In recent years it's been COVID-19, but in 1976, the Legionnaires disease outbreak that occurred in late July in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania created a massive scare. It happened after the American Legion held its annual convention with more than 2,000 Legionnaires, mostly men, attending.
Three days after the convention ended a 61-year-old retired Air Force captain died at his home of an apparent heart attack after he returned from the convention complaining of feeling tired.
A total of only 182 cases and 29 deaths created a panic because no tests could determine the cause and as the news broke, Americans were already primed for the threat of an epidemic. At the time President Gerald Ford's administration was making plans to vaccinate every American against swine flu after repeated warnings from government officials that a devastating epidemic could strike without warning.
Some scientists were calling for a prohibition against laboratory efforts to genetically engineer microbes for fear they might create a monster germ.
Health officials thought the country might be facing an unprecedented condition for which there was no effective treatment. In Pennsylvania, seizing control of all hospitals and imposing quarantines was even contemplated.
In the end, it took six months to determine that the illness had been caused by a bacteria that usually succumbs to the prescription of antibiotics. The bacteria, which was apparently spread from the hotel’s air-conditioning system, is a cause of pneumonia and other illnesses worldwide.
Earlier that year, in Skopje, Yugoslavia, a tournament was held with two American representatives playing. James Tarjan has earned his Grandmaster while a 64-year old Samuel Reshevsky found the going tough and only managed +2 -6 =7 to tie for 13th place.
Aside from his draws with Karpov and Timman the tournament was a disaster as can be seen from the following game.
His opponent, Rafael Vaganian (born October 15, 1951) is an Armenian GM who was Soviet champion in 1989. Vaganian was awarded his GM title in 1971, at the age of 19. The following year he finished fourth at the World Junior Championship, won by the Swiss player Werner Hug.
In this game Reshevsky, who was not known for his knowledge of openings, was actually following opening theory even when his King traipsed from e1 to g3, but Vaganian refuted the whole line when by move 16 he had sacrificed two pieces and all that was left to do was mop up his illustrious opponent.
Samuel Reshevsky–Rafael Vaganian0–1C05Skopje03.1976Stockfish 15
French Defense, Tarrasch Variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.d2 This move
became popular during the 1970s and early 1980s thanks to Anatoly Karpov. It
is not as aggressive as3.Nc3 but it is safe. It protects e4, but does not
block the c-Pawn so white can play c3 to support the P on d4. It also avoids
the Winawer (3...Bb4). The disadvantage is the 3.Nd2 develops the N to a less
active square hems in the B. Therefore, white will have to spend an extra
tempo moving the N from d2. f6 Far more popular is 3...c5 4.e5 fd7
White's main alternatives are 5.Bd3 and 5.c3. The text is an aggressive plan.
White supports the e-Pawn and intends to develop his pieces behind an imposing
center and hoping to develop a robust K-side attack. As always, there is a
trade off...black gets energetic play against the P on d4 and, as will be seen,
white's K is often forced to take a stroll. 5.f4 c5 6.c3 c6 7.df3 a5
The chic move at the time; these days it has been abandoned in favor of the
more thematic 7...Qb6 putting pressur eon the d-Pawn. 8.f2 At the time
there was a lot of analysis spent on this position, but Reshevsky's move
emerged as the main line. 8.e3 This put black's last move out of business.
cxd4 9.xd4 xd4 10.xd4 with a nice game. 8...e7 9.d3 b6 10.e2 f6 11.exf6 xf6 Thematic...attacking the d-Pawn. 12.g3 Bold, or some may
say rash. The idea is to get the K off the same diagonal as black's Q and so
prevent black from freeing himself with ...e5, a move that Stockfish now shows
to be a bad idea. 12.e3 equalizes after cxd4 13.cxd4 e7 14.e1 xb2 15.a3 0-0 16.g1 12.f1 Suggested at the time. cxd4 13.cxd4 e5
This simply stinks. Black should castle and white's advantage is minimal. 14.c3 xd4 14...e4 15.xd5 15.xd5 12...cxd4 13.cxd4 0-0 14.e1
Safer was 14.h2 making a hidey hole for the K. e5 This is the critical
position. Reshevsky replies with the most natural move, but it loses! Correct
was 15.Nc3 after which the position is equal. 15.fxe5 The
fireworks commence here. 15.c3 At the board it would be difficult to
calculate the consequences of this move! exf4+ 16.xf4 g5 17.d6 xd4 18.xf8 xf8 19.c1 with equal chance. 15...dxe5 15...xd4 This would be
the wrong N. 16.exd4 xe5 17.xe5 xe5+ 18.xe5 Black has just lost two
pieces. 16.dxe5 More than likely Reshevsky expected the routine 16...Bxe5+
after which he gets a decent game. h4+ A crushing surprise. 16...xe5+ 17.f4 c7 18.a3 and black has only a P for a N whicj is not
enough compensation. 17.xh4 There's no other choice. Now, how is black to
continue...there's only one way. 17.xh4 f2# 17...xf3
Another sacrifice. 17...f2+ This may have been what Reshevsky was
expecting, bit it loses. 18.g3 and black has no followup to compensate for
his material deficit. xg2 19.xh7+ xh7 20.g5+ g8 21.e2 f2 22.xf2 xf2 23.xd5+ White is winning. 18.f1 This prevents Qf2+, but black has
other threats. 18.gxf3 f2+ 19.g5 h6+ 20.h5 20.g6 xe5+ 21.h5 xh2# 20...xh2+ 21.g6 xe5# 18...b4+ Reshevsky could have resigned here,
but nobody wants to be victim of a miniature. 19.f4 19.f4 meets a
pretty refutation e7+ 20.h5 xe5+ 21.h4 f6+ 22.h5 h6# 19...e7+ 20.g5 20.h5 e6 mates in 4. 21.xh7+ xh7 22.c2+ g6+ 23.xg6+ xg6+ 24.h4 g4# 20...e6 Mate threats force white to surrender material. 21.f5
Prevents Qg4+. xf5 22.f4 xe5 23.g4 f7 24.h5 e7 24...h6 is not
quite as strong. 25.xf7+ xf7 26.d3+ f5 27.d2 g5+ 28.g3 g6 29.xf5 xf5 with the advantage. 25.g4 Preventing Nf5+. All white can do is react
to immediate threats. g6+ 26.g3 d7 27.ae1 d6 28.h6 af8 Reshevsky
resigned. 28...af8 29.xd5 xd5 30.xd5 xf1 31.xf1 xf1 32.g5
and white is down a whole R. 0–1
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