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03 May 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, May 03, 1959, Santa Rosa, California Problem No....
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Problem No. 178
White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN k7/b7/1pK1B3/4R3/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Bd5 b5 2. Kc7#
FATHER, OF MODERN CHESS
May 14 is the 123rd anniversary of the day Wilhelm Steinitz was born. He came to England in 1862 merely to play in a tournament, and stayed for 20 years; then he went to America for what again was meant to be a few weeks, but he stayed for nearly another 20 years, and died here as unhappily as he had lived most of his time.
Still, he had held the world title for 28 years, just a year longer than Lasker did after him; and he probably gave to chess more than anybody before or after him. Not as if his predecessors (way back to Philidor) had been unaware of the principle of “positional” chess, but it was Steinitz who made a system of it; at any rate he laid the groundwork.
Center's Importance
It was Steinitz who first saw and taught the importance of the “center,” it was he who saw clearer than anybody before him that an attack must be positionally justified and that such a positional advantage, if not thrown in one's lap by an obliging opponent, can be piled up methodically. Note the thoroughly “positional” character of his sacrifice on the 22nd move of this game he won against Paulson in 1870. The opening was a “Steinitz Gambit” now (deservedly) obsolete.
Wilhelm Steinitz vs Louis Paulsen
Baden-Baden (1870), Baden-Baden GER, rd 13, Jul-30
Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit. Steinitz Gambit Paulsen Defense (C25) 1-0
Obviously the Bishop was tabu on Black's 27th move, on account of R-R8ch followed by Q-B3ch, etc.; nor could Black take the KBP on his 29th move. The threat Q-N4 had to be countered.
A brevity from a Russian tournament of 1947.
Igor Bondarevsky (white) vs. Oceaniaian (black)
Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation
The London Times competition for school teams has attracted enrollment from 241 schools. The British Chess Federation has charge of conducting it and there is a controller in each of 16 zones. The Chess Education Society is also helping with its administrative experience. Teams are grouped according to average age of players, and an older team must beat a younger one by at least the difference between their group age numbers!
