A
Chess 14 Jan 1960, Thu The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
CHESS
Problem No. 558.
By C. J. Morse (London).
Black (5)
White (8)
White mates in two moves.
FEN 1B6/8/8/KR4p1/R2bk3/2r5/2PPp1P1/1Q6 w - - 0 1
Solution:
1. Qh1 Rc5 2. g4#
2. Qh1 Rc7 2. g3#
3. Qh1 Rc6 2. g4#
Champions of the West
Gligoric's convincing success at Hastings and Fischer's retention of the American championship reinforce the impression given by the candidates' tournament that these two are the strongest grandmasters outside Russia. Plans are afoot in the United States for a match between them, and if the negotiations are successful it will be those of the Botvinnik-Tal world title encounter.
Gligoric's sparkling play at Hastings, coming so soon after the candidates' tournament, was a tribute to his stamina and originality. The following game from the first round gave him confidence and virtually eliminated Uhlmann's hopes of winning Hastings in successive years.
Svetozar Gligoric vs Wolfgang Uhlmann
Hastings (1959/60), Hastings ENG, rd 1, Dec-30
Gruenfeld Defense: Three Knights. Burille Variation (D94) 1-0
- Masters are now generally steering clear of the King's Indian Defence 3. … B-N2 because of the power of Petrosian's system 4. P-K4 P-Q3; 5. N-B3 Castles; 6. B-K2 P-K4; 7. P-Q5 QN-Q2; 8. B-N5.
- An interesting nuance in modern opening play is for White to transpose into black defences with a move in hand. Here, for instance, Gligoric pointed out that after the obvious 6. … P-B4. 7. Castles, N-B3 White would, in effect, be playing the Tarrasch Defence to the Queen's Gambit with colours reversed.
- A serious error for a grandmaster—in many variations of the Queen's Gambit Black cannot develop his QB while White is in a position to attack the queen's side with Q-N3. Correct is 7. … P-K3; followed by P-N3. B-N2 and QN-Q2.
- Now White controls the centre, for if 8. … PxP; 9. Q-N3 P-N3; 10. B-Q2 followed by KR-B2 when White occupies the QB file with his rooks and queen and eventually penetrates at QB7.
- Another artificiality Black should follow the golden rule of cramped positions and exchange bishops by 12. … B-B5; although White should retain the initiative by 13. P-QR4 or 13. B-K3.
- Black still hopes to obtain counterplay in the centre. If 14. … P-QR4; 15. Q-N3 P-K4; 16. PxP and Black has to exchange his important fianchettoed bishop.
- Another mistake, and this time a decisive one 15. … P-QR4 is essential, when White's simplest plan is to maintain the two bishops and the better pawn formation with 16. PxP, PxP; 17. P-R3.
- If 16. … PxP; 17. QxP B-B4 (or 17. … BxN; 18. QxB N-B1; 19. QxP); 18. Q-QN4 N-B1, 19. QxP R-N1; 20. QxP and the passed QRP soon costs Black a piece.
- Black could play on for a while by sacrificing the exchange, but he would have no reasonable defence owing to the powerful pawn on QR7. Now, however, he loses a full rook
