Boris Blumin Wins the 1936 Canadian Championship

    The 1936 Canadian Championship, held in Toronto, was won by Boris Blumin (January 11, 1908 - February 16, 1998). He was a Canadian-American master who was born in Russia. 

    He immigrated to Canada in the early 1920s and played in several Canadian Championships, winning it twice (1936 and 1937).      

    At some point, probably in the late 1930s or early 1940s, he emigrated to the United States. Suffering from Alzheimers, he passed away in his home in Trenton, New Jersey. His wife passed away at the age of 99 in Trenton in 2008

 

 

 

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ChessBase

Boris Blumin–C. Cradock1–0D55Canadian Champ., TorontoToronto CAN1936Stockfish 16

D35: Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation 1.d4 d5 2.f3 f6 3.c4 e6 4.c3 e7 5.g5 0-0 6.e3 c6 7.d3 bd7 8.cxd5 exd5 White usually plays the Exchange Variation at move 4 with 4.cxd4. In the Exchange Variation strategy is determined based on the fact that white has a P-majority in the center nd black on the Q-side. White can either advance his Ps in the center by means of Nge2, f2-f3 and e2-e4. The move order jere has obviously eliminated that plan. The other white plan is to play for a Minority Attack by means of Rb1, followed by b2-b4-b5, then bxc6. From black;s point of view, the exchange has released his light-squared B and opened the e-file. This gives him the use of e4 as a springboard for central and K-side attack. 9.0-0 h6 10.h4 e4 11.xe7 xe7 12.c2 f5 13.fe1 Blumin has elected to go his own way and eschews the Minority Attack. 13.ab1 g5 14.b4 g4 15.d2 df6 16.e2 h5 17.b5 Tomilova,E (2207)-Badelka,O (2416) Sochi RUS 2022. White's position is more o\pronising. 13...g5 This idea, which sets a trap, does not work out very well. 13...g5 14.f1 g7 15.d2 xd2 16.xd2 f6 with full equality. Steppan,S (1584)-Samarian,C (1811) Berlin 2009 14.e5 14.xf5 falls headlong into the trap. xf3+ 15.gxf3 g5+ 16.h1 xf5 and black has won a piece. White should try 14.xg5± xg5 15.e2 14...xe5 15.dxe5 e6 15...f4 was an alternative. 16.exf4 xf4 17.e2 g4 18.g3 but black does not appear to have gained anything. 16.f4 e4 17.a4 ad8 18.ad1 c7 19.xe4 dxe4 20.b3 20.c5 d5 20...xa2 21.b3 traps the B 21.d2 h7 22.ed1 is only equal. 20...b6 21.c3 e7 22.a4 c5 23.c3 So far it's been a dull maneuvering game, but with his next move which is designed to prevent Nb5 black slides into inferiority simply because 23...Qe8 does not really prevent Nb5.. The best way to prevent Nb5 ui 23...a6 e8 24.xd8± xd8 25.d1 h4 26.b5 d8 26...a6 27.c7 f7 28.d2 with a positioal superiorty 27.xa7 d3 Hoping for ...Qd8. 28.b5 28.xd3 e1# 28...d8 Worth considering was 28...Kf8 29.d6 29.xd3 leads to some tricky play, but white would come out with the advantage. Such lines are virtually impossible to accurately calculated OTB though! exd3 30.d2 c4 31.d6 b5 32.xb5 d5 33.bxc4 xc4 34.d6 b6 35.xc4 b1+ 36.f2 c2 37.e1 xc4 29...xd1+ After this black is lost. 29...a8 makes a defense possible because if... 30.xd3 exd3 31.xd3 xa2 32.xf5 xf5 33.xf5 e2 Threatening mate. 34.h3 xe3+ 35.h2 h5 Intending ...h4 ...Qg3+ and ...Qe1+, etc. Now a draw seems likely. 30.xd1 a8 A move too late. 31.h5 Qg6 is the strong threat. d5 31...xa2 32.e8+ 32.xf5 allows black to equalize after xb3 33.h3 xf5 34.xf5 xe3+ 35.h2 h5 36.e6 36.xh5 actually loses... xf4+ 37.h1 e3 etc. 36...h4 37.f7+ h7 38.h5+ draws 32...h7 33.xe6 31...a5 threatening ...Qe1# was worth a try. 32.e2 c3 33.h3 c1+ 34.h2 c3 White is better, but finding a way to make progress is going to be difficult. In Shootouts white scored +4 -0 =1, but the gmes ran another 50 moves or so. 32.h3 Making an escape square for the K. h7 33.h2 c6 34.xf5 Now white is clearly winning. d7 35.d6 g6 36.h4 g7 37.xe4 f5 38.f6+ h8 39.e8 f8 40.f6+ Black resigned. 40.f6+ xf6 41.xf6 e6 42.g3 g7 43.e8+ f8 44.d6 with an easily won ending. 1–0

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