October 08, 1959 The Guardian Chess, London, Manchester

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Chess 08 Oct 1959, Thu The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Chess

The Guardian, Chess, Thursday, October 08, 1959, Greater London, England Problem No. 545 By J. C Morra...

Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Problem No. 545 By J. C Morra (Argentina)
Black (8)
White (10)
White mates in two moves.
FEN KN3n1q/7B/2Q2n1r/2p3Nr/2Pk4/1P6/3P3B/6Rb w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Qf3 Bxf3+ 2. Nxf3#

The clock wins
This week's game, from the candidates' tournament in Bled, illustrates one of the ways in which a player may lose in spite of a first-class defence. Defence is almost always harder to calculate accurately than attack, and is, therefore, more likely to lead to time shortage. Here both players made mistakes, but it is Black whose errors prove decisive at the critical moment, harassed by the clock, he allows his king to become fatally exposed.

Svetozar Gligoric vs Vasily Smyslov
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 5, Sep-14
Slav Defense: Smyslov Variation (D16) 1-0

1. The normal 5. … B-B4 received a severe mauling from this game Gligoric in the match Russia-Yugoslavia (see the “Guardian” of July 30) and so Smyslov reintroduces an idea of Lasker's in an improvised version.
2. BxN PxB would favour Black because of his two bishops and open QN file.
3. An unusually passive move for Gligoric. The natural plan is a central advance, and White should therefore play 10. Q-K2 B-K2; 11. R-Q1 O-O; 12. P-K4, with the freer position.
4. Now this move is weaker than in the previous note, for Black can entice P-K5 and thus obtain the square Q4 for his knight and a good diagonal for the QB.
5. Realizing that he has been outmaneuvered in the opening, White makes the best of a bad job and prepares to exchange the strong bishop.
6. Safer would be 16. … O-O-O, for king's wing castling enables White to develop an attack based on his knight's occupation of K-N5. The king would be secure enough on the queen's side, since although Black has advanced his pawns White has no simple way of opening lines—and meanwhile Black has the KR file for his own attack.
7. A fine move with the double-edged purpose of preventing the exchange of queens by 20. … Q-Q6 and of eventually bringing the queen to the king's side.
8. White's plan is clear: Q-N3-R4 with mating threats. Smyslov, of course, foresaw this position, but judged that the attack could be parried. Nevertheless it is more practical not to allow such attacks (see note to move 16).
9. Time trouble begins and with it the inevitable errors, 27. Q-R4 would fall to 27. … QxRch; 28. K-R2 QxN; 29. QxQ P-B5 and the pawns win, but 27. R-K1, so as to meet 27. … QxP with 28. R-K4, Q-R8 ch; 29. K-R2, followed by Q-R4, would probably give White a decisive advantage. After the game, Tal suggested the amusing variation 27. R-K1 QxP; 28. R-K4 N-B6; 29. RxQ N-K7ch; 30. K-R2 RxR trapping the queen; but White can improve by 29. Q-R4 NxR; 30. Q-R7ch K-B1; 31. Q-R8ch K-K2; 32. RxP mate.
10. The only defence against 28. Q-R4.
11. The losing move in a winning position. After 31. … Q-R3 Black can repel the attack by … P-KB4 and run through with his queen's side pawns. Now, however, he loses two pawns and his king becomes wide open.
12. If 33. … 34. N-B4 R(B1)-Q1; 35. P-K6 R-Q3; 36. NxN RxN; 37. P-K7.
13. If 35. … Q-R1; 36. RxP1ch NxR; 37. QxNch R-N2; 38. NxR QxN; 39. Q-K6ch and 40. QxR.
14. A splendid fighting game creditable to both players. The notes are based on Dr. Trifunovic's in the Swiss National Zeitung.