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Chess 05 Mar 1959, Thu The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
CHESS
The Guardian, Chess, Thursday, March 05, 1959, Greater London, England Problem No. 515 By J. L. Rendall...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Friday, May 6, 2022
Problem No. 515 By J. L. Rendall (Manchester)
Black (6)
White (10)
White mates in three moves.
FEN 8/8/6Pn/1N4p1/1p1B1p2/6pB/1RP1P1P1/2k1K2Q w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Be6 f3 2. exf3 b3 3. Ke2#
A new brilliancy
The defeat of a grandmaster by a combination in the early stages is a rare event in modern tournament play, owing to the high quality of defensive technique. Exceptions usually occur only when the grandmaster needs to take special risks. The setting for the following game, which won the brilliancy prize in the Russian championship, was that it was played two rounds before the end, when Keres was trying hard to catch the leaders.
Ratmir Kholmov vs Paul Keres
USSR Championship (1959), Tbilisi URS, rd 17, Feb-07
Sicilian Defense: Nezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack (B30) 1-0
1. This unusual alternative to 3. P-Q4 was introduced by Nimzovitch.
2. Black can also play 3. … P-KN3 or 3. … Q-B2. 3. … P-QR3, however, is a waste of time, since White normally captures at QB6 in any case.
3. This artificial move leads to trouble: 4. … N-Q4 is correct.
4. White threatened 10. N-K4 P-N3; 11. N-B6 ch., but 9. … Castles is the natural stay of preventing this.
5. A brave move, opening the game despite Black's two bishops and the dissolution of his doubled pawns.
6. A decisive error, although at first sight it favours Black 11. … B-N2 is essential.
7. If 12. … QxQ; 13. RxQ B-N2; 14. N-N5 and White wins QRP (14. … BxN; 15. N-B7ch K-B1; 16. NxR BxN; 17 R-Q8 mate).
8. A splendid and ordinal sacrifice. If 13. QxN; 14. N-Q5 Q-Q1; 15. N-B6ch. K-K2 (15. BxN; 16. PxB dis ch B-K3; 17. BxN); 16. Q-B3 B-K3; 17. B-N5 Q-QB1; 18. N-N4 dis ch. regaining the piece with an overwhelming attack.
If 13. … QxQ; 14. RxQ KxN; 15. N-Q5ch K-B1 (or 15. … K-Q1; 16. NxP dis ch., or 15. … K-K1; 16. N-B7ch); 16. N-B7 R-QN1; 17. K-QRch K-K2; 18. B-N5ch P-B3; 19. PxPch KxR; (19. … BxP; 20. BxBch KxB; 21. RxR (20. PxB dis ch., and wins).
9. If 15. … R-QN1 dis ch.; 16. Q-B6ch, but now Black hopes for 16. QxR B-N2; 17. QxP Q-B3; 18. P-B3 R-R1.
10. Equally hopeless is 16. … K-B1; 17. N-B6 BxN (17. … B-N2; 18. NxQ is check); 18. QR-Q1.
11. A gesture of defeat: but wherever the queen moves, it can be won by a disclosed check by the knight.
12. White does not hurry: he now threatens a complete rout by 21. P-K6.
13. Black could resign here: a game conducted with great zest by Kholmov, who was awarded the title of grandmaster for his result in this championship in which he shared fourth prize.
An interesting footnote to the game Yuchtman-Tal give a fortnight ago, is that in a later game Yuchtman-Furman:
Jacob Yuchtman vs Semyon Furman
USSR Championship (1959), Tbilisi URS, rd 10, Jan-25
Scotch Game: Göring Gambit. Bardeleben Variation (C44) 1/2-1/2
Black continued … 13. B-N3 B-K3, and White had difficulty in drawing the game. If 11. Q-N3 instead of 11. QxQch; Q-K2; 12. B-R3 P-B4; 13. Q-N5ch N-Q2; and White has inadequate compensation for his pawns.
