A
Chess by Isaac Kashdan 09 Feb 1969, Sun The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
The Los Angeles Times Chess by Isaac Kashdan Sunday February 09, 1969 Los Angeles, California Times Problem 3956 by J....
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Thursday, November 25, 2021
Times Problem 3956 by J. Albarda. White mates in three.
FEN 8/8/8/6Q1/3K4/5R2/5NP1/5bk1 w - - 0 1
Key: R-KR3/Rh3
Threat, 2. K-K3; if KxN, 2. Q-K3ch; if B-K7, 2. Q-N3; if BxP, 2. R-R1ch.
Wade Writes Book on Soviet Chess
Many books have been written about chess in Russia. The game has been played there by millions, in Czarist days as well as under the Communists.
The latest and one of the best is SOVIET CHESS by R. G. Wade (David McKay; $7.50). It is a remarkable compilation including many of the finest games, as well as endgame and problem compositions.
Wade starts with the early history of chess in Russia and short biographies of the first masters, of whom Alexander Petroff and Karl Jaenisch were the best known.
Mikhail Tchigorin was by far the greatest of the Russians in the late 19th century. He might have been world champion if it had not been for the Austrian Wilhelm Steinitz.
Alexander Alekhine did become champion, though after leaving Russia in 1922, when the Soviets were in control. He had an enormous influence on Russian chess, despite his exile.
The bulk of the book is devoted to the modern era, in which the Soviets have held the leadership in practically every area of chess since 1948.
The styles and personalities of the super-stars are discussed, with many examples from their games very thoroughly annotated.
There are separate chapters on former world champions Mikhail Botvinnik, Vassily Smyslov and Mikhail Tal, current titleholder Tigran Petrosian, and contenders Paul Keres, David Bronstein and Boris Spassky.
There is a short report on women players, with the Russians predominant here as well. The first women's world champion was Vera Menchik, who was born in Moscow of Czech parents.
Miss Menchik was the only woman of her time who could compete with the men with reasonable success. She had no competition to speak of in her own gender from the time she won the title in 1927 to her death in a bombing attack on London in 1944.
Another woman who may build up a similar record in current champion Nona Gaprindashvilli, now 27, who has held the title since 1963.
The chapters on study composers and problemists have many fascinating examples of the creative artists, as well as reports on the individuals. The solutions are given in full detail.
The book has 288 pages, well printed with many clear diagrams. There is much of interest to the casual reader as well as to the chess student.
The following games are from the book. Though played more than 100 years apart, both are examples of slashing king side attacks after material sacrifices. Curiously, the old time King's Gambit is played in the modern game.
Boris Spassky vs David Bronstein
USSR Championship (1960), Leningrad URS, rd 16, Feb-20
King's Gambit: Accepted. Modern Defense (C36) 1-0
Hoffman (White) vs. Petroff (Black)
Warsaw, 1844
Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Ghulam-Kassim Variation
World Title Match
The match for the world championship between Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky will start in Moscow on April 14. It will be for the best of 24 games, with Petrosian retaining his title in the event of a tie.
Spassky earned the right to the match as the survivor in a grueling series of elimination matches. He defeated in turn Eufim Geller of the USSR, Bent Larsen of Denmark and Victor Korchnoi of the USSR.
In a previous match between the same antagonists in 1966, Petrosian won by the narrow margin of 12½-11½. Spassky's record in the interval has been considerably superior to Petrosian's, and the challenger will be favored in the return match.
The following game was played last year in a team match in Moscow. Prospects were equal until Petrosian's 34th turn, when he moved his bishop off the defensive diagonal. He evidently had overlooked the curious mating possibility that Spassky quickly forced.
Boris Spassky vs Tigran V Petrosian
10th Soviet Team-ch final A (1967), Moscow URS, rd 3, Jul-30
French Defense: Classical. Burn Variation (C11) 1-0
Armed Forces Chess
The Army team won the Armed Forces Chess Championship for the third year in succession in the tournament played in the American Legion Hall of Flags in Washington, D.C.
The Army totalled 53 points to the Air Force's 45½ and Sea Services 9½. The three winners were all army men, Pfc. Charles W. Powell, 11-1; SP4 Michael J. Senkiewicz, 10½-1½, and SP5 Walter P. Cunningham, 10-2.
Powell's only loss, to Roy H. Hoppe of the Air Force, was one of the most interesting games of the tournament. White's control of the king file was the major factor. His knight penetrated, and when this was captured, the passed pawn advanced decisively.
Roy H. Hoppe, Air Force vs. Pfc. Charles W. Powell, Army
English Opening: Great Snake Variation
Chess Club Notes
The Tornado Tournament at the Santa Monica Bay Chess Club had 80 entrants, probably a national record for this type of one day event.
The players were divided into two groups, based on ratings. A four way tie resulted in the higher rated group. Mike Leidner, Steven Spencer, Ross Stoutenborough and Ken Hense all had scores of 3½-½. Ron Singerman won the other group with 4-0, followed by Victor Lopez, 3½-½.
The tournament was co-sponsored by the Systems Development Corp., which has a number of interested chess players, and the Santa Monica Bay Chess Club.
Leo Kupersmith scored a perfect 5-0 to win the 30-5 tournament at the Herman Steiner Chess Club, 8371 Beverly Blvd. Robert Jacobs was second with 4-1, and Joe Mego was third with 3½-1½.
The Tanglewood Chess Club, which meets at 8 p.m. Mondays at 4647 Larwin in Cypress, recently completed its open tournament, it was a round robin event run in two categories.
In the first category the winner was C. Gomez, followed by B. Kreul and L. Roberts. R. Seifert topped the second category, with B. McElroy second and R. Gillham third.
The recently organized Orange Chess Club meets twice a week, 7 p.m. Tuesdays and 10 a.m. Saturdays, at the clubhouse in Orange City Park on S. Glassell. Visitors are welcome.
