His opponent in the following game was Edwin Bhend (born in 1931) was awarded the IM title in 1960 and was Swiss champion in 1966. He represented Switzerland in 10 Chess Olympiads from 1952 to 1982. According to the FIDE web site Bhend is still active at the age of 93!
The following game, played at the Clare Benedict Team Tournament in 1961, features a spirited attack combined with silois positional play.
The Clare Benedict Cup was a team tournament for teams from Western and Northern Europe, which took place 23 times from 1953 to 1979.
Clare Benedict (1871–1961), a distant relative of author James Fenimore Cooper, was author and patron. She was originally from Cleveland, Ohio, but moved to Switzerland in 1945, where she founded the tournament.
The English team was Jonathan Penrose, Peter Clarke, Michael Haygarth and Littlewood. The Swiss team was Dieter Keller, Max Blau, Edgar Walther, Bhend and Hans Johner.
John Littlewood (England)–Edwin Bhend (Switzerland)1–0B11Clare Benedict CupNeuhausen SUI05.04.1961Stockfish 17
B11: Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation 1.e4 c6 2.f3 d5 3.c3 g4 4.h3 xf3 5.xf3 e6 6.d4 f6 7.d3 At the time this was line was quite familiar from the 1958 Smyslov·Botvinnik return match, but here Littlewood essays what was at the time a much recommended, but rarely trie Pawn sacrifice. Today it has become the main continuation. For the Pawn white obtains the better development, open lines and a dangerous initiative. However, with caredul play black should be abe putup an adequate defense. dxe4 8.xe4 xd4 9.e3 d8 Black had three other possibilities: 9...Qxb2 which is too dangerous, 9...Qe5 and 9...Bb4+ (recommended. The text may be considered the safest continuation 10.0-0-0 bd7 11.g3 11.c4 xe4 12.xe4 e7 13.he1 0-0 14.xe6 In this complicated position white is better, but in Mamedov,R (2657)-Eljanov,P (2717) Berlin 2015 he only managed to draw. 11...a5 12.b1 d5 Black has difficulty coordinat his development; however, his position is basically sound. 12...0-0-0 13.g5 e5 14.e2 xd1+ 15.xd1 lead to a quicj draw in Hujbert,F (2444)-Wang,P (2455) Budapest 2014 13.d2 c7 14.f4 0-0-0 15.c4 5f6 16.c3 xe4 17.xe4 c5 Oddly, this move leaves black with a difficult game. The neutral 17...h6 keeps the balance. Or, if black is feeling adventerous he can play 17...Be7 18.xd8+ xd8 19.c2 f6 Suddenly it becomes clear that white has the better position. The pressure he exerts against black's K-side is more than enough compensation for the P especially now that black has weakened his e-Pawn. 20.d1 c7 21.e3 A fine multi-purpose move! It threatens both the e-Pawn and the a-Pawn (after b4) and allows him to advance on the K-side with g4. a5 A slightly safer way of guarding the a-Pawn was 21...Kb8 22.a3 b8 23.b4 axb4 24.axb4 a6 25.c5 25.xe6 is inferior. xb4 26.xb4 xb4 27.d7 a5 Threatening mate on a2, so... 28.c1 a1+ 29.d2 b2 and black is better. 25...c8 26.g4 White has tied down the black Q-side and so he now turns his attention to the K-side. Still, there is no reason for black to panic because with care his position is solid enough to withstand the pressure. 26.g3 is technically stronger because black will have to retuen the P in order to complete his development. c7 27.b2 A waiting move. e7 28.xg7 f8 29.xf8+ xf8 30.f5 This is even better that capturing the h-Pawn. e5 31.b3 White has a positional advantage, but can ge win? It seems unlikely as 5 Shootout ganes were drawn. 26...c7 27.g5 e7 27...d5 loses in a nifty fashion... 28.xd5 exd5 29.gxf6+- gxf6 29...b5 30.fxg7 30.xf6 g8 31.e5+ 28.gxf6 xf6 29.e5 Although not fatal, practically speaking this piun causes black some anxiety. At least one annotator (pre-engine) based hos evaluation on the games outcome and claimed that black was lost. We engine users know that the game is dead equal...theoretically that is; black must defend accurately which is earier for Stockfish than a human! d8 30.d6 a7 31.a3+ Unable to make progess on the K-side, Littlewood switches back to the Q-side. a6 32.a5 Hoping for b5. xd6 32...e7 The pre-engine annotator recommeded this as black's best chance, bit it's his worst...it loses. 33.b5 xd6 34.cxd6 d8 35.c3 and the N is lost. 33.b6+ a8 34.cxd6 d8 35.d4 Threatens to win with d7. d7 36.d3 g6 37.a1 a7 38.d4+ b8 39.a4 f7 40.e5 In spite of white's best efforts black has been holding on, but his next move is a slip that should have allowed white to invigorate his position. a7 Walking into a pin is rarely a good idea and this move is no exceptiom to that gemeralization. 40...g5 Counterattack! 41.e4 gxf4 42.b5 The problem with this line of defense is that when playing 40///g5 black has to see the one move that doesn't lose! h5 This one. 43.bxa6 xe5 44.axb7 b5+ 45.xb5 cxb5 and the Bs of opposite color assure the draw. 41.b5 cxb5 42.xb5 42.xb5 was even stronger. b6 43.a4 g5 44.d7 gxf4 45.d4 xd4 46.xd4+ b6 47.a4 b5 48.d4+ c5 49.xc5+ b7 50.d8 42...f5+ Littlewood now wraps up the game with a few swift blows. 43.a2 f7 44.d7 b6 45.xa6 bxa6 46.c6 Black resigned. Bhend's play was actually very good, but Littlewood's was better! 46.c6 e7 47.c8 d8 48.b8+ a8 49.c7+ a7 50.xd8 1–0
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