Reshevsky Shows How It's Done

     I had two favorite players. The first was Botvinnik and his book One Hundred Selected Games was a constant companion. Then I came into possession of Reshevsky On Chess and I had a new favorite player. I don't know why, but his games always intrigued me. His play looked so simple and logical that it seemed like I could duplicate his style. I couldn't of course, my 50 percent score against him notwithstanding. (We drew a postal game in 1979.) 

     During 1956 and 1957, Bobby Fischer had been playing a lot and by the time the 1957/58 championship rolled around most players felt was Reshevsky was the favorite although Larry Evans was also considered a contender while William Lombardy and Arthur Bisguier were not without their chances. Also, Robert Byrne was considered a possible contender, but he declined his invitation at the last minute.

     Going into the last round Fischer had 10 points and he met his old blitz partner, Abe Turner, and played an 18-move draw. That left him with a final score of 10.5. He then wandered off to play blitz and only checked back occasionally to see how his rival Reshevsky was doing. 

     Going into the last round Reshevsky had 9.5 and playing white, he needed to defeat William Lombardy to tie Fischer. That was not outside the realm of possibility, but when the dust had settled, Lombardy had won the Championship for Fischer by defeating Reshevsky. 

 

     Did that mean Bobby Fischer was the best player in the United States? When asked, he said, "No, one tournament doesn't mean much." Who was the best? "Maybe Reshevsky..." Things soon changed, didn't they? 

     In the following game Reshevsky defeats Arthur Bisguier in one of those games that looks so simple that playing like him looks like it would be a fairly easy thing to do. 

[Event "US Championship 1957/58"] [Site "New York, NY USA"] [Date "1957.12.29"] [Round "?"] [White "Arthur Bisguier"] [Black "Samuel Reshevsky"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "Stockfish 15"] [PlyCount "70"] [EventDate "1957.12.17"] {Sicilian: Taimanov} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 {At the time this line was being revived by the Russians and Reshevsky decided to experiment with it. His favorite in the past had been the Dragon.} 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 {This allows white to play the Maroczy Bind (5.c4) if he wishes.} 5. Nc3 {He doesn't.} Qc7 { Reshevsky mentioned that with this move black has the possibility of ...Bb4 and at the same time it prevents white from playing e5.} 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. O-O {According to Reshevsky, Bisguier has handled the opening with logical slmplicity and he is better developed and so has the better prospects.} Nf6 {Black gets better results when he plays 8...d5} (8... d5 9. Re1 Bb7 10. Qg4 Nf6 11. Qh4 Bd6 12. Bg5 Nd7 {white is slightly better. Caruana,F (2828) -Xiong,J (2672) chess.com INT 2019}) 9. Qe2 d6 {Better was 9...d5; instead Reshevsky decides on passive strategy.} (9... d5 10. Bg5 {Somewhat better is 10.e5, but Reshevsky did not like the possibility that white might play this threatening toi win a P with Bxf6, exd5 nd Nxd5. This seems rather odd reasoning because the so called threat is so remote a possibility.} Be7 { parries the threat.} 11. Bxf6 {and black has a satisfactory position despite his problems castling.} gxf6 (11... Bxf6 {is less good because after} 12. exd5 Bxc3 13. d6 Qxd6 14. bxc3 O-O {white is slightly better thanks to his more active pieces.})) 10. f4 Nd7 {Preventing the advance of white's e-Pawn.} 11. Be3 ({worked out well for white in Tiviakov,S (2622)-Ogleznev,A (2335) Eforie Nord ROU 2011} 11. b3 Be7 12. Ba3 c5 13. Bb2 Bf6 14. e5 dxe5 15. f5 Nb6 16. fxe6 Bxe6 17. Bxa6 {White is better.}) (11. Kh1 {seems a bit passive.} Be7 12. Bd2 O-O 13. Rf3 Nc5 14. Be3 Nxd3 15. cxd3 f5 16. Rc1 {Black is doing well. Sokolov,A (2505)-Kurajica,B (2530) Novi Sad 1984}) (11. Na4 {This is playable, but offers white nothing special.} Be7 12. Be3 c5 13. c4 O-O 14. Rac1 Bb7 15. Nc3 {with equal chances. Bruchmann,S (2315)-Simon,R (2153) Berlin 2012}) 11... Be7 12. Rf3 {Preparing an attack against the K if black should dare to castle on the K-side.} Rb8 13. Na4 {Capturing the a-Pawn would allow black a promising position after} (13. Bxa6 Bxa6 14. Qxa6 Rxb2 15. Bd4 Rb4 16. Bxg7 Rg8 {Black's position is preferable.}) 13... Bf6 14. Rb1 a5 {Better was 14...c5} 15. c4 {Preventing an eventual ...d5 which black has neglected to play. Allowing him to do so would free black's position considerably.} Ba6 {Ready for some Grandmaster reasoning? According to Reshevsky this is the only logical place for this B. The only other useful square would be at b7, but in order to get any use out of it black would have to play ...c5 (Stockfish's preferred move) and in that event white would have had an excellent square for his N on b5.} 16. Rc1 h5 {An admission that black has given up hope of castling.} 17. Rff1 Be7 {This withdrawal seems rather odd, but it lures white's B to d4 after which ...e5 packs a punch. If black plays 17...e5 immediately then 18.f5 leaves white with a promising position.} 18. Bd4 { Either 18.b3 or 18.h3 would have been slightly better.} (18. b3 e5 19. f5 Nf6 20. h3 {with a good game.}) 18... e5 19. Bc3 {On 19.fxe5 Nxe5 black has pretty much equalized because he has a fair share of the center.} exf4 {This looks risky but Reshevsy has decided that the complications Involved offered some chances of success.} 20. Bxg7 Rh7 21. Bc3 Ne5 22. Bd2 {Reshevsky suggested 22. b3, but there is nothing wrong with Bisguier's move.} Qa7+ 23. Kh1 Qd4 { [%mdl 2048] Black has some pressure and white has to surrender the exchange.} 24. Rf3 (24. Bb1 {runs into} Bxc4 25. Qf2 Qxf2 26. Rxf2 Bb5 27. Nc3 Bh4 28. Rxf4 Bg5 29. Rf2 Ng4 {and black is winning.}) 24... Nxf3 25. Qxf3 {White is seriously threatening to open lines against black's K with e5.} Rh6 (25... Bc8 26. e5 Bg4 27. Qxc6+ Kf8 28. Qe4 Qxe4 29. Bxe4 Rg7 30. h3 Be6 31. exd6 Bxd6 32. c5 Bc7 {and white has managed to equalize.}) 26. Bxf4 (26. e5 {can now be met by} dxe5 {and c6 is defended. If} 27. Bxa5 Bb4 28. Bxb4 Rxb4 29. b3 Bc8 { black is winning.}) 26... Rf6 {With the exchange to the good, black is in a comfortable position, but white's position is not without defensive possibilities. The threat is ...Rxf4} 27. g3 {This seriously weakens his K's position.} (27. Be2 Bc8 28. h3 Re6 29. Bd3 {and it's difficult to see how black can make any headway.}) 27... Bc8 {A great move! It places the B on a usefull diagonal.} 28. Kg2 {After this white is completely lost.} (28. Re1 { would have made black's task a little more difficult.} Bh3 29. b3 Rd8 30. Qe3 Qxe3 31. Rxe3 h4 {Black is clearly better.}) 28... Bg4 {The clever 28...Rxf4 would be winning in the world of engines, it's not quite so clear in the world of humans.} 29. Qf1 h4 {Black is clearly winning.} 30. b3 hxg3 31. hxg3 Kd7 { A handy little move that gets the R on b1 into play.} 32. Be2 Bxe2 (32... Qxe4+ {Perhaps this is a wee bit more precise.} 33. Bf3 Bxf3+ 34. Qxf3 Rxf4 35. Qxe4 (35. gxf4 Rg8+ 36. Kf2 Bh4+ {mates}) 35... Rxe4 {winning easily.}) 33. Qxe2 { Here is the reason that 32...Qxe4+ was a little bit better...in this position black is winning, but only if he finds the one move that does so!} Rxf4 { [%mdl 512] Which, of course, Reshevsky does.} (33... Rg8 {Bringing the other R into play as mentioned in the note allows white to equalize.} 34. Rd1 Qxd1 ( 34... Qa7 35. Be3 Qb8 36. e5 {and white has the initiative!}) 35. Qxd1 Rxf4 36. Nc3 Rfg4 37. Ne2 Bh4 38. Qf1 Ke7 39. Kf3 Bxg3 {and a draw is quite likely the outcome!}) 34. gxf4 Rg8+ 35. Kf3 Bh4 {White resigned as there is no way to meet the threat of ...Rg3#} (35... Bh4 36. Nc5+ Qxc5 37. Qh2 Qh5+ 38. Ke3 Rg3+ 39. Kd2 Qf3 40. Qe2 Rg2 {etc.}) 0-1