.0; selected and converted to PGN for BobbyChess.