The city was a strategically important hub during World War II and at the same time it developed into a chess stronghold.
In the severe winter 1941/42, the city was overflowing with refugees. Many apartments could not not be heated, the supply situation was difficult and the even the possession of a food card was no guarantee of survival.
By order of the local military administration Sverdlovsk's chess club, like many other cultural institutions, had to close at the beginning of the war. The chess masters who had been evacuated to Sverdlovsk met in apartments: players such as the Ukrainian champion Isaac Boleslavsky, Leningrad champion Alexi Sokolski, the Baltic top players Vladimir Petrov and Vladas Mikenas, rising star Vyacheslav Ragosin and strong masters like J. Poltoranow, G. Bastrikow and J. Poliak.
In October 1941, the Moscow Central Institute of Physical Culture had been evacuated to Sverdlovsk with all its students, lecturers and church leaders. Among them Yakov Rochlin, who in 1940 had defended his doctoral thesis on the theory and practice of chess art and Y. Najdin, chairman of the city sports committee, contacted the military commander to bring about a revival of the Sverdlovsk chess club. Initially only chess events in army units and hospitals were approved.
The early in 1942, the idea for a strong tournament was put forth and a committee made up of representatives of the Communist Party, unions and other prominent people including the world-famous violinist and chess player David Oistrakh was charged with putting together the event. The result was a tournament that would include both local masters and evacuees.
A long search for a suitable venue was rewarded when the director of the Tatar Cultural House provided the premises, made up posters and set up a book stand and a buffet in the foyer...real luxuries at the time. The city parliament provided the accommodation and needs of participants
The following game is a good example of what Fine was talking about. In Fine's words, "It is hard to how see how more aggressive and exciting chess could be played; perhaps the placid conclusion is due to the exhaustion of both masters after the staggering wallops of the middlegame."
Vladas Mikenas - Alexey Sokolsky
Result: 1/2-1/2
Site: Sverdlovsk
Date: 1942
Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation
[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 ♗b4 4.♕c2 This old move remains, along with the Rubinstein Variation (4.e3) , one of the best and most populst replies to the Nimzo. 4...d6 This is considered too passive because it gives white too much leeway. More promising is 4...O-O or even 4... d5 or 4...c5. 5.♘f3 Fine liked 5.e4 which compels black to lose time by playing 5...Bxc3+ (without white having played a2-a3). These days 5.e4 is almost never played. 5...♘bd7 Even in 1942 this was considered an old.fashioned system. Black fianchettoes his B in order to control e4. The trouble is that with this P-structure as soon as black's N lands on e4 it can driven off. 6.g3 b6 7.♗g2 ♗b7 8.O-O ♗xc3 Fine adds that this is another disadvantage of this line...black is forced to play this at a loss of time. 9.♕xc3 O-O 10.b3 ♕e7 Black aims to play ...e5.
22...♗xe4 Not 22...fxe4 because then he couldn't open the e-file. 23.bxc5 In annotating tjis game in Chess Review Fine gave this blooper a ! when in fact, it's a losing move. 23...♗xg2 24.cxd6
32.♗xb2 ♘xd5 33.♖xd5 ♖xc4 34.d7 ♖d8 White can claim equality owing to black's immobilized R. 35.♖xf5 ♖c2 Precisely played. It's not easy for black to maintain the balance despite his theoretical material plus. 36.♖xf3 ♖xb2 37.♘d3 (37.♖e3 would be a losing blunder... 37...♖xf2 38.♖e8+ ♖f8) 37...♖e2 38.♘c5 ♔g8 39.♖d3 ♖e7 40.♔g2 ♔f7 This is a draw because white can do nothing against black's extra exchange and black is helpless against the P on d7. 41.h4 ♔f6 42.♔f3 ♖f7 43.♔f4 ♔e7+ 44.♔e3 ♖f6 45.♖a3 a6 46.♖d3 ♖c6 47.♖d5 ♖g6 An enjoyable draw.
10...♘e4 is poor. 11.♕c2 And the N has to retreat. 11...♘df6 12.♘g5 d5 13.♘xe4 ♘xe4 14.c5 bxc5 15.f3 ♘d6 16.♕xc5 is good for white.
11.♗a3 Here the B is more effectively placed than at b2.
11.♗b2 a5 12.♕c2 ♗e4 13.♕d2 ♖ad8 14.♖ac1 ♖fe8 15.♖fe1 h6 16.♕c3 is equal. Lenic,L (2622)-Kovalenko,I (2651)/Baku 2016
11...♘e4 Black has carried out his plan to get a N on e4, but white now regroups and drives it away. 12.♕c2 f5 13.♖fd1 ♖ae8 14.♘e5 ♘df6 15.♘d3 The threat is to cripple black's P-structure with c4-c5. 15...c5 This prevents white's break but at the same time it presents new targets for white. 16.f3 The N was not allowed to remain of e4 for very long and now it has no really decent retreat square. 16...♘g5 17.dxc5 bxc5 18.♕d2 White's plan is to use his two Bs and open up the Q-side with ...b3-b4, but before doing anything he wants to avoid simplification.
18.b4 This is not so good at once. After 18...cxb4 19.♗xb4 ♖c8 and white has little to show for efforts.
18...♘f7 19.♕a5 The plan is to concentrate his pieces on the Q-side then when he breaks with b3-b4 it will create a lot of threats. In typical style of the Russian players, Solkolsky doesn't play a passive defense. Instead he opts for vigorous play on the K-side. 19...♖c8 20.♖ab1 (20.♕xa7 ♖a8 21.♕b6 ♖xa3) 20...e5 21.b4 e4 21... cxb4 was perfectly playable, but the idea of falling in with white's plans to open the Q-side was simply unacceptable. 22.fxe4 After this black has the advantage. White's fear was that if he didn't play this his own exposed K would be more dangerous than his play on the Q-side. The far more complicated 22.Nf2 was correct.'
22.♘f2 cxb4 Best. No matter how white recaptures black gets good play.
22...♘e5 (Fine) 23.bxc5 dxc5 24.♕xa7 ♖c7 25.♗xc5 ♕xc5 26.♕xc5 ♖xc5 27.♖xb7 ♖xc4 is to white's advantage.
23.♕xb4 ♗a8 24.♕b5 ♕e6 25.c5 dxc5 26.♗xc5 ♖fd8 is equal. 24.♔xg2 seems attractive but will lead to severe problems 24...♕xe2+ 25.♘f2 ♘g4 26.♕d2 ♘e3+ 27.♔g1 ♕f3 28.♘h3 ♘e5 with an overwhelming attack.
24...♕e3+ Although things get extremely complicated, 24..Qe2+ packed an even greater punch. But, for practical purposes the text is much safer. 25.♔xg2 ♕xe2+
25...♘g4 leaves white no satisfactory reply. 26.♕d2 ♕e4+ 27.♔g1 ♘e3 28.♘e1 ♖xc4
26.♔g1 ♘g5 This is the only good move.
26...♘g4 is met by 27.♕d2 putting an end to all black's threats and leaving white with a won ending. For example 27...♕xd2 28.♖xd2 ♖xc4 29.d7 ♖d8 30.♗e7 ♖xd7 31.♖b8+ ♘d8 32.♖xd8+ ♖xd8 33.♗xd8
27.♘f2 The only good way to defend against ...Nf3+ and ...Nh3+ 27...♘g4 This move allows Mikenas a vigorous defense that enables him to equalize at once.
27...♖xc4 keeps the advantage. After 28.♖b2 ♕f3 29.♖bd2 ♕c6 30.d7 ♘f3+ 31.♔f1 ♘xh2+ 32.♔g1 ♘f3+ 33.♔f1 ♘xd2+ 34.♖xd2 ♘xd7 black has a winning advantage.
28.♕d5+ The only move that equalizes. Anything else loses.
28.♖b2 This is the move Mikenas had in mind, but if he plays it immediately he gets mated. 28...♘h3+ 29.♘xh3 ♕xd1+ 30.♕e1 ♕xe1+ 31.♔g2 ♖b8 32.♖c2 ♕e4+ 33.♔g1 ♕xc2 34.♗c1 ♖b1 35.♘f2 ♕xf2+ mate next move.
28...♔h8 Also the only move.
28...♖f7 is plausible, but it weakens his back rank too much. 29.♘xg4 fxg4 30.♔h1 ♘e4 31.♖f1 ♘f6 32.d7 ♖d8 33.♖fe1 ♕f2 34.♗c5 ♘xd5 35.♖e8+ ♖f8 36.♗xf2 ♘f6 37.♖xd8 ♖xd8 38.♗xa7 ♖xd7 and white is much better.
29.♖b2 ♘f3+ 29...Nh3+ is not good because the Rs are defended. 30.♔g2 White has successfully defended his position and at this point the positional evaluation os 0.00. 30...♘e3+ 31.♔h1 ♕xb2 Fine claimed this was the wrong R to capture but his analysis was faulty. Actually, capturing either R is OK with correct play.
31...♕xd1+ is also equal after 32.♘xd1
32.♕xd1 as given by Fine is inferior. 32...♘xd1 33.♘xd1 This recapture favors black after 33...♖xc4 34.♘e3 ♖c3 35.♖b3 ♖xb3 36.axb3
32...♘xd5 33.d7 ♘b6 34.dxc8=♕ ♖xc8 with a likely draw. Powered by Aquarium
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