Leningrad/Moscow 1939, A Training Tournament

     According to the Soviets the Leningrad/Moscow tournament of 1939 was a training tournament, but they considered it a preliminary to the regular Russian Championship Tournament. The first half was held in Leningrad and the second half was held in Moscow. Of the 18 players, 14 were considered Russians...at the time, though he was living in Moscow, Lilienthal was not considered a Russian. 

     The surprising feature of the tournament was Salo Flohr's remarkable comeback after finishing last at AVRO the previous year and being virtually written off as a top-flight player. 

     After AVRO Alekhine, who had previously supported Flohr's right to a title match wrote, "the failure of the two have come last (i.e. Capablanca and Flohr - Tartajubow) virtually eliminates them for some time to come from the contests for the world title." It wasn't just Alekhine though...all the critics had written Flohr off, but here he outscored both Reshevsky and Keres who had outranked him at AVRO.

     Chess Review opined that the reason Flohr had done so poorly at AVRO was owing to the pressure of his having to live up to his reputation as one of the best players in the world plus the fact that at the time there was a great deal of uncertainty in his native Czechoslovakia because of the 1938 Munich Agreement.

     The Munich Agreement signed in September, 1938 was a settlement reached by Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy that permitted German annexation of the Sudetenland in western Czechoslovakia. 

     Prior to Leningrad/Moscow Flohr had won a tournament ahead of Sthlberg and Szabo that was held in Kemeri, Latvia earlier in 1939 and apparently after reaching Moscow he had already made arrangements to become a Soviet citizen. 

     Flohr did not play in any strong Soviet events from 1940–42 and he became a naturalized Soviet citizen in 1942 and began his journalistic career. When chess activity picked up again in 1943 Flohr won a small but strong tournament in Baku. In 1944 he tied for first in a Bolshevik Society tournament at Kiev. In 1945 he withdrew from the USSR Championship after only three games. 

     After the War, he was still a contender for a possible World Championship match and finished 6th at the 1948 Interzonal in Saltsjobaden which qualified him the 1950 Candidates Tournament in Budapest. But, that was the last success of his career because at Budaoest he finished tied for last with a 7-11 score. Flohr, born in 1908, died on July 18, 1983. 

     Reshevsky played some good games, but he was hampered by a cold that was bad enough that several of his games had to be postponed. Third place ended in a quadruple ttie between Andrea Lilienthal, a former Hungarian who had been living in Moscow for a number of years, Levelfish, the current Russian champion, Vladimir Makogonov and Vyacheslav Ragozin. 

     Keres' minus score was a tremendous let down after his tie for first with Reuben Fine at AVRO 1938 ahead of Botvinnik, Alekhine, Euwe, Reshevsky, Capablanca and Flohr. Nevertheless, in this tournament he still showed flashes of brilliance as seen by his dazzling attack with his Knights in the following game against Smyslov.

Paul Keres - Vasily Smyslov

Result: 1-0

Site: Leningrad/Moscow

Date: 1939

Queen's Gambit Declined

[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 d5 4.♗g5 ♗e7 5.e3 O-O 6.♘f3 b6 7.cxd5 Played in order to block the diagonal of black's B. 7...exd5 8.♗d3 ♗b7 At the time this was considered to be the best way of playing the QGD. 9.♕c2 ♘bd7 10.O-O h6 11.♗f4 a6 12.♖fd1

12.♘e2 c5 13.♘g3 ♖e8 14.♖ad1 ♗f8 15.♘f5 c4 16.♗e2 ♘e4 17.♘e5 Black is better. Gagunashvili,M (2576) -Serafimov,T (2371)/Sautron FRA 2008

12...♘e8

12...c5 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.♗f5 is equal. Bachmann,A (2593)-Rodriguez Fontecha,M (2309)/Bilbao 2015

13.♖ac1 ♗d6 14.♘e2 His intention is to reposition the N to f5. 14...♕e7 15.♗xd6 ♕xd6

15...♘xd6 16.♘e5 (16.♕xc7 loses the Q. 16...♖ac8) 16...♘xe5 17.dxe5 ♕xe5 18.♕xc7 is good for white.

16.♘g3 g6 Played to meet the threat of Nf5, but how dangerous was the threat? What happens if white is allowed to place his N on f5? 17.h4 Keres is going to attack the vulnerable g-Pawn. 17...h5 This prevents further advance of the h-Pawn, but it creates a new weakness. 18.♘g5 A natural outpost. 18...c5 19.♗f5 According to Chernev this is brilliant and unexpected, but it wasn't the only good move.

19.♘xh5 Keeps the advantage after 19...♖c8 (19...gxh5 20.♗xa6 wins) 20.dxc5 ♖xc5 21.♕b1 ♖xc1 22.♖xc1 gxh5 23.♗xa6 ♘ef6 24.♗xb7

19...cxd4 20.♗e6 Another surprising move.

20.♖xd4 comes up short after 20...♖c8 21.♕b1 ♖xc1+ (21...gxf5 loses to 22.♖xc8 ♘df6 23.♘xf5 ♗xc8 24.♘xd6) 22.♕xc1 gxf5 23.♘xf5 ♕c7 24.♘h6+ ♔g7 25.♘f5+ ♔h8 26.♕b1 ♘df6 with equality.

20.exd4 ♖c8 21.♕d3 ♖xc1 22.♖xc1 ♘g7 with only a modest advantage for white.

20...d3 A Zwischenzug that wins a tempo by attacking the Q; it's the only move that avoids immediate loss. 21.♕xd3

21.♖xd3 would be wrong on account of 21...fxe6 22.♖dd1 e5 with the advantage.

21...♘e5 The point of the previous move. The N guards the g-Pawn and at the same time gains time by attacking the Q. 22.♕b1 White has the dual threat of both 23.f4 and 23Bxd5 22...fxe6

22...♘c7 allows white the pretty variation 23.♘f5 ♕d8 24.♗xf7+ ♔h8 (24...♘xf7 25.♘e7+ ♔h8 26.♘xg6+ ♔g7 27.♖xc7 ♕xc7 28.♘e6+) (24...♖xf7 25.♘h6+ ♔f8 26.♘gxf7) 25.♗xg6 with a winning attack.

23.f4 ♔g7 24.fxe5 ♕xe5 25.♖f1

25.♘xh5+ was much better. 25...♔h6 26.♖f1 ♖xf1+ 27.♖xf1 ♕xe3+ 28.♔h1 d4 29.♘f4 White is better.

25...♖xf1+ Best as it keeps the position even.

25...♖c8 26.♘xh5+ ♔h6 27.♖xf8 ♔xh5 28.♖xc8 ♗xc8 29.♕d1+ ♔h6 30.♘f7+ with a mate in 8.

25...♕xe3+ This allows what looks like a brilliant concluding attack, but in reality only leads to white gaining a slight advantage. 26.♔h2 ♖xf1 27.♖xf1 ♘f6 28.♖xf6 ♔xf6 29.♕f1+ ♔e7 30.♕f7+ ♔d6 31.♕xb7 ♖f8

26.♖xf1 A tricky position has arisen. 26...♘d6 This move looks logical as it prevents Rf7+, but it loses brilliantly.

26...♕xg3 runs into a mate after 27.♖f7+ ♔h8 28.♖h7+ ♔g8 29.♕xg6+ mates next move.

26...♘f6 This move keeps the chances equal after either 27.Rf3 or 27.Qd3 guarding the e-Pawn. However, the prettiest line is 27.♖xf6 ♔xf6

27...♕xf6 28.♘xh5+ gxh5 29.♕h7+ ♔f8 30.♕xb7 and the threat of the forking Nh7+ results in the win of the R.

28.♕f1+ ♔e7 29.♕f7+ ♔d6 30.♕xb7 ♕xg3 31.♕xa8 ♕xe3+ and black can draw.

27.♘xh5+ ♔h6 28.♘f6 Threatening Ng4+ forking the Q and K. 28...♕xe3+ (28...♕g3 29.♖f3 ♕xh4 30.♖h3 wins) 29.♔h1 ♕d4 30.♘xe6 ♕xh4+ 31.♔g1 d4 This allows a mate in 7, but there was nothing better. (31...♖c8 32.♖f4 ♕g3 33.♖f3 ♕e5 34.♖h3+ mates in 2.) 32.♕c1+ g5 33.♕c7 It's mate in 5 so Smyslov resigned. (33.♕c7 ♕h1+ 34.♔xh1 ♗xg2+ 35.♔xg2 ♖a7 36.♕xa7 ♘b7 37.♕xb7 d3 38.♕g7#)

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