Pafnutieff vs. Bisguier

     Arthur Bisguier needs no introduction but his opponent in this game is largely unknown. Vladimir Pafnutieff (born September 04, 1912 in California - died on May 12, 1999 at the age of 86) was a California master known for his sharp attacking play and his good eye for a combination that gained him the scalps of a number of GM’s. He authored one book, How to Create Combinations, published in the 1990’s. His mother was said to be a concert pianist, but I could find nothing on her. Pafnutieff himself was supposedly a gifted singer. Unfortunately, there seems to be little information on Pafnutieff the chess player either.

Pafnutieff in 1974

 

  The following game where he defeated Bisguier features enormous complications. I used Houdini 2 while playing through it and even Houdini was having some difficulties in determining the best move and the evaluations kept fluctuating. Some of the lines will amaze you!