Saturday, March 9, 2024

Boris Blumin Wins the 1936 Canadian Championship

    
The 1936 Canadian Championship, held in Toronto, was won by Boris Blumin (January 11, 1908 - February 16, 1998). He was a Canadian-American master who was born in Russia. 
    He immigrated to Canada in the early 1920s and played in several Canadian Championships, winning it twice (1936 and 1937).      
    At some point, probably in the late 1930s or early 1940s, he emigrated to the United States. Suffering from Alzheimers, he passed away in his home in Trenton, New Jersey. His wife passed away at the age of 99 in Trenton in 2008
 
 

 

. A game that I liked (Fritz 17)

[Event "Canadian Champ., Toronto"] [Site "Toronto CAN"] [Date "1936.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Boris Blumin"] [Black "C. Cradock"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D55"] [Annotator "Stockfish 16"] [PlyCount "79"] [EventDate "1936.08.28"] {D35: Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation} 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 c6 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. cxd5 exd5 {White usually plays the Exchange Variation at move 4 with 4.cxd4. In the Exchange Variation strategy is determined based on the fact that white has a P-majority in the center nd black on the Q-side. White can either advance his Ps in the center by means of Nge2, f2-f3 and e2-e4. The move order jere has obviously eliminated that plan. The other white plan is to play for a Minority Attack by means of Rb1, followed by b2-b4-b5, then bxc6. From black;s point of view, the exchange has released his light-squared B and opened the e-file. This gives him the use of e4 as a springboard for central and K-side attack.} 9. O-O h6 10. Bh4 Ne4 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. Qc2 f5 13. Rfe1 {Blumin has elected to go his own way and eschews the Minority Attack.} (13. Rab1 g5 14. b4 g4 15. Nd2 Ndf6 16. Ne2 Nh5 17. b5 {Tomilova,E (2207)-Badelka,O (2416) Sochi RUS 2022. White's position is more o\pronising.}) 13... Ng5 {This idea, which sets a trap, does not work out very well.} (13... g5 14. Bf1 Qg7 15. Nd2 Nxd2 16. Qxd2 Nf6 { with full equality. Steppan,S (1584)-Samarian,C (1811) Berlin 2009}) 14. Ne5 ( 14. Bxf5 {falls headlong into the trap.} Nxf3+ 15. gxf3 Qg5+ 16. Kh1 Qxf5 { and black has won a piece.}) ({White should try} 14. Nxg5 $16 Qxg5 15. Ne2) 14... Nxe5 15. dxe5 Be6 (15... f4 {was an alternative.} 16. exf4 Rxf4 17. Ne2 Rg4 18. Ng3 {but black does not appear to have gained anything.}) 16. f4 Ne4 17. Na4 Rad8 18. Rad1 Qc7 19. Bxe4 dxe4 20. b3 (20. Nc5 Bd5 (20... Bxa2 21. b3 {traps the B}) 21. Rd2 Kh7 22. Red1 {is only equal.}) 20... b6 21. Nc3 Qe7 22. Na4 c5 23. Nc3 {So far it's been a dull maneuvering game, but with his next move which is designed to prevent Nb5 black slides into inferiority simply because 23...Qe8 does not really prevent Nb5.. The best way to prevent Nb5 ui 23...a6} Qe8 24. Rxd8 $16 Qxd8 25. Rd1 Qh4 26. Nb5 Rd8 (26... a6 27. Nc7 Bf7 28. Qd2 {with a positioal superiorty}) 27. Nxa7 Rd3 {Hoping for ...Qd8.} 28. Nb5 (28. Rxd3 Qe1#) 28... Qd8 {Worth considering was 28...Kf8} 29. Nd6 (29. Rxd3 {leads to some tricky play, but white would come out with the advantage. Such lines are virtually impossible to accurately calculated OTB though!} exd3 30. Qd2 c4 31. Nd6 b5 32. Nxb5 Bd5 33. bxc4 Bxc4 34. Nd6 Qb6 35. Nxc4 Qb1+ 36. Kf2 Qc2 37. Ke1 Qxc4) 29... Rxd1+ {After this black is lost.} (29... Qa8 { makes a defense possible because if...} 30. Rxd3 exd3 31. Qxd3 Qxa2 32. Nxf5 Bxf5 33. Qxf5 Qe2 {Threatening mate.} 34. h3 Qxe3+ 35. Kh2 h5 {Intending ...h4 ...Qg3+ and ...Qe1+, etc. Now a draw seems likely.}) 30. Qxd1 Qa8 {A move too late.} 31. Qh5 {Qg6 is the strong threat.} Qd5 (31... Qxa2 32. Qe8+ (32. Nxf5 { allows black to equalize after} Qxb3 33. h3 Bxf5 34. Qxf5 Qxe3+ 35. Kh2 h5 36. e6 (36. Qxh5 {actually loses...} Qxf4+ 37. Kh1 e3 {etc.}) 36... h4 37. Qf7+ Kh7 38. Qh5+ {draws}) 32... Kh7 33. Qxe6) (31... Qa5 {threatening ...Qe1# was worth a try.} 32. Qe2 Qc3 33. h3 Qc1+ 34. Kh2 Qc3 {White is better, but finding a way to make progress is going to be difficult. In Shootouts white scored +4 -0 =1, but the gmes ran another 50 moves or so.}) 32. h3 {Making an escape square for the K.} Kh7 33. Kh2 Qc6 34. Nxf5 {Now white is clearly winning.} Qd7 35. Nd6 g6 36. Qh4 Qg7 37. Nxe4 Bf5 38. Nf6+ Kh8 39. Ne8 Qf8 40. Qf6+ {Black resigned.} (40. Qf6+ Qxf6 41. Nxf6 Be6 42. Kg3 Kg7 43. Ne8+ Kf8 44. Nd6 {with an easily won ending.}) 1-0

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