Simple Chess

    Samuel Reshevsky (1911-1992) was my favorite player because his games always seemed so simple and clear cut with easy to understand moves. His win against Palmer in the following game is a case in point. 

     Marvin C. Palmer (1897-1985) won the Iowa State Championship in 1917, the Missouri State Championship in 1922 and the Michigan State Champion six times (1933, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1942 and 1943). He was also Chess Review’s 1944 Golden Knights Champion in correspondence play. The games was played in 1927 in Ka;amazoo, Michigane in the first annual Congress of the National Chess Federation. 

  

[Event "Nat'l Chess Fed. Congress, Kalamazoo"] [Site ""] [Date "1927.08.30"] [Round "?"] [White "Samuel Reshevsky"] [Black "Marvin C. Palmer"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D46"] [Annotator "Reckless"] [PlyCount "37"] [EventDate "1927.??.??"] {[%evp 15,37,34,36,34,32,0,29,15,151,77,151,169,420,420,424,416,418,417,422, 425,506,504,572,579] D46: Semi-Slav} 1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 c6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Bd3 (7. g4 {is an interesting try. Black can, depending on his mood, take the P or not.} Nxg4 {Or 7...h6} 8. Rg1 {Black has tried a half dozen different moves here. but in the long run they all seem to favor whiye. 8...Qf6 is probably the nest, but one interesting try is} Nxh2 9. Nxh2 Bxh2 10. Rxg7 {with about equal chances.}) 7... dxc4 8. Bxc4 {White's development has been simple and straightforward.} b5 {This move is almost always played, but some players consider the it to be of doubtful value. 8... e5 has been recommended, but the simple, safe move is 8...O-O} (8... e5 { Now 9.dxe5 leads to simplification and easy equality for black so white almost always castles to keep the tension.} 9. O-O O-O {Of course 9...exd4 is perfectly playable. White has played every reason move here, but the result is black can equalize.}) 9. Bd3 a6 10. Bd2 c5 {This move has been questioned, but there is nothing horribly wrong with it.} (10... Bb7 11. Ne4 Nxe4 12. Bxe4 { is completely equal.}) 11. a4 {Reshevsky thought this created problems for black, but it doesm't.} cxd4 {This is the source of black's problems because it allows the N to spring into action with great effect.} (11... b4 {leads to equality after} 12. Ne4 Nxe4 13. Bxe4 Rb8 14. O-O a5) 12. Nxd4 {A nit picker would say 12.Ne4 is even better, but that's Stockfish for you/} b4 {It's with this move that black's problems really start.} (12... Nc5 {Eliminating the dangerous light squared B and preventing Ne4. As far as I know this move has not been suggested, but with all of the annotations that appeared prior to engines and so all the comlexitis of the position were not known.} 13. axb5 Nxd3+ 14. Qxd3 O-O 15. bxa6 Qb6 {White has two extra Ps, but after} 16. Qb5 Rxa6 17. Rxa6 Qxa6 18. O-O {White has one extra P, but black has equak play and five Shootouts from this position were all drawn.}) 13. Ne4 {Seizing the advantage.} Ne5 {His best defense was the unpalatable 13...Bf8. but even that is mot much better.} (13... Bf8 14. Qc6 Nxe4 (14... Ra7 15. Nd6+ Bxd6 16. Qxd6 Qc7 (16... Qe7 17. Qxe7+ Kxe7 18. Nc6+ {and wins.}) 17. Bxb4) 15. Qxa8 { White has won the exchange.}) 14. Nc6 Qc7 {Material is equal, but black is destitute.} 15. Nxd6+ Qxd6 16. Nxe5 Bb7 (16... Qxe5 17. Qc6+ Nd7 18. Qxa8 O-O 19. Bxb4 {and white wins.}) 17. Nc4 Qd5 18. e4 Qd4 19. Be3 {Black resigned.} ( 19. Be3 Qd8 (19... Qd7 20. Nb6) 20. e5 Nd5 21. Nd6+) 1-0