Spielmann Pounds Chekhover

    Moscow 1935 was the second international chess tournament held in Moscow, taking place from February 5 to March 15, 1935. Salo Flohr and future world champion Mikhail Botvinnik tied for first, followed by former world champions Emanuel Lasker and Jose Raúl Capablanca. 

    The tournament was organized along the lines of Moscow 1925, with twelve Soviet players and eight foregin players. Of the twelve Soviets, four (Grigory Levenfish, Peter Romanovsky, Ilya Rabinovich and Fedir Bohatyrchuk) had played at the 1925 event. 

    Salo Flohr (then of Czechoslovakia) was internationally renowned and considered a world championship contender. And, Mikhail Botvinnik was known as a rising star. Two years earlier he had drawn a match with Flohr. Emanuel Lasker and JoseCapablanca were former world champions. 

    There was a controversy when Flohr (a Czech but later to become a Russian) was tied with Botvinnik going into the final round. This was considered unacceptable to Nikolai Krylenko, head of the Russian chess machine. 

 

 

    It was suggested to Botvinnik that Ilya Rabinovich would throw his last round to Botvinnik. Supposedly Botvinnik replied that if he realized that was happening, he would blunder away a piece and "resign on the spot". As it turned out, Botvinnik, fearing that Rabinovich would somehow manage to lose anyway and thereby force Botvinnik to carry out his threat, offered a premature draw which was readily accepted. Flohr did the same in his game against Vladimir Alatortsev and the result was Botvinnik and Flohr shared first place. 

    Although it is unlikely this tournament would make the list of one of the most important tournaments ever played, it was significant in that it 1935 heralded the arrival of the Soviet School of Chess in general, and Mikhail Botvinnik in particular.

    In today’s game check out Spielmann’s sudden attack in his game against Vitaly Chekhover )1908-1965, 56 years old) who was born in St. Petersburg. He was awarded the IM title at its inception in 1950. He was won the Uzbekistan championship in 1944. He also did some important theoretical work on endings.

[Event "Moscow"] [Site ""] [Date "1935.02.28"] [Round "?"] [White "Rudolf Spielmann"] [Black "Vitaly Chekhover"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A50"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "53"] [EventDate "1935.02.15"] {A50: Queen's Indian} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 b6 {The Indian defenses were just coming into vogue and the best strategies were not yet known. The Q-Indian works best against 2.Nf3} 3. Nc3 Bb7 {Preventing 4.e4} 4. Qc2 {Renewing the threat.} d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 e5 8. Nf3 exd4 9. Bb5+ c6 10. Bc4 b5 {White does not get enough compensation to justify sacrificing his B on f7.} 11. Be2 (11. Bd3 dxc3 12. O-O Qa5 13. e5 Qa4 14. Qxc3 Nd7 15. Rb1 Be7 16. Bg5 Qa3 17. Rb3 Qc5 18. e6 Nf6 19. exf7+ {Kezin,R (2510)-Bezzubenkov,S (2301) Sochi RUS 2022. White is winning.}) 11... dxc3 12. Qxc3 Nd7 {The purpose of this move is to play ...Nc5 and ...Ne6 which defends the g-Pawn and so frees the B} 13. O-O { [%mdl 1024]} Qe7 $146 {Black’s situation is unpleasant. This move is played with the aim of preventing the 14 Bb2} 14. Bb2 {As it turns out black's last move does not prevent this.} Nc5 (14... Qxe4 {is strongly mey by} 15. Bd3 Qb4 16. Rfe1+ Kd8 17. Qc2 {and black is in serious trouble because his K is stuck in the center.}) 15. Qc2 {Stronger was 15.Rad1} Ne6 (15... Nxe4 {Capturing the e-Pawn is still a poor idea.} 16. Ne5 Nf6 17. Rfe1 O-O-O 18. Nxc6 Bxc6 19. Qxc6+ Kb8 20. Bf3 {with a mating attack.}) (15... Qxe4 {is actually black's best option.} 16. Bd3 Nxd3 17. Rfe1 Qxe1+ 18. Rxe1+ Nxe1 19. Qe4+ Be7 20. Nxe1 {and black has compensation for the Q.}) 16. a4 {Stronger was 16.Ne5, but the text induces a blunder.} a6 {[%mdl 8192] Black could have equalized with 16... Qc5} 17. axb5 axb5 18. Rxa8+ Bxa8 19. Rd1 {As quickly becomes apparent black's Q-side Ps are no com[ensation for his undeveloped K-side and K in the center.} Qb7 20. Ne5 Be7 21. Bh5 Rf8 22. Qb3 g6 23. Bg4 Qc8 24. Nxf7 {[%mdl 512] A forceful finish.} Kxf7 25. Qf3+ Ke8 (25... Kg8 26. Qh3 {wins}) 26. Qh3 Nf4 27. Bd7+ {Black resigned.} (27. Bd7+ Qxd7 28. Qxd7+ Kf7 29. Qc7 Ne6 30. Qe5 Rd8 31. Rxd8 Nxd8 {White is winning.}) 1-0

Alexander Flamberg

    The Polish master Alexander Flamberg (1880-1926) was a highly gifted player with original ideas. Chronic ill health prevented him from ever asserting his full potential. Chessmetrics estimates his highest ever rating to have been 2578 in July, 1914, placing him at #25 in the world. 

    He was born in 1880 in Warsaw (then in the Russian Empire) and spent his early years in England where he learned to play chess. After return to Warsaw, he became one of the strongest Polish players. 

    Flamberg played his first strong tournament in Łodz (a Quadrangular) in 1906 and finished 3rd, behind Akiba Rubinstein and Mikhail Chigorin and aheas of Georg Salve. In 1910, he won the Warsaw championship ahead of Rubinstein, but lost a match to him (+0 –4 =1). In 1913, he drew a match with Duras (+1 –1 =0) and won a match against Bogoljubow (+4 –0 =1), both in Warsaw. 

    The following game was one of his notable games because it was significant in the history of theory...his countryman David Prepiorka commented, "When one examines the opening moves and the subsequent course of the game, it is almost incredible that it was played in 1914...the double fianchetto of the Bishops, the operations on both wings, and later on the maneuver with the black Knights and the posting of the Queen on the long diagonal, all these ideas are, as we know, considered the very latest achievements of the Hypermoderns." 

    The Hypermodern Period was in vogue during the period of 1919-1928, bit it did exist in its early development in 1914, but its development was delayed because of WW I. His opponent in this game was Stepan Levitsky (1876-1924), a Russian master. 

[Event "All-Russian Masters. St. Petersburg"] [Site ""] [Date "1914.01.16"] [Round "?"] [White "Alexander Flamberg"] [Black "Stepan Levitsky"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A47"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "69"] [EventDate "1914.??.??"] {E17: Queen's Indian Defense} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 {A solid defense in which black tries to control the light squares in the center with pieces is in the Hypermodern style.} 3. g3 {A popular reply that contests the long diagonal.} Bb7 {The idea of playing ...Ba6 became popular in the 1970s and another idea is ...Bb4+ aining to exchange the less useful dark-squared B ha also been tried.} 4. Bg2 e6 5. O-O Be7 6. b3 O-O 7. Bb2 d6 8. c4 Nbd7 9. Nbd2 c5 { At the time the originality of these opening moves was revolutionary.} 10. Ne1 {Flamberg's idea is that the the whole game is based on the control of e4 and so he wants to eliminate light squared Bs in the belief that his K will be safe abd that he will win the battle for e4. The move is not at all bad, but nowadays white usually plays 10.e3 with a solid position. It seems Flamberg's idea has more potential.} Qc7 {Hardly bad, but simpler would have been 10... Bxg2} (10... Bxg2 11. Kxg2 cxd4 12. Bxd4 Rc8 13. e4 Qc7 {with a completely equal position.}) 11. Rc1 {White has several reasinable moves here (for example, 11.e4), but the idea of the text is that it discourages black from central P exchanges as long as his Q is on the c-file.} Bxg2 12. Nxg2 {The position is completely equal. Black could now safely play 12...cxd4, but plays ot safe instead and removes his Q from any potential danger.} Qb7 13. Ne3 { Again, this position is so even that black has a number of reasonable moves.} cxd4 14. Bxd4 Nc5 {Black's plan of retaining control of K5 is logical, but unfortunate in its conse- quences. He misses the last opportunity to play ... P- Q4.} 15. Qc2 Nce4 16. Nxe4 Nxe4 17. Qb2 {Hypermodern stuff...the posting of the Q on the long diagonal to supports the B.} e5 {This leaves him with a backward d-Pawn on the semi-open file and a bad B, but it's a profoundly well played move that closes the diagonal.} 18. Bc3 {Very nice. He is hoping Levitsky will tale the B leaving white with a good N against black's bad B.} Bg5 {18...Nxc3 would be positional suicide.} 19. f4 exf4 20. gxf4 {Black's last maneuver has enabled him to render white's e-Pawn backward and, at the same time, rein-forced his control of e3 because white can no longer play f3. For his part, white has pressure on black's d-Pawn and a a beautiful square for the N on d5. The f-file also has some potential for him. All on all, the position ids equal/} Bf6 21. Bxf6 Nxf6 22. Rcd1 Qe4 23. Rf3 {Both players have been pursue their respective goals.} Nh5 {One annotator who evidently based his comments on the game's outcome called this move a desperate bid for counterplay. That's hardly the case, but the move is a bad seed and white now gets just a wee bot of an advantage. 23...Rfe8 would have kept the engine evaluation at 0.00. 23...Nh5 offers white a P capture which he wisely avoids taking.} 24. Nd5 (24. Rxd6 {would not be wise because after} Nxf4 25. Qd2 Rae8 26. Kf2 g5 {black has plenty of play.}) 24... Rae8 25. Kf2 {A real Master move! White protects his e-Pawn and at the same time makes room for the R on the g-file. He also threatnes Re3.} Qf5 26. Rg1 f6 {The threat was Rg5, but a better way to prevent it was with 26...h6. After the text white gains a small advantage.} 27. Qb1 Qc8 {One annotator opined that the exchange of Qs would yield white a favor-able ending and obviously Levitsky agreed, but they were both wrong! Exchanging Qs was exactly the right course to heep the chances equal. Now white treally does have the advantage, but that's not to say black is lost.} 28. Qd3 {Threatening to win the Knight by Rh3, but it allows black the equalizinf advance of his f-Pawn. White should have prevnted black's next move by advancing his own f-Pawn.} f5 29. Qc3 Kh8 {Black is starting to collapse. His intention probably was to play ...Rg8, but he is in for a surprise. Correct was 29...Qd8} (29... Qd8 {remains equal.} 30. Rg5 Nf6 31. Nxf6+ (31. Rxf5 Ne4+) 31... Rxf6 32. Rfg3 g6 33. h4 d5 34. cxd5 Re4 {with equak chances.}) 30. Rh3 {[%mdl 2048] White now has a virile attack.} Nf6 { [%mdl 8192] After this black is lost.} (30... Qe6 {is a better chance.} 31. Qf3 Nf6 32. Nc7 Ne4+ 33. Kg2 Qd7 {White is clearly better, but black could fight on.}) 31. Rxg7 {[%mdl 512] A magnificent conclusion.} Kxg7 32. Rg3+ Kh6 33. Nxf6 Re6 34. Rg5 {Black cannot parry the mating threats.} Qc5+ 35. Kf1 { It's mate, so black resigned.} 1-0

Georg Kieninger, Eiserner Schorsch

    In 1949 the most famous person in the country was probably Bob Hope, the English-born American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer whose career spanned nearly 80 years in vaudeville, radio, television and USO (a charitable organization in serving the active duty military) tours. Next to him was probably the comedian Milton Berle whose childish slapstick “comedy” was not so funny.

    The notable book that year was 1984 by George Orwell and a pound of bacon was 49 cents ($6.49 today). Life expectancy in the US was 65.2 for men and 70.7 for women. 

    Over in Germany in 1949, the occupying powers in both East and West Germany replaced their military governors with civilian leaders and the occupations ended officially in the mid-1950s. 

    Germany was divided into East and West and each side had its own distinct pop culture. In East Germany the government tried to limit the influence of Western entertainment on young people and the State Commission for the Arts tried to protect German cultural values from what was considered American decadence. In West Germany life was influenced by American culture, German design traditions and the political climate of the Cold War. 

    From June 19th to July 2nd there was an international tournament held in Oldenburg, a city in what was then West Germany, that was played at the at Astoria-Haus Renaissance Hotel. 

    Some of the players ultimately made their way to other countries. Sarapu ended up in New Zealand, while Zemgalis, Rossolimo and Tautviasis eventually found their way to the United States. 

    Zemgalis was awarded the Honorary GM title in 2003. He lived in Seattle, Washington. Tautviasis ended up in Chicago were he was a prominent force in mid-West chess. Rossolimo was a New York Cuty cab driver and owned a chess studio in Greenwich Village.

    Oldenburg was the best result ever for Elmars Zemgalis. Today's game is a snappy win by Georg Kieninger (June 5,1902 - January 25, 1975). He was born in Munich and passed away in – \Dusseldorf. He was awarded the IM title in 1950. 

 

    The cigar smoker, Kieninger was nicknamed "Eiserner Schorsch" (Iron Georgie) because of his fighting style. He won the German Championship in 1937, 1940 and 1947. The Kieninger Trap in the Budapest Gambit is embedded in the game score. Herbert Heinicke (1905-1988) was a German master and he was awarded the IM title in 1953. He was active mostly during the 1930s and for a while after WW II.

 

[Event "Oldenburg"] [Site "Oldenburg GER"] [Date "1949.06.29"] [Round "?"] [White "Georg Kieninger"] [Black "Herbert Heinicke"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B91"] [Annotator "Stockfish 15"] [PlyCount "71"] [EventDate "1949.06.19"] {] B80: Sicilian } 1. e4 (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Bf4 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 Qe7 7. a3 Ngxe5 8. axb4 Nd3# {The Kieninget Trap.}) 1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. g3 e6 7. Bg2 Qc7 8. O-O Bd7 9. Re1 Nc6 10. Nce2 {This move leaves theory. Normal is 10.Nxc6, but 10.Nb3 and 10.Be3 and 10.Bg5 have also been played.} Be7 11. c3 O-O 12. h3 Rab8 13. Be3 Na5 14. b3 b5 15. Rc1 Rfd8 16. g4 Be8 {This move, clearing the way to play ...d5, requires excessive maneuvering and allows white to seize the initiative.} (16... h6 {was called for.} 17. f4 d5 {is equal.}) 17. g5 Nd7 18. Ng3 Nb6 19. Qg4 Nc6 (19... d5 { is out of the question because of} 20. Nh5 Nd7 21. exd5 exd5 22. Bf4 Bd6 23. Bxd6 Qxd6 24. Nf5 Qb6 25. Nfxg7 {and white is winning.}) 20. f4 d5 {This was bad last move and it's bad this move. His nest try was 20...e5 though even then white has a promising attack.} 21. Nh5 Kh8 22. Qh4 Bd7 23. Nxc6 Bxc6 24. Nxg7 {[%mdl 512] Eiserner Schorsch finds the most elegant way of finishing the game.} Kxg7 25. Qh6+ {Even better than the menacing 25.Bd4 because it confines the K to the corner. Kieninger finishes the game with perfection.} Kg8 26. Bd4 f6 27. gxf6 Bd6 28. Qg5+ Kf8 29. e5 Ba3 30. Rb1 Qf7 31. f5 Bd7 32. b4 {The threat is Bc5+} Nc4 33. Bc5+ Ke8 34. Bf3 h6 35. Qxh6 {Threatening mate with Qh8+.} Qg8+ 36. Kh2 {Black resigned} 1-0

Historic Fischer Game

    In 1956, Bobby Fischer was beginning to make a name for himself and his name was popping up with increasing frequency in Chess Life magazine. The following game appeared in John W. Collins’ column in the August 5, 1956 issue of Chess Life, Members Games; it was just the bare score without notes and it was the first game of Fischer's that was ever published in Chess Life. It was played in the 1956 U/S/ Open that was held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. As short games often do, it has some interesting points. 

    Fischer’s opponent was Dr. Peter Lapiken (1907-1983), a National Master. He was born in Riga, Latvia. His family settled in Harbin, Manchuria circa 1916 and in the 1930s he was the chess champion of Manchuria. He immigrated to the United States in 1939, settling in California and later in Montana. You can read his complete biography in the Northwest Chess magazine HERE. 

 

 

[Event "US Open, Oklahoma City"] [Site ""] [Date "1956.07.19"] [Round "?"] [White "Robert Fischer"] [Black "Dr. Peter Lapiken"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A04"] [Annotator "Stockfosh 17"] [PlyCount "37"] [EventDate "1956.07.16"] {A07: Reti Opening} 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Bf5 4. O-O e6 5. d3 c6 6. Nbd2 Na6 {This odd looking move was introduced by Smyslov in a game against Cvetkov in 1954. Black usually make room for his B with 6...h6} (6... a5 7. Qe1 h6 8. e4 Bh7 9. Qe2 Be7 10. e5 Nfd7 {is equal. Petersen,T (2324)-Savchenko,B (2615) Helsingor DEN 2011}) 7. a3 Nc5 {All this does is lose time, 7...Be7 was better. } 8. c4 {The key move of Reti..it puts pressure on bBlack's center.} b5 { This is a bad positional mistake that leaves c6 is undefended and weakens the long diagonal. Also, it allows white to exchange the B on f5 rather than g6 which results in black’s d-Pawn being a weak.} (8... a5 9. b3 Be7 10. Bb2 h6 {is about equal. Zaitsev,I-Korelov,A Yerevan 1962}) 9. Nd4 {This excellent move gains time by attacking the weakened c-Pawn and at the same time opens up the diagonal for his light squared B.} Qd7 10. Nxf5 exf5 {As a result of this exchange black;s position is further weakened.} 11. Nb3 {In annotating this game Fred Reinfeld stated that with this move white threatens 12.Bg5, with the further threat of inflicting a tripled and isolated f-Pawns on black. At the same time he undermining the support of black's d-Pawn and still further thought the removal of black's protective N. However, after 11.Nb3 much (but mot all) of white's advantage has disappeared. Both Stockfish and Dragon by Komodo agree that 11.b4 is much stronger.Reinfeld and Fischer can be forgiven for not seeing the merits of 11.b4 because the point is well hidden.} (11. b4 Ne6 12. cxb5 cxb5 {And here is a move that humans might not condiser because it looks impossible.} 13. e4 {This destroys black's center.} Be7 (13... dxe4 14. dxe4 fxe4 15. Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Qxd1 17. Rxd1 Rc8 18. Bb2 {This position may look equal, but engines declare that white has a decisive advantage. Here is the continuation...} Be7 19. Bf5 Rd8 20. Rxd8+ Bxd8 21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. Bxg7 { White is winning.}) 14. exf5 Nd8 15. Bb2 O-O 16. Qf3 a5 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Qxd5 Qxd5 19. Bxd5 {White is winning. As mentioned, all this is too much for humans to take in and so let's not be too critical of Fischer and Reinfeld!}) 11... h6 {A useless move that give Fischer another free move.} (11... bxc4 12. dxc4 Nce4 13. f3 Nc5 14. Nd4 dxc4 {and at least black is still in the game.}) 12. Be3 Ne6 13. Nd4 g6 (13... f4 {offers stouter resistance.} 14. gxf4 Bd6 15. cxd5 cxd5 16. Bh3 O-O {White ois better, but black is still in the game.}) 14. Qb3 { Reinfeld called this very strong claiming black must give his b-Pawn's additional protection and Fischer gets the opportunity for a neat combination. It's a good move, but there was a better one.} (14. cxb5 cxb5 15. Rc1 Bg7 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Bf4 O-O 18. Qd2 {With the much more active position. About the only play black has is a feeble attenpt at generating some k-side play with 18. ..g5}) 14... Rb8 {This sensible looking move loses!} (14... bxc4 {is a better defense.} 15. dxc4 Nc5 {Demonstrating that 14.Qb3 was not a really great move after all.} 16. Qc2 Nce4 {White is better, but black is far from lost.}) 15. Nxc6 {[%mdl 512] Here is the flaw in black's last move. As Reinfeld eloquently pit it, "What makes this sacrifice particularly delectable is that it validates the basic theme: pressure on the long diagonal."} Qxc6 16. cxd5 Nc5 { A good practical choice in a lost position! Engines don't cotton to it, but from a practicl point of view it merits a couple of exclamation marks.} 17. Qc3 {Lapiken was hoping Fischer would capture the Q.} (17. dxc6 Nxb3 18. Rad1 Rc8 19. Bxa7 Bd6 {Black has a N vs, 2Ps and so stands just a bit better, but probably cannot win. Five Shootout games were drawn.}) 17... Qd6 18. Bxc5 Qxc5 19. Qxf6 {Black resigned. An amusing finish. If black moves his attacked R he loses the other one.} (19. Qxf6 Rg8 20. Qe5+ Kd7 21. Qxb8) 1-0

A Clever, but Necessary, Queen Sacrifice by Dunlop

    The following game is thoroughly enjoyable. The winner was John Boyd Dunlop (October 30, 1884 – October 29,1973) who won the New Zealand Championship six times between 1921 and 1940, and was the first player to win the title in three consecutive years. He died in Auckland at the age of 88. 

    Born in Dundee, Scotland, his father was a Presbyterian minister and when he was appointed to the chair of theology at Theological Hall, Dunedin, in 1887, the family moved to New Zealand. 

    Dunlop undertook dental studies in London and while there he learned to play chess, before returning to New Zealand in 1906,[5] and going into practice as a dentist in Dunedin. He moved to Nelson in mid-1911, where he went into practice with another dentist. 

    Dunlop joined the Otago Chess Club in Dunedin in about 1908 and won the Otago junior championship in 1909. He won the senior provincial championship in 1910 and finished fourth at the 1911 New Zealand championship. Dunlop joined the Oamaru Chess Club in 1912 and was Oamaru club champion from 1913 to 1917. Dunlop entered the 1914 national championship, but withdrew before the start of the tournament because of a family illness. In 1955, he was awarded the title of New Zealand Master by the New Zealand Chess Association. 

    Of his play it was written, "He looks very deeply into the complicated positions arising from time to time, and rarely fails to take an immediate advantage of the slightest slip by an opponent. His moves are well timed, and frequently an admirable combination of attack and defence. His play is at all times attractive, and he is in every way a worthy champion."

 

[Event "New Zealan Chp 1910/11, Timaru"] [Site "Timaru NZL"] [Date "1911.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "John Dunlop"] [Black "A Beck"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C36"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "59"] [EventDate "1911.??.??"] {C36: King's Gambit Accepted} 1. e4 e5 2. f4 {A promising start!} exf4 3. Nf3 d5 {The Modern Defense (the classical move is 3...g5). Black concentrates on gaining piece play and fighting for the initiative rather than keeping the extra Pawn.} 4. exd5 Qxd5 {Black may play either this or 4...Nf6 which seems [referable. The text is the Scandinavian Variation which loses time with the Q. } 5. Nc3 Qd8 {Here in addition to the text black has tried retreatng the Q to h5, e6 and a5} 6. d4 {[%mdl 1024]} Bd6 7. Bc4 Bg4 8. O-O Nf6 {Slightly better was 8...Nc6. In that case white would reply with either 9.h3 or 9.Nb4 with a good game in either case} 9. Re1+ (9. Qe1+ {was a good alternative.} Qe7 (9... Be7 10. Bxf4 {is also good for white.}) 10. Qxe7+ Bxe7 11. Nb5 {and white is better.}) 9... Kf8 (9... Be7 {falls into a trap.} 10. Bxf7+ Kxf7 11. Ne5+ { followed by Nxg4 and white has an excellent position.}) 10. Qd3 g6 {[%mdl 8192] Black is oblivious to any danger and plays a move that white immediately shows to be tactically faulty.} (10... Nc6 {Also safe was 10...Bxf3} 11. Ng5 Bh5 12. Nb5 {Correct was the equalizing 12.Nge4. Now black gained the advantage.} a6 13. Nxd6 Qxd6 14. c3 h6 15. Ne4 Nxe4 16. Qxe4 g5 {Mensing,F (2127)-Allen,D (1979) Turin 2006. Black has the advantage.}) 11. Ng5 {Beginning a relentless attack.} Nd5 12. Nxf7 Kxf7 13. Bxd5+ Kg7 14. Bxb7 Qh4 {Was black deceived in thinking that his "attack" looks extremely menacing!} 15. Bxf4 {Very good!} ( 15. Bxa8 {runs in to the rejoinder} Qxe1+ 16. Qf1 Qxf1+ 17. Kxf1 g5 {White is clearly better, but the move 15.Bxf4 is nuch stronger.}) 15... Bxf4 16. g3 Qh3 17. Bxa8 c6 18. gxf4 Bf3 19. Re2 Re8 {Black has cleverly managed to reach a position where if white tried to save his R black will be able to equalize!} 20. Qxf3 {Did this, the only winning move, come as a shock to Beck?} (20. Rf2 Qg4+ 21. Kf1 Qh3+ {draws}) (20. Rd2 Qg4+ 21. Kf1 Qh3+ {draws}) 20... Qxf3 21. Rxe8 {Black now gets a bunch of checks, but white's K manages to escape.} Qg4+ 22. Kf2 Qxf4+ 23. Ke2 Qxh2+ {He has to keep checking.} (23... Qxd4 24. Rf1 Qc4+ 25. Ke1 Nd7 26. Re7+ Kh6 27. Rff7 Qh4+ 28. Kd2 Qd4+ 29. Kc1 {and white is winning.}) 24. Kd3 Qh3+ 25. Kc4 Qd7 26. Rxb8 Qe6+ 27. d5 cxd5+ 28. Bxd5 { The checks are over.} Qd6 29. Rg8+ {And now it is white's turn to start checking.} Kf6 {Suicide, but he was in a mating net anyway.} (29... Kh6 30. Rh1+ Kg5 31. Ne4+ Kf4 32. Nxd6 Kg5 33. Ne4+ Kf4 34. Rf8+ Ke5 35. Rhf1 h5 36. Re8#) (29... Kf6 30. Ne4+ Ke5 31. Nxd6 Kxd6 32. Re8 Kc7 33. Kc5 h5 34. Rae1 h4 35. R1e7#) 30. Ne4+ {Black resigned} 1-0

The Old Becomes New

    The 1969 Soviet Championship was the 37th. It was held in Moscow from September 7 to October 12, 1969. The tournament was won by Tigran Petrosian who defeats Lev Polugaevsky in a playoff match by a score of +2 -0 =3. There were 23 players and ex-World Champion Tal scored 10.5-11.5 and finished in 14-15th place. 

    The following superlative win by Polugayevsky helped change thinking about the center. Long ago players tried to establish a strong Pawn center. Openings such as the Evans Gambit are a case in point; white hopes to get Pawns on e4 and d4.

    Eventually it was learned that a full Pawn center did not always insure success. In fact, the Pawn center could be subject to pressure by piece or a Pawn counterattacks. That was seen, for example, in the development of the Indian defenses. 

    When Boris Spasky becane World Champion (1969-72) he stated that his greatest ambition in chess was to "think classically." In other words, maybe the old idea of a classic Pawn center wasn’t a bad idea after all. That brings us to the present game in which Polugayevsky successfully demonstrated the use of the classical Pawn center. 

    Lev Polugaevsky (1934-1995) warded the GM title in 1962 and was a frequent contender for the World Championship and he was one of the strongest players in the world from the early 1960s until the late 1980s. He was also a distinguished author and opening authority. He died of a brain tumor on August 30, 1995.

 

[Event "USSR Championship, Moscow"] [Site "?"] [Date "1969.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Lev Polugayevsky"] [Black "Mikhail Tal"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D41"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "73"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.02.19"] {D41: Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense} 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 { The most popular move here is 2...e5, but David Bronstein clled it a weak move because it creates an outpost or d5 for white's N. There were some recent games at the time, such as the Larsen-Spassky match and several games by Botvinnik that seemd to support that belief.} 3. Nf3 d5 4. d4 {This is about the only decent option white has and from here there are many plausible options for both players, but statistically white seems to perform quite well.} c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 {This is the Semi·Tarrasch; the Tarrasch proper is 5...exd4 which allows white the pin witn 6.Bg5} 6. e4 {At the time this game was played this was a revival of this old move. For many years it had been held to be too simplifying amd so white played 6.e3 hoping for a more long lasting initiative with an isolated d-Pawn, but with freer play for his pieces. These days both moves are popular.} Nxc3 7. bxc3 cxd4 {In this position white has enjoyed considerable success, so it is logical for black to reduce the number of pieces and, hopefilly, the possiblility of having to face a dangerous K-side attack.} 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ {Black succeeds in simplification, but at the same time gets a position in which he will have an inferior ending.} 10. Qxd2 O-O 11. Bc4 {There are many moves available to white here, but this is the most active position for the B because it creates the threat of d5 at the appropriate moment.} Nc6 12. O-O b6 {This position was known from as far back as the 1937 Alekhine-Euwe Wotld Championship re-match...the game ended in a draw. It was also reached in Reshevsky-Fine at Hastings 1937/38 which was drawn in 21 moves.} 13. Rad1 {In the aforementioned examples white elected to place his Q on f4. Here white puts both Rs behind the center Ps according to the idea Botvinnik had put forth back 1937 and then directs his attention to the K-side. However, Boris Spassky was actually the first to adopt Botvinnik's suggestion in his 1969 World Championship match against Petrosian.} Bb7 14. Rfe1 Na5 {Equally good was 14...Rc8, but black wants to drive the B from its strong position.} 15. Bd3 {Even so, here the B is aiming at the K-side. Gligoric observed that Polugaevsky and Spassky were good friends and they worked together. As a result Polugayevsky was very well prepared in this variation. Oddly, so was Tal! He had prepared this variation as white for his game against Korchnoi, so it's incredulous that he entered it as black!} Rc8 { This is a critical position. The position is dead equal, but Petrosian instinctively felt black's N is dangerously out of play. T} 16. d5 exd5 { Black accepts the offer P, but it will not turn out well.} (16... Rc5 {leaves him with an isolated e-Pawn, but also equal chances after} 17. dxe6 fxe6 18. Rc1 Rxc1 19. Rxc1 h6 {There does not seem to be anu way white can take advantage of black's N or isolated P.}) 17. e5 {The point, The opened diagonal is an aggressive feature of white's position, His B is pointed at black's K-side and black in unable to get any pieces to the K's defense. Additionally, white's e-Pawn hinders black.} Nc4 18. Qf4 Nb2 {[%mdl 8192] A serious, if not decisive, mistake, but his position is very difficult.} (18... Qe7 {is a better defense.} 19. Nd4 g6 {Prevents Nf5} 20. Re2 Rc5 21. Rde1 Bc8 22. Qg3 Be6 {Black has blockaded the e-Pawn, but after 23.f5 followed by f5 white has a strong attack.}) 19. Bxh7+ {Of course. This move was probably considered in Polugayevsky's home preparation.} Kxh7 {There was no choice.} ( 19... Kh8 20. Ng5 Rc4 21. Be4 {and there is no way to meet a check on the h-file.}) 20. Ng5+ Kg6 {Tal vainly places his hope on this reply. It’s a good move though because white has only one move that continues the attack. Of course, Polugayevsky finds it.} 21. h4 {The only move to win.} (21. Ne4 { does win!} dxe4 22. Rxd8 Rcxd8 {with sufficient compensation for the Q and so it's anybody's game.}) (21. Ne4 Nxd1 22. Qg4+ Kh7 23. Nf6+ gxf6 24. Qh5+ { is a draw}) 21... Rc4 (21... Qe7 {Believe it or not, this move was to be played a couple of times in years to come..} 22. e6 (22. Rd2 {is much less effective.} Rc4 23. Qg3 Kh6 24. Rxb2 f6 25. Nf3 Re4 26. Rbe2 Kh7 27. exf6 gxf6 28. Rxe4 dxe4 29. Qf4 {White eventually managed to win. Dreev,A (2698) -Jussupow,A (2583) Mainz 2003}) 22... f5 23. h5+ Kxh5 24. Nf7 Rxf7 25. exf7 Qxf7 26. g4+ {and wins easily. Ozen,B (2328)-Kukov,V (2351) Manisa TUR 2019}) 22. h5+ {[%mdl 512] This is not nearly as good as it looks and no annotators picked up on it! It allows black right back in the game.} (22. Qg3 { Threatening a devastating discovered checkm so...} Kh6 23. e6 Qf6 24. exf7 Nxd1 25. Re6 {wins}) 22... Kh6 {After this white has no more than a small advantage. } (22... Kxh5 {This, too, was to be played many years later} 23. g4+ Kh6 24. Qh2+ {1-0 (24) Avrukh,B (2525)-Donk,M (2345) Antwerp BEL 1998}) 23. Nxf7+ Kh7 24. Qf5+ Kg8 25. e6 {[%mdl 128] A nice finishing touch that threatens to win with h6, but black can defend himself.} Qf6 {Excellent! Past annotators based there comments on the outcome, but today engines don’t have that problem.} 26. Qxf6 gxf6 27. Rd2 Rc6 28. Rxb2 Re8 (28... Bc8 {puts up a tougher resistance.} 29. Nh6+ Kh8 30. e7 Re8 31. Rd2 Kh7 32. Nf7 Kg8 {Offering white to take the draw by repeating moves.} 33. Nd8 Rc7 {The e-Pawn falls and the chances are equal.}) 29. Nh6+ Kh7 30. Nf5 $18 Rexe6 31. Rxe6 Rxe6 {[%mdl 4096] Black has established material equality, but it is of no use as he cannot prevent the decisive penetration to the 7th rank by white's R.} 32. Rc2 $1 {[%cal Rc2c7] Rc7+ is the strong threat.} Rc6 33. Re2 Bc8 34. Re7+ Kh8 {The final error.} ( 34... Kg8 {puts up a bit of a fight.} 35. Nh4 f5 36. Rxa7 d4 37. Kf1 f4 38. Ng6 Rc1+ 39. Ke2 Bg4+ 40. f3 Bxh5 41. Nxf4 {with a win ending.}) 35. Nh4 f5 36. Ng6+ Kg8 37. Rxa7 {Black resigned.} 1-0

Fine, the First U.S. Lightening Champion

    The first U.S. Lightening Championship (10 seconds per move) took place in New York in 1942. Reuben Fine had long been conceded one of the top, if not THE top, lightning chess players in the country and this even official gave him the title. After a long, hard fought encounter with Samuel Reshevsky he emerged first from an original field of 48 at the Hotel Capitol in Manhattan. 

    Reuber Fine (1914-1993, 78 years old) grew up in New York City and first learned to play chess at the age of eight. After winning several strong American tournaments in his youth, Fine then entered international competition where he also achieved great success. 

    In 1942, Fine won the newly created title of U. S. Lightning Chess Champion when he defeated National Champion Samuel Reshevsky in the semi-final round.

    Staged by the U. S. Chess Federation and directed by L. Walter Stephens, all games were played in a single day at the rate of ten seconds per move. Over 100 spectators watched the 48 entries play in qualifying sections. There were two sessions of 3 and a half hours each. 

 

 

    Playing against the country's leading masters, the Canadian Champion (Yanofsky) and a strong field of experts, Fine qualified with a score of 10-1 in the preliminaries, then piled up ten straight wins in the Championship Finals. In the last round, with the honors already decided after his defeat of Reshevsky, Fine let down his guard and lost to Seidman in the following game. 

    Herbert Seidman (1920-1995, 74 years old) was a U.S. Senior Master who was born in New York City. At his peak, he was ranked among the top ten players in the country and played in eight U.S. Championships from 1940 to 1968. 

[Event "1st US Lightening Champ, New York"] [Site "?"] [Date "1942.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Herbert Seidman"] [Black "Reuben Fine"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C13"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "45"] [EventDate "2025.??.??"] {C10: French Defense} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Be7 6. Bd3 {Sideman Seidman, as Chess Review once called him, chooses a se;dom played variation that has not fared well in practice. Normal is 6.Bxf6} b6 (6... O-O { is OK, but it resulted in the following amusing miniature...} 7. c3 Nxe4 8. Bxe7 {Now 8...Qxe7 is equal, but black tried to get fancy with...} Nxf2 { wich is refuted by...} 9. Bxh7+ Kh8 10. Qh5 Qd5 11. Bf5+ {1-0 Ruzicka,T (1783) -Wagner,A Tabor 2008}) 7. Nf3 Bb7 8. Qe2 Nbd7 9. O-O O-O 10. Rfe1 h6 11. Bh4 Nd5 12. Bg3 {All pretty routin so far. The reason for Fine's next move is rather obscure. 12...Nb4 seems logical.} Kh8 13. a3 {Preventing ...Nb4. Black's Q-side fianchetto has resulted in a rather passive position and it's hard to suggest an active plan.} f5 $2 {Very risky. It would have been much safer to have tried to initiate exchanges with 13...N5f6} 14. Nc3 {In his turn Seidman misses his chance to seize the initiative with the active `4.c4 instead of this meek retreat.} (14. c4 {Now the safe way would be to play 14... N5f6 when white has a significant advantage, so black's best plan might be to stir things up and play...} Nb4 15. axb4 fxe4 16. Bxe4 Bxe4 17. Qxe4 Bxb4 18. Re3 {Hoping to play the R over to the K-side.} Re8 19. Qg4 {White has a cosiderable advantage.}) 14... f4 15. Qxe6 N7f6 {[%mdl 8192] This loses. The position is fascinating!} (15... fxg3 {would have resulted in equal chances after} 16. hxg3 Nxc3 17. bxc3 Bd6 {White is a piece down, but after} 18. Qg6 Nf6 19. Re6 {The threat is mate on h7 after Rxf6; black has to play...} Kg8 { and white has equality, but not more. For example...} 20. Rxf6 Qxf6 21. Qh7+ Kf7 22. Re1 b5 {To stop Bc4+} 23. Nh4 Qg5 24. Bg6+ Kf6 {White has to find the one move that does not leave him with a lost ga,e and that is} 25. Nf5 { Threatening Qxg7#} Rg8 26. Re5 {Again, the only move.} Bxe5 27. dxe5+ Ke6 28. f4 Qd8 29. Nxg7+ Rxg7 30. Qxg7 {Now it's black's turn to find the only move that doesn't lose!} Kd5 31. e6 Kc5 32. e7 Qd5 33. Qd4+ Qxd4+ 34. cxd4+ Kxd4 { The point of the K maneuver!} 35. e8=Q Rxe8 36. Bxe8 {and a draw would be a reasonable outcome. Of course, all this is impossible to see at 10 seconds a move.}) 16. Bh4 Bc8 17. Qe2 g5 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 (18... gxh4 19. Nxe7 Re8 20. Qe5 Qd6 21. Nxh4 Qxe5 22. dxe5 Nh5 23. Nxc8 Raxc8 24. Bg6 {with a decisive advantage.}) 19. Qe4 Rf7 20. c4 gxh4 21. cxd5 Rb8 22. Qg6 Qf8 23. Ne5 {Black resigned. A crushing defeat of a player who in 1942 was still considered one of the best players in the world.} (23. Ne5 Rg7 24. Qxh6+ Kg8 25. Ng6 {Ends the game; black has to shed heavy plastic.}) 1-0

Herman Hahlbohm Wins the 1942 Chicago Champion

    The big news in Chicago in 1942 was the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, which ushering in the Atomic Age, took place at the University of Chicago. 

    Also, that year Salvatore "Sam" Giancana (1908-1975, 67 years old) became a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit, an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Chicago which originated in the city's South Side in 1910. 

    It’s reputed and was at least partially corroborated by government hearings that during President Kennedy’s administration, the CIA recruited Giancana and other mobsters to assassinate Fidel Castro. Giancana reportedly said that CIA and the Cosa Nostra were "different sides of the same coin" 

    Even though police were guarding his house in Oak Park, a Chicago suburb, on the night of June 19, 1975, shortly before he was scheduled to appear before the aforementioned government committee (the Church Committee) which was investigating CIA and Cosa Nostra collusion, a gunman entered his home through the basement and shot Giancana in the head and neck seven times with a .22 caliber pistol. Who did it? 

    In 1942, a less well known event was taking place in Chicago, the city chess championship which started in June and was played over several months. It was won by Herman Hahlbohm (July 10, 1886 – January 13, 1963, 76 years old). He was one of Chicago's most prominent players in the early 1900s. 

    He secured the title in the following last round game in which he scored a victory over Einar Michelson while defending titleholder Samuel Factor was held to a draw in an 82-move battle with Lewis J. Isaacs in what was the only drawn game of the championship finals. 

    Einar Michelsen (1885-1962, 67 years old), was born in Odense, Denmark. In 1903, he helped found the Danish chess magazine Skakbladet. Michelsen emigrated to the United States in 1905, living mainly in Chicago but also in Kansas City and New York. 

 

[Event "Chicago Championship"] [Site "?"] [Date "1942.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Einar Michaelson"] [Black "Herman Hahlbohm"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B15"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "58"] [EventDate "1943.??.??"] {B15: Caro-Kann} 1. e4 c6 {Black prepares 2...d5 but unlike the French yjr C-K does not hinder the development of the light-squared B.} 2. d4 (2. c4 {is my personal favorite.} d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. d4 {White usually enfs up with an isolated d-Pawn which is a position I always enjoyed playing.}) 2... d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Bc4 {The Hennig Gambit; it's risky,} Nf6 5. Bg5 (5. f3 {is the usual continuation.} exf3 6. Nxf3 {With the exception of material lovers most players would prefer white because of his lead in development. Enginrd like blavk by something less than a P.}) 5... Bg4 6. f3 exf3 7. Nxf3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 { Surrendering the d-Pawn, but 8.cxf3 is too ugly to consider.} Qxd4 9. Bb3 { White's opening play has been a bust and there is no reaon why black, short of a huge blunder should not anticipate winning.} Nbd7 10. Rd1 Qe5+ 11. Be3 e6 12. O-O Bc5 13. Rfe1 O-O-O 14. Kh1 {It was probably his intention to plat Nf4} Qh5 {Of course black is more that willing to trade Qs and head foe an ending. but it was a bad decision!} (14... Bxe3 15. Rxe3 Qc7 {Black is two Ps up with an insuperable position.}) 15. Qf4 {[%mdl 8192] Of course white avoids the exchange, but it is also a bad decision.} (15. Qxh5 Nxh5 16. Rxd7 {A little tactical shot that both players missed. White gets the advantage in all variations.} Rxd7 (16... Bxe3 17. Rxd8+ Rxd8 18. Rxe3 {White is better.}) ( 16... Kxd7 17. Bxc5 {White is better.}) 17. Bxc5 {White is better.}) 15... Bxe3 16. Rxe3 Nc5 17. Rf1 {Threatens to win with Re5.} Nxb3 18. cxb3 Rd7 19. Re5 Qg4 20. Qe3 Qd4 {Black has not only a material advantage, but dominates the d-file. White is helpless.} 21. Qxd4 Rxd4 22. Rg5 Nd7 (22... Kd8 {and black stays on top by bringing the K over to defend the f-Pawn} 23. Rxg7 Ke7 24. h3 Rd2 25. Na4 Rhd8 26. Rg3 Rg8) 23. Rxg7 {This attack on the f-Pawn gives white new hope. } f6 24. Ne2 {This move allowing the R to reach the second rabk is wrong. 24... Rd1 was correct.} Rd2 25. Nf4 e5 {Excelletn! This P has a bright furure. 25,,, Rxb2 is not quite as good if for no other reason than it is less active.} 26. Nh5 Re8 {This is too passive because now with 27.Kg1 bringing the K closer to the potentially dangerous e-Pawn, white would have very nearly equalized. 26... e4 or even 26...Rxb2 were much better.} 27. h3 {Pointless.} (27. Kg1 {and it's a new game.} f5 28. Rxh7 (28. Rxf5 e4 29. Rf1 e3 30. Nf4 e2 31. Re1 Nf6 32. Kf2 Ne4+ 33. Kf3 Rd1 34. Rxe2 Rf1+ 35. Kg4 h5+ 36. Nxh5 Nf6+ 37. Nxf6 Rxe2 { Technically black is winning, but by prolonging the game white obtains practical chances.}) 28... Rf8 29. Rf2 {with about equal chances.}) 27... e4 { Black is back on the winning track. Less strong is taking the b-Pawn as there is no good reason to allow himself to be sidetracked by a P or two.} ({Less strong is} 27... Rxb2 28. Nxf6 Rf8 29. Rxd7 $15) 28. Nxf6 Nxf6 29. Rxf6 e3 { White resigned.} 0-1

A Clash Between Titans

    It took me a few years to get used to using a chess program to play over games because it was too much like chess had become a video game which were something I never liked to play. Eventually I got used to using software though. Still, today I occasionally get out the old set and play through games from a book.

    One of my favorite books is an old, old copy of Al Horowitz’ Golden Treasury of Chess which first came out in 1943. I got my copy around 1958. It has over 300 games (in Descriptive Notation, of course) divided into Favorite Games, The Pre-Morphy Period, The Morphy Period, The Age of Steinitz, Modern Chess, Moderns, Hypermoderns an Eclectics and The Period of Russian Hegemony. 

    There is a brief introduction to each game, zero to very short notes and an occasional diagram. They are just games to play over for enjoyment and I suspect that quite a few don’t appear in any database. 

    There is a controversy over the book about who was the true author. Chess historian Edward Winter wrote that the collection was originally published by Francis J. Wellmuth in 1943 and it was revised and printed many times by Horowitz.  The 2009 edition was further revised and printed by Sam Sloan. 

 The size of the book and the games appearing in it have changed over the years. 

    Recently I’ve been going through the Favorites section. Horowitz (or whoever) wrote in the introduction to the Favorites section, “In the course of the decades which I have devoted to the preparation of this volume, I have had occasion to examine thousands upon thousands of scores. Those that have pleased me most are included in (this book). But even among these favorites, there are some which I have enjoyed so much that I have set them aside in order to attract the reader's attention to these games.” 

    Let’s take a look at one of them. The game was played between Pillsbiry and Lasker in the St, Petersburg event mentioned in the previous post. At the end, Lasker sacrifices a Rook, then a Pawn and then forces mate with his Queen and Bishop. In the book the game shows Pillsbury getting mated on move 32, but I suspect that the database score where he resigned on move 30 is correct. 

    The game’s introduction eloquently reads, “There are many attractive settings for a brilliant game; but what is more impressive than an immortal game between two Titans? The man who was able to beat the great Pillsbury in this wonderful game was truly worthy of his title. It is no exaggeration to say that Lasker's combination is one of the greatest feats of the human imagination.” Horowitz did exaggerate a bit, but, it’s still a great game. 

 

[Event "St. Petersburg 1895/96"] [Site "St. Petersburg RUE"] [Date "1896.01.04"] [Round "?"] [White "Harry N. Pillsbury"] [Black "Emanuel Lasker"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D50"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "60"] [EventDate "1895.12.13"] {D50: Queen's Gambit Declined} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c5 5. Bg5 cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nc6 7. Qh4 Be7 8. O-O-O {A risky decision that will require careful play.} (8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Qxe7+ Kxe7 11. Rc1 Nxc3 12. Rxc3 {With complete ewuality. Seidemann,U (2075)-Wolf,S (2075) Germany 1998}) 8... Qa5 9. e3 (9. cxd5 {exchanging some material is safer.} Nxd5 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Bxe7 Nxe7 12. Kb1 {with equality.}) 9... Bd7 10. Kb1 h6 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Nd4 O-O 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Qh5 Nxd4 15. exd4 Be6 {The calm before the storm.} 16. f4 Rac8 {Black's position look innocent enough, but Pillsbury suspects there is danger lurking. Unfortunately, his defense is not quite up to par. ...Rxc3 is in the air.} 17. f5 {Active defense.} (17. Rc1 {would lose to} Bxd4 18. Bd3 Bxc3 19. bxc3 Rxc3 20. Rxc3 Qxc3 21. Qd1 Rc8 {Black is winning. For example...} 22. Qb3 Qf6 23. g3 Rc3 24. Qd1 Rxd3 25. Qxd3 Bf5) 17... Rxc3 {A move worthy of a World Champion!} 18. fxe6 (18. bxc3 Rc8 19. Rd3 Qb6+ 20. Kc2 Bd7 21. Be2 Ba4+ {The K is caught in a crossfire.} 22. Kd2 Bg5+ 23. Ke1 Qb1+) 18... Ra3 { [%mdl 512] Nice move! Pillsbury now selects the least satisfactory defense. Either way though black's position has excellent prospects.} 19. exf7+ { [%mdl 8192]} (19. bxa3 $18 Qb6+ 20. Bb5 Qxb5+ 21. Ka1 fxe6 {...and white has the possibilty of surviving.} 22. Qh3) 19... Rxf7 {Black now has what amounts tp a decisive advantage.} 20. bxa3 Qb6+ 21. Bb5 (21. Kc2 {is no better.} Rc7+ 22. Kd2 Qxd4+ 23. Ke1 Qc3+ 24. Kf2 Bd4+) 21... Qxb5+ 22. Ka1 Rc7 {Bringing the R into play looks devastating, but it is flawed in that white now equalizes... a fact that annotators in pre-engine days missed.} (22... Qc4 23. Qg4 {Black could maintain a huge advantage with ...Re7-e2, but there is a fancier way.} Be5 24. Qe6 Bxd4+ 25. Rxd4 Qxd4+ 26. Kb1 Qd3+ 27. Ka1 Qd2 28. Qc8+ Kh7 29. Qc1 Qxg2 {with the clearly better position.}) 23. Rd2 Rc4 {[%mdl 128]} (23... Rc2 { would also result in equality after} 24. Rb1 $8 (24. Rxc2 Bxd4+ 25. Rc3 Bxc3#) 24... Qc4 25. Rxc2 Bxd4+ 26. Rcb2 Bxb2+ 27. Kxb2 {and it's doubtful that black can make any progress.}) 24. Rhd1 {A perfectly logical move defending the d-Pawn, but it gives black a decisive advantage.} (24. Re1 {A sruprising hidden resource!} Kf8 (24... Bxd4+ {is met by} 25. Rxd4 Rxd4 26. Re8+ {and it is white who wins.} Kh7 27. Qf5+ g6 28. Qf7#) 25. Red1 Qc5 26. Qf3 Kg8 27. Kb1 Bxd4 28. Rd3 {with equal chances!}) 24... Rc3 {Another innacurate move by Lasker.} (24... Qc6 {Threatens ...Bxd4+ and white cannot capture the B.} 25. Kb1 (25. h3 Bxd4+ 26. Rxd4 Rxd4 27. Qf3 Rxd1+ 28. Qxd1 Qf6+ 29. Kb1 Qg6+ { with a won ending.}) 25... Bg5 26. Qe2 (26. Re2 Rc1+ {mates}) 26... Bxd2 27. Qxd2 Qg6+ 28. Kb2 Qb6+ 29. Ka1 Qc7 {picks up the h-Pawn and leaves black wityh a won ending.}) 25. Qf5 Qc4 26. Kb2 {[%mdl 8192] A tactical mistake that loses the game.} (26. Kb1 Qb5+ (26... Rxa3 {is met by} 27. Rc1 Qb5+ 28. Rb2 Qd3+ 29. Qxd3 Rxd3 30. Rxb7 {and white is superior.}) 27. Rb2 Qc6 {with the better chances.} 28. Rb3) 26... Rxa3 {[%mdl 512] White has no satisfactory answer to the threat is mate with ...Rxa2+} 27. Qe6+ (27. Kxa3 {gets mated.} Qc3+ 28. Ka4 b5+ $1 {[%mdl 512]} 29. Kxb5 Qc4+ 30. Ka5 Bd8#) 27... Kh7 28. Kxa3 (28. Qf5+ Kg8 29. Kb1 Bxd4 30. Qc2 Qb4+ 31. Kc1 Rc3) 28... Qc3+ 29. Ka4 b5+ {[%mdl 512]} 30. Kxb5 Qc4+ $1 {White resigned.} (30... Qc4+ 31. Ka5 Bd8+ 32. Qb6 axb6#) 0-1

Brooklyn Chess Club Championship 1895

    The year 1895 saw Jell-O invented and mintonette was invented in Holyoke, Massachusetts; we know it today volleyball. The first automobile race took place in France. The winner covered 732 miles in 48 hours and 47 minutes. 

    A big, juicy story that year was Irish poet, playwright and novelist Oscar Wilde's series of legal proceedings that ended in a trial that found him guilty of gross indecency. The judge described the sentence, the maximum allowed, as "totally inadequate" and claimed the case was the worst he had ever tried. 

    A couple of friends had advised Wilde to head for Dover and get a boat to France, but his mother advised him to stay and fight which he did. He pleaded not guilty, but on May 25,1895, he and Alfred Taylor were convicted of gross indecency and sentenced to two years' hard labor. 

    Although it is widely believed that the charges were related to Wilde's consensual activities, it has been suggested that he took advantage of teenagers and paid for sex with youths under the age of 18. Wilde was released from prison on May 19, 1897 and immediately left for for Dieppe, France and never returned to the United Kingdom/ 

    In early September of 1895, Pillsbury won at Hastings ahead of Chigorin and Lasker. In December he was in St. Petersburg, Russia for a Quadrangular tournament that was won by Lasker ahead of Steinitz, Pillsbury and Chigorin. While there Pillsbury contracts syphilis which later killed him. 

    Without treatment, syphilis can damage the heart, brain or other organs. Early syphilis can be cured, sometimes with a single shot of penicillin, but that didn;t come on the market until 1928. 

    Without treatment it gets nasty. After the latent stage, up to 30% to 40% of people with syphilis who don't get treatment have complications known as tertiary syphilis that may include damage to the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones and joints. 

    Sores and rashes on the skin, discolored skin and eyes, fever, anemia, swollen spleen and liver, sneezing or stuffed, drippy nose, deafness, teeth problems and saddle nose, a condition in which the bridge of the nose collapses are symptoms.

    Earlier in 1895, Lasker, then World Champion, moved back to London and then later he moved to Manchester. Jackson W, Showalter won the 5th US championship in a match against Simon Lipschultz. The Swiss pairing system was invented by J. Muller and was first used in Zurich. 

    Players lost in 1895 were a leading English player of the 1870s, William Norwood Potte. Martin From, an analyst and inventor of From’s Gambit (1.f4 e5), died in Copenhagen. Georges Emile Barbier a French problem composer who had also won the Scottish championship in 1886. 

    The following game was played in the 1895 Brooklyn Chess Club Championship. Yoe will note that a Morphy was playing; it was John Morphy (18601912, 52 years old), who was originally from Dublin, Ireland.

 

     The winner was Salomon Rocamora (1855-1924, 69 years old) who was born in Hamburg, Germany and died in New York. He was a sugar trader. His opponent was David Finlay who was born in 1845 in Sligo, Ireland. The 1915 Census stated that he was a bookkeeper who had been living in the US for the past 51 years, so arrived in the US in about 1864. Rocamora broke through Finlay's French Defense in pretty style when the game appeared to be entirely blocked. 

[Event "Brooklyn CC Championship 1895/96"] [Site "Brooklyn, NY USA (Brooklyn CC)"] [Date "1895.12.17"] [Round "7"] [White "Salomon Rocamora"] [Black "David Finlay"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C14"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "73"] [EventDate "1895.11.26"] [Source "(Brooklyn) Daily"] {C14: French: Classical System} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 {The Classical Variation is characterized by the development of the N on f6 where it puts pressure on the e-Pawn and forces white to do something about it.} 4. Bg5 { This is the usual move which defends the e-Pawn by pinning the N, Black has several reasonable replies.} Be7 {This natural move breals the pin and renwws the threat to the e-Pawn.} 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 {White's main options are mow 7.h4 or 7.Qd2} 7. Nb5 {This rare sideline threatening 8.Nxc7+ has surpsisingly good results.} Nb6 {This is the only reasonable move, but the N is not especially well place here. On the other hand neither is white's N. Probably white best continuation is to prevent >>>Qb4+ with 8/a3 then return the N to c3} 8. c3 a6 9. Na3 {[%mdl 32] This can be considered the normal line after 7.Nb5, but white has accomplished nothing because his N on a3 if put of play.} O-O (9... N8d7 10. f4 c5 11. Nf3 cxd4 12. cxd4 Qb4+ 13. Qd2 Qxd2+ 14. Nxd2 {equals. Smieszniak, B-Zielinski,W (1901) Leba 2008}) 10. f4 {Black has a number of reasonable moves here, but the most active is 10...f6} f5 11. Nf3 c5 12. Nc2 Bd7 13. Ng5 {The position is equal, but practically white is probably a little better because he has some chance of a K-side attack while black's Q-side counterplay is hampered by the N on b6. His nxt move can;t be recommended. While technically not a mistake, it ever so slightly weakens his K-side. Some action on the Q-side would be more reasonable. Say, either 13... cxd4 or 13...Nc6} h6 14. Nf3 c4 {Closing the Q-side is exactly what he should avoid. 14...cxd4 was a good option.} 15. Qd2 Be8 {Making room for the N on c6 so he can advance the b-Pawn} 16. Ne3 N6d7 17. Be2 b5 {Finally he has something going on the Q-side, but white is going to launch an attack on the K-side that while it may not be theoretically the best idea, practically it's promising!} 18. g4 Bg6 {Opening up line on the K-side would be a bit risky.} 19. g5 h5 {It appears that black jas succeeded in blocking up lines on the K-side, but it;s not so!.} 20. Nh4 (20. Qd1 {was more exact as black cannot defend the h-Pawn.} Nc6 (20... Qf7 21. Nh4 Nc6 22. Nxg6 Qxg6 23. Bxh5 {and white has a decisive advantage.}) 21. Nh4 Bf7 22. Bxh5) 20... Qe8 {Very weak.} (20... Be8 {puts up a manly defense.} 21. Bf3 Nb6 (21... Nc6 22. Nxd5 exd5 23. Bxd5+ {wins}) 22. h3 g6 23. Ng4 {The point of his last move. Black cannot afford to open the h-file and with the K-side now effectively blacked white has only a tiny advantage.}) 21. Bf3 {Threatening Nxd5. Now it's clear why black's 20..Qe8 was so bad. He can't b;ockade the K-sode with ...g6 and his B amnd Q on b6 are vulnerable.} Nc6 {It's too late to be thinking about play on the Q-side. Shoring up b6 with 21...Kh7 is a pretty feeble try, but it's the best he has. Also, it gets the K off the line of a B check on d5, a threat that black seems to have forgotten about.} 22. Nxd5 {[%mdl 512]} Rc8 23. Ne3 Nb6 24. Qe2 Ne7 25. Qg2 Rd8 26. O-O Nbd5 27. Nxd5 Nxd5 28. Qg3 Kh7 29. a3 Qf7 30. Rf2 Rh8 31. Re2 Rhe8 32. Rg2 Rh8 (32... Qe7 33. Nxg6 Kxg6 34. Bxh5+ Kxh5 ( 34... Kh7 35. g6+ Kg8 36. Bf3 {White will invade on the h0file.}) 35. g6 { An odd place for the K...of course white is better!} Qh4 36. Qf3+ Qg4 37. Rxg4 fxg4 38. Qg3 {White is winning.}) 33. Bxh5 {[%mdl 512] Rocamora now finishes the game in a neat fashion.} Bxh5 {This leads to a quicj demise, but the game was lost in any case.} (33... Ne7 34. Nxg6 Nxg6 35. h4 Kg8 36. Qf3 Qe8 37. Bxg6 Qxg6 38. Rh2 {White has a decisive advantage.}) 34. g6+ Bxg6 35. Nxg6 { Threatening to mate with Qh4+.} Kg8 36. Nxh8 Kxh8 37. Qh4+ {[%mdl 32768] Black resigned.} 1-0

Robert Wormald

    Robert Wormald (1834-1876, 42 years old) is probably best remembered as the inventor of the Wormald Attack (5,Qe2), an aggressive line in the Ruy Lopez. He was born in Yorkshire, England and was educated at Oxford University and from there moved to London where be became active in chess and writing about it. He died at his home, apparently from bronchitis and congestion of the lungs. 

    At the time of his passing he was the chess editor of the Illustrated London News, a position he assumed upon the death of Howard Staunton. 

    Wormald began his chess career as a member of the Oxford University Club and was a reasonably good amateur player, but nothing very special. After moving to London he took part in the Congress of 1862 (he did not play in the international tournament). After that he did not play any serious chess, but was well known in chess circles as a strong player and especially for his books on the openings which were published both in his own name and in conjunction with that of the late Howard Staunton. Wormald was also a brilliant and original problem composer. 

    In 1853, he played a match with Robert B. Brien from whom he received odds of pawn and two moves. The final score was 3.5-3.5. In 1858 he played a match with J. Campbell in London, winning +7 -4 =11. 

    The following game was played in a match (results unknown) against Francis Burden (born in 1829 or 1830 – 1882), a civil engineer. Besides chess, he was also skilled at whist and billiards. It has been suggested that he may have inspired Henry Bird to play the Bird Defense in the Ruy Lopez (3...Nd4). 

    Burden was born in Belfast and lived in London for many years where he met and trained Cecil Valentine De Vere. He visited Venezuela in his capacity as a businessman around 1870, after which he developed a fever and was forced to retire from chess. He died on on January 13, 1882, at the age of 52, on the same day that his close friend Samuel Boden died. At the time of his death, he had been retired from chess for twelve or thirteen years.

 

 

Walter Spens

    For poetry lovers… 

 

    He courteous moved alike to each and all 

    He never sought with scathing words to sting 

    Demeanor just the same to great and small 

    The dignity that's said to hedge a king 

    Was nature's gift to him, and to his pail 

    That attribute of our dead friend will cling 

    How truly these words apply to himself, 

    and with what melancholy pathos they are now invested. 

 

     Walter Spens (February 1, 1842 - July 13, 1900, 58 years old) wrote those lines in 1891, on the death of the great Scottish player Captain George Mackenzie. 

    Spens, the 1894 Scottish Champion, was born in Glasgow and passed away in Edinburgh. In 1870, a Glasgow Sheriff who was a strong player and an important figure in Glasgow chess circles, appointed Spens as a Sheriff-Substitute. Spens was known there as the "boy-sheriff" because he was only 28 years old. He wrote a number of important legal works, some of which showed his interest in social conditions, the poor, and the interests of workers. 

    In Scotland a sheriff is a judge who presides over cases in the sheriff court. Sheriffs handle a variety of cases, including debts, contract disputes, bankruptcy and family matte 

    In 1882, Spens became chess editor of the Glasgow Weekly Herald and in his column many of his chess problems were published. In1884, he was mainly instrumental in forming the Scottish Chess Association. He was always a liberal supporter of the game, and in this respect when he passed away editorials claimed that chess in Scotland had lost its life and soul. 

    It was said Spens loved the game for the pleasure that came as a reward for playing it, but he regarded it as an amusement and a recreation from more serious pursuits. A good attitude, I think. 

    Although considered a strong player, in gua obituary the British Chess Magazine noted that “he hardly did himself justice as a tournament player (even though) he won several important national prizes.” Chess metrics estimates his highest ever rating to have been 2375 in 1867. While that rating os rather modest it paced him in the world’s top 25 and in a group of better known players of the day such as Eugene Rousseau and James Mortimer. 

    His style of play was positional, but he was always on the alert for brilliant tactics and pretty endin. However,he was not adverse to taking risks and sometimes losy games a more careful player woulf have won. 

    The following game was played in a match against a player about whom I could not locate any information. The game, which won Spens a Brilliancy Prize, does not appear in any databases of his games, but it was published in the September 1900 issue of the British Chess Magazine. While hardly brilliant, we get to see the tactical side of Spens’ play and the game is entertaining. 

[Event "Match, Dundee, Scotland"] [Site "?"] [Date "1900.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "H.J. Thomas"] [Black "Walter Spens"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B00"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "72"] [EventDate "1900.??.??"] {B00: Double Fianchetto Defense} 1. e4 b6 2. d4 g6 {Hypermodern play long before Nimzovich.} 3. c4 (3. h4 {Interesting!} h5 4. Bd3 Bg7 5. c3 Bb7 6. Bg5 d6 7. Nd2 Nd7 8. f4 {is about equal. Bacrot,E (2659)-Sherman,R (2126) chess. com INT 2023}) 3... Bg7 4. Nc3 e5 {Premature. Probably his best was 4...Bb7} ( 4... Bb7 5. Be3 d6 6. Be2 Nd7 7. f3 c6 {White is better. Chan,M (2294)-Wong Meng Leong (2219) Singapore 1999}) 5. d5 {White's [lan is tp keep the position closed and engineer an attack against black's K. but opening up the position was a better idea.} (5. dxe5 Bxe5 6. Qc2 {Black is going to have to waste a tempo returning his B to g7.} Bg7 7. Be3 Bb7 8. O-O-O {with the more active position.}) 5... d6 6. Bd3 Ne7 7. g4 {Very bold!} Nd7 8. b4 {More to the point would have been 8.h4} O-O {Mills correctly thought this was risky and suggested ...a6 and ...b5 followed by ...Nc5} 9. h4 Nf6 (9... f5 {This crazy move is something only an engine would suggest!} 10. gxf5 a5 11. fxg6 axb4 12. gxh7+ Kh8 13. Nb5 Nc5 14. Bg5 Qd7 15. h5 c6 16. dxc6 Nxc6 17. Be2 Nxe4 { And Stockfish informs us that black is clearly better. I will have to take the engine's word for it.}) 10. f3 h5 11. Bg5 c6 12. Qe2 {White could have tried 12.dxc6 and then opening up the g-file with 13/gxh6} a5 13. b5 $16 cxd5 14. exd5 {[%mdl 8192] With this move white inadvertently exposes his own K.} (14. Nxd5 Nexd5 15. cxd5 {and white has only a slight advantage.}) 14... e4 { Very nice! Thus gives black active play on the dark squares and the e-file.} 15. Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Bxe7 Bc3+ (16... Qxe7 {was a bit more advantageous/} 17. Rc1 Re8 18. Bxe4 {and now...} f5 19. gxf5 gxf5 20. Qd3 (20. Bd3 Qd8) 20... fxe4 21. fxe4 Qxe4+ 22. Qxe4 Rxe4+ 23. Kf2 Bg4 {with a easy win.}) 17. Kd1 Qxe7 (17... Bxa1 {might be tempting, but white equalizes with} 18. Qxe4 Qc7 19. Bxf8 Kxf8) 18. Rb1 Nf2+ 19. Qxf2 hxg4 20. Kc2 (20. fxg4 Bxg4+ 21. Kc2 Bb4) 20... Qf6 21. Qg3 Be5 22. Qg2 Ba1 {Intending ...Qc3+} 23. Qd2 g3 {As strong as this might look it is actually a mistake that allows white to equalize. Even so, had black played the correct 23///Re8 the complications would have been enormous and beyond calculating over the board.} (23... Re8 {maintains a solid advantage.} 24. Ne2 (24. fxg4 {but not this/} Bxg4 25. Ne2 Rxe2 26. Bxe2 Bf5+ 27. Bd3 Rc8 {Black is winning.} 28. Rxa1 Rxc4+ 29. Kb3 Qd4) 24... Bf5 25. Rxa1 Rac8 26. Bxf5 Rxc4+ 27. Kd3 Rxe2 28. Kxe2 Qxf5 {White's extra R is meaningless! } 29. Qe3 Qc2+ 30. Ke1 gxf3 31. Qxf3 Qb2 32. Rd1 Qe5+ 33. Kd2 Rf4 34. Qe3 Re4 35. Qf3 Qxd5+ 36. Kc2 Qxa2+ 37. Kd3 Qd5+ 38. Kc2 Rc4+ 39. Qc3 Qe4+ 40. Kb2 Rxc3 41. Kxc3 Qb4+ 42. Kc2 a4 {The ending is won for black/}) 24. Ne2 {White may have equalized, but his position is difficult to play.} Be5 {Black's position is not so easy to play either. In fact, the B should have stopped on d4 because with his next move white actually has a bit of an advantage.} 25. f4 g2 {This is an outright error.} (25... Bd4 {keeps fighting.} 26. Nxg3 Bg4 27. h5 { After this it's clear that white's sudden counterattack gives him the initiative.} Rae8 28. hxg6 Re3 29. Qh2 Rc8 30. Qh7+ Kf8 31. Qh6+ Qg7 32. Qxg7+ Bxg7 33. Rbg1 f5 34. Kd2 Rf3 {A very complicated situation that is in black's favor.}) 26. Rh2 Bd4 27. Rxg2 Bc5 28. h5 Bf5 29. Rg5 (29. Bxf5 {was considerably better.} Qxf5+ 30. Qd3 Qxd3+ 31. Kxd3 Kg7 {A very complicated ending. White scored 5-0 in long, tedious Shootouts/}) 29... Bb4 {It would have been better to trade Bs and then play ...Re8} 30. Qd1 Rfc8 31. Kb3 { This results in the advantage changing hands agaun...for the last time.} (31. Bxf5 $11 {and White has nothing to worry.} Rxc4+ 32. Kd3 Rxf4 33. Nxf4 Qxg5 34. Qg4 Qxf5+ 35. Qxf5 gxf5 36. Rg1+ Kh8 37. Rg5) 31... Re8 {[%mdl 128]} 32. Bxf5 { White has totally collapsed.} (32. Rg3 {was the crucial defense.} Rxe2 33. Bxe2 Bxb1 34. Qxb1 Qxf4 35. Rf3 {Here black has only one move that wins!} Qd2 36. Qc2 (36. Bd1 a4#) 36... a4+ 37. Kb2 Ba3+ 38. Kb1 Qb4+ 39. Ka1 Re8 40. hxg6 f5 41. Rxf5 Rxe2 42. Qxe2 Qc3+ 43. Kb1 Qc1#) 32... Rxe2 33. Qd3 a4+ 34. Kxb4 Rb2+ 35. Ka3 Rxb1 36. Qc2 Qd4 $1 {[%mdl 512] White resigned. Ot's mate in 4. This game earned Spens a Brilliancy Prize. While the game may not have been [erfect there are a lot of hidden points that make it interesting.} 0-1

David Polland

    David Polland of Brooklyn, New York appeared on the first USCF rating list on November 20, 1950 with a rating of 2521 making him one of the top dozen players in the country. While the ratings on that first list are not exactly comparable to the ratings of today it put him on a par with players like Dake, Denker, Kashdan, Horowitz and Reinfeld. 

    Polland’s name appears frequently in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle chess columns of the 1930s as having been particularly successful in speed tournaments in New York City. His major success was probably his first place in the US Open in Chicago in 1937.     

    Beyond that little is known. Two birth dates are given. Wikipedia says he was born in 1915 while on chessgamesdotcom his birthday is listed as being June 24, 1908. I believe the 1908 date is likely correct because there was an article in the January 25, 1926 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle stating he was attending City College of New York, so the 1908 birth date would have made him 18 years old at the time. He was also a member of the I.L. Rice Progressive Chess Club of Manhattan. 

    An interesting post appeared in the Actuarial Outpost forums in 2008 by someone who told of playing an "elderly gentleman" (whom the poster said was, by 2008, long deceased) back in the 1960s who was taking on all comers in the park outside his parents apartment building. 

    The poster stated that over the next two years he played about 20 games against the old gentleman and only beat him once. The man was David Polland. The poster went on to say that Polland demonstrated a King-Bishop-Knight mate blindfolded without knowledge of opponents exact King move (just whether it was a check or not). Also, according to the poster, Polland was once the 3rd ranked checker player in the world, but I was unable to verify this. 

    Polland's favorite opening was the English and as mentioned, he shined in rapid play; in one first place finish in a Marshall Chess Club rapid tournament he even defeated Reshevsky, himself a powerful blitz player. On another occasion he held Reshevsky to a draw in a simultaneous. 

 

 

    In following game from the 1940 US Championship Pollard's handling of the opening was weird, but it worked and he was awarded a brilliancy prize for his efforts. Hanauer found his pieces on the Q-side undeveloped and when his pieces in the center were driven off it allowed Polland to begin a sacrificial K-side attack. The attack should not have been decisive, but it was when Hanauer accepted the piece. 

[Event "US Championship, New York"] [Site "New York, NY USA"] [Date "1940.05.06"] [Round "?"] [White "Milton Hanauer"] [Black "David Polland"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C78"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "84"] [EventDate "1940.??.??"] {C78: Ruy Lopez: Archangelsk} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 {The Archangel Defense. It was invented by Soviet theoreticians in the city of Arkhangelsk and often leads to sharp positions in which black wagers that the fianchettoed Bs influence on the center and K-side will offset his delay in castling.} 6. Bb3 d6 {Black has several options here. In order of popularity they are: 6...Be7, 6...Bc5 and 6...Bb7. Polland’s move is rare, but by no means inferior.} (6... Bb7 {This move Is quite interesting. Black defines the position of this B early in order to exert pressure against the opponent's center, in particular the e4 square. White must decide whether he protects the P with 7.d3 or goes for the unfathomable complications after 7.c3 Nxe4.} 7. c3 Nxe4 8. d4 exd4 9. Re1 d5 10. Ng5 {with equal chances.}) 7. Ng5 { White’s other options are to attempt to build an ideal P-center with c3 and d4 or to defend the e-Pawn with Re1. The defense chosen by Polland is tactically justified by the ability to meet this move with 7... d5 and white will be unable to demonstrate any advantage.} d5 (7... Bg4 {Thus move is disaterous to black.} 8. Bxf7+ Ke7 9. f3 Bd7 10. Bb3 {with a huge advantage.}) 8. exd5 Nd4 9. Re1 Bc5 (9... Bd6 10. d3 Bg4 11. f3 Bh5 12. c4 O-O 13. Be3 Nd7 14. Ne4 {White is slightly better. Shankovsky,A (2327)-Durnev,V (2077) Lvov UKR 2010}) 10. Rxe5+ Kf8 {Even though he cannot castle and his R is hemmed in black's position is preferable because of the activity of his pieces.} 11. h3 { White wants to guard g4, but this move allows his opponent to gain a significant advantage.} (11. c3 {is probably his best chance. After} Nxb3 12. Qxb3 Bxf2+ 13. Kh1 (13. Kxf2 Ng4+ {with a decisive advabtage.}) 13... Ng4 { both sides have their chances in the complications.}) 11... Nd7 12. Ne4 (12. Nxf7 {turns out to be no better.} Qf6 13. Re3 Qxf7 14. c3 Nxb3 15. Rf3 Nf6 16. axb3 Qxd5 {Black is nuch better. Deshmukh,A (2335)-Peng Xiaomin (2624) Calcutta 2000}) 12... Nxb3 {Polland has made a serious miscalculation. He is attacki g two Rs, but white gets away unscathed.} (12... Nxe5 {wins!} 13. d3 Be7 14. Be3 Nxb3 15. axb3 f5 {Black is a R up.}) 13. axb3 Nxe5 14. Nxc5 { his is the move Polland missed; white has suffucuent compensation for the R.} Qxd5 {White must now prevent ...Bxh3.} 15. d4 Bxh3 {Best, but only for the purpose of keeping the chances equal!} 16. gxh3 {[%mdl 8192] Hanauer falls head first into a lost position.} (16. f3 {leaves black without any way of gaining an advantage,} Bf5 17. Nc3 Qc6 18. b4 Ng6) 16... Nf3+ 17. Kf1 Nxd4 { Threatening ...Qh1#} 18. f3 Qxc5 19. Be3 Qf5 (19... Rd8 {would have decided the game at once. For example...} 20. Rxa6 Qxc2 21. Qxc2 Nxc2 {and white is lost.}) 20. Bxd4 Qxh3+ 21. Kg1 (21. Kf2 {loses} Qh2+ 22. Kf1 (22. Ke3 Re8+ 23. Kd3 Rd8 24. Ke3 Qh6+ 25. Ke2 Qd6 26. c3 c5) 22... Qh1+ 23. Bg1 h5) 21... Qg3+ 22. Kf1 Qh3+ 23. Kg1 h5 24. Be3 {[%mdl 8192] A gross blunder which his opponent fails to take advantage of.} (24. Qf1 {The Q comes to the K's defense and makes it much more difficult for black to make progress.} Qg3+ 25. Qg2 Qe1+ 26. Qf1 Re8 27. Nc3 Qg3+ 28. Qg2 Re1+ 29. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 30. Qf1 Qxf1+ 31. Kxf1 { and even though black is better the win is not a sure thing.}) 24... Kg8 25. Nd2 Re8 26. Bf4 Re6 {Adding the R to the attack looks good, but as often happens, when we have an idea in mind we fail to notice anything else. In this case Hanauer’s last move gave black the chance to win a piece.} (26... Qh4 { Attacking the B.} 27. Bh2 Rh6 {Finally getting the R into play} 28. Nf1 Rg6+ 29. Kh1 Qh3 {Threatening ...Rg2} 30. Ng3 Rxg3 31. Qf1 Rxf3) 27. Ne4 {Suddenly white has gotten sufficient defensive resources and black;s advantage has all but disappeared} Rg6+ 28. Kf2 $1 Rg2+ 29. Ke3 Qe6 {[%mdl 2048] Threatening ... f5, but white's K is safe enough.} 30. Qd8+ {well, it would have been had white played 20.Qh1! which appears to be a rather odd place for the Q, so it's easy to see how Hanauer missed it!} (30. Qh1 Rxc2 31. Rd1 {Black has to guard his h-Pawn.} g6 (31... Rxb2 32. Rd8+ Kh7 33. Qxh5+ Qh6 34. Ng5#) 32. Rd5 f5 33. Qh4 Kf7 {uddenly it's black who is fending off threats.} (33... fxe4 34. Qd8+ Kf7 35. Rd7+ {and white wins.}) 34. Be5 {Black only has one move that avoids loss...} fxe4 35. Rd7+ Qxd7 (35... Kf8 36. Qd8+ {mates}) 36. Qf6+ Ke8 37. Qxh8+ Ke7 38. Qf6+ {draws}) 30... Kh7 31. Qxc7 f5 {White doesn;t get any more chances as Polland finishes him off in an efficient fashion.} 32. Rh1 Re8 33. Rxh5+ Kg6 34. Rh2 Rxh2 35. Bxh2 fxe4 {[%mdl 4096] Black now has a prosaic win.} 36. Qg3+ Kh5 37. Qxg7 exf3+ 38. Kf4 Qe3+ {Black mates in 4} 39. Kg3 f2+ 40. Kg2 Qf3+ $1 {[%mdl 512]} 41. Kxf3 f1=Q+ 42. Kg3 Re3# {An imaginative game by Polland.} 0-1