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CHESS, CHECKERS,
GO AND OTHER
GAMES
THE INTERNATIONAL CHESS CoNGRESS, ST. PETERSBURG 1909,
Dr. Emanuel Lasker. (22441-4) $2.50
MARSHALL'S BEST GAMES OF CHESS, Frank J. Marshall.
(20604-1) $2.50
THE ART OF CHESS, James Mason. (20463-4) $3.00
THE PRINCIPLES OF CHESS, James Mason. (20646-7) $3.00
CHEss PRAXIS (THE PRAXIS OF My SYSTEM), Aron Nimzovich.
(20296-8) $3.00
MoDERN CHEss STRATEGY, Ludek Pachman. (20290-9) $3.00
ALEKHINE VS. BOGOLJUBOW: WORLD's CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP OF
1934, Fred Reinfeld and Reuben Fine. (21813-9) $1.25
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHESS GENIUS: 100 INSTRUCTIVE
GAMES OF ALEKHINE, Fred Reinfeld.
(20551-7) $2.50
How TO FoRCE CHECKMATE, Fred Reinfeld. (20439-1) $1.35
HYPERMODERN CHESS AS DEVELOPED IN THE GAMES OF ITS
GREATEST EXPONENT, ARON NIMZOVICH, edited by Fred
Reinfeld (20448-0) $2.50
CoMPLETE BooK OF CHESS STRATAGEMS, Fred Reinfeld.
(20690-4) $2.00
LEARN CHESS FROM THE MASTERS, Fred Reinfeld. (20362-X)
$1.50
REINFELD ON THE END-GAME IN CHESS, Fred Reinfeld.
(20417-0) $1.75
THE TREASURY OF CHEss LoRE, Fred Reinfeld. (20458-8) $2.75
WIN AT CHEss, Fred Reinfeld. (20438-3) $1.35
THE ART OF THE CHECKMATE, George Renaud and Victor Kahn.
(20106-6) $2.25
CHESS
*
Irving
Chernev
NEW YORK
Copyright 1974 by Irvin g Chernev.
All rights reserved u nder Pan American and In
ternational Copyr igh t Conventions.
to a chess widow-
...
my wife
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
CHESS
J: his lone King, Duras hung on (hop
SHORTEST MASTER ing perhaps for an earthquake) .
GAME Here is the score of this sea serpent:
The shortest tournament game ever
played between masters lasted only CARLSBAD, 1907
four moves. It occurred between Ruy Lopez
Gibaud and Lazard in a Paris
Wolf Duras
Championship Tourney. The moves
White Black
were :
I P-K4 P-K4
PARIS, 1924 2 N-KB3 N-QB3
Queen's Pawn Game 3 B-Ns P-QR3
4 B-R4 N-B3
Gibaud Lazard 5 N-B3 P-QN4
White Black 6 B-N3 B-B4
I P-Q4 N-KB3 7NxP ()-()
2 N-Q2 P-K4 Bo-o N-Qs
3 Px P N-N5
4 P-KR3 N-K6 1 Duras decides to play it a Pawn
down, instead of regaining the
This is the position : Pawn by 8 . . . N x N 9 P-Q4, B-Q3
10 P x N, B x P.
g N-B3 P-Q3
10 N x N BxN
I I N-K2 B-N3
12 P-Q3 N-N5
13 P-KR3 N-K4
14 P-Q4 N-B5
15 N-N3 Q-Rs
1 6 P-QB3 P-N3
1 7 Q-B3 B-K3
IS B-B2 QR-QI
19 P-N3 N-
White resigns, as he must either 2o B-K3 P-Q4
lose his Queen, or be mated if he 21 P-K5 P-KB4
takes the Knight. 22 Q-B4 QxQ
23 BxQ N-N2
24 N-K2 P-B4
a 25 P-QN4 ! P-B5
LONGEST WON GAME 26 P-QR4 R-NI
The longest master game ending 27 P x P PxP
in a win lasted 168 moves. The 1 907 2B B-Ns K-B2
Carlsbad Tournament was the scene
of this gigantic struggle. Six sittings This prevents White's positional
consuming 22t hours were required threat of 29 B-K7 followed by
before Oldrich Duras, who had lost a 30 B-Bs.
Pawn at his seventh move against 29 R-R6 N-QI
Heinrich Wolf, capitulated. Even 30 KR-RI B-B1
when Wolf had two Queens against 31 R(R6)-R2 N-K3
2 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
1 49 K-Q6 Q-N5ch 3
1 50 K-Q7 Q-N5ch LONGEST DRAWN GAME
1 5 1 K-B7 K-N4 The longest game ending in a
1 5 2 P-Q6 Q-KB5 draw occurred between Pilnik and
1 53 K-N7 Q-QN5 Czerniak. It lasted 1 9 1 moves and
154 Q-K5ch K-B5 dis.ch required 23 hours of play.
1 5 5 K-B7 Q-R6 The drawn result after such a
1 56 K-Q7 K-N5 lengthy battle reminds me of the
1 5 7 P-B7 Q-R6ch prize fight between Andy Bowen
1 58 K-Q8 Q-R5ch and Jack Burke which took place
1 59 K-BS K-N6 at New Orleans in 1 893. After 1 1 0
1 6o Q-N5ch K-R6 rounds which took seven hours and
I 6 I K-N8 Q-Q5 19 minutes o.f fighting, the battle
162 P-Q7 Q-B6 was declared " no contest."
1 63 P-Q8 (Q) Q-QN6 Luckily for my readers I do not
164 Q x Qch KxQ have the score of the Pilnik
165 P-BS (Q) Czerniak game, so I shall spare them
the details.
Never before this has a master
played on in a master tournament, 4
with a lone King facing two Queens. MOST DEFEATS IN
A TOURNAMENT
165 ... K-N5 Many wonderful records have
166 Q-Q3 K- been compiled in tournaments. The
1 67 Q(Q3)-B4 K-N3 poorest was undoubtedly achieved
168 Q-N4 mate by Moreau, who played in the Monte
The final position: Carlo Tournament of 1903. His final
score consisted of 26 zeros, without
so much as a draw to his credit.
5
GRUNFELD SELECTS A
FIRST MOVE
Ernest Grunfeld, in his time one
of the greatest authorities on open
ings, played 1 P-K4 only once in
his whole tournament career (against
Capablanca at Carlsbad in 1 929) .
When asked why he avoided I
P-K4, he replied, "I never make a
Four years after losing the longest mistake in the opening."
game ever played, Duras acquired
another doubtful distinction. He 6
lost the second-longest game ever MORPHY AND FISCHER
played. This time it was Janowsky AGREE ON THE BEST
who defeated Duras in a hard-fought FIRST MOVE
battle that lasted 161 moves at San In contrast to this, Paul Morphy,
Sebastian in 1911. admittedly one of the greatest
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 5
masters in the history of the game, Gutmayer never won first prize
never began a game with I P-Q 4, in a Hauptturnier, a requisite for
although this move is nowadays the title of master in Germany.
considered the strongest opening
move. 10
Bobby Fischer, one of the modem A MILLION -DOLLAR MOVE
chess world's brightest stars, says, Frank Marshall brought off one
"I have never opened with the of the most startling and unexpected
Queen Pawn-on principle." In moves ever seen on a chessboard in
annotating a game of Steinitz's, his game against Levitzky at Bres
Fischer says, " The players of I 862 lau in 191 2 . The spectators were so
knew something very valuable that electrified by the brilliant coup that
the players of today would do well they responded by showering the
to make note of : I P-Q4 leads to board with gold pieces!
nothing !'' Here is the game :
7 BRESLAU, 191 2
BLINDFOLD PLAY BANNED Defence
French
BY LAW
Levitzky Marshall
In Russia chess is thought of so
White Black
highly that it is taught in the public
I P-Q4 P-K3
schools. Yet blindfold play is for
2 P-K4 P-Q4
bidden by law. (Alekhine in Auf
3 N-QB3 P-QB4
dem Wege zur Weltmeisterschaft.)
4N-B3 N QB 3
-
5 KP x P KP x P
8 6B-K2 N-B3
RESHEVSKY MAKES 7 o-o B-K2
A PREDICTION 8 B-KN5 o-o
United States Champion Sammy 9 PxP B-K3
Reshevsky was asked whether he Io N-Q4 BxP
expected to win the Western Tour 1 1 NxB PxN
nament of 1933. His reply was, 1 2 B-N4 Q-Q3
" Who is there to beat me ? " Resh 1 3 B-R3 QR-K 1
evsky was right. Nobody did beat 14 Q-Q2 B-N5
him-but he did not win the Threatens to win a piece by
tournament. (With nine wins, no 15 . . . P-Q5.
losses and four drawn games, Resh
1 5 BxN R xB
evsky had a score of 1 1 -2. Fine's 12
16 QR-Q 1
wins and one loss gave him the
winning score of r2-r.) Now it's White who threatens-
1 7 N-K4
9 I6 . . . Q-B4
I7 Q-K2 B xN
AN AMATEUR FOR LIFE
Franz Gutmayer, who wrote a 18 P x B QxP
19 R x P N-Q5
book on how to become a chess
master, was never able to become White has recovered his Pawn,
one himself. but Black has the initiative. If now
6 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
2 o Q-R5 QR-KBI
2 1 R-K s II
STRANGE NAMES
The reply to 2I R-QBs would be OF PLAYERS
2 1 . .. R x P 22 R x R, Q-K8ch To the nonplayer the strange
followed by mate . names of the various chess masters is
a never-failing source of merriment.
2 1 . .. R-R3
We need but mention Bobritschev
22 Q-Ns
Putschkin, Bogolyubov, Dus-Chot
Here if 22 Q-N4 (to protect the imirski, IlyiJ;t-Genevski, Przepiorka
Bishop) 22 ... N-B6ch 23 P x N, and Konstatinopolsky in illustration.
Q x R (but not 23 . . . R-N3 24 We therefore commend his atten
R-Ns) wins. tion to the following curious chess
fact : In a tournament held at St.
22 . . . RxB Petersburg in I 903, no less than
2 3 R-QB5 Q-KN 6 ! ! three Znosko-Borovskys won p rizes .
A spectacular finish ! The Queen
moves right into a nest of Pawns to IZ
force White to surrender. UNWILLING
Black's threat is immediate mate CLUB MEMBERS
by 24 ... Q x RP. One club that no one cared to
If 24 RP x Q, N-K7 mate, or if join was the Vera Menchik Club.
24 BP x Q, N-K7ch and mate next There were no dues, and no meet
move. Finally, if 24 Q x Q, N-K7ch ings were ever held in this strange
25 K-R I , N x Qch 26 K-N I , N x R, club.
and Black has won a piece. Levitzky The members consisted of masters
of course resigned-as soon as he who had lost a game to Vera Men
recovered from the shock. chik-a master but still a woman !
This is the final position: Notable unwilling members in
clude Dr. Euwe (former World
ChamP.ion) , Reshevsky, Sultan
Khan, Colle, Laj os Steiner, Sir
George Thomas, Samisch, Becker
and Yates. .
A sample of Miss Menchik ' s
prowess :
LONDON, I932
Samisch Attack
Menchik Thomas
White Black
I P-Q4 N-KB3
There are those who doubt that 2 P-QB4 P- KN 3
spectators actually showered the 3 N-QB3 B-Nz
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 7
18 ... NxN
If 18 . .. K-B3 instead (to protect
his Knight) then 19 P-N s is mate. Mate in Two Moves
Or if I8 ... P x N I9 NP x P dis.ch, #'fi-N I : UOIntOS
8 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
xs 28 K-N2 B-KI
DAZZLING EXHIBITION 29 QR-N1 Q-B2
Capablanca played 103 games 30 B-RI B-B2
simultaneously in Cleveland in 1922. J I Q-QN3 N-Q7
While the total number of games This is the position:
has been exceeded, the phenomenal
percentage of wins achieved by the
World's Champion has never been
approached. Capablanca won I02
games, lost none, and allowed one
player to escape with a draw. Here
is a game from this remarkable
exhibition:
CLEVELAND, 1922
Queen's Gambit Declined
Capablanca Tarasov
White Black Black could not resist the tempta
I P-Q4 P-Q4 tion of attacking the Queen and
2 N-KB3 N-KB3 both Rooks simultaneously. Did he
3 P-B4 PxP think that Capablanca would over
4 P-K3 P-K3 look this-even playing 103 games
5BxP B-N5ch at the same time? Commenting on a
6 N-B3 o-o similar instance (in his game against
7 o-o P-B3 Winter at Hastings in 1919) Capa
8 N K5
- QN-Q2 blanca said, after Winter made
9 P-B4 N-Q4 what seemed to be a strong move,
Io B-Q2 N(Q2)-B3 "Only lack of experience can ac
I I Q-B3 P-QR4 count for this move. White [Winter]
I2 B-Q3 N-K2 should have considered that a
13 Q-R3 P-KN3 player of my experience and strength
14 P-KN4 P-B4 could never allow such a move if it
15 P-N5 N-R4 were good."
16 P-R3 BxN 32 NxBI KxN
I7 PxB PxP
18 KPxP N-B4 Of course not 32 . . NxQ 33
.
33 Q B3 threatening to mate at RB
- ,
:r6 :zo
BOARD KINGS
ANDERSSEN AND RECORD - BREAKING
ANDERS ON BLINDFOLD FEATS
In 1851 the Chess Champion of When Fram;: ois Andre Danican
the World was A. Anderssen the ,
Philidor played three blindfold
Checker Champion of the World was games simultaneously in 1783, affi
A. Anderson. davits were drawn up attestin g to
the fact of this pedor m a nce, as the
chess players of that day doubted
J:7
that future generations would be
DRAWING MASTER
lieve such an achievement to be
"The G reat Drawing Master" in
possible. Yet Blackburne, a few
ch ess history was Carl Schlechter.
years after he learned the moves was
Not only did Schlechter draw
able to play 10 blindfold games
innumerable tournament games, but
simul taneou sly with ease ! Later on,
he drew seven of the nine matches
Blackburne played as many as 16
in which he took part.
games in that fashion.,--a record
Even Dr. Lasker, World's Cham
subsequently equ aled by Zukertort.
pion, could do no better than draw
Some years later Pillsbury came
his match with Schlechter, when
along and played 12 and 16 boards
they played for the title in 1910.
at one time as a matter of routine.
Coming back to Philidor, his feat
:r8 in piaying three blindfold games
simultaneously remained the record
BAD YEAR
for about 75 years un til Paulsen
FOR CHAMPI ONS
and Morphy appeared on the scene
The year 1894 was a disastrous
.
tllree of the city's leading players There is no doubt, judging from the
The exhibitio n resulted in two wins ea se of Morphy's play, that he could
for Buzecca and one draw. have managed many more than
This record stood for 517 years! eight boards without any trouble,
10 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES O F CHESS
Reti raised it to 29 games at Sao not so long ago that people said
Paulo, with this result-2 1 wins, no man would ever run a mile in
two losses and six games drawn. less than four minutes.
A new contender entered the field Here are two games to show the
when Koltanowski took on 30 skill of such artists in the field
players at Antwerp in 1931, and of blindfold play as Morphy and
attained the remarkable result of Pillsbury:
20 wins, IO games drawn and no The first is from an exhibition on
losses ! eight boards given at Paris in 1858.
Alekhine met that situation two
years later by giving a display on
32 boards at Chicago. His score on
PARIS, I858
that occasion, after 12! hours of
Philidor Defence
play, was 19 wins, four losses and
nine games drawn. Morphy Seguin
Once again it was up to Kolta White Black
nowski, and he met the challenge I P-K4 P- K 4
by encountering 34 players at 2 N-KB3 P-Q3
Edinburgh in 1937 , and again 3 P-Q4 PxP
wound up with a fine result. He 4NxP N-KB3
won 24 games, drew 10 games and 5 N-QB3 B-Kz
lost none! 6B-Q3 o-o
Once again the record seemed
safe from assault, but a new knight The tempting 6 . .. P-B4 leaves
appeared in the lists in the shape of White with the better game after
Najdorf. He broke Koltanowski's 7 B-Nsch, B-Qz 8 B xBch, Q x B
record in 1943, and then shattered 9N-Bs.
his own in I 947 Naj dorf played 40
boards blindfold simultaneously at 7P-B4 P-B4
Rosario in I943 of which number 8N-B3 N-B3
he won 36 games, lost three and g o-o B-Ns
drew one game, after a 1 7! hour 10 B-K3 P-QR3
session . At Sao Paulo in 1947, Naj
I I P QR4
-
Clears the way for the King Rook. And White wins.
The following game is from an ex
23 . . . KR-Qr
hibition given at the Augsburg Chess
24 N-N6 RxR
Club in rgoo, and is one of r6 games
Otherwise 2S KR-Q3 could be played blindfold simultaneously :
come painful.
2S N x R R-Br AUGSBURG, 1900
26 R-B3 Vienna Gambit
shall Chess Club in I 940, won his Blac k p layed on a few more moves,
game from Rogosin by making I 4 before deciding that his game was
Pawn moves i n succession i n the hopeless.
opening. Every one of Marshall's There is another curious fact
eight Pawns took part in this re about this strange game: Black's
markable series of Pawn moves ! Knights made I O moves in succes
Here is the game : sion in the course of their frantic
hopping about !
NEW YORK, I 94o
Sicilian Defence Z7
PAWNS ONLY !
Marshall Rogosin
Hans Bruening won a game in
White Black
six moves without moving a piece !
I P-K4 P-QB4 Here is the score :
2 P-QN4 PxP
3 P-QR3 N-QB3 MILWAUKEE, I908
4 PxP N-B3 Amateur Bruening
5 P-N5 N-Qs White Black
6 P-QB3 N-K3 I P-Q4 P-Q4
7 P-K5 N-Q4 2 P-QB4 P-K3
8 P-QB4 N (Q4)-B5 3 N-QB3 P-QB4
g P-N3 N-N3 4 B-B4 P x QP
Io P-B4 5 BxN PxN
This is the situation : 6 B-Ks P x NP
_
And Black wins, his threats being
7 .. . P x R(Q) as well as 7.. . B-N 5ch.
z8
TEN IN A ROW
Ten years after the fo regoing game
was played, Richard Kuj oth emu
lated Marshall's feat by winning a
game in which he moved Pawns, and
nothing but Pawns ! Kujoth made
10 Pawn moves in succession, and
brought about an elegant finish.
IO . . . N (N3) x BP Here is how he did it:
wins a piece:
30
THE HUNGARIAN
GAMBITEER
In the first Master Tournament in
Black must lose a piece. For which he played (Nuremberg 1 896-
instance, if 10 ... Q-Q I 11 R x P, one of the strongest ever held)
R x R I2 P x R, Q-R4ch 13 N-B 3 !, Rudolf Charousek played a Gambit
N x N I4 PxN(Q), N x Q dis.ch, every time he had the White pieces !
IS B-Q2, Q-QI I6 K x N, and White and I don't mean the safe and sound
is a Knight ahead. Queen s Gambit
' .
39 P-R3 QxP
40 P x N PxP
4 1 R(N I ) -Q x Q-R5ch
42 K-Nx P-N6
43 R-Q8 B-Kx
44 Q-Q4 P-R4
45 R-Q3 R-B x
46 P-K7 R-Nx
47 R x B RxR
48 Q-Q7 Q x KP
49 Q x Q RxQ
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 19
33 NEW YORK, 1 9 1 8
THE BOOK GETS MATED Ruy Lopez
In the eighth edition of a popular
manual by Dufresne and Mieses, Capablanca Marshall
the following line of play is given : White Black
I P-K4 P-K4
White Black 2 N-KB3 N-QB3
I P-Q4 P-Q4 3 B-Ns P-QR3
2 P-QB4 P-K3 4 B-R4 N-B3
3 N-QB 3 P-QB4 5 ()-() B-Kz
4 N-B3 BP x P 6 R-Kr P-QN4
5 KN x P P-K4 7 B-N3 ()-()
6 KN-N5 P-Q5 8 P-B3 P-Q4
7 N-Q5 N-QR3 9 Px P NxP
8 Q-R4 B-Qz ro N x P
9 P-K3 N-Kz
" I thought for a little while,"
This is the situation : says Capablanca, " knowing that I
would be subjected thereafter to a
terrific att ac k, all the lines of which
would be of necessit y familiar to my
adversary . The lust of battle, how
ever, had been roused in me. I felt
that my j udgm ent and skill were
bein g challenged by a player who
had every reason to fear both (as
shown by the records of our previous
encounters) , but who wanted to
take advantage of the elem ent of
surprise and the fact of my being
At this point the analysts say, unfamiliar with a thing to which he
20 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
had devoted many a night of toil and K-BI, B-N6 1 8 Q-K2 (here 1 8
hard work. I considered the position Q x Pch fails a s Black recaptures
then and decided that I was in with check ) B x P 19 P x B, QR-K x ,
honor bound, so to speak, to take and Black wins.
the Pawn and accept the challenge, 16 . . . B-N5
as my knowledge and judgment told 17 P x B
me that my position should then be
defensible. " This is safer than I7 Q x N
(though there are still complications)
10 . . . NxN when there is this possibility : 1 7 . ..
II R x N N-B3 B-N6 x 8 Q-B r , B x R 1 9 Q x B,
12 R-K 1 B-Q3 QR-K r , and Black wins.
13 P-KR3 N-N5
14 Q-B3 l 17 ..: B-R7ch
Taking the Knight instead would Better than 1 7 . . . N x P when
be fatal, e . g. I4 P x N, Q-R5 1 5 18 B-KB4 ends the proceedings.
P-KN3, B (Q3) x P 1 6 P x B, r8 K-BI B-N6
Q x Pch 17 K-B 1, B x P and Black 19 R x N Q-R8ch
wins the Queen. 2o K-K2 BxR
14 . . . Q-R5 2 r B-Q2 B-R5
1 5 P-Q4 ! 22 Q-R3
Of course not 1 5 Q x R, Q x Pch This forces Black either to ex
and mate next move, while the change Queens or to drive White's
tempting 1 5 R-K8 (threatens to King to QB2, a safer square.
force mate by 1 6 Q x Pch) is refuted 22 . .. QR-K x ch
by 1 5 . . . B-N2 16 R x Rch, R x R 23 K-Q3 Q-B8ch
17 Q x N, R-KI 1 8 K-B 1 , Q-K2 24 K-B2 B-B7
19 B-K6, B-Q4, and Black has the 25 Q-B3 Q-N8
better chances.
" To get out of the pin and be
15 ... NxP
free to use his forces, " says Capa
This is the position : blanca. Against 25 . . . R-K7,
Capablanca was prepared to play
26 N-R3, R x Bch 27 K x R, Q x R
28 Q x B, Q x Pch 29 N-B2, P-QB4
30 B-Qs . " and White should win,
though the ending israther qifficult . "
26 B-Q5 .
White's pieces and Pawns on the
Queen side spring to life .
26 ... P-QB4
27 PxP BxP
28 P-N4 B-Q3
I6 R-K2 1 29 P-R4 P-QR4
White avoids 16 Q x N because of 30 P x NP PxP
16 . . . B-R7ch ! (but not 16 . . . B-N6 31 R-R6 PxP
when 1 7 Q x Pch forces mate) 1 7 32 NxP B-N5
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 2I
Euwe Rubinstein
White Black 36
I N-KBJ P Q4
-
TARRASCH SPRINGS
2 P-B4 P-KJ A TRAP
3 P-Q4 N-KBJ At Dresden in 1 892, Dr. Tarrasch
4 B-N5 QN-Q2 beat Marco in five minutes. Al
5 P-KJ B-K2 though the game took so little time,
6 N-B3 o-o it is an important one in the theory
7 R-B1 P-BJ of the Ruy Lopez Opening.
8 B-Q3 P-Q RJ Here is the game :
9 P x P KP x P
I o o-o R-K I
I I Q-NJ P-R J DRESDEN, 1 892
1 2 B-KB4 N- Ruy Lopez
I J NX P
Tarrasch Marco
White wins a Pawn, as I J White Black
P x N would cost the Queen after I P - K.f. P - K4
14 B-B7 . 2 N- KBJ N-QBJ
22 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES O F CHESS
MARIENBAD, I 92S 26 B x B K R2
-
22 N-B3 B-N2 31 R x PI
23 B-Q6
Forcibly removes another sup
" White could win his Pawn back port of the King Bishop Pawn.
by 23 P-Bs, but prefers not to Black may not capture the Rook,
simplify, " says Torre. as this would follow : 31 . . . K x R
3 2 Q-N4ch, K-R2 33 B x Pch, R x B
23 . . . 34 Q x Reb, K-N r 35 Q-N6ch,
24 B-B2 K-Br 36 B-Q6, and White wins the
Hei'e too, Torre prefers to keep Queen.
both his Bishops to winning the R-KN 1
31 . . .
exchange, say in this line : 24 B x R, 32 R x R KxR
P x B 2 5 B x B, P x N 26 R x P, 33 B x P RxB
K x B 27 Q-Ksch, K-N r 28 R-B6, 34 Q-N4ch R-N4
B-KI .
35 P x R QxB
24 . .. R-KB2 36 P x P dis.ch K-R2
25 N-K s BxN 37 R-N3 B-Q2
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
.p 5 Q-K2 KN-B3
CORRESPONDENCE 6 N-Q6 mate
Q UICKIE
A correspondence player can take 44
a day or two for each move . One QUICKEST POSSIBLE WIN
would expect him to make blunders A game of chess can be won in
rarely, and the games so played to two moves ! Here's how :
be long, drawn out affairs. The
world's record for brevity in chess White Black
by mail must therefore be this I P-KB4 P-K3
2 P-KN4 Q-Rs mate
quickie :
CORRESPONDENCE, I93o 45
Budapest Defence VICTORY AFTER
40 YEARS
Warren Selman Dr. Lasker was a hard man to
(Dublin) (Amsterdam) beat. Frank Marshall won from him
White Black in May of I900, and then again in
I P-Q4 N-KB3 May of I94o--4 o years later ! In the
2 P-QB4 P-K4 course of this period they had met
3 Px P N-K5 many times in tournament or match
4 P-QR3 P-Q3 play, but never had a game ended
s PxP BxP in Marshall's favor.
6 P-KN3 N x BP Here are both games :
And Black wins, as 7 K x N is
met by 7 . . . B x Pch winning the
, PARIS, I9oo
Queen, and on other moves Black Queen's Gambit Declined
wins the exchange.
Marshall Lasker
White Black
43
I P-Q4 P-Q4
ALL FOUR MISS 2 P-QB4 P-K3
MATE IN ONE 3 N-QB3 N-KB3
Many a miniature game owes its 4 B-N5 P-B3
existence to an early mistake made 5 P-K4 P x KP
by one of the players. But when four 6NxP B-Ns ch
allies discuss their ideas with each 7 N-QB3 P-B4
other, and then get mated on the 8 P-QR3 B x Nch
sixth move-that is unique ! 9 Px B Q-R4
I O B-Q2 N-K5
PALMA, I935 I I N-B3 N x QBP
Caro-Kann Defence I2 P x P
But, " curiouser and curiouser, " which has come down to us would
eagle-eyed Rubinstein missed the seem to be rather primitive :
mate by I Q x Pch, K-R1 2 Q x P
mate. Undoubtedly, this was one MADRID, 1 5 75
of the strangest double blunders in King's Gambit Declined
chess history I
Lopez Leonardo
White Black
47 I P-K4 P-K..,
HEATED CHESS PLAY 2 P-KB4 P-Q3
In 1 9 1 1 Schlechter and Tarrasch 3 B-B4 P-QB3
played a match at Cologne which 4 N-B3 B-Ns
was one of the finest ever contested. The fir.st error-it loses a Pawn.
What made this remarkable was the
fact that the games were played 5 PxP PxP
when the temperature averaged 95 6 B x Pch KxB
degrees in the shade-enough to 7 N x Pch K-KI
discourage any kind of chess ! 8QxB N-B3
The second and more serious error.
48 It loses the exchange and the game.
MARACHE IN A HURRY 9 Q-K6ch Q-K2
Napoleon Marache made such 10 Q-B8ch Q QI
-
5Z 54
LUCKY STALEMATE MIGHTY ARMY
In the Fifth American Tourney, UNAVAILING
held at New York in 1 88o, Delmar Mr. A. P. Barnes once gave an
had a Queen and five passed Pawns amateur the odds of a Rook and
against Congdon's lone Queen Knight, and won easily. There's
but he let Congdon escape with a nothing startling in that, but in this
draw by stalemate ! Here is the case his opponent finished up with
position a few moves before Delmar more pieces than he had started
came to grief : with originally !
NEW YORK, 1 877
(Remove White's QR and QN)
Barnes Amateur
White Black
I P-K4 P-K4
2 P-Q4 PxP
3 P-QB3 Px P
4 B-QB4 N-QB3
5 P-QR3 QN-K2
6 N-B3 P-QR3
7 o-o P-QN4
8 B-R2 P-QB3
Play continued as follows : 9 N-N5 N-R3
40 ... P-R6 10 Q-N3 Q-
41 Q-QN3 P-Q6ch II R-K I PxP
42 K-Q2 Q-Q5 12 R-Q I P x B (Q)
43 K-Q I Q-B6 This is the position :
" Almost any other move would
have won, " says the Tournament
book.
44 Q-N8ch ! KxQ
Stalemate
53
RECORD FOR
SIMULTANEOUS PLAY
The record fo r simultaneous chess
play is held by Gideon Stahlberg,
Swedish master. He played 400 At this point, Barnes, who had a
games at Buenos Aires, in an exhi Queen, Rook, Knight and Bishop
bition which started at 1 0 : 00 P . M . less than his opponent, announced
Friday, August 29th 1 94I, and mate in three, beginning (naturally)
ended at 1o : oo A . M . on Sunday. with a Qu een sacrifice .
He wound up with the fine score of 1 3 Q x Pch NxQ
364 wins, 14 draws, and only 2 2 I4 B x Nch K-Q I
losses ! I 5 N-K6 mate
30 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
6:z
CAPPED KNIGHT
INFLICTS MATE
Much more difficult even than the 1 5 Q x Nch ! KxQ
odds of a Queen is undertaking to 1 6 R-N 4 dis.ch K-&J
force checkmate with a particular 1 7 N-N3ch KxR
Pawn or piece. Clearly the opponent 18 R-Bs P-KR3
can afford to give up any amount of 1 9 P-R3ch K-R5
material to rid the board of the only 2o R-Rsch BxR
piece that has the power to inflict 2 1 N-Bs mate !
mate . In the course of fu lfilling his task,
Here is a rare example of this Lange sacrificed his Queen, two
stipulation being carried out suc Rooks, a Knight and a Bishop I
cessfully. Max Lange co ntracts to
checkmate with his Queen Knight.
63
BRESLAU, 1 868 FRUSTRATING THE
BOOK PLAYER
(Place a Ring Around the Queen's
G. A. MacD on nell was t he winner
Knight)
of a tournamen t played at London
Lange Von Schier- in 1 868 . All the competitors began
stedt their games with the position of
White Black their Knights and Bishops reversed
I P-K4 P-K4 -in order to avoid book play. And
2 N-QB3 N-QB3 this was back in 1 868 !
3 P-KB4 PxP
4 N-B3 P-KN4
5 B-B4 P-N5 64
6 o-o PxN MASTER OF CHESS
7 P-Q4 PxP AND WHIST
8 B x Pch KxB Alexandre Louis H onore Lebre
9 Q-Rsch K-N2 ton Deschapelles was once acknowl
Io R x P N-R3 edged to be the best player in the
I I B- K3 P-Q3 world at both chess and whist. The
1 2 N-K2 Q-K2 Deschapelles Coup, his invention, is
I3 K x P B-K3 still used today by master bridge
1 4 QR-KB1 B-B2 players.
32 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES O F CHESS
6s I S N-Bs !
NAPIER PICKS HIS Does this win a piece ?
BEST GAME
Most players are proud of their 15 . . . NxN
most brilliant efforts, b ut Napier x6 Q x Q KR x Q
thought the best game he ever I 7 N-K7ch K-RI
played was the one he lost to Dr. This is better than I 7 . . . K-BI
Lasker at Cambridge Springs in 18 B-B5, N-K5 I9 B-QR3, N-Q3
I 904 l 20 N X B. QR X N 2 I o-o-o, K-K2
Here is the game, which is not 22 B-N2, and White wins (accord
only Napier's best, but is one of ing to Marco) .
Lasker's most impressive victories
as well : I B P-Rs
Marco points out that this is
superior to 1 8 P x N, P x P 1 9
CAMBRIDG}': SPRINGS, I904 B-Q4, B x B 2 0 P x B , R-K I , and
Sicilian Defence Black is a Pawn ahead, and with
the superior position.
Lasker Napier
White Black IB . . . R-K I
I P-K4 P-QB4 19 B-Bs
2 N-QB3 N-QB3 Here is the position :
3 N-B3 P-KN3
4 P-Q4 PxP
sNxP B-N2
6 B-K3 P-Q3
7 P-KR3 N-B3
8 P-KN4 o-o
9 P-N5 N-KI
xo P-KR4 N-B2
I I P-B4
B-N 2 23 N x Pch, BP x N 24 P x P, 66
P-KR3 25 R x Pch, B x R 26 RUBINSTEIN DEFEATS
P x B, R-Q 1 27 B-K7, and White THE BIG THREE
wins. Or if 1 9 . . . KP x P 20 P x N, The three greatest chess . masters
B x Pch 2 1 K-B2, B x R 22 B-B4, that ever lived (in my opinion) were
B-B6 23 B x BP, R x N 24 P x P ! , Capablanca, Alekhine and Lasker.
R x B 2 5 P x R, B-N2 2 6 P-N6, Rarely did any of them lose a
P-KR3 27 R x Pch, B x R 28 game, and yet Akiba Rubinstein
B-Q4ch, B-N2 29 P-B8 ( Q ) mate. defeated each of them in tum the
2o B-B4 ! PxP first time he played them !
2 1 B x BP ! Here are his three great victories :
According to Napier, Lasker had
only three minutes for this and his ST. PETERSBURG, 1909
next nine moves. Queen's Gambit Declined
21 ... N-K5 ! Rubinstein Lasker
22 BxR BxP White Black
23 QR-N 1 B-B6ch 1 P-Q4 P-Q4
24 K-B 1 B-K Ns ! 2 N-KB3 N-KB3
Black is a Rook behind, but he 3 P-B4 P-K3
has four threats : 25 . . . R x B, 25 4 B-Ns P-B4
. . . N x B, 25 . . . N-Q7ch and 25 . . . s P x QP KP x P
N-N6ch. 6 N-B3 PxP
White, who has only a minute or 7 KN x P N-B3
so on his clock, must find a way to 8 P-K3
save himself-or he isn't Lasker ! White does not try to win a Pawn
by 8 B x N, Q x B, 9 N x P, as 9 . . .
25 B(K8) x P ! BxB
Q x N 10 N-B7ch, K-Q 1 1 1 N x R,
26 R x B! N-N6ch
B-Nsch would find him mated.
27 K-N2 NxR
28 RxP 8 ... B-K2
Lasker has returned the Rook, 9 B-Ns B-Q2
simply to clear up the complications, 10 B(KNs) x N BxB
and get a superior ending. u NxP BxN
12 P x B Q-N4
28 ... P-R4
13 B x N BxB
29 R-N 3 B-N 2
1 4 N-K3 o-o-o
30 R-KR3 N-N6
I S o-o KR-KI
31 K-B3 R-R3
Threatens 16 . . . R x N
But not 3 1 . . . B-K4 (to protect
the Pawn) as 32 N-N 6ch wins the I 6 R-BI !
bishop. A subtle move, whose depth
32 KxP N-K7ch seems to escape Lasker.
33 K-B5 N-B6 16 . . . RxN
34 P-R3 N-R5
35 B-K3 Resigns Somewhat safer was 1 6 . . . K-N1
(to avoid the chief threat of 1 7
For 36 P-N 6 will force the win. P-Q5) but Black's position would
J4 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
2J Q x Qch KxQ
24 R x P R-Q8ch
25 K-Bz R-Q7ch
26 K-BJ R X QNP
27 R-QR5 R-N2
28 R-R6 K-B I
29 P-K4 R-QB2
JO P-KR4 K-B2
J I P-N4 K-B r
I ] R x Bch PxR J2 K-B4 K-K2
I8 Q-B I ! JJ P-R5 P-RJ
This is the point ! If instearl I 8 34 K-B5 K-B2
P x R , Q x KPch I 9 K-R I , Q x P, J5 P-K5 R-N2
and Black is a Pawn up . J6 R-Q6 K-K2
J7 R-R6 K-B2
r8 . . . Rx P J8 R-Q6 K-B r
After I 8 . . . R-K4 instead, White J9 R-QB6 K-B2
still had the advantage by con 40 P-R3 ! Resigns
tinuing I9 Q x Pch, K-N I 20 P x R, On a King move, 41 K-N6 is de
Q x P 2I R-Br . cisive ( note how 40 P-RJ prevents
I9 P x R R-Q2 Black from moving R-N 5 ) , or if
40 . . . R-K2 41 P-K6ch, K-N r
Protecting the QBP by 1 9 . . .
42 K-N6, R-K I 4J P-K7 followed
R-QJ allows 20 R x P, and the
by 44 R-Q6 and 45 R-Q8, and
Rook's penetration can cause
mate follows qu ickly .
trouble.
The following year Rubinstein
20 Q x Pch K-Q I scored another great victory, this
2 I R-B4 time over Alekhine. Thou gh still in
A sp le nd id conception ! Rubin his teens, Alekhine was llggressive
stein threatens 22 Q-R8ch, fol and imaginative, and thor ou ghly
lowed by 2J R-K4ch or 23 R-B4ch, dangerous at all times .
winning by direct attack.
MOSCOW, 1910
2I ...
Ruy Lopez
If 2 I . . . Q-QR4 2 2 Q-R8ch,
K-K2 2J R-K4ch, K-BJ 24 Alekhine Rubinstein
Q-B6ch, K-N4 25 P-R4ch, and White Black
White wins a Rook. Or if 2 I . . . I P-K4 P-K4
R-Q8ch 2 2 K-B2, R-Q7ch 2J 2 N-KBJ N-QB3
K-K I , Q x P 24 R-Q4ch, K-K2 J B-N5 P-QR3
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 3S
as it was Capablanca's only loss in Here is the way the board looks :
his sensational tournament debut.
SAN SEBASTIAN, I 9 I I
Queen's Gambit Declined
Rubinstein Capablanca
White Black
I P-Q4 P-Q4
2 N-KB3 P-QB4
3 P-B4 P-K3
4 P x QP KP x P
5 N-B3 N-QB3
6 P-KN3 B-K3
7 B-N2 B-K2 I 6 K-N2 !
8 o-o R-B I "This is the move which I had not
considered, " comments Capablanca.
Capablanca notes that the simple " I thought that Rubinstein would
8 . . . N-B3 was better, but he have to play 16 B-N2 when I had
wanted to get away from the well in mind the following combination :
analyzed lines of play. 16 B-N2 , N-K4 I 7 N-B4 (if 1 7
R-B I , Q x R ! I 8 Q x Q, B x Pch
9 PxP BxP wins) N-N5 r 8 P-KR3 (if r8 N-R3,
Io N-KN5 N-B3 B x Pch 19 R x B, R x R 20 N x R,
n NxB PxN Q x Pch 2 1 K-B I , N-K6ch wins
I2 B-R3 Q-K2 the Queen) N x P 19 R x N, B x Rch
I3 B-N5 o-o 20 K x B, P-KN4, and Black should
" The right move was I3 . . . win. It is curious that this combina
R-Q I , " says Capablanca, " in order tion has been overlooked. It has
to get the Rook away from the line been taken for granted that I did
of the Bishop at R3 and at the same not see the 1 7th move Q-B I . "
time to support the Queen Pawn. I6 . . . QR-Q I
Against the text move White makes I 7 Q-B I I PxN
a very fine combination which On I 7 . . . R x N, there follows
I had seen, but which I thought I 8 Q x Q, P x Q I9 B x Pch, and
could be defeated." White wins.
I4 B x N QxB I8 Q x B Q-Q7
I5 N x P ! I9 Q-N5 N-Q5
20 Q-Q3 QxQ
Rubinstein is prepared to meet
2I P x Q KR-K I
I5 . . . P x N with I6 Q x Pch
2 2 B-N4 R-Q3
followed by I 7 B x R, as well
23 KR-KI RxR
as I5 . . . B x Pch with I6 K-N2,
24 R x R R-QN3
Q-R3 I 7 N-B4. These are obvious
25 R-K5 RxP
lines, but there are subtleties in the
26 R x P N-B3
position.
2 7 B-K6ch K-BI
I5 . . . 28 R-B5ch K-K I
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 37
71
MERRY - GO - ROUND AT
MEXICO CITY
In a tournament held at Mexico
City in 1935, nine Mexicans and
I R x Bch K-R2 three Americans participated. Each
2 Q Q3 ch
- R-N3 of the Americans made a clean
3 Qx R ch PxQ sweep against the Mexicans. In their
4 R -K7 ch K-N I individual encounters Dake beat
5 B-K6ch K-B I Fine, Fine beat Steiner, and Steiner
6 B 7c h
- K-KI won from Dake, leaving a curious
7 N -B6ch K-Q I triple tie for first place.
8 R-Q7ch K-B I
9 R x RPch K-N I 7Z
IO N -Q 7 ch K -B I QUEEN SACRIFICE
I I N-B5 ch K-Q I DOWNS LASKER AND CAPA
I 2 R -Q 7ch K-B I IN z6 M OVES
I 3 R- KB 7ch K-Q I A strange disaster occurred to
I4N-N7 ch K-K I Lasker and Capablanca in 1 934
1 5 NxP ch K-Q I Alekhine beat Lasker at Zurich in
1 6 B-N6 mate 26 moves, sacrificing his Queen to
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 39
Alekhine Lasker
White Black
I P-Q4 P-Q4
2 P-QB4 P-K3
3 N-QB3 N-KB3
4 N-B3 B-K2
s B-Ns Q N-Q 2
6 P-K3 o-o
7 R-BI P-B3
S B-Q3 PxP
gBxP N-Q4 25 N-B5ch K-R I
1o B x B QxB 26 Q x P! Resigns
I I N-K4 N(Q4)-B3 After 26 . . . P x Q 27 R-R3ch
I2 N-N3 P-K4 forces mate.
I3 o-o PxP Here is the story of Capablanca's
I4 N-Bs Q-QI mishap :
I5 N(KB3) x P N-K4
16 B-N3 BxN HASTINGS, 1934
I7 N x B Q-N3 Nimzoindian Defence
The proper move, according to
Alekhine, was I7 . . . P-KN3 . After Lilienthal Capablanca
Lasker's Queen sortie, Alekhine's White Black
Queen is enabled to assume a I P-Q4 N-KB3
dominating position. 2 P-QB4 P-K3
3 N-QB3 B-Ns
IS Q-Q6 ! 4 P-QR3 B x Nch
The alternative IS . . . N-N3 is sPxB P-QN3
not a happy one. After I9 N-R6ch, 6 P-B3 P-Q4
P x N 20 Q x N, Q-Q 1 2 I Q-QB3, 7 B-Ns P-KR3
White has the advantage. S B-R4 B-R3
g P-K4 BxP
19 KR-Q I QR-Q 1
Io B x B PxB
2o Q-N3 P-N3
I I Q-R4ch Q-Q2
21 Q-Ns !
I 2 Q x BP Q-B3
Threatens 22 R-Q6, N-KI 2 3 1 3 Q-Q3 QN-Qz
R x Pch, R P x R 24 Q x Pch, and I 4 N-K2 R-Q 1
mate in two. 1 5 o-o P-QR4
21 . . . K-R I 1 6 Q-B2
22 N-Q 6 K-N2 Not at once I6 P-QB4 as I6 . . .
23 P-K4 ! N-K4 wins a Paw n .
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
76
M ORPHY OFFERS ODDS
TO THE WORLD
20 P x N I QxQ Before retiring from his throne,
2I P x P R-KNI Paul Morphy, King of Chess, offered
22 N-Q4 Q-Ks to play a match with anyone in the
If instead 22 Q-R5, then 23
. . . world at the odds of Pawn and
QR-Ki ch, N-K4 24 R x Nch, move !
K-Q2 25 R-Qsch, K-K I 26 R-KI The handicap was big, but no
is mate. one accepted. Apparently everyone
N-B4 was convinced that Morphy was
23 QR-KI
NxR invincible.
24 R x Qch
25 R-K I RxP
26 R x Nch Resigns 77
LUCKY PRIZE- WINNER
In the International Tournament
73
held at London in I 8 5 1 , Mucklow
ONE - UPMANSHIP
won a grand total of two games,
400 YEARS AGO !
lost eight, forfeited the rest-and
Ruy Lopez, the famous bishop, still won a prize I
player and wri ter on chess, recom
mended as good chess tactics placing
the board so that the light would 78
shine in the opponent's eyes ! FORM IDABLE ANALYSIS
(A valuable addition to the theory In Die Hypermode.,ne Schach
of the Ruy Lopez opening !) pa.,tie, Dr. Tartakover annotates a
game between Spielmann and Tar
74 rasch, played at Mahrisch-Ostrau
BLINDFOLD MUSICIAN in I923. To make sure that the
The organist Sir Walter Parratt student does not miss any of the
was able to play a Beethoven Sona- fine points, he devotes I I columns of
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
79
.JUST WILD ABOUT CHESS
Perhaps the most fanatical devo
tee the game has ever known was
Daniel Harrwitz. He wore stickpins
shaped like chess pieces, chess ties,
and had chess figures embroidered on
his shirts. He played chess at the 9 Q-Q8ch ! KxQ
Cafe de la Regence morning, noon Io B-Ns dble.ch K-B2
and night seven days a week ! I I B-Q8 mate
At one stage of his match with
Morphy, Harrwitz pleaded illness, 81
and failed to put in an appearance. OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
His admirers found him resting up TWICE
at the Cafe de la Regence, playing Playing against Reti at Pistyan
chess ! in I922, Hromadka had the pleasant
choice of winning his opponent's
8o Queen or announcing mate in five
GRANDMASTER moves.
CHECKED, D OUBLE He overlooked both possibilities,
CHECKED AND MATED and finally lost the game on time
IN ELEVEN limit !
A grandmaster who had 40 years Here is the sad story :
of experience, and had written more PISTYAN, I922
than 20 books of chess instruction, King's Gambit Declined
was once checkmated in 1 1 moves I
This is how he was polished off : Reti Hromadka
White Black
VIENNA, I9IO I P-K4 P-K4
Caro-Kann Defence 2 P-KB4 B-B4
3 N-KB3 P-Q3
. Reti Tartakover 4 P-B3 P-B4
White Black s BP x P QP x P
I P-K4 P-QB3 6 P-Q4 KP x P
2 P-Q4 P-Q4 7 B-QB4 N-KB3
3 N-QB3 PxP 8 P-Ks N-Ks
4NxP N-B3 9 PxP B-N3
s Q-Q3 P-K4 I o N-B3 N-QB3
6 Px P Q-R4ch I I B-K3 N-QR4
7 B-Q2 Q x KP
I 2 B-Q3 NxN
8 o-o-o NxN
I3 P x N o-o
This is how the board looked I4 Q-B2 P-KR3
before the blow fell : IS o-o
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
84
EXCEPTION
WINS TOURNAMENT
The Tournament at San Sebastian
in 191 I was limited to those masters
who had won at least one third
prize in an International Tourna
ment.
An exception was made to this
ruling in the case of Capablanca
Black can now win the Queen by (who had never played -in an Inter
3 S . B-B4 , as 36 Q-Qs in reply
. . national Tournament) on the
allows 36 . . . Q-N 7ch 37 K-K I , strength of his phenomenal victory
Q-B7ch 3 8 B x Q . P x Bch 39 over Marshall two years earlier.
K-B 1 , N-K6 mate. The exception won the tourna
The other pleasant choice is to ment !
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 43
HASTINGS, 1 895
Giuoco Piano
Steinitz Bardeleben
White Black
I P-K4 P-K4 2 2 R x Nch ! K-BI
2 N-KB3 N-QB3 If 22 . . . Q x R 1 3 R x Rch wins
3 B-B4 B-B4 at once. If 22 . . . K x R 23 R-K1 ch,
4 P-B3 N-B3 K-Q3 (23 . . . K-Q I 24 N-K6ch,
5 P-Q4 PxP K-K2 25 N-B5 dis.ch wins the
6 Px P B-Nsch Queen) 24 Q-N4ch, K-B2 25
WONDERS AND CURIOSIT I E S OF CHESS 45
98
FIRST PICTURE BOOK
OF CHESS
A book of Philidor's games, pub
lished in I 8 r9, had illustrative
diagrams showing the position of the
pieces after every move. The editor,
J . G. Pohlman, must therefore be
95
given credit for being the originator
LONG- RANGE PROBLEM of chess in movie form.
Solving Otto Blathy's problems is
no picnic. In a booklet of his com
99
positions ( Vielzugige Schachauf
gaben) , the shortest problem re MATE EVERY MINUTE
quires that White is to mate in 30 On a wager, C. F. Burille solved
moves, the longest specifies that 62 chess problems in one hour !
mate is to be forced in 292 moves I
100
96 SMOTHERED MATE
PARIS FORCED TO OF QUEEN
CHECKMATE Games where the King meets his
In I 8 78 Paris and Marseilles end by smothered mate are not
played a game by correspondence uncommon. Instances where the
with these curious conditions : Paris Queen gets this airtight treatment
gave Marseilles Queen odds ; in re are rare, as the Queen is a powerful
turn for this advantage Marseilles fighting piece.
undertook to force Paris to checkmate In a game played at Ostend in
them. I 907, Dr. Tarrasch brought about a
smothered mate of Bum's Queen,
97 although all of Burn's pieces were
CASH PENALTY still on the board !
FOR EXCEEDING TIME
LIMIT OSTEND, I 907
In the Nuremberg Congress of Ruy Lopez
Igo6 there was no time limit if a
game took six hours or less. After Tarrasch Burn
wards the players were required to White Black
move at the rate of I 5 moves an I P-K4 P-K4
hour. 2 N-KB3 N-QB3
If they exceeded the time limit, 3 B-N5 P-QR3
they were penalized at the rate of a 4 B-R4 N-B3
mark for each minute of extra time. 5 o-o B-K2
Under this ruling, Tarrasch not 6 R-K I P-QN4
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
2 N-KB3 !i-QB3
27 . . . Q-KBI 3 B-B4 N-B3
2 8 N(N1)-B3 B-KI 4 N-Ns P-Q4
29 N-}4 N(K3)-N4 s PxP N-QJ4
30 N-N6 Resigns 6 P-Q3 B-Q3
7 P-KR3 B-Q2
The final position :
8 N-QB3 o-o
9 P-R3 P-KR3
ro N(Ns)-K4 NxN
n NxN NxB
12 P x N P-KB4
13 N x B PxN
14 o-o P-Bs
15 P-KB3 (J-N4
16 K-RI Q-14
1 7 K-R2 R-B3
18 Q-K2 R-N3
19 B-Q2 R-KBI
20 B-K 1 R-B4
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 49
105
RECORD WINS, LOSSES
AND DRAW S
The most wins in one tournament
go to the credit of Tchigorin, who
registered 27 victories in the double
round Tournament held at New
York in I 889.
The most losses in one tourna
At this point Fischer, absorbed in
ment were incurred by MacLeod,
his thoughts, touched his King
who lost 3 I games in the same New
Rook Pawn, toying with it-and
York 1 889 Tournament.
found to his horror that having
The record for most drawn games
touched the Pawn he had to move it.
in one tournament is held j ointly by
In consequence, he found himself
Englisch and Rosenthal, each of
with a lost game !
whom drew 22 games in the London
Play continued as follows :
Tournament of 1 883.
12 ... P-KR4
lo6 1 3 P-K5 PxP
qPxP N-Ns
FI SCHER TOUCHES
15 B x B QxB
A PAWN
I 6 N-K4 Q-B2
Fischer once absent-mindedly
17 P K R3 NxP
touched a Pawn in the course of a
-
1 8 N-B6ch K-R1
tournament game, had to move it,
19 Q-N s N x Bch
and lost the game !
2o R x N PxN
2 1 Q x RPch K-N2
BUENOS AIRES, 1960 22 Q-N4ch Resigns
Sicilian .Defence
After 22 K-RI
. . . 23 R-KN3
Unzicker Fischer wins instantly.
White Black
I P-K4 P-QB4
2 N-KB3 P-Q3 107 .
109 I IJ
KOSTICS'S UNAFFECTED BY SMOKE
FANTASTIC MEMORY Botvinnik trained for chess tour
In 1 9 1 9 when Kostics played a naments by b r eathing tobacco
match with Capablanca, it was said smoke ! He describes this as follows :
that the Yugoslavian master knew " In the 1 2th Champio n ship Tour
by heart all the games played in the nament I had suffered through not
chief master tournaments in the 30 being used to tobacco smoke, so we
years past ! had to resort to radical treatment :
during our training games Ragozin
1 10 smoked me for five hours in suc
HOW STRONG WAS cession ! Naturally I soon got used to
STEINITZ ? tobacco. "
In 1 862, Anderssen called Steinitz
the Austrian Morphy. In 1 866, U4
Anderssen (after having lost matches FIRST MATCH I S
to both Steinitz and Morphy) said B I G ONE
that Steinitz was better than The first match Petrosian ever
Morphy. played in his life gained him the
Steinitz, after strengthening his title of World's Chess Champion !
play and increasing his knowledge This match took place in 1 963,
of the game for another zo years, when he defeated Botvinnik by a
lived to see a self-appointed com score of 1 2! to 9!
mittee of experts assert that Morphy
could have given Stein itz Pawn and us
move. SKIMPY CHESS BOOK
(When this statement was made, A book called Capablanca's Samt
Steinitz had been World's Cham liche Verlustpartien contains all the
pion for 20 years !) games that Capablanca lost in
tournament and match play in the
IIX course of his lifetime career in chess.
YOUTHFUL The book is about 1 /64th of an
WORLD CHAMPIONS inch in thickness. After all , not
Lasker became World's Cham much space is needed to print the
pion in 1 894 at the age of 26 ! scores of 3 5 games !
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
1 5 P-N5 B-N2
r 6 Q-K2 P-KR4 I:Z:Z
themselves !
poor opinions of their own prowess.
David J anowski once furnished a IZ 4
good example of this trait. After
CAPA'S
losing a match to Frank Marshall,
GREAT SIMULTANEOUS
he sent the American a cable offer
RECORD
ing to play hi m another match at
On a chess tour in 1909 Capa
Knight odds !
blanca played simultaneous chess,
120 and games with individual oppo
EVERYBODY IN TOWN nents, with this remarkable result :
PLAYS CHESS out of 720 games, 686 wins, 20
In the village of Strobeck in draws, and only 1 4 losses !
Germany chess is taught in the
,
(At that time Capablanca was not
public schools. Every man, woman yet recognized as a master !)
and child in S trobeck knows how to
play chess ! IZ 5
CHESS MASTERS WIN ;
121 CHECKER MASTERS DRAW
WHEN WAS ZUKERTORT The World Championship Match
ZUKERTORT ? between Steinitz and An derssen in
Did Steinitz ever really defeat 1 866 resulted in victory for the
Zukertort? A noted critic once said former by a score of eight wins to
that Steinitz's victories over Zuker six losses-with no games drawn.
tort were due to the fact that In co ntrast to thi s a Checker
,
Zukertort " was not yet Zu kertort in Match between Michael Lieber and
54 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
forces mate.
as I 6 B-Q6 wins the exchange, nor
can he defend his Pawn by I5 . . . 23 N-R6ch K-RI
B-K3, as after 1 6 P x P, B x P I 7 24 Q-NSch l RxQ
R x B wins two pieces for a Rook. 25 N-B7 mate
I S N-Ns !
I 6 B-B3
White's threat was 17 R x N, I 3J
P x R IS B x Pch, removing a good RINCK AND GRIGORIEV
part of the army. Other defences CARRY OFF PRIZES
fail, as White's Bishops are power In 1924 Sydsvenska Dagbladet
ful, and Black's Knights lack Sniillposten sponsored an endgame
support. Par eiemple : If 16 . . . competition in which composers
N(B3)-K2 1 7 P-B4, N-N5 IS were restricted to positions where
R x N wins, o r i f I 6 . N(Q4)-K2
. .
two Rooks opposed Rook and minor
I7 B-Q6, Q-R4 IS B x N(K7) . piece. In this competition Henri
Finally, if 1 6 . . . N x B 1 7 B x N, Rinck carried off these awards :
R-NI IS P x N, and White wins. First prize, second prize, third
prize, first honorable mention, sec
N (Q4)-N5
ond honorable mention, and third
Other possibilities and their re honorable mention ! A remarkable
futation : I7 . N-B3 IS B-Q6
. .
achievement, but-
(or IS R-N5) wins, or 1 7 . . . N x B In I 936, in an endgame competi
xs. R-Ns . Q-K2 I9 B x N, Q x N tion sponsored by La Strategie,
20 P x N, and Black's Queen is N. D. Grigoriev shared first and
attacked on one side, and his Rook second prizes, won third, fourth and
on the other. fifth prizes, shared first and second
honorable mentions, and was award
ed third, fourth, fifth and sixth
Black tries to obstruct the annoy honorable mentions !
ing Bishops.
Here are two positions from these
I 9 P-QR3 N-R3 competitions :
6o WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
ning at once.
8 P-N4 K-KI
I ... R-Q6 9 K-B6 1
2 R-QR1
But not 9 P-K 6 , K-K2 Io P x P,
Other Rook moves, say to KNI ,
K x P I I K-N5, K-N2, and Black
are met by 2 . . . R-Q7ch, winning
has the opposition and draws.
the Knight.
2 . . 9 ... K-B I
3 K-KI 10 P-N5 K KI
-
I3 P-K6 ! PxP
14 P-N6 P-K4
I5 P-N7 P-K5
I6 K-R7 P-K6
I7 P-NB (Q) ch
White wins.
A fine composition-one among
many exquisite creations by Gri
goriev.
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 6r
IJ6
REMARKABLE
DUPLICATION
OF IDEAS
In the first 13 moves of a game
against Forgacs, Maroczy sacrificed
his Queen, won his opponent's
Queen Rook, and promoted a Pawn 20 Q-N 7ch K-B I
to a Queen. 21 Q x R B-Nsch
Within the next eight moves 22 K-B r P-N4
Forgacs duplicated the feat ! 23 B-B7ch K-N2
He sacrificed his Queen, promoted 24 Q x RP Q-N]
a Pawn to a Queen, and won his 25 B-N6 Q-B 8 ch
opponent's Queen Rook. 26 K-B2 QxR
Here is the score of this extra 27 B-B I QxP
ordinary game : 28 Resigns
1 37
BUD APEST, I 9o2
Irregular Defence FORTY-FOUR WINS
NOT EN OUGH
Forgacs Maroczy Frank Marshall once played in a
White Black tournament where he won 4 4 games
I P-K4 P-QR3 in succession, without permitting
2 P-Q4 P-K3 even one draw to be scored against
3 P-KB4 P-Q4 him . A mighty feat, and yet he
4 P-K5 P-QB4 won only third prize !
5 P-B3 P-QN4 Here is how it happened , as John
6 B-Q3 N-QB3 Keeble tells it :
62 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
1 38
REINCARNATION
OF PROBLEM
Do you believe in the reincarna
tion of chess ideas?
The diagram shows a position
which occurred in a game played in
1 945 between Jorgensen and Soren
sen. This identical position is
described by al-Adli in an Arabian
manuscript dating back to the ninth
century !
1 40 1 41
BLIND COMPOSERS SEE PILLSBURY'S BLINDFOLD
SAME IDEA FEAT
An extraordinary set of coinci What is the favorite pastime of a
dences marked two problems sub chess master ? Chess, and more
mitted to the Eighth Composing chess !
Tourney of the Brighton Society in In the course of the Hannover
I 898. These were the positions : I902 Tournament, Pillsbury spent
one of his precious days of rest in a
A. F. Mackenzie, America record-breaking exhibition of simul
taneous blindfold chess ! He took
on 2 I of the budding masters of
Germany, offering prizes to those
who scored against him (j ust to
make things tougher ! ) . He per
mitted consultation as well as
moving the pieces around to facili
tate analysis. His final score of
three wins, I I draws and seven
losses is more impressive than might
first appear, as his opponents were
all players of considerable strength.
Here is one of the games from
that e:rhibition :
White mates in two
Key : Q--R2
HANNOVER, I9o2
H. W. Lane, England
Max Lange A ttack
Pillsbury Moller
White Black
I P-K4 P-J4
2 N-KB3 N-QB3
J P-Q4 PxP
4 B-B4 N-B3
5 o-o B-B4
6 P-K5 P-Q4
7 PxN PxB
8 R-K ich B-K3
9 N-N5
Threatens to win a piece by I o
White mates in two N x B followed b y 1 1 Q-Rs ch .
Key : Q-R2 9 ... P-KN3
Not only were the positions I O Q-N4 Q-Q4
almost alike, the key moves matched, 1 1 B-B 4 K-Q2
the resulting ideas duplicated each I2 N x B PxN
other, but strangest of all-both I 3 N-Q2 Q-B4
composers were blind I I4 Q x Q KP x Q
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
28 . . . R-KI
29 K-B4 B-B2
30 R (Q3)-QI R-Q4
31 B x B R x Pch I R-RI Q-K 2
32 K-N4 RxR 2 Q-Q I N-K3
33 R x R KxB 3 B-B 1 K-R2
34 R-K7ch K-Q3 4 B-K2 R-KB r
35 R x P P-B5 5 B-B I
36 R-R3 K-K4
37 R- KB3 K-K5 That Tarrasch eventually drew
. 38 R x R P x Rch the game is evidence of his great
39 K-N3 Resigns ability.
J:42
HOW MASTERS SPEND J:44
DAY OF REST TEN-YEAR - OLD
Dr. Alekhine spent his day of IN MASTER TOURNAMENT
rest in the Carlsbad 1 92 3 Tourna A boy of 10 once played in a
ment playing chess at 10 seconds a master tournament ! , The prodigy
move with Dr. Lasker for 1 2 hours ! was Sammy Reshevsky, who sub
sequently became United States
Champion.
J: 43 The game which follows is from
TARRASCH RETREATS that tournament. David Janowski,
FIVE TIMES Sammy's opponent, was not only
Dr. Tarrasch, the greatest chess almost six times the youngster's
teacher of his time, and leading age, but had played a match with
advocate of the proper development Lasker for the World's Champion
of all the pieces, found it necessary ship before Sammy was born !
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
PASADENA, I 93 2
A lekhine's Defenc8
I 50
Borochow Fine CAPABLANCA YIELDS
White Black IN IJ
I P-K4 N-KB3 When Capablanca, the greatest
2 P-K5 N-Q4 genius that chess ever produced,
3 P-QB4 N-N3 loses a game in I3 moves--even in
4 P-Q4 N-B3 simultaneous play-it is cause for
5 P-Q5 ! N x KP wonder.
68 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
Morphy Barnes
This is the scene : White Black
I P-K4 P-K4
2 N-KB3 N- K B 3
3 B B4
- NxP
4 N-B3 NxN
s QP x N P-KB3
6 o--o Q-K2
7 N-R4 P-Q 3
8 Q-R5ch K-Q I
9 P-B4 B-K3
Io B x B QxB
IIPxP QP x P
I 2 N-N6 B-B4ch
I3 . . . B x Pch !
I4 K x B N-Bs Pinning the K night instead by
I S Resigns I2 . . . Q-KI fails after 1 3 Q-Q i ch,
B Q3 I4 N x R, and White wins
-
32 Q x N Q-B8ch !
A pretty move to make, especially
against Morphy.
33 K-R4
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 71
P. S. When time was called, the games : 825 wins, 1 13 draws and
game was left as drawn. only five losses I
J65
r68
STEINITZ'S 16
MODEST CHESS MASTER
I N A ROW Dr. Lasker complimented Fred
In the double-round tournament Reinfeld and Reuben Fine on their
at Vienna in I 87J, William Steinitz book Dr. Lasker's Chess Career, but
won I 6 games in succession, with regretted the fact that they had
out allowing even a single draw to be not included any of his lost games
scored against him I The casualty in the book.
list : (A modest chess master is a rare
Steinitz 2 Rosenthal 0 bird !)
Steinitz 2 Paulsen 0
Steinitz 2 Anderssen 0
16 9
Steinitz 2 Schwartz 0
Steinitz 2 Gelbfuhs 0 CAPA'S ONLY LOSS
Steinitz 2 Bird 0 I N TEN YEARS
Steinitz 2 Hera! 0 In IO years of tournament and
Steinitz 2 Blackburne 0 match chess (including his match
Grand Totals I 6 0 for the World's Championship with
Dr. Lasker), from I 9 I 4 to I 924,
J66 Capablanca lost only one game !
UNLUCKY YEAR FOR
Here is the historic game :
CHESS MASTERS
No astrologer, soothsayer or life NEW YORK, I 9 I 6
insurance actuary predicted that French Defence
I932 would be a fatally dangerous
year for chess masters and chess Chajes Capablanca
problemists. White Black
In that year there departed from I P-K4 P K3-
In chess : In checkers :
1 . All 64 squares are used 1 . Only 32 squares are used
2 . White moves first 2. Black moves first
3 Captures are optional 3 Captures are compulsory
4 Only one piece may be taken at 4 One or more pieces may be
a time taken at a time
5 The capturing piece replaces the 5 The capturing piece j umps over
one that is removed the one that is ren1oved
6. A stalemate is a draw 6. A stalemate is a loss
7. The pieces move in different 7. The pieces all move the same
ways way
8. The Pawns promote to any 8. The pieces promote to a King
thing but a King only
9. The choice of openings is not 9. The openings are chosen by
restricted ballot
1 0 . The time limit specifies a certain 10. The time limit is five minutes
number of moves per hour per move
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES O F CHESS 77
players, on their :first move, have a his leading challenger, Isaac Kash
choice of 20 moves. On the hypoth dan, at the Chicago Tournament in
esis that the number of replies open 1 926.
at each move is always the same, Here is one of the games :
whatever the preceding moves may
CHICAGO, 1926
have been, and that the foregoing
Queen's Pawn Game
:figures give those numbers, the
number of possible ways of playing Banks Kashdan
the first four moves only on each
White Black
side would be 3 1 8,979.584,ooo. If, I P-Q4 N-KB3
then, anyone were to play without 2 N-KB3 P-B3
cessation at the rate of one set a 3 B-N5 P-K3
minute, it would take him more 4 QN-Q2 P-Q4
than 6oo,ooo years to go through
5 P-K3 QN-Q2
them all ! 6 B-Q3 Q-N3
The number of possible ways of B-K2
7 R-QN1
playing the first 10 moves on each
8 o-o o-o
side in a game of chess is 1 69,5 I8, R-K 1
g N-K 5
829, I00,544.ooo, ooo,ooo,ooo,ooo.
10 N (Q2)-B3 N-B 1
I I P-B 3 N (B3)-Q2
1 78
12 B x B RxB
ALEKHINE WINS BY 13 N X N BxN
St LENGTHS 1 4 Q-B2 P-B3
In the great tournament at Bled 15 N-R4 P-QB4
in 193 1 , Alekhine did not lose a 1 6 P-KB4 B-K 1
single game in 26 rounds of play. 17 Q-B2 N N3
-
18o
CHECKER STAR UPSETS
CHESS MASTERS
A checker master, Newell Banks,
defeated both the United States
Champion, Frank J . Marshall and
,
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 79
I8I
PILLSBURY'S
MNEMONIC FEAT
Dr. Threlkel-Edwards of Bethle
hem and Professor Merriman of
Lehigh University once tested Pills
bury's memory for other things than At this point Tarrasch moved
chess, by giving him this list of 5 P-Q3 . Alapin h ard ly looked at the
words to memorize : board, as he ex pec te d 5 P-Q4, the
Antiphlogistine, periosteum, ta customary move at that time .
kadiastase, plasmon, ambrosia, Almost automatically he to uch ed his
Threlkeld, strepto co ccu s , staphylo- King Bishop, as he intended to
8o WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
Zukertort lost his last three 5 N-N5 leaves the Queen stranded
games in the London Tournament and exposed to possible dangers.
of 1 883-and yet he finished first,
three points ahead of World Cham 5 BxN
pion Steinitz ! This and the next move prevent
Black from Castling, but the idea
is not as good as might first appear.
ISS 5 ... RxB
6 B-N5ch B-Q2
WORLD'S CHAMPION
7 B x B ch KxB
I S NOT " WORLD' S
8 R-N I N B3
FOREMOST CHESS EXPERT "
-
9 N-B3 B-Q3
The title page of a work published
10 o-o K-K2
in 1 935 reads, " A Primer of Chess, "
by Jose R. Capablanca, world 's Prepares for artificial Castling.
Foremost Chess Expert.
At the time of publication, Dr. II Q-K2 KR-Qr
Alekhine was World Champion, 12 PxP Q .x P
13 P-K4 P-Q5
and presumably the " World 's Fore
most Chess Expert, " having de 14 N-QN5 P-Q6 1
feated Capablanca for the title in 15 PxP
1927, and having held it for eight Of course not 1 5 Q x P, B x Pch ,
15 . . . QxN 39 . . . N-B3
16 P-K5 BxP 40 Q-B7ch K-N3
17 N x B R-Q4 41 Q-N3ch R-N5
1 8 KR-KI R-Q BI 42 Q-N3 R-Q5
43 P-KR3 R-Q6
A hasty move which costs a Pawn.
44 Q-B4 R-Q4
19 N x P Q-B3 45 Q-N3 R-KB4
Clearly if 19 . . . K x R 20 Q x Pch 46 R-K2 Q-B8ch
follows and the Queen Rook falls. 47 R-KI Q-Q7
48 R-K2 Q-B8ch
zo N-K5 Q-B7
49 R-K1 Q-Q7
2 1 Q-K3 Q-B2
50 R-K2 Q-B8ch
22 R(N1)-B1 R-B4
5 1 R-K I Q-B4
23 R x R QxR
52 Q-N3ch K-B2
24 P-Q4 Q-Q4
53 K-NI Q-B7
25 Q-R3ch K-K I
54 Q-K3 QxP
z6 Q x P N-Q2
27 N-Q3 R-B5 Tarrasch makes another error
28 N-B4 (he explains that he was suffering
from influenza at the time) . He does
Probably counting on 28 . . . Q x P not realize that he is in danger of
29 Q x Q, R x Q 30 N x P, but he losing a piece, or he might have
gets a shock. played 54 . . . P-R3 to ward off the
z8 . . . Q-Ks ! threat .
55 P-N4 R-Q4
Black wins a piece, as the Knight 56 P-N5 Q-Q7
cannot be saved (29 N-K2, Q x N) .
The Knight must hold still, e.g.
29 K-B 1 QxN if 56 . . . N-Q2 57 Q-K8 mate.
3o Q x P 57 P x N QxQ
Black has no easy win, as his 58 R x Q KxP
opponent has three Pawns for the 59 R-R3 P-R.J
lost piece, two of them being con 6o K-N2 P-N4
nected passed Pawns. 61 R-R8 R-Q6
62 P-QR4 R-R6
30 . . . Q x QP 63 P-R5 P-R5
On 30 . . . K-K2 (to protect the 64 P-R6 K-N2
King Pawn) 3 1 Q-Q5 follows, 65 P-B3 K-R2
winning the King Pawn. 66 K-B2 K-N2
67 K-K2 K-R2
31 R x Pch K-B2 68 P-R7 K-N2
32 R-K1 Q-Q6ch 69 K-Q2 K-R2
33 K-N 1 Q-Q7 70 K-B2 K-N2
34 K-B1 Q-Q6ch 71 K-N2 R-R3
35 K-NI Q-Q7 72 K-B3 R-R8
36 K-B1 Q-Q6ch 73 K-N4 R-R7
37 K-N1 Q-Q7 74 K-N5 R-R8
J8 K-B1 R-QN5 75 K-B6 R-R7
39 Q-B6 76 K-Q6 R-R8
Threatens a little mate in two. 77 K-K6 R-R.J
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
COLOGNE, r g u
Ruy Lopez
Tarrasch Schlechter
White Black
I P-K4 P-K4
2 N-KB3 N-QB3
3 B-Ns P-QR3
4 B-R4 N-B3
78 R-KS ! s o-o B-K2
6 N-B3 P-Q3
Black must not tou ch th e Pawn. 7 P-Q4 B-Q2
If 78 . . . R x P 79 R-K7ch , R x R 8 BxN BxB
So K x R, K-N3 S r K-K6, K-R4 g Q-Q3 PxP
82 K-Bs, K-R3 83 K-B6, K-R4 ro N x P o-o
84 K-N7, P-Ns Ss BP x Pch, and I I R-K I N-Q2
White wins. I2 N x B PxN
I 3 B-K3 B-B3
79 K-Bs RxP 14 QR-Q1 Q-NI
So K x P R-R6 I S P-QN3 Q-Ns
8 1 K-N4 R-N6 1 6 B-Q2
82 R-K4 K-N3
83 R-K6ch K-N2 Threatens 1 7 N-Qs . and the
84 P-B4 R-N6ch removal of Black's strongly-posted
Bs K x P R-NS Bishop.
86 R-K3 K-B3 16 . . . Q-N2
87 R-KN3 R-QRS 1 7 N-R4 KR-K I
88 K-N4 R-RI I 8 B-B3 R-K3
8g R-N3 R-N rch 19 B x B NxB
go K-B3 R-NS
White has disposed of the annoy
gr R-N6ch K-B4
ing Bishop, and now he devotes his
92 R-Nsch K-B3
energies to preventing his opponent
93 R-NS R-B8ch
from playing the freeing . . . P-Q4.
94 K-N4 R-N8ch .
9 S K-Rs R-N2 20 R-K3 QR-K1
g6 R-B8ch K-K2 Of course not 20 P-Q4, as 2 1
. . .
Q x N, Q x Q 26 R x Q, and Black " This bears out the dictum, " says
may not play 26 . R x P as mate
. . Tarrasch, " that the effect of an
on the back rank would follow. unexpected sacrifice is often to
throw the opponent off balance so
22 P-KR3 Q-R2
that he fails to put up the best
23 Q-Q4 P-B4 defence. Black is momentarily a
24 Q-Q3 Q-N2 Rook ahead (in the diagrammed
2S R(Q1)-K1 Q-Ns position) , but his Rook and Knight
26 P-B3 are attacked, and counterattack
This frees the Rooks from being fails-32 . . . R(K7)-K6 by 33 P x N,
tied down to the defence of the and 32 . . . R(K1 )-K6 by 33 P x N,
King Pawn . R x Q 34 R x R-there remains only
retreat by 32 . . . R(K7)-K2 when
26 . . . Q-N2
the continuation would be 33 P x N,
2 7 R(K3)-K2 Q-R2
R-Q 1 34 N-Q5 , R(K2) x P 3S
28 K-R2 P-B3
P-B4, and White has the superior
29 P-B4
position, but Black has drawing
Tarrasch is now prepared to chances. After Black's actual move,
meet 29 . . . P-Q4 with 30 P-Ks White is a Pawn up with a win in
followed soon after by P-B s and a sight."
possible assault on Black's King
33 N x R NxP
side by the Pawns.
" One must take heed even on the
29 . . . N-Q2
verge of victory, " says Tarrasch,
30 R-Q I
" as at this point when Black
But not 30 P-B s , N-K4 3 1 threatens to win by . . . R-Q 1 . "
Q-Q2, R(K3)-K2 32 Q x P , R-Q2
and White loses his Queen. 3 4 N-N3 R-Q 1
35 Q-B3 RxR
30 . . . P-Q4 36 Q x R N-Qs
Black gets in P-Q4 at last. 3 7 P-B3 N-K3
But is it good ? 38 P-Bs N-B i
31 P x P RxR But not 38 . . . N-N4, when 39
This is the position : Q-Q8ch, K-R2 40 P-KR4 steals
the Knight.
39 Q-Qs N-Q2
40 N-K4 Q-N 1 ch
4 l Q-Q6 Q-R1
Black gives up the Pawn as
exchanging Queens is hopeless, and
41 . Q-R2 allows 42 Q- K 7 pinning
. . ,
78 ... Q-Q8ch
79 K-K3 Q-K8ch
So K-B3 Q-Q8ch
81 K-K4 Q-K8ch
82 K-Q5 Q-Q7ch
83 K-K6 QxP
84 P-N7 Q-N3ch
Obviously 84 Q x Pch 85
Q-B5ch is fatal.
6o P-R5
85 K-Q5 Q-B4ch
White offers up one of his precious 86 K-B6 Q-K3ch
Pawns as the best way to make 87 K-B7 Q-K2ch
progress . 88 K-N6 Q-Q 1ch
6o . . . Q x RP 89 K-R7 Q-Q5ch
6 1 Q-N8ch K-Rz 90 K-R8 Q-K5
62 P-QN4 Q-KN4 91 Q-QR5 Q-B6
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 8s
lg6
BRILLIANCY ANTICIPATED
Janowski and Soldatenkov in
consultation played a game against
1 7 B x Pch ! KxB
Lasker and Taubenhaus at Paris in
1 909. Forced, as on 1 7 . . . R x B 1 8
They won a brilliant Danish R-K8ch follows with mate next
Gambit, but the game had been move.
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
IS N-Q4 199
I9 R-B I FLAWED PRIZE PROBLEMS
With this move all five of White's P. F. Blake received first pri ze
pieces have been shifted away from for a problem published in the Kent
the K ing side-against which side MMcury in I892. The problem was
Black's pieces are aimed . The better later found to have a dual solution !
move would have been to return the Stranger was the case of the
Knight (the best protector of the problem by L. Knotek which won
Castled King) back to B3 . second prize in a composing tourney.
The position on the board : The problem was found to have
seven first moves which would solve
it, in addition to the one intended
by the author !
aoo
AROUND AND
AROUND AGAIN
The Manhattan Mei'Yy-Go-Round :
In the Championship Tournament
of the Manhattan Chess Club,
played in I 934-
I9 . . . N x P! Platz beat Willman
2o P x N Q-N4 Willman beat MacMurray
2 I K-Bz MacMurray beat Kashdan
The alternative 2 1 B-B 1 leads to K ashdan beat Kupchik
this : 2 I . . . Q x KPch 22 K-RI , K up chik beat Richman
Q-B5 23 K-N I , Q x Pch 24 K-B2, Ric hman beat Hassialis
B-N6ch 25 K-K2 , B x P, and Black H ass ialis beat Denker
wins. Denker beat Jackson
2I ... Q x NPch J a ckson beat Simonson
2 2 K-K I BxP Simonson beat Schwartz
Schwartz beat Cohen
Black has three Pawns for the
Cohe n beat Tenner
piece, two connected passed Pawns,
Tenner beat Platz
and the attack. \\'hat more could
man ask for ? This proves that everyone is
23 B-K2 P-K4 better than everyone else I
24 N-K6 B-N6ch
25 K-Q I B-B6 :ZOI
26 B x B Q x Bch PRODIGY IN
27 K-B2 Q-Ksch CHESS AND MUSIC
28 K-Q2 Q-Q4ch Philidor, the strongest chess play
29 N-Q4 PxN er and theoretician of his time was
30 B x P P-Bs not only a chess prodigy, but a
3 I P-K4 Q x KP musical prodigy as well. He com
32 R-B4 R-Q I posed a motet at the age of 1 I that
33 P-R4 B-B7 was performed at the Chapel Ro yal
Resigns in Versailles.
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 89
to R7, then play K-N6 followed by doubt this is the oddest game of the
P-R8 (Q) and P-K7. Black therefore tournament. "
becomes desperate. Now for the (comparatively)
66 .. . Q-QRI simpler but equally fascinating 1 834
67 P-K7 Q-Q4ch game:
68 K-B6 Q-Qs ch
The position at this point : LONDON, 1 834
Sicilian Defence
McDonnell LaBour-
donnais
White Black
I P-K4 P-QB4
2 N-KB3 N-QB3
3P-Q4 PxP
4 N xP P-K4
sNxN NP x N
6 B-QB4 N-B3
7 B-KN5 B- K2
8 Q-K2 P-Q4
94 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
19 P-B 3 B -K2
20 Q R
-B1 P-B4
2 IJ
21 Q-B4 ch K -RI
22 B-R 4 Q-KR3 LUCENA'S PRECEPTS
23 BxR PxN Lucena is the author of the oldest
24 P-B6 P x PI existing printed work on chess. It
25 R-B2 was published in Spain in 1 497, and
is called Repeticion de A mores e A rte
If 25 P x B, Black forces the win de A xedrez.
by 25 . . . Q- K6ch 26 K-RI , P x Pch Here are some of his suggestions :
2 7 K x P, R-B 7 ch 28 K-N r , 1 . If you play at night, place the
R-K7ch 2 9 K-Rr , Q B6ch 30
-
candle at your left ; if by day, place
K-N 1 , Q-N7 mate. it so that it shines in your oppo
nent's eyes. (In this he seems to
25 .. . Q-K6ch have anticipated similar advice by
26 K-R r B-B 1 Ruy Lopez.)
27 B-Q7 P -B 7 2 . Play your oppo nent when he
28 R-KBI "
has eaten and drunk freely ; it will
be worse for him.
But not 28 Q-B I , B-R3 29
3 Eat lightly before a game, and
Q x B, P-Q6 30 Q x QP (or 30
drink water, not wine.
R x B P R x R, and Black wins)
,
:Zis
EVEN THE WORTHY a17
PHILIDOR SIX-FOLD QUEEN
SOMETIMES NODS SACRIFICE
Even the great player, writer and E. Z. Adams o ffered t he sacrifice
t heoretician Philidor could o ffer of his Queen in six consecutive moves
misleading advice about an early on four di fferent s quar es to Carlos
opening move. To rre in I920.
In his Analyze du feu des Echecs, Th e game is so brill iant t hat the
published in I749, he says this abo ut victo ry is credited to To rre mo re
Whi te 's second move in the King 's often than to his opponent.
Knight 's Opening ( I P-J4, P-!4 (T his has happened in c hec ke rs
2 N-KB3) : too, as with the bri l iant Dundee
"Playin g t he King 's Kn ight t he ga me won by C. F. Barker fro m
second mo ve is entirely wrong, J. P. Reed, which has o ften been
bec ause it not onl y loses the attack, credi ted to Reed. )
but gives it to the adversary ." Here i s the scintillating A dams
Philidor preferred 2 B-B4, as win:
2 N-B3 obstructed the movement
of the Bishop Pa wn. I t is only fair NEW ORLEANS, I92o
to add that he revised h is op inion Philidor Defence
in the I 7 7 7 edi tion of his book.
Adams To rre
a16 White Black
I P-K4 P-K4
DAMIANO'S
2 N-KB3 P-Q3
CENTURIES- OLD
3 P-Q4 PxP
ADVICE STILL GOOD TODAY
4 QxP N-QB3
General advice , good even today,
was o ffered by the Po rtuguese 5 B Q N5
- B-Q2
6BxN BxB
apothecary and chess writer Da
7N-B3 N-B3
miano , as far bac k as I 5 I 2 ! In his
8 0--Q B-K2
publ ication Questa Libra e da impa
9 N -Q5 BxN
rare giocare a scachi, w hich then
Io P x B 0--Q
a ppea red in print, he makes these
nB -N5 P-B3
sugge stions :
I2 P-B4 PxP
I. Do not make aimless moves. I 3 l' X p R-K I
2 . Do no t play quick ly . I 4 KR-KI P-QR4
3 .A vo id obvio us oversights. I 5 R-K2 QR-BI
4 Do no t play to win a P awn at I6 QR-KI Q-Q2
the cost of weaken in g yo ur pos ition . I7BxN BxB
96 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
A long-headed combination in
za6 which White sacrifices his Knight to
"FULL MANY A GEM OF effect a complete tie-up of Black's
PUREST RAY SERENE ..." pieces.
Capablanca received a brilliancy 21 ... K-K2
prize for his game against Schroeder 22 Q x NP PxN
played at New York in 1916, for a 23 Q x NPch K-Q3
combination he had in mind, but 24 K-K2I
which never appeared on the board!
A beautiful move! The King (who
NEW" YORK, 1916 is perfectly safe, though seemingly
Queen's Gambit Declined exposed to danger) makes room for
the King Rook.
Capablanca Schroeder
24 ... QR-B1
White Black
I P-Q4 P-Q4 Black's object is to unpin the
2N-KB3 P-K3 Bishop-- something he cannot do by
3 P-B4 N-KB3 simply moving it away. If for
IOO WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
22 7
FINISHES GAME WITH
OPENING MOVES
In a gam e aga ins t Koshni tzky,
H ewi tt's King Knight cap tur ed in
27 .. .
succ essio n a P awn, Knig ht, Qu een,
T his is wha t Black play ed, and King Bishop Pawn, King Rook and
i t los t quickly. We'l l com e bac k to King Knig ht Pawn. Koshnitzky
the pos ition . r etalia ted by capturing in the same
28 Q -N7 R-K 2 order a Pawn, Knigh t, Qu een,
29 Q -Ks R-B3 King Bishop Pawn, King Rook and
30 R x B ! R esigns King Knigh t Pawn.
T hen, to finis h o ff this r emarkabl e
If 30 . . . R x R 3I Q-Q6c h, R-B3 gam e, Whit e mak es us e of two
3 2 R x Rc h, K -N 2 33 R -Bs, and mov es commonly r es er ved for th e
whi te wins a Rook . op ening -P -Q4 and P-K4 !
Now l et us r eturn to th e pos ition
s hown on th e diagram, to s ee the CORRESPONDENCE, I945
combination pr epar ed by Capa
blanca agains t the b es t d ef enc e: Koshnitzky H ewit t
27 .. . R -B 2 White Black
I P -QB4 P -K4
In ord er to doubl e Rooks, and 2 N -Q B3 N-Q B3
fr eeth eBis hop and theQu een . 3 N -B3 N -B3
28 P-Rs KR -QBI 4 P-K N3 B -K2
29 P -R6 B -Q3 5 B -N 2 P-Q4
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 101
OSTEND, 19 06
Queen's Pawn Opening
Burn Marshall
White Black
I P-Q4 P-Q4
2 N-KB3 P-QB4
3 P-QB3 P -K3
4 B-B4 N-QB3
S P-K3 N-B3 28 . . . Q-Br l
6 QN-Q2 B-Q3
7 B -N3 o-o
Clever defence ! Marshall i s pre
8 B- Q3 R-K I pared to give up the exchange (and
9 N -K5 BxN later on a Rook) to gain the initia
Io P x B N -Q2 tive. The alternative 28 . . R-Br
.
:14 1
IVAN IV CONDEMNS CHESS
Russia le ads the world at chess .
It is Russia's national game.
Yet in rss r. I van IV of Russia
labe lled it as a "pastime of Hellenic
de vilry," and made it illegal.
242
IS ... Q x B!
STRANGE DUPLICATION
An e xtraordinary coincidence of White res ig ns, for i f I 6 P x Q,
combinations occurred in two games N-B 7ch wins the Queen (for t he
playe d almost 2 0 yea rs apart. Rook may not capt ure on pai n of
From two totally di ffe re nt ope n rnate) and lea ves Black a piece
ings, with colo rs re versed, identical ahead .
positio ns we re prod uced, al low ing Now comes the extraordi nar y
the same finish-an e xqu is i te Q ueen coincidence : Alekhi ne was a spec
sacri fic e to fo rce the wi n. Here is tato r at this game, and immediately
one game : showed the aston ished bysta nde rs
the following game, which he had
played al most 2 0 years earlier :
PARIS, 1 926
Two Knights Defence DUSSELDORF, I9o8
Ba ratz Colle System
D resga
White Black Alekhi ne Koe nlein
I P-K 4 P-K 4 Wllite Black
2 N-KB3 N-Q B3 I P-Q 4 P-Q 4
3 B-B 4 N-B3 2 N-K B3 N-KB3
4 P-Q4 PxP 3 P-K3 P-K3
5o-<> P-Q3 4 B-Q3 QN-Q 2
6NxP B-K2 5 QN-Q2 B-Q3
7 N-QB3 o-<> 6 P-K 4 PxP
8 P-B 4 B-N s 7N x P NxN
9NxN PxN SB x N o-o
But not 9 BxQ r o N x Q, 9 ()-() P-K B4
and White wins a piece . IO B-Q3 P-K 4
I06 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
21 BxB(KB6)
Szabo misses 21 Q x Pch, B-N2
(if 21 ... K-R1 22 BxB mate)
22 QxB mate.
Euwe called this, "The worst The solution is:
blunder of the last decade." When I P-K4 .
Szabo was asked to explain this 2 N-KB3
extraordinary oversight, he said, 3 B-N5 mate!
I IO WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
LONDON, I943
Reti Opening
1 4 P-KR4 N-KN5
1 5 N-N5 2
16 P-B3 N-B3 29 . . . P-N5I
1 7P-B4 P-K5 Begins a magnificent combina
18 KR-QI P-R3 tion, or properly speaking, a series
1 9 N-R3 P-Q4 of magnificent combinations.
20 N-BI N-K2
3 oRx R
The intention is to follow with
2 1 .. . P-Rs, attacking the base of If 30 Q-R1, RxR 3 1 Q x R,
the Pawn chain. Then if 22 P-QN4, Q-R1 32 Qx Q, Rx Q, and the
PxP 23 QxP, N ( K 2 )-Q4, and the Rook will come strongly into the
Knight secures a firm hold on a game at R7 or R8.
center square, as no Pawns can 30 ... PxQI
drive it off. 3I RxQ P-B 7I
21 P-R4 This is the point of the first
The Knight returns, as now it can combination! The Pawn cannot be
invade the enemy territory by way prevented from Queening, and a
of N5 and Q6. new phase begins.
Now the threat is either to win a Any other move loses a piece.
Pawn by 2 4 . . . P x P 25 P x P, 33 ... P-B8(Q)ch
B x P, or to establish a Knight in 34 N-B1 N-K81
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
40 R-R r
White controls the QR file. His
obj ect now is to establish an outpost
at QR7, and then exert irresistible
pressure on Black's QNP.
40 . . . R-QB r
4 1 Q-N4 R(RI )-Q r
K-B I 55 . . . PxB
42 R-R7
B-K r 56 R x B R-K2
43 R-KRr
44 R(RI )-R r K-N I If 56 . . . K-N r instead, to save
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
the KRP, then 57 N-N3 will doom comment to the game Yates
the other Rook Pawn. Alekhine, New York I 924, and is
57 R x Nch ! Game Two in the book of the tourna
ment.
A simple and elegant finishing
The game started as follows :
move.
57 . . . Resi gns NEW YORK, I924
Ruy Lopez
An impressive game by the
greatest chess player that ever Yates Alekhine
lived. White Black
I P-K4 P-K4
ass 2 N-KB3 N-QB3
FOUR WORLD CHAMPIONS 3 B-N5 P-QR3
ON ONE TEAM 4 B-R4 P-Q3
In I 964 the U.S.S.R. sent a team Alekhine's note at this point
to represent them at the Olympics reads as follows :
held at Tel -Avi v, that was as power
ful as one could imagine . They were : This variation of the Steinitz
defence seems to be better than
1 . Petrosian (former World Cham
P-Q3 at once, as White after 5
pion)
P-Q4 must reckon with an im
2. Botvinnik (former World Cham mediate draw ing line (5 . . .
pion) P-QN4 6 B-N3, N x P 7 N x N,
3 Smyslov (former World Cham
P x N 8 Q x P, P-QB4 9 Q-Q5,
pion) B-K3 IO Q-B6ch, B-Q2 II
4 Keres (contender for the World's
Q-Q5, B-K3 , etc.)
Championship)
5 Stein (former Soviet Champion) What Alekhine misses is that
6. Spassky (later World Cha mpion) Black could play as his n th move
P-B5 instead of l l . . . B-K3 , and
Z59 win a piece (and the game) for two
Pawns .
FASTEST TOURNAMENT
PLAYERS
z6I
The fastest tournament p layers
have been Zukertort, Charousek, ONLY ONE - PAWN
Janowski, Dake and Capablanca. IS CAPTURED
After 94 moves of the game
between Chaj es and Grunfeld at
a6o
Carlsbad in I 92 3 , only one Pawn
ALEKHINE CAUGHT IN had been removed from the board !
OLDEST TRAP
The peerless annotator Alekhine CARLSBAD, I923
once recommended " an immediate Ruy Lopez
drawing line " in the Ruy Lopez
opening that would have cau gh t Chaj es Grunfeld
White in a trap whose very name White Black
im plies its antiquity-the Noah's I P-K4 ' P-K4
Ark Tra.p ! 2 N-KB3 N-QB3
The note appears as the first 3 B-N5 P-QR3
u8 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
93 Q-QI z6z
94 B-K3 LINDERMANN COMMITS
SUI - MATE IN THREE
This is the position after 94 A player called Lindermann once
moves of a wearisome game. Note lost a tournament game in three
that up to this point only one Pawn moves !
has come off the board ! Here is how it came abou t :
KIEL, 1 893
Center Counter Game
Lindermann Echterme y e r
White Black
I P-K4 P-Q4
2 PxP QxP
Lindermann now in tende d to
move 3 N-QB3 , but picked up his
Q ueen Bi shop instead, and placed
it at QB3 . The rule then in force
compelled him to retract his move,
95 P x P BxN and move his King instead. So the
96 P x B R-R3 game continued :
97 B-K4 Q-K I 3 K-K2 Q- K s mate
98 P-R4 R(Q2)-KR2
99 P x P PxP
263
100 Q-KR1 B-K2
101 K-B2 B-Q I ILLEGAL MOVE SCORES
1 02 K-N3 Q-B2 THE WIN
1 03 K-N4 Q-QN2 In a game between Mason and
1 04 Q-R1 B-N3 Winawer played at London in 1 883,
105 Q-KN1 BxB the latter made a move strong
106 Q x B Q-R3 enough to cause Mason's quick
107 R-RI N-K2 resignation.
1 08 R-Q I N-B I But the move was an illegal oneI
109 R (R3)-R1 Q-N2 This was the position :
1 1 0 Q-B2 Q-KB2
I I I.Q-R2 N-K2
I I 2 R-RI N-N 1
I I 3 Q-N2 RxP
I 14 K-N3 R-R5
I IS R X R RxR
1 16 R-R6 Q-R4
I I 7 R-RI P-KN5
I I 8 P-B4 P x Pch
ng K x P R-R6
1 20 B-B2 Q-N 4ch
Re signs
- after I S! hours of
play ! Winawer moved 43 . . . N-B4 and
1 20 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
won in a few moves. Not until the This was the position on the
official score was examined several board :
days after the game was played, did
anyone notice that the Knight had
moved like a Bishop. Apparently the
position had been noted down in
correctly at adjournment time, and
the Knight had been placed at Q2
instead of K2.
z64
STEINER WINS BY
ACCIDENT
In a game against Colle at Buda
pest in 1 926, A. Steiner accidentally At this point Steiner replaced his
knocked over his King with his King at KN I , and play continued :
lleeve, and replaced it at Knight
quare instead of Rook square, I 4 P-B5 N-Q4
where it belonged . During the game 1 5 Q-N3 P-K3
he played a combination which 16 B x N KP x B
forced a win, but which would have 1 7 B-N5 P-B3
bee n unsound with his King at KRI . I B QR-K i ch B-K2
Unfortunately for Colle, the dis 19 R x P I PxR
crepancy was not discovered until 2o B x P
the game was over. His protest to 2I R x B
the committee was turned down, A powerful position for White.
as the rules did not cover such a But if his King were at RI (where
li.tuation. As a result, he was it belonged) Black would simply
relegated to seventh place in the play 2 1 . . . Q x R and win, as
final standings, instead of third. capturing the Queen allows mate
Here is the game : on the move.
BUDAPEST, I926 2I . . . RxB
A lekhine Defence 22 R x Q BxR
23 N-K4 R-B2
A. Steiner Colle 24 Q-N3ch R-N2
White Black 25 N-B6ch K-R I
I P-K4 N-KB3
2 P-K5 N-Q4 If 25 . . . K-B I 26 Q-Q6ch, K-B2
3 B-B4 N-N3 27 Q-B4, and White wins.
4 B-K2 P-Q3 26 Q-K5 B-R6
5 P-KB4 N-B3 27 N-R5 Resigns
6 N-KB3 PxP
7 PxP N-Q5 265
s N x Nch BENKO
9 BxN Q-Q5ch PICKS UP THE PIECES
ro K-RI Q x KP AND LOSES
I I P-Q4 Q-Q3 An even stranger incident in
1 2 P-B4 Q-Q2 volving pieces off the board was the
13 N-B3 P-QB3 cause of Benko 's debacle in the 2oth
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 121
the move that would have saved game : had Feyerfeil drawn it,
the game for him, but it was too as he should have (with the position
late ! The draw could have been set up properly) he would have won
assured thus : 3 8 . . . B-B4ch 39 the tournament ahead of Emanuel
P x B, Q x Pch 40 K-B 1 , Q-Bsch Lasker. In that event, Lasker would
4I K-N2, Q-Q4ch and White does
, probably have given up chess-as
not dare to play 42 Q B3 as 42
-
, he himself said-and all chess history
. . . R K7ch 43 K-N3, R-K6 1 44
-
would have been different .
Q x R, P-Esch would win the
Queen.
267
266 OLDEST KNOWN
ERRONEOUS PAWN CHESS GAME
POSITION CHANGES The oldest known chess game
CHESS HISTORY (played about 1 485, when the
In a Hauptturnier (a qualifying mediaeval moves of Queen and
tournament for the title of Chess Bishop were changed) is one that
Master) an illegal move by von was contested between Francisco
Feyerfeil against Lipke may have de Castellni and Narcisco Vinoles.
changed chess history ! This is how it went :
This was the position, with White
(von Feyerfeil) to make his 53rd
BARCELONA ( ? ) , 1485
move against Lipke at the qualify
Center Counter
ing tournament at Breslau in 1 88g.
Castellni Vinoles
White Black
I P-K4 P-Q4
z PxP QxP
3 N-QB3 Q-Q I
4 B-B4 N-KB3
5 N-B3 B-Ns
6 P-KR3 BxN
7QxB P-K3
8 QxP QN-Qz
g N-N5 R-Br
1 o N x RP N-N3
II N x R NxN
1 2 P-Q4 N..:.Q3
53 R-KRz 13 B N s ch
-
NxB
Explanation : The position had 1 4 Q x Nch N-Qz
been set up by mistake without a r s P-Q s PxP
Pawn at White's KRz . Neither r6 B-K3 B-Q3
player noticed it, and the game 17 R-Q r Q-B3
went on until Lipke won it at the r8 R x P Q-N3
r z r st move ! (I do not propose to 1 9 B-B4 BxB
give you the 1 2 1 moves. ) zo Q x Nch K-Br
Now for the importance of this 2 1 Q-Q8 mate
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 123
272 275
UNITED STATES PLAYS BLINDFOLD CHESS
CHAMPION AT 1 4 AT EIGHT
Bobby Fischer became Chess Sammy Reshevsky was a chess
Champion of the United States at prodigy in every sense of the word.
the age of I 4 ! He could play simultaneous chess
Bobby won first prize in the with the flair of an accomplished
United States Championship Tour master, solve chess problems with
nament held at New York City in ease, and play a respectable game
I957-8, ahead of former U . S . of blindfold chess.
Champions Reshevsky and Denker, Following is a blindfold game
as well as such well-known mas played by Reshevsky at the age of
ters as Lombardy, Sherwin, and eight ( ! ) , against R. C. Griffith (who
Bisguier. also played blindfold) , co-author
with J . H. White of Modern Chess
273 Openings, the Bible of chess players.
INTERNATIONAL
GRANDMASTER AT x s LONDON, I g2o
Bobby Fischer became an Inter Ruy Lopez
national Grandmaster at the age of
Reshevsky Griffith
15 !
White Black
Bobby was awarded the title
when he finished in a tie for fifth I P-K4 P-K4
place (with Olafsson) at the strong 2 N-KB3 N-QB3
Portoroz Tournament of 1 9 5 8 , 3 B-N5 N-B3
and qualified for the Candidates' 4 0-o NxP
Tournament. 5 P-Q4 B-Kz
6 R-K I N-Q3
He scored I 2 points, It points
7 BxN NP x B
less than first prizewinner and
8 PxP N-N2
future World's Champion Michael
9 N-B3 o-o
Tal, and only t point below future
I o N-Q4 N-B4
World 's Champion Tigran Petro
I I P-B4 N-K3
sian. An impressive achievement for
I 2 B-K3 NxN
a I5-year old !
I3 B x N P-Q4
I4 Q-B3 B-KB4
274
LIFETIME OF CHESS Of course not I4 . . . P-QB4 1 5
WRITING N x P, P x B 1 6 N x Bch, Q x N
Hermann Helms, Dean of Ameri I 7 Q x R, and White wins.
can Chess, conducted the magazine 1 5 P-KN4 ! B x BP
The A merican Chess Bulletin, from 16 QR-B 1 P-QB4
I 904 until I 963 (the year of his
death) , a period of 59 years ! The alternative is 1 6 . . . B-Ks
Mr. Helms also conducted a I 7 N x B, P x N I8 Q x P, and Black
weekly column in the BrookZvn loses another Pawn.
Daily Eagle from 1 893 to I 95 5 (the I7 R X B PxB
year that the Eagle discontinued 18 N x P P-QB4
publication) , a period of 62 years ! 1 9 P-B5 B-N4
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 1 25
277
THE DEFENCELES S KING
TAKES A WALK
The Finnish master Kaarle Oj a
nen once lost a game because he did
not develop a single one of his
pieces-except his unwilling King !
Here is this strange game :
HELSINKI, 1 944
Sicilian Defence
22 P-B6 1 R-KI
Krogius Ojanen
This costs the exchange, but
White Black
choice is limited. If 22 . . . Q-Q2
I P-K4 P-QB4
23 P-KJ4, B x RP 24 N-K7ch,
2 P-Q4 PxP
K-Rr 25 P x Pch, K x P 26 N-B5ch,
3 N-KB3 P-K4
and the Bishop falls, or if (more
4 P-B3 PxP
drastically) 22 . . . Q-Q2 23 P-KR4,
5 QN x P P-Q3
B-K6ch 24 R x B, P x R 25
6 B-QB4 P-KR3
N-K7ch, K-R r 26 P x Pch, K x P
7 B x Pch KxB
27 Q-B6 mate !
8 N x Pch K-K2
23 N-K7ch RxN 9 N-Q5ch K-K3
24 PxR BxP 10 Q-N4ch KxN
25 R-KBr Q-K I 1 1 B-B4ch K-Q 5
26 Q-Q5 B-Q r 12 B-K3ch K-K4
Reshevsky now finishes neatly. 1 3 Q-B4ch K-K3
14 Q-B5 mate
27 R x P ! QxR
2 8 Q x Bch Q-B r
29 Q x Qch KxQ :Z78
30 K-B2 Resigns APPOINTMENT AT
The rest is child 's play-at least SAMARRA
In an I S -move miniature, Huber
for a child like Reshevsky.
brought about one of the neatest
and quickest King wanderings on
:Z76 record !
CHECKMATE ON Huber gave up his Queen to
THOUSANDS OF BOARDS force Black's King to walk down
The 1 7th Chess Olympics were the board, from one end to the
held at La Habana in I 966. other, in seven consecutive moves
On Capablanca Day, November (as fast as the King could make it)
19th, an open-air simultaneous to meet h i s fate at the enemy King's
display was gi ven on 6, 840 boards ! home square !
126 WONDERS A N D CURIOSITIES O F CHESS
If 1 7 K x B, K-Q2 I8 Q-N4ch,
K-Q3, and White cannot prevent
the mate.
17 . . .
279 r 8 K-B6
A STRANGE
PERPETUAL CHECK But not r 8 K-R4, B-B5 fol
The game which follows may be lowed by 19 . . . P-N4 mate.
the most extraordinary drawn game
ever played . r8 . . . B-N2ch
After a King wandering induced Drawn by perpetual check.
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 127
8 ... B-K3
9 Q-K2 Q-Q2
I O N-Q5 BxN
II P x B N-QR4
The obvious move was to capture 1 2 P-Q4 NxB
the Bishop which had taken a piece.
,
1 3 RP x N P-K5
But Averbach thought he would 1 4 N-Q2 o-o
threaten a Queen and Bishop mate. 1 5 P-QB4 KR-K 1
So he played : I6 N x P NxN
I ... B-R6 I7 Q X N B-B3
To his horror, Stah lbe rg did not
1 8 Q-Q3 Q-Ns
19 B-K3 P-N5
guard against mate, but replied :
20 P-B4 P-KR4
2 Q x Pch 2 I P-R3 ! Q-Q2
And A verbach found himself in a 22 P-KB5 Q-K2
Queen and Bishop mate ! 23 QR-K I P-R4
24 K-RI Q- Ks
25 Q-Q I P-B4
26 P x P BxP
:z8I 2 7 R-B4 Q-K2
FIVE QUEENS ON 28 Q x P B-B3
THE BOARD
In a game played between Tres If 28 . P x P, White wins by
. .
a83
FI SCHER WINS
IN A FEW MOMENTS
In contrast to Tartakover's two
hou r e ffort, Bobby Fischer brought
o ff a bril liancy in less than five
minutes against grand master Dely,
who nea rly lost the game on time I
SKOPJ E, I 967
White mated in three mo ves by :
Sicilian Defence
43 Q x Rch QxQ
-44 Q x Qch KxQ Fischer Dely
4 5 Q-K8 mate White Black
I P-K4 P-QB4
2 N-KB3 P-Q3
z8a 3 P-Q4 PxP
TARTAKOVER TAKES TIME 4 NxP N-KB3
IN MINIATURE S N-QB3 N-B3
Tartako ver won a snappy I 3- 6 B-QB4 P-K3
mover from Fuster at Budapest in 7 B-N3 P-QR3
19-48. 8 P-B4 Q-R4
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 1 29
:zSs
ALL THE PAWNS STAY
ON THE BOARD
Flohr and Sultan Khan played a
26-move game in which all I 6 Pawns
remained on the board.
At the finish, all of Flohr's Pawns
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
68 K-N3 K-B3 2o Q x P R BI
-
Of course not I 7 . . . N x R I 8
B-Q6 followed b y 19 Q x N, and
White wins.
I 8 R-R3 P-N3
I9 Q-Q2 P-KR4
20 R-K I KR-Q I
2 I Q-B4 Q-B I
22 N-B3 QR-BI
23 N-R4 BxN
24 R x B N-B7
This is the position :
35 N-B5ch ! , and the Knight
attacks King, Queen, Rook and
Bishop !
zgz
KNIGHT THREATENS
EVERYTHING IN
SIGHT
In I962, Filip brought off a
devastating Knight fork that actu
ally appeared on the board in an
Interzonal game.
The Knight now attacks both
Here is the way it came about : Rooks, threatens to win the Queen
(by 25 . . . N-Q6ch) and helps
STOCKHOLM, I962
threaten a mate on the move! What
Sicilian Defence
a Kni ght fork !
Aaron Filip White of course resigned.
White Black
I P-K4 P-QB4 Z9J
2 N-KB3 P-Q3 YOUNG'S MAGIC
3 P-Q4 PxP CHE SS FORMULA
4NxP N-KB3 Writers of chess books often
5 N-QB3 P-K3 indulge themselves by their efforts
6 B-KN5 B-K2 to make a science of an art. They
7 Q-Q2 P-QR3 try to show how games can be won
8 P-B4 Q-B2 and positions may be analyzed by
9 o-o a series of mathematical symbols
IO B-Q3 P-QN4 (or a reasonable facsimile there
I I P-QR3 QN-Q2 of) .
I 2 KR-KI B-N2 An interesting example of one
I 3 R-K3 N-B4 such explanation is th e following
I4 P-K5 PxP characteristic algebraic demonstra
I5 P x P N x Bch tion by Franklin K. Young of a
I6 Q x N N-N5 position which appears in his book
I7 B x B QxB The Major Tactics of Chess.
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 137
VIENNA, 1916
Slav Defence
Schlechter Kaufmann
White Black
I P-Q4 P-Q4
2 P-QB4 P-K3
3 N-QB3 P-QB3
4 N-B3 N-Q2
5 P-K4 P x KP
With or without the move, the 6 NxP KN-B3
White Queen Bishop Pawn is 7 B-Q3 P-QN3
defended. B o-o B-N2
9 Q-K2 B-K2
Solution :
IO B-B4 NxN
x = Any piece employed in the II B x N N-B3
given evolution. 1 2 B-B2 o-o
y = Piece attacked . 1 3 QR-Q I Q-BI
B + R + Q + R = Attacking pieces. 14 B-N5 R-K1
B + R + R = Supporting pieces. 1 5 N-K5 P-B4
B + R + Q + R>B + R + R = 16 B x N BxB
Construction of the inequality. 1 7 B x Pch ! K-BI
= Number of terms on left side.
3x = Number of terms on right side. If 1 7 . . . K x B 18 Q-R5ch, K-Nr
4X-3X = Excess of left side terms. 19 Q x Pch, K-R2 2o R-Q3, and
(B + R) - (B + R) = Value of like White wins.
terms. 18 B-R4 PxP
Q-R = Value of unlike terms. 19 P-B4 BxB
Thus the given piece is de 2o QxB R-Q I
fended, for, although the number 21 R-Q3 Q-B2
of terms contained in the left side 22 P-KN4 P-N3
of the inequality exceeds by one the 23 P-N5 B-N2
number of terms contained in the 24 KR-QI QR-BI
right side, the third term of the in The plausible 24 . . . Q-B4 allows
equality is an unlike term, of which 25 Q x R, R x Q 26 N-Q7ch, and
the -initial contained in the left side White wins the exchange.
is greater than the initial contained
in the right. 25 R x P Q-B4
26 K-N2 RxR
294
27 R x R BxN
ROOK I S 28 Q x B QxQ
INTERESTED SPECTATOR 29 P x Q K-K2
IN ROOK ENDING
Schlechter won a beautiful Rook This is the position, as Schlechter
ending from Dr. Kaufmann, in proceeds to win a Rook ending in
which Schlech:.er's Rook did not classic style-without making a
make a single move ! single move with his Rook !
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
zg6
TARRASCH HOLDS ON TO
HIS PAWNS
In a game with Gottschall,
Tarrasch kept all his Pawns until
the 96th move !
30 K-B3 R-KRI Four moves after capturing one
31 P-KR4 R-QB I of Tarrasch's Pawns, Gottschall
32 K-K4 R-B4 resigned !
33 P-N4 R-BI
34 K-Q3 R-Bz NUREMBERG, 1896
35 K-B3 R-BI F1ench Defence
36 K-N3 R-Bz
37 K-R4 R-B I Gottschall Tarrasch
White Black
If 37 . . . P-R3 38 K-N3 , R-B3
I P-K4 P-K3
39 P-Bs , P x P 40 R-QB4 followed
2 P-Q4 P-Q4
by 41 R x P wins for White.
3 N-QB3 B-N5
38 K-NS K-KI 4 P-K5 N-Kz
39 K-R6 R-Bz 5 P-B4 P-QB4
4 0 P-R4 K-Kz 6 P-QR3 B x Nch
4I P-R5 PxP 7 PxB P-Bs
42 K x P R-B3
The idea is to cramp White, and
43 P-B5 R-Bz
then put pressure on his weak Pawns.
44 K-R6 K-KI
45 K-N5 R-B I 8 N-B3 Q-R4
46 P-B6 R-Bz 9 Q-Qz N-Qz
47 K-B5 R-RI IO N-R4 N-QN3
48 P-N5 R-Bz I I Q-K3 N-R5
49 P-N6 Resigns Iz B-Qz Q-N4
I3 B-Kz N-KN3
After 49 P x P 50 K x P,
14 N-B3 N-Kz
R-B I 5 1 P-B7 followed by 52
15 N-R4 N-KN3
K-N7 wins.
I6 N-B3 N-Kz
1 7 N-R4 N-KN3
295 18 N-B3 Q-R4
YOUNG'S FORMULA FOR 19 o--o Q-Q I
CHECKMATE zo Q-Bz N-Kz
Franklin K. Young gives us this 2 1 N-R4 N-KN3
formula for achieving checkmate : 22 N-B3 N-Kz
Given a Geometric Symbol Posi 23 N-R4 N-KN3
tive or a combination of Geometric 24 N-B3 B-Qz
Symbols Positive which is coinci- 25 K-RI N-N3
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 139
17 ... B-KR6 !
:199
I8 QXR B-B4Ch
19 K-R 1 B x Pch !
RETI GIVES UP
20 KxB Q-N5ch
FOUR ROOKS IN TWO
21 K-B 1 Q B6ch
SUCCESSIVE GAMES
-
8 P-Qs Px P 2 PxP
9PxP Q-Ks ! 3 N-QB3
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
STRASBOURG, I 88o
King's Gambit
Amateur Goetz
White Black
I P-K4 P-K4
2 P-KB4 PxP
3 P-QN3 Q-R5ch
4 P-N3 PxP
u PxB! Q x Rch 5 P-KR3
12 K-Q2 QxR Loses instantly, but there aren't
13 Q x Pch ! PxQ any good moves.
14 B-R6 mate
5 ... P-N7ch
A man might play a million 6 K_:Kz Q x KPch
games of chess, and never duplicate 7 K-B2 P x R(N)
Canal's feat. mate !
302 304
FORMER WORLD CHAMPION JOURNOD'S MIGHTY
WINS ONE GAME OUT OF I 7 LITTLE PAWN
Smyslov, former Chess Champion Journod brought about a posi
of the World, m anaged to win only tion in one of his games in which a
one single game out of the 1 7 he single, isolated Pawn of his was
played at the tournament held at more than a match for his oppo
Buenqs Aires in 1 970 ! His strange nent's King, Queen, Rook, Knight
score, totalling 9 points, consisted of and Bishop !
one win, 16 drawn games and no This is how it happened :
losses.
En passant, we might mention PARIS, I 86o
Fischer's score in the same tourna Sicilian Defence
ment, which was truly phenomenal.
Bobby racked up 13 wins, allowed Chapelle Journod
three draws and suffered no losses. White Black
He came in first with 15 points, 3t I P-K4 P-QB4
points ahead of Tukmakov, his 2 B-B4 P-K3
nearest rival ! 3 N-K2 P-Q4
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
16 Resigns
The lone, isolated Pawn holds all
White's forces at bay. The only
move to stop it from Queening is
16 Q-K5, when I6 . . . B-Q4 in
reply forces \Vhite to give up his
Queen for the Pawn.
Jo6
JOS ZUKER TORT,
WHITE' S QUEEN IS THE MAN OF MANY
C ORNERED TALENTS
Koch effected a unique finish in The most remarkable man that
one of his games when a couple of
, chess ever produced was Johannes
his bloodthirsty Pawns cornered Z u kertort .
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
success of the sacrifice does not with a draw ! Yet Yates was the
prove it to be a masterpiece. only one to defeat Nimzovich, the
The first question is, whether it is winner of first prize.
sound. That may be answered in Here is the position :
the affirmative, in conferring the
benefit of the doubt. The second
question is whether it is necessary
in order to arrive at the win. And
here the answer is surely a nega
tive one. It is by no means the
best method of winning. Against
3 2 . . . Q-Q3, menacing 33 . . .
I8 N x N PxN
I 9 N-K4 PxP
20 N x Nch
If instead 20 R x P, B-N4 2 1
R x P (or 2 1 N x Nch, B x N , and
65 . . . Q-N8ch Black wins the exchange) B x Bch
66 K-R3 Q(Q8)-B8ch 2 2 R x B, N x N, and Black wins a
Resigns piece.
If 67 Q-N2, Q-RS is mate. 20 . . . BxN
2I B x P B x NP
22 B-Q3 B-B6
3 1 :Z
23 R-R3 B x QP
CAPABLANCA GETS
24 P-Rs B-K3
QUEEN ODDS
2S R-N3 P-N3
Capabl anca once received the
26 P-B4 B-Rs
odds of a Queen !
2 7 R-Nr K-RI
Here is the game of a lifetime :
28 P-Bs BxP
29 B x B PxB
HAVANNA, I 893
Jo B-R6 R-KNI
Petoff Defence
3 I R(Bz)-N2 RxR
(Remove White's Queen) 32 R x R Q-BJ
Iglesias Capablanca
The Queen has done nothing to
White Black this point, but decides now to come
I P-K4 P-K4 into the game and put an end to
2 N-KB3 N-KB3 any possible threats.
J NxP NxP
4 P-Q4 P-Q3 33 B-N7ch QxB
5 N-KB3 B-K2 34 RxQ KxR
6 B-Q3 N-KB3 3S K-B2 K-B3
7 P-B4 o--o 36 K-Q3 K-K4
8 N-B3 N-B3 37 P-R6 P-Bs
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 15I
3 6 K-K4 R-Qsch
8 P-QR4 BxN 37 K-B3 P-Ns
9 QxB P-QR3 38 K-Kz R-Q7ch
Mieses avoids 9 . . N x P 10
. 39 K-Br P-N6
N x N, Q x N II Q x P, Q-Ksch 40 Q-N8ch K-B2
1 2 Q x Q, N x Q, when 1 3 B-Nsch 4I Q-B7ch R-Q2
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS I 53
42 Q x N
43 Q-N3
44 Q-B2 White is not interested in cap
turing the Knight He is interested
.
IO . . . B-K3
II B x B NxB
I 2 N-K4ch K-Q4
I3 P-B4ch KxN
I4 Q x N Q-Q5
154 WOND ERS AND CURIOSITIES O F CHESS
1 5 Q-N4ch K-Q6 Io P x P BP x P
I 7 Q-K2ch K-B7 n N x PI PxN
I 8 P-Q3ch KxB 1 2 Q x Qch KxQ
I9 o-o mate ! I 3 o-o-och I Resigns
Morphy never painted a prettier Black must get out of check, and
picture on a chessboard ! his Rook falls .
319
3 18
FIRST GAME TO BE
CURI OUS CASTLING COUP AWARDED BRILLIANCY
A curious Castling coup is this PRIZE
one, in which there is a simultaneous The first tournament game ever to
attack by King an d Rook l Feuer's be honored with a prize for brilli
Rook checks the King, while his ancy was played at New York in
King at the same time strikes at a 1 8 76, and was won by Bird against
Rook ! Mason.
Here is the little game : Here is the score :
LIEGE, I 934 NEW YORK, I876
Ruy Lopez French Defence
Feuer O 'Kelly Bird Mason
White Black White Black
I P-K4 P-K4 I P-K4 P-K 3
2 N-KB3 N-QB3 2 P-Q4 P-Q4
3 B-N5 P-QR3 3 N-QB3 N-KB3
4 B-R4 P-Q3 4 PxP PxP
5 B x Nch PxB 5 N-B3 B-Q3
6 P-Q4 P-B3 6 B-Q3 o-o
7 N-B3 R-NI 7 o-o P-KR3
8 Q-Q3 N-K2 8 R-K 1 N-B3
9 B-K3 RxP 9 N-QN5 B-QN5
The position seems innocent
10 P-B3 B-R4
enough ; the Rook certainly appears I I N-R3 B-KN5
to be in no danger. I 2 N-B2 Q-Q2
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 1 55
25 Q x P N x Pch 35 . . . N x N 36 R x Rch, Q x R
26 K-R2 N-Bs 37 R x N, (threatens 38 R-B8)
27 Q-B5 N-K3 K-R2 38 R-K6, Q-B2 (but not
38 . . . Q x R 39 N-B8ch) and Black's
If 27 . . . Q x Q 28 N X Q, R-QB2
QRP should win the game for him.
29 N x BP, and White wins a Pawn.
35 . . . Q-Bzch
28 N-N2 Q-Bz
36 N(B6)-K5 QXp
29 P-R5 !
White's game begins to look
Offers a Pawn (which mu st be
t aken) in order to offer a Rook shaky, but he finds resources.
(which must not be taken) . This is 37 R-K3 Q-Q7
the position : The reply to 37 . . . Q x P would
be 38 N-B3, winning for White.
38 K-N2 QxP
This looks attractive, as he re
moves a center Pawn, protects his
QRP, creates another passed Pawn
(his QP) and safeguards his Rook
against attack (if 39 N-B3, Q
N4ch) .
39 P-B6 !
Bird is ingenio u s !
39 . . . PxP
29 . . . B x RP 40 R x BP N-K3
3o R x B ! R-KB1 4I R-KN3 N-N4
If 30 . . . Q x R, then 3 1 N-N6 42 N-N4 K-N2
wins, but not 3 1 N x P (as Fine 43 N-B4
suggests) as that permits Black to Clever footwork by the Knights.
escape by 3 1 . . . Q-Bzch in reply. 43 . . . Q-K 5 ch
3 1 R-R6 ! 44 K-R2 N-R2
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
3:&2
BOTVINNIK PLAYS
LONGEST CHESS
2 3 B-B6 ! 1 COMBINATI ON
After all the fencing on the Queen To Botvinnik goes the honor of
side, there comes an astonishing making the longest combination to
move on the King side ! be seen in master chess play.
Alekhine himself gives this move In the course . of its 22 moves,
two exclamation marks. I can do no Botvinnik sacrifices both Knights
less. and a Rook to start his opponent's
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
MOSCOW, 1 93 5
R6ti Opening
Botvinnik Chekover
White Black
I N-KB3 P-Q4
2 P-B4 P-K3
3 P-QN3 N-KB3 2 2 N-N5 l
4 B-N2 B-K2
5 P-K3 o-o This begins the long, and accu
6 B-K2 P-B3 rately calculated combination.
7 o-o QN-Q2 22 . . . PxN
8 N-B3 P-QR3 23 p X p N ( B I ) -Q2
9 N-Q4 PxP
The other Knight must stay put.
1o P x P N-B4
If 23 . . . N (B3)-R2 24 N x P, N x P
I I P-B4 Q-B2
25 Q-R5, N (N4) -R2 26 P-Q5 , P x P
1 2 N-B3
27 N-R6ch, K-R1 28 Q-B7, N-B3
White's last few moves have been 29 Q-N8ch l, N x Q 30 N-B7 mate.
directed to prevent . . . P-.
24 N x P !
Black's were meant to enforce it.
Very pretty, and must have sur
12 ... R-Q1 prised Chekover. Instead of regain
13 Q-B2 ing his piece, Botvinnik offers up
Black must take care in de his second Knight !
veloping. The natural 1 3 . . . B-Q2 24 . . . KxN
loses a piece after 14 P-Q4. 25 P-N6ch K-N 1
13 . . . N (B4)-Q2 Against the alternative 25
14 P-Q4 K-K I , Botvinnik had prepared
this pretty win : 26 Q x P, N-B1
This ends the argument ; White 27 Q-B7ch, K-Q2 2 8 B-R3 , R-K1
is in full control of K5 . 29 R x N, P x R 30 P-N7, and
14 . . . P-B4 White wins.
15 N-K5 P-QN3 26 Q x Pch K-RI
16 B-Q3 PxP 27 Q-R3ch K-N I
17 P x P B-N2 28 B-B5
1 8 Q-K2 N-B1
19 N-Q I R-R2 Threatens 29 B-B 5 ch, and mate
2o N-B2 Q-N 1 next move.
21 N-R3 P-R3 28 . . . N-BI
Black stops the Knight from If 28 . . . B-N 5 (to give the King
reaching N5--or does he ? more room) 29 B-K6ch, K-B 1
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 159
If 3 2 . . . P x R 33 Q-R7ch fol-
lowed by mate.
33 Q-R7ch
34 R-KI !
35 Q-R8ch !
I ... R x NP I
Brilliant and more forc eful than
2 Nx R P-B6
35 R x B, Q x R 36 P x Q, R-Q8ch
3 RxB
37 K-B2, R-Q7ch, etc.
If 3 N-R4 (or to Q r ) P-B7 wins.
35 . . . K-K2
Or if 3 N-Q3, P-B5ch 4 K-B 1 ,
The King starts out unwillingly P x N 5 K-KI , P-B7 6 K-Qz,
on his last long j ourney. B-K6ch, and Black wins.
36 Q x Pch K-Q3 3
P-B5 !
3 7 Q x Bch K-Qz But not 3 . . . P x R 4 N-Q3
38 Q-Bsch K-B3 followed by 5 N-B 1 , and the Pawns
39 P-Qsch K-B4 are stopped.
40 B-R3ch KxP
4 1 Q-K4ch K-B6 4 R-N4
42 B-N4ch K-N7 Ready to meet 4 . . . P x N with
43 Q-N1 mate 5 R x N P, or 4 . . . P-B7 with 5
Strangely enough, Botvinnik did R x P.
not include this beautiful w in in his 4 ...
boq k One Hundred Selected Games.
But then, which game could he This will dislodge the Rook from
have left out ? its ideal square. Now if 5 R x P,
P x N wins , and on other Rook
moves, the advance by 5 . . . P-B7
3Z3 does the trick.
CLASSIC ENDING
ANTICIPATED 5 Resigns
An amazing coincidence in the But, alas, " There is no new thing
field of endings from actual play under the sun, " says The Good
concerns the classic finale of the Book. An ending almost exactly
game won by Sanz from Ortueta in similar to this one came to light.
I933 It was played at Poznan in 193 1 ,
1 60 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
and was published in " Szachy " in I die in the thick of the battle) , for
1932. he died while playing chess.
It occurred between Tylkowski This was the game he played at
and Wojciechowski, with the latter the time :
playing Black.
HAGUE, 1 933
This was the position, with Black
Sicilian Defence
to move :
POZNAN, 1931 Olland Hamming
White Black
Tylkowski Wojcie I P-K4 P-QB4
chowski 2 N-KB3 N-QB3
White Black 3 P-Q4 PxP
4NxP N-B3
S N-QB3 P-Q3
. 6 B-K2 P-K3
7 0-o B-K2
8 P-QN3 o-o
9 K-RI P-QR3
I O P-B4 Q-B2
I I B-B3 B-Q2
I 2 N (B3)-K2 P-QN4
I3 B-N2 KR-Q I
I 4 N-N3 QR-BI
IS R-BI NxN
I R-Q7 I6 Q x N Q-B4
2 N-R4 RxP I 7 Q-Q3 P-Ns
3 NxR P-B6 I 8 B-Q4 Q-QN4
4 RxB P-Bs ! I 9 Q-K3 P-Q4
This keeps the Knight from 2o B-K2 Q-N2
moving to Q3. 21 B-Q3 PxP
s R-N4 P-QR4 22 B x N BxB
6NxP P-B7 23 N x P B-B6
7NxP P-B8 (Q)ch 24 N-Q6 Q-B2
8 K-R2 2s N x R BxN
Obviously if 8 K-B2, Q-Q7ch At this point the unfortunate Dr.
wins the Rook. Olland suffered a heart attack and
8 ... Q-B4 died almost immediately.
9 R-R4 Q-R4ch
IO K-NI Q-Q8 ch J:Z5
29 . . . P-N5
3o B-QN3 R-Q7
3 1 P-B4
33 R (B 1 ) -K 1 Q-Q7
8 ... QN-Q2
If 3 3 . . . R-K 7 34 K R-Q r , R-Q7 9 N-B3 N-K 1
35 R x Q, for the Rook is defended ro o-o N-K4
on Qr (Srnyslov) . I I N-Q2 P-B3
34 Q R-Qr Q-N7 12 B-K3 R-N r
3 5 R-Q8ch K-R2 13 P-B4 N-KB2
36 B-N8ch K-N3 14 Q-B2 P-N3
3 7 R-Q6ch K-B4 15 KR-N r P-Q R4
38 B-K6ch K-N3 r 6 N-B3 N-B2
39 B-Q5ch K-R2 17 R-K r N-QR3
40 B-K4ch K-N 1 r 8 Q-Q2 N-N5
41 B-N6 Resigns 19 N-R2 NxN
2o R x N B-Q2
326 2 1 P-QN3 Q-B2
BREAKTHROUGH ONLY 22 B-Q3 R (N r ) -K r
BY A SACRIFICE 23 P-B5 N-K4
With nearly all their pieces and 24 N x N QP x N
Pawns still on the board , Bronstein 2 5 P-R 4 K-B2
and Pilnik reached a stage where 26 Q-KB2 R-Q R r
neither side could possibly break 2 7 B-K2 R-KN 1
through, or make any progress 2 8 K-Rr K-B r
withou t a sacrifice of material . 2 9 P-KN4 Q-Q3
Another curious feature of the 3 0 R ( R 2 ) -R r B-K r
critical position was that all eight 31 R-KN1 P-R3
of Bronstein ' s Pawns occupied 32 B-Q3 P-KN4
White squ ares, all of Pilnik's 33 P-R5 l K-B2
Pawns occupied Black squares.
Here is the game, which, inci This is the extraordinary posi
dentally, is one of Bronstein's many tion-where all of Bronstein's Pawns
masterpieces : stand on White squares, all of
Pilnik's on Black squares, and
BELGRADE, 1 954
where neither side can break through
King's Indian
without a sacrifice of some sort !
Bronstein Pilnik
White Black
I P-Q4 N-KB3
2 P-QB4 P-KN3
3 N-QB3 B-N2
4 P-K4 o-o
5 B-K2 P-Q3
6 B-N5 P-B4
7 P-Q5 P-QR3
8 P-QR4
36 P x P Q x NP 68 . . . B-K x
37 Q-QRz 6g R-R3 Resigns
15 . . . 33 . . . P-Ks ch
1 6 P-K3 Capablanca thought more than a
17 K-K2 half hour before making this move.
If 1 7 K-B I , P-Q4 1 8 p X P, Apparently there were no prospects
Q-Ks 19 R-KN1 (i f 19 K-N 1 , in this line : 33 . . N-B6 34 R x P,
.
N x P ! 20 P x N forc ed t o pre
- ,
P-QR4 35 R-K7, P-QN4 36
vent mate-2o . . . Q x Pch 21 R-B7, P-Ns 3 7 R-N7, and Black's
K N 2, Q-K7ch 2 2 K-R3, Q-R4ch,
-
Queen side is impotent.
and a draw by perpetual) N x P 20
34 K-B4 N-Ns
P x N, Q-B6ch 21 K-K1 , Q x KPch,
35 R-QN5
and Black draws .
17 . . . P-Q4 ! Here if 35 R-Q7, N-Q6ch pro
tects the K ing Pawn indirectly, or
Better than 1 7 . . . Q x QNP 1 8
if 35 R-Q2, P-B4 36 R-Q 7ch
R-Q2, Q x P 1 9 Q x BP, Q-R5 ,
38 R-N2
2 1 R-QBI Q-R 4
39 P-R3 N-B3
2 2 P-Q6
4o R-QB2 N-K5
Best, as White is enabled to force
an exchange of Rooks. The agile Knight gets to work on
22 .. . PxP White's King side Pawns.
23 R-B8 P-N3 41 P-N4 K-B 3
24 R x Rch KxR 42 PxP KxP
25 Q-B8ch K K2
- 43 R-B7 N-N4
26 Q-B7ch K-B3 44 R x QRP P-R4
27 Q-B3ch K-K2
Now that his Queen side is no
28 Q-B7ch K-B3
longer a threat, Black plays to
29 Q-Q8ch K-N2
create two connected passed Pawns
3o Q x QP NxP
on the King side.
3 1 Q-Q4 ch P-K4
32 Q-Qs QxQ 45 R-R3 !
33 R x Q A clever defence : if 45 . . N x P
.
4 6 P-K4ch, K-N5 47 R x N, K x R
48 P-K 5 , K-N7 49 P-K6, P-R5
so P-K7, P-R6 5 1 P-K8 (Q) . P-R7
5 2 Q-K4ch, K-N8 53 Q-N4ch,
K-B 7 54 Q-R3, K-N 8 55 Q-N3ch,
K-R8 56 Q-B 2 P-KN4 57 Q B I
, -
mate (Becker) .
45 . . . N-B6ch
46 K-Q3
Capablanca was now very short
of time, but he made his next 1 I
r 68 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
I o N (N3) x P
22 . . . Q-NI
For how Black has to waste time
with this move (to prevent II If 22 . P x N 23 Q x Pch fol
. .
Euwe Keres
White Blaek
I P-Q4 N-KB3
2 P-QB4 P-K3
3 N-KB3 P-QN3
4 P-KN3 B-N2
5 B-N2 B-K2
6
7 N-B3 N-K5
8 Q-B2 NxN
9QxN P-Q3 22 . . . P-Q6 !
1o Q-B2
Sacrifices his beautiful passed
Threatens positionally 1 1 P-K4, Pawn !
and White has a powerful center
and tactically I I N-N5, which 23 R x P Q x RI
wins the exchange by the threat of And now a Queen sacrifice !
mate. Hasn't Keres any respect for a
10 ... P-KB4 former World Champion ?
II N-KI Q-B I 24 Q x Q B-Q5ch
12 P-R4 N-Q2 25 R-B2
13 P-Qs P x KP
14 QxP N-B4 No better is 25 K-R1 , R x B
15 Q-K2 B-KB3 followed by doubling the Rooks,
16 B-R3 R-K1 and then . R-K7. Or if 25 N-K3,
. .
1 9 B K6ch
- K-RI and White's Knight falls.
20 R-QI 27 P-Bs R-K4
If 20 B-QR3, Q-K2 21 P x P, 28 P-B6
B x QP, and Black recovers his p iece White has a littl e trick up his
with a winning position. sleeve : if 28 . . . B x R 29 K x B,
20 . . . QP x B R-K7ch 30 Q x R, R x Qch 3 1
2 1 N-N2 K x R, B x N 32 P-B7, and White
wins.
Or 2 1 P x P, B x QP 22 R x B,
Q-K2. 28 . . . PxP
21 . . . P-Qs 29 R-Q2
22 P-B4 Of course not 2 9 R x P, B x Nch
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 1 73
11 0--Q K-R2
Intending 30 . . . B-R6 3 1 R-Q1 12 P-KN4 P-K4
(to stop mate) R-B4ch, and White 13 Q-N3 PxP
must give up his Queen. 14 NxP N-!<:4
R-K6 ! 15 QR-Q 1 Q-K2
30 N-B 4
16 B-B4 P-KR4
The beginning of a sparkling 17 P-N5 N (B3) -Q2
combination. r8 N-K4 N-N3
31 Q-N 1 R-B6ch 19 Q-N3 N ( K 4) x P
32 K-N2 R x N! 20 P-N3 N-K4
33 PxR R-N 1 ch 21 N x QP !
34 K-B 3 Keres conj ures up a combination,
If 34 K-R1 , B-N2ch is fatal, apparently out of thin air !
while 34 K-B1 costs the Queen 21 ... QxN
after the Rook check at N8. 22 N-B S Q - R6
34 . . . B-N s ch If 22 . . . Q X R 23 R X Q. B X N
Resigns 24 B x N, and Black does not have
enough com pe n sat io n for th e Queen.
For 35 K-N3 loses the Queen
Or if 22 . . . Q-B2 23 N x B,
after 35 . . . B-B4ch, while 35 K-K4
N (N3)-Q2 24 R X N , Q X R 24
succumbs to 35 . . . R-K r ch 36
B x N, a n d White has two pieces
K-Q5 (if 36 K-Q3, B-B4 mate)
for a Rook.
B-B6ch, an d mate next move.
An exquisite game, and one of 23 N x B
the best ever played by Keres (or 24 B-Q6
anyone else for that matter) . 25 B x R
Petrosian, Keres's next opponent This is the position :
in this series, won the title of World's
Champion by beating Botvinnik
in a match in 1963, and kept it until
1 969 when he lost the match
against Spassky.
MOSCOW, 1 949
King's Indian Defence
Keres Petrosian
White Black
I P-Q4 N- K B3
2 N-KB3 P- K N3 26 N-K8 !
3 P-B 4 B-N2
The Knight escapes, and helps
4 N-B3 P-Q3
5 B-B4
bring about a decision.
N-
6 B-N5 P-KR3 26 . . . B-K3
7 B-K 3 P-QB3 27 N-B6ch K-R I
I 74 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
I9 P x P e.p. PxP
3I ... Q x RP 2o P-KN4 N-K2
32 P-B4 B x NP 2 I o-o B-R3
33 R-Q6 R-KNI 22 P-N3 P-Q4 !
34 P-B5 R-N2
Seizes the center and the initia
35 R-QS Q-R4
tive. The position at this point :
36 Q-Q6 P-B3
37 Q-BS P x BP
If 37 . . . B-N I 38 P x BP wins a
piece.
38 Q-RSch K-N3
39 Q-R6ch Resigns
It is mate next move.
Michael Tal, Keres 's opponent in
the next gam e , became World's
Champion in I 96o when he defeated
Botvinnik in a match, but lost the
title in I96I when he was beaten
by Botvinnik in a return match. 23 Q-N5
If i nstead 23 P x P, B x N 24
TALLINN, I954 Q x B, P x P 25 B-Q3, N-B3, and
King's Indian Defence Black has a marked advantage.
Tal Keres 23 ... Q-B2
White Black 24 B-Q3 PxP
I :P-Q4 N-KB3 25 BxP BxB
2 P-QB4 P-KN3 26 PxB R-KBI
3 N-QB3 B-N2 With strong pressure on the KBP.
4 P-K4 P-Q3
5 N-B3 o-o
27 Q x KP R-K3
6 B-K2 P-K4 28 Q-R2 R-K6
7 B-K3 N-B3 29 N-N3 Q x .P(B5)
8 P-Q5 N-K2 30 N-K4 Q-Q5 !
g P-KR3 N-Q2 A strong move against which
I O N-Q2 P-KB4 there seems to be no defence. If for
I I P-B3 PxP example 3I K-N2, R-K7ch 32
I 2 N(Q2) X P N-B2, R x Nch wins a piece, or if
If I 2 P x P, N x P can be played
3I K-R I , R(K6) x P is decisive.
with impunity, as Black's Queen Tal's rep ly lets him get away with
threatens mate. only the loss of a Pawn.
I2 . . . 3 I QR-Q I R-Q6ch
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 1 75
43 K-B3
44 Resigns
If 44 Q-R8ch, K-B 2 45 Q R7ch , -
5 QxB N-B3
6 P-Q3 P-K3
7 P-KN3 B-Ns
8 B-Q2 P-Qs
9 N-N1 Q-N3
10 P-N3 P-QR4
I I P-R3 B-K2
1 2 B-Nz P-Rs
13 P-QN4 QN-Qz
1 4 o-o P-B4
1 5 R-R2
333 339
FIRST LEGAL CHESS FIRST PROBLEM
DOCUMENT COMPOSING TOURNAMENT
The first legal document in The first problem-composing tour
Europe dealing with chess was a nament was held at London in
testament of Armengo of Urgel in 1 854. It was confined to English
Janu ary, I O I O. men, and was won by Walter
Grimshaw.
334
FIRST CHESS BOOK 340
The first book dealing with chess FIRST WOMEN'S CHESS
was published in 1.472, under the TOURN.i\MENT
title Dass Goldin Spil, in the city of The first women's international
Augsburg. chess tournament was held at
London in 1 897, and was won by
335 Miss Mary Rudge of England.
FIRST NEWSPAPER
CHESS COLUMN 34 1
The first newspaper column on
OLDEST EXISTING
chess appeared in the Liverpool
CHESS COLUMN
Mercury, July 9, I B I J .
The oldest chess column still being
336 published is the one in the Illustrated
London News, which dates from June
FIRST MATCH BY
25, 1 842.
CORRESPONDENCE
The first match to be played by
correspondence was begun in April , 3.P
1824 between the London and Edin TAL'S IMPRISONED
burgh Ches s Clubs. The match BISHOP
lasted two years, and was won by the In a game between Fischer and
Scotsmen . They scored two wins, Tal, the latter's Queen Bishop was
lost one, and drew two games. imprisoned by two Pawns for 29
moves !
337 In fact, when Tal had only two
Pawns left on the board, those were
FIRST CHESS MAGAZINE
The first chess magazine ap the Pawns that kept his Bishop
peared in Paris in 1 836. It was from coming into pl ay !
called La Palamede, and its editors Here is the game :
were La Bourdonnais and Mery.
BLED, 1 961
Sicilian Defence
3 38
FIRST MATCH BY Fischer Tal
TELEGRAPH White Black
The first match by te legraph I P-K4 P-QB4
was played in 1 844, the year in 2 N-KB3 N-QB3
which the telegraph was invented . 3 P-Q4 PxP
The players represented the cities of 4 NxP P-K3
Baltimore and Washington, D . C . 5 N-QB3 Q-B2
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 1 79
6 P-KN3 21 B x P
7 N(Q4)-N5 2 2 B-Q3
8 B-KB4 Offers a Pawn to give his Rook
9 B-K2 l (and eventually his Bishop) some
Io B x NI freedom. Anything else is hopeless.
Very good , as it enables the
23 P x P! RxQ
Pawns to advance and rip up
24 PxR Q-B4
Black's King side.
25 BxP Q-KN4
IO QxB 26 BxR Q x BP
I I P-B4 Q-N I 27 KR-B r QxP
I 2 P-K5 P-QR3 28 B x Pch K-Q I
Practically forced, as I 2 . . . N-NI 29 B-K6 Q-R3
I3 N-K4, B-K2 1 4 Q-Q2, followed The position at this p oint is
either by I5 o-o-o or I 5 N (N5) fantastic, and one that Steinitz
Q6ch is not appetizing. would have relished. Tal has only
I3 PxN PxN two Pawns on the board, but they
I4 PxP R-NI imprison his unfortunate Bishop !
I5 N-K4 B-K2 This is the scene :
I6 Q-Q4 R-R5
I7 N-B6ch BxN
Of course not I 7 . . . K-Q I I 8
Q-N6ch, Q-B2 I 9 Q x Qch, and
Black loses a Rook-as a start.
I8 Q x B
White now threatens to bring
about disaster by I9 B-R5 or I 9
B-Q3 .
I8 . . . Q-B2 l
Black is prepared to meet 1 9 3o B x P BxB
B-R5 with 1 9 . . . P-Q4. while the
The Bishop emerges but only for
alternative attack 19 B-Q3 lets
a moment, as his career is short
him escape by 19 . . . Q-B4 20
lived.
B x RP. Q-K6ch 2 1 K-B r , Q-B6ch
22 K-N 1 , Q-K6ch 23 K-N2, 31 R-B7 QxP
Q-K7ch 24 K-R3, R x NP I 25 32 R(Q 1 ) X Bch K-K 1
Q x R, Q-R4ch, and Black draws 33 R(Q7) -K7ch K-Q 1
by perpetual check. 34 R-Q7ch K-B r
35 R-B7ch K-Q 1
19 o-o-o R x RP
36 R (KB7)-Q7ch
20 K-N 1 R-R3
To guard the square K3, rather White is gaining time on his
clock.
than the Knight Pawn . If in
stead 20 . R-R4 2 1 B-R5 , P-Q4
. . 36 . . .
22 R x P !, P x R 23 R-K r ch is 3 7 R-Q r
disastrous . 38 R-QN7
I SO WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
61 . . . B-N4
62 R-R5 B-B8
63 R-R8
Threatens 64 N-K8ch, K-R2
65 N-B6ch, K-Nz 66 P-N5 , and
mate at N8.
63 . . . P-N4
64 BP x P PxP
65 P x P B-N7
66 R-K8 R-QB2
67 R-Q8 N-B3
68 N-K8ch K-B I
6g N x R NxR
Of cou rse not 40 N x N as 70 K-B3 B-N2
4 I R x B ch followed by 42 K x N 71 K-Q4 B-B 1
is fatal fo r Black. 72 P-N6 N-N2
73 N-K8 N-Q I
41 N-K4 74 P-QN5 K-N I
42 N(K4) -Q6 75 P-N5 K-BI
43 N-N7 76 P-N7ch K-N I
44 N (N7) x P 77 P-KN6 Resigns
24 . . . Q x Pch thee.
26 . . . Q Q5 ch
-
34 B-N4 P-R3
35 B-QI N-QB4
Striving to better, oft we mar
36 R-Q2 R-B t ch
what's well.
37 I<:-N4
346
UNDEVELOPED PIECES
WIN GAME
Bronstein won a beautiful game
from Botvinnik, despite the fact
that after 22 moves the pieces he
had left were still on their original At first glance, Botvinnik has a
squares ! winning game. He is ahead in
Here is the score of the game : material, with Rook and two Pawns
for two minor pieces. He has the
MOSCOW, 1 944 advantage in position, with his
Ruy Lopez Rooks controlling the open files,
while Bronstein's pieces are still at
Bronstein Botvinnik
home.
White Black
The game continued :
I P-K4 P-K4
2 N-KB3 N-QB3 23 P x P PxP
3 B-Ns P-QR3 24 B-Q2 R-Q6
4 B-R4 N-B3 25 R-R5 R-QN6
s B-K2 26 B-B 1
6 R-K1 P-QN4 But not the natural 26 B B3 - ,
40 K-K4 34 7
41 K-Q4 TWENTY - ONE MOVES
42 P-R6 WITH PIECES,
43 K-B4 TEN WITH PAWNS
44 K-Bs ! From the eighth move on, in his
game against Cohn at St. Petersburg
The plausible 44 N-N3 is danger
in 1 909, Rubinstein never touched
ous, if not fatal. The continuation
his Pawns, but made 2I moves in
could be 44 . . . R-B3ch 45 K x NP
succession with his pieces . Then he
(if 45 N-Bs, P-N6, or if 45 K x QP,
made 10 Pawn moves in a row, and
R-B6ch wins) R-B7 46 N-Q2,
his opponent resigned !
K-N3 47 N-B4, R-B7, and the
Had the game continued, Rubin
Bishop is threatened with capture.
stein would have made five more
44 . . . R-N2 Pawn moves to force mate-with a
45 N-N3 K-N3 Pawn.
46 K-B4 R-N3 Here is this unique game, one of
47 N-Bs ! K-R2 Rubinstein's many masterpieces in
48 K-N3 P-Q7 this tournament :
49 B x P R-Q3
so B-B4 R-Q8 ST. PETERSBURG, 1 909
5 1 N-K4 ! Queen's Pawn Game
64 N-B8 Resigns
19 K-K I BxN
If 64 . . . R-Q 1 65 B-Q6 !, and the 2o PxB N-Q3
Rook Pawn goes on to become a 2I B-K2 R-QB I
Queen. 22 K-Q2 N-Bsch
r86 WONDERS A N D CURIOSITIES O F CHESS
ZAGREB, 1970
Ruy Lopez
34 . . . P-N5
35 P-K4 Fischer Matulovic
Or 35 P x P, RP x P 36 K-Nr , White Black
P-Bs 37 P x P, P x P 38 K-Rr, I P-R4 P K4
-
349
KERES'S RARE
BRILLIANCY APPEARS ON
TWO OTHER BOARDS At this point we might expect the
Keres's comment in summing up plausible 1 3 B-B4, when this might
one of his most brilliant games, follow : 13 . . . N-K4 14 CHX:h,
was " This e xc eptionally exciting K-N2 15 B-KN3, QN-B3 !, and
game, full of sacrifices, is of a type Black maintains a Knight at his K4
rarely seen in contests between outpost.
grandmasters . ' ' Obviously, White mu st try to
D espite this assertion, at the very prevent the key move to the defence,
188 WONDERS A N D CURIOSITIES O F CHESS
N-K4 22 . . . RxP
q o-o
If 14 . Q-N I 15 P-N6 1 , B X B
. .
If 22 . . . P x N 23 Q x Pch, K-K1
16 Q x B (stronger than 1 6 R-B7ch) , 24 Q-N6, P x P (or 24 . . . K-Q2
Q-Q1 1 7 R-B7ch, K x P 1 8 R-K7 !, 25 P x P, and Black must lose a
and Black has no defence (Keres) . piece) 25 R-N7ch, K-Q2 26 Q
Q6ch, K-K 1 27 R-N8ch, and mate
follows next move.
If 1 5 . . . QN-B3 (or to Q2) 1 6 23 P-R4 Q-R1
B (N5) x B, P x B 1 7 B x Nch, P x B 24 N x B NxN
1 8 Q-B7 m ate, or if 1 5 . . . Q-N 1 25 Q-N5 Resigns
16 B x Nch, P x B 1 7 B-KS ! , Q x B
If 25 . . . Q-Q 1 , there follows 26
1 8 P x Pch, and Black must give up
Q x Pch, K-B2 27 Q-B5ch, K-NI
his Queen or be mated.
28 B x Pch, K-R1 29 B x N, and
1 6 P x Pch RxP White wins.
1 7 R B7ch !
- KxR
18 Q x R PxB 35 0
Keres shows this pretty win after CHERNEY EXPERIENCES
18 . . . Q-R1 : 19 R-B1ch, B-B3 PSYCHIC PHENOMENON
20 B-K8ch I, K x B (if 20 . . . Q x B One of the strangest coincidences
21 Q-R7ch) 2 1 Q x Nch, K-K2 in chess, appropriately enough,
22 R x B ! , and the rec apture by happened to me recently. I was
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS I 89
B-K2
12 R x N, P x R 1 3 N-K5 ? "
9 N-Q 5 N-Q B3
" How did you know the next
IO B-N 5 P-KB3
moves ? " he said.
I I R-Q B I P-QN4
" J ust a wild guess," I answered.
12 R x N PxR
" Now let me read the rest of the
moves to you . " The position at this point :
And I continued to call out the
moves until White announced mate.
My friend was amazed at the coin
cidence-that I had been looking at
the very game that he had tele
phoned to tell me about.
This would have been extraor
dinary enough, but there's more to
the story than that !
" What do you think of the
game ? " he asked . " Wasn't it
played beautifully by Atkins ? "
" By Atkins ? " I asked.
" Yes, the game is Atkins 1 3 N-K5 ! PxB
Jacobs, London, 1 9 I 5 , and it appears 1 4 Q-R5ch P-N3
on page 85 of Du Mont's a o o 15 N-B6ch BxN
Miniature Ga.mes of Chess. " I6 N x NPch Q-K2
" Very interesting, " I answered, There is no relief in 16 . K-B2,
. .
35 Z
WORLD CHAMPION FAILS
TO MAKE TEAM
Botvinnik failed to make the
team which represented the U.S.S.R.
for the 1 oth Olympiad held at
Helsinki in 1952 .
35 1
A ballot o f the team members
BOGO'S CONCENTRATION
was held in which on l y one vote was
LEADS TO ABERRATION
cast in favor of the World Cham
Bogolyubov, playing Black in his
pion. His failure to qualify was
game against Laj os Steiner at
owing to his mediocre results in the
Berlin in 1 928, took two hours
previous Soviet Championship.
deciding on his 24th move, only to
blunder and lose a piece instantly.
This was the position, with Black 35 3
to move : SACRIFICE OF
THREE PIECE S ON
ONE SQUARE
Dubinin sacrifice d three pieces
on one squ are- KN7 .
Here is how he did it :
ROSTOV-ON-DON, 1 936
French Defence
Dubinin Petrov
White Black
I P-K4 P-K3
2 P-Q4 P-Q4
Steiner had j ust played 24 3 N-QB3 PxP
P-QR4, attacki ng the Q u een . Bogo 4NxP N-Q2
saw that 24 . . . R x Q 25 P x Q left 5 N-KB3 KN-B3
two of his piec es en prise. He feared 6 N-N3 P-B4
the complications arising from 24 7 P x..P BxP
. . . Q x NP 2 5 Q x Pch, N-K3 26 8 B-Q3 Q-N3
N-K3, so he thought for two hours 9
and then moved 24 . . . Q-B5. Play 10 Q-K2 R-KI
continued : I I P-B3 N-B I
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 191
22 . . . KxR 355
2 3 B-R6ch K-R1 COMPUTERS
24 R-Q1 N-B3 .AltE ONLY HUMAN
Compu ters may never h ave the
If 24 . . . B-Q 2 25 N x Pch, R x N
26 Q x R wins. i magin ation to play chess artisti
cally, to compose a beautiful p iece
This is the position, with White of mu sic , or to write a poem that
to move : touches the heart, but they are
beginning to acquire some hu man
characteristics .
In a game played between two
computers at Boston in 1972, one
of the computers lost on time !
Herewith the score of the game :
BOSTON, 1972
Ruy Lopez
Chess 3 . 6 Tech
White Black
25 B-N7ch ! x P-K4 P-
2 N-KB3 N-QB3
The third, and this time fatal
3 B-N5 N-B3
sacrifice on the same square. 4 o-o B-B4
25 . . . KxB 5 N-B3 P-Q3
26 Q-Ns ch K-R1 6 B x Nch PxB
192 WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS
7P-Q4 PxP 35 6
SNxP o-o
SEVEN QUEENS ON
9B-N5 B-KN5 THE BOARD
10Q-Q3 BxN I thought the limit on Queen
II Q x B R-N 1 promotions in actual play had been
12 B x N QxB reached with the quintet of Queens
13 Q x Q Px Q that appeared on the board in the
1 4 P-QN3 R-N5 Tresling-Benima game (see Curious
1 5 P-KR3 B-K3 fact #28 1 ) , and in the game
16 P-N4 R-Q5 Alekhine-Gregoriev, quoted by Al
1 7 QR-QI RxR ekhine in his book My Best Games
xS N x R K-N2 of Chess 1 9o8-1923 (on the authen
19 N-K3 K-N3 ticity of which, though, some doubt
2o P-KB4 K-N2 has been cast) .
2 1 K-N2 R-QN1 Recently, however, Donald A.
22 K-B3 R-N4 Keast wrote me from Australia,
23 P-B4 R-QR4 enclosing the score of a game
24 P-KB5 B-Q2 played there, which features a
25 R-B2 R-K4 truly amazing finish. After White's
26 R-Q2 P-QR3 30th move, no less than seven
27 P-KR4 P-B4 (count them, seven) Queens appear
28 N-Q5 B-B3 on the board at one and the same
29 N x QBP B x Pch time !
30 K-B4 P-KR4 Here is how it happened :
31 P x P P-R4
32 R x P BxP AUSTRALIA, ca. 1965
33 P-R6ch K-N3 Sicilian Defence
34 P-R5ch K x P(R4)
35 R x P R-K7 Sumpter King
36 K x B R-B7ch White Black
37 K-K5 R-R7 I P-K4 P-QB4
38 N-Q5 K-N4 2 N-KB3 N-QB3
39 N-B3 R-R5 3 P-Q4 PxP
4o R x P KxP 4NxP P-K3
4 1 N-K4 R-R4ch 5 N-QB3 Q-B2
42 K-Q6 K-N3 6 B-K2 P-QR3
43 R-QR7 P-R5 7 o-o P-QN4
44 R x P K-B2 8 K-R1 N-B3
45 R-R7ch K-N3 9 P-B4 P-N5
46 P-R4 R-B4 10 P-K5 PxN
47 P-R5 R-B6 II P x N P x NP
48 R-QN7 K-B4 12PxP P x R(Q)
49 N x P R-B6 1 3 P x R(Q)
50 P-R6 R-R6
5 1 P-R7 White threatens 14 N x P, Q x Q
1 5 N x Qch followed by 1 6 N x R.
Black (Computer Tech) lost the
game at this point by exceeding 13 . . . Q x RP
the time limit. 14 Q x P P-!4
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 193
1 5 P-!4 P-R5 35 7
1 6 P-Rs P-R6 SUICIDE ON THE
1 7 P-R6 Q-N8 CHESSBOARD
1 8 Q-N8 P-R7 Good players usually resign in a
19 P-R7 P-R8 (Q) lost position ; . others keep on
20 P-R8 (Q) Q-Ns struggling until they are mated.
21 B-K3 NxN One player put an end to his
22 B x N Q (R8)-R6 difficulties in a unique way
2 3 B-R5 he committed chessic s uicide I
Threatens 24 Q x Pch and mate He helped construct a sell-mate
next. position.
23 . . . This was the way the board
24 P-Bs looked toward the end of a game
25 P x P o-o-o between Bialas and Hecht, at
26 R x P Q (B2)-!4 Pyrmont in 1963 :
27 P-B3 Q-Q3
28 B-N4 R-K I
29 P-K7 dis .ch K-NI
30 P x B (Q)
This is the position, with seven( !)
Queens on the board :
Capablanca falls deliberately into trap, Dake defeats author of Die Engliscke
3 29 Pa,tie, 3 1
Capablanca gets Queen odds, 3 1 2 Dake loses in seconds, 1 5 8
Capablanca loses i n I 3 moves, I S O Dake mated i n nine moves, 1 45
Capablanca loses o n time limit, 1 2 8 Dake mated in 10 moves, 1 46
Capablanca's lost games make slim Damiano offers some advice, 2 1 6
book, us Death a t the chessboard, 3 2 4
Capablanca never checkmated, 193 Dice govern chess moves, 204
Capablanca ' s only loss in I o years, I 6g Disaster strikes Lasker and Capa
Capablanca's simultaneous feat, IS blanca in same way, 72
Capablanca takes two minutes, 49 Disastrous year for board champions,
Capablanca utilizes Knight wheel, 344 18
Capped Knight achieves mate, 62 Drawing master, 17
Carlsbad 's curious incidents, 309 Drawn game extraordinary, 2 79
Caxton's chess book sold at auction, Dubinin sacrifices three times on one
3 70 square, 3 5 3
Charousek copiesHandbuck, I9o
Charousek's gambit play, 30 Endgame classic anticipated, 323
Checker Champion in 1 8 5 I , 1 6 Ending b y Grigoriev, 1 3 3
Checker master's feat, 1 80 Ending by Rinck, 133
Chess and Checkers sister games ? , I 73 Ending b y Sanz, 3 2 3
Chess and insanity, 75 Ending by Wojciechowski, 323
Chess as antidote to ills, 343 En passant capture checkmates, 3 1 6
Chess Champion in I 8 5 1 , 1 6 Epaulet mate a t long distance, 2 3 5
Chess in a dream, 300 Exception wins tournament, 8 4
Chess is world's most popular game,
194 Fanatical devotee, 7 9
Chess is young man's game, uS Feyerfeil forgets a Pawn, z66
Chess movies, first, g8 Fine as Giant-killer, 1 92
Chess once banned in Russia, 2 4 1 Fine's blindfold feat, 1 3 1
Chess-playing village, 1 2 0 Fine's fine scores, 93
Chess taught i n public schools, 7 Fine loses in seven moves, 1 48
Clean sweeps by Lasker, Capablanca, First book dealing with chess, 334
Fischer, 9 1 First brilliancy prize game, 319
Club, Vera Menchik, 1 2 First chess magazine, 3 3 7
Cohn's error leads t o brilliancy, 253 First chess match b y telegraph, 3 3 8
Coincidence in games, strange, 350 First chess match b y correspondence,
Coincidence in problems, 1 40 336
Coincidence of combinations, 242 First chess movies, 98
College has masters on team, 221 First chess problem, 3 3 2
Combination i n the notes wins prize, First historical document connected
226 with chess, 3 3 1
Computer loses on time limit, 355 First International Chess Tournament,
Computer plays in tournament, 313 so
Computers play match, 3 1 4 First legal document dealing with chess,
Congdon escapes b y stalemate, 5 2 333
Consulting masters lose quickly, II7 First newspaper column on chess, 3 3 5
Correspondence game, lengthy, 284 First problem-composing tournament,
Correspondence quickie, 42 339
Critic displeased with Alekhine ' s style, First time limit game, 287
107 First Women's International Tourna
Curious Castling coup, 318 ment, 340
Curious conditions for correspondence Fischer is Champion of U.S. at 14, 272
play, 96 Fischer is Grandmaster at 15, 273
WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF CHESS 1 97
White and Black play perfect game, Yates lets Marshall escape, 309
208 Year of I 894 disastrous for board
Winawer moves Knight like Bishop, 263 champions, 1 8
Women players in Russian Champion Year o f 1 9 3 2 fatally dangerous, 1 66
ship, 5 7 Young's equations for Pawn safety,
World Champion Botvinnik can't 293
make team, 3 5 2 Young's formula for achieving check
World Champions o n Olympic team, mate, 295
258
World's Checker Champion in 1 85 1 , 16 Zukertort and Rosenthal match agree
World's Chess and Whist Champion, 64 ment, 195
World's Chess Champion in 1 85 1 , 16 Zukertort and Steinitz respond to
World's Chess Championship, record for toast, 1 72
21 Zukertort's big tournament lead, 1 84
Zukertort's remarka:ble career, 306
Yates beats detractor, 198 Zukertort-was he ever Zukertort ? ,
Yates book offers baker's dozen, 156 121
PLAYERS INDEX
66 15
Alekhine-Sterk, Budapest ( 1 9 2 1 ) , 321 Capablanca-Treybal, Carlsbad (1929),
Amateur-Bruening, 27 257
Amateur-Goetz, Strasbourg ( 1 88o) , Capablanca-Yates, New York ( 1924) ,
303 344
Amateur-Koch, Munich (193 1 ) , 305 Castellni-Vinoles, Barcelona (1485),
Atkins-Saunders, Stratford-on-Avon 267
( 1 925) . 3 4 5 Chajes--Capablanca, New York ( 1 9 1 6) ,
1 69
Ballard-Fagan, London ( 1 872) , 92 Chajes--Grunfeld, Carlsbad ( 1 923) , 261
Banks--Kashdan, Chicago ( 1 926) , r 8o Chapelle-Joumoud, Paris ( 1 86o) , 304
Barnes-Amateur, New York ( 1 877), 54 Charousek-Lasker, Nuremberg ( 1 896) ,
Bird-Mason, New York ( 1 876), 3 1 9 30
Bird & Dobell-Gunsberg & Locock, Chess 3 . 6--Tech, Boston ( 1 972) , 3 5 5
Hastings ( 1 897) , 1 1 7 Cohn-Tchigorin, Carlsbad ( 1 907) , 253
Bogolyubov-Alekhine, Hastings ( 1922) , Cohn-Rubinstein, St. Petersburg
255 ( 1 909) 347
.