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Chess 14 May 1959, Thu The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
Chess
The Guardian, Chess, Thursday, May 14, 1959, Greater London, England Problem No. 525 by W. J. Couture (South Walpole,...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Problem No. 525 by W. J. Couture (South Walpole, United States)
Black (10)
White (8)
White mates in two moves
FEN 8/1Kp1NNr1/1BP5/4n1r1/1Q1nk3/2R1ppP1/2p5/3q4 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qd6 cxd6 2. Nxd6#
New Strategy for Old
One characteristic of grandmasters is their ability to overturn established strategic ideas; in the following game from the recent Moscow tournament Spassky closes the centre and advances his king's side pawns in the Ruy Lopez in a manner which has been abandoned for twenty years. His new twist—an attack with the major pieces on the open KN file—may not be entirely correct, but, like most new ideas in chess, it succeeds at its first outing because of the surprise element.
In this tournament, incidentally, Western Europe's two most promising grandmasters took a beating. Olafsson was equal seventh with five out of eleven (two points behind the joint winners Bronstein, Smyslov, and Spassky) while Larsen of Denmark did even worse, finishing next to bottom.
Boris Spassky vs Fridrik Olafsson
Alekhine Memorial (1959), Moscow URS, rd 3, Apr-09
Spanish Game: Closed Variations. Closed Defense (C96) 1-0
1. Introduced in Russia two years ago, this continuation has been just as successful as the customary 11. … Q-B2. If now 12. PxKP PxP; 13. NxP NxN; 14. QxQ QRxQ; 15. BxN BxB; 16. RxB R-QBch.
2. That White should close the centre at once is a surprise, but the main alternative line 12. P-QN4 has been exhaustively analysed and is satisfactory for Black. The chief variation 12. … PxNP; 13. PxNP N-B5; 14. QN-Q2 P-Q4; 15. PxQP PxQP; 16. NxN PxN; 17. QxP BxNP; 18. R-Q1 QxP; 19. R-N1 Q-QR4; 20. QxP BxN; 21. PxB QR-B1; 22. QxB QxQ; 23. RxQ RxB; when Black has nothing to fear in the ending.
3. This is White's strategical novelty, for it is usually considered that the KRP must be protected before P-KN4 e.g., 15. K-R2 K-R1; 16. P-KN4 N-N1; 17. N-N3 P-N3; 18. R-KN1 P-B3 with prolonged siege warfare in prospect.
4. Both sides develop their respective plans: White aims at an outpost at KB5 and an attack on the KN file. Black at exchanging off the black-squared bishops and leaving White with a “bad” king's bishop handicapped by its own pawns.
5. Better than 19. … Q-Q2; 20. K-R1 B-B5; 21. N-B5 QBxN; 22. PxB when Black's task in blockading the white KBP and KRP is more difficult.
6. Black counter-attacks a move too early. He could hold White's attack in check by 24. … K-R1; when a plausible line is 25. R-N2 (25. N-N4 Q-R5ch; 26. K-N2 N-N4), Q-R3; 26. QR-KN1 R-KN1; 27. N-N4 Q-Q7; 28. B-Q1 N-B3; 29. NxN PxN; 30. P-R6 RxR; 31. RxR R-KN1; 32. RxRch KxR; 33. Q-N4ch Q-N4 and the ending favours Black.
7. Black probably underestimated this move: the alternative 27. RxPch K-R1; 28. R(N7)-N2 R-KN1 would enable Black to retain his blockade of the black squares.
8. Now 29. … R-KN1 no longer works because of 30. RxP while if 29. … QxR; 30. RxQ KxR; 31. P-B6ch wins easily.
9. Not at once 32. BxP N-B3; but 33. BxP is now threatened.
10. Avoiding the trap 33. R-N8ch NxR; 34. RxNch K-R2.
1l. Losing by force, but if 33. … K-R2; 34. R-N7ch QxR; 35. RxQch KxR; 36. Q-N5ch, while if 33. … R-K4; 34. R-N8ch NxR; 35. RxNch K-K2; 36. QxQch KxQ; 37. RxR.
Close Fight For Chess Prize 18 May 1959, Mon The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
CLOSE FIGHT FOR CHESS PRIZE
Czech in best position
By our Chess Correspondent
With one round to go, there is a close fight for first prize in the Premier Tournament of the annual chess congress at Ilford. The scores are: Fairhurst, Green, and Kottnauer 2 and 1 adjourned, Clarke 1½ and 1 adj., Wade 1½, Dr Fazekas 1.
Kottnauer, the former Czech master, has the best chance for first prize: he beat Clarke after a long game and has a positional advantage in an unfinished ending against Fairhurst, the leading Scottish-player. Fairhurst has also played well, winning by a powerful attack against Green's Slav Defence, and Green has shown good form in his two wins against Wade and Dr Fazekas. The two British internationals, Clarke and Wade, have been rather disappointing.
N. G. Hammond, of Kent, has already won the Premier Reserves Tournament with one round still to go: he has a 100 per cent score. In the full congress, there is a record entry of 127.
Chess Tournament Won By Kottnauer 19 May 1959, Tue The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
CHESS TOURNAMENT WON BY KOTTNAUER
Prize well deserved
By our Chess Correspondent
Kottnauer made sure of first prize in the Premier Chess Tournament at Ilford yesterday by a short draw with Green, who made no progress at all against the King's Indian Defence. Clarke came up equal, with Green in second place, by defeating Wade in a long queen and pawn ending.
Kottnauer played easily the soundest chess of the tournament, and well deserved first-prize. He will probably apply for naturalisation soon, and if he competes in the British championship at York, will be the most likely person to deprive Penrose of his title.
