Weinstein Upsets Shamkovich

    It doesn’t seem that long ago, but 1975 was 50 years ago. I wasn’t into music, but the disco craze was in full swing, mood rings became a popular fad and at the age of 19, Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft. 

    The world’s top rated players were 1) Bobby Fischer (2780), 2) Anatoly Karpov (2705), Vikto Korchnoi (2665), 4-6) Tigran Petrosian, Lev Poligayevsky (2645), and Mikhail Tal (2645), 7) Lajos Portisch (2635), 8-9) Bent Larsen and Boris Spassky (2625), Robert Huebner and Ljubomir Ljubojevi (2615).

    Bobby Fischer and FIDE failed to agree on the terms, some of which were quite radical, for Fischer’s defense of his world title. It’s just my opinion, but I believe he had a fear of losing to Karpov. 

    Fischer did not play from 1973 to 1991. He re-emerged to play a match against Boris Spassky in 1992, making the ridiculous claim he was still the World Champion and he was defending his title. He then retired from chess permanently. By that time chess had moved on, Fischer was a washed up champion and it was no great loss. 

 A number of players died that year. The best known being Paul Keres, Friedrich Samisch, Lajos Steiner, Nicolas Rossolimo, Karel Opocensky, Hans Johner, Vladimir Vukovic, Georg Kieninger, Abraham Baratz, Norman T/ Whitaker and John Morrison. 

    In US chess news, the US Championship and World Championship Zonal tournament took place in the small college town of Oberlin, Ohio. Walter Browne won with a score of 8.5-4.5. Also qualifying for the Interzonal was Kenneth Rogoff. Local favorite, Dr. Milan Vukcevich of Mentor, Ohio, just missed qualifying; he finished 3rd with 7.5-5.5, a half point behind Rogoff. 

    Today’s game comes from the Louis D. Statham Masters-Plus Championship (aka Lome Pine) that was won by Vladimir Liberzon. This was the fifth annual Lone Pine tournament and it set a world record in the number of International Grandmasters participating. . 

    Statham had invited literally every Grandmaster in the world to compete and guaranteed them that their air fare would be paid even if they failed to win a prize. It was unfortunate that the number of GMs was reduced due to politics. For example, three string Czech players were forced to withdraw: Jan Smejkal, Vastimil Jansa and Miroslav Filip. The reason? Their federation could not be given a guarantee that dissident Czech GM Ludek Pachman, who at the time was Stateless, would not be playing. 

    For those not familiar with Jansa, he had won the strong Atlantic Open on tiebreaks ahead of Matanovic, Bisguier. Zuckerman and 8almazi in New York City the previous November and his 2540 rating tied him for places 36-41 in the world. As for Pachman, he did not play at Lone Pine. 

    The surprise winner of this game was Norman Weinstein (born in 1950) who was awarded the IM title in 1973, the same year he won the US Open Championship. His opponent was GM Leonid Shamkovich ( 1923-2005) who was originally a Soviet player, but in 1965 he emigrated to the US by way of Israel and Canada. He lived in Brooklyn. 

 

[Event "Lone Pine"] [Site ""] [Date "1975.04.13"] [Round "1.11"] [White "Norman Weinstein"] [Black "Leonid Shamkovic"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B56"] [Annotator "Stickfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "66"] [EventDate "1975.04.13"] {B71: Sicilian Dragon} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. f4 g6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5 Nd7 9. exd6 exd6 10. Be3 Be7 {Best. At the time 10... Qe7 had often been played, but it was eventually realized that white obtained a lasting advantage after 11.Qd4 Bg7 12.Qxg7 Qxe3+} 11. Qd2 O-O 12. O-O-O Nf6 { One annotator gave this a question mark amd called it a fatal mistake, but that is hardly the case. The most precise is 12...d5 with good play.} 13. h3 Be6 14. Kb1 {Also good was 14.g4 at once, but Weinstein plays to limit black's opportinity counterplay before commencing his own attack.} Qa5 {In a later round Austrian GM Karl Robatsch played the equally good 14...d5, but black lost that game also.} (14... d5 15. g4 Bb4 16. Bg2 Qa5 17. a3 Ne4 18. Bxe4 Bxc3 19. Qxc3 Qxc3 20. bxc3 dxe4 {Weinstein,N (2465)-Robatsch,K (2455) Lone Pine 1975. The position is equal, but black lost in the ending.}) 15. b3 Qa3 { After this move black begins experiencing difficulties. Better was 15...d5 with equal chances} 16. g4 {White now launches a very strong attack. Another good plan was supporting the advance of the f-Pawn with 16.Bd3} Rab8 17. f5 { [%mdl 512]} gxf5 {This loses quickly, but even a better move, say 17...Bd5 would, not have helped much.} 18. Bd4 Nd7 19. Qh6 {White is clearly winning.} Ne5 20. Bd3 Kh8 21. gxf5 Bxb3 22. cxb3 {Threatening mate with f6.} f6 23. Rhg1 Rf7 24. Rg2 Qb4 25. Qe3 Rff8 26. Rdg1 Rg8 27. Kb2 Qa5 {At forst glance it may appear that black has been able to consolidate his position a bit, but Weinstein finisjes him off in an efficient manner.} 28. Rxg8+ Rxg8 29. Rxg8+ Kxg8 30. Bxe5 dxe5 31. Bc4+ Kf8 32. Qg3 Ke8 {Black could have prolonged the game a bit with 32...Ba3+, but the outcome would have been the same.} 33. Qg8+ {Putting vlack out of his misery.} Bf8 {Black lost on time.} (33... Bf8 34. Qf7+ Kd8 35. Qxf8+ {White mates...} Kc7 36. b4 Qb6 37. Be6 Qf2+ 38. Kb3 Qb2+ 39. Kxb2 e4 40. Qc8+ Kd6 41. Qd7+ Ke5 42. Ne2 e3 43. Qd4#) 1-0

Miniature by John W. Brunnemer

    Back in 1948, Fred Reinfeld published one of his potboilers, Relax With Chess and Win in Twenty Moves. An original hardback edition will cost you $40-50, but the 2011 papercback edition is available for about $10-25. In either case, save your money. 

    The book is aimed at beginners and intermediate players and allegedly will improve their chess skills with the focus on strategies that can lead to a quick win. Hogwash! 

     One of the brilliant miniatures in the book was played by a couple of unknown players. The loser is known only as Falling who fell hard. A bit more is known about the winner. It's a correspondence game played in 1920 by by John W. Brunnemer of South Nyack, New York. 

    He was born in Brooklyn in 1895 and passed away on December 24, 1948. He was a rabid fan of baseball’s Brooklyn Dodgers; the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958. They play Toronto tonight in game 7 to determine the winner of the World Series. He played for the old Brooklyn Chess Club in its heyday, won the American Correspondence Championship in 1919. 

    While living in New Jersey hrwas President of the North Jersey Chess League. He also held the state championship there from 1921 to1932. At one stretch during those championship years he went five years without losing a game. 

    He was a notable postalite (as they were called) with Chess Review where he had a Postal Master rating. Brunnemer had a classical style and prferred 1.e4 and was well versed in opening theory at a time when Hypermodern opening were all the rage.

 

[Event "Correspondence"] [Site "?"] [Date "1920.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "John W. Brunnemer"] [Black "Falling"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B45"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "35"] [EventDate "1920.??.??"] {B45: Sicilian Four Knights} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be2 Bb4 7. O-O Bxc3 8. bxc3 Nxe4 {This whole line is not without its dangers for black.} 9. Bf3 {This move has not goven white good results. He does better with 9.Bd3 or 9.Nxc6} Nxc3 {The annotator in Chess Review gave this a question mark commentig that it was not the best. Actually, it is the best...engines say so. Equally good, and more popular, is 9...d5} 10. Qd3 { According to a note in Chess Review this line has accounted for a lot of brilliancies on white's part as shown in Reinfeld's book. That may be the case, but if black plays correctly (10...Qf6!) the position offers equal chances.} Nd5 {[%mdl 8192] This loses.} (10... Nxd4 {While this does not lose, it leaves white with a condiserable advantage.} 11. Qxd4 Qf6 12. Qxf6 gxf6 13. Bb2 Na4 14. Bxf6 Rg8 15. Be4 {White is better. Zelcic,R (2495)-Bennett,J (2190) Geneve 1996}) (10... Qf6 {This is the coorect move as it maintains equal chances.} 11. Be3 Nd5 12. Nxc6 bxc6 {White can try either 13.Bd4 or 13.Bc5 with equality.}) 11. Bxd5 {The refuration of black's last move.} exd5 12. Re1+ {This forces black's K to run, but some ingenuity in white's part will be required.} Kf8 13. Nf5 d6 {There is no way of saving the game.} 14. Nxg7 {[%mdl 512] The N cannot be taken.} Ne5 (14... Kxg7 15. Qg3+ {Black can only delay mate by surrendering a lot of material.} Kf8 (15... Kf6 16. Qg5#) 16. Bh6#) 15. Nh5 {Threatens to win with Rxe5!} Be6 (15... a6 {A pass ti show the threat.} 16. Rxe5 dxe5 17. Ba3+ Ke8 (17... Kg8 18. Qg3+ {wins}) 18. Ng7+ Kd7 19. Qxd5+ Kc7 20. Qxe5+ Kc6 21. Qc5+ Kd7 22. Qd6#) 16. Rxe5 {[%mdl 512]} dxe5 17. Bh6+ Ke8 18. Qb5+ { Bkack resigned} (18. Qb5+ Bd7 {This avoids mate, but requires white to demonstrate some clever play.} 19. Ng7+ Kf8 (19... Ke7 20. Qb4+ Kf6 21. Qh4+ Kg6 22. Qh5+ Kf6 23. Qg5#) 20. Qxb7 Rb8 21. Qxd5 Qf6 22. Nf5+ Ke8 23. Nd6+ Ke7 24. Ne4 Qxh6 25. Qc5+ Kd8 26. Qxe5 {picks up one of the Rs.}) 1-0

Shipley vs. Janowsky Theoretical Duel

    Walter P. Shipley, president of the Franklin Chess Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, played a postal game against David Janowsky, who was living in New York City at the time, to test the Gledhill Variation against the French Defense.

    After the game was played it was thought the game vindicated Shipley's claim that the attack was good despite the fact that Capablanca, after considerable analysis, determined it was inferior. This agreed with Janowsky's assertion that the attack was unsatisfactory for white. As for the belief that this game vindicated Shipley's claim, it was based, as was often the case, on the result. It used to be common practice to praise every move of the winner and criticize all the loser's moves. Things are not often so simple. 

    While visiting New York City Shipley met Janowsky at the Manhattan Chess Club. When WW1 broke out Janowsky, Champion of France, was in Germany taking part in the Mannheim tournament when he was interned with the Russian masters, but later escaped into Switzerland and finally came to the United States.

    Shipley and Janowsky were discussing the Gledhill Attack and Janowsky stated the attack was new to him because he considered the French inferior for black and never played it. So, he had never made a serious study of it. They set up the position after the seventh move and Shipley played 8.Qg3 which Janowsky met with 8...Ng6 with the idea of freeing his dark squared B the task of defending the N on f5. Janowsky concluded that black then had the better game, believing white had sacrificed a P for very little compensation. Shipley disagreed. 

    At about that time Capablanca showed up and Shipley and Capa played several skittles games with Capa adapting Janowsky's suggest line. Naturally, Capa won and so Shipley believed he was apparently wrong in his judgment of white's chances. But, to more thoroughly test the variation a correspondence game was arranged with Janowsky agreeing to take the black pieces. 

 After his 9th move (9.Ndb5) Shipley believed he had the better game and if Janowsky agreed, the game should be abandoned. Janowsky disagreed and replied, “Relative to your remark that you think you have the better of the game, I do not agree with your position.” Capablanca wrote, I believe that white has a chance, but also black has the best of it, nevertheless.” Shipley admitted that the opinion of these two players was superior to his, but believed that it was always possible that an “offhand opinion given by the best masters may be shaken by thorough analysis.” Although Shipley is listed as playing the white pieces analysis appearing in the American Chess Bulletin makes it clear he was in consultation with other strong Philadelphia players. 

    The Gledhill Attack remains pretty much unexplored although a series covering it, Secrets of Opening Surprises, by New in Chess is available. Yorkshire Chess History site has an interesting article about Walter Gledhill HERE. 

[Event "Correspondence"] [Site ""] [Date "1917.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Walter Penn Shipley"] [Black "David Janowsky"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C11"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "67"] [EventDate "1917.??.??"] {C11: French: Gledhill Attack} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Qg4 { This is the Gledhill Attack. It leads to a dangerous, if somewhat risky, attack for white.} c5 6. Nf3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 {The modern response is 7.Nb5. White can recapture with the Q which is also acceptable.} Nxe5 8. Qg3 {This move arrives at what was considered the critical position. This attack was first analyzed by Walter Gledhill of Leeds, England about 1900 and several articles were published in British Chess Monthly during 1900-1901. This position had been examined previously and it was believed black has the better game. Shipley disagreed, but the prevailing opinion was correct; black is slightly better.} Ng6 {Developing with 8...Nbc6 was better.} 9. Ndb5 {[%mdl 1024] This fine move by Shipley is the only move by which white can maintain his slight advantage as it forces black's N to an unfavorable square.} Na6 10. h4 { Aggressive play.} (10. Be3 {is too slow to gain any advantage.} b6 11. Nd4 Nc7 12. Nc6 Qd6 13. Qxd6 Bxd6 14. O-O-O O-O 15. Kb1 Bd7 {Here after the better 16, Nd4 black has a significant advantage.} 16. Nb5 Bxc6 17. Nxd6 Rfd8 18. Nxf7 Kxf7 {Tran Le Dan,T-Medina,W Da Nang 2008}) 10... Bc5 {Gledhill's suggestion was 10...Be7, but in that case white would recover his P and eventually get a strong attack by bringing his Q over to the Q-side. Capablanca suggested 10... Bb4 as the best move. With the move played. which happens to be the best one, Janowsky is relying on what was described at the time as an "ingenious defense" inaugurated by his 12th and 13th moves.} 11. h5 Ne7 12. Bd3 {This move is actually better than capturing the g-Pawn. Shipley now expected expected 12...Kf8 because he thought castling left black with no defense.} (12. Qxg7 {12.Bd3 1.10 Published analysis of the day considered this unsatisfactory. } Rg8 13. Qxh7 e5 14. Be3 Bf5 15. Qh6 d4 {with plenty of play.}) 12... O-O { This is risky, but 12...Bd7 doesn't offer black much and Janowsky was never afraid of taking a risk.} (12... Kf8 {is too defensive for Janowsky's taste.} 13. h6 g6 14. Bg5 {leaves black too tied up.}) 13. Bh6 Nf5 {This is the move Janowsky was relying on when he played 10...Bc5. The game was being followed by all the Philadelphia players, all of whom overlooked Janowsky’s ingenious method of extricating himself from white’s strong attack. A Philadelphia player named C.S. Martinez was an exception. He had predicted 13...Nf5. All the observers were correct as the position is still in white’s favor.} 14. Bxf5 {[%mdl 128]} Qf6 15. Bxh7+ Kxh7 16. Bf4 Bd7 {After the game Janowsky commented that black has a slight advantage here: his K is safe, the c-file allows him a line of attack and white’s P-formation on the K-side is a poor one. Actually, after 16...Bd7 it's whpte who is better owing to the compromised position of black's K. However, Janowsky's observation would have been correct had he played 16...e4! counterattacking i the center.} (16... e5 17. h6 g6 18. Bxe5 Bxf2+ 19. Kf1 Bxg3+ 20. Bxf6 Re8 {with fully equal chances.} ) 17. O-O-O Nb4 {Janowsky is playing too aggressively.} (17... Bxb5 18. Nxb5 Nb4 19. a3 Nc6 20. Rd3 (20. Nd6 e5) 20... a6 21. Nc3 Rac8 {with good defensive chances.}) 18. Nd6 {At the time annotators thought this move constituted a "daring adventure" because he will have difficulty in extricating it, but on the plus side, as long as it’s on d6 it’s a thorn in black’s side and at this point white stands much better. Note that unlike in the variation after 17...Bxb5 black does not have a N on c6 and so cannot play ...e5} Bc6 19. Rd2 Qe7 20. a3 a5 {After this Janowsky is left with a lost position. In any case his position was not very good.} (20... Rad8 21. axb4 Bxd6 22. Bxd6 Rxd6 23. h6 g6 24. b5 Bd7 25. Re1 {and white has all the play/}) 21. Be5 {As was often the case, if Janowsky offered a piece it paid to look twice.} (21. axb4 axb4 22. Nb1 Rad8 23. Nxf7 Qxf7 24. Be5 Rd7 {with equal chances.}) 21... f6 22. Qg6+ { Shipley ignores the N (taking it now would lose) and conducts a winning attack. } (22. axb4 axb4 23. Nb1 fxe5 24. Qg6+ (24. Qxe5 Qxd6 25. Qxd6 Bxd6) 24... Kg8 25. h6 Rf6 26. Qg3 g6 {White's attack is over and his N is trapped.}) 22... Kg8 23. h6 Bd7 24. Bf4 {It was safe to tke the N nowm but it can wait.} Bc6 25. hxg7 Qxg7 26. Qxg7+ Kxg7 27. axb4 axb4 {With an extra piece the win is a matter of technique.} 28. Rd3 $1 {[%cal Rd3g3]} Bxd6 29. Rg3+ Kf7 30. Rh7+ Ke8 31. Bxd6 bxc3 32. bxc3 Ra6 33. Rgg7 Ra8 34. Bc7 {Black resigned} 1-0

Age Catches Up With Edward Lasker

    It’s probably not possible to drive the 11,600 mile trip from New York City to Mar del Plata in Argentina, but by air the10.330 mile trip takes 16 hours. In 1949, it was different and when the 64-year-old Edward Laske accepted his invitation to the tournament in Mar del Plata, he had to take a two month leave of absence from work and make a flight that too twice the time it does today 

    The travel and the five hour playing sessions over 16 rounds proved too much for him and he found himself exhausted after 4 hours into the games. As a result, he ruined a lot of games by making outright blunders as seen in his game against Rossetto. After showing this game it's only fair to call attention to his most famous game against Sir George Thomas that is presented on YouTube HERE. 

    Edward Lasker (1885-1981, 95 years old) was born in a part of the German Empire which today is a part of Poland. Before World War I he moved to London, England, but after the outbreak of the war he left for the United States. When America entered the war, he was sent enlistment papers, but with the right of exemption as a German. He waived his right hoping it would expedite his request for American citizenship; however, the war was over before he was called. He was a distant relative of the more famous Emanuel Lasker. 

     Lasker was never greatly appreciated as a player, but Chessmetrics assigns him 1 high rating of 2583 in 1923. That does not seem too high today, but in 1923 it placed him at #21 in the world.

 

   

     Hector Rossetto (1922-2009, 86 years old) was born in Argentina. Awarded the GM title in 1960, he was Argentine champion in 1942, 1944, 1947, 1961 and 1972. He was also Champion of South America in 1963.

[Event "Mar del Plata"] [Site ""] [Date "1949.04.02"] [Round "15"] [White "Edward Lasker"] [Black "Hector Rossetto"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C05"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "62"] [EventDate "1949.??.??"] {C06: French Tarrasch Variation} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 {Com[ared to 3.Nc3 the advantages of this move are that the d-Pawn can be supported with c3 and all lines where the N is pinned by ...Bb4, especially the Winawer Variation, are eliminated. The disadvantage is that tje N obstructs the B and there is a possibility that black can start operations against the d-Pawn.} Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 b6 {The idea of exchanging his bad B for wite's good one by playing ...Ba6. The usuakm and probably better plan is 6...Nc6 putting pressure on the d-Pawn.} 7. Qe2 {While this hinders ...Ba6 it seems preferable to continue his development with 7Ne2.]} Nc6 {More exact is first 7...cxd4 followed by ...Nc6-b4} 8. Ndf3 {This move took Lasker 45 minutes thought; he intends to sacrifice a P for the sake of development.} (8. Ngf3 cxd4 9. cxd4 Nb4 10. O-O Nxd3 11. Qxd3 {Black has full equality. Antunes,A (2445)-Arencibia Rodriguez,W (2425) Santa Clara 1990}) 8... cxd4 9. Bb5 {There was no reason to give up the e-Pawn with this move. Simply 9.c3 would have resulted in complete equalty. Now blaclk has slightly better prospects.} Qc7 10. Nxd4 {The point of giving up the e-Pawn is that black must now lose a good deal of time with his N and white can use the time to further his development. Still, black has no weaknesses in his position and a P is a P.} (10. cxd4 Nb4 {threatening ...Nc2+ and white has a difficult position.} 11. Kf1) 10... Ncxe5 {Fundamentally white has no center which just does not look right.} 11. f4 Nc4 {Well played!} 12. Ngf3 {Note that white has the potential for a N sacrifie on e6, but it's not good at this time nor does the opportunity to play it ever materialize, but such things are good to take note of.} (12. Nxe6 fxe6 13. Qxe6+ Be7 {and white has no way of continuing the attack.}) 12... Be7 (12... Bc5 {was stringer, White's best continuation would be} 13. f5 e5 14. f6 gxf6 15. b4 Bxd4 16. cxd4 a6 {Black is holding all the cards.}) 13. O-O a6 14. Ba4 b5 {[%mdl 32]} 15. Bc2 Nf6 {Here or on the next move black should castle.} 16. a4 b4 17. b3 Na5 { Black has managed to lose time with his N and here it's out of play so the centralizing 17...Nd5 was better. Now things are looking up for white.} 18. f5 {The most active.} (18. cxb4 {After the game Najdor spent some time analyzing this move, bit he correctly concluded that 18.f5 was the best move.} Bxb4 19. Bb2 O-O 20. Ne5 Ne4 {Black is in no danger at all.}) 18... e5 {[%mdl 2048]} 19. Nxe5 {Offering the trade of Qa with 19.Qe5 would have been safer. Lasker had now consumed more than two hours and had been sitting at the board for nearly four hours. He confessed that as a result fatigue begam setting in at a time when the complications were growing.} O-O 20. Nd3 {This retreat is fault. 20. cxb4 followed by 21.Nef3 was correct.} bxc3 21. Bf4 Bd6 22. Qf2 Nc6 23. Rad1 { The last few moves were played at blitz speed and black has emerged with a considerable advantage.} Bb7 24. Nc5 {Lasker was getting short of time and insterad of playing it safe he unwisely went for complications with the result that his position has completely collapsed.} (24. Bxd6 $17 Qxd6 25. Qf4 Qxf4 26. Rxf4 Rfc8 27. Nxc6 Bxc6 28. Rd4 {Black is clearly better, but white can at least play on.}) 24... Ng4 25. Qg3 {He could still have stayed in the game with 25.Bxd6. Instead he makes a terrible blunder. It's black to play and win.} Nxd4 26. Qxg4 Bxf4 27. Nxb7 Be3+ {Excellent.} (27... Qxb7 {is the wrong path.} 28. Rxf4 Nxc2 29. f6 g6 30. Qg5 Qb6+ 31. Kh1 Ne3 32. Qh6 Qxf6 33. Rxf6 Nxd1 { The situation is unclear. White has a Q vs. R+N+2Ps and anything can happen.}) 28. Kh1 Nxc2 29. f6 {This is not dangerous to black because the Q can't reach h6.} g6 30. Qe2 Qxb7 31. Qxc2 d4 {White resigned. White's lack of a center is clearly evident in the final position.} 0-1

Fine vs. Horowitz Match of 1934

20-year old Reuben Fine

    In 1934, a significant event in US chess was the founding of the American Chess Federation which evolved from the Western Chess Association. It was also the year the first women's tournament, hosted by the Marshall Chess Club, was played. It was won by Marjorie Luce, also known as Mrs. William Seaman, with a perfect score of 11-0. 

    The Manhattan Chess Club won the Metropolitan Chess League with a perfect 11-0 score, and Robert Willman won the club championship. 

     According to Chess metrics in 1934, 20-year old Reuben Fine (1914-1993) was ranked #25 in the world with a 2604 rating. Israel A. Hororwitz (1907-1993), age ge 27, was ranked #92 with a 2469 rating. 

    In their natch that year, as the ratings suggest, Fine won by the score of +4 -1 =3. Since appearing on the chess scene a few years earlier Fine quickly developed the steadiness of a seasoned veteran as the match score indicates and he was already recognized as one of the country’s leading players.

 

[Event "Match"] [Site ""] [Date "1934.06.??"] [Round "2"] [White "Reuben Fine"] [Black "Israel A. Horowitz"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D18"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "73"] [EventDate "1934.??.??"] {D16: Slav Defense} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. a4 {Best. This move serves a double purpose. It prevents black from protecting the P on c4 and, also, limits black's counterplay in the Q-side.} Bf5 6. e3 Na6 {Black has never had very good results with this move. Better was the routing 6...e6} 7. Bxc4 Nb4 8. O-O e6 9. Qe2 Be7 10. Rd1 {Usual, but not necessarily better, is 10.Ne5/ White has had excellent results with 10.e4} O-O 11. e4 Bg4 12. Bb3 { An excellent move! It's odd looking, but it prevents ...Bxf3 and ...Nc2xd5. In the ensuing middlegame whitehas contro; of the center and better mobility and he is in a position to initiate a K-side attack. Black, on the other hand has no definite objective and his pieces are not very active. As a result, all he can do is matr time while hoping that Fine mishandles the attack.} Qa5 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Rad8 15. Be3 Rd7 {The advance ...c5 is the move black would like to play, but white can always meet it with the advance of the P to d5. Ni\or can he safely play ...e5 because it opens up a path for white's B to the potentially vulnerable f7.} 16. g4 Rfd8 {Black does not want to voluntarily make a P move on the K-side, but holding up the advance of white's g-Pawn with 16...h6 weas actually a better line.} (16... h6 17. Rd2 Nh7 18. Rad1 {Even here white has a very active position with pressure both in the center and on the K-side.}) 17. g5 Ne8 18. h4 c5 {Horowitz likely felt he had to do something because playing defensively with ...g6 and ...Ng7 looks gloomy,} 19. d5 e5 20. h5 Bd6 21. Kg2 a6 22. Rh1 Nd3 23. g6 {Black cannot afford to capture the this P nor can he afford to advance either one of his K-side Ps, but he has a decent defensive try with 13...c4 followed by ...Nf4} c4 (23... hxg6 24. hxg6 Nf6 25. Bg5 Nf4+ 26. Bxf4 exf4 27. e5) (23... fxg6 24. hxg6 Nf6 25. Bg5 Nf4+ 26. Bxf4 exf4 27. e5) (23... h6 24. Bxh6 gxh6 25. Qxd3) (23... f6 24. Ne2 Qb4 25. Bc2 Nf4+ 26. Bxf4 exf4 27. Qc3 Qxc3 28. bxc3 h6 29. Kf3 {White has a decisive advantage.}) 24. Bc2 Nf4+ 25. Bxf4 exf4 26. e5 {This nifty P sacrifice make room for his light squared B to get into the action.} Bxe5 27. Bf5 Re7 28. gxf7+ Kxf7 29. Rae1 Bxc3 30. Be6+ Kf8 31. bxc3 Nf6 {It looks like Horowitz has weathered the storm, but white has a decisive advantage. However.. .after Fine’s next move Horowitz though his position was defenseless, but 32. Rh4 was, in fact, a mistake.} 32. Rh4 (32. Qxf4 {secures the win, The best line is} Rxd5 33. Bxd5 Qxd5+ 34. f3 Rxe1 35. Rxe1 {and white has a decisive advantage.}) 32... Rxd5 {Capturing on d5 is correct, but not with the R!} ( 32... Nxd5 33. Re5 Qb6 34. Rf5+ Nf6 35. Bxc4 Ke8 36. Rfxf4 Rd6 {incredible as it seems, black has survived and is right back in the game.}) 33. Rxf4 Rg5+ 34. Kf1 Ke8 35. Rxf6 gxf6 36. Qxf6 Rgg7 {This results in the R getting trapped, but there was nothing better.} 37. h6 {Black resigned, Except for his hiccup on move 32, a smooth performance by Fine.} 1-0

Komodo 14 Beginner...Hardly!

    Friday dawned dark and dreary with a temperature of 42 degree and rain showers. There was nothing to do so I tested Komodo 14’s Beginner engine to see how it played; I lost three games. 

    I have a lot of engines on my laptop, but only use Stockfish. It’s the strongest engine and it’s only “disadvantage”, if you can call it that, is that it nitpicks even Grand master games. 

     Supposedly, you can adjust the Beginner skill level using the "Skill" setting found in the engine's parameters, but my Fritz program does not offer that option. I had to use the old Fritz 12 program and select the Komodo Beginner engine. Using Fritz 17 and 19 will only allow me to play against the Fritz engine.

 

    As you can see from the chart generated by Fritz 19 using Stockfish for analysis, the Komodo engine’s play was hardly at the beginner level. 

     In any case, for those who like to tinker with engines and are interested, you can download older versions of the Komodo and Dragon engines for free on their site HERE. 

 

[Event "Game 10"] [Site "?"] [Date "2025.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Tartajubow"] [Black "Komodo 14 Beginner"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E81"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "104"] [EventDate "2025.??.??"] {E81: King's Indian: Saemisch Variation} 1. e4 g6 {A surprise! I was expecting 1...e5} 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4 d6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. f3 {Planning on a P-storming attack against by beginning opponent's K; it didn't come close to happening.} O-O 6. Be3 c5 7. d5 {Statistically the idea of closing the center and P-storming black does not work out thjat well and so the preferred move here is 7.Nge2} e6 8. Bd3 {Better is 8.Qd2} (8. Qd2 {It's important to note that Bh6 isn't going to work.} exd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. a4 (10. Bh6 {runs into} Nxe4 11. Nxe4 Qh4+ 12. g3 Qxh6 {Black has snagged a P.}) 10... Re8 {and black cn meet Bh6 with ...Bh8 so white has to try something else. My database offers 8 reasonable choices.}) 8... exd5 9. exd5 {I was thinking this keeps an line to the K-side for my B, but it's the wrong recaoture. Black now gets more pressure on the e-file than I anticipated.} (9. cxd5 Re8 10. Qd2 a6 11. a4 Nbd7 12. Nge2 Ne5 13. O-O Rb8 { us the main book line.}) 9... Re8 10. Qd2 Bh6 {While this takes advantage of the pin on the e-file black would to better to simply play 10...Nbd7} 11. Nd1 { At this point I was disgusted with my play; I an clealy on the defensive and the hope of a K-side P-storm is gone.} b5 {Not exactly a beginner's move. It's Stockfish's top choice and the auto-analysis gave it a "!"} 12. Ne2 (12. b3 { looks like a waste of time...black continues} Qe7 13. Kf2 Bg7 {The defense of 33 has succeeded, but not there is a threat on the long diagonal.} 14. Rc1 Nbd7 {White has nothing constructive.}) 12... bxc4 {Now my d-Pawn is weak.} 13. Bxc4 Bxe3 {Exchanges only help white, so 13...Bg7 as in the note above was better.} 14. Nxe3 {The position is equal, but all white can to is twiddle his thumbs and react to whatever black undertakes.} Nbd7 15. O-O {It's hard to be critical of castling, but a more active idea was 15.Nc3 and 16.Bb6} Qe7 16. Kf2 {This exposes the K a bit, but the N had no decent square to which it could retreat. tockfish evaluates this position as only very slightly in black's favor, but I had the feeling that I was losing.} Qe5 17. b3 Nb6 (17... Qxh2 { is quite safe.} 18. Rh1 Qe5 19. Rae1 {The position is equal...white can dream of getting the Q to h6 and some play on the h-file.}) 18. Bb5 Bd7 19. Bxd7 Nfxd7 {The exchanges have eased white's defensive burden.} 20. h3 {This represents a change of mind about offering the h-Pawn, but it's a poor decision!} (20. Nc3 Qxh2 21. Ng4 (21. Rh1 Qf4 22. g3 Qg5 23. Rad1 Re7 24. Nb5 Rae8 25. Rhe1 Nc8 {is good for nlack.}) 21... Qh4+ 22. g3 Qd8 23. Nh6+ Kf8 24. Ne4 {and white is right back in the game.}) 20... a5 {[%mdl 2048] Black is more active and with white defending e3, black switches opertions to the Q-side.} 21. Nc3 a4 22. Rfe1 axb3 23. axb3 Rxa1 24. Rxa1 Qd4 {The position is equal, but defending the still weak e3 plus two isolated Ps is a heavy defensive birden.} 25. Rd1 {Of course the Q can't be taken because of the P fork on the Ns.} Qh4+ 26. Kf1 {Retreating to g1 was correct.} Qb4 {I missed this.} 27. Kf2 f5 {Prevents Ne4} (27... Qxb3 {This is what I expected, but didn't notice tht after} 28. Rb1 Nc4 29. Qe1 (29. Qc1 Nde5 30. Rxb3 Nd3+) 29... Nb2 30. Qd2 Nc4 {the position is back to equal, or black can deaw by repeating moves.}) 28. Re1 Nf6 29. Rd1 Re5 (29... Qxb3 {is out of the question now.} 30. Rb1 Nc4 31. Qc1 {Black loses material.}) 30. Na4 {Hoping to exchange another piece.} Qf4 {Threatening a N fork on e4} 31. Nc3 Nh5 32. Ne2 {Covers g3} Qh4+ 33. Kf1 Qe7 34. Kf2 {Hoping black will take a draw by repeating moves.} Qg5 35. Qd3 f4 {Winning the d-Pawn} 36. Ng4 Rxd5 37. Qb1 {In spite of his horribly passive position white is still equal!} Nf6 (37... Rxd1 38. Qxd1 {and white has play because of black's weak d-Pawn,}) 38. Nxf6+ Qxf6 39. Rxd5 { Eliminating Rs was the wrong decision because the ending ow favors black} (39. Qa1 Qxa1 40. Rxa1 g5 41. Ra6 Nd7 {Would probably be a draw. B;acl is hindered by having his R in front of the d-(awn.}) 39... Nxd5 {[%mdl 4096] I felt pretty confodent that I could draw this Q ending.} 40. Qa2 {Qa8+ is the strong threat.} Qe6 41. Qa8+ Kg7 42. Qa7+ Kh6 43. Qb8 {Hoping to get some checks in, but this loses.} (43. Qa8 {Attacking the N is the only way to save the game/} Qe3+ 44. Kf1 Qd3 45. Qf8+ Kh5 46. Ke1 Qe3 47. Qf7 Nb4 48. Qxh7+ Kg5 49. Qh8 Nd3+ 50. Kd1 {Neither side can win from this position/}) 43... Qe3+ 44. Kf1 Qe5 45. Qf8+ Kh5 {The K has avoided further checks, but with 46.Kf2 white would still be in the game.} 46. Qf7 {[%mdl 8192] Of course the threat is Qxh7+, but it's black to play and win.} Ne3+ 47. Kf2 Nxg2 {[%mdl 576]} 48. Qxh7+ Kg5 49. Qc7 Qe3+ 50. Kxg2 Qxe2+ 51. Kg1 Qe1+ 52. Kg2 Qg3+ {[%mdl 64] White resigned. Thankfully beginners do not play like black did!} 0-1

Staggering Endgame Complications

    Everybody loves to study openings and tactics and as much as they love to study those they hate to study endings. In the days of yesteryear I had Fine’s Basic Chess Endings, an endgame book by Euwe in German and what was probably the most helpful, The Endings in Modern Theory and Practice by R.C. Griffiths. I spent a lot of time studying K+P and R+P endings. It was pretty much a waste of time because few of my blunderfests ever got to that point. For the record there is an Endgame Frequency Table that appears on thechessworl site. 

    Endings are hard as the following game shows. At one time Isaac Kashdan was one of the best players in the world and he knew endgames. So did Al Horowitz who, himself, was at one time a world class player. Yet the complications of this ending were too much for Kashdan and in his annotation Horowitz missed a lot. The ending was something only Stockfish can calculate; it just couldn’t be done over the board. You have to feel sorry for Lasker; he really didn’t deserve to lose this game! 

 

 

    The game was played in the 1944 New York Metropolitan Chgess League which was won by the Manhattan Chess Club. When all adjourned games were finished, the final score was an overwhelming 62.5-5.5 score for Manhattan. 

    The individual match between long time rivals, Manhattan and Marshall, was much closer than anticipated. On paper Manhattan should have won by a large margin as their team was much stronger, particularly on the lower boards. 

 

[Event "Metropolitan League Match, New York"] [Site ""] [Date "1944.03.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Edward Lasker (Marshall CC)"] [Black "Isaac Kashdan (Manhattan CC)"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D19"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "142"] [EventDate "1944.??.??"] [Source "Chess Review, Ma"] {D18: Slav Defense} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 d5 {Rgusm the Slav, isoreferred by some because it does not shut in the light squared B.} 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. a4 { This move constrains black;s Q-side Ps and is by far the most popularm bur it's not the only option...white has played just about every plausible move.} Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. O-O O-O 9. Ne5 {At the time the "Chessplayer's Bible" (i.e. Modern Chess Openings) recommended 9.Qe2, but it has been supplanted by the text becuse it affords white better attacking chances.} Nbd7 10. f4 (10. Nxd7 Qxd7 11. f3 Rfd8 12. Qb3 a5 13. Rd1 Bg6 14. e4 {with equal chances. Pashikian,A (2614)-Mikaelyan,A (2350) Yerevan 2015}) 10... Nb6 { Also good was 10...c5} 11. Bd3 {On one hand this move eliminates black's well placed B, but on the other hand ot violates a general principle that when you want to attack you should avoid the exchange of pieces. 11.Be2 also supports his intended g4 and so is preferable.} Nbd5 {Black is not comcerned about doubled f-Pawns becsuse they would constrain white's activity.} (11... Bxd3 12. Nxd3 Be7 13. Kh1 Nbd5 14. Re1 Nxc3 15. bxc3 Ne4 {with a solid position. Colpe, M (1962)-Schubert,S (1788) Willingen 2005}) 12. g4 {Aggressive play!} Bxd3 13. Qxd3 c5 14. Na2 {Also good was 14.g5 going all out for an attack, but Lasker apparently changes his mind and takes a different course.} a5 15. e4 {This is actually better than advancing the g-Pawn. Lasker avoided playing g5 because he believed that 15.e4 would yield better results. Afyer the game he thoughtm as did Al Horowitz, that 15.g5 was better. It's not.} (15. g5 Nd7 16. Nxd7 Qxd7 17. e4 {White still needs to play this.} Ne7 {and there is no K-side attack and the position offers equal chances.}) 15... Nb6 16. Nxb4 axb4 17. dxc5 Qxd3 $1 18. Nxd3 Nxa4 19. Re1 Rfd8 {There was no reason to avoid 19...Nxg4. The text allows a surprising response.} 20. c6 bxc6 (20... Rxd3 21. cxb7 Rb8 22. Rxa4 Nxg4 23. Ra8 Rdd8 24. Rxb8 Rxb8 25. Rd1 Kf8 26. Rd7 {White's position looks much more dangerous than it is; the R on the 7th rank, usually a potent weapon. turn out to be impotent here.} Nf6 27. Rc7 Ne8 28. Rd7 Nf6 {etc. If the R leaves the 7th rank the position is drawn.}) 21. Nxb4 Nc5 {[%mdl 2048]} 22. Rxa8 Rxa8 23. Nxc6 Nxg4 24. b4 {Fortunately for Kashdanm he has enough resources to cope with this passed P.} Nd3 25. Rd1 Ngf2 26. Rd2 {[%mdl 8192] This is a tactical error that loses the f-Pawn and gives black what turns out to be a winning P-majority on the K-side. White's passed b-Pawn can be dealt with.} (26. Rf1 {also costs a P, but after} Nxe4 27. b5 Ndc5 {there is just no way to make any progress against black's Ns.}) 26... Nh3+ 27. Kg2 Nhxf4+ 28. Kf3 Ra1 (28... g5 {Mobilizing his Ps should win, but the road to victory is much too complicated to visualize over the board! For example...} 29. b5 Nxc1 30. b6 Ra3+ 31. Kg4 f6 32. Rd8+ Kg7 33. Rd7+ Kh6 34. b7 Ncd3 35. Kf3 (35. b8=Q Nf2#) 35... Ne5+ 36. Kf2 Nxd7 {wins easily.}) 29. Bb2 Rb1 30. Ne5 {[%mdl 8192] Thus ius a losing move...or it should have been.} (30. b5 {This leads to enormous complications with n uncertain outcome. Perfect play would likely lead to a draw. With less than perfect play the game could go either way.} g5 ( 30... Nxb2 31. Rd8#) (30... Rxb2 31. Rxb2 Nxb2 32. b6 {wins}) 31. b6 Nxb2 32. Rd8+ Kg7 33. b7 Nc4 34. b8=Q Rxb8 35. Rxb8 Nd2+ 36. Ke3 Nf1+ 37. Kf2 Nxh2 38. Kg3 Nf1+ 39. Kf2 Nd2 {The position is equal, but if anybody has winning chances it's black.}) 30... Rxb2 31. Rxb2 {This position is amazing, astonishing, incredible and sensational! Who wouldn't play Kashdan's next move?!} Nxb2 {...probably everybody, but taking the R throws away the win.} ( 31... Nxe5+ 32. Kg3 (32. Kxf4 Nd3+) 32... Nh5+ 33. Kg2 Nf6 34. b5 Nc4 35. Rb4 Nb6 {Analysis demonstrated the win which too nearly a hundred moves.}) 32. Kxf4 {[%mdl 4096] Needless to say the ending favors black, but that's not to say that white is lost. There is a lot of play in the position, but it's white who has the harder task.} f6 33. Nc6 Kf7 34. Ke3 {Somewhat better would have been 34.e4} e5 35. Na5 Ke6 36. Kd2 Na4 37. Nc4 Kd7 38. Kc2 Kc6 39. Kb3 $2 {This reasonable looking move should have lost.} (39. Ne3 Nb6 40. Kc3 Kb5 41. Nf5 g6 42. Nd6+ Kc6 43. Ne8 Nd7 44. Kc4 Nb6+ 45. Kc3 Nd7 {Neither side can maker any progress.}) 39... Nb6 40. Na5+ Kb5 41. Nb7 g6 {This one last bit of preparation before the final phase shou;d have allowed white to eqalize.} ( 41... Nc4 {Threatens to win the e-Pawn with ...Nd2+, so...} 42. Nc5 Nd6 43. Kc3 h5 {The idea is to get a passed P in the K-side.} 44. h3 g5 {Now white's K must hurry to the K-sdie ans his P falls.} 45. Kd2 Kxb4 46. Nd3+ Kb3 47. Ke3 Kc4 48. Nf2 Kc3 49. Nd3 Nc4+ 50. Ke2 Kd4 {wins}) 42. Nd6+ {Excellent! Black has to withdraw to defend his Ps.} Kc6 43. Ne8 $1 Nd7 44. Kc4 f5 45. exf5 gxf5 {This ending is now a draw.} 46. b5+ Kb6 {aiming for ...f4.} 47. Nd6 f4 48. Kd5 {[%mdl 8192] This gives black bew chances. Correct was 48.Ne4} (48. Ne4 Ka5 49. Nd2 Ka4 50. Ne4) 48... f3 {Now white loses his one asset...the b-Pawn.} 49. Nc4+ Kxb5 50. Ne3 f2 51. Ke4 Kc5 52. Nf1 Kc4 {Black's f-Pawn is dooned, but white is in no hurry to capture it. Instead, he tries to maintain the good position of his K.} 53. Ne3+ Kb3 54. Kf3 Kc3 55. Kxf2 Kd3 56. Nd5 {Lasker must have thought he had a draw here because he called this the decisive mistake. He believed the correct procedure would have been to go after the h-Pawn with his K and sacrifice his N for the e-Pawn.} (56. Kf3 e4+ {is much stronger.} ( 56... Nf6 {Lasker and Horowitz} 57. Nf5 e4+ 58. Kf4 h6 {To keep white's K from approaching. Horowitz ended his analysis here, but black is winning.} 59. Ke5 Ng4+ 60. Kf4 e3 61. Nxe3 Nxe3 {This ending is a win for black/}) 57. Kf4 Ne5 58. Ng2 Ng6+ 59. Kf5 e3 60. Kf6 e2 61. Kg5 Kd2 62. h4 Ne7 63. Kh6 (63. h5 Nd5 64. Nh4 Ke3 65. Ng2+ Kf2 66. Kh6 Kxg2 67. Kxh7 Nf6+) 63... Nf5+ 64. Kxh7 Ne3 { and the P queens}) 56... e4 {The rest is, as they say, a matter of technique... for the big boys. For the rest of us , well...} 57. Ke1 Kd4 58. Nf4 Ke3 59. Ng2+ Kf3 60. Kf1 Ne5 61. Nh4+ Ke3 62. Nf5+ Kd3 63. h3 e3 64. Ng3 Nf3 65. Ne2 Kd2 66. Nf4 h5 {[%mdl 512]} 67. Ng2 h4 68. Nf4 Ng5 69. Ng2 e2+ 70. Kg1 Nxh3+ 71. Kh2 Ng5 {White resigned, It's mate in 8} (71... Ng5 72. Kh1 h3 73. Ne1 Kxe1 74. Kg1 h2+ 75. Kg2 h1=Q+ 76. Kxh1 Kf2 77. Kh2 {Don't play 77...e1Q Stalemate!} Kf3 78. Kh1 Kg3 (78... e1=Q+ 79. Kh2 Qg3+ 80. Kh1 Qg2#) 79. Kg1 e1=R#) 0-1

Destroying a Forgacs Brilliancy...Technically

 

Leo Forgacs

      Chess engines first reached Grandmaster strength in 1988 when Deep Thought shared first place with GM Tony Miles in the Software Toolworks Open in Los Angeles. Deep Thought had a 2745 performance rating. By the early 2000s engines running on our home computers were playing at the Master level. 

    Prior to that time we average players had to rely on annotations by ordinary Master and up, and sometimes even notes by GMs contained glaring error. Refer to my Capablanca Dodges a Bullet post HERE. 

    In that game, one that was highly acclaimed as a Capablanca brilliancy, Stockfish spotted the refutation (23.Ra6) instantly. Today’s game suffers a similar fate. It’s been presented as a brilliant win by Forgacs, but Stockfish pointed out some flaws in his play as well as Tartakower's defense and those flaws were not discovered in the old books. 

    None of that really matters though because as one introduction to the game put it, “Some games retain their capacity to thrill us no matter how often we play them over.” That’s true no matter how flawed they are! Stockfish offers several suggestions that are better than the moves Forgacs played, but the game is still a delight to play over. 

 

 

    Savielly Tartakower (1887-1956) was born in Russia and moved to Vienna at age 17. He became a doctor of law in 1909, but he never practiced law. In 1918, at the end of World War I he became a Polish citizen and moved to Paris and became a French citizen after World War II. During World War II, he served in the Free French Army under General Charles de Gaulle under the name of o Lieutenant Dr. Georges Cartier. He was both a prolific tournament player and author. 

    The winner, Leo Fprgas (1881-1930) played in tournaments under the name Fleischmann prior to 1908. He was born in Budapest and had a very short career. At the age of 21 he won the German master title in the Hauppturnier B at Hanover in 1902. He was Hungarian champion in 1907. He finished third at San Remo 1911, Budapest 1912 and Budapest 1913 then gave up competitive chess.

 

 

[Event "St. Petersburg"] [Site ""] [Date "1909.03.11"] [Round "18"] [White "Leo Fleischmann Forgacs"] [Black "Savielly Tartakower"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C14"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "55"] [EventDate "1909.02.15"] {C14: French: Classical System} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Ne4 6. Nxe4 Bxg5 7. Nxg5 Qxg5 8. g3 c5 9. c3 Nc6 10. f4 Qe7 11. Nf3 Bd7 12. Qd2 O-O 13. Bd3 {Because of his greater space and aggressively placed B, white has the potential for a strong attack especially because black does not have a single piece defending the K.} (13. Be2 cxd4 14. Nxd4 Rac8 15. O-O Nxd4 16. cxd4 {is completely equal. Scholl,E-De Ruiter,T Leeuwarden 1969}) 13... c4 { As it soon becomes apparent, black's advance on the Q-side is nowhere near as formidable as white's on the K-side.} (13... cxd4 14. Nxd4 Nxd4 15. cxd4 a6 { is a safer alternative because white's N, an important attacking piece, has been eliminated.}) 14. Bc2 {Of course he keeps the B on thw b1-h7 diagonal.} b5 15. O-O a5 16. Rae1 b4 {Here Tartakower was expecting 17.g4 which he would meet with 17...f5.} 17. f5 {White's idea is to open the f-file and force black to move a P in front of his K thereby creating weakness.} (17. g4 f5 18. exf6 Qxf6 19. Qg2 {with a promising position.}) 17... exf5 {The only real choice, but black has adequate defensive resources.} 18. g4 fxg4 19. Ng5 {White's P moves have given him open lines for attack. It's interesting that in the pre-engine days a note to the g. The comclusion that white is better was obviously based on the rame says that a successful defense is impossible. Today even weaker engines disagree...black is actually equal. However, as is often the case, there is a difference between the theoretical and the practical. Attacking is easier than defending.} g6 {Maintaining equality is contingent on playing the correct defense to the attack on h7 and the plausible text nove is not it because it creayes a weakness at f6.} (19... h6 { This looks wrong, but it is the only way black can successfully defend himself. In fact, in his otherwise excellent book, The Middlegame in Chess, Eugene Znosko-Borovsky stated that this move is inadequate.} 20. Nh7 {Znosko-Borovsky ended his analysis here stating that one of white's pieces gets to f6; the comment makes no sense.} Qh4 {Now pacing a pice on f6 would simply lose material and the game.} 21. Nxf8 (21. e6 Bxe6 22. Qf4 Qe7 23. Nxf8 Rxf8 24. Bf5 Nd8 25. Qxg4 Qd6 {and black has achieved complete equality/})) 20. Rf6 { [%mdl 1024] An excellent move cutting off black's defenses and giving white free reign on the K-side.} Kg7 {There is nothing black can do to save the game. } (20... Nd8 21. Ref1 Ne6 22. Nxf7 {wraps it up.}) 21. Ref1 {[%mdl 32]} Be8 22. Qf4 {White has a number of ways to win, but this sets up a nice finish.} Nd8 23. e6 {Offering a third P, but it cannot be taken.} Ra6 (23... Nxe6 24. Nxe6+ fxe6 25. Rxf8) 24. Qe5 Kh6 (24... Kg8 25. exf7+ Rxf7 26. Nxf7 Qxe5 27. Nxe5 { White has won a R.}) 25. R1f5 fxe6 26. Nf7+ {[%mdl 512] White mates in 3} Qxf7 (26... Nxf7 27. Rh5+ Kg7 28. Rxg6# {mate next move.}) 27. Rh5+ Kg7 28. Rxg6# { Black resigned} 1-0

The Old Warrior Still Had It

    As mentioned in the previous post, Bobby Fischer unexpectedly lost two games in the 1966 US Championship, one of them to Samuel Reshevsky. Even so, except for a draw with William Addison, Fischer mow down the rest of his opponents with ease. Reshevsky wrote that this tournament shattered the myth of Fischer’s invincibility, but that turned out not to be the case. 

    Reshevsky’s game against Fischer was interesting. Playing black, Fischer attempted to simplify by exchanges, but found himself in the unpleasant situation of having to defend a cramped position for the entire game. Reshevsky inexorably improved his position never giving Fischer a chance. Even so, wrapping up the game still required considerable technical skill and Reshevsky still had it.

 

 

 

[Event "US Championship, New York"] [Site ""] [Date "1965.12.25"] [Round "9"] [White "Samuel Reshevsky"] [Black "Robert Fischer"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E43"] [Annotator "Reshevsky/Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "121"] [EventDate "1965.??.??"] {E43: Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O Bxc3 8. bxc3 {Here's an interesting situation. Fischer could now expose Reshevsky's K with 8.Bxf3, but to do so would open the g-file which would afford white more than ample compensation. In the 380 games in my database that reached this position nobody has played it.} Be4 9. Qc2 Bxd3 ( 9... Bxf3 {What happens after this? Here is Stockfish's top line after about 5 minutes.} 10. gxf3 c5 11. Kh1 Nc6 12. Rg1 Rc8 13. Rg3 g6 14. d5 Ne7 15. e4 Nh5 16. Rh3 e5 17. Bh6 {A complicated position that will require precise defense by black.}) 10. Qxd3 d6 11. e4 e5 {Risky. Reshevsky suggested 11...h6 to preve nt white's next move.} 12. Bg5 (12. dxe5 {fails to gain any advantage.} dxe5 13. Nxe5 Qxd3 14. Nxd3 Rd8 15. Nf4 Nxe4 {Black is at least equal.}) ({Better is } 12. Nh4 $16) 12... Nbd7 (12... h6 13. Bh4 Qe7 14. Nd2 Nbd7 15. Rae1 Rfe8 { with equal chances. Petersons,A-Nikolaevsky,Y Soviet Union 1967}) 13. Nh4 { Reshevsky' ro pst his N on f5 and open up lline by advancing his f-Pawn. It's instructive to watch him accomplaih this.} h6 14. Bd2 {An excellent move. This B will prove more valuable than the N.} Re8 15. Rae1 Nf8 16. Nf5 $18 Ng6 17. f4 exd4 (17... exf4 18. Bxf4 {White will now double Rs on the f-file after which his attacking chances would be greatly enhanced.}) 18. cxd4 c6 {Attempting to obtain counterplay in the center with ...d5, but Reshevsky's next move prevents it.} 19. d5 cxd5 20. cxd5 Ne7 {He simply wants the well placed N to vacate f5.} 21. Ng3 {Reshevsky stated that the spectators were expecting him to sacrifice the N, but with best play the game would be drawn.} (21. Nxg7 Kxg7 {and the best line runs} 22. Bc3 Rc8 23. g4 Rxc3 24. Qxc3 Qc8 25. Qb2 Qxg4+ 26. Kh1 Qh4 27. e5 dxe5 28. d6 Nf5 29. fxe5 Ng3+ 30. Kg1 Nxf1 31. exf6+ Kf8 32. Rxe8+ Kxe8 33. Qe5+ Kd7 34. Qe7+ Kc6 35. Qc7+ Kb5 36. Qxf7 Qg4+ 37. Kxf1 Qf4+ 38. Ke2 Qe5+ 39. Kf3 Qf5+ {Draws}) 21... Rc8 22. Bc3 Ng6 23. Bd4 Kh7 {Because there is nothing to do to improve his position nor is there is there any way to generate counterplay Fischer is reduced to making noncommittal moves. It's odd that his K will eventually be trapped on the h-file.} 24. Nf5 Rc7 25. Kh1 Rg8 26. Re3 Nh5 27. Ref3 Nf6 28. Rh3 b5 29. g4 {White has maximized the effectiveness of his pieces and now moves in for the kill.} Nxg4 30. Qg3 Qe8 { Retreat of the N would have lost immediately.} (30... Nf6 31. Qg5 Rh8 32. Nxh6 gxh6 33. Rxh6+ Kg7 34. Rxh8 Qxh8 35. Bxf6+) 31. Nxd6 (31. Qxg4 Qxe4+ 32. Rhf3 Ne7 33. Nxe7 Rxe7 34. Bc3 Qxd5 {and black can possibly put up a successful defense.}) 31... Qe7 32. e5 Nf6 {Here Reshevsky refuses to get sidetracked by the capture of a meaningless P with 33.Nxb5 nor does he fall for 33.exf6 which allows black to equalize with 33...Qxd6} 33. f5 ({Don't do} 33. Nxb5 Nxd5 34. f5 Rc2 $18) 33... Nxd5 34. fxg6+ fxg6 35. Nf7 (35. Rf7 {Threatening mate with Rxh6+ and even though it wins the Q black can struggle on.} Qxf7 36. Nxf7 Rxf7 37. Qb3 Rd8 38. Rd3 Rf5 39. e6 Nf4 40. Rd1 Nxe6 41. Qxe6 Rfd5 42. Qe3 {White has consolidated his position and is winning though it will take some time.}) 35... Qxf7 {Fischer misses his last chances of offering meaningful resistance.} (35... Rgc8 36. Ng5+ Kg8 37. Qg2 Nb4 {White is winning, but there is no immediate forced win and he can look forward to a lengthy struggle.}) 36. Rxf7 Rxf7 37. e6 Rf1+ 38. Kg2 Rf5 39. Rh4 Re8 40. Qd6 Ref8 41. h3 Rc8 42. Re4 Rc2+ 43. Kg3 Rd2 {Excellent defense.} (43... Nc3 44. Re1 Rg5+ 45. Kf3 Rf5+ 46. Ke3 Nd5+ (46... Nxa2 47. Qe7 {and black gets mated.}) 47. Ke4 Nf6+ 48. Bxf6 Rxf6 49. Qd7 {wins}) 44. e7 Rg5+ 45. Rg4 Nxe7 46. Rxg5 hxg5 47. Qxe7 Rxd4 48. Qxa7 { [%mdl 4096]} Rf4 {This position is mot as simple as it looks! White has a Q vs R+3Ps, but he still has to find the way to exploit it! The only way to do that is to transfer the K to the Q-side then eliminated black’s b-Pawn even if it means sacrificing the Q for the R. But there is another problem...he has to keep black's K out of play. Reshevsky is up to the task and the following play is very instructive.} 49. Qe7 Rf5 50. Qe8 {Black is now forced to allow white's K to reach the Q-side.} Rc5 {The R is the only piece that has a move and it must defend the b-Pawn, but this allows white's K to get to where it needs to be.} 51. Kf3 Rc2 52. Qe6 Rc1 53. Qb3 Rc5 54. Ke4 Rf5 55. Kd4 Kh8 56. Kc3 Kh7 57. Kb4 Re5 58. a3 Kh6 (58... Rf5 59. Qd3 Kg8 60. Qxb5 Rf4+ (60... Rxb5+ 61. Kxb5 Kf8 62. Kc6 Ke8 63. Kc7 {etc.}) 61. Qc4+ Kf8 62. a4 Ke7 63. Kb5 Rxc4 64. Kxc4 Kd6 65. Kd4 Kc6 66. Ke4 Kb6 67. Kf3 Ka5 68. Kg4 Kxa4 {Black's K is too far away.} 69. Kxg5 Kb5 70. Kxg6 Kc5 71. Kxg7 Kd5 72. h4 Ke5 73. h5 Kf5 74. h6) 59. Qg8 {Threatening mate.} g4 60. h4 {Renewing the threat.} g5 61. h5 {[%mdl 512] Black resigned. A brilliant finish...if he takes the P Qh7# and if he doesn't Qh8#} 1-0

Fischer’s Worst Blunder Ever

    The tournament that was designated as the 1966 U.S. Championship actually ended on December 30, 1965; it was Bobby Fischer’s seventh title. In contrast to his perfect 11-0 score in the 1963/64, this year’s event saw him stumble and lose to Robert Byrne and Samuel Reshevsky plus get nicked for a draw by William Addison.

    After drawing with Addison in the first round, he looked to be back on track, winning the next six in a row which gained him a big lead. But then Fischer made what was probably the worst blunder of his career when he list to Robert Byrne in round 8. But wait! There’s nore! In round 9 he went down to defeat against Samuel Reshevsky. At that point it looked like it might be possible that Fischer would not repeat as champion. Fischer kept his cool though and defeated Nicolas Rossolimo and Dr. Karl Burger in the final two rounds to end up a full point ahead of his rivals.

 

    Two young players made their debut. Duncan Suttles who went on to become a Canadian citizen and Bernard Zuckerman. Suttles, with his highly original style, was not afraid of anybody and Zuckerman, a walking opening encyclopedia, was about a half an hour late for every game. Arthur Bisguier had an exceptionally bad tournament due to the fact that he was plagued by an illness in his family. 

 

[Event "US Championship, New York"] [Site ""] [Date "1965.12.23"] [Round "8"] [White "Bobby Fischer"] [Black "Robert Byrne"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C03"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "72"] [EventDate "1965.??.??"] {C04: French Tarrasch: 3...Nc6} 1. e4 e6 {This was probably the best defense to play against Fischer.} 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 {Fischer avoids the Winawer (3.Nc3 Bb4), a defense against which he always had difficulty and which Edmar Mednis famouslt used to defeat him in the 1962 US Championship.} Nc6 4. c3 e5 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Ngf3 exd4 7. Bc4 Qh5 8. O-O {Certainly Fischer did not expect Byrne to play 8...cxc3 after which black would have a difficult position to defend.} Nf6 {The usual plan is 8...Be6 followed by castling Q-side, but Byrne's straightforward development is also satisfactory.} (8... dxc3 {White now obtains a strong attack against black's K which is caught in the center.} 9. Re1+ Be7 10. bxc3 Nh6 11. Rxe7+ Nxe7 12. Ba3 Nhf5 13. Qb3 O-O 14. Re1 {White has sufficient compensation for his sacrificed material.}) 9. Qe1+ {The R would have been a better piece to place on this square.} Be7 10. Nxd4 O-O { Certainly Fischer saw that 11.Nxc6 does not win a piece.} 11. Be2 (11. Nxc6 Bd6 (11... bxc6 12. Qxe7 {wins a piece.}) 12. f4 bxc6 {and black stands well..}) 11... Bg4 12. Nxc6 {[%mdl 8192] Brain flatulence! Fischer could have resigned after this, but he played on hopiong for a miracle.} (12. h3 {Equally good is 12.Bxg4} Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Qxe2 14. Nxe2 Ne5 15. Nd4 c5 16. Nf5 Rfe8 17. Nb3 Bf8 18. Rd1 {Draw agreed. Goncalves,J-Van den Broeck,H Munich 1958}) 12... Bd6 13. h3 Bxe2 14. Nd4 Bxf1 15. Qxf1 {White is the exchange down with no compensation and the win is a matter of technique which Byrne certainly had.} Rfe8 16. N2f3 a6 17. Bg5 Qg6 18. Rd1 Re4 19. Be3 Nd5 20. Bc1 Rae8 21. Nd2 R4e7 22. Nc4 Bf4 23. Nf3 c6 24. Nb6 Bxc1 {Black is clearly winning.} 25. Nxd5 cxd5 26. Rxc1 Re2 27. Rb1 Qc2 28. Rc1 Qxb2 29. Rb1 Qxc3 30. Rxb7 Rxa2 31. Kh2 h6 32. Qb1 Rxf2 33. Qf5 Qxf3 34. Qxf3 Rxf3 35. gxf3 Rd8 36. Rb6 d4 {White resigned.} (36... d4 37. Rxa6 d3 38. Ra1 d2 39. Rd1 Kh7 40. Kg2 Kg6 41. Kf2 Kf5 42. Ke3 {Now all black has to do is run white out of moves.} Rd6 43. f4 Rd8 44. Kf3 g6 45. Ke3 h5 46. h4 f6 47. Kf3 Rd3+ 48. Ke2 Ke4 49. f5 gxf5 50. Kf2 f4 51. Ke2 f3+ 52. Kf2 Rd4 53. Kg1 Ke3 {etc.}) 0-1

Reshevsky Wins At Margate

    In 1935, Britains were enjoying Alfred Hitchcock's mystery thriller movie, The 39 Steps. While on vacation in London, a Canadian, became embroiled in an international spy ring related to the mysterious "39 steps." The title refers to steps leading to a secret meeting place in the book by John Buchan, and a clandestine spy organization in Alfred Hitchcock's film adaptation. 

    Henry Hall and his BBC Dance Orchestra and Lew Stone and His Band were prominent. You can enjoy a Harry Hall tune HERE and Lew Stone HERE 

    The year 1935 ushered in the first time beer came in a can. Men were wearing loose fitting boxer shorts, but in 1935 briefs were becoming popular. They were a more fitted, snug alternative that gained popularity in part due to the invention of the elastic waistband and marketing. 

     It wasn’t all good news though. Tensions and war between Italy and Ethiopia divided the League of Nations. In Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler began bringing in new laws to marginalise and oppress Jews. 

    In 1935, Margate, a popular seaside resort, saw the opening of the Art Deco Dreamland Super Cinema (it closed in 2007). The town was also the recipient of a new road, George V Avenue, created to commemorate King George V's Silver Jubilee. It also hosted an international chess tournament. 

 

    The tournament was significant because it was the first time that Reshevskym the former boy wonder, had the opportunity to test his mettle against formidable foreign opposition. 

    Samuel Reshevsky (1911-1992) was one of my favorite players and the highlight of my "career" was drawing a game against him in 1979. His opponent in today’s game was English International Master William Fairhurst (1903-1982). In 1931 he lived in Scotland and won the Scottish Championship 11 times. He also won the British Championship in 1937 and was unofficial Commonwealth Champion in 1950. In 1970 he was invited to play in the New Zealand Championship as a guest and after it was over he decided to retire there. He passed away in Auckland in 1982.n It’s instructive to watch how easily Reshevsky could hanle a “mere” IM in those days.

[Event "Margate"] [Site ""] [Date "1935.04.29"] [Round "?"] [White "William Fairhurst"] [Black "Samuel Reshevsky"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D47"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "56"] [EventDate "1935.04.24"] {D47: Semi-Slav: Meran System} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bb3 {Hor whatever reason Fairhurts prefers to avoids the Meran Varian which arises after 8.Bd3.} Be7 9. O-O Bb7 10. e4 { Here’s a conundrum! This move has been criticized as being premature and in practice it has yielded poor result. However, it is the first choice of Stockfish, Dragon by Kmodo likes the equally popular 10.Qe2 and Lc) gives the nod to 10.a3. All three moves are of nearly qual status though. As for 10.e4, if white can successfully carry out the advance e5 black's position will be very cramped.} b4 {Seemingly forcing the next reply, but not really.} 11. e5 ( 11. Na4 {Placing the N on the edge of the board and sacrificing the e-Pawn looks bad, but it is playable!} Nxe4 12. Re1 Nef6 13. Qe2 Nd5 (13... O-O { runs into complications favoring white.} 14. Bxe6 {Now after 14...Bd6 15.Bb3 chances are about even, but not...} fxe6 15. Qxe6+ Kh8 16. Qxe7 {and white is clearly better.}) 14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. Qxe5 O-O 16. Nc5 {and white has sufficient play for the P, but this position is unlikely to appeal to humans.}) 11... bxc3 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. bxc3 O-O 14. Rb1 c5 {An excellent move.} 15. Bb2 {This pointless move is difficult to understand because the B, blocked by its own Ps, has no future on b2. Simply 15.Bc2 would have been satisfactory.} (15. Bxe6 { is no threat.} Bxf3 {wins a piece.} (15... fxe6 16. Rxb7 {White is better.}) 16. Bxf7+ Rxf7 17. Qxf3) 15... Be4 16. Rc1 {A better alternative was 16.Bc2 even though the exchange of Bs would leave white with his inferior B on b2. The move played has the disadvantage of placing the R on a square from which it is completely ineffective.} Qb6 {Another good move. His Rs are now connected and ready to be effectively placed.} 17. dxc5 {Another poor move.} ( 17. Nd2 Bb7 18. Ba3 {at least gets a bit of scope fot the buried B}) 17... Bxc5 18. Qe2 Rad8 19. Rcd1 Bb7 {Retreating back to a8 would have been slightly more accurate. Reshevsky's basic ide is to create mating threats and also to make e4 available for the N.} 20. Ne5 Ba8 {An admission that his last move stopped short. Was it a finger slip?} 21. c4 {This opens the diagonal for one B, but hampers the other one. It's still his best mvoe though.} Qb7 {The aforementioned mate threat.} 22. Nf3 Ne4 {Occupying the aforementioned N outpost. White now has to guard f2.} 23. Ba1 {Apparently Fairhusrt did now want to play 23.Rxd8 Rxd8 when black has control of the d-file.} (23. Rxd8 { This is still his best bet.} Rxd8 24. Bc1 h6 25. Be3 {and, at least, the pressure on his f-Pawn is relieved.}) 23... Rxd1 24. Bxd1 Rd8 {Black still has gained control of the d-file and white's position is now, theoretically at least, lost.} 25. Bc2 Qc6 {A wily move, provoking white's plausible, but losing. reply!} 26. Ne5 {The decisive error. The N is the wrong piece to put on e5. At least after 26.Be5 the N couldn't go to g3.} Ng3 {[%mdl 512] There is no answer to this. If the B was on e5 it could simply take the N.} 27. Nxc6 (27. hxg3 Qxg2#) (27. Qf3 Qxf3 28. Nxf3 Nxf1 29. Kxf1 Bxf3 30. gxf3 {Black is the exchange ahead with a routine win.}) 27... Nxe2+ 28. Kh1 Bxc6 {White resigned. He has lost a N.} 0-1

Arturo Quiroga's Missed Brilliancy

    Exorbitant food prices and cool weather (frost to low 60s) put a bit of a damper on the last few days spent in Niagra Falls, New York. Previously, we rode the Maid of the Mist in hot weather and it was awesome, but this time it was a bit too chilly to get drenched. 

    I doubt anybody has ever heard of Arturo Quiroga, but according to an article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle back in 1922, when a team of masters from the Manhattan Chess Club contested the first Pan-American cable match against a team from the Argentine Chess Club in Buenos Aires on April 23rd, Quiroga was on fifth board. 

    The Manhattan Chess Club's home was in the Hotel Sherman Square where a cable operator sat near the players and a teller would relay the moves which were then sent to the main office from where they were cabled to far away (8,600 miles) Buenos Aires. 

    The match was terminated at two o'clock in the morning after fourteen and a half hours play and the time didn't include a break of an hour and a half for supper! Club officials in New York finally stepped in and proposed that the match be called to a halt even though only two games of the six board match had been completed. Those two games had been drawn. The four remaining game were all adjourned in complicated positions and they were to be sent to Capablanca who was the official adjudicator, but at the time he was in Paris. However, it was generally agreed that the New York team would be victorious by a final score of 4-2.

 

    The first game on the match to actually reached a conclusion happened when Albert Marder agreed to a draw against Rolando Illa, ex-champion of Buenoes Aires after 26 moves. 

    The game between Oscar Chajes, former Manhattan club champion against Julio Lynch, was agreed drawn in 38 moves. Roy T. Black, former New York state champion who had traveled all the way from Syracuse, New York for the match, opened with the Ruy Lopez and succeeded in breaking up his opponent's K-side Pawns and at move 28 won one of them which gave him a decisive advantage. 

    Rosenthal, another former state champion, was playing Arnoldo Ellerman, a famous problem composer and one of the best players in Buenos Aires. For a long time they maneuvered cautiously behind their own lines and the outcome looked drawish. But, Rosenthal had two Bs against two Ns and thought that adjudication should result in his being awarded the point. At midnight Ellerman cabled that he had to stop play and Rosenthal agreed. The game was adjudicated as a draw. 

    Harold Phillips, president of the Intercollegiate Chess League, met Belgrano Rawson's Caro-Kann with aggressive play and by advancing his h-Pawn had managed to break up Rawson's K-side. Their game was one of the two that continued all the way to two o'clock I n the morning. Phillips had not yet managed to score the point, but it was believed he was very close to doing so; the game was adjudicated as a win for Phillips. 

    After play had stopped Robert Raubitschek, chairman of the Manhattan's tournament committee that was in charge of the match, made an effort to come to an understanding with the captain of the Buenos Aires team to reach an agreement on the results of the unfinished games without sending them to Capablanca, but the Buenos Aires team was unwilling to accept the conclusions of the Manhattan team. It was expected that Capablanca's reply would take 4-5 weeks, but the Manhattan team was confident that they would win 4-2. 

    Eventually a post card was received from Capablanca and he had awarded wins to Black and Phillips for Manhattan and Quiroga for Buenos Aires. Capa singled out Phillips' game for his interesting and well-played game. As for Capablnca’s awarding the win to Quiroga, that decision might be questionable, but perhaps he did deserve the win. After all, he did play well for most of the game! 

 

[Event "Match Manhattan CC vs, Buenis Aires CC"] [Site "?"] [Date "1922.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Arturo Quiroga"] [Black "Alfred Schroeder"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A48"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "71"] {A48: QP Opening} 1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 g6 4. b3 Bg7 5. Bb2 Nbd7 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. c4 Re8 8. Qc2 e5 {Both sides have played very flexible moves that could result in a wide variey of formations.} 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Nxe5 dxe5 11. Be2 c6 { Although this move is not really bad (it gives black's Q some mobility) it has the disadvantage of creating a weakness on d6 which cause black some problems later on. He might have been better off playing ...Qe7 and...Bd7} 12. O-O { Castling Q-side was suggested by Schroeder as being more aggressive. Stockfish does not like the idea though because white's Pawn setup on the Q-side leaved his K exposed.} Bf5 {This is not really bad, but black played it along with his next move under a misapprehension. Better would have been 13... Be6.} 13. e4 Bh6 {Retreating to e6 was better.} 14. Rad1 (14. exf5 {is met by} Qxd2 { with complete equality.}) 14... Bd7 {Black has wasted time as he now realized his intended 14...Bxd2 loses a piece.} (14... Bxd2 15. exf5 {leaves the B on d2 pinned and lost.}) 15. c5 {Zeroing in on the weak spot in black's position, the d6 square.} b5 16. Nf3 Qc7 17. Rd6 {Not only does white have a dominating position, but black is going to lose his e-Pawn.} Bf8 {This loses a piece, but even the better 17...Re6 was not that much better!} (17... Re6 18. Bxe5 Rxd6 19. cxd6 Qd8 20. Bb2 {White's position is overwhelming.}) 18. Rxf6 Kg7 19. Rf5 {White still has a considerable advantage after this, but he missed a brilliancy.} (19. Nxe5 {[%mdl 512]} Rxe5 (19... Kxf6 20. Ng4+ Kg5 21. Bf6+ Kh5 22. Ne5+ Bg4 23. Bxg4+ Kh6 24. Qd2+ g5 25. Qxg5#) 20. f4 Rae8 21. Bxe5 Rxe5 22. fxe5 Be6 23. Rxe6 fxe6 {with a hige material advantage.}) 19... f6 {Missing his best defense.} (19... gxf5 {is a better defense.} 20. exf5 f6 21. g4 { Black is up the exchangem bit his K is dangerously exposed. Play might run} Kh8 22. Nd2 Rad8 23. Ne4 Bg7 24. Rd1 Bc8 25. Nd6 Rf8 26. h4 {with a promising attack.}) 20. Rxf6 {This excellent move forces the exposure of black's K.} Kxf6 21. Nxe5 Ke7 22. Rd1 Red8 23. Qc1 (23. Qc3 $142 {Threatening mate with Nxg6+! was even stronger.} Ke8 24. Nxg6 hxg6 25. Qf6 Bf5 26. exf5 Rxd1+ 27. Bxd1 Qd7 28. Bf3 Rc8 29. fxg6 Qe7 30. Bxc6+ Rxc6 31. Qxc6+ Qd7 32. Qxd7+ Kxd7 33. g7) 23... Be6 24. Qg5+ {White still has the advantage after this, but he missed a really strong move in 24.Rd6!! Not surprising since it requires seeing even more brilliant followup moves.} (24. Rd6 Rxd6 25. cxd6+ Kxd6 26. Bxb5 Qb6 ( 26... cxb5 27. Ba3+) 27. Bc4 Rd8 28. Bxe6 Kxe6 29. Nxc6 Rd7 30. Qc4+ Rd5 31. Qxd5#) 24... Ke8 25. Bd4 Bg7 26. f4 Bxe5 27. Qxe5 Qxe5 28. Bxe5 Rxd1+ 29. Bxd1 {[%mdl 4096]} a5 30. a3 $1 a4 31. b4 Bb3 32. Be2 Kf7 33. Kf2 Rd8 34. Bd6 $1 Re8 35. Ke3 Be6 36. Kd4 {Unlike the engines, I have not nitpicked over the last several moves by both sides. Bith players missed slightly better moves on a number of occasions. However, this final move of the game is not the best becaue almost all of white's advantage disappears. Capablanca adjudicated the game as a win for white, but that conclusion is debatable. Stickfish evaluates the final position as about one Pawn in white’s favor. In Shootouts using Stockfish white scored +1 -0 =4. That saidm White deserved the win...he played much better!} (36. g4 {is the winning move. Blacj is reduced to markinh time while white penetrates with his K. A sample line...} Bd7 37. Kd4 Rh8 38. Bf3 Rc8 39. h4 h6 40. f5 h5 41. g5 Re8 42. Be5 Rc8 43. Bf6 Rc7 44. Ke5 Bc8 45. Kd6 Rd7+ 46. Kxc6 Rd3 47. fxg6+ Kxg6 48. Be2 Rxa3 49. Bxb5 Ra2 50. Kd6 a3 51. Be8+ Kh7 52. g6+ Kh6 53. g7) 1-0