March 25, 1956 The Press Democrat Chess Chats by George Koltanowski

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Chess Chats 25 Mar 1956, Sun The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California) Newspapers.com

Chess Chats by George Koltanowski Sunday, March 25, 1956 The Press Democrat Santa Rosa, California Problem No. 16, by...

Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Problem No. 16, by Jim Grady, Sonoma
White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 8/8/8/8/2K1p3/kNN4Q/8/2b5 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qf1 Bd2 2. Qa1#

Just before his victory in the Hastings tournament, the young Icelandic master, Olafsson, won a match against the Argentine grand master, Pilnik, by the score of 5-1 an outstanding performance. The following game from the match illustrates Olafsson's power in kingside attack.

Herman Pilnik vs Fridrik Olafsson
Pilnik - Olafsson (1955), Reykjavik ISL, rd 3, Nov-29
Russian Game: Classical Attack. Mason Variation (C42) 0-1

Descriptive 1. P-K4 P-K4 2. N-KB3 N-KB3 3. NxP P-Q3 4. N-KB3 NxP 5. P-Q4 P-Q4 6. B-Q3 B-K2 7. O-O O-O 8. R-K1 N-Q3 9. N-B3 P-QB3 10. B-KB4 B-N5 11. P-KR3 B-R4 12. B-R2 P-KB4 13. N-K2 P-KN4 14. N-N3 B-N3 15. N-K5 N-Q2 16. NxB PxN 17. Q-K2 R-B2 18. N-B1 N-K5 19. P-KB3 N-Q3 20. P-B3 N-KB1 21. Q-QB2 N-K1 22. R-K2 B-Q3 23. P-KN3 N-N2 24. QR-K1 Q-B3 25. K-N2 N2-K3 26. B-N1 R-Q1 27. R-Q1 R-R2 28. P-QB4 P-N5 29. BPxNP BxP 30. NxB RxP 31. NPxP N-B5ch 32. K-B3 Q-R5 33. B-B2 N-R2 34. R-KN1 N-N4ch 35. K-K3 R-K1ch 36. K-Q2 N-B6ch 37. K-B3 NxRch 38. NxN QxB 39. RxPch K-R1 40. Q-B1 R-K6 41. N-B4 R-K8 White Resigns

Algebraic 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Re1 Nd6 9. Nc3 c6 10. Bf4 Bg4 11. h3 Bh5 12. Bh2 f5 13. Ne2 g5 14. Ng3 Bg6 15. Ne5 Nd7 16. Nxg6 hxg6 17. Qe2 Rf7 18. Nf1 Ne4 19. f3 Nd6 20. c3 Nf8 21. Qc2 Ne8 22. Re2 Bd6 23. g3 Ng7 24. Re1 Qf6 25. Kg2 Ne6 26. Bg1 Rd8 27. Rd1 Rh7 28. c4 g4 29. fxg4 Bxg3 30. Nxg3 Rxh3 31. gxf5 Nf4+ 32. Kf3 Qh4 33. Bf2 Nh7 34. Rg1 Ng5+ 35. Ke3 Re8+ 36. Kd2 Nf3+ 37. Kc3 Nxe2+ 38. Nxe2 Qxf2 39. Rxg6+ Kh8 40. Qc1 Re3 41. Nf4 Re1 0-1

(a) Petroff's Defense is a good one to use against a stronger opponent; it is not easy for White to avoid the numerous drawing variations, and Black also has chances of counter-attack.
(b) This is rather slow. 8. P-B4, P-QB3; 9. N-B3 is more aggressive. Black's reply immediately prevents P-QB4 and initiates a prolonged period of positional maneuvering.
(c) White loses the initiative after this move. 12. P-KB4 would prevent Black's reply.
(d) On with the attack!
(e) Black has gradually improved the position of his pieces in the last few moves, while his opponent has been unable to formulate a constructive idea. Now Black begins an attack which is facilitated by White's mistaken avoidance of the exchange of bishops at move 26.
(f) Beginning a series of brilliant moves which are in startling contrast to the difficult positional warfare of the first part of the game. If now 30. KxB, Q-R5ch; 31. K-N2 (31. K-B3, NxPch3, QxRPch; 32. K-B2 NxP; with an overwhelming attack.
(g) This second sacrifice must be declined; it White captures the rook, Black mates in two.
(h) A much better defense is 34. R-K5, N-N4ch; 35. K-K3 RxNch; 36. BxR, QxBch; 37. K-Q2 N-B6ch; 38. K-B1, NxR; 39. PxN, with an unclear position; as the game goes, the black knights have a field day.
(i) No better is 38. BxN, NxR; 39. BxN, QxN.
(j) For if 42. Q-B2, QxPch; followed by 43. … QxN. The flair for imaginative combination which Olafsson shows here was also one of his outstanding characteristics at Hastings.