A Rococo Finale by Devos

    In 1948, in the small town (population less than 25,000) of Baarn, located about 22 miles southeast of Amsterdam, Paul Bevos and Baruch H. Wood met. Devos won the Brilliancy Prize in a game in which the final position was described as being positively bizarre or fantastic. 

    The final position was also described as “rococo” which was a new word to me. It has three meanings: 1) an 18th century style of architecture 2) an 18th century musical style and 3) excessively ornate or intricate. 

    In any case, in regards to the final position, tale you pick of descriptions: bizarre, fantastic or rococo. They all seem to fit! 

 

    Paul Devos (1911-1981) was seven times Belgian champion in 1933, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1941, 1945 and 1948. 

    Baruch H. Wood (1909-1989) was an English player, editor and author. Between 1938 and 1957, Wood was the champion of Warwickshire eight times. In 1948, he tied for second place at the British Championship and he won the British correspondence championship in 1944–45. In 1935, Wood founded the magazine CHESS, which became one of the two leading chess magazines in Great Britain. He also held various administrative position in various British chess organizations.

 

ChessBase

Baruch H. Wood–Paul Devos0–1E37Baarn21.04.1948Stockfish 16

E37: Nimzo-Indian: Classical 1.d4 f6 2.c4 e6 3.c3 b4 4.c2 d5 5.a3 xc3+ 6.xc3 e4 7.c2 c5 8.dxc5 c6 This line in the Noa Variation usually gives rise to complicated positions requiring subtle play. At the time it was thought the P sacrifice was not sound. 9.cxd5 exd5 10.f3 f5 Black can regain the P with 10...Qa5+, but the text is more aggressive 10...a5+ 11.d2 xc5 12.xc5 xc5 with a benign position. 11.b4 0-0 12.b2 d4 Devos continues his aggressive play. 12...e8 is solid. 13.d1 b6 14.e3 bxc5 15.b5 b6 with equal play. Ivanchuk,V (2717)-Topalov,V (2718) Monte Carlo 2001 13.c4 e8 14.xd4 This turns out to be the losing move. White is under too much pressure ti be be able to afford taking the second P. 14.d1 is the correct move, but even here white cannot afford a misstep! g4 15.xd4 xd4 16.xd4 e7 17.e3 The Q had to go to b2. Or, even e5 then is black exchanges on e5 white has a P-fork with e3 ad8 18.d2 Instantly fatal. The N had to go to d4. d7 19.b3 xd2 20.c2 xe2 White resigned; he is losing lots of material. Brown,M (2121)-Bodek,M (2191) Crossville USA 2011 21.xd2 xf1+ 22.d1 g4+ 23.f3 xg2 24.xd8 xd8+ 25.c1 xh1 etc. 14...f6 Black has a decisive advantage. 15.a2 The worst of the evils facing white is apparent after this move, the idea of which is to defend the B and free the N to move. However, it really doesn't matter because white's position is lost whatever he plays. e6 16.xe6 xf2+ 16...xe6 Was this what white was expecting? 17.xe6 xe6 18.f3 f6 19.e4 and it's white who is winning. 17.d1 xe6 18.c3 Unmasking his R. d8+ 19.c2 On the surface it looks like white might be able to defend himself, but the engines demonstrates a forced mate in 10/ e3 A "slip" that leaves black only a little more than a R+P advantage according to the engine. 19...xc3 20.a1 e3 21.c1 b5 22.a1 f6 23.b1 c3+ 24.c1 a4 25.a2 c3+ 26.c2 xc4 27.b1 xc2 28.xc2 b2# 20.h4 White tries to free himself from black's merciless grip, but it's fr too late' Black now generates a crushing attack. d2+ A brilliant sacrifice. 21.xd2 xd2+ 22.b3 d4+ Black mates...in 16 moves. 23.a4 This shortens the agony...it's mate in 2 23.xd4 xd4 24.h3 d1+ 25.c2 b1+ 26.b2 d2+ 27.c3 c1+ 28.c2 b1+ 29.b3 xa3+ 30.c4 e4+ 31.d5 xb4 32.d3 a3 33.b2 c4+ 34.d6 e6+ 35.c7 c6+ 36.b8 e8+ 37.d8 xd8+ 38.xa7 a6# 23...d1+ After this it's now mate in 3 23...c3+ 24.xc3 a6# 24.a5 a6+ 24...a4+ 25.xa4 c3+ 26.xc3 26.a5 c6# 26...a6# 25.xa6 It's still mate in 3 a4+ 26.xa4 c3+ 27.a5 b3# Rococo does seem the best description of the finale. 0–1

Download PGN