Roos' play seems not to have been affected by the fact that she had not fully recovered from an automobile accident in July and was frequently in pain.
The two games which clinched Roos' share or the title, were her wins against the two U. S. Women's Champions, Mae Karff and Gisela Gresser.
The game against Karff was decided in dramatic fashion when Karff made an unprecedented oversight on move 31 that left spectators stunned. Karff suffered her loss gracefully and Roos begged Chess Life columnist Willa Owens not to publish the game.
Here is the position after 31.Qc7.
Black is winning easily and all she has to do is play 31...R4d7 or 31...Qd7 which would have left her with a routine win. Instead, Karff decided to threaten mate on g2 or force the exchange of Qs with 31...Qc6?? and mate in two was unavoidable after 32.Qxf7+
In the following game both players indulge in boring maneuvering until Gresser errs with 26...h6 and from then on is subjected to a relentless attack by Roos.
Nancy Roos - Gisela Gresser
Site: US Women's Championship New Yoek
Date:
Polish Opening
[...]1.b4 A favorite of Roos. It has never been popular at the top level, though a number of prominent players have employed it on occasion. The opening is largely based on tactics on the Q-side or the f6 and g7 squares. 1...e6 Black can respond in a variety of ways and this move usually followed by ...d5, ...Nf6 and eventually ...c5. 2.♗b2♘f63.a3d54.e3a55.b5c5
5...♘bd7 black avoided ...c5 in Prasannaa,S (2159)-Murshed,N (2444)/New Delhi 2017 and after 6.♘f3♗d67.d4♘b68.a4♘e49.♗d3f510.O-OO-O the position was about equal.
6.c4♘bd77.cxd5 this premature release of central tension is questionable.
7.♘f3♘b68.cxd5exd59.d4c410.♘c3♗d611.♗e2O-O12.O-O♕e713.♘d2♗f5 and a draw was agrees in Christensen,T (2280)-Hansen,C (2310)/Gausdal 1990
7...exd58.a4♗e79.♘f3O-O10.♗e2♘b611.O-O♗f512.d3♖c813.♘bd2♘fd714.♖c1♗f615.♗a3♖e816.h3♘a8 This move is rather passive and in a few moves the N returns to b6, so ...g6 and ...Bg7 followed by ...Be6 consolidating her position was better. 17.♕b3d418.e4♗e619.♘c4♘ab620.♕d1♘xc421.dxc4♕c722.♗d3b623.♖c2♘f824.♗c1 Now with 24...Ng6 black would have a rock solid position and we could look for more maneuvering such as we have been witnessing for many moves now. 24...h6 As it turns out, this move creates a fatal weakening of the K-side. 25.♘e1♖cd826.f4 Roos begins a strong attack. 26...♗c827.♕h5 This move carries no immediate threat, but you just know it has to be good. 27...♗b728.e5♗e729.♖e2♖c8 All Gresser can do is wait.
29...♘h7 leads to some interesting play, but white is in control. 30.e6 Thsi si the most interesting, but not the only good move. 30...fxe631.♖xe6♘f832.f5♘xe633.fxe6♗f634.♖xf6gxf635.♗f4♕g736.♗xh6 and mate in inevitable.
30.f5♗g5
30...♘h7 allows a gut punch... 31.f6 After this there are a lot of possibilities, but just as example... 31...♘xf632.exf6♗xf633.♖xf6♖xe234.♕xe2gxf635.♕g4♔f836.♗xh6♔e737.♗f4+−37...♕d738.♗f5♕e839.♕g3♔d840.♕h4♔e741.♘d3♕h842.♕e1 with a decisive attack.
31.♗xg5hxg532.f6 Well played! There is no way out for black. 32...gxf633.♖xf6 33.exf6 forces mate in 7. 33...♘e634.♕h7 34. Ref2 forces mate in 8 34...♔f835.♖ef2 35.Bg6 is a mate in 9 35...♘d8 There is no escape. 35...Ke7 36.Rxe6+ leads to a mating attack. 36.♕h6 Mates in 8. There is a mate in 4 with 36.Bg6. 36...♔e737.♕xg5♔f838.♖g6♕xe539.♖g8# A great finale by Roos!
Wolfgang Unzicker (June 26, 1925 - April 20, 2006) was one of the strongest West German GMs from 1945 to about 1970. He decided against making chess his profession, choosing law instead. He was rated in the mid-2500s.
Unzicker was born in Pirmasens, a small town near Kaiserslautern in the province of Rhineland-Palatinate noted for shoe making. His father taught him how to play chess at age 10. His brother, four years older, was also a chess player but was killed in World War II.
Unzicker began to play tournaments abroad in 1948 and was awarded the GM title in 1954. He won the German Championship six times from 1948 to 1963 and tied for first in 1965. In 1956 he lost a match to Paul Keres in which the Ruy Lopez was played in all eight games.
From 1950 to 1978 Unzicker played in twelve Chess Olympiads, and was first board on ten of them. For many years he was legal advisor for the German Chess Association.
Among his major tournament successes were:
* tie for first with Boris Spassky at Sochi 1965
* first at Maribor 1967 ahead of Samuel Reshevsky
* first at Krems, and Amsterdam 1980 tied with Hans Ree.
* shared the prize for best top-board score with Miguel Najdorf for his performance on first board for the West German team at the 1950 Dubrovnik Chess Olympiad.
* shared fourth place with Lajos Portisch in the 1966 Piatigorsky Cup
* Hastings 1969–70, second behind Lajos Portisch
* second behind Viktor Korchnoi at South Africa 1979
Unzicker had a classical chess style modeled after Siegbert Tarrasch and, like Tarrasch, he shared some of the same dogmatic ideas. When one of his peers advised him that his openings were unambitious, he replied, "I know, but it could be worse." Unzicker died of a heart condition while vacationing in Albufeira, Portugal.
At the Black Sea resort city of Sochi in 1965 he achieved a feat that very few Western players had accomplished when he tied for first place. There is an interesting tribute to Unzicker on Chessbase HERE.
Wolfgang Unzicker - Vladimir Antoshin Result: 1-0 Site: ? Date: 1965 Ruy Lopez: Breyer Variation
[...]1.e4e52.♘f3♘c63.♗b5a64.♗a4♘f65.O-O♗e76.♖e1b57.♗b3d68.c3O-O9.h3♘b8 A paradoxical-looking variation which was suggested by Gyula Breyer in 1911, but there are no known games in which he actually played it. The variation became popular in the 1960s when it was adopted by Boris Spassky. Nowadays it's considered too passive. With 9... Nb8 Black frees the c-Pawn and intends to route the N to d7 where it supports e5. 10.d4♘bd711.♘h4 Black almost always plays 11.Nbd2, but this move is direct attempt to infiltrate on f5 and was tried by Fischer. 11...exd4
11...♖e8 worked out well for black after 12.♘f5♗f813.f4♗b714.fxe5dxe515.♗g5exd416.cxd4♗xe417.♖xe4♖xe4 and black is much better, but later poor play resulted in him losing the game in Kobese,W (2367)-Bhawoodien,M (2103)/ Durban RSA 2017
11...♘xe4 He could win a P with this but it allows white to obtain some initiative with 13.Nf5. 12.♘f5♘df613.♕f3♗b714.♗c2♘c515.♕g3♘e616.dxe5dxe5
12.cxd4♘b613.♗c2 There is a strong argument for retreating with 13.Nf3 now that black has conceded the center. 13...♘fd5 This does not work out well at all. Correct was 13...c5
13...c514.♘d2cxd415.♘hf3♖e816.♘xd4♗f817.b3♗b718.♗b2♘bd719.♕f3♖c820.♖ad1d521.♗b1dxe422.♘xe4♘xe423.♗xe4♖xe424.♖xe4♘e525.♕e2♗xe4 and Byrne,R (2510) -Spassky,B (2690)/Moscow 1971 agreed to a draw.
14.♘f5 The thematic move, but here it allows black to gain a slight advantage. (14.exd5♗xh415.♘c3♗b7 is equal.)
14.♘f3 is the best try to gain an advantage. 14...♘b415.♘c3♘xc216.♕xc2 is about equal.
14...♗xf515.exf5 (15.exd5♗xc216.♕xc2♗f6 is advantageous to black.) 15...♗f616.♘c3 It would have been somewhat better to play 16.a4 first. 16...♘xc317.bxc3c5 Black's better P-structure fully compensates for white's Bishop pair. 18.♗e4♖c819.♗f4♘a420.♖c1♕b6 So far black has been playing quite well, but now he begins drifting. Direct play by 20...d5 was better. (20...d521.♗f3cxd422.cxd4♖c4 with about equal chances.) 21.dxc5 This move is not the most precise as it allows black to maintain equality. Better was 21.Qf3 at once. 21...dxc522.♕f3 This defends c3 and at the same time activates his Q and B. 22...♖fe8 Not bad, but 22...c4! fixing the weakness on c3 would have been better, 23.c4bxc4 After this black is in serious trouble.
23...♘b2 could lead to exciting and unclear complications. 24.cxb5axb525.♗b7♖xe126.♖xe1♖d827.♗d5c428.♗xf7♔xf729.♕h5♔f830.♕xh7♘d3
24.♗d5♘b2 With white's B already on d5 this is one move too late. It was better to return to defending with 23...Rf8 25.♗xf7 Now black gets crushed. 25...♔xf726.♕d5♔f827.♗d6♖e7 Regrettably forced. (27...♗e728.♖xe7♖xe729.♕e6♖ce830.♗xe7 wins the Q.) 28.♖e6♖d8
28...♕a729.♖ce1♖ce830.♖1e3 with the devastating threat of 31.Rxf6+ gxf6 32.Rg3 followed by mate on g8, which Black, bound hand and foo, is unable to prevent
29.♗xe7♗xe730.♖xb6♖xd531.♖xb2 Here black prematurely resigned. True, he is certainly lost with correct play, but he could have played on.
31.♖xb2♗f632.♖b6c333.♖xa6♖xf5 Shootouts from this position produced a score for white of +4 -0 =1.
At half time the 8th Avenue Temple basketball team and the Workmen's Circle were deadlocked 8-all, but in the closing seconds Bobby Fischer scored the winning basket. Oops! That was reported in the January 17, 1938 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, so it was the wrong Bobby Fischer.
In chess news John W. Collins, secretary of the Brooklyn chess league and Louis J. Wolff were the first players in the borough to file their entry for the preliminaries of the US Championship.
The Brooklyn Chess League final standing were Collins’ Hawthorne club which finished ahead of King’s club (headed by Herbert Seidman) followed by the Gambit club (headed by Harry Baker).
Over in England, Reshevsky finished first ahead of Paul Keres and C.H.O’D. Alexander who tied for second at Hastings.
In a small announcement in the Daily Eagle it was reported that “J.R. Capablanea of Havana, former world champion...won first prize in a European tournament at the Salons Caissa with a score of 8-2. N. Rossolimo, an Italian, finished second with 7.5-2.5 and Dr. H. Cuikerman of Austria was third with 6-4.”
There were a number of interesting games played in this long-forgotten tournament, but the following game between Capablanca and Rossolimo was instructive. It illustrates the theme of discovered attack. At the critical moment Rossolimo miscalculated and made a tactical mistake. At move 27, instead of capturing the checking N, Capa moved his K to c3 where it attacked two black pieces and the game was essentially over.
A Rossolimo story: Back in the mid-1960s a friend and I were on a 4-day liberty from the Marine Corps Base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and slumming around New York City when we ended up at Rossolimo's Chess Studio in New York City.
We were the only one’s in there at the time and I asked Rossolimo for a game to which he replied, “I can’t play for nothing.”
He wanted $20 which on my Corporal’s pay was a lot...about $163.68 today!
In spite of the steep fee I coughed it up and we began play using a Druke Player’s Choice set at the end of a long table. I had white and remember the opening was the Leningrad Variation of the Nimzo-Indian (4.Bg5).
I got a pretty good game and Rossolimo walked over to a shelf and picked out a board that appeared to be made out of blue butterfly wings under glass and set it down at the other end of the table where the sun was shining on it. He then walked back to our board and began grabbing the pieces and setting them up on the glass board. When I asked what he was doing he said, “I want to play on this board,” I think he set the position up correctly, but the sun glare off the glass board combined with the shiny butterfly wings was too distracting and I soon lost.
Jose Capablanca - Nicolas Rossolimo Result: 1-0 Site: Paris Date: 1938 Queen's Gambit Declined: Classical Main Line
[...]1.d4♘f62.c4e63.♘c3d54.♗g5 It was this variation which was extremely popular in those days that lead Capablanca to declare that chess was dying and in a few decades all games would end in draws. As far back as the 1920s he introduced a version that incorporated two new pieces and was played on a 10><8 board. He added an Archbishop which combined the powers of a B and N and a Chancellor which chancellor combined powers of a R and N. The main alternative is the Cambridge Springs Defense (4...Nbd7). 4...♗e75.e3O-O Other alternatives are: 5...h6 6. Bh4 0-0 7. e3 b6 (Tartakower-Makogonov-Bondarevsky), 5...h6 6. Bxf6 Bxf6 (Anti-Tartakower-Makogonov-Bondarevsky), 5...0-0 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 Ne4 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 (Lasker Defense) and 5...0-0 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Rc1 c6 (Orthodox Defense). 6.♘f3♘bd77.♖c1c68.♗d3h69.♗h4dxc410.♗xc4b511.♗d3a612.a4b413.♘e4♘xe414.♗xe7♘xf215.♗xd8♘xd1 Nothing new here, it's all been played before. 16.♔xd1 This is an improvement on Vidmar,M-Asztalos,L/ Maribor 1934 where white played 16.Be7.
16.♗e7♖e8 much better was 16... Nxb2 with the advantage. 17.♔xd1♖xe718.♖xc6e519.♗f5 having failed to take advantage of the opportunity presented him on move 17, black is at a disadvantage and eventually lost.
16...♖xd817.♖xc6♗b718.♖c7♗xf319.gxf3♘b6 He could have kept his disadvantage to a minimum with 19...e5. 20.♖c6♘xa421.♔c2♖db822.♖a1 A slight inaccuracy by Capablanca that allows black to equalize. (22.♔b3♘b623.♗e4♖a724.♖hc1 is equal.) 22...b323.♔c1♖b4 This is a serious mistake as after 23...Rc8 exchanging a R would leave black equal. 24.♗xa6♘b625.♔d2 Black should now play 25...Kf8 followed by ... Nd5 which leaves white with only a microscopic advantage. 25...e5 Instead, he makes a bid for counterplay that backfires. 26.dxe5♘c4 Rossolimo has badly miscalculated. 26...Kf8 would have at least kept him in the game. 27.♔c3 Unlike checkers, in chess captures are not mandatory. (27.♗xc4♖xa128.♖c8♔h729.♗xf7 is unclear.)
27.♖xc4♖xc428.♗xc4♖xa129.♗xb3♖h1 And at the GM level white is winning as confirmed by Shootouts with Stockfish. White scored +3 -0 =2.
27...♘xe528.♖c5 (28.♔xb4♘xc629.♔b5♘e5 is equal.) 28...♖b629.♗d3 Another accurate move by Capablanca that forces black's immediate resignation.
29.♖xe5 and black would still be able to play on after 29...♖axa630.♖xa6♖xa631.♔xb3
Poisonous snakes are dangerous when they're alive, but they can also be dangerous after they're dead.
There’s a tale of a chef in China who was preparing a delicacy known as cobra soup who was fatally bitten by the decapitated head of one of the snake heads he had chopped off 20 minutes earlier.
In 2007, a man in Washington state chopped the head off a rattlesnake with a shovel and when he bent down to pick it up, the dead snake bit him in the hand; he survived.
In 2014, a man in Australia was bitten by a venomous red-bellied black snake 45 minutes after he had chopped it in half with a shovel. He survived, but reportedly spent two days in intensive care.
Steven Beaupre, a biology professor at the University of Arkansas, explained that snakes are well known for retaining reflexes after death as do many cold-blooded animals. For venomous snakes, such as cobras and rattlesnakes, biting is one of the reflexes that can be activated in the brain even hours after the animal dies.
The bite reflex is stronger in venomous snakes than it is in some other carnivores because these snakes use their bite differently...unlike other biters which kill prey by sinking their teeth into the flesh and holding on, snakes deliver just one extremely quick bite and then move away before getting stepped on. The attacks are lightening fast..rattlesnakes have been known to inject venom into prey in less than two-tenths of a second.
Even after decapitation the snake’s nerves have not stopped functioning. The bodies of snakes have been known to continue rising off the ground in a menacing pose, and even to strike out against a perceived threat.
How can such a thing happen? This eerie phenomenon is caused by the ions, or electrically charged particles, which remain in the nerve cells of a snake for several house after it dies. When the nerve of a newly dead snake is stimulated, the channels in the nerve will open up, allowing ions to pass through. This creates an electrical impulse that enables the muscle to carry out a reflexive action, like a bite.
The bite and injection of poison reflex is triggered by some kind of information that comes into the mouth cavity so it’s likely the people who were bitten by the dead snakes accidentally put a finger in the snake’s mouth which triggered the bite response.
Chessplayers have been known to get snake bit by dead lost opponents. As C.J.S. Purdy observed, tactics are usually brought off by the player with the superior position, but many tactics arise entirely from a mistake by one side. There is no rule that says the player with the superior position can’t be the on making the mistake!
Purdy was quick to point out that if you don’t bother to check for tactics at EVERY move you’ll be constantly making absurd blunders. In ANY position you should look around for possible tactics. Every part of the board must be examined for some accidental feature that may give rise to a tactic.
Frank Marshall said, “Winning a won game is the hardest thing in chess.” And, there are three main reasons why we don’t win won games. 1) We relax thinking the game is won and our opponent will soon resign. As a consequence, we overlook his resources. When we do realize he has resources there may also be a psychological shock that leads us to making mistakes. 2) Sometimes we may know we have a winning advantage be it positional or material, but we simply lack the technique, or we begin seeing ghosts in the position a begin reacting to perceived threats. 3) If it’s an ending we may simply lack the theoretical knowledge of the winning technique.
The Reggio Emilia tournaments were held annually in Reggio Emilia, Italy and were known as Torneo di Capodanno (New Year's tournament) because thay started just after Christmas and ended on the day of Epiphany (January 6th).
Although there were tournaments held beginning in 1947 and became Italy's oldest and most renowned tournament. The last one was held in 2011/2012 and the next edition had to be canceled due to economic reasons.
The 1987/88 tournament was won by Vladimir Tukmakov, but he should have been tied with Alexander Beliavsky except his opponent, Larry Christiansen, swindled him out of a win when Beliavsky got careless.
Final standings:
1) Vladimir Tukmakov 6.0
2-3) Alexander Beliavsky and Larry Christiansen 5.5
4-6) Viktor Korchnoi, Lajos Portisch and Zoltan Ribli 5.0
7) Predrag Nikolic 4.5
8) Ulf Andersson 3.5
9-10) Rafael Vaganian and Jozsef Pintar 2.5
Alexander Beliavsky - Larry Christiansen Result: 1/2-1/2 Site: Reggio Emilia Date: 1987 Bogo-Indian
[...]1.d4♘f62.c4e63.g3 The traditional move for white is 3. Nc3 threatening to set up a big P-center with 4.e4. However, 3.Nf3 or 3.g3 are often played to avoid the Nimzo-Indian. 3...♗b44.♗d2 Black has a number of satisfactory moves here: 4...Be7 (by far the most popular), 4...Qe7, 4...c5, 4. ..Bxd2+ (simplest), Bronstein's 4...a5 (interesting) and 4...c5. 4...♕e75.♗g2♗xd26.♕xd2d67.♘c3O-O8.♘f3e59.O-O♖e810.e4♗g411.d5♗xf312.♗xf3♘bd713.b4
13.♗g2 didn't lead to anything. 13...a614.♖fd1♖eb815.♗f1h616.f3♘h717.b4b618.♖dc1♖f819.♗d3♔h820.♖ab1 Ning,K (2306)-Kuang,Y (2200)/Daqing CHN 2019
13...a5
13...♖f814.a3g615.♗d1♔h816.♗c2♘h517.♕e2♕g518.♕e3♕e719.♘a4f5 is equal. Orr,M (2350)-Buchanan,W (2101)/ Edinburgh 1999
14.a3♖a615.♘b5♘b616.♖ac1axb417.axb4♕d718.♕d3♖a419.♕b3♖ea820.♖fd1h521.h4g622.♖b1 All of this maneuvering has lead nowhere and a boring draw seems reasonable. Black can keep things even by moving his Rs back and forth on the a-file, but instead he begins probing white's position and ends up very slightly weakening his position. 22...♘g423.♗e2♕e724.♖bc1c625.dxc6bxc626.c5dxc527.bxc5♘d728.♘d6♘df6 This is a costly mistake that allows white to gain a significant advantage.
28...♖d4 results in complications where both sides would have chances. 29.♖xd4exd430.♘xf7♘xc5
29.♗c4♘xf2 Realizing that he had slipped into an inferior position Christiansen takes desperate measures. Another possibility is that Christiansen is a very dangerous tactician so perhaps he intended this risky attack all along. 30.♔xf2♖a331.♗xf7♔g7 After this the black snake is dead so to speak. Correct was 31...Kf8
31...♔f832.♕e6♘g433.♔g2♘e334.♔h2♕xe635.♗xe6♘xd136.♖xd1♖a1 and although white should win black is still fighting.
32.♕e6♖a233.♔g1
33.♕xa2 was even better, but nobody likes returning their Q. 33...♖xa234.♗xa2♘g435.♔e2♕a736.♖c2 with more than enough material for the Q.
33...♖8a334.♘e8
34.♕xe7 would be disastrous... for white! 34...♖xg335.♔f1♖f336.♔e1♖e3 draws!
34...♔h6 (34...♘xe835.♕xg6 mates next move.) 35.♘xf6 The Q still can't be taken because of the perpetual check. 35...♖xg336.♔h1♕xf737.♖d7
37.♕xe5 was even stronger. Then if 37...♖h338.♔g1♖f3 (38...♖hh239.♕g5♔g740.♖d7) 39.♕g5♔g740.♖d7 winning easily.
37...♕xf6 White has an easy win after he wins the Q. The only problem is he has to surrender his R to do it. (37...♕xe638.♖h7#) 38.♕xf6 Not suspecting a thing!
38.♖h7♔xh739.♕xf6♖h340.♔g1♖g341.♔f1 and wins with no difficulty.
38...♖h2 The dead snake bites! Like the men from Australia and Washington, the bite isn't fatal, but Beliavsky has to agree to the draw.
38...♖h239.♔xh2♖g2 White either has to allow a repitition or a stalemate.
