Opocensky Gets Crushed by Alekhine

     The year 1925 started off with Calvin Coolidge being sworn in for a full term as President in what was the first inauguration to be broadcast on radio. 

     He was sworn in for a full term because back on August 2, 1923, President Warren G. Harding died unexpectedly from a heart attack in San Francisco while on a speaking tour. Vice President Coolidge was in Vermont visiting his family home which had neither electricity nor a telephone. When he received word by messenger of Harding's death, Coolidge dressed, said a prayer and went downstairs to greet the reporters who had assembled. 

     The big song hit was Sweet Georgia Brown by various artists; we are most familiar with it today because of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. The Grand Ole Opry, a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee debuted on November 28, 1925, as a one-hour radio “barn dance”. 

     In other news the Mount Rushmore monument was dedicated, the Scopes monkey trial (teaching about evolution in the schools) ended, the Chrysler Corporation was founded, Sears Roebuck opened their first store in Chicago (previously it had been mail order only) and in Wyoming Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first female governor in the United States. 

     In France that year the 19th edition of the Tour de France was held from June 21 to July 19. The race 3,380 mi long and was won by Italian Ottavio Bottecchia who successfully defended his 1924 victory. Only 49 of the 130 participants finished the course. In 1926 Bottecchia started the race, but withdrew in the Pyrenees. When he was training in 1927, he was found bleeding at the side of the road close to his house and he died some hours later.

     In May and October of 1925, the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism was held Grenoble in order to promote the city as the capital of "white coal" as hydroelectric power was then known. 

     But, the big event in France was in February when five top masters competed in a double round robin tournament in Paris. It was yet another win for Alekhine who finished undefeated and scored wins everybody except Tartakower. 

 

     Alekhine's games are still appealing because, like Cracker Jack, there's always a surprise inside! At Carlsbad in 1923, Alekhine explained to a journalist, “I do not play chess, I fight at chess. Therefore, I willingly combine the tactical with the strategic, the fantastic with the scientific, the combinative with the positional, and I aim to respond to the demands of each given position...” Here's an example.

Alexander Alekhine - Karel Opocensky

Result: 1-0

Site: Paris

Date: 1925.02.15

QGD, Slav Defense

[...] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.♘c3 In years to come, in 1937 with his second match with Euwe, the reply 3...dxc4 was was believed to have been refuted in a convincing manner. However, today 3...cxd4 is very drawish. Here, Alekhine's 3.Nc3 is a slightly unusual move order, the main benefit of which is seen in this game. Its point is that white attempts to make it difficult for black to develop his B on f5 or g4 as is usual in the main lines of the Slav. That's the reason for keeping the N on g1. 3...♘f6 This is most often played. Occasionally black has tried 3...dxc4 with the intention of trying, at least temporarily, of holding on to the P by ...b7-b5. At the time of this game all the theory on the Slav had not yet been worked out. 4.e3 ♗f5 This is is the move that white's move order is designed to meet. Black does better here to transpose into the Meran with 4...e6 or if he doesn't want to shut in this B he can try Schlechter's solid 4...g6 or the modern Chebanenko System with 4...a6. Again, this was unknown in 1925. 5.cxd5 ♘xd5 The alternative, capturing with the N, also is advantageous for white. Black would like to keep his P in the center with 5...cxd5, but then 6.Qb3 leaves him in the awkward position of having to defend the P on b7 and, at the same time, defending d5. In this game Opocensky chose to cede a central P-majority, but in doing so he will lose more time trying to deal with the consequences of white advancing e3-e4. 6.♗c4 e6 7.♘ge2 At the time this was the cutting edge of theory. It was introduced in the game Rubinstein-Bogoljubow, Hastings 1922, and it creates a number of problems for black because of the inactive position of his light-squared B and his lack of development. However, there is nothing wrong with 7.Nf3 7...♘d7 8.e4 ♘xc3 9.♘xc3 ♗g6 10.O-O White can be satisfied here because he has a nice P-center and free development. Even though black is cramped, his position is solid 10...♕h4 This move, however, damages black's position. While it prepares ...O-O-O and, at the same time, allows black to meet a potential f2-f4-f5 with ...Bh5, it is over thinking the position.

10...b5 11.♗d3 a6 12.♗e3 c5 13.♖c1 cxd4 14.♗xd4 e5 lefty black with a very bad game in Schleining,Z (2300)-Fischdick,G (2295)/Dresden 1995

10...♘b6 11.♗b3 ♗b4 12.f3 O-O 13.♗e3 ♕e7 14.♘e2 ♖fd8 15.a3 ♗d6 with about equal chnces as in Berczes,D (2551)-Bove,A (2377)/Warsaw 2010

11.d5 Typical of Alekhine. White is ahead in development and black's K is in the center, so he wants to open lines. The move required exact calculation because black an now force the weakening move g3.

11.f4 looks to be more promising and less risky as after 11...O-O-O 12.♗e2 f5 13.e5 ♘b6 14.a3 ♔b8 15.b4 wjite has a strong initiative.

11...exd5

11...♖d8 isn't so good. 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.♗xe6 ♘c5 14.♕g4 and white is much better.

12.g3 The point of this is that the lack Q cannot maintain the pin along the fourth rank. 12...♕f6 13.exd5 ♗c5 The decisive mistake because he loses the possibility of castling and, additionally, he is never able to get his Rs into action.

13...♘e5 was suggested by Alekhine, but white maintains a distinct advantage after 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.♘d5 ♕d8

15...cxd5 this allows white a bone crushing attack. 16.♗b5+ ♔e7 17.♕xd5 ♘f3+ 18.♔g2 ♕f5 19.♕b7+

19.♕xa8 ♘h4+ 20.♔g1 (20.gxh4 ♕g4+ 21.♔h1 ♗e4+ is at least equal.) 20...♘f3+ 21.♔h1 ♕xb5 22.♗f4 white is better. (22.♕xf3 ♕xf1#)

(19.♕xf3 ♕xf3+ 20.♔xf3 This position is won for white.) 19...♔f6 20.♕c6+ ♗d6 21.♕xd6+ ♕e6 22.♕xe6+ fxe6 23.♔xf3 and wins

13...♗e7 This is by far black's best try. After 14.♖e1 and only now... 14...♘e5 15.♗g5 ♕xg5 16.f4 ♘f3+ 17.♕xf3 ♕f6 black is hanging on and hopefully he can soon castle.

14.♖e1+ From here on Alekhne has only one idea and that is to prevent black's Rs from cooperating with one another. CJS Purdy once made the comment that your development was not complete until your Rs were connected. A good tidbit to keep in mind. 14...♔f8 Black has been forced to abandon castling and will now face insurmountable problems completing his mobilization. A bad situation to be in against Alekhine! 15.♗f4 ♘b6 16.♗b3 Equally good was 16.dxc6 16...h5 Opocensky hopes to be able to play ,,,Kg8-h7 and unite his Rs, but he never gets the time.

16...♖d8 is met by 17.♕f3 cxd5

17...♘xd5 18.♗xd5 cxd5 19.♘xd5 ♗xf2+ 20.♔xf2 ♕d4+ 21.♗e3 ♕xd5 22.♕xd5 ♖xd5 23.♖ad1 and in spite of being a P up and Bs of opposite colors black is quite lost. 23...♖xd1 On anything else he loses the R. 24.♗c5+ mates

18.♗xd5 ♘xd5 19.♘xd5 ♕c6 20.♖ad1 Black will lose because he is playing, in effect, a R down. This shows how important getting the Rs connect and into play is.

17.h4 ♔g8

17...♘xd5 is still bad. 18.♘xd5 cxd5 19.♕xd5 ♕b6 20.♖e2 ♖d8 21.♕g5 ♗d6 22.♖d1 ♔g8 heading for h7 and connecting his Rs, but watch this!! 23.♖e6 ♔h7

23...fxe6 24.♕xg6 and all roads lead to mate...for example 24...♖h7 25.♗xe6+ ♔h8 26.♗f5 ♔g8 27.♕xh7+ mates in 7

24.♖exd6 wins a piece.

18.♖c1 Eyeing the unprotected B on c5 and introducing threats of Ne4. Note how Alekhine operates constantly with threats, not giving black a time to connect his Rs. 18...♗d4 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.♘e4 ♗xe4 21.♖xe4 c5 22.♕e2 Beginning the final assault. 22...g6 This is practically forced, otherwise he can never get his K to h7 without losinf the h-Pawn. Nevertheless, all this move does is weaken his K-side which also leaves him lost. 23.♗g5 ♕d6 With the threat of ...Qxg3+, but of course Alekhine is not going to overlook it! 24.♕f3 ♕f8 25.♖xd4 Eliminating black's only active pieces and bringing down his house because the dark squares around his K are fatally weak. 25...cxd4 26.♖c6 ♔h7

26...♔g7 would have allowed a pretty finish. 27.♖xg6+ ♔xg6 (27...fxg6 is mate in 3 28.♕b7+ ♘d7 29.♕xd7+ mates next move.) 28.♕f6+ ♔h7 29.♗xf7 and it's mate in 4 after 29...♖g8 30.♕f5+ ♖g6 31.♕xg6+ ♔h8 32.♗f6+ ♕g7 33.♗xg7#

27.♗xf7 ♖c8

27...♖g8 also allows a pretty mate in 8 28.♗xg6+ Taking the R accomplishes the same thing. 28...♖xg6 29.♕xh5+ ♖h6 30.♖xh6+ ♕xh6 31.♕xh6+ mates in 4

28.♖xg6 Black resigns. (28.♖xg6 ♖c1+ 29.♗xc1 ♕h6 30.♖xh6+ ♔g7 31.♕f6+ ♔f8 32.♖xh8#)

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A Junior Sherwin Crushes a Junior Larsen

     Sunday morning through the afternoon most everything was shut down here. An Alberta Clipper blew through dropping 6 inches of snow. 

     An Alberta Clipper is a quick-moving low-pressure system that develops on the lee side of the Canadian Rockies up in the province of Alberta, Canada and gets caught up in the jet stream and heads southeastward into the northern Plains, through the Great Lakes and eventually off the mid-Atlantic coast into the Atlantic Ocean. Clippers usually bring 1-3 inches of snow because of its speed and lack of a lot of moisture, but higher amounts are possible like the 6" we got. Along with the burst of snow, a clipper generally brings colder temperatures (0 to 15 degrees F. here) and, often times, gusty winds. However, when lake effect snow is factored in, snow accumulation can double with a clipper swinging through the Great Lakes regions...that's us. 

     Another one came through Monday (!) with a repeat performance...a good couple of days to hole up and look over some chess books and magazines and even play a few games on Chess Hotel. 

     One of the games I came across was played in the 1953 World Junior Championship that was held in Copenhagen. Twenty players began play in each of two sections, with the top four from each section advancing to the championship final. Oscar Panno and Klaus Darga tied for first in the final with undefeated 5.5-1.5 scores, with Panno, an 18 year old from Buenos Aires, taking the title on Sonneborn-Berger points. Former champion Borislav Ivkov and Fridrick Olafsson tied for third and fourth place with even scores, with Ivkov finishing third on tiebreak. 

     Representing the United States was James T. Sherwin, who was in bad form in the finals. In his Preliminary group Sherwin tied for places 2-4 with Jonathan Penrose and Bent Larsen behind Klaus Darga. Sherwin was was the only undefeated player in the group scoring three wins and six draws. 

     It should be mentioned that Penrose passed away on November 30, 2021 and there is a nice tribute to him on ChessBase HERE. 

      In that preliminary section Larson overstepped the time limit in a drawn Rook ending against Francesco Scarfelli of Italy. The draw would have moved Larsen up to a tie with Darga for first place. 

     Great Britain's Jonathan Penrose almost didn't make the finals; he played terribly and in the last round he was paired with Miguel Farre of Spain who had white. Farre had a great game all the way until the end when he had two minutes for two moves at which point he left his Queen en prise. 

     Oscar Panno had some luck in the other preliminary group when his second, Balbochan (I am not sure if it was Julio or Jacabo) helped him save two nearly hopeless games. In the last round of the same section Ivkov was paired with Olafsson. They both had 6 points and were sure of qualifying. Naturally, everybody figured on a quick draw, but Ivkov fought hard and won a beautiful but long ending. The qualifiers in this section were Ivkov, Panno, Olafsson and Dieter Keller. 

     As for Sherwin's games in the finals, they were hard fought except for the GM draws with Darga and Penrose. He just couldn't seem to win with white. 

     James T. Sherwin (born October 25, 1933) was a corporate executive and IM who was railroaded by the US government, in particular Rudy Giuliani, former hallowed Mayor of New York City known for his handling of the 911 attacks, but who went on to become an incoherent, rabid Donald Trump supporter. In the end Sherwin's conviction was reversed and the case was dismissed with with the stipulation that it could never be filed again. Sherwin has been living in England for a number of years.

James T Sherwin - Bent Larsen

Result: 1-0

Site: World Junior Chp, Copenhagen

Date: 1953

King's Indian: Classical Main Line

[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 g6 3.♘c3 ♗g7 4.e4 d6 5.♘f3 O-O 6.♗e2 e5 7.O-O This is the old main line, aka as the Mar del Plata Variation. Typically, white will try to attack on the Q-side by preparing the P break c4-c5, while black will attack on the K-side by transferring the N from f6 to d7 and start a K-side Pawn storm with f7-f5-f4 and g6-g5. 7.d5 is the Petrosian Variation because Petrosian often played it in the 1960s and Vladimir Kramnik played extensively in the 1990s. 7...♘c6 8.d5 ♘e7 9.♘e1 c5 This seldom seen move has not brought black much success. Better chances were offered by 9.Nd7 10.♘d3 ♘e8 11.♗e3 f5 12.f3 f4 13.♗f2 g5 14.b4

14.g4 h5 15.h3 ♖f6 16.♔g2 ♖h6 17.♖h1 ♘g6 18.b4 with equal chances. Franca,W (2119) -Mahia,G (2360)/Florianopolis BRA 2017

14...cxb4 This move, opening line for white, does not turn out well so he should have played 14...b6 15.♘xb4 ♖f6 16.c5 ♖g6 17.♖c1 ♗d7 Overlooking white's next move. 18.c6 Well played! Clack can't take the P. 18...♗c8

18...bxc6 19.dxc6 ♗c8 20.♘cd5 ♘xd5 21.♘xd5 and the P on c6 coupled with white's Q-side play (and black's lack of a corresponding K-side attack, give white a considerable advantage.

19.cxb7

19.♘b5 was another interesting possibility. 19...a5 20.cxb7 ♗xb7 21.♘c6 with an excellent position.

19...♗xb7 20.♕a4 h5 This K-side demonstration is a weak punch. 21.♘c6 ♘xc6 After this white breaks through on the Q-side and wins in short order.

21...♗xc6 was a little btter, but white still has a huge advantage. 22.dxc6 g4 23.♘b5 and white is much better.

22.dxc6 ♗c8 23.♘d5 ♘c7 24.♕a5 ♘e6 25.♕xd8+ ♘xd8 26.♘e7+ The game is over. Larsen could have safely resigned on any move for the remainder of the game. 26...♔f7 27.♘xg6 ♔xg6 28.c7 ♘e6 29.♗c4 ♘xc7 30.♗b3 ♘b5 31.♗d5 ♖b8 32.♖b1 Black resigned as the pin will prove fatal.

32.♖b1 a6 (32...♗d7 33.a4 a6 34.axb5 ♗xb5 Black is a R down.) 33.♗a7 wins heavy plastic.

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Mini Game From the 1974 Soviet Championship

     The year 1974 was draining. Tricky Dick Nixon resigned the presidency. His predecessor, a profane lout named Lyndon Johnson, had adapted a wishy-washy policy that prolonged the war in Vietnam. It wasn't until April 30, 1975, under President Ford, that the last Americans still in South Vietnam were airlifted out and Saigon fell to Communist forces. That meant that after 8 years the US government finally stopped sending me letters every few months promising me another stripe if I would reenlist.

     Christine Chubbuck, a television newscaster in Sarasota, Florida, committed suicide during a live broadcast when she pulled out a gun and shot herself in the head.

     On June 4th, the Cleveland Indians baseball team was playing the Texas Rangers and the Indians hosted Ten Cent Beer Night. As a result, they had to forfeit the game which had to be called because of several thousand knife-wielding, bottle-throwing, chair-tossing, fist-swinging, rowdy, drunk, fans. The Cleveland police we called in to quell the riot which ended up in a lot of property damage including stealing the bases which were never recovered. 

     Radio announcers Joe Tait and Herb Score continued their live broadcast only instead of calling the game, they were calling a riot! After the riot local sportswriter, Dan Coughlin attempted to interview fans but was punched in the face twice. 

     By Cleveland General Manager Phil Seghi's twisted logic, the umpires were to blame for losing control of the game. Not to be deterred, on July 18, Seghi had another ten cent beer night that attracted 41,848 fans. This time there was a limit of two cups per person and there was no riot. 

     The national highway speed limit was reduced to 55 mph, but it had nothing to do with improving safety; it was intended to optimize fuel consumption after the 1973 oil crisis. Older readers may remember the long lines at gasoline stations and the rationing and the gas stations running out of gasoline. 

    The top song was The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand and big movies included included Blazing Saddles, The Towering Inferno and The Trial of Billy Jack, none of which I am familiar with. 

     Price of a postage stamp in 1974 was 10 cents and in an attempt to get around high gas prices you could buy an AMC Gremlin automobile for $2,408.00. Finally, after Andy "Fearless" Brown retired in 1974, every goalie in the National Hockey League began wearing the recommended face mask.   

     The 1974 USSR Championship was held in Leningrad. In those days it was always a premier event because the Soviet Chess Federation had 35 Grandmasters! As an example, the previous year's championship had all the leading GMs competing making it one of the strongest tournaments ever held in the Soviet Union. 

      By comparison the 1974 event was probably a little disappointing as most of the leading GMs were unable to take part tor various reasons and were replaced by other players. At the same time the number of participants was reduced from 18 to 16. Still, veterans like Tal, Polugaevsky Vasiukov were pitted against several promising young rivals. 

     The tournament was hard fought from the very first round with Tal and Polugaevsky taking an early lead, but they were hard pressed by rising young stars Belyavsky, Vaganian, Romanishin, Alburt and Dvoretsky. It was interesting to note Paul Keres' comment that while many of the young players had good tactical ability their positional understanding needed improvement. In the end, the young players did very well. 

     Tied for the top two places were ex-World Champion Mikhail Tal and ex-World Junior Champion Alexander Beliavsky who was surprise of the tournament because he had finished in last place in the 1973 championship! Lev Polugaevsky missed first place by only a half point and he was dissatisfied with the quality of his games in this tournament. Raphael Vaganian was known to be a very skillful tactician and he played some very exciting games. Also exceeding expectations were Oleg Romanishin, Mark Dvoretsky and Lev Alburt all of whom fought with great skill and displayed ingenuity in complicated positions. 

     The fight for first was close right up to the last round. With two rounds left Tal hada one point lead and nobody doubted that he would be the winner, but with the white pieces against his main rival, Evengy Vasiukov, Tal lost! As expected, there were a lot of were a lot of interesting games; they were hard fought, too, as evidenced by the fact that only about half were drawn. 

     In the following game Rafael Vaganian (born October 15, 1951), an Armenian GM, defeated Viktor Kupreichik (1949-2017) a GM from Belarus.

Rafael Vaganian - Viktor Kupreichik

Result: 1-0

Site: USSR Championship, Leningrad

Date: 1974

Trompowsky Attack

[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.♗g5 Extravagant according to Keres. By playing this white sidesteps immense bodies of opening theory. 2...c5 3.d5 ♕b6 4.♘c3 ♕xb2 Although this is frequently played it could turn out to be very dangerous for black because it loses time. 5.♗d2 ♕b6 6.e4 d6 7.f4 g6 As a result of this move black gets a cramped position. Better was 7...e6

7...e6 8.♖b1 ♕c7 9.♗b5+ and after either 9...Nbd7 or 9...Bd7 black has a satisfactory position.

8.e5 dxe5 This is an elementary error after which black gets into serious difficulties. Rather than open up the position he should have tried 8...Nfd7 9.fxe5 ♘fd7 10.♘f3 ♗g7 11.♖b1 ♕d8 12.e6 fxe6 13.♘g5 ♘f6 It's amazing that black has been down this same road numerous times. Black's position is simply horrible. My database has 8 games that reached this position and black has scored only two draws. White has achieved a huge positional advantage for the small price of his b-Pawn.

13...O-O 14.♘xe6 ♕e8 15.♘xf8 ♕xf8 16.♗e2 ♕f6 Here, too, white has a vastly superior position. Mertanen,J (2290)-Dolezal,R (2423)/Prague 2008

13...♘f8 loses to 14.♗b5+ ♗d7 15.♕f3 ♗f6 16.dxe6 ♗xb5 17.♘xb5 ♘c6 18.♘f7

14.♗b5+ ♔f8 15.dxe6 a6 No better or worse than alternatives.

15...♕d4 16.♘e2 ♕d5 17.O-O ♗h6 18.c4 ♕d8 19.♘xh7+ ♔g7 20.♘xf6 ♗xd2 21.♘d5 ♗g5 22.♖f7+ ♔g8 23.♕d3 ♖h6 24.♘f6+ Black resigned; it's mate next move. Kerkmeester,H (2220)-Van der Vorm,T (2405)/NED 1994

(15...♘c6 is the last straw 16.O-O ♔g8+⁠−) 16.♗e3 ♕a5

16...♕xd1+ is no better as after 17.♖xd1 ♗h6 18.♖d8+ ♔g7 19.♖xh8 ♔xh8 20.♘f7+ ♔g7 21.♗xh6+ and wins

17.O-O h6 This weakens g6 and leads to mate, but his position was lost anyway. 18.♕d3 ♔g8

18...♕c7 does not improve anything 19.♕xg6 ♕xh2+ 20.♔xh2 hxg5+ 21.♔g1 ♖h1+ 22.♔xh1 ♔g8 23.♖xf6 exf6 24.e7 ♘d7 25.e8=♕+ ♘f8 26.♕ef7+ ♔h8 27.♕gxg7#

18...hxg5 allows mate in 5 19.♕xg6 ♔g8 20.♕f7+ ♔h7 21.♗d3+ ♘e4 22.♗xe4+ ♔h6 23.♕g6#

19.♕xg6 ♗xe6 20.♘xe6 (20.♖xf6 ♘d7 21.♗xd7 ♗xa2 22.♗e6+ ♗xe6 23.♖f8+ ♔xf8 24.♘xe6+ ♔g8 25.♕xg7#) 20...♖h7 21.♖xf6 All roads leads to mate. 21...♘d7 22.♗xd7 Black resigned. A terrible beating.

22.♗xd7 ♕xc3 23.♖f8+ ♖xf8 24.♘xf8 ♕xe3+ 25.♔h1 ♕e4 26.♕xe4 ♗xf8 27.♕g6+ ♗g7 28.♗e6+ ♔h8 29.♕e8+ ♗f8 30.♕xf8#

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