If you qualified for the finals and completed your schedule you were awarded "the emblem of the Golden Knight - a sterling silver, gold-plated and enameled lapel button." The ad for the event also pointed out that, "You earn the right to wear this handsome emblem in your buttonhole if you qualify as a Golden Knight finalist, whether or not you win a cash prize." I had four or five of them which I never wore in the buttonhole of my suit. They sat in a desk draw until they turned green with corrosion and I threw them out.
Even if you failed to qualify for he finals, you still got a prize! If you were eliminated in the preliminary or semi-final round, but completed your playing schedule, you received one free entry (worth $1.50!) into a regular Class Tournament or you could enter a regular Prize Tournament (entry worth $2.75) on payment of only S1.50. First and second in each Prize Tournament won a $6 and $3 credit for the purchase of chess books or chess equipment. It was a fantastic bargain.
You could enter this big event for only $4.00 per section. It was in these events that I got to play against a few prominent players, including former US Championship competitor Arthur Feuerstein, to whom I lost two games, and the 1964 Golden Knights champ, Anton Sildmets to whom I also lost.
Anton Sildmets, who was born in Narva, Estonia, passed away at the age of 81 in Lincoln, Nebraska on January 22, 2007. He was the 1962 state champion, the 1964 Golden Knights Champion and a four time city champion. He was a retired Goodyear Tire and Rubber employee with 30 plus years of service.
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| Anton Sildmets |
An active member of a number of correspondence chess organizations, Sildmets was also a leading member of the Correspondence Chess League of America. In winning the 1964 championship Sildmets rolled up 6-0 scores in each of the three rounds!
Unlike some players, Sildmets followed the philosophy, "Never give up hope and never be a sour loser as there is always tomorrow with another better game of chess."
The son of a farmer, Sildmets went to college for two years before World War II changed his life. After the war was over he found himself in West Germany under US occupation and was ready, as he put it, "to make a home somewhere at the age of twenty-two."
At that time he wasn't a chess player, but during his time in refugee camps he learned the game. He was married in 1946 and working as security guard. He gained some experience in tournament play, but not much book knowledge.
He arrived in the US in the fall of 1949 with his wife and daughter and settled in Minnesota. At that time he gave up chess until he moved to Lincoln in 1950 and became active in the city chess club. He started in postal chess in 1963 and was declared the 1964 Golden Knights champion in October of 1970. In the days of correspondence chess using post cards games took awhile.
Dr. Harlan Graves - Anton Sildmets
Result: 0-1
Site: Golden Knights Postal
Date: 1964
King's Indian: Saemisch
[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 g6 3.♘c3 ♗g7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 O-O 6.♗e3 c6 This seldom played reply creates something like a Pirc Defense. More usual are 6...e5, 6...Nc6, 6...c5 or 6...a6 7.♕d2
7.♗d3 a6 8.♘ge2 b5 9.b3 e5 10.d5 cxd5 11.cxd5 ♘h5 12.O-O f5 13.exf5 gxf5 14.♖c1 and white is slightly better. Darga-Donner, Krefeld, 1969
7...♕c7 8.♗d3 a6
8...♘bd7 met with disaster in this game... 9.♘ge2 e5 10.d5 ♘b6 11.♖c1 c5 12.♘b5 ♕d8 13.b4 a6 14.♘xd6 ♕xd6 15.bxc5 ♕d8 16.cxb6 and wins. Enchev,I (2367) -Tzounakas,V (1916)/Athens 2008
9.♘ge2 ♘bd7 10.♗h6 This move is premature. Feasible move are 10.Rc1, 10.O-O-O, 10.O-O and 10.g4
10.g4 e5 11.d5 cxd5 12.cxd5 ♘c5 13.♗c2 with a promising position. Niemela,I-Herdocia,F/Havana 1966
10...e5 Not the most effective.
10...♗xh6 was more precise. 11.♕xh6 c5 12.e5 dxe5 13.d5 b5 with equal chances.
11.d5 A promising alternative is 11.O-O-O followed by h2-h4 11...cxd5 12.cxd5 b5 13.♖c1 ♕b7 14.♘g3 ♘c5 15.♗e2 b4 16.♘d1 ♗xh6 17.♕xh6 ♘e8 18.h4 f6 19.h5 This looks very dangerous, but Sildmets is not rattled by the menacing looking threats to his K. While 19.h5 can hardly be classified as a mistake, it leaves his Q completely cut off.
19.♘e3 is a reasonable alternative. 19...♕a7 20.♘c4 a5 21.f4 with the iniative.
19...g5 A very nice move sealing in white's Q. 20.♘e3 White appears to be planning to release his Q with the maneuver Ngf5, g2-g3 and f3-f4. 20...♖a7 The idea of this move is to get additional control of g7 if he is planning to try an win white's Q.TO do that requires a rather lengthy maneuver of the Q clearing b7 then maneuvering Nb7-d8-f7. 21.♘gf5 This promising looking move turns out to be a serious mistake as Sildmets will demonstrate. Correct was 21.O-O 21...♗xf5 Very well played! 22.♘xf5 ♕b6 Brilliant! This farseeing move frees the N on e8 from protecting the d-Pawn while letting the Q ultimately raid the unguarded white Q-side. 23.♔d2
23.O-O b3 White has no good answer. 24.♖a1 (24.a3 ♘d3+) (24.axb3 ♘xb3+) 24...♘g7 25.♘xg7 ♖xg7 26.♔h2 bxa2 27.♖xa2 a5 28.♖c1 ♘b3 The N will find a home on d4 and white will be left with zero play.
23...♘g7 24.♘xg7
24.♘e3 does not help much 24...b3 25.a3 ♘a4 26.♘g4 ♕d4+ 27.♔e1 ♕xb2 wins
24...♖xg7 25.♖c4 ♕a5 26.♔e3 ♕xa2 27.♖xb4 ♕a5 28.♖c4 ♘b3 29.♖d1 ♕b6+ 30.♔d3 ♖b7 Sildmets ignores the white Q and instead goes after the K. (30...♘c5+ would also wrap it up. 31.♔c2 a5) 31.♖c6 Overlooking the mate, but he is dead lost anyway. A brilliant game by Sildmets. 31...♕d4+ (31...♕d4+ 32.♔c2 ♘a1+ 33.♖xa1 ♖xb2+ 34.♔c1 ♕d2#) Powered by Aquarium
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