An Overloaded Pawn

     Ten years after the famous Moscow tournament of 1925 Nikolai Krylenko, the head of Soviet Chess, decided it was time to test the Soviet players' progress against foreigners and so eight foreign masters, including two former World Champions, were invited to pit their skills against twelve Soviet masters. The tournament began on February 14, 1935 and finished on March 15th. 

     Highlights of the event were the 66-year-old Lasker, in what was to be his last great performance, going undefeated and finishing only a half point behind Botvinnik and Flohr (also undefeated). In the process Lasker also brilliantly defeated his great rival Capablanca. 

     The tournament was a success because it showed that the Soviets were on their way to becoming a major power. Salo Flohr (then of Czechoslovakia) was internationally renowned and considered a world championship contender. The 24-year old Mikhail Botvinnik was recognized as a rising star who two years earlier had drawn a match with Flohr. 

     Botvinnik, Flohr and Levenfish jumped out to an early lead. After 15 rounds Levenfish faded and Flohr was in the lead by a half point ahead of Botvinnik. In round 16, Botvinnik won and Flohr only drew and so they were then tied for first; both drew their remaining games. 

     Naturally with so many great players, this tournament produced a fair share of interesting games. In fact, in his book Strategy and Tactics, Euwe included six games from this tournament as examples of different kinds of tactics. 

     An overload piece (or Pawn) is one that has more than one responsibility, e.g. defending a piece, defending a square, blocking a check and blockading a piece. It was an overloaded e-Pawn that allowed Lasker to pull off an ingenious combination against Pirc in the following game. 

     Vasja Pirc (December 19, 1907 – June 2, 1980) was a leading Yugoslav who is most familiar because of the Pirc Defense. Pirc won the Yugoslav championship in 1935, 1936, 1937, 1951 and 1953. He was awarded the IM title in 1950, GM title in 1953 and became an International Arbiter in 1973. An historian and prolific author he also had a few tournament firsts: Novi Sad 1936, Lodz 1938, Bad Haezburg 1938 and Beverwijk 1954 (with Bouwmeester). In 1949 he drew a match with Euwe (+2, =6, -2).

Emanuel Lasker - Vasja Pirc

Result: 1-0

Site: Moscow

Date: 1935.03.14

Sicilian Scheveningen

[...] 1.e4 c5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘xd4 ♘f6 5.♘c3 d6 6.♗e2 e6 The Scheveningen is characterized by black setting up a small center with Ps on d6 and e6. There are numerous move orders that reach the Scheveningen. The small center affords black a solid defensive barrier, control of the d5 and e5 squares and retains flexibility to break with either . ..e5 or ...d5. Black can proceed with rapid development, and the opening provides sound counterchances and considerable scope for creativity. 7.O-O a6 8.♗e3 ♕c7 9.f4 ♘a5 Not good. Black should finish his development with 9... Be7 10.f5 ♘c4 Another time wasting move.

10...♗e7 Is correct. After 11.♕e1 Here white should castle after which the game is about even. Adorjan, A-Sax,G/Hungary 1972 saw black getting into trouble very quickly after 11...b5 12.♕g3 b4 13.fxe6 fxe6 14.♘a4 ♗d8 15.♘b6 ♖a7 16.♘xc8 ♕xc8 17.♕xd6 and white is already winning.

11.♗xc4 ♕xc4 Black's position already contains the seeds of defeat. 12.fxe6 fxe6 The logical recapture because it avoids the isolated P, but it creates a far worse weakness. Here white has a significant lead in development and black's K has not yet reached safety. IF, black can get his K to safety he would have the better game (two Bs and superiority in the center). Therefore, white must act quickly, but how? Any center attack will fail because black is solid there. But there is a fatal flaw in black's position...his e-Pawn is overloaded because it it guarding two critical square. ..d4 and f5. How will white take advantage of this? Watch!

12...♗xe6 13.♘d5 An interesting position! A fork on b6 is threatened. Black can take the N on one of two ways and even win the d-Pawn, but no matter what he plays white's greater piece activity assures him of a strong attack. Here are some of Komodo's calculations. 13...♗xd5

13...♘xd5 14.exd5 ♗xd5 15.b3 ♕c3 16.♗f2 ♗e4 17.♖e1 d5 18.♖e3 ♕a5 19.♕h5 ♕c5 20.♘e6 ♕xc2 21.♖ae1 g6 22.♕e5 fxe6 23.♖c3 with the advantage.

14.exd5 O-O-O 15.♘f5 ♘xd5 16.♗d4 ♔b8 17.b3 ♕c6 18.c4 ♘f6 19.♗e3 White is slightly better.

13.♖xf6 This sacrifice allows white's Q to enter into the fray. 13...gxf6 14.♕h5+ The game is over. 14...♔d8

14...♔e7 demonstrates the overload theme quite clearly. 15.♘f5+ exf5 16.♘d5+ ♔d7 17.♕f7+ ♗e7 (17...♔c6 18.♕c7+ ♔b5 19.♘c3+ mates in two.) 18.♕xe7+ ♔c6 19.♕c7+ ♔b5 20.♕b6+ mates in two.

14...♔d7 15.♕f7+ ♗e7 16.♘f5 ♖e8 17.♖d1 d5 18.exd5 exf5 19.♕e6+ ♔c7 20.d6+ and wins.

15.♕f7 The important factor here is that the e-Pawn is pinned and so f5 is accessible to the N. 15...♗d7

15...♗e7 Again demonstrates the overload on the e-Pawn. 16.♘f5 Here the best defense is 16...♕c7 17.♘a4 There is no defense against the threat of Bb6 17...♖f8 18.♕xh7 exf5 19.♗b6 and wins

16.♕xf6+ ♔c7 17.♕xh8 ♗h6 The last hope. 18.♘xe6+ (18.♕xa8 ♗xe3+ 19.♔h1 ♗xd4 and black is still kicking.) 18...♕xe6 (18...♗xe6 19.♕xh7+ ♗d7 20.♕xh6 wins easily.) 19.♕xa8 ♗xe3+ 20.♔h1 There is no reason to prolong the game so Pirc resigned.

20.♔h1 For the record here is the Shootout win as performed by Stockfish at 17 plies. 20...♗c6 21.♖f1 ♔b6 22.♘d5+ ♗xd5 23.exd5 ♕e4 24.♕f8 ♗c5 25.♕f4 ♕e2 26.b4 ♗e3 27.♕f3 ♕d2 28.c4 ♔a7 29.♖d1 ♕c3 30.c5 dxc5 31.bxc5 ♕xc5 32.d6 ♗d4 33.d7 ♕e7 34.♕d5 ♗b6 35.h3 ♕h4 36.♖b1 ♕f6 37.♖xb6 ♔xb6 38.d8=♕+

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Houston 1974

     In 1974 at a tournament in Lublin, Poland Mikhail Tal was playing Jan Adamski and both of them were in time trouble when Adamski’s flag fell, but Tal had lost a piece and unwittingly resigned immediately after Adamski's flag had fallen. 

     Tal’s wife had been counting moves and informed everyone that Adamski hadn't made the required 40 moves. The arbiter awarded the win to Tal, but that wasn't the end of the story. 

     When reconstructing his scoresheet, Adamski, who had quit writing down the moves after move 25 because of time trouble, tried to weasel out of the loss by adding two fake moves to make it look like he made more than 40 moves. 

     1974 was also the year that Claude F. Bloodgood III and fellow inmate Lewis Carpenter overpowered their guard and escaped from a tournament outside the prison that they had been allowed to play in. Bloodgood had been sentenced to death in 1970 for strangling his mother in 1969, but his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. 

     In early 1974, FIDE's rules committee issued the rules for the world championship match. Bobby Fischer agreed to all of them except the 36-game limit; he insisted on 10 wins, draws not counting, with no limit on the number of games. He also insisted that in case of 9 wins apiece the champion should retain the title. Fischer threatened to resign his title if his terms weren't accepted. 

     On June 27, 1974, Fischer sent a telegram to the FIDE Congress: "As I made clear in my telegram to the FIDE delegates, the match conditions I proposed were non-negotiable...FIDE has decided against my participation in the 1975 World Chess Championship. I therefore resign my FIDE World Championship title." Good riddance. 

     In late 1974, the Zaire government offered Fischer $5 million to play a match against Karpov in their country; he turned it down. 

     The chess world lost England's C.H.O'D Alexnder on February 15, 1974 at the age of 64. He was British Champion in 1938 and 1956. On April 2 the brilliant Austrian master Josef Lokvenc (b. 1899) died in Sankt Polten, Austria. Attacking genius Rashid Nezhmetdinov (b.1912) of the Soviet Union died on June 3rd at the age of 61. A month later, on July 3rd, Henri Grob (1904-1974) died in Zurich, Switzerland at the age of 70. 

     In August, 1974, Walter Browne won his first of 6 US championships. On August 8, 1974, the first computer world championship was held in Stockholm. It was won by the Russian computer Kaissa. 

     The Houston International Tournament (held December 7-20) was the fourth in the series of international events organized and sponsored by the USCF. The others were Norristown and Chicago in 1973 and Los Angeles 1974. 

     At Houston, John Grefe and William Martz made their final IM norms and Edmar Mednis made his first GM norm. West German GM Robert Huebner was the clear favorite and lived up to expectations by finishing first. Yugoslav GM Aleksandar Matanovic shined when he was the only player who never had a losing position! Yugoslav GM Mato Damjanovic complained of tiredness after almost three months of non-stop playing. Kim Commons was a last minute replacement for Anthony Saidy who had to withdraw due to illness in his family

Robert Huebner - Julio Kaplan

Result: 1-0

Site: Houston

Date: 1974

King's Indian Defense

[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.♘f3 g6 3.c4 ♗g7 4.♘c3 O-O 5.e4 d6 6.♗e2 e5 7.O-O c6 8.d5 cxd5 9.cxd5 ♘a6 The purpose of this awkward-looking move is to transfer the N to either c5 or b4 after white's eventual d5. At the same time it defends c7 in case white plays Nb5. Huebner thought the move too artificial because the N becomes a target in white's attack on the Queen-side and on a6 the N might not get into play again. He recommended 9...Ne8 although today far more common is 9...Nbd7. 10.♘d2 The square QB4 will be ideal for the N and because the e-Pawn is guarded twicw white is now prepared to meet 10...Nc5 with 11.b4 10...Nc5 with 11.b4 10...♘e8 It is premature to exchange the dark squared Bs by 10...Bh6

10...♗h6 11.♘c4 ♗xc1 12.♕xc1 b5 and in Simeonidis,I (2275)-Stiri,A (2149)/Athens 2008 white incorrectly allowed black equality by defending the e-Pawn with 13.Nd2 13.♘xb5 ♘xe4 14.♕e3 ♗f5 15.♗f3 ♘c7 16.♘xc7 ♕xc7 17.♗xe4 ♕xc4 18.♗xf5 gxf5 19.♕g5+ ♔h8 20.♕f6+ ♔g8 21.♖ad1 would have left white with the advantage.

11.♘c4 f5 12.f3 f4 13.a4 This is important, to make sure the N stays anchored on c4. Also, the maneuver Ra3-c3 is now possible;. This is important because on the 3rd rank the R might also help to defend the K-side. 13...g5 Black starts the usual K-side P- attack. 14.♘b5 ♖f6 While this involves a P sacrifice, it is black's best option. 15.g4

15.♗d2 With the idea of defending his K-side is another option, but it is too passive to suit Huebner. 15...♖g6 16.♗e1 h5 17.h3 with equal chances.

15...fxg3 Risky, but Kaplan is going all out with his K-side attack. (15...♘ac7 16.♘xc7 ♘xc7 17.♗d2 h5 18.h3 ♖h6 19.♔g2 ♗d7 20.♖c1 is equal.) 16.♗xg5

16.hxg3 was safer as after 16...♖h6 17.g4 black's K-side attack is going nowhere and white can commence operations on the Q-side.

16...♕d7 Black does not obtain sufficient play after this, but the alternative wasn't much better.

16...♗h6 17.♗xf6 gxh2+ 18.♔h1 ♕xf6 Here white has only one good move. 19.f4 ♗xf4 20.♗h5 ♘ac7 21.♘xc7 ♘xc7 22.♕f3 and white has the better prospects.

17.hxg3 (17.♗xf6 allows a perpetual check! 17...♕h3 18.hxg3 ♕xg3+) 17...♖g6

17...♕h3 18.♖f2 ♖g6 (18...♕xg3+ 19.♖g2 ♕h3 20.♗xf6 ♘xf6 21.♘bxd6 leaves black lost.) 19.♖h2 ♕xg3+ 20.♖g2 ♕h3 21.♖a3 ♗f6 22.f4 and black is in serious difficulty.

18.♗h4 Here things a re getting tactical and both sides have plenty of viable options. 18...♗f6 19.♔f2 ♗xh4 20.gxh4 ♕h3 Huebner explains - Black wants to disturb the coordinated development of white's pieces by penetrating with his Q, but since his Q will be out of play and the white K will reach the shelter of the Q-side without significant loss of time, the simple 20...Qe7 was preferable.

20...♕e7 Now play might go 21.h5 ♕h4+ 22.♔e3 ♕xh5 23.♔d3 ♗d7 24.♖h1 ♕g5 25.♔c2 ♗xb5 26.axb5 ♘ac7 27.♖g1 ♕h6 28.♖xg6+ hxg6 29.b6 with the strategic advantage.

21.♖h1 ♕g3+ 22.♔e3 ♗d7 23.♔d2 ♘c5

23...♗xb5 wasn't any better as after 24.axb5 ♕f4+ 25.♔c2 ♘ac7 26.h5 ♖g3 27.♕d2 ♘xb5 28.♕xf4 exf4 29.♔d3 Stops the check on d4 29...♘f6 30.♖h4 with a winning advantage.

24.h5 ♖g7

24...♕f4+ offered him more play. 25.♔c2 ♖f6 26.♘c3 a5 27.♘b6 but here too white is very well off.

25.♖g1 ♕f4+ 26.♔c2 Note that all hope black had of a K-side attack is gone. 26...♘xa4 27.♘bxd6 b5 This move facilitates White's task since it loosens the Q-side Ps.

27...♘xd6 was his best chance. 28.♘xd6 ♕f6 29.♘b5 ♗xb5 30.♗xb5 ♘b6 31.♖xg7+ ♔xg7 32.♖c1 and white should be able to convert his advantage into a win.

28.♘xe8 ♗xe8 29.♘d6

29.d6 was even stronger because after 29...bxc4 30.♕d5+ ♔h8 31.♖xg7 ♔xg7 32.♖g1+ ♗g6 K moves allow mate. 33.♕xa8 winning easily.

29...♗xh5 White has a number of ways of mopping up. 30.♖xg7+ ♔xg7 31.♗xb5 ♗xf3 32.♕g1+ ♔h8 33.♖xa4 ♖g8 34.♕xa7 ♖g2+ 35.♔b3 ♖xb2+ (35...♗d1+ 36.♔a3 ♕g3+ 37.♔b4 ♖xb2+ 38.♔c5 ♗xa4 39.♕xa4 ♕f2+ 40.♔c6 wins) 36.♔a3

36.♔xb2 ♕d2+ 37.♔b3 ♕d1+ 38.♔b4 ♕d2+ 39.♔c5 ♕e3+ 40.♔c6 ♕xa7 41.♖xa7 h6 42.♘e8 h5 43.♘f6 ♗xe4 44.♘xe4 ♔g8 45.♗c4 h4 46.♘f6+ ♔f8 47.d6 h3 48.♖f7#

36...♕c1 37.♕b8+ ♔g7 38.♖a7+ (38.♘f5+ ♔f6 39.♕d8+ ♔f7 40.♗e8+ ♔g8 41.♗h5#) 38...♔h6 39.♕f8+ ♔g5 40.♕f5+ ♔h4 41.♖xh7+ ♔g3 42.♖h3+ Kaplan resigned. It's mate in 3. (42.♖h3+ ♔f2 43.♕xf3+ ♔e1 44.♖h1+ ♔d2 45.♕d3#)

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Adams Hoodwinked By Horowitz

     There was a light rain falling when ten players gathered at the home of L. Walter Stephens in Brooklyn on Sunday, September 5, 1943 to play the New York Metropolitan Speed Championship. Samuel Reshevsky won the double round event with an unbeaten score of 16.5-1.5. At ten seconds a move, only Weaver Adams, Isaac Kashdan and Al Horowitz managed to nick him for a draw. 

     They began playing at two in the afternoon and at took a break at 7pm. Play resumed an hour later and at midnight Reshevsky pocketed the princely sum of $40.00, or a little over $600 in today's dollars! In 1943 the average wage was $2,000 a year.

 

     One of the more exciting games was Al Horowitz' crush of Weaver Adams. The game was far from perfect. It's an old story and we can sympathize  Adams who had his redoubtable opponent on the ropes, but lost his way in the tactical melee and ended up losing. There were no Elo ratings in those days, but Chessmetrics retroactively rates Horowitz at 2680 in January, 1943, which places him number 10 in the world. The complications were too much for Adams, a garden variety master, to handle at 10 seconds per move.

Weaver W. Adams - I.A. Horowitz

Result: 0-1

Site: NY Metropolitan Speed Championship

Date: 1943

Vienna Game

[...] 1.e4 White has a theoretical winning advantage according to Adams. World Correspondence Champion Hans Berliner wrote that Adams made an impression on him, but took a slightly different view...he argued in his 1999 book The System that 1.d4 may win by force for white 1...e5 2.♘c3 In 1939 Adams advocated the Bishop's Opening as the best, but soon gave up on it and espoused the Vienna which he claimed should give white a winning game. 2...♘c6 White has four main options against this move: 3.Bc4, 3.f4 and 3.g3. Note that 3.Nf3 transposes to either the Three Knights Game, or if 3...Nf6, the Four Knights Game.

2...♘f6 3.♗c4 ♘xe4 4.♕h5 ♘d6 5.♗b3 ♘c6 6.♘b5 This sharp line has come to be known as the Frankenstein–Dracula Variation and it was Adams' preferred choice, but when he was unsuccessful with it he switched to what he called the Adams Gambit. He explained his repudiation of 6.Nb5 as being anti-positional because it moves a developed piece a second time and masters have long given it up as hopeless.

2...♘f6 3.♗c4 ♘xe4 4.♕h5 ♘d6 5.♗b3 ♘c6 6.d4 The Adams Gambit which he began advocating in 1962

3.♗c4 ♘f6 4.d3 ♘a5 5.♕f3 ♘xc4 6.dxc4 c6 7.♘ge2 d6 8.h3 ♗e6 9.b3 This position is quite equal but with his next move Horowitz spices things up a bit. 9...d5

9...♗e7 10.O-O h5 11.♖d1 ♘d7 12.♘g3 g6 13.♘f5 With equality. In the game Rogers,I (2576)-Howell,D (2416)/England 2005 black continued with 13...Nc5 and eventually drew. He could have safely taken the N though. 13...gxf5 14.exf5 d5 15.fxe6 fxe6 wiht equal chances.

9...a6 10.a4 ♗e7 11.O-O O-O 12.♖d1 b5 13.axb5 axb5 14.♖xa8 ♕xa8 15.cxb5 cxb5 Rogers,I (2569)-Hector,J (2570)/Wijk aan Zee 2003. Here, too, the chances are equal.

10.cxd5 Playing it safe. (10.exd5 cxd5 11.O-O dxc4 12.♕xb7 is to white's advantage.) 10...cxd5 11.♗g5

11.exd5 would have left white with a slight edge after 11...♗xd5 12.♕g3 (12.♘xd5 ♕xd5 13.♕xd5 ♘xd5 14.c4 ♘b4 15.O-O ♘c2 16.♖b1 O-O-O is unclear.) 12...♗c6 13.♕xe5+

11...dxe4

11...d4 would have been more advantageous for black. 12.♘d1 h6 13.♗xf6 ♕xf6 14.♕xf6 gxf6

12.♘xe4 ♗e7 After this white is able to secure a slight advantage. Better was 12...Qa5+ 13.♗xf6 gxf6 14.♘2g3 ♕a5+ 15.c3 O-O-O 16.O-O ♖hg8 Very logical, but the attack turns out to be easily defended against.

16...♕b5 17.♖ad1 ♕c6 18.♘f5 ♗xf5 19.♕xf5+ ♕e6 Here white has a slight positional advantage.

17.♘f5 ♗f8 18.c4 As will soon be apparent, white, though he still stands better after this move, will come to regret not opposing black on the d-file with 18.Rad1 18...♗c5 19.♘eg3 ♗d4 Horowitz' attack is unsound and technically opting for a trade of Qs with ...Qd2-f4 would have been better. 20.♘xd4 This is hard to explain. Was Adams starting to see goblins?

20.♘e7+ was logical and good. 20...♔b8 21.♘xg8 ♖xg8 22.♖ad1 ♕xa2 23.♘e4 f5 24.♘d6 ♕a6 25.♘xf5 ♗xf5 26.♕xf5 ♕g6 27.♕xg6 hxg6 and white is the exchange up, but he must still find a way to win. Here is how Stockfish did it at 17 plies. 28.h4 ♔c7 29.g3 ♔c6 30.♔g2 ♔c5 31.f4 e4 32.♖h1 ♖h8 33.g4 ♖h6 34.h5 a5 35.♔f1 a4 36.bxa4 ♔xc4 37.♔e2 gxh5 38.♖c1+ ♔b3 39.♖c7 ♖f6 40.♖d1 ♗c3 41.♖c1 hxg4 42.♖1xc3+ ♔b4 43.♖c1 ♔a5 44.♖b1 g3 45.♖cxb7 ♔a6 46.♖b8 ♔a7 47.♔e3 ♖g6 48.f5 ♖f6 49.♔xe4 g2 50.♖8b5 and wins after capturing the g-Pawn.

20...♖xd4 21.♕xf6 ♕c5 He could have offered stiffer resistance with ...Rg6 22.♖ae1 ♖xg3 This is unsound, but since he is already strategically lost there is little to lose in taking a chance, especially at 10 seconds a move. Adams gets hoodwinked. 23.♖xe5 (23.fxg3 would lose after 23...♖f4+ 24.♔h1 ♖xf6) 23...♕b6 Now it's safe to take the R, but with only 10 seconds to decide on a move taking it and allowing a discovered check looks too risky. 24.c5 blocking the diagonal the Q is sitting on looks good because after the Q moves he can safely play fxg3.

24.fxg3 Wins after 24...♖f4+ 25.c5 ♖xf6 26.cxb6 ♖xf1+ 27.♔xf1 axb6 With a winning endgame.

24...♖xg2+ This surprise move wins in all variations. 25.♔h1

25.♔xg2 And black has an easy win...the move elegant being 25...♗xh3+ 26.♔xh3 ♕xf6

25...♕c6 26.f3 ♖dd2 Doubled Rs on the 2nd rank...a chance consequence of not having opposed black on the d-file when he had the opportunity. 27.♕h8+ ♔c7 Facing mate Adams resigned. A quick turnaround.

27...♔c7 28.♖g5 ♖xg5 29.♕f6 ♕d5 30.♕e7+ ♔c6 31.♕e8+ ♔xc5 32.♕f8+ ♔b5 33.a4+ ♔a6 34.♕c5 ♕xc5 35.b4 ♖h2+ 36.♔xh2 ♕c2+ 37.♖f2 ♕xf2+ 38.♔h1 ♕g2#

27...♔d7 28.♕g8 ♖xg8 29.b4 ♗xh3 30.♖f2 ♖xf2 31.♖e4 ♗g2+ 32.♔h2 ♕h6+ 33.♖h4 ♕xh4+ 34.♔g1 ♗xf3#

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