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.
[Event "New South Wales Chp, Sydney"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1932.11.15"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gregory Koshnitsky"]
[Black "C.J.S. Purdy"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D04"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 15.1"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "1932.11.15"]
{Colle System} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 c5 4. c3 Nbd7 5. Nbd2 Qc7 6. Bd3 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} Nxe5 8. Nxe5 Qxe5 9. Nf3) (7. Nxe5 {Another sharp
continuation.} Nxe5 8. dxe5 Qxe5 9. e4 dxe4 10. O-O Bd6 11. f4) 7... c4 (7...
dxe4 8. Nxe4 Nxe4 9. Bxe4 Nf6 10. Bc2 cxd4 11. O-O dxc3 12. Nxe5 Bd6 13. Ba4+
Kf8 14. Bf4 Bg4 15. Ng6+ {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. Nxe4
Nxe4 10. Bxe4 Nf6 {with complete equality. Jussupow,A (2570)-Gomez Esteban,J
(2498) Leon 2008}) 8. Bc2 Bd6 {Purdy correctly tends to getting his pieces
developed. Any central exchange will favor white.} 9. exd5 O-O (9... exd4 10.
Nxd4 (10. Qe2+ {This is not as dangerous as it looks.} Kd8 11. Qxc4 Re8+ 12.
Kf1) 10... O-O 11. Nf1 Re8+ 12. Ne3 Bf4 13. Ndf5 Qe5 {is nore annoying to
white than anything. Overall he is still slightly better.}) 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11.
h3 b5 (11... Nxf3+ {would have served black better because after} 12. Nxf3 Re8+
13. Be3 (13. Kf1 {The fact that white can't castle and his d-Pawn is weak
gives black the advantage.}) 13... b5 14. O-O Bb7 15. Nd4 a6 16. Nf5 Bh2+ 17.
Kh1 Nxd5 {Black is better.}) (11... Nxf3+ 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.} Nxd5 13. Ne4 Be6 14. Nxd6
Qxd6 {The psoition is equal.} 15. Qd4) 12. Nxe5 Bxe5 13. Nf3 Bb7 14. O-O (14.
Nxe5 Qxe5+ 15. Be3 Nxd5 16. Qd4 Qxd4 17. Bxd4 Nf4 {is good for black. For
example...} 18. O-O Ne2+ 19. Kh1 Nxd4 20. cxd4 Rad8 {with a favorable ending.})
14... Rad8 15. Qe2 (15. Nxe5 Rxd5 16. Bd2 Rfd8 17. Nf3 Qc6 {Black has a
formidable looking position, but with accurate defense white should survive.})
15... Rfe8 (15... Rxd5 16. Re1 Qc6 {is about the same situation as in the
previous note!}) 16. Be3 {This allows Purdy to get the advantage.} (16. Nxe5 {
remains equal.} Rxe5 17. Qf3 Nxd5 18. Qg3) 16... Nxd5 17. Rae1 {It would have
been better to eliminate the N with 17.Nxe5} Nxe3 18. fxe3 {Clearly
Koshnitsky's risky play has allowed Purdy to get the upper hand.} Bg3 19. Bxh7+
{[%mdl 8192] This is his best practical chance...and it works.} (19. Rd1 Rxd1
20. Rxd1 Qc5 {is favorable to black.}) 19... Kxh7 20. Ng5+ {Where should the K
retreat to?} Kg6 {[%mdl 8192] Not here!} (20... Kh6 {loses to} 21. Nxf7+ Kh7
22. Qh5+ Kg8 23. Qh8#) (20... Kg8 {This is th correct retreat.} 21. Qh5 {
and black saves himself with} Bd5 {guarding f7 and leaving white with no
followup.} 22. Qh7+ Kf8 {and the "attack: is over.}) 21. Qg4 {[%mdl 1024] This
move was probably overlooked by Purdy.} (21. Nxf7 {is playable, but it leads
to a difficult ending.} Bc8 (21... Bxe1 22. Qg4+ Kh7 23. Qh5+ Kg8 24. Qh8#) 22.
Nxd8 Qxd8 23. Rd1 Qg5 24. Qf3 Rxe3) 21... Bh2+ 22. Kh1 {White wouldstill have
a significant advantage after the correct 22...Bxg2, but Purdy now makes a
gross blunder that loses at once.} Qg3 {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...
Qg3 23. Qf5+ Kh6 24. Qh7+ Kxg5 25. Rf5#) (22... Bxg2+ {Offers some faint hope.}
23. Qxg2 Qg3 24. Rg1 Qxg2+ 25. Rxg2 Be5 26. Ne6+ Kf6 27. Nxd8 Rxd8 28. Rf2+ Ke6
{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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