February 19, 1956 The Press Democrat Chess Chats by George Koltanowski

< Prev Index Next >

Chess Chats 19 Feb 1956, Sun The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California) Newspapers.com

Philippine Champion

In the first issue of the Philippine Chess Journal we find the following interesting story about the first Philippine champion, General Fernando Canon (1860-1937):
Hero of the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War, he distinguished himself as one of the foremost pillars of Philippine chess. He was initiated into the royal game by the sculptor, Melicio Figueroa, then a Filipino pensionado of the Spanish government in Rome. The young Canon then studied the game by delving into the pages of the early publications.
In a cosmopolitan field of 15 contestants, young Canon won the championship of the Sportsmen's Club de Barcelona, in Barcelona, Spain. He won 14 games and drew one with the famous Spanish player Jose Vaquero, who died before the end of the tournament. Gen. Canon won the championship of the Philippines, held at the American YMCA, sponsored by Gov. William Cameron Forbes. Canon was 19, lost one and drew two.
The following game was played in the Barcelona championship, 1905:

King's Gambit

General Fernando Canon (white) vs. Enrique De Flaquer (Black)
King's Gambit Accepted: Bishop's Gambit, Steinitz Defense

Descriptive 1. P-K4 P-K4 2. P-KB4 PxP 3. B-B4 N-K2 4. N-QB3 P-Q3 5. P-Q4 P-KN4 6. P-KR4 N-N3 7. P-R5 N-K2 8. P-KN3 PxP 9. BxP R-N1 10. N-Q5 Resigns

Algebraic 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 Ne7 4. Nc3 d6 5. d4 g5 6. h4 Ng6 7. h5 Ne7 8. g3 fxg3 9. Bxg5 Rg8 10. Nd5 1-0

(a) Not the best.
(b) White threatens mate on B6. If 10. … B-N2; 11. NxN wins.

Game played in the recent Gyon (Spain) tournament, that brings in a few licks of its own against the Sicilian.

Sicilian Defense

Noran (white) France (black)
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Classical Variation

Descriptive 1. P-K4 P-QB4 2. N-KB3 N-QB3 3. P-Q4 PxP 4. NxP N-B3 5. N-QB3 P-Q3 6. B-KN5 P-K3 7. Q-Q2 B-K2 8. O-O-O O-O 9. P-B4 P-K4 10. N-B3 B-N5 11. P-KR3 BxN 12. PxB N-Q5 13. PxP PxP 14. P-B4 Q-R4 15. PxP N-B6 16. PxN NxQ 17. PxB NxB 18. PxRQch KxQ 19. B-B4 N-N6 20. R-N NxP 21. NxN QxP 22. B-Q6ch K-N 23. RxPch K-R 24. R-N8ch Resigns

Algebraic 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. 0-0-0 0-0 9. f4 e5 10. Nf3 Bg4 11. h3 Bxf3 12. gxf3 Nd4 13. fxe5 dxe5 14. f4 Qa5 15. fxe5 Nf3 16. exf6 Nxd2 17. fxe7 Nxf1 18. exf8=Q+ Kxf8 19. Bf4 Ng3 20. Rg1 Nxe4 21. Nxe4 Qxa2 22. Bd6+ Kg8 23. Rxg7+ Kh8 24. Rg8+ 1-0

(a) Geller plays 9. … P-KR3 first.
(b) Something new again. In the well-known game Kortchnoi-Geller, XXI USSR championship, Kiev, 1954, white played 14. R-N1, NxBP; 15. Q-B2, Q-N3; 16. B-K3, N-Q4; 17. RxN, RxR; 18. BxP Q-Q1; 19. N-Q5, N-K1; 20. Q-N3, P-B3; 21. B-B4, R-B2p; 22. N-B4, B-Q3; 23. BxRch, KxB; 24. BxBP, and black resigned.
(c) If 17. … KR-K1; 18. BxN.
(d) Gains the kngiht. If 20. … N-R4; 21. R-N5. Not 20. BxN?, Q-N4ch, etc.
(e) If 23. … KxR; 24. R-N1ch, K-R3 25. B-B4ch, K-R4; 26. R-N5ch, K-R5; 27. R-N4ch and mate next move.
(f) If 24. … KxR; 25. R-N1ch, K-R1; 26. B-K5ch and 27. Bxp mate. Or 24. … RxR; 25. B-K5ch, P-B3; 26. BxPch, R-N2; 27. R-Q8ch, Q-N1; 28. BxRch, KxB; 29. RxQch and wins easily. A splended game.

Chess Chats by George Koltanowski Sunday, February 19, 1956 The Press Democrat Santa Rosa, California Problem No. 11 by...

Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Sunday, February 2, 2020

Problem No. 11 by S. Limbach, Poland
White to play and mate in three moves.
FEN 3B1k1K/b2p4/1pPNp3/6Pp/3p1pp1/8/6r1/1b6 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. c7 b5 2. c8=N Bg6 3. Be7#