From December 27, 1973 to January 6, 1974 there was a tournament in Reggio Emilia, Italy (Jurgen Dueball, Leubeb Popov and Gyula Sax tied for first) and from January 8-18, 1974, there was another tournament held in Madonna Di Campiglio, Italy (Sax won).
GM Edmar Mednis played in both. At Reggio Emilia he scored +5 -1 =4 and tied for 4th-5th. At Madonna Di Campiglio he scored +3 -1 =6 and tied for 4th-6th.
The weather in Reggio Emilia was cold, wet and dark and there was a local oil shortage which meant that there was absolutely no heat in the playing hall and the players had to bundle up in overcoats and hats.
Madonna di Campiglio, a winter and summer resort in northern Italy that is close to Switzerland and Austria, was different. It was bright and sunny with temperatures hovering around freezing. Mednis was unhappy with the playing conditions though. The spectators were not separated from the players and they (the spectators) “felt free to make as much noise as possible.”
If you ever met Edmar Mednis (March 22, 1937 - February13, 2002, 64 years old) you would have found him to be a friendly, pleasant man that was just plain likable.
Grandmaster (1980) Mednis was born in Riga, Latvia. Although he was trained as a chemical engineer he worked as a stockbroker, but became best known as a chess player and an excellent author.
After moving to the United States Mednis represented his new country in the 1955 World Junior Championship that was held in Antwerp and won by Boris Spassky. Mednis finished second; their individual game was drawn.
Mefnis died of complications from pneumonia in 2002 at Woodside, Queens, New York.
His opponent in the following game was Guido Cappello (1922-1996) who was born in Pisa and was the 1960 was Italian Champion.
At the time the following game was played Mednis’ score was 4-2 and he was determined to win and so playing the Sicilian seemed to offer the best chance of winning.
He was also aware that in earlier rounds Cappello had obtained winning positions against the two Sicilians he had faced. Consequently, Medis, knowing that is opponent was also intent on winning, eschewed the Sicilian and decided upon the French Defense with the the hope that also in his desire to win, Cappello would overreach himself.
Cappello’s play was quiet, but solid and he even had a bit of an advantage, but began drifting, got into time trouble and lost.
[Event "Reggio Emilia (Italy)"]
[Site "Reggio Emilia (Italy)"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Renato Cappello"]
[Black "Edmar Mednis"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C04"]
[WhiteElo "2310"]
[BlackElo "2455"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 16"]
[PlyCount "54"]
{C04: French Defense} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 {[%mdl 32]} Nc6 {This is the
Guimard Variation, named after GM Carlos Guimads pf Argentina who introduced
it into practice in 1946-7. The idea is to put immediate piece pressure on
white's center and so prevent a favorable P-formation for white' i.e. a P on
f4. The downside is that black's c-Pawn is blocked. It was Mednis' belief that
3...Nc6 gives black more winning chances than other moves. Ny database does
not support that belief as it shows white winning four times as many games as
black in the Guimard.} 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd7 6. Bb5 {Clearly Cappello is
looking for a fight.This is much more forcing than the tamer 6.Nb3.} a6 7. Bxc6
bxc6 8. Nb3 c5 9. Bg5 {The disadvantage of White's order of moves is that an
immediate 9 N-R5 leads to nothing after 9 in N-QR5, must exchange Bishops and
it is generally true that all exchanges lighten the defensive task.} ({is not
as good as it looks.} 9. Na5 c6 {and the N is serving no purpose on a5 because
white cannot play} 10. Nxc6 Qc7 {and the N is trapped.}) 9... Be7 {Best/} (9...
f6 10. exf6 gxf6 11. Bh4 c4 12. Nbd2 Be7 13. O-O {Wgite is slightly better.
The position of black's K is a bit drafty.}) 10. Na5 {Now this move is good;
the threat is Nc6 trapping the Q.} Nb8 {This prevents Nc6, but now white gets
a bit of an advantage.} (10... Nxe5 {This surprise is actually obvious when
you see it! It's not surprising that Mednis missed it in his notes to the game!
} 11. Nxe5 Bxg5 12. dxc5 Qf6 {The chances are equal, but in Bueno,A (2179)
-Languidey,S (2416) Florianopolis BRA 2019 white soon erred and lost quickly.})
11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. dxc5 {Even GMs think about such elementary things as the
center. Mednis observed that, "Giving up the center is rarely worthwhile and
also here black now achieves equality." He recommended 12.c3. Jowever, it must
be noted that white's move is, in reality, not a mistake (Stockfish says so!)
and the position is quite even.} (12. c3 {...and white is a bit better after...
} Bd7 13. O-O O-O 14. Qb3 Nc6 15. Nxc6 Bxc6 16. Qa3 {Black has a bad B pluus
his Ps are subjected to annoying pressure by the Q.}) (12. c4 O-O 13. O-O Rd8
14. Rc1 dxc4 15. Rxc4 cxd4 16. Nxd4 {White is better. Zimina,O (2334)-Hou,Y
(2578) Plovdiv BUL 2010}) 12... Qxc5 13. Qd2 (13. Nb3 {is less effective.} Qe7
14. Qd4 Nd7 15. Qg4 O-O 16. O-O {Black has the more active position.
Kastelfranchi,A (2215)-Gusev,Y (2360) Moscow 1991}) 13... O-O 14. O-O Nd7 {
Somewhat better would have been 14...Nc6} 15. b4 {Mednis was critical of this
demonstration stating that it leads to nothing, but otherwise black soon gets
in ...c5 with a good position. But, it's the very move Stockfish recommends
and assigns white a very minimal advsantage.} Qb6 {The Q would have been safer
on e7.} 16. c4 dxc4 17. Rac1 (17. Nxc4 {According to Mednis after} Qb5 {
Black stands very well, so Cappello tries to keep the Q-side bind. However,
Black has sufficient counterplay according to Mednis. A possible continuation
si} 18. Rac1 Rb8 19. Nd4 Qxb4 20. Qxb4 Rxb4 21. Nc6 Ra4 22. Ne7+ Kh8 23. Rfd1 {
The chances are equal.}) 17... Qb5 18. Rfe1 (18. Nxc4 {is met by} Rb8 19. a3
Bb7 20. Nd4 Qd5 21. f4 Rfd8 {with equality.}) (18. Rxc4 {is more difficult for
black to meet.} Nxe5 19. Nxe5 Qxe5 20. Rfc1 {wins the cp(awn and leaves white
with the advantage.}) 18... Rb8 {Good defensive play! The idea is not so much
to attack the b-Pawn as to allow the development of the Bishop.} 19. Rxc4 Bb7
20. Ng5 {This merited a ? fro Mednis who offered the instructive observation:
A type of move which is so often dangerous in open Sicilian type positions,
but is not so dangerous in the semi-closed French Defense. During the game I
thought that white's best approach here was to sacrifice a P with 20.a4} (20.
a4 {As it turns out Mednis was correct...this is the ebst move.} Qxa4 21. Nxb7
Rxb7 22. Rd4 c5 23. bxc5 Qb5 {with equal chances.}) 20... Nxe5 {[%mdl 32]
Actually, this position is quite equal if white follows up correctly with 21.
Rc5 or 21.Qc2. Instead he starts going astray. Looming time pressure?} 21. Rxc7
{Mednis stated that there was nothing better, but after 21.Rc5 neither side
can claim any advantage.} (21. Rc5 Qd3 22. Qc1 Ng6 23. Nxb7 Rxb7 24. a3 Rb5 25.
Rxc7 a5 {with complete equality.}) 21... Ba8 {Excellent! Black takes time out
to retain his B which has now become quite valuable.} 22. a3 {There has
suddenly been a complete turn around in the position. White lacks a decisive
continuation so he protects the b-Pawn. AT this point black has a considerable
advantage.} Nd3 {Another excellent move. Mednis called it the most difficult
move in the game because black voluntarily allows a pin on the d-file, but is
is the only way of taking immediate advantage of the misplaced white pieces.} (
22... Rbd8 {This is obvious, but after} 23. Qc2 Ng6 24. Rc5 Qd3 25. Nc6 {
white has sufficient play.}) 23. Rd1 Rbd8 {[%mdl 128]} 24. Rc3 {Time pressure
was approaching for Cappello and he played the text move quickly and
confidently. However, a fully satis- factory defense does not exis,t but the
text move loses quickly. All Mednis must do is to sidestep a diabolical trap!}
Nf4 {[%mdl 512] Which he does!} (24... Nxf2 {would allow white to fully
equalize.} 25. Qxd8 Qe2 (25... Nxd1 26. Rc8 {and white wins!} (26. Qxd1 Qxg5 {
favors black})) 26. Nc6 Bxc6 27. Qd2 Qxd1+ 28. Qxd1 Nxd1 29. Rxc6 {is equal.})
25. Qxd8 Ne2+ 26. Kh1 Nxc3 27. Rd3 {This is the position Mednis visualized
when he played 24...Nf4 he felt sure that 27...Qe5 must win, but now, when
this position arose, he started looking for something better.} g6 {After this
prosaic move white resigned.} (27... Qe5 28. Nf3 Qe2 29. Ng1 (29. Rxc3 Qf1+ 30.
Ng1 Qxg2#) 29... Qxf2 30. Qg5 Ne2 31. Nxe2 Qxe2 32. h3 Qxd3 {wins}) (27... Nd5
{This completes the N's tour and is quite elegant.} 28. Qxf8+ Kxf8 29. Rd1 Nc3
30. Re1 Qxg5 {and the game is over.}) (27... g6 28. Qd4 Qxg5 29. f3 Qc1+ 30.
Qg1 {Black can win any number of ways} Qxa3 31. Qe1 Rc8 32. Rd4 Ne2 33. Rd2 Rc1
) 0-1
No comments:
Post a Comment