In 1975, we saw mood rings. They contained a “stone” that changes colors based on the temperature of the finger and the color was supposed to show your mood.
Then there were pet rocks. They were just rocks packaged in custom cardboard boxes complete with ventilation holes and straw bedding.They didn't do anything.
President Richard Nixon, who claimed he wasn't a crook, resigned over the Watergate Scandal. Then came the mass chaos when Americans evacuate from Saigon under President Gerald Ford, marking the end of the war in Vietnam. After Nixon's Vice President, Spiro Agnew, who was a crook, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, Nixon appointed Speaker of the House Forn to the VP position and when Nixon resigned Ford became President.
The top rated players were 1-Bobby Fischer, 2-Anatoly Karpov, 3-Viktor Korchnoi, 4-Tigran Petrosian, 5-Lev Polugaevsky, 6-Mikhail Tal, 7-Lajos Portisch, 8-Bent Larsen, 9-Boris Spassky and 10-Robert Huebner.
Player lost that year were the legendary Paul Keres, Friedrich Samisch, Lajos Steiner, Nicolas Rossolimo, Karel Opocensky, Hans Johner, Vladimir Vukovic, Georg Kieninger, Abraham Baratz, Norman Whitake and John Morrison.
World Champion Bobby Fischer resigned his title when he and FIDE failed to agree on the terms for the defense of his title and the chess world went on without him. Nona Gaprindashvili successfully defended her Women's World Championship for the fourth time.
Anatoly Karpov won in Milan, his first tournament since becoming world champion. He won again in Ljubljana. Ljubomir Ljubojevic of Yugoslavia, had a big year, winning three important tournaments. Tigran Petrosian made a comeback and dominated the USSR Chess Championship. Yakov Estrin, the Russian over-the-board IM, won the 7th World Correspondence Championship.
There was a big scandal in England when Tony Miles and Stewart Reuben agree a draw at the Luton Congress without playing a single move. Their last round game was recorded as a draw, but the organizer notified both players requesting the return of their prize money.
The following non-Master game was played in a match for the championship of the Naval Station in Key West, Florida. It has some interesting tactics, but what caught my eye was the two exclamation marks white gave his 23rd move, sacrificing his Queen. Engines weren’t so kind...they slapped two question marks on it. Nevertheless, it was an exciting contest.
The opening, Bird’s Opening, is named after 19th century English player Henry Bird, is one in which white's strategic ideas involve control of e5 and it offers good attacking chances at the expense of slightly weakening the K-side.
Although it is rarely played at the top levels, it’s not a bad opening for amateurs because it can lead to a quick and strong attack if black does not respond with precise play.
[Event "US Naval Station Chp, Key West. Floroda"] [Site "?"] [Date "1075.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Kevin Casey"] [Black "Jack Hayden"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A03"] [WhiteElo "1726"] [BlackElo "1900"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "75"] [EventDate "1075.??.??"] {] A03: Bird's Opening} 1. f4 c5 2. b3 {White could transpose into the aggressive Sicilian Grand Prix Attack with 2.e4, but most Bird players like to stick to the familiar Bird patterns.} d5 3. Bb2 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Bb5+ Nbd7 7. O-O a6 {The main option is 7...O-O} 8. Bxd7+ Bxd7 {Black has an edge.} 9. d3 O-O 10. Ne5 {A classic square for the N in the Bird, but here it's not sucj a good idea because it allows black to simplify into a position where he is slightly better.} (10. Qe2 Rc8 11. Nbd2 {offers equal chances.}) 10... Bc8 {Black wants to keep the two Bs, but here that idea confers no particular advantage plus it loses time. Simply} (10... Ng4 { Also playable is the solid 10...Rc8} 11. Nxd7 (11. Nxg4 Bxb2 {wins}) 11... Nxe3 12. Qc1 Bxb2 13. Qxb2 Qxd7 {with the better position.}) 11. Nd2 Ng4 12. Qe2 Nh6 {As soon becomes apparent, black has a faulty play in mind.} (12... Nxe5 13. Bxe5 Bxe5 14. fxe5 Qc7 {pretty much eliminates white's attacking chances/}) 13. e4 $11 d4 14. h3 f5 {Here is black's faulty idea, but it neglects development and opens up his K-side. His best move would have been to stop a square short with the f-Pawn and drive the N away with 14...f6 ir play `4...b5} 15. Rae1 Nf7 16. exf5 Bxf5 17. g4 Bc8 (17... Bd7 {is fatal strategically.} 18. Nxd7 Qxd7 19. Qxe7 Qxe7 20. Rxe7) 18. Ndf3 b5 {This blunders away a Pawn and leaves black fighting for his life. Best was 18...Nxe5 when white would only be slightly better.} 19. Nc6 Qd7 20. Nxe7+ Kh8 21. Nh4 Bb7 22. f5 {This is very inviting, but it allows black to equalize.} (22. Qe6 Qc7 (22... Qxe6 23. Rxe6 Nd8 24. Nhxg6+ hxg6 25. Nxg6+ Kg8 26. Nxf8 Nxe6 27. Nxe6 {wins}) 23. Nexg6+ hxg6 24. Nxg6+ Kg8 25. Ne7+ Kh8 26. Qg6 Nh6 27. Qg5 {Threatening Ng6+ leaves white with a decisive advantage.}) 22... Ne5 {At this point white thought his next move was crushing, but, in fact, black has equalized and the only move white has that keeps the chances equal is 23.g5} 23. Qxe5 {White incorrectly based this sacrifice on based on the idea that two defenders of bof wack's K are removed and the dark squares weakened, his N on e7 cramps black amd all white's pieces can be quickly brought to the attack on black's cornered K. White thought that even id the Q sacrifice was unsound he hoped for what Tarrasch called "sacrificial shock." It worked for Tal! Black has to find the precise defense which is not always easy.} (23. g5 gxf5 24. Nexf5 Rae8 25. Qh5 Nf3+ 26. Nxf3 Rxe1 27. Nxe1 Rxf5 28. Rxf5 Qxf5 {with equal chances.}) 23... Bxe5 24. Rxe5 Kg7 {[%mdl 8192] This move avoids any sacrificial checks on g6, but it gives white's attack new impetis.} (24... Rae8 {should prove decisive because white has no really good followup.} 25. f6 (25. fxg6 Rxf1+ 26. Kxf1 Rxe7 27. gxh7 { is much less effective because of} Rxe5 28. Ng6+ Kxh7 29. Nf8+) 25... Qd6 26. Nhxg6+ hxg6 27. Nxg6+ Kh7 28. Nxf8+ Rxf8 29. Re7+ Kh8 30. Rxb7 Qg3+ 31. Kh1 Qxh3+ 32. Kg1 Qxg4+ {and wins}) 25. Bc1 {[%mdl 1024] Adding the B to the attack makes all the difference!} Rae8 26. Bg5 {Even stronger was 26.Rfe1} Rf7 {Much better would have been 27.Rfe1 followed by Re6 increasing the pressure on g6.} 27. f6+ Kh8 28. Rfe1 {Now black could have equalized with either 28... Rfe8 or 28...Rd8.} Rfxe7 {[%mdl 8192] Instead, black plays a move that allows white's piece to swam all over his K.} 29. Rxe7 {Not 25.fx36 because the P would be held hp and further progress by white would be extremely difficult.} Rxe7 30. Rxe7 Qc6 31. f7 {The P is now an unstoppable threat. The following checks are harmless.} Qh1+ 32. Kf2 {[%cal Rf7f8]} Qh2+ 33. Ke1 {[%cal Rf7f8]} Qg3+ 34. Kd2 {[%cal Rf7f8]} Qf2+ 35. Kc1 Kg7 36. Bh6+ {[%mdl 512] White finishes up nicely.} Kxh6 37. Nf5+ {[%mdl 512] Allowing the P to queen.} Kg5 38. f8=Q {Black resigned. Not a perfect game, but an exciting one!} 1-0
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