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Chess Notebook 26 Jul 1959, Sun The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com
Chess Notebook by Lyman Burgess
Chess, as the man said, is a difficult game. And one of the more foolhardy pursuits of analysts and pseudo-analysts is the practice of making final judgments in flexible positions.
CASE: Position #26 in Bouwmeester's “Modern End-Game Studies” is a composition of Jean de Villeneuve Escaplon. This much admired study goes like this: White K at KR3; B at KB8; N at QR7, P at KR6. Black: K at QN1; R at KR1; B at QN7; N at Q5. With Black having the heavier artillery but no pawns the stipulation is White to play and draw.
Escaplon's solution: 1. B-N7 R-R2; 2. K-N4, KxN; 3. K-R5! N-B4!; (Now if K-N6, RxB is decisive) 4. BxB, RxPch; 5. K-N5, R-R7!; 6. B-K5, R-KB7; 7. B-B4, N-Q5; 8. B-K3, R-B4ch; 9. K-N4, R-Q4; 10. K-B4, K-N3; 11. K-K4, K-B4; 12. K-Q3. “The draw is a fait accompli, as the Knight is perpetually pinned, a splendidly logical composition.”
The startling virtuosity of the interplay of Bishop vs. Rook and Knight was partially negated by Igor Bondarevsky who, 30 years ex post facto, found a flaw which led to a win for Black. Bondarevsky's findings appear as position No. 101 in the Boumeester book. Same position as above: 1. B-N7, R-R2: 2. K-N4, KxN; 3. K-R5, N-K3! (Bondarevsky's improvement) 4. BxB, R-QN2! now (A) 5. B-B6; N-Bl; 6. B-N7, R-N4ch; with 7. … N-R2, etc).
(B) 5. B-B1 N-B1; 6. K-N5 K-N1; 7. B-K3 K-B1 and Black wins.
(C) 5. B-R3 R-N6; 6. B-K7 R-R6ch; 7. K-N6 K-N2; 8. B-B6 K-B3; 9. B-N7 K-Q2; 10. K-B7 R-B6ch; 11. K-N8 R-KN6; 12. K-B7 N-N4ch; 13. K-N8 K-N8; 14. P-R7 NxP; 15. KxN K-B7 and Black wins.
The Escaplon study with Bondarevsky's correction together with 99 other fine endings comprise Modern End-Game studies for the Chess Player, by Hans Boumeester (translated and edited by H. Golombek, 128 pp. New York. Pitman Publishing Corp., $3.50).
This is the first collection of modern studies since Chernev's “Chessboard Magic” which dates back to 1943. The Bouwmeester-Golombek collection (Golombek added 25 studies to the original text), in the reviewer's cliche, is truly entertaining and instructive. Therefore: recommended for fun or blood.
Weaver W. Adams long-time proponent of the “White to Play and Win” theory met Robert Durkin's odd-ball defense with aplomb and originality. Durkin is the author of Durkin's Knightmare (1. N-QR3!). From Adams' game collection, “How to Play Chess.”
Weaver W. Adams (white) vs. Robert Durkin (black)
Pirc Defense
