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The Chess Column Sun, Nov 21, 1971 – 79 · The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) · Newspapers.com
The game of chess has a beauty and seductiveness of universal appeal. A decree of 1255 forbade the clergy of Beziers to play the game lest it detract from their devotion to God. Vladimir Lenin had to eschew chess because it took too much time from his revolutionary activities.
The ethereal Marcel Duchamp abandoned his brilliant painting career to devote all his energies to the chessboard. Down-to-earth Humphrey Bogart avidly sought out chess opponents wherever his film career took him.
It is our aim to present chess for a wide audience so that they may gain a clearer understanding of the principles that give the game its form and a greater appreciation of the beauties that give it its ages-old attraction.
Our primary focus will be on chess as it is played in the Sacramento Valley by publicizing the competitions of its chess clubs and the most hotly contested games of its players. We invite the broadest participation by readers through letters of comment, criticism, or praise, and we urge readers to send us their most interesting games for possible publication.
Perhaps the strangest truth about chess is that one's style as a chess player faithfully mirrors the nature of one's character. It quite frequently happens that an improvement in one's personality is accompanied by greater strength at play, while character faults prove also to be chess weaknesses.
It may be worthwhile to examine a game by Robert Fischer, the current challenger for the world championship, when he was only 14.
At that time he was famous for the violence of his direct attacks against the enemy king. The essence of Fischer's genius was the deeply felt aggression and hostility he felt for a world he thought (rather realistically) had treated him badly.
Robert James Fischer vs Richard E Fauber New Western Open (1957), Milwaukee, WI USA, rd 1, Jul-04 Formation: King's Indian Attack (A07) 1-0 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044052
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O O-O 5. d3 d6 6. e4 e5 7. Nbd2 Nbd7 8. a4 Re8 9. Nc4 h6 10. Ne1
Black's last two moves have been rather passive, and this provides sufficient justification for Fischer to decide to open lines for a direct attack on the king.
The problem here is that Black's position is not sufficiently compromised to warrant such brusque treatment. Fischer's line-opening maneuver by 11. P-KB4 permits Black a counter thrust in the center which will secure ample piece activity to counter all direct aggression.
One of the signs of Fischer's maturity today is that he has successfully curbed such impatience. He still plays aggressively, but he has successfully channeled aggression and hostility into a search for permanent values at the chessboard. This combination of unrelenting aggression and reverence for permanent values makes Fischer at the chessboard what today's youth is, occasionally in the streets, but always in their secret hearts.
10. … Nf8? (Preferred is 10.…, N-B4; 11; P-KB4 PxP; 12. BxP P-Q4; 13. PxP NxP with equality in the center); 11. f4 d5 (11. … PxP 12. BxP P-Q4 is still the best chance); 12. fxe5 dxc4 13. exf6 Bxf6 14. Bxh6 Bxb2 15. Rb1 Bg7 16. Bxg7 Kxg7? 17. Qf3 Qe7 18. d4 Ne6 19. Qc3
Fischer's attack has now tied the Black men to passive positions. Fischer now expands his control of the center preparatory to launching new threats against the weakened kingside. Black's men have not enough mobility to defend all the threatened points.
19. … Ng5 20. Qxc4 Bh3 21. Rxb7 Bxg2 22. Nxg2 Qxe4 23. Rxc7 Qe2 24. Qxe2 Rxe2 25. h4 Nh3+ 26. Kh2 Nf2 27. Nf4 Rd2 28. Kg1 Ng4 29. Ne6+ Kh8 30. Rfxf7 Black resigns.
Chess Fan Wed, Dec 1, 1971 – 17 · The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) · Newspapers.com
Likes Chess Column Wed, Dec 1, 1971 – 17 · The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) · Newspapers.com
