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Monday, May 22, 2023

1965 Noteboom Memorial

     Daniel Noteboom (February 26, 1910 - January 12, 1932) was a Dutch player gained notice at the 1930 Olympiad at Hamburg where he scored 11.5-3.5. His score included a win over a win over Salo Flohr, who at the time was rapidly gaining recognition as one of the world’s best players. 
     Noteboom was born in Noordwijk and learned to play chess at the age of 12, at 14 won a local tournament in Noordwijk and at the age of 15 he was admitted to the Leiden Chess Society as an exception because at the time chess clubs were generally reserved for adult men with social standing. 
     In the next few years he won the championship of the club three times. Shortly after playing at Hastings 1931/2, he soon died of pneumonia in London. A variation of the Queen’s Gambit is named after him. 

     The 25th Daniel Noteboom Memorial, played in Noordwijk in February saw the return to tournament play of former World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik who, at the “advanced” age of 54 years old, romped through the field. 
     Larsen’s poor performance plus another poor performance at Zagreb was viewed as an indication that he had poor chances in his upcoming Candidates Match against Borislav Ivkov. It wasn’t. He crushed Ivkov by a score of 5.5-2.5.
     In the semi-finals of the Candidates Larsen was edged out by Tahl. The score was tied 4.5-4.5 and Tahl won the final game. 
     The tournament was held from February 21 to 28, 1965, and the notable participants were former world Mikhail Botvinnik, Danish sensation Bent Larsen and Salo Flohr. 
     Jan Hein Donner. Jacob Kort and Carl Van den Berg were the Dutch players. The others were Bulgarian GM Milko Bobotsov and Yugoslav GM Dr. Petar Trifunovic. 
 
     Today’s game features Flohr’s win over Larsen. The latter is well remembered. The “Great Dane” Bent Larsen (1935 - 2010) was known for his imaginative and unorthodox style of play and for being the second strongest non-Soviet player, behind Bobby Fischer, for much of the 1960s and 1970s. 
     Few will remember the Czech and later Soviet player and writer Salo Flohr (1908-1983) November 21, 1908 – July 18, 1983) who dominated many tournaments of the pre-World War II years and by the late 1930s was considered a contender for the World Championship. However, his style became more quiet and positional (i.e. boring) and he became content to draw almost all of his games. 

A game that I liked (Fritz 17)

[Event "Noteboom Memorial, Noordwijk"] [Site ""] [Date "1965.02.23"] [Round "?"] [White "Salo Flohr"] [Black "Bent Larsen"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B39"] [Annotator "ShashChess 32"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "1965.02.21"] {Sicilian: Maroczy Bind} 1. Nf3 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e4 c5 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nc6 7. Be3 Ng4 8. Qxg4 Nxd4 9. Qd1 Ne6 10. Qd2 O-O 11. Be2 d6 12. O-O Bd7 {Worth considering was 13.b4} 13. f4 (13. Rfd1 Bc6 14. f3 a6 15. Nd5 {is equal. Cmilyte,V (2524)-Danielian,E (2476) Beijing 2012}) 13... Bc6 14. Bf3 (14. f5 Nc5 15. Bf3 a5 16. Bh6 Qb6 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 {is equal. Spassky,B (2655)-Savon,V (2575) Moscow 1973}) 14... b6 (14... Qa5 {is much more promising.} 15. Nd5 Qxd2 16. Bxd2 Bxd5 17. cxd5 Bd4+ 18. Kh1 Nc5 {is good for black.}) 15. b4 {White is better here and he also had a promising continuation in 15.f5} (15. f5 Nc5 16. Bh6 Be5 {This offer of the exchange is black's best chance.} 17. Bxf8 Qxf8 18. b4 Nd7 {White can only claim a small advantage owing to the sctivity of black's pieces and his better P-structure.}) 15... Rc8 16. Rac1 f5 {This is risky because it loosens black's position, but Larsen was never afraid of taking a risk.} (16... Re8 17. Rfd1 Nf8 18. a4 Bb7 {position is the more promising. Birnboim,N (2200)-Vilela,J (2260) Graz 1972}) 17. Nd5 Qd7 (17... Bxd5 {eliminating the well placed N is not at all good.} 18. Qxd5 {This move inflicts a fatal pin on the N.} Qd7 19. c5 Rc7 (19... Kh8 20. c6) 20. cxd6 { is decisive.}) 18. exf5 gxf5 19. Rfe1 Nd8 {Now comes a huge surprise. White switches his attack to the Q-side.} 20. Bxb6 {[%mdl 512] Surprise!} e6 (20... axb6 21. Rxe7 {Decisive. The Q is trapped.} (21. Nxb6 {is obvious, but black stands well after} Qa7 22. c5 Rc7 23. Nd5 Rb7) 21... Rc7 22. Rce1 Ra7 (22... Qc8 23. Rxc7 Qxc7 24. Nxc7) 23. Rxd7 Bxd7 24. Nxb6 {White is winning.}) 21. Bxd8 Rfxd8 22. b5 {Making room for the N to reposition itself.} Bb7 (22... Bxd5 {is slightly better. After} 23. cxd5 Rxc1 24. Rxc1 e5 25. fxe5 Bxe5 26. a4 { with a favorable endgame.}) 23. Nb4 Bxf3 24. gxf3 {In a few moves white will use the open g-file to his advantage.} Kh8 (24... d5 {counterattacking is a better practical choise, but white still has a much better position. For example...} 25. Red1 (25. cxd5 Qxb5 26. Rxc8 Rxc8 27. dxe6 Qc5+ 28. Kh1 Bc3 29. Qg2+ Kh8 30. Nd3 Qc4 31. Rd1 Qxe6 {Black has nearly equalized.}) 25... d4 26. Nd3 Qb7 27. Qe2 {and white is clearly better.}) 25. Nc6 Rg8 26. Kh1 a6 27. a4 { [%mdl 32]} axb5 28. axb5 d5 {White has a dominating position and as before, this move offers black little in the way of compensation.} 29. Rg1 (29. cxd5 { Unlike in the previous variation this move is bad here because of} exd5 30. Ne5 Qb7 31. Rxc8 Rxc8 32. Qd3 {with a winning ending.}) 29... Bf6 30. cxd5 { White has a number of playable moves here including 30.Ne5 and 30.Rxg8+} (30. Ne5 {This is probably the best though.} Qb7 31. Rxg8+ Rxg8 32. cxd5 h6 33. Qd4 Kh7 (33... Qxb5 {is tactically faulty.} 34. Nf7+ Kg7 35. Qa7 Qb8 36. Rg1+ Kh7 37. Ng5+ {mate next move}) 34. Qc5 {with a won ending.}) 30... exd5 {[%mdl 32]} 31. Rxg8+ Rxg8 32. Rg1 {This turns out to be a mistake that allows Larsen to equalize. A rather surprising error from a player of Flohr's level... Chessmetrics estimates his rating in 1966 to have been about 2600 placing him in the world's top 60. Larsen's estimated rating was 2699 placing him at #16.} (32. Rd1 {is more precise.} Re8 33. Nd4 (33. Qxd5 {loses} Re1+) 33... Qc7 34. Nxf5 {and white is much better.}) 32... Rxg1+ 33. Kxg1 d4 {The d-Pawn makes itself felt!} 34. Qd3 Qd5 35. Kf1 {[%cal Oc6e5]} Kg7 36. Ne5 Qc5 {[%mdl 8192] Even with the reduced material Larsen makes an instructive tactical blunder that loses the game because his K is subjected to a winning attack!} (36... Bxe5 {completely equalizes after} 37. fxe5 (37. Qxf5 {is alosing blunder.} Qxf3+ 38. Kg1 Qxf4 39. Qh3 {Black has a won ending.}) 37... Qxe5 {is a likely draw.}) 37. Qc4 {A nasty surprise.} (37. Qxf5 Qxb5+ {and it's doubtful white could make any progress.}) 37... Qd6 (37... Qxc4+ 38. Nxc4 Kf7 39. b6 Bd8 40. Ne5+ Ke6 41. b7 Bc7 42. Nc6 Kd7 43. b8=Q Bxb8 44. Nxb8+ {wins}) (37... Qa7 { keeps the Qs on and gusrds the 7th rank, but white's position is still vastly superior after} 38. Qd5 Bxe5 (38... Qa1+ 39. Kg2 Qb2+ 40. Kg3 Bxe5 (40... Qxb5 41. Qf7+ {mates in 2}) 41. Qxe5+ Kg8 42. Qe6+ {and wins}) 39. Qxe5+ Kf7 40. Qxf5+) 38. Qf7+ Kh6 39. Qg8 {Black resigned. The threat of 39.Nf7+ forking the Q and K cannot be met.} (39. Qg8 Bxe5 (39... Kh5 40. Qxh7#) 40. Qg5#) 1-0

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