Six Surprising Chess Facts About Bobby Fischer (part four)

1. He had a 50% score against Damiano's Defence
2. He played the Morra Gambit
3. Opponents were more likely to meet Fischer's 1.e4 with 1...e5 than with 1...c5
4. He had a better record as White in double e-pawn openings with the King's Gambit than with 2.Nf3
Fischer reached 1.e4 e5 as White 192 times, according to ChessBase's 2019 Mega database.
In 159 of those games he played 2.Nf3, scoring 78%. He also dabbled with 2.Nc3 and 2.Bc4, but his second-most played move was 2.f4, which occurred 18 times, scoring 81%.
Most of those games were in simuls, but they included a win during the 1963-64 US championship - the one where he scored +11=0-0.
Fischer - Larry Evans
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4!?
Two years earlier Fischer had written his famous Bust To The King's Gambit in which he claimed the opening "loses by force." However the article, for American Chess Quarterly, neglected to cover 3.Bc4!?
3...Qh4+
This obvious check, displacing the white king, is sometimes dismissed with the implication that it is a patzers' move as White later gains time attacking the black queen. However, 'patzers' who have played it include Kasparov and Karjakin.
4.Kf1 d6
Part of a plan to quickly blunt White's light-square bishop.
5.Nc3 Be6 6.Qe2 c6 7.Nf3
A natural move, but it was not played in six subsequent games in Mega19 that reached the position after 6...c6. Instead, 7.d4 was played five times and 7.Nd5??, which loses to 7...Bg4, once.
7...Qe7 8.d4 Bxc4 9.Qxc4 g5 10.e5 d5 11.Qd3
Black remains a pawn up and has, at least partially, closed the position, which helps negate White's lead in development. Stockfish10 and Komodo10 prefer Black, but there is a lot of play left.
11...Na6 12.Ne2 Nb4 13.Qd1 0-0-0 14.c3 Na6 15.h4 g4 16.Nh2 h5 17.Nxf4 Qxh4?
Contrary to first impressions, Black is not really regaining his pawn advantage as he will in turn lose his h pawn. It was therefore better to keep the kingside closed.
18.Kg1 Nh6 19.Nf1 Qe7 20.Nxh5

Material is now level, but Black's kingside is uncoordinated

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
20...Rg8
Stockfish10 suggests giving up a pawn with 20...Nf5!? 21.Qxg4, although it reckons White has a winning advantage.
21.Nfg3 Rg6 22.Nf4 Rg5 23.Be3 Nc7?!
The engines save Black's h6 knight with 23...f6 24.Qd2 Rg8 25.Nd3 Nf7, but White invades with 26.Rh7.
24.Qd2 Rg8 25.Nfe2 f6 26.exf6 Qxf6 27.Bxh6 (1-0, 36 moves)