December 06, 1959 Chess Chats by George Koltanowski, Press-Democrat, Santa Rosa, California

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Chess Chats 06 Dec 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, December 06, 1959, Santa Rosa, California Problem No....

Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Thursday, April 28, 2022

Problem No. 209
White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 4B3/1p2pK2/7Q/kNp5/6Rr/1RP5/b7/2N3b1 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Nc7 Rxh6 2. Ra4#

Speaking of Luck …
Played in simultaneous exhibition at the Marines Chess Club, San Francisco.

George Koltanowski (white) vs. Leif Magnusson (black)
Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Canal Variation

Descriptive 1. P-K4 P-K4 2. N-KB3 N-QB3 3. B-B4 N-B3 4. O-O NxP 5. P-Q4 PxP 6. R-K1 P-Q4 7. N-B3 B-K3 8. BxP NxN 9. BxNch PxB 10. PxN P-QB4 11. PxP P-QB3 12. B-R3 Q-Q4 13. P-B4 QxP 14. PxP R-Q1 15. Q-N3 B-K2 16. Q-N7 Q-QR5 17. B-N2 BxP 18. BxP R-KN1 19. B-B6 RxPch 20. K-R1 Q-QN5 21. QxQ BxQ 22. KxR B-K2 23. BxB KxB 24. QR-Q1 Resigns

Algebraic 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 exd4 6. Re1 d5 7. Nc3 Be6 8. Bxd5 Nxc3 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. bxc3 c5 11. cxd4 c6 12. Ba3 Qd5 13. c4 Qxc4 14. dxc5 Rd8 15. Qb3 Be7 16. Qb7 Qa4 17. Bb2 Bxc5 18. Bxg7 Rg8 19. Bf6 Rxg2+ 20. Kh1 Qb4 21. Qxb4 Bxb4 22. Kxg2 Be7 23. Bxe7 Kxe7 24. Rd1 1-0

(a) More usual is 7. BxP QxB; 8. N-B3.
(b) As good as any move.
(c) Better was simple 10. … PxP.
(d) White gets rough, overlooking a fine point.
(e) With 14. … BxP; 15. R-QB1, BxPch; 16. KxB QxPch; 17. R-B2 QxB; White would have troubles.
(f) Q-N2 was needed. White is now in for a rude awakening!
(g) Well played! It should win the game.
(h) White cannot take the rook as after 20. KxR Q-N5ch; 21. K-B1 (Forced) QxN; wins easy.
(i) But this loses. With 20. … RxBP; 21. BxR RxN; 22. Q-N8 R-B8ch; 23. K-N2 (RxR? Q-K5ch leads to mate) Q-B7ch, and White gets mated. How lucky can you get?

David A. Keresey (white) vs. George Koltanowski (black)
Indian Defense: Pawn Push Variation

Descriptive 1. P-Q4 N-KB3 2. P-Q5 P-KN3 3. P-KN3 B-KN2 4. B-N2 O-O 5. P-K4 P-Q3 6. P-KR3 P-K3 7. P-QB4 PxP 8. BPxP NxKP 9. N-KB3 N-Q2 10. O-O N(2)-B4 11. N-Q4 P-QR4 12. N-QB3 R-K1 13. R-K1 NxN 14. RxRch QxR 15. PxN P-N3 16. B-K3 B-QR3 17. P-QR4 B-B5 18. B-KB1 BxP 19. P-QB4 B-N2 20. R-R3 Q-K2 21. B-N2 BxB 22. KxB R-K1 23. N-N5 P-B3 24. N-Q4 P-Q4 25. N-B3 PxP 26. B-N5 Q-Q2 27. QxQ NxQ 28. B-Q2 B-N7 29. R-R2 P-B6 Resigns

Algebraic 1. d4 Nf6 2. d5 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 0-0 5. e4 d6 6. h3 e6 7. c4 exd5 8. cxd5 Nxe4 9. Nf3 Nd7 10. 0-0 Nc5 11. Nd4 a5 12. Nc3 Re8 13. Re1 Nxc3 14. Rxe8+ Qxe8 15. bxc3 b6 16. Be3 Ba6 17. a4 Bc4 18. Bf1 Bxd5 19. c4 Bb7 20. Ra3 Qe7 21. Bg2 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Re8 23. Nb5 c6 24. Nd4 d5 25. Nf3 dxc4 26. Bg5 Qd7 27. Qxd7 Nxd7 28. Bd2 Bb2 29. Ra2 c3 0-1

(a) Nothing wrong with this move, if white knows what he is after.
(b) Better is 7. PxP PxP; (if 7. BxP; 8. P-K5 etc.) 8. P-KB4 with a good game.
(c) Does not see Black's next move or he would have played KPxP.
(d) This loses a pawn for no reason at all. Needed was 9. BxN R-K1; 12. P-B3 P-KB4; 13. N-B3 BxN; (forced) 14. PxB PxB; 15. P-KB4, with some drawing chances.
(e) If 24. NxP R-Q1; 25. B-B4. (BxN PxB; R-Q3 B-Q5, etc.) 25. B-K4; 26. BxB QxB; 27. NxBP Q-K5ch; 28. P-B3 RxQ; 29. ?xi KxN; and wins.
(f) If 25. NxP Q-K5ch; 26. P-B3 Q-QBP, etc.
(g) The QBP for Black will march through with ease and then the threat of N-B4-Q6-N5 is just too much to stomach.