Meir Romm’s Evergreen Game

Meir Romm at play

    The winner of the following game, Israeli Master Meir Romm (1939-1998) is virtually unknown, but his opponent the Italian IM Stefano Tatai (1938-2017) is at least somewhat familiar; he was the Italian Champion 12 times. When they met in the international tournament in Netanya in 1973 the result was fireworks and the game has been called Romm’s “Evergreen Game.” 

    Romm worked in the Office of the State Comptroller. He was the Israeli Army Champion in 1959 and played for Israel in the World Student Olympiads in 1964 and 1965. Romm participated in the Israeli championships between1965 and 1990, his best result was in1976 when he tied for 2nd–3rd. 

    The site Tripadvisor, says of Netanya, Israel (population 173,00 plus) which lies on the Mediterranean coast, “It is currently recommended to avoid all non-essential travel to some parts of this area.” The British government currently advises against all but essential travel there.” 

    The reason is that in October of 2023 there was a large-scale terrorist attack by Hamas in southern Israel and the threat of terrorist attacks remains. The British government advises that, “There are continued exchanges of rocket, drone and small arms fire over Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and a potential increase in rocket attacks and other incidents of violence across Israel…” 

    That wasn’t the case in 1973. Perhaps the biggest story of the event was the return of Czech GM Ludek Pachman (1924-2003) after a lapse of five years during which time he has been in prison. 

    Pachman had always been politically active, first as a Communist and later as a staunch anti-Communist. In December of 1968, he won a tournament in Athens. And, when he got back home to Prague, he was arrested, imprisoned and tortured. 

    He attempted suicide and on Christmas Eve of1969, doctors called his wife and told her that he probably would not survive the night. He did survive though and finally, in 1972, he was allowed to emigrate to West Germany where he became known as a strongly anti-Communist political activist. At Netanya he told of how his chess books were banned in Prague and he could hardly get tournament invitations. 

    Romm’s Queen sacrifice and the N sacrifice that followed it were brilliant and his win was well deserved even if the followup play was somewhat flawed.

[Event "Netanya"] [Site "Netanya ISR"] [Date "1973.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Meir Romm"] [Black "Stefano Tatai"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C18"] [Annotator "Stockfidh 16"] [PlyCount "71"] [EventDate "1973.??.??"] {C19: French Defense, Winawer Variation} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ {A risky alternative is 5...Ba5} (5... Ba5 6. b4 cxd4 {White has two good continuations: 7.Qg4 or 7.Nb5, both of which have given good results.} (6... cxb4 {is a mistake.} 7. Nb5 Nc6 8. Bd2 bxa3 9. Rxa3 Bxd2+ {White has good compensation for the P.} 10. Qxd2)) 6. bxc3 {How is this position to be evaluated? White has a space advan and the B pair. In particular his dark squared N can often be actively developed on a3. However, black gas good counterchances. He has the potential for a strong attack down the c-flie when white's P on c2 can become very weak if black manages to exchange light-squared Bs. An alternative plan for black is to establish a blockade by . ..c5-c4 when either his light squared B or Q can be posted on a4. If white tries to prevent this by playing a3-a4 then the P can be captured after ...Qa5 and ...Bd7. The result would be very complicayed play.} Qc7 {The main line is 6...Ne7. With the text black wants to answer 7.Qg4 with 7...f5} (6... Qa5 { is sometimes played, but it should be avoided!} 7. Bd2 {and black will bave to lose time moving his Q to a square where it will not be especially well placed. }) 7. Nf3 {White decides to avoid the double-edged play arising from 7.Qg4 which in theory should give him good chances.} (7. Qg4 f5 {He could also play the bery sharp 7...Ne7} 8. Qg3 {It is also possible to play 8.Qh5+} Ne7 9. Qxg7 Rg8 {This position favors white; in practice black has had poor results.}) 7... Ne7 8. a4 b6 {Black plans to exchange the white-squared Bs by ...Ba6.} 9. Bb5+ {If 9.Bd3 then 9...Ba6} Bd7 10. Bd3 Nbc6 11. O-O h6 {Black must delay castling which would be answered by the standard sacrifice Bxh7+. It shoulf be noted that the play after this sacrifice gets quite complicated. The best line is as follows, but there are many side lines!} (11... O-O 12. Bxh7+ Kxh7 13. Ng5+ Kg6 14. h4 Rh8 15. Qg4 f5 16. Qg3 f4 17. Qxf4 Nf5 18. g4 Rxh4 19. gxf5+ {White has regained the piece and black is lost, but there is mo forced win. The best lines is...} Kh5 20. Qf3+ Rg4+ 21. Kh1 cxd4 22. Nxe6 Qxe5 23. Nf4+ Kg5 24. Ng6+ Kf6 25. Qxg4 Qxf5 26. Qxf5+ Bxf5 27. Nf4 {White has what should be a won ending.}) 12. h4 {An alternative (but not better) plan was to defend the e-Pawn with 12.Re1 and play Ba3 putting pressure on the P on c5.} O-O 13. Bf4 { An interesting, but not to say better, alternative was 13.Nh2 intending Ng4.} c4 {This move is a strategic error because it blocking the Q-side and allows white a free hand to proceed with his K-side attack.} (13... cxd4 {was the proper move. The result is equal play after} 14. cxd4 Nb4 15. Qd2 Nxd3 16. cxd3 (16. Bxh6 {is met by} Nb2 (16... gxh6 17. Qxh6 Qxc2 18. Ng5 Nf4 {and there is no white attac so black is winning.}) 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Qg5+ Ng6 {with a clear advantage.})) 14. Be2 f5 15. h5 Kh7 16. Qd2 Rg8 {As will be soon seem, black wants to obtain play on the K-side. It's a faulty plan because in only helps white.} (16... Be8 17. Nh4 a5 {And white's position is only slightly favorable because there is no effective way for him to continue his K-side attack and black can get a little counterplay with ...b5.}) 17. g3 Be8 18. Nh4 Qc8 19. Kg2 Bxh5 {This is in accordance with his fatal idea of play on the k-side, but all it does is open up lines for white's pieces.} (19... a6 20. Rh1 b5 {was his best bet. White is better, but there is no immediate win.}) 20. Bxh5 g5 { Agter this it appears at first glace that black's idea was not a bad one!} 21. Rh1 $1 {The threat is Bxg5 opening up the h-file.} gxf4 22. Qxf4 Rg7 {No doubt played with the intention of doubling on the g-file, but it runs into an outright refutation which he could have prevented with 22...Qf8, but he would still have been lost. Thankfully for us, Tatai missed the answer to this move.} 23. Qxh6+ {[%mdl 512] A beautiful sacrifice which cannot be refused.} Kxh6 { Here white has only one move that will win.} (23... Kg8 {This allows a mate in 9} 24. Ng6 Rh7 25. Nxe7+ Nxe7 26. Bf7+ Kxf7 27. Qf6+ Ke8 28. Rxh7 Qb7 29. Qf7+ Kd8 30. Qf8+ Kc7 31. Qxe7+ Kc6 32. Qxb7#) 24. Nxf5+ {[%mdl 512] Anything else would lose!} (24. Nf3 Rg8 25. Bf7+ Kg7 26. Bxg8 Qxg8 {with a clear win.}) 24... Kg5 {All other moves lead to mate.} (24... Nxf5 25. Bf7+ Nh4+ 26. Rxh4+ Kg5 27. Rh5+ Kg4 28. f3#) (24... exf5 25. Bf7+ Kg5 26. Rh5+ Kg4 27. f3#) 25. Nd6 (25. Nxg7 {was considerably better.} Kh6 26. Nxe6 Qxe6 27. Bf7+ Kg7 28. Bxe6 { leaves white with an easy win.}) 25... Ng6 {Once again white must find the only move that wins.} 26. Nxc8 (26. Bxg6 {leaves black with only one move that does not leave him at a severe disadvantage.} Kxg6 27. Nxc8 Rxc8 {In this position black is better...technically at least.}) 26... Rxc8 27. f4+ Nxf4+ ( 27... Kf5 {is not as good. After...} 28. Kf3 {Threatening Bg4#} Ngxe5+ 29. dxe5 Nxe5+ (29... Rcg8 30. g4+ Rxg4 31. Bxg4+ Rxg4 32. Rh5+ Kg6 33. Kxg4) 30. fxe5 Kxe5 31. g4 {White is winning. Here is a sample line...} Kd6 32. Kg3 a6 33. Rhf1 Rh8 34. Kh4 Kc5 35. Rf6 Re7 36. Re1 e5 37. Rb1 Rb8 38. g5 e4 39. g6 e3 40. Bf3 b5 41. axb5 axb5 42. Rf5 Rd8 43. Rd1 e2 44. Re1 Rd6 45. Kg5 Rg7 46. Rf6 Rxf6 47. Kxf6 Rxg6+ 48. Kxg6 b4 49. cxb4+ Kxb4 50. Rxe2 d4 51. Kf5 Kc3 52. Ke4 d3 53. cxd3 cxd3 54. Re3) 28. gxf4+ Kxf4+ 29. Kf2 Rcg8 {Even though material is even, black's K is too exposed for him to hold out for long.} 30. Bf3 { An unfortunate slip that reduces white's advantage to a minimum...if black finds the best reply.} (30. Rh4+ $18 {and the rest is easy.} Kf5 31. Bf3 (31. Rf1 Nxe5 32. dxe5 Rg2+ 33. Ke3+ Kxe5 $16)) 30... Nd8 {[%mdl 8192] ...which he does not! Here it was black's turn to sacrifice.} (30... Nxe5 31. dxe5 Kxe5 32. Rh5+ Kd6 {and black can make a fight of it. In fact, 5 Shootout games were long and arduous with white winning one and 4 draws.}) 31. Rh6 {Things are back on track; the threat is Rg6+} Rg6 32. Rah1 {Another inaccuracy that leaves white with only a slight advantage.} (32. Rh4+ {was much better.} Kf5 33. Rf1 Rg3 34. Rh5+ Kf4 35. Ke2 {Black has no satisfactory move.} a6 36. Bxd5+ Kg4 37. Rfh1 Rxc3 38. R1h4+ Kg3 39. Rh3+ Kg4 40. Bf3+ Rxf3 41. R5h4+ Kg5 42. Kxf3 Rf8+ 43. Kg3 Kg6 44. Rg4+ Kf7 45. Rh7+ {and wins.}) 32... Rxh6 33. Rxh6 { There is now no mate if black defends correctly, but white has excellent winning chances in the ending because his R can penetrate into black's position. In any case, black's defense will be difficult.} Rf8 (33... Kg5 34. Rh7 a6 35. Ke3 b5 {and black can at least make white work for the win.}) 34. Rg6 {Threatens to win with Rg4+.} Kf5 (34... Rh8 {was a better defense.} 35. Rg4+ Kf5 36. Kg3 a6 {White is better, but he still may not be able to find the route to the win.}) 35. Rg7 a5 {Overlooking mate in 2} (35... Nf7 {would make white work for the win. In view of the length of the winn one wonders if, in practice, white could win at all.} 36. Kg3 Nd8 37. Bg2 Nc6 38. Kf3 Nxe5+ 39. dxe5 Kxe5+ 40. Ke3 Kd6 41. Rxa7 Rf5 42. Bf3 Re5+ 43. Kf2 Rf5 44. Rb7 Kc5 45. Rh7 Rf8 46. Ke3 Rg8 47. Rh6 Kd6 48. Kd2 Rg1 49. Bh5 Rh1 50. Rh7 Rh2+ 51. Kc1 Rh3 52. Kb2 e5 53. Bg6 Rf3 54. Rb7 Kc5 55. Rf7 Rg3 56. Rf6 d4 57. cxd4+ exd4 58. Be8 d3 59. cxd3 cxd3 60. Kc3 d2+ 61. Kxd2 Rg8 62. Bb5 Rg2+ 63. Kd3 Rg3+ 64. Ke4 Rg4+ 65. Kf5 Rg8 66. Rc6+ Kb4 67. Rxb6 {The win is still a ways off!} Ka5 68. Ra6+ Kb4 69. Rd6 Rg1 70. Ke6 Kc5 71. Rc6+ Kb4 72. Kd7 Rg7+ 73. Kd6 Rf7 74. Rb6 Rg7 75. Kc6 Rg6+ 76. Kc7 Rg7+ 77. Bd7+ Kc5 78. a5 Rg1 79. Rc6+ Kd4 80. Rd6+ Ke3 81. a6 Ra1 82. Bb5 Rxa6 83. Rxa6) 36. Ke3 {It's mate after 37.Bg4#, so black resigned.} 1-0