Chess Chats 01 Mar 1959, Sun The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California) Newspapers.com
Chess Chats By George Koltanowski
International Cbess Master
Problem No. 169
White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN K5B1/8/QN4PB/4p3/Pp5r/2k5/3R1Prp/1n3bR1 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qe2 Bxe2 2. Rc1#
The Press Democrat Chess Chats by George Koltanowski, Sunday, February 22, 1959, Santa Rosa, California Problem No....
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Sunday, March 13, 2022
LILIENTHAL DISCUSSES BOTVINNIK
I have known Mikhail Botvinnik personally for almost a quarter of a century. I met him first in 1934 aboard a ship going to Britain for the traditional International Christmas tournament in Hastings. Botvinnik was making his debut abroad. It was not very successful (he was placed fourth). He was a lean, bespectacled young man of average stature, with a broad open forehead and a winning smile. This is how Botvinnik looks now, too, buoyant and seemingly not aging at all.
Tournaments Played
Hastings was followed by Moscow, where a major international tournament was held in 1935. In this tournament in which Capablanca, Lasker and other “chess luminaries” played, Botvinnik shared first place with Flohr. For this great achievement 24-year-old Botvinnik was awarded the title of Grandmaster.
The following year, in the British city of Nottingham, the world's top players gathered again. They included Alekhine, Capablanca, Lasker, Reshevsky, Fine, Flohr. Again on British soil, Botvinnik shared first place with Capablanca. “Botvinnik's tremendous success” Alexander Alekhine wrote after the tournament, “is not unexpected. In my opinion he has the biggest chance of becoming champion of the world in the next few years.”
Forecast Realized
The forecast of the great Alekhine came true. Then followed a series of international victories for Botvinnik. He has defended his chess crown successfully ever since, and it was only last year that he was dethroned. But less than a year later, he regained his title. Botvinnik has been champion of the USSR seven times!
But do not think that chess is his only love. Without abandoning his favorite pastime, he successfully graduated with an electrical engineer's diploma. He continued scientific work and got his master's degree of doctor of technical sciences. He has written a number of books on chess and electrical engineering.
On board 3 at the chess Olympics in Munich, Toran, Spain beat Bisguier, USA. When Bisguier congratulated him, Toran said “Thank you, sir, for this nice birthday present!” Whereupon, Bisguier with a wry smile answered, “Many happy returns…But it's my birthday, too!”
Toran became 27, Bisguier 29.
Arthur Bisguier vs Roman Toran Albero
Munich Olympiad qual-2 (1958), Munich FRG, rd 8, Oct-08
Spanish Game: Berlin Defense (C65) 0-1
(a) Both have left well-known paths. 4. 0-0 is more usual here.
(b) Leaves his opponent with the two bishops. 10. B-B4 was better.
(c) If 13. B-N2 NxQP; 14. PxN B-KB3 etc. That is why 13. Q-Q3 first would have been better.
(d) The Bishops need open diagonals, and Black gets them too.
(e) Interesting pawn sacrifice.
(f) Slightly better was N-B4.
(g) If 23. Q-B3 Q-Q5.
(h) After 26. NxQ, RxPch.
White will lose heavy material. Well played by “Terero” as Toran is fondly called by his friends.
Chess Quote of the Day
“There is a widespread assumption today that chess is too scientific a game to afford relaxation after the occupations and preoccupations of the day. This amounts to denying oneself an addition to the beauties of life.”—J. S. Tartakower in “A Brevity of Chess.”
