Short and Sweet

 

    The year 1927 saw Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic in their first solo flight. The price of a man's racoon coat was $295 - $395. That’s the equivalent of $5,295 to over $7,000 in today’s purchasing power. Twenty-seven to thirty raccoons had to give up their lives to make one of these fur coats which were actually quite warm. 

     A man named Edwin Perkins invented Fruit Smack...we know it as Kool-Aid. You don’t see them much today, but they are still being used, the foot-measuring tool called the Brannock Device was invented by Charles Brannock. When it comes to measuring the feet for shoes it’s the gold standard device...it has a 96 percent accuracy. 

    The German Fritz Lang's silent film "Metropolis" opened to widely negative reviews, including one that accused it of portraying "foolishness, cliche, platitude, and muddlement about mechanical progress and progress in general." It was a science-fiction film about a futuristic city where a beautiful and cultured utopia existed above a bleak underworld populated by mistreated workers. 

    In 1927, the International Correspondence Chess Association was founded; it was replaced in 1946 by the International Correspondence Chess Federation (ICCF). 

    Efim Bogoljubov (1889-1952) was banned from the USSR because of his “bourgeois vice of putting his pocket book above his principles." He got the boot when he expressed his desire to give up his Soviet citizenship in order to be able to attend the tournament from which today’s game is taken On January 15, 1927, David Janowsky (1868-1927) died in France of tuberculosis..

    On March 14, 1927, Max Weis (1857-1927) died in Vienna. He had given up chess to pursue his banking career. Jose Capablanca won the New York International; Alekhine took second. They agreed to play a match in Buenos Aires for the world title which Alekhune won with a +6 -3 =25 score. 

    The first chess Olympiad was held in London. There were 16 teams and Hungary took 1st. The first women's world championship was held London and the winner was 21-year-old Vera Menchik. 

    Bogoljubow didn’t get to plat in Merano which was won by Edgard Colle of Ghent, Belgium. Colle had participated in international events for several years with no special success until this tournament. He was tied for first place after the semi-final round with Prepiorka of Poland, but the latter lost his last game to Gruenfeld while Colle drew with Sacconi.

 

 

    The players in the following game were Stefano Rosselli del Turco, Marquis (18770 - 1947) who was the Italian champion five times and Poloish champion David Przepiorka (1880 – 1940). The Gestapo raided his apartment where some players were neeting and they were all arrested. The non-Jewish players were released, but Przepiorka and the other Jewish players weren’t and were subsequently executed.

 

ChessBase

Stefano Rosselli del Turco–David Przepiorka1–0B13MeranoMeran ITA18.12.1926Komodo Dragon 3

B13: Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 The Exchange Variation. cxd5 In recent times Vladimir Kramnik has developed some 9nteresting ideas in this line. 4.d3 The Panov-Botvinnik Attack (4.c4) is the main alternative. It usually leads to typical isolated d-Pawn positions. White obtaining rapid development, a grip on e5 and K-side attacking chances. With 4.Bd3 white takes control of f5 so black can't play ...Bf5. c6 This is the main continuation. 5.c3 f6 6.f4 White develops his Bs first. by delaying Nf3 he avoids than annoying pin ...Bg4. g4 7.b3 d7 At Beograd in 1970, Petrosian played the less effective 7...Na5 against Fischer. 8.h3 h5 9.d2 g6 9...e6 10.gf3 d6 11.xd6 xd6 12.0-0 0-0 equals. Hambleton,A (2420)-Hajiyev,K (2183) chess.com INT 2023 10.xg6 hxg6 11.gf3 e6 12.0-0-0 In more modern times white has played 12.Ne5 and 12.O-O. Castling on opposite sides leads to a dog fight. a5 12...d6 is an interesting alternative. 13.xd6 xd6 14.xb7 b8 15.a6 0-0 16.he1 b6 and black has slightly the better of it. 13.c2 b5 14.e5 b7 15.b1 c4 16.he1 16.g4 has a greater impact. e7 17.dxc4 dxc4 18.g5 hoping to get in h4. 16...a3 This is a simple miscalculation. Black probably expected 17.b3, but even then white would stand better. Correct was 16...Nxe5 and no matter how white recaptures the chances would be equal. 17.dxc4 dxc4 17...bxc4 opening the b-file is met by 18.a4+ d7 White can capture either on d7 or a3. In either case there is nothing black can accomplish on the b-file because of white's B. 18.bxa3 xg2 19.f3 xh3 Black has snagged a couple of Ps for the B, but they don't mean anything. White now crashes through against black's K in the center. 20.d5 Of course.. .white finishes with a flair. xd5 21.xd5 The only followup that wins outright. Other moves leaves white with the advantage, but not more. exd5 22.xg6+ d7 23.e7+ d8 24.c7+ c8 25.xh8 Black resigned. Near perfect play by Rosselli del Tirco. 25.xh8 xh8 26.f5+ b7 27.xd5+ mate next move. 1–0

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Martin C. Stark

    Martin C. Stark was born on December 20, 1912 and passed away comfortably in his sleep at the age of 98 on Thursday, February 17, 2011, surrounded by his family. 

    He lived in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania and formerly had lived in Bethesda, Maryland and New York City. 

    Stark was a 1933 graduate of Harvard University with a degree in civil engineering. He worked in Washington, D.C., for the Capital Transit Company as a traffic engineer and project manager, overseeing and implementing the facilitation of traffic flow along the city’s major roadways. In 1956, he went to work for the National Bureau of Standards in Washington as an operations research analyst; a position he held until he retired in 1973. 

    While at Harvard he was a member of the chess team during his four years there and after graduation he won the Maryland and Virginia state championships. He was also the many time winner of the Washington D.C. championship. The USCF awarded him the Life Master title in 1984. His other interests included playing the piano and duplicate tournament bridge.

Stark in 1943

    In 1943, the Ventnor City, New Jersey tournament was won by the then Marshall CC Champion Anthony Santasiere who although he was known for his sacrificial play achieved success by avoiding losses rather than by w inning games; his score was +2 -0 =5. Shainswit's loss to Santasiere cost him undisputed first place.

     In the following game Adams used the Albin Counter Gambit which was one of his longstanding defenses. Black has a central wedge at d4 and gets some chances for an attack, but it’s generally considered to be unsound This game was awarded the Best Played Game prize.

 

    At the time, Adams was renowned for his expert acquaintance with the defense and when Stark played a relatively unknown line and very quickly established a superior position. After that Adams never knew what hit him. 

ChessBase

Martin C. Stark–Weaver W. Adams1–0D09Ventnor CityVentnor City, NJ USA1943Komofo Dragon 3

D09: Albin Counter Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.f3 There are already a few plausible moves white should avoid: 4.a3, 4.e4, 4.Bd3, 4.e3 and 4.Bf4 c6 Black would like to defend his Om which is the foundation of his pkay with the c-Pawn, but that is not a good idea because it shuts in his B. 4...c5 5.e3 c6 6.d3 and black has difficulty developing his K-side. 4...c5 5.bd2 c6 6.b3 is also unsatisfactory for black. 5.g3 With this move white concentrates on development and on Q-side play. If he loses the e-Pawn the better placement of his pieces would be sufficient compensation. c5 6.f4 Rather unusual at this point, but Reuben Fine observed that there is no reason why the move should be considered inferior to the usual 6.a3 or 6.Bg2 ge7 7.g2 g6 8.bd2 Well played as it leaves black with a difficult choice. Adams decided to offer a P in orfer to gain some play. f6 Practically speaking this is probably his best try. 8...0-0 9.b3 e7 9...b6 10.c5 a5+ 11.xa5 xa5 White is much better. 12.xd4 10.g5 b4+ 11.f1 e8 12.fxd4 White has an advantage. 8...xf4 9.gxf4 0-0 10.b3 e7 11.0-0 g4 12.g5 h6 13.e4 Here, too, white is much better. 9.exf6 xf4 10.f7+ Another well played move as it disrupts black's position. 10.gxf4 followed by ...Qxf4 would leave black with an equal position. xf6 10...xf7 11.gxf4 h6 Black wants to prevent Ng5+ but it would have been better to play 11...Rf8 and then ...Kg8 12.b3 d6 13.e5+ This move results in a nice win, but only because Adams does not findf the best defense. Technically white's best plan of action would have been the positional approach of 13.a3. xe5± 14.fxe5 b6 An ill fated move! 14...b4+± 15.f1 xe5 16.xd4 xd4 17.xd4 d8 and white can't claim much of an advantage in spite of having an extra P. 15.d5+ e7 16.d3 Hindering ...Bf5 f8 16...c6 Hoping to drive back the B looks reasonable, but white can simply sacrifice it and black's pieces simply cannot het into plsy and white just builds up his position. 17.g1 cxd5 18.cxd5 b4+ 19.f1 g5 20.g3 d7 21.d6+ d8 22.g6 e8 23.xh6 b5 24.xg5+ c8 25.c1+ b8 26.g7 d8 27.xd4 d5 The ps are simply too strong for black to handle. 28.e6 17.g1 f5 This meets a quicj end, but all 12...Bb4+ would do is drive thw K to f1 where it's just as safe as it is on e1 and black would still not be able to find a reasonable move. 18.xg7+ e8 19.e4 xe4 20.xe4 d3 21.0-0-0 xf2 It only looks like black has some play! In fact, he is lost. 22.b1 Not really necessary. d8 23.e6 Black resigned. 23.e6 f6 24.e7 e6 25.h7 d7 26.xd3+ d4 27.xd4+ c6 28.e8+ d7 29.xe6+ xe6 30.f5 e5 31.xd7+ b6 32.xc7+ a6 33.xb7# 1–0

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Watch Woskoff’s Rook Lift

    The Mechanics’ Institute in San Francisco, California was founded in 1854 and is one of the oldest institutions on the West Coast of the United States. In 1921, 11 players took part in the annual “major tournament.” The winner was E. W. Gruer who went undefeated with an excellent +17 -0 =3 score. 

    The two brilliancy prizes were won by C. Woskoff and J. F. Smyth. It’s odd, but Woskoff won the First Brilliancy Prize for his win over J.E. Ford, but Woskoff himself was the victim in Smyth’s Second Bvrilliancy prize. 

    No information seems to be available on J.E. Ford and all that is known of Charles Woskoff (August 8, 1879 – May 12, 1870, 90 years old) is that he was born in Russia and in his day he was considered one of the giants of California chess. 

 

    I am not sure how brilliant the game is, but Woskoff’s attack using a Rook lift is instructive. In a Rook lift a Rook is actively placed in front of its own Pawns to attack the opponent’s King and in this game Woskoff uses it to perfection. 

ChessBase

Charles Woskoff–J.E. Ford1–0C10Mechanics Institute, San Francisco1921Komodo Dragon 3

This game won First Brilliancy Prize C10: French Defense 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.c3 f6 4.d3 Ab unusual reoky which has brought white some success. Usuak is 4.Bn5 or sometimes 4.e5 dxe4 5.xe4 bd7 6.f3 e7 7.0-0 c6 7...c5 8.xc5 xc5 9.dxc5 a5 10.c6 bxc6 White stands slightly better, but eventually lost. Kortschnoj,V (2645) -Gurevich,D (2535) Bern 1996 8.c3 0-0 9.e1 e8 A better idea was 9...c5 challenging white in the center. As played black drifts into a passive position. 10.f4 f8 11.e5 d5 12.d2 c7 13.c4 b6 After this white gets a very menacing position. A better try was to challenge white with 13...f6 13...f6 14.cxd5 exd5 15.xc6 bxc6 16.c5 But here, too, white has the superior position. 14.h5 g6 A better defense was 14...g6, but in either case black is facing serious difficulties. 15.f4 d8 White now begins a very strong attack using a common tactic in these type of positions...a Rook lift. 16.e3 d7 Realizing the N had no future on b6, black returns it to the defense. 17.h3 f6 A very instructive position has arisen. It appears that with all the pices surrounding his K that they make an impregnable defensive wall. That's not the case; watch how quickly the defense crumbles! 18.xf6+ xf6 19.xh7+ f8 20.xg6 xd4 21.xf7 Black's K has been stripped of all its defenders. xf4 21...xe5 is no help at all; there is a mate in 22.g8+ e7 23.xe8+ d6 24.xe5+ xe5 25.d8+ d7 26.d1+ d5 27.c5+ xc5 28.xd5+ exd5 29.xd7 e8 30.xe8 d4 31.c3 e5 32.e7+ f4 33.f3+ g4 34.h3# 22.g8+ e7 The K has no safe haven and mate is inevitable. 23.xe8+ d6 24.d1+ c7 25.g6 Not to nit pick, but after this white's advantage has shrunk to 12 Ps. 25.xe6 xe5 26.f7+ b6 27.b3+ mates in 25...xc4 26.e7 xe7 This puts white back on track for a forced mate in 11 moves...not that it ,atters because his position was hopeless no matter what he played. 27.xe7+ b6 For the next few moves resigning would be a plausible option. 28.b3+ a5 29.a3+ a4 30.c5+ b5 31.a3 xa3 32.bxa3 b7 33.xe6 e8 34.xa7+ Black resigned 1–0

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An Epic Battle

    Back on March 18th I posted on the 1939 Ventnor City tournament and included the Santasiere vs. Hanauer game, bu a couple of days ago while browsing Epic Battle os the Chessboard by R.N. Coles I discovered I had missed an “epic battle,” one that was included in the book. 

    The book is interesting in that Coles wasn’t looking for brilliant, well played games by the greats of the chess world. He was looking for hard fought games that were simply enjoyable to play over. The game between Olaf Ulvesatd and Fred Reinfeld from that tournament fits the bill. Both players were awarded a special prize for a game that was the “showpiece of the tournament and for the originality, resourcefulness and the will to dare” on both their parts. 

    Olaf Ulvestad (1912-2000) was an original player who Chess metrics estimated to have a high rating of 2533 in 1956. Fred Reinfeld (1910-1964) is estimated to have had a high rating of 2532 in 1942. 

ChessBase

Olaf Ulvestad–Fred Reinfeld½–½A13Ventnor CityVentnor City, NJ USA14.07.1939Komodo Dragon 3

A13: English Opening 1.f3 f6 2.c4 c5 3.b3 d5 4.b2 e6 5.e3 c6 6.d4 cxd4 Reinfeld execute some Pawn exchanges in order to leave white with hanging Ps which could prove a weakness, but they also gives white attacking potential. 7.exd4 The other alternative is the immediate 7...Bb4+ dxc4 8.xc4 A new move. White always plays bxd4 with hanfinf Ps. b4+ Now one would expect white to play 9.Nc3 followed by castles. 9.e2 A real Ulvestad move! Rather than interpose a piece which could result in simplification he prefers to take a chance that his K won't get into trouble in the center... risky business! 9.c3 e4 10.c1 a5 11.d3 xc3 12.xc3 xc3+ 13.xc3 xc3+ 14.xc3 This position might suit the staid Reinfeld, but not the plucky Ulvestad. 9...d5 10.c1 An odd place fpr the Q, but je wants to bring the R to d1, Placing the Q on c2 would accomplish the same thing. 0-0 11.d1 d7 12.a3 d6 ...Rc8 is a strong threat. 13.c3 Ulvestaf quickly gets into trouble after this. Safer was 13.Kf1 13.f1 Even gere black is in good shape after c8 14.bd2 b5 15.xb5 a5 16.c4 b5 17.c2 b6 18.g1 bxc4 19.bxc4 xc4 20.xc4 xc4 Positionally nlack is better. 13...c8 Reinfeld has set a sly trap, but Ulvestad avoids it. 14.e4 14.xd5 exd5 15.xd5 e7 16.c4 b5 17.f1 17.xf7+ xf7 18.d2 f4 19.d3 f5 20.xb5 c2+ and black is winning. 17...bxc4 18.bxc4 Black has pocked up a B for two Ps 14...f4 15.b1 f5 With this black's advantage disappears. 15...a5 keeps up the pressure. but calculating the possibilities is not so easy! 16.c5 c6 17.d3 b6 18.b4 bxc5 19.dxc5 a4 20.xh7+ h8 21.c2 b5+ 22.e1 c4 with the advantage. 16.c5 a5 It would have been interesting to see what would have happened after the equally good 16...g5 17.g3 d6 17...c6 Now white has to play 18.Kf1 with about equal chances, but he must not play 18.gxf4 xf4+ 19.f1 xc4 20.bxc4 xf3 and black is winning. 21.c1 21.d2 g5 wins 21...e2+ 22.e1 xd1 23.xf4 xd4 and wins. 18.d3 Black should now play 18...Bc6 and be satisfied with a slight advantage. Instead be makes a rash attempt to continue the attack. b5 19.xd5 exd5 20.ac1 f4 The idea is to open the f-file and then pin the N with ...Bg4 21.xd7 Now the pin is not possible. xd7 22.e5 xe5 He wants to be able to play ...Qg4+, but 22...Rce8 serves the same purpose and strengthens the attack. 23.dxe5 xc1 24.xc1 fxg3 25.hxg3 The multiple exchanges have left black in a position where he has to defend his d-Pawn with the passive 25...Qf7. Instead he mistakenly tries to attack. g4+ 26.f3 xg3± 27.xd5+ h8 28.f7 This threatens mate and Ulvestad must hve been very optomistic because Reinfeld had 13 only a matter of seconds to reach the time xontrol at move 40! g2+ 28...xf7 29.c8+ f8 30.xf8# 29.e3 Playing for a win, white must bring his K out in the onen. g5+ 30.f2 This should have lost, but in his time scramble Reinfeld missed the win. 30.e2 would draw after g2+ 31.e3 g5+ 32.e2 32.e4 d8 33.d5 h4+ 34.e3 f4+ 35.d3 xb3 and black wins. 36.xb3 xf3+ 37.c2 e4+ 38.d3 f2+ 39.c3 f3 32...g2+ Threefold repitition. 30...d2+ 30...d8 Hard to see in terrible time pressure! Black is winning. For example... 31.h5 31.e6 xf7 32.exf7 f8 31...d2+ 32.g3 xb2 31.g3 g5+ 32.h3 There is no perpetual, but the fraw is still there. d8 Found it! 33.d1 c8+ 34.d7 xf3+ 35.g4 f8 Black has managed to obtain enough counterplay for a draw. 36.d8 f4+ 37.h5 f5+ 38.g4 f4+ 39.h5 f5+ 40.g4 h5+ After having reached the time control, instead of taking the draw Reinfeldm being a P ahead, decided to play on. Even so, his game is difficult because his N is unfer attack and white's passed e-Pawn needs watching. 41.h4 There is no longer a perpetual check and Reinfeld still has some problems to solve. g8 This moveholds everything. The threat against black's N turns out to be no threat at all. 41...f4+ is a dead end. 42.xh5 f5+ 42...g8 This must be played anyway and a draw is stil probably. 43.g6 and white wins. 42.e6 42.xa5 loses. f4+ 43.h3 f5+ 44.h2 h4+ 45.g3 g4+ 46.h3 f3+ 47.h2 g2# 42...c6 With the centralization of black's N and K and this move which prevents the advance of the e-Pawn white can make no progress. 42...xb3 would lose. 43.e7 c5 44.exf8+ xf8 45.e7 f4+ 46.xh5 g6+ 47.h6 h4+ 48.xh4 e6 49.f6 mate in 2. 43.xf8+ xf8 44.d7 e8 45.xg7 d8 46.xa7 xe6 Draw agreed. 46...xe6 Here is Komodo Dragon 3's continuation. 47.c3 f4 48.b4 g6+ 49.g3 e5 50.h7 d3 51.c3 c5 52.h4 xb3 53.xh5 xh5+ 54.xh5 d7 55.g6 d6 56.f5 d5 57.f6 d4+ 58.xd4 xd4 59.e6 c3 60.d5 b3 61.c5 xa3 62.xb5 ½–½

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Did Bronstein Choke?

    The 1951 Botvinnik vs. Bronstein World Championship match was one of the most controversial and exciting matches in world championship history. Was Bronstein forced to throw the match, and if he was, did Botvinnik know about it?

     David Bronstein (1924-2006) was born in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine and showed early promise debuting in the 1939 Ukrainian Championship at age 15. A year later his strong 2nd behind Isaac Boleslavsky in the 1940 Ukrainian Championship earned him the Soviet Master title. Four years later he qualified for the USSR Championship (1944). 

     He continued to improve, but his performance was not strong enough to achieve the Soviet Grandmaster title. FIDE still invited him, along with six other Soviets, to the 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal. Surprisingly, Bronstein won and was immediately awarded the Soviet Grandmaster title. 

    He continued this excellent form and went on to tie Boleslavsky for 1st in the 1950 Budapest Candidates and won the subsequent playoff match thereby earning the right to face Botvinnik. 

    Botanist had played no chess in public since he had won the World Championship tournament in1948, but fir the upcoming match he studied the games Bronstein had played since the Saltsjobaden Interzonal. 

 

 

    Bronstein was an energetic player in contrast to the scientific Botvinnik, the patriarch of Soviet chess. In the match Bronstein opened with the Dutch Defense. Botvinnik considered himself an expert on the Dutch and had not prepared for it. He suspected that Bronstein meant to "force me tofight against my own systems," a ploy Botvinnik dismissed as naive. After scoring +0 -1 =2 with the Dutch, Bronstein abandoned it. 

    By game 22, Bronstein led by a point and needed only to win once or draw twice in the last two games to become World Champion. 

    In game 23 Botvinnik played one of his best games of the match. It took Bronstein forty minutes to convince himself that it was time to resign. The final position caused some speculation. Bronstein was a P up, but Botvinnik had two Bs against two Ns and was the strongest endgame player in the world so there was little point in playing on. I confirmed this using Stockfish when white scored 5-0 in Shootouts. 

    Bronstein could still have become champion by winning the final game, but after pressing with the white pieces for 22 moves he was without winning chances and accepted Botvinnik's draw offer. 

    Years later, Botvinnik and Bronstein spoke in less than friendly terms about the match. Bronstein complained that after the last game many journalists came to the stage and asked Botvinnik to hold a press conference and they ignored Bronstein. 

     Botvinnik accused Bronstein of "outrageous" behavior. He would make a move and quickly go behind the stage, then... suddenly dart out and disappear again. There was also laughter among the spectators and this hindered Botvinnik's play.

    Bronstein hinted that there was government pressure on him to lose the match. In a 1993 interview he explained that "There was no direct pressure... But... there was the psychological pressure of the environment..." in part caused by his father's "several years in prison" and what he labeled "the marked preference for the institutional Botvinnik."      

    Bronstein concluded that "it seemed to me that winning could seriously harm me, which does not mean that I deliberately lost." 

    Some say Soviet authorities pressured Bronstein to lose in order to keep Botvinnik, a favorite of the Communist Party leadership, on the throne. Luis Rentero, organizer of the Linares tournaments, says Bronstein once told Bobby Fischer after Fischer lost to Spassky, "They forced me to lose an entire match to Botvinnik, and I didn't cry." Years later in an interview Bronstein denied having said it, but eventually conceded that he may have said something to that effect, but too much time had passed. 

    On the other hand, some historians claim that Bronstein simply "choked" and just couldn't score when he needed to. The fact is that Bronstein was not as strong as Botvinnik. The only major tournament that Bronstein ever won was the 1950 Candidates tournament. It was the tournament of his life and he was never again a serious contender for the world championship. 

    In winning the following game (game 11) Bronstein evened the score by again adopting a system preferred by Botvinnik himslef and in doing so he achieved a sound position. Botvinnik had no real prospects so he decided to sacrifice two center Pawns. He got an attack, but it really didn’t amount to much and eventually Bronstein’s counterattack prevailed.

 

ChessBase

Mikhail Botvinnik–David Bronstein0–1E17World Championship, Game 11Moscow URS08.04.1951Komodo Dragon 3

E17: Queen's Indian Defense 1.d4 e6 2.f3 f6 3.c4 b6 4.g3 This has long been white's most popular line...white contests the long diagonal. b7 The modern line is 4...Ba3 forcing white to decide how to defend the P. 5.g2 e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.b3 This is rarely played. 7 Nc3 is usual because it offers the best chances to maintain a very slight initiative. d5 8.cxd5 One annotator said the disadvantage of this move is that it releases the tension in the center and locks in white’s dark squared B. That does not seem to be the case as black cannot really avoid playing ...c5 at some point which will allow whiter to play dxc5. exd5 According to Hams Kmoch capturing with the P is sound because white lacks the ability to put pressure on the c-file and the potential weaknesses on c6. Also, black's position has some potential because he will control the e-file. 9.b2 bd7 10.c3 e8 11.e5 f8 12.c1 This position has been reached a few times in recent years and white has played 12.f4 which is neither better nor worse than the text. Botvinnik's P sacrifice really does not offer him much. Instead of playing it safe Botvinnik sacrifices a P in order to open up black's K-side. xe5 13.dxe5 xe5 14.b5 e7 15.xf6 gxf6 Even though white has an extra P and the Ps in front of black's K have been shattered the position could not be more equal owing to black still having his dark squared B and the better center. That said, Botvinnik manages to use his pieces effectively to work up a bit of an attack. 16.e4 Offering a second P, but he still does not really get much, but it's the only way to justify the first sacrifice. dxe4 17.g4+ g7 18.fd1 White appears to have obtained a very dangerous attack, but if he is carsul black has adequate defensive resources. f8 This is best. 18...c8 19.f4 with an attack on the c-Pawn. In pre-engine days it was believed that white stands better here, but the position is really no more than equal. Black has two ways to equalize. f8 19...c5 is met by 20.d6 c7 21.f5 xf4 22.xe7+ f8 23.gxf4 xe7 24.xe4 xe4 25.e1 f5 26.f3 g8 27.h1 d4 28.fxe4 with equality. 20.xc7 f5 21.xf5 d8 22.xd8 xd8 23.xe7 equals. xe7 19.d4 White has made a little progress. He threatens Nf5. 19.xc7 is not especially good. xc7 20.xc7 d8 21.xd8 xd8 and at least black has an extra P while white is left with nothing to show for his P minus. 19...c8 20.h4 f5 21.c6 InterA plausible idea was the immediate 21.Bh3 e8 22.h3 An interesting position. It may appear even though white is two Ps down with the exception of the B on g7 all of black's pieces are huddles on the back rank while white's pieces look pretty aggressively positioned. Komodo Dragon 3 prefers black by a P. The conclusion is that white does have some compensation for his Ps, but just watch hoe Bronstein's pieces spring to life! h6 23.c2 e3 A good move that increases the avtivity of his pieces. 24.fxe3 xe3+ 25.h1 e6 Things look different now. Black has open lines, the two Bs and he threatens to trade Qs with ...Qh6 26.g2 Preventing 26...Qh6 a5 26...h6 27.xh6 xh6 28.e7+ xe7 29.xa8 27.f3 h8 28.d4 ad8 Aiming for ...Qb4 attacking the N. 29.xc7 This is a tactical slip. 29.f6+ g8 30.xe6 xd1+ 31.xd1 fxe6 32.xf8+ xf8 33.xc7 White is a P down, but Bs of opposite color make a draw likely. 29...d5 Avoiding the trap of playing his intended ...Qb4 29...b4 30.f6+ g8 31.xe6 xd1+ 32.g2 d2+ 33.h3 and black can delay, but not avoid mate 30.e1 This is a real surprise...Botvinnik makes a catastrophic blunder. 30.f1 offers his best defense. d6 31.c2 f4 32.xd5 xd5+ 33.f3 d6 But even here white is under tremendous pressure and is more than lie=kjely going to lose...a sample line... 30...d6 ...Re4 is the threat. Black is winning. 31.c2 e4 32.xe4 xe4+ It's time to resign. 33.xe4 fxe4 34.f5 b4 35.xe3 d1+ 36.g2 d2+ 37.xd2 xd2+ 38.h3 f2 39.g4 f6 White resigned. 0–1

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Paul Keres, Correspondence Player

     Estonian GM Paul Keres (1916 – 1975) was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s, and narrowly missed a chance at a World Championship match on five occasions. 

    Botvinnik claimed that the reasons why Keres never reached the very top was twofold. First, when confronted with new openings he did not “orientate himself” well and he generally preferred obsolete opening systems. Second, he had a “psychological problem” on that he had “a tendency to fade somewhat at decisive moments” and “when his mood was spoiled he played below his capabilities.”

    Keres' health began declining in about 1973 and he played very little after that. In 1975, while returning home from a tournament in Vancouver, Canada, he died of a heart attack in Helsinki, Finland; he was only 59 years old. Vancouver was an open tournament and Keres scored +7 -0 =3 to finish 1.5 points ahead of Gyozo Forintos (Hungary), John Watson (United States) and Elod Macskasy (Canada). He was buried in Tallinn and over 100,000 (!) were in attendance at his funeral, including former World Champion Max Euwe. 

    While admired for his dashing stylr over the board, little emphasis has been placed on his early correspondence career. In the 1930s, while still in high school, his play matured as a result of his correspondence play. It’s said that he probably played about 1500 correspondence games. In 1935, at the age of 19, he won the Internationaler Fernschachbund (IFSB) international correspondence championship. 

    Today’s game, a correspondence game that won a Brilliancy Prize, is one of the earliest known examples in which Keres carried out an attack on the grand manner in which he later became famous for in his over the board play. 

ChessBase

M. von Feilitzsch (Germany)–Paul Keres (Estonia)0–1C22Correspondence (Brilliancy Prize)corr1932Komodo Dragon 3

C22: Center Game 1.e4 e5 2.d4 The Center Game had mostly been abandoned by 1900 because white couldm't demonstrate any advantage. More recently GM Alexander Shabalov revived it in the 1980s and later Alexei Shirov, Michael Adams, Judit Polgár and Alexander Morozevich gave it a try. Any success they had with it was probably more to to their great strength that the mnerits of the opening. exd4 3.xd4 c6 White's early Q move allows black to develop with a tempo, nut it's white's hope that he can develop a quick attack. 4.e3 f6 5.c3 b4 6.d2 0-0 7.0-0-0 e8 8.c4 This is an attempt to obtain a speculative attack at the cost of a Pawn. White usually plays 8.Qg3 d6 Rather than accept the P, Keres prefers to take the initiative himself. Later he thought 8...Ba5 and 9...d5 would have been better, but that is not the necessarily true. 8...xc3 9.xc3 xe4 10.f4 was played in Winawer-Steinitz, Nuremburg, 1896. The chances are equal. 9.f3 a5 10.d3 10.b3 xb3+ 11.axb3 a5 12.f2 d7 13.ge2 a4 Black has a slight advantage which he was able to convert to a win. Romero Holmes,A (2490)-Karpov, A (2725) Madrid 1992 10...d5 An excellent move that frees his game and threatens ...d4. White should have now offered a B trade with either 11.Nb5 or 11.Nce2 11.g5 h6 11...d4 at once is less effective. 12.Nd5 was vorrect/ 12.ce2 ...but not after this! h6 13.g3 xd2+ 14.xd2 c5 and black has a significant advantage. Rudd,J (2288)-Rayner,F (2166) Hastings ENG 2013 12.h4 d4 Black is doing quite well here, but white should still play 13.Nd5 13.ce2 xd2+!-+ 14.xd2 c5 White's opening has turned out to be a fiasco. He is not only sadly backward in his development, but he is also threatened by a P-storm on the Q-side. In fact, Keres has a decisive advantage. 15.c4 After this B is worthless, and black's passed d-Pawn is more formidable than ever. White discarded 15.b4 because it would weaken his dark squares and, also, it would not restrain the advance of black's Ps. However, the text move also sets up an equally flimsy barrier. 15.b3 was necessary. c6 16.g4 At least trying to counterattack. b4 17.g5 17.b1 allows the nifty move xe4 18.xd8 xd2+ 19.c1 xb3+ 20.axb3 xd3+ 21.cxd3 xd8 with an easy win. 17...h7 18.b2 hxg5 19.g3 a5 Black is winning. 15...e6 16.b3 It is futile to try to avoid this weakening move. 16.e5 This forces the trade of Qs, but it does not solve white's problems. d7 17.xd8 axd8 and white is faced with a loss of an important P...either on c4 or e5. 16...b5 Beginning the attack in earnest. 17.f4 17.cxb5 allows a pretty sacrifice... xb3 18.axb3 xb3+ 19.d1 xd2 20.xd2 xe4+ 17...bxc4 18.xe6 xe6 19.bxc4 b8 20.e2 b6 Black's P advance has resulted in the opening of the b-file which he now proceeds to exploit. The immediate threat is ...Nxc4 and the N is immune because of ...Qb1# 21.d1 b4 22.g3 d7 An unobtrusive move, but it lays the froundwork for some tactical fireworks. It's a multi-purpose move that protects the R on b1 which frees the Q and it makes room for the R on e6 to move along the rank. 23.c2 a3 24.f4 This is refuted in elegant style, but there was no satisfactory defense. 24.c1 g6 25.h3 b1 26.e2 b2 27.d1 xc2 28.xc2 Watch black's far away N on d7 join the attack. e5 29.f4 c3+ 30.d1 g4 There is no answer to the threat of ...Nf2+ 31.f1 xc4 32.xc4 e3+ 33.e2 xc4+ 34.d3 c2+ 35.f3 xd3 24...g6 It;s time for the aforementioned lateral movement of the R. 25.f3 xg2 The R cannot be taken. 26.e5 Keeping the Rook under attack, and threatening B-R 7 ch. Keres could extricate himself with the put in ready 2e chooses a ris looking continuation which soon leaves two more pieces en prise ! 26.xg2 xd3+ 27.d2 b1+ 28.c1 xc4 29.c2 d3+ 30.d2 30.d2 f3+ 30...a3 31.c2 d3 wins. For exampls, if 32.e1 dxc2+ 33.xc2 b2 wins the Q. 26...b1+ 27.c1 It's time for another sacrifice. xc4 28.xb1 e3+ 29.xe3 This is a waste of postage. 29.e1 allows a mate in 3 a5+ 30.b4 xb4+ 31.c3 xc3# 29.d2 c3# 29...dxe3 30.c4 a4+ 31.b3 e4 32.b2 xe2 This R has come a long way from e6. White resigned because he must lose at least a piece. Flawless play by Keres. 32...xe2 33.xe2 33.xe2 b1# 33...xh1 34.xe3 g5 wins easily. 0–1

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Jacob G. Ascher

    Canadian player Jacob G. Ascher seems to have slipped through the cracks of chess history. Chessmetrics has no record of him and I found only two of his games...both losses. 

    He was born in Plymouth, England on February 18, 1841 and passed away in New York City on October 12, 1912. He was the Canadian Champion in 1878/79, and he tied for first in 1882/83. 

    At Montreal in 1879, he defeated George H. Mackenzie, the dominate American player of the day, in a 14 board simultaneous exhibition. 

    Ascher was a chess columnist at New Dominion Monthly published in Montreal and he was editor of the Montreal Star and was president of the Young Men's Hebrew Association of Montreal, the first Jewish charitable organization in Canada. 

    How and when he ended up in Canada and later New York City is unknown, but in November of 1907 he played for the Manhattan Chess Club in a match against the Brooklyn Chess Club. 

    It had been many years, but in 1907 the two clubs met again in the rooms of the Manhattan club then located in the Carnegie Hall Building at Seventh Avenue and Fifty-sixth Street on Manhattan. Carnegie Hall is still there, but not the Manhattan chess club. It was founded in 1877 and the club moved to several locations over the years before it closed in 2002.
 

    The building itself is remarkable for its architectural design and its incredible legacy both of which have made Carnegie Hall a national historic landmark and major cultural center. Though victorious in the encounter held thirteen years previously Brooklyn, who had issued the challenge, lost rather badly. Manhattan won 11 games to Brooklyn's 6. 

 

 

    Here is the game Ascher lost in the match, but it could easily have gone the other way! 

ChessBase

Dr. James R.Taber (Brooklyn)–Jacob G. Ascher (Manhattan)1–0C30Club Match, New York12.06.2024Komodo Dragon 3

C30: King's Gambit Declined 1.e4 e5 2.f4 c5 This is the classical way to decline the gambit. The B prevents white from castling and often is such a nuisance that white often expends two tempi to eliminate it by means of Nc3–a4. 3.f3 3.fxe5 would lose... h4+ 4.g3 4.e2 xe4# 4...xe4+ wins the R. 3...d6 4.c4 4.b4 is the interesting Rotlewi Gambit,. The idea is similar to that seen in the Evans Gambit in that white sacrifices a P to try to build a strong center. xb4 5.c3 c5 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 4...f6 5.d3 0-0 5...a6 6.e2 c6 7.e3 xe3 8.xe3 g4 is equal. Blatny,P (2495)-Ziatdinov,R (2500) Biel SUI 1991 6.c3 6.e2 g4 7.fxe5 dxe5 8.e3 bd7 9.bd2 c6 10.b3 b5 11.0-0 is equal. Steinitz,W-Anderssen,A London 1866 6...g4 6...exf4 is better. 7.b3 7.xf4 would land white in trouble. d5 8.exd5 xd5 9.xd5 9.g3 e3 10.b3 xg2+ Black is winning. 9...xd5 10.d4 e4+ wins a piece. 7.a4 7.fxe5 and White has nothing to worry about. dxe5 8.a4 and now this is safe to play. 7...a5 With thi move Ascher missed a golden opportunity. 7...d5 8.exd5 exf4 9.d4 e8+ 10.f2 e4+ 11.f1 d6 with the much better position. 8.h3 xf3 9.xf3 c6 10.a3 A better move would have been 10.f5 e7 10...exf4 This develops white's B which is probably why Ascher didn't play it, but it's a good move because it allows him to exchange some pieces. 11.xf4 e5 12.xe5 dxe5 and this position is completely equa; 11.fxe5± dxe5 12.g5 g6 Somewhat safer would have been 12...Nd7 13.f1 13.h4 was a good alternative. It shows why black's 10th move was not the best. e7 14.h5 f4 15.xf4 exf4 16.e5 d7 17.d4 White is clearly better. 13...e7 14.c2 This was still a good time to advance the h-Pawn. c6 15.e3 h6 15...b5 This is the last chance black gets to launch a counterattack. 16.axb5 cxb5 17.xb5 b8 18.c4 18.c4 d7 18...xd3 is too fisky. 19.d5 xf3 20.xe7+ xe7 21.gxf3 h6 22.xf6 gxf6 White has a strategically won game. 19.xe7 xe7 20.xd7 xd7 White's Ps on b2 and d3 are under attack and the position offers equal chances for both sides. 18...xb2 and the chances would be equal. 16.xf6 xf6 17.g4 The wrong piece lands on g4! 17.g4 b5 Counterattack! 17...e7 18.xf7+ xf7 19.xh6+ gxh6 20.xf7+ h8 21.xg6 White has a decisive advantage. 18.xf6+ gxf6 19.b3 g7 White has the advantage, but black is still in the game. 17...f4 This N allows black to actively defend himself. 18.0-0-0 b5 Suddenly it's white who has to worry about how to best defend himself. 19.axb5 Not the best defense. 19.a2 bxa4 20.g3 e6 21.xe6 g5 22.b1 xe3 23.c4 with about equal chances. 19...cxb5 20.d5 20.xb5 would have lost after b6 attacking two pieces and winning one of them. 20...xd5 21.xd5 g5+ 22.c2 The tables have turned and now it;s black that is on the offensive, but his next move is a mistake...he needed to keep pressing his attack and play 22...b4! f5 Evidently black hoped to lessen any danger on the K-side by exchanging Rs. However, this idea is wring...he should have pressed on with his Q0side counterplay with 22...b4! 22...b4 23.cxb4 His best defense is 23.Ra1 when black's advantage is minimal. axb4 24.xb4 a5 and wins. 23.xf5 b4 This is not nearly as effective as it would have been if he had played it last move. 23...xf5 24.xf5 d6 25.f1 b4 26.f7+ h7 27.c4 b3+ 28.b1 a4 29.c7 a6 30.f7 g8 31.b6 Black's Q-side attack is halted, but white can claim no more than a slight advantage. 24.df1 24.h4 was more precise. xf5 25.xf5 xh4 26.xe5 bxc3 27.bxc3 An interesting position. White dominates the center, but his K is exposed after f8 In Shootouts from this position white scored +1 -0 =4 24...xf5 25.xf5 25.xf5 is the wrong way to recapture. bxc3 26.bxc3 26.xe5 loses to cxb2 27.xb2 27.e6+ h8 28.c3 b1+ 29.xb1 c8+ 27...b8+ 26...e8 27.d1 a4+ 28.e1 c2 and black has the better chances. 25...e8 26.a1 Prevents ...Qa4+ b5 What a pity! This loses at once. However, it's quite possible that black simply missed white's zwischenzug. 26...bxc3 results in complete equality. 27.bxc3 d8 In orfer to reposition the B. 28.h4 a4 29.g4 b8 30.b1 xb1 31.xb1 b5+ 32.b4 c5 33.d7 Neither side is liekly to make progress. 27.e6+ ...and wins. However, white must play this before he executes the N fork! 27.c7 It's quite possible this is what Ascher was expecting (or at least hoping for). b3+ 28.d1 xd3+ 29.e1 h4+ 30.g3 xg3+ 31.f2 f8 mate next move. 27...h8 28.c7 b3+ 29.xb3 Black resigned 29.xb3 xb3+ 30.xb3 a7 31.e6 e7 32.c4 with a routine win. 1–0

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Vincenzo Nestler

    The 1954 Italian Championship was played in Trieste, the capital city of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy. It’s a port city located on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. 

    The winner (after a playoff) was the little known Vincenzo Nestler (January 8, 1912 - July 14, 1988) Born in the hilltop city of Agrigento on Sicily's southwest shore, he was probably Sicily’s greatest player. He passed away in Rome. 

    Nestler was Italian Champion in 1943 and 1954 and runner up in 1937, 1953, 1956 and 1959. 

    In 1942 he participated in what was purported to be the European Individual Chess Championship that was held in Munich and was organized by German Master Ehrhardt Post, the Chief Executive of Nazi Grossdeutscher Schachbund. It was really a manifestation of Nazi propaganda. 

    There were actually two tournaments, the 12-player main event that was won by Alekhie ahead of Keres. The little known secondary event, also consisting of 12 players, was won by Sweden’s Gosta Danielsson. Nestler finished 6th with a 6-5 score. 

    After the war, he tied for 10-11th (out of 12) in the 4th Schlechter Memorial in Vienna. 1951. He also played twice for Italy in the Olympiads at Dubrovnik 1950 and Helsinki 1952 and in team matches against Czechoslovakia in 1957 and Switzerland in 1958. 

 

    

    Nestler was aa mathematics professor and author of several books on parapsychology (the study of alleged psychic phenomena and other paranormal claims). In his last years he was nearly deaf, but a solid player with good endgame technique and he was still playing when in his 70s. In the following game he handles his opponent in a very precise fashion. Chess metrics estimates his highest ever rating to have been in 2454 which came in 1958. However, at the 1952 Helsinki Olypiad his performance rating was 2532. 

 

ChessBase

Vincenzo Nestler–Armando Siveri1–0D02Italian Championship, Trieste05.1954Stockfish 16

Dutch Stonewall 1.d4 d5 2.f3 e6 3.g3 c6 4.g2 d7 5.0-0 e7 Both sides are playing the opening very close to the vest. 6.bd2 The opening has transposed into a Stonewall Dutch which is not a particularly popular these days, but it was often used by Botvinnik.. f5 7.c4 df6 If he plays 7...Ngf6 then 8.Ng5 is aggravating. 8.b3 h6 It may be a bit surprising, but this is the best square for thgis N. 8...e4 9.xe4 dxe4 10.e5 f6 11.f3 A good move as it will leave black with a backward P on e6. exf3 12.exf3 0-0 13.f4 8...e4 9.xe4 fxe4 10.e5 f6 11.f3 exf3 12.exf3 0-0 13.f4 with the same result 9.b2 0-0 10.e5 d6 11.df3 e4 12.e3 g5 So far things have been pretty boring and this commencement of K-side action by black looks promising, but it's a dead end. More maneuvering with 12. ..Nf7 was better. 13.d3 d7 14.fe5 f6 15.c1 f7 15...g4 16.e4 fxe4 17.c5 not only is the N on h6 under attack, but so is the b-Pawn and black is in a miserable state. 17.xh6 exd3 White is much better. 16.f3 White has been preparing the P-break e4 while black has treated us to more maneuvering and the K-side ction never materialized. The problem facing black is now after the coming 17.e4 white has really good chances. e8 17.e4 It would have been more accurate to remove the N for e5 first by playing 17. Nxd7 because now black can (should) exchange on e5 which leaves white with a P on e5 which shirlds black's e-Pawn and blocks white's B on b2 c7 18.e3 e8 19.ad1 f6 Black's strategy of shifting pieces has failed badly and this move results in white finally breaking throug. Unfortunately for jhi, more shifting with 19...Be7 was called for. 20.xf7 f4 Hoping to stir up some complications. 20...xf7 21.xg5+ g7 22.xg7+ xg7 23.exd5 exd5 24.fe1 White is clearing better. 20...xf7 21.e5 g6 22.exd6 e8 23.a3 d8 24.d7 White is winning. 21.gxf4 gxf4 One wonders if black was still thinking of a K-side attack when he played this, opening the g-file. 21...xf4 keeps black in the game. Stocfish treats us to more maneuvering with the following recommended continuation. 22.xf4 gxf4 23.e2 xf7 24.a3 h6 25.d6 d7 26.e5 g6 27.f2 e8 28.h4 g7 29.h2 f7 30.g1 dxe4 31.fxe4 h5 22.f2 xf7 23.c1 At this point black could still hang on with 23..,. Qg7 (more maneuvering!). Instead he makes a couple of weak moves. dxc4 24.bxc4 c5 25.dxc5 Black saw no point in playing on and so he chose to resign. 25.dxc5 e7 26.xf4 a6 27.d6 a4 28.d2 b6 29.h1 ae8 30.xe7 xe7 31.cxb6 axb6 32.xb6 is hopeless for black. 1–0

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Mieses Stormed by Marshall

    Frank Marshall (1877-1944) reigned as the U.S. champion from 1907 through 1936. Marshall vlaimed that after he learned the game at the afe of 10 he played every day for the next 57 years. His games are still entertaining to play over. 

    In today’s game Marshall's pieces swarm all over the K-side and Mieses never had a chance, The game was played in Vienna in 1908 which was a busy year for Marshall. He won the 16th German Chess Federation Championship that was held in Duesseldorf. Later that year he met Mieses in a match and barely managed to win, scoring +5 -4 =1. One draw in 10 games! They don’t play like that today! 

    In 1908, Mikhail Chigorin (1850-1908) died at the age of 57 in Lublin, Poland due to complications from diabetes. Henry Bird (1830-1908) died in London.

    Emanuel Lasker defeated Siegbert Tarrasch, 10.5-5.5 in the World Championship held in Duesseldorf and Munich. 

    The United States team (Hodges, Voight, Helms, Delmar, Stadelman, Howell, Schwietzer, Wolbrecht, Libaire and Robinson) defeated a British team (Atkins, Lawrence, Ricjmond, Wainwright, Ward, Englandm Michell, Palmer and Sergeant) in a cable match by a score of 6.5-3.5. 

    Eveline Burgess (1856-1936) from someplace in Iowa retained her U.S. women’s championship by defeating Natalie Nixdorff of Cambridge, Massachusetts by a score of +4 -1 =0.

    The 9th Western Chess Federation Open (forerunner of the U.S. Open), was held in Excelsior, Minnesota; it was won by Edward Elliot. 

    The 1908 Vienna tournament was held from March 23rd to April 17th; it was a jubilee tournaments commemorating the 60th anniversary of the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph. He was the emperor of Austria from1848 to 1916 and king of Hungary from1867 to 1916. He divided his empire into the Dual Monarchy, in which Austria and Hungary coexisted as equal partners. In 1879 he formed an alliance with Prussian-led Germany. In 1914 his ultimatum to Serbia lead in Austria and Germany into World War I.

 

    In the Vienna tournament Schlechter and Rubinstein started fast with four straight wins, but the latter lost in round 5 and was knocked out of contention. Maroczy and Duras the joined Schlechter in the race for first, but then they fell behind. However, the “Drawing Master” Schlechter did just that and so Maroczy and Duras mangae to catch him thanks to their strong finish.

ChessBase

Jacques Mieses–Frank Marshall0–1B23ViennaVienna AUH11.04.1908Stockfish 16

C10: French Defense 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.c3 c5 4.f3 4.dxc5 Marshall avoided this because after d4 5.b5 e5 Black would have a strong center, but after 6.h5 c6 7.c4 g6 8.f3 e6 9.d6+ xd6 10.cxd6 10.xe6 fxe6 11.cxd6 xd6 Strategically white's position looks to be somewhat better. 10...xc4 4...c6 5.e3 f6 6.exd5 exd5 7.dxc5± e7 Black has sacrificed a P for quick development with the hope of taking advantage of any tactical opportunities that mat present themselves. 8.e2 \ 0-0 8...e6 9.0-0 g4 10.f4 xc5 11.h3 f6 12.b5 0-0 13.c3 e4 14.d3 f6 15.h2 ad8 16.c2 g6 17.h4 g5 18.f3 g6 19.h4 Draw agreed. Mauro,A (2245)-Farina,S (2126) Bratto ITA 2001 9.0-0 e8 10.h3 f5 11.a3 a5 This is to prevent b2-b4 12.a4 Marshall commented that apparently the idea of this move was to defend the O. but it leaves the N very badly place, in fact, practically out of the game. The engine disagrees and even suggests it as the best move and evaluates the position as favoring white by two Ps/ c7 13.c1 Slightly better was 13.Nd4 ad8 14.d3 e4 15.d2 With this move all of white's advantage has dissipated. 15.e1! d7 16.b6 e6 17.d4 xd4 18.xd4 leaves him in good shape. Note that a sac on h3 will not work... xh3 19.gxh3 xh3 20.f4 xc5 21.f1 and there is no attack. 15...e5 Preparing for a King's side attack. 16.e1 f6 This prevents the N from returning to c3. 17.xe4 Better is 17.xe4!= dxe4 18.b5 17...dxe4 18.f1 g6 A bit stronger appears to be 18...Qh4 19.g3= h5 20.xf5 xf5 21.b4 This effort to institute some form of counterattack is misdirected. Black ignores it and continues his strong K-side attack. 21.d1 remains equal. e5 22.xd8 xd8 23.f1 g5 24.c3 g4 25.h4 Giving up the h-Pawn keeps his K-side intact. xh4 26.d1 and white has successfully defended himself against black's K-side advance. 21...e5 22.f4 This results in a quick end, but there wasn't really anything better. 22.d1 f3+ 23.h1 e5 24.gxf3 exf3 25.g1 f5 26.g3 h4 27.g1 xg3 28.xg3 xc2 and black is clearly better. 22...g6 22...f3+ It's surprising that Marshall missed this much stronger continuation. 23.gxf3 exf3 24.h2 f6 25.g3 h4 26.f4 hxg3+ 27.xg3 g6+ 28.g4 xc2 29.ac1 xa4 23.e3 h4 24.f4 24.h1 is.t any better. xg2 25.xg2 f6 26.b1 f3+ 27.g1 xh3 28.b3 g4+ 29.f1 h4 and the game is over. 24...g6 25.g3 g5 Black's superior development makes itself felt in a fashion most disconcerting for white. 26.b1 d2 27.b3 e3 A beautiful move that completely cuts off the Q from assisting on the K-side. 28.c3 exf2+ 29.xf2 e3 White resigned. It's mate in 3. 0–1

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Is the Sicilian Dragon Still Played?

    The other day I wondered if the once dreaded Dragon Variation (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6) is still being played. 

    In the Dragon white usually castles Q-side with the result that often both sides attack the Kings on opposite wings using every available resource. This frequently results in some very sharp games. 

    The seldom used Chessbase program sitting on my laptop came to the rescue with an Opening Report. There are 10,734 Dragon games in the database and white won 41 percent whereas black only won 25 percent. The average rating of the players was around 2450. Apparently the Dragon is no longer to be dreaded.

    Strong players who have played the Dragon in recent years include Miso Cebalo, Sergei Tiviakov, Christopher Ward, Natalija Pogonina, Kiril Georgiev, Sergey Kudrin and Gawain Jones. 

 

    The following game is a cruhing victory using the Dragon by one of its leading exponents. Sergey Kudrin was born in 1959 Novosibirsk, Siberia. He was awarded the Im title in 1980 and the GM title in 1984. After arriving in the U.S. in 1978, he was one of the country's leading and most active players. 

    Born in 1957, GM Nick de Firmian is a three-time U.S. Champion, winning in 1987 (with Joel Benjamin), 1995, and 1998. He also tied for first in 2002, but Larry Christiansen won the playoff. He has represented the United States at several Interzonals and played on the United States Olympiad teams eight times. 

 

ChessBase

Nicj de Firmian2475–Sergey Kudrin24800–1B78Gausdal Young MastersGausdal1982Stockfish 16

B78: Sicilian Dragon: Yugoslav Attack 1.e4 c5 2.f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.xd4 f6 5.c3 g6 6.e3 At one time 6.Bc4 was by far the most popular move, but in the database white played it in 599 games with an average success rate of 56 percent. With the text his success rate in 7,292 games is 60 percent. g7 7.f3 c6 8.d2 0-0 9.c4 d7 10.h4 c8 11.b3 h5 12.0-0-0 e5 13.dg1 a5 14.g4 So far both players have been following the ton of opening theory available, but the text move is, perhaps, a bit too risky. A safer move ould have been 14.Kb1 hxg4 This is the correct reply. 14...xc3 This is tempting, but it's just an OK move. After 15.bxc3 hxg4 16.h5 gxh5 17.h6 xh6 18.xh6 xc3 19.b1 xd4 Nlack is only slightly better. 15.h5 White has what appears to be the makings of a strong attack and so black must be carefull. xh5 15...xc3 is still a possibility, but the complications are dizzying. 16.bxc3 xf3 Better is 16...gxh5 17.xf3 xe4 17...gxf3 18.hxg6 White has a winning attack. 18.d3 a3+ 19.d1 19.b1 xc3+ 20.a1 d1+ mates in 2 19...xc3+ 20.e1 f5 21.d2 e4 22.h2 gxf3 23.hxg6 f2+ 24.xf2 c1+ 25.e2 d2+ 26.f3 xf2+ 27.xf2 xf2 28.gxf7+ xf7 29.xf2 e6 in this materially unbalanced position anything could happen! In Shootouts 5 games were f\drawn. 16.h6 xc3 Equally good was 16...Bf6 16...f6 feels hotter. 17.b1 xc3 18.fxg4 xg4 19.xf8 xf8 20.xc3 xc3 21.bxc3 a6 k is only slightly better. 17.xg7 This is where white loses the game. 17.bxc3 was forced. xh6 18.xh6 xc3 19.b1 xd4 20.fxg4 xg4 21.xg4 xg4 22.xg6+ g7 23.xh5 Black is two Ps up, but white's well placed pieces keeps black's pieces at bay. In Shootouts white scored +0 -1 =4 17...xc2+ An unexpected surprise for white! 18.xc2 18.xc2 xd2+ 19.xd2 xg7 20.fxg4 xg4 Black has more than enough compensation for the exchange. 18.xc2 is much worse... xd2+ 19.xd2 xf3+ 20.e2 xg1+ 21.xg1 xg7 with a won position. 18...c8+ 19.d1 xd2+ Otherwise white had Qh6 20.xd2 And now Bxe5 would win. xg7 20...xg7 would allow white back in the game after 21.fxg4 xg4 22.c1 xc1 23.xc1 f6 24.e5 dxe5 25.f3 e4 26.g5 e6 27.c7 21.fxg4 21.c1 doesn't wotk now... xc1 22.xc1 gxf3 23.c7 f2 24.e2 24.c4 xc4+ 25.xc4 f1 24...d3 25.xd7 g3+ 26.xd3 f1+ and with careful play black will win. 21...xg4 22.e3 f6 23.c1 c5 24.hg1 d7 25.f5+ f8 26.d4 26.xc5 isn't much better. dxc5 27.h6 g7 with a decisive advantage. 26...eg4+ 27.f3 e5+ 28.e3 eg4+ 29.f3 h5 30.c7 h3+ 31.g2 h2+ 32.g3 Overlooking a mate in two, but he was lost anyway. 32.f1 d2 33.f3 f2+ 34.e1 xf3 35.xd7 f4 36.xb7 a5 37.a7 xe4+ and black is clearly better. 32...h5+ White resigned. A smartly played game by Kudrin. 0–1

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100 Year Old Lady Player

    Catharina Roodzant was born in Rotterdam on October 10, 1896, and was still playing chess at the age of 100. She passed away in Rotterdam at the age of 102 on February 24, 1999. It’s interesting to note that her mother, Johanna Clara, passed away in 1968 at the age of 97. 

    She grew up in Rotterdam, the eldest of five girls, in a working-class family with eleven children. Her father worked as a towman, i,e,he transported freight by horse and cart. 

    She was unable to continue her education after primary school, but financially that was not possible, so she went to work as a housekeeper for a wealthy aunt in the town of Pijnacker near The Hague. She later said that she had worn out her knees scrubbing floors. 

    Her mother was a fervent supporter of socialism and so at around the age of 15 Catharina became a member of the socialist youth movement. Inspired by the Russian Revolution of 1917, she and her husband made plans to emigrate to Russia via England. 

    In 1919 they left for Barking, a suburb of London, where her husband found employment as a technician. In 1929 a son was born and in 1921 twin girls were born. But, then her husband was blacklisted for his political activities and lost his job and the family moved back to Rotterdam. 

    Roodzant taught herself to play chess by watching games played by her husband, a fanatic club player. When he discovered that she had talent, he immediately wanted to take her to the chess club. She demurred because she was afraid of making a fool of herself so her husband gave her lessons and she practiced in the mornings when the children were at school.

    In 1929 she became the first woman in the Netherlands to become a member of a chess club: De Pion in Rotterdam. Her membership in the club was not appreciated by ,amy of men because chess was a man’s game. It was not until 1935 that a national women's championship was organized in the Netherlands. There were eight participants and Roodzant won it. 

    In 1936 she won her second national title. At the 1937 Dutch women's championship she was dethroned by a 17-year old named Fenny Heemskerk. Roodzant regained the title in 1938, but lost it to Heemskerk in 1939. Roodzant was resentful of Heemskerk and always referred to her as “that market vendor”, which apparently is a derogatory Dutch term. 

    Roodzant also took part in international tournaments and left her family for months at a time. She was also known for her extravagant clothing style. 

    In 1939 she was playin in Buenos Aires when WWII broke out and initially she feared she woulf have to stay in Argentina because the authorities considered a sailingtrip back too dangerous, but eventually a convoy was organized and she returned home safely. Chess life came to a standstill during the war and after the war Roodzant only achieved minor successes. 

    Due to the war, Roodzant lost her confidence in socialism and she no longer believed in it. Then in In the late 1970s, she visited a communist country for the first time and was shocked by the poverty. 

    After her husband died in 1957, Roodzant found her real job at the age of sixty as an auditor at an insurance office. Because there were hardly any pension provisions, she continued to work until she was seventy. 

    She also continued to play chess, but only for the money, never for fun. In an interview in honor of her eightieth birthday, she said. “I am fascinated by the fighting, the struggle. When you sit opposite each other for five hours, people think what a meaningless game. Nothing is less true. You go through all the emotions, the same as in normal life. Hope, sadness, joy, sadness." 

    Roodzant lived independently until she was 100 years old. When she broke her hip in 1996, she had to go to a nursing home. She was not happy there, feeling that she had too little privacy. 

 

 

    In the following game played in a match against England, Roodszant’s opponent was Elaine Saunders Pritchard (1926-2001, 86 years old). She warded the WIM title in 1957. She was World Junior Women's Champion in 1936 and 1937. She also won the British Women's Championship in 1939 and 1946 and again in 1956 and 1965. 

     It’s hard to evaluate Prichard’s 13th move. Did she make a simple oversight that it lost a piece or did she envisage the gob of Pawns that started rolling on the K-side? Kudos to Roodzant for threading her way through what must have been a maze of calculations to keep the win in hand!

 

ChessBase

Elaine Saunders Pritchard–Catharina Roodzant0–1D00ENG-NED MatchBirmingham ENG24.11.1963Stockfish 16

D02: London System 1.d4 d5 2.f4 White is setting up what is known as the London Syatem. Normally after 2.Bf4 white plays c2-c3 and places the Ns at f3 and d2. Here the game deviates from that, but the advantage of white's setup is that it can be used against virtually any black defense. The opening has a reputation as being solid it usually leads to a closed, tedious position that is not very dynamic. In some ways the opening resembles the Colle System except that the dark squard B is not blocked in on c1. c6 3.f3 f6 4.e3 f5 Equally popular is 4...Bg4. Nowm if white wants, 5.c4 would transpose into a Q Gambit setup. 5.d3 xd3 6.cxd3 e6 7.0-0 bd7 7...d6 is harmless. 8.xd6 xd6 9.b3 a3 and Juswanto,D (2505)-Megaranto,S (2458) Jakarta 2004 soon agreed to a draw 8.c3 e7 9.e5 Here white has played 9.e4 (the most active alternative), 9.h3, 9.Rc1 and 9.Qd2, none of which lead to much. 0-0 10.f3 xe5 11.dxe5 d7 12.g3 h8 13.d4 Is this a gross oversight or did white think she could get some kind of attack going?! She had to play 13.Qf3 g5 14.h3 gxf4 15.exf4 It should be pretty evident that the lone Q is not going to do any damage n the K-side. But wait! Prichard is going to get her Ps rolling. g8 16.h1 f8 17.g4 f6 18.f5 White is quite lost, but OTB this move complicates the issue. Black could capture either P and still retain a winning position. d7 18...exf5 19.gxf5 fxe5 20.dxe5 d4 21.ad1 a5 22.f6 xf6 23.exf6 dxc3 24.xc3 xc3 winning easily. 18...fxe5 19.dxe5 d4 20.ad1 a5 21.xd4 exf5 22.gxf5 xe5 23.e4 g7 Black has a decisive advantage. 19.f4 Pritchard has managed to bring about a position that requires black (especially) to do a lot of calculating! c8 20.g1 c7 21.h6 fxe5 22.dxe5 b6 22...exf5 is much less effective. Sitting at the board the white P mass is going to look scary after 23.gxf5 and to keep the advantage black is going to have to return the piece after d7 24.f6 xf6 24...f8 25.xg8+ xg8 26.g1+ h8 27.g7 xf6 28.xc7 and it's white who is winning. 25.exf6 c5 26.g5 ce8 White can't continue the attack, but black;s advantage is not so great. 23.f6 b4 23...xb2 lets white off the hook. 24.fxe7 g6 25.h3 24.f5 d4 24...exf5 loses... 25.gxf5 xg1+ 26.xg1 c7 27.g5 and there is no good way to meet the threat of Qg8# 25.f7 g7 26.fxe6 26.f6 c7 27.ad1 c5 28.fxe6 e7 and white is stymied. 26...e7 27.ae1 g6 28.h5 xe6 Black has successfully beaten off the attack and the remaining moves are inertia on white's part. 29.g3 g5 30.f3 f8 30...f4 is too complicated. 31.e4 dxe4 32.xf4 xf4 33.f5 f8 34.xf4 d5 35.xe4 xf7 36.xd5 cxd5 31.h3 g7 32.a3 A clear sign that white is out of ideas. gxf7 33.xf7 xf7 34.h5 f4 35.h4 This allows a mate in 5, but it doesm't matter because white is lost no matter what she plays. f3+ Black mates. 36.h2 f2+ 37.h1 xe1+ 38.h2 f2+ White resigned 0–1

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