Cafferty B. Taimanov M. - The Soviet Championships - Cadogan 1998

CADOGAN CHESS BOOKS

The Soviet Championships

CADOGAN CHESS SERIES ChiefAdvisor: Garry Kasparov Editor: Murray Chandler Russian Series Editor: Ken Neat Other chess titles from Cadogan include:

The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal

Fire on Board: Shirov's Best Games

Mikhail Tal

Alexei Shirov

Improve Your Chess Now

Ivan Sokolov's Best Games

Jonathan Tisdall

Ivan Sokolov

Winning in the Opening

The Final Countdown

John Walker

Hajenius & Van Riemsdijk

The Art of Chess Analysis

Vasily Smyslov: Endgame Virtuoso

Jan Timman

Vasily Smyslov

Basic Chess Openings

Practical Opening Tips

Gabor Kallai

Edmar Mednis

More Basic Chess Openings

Play the Evans Gambit

Gabor Kallai

Tim Harding and Bernard Cafferty

Taimanov's Best Games

An Opening Repertoire for the

Mark Taimanov

Attacking Player Eduard Gufeld and Nikolai Kalinichenko

The Genius of Paul Morphy Chris Ward

Queen's Indian Defence Bogdan Lalic

For a complete catalogue of CADOGAN CHESS books (which includes the Pergamon Chess and Maxwell Macmillan Chess lists) please write to: Cadogan Books pic, 27-29 Berwick St, London, WIV 3RF Tel: (0171) 287 6555 Fax: (0171) 734 1733

The Soviet Championships by Bernard Cafferty and Mark Taimanov

CADOGAN che.\'s LONDON, NEW YORK

First published 1998 by Cadogan Books pic, 27-29 Berwick St, London W1V 3RF. Distributed in North America by The Globe Pequot Press, 6 Business Park Rd, P.O. Box 833, Old Saybrook, Connecticut 06475-0833, USA All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

© Bernard Cafferty and Mark Taimanov Photographs © British Chess Magazine Ltd British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 1 85744 201 6

Editing: Ken Neat and Graham Burgess. Typesetting: Ken Neat. Cover Design: Berfort Reproductions. Printed and Bound by BPC Information Ltd

Contents Introduction Foreword by Mark Taimanov, author of the game notes

7 11

Part 1: Pre-Botvinnik- the Old Guard Stands Firm 1st Championship, Moscow 1920

12

2nd Championship, Petrograd 1923

16

3rd Championship, Moscow 1924

19

4th Championship, Leningrad 1925

22

5th Championship, Moscow 1927

25

6th Championship, Odessa 1929

28

Part 2: Botvinnik's Domination 1931-9 7th Championship, Moscow 1931

31


34

9th Championship, Leningrad 1934/5

38

lOth Championship, Tbilisi 1937

41


44

Part 3: Botvinnik's Domination Challenged 12th Championship, Moscow 1940

48


52


56


59


62


67


71


74


78

21st Championship, Kiev 1954

81

22nd Championship, Moscow 1955

84

Part 4: the Younger Tal et aL 23rd Championship, Leningrad 1956

88


92

25th Championship, Riga 1958

96

26th Championship, Tbilisi 1959

99


103


107

6


29th Championship, Baku 1961

112

30th Championship, Erevan 1962

116

31st Championship, Leningrad 1963

120

32nd Championship, Kiev 1964/5

124

33rd Championship, Tallinn 1965

128

34th Championship, Tbilisi 1966/7

132

35th Championship, Kharkov 1967

137

36th Championship, Alma-Ata 1968/9

141

Part 5: the Older Tal and... Fischer 37th Championship, Moscow 1969

144


150


154

40th Championship, Baku 1972

157

Part 6: Tensions and Final Decline 41st Championship, Moscow 1973

160

42nd Championship, Leningrad 1974

164

43rd Championship, Erevan 1975

167


171


176

46th Championship, Tbilisi 1978

179

47th Championship, Minsk 1979

183

48th Championship, Vilnius 1980/1

186

49th Championship, Frunze 1981

189


192

51st Championship, Lvov 1984

196

52nd Championship, Riga 1985

199

53rd Championship, Kiev 1986

202


205


209


214


217


220

Index of Openings

223

Index of Games

224

INTRODUCTION HE SOVIET CHAMPIONSHIPS form the strongest series of national championships ever

Tseen, especially after the emergence of Botvinnik in 1 930 as a top player, and the expansion of

Soviet territory of 1939-45, which brought in the likes of Keres of Estonia, as well as Petrov and Koblencs of Latvia. The later participation of the Latvian genius Tal and the wily Armenian Petrosian shows that the non-Russian element, starting with Flohr (Czech) and Lilienthal (Hungarian), was always prominent after the 1 930s. The immense prestige of these contests was very high after 1 945 when the Soviets, often described as the 'Russians', carried all before them in international contests. In this respect, it is useful to recall the story of the young Fischer exulting after he had beaten Tal and Geller in the early rounds of Bled 1 96 1 . He pointed out that he had beaten two ' Russians' and intended to do the same to the other two in the tournament, Keres and Petrosian. Keres heard of this and made the mild rejoinder that there wasn't an ethnic Russian in the tournament. Fischer had beaten a Latvian and a Ukrainian and still had to play an Estonian and an Armenian. It would be correct, of course, to describe all four as ' Soviet'. However, such fme ethnic distinctions were lost on many Westerners until after 1 99 1 , when the various former republics of the former USSR were represented separately at the biennial Chess Olympiad. In 1992, 1 994 and 1 996 the chess strength of these smaller countries became all too clear to their Western opponents. The special feature of the long series of Soviet Championships, nearly all round-robin tournaments, is that government subsidy was available throughout. Also, chess fans would follow the events day by day as if it were football in Britain - the results would be given in the sports news on the radio on the evening of a round and in the papers, especially Sovietsky Sport, next day. This meant that enthusiasts could draw up their own current tables of the event, updating them day by day and anticipating well in advance the key contests. This was a pleasure in which I indulged for decades, starting around 1 960, when I (B.C.) first started listening to Radio Moscow Russian language services on short-wave radio in order to improve my spoken Russian. The era of Gorbachov's reforms tended to undermine these facilities, as chess was downgraded. The 58 contests over seven decades are summarized in the table on the next page, prepared by Ken Whyld and taken from the British Chess Magazine, 1 996, page 3 1 3 . The 58 championships may b e split into several eras. The first, the 1 920s, was the period when the players of the pre-Revolutionary Russian school made all the running, and two great names, Alekhine and Bogoljubow, enhanced the status of the events. Both were soon to be lost to the Soviets and to be denounced as renegades. The harsh reality of ruling a vast chaotic country of over a hundred ethnic groups and languages greatly modified the original high motivation of the Bolsheviks, quite apart from the growth of bureaucracy which Lenin complained about in his declining years. High ideals came up against pragmatism and soon led to the use of terror and, later, to Stalinist denunciations. The success of Soviet youth led to a sea-change in the attitude of Krylenko and other influential figures. Previously, the aim was to 'bring chess to the masses' as a cultural recreation after long hours of work. This trend was most vividly seen in 1929 when, as noted later, the aspiration was to have no money prizes at all. 1 929 was also the year in which the USSR left the international workers' chess organization 'The Workers Chess International' over ideological differences. The WCE had been formed in Hamburg in 1923 but only lasted until 193 1 . By the 1 930s, the aspiration in Russia was to take on the West. By 1 93 1 , the second era, that of Botvinnik, had begun. The 'Patriarch of Soviet Chess' played his last Soviet Championship in 1955, which coincides neatly with the start of the period of Tal et a/. Tal actually made his debut in 1 956.

8


I

1920

2

1923

Moscow

Alekhine

Petrograd

Romanovsky

3

1924

Bogoljubow

1925

Aug-Sep Aug-Sep

Moscow

4

Leningrad

Bogoljubow

5

1927

Sep

Moscow

Bogatyrchuk/Romanovsky

6

1929

Oct

Odessa

Verlinskv

7

1931

Oct-Nov

Moscow

Botvinnik

8

1933

Aug-Sep

Leningrad

Botvinnik

1934/5

Dec-Jan Apr-May

1939

Apr-May

Leningrad Tbilisi Leninlmld

Levenfish/I.Rabinovich

1937

9 10

II

Levenfish Botvinnik

12

1940

SeP-Oct

Moscow

Bondarevslcy/Lilienthal

13 14

1944 1945

Mav-Jun Jun-Jul

Moscow Moscow

Botvinnik Botvinnik

15

1947 1948

Feb-Mar Nov-Dec

Leningrad

Keres

16

Moscow

Bronstein!Kotov

17

1949

Oct-Nov

Moscow

Bronstein/Smyslov

18

1950

Nov-Dec

Moscow

Keres

19 20

1951

Nov-Dec

Moscow

Keres

1952

Nov-Dec

Moscow

Botvinnik*ffaimanov

21

1954

Jan-Feb

Kiev

Averbakh

22 23

1955 1956

Feb-Mar Jan-Feb

Moscow Leningrad

Geller*/Smvslov Taimanov*/Averbakh/Spasskv

24

1957

Jan-Feb

Moscow

Tal

25

1958

Jan-Feb

Riga

Tal

26

1959

Jan-Feb

Tbilisi

Petrosian

27

1960

Jan-Feb

Leningrad

Korchnoi Petros ian

28

1961

Jan-Feb

Moscow

29

1961

Nov-Dec

Baku

Spassky

30

1962

Nov-Dec

Erevan

Korchnoi

31

1963

Nov-Dec

Leningrad

Stein*/Kholmov/Spasskv

32

1964/5

Dec-Jan

Kiev

Korchnoi

33

1965

Nov-Dec

Tallinn

Stein

34

1966/7

Dec-Feb

Tbilisi

Stein

35

1967

Dec

Kharkov

Polugayevskyffal

36

1968/9

Polugayevskv*/A.Zaitsev

1969

Dec-Jan SeP-Oct

Alma-Ata

37 38

Moscow

Petrosian*/Polugayevskv

1970

Nov-Dec

Riga

Korchnoi

39 40

1971 1972 1973

SeP-Oct

Leningrad

Savon

Nov-Dec

Baku Moscow

Tal Bejyavslcyffal

41 42

An

Oct Jul

*

1974

Oct Nov-Dec

Spasslcy

43

1975

Nov-Dec

Leningrad Erevan

44

1976

Nov-Dec

Moscow

45

1977

Nov-Dec

46 47

1978

Leningrad Tbilisi

1979

Dec Nov-Dec

Minsk

Talffseshkovsky Geller

48

1980/1

Dec-Jan

Vilnius

Belyavskv/Psakhis

49 50

1981

Frunze

Kasparov/Psakhis

1983

Dec Apr

Moscow

Karpov

51

1984

Apr

Lvov

Sokolov

52

1985

Jan-Feb

Riga

Gavrikov/Gurevich/Chemin Tseshkovsky

Petros ian �v Gulko/Dorfinan

53

1986

Apr

Kiev

54

1987

Minsk

Belyavskv*/Salov

55 56 57

1988

Mar Jui-Aug SeP-Oct

Kasparov/Karpov

Oct-Nov

Moscow Odessa Leningrad

58

1991

Nov

Moscow

1989 1990

Vaganian Belyavskv/Yudasin/BareevNvzhmanavin Minasian/Magerramov

after a player's name indicates that he won the Championship after a play-off

Introduction

9

Tal's period, from his storming younger period to his final years, when he was ill and prematurely aged, coincides with that of many great players such as Keres, Spassky, Korchnoi, Geller, Polugayevsky, Petrosian and Stein. Later came Karpov and Kasparov. That great veteran Smyslov was a contestant from the war up until the 1 980s. By the 1970s, there had been a slight falling-off in strength as the best players preferred to participate in foreign tournaments, and fought hard against the bureaucracy to gain such foreign trips. The loss of the world title to Fischer in 1972 brought a crack of the whip from the new hatchet-man Baturinsky, formerly of the KGB. For a few years, coinciding with the rise of Karpov, participation was made compulsory, but by this time such factors as the death of Stein in 1 973, of Keres in 1 975, the defection of Korchnoi in 1 976 and Jewish emigration reduced the strength of the event. Kasparov put new life into the contests, but he too soon became a regular non participant. There were only two great events in the 1 980s. The 55th event of 1 988 was the last great contest, but it ended in a dispute between Kasparov and Karpov, which even the presence of Botvinnik as chief arbiter could not resolve. Thereafter came real decline, and, as I commented at the time on the pages of BCM, the 58th and fmal Soviet Championship, which was won by two little-known masters from the Deep South, albeit ahead of a fairly strong field, in a Swiss event for 64 players in November 1 99 1 , marked the demise of the Soviet Union as well as of a great tradition in chess. The official date on which the 'Evil Empire', to use Ronald Reagan's term, ceased to exist was December 3 1 , 1 99 1 . For the record, Botvinnik and Tal took the title six times each, while Botvinnik also won the match-tournament of six participants in 1 94 1 , which he pressed for after his failure against the new men in 1 940. Four gold medals fell to Petrosian and Korchnoi, three to Keres, Stein and Belyavsky. The youngest winner of the title was Kasparov, 1 8, in 1 98 1 ; the oldest was Geller, who was 54 in 1 979. The record for participation belongs to Geller and Taimanov, who played in no fewer than 23 finals. They were followed by Bronstein, Polugayevsky and Tal - 20 times; and Smyslov - 19. Mention of a 'fmal' reminds one that the great tournaments were preceded, from 1 929 onwards, by qualifying tournaments. Initially, admission to the Championship was by personal invitation, based on results in such events as the Moscow and Leningrad Championships, the Ukrainian Championship and so on. In the middle Soviet period the qualifiers were special events with visiting masters and were immensely strong events in their own right. Normally called quarter fmals, leading on to semi-finals, these preliminary contests were later renamed the Otborochny, the First League and the Higher League, or final (starting from 1 973). A Note on Sources As indicated above, I (B.C.) followed many of the Soviet Championships ' live', listening to sports transmissions from Radio Moscow that were intended for the domestic audience. Due to the time difference of three hours, I normally listened to these at 7.25 p.m. British time (the rounds normally began in the late afternoon to let workers come in to see the last two or three hours of play) with a repeat, or update, at 1 0.25 p.m. One could also often pick up the same news on medium-wave transmissions to Soviet troops in East Germany. I also subscribed to the Sovietsky Sport newspaper for decades. It normally turned up three to five days after publication. After the USSR split up, the paper became too expensive and unreliable in its delivery to the West. Great use has been made of the Russian-language magazines Shakhmatny Listok, Shakhmaty v SSSR and 64, as well as the various autobiographies of Botvinnik, Tal, Korchnoi and others. Many of the others stressed the technical side, but Botvinnik and Tal never forgot the human interest stories that arise in the chess world from the clash of personalities and policies. Botvinnik's Achieving the A im was particularly useful. Korchnoi's book is highly revelatory of the hidden scandals.

10


Amongst other works covering part of the period are Sprecher's Die Schachkunst in der UdSSR, Vienna 1 947, Grekov's Soviet Chess, New York 1949, D.J. Richard's academic work Soviet Chess, Chess and Communism in the USSR, Oxford 1965 and Wade's Soviet Chess, 1968. The two Soviet encyclopaedic dictionaries on chess, published in 1964 and 1 990 respectively, were also useful. A Note on Names The rendering of Russian and other names is a controversial business. Spelling conventions that may fit in well with German or French, do not work in English. The FIDE rating list is a guide, but of a mixed pedigree. Thus Smyslov's first name is normally written Vasily, with one 's', whereas that of Ivanchuk is given as Vassily. The latter is a German convention to show that the 's' is pronounced as an English 's' and not 'z'. In the original there is only one 's', and the Western equivalent would be Basil. Armenian names end in the stressed syllable 'yan' or 'ian' . The snag about the latter is that it looks like two syllables to an English speaker. I take the view that either version is acceptable, but the majority of Armenians living or travelling abroad use ' ian' .

Foreword by Mark Taimanov, author of the game notes T WAS WITH great interest and excitement that I settled down to selecting and commentating

Iupon the best games of the USSR Championships. I was faced with working through the many

pages of the most striking contests in chess history. There can be no doubt that, in the course of more than seven decades, it was these 58 tournaments that were amongst the most significant ones not only in the USSR, but in the whole world. The field was made up, for the most part, of the strongest players of the time, while the sharp and uncompromising struggles in these events always served as a yardstick of genuinely chivalrous spirit. One may say without a doubt that the title of USSR Champion was a particularly prestigious one and was placed in the roll of honour as second only to that of World Champion. Naturally enough in contests of such a high standing, the creative level of many of the games was marked by genuine innovative play and artistic fantasy. Hundreds of these games have been acclaimed as among the greatest classics in chess history. In these circumstances, the problem I had to deal with was a particularly complex respon sibility. How should I select the best, or two of the best, out of each contest, while rejecting attractive and worthy alternatives? How could I maintain objectivity and not lose my way in the labyrinth of such works of art? The only signposts to help me along the way were the official awards made at the time, the special prizes given for the best and most brilliant games. There was also the authority of the title winners, the quality of whose play was generally on a par with their sporting success. Although some of the games, particularly of the 1920s and 1930s, can nowadays not be accepted as real discoveries, they bear the mark of real anthology pieces of the classic period and enable us to follow the evolution of aesthetic criteria in assessing genuine works of art. I will add that the most 'vulnerable' aspect of these older games is their opening stages, for opening theory has made giant strides since those days. Yet it is hardly correct to submit the opening moves of those games to the demands of our days. There is, after all, a certain charm in the narve nature of the opening strategy of the past.

1st Championship Moscow, 4-24 October 1920 1 1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Alekhine Romanovsky Levenfish !.Rabinovich Grigoryev Kubbel A.Rabinovich Blumenfeld Danyushevsky Ilyin-Genevsky Zubarev Pavlov-Pyanov Tselikov Mund D.Pavlov Golubev

•

Y2 Y2 0 0 0 0 Y2 Y2 Y2 Y2 0 0 0 0 0

2 Y2 •

0 1 Y2 0 0 l 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

3 Y2 1 •

1 0 0 Y2 Y2 Y2 0 0 0 y, 0 Y2 0

4 I 0 0 •

1 1 1 Y2 0 Y2 0 0 0 y, 0 0

5 I Y2 1 0 •

0 0 l 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

6

1 1 1 0 1 •

1 Y2 Y2 0 Y2 0 0 0 0 0

7 1 1 Y2 0 1 0 •

Y2 Y2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0

8

9

Y2 0 Y2 Y2 0 Y2 Y2

Y2 1 Y2 1 0 Y2 y, Y2

•

Y2 l 1 0 1 0 y, Y2

•

1 Y2 y, 1 0 Y2 0

1 1 12 13 14 15 1 6 Y2 1 1 1 1 1 12 1 0 l 1 l l 11 1 1 Y2 1 l 1 10 1 1 1 Y2 1 1 9Yz 0 1 1 1 1 1 8Yl 8Yl y, 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 8Yl 8 0 1 0 1 Y2 y, 7 Y2 Y2 0 l Y2 1 0 Y2 1 0 Y2 1 7 • 6Yl 1 • 0 0 0 1 0 6Y, Y2 1 • 1 y, 1 1 5 Yl 0 1 0 • 0 0 1 4 Yl 1 1 Y2 1 • y, 0 Y2 0 0 1 Y2 • Y2 4 0 1 0 0 1 Y2 • 3

10 Y2 1 l Y2 0 1 1 0 0

HE FIRST EVENT of 1 920 was strange in every way, largely due to the chaotic state of the

Tcountry, resulting from the war, the civil war and Allied intervention. It was not even known

for sure who was dead and who was alive, so a summons was sent forth throughout the land along the lines of military communication to bring together the best of what was left in the strangely named 'Vsyerossiskaya Shakhmatnaya Olimpiada' (all-Russian Olympiad). There were only four players amongst the participants who had gained the title of master: Alekhine, Levenfish and the two Rabinoviches, who were not related. The ranks of Russian players had been gravely weakened by the loss of Rubinstein, who was now a citizen of Poland, Nimzowitsch who had recently left Riga for Scandinavia, and Bernstein who settled in Paris in 1 920. Not many games survive from this event. The practice of issuing a bulletin did not start until 1 93 1 and the superb tournament books of the 1940s and 1 950s were soon discontinued, presumably on economic grounds. Alekhine's victory was largely due to him saving a seemingly lost king and pawn ending against the organizer, Ilyin-Genevsky. This double-barrelled name derives from the fact that Ilyin, who came from a rich family, had been banned from school for supporting the Bolsheviks and had to fmish his higher education abroad at Geneva in Switzerland. A senior Bolshevik by 1 920, Ilyin had to deal with the threat of a strike by the players against the short rations available for them - only one meal a day and a small bread ration. The details of the protest and the players' demands, including a cigarette ration, can be found on page 25 of Ilyin-Genevsky's memoirs which I (B.C.) translated for the Brandreth series (Notes ofa Soviet Master, 1 986). Alekhine did not sign the protest, but said he would act in solidarity with the seven signatories, as he did not think it right to play against hungry opponents. As Levenfish recalled, the great majority ofplayers were from Moscow, eight in all. 'I travelled from Petrograd on the day before the first round and was billeted in an unheated room of a military training hostel. For our meals we were temporarily included amongst the military trainees. The hunger and destruction caused by the intervention and the civil war could be felt at every step, and the food was more than modest. '

13

1st Championship, Moscow 1920

v

Levenfish also recalled, in the same article, published on p.290 of the 1950 issue of Shakhmaty SSSR, that ' Of the tournament incidents which have stuck in my mind, I recall the ending of the

adjourned game Alekhine-Blumenfeld. The adjourned position was exceptionally complicated and both players expended much time on its analysis. Both players turned up for the adjourned session with a voluminous notebook containing hundreds of variations, and both were convinced of their superiority of their position. Yet, after five moves, as often occurs in such cases, the struggle went along unexplored paths and ended after highly entertaining complications in a draw.' Finally, Levenfish mentions that he was a victim of Alekhine's eloquence. During his game with Romanovsky in the first round, he was walking about when Alekhine came up to him and commented: 'Aha, you have prepared a rook sacrifice to force mate.' At that point Romanovsky made his move, Levenfish hurried back to the board and made the sacrifice, only to see to his horror that the enemy king would fmd a saving loophole. Romanovsky's second place, after a start of four out of five, brought him the title of master, and he was to take the national title three years later. He had clearly benefited from being interned in Germany during the war. The opportunity to practice for many hours a day against his colleagues was totally beneficial.

Nikolai Grigoryev-Aiexander Alekhine Ruy Lopez C60 Since this game opens our chronicle of the best creative efforts in the USSR Championships, it is symbolic that the honour of victory belongs to Alekhine. He was the first great Russian player of the twentieth century, and one of the founders of our chess School. He was then only at the start of his illustrious career, but the basic features of his talent showed up already his amazing positional sense, his inspired attacking skills and his unlimited imagination.

1 2 3

e4 ltlf3 .i.b5

4

d4

e5 ltlc6 ltlge7

Alekhine's opening repertoire was unusually wide and he often adopted unusual variations, sometimes those condemned by theory, always bringing in original ideas. This straightforward move does not pose any problems. Nowadays 4 0-0 g6 5 c3 .i.g7 6 d4 is considered more promising. Alekhine himself recommended 4 ltlc3 g6 5 d4 .i.g7 6 .i.g5 h6 7 .i.e3, which also has its points.

4 5

ltlxd4

exd4 g6

According to theory, 5 ...ltlxd4 6 'ifxd4 ltlc6 7 'ifd3 .i.c5 is good enough for equality, to meet 8 .i.xc6 by 8 ... dxc6! ? 9 'ifxd8+ �xd8. Obviously such simplification did not appeal to Alekhine, who preferred a more complicated line.

6

.i.g5

Not a good line. The harmonious way was 6 ltlc3 .i.g7 7 .i.e3 .

6 7

c3

.i.g7

Here comes the concession for his pseudo active bishop move - the knight loses access to the natural square at c3 .

7 8 9

.i.h4 0--0

h6 0--0 ltlxd4!?

Alekhine always thought in concrete fashion. This exchange creates a target in the centre and enables Black seize the initiative.

10 11

cxd4 .i.c4

c6

Here the bishop is on a poor square where it enhances the strength of Black'� planned central break. However, there was no better move as other retreats are met by the awkward reply 1 l . ..g5 12 .i.g3 �6.

11 12

.i.g3

13 14

exd5 .i.e5

14 15

ltld2

g5 d5

Here, however, the tempting 12 ...� would fail to 13 .i.d6 l:te8 14 'Wt3, but the text move activates Black's forces.

ltlxd5

The only move, as 14 ...ltlb6 was threatened.

.i.e6

Apparently White did not yet sense the danger, or else he would have preferred the exchanges 1 5 .i.xg7 �g7 1 6 .i.xd5 .i.xd5 1 7

14


�c3 with good chances of neutralizing the enemy pressure.

15 16

.i.g3

f6 Wb6!

A fresh reminder about the tender spots at b2 and d4.

17 18

.:tel �e4?

5!

This tricky counter-stroke had probably been foreseen by Alekhine some moves ago. Play now enters forcing lines with his pieces developing destructive energy.

19

Wg4!!

24

f3

24 25

�h1

Or 24 g3 Wh3 25 l:.xe8+ l:.xe8 26 Wfl l:le I ! .

.l:tfe8

Once again, too optimistic. The threats 1 9 �d6 and 1 9 �c5 look strong, but, strange as it may seem, the move is a defmite mistake, which Black duly demonstrates. White had to try the defensive 1 8 �b3 .

18

23

A tactical stroke typical of Alekhine, trans ferring play from one side of the board to another with inexorable mating threats.

.i.d4+

Or 25 �fl .i.c4+ 26 �d3 .l:txe I+ 27 �e I .i.c3+ 28 'iPfl (or 28 �e2) 28 ... 'ifd4.

25 .i.xf3! White resigns. 26 l:lxe8+ l:lxe8 27 gxf3 is

met by 27 ....l:te l +! 28 'ifxe l 'ifxf3#! A crushing attacking victory!

Here is the 'save' against Ilyin-Genevsky.

�c5

White has to lose material in any event, e.g. 19 �d6 f4 20 �xe8 .:txe8. .i.r7 19

20

.i.d6

There is no better move threatened 20 ... f4.

20 21 22

.i.xd5 .l:tb1

against

the

Wxb2 .i.xd5

White's last chance is to go for active piece play, but Alekhine had foreseen this.

22

Wxd4

Alexander Ilyin-Genevsky - Alexander Alekhine

It is instructive to see that Black has worked upon both weak pawns.

23

.l:txb7 (D)

At last White seems to have gained some counterplay, but the following blow shatters all illusions.

White check. . .

continued here with the tricky

35

We4+!

Now Alekhine found a study-like draw.

35 36 37 38

J:txe4 dxe4 f3

Wxe4! J:txe4! �g5 aS! !

The only move to maintain equality! A move like this is sometimes harder to work out than a brilliant combination. Alekhine himself commented: ' I have to give myself top marks for the fact that I worked out all the lines of the pawn ending at the board. ' The danger Black runs is shown by these variations: a) 38 ...d5? 39 exd5 cxd5 40 b4! b6 4 1 a4; b) 38 . . .c5? 39 a4 b5 40 axb5 axb5 4 1 b3 ! ; c) 38 ...b5? 3 9 b4 c5 4 0 e5 ! cxb4 4 1 exd6;

15

1st Championship, Moscow 1920 d) 38. . .b6? 39 b3 a5 4 0 c4! b 5 4 1 cxb5 cxb5 42 a3 ! . In all these cases Black loses due to zug zwang. Now, though, the draw becomes clear.

39

c4

Or 39 a4 b5 40 b3 bxa4 41 bxa4 d5 ! with a

draw. It is amusing that 39 b4? would actually lose: 39 ... axb4 40 cxb4 b5 ! .

39 40

cxbS Yz-Yz

A memorable ending!

bS cxbS

2nd Championship Petrograd, 8-24 July 1923 1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Romanovsky Levenfish Bogatyrchuk Duz-Khotimirsky Nenarokov Kubbel Ilyin-Genevsky I.Rabinovich Grigoryev Zubarev Vilner Vygodchikov Lebedev

1

2

•

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LEKHINE AND BOGOLJUBOW were absent for the second contest as they were now

Asettled abroad, though both still had good relations with the authorities, and their game

annotations appeared in the Soviet chess press. Duz-Khotimirsky, an eccentric figure, who had beaten both Lasker and Rubinstein at St Petersburg I 909, was back in contention. Another new comer to Soviet championships was the Ukrainian Fyodor Bogatyrchuk, who was awarded the master title for his performance here. He was destined for a successful career as a doctor special izing in radiology, and was to have a good record against Botvinnik before leaving Kiev for Germany in I 944 as Soviet forces advanced in the Ukraine towards the end of the Second World War. Note that the winner, in gaining the national title, was declared Champion of the RSFSR, the title of the country before the adoption of the name USSR. Ilyin-Genevsky showed he had lost none of his skill, despite absence abroad performing diplomatic work. Here is the game that won the Best Game Prize, redolent of the I 920s with its striving for the initiative and the romanticism of sacrificial attacks.

Pyotr Romanovsky-Yakov Vilner Alekhine Defence B02

1 2 3

e4 d3 eS

liJf6

dS

Strictly speaking, this move deserves reproach, as we turn into a French Defence in which d2-d3 is a pointless move. Nowadays one would prefer 3 liJbd2 and then g3 and

.i.g2. 3 4 s

f4

llJf3

liJfd7 e6 .i.e7

6 7

d4 c3

cS

Now we have a typical French, except that it is Black to move, not White. Formally speak ing, White's opening play doesn't make sense. However, Romanovsky himself thought it more important to pose problems for the opponent than to play absolutely correctly in accordance with classical principles. llJc6 7

8 9

.tel 0--0

'Wi'b6

f6 A thoroughly modern approach. Obviously the tactical operation 9 ...cxd4 1 0 cxd4 llJxd4?

17

2nd Championship, Petrograd 1923 1 1 liJxd4 .i.c5 1 2 .i.e3 'ii'xb2 would fail to 13

'ifd2 'ii'xa 1 14 liJc3. �h1 10 b3 11

0-0

The result of the opening is that White has problems mobilizing his forces. The text is an attempt to solve these problems, but it has a tactical flaw. Probably the objectively correct move was 12 'ii'b3, but White had hardly gained space in order to follow this with the offer of a queen exchange!

a5

11

A stereotyped reaction. The idea of play on the wing proves illusory. The snags behind White's last move could be shown by 1 l ...cxd4 12 cxd4 fxe5 1 3 fxe5 ( 1 3 dxe5 liJc5) 1 3 ...l:txf3! 14 .i.xf3 1Wxd4 15 'ii'xd4 liJxd4 and by the threat ...liJc2 Black would win the e5-pawn, securing excellent prospects.

12

.i.a3

Now White's affairs are in good order.

12

l:te8

Vilner probably abandoned his original idea of 12 ... a4 as after 1 3 bxa4 c4 14 .i.xe7 liJxe7 1 5 liJa3! the knight will get to the outpost at d6.

13

.i.d3

Finally White has created some threats. Black has to reckon with the tactical threat 14 liJg5 fxg5 15 1Wh5 .

13

f5?! (D)

Strange as it may seem, this natural move is almost the decisive mistake. The cold-blooded 1 3 ...liJf8 14 exf6 gxf6 would lead to complex play with chances for both sides. 14 g4! ttJrs Unexpectedly it turns out that Black's pieces, massed on the queenside, cannot easily

be transferred to the other side, where White is starting active play. Thus: a) 14 ... fxg4 15 liJg5 .i.xg5 ( 1 5 ... liJf8 16 Wxg4 g6 1 7 liJxh7! �7 18 .l:tg l ) 1 6 fxg5 cxd4 1 7 .i.xh7+ �xh7 1 8 1Wxg4 and Black is helpless; or b) 14 ... g6 1 5 gxf5 gxf5 ( 1 5 ...exf5 1 6 c4!) 1 6 l:tg 1+ �h8 1 7 liJg5 .i.xg5 1 8 l:txg5 cxd4 19 Wh5 'ii'd8 20 liJd2 .l:tg8 2 1 .l:txg8+ 'i'xg8 22 l:tg 1 and Black can resign. Black's choice is his best chance.

15 16 17 18

gxf5 c4! cxd5 liJc3!

18 19 20

Wxf3 liJd5!

.i.xf3+ liJxd4 'ii'd8

21

'ii'g2

b5

exf5 .i.e6 .i.xd5

White's attack unleashes itself like a coiled spring. Obviously, in such cases one does not mind the loss of a pawn.

Forced, as after 20 ...liJxf3 2 1 liJxb6 Black loses the exchange. Probably the best defence in this difficult position. Black plans . . .l:ta6-g6 and, in some cases, to drive the bishop away by ... b4.

22

l:tad1!

Bringing up the reserves with an 'X-ray' attack on the d-file.

l:ta6 (D)

22

After 22 ...b4, White has the very strong 23 .i.b2 liJfe6 24 liJe3!. The same plan is recommended after 22 ...'iii>h 8.

23

liJf6+!

An effective calculation.

choice,

demanding

deep

18

The Soviet Championships 23 24 25 26

.ixc5! .ixd4! .ixb5!

.ixf6 tt.lfe6 tt.lxd4

Another picturesque position. White is a piece down, but he is attacking four of his opponent's pieces! Painful material losses are now unavoidable for Black.

26 27

tt.lxb5 .:txd8 .:txd8 Or 27 ....txd8 28 �d5+. 28 tt.lc7 �b7! 29 �xc7 Black resigns A virtuoso Romanovsky.

attacking

performance

by

3rd Championship Moscow, 23 August - 15 September 1924 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1 Bogoljubow

•

1

y,

•

5 !.Rabinovich

0 0 0 0

6 Vilner

y,

7 Nenarokov

y, y, y, 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 1 y, y, y, 1 • 0 1 • y, y, y, 1 y, y, 0 y, 0 1 y, 0 0 1 0 0 y, 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

y,

2 Romanovsky

1 1

y, y, 1 1 0 0 1 1 y, y, 1 1 y, y, 0 y, 1 1 y, 1 1 1 • y, y, • 1 0 0 • 1 1 0 y, 0 0 0 y, 0 y, 1 0 0 0 y, y, 0 y, 0 0 1 0 0 0

3 Bogatyrchuk 4 Levenfish

8 Seleznyov 9 Sozio 10 Verlinsky 11 Duz-Khotimirsky 12 A.Rabinovicb 13 Ilyin-Genevsky 14 Grigoryev 15 Rozental 16 Sergeev 17 Freyman 18 Smorodsky

0 • y, y, y, 0 0 y, 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 y, 0 1 0 y, y, 0 0 0 0 y, 0 0 0 0 0 0

1

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9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

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0 y,

•

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15 12% 11% 11% 10 9% 9% 9% 9 8% 8% 8 7

y,

6%

y, y, 1

5

•

3%

4 4

N THE THIRD CONTEST Bogoljubow was back home after his long sojourn in Germany.

IBoth he and Selemyov were described as being from Triberg when location was mentioned in

the tournament table in Shakhmatny Listok. Bogoljubow had been playing in all the top tournaments and was familiar with the new Hypermodern theories, so he outclassed the opposition. The same could hardly be said of Selemyov, a musician who tended to play for draws all the time. This contest was the first event organized by the new Soviet chess organization, the Chess Section, headed by Krylenko, the famous State prosecutor, whose name can be found in many histories of the Soviet Union, including Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago. To judge from the reports in Shakhmatny Listok, the coming together of organizers and delegates from all over Soviet Russia seemed of greater importance than the tournament itself. Perhaps this was because, according to Romanovsky, there were too many unforced errors - so many of the participants were lacking top-class practice. Romanovsky won in the first round against A. Rabinovich by employing the new-fangled Reti Opening 1 lDf3 that had been so successful shortly before this at New York, including the famous game Reti-Capablanca where Reti beat the Cuban - the latter's first loss for eight years. This inspired Romanovsky to win five more games in a row, but he could not cope with Bogoljubow, who also beat the other home-favourite Levenfish by adopting a new system of defence which he had worked out against the Reti Opening. The period 1 923-4 was the time when the battle between traditional and Marxist models of chess organization was resolved in favour of the latter. Chess was politicized, so that the Soviet Union refused to become a member of FIDE, the putative world ruling body founded in 1 924, because it viewed that organization as being bourgeois.

20

The Soviet Championships Boris Verlinsky-Grigory Levenfish Ruy Lopez C84

This game won the Brilliancy Prize, although it deserves recognition only for its spectacular fmish, the first part of the game being rather mundane. e4 1 e5 tbf3 tbc6 2 i.. b5 a6 3 i.. a4 4 tbf6 5 tbc3 How criteria change - the great Tarrasch thought this the strongest move, but in our days it has practically disappeared from tournament play! i..e7 5 b5 0--0 6 d6 7 i.. b3 0--0 d3 8 Straightforward development, deferring a decision about concrete middlegame planning. tbd5 9 Unambitious, just going for simplification, whereas the undermining 9 a4, or 9 tbe2-g3 looks more promising. tba5 9 tbxe7+ 'it'xe7 10 tbe1 11 Finally a strategic plan appears, to activate White's position by advancing f4, but White he does not have the potential for such an optimistic idea and it was hardly worthwhile retreating one of his few developed pieces. 11 tbxb3 axb3 tbd7!? 12 A fme reaction to White's nai've concept. Black prepares a blow in the centre, relying on the future activity of his b7-bishop. f4 f5! 13 exf5?! 14 This exchange is only grist to Black's mill. 14 fxe5 tbxe5 15 exf5 i..xf5 16 i..f4 was better. :xG 14 tbf3 i.. b7 15 Clearly Black is better, with active play for his pieces. i..d2 16 It is hard to suggest a good move. White offers a pawn sacrifice, hoping to win it back quickly, but this is an illusion. In any event,

White is in trouble after 1 6 fxe5 tbxe5 1 7 tbxe5 l:txe5 in view of the threat o f l 8 ...:e2. 16 exf4 11 tbd4 :g5 tbf3 18 Presumably at this point White thought the worst was behind him, for 1 8 ...l:[f5 would be met by 1 9 tbd4 again, and after I S ...:g4 1 9 h3, the f4-pawn would surely lose its defence ... and yet ... 18 :g4! 19 h3 (D)

19 :xg2+! ! 20 �xg2 'it'g5+ �h1 21 tbe5! Only this opens up an attack from Black's combined pieces. The tempting 2 I ...'ifg3 is wrong, in view of22 d4. 22 'ife2 22 i.e I would not help as there follows 22 .. .'ii'h5 23 'ifi1g2 .l:.e8! and there is no defence against 24 ...tbxf3 25 J:.xf3 .l:.xe l ! 26 'ifxe l 'ifxf3+ 22 'it'g3 tbxf3 23 'it'g2 24 i..c3 The alternative 24 'it'xg3 tbxd2+ is more prosaic but no less unattractive for White. 24 tbd4! 25 'it'xb7 'ifxh3+ tbe2+ 26 �g1 �f2 27 'it'e3+ �e1 28 Or 28 �g2 'ifg3+ 29 'ifi1h l 'it'h3#. 28 tbxc3# (0-1) The final attack with little material is very fine.

3rd Championship, Moscow 1924

21

Romanovsky challenged Bogoljubow to a match for the title i n the autumn o f 1924. I n his open letter carrying the challenge in Shakhmatny Listok he referred to the limited time that the latter was due to spend in his native land. This was an indication that the German connection was already uppermost in Bogoljubow's mind, as he was setting up a family in Triberg in the Black Forest. He had married a German girl whom he got to know there during his internment in the First World War. This mention of the pull of Germany anticipated the break with his native land that was to follow in 1 926. The match was played in Leningrad, starting 30th November, at the leisurely pace of four games a week. The winner was to be the first to score six......_ The first four draws were not to count in the score. The chief arbiter was Levenfish. Hours of play were from 6 p.m. until midnight at the ' old' or traditional time limit of 30 moves in two hours and 1 5 per hour thereafter. If the score reached 5-5, Bogoljubow was to retain the title. However, it was a one-sided affair. Romanovsky lost the first half -4 =2 and only improved in the second half with one win each and four draws. So, Bogoljubow won 8-4 and gained a prize of 500 roubles, as well as 125 roubles expenses. Romanovsky won 250 roubles. The value of these prizes can be assessed by looking at adverts of the time in the chess magazine Shakhmatny Listok. Most chess books were sold at about a rouble- for example Capablanca's My Chess Career, though a longer work, Edward Lasker's Chess Strategy sold at a little over two roubles, as did Bogoljubow's two-volume work on the 1 925 Moscow international tournament.

·-

c

4th Championship Leningrad, 1 1 August - 6 September 1925 '1 }Bogoljubow

{l.evenfish 'I:..Rabinovich I �'4 iVerlinsky '�Duz-Khotimirsky �· J(iotgilf lllyin-Genevsky r �omanovsky 9 A.Rabinovich .... 10 Sergeev 11 Vilner , ,n,zubarev 13 Kubbel _ 14 Seleznyov 15 Grigoryev 16 Kaspersky 17 Sozio 18 Nenarokov 19 Freyman 20 Kutuzov

1

2

•

y,

y, 0 1 0 y, y, 0 0 y, 1 0 y, y, 0 0 0 0

• 1 1 0 y, 1 y, 1 0 0 y, 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0

0 0

3 I 0

• 1 1 1 y, 0 0 y, y, 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 -

0

4

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6

7

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9

10 11

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-

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•

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0

12 13 14 IS 16 17 18 19 20

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1 1 +

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14

13 12Y, 12 11Y, 11 11 11 10 10 9Y, 9Y, 9Y, 9 8 7 6Y, 6

•

-

s

+

•

4

HE FOURTH EVENT also fell to Bogoljubow, but not so easily, as Levenfish ran him very

Tclose after an awful start - two losses in a row. It was now the case that the Russian masters

had assimilated many of the new ideas. They were to demonstrate this a couple of months later when the great Moscow tournament of 1925 saw Capablanca lose to both Ilyin-Genevsky and Verlinsky. In fact no fewer than nine participants in the Championship were admitted to the international tournament to cross swords with the likes of Lasker, Capablanca, Marshall, Reti, Rubinstein, Tartakower and so on. As few of Bogoljubow's games from these two championships are easily available, we quote two which show the enterprising nature of the title winner's play. Efim Bogoljubow-VIadimir Nenarokov Alekhine Defence B02 1 e4 .!iJf6 2 e5 .!iJd5 3 .!iJcJ .!iJxcJ 4 bxc3 d6 5 .!iJf3 .!iJc6 6 d4 dxe5 7 d5 e4 8 .!lJg5 .!lJe5 9 Wd4 .!iJd7 10 .!lJxe4 .!iJb6 11 c4 e6 12 .tg5 Wd7 13 l:d1 fS?! 14 .!lJc5 .txc5 15 Wxc5 Wd6 16 Wd4 e5 17 We3 .!iJd7 18 f4! e4 19 g4! h6? 20 .th4 .!iJc5 21 g5! h5 (D) 22 g6! This wedge destroys Black's piece co ordination. 22 b6 23 l:g1 l:h6 24 .tg5! l:h8 Black cannot capture the intrusive pawn: 24 ...l:xg6? 25 .te2 threatening 26 .th5. 25 Wd4 �f8 26 .tf6! l:g8 27 .te5 Wd7 •.•

28 l:g5 e3 29 .th3 e2 30 l:d2 .!lJe4 31 Wxe4!

23

4th Championship, Leningrad 1925 The simplest, though after 31 l:txf5+ ..xf5 32 .ixf5 liJxd2 33 �xd2 .ixf5 34 .ixg7+ l:txg7 35 •f6+ �g8 36 •xf5 l:te8 37 �e l Black has to resign.

31... fxe4 32 .ixd7 .ixd7 33 .ixc7 l:tc8 34 d6 l:te8 35 l:tddS l:te6 36 f5 l:te8 37 l:txh5 .ic6 38 d7 1-0 Boris Verlinsky-Efim Bogoljubow Nimzo-Indian Defence E38 'Now or never!' was the motto of Verlinsky before every game, chess historians tell us. Here he beats the tournament winner and wins the Brilliancy Prize, yet by an irony of fate this could have been Bogoljubow's instead.

I 2 3 4 5

d4 c4 tiJc3

..c2 e3

ltJc6

tiJf3 d6 In his turn, Black does not treat the opening correctly. By 6...cxd4 7 exd4 d5! he could force a weak isolated pawn at d4 upon White, and so take advantage of his opponent's inattentive play.

7 8 9

.id2 a3 .id3

0--0 .iaS cxd4

Not a logical sequel. Since he envisaged a blockade strategy by 6...d6, Black should follow up with 9...e5 at once. Yet Bogoljubow always liked lively piece play, so he opens the centre aiming at an outpost on d4 to compensate for his weak point at d5.

10 II

exd4 dxeS

0-0-0!?

dxe5 .ig4

Both players were aiming for this position. White relies on the activity of his bishops and principally on the fact that his rook is in line with the enemy queen. Black was happy with his grasp on d4. Interestingly enough, both are right.

13

.ig5 (D)

Playing for the pressure on the d-file and the pin on the f6-knight, White is ready to give up material.

tiJf6 e6 .ib4 c5

When this game was played, the Nimzo Indian was only in the initial phase of its later fme history. Moreover, it did not have a defmite name and was often called 'Queen's Pawn Opening' in contemporary sources. Thus we should not be surprised that White's response looks rather narve - 5 e3 does not fit in with 4 ..c2 and nowadays 5 dxc5 would surely be played.

5 6

II 12

e5

Into open battle. 11 d5 could be considered, but after l l ....ixc3 12 .ixc3 ltJe7 13 0-0 liJg6 Black would have a sound position.

13

tiJd4

The crucial moment. Both sides seemingly considered the text forced in view of the threat 14 .ixh7+. Yet here there is a hidden puzzle that was not appreciated at the time, nor in the succeeding seven decades. The point is that, as discovered when analysing for this book, Black had a remarkable combination, giving up his queen to seize the initiative - 13... .ixf3! ! 14 .i.xh7+ (obviously 14 gxf3 tiJd4 15 .ixh7+ ltJxh7 16 .ixd8 ltJxc2 17 .ixa5 tiJd4 is unattractive for White) 14...tiJxh7 15 .l:.xd8 .ixd8! 16 .ixd8 and now the very strong zwischenzug 16...liJd4!! (D). The resulting position is so unusual that it deserves a diagram. White has a material plus, but his queen is attacked and has few squares for a retreat: 17 .. d2?? tiJb3+; 17 ..d3? l:tfxd8 18 gxf3? tiJb3+. Also, 17 •a4 is met by 17....ic6 and then 18...l:tfxd8. There is only the meek retreat 17 �1, duly met by 17...tiJb3+ 18 �c2 tiJd4+ and to avoid the worst (19 �d3? .ixg2 20 .l:.g1 .ih3!) the king must go to c1 and then Black has the choice between perpetual check and the

24


attempt to go for more by 1 9....txg2, which, however, does not look too convincing

[19... .th5, intending 20. . .CiJb3+ and 2J....tg6+ looks a better way to avoid the repetition Editor 's note] .

l:lxd4 or 20 'ii'd2. For example, 1 9...'ii'xh2 20

b4 .tb6 (20....tc7 2 1 g3!) 2 1 l:ld3, or 1 9....l:fe8 20 f4! �g7 2 1 'ii'f2.

16

lLld5

lLlxd5

Black's queen is in a trap. Neither 1 6 ...'ili'c5 1 7 b4 nor 1 6...e4 1 7 .txe4 We5 helps, in view of 1 8 f4 'ii'e6 1 9 .txf6 gxf6 20 .txh7+ fj;g7 2 1 .tf5. 17 .txh7+ �h8

18 19

l1xd4 'ii'f5 !

exd4

The decisive attack, long foreseen. Despite material equality Black is helpless.

19

.td8

1 9...f6 loses to 20 .tg6 and 1 9...lLlf6 to 20 .txf6 gxf6 2 1 'ii'h5 �g7 22 .td3.

f4 20 A simpler line is the prosaic 20 .txd8 .l:axd8 2 1 cxd5 g6 22 .txg6 fxg6 23 'ili'xg6. So, it could have been Bogoljubow who was first to make a combination and he might have gained the Brilliancy Prize. Fate decided other wise, so back to the position after 1 3...ltJd4.

14

ltJxd4!

This way White gains a decisive initiative. From this point on his idea is impeccable.

14 15

l1xd1

.txd1 'ii'x d4?!

Black probably overlooked the reply, optimistically expecting 16 .txh7+ lLlxh7 1 7 .l:lxd4 exd4 1 8 lLle4 f5, which is more than favourable for him. Instead, he now loses by force. He should have tried 1 5 ...exd4, though then 1 6 .txh7+ �h8 1 7 ltJd5 'ii'd6 1 8 .txf6 gxf6 1 9 .tf5 (or 1 9 f4!?) would give White a formidable attack with decisive threats of 20

.txg5

20

It was possible to drag it out by 20...lLlf6, but this would not save the game - 2 1 .txf6 gxf6 (or 2 l ....txf6 22 'ii'h5 ,:(fd8 23 .tg6+ �g8 24 .txf7+ 'iti>f8 25 .td5) 22 Wh5 'iti>g7, when it would be time to resign after 23 .te4 .:th8 24 'ii'g4+ 'iti>f8 25 .txb7 l::tb8 26 'ili'd7.

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

fxg5 'ii'h3 .te4+ 'ii'h7+ 'ii'h8+ .th7

'ii'xg7 .txg8

lLle7 l1fd8

�g8 �f8 lLlg8 �e7

l1d6

and Bogoljubow resigned. On this day Caissa was not well-disposed towards him.

5th Championship Moscow, 26 September - 25 October 1927 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Bogatyrchuk Romanovsky Duz-Khotimirsky Model Botvinnik V.Makogonov Nenarokov Grigoriev Ilyin-Genevsky Pavlov-Pyanov I.Rabinovicb Freyman Sergeev Perfiliev Vilner Rokhlin Seleznyov Kaspersky Rauzer Smorodsky Kholodkevich

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

• I 0 0 0 0 0 y, y, 0 y, y, y, 0 0 y, 0 \1, y, y, 0

0 • I y, y, \1, 0 I 0 y, I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 y, 0 0

I 0 • 0 y, I 0 \1, I I y, 0 y, 0 0 y, 0 \1, 0 0 0

I \1, I

I \1, Yz I • 0 y, 0 0 0 0 I 0 y, I 0 y, \1, 0 y, 0

I \1, 0 0 I • \1, 0 0 y, y, I y, I 0 y, y, 0 0 0 0

I I I 0 y, y, • 0 0 y, y, yl 0 0 I 0 I \1, y, y, 0

\1, 0 y, I I I I • \1, \1, y, I 0 0 0 y, 0 y, 0 I 0

\1, I 0 y, I I I y, • y, y, 0 0 0 I 0 I I y, 0 0

I \1, 0 I I \1, \1, \1, y, • y, 0 I I 0 0 0 \1, I y, y,

• 0 I I 0 \1, 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I I

\1, 0 y, I I y, y, \1, \1, \1, •

\1, I I I 0 0 y, 0 I I I

0 y, I I \1, 0 0 I y, y,

• 0 0 0 I I 0 I 0 y,

\1, I y, I I y, I I I 0 y, I • 0 \1, 0 y, 0 0 y, y,

I I I I \1, 0 I I I 0 0 I I • 0 \1, I 0 0 y, 0

I I I I 0 I 0 I 0 I 0 I y, I • I \1, I 0 0 0

\1, I y, I I \1, I \1, I I y, 0 I y, 0 • y, \1, 0 I 0

I I I I y, y, 0 I 0 I I 0 y, 0 \1, y, • \1, y, y, I

\1, I \1, I \1, I y, y, 0 \1, I I I I 0 Y2 \1, • I 0 \1,

\1, Yz I I I I \1, I y, 0 0 0 I I I I y, 0 • 0 I

\1, I I 0 \1, I \1, 0 I y, y, I y, \1, I 0 y, I I • I

I I I

14Yz

0 I I I I I

13

14Yz 13 12Yz 12Yz 11 10Yz 10

Yz

9Yz

y, yl y, I I I 0 \1, 0 0 •

9Yz 9\1, 9 8Yz 8 8 8 7Yz 7Yz 7 6Yz

FTER TWO YEARS, in 1 927, came the last tournament to be arranged on the basis of

Apersonal invitations. It also featured the debut of that outstanding figure Mikhail Botvinnik

(1911-95) at the age of 16, though he had overstated his age when he first tried to get into the Petrograd chess club. However, he was still too young to dominate the field, though he won four games in a row near the end to give notice of his future domination. Rauzer from the Ukraine and Makogonov, a mathematics teacher from Baku in the Deep South were new names. Dr Bogatyrchuk from Kiev had his best showing, but it is hard to fmd games of his in the records, which were tampered with after his defection in 1 943. As Bob Wade put it in his 1968 book on Soviet Chess, ' In modem Soviet Russia (his) name ... only exists in tournament tables where a blank cannot be substituted. He seems neither to have been born, lived, nor won any games.' This was not quite true, of course, since Bogatyrchuk's games from the Moscow 1 925 and 1 935 international tournaments were duly recorded in the tournament books when he was still persona grata. However, I (BC) have been able to retrieve one game from this event from the archives. (Shakhmatny Listok 1927, page 313 with notes based on those by Model).

Fyodor Bogatyrchuk-Mikhail Botvinnik French Defence C17

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 ltlc3 .ib4 4 e5 c5 5 'W'g4 �f8 6 lLlf3 cxd4?! 7 ltlxd4 Was 8 .id2 ltlc6 9 a3! White should avoid the exchange of knights as the move ltlb3, guarding a1 and attacking a5, wins a piece in some variations.

9... f5 Not 9 ...ltlxe5 10 Wg3 ltlg6 11 ltlb3.

10 'W'f4 ltlxd4 11 'W'xd4 .ic5 12 'W'f4 'W'd8 13 ltla4! .ie7 14 g4! In the best dynamic style, rather than developing the fi -bishop at once as Tarrasch would have recommended.

14 ... ltlh6 15 l:.g1 ltlr7 16 gxf5 exf5 17 'W'd4 .ie6 18 ltlc5 Wb6 19 ltlxe6+ Wxe6 20 0--0--0

26


'WxeS 21 'WxeS tlJxeS 22 ..tcJ d4 23 ..txd4 ..tf6 24 ..tg2 (D)

11 12

tlJcJ l:tad1

c6

Despite its apparent simplicity, the position contains great potential. White is better developed and Black has to weigh up his defence very accurately.

12

Only now is the bishop developed, at a time when the white bishops dominate the position.

24... g6 25 ..txb7 l:tb8 26 ..th1 �g7 27 ..txa7 l:tbc8 28 b3 l:the8 29 ..td4 l:te7 30 �b1 tlJg4 31 ..txf6+ �xf6 32 l:td2 l:tce8 33 ..tc6 l:te2 34 l:txe2 l:txe2 35 a4! �eS 36 l:td1 tlJxfl 37 l:tdS+ �e6 38 l:td8 tlJe4 39 aS f4 40 ..txe4 1-0

tlJb7 (D)

Seeing his ftrst defensive task as the retention of an elastic pawn structure in the event of an exchange on f6. With hindsight it was probably preferable to activate his forces by 12 ...tlJe6 with the possible continuation 13 ..txf6+ gxf6 14 tlJe2 tlJc5 15 tlJg3 Ild8. Note that the potential of the white pieces is shown by Romanovsky in his notes written at the time: 12 ... ..tc7?! (also aiming to neutralize the positional threat 13 ..txf6+) 13 tlJh4 h6 14 ..te3 tlJb7 15 f4! tlJg4 16 fxe5! tlJxe3 17 l:txf7+
White queens with check after 40 ...l:txe4 41 l:te8+, 42 Ihe4+ and 43 a6. A match between the two winners was scheduled for May 1928, but it never took place. Amongst the special games of any contest one tends to count those between the main rivals for ftrst place, especially if they meet near the end. This was the case with the following encounter.

Pyotr Romanovsky-Fyodor Bogatyrchuk Ruy Lopez C79

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

e4 tlJf3 ..tbS ..ta4 0--0 d4 dxeS 'Wxd8+ ..tb3 ..tgs

eS tlJc6 a6 tlJf6 d6 bS dxeS tlJxd8 ..td6 �e7

Not a bright start, but the quiet opening camouflages the players' intentions, as the complications now begin.

13

l:txd6!

A bold decision, greatly to White's credit, though there was no other way to gain the initiative, as once 13 .....te6 is played a draw becomes clear.

13

�xd6

Or 13...tlJxd6 14 tlJxe5 ..tb7, when White has a pleasant choice between 15 tlJd3 and 15 tlJg4, in both cases clarifying his advantage.

14 15 16 17

l:tdl+ tlJxeS tlJxf7 axb3

�c7 ..te6 ..txb3 l:the8

White's foresight is shown by his appreciation of the chances in this position.

27

5th Championship, Moscow 1927 Obviously, his advantage is minimal, for Black's pieces are all in play, giving him defmite counterchances.

18 19

..tf4+ e5!

�b6

No time to spare, as 19 f3 is met by 19 ...l:e7 20 lt:Je5 .l:.d8.

19

l:e7!?

The best defence; otherwise comes 20 l:td7.

20

lt:Jg5

lt:Jg4

Once again the only move, as 20...lt:Jd7 21 lt:Je6! is awkward, e.g. 2 I ...lt:Jxe5 22 ..te3+!. l:f8 21 lt:Jf3

22

..tg3

lt:Jc5

Up to here attack and defence were well matched, but now Black goes wrong. He had the chance to eliminate the e5-pawn by 22....l:.xf3 ! 23 gxf3 lt:Jxe5 with good defensive chances after 24 �g2 lt:Jf7.

23

h3

White gives Black a second chance. Stronger, of course, was 23 .l:td6 at once.

23

lt:Jh6

After this retreat White's initiative flares up again. 23 ....U.xf3 could still have been tried.

24

l:d6

�b7

The threat was 25 lt:Jd5+. Possibly Black had been relying on 24....l:.e6 and only now saw that it failed to 25 b4.

25 26

lt:Jd4 lt:Jxf5!

lt:Jf5

The initiative is more important than material. After the tempting 26 lt:Jxc6 lt:Jxd6 27 lt:Jxe7 lt:Jde4 the exchange of rooks has eased Black's defence.

26 27

b4

l:xG lt:Je6

After 27 ...lt:Jd7 28 f4 g5!? 29 e6 lt:Jf8 30 lt:Je4 tt:Jxe6 31 fxg5 Black still has problems. By blocking the passed pawn he creates the threat ...lt:Jf4.

28 29 30

lt:Je4 lt:Jc3 lt:Je4

31

�fl !

Having failed to 'frighten' his opponent by double attacks, White fmds a difficult but accurate way to strengthen his position. First of all he neutralizes the thrust 31 ...lt:Jf4 (met by 32 lt:Jc5! when 32...l:exe5 fails to 33 l:d7 and 32 ...l:tfxe5 to 33 lt:Jd7+) and he also prepares the important manoeuvre f3, ..tf2+ and ..td4, which would not succeed immediately: 31 f3 lt:Jf4 32 ..tf2+ �c7 33 ..td4 lt:Je2+.

31

h6

Black begins to run out of useful moves. lt:Jf4 32 f3

33

..tfl+

The most logical sequel, but 33 lt:Jc5 is also good.

33 34 35

..td4 c3

�c7 lt:Jd5 lt:Jb6?

Yet again Black lacks the resolve to return the exchange, but this was probably his last chance to create technical difficulties for White by 35....l:.fxe5 36 ..txe5 .l:.xe5 37 .l:lg6 .l:le7.

36 37

lt:Jc5 lt:Jxa6+

lt:Jc4 �c8

Or 37 ...'�b7 38 lt:Jc5+ �c7 39 lt:Je6+ �c8 (39 ...�b7 40 lt:Jd8+ �c7 41 lt:Jxc6 .:lexe5 42 .l:g6) when White intended the fme line 40 l:xc6+ �d7 41 lt:Jxg7! l:xg7 42 l:xc4! bxc4 43 e6+.

38 39

l:xc6+ l:g6

�b7

The rest is simple and needs no commentary.

39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46

lt:Jc5+ l:b6 l:xb5 b3 �fl

l:b6 cxd4 1-0

lt:Jxe5 �c8 lt:Jc4 g6 lt:Jd2+ lt:Jxb3 lt:Jxd4 l:g5

Despite the early exchange of queens, this battle raged with great intensity.

6th Championship Odessa, 2-20 September 1929 2nd Semi-Final

1st Semi-Final 1 1 Kan

•

2 Izmailov 3 Botvinnik 4 Vygodchikov S V.Makogonov 6 Silich

y, 0 y, y, 0

2 y,

3 1 1

4 5 y, Y2 y, 1 • 0 • y, 1 y, y, • y, 0 0 y, • y, 0 y, y,

6 1 y, 1 Y2 y, •

1 3% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1%

•

1 2 3 4

Verlinsky Freyman Rauzer Grigoryev S M.Makogonov 6 Rokhlin

1 0 0 0 0

2 0 •

1 0 0 0

3 1 1 •

0 1 0

4 1 1 1 •

5 1 1 0 1

0 • y, y,

6 1 1 1 y, y,

4 4 3 1%

•

1

lY.

Final 2

1 1 Ver1insky 2 Freyman 3 Kan

•

0 0

0 y,

3 1

1 •

0

0

1 1

y, 1 •

3% 2

Y.

HE FINAL CONTEST of the 1920s had some unusual features. It was the first to be held Taway from Moscow or Leningrad, and had 36 contestants playing three(!) games a day in four

groups, then two semi-fmals and a fmal. Krylenko, the Old Bolshevik who had been in charge of chess since 1924, raged in an editorial in Shakhmatny Listok against the absence of Romanovsky and Bogatyrchuk, who had put forward fmancial demands at a time when the Soviet Chess Section had decided to abolish prizes altogether. Presumably, this absence of prizes was to be an affirmation that none of the players were professionals. The professional-amateur controversy was prominent in the 1920s, once FIDE had been formed in 1924. Soviet players always denied that they were professionals, stating their profession to be engineer, teacher, coach, clerical worker or whatever. In fact, their prolonged absence from home for weeks on end at various chess contests meant that they could hardly work at these jobs. As Smyslov once replied to me, when I queried the status of Karpov in the Soviet Army, 'On tol'ko chislitsya.' - he is merely on the strength, simply a name on a register, nothing more. One might note that 1929 was the year when the new Stalinist policy of forced industrialization (the first of the Five-Year Plans) led to the imposition of much stricter discipline on the population as a whole. When Bogatyrchuk was to seek exemption from playing in the Championship some eight years later, he was told by a Communist Propaganda Department official in Kiev that his failure to participate regularly in chess events and his excellent record against Botvinnik might be held against him and be interpreted in a way that could be dangerous for him. For this interesting reference see the Sutton Coldfield magazine CHESS, pp.232-3 of the special July/August/Sep tember issue of 1949, and subsequent issues where Bob Wade, Ludek Pachman and others replied and then Bogatyrchuk had a second letter published in the March 1950 issue, p.121. Ilya Kan, aged 20, was joint-winner of the first semi-fmal, largely thanks to his quick victory over Botvinnik in an Evans Gambit. One of the fmal qualifiers, Izmailov, could not play at the end, as he had to go off to take his final exams, so three players only contested the double-round fmal. Such an unsatisfactory experiment was never repeated. For his victory, Verlinsky was awarded the title of Soviet Grandmaster, though this was later taken away from him in 1931 when the GM title

29


was abolished. By that time Verlinsky's health and results had deteriorated and it was thought symbolic to make Botvinnik the ftrst Soviet GM. The title was awarded to him in 1935. In 1929, though, Verlinsky was worthy of the honour, having victories to his credit over Capablanca, Rubinstein and Spielmann.

Boris Verlinsky-Sergey Freyman Queen's Fianchetto Defence A50

1 d4 tt:Jr6 2 c4 b6 3 iLlc3 .i.b7 4 ..c2 d5 5 cxd5 tLlxd5 6 iLJf3 The most accurate reply to Black's unusual move-order, ruling out a possible freeing ... e5 should White advance to e4 at once.

6... e6 7 e4 tt:Jxc3 8 bxc3 .i.e7 9 .i.b5+ c6 10 .i.d3 'ikc7 ll 0--0 iLld7 12 c4 l:td8 13 .i.b2 0--0 14 e5 g6 15 .i.e4 :res 16 :ret ..t.rs 17 l:tad1 .i.g7 18 h4! f5 19 exr6 tt:Jxr6 20 .i.d3 c5 21 tLlg5 cxd4 22 lLlxe6 ..c6 23 tLlr4 l:txel+ 24 l:txe1 ..d6 25 .i.cl l:tf8 (D)

This position from one of the semi-fmal games arose after White's 2 1 st move: It looks fairly tame, though there is a certain lack of harmony amongst White's forces. It is instructive to see how Black with minimum forces succeeds in underlining the apparently sound enemy position.

21 ... tt:Jb6 Not only undermining the weak complex of light squares on the queenside, but creating the threat 22 ... .i.xb l 23 •xb l .i.xa3, which would not work at once because of the counter .f5, attacking d7.

22 b4 It is curious that there is no other way to save the pawn, but now Black has a new trump in the form of the a-file.

22...a5 23 iLJd2 axb4 24 axb4 r6 Useful prophylaxis, directed against iLlf3-e5.

25 tLlb3 Trying to activate his forces, but the knight never gets into play. Possibly White should prefer 25 l:te3 and then iLle2.

25...tt:Ja4! 26 .i.d2 Forced, as 26 •c l fails to 26.....c4.

26...tt:Jb2 26 l:te6 ..d7 27 'ike2 �ti 28 iLlh3 l:te8 29 tLlg5+ �g8 30 .i.b2 .i.c8 31 l:txe8+ tLlxe8 32 c5 bxc5 33 .i.c4+ 1-0

The knight imperiously forces its way into the enemy camp, creating panic. 27 'ikct iLJd3 28 •n l:ta3 Forcing a retreat as the desired 29 tLlc5 fails to 29...tt:Jxc5 30 dxc5 .i.d3.

29 iLlc1 l:ta1 30 •d1 •c4 Black's pieces gnaw away at White's position, gaining more and more space.

31 l:te3 lLlxc1 32 .i.xcl .i.d6! The only way, since the tempting 32 ... .i.xb4 allows the unexpected 33 •g4!! l:txc l + 34 'iii>h2 and White has counterplay. Now the threat of 33 ....i.f4 forces White into desperate defence.

33 iLle2 �ti 34 f3 h5! 35 �f2 h4 The blockading tighter.

ring

grows

constantly

36 �et ..t.r5 37 •d2 g5 38 �d1 Vsevolod Rauzer-Boris Verlinsky

A mistake speeding up his defeat, but perhaps Rauzer did not want to·suffer further.

30

The Soviet Championships 38...l:.a2 39 .Jlb2 'ii'b3+ 0-1 In view of mate after 40 �c l l:.a l + 41 .Jlxal

., I . Truly, a light-square symphony.

To make up for this loss by Rauzer, here is the fmish of his quarter-fmal game against Ryumin, who was White in the diagram. Here, White is tied up in just the same way as Rauzer was in the previous example. There is a vigorous denouement.

19...ltJf4!! 20 gxf4 exf4 21 lt:Je4 fxe4 22 fxe4 Or 22 dxe4 lt:Jxe4! 23 fxe4 f3 ! and then as in the game.

22 f3! 23 .Jlxf3! lt:Jxe4! •.•

An impressive cascade of sacrifices.

24 dxe4 24 .Jlxh5 is met by the fme mate 24...lt:Jf2++ 25 �gl lt:Jh3#, while 24 .Jlxe4 loses to 24...l:.xfl+.

24 l:.xf3 •.•

A pleasant alternative was 24...l:.xe4.

Nikolai Ryumin-Vsevolod Rauzer

25 l:.xf3 l:.xe4 26 l:.f8+ �xf8 0-1

7th Championship Moscow, 1 0 0ctober - 1 1 November 1931 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Botvinnik Ryumin A1atortsev Bogatyrchuk Verlinsky Yudovich Kan Maze1 Rauzer Ilyin-Genevsky Kirillov Lisitsyn Sorokin Zamikhovsky Gog1idze Sozio Budo Kasparian

•

0 0 y, 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 y, 0 0 0 1 y, 0

2 1 •

y, 0 0 y, y, y,

1 0 1 0 0 0 y, 0 0 0

3 1 y, •

1 y, 0 y, 0 y, 0 y, 1 0 0 0 y, 0 1

•

5 1 1 y, 0

1

•

1 y, 1 y, y, 0 y, y, 0 0 0 0 0

0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 y, y, 0 0 y,

4 y, 1 0

6 1 y, 1 0 1 •

0 0 1 0 y, y, y, 0 0 y, 0 y,

7 1 y, y, y, 0 1 •

1 y, 0 0 1 y, y, 0 0 y, 0

8 1 y, 1 0 1 1 0 •

0 0 0 y, 1 1 y, 0 y, 0

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1 0 y, 1 1 1 0 1 y, 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 y, 1 1 1 1 1 y, 1 y, 0 y, 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 y, y, 1 y, y, 1 1 1 1 0 0 y, y, 1 y, 1 y, 1 y, 0 1 y, y, y, 1 1 1 y, 1 1 0 y, y, 1 y, 1 1 1 y, 0 0 y, 1 y, 1 1 1 y, y, 1 1 y, y, y, • 0 1 1 1 • 0 y, 1 1 y, 1 y, 1 0 y, 1 1 y, 1 • 1 1 y, 0 1 y, y, 0 • 0 0 0 0 y, 1 • 1 y, 0 0 y, 0 • y, 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 y, 1 0 y, y, • 0 1 1 1 0 1 • 0 y, y, 0 y, 0 0 0 1 • y, y, 0 0 y, 1 1 y, 0 0 y, y, • y, 0 0

13% 1 1% 10 10 10 10 9% 9 9 8% 8% 8% 7 6% 6 5% 5 5

HE 1 930s CONTINUED the pattern of having the national fmal once every two years. The contest had the largest number of players up to that time and was preceded by an extensive set of preliminary qualifiers in which about 500 players took part. The rising star Mikhail Botvinnik, now admitting to his true age of 20, fmally confirmed his supremacy, though he had been in uncertain form in the semi-fmal, where he lost to Kasparian, the Armenian who was to become a great study composer, and had to concede frrst place to him. A whole set of new names occupied the top places. Romanovsky refused to take part on a point of principle (not stated in the sources) along with Gotgilf. Note the number of decisive games Botvinnik had. He was neck and neck for most of the way with Ryumin and actually lagged behind by half a point near the end. The decisive encounter came in round 1 5, with Botvinnik winning over the Muscovite, who was to die early, in 1 942, from tuberculosis. As Botvinnik commented, Ryumin complicated the game too much. For the frrst time a bulletin was issued during the contest and a tournament book appeared in 1 933 jointly edited by Botvinnik, Vainshtain and Nenarokov. It contains in its massive 536 pages (print-run of 6,200) all the games of the main event as well as 90 games from the preliminaries. It was printed on very poor paper. The only copy I have seen is in the Golombek library. Later championship books were to be slimmer efforts. Perhaps the best game of the event was this, in which the Samisch Variation is successful. Alatortsev ( 1 909-87) was one of the few who tried the King's Indian Defence at that time. He was to be the senior chess administrative figure from 1 954 until 1 96 1 .

T 1 93 1

Mikhail Botvinnik-Vladimir Alatortsev King's Indian Defence E85

l d4 tiJf6 2 c4 g6 3 f3 .i.g7 4 e4 d6 S liJc3 � 6 .i.e3 eS 7 tlJge2 tLlc6 8 ,.d2 liJd7

Now White has to block the centre, as 9 0-Q--0 tiJb6 1 0 b3 exd4 1 1 tlJxd4 a5 gives Black attacking chances.

9 dS liJe7 10 g3 fS l l .i.g2 fxe4?! 1 l ...tiJf6 was safer.

32


12 fxe4 iLlf6 13 h3 b6 14 b3 �h8 15 g4! lLleg8 16 lLlg3 .id7 17 0--0-0 b6? This simplifies White's task of line-opening; a queenside demonstration was in order for Black. 18 g5 hxg5 1 9 h4 .ig4? 20 hxg5+ iLlh5 21 lLlce2 lLle7 22 l:th4 'ii'd7 23 l:tdh1 �g8 (D)

24 l:txg4! 'ii'xg4 25 .ib3 'it'f3 26 :n lLlxg3 27 .ie6+ 1-0 27 ...�h8 28 l:txf3 l:txf.3 29 lLlxg3 and 30 'W'h2+. Next we see an example of Botvinnik's characteristic logic and the faultless realization of his plans. Mikhail Botvinnik-Nikolai Sorokin Queen's Gambit Declined D60 d4 1 d5 ltJf3 2 lLlf6 c4 3 e6 lLlc3 4 iLlbd7 5 .ig5 .ie7 6 e3 0--0 7 .id3 c6 8 0--0 a6 a4 9 dxc4 10 .ixc4 c5 8 ... a6 is unusual nowadays, preference being given to 8 ...dxc4 9 .ixc4 c5. Black's last move was considered an error by Botvinnik in his notes at the time, and he recommended IO ...b5 instead, but this must have been a mis understanding, as it loses a pawn to I I axb5 cxb5 I2 .ixb5. Black could consider the simplifying IO ...lLld5.

11

dxc5!

A concrete plan, characteristic of Botvinnik.

White has a lead in development, so the opening of the d-file is more important than maintaining the tension by I I 'ii'e2. 11 .ixc5 Possibly recapturing with the knight was slightly better, but it is not a significant difference. 'ii'e2 12 h6 .ib4 .ie7 13 He cannot do without this move, but thereby falls further behind in development. 14 l:tfd1 iLlh5 Black justifiably thinks he has to exchange at least one piece. .ixe7 'ii'xe7 15 16 l:td2 lLlb6 17 l:tad1 'ii'c5 White bas carried out the first part of his plan, seizing the d-file. Meanwhile, Black suffers from retarded development. The attempt to remedy this by I7 ....id7 would fail to I8 lLle5 lLlf6 I9 a5 ! lLlxc4 20 .l:r.xd7! lLlxd7 2 I l:txd7 'ii'c5 (2 1 . ..'ii'e8 22 'ii'xc4) 22 lLlxc4 with material advantage. 18 .tal lLlf6 19 e4 e5 (D) Forced in view of the threat 20 e5, this leads to fresh defects in Black's position, yet if only he could get in ... .ie6 or ... .ig4, his main problems would be behind him. We have reached the critical moment of the middle game.

20

'ii'e3!

A remarkable decision. To think up such a

move is harder than working out a combination

7th Championship, Moscow 1931 of many moves. As Botvinnik commented: 'This far from obvious move is the strongest in this position. Black cannot avoid the exchange of queens, after which the drawbacks in his position become more apparent. With his backward development, Black probably cannot counter the pressure on the d-file. The e5-pawn becomes very weak. To defend it Black will have to exchange the f3-knight, after which not only does his queenside become weak, but also the f7-point. The doubling of pawns on the e file does not have any real significance.' A remarkably deep analysis of the position. 'irxe3 20 21 fxe3 i.g4 .!2Jc8 aS 22 The alternative 22 ....!2Jbd7, also anticipated by Botvinnik, is no better. After 23 h3 i.xf3 24 gxf3 .!2Jc5 25 b4 .!2Je6 26 i.xe6 fxe6 27 .!2Ja4! Black's position is grim. .l:tcl ! 23 The second open file falls into White's grasp, as he also threatens 24 .!2Jxe5. i.xf3 23 24 gxf3 .!2Je7 .!ZJdS! 25 .!2Jc6 Black has no good move in the face of the attacking pieces, but 25 ....!2Jfxd5 was a more stubborn approach. .!2Jxf6+ gxf6 26 .l:td7 .l:tab8 27 Or 27 ....!2Jxa5 28 .l:tcc7. �fl .!ZJxaS 28 Otherwise simply 29 .l:tgl + and 30 i.xt7. .l:tcc7 .l:tbc8 29 .l:txt7 .l:txc7 30 31 .l:txc7+ �h8 i.dS bS 32 After this, to add to his other woes, his knight is unable to move, but there was no good move. 32 ....!2Jc6 is met by 33 .l:txb7, and 32 ... .1:tb8 by 33 .l:tf7.

33

33 b3! .l:td8 34 �g3 The king-march into the enemy camp reinforces the impression of helplessness in Black's position. 5 34 fxe4 35 �h4 .l:td6 fxe4 36 .l:tf6 �hS 37 38 .l:td6 h3 39 .l:tb6 h4 40 �g4 Of course, White has various ways to win but before choosing the best one, he wins time for reflection, a very practical method which does not spoil the wholeness of the game. 40 .l:tf6 41 .l:ta7 .l:tb6 .l:td6 42 .l:te7 43 .l:tf6 .l:tc7 44 .l:tb6 .l:ta7 45 .l:tc7 .l:tf6 46 .l:td6 �hS 47 i.t7! His mind is made up - the bishop goes to g6 to help weave a mating net. 47 .l:tf6 47 .. //;g7 does not help in view of 48 b4! . .!2Jxb3 48 i.g6 At last the knight breaks free and Black has an extra pawn, but it is too late. 49 .l:tf8 �xh6 Black could have struggled on a little longer by 49...�g8 50 'iitg5 .z:tfl 5 1 h5. �g8 so .l:th7+ 51 .l:tg7+ 'iitb 8 i.t7 .l:txf7 52 �g8 53 .l:txf7 .!2Jd2 54 �g6 55 1-0 .l:td7 An entrancing game with its unity of strategic thought from first to last.

8th Championship Leningrad, 16 August - 9 September 1933 I

(DBotvinnik tt')\.latortsev 3 J.evenfish t4J Lisitsyn �.Rabinovich (J Rauzer :7>jChekhover II Bogatyrchuk tT)Kan !(I!)Romanovsky lt\Ryumin 12 Verlinsky 1\�Yudovich 14 Savitsky 15 Sorokin 16 Goglidze 17 Freyman 18 Zubarev 19 Duz-Khotimirsky 20 Kirillov

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HE 1 933 CONTEST was the most representative so far, as the Old Guard was fmally

Tsupplanted by the young men. As Botvinnik commented in his autobiography, it was the

custom for participants to go through the games once fmished for the benefit of the spectators. On the day Botvinnik beat Grigory Levenfish, the strongest of the pre- 1 9 1 7 masters, the veteran had resigned over the dinner break. When Botvinnik went through the game on a demonstration board, oblivious of the audience in his joy, he was watched by the other participants as well. His friend Ragozin was there and said afterwards: 'This was a creative triumph for our generation. ' Earlier in his autobiography, Botvinnik claimed that the older generation were jealous of him and showed him no signs of goodwill. Botvinnik was able to have his revenge on them later in 1 933 when Levenfish and Romanovsky criticized Botvinnik for only drawing his match with Flohr, a contest that opened up Soviet chess to the West, and secured Botvinnik an invitation to Hastings. At a public disputation, somewhat in the academic style, Botvinnik turned round to Romanovsky and reminded him that he had lost a match against Bogoljubow in 1 924 by a score of 4-8 (five losses, six draws). 'Pyotr Arseneevich' , he asked Romanovsky, ' it would seem that you played correctly then from your point o f view. What sort of shape would Soviet chess be in now if I had played against Flohr as you played against Bogoljubow?' As a footnote, one should observe that Botvinnik incorrectly stated the score in the Bogoljubow match in his autobiography Achieving the Aim. His almost total recall was so great that no reviewer pointed out the discrepancy. One incident reveals the hostility felt towards the 'upstart' : in his game with Duz-Khotimirsky, Botvinnik ended up in an inferior ending and had to defend the rook ending with two pawns against three on one side of the board. The veteran continued playing even when there remained just a rook and king each on the board. It was only an intervention from the tournament committee that put an end to play after 1 02 moves. Later, Botvinnik learned that it was the intention of Duz to torment him until move 1 50 before stopping! The moves of this long 'masterpiece' are not


35

available, as the tournament book was a very thin effort, giving only 46 games. To make up for that overly long game, Botvinnik scored a win in only 12 moves. Mikhail Botvinnik-Nikolai Sorokin Nimzo-Indian Defence E35 1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 e6 3 ltlc3 .i.b4 4 'ifc2 d5 5 cxd5 exd5 6 .i.g5 'it'd6 7 e3 ltle4 8 .i.f4 'it'g6 9 'it'b3 c5 (D) 'At this point I realized that my opponent was about to blunder away a piece.'

Chasing after the win of a pawn is suicide, but l 8 ...'it'e7 1 9 'ifc2 leaves g6 open to attack. 19 'it'c2 'it'xa4 20 b3 'it'a3 21 ltlh4 'it'e7 22 ltlxg6 �xg6 23 .i.b5+ 1-0 Botvinnik' s best game of the event was against Rauzer, a Sicilian Dragon that is widely known and often quoted. It is proof that Botvinnik's style had become more universal, so that he was happy to plunge into complications. As he commented: 'This was my first game to become widely known. It is probably my best effort from those years.' Vsevolod Rauzer-Mikhail Botvinnik Sicilian Defence B74

10 f3 ltlxc3 1 1 bxc3 .i.a5 12 .i.xb8 1-0 Yudovich suffered from a poorly-placed knight at b6, but the fmish is superb. Mikhail Botvinnik-Mikhail Yudovich Griinfeld Defence D96 1 c4 ltlf6 2 d4 g6 3 ltlc3 d5 4 ltlf3 .i.g7 5 'it'b3 c6?! 6 cxdS ltlxdS 7 .i.d2 0-0 8 e4 ltlb6? 9 l%d1 lLJsd7 10 a4 aS 1 1 .i.e3 'it'c7 12 .i.e2 'it'd6 13 ltla2 e6 14 0-0 h6 15 l%cl f5 16 ltlc3 �h7 17 l%fd1 fxe4 18 ltlxe4 'it'b4 (D)

1 e4 cS 2 ltlc6 ltlf3 cxd4 3 d4 ltlxd4 ltlf6 4 d6 ltlc3 s 6 g6 .i.e2 .i.g7 7 .i.e3 .i.e6 8 ltlb3 0-0 f4 9 The standard position of the Dragon in those days, before Rauzer developed the sharp system with .i.e3, f3 and 0-0-0, later to become known as the Yugoslav Attack. 10 0-0 Three years later the great Alekhine tried to baffle the young Botvinnik at Nottingham 1 936 by the aggressive I 0 g4, but met with worthy resistance after 1 0...d5 ! 1 1 f5 �c8 1 2 exd5 ltlb4 1 3 d6 'it'xd6 1 4 �c5 'iff4! 1 5 l:[fl 'it'xh2 1 6 �xb4 'it'g3+ 1 7 l%t2 'it'g 1 + 1 8 l:[fl with a speedy draw. 10 ltlas In reply to the attack White generally makes on the kingside, Black normally uses the c-file to prepare counterplay on the other side. He also has the alternative quiet move 1 0...'it'c8. 11 ltlxaS White has the more logical 1 1 f5, but in that case too Black maintains equality by various tactical tricks, e.g. 1 l ...�c4 1 2 ltlxa5 (12 e5?! is met by 12 ...�xe2 13 'it'xe2 dxe5 14 l%ad1 'ilc7 1 5 ltlb5 'it'c4!) 1 2 ...�xe2 1 3 'it'xe2 'it'xa5 1 4 g4 :ac8! 1 5 g5 (or 1 5 �d4 'it'b4 1 6 :ad1 'it'c4!)

36


1 5 .. .l:hc3 1 6 gxf6 .l:.xe3 1 7 Wxe3 .ltxf6 1 8 c3 .l:.c8 and in all cases Black has nothing to fear. 11 'Wxa5 12 .ltf3 Botvinnik thought 12 ._d2 preferable, but this can hardly change the satisfactory assessment of Black's position. 12 .ltc4 .l:tfd8 .l:te1 13 By his operations on the queenside Black has diverted the opponent from his plan of an attack on the other wing. 'Wc7 'ii'd2 14 Directed against a later ltJd5. 15 .l:tacl A manoeuvre which is hard to explain and which loses time. White could consider 1 5 Wt2 to get away from the 'X-ray' attack from the d8-rook and to tie down the aS rook to the defence of a7. 15 e5! b3 (D) 16 Rauzer clearly did not foresee the coming combinative storm. It was still not too late to stabilize the position in the centre by 1 6 fxe5 dxe5 1 7 Wt2, which, after 1 7 ...b6, would lead to a fairly level game.

16 d5! ! A blow at a point which i s covered four times! It is hardly possible to calculate all the consequences of this bold decision, so all the more must one admire Botvinnik's intuitive conviction that it is correct. 17 exd5 The only reply. 1 7 bxc4 is met by 1 7 ...dxe4, and 1 7 fxe5 by 17 ... ltJxe4.

e4! 17 18 bxc4 In the labyrinth of complex variations Rauzer still follows the right path. With other moves, in the opinion of many analysts, White would have great difficulties, e.g. a) 18 .ltxe4 ltJxe4 19 ltJxe4 .ltxd5 20 Wd3 'it'c6 2 1 .ltt2 .l:.e8 and White has to surrender the pawn on g2; b) 1 8 ltJxe4 ltJxd5 ! 19 �h1 ( 1 9 bxc4? ltJxe3 20 Wxe3 .ltd4) 19 ... ltJxe3 20 'Wxe3 .ltd4 2 1 'Wd2 .ltb2 (2 1 . ...lte6 22 c4 .lte5 23 'it'c2 .ltxf4 is also good) 22 'it'b4 .ltxc 1 23 ltJf6+
8th Championship, Leningrad 1933 admits he found nearly 30 years later!) Black would break up the enemy centre pawns. After 2 1 gxf3 bxc5 or 21 cxb6 axb6, Black has at least equal chances. Very interesting! Now things go well for Black. 20 ltJg4! 21 .i.d4 (D) The lesser evil was 21 ltJe4 'ifxd2 22 .i.xd2, though after 22 ....i.d4+ 23
37

21 f2+! h1 fails to 22 .. Jhd5 ! 23 ltJxd5 fl'if+ 24 l:.xfl 'ifxd2. 22 'ifa6+ 23 'ife2 Alternatives were equally hopeless: 23 'it'd3 .i.xd4 24 'ifxa6 ltJxh2+ 25 xt2 'ifxf4+, or 26 g3 l:le3 27 'ifd2 l:.ae8) 26 ...l:xe4 27 ltJxe4 'irxf4 Black wins. 25 'ifh4 26 l:e8 'ifd3 fS l:e4 27 28 l:e6 ltJxh2+
9th Championship Leningrad, 7 December 1934 - 2 January 1935 I

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(I Levenfish rr�.Rabinovich �-ilBogatyrcbuk r4' Ryumin �-)\1atortsev �isitsyn 'J :Ragozin !J)Cbekhover 9 Belavenets 1�0\Kan I_IT V.Makogonov 12 Yudovicb 13 Veresov 14 Panov 15 Mazel 16 Savitsky 17 Rauzer 18 Dubinin 19 Ilyin-Genevsky 20 Freyman

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12 12 11� II� 10� 10� 10� 10� 10 10 10 10 9 9 8� 8� 7� 7 7 4�

HE NEXT FINAL took place rather early, fmishing on January 2, I 935, so it coincided with

TBotvinnik's absence, as he was making his international debut at Hastings - the frrst Soviet

player, not counting the 'wanderer' Bogoljubow, to be allowed to play in a foreign tournament since A. Rabinovich at Baden-Baden in I925. In his absence, Grigory Levenfish came back to the fore to share frrst place with Ilya Rabinovich in the field of 20. As the birth dates of the two winners were I 889 and I89I respectively, the result was a slight check to the progress of the younger generation. Another veteran, Bogatyrchuk, born I 892, also impressed, but after him the table is occupied by the younger generation. Others of the older generation such as Freiman, born I 882, and Ilyin Genevsky were the failures of the event. The former, in particular, ruined many favourable positions. Levenfish annotated all the games for the tournament book, a Herculean task that took him so long that it did not come out until I 937. Nor was a brilliancy prize ever decided upon (the choice was too great) but this effort from the 9th round is impressive. Grigory Levenfish-llya Kan Queen's Gambit Declined D66 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

d4 c4 lLlc3 .i.g5 e3 lLlf3 .:ct

d5 e6 lLlf6 .i.e7 lLlbd7 0-0 c6

8 dxc4 .i.d3 9 .i.xc4 a6 10 a4 The Orthodox Queen's Gambit was very popular in the I 930s. In the light of later analy sis one can spot inaccuracies. Instead of I 0 a4 the move I 0 e4 is considered more promising, with the likely continuation I O ...b5 I I .i.d3 h6 ( l l ...b4?! I2 lLla4) I2 .i.f4 (I2 .i.h4? lLlxe4!) I2 ....i.b7 I3 e5 lLld5 I4 lLlxd5 cxd5 1 5 0--0 .

9th Championship, Leningrad 1934/5 b5 10 11 ..td3 ..tb7 This is a serious slip. The correct reply is considered to be l l ...bxa4 12 lDxa4 'iia5+ 1 3 lDc3 .:l.b8 1 4 'iic2 c5. 12 b4 0-0 The move indicated at the time, 12 ...h6, is hardly better. By means of 13 1.xf6!? (but not 1 3 1.h4 in view of 13 ...b4 14 lDe4? lDxe4 1 5 1.xe7 lDxf2!) 1 3 . . .lDxf6 1 4 lDe4 White would achieve a clear positional advantage. 13 lDxe4 lDe4 14 1.xe7 'iixe7 Here the zwischenzug 14 ...lDxf2 doesn't work. There comes 15 ..txh7+! �h8 ( 1 5 ...
39

24 e6!? As a result of the inaccurate 20th move by White, Black has activated his forces. If he had time to get in .....tc8-e6, all dangers would be behind him. Therefore White opens a second front and the play sharpens. 24 fxe6 25 lDc7 .:l.xe6 lDd5 26 .:l.e5 Kan has beaten off the immediate threats and consolidated to a degree, though the b7bishop is still inactive, so it is premature to speak of even chances. .:l.f4 h3 27 b3 28 Presenting Black with an outpost at c3 is undesirable, but only thus can White bring his major pieces into play. 28 .:l.df8 'iid2 h6 29 30 .:teet 30 lDe3 'iid6 gives White nothing. 30 .:l.d4 .:l.df4 31 'iic2 32 'iig6 .:1.4f6 'iih5 33 'iid4 Both sides can be satisfied with the regroup ing. White has taken the open e-file, while Black has coordinated his forces, except for the unfortunate bishop, and broken the pin of his d5-knight. lDf4 .:l.e8! 34 .:l.xf8 .:l.xf8+ 35 'iie5! 36 A strong manoeuvre underlining White's advantages. The most promising form of exploiting this would be to get into an ending

40


where the Black's pawn weaknesses are particularly vulnerable. 36 'ii'c3 (D) A clever reply. The natural 36 .. .'ifxe5 37 ltJxe5 .l:te8 would lead, after 38
tiJd6!! 37 We quote Levenfish here: 'One of the best combinations which I have managed to create. The idea of 'diverting and overloading' had occurred up to this game only in composed positions. The main variation culminates in an ending which demanded deep analysis and the value of the whole concept is enhanced by the fact that I had to take account of a counter combination.' 37 ltJxh3+! The passive retreat 37 .....ta8 is very risky as there comes 38 'ile7, threatening 39 'ii'xf8+!. 38 �h2 ltJgS! 39 ..tg4! Obviously not 39 ltJxb7 l:.xf3 ! . 39 'ii'xe5+ He has to exchange queens, since 39 ... i.a8 allows 40 f4 .l:.xf4 (40 ...'iixe5 4 1 fxe5) 41 'iie8+ �h7 42 i.f5+. l:.xe5 ..ta8 40

f4! 41 The combination continues. 41 l:.xf4 There is no choice as retreating by 4 I ...ltJt7 or 4 l . ..tiJh7 allows 42 i.e6. ..tf5! 42 Here is the key to the whole concept. The rook is cut off from defending the back rank, and the murderous 43 l:.e8+ can be prevented only by surrendering material. 42 l:.xf5 Losing control. The best defence was 42 ...g6, the main move which Levenfish had to consider in working out the combination. He had in mind 43 .l:.e8+ �g7 44 l:.xa8 gxf5 45 l:.xa6 c5 (45 ...ltJe4 46 ltJc4) 46 a5 ltJe4 47 .l:.a7+ �f6 (47 ...�g8 48 l:.a8+ �g7 49 a6! ltJxd6 50 a7) 48 ltJe8+ �e6 49 a6 .l:.fl 50 .l:.h7 .l:.al 5 1 a7 and then the intriguing fmish 5 l .. .'iti>e5 (what else?) 52 l:te7+ 'iti>f4 (52 ...�d4 53 ltJc7) 53 ltJc7 ltJt2 54 tiJd5+! �g5 55 l:tg7+ and mate in two! Obviously there are various sub-variations, but in any event, the a-pawn should decide in White's favour. Now it is a case of prosaic technique. �f7 ltJxfS 43 1-0 ltJd6+ 44 Here is another impressive combination. Grigory Levenfish-Vyacheslav Ragozin French Defence C I 6 1 e4 e6 2 d 4 d 5 3 ltJc3 ..tb4 4 e 5 ltJe7 5 ..td2 0-0 6 a3 i.a5 7 ..td3 tiJd7 8 ltJf3 f6 9 exf6 ltJxf6 10 'ii'e2 l:.e8? He had to try IO ...tiJf5 I I 0--0--0 i.b6 and then ...c5 . 11 g4 c5 12 g5 tiJhS 13 ltJeS g6 14 dxc5 ttJrs 15 0-0-0 ..txc3 16 ..txc3 'ii'xg5+ 17 �b1 ltJf4 18 'ii't3 ltJxd3 19 'ii'xd3 b6 20 l:.hg1 'ii'e7 21 c6 aS 22 'ii't3 'ii'h4 23 l:.g4 'ii'h5 24 l:.dg1 �f8 25 'ii'f4 l:.a7 26 l:.g5 'ii'h3 27 ltJxg6+ hxg6 28 _l:.xg6 'it'h7 29 'ii'g5 e5 30 i.xe5! ..te6 31 'ii'f6+ ..tf7 32 l:tg8+ 'ii'xg8 33 l:.xg8+ �xg8 34 'ii'h8# (1-0)

l Oth Championship Tbilisi, 12 April - 14 May 1937 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Levenfish Konstantinopolsky Ragozin V.Makogonov Belavenets Goglidze Lisitsyn Rauzer Yudovich Alatortsev Bondarevsky I.Rabinovich Kan Lilienthal Panov Bodo Ilyin-Genevsky Chekhover Kasparian Ebralidze

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OTVINNIK, NOW A FIGURE of world repute after his drawn match with Flohr in 1 933 and B the Moscow international tournaments of 1 935 and 1 936 as well as Nottingham 1 936, was also missing from the l Oth contest, played in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi early in 1 937. This time Levenfish, at the age of 48, won outright, by dint of winning his last two games, but note the new names like Konstantinopolsky and Bondarevsky from the Ukraine who were also to be prominent in post-war chess. Qualification was by way of the championships of Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev, as well as various other events. A third newcomer was Ebralidze, the local Georgian champion. He was involved in the strangest incident in his game with Ragozin. The latter, Black, made his time-control move 40 ...l:c7. The assumption was that after 4 1 l:xc7, 4 l .....td6+ was a legal move. It isn't, and the crowd shouted out for their man to take the rook. The tension had already got to him, for he merely waved his hand in annoyance at the audience, played 41 l:d5??, and after 4l. ..tf6 42 lDb5 l:cl+ 43 �g3 a6 44 l:d7+? �e8 45 l:c7? lost to the thematic 45 ..te5+ 0-1 . The high repute o f the Soviet Champion ships was confirmed by the growing attention Archil Ebralidze-Vyacheslav Ragozin given to them abroad. There was a tournament book produced in Spanish descriptive notation. Meanwhile, Alekhine, the 'renegade', in distant Paris, also studied the games diligently. In his match with Euwe, in which he won back the world title later in 1937, there were various ideas ••

•.•

42


used from the Soviet event, Alekhine giving due games. This is probably the best game of the Caucasus event, won by a colourful Don Cossack, who was only a first category player at the start of the event.

Vasily Panov-Igor Bondarevsky French Defence C09 e6 1 e4 dS d4 2 cS 3 li:)d2 exdS exdS 4 li:)c6 .i.bS+ s •e7+ 6 li:)gf3 ._c7 7 .i.e2 This is one of the quieter variations of the French, where White enjoys the positional plus of a piece outpost at d4 and pressure on the isolated pawn, but Black, in return, has free development and a harmonious position. li:)f6 8 0-0 The alternative is 8 ... cxd4 9 li:)b3 li:)f6 (or 9 . . . .i.d6 I O li:)bxd4 a6 I I b3 li:)ge7 I 2 .i.b2 �) I 0 li:)bxd4 .i.e7, not unlike the game. 9 .:tel More than a decade later the Finnish master BMk tried the idea of opening the centre by 9 c4 also against Bondarevsky - but after 9 ... .i.e6 I 0 dxc5 .i.xc5 1 1 li:)b3 .i.d6 achieved nothing special. .i.e6 9 .i.xcS dxcS 10 11 .i.b6 li:)b3 li:)fd4 12 A defmite slip with long-term consequences. He ought not to relinquish control over e5, while denuding his kingside, so it would be better to bring the worse-placed b3-knight to d4. 12 0-0 13 c3 li:)eS! ? Exemplary punishment for White's 12th move. Now Panov has to reckon with 14 ...li:)eg4. h3?! 14 A rather narve reaction. Panov must not have sensed the coming danger. He should obviously neutralize Black's piece activity by the forced line 14 .i.f4 li:)f3+ I 5 .i.xf3 •xf4 1 6

credit to the sources in his notes to the Euwe l:txe6 fxe6 1 7 li:)xe6 .i.xf2+ 1 8 �hi ._f5 1 9 li:)xf8 l:txf8 2 0 •e2 .i.b6 2 1 l:tdl with about equal chances. li:)c4 14 .:tae8 15 .i.d3 16 li:)e2? (D) Such an ugly move is hard to understand and even harder to justify. Possibly White en visaged a regrouping along the lines of li:)bd4, b3 and .i.f4? Yet, how could he retreat the well-placed knight which cemented his position together? He must play 1 6 ._c2 and then develop the ci -bishop. Now there comes a flash of lightning.

-

.i.xh3! ! 16 .i.f4 17 In answer to I7 gxh3 Black had prepared another blow: I 7 ... l:txe2, when both I 8 .i.xe2 ._g3+ I 9 �hi ._xh3+ 20 �gi .i.xf2+ 2 1 �f2 li:)e4+ and I 8 l:txe2 ._g3+ I 9 �hi ._xh3+ 20 �gi li:)g4 2 I .i.f4 g5! leave White helpless. 17 ..d7 18 gxh3 Taking the bait, but the only chance of salvation lay in I 8 .i.xc4 ._g4! I 9 .i.xd5 �d5 20 •xd5 l:txe2 2 I .:txe2 •xe2 22 .i.g3, although White's position is far from easy after 22 ...l:td8 23 •xb7 .i.c8 and 24.....xb2. 18 •xh3 .i.xc4 19 Forced, as I 9 ...li:)xb2 and I 9 ...li:)e5 were the threats. 19 ..g4+ 20 �n Other replies are no better: 20 �h2 (20 �h I

lOth Championship, Tbilisi 1937 'Wf3+) 20 ... 'Wh4+ 21 �g2 'Wxt2+ 22 �h3 g5 ! 23 i.xg5 (23 i.g3 g4+ 24 �h4 'Wf5 25 ltJf4 h6!) 23 ...Wf5+ 24
g2 Wxg5+ 25 ltJg3 dxc4, or 20 i.g3 .:lxe2! 2 1 .:lxe2 (2 1 'Wxe2 'Wxg3+ 22 �h1 'Wh3+ 23 �g1 ltJg4!) 2 l .. .'Wxg3+ 22 �fl 'Wh3+ 23 �e1 dxc4 24 ltJd4 ltJe4! 25 l:.xe4 'Wh 1 + 26 �d2 'Wxe4 and in all lines Black wins in fme style. 20 i.xn Black is in his element - the threat now is 2 1 ....:lxe2 ! . �xn 21 ltJe4+ 'Wf3+ 22 �n 'Wn+ �g1 23 .:le6! �h1 24 A quiet move underlining White's helpless ness.

43

i.xd5 25 Later on, analysts found a defence against mate by 25 'Wd3, but then 25 ... dxc4 26 'We3 cxb3 ! 27 axb3 l:lfe8 ! (or 27 ...'Wh4+ 28 �g2 .:lg6+ 29 ltJg3 f5) and White loses. 25 'Wf3+ .:lg6 26 �h2 i.xf7+ .:lxf7 27 'Wd8+ 28 .:lf8 29 'Wd5+ �h8 30 ltJg3 Wn+ 0-1 Mate is forced. Romanovsky commented: "Some of Bonda revsky's ideas are so fme that one feels like turning to some of our masters and saying 'That's the way to play chess! "'

Botvinnik was unable to beat Levenfish in the challenge match of October-November 1 937, which was drawn 6�-6�. five wins each. The match was for the first to win six games, with draws not counting, but at 5-5 in decisive games was to be considered drawn. Levenfish was awarded the Soviet GM title as a result and thought he had a strong case to play in the great AVRO tournament of 1 938. His hopes were dashed, and, as he commented in his autobiography, 'I wrote off my career, in international chess at least.' But his high status in Soviet chess was confirmed when he was entrusted with the task of leading a collective authorship producing a series on modem chess openings. The first volume of this valuable work came out in 1 940. The proofs for the second volume were destroyed during the long siege of Leningrad in what the Russians call the Great Patriotic War, 1 94 1 -5.

11th Championship Leningrad, 15 April - 16 May 1939 1 1 Botvinnik 2 Kotov 3 Belavenets 4 V.Makogonov 5 Chekhover 6 Bondarevsky 7 Lisitsyn 8 Dubinin 9 Levenfish 10 Ragozin 11 Panov 12 !.Rabinovich 13 Kan 14 Yudovich 15 Pogrebyssky 16 Tolush 17 Chistyakov 18 Romanovsky

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12% 1 1% 11 lOY. lOY. 10 9 8% 8% 8% 8 8 7% 7% 6% 6% 5 3%

(Note that Romanovsky withdrew ill, defaulting his last three games) OTVINNIK TOOK BACK the title in 1 939, after an absence of six years. This time his main

B opponent was Kotov, who had made great strides as a result of the disciplined private study

which he had given to the game, as described in his great work Think Like a Grandmaster. The draw worked out in such a way that the two met in the last round and the more experienced man, who had led throughout, won, as Black. All the tickets had been sold out and demonstration boards were set up outside to ease the pressure. Crowds were so great in the vicinity of the tournament hall that traffic had to be diverted - not the first time that enthusiasm for chess on the part of the man in the street was manifest. Remarkably, the tournament book came out in the same year, a superb example of topicality, and carried a seminal article by Botvinnik on how to train and counter time-trouble tendencies: you have to play training games in which the quality of play matters less than coming to a decision in line with the time allowance. This valuable article was first published in the West in the English translation of Botvinnik's best games - One Hundred Selected Games, Macgibbon & Kee Ltd, London 1 95 1 , with a later Dover reprint.

Pyotr Dubinin-Mikhail Botvinnik Ruy Lopez C90 1 e4 e5 2 ttlf3 lbc6 3 .i.bS a6 4 .i.a4 ttlf6 S 0-0 .i.e7 6 l:le1 bS 7 .i.b3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 d3 ttlas 10 .i.c2 cS 1 1 ttlbd2 Wc7 12 ttln h6 13 h3 .i.e6 14 ttle3 l:lad8 IS iLlfS? .i.xfS 16 exfS ttlc6 17 d4 ' Too late. The game opens up and the attack based on advancing g4 does not have any

chance of succeeding, while Black will have a clear plan of realizing his pawn advantage on the queenside' (Botvinnik). 17 exd4 18 cxd4 dS 19 .i.e3 l:lfe8 20 l:lcl c4 21 g4 ttle4 22 .i.bl .i.d6 23 ttlh4 .i.f4 24 ikf3 .i.gS! 25 ttlg2 .i.xe3 26 ikxe3 l:le7 27 ikf4? (D) 'A blunder, but White' s position is hopeless, since there is no defence against the many threats, such as ... ttlg5, ...l:lde8 and . . .Wb6'. .••

l ith Championship, Leningrad 1939

27 l2Jxd4 28 Wxc7 ' It is comical that White, confident that 28 ... l:r.xc7 29 �xe4 dxe4 30 l:txe4 (which wasn't very good for him anyway) has to follow, overlooked the main threat.' 28 l2Jf3+ 29 'it>n l2Jed2# (0-1) •..

•.•

The game that everyone had waited for justified expectations.

Alexander Kotov-Mikhail Botvinnik Nimzo-Indian Defence E33 lDf6 d4 1 c4 e6 2 lDc3 �b4 3 Wc2 l2Jc6 4 lDf3 d5 5 e3 0--0 6 7 a3 �xc3+ �d7 Wxc3 8 So Botvinnik's fourth and fifth moves had turned a Nimzo-Indian into a Ragozin Defence, where Black has conceded space in order to mobilize quickly. b3 9 The most elastic method of mobilizing. The tempting idea of gaining more space on the queenside by 9 b4 enables Black to use his advantage in development to seize the init iative: 9 ...a5 !? 10 b5 l2Ja7 I I a4 c6! ? 12 �a3 l:.e8 1 3 l:.b l dxc4 14 b6 lDb5 ! 1 5 axb5 cxb5, as in the game Ryumin-Ragozin, 9th Cham pionship, Leningrad 1 934. Note that 9 �d3 a5 10 b3 ( 1 0 0--0 a4!) 10 ... a4 transposes into the game. aS 9

45

Early active play on the queenside is the main theme of the Ragozin Defence. 10 �d3 An imperceptible but significant inaccuracy costing White a valuable tempo. As Black plans to exchange on c4, it was worth while waiting by 10 �b2, and if 10 ... a4, then 1 1 b4 dxc4 I2 �xc4, when White having saved a tempo can meet the thematic 12 ...l2Ja7 by 1 3 d5, a strong move opening up the game to his advantage. This energetic method of play was not found, however, until almost 30 years later in the game Donner-Taimanov, Havana I 967. 10 a4 11 lDd2 Kotov felt that he had committed an inaccuracy and hurries to bolster his queenside pawns. Yet, even if he did not like the look of I I b4 dxc4 I2 �xc4 l2Ja7 1 3 0--0 �b5 I 4 .l:te i where the chances are about equal, he certainly should not move the knight from the centre and lose more time. 11 .:te8 e5 12 0--0 Now it is obvious that Botvinnik has won the opening battle. 13 dxe5 The lack of experience of a young player in positional play becomes obvious at every move. White has fallen behind in development and opening the position does not work in his favour. Possibly Kotov hoped to activate his b2-bishop along the long dark-square diagonal, but this proves illusory. Botvinnik thought the least evil for White to be 1 3 �b2 e4 I4 �e2, though, in this case, after I4 ...l2Ja5 I 5 b4 lDxc4 I 6 l2Jxc4 dxc4 I7 �xc4 �e6 White's position is unenviable. 13 lDxe5 axb3 14 �b2 15 l2Jxb3 Possibly I 5 Wxb3, to rule out the following knight leap, was preferable. l2Je4 15 16 'ii'c2 He has to retreat, as I 6 �xe4 dxe4 would leave Black ready for direct attack on the king by I 7 ...'ji'g5 and then transferring a rook along the sixth rank to g6 or h6. l2Jxc4 16 dxc4 �xc4 17

46


IS 'ili'xc4 'iWgS! (D) Black's initiative takes on concrete form the threats are 19 . . .i..h3 and 1 9 ...i..b5.

f4 19 Obviously, such a weakening of the light squares is hard to decide upon, but 1 9 'ili'c2 i..a4! 20 llfd l lla6 is, alas, no better. 19 'ili'g6 llfdl 20 There was no time for White to pocket a pawn as compensation for his positional con cessions: 20 'ili'xc7 i..h3 2 1 'ili'c2 llac8 22 'ili'e2 �d6! would be hopeless in view of the threats 23 ... llc2 and 23 . . Jlxe3, e.g. 23 llf2 i..g4! 24 'i'el �e4 25 l:l.fl .:tc2, or 23 .:tac l .:txe3 24 l:l.xc8+ �xeS 25 'ili'd2 lld3 26 'ili'c2 'ili'xg2+. 20 �d6! 21 'ili'd3 Obviously 2 1 'ili'xc7 fails to 2 l ...i..c6. 21 .trs 22 'ili'c3 i..e4 Black has achieved his aim, seizing control of the strategically important diagonal, but in Botvinnik's opinion there was a quicker way to win: 22 ...i..h3 23 g3 (23 'ili'xg7+? 'ili'xg7 24 i..xg7 i..e6) 23 ...h5 ! . lld2 23 i..c6 24 'ili'd3 �fS 25 i..eS Forced, as 25 lle l i..e4 and then 26...�4 crashes through. 25 f6 i..xc7 26 Nothing is changed by 26 e4 �h4! . 26 llxe3 27 'i'c4+ �hS lleeS i.b6 2S

wn 29 Kotov has repulsed the direct threats, but his positional weaknesses and the disharmony of his pieces cannot be overcome. 29 h5! �xd4 �d4 30 lle4! i..xd4 31 Despite the exchange of knights, or possibly because of it, Black's pressure mounts. It is well known that in middlegames with opposite coloured bishops the side with the initiative seems to be playing with an extra piece. llel 32 Ready to part with a pawn rather than allow the enemy rooks to be doubled on the e-file. 32 llxel llxa3 'ili'xel 33 34 �hi :as In time-trouble Botvinnik misses the chance to win another pawn by 34 . :£3, probably his only slip of the game, but it makes no difference in principle. �h7 lle2 35 h3 lieS! 36 37 'ili'fl Speeding the inevitable end. After 37 'ili'd2 Black would have the fairly simple technical win by 37 ...lld8 38 'ili'e3 'ili'f5 39 �g l ! b5. 37 'ili'xg2+! 3S 'ili'xg2 llxe2 0-1 A fine example of ' light-square strategy' . .

.

Kotov's speciality as a young man was attacking play. Here is a typical example, the fine finish of his game with Yudovich.

Alexander Kotov-Mikhail Yudovich

1 1th Championship, Leningrad 1939 Exploiting the somewhat exposed position of Black's king in the middle of the board, Kotov lets loose a hail of blows. e5! 21 fxe5 The threat was 22 lbf5+!, a motif that dominates the next few moves. fxe5 22 :xeS 'ifc5 .:tcd1 ! 23 .:te4 24 'ifg3! Black could also try to defend against the threat of 25 'ilh4+ by 24 ....:th5, but then 25 lbxe6! ! wins, e.g. 25 ...�xe6 26 .:tfe l + �f6 (26....:te5 27 :Xe5+ 'ifxe5 28 c5+!) 27 .:td6+.

47

25 .:tf5! ! The study-like theme o f interference. The rest is all forced. 25 exf5 lbxf5+! �f6 26 Or 26 ...'ifxf5 27 'ifd6#. .:td6+ �xf5 27 28 'iff3+ :r4 29 �e4 'ifh5+ 30 �e3 i.c2+ 31 .:td3+ Black resigned (1--0) in view of the forced mate in two.

12th Championship Moscow, 5 September - 3 October 1940 1 Bondarevsky 2 Lilienthal 3 Smyslov 4 Keres 5 Boleslavsky 6 Botvinnik 7 Veresov 8 Dubinin 9 V.Makogonov 10 Petrov 1 1 Lisitsyn 12 Ragozin 13 Konstantinopolsky 14 Mikenas 15 Panov 16 Stolberg 17 Gerstenfeld 18 Kotov 19 Levenfish 20 Rudakovsky

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HE YEAR OF 1 940 saw yet another championship, so it looked as if annual contests were

Tnow planned. There were new men in contention. The USSR had expanded its territory in

1 939-40, gobbling up the Baltic states in its role as an ally of Hitler's Germany. This meant Keres from Estonia was eligible, as well as Petrov from Latvia, who had tied for frrst place with Flohr and Reshevsky at Kemeri 1 937, half a point ahead of Alekhine and Keres. There was also Mikenas from Lithuania and even a Pole, Gerstenfeld from Lvov, which had now been taken over in the partition of Poland by the USSR and Nazi Germany. Lilienthal was playing as a Soviet citizen, having been given citizenship in 1 939, though he had taken part in 1 937 too. Born in a Hungarian family in Moscow in 191 1 , and still alive as I write these lines in early 1 997, he lived in Hungary from 1 9 1 3 until returning to the USSR in 1 935. Only Botvinnik and Keres were exempt to the fmal, the other fmalists having to play in qualifying events, but neither of the two world stars was in good form, as the Don Cossack, Igor Bondarevsky (1 905-79) and Lilienthal defeated Botvinnik who, nevertheless, had led at the halfway stage. These two comparative newcomers headed the table. Smyslov became a prize-winner for the first time, and Keres had the consolation of taking the Brilliancy Prize in one of his devastating short games that led many to believe that he was the natural heir of Alekhine. Note that the game is not given in the autobiographical games collection of Keres in Russian (Sto Partii, Moscow 1 966), presumably for censorship reasons. Petrov was denounced to the secret police during the war for derogatory remarks about conditions in Soviet Latvia and was then liquidated in the Gulag. As a result, he became, for decades, a non-person in Soviet sources.

' Paul Keres-Vladimir Petrov Falkbeer Countergambit C32

1 2 3

e4 f4 exdS

eS dS e4

12th Championship, Moscow 1940 d3 4 �f6 �d2 5 A new move at that time, compared to 5 �c3, 5 'iie2 or 5 dxe4. Keres was adept at springing such surprises. S exd3 After the game, some experts came to the hasty conclusion that White's new line could be refuted by 5 ... e3 6 �c4 �xd5, but this is not so. There comes 7 'it'f3 ! i.e7 8 �xe3 �xe3 9 i.xe3 0--0 10 'it'f2! and then 1 1 �f3 with positional advantage. i.xd3 6 'iixd5 An inaccuracy, though not a significant one. Later analyses showed that 6 ...�xd5 is best for Black, and leads to equal chances after 7 'iif3 �c6 8 a3 i.c5 9 �e2 0--0 10 �b3 i.e7. 7 �gf3 i.cS?! Here is the really serious mistake. Correct is 7 ...�c6 8 'iie2+ i.e7 9 0--0 (Keres recom mended 9 �e5!?) 9 ...0--0 10 �b3 i.g4 striving for harmonious development. 7 ...i.g4 is also possible. 'iie2+ 8 This check is very awkward for Black. 8 'iie6 �e5! 9 It becomes clear that Petrov has not coped with the problems of the opening: he has conceded the centre and lags behind in development. 9 0--0 �e4! 10 It is instructive how energetically Keres exploits the advantages of his position, soon concentrating all the power of his pieces on the enemy king. 10 �xe4 11 'iixe4 g6 1 1 ...f5 would make little difference after 12 'iie2. i.e7 b4! 12 i.f6 i.b2 13 Trying to barricade the long diagonal. The dangers facing Black can be shown by the following fme variation: 1 3 ... �c6 14 0-0-0 �xb4 1 5 i.c4 'it'f5 (or l 5 ... 'iib6 16 �xt7 l:.xt7 1 7 l:.d8+! i.xd8 1 8 'iie8#) 1 6 �g4 ! ! 'iixg4 (16 ...'iixe4 17 �h6#) 17 'iie5 and mate is inevitable. �c6 0-0-0! 14

49

Obviously Black cannot spare the time to capture a pawn. After l 4 ...'iixa2 1 5 i.c4 (or 1 5 h4 'iie6 1 6 h5 at once) 1 5 ...'it'a4 1 6 i.b3 'iie8 17 h4 it is impossible to counter the growing attack. 15 h4 hS Probably the last chance to make White's task difficult was 1 5 ...i.xe5 1 6 fxe5 Wg4, since now events move on at lightning pace. i.xeS 16 g4! It is clear that 16 ...hxg4 is met by the crushing 17 h5 ! . 'iixg4 17 fxeS 18 'iie3! �xb4 Other replies are not superior: 1 8 ...i.e6 19 l:dg 1 , or 18 ...'iie6 1 9 'iih6 �xeS 20 i.c4!. 19 �dS e6 There was nothing better: a) 1 9...i.xe6 20 'iih6 �xd3+ 2 1 cxd3 f6 22 l:.hg 1 ; b) 1 9...�xd3+ 20 cxd3 fxe6 2 1 Adfl ! (2 1 l:.hg1 'iif4) 2 1 ...l:lf5 22 l:lhg1 and Black loses. 20 exf7+ l:.xf7 (D) Or 20 ...�h7 2 1 i.xg6+ Wxg6 22 l:.xd5 .

21 i.c4!! Such moves stick in the mind for a long time. If 2 l ...�xe3, then 22 l:.d8+ �h7 23 l:.h8#, or 2 1 ...'iixc4 22 'iie8+ l:.f8 23 'iixg6#. 21 c6 'iixc4 22 l:.xd5! 1-0 23 'i'e8+ A superb victory. Bondarevsky's fmish against Lisitsyn showed his energetic attacking powers. White uses the active placing of his pieces for a breakthrough.

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The Soviet Championships In both cases White wins - a surprising variety of combinative themes! 24 ..txf6! Wxf6 A sad choice. If 24 .....txf6, then 25 l:txd5 wins, and 24 ...tbxf6 loses to 25 tbxf6+. 25 tbxf6+ tbxf6 26 ..txd5+ tbxd5 27 .l:txd4 cxd4 28 Wxd4 .l:td8 Here, one could already ring down the curtain, but play continued. 29 h4 �f7 30 h5 .l:td7 31 g4 tbf6 32 Wf4 �g7 33 h6+ 1-0

Igor Bondarevsky-Georgy Lisitsyn 15 d5! exd5 16 cxd5 ..tf6 Obviously he could not take the pawn due to the deadly pin on the d-file: 16 .....txd5 1 7 .:tad I . 17 .l:txe8+ Wxe8 18 .:tel Wf8 Hoping to simplify further by 19 ....l:te8, but as this proves impracticable he should try 1 8 .. .'ii'd8 at once. 19 Wa4! An unpleasant move for Black to have to meet, as it underlines the disharmony of his pieces. 19 ... Wd8 20 tbd2! The knight aims to reach d6, crowning White's piece pressure. How can this be stopped? 20...g5 A desperate remedy in a position where there was no defence. 21 tbe4!! Logical and elegant, ready to meet 2 l ...gxf4 by 22 Wxd7! ..ta6 23 tbxf6+ 'ifxf6 24 d6! . 2I.....txd5 Hoping for 22 Wxd7 ..txe4, but... 22 .l:td1 ..td4 There is nothing better. 23 ..txg5 f6 Black cannot avoid material loss. Bondarevsky's foresight is shown by these variations: a) 23 ...We8 24 tbd6! We6 25 ..txd5 Wxd5 26 Wxd7 Wxg5 27 Wxf7+ �h8 28 Wb7 ! ; b) 2 3 ...Wc7 2 4 .l:txd4 cxd4 25 Wxd7 Wxd7 26 ltlf6+ �g7 27 ltlxd7 ..txg2 28 �g2 �g6 29 ..tf4 f6 {otherwise 30 tbe5+) 30 lbb8.

Bondarevsky failed to take the title outright due to his last-round loss to Andrei Lilienthal. We take up this game after 29 moves.

Andrei Lilienthal-lgor Bondarevsky White has a slightly superior pawn forma tion and his knight, in a semi-closed position, has better prospects than the bishop. However, Black's position does not look anything to worry about. All the more instructive, then, is the way Lilienthal undermines the supports of Black's position. He starts by opening the h file for his rook. 30 h4! h6 31 hxg5 hxg5 32 .l:th1 .l:te8 33 �d2 This multi-purpose move is the prelude to a deeply thought-out regrouping of forces. White not only steps out of a discovered check, but frees e3 for his knight, while the king gets ready for the march to b4. 33.....td7 34 .l:th6 .l:tf8 35 tbe1 ! �e7 36 tbc2 .l:tf7 37 tbe3 ..te6 Black can merely await the outcome. 38 �c3! �d6 39 �b4 ..td7 40 tbfS+! The regrouping is completed and White can

51

12th Championship, Moscow 1940 proceed to concrete operations. 40 �c7 Black has to make fresh concessions, as af ter 40 ...�xf5 4 1 gxf5 �c6 42 a4 �c7 43 �b5 he would be in zugzwang and lose quickly. 41 a4 �e6 Black's helplessness is shown by the amusing alternative 4 l ...�c6 42 b3 �c7 43 l:.g6 �c6 44 lbh6! :rs 45 llJg8. 42 liJg3! �d7 43 liJhS! fS 44 liJf6! The knight is everywhere. 44 fxg4 45 llJxdS+ �b8 46 fxg4 �xg4 47

llJxb6 :a The dangers hanging over Black are shown by the variation 47 ...l:.g7 48 l:.h8+ �c7 49 �c5. 48 b3 �d1 49 dS! �c7 SO aS! Tightening the ring round the enemy king. so l:.dl s1 l:.h7+ �bs s2 d6! The pawn cannot be taken (52 .. J:lxd6 53 l:.h8+ and mates by l:.a8 or l:.c8) or stopped. S2 l:.d4+ 53 �cs l:.h4 54 d7! �c7 ss d8'W'+ 1--0 The bishop is lost after 55 ... �d8 56 l:.d7+.

••.

.•.

.•.

•.•

Botvinnik refused to accept the demotion implicit in his shared 5th place with debutant Boleslavsky. He complained that the event had been played under very noisy conditions in a venue whose excellent acoustics intensified the hubbub from the audience. He also claimed to have been troubled by the smokers in the event. Nor did the result settle the question of which Soviet player should challenge Alekhine for the world title. A new sports official, Snegiryov, worked diligently behind the scenes to undermine the original decision to have a match for the title between Bon darevsky and Lilienthal. As a result, it was announced in February 1 94 1 that a new title 'Absolute Champion of the USSR' was being set up and would be contested in Leningrad and Moscow as a match-tournament of the top six. In fact, the 'Absolute Championship' was to be a one-off, never to be played again. The 20-round contest, beginning March 23rd in Leningrad, proved to be a triumph for Botvinnik, who defeated his main rival Keres as early as the third round in a prepared line. Playing conditions were excellent, since Snegiryov arranged to have a militia man (i.e. a member of the Soviet police) posted in the aisle, and one over-exuberant fan was actually expelled from the hall and fmed for his 'hooliganism' . Moreover, in the Leningrad half of the contest, all the seats were provided with headphones and Levenfish gave a running commentary to keep the audience from distracting the players. There is an excellent book on this match-tournament: Championship Chess, published in Moscow in 1947 and in London in 1 950. Botvinnik thought it contained his fmest annotations. 2

1 1 2 3 4 5 6

Botvinnik Keres Smyslov Boleslavsky Lilienthal Bondarevsky

•

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'Man proposes and God disposes.' Only two months after Botvinnik's success, his dreams of challenging Alekhine were shattered when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union and made swift progress, almost reaching Moscow before 'General Winter' and aid from the West turned the tables.

13th Championship Moscow, 21 May - 1 7 June 1944 I

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10 1 1 12 13 14

I Botvinnik

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2 Smyslov 3 Boleslavsky 4 Flohr

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S Makogonov

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Mikenas Tolush Veresov Lilienthal Sokolsky Kotov Lisitsyn Ragozin Khavin IS Bronstein 16 Alatortsev 17 Ravinsky

I y. 0 0 0 0 1 Y2 0 0 0 Y2 y. y, 0

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HE NEXT CONTEST, the 1 3th, in 1944, as the Red Army was winning the war in the East, Tsaw Botvinnik resume his dominance, despite a loss to the young Bronstein. Keres had been

involved in tournaments in Nazi-occupied Europe and Franco's Spain and so was absent; indeed his future was in doubt. Botvinnik was in excellent form after his 1 94 1 evacuation from Leningrad to the Urals, where six people had to live in one room. Now he had a Moscow flat with two rooms for himself, his wife Gayane (an Armenian ballet dancer) and his daughter Olga. So, it was farewell to his native Leningrad. The tournament, in the prestigious House of Unions where the Botvinnik-Flohr match of 1 933 had been contested, was preceded by three semi-fmals, at Omsk, Baku and Moscow. Many in the audience were in military uniform, and Tolush and Veresov actually played in uniform. Flohr made his debut, having taken Soviet citizenship in 1 940, and a certain young man, David Bronstein, also appeared in the final for the first time and took the scalp of Botvinnik. As Bronstein recalls in his recent autobiography, they met in the fourth round and Botvinnik resigned after 64 moves, while Bronstein was away from the board getting a cup of tea, which seems a breach of etiquette. Only Botvinnik and Smyslov were exempt from qualification and the younger man led after seven rounds when he had to meet Botvinnik, an experience he was to repeat many times in the next two decades.

Vasily Smyslov-Mikhail Botvinnik French Defence C 1 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

e4 d4 ltlc3 e5 a3 bxc3 a4

e6 d5 .ib4 c5 .ixc3+ ltle7 ltlbc6

ltlf3 'i'a5 8 .id2 c4 9 An opening duel, since Smyslov had stated that he thought Black's opening variation inferior. Removing the tension in the centre, Botvinnik sets up separate spheres of influence. Black presses on the queenside where White has pawn weaknesses. The kingside, due to the advanced e-pawn, is clearly in White's power. In such double-edged positions, the player who

13th Championship, Moscow 1944 realizes his trumps first decides the game in his favour. Note, however, that the modem treatment is the more elastic 9 ....ltd7 followed by ... 0-0-0 and an eventual undermining of the centre by ... f6. 10 ltlg5 A temperamental reaction. Smyslov goes for immediate activation of his forces. The more restrained I 0 g3 .l\.d7 I I .ltg2 0--0--0 1 2 0--0 is also possible. 10 h6 Although in principle one should not move pawns in the area where the opponent has the initiative, it was risky to leave the knight near to the king. 11 ltlh3 ltlg6 An important move to take the sting out of White's planned ltlh3-f4-h5. 'it'f3 12 Logical, but probably too straightforward. It would be more cunning to play 12 .lte2 .i.d7 1 3 .lth5 and if 1 3 ... ltlce7, then 14 'ii'h l con trolling much of the board. 12 .i.d7 ltlf4 13 ltlxf4 Wxf4 14 ltle7 h4 15 .ltxa4 h5 16 The tension initiated by White's 1 2th move reaches its zenith. Black has won a weak pawn, but White has his chances too with a concrete initiative on the kingside. 16 'ii'b 5! A strong move. The threat of 1 7 ... .ltxc2 distracts White from his planned kingside operations and lets Black gain the time for a useful regrouping of his forces. �d1 l:.c8 17 .ltc1 l:.c6 18 .lte2 19 While White's previous move fits in with his plans, since the move .lta3 may prove strong, the text-move is not so logical. 1 9 g4! is preferable, fitting in as it does with his attack, and then if 1 9...l:.a6 the answer 20 l:.a2 would involve no concessions. 19 l:.a6! 20 �d2 (D) 0--0?! Botvinnik, perhaps lulled into a false sense of security by the last few moves, loses his sense of danger. He felt it was time to open up

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the game and begin decisive operations. Yet moving the king towards the weakly defended flank from the centre where there was no particular danger is shown to be wrong. As Botvinnik himself observed, it was right for him to play for simplification by 20 ...'ii'd7, followed by 2 l .....ib5, or by 20 ...'ii'b6 and then 2 l .....id7.

21 f6 g4 Forced, as otherwise comes 22 g5, but now White's main attacking piece, the queen, gains its freedom. l:.xf6 22 exf6 23 Wc7 There is the Russian saying 'One man in the field is not a warrior', but the queen on her own unexpectedly exploits the split looseness of Black's forces, thus seizing the initiative. 23 .:tf7 Of course, it was possible to nip White's activity in the bud by 23 ...'ii'd7, but then 24 'ii'xd7 .ltxd7 25 .:r.xa6 bxa6 26 coPe3 would leave no trace of advantage for Black and such an outcome does not suit Botvinnik for the moment. �h7 24 'ii'd8+ f4! 25 Suddenly White's fast-growing initiative takes concrete form with the threat 26 g5, while the f4-pawn cannot be taken. 25 'ii'aS Playing with fire. As Botvinnik admitted, he realized that 25 ...'ii'd7 with a transposition to an equal ending was objectively correct, but the lust for battle dictated another choice. ltlc6 'ii'b8 26 27 'ii'e8

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White manoeuvres cleverly, all the time threatening g4-g5. 27 l:e7 The tempting 27 ...:xf4 fails to 28 g5 hxg5 (28 ...l:xd4+ 29 .i.d3+!) 29 'i'g6+ �g8 30 l:txa4 ! 'i'xa4 3 1 h6. 28 'i'g6+? How can one desist from this check?! You drive the king and gain time for the attack, yet the move changes the flow of the game ... and in Black's favour. The queen turns out to lose all mobility, whereas the continued play along the 8th rank by 28 'i'f8 ! would force Black into 28 ...'i'd8 when 29 'i'xd8 �d8 30 g5 ! would give White the better of it despite being a pawn down, as Black's pieces are badly placed. 28 �g8 29 .i.a3 (D) Botvinnik considered that the only move to free the queen was 29 g5, but then how does White meet 29 ...ltJxd4? If 30 gxh6 then 30...�e2 is a simple reply, or 30 l:r.xa4 'i'xa4 3 1 cxd4 'i'b4+ is very unpleasant for White. In short, White is in a bad way.

29 eS?! This looks very strong, but is a mistake. In decisive games one often fmds not only keen play, but also nervous, impulsive decisions. Just as Smyslov went wrong with 28 'i'g6+, so too Botvinnik cannot control his desire to bring his a6-rook into the attack on the enemy queen, and could have lost all his advantage. In a calmer situation he would surely have found 29 ...'i'c7! 30 l:[hfl (what else?) and now 30 ...ltJb4 ! , leaving White no defence against ....i.e8. 30 fxeS?!

An 'exchange of courtesies', after which Botvinnik's calculations are justified. He had to play 30 dxe5, after which the line similar to the game (30 .ltJd4 3 1 .i.b4, etc.) would leave White with a pawn at f4, which would greatly change the situation. ltJxd4 30 .i.b4 31 'i'd8 bxa6 32 'i'xa6 l:b7! cxd4 33 This move and the next are strong because of the absence of the pawn at f4. 'ii'gS+ 34 l:xa4 aS 35 �d1 l:xb4 36 .i.f3 �f8 37 .i.xd5+ �e8 38 l:fl+ �e7 39 .i.c6+ 'ifxg4+ 40 l:xb4 41 0-1 �e1 White's 4 1 st move was sealed, but he re signed without resumption. A truly fluctuating encounter. A fine finish came in another 'French' game, Lilienthal versus Ragozin. ..

Andrei Lilienthal-Vyacheslav Ragozin Black's position looks to give cause for concern, but there is a clever way for him to seize the initiative. 23 ... ltJcS! 24 dxcS To allow the knight to e4 was a grim prospect, but 24 l:t2 ltJe4 25 l:e2 was probably the lesser evil, for now Black's pieces gain destructive force. 24...d4+ 25 l:f3 f6! 26 e6 'ifeS! 27 .Jlg4 fS 28 .i.h3 'i'e2 29 .i.f4+ �a8 30 l:afl l:g4! 0--1


55

Botvinnik recalls that the prizes were announced as money prizes, but when he reached the podium at the closing ceremony he saw a table clock which was to be the 'new' first prize. He regarded this as an insult to the players, and warned officials not to offer it to him, as in that case he would refuse it publicly, causing a scandal. In fact, he received his prize money some six months later, after leaving hospital where he had his appendix removed.

14th Championship Moscow, 1 June 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Botvinnik Boleslavsky Bronstein Bondarevsky Konstantinopolsky Kotov Lilienthal Ragozin Rudakovsky Chekhover Smyslov Alatortsev Tolush Koblencs Romanovsky Ratner Kan Goldberg

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3 July 1945

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10 1 1 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

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•

15 12 10 9% 9% 9% 9 9 9 8% 8% 7% 7% 7 6% 6 5 4

HE CHAMPIONSHIP of 1 945 also saw Botvinnik dominate, in even more decisive fashion,

Twith a fmal margin of three points between him and second-placed Boleslavsky, who was

himself two points ahead of Bronstein, his close friend and Ukrainian colleague. This time Flohr, who withdrew ill after three rounds, was amongst those exempt, the others being Botvinnik, Smyslov, Lilienthal and Bondarevsky. Some players such as Keres were excluded due to an ordinance, not revealed to a wider audience until decades later, that no one could take part who had been in enemy-occupied territory during the war (part of a spy-mania?). It was a great event in more ways than one. The prizes were: I 0,000 roubles, 6,000 roubles, 4,000 roubles and three prizes of 2,000 roubles. On later occasions the size of the prizes was not stated. Moreover, Lilienthal received two special prizes, one for the best score, three and a half, against the top six, and one for the best score in the last five rounds - 4Y2 points. Bronstein, who was described as coming from Stalingrad on the Volga, won a game against Rudakovsky which appeard to cast some doubt on the validity of Alekhine's Defence. Bronstein also essayed the King's Gambit three times, beating Kan, Koblencs and Alatortsev. Botvinnik's great margin of victory here led to more pressure for him to challenge for the world title. However, there was resistance from Vainshtein, a mathematician who had been Beria's right hand man in aircraft production during the war and had been in charge of Soviet chess at this time. The ideological implications of a match with the 'renegade' Alekhine can be imagined. Tolush played an opening which is all the rage nowadays, but lost to inspired pawn sacrifices in a real hand-to-hand battle.

Alexander Tolush-Igor Bondarevsky Trompowsky Attack A45

1 d4 lbf6 2 .tgs cS 3 dxcS lbe4 4 .tf4 lbc6 S ifdS fS 6 it'xfS dS 7 it'hS+ g6 8 ifh4 lbd4 9 .tes Or 9 lDa3? lbf5 with no good square for the queen. 9 lbxc2+ 10 'it>dl lbxal 1 1 .txh8 it'aS 12 lbc3 lbxc3+ 13 .txc3 ifxa2 14 e3 ifbl+ IS ..•

14th Championship, Moscow 1945 �e2 d4! (D) The point of this is seen later. The tempting 1 5 ...i.d7 does not work: 1 6 liJh3 ! i.b5+ and now 1 7 �f3 i.xfl 1 8 .l:txfl •xfl 1 9 ,.a4+
16 •xd4 The only move. 1 6 i.xd4 or 1 6 exd4 loses to 1 6 ...i.d7. 16... i.d7! 17 .b4 Here is the point of Black' s idea. Now that the d-file is opened the mobilization of the kingside by 17 ltlh3 fails to 1 7 .. 0--{)....() 1 8 � •d1+! 19 �xd1 i.g4+ mating, so White can not co-ordinate his forces. 17 0-0--0 18 f4 Here too there was a threat of 1 8 ...•d1+. 18 ...ltlc2 19 •as •c1 ! 20 i.d4 20 i.d2 does not help in view of 20 ...i.b5+ 2 1 •xb5 •xd2+ 22 �f3 •xe3+ 23 �g4 h5+. 20...ltlxd4+ 21 exd4 •xb2+ 22 �fJ •xd4 23 ltle2 i.c6+ 24 �g4 h5+ 25 �h4 •r6+ 26 �g3 e5 0-1 Tolush was a colourful figure, whose slogan was 'Forward, into battle' . It is hard to think of another player who so opposed compromises and played only for a win. He probably won more awards for brilliancy than prizes for his tournament results. He was particularly famed for his penetration to the g7-square, as in this effort, which relegated Botvinnik to second place in the brilliancy awards. .

•..

Alexander Tolush-Alexander Kotov Sicilian Defence B80 1 2

e4 ltlfJ

c5 e6

57

3 d4 cxd4 4 ltlf6 ltlxd4 5 ltlc3 d6 6 g3 Tolush was not a great openings expert and his choice here allows White to defer the crux of the battle until the middlegame. 6 ltlc6 7 i.g2 i.d7 8 ltlde2 8 � i.e7 9 ltlce2 looks more natural as it maintains the central position, but the text has its logic, retaining pieces for a kingside attack. Watch this piece! 8 a6 9 0-0 b5 10 a3 •c7 11 h3 i.e7 12 �h1 0-0 13 g4 Now the strategy of both sides is clear. White plans a pawn-storm, whereas Black pins his hopes on typical Sicilian counterplay on the other side. 13 �h8 It is hardly a good idea to free g8 for the knight, since the sequel shows it is not well placed there. Preferable is 13 ...l:.fd8 and then the retreat . . .ltle8 when driven by g4-g5. b4 14 ltlg3 15 axb4 ltlxb4 ltlg8 16 g5 i.c6 17 f4 Yet another faulty idea, allowing White to carry out a favourable regrouping. 1 7 ...J:r.ac8 to tie the c3-knight to its current post was right, aiming for a later ...d6-d5. 18 ltlce2! i.b5 The threat was 19 c3 . 19 i.d2! d5 Obviously 19 ...ltlxc2 fails to 20 .l:tc I l:.ac8 21 i.c3 ltle3 22 •d4. Black has got in his central thrust, but the timing is bad. i.c3 20 This is the whole point, as g7 becomes the target of White's pieces in best Tolush style. 20 dxe4 21 ltlh5! f6 (D) 22 ltlxg7!! A superbly prepared strike. The knight sacrifice gives White an overwhelming attack,

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though it was impossible to calculate the many complex variations, but the strength of an attacking player lies in his feeling for the possibilities of a position.

22 ..t.xe2 No better is the intermediate 22 ....l:lad8. After 23 lL!d4 .l:lxd4 (or 23 ... ..t.xfl 24 'ii'xfl and a later lL!xe6) 24 'ii'xd4 ..t.xfl (24...�g7 is strongly met by 25 .l:lg l !) 25 lL!xe6 ..t.xg2+ 26 �g2 'ii'b8 27 lL!xf8 'ii'xf8 28 'ii'xe4, once again with a win. We also quote Tolush himself: ' White's task would have been more complicated after 22 ... �g7, as great accuracy is called for in con ducting the attack. The sequel could be 23 lL!d4 ..t.c4 24 ..t.xe4 with the threat of 25 'ii'h 5, leaving Black no satisfactory defence. For example there is the fine finish 24 ...�h8 25 'ii'h5 ..t.c5 26 gxf6 ..t.d5 27 f7 ! ! lL!f6 (27 ... ..t.xe4+ 28 lL!f3+) 28 'ii'xh7+ lL!xh7 29 lL!xe6+ mating. So, Black would have to seek salvation in playing the king to f8: 24....l:lfd8 25 'ii'h5 'itf8, but even here there is no safety, for by 26 .l:lgl and then opening the g-file White would force a win.' A truly inexhaustible range of possibilities! 23 'ii'xe2 �xg7 24 ..t.xe4 lL!dS 25 'ii'h5 .l:lfd8 If 25 ... .l:lf7, then Tolush had ready 26 g6! hxg6 27 'ii'xg6+ �f8 28 .l:lgl .

26 .l:lgl ! Tolush in his element. The tempting 26 'ii'xh7+ �f8 would let Black hold out. 26 ..t.cs There was no longer any defence. 26 ...�f8 is met by the elegant 27 g6! , and 26 ...lL!xc3 would allow mate by 27 gxf6++ �f8 (27 ...�f6 28 'ii'xh7) 28 .l:lxg8+ �g8 29 .l:lg1 + �f8 30 'ii'xh7 �e8 3 1 fxe7 (or 3 1 .l:lg8+) 3 l ...'ii'xe7 32 ..t.c6+ .l:ld7 33 .l:lg8+. �f8 27 gxf6+ 28 .l:lxg8+ There was a prosaic win by 28 l:lg7 lL!gxf6 (or 28 ... .l:ld7 29 .txd5 exd5 30 .l:lag 1 ! .txg1 3 1 .tb4+ .tcS 32 .txc5+ 'ii'xc5 3 3 .l:lxd7) 29 .txf6 lL!xf6 30 .l:lxc7 lL!xhS 3 1 .txa8, but when he could force victory 'with a bang', no alternative was possible for Tolush. 28 �xg8 29 .txh7+ �f8 29...'ii'xh7 30 f7+ 'ii'xf7 3 1 'ii'h8#. 30 'ii'g6 lL!xf6 Or 30 ...'ii'f7 3 1 'ii'h6+ 'ii>e 8 32 .tg6. 31 'ii'f7 'ii'xf6+ White's task is easier after 3 l ...'�e8 32 'ii'xe6+. �e7 'ii'h6+ 32 �d7 33 'ii'g5+ If 33 ... �d6, then 34 .l:ld1 + �c6 35 .te4+ �b6 36 .ta5+! . 'ii'xh7 34 'ii'xc5 �e8 35 .l:ldl+ 'ii'c6+ �f8 36 �f7 ..t.b4+ 37 �g6 38 'ii'c7+ �h6 39 f5+! Or 39 ...exf5 40 .l:lg1 + �h6 41 'ii'f4+. 40 'ii'f4+ �g7 1-0 41 'ii'gS+ Kotov resigned in view of mate after 4 l ...�f7 42 'ii'e7+ and 43 .l:lg1+. An impressive rout, which, despite the ban on audience noise, was greeted with long stormy applause.

There was a 1 948 book in Spanish on this event, published by Lachaga in Buenos Aires. Chess was greatly encouraged in Argentina in the Peron era, but note that the book, with annotations by Albert Becker, came out in a limited edition of only 325 copies, of which I (B.C.) possess Number 1 70.

1 5th Championship Leningrad, 2 February - 8 March 1947 1 Keres I q)Boleslavsky I (!)Bondarevsky 4 Smyslov 5 Tolush ·I ® Bronstein VLilienthal 8.JFlohr -1 �- Ragozin 10 Kasparian 11 Levenfish 12 V.Makogonov 13 Kan 14 Ufimtsev 15 Yudovich 16 Alatortsev 17 Aronin 18 Goldenov 19 Dubinin 20 Klaman

-

•

.

•

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14 13 12 12 llYz 11 10Yz 10Yz 1 10 1 9 0 9 1 9 Y:z 8 1 8 1 8 Y:z 7Yz l 7 0 7 1 6Yz • Y:z Y:z • 6Yz

HERE WAS NO CONTEST in 1 946, largely due to players being busy with Groningen, the T Moscow-Prague match, the UK-USSR radio match and the over-the-board match with the USA in Moscow in September. In 1 947 Keres was back ('rehabilitated' to use a Soviet term) and Botvinnik was absent as a sign of his displeasure over the lack of good faith by the Soviet authorities in negotiating for a World Championship match-tournament. Alekhine's death in 1 946 had left the throne vacant, but Zhdanov' s hostile speech in September 1 946, stating that Soviet culture was superior to that of the West, muddied the waters. Stalin's right-hand man called for an offensive against the West in cultural matters. Agreement could not be reached with the Soviet authorities, so FIDE had to cancel the event scheduled for 1 947. Keres, on his return from disfavour, took his opportunity to come good, leading throughout to have a point margin over Boleslavsky at the end of the 19-round contest. Once again the prize for the brilliancy went to Tolush.

Alexander Tolush-Vladimir Alatortsev Semi-Slav Defence 046 1 2 3 4 5 6

d4 c4 lbf3 lbc3 e3 ..td3

d5 c6 lbf6 e6 lbbd7 ..tb4

A popular alternative in those years to the Meran Variation (6 ...dxc4 7 ..txc4 b5). Black plays for enhanced piece pressure on the centre and quick mobilization of his kingside. 0-0 7 0-0 8 'ii'c2 8 a3 ..td6 9 e4 is possible, but Tolush always preferred piece play. dxc4 8 Apparently Black feared the harmonious development of 9 b3, 10 ..tb2 and 1 1 .:lad1 , so he hurries to diminish the pawn tension. Yet

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this is a defmite concession. i.xc4 9 i.d6 Now essential to anticipate White's e4-e5 by ...e6-e5. 10 i.d3 Avoiding clarification in the centre by I 0 e4 e5 1 1 dxe5 lbxe5 12 lbxe5 i.xe5, although practice shows that this gives White a useful initiative. Nowadays the tendency is to play 10 :dt . 'ile7 10 A stereotyped move whose drawbacks Tolush soon underlines. I O ...e5 at once was logical. 11 eS lbe2!? 12 lbg3 The whole point. The awkward threat of 1 3 lbf5 forces Black to weaken his kingside - just what Tolush wants. 12 g6 13 i.d2 :e8 exd4 14 e4 :ae1 ! 15 An important zwischenzug. The threat of 1 6 e 5 enables White decisively to seize the initiative. 15 lbeS The lesser evil was probably 1 5 ...'ilf8 as White now drives matters home in forceful style. lbxeS i.xeS 16 i.c7 17 f4 eS lbdS (D) 18

i.xeS 19 No choice... f6 20 fxg6 Obviously 20 ...hxg6 meets with 2 1 i.xg6 and a rout. i.h6! 21 Tolush is unstoppable in attack. The deadly threat is 22 g7, whereas 22 gxh7+ �h8 would let Black still resist. 21 lbe3 dxe3 :xe3! 22 fS 23 g7 There is no other defence. 24 lbxfS! The only way. 24 i.c4+ is tempting, but after 24 ... i.e6 25 lbxf5 'ild7 26 i.xe6+ :xe6 27 lbe7+ 'ilxe7 28 :f8+ :Xf8 29 gxf8'il+ 'ilxf8 30 i.xf8 e2 White loses. 24 i.xfS Forced - 24...'ilc7 25 lbe7+! 'ilxe7 26 i.xh7#. 25 :xes! i.xg7 The main enemy unit falls, but at what a cost! e2 26 :gs 'ile3+ i.xe2 27 'ilxgS �h1 28 �h8 29 i.xgS Now it is a simple technical win with superior material. :es h4 30 :as 31 i.f4 :f8 'ile4 32 :hs 33 i.d3 i.xb2 34 i.gS 1-0 35 g4 Here is one of the best creative efforts of Keres in this event.

Paul Keres-Grigory Levenfish Catalan Opening E08

19 fS! Such positions, with White's whole army in play, were always played in impeccable style by Tolush.

1 c4 lbf6 2 lbf3 e6 3 g3 dS 4 i.g2 i.e7 S d4 00 6 0-0 lbbd7 7 'ilc2 cS 8 cxdS lbxdS 9 lbc3 lbb4? 10 'ilb1 lbc6? 1 1 dxcS lbxcS 12 :d1 'ilas 13 i.d2 lbd7 14 lbe4 'ilfS Or 1 4...'ila6 1 5 i.c3 ! 'ilxe2 1 6 lbeg5 i.xg5 1 7 lbxg5 with a powerful attack. 15 i.c3 :d8 16 lbd4 lbxd4 1 7 :xd4 lbb6 18 :xd8+ i.xd8

15th Championship, Leningrad 1947 A typical Catalan with Black struggling to develop his c8-bishop. 19 ._d1 i.e7 20 ._d4 ._g6 21 tt:lc5 tt:ld5 22 .l:l.d1 b6 (D) 23 tt:lxe6! i.xe6 Or 23 ...fxe6 24 i.xd5 exd5 25 •xd5+. 24 i.xd5 .l:l.d8 25 e4 i.g4 26 .l:l.d3 'it>h8 27 ._e5! i.f6 In the event of 27 ...i.d6 White has the fine win 28 i.b3 h5 29 l:.xd6! .:!.xd6 30 We8+ �h7 3 1 i.xt7. 28 ._c7 .l:l.d7 29 ._c6 i.h3 30 i.e6! 1--0

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1 6th Championship Moscow, 10 November - 13 December 1948 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Bronstein Kotov Furman Flohr Tolush Bondarevsky Keres Konstantinopolsky Lisitsyn Ilivitsky Lilienthal Kholmov Averbakh Levenfish Ragozin Alatortsev Panov Aronin Taimanov

•

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15 16 17 Y2 Y2 I I I I Y2 I I 0 Y2 Y2 Y2 I 0 I 0 I 0 y, I Y2 0 Y2 I Y2 I I Y2 Y2 Y2 Y2 I I Y2 Y2 Y2 0 l y, I 0 • Y2 y, y, • y, y, y, • 0 y, y, y, 0 y,

18 I I Y2 Y2 I I I Y2 Y2 Y2 I I Y2 0 I y, Y2

19 I I I Y2 Y2 Y2 Y2 Y2 Y2 Y2 I Y2 I 0 y, l y, • I 0 •

12 12 11 10% 10 9% 9% 9% 9%

9 9 8% 8 8 8 7% 7% 6 6

HE YEAR OF 1 948 saw Botvinnik abstain again, as he had recently won the world title in the

Tmatch-tournament at The Hague and Moscow. In fact he was to take a three-year break, to

work on his doctorate. By this step he distanced himself from professional colleagues like Smyslov, Keres, Bronstein and so on. It was interpreted as a way of guaranteeing his future once his chess powers waned. In fact such a waning was decades away! Keres was in the field of 1 9, but still suffering from his uncertain form in the 5-man The Hague/Moscow match-tournament. Kotov had a blinding start of five straight wins, during which he played a strange response to Kholmov's Albin Countergambit: l d4 dS 2 c4 eS 3 i2Jc3 with the sequel 3 dxc4 4 dS ltlf6 S e4 c6 6 �xc4 �b4 7 'ii'b3 'ii'aS 8 �d2 0-0 9 a3 �xc3 10 �xc3 'ii'c7 l l i2Jf3 l2Jxe4 12 �xeS and 1 -0, 41 moves. Kotov lost in the sixth round to Tolush in 29 moves and was caught up by Bronstein after 1 7 rounds. Bronstein was making his bid for the world title after his outstanding performance at the Saltsj{)baden Interzonal earlier in the year. No fewer than five players made their debut: Furman, who was a revelation and fmished third, Kholmov, Ilivitsky Averbakh and Taimanov. The new, less frantic schedule with two rounds, an adjourned games day, two rounds, one adjourned and one rest day per week was conducive to high-class play, with fewer short losses. However, there were two miniatures: ...

Georgy Ilivitsky-Ratmir Kholmov Queen's Gambit, Baltic Defence 006 l d4 dS 2 t2Jf3 �rs 3 c4 e6 4 'ii'b3 ltlc6 5 cxdS 'ii'xd5 6 'ii'xdS exdS 7 a3 i2Jf6 8 �f4 �d6 9

�g3 0-0 to ltlc3 :res u e3 ltlas 12 ltld2 �xg3 13 hxg3 cS 14 itJbS �d7 IS dxcS �xbS 16 �xbS l:xcS 17 �d3 d4 18 e4 l2Jg4? 19 b4 l-0 In view of 19 ... l:c3 20 �e2.

16th Championship, Moscow 1948 Alexander Tolush-Vladimir Alatortsev Falkbeer Countergambit C3 1 1 e4 e5 2 f4 d5 3 exd5 'ibd5? 4 ilJc3 'i'e6 5 fxe5 'i'xe5+ 6 �e2 �g4 7 d4 'i'e6 8 'i'd3 c6 9 �f4 ilJf6 10 0--0--0 �xe2? 1 1 llJgxe2 �d6 12 d5! llJxd5 (12 ...cxd5 13 ilJb5) 13 llJxd5 cxd5 14 'i'g3 �xf4+ 15 ilJxf4 'i'h6 16 l:thel+ �f8 17 'i'a3+ 1-0 There was also one horrendous blunder, with perhaps the worst move of all 58 Championships: Alexander Tolush-Georgy Ilivitsky Catalan Opening E04 1 d4 ilJf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 d5 4 �g2 dxc4 5 ilJf3 cS 6 0-0 a6 7 'i'c2 bS 8 ilJeS ilJd5 9 dxcS 'i'c7 10 e4 ilJb4 1 1 'i'c3 �xeS 12 a3 llJ4c6 13 ilJxc6 llJxc6 14 'i'xg7 'i'e5 1S 'i'h6 �b7 16 ilJc3 �d4 17 �g5 'i'g7 18 'i'h4 l:tg8 19 �f4 llJeS 20 �xeS 'i'xeS 21 l:tad1 l:td8 22 ilJdS (D)

Black sees that 22 ... exd5 23 exd5 threatens both 24 l:tfe l and 24 l:txd4; he decides to guard against 23 l:txd4 and then 24 ilJf6+. What he does not see is 22 l:tg6 23 'i'e7#! ..•

One of the great surprises was the play of debutant Furman, who had only become a master three years earlier. Semyon Furman-Paul Keres Queen's Indian Defence E l 5 1 2

d4 c4

ilJf6 e6

63

3 ilJf3 b6 4 g3 �a6 This unusual development was only gaining recognition at that time. It is curious that Furman had a sceptical view of the move, writing that Keres played it merely to complicate matters, while Panov was more definite, calling it dubious and giving it a '?'. 'i'a4 S Furman, the opening 'encyclopedist' of later years, was distinguished even as a young man by a fine feel for the openings. Facing a surprise move, he chose a line considered among the best even nowadays. Moves like 5 'ii'c2 or 5 ilJbd2 are less critical. 5 c6 Black's aim is clear. He prepares the central thrust ... d5. Nowadays there is a preference to be satisfied with the tempting of the queen to the flank and to reply 5 ...�b7 6 �g2 c5, undermining the centre not on the light squares but on the dark. dS 6 ilJc3 Too direct. It was more flexible first to develop the kingside by 6 ...�e7 7 �g2 0--0 8 0--0 and only then play 8 ...d5, as did Karpov 40 years later against Salov. exdS cxdS!? 7 A trickier idea is 7 ...b5 8 'ii'b3 cxd5, offering a pawn for the initiative. 8 llJeS!? �b7 Black must do this, as 8 ...'ifc7 is bad due to 9 �f4 and 8 ...'ifc8 likewise due to 9 �g5 ilJfd7 1 0 �h3 !. �e7 9 �gS 0-0 10 .i.g2 h6?! 0-0 11 This is already a more serious mistake. Black had to play l l ...ilJfd7, striving for simplification. �xf6 �xf6! 12 f4 13 Now White's advantage in clear. Under the protection of the mighty e5-knight, he has the line-opening move e4 ready to follow. 13 aS It is clear that Black's counterplay lies only on the queenside. 14 'ifc8 l:tad1 bS e4 15 llJa6 'i'c2 16

64


At last the minor pieces are developed, but in the interim White has achieved a great deal. l:r.cl ! 17 The c-file is about to be opened and White stresses his influence there. Obviously 17 exd5 is premature in view of 1 7 ...�b4 and 1 8 ...�d5. �c7 17 ._e6 (D) l:r.fd1 18

counterplay after the win of the exchange: 28 �d7 l:r.xd7 29 i..xd7 ._e7. 28 �g4 ._e7 .-m l:r.e2 29 Not 29....-xe2? 30 lLlxh6+. 30 �e5 White's pressure mounts with the threat of 3 1 �xt7!, apart from the simple 3 1 �7. i..a6 30 i..b5 l:[f2 31 Thus Keres repels the immediate threats 32 lLlxt7? i..e 8. Yet Black' s position remains difficult. i..b8 l:.cl ! 32 g6 33 l:.fc2 Clearly, this move creates a new weakness, but it is hard to find a rational move for Black. �g7 34 ..h4 a3 35 While attacking it is useful to keep calm and prevent such a counterthreat as .. �. 35 i..xe5 He could not tolerate the Number One enemy any longer as there was a threat of 36 �g4. fxe5 i..d3 36 l:.c6 37 Shattering Black's illusions. By giving back the pawn White proceeds to a direct attack on the king. l:.xb2 37 �g8 38 ..f6+ Or 38 ...�h7 39 llc7. l:.db8 39 e6! 40 l:r.c8 An even simpler win was 40 e7, but White sees a combination based on under-promotion. 40 l:.xc8 l:r.xc8 l:.bl+ 41 ._xeS 42 �fl 43 exf7+ �h7 (D) tslLl+! 44 The only way, since 44 i..xc8 l:r.fl + would actually lose for White. 44 45 46 47 The sealed move. Black could ring down the curtain, but plays on. i..rs 47 .

19 �xd5! An elegant decision, rather in the spirit of Capablanca's 'petites combinaisons'. The opening of the position gives White's pieces fresh energy. 19 �xd5 Otherwise Black just remains a pawn down. cxd5 exd5 20 l:r.a7 ._c7 21 The only move, as 2 1 ...l:!.fb8 fails to 22 lLld7. The triumph of White's strategy. He wins a pawn while retaining the initiative. 22 l:r.a6 23 ._xb5 l:r.b6 24 ._e2 Clearly not 24 .-xa5 .l:.a8 letting Black's pieces come to life. 24 i..e7 25 l:r.d8 26 i..d6 27 It is instructive to see how White extends his influence over the whole board. 21 .-r6 This looks like an elementary mistake, but Keres was probably reckoning on good

65


nothing in view of 42 ltlc4. The d5-square has to be reserved for the king. �d5! l:xh5 42 43 g4! The best chance. Pawn exchanges reduce Black's resources. The alternative 43 .i.d8 would meet with a far from simple but convincing rejoinder. Kotov had in mind the following study-like variation: 43 ...ltlxb6 44 .i.xb6 (44 l:xf5 ltlc4!) 44 ..:txb6 45 l:.xf5 l:.b2 ! 46 f4 d3 ! 47 fxe5 .i.b4 48 e6+ �e6 49 :tf2 �d5! (49....i.xd2? 50 l:f3) 50 l:.f5+ �c6! 5 1 l:f6+ �b5 52 l:f5+ �a4 5 3 l:f2 .i.c3 ! 54 l::tf4+ (54 �c l l:c2+ 55 �d l l:.a2!) 54 ...�b5 55 l:f5+ �c6 56 l:f2 �d5 57 l:U5+ �d4 58 l::tf4+ �e5 ! 59 l:f2 .i.xd2 60 l:.f3 �e4 winning. 43 e4! Forward, ignoring all losses, is the only way to play it. .i.h6 44 '44 gxf5 is met by 44 ...e3 ' commented Kotov. Let us remember this note, for it deserves more attention. Meanwhile, the game proceeds along the lines mapped out by Black. 44 e3 ltle5 l:xf5+ 45 46 .i.xe3! The best chance. 46 f4 l:b2 ! is a win for Black. dxe3 46 47 l:b2! f4 �e4! ltlf3 48 .i.a3 49 fxe5 A remarkable picture! Black is three pawns down, but the activity of his remaining forces proves more significant. e6 50 50 b7 was more stubborn, commented Kotov, but then 50 ...:Xb7 5 1 e6 :tb l + 52 �c2 l:c 1 + 53 �b3 .i.e7 is also a win for Black. e2+! 50 l:b5+ �cl 51 l:xf5 52 �d2 �xf3 53 gxf5 b7 .i.b4+ 54 .i.d6 55 �c2 0-1 .

'Wxa5 �f7 48 �e6 a4 49 50 'We5+ �d7 l:b2+ 51 g4 52 �g3 l:b3+ Hoping for 53 �h4? g5+ 54 �h5 l:.h3#. .i.e6 �f4 53 �d6 54 'Wg7+ �d7 'Wf8+ 55 'Wxh6 1-0 56 Kotov played with great elan. Here is one of his best efforts, the ending of his game with Aronin, who was White.

Lev Aronin-Aiexander Kotov Black's position is the more active, but it is hard to force the win in view of White's counterplay. All the more instructive, then, the way Black goes about it. 41 ltld7! A difficult move! He has to keep the knight on the board but the natural 4 1 ...ltld5 gives

There were no brilliancy prizes in this event, but this ending was considered by experts to be the fmest. I have to admire though that

66


analysing this remarkable ending four decades later I had doubts arise about its total soundness. I concentrated my attention on the possibilities after 43 moves.

As the reader knows, White tried 44 i.h6

here, and Kotov indicated 44 gxf5 e3 with a win, but ... alas, this is not so. Let us continue the variation. 4S f6 A remarkable resource. The rook at h5, apparently cut off, gains in force, along with the passed pawn. Discovered checks are threatened. Here are the alternatives for Black: a) 45 ...exd2 46 i.f4+! �c6 (46...lC!e5 47 i.xe5 i.xe5 48 f4) 47 l:txb5 i.xf4 48 l:tf5; b) 45 ...lC!e5 46 f7! l:tb2 (46...exd2 47 i.f4! �c4 48 l:txe5! ) 47 i.xe3 ! ! dxe3 48 l:txe5+! ! i.xe5 (48 ...�e5 49 lC!c4+ �f4 50 lC!xb2 �f3 5 1 lC!d3) 49 f8W l:txd2+ 50 �cl i.b2+ 5 1 �bl . In none of these variations can Black even think of a win. So, a remarkable ending proved to have a flaw, but the flaw is fascinating and so the ending becomes doubly attractive.

The games were published in a Dutch magazine, bound up to form a booklet, which cost me (B.C.) five shillings and nine pence in the 1950s!

17th Championship Moscow, 16 October - 20 November 1949 1 �ronstein 2 Smyslov 3 Geller 4 Taimanov 5 Boleslavsky 6 Kotov 7 Furman 8 Keres 9 Aronin 10 Kholmov 11 Flohr 12 Sokolsky . 13 Kopylov 14 Lilienthal 15 Mikenas 16 Petrosian 17 Ragozin 18 Goldberg 19 Levenfish 20 Lyublinsky

1

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HERE WERE 20 PLAYERS in the 1949 event, which despite the absence of Botvinnik was

Timmensely strong. Yet another debutant whose name was to figure in decades to come was the

Ukrainian Geller, a player of the most dynamic style. Only a last-round loss to Kholmov robbed him of first place and let Smyslov fmally figure at the top, in the company of Bronstein. Both players were awarded the gold medal. Geller was equal third along with Taimanov, who thus zoomed from joint bottom to near the top in the space of a year. Kotov, best known in the West for his literary work, particularly the book Think Like a Grandmaster, lost a crucial game to Geller in the 16th round as White in a King's Indian Defence. Kotov had a slight advantage but let the Ukrainian sacrifice a piece. The game was widely quoted, partly because Botvinnik published his annotations to it. Alexander Kotov-Efim Geller King's Indian Defence E68 ltlf6 1 d4 g6 c4 2 .i.g7 ltlc3 3 0-0 g3 4 d6 .i.g2 5 ltlbd7 ltlf3 6 e5 0-0 7 8 e4 exd4 In those years the acknowledged experts on this defence were players of the Ukrainian school, Boleslavsky, Bronstein and then Geller.

These 'Three Musketeers' managed to sense to the full the dynamic features of this com plicated opening and work out typical themes. In the fashionable variation occurring here Black exerts piece pressure on the centre, which he links with an advance of the a-pawn. ltlxd4 ltlcS 9 f3 10 Hardly a good idea. White's active operations in the centre are usually linked with preparing f4, so the most logical line is I 0 h3 .l:e8 I I l:le I which forms the main line of the whole variation. lLlfd7 10

68


In later years Geller incorporated certain corrections in his opening, normally continuing IO ... a5 I I �e3 c6 I2 'ii'd2 a4 1 3 :adi 'ii'a5. �e3 11 c6 'ii'd2 12 a5 tlJe5 :ad1 13 A 'prelude to a combinational storm', as Geller himself put it. a4 (D) 14 b3

t2Jde2 15 The first critical moment. Pressure along the d-file, with threats of I 6 �xc5 and I 6 'ii'xd6, looks logical, but, as it turns out, White under estimates the hidden tactical chances of the position. So, he could consider the method sug gested by Botvinnik at the time: 1 5 f4 to meet 1 5 ...t2Jg4 by I 6 t2Jxc6! 'ii'e 8 1 7 tiJd4, and 1 5 ...t2Jed3 by 1 6 t2Jxa4 t2Jxa4 1 7 bxa4 t2Jc5 1 8 t2Jxc6 bxc6 19 �xc5 �g4 20 �xd6 �xdl 2 1 ._xd I :e8 22 e 5 with clearly better prospects for White. However, as revealed later, Geller did not envisage going into these lines, but rather intended the gambit idea 1 5 f4 axb3 ! ? which is more in the spirit of the variation. After 16 fxe5 bxa2 Geller examined these possibilities: a) 1 7 exd6 �g4 1 8 :at 'ii'xd6 19 :xa2 .l:tad8; b) 1 7 t2Jxc6 bxc6 1 8 �xc5 �g4; c) 1 7 tiJxa2 (seemingly the strongest) 17 ...�g4! 1 8 t2Je2 ( 1 8 exd6 �xdl 19 :xdl 'ii'xd6 20 t2Jc3 :fd8) 1 8 ...�xe5 and considered that even in the last variation, with only two pawns for the sacrificed knight, Black had equal prospects. A deep assessment! 15 axb3! Here the sacrifice is even more effective

than in the previous variation. t2Jxc4 16 �xeS bxa2 'ii'c l 17 As is well-known, the good is the enemy of the best. Geller is satisfied with three pawns for the piece and useful play with no risk, but, as Bronstein pointed out later, 1 7...b2! 1 8 'ii'c2 dxc5! 19 :xd8 :xd8 would pose even more difficult problems for White. 18 'ii'a 5 t2Jxa2 �e6! 19 'ii'xc4 20 dxcS 'ii'c l 21 b5 t2Jac3 tiJb1 22 Disillusioned by the abrupt change of roles and the situation on the board, Kotov retreats into a defensive shell, making one concession after another. His only chance was to drum up counterplay, even at the cost of material, with a line such as 22 f4 �b3 23 l:r.d6 b4 24 e5 ! . b4 22 t2Jf4 23 Here too 23 f4 was better. �b3 23 24 :d6 In the opinion of Botvinnik the last chance lay in 24 tiJd2! ? �xd1 25 :xd1 and although Black has material advantage his passed pawns lose their dynamism. c4! 24 c3! (D) :xc6 25

Now the pawns are unstoppable. �xd5 26 tiJdS 'ii'xd5 27 exdS 28 f4 The bishop sees the light of day at last, but too late.

1 7th Championship, Moscow 1949 'it'd4+ 28 .l:a2! �h1 29 .i.f3 30 There was the simple threat of 30 ....l:xg2. 30 .l:b2 .i.eS fS 31 Black's pieces dominate the board and the decisive turn is not far off. 'it'el 32 33 .i.e4 f6+ 34 In most surprising fashion White has run out of useful moves. 34 .l:g 1 , for example, is bad because of 34 ...'it'f2 35 'it'xt2 .l:xf2 36 fxg6 hxg6 and 37 ...f5. Advancing the f-pawn has the snag that Black's h-pawn is now ready to roll.

69

34 �g8 35 .l:a6 hS! :as 36 h4! 37 .i.xg6 Could it be this is a chance for White? 37 .l:xh2+! Depriving Kotov of all his illusions. 38 �xh2 .i.xg3+ 39 'it'xg3 hxg3+ fxg6 40 �h3 0-1 Geller commented almost 30 years later that this game was close to his heart even then, the point being that he always strove for such dynamic play. His every move was imbued with the desire to attack.

Bronstein had only six points from the first eleven rounds, but exercising great will-power scored seven points out of eight to make his best score yet. This was the best possible training for the Candidates' Tournament at Budapest in April 1950, which led on to Bronstein's challenge to Botvinnik for the world title in 1 95 1 . Youth was dominant as only two players over the age of 30, Keres and Kotov, fmished in the top half of the event. 60-year-old Levenfish found the going too hard, but he had a final say in matters as he beat Smyslov and gained one of the brilliancy prizes. Three other brilliancy prizes were awarded to the games Kotov-Ragozin, Furman-Smyslov and Kotov-Geller. Here is the win by Levenfish against Smyslov' s GrUnfeld Defence, after 1 7 moves.

Grigory Levenfish-Vasily Smyslov In this far from stereotyped position Levenfish activates his forces for a storming attack on the king. �h8 18 .l:gl ! There was already a threat of 19 fxg6 hxg6 20 .l:xg6!, and 1 8 ... lDe5 is met by 1 9 .i.d4, intending 20 f4.

hxg6 fxg6 19 19 ...fxg6 is obviously bad because of 20 lDd4 lDe5 21 f4 lDg4 22 lDe6 lDxe3 23 'it'xe3 .l:f7 24 f5 ! . 20 .i.d4! lDf6 .l:c3 21 Every move by White is imbued with youthful vigour. The combination he devises is very fme. tDxe4 21 Nothing better. fxg6 22 .l:xg6!! �g8 23 .l:h3+ 23 ...'it'xh3 is no better: 24 'ifxh3+ �g8 25 'it'e6+. dxc6+ e6 24 'it'c6 cxb7 25 bxa8'it' 26 .l:xa8 �xg7 .i.xg7 27 'it'e3! 28 The combination has led to the win of just a pawn, which in a sharp position might not mean much, but the main feature now is the destruction of the protection round Black's king.

70


28 ltlf6 ..h1 + 29 ltld4! ._d5 �e2 30 30 ...l:.e8 is strongly met by 3 1 lt'Jf3 ! with the murderous threat of 32 'ii'h6+ �f7 33 lt'Je5+. �g8 31 ltlxe6+ Or 3 l ...�f7 32 lt'Jg5+ �g8 33 �3 with a technical win, whereas now there comes a further combinational stroke. �f7 l:.h8+! 32 Else mate in two by 33 �6+. �g7 33 lt'Jg5+ 1-0 l:.xa8 34

34 ... -.xaS 35 ._e7 wins the knight. A fme display by the old guard! A young Armenian, nervous on his debut, made this crashing frrst-round blunder: Alexander Kotov-Tigran Petrosian Queen's Gambit Declined 036 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 li'Jc3 li'Jf6 4 cxd5 exd5 5 �g5 �e7 6 e3 c6 7 ._c2 lt'Je4? 8 �xe7 -.xe7? 9 lt'Jxd5 cxd5 10 -.xeS+ ._d8 1 1 �b5+ lt'Jc6 12 �xc6+ bxc6 13 ._xc6+ 1-0

1 8th Championship Moscow, 10 November - 12 December 1950 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Keres Aronin Lipnitsky Tolush Konstantinopolsky Smyslov Alatortsev Boleslavsky Geller Flohr Mikenas Bondarevsky Petrosian Averbakh Borisenko Suetin Lyublinsky Sokolsky

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11Y. 11 11 11 10 10 9 9 9 9 8Y. 8 8 7 6Y. 6Y. 4 4

ERES BOUNCED BACK in 1950 in a final of 1 8 players devoted to the centenary of

KChigorin's birth. Only Keres, Boleslavsky and Smyslov were exempt to the fmal, the event

being preceded by no fewer than seven quarter-finals and five semi-fmals! In those days of the Cold War, with Stalin still alive, there were hardly any external tournament opportunities for Soviet players. The lead changed hands several times after Aronin had begun with 6 points out of 7. Keres made a wonderful run of four wins in a row in rounds 12-15. Lipnitsky, who was writing a significant book which has never been translated into other languages and who died early (192359), was leader for a short time. He was yet another product of the Ukraine. Three best-game prizes were awarded. This, for the Chigorin Prize, was a superb effort, though Boleslavsky's overall performance was disappointing. Possibly the meek nature of his character prevented him reaching the very top. He was known as a most taciturn person. His style appealed to the experts as being of the highest quality. Vladimir Alatortsev-lsaak Boleslavsky Old Indian Defence A53 d4 1 c4 2 ltJc3 3 e4 4 Wxd4 5 'i6'd2 6 b3 7 .i.b2 8 True to his classical ideas,

lDf6 d6 eS exd4 ltJc6 g6 .i.g7 0--0 Alatortsev seized

the centre by 4 e4, despite thereby losing some time with his queen. Boleslavsky, as a suppor ter of the more modem dynamic style, links his play with the opening of the centre. Thus we have a clash of principles. .i.d3 9 In double-edged positions like this, success comes to the more energetic and direct player. The text-move, preparing early castling, but rather sluggish in itself, is made on ' general principles' but does not meet the demands of the position. It was more logical to go 9 f3 l:.e8

72


I 0 tt:Jge2 i.e6 I I 0--0--D or even 9 0--0--D, as recommended by Levenfish. 9 tt:Jg4! As compared to White, Boleslavsky values highly the time available to him and seizes the initiative. 10 tt:Jf3 It was probably at this point that Alatortsev realized the error of 9 i.d3. His intended 1 0 tt:Jge2 is risky because of I O...tDce5 I I i.c2 'ii'h4, while castling on either side is no good in view of Black's headlong attack by IO ... f5 ! . tt:Jge5! 10 11 i.e2 What else? Exchanging by I I tDxe5 dxe5 gives Black an outpost for his knight on d4, and retreating the bishop costs several tempi. 11 tt:Jxf3+ i.xf3 12 tlJd4 i.d1 fS! 13 exfS 14 He has to play this, as 14 0-0 allows 14 ...f4. 14 i.xfS It is surprising how quickly, and due to just one faulty move in the opening, the situation has turned in Black's favour. He has broken up White's pawn centre, and activated his minor pieces and opened files for his rooks. A triumph for dynamism! tDe2 15 It is psychologically understandable that White should strive for exchanges, but this is a fresh time loss. He simply had to castle, although Boleslavsky considered that after I 5 0-0 c5! I6 tt:Jd5 ( 1 6 tDe2 d5 1 7 tDxd4 dxc4!) I6 ... i.e4 I 7 lte I i.xd5 1 8 cxd5 'ii'h4 Black has an obvious advantage. 15 tDxe2 16 i.xe2 At the time the opinion was expressed that by 16 i.xg7 'iifxg7 I 7 i.xe2 i.xe2 White could hold out. This is true, but Boleslavsky intended to meet 16 i.xg7 not by recapturing, but by a fme tactical blow, typical of his imagination I 6 ...tt:Jf4! with these ramifications: a) I 7 i.xf8 'ii'f6! I 8 f3 ( I 8 0-0 'ii'g5 !) 18 ...l:r.e8+ I 9 'iiff2 tiJd3+ 20 'iifg3 g5 ! and there is no defence to 2 1 ...'ii'e 5+; b) 17 'ii'xf4 (best!) 17 ...'ii'e7+ I 8 i.e2 ( I 8 i.e5 l:lae8 1 9 0-0 i.d3 20 'ii'd4 'ii'xe5) 1 8 ...�g7 19 'ii'e3 'ii'xe3 20 fxe3 l:lae8 21 'iifd2

(2 1 'iiff2 g5!) 2 I ...i.e4! and Black should win. Hence, White's move merely seems to ease Black's task rather than be the reason for White's defeat. 16 i.xb2 'ii'g5! 17 'ii'xb2 18 g3 Or 1 8 0-0 i.h3. 18 l:l.ae8! Activate all your forces is Black's slogan. Much less effective is 1 8 ...i.h3 I9 f4 'ii'e7 20 0--0--D .

i.b3 19 0-0 20 f4 (D) His only move. 20 l:l.fc 1 l:r.xf2! 2 1 �f2 'ii'e3+ 22
20 i.xfl ! ! 21 fxg5 l:l.xe2 Black only has rook and bishop for the queen, but the dynamism of his pieces enables him to crush all resistance. 22 'ii'c3 22 'ii'd4 was probably more stubborn, but it would not change the result. 22 i.g2 'ii'd3 23 After 23 l:l.e 1 Black does not play 23 ...l:r.xe 1+ in view of 24 'iifxg2, but 23 ...i.h3! with an inevitable transition into a won pawn ending. i.f3 23 .:r.n 24 Obviously 24 'iiffl l:l.xh2 leaves White equally helpless. l:l.g2+ 24 i.c6! 'iifh 1 25

18th Championship, Moscow 1950 �xf8 l:r.xf8+ l:r.fl+ 'ii'fl + 0-1 As Boleslavsky commented, this was his favourite game. 26 27

The second Chigorin Prize was awarded to Bondarevsky. His headlong attack against Vladas Mikenas, who had tried the Albin Countergambit, is worthy of our admiration for its vigour.

Igor Bondarevsky-Vladas Mikenas

73

Black has sacrificed a pawn for the initiative. Bondarevsky takes the bold decision to give up material in order to turn defence into attack. 12 �b2! �d3 13 0--0! �xe2 14 'ii'a4 �xfl 1S l:r.xfl What a speedy change as White directs his forces against the enemy king. Black is driven back into obstinate defence. 1S �b8 16 bS ltld8 17 lLlxd4 �cs 18 lLl2b3 �xd4 19 �xd4 b6 20 cS! l:r.e7 After this timid move events develop at great pace and in forced fashion. The only chance to repel the threats was to neutralize the main enemy, in other words, the light-squared bishop. After 20...l:.e4!? 2 1 �xe4 lLlxe4 22 cxb6 axb6 23 �xb6 cxb6 24 'ii'xe4 'ii'xb5 Black is also not too well placed, but this was the lesser evil. 21 cxb6 cxb6 22 �xb6! axb6 23 'ii'a8+ �c7 24 'ii'a7+ �d6 25 l:r.dl+ �eS 26 l:r.xd7 lLlxd7 27 'ii'c7+ �e6 White has a material plus and still a raging attack. 28 ltld4+ �f7 29 lLlrs l:r.e1+ 30 �h2 l:r.d1 31 'ii'c2 1-0 Fresh losses follow. .••

19th Championship Moscow, 1 1 November - 14 December 1951 1 Keres g)Geller (3\ Petrosian 4 Smyslov 5 Bovinnik @ Averbakh 7 Bronstein (.8) Taimanov 9 Aronin 10 Flohr 11 Kopylov 12 Bondarevsky 1\lJJ Kotov 14 Simagin 15 Lipnitsky 16 Moiseev 17 Novotelnov 18 Terpugov

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HE 1 95 1 CONTEST was probably the strongest in the whole series, as Botvinnik made a

Tcome-back, but could not shake off the rustiness of three fallow years. The tradition still

applied that even the top players had to play in the semi-fmals, so Smyslov needed to qualify, which he did from the Leningrad group, while Boleslavsky took part in the Sverdlovsk group, qualifying along with Petrosian, Geller and Averbakh. However, Boleslavsky could not take part in the fmal due to illness. The Patriarch of Soviet chess, as Botvinnik was sometimes called, fmished fifth and lost his place in the Soviet Olympiad side for Helsinki 1 952. The event was also a Zonal which qualified five players, Averbakh, Geller, Kotov, Petrosian and Taimanov for the Stockholm 1 952 Interzonal. Keres won again, by a half-point margin over the young men Petrosian and Geller. The Estonian had to defeat Taimanov in a tense opening in the last round to gain his second successive gold medal. So, the pattern of previous contests was repeated. The title went to a world figure, but several new names put in powerful performances while the Brilliancy prize went to the bold young men. In the first round Keres won a miniature against a lesser known figure, who had just gained the master title for his performance in the semi-fmal. Paul Keres-Evgeny Terpugov Queen's Gambit, Chigorin Defence 007 I d4 d5 2 c4 ltlc6 3 ltlc3 ltlf6 4 ltlf3 ..tg4 5 cxd5 ltlxd5 6 e4 ..txf3 7 gxf3 ltlb6 8 d5 ltlb8 9

..tf4 c6 10 Wb3 ltl8d7 l l .:tdl Wc8 12 ..tb3 g6 13 ltla4 fS { l 3 ... ltlxa4 14 dxc6!) 14 ltlxb6 axb6 (14 ...ltlxb6 15 ..te5 .l:.g8 16 dxc6) 15 exfS ltlc5 16 Wxb6 e5 17 dxe6 l:ta6 18 f6! ltlxe6 19 Wb3 �f7 20 0-0 c5 21 :ret c4 22 Wb5 l-0

Simagin was a debutant in this event and did not fmish high in the table, but the following effort worthily won one of the best game prizes.

19th Championship, Moscow 1951 ( '(_

Oleg Moiseev-VIadimir Simagin King's Indian Defence E90 lbf6 d4 1 g6 c4 2 3 lbc3 .i.g7 0--0 e4 4 d6 s lbf3 h3 6 One of the many possibilities here, to ensure a safe square for his bishop on e3, and preparing a possible g2-g4. Of course, there is the negative side of slightly weakening his kingside pawn structure. 6 eS The natural reaction. As 7 dxe5 dxe5 8 'i'xd8 .:txd8 9 .i.g5 (9 lbxe5 lbxe4!) 9 ....:te8 1 0 .i.e2 lba6!? is not be feared by Black, he can play in the centre straight away. dS 7 The most logical. After 7 .i.e3 exd4 8 lbxd4 J:le8 9 'i'c2 'i'e7 1 0 f3 c6 White starts to have problems over central control. 7 lbhS With the centre closed, play normally moves to the flanks. Black' s main trump is the advance ...f7-f5. .i.e3 8 This natural developing move proves faulty, as the bishop becomes a target for the enemy f pawn. Theory prefers 8 lbh2, hindering Black's counterplay, with a possible sequel of 8 ...'i'e8 (or 8 ... .i.f6 9 .i.e2 lbg7 10 h4!?) 9 .i.e2 lbf4 10 .i.f3 f5 1 1 g3 !? lbxh3 12 .i.g2 fxe4 1 3 .i.e3 with complex play. fS 8 gxfS 9 exfS .i.e2 10 Possibly White intended from afar 10 lbxe5 and only now noticed that it fails to I O ...'i'e8! l l lbdJ f4 12 .i.e2 fxe3 13 .i.xh5 ext2++. lbf6 10 lba6 'i'c2 11 12 g3 There was no immediate need for this as a pawn advance to f4 would weaken the diagonal b1-h7 and the point e4. So 12 0--0-0 at once was better than this loss of a tempo. 12 lbb4!? aS 13 'i'b3 f4! 14 �

75

Exploiting a slight lack of harmony in the enemy position, Black boldly goes for tactical play. Such an original decision, often involving risk, was characteristic of the prominent theoretician Simagin who had a striking if, alas, short life in chess. IS gxf4 .i.fS!? The alternative 1 5 ...exf4 1 6 .i.xf4 ( 1 6 .i.d2 lbd7!) 1 6 ... lbfxd5 17 lbxd5 lbxd5 1 8 .i.g5 lbf6 would enable Black to keep the initiative, so he chooses a sharper line. 16 lbel?! Hardly coping with the tasks Black has set him. Black's bold idea could only be contested by uncompromising play, which lies in 1 6 fxe5 ! .i.c2 1 7 'i'a3 .i.xd1 1 8 .:txd1 dxe5 19 lbg5 with a promising layout of forces for White. 16 exf4 17 .i.d4 Obviously 1 7 .i.xf4 is risky in view of 1 7 ...lbe4 ! . 17 �h8 An important prophylactic move - examine the diagonal a2-g8 and the g-file. 18 a3 (D)

18 cS!! Wonderful. By the knight sacrifice Black gains operating space for his pieces. .i.xf6 19 Clearly, 19 dxc6 lbxc6 20 .i.b6 was more careful, but then Black would have the initiative 'for nothing'. 19 'i'xffi axb4 axb4 20 lbbS 21 Other knight moves also let Black's attack

76


rip through: 21 tba4 l:txa4!; 2 1 tba2 lla7! (to double rooks) 22 �d2 W'd4+; 2 1 tbb l f.3 ! 22 .td3 (22 .txf.3 llal ) 22 ...b5 ! 23 .txf5 (23 cxb5 c4!) 23 ...bxc4 24 W'c2 l:.ta2 (or 24... b3 25 W'c3 Wxf5). 21 llal+ Black's attack is already so strong that he has a choice of wins. 2 l ...f.3 ! also wins, e.g. 22 .td3 .:tal + 23 �c2 l:txdl 24
Bringing into play the h6-c l diagonal denies the king possibilities of flight. This final con clusion was confirmed by many analyses by different authorities. Examining the alterna tives creates a truly artistic impression: a) 23 l:.txal .i.h6+ 24 �dl fxe2+ 25 �e2 .tg6! 26 f.3 (or 26 �dl Wf4!, or 26 l:.tfl We5+ 27 �dl Wf4!) 26 ... lle8+ 27 �fl W'e5 ! 28 W'dl W'g3 29 tbg2 (otherwise 29...:xe l +! 30 Wxe l .td3+) 29 ... l:.tf8! 30 tbe l .te3 3 1 W'e2 .td3 ! ! 32 tbxd3 l:txf.3+; b) 23 .txf.3 l:.te8! 24 tbc2 (or 24 llxal .th6+ 25 'ii>d l Wg5 26 We3 l:txe3 27 fxe3 W'xe3 28 l:th2 �3+) 24 ...l:txd l + 25 �xdl (25 l'hdl .th6+ 26 tbe3 .te4!) 25 ....txc2+! 26 �xc2 Wf5+ 27 W'd3 b3+! 28 �d2 W'f4+ 29 �dl .txb2 ! ; c) 23 tbxf3 .th6+ 24 � e l .te l ! (also 24 ...llfa8 is strong - 25 �fl ll l a2) 25 llgl (or 25 tbd2 .td3!) 25 ...llbl 26 W'a4 W'xb2 27 tbxd6 ._c3+ 28 �fl .txh3+ 29 l:tg2 W'g7 30 tbe I .te3 ! ; d) 2 3 .td3 .th6+ 24 �c2 llxd I 2 5 �xd I ._g5 26 W'c2 :as! ; e) 23 tbc2, as played in the game, but it too does not help.

It is hard to believe that Simagin saw all this, or even the greater part of the variations, but in view of the powerful cooperation of Black's forces he would have felt he was correct in his assessment. tbc2 .txc2! 23 �xc2 24 24 W'xc2 is bad - 24 ... fxe2 25 llxal W'xt2. 24 fxe2 25 llxal W'g6+! �d2 26 26 W'd3 meets with the fme winning line 26 ...e l tb+! 27 :axel l:.xt2+ . .th6+ 26 W'e3 27 Despair, but 27 �e2 W'e4+ and 27 �el Wg2! also lose. llxf2 27 libel .txe3+ 28 �xe3 29 'i'g3+ �d2 W'f4+ 30 0-1 This game was the most striking of the no fewer than 40 candidates submitted to the jury - what stiff competition! Keres won an elegant game against one of his main rivals, Geller, in a Ruy Lopez.

Efim Geller-Paul Keres

Keres fmds a striking tactical idea in a position that hardly seems to promise such an outcome. 22 tbf4! Sacrificing a knight to break up the enemy king position. 23 W'xaS


Geller falls into the clever trap. He should have weighed up the chances more carefully and tried to coordinate his forces by 23 ..ie4. 23 ..txo 24 gxO lLlxh3+ 25 �g2 Some elegant variations arise after 25 �hI 'iff4!, e.g. 26 ..ie4 lLlxf2+ 27 �g2 lLlxe4 28 fxe4 l:tc2+, or 26 �g2 'ifh4! 27 lLlh2 lLlf4+ 28 �h i 'ifh3 29 l:tgl :te l ! , or 26 lLlh2 lLlxf2+ 27 �g2 l:tc5! . In all cases Black mates with limited material! 25 lLJf4+ 26 �g1 lLJh3+ 27 �g2 lLlf4+ This repetition is merely to gain time on the clock. 28 �gl ! 'ifd5!

77

Bringing the queen directly into the attack. 29 lLlg3 29 ..ie4 is strongly met by 29 ...'ifg5+ 30 lLlg3 h5. 29 d3 The main argument in Black's favour is that he closes out the enemy queenside, leaving too few defenders for White on the other side. 30 'iff5! lLle4 31 'ifb4 Nor would 3 1 'ifd2 help - 3 1 ....l:tc4! (threatening 32 ...l:txe4!) 32 ..ixd3 .l:td4 33 .l:te3 l:tfd8. 31 :res! 0-1 The threat is 32 ...l:txe4, and 32 lLlg3 is decisively met by 32 ... 'ifh3 . Typical Keres elegance!

20th Championship Moscow, 29 November - 29 December 1952 I Botvinnik 2 Taimanov 3 Geller 4 Boleslavsky S Tolush 6 Korchnoi 7 Bronstein 8 Moiseev 9 Smyslov 10 Keres I I Suetin 12 Aronin 13 Byvshev 14 Ilivitsky IS Simagin 16 Konstantinopolsky 17 Lipnitsky 18 Kan 19 Kasparian 20 Goldenov

I •

I 0 y, y, 'lz 0 0 Y2 0 0 y, y, 0 y, 0 y, 0 y, 0

2 0 •

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3 I 0 •

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4 s 6 y, y, y, 0 y, I I I y, • 0 y, I • y, y, y, • y, I I y, 0 y, 0 0 0 y, y, I 0 y, I 1 I 0 1 0 0 y, y, 0 0 1 y, y, 0 1 0 0 0 0 y, 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

7 I I y, y, 0 0 •

0 Y2 y, y, 0 0 y, y, y, y, y, 1 y,

8 I y, 0 Y2 I Y2 I •

Y2 y, 1 Y2 0 Y2 0 0 0 y, 0 y,

9 y, y, 0 I I I y, y, •

0 0 Y2 1 0 0 y, y, y, y, 0

10 I y, I y, y, 0 y, y, I •

0 Y2 1 y, y, 0 1 0 y, 0

II I 0 y, I y, 0 y, 0 I I •

y2 0 y, y, 1 1 0 0 y,

12 y, I y, 0 0 I I y, y, y, Y2 •

y2 1 y, 0 y, y, y, y,

13 y, I I 0 I I I I 0 0 1 Y2 •

0 1 1 0 0 0 0

14 I I I y, y, I y, y, I y, y, 0 1 •

0 0 y, y, 0 y,

IS y, I I I 0 y, y, I I y, y, Y2 0 1 •

0 y, y, y, 0

16 I I y, y, I 0 y, I y, I 0 1 0 1 1 •

17 y, I y, I I I y, I y, 0 0 y2 1 y, Y2 1

18 I y, I I y, I y, y, y, I 1 y, 1 y, Y2 y, 1

19 y, I y, I I I 0 I y, y, 1 y, 1 1 Y2 y, y, 1

0 • y, 0 • y, y, 0 • y, I 0 y,

20 I I y, I I I y, y, I I y, y, 1 y, 1 y, 0 1 y, •

13\1, 13\1, 12 IIY. lilt, II lOY. lOY. lOY. 9\1, 9Y:. 9 9 8Y:. 8Y:. 7Y:. 7 6Y:. SY:. s

HE YEAR OF 1 952 saw Botvinnik striving to retrieve his position in the 20th USSR

TChampionship in a field of 20. Taimanov led throughout the second half, but was caught by

the veteran at the very end as Botvinnik won his last three games. The two had a play-off match of six games in February 1 953 which ended Botvinnik 3 � Taimanov 2�, so bringing Botvinnik his seventh gold medal. In fact the veteran took a two-point lead after four games of the match, lost the fifth but constructed an impregnable position in the sixth. The six exempt players were Botvinnik, Keres, Smyslov, Bronstein, Geller and Boleslavsky, the last five of whom had represented the USSR in the first Olympiad in which they took part, at Helsinki in August of the same year. For the first time in such events players were forbidden to agree a draw in under 30 moves unless they could get the arbiter's consent. Botvinnik complained in his memoirs that his former pupil Taimanov agreed to an early draw in principle, but played on when they got closer to the 30move mark with Botvinnik having relaxed his concentration. Remarkably enough, there were no special prizes for outstanding games, but the unanimous opinion of the experts was that one of the fmest was that between Botvinnik and Keres. The two met over many years, but the psychological factor worked out very much in favour of the former. It is well-known that there are 'difficult' and 'easy' opponents. The lifetime score between the two tells its tale: Botvinnik had eight wins to three losses with nine draws. Mikhail Botvinnik-Paul Keres Queen's Gambit Declined 036 1 2 3

d4 c4 lLlc3

lLlf6 e6 dS

4 5 6 7 8 9

cxd5 .i.g5 e3 .i.d3 'i'c2 lLlge2

exd5 .i.e7 0--0 lLlbd7 l:e8


Botvinnik's adoption of the Exchange Variation involves dissolving the central tension. The line has the reputation of being tame, but Botvinnik could always be relied on to bring in fresh ideas. Here the nature of the position is changed by the last move - in a 1 94 1 game against Keres, Botvinnik played .!DO in a similar position. 9 .!Df8 10 0-0 Theory examines the sharper line 1 0 0-0-0, but that is not in line with Botvinnik's tastes he preferred a solid strategy. 10 c6 l:l.ab1 ll As usual with a stable position in the centre the sphere of influence moves to the wings and White goes for the minority attack. ll �d6?! The natural course of events would be 1 l ....!Dh5 12 �xe7 "ikxe7 13 b4 "ikh4, or 1 1 ....!De4 1 2 �xe7 "ikxe7 13 b4 .!Dg6. The text move carries just the one threat 12 ... �xh2+ 1 3 � .!Dg4+, but does not fit i n with Black's scheme and involves him in unforeseen danger. .!Dg6 12 �h1 ! Now, of course, 12 ...�xh2 fails to the intermediate 13 �xf6. f3! 13 This is the whole point. The unfortunate position of the d6-bishop combined with the pin on the f6-knight allows White to vary from his initial strategic intentions. Instead of the stereotyped play on the queenside, he prepares an energetic pawn advance in the centre by e3e4. The character of the play proves to be surprisingly similar to Botvinnik's famous anthology-piece game against Capablanca at AVRO 1 93S. 13 �e7 A forced admission of his slip at move 1 1 . After 1 3 ...h6 1 4 �xf6 "ikxf6 1 5 e4 Black is in a bad way. l:l.bel! 14 White has no need to force events, as the advance e3-e4 needs preparation. Thus, 14 e4 would give Black counterplay after 14 ... dxe4 1 5 fxe4 .!Dg4!. 14 .!Dd7 Trying to simplify by exchanges. 14 ... lt:lh5 would not fit this purpose in view of 1 5 1.xe7

79

"ikxe7 16 g4 ! it:lf6 17 .!Dg3. 15 �xe7 l:l.xe7 .!Df6 16 lt:lg3 11 "ika Exploiting Black's total passivity, Botvinnik regroups his forces while waiting for the right time to advance by e3-e4 . 17 �e6 18 it:lfS �xfS No choice here, as 1 S ....l:leS meets with the very unpleasant 19 g4. "ikb6 (D) 19 �xfS

e4! 20 The long-awaited signal to attack, as events now speed up. dxe4 20 l:l.d8 21 fxe4 22 it:ld5 e5 23 .!De4! White's pieces penetrate into the enemy camp with great force and his space advantage now becomes the decisive factor. 23 .!Df8 24 "ikc7 .!Dd6 The only move. There was a threat not only of the prosaic 25 .!DeS, but also the romantic 25 .!Dxf7! .:Xf7 26 �e6!. 25 �e4 .!De6 This leads to fresh concessions, but there is nothing better. g6 26 "ikh4! Even more dangerous for Black is 26 ... h6 in view of 27 .!Df5 .:teeS 2S .!Dxh6+! gxh6 29 "ikxh6 .!Drs 30 .:r.o !. 27 �xd5! The bishop has played its role and now is exchanged for Black's only active piece.

80


27 cxd5 28 .:tel ..d7 29 l:tc3 l:tf8 (D) A clever, but doomed attempt to repulse the direct threats. Keres had in mind 30 l:th3 f5! 3 1 exf6 'ifxd6, but the avalanche of threats continues.

+ o ,.

Vladimir Simagin-Boris Goldenov

30 lt:JfS! The final blow. l:tfe8 30 Despair. It is clear that 30 ...gxf5 allows mate in three after 3 1 .:tg3+ and if 30 ...l:tee8, then 3 1 lt:Jh6+ �h8 32 'iff6+ lt:Jg7 3 3 lt:Jxt7+ is good enough. lt:Jh6+! 31 White cannot be tempted by just the win of the exchange. 31 �f8 32 ..f6 lt:Jg7 l:tcf3 33 l:tc8 34 lt:Jxti l:te6 35 tt:Jr5 ._g5 36 ..g7 lt:Jh6 37 g4 1--0

Once again, as in the previous year, Simagin shone with various tactical concepts. In the following sharp position from Simagin versus Goldenov, White goes for the attack.

29 ._e3! lt:Jc7 30 l:txf6! The start of a deeply analysed combination. ._xc4 30 i.xd5 ._e7! 31 i.h6! 32 The only correct follow-up, as the prosaic 32 -.xc7 leads only to a draw after 32 ... i.xf3 33 gxf3 (33 l:txd6? .:tal + 34 �h2 l:thl+! 35 � 1 •n+ 36 �h2 -.xg2#) 33 . . .l:tal + 3 4 �h2 l:th 1+ 35 �xh 1 •n+ 36 �h2 'ifxf2+. l:tg8 32 The only defence. 32 ...gxh6 33 .:txh6 i.g8 34 ._f6 is mate. 33 lt:Jg5! Now all the pieces take part in the attack. 33 lt:Je8 After 33 .....xh4 Simagin had envisaged a fme finish: 34 i.xg7+! l:txg7 35 .:tf8+ i.g8 36 .:txg8+! l:txg8 (36 ...�xg8 37 ._d8+ lt:Je8 38 ._xe8#) 37 ._f6+ l:tg7 38 ._f8+ l:tg8 39 lt:Jf7#. 34 •xc3 l:txfS There is no other defence against the threat 35 .:txd5. 35 l:txd5 ..cl+ �h2 •r4+ 36 �h3 1--0 37

21st Championship Kiev, 7 January - 7 February 1954 1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Averbakh Korchnoi Taimanov Lisitsyn Petrosian Kholmov Nezhmetdinov Suetin Furman Byvshev Geller Borisenko Flohr Bannik Ilivitsky Lilienthal Ragozin Shamkovich Livshin Sokolsky

1 •

\1, \1, \1, \1, \1, \1, 0 0

2 3 \1, \1, • \1, \1, • I \1, \1, \1, \1, \1, 0 \1, I 0 \1, \1,

0

0

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4 5 \1, \1, 0 \1, \1, \1, • \1, v. • 0 \1,

6 7 8 \1, \1, I \1, I 0 \1, \1, I I I I \1, I \1, I \1, • 0 0 0 • \1, 0 \1, \1, \1, • \1, v. I I 0 I \1, 0 \1, 0 \1, 0 0 0 \1,

\1, I 0 0 0 0 \1, \1, \1, \1, 0 \1, I 0 0 \1, 0 \1, I \1, 0 \1, \1, \1, \1, 0 0 0 0 \1, 0 I 0 \1, 0 0 0 \1, 0 0 \1, I \1, \1, y, 0 y, 0 v. y, 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 \1, \1, 0 0 0 0 0 0 \1, \1, \1,

'h

0

\1,

0

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 I I I \1, \1, I I \1, I I I I 0 I \1, I I \1, \1, I \1, \1, 0 \1, 0 \1, y, \1, \1, \1, I I \1, I \1, 0 I I I \1, \1, \1, 0 \1, I I I 0 I I I \1, I \1, \1, I 0 \1, \1, \1, \1, • 0 I • 0 \1, I \1, 0 I I I I I • 0 \1, \1, I • \1, \1, \1, \1, 0 0 \1, • I \1, \1, \1, 0 \1, 0 • I \1, I 0 \1, \1, 0 • I 0 0 \1, \1, \1, \1, 0 0 0 \1, \1, I \1, 0 y, I 0 0 v. I I 0 \1, \1, 0 0 0 0 0 \1, 0 \1, 0 0

16 I I \1, I

17 18 I \1, \1, I I \1, I I I \1, \1, \1, 0 \1, I \1, I I 0 \1, I I 0 I \1, I I 0 I \1, \1, I \1, \1, \1, \1, 0 0 \1, \1, I I • \1, \1, • 0 I

19 20 I

I

I I I I \1, I \1, I I \1, I \1, 0 \1, I I I I I \1, I 0 I \1, \1, I \1, I I \1, 0 \1,

14\1, 13 13 12\lz 12\lz lOY. 10 10 10 9\lz 9\1, 8\1, 8Y. 8 8 8 6\1,

•

0

'h

6'h

I \1, \1, \1,

•

0

6

I

•

5

0 0

I

HERE WAS NO CONTEST in 1 953 as the top Soviet stars were tied up for many weeks at

Tthe Candidates' tournament in Switzerland. Note that 1 953 was the year that the dictator Stalin

died, in early March. The Communist Party bosses inaugurated a 'collective leadership' that revolved initially around Malenkov and Khruschov, and contacts with the rest of the chess world became somewhat freer. The 2 1 st contest, in 1 954, was held in Kiev to mark the 300th anniversary of the union between Russia and the Ukraine. It produced a great superiority for White, the results from his point of view being +72 -33 =85. There was a slight decline in playing strength with a number of big names missing from the list of 20 participants. Botvinnik and Smyslov were busy preparing for their world championship match and Bronstein was at Hastings along with Tolush. Livshin, of whom little was heard in the future, and Shamkovich, who later emigrated to the USA, were among the debutants. Two negative facts were the absence of a formal bulletin and the fact that the arbiters, after various complaints, had to give a warning to Lisitsyn about his constant adjusting of the pieces which broke his opponents' concentration. Averbakh took advantage of the absence of the top names to forge ahead, having a point and a half lead at the end over Korchnoi and Taimanov, the former being a comparatively new name on the Soviet conveyor belt. Averbakh produced several masterpieces in this event. A deep strategist, who later gained a reputation as a leading expert on the endgame, he was at his best in this event. Neither before nor after in the course of his long career could he match this superlative performance.

Yury Averbakh-Georgy Ilivitsky GrUnfeld Defence 07 1 1 2 3

d4 c4 g3

lLlf6 g6 ..i.g7

82


dS 4 .tg2 lbxdS cxdS S e4 6 Averbakh from his youth was considered a supporter of classical opening strategy, attaching great significance to the role of the pawn centre. 6 lbc3 is more flexible. lbb4 6 dS 7 The alternative 7 a3 liJ4c6 8 d5 lbd4 9 lbc3 promises nothing good after 9...c5. 7 0-0 Nowadays 7 ... c6 is more often tried. lb4a6 a3 8 9 lbe2 e6 0-0 c6 10 cxd5 �bc3 11 12 exd5 exd5 �c6 �xd5 13 A position which can occur from other move-orders in the Grilnfeld. White enjoys greater space, but Black has broken up the enemy pawn centre. �ec3 �c7 14 �xc7 'ibc7 15 �d5 ..d8 16 This position looks quite harmless with almost total symmetry. Naturally the d5-knight has the more active role, and in the hands of Averbakh this small difference proves to be significant. h6?! h4! 17 Black clearly overestimates the threat of 1 8 .tg5. The text not only weakens the king's position, but is a loss of time, particularly in an open position. The more natural move was 1 7 ... .te6, to meet 18 .tg5 by 18 ... f6 19 .tf4 .tfl. 18 .tr4 .trs Now 1 8 ....te6 would fail to 19 �c7, and 1 8 ....txb2 19 .txh6 is unpleasant for Black. l:cl 19 Simple means to gradually build up the pressure. 19 g5 Rather than wait passively, Black strikes out, hoping to achieve useful simplification. Although it is hardly a bed of roses, this is in practice his best chance. hxgS 20 hxg5 21 'i'hS! This queen thrust poses the most problems.

.tg6 21 Clearly, 2 l ...gxf4 22 'i'xf5 lbd4 23 'i'h5 fxg3 24 txg3 is unattractive for Black. 'i'xg5 22 ._xgS Only exchanges can bring hope for Black. After 22 ....txb2 23 'i'h6! .tg7 24 'i'h3 Black's position is unenviable. .txb2 (D) 23 .txg5

Apparently Black can breathe a sigh of relief. Queens are off, and there are few pawns left, which is a factor that should neutralize White's initiative. Yet Averbakh manages to develop dynamic play and start a formidable attack with limited means. 24 .tf6! A fine blow, underlining the vulnerability of the enemy king. It is curious that White saw another tempting line here: 24 :c4 .td3 25 l:h4 .txfl 26 �fl, which was not quite so convincing because of26 ...f6. 24 .txcl In the light of subsequent events, accepting the exchange sacrifice seems dubious. Possibly Black could gain drawing chances by surren dering a pawn by 24....txf6 25 �xf6+ �g7 26 .txc6 bxc6 27 l:xc6 l:fc8. Note that 24 ... .txa3 is risky because of25 l:c4. l:xd 25 The idea is clear: l:c4-h4-h8. How can Black parry this threat? 25 l:ad8 The most radical measure, offering to return the exchange. 26 f4! A superb response. As the obvious 26 l:c4 l:d6 27 l:h4 l:xf6 (27 ....th7? 28 .te4!) 28 lbxf6+ �g7 promises White little, he fmds a

21st Championship, Kiev 1954

side path, threatening not only to reach the h-file by another route, after 27 'iPf2, but also to bring his kingside pawns into play. l:.d6 26 �f2 27 What a pity. This natural move could have put in doubt the results of his excellent play up to this point. The stronger 27 g4! J.d3 (what else?) 28 .l:lc3 would yield a crushing initiative. 27 l:.xffi Hurrying to simplify, but losing the chance to show up White's slip. Averbakh commented that 27 ....l:lfd8! could complicate White's task, both after 28 l:.h1 l:xf6 29 lDxf6+ fj;g7 and after 28 J.xd8 l:.xd8 29 g4 (29 f5 J.xf5 30 l:.xc6 bxc6 3 1 lDe7+ 'iPf8 32 lDxf5 l:.d2+ 33 �fl l:a2 34 J.xc6 l:.xa3 with a draw) 29...J.d3 30 �e3 J.a6 and White's positional plus may prove inadequate for a win. 28 lDxf6+ �g7 J.xc6 l:.c8 29 Black had relied on this zwischenzug, but a shock awaits him. The lesser evil was 29 ...bxc6, though after 30 :Xc6 White has a technical win. 30 lDe8+! �f8 31 f5! A nasty surprise. 31 J.h7 Alas, he has to retreat. 3 l ...J.xf5 fails to 32 lDd6, and 3 1 ... l:.xc6 to 32 l:.xc6 bxc6 33 fxg6 'iPxe8 34 g7. 32 g4! Now the bishop is out of play and there follows a swift denouement. 32 bxc6 The pawn ending after 32 ...l:.xc6 33 l:.xc6 bxc6 34 lDf6 �g7 35 lDxh7 'iPxh7 36 g5 is hopeless for Black, for example 36 ...'iPg7 37 'iPe3 'iPf8 38 �d4 'iPe7 39 'iPc5 �d7 40 a4 a5 4 1 g6! . lDd6 l:.c7 33 34 f6! A clever and paradoxical decision. Hem ming in the king is more important than keeping the bishop locked up. 34 c5? Speeds the end, but Black is also lost after 34 ...l:.d7 35 l:.xc6 l:.d8 36 l:.c8 l:.xc8 37 lDxc8 a6 38 lDd6. 1-0 l:.e1 35

83

Amongst Averbakh's achievements in this event is this striking ending against Geller.

Efim Geller-Yury Averbakh

Black's chief trump is his passed pawn at b2. To exploit this he does not shrink from sacrificing two rooks. 41 l:.xe5! 42 dxe5 'ii'xe5 43 'ii'xe5 J.xe5 44 l:.xg5+ �h7 45 l:.gxe5 bxc3 46 l:.b5 The passed pawns seem to have been neutralized, but ... 46...l:.d1 ! ! 0-1 47 l:.xd1 c2 leaves the rook helpless against the enemy infantry. .••

Here is a brilliancy by the young Korchnoi, playing the unusual for him 1 e4. Viktor Korchnoi-Efim Geller Sicilian Defence B64 1 e4 c5 2 lDt3 lDc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 lDf6 5 lDc3 d6 6 J.g5 e6 7 'ii'd2 J.e7 8 0-0-0 0-0 9 f4 eS?! 10 lDt3 J.g4 11 h3 J.xt3 12 gxt3 lDd4 13 fxe5 dxe5 14 l:.g1 lDxt3 Korchnoi rarely sacrificed pawns in those years, so Geller should have known he was taking great risks. Simply 1 4... l:tc8 is good, meeting 1 5 J.h6 by 1 5 ...g6 1 6 J.xf8 'W'xf8 with many threats on the dark squares. 15 'ii'f2 'ii'b6 16 J.e3 lDd4 17 l:.xd4! exd4 18 J.xd4 'ii'd8 ( l 8 ...'ii'e6 defends well) 19 lDdS lDe8 20 'ii'g3 f6? The losing move, whereas 20 ... J.h4 2 1 'ii'xg7+, promising though it looks, i s not a win. 21 J.c4 l:.t7 22 lDf4! J.d6 23 J.xt7+ �xt7 24 'ii'b3+ �e7 25 J.xf6+ 1-0

22nd Championship Moscow, 11 February - 15 March 1955 1 (I) Geller

Smyslov 3 Botvinnik )Divitsky \ vPetrosian � >)Spassky 7 Keres 8 Taimanov 9 Mikenas 10 Antoshin 11 Furman 12 Kotov 13 Borisenko 14 Flohr 15 Averbakh 16 Lisitsyn 17 Kan 18 Simagin 19 Korchnoi 20 Shcherbakov 2

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HE TOP MEN, except Bronstein who was ill, were back in force in 1955, which mark&d the

Tend of the Botvinnik era.

Geller was in excellent form. He had qualified from the semi-fmal at Gorky with a record score of 1 5 points from 19 games. He duly beat Botvinnik in the 5th round, but later fell back after two consecutive losses to Taimanov and Borisenko, which Romanovsky attributed, in the tournament book, to over-optimism. .:td5? instead of 55 i.xd6. The game ended The following position comes from round 14. 55 .:tf8+ 56 .:tf5? (56 �g3 ) 56 g5+ 57 �e5 lL:Jc4+ 58 �e6 lL:Jxa3 59 .:txf8+ �xf8 60 �f6 lL:Jb5 61 �g6 lL:Jd4 62 �xh6 lL:Jf3 63 �g6 �e7 64 �f5 and 0-1 . ••.

••.

Botvinnik's departure from the champion ships, though this was not known at the time, was marked by one of his most severe defeats, which came in the last round. Paul Keres-Mikhail Botvinnik French Defence C03 Efim Geller-Georgy Borisenko

Playing on by sheer inertia, because he had had a big advantage earlier, Geller went 55

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 lL:Jd2 lL:Jc6 4 c3 e5 5 exd5 it'xd5 6 lL:Jgf3 i.g4? 7 i.c4 i.xf3 8 it'b3! At last Keres has inveigled his rival into an open game and scores a quick win. The threats to b7 and f7 made Botvinnik think long and

22nd Championship, Moscow 1955

hard here, but he did not fmd the best defence 8 ...'ifd7 9 lt.Jxf3 exd4.

8 ... lt.Ja5 9 'ifa4+ 'ifd7 10 ..txt7+! 'iitd8 1 1 'ifxd7+ 'iitxd7 12 lt.Jxt3 exd4 1 3 lt.Jxd4 c5 14 lt.Jt3 'iite7 15 ..td5 lt.Jf6 16 ..tg5 h6 17 ..txf6+ 'iitxf6 18 0-0-0 ..td6 19 g3 l:the8 20 lt.Jd2 ..tf8 21 lt.Je4+ 'iitf5 22 t3 J:ted8 23 h4 lt.Jc6 24 h5 ..te7 25 l:the1 lt.Je5 26 lt.Jt2! g5 27 hxg6 1-0

By a strange coincidence, Botvinnik's final championship was marked by the last appear ance of a Soviet tournament book. These had been. superb productions, only a few copies of which had ever reached the West. The print run of this last book was 20,000. It had 272 pages and cost I 0 roubles and 30 kopecks. Geller won the play-off match by taking the seventh game after six tense draws. Thus, Smyslov, despite coming first equal twice, never succeeded in winning the Soviet Cham pionship outright. Here is an example of Geller's fierce attacking play in this event.

Efim Geller-Aiexander Kotov

85

After a bold pawn sacrifice, Geller has active pieces and goes for the jugular. 21 ..txe4 l:txe4 22 lt.JgS .:te7 Kotov seems not to have sensed the danger and relies on 23 ...lt.Jd3 to bring him counter play. Otherwise he would have surrendered the exchange by 22 ....1:txe3 to continue 23 .l:.xe3 lt.Jxd5. Now Geller dictates the whole course of events. 23 'ifh5! h6 24 lt.Jrs .:txe1 + 24 ...hxg5 fails to 25 :Xe7 ..txe7 26 ..txg7. 25 J:txe1 hxgS Otherwise, e.g. after 25 ... lbd3, comes 26 l:te7!. 26 l:te3! ..tc8 Other moves are no better, e.g. 26... f6 27 'Wg6 ..tc8 28 lt.Jh6+ �h8 29 .l:.e8, or 26 ...g4 27 lt.Jh6+ gxh6 28 'i'xg4+ �h7 29 'iff5+. 27 ..txg7! Kotov seemed somehow to have a lot of bad luck with the g7-square... 27.....txg7 28 l:te8+ 1-0 The other man at the top after the basic event, Vasily Smyslov, probably derived most pleasure from his game with his perpetual opponent Mikhail Botvinnik. The game took place in the 1 1th round when the battle for the leadership was in full flow and lived up to the best traditions of their rivalry. Vasily Smyslov-Mikhail Botvinnik King's Indian Attack A04 1 lt.Jf6 lt.Jt3 2 g3 g6 ..tg7 3 ..tg2 0-0 4 0-0 Such a method of opening the game, with its postponement of strategic plans and then suiting these to the reaction of the opponent, is very characteristic of players who meet frequently. d3 5 c5 lt.Jc6 e4 6 Finally we have the outline of a Sicilian Closed variation. 7 lt.Jbd2 Normally in this line Smyslov developed his knight on c3, but the text-move has its points in a manoeuvring game.

86

The Soviet Championships 7 8

d6 a4

In this complex structure with King's Indian features the knight will have an outpost at c4 and White instead of the traditional advance f4 to play on that side, as often practised by Smyslov, goes for queenside play.

8 9 10

ltJc4 c3

llJe8 eS fS (D)

time to coordinate his forces, which enables him to accept the sacrifice. J.e6 13 dxe4 ltJe3 14 Clearly not 1 4 Wb3? l:.xO ! . l:.bl aS After this White re-establishes material equality and retains some plus points at no cost. His task would be harder after 1 5 ...li:)a6, but as subsequent analysis showed, 1 6 li:)d5! ? (not 1 6 l:.xb7 ltJc5 1 7 l:.b4 a5 1 8 l:.b 1 ltJxe4, but he could consider 1 6 h4 h6 1 7 h5 g5 1 8 ltJf5, as recommended by Levenfish) 1 6...li:)c5 17 ltJg5 J.d7 1 8 J.e3 ! with fme compensation, e.g. 1 8 . . .J.xa4 (or 1 8. . .b6 1 9 li:)c3 J.c6 20 J.xc5 'W'xg5 2 1 J.xd6) 1 9 'W'd2 J.c6 20 J.xc5 dxc5 21 li:)e6 'W'd6 22 li:)xf8 J.xf8 23 'W'a2! J.xd5 24 exd5 b6 25 'W'a6 and the chances are on White's side - Smyslov.

16

II

b4!?

With pawn stability in the centre, the wings become the focus of attention. Now everything depends on the energy with which rival plans are realized. White is happy to give up a pawn to take the initiative. Black now has the tempting move 1 l ...f4, which is very hard to assess at the board. There could follow: a) 12 bxc5 g5 ! ? ( 1 2 . . .dxc5 1 3 gxf4 exf4 14 J.a3 b6 1 5 d4 is unattractive for Black) 1 3 h3 ! ? (there i s also the interesting line 1 3 cxd6 g4 14 li:)h4 0 1 5 J.h 1 J.e6 1 6 li:)f5) 1 3 ...h5 14 lDb2! ? with unclear play; b) 1 2 gxf4 exf4 1 3 b5 ( 1 3 bxc5?! J.xc3 14 l:.bl dxc5 15 Wb3 lDd4! 1 6 li:)xd4 J.xd4 1 7 li:)b6+ �h8 1 8 �a8 0 ! ) 1 3 ... ltJe7 ( 1 3 ...ltJe5? 14 lDcxe5 dxe5 15 J.a3 b6 16 d4) 14 Wb3 �h8 1 5 d4 with the initiative for White; c) 1 2 b5 ltJe7 1 3 gxf4 exf4 14 d4 (or 14 Wb3 along the lines of the previous note) and White stands better. In the light of these many variations Botvinnik's more accurate choice is justified.

II 12

cxb4

cxb4 fxe4

Obviously not 1 2 . . .ltJxb4 1 3 Wb3. By the preliminary exchange in the centre Black gains

ltJxb4

14 IS

J.a3

li:)c7

The attempt to cover the weakness at d5 is logical, but the move actually made is not best. He should play 1 6 ...J.h6! 1 7 J.xb4 and now either 1 7 ...J.xe3 1 8 fxe3 axb4 1 9 l:.xb4 'W'e7, or 1 7...axb4 1 8 li:)d5 li:)c7 1 9 l:.xb4 li:)xd5 20 exd5 J.c8, in both cases with a defensible game.

17 18

J.xb4 l:.xb4

axb4 J.h6

Now this is too late and does not achieve its object. Smyslov considered that Black' s best chance was 1 8 ...ltJa6 1 9 l:.xb7 li:)cS 20 l:.b4 'W'a5 2 1 Wbl J.h6 22 li:)c4 'W'a6 23 li:)b6 l:.ab8.

19

l:.b6!

Probably underestimated by Black. The 'natural' 1 9 l:.xb7 J.xe3 20 fxe3 lDa6 and 2 I ...li:)c5 would leave Black quite nicely placed.

19

J.xe3

The tricky point here is that after 1 9. . .l:.a6 White can go 20 l:.xb7 with advantage, as after 20 . . . J.xe3 2 1 fxe3 Black does not have the stabilizing manoeuvre . . .ltJa6-c5.

20 21 22

fxe3 l:.xd6 l:.el

J.c4 'W'e8

White now has an extra pawn which, though doubled, controls central squares. Another important feature defming White's advantage is control of the d-file.

22nd Championship, Moscow 1955 22 Black had difficult choices to make. He could try other lines, such as: a) 22 .. .'ifxa4 23 'ifxa4 l:r.xa4 24 �xe5 �b5 (24 ...b5 25 l:r.c6) 25 l:r.b6 �c3 26 �xc4 l:r.xc4 when 27 e5 puts Black in trouble; b) 22 ....:txa4 23 l:r.d7 l:r.a1 24 'ifxa1 'ii'xd7 25 �xe5 'i6'e6 26 l:.c 1 b5 27 �c4 bxc4 when 28 'ii'd4 would win White another pawn. So Black's choice is best, but life is far from easy for him. l:r.e7 23 �g5 �fl! 24 A fine manoeuvre, one of those consisting of a quiet move of crushing force. Black's king position now comes under great pressure. �xfl 24 No choice, for 24 ...�a2 meets with 25 l:r.e2 (25 ...'iixa4? 26 'i6'xa4 l:.xa4 27 l:.xa2 l:.xa2 28 �c4+) and the bishop cannot be defended by 24 ...'ifxa4 in view of 25 l:.d8+ g7, then simply 27 'ii'd6. 'ifc4 'ii'f3 ! 27 1-0 l:r.d7! 28 After 28 ....:f8 comes the fine fmish 29 .:txc7! ! 'ifxc7 30 'i6'xf8+ .:xf8 3 1 .l:txf8+ �xf8 32 �e6+ �e7 33 �xc7.

87

Although Botvinnik was not in his best form in this event, he created one artistic endgame masterpiece which is widely quoted.

Alexander Kotov-Mikhail Botvinnik

The position with opposite-coloured bishops looks drawn, as it was before White last move, the faulty 59 �e7-c5, but Botvinnik fmds an amazing winning idea. 59 ... g5!! 60 fxg5 Or 60 hxg5 h4 6 1 �d6 �f5 62 g6 �xg6 63 f5 (otherwise 63 ...�f5) 63 ...�xf5 64 �b3 and then simply 64 ... <3;g2. 60 d4+! Yet another bolt of lightning from a clear sky. 61 exd4 6 1 �xd4 makes no difference. 61 .'�g3 A surprising picture. Black is temporarily a pawn down, but his remaining two pawns play a decisive role now, while all White's pawns play no role at all. 62 �a3 �xh4 63 �d3 �xg5 64 �e4 h4 65 �f3 Or 65 d5 �xd5+ 66 �xd5 h3 . 65...�d5+ 0-1 .•.

.•

23rd Championship Leningrad, 10 January - 15 February 1956 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Averbakh Spassky Taimanov Korchnoi Polugayevsky Tal Kholmov Boleslavsky Zurakhov Antoshin Bannik Byvshev Ragozin Simagin Tolush Borisenko Khasin Lisitsyn

•

1 '12 y, 0 '12 y, y, y, 0 '12 0 y, y, 0 0 0 0

2 0 •

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3 y, 1 •

'12 0 '12 '12 0 0 0 y, 0 1 0 '12 0 0 y,

4 y, 0 '12 •

0 '12 y, y, 0 y, 0 0 1 0 y, y, y, y,

5 1 y, 1 1 •

y, y, 0 0 0 0 y, y, 0 0 1 0 0

6 '12 1 '12 y, y, •

y, y, 1 y, 0 y, 0 0 0 y, 0 0

7 y, y, '12 y, y, y, •

1 '12 0 0 0 y, 0 y, 0 y, y,

8 '12 1 1 '12 1 y, 0 •

y, y, y, 1 0 '12 y, 0 0 0

9

y, y, 1 1 1 0 y, y, •

y, y, y, 1 0 0 0 y, '12

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1 1 1 1 y, 1 y, y, 1 y, y, '12 1 y, y, 1 y, 1 1 y, 1 1 y, 1 1 '12 0 1 1 y, y, y, y, 0 y, 1 1 1 0 1 1 y, y, 1 1 1 1 1 y, 1 y, 1 '12 1 1 y, 1 y, 1 y, y, 1 1 1 1 1 y, y, 1 y, '12 0 1 1 1 y, y, y, y, y, 0 1 1 1 1 y, • y, y, 0 1 0 y, y, 1 '12 • y, 1 1 1 1 y, y, • y, 0 0 1 1 0 '12 • 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 • y, y, 0 y, 1 1 0 0 1 y, • 0 0 y, 0 1 y, 1 • y, y, 1 0 y, 0 1 0 y, • y, y, 0 0 0 0 y, '12 y, •

11% 1 1% l lY. 11 lOY. lOY. lOY. 9 8% 8 7% 7% 7 6% 6% 6 5Y. 4

IKHAIL TAL, often described as 'The Magician from Riga', played in his first Champion

Mship in 1 956 and demonstrated his over-adventurous style in only a few games, notably in

the third round against Simagin, who had the honour to be one of the first to wonder about the soundness of the sacrifice that had defeated him. The fact that he had to move his king 1 3 times in 20 moves after Tal's sacrifice of a knight on move 12 hardly helped the case for the defence, though Simagin wrote an angry letter to the tournament bulletin objecting to the way the annotator, GM Bondarevsky, had presented the game. However, the audience's eyes were mainly on the young Spassky and Taimanov as well as Korchnoi as they fought for the honour of Leningrad against the six-foot-tall Averbakh from Mos cow. The rivalry between these two cities was always great and, as the contest came back to the city on the Neva after a nine-year break, the home 'side' had the superiority of seven repres entatives to four. Spassky, the only exempt player, struck the first blow when, in a lost position, he played an ingenious bishop sacrifice in Averbakh's time-trouble in the first round. The Muscovite accepted the offer, wrongly, and then made a second error on move 4 1 , believing that he had not yet made the 40th control move. Spassky then forced the win. Taimanov began slowly, but this was quite understandable, since he had been playing at Hastings, along with Korchnoi, and the pair came straight to the tournament with no rest days, other than at Heathrow where they were delayed in foggy weather. Strangely enough, Ragozin, who had been their trainer at Hastings, beat both of them - it was joked he must have watched their play with great interest and found holes in it! After nine rounds Averbakh and Spassky led with 6Y2 points, followed by Taimanov, Korchnoi and Tal on 5Y2. Polugayevsky, also making his debut, had 4/9, but then won three in a row to get into the first seven. After a close contest a three-fold tie was reached - for the first time in the history of the competition. The trio had to play-off for the medals after a break of only two days. Taimanov, who celebrated his 30th birthday the day after the main tournament ended, had to postpone his second

89

23rd Championship, Leningrad 1956

round game with Spassky due to illness and in the second half of the event Spassky was ill for five days, giving Taimanov all the time in the world to study their adjourned position and thereby win convincingly. Spassky's second game with Averbakh did not take place due to the fonner's illness and was a loss by default. The results can be seen from the table. Taimanov Averbakh Spassky

•

� �

� �

•

1 1 � +

0 0

� -

•

There were no special prizes for creative achievements this time, but the following effort was considered one of the most interesting. Isaak Boleslavsky-Mark Taimanov Nimzo-Indian Defence E52 tiJf6 d4 l e6 c4 2 tiJf3 d5 3 .i.b4 tiJc3 4 0--0 e3 5 b6 .i.d3 6 Along with 6 ... c5 lines, the idea of an early fianchetto has always had its supporters as it fits in with the idea of pressure on e4. .i.b7 0--0 7 cxd5 8 The pawn exchange detennines the character of the subsequent play. White aims to close the diagonal of the b7-bishop and opens the c-file. Yet the move has its drawbacks as Black has the e-file and full control over e4, which eases the problem of harmonious devel opment. Flexible alternatives are 8 a3, 8 .i.d2 and 8 'ife2. exd5 8 a3 9 With a closed centre, White could try the sharper line of playing on the kingside in the spirit of the old Pillsbury plan in the QGD - 9 ltJe5, 10 f4 and then l:.f3-h3, as was preferred in later games. .i.d6 9 l:.e8 b4 10 In the light of modem theory 10 ...a6 at once to meet 1 1 'ifb3 by l l ...'ife7 is more accurate. This hinders White's planned pawn thrust, for 12 b5 is met by 1 2 ... axb5 13 ltJxb5 tiJbd7 14 .i.b2 c5 and Black achieves easy development, as in Yusupov-Dautov, Gennany 1 996. a6 'ifb3 ll

3 2Yz Yz

12 .i.b2 12 a4 is more logical, as I played against Averbakh in 1953, when after 12 ...ltJc6 1 3 .i.a3 a5 !? 14 b5 tiJb4 White could fight for the initiative by 1 5 .i.xb4 .i.xb4 1 6 ltJe5. White's actual choice leaves Black with no problems. 12 tiJbd7 13 :tact Probably 13 .l:.fel is better, to meet 13 ...c6 by 14 e4!?, but then 14 ...dxe4 15 ltJxe4 ltJxe4 1 6 .i.xe4 tiJf6 would leave Black with no reason to be dissatisfied with his position. 13 c6! An important link in Black's plan. He has to defend d5 in order to leap in with ... ltJe4, and the text also forces White to consider new positional threats such as blockading the queenside by ...b5 and then ... tiJb6-c4 or the undennining move ... a5. 14 'ifc2 'ife7 ts .i.rs At least preventing 1 5 ...ltJe4 which would be met by 16 ltJxe4 dxe4 1 7 tiJd2. 1 5 tiJd2 would be inferior in view of 1 5 ... c5! . 15 aS!? It is an ironic point that after White's modest 12th move, Black can begin active operations on the flank where White intended to press. c5 b5 16 Obviously not 1 6 ....i.xa3? in view of 1 7 .i.xa3 'ifxa3 1 8 bxc6 .i.xc6 19 tiJb 1 . :tal?! 17 Passive play is not typical of Boleslavsky. If he feared for the a-pawn and did not want to advance 1 7 a4, which is understandable as 1 7 ... c4 would give Black an outpost on b4, then he should have sought counterchances by the im mediate 1 7 ltJa4, and if 1 7 ... c4, then 1 8 ltJe5!?. 17 l:.ad8 ltJa4 18 Now this no longer works.

90


18 c4 itJd2 h5!? 19 Making use of his full control of the centre to play actively on the kingside. l:.fe1 20 J..c7 e4 21 White could hardly wait for Black to increase his pressure, so he tries to change the character of the struggle, despite the inevitable positional concessions this advance involves. 21 ltJxe4 dxe4 ltJxe4 22 23 ltJf6 'iixc4 l:.ad1 24 It was probably better to bring the knight back into the defence by 24 ltJc3 . 24 g6 J..h3 itJd5 25 White has opened the position, but this has not eased his game. In fact he is already doomed from the strategic point of view, as there is no defence to the massed attack of Black's forces. J..c t 26 The only move, as 26 ... ltJf4 and 26 ...e3 were the threats. 26 h4 27 g3 (D)

27 e3! Opens all the sluices! 'iie4 J..xe3 28 In his euphoria Black thought he could win as he pleased. It is only with the years one comes to understand that the better position you have, the more accurately you must play, as the sense of mortal danger imbues the defen der with terrific resourcefulness. Obviously, in

the quiet of my study it is easy to prefer the simple continuation 28 ...hxg3 29 hxg3 J..xg3 and the threats 30 ...'iih4 as well as 30...ltJxe3 3 1 l:.xe3 J..xf2+ would settle matters, but in the heat of battle it is a different matter. The tempting queen move does not let the win slip, but lengthens the procedure considerably. 'iid3! 29 The best chance. 29 J..g2 would be met by 29 ... 'iixg2+ 30
23rd Championship, Leningrad 1956 .:l.xg4+ 43 fS �f3 44 .:l.c2 lDxb6 45 iDd7 .:l.h4 46 The battle has unexpectedly become sharper: White has two passed pawns, but Black's pieces are very active now. .:l.d3 47 Possibly 47 lDc5 at once is better. 47 .i.d6 48 iDeS (D)

91

After 48 iDeS .:l.h l ! 49 .:l.b3 .:tal White would lose quickly. 48 gS! Despite the limited material, Black fmds a way to renew his attack on the king. 49 lDb7 Surprisingly the pawn cannot be taken: 49 .i.xg5 .:l.h3+ 50 �g2 l:h2+ 5 1
24th Championship Moscow, 20 January - 22 February 1957 Tal 2 Bronstein 3 Keres 4 Spassky 5 Tolush 6 Kholmov 7 Korchnoi 8 Petrosian 9 Boleslavsky 10 Aronin 11 Taimanov 12 Furman 13 Bannik 14 Klaman 15 Nezhmetdinov 16 Antoshin 17 Stolyar 18 Mikenas 19 Aronson 20 Gurgenidze 21 Tarasov 22 Khasin 1

1

2

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4

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AL NOW BEGAN the remarkable run which brought him to the top of the chess Olympus, as

This adventurous style overwhelmed, over the next few years, even such great players as Keres,

Smyslov and Botvinnik himself. It was with the last-named that he contested a match for the world title just three years after winning the Soviet title in early 1 957. However, Botvinnik and Smyslov were absent this time, preparing for their forthcoming title match in the spring. The quality of the games in the 24th Soviet Championship was so high and the level of competitive interest so great that the British Chess Magazine brought out a tournament book, by Peter Clarke, now long out of print, as the first in its series of BCM Quarterlies. Only Taimanov, Bronstein and Keres were exempt to the final. Tal had just scraped his way into the tournament fmishing no higher than equal fifth in the Tbilisi semi-fmal. Tal scored 1 1 � points there, compared to a dominating performance by Tigran Petrosian in his native Caucasus 14� points. This was no fewer than two points ahead of second-placed Furman. Nevertheless, Tal showed what good form he was in by winning his first four games in Moscow in the fmal. His victims were Aronson, a new name in these events, Taimanov, the current champion, Bronstein and the Ukrainian Bannik. Then it all became much less clear. Tolush of Leningrad took over the joint lead with Tal and then the sole lead after eight rounds. These two were responsible for inspiring most of the games of the tournament to be played in a combative style. Tal had the misfortune to miss a brilliant finish against Antoshin (who was supposed to have strong links with the KGB) in the 7th round. From the diagram position play continued 25 l:txb2 ttlxb2 26 ._d5+ �h8 27 ._d4 l:txd7 28 ._xd7 l:tg8 29 ttlg5 h6 30 ttlti+ �h7 and now Tal played 31 h4? and only drew. By 3 1 ._f5+ g6 32 ._d7 gxh5 33 ttlg5+ �g6 34 ._e6+ �xg5 35 g3 ! he

93


could mate or force win of the queen. The oversight lay in thinking his pawn was still at g2 in the variation 3 5 g3 h4 36 f4+ �h5 37 'i'f5+ :g5 and now 3 8 g4 is mate since Black does not have the en passant capture ...hxg3 . After the game several people, including Geller and Bronstein, pointed out the missed opportunity, which rather ruined Tal's mood for a few rounds. His combinative play impres sed everyone. Euwe called his draw with Aronin, in which Tal gave up his queen for an attack, 'The most interesting draw in the history of chess'. The drawing of lots had arranged a grand Mikhail Tal-Vladimir Antoshin fmale. Tal regained the joint lead in the 1 6th round, having 1 O'h points, along with Bronstein, to Tolush's 1 0. As they went into the last round this trio was tied on 1 3 points and the pairings were Tal-Tolush and Bronstein-Kholmov. The last-named was known as the stoutest defender amongst the Soviet players and did his tournament duty by holding Bronstein after 4 1 moves of a Catalan in which White long had pressure thanks to a pawn sacrifice in the opening. This left all eyes on Tal's game which he won in typical style. A new star was born.

Mikhail Tal-Alexander Tolush King's Indian Defence E80

1 2 3 4

c4 lbc3 e4 d4

l2Jf6 g6 d6 i.g7

An obvious choice of opening when playing for a win, which Tal meets with the S!imisch system, one of the most uncompromising answers involving castling on opposite sides.

S 6

f3 l2Jge2

eS lbbd7

Nowadays the experts recommend 6 ... �. leaving open the options of ... l2Jc6 or ... l2Ja6.

7

i.gS

7 i.e3 has many supporters too.

7 8 9

'i'd2 dS

c6 0--0

The strategic culmination of White's play, gaining space, closing the centre and preparing to attack on the wing.

9

cS?!

An unfortunate response, deferring for some time Black's play on this flank. More logical is 9 ...cxd5 1 0 cxd5 a6, or 9 ...lbb6 1 0 l2Jc 1 cxd5 1 1 cxd5 i.d7, as often played here.

10 11 12

g4!? l2Jg3 h4

a6 :es

Clearly, Tal has been the first to get in with his threats, crossing the demarcation line and aiming his pieces at the enemy king.

12

'i'as

Yet another faulty decision. We have a case of the old Russian chess saying here: 'One man cannot win a war on his own'. This is a shot in the dark, as it is not backed up by coordinated pieces. 1 2 ...l2Jf8 1 3 h5 (or 1 3 0--0-)-0 1 3 ...i.d7 was called for.

13 14

i.h6 hS

lbf8 'i'c7

Recognizing his mistake, but the loss of time in a sharp position tells against Black. If 1 4 ...i.d7 Tolush correctly feared 1 5 i.xg7 �xg7 1 6 l2Jf5+! .

15

i.d3

bS!?

Tolush was an experienced practical fighter, and, sensing the crisis in his affairs, resolves to change the course of events at any cost. This pawn sacrifice is his best chance.

16

0-0--0! ?

Tal was not one of those players you could deflect from an attack by the offer of material gain. He would prefer to offer a pawn rather

94


than accept it. Indeed 1 6 cxb5 axb5 (or 1 6...c4) 1 7 t2Jxb5 � would give hopes of counterplay for Black.

16 17

.i.bl !

bxc4

This is the point. 1 7 .i.xc4 .i.d7 would bring Black's forces to life, when:as now White meets with no obstacles in his attack.

17

j.b8

Try to suggest a better move. This at least attempts to put difficulties in the way of White coordinating his forces.

18 19

l:tdg1 ttJrs

l:tb8 tlJ6d7

The f5-knight cannot be taken, so Black seeks a regrouping of the defence. As long as the position is not opened up this is still feasible.

20

j.gS!

j.g7

Alas, the bishop which Black wanted to retain for the defence has to be exchanged. The threat was 2 1 l2Je7+ and 20 ...f6 would fail to 2 1 hxg6 hxg6 (2 l . . .fxg5 22 'i'xg5) 22 'i'h2.

21 22

l2Jxg7 j.b6+

�xg7 �g8 (D)

25

hxg6

l2Jxg6

Once again the best chance. Quite hopeless alternatives are: a) 25 ...fxg6 26 .tg5 'i'b6 27 l2Ja4 'i'a5 28 l:tfl ! l2Je5 (28 ...'i'xa4 29 'i'f7+ �h8 30 .th6) 29 .te7 ! ; b) 2 5...hxg6 2 6 j_g5 f6 2 7 'i'h2! fxg5 28 'i'h8+ q;t7 29 l:fl + t2Jf6 30 e5 ! l:xe5 (or 30 ...dxe5) 3 1 .txg6+! l2Jxg6 32 l:h7#.

26

'i'h2!

Not 26 'i'xd6 l2Jge5 and the queen has fallen into an ambush.

26 27

l2Jde5

.i.f4

The only move by Tal in this game that deserves criticism, and moreover, not in its idea but in its execution. The accurate 27 .i.e3 l2Jf8 28 'i'h6 would produce the position Tal was aiming for, but after the text this could be avoided. 27 t2Jf8 Missing the possibility 27 ...l2Jxf4 28 ._xh7+ �f8 29 'i'h6+ �e7 30 'i'xf4 q;d7 ! with evacuation of the king from the danger zone to a position guarded by the powerful l2Je5. Probably Tal would have played 28 it"xf4, but White's task is then complicated, whereas now the attack continued unabated.

28

'i'h6

l2Jeg6

28 ...� makes no difference: 29 l2Ja4 .-as 30 .tg5! l2Jed7 3 1 e5 ! .

23

29

.tg5

30

e5!!

f6 (D)

f4!

In such positions Tal was unstoppable. He brings new forces into the attack.

23

exf4

Otherwise simply 24 f5 .

24

'i'xf4

'i'd8!

In a desperate situation Tolush keeps cool and does all in his power to sustain the defence. By covering f6 he hopes to get in ... l2Je5, and is prepared to give up the d-pawn, hoping for 25 'i'xd6 l:tb6 26 'i'f4 (26 'i'h2 g5 ! ) 26...l2Je5 and Black can finally catch his breath.

Such breakthrough moves stick in the memory for a long time. The pawn throws itself on to the attack by four separate units, but brings to life the one piece not taking part in

95

24th Championship, Moscow 1957 35

the attack hitherto.

30

l:.xeS

Or 30 . . .fxg5 3 1 .txg6 hxg6 32 'Wh8+ r:tfl 33 l:.h7+! with no hope for Black.

31

.txg6

l:.b7

Other moves also lose: 3 l .. .hxg6 32 �8+ r:tfl 33 l:.h7+ r:tes 34 .txf6, or 3 1 ...l:.xg5 32 .txh7+ r:tfl 33 ll:le4.

32 33

ll:le4!

fxgS

:n Here the win is already a matter of taste, as Panov's 33 .tf5 ! is also a killer.

33

l:.xe4

Otherwise 34 li:lf6+.

34

.txe4

l:.g7

l:tf6

.txg4

The key pawn at d6 cannot be saved: 35 ...li:lg6 36 l:.xg6!. l:.bO 36 li:ld7

37 38

l:.xd6 l:.xa6

'ii'e 7

41 42

.te6+ l:.xe6

.txe6 1--0

r:th8 Were it not for the fact that this was the last game in the tournament, Black would surely have resigned now. .txh7! 39 li:lb8 40 r:tg8 .tfS+

The applause for the winner seemed to have no end.

25th Championship Riga, 12 January - 14 February 1958 1 \ l\Tal : 2 Petrosian ;, 3/ Bronstein A Averbakh 5 Polugayevsky 6 Spassky 7 Geller 8 Gurgenidze 9 Boleslavsky 10 Korchnoi 1 1 Krogius 12 Kotov 13 Taimanov 14 Suetin 15 Gipslis 16 Bannik 17 Furman 18 Tolush 19 Borisenko

•

2 Y2 •

y, y, 0 Y2 0 0 0 I 1 y, 0 0 y, 0 I 0 0

Y2 y, y, y, y, y, y, y, y, y, y, 0 0 0 0 0

-

-

3 Y2 y2 •

y, 0 I y, y, 0 y, 0 y, y, 0 I 0 y, 0 0

4 1 y, y, •

0 y, y, 0 y, y, y, 0 I 0 y, 0 y, Y2 0

5 y, y, 1 1 •

I 0 y, Y2 y2 y, 0 y, 0 y, y, 0 0 -

6 I y2 0 Y2 0 •

I I Y2 Y2 0 I Y2 0 Y2 y2 0 0 0

7 1 y, y, y, 1 0 •

8 I y, y, I Y2 0 Y:z

y, y, I 0 y, y, y, y, 0 y, 0

•

-

-

y, I y, y, 0 I 0 0 y, 0

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 0 0 Y2 I I Y2 I 0 1 I + 1 1 + y, Y2 y, y, y, I I I I Y2 I y, y, I 0 I y, 1 1 y, y, y, I 0 I y, I y, y, I I + y, y, y, I y, I y, y, 1 I I y, y, I 0 y, I y, y, 1 y, 0 I Y:z y, y, y, I y, 1 + y, 0 y, Y:z I 0 I I Y:z I + I 0 Y:z y, y, y, y2 y, I Y2 • 0 • I y, 0 y, y, 0 y, 0 + 1 0 • I 1 y, y, Y2 1 1 Y2 y, y2 0 • 0 I y2 I y2 I + y, I 0 I • 0 I I 0 0 + 1 0 y, y, y, 0 I • I y2 I y, y, y, y, 0 0 • I 0 I y2 y, I y, 0 0 y, 0 • I y, + y, y, 0 y, I 0 I 0 • 0 y, 0 I 0 0 1 0 0 y, I • 0 y, I • I Y2 y, y, -

-

-

-

12% 12 11% 11 lOY. lOY. 10 10 9% 9% 9% 9 9 8 7% 7 6 4 4

HERE WAS the odd number of 1 9 participants this time (and Borisenko withdrew after nine

Trounds) as the contest moved to Tal's home town of Riga. Only Tal and Bronstein were

exempt in what was simultaneously a FIDE Zonal tournament, qualifying four players to the Interzonal at Portorof, Yugoslavia later in the year. Bronstein handicapped himself by his eccentric handling of the clock. For example, in round nine he took 1 8 minutes over deciding upon l . ..c5 in answer to Gipslis's 1 e4. After only six moves Bronstein had eaten up 70 minutes of the 150 allowed for his ftrst 40 moves. For his last 24 moves he had only eight minutes, so it was no surprise that he lost. For Tal the ftrst round was a carbon copy of the last round a year before. He was White against Tolush, adopted a closed opening and won after a complex struggle. However, here is an example to show that he did not always succeed in his combinations and Korchnoi was always his most difficult opponent. In the ninth round, Tal-Korchnoi came to this position: Tal, after ftrst repeating moves by 33 'iff3 'ifdS 34 'iff4 'ifeS, crashed by 35 h6+ .:txh6 36 'ifxh6+ �xh6 37 g7 'ifxg3+ and resigned at once. The lead changed hands quite a number of times. Geller, Spassky, celebrating his 2 1 st birthday in round 1 0 in the role of leader with 7/9, and Petrosian were in the hot seat at various stages, but Tal had a fantastic streak of eight points from his last nine games. Mikhail Tal-Viktor Korchnoi

The U kra i n i a n Leon i d Ste i n followed h i s debut third place in 1961 with a dazzling series of victories: 1st equal in the 31st C h a m p i o n s h i p in 1963 (subsequently w i n n i ng a pl ay-off with Kholmov and Spassky), and clear fi rst i n the 33rd and 34th Cham p i o n s h i ps .

To p from left to right: Ta l , Petrosian and Vaga n i a n sna pped 9t the Keres Memorial in 1979. Below left: th ree time Cham pion Anatoly Karpov. Below right: Alexander Belyavsky, who came first equal four ti mes - 1974 (with Ta l ) , 1980/81 (with Psakh i s ) , 1987 (with Salov) and 1990 (with Yud a s i n , Bareev & Vyzh manav i n ) .

� t\ U � · � \\ � 1 l fi O A E C � AB G K U U -

A

,_._ ,, , . ,

. .

""

"' "''

..

. . B o I es I avsky ( left) v. Ta ·l m a nov from the fIrs t rou n d of the 24th USSR C h am plonsh l p , Moscow 1957 . I n the background Klaman ( l eft) is playing Spass ky.

Top left (from left to right): Soviet Champion s h i p regu lars Balashov, Karpov and Savon. Bottom left: Lev Pol ugayevsky. Bottom right: Former World C h a m p ion Vasily Smyslov.

M i kh a i l Tal ( l eft) analyses with Salo Flohr, whose spectacles are pushed back in a characteristic pose.

To p left: Garry Kaspa rov - possibly the greatest player of a l l time - never m a n aged to w i n the U SS R C h a m p ionsh i p outright. Top right: T h e legendary Boris Spassky, c l e a r w i n ner i n t h e C h a m pionsh i ps i n Baku 1961 and Moscow 1973. Below: Botvi n n i k ( left) and Bronste i n , p l aying for the World C h a m pionsh i p in 195 1 . Botvin n i k won the U S S R title a record six times.

..-Uac;r;, e_p c-no_pma_

T

1\ D

..:.;:;6aC"C"

Ar

rrn

e>Jc-A"f?.P

.l

;;.'

Korc h n o i (right) pl ays a French Defence aga i nst Ta l (the eventual tournament win ner) i n round five of the 1957 Champions h i p i n Moscow. The game e n d ed i n a draw after 41 moves.

Top right: Alexander Kotov, famous in the West for h i s book Think Like a Grandmaster, tied in the 1948 Champions h i p with David Bronste i n (top left). Below: Esto n i a ' s hero Paul Keres (left) and Isaak Boleslavsky begin p l ay in the 24th Champions h i p . Although queens were exchanged on move 13, Keres won a crus h i ng victory in j ust 30 moves. Sta n d i ng in the background, observing Petros i a n ' s game, is co-author Mark Tai m a nov.

;Jii6uutv.J<


97

There was an even more piquant situation than a year before as the last-round pairings and scores were: Spassky (1 0\12) - Tal ( 1 1 \12), Petrosian ( 1 1 \12) - Averbakh (1 OYl) and Bronstein ( 1 1 ) Korchnoi (9). The first-named game was a tragedy for Spassky in the end, while the other two fmished up in quick draws. In fact Spassky got the better of it at first but fmally lost, so ruining his chances of a crack at the world title until the 1 960s. Each side sacrificed a pawn in turn. The position simplified to a rook and pawn endgame, but then grew more tense as each side queened a pawn. In the adjourned position Spassky had winning chances and a subsequent analysis by the study composer Chekhover of Leningrad found a forced win for White on move 58. However, Spassky, just like Tal had hardly slept the night before due to the tension and the need to analyse for hours. Spassky was the first to weaken, going down after 73 moves. A great surprise for the onlookers, and a disappointment for Petrosian, who had turned up in a smart suit and white shirt, ready to be interviewed in the role of new Soviet Champion! Tal in many ways deserved his success, winning the most games and a number of special awards. Possibly the one he coveted most eluded him this time, as the Brilliancy Prize fell to Spassky.

Boris Spassky-Lev Polugayevsky Sicilian Defence B94 1 2 3

4 5

e4

�f3

d4 �xd4

c5 d6 cxd4 �f6

�c3 a6 �bd7 6 R.gs A fairly unusual method of developing, whose drawbacks include the lack of pressure on d4 and a later weakness at e6 due to lack of control of the a2-g8 diagonal. Either 6 .. e6 or 6 ...�c6 is usual. .

7

R.c4

The most logical reaction.

7 8 9

-.as

._d2

e6

0--0-0

b5

Of course, this thrust is very committal, as Black commences active operations while lag ging in development, but this is not uncommon in the Sicilian, and quieter continuations would make it easier for White to take the initiative: 9 ...R.e7 1 0 f4 b5 1 1 R.d5 ! exd5 12 �c6, or 9 ...h6 1 0 R.xf6!? �xf6 1 1 .:bel R.e7 12 f4 0-0 1 3 f5 ! . R.b3 10 Here the tempting 1 0 R.d5 fails to 1 0 ... b4! 1 1 R.xa8 bxc3 12 bxc3 �b6 1 3 �b3 !? ( 1 3 R.c6+ R.d7 14 R.xd7+ �d7! ? 1 5 Wf4 �c4 16 l:[d3 R.e7 and Black has a good attack) 1 3 ...�5 ( 1 3 .....a3+ is worse, as after 14 �b l �xa8 1 5 ._d4 the threat of 1 6 ._a7 is highly

dangerous) and White has nothing better than to repeat moves by 14 �4 ._a5 1 5 �b3 . The bishop sacrifice 1 0 .i.xe6 is also incorrect, as after 1 0... fxe6 1 1 �e6 �f7! 1 2 �xf8 (or 12 R.xf6 �xf6 1 3 �g5+ 'iii>g8 14 f4 b4) 12 ...J:xf8 1 3 Wxd6 b4! Black has seized the initiative. 10 R.b7 10 ...b4 is premature in view of 1 1 �d5 ! exd5 (1 l ...�xe4? 12 ._xb4! Wxb4 1 3 �c7#) 12 �c6 Wc7 1 3 exd5, while 1 0 ...�c5 meets with the unpleasant 1 1 e5 ! . 11 :bel R.e7 Here too the thematic 1 l ...b4 fails to 1 2 �d5 exd5 (12 ...�e4 1 3 Wxb4!) 1 3 exd5+ �d8 14 �c6+ R.xc6 1 5 dxc6 �e5 1 6 'iff4. Nor is there time for l l ...l:tc8 when there is the strong response 1 2 e5 ! �xe5 1 3 �xe6 fxe6 14 .:xe5 dxe5 1 5 R.xf6 ._c7 1 6 R.xe5 ! . In other words Black has to be very careful not to come under a withering attack, and all this a result of his 6th move. 12 f4 �c5 e5 13 White's pieces are ideally placed and he can go for active play in the centre. He could also consider 1 3 R.xf6 gxf6 ( 1 3 ...R.xf6 14 e5 ! transposes to the actual game) and now either 14 R.d5 or 14 We3, in both cases with the initiative. 13 dxe5 Here 13 ...b4 meets with the elegant response 14 R.a4+! when both 14 ...�a4 1 5 �xa4 ._xa4 1 6 exf6 gxf6 1 7 �f5 ! and 14 ... �d8 1 5 exf6

98


gxf6 1 6 .txf6 .txf6 17 lt:Jc6+ .txc6 1 8 'ii'xd6+ leave Black in a bad way.

14

.txf6

This zwischenzug is necessary as after the immediate 14 fxe5 Black has 14 ...li:Jfe4 1 5 lt:Jxe4 'it'xd2+ 1 6 .txd2 lt:Jxe4 with a comfor table game.

14

.txf6?!

After this natural move Black falls into a difficult position. He had to try 14 ...gxf6 after which 1 5 fxe5 0-0--0 ! leaves him with chances of counterplay.

15 16

fxeS g3

.th4 .te7 (D)

19 20

b4 lt:Ja4!

Elegant play. White enforces the exchange of the powerful li:Jc5, for if 20 ...lt:Jxa4 then 2 1 li:Jf5 ! l:xd 1 + 22 l:xd1 .tc5 (or 22 ....td8 23 .txa4 'it'xa4 24 l:xd8! l:xd8 25 'it'g5) 23 'it'g5 g6 24 li:Jh6+ �g7 25 li:Jg4! with a quick win.

20 21

lt:Jxc5

h6 'it'xcS

If 2 1 ...i.g5, then 22 li:Jxb7! .txf4+ 23 gxf4 and 24 li:Jxd8.

22 23 24 25

h4 li:JfS

axb3 l:xd1

.tdS .txb3 l:xdl+

The position has become simplified, which you cannot say about Black's problems. The technical phase begins.

25 26 27 28 29 30

'it'e4 e6! 'it'xe6+ 'it'e4 'it'd3

l:c8 .tf8

fxe6 �h8 'it'c6

The endgame would also be favourable to White, but Spassky wants to exploit the weak ening of the light squares round the enemy king.

17

.txe6!

As Anton Chekhov once wrote, the gun hanging on the wall is sure to be fired some time. The bishop sacrifice which had been hanging in the air from the early opening is now strong. 17 0-0 It is clear that after 1 7 ... fxe6 1 8 lt:Jxe6! lt:Jxe6 19 'it'd7+ �fl 20 l:fl+ Black has to resign.

18 19

.tb3 'it'f4

l:ad8

As a result of the first phase of the battle, White has an extra pawn with an active position. This means he has a win, but the process of enforcing this required great skill from Spassky.

30 31 32 33 34 35

h5! ? lt:Jxe7 'it'g6 g4! 'it'xe8+

l:e8 .te7 l:xe7 'it'e8 l:e1

Now the endgame is a fairly simple win.

35 36 37 38 39 40 41

l:d4 �d2 c3 bxc3 c4 l:f4

l:xe8 aS l:e5 bxc3+ �g8 l:g5

Here the game was adjourned. Black sealed

41 ... g6, but then resigned without resuming (1-0).

26th Championship Tbilisi, 9 January - 1 1 February 1959 Petrosian 2 Spassky 3 Tal 4 Taimanov 5 Kholmov 6 Polugayevsky 7 Averbakh 8 Keres 9 Korchnoi 10 Geller 1 1 Lutikov 12 Bronstein 13 Gufeld 14 Yukhtman 15 Furman 16 Vasyukov 17 Gurgenidze 18 Krogius 19 Nezhmetdinov 20 Nikitin 1

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OR THE FIRST TIME since 1 937 the contest was played at Tbilisi, capital of Georgia, so it

F was no surprise that Petrosian, who had been born and grew up here, though he was an

Armenian, took the title. This, of course, made up for his failure to pull it off the year before. By going through undefeated he showed the characteristic of his best days when he was impregnable. The consequence of this, of course, is that he was sometimes criticized for being too passive in his attitude at the board. One could hardly seek two more polarized approaches than that of the carefree Tal and the over-scrupulous Petrosian. The Armenian/Georgian connection was highly relevant. As Korchnoi recalled in his autobio graphy, the Georgians supported Tal, so before the game Tal-Korchnoi from the penultimate round, Korchnoi was visited by a delegation of Armenians, who beseeched him to pull out all the stops and beat Tal. This he duly did, but not without the help of Petrosian in adjournment analysis. This is a dubious matter, but, as Korchnoi and others have commented, not as dubious as 'throw ing' crucial games, which has happened in USSR Championships. The Armenian community, particularly those living in the Avlabarsky quarter where Armenians predominated, arranged a magnificent torchlight procession in honour of their fellow-Armenian, Taimanov recalls. The fmal had been preceded by four semi-fmals at Moscow, Baku, Tashkent and Rostov-on Don from each of which three players gained admission. Four members of the Soviet Olympiad side of 1 958 were also admitted: Keres, Bronstein, Tal and Petrosian. Subsequent invitees were Averbakh, Geller and the ingenious Ukrainian Eduard ('Eddie') Gufeld, who was, at that time, doing his army service. Spassky led in the first half before being overhauled by Petrosian. Tal played in the competition under the burden of going for the hat-trick of gold medals. He wrote later that it was hardly to be expected that he could pull this off, as the massed opposition would form a sort of conspiracy against him. Taimanov even stated that if Tal took the gold medal three times in a row, then it would induce the Leningrad GM and co-author of this book to give up chess!

1 00


In fact, Tal was due to play Taimanov in the first round, but this game was deferred when the Latvian was late in reaching the Georgian capital. In the second round he met a little-known tragic figure, the talented Yukhtman, who was to become the first post-war chess emigre from Soviet Russia. Yukhtman was criticized shortly afterwards in an editorial in an issue of Shakhmaty v SSSR for a refusal to do socially useful work. He showed what he was capable of when he played a Scotch Gambit against Tal in the second round, improved, at his ninth move, on a recent Olympiad game Penrose-Smyslov, and won. It was merely all in accordance with tradition, as Tal often lost his first-round games in all sorts of contests. The leaders after I 0 rounds were Spassky and Taimanov on 7 points, while Tal had 6Yl and a game to make up. Tal spoiled his chances with a loss against Gufeld in round 1 1 . Then he had to play the postponed game with Petrosian who had been indisposed on the scheduled day and did not play for a whole week. This ended in a draw - there had been few decisive games between them. Worse was to follow. The adjourned games session on the day after the 1 6th round saw Tal scheduled to fmish off no fewer than three games. Not being in a position to analyse them all in detail, he checked with the controllers, and established that his game with Spassky would be played last of the three. However, Vasyukov ruined this scenario by playing on almost until mate in the book win king, knight and bishop for Lutikov against Vasyukov's bare king. The game fmally went to 1 04 moves, so Tal had to play Spassky instead of Vasyukov, as expected. Without due preparation he let slip his advantage. The hero of the hour was Ratmir Kholmov, who secured no fewer than seven (!) prizes, namely: 1 ) For the best result amongst the masters; 2) For the best result by a master against the GMs; 3) For the best result in the last five rounds; 4) For the greatest number of wins playing Black; 5) For the best result against the first six in the table; 6) For making a GM norm; and last, 7) For the most beautiful game of the contest. Here is No. 7:

Ratmir Kholmov-Paul Keres Sicilian Defence B30

1 2 3

e4

ltlf3

.i.bS

c5 ltlc6

Kholmov never paid much attention to opening research. He was a great practician who tried to shift the main burden of the play to the middlegame. So he played common sense openings, avoiding more fashionable and forcing lines.

3

ltlf6

Amongst the possible replies such as 3 .. .'.b6, 3 ...g6 and 3 ...e6, the text is one of the most critical, staking a claim to central pressure straight away. 4 e5 The natural move, but 4 ._e2 is more flexible. ltlg4 4

In essence this is not illogical, but its draw backs must not be overlooked. The knight soon is driven from the main theatre of war, which is the source of Black's later worries. It is curious that Bronstein has a sharp criticism here: 'Obviously this is a bad move. Follow now how convincingly Kholmov exploits the advan tages of his position. It would seem that the maxim that the knight should stay in the centre and not on the edge is justified for players of all categories' . In other words 4 ...ltld5 is correct, play continuing 5 0-0 (or 5 ltlc3 ltlc7) 5 ...ltlc7 6 .i.xc6 dxc6 7 h3 g6 8 ltlc3 .i.g7.

5 6 7

8 9

i.xc6 0--0 .:et h3

dxc6 g6

.i.g7

ltlh6

ltlc3 b6?! Now this is a slip far more serious than the preceding one. It is surprising that such a fme

101

26th Championship, Tbi/isi 1959 positional player as Keres did not sense the danger involved in delaying his development. Obviously he had to play 9 ... tLlf5 bringing the knight back to the centre. Kholmov examined another line viz. 9 .. 0-0 and if 1 0 g4, then I O ... f5 1 1 g5 tLlf7 1 2 e6 tLld6 1 3 d3 f4. .

10

d4!

The application of the classical rule 'try to open the position if you have a lead in development'. Kholmov thinks in concrete fashion, not worrying that he is dissolving the doubled pawn.

10 II

tLlxd4

cxd4 c5

Clearly underestimating the following clever tactical blow. However, to be fair, one has to admit that even after the superior reply l l ...�b7 Black's position remains in danger after 1 2 �xh6 �xh6 1 3 'Wg4 0-0 14 .l:.ad l . The opening inaccuracies prove irremediable.

12

tLlc6!!

An original idea. The knight goes to his doom for purely positional motives, to weaken the dark squares in the enemy camp.

12

'Wd7 (D)

There is no other move. After 12 ...'Wxdl 1 3 .l:.xd l �d7 comes 14 tLld5 ! �xc6 1 5 tLlc7+
13

14

�xh6!

Once again a paradoxical continuation of the attack, the good bishop being exchanged for the bad knight, but swift mobilization is everything here.

14

�xh6

15

�g7

16

It is clear that 14 ... 'ifxdl 1 5 �g5+ �e6 16 l:taxd l just leaves Black a pawn down with a bad position. 15 'Wf3 A 'universal' move. The double attack, directly on a8 and indirectly on h8, after 'Wf6+, gives White's assault concrete form, while the d l -square is freed for a rook. Keres decides the main problem is the 'iff6 check. Trying to evacuate the king by 1 5 ...:e8 fails to 1 6 e6 ! fxe6 1 7 l:[adl 'Wb7 1 8 tLld5+
tLlxe7!!

A blow which strikes one as being unusual and demanding deep analysis.

13

( 1 5 ...f6 1 6 exf6+ �xf6 1 7 tLld5+) 1 6 .l:.d6+ e7 1 6 �g5 'Wxdl 1 7 J:.axdl �e6 1 8 tLlh5+

To appreciate fully the superb concept you have to work through the alternatives: a) 13 ...'Wxd l 14 :xdl
Other retreats leave Black in trouble, e.g.: a) 16 ...
1 02

The Soviet Championships 17

l:ad1

i.b7

White had also examined 1 7 ... W'b7 when the temptation to gain material advantage by 1 8 ltJxb6+ would run into 1 8. . .'iti>c7 1 9 ltJxa8+ " c7 2 1 l:td7+) 1 9 ltJb4+ 'iti>c7 (or 1 9 ... e7 20 ltJc6+, or 1 9 ...i.d4 20 ltxd4+ cxd4 2 1 1Wf6+ r;t>c7 22 We5+ �d7 23 'ii'xd4+ �c7 24 We5+ �d7 25 .l:d1 + 'iti>e7 26 1Wg7+) 20 'ii'g3+ e5 21 l:xe5 cxb4 22 rJ.c5#.

18

Wb3!

After this quiet unpinning move Black is helpless.

18

i.c6

What can Black do? 1 8...'iti>c8 is met by 1 9 ltJxb6+ and 1 8 ... 'iti>e8 by 1 9 liJf6+.

19 20 21 22

ltJxb6 Wxf7! l:xd7+ l:xe5

axb6 i.xe5 i.xd7 'iti>c7

Resignation is in order.

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

l:e7 a4 1Wd5 l:xh7 a5 axb6+ l:xd7

l:ad8 g5 l:be8 g4 gxh3 'iti>xb6 1--0

White played this game with an attractive originality.

27th Championship Leningrad, 26 January - 26 February 1960 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Korchnoi Geller Petrosian Bagirov Polugayevsky Averbakh Smyslov Taimanov Krogius Spassky Simagin Bronstein Lutikov Gufeld Nei Liberzon Sbamkovich Gurgenidze Sakharov Suetin

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HE 1 960 CONTEST saw Korchnoi make his long-awaited expected breakthrough in his native Tcity, and in typically gritty style. This continued the tradition that the title went to a local man.

Moreover Viktor delighted his fellow Leningraders by taking a number of the special prizes: for the greatest number of wins ( 12!); for the best result against Leningraders; for the best result amongst the under-30s; and for the best result with Black. Tal was missing, preparing for his world title match against Botvinnik. Keres was in Cuba as part of a cultural delegation from Estonia. Spassky was present but was in a creative crisis and lost to debutant Vladimir Bagirov from Baku as early as round two after playing the following gambit in the Slav Defence: I d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 �f3 �f6 4 �c3 dxc4 5 e4 b5 6 'ii'c2 e6 7 g3 �bd7 (0- 1 , 4 1 moves). Spassky at this time was trying to play in a less academic style than when h e was a teenager. As a result of his recent training association with Tolush, he often sacrificed material. The crowning moment for this attacking approach came in the 1 6th round in a King's Gambit against Bronstein. In the 1 5th round Spassky had lost to Korchnoi. Korchnoi began with a loss against Lutikov and also went down to Simagin in the sixth round but fought his way back into contention by following up this loss with four wins in a row. Polugayevsky scored an important victory over the ' impregnable' Petrosian in the 14th round, after Black's bishop in a Nimzo-Indian found itself locked out of play at aS. After 15 rounds the leaders were Petrosian and Korchnoi 1 1 , Geller IOYz and Polugayevsky, Taimanov and Krogius 9. In the 1 6th round both leaders suffered. Petrosian had been unwell and lost to Averbakh. Korchnoi had a promising position against Bagirov, but in a crucial position where he should have played ...-*.c3:X:e l , with good chances, he unaccountably touched his a6bishop, intending to make the capture with it on e l . Naturally, he resigned on the spot. Such a blunder would have shattered a lesser man, but Korchnoi came back. Anyone who had lived through the Leningrad blockade during the war was made of strong metal. He beat Krogius in the next round. The decisive game was an Alekhine's Defence in the 1 8th round encounter Geller-

1 04


Korchnoi. Black deferred development of his knight to c6, and outplayed Geller in complications to score a priceless victory with Black. Then, in the last round, Korchnoi had a bad position against Suetin and had his draw offer turned down. Meanwhile, Petrosian had beaten Krogius and Geller disposed of a dispirited Bronstein, so the local fans were filled with despair. However, on move 36 Suetin went wrong and next day, after 63 moves, Leningrad could salute a new Soviet Champion, one of its own, Viktor Korchnoi.

From Russia with Love, though White's pawns at d4 and c5 were missed out on the demon stration board.

Boris Spassky-David Bronstein King's Gambit C36

t 2

e4 f4

e5

The King's Gambit is a rare guest in our days, but as the proverb puts it, all is new that is well forgotten, and this opening nowadays often features original ideas.

Yury Sakharov-Viktor Korchnoi In this sharp position Korchnoi undertakes a headlong attack, typical of the Sicilian and of the man himself, who believed you had to take risks to win.

3t. ...i.xb2! 32 lbxb2 lbc3+ 33 �at a4 34 lbct 34 tbd2 is met by 34 ...b3 ! and then 35 cxb3 axb3 36 lbxb3 :a7! 37 lbc 1 and now the striking move 37 ...'itb3 ! ! .

34...•d4

This move is the whole point as the threat 35 ... a3 is hard to counter.

35 l:lh2 a3 36 lbbd3 lbdl+ 37 �bt lbc3+ In time-trouble Black repeats moves which is often a useful practical ploy.

38 �at lbe2+ 39 �bt lbxcl 40 •xcl b3! 4t cxb3

4 1 ._xa3 fails to 4 l ...bxa2++ 42 �a2 l:la7, and 41 axb3 to 4 l ...a2+ 42 �a2 l:la7+.

41..••xd3+ 42 Wc2 Wd4 43 Wd2 Wgt+ 44 �c2 l:lc7+ 45 �d3 Wbl+ 0-t A fme fmish. However, the Brilliancy prize went to another striking game. Interestingly enough, the tactical ending of the game was used for the chess scene in the famous James Bond film

2 3 4

lbf3 exd5

5

lbc3

exf4 d5 .i.d6

How to play in an old but refurbished opening is a matter of taste. Amongst the many possibilities such as 4 ...Wxd5, 4 ... c6 and 4 ...lbf6 Bronstein chooses a scheme of development which fortifies the f4-pawn, thus hindering White's harmonious development. White could also consider 5 .i.b5+ .i.d7 6 .i.xd7+ lbxd7 7 0-0 lbe7 8 c4 0-0 9 d4 with active prospects in the centre.

5

lbe7

5 ...tbf6 is more usual, when the position after 6 .i.b5+ .i.d7 7 We2+ ._e7 8 Wxe7+ �e7 9 .i.c4 has occurred in games involving Bronstein, but as White. 6 d4 0-0

7 8

.i.d3

lbd7

0-0 h6? Not only a waste of time, but a weakening of the king position. It was universally criti cized. Spassky himself considered that Black had two perfectly acceptable lines, sufficient for equality, namely 8 ...lbg6 9 lbe4 lDf6 1 0 lbxd6 Wxd6 I I c4 .i.g4, and 8 ..lbf6 9 tbe5 tbfxd5 1 0 lbxd5 tbxd5 I I Wh5 (I I .i.xf4 lbxf4 12 l:lxf4 Wg5) I I ...g6 12 Wh6 Wf6. .

9

lbe4

lbxd5

27th Championship, Leningrad 1960 lLle3 10 c4 ll:l No better is I O ... 5f6 1 1 ll:lxd6 cxd6 1 2 i.xf4. 11 fxe3 i.xe3 12 c5! i.e7 Or 12 ...i.f4 1 3 g3 i.g5 14 ll:lfxg5 hxg5 1 5 'ilh5. i.c2! 13 Spassky called this apparently unpretentious move the most difficult one in the game. The attack along the b l -h7 diagonal proves stronger than it looks at first sight. After 1 3 'ji'e2 or 1 3 :e i Black would simplify matters by 14. . .lLlf6. 13 :es Here though, 1 3 ...ll:lf6 would allow White a very promising position: 14 ll:lxf6+ i.xf6 1 5 Wd3 g6 1 6 Wxe3 . 14 Wd3 e2 (D) The idea of deflecting the queen from the dangerous diagonal is extremely plausible, but is met by a stunning rejoinder. 1 4 ...ll:lf8 was objectively best.

1 05

'out of the frying pan into the fire'. As later analysis showed, the only way to resist was to make way for king flight by 1 5 ...i.xd6, when there is the forced variation 1 6 'ilh7+ �f8 1 7 cxd6 exfl W+ 1 8 :xfl cxd6 1 9 'ilh8+ �e7 20 :e I+ lLle5 2 1 Wxg7 :g8 22 Wxh6 'ii'h6 23 �h I i.e6 24 dxe5 . The resulting position is definitely in White's favour, but the direct threats to the king have been neutralized. 16 lLlxti! exfl'ji'+ i.rs 11 :xn 17 ...Wd7 would be met by 1 8 lLl3e5, and 1 7 ..�f7 1 8 ll:le5+ �g8 by the mate we already know about - 1 9 'ifh7+ lLlxh7 20 i.b3+, etc. Wxf5 ...d7 18 Wf4 19 i.f6 We7 20 llJJe5 i.xe5 21 i.b3 �h7 22 lLlxe5+ Or 22 ...�h8 23 We4. -.e4+ 1-0 23 Since if 23 ...
Amongst the fine attacks played this time was that in the game Taimanov-Polugayevsky.

ll:ld6! ! 15 Although, in Spassky's opinion, the calm 1 5 :t2 would pose equally difficult problems, the text is much more impressive from the aesthetic point of view. Such a concept sticks in the mind for a long time. ll:lf8 15 White would win brilliantly in the event of acceptance: 1 5 ...exfl W+ 16 :xfl lLlf6 (16 ... ll:lf8 1 7 lLlxfl leads to the game) 17 lLlxfl! �fl 18 lLle5+ �g8 and then the stunning 'James Bond' mate 1 9 'ilh7+! lLlxh7 20 i.b3+ Wd5 2 1 i.xd5+ i.e6 22 i.xe6+ �h8 23 lLlg6#. The actual choice aims to cover the approaches to Black's king, but it is a case of

Mark Taimanov-Lev Polugayevsky As a result of a fierce opening battle, we have a sharp and unusual position. For the two sacrificed pawns White has a lead in development, but how does he exploit this? 12 0-0--0! ! To bring the heavy pieces into play, it is not even beyond White to sacrifice his queen. 12 cxb2+

1 06


In the event of the acceptance of the queen offer, now or at the next move, the combination would go thus: 1 2 .. .'ii'xa4 1 3 l:lhe1 + J.e7 14 :Xe7+ �f8 1 5 :Xt7+ �g8 (or 1 5 ...�e8 1 6 l:l e1 + lL!e5 1 7 l:.xe5+ J.e6 1 8 J.xe6) 1 6 l:.fxd7+ 'ii'xc4 1 7 l:.d8+ ri;t7 1 8 lL!e5+ ri;e6 1 9 lL!xc4 remaining a piece up. Nor would 1 2 ...J.e7 help, in view of 1 3 'ii'xc6! (but not 1 3 l:.he1 0--0! 14 'ii'xc6 J.xg5+ 1 5 lL!xg5 bxc6 16 lLlxt7 lL!b6 and Black has beaten off the attack) 1 3 ...bxc6 14 J.xe7! cxb2+ 15 �b2 �e7 16 l:lhe 1 + �d8 (or 1 6 .. .'itf8 1 7 lL!e5!) 1 7 lL!g5 �c7 1 8 lL!xt7 l:.f8 19 l:te7 and Black is in a bad way. �xb2 13 J.e7 Or 1 3 ... f6 14 l:.he 1 + J.e7 1 5 J.b5 and then as in the game. f6 l:.he1 14

15 J.b5 The time has come to the queen to be safeguarded. 15 'ii'b6 Or 15 ... 'ii'c7 when 16 J. f4! decides. 16 �cl ! A quiet move after which White's threats become irresistible. 16 fxg5 �f8 17 J.xd7+ �xe7 l:.xe7! 18 19 �d8 'ii'e4+ Mate follows after 1 9 ... �t7 20 lL!xg5+ and also after 19 .. .'�> f6 20 'ii'f5+. �c7 20 J.rs+ �c6 2l 'ii'e5+ �b5 l:.d6+ 22 1--0 'ii'b2+ 23

28th Championship Moscow, 1 1 January - 11 February 1961 2 I

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HIS WAS THE YEAR of two championships, a strange state of affairs that was marked by the

Tlast of the consecutive January-February traditional dates and the transfer to late in the year.

Doubtless this was due to the pressure on the chess calendar of such events as Hastings, Wijk aan Zee and FIDE qualifiers/fmals. The former two came early in the year, the latter normally occupied a spring slot. The prestigious Soviet Championship was fme, but the attractions of foreign trips were not to be underestimated. Soviet grandmasters travelled to the West with long shopping lists, the purchases going both to their own family and friends. The idea was partly to have access to quality Western goods not available back home. It was also the case that the tax system in the USSR was not too burdensome, but money was always of less use than assets in hand, so any prize money earned abroad was best turned into goods as quickly as possible. There are well-known anecdotes about such trends. The young Korchnoi once explained in halting English to his English host that he needed a woman - it turned out that this was the only way he could establish the right size in English shops for the underwear and clothes he had to buy for his wife and her friends. Soviet and continental measures were quite different from British ones. Korchnoi defended his title at Moscow in January 196 1 . This was also a Zonal tournament with four Interzonal places on offer. Tal was missing again, preparing for his return match with Botvinnik. It was not generally known until later that his chronic kidney trouble was building up at this time. Keres abstained since he was already exempt to the next Candidates' tournament due to his second place to Tal in the previous one. David Bronstein-Efim Geller Nimzo-Indian Defence E27 The frrst round in Moscow opened with a

bang when Bronstein beat Geller with a frrework of a move after the Ukrainian incau tiously tempted the enemy rook on to the seventh rank.

1 08


1 d4 lt:Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 lt:Jc3 .i.b4 4 a3 .i.xc3+ 5 bxc3 0--0 6 f3 d5 7 cxd5 exd5 8 e3 .i.f5 9 lt:Je2 lt:Jbd7 10 lt:Jf4 c5 1 1 .i.d3 .i.xd3 12 -.xd3 J:.e8 13 0--0 J:.c8 14 J:.b1 •as 15 J:.xb7 lt:Jb6 16 g4 h6 17 h4 cxd4 18 g5 dxe3 19 gxf6 J:.xc3 (D) 20 ..g6! 1-0 The winning move is much more spectacular than 20 J:.xf7.

A new name from the Ukraine, Leonid Stein, at the time Champion of that Republic, made the audience sit up when he beat Petrosian in the sixth round. Alas, he had scarcely a decade more to live, but in that short period played many impressive games of almost elemental force. The closeness of the struggle can be seen from the scores after 1 1 rounds: Petrosian, Geller 8; Spassky 7 out of 9, Polugayevsky and Stein 6 out of 9. The leisurely schedule involving rest days and days for adjourned game completion meant that players did not meet with much resistance if they wanted to postpone a game due to a slight indisposition like a cold. Petrosian maintained this lead, not conceding too many draws, while Smyslov forced his way into the top five after 1 6 rounds when Petrosian had 1 1 Yz , Geller l OYz, Spassky 1 0 and Smyslov and Stein 9Yz. Petrosian had lived in Moscow for so long now (he had a Muscovite wife, Rona) that the local fans were rooting for him throughout the second half as he played with great concentration. He held on to his lead and a quick last-round draw with Tarasov brought him his second gold medal in his tenth crack at the title. He was to move on from this to take the world title. It was much tenser for those striving to make the remaining three places. Spassky had lost to Korchnoi in the 1 8th round. In a Sicilian Defence Korchnoi turned down a draw at move 20 and went on to give full scope to his great determination to win. This left Korchnoi playing the white pieces against Polugayevsky in the last round. The latter, as he admitted years later, was rather in awe of the Leningrader and lost after 4 1 moves. This left Spassky, Black, against Stein, both on 1 1 points, while Geller had 1 1 Yz and was playing A verbakh. The latter game was a short draw, while Spassky was defending hard after opening in the Ruy Lopez by I e4 e5 2 lt:Jf3 lt:Jc6 3 .i.b5 .i.c5. Spassky sealed his 4 1 st move in a bishop ending where Stein had an extra pawn. Instead of the expected hard fight in the second session, Spassky resigned without resuming to earn criticism from analysts who found his drawing chances worth more than this. So Stein moved on to the international era and Spassky was denied a crack at the world crown for another three years.

Leonid Stein-Boris Spassky

Petrosian, along with Korchnoi, won the the most games, nine. He reached the following position after 28 moves against his main rival Korchnoi. Exploiting the harmonious layout of his pieces, White went active:


Tigran Petrosian-Viktor Korchnoi 29 d5! .i.xd5 30 'ifxf6 .i.g7 31 'ifg5 l:f8. Black's idea of strengthening the defence by 32 ...l:f5 proves inadequate, so perhaps imme diate counterplay by 3 l ...a4 was called for. 32 'ifg4! l:df7 It is clear that 32 ...l:f5 is countered by 33 itld6. 33 itld6 ...which is still very strong. 33 ... l:e7 34 l:xd5! The decisive blow, as Black's position now collapses like a house of cards. 34 cxdS 35 'ifgS! .i.f6 36 'ifxdS+ �h8 37 ltlxe4 .i.g7 38 itld6 Was 39 'ifb5! 'ifa7 40 ltlc4 1-0 (time) Black's game is hopeless as moves like 4 1 .l:.d6 are in the air, as well as simply 4 1 'ifxb6 and 4 1 f3 followed by .i.d6. ..•

However, as was often the case, the prize for the most brilliant game fell to a player who was not one of the favourites. The talented Simagin followed up his prize-winning effort of ten years earlier with this: Vladimir Simagin-Leonid Stein Sicilian Defence B96 1 2 3 4 s 6 7

e4 itlf3 d4 ltlxd4 ltlc3 .i.gS f4

c5 d6 cxd4 itlf6 a6 e6 h6

1 09

.i.h4 'ii'b6 8 'ifd2 9 Wxb2 l:b1 10 'ifa3 This is one of the most complicated lines of the Sicilian Najdorf and was very popular in those years. Without going into details, for this position has been the subject of the most scru pulous analysis, one can note that both sides take on great responsibilities in this double edged position. Obviously White has compen sation for his pawn in the form of superior development and greater space, but Black has a sound position and the game is semi-closed, which reduces the significance of dynamic fac tors. For a long time practice did not establish a clear judgement of the chances, though inclining slightly in White's favour. Yet the variation gradually fell into disuse. We might add that the position also occurred with White's queen at d3. .i.xf6 11 Simagin is not attracted by the direct 1 1 e5 and makes a plan with deeper content. 11 gxf6 h5 .i.e2 12 Useful prophylaxis, as it is handy to rule out .i.h5. itld7 0-0 13 It is tempting to go for the energetic 1 3 ...ltlc6, but after 1 4 ltlxc6 bxc6 the b 1 -rook becomes noticeably more active. Wc5 �h1 14 15 l:f3! All in the same unhurried style. Noting the lack of harmony in Black's forces, Simagin for the moment merely improves the placing of his pieces. The rook on the third rank has many possibilities open to it. .i.e7 15 h4 16 l:h3 fS 17 This advance fits in with White's plans, but Simagin was self-critical here and commented that it was premature. In the spirit of his play so far was 1 7 itld 1 , to bring the h3-rook into play on the queenside. For example l 7 ...b5 1 8 a4 ! b4 1 9 c3 ! . ltlb6 17 Possibly Simagin expected 1 7 ...ltle5 1 8 ltla4, but Stein's move is more to the point. 18 itld1

1 10


This is no longer so strong, but it still proves attractive. tt::lc4 18 'ii' ltle5 cJ 19 As a result of White's inaccuracy at move 1 7 Black has slightly improved the placing of his pieces, but the overall problem of comple ting development is still unresolved. b5 20 'ii'b2 Obviously 20 ... tt::lc4 does not compel repetition of moves by 2 1 'ii'c3 ltle5, since White could try 2 1 i.xc4 'ii'xc4 22 tt::le3 'ii'c5 23 ltlg4. i.d7 21 c3! 22 It is hard to decide on such a move as it limits the mobility of the h3-rook, but it is important to support the d4-knight which keeps up the pressure on e6. The threat is now 23 'ii'b3. 22 l:tc8 i.d8! 23 :tel Inventive play. Now, if necessary, the e6pawn can be defended by the king. �e7 'ii'b3 24 25 'ii'd 1! A surprising turn of events. The stubborn defence of the e6-pawn induces White to seek new objects of attack, for example the f6square after 'ii'fl -f2 and l:tfl , or the pawn at h4. As usual, elastic manoeuvring is a key weapon of the player with a space advantage. 25 i.b6 'ii'n 26 'ii'a3 Using the slight breathing space Stein shows his hand. The play becomes very complex. 27 l:td1 !? There was the tempting 27 fxe6 fxe6 28 tt::ldf5+, but this promised nothing for the moment in view of the simple 28 ...�f7 (not 28 ...exf5? 29 tt::ld 5+), whereas now this threat becomes a real one. 27 l:txc3 Showing optimism verging on carelessness. The acceptance of the sacrifice is very risky. Much more careful would be the consolidation by 27 ...i.c5, not fearing 28 c4?! due to 28...'ii'b2. 28 fxe6 fxe6 tt::ldf5+! 29 White's threats now take concrete form.

29 �d8 29 ... exf5 fails as before to 30 lLld5+. :m (D) 30 lLlxd6 30...l:txe3 would be bad in view of 3 1 'ii'xf6+ �c7 32 'ii'xe5, but many experts pointed out the correct defence 30 ...� e7.

l:txh4! 31 The strongest way to continue the attack, bringing in the rook. 3 1 tt::lg4 looks tempting, but Stein had clearly foreseen this and would have refuted it by 3 I ...l:txh3 32 tt::lxe5 l:txh2+! 33 � 'ii'g3+ 34 �h i 'ii'xe5. 31 l:txe3? The last of a series of a series of optimistic moves and it is the decisive mistake. Surprising as it seems, Black's defensive resources were not yet exhausted, despite the split nature of his forces. The diligent analyst Igor Zaitsev managed to prove later that by 3 l . .. i.c7 Black could still defend himself, the main variation running 32 l:th8 i.xd6 33 l:txf8+ .ixf8 34 'ii'xf6+ �c8 35 'ii'xe5 l:txe3 36 'ii'd4 .ic6 37 'ii'b6 .id7 38 'ii'd4 .ic6 and draws. In retro spect this proves that the universal criticism of Stein for his last few moves was exaggerated. He only went beyond the bounds of acceptable risk at the last turn , a conclusion which enhances the merit of this fme game. 32 l:th8! By this fine move Simagin embarks upon a deeply calculated sequence. The fmest part of the game now begins. 32 l:txh8 33 'ii'xf6+ �c7 �c6 'ii'xe5 34 The alternative 34 ...'ii'c 5 leads to the game continuation after 35 tt::lxb5+ �c6, while the ·

28th Championship, Moscow 1961 retreat 35 ...�c8 loses to 36 'ii'xh8+ .td8 37 tt:Jd6+
A fantastic picture. All White's pieces are en prise and he is under threat of mate in two, but

111

now he achieves a blow he had long prepared. .l:c7+!! 38 'i'xc7 Or 38 ....txc7 39 'i'xc5. tt:Jxc7 .:txhl+ 39 The last chance. After 39 ....:td8 40 .txa6+
29th Championship Baku, 16 November - 20 December 1961 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Spassky Polugayevsky Bronstein Vasyukov Tal Averbakh Taimanov Gipslis Keres Smyslov Kholmov Shamkovich Khasin Vladimirov Kots Shiyanovsky Lein Savon Nezhmetdinov Bagirov Gurgenidze

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AKU, THE SOUTHERN oil capital of Azerbaidjan, was the venue for the next contest, only

B ten months after the previous one. The talented Spassky had a new trainer, Bondarevsky

replacing Tolush. The difference it made showed up straight away as Spassky took his frrst gold medal. This prefigured the pattern of the rest of the 1960s as the young fit Spassky eclipsed the ageing Keres and the ailing Tal to be the top Soviet player along with Petrosian, given that Botvinnik only took part in foreign tournaments, restricting his domestic play to team events. Spassky and Smyslov began with three straight wins. Spassky held on to the lead throughout the tournament, a rare occurrence. His main challenger was Polugayevsky, whereas Tal was now not his fonner self. The magic spell of the years 1 957- 1960 was broken. As Botvinnik had written, if only Tal had been able to program himself he would prove unbeatable. Obviously Botvinnik had in mind as part of this programming, the avoidance of alcohol and nicotine, but Tal loved the pleasures of life too much for such an ascetic program. He was late for the frrst round again, and so, in the drawing of lots, he was given number 1 to ensure he had a bye in the frrst round. At one stage here he had only a fifty percent score, but managed to save his reputation by winning five of his last six games, though immediately after the tournament he had to stay in bed with yet another attack of renal colic. After 16 rounds Spassky had a point lead over Polugayevsky and in the 1 7th round had this impressive win over Tal, who overbalanced in trying to complicate. Boris Spassky-Mikhail Tal King's Indian Defence E65 1 d4 �f6 2 �f3 g6 3 g3 .tg7 4 .tg2 cS S c4 0-0 6 0-0 d6 7 �c3 �c6 8 dxcS dxcS 9 .te3

.te6 10 .txcS •as 1 1 .ta3 .txc4 12 �d4 �xd4 13 •xd4 :ac8 14 •r4 gS 1S •e3 :c7 16 :ad1 :eS 17 :d4 bS 18 •xgS h6 19 •d2 b4 20 �b1 ! �dS 21 :g4 hS 22 :gs :cs 23 b3 �cJ 24 :xeS •xeS 2S �xc3 bxc3 26

1 13

29th Championship, Baku 1961 .ixc5 cxd2 27 bxc4 l:.b8 28 .ixa7 l:.b2 29 e3 l:.xa2 30 .tc5 e5 31 .to h4 32 l:.dl hxg3 33

hxg3 l:.c2 34 .ie2 l:.b2 35 .id3 1-0

Meanwhile, Polugayevsky had already ensured himself second place with a round to go after a fantastic run when he scored 12 points out of 15. In an interview given by Spassky in Moscow on his way back home, he said that his hardest game had been with Rashid Nezhmetdinov, and that, of the newcomers, he was most impressed with Savon from the Ukraine. A point of interest is that many of the players had no real rest and went back to Moscow to begin immediately the Team Championship for voluntary sports clubs - Dinamo, Spartak and so on which had not been played for seven years. The games of this contest were included in the bulletin of the Baku championship. Spassky gained a series of awards: for the most wins; for the best start; for the best fmish; for the best result with Black and for the best result of the GMs amongst each other. Here is a study like ending against his main rival here.

Boris Spassky-Lev Polugayevsky

White's position is preferable due to his active king. See now how elegantly Spassky converts his advantage into victory. 33 .ig4! �d8 34 h5 l:.h2 There was the more stubborn defence 34 ....td7 at once, to seek salvation in a purely rook ending. After the text this no longer proves feasible. 35 h6 .id7 36 �g3! The whole point as the rook is driven from the h-file. 36... l:.hl 36 ... .txe6 would be hopeless: 37 � .ig8 38 .tf5. 37 .if3! l:.gl + Or 37 ....txe6 38 .ixh l .if5 39 �f4 (a vital tempo) 39 ....ih7 40 .ie4. 38 .ig2 l:.cl 39 h7 l:.xc3+ 40 �h2 .txe6 41 h8..+ �d7 42 d5 1-0

Yet again the prize for 'Best Game' fell to an outsider. Tal is often associated with such prizes, but this time he was on the losing end against Nezhmetdinov, a striking figure in Soviet chess history. A teacher by profession, he was fantastically devoted to chess: he was a strong IM, an Honoured Trainer of the USSR and the author of the only chess textbook in the Tartar language. His career did not include many sensational results, although he took part five times in the USSR fmal and was five times winner of the RSFSR title and a prize winner in several international tournaments. He gained most respect for his striking combinative style of play. Tal, who suffered at the hands of the Tartar's fantasy wrote that Nezhmetdinov was distinguished by his amazingly creative approach to the game. He could play quietly, he could play sharply, but always in very interesting style. The one thing he needed was that the position attracted his attention. Here is a game that acts as confirmation of this praise. Rashid Nezhmetdinov-Mikhail Tal Sicilian Defence B84 I

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6 .tel lL!bd7 0--0 7 a6 8 f4 •c7 More usual is 8 ...b5 9 .to .tb7 I O a3 •c7, merely one of the many variations on the theme of Black playing on the queenside and White on the kingside. 9 g4 A direct declaration of his intentions, whereas 9 .to is more flexible. b5 9 a3 10 A necessary precaution, as the tempting I 0 g5 is strongly met by l O ... b4 . .tb7 10 lL!c5 .to ll Some experts pointed to this plausible manoeuvre as the main cause of Black's subsequent difficulties. They preferred 1 l ...h6 I2 •e2 (12 g5?! hxg5 I 3 fxg5 d5 ! ) I2 ...e5 13 lLif5 g6 14 lL!xh6 .txh6 15 g5 .tg7 16 gxf6 lL!xf6, or 1 l . ..e5 12 lL!f5 (I2 lL!de2 lL!c5 13 lL!g3 exf4 I4 .txf4 lL!fd7) I 2 ...g6 I 3 fxe5 lL!xe5 I4 lL!e3 h6, in both cases with double edged play. e5 •e2 12 This undermining move, as may be seen from the previous note, is part of Black's scheme, but at the present moment, when there is no longer a knight at d7, it is not justified. So, Black should probably try the less committal move I 2 ...lLifd7. g6 13 lL!rs fxe5! 14 This zwischenzug spoils Black's plan. 14 dxe5 lL!h6! 15 The role of this intrusive knight, allied with the f-file, comes to be the main feature of White's active play on the kingside. 15 lL!e6 16 .tg2 .tg7 (D) Or 16 ...lL!f4 ( 1 6 ...lL!d4? I 7 •f2) I 7 .txf4 exf4 18 e5 and Black is suddenly in trouble, e.g. I 8....txh6 19 exf6+ 'ii;Jf8 20 •e7+!, or I 8 ...lL!d7 I9 e6! .txh6 20 exd7++ 'ii;Jf8 2 1 .txb7 •xb7 2 2 We5 llg8 2 3 g5 �+ 24 llf2 .tg7 25 •xf4. After the text, however, it looks as if Black's difficulties are behind him, as he prepares ...0-0-0 and 1 7 g5 carries no danger in view of I 7. . . .txh6. But ...

17 llxf6! By this sacrifice of the exchange White underlines the flaws in Black's position. 17 .txffi 18 .d8 lL!d5 Or I 8 ....txd5 I 9 exd5 lL!d4 20 •f2 �6 2 I g5 lL!e2+ 22 'ii;Jfl •xf2+ 23 'ifilxf2 lL!xci 24 gxf6 which would hardly attract Tal. 19 lL!r4 •a White commented later that I 9 ....txd5 was a more stubborn defence, though Black's pos ition is hardly to be envied after 20 exd5 lL!f4 2 I .txf4 exf4 22 •xf4 �6+ 23 �h I 0--0--0 24 c3 l:the8 25 g5 .te7 and now 26 lLixf7. 20 exf4 .txf4 21 .txe5 e5 Or 2 I ....th4 22 "ifd4! llf8 23 .l:dl ! and Black has no hope of surviving. 22 lle1 f6 (D)

lLixf6+ 23 The elegant conclusion to a massive attack. 23 •xf6 .d4! 24

29th Championship, Baku 1961 White has few pieces left, but their power cannot be withstood. 24 �f8 Wd8 25 l:.xe5 Or 25 ...l:.d8 26 l:.e8+! �g7 27 l:.e7+. 26 l:.fS+! Yet another of a series of striking moves.

1 15

26 gxfS 27 Wxh8+ �e7 28 Wg7+ �e6 1-0 29 gxf5+ Since 29 ...�d6 30 l2Jf7+ wins the queen. Tal would not be ashamed to have signed his name under such a game as White!

30th Championship Erevan, 21 November - 20 December 1962 Korcbnoi 2 Taimanov 3 Tal 4 Kholmov 5 Spassky 6 Stein 7 Bannik 8 Aronin 9 Kots 10 Mikenas 11 Krogius 12 A.Zaitsev 13 Novopasbin 14 Suetin 15 Sbiyanovsky 16 Kbodos 17 Korelov 18 Mnatsakanian 19 IZaitsev 20 Savon 1

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ETILING INTO A NEW PATTERN, the next contest, the 30th of the series, was played yet

S again in the Caucasus in the early winter. The Armenian capital of Erevan saw Viktor

Korchnoi at his most fearsome as he led until near the end by a big margin in an event where many of the established players were missing. Only six GMs took part! The event was preceded by six semi-fmals, three of which were simultaneously the fmals of the championships of the sports societies Spartak, Trud and Burevestnik. A new figure, from the Far East, was Alexander Zaitsev ( 1 935-7 1) from Vladivostok, a player famous for his quick play. Like Stein, he was to have a premature death. His case was especially tragic, since he had a cosmetic operation to equalize the length of his legs. Alas, in the words of the old saying, the operation was a success but the patient died shortly afterwards from a blood clot. He should not be confused with Igor Zaitsev, who also played in this event and was a long-serving analytical helper of Petrosian and Karpov in the I 970s and I 980s. Korchnoi began with wins over A. Zaitsev and Krogius and scored a key victory over Stein in the fifth round. As Beilin commented in the Soviet Yearbook, most players liked to take a stroll after making their move, unless it was a case of an expected forced reply. Korchnoi, however, built up immense tension by never relaxing, never rising from the board and studying the position all the time. This was reminiscent of Botvinnik at his best. Korchnoi's fierce will to win was palpable to the opponent, and all but the strongest trembled before him. As a result, Korchnoi had 9 points after I I rounds. He then had to meet main rivals Spassky and Tal. He beat both of them in splendid games, which the enthusiastic audience in the huge Philarmonia Hall greeted with approval. Tal, it was known, always felt himself an artist at the chess board and welcomed audience reaction to his powerful moves. Korchnoi belonged more to the school which is distracted by audience reaction, but he was in such fme form here that nothing could disturb him. In the end, he ran out an easy winner despite a score of four draws and a loss to the Lithuanian veteran Mikenas in the last five rounds.

30th Championship, Erevan 1962

1 17

Tal was playing after the disaster of the Cura�ao Candidates' in the summer where he had to be hospitalized after 2 1 rounds of the 28-round marathon event. The tense relationships between the Soviet players can be seen in the fact that the only one of the other seven competitors who visited him in hospital was Bobby Fischer! There was always a question mark over Tal's health, but here his closing streak of 4Yli5 brought him joint second place. My co-author had one of his best results here. In fact Mark Taimanov had an almost unprecedented run of success, winning all his games in rounds 12-16 inclusive. Kholmov too, often underestimated, also had a run of five wins and showed that his careful unpretentious style was very hard for the opponent to handle. Only two late losses at the hands of Spassky and Tal kept him from fmishing close to first place. Here is a sample of Tal's intuition, from round 8. It is not too clear at first that White's troubles with his queen lead to him losing his c8-bishop - and the whole white queenside is dominated. German Khodos-Mikhail Tal Queen' s Gambit Accepted 025 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 ltJf3 ltJf6 4 e3 .ig4 5 .ixc4 e6 6 Wb3 .ixf3 7 gxf3 ltJbd7 8 Wxb7 c5 9 l:l.g1 g6 10 ltJc3 .ie7 1 1 dxc5 ltJxc5 12 Wc6+ �f8 13 f4 ltJfe4! 14 iLa6 l:l.b8 15 ltJxe4 l:l.b6 16 Wc8 Wxc8 17 .ixc8 ltJxe4 18 a4 .ib4+ 19 �e2 ltJc5 20 l:l.g5 f5 21 e4 �g7 22 exf5 l:l.xc8 23 fxg6 ltJb3 0-1 Viktor Korchnoi-Mikhail Tal Modem Benoni A62 This was the central game when Tal had to play for a win to retain hopes of the gold medal. One can understand the interest of the fans that night. As one eye witness put it: 'The huge 1 500-seater hall of the Philarmonia was full to the aisles. At the entrance doors the policemen, who had themselves "fallen ill" with the chess fever, could hardly restrain the press of Erevan residents, who were pushing to get into the hall at any price. It was only when a large demonstration board showing the moves of the game was set up in the street that the passions cooled somewhat.' ltJf6 1 d4 c5 c4 2 d5 e6 3 exd5 ltJc3 4 d6 cxd5 5 g6 6 ltJf3 iLg7 7 g3 8 .ig2 0--0 0--0 9 For their decisive game the players have gone for one of the most uncompromising lines, the Modem Benoni with its lack of

symmetry. The line still attracts players to this day if they are looking for a complex and creative fight. White generally has the upper hand with his active play in the centre, but Black has counterchances on the queenside. 9 ltJa6 Amongst the various lines tried here, including 9...b6, 9... a6 9. . ..ig4 and 9 ...ltJbd7 the flank development of the knight, aiming at ...ltJc7 and then b5, is one of the most popular, though 9 ...ltJbd7 to control e5 is the modem the preference. h3 10 This prophylaxis is hardly necessary. More logical is 10 ltJd2 ltJc7 and now either 1 1 ltJc4 or 1 1 a4, as recommended in modem theory. 10 ltJc7 e4 11 White's main trump here is the extra pawn he has in the centre, so Korchnoi throws it forward into play. In later games he preferred
1 18


Tal fmally goes for the standard programme, but he cannot get back the time lost. a6 15 a4 .i.n 'ii'e7 16 �c7 17 �d2 A confession of failure? f4 18 By 1 8 �c4 White could rule out counterplay ( 1 8 ...b5 19 �a5) but Korchnoi is true to his original plan and carries it out with his usual energy. b5 (D) 18

�h2 27 Summing up the results of the complications, one must concede that they favour White. He has an advantage in space, a strong passed pawn, two bishops, one of which has no opposite number, and the chance of active play on the c- and f-files. Black, despite the blockading knight and pressure on the long white diagonal, has no promising lines of play. b3 27 It was not Tal's way to sit in defence awaiting the outcome of events. He hopes to divert White by play on the queenside, all the more so since he could not stand the opening of the game by 27 . . .f6 in view of 28 exf6 l:.xf6 29 .i.c4. l:.acl ! 28 .tc4 was good enough, but Korchnoi feels it is more important to bring up his reserves than to defend a pawn that is worth little. 28 'it'xa4 Some slight consolation ... .i.c8 29 .i.c4 Black has it no easier after � .. .i.c6. Lilienthal examined the fme variations 30 .i.h6 l:.fe8 (or 30 ...�d4 3 1 l:.fl l:.b4 32 'it'f4! .:xc4 33 'ii'f6 �e6 34 .i.xf8) 3 1 l:fl .i.b5 ! ? (3 I .. .l:[b7 32 'ii't2 ) 32 d7! .txd7 (32 . . .l:.ed8 33 .txe6! .txfl 34 .txf7+!) 33 l:xf7! �f7 34 'ii'f4+ �g8 35 'it'f6 and in all cases White has a mating attack. :n 30 White could also win by the method already indicated: Q_� .th6 �d4 3 1 l:[fl l:b4 32 'it'f4 l:.xc4 33 'ii'f6 �e6 34 .txf8. 30 l:.b4 .txe6 31 This is probably the only point where one can criticize Korchnoi. Why give his opponent the slightest chance by reviving his inactive pieces? The simple ll 'ii'd3 .td7 32 .th6 would finish things off in short order. 31 .txe6 l:.e8 .th6 32 Some sources expressed the opinion that 32 ...l:.tb8 would put up stiffer resistance, but this does not change the assessment of the position. After 33 'it't2! l:.e4 34 l:.cel Black -.... would be helpless. l:.e4 33 'it'g5

@

e5! 19 A breakthrough that has been well prepared and carefully thought out. 19 dxe5 'it'd8 �de4! 20 20 ...�e8 fails to, if nothing else, 2 1 �xf6+ �exf6 22 fxe5 � 23 .i.f4 �fd7 24 d6. 21 �xf6+ �xf6 If 2 I ...'ii'xf6 then 22 fxe5 �xe5 23 .i.f4. 22 d6! Obviously the diversion from the main line by 22 .i.xc5 l:.e8 23 fxe5 would be pointless, especially since there was a concrete rejoinder in the form of 23 ...�fxd5 24 �xd5 �xd5 25 .i.d6 'it'b6+ 26 �h2 .i.b7 and then '2.7) .i.xb8 fails to 27 ...1t't2+ 28 .i.g2 �c3, as analysed by Lilienthal. 22 �e6 b4 fxe5 23 The lesser evil. After 23 . . .�h5 @ �d5 �xg3 25 �e7+ �h8 26 'it'f3 Black would be in a bad way. �xd5 �d5 24 .i.b7 'it'xd5 25 'it'd7 'ii'd2 26

1 19

30th Championship, Erevan 1962 34 .:tfl! f5 34 .....d4 does not help in view of 35 _.f6 _.xe5 36 d7! . ..f6 35 Not, of course, 35 - exf6 �f7! and Black hangs on. 35 ..d7 36 .:txc5 .:tc4 Many thanks for this defence against .:tc7, thinks Black. 37 .:txc4 �xc4 38 .:td2 Black is badly tied up and White's task is to fmd the most exact way to victory. 38 �e6 39 .:td1 _.a7 40 .:td2 ..d7 41 .:tdl The last few moves were to let White make the time control and so adjourn the game. 41 _.a7# 42 .:td4! A move found in adjournment analysis. White now goes along the lines of what he had worked out in the interim, exploiting his great positional advantage. 42 ..d7 Otherwise 43 d7, which would also be the answer to 42 . ....f7. 43 g4! Now the white king takes a hand. 43 a5 44 �g3 .:tb8 �h4 45 Even stronger is 4) gxf5 �xf5 46 �h4, but this is a fme point. 45 ..f7

46 47

�g5 hxg4

fxg4 �d7 (D)

48 .:tc4! Elegant to the end. 48 a4 .:tc7 49 a3 There was also a fme fmish after 49 . . .9xf6+ 50 �f6 a3 , namely 5 1 e6! axb2 52 exd7 .:tf8+!? 53 �g5 ! b1_. 54 .:tc8 ! _.c l+ 55 l:.xc l . � 50 :xd7! _.xd7 Or 50. ....xf6+ 5 1 exf6 ! . 51 _.a7 e6! There is the curious alternative 5 1 ...�5+ 52 �h4 �7 (or 52. . .g5+ 53 �h5 9e8+ 54 �xg5 �+55 �h4) 53 _.fl ! axb2 54 d7 and White forces mate. 52 _.e5! The concluding manoeuvre. 52 axb2 e7 �f7 53 54 1-0 d7 Since 54 . . ...xd7 55 _.f6+ and mates next move. A grandiose encounter.

31st Championship Leningrad, 23 November - 27 December 1963 l) Spassky 2 Kholmov d]Stein \4)Bronstein 5 Geller 6 Suetin 7 Gufeld 8 Polugayevsky 9 Gipslis 10 Korchnoi II Bagirov 12 Averbakh 13 Nei 14 Taimanov 15 Furman 16 Klovan 17 Zakharov 18 Bondarevsky 19 Novopashin 20 Osnos

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ENINGRAD WAS THE VENUE of the next contest, which confmned that Stein, now free of

Larmy service and studying to be a journalist at Lvov, was in great form and that Spassky was

still the coming man. It was particularly hard-fought and needed a play-off in January to separate the three who tied for ftrst place. Although this was a FIDE Interzonal year, it had been decided not to incorporate the Soviet Zonal in the Championship, but to have the top six in the Championship play-off early in 1964 for the Interzonal places. In view of Korchnoi's failure this time in the Championship, which showed a great contrast to his recent 'hot' form, he was also added to the Zonal, so producing the strangely named 'Tournament of the Seven' which was won by Spassky in a very closely placed fteld. In the Championship itself, Averbakh, Geller and the prize-winners of the previous contest were exempted from the semi-fmals. Suetin was the early leader on 4/5, but he could not withstand the brave run of Leonid Stein who started with eight draws and then made 8110 towards the end. Kholmov had also been prominent throughout: after 12 rounds the leaders were Kholmov 8, half a point clear of Geller, Spassky, Suetin and Stein. However, a last-round loss by Stein to Bagirov produced a three-fold tie. The tie was played off 7- 1 7 January, with the result shown in the table. Stein Spassky Kholmov

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As usual, there were many fme and hard-fought games. Suetin offered his queen in round 10 against Bagirov for just one minor piece and only enforced a win from this massive investment after 85 moves, that is in the third session of play.

31st Championship, Leningrad 1963

121

There followed 18 'ii'xg7+ �xg7 19 �xf6+ �h6?! 20 l:tafl and so on. This was analysed again and again in the press room, where, amongst others were such distinguished figures as Tal and Keres. No one could fmd a forced win, but a forced draw was almost equally elusive.

Alexey Suetin-Vladimir Bagirov Bagirov figured in a long exhibition of determination, or some would say pig-headedness, against Gufeld in round 8. Bagirov, Black, had rook and pawn against bishop and pawn. By the time they reached move 1 09 in the adjournment session after round 10, the senior arbiter Cherkes came up to their board and warned: ' In four moves from now the 50-move rule will be invoked and we will stipulate that it is a draw, since there will have been no captures in the last 50 moves.' On his I 1 3th move, Bagirov exchanged pawns and the game continued! Bagirov was preparing to seal his move for the third time on his ! 1 6th move, when it was pointed out to him that there was a theoretically drawn position on the board. At this hint, the man from Baku fmally agreed a draw in a game that had lasted almost 1 3 hours! The Latvian Janis Klovans missed the chance of an easy win as early as move 5 against the 20year-old debutant Alexander Zakharov. The game opened 1 e4 e5 2 ltlf3 ltlc6 3 �c4 d6 4 ltlc3 ltlf6? 5 d4? �g4 6 d5 ltle7 1 -0, 29 moves, but examine the consequences of 5 ltlg5 ! Stein received a special prize for the best score amongst the six top players. Here is one of his best efforts, in a game against Klovans.

Leonid Stein-Janis Klovans This is a double-edged position in which each side has his trumps. White has the more active pieces, Black has good prospects on the

queenside. Stein fmds an interesting way of keeping the initiative. 'ii'xd5! 23 A bold decision. The sacrifice of queen for rook and bishop, as we have already seen in the Alatortsev-Boleslavsky game from the 1 8th Championship, does not lead here to any forced benefits but changes the nature of the position in sharp fashion and offers White attractive activity. exd5 23 l:txe7 24 White's main theme is domination of the 7th rank combined with the inevitable seizing of the a l -hS diagonal. 24 �f5 Immediately after the game certain experts indicated that a better defence would lie in 24 ...Wc6 25 �e5 l:teS, or 24 ... �c6 25 �e5 l:teS, trying to bring the rook in quickly. This may be so, but it does not change the general assessment of the position.

1 22


l:tc8 .tes l5 Hurrying to the defence. There is no time for taking pawns. Equally dangerous would be 25 ...Wxb2 26 l:txg7+ �f8 27 l:tc7 .te4 28 �e3 ! and 25 ....txc2 26 .:.Xg7+ �f8 27 l:tg4. l6 dxc3 c3! l:tc4 bxc3 l7 At least Black has all his pieces in play. l8 l:txg7+ �f8 l:tg4 l9 �dl .te4?! 30 l:tc7 The attempt to break White's communi cations on the e-file is understandable, but allows White's forces to dominate even more by letting the bishop gain a foothold at d6. White's task would have been harder after 30 .. .J::tg6 l:tg5 31 c4! Here 3 l ...l:tg6 was still a more stubborn defence, but Klovans, as often the case, was in time-trouble. Was c5 3l 33 �e8 .td6+ 33 ...�g8 34 l:te2 makes little difference. 34 .:tel! This quiet move deprives Black of any hope. 34 Wc3 35 �xe4 dxe4 36 l:txe4+ Here Klovans lost on time (1-0), which merely prevented him from resigning.

c5 c3 6 7 h3 This prophylactic move is necessary either now or shortly to preserve the f4-bishop from exchange after ...�h5. 7 d6 Bronstein chooses the set-up normally adopted by White in a Reti Opening. .tel 8 A decade later, in 1 975, Mikenas played 8 .tc4 against Bronstein, but after 8 ....ta6 9 We2 .txc4 1 0 �xc4 Wc8 reached a structure very like this game. .ta6 8 9 �xa6 .txa6 Wd7 10 6-0 �c7 11 Wel 1l dxcS The frrst crossing of the demarcation line and a signal for concrete play. The alternative was 1 2 a4, to assure the d2-knight of a safe square at c4. 1l bxc5 13 e4 (D) The nature of the struggle has changed sharply. White has conceded a pawn majority in the centre but threatens to advance his e pawn.

This was adjudged the best game, an encounter full of content by these two experienced GMs. Igor Bondarevsky-David Bronstein London System vs King's Indian A48 1 d4 �f6 g6 l �f3 3 .tr4 .tg7 4 e3 0--0 5 �bdl Bondarevsky's chosen line is not one of the more ambitious, merely aiming at harmonious development. Its negative side is clear in that it allows Black a wide choice of plans. s b6 The lines 5 ...c5 and 5 ...d6, often tried here, could easily lead to a transposition of moves.

13 e5!? Probably the hardest move in the game. Black voluntarily locks in his g7-bishop and creates a backward pawn for himself at d6. These negative aspects are clear. And the positive? We can indicate that Black removes the possibility of e4-e5, reduces the mobility of the enemy minor pieces and gains time to harmonize his forces. These are slight factors,

31st Championship, Leningrad 1963 as Bronstein pointed out, but in a practical game even a slight change of 'climate' can have psychological significance. 14 l:.ab8 .i.e3 b3 15 Wc6 16 tbd7 'ii'c4 tbh2?! 17 White seems to have lost his head due to the unexpected change of scenery. This passive move does his position no good. He should try I 7 .:tadi or I7 .l'Ue l . 17 tbb6 d5! 'ii'd3 18 Exploiting the lack of harmony of White's pieces, Black energetically opens the position. 13 19 After 1 9 exd5 tbbxd5 Black has the initiative. 19 l:.bd8 The outwardly attractive I9 ... d4 would only work out in White's favour. f5! 20 'ii'c2 We have seen a striking metamorphosis in the last few moves. All Black's pieces have come to life and their pressure becomes tangible. l:.ad1 tbe6 21 22 exd5 There is simply no other way to coordinate his forces. White has to win a post for his knight at c4. 22 tbxd5 tbc4 23 At last White has a well-placed piece, but as Tarrasch pointed out long ago, if only one piece stands badly, you cannot have a good position. And here, White has that h2-knight... tbeu 23 l:.fl 24 There was a threat of 24 ... tbxc3 ! . Bronstein also examined the reply 24 l:.fe i when he intended to continue, as in the game, 24 ...tbxe3 25 l:.xe3 (or 25 tbxe3 e4 26 fxe4 fxe4) 25 ...l:.xd i + 26 'ii'xdi e4! with the probable continuation 27 fxe4 fxe4 28 'ii'd6 'ii'xd6 29

I 23

tbxd6 .i.xc3 ! 30 l:.xe4 .i.d4+ 3 I �hi tbd3 ! . 24 tbxe3 tbxe3 25 l:.xdl+ 26 'ii'x dl (D) 26 tbxdi is very strongly met by 26...c4! and if 27 tbe3 then 27 ...Wc5! 28 tbxc4 e4! 29 �hi (29 fxe4 fxe4 30 Wxe4? ltJxh3+) 29 ... e3 ! .

26 e4! Despite some simplification, Black's initiative grows. 27 'ii'c2 27 fxe4 is obviously bad: 27 .. .'ifxe4 28 'ii'd2 .i.h6! . .i.h6! 27 The bishop long out of it now develops destructive force. tbd3 tbhfl 28 29 l:.d2 Even riskier was 29 l:e2 exf3 30 gxf3 tbe5. 29 c4! Wonderful play. To the attack on the a7-gi diagonal is added the queen and the game ends in a few moves. tbxc4 30 There was no escape. 'ii'c5+ 30 .i.f4+! h2 31 Even stronger than taking the exchange. tbe1 ! 32 g3 0-1

. 32nd Championship Kiev, 25 December 1964 - 27 January 1965 Korchnoi 2 Bronstein 3 Tal 4 Stein S Kholmov 6 Shamkovich 7 Lein 8 Krogius 9 Lutikov 10 Averbakh 11 Osnos 12 Borisenko 13 Vasyukov 14 Suetin IS Bannik 16 Petersons 17 Sakharov 18 Goldenov 19 Bakulin 20 Lyavdansky 1

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HE 32ND CONTEST was played at the Ukrainian capital Kiev over the turn of the year T 1 964/5, (the first round was on 26 December) and proved a triumph for Korchnoi, who

interrupted a victorious sequence on the part of Stein. Bronstein wrote several articles in the extensive bulletin, launching many of the iconoclastic ideas which he was to express even more freely in his 1 995 book The Sorcerer 's Apprentice. It was a tradition in Soviet literature that one could partly circumvent the Moscow censorship by publishing in the republics, such as Latvia or the Ukraine. Bronstein made full use of this opportunity in Kiev. This coincided with a resurgence of his playing strength, as he took a high place in the fmal table. Petrosian was missing as he had recently played in the Trades Unions Championship, a new event which he wanted to support. Keres was absent at Hastings. In fact the youngest player there was the 28-year-old Tal. An elite group of GMs had no difficulty in monopolizing the top places. Bronstein won as Black against Tal in the first round in a Winawer French - a traditional result for the Latvian. Stein also went down as White to Anatoly Lein in the same opening in the first round. Korchnoi set the pace with 6YJ7, beating Bronstein in the seventh round in an opening not characteristic of either player: 1 e4 e5 2 itlf3 itlc6 3 i.b5 ltJf6 4 i.xc6 dxc6 5 d3 i.d6 6 itlbd2, but Black got into time-trouble and lost his way around moves 36-37. He was forced to resign without going into the second session. Korchnoi continued with his blistering pace. After 14 rounds he had 10� points, a point ahead of Bronstein and Tal, but he also had a game in hand against his 'client' Tal, postponed from the ninth round. Tal was ill again and had to play some of his games in his hotel room. In fact four of his games were postponed, including all from rounds 9- 1 1 . In the adjourned session, Korchnoi, a player of great will power, played on in the drawn ending rook and pawn versus bishop and pawn on the adjacent file. Tal made one poor move with his bishop and was duly punished. Stein made a despairing attempt to catch the leader. His 1 5th round game against Sakharov ended as late as 3 .00 a.m. on the morning before the last round, having lasted 1 3 hours and 20

32nd Championship, Kiev 196415

1 25

minutes; and 1 1 9 moves. Stein could not force the ending rook and bishop versus rook into a win. Korchnoi drew his last three games, his longest sequence of draws, to take the title with a round to spare, a performance reminiscent almost of Botvinnik in 1 944 and 1 945 . The bulletin of this event was particularly impressive, but it has one fault - it suppresses the name of Bogatyrchuk in the list of Soviet Champions. Korchnoi impressed in various ways. Here is a fme attack, against Petersons.

Viktor Korchnoi-Andrejs Petersons 28 R.xh6! gxh6 29 l:[g3+ �f7 30 'ti'g4 .:ed8 It was possible to put up longer resistance by 30 ....:ec8, but even then, after 3 1 c4! 'ti'a5 32 'ti'g7+ �e8 33 l:[f3 ! there is no defence to 34 l:[xf8+. Now, however, we see a mating fmish of great beauty. 31 'ti'g7+ �e8 32 'ti'xe7+!! 1-0 32 . . .�e7 33 l:[g7+ �e8 34 ltlf6 is an ' epaulette' mate. The list of awards at this contest was extensive and the prizes went to worthy winners. The top honour, for the most beautiful victory went to Ratmir Kholmov. Ratmir Kholmov-David Bronstein Sicilian Defence B99 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

e4 ltlf3 o!Llc3 d4 o!Llxd4 R.g5 f4 'ti'f3 0-0-0

c5 .!Llf6 d6 cxd4 a6 e6 R.e7 'ti'c7 o!Llbd7

10 g4 b5 A well-known series of moves leading to a position whose assessment is still unclear. The popularity of the line is due to the rich possibilities of both sides and accurate play is demanded from both. 11 R.xf6!? An important link in White's attack, which involves a pawn storm on the kingside. Half measures like I I a3 or I I R.g2 have been tried but have not justified themselves. gxf6 11 Intended to cross White's plan at the cost of weakening the defensive pawn structure. Nowadays I I .. .o!Llxf6 { l l .. .R.xf6 12 g5 R.e7 is a transposition, but Black also has to reckon with 12 R.xb5 !?) 1 2 g5 o!Lld7 where theory has worked out long forcing variations, the main ones being 1 3 f5!? R.xg5+ (or 1 3 ...o!Llc5 14 f6 gxf6 1 5 gxf6 R.f8) 1 4 �bl ltle5 1 5 'ifh5 'ike7 16 o!Llxe6 R.xe6 1 7 fxe6 g6 1 8 exf7+
1 26


14 g5!? The ' !?' sign demands explanation here. The first part is for the energetic execution of White's plan. The second part is for his straightforward play, since modem theory prefers 14 '1i'h6 and then 14. . .�h8 (not 14 . ....d8? 1 5 ltlc6! ltlxc6 1 6 l:d3) 1 5 g5 l:g8 ( 1 5 .....d8? 1 6 ltlc6! ltlxc6 1 7 g6!) 1 6 g6 ( 1 6 gxf6? ltlg4) 1 6 ... fxg6 1 7 fxe6 .ib7 1 8 ltld5 .ixd5 1 9 exd5 with complex play where the passed e-pawn might become a trump for White. 14 b4!? This move too cannot be wholly condemned. On the one hand, the objectively correct move was l 4... fxg5 with the continuation 1 5 fxe6 fxe6 1 6 ltlxe6 'ji'd7 1 7 itld5 'ji'xe6 1 8 'ji'xe6+ .ixe6 1 9 ltlxe7+ �fl 20 itlf5 leading to a fairly equal endgame, but, on the other hand, the serious consequences of the sharper text-move could not be calculated exactly. One has to respect Bronstein for taking risks. .ixf6 15 16 �h8 17 'ji'e7 (D)

Here is the position both sides were aiming for. Bronstein obviously thought he stood well. The natural move 1 8 ltlce2 would give Black counterplay after 1 8 . . . .ib7. Kholmov, though, had foreseen a different tum of events. 18 ltlc6!! A surprise blow which brings about a sharp change in the position. Averbakh once commented: 'It seems that Kholmov never takes risks, but this impression is wrong. In fact, thanks to his fme chess intuition and

accurate calculating ability, Kholmov knows that when he attacks, the assault will not founder.' Moreover, let us remember the excellent ltlc6 which figured in the Kholmov Keres game from the 26th Championship! 18 ltlxc6 19 e5! This blow at a point defended three times recalls the Tal-Tolush game from the 24th event. As there too, the idea is to bring the knight to e4 and to free the b 1 -h7 diagonal. 19 .ig5+ The unexpected problems which have arisen for Black were so complex that even Bronstein for all his tactical inventiveness could not fmd the best defence. He should have examined these variations, amongst the many others: a) 1 9...dxe5? 20 ltle4 .ig5+ 2 1 ltlxg5 f6 22 itlxh7! which is clearly unacceptable for him; b) 1 9....ixe5 20 f6! .ixf6 2 1 .id3 .ig5+ 22 l:xg5 f5 (or 22 ... f6 23 l:g3 bxc3 24 .ixh7) 23 l:dg l l:a7 24 ltle2! ltle5 25 itlf4 .l:lc7 (otherwise 26 ltlh5) 26 .ixf5 ! exf5 27 ltld5 and Black goes down; c) 1 9 ...ltlxe5 ! 20 ltle4 ltlg6 !? (20. . .ltld7 2 1 .l:.xd6 exf5 22 :Xf6! .l:.g8 2 3 l:xg8+ �g8 24 :Xf5 itlf8 25 ltlf6+ �h8 26 l:e5 ! .ie6 27 l:g5) 2 1 ltlxf6 'ji'xf6 22 fxg6 'ji'g7 (22 ... fxg6? 23 .ig2) 23 'ji'xg7+ �g7 24 gxfl+ �f7 25 l:xd6 and though White has an undoubted advantage, Black retains drawing chances. Obviously it was hardly possible to work through all these lines at the board, but with hindsight we can say that variation 'c' was Black's best chance. f6 20 l:xg5 21 exd6 'ji'f7 It looks as if Bronstein was right - the direct threats have been repulsed and White has two pieces en prise, but here too Kholmov turned out to be more far-seeing. bxc3 22 l:g3 23 .ic4! A wonderful quiet move, the culmination of the combination. Despite his extra knight, Black is helpless. 23 cxb2+ �b1 24 itld8 25 l:dg1 A careless touch, which drags matters out. What a pity that in the heat of the moment

32nd Championship, Kiev 1964/5 White did not fmd the simple continuation 25 d7 �b7 26 :tdgl which would fmish off at once a superbly conducted game. :ta7 25 d7! 26 This is still decisive. l:.xd7 26 27 fxe6 lL!xe6 �xe6 28 :tdl+! Not spotted in time by White!

1 27

:txd1 29 �xe6 30 �xb2 So, White has to finish off by technical play. 30 :tb8+ �a1 31 �xa2 32 l:.gd3! ._e7 Despair. There was no defence against the rook penetrating on the 7th or 8th rank. 33 �xa2 ._f7+ 34 :tb3 1--0

33rd Championship Tallinn, 24 November - 24 December 1965 1 2 3 4 S 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 IS 16 17 18 19 20

Stein Polugayevsky Taimanov Suetin Furman Keres Sakbarov Osnos Bronstein Bykbovsky Korcbnoi Simagin Kbasin Bukbman Vasyukov Gufeld Lyavdansky Kuzmin Mikenas Lepesbkin

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NCE AGAIN THERE were, in effect, two championships within the same year as 20

O contestants gathered in Tallinn, capital of Estonia, in November 1 965. One might almost

write that they gathered in the shadow of Fischer, for 1 965 had been a year of intensive chess for Keres, Spassky, Tal, Smyslov and Geller. These five had been involved in their knock-out Candidates' Matches, along with the non-Soviets Larsen, Ivkov and Portisch. The knock-out, of course, was FIDE's reaction to Fischer' s allegation that the Soviets were operating a shut-out policy against him, especially as seen at the Cura�ao Candidates' Tournament in 1 962. Spassky beat Tal 7-4 in the fmal candidates match which ended in Tbilisi after just four rounds of the championship. Paul Keres, who was the first to be eliminated in these matches, by Spassky at Riga in April 1 965, was the host, as it were, in Estonia and his first-round result opened the contest up at once. He won by excellent defence and then a counterattack against the title-holder Korchnoi. Worse was to follow for Korchnoi, for he went down to Polugayevsky in the second round and was straining thereafter to catch up. Stein lost to Sakharov in the first round, whereas Keres began with three out of four and was joint early leader with Lev Polugayevsky. Polugayevsky then took the sole lead until the I Oth round, when he lost to Stein, for which see below. After 1 3 rounds Stein and Polugayevsky had 9 points, Taimanov and Suetin 8, Keres 7Yl. Stein just got his nose in front in a close finish. He had a stroke of luck in the 1 3th round. The veteran Mikenas, who had been the arbiter at Kiev in January, was playing this time and should have won in this position (see next page) after conducting an all-out attack against Stein: White tried to dislodge the defending f5knight by 29 g4, but after 29 lLlh4 30 .tdS l:[gS Black had escaped. Simply 29 l:[h5 does the trick - 29...l2Jg3 30 .•.

l:[xh6+ �g8 3 1 l:[g6+! . Or 29...lbd6 30 l:[xb6+ �g8 3 1 l:[xf6 lbe4+ 32 �e3 lLlxf6 33 &i::Jc7+ and 34 lLlxa8.

33rd Championship, Tallinn 1965

1 29

fxe4 IO Wc2 e3! 11 g3? li:Jd7 I2 �d3 Wf6 I3 �b2 ltlxcS I4 �xh7 ltle7 IS c4 eS! I6 f4 Wc6 I7 �xeS �g4! I8 li:Jf3 Wxf3 I9 �g6+ ltlxg6 20 Wxg6+ �d8 0-I This was to be the last appearance of Keres in the Soviet Championship until 1 973 . Here is the later part of the game Polugayevsky-Stein, a dramatic encounter.

Vladas Mikenas-Leonid Stein A feature of the event was that the names of the players attached to their tables, in traditional style, were written in the Western alphabet in deference to the Estonian audience. This can be seen in the photographs reproduced in the bulletin. The seventh round game Furman-Simagin is worth reproducing as a curiosity. This Lenin grad-Moscow encounter was accompanied by the strange admission by Simagin that he had taken a tranquillizer before the game, to counter the great excitement and worry he normally experienced during play. It was a case that the experiment was successful - the Muscovite felt calm during the game - but the patient died! · semyon Furman-Vladimir Simagin Benoni Defence A44 I d4 c5 2 dS eS 3 e4 d6 4 ltlc3 �e7 S �bS+! li:Jd7 6 f4 �h4+ 7 g3 �f6 8 ltlf3 ltle7 9 fxeS �xeS? IO ltlxe5 dxe5 1 1 �e3 b6 I2 d6! ltlg6 I3 h4 � I4 �g5 We8 (14 ...f6 1 5 Wd5+) IS hS f6 (15 ...ltlh8 1 6 tt:Jd5 f6 1 7 ltle7+ �fl 1 8 Wd5#) I 6 WdS+ �h8 I7 Wxa8 I-O Keres won almost as quickly against Kuzmin in the 6th round: •

Gennady Kuzmin-Paul Keres Nimzo-Indian Defence E25

I d4 li:Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 ltlc3 �b4 4 a3 �xc3+ S bxc3 c5 6 f3 d5 7 cxdS ltlxdS 8 dxcS f5 9 e4

Lev Polugayevsky-Leonid Stein A glance at the diagram is enough to demonstrate the uncompromising intentions of both players. The struggle is going on all over the board, but Stein has made the frrst serious advance, having got in ...b7-b5. He is also ready for the ...f7-f5 push. 22 li:Jf3 �xg3 It is useful to remove one of the units attacking f5. 23 fxg3 It stands to reason that 23 J:txg3 would make 23 ...f5 even stronger. 23 bxc4?! Stein considered this useful, opening the b file before a real battle in the centre, but as the game shows this was an error as White comes to occupy the open b-file. So, 23 ...f5 at once was correct and strong. 24 bxc4 fS 25 ltlb2! This fme defensive move was missed or underestimated by Stein. White thereby retards the Black onslaught on the kingside and uses the time to bring his heavy artillery over to the other side. 25 We8

130


l2Jf6 26 This looks very menacing, as the pawn is safe - 27 gxf5 gxf5 28 exf5? e4, but White had foreseen a neat answer. 'ii'xb8 l:txb8 27 l:tb1 28 'ii'c8 29 'ii'b 2! Here is the tricky idea. White is ready to give up a pawn in order to control the open file, and so has unexpectedly seized the initiative. 29 fxg4?! An obvious consequence of disappointment at the course of events, and Black now falls into a difficult position. He could struggle for the initiative by 29 ...fxe4 30 .tc2 h5 ! . 30 h4 l2Jgh5 lZJn 31 Now the kingside is stabilized and White is master on the other side. l2Jg8 31 Hurrying into defence and preparing a temptation for White. l:tf6!? 'ii'b6 32 33 .tg5 It has worked! White responds to the invitation and so makes only a small gain. Yet he would do much better by the logical 33 'iib8! . Then :U. . .'ifxb8 34 l:txb8 l:r.f3 (what else?) 35 l:r.d8 White has a decisive advantage. 33 'ii'f8 ! 'ii'x f6 .txf6+ 34 The picture has changed for Black's pieces have come to life and the white king is almost bare of defenders. �e1 'ii'f3 35 'ii'c3+! .te2 36 A nasty blow probably not anticipated by White, merely expecting 36...'ii'xe4 when 37 l:tb3 would give him a defmite plus. �f2 37 Not wishing to risk matters in time-trouble by B. �d1 'ii'd4+ 38 �c2, Polugaevsky is willing to concede a draw by 37 . . .'ii'd4+ 38 �e1 'ii'c3+. But Black wants more. 37 lZJgffi In Russia there is a saying that he who does not take risks will not drink champagne. Stein was a lover of this drink both directly and in an allegorical sense. The move is objectively weak (he should take the perpetual check) and could have led to his defeat, but without this

move Stein would probably not have won the gold medal. 38 �g2? Now Black's hopes are justified. Things would have turned out differently after 38 'ii'd8+ .te8 39 'ii'e7! . Then 39...'ii'd4+ (39 ...l2Jxe4+? 40 �g2) 40 l2Je3 l2Jxe4+ 4 1 �g2 l2Jef6 (or 4 1 ...lZJhf6? 42 'ii'f8+ lZJgS 43 l:tb7) 42 l:tb3 ! 'ii'd2 43 'ii'f8+ l2Jg8 44 Vf2 and Black would have cause to rue his boldness. 38 'ii'c2! A far from obvious, and thereby all the stronger, move. l:tb2 39 Later it was established by analysts that White could still generate enough chances to draw the game by 39 'ii'd8+ .tes 40 l:tb8 ! 'ii'xe2+ 4 1 �g1 , but how could White, in time trouble, be expected to decide on losing a piece and that with check? 'ii'xe4+ 39 �f2 40 'ii'd4+ 41 �g2 .tf5! Now, with the bringing of a further piece into the attack, Black forces a win. 42 l2Jd2 'ii'e3 l2Jg8 43 'ii'd8+ 44 .tn The agony begins. 44 'ii'xg3+ 45 �h1 'ii'f2 l2Jf4 46 .tg2 0-1 There wasn't a Brilliancy Prize this time, but Bronstein gained the award for the most brilliant move.

Vladas Mikenas-David Bronstein

33rd Championship, Tallinn 1965 Here came 24...l:.xa3!!. Mikenas resigned in view of mate or loss of the queen. This was a case where the vanquished celebrated with the victor. Mikenas joked that his name would now be firmly established in chess history. The prize for the most striking combination was given to Keres for this effort:

Viktor Korchnoi-Paul Keres

131

There came: 24 l:.xb2! 25 xb2 "i6'xa3+ 26 b1 1.g7 27 lL!e5 c7! This clears the way for ...l:.b8+, so White has to give up a knight to avoid the worst. 28 ltlb5+ axb5 29 c3 1.xe5! Black's initiative persists. Exchanging White's one active piece, Black at the same time fmds another route of entry for his rook. 30 fxe5 l:.xg3 31 l:.h3 l:.g5 32 l:.he3 ltlc5 33 l:.f3 1.e8! Now it is the turn of the bishop to take a hand and such a combined assault cannot be stemmed even by such a renowned defender as Korchnoi. 34 'ii'a2 'ii'xa2+ 35 xa2 l:.xh5 36 a3 Freedom at last for the king, but at what cost. 36...ltle4 37 :rs 1.d7 38 b4 l:.xe5 Look at the formidable mass of Black's pawns. 39 l:.a1 l:.fS 40 l:.h8 l:.f2 0-1 •.•

34th Championship Tbilisi, 28 December 1966 - 2 February 1967 �

[\1 Stein I (Z)Geller 1 (3)Gipslis �)Korchnoi 5 Taimanov 6 Lein 7 Krogius 8 Bronstein 9 Polugayevsky 10 Savon 11 Smyslov 12 Kholmov 13 Gufeld 14 Vasyukov 15 Gurgenidze 16 Osnos 17 Suetin 18 Liberzon 19 Nei 20 Nikolayevsky 21 Doroshkevich

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13 12Yz 12 12 12 llYz 11 10Yz 10Yz 10 10 10 9Yz 9 9 9 8Yz 8 8 7\1, 6Yz

EONID STEIN won again. This came after a gap of 13 months in a big change of scene from

LTallinn on the Baltic to the Caucasus. It was his third win in four years, a great achievement.

There were 2 1 players, Gurgenidze being admitted as a representative of Georgia. The event was played on a leisurely schedule and lasted from late December until early February. During this time Keres was absent, winning a tournament at Stockholm with 8/9, while Botvinnik was also dominating at Hastings. The event counted as the USSR Zonal and had four qualifying places on offer for Sousse 1 967, where the qualifiers were to meet a certain Robert Fischer ... The bulletin prepared by the Georgian team carried the time taken over each single move for the games of the first four rounds, a rare feature in chess literature. However, it was called an experiment and not persisted with. Anatoly Lein, who was at that time a chain-smoker and who lived in the USA from 1 976, was the early leader with 3/4 along with Bronstein and Krogius, the last-named having the uncom promising sequence 0 1 1 1 . However, the position at the top was always complicated by who had had a bye and who hadn't. After I I rounds the surprising leader was Nikolai Krogius, a psychologist who wrote works on conflicts in chess and other situations. He had 7 points, while Geller had 6Yl and Stein 6 after his l Oth round loss to Polugayevsky, who thus gained revenge for their encounter in the previous Championship. Krogius maintained the lead until near the end, but after his bye in the 1 6th round it all went sour for him, as he fmished with a sequence of three draws and then two losses. Meanwhile Geller took over for one round as leader along with Lein and then handed the baton to Stein. Lein, like Krogius, lost his last two games, so there was not so sensational a result in the end as the old hands came top. The position of Gipslis, Latvia's Number Two after Tal, was a pleasant surprise. So, the tournament was over, but two Interzonal places were still to be settled. Korchnoi,

34th Championship, Tbilisi 1966/7

1 33

Taimanov and Gipslis played a short match-tournament, but fmished all-square on 2 points. This eliminated Taimanov, as he had an inferior tie-break in the original tournament. Stein won few prizes for special creative achievements in his career, such was his pragmatic style. Here is one of his excellent uncompromising wins. Leonid Stein-Ratmir Kholmov Ruy Lopez C68 1 eS e4 2 tlJc6 tlJf3 3 .i.bS a6 .i.xc6 4 The exchange variation did not have a great reputation, being considered a way of avoiding a full-blooded battle. Yet, in the hands of real fighters, this inoffensive method could prove dangerous. The name of Robert Fischer comes to mind ... dxc6 4 5 0--0 .i.g4 Amongst the many possible replies, theory prefers 5 ... f6. The bishop move is not popular, as the exchange of this piece is likely, robbing Black of his trump of the two bishops. h5!? h3 6 This ambitious move is the point of Black's play. The bishop is safe for the moment: 7 hxg4? hxg4 and the £3-knight cannot move because of 8 ...'ifh4. So, Black maintains the pin. Other moves are unpromising: a) 6... .i.h5 7 g4! .i.g6 8 tlJxe5 'ilh4 9 'if£3 f6 I 0 tlJxg6 hxg6 1 1 �g2 and Black has no compensation for the pawn; b) 6... .i.xf3 7 'ifx£3 Wd7 (7 ... 'iff6 8 'ifg3 0-0-0 9 d3 tlJe7 1 0 tlJc3 'ife6 1 1 f4) 8 d3 f6 9 tlJd2 0-0-0 10 tlJc4 and White's positional advantage is obvious. 7 c3 Or 7 d3 'iff6 8 tlJbd2 tlJe7 9 :e 1 when Black has to reckon with the threat 1 0 hxg4. 7 'iff6 Possibly Black should prefer 7 ... 'ifd3 8 :e 1 .i.x£3 9 'ifx£3 'ifx£3 1 0 gx£3 0-0-0 with hopes of equalizing in a complicated endgame. 8 d4! ? Even in a quiet variation like this one can fmd ways of complicating if the will is there. White offers a pawn. 8 .i.xf3 Kholmov is not one to avoid a challenge. 8 ....i.d6 9 tlJbd2 tlJe7 1 0 'ib3 would yield

White the initiative 'for no charge'. exd4 'ifxf3 9 The compromise variation 9 ... 'ifx£3 10 gxf3 .i.d6 simplifies matters but does not equalize. 10 cxd4 'i'xd4 11 tlJc3 Obviously White has enough compensation for the pawn in the form of quicker develop ment, but Black has a pretty sound position and Kholmov considered he was in no danger. 11 .i.d6 12 .i.f4 .i.xf4 A less bold player might have preferred to surrender his booty by 12 ...0-0-0 1 3 .i.xd6 cxd6 14 'ifxt7 'iff6, thus increasing the harmony of his pieces, but Kholmov prefers to keep the pawn even if he has to suffer a little for it. 13 'ifxf4 'ifd6 14 e5 'ifh6 15 'ifb4! A vital tempo gained for the assault. 15 b6 1 5 ...0-0-0 would be met by 1 6 tlJe4 with the unpleasant threat of 1 7 tlJc5. Black prefers to hide his king on the other side, even though this takes a lot of time. 16 aS f4 17 'ifa3! Still preventing castling short. 17 ti:Je7 18 :ad1 c5 19 tlJe4 0--0 At last! Black cannot delay any longer, as 1 9...'ifc6 20 'if£3 0-{) 2 1 f5 ! would leave the king under direct attack. To avoid this danger Black is ready to surrender the extra pawn. Was he now regretting not doing so seven moves earlier? 20 ttJrs :d7 21 tlJg5! This is much stronger than 2 1 :Xc7, since 2 I ...:ad8 would give Black counterplay. Now that move fails to 22 tlJxt7 ! . 21 h4 :xc7 22

1 34


Finally getting back the pawn while retaining some positional plusses. l:.ad8 22 23 -.o ltJd4 Obviously it was tempting to sink the knight into a central outpost and with gain of time, but the knight fmds nothing to do here and soon has to return. 23 ...'ii'g6, to strengthen the block ade on the kingside, was more to the point. 24 ._g4 l:.de8 The first consequence of the knight move. To stop 25 f5 Black has to yield the open file. �h2 25 Exploiting the fact that Black is tied down, White allows himself a little prophylaxis. 25 f6 Passive defence is not Kholmov's style, so he decides to open the position, even at the cost of fresh positional concessions. 26 exf6 l:.xf6 (D)

32 b5 l:.e4! Not 32 ...Wxb2? 33 Wg6. Wf5 33 b3 There is nothing better as the h-pawn is undefendable. 34 Wxh4 The pressure has brought the win of a pawn while retaining a positional advantage. Now comes the technical phase. 34 ltJf7 With the slight consolation of exchanging the intrusive knight, but this is no longer enough. 35 l:.e7 ltJxg5 Wd5 36 fxg5 37 Wg3 l:.f7 Clearly it would favour Black to be able to exchange rooks, but the move meets with a tactical rebuttal. However, 37 ... c4 38 g6 also leaves Black in a bad way. l:.f8 38 g6! Not 38 ...l:.xe7 39 _,8+ mating. 39 Wc7 Wd4 40 l:.e8 l:.f7! 41 We5 l:.f4 42 �h8 Wf7+ 43 �hl ! 1-0 White's quiet king move, forces resignation in view of the mate threats on f8 and h4 43 ...We l + 44 l:.fl We7 45 Wxe7. The following endgame of mine was recognized by an award.

l:.c8! 27 A far from stereotyped decision. To rob Black of any counterchances, Stein is prepared to exchange his own active rook. 27 l:.xc8 l:.f8 ._xc8+ 28 29 -.g4 ttJrs A sad retreat, but there was no other way to free the queen from the defence of the h-pawn. 30 l:.e1 -.r6 ltJh6 Wh5! 31 The steed has to retreat even further. 3 1 ...Wh6 is not good, as after 32 We2 Black cannot prevent penetration by the major pieces along the e-flle. Now Kholmov hopes for relief by his double threat to f4 and b2, but disappointment awaits.

Mark Taimanov-Vasily Smyslov After 4 1 moves White has a defmite advantage in the form of the two bishops and

34th Championship, Tbilisi 1966/7 the passed h-pawn. Yet the realization of this advantage is not simple and demands refmed technique. f5! 42 It was hard to decide on this advance, since it gives a square to the knight at e5, but cannot be avoided. The tempting 42 .i.f3 does not achieve anything in view of 42 ....i.xf3 43
1 35

51 aS 52 White's plan is clear. By transferring his king to g3, followed by .i.g4, he wants to unblock the h-pawn and open up for it an unhindered path to the eighth rank. 52 .i.d1 53 �g3 a4 Being powerless to hinder White's scheme, Smyslov tries to create some semblance of counterplay. bxa4 .i.xa4 54 hS 55 The pawn has overcome one critical square... 55 .i.c2 h6 56 .i.g6 .i.g4 .i.h7 57 �fl 58 And now, having tied up practically all Black's forces, White can calmly set off with his king to the queenside for decisive action. On the other hand, 58 .i.h5 would not work in view of58 ...lbd4! 59 .i.xf7 lbf5+. .i.b1 58 �e3 59 .i.h7 �d2 .i.b1 60 61 �c3 .i.e4 It is interesting that the bishop rushes about along the whole diagonal, but it cannot play to g6 because of the eventual tactical rejoinder .i.g4-h5. dS �b3 62 To allow the king unhindered to go to a4 and then b5 would be fatal. Smyslov makes a last attempt to hold the king back, but in vain... .i.xdS+ cxdS 63

1 36


�c3 .i.e4 64 �c4 65 Still White has a roundabout way to reach b5 : if not via a4, then via c4! 65 �e8 (D)

Exploiting the last chance of meeting 66
35th Championship Kharkov, 7-26 December 1967 HARKOV IN THE UKRAINE was the venue for the 1 967 event proper, which was dedicated

Kto the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was decided that a return to mass

activity was called for and the experiment of a Swiss system for 130 players over 1 3 rounds was tried. One reason to let in so many players was that 1 967 had seen rare international tournaments in Leningrad and Moscow (a star-studded event, won by Stein) as well as other events internally and the Sousse Interzonal, so many of the big names would be taking a rest. 'Never again! ' seemed to be the conclusion and the Swiss-system experiment, which attracted few of the stars, was not repeated until the dying days of the USSR in 1 99 1 . In fact, as early as the first round Polugayevsky was incensed that he had to play such a strong opponent as Lutikov, whereas Tal was paired with Kamer, to whom he had lost in a junior event a decade earlier. Naturally the Latvian was thirsting for revenge and quite happy with the pairing. Although 130 players started out in Kharkov, there was a gradual falling by the wayside: Simagin withdrew after making 2Y:J4. Moiseev left after six rounds with the same score. Kopylov went after making Y:J5 . Finally, Zhidkov was expelled from the event, according to the Swiss Chess Agency report, after scoring 5 points out of nine rounds, for unclear reasons - the chief judge Flohr claimed in his report that there had been no incidents and he had had little work to do. Tal dominated from the creative point of view, but Polugayevsky hung on doggedly to share first place. His first-round experience was repeated in the last round when he had to play the fme defender Kholmov, whereas Tal had the easier task of meeting his colleague from Latvia Zhuravlyov. Both won, but Polugayevsky's task was clearly the harder. He only broke down Kholmov's resistance in an English Opening after 5 1 moves. In a sense Polugayevsky had declined a challenge since after the moves 1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 e6 in the penultimate round, 'Polu' offered a draw to Tal, which was accepted. For the sake of decency, they played another dozen moves, but Tal, as Black, had better reasons to be satisfied with this grandmaster draw. Flohr praised the creative level of Vasyukov's games, attributing this to his recent joint study with Korchnoi. Igor Platonov from Kiev made a good impression and was to have a successful four or five years until a failure on a trip abroad returned him to obscurity. 1 -2 L. Polugayevsky, M. Tal l O; 3-5 E. Vasyukov, M. Taimanov, I. Platonov 9�; 6-7 Yu. Sakharov, V.Antoshin 9; 8- 1 7 V. Zhuravlyov, V. Bagirov, S. Furman, R. Kholmov, V. Zhelyandinov, A. Zaitsev, A. lzvozchikov, M. Shteinberg, V. Osnos, V. Tukmakov 8�; 1 8-26 A. Chistyakov, E. Bukhman, L. Alburt, V. Savon, A. Sinyavsky, A. Lein, 0. Donchenko, E. Mnatsakanian, A. Volovich 8; 27-40 A. Lutikov, S. Krasnov, V. Tseshkovsky, B. Gurgenidze, N. Levin, 0. Pavlenko, Yu. Shilov, V. Tarasov, G. Sosonko, Ma. Tseitlin, A. Cherepkov, R. Nezhmetdinov, E. Ubilava, G. Kuzmin 7�; 4 1 -57 V. Arsenyev, V. Dydyshko, S. Zhukovitsky, G. Borisenko, Yu. Nikolaevsky, V. Doroshkevich, V. Mikenas, L.Gudim, Ya. Klovans, Ya. Murey, 0. Privorotsky, I. Miklyaev, I. Ney, R.Kimelfeld, O.Chernikov, E. Sveshnikov, Yu. Gusev 7; 58-70 A. Butnoryus, Yu. Nikitin, L. Slutsky, V. Zakharian, R. Pelts, N. Popov, I. Zaitsev, M. Dvoretsky, V. Zurakhov, R. Vaganian, D. Beradze, I. Slepoy, A. Shmit 6�; 7 1 -88 V. Zilbershtein, L. Belov, I. Kagan, V. Korensky, B. Rumyantsev, B. Sorokin, G. Chepukaitis, A. Shamis, M. Shereshevsky, Vladimir Bykov, A. Kremenetsky, A . Tuzovsky, V. Alterman, V. Voloshin, B. Kalinkin, V. Kozlov, Kh. Muchnik, I. Sakovich 6; 89- 1 0 1 E. Gik, E. Karkmazov, E. Belokurov, B. Gulko, I. Kalinsky, V. Kirillov, Yu. Kots, V.

138


Muratov, A. Polikarpov, V. Seleznev, A. Vaisman, V. Zagorovsky, N. Razvalyaev 5 Yz; 1 02- 1 1 3 E. Terpugov, Valery Bykov, R. Levit, A. Tseretely, K. Cherskikh, V. Voronov, Kh. Kamer, A. Smetanin, V. Sazonov, T. Oim, Kh. Luyk, R. Seoev 5; 1 14- 1 20 N. Valiev, R. Barstaitis, A. Lukin, A. Noskov, A. Anokhin, V. Vakulenko, R. Etruk 4Yz; 1 2 1 - 1 24 I. Evelnin, V. Karasev, V. Sorokin, Ya. Amakov 4; 1 25 V. Gureev 3; 1 26 M. Varzhepetian 1 Yz. Amongst well-known names, some still quite young, we see that the veteran Mikenas, Klovans, Murey and Nei scored 7; Igor Zaitsev, Dvoretsky and Vaganian made 6Yz; Boris Gulko made 5Yz and the Estonian Tonu Oim, who was later to become the World Correspondence Champion, scored 5. Here is a key win by Tal against the talented Muscovite Evgeny Vasyukov.

Mikhail Tal-Evgeny Vasyukov

._xe3+ 30 ._f2 (30
In this double-edged position from an Alekhine Defence Vasyukov decided to pour oil on the flame by an unexpected pawn sacrifice. 23... e5!? 24 dxe5 ..txe5 25 ltlxd5 ltlxd5 26 'i'xd5 l:td8 Black's pieces have greatly increased their activity, but how justified is the initiative in the long term? The following phase demands great inven tiveness; from Tal in defence and Vasyukov in attack. 27 ..b3! The only move as 27 'i'f3? ._c3 ! 28 ._e2 'i'a1 loses for White. 27...ltla5?! A very tempting and striking blow, but not effective, as Tal shows. Yet there was a much more promising way of using Black's initiative. 27 ...l:td3 ! 28 'i'c2 l:txe3 ! 29 fxe3

.••

Some consolation for Vasyukov was winning the special prize for the Best Game.

35th Championship, Kharkov 1967 ' Evgeny Vasyukov-Viktor Zhelyandinov Sicilian Defence B53 1 cS e4 liJf3 2 d6 3 d4 cxd4 -.xd4 4 Vasyuk:ov's favourite variation, aiming to increase his influence in the centre, though the early exposure of the queen has its dark side. 4 .i.d7 To drive the queen back at his convenience, but the move costs time. It was more logical to go 4 ...liJc6 directly and then, after 5 .i.b5 .i.d7 (5 ...-.d7 is about as good) 6 .i.xc6 both 6... ..txc6 7 c4 liJf6 8 liJc3 g6 9 0--0 .i.g7 and 6...bxc6 7 c4 e5 8 'ii'd3 'ii'c7 give Black a reasonable game. c4 S liJc6 liJf6 6 ..d2 g6 7 liJc3 ..tg7 s b3 9 .i.b2 0--0 .i.e2 -.as 10 So, both sides are close to completing development and both can be satisfied with the result. White stands better in the centre, but Black has queenside prospects. l:.bl 11 A necessary precaution. The natural 1 1 0--0, or 1 1 l:td1 , loses a pawn after 1 1 ...liJxe4. 11 a6 a3! ? 12 Once again an important nuance. Before castling White has to neutralize Black's queenside chances. 12 0--0 allows 12 ... b5 ! and if 1 3 cxb5 axb5 14 .i.xb5, then 14 ...liJxe4!. 12 bS Probably Black should delay this. Preferable is 1 2 ...l:.fc8 1 3 h3 ( 1 3 0--0 .i.g4!?) 1 3 ....:tab8 14 0--0 .i.e6 as the Pole, Pytel, played against Vasyukov five years later. b4 13 ..b6 14 cxbS! ? Possibly Black had hoped to tempt White into 14 c5 dxc5 1 5 e5?, but Vasyuk:ov spotted that 1 5 ...cxb4! 1 6 exf6 bxc3 1 7 ..txc3 exf6 (not 1 7 .....tf5? 1 8 fxg7 l:.fd8 19 �6 .i.xb 1 20 liJg5) 1 8 'ii'xd7 l:tad8 1 9 �3 :res gives Black a dangerous initiative. 14 axbS

139

0--0 lS Of course, taking on b5 allows the same counterstrike on e4, so White completes development and leaves b5 as a weak point. lS ..b7 An unjustified loss of time. Black naturally feared 1 6 liJd5, but this could be neutralized by 1 5 ....i.g4 (16 lLld5?! lLlxd5 1 7 exd5 .i.xf3 1 8 .i.xf3 lLle5). 16 :ret!? lLla7? Too passive. Black clearly fails to cope with his problems. The threat 1 7 .i.xb5 was better met by 1 6 ...liJe5, though White maintains a better position after 1 7 liJxe5 dxe5 1 8 .i.d3 .i.c6 1 9 -.e2. eS! 17 Now White's pieces develop great activity. 17 lUeS Clearly not 1 7 ...dxe5 1 8 lLlxe5 and Black is in a bad way. lS ..td3 .i.c6 19 l:.dS lLle4 20 ._e3 dxeS Opening the position must favour White, so stubborn defence by 20 ... liJc8 was better. liJd6 lUxeS 21 22 -.as lUes 23 ..g3 White's positional plus becomes decisive. All his pieces have taken up the right positions to launch an assault. 23 liJacS h4! 24 The start of a storming operation. .i.eS 24 hS liJb6 2S hxg6 (D) 26 hxg6

140


27 tL!xg6! A sacrifice that breaks through the defence. 27 fxg6 �xg7 28 .i.xg7

29 l:xe7+ 30 t2Je6+ 31 l:xt7 Mate is forced.

:n

�h8 1--0

36th Championship Alma-Ata, 30 December 1968 - 1 February 1969 A.Zaitsev 2 Polugayevsky 3 Lutikov 4 Liberzon S Tseshkovsky 6 Vasyukov 7 Klovan 8 Podgaets 9 Tal 10 Kholmov 11 Averbakh 12 Lein 13 Osnos 14 Sakharov IS Bagirov 16 Gurgenidze 17 I.Zaitsev 18 Platonov 19 Cherepkov 20 Nikitin 1

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ACK TO TRADITION in 1 968, though the venue, Alma-Ata, the capital of Kazakhstan, was

B hardly traditional. Tal, Polugayevsky and Vasyukov were exempt from the last event and

Nikitin came in as the local representative. The others had to go through the qualifying mill. The leader for the first eight rounds was, surprisingly, the Ukrainian veteran Sakharov, but he had to give way to Alexander Zaitsev, the quick-moving master from the Far East. The absence of names such as Bronstein, Petrosian, Spassky, all away at foreign tournaments made it not too strong an event, especially in conjunction with the absence of Keres. In effect, the increase in the number of chess tournaments abroad and a certain weakening of discipline in the time of Brezhnev and his so-called stagnation led to more frequent abstentions. Tal was ill again, after a year in which he spent a lot of time in hospital under observation. At the end here he was unable to put in his usual late spurt. Gaining only one and a half points from the last five rounds left him in his worst placing of all his Championships to date. At this time Soviet organizers and fans were getting worried, for Spassky, revealed as a star as early as Bucharest 1 953, remained the leading 'young' player in the sense that no one younger than him had emerged as a top-flight player for over a decade. There was, of course, though no one knew it for certain then, a certain young player by the name of Anatoly Karpov on the threshold of his breakthrough to stardom. Polugayevsky caught up at the end with A. Zaitsev. The two had a play-off match of six games at Vladimir, 1 0-23 March 1969. Polugayevsky won it 3Yz-2Yz and so took the gold medal on his own for the first time. Normally it is hard to make a selection from amongst the abundance of fme games, but this year the creative results were inferior to the sporting interest, so one can merely quote some striking fragments. Anatoly Lutikov took the bronze medal and gained the prize for the greatest number of wins, so we quote his fme victory over Sakharov.

142

The Soviet Championships �xt7 ..i.xt7+ 23 �g6 24 .:tn+ Wxn + 25 ..i.d4! Despair, but the king cannot cope on his own, and 25 ... l:tg8 is met by 26 'iie4+. l:tf8+ �xfl 26 cxb2 27 �g1 l:tg8 28 ..i.xb2 29 l:td8 'iic7 30 'iig3+ �rs 1--0 'iie5+ 31 Tal's game with Igor Platonov was also memorable. The latter won the prize for a pretty win. Anatoly Lutikov-Yury Sakharov

f5! 16 With more space and active pieces the Moldavian master launches an attack with a pawn thrust onto a square guarded four times! 16 gxf5 In retrospect one can comment that the sacrifice should have been declined and 16 ...lL'lb4 tried, with the likely sequel 1 7 fxg6 ..i.c5+! 1 8 ..i.xc5 'ifxc5+ 1 9 �h 1 hxg6, but Sakharov was not a meek and mild player. 17 Wg7 .:tf8 18 ..i.xf5! d4! This was the counter Black relied on. Obviously not 1 8 ... exf5 19 lL'lxd5, when the black position is shattered. 19 ..i.xh7! dxc3 l:txt7 l:txt7! 20 lL'JxeS 21 ..i.g6 As it emerged after the game, both players had gone for this position, but they assessed it quite differently. Black was now expecting 22 ..i.xt7+ lL'Jxfl 23 'fi'g8+ ..i.f8 24 .:tfl �e7!? 25 l:txfl+ d6 to evacuate his king and keep the extra piece. Lutikov had envisaged another scenario. Wxe5! 22 White's idea is to exploit the passivity of Black's forces and create strong threats which cannot be repelled. 22 Wc4 Nor would 22 .....i.b5 23 'iig7 ..i.c5+ help in view of 24 �hl ! 'iid7 (or 24 .....i.xb6 25 'iixfl+ �d8 26 .:tdl + ..i.d7 27 'iif8+ �c7 28 'iid6+ �d8 29 'iixb6+) 25 ..i.xc5 0--0-{) 26 'iixfl and it is now White who enjoys material plus.

'Mikhail Tal-Igor Platonov We have a ' Sicilian' middlegame where each side is attacking on his chosen flank. Time is of the essence and Black gets his blow in frrst. 21 l:txd4! This and not the tempting 2 l .. .e5 in view of 22 lL'ld5 when 22 ...exd4 (or 22 ... exf4) 23 'ifel ! gives White material advantage. However, this potential fork is held as an option for later. 22 l:txd4 lL'lxf4! Here too 22 ... e5 would be an error because of23 l:tc4 ! . 23 .:txf4 ..tgs Here 23 ... e5 is crushed by 24 l:txfl! . It is curious that the same fork has to be rejected three times and for different reasons. As is well-known, 'the threat is stronger than its execution'. ..i.xf7+ 24 Platonov's combination is all the more interesting for the fact that he had to calculate

36th Championship, Alma-Ata 1968/9 various counter blows. In particular, he had to see that the fascinating move 24 e5 !? fails after 24 ...dxe5 25 ..txt7+ �f8! ! (the only move, 25 ...�d8 or 25 ...�e7 failing to 26 l:.xd7+ and Black loses) 26 ..txe6+ exf4 27 l:.xf4+ �g7 28 .l:t7+ �g6! and White has to resign. 24 �d8 25 e5 Tal has managed to cope with the main threat, the sword of Damocles ... e6-e5, but Black has many other resources. 25 l:.f8 A surprising picture. White's pieces are pinned on two diagonals and on the f-file. Heavy material loss is inevitable. lbe2 26 l:.xt7 27 h4 ..txf4 lbxf4 28 d5 As a result of the complex sequence of exchanges Black is a piece up. The rest is mere technique, though Tal, with his usual tactical inventiveness still tries to make it hard for Black. 29 g4 l:.g7 g5 hxg5 30 31 hxg5 �e8 This threatens the g-pawn which could not be taken at once (3 l ....:Xg5?? 32 lbxe6+). lbh5 l:.h7! 32 liJf6+ 33 The sharper 33 g6 fails to 33 ...l:.xh5 34 g7 �t7 35 'iff3+ l:.f5 36 l:.g4 and now 36 ...'ifd8 ! . 33 lbxf6 exf6 34 Tal has created some play in the form of the connected passed pawns, but he does not get the time to advance them further. 34 l:.hl+ �b2 l:.h4! 35 c3 36 lf 36 t7+ then 36...�f8 is a sufficient reply. ·

1 43

36 l:.h2+ Black has skilfully opened up the enemy king position and now moves in for the kill. l:.c2! �a3 37 "ifh3 38 Or 38 g6 ._,c5+ winning. 38 "ifa5+ 39 l:.a4 "it'c5+ l:.b4 40 a5 Even simpler is 40 .. .'.xc3. 41 "ifh8+ �d7 42 �c6 "ifh7+ 43 "ifxc2 axb4+ �a2 44 Or 44 �b2 Wxc3+ 45 Wxc3+ bxc3+ 46 �c3 !itd6 47 g6 e5 ! . bxc3 44 e5 g6 45 fT ..te6 46 "ifd3 47 Tal fights on 'to the last bullet' but in vain. 47 "iffl+! �a3 48 "it'a7+ �b4 49 "it'c5+ c2! �a4 50 f81*' 51 For a fleeting moment White has great material advantage, but it is a mirage. 51 "it'a7+ �b4 52 1t'b7+ cl"if 53 �a4 Black's queens are incomparably more threatening than White's. There is only one defence against immediate mate. "ifxfl "ifffl 54 Black has a choice of winning lines. "ifxfl 55 "it'a7+ �b4 "it'c5+ 56 �a4 �b6! 57 0-1 A fascinating struggle.

37th Championship Moscow, 5 September - 12 October 1969 (f)Petrosian I � Polugayevsky I 13) Geller I til)Smyslov I (5) Taimanov 6 Stein 7 Balasbov 8 Platonov 9 Kholmov 10 Gipslis 11 Savon 12 Averkin U Zbukovitsky 14 Liberzon IS Tal 16 Vasyukov 17 Gufeld 18 A.Zaitsev 19 I.Zaitsev 20 Lutikov 21 Tukmakov 22 Furman 23 Kupreicbik

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N THE CHESS WORLD 1 969 was a watershed year. Karpov won the World Junior

IChampionship, to emulate the Spassky of 1 955. News filtered through that Fischer was on the

way back and would play in the 1 970 Interzonal if he could secure a nominated place from the US Chess Federation. Irregular as it seemed at the time, the gesture of Benko in ceding his qualifying place to Fischer opened up a new era in chess, particularly in the West, where tournaments multiplied in the Fischer boom years. Prizes for professionals were raised from starvation wages to a good living. In the USSR, of course, this was not welcome. Fischer was known to have a dismissive attitude towards 'those Commies' . Witness his famous statement at the 1 962 Olympiad, when it was pointed out to him by an arbiter that he had agreed a draw in less than 30 moves, contrary to the current regulations. His dismissive reply? 'Those rules were made for the Commie cheats, not for me.' And that was the end ofthe matter. However, the 37th Championship saw a return to a strong event at Moscow with the unprecedented entry of 23 players. Petrosian made a come-back after having lost his world title to Spassky the year before. A big surprise in the semi-finals was the failure of Bronstein to qualify from the Kiev group, won by Stein, ahead of Platonov who went through undefeated. Bronstein lost to Karasyov and Tukmakov and fmished only sixth with 1 0 points in the 1 8-man event. Geller was scheduled to play in the Barnaul semi-fmal, but was absent. After lobbying on his behalf he was admitted to the fmal on the grounds of the stability of his results over the years. Tal did not tum up for the first round, hardly an ' innovation' by him. Polugayevsky, reigning champion, went down in the first round to Furman, who was now Karpov's trainer. Their co operation was to be fruitful for both parties.


1 45

Petrosian went through undefeated, at his cautious best. Polugayevsky, despite his initial loss, matched him overall, while Geller's high placing justified the selectors' faith in him. The event was also the Soviet Zonal with Taimanov just making it to the qualifying four by a spectacular last-round win over Lutikov, using his trusty Sicilian. At the time it seemed a wonderful game, but this assessment has been somewhat shaken by a recent discovery by Ken Neat. Stein missed out by a narrow margin. He was not to be so consistent in the last four years of his life as he had been in the mid-60s. Tal, too, could show little of his best, for he had postponed an operation to have his kidney removed just before the start - he begrudged the fact that he would have to stay in hospital for over two months once he had been operated on. One curiosity came in round 20. Taimanov pressed Smyslov hard in a Slav Defence and thought that he had discovered a new idea. Alas, at the end of the game, drawn in only 1 8 moves, the Muscovite was able to disabuse his opponent of this notion by pointing out, in the words of the Russian proverb, that Taimanov had reinvented the bicycle - Smyslov had already had the same moves twice before! The play-off match between 'Polu' and the wily Armenian took place over six games at the Moscow Central Chess Club on Gogo! Boulevard, 1 9-29 January 1 970. In fact there was a difference of class between the two and Petrosian won in only five games, taking games 1 and 4 and drawing the others. Tigran Petrosian-Vladimir Savon GrUnfeld Defence D9 1 d4 1 l2Jf6 c4 2 g6 l2Jc3 3 d5 t2Jf3 4 .tg7 5 .tg5 This method of harmonious development, without pretensions of gaining a large advantage, but based on a solid positional front, suited Petrosian's style well. dxc4 5 The main response to the bishop move is considered by theory, and with good reason, to be 5 ...l2Je4, leading to a double-edged struggle. Savon was never an expert in the openings and his choice of avoiding the main line is understandable. e3 6 True to his opening philosophy, White prefers reliable lines to the crucial one which arises after 6 e4 c5 7 d5 b5. Admittedly, such an approach sometimes meant he lost the 'advantage ofthe first move'. 6 .te6 A logical reply. Black argues that it will cost White time to recover the pawn. c5 l2Jd2 7 dxc5 8 He has to give up his central bastion and open the diagonal of the g7-bishop.

l2Jd5! 8 An excellent manoeuvre, underlining the dynamism of Black' s pieces. It demands particular attention from Petrosian now to counter Black's initiative. l2Jxc3 .txc4!? 9 bxc3 .txc4 10 11 ,.a4+ Only this is good. After 1 1 l2Jxc4 .txc3+ 12 'iPe2 there is the unpleasant 1 2 ...'ii'c 8! for White to face. 11 l2Jc6 1 1 ...l2Jd7 was more rational, hastening to win back the pawn at c5. Savon, however, had more ambitious ideas in mind. ,.xc4 0-0 12 l2Jb3 13 Each side has achievements here. White has the extra pawn, Black the superior adequate looks which development compensation. 13 l2Je5 Very tempting. How could one fail to take the opportunity to deny White his castling rights? Yet this scheme results in a significant loss of time and is not justified. He should prefer activating his pieces by 1 3 ...W'd7 1 4 0--0 l:fd8. W'e2 14 It would be interesting to try the more active 14 W'e4, but White was always a supporter of sound choices.

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liJd3+ 14 llJeS 15 �fl 16 e4! White's position looks unpleasant as a result of the splitting of his forces, but since he has no vulnerable point and Black has lost the rhythm of the attack, White's prospects can be regarded as superior. 16 l2Jc6 The manoeuvre ...l2Jc6-e5-d3-e5-c6 can hardly be worth the displacement of White's king to fl . 17 'ii'd7 White considered that Black should first go 17 ..a5, to induce a slight weakening in the enemy camp after the forced reply 1 8 a4. h4! 18 A move with many points! White prepares to link up his forces by g2-g3 and �g2, without allowing a queen check on h3 . l:th3 also becomes possible. In time he could 'frighten' his opponent by h4-h5 attacking on the kingside. 18 'ii'e6 Savon fails to find a plan and runs on the spot. 1 8 .. J:tad8 could be considered. 19 h5 aS At last Black gets going, but time has been lost. 20 l:.h3 a4 21 l2Jd4! Roles are reversed. Now White has his forces developed he can boldly return the pawn plus. 21 'ii'e5? A very dubious decision. Savon over estimates his chances. It was essential to play 2 l ...li::lxd4 22 cxd4 �xd4 23 l:td3 �g7 or 23 ...�f6, reconciling himself to an inferior but defensible position. 'ii'xc5 22 'ii'g4 23 'ii'h 4! This is the manoeuvre Black had failed to spot, or underestimated. Clouds gather round Black's king position. 23 h6 (D) A remarkable state of affairs arises here. This move was universally condemned as a gross blunder and Petrosian gave it two question marks in his notes. It does in fact lead to a loss, but was there any salvation for Black

here? Petrosian suggested the alternative 23 . . f6, but then after 24 hxg6 hxg6 25 'ii'h7+ �fl 26 'ii'xg7+! (26 �h6 is unconvincing 26 ...l:.g8 when Black is out of danger both after 27 �xg7 'W'c4+! and after 27 l:tg3 'ii'h5 28 l2Jf5 gxf5 29 l:txg7+ l:.xg7 30 'W'xg7+
.

24 �xh6! An elegant but far from complicated combination. 24 l2Jxd4 Savon makes White's task easy, but he was in time-trouble. A more stubborn defence lay in 24 ...�xh6 25 hxg6 Wg5 !? 26 gxfl+! .l:txfl 27 'W'xh6 'ii'xh6 28 l:xh6 lt::le 5, when White has a technical win. cxd4 25 'ii'xd4 26 hxg6 fxg6 27 �e3 'ii'f6 28 'ii'h7+ �f7 29 e5! An important resource. 29 l:.f3 would fail to 29 ...'ii'xf3 ! 30 gxf3 l:.h8. 29 'ii'xe5 Or 29 ...'W'f5 30 �h6 winning. 30 �e6 l:.f3+ 31 'ii'xg6+ �f6 32 'ii'g4+ �f7 33 'ii'b2 :rs 34 'ii'h5+ �e6 l:.e1 ! 35 The whole white army pursues the enemy king.

3 7th Championship, Moscow 1969 35 �d7 36 �c7 :d5+ 37 :ct+ 1-0 (time) Here Savon exceeded the time limit. Only this, or loss of the queen, could save him from mate in a few moves (37 ... �b8 38 �f4+). This was a typical Petrosian game. Polugayevsky's creative achievements were less striking, so I present readers with the undoubtedly most dramatic game of the event, won by the third-placed player. Anatoly Lutikov-Mark Taimanov Sicilian Defence B48 1 c5 e4 t2Jc6 2 t2Jf3 cxd4 3 d4 4 l2Jxd4 e6 'ii'c 7 t2Jc3 5 �e3 6 a6 �d3 7 One of the key positions of the Paulsen system has arisen. I have studied this line for many years. The ftrst few moves defme the themes of the coming strategic conflict. Black concedes space in the centre and concentrates on the queenside where he has the open c-ftle. 7 b5 The most principled and direct treatment of the variation in which Black takes on great responsibilities, since he neglects kingside development. 7 ...t2Jf6 is a more rational and calm alternative and after 8 0-0 comes either 8 ...t2Jxd4 9 �xd4 �c5, or 8 ...�d6 9 h3 �f4, or else 8 ... l2Je5 9 h3 b5 (or 9 ...�c5) 1 0 f4 l2Jc4 which I have often tried out in practice. l2Jxc6 8 Lutikov was (alas, we have to write about him in the past tense - he died in the prime of life) a player with an aggressive style and concrete thinking who preferred clear plans that promised him the initiative. The exchange of knights along with his subsequent manoeuvre fully corresponds to his tastes. 8 0-0 has also been tried against me here. 8 Wxc6 9 �d4 White's aim is to hinder Black's development. After 9 0-0 �b7 10 We2 b4 1 1

147

lDb l t2Jf6 12 t2Jd2 d5, or 9 a3 �b7 1 0 0-0 l2Je7! Black ftnds it easier to achieve the desired counterplay. I will continue the last line, referring to one memorable example, Minic-Taimanov, Palma de Mallorca 1 970: 1 1 Wg4 l2Jg6 1 2 f4 �c5 1 3 �xc5 Wxc5+ 1 4 �hi 0-0 15 :ae 1 f6! ? 16 l2Je2 :ae8 17 l2Jg3 ( 1 7 c3 is better) 17 ... Wd4! 18 t2Jh5 f5 ! 19 exf5 exf5 20 Wg5 (20 �xf5 is bad because of 20 ... :xe l 2 1 Axe l :xf5 2 2 Wxf5? �xg2+ 23 �g2 l2Jh4+) 20 ...:xe 1 2 1 :xe 1 Wxb2 22 h3 Wxa3 and Black won. 9 �b7 10 'ii'e2 l2Je7 11 f4 Not spending time on castling on either side, Lutikov begins his assault. 11 b4 Black's trumps are on the queenside and they too are brought into play. 12 t2Jb1 The more natural retreat 12 tlJdl could be considered. l2Jg6 12 �d6! 13 This unusual opening formation is Black's basic concept. Every tempo counts! �e3 14 It is not easy to take such a decision and Lutikov thought for a long time before reconciling himself to it. Was there a reasonable alternative? Apparently not. If 14 �xg7, then Black has 14 ...t2Jxf4! 1 5 �xh8 t2Jxd3+ 1 6 cxd3 Wc l + 1 7 �e2 Wxh1 , and 14 g3 meets with the unpleasant reply 14 ...e5, while 14 e5 is met by 14 ... �e7 1 5 0-0 l2Jh4. In all these variations White has a bad position. Obviously, Black has successfully coped with his opening problems. 0-0 14 :ac8 t2Jd2 15 h4! ? 16 In this fascinating battle everything is going 'contrary to the rules' . This is the case here. Lutikov, true to his aggressive style, abstains from the natural consolidating moves 1 6 0-0 or 1 6 0-0-0 and aims to exploit, without loss of time, the drawback of the g6-knight, by launching an immediate pawn storm. The threat h5-h6 does look very tempting. 16 Wc7

148


A cunning manoeuvre. By attacking the f4pawn a third time (and each time the attack has been made with gain of time}, Black aims to provoke 1 7 g3, which would give him counter play in the centre by 1 7 ... f5, or to provoke 1 7 e5 which significantly activates his b7-bishop. This opens up the prospect of a counter initiative. 17 .i.c5 e5 18 .i.xe3 h5 'ii'xe3 19 tbe7 20 tbc4 Both sides persist in their line. Lutikov has extended the gain of space in the centre and on the kingside. Black has succeeded in making his pieces dynamic and has pivot points at f5 and d5. To help assess matters, it is important to note that the attractive manoeuvre 20 tbe4 would not promise much in view of the counter blow 20 ...tbf5 2 1 'W't2 d6 ! and if 22 g4, then 22 ....i.xe4 23 .i.xe4 tbe7 and White's centre is destroyed. 20 tZJr5 21 'ii'd2 2 1 .i.xf5, then Black has a pleasant choice between the prosaic 2 l ...'ii'xc4 22 .i.d3 'W'd5 and the romantic 2 l ...exf5 22 tbd6 'W'xc2 23 tbxc8 .l:.xc8. 21 .i.d5 Exploiting his advantage in development, Black maximizes his piece activity, at the same time driving White's pieces back. 22 tbe3 tbxe3 •c5! 'ii'xe3 23 It becomes obvious that the latest happenings on the board have tipped the scales in Black's favour. By exchange of minor pieces he has weakened White's attacking potential, while retaining all the advantages of his strategic structure. White now has the choice of going into a prospectless endgame where his kingside pawn weaknesses (considering Black's resource of ...t7-f6!) would become of concern, or of burning his bridges. This means avoiding the exchange of queens and trying to get at the enemy king. For Lutikov the choice was simple - 'better to die standing up than live on one's knees' . 24 .g3 h6 .l:[h4 25 The only chance for White is the g-file and

the point to aim at is the g7-pawn, but this is really very little. 25 .g1+?! A critical moment. The simple 25 ...�h8 26 .l:[g4 l:g8 would strip White of all his illusions. But the game was played in the last round according to the considerations which apply then ... The impulsive check (tension, nerves! ) suddenly and unexpectedly changes the scen ario. A clear strategic conflict changes into the elemental chaos of unforeseen tactics. Yet, 'ev ery cloud has a silver lining' . Had I not made this mistake, there would be one most striking and memorable game less in my collection! �d2 26 As was shown by subsequent scrupulous analysis, it was better to play 26 �e2, after which Black has nothing better than to force a draw by 26 .. Jhc2+ 27 .i.xc2 .i.c4+ 28 �d2 (obviously not 28 .i.d3 in view of 28 ....i.xd3+ 29 t3 work 28 ...'i'xal 29 l::tg4 •n + 30 �e3 'W'e2+ 3 1 �d4 'W'xc2) 28 ...'W'd4+ 29 �c l 'W'g l + 30 �d2 (30 .i.dl l::tc8 is risky for White) 30 ... 'i'd4+. However, on general considerations, the position of the king on d2 is safer and it was no surprise that Lutikov without hesitating pre ferred to have it there. Indeed, what is Black to do now? 26 .d4! Back quickly! 26 ...'i'xal 27 .l:.g4 and 26 ....xg2+ 27 Wxg2 .i.xg2 28 l::tg l .i.d5 29 l:.hg4 are both bad for Black. Now the main threat, at least, is repelled as 27 .l:lg4 now carries no danger thanks to 27 ....i.e4! 28 l:txg7+ 'ili>h8. Yet, alas, Black's problems are only beginning. 27 f5 (D)

37th Championship, Moscow 1969 This blow looks deadly - the queen is attacked and if it retreats, then the advance f5f6 decides matters. 27 l:.xc2+!! A happy discovery at the most dramatic moment. Black is the first to let fly with his forces at the enemy king, and lures it out from its apparently safe haven into the squall of an attack. An irrational phase now follows. 28 �xc2 b3+! 29 �d1 If 29 axb3 Lutikov feared the fresh sacrifice 29 ...�xb3+, after which 30 �xb3 l:.b8+ would lead to disaster, but in the heat of the moment he overlooked that taking the bishop was by no means forced and by 30 �d2 ._xb2+ 3 1 �e3 ._xal 32 f6 he could keep chances of saving himself. Indeed then Black does not even have perpetual check after 32 .....c l + (32 ...'ifgl + 33 'iPe2!) 33 'iPt2 'it'd2+ 34 �e2 ._g5 35 l:tg4. 29 'ifg1+ 'ifxg2! 30 'ife1 A striking picture. Black is a rook down, but by exploiting the total lack of harmony of White's forces, he can generate yet more threats with limited material. 'iffl �f3+ 31 �e1 32 Obviously, 32 �c l is bad in view of 32 ...'it'g5+ 33 �b l ._xh4 34 'ifxf3 'ife l +. 'ifxb2 32 'ifxeS+ l:.b1 33 �fl bxa2 34 Incredible! In the course of the last five moves Black has gobbled up four enemy pawns and established theoretical material equality while not conceding the initiative, a true triumph for attacking play. l:.e1 35 'iff6 36 �g3 (D)

149

36 �g2! A study-like idea of diversion. The bishop, though attacked twice cannot be taken. 37 �g2 allows the h4-rook to be taken; 37 •xg2 allows the pawn to queen on a l . 37 'ifg1 exfS So, Black now has six pawns for the rook, and one of them, at a2, is particularly strong. The main point is that White's pieces cannot develop any cooperation. 'ifd4 38 A breath of freedom at last, but it doesn't help. 38 'it'gS+ 39 �h2 �e4! Once again a study-like idea, this time inter ference. The light-squared bishop has rendered great service in this game. l:.hxe4 40 There is no longer anything better. 40 fxe4 'ifxhS+ 'ifxe4 41 At this point, the time came to adjourn the game. Lutikov was to seal his next move, but after brief reflection he resigned. White is helpless against the armada of black pawns.

38th Championship Riga, 25 November - 28 December 1970 Korchnoi 2 Tukmakov 3 Stein 4 Balashov 5 Gipslis 6 Karpov 7 Savon 8 Averbakh 9 Podgaets 10 Bagirov 11 Dementiev 12 Liberzon 13 Doroshkevich 14 Kholmov 15 Antoshin 16 I.Zaitsev 17 Vaganian 18 Mikenas 19 Karasyov 20 Platonov 21 Mark Tseitlin 22 Moiseev 1

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V ARPOV MADE HIS DEBUT in the 38th contest at Riga late in the year. A number of other

�ames of the future also played for the first time, notably Vaganian. The veteran Mikenas celebrated his 60th birthday during the event. Surely Tal should have played in his home town. He didn't. It looks as if the selectors doubted, on his recent history, whether he would last out the 2 1 -rounder. It was a decision that was to rankle for years, especially since Tal was physically present, but had to confme himself to the press room. As late as 1 994 when I visited Moscow as the guest of Yakov Damsky, the veteran journalist and friend of Tal, Damsky took it up with A verbakh when we visited Averbakh' s office in the Moscow Central Chess Club. Thus, it turned out that it was Gipslis who got a free place as the Latvian representative. Aivars Gipslis had an excellent reputation after his joint second place in the star studded Alekhine Memorial in 1 967. The nervous tension of the occasion became apparent as early as the second round. Karasyov, making his debut, discovered that he had written down Korchnoi in the space on the score sheet for his own name. His opponent was Stein. Karasyov, unable to control his feelings, burst out laughing. Perhaps he had delusions of grandeur, since Korchnoi won the tournament by a convincing margin in the end to take his fourth gold medal of Soviet Champion. Vladimir Tukmakov led for a long time, but the determination of Korchnoi told in the end, after he had lost to the Ukrainian in round four. Tukmakov, won a miniature in the ninth round in which Doroshkevich repeated a blunder that had occurred twice before: 1 c4 e5 2 llJc3 llJc6 3 llJf3 f5 4 d4 e4 5 .i.g5 llJf6 6 d5? exf3 7 dxc6 fxgl 8 cxd7+ and now the far from obvious 8 llJxd7 attacking both rook and bishop. Doroshkevich resigned without playing on. Karpov had a quiet debut, beginning with a loss and 1 0 draws out of the first 1 1 rounds before beating Bagirov's Alekhine Defence in round 12. ...

38th Championship, Riga 1970 The miniature of the event was the round 1 6 encounter between two normally ultra-solid contestants. White overestimated his posses sion of the two bishops when Black had the more speedy and harmonious development. Yury Averbakh-Ratmir Kholmov Nimzo-lndian Defence E32 1 c4 e6 2 lt.Jc3 li.Jf6 3 d4 .i.b4 4 'ii'c2 d6 5 e3 0--0 6 .i.d3 c5 7 dxc5 dxc5 8 li.Jf3 lt.Jc6 9 0--0

.i.xc3 10 'ii'xc3 e5! 1 1 li.Jd2 'ii'e7 12 lt.Je4 .i.f5 13 li.Jxf6+ 'ii'xf6 14 .i.e2?! .:tad8 15 b3 'ii'g6 16 .:tdl? .:txdl+ 17 .i.xdl .:td8 18 .i.a3 .i.h3 19 g3 .:td3 20 'ii'c2 'ii'e4 21 f3 .:txdl+ 0-1 In view of 22 'i'xd 1 'W'xe3+ 23 �h1 'W't2 mating. The game only lasted an hour. Tukmakov gained the silver medal and the GM title here. The diagram shows his position against Korchnoi, after 1 9 moves.

Vladimir Tukmakov-Viktor Korchnoi White's pieces are unambiguously pointing at Black's king, but Black's position looks solid. Tukmakov fmds a breach in the enemy defensive wall. 20 .i.g6! .i.e8 Seemingly refuting the bishop move, but. .. 21 'ii'x h6!! 'A blow of devilish force' commented the great master of attack Mikhail Tal. The queen cannot be taken (2 l ...gxh6 22 .i.xh6+ �g8 23 .i.e4+ �h8 24 .i.g7+ �g8 25 .i.xf6+) and therefore bursts into the enemy camp with great force. 2l ...'ii'b4

151

The best counter, but it is hardly possible to hold the position. 22 'ii'h8+ �e7 23 'ii'xg7 'ii'xd4 24 li.Jd3! The only way. You should never lose your vigilance when attacking. The direct 24 lt.Jxfl looks tempting, but then 24 ....:txc3 ! ! is very strong, for after 25 lt.Jxd8+ �xd8 the roles have changed hands. For example, 26 .i.e3 (what else?) 26 ....:txe3! (26....1:ta3 looks impressive remember the famous move by Bronstein against Mikenas - but gains nothing after the cold-blooded reply 27 .l:tfl) 27 fxe3 lt.Jxe3 28 �h 1 lt.Jd 1 ! . Therefore, Tukmakov takes timely safety measures. Now, apart from anything else, he threatens 25 .i.g5 or 25 .i.h6. 24....i.xc3 It is hard to criticize Korchnoi for the brave decision to seize the initiative at all costs, but now White's attack gains fresh impetus. 25 bxc3 lt.Jxc3 26 .i.a3+ This is the point, as the enemy king loses its shelter. 26...�d7 27 .:tel! The main threat, 27 ...lt.Je2+, is rebuffed and White renews the cooperation of his forces as a preliminary to resuming the attack. 27...�c7 Otherwise comes simply 28 .i.xfl. 28 .i.e7! In the heat of battle it is always useful to pick up some material. 28...lt.Jcd5 29 .i.xd8+ �xd8 29 ...l:xd8 could be met by 30 .i.xfl .l:td7 3 1 lt.Je5 .:te7 32 'ii'g6. 30 .i.e4! But here 30 .i.xfl would fail, to 30 ....:tc7 and if 3 1 lt.Je5, then 3 1 . ..'ii'xe5 ! . 30...'ii'xa4 It would seem that Black has disposed of the enemy threats at no great cost, but this impression is wrong. 31 .i.xd5 li.Jxd5 32 'ii'g5+ �c7 33 h4! Here is White's latest argument, an un stoppable passed pawn. The rest is technique and Tukmakov shows up well in this department. 33... .i.b5 34 .:tel+ .i.c6 35 h5 'ii'd4 36 lt.Je5! f6 37 lt.Jxc6 bxc6 38 'ii'g7+ �d6 39 h6 li.Jf4 A last try as the pawn nears the promotion square. 40 'ii'g4! 'ii'd2?

1 52


A time-trouble blunder, but it does not affect the result. 41 l:r.d1 1-0 The special prize for the Best Game fell to Igor Zaitsev. Igor Zaitsev-Oieg Dementyev Sicilian Defence B87 1 e4 cS �f3 2 d6 3 cxd4 d4 �xd4 4 �f6 �c3 s a6 6 .tc4 e6 7 .te3 bS .tb3 8 One of the sharpest lines in the Sicilian with White aiming to attack e6 by f4-f5 which would augment the pressure along the a2-g8 diagonal. Black counters by attacking the e4pawn and using the half-open c-file. 8 'i6'c7 The direct 8 ...b4 9 �a4 �xe4 is considered risky for Black after 1 0 'ife2 or 1 0 f4, but the logical move preferred by theory is 8 ... .tb7. f4 9 b4 9 ....tb7 has been tried and is more appropriate, as at the last move. 10 �a4 �bd7 Black persists in avoiding ....tb7, but his counterplay comes too late. Note that 1 0...�e4 was still risky - 1 1 f5 e5 1 2 �f3 �c5 (12 ... .tb7 13 �b6; 12 ...�d7 13 'i6'd5) 1 3 �xc5 dxc5 14 'i6'd5. ll f5 eS (D)

�e6! ! 12 The key rejoinder. The sacrifice is based more on intuition than exact calculation of the many ramifications. All the more credit to White's bold gesture. It is interesting that, as Tal recalled, he once watched a blitz game between Fischer and Stein at the Havana Olympiad in 1 966. In an analogous position Fischer chose the modest retreat 1 2 �e2 rather than the knight sacrifice. 12 fxe6 �cs 13 fxe6 dxcS �xeS 14 15 0--0 A remarkable position. White has merely one pawn and the better development for the sacrificed knight. But the wedge on e6, like a thorn in one's side, causes Black many problems, dividing his forces and likely to generate eventual threats to the king. In any event, it is very awkward for Black to fmd a defence. c4 (D) 15

As is often the case, an unexpected change of scenario produces uncertainty in the oppo nent. Dementyev's first reaction is far from best. Admittedly, many subsequent analyses somewhat justified the young master. In the midst of an abundance of variations, the correct path (or the least of the various evils) was very hard to fmd. Here is what Black had to examine: a) 1 5 ...'i6'd6 16 l:r.xf6! 'i6'xd1 + (or 16 ...gxf6 1 7 'i6'h5+ �e7 1 8 'i6't7+ d8 1 9 'i6'xf6+) 1 7 l:r.xd1 gxf6 1 8 .ta4+ rj;e7 1 9 .txc5+ 'itxe6 20 .tb3#; b) 15 ... .te7 16 .ta4+ �f8 1 7 l:r.xf6+ .txf6

38th Championship, Riga 1970 ( 1 7 ...gxf6? 1 8 .i.h6+) 1 8 'ifd5 ! .i.b7 (after 1 8 ....l:ta7 or 1 8 ... .l:tb8, 1 9 e7+ .i.xe7 20 l:tfl+ .i.f6 2 1 .i.xc5+ is decisive) 1 9 'ifc4! ! l:tc8 (or 1 9 ... g6 20 .i.xc5+ �g8 2 1 e7+ �g7 22 e8ltl+! :hxe8 23 .i.f8+! , or 1 9 ....i.e7 20 l:tdl ! l:d8 2 1 'ii'fl + .i.f6 22 .l:txd8+ 'ifxd8 23 .i.xc5+ �g8 24 e7! .i.xe7 25 .i.b3+ with mate) 20 .l:td1 .i.c6 2 1 l:td7! 'ifa5 (or 2 l ....i.xd7 22 exd7 .l:.d8 23 .i.xc5+ .i.e7 24 'iffl + �g8 25 .i.b3#; it is probably better for Black to try 2 l ....i.xa4 22 .l:txc7 .l:txc7, though here too his position would be unenviable after 23 'ifxa6 .i.e8 24 'ii'd6+ l:te7 25 .i.xc5) 22 .i.xc6 l:txc6 23 'ifd5 and now there is the truly fantastic variation discovered by Zaitsev: 23 ...b3 ! 24 c3 ! bxa2 25 l:tt7+ �g8 26 e7! a1 'if+ 27 �t2 .i.h4+ 28 g3 'ifxb2+ 29 �f3 h5 30 e8'ii'+ �h7 3 1 .l:txg7+! q;xg7 32 'ii'dt7#; c) 1 5 ....i.d6 16 .l:txf6 gxf6 1 7 'ii'h5+ �d8 1 8 l:td1 'ii'b6 1 9 'ift7 l::te8 20 e7+! l:txe7 2 1 'ii'd5 ! .i.b7 22 .i.xc5 ! .i.xd5 23 .i.xb6+ .i.c7 24 .i.c5 and in Zaitsev' s opinion the position develops

1 53

in White's favour. This is probably a slightly subjective opinion (24 ....l:td7!), but this is the way Black should have played. Of course, the details could only be worked out later in home analysis. In any event, Black's best reply would not prove a refutation of Zaitsev' s truly amazing concept. After this long excursion, back to the game, whose fmish is not far off. gxf6 16 l:txf6! Nor would 16 . .. cxb3 help: 1 7 'ifh5+ g6 1 8 .l:txg6 hxg6 1 9 'ii'xg6+ �e7 20 .l:tdl ! forces mate. 17 'ifhS+ �e7 Or 1 7 ...
39th Championship Leningrad, 14 September - 18 October 1971 Savoo 2 Smyslov 3 Tal 4 Karpov S Balashov 6 Stein 7 Bronstein 8 Polugayevsky 9 Taimanov 10 Kapengut 11 Krogius 12 Lein 13 Platonov 14 Geller IS Karasev 16 Shamkovich 17 Vagaoian 18 Nikolayevsky 19 Tukmakov 20 K.Grigorian 21 Dzhindzhikhashvili 22 Mark Tseitlin I

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HE LEAST PLAUSIBLE RESULT for decades came in 1 97 1 , and must have caused much

Theart-searching over the course of Soviet chess. Tukmakov, Stein and Balashov (who had been

coached by Botvinnik) were admitted for good results the year before. Smyslov, Tal, Geller, Taimanov, Bronstein and Polugayevsky were granted places on the basis of previous merits, yet the title fell to the little-known Vladimir Savon, born 1 940 in the Ukraine. Savon only learned the moves at the late age of 13, and lived in a small country settlement where he could fmd no strong opposition. Perhaps the players were hypnotized by the results of Fischer in the Candidates' Matches. By the time this championship was played in September/October, the US prodigy in an unstoppable run had beaten Taimanov and Larsen 6-0 and was on his way to an only slightly less convincing victory against Petrosian in Argentina. The match there finished eight days after the end of the Championship. At this point the newspaper lzvestiya was forced to admit: 'Grandmaster Robert Fischer is a significant phenomenon in the chess world. He has a rare combination of qualities needed in the struggle at the board ... the only foreign player who, in a quarter of a century of Soviet domination, has really challenged Soviet grandmasters in the struggle for the World Championship.' The main consequences of Fischer's rout of the enemy came in the next two years, so we return to 1 97 1 . A recent policy decision had spelled out that results in the annual trial of strength ought to be decisive in selecting the Soviet Olympiad side and in deciding who should play abroad. Hardly a new idea, but a sign that players could not rest on their older laurels. As for who would be the next opponent for Fischer, in the event of him winning the world title from Spassky, the significant result of 1 97 1 was the joint first place of young Anatoly Karpov and Stein in the Alekhine Memorial at Moscow in November.


1 55

Tukmakov was in poor form this time, so amongst the younger players attention was focused on Balashov, aged 20, who had made a detailed study of Fischer's games, Karpov, 20, from the Urals and Savon, 3 1 , from Chernigov. One is reluctant to use the words 'flash in the pan', but it cannot be denied that Savon never reproduced anything like this result again, despite taking part in over 1 0 Championships. One of his best games came in the 1 3th round against the Georgian, famous for his long name, who was soon to emigrate. Vladimir Savon-Roman Dzhindzhikhashvili Sicilian Defence B8 1 1 e4 c5 2 li:lf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 li:lxd4 li:lf6 5 li:lc3 d6 6 g4 h6 7 l:tg1 li:lc6 8 .i.e3 a6 9 h3 .i.d7 10 f4 'W'c7 11 i6'd2 b5? 12 .i.d3 li:lxd4 13 .i.xd4 .i.c6 14 We2 e5? 15 li:ld5! li:lxd5 16 exd5 .i.xd5 17 fxe5 0--0--0 18 0--0--0 Wc6 19 l:tgfl dxe5 20 .i.xe5 f6 21 .i.f5+ �b7 22 l:txd5 l:txd5 23 .i.e4 .i.c5 24 l:td1 'iPa7 25 .i.xd5 We8 26 .i.e6! fxe5 27 Wxe5 1-0 The 14th round produced this miniature: 'Igor Platonov-Leonid Shamkovich King' s Indian Defence E80 1 c4 g6 2 li:lc3 .i.g7 3 d4 d6 4 e4 li:lf6 5 f3 li:lc6 6 .i.e3 a6 7 li:lge2 l:tb8 8 li:lc1 e5 9 d5 li:ld4 10 li:l1e2 c5 1 1 dxc6 bxc6 12 li:lxd4 exd4 13 .i.xd4?! l:txb2 14 li:lb5? li:lxe4! 15 .i.xb2 WaS+ 16 li:lc3 .i.xc3+ 17 .i.xc3 Wxc3+ 18 �e2 .i.e6 0-1 At the prize gtvmg there was much wonderment expressed at the fact that a master had outstripped 1 5 GMs, while Tukmakov made the comment that Savon was one of the lost generation, those whose childhood had coincided with the war and its aftermath of sorrow and austerity. The key encounter settling the order of the prizes was Stein-Tal in the 20th round. Leonid Stein-Mikhail Tal Catalan Opening E08 1 2 3 4 5 6

c4 g3 .i.g2 li:lf3 0-0 d4

tbf6 e6 d5 .i.e7 0-0 c6

Wc2 7 b6 l:td1 8 .i.b7 li:lc3 li:lbd7 9 b3 10 l:tc8 The Catalan was very popular at that time. White's next move opens up the battle after a series of rational developing moves. 11 e4 c5 The most critical reply. The alternative l l ...dxe4 12 li:lxe4 tbxe4 (12 ...c5 13 li:lfg5 ! ) 13 Wxe4 .i.f6 (or 1 3 ....i.a8 14 We2 c5 1 5 d5) 14 .i.f4 .i.a8 15 l:tac l gives White a clear advan tage in space. exd5 exd5 12 dxc5 13 13 .i.b2 deserves consideration, as Stein himself played some months later at the Ale khine Memorial tournament against Lengyel. 13 dxc4 Both sides aim to use the 'X-ray' attack of rook against queen. 14 b4!? It is clear that only by this clever sacrifice can White struggle for the initiative. The idea is to neutralize Black's activity along the c-file while retaining freedom of action in the centre and on the queenside. It is curious that this idea, used here with success by Stein, was also adopted by his opponent... nearly 20 years later in the game Tal-Wedberg at New York. White won that game too! 14 bxc5 Wedberg tried l4 ... a5, but after 1 5 bxa5 bxc5 1 6 li:le5 .i.xg2 1 7 �xg2 'ikc7 1 8 tbxc4 did not achieve equality. White's a-pawn proves too dangerous. 15 b5! The essential point. White obtains a potential passed pawn on the flank and the doubled c-pawn is devalued. 15 Wb6 As Tal indicated after the game, he examined the sharp tactical line 1 5 ... .i.xf3 16

I 56


.txf3 ftJe5 ! ? I 7 l:.xd8 ( 1 7 .te2 !?) I 7 ...l"tJxf3+ I 8 �hi ( I 8 �g2?? ltJe l +) I 8 ...l:.cxd8 19 We2 l:.d3 ! 20 Wxe7 l:.e8 2 I Wxc5 l:.e5! 22 Wxc4 l:.e I + 23 �g2 l:.g I + 24 �h3 g5 ! 25 .txg5 ltJxg5+ 26 �h4 liJf3+ and the battle ends in peace. But, on the one hand, not all these moves are forced, and on the other, neither player was the sort to be content with a draw. Tal's error comes later. 16 .tf4 l:.fd8 17 WaS? a4 This is most un-Tal-like, losing a tempo, and making the queen subject to an attack from a knight on c4. It was more logical and consistent to play for a blockade by I 7 . aS, and if I 8 00, then 1 8 ... .txg2 19 �g2 Wb7+ 20 �g i liJb6. liJd2 .txg2 18 ltJxc4 19 Wb4 (D) .

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20 ltJa2! This is the cunning move which Tal missed from afar. His queen is trapped, but fortunately he can save it by surrendering the extra piece. 20 .te4 liJxb4 21

More cannot be squeezed out of the position, for 2 I Wc 1 or 2 1 We2 gives Black's queen a square at b3. However, with the text White has an excellent game. 21 .txc2 ltJxc2 22 White has at least two factors in his favour. He can form a dynamic passed b-pawn and his multi-functional knight has a fme post at c4. Now there comes the technical phase of exploiting these points. 22 liJb6 23 l:.xd8+ .txd8 ltJxc4 liJ2e3 24 liJdS ltJxc4 2S l:.dl ! 26 Yet another plus - the open d-file. 26 liJb6 Obviously 26 ...ltJxf4 would deny Black all defensive chances as his bishop is such an inferior minor piece to the c4-knight. Also no good was 26 ...liJc3 27 l:.d7 ltJxa4 28 .:txa7 liJb6 29 ltJxb6 .txb6 30 l:.a6 when the b-pawn will cost Black a piece. liJd6 :as 27 aS ltJa4 28 ltJc4 29 The beginning of the end. There is no counter to the pawn advance. ftJc3 29 .:tel .txaS 30 Despair. If 30....tf6, then simply 3 I b6. 31 ltJxaS ltJxbS The threatening pawns are liquidated, but at what a price! l:.eS 32 liJd4 33 l:.xcS 1-0 Stein's filigree strategy in this game deserves full recognition.

40th Championship Baku, 16 November - 19 December 1972 1 {j)_Tal

V Tukmakov @) Kuzmin 4 Mukhin � Savon 6 Balashov 7 Vasyukov 8 Bagirov 9 Furman 1 0 Lein 11 Kholmov 12 Razuvayev 13 Bronstein 14 Dzhindzhikhashvili IS Kapengut 16 Shamkovich 17 K.Grigorian 18 Gufeld 19 Zilberstein 20 Rashkovsky 21 Zhidkov 22 Alburt

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ND SO TO 1 972, the year of Fischer. Rumours were afoot that many Soviet players feared

Athe worst for Spassky, especially as he had played little in his three years as World Champion.

At the Alekhine Memorial in November 1971 he had occupied a mediocre joint sixth place with Tal. The anticipation that the American would prove too good was to turn out to be correct, though Spassky's gentlemanly conduct impressed. He refused to follow the order from Moscow to come home after the defaulted second game. Thereby he saved the sporting reputation of the USSR, but soon found himself made a candidate to join the tide of emigration which rose in the 1 970s. Spassky always refused to discuss the political background of his departure until recently. In an interview in the Moscow monthly chess magazine 64, No.5 of 1 997, page 1 8, he commented: ' If you live in a fme rich house, but cannot breathe there, then you open the door and leave. That is what I was faced with.. . The Baku contest was a Zonal conducted as the first stage of the world title cycle which would culminate in the challenge to Fischer in 1 975. Tal, who had benefited from the removal of a diseased kidney was enjoying a long unbroken run at this time. He was exempted to the fmal along with Savon. Only Bronstein, and Bagirov, as special representative of Azerbaidjan, were also exempt from qualifying, a sign of the crackdown resulting from Fischer' s victory over Spassky in the summer of 1 972. The tournament took off slowly with 26 draws out of 33 in the first three rounds. Tal did not lose in the first round this time, but he did not score his first win until the seventh round, though he had been a pawn up in several of his earlier games. Always a player of mood, who could score win after win when he was 'on song', Tal claimed that he recovered his winning ways after a session of friendly lightning games with local first-category players in the foyer of the tournament hall. His win against the new name Mukhin, from Kazakhstan, was almost a carbon copy of a previous '

1 58


game won by Fischer in a .i.c4 Sicilian. Tal's run of wins was so impressive that by the end he repeated the feat only achieved earlier by Botvinnik and Korchnoi of taking the title with more than a round to spare. Here is one of his miniatures. Mikhail Tal-Valery Zilbershtein Modem Defence B06 1 e4 g6 2 d4 c6 3 c4 dS 4 eS .i.g7 S �c3 �h6 6 h4 .i.e6 7 �ge2 dxc4 8 �f4 .i.dS 9 b3 cxb3 10 axb3 e6 11 .i.d3 �fS (missing the chance 1 l ....i.xg2 12 �xg2 Wxd4) 12 .i.xfS exfS 13 .i.a3 .i.f8 14 .i.xf8 �xf8 15 Wd2 .i.e6 16 l:td1 We7 17 l:th3 �a6 18 dS cxdS 19 �fxdS .i.xdS 20 �xdS WxeS+ 21 l:te3 Wd6 22 Wc3 f6 23 �c7! 1-0 Bottom place was taken by Lev Alburt, a teacher from Odessa. He became a famous 'defector' - if that is the right word - moving to the USA in 1 979 after having become a non returner, to use a Soviet word, in West Germany a little earlier. By 1 980 he was top board for the USA at the Malta Olympiad, where Karpov refused to shake his hand when they met at the board. Tukmakov, Kuzmin and Savon qualified for the Interzonal after a play-off had left the last two equal with Mukhin, who had an inferior tie-break in the original contest. Here is one of Tal's masterpieces. Mikhail Tal-Leonid Shamkovich Caro-Kann Defence B 1 7 e4 1 c6 d4 2 dS �c3 3 dxe4 4 �xe4 �d7 �f3 s �gf6 �c3 6 Of the four widely-known lines, 6 �xf6+, 6 �c3, 6 �g3 and 6 �eg5, Tal opts for the least popular. 6 e6 Here is the first proof of Black not being familiar enough with the variation. He reacts in stereotyped style, along the lines appropriate after 6 �g3 . Here he should go 6 ...�b6 and then 7 ....i.f5 or 7 ... .i.g4. .i.d3 7 cS Continuing the same dubious line. The early opening of the position is unfavourable for

Black. Theory recommends here 7....i.e? 8 0--0 0--0 9 We2 b5 ! ? 10 �e4 .i.b7 as Razuvayev played six years later against Bronstein. We2 cxd4 8 �xd4 .i.cS 9 In similar positions 9 ...�c5 is a tempting move, but here it doesn't fit in - 1 0 .i.b5+! .i.d7 1 1 .i.g5 .i.xb5 1 2 Wxb5+ Wd7 1 3 0-0-0! and the threat of 14 �xe6 puts Black into difficulties. .i.d6?! �b3 10 This error has unpleasant consequences. The pseudo-active position of the bishop is vulnerable and lets White gain a tempo for the attack. 1 0... .i.e7 was necessary. a6 11 .i.gS Black foresaw Tal's cunning idea that 1 1 ...0--0? loses a pawn to 1 2 .i.xh7+! �7 1 3 'ii'd3+, but this move leaves him even further behind in development. Wc7 12 0-0-0 Here too 12 ...0--0 loses a pawn after 1 3 .i.xh7+. 13 �b1 Tal does not want to allow a bishop exchange on f4, but he could have considered the energetic 1 3 h4! ?, so as to meet 1 3 ....i.f4+ by moving his king. 13 0-0 Tal considered that it was better to play 1 3 ... .i.e5, and if 14 �e4, then 14 ... �d5, though even then after 1 5 g3 Black's position is uncomfortable. 14 �e4 .i.es (D)

40th Championship, Baku 1972 Black persists in trying to keep his bishop on its favoured diagonal, but he should rather recognize the failure of his opening idea and go in for obstinate defence by l 4 ... .1le7. f4! 15 It is obvious that Black had not foreseen this. White now develops his initiative without hindrance. 15 .llx f4 llJxf6+ llJxf6 16 Not l 6 ...gxf6 1 7 'ii'e4. 17 .llxf6 gxf6 18 'ii'g4+ �h8 1 8 ....1lg5 fails to 1 9 h4 'ii'f4 20 'ii'h5 .llh6 2 1 .l:tdfl . .lle5 19 l:.hfl Clearly 19 ...e5 20 'ii'h4 f5 2 1 g3 .lle3 22 .l:tde 1 is hopeless for Black. .llx h7! 20 Using his great lead in development, Tal breaks down the defensive barriers. Note that this is the only way to win. Black intended to stand firm by 20... f5, and the plausible sacrifice 20 .l:txf6 would meet with the simple rebuff 20 ....l:tg8 2 1 'ii'h5 l:.g7, when 22 .l:th6 f5 ! defends along the second rank. 20 f5 Obviously not 20 ...�xh7 2 1 l:.d3 and l:th3#. 'ii'h4 21 Tal considered later that 2 1 'ii'h5 was more accurate, but this is a minor detail.

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21 �g7 22 l:.f3 l:.e8 Resistance could be prolonged by 22 ....1lf6 23 l:tg3+ 'ii'xg3 24 'ii'xg3+ �xh7, which would not occur after 2 1 'ii'h5, but the result of the game is no different. 23 f4 g4! Tal had a pretty line ready in answer to 23 ...'ii'e 7. Then comes 24 'ii'h5 :h8 (nothing else) 25 gxf5 l:.xh7 26 .l:tg 1 + �h8 27 'ii'xh7+!
41st Championship Moscow, 2-26 October 1973 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Spassky Karpov Korchnoi Kuzmin Petrosian Polugayevsky Geller K.Grigorian Keres Savon Taimanov Tal Rashkovsky Tukmakov Averkin Smyslov Sveshnikov Belyavsky

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HE WORD 4 1 ST has interesting connotations in Russian culture - it is the title of a famous Tlyrical film about a woman sharpshooter. The officials who ran Soviet chess were now

gunning for the players, whom they accused of letting down Soviet culture. Baturinsky, a colonel in the KGB and a younger collaborator of Krylenko in the mid- 1 930s, was promoted to be Director of the Central Chess Club in Moscow. He was to be the eminence grise whose task it was to whip the players into line. Discipline was to be reinforced and ideological considerations applied. It was known that Spassky had negative feelings about Baturinsky, dating back to the negotiations before the Spassky-Fischer match, when Spassky stated that he had no confidence in the older man and did not wish him to be his representative in Amsterdam at the crucial time when the Soviets were to meet Fischer's manager Ed Edmondson - also a colonel in his day! As a result of this tightening up, Spassky was required, along with others who wished to represent the USSR abroad, to play in the 1 973 Championship, which was therefore a very strong event. The full text of the new arrangements appeared in issue 8, April 1 973, of the Russian-language magazine Shakhmaty that was published in Riga 24 times a year. Tal had been editor in the 1 960s (it first appeared in 1 960 in Russian, 1 959 in Latvian) but he was now merely a consultant. Aivars Gipslis was the editor. The two-page document, issued by the high-powered all-Union Sports Committee and entitled ' GM Draws are outside the Law', criticized Spassky, Petrosian and Taimanov by name for not giving of their best. All Soviet GMs had ceased to work as hard as they used to do, it alleged, and to play as keenly. The prestige of the Championship had been declining. So, though the four semi fmals already scheduled for 1 973 were confirmed, only one player from each would qualify for the new First League, which would qualify players to take part in what was to be known as the Super League, or Higher League, a grandiloquent title for what used to be called the final. Formerly, three, four or even five qualifiers had come from each of the semi-fmals. There would now be a system of promotion and relegation to and from the Super League and the First League, the first nine of the former keeping their places while the next six would play in the

41st Championship, Moscow 1973

161

following year' s First League. Th e semi-fmals were to be replaced by a third stage, the qualification or 'Otborochny' tournament. As early as April the list was published of 1 3 GMs plus Gennady Kuzrnin who were required to play in the 1 973 Super League/Championship in October. This included Keres, but not Bronstein. Finally, draws before the 30th move were henceforth forbidden without the permission of the arbiter. In the event, the plans went somewhat awry. The First League was planned to be at Tallinn in October. Actually, the venue was Tbilisi and it was headed by the Caucasians Vaganian and Dzhindzhikhashvili, followed by Vasyukov, Furman and Razuvayev, while Bronstein, next placed, failed to qualify for the 1 974 Super League. Stein had died tragically of a heart attack in July on the eve of flying out to Bath for the European Team Championship. The outcome of the tournament in Moscow must have been a disappointment for the bureaucrats, for while it confirmed that Korchnoi and Karpov were in fme form, as was Kuzrnin, the winner of the event was the non-approved figure of Boris Spassky. If he could play so well within a year of losing to Fischer, and after he had been kept 'under wraps' , his loss of the title had to be attributed more to Fischer's merits, than to Spassky's failings. The political result was to intensify the chess establishment's favouring of Karpov as the man to tackle Fischer in future. Karpov himself made his famous statement that this cycle of the world title qualifying was not his. Little did Soviet players realize that Fischer would abstain from serious play for the next 20 years, an unthinkable, unforgivable defection to the Soviet mind. After six rounds, Karpov had 4\.-'2 and new men Kuzrnin and Rashkovsky had 4. Korchnoi 0 Karpov 1 had been a significant result in the sixth round, in a Reti Opening, the game lasting 4 1 moves. In the eighth round Spassky beat Rashkovsky with one of his fulminating attacks against the Sicilian Defence, while Petrosian defeated Karpov. As a result, Spassky took over the lead, though he had to share it with Korchnoi and Karpov after losing to Savon in round 10. After Spassky beat Sveshnikov in a Sveshnikov Sicilian in round 12, the top scores were Spassky 8\.-'2; Korchnoi 8; Karpov and Polugayevsky 7\.-'2; Kuzrnin 7; Petrosian 6\.-'2. Boris kept his lead to the end, drawing his last three games to maintain a one-point lead in the fmal standings. There is a fme bulletin of the event which also covered the First League and the Interzonal in Brazil, but a feature of the text is that Spassky is rarely referred to as ex-World Champion, and Fischer's name was totally absent. It seems a Russian habit to hope that a misfortune not referred to might go away! The closeness of recent form was shown by the ratings of the players before and after the event. Karpov had a rating of 2660 before, and 2660 after the event. Spassky 26SS before, rising to 266S after. Korchnoi remained even at 26SO, while Kuzrnin rose 20 points from 2S7S. Boris Spassky-Nukhim Rashkovsky Sicilian Defence B96 l c5 e4 d6 2 ll)f3 3 d4 cxd4 4 lbxd4 lbf6 5 lbc3 a6 The uncompromising Sicilian had a tradition in the Championships of producing fighting games full of content. e6 6 .i.g5 'ti'c7 7 f4 8 .i.d3 In those years a very popular line, whereas nowadays 8 'ti'f3 is preferred.

lbbd7 8 b5 9 'ti'e2 As usual in such formations, both sides act in straightforward fashion, White preparing a breakthrough by e4-eS, while Black exploits his trumps on the queenside. A more restrained plan goes 9... .i.e7 I O lbf3 h6 1 1 .i.h4 iDeS I 2 0--0--0 bS, as i n Tal-Balashov (37th USSR Championship, Moscow I 969). .i.b7 10 0-0-0 Obviously the impulsive I O...b4 is premature in view of I I lbdS. Black could consider IO ....i.e7 I I l:the i iDeS, to meet I 2 .i.xf6 not by I 2. . ..i.xf6 when 1 3 lbdS comes, but by I2 ... gxf6 with a complex game. .i.e7 l:tbel ll

1 62


Strange as it may seem, in this position this move brings Black straight into the 'risk zone', whereas I I .. .lt:Jc5 is sounder. e5! 12 Only energetic measures can bring White anything. A game Savon-Rashkovsky played some rounds earlier went 12 �b I lt:Jc5 1 3 e5 dxe5 14 fxe5 lt:Jd5 1 5 lt:Jxd5 ..txd5 1 6 ..ixe7 "iixe7 with approximate equality. 12 dxe5 lt:Jd5 fxe5 13 ..ixe7 14 A very important juncture. The position is so rich in possibilities that White has another way to press forward, namely by the tempting 14 lt:Jxe6 !?, as played some years later in a game Gurevich-Katalymov. Then comes the forced variation 14 ...fxe6 ( 1 4... ..txg5+ is weaker: 1 5 lt:Jxg5 lt:Jxc3 16 bxc3 'ii'xc3 and now 1 7 e6!) 1 5 'ii'h5+ �d8 ( 1 5 ... g6? 1 6 ..ixg6+) 1 6 lt:Jxd5 ..ixd5 1 7 ..txe7+ r3;xe7 1 8 'i'h4+ 'iii>e8 1 9 ..ig6+ �6 20 "iixh8+. However, this line might well have seemed inadequate to Spassky (with good reason as 20 ...lt:Jf8 leaves White's attack faltering) so he did well to pose greater problems by the text. 14 lt:Jxc3 Clearly, only this zwischenzug gives Black hope. 14 ...lt:Jxe7 1 5 ..ixb5 ! axb5 1 6 lt:Jdxb5, or 14 ...'iii>xe7 1 5 lt:Jxd5+ ..ixd5 1 6 ..te4 leaves him in a bad way. 15 'ii'g4! An elegant move, and an important link in the chain of Spassky's concept, bringing his queen closer to the enemy king. 15 lt:Jxd1 (D) Black trustingly falls in with White's idea. Black would also stand badly after the natural 1 5 ... �xe7 in view of 1 6 lt:Jxe6!, e.g. 1 6 ... lt:Jxa2+ 1 7 �b l lt:Jc3+ 18 bxc3 'ii'xc3 1 9 "iig5+ 'iii>e8 20 lt:Jxg7+ �f8 2 1 e6! "iixg7 22 e7+ �g8 23 e8"ii+ .:txe8 24 .l:txe8+ lt:Jf8 25 .:txf8+! �xf8 26 "iid8#. Yet, by the paradoxical 1 5 ...lt:Jxe5 ! 16 'ii'xg7 lt:Jxdl ! Black would, surprisingly, emerge unscathed from the flames. For example, 1 7 'ii'xh8+
lt:Jxe6!! 16 Now White's attack becomes overwhelming. 'ii'c6 16 1 6 ...fxe6 loses to 17 ..id6 'ii'b6 1 8 "iig 5! 'ii'd8 19 'ii'g6+! hxg6 20 ..txg6#. �xe7 17 lt:Jxg7+ f6 18 'ii'g5+ Or 1 8 ...�f8 1 9 lt:Jf5 "iig6 20 'ii'e7+ 'iti>g8 2 1 "iixd7 'i'g5+ 22 'iti>xd l ..txg2 23 .l:te3 leaving Black defenceless. exf6++ �d8 19 �c7 f7+ 20 Objectively better was 20...'i'f6, but this would condemn him to a slow death after 2 1 lt:Je6+ r3;e7 (or 2 I ...'ifi>c8 22 'i'g3 !) 22 lt:Jc5+ �d8 23 lt:Jxb7+
Gennady Kuzmin-Evgeny Sveshnikov

41st Championship, Moscow 1973 Kuzmin pulled off a textbook double-bishop sacrifice as in the Lasker-Bauer game from Amsterdam 1 887. To force home his attack, White needs to divert the powerful defending knight from d5. Q::Jxb6 Q::Jb 6! 16 Or 16 ...ltb8 1 7 Q::Jxd5 cxd5 1 8 �xh7+ and so on, as in the game. �xh7 �xh7+! 17

1 63

�g8 18 'ii'b5+ 19 �xg7! �xg7 1 9 f5 fails to 20 'ii'g6. ltf3! 20 White is three pieces down, but mate counts for more! �xeS+ 20 21 �b1 1-0 ...

42nd Championship Leningrad, 30 November - 23 December 1974 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

'

Belyavsky Tal Vaganian Polugayevsky Alburt Dvoretsky Romanishin Balashov Kuzmin Vasyukov Tseshkovsky Savon K.Grigorian Gulko Taimanov Kupreichik

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HE BEST LAID SCHEMES of mice and men' is a phrase that comes to mind on examining

Tthe tournament table, for many of the top names were missing again, as in the 1 960s. The

atmosphere in the Soviet team was very subdued at the Nice Olympiad. I recall seeing how conversations between Soviet players outside the arena (they were not allowed to speak to each other inside the arena, of course) were broken off almost in mid-sentence if Baturinsky was seen in the vicinity. The new system was now in full swing. First, there was a 64-man Swiss in June-July at Daugavpils, Latvia, won by Boris Gulko from Moscow. Since he was later to be a well-known dissident or 'refusenik', he is merely referred to in some Soviet reference sources as 'the winner' ! The First League at Odessa in October was 1 8-strong. Romanishin made 12 points, one and a half ahead of Dvoretsky, soon to be a well-known trainer, Kupreichik and Tseshkovsky. Bronstein was as low as equal 1 3 - 1 4th. The final was at Leningrad, fmishing on 23rd December. Tal was back to good form after his failure of the year before. He should really have won outright, for, though he had a first-round loss to Polugayevsky, he had a successful run in mid-tournament. Belyavsky, bottom placer the year before, was now in excellent form and was only a point behind Tal when the pair met in the penultimate round. As Tal admits in his autobiography, he should have played steadily against his much younger rival from Lvov, but he tried to 'defend' the reputation of his generation by forcing for a win. As so often in such cases, the effect was gradually to tum a favourable position into a lost one. After a draw in the last round, Belyavsky found himself at the top - a complete reversal of the year before. Amongst the new names note those of Romanishin, a colleague of Belyavsky from Lvov, and Gulko. Here is a curiosity from round seven: Rafael Vaganian-Vitaly Tseshkovsky Modem Benoni A64

1 ll':lf3 g6 2 c4 �g7 3 d4 ll':lf6 4 g3 c5 5 ll':lc3 0-0 6 d5 d6 7 �g2 e6 8 0-0 exd5 9 cxd5 :te8 10 ll':ld2 ll':lbd7 1 1 :tbl a6 12 a4 .:tb8 13 b4 b5

42nd Championship, Leningrad 1974 14 axb5 axb5 15 bxc5 b4 16 ltlce4 ltlxc5 17 ltlxc5 dxc5 18 e4 .ta6 19 'ii'b3 c4 20 ltlxc4 ltlxe4 21 l:tet ltlc5 0-1 Here is the crucial game between the joint winners. Mikhail Tal-Alexander Belyavsky Queen's Gambit, Semi-Tarrasch D40 1 c4 c5 ltlf3 2 ltlf6 3 ltlc3 ltlc6 e3 4 4 d4 is considered more ambitious, but Tal is peacefully inclined at the start. e6 4 5 d5 d4 a3 6 a6 7 b3 .td6 .td3 8 0-0 0-0 9 b6 10 .tb2 Nothing special has happened so far. Symmetry like this sometimes presages a quick draw, but the extra move White enjoys gives chances of developing an initiative. 10 cxd4 Vigilant play. The automatic I O....tb7 would bring Black problems over his hanging pawns after I I dxc5 bxc5 1 2 cxd5 exd5 1 3 ltla4. However, symmetry is soon restored. 11 exd4 .tb7 12 .:te1 l:tc8 exd5 cxd5 13 ltle5! ? 14 Had Tal played 1 4 .:te l , then l 4....:teS and a very likely outcome would be an agreed draw. Yet this hardly fits in with Tal's temperament, which is why he had so many fans. After the game his comment was: 'I got too worked up' , but our comment has to be 'Thank goodness for that' as we see what fme complications follow. ltlxd4 14 ltlxh7 15 .tc5 16 d4 17 As usual, such a pawn may be weak but it is a passed pawn. 18 ltle2?!

1 65

Not missing the chance to underline the frailty of the d-pawn, Tal underestimates Black's chances. He should have gone for centralization by 1 S ltle4 and then, if I S ...ltlg5, White gets fme chances by 1 9 ltlxg5 'ii'xg5 20 ltlt3 .txf3 2 1 'ii'xf3 . 18 .:te8! 19 ltlg3 Probably Tal did not like his original intention 1 9 ltlxd4 'ii'd5 20 ltlet3 (20 ltldt3?? l:.xe5) 20...ltlg5, when Black has defmite activity for the pawn. Yet, a pawn is a pawn... whereas now White goes on the defensive with no compensation, a psychological concession. 19 'ii'd 5 ltlg5 (D) 20 ltlf3

The initiative has defmitely passed to Black. b4 21 .trs 22 ltlh4 It is hard for White to harmonize his defence, as the pressure on the long light square diagonal is very unpleasant. Tal tempts Black into a tactical line which he had calculated accurately. Note that 22 .txd4 fails to 22 ....:tedS. 22 l:txel+!? Not falling for it. The striking move 22 ...'ii'xg2+ looked very attractive, but would not actually achieve anything in view of 23 ltlxg2 ltlh3+ 24 �fl .txg2+ 25 �g2 ltlf4+ 26 �fl ltlxd3 27 :XeS :XeS 2S .txd4, when not a trace remains of Black's advantage. l:txe1 23 ltle6! ? Here too 23 ...'ii'xg2+ does not benefit Black in view of 24 ltlxg2 ltlh3+ 25 �fl .txg2+ 26 �e2! (the only move) 26 ...ltlf4+ 27 �d2 ltlxd3 2S �d3 and he cannot retain the extra pawn.

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The text aims at f4 from another direction and firmly guards the d-pawn. 24 l:.d1 Not good. He could use the slight breathing space by 24 tiJf.3 bringing back the offside knight. Then 24 ...lLlf4 25 'ii'xd4 tiJh3+ 26 '1ii>fl (26 '1ii>h 1 ?? 'ii'xf.3 !) 26 ...'ii'b5+ 27 l:te2 and White has no fear of direct threats. 24 a5!? Black has to wrest control of c5 in order to transfer his forces, and the opening of the b-flle give extra chances. 25 bxa5 bxa5 tLle2? 26 It is hard to suggest a good move here, as 26 tiJf.3 fails to 26 ... lLlf4 27 'ii'xd4 tiJh3+ 28 '1ii>fl 'ifb5+ 29 l:td3 tiJxt2 ! . Yet the text aids Black. 1fh5! 26 27 tiJf3 There is no choice, as 27 tiJf5 loses to 27 ...tLlc5. 27 �xf3 gxf3 28 Alas, 28 'ii'xf.3 loses to 28 ...'ii'xf.3 29 gxf.3 l:tc2. 28 tLlg5! Now Black's attack is not to be parried. 29 liJg3 Or 29 tLlxd4 lLlh3+ 30 '1ii>fl tiJf4 and White is helpless. 29 tLlxf3+ 30 �g2 lLlh4+ �h3 31 The unfortunate white monarch voluntarily goes forward to his doom, but 3 1 �g1 'ii'g4 was terminal. 31 1fh6 32 1fe4 tLlg6+ 33 �g2 d3! An interesting point in the career of the 'defenceless' pawn, now turned into a trump in the attack. 34 �d4 To transfer to e3, but there is no time. 34 l:.c4 35 �xg7 A desperate attempt to muddy the waters, but it fails. The simplest reply after 35 �e3 would be 35 ... l:.xe4 36 �xh6 l:.a4. 35 1ff4! 1fg4! 36 1fa8

This is the point. White has no defence to the many threats. 37 h3 1fxd1 38 �xf8 tiJxf8 39 1fd5 l:.cl 40 1fg5+ tLlg6 0-1 Tal commented on this bitter blow: 'You can't play to draw and to win at the same time.' Amongst the many special prizes available in this event was the one for the most striking attack. It deservedly fell to the 23-year-old master and bronze prize winner Rafael Vagan ian, whose bright play gained wide recognition.

Rafael Vaganian-Viktor Kupreichik 12 e6! fxe6 13 tLlg5 lLlf6 Nor could Black repulse the attack by 1 3 . . .lt::lf8 when 14 �b5+ �d7 15 dxe6 �xb5 1 6 lLlxb5 would leave him badly placed. 14 �b5+ �f8 15 dxe6 a6 16 �e3! An elegant choice, bringing all his forces into the attack at the cost of a piece. 16...1fa5 Or l 6 ...'i'xdl + 1 7 llxd l axb5 1 8 l:td8+ tLle8 1 9 �+ �f6 20 llxc8 '1ii>g7 2 1 lLlfl. 17 0-0! h6 After 17 ... axb5 White had ready the forcing 1 8 l:txb5 'ii'c7 19 tiJd5 ! 'i'd8 ( 1 9...'ii'c6 20 l:.xc5) 20 l:.xf6+ �xf6 2 1 lLlfl 1fe8 22 tLlc7. 18 1fd3! Every move deserves an exclamation mark for the continuing vigour of White's play. 18 �g8 Or 1 8 ...hxg5 1 9 1fxg6 �xe6 20 'i'e8#. 19 1fxg6 �xe6 20 tLlxe6 l:.h7 21 l:.xf6! tiJd7 At last Black is mobilized but at what cost in the interim. 22 �xd7 1-0 •.•

43rd Championship Erevan, 28 November - 22 December 1975 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Petrosian Vaganian Gulko Romanishin Tal Balashov Geller Polugayevsky Be1yavsky Bronstein Dvoretsky Alburt Dorfman Furman Doroshkevich Klovans

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HE YEAR OF 1 975 was a momentous one for Soviet chess. Keres died in Helsinki on his way Tback from a Canadian tournament to which he had gone without formal government

permission. This loss, the greatest since the death of Alekhine in 1 946, as Botvinnik put it, was made up for by the fact that the world title was back in Soviet hands due to Fischer's default. Karpov had been declared Champion at an elaborate ceremony in Moscow in April. The fmal was considered to be an exceptionally good one, according to Taimanov. The initial event, the all-Union 'Otborochny' at Chelyabinsk in the Urals in August, was a Swiss system of 1 3 rounds won by Doroshkevich in a field of 64 players. The First League was at Kishinyov, Moldavia, in October. Gulko won, ahead of Bronstein and Dorfman out of 1 8 players. The fmal at Erevan, ending on 22 December was for 16 players only, but was a class event. Petrosian, exempt along with Geller (surprise winner of the recent Alekhine Memorial in Moscow) and Furman, made a huge effort and squeezed out his fourth title win ' in his own backyard' . This success was all the more creditable since in the Alekhine Memorial, the third and last of such tournaments played in Soviet times, the Armenian had fmished only equal 6th. He attributed his victory to the support of local fans. His crucial win came in the penultimate round, when he beat close rival, and tournament leader Gulko in a long queen and pawn ending. The game lasted 95 moves. In fact Petrosian's nerves got the better of him in the second session of play. Here simply 69 'ifd5+ would force the exchange of queens: 69 ...�h8 70 'ifd8+ �h7 7 1 'ifd3+ �g8 72 'ifb3+ and 73 'iff.3+ or 73 'ifh3 if Black moves his king to h7. Tigran Petrosian-Boris Gulko

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So, before the last round, Petrosian had 9l!z points, ahead of Vaganian, Gulko, Romanishin and Tal 9. All the games of the last round ended in draws, except for Furman 1 Bronstein 0. Although Bronstein played some creative games here, notably a win against Belyavsky in a variation of the Caro-Kann with 5 �c5 and then 6 g4, he did not even maintain his place in the First League, a sign that a younger generation was taking over. Tal, too, showed that he no longer had the nervous energy to be sure of winning decisive games. The fact that he was now a semi veteran was shown by a note in the tournament bulletin: of the 20 players at the 30th Championship in Erevan, only Tal was present 1 5 years later. An interesting photo in the Riga magazine: the game Vaganian-Tal was the last to fmish and all the players were on the stage, including Tigran Petrosian, drinking each other's health in Armenian cognac. In other parts of the USSR such an alcoholic scene would not be favoured, but local tradition rules ... Balashov, who had been trained by Botvinnik for a time, scored this quick win in the 14th round. Yury Balashov-VIadimir Doroshkevich Pirc Defence B09 1 e4 d6 2 d4 �f6 3 �c3 g6 4 f4 i.g7 5 �fJ c5 6 dxc5 -.as 7 i.d3 Wxc5 8 We2 �bd7 9 i.e3 Wc7 10 0-0 a6 1 1 a4 b6 12 Wet i.b7 13 Wh4 �c5 14 f5 0-0 15 �h1 l:.fe8 16 i.d4 �cd7 17 fxg6 hxg6 18 �g5 e5 19 i.e3 �f8 20 l:.fJ �8h7 21 l:.afl l:.f8 22 l:.xf6 1-0 Petrosian won six fine games, but by an irony of fate, he was assigned the role of loser in a game judged one of the best of this event. Oleg Romanishin-Tigran Petrosian English Opening A 1 7 1 c4 �f6 2 �c3 e6 3 �fJ b6 A fairly uncommon move. Black is willing to concede space in the centre in return for quick and harmonious development. 3 ...d5, 3 ... c5 and 3 ...i.b4 are normal. e4 4 The sharpest reply. Moves like 4 g3 or 4 b3 lead to the normal lines of the Queen's Indian. 4 i.b7 5 i.d3!? A move characteristic of Romanishin, who was known from his earliest appearances as an independent and sometimes provocative thin ker. The move looks unaesthetic, but has the idea of aiming at the enemy kingside. Theory also considers 5 e5, 5 d3, 5 Wc2 and 5 'iie2.

d6 5 A reply with great content. In a game Polu gayevsky-Gulko played some rounds earlier, Gulko tried the bold undermining of the centre by 5 ...d5, but after 6 cxd5 exd5 7 e5 �fd7 8 i.c2 d4 9 i.e4 i.xe4 10 �xe4 �c5 1 1 �xeS i.xc5 12 0-0 0-0 1 3 d3 -.d5 14 l:te l �c6 1 5 l:te4 l:tfe8 1 6 We2 Black stood rather worse. It is worth giving the remainder of this game, with its pretty fmish: 1 6 ...l:.e6 1 7 i.f4 h6 1 8 a3 i.f8 1 9 h4 l:tae8 20 l:te 1 g6 2 1 'ii'd2 h5 22 i.g5?! i.g7? (better is 22 ...�xe5 23 �xd4 l:ld6 24 i.f4 i.g7) 23 i.f6 i.xf6 24 exf6 'ii'f5 25 �g5 l:txe4 26 �xe4 �8 27 'ii'h6 �e6 28 �d6! 1 -0. i.c2 c5 6 7 cxd4 d4 �xd4 i.e7 8 0-0 9 0-0 10 b3 �c6 11 i.b2 a6 By a roundabout path we have reached a position looking like a Sicilian. Black is rather cramped but has prospects on the queenside. The difference from a Sicilian lies in the c2bishop, which would normally be at e2. This change is rather in White's favour. 12 �h1 Preparing t2-f4 and a general assault on the kingside. 12 Wc7 Black's normal counterplay would involve ... b5. From that point of view the text-move is not appropriate. However, 12 ...Wb8 did not tum out well in a 1 976 game Polugayevsky Gheorghiu, which continued 1 3 f4 b5 14 e5! dxe5 15 �xc6 i.xc6 1 6 fxe5 �d7 17 �d5 ! exd5 1 8 cxd5 i.b7 1 9 d6 with a dangerous initiative for White.

43rd Championship, Erevan 1975 The modem continuation 12 ...'ii'd7 allows Black to solve his opening problems, e.g. 1 3 lL'lxc6 i.xc6 1 4 'i'd3 b5 ! ? ( 1 4. . .g6 is also playable) 1 5 cxb5 i.xb5 1 6 lL'lxb5 'i'xb5 as in a game from the 1 977 Mecking-Polugayevsky Candidates Match. l3 f4 .:tad8 14 .:r.ct 'it'b8?! This is simply a loss of time. Black could justify his 1 2th move only by 14 ...lL'lxd4 1 5 'ifxd4 'ifc5 which activates Black's forces to some extent. l:f3 15 Of course, White transfers his heavy artillery to the kingside. 15 g6 (D) The feeling for danger, normally so well developed in Petrosian, fails him here. There was no need as yet to weaken the king position thus. He should regroup by 1 5 ...l:.fe8 and then ...i.f8.

16 lL'ld5! Although such a method is by no means new in the Sicilian, each time it has different features. Here the main point lies in the dynamic play of the b2-bishop. 16 exd5 exd5 17 What a pity! As Romanishin pointed out after the game, he had the striking opportunity to force through the attack by a further them atic sacrifice 1 7 lL'lf5 ! ! , breaking up the enemy king position. The continuation could be 1 7 ... gxf5 (or 17 ...dxe4 18 lL'lxe7+ lL'lxe7 1 9 'ifd4 ! [but then 19. . d5 20 'it'xf6 d4 isn 't at all clear, so perhaps Romanishin 's choice in the game was right after all - Editor 's note]) 1 8 exd5 .

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l:.fe8 (there is nothing better) 1 9 .l:.g3+ �h8 (or 1 9 ...�f8 20 i.xf5 ! i.c8 2 1 i.xh7! lL'lxh7 22 i.g7+ �g8 23 'ifh5 with a quick mate) 20 dxc6 i.xc6 2 1 i.xf5 l:.g8 22 'ifh5 .l:.g7 23 :xg7! lDxh5 24 .:txh7++ �g8 25 .:th8#. Now, however, the rhythm of the attack is slowed down. 17 lDxd4 'i'xd4 .:tde8 18 f5! 19 The opening of lines is White' s main resource. The tempting 1 9 g4 meets with the elegant rejoinder 1 9 ...'ii'a8 20 g5 i.xd5 ! 2 1 cxd5 'ii'xd5. i.d8 19 'i'h4! .:te5 20 Black does everything possible to erect barricades round the approaches to his king. 20 ...lDxd5 fails to 2 1 'ii'xh7+! ! �xh7 22 .l:.h3+ mating, and 20 ...lL'lh5 21 'ii'xh5! gxh5 22 .l:.g3+ is equally disastrous. 21 'ifh6 If 2 1 fxg6? at once, then Black repulses the main threats by 2 l ...fxg6 22 .l:.cfl �g7!, e.g. 23 g4?? lDxd5 ! 24 .l:.xf8 lDf4+ 25 �g l i.xh4 26 .l:.xb8 lDh3#. 21 Wc7? The desire to bring his main piece to the defence is understandable, but Black has no time for this. He should expel the queen by 2 1 ...lL'lg4 and then go back to defence after 22 'ii'f4 lDf6. In that case White will hardly break through. 22 l:g3! Now the attack proves irresistible. 22 i.c8 He cannot guard g6 adequately. 22 ...lL'le8 loses to 23 l:fl i.f6 24 .l:!.h3 . i.xe5 dxe5 23 fxg6 fxg6 24 lDg4 25 i.xg6! You have to give Black his due, as he exploits every last chance to save his king. l:f6 i.h5 26 'i'd2! 27 The most accurate way to victory, but it is not simple. l:f4 27 d6! 28 Not 28 h3? i.g5!. 'i'g7 (D) 28

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29

d7!

.i.b7

At this point Black' s nerves give way under the hail of threats, and he misses the last chance to prolong resistance. He should play 29 ...Wxd7! ? (but not 29....i.xd7, when there comes 30 .i.xg4 :Xg4 3 1 .l:.xg4 Wxg4 32 .l:.d1 ) 3 0 Wxd7 .i.xd7, when 3 1 .i.xg4 :Xg4 3 2 .l:.d1 .i.h4! 33 .l:.xd7 .i.xg3 34 hxg3 :Xg3 35 l:td6! leaves Black with a prospectless rook ending (or an equally prospectless pawn ending after 3 5 ....l:.g6 36 .l:.xg6+ hxg6 37
44th Championship Moscow, 26 November - 24 December 1976 1

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3 Petrosian 4 Po1ugayevsky 5 Dorfman 6 Smys1ov 7 Tal 8 Geller 9 Romanishin 10 Sveshnikov 11 Gulko 12 Vaganian 13 K.Grigorian 14 Rashkovsky 15 Taimanov 16 Zakharov 17 Tseshkovsky 18 Kupreichik

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ALASHOV HAD THE BEST RESULT of his career this time, but, in the nature of things, all

B eyes were on Anatoly Karpov, who was under pressure to do consistently well to justify his

position as Fischer' s successor on the chess throne. I 976, it should be noted, was the year when Spassky went to live in France with his new French wife, while retaining a Soviet passport, as he still wished to return home from time to time to see his aged mother. Karpov justified the hopes placed in him by taking the title. It was a couple of decades since a ruling world-title holder had turned out in the Soviet Championship. Zakharov won the 'Otborochny' in June at Rostov-on-Don, gaining direct promotion to the fmal. The First League at Minsk in October was won by Dorfman on I I Yu'I 7, a point and a half ahead of Tseshkovsky, Sveshnikov and Rashkovsky. The fmal had I8 players at Moscow in an event finishing on 24 December. Only Karpov and Smyslov were exempt. The event was run in the shadow of the loss of that great figure Korchnoi who had become a non-returner (a Russian term) in the summer of 1 976. Other political matters also muddied the waters. The USSR, in common with the Eastern bloc, refused to take part in the biennial Chess Olympiad, because this time it was being held in Israel. The cynics would say that this gave a breathing space, for the international chess calendar, in the wake of the Fischer boom, was much fuller than a decade before. Tal began with a first-round win, a most unusual occurrence for him, and, even stranger, playing the black pieces against Petrosian, whose build-up practically forced White to try an unclear sacrifice of knight for two pawns - which Tal defended against successfully to win in only 28 moves. A key game, and one which Karpov was reported to be very angry about, was the third round encounter Geller I Karpov 0, a French Winawer with 4 e5 Wd7, 42 moves. The reason for Karpov' s distress was that Geller was one of his seconds, and so, in theory, should only have made a perfunctory attempt to beat the leading representative of Soviet chess - if true, then this was merely confirmation of Fischer's old fear of game fixing.

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21 l:xb8+! .-xb8 22 Wxc6+ �f8 23 lLlf4 l:a7 24 lLlh4! .-es 25 ._xe6!! fxe6 26 lLlfg6+ Wxg6 27 lLlxg6+ �e8 28 lLlxh8 with a winning material advantage.

Efim Geller-Anatoly Karpov After eight rounds Balashov led with 5lh, half a point ahead of Karpov, Petrosian and Rashkovsky. Later on, Balashov and Karpov headed the table after 1 3 rounds with 8lh each, a clear point ahead of Dorfinan, Petrosian and Polugayevsky, but Karpov showed the most energy and will-power in the last five rounds. He took over the sole lead by a 1 6th round win as Black over Karen Grigorian, who was known as something of a wild man - a carouser and card player. Karpov-Tseshkovsky in the 1 7th round was a 29-move win for the former in a Ruy Lopez, so Karpov's fmal margin over Balashov was a whole point. Tal had the dubious record of being the player with most draws, I 2 in all, though he fought hard in all of them. The top ten retained their places in the final for the following year. In this tournament of the stars in which the average rating was 2565, a record for the series, Karpov won two special prizes, one for the most victories and one for the best fmish. The following game was recognized as one of the most fascinating. Anatoly Karpov-Yosif Dorfman Sicilian Defence B8I e4 c5 liJfJ d6 d4 cxd4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 lLlc3 e6 g4!? Keres's bold idea, which has many supporters. Since White normally plays to attack on this side, why should he not make a start at once? 6 �e7 6...h6 is a double-edged alternative, slowing down White's assault but creating a breach in the pawn wall where his opponent is active. 7 g5 liJfd7 h4 8 lLJc6 9 �e3 a6 ._e2 10 Karpov's choice, amongst the many possible 1 2 3 4 5 6

moves here - 1 0 Wd2, 1 0 l:tgi , 1 0 f4, 1 0 �5, I 0 .i.e2, I 0 .i.c4 and so on - is probably the most appropriate. White prepares long castling and opens up an 'X-ray' attack from the queen on e2 through to the king on e8. This factor comes to play a decisive role in the sequel. 10 ._c7 This move would be appropriate in a manoeuvring battle, but this position calls for more concrete measures. Normally Black tries 10 ...0--0 (or I O...lLJxd4 1 1 .i.xd4 0--0, which amounts to a transposition) and after I I 0--0-0 lLJxd4 12 .i.xd4 the straightforward 12 ... b5 1 3 f4 b4 creates double-edged play. 11 b5 0-0-0 Now I l . .O--O does not fit in with the queen move, but the text has its dark side. 12 lLJxc6! Karpov also examined the other attractive line 12 liJB to meet 1 2 ... ex:5 by 1 3 liJd5, but rejected it in view of 1 2 . b4. By exchanging on c6 he goes for a tactical operation based on the .

..

44th Championship, Moscow 1976 uncastled king and the vulnerability of the black queen on c6. 12 'ibc6 �d4 13 b4 Dorfman did not like the passive defence involved in 1 3 ...0--0, but as shown by practice, Black has defensive resources, e.g. 14 l:tg l �b7 (not 14 ...b4 1 5 lLld5 !) 1 5 h5 b4 16 g6 .i.f6!? 1 7 gxh7+ �h8 1 8 .txf6 lLlxf6 1 9 e5 lLle8! ?. Instead Black accepts the challenge to a hand-to-hand tactical battle. 14 liJd5! Such a move in the Sicilian will be well known to our readers, but it can hardly be called standard. Here it is based on the opening of the e-file. 14 exd5 15 �xg7! An important finesse. It would seem that 1 5 exd5 is equally good, but there would come 1 5 ...'Wxd5 ! 1 6 �xg7 'iix hl 1 7 .:te l lLle5 1 8 �xe5 dxe5 19 'Wxe5 and now the unexpected 1 9 ...0--0 ! . l:tg8 15 exd5 'Wc7 16 �f6! lLle5 17 Obviously, Black's main task is to block the e-file, so the attempt to bring knight or rook to the defence would fail: 1 7 ...lLlb6 1 8 l:.e l lLlxd5 1 9 �g2, or 1 7 ... lLlc5 1 8 l:te l l:.a7 1 9 �h3 ! �xh3 (or 1 9...f8? 20 �xc8 �xf6 2 1 'We8+ �g7 22 gxf6+ �h8 23 'Wxg8+ xg8 24 l:te8#) 20 l:.xh3 and there is no satisfactory defence to the threat of 2 1 l:.e3. Now, however, the impression is created that White's attack has petered out, as 1 8 f4 fails to 1 8... �g4. Karpov, though, has seen deeper. 18 �xe5! dxe5 (D)

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f4! ! 19 A remarkable picture. The position arises almost by force after the 14th move. White has two pawns for a piece and cannot easily get at the enemy king. Yet, Karpov's intuition had not let him down. White's attacking prospects are better than the chances of a defence, which is hard to conduct accurately . 19 �f5 Not 1 9 ... e4? 20 d6 �xd6 2 1 'Wxe4+. 20 �h3!? 20 fxe5 l:.c8 2 1 l:.h2 looked very tempting, but as Karpov commented, he wanted to avoid the complications arising from 2 I ...'jj"a5 and now 22 'Wxa6 'Wxa6 23 �xa6 l:tc5 or 22 'Wt3 b3 ! 23 'Wxb3 l:tg6 (24 d6? 'Wxe5). However, with the text too it does not all go smoothly for White. 20 �xh3 l:txh3 21 l:tc8 fxe5 22 Later on some experts recommended the prophylactic 22 b3 to deny Black use of c4. Yet even if this is necessary (the reply 22 ...e4 then has to be considered) it is a lot harder at the board to decide on such a cold-blooded move. 22 'Wc4! The particular merit of this tense struggle lies in the fact that the fine attacking measures worked out by Karpov met with inventive and stubborn defence from Dorfman. l:.dd3 23 'Wf4+ Black had at least two other tries, each of which promised him chances but would be inadequate in the final analysis. These were: a) 23 ...l:.xg5 !? 24 hxg5 'Wxa2 25 d6! �xg5+ 26 l:.he3 l:.c4 (or 26 ...l:.c5) 27 'Wg2! �xe3+ 28 l:he3 'Wal + 29 d2 l:.d4+ 30 l:.d3 ; b) 23 ...'Wxa2 24 d6 l:lc4 (or 24 ....l:.c6 25 'iie4 !, or 24 ...l:lc5 25 'Wf2 !) 25 dxe7 'Wal + 26 �d2 'Wxb2 27 l:ld8+! xe 7 28 l:.d7+! xd7 29 'Wxc4. It is hard to suppose that these complex variations, which have other ramifications too, were worked out by the players at the board, but, to their credit, at the critical points the players' intuition did not fail them. l:.c4! �bl 24 l:le4! d6! 25 The counterplay along the fourth rank makes an aesthetic impression. It is also, from a

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practical chess viewpoint, the best way to contest the initiative. J:.xe3 l:.he3 26 In answer to the curious tactical blow 26 ...l:lxg5 27 hxg5 .i.xg5 Karpov had foreseen the wonderful counter 28 d7+ �d8 29 J:.dl ! ! l:.xe3 30 'ii'xa6. The exchange of rooks favours Black, since he may have chances to exploit White's weakened back rank. 27 J:.xe3 •xh4 (D) Here too 27...l:.xg5 28 hxg5 .i.xg5 fails to 29 d7+ �d8 (29 ...�e7 30 'ii'd3 !) 30 •xa6 ! . Moreover, the timid 2 7....i.d8 meets with the unpleasant 28 :e4 ! . Now, however, it seems that the field of battle must be conceded to Black, since 28 dxe7 leaves Black that check on h 1 , but ...

..f3! 28 A remarkable move of power and elegance. It could hardly be foreseen from afar, but as for feeling it might be there ... White not only defends against back-row checks, but brings his queen to an important attacking post. 28 •xgS Fine variations also arise after the other captures, although in both cases White wins: a) 28 ...J:.xg5 29 .,c6+ �f8 30 dxe7+ �e7 3 1 a3 ! . b) 2 8....i.xg5 2 9 e6! fXe6 30 :xe6+ �d8 3 1 .,c6 ! . J:.el ! ? 29 Remarkable coolness! Karpov rejects the very tempting chance to re-establish material equality, with some positional advantage, by 29 .,c6+ �f8 30 dxe7+ •xe7 3 1 �6+ :g7 32 a3 ! ?. In striving for more, White oversteps the mark.

29 ..g2 In the heat of battle Dorfman overestimates his chances. As established later by many analysts, 29 ...'ii'g4! ? 30 .,c6+ .,d7 would have put Karpov in a dilemma over whether to concede a draw by 3 1 .,xd7+ and 32 dxe7, or continue to play for a win, but in risky manner, by 3 1 .,e4 .i.d8 32 .,xh7. 30 •rs! Dorfman had clearly missed the strength of this. 30 J:.g6 30 ...'ii'g4 would be too late now. After 3 1 .,xh7 .i.h4 32 J:.fl J:.g7 33 .,d3 Black loses a pawn which would leave him badly placed in view of his insecure king. So he prefers to return the piece and consolidate. 31 •ds :n dxe7 32 The bishop has been en prise for seven moves and now falls. We have a new situation on the board, in which in spite of the material equality and small number of pieces left, White retains the initiative thanks to his safer king. 32 �xe7 32 ... a5 would be met in style by 33 �5 h6 34 e6! securing White the advantage. .,f4! 33 aS 34 �e8 .,h4+ 35 •xh7 .,f3!? Black shows maximum inventiveness, but White now has both positional and material advantage. .,h8+ 36 �e7 36 ...�d7 would be met by 37 e6+ with the ramifications being: 37 ... c.txe6? 38 l:.e l + with a quick win, or 37 ...J:.xe6 38 .,d4+ �e8 39 J:.dl ! leaving no defence, or 37 ... fxe6 38 .,d4+ .,d5 39 .,a7+ �d6 40 �6+ �d7 4 1 b3 with a winning attack. 37 .,h4+ �e8 38 .,c4! .,b7 b3! 39 At last Black is denied his last hope - back rank mate threats. White's task is now eased. 39 J:.e6 40 J:.gl There was no need to give up a pawn, especially when the game was on the point of being adjourned, but Karpov believed in the reality of his attack.

44th Championship, Moscow 1976 l:txe5 40 t:Ji;e7 41 l:tg8+ t:Ji;d7 42 'ii'h4+ 'ii'f6! 43 This move was the product of deep analysis in the adjournment. The tempting 43 l::td8+ r:J;c7 44 'ii'd4 l:te l + 4 5 t:Ji;b2 'ii'c6 46 l::td5 promises little because of 46 ...a4! . The attack has to be conducted accurately. 43 l:te7 44 'ii'f5+ t:Ji;d6 44 ...�c6 45 'ii'xa5 is much the same. 45 'ii'xa5 As the winner wittily commented, checks are checks but pawns are pawns. Now White

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can think not only of winning by an attack but also opting for a favourable endgame. 45 l:te5 Other moves too would leave Black unable to coordinate his forces and make his king safe. t:Ji;e6 46 'ii'd8+ 47 f6 t:Ji;b2 'ii'g7 48 l:tf8! 49 t:Ji;dS 'ii'c8+ 50 1--0 'ii'c4+ This was a grandiose contest, and probably Karpov's best creative achievement in this tournament. He commented at the closing ceremony that it had brought him the most pleasure because of the variety and complex nature of the tactical operations involved.

45th Championship Leningrad, 28 November - 22 December 1977 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Dorfman Gulko Petrosian Polugayevsky Bagirov Geller Tal Kuzmin Romanishin Balashov Sveshnikov Kochiev Smyslov Tukmakov K.Grigorian Alburt

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HE 45TH CHAMPIONSHIP fmal was back in Leningrad at the now traditional time of

Tfmishing a couple of days before Christmas. The 'Otborochny' took place at Beltsy, Moldavia,

in August-September, and was won by an unnamed winner, according to the Soviet Chess Encyclopaedia. Actually this was Lev Alburt, who was soon to become a non-person, but who actually scored 9YJI3. The First League in October at Baku was won by Gennady Kuzrnin on 1 1 YJ1 7, ahead of Tukmakov 1 1 and Gulko and K.Grigorian IOK The last-named was the stronger of two Armenian chess-playing brothers, whose father was a famous poet. Remarkably, last place was taken by Taimanov on 6 points, in the company of A.Petrosian and Petrushin. The fmal was marked by the highest percentage of drawn games of all the 58 events, namely 80 out of 120, or 66.67%. Dorfman and Gulko only needed 'plus 4, unbeaten' to share first place. A play-off match was drawn 3-3 and they were both deemed winners of the gold medal. However, there were few grandmaster draws; rather it was a case of near equality of forces combined with the absence of out-of-form outsiders. Taimanov expressed the view in Shakhmaty v SSSR No. 2/1978, that the custom of the top ten qualifying automatically for the following year's fmal was a way of ensuring that many participants stifled their creative urges in favour of a solid performance. Tigran Petrosian was leader for the first half, having made 5 'l2 from the first seven rounds, but then lost to Kuzmin and failed to win again. It seemed that the gold medal would be a contest between the Armenian and Gulko, but Dorfman had an excellent last round win against Smyslov to slip ahead of the field and gain the title of Soviet Grandmaster - he was to receive the international version of the same in 1 978. There had been surprises at Leningrad before, but for two less fancied players to take the title in an event with an average Elo rating of 2570 was considered a sensation. Yet the victors deserved their success as shown by the fact that they also received the main creative prizes. Gulko won the prize for 'Best Game' and Dorfman the one for 'Best Attack'.

45th Championship, Leningrad 1977 Oleg Romanishin-Boris Gulko Sicilian Defence B50 1 e4 cS lbc6 lbc3 2 ll)f3 d6 3 4 g3 Romanishin was known, from his youngest years, for striving after originality in the opening. Sometimes this came off, but he sometimes departed from theoretical paths out of a desire to make the opponent think on his own, yet without putting any pressure on. Here is a case in point. On f3 the knight fits badly with the fianchetto - its normal post would be e2. 4 g6 ..tg7 5 ..tg2 ..tg4 6 0--0 Gulko, on the other hand, acts very much to the point, maximizing his control over his central outpost at d4. .i.xf3 h3 7 'ii'x f3 e6 8 9 lbe2 White already has to take prophylactic measures, hardly a sign of keeping the opening initiative. lbge7 9 'ii'b3 10 Obviously all this is extravagant play, but as Geller commented: 'No one has yet rescinded the general principles of opening play .. . ' 10 0--0 Simplicity is the best recipe in such cases. 1 1 'ii'xb7 is obviously bad due to I I ...lbb4! . 'ii'd7 c3 ll d3 dS! ? 12 .i.e3 13 The results of the opening are unconvincing for White, but the text is really playing with fire. He should remember about general mobilization and play, for example, 1 3 exd5 lbxd5 14 lbf4. 13 b6 Why not 13 ...d4! at once? 14 l:.ad1 d4! The Rubicon is crossed! Black has the initiative. .tel l:.ab8 15 f4 bS 16

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17 g4 It is clear that White has to undertake something in the way of counterplay, but Gulko considered 1 7 e5 as better. 17 dxc3! 18 bxc3 b4! 19 eS Which concession should White make? Should he give up control of d4 or d5? In any event the text limits the scope of Black's bishop and enhances that of the g2-bishop. l:.fd8 19 'ii'c4 20 The queen has to be evacuated from the danger zone, but cannot easily fmd a good post. 20 liJdS 21 cxb4 Or 2 1 'ii'xc5 .i.f8 22 'ii'c4 and now there is a pleasant choice between 22 ...lba5 and 22 ...::1.dc8. 21 cxb4 22 d4 l:.bc8 'ii'b3 23 aS Obviously the battlefield is in Black' s hands. He has concrete results to show in the centre and on the queenside, whereas White has made no particular progress. fS (D) 24 Here the principle ' Better late than never' does not justify itself, but merely makes things worse. The prophylactic 24 c,i;>h 1 was right.

a4 24 'The merely good is the enemy of the best.' The text is a logical link in Black's play, but he had the tactical stroke 24...lbc3 ! 25 lbxc3 lbxd4! fmishing it off in his favour in quick time.

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'ii'g3 25 If 25 'ii'xa4, then Black has the pleasant choice between 25 ...ltJxd4 26 'ii'xd7 ltJxe2+ 27 �f2 .l:lxd7 28 fxe6 fxe6 29 .i.xd5 .l:lxd5 30 .l:lxd5 exd5 3 1 xe2 .i.xe5 and the simple 25 ...ltJxe5 26 'ii'xd7 ltJxd7, as Gulko intended. It would seem that the lesser evil for White was 25 'ii'd3. 25 liJc3! Here too this thematic move guarantees a win. ltJxd4 ltJxc3 26 .i.gS 27 There is nothing better. .l:.xc3 27 'ii'f2 28 If28 Ve l , then 28 .. .'ifa7 29 h l .l:td7. 28 .l:.c2! The final move in the combination envisaged from afar. Now White is forced into a hopeless endgame. 29 'ii'xc2 ltJxc2 .l:.xd7 .l:.xd7 30 31 .i.c6 .l:.a7 Consolidating both positional and material advantage. Now it is a matter of technique. b3 .i.e4 32 fxe6 fxe6 33 .i.f6 34 Or 34 axb3 a3 ! 35 .i.xc2 a2 36 .l:.al .i.xe5. liJe3 34 .l:.c1 35 Or 35 l:tf2 liJd l 36 .l:.d2 liJc3 winning. 35 bxa2 .l:.al a3 36 37 .l:.xa2 liJd1 ! 38 .i.d3 ltJc3 39 .l:.a1 .i.xf6 a2 exf6 40 41 .i.c4 �f7 42 g5 :as �h1 43 Or 43 h4 l:a4. 43 .l:.xg5 44 ltJxa2 .i.xa2 0-1 The special prize for 'Best Attack' fell to Dorfman, who in his game with Alburt was

able to exploit White's unhappy opening. Look at the g l -knight and the pawns moved round White's king.

Lev Alburt-Yosif Dorfman 20... b5! A pawn sacrifice to open lines and win time for activating Black's forces. 21 .i.xb5 .l:.b8 22 .i.c6 Vc7 23 'ii'f4 c4!! The point of the second pawn sacrifice lies very deep. It is to prepare the ground for exploiting the a7-gl diagonal. The straightforward 23 ...Vxa5 would be repulsed by 24 Va4 �6 25 Va3. 24 Vxc4 Obviously not 24 'ilxf6 'ilxa5 and the white king comes under a squall of attacks. 24...Vxa5 25 Va4 'ii'b6 26 Va3 .i. f5! Only now does it become obvious that Black's attack is going to win through. 27 g4 Ve3+ It is always useful to win time for later thought. 28 .l:.d2 Vet+ 29 .l:.d1 Ve3+ 30 .l:.d2 .i.d3! 31 liJh3 liJxd5 32 f4 The death agony. The threat was 32 ...ltJxc3 ! and 32 liJf2 liJf4! is strong. 32...ltJxf4 33 ltJxf4 Vxf4 34 'ii'a4 .l:.xb2!! 0-1 An elegant final blow. Mate is not far off. Alburt resigned. Dorfman's play was well described by Gulko: 'He is one of those creative players, who, when considering about a position, do not remember but think something up! '

46th Championship Tbilisi, 1-27 December 1978 1

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9 Kasparov 10 Bagirov 11 Gulko 12 Makarychev 13 Timoshchenko 14 Mikhalchishin 15 Razuvayev 16 Tukmakov 17 Dorfman 18 Kuzmin

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LATVIA was the site of the 'Otborochny' and Soviet sources had no

Ddifficulty in giving the name of this winner: it happened to be a certain Garry Kasparov, who IN

used to bear the Jewish name of his father, Vainshtein. According to his second Nikitin, it had been represented to the young man and his entourage that a non-Jewish name would facilitate his progress in Soviet chess. His score in Latvia was 9/13, which left him equal with Igor Ivanov, who now lives in New York. The young man from Baku had no rating or title yet, but was clearly a great prospect. The event did not attract great publicity, as all eyes were on the Philippines where Karpov and Korchnoi were contesting their marathon world-title match, fruit of much controversy. The First League at Ashkhabad was marred by the withdrawal of Vaganian after five rounds when he had three points. Tukmakov and Tseshkovsky tied for first on 10Yv' l 7, while such names as Savon, Alburt and Gutman, the latter a second of Tal, were left in the bottom half. There was bad news at this time for Soviet fans as the Olympiad title was lost to the Hungarians at Buenos Aires. Gulko was held to be one of the weak links in the team, though Spassky too, brought in from his residence in France, was below par. The fmal at Tbilisi featured the qualifiers plus Tamaz Georgadze as the local Georgian representative, who surprised many by coming so high on his debut. In fact it was probably a record from the point of view of the number of titled players, 16 GMs. The creative results were not so high, alas. As Tal put it, 'If l managed to come first without defeat and fairly easily, despite not being in good health, and Georgadze took a pretty honourable fourth place, despite avoiding much real fight, then this could not be the best advert for the event. ' Tal tied with the Siberian tactician Tseshkovsky, while Polugayevsky took third place for the third year running. This was Tal's sixth gold medal. The failure of Gulko, and particularly his colleague Dorfman, was a surprise. Normally the reigning champion would come in the top half of the table. It is a matter of speculation to what extent the current of anti-Semitism affected these players, who some years later moved to the USA and France respectively.

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Tal began with a win over Dorfman in the first round and held on to the lead thereafter. He had the benefit of using some interesting opening ideas which had arisen during his long stint as a second to Karpov in the Baguio City match Karpov-Korchnoi. Tseshkovsky's last-round victory over Dorf man was a real sporting achievement, winning as Black. After 48 moves the position was:

Yosif Dorfman-Vitaly Tseshkovsky White's position looks sound, but Black can use the 'X-ray' attack of his queen on the enemy king to break up the white bastions. 48...g5! 49 hxg5 h4! 50 g6 Despair already, as there is no defence. 50...�xg6 51 Wa6+ �g5 52 gxh4+ �xf4 53 Wc4+ �e3+ 54 �h3 �f2+ Here there were many roads to Rome, but Black fmds the most startling. 55 Wxb3 tt:lg5+! 0-l 56 hxg5 Wh8 is mate! Tal had many close shaves as Caissa smiled upon him. One of the most entrancing games of the event follows. Mikhail Tal-Efim Geller Queen's Gambit Declined D55 l c4 e6 2 tt:lc3 d5 3 d4 tt:lf6 4 i.g5 i.e7 5 e3 0--0 6 tt:lf3 h6 i.xf6 7 7 i.h4 tt:le4 is the Lasker Defence also of great antiquity, though would Geller have

played this? White surrenders his bishop in order to gain a tempo for queenside pressure. i.xffi 7 c6 l:cl 8 The most natural treatment, in the spirit of the Exchange Variation. By strengthening the centre, Black gains the chance to complete his development unhindered. Other ideas have been tried: 8 ...b6, 8 ... a6, 8 ...l:e8, 8 ...i.e7 and even 8 ...tt:lc6. tt:ld7 9 i.d3 cxd5 10 A typical strategic method, stabilizing the pawn formation and delineating the future spheres of influence. White will play on the queenside, while granting Black play via the half-open e-file. In our days a commoner line is 10 0-0, which usually, after IO . dxc4 1 1 i.xc4 e5 1 2 h3 (or 12 tt:le4 exd4 1 3 tt:lxf6+ Wxf6 14 Wxd4) 1 2 ...exd4 1 3 exd4 tt:lb6 14 i.b3 i.f5 leads to lively play with chances for both sides. 10 exd5 I O ...cxd5 would condemn Black to total passivity. ll b4 One of White's main trumps is the minority attack, which Tal sets in motion straight away. ll i.e7 Possibly 1 1 ...a6 is more accurate and only after 1 2 a4 then 12 ...i.e7. Then, after 1 3 b5 axb5 ( 1 3 ...a5 ! ? is also feasible, as is 1 3 ...i.a3 14 l:c2 axb5 1 5 axb5 tt:lf6) 14 axb5 tt:lf6, Black, in comparison to the game, has the open a-file, a definite plus for him. In the well known game Kasparov-Khalifman, Paris 1 99 1 , there came 1 5 bxc6 bxc6 1 6 0-0 c 5 1 7 dxc5 i.xc5 and Black had free piece play to compensate for his isolated pawn. 12 b5 i.a3!? A very tricky thrust, to attract the rook to c2 ( 1 3 l:b l ?! WaS 14 Wb3 c5!) which sets up far sighted tactical motifs for Black's future counterplay. l:c2 i.d6 13 14 tt:lf6 0--0 bxc6 bxc6 15 tt:la4 16 .

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46th Championship, Tbilisi 1978 White's strategic concept is clear, to occupy c5 and prepare c-file pressure. A year later Yusupov against T. Georgadze tried, with the same idea, 1 6 e4 dxe4 1 7 ll:lxe4 and after 1 7 ... i.e7?! 18 ll:le5 gained an obvious advantage, but the cause of this was only Black's weak 1 7th move; instead 1 7 ...i.e6 or 1 7...l:te8 would have cast doubt on Yusupov's idea. 16 ll:le4 This move, thought up by Geller at his 1 2th move, does credit to his tactical vision. The passive 1 6 ...i.d7 1 7 ll:lc5 "ike7 1 8 "ikc 1 ! ? would leave Black facing positional pressure. 17 ll:leS Of course, Tal does not fall into the trap of 17 l:txc6 i.d7 18 l:tc l i.a3 19 l:tb l "ika5! and continues his general plan. But, steel strikes steel, as the saying goes, for Geller had an antidote ready. 17 "ike8! The only move. The natural 1 7 ...i.xe5 1 8 dxe5 "ikg5 would leave Black worse off after 1 9 f4 "ikg6 20 "ikc l ! (e.g. 20 ...i.d7 2 1 ll:lc5), whereas now we get a sharp tactical battle with chances for both sides. Black's play is based on his influence on the e8-a4 diagonal. f3!? (D) 18 The c-pawn cannot be taken yet ( 1 8 ll:lxc6? i.d7). Also, 1 8 i.xe4 is risky in view of 1 8 ...dxe4 1 9 ll:lxc6 i.a6! 20 .:te l i.b5. But White could consider 1 8 f4, to meet 1 8 ...f6 by 1 9 i.xe4 dxe4 20 ll:lc4 ! .

18 cS! ! Once again watch the e8-a4 diagonal. Geller demonstrates miraculous inventiveness, each time meeting the opponent's blows with counter strikes of his own. Other lines were

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less attractive: 1 8 ... f6 1 9 ll:lxc6 i.d7 20 "ikc l ! ll:lg5 2 1 i.a6! and Black has insufficient com pensation for the pawn; 1 8 ...ll:lg5 1 9 f4 f6 20 ll:lg6 (or 20 i.g6 "ike7 2 1 fxg5 fxe5 22 l:txf8+ "ikxf8 23 l:tf2 "ike7 24 gxh6) 20..."ikxe3+ 2 1 �h 1 i.g4 22 i.e2 i.f5 23 l:tc3 "ike8 24 ll:lxf8 ll:le4 and Tal assesses it as 'unclear' . If it was unclear for Tal, then... fxe4 19 cxd4! 19 ..."ikxa4 would not work in view of 20 ll:lxf7! and then 20 ...l:.xf7 fails to 2 1 .l:.xf7 �xf7 22 l:tf2+. Now, however, despite his extra piece, White has to be very vigilant. 20 ll:lg4! We witness an intricate battle as one blow is met by another. 20 ll:lc6 was risky in view of 20...dxe4 2 1 i.b5 d3 ! 22 .l:.c3 i.d7, while 20 exd4 "ikxa4 leaves the d-pawn en prise. 20 dxe4 Once again best. After 20 ...i.xg4 2 1 Wxg4 "ikxa4 there is the very unpleasant reply 22 e5 !, while 20...Wxa4 can be met by 2 1 l:.xc8 (2 1 e5 is also interesting) 2 1 ..."ikxdl 22 l:txf8+ .l:.xf8 23 l:txd1 h5 24 ll:lt2 dxe3 25 ll:lh3 and Black has inadequate compensation. i.c4! 21 Tal also examined the continuation 2 1 l:txc8 l:txc8 22 ll:lf6+ gxf6 23 Wg4+ �h8 24 l:lxf6, but found a convincing refutation in 24 ....l:.c 1 + and after 2 5 i.fl comes either 2 5. . .i.xh2+ or the quite murderous 25 ..."ike6! . 21 i.xg4 Black cannot play with frre any more. Tal intended to meet 2 1 ...d3 by 22 l:tcf2 and then 22 ...i.e6 (what else is there?) by the mating attack 23 l:tf6! i.xc4 24 ll:lxh6+ gxh6 25 Wg4+ �h7 26 l:txh6+ �xh6 27 l:tf6+. 'i6'xa4 (D) 22 'i6'xg4

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l:xt7! 23 A courageous and sober decision to force a draw. There was the risky attempt to battle on for a win by 23 �b3 'ii'a5 24 l:ct2, which would be answered by 24 ...'ii'e 5! 25 g3 dxe3 . Even more curious is that 1 1 years after this game the diagram position arose in Cebalo-Van der Sterren, Munich 1 989. The Yugoslav GM decided not only to continue the sharp battle but to play, as it were, retrospectively against Tal. Cebalo continued 23 'ii'xe4 and after 23 ...l:ae8 24 'ii'f5 in the hope of attacking fl. However, then came 24 ...dxe3 ! 25 �xfl+ �h8 26 �xeS 'ii'd4! and White had nothing better than giving up the queen by 27 'ii'xf8+ �xf8 in the search for equality in the difficult endgame after 28 l:e2 (28 l:xf8+ �h7 is quite bad for White) 28 ...�b4 29 �g6 'ii'd6 30 �c2 �d2. He failed . . . and so Tal's intuition was con firmed by the passage of time!

23 :xn �xn+ 24 �xn Not 24...�h8? 25 l:l.c8+, nor 24 .. .'ltf8 25 �b3. 25 'ii'fS+ �e7 After 25 ...�g8? Black loses to 26 'ii'd5+ �h7 27 'ii'xe4+ g6 28 'ii'b7+!. 26 'ii'xe4+ �d7 27 'ii'b7+ �e6 28 �d7 'ii'e4+ Admitting that perpetual check is forced. The same outcome follows 28 ...�e5 29 l:l.c6+ �fl 30 'ii'd5+ 'if.tf8 3 1 'ii'c 5+ 'if.tg8 32 'ii'd5+ �h8 33 l:xh6+ gxh6 34 'ii'xe5+. So a draw was agreed (Yz--�). after a fascinating battle that confirms the old truism that it is not so important which opening players choose (it can be quite a routine one!) as long as its interpreters have talent and imagination!

47th Championship Minsk, 29 November - 27 December 1979 2 y,

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Geller Yusupov Balashov Kasparov Ge01-gadze Kupreichik Makarychev Vaganian Lerner Be1yavsky Razuvayev Rashkovsky Romanishin Dolmatov Tal Sveshnikov Anikayev Tseshkovsky

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11Y. lOY. 10 10 9Y. 9Y. 9Y. 9 8Y. 8 8 8 8 7Y. 7Y. 7 SY. SY.

HE ' OTBOROCHNY' (SELECTION) was in Beltsy again, in August. Another fairly new

Tname came top: Nukhim Rashkovsky from the Kurgan who was equal on 9 points in the 62-

man field with Konstantin Lerner from Odessa. The veteran Ratmir Kholmov (still playing master chess in 1 997!) was amongst those sharing places 9- 1 3 . The First League at Frunze, capital of Kirgiziya, had the usual 1 8 players in October. Sergei Dolmatov, reigning World Junior champion scored 1 1 to head the field. Makarychev, Razuvayev, Anikayev and Lerner qualified for the fmal in Minsk alongside him. Later, Yusupov was invited too. The problem of the succession of the generations comes up frequently in chess. As remarked before, there had been no real Soviet star after the generation of Tal and Spassky until Karpov came along more than a decade later. Now there was Kasparov, who had made his debut the previous year, and other new names, but the 47th Championship ended in a real 'throwback' when Geller won it at the age of 54. He was the oldest player ever to have won the Championship, and did so in a field where young players abounded as never before. There was also another surprise when young Muscovite Artur Yusupov, the player with the aristocratic name (Prince Yusupov had been one ofthe murderers ofRasputin in 1916) and here the second lowest rated player, did so well. Kupreichik, who had been admitted as the representative of White Russia, lost to Romanishin in the first round and then had five straight wins. Kasparov had also impressed with a starting burst of three wins, then had 4/5, before being bogged down in a series of six draws. Next came a loss to Lerner, a win over Vaganian and then further losses to bottom-marker Anikayev and Belyavsky. The position after 1 1 rounds was intriguing with Balashov, Geller, Kasparov, Kupreichik and Yusupov all sharing the lead on seven points. However, Geller fmished like an express train. He had begun with seven draws before he won in rounds 8, 10, 1 1 , 1 2, 14 and 1 5 ! Tal's result was catastrophic, and lost him 40 rating points (Yusupov gained 37). His poor form was largely due, according to chief judge Flohr in the bulletin, to the fact that he could not resist a wave of influenza which other participants threw off without too much difficulty. The printing of the Minsk bulletin was much sharper than usual.

1 84


Here is one of Geller's fme fmishes.

Efim Geller-Yury Anikayev 22 liJdS! exdS 23 l2Jh6+ 'i>g7 23 .. .'�h8 makes no difference: 24 i.d4+ l2Jg7 25 i.xg7+ �xg7 26 'ii'd4+ i.f6 27 l:lxf6 'ii'c5 28 :n#. 24 ._f7+! l:xf7 25 l:lxf7+ h8 26 i.d4+ i.f6 27 l:lxf6 1-0 Viktor Kupreichik confirmed yet again his image as the 'disturber of the peace' , starting so well and then disappointing his supporters at the end, but his games never left anyone indifferent. Vitaly Tseshkovsky-Viktor Kupreichik Sicilian Defence B64 e4 1 cS l2Jf3 2 d6 d4 3 cxd4 ltJf6 ltJxd4 4 l2Jc6 lDc3 5 i.g5 e6 6 7 ..d2 i.e7 0--0--0 8 0-0 The Rauzer line, one of the many fruitful ideas of the great Soviet theoretician of the 1 930s who tried to justify his thesis that White starts and wins in such openings as Sicilian, French and Ruy Lopez. The thesis could not be proved but many of his attacking methods retain their validity to this day. 9 f4 h6 Driving back the bishop creates a potential tactical threat to take on e4, but the move

weakens the king position. In our days the attention of the theoreticians is focused on 9... l2Jxd4 1 0 -.xd4 ._a5 limiting White's attacking potential somewhat. i.h4 10 There is no point to winning a pawn by 1 0 i.xf6 i.xf6 1 1 ltJxc6 bxc6 12 ._xd6, as after 1 2 ...� 1 3 ._d3 (or 1 3 e5 l:.d8 14 Wa3 ._e3+ 1 5 b l l:.xd1 + 16 ltJxdl -.xa3 17 bxa3 i.e?) 1 3 ...l:b8 1 4 b3 l:td8 1 5 •n i.d4 Black has a very active position. 10 i.d7 1 o ... e5 has been tried, but it is risky to weaken the d5-square. After 1 1 ltJf5 i.xf5 1 2 exf5 -.a5 1 3 'ittb 1 White has an obvious positional plus. 1 0 ...ltJxe4 is premature in view of 1 1 i.xe7 l2Jxd2 1 2 i.xd8 lDxfl 1 3 l2Jxc6 bxc6 14 i.e? l:te8 1 5 l:thxfl l:txe7 1 6 l:.xd6 and Black has difficulties in the ending. ltJf3 11 One of the main themes White plays for is activating his pressure on the d-flle. By the knight retreat he threatens 12 e5 and 1 2 i.xf6. 1 1 liJdb5 and 1 1 liJb3 have also been tried, with the same aim, but have not justified themselves in practice. -.as (D) 11 Naturally, Black rests his hopes on queenside play. Simplification by 1 1 ... ltJxe4 fails to 1 2 ltJxe4 i.xh4 1 3 •xd6 i.e8 14 l2Jxh4 ._xh4 1 5 g3 and Black stands worse.

i.c4?! 12 White spent a lot of time here on variations arising out of the break 12 e5, when, after 1 2 ...dxe5 1 3 i.xf6 ( 1 3 fxe5 l2Jxe5 1 4 l2Jxe5 -.xe5 1 5 i.xf6 i.xf6 1 6 -.xd7 is risky in view of 16 ... l:ad8 1 7 ._xb7 ._e3+ 1 8 'i>b 1 i.xc3)

47th Championship, Minsk 1979 1 3 .....txf6 14 'ii'xd7 e4 !? 1 5 lLlxe4 ( 1 5 'W'xb7 would be met by the very unpleasant 1 5 ...l:tfc8!) 1 5 .....txb2+ 1 6 �xb2 'W'b6+ 1 7 �c 1 l:tad8 1 8 'W'xd8 :Xd8 1 9 l:txd8+ lLlxd8 20 ..td3 there arises a complex position hard to assess. Apparently disappointed by this out come, White chooses another, seemingly active, plan. However, it is a case of out of the frying pan into the fire, for he runs into other complications of the sort dear to his opponent's heart. Yet, by the prophylactic 1 2 b l he could retain all the advantages of his position. 12 b5! Kupreichik makes such moves without any hesitation! The pawn sacrifice opens lines for the attack and seizes the initiative. .l:.fc8! ..txb5 13 Perhaps the hardest move of the whole operation. As he commented later, Black aims ultimately at c2. His first threat is 1 4 ...lLlb4 1 5 ..txd7 l:.xc3. 14 ..tc4 Trying to cover the king by .i.b3, but this is not feasible. However, 14 ..txc6 l:txc6 1 5 �b 1 was no less risky in view of 1 5 ....l:.a6. 14 lLlb4 15 'W'e2 (D) It turns out that if 1 5 ..tb3, Black then has the blow 1 5 ....l:.xc3 ! with a very dangerous attack, e.g. 1 6 'ii'xc3 .l:.c8 1 7 'W'e3 (otherwise 1 7 .....ta4! at once) 1 7 ...lLlg4! 1 8 'ii'd4 ..ta4! or 1 6 bxc3 lLlxe4 1 7 'iWd4 lLlxc3.

1 85

.l:.xc4! 15 16 .l:.c8 17 There is nothing better. 1 7 'W'd4 is met by 1 7 ...lLlxa2+ 1 8 lLlxa2 'ii'xa2 and the threats 1 9....l:.c4 and 1 9 .....ta4 cannot be parried. 17 lLlxe4! Bravo! In such positions Kupreichik cannot be restrained. Now on 1 8 lLlxe4 there would follow 1 8 .....ta4. a3 18 With hindsight, White could have put up more stubborn resistance by 1 8 'ii'a3 Wxa3 1 9 bxa3 lLlxc3 2 0 axb4, but it i s clear that i n this case 20 ... ..txh4 21 lLlxh4 (2 1 l:txd6 ..ta4 22 lLlxh4 lLle4) 2 1 ...lLlxdl 22 l:txdl ..ta4 23 l:td2 l:.c4 leaves White with a difficult ending. 18 lLlxc2! The object at which Black's last five moves have been targeted fmally falls. Kupreichik moves in for the kill. 'W'xc2 19 Not 19 xc2 ..ta4, while Black intended to meet 1 9 l:td3 by 19 ...lLlal ! 20 'iWb4 'ii'f5 2 1 ..txe7 a5 ! 22 'W'b6 lLlxc3 ! , winning. lLlxc3 19 ..tf6 .tel 20 lLle5 21 Heroic defence, but against the elemental attacking force it is hopeless. 2 1 lLld4 would be bad because of 2 I .....txd4 22 l:txd4 lLle2+ 23 �d1 .l:.xc2 24 ..txa5 lLlxd4. 21 ..ta4! The fmal blow. The rest is simple. ..txc2 ..txc3 22 ..txdl+ ..txa5 23 24 �xdl dxe5 ..txe5 fxe5 25 White has avoided being mated, but the endgame is hopeless. b4 .l:.c3 26 .l:.a3 a4 27 28 ..td4! �c2 e5 .l:.dl 29 0-1 White must lose yet more material.

48th Championship Vilnius, 25 December 1980 - 21 January 1981 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Belyavsky Psakhis Balashov Romanishin Yusupov Kupreichik Dolmatov Tseshkovsky Kuzmin Vaganian Vasyukov Rashkovsky Makarychev Geller Georgadze Lputian Razuvayev Chekhov

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lOY. lOY. 10 10 10 9% 9% 9% 9% 9 , 8% 8% 7% 6% 6% 6 6 5%

HE 'OTBOROCHNY' was now split into four sections of I 6-man all-play-ails, perhaps a of the unpopularity of the Swiss system in Soviet circles. All four, at Dnepropetrovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk and Tallinn, took place simultaneously in August. The winners respectively were Vasyukov, Lputian, Psakhis from Siberia and Chekhov. In the first of these Savon withdrew after I 0 rounds and Kholmov did not tum up for his I Oth round game. Both were officially reprimanded. The First League was at Tashkent in October. Belyavsky scored I I Y21 I 8, ahead of Dolmatov and Tseshkovsky IOK The turnout in the fmal did not look as impressive as in most earlier years. It was, in terms of FIDE strength, a category 12 tournament. The date of the final slipped, as it did not begin at the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius until December 25th. Not really Christmas Day, in a sense, since this feast was not celebrated in the USSR, where the celebration of New Year took its place. The delay was due to the 1 980 Olympiad being played late in the year. The effect was to rule out, for the first time for years, participation in both the USSR Championship and Hastings. Once again Kupreichik started with five wins in his usual fighting style, and he had 6W7 before once again fading away. He lost five of his last seven games! A significant result in the third round was Belyavsky 0 Psakhis 1 . Geller and Balashov were just back from Malta. The former suffered severe early blows, losing to Chekhov and then to Yusupov. The latter had the fme start of 5/6. Belyavsky did not fmd his best form until his sixth round win over Tseshkovsky. The master from Omsk, Siberia, had shown a serious attitude to the event by giving up smoking before it (as Korchnoi did, several times, over the years). The position before the last round was complicated by the fact that Yusupov had no fewer than four adjourned games to complete on the adjourned games day as well as on the rest day before the last round. He had to labour away both days, especially as his draw with Belyavsky lasted I 13 moves. As a result, Yusupov led Balashov, Belyavsky, Dolmatov and Psakhis by half a point, but was too tired to avoid collapse in his last game with Kuzmin and lost after having had a win in sight. Psakhis beat Vasyukov, his third win in a row, and then Rashkovsky went wrong in mutual

Treflection

48th Championship, Vilnius 198011

1 87

time-trouble to lose in only 28 moves to Belyavsky. So, the latter took his second gold medal in a row as there was to be no play-off. The table shows a really close fmish. The Belyavsky-Psakhis encounter early in the tournament gave the latter a moral trump in the subsequent course of events.

Artur Yusupov-Gennady Kuzmin White had played excellently until now and by the 29th move had a clear advantage. If he had now continued 29 a6! he would have the chance to develop this into a win, as 29 ...'i'xa6 is bad because of 30 l?:Jxc7, and 29 ...bxa6 would be met by the annihilating 30 'i'xf7+! ! �f7 3 1 l?:Je5++ Wg8 32 l?:Jxc6. Alas, Caissa turned her face away from him this evening and the game had a different outcome. 29 t:i:Jd2?! l?:Jg5 30 h4? A gross blunder. He could maintain the benefits of his position by 30 t:i:Jf.3, whereas now his position collapses like a house of cards. 30 t:i:Je7 Of course! Now the vital long light-square diagonal falls into Black's hands. 31 'i'f2 t:i:Jxd5 32 cxd5 'i'xd5+ 33 e4 There is nothing left. If 33 Wh2 or 33 t:i:Jf.3, then 33 ....l:txe3 with the threat .. Jie2. 33 J:be4! 34 l?:Jxe4 l:.xe4! 35 �h2 Or 35 hxg5 l:.e2+. 35....i.xd4 36 l:.cd1 36 'i'g2 does not help in view of the striking reply 36 ...'i'e5 37 �h l (37 hxg5 l:.e2) 37 ...l:.e2 38 l:.cel t:i:Je4! 39 l:.xe2 l?:Jxg3+ 40 �h2 t:i:Jxe2+. 36 l:.xh4+! 37 gxh4 .i.eS+! 38 'i'g3 'i'e4! 0-1 Kuzmin played the fmal rally superbly, but it all came from Yusupov's 'serve' . •.•

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Alexander Belyavsky-Lev Psakhis As a result of tense manoeuvring in which Belyavsky strove to gain space in the centre and Psakhis prepared a wing operation we have reached a position in which Black has the greater dynamic potential, so he starts concrete operations. 20 cxd4! 21 exd4 The attempt to neutralize Black's play along the c-file by 2 1 l:.xc7 fails to 2 l ...t:i:Jxc7 22 exd4 ._f5 ! . 21 ....i.a6 22 'i'f2 h4! Before decisive queenside operations, it is useful to create a further weakness at f4. The tempting 22 ...l:.c2 is premature: 23 l?:Jec4! l:.xc l 24 t:i:Jxd6 'i'd8 (if 24 ....l:!.xd l , then 25 l?:Jxc8 .l:.xc8 26 .i.f.3) 25 t:i:Jxe8 l:.xdl 26 t:i:Jxf6+ 'i'xf6 27 .i.f.3 l:.xd2 28 ._xd2 and Black has got nowhere. 23 g4?! The lesser evil was 23 .l:.xc7 hxg3+ 24 'i'xg3 l?:Jxc7. Now the black onslaught becomes real. 23 l:.c2! 24 'i'e3 .i.b4 The open file and the diagonals are in Black's possession. There is the simple threat 25 ....i.xd2. 25 t:i:Jdf3 .i.e2! 26 l:.g1 .i.xf3! Simple and effective. White has to lose material. 27 t:i:Jxf3 •.•

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27 'ji'xf3 is bad too in view of27... i.d2! . 27...0.c7 A study-like move based on the theme of line-closing. The battle is practically over and we now see the death throes in time-trouble. 28 0.eS :xb2 29 :c6 i.d2 30 'ji'f3 :e6 31 gS 0.e4 32 :n :xc6 33 0.xc6 'ji'e8 34 0.es 0.e6 35 'ji'g4 0.xd4 and here White's flag-fall put an end to further pointless resistance. Kupreichik once again disappointed his supporters by his constant inconstancy, but his games are always worth looking at for their striking nature. Here we have the impressive end of one of his starting spurt of wins. Exploiting the distance of Black's main forces from the kingside, Kupreichik destroys the enemy king position in only a few moves. 24 0.fS! gxfS The Greek gift cannot be declined, since otherwise simply 25 'ifb6 with mate. 2S 'ji'b6! :e8

Viktor Kupreichik-Yury Razuvayev There is nothing better. 26 0.gS 0.es Or 26 ...0.f8 27 :g3 . 27 l:tg3! 0.g6 28 0.xh7! 'ji'd4 29 e5! 1--0 Yet another example, after the last one, of line-closing. Now mate follows.

42th Championship Frunze, 27 November - 22 December 1981 •

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1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Kasparov Psakhis Romanisbin Gavrikov Tukmakov Agzamov Belyavsky Dorfman Yusupov Dolmatov Kupreicbik Svesbnikov Tsesbkovsky Yudasin Gulko Kuzmin Timosbcbenko Mikhalcbisbin

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12% 12% 10 9% 9% 9 9 8% 8% 8 8 8 8 7% 6% 6% 6 5%

NCE AGAIN FOUR separate centres, Beltsy, Saratov, Nikolayev and Chelyabinsk, had 1 6-

Oman events producing as winners in July Gavrikov, Yudasin, Tukmakov and that great stone

waller Agzamov, the first GM from Uzbekistan. Volgodonsk had 1 8 players for the First League and was headed by Gulko. The fmal was at Frunze, back at the traditional time of finishing just before Christmas. Kasparov, now 1 8, was specially exempted to the event, and went on to win it in the company of Psakhis. The former was now clearly seen as a potential challenger for Karpov in the 1 980s. The latter, who sources say was a difficult child, so that Botvinnik was once asked to give him a talking to, fmished up in Israel a decade or so later. Yudasin was another new name. He too emigrated to Israel in the 1 990s, and became particularly orthodox, so that he would not play on the Sabbath. The play was very cut-and-thrust, probably because so many younger players were involved. Tseshkovsky, 37, was the oldest contestant while most were in their twenties. Kasparov began with 617, losing to Psakhis in round 2. He trailed by half a point before the last round in which he beat Tukmakov. The result was a huge margin between the winners and third placed Romanishin. By a new ruling, the top three retained their place in the top league. The top ten were admitted to the 1 982 Soviet Zonal. A curious incident came when Kasparov beat Timoshchenko in round 1 3 . The opening was the very sharp Botvinnik variation of the Semi-Slav ( 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 liJf3 liJf6 4 liJc3 e6 5 .i.g5 dxc4 6 e4 b5 7 e5 h6) and White won in 43 moves. In the post-mortem an improvement, or so it was thought, was found as late as move 30. Sveshnikov was prominent amongst those seeking to strengthen Black's play and told Kasparov he was going to use the improvement in their game scheduled for round 1 6. Alas, next round Dorfman got in first, played the deviation on move 30 and also lost in 43 moves. Now it was Sveshnikov's tu m to tell Kasparov that he would not be adopting the ' improvement' after all. On an unofficial count the lesser group of non-GMs scored a fine 36�-28� victory over their

1 90


seniors, once again a confirmation of the dynamic nature of the Soviet chess school in the process of renewal. Of course the best confmnation was the win of the title by 1 8-year-old Kasparov in company with the quite young Lev Psakhis. Moreover, look at the two and a half point margin of victory. The culmination was the last round where Psakhis had to play with a comparatively inexperienced debutant Georgy Agzamov, whereas Kasparov was faced with a much harder task, the experienced Tukmakov who was going for a bronze medal. Kasparov had to play Black, in a game that attracted over two thousand spectators and was appropriately exciting. To appreciate the nuances, we suggest the reader turns to Kasparov's superb notes in his book The Test of Time. Vladimir Tukmakov-Garry Kasparov King's Indian Defence E74 1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 g6 3 lbc3 .tg7 4 e4 d6 5 .te2 0--0 6 .tg5 c5 7 d5 b5 8 cxb5 a6 9 a4 h6 10 .td2 e6 1 1 dxe6 .txe6 12 lbf3 axb5 13 .txb5 lba6 14 0--0 lbc7 (D)

One also has to give full recognition to the achievement of Lev Psakhis. Although he could not maintain the sole lead to the end, drawing his last-round game, this does not diminish his achievement, winning the title a second year running. His task was particularly hard the second time. As he commented, when he was making his debut, nobody took him seriously, whereas in the rank of title holder he had to meet particularly diligent opposition in his games. He managed to tempt Leonid Yudasin into an elegant trap.

15 l:tel lbxb5 16 lbxb5 d5 17 exd5 lbxd5 18 lbe5! l:te8 19 l:tcl .trs 20 lbc6 Wd7! 21 l:txc5 l:txel+ 22 Wxel l:te8 23 Wet lbb6! 24 b3 l:te2 25 .ta5 (D) Leonid Yudasin-Lev Psakhis In this slightly better position for Black, Psakhis played... 29... c4 This move looks a mistake open to refutation by a tactical operation. 30 .txc4 bxc4 31 l:txc4 Now the d4-knight is lost, but .. 31 ...lbf5!! White remains a piece down and resigned a few moves later. There was a curious miniature in round 6. Both players were from the Lvov school, whose 'graduates' also included Belyavsky. All had been coached by Viktor Kart. .

25....te4 26 lbe5 We7 27 lbd4 l:ta2 28 .txb6 .txe5 29 We3 Wxc5 0-1

49th Championship, Frunze 1981 Adrian Mikhalchishin-Oieg Romanishin Grunfeld Defence D85 1 d4 l2Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 l2Jf3 �g7 4 l2Jc3 d5 5 cxd5 l2Jxd5 6 e4 l2Jxc3 7 bxc3 c5 8 �e3 Wa5 9 Wd2 l2Jc6 10 l:bl cxd4 1 1 cxd4 0--0 12 d5 (perhaps White thought he had played his rook to its more usual post, c l ) 12 ...�c3 0--1 One of the fmest attacks in the contest was this:

Adrian Mikhalchishin-Georgy Agzamov Black played the careless... 15 g6?! He should have played 15 ...l2Jdxe5 . White now launched an impressive attack. �xf7 l:xf7!! 16 �xe6 e6+! 17 Setting off on a treacherous journey. Trying to hide on the kingside by 1 7 ...�g7 is no better, for after 1 8 exd7 �e7 1 9 Wd2 Black is hopelessly placed, and also material down. �e7 18 Wd5+ 19 :n A quiet move unleashing the attacking potential of White's pieces. 19 l2Jf6 The only defence, though inadequate, against the threats of20 �g5+ and 20 Wti+. �e8 20 �c5+ �e7 We6+ 21

191

l:xf6 22 Now White has material equality and an ongoing attack. 22 Wd7 23 Wt7+ �d8 24 �xe7+ l2Jxe7 24 ...Wxe7 loses at once to 25 Wd5+ 'iitc 8 26 l:xc6+! bxc6 27 Wxc6+ �b8 28 l2Jd5 We5 (or 28 ...Wb7 29 Wd6+) 29 Wb5+ �c8 30 �g4+. 25 l:O! Not giving any breathing space. The threat is 26 l:d l . 25 Wd4+ 26 �hl We5 Balancing on the edge of a precipice. Now 27 l:d1 + �c8 28 �g4+ �b8 would tuck the king away nicely, but ... 27 �g4! Cutting off the evacuation route. 27 l2Jf5 28 �xf5 gxf5 :xes 29 An unfortunate slip in the course of such a fme sequence. In the spirit of his onslaught White could decide matters quickly by 29 l:d1 + rj;>cS 30 Wd7+ 'iitb 8 3 1 l2Jb5 and there is no defence to the threats 32 Wd8+ and 32 l2Jd6. The text does not let the win go, but defers the end. 29 Wel+ :n l:e8!? 30 This is the tricky move which White had missed. 31 l:c8 l2Jd5 Black's pieces are fmally, to some extent, united, but it is clear he cannot solve all his problems with the king in constant danger. 32 Wf6+ �d7 We5 33 h3 Wf7+ 34 �c6 Or 34 ...rj;>d8 35 l2Jf6. l:f6+ 35 �c5 36 Wet+ :rs 37 �c6 �h2 38 l:f8 b4! 39 1--0 l:f6+

50th Championship Moscow, 2-28 Apri/ 1983 1 Karpov 2 Tukmakov 3 Vaganian 4 Polugayevsky 5 Balashov 6 Malanyuk 7 Petrosian 8 Psakhis 9 Romanishin 10 Agzamov 1 1 Azmaiparashvili 12 Belyavsky 13 Razuvayev 14 Geller 15 Yusupov 16 Lerner

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HERE WAS NO FINAL in 1 982, the year of the Soviet Zonal. Kasparov, like Korchnoi Tbefore him, found that his tournament opportunities and career development were being

inhibited by chess officials. As Krogius put it in a simple and telling comment: ' We have one World Champion at the moment and don't need any other.' The tensions arising from this growing Karpov-Kasparov conflict were to overshadow world chess for many years to come. A special effort was made to make the 50th contest a representative event, except that Kasparov did not take part - he had just won the first of his candidates' matches, against Belyavsky in March 1 983. Smyslov's victory was less clear-cut - his long match with HUbner had to be settled by the spin of a roulette wheel in an Austrian casino when the 50th USSR fmal was already in progress. The wheel of fate finally favoured the older man. The four Otborochny tournaments were held at Ivano-Frankovsk, Pavlodar, Severodonetsk and Yaroslavl, from which Lerner, Azmaiparashvili, Malanyuk and Razuvayev emerged as the winners. The First League was held at Telavi in Georgia in December, 1982. Vaganian and Agzamov headed the 1 8-man section and gained promotion. The fmal was held as late as April 1983 at Moscow with the strange number of 1 7 players. Tal was soon ill and fmally withdrew after round ten. The diagnosis this time was high blood pressure. The Latvian had begun with his usual first-round loss, to Geller. He started six games and completed only five, so his results, three losses and three draws, were not counted in the fmal table. In the later rounds two players had byes. Karpov needed the victory for his prestige, as he had only managed to come joint second to Boris Spassky in the prestigious Linares tournament of February 1983. He started slowly, losing to new Georgian star Azmaiparashvili in round 5, which reduced his score to just 500/o. Psakhis was the early leader on 4/5, but he slipped back as Karpov forged ahead. It was very close at the end. Polugayevsky was the last unbeaten player, going down to an inspired exchange sacrifice by Petrosian in round 13. Still, 'Polu' could have tied for first place, but he let himself run badly short of time in the last round against Malanyuk, and ruined a fme position by pressing too hard for the win.


1 93

Karpov's second win of the title was achieved with only five wins (compare with Kasparov's ten of the previous time) but each win had great content. The prize for the most beautiful game went to Karpov-Yusupov, which we join after 1 9 moves of a popular line of the Open Spanish.

Anatoly Karpov-Artur Yusupov The source of the psychological duel in this game goes back to A.lvanov-Yusupov two years before in the First League. Then there followed 20 J.xe4 dxe4 2 1 J:xb5 lbxd4 22 .:c5 .:fd8 23 J.xd4 Wxd4 24 Wxd4 :Xd4 25 :Xc7 h5 and a draw was agreed. Karpov assessed the position as in White's favour, contesting Yusupov's assessment of 'equal' in ECO. J.d3! 20 The innovation, posing real problems for Black. J.xd3 20 The alternative 20 ...b4 is even more unpleasant after 2 1 J.b5 .:tbs 22 .:xb4. Wxd3 21 By having the bishops exchanged on d3 and not on e4, White has safeguarded his base pawn at d4, strengthened the pressure on b5 and won time to double rooks. 21 .:fbs :fbi ! ? 22 Consistent. White would get nothing from the straightforward 22 .:xb5 .:xb5 23 Wxb5 lbxe5 24 Wb7 Wc6 25 Wxc6 lbxc6 26 .:ci .:a6. b4 22 h6 23 h3 14

.:d !

Exploiting the right moment to switch files. The point is to prevent the transfer of Black's knight from c6 to c4: now 24...lbas 25 Wb l !

lbc4 26 J:xb4 .:xb4 27 Wxb4 .:xa2 would fail 28 Wb8+ �h7 29 Wb1 +. It is clear that White's strategic appreciation has been perfect. 14 .:b6 .:ab8 25 Wbl 16 .:es lbd8 17 :eel lbc6 Black is forced to await developments, as the regrouping by 27 ...lbe6 was risky in view of 28 f4. 1s Wc1 .:sb7 19 .:es The threat is 30 .:bc2. 19 lbe7 �h2!? 30 Typical Karpov! He does not hurry to force events but prepares a possible second front by means of the advance g2-g4. He thus provokes Black into an active response which proves pointless at the moment. 30 lbf5?! This was the impulsive move White was waiting for. In his opinion, there were better moves, such as 30 ....:bs or 30 ... c6. 31 :bel! The trap closes and Black has to lose a pawn. 31 .:g6 The battle on the queenside is lost. Black's last chance lies in play on the other side. 32 .:xe7 .:xe7 WbS .:xc7 33 34 g4! Karpov is in his element. Without fearing any illusory weakening of the kingside, he generates pressure in decisive style. 34 lbb4 It is clear that after 34 ...lbxe3 35 Wxe3 Black is in a bad way. �h7 35 .:e8+ 36 Wdl ! A universal move, whereby White covers all possible entry points - d3, e2 and f3. Wa6 36 37 .:el Cooperation of forces above all. Now White threatens the unpleasant transfer of his bishop

1 94


via e3 and f4 to g3. Black's advanced knight is in jeopardy. f5 (D) 37 This tempting attempt meets with a surprising refutation, yet quiet measures would already be out of place. Karpov intended to meet 37 ...'ifa3 by 38 'ife2 and if 38 ...b3, then 39 axb3 'ifxb3 40 .l:tc7 and Black is badly placed.

Amongst the creative achievements of the old guard the inventive play of the bronze medal winner deserves recognition.

Lev Polugayevsky-Lev Psakhis

38 �g3!! A remarkable idea. It is a rare occurrence for the king to become the main attacking piece as early as a complicated middlegame. This bold move demanded exact calculation. 38 fxg4 He could still save the piece by 3 8... f4+ 39 i.xf4 tLlf5+, but after 40 �h2 it is time for Black to resign. 39 �xh4 gxh3 40 f4! The only move. The threat of 4 1 f5 destroys any illusions Black may have had. On the other hand, 40 �xh3 would be faulty in view of 40 ...'ife6+ 4 1 �h2 'iff5 and it is Black who wins. 40 41 42 A cunning ambush, but Karpov had foreseen this trick too. 43 l:lh2!! Diamond cut diamond! Now 43 ...l:lg3+ is met by 44 �g3 and the queen is guarded. Black's resources are now at an end. 43 'ii'd7+ 44 f5 1-0 A truly Karpovian victory!

This is Polugayevsky-Psakhis, in which double gold medal winner Psakhis has just sacrificed the exchange, supposing that he would win one of the queenside pawns and establish his knight on a fme post at c5. Disappointment awaited him ... b4! 22 Voluntarily surrendering a pawn with the crafty idea of penetrating with his queen right into the enemy position. axb4 22 tLlcS 23 24 This geometric manoeuvre has brought panic to the enemy camp. The c7-pawn, the basis of his pawn structure is lost. 24 bxa3 l:la8 'i'xc7 25 Resting all his hopes on the passed pawn, but perhaps he should have tried his luck in the endgame arising from 25 ...'ifb6 26 'ii'xb6 l:lxb6 27 l:txa3 . Yet, such compromises are not in the spirit of the temperamental Psakhis. tLlb3 'i'xd6 26 27 �h8 'i'xe6+ Black's flank has been swept clean, but how is White to cope with the passed pawn? l:tab1 28 The most natural method, but, alas, not the best one. After the game 'Polo' explained that he abandoned his original intention of 28 'ifc6

50th Championship, Moscow 1983 l:tb8 29 l:tab1 in view of 29 ...tLld2! ? 30 l:txb2 axb2 and did not notice the wonderful chance 3 1 l:tb l ! ! lLlxb 1 32 Wc7! and then 33 Wb7, which was the quickest way to win. 28 Wxb1 ! a2 29 l:lxb1 a1W 30 Wxb3 Psakhis's bold concept seems to have paid off, as material equality now exists, but ... 31 g4! This is not just room for the king but a window thrown wide open! Now it is Black, not White, who suffers from back-rank problems. We5 31

1 95

He cannot avoid fresh material loss 3 1 ...Wf6 32 Wb8+ Wf8 33 Wxf8+ l:txf8 34 gxf5. f4! 32 The queen, alas, cannot simultaneously guard b8 and the f-pawn. Now it is simple. 33 gxf5 l:lf8 34 l:ld1 Wc5 l:ld5 35 Wet+ 36 �g2 h6 37 'i'd3 Wb2+ 38 �g3 and Psakhis resigned a few moves later (1-0). Clearly, the veterans still had not exhausted their store of gunpowder!

51st Championship Lvov, 2-28 Apri/ 1984 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Sokolov Lerner Eingorn Mikhalchishin Belyavsky Lputian Novikov Tukmakov Vyzhmanavin Chernin Ehlvest Dorfman Psakhis Aseev Salov Chekhov Balashov Kharitonov

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HE REMAINING EIGHT CONTESTS, apart from the 1988 one, were not too strong. The

T USSR still looked a great power with internal cohesion, but the stagnation involved in having

old and ill leaders (Brezhnev, Andropov and Chemenko) in quick succession extended to many aspects of life. Kasparov got away with liberties which would have been unthinkable earlier, partly due his backing by Aliev, the KGB and party leader from Baku, who gained promotion to the Kremlin hierarchy at this time. Details of Kasparov's prickly attitude and failure to conform can be found in his provocative book Child ofChange. The 5 1 st contest may be summarized thus: Otborochny - four sections of 1 8 with three qualifiers to the top section from each. Volgodonsk - Novikov, Sveshnikov, Ehlvest; Irkutsk Lputian, Chemin, Chekhov; Minsk - Belyavsky, Vyzhmanavin, Eingom; Nikolayev - Aseev, Mikhalchishin, A.Sokolov. The First League at Tallinn in December 1983 was led by Dorfman 1 1/17; Lerner, Psakhis 1 0�; Gulko, Kharitonov 1 0. The fmal at Lvov, 2-24 April 1984. Sveshnikov, who was ill, was replaced by Salov. Tukmakov and Balashov were exempted in view of earlier successes. The title was taken in a sensational result by Andrei Sokolov, born 20 March 1963 at the mining and penal settlement of Vorkuta. Sokolov, not to be confused with a Latvian player with the same initial, nor with the Bosnian Ivan Sokolov, had a period of success in the 1980s. He was Moscow Champion as early as 1 98 1 , won the World Junior Championship in 1 982 and got as far as the fmal of the Candidates' in 1986-7, only to lose decisively to Karpov. Thereafter his form and motivation deserted him and his 1 9th place in the all-time world rankings in Warriors of the Mind ( 1989), well ahead of such stars as Reshevsky, Taimanov, Najdorf, Euwe, Rubinstein and Steinitz, looks even more of an aberration now than in 1 989. The surprise result, typical perhaps of a young field filled with great ambition, was marked by the failure of the GMs to come into the prize list. Sokolov's triumph was convincing with eight wins to his credit in the table.

1 97

51st Championship, Lvov 1984 His bold, energetic, thrusting style of play is clearly shown in this game against one of the favourites, a representative of the middle generation. Andrei Sokolov-VIadimir Tukmakov Sicilian Defence B89 1 e4 c5 2 d6 llJfJ 3 d4 cxd4 4 llJxd4 llJf6 5 llJc6 llJc3 .i.c4 e6 6 7 .i.e3 a6 1re2 8 1rc7 9 0-0-0 Both sides attack each other on opposite sides of the board. 9 llJa5 This rather straightforward treatment aims to drive the bishop from its natural attacking diagonal (10 .i.b3 b5 would induce the not too thematic move 1 1 0) and make an early start to counterplay. However, the early diversion of the knight from the centre gives White a free hand there. Nowadays the more elastic 9....i.e7 is preferred. .*.d3 b5 10 11 .i.g5 A far from stereotyped response. White does not begrudge a tempo to 'unload' the e-file and prepare e4-e5. Objectively, 1 1 g4 looks more logical, and if 1 l . ..b4, then 1 2 llJb1 .i.b7 13 llJd2 and then g4-g5. .i.e7 11 12 a3 Although this weakens the castled position, the prophylaxis is forced. If 12 f4? at once, then 12 . . .b4 1 3 llJb1 e5 ! 14 llJf5 .i.xf5 15 exf5 b3 ! 16 llJc3 bxa2 1 7 llJxa2 llJb3+ 1 8 �b I llJd4! with a dangerous initiative for Black. 12 :Z.b8 As so often in the Sicilian positions of this type, Black's king feels safest in the centre for the moment. By using the time saved by not castling, Black starts dynamic play on the flank, though in the sequel the rook does not develop its potential, so l 2 ....i.b7 and then 1 3 . . . :Z.c8 was probably better. 13 1ret

Once again careful play, full of foresight. The young master has the will power sufficient to rein in his aggressive intentions, combining them with prophylactic measures. The aim is to prevent 1 3 . . .b4, which would now be met by 14 axb4 :Xb4 1 5 .i.xf6 .i.xf6 1 6 llJd5! exd5 17 exd5+ �d8 1 8 1rxb4 .i.xd4 1 9 .i.xa6! (not 19 1rxd4? llJb3+) with advantage to White. 13 llJc4 14 f4 The time has come for active play, with e4e5 White's main idea. 14 .i.b7 15 :n :Z.c8 So the rook, not having achieved anything, changes tack with loss of time. Admittedly castling was risky: 1 5 ...0-0 1 6 1rh4 h6 (else 1 7 e5 !) 1 7 .i.xh6! llJxe4 (17. . .gxh6 18 1rxh6 is just bad for Black) 1 8 .i.g5 llJxg5 19 fxg5 g6 20 .i.xg6! fxg6 2 1 1rh6! and White has very strong threats. Yet l 5 ...h6! ? 1 6 .i.h4 0-0 would secure counterchances for Black. Now he comes under direct attack. 16 .i.xc4! 1rxc4 dxe5 17 e5! 18 fxe5 llJe4 It seems Tukmakov linked his hopes with this move, but a bitter disappointment awaits him. It was better to be reconciled to the unpromising but still defensible position arising from l 8 ...llJd5 1 9 llJe4 .i.xg5+ 20 llJxg5 0-0 2 1 1re4 g6 22 1rh4 h5. .i.xe7! 19 All would be well for Black after I 9 llJxe4? .i.xe4 20 1rxe4 .i.xg5+ 2 1 �b 1 0-0 The text seems to carry no danger for Black due to the intermediate capture on c3, but ... 19 llJxc3 (D) .

1 98


20 ii'f2! A very cunning zwischenzug from White, not foreseen by Black. It is a move demanding not only fantasy from White, but also deep analysis. 20 rs The only way to avoid immediate mate, but this is poor consolation... lbxdl exf6 21 There is nothing better, all the more so as it not only gains material advantage, but also contains a cunning trap. l:txdl! 22 The only move. The tempting 22 fxg7 loses after 22 ...lbxt2 23 gxh8W+ 'ifi>d7, whereas now

Black is helpless. 22 g6 If 22 ... gxf6 23 Wxf6 l:tg8, then 24 .i.d6 ! and Black loses at once. .i.b4! �f7 23 All covered now? No! b3! 24 A very fme impression is given by the apparently slow method of attack. 24 Wc7 Or 24 ...Wd5 25 lbf3 ! Wf5 26 l:td7+. 25 lbxe6! ! l-0 A fmal striking move. 25 ...�e6 loses to 26 .l:e l + and the desperate 25 ... Wxc2+ 26 Wxc2 .l:xc2+ 27 �c2 �xe6 also fails to 28 l:te I +.

52nd Championship Riga, 22 January - 19 February 1985 1

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HE ' OTBOROCHNY' at Barnaul, Borzhomi and Lvov resulted in the qualification of Vaiser,

T Gulko, Rashkovsky; Smagin, Ubilava, Kharitonov (and subsequently Gorelov and Rozentalis);

Aseev, Glek, Podgayets, Salov, Khalifman, Kholmov (and later Gurgenidze); Bagirov, Gavrikov, Gurevich, Kupreichik, A.Petrosian and Yudasin. The First League was run as two tournaments of 16 players each, with the top five of each qualifying for the fmal. Sverdlovsk: 1 -4 Kupreichik, Gavrikov, Psakhis, Gurevich 9; Chemin, Gurgenidze 8. Tashkent: 1-3 Agzamov, Smagin, Lputian 9; 4-8 A.Petrosian, Gulko, Razuvayev, Ubilava, Sveshnikov 8Yl, with Women's World Champion Maya Chiburdanidze on 7Yl. Then in the next year came the final at Riga. The field consisted of the new young elite combined with the middle generation and a single great name, Geller, now 60, and made for a bitter struggle. There were very many draws, Razuvayev actually making 1 8 ! So 1 6 of the 20 participants were close together in the fmal table, and the younger element displaced all the others except for Balashov. The outcome was the strangest of all the events. First place was shared by Gavrikov, Gurevich and Chemin. The play-off saw all games end in draws. While the chess officials were pondering what to do next, a journalist announced that there would be no further play and Gurevich would be winner on tie-break from the original contest. The officials were annoyed, but decided not to rock the boat. The journalist' s decision stood! My co-author puts the position rather differently in his account. Taimanov notes that ·superior tie-break in the original event had never been taken into account before. Curiously enough, only a few years later all three winners were resident and playing in other countries. Mikhail Gurevich moved to Belgium, Gavrikov to Switzerland and Chemin to Hungary. The latter kept his affiliation as the Ukraine after he had written his name for a short time in the Hungarian form of Czemyn, but later represented Hungary at team contests. The event counted as the Soviet Zonal. The three winners plus Sokolov and Balashov (on tie break} went forward to the Interzonal stage.

200


The gold medal winner' s clear strategic play is illustrated by this game. Mikhail Gurevich-Georgy Agzamov Nimzo-Indian Defence E49 d4 lLif6 1 c4 e6 2 .tb4 lL!c3 3 0-0 e3 4 5 .td3 c5 a3 .txc3+ 6 7 lL!c6 bxc3 8 l2Je2 d5 exd5 9 cxd5 10 0-0 So, by transposition, as often happens in this flexible defence, there has arisen a position in the Botvinnik system. The strategy to be followed has been verified over many decades. White, with his extra pawn in the centre, aims for e3-e4. Black tries to control the centre and play on the queenside based mainly on the c file and his pawn majority. 10 b6 To strengthen pressure on e4 by ... .tb7. A tempting alternative is 10 ...l:te8 1 1 f3 ilc7 12 l:la2 .td7 13 l2Jg3 l:tad8 concentrating his forces in the centre and leaving the bishop on its original diagonal. f3 11 l:te8 12 l:ta2!? Although not original, the speedy transfer of the rook to the kingside always makes a strong impression. 12 lL!a5 .tb7 13 l2Jg3 This is too straightforward an approach. He could consider the curious 13 ...lL!b7 !? and then 14 l:le2 cxd4 1 5 cxd4 lLid6 before fianchettoing the bishop. l:te2 14 l:tc8 cxd4 �h1 ! ? 15 16 cxd4 lL!c4?! This is a defmite slip. By means of 16 ... h5, intending ... h4, it was still possible to hinder or at least defer White's general plan. Now Black has condemned himself to a difficult defence. 17 l2Jd7 e4! g6 18 e5 f4 19 ilh4

At this point one has to recall the original game in this system, Botvinnik-Capablanca, AVRO 1 938. White here follows Botvinnik while Capablanca tried to stop the attack by ... f7-f5. Here this would be too risky: 1 9 ...f5 20 .txf5 ! gxf5 2 1 lL!xf5 l:tf8 22 ild3 would yield White an overwhelming attack. 20 l:tef2 l:tf8 (D) Still with the hope of creating a blockade by ... f5, but...

21 lL!f5! ! A striking and unexpected blow. White boldly sacrifices a piece out of purely pos itional considerations. He foresees that Black's forces will not be able to coordinate, a fine decision doing credit to the young champion. 21 gxf5 l:tfd8 .txf5 22 23 l:tf3! The cooperation of White's forces now proves irresistible. 23 l2Jf8 Otherwise the point h7 cannot be guarded. Black surrenders part of his material gain, but this proves inadequate. .txc8 .txc8 24 25 f5! The threat is 26 llg3+ and 27 .tg5. 25 l2Jg6 Not so much panic as sad necessity. Now it is all simple. fxg6 26 fxg6 ile7 l:tf4 27 ilg7 28 l:tf6 It would have been a good time to ring down the curtain. .tr5 ile1 29

52nd Championship, Riga 1985 30 l:lc8 31 The first and only move by this piece, and a decisive one. 31 32 e6 l:llxf5! 33 Here Gurevich proved a wonderful interpreter of Botvinnik's idea. The previous year's bronze medal winner Eingom failed this time, as is often the case after a sensational performance. However, he did play one of the best game of the tournament.

Vyacheslav Eingorn-Yury Balashov This is the position after Black's 1 5th move. White has the more active position, but Black's game looks sound, and if he could move a rook to c8 all would be in order. In this critical situation White fmds a clever way of developing a powerful initiative. 16 ftJa4! An energetic thrust based on tactical motifs. 16 l:lab8 Why such a modest response? Black seems to have a choice of three satisfactory continu ations: 1 6 ...tbxa4, 1 6...ftJxe5 and 1 6 ...l:lac8 yet, surprisingly, none of these works! 1 6...ftJxa4 1 7 l:lc7! ftJab6 1 8 l:lxb7 gives White a clear advantage, 1 6 ... ftJxe5? allows the double attack 1 7 ftJxb6, and, finally, 1 6 ... l:lac8 places Black in difficulties after 1 7 l:lxc8 .i.xc8 ( 1 7 ...l:lxc8? 1 8 9b3 !) 1 8 'i'c2 g6 19 ftJxd7 ftJxd7 20 a3. So, Balashov chooses defence in depth. .•.

201

17 l:lc7 Eingom thought that 1 7 lbxb6 ftJxb6 1 8 l:lc3 ! threatening 1 9 .i.xh7+ was also good. 17...'i'd6 Obviously the only move. 18 ftJxb6 ftJxe5!? Once again forced. 1 8 ... ftJxb6 19 'i'h5 f5 (19 ... g6 20 ftJxg6 !) 20 l:lfc l is very unpleasant for Black. 19 'i'c2! g6 20 'i'c5! This manoeuvre is the whole point. 20...ftJc4!? Balashov fmds the best chance. After 20...'i'xc5 2 1 .l:.xc5 ! .i.c6 !? 22 dxe5 l:.xb6 23 l:.fc 1 Black would have a difficult endgame. 21 ftJd7!? Obviously White is not satisfied with the win of a pawn as 2 1 ftJxc4 'ifxc5 22 l:.xc5 dxc4 23 l:.xc4 .i.d5 24 l:tc2 l:lb4 25 l:ld2 a5 would give fine counterplay. Nor did he fancy the endgame arising after 2 1 'i'xd6 ftJxd6 22 .i.d3 (22 lL!d7 can be met by 22 ...l:tfc8 23 l:lfc l l:lxc7 24 l:.xc7 l:lc8), preferring a more tactical battle. 21 ...l:lfc8 After this faulty move White's hopes are justified. The only defence was 2 1 ...l:.bc8 ! ?, leading by force to an endgame where Black retains drawing chances: 22 'i'xd6 ftJxd6 23 life I l:lxc7 24 l:txc7 l:.c8 25 l:.xc8+ .i.xc8 26 ftJc5. 22 ftJf6+ There was the more decisive line 22 l:.xb7! l:lxc5 23 dxc5 and if 23 ...llxb7 then 24 ftJf6+, but the text is good enough for a win. 22. .�f8 The least of the evils. 22 ...
53rd Championship Kiev, 2-28 April 1986 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Tseshkovsky Malanyuk Eingorn Lerner Balashov Gavrikov Bareev Rashkovsky Yudasin Gurevich Dolmatov Khalifman Lputian Belyavsky Azmaiparashvili Yakovich Smagin Dvoiris

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HE NUMBER OF QUALIFIERS from the Otborochny was now increased to six. Aktyubinsk:

TGorelov, Dvoiris, Panchenko, Rashkovsky and Kharitonov (and also Tseshkovsky on tie

break). Kostroma: Basin, Dolmatov, Zaichik, A.Ivanov, Yudasin, Malanyuk. Togliatti: Bareev, Vyzhmanavin, Kengis, Kuzmin, Pigusov, Podgayets, Yakovich. Once again two tournaments made up the First League. Minsk: I Malanyuk, IOY:z/ I 7; 2-3 Balashov, Smagin IO; 4-9 Panchenko, Yudasin, Tseshkovsky, Khalifinan, Rashkovsky, Azmaiparashvili 9K Kharkov: I Bareev IOYz; 2 Dolmatov IO; 3-5 Lputian, Dvoiris, Lerner 9'h; 68 Yakovich, Eingom, Dokhoian 9. Chemin declined his place in the fmal at Kiev. Tseshkovsky, a marginal qualifier from the two earlier sections, produced a surprise by taking his second gold medal after a gap of eight years. Bareev, making his debut, produced almost as big a surprise, as he scored the greatest number of wins and led almost throughout until a last-round loss to Rashkovsky produced the largest multiple tie in the history of the competition. On tie-break Malanyuk was second and Eingom, both from the Ukraine, third. Bareev was only 7th. Another debutant and coming man was Khalifinan. The 'semi-veteran' Tseshkovsky played some splendid games. Here is Tseshkovsky Dvoiris after 2 I moves. Using his space advantage, White moves into the attack. 22 g6! .if6 Vitaly Tseshkovsky-Semyon Dvoiris

53rd Championship, Kiev 1986 Obviously, after 22 ...hxg6 (or 22 ...fxg6) 23 .i.xe5 dxe5 24 fxg6 Black would be in a bad way, but possibly the lesser evil was 22 . . .'iff3+ 23 Wxf3 tiJxf3, although then 24 ltlg4! ltld4 25 f6! .i.xf6 26 ltlxf6+ gxf6 27 gxf7+ �xf7 (27 ...�g7 28 f8'W'+ .:r.xf8 29 .i.xd6) 28 .i.g5 gives a difficult endgame. 23 .i.xeS!? .i.xeS 24 .:r.ae1 'W'xb2 25 'W'xh7+ �f8 26 f6! Energetic and effective. The f-file is opened and Black's hopes for a successful king evacuation via e7 are destroyed. 26... ..i.xf6 27 ltlg4! �e7 If27 ... fxg6 White had ready 28 e5 ! . 2 8 .:r.xf6! 1--0

203

Balashov and Belyavsky. Their game is uncompromising from start to fmish. 14 b4!? 15 'W'xg7 .:r.f8 16 .:r.xa1 .:r.a6!? Properly speaking from this point we have the real game. By his last move Belyavsky removes the rook from the influence of the g2bishop and brings it into the defence. Earlier 16 ...bxa3 had been tried with the sequel 17 dxe6 .i.xe6 (if 1 7...l:.a7 then 1 8 exf7+ l:.axf7 1 9 ltlxf7 'W'e7 20 'W'e5 !) 1 8 .i.xa8. In the curious first game of this variation played in 1 984 between Chemin and Yudasin there came 1 8 ...'W'xd4 19 l:tb1 ltld7 20 ..i.c6 'ifd6 2 1 .i.xd7+ .i.xd7 22 ltlxc4 'ifc5 2 3 .l:.b8+ .i.c8 24 There were special creative prizes at the .l:.xc8+ and White won. event. Balashov won the Best Game award. 17 exd5 .i.cl A perfectly natural response. However, in the opinion of Balashov, 17 ... f6! deserved preference and if 1 8 ltlxc4 ( 1 8 .i.h6 is risky in view of 1 8 ...'W'e7 19 'ifxe7+ �e7 20 .i.xf8+ �xf8 2 1 ltlxc4 a4 !) then 1 8 ....l:!.f7 1 9 'ifh6 exd5 20 ltJe3 .i.e6, although even here after 2 1 .i.f3 !? White's attacking potential is full compensation for the lost material. .:r.xh6 .i.h6!? 18 This attempt to cut the Gordian knot at one stroke fails. So he should consider 1 8 ...'ife7 (but not 1 8 ... 'W'd6?! 1 9 .:r.e1 'ifxh6 20 ltlc6+ 'ife6 2 1 l:.xe6+ .i.xe6 22 tiJxb8 .l:!.b6 23 'ife5 c3 24 'W'c7 c2 25 .i.fl ! and according to Bala shov's analysis Black loses) 19 l:.e1 .i.e6 and if Yury Balashov-Aiexander Belyavsky 20 'W'xh7 then 20 ... ltld7. The position remains as complicated as before but Black's pieces This is Balashov-Belyavsky after the opening moves 1 d4 dS 2 c4 e6 3 li::lf3 ltlf6 4 have achieved the desired coordination. .i.e6 19 'W'xh6 g3 dxc4 S .i.g2 bS 6 a4 c6 7 axbS cxbS 8 ltleS 'W'e7 20 .:r.el ! li::ldS 9 ltlc3 .i.b4 10 0--0 .i.xc3 l l e4!? .i.xb2 21 12 exdS!? .i.xa1 13 .i.a3!? aS 14 'W'g4 ltJxc4! This blow gives White a dynamic initiative. (Catalan Opening E04). The position looks highly irrational, the fruit Even in the less explosive line 2 1 ltlxf7 'W'xf7 of great imagination. White is a rook down, but 22 .:r.xe6+
204


fxe6 26 .ib7+! �d8 27 ._xa5+ �e7 28 .idS! l:f6 29 .ixc4 there is nothing left but the memory of the formerly threatening passed pawns. 25 dxe6+ fxe6 26 �c8 ._d4+ Or 26.....d6 27 ._g7+ ._e7 28 ._e5 ! and Black is helpless. l:xe6 27 c3 What else is there? If 27...l:d8 28 ._e4

l:dl + 29 .ifl c3 then 30 l:e8+ l:d8 3 1 .ih3+ lbd7 32 •as+ �8 33 ._c6+ ._c7 34 .ixd7+. 28 �b7 .ib3 ! Or 28 ...�d7 29 l:a6 �b8 30 .ig2. �a7 29 ._dS+ Everything is simple after 29...ltk6, since 30 .ig2 l:c8 3 1 l:xc6 ._xc6 32 �5+ wins. 30 .ig2 �a6 l-0 31 l:c6! A game of remarkable content.

54th Championship Minsk, 3-29 March 1987 Q.-Belyavsky ! 1 \,2,,:salov �·. :�_�hlvest ; 4 Eingorn �)Chernin �usupov 7 Dolmatov 8 Kupreichik 9 Lputian 10 Psakbis 11 Tukmakov 12 Bareev 13 Gavrikov 14 Malanyuk 15 Rashkovsky 16 Khalifman 17 Gurevich 18 Tseshkovsky

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ET ANOTHER CHANGE in the Otborochny applied in August 1 986. Two tournaments with

Y32 players each were played as 1 1 -round Swisses with eight players from each going into the

First League. Sevastopol: Aseev, Goldin, Dokhoian, Kruppa, Novikov, Psakhis, Ubilava, Khuzman. Pinsk: Vyzhmanavin, Kupreichik, Ermolinsky, Kaidanov, Ivanchuk, 011, Sveshnikov, Serper, Temirbayev, Ehlvest, Yakovich (the last three being admitted as reserves). The First League had two sections. Kuibyshev: 1 Tukmakov 1 1 Y:J18; 2 Khalifman 1 1 ; 3-4 Rashkovsky, Ehlvest 10Yz; 5-6 Kupreichik, Khuzman (the former qualifying) 10. Irkutsk: 1 Lputian 1 1 ; 2 Salov 1 0Yz; 3-6 Bareev, Psakhis, Gavrikov, Dolmatov (the last two being admitted as reserves). The fmal at Minsk in March 1 987 should have been a celebration of the 1 9 1 7 Revolution, but it was too early in the year (the February/March deposition of the Tsar was the so-called bourgeois revolution - that of the Bolsheviks came in October/November). Also, this was now the time of Gorbachov's new course, with economic realities fmally breaking through. Belyavsky, Chemin and Yusupov were admitted as competitors in the 1 985 Candidates' . Belyavsky and Salov won and had to play a match o f four games, which the former took with two wins and two draws. The event was also the Soviet Zonal. The three named above were already exempted by FIDE to the Interzonal, so Salov, Ehlvest and Eingom moved on to the Interzonal stage. If we compare the tables of this event and the previous one we see a remarkable coincidence of names. Almost two thirds of the players were the same. For Tseshkovsky it was not such a happy coincidence as he descended from first place to last, whereas Belyavsky rose 14 places to take first prize. Yet the real sensation was the rise of Valery Salov from Leningrad who shared first place. Only the loss of a play-off match forced the young grandmaster to settle for the silver medal. Here is a characteristic example of the experienced Belyavsky at work.

206

The Soviet Championships Alexander Belyavsky-Evgeny Bareev Dutch Defence A90 d4 c4 g3 �g2 l2Jf3

f5 l2Jf6 e6 d5 c6 0--0 �d6 In the classical Stonewall the bishop normally goes to e7. On d6 it is liable to be exchanged, which is in White's favour. 0--0 �f4!? 7 If the bishop has to be exchanged it is more sensible to take on f4, as Salov played in the tie-breaker. 'it'xd6 �xd6 8 b6 'it'c2 9 One of Black's main problems is how to develop his locked-in bishop. From this point of view it was more logical to play 9 ...�d7 I 0 llJbd2 �eS. l2Ja6 l2Ja3 10 Black has already to take great care. After the impulsive I O...�b7 there could follow I I cxd5 cxd5 ( l l ...exd5? 12 'it'xf5) 12 llJb5 'it'd7 1 3 'it'c7! and if 1 3 ... .:tcS then 14 'it'xd7 l2Jbxd7 1 5 llJd6 .:tc7 1 6 .:tfc l �c6 1 7 .l:.c2 as analysed by Belyavsky. .:tact 11 �b7 cxd5 cxd5 12 'it'e7 llJb5 13 If 1 3 ...'it'd7 there is the unpleasant 1 4 'it'b3 ltfcS 1 5 l2Je5. 14 'it'a4!? l2Je8 Bareev tries to regroup his forces to repel White's pressure. If the stereotyped 14 ...ltfcS is played, then 1 5 l2Je5 and Black is very uncomfortable - the a7-pawn. 15 ltc3 l2Jec7 16 l2Jxc7!? The obvious 1 6 ltfc l would enable Black to simplify by 1 6....:tfcS 1 7 l2Je5 l2Jxb5 I S 'it'xb5 ltxc3 1 9 .:txc3 &!Jc7. White prepares another role for his rook. 16 &!Jxc7 (D) 17 h3 Belyavsky attaches two exclamation marks to this move, for all its modest appearance. To exploit Black' s piled-up pieces on the 1 2 3 4 5 6

queenside White prepares play on the other wing.

17 .:res Black clearly did not understand his opponent's cunning scheme and in simple minded fashion concentrates his forces to where the epicentre of play was previously. As soon becomes apparent he should not waste time on this rook move but play 1 7... a6 with the idea of transferring the knight to b5 and d6. 18 g4! g6 After this natural move White carries out his programme without hindrance. Belyavsky considered that the best reaction would have been I S ...&!JeS and then 1 9 ltxcS �xeS 20 gxf5 exf5 2 1 &!Je5 &!Jf6 although even so White still has an advantage. 19 gxf5 gxf5 l2Je8 l2Je5 20 Already it's too late. 21 l:tg3+ �h8 �h2! 22 &!Jf6 23 ltg1 ltc7 The clouds have gathered around Black's king. If he tries to simplify by 23 ....:tgS there is the unpleasant reply 24 Wa3 (with the point 24 ...'it'xa3? 25 &!Jf7#) or 23 ...&!Jh5 24 l:tg5 ! . �f3 24 �c6 There is already no good move for Black. 24 ...&!Je4 is refuted by 25 �xe4 dxe4 26 Wxa7 ! ! . 'it'b3 25 Obviously not 25 &!Jxc6 in view of 25 ...'it'eS and the knight is lost. 25 l:tg8 (D) Finally Black has grouped his forces for the defence but White's threats are too much.


.thS! 26 A crushing blow. The bishop cannot be taken and the threat is 27 lbf7+. 26 'it'f8 Nor does 26 ...l:txg3 27 'Wxg3 'Wg7 help in view of 28 'it'h4! 'ifh6 (28 ...'Wf8 29 .tf7! l:txt7 30 lbg6+) 29 l:tg6! hxg6 30 'it'xf6+ 'it'g7 (30 ...:g7 3 1 lbt7+) 3 1 'it'd8+ �h7 32 .txg6+. lbxg8 27 :xg8+ .tbS 28 'it'g3 Forced. The threat was 29 lbg6+ and 28 ....te8 would be met by 29 .txe8 'Wxe8 30 lbg6+. lbf6 'it'h4! 29 There is no defence. 29 ... l:tg7 loses to 30 :xg7 �xg7 31 ._g5+, and if 29 ....te8 then 30 .txe8 'it'xe8 3 1 lbg6+ 1Jg7 32 lbe7+. l-0 .tti! 30 The fmal blow. There is no satisfactory defence to the two threats 3 1 'ifxf6+ and 3 1 lbg6+. Belyavsky's flexible strategy made a great impression.

Vyacheslav Eingorn-Viktor Kupreichik

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Among the creative efforts of the 54th Championship there was one truly fantastic endgame between Eingom and Kupreichik. This position arose after 62 moves. White's prospects are clearly better, but how is he to exploit his advantage? Eingom fmds a remark able line demanding deep and accurate analysis. aS lbc6! 63 Kupreichik relied on this reply. Other defen ces make White's task simpler. For example: a) 63 ....txc6 64 bxc6 a6 65 c7 b5 66 .txb5 ! axb5 67 1Jb4 1Je6 68 1Jxb5 �d7 69 1Jb6 and the a-pawn decides; b) 63 ...lbc8 64 .tb3 ! .txc6 65 bxc6 lbe7 66 c7 a6 (or 66 ...�e6 67 .ta4 a6 68 .tc6 ! ) 67 .ta4 b5 68 .txb5 ! axb5 69 �b4 and White wins according to the familiar method. bxa6! ! 64 An unusual piece sacrifice in an endgame. By giving up the knight Eingom opens the way for a decisive king entry. 64 .txc6 The win is clear for White after 64 ... .txa6 65 lbb8 .te2 66 tt:ld7+ �e6 67 tt:lxb6 .txf3 68 .td7+ 1Jf6 69 a4. 65 �b4! .ta8 The only move, otherwise after the exchange ofbishops the king just walks in. tt:lc6+ 66 .td7! Once again the best chance. If 66 ... f4 at once then 67 exf4 tt:lc6+ 68 .txc6 .txc6 69 fxg5+ and White wins easily. f4!? �bS 67 .txc6!! 68 The only way. White lets the pawn through to queen. After 68 exf4 tt:lxd4+ 69 1Jxb6 gxf4!? 70 .tc8 (70 gxf4 �e7) 70 ...fxg3 7 1 hxg3 tt:le6! 72 .tb7 .txb7 73 axb7 lbc5 it is Black who wins. 68 fxe3 68 ... .txc6+ 69 �xc6 fxe3 is bad because of 70 a7 e2 7 1 as• e1._ 72 ._f8+. e2 69 .txa8 70 �xb6 el 'if (D) A remarkable position. White has only a bishop and two passed pawns for the queen, yet Black cannot save this position. 'it'c3 7l .tc6 Or 7 l ...'it'b l + 72 .tb5 'it'b2 73 a7 'it'xd4+ 74 �b7 'it'b2 75 a4! .

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55th Championship Moscow, 25 July - 19 August 1988 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Kasparov Karpov Yusupov Salov Eingorn lvanc:huk Yudasin Belyavsky Ehlvest Smyslov Gavrikov Sokolov Vaganian Khalifman Smirin Gurevich Malanyuk Kharitonov

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HE 55th CHAMPIONSHIP was the last great event of the whole series. 'There hasn't been a

Tchampionship like this for fifteen years! ' said Botvinnik. We have to add: 'And there will

never be its like again' . After recent fmal an d qualifying events had 'widened the geography' of the contest, the fmal was back in Moscow. Yet it ended in a scandal which showed that the K-K rivalry was now out of control, despite the august presence ofBotvinnik as senior arbiter. The Otborochny consisted of two Swiss tournaments at Norilsk (another name redolent of the Gulag) and Pavlodar, from which eight each went on to the First League, namely Vyzhmanavin, Gelfand, Kaidanov, Lerner, Malishauskas, Smirin, Timoshchenko, Yudasin and subsequently Oil plus Khuzman; then Dokhoian, Ermolinsky, Zaichik, Loginov, Novikov, Panchenko, Pigusov and subsequently Dzhandzhgava plus Kharitonov. The First League had two sections. Lvov: won by Ivanchuk in his first great showing, 1 1 Yu'17; 2 Yudasin 1 1 ; 3-5 Gavrikov, M. Gurevich, Chernin 10; 6 Novikov 9; 7-8 Bareev, Dzhandzhgava 8Yz. Sverd1ovsk: 1 Smirin 1 1 ; 2-3 Khalifman, Kharitonov 10Yz; 4-6 Gelfand, Malanyuk, Tseshkovsky 10; 7 Dokhoian 9Yz. So to Moscow, as late as July-August 1 988, for an event that had proved very difficult to schedule. Kasparov, Karpov, Smyslov and Tal were exempt. Tal withdrew after one round due to illness and was replaced by Eingorn. Kasparov had a typical sequence for him of a series of draws in rounds 4-9 before winning five in a row. Up to the 14th round the two Ks were kept company by Salov, but the young man from Leningrad, who was later to move to Spain, then lost two games. Moreover, he failed to make the most of a number of adjourned games. Belyavsky had begun with four draws and then three wins, but faded. His loss against Gavrikov was the only decisive result of the last round. So, it was a form result in the end. A full description of the scandal which then erupted is to be found in my reports in the contemporary BCM, October pp.442-445, November p.503 and December p.533. Summarizing, one can say that Karpov had never agreed with the envisaged four-game tie-break match after a

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short interval of just two days. Kasparov too disliked the provision that a 2-2 result would mean playing on until the first decisive game - a repetition of their marathon encounter for the world title which was broken off by Campomanes in one of the great irregularities of modem chess his tory. Both Karpov and Kasparov had engagements in the near future. Kasparov also pointed to his superior tie-break in the original contest, and thought this should decide in the event of a 2-2 draw. Supporters of each side could claim that their man had grounds for a win by default. The wrangles were finally settled by a meeting of the plenum of the Soviet Chess Federation as late as October 22. In view of the irreconcilable differences between the two, and various split votes, it was decided to declare both players winners of the gold medal. Kasparov gained the special prize for an impressive attack.

Garry Kasparov-llya Smirin Kasparov now plays a far-sighted combination. 35 i..x f6! l:r.xf6 36 l:r.xf6 •xb5 37 l:r.e6!! The most difficult quiet move in the attack. The study-like point is to make room for the white queen to penetrate, whereas the obvious 37 l:r.f8+ i..xf8 38 Wxf8+ �h7 is only a draw. 37 �g8 In the event of 3 7 ...l:r.xc4 Kasparov intended 38 ._f7 ! ._c5+ 39 'it>h2 and if 39 ...l:r.c l then 40 l:.e8+ �h7 4 1 l:.g8 ! ._gl + 42 �h3 and Black is mated. 38 i.. h 3! l:r.xc4 (D) A more stubborn defence is 38 ...l:.a7 but Smirin simply didn't see a remarkable blow so typical of Kasparov. i..xh6 39 l:r.xh6! ! Alas there is no counterplay by 39 ...-.c5+ 40 �hl .:te l in view of 4 l i..e6#. 40 .te6+ �h8 ..f6+ 41 1-0

Mate is forced: 4 l ...i..g7 42 Wh4+ i..h6 43 ._xh6# or 4 1 ...�h7 42 Wf7+ i..g7 43 i..f5+ 'it>h8 44 �5+ 'it>g8 45 i..e6+ 'it>f8 46 -.rl#. Co-winner Karpov was true to his remar kable positional style, so hard to imitate whereby his methods are camouflaged, giving the impression of great simplicity. One of his best efforts was his game against the bronze medal winner. Anatoly Karpov-Artur Yusupov Queen's Gambit Declined D36 1 c4 e6 2 lt:lcJ d5 3 d4 i..e7 4 lLlf3 lLlf6 5 cxd5 exd5 6 .tg5 c6 7 ._c2 This queen move in the Exchange Variation aims to render ...i..f5 difficult. For a long time theory considered it as harmless in view of 7 ...g6 8 e3 i..f5 9 i..d3 i..xd3 10 -.xd3 with simplification. The weakening caused by ...g6 is insignificant. Only recently had a new idea come to light which attracted Karpov here.

55th Championship, Moscow 1988 7 g6 e4!? 8 Exploiting a slight lead in development, White tries to open the game and activate his pieces. Curiously, in the previous round, this position had arisen in... Eingom-Karpov! 8 lDxe4 Karpov himself had played 8 ... dxe4 here, and after 9 ..txf6 ..txf6 10 'ii'xe4+ ..te6 1 1 ..tc4 'ii'e7 12 ..txe6 'ii'xe6 1 3 'ii'xe6+ fxe6 14 0-0-0 there arose an endgame that was slightly better for White, but ended in a draw. In the years that followed this continuation was investi gated further (in particular, instead of 1 O.....te6, 10 ...<;i;>f8 !? 1 1 ..tc4 <;i;>g7 12 0-0 l:l.e8 13 'ii'f4 ..te6) but the assessment remained unchanged. �xe7!? ..txe7!? 9 Naturally 9...'ii'xe7 would fail to 1 0 lDxd5 but the loss of castling in the present situation is not very risky. dxe4 lDxe4 10 ..te6 'ii'xe4+ 11 Later on 1 1 ...�f8 12 ..tc4 ..tf5 was tried several times, but practice showed that this is slightly risky. For example, 13 'ii'f4 'ii'e7+ 14 �fl !? �g7 15 lDg5 ! ? l:l.f8 16 g4! ? and White has a noticeable initiative, Novikov-Brodsky, 1996. 'ii'aS+ ..tc4 12 �fl !? 13 This is the only way to struggle for an advantage. After 13 lDd2 lDd7 Black has no problems. 13 'ii'fS It seems that this is the manoeuvre Yusupov relied upon thinking that he would easily com plete his development, but it is not so simple. 'ii'e 3! 14 This unpretentious little move, to use a favourite expression of Flohr, makes Black realize that his position is not all that good his dark squares are weak and his pieces are awkwardly placed. 14 lDd7 An attempt to evacuate the king from the centre and get out of the pin would not work. For example, 14...�f8 15 ..txe6 'ii'xe6 16 'ii'h6+ �g8 1 7 g3 ! ? lDd7 18 �g2 and Black is in a bad way. Or 14 ... �f6? 1 5 d5 ..txd5 16 ..td3 and Black loses. 15 .:tel l:l.ae8 (D)

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It seems that Black underestimated the difficulties which have arisen. True, he only has to break the pin by means of 1 6 ...<;i;>d8 and the picture would change in his favour. Yet at this very moment fresh problems arise for him. 16 dS! A typical Karpov positional sacrifice of a pawn! White opens the ' sluices' to activate his forces. On the other hand other attempts involving material gain would be useless. For example: a) 16 ..txe6 fxe6 17 'ii'a3+? �f6 1 8 'ii'xa7? 'ii'b5+ 1 9 �g1 l:l.a8 and Black wins; b) 16 'ii'a3+ �f6 17 ..td3 'ii'd5 18 'ifxa7 ..tg4! and White comes under attack; c) 16 lDg5 �d8! 17 ..txe6 (or 17 lDxe6+ fxe6 1 8 ..txe6 'ii'b5+ 19 g1 .l:.e7!) 1 7 ...fxe6 1 8 lDxe6+ �c8 19 'ii'b3 l:l.e7 and White's position is in danger (as analysed by Igor Zaitsev). 16 cxdS 17 ..tbS! The only good move! The tempting 17 lDd4 would encounter the elegant refutation 1 7 ...'ii'e5 ! and if 18 'ii'a3+, then 1 8 ...'ii'd6. 17 a6 Yusupov's attempt to untangle his pieces is quite natural, but in the opinion of Karpov only 17 ...d4! ? 1 8 lDxd4 'ii'c5 would enable Black to consolidate somewhat. �d8 18 'ii'a3+ Obviously 18 ...�f6 is bad because of 19 ..txd7 ..txd7 20 'ii'c3+. 19 'W'aS+! This tricky check could easily have been overlooked. �e7 19

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Black cannot evacuate the king to the queenside. 19 . . . �c8 would lose by force after 20 :c i +
h4! 23 Karpov proceeds to active play once he has split the enemy forces and occupied the centre. His initial threat is 24 li:lg5 which cannot be prevented by 23 ...h6 because of24 g4. 23 �d8 24 li:lg5! Now the threat is 25 l:[xe6! fxe6 26 g4! W'h6 27 li:lt7+, so Black's reply is forced. 24 l:[bf8 25 �e2! Not allowing the opponent a single breathing space. Karpov achieves maximum effect with minimum force. 25 ..h6 �f3! 26 White's pressure intensifies with every move. .:e7 26

The only defence to the threat of 27 �xd5 �xd5 28 :xeS+ �e8 29 'ji'xd5. Now, however, the capture on d5 would not be so powerful. 'ji'b4! 27 The threatening 'pendulum' moves of the queen continue. Compare White's queen in its active role with Black's which is shut out of play. 27 li:lf6 There is no other way of defending the pawns at d5 and b7. Yusupov resists with great stubbornness but his resources are running out. 28 'ji'd6+ l:[d7 li:lg8 29 'ji'f4! Once again the only move - not 29 .....g7 30 l:.xe6! . 30 �g4! Now Black's main defensive stronghold at e6 is eliminated (30...�xg4? 3 1 'ji'bS#) and the struggle approaches its fmal phase. 30 �c8 fxe6 31 �xe6 �d8 l:[cl+ 32 �e7 li:lxe6+ 33 'ji'xf8 34 'ji'xf8+ �xf8 li:lxf8 35 36 l:[h3 Now White has both material and positional advantage. The remaining moves need no notes. li:le7 36 37 h5 �g7 �f6 38 h6+ �e6 39 l:[f3+ 40 l:[el+ �d6 �c7 l:[f6+ 41 42 g4 li:lc6 43 .:e8 d4 This was Yusupov's sealed move when the game was adjourned, but he resigned (1-0) without further play. Here is Tal's comment on the game: 'Karpov's win over Yusupov makes a great impression. He drove his opponent into a hopeless position in such elegant style. The move h4 was particularly impressive. ' The number of masterpieces in the 55th championship was so great that we must quote one other memorable example. Here is an

55th Championship, Moscow 1988 elegant endgame where the great man demonstrated yet again his unfading talent. This is Smyslov versus Eingom, where Vasily Vasilyevich created a wonderful zug zwang position. bxc6 l:lxc6! 42 l:lxc6 l:leS 43 The threat of 44 l:lc7 forces Black to guard e6 yet again, but now comes a surprise. l:ld8 l:lc7 44 l:lxe6 lbxe6!! 45 1-0 h4! 46 Black is a rook up in the endgame but he has no way of preventing great material loss, so Eingom resigned.

Vasily Smyslov-Vyacheslav Eingorn

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56th Championship Odessa, 23 September - 15 October 1989 1 1 Vaganian 2 Belyavsky 3 Gelfand 4 Dolmatov 5 Eingorn 6 011 7 Lerner 8 Dreev 9 Aseev 10 Sokolov 1 1 Tukmakov 12 G.Georgadze 13 Balashov 14 Dvoiris 15 Malanyuk 16 Smirin

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HE 56TH CHAMPIONSHIP saw the last of the three-stage events, as so many complaints had

Tbeen made about the exhausting nature of often playing the same rivals several times within a

few months. The three-stage system also cut down the time available for playing abroad, which Soviet citizens were now having greater chances to do; chess players could hope for hard currency prizes at foreign tournaments. The Otborochny consisted of three tournaments at Barnaul, Blagoveshchensk and the trade union contest at Uzhgorod. Five qualifiers each came from the first two and eight from the last named. Barnaul had a six-man tie for first place between Yurtayev, Dreev, Kholmov, Aseev, Dvoiris, Savchenko, followed by Georgadze and Timoshchenko, the first two being reserves. Blagoveshchensk qualified Lputian, Korolyov, Ermolinsky, Lukin, Kaidanov and Dokhoian, the last-named as a reserve. Uzhgorod was stronger and admitted eight players: Basin, Guseinov, Ulybin, Balashov, Magerramov, Rozentalis, Ionov plus the Georgian Dzhandzhgava who came in as a reserve. Then the First League in November 1988 was run in two sections at Klaipeda (won by Dolmatov and Gelfand 1 0Ylil 7, ahead of Psakhis 1 0; Balashov 9�; Oil, Smirin, Aseev 9) and Simferopol (Dvoiris 1 1/17; Tukmakov, Malanyuk 1 0�; Dreev, Lerner, Georgadze 10; Yudasin, Ulybin 9�). The difficulties of arranging the fmal can be seen from the fact that it was scheduled for the spring of 1 989, but Vilnius turned it down, and then it was arranged at short notice at Odessa. It was played at the 'old' time limit of 40 moves in two and a half hours, whereas 40 in two and 20 in one was increasingly common as an attempt to play out all games on the day they started. Many big names were missing. One positive feature was the debut of Boris Gelfand who forced his way into the top half of the table. The true hero though, was Rafael Vaganian who took the title on his 38th birthday. He led throughout up to round 12, but then lost to Belyavsky. Before the last round Belyavsky and Dolmatov led Vaganian, Gelfand and Eingorn by half a point. Both leaders lost, Gelfand and Eingorn drew with each other and Vaganian beat Balashov to take the title. Belyavsky was declared second on tie-break.

56th Championship, Odessa 1989 Vaganian's dramatic last-round victory, although far from accurate, deserves examination.

Yury Balashov-Rafael Vaganian This position arising after White's 22nd move does not seem dangerous for either side. Vaganian had been manoeuvring patiently and now gives White a chance to open matters up. 22 ..d8!? l:.xb7 23 Accepting the challenge. If White chooses the passive 23 l:.b5 there would follow 23 ...l:.h5 ! and the threat of 24 ...�4 could cause trouble. 23 l:.xO! 24 gxO It is clear that after 24 'Wb I l:.xb7 25 ._xb7 l:.t7 White stands worse. 24 l:.xb7 The tactical episode has fmished in Black's favour. He has broken up the enemy kingside pawns and taken control of the b-file. Yet White too now has his chances. f4!? ..h4!? 25 The only way. If 25 ...exf4?! 26 .i.xf4 l:.d7 White would take the initiative by 27 ..e4. 26 ..g3 A sober decision. Transposing into the end game, even one with a worse pawn structure, is necessary. The attempt to maintain tension by 26 l:.fl would be convincingly rebutted by 26 ... e4! 27 -.xe4 l:.e7 28 ._f3 .!Df6 and, despite the extra pawn, White's position is in danger. 26 -.xg3+ 27 hxg3 It would seem that White does not stand

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badly in view of his pressure on the central pawn, but Black manages to dispel this optimistic illusion. 27 e4! This is a clever pawn sacrifice whose aim is to prevent the white bishop becoming active. If now 28 l:.xe4 then Black would gain a dangerous initiative by 28 ...l:.b l 29 l:.e l .!Df6 ! . For example 3 0 .i.d2 l:.b2 ! 3 1 .i.e3 .!Dg4, or 3 0 f5 .!Dg4! and the knight makes a comfortable transfer to c4 via e5. 28 f5!? 'An eye for an eye'. Balashov once again fmds the best chance. 28 l:.b1 29 �n �n 30 g4?! Balashov fails to maintain the tension and makes his first mistake, which is a serious one. As later analysis showed, White had an excellent chance to hold the position by 30 .i.f4 ! and after 30 ...l:xel + 31 �e l <:t;e7 then 32 g4! .!Df6 33 g5 hxg5 34 .i.xg5 c:J'Jfl 35 .i.f4! .!DeS 36 .i.g5 ! with a fully defensible position. 30 .!Df6 31 l:.xel+ .i.f4 Black could also consider 3 1 ...l:.b3 !? but Vaganian follows the path he has mapped out. .!Dxg4! 32 �xel Possibly Balashov considered that 32 ...�e7 was forced, when he could play the favourable 33 g5 hxg5 34 .i.xg5. Vaganian is not agree able to this compromise. a6 33 .i.xd6 34 .i.xc5?! This natural move is the decisive mistake. According to Vaganian only 34 c:J'Je2! f6 35 .i.xc5 �xf5 36 .i.f8 gave chances of salvation. 34 .!Des .!Dxc4 35 .i.d4 Now White's pawns are rendered worthless and he has no drawing chances. g6! 36 �fl �xg6 37 fxg6+ �f6 38 .i.b6 h5 39 .i.c7 �rs 40 �g3 h4 �fl 41 0-1 At this point the game was adjourned, and after home analysis Balashov resigned without

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further play. In fact, after both 42 .i.d8 h3 43 .i.e? e3+ 44
f3 ltle5+, and 42 .i.h2 ltlxa5 43 d6 (or 43 �e3 ltlc4+ 44 �d4 e3 45 �d3 a5) 43 ... ltlc6 44 d7 a5 45 .i.e? a4 46 d8,. ltlxd8 47 .i.xd8 a3 Black's pawns are unstoppable. Alongside the traditional awards, the 56th Championship had the unusual prize ' for the greatest amount of material sacrificed in the course of the tournament' . The paradoxical nature of this award lay in the fact that the effectiveness of the sacrifices was not taken into account and the fmal result of the game could be a draw or even a loss. Be that as it may, the prize did stimulate a bold approach and the winner was Boris Gelfand. Here is an example from his collection of sacrifices. White stands clearly worse and a draw would be an achievement. Gelfand achieves this by a three-fold offer of a piece.

Boris Gelfand-Aiexey Dreev 22 ltlxe6! fxe6 23 .i.xg6! �h8 24 .i.xh7! �xh7 25 _.h5+ �g7 26 _.h6+ �f7 27 _.h5+ �g7 28 .i.b6+ �h7 29 .i.g5+ �g7 30 ..h6+ �f7 31 _.h5+ and a draw by perpetual check.

57th Championship Leningrad, 18 October 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12

Belyavsky Yudasin Bareev Vyzhmanavin Epishin Khalifman Kuzmin Rozentalis Eingorn Shneider Dvoiris Novikov

13 Aseev 14 Smirin

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5 November 1990

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HE PENULTIMATE CONTEST was a lack-lustre affair. 1 989 had been the year of the break

Tup of the Soviet system in Eastern Europe. The economic indicators were also negative

throughout the whole Soviet empire, so it was no surprise that the stars preferred to seek income abroad. Signs of internal tension were everywhere as new bodies were set up and players struggled to express their new freedom. The semi-fmals were played late in 1 989. At Gorky, Vyzhmanavin 1 0113 led Dvoiris 9 and Dreev 8Yz. At the Latvian venue of Daugavpils, Smirin, Rozentalis and Aseev made 1 0/14, while the highly-fancied Shirov finished with only 8. Kherson in the Ukraine managed to attract the scheduled complement of 16, but during the event came news that the qualifiers would be the top two, not the top three. An appeal was made against this. Novikov and G.Kuzmin had 10Yz/1 5 . Romanishin was only fifth. The fmal had originally been scheduled for Erevan, but was actually played at Leningrad, soon to be renamed St Petersburg. Only seven GMs took part in the small field of 14. The early leader was Vyzhmanavin from Moscow who had 5 Yz/7, half a point ahead of Belyavsky. There were unsatisfactory aspects. Shneider and Aseev had a four-move draw in the first round. A four-fold tie resulted after Bareev beat Eingorn in the last round whereas Belyavsky just failed to make a piece sacrifice tell against Dvoiris. Presumably there was no money in the budget for a play-off, and on tie-break the placings were 1 Belyavsky, 2 Yudasin, 3 Bareev. Belyavsky's sceptical comment was 'There's something wrong with a championship where four people score the same number of points.' This was his fourth gold medal and, to be fair, he played better than the others, showing his usual depth of concepts and will power. Evgeny Bareev-Aiexander Belyavsky Nimzo-Indian Defence E30 1 2 3

d4 c4 ltJc3

ltJf6 e6 ..tb4

c5 ..tg5 d5 5 ..txc3+ The most principled way of treating the Leningrad system. Black doubles the pawns in the hope of blocking the centre and so reduces the flexibility of White's pawns.

4

218


bxc3 d6 6 e3 7 The alternative 7 f3 and then 8 e4 also has its points. We7 7 lt:Jf3 8 eS Sound strategy. With only a light-squared bishop left it is right for Black to put his pawns on dark squares. lt:Jd2 h6 9 gS!? 10 �h4 In a closed position with a stable centre this sharp advance has more positive features than negative. The aim is to limit the bishop's mobility. �g3 11 h4 12 Playing to open the h-file. Equally valid continuations are 12 f3 , 12 �e2, and 12 Wb3. 12 .Z:g8 hxgS (D) hxgS 13

This position is typical for the Leningrad system. At first sight White stands better in view of the two open files. Yet such an assessment is one-sided. There are defects in White's formation, his pawns and bishops lack mobility and cannot easily be activated. 'ifb3 14 If 14 f3 at once, which has been played from time to time, White not only has to consider the natural 14 ... lt:Jbd7 but also the more ambitious advance 14 ...e4!?. 14 'ifc7 Belyavsky is a supporter of logical play. He intended to complete development by means of ...lt:Jbd7 and .. 0-0-0 and persists in this plan. There is the more paradoxical but equally .

justified 1 4...�d8 1 5 .te2 �c7 which leads to much the same sort of position. lt:Jbd7 f3 15 �g6 16 e4 17 .ta g4!? An important move. Black not only rules out g2-g4 which could cramp his pieces on the kingside but he also thinks about counterplay. Wa4 18 A critical point. Up to here Bareev has played logically within the framework of his chosen system. He should now continue in the same natural way 1 8 .te2 0-0-0 19 0-0-0 and so harmoniously complete development. In stead we get a series of moves where White chases after the illusion of an attack and loses his objectivity. a6 18 .Z:b1 19 0-0-0 .Z:de8 .th4?! 20 l:b2?! .Z:h8 21 The picture is transformed. White has been running on the spot, whereas Black is now ready to play on the h-file. lt:Jb3 22 White is still under the illusion that he can attack by 23 lt:Ja5, yet this is easily repulsed and White's pieces are cut off at the edge of the board. He had to try 22 �e2 so that if Black doubled rooks on the h-file he would have the move g2-g3 in reserve. 22 lt:Jb6! Obviously not 22 ...l:h7 in view of 23 lt:Ja5 lt:Jb6 24 .Z:xb6 Wxb6 25 �xf6. 23 Was lt:Jfd7 Simple and convincing. Black has solved all his problems and proceeds to a counterattack. 24 .id3 (D)

57th Championship, Leningrad 1990 f5! 24 An excellent conclusion to his plan. The position is forced open and White's scattered pieces are not able to cope. 25 fxg4 There was no good move here. If 25 exf5 there comes the explosive 25 ...e4! with a quick breakthrough, e.g. 26 .i.xe4 gxf3 27 gxf3 ltle5 ! , or 26 fxe4 .i.xf5 27 l:l.e2 ltle5. If White tries 25 l:l.e2 then there is the very strong 25 ...gxf3 26 gxf3 .i.h5 27 ltld2 and now if nothing else, 27 ... fxe4 28 .i.xe4 ltlxd5 ! . fxe4 25 e3! 26 .i.e2 This far-advanced pawn breaks the communication between White's pieces. .i.e4! 27 ::th3 ..tn 28 The only move. 28 .l:.xe3 is bad in view of 28 ....l:.xh4 29 l:l.xe4 l:l.h l + 30 'ito>d2 'Wd8 !. ::teg8! 28 29 .i.e7 Once again forced but now Black strengthens even further his advanced post. 29 ::txh3 30 gxh3 .i.f3! 31 ltlcl Hurrying back to the defence. 31 �b8! Exploiting White's helplessness, Black calmly transfers the king to a7 to free his queen for action on the kingside. e4 32 ::th2 33 ::tb2 Otherwise simply comes 33 ... ltle5. 33...�a7 34 .i.h4 'Wc8! 35 .i.g3 'W'f8 36 'Wa3 'Wf6 37 'Wb3 :rs 38 'Wc2 .i.xg4 39 'ii'g2 0-1 Having made this superfluous move through inertia Bareev resigned without waiting for 39...'Wxc3+. As a consolation Bareev had a fine win over Khalifrnan. Here he begins a breakthrough which in a few moves destroys the apparently sound protection of Black's king. 20 b5! 'We7 21 ltlb4! c5 The attempt to hide on the a-file would not work: 2 l ...�a8 22 bxc6 bxc6 23 ltla4!. 22 b6! ! The tempting 22 ltlc6+ bxc6 23 bxc6+ fails to 23 ... ltlb6 24 dxc5 ::txc6.

219

Evgeny Bareev-Aiexander Khalifman 22 ... ltlxb6 23 ltlb5 a6 24 dxc5! 'Wxc5 Or 24 ...::txc5 25 ltlxa6+! bxa6 26 ._xa6 �7 (26 ....l:.c6 27 ltld4!) 27 'Wxb7+ �b7 28 ltld6+. 25 ltld6! a5 There was no defence. If 25 ...'ifxd6 then clearly 26 ltlxa6+. 26 ltla6+! bxa6 27 'ifxc5 ::txc5 28 ltlxe8 �a7 29 ltlxg7 and White easily converted his material advantage. There was an attractive fmish to the following game.

Alexey Vyzhmanavin-Igor Novikov Here there came the surprising and unexpected 33 ::tc7! causing Black to resign. If 33 ... ::txc7 White wins by the brilliant 34 'ifxf7+! ! 'ifxf7 35 dxc7 ::ta8 (or 35 ... -.xb3 36 cxd8'W} 36 .i.xf7+ �f7 37 c8'if ::txc8 38 ltld6+.

58th Championship Moscow, 1-13 November 1991 HE 58TH AND FINAL CONTEST produced perhaps the greatest surprise of the whole series.

TThere were a few big names in the field at Moscow, which was run as an Open Championship,

an 1 1 -round Swiss, but this time limited to 64 players. For example, there was Tal, but he was seriously ill and fmished only 47th on 5 points. With sorrow in one's heart one has to recall that this was one of his last tournaments. Yudasin, soon to emigrate to Israel was 44th, also with 5. Two little-known players shared first place, but the title went to the 24-year-old Armenian, Artashes Minasian, who had met much the stronger opposition, while Elmar Magerramov from Baku (like Kasparov, with whom he contested several training games when both were juniors) was second. However, Taimanov comments that the creative play of Magerramov was probably of a higher level. Here are the fmal scores, in tie-break order: I Artashes Minasian 8Y2/ l l ; 2 Elmar Magerramov 8�; 3 Vladimir Epishin (Karpov's second) 7�; 4 Sergey Rublevsky 7�; 5 Alexander Nenashev 7; 6 Sergey Kiselyov 7; 7 Viktor Bologan 7; 8 Vadim Ruban 7; 9 Alexey Vyzhmanavin 7; 10 Andrey Kharlov 6�; I I Artur Frolov 6�; 12 Alexey Shirov 6�; 1 3 Sergey Tiviakov 6�; 14 Rafael Vaganian 6Y2; 15 Alexey Kuzmin 6; 16 Vladimir Malanyuk 6; 17 Vladimir Kramnik (great star of the future) 6; 1 8 Valery Chekhov 6; 1 9 Vladimir Akopian 6; 20 Igor Novikov 6; 2 1 Sergey Makarychev 6; 22 Mikhail Krasenkov 6; 23 Sergey Ionov 5 �; 24 Maxim Sorokin 5�; 25 Grigory Serper 5�; 26 Vladimir Bagirov 5 �; 27 Oleg Nikolenko 5�; 28 Ildar Ibragimov 5�; 29 Konstantin Aseev 5�; 30 Alexander Shabalov (soon to be in the USA) 5�; 3 1 Alexey Dreev 5 �; 32 Leonid Yurtayev 5�; 33 Yury Yakovich 5�; 34 Yury Dokhoian 5�; 35 Smbat Lputian 5 �; 36 Yury Balashov 5�; 37 Evgeny Sveshnikov 5�; 38 Nukhim Rashkovsky 5�; 39 Boris Kantsler 5; 40 Pyotr Korzubov 5; 4 1 Marat Makarov 5; 42 Evgeny Malyutin 5; 43 Alexander G. Panchenko 5; 44 Leonid Yudasin 5; 45 Mikhail Ulybin 5; 46 Vyacheslav Eingorn 5; 47 Mikhail Tal 5; 48 Alexander Budnikov 5; 49 Konstantin Lerner 5; 50 Konstantin Sakayev 4�; 51 Yakov Meister 4�; 52 German Titov 4�; 53 Alexander Shneider 4�; 54 Semyon Dvoiris 4�; 55 Alexey Alexandrov 4�; 56 Ruslan Shcherbakov 4�; 57 Igor Naumkin 4; 58 Vladimir Savon 4; 59 Igor Zaitsev 4; 60 Mikhail Brodsky 4; 61 Andrey Lukin 4; 62 Valery Neverov 4; 63 Yury Kruppa 3 �; 64 Maxim N ovik 3 In earlier contests the money rewards had been meagre and were not publicized. This time prizes of five thousand roubles were awarded, one to Zaitsev for the best opening innovation, against Krasenkov and another, also 5,000 roubles ' for the most attractive game', to Shirov for his game against Nikolenko. The source of the funds was the short-lived International Union of Chess Players, founded by Kasparov with an office in Helsinki. Five thousand roubles sounds like a lot of money, but within a few months the inflation inherent in bringing the economy into the real world had rendered such sums practically worthless in terms of purchasing power. A contemporary judgement on the past? The 58th championship alas, through no fault of the chess players but through the fault of the politicians, comments Taimanov, was destined to be the last in a great series. It was not an overall examination of the Soviet chess school but an opening of the way for new names who now are top of the tree, though at that time the likes of Kramnik, Shirov and Tiviakov were not yet 20 years old.

58th Championship, Moscow 1991 There were few short games. Here is a curiosity, that looks more nineteenth century than a contemporary game. Maxim Sorokin-Evgeny Malyutin Philidor Defence C4 1 I e4 e5 2 lLlt3 d6 3 d4 f5 4 ..tc4 exd4 5 lLlg5 llJh6 6 lLlxh7 lLlg4 7 lLlxf8 �xf8 8 'Wxd4 lLlc6 9 'iid5 'We8 IO lLlc3 lLlf6 I I 'Wdi lLlxe4 I2 lLle2 lLle5 13 ..td3 lLlg4 I4 ..txe4 fxe4 I5 ..tf4 'Wg6 I6 'Wd2 ..td7 I7 lLld4 �g8 I8 0--0--0 .:tf8 I9 h3 'Wf7 20 g3 'Wxa2 2I lLlb3 lLlf6 22 'Wc3 ..te6 23 'Wxc7 ..txb3 0-I Elmar Magerramov-Viktor Bologan King's Indian Defence E92 d4 lLlf6 I c4 2 g6 ..tg7 3 lLlc3 e4 d6 4 ..te2 0-0 5 lLlt3 6 e5 ..te3 7 Theory has not made up its mind about this bishop move as it gives Black a tempo to develop his kingside play. lLlg4 7 ..tg5 f6 8 lLld7 ..th4 9 A pretty rare method of development. The main line is 9 ... lLlc6 1 0 d5 lLle7 I I llJd2 lLlh6, or 9 ... g5 10 ..tg3 lLlh6. 0-0 IO The alternative 10 d5 is also playable but White prefers more flexible play. IO h5?! With the centre still open such a weakening of the king position is risky. IO...lLlh6 was more natural; otherwise he could continue to manoeuvre by I O...c6. II dxe5!? The correct reaction. By opening the centre White underlines the drawbacks to Black's previous move. dxe5 II b4! I2 White exploits the fact that the threat 12 ...g5 is illusory in view of 13 h3. In an earlier game against A vshalumov at Baku 1 986,

22 1

Magerramov tried 12 'iid5+ ..tth7 13 l:tad l 'ike? 14 'i'a5 ! ? which is also worth examining. I2 lLlh6 Acknowledging that his l Oth move was wrong, yet perhaps he should have played 12 ... a5 first. 13 ..tg3 c6 I4 c5!? lLlf7 I5 'Wb3 This is an inaccuracy. White should play 1 5 lLld2 and then lLlc4. I5 ..th6!? This is the point. Now it is not so simple for White to carry out his plan. I6 l:tadi �g7 I7 lLld2 f5 (D) Unjustified optimism. It was too risky to open the game when behind in development. Black should have tried 1 7 .....txd2! ? 1 8 l:txd2 'i'e7 1 9 l:tfd l l:l.e8 20 f3 lLlf8 preparing to develop the queenside.

I8 f4! A remarkable decision. By sacrificing a pawn White begins active play. Obviously he should not play 1 8 exf5?? because of 1 8 ...h4. I8 h4 There is no choice. Black is in a bad way after 1 8 ...exf4 1 9 ..txf4 ..txf4 20 l:txf4 'Wc7 2 1 l:tdfl lLlde5 22 exf5 ..txf5 23 lLlce4. ..tf2 ..txf4 I9 20 lLlt3! An important link in the chain. By attacking the h-pawn White wins time to maximize the activity of his pieces. 20 lLlg5 This is Black's best chance. If 20 ...l:h8, 2 1 exf5 ! gxf5 22 ..tc4 when the threats 2 3 i.xf7

222


and 23 iLle2 leave Black defenceless. fxe4 iLlxh4 21 If 2 l ...tLlxe4 White intended 22 ttJxe4 fxe4 23 g3 �g5 24 itJg2 'ile7 25 �e3 with great positional advantage. 'ilc2 l:th8 22 'ile8 l:td6! 23 iLlxe4! 24 There is no point in White complicating by 24 l:txg6+ 'ilxg6 25 tLlxg6 �xh2+ 26 �h 1 �xg6, as the text-move robs Black of all his illusions. tLlxe4 24 'ilxe4 itJf6 25 'ilc2 26 The tempting 26 l:.xf6 �xf6 27 �d4 would be refuted by 27 ...l:txh4 28 l:txf4+ l:txf4 29 'ilxf4+ �f5, but White has no need of such forcing measures. g5 26 gxh4 27 g3! �h3 28 gxf4 At last the bishop sees freedom, but Black's king is now too badly placed. l:te1 29

l:th5!? f5 30 �hl ! 31 Obviously not 3 1 �xh5? 'ilxh5 and Black wins. 31 �xf5 32 l:tgl+ �h7 33 'ild1 ! l:th6 Or 33 ...�e4+ 34 �f3 l:tf5 35 �xe4 tLlxe4 36 l:td7+ �h8 37 �xh4 and Black's game is shattered. 34 l:tg5 �e4+ 35 �f3 �d5 cxd5 �xd5 36 If 36...itJxd5 then simply 37 l:xh6+ �6 38 'ilg4. 37 Just for the moment Black's pieces have achieved cooperation, but only for a moment. l:txh4 �xh4! 38 Or 38 ... .:f8 39 'ilf5+ �h8 40 �g3 . �h8 l:txf6 39 1-0 40 l:h5+ An excellent game which worthily crowns this anthology of the works of art produced in 58 Soviet championships.

This chronicle of the USSR Championships has perforce to be broken off here. These 58 events played a great role in the development of chess. Several generations of players learned from the games and the overall effect was to stimulate the game world-wide. So it is that the participants of these contests deserve the highest measure of thanks - for their love of chess, for their devotion to the game and the contribution they made to a creative heritage that made up a whole era!

Index of Openings Alekhine Defence B02 - 1 6, 22 Baltic Defence D06 - 62 Benoni Defence A44 - 129 Caro-Kann Defence B 1 7 - 1 5 8 Catalan Opening E04 - 63, 203; E08 - 60, 1 55 Chigorin Defence D07 - 74 Dutch Defence A90 - 206 English Opening A 1 7 - 168 Falkbeer Countergambit C3 1 - 63; C32 - 48 French Defence C03 - 84; C09 - 42; C 1 6 - 40; C 17 - 25; C 1 9 - 52 Griinfeld Defence D7 1 - 8 1 ; D85 - 1 9 1 ; D9 1 - 145; D96 - 35 King's Gambit C36 - 104 King's Indian Attack A04 - 85 King's Indian Defence E65 - 1 1 2; E68 - 67; E74 - 1 90; E80 - 93, 155; E85 - 3 1 ; E90 - 75; E92 - 22 1 London System A48 - 122 Modem Benoni A62 - 1 17; A64 - 164 Modem Defence B06 - 158 Nimzo-lndian Defence E25 - 1 29; E27 - 1 07; E30 - 2 1 7; E32 - 1 5 1 ; E33 - 45; E35 - 35; E38 - 23; E49 - 200; E52 - 89 Old Indian Defence A53 - 7 1 Philidor Defence C4 1 - 22 1 Pirc Defence B09 - 168 Queen's Gambit Accepted D25 - 1 1 7 Queen's Gambit Declined D36 - 70, 78, 2 1 0; D40 - 165; D55 - 1 80; D60 - 32; D66 - 38 Queen's Fianchetto Defence A50 - 29 Queen's Indian Defence E 15 - 63 Ruy Lopez C60 - 1 3 ; C68 - 1 33 ; C79 - 26; C84 - 20; C90 - 44 Semi-Slav Defence D46 - 59 Sicilian Defence B30 - 100; B48 - 147; B50 - 1 77; B53 - 1 39; B64 - 83, 1 84; B74 - 35; B80 - 57; B8 1 - 155, 172; B84 - 1 1 3; B87 - 1 52; B89 - 197; B94 - 97; B96 - 109, 1 6 1 ; B99 - 1 25 Trompowsky Attack A45 - 56

Index of Game5 Agzamov 1 9 1 , 200 Alatortsev 3 1 , 59, 63, 7 1 Alburt 1 78 Alekhine 13, 14 Anikayev 1 84 Antoshin 92 Aronin 65 Averbakh 8 1 , 83, 1 5 1 Bagirov 121 Balashov 1 68, 20 1, 203, 215 Bareev 206, 2 1 7, 2 1 9 Belyavsky 165, 1 87, 203, 206, 217 Bogatyrchuk 25, 26 Bogoljubow 22, 23 Boleslavsky 7 1 , 89 Bologan 22 1 Bondarevsky 42, 50, 56, 73, 122 Borisenko 84 Botvinnik 25, 3 1 , 32, 35, 44, 45, 52, 78, 84, 85, 87 Bronstein 104, 1 07, 1 22, 125, 130 Dementyev 1 52 Dorfman 1 72, 1 78, 1 80 Doroshkevich 1 50, 168 Dreev 2 1 6 Dubinin 44 Dvoiris 202 Dzhindzhikhashvili 1 55 Ebralidze 4 1 Eingom 20 I , 207, 2 1 3 Freyman 29 Furman 63, 1 29 Gelfand 216 Geller 67, 76, 83, 84, 85, 1 07, 1 72, 1 80, 1 84 Goldberg Goldenov 80 Grigoryev 13 Gulko 167, 1 77

Gurevich 200 Ilivitsky 62, 63, 8 1 Ilyin-Genevsky 14 Kan 38 Karpov 1 72, 1 93, 2 1 0 Kasparov 1 90, 2 1 0 Keres 48, 60, 6 3 , 74, 76, 78, 84, 1 00, 129, 1 3 1 Khalifman 219 Khodos 1 1 7 Kholmov 62, 1 00, 1 25, 133, 151 Klovans 121 Korchnoi 83, 96, 1 04, 109, 1 1 7, 125, 1 3 1 , 1 5 1 Kotov 45, 46, 57, 65, 67, 70, 85, 87 Kupreichik 1 66, 1 84, 1 88, 207 Kuzmin 1 29, 1 62, 1 87 Levenfish 20, 38, 40, 60, 69 Lilienthal 50, 54 Lisitsyn 50 Lutikov 142, 147 Maggeramov 22 1 Malyutin 22 1 Mikenas 73, 128, 130 Mikhalchishin 1 9 1 Moiseev 75 Nenarokov 22 Nezhmetdinov 1 1 3 Novikov 2 1 9 Panov 42 Petersons 125 Petrosian 70, 1 09, 145, 167, 1 68 Petrov 48 Platonov 142, 1 55 Polugayevsky 97, 1 05, 1 1 3, 129, 194 Psakhis 1 87, 190, 1 94

Ragozin 40, 4 1 ; 54 Rashl\ovsky 1 6 1 Rauzer j6, 35 Razuvayev 1 88 Romanishin 1 68, 1 77, 1 9 1 Romanovsky 16, 26 Ryumin 30 Sakharov 104, 142 Savon 145, 155 Shamkovich 155, 1 58 Simagin 75, 80, 1 09, 1 29 Smirin 2 1 0 Smyslov 52, 69, 8 5 , 1 34, 2 1 3 Sokolov 1 97 Sorokin M. 22 1 Sorokin N. 32, 35 Spassky 97, 1 04, 1 08, 1 12, 1 1 3, 1 6 1 Stein 1 08, 1 09, 1 2 1 , 1 28, 1 29, 133, 155 Suetin 1 2 1 Sveshnikov 1 62 Taimanov 89, 1 05, 1 34, 147 Tal 92, 93, 96, 1 12, 1 13, 1 1 7, 138, 142, 155, 158, 1 65, 1 80 Terpugov 74 Tolush 56, 57, 59, 63, 93 Tseshkovsky 1 64, 1 80, 1 84, 202 Tukmakov 1 50, 1 5 1 , 1 90, 1 97 Vaganian 164, 1 66, 2 1 5 Vasyukov 138, 1 39 Verlinsky 20, 23, 29 Vilner 1 6 Vyzhmanavin 2 1 9 Yudasin 190 Yudovich 35, 46 Yusupov 1 87, 1 93, 2 1 0 Zaitsev I. 1 52 Zhelyandinov 139 Zilbershtein 158

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