Rudolf Charousek

  

     The Romantic Era chess was a time when the style of play that emphasizes quick, tactical maneuvers rather than long-term strategic planning. The style was popular in the 18th century until its decline in the 1880s. Romantic players consider winning to be secondary to winning with style! 

     Games during the Romantic Era usually opened with 1.e4 with the King's Gambit and Giuoco Piano to folloed. The era is generally considered to have ended with the 1873 Vienna tournament where Wilhelm Steinitz popularized positional play and the closed game thus ushering in the Modern, or Classical, Era. Then in, the 1930s the Hypermodern Era was ushered in

     One forgotten player of the Romantic E`ra was Rudolf Charousek (September 9, 1873 - April 18, 1900), a tragic figure who was known for his many brilliant tactical games. 

     He was born in what is modern day Lomecek which is near Prague, but as an infant his family moved to Debrecen, Hungary, where he became a naturalized Hungarian. 

     He learned to play chess at to age of 16. While studying law in Kassa, he soon became a strong player and during the 1890s he was was on the top ten players in the world. In 1893 he entered a correspondence tournament organized by the Budapest newspaper Pesti Hirlap, in which he eventually shared first place with Geza Maroczy. 

     Unfortunately, his career was cut short when he died at the age of 26 from tuberculosis. 

 

     In the following game Charousek neat Chigorin, but they played a tie-break match for sole first place which was won by Chigorin, 3-1.

ChessBase

Rudolf Charousek–Mikhail Chigorin1–0C33Budapest13.10.1896Stockfish 16

C33: King's Gambit Accepted 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.c4 Statistically this old move (the Bishop's Gambit) yields slightly worse results than the more popular 3.Nf3. There is very little theory on the Bishop's Gambit and most lines are nameless. The bishop's gambit is the most important alternative to 3. Nf3. White allows 3...Qh4+ 4. Kf1 giving up castling, but castle, but his K is safe and he can gain several tempi on the black Q. White's plan is usually to develop quickly and start an attack on the K-side using the f-file and the B on c4. Many of black's defenses include the move ...d5 attacking the bishop on c4. c6 More to the point are wither 3...Qh4+ or 4...d5 4.d4 f6 5.e5 This hasty advance actually works in black's favor. 5.c3 b4 6.ge2 f3 7.gxf3 d5 8.exd5 xd5 9.0-0 xc3 10.bxc3 Black stands well. Reprintsev,A (2353)-Ismagilov,D (2188) chess.com INT 2022 5...d5 6.b3 6.b5 e4 7.xf4 h4+ 8.g3 xg3 9.xg3 e4+ 10.f2 xh1 Black's position s superior. Koch,J (2484)-Kosten,A (2493) Belfort FRA 2012 6...g4 6...e4 was an alternative. 7.f3 e7 8.xf4 0-0 9.bd2 f5 with equal chances. Lanc,A (2355)-Olsarova,K (2278) Czech Rephblic 2014 7.d3 h5 Chigorin has initiated a very dangers K-side attack. That Charousek escapes is a miracle. 8.h3 b4 It's odd that Chigorin does not press on with his K-side attack and instead resorts to this diversion on the Q-side which accomplishes nothing. 8...f3 was correct when white's best line is... 9.0-0 fxg2 10.f2 d7 with a clear advantage. 9.c3 a6 It was too late to play ...f3. The N is now simply misplaced and out of play. 10.0-0 e2 A bad miscalculation from which black cannot recover. 10...g5 and Black has nothing to worry. 11.a4+ c6 11...d7 is also playable 12.xd7+ xd7 13.xg5 g4 but here white has a slight advantage. 12.xc6+ bxc6 13.xc6+ d7 14.xa6 xh3 As a result of 10...Be2 this capture is not available. 15.gxh3 11.a4+ c6 White now commences a sacrificial attack against black's vulnerable K which os caught in the center. 12.xc6+ bxc6 13.xc6+ e7 14.xf4 With this move Charousek misses the winning continuation. 14.c3 Bringing another piece into play and threatening Nxd5+ Surprisingly, it's not good enough for more than equality! b4 15.b7+ e8 16.xe2 b8 17.xa7 a8 18.b7 b8 draws 14.b3 is a different story...the threat is mate with Ba3+. b4 15.a3 a5 16.c3 c8 17.xb4+ axb4 18.xd5+ d8 19.b6+ e8 20.c7+ and wins 14...xf4 15.xf4 Intending Bg5+ and mate. h6 This prevents the threat, but is insufficient. 15...xf1 keeps the balance, but neither side has room for error! 16.c3 xg2 17.xg2 b4 18.g5+ f6 19.b7+ e6 20.exf6 xc2 In this complicated position the chances are equal. 16.c3 White has strong initiative. c4 his defends the d-Pawn, but it does not meet white's real threat. 16...c8 was necessary. 17.xd5 xf1 18.xf1 c7 ere, at least, black has some remote chances of defending himself. 17.e6 c8 Black's position is lost, but this allows a clever finish worthy of a Romantic! 17...fxe6 18.ae1 c8 19.d6+ d8 20.xf8+ xf8 21.xc8+ xc8 22.xf8 e8 23.xg7 with a decisive endgame advantage. 18.c7 fxe6 18...xc7 19.xf7# 19.xd8+ xd8 20.b7+ d7 Now comes a game winning blow. 21.f7+ xf7 22.xd7+ e7 23.e1 e8 24.b3 Trapping the B. f8 25.bxc4 Black resigned. 25.bxc4 f6 26.xd5 b8 27.d6+ f7 28.c7 e7 29.xe6 is utterly hopeless. 1–0

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Game 11Tahl-Botvinnik World Championship 1960

     Chess has been on the back burner for some time now owing to the post-storm cleanup which also lead to some home remodeling projects.  Plus there have been some obligatory social functions. Hopefully, things will soon return to “normal.” 

     The following game was one of the key games of the match. Botvinnik had the momentum after winning games 8 and 9 to close within one point, but the loss of this game left the normally imperturbable Botvinnik psychologically shattered.

     Tahl’s trainer Koblentz said, “Botvinnik, a man of strong will, who was capable of hiding his emotions, left the stage literally broken, and behind his horned-rimmed glasses his eyes were incredibly sad... At this moment he appeared to me to be very unhappy.” 

 

 

     This game also shows that Tahl also knew how to play positional chess and was more than just a swindler. 

     Calculating tactical lines often fails to be satisfactory. If you have a superior position and there are no immediate tactical threats you must find a way to improve your position. To this end a tentative plan is helpful. You need to draw up a “wish list” of piece setups. You begin with an objective then constantly check it tactically. Hopefully, when your plan is successful, the balance will eventually tip in your favor and you can then launch the decisive attack. 

 

The short version of finding an attacking plan is:

     1) Deciding on a point to attack 

     2) Figuring out what pieces are required and any P-breaks that will be necessary 

     3) Determining the path to get your pieces into the desired positions 

     4) Calculating the exact sequence of moves being sure to include

         possible defensive replies.     

     5) Modifying you ‘plan” as required 

     6) Constantly reassessing the position at critical points. This results in planning an attack, calculating variations and, if necessary, modifying the plan.

     

     One difference between games of the older masters and modern day players lies in items 5 and 6. In older games you often see games where a plan is executed flawlessly and the clash of ideas is clear because the loser did not defend until it was too late. 

     Modern players tend to play games where plans are adopted for a few moves and when the plan becomes obsolete, they toss it out and replace it with a new one. The result is ‘plans’ are often nothing more than short maneuvers, lasting 2-4 moves, designed to place a piece on a better square for example. 

     Modern players rely on intuition and imagination, often accepting positions that older masters would have looked at in horror, as long as the play is dynamic enough. Sticking with a plan too long is often as bad as not having one at all. 

     In the following game both players adopted plans that were only partially completed when they had to be abandoned to meet changing conditions. In this game both players used strategic and tactical weapons against each other.

ChessBase

Mikhail Thl–Mikhail BotvinnikA05World Championship Match11Moscow URS07.04.1960Stockfish 16

D78: Fianchetto Gruenfeld 1.f3 It's possible that Tahl was not interested in facing another Caro-Kann. f6 2.g3 g6 3.g2 g7 4.0-0 0-0 5.c4 c6 6.b3 e4 7.d4 d5 This hybrid opening resembles the Catalan and Gruenfeld and it's a area in which Botvinnik had some experience. 8.b2 e6 This odd looking move is explained by black';s desire to win a tempo by threatening ,,,dxc4. However, the threat proves to be ineffective. Additionally, black remains somewhat handicapped by the Bs awkward position. A better continuation would have been 8...Bf5 9.bd2 xd2 10.xd2 a6 Now Botvinnik realized he cannot win the P without running into serious trouble. His best move is now known to be 10...h6 10...dxc4 11.g5 cxb3 12.xe6 fxe6 White is better. Doda, Z-Trifunovic,P Halle 1963 11.ac1 d6 12.e5 fd8 13.fd1 ac8 14.a5 dxc4 With this move Botvinnik hope to get some pressure on thr half open d-file. Although the position is nearly equal, black's position is more difficult to play. 14...xe5 was a reasonable alternative. 15.cxd5 xd5 16.dxe5 b4 17.c3 xa5 18.xa5 b6 with a fully equal position. 15.xc4 This is slightly better than taking with the P. 15.bxc4 This does not, as one of the original annotators claimed, lose. xe5 16.a3 16.xe5 as originally suggest turns out badly after xe5 17.dxe5 b4 18.a3 a2 19.a1 xc4 with much the better of it. 16...c7 17.xe5 xe5 18.dxe5 15...c7 16.e1 b8 17.e4 xc4 This N was performing no function and so Botvinnik correctly decided to exchange it for white's more valuable N. 18.xc4 18.bxc4 c5 19.e5 cxd4 20.xd4 b6 and it's white who finds himself under some pressure. 18...c7 After this black finds himself in some difficulties. 18...c5 keeps the balance. 19.e5 cxd4 20.cxd4 xd4 wuth equal chances. 19.h3 e6 20.c1! a8 This mysterious move anticipates Bf4 possibly followed by d4-d5. 21.g5 e8 22.d2 f5 This move only serves to make black's defense more difficult. However, it's probably a good practical choice because rather than relying on a passive defense it seeks active counterplay. 22...b5 is a better choice, Even so, after 23.g2 c7 24.d5 e5 25.e3 white's active position assures him of the better game. 23.h6 This move got an ! from one early annotator who wrote that Tahl meets his opponent's plan with fine positional judgment. It actully allows black to equalize. 23.e1 f8 24.exf5 exf5 25.g2 f7 26.d5 The advance of the d-Pawn had to happen sooner or later. xd5 27.xd5 cxd5 28.xd5 f8 Prevents the R from reaching e7 29.ec1 xc4 30.xc4 e8 31.c7 In spite of the equal material white is clearly better. 23...xh6 24.xh6 e7 25.e1 f8 26.c5 d8 27.e5 This leaves the d-Pawn subject to capture, but taking it would not result in black gaining any advantage. g7 27...xd4 was more profitable. For example... 28.exf5 gxf5 29.f1 g7 30.c4 g6 with complete equality. 28.d2 d6 While this threatens 29...Nb5, seeking play on the K-side with 28...h5 would have been more fruitful. 28...h5 29.exf5 gxf5 30.f1 h4 with good play. 29.f1 d7 Botvinnik had put up a stout defense and he has obtained good counterplay...his pressure on the d-Pawn is becoming dangerous. 30.exf5 The correct decision. White will meet the pressure on his d-Pawn by counter-pressure on the e-file. xf5 It is necessary to keep the e-file at least half closed. 30...gxf5 31.c4 xd4 32.h6 White is better. 30...exf5 31.c4+ g7 32.b4 f6 33.b5 with good play. 31.5e4 f6 It's hard to explain why Botvinnik didn't equalize with 31...Rd5 31...d5 32.1e3 c5 with complete equality. 32.h4 The idea behind this move is to give black another isolated P. g7 33.h5 gxh5 34.h4 34.g5+ was slightly more accurate. g6 35.xh5 followed by either 36.Bh3 or 36.Bc4 34...g8 35.d3 35.xh5 allows black to equalize after xd4 36.e2 df7 35...g7 Preparing to flee with 35...Kf8 would have been more prudent. 36.e5 The R comes into play with devastating effect. ff7 37.h6 37.exh5+- was stronger... d5 38.e1 e7 39.h6 with unbearable pressure. 37...e7 38.exh5 d5 39.d2 Although white has an excellent position there is no mating attack so he must now find other targets to attack. 39.xh7+ loses after xh7 40.g5+ h8 41.g6 f6 39...f6 40.h6 d6 41.f4 f8 Botvinnik has devised a plan by which he hopes tp draw, but it is faulty. 41...g4 was necessary. 42.xf7 xf7 43.xh7 xh7 44.xh7 c5 45.e2 xd4 White retains te advantage, but black is still very much in the game. 42.e3 d5 Black's idea is to give up a P for what he hopes will be drawing chances. 43.xf7 xf7 44.e5 Tahl declines the P and keeps his attack going. 44.xe6 xe6 45.xe6 f4 46.e3 xd3 47.xd3 d7 with possible drawing chances. 44...c7 45.c5 f3 Botvinnik's counterattack has failed and his position is now quite lost. 46.xh7+ xh7 47.g5+ h8 47...g7 48.d8+ f8 49.h8+‼ xh8 50.xf8+ 48.d8+ g7 49.xh7+ xh7 50.xc7+ Technically the ending is lost for black. but the presence of the Qs makes white's task difficult. As we will see, Tahl was more than just a tricky tactician; he also excelled at all phases of the game. g6 51.xb7 e4 52.a6 b1+ 53.g2 e4+ 54.f1 b1+ 55.e2 c2+ 55...f6 would have allowed a bit more resistance. 56.d3 xa2+ 57.f3 the g-Pawn should prove decisive. 56.f3 f5+ 57.e3 g5+ 58.e2 h5+ 59.d2 f6 60.xc6 a5+ 61.c3 xa2+ 62.e3 f7 63.d5 Even in the ending Tahl never hesitated to sacrifice a P for the sake of active play. Watch is Q and K close in on black's K! exd5 64.c7+ e6 65.c6+ e7 66.xd5 a1 67.e4+ f7 68.f4 c1+ 69.g4 a1 70.d5+ f8 71.f5 b1+ 72.f6 Black resigned. 72.f6 b2+ 73.e6 c1 73...e2+ 74.e5 g4+ 75.f5+ 74.a8+ g7 75.xa7+ wins easily.

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QGD, Symmetrical Defense

     While checking offbeat defenses the QGD, the Symmetrical Defense (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c5) drew my attention. It was analyzed as far back as 1604 but was studied by the Austrian players Hans Haberditz, Hans Muller and Ernst Gruenfeld. Today most theoreticians think white’s advantage is too great and the best black has is a draw. Of course, it can transpose into the Tarrasch variation if white wants to go that route.

     White usually plays 3.cxd5 when it is not advisable for black to play 3...Qxd5 because white gets a big lead in development. Instead, black should play 3...Nf6 intending to recapture on d5 with his Knight. White should be able to maintain the advantage with either 4.Nf3 or 4.e4 though. 

     One of the games I came across was the following amusing Spielmann debacle. 

     Rudolf Spielmann (1883-1942) is well known. His opponent is lesser known. Hans Fahrni (1874-1939) was a Swiss master. In 1892 he was joint Swiss champion. His best results were: 1909, first ahead of Tartakower, Alapin and Spielmann in a Munich quadrangular tournament and first place in 1911 at San Remo. 

     In 1916, he began suffering from psychosis…a generic term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality.” He was hospitalized, but after his release, he had a relapse. 

     In this game Spielmann played a horrible continuation and Fahrni handed him an ignominious defeat.

 

 

     The game was played in the Barmen Meisterturnier A 1905. For the most part, it was a three-way race between Cohn, Swiderski and Forgacs, with occasional challenges from others. 

     The first two were tied for the lead after round 9, but Cohn lost to Swiderski in round 10 and was always a bit behind after that. 

     Forgacs, recovering from a slow start, caught Swiderski in round 11. Round 16 proved critical. 

     Cohn lost to Spielmann, who found his form for this game after losing five in a row! Perlis, going up against tail-ender Pettersson (who had scored one draw in 15 games), slowly frittered away an endgame. That ended their challenges and Swiderski collapsed and lost his last two games while Forgacs won his last two games and took the tournament by a full point. 

     Although Spielmann’s play in the following game was hardly perfect, the game is a good example of why the Symmetrical Defense is not a good choice. 

ChessBase

Hans Fahrni–Rudolf Spielmann1–0D02Barmen Meisterturnier B1905Stockfish 16

D06: Queen's Gambit: Symmetrical Defense 1.d4 d5 2.f3 c5 3.c4 c6 This is a poor decision because it costs black too much time. Transposing into the Tarrach Defense with 3...e6 would have been better. 3...dxc4 is the only other viable alternative, but it is not entirely satisfactory. 4.e3 e6 5.xc4 a6 etc. 3...e5 4.cxd5 xd5 5.c3 d8 The only reasonable move. 5...d6 6.b5 b8 7.d5 is not very appetizing for black. 6.d5 White already has a significant advantage. b8 6...b4 is a losing move. 7.e4 a6 8.a3 a5 9.d2 Black has trapped his own N. Galochkin,S-Rafalski,K (1550) Pardubice 2006 7.e4 Black has a serious lack of development and his next mover only makes matters worse because it allow white the opportunity to open up the position. However, even after, say, 7... g6 black's position is pretty bad. e6 8.b5+ White is winning! d7 9.dxe6 fxe6 10.g5 b6 10...e7 is no better. 11.xd7+ xd7 12.xd7+ xd7 13.xe6 11.h5+ g6 12.f3 h6 13.f6 Black could safely resign at any time. xb5 13...g8 14.xe6+ xe6 15.xe6 There is no way to meet the threat of Nxc7+ 14.xh8 d7 15.xb5 xb5 16.xe6 b4+ 17.c3 xe4+ 18.e3 b4+ 19.d2 f5 20.g7+ d8 21.e8+ c7 22.xb4 xe8+ 23.xe8+ d8 24.c3 xe8 25.0-0-0 b5 26.he1+ d8 27.a5+ Black finally resigned. This game is a good argument for not playing the Symmetrical Defense! 1–0

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Buddy Simonson

     Albert Simonson (December 26, 1914 – November 16, 1965) was one of the strongest American players of the 1930s and was part of the American team which won the gold medals at the 1933 Chess Olympics. 

     “Buddy” Simonson was born into a wealthy family. His father Leo was a successful wig maker to the Manhattan rich, the theater and movie businesses. His mother, Irene, was from the family that owned the Illinois Watch Case Company in Elgin, Illinois. 

     Simonson showed tremendous skill soon after learning the game. At New York 1933, he scored 7-3 to tie for places with Arthur Dake behind Reuben Fine. This earned him selection to the United States Olympic team at age 18. In the Olympiad at Folkestone 1933 he played first reserve board and scored 3-3, as the Americans won the team gold medal. Simonson's teammates were Reube Fine, Isaac Kashdan, Artheu Dake and Frank Marshall. 

     In the 1935 U.S. Open at Milwaukee, Wisconsin he scored 5.5-3.5 to tie for 4th-6th places. In the first modern US Championship in 1936 Simonson placed second with 11-5 behind Samuel Reshevsky. He scored 11-5 in the 1938 U.S. Championship to finish third behind Reshevsky and Fine. 

     In the U.S. Championship of 1940 he tied for 4th-5th places with 10-6 behind Reshevsky, Fine, and Kashdan. In the 1951 U.S. Championship hefinished tied for 11th-12th, with only 3.5-7.5. 

     Simonson was ranked 6th in the country on the first official rating list issued in 1950. Simonson served with the Army during World War II, attaining the rank of Sergeant. Simonson was very skilled at card and board games, but had a serious gambling problem. 

     He was married three times, and fathered three children. Simonson was a colorful character in U.S. chess history, but little is really known about him. 

     Arnold Denker sheds a little light on the real Simonson in his chapter on the man he called A Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze in the delightful The Bobby Fischer I Knew. Denker wrote that Simonson burst onto the New York chess scene like a meteor and then disappeared almost as quickly. But, during his short stay, he won many honors as a player, as a problemist and as a member of the U.S. team at the Folkestone Olympiad. 

     According to Denker, the high point of Simonson’s career occurred in 1936, where only a final round defeat prevented him from winning the first modern US Championship. After that setback, his interest in chess seemed to wane. He did well enough in the 1938 and 1940 championships, but his comeback attempt in the 1951 fixture ended catastrophically, when he shared 10th – 12th places. Denker went on to fill in some of the details and ends the chapter on Simonson describing himself sitting at Simonson’s funeral in the All Souls Unitarian church in New York City thinking, “What a waste.” 

     Physically, Denker described Simonson as a young man as bring tall and shy, always with the slicked-back hair style men wore in the 1930s, well-cut clothes accompanied by an umbrella draped over his arm. 

     According to Denker, if Simonson had chosen a career in chess, there was no telling how far he could have gone. Unfortunately, like many young men who were handed a fortune and never compelled to work, he had no appreciation of it and piddled it all away. Simonson had a restless nature that caused him to jump from one thing to another without ever really accomplishing anything. He became bored with chess and took up pinochle, bridge, gin, poker and backgammon, always willing to gamble on the outcome and always with the very best player he could locate; he nearly always lost. 

     $429,000. In 1933, at age 19, that is the equivalent of how much Simonson collected for his first annuity that had been left to him by Grandpa Elgin. Actually it was $25,000, but $25,000 went a lot further in those days. 

     He was to receive many of these annuities but always, after paying off gambling debts, there was little left. Denker described how on occasions loan sharks had threatened to break his legs and how Simonson often sold off ‘futurities’ on his annuities for as little a $0.25 on the dollar. 

     Simonson also had a habit of pulling practical jokes on people and that sometimes made him enemies. 

     By the late 1930s he needed money and founded a direct mailing business that turned out to be quite successful. This prompted him to get married, but more gambling debts soon caused his wife to leave him. 

     After WW2 broke out Simonson was drafted and, as Sergeant Simonson, ended up in England. After the war he married an English woman, but that marriage did not last long and when it ended he returned to the U.S. where he married a third time, also short-lived. 

     Always a chain smoker, his health declined as his emphysema worsened and while on a trip to San Juan in mid-November, 1955, shortly after his 51st birthday, he passed away. 

     Held at the Hotel Empire in New York in August of 1951 and directed by Hans Kmoch, no players were seeded directly into the championship finals, but competed in four, six-player preliminary sections. Mengarini, Horowitz, and Shainswit qualified out of Group A, while in Group B, Bernstein and Reshevsky qualified and Santasiere advanced over Shipman by way of a coin toss tie breaker. Evans, Seidman, and Simonson qualified out of Group C, and Pinkus, Pavey, and Hanauer qualified out of Group D.

 

 

     This would be the only U.S. championship prior to the emergence of Bobby Fischer in which Reshevsky would play but not place first.

ChessBase

Albert Simonson–Albert Pinkus1–0D46US Champ Finals, New YorkNew York, NY USA1951Stockfish 16

D46: Semi-Slav 1.f3 d5 2.d4 f6 3.c4 e6 4.c3 c6 5.e3 bd7 6.d3 d6 7.e4 Aggressive play. The main line is 7.Qc2 dxe4 8.xe4 xe4 9.xe4 f6 This quite natural move has had poor results in practice. Black does much better with the freeing 9...e5! 9...e5 10.0-0 exd4 11.xd4 f6 with full equality. 10.c2 b4+ 11.e2 Of course, the natural move is 11.Bd2, but Simonson's strange looking 11.Ke2 is Stockfish's choice! 0-0 12.g5 e7 12...h6 is more precise. 13.f4 13.h4 e5 13...d6 13.d3 White is already operating with threats. g6 14.h4 14.he1 b5 15.f1 bxc4 16.xc4 b8 17.b3 d5 18.xe7 xe7 19.g1 White us better and in Korobov,A (2571) -Novita,A (2306) Dubai 2004 he went on to win in a handful of more moves. 14...b5 Black has no time for routine moves. He needs to deal with the pending K-side attack without delay. 14...g4 15.c3 e5 and his position is satisfactory. 15...xg5 is too dangerous because after 16.hxg5 e5 17.dxe5 e7 18.ad1 white has the btter game. 15.b3 bxc4 16.bxc4 a6 Once again black should play ...Ng4 17.e5 Too routine. 17.h5 gives white a powerful attack. The P cannot be taken because of mate on h7 xh5 17...gxh5 18.xf6 xf6 19.xh7# 18.xh5 gxh5 19.xh7# 17...c8 This was his last chance. 17...Nh5 holding up white's advance was his best try. 18.h5 Keeping Black busy. d7 19.xd7 19.hxg6 turns out to be not quite so good as it looks. After xe5 20.gxh7+ h8 21.xe7 xd3 22.xd8 f4+ 23.f3 fxd8 24.xf4 xd4+ Black has survived and the chances are now equal/ 19...xd7 20.hxg6 xg5 In spite of the way things look black has excellent defensive possibilities. However, one wrong step is likely to prove fatal. 20...hxg6 21.h3 xc4+ 22.d3 xd3+ 23.d1 c2+ 24.xc2 mates next move. 20...fxg6 21.xh7 and white has a winning attack because black cannot take the R. xh7 22.xg6+ h8 23.h1# 21.xh7 21.g7 xg7 22.xh7+ f6 And, because black controls the dark squares the K gets away. 21...fd8 This is the fatal slip! 21...e5 This surprising move is the only way to keep the balance, but it looks far too dangerous to play because of... 22.gxf7+ xf7 23.g6+ g7 24.xg5 xc4+ 25.e1 Otherwise he gets mated after... 25.d1 xd4+ 26.c1 xa1+ 27.d2 xg5 etc. 25...exd4 26.d2 xg5 27.xd7 xg2 28.xd4 xf2+ with a likely draw. 22.gxf7+ f8 23.g6 xc4+ 24.e1 Black resigned 24.e1 It's mate in 5... d2+ 25.d1 e2+ 26.xe2 e7 27.f8+ xf8 28.f6+ f7 29.xf7# 1–0

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Weinstock Wallops Stenzel

     National Master Solomon Weinstock (1925-2009) passed away peacefully at his home in New York after a brief illness. 

     He retired from Brooklyn College after more than 20 years as professor of Psychology where h was a distinguished teacher and researcher. 

     Weinstock served in the Army during World War II. After the war, he majored in math and physics and graduated from City College of New York; he received his doctorate in Psychology from Indiana University. 

     He was a strong advocate for civil rights and environmental issues, enjoyed nature, chamber music, traveling and art. 

     Weinstock was a participant in the 1944 US Championship in which he scored 7-10 and tied for 10etg place with Atillio Di Camillo. Weinstock won the Correspondence League of America championship in 1999. 

 

 

     His opponent in the following game was Harold Stenzel (born 1952) who is an International Arbiter. The game was fairly even until Stenzel played 12...Bxa6 which precluded his castling to safety on the Q-side. His final mistake was the loss of time trying to make K-side threats with 15...Qh5. After that he got walloped. 

ChessBase

Solomon Weinstock2210–Harold Stenzel1–0C03Nassau County Chp, Long Island NY1988Stockfish 16

C10: French Defense 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.d2 dxe4 4.xe4 c6 5.f3 b6 6.d3 6.b5 Was also playable. Here is an amusing miniature... d5 Correct was 6...Bb7 7.e2 f6 8.c4 b4+ 9.f1 Black resigned. Rausis,I (2575) -Herboth,T Baden-Baden 1993 After 9...Qd7 10.Ne5 he loses material. 6...b7 7.0-0 f6 8.g5 h6 Risky. He should play 8...Be7 8...xd4 would be a serious mistake. 9.xd4 d6 9...xd4 10.b5+ 10.e1 White us winning. 9.xf6 gxf6 Evidently black though he would have attacking chances owing to the semi-open g-file. That won't be the case. 10.c3 10.d5 This tactical shot secures excellent chances for white, For example... exd5 11.g3 d6 12.e1+ f8 13.f5 Black is left with a shattered K-side and his K is likely to find itself in a predicament. 10...e7 11.a4 With his last two moves white has failed to take advantage of black's play with the result that the position is nearly equal. d7!= 12.a6 xa6 This is wrong because black is now unable to play ...O-O-O 12...0-0-0 13.xb7+ xb7 and jis K is quite safe. 13.xa6± g8 14.ad1 d5 15.fe1 h5 This is consistent with his idea of conducting a K-side attack, but it is tactically faulty as Weinstock simmediately demonstrates. 15...b5 cutting off the Q offers a glimmer of hope. 16.a4 b8 17.b4 f5 and black is surviving. 16.g3 Not bad, but 16.Qb7 was much more forceful. 16.b7 d8 17.xc6+ White has won a piece. 16...d5 17.c4 d7 18.d5 Busting the position wide open with black's K caught in the center. exd5 18...b4 19.b7 c8 20.xc8+ xc8 21.a3 a6 22.d4 e5 23.c6 with a decisive advantage. 19.xd5 c8 20.a4 b7 21.d4 b5 22.xb5! Black resigned. 22.xb5 c8 23.xc6 f8 24.xe7 etc 1–0

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Fischer Was Perfect, Others Weren’t

     Larry Evans once said Fischer’s weakness was overconfidence, stating that it "sometimes causes him to forget his opponents are also capable of finding good moves." Evans’ statement notwithstanding, the 1963/64 US Championship Bobby Fischer made a perfect score of 11-0. 

     Fischer’s first loss in a US Championship to Edmar Mednis had happened in the previous year’s tournament. Evans wrote that “Fischer plays about 50 per cent stronger with white than with black,” adding "It is hard to remember when he last lost with white." But, that’s exactly what happened in a long French Defense in his game against Mednis. 

     As a result of his defeat by Mednis, Fischer arrived at this championship determined not to let it happen again. This tournament was a strong one with only William Lombardy missing from the top rated players. 

 

     Fischer’s rating going in was FIDE 2702. For comparison, the other’s best ratings (either FIDE or national) were: Reshevsky 2621, Benko 2582, Evans 2602, and Robert Byrne 2550, Saidy 2490, Weinstein 2488, Bisguier 2499, Addison 2445, Mednis 2473, Donald Byrne 2434 and Steinmeyer 2425. 

Weinstein circa 1960

     Those ratings may not seem too high by today’s standards, but at the time most garden variety GMs were rated 2500-2600 with a few actually below that, so the championship did have some pretty strong players. Based on ratings though, Fischer was still in a class by himself and was expected to win the event, but what was not expected was the way he did it. 

     He had been studying for five or six hours a day according to friends and was well prepared in the openings as evidenced by his surprising Larry Evans with a King’s Gambit. 

     But, enough of Fischer...others were also playing and they produced some interesting games. Here’s one by Raymond Weinstein. I always liked his sharp style which he demonstrates in this game against Robert Byrne. Note that in this tournament Weinstein did not have a single draw! 

 

ChessBase

Raymond Weinstein–Robert Byrne1–0E9963/64 US Championship, New York1964Stockfish16

E99: King's Indian: Classical Main Line 1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.c3 g7 4.e4 d6 5.e2 0-0 6.f3 e5 7.0-0 c6 8.d5 e7 9.e1 d7 10.f3 f5 11.g4 h5 This is very risky especially against a sharp tactician like Weinstein. Safer was the usual ``...Kh8 12.g5 The only chance that offers any hope of gaining an advantage. 12.gxf5± gxf5 13.d3 f4 is only equal. 12...h4 13.d3 f4 14.h1 It's white who has all the chances. f7 15.d2 15.c5 is even better. h8 16.b3 b6 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.a3 c5 19.xc5 bxc5 20.b4 White has the advantage and went on to win in Larsen,B-Tal,M Bled 1965 15.g1 is also promising. h8 16.f1 f8 17.f2 White is slightly better. Vrana,F (2369)-Skreno,V (2189) Banska Stiavnica 2006 15...h8 16.g1 g8 17.b4 Byrne has succeeded in defending himself on the K-side, so Weinstein seeks opportunities elsewhere. h5 18.c5 f8 18...xg5 This is not to be recommnded. 19.xg5 xg5 20.b5 gf6 21.xc7 b8 22.e6 h6 23.cxd6 h5 24.c3 g3+ 25.g1 25.hxg3 hxg3+ 26.g1 h2+ 27.f1 h1# 25...xe2+ 26.xe2 White's position is a winning one. g5 19.c1 d7 20.xf4 Nice! exf4 21.xf4 e7 22.d2 White's active position is excellent compensation for the N. h7 23.e3 h3 24.d3 f8 25.e2 f7 26.g3 e7 27.cxd6 Opening the way for the R to get into play. cxd6 28.c7 e8 29.xb7 White has 3Ps for the N, but more importantly he has a very active position. e5 30.f4 g7 31.xa7 xa7 32.xa7 f8 32...xg5 might work better. 33.b5 xe4 34.xe4 c8 but, here, too, white's advantage is significant. 33.b5 c8 34.b8 b7 35.xd6 there is simply no way black can avoid disaster with so many white Ps coming at him. f5 36.xf8 xf8 37.f3 d6 37...h4 offered a better defense. 38.g3 f5 39.f3 39.exf5 and white has fallen into a trap! xd5+ 40.g1 c5+ 41.f1 h1+ 42.g1 g2+ 43.xg2 hxg2+ 44.xg2 xh2 45.c6+ d8 46.f6+ d7 47.e6+ and white has to take a draw by continuous checks. 39...h4 40.xh3 c5 and at least black can make his opponent work for the point. 38.d4 c8 39.c3 b7 40.e6 h7 41.b6 Byrne resigned. All he can do is make meaningless moves. 1–0

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Daring Tactics by Anthony Suraci

 

     Anthony Suraci of East Haven, Connecticut played in the 1948 US Championship where he scored +3 -16 =0 and finished in 19th place out of 20. He was the 1951 state champion. Other than that nothing is known about Suraci. 

     However, the July 30, 1964 issue of the New York Times chess column headlined, “An Unknown Becomes Known Through Some Daring Tactics”. 

     So, he was an unknown local player. Chessgames.com has 27 of his games, mostly from the ‘48 championship and a couple of US Opens, the last being in 1962.

     Here is Suraci’s game featuring those daring tactics. His opponent was Harry Lyman (1915-1999), many time champion of New England and the 1957 US Amateur Champion who is remembered as the Dean of Boston chess. He was the uncle of Shelby Lyman. 

     At the time, Lyman was the champion of the Marshall Chess Club and was, himself, a fearless and dangerous tactician. When the two met and both were bent on complications a fierce battle ensued. The symmetrical opening meant a slow start, but things heated up after black’s 13th move.

 

ChessBase

Harry Lyman–Anthony Suraci0–1A00Central New England Open, Fitchburg1951Stockfish 16

A05: Reti Opening 1.f3 f6 2.g3 g6 3.g2 g7 4.0-0 0-0 5.d3 d6 6.bd2 e5 7.e4 g4 8.h3 d7 9.c4 c8 9...c6 10.c3 e8 11.h2 f5 12.exf5 xf5 looks to be about equal. Apatoczky,P (2250)-Ponyi,A (2095) Hungary 1993 10.h2 c6 11.c3 e6 12.h4 The prelude to a K-side attack that never materializes. Probably his best course was to continue the slow maneuvering with 12.Ne3 h5 12...xe4 is the engine's preference, but after 13.xe4 d5 14.xe5 dxe4 15.xc6 bxc6 it's unlikely that a human would prefer black. 13.f4 Typical of Lyman's aggressive play, but here it opens up the K-side in black's favor. Again, 13.Ne3 was a solid continuation. b5 This is irrelevant and should have only served to drive white's N to a good square on e3. 13...exf4! and life is bright. 14.gxf4 xc4 15.dxc4 e6 14.a3 This places the N offside...it needs to be on e3 after which white's game would have been slightly better. exf4 15.gxf4 d8 16.f3 b8 With little to be immediately accomplished on the Q-side Suraci switches to the Q-side... real master play! 17.d4 b4 18.c2 c4 19.f2 bxc3 20.bxc3 a6 21.e5 This natural looking P push is the wrong one and it leaves white with a lost game. 21.f5 keeps white in the game. e7 22.e3 c8 23.g1 d5 24.fxg6 hxg6 25.e5 c5 and it's still a fight. 21...dxe5 22.a3 e4 Offering the exchange, but white does not immediately accept it. 22...xf4 This was an alternative. 23.xf8 xf8 24.xe5 xe5 25.dxe5 e8 with an active position. 23.g5 This is more of a gesture than anything. The immediate capture of the R was also playable. f5 24.xf8 xf8 25.f1 d6 26.xe4 This only hastens the end, but it makes little difference what he plays. fxe4 27.xa6 xf4 28.c4+ g7 29.h1 h4 The climax of black’s attack 30.f1 xh3 31.f7+ h6 31...h8 lessens the force of his attack because white can trade Qs 32.f6+ xf6 33.xf6 b2 34.b3 But even here black's advantage is decisive. 32.e1 g3 33.d2+ g5 34.e6 f4+ 35.g1 d8 36.e3 Black still has toi be alert...allowing 37. Nf5 would be a tragedy. g6 37.g7+ Is black in trouble? f6 Not after this move! 37...xg7 38.f5+ f6 39.xh4 dxe6 40.g2 h3+ 41.h1 f2+ and black has to take the draw. 38.b3 xb3 39.axb3 h3+ 40.f1 Not that it matters, but 40.Kg2 holds out a bit longer. f4+ 41.g2 f3+ 42.xh3 f2+ It's mate in 2 so White resigned. Yes, 42...Bf4 was mate. 0–1

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Gheorghiu Demolishes de Castro

     It’s been quite an ordeal recovering from the recent flooding. Cleanup, replacing lost items and dealing with the insurance company has not left much free time, but a few spare moments here and there have been spent looking around in the 1970s chess world. 

     The year 1973 was filled with events: it saw the birth of the first mobile phone, abortion being declared a constitutional right, and the Battle of the Sexes, the most-watched tennis match of all times, It was a match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, the two greatest tennis players of the day. King won easily.

     Vasily Panov (1906-1973) died in the USSR at the age of 66. He was champion of Moscow in 1929. Al Horowitz (1907-1973), a leading US players in the 1930’s and publisher of the great Chess Review magazine, died at the age of 65 in New York. Hans Kmoch (1894-1973) also passed away in New York at the age of 78.

     Aleksander Lipenieks (1908-1973) died in Lincoln, Nebraska at the age of 64. He was the city champion 15 times and also published a number of chess books. FIDE President Folk Rogard (1899-1973) died in Stockholm, Sweden at the age of 73. 

     Three-time USSR Champion Leonid Stein (1934-1973) died of a heart attack at the age of 38 in Moscow. And, two-time Yugoslav champion Braslav Rabar (1919-1973) died in Zagreb, Yugoslavia at the age of 54. 

     At the beginning of the year the world’s top rated players were: 1) Bobby Fischer (2780), 2) Mikhail Tal (2660), 3) Anatoly Karpov (2660), 4) Boris Spassky (2655), 5) Viktor Korchnoi (2650), 6) Lajos Portisch (2650), 7) Tigran Petrrosian (2640), 8) Mikhail Botvinnik (2630), 9) Lev Polugaevsky (2625), and 10) Bent Larsen (2620). 

     Walter Browne won the National Open in Las Vegas on tiebreaks over Laszlo Szabo and James Tarjan. He also won the World Open in New York City. Arthur Bisguier won the big Lone Pine tournament in California. Norman Weinstein, age 22, won the US Open, held in Chicago. 

     Bobby Fischer was making news. He was offered a million dollars to play a match in Las Vegas. According to his lawyer, Paul Marshall, Fischer had over $10 million in offers to or advertise, but he turned them all down...it was beneath his dignity to advertise any product. 

     He moved to Los Angles to continue his religious studies with the Worldwide Church of God. 

     In August, he announced his upcoming plans at a press conference in Beverly Hills, California with the chief lawyer for the Worldwide Church of God standing by his side. 

     In November, 1973, Fischer was the guest of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos against whom he played an exhibition game that was broadcast on television. It lasted 5 minutes and a draw agreed after 8 moves. 

     Fischer also played Florencio Campomanes, President of the Philippines Chess Federation, a blitz game on television. Fischer won on time. 

     Ourense is a city in northwestern Spain known for its hot springs; they held an international tournament there in January of 1973. 

     From the beginning it looked like Romanian GM Florin Gheorghiu was going to win, which he did. The one point margin of victory was mainly due to defeat of Pal Benko in the very first round. 

 

 

     The tournament produce a number of interesting games, especially miniatures. Here is one of the more entertaining games in which Gheorghiu totally destroys De Castro. 

      Florin Gheorghiu was born in Bucharest on April 6, 1944. He won the World Junior Championship in 1953 and was awarded the IM title. In 1965 he became a Grandmaster. He won the Romanian Championship in 1960 (age 16), 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1973, 1977 and 1984. At his peak in November 1980, he was rated No. 10 in the world. 

     Edgar De Castro was a Filipino player and International Arbiter and from the begin of 1960s to the mid-1970s was one of the leading Filipino players. Other than that nothing is known about him. 

ChessBase

Florin Gheorghiu–Edgar de Castro1–0B87Orense, Spain14.01.1973Stockfish 16

Sicilian Defense 1.e4 c5 2.f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.xd4 f6 5.c3 a6 6.c4 e6 7.b3 b5 8.0-0 b7 Risky. Black delays castling and quickly experiences difficulties on the e-File. Much better was 6...Be7 8...e7 9.f3 c7 10.g3 0-0 11.h6 e8 Black's defenses are adequate. 9.e1 bd7 10.g5 c5 This is a tactical error that allows white ti immediatley gain the advantage. Forcing white to make a decision with his B with 10...h6 was a reasonable try. 11.d5 Black is already in trouble. b4 11...exd5 12.exd5+ d7 13.b4 a4 14.xa4 bxa4 15.c4 and white is winning. 11...e7 keeps the damage to a minimum. 12.xb7 xb7 13.c6 c7 14.xe7 xe7 White is better, but there is no forced win. 12.xb7 Already white's position can be declared as won. xb7 There was no better alternative. 12...bxc3 13.c6 c7 14.xa8 cxb2 15.b1 is equally hopeless for black. 13.d5 exd5 13...c8 14.f3 e7 15.xe7 xe7 16.f5 exf5 17.exf5 and wins. 14.exd5+ d7 15.c3 White needs to open more lines. b3 15...bxc3 16.a4+ c8 17.c6+ b8 18.xf6 gxf6 19.e8 16.xb3 c5 17.c4 c8 It's kind of hard to believe but up to here these moves were all played the previous year! 17...c8 18.c6 h6 19.xf6 gxf6 20.e3 c7 21.b4 g8 Black resigned Tal,M (2625)-Mukhin,M (2420) Baku 1972 18.b4 ce4 19.xa6 xc3 20.ac1 c7 21.d3 It's a moot point but there was a mate in 16 with 21.Rxc3 21.xc3 xc3 22.a4+ c8 23.c6 b6 24.a8+ c7 25.d8+ b7 26.b8+ a6 27.b5+ xb5 28.b1+ c4 29.xb6 xd5 30.b5+ c5 31.d1+ e6 32.d4+ e7 33.e1+ d8 34.e8+ c7 35.b8+ d7 36.d8# 21...c8 22.b5 Black resigned 22.b5 e2+ 23.xe2 xc1 24.xc1 xc1+ 25.xc1 etc. 1–0

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