October 31, 1948 The Press Democrat Chess Chats by George Koltanowski

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Chess Chats 31 Oct 1948, Sun The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California) Newspapers.com

Chess Chats by George Koltanowski Sunday, October 31, 1948 The Press Democrat Santa Rosa, California Problem No. 57 by...

Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Problem No. 57 by R. Svoboda, Prague. White to move and mate in two moves.
FEN 8/4p3/1B2P3/1P1Nk3/4p2P/4N3/4K3/8 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Nf4 Kf6 2. Bd4#

A Fine Finish

The following game is one of eight played simultaneously blindfolded in the Orange Chess Club exhibition, October 11, 1948.

George Koltanowski (white) William P. Caverly, Santa Ana (black)
Sicilian Defense: Wing Gambit

Descriptive 1. P-K4 P-QB4 2. P-QN4 PxP 3. P-Q4 P-Q4 4. P-K5 N-QB3 5. B-N2 B-B4 6. N-K2 P-K3 7. N-N3 B-N3 8. P-KR4 P-KR3 9. B-Q3 BxB 10. QxB KN-K2 11. P-R5 N-B1 12. P-KB4 B-K2 13. N-Q2 B-R5 14. O-O-O BxN 15. QxB O-O 16. P-B5 K-R1 17. P-B6! R-KN1 18. Q-B4 K-R2 19. N-B3 PxP 20. PxP N-N3 21. P-KN4 R-QB1 22. P-N5 Q-B2 23. P-N6ch! PxP 24. N-N5ch!! K-R1 25. N-B7ch!! QxN 26. QxRPch Q-R2 27. PxP Resigns

Algebraic 1. e4 c5 2. b4 cxb4 3. d4 d5 4. e5 Nc6 5. Bb2 Bf5 6. Ne2 e6 7. Ng3 Bg6 8. h4 h6 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nge7 11. h5 Nc8 12. f4 Be7 13. Nd2 Bh4 14. 0-0-0 Bxg3 15. Qxg3 0-0 16. f5 Kh8 17. f6! Rg8 18. Qf4 Kh7 19. Nf3 gxf6 20. exf6 Nb6 21. g4 Rc8 22. g5 Qc7 23. g6+! fxg6 24. Ng5+!! Kh8 25. Nf7+!! Qxf7 26. Qxh6+ Qh7 27. hxg6 1-0

2. The so-called Wing gambit. Far from correct but very dangerous in exhibition play.
6. Again unusual. B-Q3 is considered better.
8. Must make room for his Bishop as P-R5 was threatened.
11. Must develop his King's side somehow.
14. White is playing sharp chess and wishes to attack even at the cost of putting his King on the Queen's side.
16. Come what may, PxP was better.
17. If PxP now, then Q-B4 gives Black a lot of trouble.
18. Not PxP; as QxP mates.
20. If now RxP, then 21. QR-KN1, Q-N1; 22. RxR, QxR; 23. R-KN1 wins.
22. Black now threatens the Queen and has a dangerous threat on the White King. But all moves that follow now were announced by the simultaneous player. (See diagram.)
23. Forced. If K-R1, QxP mate. Or 23. … RxP; 24. PxRch mates in short order.
24. Again best. If PxN; 25. QxNP and mate is unavoidable.
25. The killer!

Here is a curious miniature played in the championship of the Ukraine, 1948:
Alexey Sokolsky (white) vs. Abram Ruvimovich Kofman (black)
Dutch Defense: Staunton Gambit, Nimzowitsch Variation

Descriptive 1. P-Q4 P-KB4 2. P-K4 PxP 3. Kt-QB3 Kt-KB3 4. B-KKt5 P-QKt3 5. P-B3 B-Kt2 6. PxP KtxP 7. KtxKt BxKt 8. Kt-B3 Q-B1 9. B-Q3 BxB 10. QxB Q-R3 11. Q-K4 Kt-QB3 12. P-Q5 Kt-R4 13. Kt-K5 P-Q3 14. Kt-B7! KxKt 15. R-B1ch K-K1 16. RxBch! Resigns

Algebraic 1. d4 f5 2. e4 fxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 b6 5. f3 Bb7 6. fxe4 Nxe4 7. Nxe4 Bxe4 8. Nf3 Qc8 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Qa6 11. Qe4 Nc6 12. d5 Na5 13. Ne5 d6 14. Nf7! Kxf7 15. Rf1+ Ke8 16. Rxf8+! 1-0

After KxR mate in 5 moves follows!