Asa Hoffmann, Games Master

     In 1965 your Blogmeister was out of touch with the chess world because I was an FMF Corpsman with Weapons Platoon, G Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and in June, we embarked aboard the USS Fremont in Morehead City, North Carolina to begin a Mediterranean training cruise that lasted until November during which time we practiced amphibious landings and participated in field exercises 

     By the time I found out that 13-year-old Henrique Mecking had created a sensation by winning the Brazilian championship it was old news. Nor did I know that one of my favorite players, Mikhail Botvinnik, had been seeded into the 1965 Candidates tournament, but declined to participate because he was resentful that FIDE no longer allowed a return match for defeated world champions. 

     I did not know that IM Vitaly Chekhover (1908-1965) died in Leningrad at the age of 56. Or, WIM Sonja Graf-Stevenson (1908-1965) died of a liver ailment in New York at the age of 56. Or, E. Forry Laucks (1898-1965) died of a heart attack in San Juan, Puerto Rico during the US Open at the age of 67. Or, that IM Fyodar Dus-Chotimirsky (1879-1965) died in Moscow at the age of 86. 

     And, while I was away, Bobby Fischer participated in the Capablanca Memorial in Cuba playing by teletype at the Marshall Chess Club in New York. He tied for 2nd-4th with +12 -3 =6. The US did not have diplomatic relations with Cuba and the State Department would not allow Fischer to travel to Havana. 

      The Eastern Open which had been been held annually since 1960 was played in Washington DC and was won by Pal Benko who scored 7.5 points out of 8. He won his first five games, but was nicked for a draw in round six by Larry Gilden. New York masters Paul Brandts and Asa Hoffmann finished a half point behind. A total of 176 players competed.

     FM Asa Hoffmann (born February 25, 1943) is a chess teacher and author known as "the sparring partner of champions". His peak regular USCF rating was 2471, a Senior Master. He won the New York City junior championship in 1962 and the First Army Championship in 1966. 

     Possessed with a good positional understanding, he is primarily a tactician which made him a dangerous opponent even to top players. As of April 2016, Hoffmann was the top ranked senior blitz player in the US. 

     A colorful figure on the New York City chess scene, Hoffmann is the son of two attorneys who had hopes he would become an attorney also, but after a year at Columbia he dropped out to play chess full time. He made a living playing blitz for money in the clubs and parks of New York City and was good friends with Bobby Fischer. He also started taking on students around the same time. 

     Yasser Seirawan described Hoffmann as "a near legendary figure in the New York City chess world." He has published a memoir with a collection of his games titled The Chess Gladiator. 

     Hoffmann describes himself as a Games Master. Besides chess he also plays backgammon, bridge, scrabble and poker. He was portrayed in the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer by actor Austin Pendleton; Hoffmann declined to participate in the movie, unhappy with the depiction of himself as socially inept and obsessive. 

     His opponent in the following game was Sergei Goregliad (born 1941), a Pennsylvania master who also holds the FM title. At the time the game was played Hoffmann was described in Chess Review as another talented young player. In the game he carries out a sharp attack that is characteristic of his style with the utmost efficacy.

[Event "Eastern Open, Washington DC"] [Site "?"] [Date "1965.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Asa Hoffmann"] [Black "Sergei Goregliad"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Stockfish 15"] [PlyCount "43"] [SourceVersionDate "2022.04.27"] {Sicilian: Sozin Attack} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bb3 Be7 8. Be3 O-O 9. f4 {The main move today is 9.Qe2} Na5 { A move of doubtful value because it gives white a free hand in the center. The famous Fischer-Geller game from the Curacao Candidates in 1962 continued 9... Nxd4 10.Bxd4 b5 with fascinating complications; Geller eventually won.} (9... d5 {didn't lead anywhere in Manea,A (2399)-Lupulescu,C (2631) Baile Govora ROU 2017} 10. e5 Nd7 11. O-O Nc5 12. Qe1 f6 13. exf6 Rxf6 {with equal chances.}) 10. Qf3 b6 11. g4 (11. e5 {At the time it was believed this was a promising continuation. Analysis went...} Bb7 12. exf6 Bxf3 13. fxe7 Qxe7 14. Nxf3 Nxb3 15. axb3 {White probably has enough compensation for his Q, but practically speaking it was thought he may have difficulty proving it.}) 11... Bb7 { This is a logical looking move in that it puts pressure on the e-Pawn and the B is on line with white's Q and R. However, it's not quite forceful enough to stop white from seizing the initiative and begin a very strong attack.} (11... d5 12. e5 Ne4 13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Qh3 Nxb3 15. axb3 Qc7) 12. g5 Nxb3 13. axb3 Nd7 14. h4 {[%cal Bh2h4,Bh4h5][%mdl 32] Notice that black has no pieces poised to defend his K against the brewing attack.} Re8 15. h5 (15. g6 {was suggested at the time the game was played, but it is less promising and, also, more complicated.} fxg6 16. O-O-O Nf6 {Black has shored up the position of his K in this line and so white's attack has fewer chances of success.} 17. h5 Nxh5 18. Rxh5 gxh5 19. Nxe6 Qd7 20. Nxg7 Kxg7 21. Qxh5 Bf6 22. e5 {A fascinating position in which both sides would have had chances. In Shootouts five games were drawn.}) 15... e5 {This allows white's N to reach f5 with disastrous consequences, but black's position was already untenable.} (15... Rc8 {Trying to complicate things and hoping white takes the a-Pawn instead of continuing his attack with 16.g6 was better.} 16. Rxa7 Rxc3 17. bxc3 Qb8 18. Rxb7 (18. Ra1 Nc5 19. O-O Nxe4 20. Qg4 Qc8 {and white's advantage is minimal.}) 18... Qxb7 19. O-O {White is better.}) 16. Nf5 {[%cal Bd4f5,Bf5h6,Bh6f7][%mdl 32]} exf4 17. Qxf4 Nf8 {This is a major mistake, but there really was no way of saving the game.} (17... Bf8 18. O-O-O Ne5 19. Kb1 Rc8 20. Bd4 {and black can only wait for the end.}) 18. Rf1 {[%cal Of5h6] After this black has no good defense against the threat of Nh6+} Qd7 {Allowing a crushing finish, but at best he could have only made things somewhat more difficult for white with 18...Bxg5} ( 18... Bxg5 {was his best chance.} 19. Qxg5 Qxg5 20. Bxg5 h6 21. Bh4 Bxe4 22. Ne7+ Rxe7 23. Bxe7 Bxc2 24. Bxf8 Kxf8 25. b4 {and white wins, but it will require some technique.}) 19. Nh6+ {[%mdl 512]} Kh8 20. Qxf7 {[%csl Gh6][%cal Rf7g8]} (20. Nxf7+ {also wins} Kg8 21. Nh6+ Kh8 22. Bd4 Ne6 23. Qf7 Bxg5 24. Bxg7+ Nxg7 25. Qxd7 Bxh6 26. Qxb7) 20... Ne6 {Losing instantly.} (20... Qe6 21. Rxa7 (21. Qxe6 Nxe6 22. Nf7+ Kg8 23. O-O-O Nc5 {and black can put up some resistance.}) 21... Qxf7 22. Nxf7+ Kg8 23. Rxb7 {and wins}) 21. Qg8+ {[%mdl 512]} Rxg8 22. Nf7# {Very forceful and precise play by Hoffmann.} 1-0