January 15, 1956 The Press Democrat Chess Chats by George Koltanowski

< Prev Index Next >

Chess Chats 15 Jan 1956, Sun The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California) Newspapers.com

Chess Chats by George Koltanowski Sunday, January 15, 1956, The Press Democrat Santa Rosa, California Problem No. 6 by...

Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Saturday, February 1, 2020

Problem No. 6 by B. Ingre, Sweden
White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 8/3p1Qp1/3PNnPb/6p1/6p1/3pk1N1/3p4/3K1R2 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Rf5 dxe6 2. Qa7#

From the Inter-zonal Tournament in Goteberg, Sweden.

King's Indian Defense

D. Bronstein (white) M. Najdorf (black)

“I had a win” cried Najdorf after the game was over. He forgot to add that he offered his opponent a draw on the eighth and once again on the tenth move. It influenced his opponent to continue rather weakly on his 11th move, as he was inclined to accept the draw. But let us look at the game first.

David Bronstein vs Miguel Najdorf
Gothenburg Interzonal (1955), Gothenburg SWE, rd 18, Sep-14
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense. King's Indian Formation (A15) 1/2-1/2

(a) And here black offered a draw, which white accepted. But black does have the better game. If 14. N-B4. … NxBch; gives black the better game); 15. N-Q3, NxBch; 16. QxN, NxP; 17. NxN, RxN; 18. BxB, RxN; with advantage.

The above reminds me of an incident at the Candidates tournament in Zurich, 1953, that occurred during the Boleslavsky-Najdorf game. After a few moves had been made, Najdorf asked Boleslavsky, “Are you playing for a win?”
“No,” answered Boleslavsky.
“For a draw then?”
“No!”
Najdorf almost jumped. “Why,” he asked, “Are you playing for a loss?”
“No!” was the answer.
“Well, for a draw after all then,” asked Najdorf hopefully.
“No,” answered Boleslavsky calmly. “I just want to play!”

Game played in Germany

Queen's Gambit

Dr. Reinhard Cherubim (white) H. Seeger (black)
Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Normal Line

Unresolved Chess Game: Can you solve it?

Descriptive 1. P-Q4 N-KB3 2. P-QB4 P-K3 3. B-N5 P-Q4 4. P-K3 B-K2 5. N-QB3 O-O 6. N-B3 QN-Q2 7. PxP PxP 8. Q-B2 P-B3 9. B-Q3 P-KR3 10. B-R4 R-K1 11. O-O N-K5 12. BxN BxB 13. B-R7ch K-R1 14. B-Q3 B-B3 15. P-QN4 P-R3 16. P-QR4 P-QR4 17. P-N5 N-N1 18. QR-N1 N-K3 19. KR-B1 PxP 20. RxP N-B3 21. RxNP N-N5 22. Q-N1 B-B1 23. RxP NxB 24. QxN K-N1 25. Q-N6 R-K3 26. NxP BxP 27. N-K7ch K-R1 28. N-R4 B-B3 29. QxRPch PxQ 30. N4-N6 mate *18. ...P-K3 or R-K3?

Algebraic 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Bg5 d5 4. e3 Be7 5. Nc3 0-0 6. Nf3 Nd7 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Qc2 c6 9. Bd3 h6 10. Bh4 Re8 11. 0-0 Ne4 12. Bxe4 Bxh4 13. Bh7+ Kh8 14. Bd3 Bf6 15. b4 a6 16. a4 a5 17. b5 Nb8 18. Rb1 Re6 19. Rc1 cxb5 20. Rxb5 Nc6 21. Rxb7 Nb4 22. Qb1

(a) Usual is 12. BxB
(b) Forced. as after 12. … PxB; 13. QxP wins a pawn for white.
(c) Strange move.
(d) First 19. … R-K2 is better.
(e) Must lose a pawn.
(f) If 25. … B-B4; 26. QxB, KxR; 27. NxP and white should win.
(g) If 26. … QxN; 27. R1-B7 decides.
(h) After 28. … RxQ; 29. N4xRch, K-R2; 30. R-B8, B-KB4; 31. RxQ, RxR 32. RxB, BxN; 33. NxB, KxN; 34. R-B5 wins.

One of six games played simultaneous at the Golden Gate Chess Club in San Francisco recently by the Australian champion, John Purdy, who won five and drew one.

Colle Opening

Henry King (white) vs. John Purdy (black)
Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation

Descriptive 1. P-Q4 P-Q4 2. N-KB3 P-K3 3. QN-Q2 N-KB3 4. P-K3 B-K2 5. B-Q3 P-B4 6. P-B3 O-O 7. O-O P-QN3 8. Q-K2 B-N2 9. P-K4 PxKP 10. NxP NxN 11. BxN BxB 12. QxB N-Q2 13. B-B4 N-B3 14. Q-B2 N-Q4 15. B-K5 PxP 16. NxP R-B1 17. QR-Q1 B-Q3 18. N-B3 BxB 19. NxB Q-B2 20. Q-K4 KR-Q1 21. KR-K1 N-B3 22. Q-B3 RxR 23. QxR R-Q1 24. Q-K2 Q-Q3 25. P-KN3 Q-Q7 26. P-KB4 P-KR3 27. K-B2 Q-Q3 28. Q-K3 K-B1 29. R-K2 Q-Q4 30. P-B4 Q-R8 31. Q-KB3 QxRPch 0-1

Algebraic 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nbd2 Nf6 4. e3 Be7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 0-0 7. 0-0 b6 8. Qe2 Bb7 9. e4 dxe4 10. Nxe4 Nxe4 11. Bxe4 Bxe4 12. Qxe4 Nd7 13. Bf4 Nf6 14. Qc2 Nd5 15. Be5 cxd4 16. Nxd4 Rc8 17. Rd1 Bd6 18. Nf3 Bxe5 19. Nxe5 Qc7 20. Qe4 Rd8 21. Re1 Nf6 22. Qf3 Rxd1 23. Qxd1 Rd8 24. Qe2 Qd6 25. g3 Qd2 26. f4 h6 27. Kf2 Qd6 28. Qe3 Kf8 29. Re2 Qd5 30. c4 Qh1 31. Qf3 Qxh2+ 0-1

(a) This is not as strong as N-K5.
(b) Prefer 14-K2 here.
(c) The Knight is well placed where it is. Best would have been 18. KR-K1 and hold the open King's file.
(d) Wants fresh air for his King.
(e) Might have considered 26. P-B3 followed by K-B2.
(f) With 31. Q-R3ch, K-K1; 32. QxRP, QxPch; 33. K-B3, White should have had easy drawing chances.
(g) The Queens were exchanged, and Black had no difficulty winning the ending.