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• Robert J. Fischer, 1955 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1956 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1957 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1958 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1959 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1960 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1961 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1962 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1963 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1964 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1965 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1966 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1967 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1968 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1969 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1970 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1971 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1972 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1973 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1974 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1975 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1976 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1977 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1978 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1979 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1980 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1981 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1982 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1983 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1984 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1985 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1986 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1987 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1988 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1989 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1990 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1991 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1992 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1993 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1994 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1995 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1996 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1997 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1998 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 1999 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2000 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2001 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2002 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2003 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2004 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2005 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2006 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2007 ➦
• Robert J. Fischer, 2008 ➦
Problem No. 39 by W. Collins, Shreveport. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 4r1q1/4p1n1/1Npp3b/Ppk2p1r/8/P1BpR1Q1/1N2b2P/2R3K1 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qf2 Bxe3 2. Qxe3#
Here follows one of the games lost by Charles Bagby during his exhibition at the Santa Rosa Chess Club:
3. More usual is 3. … B-N5.
7. White could also continue with 7. NQR4, to keep the pawn. If 7. … Q-R4ch; 8. P-B3, etc.
13. Why not 13. BxN and give Black a bad double pawn?)
19. NxB is the correct answer. Now Black gets the initiative.
21. Very well played!
22. and Black won without much difficulty.
The Paul Morphy Festival in Santa Monica last Sunday attracted 450 chess players from the south. In the simultaneous competition George Koltanowski won the trophy offered by the city fathers, by winning 10 games in 39 minutes; second was E. Banner of Orange, with 10 wins in 1 hour 15 minutes. Harry Borochow and Herman Steiner followed. Herman Steiner won the rapid transit tournament. Koltanowski won all his games in the blindfold exhibition. Here follows a game from this exhibition:
7. The correct answer is 7. … P-B3 then 8. R-Q1 and White has the iniative.
9. Better is NxN first.
11. Too much in a hurry to give mate. Better is B-Q3 and 0-0.
19. This is bad. Q-B2 was the right way to continue the attack.
26. Resigns. A sad end to an adventure.
Problem No. 36—by A. Ellerman, Buenos Aires. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 3N4/7R/K2p4/1PNk2p1/3Bpp2/PP2PR2/B5q1/6Qb w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Bc3 fxe3 2. Rf5#
Atascadero
Last Sunday Northern California tied a very strong Southern California team by 28½ to 28½. The last game to finish was the game on board No. 1, between H. Steiner (S) and George Koltanowski (N). The game ended in a draw.
In a blindfold exhibition against 4 of the North and 4 of the South G. Koltanowski won 4, drew 3 and lost 1.
Here follows a game from this exhibition.
George Koltanowski (white) Santa Rosa vs. J.B. Gee (black) Sacramento
French Defense: Exchange Variation
7. No good as the blindfold player quickly demonstrates.
10. Stops everything!
17. Black resigns. White threatens BxNB6 or after K-B1, BxNQ7, NxB (forced) NxQP wins easy.
Problem No. 35 by G.J. Nietvelt, Antwerp. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 7B/qn6/r4N2/3N4/p2k1P2/PbR1p1QK/2B5/6b1 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qxg1 Re6 2. Qd1#
Danish Gambit
Danish gambits are always examples of fighting chess. White throws caution to the winds as he speculates on a vigorous attack!
See the following game.
Problem No. 34 by George Mathot, Paris. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 4Q1qb/3Nn3/4pP1B/1K3b1R/1RB3kN/2r1rp1p/5P1P/8 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Ng2 Qxe8 2. Rh4#
A Chess Fantasy
Fantastic and grotesque positions in the form of problems and end-games are usually fairy creations of a slightly demented brain. Rarely do such positions occur in the course of an actual game! However ... just follow the game here given ... it was played in the championship of the Omaha Chess Club, 1948.
13. Threatens; NxP mate. Black by failing to castle, will soon come to grief.
21. … otherwise Q-R6 wins the rook)
31. threatening RxNch, RxR; QxP mate.
31. … futile . . but look at the position!
An odd conclusion to a curious game.
Zurich Plans International
Zurich, Switzerland, is planning an international tourney from May 19-June 8. Invitations are going out to experts from many countries. They particularly hope to have young Bobby Fischer, USA champion, but there is the question of school examinations for him. Even the more important Challengers tourney, slated for Yugoslavia, Sept.-Oct. next, poses a serious decision as participation will cut two months off his school term, and Bobby is not prodigious outside of chess. Dr. Alexander Rueb, one of the founders and first president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), is dead at The Hague at the age of 76.
Problem No. 626 Dr. L.S. Penrose (“London Observer” 1920) White mates in two moves.
FEN 8/2Np4/3P1p1B/3RpP2/4k1K1/3pp1Q1/5p2/3B1Nrb w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Kh5 Rxf1 2. Qg4#
Chess Quiz No. 428. Farre (Spain) vs. Gudmundsson (Iceland) World Team Championship, 1958. White to play and win.
FEN 2r3k1/1p3pPp/p2QbBp1/qr2p3/4P1P1/P4P2/1PP5/1K1R3R w - - 0 1
1. Q-B8ch! RxQ; 2. PxR(Q)ch, KxQ; 3. RxP Resigns. Not 1. RxRP? because of 1 … RxPch etc, and Black will mate first.
Played in Reykjavik, Iceland, 1956:
French Defense
Marelsson (white) Sigurdsson (black)
French Defense: Advance Variation, Main Line
Jonathan Penrose defeated Leonard Barden 2 wins, 0 losses, with 3 draws, in the play-off match for the British Chess Federation championship, after they had tied for first in the tourney. The best of six games match ended with the following decisive 5th. Notes abbreviated from those by Barden in “Manchester Guardian”.
Problem No. 31 by J. Kilpling, England. White plays and mates in two moves.
FEN 3rN3/6b1/1N6/3pp3/2prk1K1/1p1bp3/1q2p3/8 w - - 0 1
FEN 1. Na4 Rxe8 2. Nc5#
Problem No. 30 by E. Ellerman, Argentina. White plays and mates in two moves.
FEN 5B2/3q2Q1/5rb1/1pppR3/3k1P1R/N7/1PP5/1K3B2 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Bd6 Qxg7 2. Nxb5#
Problem No. 27 By E.M. Hassberg, Brooklyn. Fifth prize Belgium tournament 1947. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 1bR5/1pB5/pP4N1/3nr3/1P1kP3/R3pP1p/7K/2N2B2 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Bd6 Bxd6 2. Ne2#
Problem No. 26 By Alan R. Kelly, Santa Rosa. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 8/2p2P2/Q7/2N1p3/bPBk4/4n3/3P4/2K5 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Bb3 Bxb3 2. Qd3#
Problem No. 24 by George Koltanowski. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN n2B4/3Rp1p1/4p1P1/3Nkp2/1p1p4/1P1QpK1B/2P5/8 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qa6 exd5 2. Rxe7#
The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California Sunday, February 29, 1948 – Page 8 — Chess Champ To Leave for Canada Tour — Chess Master—George Koltanowski world's blindfold chess champion, who will leave his Santa Rosa home soon to make a month's exhibition tour through principal Canadian cities.
Only just back from the south of California, George Koltanowski is heeding a call to go up North for a chess exhibition.
This time the British Columbia Chess Federation is holding a special festival in Vancouver on Thursday, March 18 with George Koltanowski as chief attraction. Mrs. Leah Koltanowski, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Harris are driving with him to Canada.
Koltanowski, champion of the world in blindfold chess and editor of Chess Chats in the Press Democrat, will take on eight teams of five players each coming from different cities of British Columbia, and play them all blindfolded at one time.
4. I prefer here 4. P-K4
6. White could have tried here 8. N-K5
17. This is better than playing BxP; 18. NxB QxB; 19. N-B4 followed by QxQP and Black has a backward K's pawn.
35. White resigns as mate in two follows.
Problem No. 23 by G. Koltanowski (Dedicated to our friends Harry and Rose Harris). White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 8/2B5/1Q4p1/4p1P1/3N3P/4k3/2P3P1/4K3 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qc6 Kxd4 2. Bb6#
Problem No. 22 (Dedicated to our friends, the Tom Shoemakers). White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 8/4K3/1P4p1/2p2kB1/2PPp3/P2ppB2/1Q4R1/3nRN2 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Bxd1 cxd4 2. Qb5#
Milan Vidmar Jr vs Milan Vidmar
Yugoslav Championship (1947), Ljubljana YUG, rd 6, Oct-11
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense. Flohr-Mikenas-Carls Variation (A18) 0-1
Problem No. 21 (Dedicated to my good friend Alan Kelly).
White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 1N2r3/p7/pR3n2/b1k5/P1P2B2/1K3b2/4N3/1QR5 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qe4 Nxe4 2. Nd7#
Problem No. 20. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 2n2QR1/1bbppN2/6r1/5k1p/5p2/5B1n/1BN5/2K1R3 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qh6 Rxh6 2. Nxh6#
March of Dimes
In San Antonio, Texas, I played a match game with W. Kendall, city champion, and that night gave a simultaneous exhibition against 35 players. The proceeds of these two exhibitions went to the March of Dimes. The affair was held at the Elk's Club, and was so well attended that over $150 was presented to that worthy cause. In the following simultaneous I won 30, drew 4 and lost 1. The match game follows:
Problem No. 17 White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 1R6/3pNQ1K/3pr2p/P4n1R/k7/p7/pn1B4/5B2 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Nd5 a1=R 2. Qxd7#
News
Moscow—The Tschigorin Memorial tournament, in which 18 masters of the Slav countries participated, was won by M. Botvinnik. The championship of the world starts March 1st in Holland, with Botvinnik as the great favorite and Keres, Smyslov, Dr. Euwe, Fine and Reshevsky participating. On his way back from Holland, Ragozin, the famous Russian master, gave a simultaneous exhibition in Berlin. He won 12, drew 8, and lost 10! This is the sort of thing that happens to masters visiting in Russia. Man bites dog.
Problem No. 14. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 8/q2N4/p1p4R/1Pnk1B2/pQ1P4/1p1p4/1bP5/B5K1 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. b6 Nxd7 2. Rd6#
Chess Time
Time is the essence of chess! Each move represents a unit of time, and in this discussion, time refers to the moves of the pieces and not to the minutes consumed in making those moves. The greater force is exerted only at critical points where the adverse pieces and pawns are engaged. Pieces that are inert, or far from the scenes of combat, exert no force; so the numerically superior side may be unable to exert the greater force on account of bad location of his pieces.
If you want to appreciate the value of time, try giving the odds of allowing your adversary to make one extra move in a game at any time he may select. No matter what your skill, make a general plan for the development of your game. It may be changed frequently but it gives you an objective. Try to make each move fit this plan. Do not move pawns aimlessly, for such moves consume time that might be better devoted to the development of your plan. Don't move a piece several times in the early play, for the waste of time will tie up the other pieces. Don't move your queen out early in the game, for your adversary may gain time by attacking her with minor pieces and every time she is forced to move, there is a loss of time.
This game shows how easily the loss of time may be fatal:
Koltanowski Instructional Game
Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack
White rips Black to ribbons in a few moves. The pieces are mobile and seem to be alive, while the black pieces are helpless. All because White made good use of his time in the opening!
If they had read “Practical Chess” they would not have fallen into this trap.
Happy New Year and best wishes to all.
In one of my exhibitions in Miami, Fla., I played 28 games and won 25, drew w and lost 1. Dr. Gustave Drexel, champion of Florida was one of the players who drew. Here follows the game:
Problem No. 12 by George Koltanowski. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 4R3/2KPq1p1/2p1k2n/p3P2P/1N3r2/7N/2Q4B/5R2 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qe4 Rxe4 2. Ng5#
Problem No. 11 (Dedicated to the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club {of 1947}). White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 1n1br3/8/4b3/2Bpk1PQ/3Np3/2N2R1P/4n3/4K3 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qf7 Na6 2. Nc6#
Problem No. 10 by George Koltanowski. Dedicated to the Fresno Chess Club. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN q1Q2r2/1p3pp1/2pN1p2/bN1kr2R/4R3/3p1K1B/8/6B1 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Nf5 Rxc8 2. Ne7#
Problem No. 9 by George Koltanowski. (Dedicated to the San Jose Chess Club.)
FEN K7/B7/7Q/2Nppp2/2Bk1npR/5R2/8/3N4 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Na6+ Kxc4 2. Qc6#
Problem No. 8 by George Koltanowski. (Dedicated to the Sacramento Chess Club). White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 8/6B1/4R3/3K4/1p3p2/1B1k1p2/3N1p2/5N2 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Ke5 Ke2 2. Kd4#
Here is one of the best games played so far on this tour. It is one of six blindfold games played in Seattle.
George Koltanowski (white) N.N. (black)
Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System, Traditional Colle
Problem No. 7 by George Koltanowski (dedicated to the YMCA Chess Club of San Francisco). White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 6b1/1p1N1p1n/n2B1ppQ/3P1Rp1/1pRK2k1/3BP3/3P4/5Nb1 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Ne5+ fxe5+ 2. Kxe5#
Problem No. 6 by George Koltanowski (Dedicated to the Vallejo Chess Club). White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN Q7/R7/8/8/8/1Np2p2/1kP2P2/4K2R w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Ra2+ Kb1 2. Nd2+
'til the world understands why Robert J. Fischer criticised the U.S./British and Russian military industry imperial alliance and their own Israeli Apartheid. Sarah Wilkinson explains:
“What a sad story Fischer was,” typed a racist, pro-imperialist colonial troll who supports mega-corporation entities over human rights, police state policies & white supremacy.
To which I replied: “Really? I think he [Bob Fischer] stood up to the broken system of corruption and raised awareness! Whether on the Palestinian/Israel-British-U.S. Imperial Apartheid scam, the Bush wars of ‘7 countries in 5 years,’ illegally, unconstitutionally which constituted mass xenocide or his run in with police brutality in Pasadena, California-- right here in the U.S., police run rampant over the Constitution of the U.S., on oath they swore to uphold, but when Americans don't know the law, and the cops either don't know or worse, “don't care” -- then I think that's pretty darn “sad”. I think Mr. Fischer held out and fought the good fight, steadfast til the day he died, and may he Rest In Peace.
Educate yourself about U.S./State Laws -- https://www.youtube.com/@AuditTheAudit/videos
After which the troll posted a string of profanities, confirming there was never any genuine sentiment of “compassion” for Mr. Fischer, rather an intent to inflict further defamatory remarks.
This ongoing work is a tribute to the life and accomplishments of Robert “Bobby” Fischer who passionately loved and studied chess history. May his life continue to inspire many other future generations of chess enthusiasts and kibitzers, alike.
March 9, 1943 - January 17, 2008
The photograph of Bobby Fischer (above) from the March 02, 1956 The Tampa Times was discovered by Sharon Mooney (Bobby Fischer Newspaper Archive editor) on February 01, 2018 while gathering research materials for this ongoing newspaper archive project. Along with lost games now being translated into Algebraic notation and extractions from over two centuries of newspapers, it is but one of the many lost treasures to be found in the pages of old newspapers since our social media presence was first established November 11, 2017.
Chess Chats 27 Jun 1948, Sun The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California) Newspapers.com
