Monday, July 31, 2023

Kenneth Smith’s Incredibly Bad Luck

 
     The 1970 National Open in Sparks, Nevada was exceptionally strong and the outcome was in doubt until the last round was finished. When the dust settled Larry Evans and Arthur Bisguier both had 7-1 scored and shared top homors. 
     Evans played his usual steady, unspectacular chess and going into the last round had won six and drawn one, In the last round his opponent was National Master Bruch Pandolfini. Bisguier was playing National Master Walter Cunningham. Bisguier took a quick draw and after an exciting game, Evans and Pandolfini finally agreed to a draw. 
     Bisguier played his usual exciting and dangerous chess and had some incredible luck in the 7th round when he played Kenneth Smith. At move 13 Bisguier carelessly castled, normally a good thing, but at that moment it gave Smith the opportunity to win a piece for nothing. Even though he lost a piece Bisguier didn’t resign. He fought back, recklessly throwing everything he had at Smith even though it exposed his own King. Just when it looked like Smith had a mate the incredible happened...Smith managed to lose! Take a look... A game that I liked (Fritz 17)
[Event "National Open, Reno, Nevada"] [Site "?"] [Date "1970.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Kenneth Smith"] [Black "Arthur Bisguier"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A00"] [Annotator "Stockfish 16"] [PlyCount "70"] [EventDate "1970.??.??"] {Scotch Gambit} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 {Smith was true to his convictions that you should play gambits and it took considerable fortitude to play this against Bisguier, himself a fearless attacking player.} dxc3 5. Nxc3 (5. Bc4 {Even though this results in sharp play with equal chances,it's a bit much even for Smith!} cxb2 6. Bxb2 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. O-O d6 9. Nd5 {equals}) 5... d6 6. Bc4 Be6 {A prudent move; it blunts white's B and exchanges lessen white's attacking possibilities.} (6... Nf6 {is the other way.} 7. Qb3 Qd7 8. Ng5 Ne5 9. Bb5 c6 10. f4 cxb5 {with equal chances.}) 7. Bxe6 fxe6 8. Qb3 Qd7 9. Qxb7 {This regains the P but puts the Q out of play. Also possible was the more conservative 9.O-O} Rb8 10. Qa6 Be7 11. O-O {White's position is not without promise.} Bf6 {Against e5} 12. Rd1 Nge7 13. Qe2 {White needs to defnd the b-Pawn so he can develop his B on c1.} O-O {This careless move looks logical, but it's not; white has a decisive advantage.} (13... Bxc3 14. bxc3 O-O 15. Ba3 e5 16. Qc4+ Kh8 17. Rab1 Rb6 {is equal. Noetzel,F (2090)-Oberhofer, A (2308) Berlin GER 2011}) (13... Ng6 14. Be3 Bxc3 15. bxc3 O-O {Draw agreed. Papaioannou,I (2470)-Nikolaidis,I (2565) Athens 1997}) 14. e5 {...winning a piece!} Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Qc8 (15... Bxe5 16. Qxe5 {White has won a piece.}) 16. Ng4 Bxc3 17. bxc3 {Kenneth Smith was a strong mater and there is no way he can lose this game even to a GM!} Nd5 18. Rd3 {The R is added to the attack.} h5 { Bisguier was not one to sit idly by and do nothing so he attacks even if it exposes his K.} (18... Ne7 $142 19. c4 e5) 19. Nh6+ {[%mdl 512] Destroying the King's house.} gxh6 (19... Kh8 {is just as bad.} 20. Qxh5 Nf6 21. Qh4) 20. Qxh5 {Threatening mate with Rg3+.} Rf6 21. Rg3+ (21. Bxh6 {packs an even harder punch.} Qe8 22. Rg3+ Kh7 23. Rg7+ Kh8 24. Qg5 {Of course white is winning.}) 21... Kh7 {[%mdl 32]} 22. Bxh6 {[%mdl 512] Threatening mate with Bd2+} Qe8 23. Rg7+ Kh8 24. Qh4 {This si a major slip. White's still better, but the sure win is gone.} (24. Qg5 {This is the winner...the intention is to play Rh7+! and mate with Qg7} Qf8 25. Re1 Ne7 26. Rg8+ {wins outright.}) 24... Rg6 25. Rxg6 Qxg6 {There's no good discovered check, but white is P up so he still has the advantage, but there is still a lot of work to be done.} 26. Re1 Rb1 {Just like that...white has to think about the safety of his own King! Even so he still has what should be a decisive advantage.} 27. Bc1+ Kg7 28. c4 {While not bad, this move leaves white's K compromised. Therefore it would have been prudent to create an escape square with 28.h3} Nf6 29. h3 (29. Qh6+ {might have been worth a try. Black can't trade Qs.} Kf7 (29... Qxh6 30. Bxh6+ Kxh6 31. Rxb1 {White is winning.}) 30. Qxg6+ Kxg6 31. Bd2 Rb2 32. Ba5 Rc2 33. Bxc7 d5 34. Bf4 Rxc4 {White still has his work cut out for him in order to score the point.}) 29... Kf7 30. Qf4 {At this point it's a whole new game because black has equalized and now it's a strong Master against a GM...the odds favor the GM!} (30. g4 {This would have kept his hopes alive.} e5 31. Kg2 Ra1 32. Qg3 Rxa2 33. Qb3 Qc2 34. Qf3 {with the slightly better prospects.}) 30... Qc2 31. g4 {[%mdl 32] And now g5 would win.} e5 32. Qe3 Qxc4 $11 33. g5 Ng8 34. f4 exf4 (34... Qxf4 35. Rf1) 35. Rf1 {[%mdl 8192] This is a gross blunder that loses immediately..} (35. Qe8+ {would draw.} Kg7 36. Qd7+ Kh8 37. g6 Qc5+ 38. Kh1 Qh5 39. Rg1 Rxc1 40. Rxc1 Qf3+ {and black should take the draw.}) 35... Qxf1+ { [%mdl 512] White resigned. Stockfish informs that there is a mate in 21!} ( 35... Qxf1+ 36. Kxf1 fxe3 37. Ke2 Rxc1 38. Kxe3 Rc3+ 39. Kd2 Ra3 40. Kc2 Rxa2+ 41. Kb3 Rh2 42. Kc4 Ne7 43. Kb3 Rxh3+ 44. Kb4 Kg6 45. Kc4 Kxg5 46. Kb4 Rh4+ 47. Kc3 c5 48. Kd3 a5 49. Ke2 a4 50. Kd2 Rb4 51. Ke2 a3 52. Kf3 a2 53. Ke2 a1=Q 54. Kf3 Rb3+ 55. Kg2 Qa2+ 56. Kh1 Rb1#) 0-1

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