Chess
The Guardian, Chess, Thursday, May 21, 1959, Greater London, England Problem No. 526 By N. Guttman (Plainfield....
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Thursday, May 12, 2022
Problem No. 526 By N. Guttman (Plainfield. U.S.A.)
Black (7)
White (10)
White mates in two moves.
FEN 7Q/4p3/8/2NkP2p/1P1N1nRr/1K2b2p/6R1/6BB w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Rg5 Kxd4 2. e6#
Meeting a wing attack
The reason for the consistent popularity of the Sicilian Defence among all types or players is that it gives the maximum opportunities for counter attack. Since Black usually concentrates his pieces in the centre, any unsound wing assault by White is liable to drastic punishment, as in the following game from the recent Mar del Plata tournament.
Herman Pilnik vs Miguel Najdorf
Mar del Plata (1959), Mar del Plata ARG, rd 7, Mar-30
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf. Amsterdam Variation (B93) 0-1
1. Najdorf's own opening system, which is one of the few which has remained unimpaired as a convincing weapon of counter-attack in spite of several years of intensive analysis. White's 6. P-B4 is, in current estimation, neither better nor worse than 6. B-K2; 6. P-KN3; or 6. B-KN5.
2. Pilnik had stated the tournament badly, and this move is to be explained by his need to win at all costs. The usual continuation in 10. Q-K2 P-QN3; 11. O-O. The immediate 10. O-O is met by 10. … PxP; 11. BxBP Q-N3ch when Black can safely capture the QNP.
3. White must willy-nilly continue his adventure, for if instead 11. O-O B-N2; 12. Q-K2 N-B4; 13. B-Q3 (if 13. N-Q2 P-Q4 frees Black's game completely), P-QN4; 14. PxP PxP; 15. RxR QxR; with a clear positional advantage. Now, after 11. N-KN5, White threatens to draw by 12. BxPch, RxB; 13. N-K6 Q-K1; 14. N-B7 Q-Q1; 15. N-K6, but this is easily met.
4. The KP is the Achilles heel of the white position.
5. If 13. P-QN4 QNxKP; 14. KNxN NxN; 15. NxN P-Q4 with advantage for Black. After his actual move, White could meet the same freeing combination with 16. R-Q3.
6. The opening of the game is perfectly judged; White's king quickly becomes exposed.
7. If this move can be placed in the Sicilian with the white king still in the centre, it is usually decisive.
8. A last effort to build up some attack. If 21. N(N)-K4 NxN(B6); 22. NxN P-KS; 23. B-QB4 R-Q1; and Black has all the play.
9. Avoiding the trap of 26. … RxB; 27. QxPch K-R2; 28. Q-N8ch K-N8; 29. Q-B7ch and draws.
10. White's position would also collapse after 29. R-Q3 Q-N5; 30. K-K2 QxPch; 31. K-K3 RxR