In 1934, Koshnitsky set a new Australian record for simultaneous play when he played 143 opponents, scoring +104 -6 =33. He was also an expert blindfold player and he played up to 10 games at a time.
Koshnitsky won three Queensland titles, seven New South Wales titles, and one South Australian title. He captained the Australian Olympic Chess teams in 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1980. In 1966, he won the South Australia championship and his wife, Evelyn, won the women's title. He was the author of the book Chess Made Easy (with Cecil Purdy).
His daughter-in-law was WIM Ngan Phan-Koshnitsky (born in Vietnam in 1974) who in the early 1990s was married to Koshnitsky’s son, Peter. She remarried in 2007 and is now Ngan Nadalin.
Koshnitsky was a very popular player who made friends wherever he went. He was born in the the Russian Empire in what is now Moldova.
In 1925, at the age of 18, he was champion of Shanghai. In simultaneous play he defeated the Hungarian master Borislav Kostic 4-0.
In 1926, he moved to Australia and settled in Brisbane. In 1929 he moved to Sydney and the following year became joint champion of New South Wales with M. E. Goldstein in an historic match that was a precursor to the 1984/85 Karpov-Kasparov match that was stopped after 48 games and 40 draws. The Koshnitsky-Goldstein match was much worse! It was terminated after the players drew 54 successive games.
Also, in 1929, he established a chess club in Sydney that became what was probably at that time the best chess club in the in the British Empire. As manager of the club Koshnitsky was such a
success that the membership rapidly grew.
During World War Two, Koshnitsky enlisted and served in the education section to teach chess to the troops. He also gave simuls and lectures nd was promoted to Lieutenant.
After the war his first marriage broke up and in 1947 he started a chess academy in Sydney which last until 1960. In 1950 he married Evelyn Esau, a chess player and organizer and together they formed a partnership in world chess which culminated in 1993 with them both being awarded Honorary Membership in FIDE. In 1961 they moved to Adelaide and Koshnitsky became involved with FIDE and served as President of South-East Asia and the Pacific. He and his wife also organized international tournaments in Adelaide.
The event in which the following game was played is uncertain, but I think it was played in the 1932 New South Wales Championship which was won by Koshnitsky with a score of +6 -0.
Aubrey Shoebridge and C.J.S. Purdy tied for second. The remaining places were taken by Spencer Crakanthorp, Alex Bunyan, Ireland, George Hastings and Merkel.
Koshnitsky employs the Colle. The opening is somewhat old fashioned, but it’s more dangerous than it looks. Purdy defended well, but then suffered an hallucination...thinking he had a mate, he played a move that lost the advantage, if not the game. Although playing on would likely not have altered the outcome, his resignation does seem a bit premature.
Gregory Koshnitsky–C.J.S. Purdy1–0D04New South Wales Chp, Sydney15.11.1932Stockfish 15.1
Colle System 1.d4 f6 2.f3 d5 3.e3 c5 4.c3 bd7 5.bd2 c7 6.d3 e5
A sharp move that leads to a complicated position. A more solid line is 6...e6 7.e4 White replies in kind, but he actually has a wide choice of playable
moves. 7.dxe5 Tame xe5 8.xe5 xe5 9.f3 7.xe5 Another sharp
continuation. xe5 8.dxe5 xe5 9.e4 dxe4 10.0-0 d6 11.f4 7...c4 7...dxe4 8.xe4 xe4 9.xe4 f6 10.c2 cxd4 11.0-0 dxc3 12.xe5 d6 13.a4+ f8 14.f4 g4 15.g6+ white is better and went on to win in Colle,E-Stoltz,
G Bled 1931 7...cxd4 is the safest continuation. 8.cxd4 dxe4 9.xe4 xe4 10.xe4 f6 with complete equality. Jussupow,A (2570)-Gomez Esteban,J
(2498) Leon 2008 8.c2 d6 Purdy correctly tends to getting his pieces
developed. Any central exchange will favor white. 9.exd5 0-0 9...exd4 10.xd4 10.e2+ This is not as dangerous as it looks. d8 11.xc4 e8+ 12.f1 10...0-0 11.f1 e8+ 12.e3 f4 13.df5 e5 is nore annoying to
white than anything. Overall he is still slightly better. 10.dxe5 xe5 11.h3 b5 11...xf3+ would have served black better because after 12.xf3 e8+ 13.e3 13.f1 The fact that white can't castle and his d-Pawn is weak
gives black the advantage. 13...b5 14.0-0 b7 15.d4 a6 16.f5 h2+ 17.h1 xd5 Black is better. 11...xf3+ 12.gxf3 This move is surprising
because it wrecks white's K-side, but it's best because it exchanges off
black's pieces and so lessens his attacking chances. xd5 13.e4 e6 14.xd6 xd6 The psoition is equal. 15.d4 12.xe5 xe5 13.f3 b7 14.0-0 14.xe5 xe5+ 15.e3 xd5 16.d4 xd4 17.xd4 f4 is good for black. For
example... 18.0-0 e2+ 19.h1 xd4 20.cxd4 ad8 with a favorable ending. 14...ad8 15.e2 15.xe5 xd5 16.d2 fd8 17.f3 c6 Black has a
formidable looking position, but with accurate defense white should survive. 15...fe8 15...xd5 16.e1 c6 is about the same situation as in the
previous note! 16.e3 This allows Purdy to get the advantage. 16.xe5
remains equal. xe5 17.f3 xd5 18.g3 16...xd5 17.ae1 It would have
been better to eliminate the N with 17.Nxe5 xe3 18.fxe3 Clearly
Koshnitsky's risky play has allowed Purdy to get the upper hand. g3 19.xh7+ This is his best practical chance...and it works. 19.d1 xd1 20.xd1 c5 is favorable to black. 19...xh7 20.g5+ Where should the K
retreat to? g6 Not here! 20...h6 loses to 21.xf7+ h7 22.h5+ g8 23.h8# 20...g8 This is th correct retreat. 21.h5
and black saves himself with d5 guarding f7 and leaving white with no
followup. 22.h7+ f8 and the "attack: is over. 21.g4 This
move was probably overlooked by Purdy. 21.xf7 is playable, but it leads
to a difficult ending. c8 21...xe1 22.g4+ h7 23.h5+ g8 24.h8# 22.xd8 xd8 23.d1 g5 24.f3 xe3 21...h2+ 22.h1 White wouldstill have
a significant advantage after the correct 22...Bxg2, but Purdy now makes a
gross blunder that loses at once. g3 After playing this hasty move black
resigned. It threatens mate with 23...Bxg2#, but Purdy immediately realized
there is no mate because white has a defense. However, his resignation was a
bit premature because he could put up a stout defense with 22...Bxg2 22...g3 23.f5+ h6 24.h7+ xg5 25.f5# 22...xg2+ Offers some faint hope. 23.xg2 g3 24.g1 xg2+ 25.xg2 e5 26.e6+ f6 27.xd8 xd8 28.f2+ e6 In 5 games from this position Stockfish scored 4 wins and a draw, but in OTB
play black might do better. 1–0
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