October 14, 1956 The Press Democrat Chess Chats by George Koltanowski

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Chess Chats 14 Oct 1956, Sun The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California) Newspapers.com

Chess Chats by George Koltanowski Sunday, October 14, 1956 The Press Democrat Santa Rosa, California Problem No. 45 by...

Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Monday, February 10, 2020

Problem No. 45 by Leah Colton, San Francisco. White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 1q1R4/1b6/1b1rQ2K/5NN1/2p4R/3kp3/8/3BB3 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Nh3 Rxd8 2. Qxc4#

Game of the Week

The following scintillating game was played in 1868 by telegraph between Hamilton and St. Catherines. As typifying most Evans Gambits, we have a sharp attack and counter-attack with the better developed side eventually coming out on top.

Hamilton (white) St. Catharines (black)
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense

Descriptive 1. P-K4 P-K4 2. N-KB3 N-QB3 3. B-B4 B-B4 4. P-QN4 BxP 5. P-B3 B-B4 6. O-O P-KR3 7. P-Q4 PxP 8. PxP B-N3 9. Q-N3 Q-K2 10. B-R3 N-R4 11. Q-R4 Q-B3 12. P-K5 Q-Q1 13. P-K6! PxP 14. BxP N-QB3 15. BxN RxB 16. P-Q5 Q-B3 17. R-K1ch K-Q1 18. PxN P-Q3 19. QN-Q2 P-N4 20. N-B4 BxPch 21. KxB P-N5 22. NxQP! PxQN 23. P-B7ch KxP 24. Q-B4ch K-N1 25. QR-B1 Q-Q1 26. QxR! Resigns

Algebraic 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. 0-0 h6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Qb3 Qe7 10. Ba3 Na5 11. Qa4 Qf6 12. e5 Qd8 13. e6! fxe6 14. Bxe6 Nc6 15. Bxg8 Rxg8 16. d5 Qf6 17. Re1+ Kd8 18. dxc6 d6 19. Nd2 g5 20. Nc4 Bxf2+ 21. Kxf2 g4 22. Nxd6! cxd6 23. c7+ Kxc7 24. Qc4+ Kb8 25. Rc1 Qd8 26. Qxg8! 1-0

(6) This violates one of the soundest opening rules: Makes as few moves with the pawns in the opening as possible. Morphy said, “Helop your pieces so they can help you.” The best move here is 6. … N-B3.
(10) Black at this early stage of the game is quite lost. If 10. P-Q3 then 11. P-K5 opens up the position with devastating effect.
(13) Watch it now!
(18) A sad necessity for it 18 … QxR then 19. B-K7ch wins at least a Queen for White!
(26) It is mate if White's Queen is accepted. An entertaining game!

Another Game

Played in the U.S. Amateur Open in New Jersey, 1956

Marc Rothman (white) Dr. Edward Kupka (black)
Slav Defense

Descriptive 1. P-Q4 P-Q4 2. P-QB4 P-QB3 3. N-QB3 B-B4 4. N-B3 N-B3 5. P-K3 QN-Q2 6. P-KR3 P-K3 7. P-R3 B-Q3 8. B-K2 O-O 9. O-O R-K1 10. PxP KPxP 11. Q-N3 P-QN3 12. B-Q2 B-K3 13. Q-B2 N-B1 14. QR-B1 Q-Q2 15. N-K5 Q-N2 16. P-B4 QR-B1 17. Q-R4 P-QN4 18. Q-N3 P-QR3 19. B-B3 N-K5 20. Q-Q1 NxB 21. QxN Q-K2 22. P-QN4 N-Q2 23. Q-Q3 N-N3 24. B-Q1 P-B3 25. N-B3 N-B5 26. R-R1 B-KB2 27. R-K1 Q-Q2 28. B-B2 B-N3 29. P-B5 B-KB2 30. N-Q2 B-N6 31. R-K2 N-N7 Resigns

Algebraic 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Bf5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. h3 e6 7. a3 Bd6 8. Be2 0-0 9. 0-0 Re8 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Qb3 b6 12. Bd2 Be6 13. Qc2 Nf8 14. Rc1 Qd7 15. Ne5 Qb7 16. f4 Rc8 17. Qa4 b5 18. Qb3 a6 19. Bf3 Ne4 20. Qd1 Nxd2 21. Qxd2 Qe7 22. b4 Nd7 23. Qd3 Nb6 24. Bd1 f6 25. Nf3 Nc4 26. Ra1 Bf7 27. Re1 Qd7 28. Bc2 Bg6 29. f5 Bf7 30. Nd2 Bg3 31. Re2 Nb2 0-1

(a) Why not 4. PxP, PxP; 5. Q-N3? It wins a pawn immediately.
(b) Gives Black all the time to develop his game with great ease.
(c) Helps Black even more. Now he has control of the King's file.
(d) This move gives the advantage away. White starts regaining territory.
(e) Threatens B-R6.
(f) Well played.
(g) Does not care to win the pawn on K6. Is afeared of the unnecessary complications it would bring about.
(h) Giving up the exchange would have been wise. 31. NxN, NPxN; 32. Q-Q2, BxB, etc.
(i) One of the cutest “Queen smothered” positions I have seen in many a day!