Losing A Won Game

     In 1951-52 Arthur Bisguier (1929-2017) was a draftee serving in the Army and eventually found himself stationed in Germersheim in what was then West Germany. After WWII it was an Army storage site for equipment and stored, received and issued equipment and supplies. It could store 25,000 vehicles such as trucks, jeeps, ambulances, armored cars, tractors and trailers. Bisguier called it a "hell hole." 

     While there he got permission to represent the US in the 1952 Helsinki Olympiad and, also, play in a small international tournament in Vienna in which he rolled over the competition. 

 

     The Rabar vs. Paoli contest was an amusing one. We've all lost games in which we were winning and that's what happened to Rabar. In a winning position he decided to win a R and missed a rather obvious mate in two.

     Yugoslav IM Braslav Rabar (September 27, 1919 - December 6, 1973, 54 years old). He was born in Zagreb and was awarded the IM title in 1950. He was Yugoslav Champion in 1951 and 1953 (jointly). He is probably best remembered, if he is remembered at all, for designing the opening classification system that was used in the Chess Informant. 

     Italian Enrico Paoli (January 13, 1908 - December 15, 2005, 97 years old) was born in Trieste. He was awarded the IM title in 1951, he was Italian Champion in 1951, 1957 and 1968. He was awarded the Honorary GM title in 1996. Paoli was also famous for his endgame and study compositions. 

[Event "Vienna"] [Site ""] [Date "1953.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Braslav Rabar"] [Black "Enrico Paoli"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "Stockfish 15"] [PlyCount "67"] [EventDate "1952.12.??"] {King's Indian} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 O-O 5. Be2 d6 6. Nf3 Nbd7 7. O-O c5 8. Rb1 b6 9. Kh1 $146 (9. d5 Ba6 10. Nd2 Qc7 11. b3 Rfe8 12. Bb2 e6 13. f4 {White enjoys a space advantage. Nebel,R-Bosau,J Recklinghausen 2003}) ( 9. Re1 Bb7 {Better is 9...cxd4} 10. d5 b5 11. cxb5 a6 12. a4 axb5 13. Bxb5 { White is better. Valles,M (2340)-Ermeni,A (2301) Switzerland SUI 2015}) 9... Bb7 {Considering white's next move 9...e6 might have been better.} 10. d5 { White is better thanks to black's cramped position and his lack of counterplay on the Q-side.} Ne8 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bf4 Ne5 13. Qd2 Kh7 14. Ng1 Bc8 {Black's play is too passive. Countering in the center with ...e6 was called for.} 15. Bg3 f6 {After this black's position is bordering on lost.} (15... g5 {was his best option even though it does not prevent 16.f4} 16. f4 gxf4 {when, at least, the N on e5 is is better placed and black can then counter in the center with . ..e6} 17. Bxf4) 16. f4 {[%mdl 32]} Nf7 17. Bd3 Nc7 18. Nge2 Bd7 19. Qc2 Nh8 20. h4 Bg4 21. f5 g5 22. hxg5 hxg5 23. e5 dxe5 24. Bxe5 {[%mdl 512] this wins a P.} Nf7 (24... fxe5 25. f6+ Kh6 26. fxg7 {etc.}) 25. Bh2 Rh8 26. Kg1 Kg8 27. Ne4 Na6 {[%mdl 32]} 28. a3 {Preventing ...Nb4} Nb8 29. Nf2 Bxe2 30. Qxe2 Nd7 31. Be4 {White is threatening 21.d6, or so he thinks! That said, 31.Be4 is hardly a bad move.} Nde5 {Setting a clever, but flawed trap into which Rabar falls!} 32. d6 Qxd6 33. Bxa8 {[%mdl 8192] Rabar has failed to see the mate in two!} ( 33. Bg3 {keeps the advantage.} Rd8 (33... Nf3+ 34. Qxf3 {simply wins a piece.}) 34. Rfd1 {with a considerable advantage.}) 33... Nf3+ {[%mdl 512]} 34. gxf3 { Rabar resigned before Paoli could play 34...Qxh2#} 0-1