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The Chessboard 23 Nov 1969, Sun Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, New Jersey) Newspapers.com
The Chessboard: Spassky Beats Dane in Key Tilt by Harry T. Conover
A key game for world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union in winning the 1969 Puerto Rico International Chess Tournament, was his victory over Grandmaster Bent Larsen of Denmark.
Larsen, a tough competitor in any tournament, at one time shared the lead with Spassky and three others in the star-studded field. But the Dane faded after the 10th round and finished tied for sixth and seventh places.
Spassky wound up well ahead of the 16-player field with 11½-3½. Next came Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier of the United States; Walter Browne of Australia; and Bruno Parma, Yugoslavia, all tied for second, third and fourth places at 10-5.
Following these four in the standings were Lothar Schmidt of West Germany, 9½-5½; Jan Hein Donner, The Netherlands, and Larsen, 9-6; and Milan Damjanovic, Yugoslavia, 8½-6½.
The second United States player, Robert Byrne, finished with an even score of 7½-7½.
In his win over Larsen, Spassky played energetically against an inferior variation of the Caro-Kann Defense, gained a pawn, and won handily in 41 moves. Here is the score:
Bent Larsen vs Boris Spassky
San Juan (1969), San Juan PUR, rd 3, Oct-??
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation (B13) 0-1
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5
White secures only a slight advantage with 3. N-QB3 PxP; 4. NxP N-B3; 5. NxNch KPxN; 6. B-QB4 B-Q3; 7. Q-R5 O-O; 8. N-K2 P-KN3; 9. Q-B3 R-K; 10. B-KR6 B-KB4; 11. O-O-O B-K5; 12. Q-QN3 Q-B2; 13. P-KB3 B-Q4; 14. BxB RxN; 15. KR-K, etc.
3. … cxd5 4. c3
Larsen chooses a weak line. White's best chance here lies in the Panov-Botvinnik Attack: 4. P-QB4! N-KB3; 5. N-QB3 N-B3; 6. B-N5 PxP; 7. P-Q5 N-K4; 8. Q-Q4 N-Q6ch; 9. BxN PxB; 10. N-B3 P-KN3; 11. BxN PxB; 12. O-O B-K2; 13. QR-Q O-O; 14. RxP B-KB4; 15. R-Q2 B-Q3; 16. P-KN4 B-B; 17. N-K4 and White has a winning game.
4. … Nc6 5. Bf4 Bf5 6. Nf3 e6 7. Qb3
Here, 7. B-Q3 is preferable.
7. … Qc8
Parting company with Spielmann-Nimzovich, Karlsbad, 1923, which continued 7. … Q-Q2; 8. QN-Q2 P-B3; 9. B-K2 P-KN4!; 10. B-N3 P-KR4; 11. P-KR3 KN-K2; 12. O-O B-R3 with advantage to Black.
8. Nbd2 Nf6 9. Be2 Be7 10. O-O Ne4 11. Rac1 Nxd2
This and the ensuing exchanges yield Black at least equality.
12. Bxd2 O-O 13. c4 Be4
Black finds an ingenious way to defend against White's attack on his center, at the same time securing a strong post for his bishop.
14. Qe3 Qd8 15. Ne5 Nxe5 16. dxe5 Rc8 17. Rfd1 Bc5 18. Qf4 f6 19. cxd5 Bxd5
Of course, not 19. … KPxP, yielding. White an advanced, passed pawn.
20. Be3 Bxe3 21. Qxe3 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 fxe5
Winning a pawn, as will be seen.
23. a3
On 23. QxKP, Black retains his pawn plus with 23. … BxRP. The reply 23. QxRP is impossible because of 23. … Q-N4! with the threat of 24. … QxP mate and 24. … QxR.
23. … Qh4!
Once again defending the Black king's pawn from capture by the White queen, when QxKPBch would follow.
24. h3 a6 25. Bg4 Qf6 26. Re1 e4
Now Black is a clear pawn ahead in a superior position.
27. Qd2 h6 28. Re3 Bc6 29. b4 Rd8 30. Qc3 Kf7 31. Bh5+ Ke7 32. Qc5+ Rd6 33. Be2
A sad retreat, underscoring Black's hold on the position, made strong by the centralized post of his king.
Position After White's 33rd Move33. … Qd4!
After this powerful move, White is lost and Black carries the game quickly to its logical conclusion.
34. Qh5 Qa1+ 35. Kh2 Qf6 36. Qg4 g5 37. Kg1 Rd2 38. a4 Rb2 39. b5 Rb1+ 40. Kh2 Qxf2 41. Rc3 Qg1+
White resigns. After 42. K-N3 Q-K8ch wins the rook.
Asbury Park Press The Chessboard Sunday, November 23, 1969 Asbury Park, New Jersey Chess Problem No. 131 by E....
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Chess Problem No. 131 by E. Visserman, 1st Prize, Die Schwalbe, 1964. White mates in 2 moves.
FEN 5r1q/3B2b1/3PR3/r5Rp/p4BN1/Q3P2k/5PN1/5K2 w - - 0 1
Key: R(6)-K5/Ree5
Play continues early next month in the annual tournament of the Raritan Valley Chess League in which 11 clubs are participating.
Of the three Shore teams competing, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Holmdel Township, plays host to Union Carbide, Pascataway Township, Dec. 11; Matawan plays at Plainfield Dec. 13, and New Shrewsbury has the bye.
In other matches, the Titans of National Lead Titanium Division, Sayreville, are hosts to RCA Corp. of Somerville, Dec. 9; the Hungarian A.C. of Woodbridge meets East Brunswick in a home match Dec. 10; and the Kilmer Job Corps, of Edison visits the F.W. Egan Chess Club, Somerville, Dec. 11.
Dr. Richard Hamilton of the New Shrewsbury Chess Club, is league president; Warren Foss of the Titanium Chess Club, vice president; and Denis J. Barry, of Edison, secretary-treasurer.
League play continues until early May.
