Frank Teed

    Frank Teed (1856-1929, 72 years old) was both a player and a problem composer. He won the Manhattan Chess Club championship in 1881 and served as secretary of the Brooklyn Chess Club and treasurer the Manhattan Chess Club. 

    It’s hard to say exactly how good Teed was; Chess metrics does not have a rating for him, but in 1883, he beat the 47 year old future World Champion Steinitz in a casual match played at a fast time limit (30 moves an hour) by a score of +1 -0 =1. 

    An article in the American Chess Magazine called him, "...unmistakably a genius. He is brilliant, though of sterling soundness." He was also known for being a fast player. In his day, Teed was best known and considered himself to promarily be a problem composer with over 800 problems to his credit. He was editor the problem department of Brownson's Dubuque Chess Journal. 

    The magazine was a widely respected publication edited by Orestes Augustus Brownson. It was published in the offices of the Dubuque (Iowa) Herald from August, 1870 until it was sold in 1876. It contained short stories with chess themes, poetry, news from chess clubs in the United States, Europe and Australia and obituaries of prominent chess players. You can read then magazine on the excellent Chess Archaeology site HERE. He was also an associate editor for the American Chess Magazine. The site also has a dew issues of that magazine available. 

    Teed was born in Westchester County, New York (located north of New York City) and learned to play chess at the age of 15 when he was living in Connecticut. After moving to New York City, in 1878, he won a handicap Tournament and in 1991, he won the Manhattan Chess Club championship. In 1889, he won the Brooklyn Chess Club handicap Tournament. 

    His opponent in the following game was Werner Cohn (1855-1918) who was born in Hanover Germany; he became a US citizen in 1878 and died in Manhattan in New York City. 

    The game was played in 1881 in the Manhattan Chess Club Championship. For winning the event Teed received a gold medal. Teed’s opening play was very slow, but Cohn’s rambunctious attempt to tale advantage of it backfired when he overplayed his hand and Teed sprung into action. As a point of interest take a look at the chart produced by Fritz 19’s tactical analysis with Stockfish 17.1.

 

ChessBase

Frank M. Teed–Werner Cohn1–0D10Manhattan CC Championship21.05.1881Stockfish 17.1

D12: Slav Defense 1.d4 c6 2.c4 d5 Although used by Steinitz at the time, the Slav Defense was not to become popular until the 1920s and it received an exhaustive test during the two Alekhine–Euwe World Championship matches in 1935 and 1937. Today its theory is extensive. 3.e3 The main moves here are 3.Nf3 or 3.Nc3. With 3.e3 white intends a slower paced game. f6 4.c3 f5 This is way to equalize than 4...e6 5.f3 e6 6.e2 d6 Unlike in similar positions where white's B os on d3, here black avoids capturing the d-Pawn because white's B is passively positioned at e2. 7.0-0 bd7 8.cxd5 exd5 9.d2 9.h4 is more active. e6 10.f4 Safer was 10.Bd3 with equality. e4 11.g3 h3 12.e1 df6 13.xe4 xe4 14.g4 xg4 15.xg4 Black is better. Ralevic,Z-Mihaljevic,M (2095) Montenegro-ch 57th Cetinje 2005 9.b3 b6 10.xb6 axb6 11.d2 h6 12.fc1 equals. Ruffenach,A (2146)-Benitah,Y (2397) Open Cannes FRA 2000 9...e4 10.e1 h6 11.xe4 dxe4 Taking with the B was OK, but he would lose time as wgite would drive it back with 12.f3 12.f4 12.f3 0-0 13.fxe4 xe4 only leaves white with a backward e=Pawn. 12...g5 This only leads to a weakening of his K's position, Better was the solid 12...Nf6 12...e6 13.g4 Trading off his light squaed B and leaving himself with a bad B pn the same color as his center Ps is a positional mistake. 13.d5 is an active move. Black's nest line is now gxf4 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.exf4 which leaves black with weak Ps and a compromised K-side. 13...g6 Of course he should have traded Bs. 14.f5 Aggressive play! h7 15.c3 All of a sudden the B has some potential scope. f6 16.c2 This slow move is a waste of time; the N is destined to spend the rest of the game here. Active play with 16/d5 was called for. c7 Black cannot hold the game after this. He needed to play 16...Nd5 stopping white's next move. He would have had an excellent game in that case. 17.d5 This is the start of white's juggernaut. xh2+ 18.h1 Note the scope of white's dark squared B. e5 Cutting off the B. 18...xg4 moght be worth a try. If 19.xh8 19.xg4 This is correct. Now, after e5 20.dxc6 xc3 21.cxb7 xb7 22.bxc3 White's advantage should prove decisive. 19...g3 and white is in trouble. 20.e1 xe1 21.axe1 0-0-0 22.d4 xd5 and black is much better. 19.d6 This fine move deflects black's B. xd6 20.xf6 g8 21.d2 e7 22.xe7 xe7 23.f6 This P is destined to hold black's K captive. c7 24.ad1 h5 Hoping to deflect the B so he can try to cut it off with ...g4, bit with his K caught in the center black is doomed. 25.d7+ 25.xh5 g4 26.xf7+ xf7 27.d7+ xd7 28.xd7+ g6 29.f7 gf8 30.d4 At least in this line this N can get on pn the action and playb a decisive role. h6 31.e6 g6 32.f6 White is winning. 25...f8 26.d6+ xd6 27.xd6 The exchange of Qs has in no way lessened the force of white's attack. g4 28.fd1 Intending Bc8 and mate. g5 White has a nifty problem-like move to finish the game. 29.c8 Black resigned. After a slow start, Teed conducted his final attack with great verve. 29.c8 e5 29...xc8 30.d8+ xd8 31.xd8# 30.xb7 ae8 31.xc6 is completely hopeless for black. 1–0

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Short and Sharp

Before getting into this post I should mention that Stockfish 17.1 has been out for a few days now. It’s only 20 points higher, but who wouldn’t like to have 20 points added to their rating? 

 

 

    The other day I was browsing some chess magazines from 1970. That’s 55 years ago which for many readers is more than a lifetime ago, but for some of us it doesn’t seem that long. 

    The US top ten players were Bobby Fischer, Samuel Reshevsky, Pal Benko, Larry Evans, Lubosh Kavalek, William Lonbardy, Robert Byrne, William Addison, Arthur Bisguier and Walter Browne. They are all gone now. 

    The top junior players were Ken Rogoff, Greg DeFotis, Camille Coudari (Canada), James Tarjan, Norman Weinstein, Eugene Meyer, Charles Koplik, Sal Matera, Charles Irvine and Steven Spencer. 

    Greg DeFotis passed away in Illinois at the age of 65 in 2017. I am not sure, but Charles Irvine may have passed away in Alabama in 2021. Steven Spencer died of lung cancer in San Diego in 2008.

    The Match of the Century yook place when a four-round, ten-board contest was played between teams of the USSR and the Rest of the World was held at the Trades Union House in Belgrade. 

    Two thousand spectators made up the audience. Based on ratings Bobby Fischer was to Board 1, but in what might be called the Surprise of the Century agreed to step down to Board 2 when Bent Larsen argued that recent performances should put him first and he refuses to yield on the point. 

    The USSR won the match by a score of 20.5-19.5. By the way, Larsen scored 2.5-1.5 against Spassky and Fischer scored 3-1 against Petrosian. 

    Fischer won big (by a 3.5 point margin) at Buenos Aires ahead of Vladimir Tukmakov.He also won at Rovinj/Zagreb ahead of Hort, Smyslov, Gligorić and Korchnoi (all tied). The Siegen Olympiad was won ny the USSR ahead of Hungary and Yugoslavia. FIDE formally adopts the Elo rating system. Viktor Korchnoi won the Soviet Championship. Bent Larsen won the US Open Chess Championship in Boston. Mikhail Botvinnik announced his retirement from competitive play. FIDE President Folke Rogard retired and Max Euwe replaced him. 

    Here is an enjoyable little correspondence gem by a couple of amateurs that I discovered buried in the back pages of one of the magazines.

 

ChessBase

J. Cardena–E.O. Anders1–0B09Correspondence1970Stockfish 17.1

B09: Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack 1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.f4 In the Austrian Attack white wants to start an attack against black’s King.The idea of f4 is to develop Nf3 with the N behind the P and eventually conduct a P-storm. g7 4.c4 It soon becomes evident that white is playing for a mate. f6 5.c3 Reasonable tries are 5...Nxe4, 5.d6 or 5...c5 a6 This is a poor novelty that ignores any threats white has. 5...xe4 is met by 6.xf7+ xf7 7.xe4 f8 8.f3 g8 is equal 6.e5 Seizing the initiative and never letting go. dxe5 7.fxe5 fd7 Black is already in trouble. 7...g4 is not any better. 8.h3 h6 9.f4 0-0 10.f3 b5 11.d3 f5 12.d2 f7 13.h4 Black has a difficult defensive task. 8.f3 Black should now try 8...Nb6 or 8...O-O when in either case white is better/ Instead, in an effort to stop the advance of white's e-Pawn, he makes a tactical error. e6 9.xe6 9.g5 This is also very strong. f6 10.h4 e7 11.0-0 0-0 12.e4 9...0-0 ...and loses! 9...fxe6 is out of the question. 10.g5 f6 11.0-0 followed by Ne4 which leaves black helpless. 9...xe5 A miserable ove, but it's the best availab;e. At least after 10.xc8 xf3+ 11.xf3 xc8 12.d5 c6 13.e4+ f8 Black has a miserable position, but there is no forced win. 10.b3 10.g5 First was much stronger. After e8 11.b3 white will castle and play Re1 plus he has an overwhelming position with good moves like Nd5 or Ne4 available. 10...b6 Counterring in the center with 10...c5 was better. 10...c5 11.g5 a5 12.0-0 cxd4 13.d5 Even here though white has a very favorable position. 11.0-0 c6 12.g5 e8 13.d2 a5 14.e4 The focal point of white's attack is f6. xb3 15.axb3 d7 16.f6 Bkack is dead lost. h6 16...xf6 17.xf6+ xf6 18.exf6 e6 18...e6 19.h6 This mating pattern is known as Lolli's Mate 19.e5 h8 20.h6 g8 21.ae1 etc. 17.d5 Nice! This prevents 17...Qe6 and clears the 4th rank. Note that ranks can be just as important as files. xf6 18.xf6+ xf6 19.exf6 h7 20.a4 A key move. Threatening mate with Qxh6+! h8 Black was lost in any case, but this allows a mate in 2. 20...h5 21.e4 b5 21...xe4 22.g5+ 22.e7 b6+ 23.h1 d6 24.g5+ g8 25.e6 all roads lead to mate. The longest being xe7 26.fxe7 xe6 27.exf8+ xf8 28.dxe6 fxe6 29.xf8+ xf8 30.d7 c5 31.g1 c4 32.f2 cxb3 33.cxb3 h4 34.e3 h3 35.gxh3 a5 36.f4 a4 37.e5 axb3 38.f6 e5 39.f7# 21.xh6+ xh6 22.h4# 1–0

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Reshevsky's Luck

    In 1939, pop culture saw the rise of iconic films like The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind and popular music genres like jazz and big band, and the emergence of radio heroes and superheroes in comics. Prominent players lost that year were Swiss master Hans Fahrni who died in Ostermundingen, Switzerland. Alexei Alekhine (born in 1888), who was being held as a political prisoner in Kharkov (a cuty in Ukraine) was murdered by the NKVD.

    During August and September the Olympiad (known at the time as the Hamilton-Russell Cup) was held in Buenos Aires. Germany won, Poland was second and Estonia third. After the event many European played elected to stay in South America. The Women's World Championship was held in conjunction with the Olympiad. Vera Menchik-Stevenson retained her title finishing ahead of Sonja Graf. 

    On December 27, 1939 the American Chess Federation and National Chess Federation form the United States Chess Federation. Prior to that happening, the annual congress of the American Chess Federation opened at New York City in the George Washington Hotel. It’s now the Freehand New York Hotel and it has an interesting history. 

    The tournament started wiyj a field of twenty-eight players and it was for the North American Chess Championship. In the preliminaries the top three scorers in each group qualified for the finals. The US champion Samuel Reshevsly entered hoping to become the holder of both titles, but a draw with Albert Pinkis, whom Fine defeated, cost him at least a tie for the title. 

 

    At move 27 in the following game against Ulvestad, Reshevsky made what should have been a losing move. A few move later a mistake by Ulvestad let Reshevsky off the hook and things were back to equal. Then at move 35 Ulvestad blundered again and Reshevksy was winning. But, the game wasn’t over! Reshevsky ,issed the strongest continuation at move 37, but on his turn Ulvestad erred and then the ga,me was over. 

     Olaf Ulvestad (1912-2000) was from Washington state, but in the 1960s hemoved to Italy, where he performed as an opera singer. He later moved to Spain, and played first board for Andorra at the 1970 Siegen Olympiad. He died on August 24, 2000 at the Washington Old Soldiers Home in Retsil, Washington.

 

ChessBase

Olaf Ulvestad–Samuel Reshevsky0–1A49ACF, N. American Chp, New YorkNew York, NY USA25.07.1939Stockfish 17

A49: Anti-King's Indian System 1.d4 f6 2.f3 g6 3.g3 g7 4.g2 0-0 5.bd2 d6 6.c3 Ulvestad plays an unambitious system where he avoids c4. c6 Rather passive. 6...c5 7.e3 c6 8.0-0 c7 9.e1 b6 10.e4 cxd4 11.cxd4 b4 12.e3 c2 Zahariou,N (2009)-Sigalas,F (2153) Nikea 2002 diesn;t offer much either. 7.c4 e6 8.f4 If Ulvestad’s goal was to reach a simple, uncomplicated position then he gas been successful. The only drawback is that he has almost no attacking chances whereas at least black can operate on the Q-side. b5 9.a3 b8 10.c2 e7 11.b4 b7 12.0-0 a5 13.d3 h6 14.a4 bxa4 15.xa4 d5 16.e4 b6 17.c2 a4 18.fe1 a5 19.e2 d7 20.ae1 b5 21.e5 We finally see some action on white's part, but this is the wrong center P to advance. 21.d5 e5 21...exd5 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 xe5 24.xe5 The threat of Nxg6 is to strong to meet 22.e3 with only a nomila advantage for black. 21...bc4 22.h4 This is no more than a gesture. b3 23.h2 xg2 24.xg2 a3 25.bxa3!= xa3 26.d1 c6+ 27.f3 This position is equal and Reshevsky could keep it that way by withdrawing the N on a3. Instead he makes a tactical blunder. fd8 28.a2 a8 28...b5 29.xb3 xd4 30.d1 xc3 31.xd4 xd4 White's extra piece is worth more than black's two Ps. In Shootouts white scored +5 -0 =0 29.b4 xd4 30.cxd4 xb4 31.d3 After this his advantage is gone and Reshevsky is back on equal terms. Ulvestad can be excused for this slip though because after the correct 31.exd6 rhings gwt super-complicated to calculate. 31.exd6 cxd6 32.d5 e5 33.c1 d4 34.xa3 xd5 35.b3 xb3 36.xb3 Theoretically at least white has a decisive advantage, but these kinds of positions are not so simple to play. 31...a4 32.ea1 Another small slip, but it's not too serious. 32.exd6 is better. After cxd6 33.xh6 A move that's hard to spot when calculating this variation! xh6 34.ea1 regains the piece. g7 35.xa3 xa3 36.xa3 with equality. 32...dxe5 33.xa3 xa3 34.xa3 d5 35.c3 35.e3 exf4 36.xf4 offers equal chances. 35...exf4 36.xc7 fxg3 And now we see why white's 35.Qc3 was wrong. 37.a5 37.fxg3 xd4 and black is two Ps uo. 37...d6 White has better drawing chances with Qs off the boad so he should have played 38.Qxd6 which would have allowed him time to play fxg3 38.c4 The final error. 38.xd6 was the crucial defense. xd6 39.a8+ f8 40.fxg3 Black has two Ps and a B vs. N, but the ending could prove arduous. 38...gxf2 39.a6 f1+ 40.xf1 d5 White resigned. Two Ps down us a hopeless fight. 40...d5 41.a4 b8 42.c1 e4 43.c3 g4+ 44.f2 f6 45.b4 xh4+ etc. 0–1

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A Nice win by Harry F. Lee

    Harry F. Lee (January 24, 1855 - May 29, 1917, 62 years old) was a prominent figure in Chicago chess circles during the early twentieth century. He was editor of the chess column in the Chicago Tribune from 1912-1917, and also served as a tournament referee and secretary of the Western Chess Association. 

    Lee’s opponent, Charles Blake (1880-1961m 80 years ols) was a Canadian who was born in London. Blake emigrated to Winnipeg in 1903 before serving as a Major in French territory during the First World War. He had moved to Ontario by 1925 and later to White Rock, British Columbia. 

    The game was played in the 1905 Westen Championship in Excelsior, Minnesota. There were 18 players and the event was won by E.F. Schrader (13 points) a half point ahead of Charles Blake. Places 3-5 (with 12 points) were shared by E.P. Elliott, Harry Lee and Louis Uedemann. 

 

ChessBase

Harry Lee–Charles Blake1–0C77Western Champ. Excelsior, MinnesotaExcelsior, MN USA1905Stockfish 17

[%evp 12,63,21,11,19,17,36,10,80,81,93,8,62,-2,3,-15,4,-3,14,6,139,149,184, 119,117,111,258,245,240,82,247,207,258,202,238,110,326,311,332,347,433,412,414, 446,479,485,575,562,826,793,831,804,29995,29992] C77: Ruy Lopez 1.e4 e5 2.f3 c6 3.b5 a6 4.a4 f6 5.d3 This is thr Anderssen Variation which just reinforces the e-Pawn. Black has two different main move: One is ...d6 or he can play ...b5 to get out of the pin. c5 Seldom played, but reasonable. The B puts pressure on f2 in a fashion that is similar to the Cordel Defence (3... Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.c2 d6 8.bd2 The nain line is 8.O-O b7 9.f1 e7 The more aggressive 9...d5 was worth considering. Both sides are engaging in some slow maneuvering, 10.g3 g6 11.e2 Worth comsidering was 11.d4 b6 Evidently played in preparation of ...c5 which he can now play at any time. 12.h3 Stopping a square shirt. 12.h4 would have given black something to think about because further advance of the h-Pawn would loomimg. 0-0 13.f5 e8 14.g5 d5 15.0-0-0 d4 Releasing tension in the center is a major mistake. He should first drive back the B with 15...h6 and the begin play on the Q-side with 16...a5. Now white begins operations on the K-side. 16.cxd4 xd4 17.3xd4 exd4 18.h4 c5 Black ignores what's happening on the K-side as there isn't much he can do about it. 18...h6 isn't much help. 19.h5 e5 20.xf6 xf6 21.f4 with a strong initiative. 19.h5 e5 20.f3 Much too slow. He gets real winning chances with the attacking 20.f4. Now all he is left with is a modest positional advantage. c8 More slow maneuvering, White's last move alloed black to slow white down on the K-side. 20...h6 21.f4 c8 22.g4 xf5 23.gxf5 h8 24.hg1 fd7 Black has a chance to survive. 21.b1 Why not 21.f4?! e6 Thanks to white's last move there was still time to give 21...h6 a try 22.g4 The alternative 22.f4 was also good. c4 23.f2 c3 Not as good as it looks! Lee now conducts the finiah flawlessly. 23...cxd3 was worth a try...things get rel messy and so black would have a fighting chance. 24.xd3 xd3 25.xd3 xe4 26.xd4 xd4 27.xd4 xg5 27...d6 28.e3 cd8 29.hd1 c5 30.3d2 is equal. There is no way for black to take advantage of the pin. 28.xe6 fxe6 Theorecticall favors black, but practical play is a different story. 24.xd4 b6 25.hf1 d6 26.f5 xf2 The trade of Qs in no way helps black, but there was really nothing better. 27.xf2 d7 28.h6 Undermining the N. cd8 29.hxg7 exg4 30.fxg4 xg4 31.xd8 xf2 32.f6 Black resigned. He can only be delayed. 1–0

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Take a Break...Enjoy the Harmonica Duel

Al Bisno

    The year 1951 was the first year Nielsen television ratings came out and the most watched series was Texaco Star Theater, comedy and variety show, broadcast on radio from 1938 to 1949 and telecast from 1948 to 1956. Milton Berle, a silly, not so funny comedian and Lady: Lucille Ball of whom the same could be said were the two most popular personalities on television. 

    People were going to the movies to see The African Queen, Scrooge (A Christmas Carol), The Day The Earth Stood Still, Kon Tiki, A Streetcar Named Desire and Show Boat. 

    The there was a conspiracy theory going around that J.D. Salinger did not write Catcher in the Rye, a coming of age novel narrated by the disillusioned 16-year-old boy who, after being expelled from prep school, explores New York City and grappling with the "phoniness" of the adult world and his own feelings of alienation and loss. It was controversial because of its profanity and sexual content. 

    If Salinger wasn’t the author, who was? According to the theory it was a CIA brainwashing program using neurolinguistic passages. The fact that Salinger, who was rafted into the Army in 1942, served as a counterintelligence agent probably feuled the theory/ Neurolinguistics is a field of study that explores the connection between the brain and language, examining how the brain processes and represents language. Neuro-linguistic programming is a pseudo-science claiming to improve communication and achieve desired outcomes. There are also theories that assassination codes are buried deep in Salinger’s book. 

     Alexander (Al) Bisno was bon in Chicago on January15, 1897 and died at the age of 90 in Los Angeles on July 13,1987. A real estate investor, in the chess world he was a patron and benefactor who also played a significant role in other areas of the game such as serving as President of the Manhattan Chess Club (1951) and the non-playing captain of the US team for the USA-USSR team match (1954). He was a negotiator in the 1952 match between Reshevsky and Kashdan. He also served as an official of both the USCF and the American Chess Foundation. Curious fact: Bisno's son was named Paul Morphy Bisno. 

    Almost none of his games are available, but I ran across the below miniature in which he defeated a National Master. The game was superficially annotated by Al Horowitz in the January 1952 issue of Chess Review so it was probably played in 1951, perhaps at the Manhattan Chess Club. Horowitz had the annoying habit of not giving the date or the event in which games were played. 

 

ChessBase

Harold M. Phillips–Al Bisno0–1C41New York1951Stockfish 17

[%evp 11,34,48,52,48,63,51,62,12,20,9,-11,-1,16,14,21,-152,-135,-140,-211, -237,-210,-316,-379,-476,-12800] C41: Philidor Defense 1.e4 e5 2.f3 d6 Considered a second rate defense today, this defense is still playable except at the GM level. 3.d4 This is about the only move you will ever see played here because black is compelled to exchage ...exd4 which gives white a dominating center position. d7 The beginning of the defensive setup known as the Hanham Variation, the idea of which is that black wantsto make the P on e4 a strongpoint. One disadvantahe is that the N interferes with the B's development, but that's not really important because there is no way for white to take advantage of ot. Dpending on how the game goes, black will find a good fquare for the N later. 4.c4 Aiming at the weak f7 and hoping at some point to take advantage of it. c6 Only 4 moves in and the position requires precise play on black's part! Aside from avoiding the disaster given in the note, 4...c3 opens a diagonal for the Q. 4...gf6 What could be more natural looking than this? 5.dxe5 xe5 5...dxe5 6.g5 and black is lost. 6.xe5 dxe5 7.xf7+ e7 8.xd8+ xd8 9.f3 with the advantage. 5.c3 This move, the idea of which is to maintain a strong P center in the event of . ..exd4, is not witout merit, but white usually plays 5.O-O and if ...exd4 white can retake with his Q leaving him with a dominating center. e7 This gets slapped with a couple of question marks. The idea of the move is to avoid any danger from Ng5, but it allows something even worse. 6.0-0 White miises his opportunity and he doesn't get a second chance! 6.b3 Adding pressure to f7. Black doesn't have a really good way to defend it. d5 7.exd5 b5 8.d3 cxd5 9.xb5 gf6 This looks reasonable, but after 10.dxe5 g4 11.h3 Black's best try is xf2 12.xf2 b8 13.xd5 and whiye should win. 6...gf6 7.e1 c7 Black usually castles here, but he did not, as Horowitz claimed, fail to capitalize on white's last move with 7...Nxe4 7...xe4 8.xe4 d5 9.xe5 A surprise move that Horowitz missed. xe5 9...dxe4 10.xf7 is obviously good for white. 10.xd5 cxd5 11.xe5 White is a P to the good plus black has an isolated d-Pawn. Blackls two Bs are not enough compensation. In Shootouts white scored +4 -0 =1 8.bd2 0-0 9.f1 The idea is to reposition the N to the K-side, but the problem is that now ...Nxe4 is a good move. Guarding the e-Pawn with 9.Be3 was better. xe4 10.dxe5 10.xe4 is also layable, but it does not have the same force as in the similar situation nebtioned in the note to move 7. d5 11.xe5 dxe4 12.xf7 Black could offer the draw with 12..Nb6 13.Nh6+ Kh8 14.Nf7+ or 12...Nf6 13.Ng5+ etc. xf7 would be losing after 13.h5 Taking the strongly favors black. f6 14.xf7+ h8 15.f4 xf4 16.xe7 f5 17.e3 White has good expectations of eventually winning which he did in 5 Shootouts. 10...d5 11.d3 f5 A good move solidifying control over e4. Horowitz comments that white's K is insufficiently guarded, but that comment was apparently based on the game's outcome. Engines )Stockfish, Dragone by Komodo, Berserk and Lc0 all assess the position as sompletely equal. 12.exf6 Necessary. Otherwise white's e-Pawn falls. dxf6 Black has somewhat better development, more active poeces and the f-file on which to operate, but white's position has no exploitable weaknesses, so the position is equal. 13.g5 But, not after this! This aggressive looking move is a losing mistake. 13.xe4 xe4 14.g3 White wants to eliminate the aggressive, and dangerous Ns. f5 14...xf2 is completely wrong now. AFter 15.xf2 g4 16.d4 xf3 17.gxf3 f6 18.g4 Black has lost material and there has no attack to show for it. 15.xe4 xe4 16.g5 Now this is OK. f5 17.e6 xe6 18.xe6 with a completely equal position. 13...xf2 Alertly playec. Black now has a decisive advantage. 14.xf2 There is nothimg any better. 14.c2 xd3 15.xd3 d6 16.h3 h6 17.f3 f7 Threatening ...Bxh3; white is lost. 14...g4+ Best/ 14...c5+ isn't quite so good. 15.e2 e5+ wins a piece. 15.g1 c5+ 16.e3 xe3+ 17.xe3 Has white survived? No. It's black to play and win. xf1+! White resigned 17...xf1+ 18.xf1 18.xf1 xh2# 18...xe3+ wins the Q 0–1

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Attacking Fun with Wilhelm Orbach

    Assuming you are the attacker or spectator, an attack on the castled King is always enjoyable and that’s what this game offers. It was played in the 1929 Deutscher Schachbund (DSB) Kongress that was held in Duisberg, a city in western Germany, at the junction of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers. It's known for its large harbor. 

    The winner was the German Master Wilhelm Orbach (1894-1944). You won’t find much information on him, but Chessmetrics estimates hus best rating to have been 2548 back on 1921, placing him at #41 in the world. By comparison, a couple of better known players with similar ratings were Fritz Saemisch and Sir George Thomas. He was murdered in the Auschwitz concentration camp. 

    His opponent was Walther Holzhausen (1876-1935) who was known as a problem composer who published a couple of books on problems, as well as a player. 

    The chart giving the Accuracy and Blunder Categories as determined by Fritz 19’s Tactical Analysis gives some interesting insight as to how the game went. Clearly, it was not especially well played, but white’s final attack is entertaining. Unfortunately I have not been able to discover what determines how a move is categorized. Anybody have any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ChessBase

Wilhelm Orbach–Walther von Holzhausen1–0D15DSB Kongress, Duisberg1929James Massie

D15: Slav Defense 1.d4 d5 2.f3 f6 3.c4 c6 4.c3 dxc4 5.e4 b5 6.c2 e6 7.e3 This B is normally developed to f4 or g5, but the text is hardly bad. Another popular move is 7.a4 to challenge black on the Q-side. b4 8.e2 Black almost always waits until white plays a2 before making this exchange. xc3+ 9.bxc3 bd7 10.f4 Moving the B again is a waste of toime. Simply 10. O-O was better. b7 11.0-0 c5 This gives black excellent play. 12.e5 This move is suspect; white needs tp keep things flexible in the center. 12.b2 Attacking the b-Pawn. Black emerges with a slight advantage after xe4 13.xc4 bxc4 14.xb7 xc3 15.fe1 0-0 Note that neother R can threaten the N. 16.d6 c8 17.b2 d5 18.xf8 c3 19.b5 a6 20.c4 xf8 Black has plenty of play for the exchange. 12...d5 13.g3 0-0 14.h4 f6 This creates an almost imperceptible weakness in the K's position. The active 14... Qb6 was in order. 15.ab1 This is another small inaccuracy. 15.exf6 7xf6 15...gxf6 16.fb1 c6 17.a4 and white has equalized. 16.g3 Prevents . ..Nf4 c8 17.a4 b4 18.xc4 bxc3 19.fd1 e7 with the more active position, but white's position remains quite solid. 15...c6 He could take advantage of white's omission last move with 15.g4 because white is in no position to take advantage of the weakness that ...g4 creates. 15...g5 16.g3 f5 leaves whiyr at a loss for a really good continuation. 16.dxc5 xc5 17.exf6 gxf6 18.d4 e8 The threat is ...Bg6. 19.d2 e4 A piece with a promising future, but things will go wrong. 20.h6 This move is not as aggressive as it looks, but practically speaking it's better than the defensive 20.Qe1 because it baits a trap which black falls for. 20.e1 exc3 20...dxc3 21.xe6 equalizes 21.xe6 equals 20...exc3 This is the wrong N because it allows white's next move. 21.g4 White has a promising counterattack. c7 This is a game losing blunder! 21...xb1 allows a mate in 22.xe6+ f7 23.f5 h8 24.xf7 xf7 25.g7# 21...g6 is correct as it avoids the mate. 22.be1 b6 23.xe6+ h8 24.e2 xe2+ 25.xe2 In Shootouts from this position white scored +1 -0 =4 22.xe6 e7 23.xc7 Much stronger than taking the R. 23.xf8 xf8 24.f4 24.xf8+ xf8 with equal chances. 25.bc1 24...xb1 25.xc7 Even here though white should win. 23...g6 23...xc7 24.e6+ f7 25.xf6 xe6 26.g5+ f7 27.g7+ e8 28.xc7 xf6 29.c6+ and wins 24.xa8 xb1 25.c7 xc7 26.e6+ f7 26...f7 just delays the mate. 27.xf6 xe6 28.g5+ f7 29.g7+ e8 30.xc7 d7 31.e1+ f7 32.xd7+ xf6 33.e6+ g5 34.g7+ f4 35.g3+ f5 36.e5# 27.xf6 Black resigned. It's mate in 2 1–0

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Theophil Demetriescu

    Theophil Demetriescu (April 12,1891 - August 6, 1958) was a Romanian pianist who, beginning in his childhood, showed a talent for music and studied piano in Germany with Ferrucio Busoni, an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer and teacher. Demetriescu made his debut im early1912 in a concert with the Berlin Philharmonic. 

    In the last years of his life Demetriescu suffered great financial difficulties. In 1949 he was employed as a piano teacher at the Art Institute in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, but his salary was insufficient to allow him to even rent a place to live, so he slept in one of the teaching halls of the institute, while his family was living a life of misery in Bucharest. 

    Demetriescu was also a good chess player who participated in a few international tournaments, he preferred correspondence play because it did mot interfer with his music interests. 

    He played board 5 on the Romanian team at the 3rd Unofficial Chess Olympiad (which was not organized by FIDE), which took place in Munich from August 17 to September 1, 1936. The Romanian team finished 14th out of 21. 

     Demetriescu was better in correspondence play. In the 1930s he participated in the national correspondence championships, finisjing 10th in 1934-1935 and 9th in 1936-1937 and14th in 1937-1938. 

     In the following game which has a nice finishing touch he defeats the Dutch master Lodewijk Prins (1913-199) who at the time was a promising junior. The game was played in a small tournament at Ebensee, today a market town in Austria. Dutch GM J.H. Donner, who had no great love for Prims, once described him as a Grandmaster who couldn’t tell a Bishop from a Knight, but Prins was the Dutch champion in 1965. 

    Several years after the tournament the town became known for its concentration camp established on 1943 by the SS in order to build tunnels for armaments storage near the town. Between 8,500 and 11,000 prisoners died in the camp, most from hunger or malnutrition. Political prisoners were most common and prisoners came from many different countries. Conditions were poor, and along with the lack of food, exposure to cold weather and forced hard labor made survival difficult. US Army troops liberated the camp on May 6, 1945. Today residential homes exist on the site and a memorial cemetery is nearby. There is also a memorial tunnel and a museum nearby. 

ChessBase

Lodewijk Prins–Theophil Demetriescu0–1B44Ebensee1933Stockfish 17

B44: Sicilian, Taimanov Variation 1.e4 e6 2.c4 c5 3.f3 c6 4.d4 cxd4 5.xd4 f6 6.c3 b4 7.db5 White plays an ultra-sharp line that is favorable to black. Safer ware 7.Nxc3 or even 7.Qd2?! xe4 8.g4 xc3 As his mext move shows, this is not the most accurate. 8...f6 is better and it is too risky fpr white to take the g-Pawn. 9.xg7 g8 10.h6 g6 The Q has no good square to which it can retreat and so black has an active position. 9.bxc3 Now black cannot afford to sacrifice the g-Pawn and this retreat is an indication that his last move was wrong. f8 9...c5 10.xg7 f8 11.f4 Threatening 12.Nc7+ 11.xh7 a6 12.a3 xa3 13.xa3 a5 14.b1 is only equal. 11...e5 12.e3 xe3 13.fxe3 White;s Ps are shattered, but the threat on Ne6+ is too hard for b;ack to meet. e7 14.c5 g8 15.h6 g6 16.xh7 f8 17.d6 White is winning. 10.c5 This position has been reached a few times in recent years and white has played 10.Ba3, but it has been shown that 10.Qg3 keeps a slight advantage,\. a6 Well played. Oddly, at this point black has nothing to fear from Nd6+ 11.d6+ xd6 12.cxd6 At first glance black's position may appear badly compromised because of the white P on d6, but he has a nove that gives him the advantage. f6 This defends the g-Pawn and white has to take time to defend agains ...Qxc3+ 13.b2 The B is not well placed here so 13.Qg3 defending both Ps and intending to develop the B to a more active square was better. 0-0 Note that white has no way of satisfactorily meeting the threat of ...Qe5+ followed by ...Qxd6 14.0-0-0 Thus turns out to be a very poor choice because it leaves his K exposed. 14.d1 b5 15.e2 b7 16.0-0 e5 The P is saved, but at the cost of giving black an active position. Best mow appears to be 17.g3 g6 18.xg6 xg6 19.f4 h4 20.g4 f5 21.g5 d5 22.a3 fc8 Black's position should prove decisive according to Stockfish, Dragon by Komodo and Fritz 19. 14...b5 15.d3 h6+ This is even stronger than grabbong the insignificant f-Pawn. 16.c2 f5 17.e2 b7 18.g4 Hoping to open up files leading to b;ack's K, but the attempt will prove ineffective. ac8 Hoping for ...Nd4+. 19.b1 a5 20.hg1 fxg4 Threatens to win with ...Bf3. Again, black does not waste time grabbing a P with ...Qxh2 21.c1 f6 aiming for ...Bf3. 22.xg4 f3 This tome grabbing a P with 22...Rxc3 woulf allow white to equalize. 22...xc3 23.b2 c4 24.h5 h6 25.xc4 f3 This complcated position is about equal after the best move 26.xe6+ dxe6 27.g6 xg6+ 28.xg6 e4+ 29.a1 xg6 30.xc3 23.h3 g6 Effectvely ending all white's hopes on the K-side. 24.de1 24.xg6+ is not quite sufficient, but in view of the vertigo inducing complications that result it would have been an excellent choice. hxg6 25.g1 xc3 26.xg6 How does black get out of thid jam? There is only one way, but it wons. 26.xg6+ xg6 27.xg6 e4+ 28.xe4 xh3 26...xc1+ 27.xc1 f4+ 28.b1 g7 Brilliant! Discovered checks don;t save white. 29.e4+ f6 30.xf3 xf3 31.xf3 e5 Black is winning, but how?! 32.d1 xf2 33.h1 c4 34.h4 e3 35.h5 xd1 36.xd1 h2 with a winning R+P ending. 24...c4 25.g3 xc3 White's next move allows mate, but there was really no way of saving the game. 26.d1 d2+ 27.xd2 xd3+ White resigned. 27...xd3+ 28.a1 d4+ 29.b1 e4+ 30.d3 xd3+ 31.xd3 xd3+ 32.a1 c2 33.c1 d4+ 34.c3 xc1+ 35.b2 xc3# 0–1

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Play the Urusov Gambit!

 

    The Bishop’s Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4) is rarely played these days and if it is the opening often transposes into the Giuoco Piano, King’s Gambit or the Vienna Gane, but there is another possibility that most opponents won’t be prepared for...the old Urusiv Gambit (3.d4!). It’s named after Russian Prince Sergey Semyonovich Urusov (1827–1897). 

    What’s more, it’s easy for black to go wrong if he is not familiar with it! You can watch a Youtube video on it HERE. 

    White’s play in the following miniature is a perfect example of the dangers black faces. White is the forner Soviet, now Israeli, GM Boris Avrukh (born 1978). He was the World Under-12 champion in 1990. Black is the Moldovan-French WGM Almira Skripchenko (born1976), She won the European Women's Individual Championship in 2001 and is a seven-time French Women's Champion. 

 

ChessBase

Boris Avrukh2625–Almira Skripchenko24401–0C24Linares Anibal OpenLinares11.01.2001Stockdish 17

C24: Urusov Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.c4 f6 3.d4 exd4 The usual response. 3...xe4 is not recommended. 4.dxe5 Black has played a number of different moves here, but most often seen is g5 5.f4 e6 6.f3 and white is better. 3...xe4 4.dxe5 xf2 This is completely unsound, but it has been tried. 5.d5 5.xf2 h4+ with what should be a winning advantage. 5...e7 6.xf2 c5+ 7.e3 xd5 8.xd5 White gas a winning position. Chulis,A (2172) -Kanzlirsch,A Vienna 2003 4.f3 xe4 5.xd4 f6 Technically this position is evaluated as equal as black has no weaknesses, but white's huge lead in development must account for something. 6.c3 6.g5 is not as good as it looks., After c6 7.e3+ e7 8.xf6 gxf6 9.c3 xe3+ 10.fxe3 b4 Black is slightl better. 6.g5 e7 This looks logical and is the move most often played. After 7.c3 Black has 7...Nc6, 7...c6 and 7...O-O, all reasonable moves. 6...c6 7.g5 d5 8.0-0-0 e7 9.h4 bd7 10.he1 Black has made no errors and her position of free from weaknesses, but white is ready to undertake action against black's K. Black's best move is probably 10...O-O dxc4 10...f8 This odd move was played in Kreiman,B (2400) -Shirazi,K (2435) New York and it's not likely to be repeated. 11.xd5 cxd5 12.xe7 xe7 13.xd5 e4 14.f4 h6 15.d6+ and white went on to win. 11.xf6 This leaves lack's K-side is in shambles. gxf6 12.e4 0-0 13.g3 h8 This loses quickly. Her position was difficult, but gar from hopeless after 13...Re8 13...e8 14.e4 f5 15.xf5 c3 16.h5 f8 17.e5 g5+ 18.xg5+ xg5+ 19.xg5 cxb2+ 20.xb2 xe1 21.xe1 e6 Black has survived the attack and white is better, but his advantage is not a winning one, 14.f5 c5 15.h5 15.e4 at once was also good. g8 16.h6 g7 17.e5 f8 18.xd7 xd7 19.xd7 and white is winning. 15...c3 16.e4 b6 17.b3 White wants to mate with Rh4. g8 17...xf2 18.h6+- g8 19.xd7 xd7 20.xf6+ g7 21.xg7# 17...a5 18.a4 a3+ 19.b1 c7 20.h4 nates 18.xf7 a5 After this white has a mate, but her position was hopelessly lost no matter what she played. 19.xd7 a3+ 20.b1 xf5 White is clearly winning, but he has a mate in 5 with the following problem-like move. 21.e8 Black resigned. 21.e8 f8 22.xf8 g6 23.xg8+ xg8 24.xf6+ g7 25.xg7# 1–0

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Alberto Giustolisi

 

    Few players today know the name Alberto Giustolisi (March 17, 1928 - February 27, 1990); it’s a name that was not well known outside of Italy and today has fallen into oblivion even among Italian players. 

    His heyday came in the years 1950 to about 1966, and in his time he was well known and highly respected wherever chess was played in Italy. His pleasant manners, polite elegance, respect for others, reserve, absence of ambition and the lack of a sense of superiority spilled over into his chess and harmed his competitive spirit and bordered on what almost appeared to be an insecurity. In spite of that, he was a good strategist as well as an elegant tactician and a formidable opponent to all but the elite. 

    Born in Rome, he passed away in a nursing home where he had been hospitalized for some time supposedly for a serious form of nervous breakdown.

    He was Italian champion in 1952, 1961, 1964 and 1966. He was awarded the IM title in 1962 after winning the New Year's Tournament in Reggio Emilia. 

 

    His opponent in this game was the Swiss player Otto Marthaler who won the Reggio Emilia 1958/59 event. 

    Giustolisi emerges from the ipening with an advantage and then follows up with nearly flawless play to score the point. The most interesting thing about the game is the role played by white’s Knight on g1.

 

ChessBase

Alberto Giustolisi–Otto Marthaler1–0E94Reggio Emilia, 1961/62Stockfish 17

E94: King's Indian: Classical 1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.c3 g7 4.e4 d6 5.e2 0-0 6.f3 A piece with a remarkable future! e5 7.0-0 bd7 8.e3 e8 9.d5 c5 10.d2 This N will not move again until move 26 and then makes the final move of the game. ts purpose here is to defend the e-Pawn and allow white to play f3. a5 11.a3 In view of what happens next this position can be considered critical and black must choose his next move wisely. h8 Black has a wide choice here...the opening book I ise shows 8 different moves, all reasonable, but the best is probably 11...a4. The text looks rather pointless. 12.b4 Immediately seizing the initiative. axb4 13.axb4 xa1 14.xa1 a6 15.b1 White already has a significant advantage thanks to black's passive 11th move. d7 16.a3 f5 17.f3 f4 18.f2 g8 So! The point of his 11th move is revealed, but an attack on the g-file is going to prove impotent. 19.c5 dxc5 20.bxc5 Black is positionally quite lost. f8 21.xa6 bxa6 22.a5 g5 Black gets a K-side attack going, but it is nothing nure than a gesture given Giustolisi's precise defense. 23.d6 A powerful blow! g4 24.fxg4 g5 With heavy pieces doubled on the g-file and the threat of ...f3 it looks like black has something going, but Giusto;isi has everything under control. 25.h3 cxd6 26.f3 The versatile N return to where it was a long time ago in order to block the further advance of black’s f-Pawn. g7 27.c7 e7 28.cxd6 h5 He could have saved the B with 28...Bf6, but pressing on with his attack is his best practical chance. 29.dxe7 hxg4 30.hxg4 xg4 31.h4 This time the N defends the g-Pawn and realizing there is no attack, Marthaler resigned, It;s interesting to observe the future this N could have had. 31.h4 f3 32.d6 h7 32...fxg2 33.h6# 33.d1 f6 33...fxg2 34.xg4 xg4 35.e8 34.xf3 xf3 35.xf3 h3 36.e1 Again the N shows its versatility by defending g2! d7 37.b7 e8 38.f3 Back again this time headed for more verdant pastures. g4 39.d5 g7 40.g3 f7 41.xe5 c6 42.c7 a4 43.d4 b8 44.b6 b3 45.g5+ Its defensive days are over and the N become an attacker. g6 45...e8 46.e6 xd5 47.g7+ f7 48.e8+ f6 49.h5 e6 50.d4+ e5 51.xe5# 46.c6+ xg5 The N has sacrificed itself for a mate in 11. 47.d8 xd5 48.e8+ f4 49.f8+ xe4 50.f3+ e5 51.c7+ d4 52.xg4+ e4 53.xb8 e3 54.a7+ d2 55.xe4 a5 56.d4+ e2 57.e6# 1–0

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Same Story, Different Setting

    The international tournament that was held in Venice in 1948 ended up in forgotten event category. Chess Life of the day didn’t mention it and Chess Review had a blurb on it, but had some unflattering remarks about Najdorf and Euwe. 

    The magazine noted that after his tie for sixth place at the tough Saltsjobaden Interzonal Najdorf must have found winning the Venice tournament a breeze, adding that he celebrated the absence of Soviet opposition and that’s what resulted in a “handsome lead” over the opposition. The 20 player Saltsjobaden tournament was won by David Bronstein, who along with seven other players advanced to the 1950 Candidates Tournament. 

     The short article added that former World Champion Max Euwe was unable to shake off a poor start. His two losses (against Canal and Castaldi) combined with difficulty in defeating the tailenders resulted in him being “just another chessplayer.” 

    Venice consisted of twelve players, six Italians, two South Americans and four from Europe, including former World Champion Euwe. Not only did Venice have competition form the goings on at Saltsjobaden, but it was just one of many tournaments that year that fell under the shadow of the 1948 World Championship tournament held to determine the new Champion following the death of Alekhine in 1946. This tournament (won by Botvinnik ahead of Smyslov, Jeresm Reshevsky and Euwe) marked a significant shift in the international chess scene as the FIDE took control of the world championship title and the cycle of tournaments leading up to it. 

    The winner of this game, Giuseppe Primavera (1917-1998) was Italian Chess Champion in1948, 1953, 1954 and1970. He was one of the founders of the organization Association of Chess Masters of Italy and in 1973-1974, he published the chess magazine Tutto Schacchi. IM Henri Grob (1904-1974) was Swiss champion in 1939 and 1951 who is best known for popularizing the Grob Attack (1.g4). 

 

 

    Their brief encounter at Venice has the same plot as the game between Koenig and Weinberger in the previous post. In this game Primavera erred in the opening and Castaldi got an overwhelming attack, b

ChessBase

Giuseppe Primavera–Henri Grob1–0D45VeniceVenice ITA1948Stockfish 17

D46: Semi-Slav Defense 1.d4 f6 2.f3 d5 3.c4 c6 Black is threatening to capture on c4 and hold it with ...b7–b5. White can avoid this in a number of different way, but at the dame time doing so is not really necessary. Either way some very sharp positions can arise/ 4.c3 e6 4...dxc4 is the thematic move, but it's super sharp. 5.e4 b5 6.e5 d5 7.a4 e6 8.axb5 xc3 9.bxc3 cxb5 10.g5 b7 11.h5 g6 12.g4 e7 favors black. 5.e3 b4 6.d2 0-0 7.d3 bd7 8.0-0 e7 9.e1 dxc4 10.xc4 e5 11.e4 exd4 12.xd4 Up to here the moves have all been seen many times. White can try the text or 12.Ne2, but the aggressive 12.e5 is no doubt best. The text is faulty, but both players missed its refutation. e5 While not as good as 12...Qc5 after this black still has an advantage. 12...c5 attacking two pieces results in a sizable advantage for black after 13.e5 xe5 14.b3 xc4 15.xe5 d8 13.b3 Primavera's faulty opening play has left his opponent with a clearly better position. Grob's next move plunging his N into the guts of white's position is by no means bad, but there was an even better one. 13.f5 is a btter alternative. After xf5 14.exf5 c5 15.e2 To stop ...N6g4 fd8 Black has an active position. 13...d3 13...c5 is a tough move to meet. After 15 minutes this is Stockfish's top line... 14.f5 xf5 15.exf5 fg4 16.xe5 xe5 17.f6 gxf6 18.e4 ad8 19.h5 d3 20.g4+ h8 21.xc5 xc5 22.f3 xf2+ 23.xf2 xf2 with a clear advantage. 14.e3 Primavera has underestimated the strength of the attack on his g2 or else he would have reinforced it with 14.Re1 xf2 15.xf2 g4+ 16.f1 d8 A major slip that should have cost most of his advantage. is also a path to nowhere. 16...h4 17.e1 xe3+ 18.xe3 xh2 19.f3 and white has equalized. 16...c5 leaves white in dore straits. 17.ce2 h4 Now this is really good. 18.g3 xh2+ 19.g1 xd4+ 20.xd4 and black is winning. xg3 17.f3 17.h3 keeps white in the game after xe3+ 18.xe3 c5 19.ce2 xd4 20.xd4 c5 21.c1 cxd4 22.g5 d7 23.xd8 xd8 Black is better, but that's not to say white is going to lose. 17...xh2+ 18.g1 Black now plays what was the winning move in previous variations, but now it's not...it's a gross blunder that loses! c5 Grob has overlooked his opponent's reply. 18...xf3+ wins... 19.xf3 c5+ 20.f1 g4 21.e1 xf3 22.gxf3 d7 23.e3 xe3 24.xe3 h3+ 25.f2 h2+ 26.f1 d2 27.d1 h1+ 28.g1 xf3+ 29.f2 e2+ 30.g2 xe4+ 31.h3 f3+ 32.g3 xf2 19.xf7 Stunning! Amazing! Startling! Shocking! xd4+ 19...xf7 20.xf7+ xf7 21.h5+ g8 22.xc5 20.h1 20.xh2 h4# 20...e5 A casual glance may give the impression that black still has an attack, but all he can do is play on a bit on inertia. 20...xf7 21.xf7+ xf7 22.xh2 e6 23.h5+ White is winning. 21.f5+ h8 22.xe5 xe5 23.h5 g4 24.g5 f2+ 25.g1 g4 26.h4 Black resigned 26.h4 f8 27.e3 Black loses more material. f6 28.xf2 h5 29.d1 h6 30.xg4 hxg4 31.xg4 f8 32.d1 f6 33.c5 g8 White wins at will. 1–0

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ut misplayed it and lost.

 

 

Imre Koemig

    IM Imre Koenig (February 9, 1901 - September 9, 1992) was born in Kula, Hungary when it belonged to pre-World War I Austria. After the war he became a Yugoslav by nationality; Kula is now in Serbia. 

    Koenig spent much of his life in Vienna, but in 1938 he emigrated to England and became a British citizen in 1949. The English climate adeversely affected his health, so in 1953 he moived to California. 

    He became a promising player at an early age and in 1920, while in college, he met Spielmann, Tartakover and Reti, who sparked his interest in the Hypermodern style. 

    Koenig’s results were handicapped by a poor temperament for tournament chess which prevented him from achieving greater success in the international events. He played for Yugoslavia in the chess Olympiads of 1931 and 1935 and finished 2nd in the 1922 Yugoslav championship. In international tournaments his best result was at Hastings 1948/49 where he finished 2nd behind Rossolimo. 

    The following game is one of his later efforts that was played in Fresno in the 1962 annual Northern California vs. Southern California match. This was a massive 43 board event which was won by the northern team by a score of 28.5-14.5.

    His opponent was FM Tibor Weinberger (born 1932), a Hungarian master who played in five Hungarian championships from 1952 through 1956. He settled in the United States in 1957.

 

 

 

    This game is far from perfect and hardly shows either player at their best, but the quick reversal of fortunes illustrate the point, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” See more Yogisms 

 

ChessBase

Imre Koenig–Tibor Weinberger1–0A07North-South Match, Fresno1962Stockfish 17

B24: Closed Sicilian 1.e4 c5 2.c3 The Closed Sicilian tends to be more positional in nature. White will usually go for a K-side attack. Black will either play in the center or expand on the Q-side. c6 This is black's most common reply; it is not yet known if white will play for d4 or 3.g3 3.g3 This is the thematic move in the Closed Sicilian. White intends to control the light squares in the center and make it difficult for black to play ...d5 g6 This is the most common move for black. 4.g2 g7 5.d3 e6 At this point white almost always plays the routine 6.Be3 and 9.Qd2. 6.h3 A rare sideline, while not as common as 6. Be3 or 6. f4, aims to play a delayed f4 and launch a K-side attack usinf the f-file. Black has a wide variety of good responses. ge7 7.0-0 0-0 8.g5 8.e3 b6 9.d2 d5 10.h6 b7 11.xg7 xg7 12.exd5 xd5 13.xd5 exd5 14.ae1 is completely equalm but in Suttles, D (2470)-Westerinen,H (2450) Havana 1966 they played on and black somehow eventually manages to win. 8...h6 9.e3 d6 9...b6 10.f4 b7 11.h4 d4 Black is slightly better. Krnic,I (2166)-Tomazini,Z (2370) Legnica POL 2013 10.d2 h7 11.ab1 Highly unusual. Realizing he has no real prospects on the K-side, Kownig turns his attention to the other side. 11.f4 f5 This blunts white's prospects on the K-side sp he gas to cast about for play elsewhere. 11...b8 12.e2 e5 13.f3 b6 14.b4 d7 15.f2 f5 15...cxb4 16.xb4 d5 17.f4 5c6 18.a3 18.d2 d4 18...d4 leaves black with a solid position. 16.f4 Of course, white wants open lines for his as of yet only potential K-side attack that black's last move has made possible. 5c6 17.bxc5 dxc5 18.e5 The immediate 18.d4 leads to equalizing exchanges. c8 19.c3 d5 20.xd5! exd5 21.d4 c4 White has a protected passed e-Pawn, but it doesn;t confer any advantage because black is solidly in control of e6. 22.e1 f7 23.d1 f8 24.c1 b5 25.e3 e6 26.d2 a6 All of this maneuvering has not really lead anywhere. Black threatens the a-Pawn whicj Koenig now mistakenly defends...it would have been better to let black have it. 27.c1 This allows black to gain some counterplay. 27.d1 keeps the balance. xa2 28.a1 b2 29.c2 a5 30.b1 a2 31.a1 draws. 27...b4 This threatens to win with ...bxc3. 28.cxb4 This is a serious error. 28.h1 A pass to show the threat. bxc3 29.xb8 cxd2 30.xd2 xb8 Black has won a piece. 28...xd4 29.c3 c6 Threatening ...d4 30.c2 c5+ 31.g2 d4 32.f2 d5+ Weinberger now has a winning position. 33.h3 e4 Also very strong was 33...g5 34.bxc5 xb1 35.xd4 g5 36.fxg5 hxg5 37.e6 White's K is clearly in a very dangerous position and all black has to do in play 37...g4+ forcing it to h5. Instead, Weinberger plays his K to g6 so that it will allow him to deliver mate with 38...Rh7. g6 One wonders if Weinberger was expecting his opponemt to resign. 38.xg5 xg5 As Yogi Berra once said, "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there." After this move the treat of 38...Rh7 cannot be met...or can ot?! 38...xc1 It's astonishing, but this is the only winning move black has! 39.xf7 39.xc1 xg5 wins. For example 40.d2+ f4 41.gxf4+ f5 42.g1 h7+ 43.g3 xe5 44.xe5 h6 The Bs of opposite color are meningless because there isd a mate in 7. 45.f6 45.f2 xh2+ 46.f1 xd2 47.g5+ e6 48.g6+ xg6 49.f5+ xf5 50.d4 h1+ 51.g1 d3# 45...c3 46.h4 cxd2 47.f2 xf4+ 48.e2 f3+ 49.xd2 d7+ 50.c1 a3+ 51.b2 e3# 39...xc3 40.h8+ g7 41.f4 b7 42.h4 e7 with an easy win. 39.d2+ This completely turns the tables! g6 The threat is still ...Rh7+ 40.d6+ h7 The K is forced to cut the R off fron h7. 41.f4 Now black;s KJ is in a mating net. g8 42.h4 c8 43.g6+ g7 44.e6 Coldblooded efficiency. bb7 44...xg6 45.h8# 45.xg7 xg7 46.h6 A bitter disappointnebt for Weinberger! A lucky escape for Koenig! 46.h6 f8 47.h8+ g8 48.f6+ e8 49.f7+ d8 50.xg8+ 1–0

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Simon Rubinstein

    Among the millions who perished in the Nazi concentration camps were a number if chessplayers, some well known, some not. One of the latter that few have ever heard of was Simon Rubinstein (c. 1910–1942), an Austrian master who participated several times in the Leopold Trebitsch Memorial tournaments that were held in Vienna. 

    These tournaments were a chess competition organized by the family of Austrian silk manufacturer Leopold Trebitsch. Twenty tournaments were played in Vienna between 1907 and 1938. Leopold Trebitsch (1842–1906) loved chess and je and his family contributed greatly to the Vienna Chess Club (Wiener Schachklub) to organize the series of tournaments. Because Trebitsch died one month before the first tournament the competitions were named in his memory. Six of the first nine events (1907–18) were won by Carl Schlechter, but his death in December 1918, along with the loss of the Club's Trebitsch fund in the aftermath of World War I, put a temporary halt to the tournament. In 1926, Trebitsch's son made more funds available, enabling eleven additional tournaments to be held until 1938, when Germany's annexation of Austria ended the event.

 

 

    Here is one of only a handful of known Simon Rubinstein's games. Chessnetrics estimates his highest rating to have been 2540 in 1937, ranking him in 67th place. On that list the leaders were: Euwe was first (2753) followed by Botvinnik (2752), Capablanca (2751), Alekhine (2750) and Reshevsky (2745). 

     

ChessBase

Simon Rubinstein–Karl Kopetzky1–0D44Trebitsch Memorial, Vienna27.11.1933Stockfish 17

D26: Queen's Gambit Accepted 1.d4 d5 2.f3 f6 3.c4 dxc4 The QGA is not a true gambit because white regains the P because it is unprofitable for black to keep it. White will try to use his center space to lainch an attack. Black will try to hold white;s center at bay and gain an advantage in the endgame by giving white an isolated d-Pawn. The resulting oisitons can lead to a sharp fight. 4.c3 e6 5.e3 c5 6.xc4 c6 7.0-0 cxd4 8.exd4 e7 9.f4 a6 10.e1 0-0 11.c1 11.d2 b5 12.b3 b7 13.a3 b6 This position is nearly equal. Walta,P-Seto Wai Ling Dubai 1986 11.a3 This is satisfactory if followed up correctly. b5 12.d5 exd5 12...bxc4 This captur is wrong. Shevchenko,D-Tarnovetsky,R Evpatoria 2005 continued 13.dxc6 b6 14.d4 xb2 15.a4 Whute won quickly. 13.xd5 b7 with equal chances. 11...b4 12.a3 bd5 13.e5 He could also have pkaced a N on e5, but the text also works out well. 13.g3 xc3 14.xc3 b5 15.a2 b7 16.e5 13...b5 14.a2 In these types of positions white wull set up a battery attacking h7 with Bb1 and Qd3 b7 15.xd5 xd5 16.b1 d7 17.d3 While the position is theoretically equal white seems to be the one with all the chances and to keep thing equal black will be forced to defend accurately which is never an easy task. g6 18.d2 The Q never leaves here, but apparently white was thinking about the possibility of Qh6. The immediate advance 18,h4 was equally giid. fc8 19.h4 f6 20.g5 White's pieces have a lot of pent up energy, but sp far black has defended in a satisfactory manner and the position is equal. However, black now slips up. h5 Black is barking up the wrong tree. Instead of trying to bust up whiye's K-side attack he needs to hunker down on the defensive. 20...xc1 21.xc1 d8 22.f4 d5 with a solid position. 21.xf7 This speculative sacrifice pays off handsomely, but with correct defensem always a difficult job, black can equalize. The sharo\p 21.g4 secures a clear plus though. 21.g4 xc1 22.xc1 c8 23.e3 f6 24.gxh5 fxe5 25.hxg6 h6 25...hxg6 26.xg6 is winning for white. 26.e4 xe4 27.xe4 xd4 28.xd4 exd4 29.xe6 Black is in serious trouble. 21...xh4 Fatal! This P is meaningless. Taking the N keeps the chances eqiual...white can't whip up any serious threats. 21...xf7 22.h6 f6 23.xf6 xf6 24.xh7+ g7 25.xg6+ f8 An interesting position that is theoretically equal: white has 3 Ps vs. a B. In Shootouts using Stockfish white scored +1 -0 =5. Using the older, weaker Fritz 5.32 white scored +1 -2 =02. So, in actual play the outcome would be unclear. 22.h6+ f8 23.g4 xc1 24.xc1 d5 Played with the forlorn hope that white will overlook the mate. 25.f3 f6 26.e4 Black resigned. 26.e4 d8 26...d7 27.c7 wins 27.xf6 27.xb7 xe5 28.gxh5 also wins 27...xf6 28.xb7 d8 29.gxh5 xd4 30.c8+ e7 31.g8+ etc. 1–0

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