April 12, 1959 Chess Chats by George Koltanowski, Press-Democrat, Santa Rosa, California

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Chess Chats 12 Apr 1959, Sun The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California) Newspapers.com

Chess Chats by George Koltanowski
International Chess Master

The Press Democrat Chess Chats by George Koltanowski, Sunday, April 12, 1959, Santa Rosa, California Problem No....

Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Problem No. 175
White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 7N/8/6B1/6k1/2p3Np/1pB4n/1K1p1P2/3Q4 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Nh6 Kxh6 2. Qh5#

LONG AND SHORT OF IT
There are those who maintain that “brevities” in chess are more freaks caused by the accident of a mistake or the design of players coveting an early draw. Others insist that a short game may contain all the elements of a long one and does indeed present the best possible guide for the student of tactics (if not strategy).
Most prominent exponent of that school of thought is Kurt Richter who, to prove his point, published a book containing 623 admirably selected and annotated “shorts.” (Hohe Schule der Schachtaktiki). Obviously, it contains a good many amusing “records,” such as the shortest ever draw by repetition.

Hans Rodatz (white) vs. Paul Hallbauer (black)
Hamburg, 1938
Old Indian Defense

Descriptive 1. P-Q4 N-KB3 2. P-QB4 P-Q3 3. N-QB3 N-QB3 4. P-KN3 P-K4 5. P-Q5 N-Q5 6. P-K3 B-N5 7. Q-R4ch B-Q2 8. Q-Q1 B-N5 1/2-1/2

Algebraic 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 e5 5. d5 Nd4 6. e3 Bg4 7. Qa4+ Bd7 8. Qd1 Bg4 1/2-1/2

Shortest Ever
Here is what is alleged to be the shortest ever win after a Q-swap.

Engels (white) vs. May (black)
1937
Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack

Descriptive 1. P-K4 P-QB3 2. P-Q4 P-Q4 3. PxP PxP 4. P-QB4 B-B4 5. PxP QxP 6. N-QB3 Q-R4 7. Q-N3 Q-N3 8. N-Q5 QxQ 9. PxQ Resigns

Algebraic 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Bf5 5. cxd5 Qxd5 6. Nc3 Qa5 7. Qb3 Qb6 8. Nd5 Qxb3 9. axb3 1-0

As a most significant example for an immediate blitzkrieg on the uncastled King the author has picked Cochrane-Walker, London, 1841.

John Cochrane vs George Walker
Casual game (1841), London ENG
Scotch Game: Lolli Variation (C44) 1-0

Played in the England-Scotland match, 1958.

Michael Fallone, Scotland (white) vs. Leonard W. Barden (black)
Benoni Defense: Hromádka System

Descriptive 1. P-Q4 P-QB4 2. P-Q5 P-Q3 3. P-QB4 N-KB3 4. N-QB3 P-KN3 5. B-N5 B-N2 6. P-K4 O-O 7. Q-Q2 R-K1 8. N-B3 P-K3 9. B-K2 PxP 10. KPxP Q-N3 11. O-O B-B4 12. B-Q3 BxB 13. QxB QN-Q2 14. P-KR3 R-K2 15. QR-N1 QR-K1 16. P-R3 P-KR3 17. B-Q2 Q-N6 18. B-B4 N-K5 19. N-Q2 NxN 20. QxN N-K4 21. BxP NxP 22. Q-B4 BxB 23. QxB NxRP 24. P-B4 NxR 25. P-B5 R-K8 26. RxR RxRch 27. K-B2 PxP 28. Q-N5ch K-B1 29. Q-Q8ch K-N2 30. Q-N5ch K-B1 31. Q-Q8ch R-K1 32. QxPch K-N1 33. Q-N3ch K-B1 34. Q-Q6ch R-K2 35. Q-Q8ch R-K1 36. Q-Q6ch R-K2 1/2-1/2

Algebraic 1. d4 c5 2. d5 d6 3. c4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Bg5 Bg7 6. e4 0-0 7. Qd2 Re8 8. Nf3 e6 9. Be2 exd5 10. exd5 Qb6 11. 0-0 Bf5 12. Bd3 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Nd7 14. h3 Re7 15. Rb1 Re8 16. a3 h6 17. Bd2 Qb3 18. Bf4 Ne4 19. Nd2 Nxd2 20. Qxd2 Ne5 21. Bxh6 Nxc4 22. Qf4 Bxh6 23. Qxh6 Nxa3 24. f4 Nxb1 25. f5 Re1 26. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 27. Kf2 gxf5 28. Qg5+ Kf8 29. Qd8+ Kg7 30. Qg5+ Kf8 31. Qd8+ Re8 32. Qxd6+ Kg8 33. Qg3+ Kf8 34. Qd6+ Re7 35. Qd8+ Re8 36. Qd6+ Re7 1/2-1/2

(a) Black feels that he has a strong pull on the Queen's side, so no use spoiling it by playing 13. QxP; 14. QR-N1, etc.
(b) With the weak white square in his control, it all looks like easy sailing … but Barden doesn't know his Scotch!
(c) This saves the situation for the moment!
(d) That ought to have done it. If 2. BPxN QxN, etc. White does not ken defeat and plays …
(e) Threatens P-B6. If 25. PxP; 26. Q-N5ch leads to a draw.
(f) Not 26. P-B6 RxRch; 27. KxR Q-B5ch; 28. K-N1 Q-Q5ch followed by 29. QxKBP.
(g) The draw was forced. The young Scotchman deserves a word of praise for saving his game!