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The Chessboard 21 Dec 1969, Sun Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, New Jersey) Newspapers.com
The Chessboard: Youth a Worthy Foe for Titlist by Harry T. Conover
World champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union, winner of the international tournament at San Juan, Puerto Rico, found only one really tough opponent in the 16-man field — Walter Browne of Australia.
Browne, who wound up with a 10-5 score, tied for second, third and fourth places. Had fortune smiled on the 20-year-old former United States junior champion more often than it did, he conceivably might have tied Spassky for first place.
Be that as it may, his stellar performance in a star-studded field earned him the title of grandmaster.
As White in a Ruy Lopez, Browne was undaunted in facing the world titleholder. He played vigorously, managed to win a pawn and extended the champion to the utmost in securing a draw. Here is the score:
Walter Browne vs Boris Spassky
San Juan (1969), San Juan PUR, rd 5, Oct-??
Spanish Game: Morphy Defense. Breyer Defense Quiet Variation (C94) 1/2-1/2
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3
Thus far all book and all well analyzed. In view of the bind White obtains, it is small wonder the Ruy has been for years the favorite weapon of the first player — when Black permits him to use it.
9. … Nb8!
Breyer's odd-looking, back-tracking maneuver which apparently is a favorite with Spassky. The Black queen's knight eventually will come to QB4 via Q2. The usual 9. … N-QR4 leads to well-worn paths.
10.d3
Against Spassky in the same tournament. Martinez tried 10. P-Q4, later blocked the center with P-Q5, and ran into serious problems at his 18th turn. Spassky won in 31 moves.
10. … Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7
The customary move, bringing pressure to bear upon White's K4.
12.Nf1 Nc5 13.Bc2 Re8 14.Ng3
White's maneuvers are directed toward a kingside attack, a natural outgrowth of the opening moves by the first player.
14. … Bf8
As Black has come to expect in the Ruy, his position is cramped and he must work hard to free it. Then too, he is handicapped for a long time by the backward queen bishop's pawn, frequently the key to obtaining elbow room for his pieces.
15.Nh2 d5 16.Qf3
White activates his queen and at the same time overprotects the king's pawn.
16. … Qc8 17.Bg5 dxe4 18.dxe4 Nfd7 19.Rad1 Nb6 20.Ng4 Qe6 21.b3 a5 22.Qf5 a4
Not wishing to yield White the end-game advantage after 22. … QxQ; 23. PxQ etc.
23.Qxe6 Rxe6 24.Bc1
With the queens off the board, White must try to translate his opening initiative into a lasting edge in the end game. A regrouping of his pieces is in order.
24. … f6 25.Ne3 Ree8 26.b4
White prepares to maneuver against Black's obvious weaknesses on the queenside.
26. … Ne6 27.Bd3 Ba6 28.Nd5!
Skillfully pushing his advantage. Now 28. … NxN?; 29. PxN would lose quickly.
28. … Nc8 29.a3 Nd6 30.Bf1 c6
31.Nb6!
Apparently putting the knight in a trap, but White has a clever resource.
31. … Ra7 32.Be3 c5
On 32. … R-N2, White wins a pawn with 33. NxP!
33.bxc5 Nc4 34.Bxc4 bxc4 35.Nd7 Bc8 36.Nxf8 Kxf8 37.Rb1
A pawn ahead in a dominating position, White might well be pleased with his game which will now require all of Spassky's skill to hold.
37. … Nf4 38.Bxf4 exf4 39.Nh5 f3 40.g4 Re5 41.Re3 Rxc5
Black has regained the pawn temporarily, but his pawn position is weak and he still has an uphill fight on his hands.
42.Rb4 Bb7 43.Ng3 Bc6 44.Nf5 Rc7 45.Kh2 Be8
Careful play has enabled Black to reinforce most of his weak points, bringing about a position in which White has a slight edge but no clear-cut win.
46.Kg3 Rb5 47.Nd4 Rxb4 48.cxb4 Rd7 49.Ne6+ Kf7 50.Nc5 Rd1
With this invasion of the Black rook, White's slim hope for a win vanishes and a draw looms on the horizon.
51.Rc3 Bb5 52.Kxf3 Ke7 53.Kg3 Kd6 54.f4 g5 55.e5+ fxe5 56.f5
White tenaciously pursues an all too elusive win.
56. … h6 57.Kf2 Rd4 58.Ne6 Rd2+ 59.Ke1 Ra2 60.Nc5 Bc6 61.f6
A last try, but Black now has a draw in hand.
61. … Ra1+ 62.Ke2 Ra2+ 63.Ke1 Ra1+ 64.Ke2 Ra2+ 65.Ke1 Drawn
An outstanding game and a credit to both players.
Asbury Park Press The Chessboard Sunday, December 21, 1969 Asbury Park, New Jersey Chess Problem No. 135 by G. Sladek,...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Chess Problem No. 135 by G. Sladek, 1st Prize, 3-,4-movers, Schach Echo, 1967. White mates in 4 moves.
FEN 8/8/n5p1/1p2r3/3N2p1/2pB4/2Q4P/1K2k3 w - - 0 1
Key: N-K6, threat 2. Q-Bch, K-B7; 3. Q-Bch, K-K6; 4. Q-K2. 1. … RxN; 2. BxP(5), threat 3. QxPch, K-B7; 4. Q-KN3. ([1. Ne6 Rxe6 2. Bxb5 g3 3. Qxc3+ Kd1 4. Qc1#])
The Jersey City YMCA Chess Club Jubilee Open Chess Tournament will be held Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 17 and 18, for the benefit of the club's scholarship fund.
Prizes offered are: $50 for first place, $30 for second, and $20 for third. Trophies will be presented to the top expert and top Class A, B, C and D and unrated players.
Entry fee is $4 for club and U.S. Chess Federation members and $6 for USCF members until Jan. 9, $2 more thereafter.
Inquiries and entries should be sent to the club at 654 Bergen Ave., Jersey City, N.J. 07304.
A strong East Brunswick Chess Club team defeated New Shrewsbury 5½-½ as play continued in the annual tournament of the Raritan Valley Chess League.
Individual results by boards, with the East Brunswick players mentioned first, were: I, Steven Stoyko 1, Dr. Richard Hamilton O; 2. Gary Klein 1, Richard Wellstood 0; 3. Sid Nevins 1, Robert Zito 0; 4. Ron Fischer 1, Donald Stone 0; 5. Jerry Kirzner ½; W. Peek ½; and 6. Clint Williams 1, Robert Keevers 0.
Checkmates and Chips: Scholastic Chess Draws 200 22 Dec 1969, Mon Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, New Jersey) Newspapers.com
Troubled GI's Given an Ear 27 Dec 1969, Sat Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, New Jersey) Newspapers.com
