Reshevsky Owned the e-file

    The 1972 Chess Olympiad was held in Nice, France and saw the Soviet Union (Karpov, Korchnoi, Spassly, Petrosian, Tal and Kuzmin) took forst, finishing ahead of Yugoslavia (Gligoric, Ljubojevic, Ivkov, Planinc, Velimirovic and Parma.) The United States (Kavakek, Robert Byrne, Browne, Reshevsjy, Lombardu and Tarjan) finished third. 

    In the following game from the US vs. Sweden match in the Final A group the dominant factor was Reshevsky’s control of the e-file. Playing black, Reshevsky opened with the Benoni Defense which morphed into a King's Indian. 

    Udderfeldt failed to get anything out of the opening and Reshevsky hit on an idea on move 14 that he said seemed to surprise Udderfeldt who then made what Reshevsky called a “peculiar reply.” 

    Reshevsky gained control of the e-file and the game was practically over as the activity of his pieces kept increasing until his opponent was reduced to complete passivity. 

    It was a fine demonstration of putting the squeeze on an opponent, but a careful examination shows that it wasn’t the positional rout Reshevsky’s notes suggested. Udderfeldt missed some better defenses, but the game demonstrates the difficulty of defending a position with no real hope of counterplay. All that said, I consider the game was still a positional masterpiece by Reshevsky.

    Dan Uddenfeldt (born in 1951),is a Swedish master who was one of the leading players in Sweden in the 1970s when he participated in several international junior championships. 

 

[Event "Nice Olympiad Final-A"] [Site ""] [Date "1974.06.19"] [Round "?"] [White "Dan Uddenfeldt"] [Black "Samuel Reshevsky"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A57"] [Annotator "Reshevsky/Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "96"] [EventDate "1974.06.16"] {King's Indian Defense} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 {A flexible move that can lead to numerous transpositional possibilities.} 3. d5 (3. g4 {is an ineresting possibility that has been untested. Probably for good reason though because black gets the better game after} cxd4 4. g5 Ne4 5. Qxd4 Qa5+ 6. Bd2 Nxd2 7. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 8. Kxd2 {Black is better. Djordjevic,V (2382)-Postnikov,D (2360) chess.com INT 2022}) 3... d6 4. Nc3 g6 5. e4 {White hopes to use his space advantage to attack on the K-side while black will try to undermine white's center and/or counterattack on the Q-side.} Bg7 6. h3 {More frequently seen are 6.Nf3 or 6.Bd3, but the rather passive text move is not bad.} O-O 7. Bg5 e6 8. Bd3 exd5 9. exd5 {White can capture with either P depending on what type of game he wants to play. 9.exd5 leads to a positional type of game. Capturing 9. dxe5 leads to a complicated and tactical game.} Re8+ 10. Nge2 h6 11. Be3 Nbd7 12. Bc2 {The purpose of this somewhat odd move is to avois having to surrender the B for a N if black plays ...Ne5, but t could have been delayed a move. 12. Ng3 Ne5 and now 13.Be2} a6 {This prevents Nb5 and prepares expansion on the Q-side with ...b5} 13. a4 Ne5 14. b3 {Engines now suggest black play something benign lile 14...Nh5, but Reshevsky hits on a suprising idea that works out much better than it should have!} Bf5 {The idea is to activate the B. White can saddle black with weak doubled Ps, but Reshevsky didn't mind because he could them post his N one4 where it would put "tell ing pressure in the center and on the K-side." Interesting insight into the mind of a GN!} 15. Ra2 { Apparently the young player does not want to challenge the wily Reshevsky, but this move is hard to explain because it just leaves the R out of play. .} (15. Bxf5 {This, of course, is logical and the test of Reshevsky's reasoning.} gxf5 16. Qc2 Ne4 17. Nxe4 fxe4 {The N has disappeared and its place taked by a P that will support a N on d3. For example...} 18. O-O Nd3 19. Rad1 Qh4 {with about equal chances.}) 15... Bxc2 16. Qxc2 Nh5 17. O-O f5 {This move is a major part of Reshevsky.'s strategy to contro; e4 so he can occupy it with a N. } 18. Qd2 Kh7 19. Nd1 {White has a position that holds no promise of achieving anything positive, but that's not to say that he is lost. While his position is difficult and black does have the better prospects, this backward waiting move is of little promise.} (19. Nf4 {aimimg at e6 and so forcing the exchange of Ns would jeep things fairly even.} Nxf4 20. Bxf4 Qf6 {and black can claim no advantage.} (20... g5 21. Bxe5 {and there is no lonfer any way for black to conjure up an attack so the position is quite equal.})) 19... Qe7 20. a5 Rf8 { This surprising move is instructive. It's part of his plan to double Rs on the e-file! It makes it possible to get the other R on the e-file. How he doubles his Rs is instructive to watch.} 21. f4 {The idea of this move is to stop any possible advance of black's f-Pawn. Reshevsky was critical of it, but it's actually not a bad move at all even if the weakness it creates on g3 will play a part in the future.} Nd7 {Repositioning the N.} 22. Qd3 Ndf6 23. Nf2 Rae8 24. Bc1 Ne4 {As previously mentioned, he has gotten a N on e4. At this point Reshevsky was positive that he was winning, Technically that's not true, but practically he has good winning chances if for no other reason than white's position is very passive and it won't take much to tip the scales completely in blac;s favor.} 25. Bb2 {Another less than optimal decision. Udderfeldt wants to exchange as many pieces as possible in order to ease the pressure, but this allows Reshevsky to maintain the N on e4 and, as a result his advantage becomes very real. After 25.Nxe4 white would have real hopes of neutralozong the pressure on the e-file.} Nhf6 26. Nd1 {Part of his plan to engage in multiple exchanges.} (26. Nxe4 {This is his best try as it keeps black's advantage at a size white may be able to deal with.} Qxe4 27. Qxe4 Rxe4 (27... Nxe4 28. Bxg7 Kxg7 29. Rf3 {is equal because white can cover all his weaknesses.}) 28. Bxf6 Bxf6 29. g3 Rfe8 30. Kf2 {leaves black with a dominating position.} (30. Re1 Re3 {wins})) 26... Rf7 27. Ba1 Qd8 28. Nec3 Rfe7 {Now he has control of the e-file and a N on e4, but now he must figure out a way to use his advantage. ..} 29. Rf3 (29. Nxe4 Rxe4 {It is essential to keep control of the e-file.} (29... Nxe4 30. Bxg7 Kxg7 31. Nc3 Nxc3 32. Qxc3+ { is equal}) 30. Qd2 Qe7 31. Nf2 Re3 {with a dominating posirion. In Shootouts white scored )= -3 =2.}) 29... h5 {This move is part of his new plan...to continue with ...h4 giving him contril of g3 so he can place his N there.} 30. Rf1 {At this point white is helpless to do much at all except shift his pieces around.} (30. Ne2 {covering h3.} h4 31. Bxf6 Bxf6 32. Kh2 Bd4) 30... h4 31. Nxe4 Rxe4 32. Bxf6 {He can't allow the N to get to g3 so it has to go.} Qxf6 33. Kh2 Qd4 {The gane is all but over. Black controls the e-file and white's pieves are immobile.} 34. Qxd4 Bxd4 35. Rf3 Re1 36. Nf2 {After this all hope is gome.} Rf1 37. g3 (37. Ne4 {was worth a try hoping black would fall for} Rxf3 (37... Rd1 {is correct.} 38. Ng5+ Kh6 (38... Kg7 {blunders away all his advantage.} 39. Ne6+ Kf6 40. g3 {and the N on e5 prevents black from making any progress.}) 39. g3 hxg3+ 40. Rxg3 Ree1 {Blacj is winning.}) 38. Ng5+ Kg7 39. Nxf3 {and white has a fighting chance.}) 37... hxg3+ 38. Kxg3 Rg1+ 39. Kh2 Rb1 40. h4 Re3 {Rhe mop up begins.} 41. Rxe3 Bxe3 42. Nh3 Kh6 43. Ra3 Bc1 44. Ra2 Rxb3 45. Re2 Rb2 46. Rxb2 Bxb2 47. Ng5 Kg7 48. Ne6+ Kf6 (48... Kf6 { The N on e6 can;t help white. A possible continuation might be} 49. Nd8 (49. Kg3 Bc3) 49... Ke7 50. Nxb7 Bc3 51. Kg3 Be1+ 52. Kh3 Kd7 {White is out of moves and he is going to lose a lot of plastic.}) 0-1

Engine Analysis Then and Now

    When browsing some of my old server games I came across the following very difficult game that was played on a site where engine use was allowed. When it was played in 2011, Rybka was the strongest engine, but it was later disqualified from the World Computer Chess Championship and stripped of all titles for plagiarism. 

    That meant Houdini was next in line as the top engine, but Rybka’s disqualification opened up opportunities for other engines like Stockfish to rise in prominence. Fritz was also a well-known engine in 2011, but it was generally considered weaker than Rybka and Houdini. Overall, by this time engines had become significantly stronger than human players with the best engines exceeding 3000 Elo. 

 In those days I only used the free engines and there were several strong free and open-source engines available. Stockfish was one of the most widely used. Houdini 1.5a was another extremely strong engine as was Rybka 2.3.2a. Critter, Gull, Protector and Crafty were also very strong free engines. 

    Many of these engines could be used with free graphical user interfaces such as Arena and Scid, but I was using Fritz 12. It was released in November of 2009. I don't remember the cost, but I found the program in a long defunct office supply store whose name I have forgotten, but not the price. I bought the CD for $20 which was a fraction of the price from the USCF. It was my go-to program until I replaced it with Fritz 17 in 2021. It's still on my laptop and I actually use it to conduct Shootout analysis because it works better for that than the newer Fritz programs. 

    When playing the following game I used several different free engines and on occasion felt they were suggesting less than optimal moves. In my old post-mortem analysis it was very difficult for me to determine what the best moves were, but my feeling was that black missed several chances to draw.

    Black’s trouble seemed to stem from the decision at move 52 to trade his two R’s for my Q and a P. Despite the engine evaluations giving white a nearly 3 Pawn advantage, my gut feeling was that by keeping the R’s on he would have made it much more difficult for me to squeeze out a win. 

    All that is moot because today it’s clear that he was already dead lost at move 52 and he had a bad position for many moves before that. It was interesting to analyze the game using today’s Stockfish and comparing it to the old free Rybka engine. 

[Event "Server Tournament"] [Site "?"] [Date "2011.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Tartajubow"] [Black "Opponent"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E46"] [Annotator "Stockfish/Rybka"] [PlyCount "161"] [EventDate "2011.??.??"] [WhiteTeam ""] [BlackTeam ""] [WhiteTeamCountry ""] [BlackTeamCountry ""] {E46: Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein: 4 e3 0-0 5 Ne2 without early Bd3} 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. d4 Nf6 4. e3 O-O 5. Nge2 {This move was a specialty of Samuel Reshevsky. White will first play a3 to kick the B away, before moving his N on e2 to a more active square.} Nc6 {Judging by statistics, this rarely played move isn’t the best. A note says that the database I was using at the time had 6 master games in it and that all were lost by black. I suspect that black played it because it was Rybka's top choice. 5...d5 is ny far the most popular move.} 6. a3 {Black almost always plays 6...Bxc3+, but preserving the B with this retreat is hardly bad.} Be7 (6... Bxc3+ 7. Nxc3 d5 8. b3 dxc4 9. bxc4 e5 10. d5 {Feuerstein,A-Denker,A New York 1957}) 7. d5 Ne5 8. Ng3 a6 {After this there are no more games in the database so we are "out of the book" and white, must come up with a plan. I considered several moves here before finally deciding on my next move which has the idea of gaining time by harrassing thr Ns.} (8... exd5 {is better.} 9. cxd5 d6 10. f4 Ng6 11. Be2 Re8 12. O-O Bf8 13. Bc4 Ng4 14. Qe1 {The position is about equal. Jelen,I (2340)-Krasevec,A Bled 1992}) 9. f4 Ng6 10. h4 {The most aggressive...the N gets driven back.} Re8 ( 10... Ne8 11. h5 Nh4 12. h6 g6 {is Rybka2.3.2a (multi-processor)'s preferred line which it says is equal, but black's position just doesn't look right. Stockfish agreesm giving white almost a 1.5 P advantage.}) 11. h5 Nf8 12. h6 { White has to press on. Simple development seems to allow black to undermine white’s P-center, bring his pieces out and get the initiative} (12. Bd3 h6 { Apparently eignes, even the old Rybka, recognize the value of h6 so take steps to prevent it.} 13. Qf3 d6 {and as cramed as black is, both Rybka and Stockfish 17.1 evaluate the position as equal.}) 12... g6 13. Be2 {Best according to Rybkam but Stockfish's 13.b4 is more logical. Black’s next move represent a huge difference betweebn engines then and now! Black plays Rybka;s top choice with an equal evaluation, Stocjfish agrees that the position is equal, but only of black plays 13...b5. It thinks Rybka’s choice stinks.} exd5 14. cxd5 Bc5 15. e4 d6 16. Qd3 c6 {An attempt to undermine white;s center. It doesn't show up as a top choice for eother engine, but it's not a bad move. Now Rybla suggests I play either 17.dxc6 or 17.b4 with equality. I played the most aggressive move I could come up with which turns out to be Stockfish's top choice.. Kudos to me!} 17. f5 Qb6 (17... gxf5 {is met ny} 18. Bg5 {and black is lost after} Re5 19. Qf3 cxd5 20. Nxd5 N8d7 21. Nxf6+ Nxf6 22. b4 Bd4 23. Rd1 Bb6 24. Nh5) 18. Rf1 {[%mdl 2048] White is in control.} (18. dxc6 { The move in th game is Stockfish's choice, Rybka likes this.} bxc6 19. Rf1 { White is slightly better, but Rubka thinks the position is equal.}) 18... Bd4 19. Bg5 gxf5 {This can't be good. Better (slightly) wpuld have been 19...N8d7} 20. O-O-O {Offering the e-Pawn in order to unclog the K[side, Black has little choice but to accept it.} Nxe4 21. Ngxe4 Rxe4 22. Bf3 Be3+ 23. Bxe3 {Black faces a tough decision. Should he simplify by trading Qs or will keeping them on give him better chances. It seems the choice is a matter of preferance according to Rybka which gives white only a minimal edge after either capture. Stockfish, on the ohter hand, thinks white is considerably betyter after 23... Qxe3, but practically winning after taking with the R.} Rxe3 24. Qd2 Bd7 25. Na4 Qa7 26. Qb4 {This move is far better than Rybka's recommendation of 26. dxc6. The threat of Nb6 entices black into making a series of exchanges that benefits white.} cxd5 27. Bxd5 Bxa4 28. Qxa4 Re5 29. Kb1 {[%mdl 1024] A safety precaution.} Qe3 30. Qh4 {Intending Qf6 and mate.} (30. Bxb7 {looks plausible, but it's deceiving.} Rb8 31. Qxa6 Qb3 32. Qxd6 Rb5 33. Qd2 {Threatening Qg5+ and mate, so...} R5xb7 (33... R8xb7 34. Qg5+ Ng6 35. Rd8#) 34. Qg5+ Ng6 35. Rd8+ Rxd8 36. Qxd8+ Nf8 {and white has to take the draw with} 37. Qg5+) 30... Ne6 31. Rf3 Qe2 32. Rfd3 {Black has defended against the mate threat soi now white goes after the d-Pawn.} Re3 33. Bf3 {This tactical shot was seen by Rybkam but it completely musevaluated the position thinking that white is only slightly better when, in fact, white is better to the tune of nearly two Ps.} Qxd3+ 34. Rxd3 Rxd3 35. Qh3 Rc8 36. Qxf5 Re3 37. Qd5 (37. Bxb7 {is a blunder... } Re1+ 38. Ka2 Rcc1 {with equal chance after 39.Qg4+, but not the double question mark worthy} 39. Bxa6 Ra1+ 40. Kb3 Nd4+) 37... Re1+ 38. Ka2 Rc6 39. Qd2 Rcc1 40. Qxd6 a5 41. Qb8+ (41. Bxb7 {has been rendered impossible thanks to nlack's last move.} a4 42. Qg3+ Kf8 43. Qd6+ Kg8 (43... Ke8 44. Bc6+ Rxc6 45. Qxc6+ Ke7 46. Qxa4 {White wins.}) 44. Qg3+ {and draws.}) 41... Nf8 42. Kb3 {It's still not safe to take the P.} Re6 43. Bd5 Rb6+ 44. Ka4 Rf1 45. Kxa5 { Finally...all that remains os to picj up the b-Pawn.} Ra6+ 46. Kb4 Rb6+ 47. Kc3 Rxh6 48. Qxb7 Rd6 {Rybka is still giving black a fighting chance in evaluating the position as only 1.5 Ps in white's favor. That's hard to belive considering the B is superior to the N and f7 is very weak and white has two connected passed Ps. White has a decisive advantage} 49. Bc4 Rc1+ 50. Kb3 Rd7 51. Qb6 Rb1 52. a4 {[%mdl 32]} Rd2 {Black is lost no matter what, but Stockfish gives this a question mark.} 53. Qf6 {Rybka has finally recognized that black is lost and actually recommended black's next move which is utterly hopeless. But then so was anything else.} Rdxb2+ 54. Qxb2 Rxb2+ 55. Kxb2 { [%mdl 4096] The remainder of the game requires no engine assistance!} Ng6 56. a5 Ne7 57. a6 Nc6 58. Bd5 Na7 59. Kc3 Kf8 60. Kb4 Ke7 61. Kc5 Kd7 62. Kb6 Nc8+ 63. Kb7 Nd6+ 64. Kb8 Nb5 65. Bxf7 Nd4 66. a7 Nc6+ 67. Kb7 Nxa7 68. Kxa7 Ke7 69. Bh5 Ke6 70. Bg4+ {Rybka give white a 5 Pawn advantagem but Stockfish is announcing mate in 33 moves.} Kf6 71. Bh3 Kg5 72. Kb6 Kf6 73. Kc6 Ke5 74. Kd7 Kf6 75. Kd6 h6 76. Kd5 Kg5 77. Ke5 h5 78. g3 Kg6 79. Kf4 Kf6 80. Bg2 Kg6 81. Bf3 {Black resoigned. The finish is instructive though.} (81. Bf3 h4 82. g4 ( 82. gxh4 {would be wrong! the B is the wrong color to force black out of the corner.} Kh6 83. Kf5 Kg7 84. Kg5 Kh7 85. Be4+ Kg7 86. Bd3 Kh8 87. Kh6 Kg8 88. Bf5 Kh8 {and you get the point. Advancing the P is no help.} 89. Kg6 Kg8 90. h5 Kh8 91. h6 Kg8 92. h7+ Kh8 93. Kg5 Kg7 {etc.}) 82... Kf6 83. g5+ Kg6 84. Be4+ Kf7 85. Kf5 Ke7 86. g6 h3 87. Ke5 h2 88. Bh1 Ke8 89. Ke6 Kf8 90. Kf6 Ke8 91. g7 Kd7 92. g8=Q Kc7 93. Qc4+ Kb6 94. Qb4+ Kc7 95. Ke7 Kc8 96. Qb7#) 1-0

Fritz 20

 

    First, let me say I have no financial interest in this product. As most readers are aware, I have been a fan of the Fritz program for years and not too long ago upgraded to Fritz 19 from Fritz 17. 

    There was not too much difference between the two for my purposes because I do not play against the program for fun and any idea about using it for improvement is out of the question. 

     According to reviews some users had some bug issues with Fritz 19, but I have not run into a single problem, at least not with the feature I use. 

    Now Fritz 20 is available (download from the USCF costs $77). The first thing I noticed is that the user interface has been redesigned. The new design is supposed to be “modern” and visually aesthetic. I don't like it, but that’s probably because it’s not what I am used to after all these years. They have also changed the 3D boards, but I never use them so for me it’s a moot point. 

    The major changes are in the area of playing for fun. They have added three modes for you to play against: Hypermodern, Robot and VIP.  In the Hypermodern mode the program uses flank openings. In the Configurable mode you can adjust various characteristics of the opponents. Most intriguing is the VIP mode that allows you to play against opponents like Fischer, Tal, Karpov, Capablanca and Lasker. These opponents play with the style of the player and use their opening repertoires. Watch this Youtube video

 

Conclusion:

    For Bloggers looking to publish games, average players looking to improve or just have fun, Fritz 20 is a fantastic program that is well worth $77. 

    If, like me, you are no longer looking to improve or you prefer meeting real live opponents online or you just want the basics like publishing games, analyzing, playing over games or using basic database functions then an earlier version, if you can fine one, will suit you just fine. If, on yhr other hand, you are looking for a program that is just plain fun to tinker with then you can;t beat Fritz 20.

A Solid Performance by Tal

    Former World Champion Mikhail Tal (1936-1992, 55 years old) was noted for his brilliant sacrifices which were often base on intuitive thinking and his ability to calculate variations. 

    The following game shows another side of Tal’s play; there is no flashy tactics, subtle positional play or brilliant endgame play...just a rock solid performance. It shouldn’t be surprising that Tal could play something other than tactical chess because no player is going to become world champion with a one sided style. The intuitive sacrifices he was famous for were a personal preference. 

    In this game that was played in World Student Team Championship that was held in Uppsala, Sweden, in April 1956, Tal play was nothing flashy, just solid chess. 

    The Soviet team won the tournament with Hungary taking second place. The Soviet team won convincingly, notably defeating their main rivals, Yugoslavia, in the early rounds. Yugoslavia and Bulgaria tied for third. The United States team finished eighth. 

    Tal’s opponent was Borislav Ivkov (1933-2022, 88 years old). He was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia and was awarded the GM title in 1955. Ivkov won the Yugoslav Championship in 1958 (tie), 1963 (tie) and 1972. 

[Event "World Student Team Chp, Uppsala"] [Site ""] [Date "1956.04.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Mikhail Tal"] [Black "Borislav Ivkov"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C97"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "65"] [EventDate "1956.??.??"] {C97: Closed Ruy Lopez: Chigorin Defense} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 {This is a common and solid move. The idea is to castle quickly, support the N on f6 and hold the P on e5 as a strong point. White now has four main continuations: 6.Bxc6, 6.d3, 6.Qe2 and the most popular, 6.Re1} 6. Re1 b5 {Black chooses the traditional Chlgorin line.} 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d6 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Bd7 13. Nf1 Rfe8 14. Ne3 g6 {This solid move is most often played.} (14... cxd4 {us not seen very oftenm but it k\leads to some double edfed play.} 15. cxd4 Rac8 16. b3 Nc6 17. Ba3 exd4 18. Nd5 { with equal chances.}) 15. b4 {White usually prefers the solid 15.Bd2, but not Tal.} cxb4 16. cxb4 Nc4 17. Nxc4 bxc4 18. Re3 {Black's c-Pawn will be captured sooner or later. However, Tal's move has a surprising point.} Bf8 19. Bb2 Bh6 ( 19... Bg7 {is also acceptable.} 20. d5 a5 21. bxa5 Qxa5 22. a4 Nh5 {is roughly equal. Bogdanovic,R-Janosevic,D Sombor 1957}) 20. Ra3 {The point of his 18th move...it;s an odd place for the King's R.} Qb7 {This attack on the e-Pawn is a small slip.} (20... exd4 {results in equality after} 21. Qxd4 Bg7 22. Bc3 Bc8 23. Nd2 Bb7 24. Qxc4 Rac8 25. Qxc7 Rxc7) 21. dxe5 Qxb4 {Should whute defend the B or take the N?} 22. Qd4 {This defends the B plus it sets up potential threats on the long diagonal. Black's position is not serious, but he must remain alert.} (22. exf6 Qxb2 23. Ra5 Bb5 {and black is betterm his c-Pawn being a bone in white;s throat.}) (22. Rb1 dxe5 23. g4 {with complications that favor white id black plays either 23...Bf4 or 23...g5} (23. Nxe5 {must be avoided because it lets black equalize.} Rxe5 24. Bxe5 Qxa3)) 22... Nh5 { Ivkov i unaware of the lurking danger. After this move watch white's attack gain momentum.} (22... Rab8 {was required if he wants to stay afloat.} 23. Rb1 dxe5 24. Nxe5 c3 {The exchange of Qs eases his defense considerably.} 25. Qxb4 Rxb4 26. Nxd7 Nxd7 27. Rxc3 Bg7 28. Rc7 Rxb2 29. Rxb2 Bxb2 30. Rxd7 {and a draw would be a reasonable outcome.}) 23. exd6 (23. e6 {was even stronger.} Bg7 24. exf7+ Kxf7 25. Ng5+ Kg8 26. Qd5+ Be6 27. Nxe6 Bxb2 28. Nc7+ Kh8 29. Nxe8 Rxe8 30. Ra4 Qb6 {White is up the exchange and the win is preyy much a sure thing.}) 23... Bg7 24. e5 Bc6 {This only hastens the end, but even the better 24...Nf4 would not have helped much.} 25. Re3 Bxf3 26. Bc3 ({Stronger than} 26. Rxf3 Bxe5 27. Rb3 Qxb3 $17) 26... Qb5 27. gxf3 Rad8 28. f4 Re6 29. Rb1 Qc6 { and the idea ...Rexd6 leaves black hopeful.} 30. Rb6 (30. h4 {A pass to illustrates black's hope.} Rexd6 31. Qe4 Rd5 {White is better, but black can still put up a fight.}) 30... Qc8 31. Bd1 {Simple...black's K-side is destroyed.} Bh6 32. Bxh5 gxh5 33. f5 {Black resigned. His sudden collapse was surprising.} (33. f5 Bxe3 34. Qxe3 Rf8 (34... Ree8 35. Qg5+ Kf8 36. Qh6+ Kg8 37. f6 {mates}) 35. fxe6 fxe6 {is hopeless.}) 1-0

Najdorf Spits the Hook

    In the following game Najdorf played the opening poorly, got a bad position, then got lucky when Rellstab missed the best move and completely collapsed. 

    For some players this game might reinforce the “never resign” philosophy. I play occasionally on Chess Hotel and often run into poor sports (that’s the kindest way I can think of to describe them, but other words come to mind) who, when they are badly lost will not move and let their time expire even if it means sitting there for several minutes, or rather than resig, they just leave the game. 

    Almost as bad are those who play on to the bitter end no matter how much material they are down. Sometimes that is justified if your opponent is very short of time and he may not be able to mate before his time expires. It’s an ugly way to win, but time limits are a part of the game. 

    One reason for not resigning a bad position though might be because you are playing a much weaker opponent who might be prone to making a blunder that allows you to salvage the game. That’s what happened to Najdorf here. 

    That’s not to imply that Ludwig Rellstan (Senior) (1904-1988) was a weak player!. Far from it. In his day (the late 1930’s and 1940’s) Chessmereics estimates his rating to have been near 2600 which put hime in the world’s top 25 or so players. Rellstab won the German Championship in 1942 and was awarded the International Master title in 1950. He was also an International Arbiter. His son, a Jr., was born in 1935 and his last FIDE activity was in 2001 when he was rated in the 2100 -2200 range. 

 

    When this game was played Najdorf was one of the top players in the world, at least in the top ten, so it’s natural that he wasn’t going to resign a bad, but not lost, position. The position was complicated and Rellstab had a wide choice of possible moves and he chose the wrong one and Najdorf got away. 

 

[Event "Bled"] [Site "Bled"] [Date "1950.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Ludwig Rellstab"] [Black "Miguel Najdorf"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E94"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "50"] [EventDate "1950.??.??"] [EventType ""] [EventRounds ""] [EventCountry ""] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceQuality "1"] {[%evp 18,50,94,88,100,96,121,108,125,106,128,118,213,221,211,200,278,271,267, 289,281,0,0,-197,-192,-322,-324,-304,-313,-569,-566,-568,-563,-557,-549] E94: King's Indian} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O exd4 {This exchange is designed to provide an open diagonal for his B. The trade off is that it gives white's pieces more freedom.} 8. Nxd4 Re8 9. f3 Nbd7 10. Bg5 c6 {This makes room for his Q and allows him to connect his Rs. C.J.S. Purdy advised his students that one's development was not complete until the Rs were connected. The down side is that the d-Pawn is weakened.} 11. Qd2 Qb6 12. Be3 Qc7 13. Rac1 Nb6 14. Rfd1 Nfd7 {Black is facing the problem of what, exactly, can he do in this position. Consequently, we see him maneuvering and regrouping trying to come up with a plan. This gives white the chance to whip up an attack.} 15. Ndb5 {An unpleasant tactical surprise for black!} cxb5 16. Nxb5 Qd8 17. Nxd6 Ne5 {'White recovers the piece after 18...Rf8} (17... Rf8 18. c5 Na4 19. Nxc8 Rxc8 20. Qxd7) 18. c5 (18. Nxe8 {is not as good. After} Qxe8 19. c5 Nbd7 20. b4 {The situation is unclear. White has a R+2Ps vs 2Ns, a difficult material imbalance.}) 18... Nbd7 19. c6 {This a miscalculation that loses the advantage and allows black back in the game.} (19. Nxe8 {keeps the advantage after} Qxe8 20. b4 a6 21. a4 {with a slow squeeze on black's position. One can hardly blame Rellstab for not entering this variation because it is extremely gard to calculate and evaluate the position over the board.}) (19. f4 {This hammer blow puts black in a very difficult position.} Nc6 20. b4 a6 21. Nxf7 Kxf7 22. Bc4+ Kf8 23. Qd5 Qf6 24. e5 {...decisive}) 19... Nxc6 20. Nxc8 {Another less than precise move that allows black to gain the advantage. This time his best move was to take thr R.} Rxc8 $19 21. Qxd7 { White has regained his piece, but black has a stunning reply that turns the tables.} Bd4 22. Rxd4 {White finds the only move that avoids immediate loss.} Nxd4 23. Bb5 {Unlike the last move, here white finds the worst move.} (23. Qxd8 Rxc1+ 24. Bxc1 Nxe2+ 25. Kf2 Rxd8 26. Kxe2 {White will lose.}) 23... Rxc1+ ( 23... Nxb5 24. Qxb5 Rxc1+ 25. Bxc1 Qd4+ 26. Kf1 Rc8 27. Bh6 Qc4+ {would still win, but it lacks the punch of the move played in the game.}) 24. Bxc1 Qxd7 25. Bxd7 Rd8 {White resigned. After the B retreats, black wins the other B with 26. ..Ne2+} 0-1

A Seesaw Battle

    My knowledge of players only goes back to Siegnert Tarrasch because I had Fred Reinfeld’s excellent book on Tarrasch’s best games. Steinitz, Staunton and Morphy are familiar names, of course, but not their games. 

    I confess to having no knowledge of the players of today’s game. The loser was Hyacinthe Boncourt (1765? - 1840), who was one of the leading players in France between 1820 and 1840, but not much is known about his life. Even the date of his birth is uncertain. 

    Boncourt was a contemporary of Philidor, but the two never played because the latter hademigrated to England and although Boncourt traveled around Europe, but he never visited London. He was a civil servant, and chess was mostly a hobby for him. 

    Pierre de Saint-Amant (1800-1872) was a regular player at the Cafe de la Regence and studied under Alexandre Deschapelles and Schlumberger. He was the editor of the chess periodical Le Palamede. Whilst visiting England in 1843 he lost a casual match to John Cochrane (+4 -6 =1) and defeated Howard Staunton (+3 -2 =1) in a casual match. Later u 1843, he lost a formal match to Staunton (+1 -6 =4). 

    Note: I came across this game in an old chess book that was published in 1952. The book and the author will remain anonymous because while the games themselves are interesting, the annotations are atrocious. Still, the games was a tremendous seesaw fight. 

 

[Event "Paris"] [Site ""] [Date "1837.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Hyacinthe Boncourt"] [Black "Pierre Saint-Amant"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C53"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "78"] [EventDate "1837.??.??"] [Source "Bell's Life in L"] {C54: Giuoco Piano} 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Bc5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 Bb6 6. O-O O-O 7. Bg5 d6 8. b4 {This is the usual move here, but in this game it's odd that it comes to pass that it results in a weakened white Q-side.} Be6 9. Nbd2 $14 h6 10. Bh4 Kh7 {The purpose of this move i to support a K-side attack with ...Rg8 and ...g5, but white has no weaknesses there and so such an attack is not likely to succeed.} (10... Qe7 {is usual.} 11. Bb3 a5 12. b5 Nb8 13. Nc4 Nbd7 14. Nxb6 cxb6 15. Bxe6 Qxe6 {Limanovska,E (2169)-Nazarova, A (2261) Helsinki FIN 2019 is about equal.}) 11. a4 a6 12. Kh1 Rg8 13. Qc2 g5 14. Bg3 h5 15. h3 {While not bad, this move helps blck's plan. Better would have been 15. h4. Black would have nothing to gain by closing the K-side with 15...h4 and 15. ..gxh5 16.Bxh5 leaves him in an uncomfortable pin and facing a potential Ng5+} h4 16. Bh2 Nh5 {The more forceful 16...g4 would have been even better.} (16... g4 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. Nxh4 Nh5 19. g3 Qg5 20. d4 Nf4 21. hxg4 Qxg4 {The position is rife with complications and who knows what would happen?}) 17. d4 { White takes advantahe of black's last m move...a strategy designed to interfer with black's attacing plans.} g4 {Saint-Amant presses on.} 18. Bxe6 fxe6 19. hxg4 Rxg4 20. dxe5 (20. b5 {This is the winning move, but it's one that's impossible to calculate over the board!} axb5 21. axb5 Ne7 22. Rxa8 Qxa8 23. dxe5 Qg8 24. exd6 cxd6 25. Qd3 Rxg2 26. Qxd6 Nc8 27. Qd7+ Kh6 (27... Kh8 28. Be5+) 28. Ne5 Rg7 29. Qd3 {Theoretically white is winning...the emphasis is on theoretically.}) 20... dxe5 {There are complications galore. Should white take the e-Pawm, put his R opposite black's Q, play 21.Nc4?} 21. Nc4 (21. Nxe5 { This turns out to favor black after} Nxe5 22. Bxe5 Ng3+ 23. Kh2 Nxf1+ 24. Nxf1 Qg5) (21. Rad1 {This solid move gives white a nice advantage after} Qf6 22. b5 axb5 23. axb5 Ne7 24. Nxe5) 21... Ng3+ {In one classic book the author gushed over this move calling it splendid and how the resulting position gives black many mating possibilities. Don't believe it! The move should have lost. This is another case of an annotator making comments based on the game's result and not analysis. In the age we live in any Patzer with an engine can easily refute such claims.} (21... Qf6 {is his best try.} 22. Qe2 Rag8 23. Nxb6 (23. Rg1 {is faulty...} Bxf2) 23... cxb6 24. b5 h3 25. g3 Nd8 {There is no way for black to break through on the K-side so white maintains the advantage.}) 22. fxg3 hxg3 {White appears to be in grave danger, but he is, in fact, winning!} { Not as string as 23...b5 or 23...Nxc5, but it's still a good move.} 23. Rad1 ( 23. Bg1 {gets him mated...} Rh4+ 24. Nh2 Rxh2+ 25. Bxh2 Qh4 {and mate follows.} ) 23... Qe7 {Black hopes to continue with ...Rh4.} 24. b5 {This is just one of several good moves at white's disposal.} Rh4 {The annotator in the book described how black is winning here. In fact, he is dead lost to the tune of nearly 4 Pawns according to Stockfish.} 25. Nxb6 {This move says goodbye to all but a vestige of his advantage.} (25. Rd7 {The solid 25.Rd3 also keeps the win in hand, but this is prettier.} Rxh2+ (25... Qxd7 26. Nxh4 gxh2 27. bxc6 { and white has a won ending.}) 26. Nxh2 Qxd7 27. bxc6 Qg7 28. Qd3 gxh2 29. Qh3+ {wins}) 25... Rxh2+ 26. Kg1 Qc5+ {According to the book white has escaped from one bad pin only to run into another just as bad. That's completely wrong... true, he no longer hs a won position, but here the chances are quite equal. This was confirmed in Shootouts in which white scored +1 -1 =3.} 27. Rf2 $1 cxb6 28. Nxh2 axb5 (28... gxh2+ {would actually lose.} 29. Kh1 Rf8 30. Rxf8 Qxf8 31. bxc6 bxc6) 29. axb5 Rf8 {An inaccuracy, but white msut be careful.} ( 29... gxf2+ 30. Qxf2 Rd8 31. Rxd8 Nxd8 {and black should be able to hold the draw.}) 30. Nf3 (30. Rd7+ {was an alternative.} Ne7 31. Ng4 gxf2+ 32. Nxf2 { with about equal chances.}) 30... Na5 31. Qe2 Nc4 32. Ng5+ Kg6 33. Nf3 Rf4 { [%mdl 2048] Black has good play, but white should be able to defend without any major problems.} 34. Rd3 gxf2+ 35. Qxf2 Qxf2+ (35... Qxb5 {would be a catastrophic error.} 36. Qg3+ Kf7 37. Kh2 Rf6 38. Ng5+ Ke7 39. Qh3 Qe8 40. Qh7+ Rf7 41. Nxf7 Qxf7 42. Rd7+ Kxd7 43. Qxf7+) 36. Kxf2 Rxe4 37. Rd7 Rf4 {After a seesaw battle a draw has been reached. All white has to do is remove his K to the e-file. Instead, he grabs a P which is a gross blunder in a likely drawn position.} 38. Rxb7 $2 {[%mdl 8192]} e4 39. Kg3 exf3 {White resigned. Hardly the brilliant conclusion to a tremendous game that the nook's annotator claimed!} 0-1

Russsian Chess Sets

 

    The Soviet and Late Tsarist Chess Sets site is worth a visit. It has photos and the history of many different Soviet chess sets from different eras that makes for an interesting visit.

Corzo - Capablanca Match of 1901

    In 1901, the 13-year ols prodigy Jose Capablanca played an exhibition match against Juan Corzo (1873-1941). 

    Corzo was born in Madrid and emigrated to Cuba in 1887 and won the Cuban championship five times (in 1898, 1902, 1907, 1912, and 1918). He is best remembered though for having lost the match against Capablanca.  

    Today’s game is ftom that match and it appears in Fred Reinfeld’s old nook, Attack and Counterattack in Chess. The old book was one of his “pot boilers”, in which he illustrates basic strategic principles with illustrative game. It’s annoying that he did not give players’ names, the event or the date. They are just labeled White and Black. 

    It’s a decent book with mostly verbal explanations. Of course, like all old books there are quite a few mistake in analysis, but the games themselves are interesting. I was able to identify this game because it was referenced in the tactical analysis performed by the Fritz program. 

    Reinfld used the game as an example of how to play against gambits, claiming that knowing how “is one of the most important qualifications for playing the black pieces skillfully.” Reinfeld ststed that “in order to succeed against a gambit, you must keep two valuable principles in mind. They are 1) the initiative is much more important than a material advantage and 2) the extra material can be used as a means of seizing the initiative yourself, often by returning it. Returning the extra material works because the opponent needs time to get it back and you can use that extra move or two to your advantage. 

    Capablanca’s game against Corzo is fascinating because of the way that he handled Corzo’s adventurous Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit which can lead to some real fireworks.

 

[Event "Match, Havanna"] [Site "Havana"] [Date "1901.??.??"] [Round "8"] [White "Juan Corzo"] [Black "J.R. Capablanca"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C25"] [Annotator "Fred Reindeld/Stockfish"] [PlyCount "52"] [EventDate "1901.11.17"] [EventType "match"] [EventRounds "13"] [EventCountry "CUB"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceQuality "1"] {C25: Vienna Game: Alternatives to 2...Nf6} 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 g5 5. h4 {Anothetr often seem move is 5.d4. The idea of the text is to undermine black's P-structure.} g4 6. Ng5 {Having come down this road, white shouldn't even consider turning back with 6.Ng1} h6 7. Nxf7 {White is betting everything on a quick mating attack while black whill try to defend himself.} Kxf7 {Black's K is exposed to attack. He is a piece ahead, but white can pick up some Ps leaving him almost equal in material. Therefore, black's maim problem is that he is likely to fall badly behind in development. Statistically in my database white scores an overwhelming 60% in this position while black only manages to win a scant 26%. That only leaves 13% draws. It would seem Corzo has made a good opening choice against his young opponent.} 8. d4 {Excellent! This is the only move white has that gives him the advantage.} ( 8. Bc4+ {This looks like a reasonable move, but after} d5 {white does not have a good reply.} 9. Bxd5+ Kg7 10. d4 Bd6 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. e5 f3 {It's white's K that is exposed tp a strong attack after ...Be7 and ...Bxh4+. Note that taking the B is really bad!} 13. exd6 fxg2 14. Rg1 Qxh4+ 15. Kd2 Qf2+ 16. Ne2 Nf6 { and black is winning. A sample line...} 17. Qe1 Ne4+ 18. Kd1 Rf8 19. Qxf2 Rxf2 {And it should be clear that black is winning.}) 8... d5 {Black has also played 8...Nf6 and 8...d6 here. The idea of ...d5 is to open up lines to white's K.} 9. exd5 {Instead of this move which opend up a line against his K or even 9.Nxd5 white should try and finish his development with 9.Bxf4.} Qe7+ $19 {The situation jas changes from a few moves back...niw it's white's K that is dangerously exposed.} 10. Kf2 {Although white's position is not very good, this is no improvement over 10.Be2 that Corzo played two games earlier and managed a draw.} (10. Be2 {As played in game 6} f3 11. gxf3 gxf3 12. O-O Qxh4 13. Bxf3 Nf6 14. Bh5+ Ke7 {Better was side strepping to g97} 15. Qe2+ Kd8 16. Rxf6 Rg8+ {Missing the winning line of ...Bg7 and ...Bxd4+} 17. Rg6 Rxg6+ 18. Bxg6 Qg3+ 19. Qg2 Qe1+ 20. Qf1 {½-½ Corzo,J-Capablanca,J Havana 1901, game 6} ) 10... g3+ 11. Kg1 {Reinfeld wrote that a glance at the position gives the impression that black has virtually committed suicide. He has lost two Ps for the sacrificed piece and after his attacked N moves he will lose two more Ps. Worse yet, black will be hopelessly behind in development.} Nxd4 {[%mdl 512] A "magnificent resource" with which black "reveals that he understands very well how to free himself from an uncomfortable bind." (Reinfeld) The sactifice is omly temporary though.} 12. Qxd4 Qc5 {This is the point of Capablanca's cunning play.} 13. Ne2 (13. Qxc5 {allows mate.} Bxc5+ 14. Be3 Bxe3#) 13... Qb6 {[%mdl 128]} 14. Qxb6 (14. b4 {This P sacrifice is white's best try.} Bxb4 ( 14... Qxd4+ 15. Nxd4 Bxb4 16. Bxf4 {with abour equal chances.}) 15. Be3 fxe3 16. Qxh8 Qf6 17. Qxf6+ Nxf6 18. Nxg3 {Black is better, but white has kept the damage to a minimum.}) 14... axb6 {Black still threatens mate with ...Bc5#} 15. Nd4 Bc5 16. c3 {White seems to have survived. material is equal and he gas managed to defend against the mate threat.} Ra4 {[%cal Ra4d4] A remarkable move! He threatens ...Rxd4 and adter cxd4 then ...Bxd4 is still mate.} 17. Be2 (17. b4 {is no defense because} Rxb4 {simply renews the mate threat.} 18. cxb4 Bxd4+ 19. Be3 Bxe3#) 17... Bxd4+ 18. cxd4 Rxd4 19. b3 Nf6 20. Bb2 Rd2 21. Bh5+ (21. Bxf6 Kxf6 22. Bc4 {Avoids the loss of a piece, but leaves him without counterchances in the ending.} Re8 23. Rc1 Bg4 {is hopeless for white.}) 21... Nxh5 22. Bxh8 f3 23. gxf3 Nf4 {The concentrated attack of Black's pieces must be decisive. - Reinfeld} 24. Be5 (24. Re1 {allows a forced maye.} Rg2+ 25. Kf1 Rf2+ 26. Kg1 Bh3 27. Re7+ (27. Rxh3 Nxh3+ 28. Kh1 Rh2#) 27... Kxe7 28. d6+ Kf7 29. Rxh3 Nxh3+ 30. Kh1 Rh2#) 24... Rg2+ 25. Kf1 Rf2+ 26. Ke1 Nd3+ {White resigned. Bearly perfect play by Capablanca.} (26... Nd3+ 27. Kd1 g2 28. Rg1 Nxe5) 0-1

B.H. Wood Clubs Winter

    The 1948 British Chess Championship was held in London ot turned out to be the last time the championship was contested as a round robin tournament. It was won by Reginald J. Broadbent. The Ladies' Championship was won by Edith Price at the age of 76, making her the oldest player ever to win a national championship. 

     Reginald Broadbent 1906-1988, 82 years old) was born in Durban, South Africa. He won scored many local successes in the 30’ and 40s. 

    The winner of today’s game, Baruch H. Wood (1909-1980, 79 years old) was born in Sheffield, England. He founded CHESS magazine in 1935 and was its editor until 1988, when it was sold to Pergamon Press. Wood served an an Arbiter for FIDE, a correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, and wrote a weekly column for Illustrated London News from 1949 to 1979. He co-founded the Sutton Coldfield Chess Club. His best playing years were in the 40’s and 50’s. His son and daughter are both strong players.

 

  

    The colorful William Winter (1897-1955, 58 years old), a man with a fondness for drink, was born in Medstead, England. FIDE awarded him the IM title at its inception in 1950. He was the nephew of Sir James M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan. 

    Winter won the British Open in 1934 and the British Championship in 1935 and 1936. A chess journalist by profession Wint authored a few chess books. At the outbreak of World War One he left college to serve in the Army. After the war he returned to his studies at Cambridge. The rumor goes that while there he came under the influence of an older woman and left the university and hisjob so he could air his Socialistic views. As a result, in 1921, Winter, an active member of the Communist Party, was sentenced to six months in prison for his seditious speeches.  

 

[Event "British Championship, London"] [Site ""] [Date "1948.08.30"] [Round "1"] [White "Baruch H. Wood"] [Black "William Winter"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B58"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "47"] [EventDate "1948.08.30"] {B72: Sicilian, Dragon Variation} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Qd2 O-O 9. O-O-O Bd7 10. f3 a6 11. g4 b5 { Black moves quickly to get his counterplay on the Q-side underway.} (11... Rc8 {is a bit too slow. After} 12. h4 Ne5 13. h5 b5 14. Kb1 e6 15. Rdg1 b4 16. Nd1 a5 17. Bh6 {White has the initiative, but later managed to lose. Czarnota,D (2238)-Worek,J (2267) Leba POL 2004}) 12. h4 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 b4 {This is a typical counterattacking move, but here it's not so goo. Much better was 13... e5 because it would allow black to keep his vutal B.} (13... e5 14. Be3 b4 { Now this is the correct move.} 15. Nb1 Qa5 16. h5 Rfc8 17. hxg6 {with the initiative.}) 14. Nd5 Nxd5 {After his last move black has an inferior position, but this move is questionable because it allows the exchange of the B which seriously weakens his K's position.} (14... Be6 {gives up a P, but black probably has a better chance of suvivng a P down than he does facing aa K-side attack.} 15. Nxb4 Qa5 16. Nd5 Qxd2+ 17. Rxd2 Bxd5 18. exd5 Rfc8 19. g5 Nh5 20. Bxg7 Nxg7 {Black's B has been replaced by the N and white clearly has the better position, but at least there is no immediate forced win for white owing ti the reduced material.}) 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. exd5 Bb5 17. h5 Bxe2 {Wood concludes the game with great verve.} 18. hxg6 {Very nice!} fxg6 (18... Bxd1 { gets him mated.} 19. Rxh7+ Kg8 20. Qh6 {mates next move.}) 19. Qh6+ Kf6 { He can run, but he can't hide. Just as boxer Joe Louis' powerful punches found therir mark against his opponent Billy Conn, Woods find their mark against Winter.} 20. g5+ Kf7 21. Qxh7+ Ke8 22. Qxg6+ Kd7 23. Qe6+ Ke8 (23... Kc7 24. Qxe2 Kb8 {Otherwise 25.Qc4+} 25. Rd4 Qb6 26. Qxe7 {Black has avoided mate, but is still completely lost.}) 24. Qxe2 {Black resigned. He never had a chance against Wood's 94% Accuracy Rating.} 1-0

Oldies But Goodies

`Here are a collection of old sites that are still ganging around that you might find interesting or even useful. 

 

Tom's BDG Pages 

About the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit and other chess foolishness... 

Last post in 2012 

 

Kindred's Kaleidoscope 

Chess for fun; its a square world we live in. 

Last post 2013 

 

John Saunders' Chess Blog 

Miscellaneous chess writings 

Last post 2024 

 

Purdy’s Chess Tips 

Helpful tips from one of the greatest chess teachers ever. 

Last post 2016 

 

The Chess Museum 

A blog about chess products as well as recommendations and opinions by the late chess publisher Bob Long who was murdered in 2019. 

Last post 2011 

 

chessexpress 

A blog mainly devoted to chess. This Blog has been around since 2007. 

Last post 2025 

 

Tim Krabbé's CHESS CURIOSITIES 

A Blog of...well, chess curiosities. 

Last post 2022

Bernard Parham and the Matrix System

 

    Born in 1946, Bernard Parham passed away on June 19, 2024 at the age of 77 in Lafayette, Indiana which is near Indianapolis. He was a National Master and the Indiana champion in 1967.     

    He is best remembered as the inventor if the Matrix System, a method of analyzing a position.  The system views the board as a Cartesian plane. A Cartesian plane is a two dimensional plane defined by two perpendicular lines. the horizontal x-axis and the vertical y-axis. These axes form a grid system that allows for the precise location of any point. 

    Param’s system uses geometric patterns and vectors to analyze piece movement and attacking routes, especially towards the enemy King. It assigns point values to pieces based on their geometric capabilities that sometimes differs from their traditional values (e,g, traditionally a Rook equals 5 Pawns). The matrix provides a visual representation of attacking and defensive moves which serve as an aid to strategic decision making. 

    Confused? Intrigued? You will want to check out Chess Drum’s great article about Parham and his system HERE. 

    What’s the best way to meet 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5? Here is the result of 30 minute’s analysis by Stockfish which has been incorporated into an actual GM game. As you can see, 2.Qh5 is not a bad move and there is no refutation. In fact, the top three lines result in equality.

Marshall Surprises Mlotkowski

    In 1915, World War I (1914-1918) limited international play, but there was still some activity. There was some activity in the United States...it wasn’t until April 2, 1917, that President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress and requested a declaration of war against Germany. 

    A major tournament in New York was won by Capablanca ahead of Marshall. There followed by Oscar Chajes and Abraham Kupchik (tied). Edward Lasker and Jacob Bernstein (tied) and Einar Michelsen. It was also the year the Marshall Chess Divan (later the Marshall Chess Club was established. 

    In 1915, Marshall was active, giving simultaneous exhibitions a;; across the country including the following echibition game. Stach Mlotkowski (1881- 1943, 62 years old) born in Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania ajd died in Gloucester City, New Jersey. In 1904, he won theWestern Chess Association championship and in 1923, he ties for first with Norman Whitaker in the Western Chess Association championship, held in San Francisco. He wwas the California State Championship om 1923  

 

[Event "Exhibition Game, Los Angeles"] [Site ""] [Date "1913.07.09"] [Round "?"] [White "Frank Marshall"] [Black "Stasch Mlotkowski"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C21"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "41"] [EventDate "1913.??.??"] {C21: Danish Gambit} 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 {This was often played by Marshal and even Alekhine used it on occasion. Marshall often used it in exhibition hames, but when his opponents started getting booked up on it he gave it up. White will sacrifice a P or two for rapid development and an attack. With careful play black can survuve and use his extra material to secure the win. In my database the odds are 50-50 with few draws.} dxc3 4. Bc4 {It's somewhat surprising, but this move and the safer 4.Nxc3 have about the same success rate in my database. Very few games in in draws with wither move.} d5 {Black has played just about every reasonable move you can thin of here. 4.. .cxb2 can transpose into the game.} (4... cxb2 5. Bxb2 d5 {This is the usual move, but 5...Nf6 is better. Even so, black's advantage is minimal.} (5... Nf6 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qf3+ Ke8 9. Qxe4 {is mearly equal.}) 6. Bxd5 Bb4+ { as in the game.}) 5. Bxd5 cxb2 6. Bxb2 Bb4+ {Mlotkowski had been shown this defense many years ear;ier by Max Judd (1851-1906) of St. Louis and one of the country’s best players. The idea is that if white interposes a piece black captures it and white is simply a P down with nothingh to show for it. Although the text is quite effective, the main line remains 6...Nf6} 7. Kf1 { This move was based some faulty analysis of a previous Mlotkowski game.} (7. Nd2 {leaves white slightly better.} Bxd2+ 8. Qxd2 Nf6 9. Qc3 O-O 10. Rd1) 7... Nf6 8. Qb3 Qe7 {Black is clearly better.} 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. a3 Bc5 11. Nbd2 O-O 12. Rc1 Bb6 {Black has the advantage, but an old English proverb says there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip, meaning that even when a good outcome seems certain, things can still go wrong as we are about to se.} 13. h4 Bg4 { A natural developing move, but he would do better playing 13...Re8 causing white to give thought to his e-Oawn.} 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. Ne5 Rad8 16. Ndc4 { Black has a significant advantage, but now comes the slip/} Nxe4 {A miscalculation that loses a piece, but not the game. If black follows up correctly, which he does not, the chances would be equal.} (16... Be6 {Elo, imates all danger and should be enough to win.} 17. Qb4 Bxc4+ 18. Nxc4 Qxb4 19. axb4 Nxe4 {with a winning advantage.}) 17. Nxg4 {Now the position is equal after 17...Qe6. Instead, black makes a fatal error,} Nd2+ {[%mdl 8192]} (17... Qe6 18. Nge3 Rd2 19. Kg1 Rxf2 {with complications where either side could go wrong!}) 18. Nxd2 Rxd2 {This is the position Mlotkowski aimed for when he played 16...Nxe4, but he has overlooked a clever tactical reply.} 19. Nh6+ { [%mdl 512] A fantastic finish.} Kh8 {At first glance the K looks safe, but Marshall has another trick up his sleeve.} (19... gxh6 20. Qg3+ Qg5 21. hxg5) 20. Bxg7+ {[%mdl 512]} Kxg7 21. Nf5+ {Black resigned.} (21. Nf5+ Kh8 22. Nxe7 Rxf2+ 23. Ke1 Re8 {White has two good replies (24.Rc2), but this is the easiest.} 24. Qxb6 Rxe7+ 25. Kxf2 cxb6 {and he is a R down.}) 1-0

Euwe Trashes Tartakower

    The book was first published in English in 1953 and it’s been in my library for decades, but I have never read it. It’s Euwe’s Judgment and Planning In Chess. 

    An Amazon review says Euwe examines positions “from the point where the opening stage has come to an end and he describes the characteristics of the position. He explains why one side stands better and gives practical advice.” 

    Except for readers too lazy to learn Descriptive Notation, reviewers on Amazon give it good reviews, but I don’t like it. To me, Euwe’s writing is dry and boring. Naturally those of us who go over the games with engines will find errors in his analysis. That’s the case with all these old books. You can still learn from them because you are learning patterns and ideas. Besides, the games are usually interesting because they illustrate a point of some kind. 

 

 

    While browsing the book the other day I noticed the following game and after examining it more closely it turned out to be pretty interesting. Euwe played the opening poorly and Tartakower got an excellent position, but then got sidetracked by defending against a not very dangerous attack by Euwe. In trying to defend against the “attack” Tartakower weakened his own position and ended up with a lost one. Euwe’s conduct of the concluding attack was not perfect, but it was good enough. 

[Event "Venice"] [Site ""] [Date "1948.10.??"] [Round ""] [White "Savielly Tartakower"] [Black "Max Euwe"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C53"] [Annotator "Euwe/Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "84"] [EventDate "1948.10.03"] {C53: Giuoco Piano} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Bb6 5. d4 Qe7 6. O-O d6 7. h3 Nf6 8. Re1 O-O {This is a well known setup: white has Ps in d4 and e4, black has Ps on e5 and d6. Whits has two options: either play d5 or dxe5. However, he should not play either one because it would open up the diagonal for black’s B on b6. Therefore, he should try to force black to play ...exd4} 9. Na3 {The idea is to play Nc2-e3-d5} Nd8 {Euwe, by his own admission, is embarking on a very poor plan.} (9... h6 10. Bb3 a6 11. Nc4 Ba7 12. Ne3 Qd8 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 dxe5 {is completely equal. Grosar,A (2470)-Gostisa,L (2470) Slovenia 1993 was eventually drawn.}) 10. Bf1 {An odd move!} (10. Bd3 c6 11. Nc4 Bc7 12. b3 b5 13. dxe5 dxe5 14. Ba3 {White is better. Rossolimo,N-Muhring, W Hastings 1948}) 10... Ne8 {The idea of this move is to support the e-Pawn with ...f6, but best was 10...exd4 which is preferable to Euwe’s suggested waiting move 10...Kh8} (10... exd4 11. Nxd4 Re8 12. Bg5 Ne6 {and white is only slightly better.}) 11. Nc4 f6 {It’s interesting that Euwe’s observation that white’s plan as noted at move 9 has not accomplished much. Engines are at loggerheads with Euwe here. Stockfish gives white a 2.5 P advantage as does Dragon by Komodo. As for ``...f6 itself, it's the top engone choice.} 12. a4 { This is a commonly seen move that here has a tactical point.} c6 {The same result comes after 12...a6} 13. Nxb6 axb6 14. Qb3+ Ne6 15. Qxb6 {Here is the flaw in 10...Ne6. Had black played 10...Nbd7 he would not have lost a P.} g5 { Given his inferior position this attack on the K-sdie is his best practical chance as he has little to lose.} 16. Bc4 {Euwe accuses Tartakower as taking black's plan of a K-side attack too lightly. Perhaps that may be so, but this move is not at fault as white still retains a considerable advantage. Perhaps though 16.a5 is more consistent.} h6 17. h4 Kh7 {The plan is to open the g-file.} 18. hxg5 {Euwe was rightfully critical of this move which opens the h-file for black. Indeed, it lessens considerably white's advantage.} hxg5 19. dxe5 dxe5 20. Be3 Rh8 21. g3 {Over the last couple of moves Tartakower has completely lost the threat of the game. This move further weakens the position of his K and at this point almost all of his advantage has disappweared anbd things are only going to get worse.} Kg6 22. Kg2 {The point of his last move. He intends to challenge black on the h-file witg Rh1. But, as Euwe put it, black has more strings in his bow.} Nf4+ {A fairly obvious sacrifice. It eliminstes a defender (the P at g3), exposed white's K and at the same time allows black's B to join the attack with a gain of time. At this point the chances are equal, all of white's advantage having evaporated owing to his defensive policy.} 23. gxf4 {Euwe makes no comment on ths move which is a gross blunder! Did Euwe miss the correct defense or did ge deliberately avoid commenting?} Bh3+ 24. Kg3 {Stepping back to g1 is just as bad.} exf4+ 25. Bxf4 Qd7 {The threat of mate forces white to further weaken his position.} 26. Nh2 gxf4+ 27. Kxf4 Rh4+ {Euwe commented that black must proceed with the utmost energy. That;s quite true, but he missed the most energetic line.} 28. Ke3 Bg2 $1 29. Nf3 {Tartakower has been stoutly defending a lost position, but now Euwe takes advantage of the K's vulnerable position with a nice tactical blow.} Rxe4+ $1 {[%mdl 512] This is even stronger than winning the N on f3.} 30. Kxe4 Nd6+ 31. Kd3 Qf5+ 32. Kd4 Qf4+ 33. Kd3 Qxc4+ {Euwe makes no comment on this move which is a major slip. Black's position has gone from winning to just better.} 34. Kc2 Bxf3 {Euwe acknowledged that his attack was over, but correctly observed that his position is very promising.} 35. b3 Be4+ 36. Kb2 Qd3 37. Rg1+ Kf7 38. Rac1 {This allows an elegant finish, but the game is already over.} Qd2+ 39. Ka3 Nc4+ {[%mdl 512] The offer with this coupled with the next move destroy white's defenses.} 40. bxc4 Rxa4+ $1 {[%mdl 512]} 41. Kxa4 Qa2+ 42. Kb4 Qb2+ {White resigned.} 0-1

Helms – Frere, an Exciting Slugfest

    The name Hermann Helms (1870-1963, 93 years old), the Dean of American Chess, is fairly well known as the long time chess columnist for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle which carried his column from 1895 to 1955. He also served as editor of the American Chess Bulletin from 1904 until his death in 1963. 

    The little known Walter Frere (1874-1943, 69 years old) was a strong New York City amateur. His father had helped organize the First American Chess Congress of 1857 that was won by Paul Morphy. Ferer had been wanting to meet Helms in a match because when the last club junior championship had been held Frerer had been ill and unable to participate; hence, his desire to meet Helms in a match. 

    In October of 1893 one was finally arranged. Helms was the junior champion of the Brooklyn C. C. and Frere was the youngest player in the club. Frere had performed well the previous year. having defeated one of the club’s strongest players in a match. He had also finished third in a New York state handicap tournament. 

    The match started on September 19, 1893, and the winner was to be the first to win five games, draws not counting. With the score tied 4-4 the match was extended and the 6-6 result stood.. 

    The games were sharp and curiously several were quite short! Ferer lost the 2nd game in 18 moves, the 4th in 25 moves and the 7th in 29 moves. Helms lost game 9 in 13 moves, game 10 in 15 moves and game 13 in 22 moves! With the exception of the first game where the opening was a Scotch Game, all the games were either a Ruy Lopez or an Evans Gambit. Here is the exciting 7th game.