Winner Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia got off to a bad start that involved a draw in the first round and a loss to Alexander in the second. Alexander and Matanovic led the field up to the halfway point. At that point Alexander began to fade while Matanovic lost in the eighth round against Bogoljubow who was just beginning to amass a few points.
It wasn’t until the eighth round that Gligoric succeeded in catching up with the leaders. After that he retained the lead until the end and was finally helped by Bogoljubow who smashed Trifunovic in the penultimate round.
The following game, played between Yugoslav (Serbian) GM Aleksandar Matanovic and then French GM Nicolas Rossolimo made a great impression on Dr. Max Euwe who called it an Immortal Game.
The name Nicolas Rossolimo (1910-1975) is probably familiar, but his opponent probably is not. Aleksandar Matanovic (1930-2023) was junior champion of Yugoslavia in 1948 and Yugoslav national champion in 1962 (joint), 1969.
He is probably most famous for being the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Chess Informant which was first published in 1966. The Informants contained, among sections on openings, tactics and endings, several hundred games, most of which were annotated with the then new system of codes for the classification of openings and its system of symbols such as = and +/=, etc.
Concerning the following game, Euwe asked, "How close is the bond between practical chess and problem chess?" and "Can I improve my game by devoting myself systematically to problem solving?"
In answer, Euwe pointed out that while a problem uses the same sort of material as in OTB play, the goal is not quite the same. In problems the objective is to force mate in a specified number of moves.
Still, in problems and OTB, they have one thing in common...they call for the deployment of the pieces at their maximum power. For this reason there are times in practical play when there is a close resemblance to problems and such was the case in this game.
Euwe wrote, "Rarely have I seen such a succession of problem moves not restricted to one side (as in problems) with one side having all the chances against a powerless adversary." He described the game as a sharp duel with each player "striving ingeniously to compose a problem of unique freshness and subtlety."
I'm not so sure you can actually call this game an "Immortal", but it had it's brilliant moments, even on the loser's part. As author R.N. Coles put it, “Perhaps the most remarkable feature of this thrilling
struggle was Rossolimo's wizardry in maneuvering his Knights.”
The sad thing is that when Rossolimo once tried to publsh a book of his best games publishers weren’t interested, telling him nobody would be interested in his games.
[Event "Staunton centenary, England"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1951.06.22"]
[Round "15"]
[White "Aleksandar Matanovic"]
[Black "Nicolas Rossolimo"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C84"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 18"]
[PlyCount "138"]
[EventDate "1951.05.28"]
[Source "BCM, August 1951"]
{C90: Closed Ruy Lopez} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6.
Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 Bg4 {This move, which is made with the idea of exerting
indirect pressure on the center, is frowned upon by theory. White can counter
it by avoiding d4 and playing Nd2 which leaves black's B rather ineffectual
and usually it has to retreat to either d7 or g6.} 9. h3 {The most theoretical
way to counter black's last move is 9.d3 followed by Nd2-f1 eventually forcing
a decision on the black B after black has castled. The disadvantage of the
text is that it requires white to play g4 which slightly weakens his K-side
which invites black to attack.} Bh5 {Taking the N has worked very poorly for
black in practice. My database shows white winning half the games while black
wins only one out of ten.} 10. d3 h6 {Rossolime intends to exploit white's 9th
move by advancing his g- and h-Pawns, but Matanovic defends accurately} (10...
O-O 11. Nbd2 Na5 12. Bc2 c5 {is the main line.}) 11. g4 {Euwe wrote that this
move is more or less forced as black was threatening the advance ...g5-g4
thereby exploiting the weakening 9.h3. Euwe's evaluation is nowhere near
correct because 11.g4 is hardly forved.} (11. Nbd2 g5 12. Nf1 g4 13. hxg4 Bxg4
14. Ne3 {White is better and soon won in Onischuk,V (2349)-Kornilov,P (2079)
Minsk 2005}) 11... Bg6 12. Nh4 Qd7 13. Qf3 Na5 14. Bc2 Nh7 {Preparing his
attack.} 15. Nf5 {A strong square for the N. Capturing the B would only open
the f-file to blacl's benefit.} Bf6 16. Nd2 h5 {Well timed becaise white
cannot keep the K-side closed ny playing g5/} 17. Nf1 hxg4 18. Qxg4 {
Surprising but good strategy. White cannot tolerate black's occupying g5 and
the text gives white a much more active game than if he plays 18.hxg4} Nc6 19.
N1g3 Nf8 {Change in plans. The N is heading for e6 now that occupying the
square g5 is not feasible.} 20. a4 Rb8 21. axb5 axb5 {White has succeeded
neutralizing black's K-side attack and now the opening of the a-file assures
him of at least equality.} 22. Ra6 {The R on the pen a-file plays an important
role in positions ;pke tjos/} Ne6 23. b4 Kf8 24. Bb3 Ncd8 25. d4 {With his
pieces actively positioned white sacrifices a couple of Ps in order to exploit
their superior mobility. At this point the chances are equal.} exd4 26. f4 dxc3
27. e5 (27. Bxe6 {looks good at first glance, but after} Qxe6 28. e5 Bxf5 29.
Nxf5 g6 {White's attack has been beaten off and black is simply two Ps up.})
27... dxe5 {It would have been safer to eliminate the N with 27...Bxf5} 28.
fxe5 Be7 29. Rd1 Qe8 30. Rf1 {Black's position is cramped and so is difficult
to play.} Rb6 {In their annotations neither Euwe nor Coles commented on this
move, but it is a serious error.} (30... Kg8 31. h4 Bxf5 32. Nxf5 Bf8 {The
reason for the last move.} 33. h5 Rb6 34. Ra2 Rh7 {Black is a P up and he has
covered the squares critical to the defense of his K, but he remains badly
cramped and so it is white who has all the chances.}) 31. Rxb6 {White returns
the favor. Pinning the N woth 31.Ra8 makes black's position even more
difficult.} Bxf5 32. Nxf5 cxb6 {The situation on the Q-side is irrelevant, all
the action is on the other side.} 33. Rf3 {This is wrong. Correct was 33.Be3
after which black has no really useful moves and about all he can do is
shuffle his pieces back and forth.} (33. Be3 Kg8 34. h4 Bf8 35. Nd6 Bxd6 36.
exd6 {and the position is completely equal!}) 33... Qc6 34. Rg3 g6 35. Nxe7
Kxe7 36. Bg5+ Ke8 37. Bf6 Rh5 38. Qd1 Rf5 39. Rd3 Qc7 40. Qc1 {[%mdl 8192]
It's quite possible that the time control was approaching and that white was
in time pressure. This move is a losing blunder because it gives black an
opportunity to obtain a measure of freedom in his rather constricted position.
And, while it's true that the text threatens Qh6, black can easily parry the
threat. 40.Qc2 was correct because black must give up the exchange with either
40...Rxe5 or 40...Rxf6. After 40...Rxe5 a draw is likely. Capturing 40...Rxf6
still leaves black in a difficult position.} (40. Qc2 Rxe5 41. Bxe5 Qxe5 42.
Bxe6 Qe1+ 43. Kh2 Nxe6 44. Qxc3 Qf2+ 45. Kh1 Qf1+ {draws.}) 40... Nf4 {
Rossolimo immediately shows what was wrong with white's last move.} 41. Re3
Nde6 42. Bc2 Nd4 {Black's Ns are starting to swarm. The threat is ...Nfe2+ and
his Q and R would be on hand to cooperate in the attack} 43. Qa1 {Euwe gave a
magnificent drawing ling starting with 43.Qa3, but his analysis was dad;y f;
awd.} Nfe2+ (43... Nxc2 {would be a serious mistake.} 44. Qa8+ Kd7 45. Rd3+
Nxd3 46. Qd5+ Kc8 47. Qa8+ {repeats noves and draws as does} Qb8 48. Qc6+ Qc7
49. Qa8+) 44. Kg2 Qb7+ {Rossolimo sidesteps a trap by covering a8 and what
follows is shear brilliance of the type Rossolimo was famous for.} ({Less
strong is} 44... Nf4+ 45. Kh2 $15) 45. Be4 Nc2 46. Bxb7 {Now if you are
expecting him to regain the Q you would be wrong because then white would
stand a bit better.} Nxe3+ {Astonishing!} (46... Nxa1 {loses} 47. Bc6+ Kf8 48.
Rxe2 c2 49. e6 Rxf6 50. e7+ Kg7 51. Rxc2 Nxc2 (51... Re6 52. Ra2 Nb3 53. e8=Q)
52. e8=Q) 47. Kh1 Rf1+ 48. Qxf1 Nxf1 {[%mdl 4096] ->lthough it will be a bit
time consuming, the ending is won for black.} 49. Bc6+ Kf8 50. Bxb5 c2 {
The remainder of the game is comparatively easy for a GM.} 51. Bg5 Nfg3+ 52.
Kg2 Ne4 53. Bh6+ Ke7 {The threat is ...g5 blocking the B.} 54. Bd3 c1=Q 55.
Bxc1 Nxc1 56. Bxe4 {The material is equal and white has a B vs N, but it's
deceptive because white's Ps are isolated and weak.} Na2 {This, however, is a
serious lapse that should have allowed white back in the game. Correct was
centralizing his K woth 56...Ke3} 57. b5 Nc3 58. Bc6 {[%mdl 8192] After this
white's B is inactive and he is back in a lost position.} (58. Bd3 Ke6 59. Bc4+
Nd5 60. Kf3 Kxe5 61. h4 f6 62. Ba2 {and in this case the mobile B will be able
to hold the draw agaimst the N.}) 58... Ke6 59. Kf3 Kxe5 60. Be8 Ke6 {A
curious situation...in order to make progress black's K has to retreat while
white centralizes his.} 61. Kf4 Nd5+ 62. Kg5 Nc7 63. Bc6 Ke5 64. h4 Ne6+ 65.
Kg4 Nd4 66. Be8 Ke6 {The B is trapped.} 67. Kf4 Ke7 {The B is traooed...
remember white's 58th move.} 68. Ke4 (68. Bc6 Nxc6 69. bxc6 Kd6 {wins easily.})
68... Kxe8 69. Kxd4 f6 {White resigned. His K will give way. Somehow it seems
that Matanovic's play deserved more than a zero. Rossolimo once suggested a
scoring system using a panel of judges in which points were assigned based on
who played the most beautiful moves. He added in such a system it might be
possible for the loser to receive more points than the winner if he played the
most beautiful moves!!} 0-1
No comments:
Post a Comment