Theophil Demetriescu

    Theophil Demetriescu (April 12,1891 - August 6, 1958) was a Romanian pianist who, beginning in his childhood, showed a talent for music and studied piano in Germany with Ferrucio Busoni, an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer and teacher. Demetriescu made his debut im early1912 in a concert with the Berlin Philharmonic. 

    In the last years of his life Demetriescu suffered great financial difficulties. In 1949 he was employed as a piano teacher at the Art Institute in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, but his salary was insufficient to allow him to even rent a place to live, so he slept in one of the teaching halls of the institute, while his family was living a life of misery in Bucharest. 

    Demetriescu was also a good chess player who participated in a few international tournaments, he preferred correspondence play because it did mot interfer with his music interests. 

    He played board 5 on the Romanian team at the 3rd Unofficial Chess Olympiad (which was not organized by FIDE), which took place in Munich from August 17 to September 1, 1936. The Romanian team finished 14th out of 21. 

     Demetriescu was better in correspondence play. In the 1930s he participated in the national correspondence championships, finisjing 10th in 1934-1935 and 9th in 1936-1937 and14th in 1937-1938. 

     In the following game which has a nice finishing touch he defeats the Dutch master Lodewijk Prins (1913-199) who at the time was a promising junior. The game was played in a small tournament at Ebensee, today a market town in Austria. Dutch GM J.H. Donner, who had no great love for Prims, once described him as a Grandmaster who couldn’t tell a Bishop from a Knight, but Prins was the Dutch champion in 1965. 

    Several years after the tournament the town became known for its concentration camp established on 1943 by the SS in order to build tunnels for armaments storage near the town. Between 8,500 and 11,000 prisoners died in the camp, most from hunger or malnutrition. Political prisoners were most common and prisoners came from many different countries. Conditions were poor, and along with the lack of food, exposure to cold weather and forced hard labor made survival difficult. US Army troops liberated the camp on May 6, 1945. Today residential homes exist on the site and a memorial cemetery is nearby. There is also a memorial tunnel and a museum nearby. 

[Event "Ebensee"] [Site ""] [Date "1933.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Lodewijk Prins"] [Black "Theophil Demetriescu"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B44"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "54"] [EventDate "1933.??.??"] {B44: Sicilian, Taimanov Variation} 1. e4 e6 2. c4 c5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Ndb5 {White plays an ultra-sharp line that is favorable to black. Safer ware 7.Nxc3 or even 7.Qd2?!} Nxe4 8. Qg4 Nxc3 {As his mext move shows, this is not the most accurate.} (8... Nf6 {is better and it is too risky fpr white to take the g-Pawn.} 9. Qxg7 Rg8 10. Qh6 Rg6 {The Q has no good square to which it can retreat and so black has an active position.}) 9. bxc3 {Now black cannot afford to sacrifice the g-Pawn and this retreat is an indication that his last move was wrong.} Bf8 (9... Bc5 10. Qxg7 Rf8 11. Bf4 { Threatening 12.Nc7+} (11. Qxh7 a6 12. Ba3 Bxa3 13. Nxa3 Qa5 14. Nb1 {is only equal.}) 11... e5 12. Be3 Bxe3 13. fxe3 {White;s Ps are shattered, but the threat on Ne6+ is too hard for b;ack to meet.} Ke7 14. c5 Rg8 15. Qh6 Rg6 16. Qxh7 Qf8 17. Nd6 {White is winning.}) 10. c5 {This position has been reached a few times in recent years and white has played 10.Ba3, but it has been shown that 10.Qg3 keeps a slight advantage,\.} a6 {Well played. Oddly, at this point black has nothing to fear from Nd6+} 11. Nd6+ Bxd6 12. cxd6 {At first glance black's position may appear badly compromised because of the white P on d6, but he has a nove that gives him the advantage.} Qf6 {This defends the g-Pawn and white has to take time to defend agains ...Qxc3+} 13. Bb2 {The B is not well placed here so 13.Qg3 defending both Ps and intending to develop the B to a more active square was better.} O-O {[%mdl 2048] Note that white has no way of satisfactorily meeting the threat of ...Qe5+ followed by ...Qxd6} 14. O-O-O {Thus turns out to be a very poor choice because it leaves his K exposed.} (14. Rd1 b5 15. Be2 Bb7 16. O-O Ne5 {The P is saved, but at the cost of giving black an active position. Best mow appears to be} 17. Qg3 Qg6 18. Qxg6 Nxg6 19. f4 Nh4 20. g4 f5 21. g5 Bd5 22. a3 Rfc8 {Black's position should prove decisive according to Stockfish, Dragon by Komodo and Fritz 19.}) 14... b5 15. Bd3 Qh6+ {This is even stronger than grabbong the insignificant f-Pawn.} 16. Kc2 f5 17. Qe2 Bb7 18. g4 {Hoping to open up files leading to b;ack's K, but the attempt will prove ineffective.} Rac8 {Hoping for ...Nd4+.} 19. Kb1 Na5 { [%mdl 32]} 20. Rhg1 fxg4 {Threatens to win with ...Bf3. Again, black does not waste time grabbing a P with ...Qxh2} 21. Bc1 Qf6 {aiming for ...Bf3.} 22. Qxg4 Bf3 {This tome grabbing a P with 22...Rxc3 woulf allow white to equalize.} ( 22... Rxc3 23. Bb2 Nc4 24. Qh5 h6 25. Bxc4 Bf3 {This complcated position is about equal after the best move} 26. Bxe6+ dxe6 27. Qg6 Qxg6+ 28. Rxg6 Be4+ 29. Ka1 Bxg6 30. Bxc3) 23. Qh3 g6 {Effectvely ending all white's hopes on the K-side.} 24. Rde1 (24. Rxg6+ {is not quite sufficient, but in view of the vertigo inducing complications that result it would have been an excellent choice.} hxg6 25. Rg1 Rxc3 26. Bxg6 {How does black get out of thid jam? There is only one way, but it wons.} (26. Rxg6+ Qxg6 27. Bxg6 Be4+ 28. Bxe4 Rxh3) 26... Rxc1+ 27. Kxc1 Qf4+ 28. Kb1 Kg7 {Brilliant! Discovered checks don;t save white.} 29. Be4+ Kf6 30. Qxf3 Qxf3 31. Bxf3 Ke5 {Black is winning, but how?!} 32. Bd1 Rxf2 33. Rh1 Nc4 34. h4 Ne3 35. h5 Nxd1 36. Rxd1 Rh2 {with a winning R+P ending.}) 24... Nc4 25. Rg3 Qxc3 {White's next move allows mate, but there was really no way of saving the game.} 26. Rd1 Nd2+ {[%mdl 512]} 27. Bxd2 Qxd3+ {White resigned.} (27... Qxd3+ 28. Ka1 Qd4+ 29. Kb1 Be4+ 30. Rd3 Bxd3+ 31. Qxd3 Qxd3+ 32. Ka1 Rc2 33. Rc1 Qd4+ 34. Bc3 Rxc1+ 35. Kb2 Qxc3#) 0-1

Play the Urusov Gambit!

 

    The Bishop’s Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4) is rarely played these days and if it is the opening often transposes into the Giuoco Piano, King’s Gambit or the Vienna Gane, but there is another possibility that most opponents won’t be prepared for...the old Urusiv Gambit (3.d4!). It’s named after Russian Prince Sergey Semyonovich Urusov (1827–1897). 

    What’s more, it’s easy for black to go wrong if he is not familiar with it! You can watch a Youtube video on it HERE. 

    White’s play in the following miniature is a perfect example of the dangers black faces. White is the forner Soviet, now Israeli, GM Boris Avrukh (born 1978). He was the World Under-12 champion in 1990. Black is the Moldovan-French WGM Almira Skripchenko (born1976), She won the European Women's Individual Championship in 2001 and is a seven-time French Women's Champion. 

 

[Event "Linares Anibal Open"] [Site "Linares"] [Date "2001.01.11"] [Round "?"] [White "Boris Avrukh"] [Black "Almira Skripchenko"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C24"] [WhiteElo "2625"] [BlackElo "2440"] [Annotator "Stockdish 17"] [PlyCount "41"] [EventDate "2001.01.08"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "11"] [EventCountry "ESP"] [SourceTitle "CBM 081"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "2001.03.20"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2001.03.20"] [SourceQuality "1"] [WhiteTeam " C.A. EBANO"] [BlackTeam " C.A. EBANO"] {C24: Urusov Gambit} 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 {The usual response.} (3... Nxe4 {is not recommended.} 4. dxe5 {Black has played a number of different moves here, but most often seen is} Ng5 5. f4 Ne6 6. Nf3 {and white is better.} ) (3... Nxe4 4. dxe5 Nxf2 {This is completely unsound, but it has been tried.} 5. Qd5 (5. Kxf2 Qh4+ {with what should be a winning advantage.}) 5... Qe7 6. Kxf2 Qc5+ 7. Be3 Qxd5 8. Bxd5 {White gas a winning position. Chulis,A (2172) -Kanzlirsch,A Vienna 2003}) 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qxd4 Nf6 {Technically this position is evaluated as equal as black has no weaknesses, but white's huge lead in development must account for something.} 6. Nc3 (6. Bg5 {is not as good as it looks., After} Nc6 7. Qe3+ Qe7 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Nc3 Qxe3+ 10. fxe3 Bb4 {Black is slightl better.}) (6. Bg5 Be7 {This looks logical and is the move most often played. After} 7. Nc3 {Black has 7...Nc6, 7...c6 and 7...O-O, all reasonable moves.}) 6... c6 7. Bg5 d5 8. O-O-O {[%mdl 2048]} Be7 9. Qh4 Nbd7 10. Rhe1 {Black has made no errors and her position of free from weaknesses, but white is ready to undertake action against black's K. Black's best move is probably 10...O-O} dxc4 (10... Kf8 {This odd move was played in Kreiman,B (2400) -Shirazi,K (2435) New York and it's not likely to be repeated.} 11. Bxd5 cxd5 12. Rxe7 Qxe7 13. Nxd5 Qe4 14. Bf4 h6 15. Bd6+ {and white went on to win.} ) 11. Bxf6 {This leaves lack's K-side is in shambles.} gxf6 12. Ne4 {[%mdl 32]} O-O 13. Ng3 {[%mdl 1024]} Kh8 {This loses quickly. Her position was difficult, but gar from hopeless after 13...Re8} (13... Re8 14. Qe4 f5 15. Qxf5 c3 16. Nh5 Nf8 17. Qe5 Bg5+ 18. Qxg5+ Qxg5+ 19. Nxg5 cxb2+ 20. Kxb2 Rxe1 21. Rxe1 Be6 { Black has survived the attack and white is better, but his advantage is not a winning one,}) 14. Nf5 Bc5 15. Qh5 (15. Re4 {at once was also good.} Rg8 16. Nh6 Rg7 17. Ne5 Qf8 18. Nxd7 Bxd7 19. Rxd7 {and white is winning.}) 15... c3 16. Re4 Qb6 17. b3 {White wants to mate with Rh4.} Rg8 (17... Bxf2 18. Qh6 $18 Rg8 19. Rxd7 Bxd7 20. Qxf6+ Rg7 21. Qxg7#) (17... Qa5 18. Ra4 Ba3+ 19. Kb1 Qc7 20. Rh4 {nates}) 18. Qxf7 Qa5 {After this white has a mate, but her position was hopelessly lost no matter what she played.} 19. Rxd7 Ba3+ 20. Kb1 Qxf5 { White is clearly winning, but he has a mate in 5 with the following problem-like move.} 21. Re8 {[%mdl 512] Black resigned.} (21. Re8 Bf8 22. Rxf8 Qg6 23. Rxg8+ Qxg8 24. Qxf6+ Qg7 25. Qxg7#) 1-0

Alberto Giustolisi

 

    Few players today know the name Alberto Giustolisi (March 17, 1928 - February 27, 1990); it’s a name that was not well known outside of Italy and today has fallen into oblivion even among Italian players. 

    His heyday came in the years 1950 to about 1966, and in his time he was well known and highly respected wherever chess was played in Italy. His pleasant manners, polite elegance, respect for others, reserve, absence of ambition and the lack of a sense of superiority spilled over into his chess and harmed his competitive spirit and bordered on what almost appeared to be an insecurity. In spite of that, he was a good strategist as well as an elegant tactician and a formidable opponent to all but the elite. 

    Born in Rome, he passed away in a nursing home where he had been hospitalized for some time supposedly for a serious form of nervous breakdown.

    He was Italian champion in 1952, 1961, 1964 and 1966. He was awarded the IM title in 1962 after winning the New Year's Tournament in Reggio Emilia. 

 

    His opponent in this game was the Swiss player Otto Marthaler who won the Reggio Emilia 1958/59 event. 

    Giustolisi emerges from the ipening with an advantage and then follows up with nearly flawless play to score the point. The most interesting thing about the game is the role played by white’s Knight on g1.

 

[Event "Reggio Emilia, 1961/62"] [Site ""] [Date ""] [Round ""] [White "Alberto Giustolisi"] [Black "Otto Marthaler"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E94"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "61"] [EventDate "1961.12.27"] {E94: King's Indian: Classical} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Nf3 {A piece with a remarkable future!} e5 7. O-O Nbd7 8. Be3 Re8 9. d5 Nc5 10. Nd2 {This N will not move again until move 26 and then makes the final move of the game. ts purpose here is to defend the e-Pawn and allow white to play f3.} a5 11. a3 {[%mdl 32] In view of what happens next this position can be considered critical and black must choose his next move wisely.} Kh8 { Black has a wide choice here...the opening book I ise shows 8 different moves, all reasonable, but the best is probably 11...a4. The text looks rather pointless.} 12. b4 {Immediately seizing the initiative.} axb4 13. axb4 Rxa1 14. Qxa1 Na6 15. Rb1 {White already has a significant advantage thanks to black's passive 11th move.} Nd7 16. Qa3 f5 17. f3 f4 18. Bf2 Rg8 {So! The point of his 11th move is revealed, but an attack on the g-file is going to prove impotent.} 19. c5 dxc5 20. bxc5 {Black is positionally quite lost.} Bf8 21. Bxa6 bxa6 22. Qa5 g5 {Black gets a K-side attack going, but it is nothing nure than a gesture given Giustolisi's precise defense.} 23. d6 {[%mdl 512] A powerful blow!} g4 24. fxg4 Qg5 {With heavy pieces doubled on the g-file and the threat of ...f3 it looks like black has something going, but Giusto;isi has everything under control.} 25. h3 cxd6 26. Nf3 {The versatile N return to where it was a long time ago in order to block the further advance of black’s f-Pawn.} Qg7 27. Qc7 Be7 28. cxd6 h5 {He could have saved the B with 28...Bf6, but pressing on with his attack is his best practical chance.} 29. dxe7 hxg4 30. hxg4 Qxg4 31. Nh4 {This time the N defends the g-Pawn and realizing there is no attack, Marthaler resigned, It;s interesting to observe the future this N could have had.} (31. Nh4 f3 32. Qd6 Kh7 (32... fxg2 33. Qh6# ) 33. Qd1 Nf6 (33... fxg2 34. Qxg4 Rxg4 35. e8=Q) 34. Qxf3 Qxf3 35. Nxf3 Bh3 36. Ne1 {Again the N shows its versatility by defending g2!} Bd7 37. Rb7 Be8 38. Nf3 {Back again this time headed for more verdant pastures.} Ng4 39. Nd5 Kg7 40. Bg3 Kf7 41. Bxe5 Bc6 42. Rc7 Ba4 43. Bd4 Rb8 44. Bb6 Bb3 45. Ng5+ { Its defensive days are over and the N become an attacker.} Kg6 (45... Ke8 46. Ne6 Bxd5 47. Ng7+ Kf7 48. e8=Q+ Kf6 49. Qh5 Be6 50. Bd4+ Ne5 51. Bxe5#) 46. Rc6+ Kxg5 {The N has sacrificed itself for a mate in 11.} 47. Bd8 Bxd5 48. e8=Q+ Kf4 49. Qf8+ Kxe4 50. Qf3+ Ke5 51. Bc7+ Kd4 52. Qxg4+ Be4 53. Bxb8 Ke3 54. Ba7+ Kd2 55. Qxe4 a5 56. Qd4+ Ke2 57. Re6#) 1-0

Same Story, Different Setting

    The international tournament that was held in Venice in 1948 ended up in forgotten event category. Chess Life of the day didn’t mention it and Chess Review had a blurb on it, but had some unflattering remarks about Najdorf and Euwe. 

    The magazine noted that after his tie for sixth place at the tough Saltsjobaden Interzonal Najdorf must have found winning the Venice tournament a breeze, adding that he celebrated the absence of Soviet opposition and that’s what resulted in a “handsome lead” over the opposition. The 20 player Saltsjobaden tournament was won by David Bronstein, who along with seven other players advanced to the 1950 Candidates Tournament. 

     The short article added that former World Champion Max Euwe was unable to shake off a poor start. His two losses (against Canal and Castaldi) combined with difficulty in defeating the tailenders resulted in him being “just another chessplayer.” 

    Venice consisted of twelve players, six Italians, two South Americans and four from Europe, including former World Champion Euwe. Not only did Venice have competition form the goings on at Saltsjobaden, but it was just one of many tournaments that year that fell under the shadow of the 1948 World Championship tournament held to determine the new Champion following the death of Alekhine in 1946. This tournament (won by Botvinnik ahead of Smyslov, Jeresm Reshevsky and Euwe) marked a significant shift in the international chess scene as the FIDE took control of the world championship title and the cycle of tournaments leading up to it. 

    The winner of this game, Giuseppe Primavera (1917-1998) was Italian Chess Champion in1948, 1953, 1954 and1970. He was one of the founders of the organization Association of Chess Masters of Italy and in 1973-1974, he published the chess magazine Tutto Schacchi. IM Henri Grob (1904-1974) was Swiss champion in 1939 and 1951 who is best known for popularizing the Grob Attack (1.g4). 

 

 

    Their brief encounter at Venice has the same plot as the game between Koenig and Weinberger in the previous post. In this game Primavera erred in the opening and Castaldi got an overwhelming attack, b

[Event "Venice"] [Site "Venice ITA"] [Date "1948.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Giuseppe Primavera"] [Black "Henri Grob"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D45"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "51"] [EventDate "1948.10.03"] {D46: Semi-Slav Defense} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 c6 {Black is threatening to capture on c4 and hold it with ...b7–b5. White can avoid this in a number of different way, but at the dame time doing so is not really necessary. Either way some very sharp positions can arise/} 4. Nc3 e6 (4... dxc4 {is the thematic move, but it's super sharp.} 5. e4 b5 6. e5 Nd5 7. a4 e6 8. axb5 Nxc3 9. bxc3 cxb5 10. Ng5 Bb7 11. Qh5 g6 12. Qg4 Be7 {favors black.}) 5. e3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. O-O Qe7 9. Re1 dxc4 10. Bxc4 e5 11. e4 exd4 12. Nxd4 { Up to here the moves have all been seen many times. White can try the text or 12.Ne2, but the aggressive 12.e5 is no doubt best. The text is faulty, but both players missed its refutation.} Ne5 {While not as good as 12...Qc5 after this black still has an advantage.} (12... Qc5 {attacking two pieces results in a sizable advantage for black after} 13. e5 Nxe5 14. Nb3 Qxc4 15. Rxe5 Rd8) 13. Bb3 {Primavera's faulty opening play has left his opponent with a clearly better position. Grob's next move plunging his N into the guts of white's position is by no means bad, but there was an even better one.} (13. Nf5 { is a btter alternative. After} Bxf5 14. exf5 Bc5 15. Be2 {To stop ...N6g4} Rfd8 {Black has an active position.}) 13... Nd3 (13... Bc5 {is a tough move to meet. After 15 minutes this is Stockfish's top line...} 14. Nf5 Bxf5 15. exf5 Nfg4 16. Rxe5 Nxe5 17. f6 gxf6 18. Ne4 Rad8 19. Qh5 Nd3 20. Qg4+ Kh8 21. Nxc5 Qxc5 22. Qf3 Qxf2+ 23. Qxf2 Nxf2 {with a clear advantage.}) 14. Re3 {Primavera has underestimated the strength of the attack on his g2 or else he would have reinforced it with 14.Re1} Nxf2 {[%mdl 512]} 15. Kxf2 Ng4+ 16. Kf1 Rd8 { A major slip that should have cost most of his advantage.} ({is also a path to nowhere.} 16... Qh4 17. Qe1 Nxe3+ 18. Bxe3 Qxh2 19. Nf3 {and white has equalized.}) (16... Bc5 {leaves white in dore straits.} 17. Nce2 Qh4 {Now this is really good.} 18. Rg3 Nxh2+ 19. Kg1 Bxd4+ 20. Nxd4 {and black is winning.} Qxg3) 17. Rf3 {[%mdl 8192]} (17. h3 {keeps white in the game after} Nxe3+ 18. Bxe3 Bc5 19. Nce2 Bxd4 20. Nxd4 c5 21. Qc1 cxd4 22. Bg5 Qd7 23. Bxd8 Qxd8 { Black is better, but that's not to say white is going to lose.}) 17... Nxh2+ 18. Kg1 {Black now plays what was the winning move in previous variations, but now it's not...it's a gross blunder that loses!} Bc5 {[%mdl 8192] Grob has overlooked his opponent's reply.} (18... Nxf3+ {wins...} 19. Nxf3 Bc5+ 20. Kf1 Bg4 21. Qe1 Bxf3 22. gxf3 Qd7 23. Be3 Bxe3 24. Qxe3 Qh3+ 25. Kf2 Qh2+ 26. Kf1 Rd2 27. Nd1 Qh1+ 28. Qg1 Qxf3+ 29. Nf2 Qe2+ 30. Kg2 Qxe4+ 31. Kh3 Qf3+ 32. Qg3 Rxf2) 19. Rxf7 {Stunning! Amazing! Startling! Shocking!} Bxd4+ (19... Qxf7 20. Bxf7+ Kxf7 21. Qh5+ Kg8 22. Qxc5) 20. Kh1 (20. Kxh2 Qh4#) 20... Qe5 {A casual glance may give the impression that black still has an attack, but all he can do is play on a bit on inertia.} (20... Qxf7 21. Bxf7+ Kxf7 22. Kxh2 Be6 23. Qh5+ {White is winning.}) 21. Rf5+ Kh8 22. Rxe5 Bxe5 23. Qh5 Ng4 24. Bg5 Nf2+ 25. Kg1 Bg4 26. Qh4 {Black resigned} (26. Qh4 Rf8 27. Be3 {Black loses more material.} Rf6 28. Bxf2 h5 29. Bd1 Rh6 30. Bxg4 hxg4 31. Qxg4 Rf8 32. Rd1 Bf6 33. Bc5 Rg8 {White wins at will.}) 1-0

ut misplayed it and lost.

 

 

Imre Koemig

    IM Imre Koenig (February 9, 1901 - September 9, 1992) was born in Kula, Hungary when it belonged to pre-World War I Austria. After the war he became a Yugoslav by nationality; Kula is now in Serbia. 

    Koenig spent much of his life in Vienna, but in 1938 he emigrated to England and became a British citizen in 1949. The English climate adeversely affected his health, so in 1953 he moived to California. 

    He became a promising player at an early age and in 1920, while in college, he met Spielmann, Tartakover and Reti, who sparked his interest in the Hypermodern style. 

    Koenig’s results were handicapped by a poor temperament for tournament chess which prevented him from achieving greater success in the international events. He played for Yugoslavia in the chess Olympiads of 1931 and 1935 and finished 2nd in the 1922 Yugoslav championship. In international tournaments his best result was at Hastings 1948/49 where he finished 2nd behind Rossolimo. 

    The following game is one of his later efforts that was played in Fresno in the 1962 annual Northern California vs. Southern California match. This was a massive 43 board event which was won by the northern team by a score of 28.5-14.5.

    His opponent was FM Tibor Weinberger (born 1932), a Hungarian master who played in five Hungarian championships from 1952 through 1956. He settled in the United States in 1957.

 

 

 

    This game is far from perfect and hardly shows either player at their best, but the quick reversal of fortunes illustrate the point, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” See more Yogisms 

 

[Event "North-South Match, Fresno"] [Site ""] [Date "1962.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Imre Koenig"] [Black "Tibor Weinberger"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A07"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "91"] [EventDate "1962.??.??"] {B24: Closed Sicilian} 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 {The Closed Sicilian tends to be more positional in nature. White will usually go for a K-side attack. Black will either play in the center or expand on the Q-side.} Nc6 {This is black's most common reply; it is not yet known if white will play for d4 or 3.g3} 3. g3 { This is the thematic move in the Closed Sicilian. White intends to control the light squares in the center and make it difficult for black to play ...d5} g6 { This is the most common move for black.} 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 e6 {At this point white almost always plays the routine 6.Be3 and 9.Qd2.} 6. Nh3 {A rare sideline, while not as common as 6. Be3 or 6. f4, aims to play a delayed f4 and launch a K-side attack usinf the f-file. Black has a wide variety of good responses.} Nge7 7. O-O O-O 8. Bg5 (8. Be3 b6 9. Qd2 d5 10. Bh6 Bb7 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. Nxd5 exd5 14. Rae1 {is completely equalm but in Suttles, D (2470)-Westerinen,H (2450) Havana 1966 they played on and black somehow eventually manages to win.}) 8... h6 9. Be3 d6 (9... b6 10. Nf4 Bb7 11. h4 Nd4 {Black is slightly better. Krnic,I (2166)-Tomazini,Z (2370) Legnica POL 2013}) 10. Qd2 Kh7 11. Rab1 {Highly unusual. Realizing he has no real prospects on the K-side, Kownig turns his attention to the other side.} (11. f4 f5 {This blunts white's prospects on the K-side sp he gas to cast about for play elsewhere.}) 11... Rb8 12. Ne2 Ne5 13. f3 b6 14. b4 Bd7 15. Nf2 f5 (15... cxb4 16. Qxb4 d5 17. f4 N5c6 18. Qa3 (18. Qd2 d4) 18... d4 {leaves black with a solid position.}) 16. f4 {Of course, white wants open lines for his as of yet only potential K-side attack that black's last move has made possible.} N5c6 17. bxc5 dxc5 18. e5 {The immediate 18.d4 leads to equalizing exchanges.} Qc8 19. c3 Nd5 20. Bxd5 $1 exd5 21. d4 c4 {White has a protected passed e-Pawn, but it doesn;t confer any advantage because black is solidly in control of e6.} 22. Qe1 Rf7 23. Nd1 Bf8 24. Bc1 b5 25. Ne3 Be6 26. Bd2 Qa6 {All of this maneuvering has not really lead anywhere. Black threatens the a-Pawn whicj Koenig now mistakenly defends...it would have been better to let black have it. } 27. Nc1 {This allows black to gain some counterplay.} (27. Qd1 {keeps the balance.} Qxa2 28. Ra1 Qb2 29. Nc2 a5 30. Rb1 Qa2 31. Ra1 {draws.}) 27... b4 { [%mdl 512] This threatens to win with ...bxc3.} 28. cxb4 {This is a serious error.} (28. Kh1 {A pass to show the threat.} bxc3 29. Rxb8 cxd2 30. Qxd2 Nxb8 {Black has won a piece.}) 28... Nxd4 29. Bc3 Nc6 {Threatening ...d4} 30. Nc2 Bc5+ 31. Kg2 d4 32. Qf2 Bd5+ {Weinberger now has a winning position.} 33. Kh3 Be4 {Also very strong was 33...g5} 34. bxc5 Rxb1 35. Nxd4 g5 36. fxg5 hxg5 37. Ne6 {White's K is clearly in a very dangerous position and all black has to do in play 37...g4+ forcing it to h5. Instead, Weinberger plays his K to g6 so that it will allow him to deliver mate with 38...Rh7.} Kg6 {One wonders if Weinberger was expecting his opponemt to resign.} 38. Nxg5 Kxg5 {[%mdl 8192] As Yogi Berra once said, "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there." After this move the treat of 38...Rh7 cannot be met...or can ot?!} (38... Rxc1 {It's astonishing, but this is the only winning move black has!} 39. Nxf7 (39. Rxc1 Kxg5 {wins. For example} 40. Qd2+ f4 41. gxf4+ Kf5 42. Rg1 Rh7+ 43. Kg3 Nxe5 44. Bxe5 Qh6 { The Bs of opposite color are meningless because there isd a mate in 7.} 45. Bf6 (45. Kf2 Qxh2+ 46. Kf1 Qxd2 47. Rg5+ Ke6 48. Rg6+ Bxg6 49. f5+ Bxf5 50. Bd4 Rh1+ 51. Bg1 Bd3#) 45... c3 46. h4 cxd2 47. Kf2 Qxf4+ 48. Ke2 Qf3+ 49. Kxd2 Rd7+ 50. Kc1 Qa3+ 51. Bb2 Qe3#) 39... Rxc3 40. Nh8+ Kg7 41. Qf4 Qb7 42. Qh4 Qe7 {with an easy win.}) 39. Qd2+ {This completely turns the tables!} Kg6 {The threat is still ...Rh7+} 40. Qd6+ Kh7 {The K is forced to cut the R off fron h7.} 41. Rf4 {Now black;s KJ is in a mating net.} Kg8 42. Rh4 Qc8 43. Qg6+ Rg7 44. e6 {[%mdl 512] Coldblooded efficiency.} Rbb7 (44... Rxg6 45. Rh8#) 45. Bxg7 Rxg7 46. Qh6 {A bitter disappointnebt for Weinberger! A lucky escape for Koenig!} (46. Qh6 Kf8 47. Qh8+ Rg8 48. Qf6+ Ke8 49. Qf7+ Kd8 50. Qxg8+) 1-0

Simon Rubinstein

    Among the millions who perished in the Nazi concentration camps were a number if chessplayers, some well known, some not. One of the latter that few have ever heard of was Simon Rubinstein (c. 1910–1942), an Austrian master who participated several times in the Leopold Trebitsch Memorial tournaments that were held in Vienna. 

    These tournaments were a chess competition organized by the family of Austrian silk manufacturer Leopold Trebitsch. Twenty tournaments were played in Vienna between 1907 and 1938. Leopold Trebitsch (1842–1906) loved chess and je and his family contributed greatly to the Vienna Chess Club (Wiener Schachklub) to organize the series of tournaments. Because Trebitsch died one month before the first tournament the competitions were named in his memory. Six of the first nine events (1907–18) were won by Carl Schlechter, but his death in December 1918, along with the loss of the Club's Trebitsch fund in the aftermath of World War I, put a temporary halt to the tournament. In 1926, Trebitsch's son made more funds available, enabling eleven additional tournaments to be held until 1938, when Germany's annexation of Austria ended the event.

 

 

    Here is one of only a handful of known Simon Rubinstein's games. Chessnetrics estimates his highest rating to have been 2540 in 1937, ranking him in 67th place. On that list the leaders were: Euwe was first (2753) followed by Botvinnik (2752), Capablanca (2751), Alekhine (2750) and Reshevsky (2745). 

     

[Event "Trebitsch Memorial, Vienna"] [Site ""] [Date "1933.11.27"] [Round "?"] [White "Simon Rubinstein"] [Black "Karl Kopetzky"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D44"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "51"] [EventDate "1933.11.12"] {D26: Queen's Gambit Accepted} 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 dxc4 {The QGA is not a true gambit because white regains the P because it is unprofitable for black to keep it. White will try to use his center space to lainch an attack. Black will try to hold white;s center at bay and gain an advantage in the endgame by giving white an isolated d-Pawn. The resulting oisitons can lead to a sharp fight.} 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 c5 6. Bxc4 Nc6 7. O-O cxd4 8. exd4 Be7 9. Bf4 a6 10. Re1 O-O 11. Rc1 (11. Qd2 b5 12. Bb3 Bb7 13. a3 Qb6 {This position is nearly equal. Walta,P-Seto Wai Ling Dubai 1986}) (11. a3 {This is satisfactory if followed up correctly.} b5 12. d5 exd5 (12... bxc4 {This captur is wrong. Shevchenko,D-Tarnovetsky,R Evpatoria 2005 continued} 13. dxc6 Qb6 14. Nd4 Qxb2 15. Na4 {Whute won quickly.}) 13. Bxd5 Bb7 {with equal chances.}) 11... Nb4 12. a3 Nbd5 13. Be5 {He could also have pkaced a N on e5, but the text also works out well.} (13. Bg3 Nxc3 14. Rxc3 b5 15. Ba2 Bb7 16. Ne5) 13... b5 14. Ba2 { In these types of positions white wull set up a battery attacking h7 with Bb1 and Qd3} Bb7 15. Nxd5 Nxd5 16. Bb1 Qd7 17. Qd3 {[%mdl 2048] While the position is theoretically equal white seems to be the one with all the chances and to keep thing equal black will be forced to defend accurately which is never an easy task.} g6 18. Qd2 {The Q never leaves here, but apparently white was thinking about the possibility of Qh6. The immediate advance 18,h4 was equally giid.} Rfc8 19. h4 Nf6 20. Ng5 {White's pieces have a lot of pent up energy, but sp far black has defended in a satisfactory manner and the position is equal. However, black now slips up.} Nh5 {Black is barking up the wrong tree. Instead of trying to bust up whiye's K-side attack he needs to hunker down on the defensive.} (20... Rxc1 21. Rxc1 Bd8 22. Qf4 Nd5 {with a solid position.}) 21. Nxf7 {This speculative sacrifice pays off handsomely, but with correct defensem always a difficult job, black can equalize. The sharo\p 21.g4 secures a clear plus though.} (21. g4 Rxc1 22. Qxc1 Rc8 23. Qe3 f6 24. gxh5 fxe5 25. hxg6 h6 (25... hxg6 26. Bxg6 {is winning for white.}) 26. Ne4 Bxe4 27. Qxe4 Qxd4 28. Qxd4 exd4 29. Rxe6 {Black is in serious trouble.}) 21... Bxh4 { [%mdl 8192] Fatal! This P is meaningless. Taking the N keeps the chances eqiual...white can't whip up any serious threats.} (21... Kxf7 22. Qh6 Nf6 23. Bxf6 Bxf6 24. Qxh7+ Bg7 25. Bxg6+ Kf8 {An interesting position that is theoretically equal: white has 3 Ps vs. a B. In Shootouts using Stockfish white scored +1 -0 =5. Using the older, weaker Fritz 5.32 white scored +1 -2 =02. So, in actual play the outcome would be unclear.}) 22. Nh6+ Kf8 23. g4 Rxc1 24. Rxc1 Qd5 {Played with the forlorn hope that white will overlook the mate.} 25. f3 Bf6 26. Be4 {Black resigned.} (26. Be4 Qd8 (26... Qd7 27. Rc7 { wins}) 27. Bxf6 (27. Bxb7 Bxe5 28. gxh5 {also wins}) 27... Qxf6 28. Bxb7 Rd8 29. gxh5 Rxd4 30. Rc8+ Ke7 31. Ng8+ {etc.}) 1-0

Jacques Mieses, the Rodney Dangerfield of Chess

    Jack Roy (1921-2004, age 82), better known by his stage name Rodney Dangerfield, was a stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer who was known for his self-deprecating humor and his catchphrase "I don't get no respect!" and his monologues on that theme. 

    Jacques Mieses (1865-1954) might have said the same thing because these days he seems to be remembered (if at all) for losing games. Writing the October, 1944 issue of the British Chess Magazine, Miese himself wrote, “...I have always been an erratic player, even when I was at my best. At that time, when Marshall and myself entered a tournament, the general opinion was that we could as well finish at the top as at the tail of it.” 

    In his prime from the early1900s to the early 1920s Chess metrics has him generally just outside the top ten best players in the world. His highest estimated rating of 2660 was in 1907 which placed him at #11 on the list. The top 10 were: Lasker, Maroczy, Tarrasch, Schlechter, Rubinstein, Marshall, Duram Teichmann, Janowsky and Forgacs. In 1921 Mieses was ranked #9 at 2625/ Cearly he was a better player than most of us give him credit for and he did play a lot of great games. He had a very aggressive style that won him many brilliancy prizes, but he also suffered some catastrophic losses. 

    Mieses was born on February 27, 1865, in Leipzig as a scion of a merchant family. He studied natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences, aiming to understand fundamental principles and processes governing the universe, living organisms, and Earth's systems.) In 1882 at the age of 17, he won the Berlin Championship. 

    In 1937, he was nearly killed in a serious car accident and spent almost a year in the hospital. He was affected by World War II and was persecuted by the Nazis, but he managed to escape their clutches and make it to England. When he arrived there in 1938 he had the equivalent of what amounted to about $150 in buying power, but he somehow managed to survive and eventually became a British citizen. 

    Mieses was an international referee and worked as a journalist writing columns and reporting on tournament reports for newspapers across Europe. He also gave a lot of blindfold and simultaneous exhibitions. Although long past his prome, in 1950, FIDE awarded him the GM title and he remained a strong player in his old age. At the age of 88 he took part in the London Blitz Championship.His daily exercise routine included calisthenics, pushups and swimming and remained interested in world events. He died shortly before his 89th birthday on February 23, 1954, in London. 

 

    Today’s game was played in the Congress of the German Chess Association pf 1902 that was played in Hanover. The game is typical of both players…a messy tactical affair. After playing an old fashioned gambit which, by the way, Marshall himself used frequently early in his career, Mieses’ attack isn’t quite strong enough to finish Marshall off. But, when, in a winning position, Marshall played 30…Qc5 he overlooked Mieses’ stunning finish. 

 

[Event "13th DSB Kongress (Hanover)"] [Site ""] [Date "1902.07.21"] [Round ""] [White "Jacques Mieses"] [Black "Fank Marshall"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C21"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "63"] [EventDate "1902.07.21"] {C21: Danish Gambit} 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 {Black gets slightly better results with 3... d5} 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2 d6 {Black has a wide choice of moves here, but this move along with 5...d5 are most often seen.} 6. Qb3 Qd7 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. Nd5 $1 {The position is equal.} Na5 9. Qg3 f6 {While this shields g7 it would have been safer to eliminate the B. However, the ensuing complications probably could not be calculated OTB.} (9... Nxc4 $11 10. Bxg7 Bxg7 11. Qxg7 Qg4 12. Qxh8 Qxg2 13. Nf6+ Kf8 14. Rc1 Be6 15. Qxg8+ Qxg8 16. Nxg8 Kxg8 {with equak chances.}) 10. Be2 {A few years later Mieses found an improvement.} (10. Bb5 c6 11. Bc3 Ne7 12. Bxa5 Nxd5 13. exd5 cxb5 14. Ne2 { White is better and eventually won. Mieses,J-Berger,J Vienna 1908}) 10... c6 11. Nf4 Nh6 12. Qc3 b6 13. Nf3 Be7 14. Nd4 O-O 15. Nde6 Re8 {This looks good, but the position is very complicated. Instead of the text which leaves black with a poor, if not lost, position, he should have guarded g7 with 15...Rf7} ( 15... Rf7 16. Rd1 Bf8 17. f3 Qe7 {with equal chances.}) 16. Bh5 {This is tactically faulty and leaves white with a lost position!} (16. Nxg7 {is a winner.} Kxg7 17. Nh5+ Kf8 18. Nxf6 Bxf6 19. Qxf6+ Qf7 20. Qxh6+ Kg8 21. f3 { and white has won a piece.}) 16... Bf8 17. Bxe8 Qxe8 18. Nxf8 Qxe4+ 19. Ne2 Ba6 {Stepping up the pressure. 19...Kxf8 was playable, bit not as effective.} 20. O-O-O Bxe2 21. Rd4 Qxg2 22. Re1 Rxf8 23. Rxe2 d5 24. Qe3 Nc4 25. Qe6+ Nf7 { Voluntarily accepting a pin on the N causes his advantage to disappear.} (25... Kh8 {leaves white with no effective continuation.} 26. Rd1 Qf3 27. Rde1 c5 { Black;s N+4Ps shpuld prove superior to white's R.}) 26. Rg4 {Black must be careful!} Qf1+ (26... Qxh2 {results in disaster.} 27. Rxg7+ $1 {[%mdl 512]} Kh8 28. Qxf6 Qf4+ 29. Qxf4 Nxb2 30. Qf6 Nd3+ 31. Kd2 h6 32. Rxf7+ Kg8 33. Qg7#) 27. Re1 Qxf2 28. Re2 {After this black is back in charge.} (28. Bxf6 {Of course the B cannot be taken because of the pin on the g-Pawn. It's surprising that two excellent tacticians missed this move.} Qd2+ 29. Kb1 Na3+ 30. Ka1 {and black can draw with 30...Nc2+ or he can try to win with 30...g6}) 28... Qf1+ 29. Re1 Qf2 (29... Qf3 {Now ...h5 is a strong threat.} 30. Bxf6 g6 31. Bb2 Nxb2 32. Kxb2 Kg7 {Black's Ps should prove to be enough compensation for the exchange.}) 30. Re2 (30. Bxf6 {was the only way to keep the balance.} Qd2+ 31. Kb1 Na3+ 32. Ka1 Nc2+ 33. Kb1 Na3+ 34. Ka1 Nc2+ 35. Kb1 Na3+) 30... Qc5 { Threatening a dangerous looking discovered check, but Mieses is alert to the mate in 4 this move permits!} 31. Rxg7+ Kh8 (31... Kxg7 32. Qxf6+ Kg8 33. Qg7#) 32. Rg8+ {Black resigned. It;s mate in 2} 1-0

Classic Capablanca

    Moscow 1935 was conceived by Nikolai Krylenko, the head of Soviet Chess, to test the Soviet players against the Western players. Eight foreign masters, including two former World Champions, were invited. The joint winners were Botvinnik and Flohr, but in what was hailed as a "biological miracle" the 66-year-old Emanuel Lasker was undefeated and finished just half a point behind them. The biological niriacle was because in Germany in 1935 life expectancy for men was around 60.68 years. This was to be his last great tournament performance. In the following game from that event Capablanca executes a brilliant attack on both sides of the board. 

 

[Event "Moscow"] [Site ""] [Date "1935.02.22"] [Round ""] [White "Jose Capablanca"] [Black "Vyacheslav Ragozin"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E24"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "97"] [EventDate "1935.02.15"] {E32: Nimzo-Indian} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 {This is unusual for Capanlanca who usually preferred 4.Qc2.} Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 d6 {Ar this point black has a wide array of choices. Capablanca himself played 5...b6 against Lilienthal at Hastings, 1934 and ended up with an inferior game.} 6. Qc2 { White usually plays 6.f3. but the text is equally good.} O-O 7. e4 e5 8. Bd3 c5 {Black hioes that white will play 9.d5 after which qhite's c-Pawns will be suject to attack.} 9. Ne2 Nc6 10. d5 (10. O-O b6 11. f4 exd4 12. cxd4 cxd4 13. h3 Re8 14. Bb2 {equals. Miljkovic,M (2266)-Mitrovic,D (2371) Nis 2009}) 10... Ne7 {This passive defensive move is often played even today, but a better plan might be eyeung white's weak Ps with 10...Na5 followed by ...b6 and ...Ba6} 11. f3 Nd7 {Black is getting himself into a cramped position and here the idea of playing ...f5 is not going to work.} 12. h4 {This launches a strong K-side attack and so Ragozin devises a startling plan...he is going flee with his K to the Q-side! The problem is that the time consumed with this plan gives white way too much control of the board and he ends up with a commanding position.} Nb6 13. g4 f6 {There is nothing at all wrong with this move in itsself, buy it is black's idea to move his K all the way over to the other side of the boatd that is faulty. He is successful in doing so, but in the process he hets a very passive game and allows Caoablanca to improve his position unhendered. Black's chances lie on the Q-side and by placing his K there any P advance will leave it exposed to attack} 14. Ng3 Kf7 (14... Bd7 { is a better plan. Play might continue...} 15. O-O Rb8 16. h5 Na4 17. f4 b5 { Even here though white's chances must be considered better.}) 15. g5 Ng8 16. f4 Ke8 17. f5 Qe7 18. Qg2 Kd8 19. Nh5 {This N is headed for e6 via g7. On e6 it will be a great hindrance to black.} Kc7 20. gxf6 gxf6 (20... Nxf6 {was somewhat better.} 21. Qxg7 {If black trades Qs the N still reaches e6, so...} Rf7 22. Qh6 Nxh5 23. Qxh5 Nd7 24. Bg5 {White has a dominationg position. He can bring the R on a1 into play with Ra2-g2 etc.}) 21. Ng7 Bd7 22. h5 Rac8 23. h6 Kb8 {Success. The only problem is that strategically his position is lost.} 24. Rg1 Rf7 25. Rb1 Qf8 26. Be2 Ka8 {A good indication that black is bereft of ideas.} 27. Bh5 Re7 28. Qa2 Qd8 {Ragozin hopes that with his K is tucked away pm a8 it will be safe, but white starts an attack on it there, too.} 29. Bd2 Na4 30. Qb3 Nb6 (30... Rb8 31. Ne6 Bxe6 32. dxe6 Nb6 33. Bf7 {with a dominating position.}) 31. a4 {[%mdl 544] Beginning another onslaught on black's K. This innediate threat is to win the N with 32.a5} Rb8 32. a5 Nc8 33. Qa2 Qf8 34. Be3 b6 35. a6 {Black's position is simply horrible. With the exception of his Q none of his pieces can move and all he can do is await white's coup de grâce.} Qd8 36. Kd2 Qf8 37. Rb2 Qd8 38. Qb1 b5 {A desperate attempt to gain breathing room.} 39. cxb5 Nb6 40. Qa2 {Preventing ...Nc4} c4 { Creating another weakness om d6 and Capablanca wastes no time in taking advantage of it. But passive play pm b;ack's part is also doomed to failure.} 41. Qa3 Qc7 42. Kc1 {He has not forgotten about the K-side!} Rf8 43. Rbg2 Qb8 44. Qb4 Rd8 45. Rg3 Rf8 46. Ne6 Bxe6 47. dxe6 Rc7 48. Qxd6 Ne7 49. Rd1 { Black resigned. He could play on, but loss is inevitable, so why waste time simply shifting his pieces around?} 1-0

The All Around Hobby Player

    The past week was spent spectating in person and watching on television college basketball (the Akron Zips and the West Virginia Mountaineers), but now that the Mountaineers’ season is over and the Zips don’t play again until Friday it’s time to resume chess activities. 

    Back in December I reviewed the Fritz 19’s personalities that you can play against. The available opponents are: Beginner, Hobby Player, Club Player, Strong Club Player, Master Candidate and Grandmaster. 

    For another test game today I chose Hobby Player. For each opponent you can choose a style: All Around, Aggressive, Swindler, Positional, Timid and Endgame Specialists. I selected All Around. I am guessing the selection I chose plays at the 1400-1500 level. 

    My recent games against the machine seem to confirm the opinion that I reached back in December...the games could very well have been played by a couple of non-Masters. 

    The All Around Hobby Player caught me off guard with the ancient Philidor Defense and although the opening was not one of the main line variations, they were plausible until black’s 6...d5 which did not work out too well, but it’s pointless 7th move was already a losing one. The bot seems to like the Philidor Defense which is known as a solid but passive choice for Black and is probably as good as anything else in amateur play. 

     Once again I must conclude that the Fritz 19 program is a good choice for anyone who wants to play against a computer opponent, wants to play online at Playchess,com, study all phases of the game, annotate games or publish games. It packs a lot of gear for about $100. 

[Event "Test Game"] [Site "?"] [Date "2025.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Tartajubow"] [Black "All Around Hobby Player"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C41"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2025.03.17"] {C41: Philidor Defence} 1. e4 d6 2. d4 e5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. dxe5 Nxe4 5. Bc4 c6 6. Nbd2 d5 {Feeble.} (6... Nxd2 7. Bxd2 d5 8. Bd3 Nd7 {White has played 9.b4, 9. e6 and 9.c3, all reasonable moves.}) 7. Nxe4 a5 {Pointless.} (7... dxc4 8. Qe2 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. Rd1 Qc7 11. Qxc4 {White is better developed and has more space, but black's position is tenable.}) 8. Bg5 Qb6 (8... Be7 9. Nd6+ Kf8 10. Bxe7+ Kxe7 11. Bxd5 cxd5 12. Qxd5 {Stockfish gives white a large advantage and Fritz comments the he is clearing winning. In the case of the amateurs involed let's just sat white should win.}) 9. Bxd5 {Because black is going to win back the piece, I decided on this simply because it picks up a P. Stockfiah says this is not bad, but much less strong than castling.} (9. O-O h6 10. Bh4 dxe4 11. e6 {A nice little tactical shot.} Bxe6 12. Ne5 {Even better than the obvious 12.Bxe6} Bxc4 13. Nxc4 Qc7 {Here, too, the engine says white is clear. y winning.} 14. Qg4) 9... cxd5 10. Qxd5 Be6 (10... Qxb2 11. Qd8#) 11. Qd3 Nd7 ( 11... Qxb2 12. Qd8#) 12. O-O {Played without hesitation because it's too dangerous to take the P.} {Actually, the P might as well be captured because 12...h6 13.Be3 isn't a whole lot better.} Qxb2 13. Rfb1 Qa3 {Now what? White has a winning position, but to be honest at this point I was stumped and couldn't think of any clear way to concinut so just made what seemed to be a neutral move.} 14. Qb5 (14. Nd6+ {I considered this, but black can exchange Qs and it didn't seem like a good idea to allow him to do so because his Q is in a bad location on a3} Bxd6 15. exd6 Qxd3 16. cxd3 h6 17. Be7 Rb8 18. Nd4 Ne5 19. Rc1 Nxd3 20. Rc7 {Still, white has a decisive advantage.}) 14... Be7 { I came within a whisker of grabbing the b-Pawn, but at the last second noticed the Q is trapped/} 15. Bc1 (15. Qxb7 {is not a disaster though...} O-O 16. Nd4 Bxg5 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Qxd7 Qe7 19. Qxe7 Bxe7 20. Rb7 {and wgite should win the ending.}) 15... Qxf3 ({seems better.} 15... Qb4 16. Rxb4 Bxb4 17. Be3 O-O { White has a Q+P vs. R material advantage.}) 16. gxf3 O-O 17. Qxb7 {Here white has a Q+P vs. B mterial advantage.} Rab8 18. Qa7 Ra8 19. Qe3 Bh3 {Black has some piece activity, but is down too much material to claim any compensation. But...this move was seanky; I didn;t suspect anything. My problem now is to activate my pieces.} 20. Bd2 Ra6 21. Rb7 {Safer was 21.Kh1} h5 {Pointless. It takes black a couple of move to play the R to g6/} 22. Rab1 Rfa8 23. f4 Rg6+ 24. Ng5 (24. Kh1 {This hasty move would not be a tital disaster thanks to white's big material advantahe.} Bg2+ 25. Kg1 Bxe4+ 26. Kf1 Bxc2 27. Rxd7 Bxb1 28. Qb3 Bf5 29. Rxe7 Rf8 30. Bxa5) 24... Bf5 25. Kh1 a4 26. Qf3 (26. e6 { was even stronger.} Bxe6 27. Nxe6 Rxe6 28. Qf3) 26... Bg4 27. Qd5 Rf8 28. e6 ( 28. Rxd7 {was even stronger.} Bxg5 29. fxg5 Bxd7 30. Qxd7 Re6 31. Rb7 {Black is out of useful moves.}) 28... Nf6 29. exf7+ {Here I decided to retun the Q just to simplify matters.} Kh8 30. Rxe7 (30. Qd3 Rh6 31. Rxe7 h4 32. Bc3 Rh5 33. Bxf6 Rxg5 34. fxg5 Bh5 35. Qf5 Bxf7 36. Rxf7 Re8 37. Qg6 Re1+ 38. Rxe1 gxf6 39. Qh7#) 30... Nxd5 31. Re8 (31. Rb8 {mates in 11} Bf3+ 32. Kg1 Rxg5+ 33. fxg5 Rxb8 34. Re8+ Kh7 (34... Rxe8 35. fxe8=Q+ Kh7 36. g6#) 35. Rxb8 Kg6 36. f8=Q Nf6 37. gxf6 Bd5 38. fxg7 Bf7 39. Rb6+ Kf5 40. Qxf7+ Ke4 41. Rb4+ Ke5 42. Bf4#) 31... Rxg5 32. Rxf8+ Kh7 {Why not 33.fxg5 woulf be a good question and I can't answer it!} 33. h4 {Rh8+! would kill now.} Bf3+ 34. Kh2 Rf5 35. Rbb8 Kg6 { Now I realized the P won;t Q and so had to come up woth a different plan.} 36. Rb5 Rxf7 37. f5+ Rxf5 38. Rxf5 Kxf5 39. c4 {And here I did something we are unable to do in games agasinst live opponents...I resigned for black.} 1-0

Still One of the Best in the Country

    In 1969, Robert Fischer had a USCF rating of 2755 which placed him well over 100 points ahead of the 58-year-old Samuel Reshevsky who was followed by Pal Benko, Larry Evans, Lubomir Kavalek, William Lombardy, Robert Byrne, William Addison, Arthur Bisguier and Walter Browne. 

    In the absence of Fischer, Reshevsky’s undefeated victory in the 1969 US Championship, which was also a Zonal, showed that the old veteran was still one of the best players in the country. 

    If it was a Zonal, why wasn’t Fischer playing even though it meant he would not have a shot at the World Championship again until 1975? The short answer is that he was being a snot. 

    In a letter to Ed Edmondson, the Executive Director of the USCF, in which Fischer declined his invitation, he accused Edmondson of lying about the previous championship and, also, he (Fischer) believed the championship had to be 22 rounds just like the Soviet, Hungarian and other East European countries. They took chess seriously over there plus the small number of players in the US Championship made it too risky...one loss could cost you the title or you could miss qualifying. 

    It had been a long dry spell for Reshevsky who had last won the championship in 1946! Second place finisher William Addison and third-place finisher Pal Benko also qualified for the Interzonal. Nevertheless, thanks to Edmondson’s negotiations Benko stepped aside and Fischer was allowed to take his place and the rest was history.

 

    The following game is Reshevsky’s snappy first round win over Dr. Karl Burger. Owing to Addison’s surprising play, Reshevsky didn’t take the lead until round 9 and then held on to it. Going into the last round he was a half point ahead of Addison so to make sure he got a spot in the Zonal, he offered his opponent, Larry Evans a quick draw. Evans declined and ended up losing while Addison defeated William Lombardy to take second. 

     Reshevsky's first round opponent was Karl Burger (1933-2000, 67 years old), a physician and an IM who also had two GM norms (three were required for the title). This was his only US Championship appearance, but at one time he had been Bobby Fischer’s teacher at the Manhattan Chess Club. 

    The game feature an oft-played variation that poses problems for black starting at move 12! Burger lost because he failed to activate his Q-side pieces. In the last 12 moves of the game Burger had to make 6 Queen moves. 

[Event "US Champ/Zonal, New York, 1969"] [Site ""] [Date "1969"] [Round "?"] [White "Samuel Reshevsky"] [Black "Dr. Karl Burger"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E56"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "51"] [EventDate "1969.??.??"] {E56: Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 c5 6. Nf3 d5 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Ba5 10. Bd3 {Reshecsjy often played 10.Qd3} Qe7 {Here 10...cxd4 is better} (10... h6 {This is probably black's best move.} 11. Bc2 cxd4 12. exd4 Bc7 13. Qd3 e5 {equals. Almasi,Z (2689) -Quesada Perez,Y (2608) Havana CUB 2013}) 11. Ne4 Nxe4 (11... cxd4 12. exd4 h6 13. Be3 Rd8 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6 {was soon drawn in Balashov,Y (2470)-Uddenfeldt,D (2339) Rhodes GRE 2019}) 12. Bxe4 Bb6 (12... Rd8 13. Qa4 Bb6 14. dxc5 Qxc5 15. b4 Qc4 16. Qc2 Qxc2 17. Bxc2 f6 18. Bb2 e5 19. Bb3+ {½-½ Lukacs,P (2420) -Luczak,A (2440) Lodz 1979}) (12... cxd4 13. exd4 {is OK, but black must keep an eye on the possibility of Bxh7+} Bd7 {White is better after 14.b4 and 15.b5, but the time is not quite ripe for the B sacrifice although it is playable.} 14. Bxh7+ Kxh7 15. Ng5+ {and black has only one equalizing defense which has been pointed out in similar positions by Vladimir Vukovic in his excellent book Art of Attack in Chess.} Kg6 (15... Kg8 16. Qh5 Qxg5 17. Bxg5) 16. Qd3+ f5 17. Qg3 {with roughly equal chances.}) 13. dxc5 Qxc5 {It would have been safer to play 13...Bxc5. Now black's Q is harassed. In either case though white has a strong iitiative.} 14. b4 Qc4 {The text loses time so 14...Qg5 was probably a better choice.} 15. Nd2 Qc3 16. Ra2 {This threatens to win with Bb2.} Rd8 17. Rc2 {[%mdl 2048] White is really pushing.} Qe5 18. Bb2 Qg5 19. Qe2 Ne7 { Closing off the Bs diagpnal with 19...e5 was worth considering.} (19... e5 20. Nf3 Qh5 {and, at least, black has defensive possibilities.}) 20. f4 {At this point white's position can be considered a winning one.} Qh6 21. Nc4 f5 { A desperate attempt to block the B, but now black loses by force. It males little difference because he is lost no matter when he plays.} 22. Nxb6 axb6 23. Rc7 {[%mdl 32]} fxe4 24. Rxe7 Rd7 25. Re8+ Kf7 26. Rh8 {Black resigned. The main threat from this curious move is the infiltration into his position bt white's Rs.} (26. Rh8 Re7 27. Rc1 Qh4 28. Rcxc8 Rxc8 29. Rxc8 Rd7 30. Bd4 { with an easy win.}) 1-0

A Brilliant Giuoco Piano by Rossolimo

    GM Robert Byrne of Indianapolis, Indiana scored 6.5-0.5 on the first Puerto Rico Open held May 28-June 3 in Rio Piedras, acommercial and residential district in San Juan. Bernard Zuckerman finished second with 6-1. Sixteen-year-old Puerto Rican Champion Julio Kaplan and GM Nicholas Rossolimo headed a group with 5.5-1.5. 

    The sensation of the tournament was Nicolas Rossolimo’s brilliant Queen sacrifice in his game against Puerto Rican Master Paul Reissmann which was reminiscent of Marshall famous Queen sacrifice against Levitsky at Breslau, 1912. See the game HERE 

    In addition to being a brilliancy, the game is also an instructive example of opening play. Inexperienced players have all surely read that unnecessary Pawn moves in the opening delay the development of pieces and can have drastic consequences. Even so, they are still prone to waste time with moves like a3 (or ...a6) and h3 (or ...h6) in the belief that they are thereby securing their position against possible attacks by their opponent’s N or B. However, such moves are often mistakes unless there is a specific reason for them. 

    Pawn moves in the opening are a means of developing the pieces, but Pawns also play an important part in controlling the center. Watch how Rossoilimo does it using one of his favorite opening, the Giuoco Piano, one of the oldest recorded openings. Even so, Reissmann has the antidote that keeps the position equal, but he soon plays too passively and Rossolimo’s position just keeps getting stronger until it explodes with a Queen sacrifice. 

    Dating back to the 16th century, the Giuoco Piano was popular through the 19th century, but refinements for black pretty much put the kibosh on it at the top levels except as a surprise weapon. 

[Event "Puerto Rican Open, San Juan, 1967"] [Site ""] [Date "1967"] [Round "?"] [White "Nicolas Rossolimo"] [Black "Paul Reissmann"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C54"] [Annotator "Stockfiah 17"] [PlyCount "47"] [EventDate "1967.??.??"] {C54: Giuoco Piano} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 {It's interesting that in my database white's winning percentage remains about the same with this or the Ruy Lopez (a little over 30%), but black's winning percentage changes significantly. With the Ri Lopez it's 20%. With the Giuoco Piano it jumps to 28%.} Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 {White's last move did not aid his development so black takes the opportunity to get his pieces into play. This move, attacking the e-Pawn, is clearly his best.} 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ {Best. Black dare not play 6...Bb6 because wite would then gain time as well as space in the center with 7.d5} (6... d5 {Falls short after} 7. exd5 Bb4+ 8. Nc3 Nxd5 9. O-O { Black has to capture on c3 and whether he does it with the B or the N white has the better game/}) 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ {Safer than 7...Nxe4 which gets tricky tactically,} (7... Nxe4 8. Bxb4 Nxb4 {Now 9.Qb3 d5 is solid, but white can get fancy with} 9. Bxf7+ Kxf7 10. Qb3+ Kf8 11. Qxb4+ Qe7 12. Qxe7+ Kxe7 {and things have fizzled out to equality.}) 8. Nbxd2 {It would appear that white has now achieved the ideal and strong Pawn center he was aiming for, but black's next move is a strong counterattacking move that shatters the illusion that white has a dominating position.} d5 {This is the most precise way to counter in the center. He could also play the tricky 8...Nxe5 though.} 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Qb3 {White has an isolated d-Pawn which could be a disadvantage in the ending, so he must post his pieces as actively as possible and hope to attack.} Nce7 11. O-O c6 {Black is playing to keep control of the vital square d5..} 12. Rfe1 O-O 13. a4 {[%mdl 32] This position has been reached many times and white has tried a variety of moves, but the text dates back to the late 1800s when the imaginative Russian Mikhail Chigorin played it.} b6 {Black usually plays either 13...Qc7 or 13...Qb6, but neither is entirely satisfactory. Opening theoretician Czech GM Ludek Pachman asserted that 13... b6 (a new move at the time) contained the seeds of defeat, but a thourough engine analysis shows an evaluation of 0.00, meanign, not that the position is drawn, but that both side have chances. That said, from the practical point of view white's position looks more promising and it;s certainly easier to play} 14. Ne5 {White's pieces arc extremely active and he is entertaining 15.Nxc6 Nxc6 17.Bxd5} Bb7 {Oddlym it is this, the logical followup to 13...b6,cwhere black's troubles begin.} (14... Be6 15. Ndf3 (15. Ne4 f6 16. Nf3 Bf7 17. Ng3 Qd7 18. Rac1 Rfb8 19. Qd1 a5 {equals. Pereyra,H (2072)-Mazziotti Irigoyen,G (2149) Los Polvorines 2003}) 15... h6 16. Rac1 Rb8 17. Qa3 Re8 {equals. Pereyra,H (2072)-Mazziotti Irigoyen,G (2238) ARG 2003}) 15. a5 {Threatening 16. a6 Bc8 17.Nxc6} Rc8 16. Ne4 {White's pieces are all well positioned. Compare then to black's: His 14th move has left a pathe to f7 for his N and blacl,s K-side is befreft of defenders.} Qc7 {Another small mistake. The R should have moved here in order to make c8 available to the N.} 17. a6 {Forcing the B to the most remote corner where it can be of no use during the looming attack on the K.} Ba8 18. Qh3 {The centralized Ns are a major factor in white's attack on the K. There is a looming threat of 19.Ng5 h6 20.Nxf7} Nf4 ({A pass to illustrate the threat.} 18... Qb8 19. Ng5 h6 20. Nexf7 Rxf7 21. Nxf7 Kxf7 22. Qe6+ Kf8 23. Ra3 {The addition of this R to the attack spells the end.}) 19. Qg4 Ned5 20. Ra3 {The last undeveloped piece joins the action.} Ne6 {This mistake allows white to pull his beautiful finish.} (20... c5 {offers some hope of defending himself.} 21. Rg3 g6 22. Nf6+ Nxf6 23. Qxf4 Nd5 24. Bxd5 Bxd5 25. h4) 21. Bxd5 {The start of the winning attack...it removes a defender of f6.} cxd5 22. Nf6+ Kh8 23. Qg6 {[%mdl 512] White has a number of ways to win, but this move is both brilliant and strong. There is no playable defense..} Qc2 (23... gxf6 24. Qxf6+ Ng7 25. Rg3 Rg8 26. Nxf7+ Qxf7 27. Qxf7 Bc6 28. Qxa7 { wins}) (23... Ng5 24. Qxg5 Qd6 25. Neg4 Rc6 26. Rh3 gxf6 27. Qh6 {mates}) 24. Rh3 {[%mdl 512] There is no way of avoiding mate in 7} (24. Rh3 Ng5 25. Qxg5 gxf6 26. Qxf6+ Kg8 27. Ng4 h5 28. Rxh5 Qh7 29. Rxh7 Kxh7 30. Qh6+ Kg8 31. Nf6#) 1-0

Wanted by the Police

    Today’s game features the ancient Kings Gambit. Most of us regard it as a tactical opening, but it also contains a strategic idea...white offers a Pawn to divert black’s e-Pawn. If black accepts the Pawn then white can play d4 and Bxf4, regaining the Pawn and, at the same time, dominating the center. White also has the possibility of an attack on f7. The downside is that it weakens white's K-side.

    White fails in this game, but what’s more interesting than the game is white’s shenanigans off the board! The winner is the Dutch IM and Correspondence GM Hans Bouwmeester (born 1929) who has also authored a number of chess books.

    White was played by Brian Eley[2] (1946 – 2022) a former British champion. He was wanted by the British police on suspicion of sexual offenses against underage boys, and had been a fugitive from since 1991. Eley was among a group of talented British player who appeared in the 1970s after the dominance of Jonathan Penrose. He ran his own chess business selling books, chess sets, scorebooks, etc. 

    In 1979, James Plaskett, a future GM and British champion, reported to the president of the British Chess Federation about incidents of "misconduct" by Eley. The following year, Eley was fired from hus position as the England Team Manager after an unrelated incident. Howeverm as a BCF registered coach, he continued teaching juniors into the late 1980s. 

    In July 1991, Eley was arrested at home on suspicion of sexually abusing an underage boy he had once coached. He was released on bail which he then jumped and disappeared. He was subsequently charged with more than 30 similar offenses. He remained a fugitive, wanted by the British police and Interpol. 

    Over the years there were numerous unconfirmed sightings of Eley in various places, mostly in Amsterdam. According to reports his time as a fugitive was not good...he ran out of money he made from the sale of his house in England and he had to hustle small bets in cafes and doing computer work for a religious organization. 

    In 1992, he was identified in Amsterdam by English GM Stuart Conquest and a Dutch player who notified the police, but Eley was not apprehended. Supposedly he had friends in the city who believed his story that it was all a result of a disagreement with the BCF. Eley died in Amsterdam in April of 2022 from a respiratory infection.

 

[Event "Match: England vs. Holland"] [Site "Vlissingen NED"] [Date "1972.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Brian Eley"] [Black "Hans Bouwmeester"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C36"] [Annotator "Srockfish 17"] [PlyCount "48"] [EventDate "1972.10.28"] {C36: King's Gambit Accepted} 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 {This most natural continuation preventing ...Qh4+. In case of the immediate thematic 3.d4 after 3...Qh4+ 4.Ke2 white's K is insecure which offer black sufficient compensation for the loss of time with the Q which will hane to be moved again after Nf3. After the alternative 3.Bc4 it's a different story because after 3...Qh4+ 4. Kf1 black's Q is more vulnerable than white's K.} (3. d4 Qh4+ 4. Ke2 d5 5. exd5 Bg4+ 6. Nf3 Qh6 {Black is better; white will have difficulty recovering the P.} ) (3. Bc4 Qh4+ 4. Kf1 {Black has twi possibilities: the solid 4...d6 or the enterprising 4...g4}) 3... d5 {This is the Modern Defense; it's not necessarily the strongest but pt's the must solid continuation. In the old days 3...g5 prevailed because it protects the P and, if need be, after Nf3 the N can be driven away with ...g4 plus black can still play ...Qh4+} (3... g5 4. h4 {This prevents ...Qh4+} (4. Bc4 g4 5. O-O gxf3 6. Qxf3 {is the Muzio Gambit which few players today have the guts to play.}) 4... g4 5. Ne5 (5. Bc4 { Trying to ply the Muzio here is throughly bad.} gxf3 6. Qxf3 Nc6 7. d3 Ne5 { Whie is completely thwarted.}) 5... d6 6. Nxg4 Be7 {Black is ever so slightly better.}) 4. exd5 Nf6 {The idea behind 3...d6, the P on d5 is attacked.} 5. Bb5+ {Not white's only option. He can defend the P with 5.c4, 5.Nc3 or 5.Bc4. Instead, with the text move he hopes to exchange it.} c6 {Black must play energetically or he will drift into a [assive position which is why he avoids 5...Nbd7} 6. dxc6 Nxc6 7. d4 Bd6 {Black's aggressive play has given him just a sliver of an advantage.} (7... Qa5+ 8. Nc3 Bb4 9. a4 O-O 10. O-O {White has full equality/}) 8. Qe2+ {It was better to castle at once.} Be6 {Excellent! Black is going to end up with two isolated Ps, but his active pieces are sufficient compensation.} 9. Ng5 O-O 10. Nxe6 fxe6 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. O-O (12. Qxe6+ {at once is less effectibe because after} Kh8 13. O-O Bc5 14. dxc5 Qd4+ 15. Kh1 Ne4 {followed by ...Rae8 and white is facing a lot of pressure.}) 12... Qc7 13. Qxe6+ {Not really bad, but it's risky.} (13. Nd2 Rae8 14. Nc4 g5 15. Bd2 e5 16. dxe5 Bxe5 17. Nxe5 Qxe5 18. Qxe5 Rxe5 {And Sulskis,S (2559) -Melkumyan,H (2530) Benasque 2009 was eventually drawn.}) 13... Kh8 {Black has given back the P plus sacrificed one himself with the result of getting a lead in development White's only tleveloped piece is his Q which is now badly exposed. Even so, white is hardly lost! In reality, black has no more than a very slight advantage because he has no immediate crushing threats.} 14. Nd2 Rae8 {[%mdl 1024]} 15. Qc4 {The surprising retreat 15.Qh3 was better because it keeps c4 clear for the N.} g5 {Normally such a move is risky, but in this position black's pieces are so active that a P-stom decides matters quickly} ( 15... f3 {This equally good move was played many years later in Reprintsev,A (2310)-Chudinovskih,A (2360) Belgorod 1989 whicj continuted} 16. Nxf3 Ng4 17. h3 Rxf3 18. hxg4 Rxf1+ 19. Qxf1 {Here black missed the win with 19...Qe7 although he did eventually win. Winning was} Bh2+ 20. Kh1 Bg3 {White has no satisfactory was of meeting ...Re1} 21. Bg5 h6 22. Bd2 Qe7 {Intending ...Qh4+} 23. g5 Qe4 {There is no answer to ...Qh4+}) 16. Nf3 Ne4 17. Re1 {This loses quickly. The best, but still inadequate, try was 17.h6} g4 {Decisive.} 18. Ne5 Bxe5 19. Rxe4 Bd6 20. Rxe8 Rxe8 21. Qf1 f3 {After this black coasts to a win.} 22. gxf3 gxf3 23. Qxf3 Qg7+ 24. Qg2 Re1+ {White resigned.} 0-1

How to Study a Chess Book

Verica Nedeljkovic

    Before getting to the subject of today’s post I want to share a helpful site that translates entire web pages. On the site, simply copy the URL of the page you want to translate in the space provided and click on translate and the translated page is opened in a new window. Visit LEXICOL 

    Woman Grand master Verica Nedeljkovic (nee Jovanovic) was born September 16m 1929 and passed away at the age of 94 on December 13, 2023. From the mid-1950s to the late 1960s, she was one of the leading Yugoslav women's players winning the Yugoslav Women's Championship six times (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1958 and 1965). 

    An excellent student throughout her education, she studied at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Belgrade and graduated with as the first woman in the country to have a naval engineering degree. 

    She first worked for shipping companies and then from 1961 to 1987 she lectured at the University of Belgrade and also taught engineering at other schools. She also independently published an engineering textbook. o-author of several scientific research papers. 

    She learned to play chess at the in elementary school and when she moved to Belgrade in 1948 she joined the local chess club which she belonged to the rest of her life. She received the title of National Master title after winner of the Yugoslav Championship in Skopje in 1950. She earned the WIM title in 1954 and the WGM title in 1977. 

     Her opponent in the following game was Maria Albuleț (1932-2005). Romanian doctor and WGM and winner of the Romanian Women's Championship in 1951, 1955 and 1956. She was also known as Maria Pogorevici and Maria Albuleț-Pogorevici. She was also a correspondence player. She took part in the Women's Correspondence Olympiad (1974-1979) where the Romanian team took 6th place. 

[Event "Team Match-Women, Bucharest"] [Site ""] [Date "1958.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Verica Nedeljkovic (Yugoslavia"] [Black "Maria Pogorevici (Romania)"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "61"] [EventDate "1958.06.15"] [Source "Perpetual Check"] {B36: Sicilian: Maroczy Bind: Gurgenidze System} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 {At once time this was conce considered a refutation of the Accelerated Dragon, but black began losing fear of the Maroczy Bind back in the 1950s when ways were found for him to work himself loose from the Bind. White gets an advantage in space but black's position is fundamentally sound.} Nf6 {Thus move was advocated by GM Roman Dzindzichasvili because it allows black to draw white's Q to d4.} 6. Nc3 Nxd4 7. Qxd4 d6 {This prtevents white from playing e5.} (7... Bg7 {is met by} 8. e5 Ng8 9. Bf4 {and black lacks a really good reply.}) 8. Be2 (8. e5 {White can play this anyway because when black will not be able to castle.} dxe5 {By far the best.} 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. Be2 Be6 11. O-O Rc8 {Black has full equality.}) 8... Bg7 9. Be3 O-O 10. Qd2 { Black usually plays 10...Be6 and ...Rc8 putitng pressutre on the P on c4. Another good option is ...a5 and ...a4 followed by ...Qa5 aimimh fpr Q-side counterplay.} Ng4 11. Bxg4 Bxg4 12. O-O Be6 13. b3 Qa5 14. Bd4 (14. Rac1 Rfc8 15. Nb5 Qxd2 16. Bxd2 a6 17. Nc3 b5 18. Nd5 {Kochiev,I (2053)-Klepikov,N (2063) chess.com INT 2023. The chances are equal.}) 14... Bxd4 15. Qxd4 Qg5 {This is not a good place for the Q as it results in a loss of time. 15...Rac8 was better.} (15... Rfc8 16. Rfe1 Qc5 17. Qxc5 Rxc5 {½-½ Casas,F (2350) -Sanguinetti,R (2530) Santa Fe 1973}) 16. f4 Qc5 17. Qxc5 dxc5 {At first glance this position ,ay look drawish, but it actually favors white as Nedeljkovic quickly demonstrates.} 18. f5 {An excellent nive!} Bc8 {A square too far; the B should have stopped at d7, but even the after 19.Nd5 white has a great position.} (18... gxf5 19. exf5 Bd7 20. Nd5 {There is no good way to meet the attack on the e-Pawn.} Rae8 (20... Rfe8 21. Nc7) (20... e6 21. Nf6+) 21. f6 e6 22. Ne7+ {and black is in a serious bind.}) 19. Rad1 {Not at all bad, but 19.Nd5 was even stronger.} gxf5 20. exf5 e6 {Again, black's position looks like it can be defended, but white's next move seals black's fate.} 21. f6 { An absolutely fantastic move. Black's pieces are all confined helplessly to the 8th rank.} b6 22. Rf3 Bb7 23. Rg3+ Kh8 24. Rd7 Bc6 25. Re7 Be8 26. Ne4 Rg8 27. Ng5 {Moving in for the kill.} Rd8 {Naturally black wants her R on the open file, but the fly in the ointment is that it allows a mate in 7!} (27... h6 { avoids the matem but loses to} 28. Nxf7+ Bxf7 29. Rxf7 Rxg3 30. hxg3 a5 31. Re7 Kg8 32. Rxe6 Rb8 33. Re7 {is obviously hopeless for black.}) {This wins, too.} 28. Nxf7+ (28. Rxe8 {One can harld bla,e white for missing this problem-like move, but it's a real beauty!} Rd1+ 29. Kf2 Rd2+ 30. Ke3 {Black can delay, but not prevent, the mate.} h6 31. Kxd2 b5 32. Nxf7+ Kh7 33. Rgxg8 bxc4 34. Rg7#) 28... Bxf7 29. Rxf7 Rxg3 30. hxg3 Rd2 {The ending is clearly losst after, say 30...a6, but apparently enthused by grabbing the d-file black played this hasty move getting her R to the second rank, but overlooking the obvious.} 31. Rf8# {Perhaps not a flashy game, but still a very impressive win by Medeljkovic.} 1-0