The games of the U.S.A.-
U.S.S.R Radio Match are re-
published with annotations b y the American players.
The second part of this series will appear next month.
3.
MY GAMES
WITH BOLESLAVSKY
by Reuben Fine CHESS REVIEW
NOVEMBER 1945 |
34 P-B5
. . . .
Almost
wins. 34 Kt-Q5. KtxKt; 35 BxKt, QxP; 36 QxP, Q-B3 is another line where
Black escapes by a hair.
There
was, however, an alternative which might have worked out better than the
variation I chose: 34 P-R4 (to prevent ... P- Kt4 after P-B5). If then 34…QxP,
not 35 P-B5, Kt~R2, but simply 35 RxP! and Black will have to fight hard
to defend himself. But it would require a great deal of painstaking
analysis to demonstrate a forced win. Certainly, in time pressure, the
text looked Just as good; in fact, it does compel Black to defend
perfectly for a long time, but it so happens that there is always one move
just good enough to hold the game.
34 . . . . Kt-R2
35 Q-Kt4 P-Kt4
36 Kt-Q5 Q-Q1
On 36 ... QxP; 37 P-R4 opens the Kt file immediately.
37 P-R4 RxP
38 B-K3
. . . .
To open the Kt file. On 38 R-Q3, RxP;
39 R-KKt3, B-K4! is sufficient.
38 . . . . PxP
39 B-R6 BxKt
Forced.
40 BxBch K-R1
Here the game was adjourned, Despite exhaustive study,
I
was unable to find any willing continuation.
41 B-B1
. . . .
Everything else fails by a narrow margin. On 41 Q-R5, Kt-B3; 42 BxBch.
KxB; 43 QKt6ch; K-B1! (not –43 … K-Rl;
44 B-B7)
is sufficient. 41 Q-Kt6 is met by
41 ... R-Kt1, threatening ...
Q-B3. Most interesting is 41 R-K6, BxB; 42
R(Ql)-K-1!
(not 42 RxB, R-Kt2; 43 R-Kt6, RxR; 44 PxR, Q-Kt4!), but here too, 42 ...R-Ktl;
,43 RxB, R-KKt2; 44 R-Kt6, QKt4!! is enough. And in all these variations,
if Black gets to the endgame unmolested, he is two Pawns ahead and should
win.
41 . . . . RKt5
Only. On 41…. R-QB7; 42 Q-K4 wins
at once.
42 Q-R5 B-K4
43 K-R1
. . . .
The tempting 43 B-R6 is met by 43
…Kt-B3!
43 . . . . RQ5
Boleslavsky defends superbly.
44 RxR PxR
45 B-KB4
. . . .
Another
crisis in a game of crises. The threat is of course RxB.
45
. . . . P-Q6
Again
best. If
instead 45, .. R-K2?; 46 B-Kt5, Q-Kl; 47 B-B6ch!
decides, while if 45 ... R-KKt2; 46 B-R6, R-Kt6; 47 R-QKt1, R-R6ch; 48
K-Kt2, R-Kt6ch; 49 K-B1, Q-QB1; 50 R-Kt7! B-Kt2!; 51
Q-B7,
Q-Bl (extraordinary that Black has no checks); 52
BxBch, RxB; 53 QxQch, KtxQ; 54 R-Kt8 and wins a piece or the exchange,
with a probable endgame win.
46 P-B6
. . . .
Enforced
liquidation. 46 RxB, PxR; 47 BxPch, R-Kt2; 48 Q-B7, Q-KB1 fails because
of
Black's
QP.
46….. P-Q7
47 BxP QxP
48 R-QB1 Q-B1
49 QxP .
. . .
To
threaten Q-R3. But the defense has become easy.
49 . . . . R-QB2!
50 R-KKt1 R-KKt2
51 RxR . . . .
Or
51.
R-Ktl, Q-BI.
Drawn. A fascinating game. |
|
Isaac Boleslavsky
Reuben Fine
In the first game,
Boleslavsky defends a desperate position with resourceful tenacity. The
return encounter sees Fine losing virtually in the opening stage. – Ed.
KING’S
INDIAN DEFENSE
R.Fine Boleslavsky
White
Black
1 P-Q4
Kt-KB3
2 P-QB4
P-Q3
The Old Indian, or Tchigorin
Defense, which Boleslavsky is quite fond of.
3 P-KKt3
. . . .
To transform to the regular King's Indian. 3 Kt-QB3.
P-K4; 4 PxP, PxP; 5 QxQ ch, tried in some Soviet tournaments does not look
good.
3 . . . .
P-KKt3
4 B-Kt2
B-Kt2
5 P-K4
. . . .
5 Kt-KB3, to hold….P-K4 off
for a few moves, may be better.
5 . . . .
O-O
6 Kt-K2
P-K4
7 O-O
. . . .
7 . . . . PxP
This move took me by surprise. Black cannot afford to give
up the center In this variation unless he can obtain adequate counterplay
against the KP or the QBP. From now on the struggle is between White's
attempt to develop normally and
take
advantage of his superior Pawn position, and Black's efforts to maintain
enough tactical threats to spoil White’s plans.
8 KtxP
KtB3
First
disruption : White cannot play his QKt out to B3 because of ….KtxKP.
9 Kt-B2
. . . .
|
At this point I must confess that an overdose of
simultaneous exhibitions and an underdose of serious tournament
chess in the past few years combined to make me overconfident. In
such positions it is essential to balance White's developmental
possibilities against Black’s interruptions and only serious
practice against first class opposition can provide the necessary
judgment. 9 KtxKt looked very tempting but after 9 ... PxKt; 10
P-K5, PxP; 11 BxP,
B-R6! Black seems to get out.
9 . . . .
B-K3
10 Kt-K3 . . .
.
Since White's QKt has to go to R3 anyhow later,
I
could just as well have played
10 QKt-R3 at once; the Kt is uncomfortable at K3.
10 . . . .
Kt-K4
11 Kt-R3
. . . .
On
11 Q-B2, or 11 Q-K2, KKt-Kt5 again follows, with serious threats all
over.
11 . .
. .
Kt(B3)-Kt5
12 Kt-Q5 .
. . .
To
avoid exchanges. On 12 KtxKt. KtxKt;
13 R-Kt1, P-KB4 Black’s initiative is very strong.
12 . . . .
P-QB3
13 Kt-B4 B-B1
The
Pawn is immune because Black’s KKt is loose.
14 B-Q2
. . . .
|
|
|
White maintains the better Pawn position but the price is awkward
development.
14 . . . .
P-KB4
15 Q-Kt3 PxP
16 BxP
Kt-B3
17 B-Kt2
. . . .
White still has most of
the pressure;
If
his Knights were better placed, he would have a won
game.
17. . . .
Q-B2
18 QR-Q1 . . . .
To keep an eye on the
QP; 18 QR-K1 was a good alternative.
18 . . . .
B-Kt5
19 P-B3
B-B4
20 B-Kt4
Kt-B2
Not 20…QR-Q1?; 21 BxP and
P-B5 ch.
21 P-Kt4
. . . .
The capture of the QP now is not advantageous; there would follow
21 BxP, KtxB; 22 RxKt, P-KKt4; 23 P-B55 ch, K-Rl; 24 Kt-K6,
BxKt; 25 RxB (or 25 QxB, Q-R4). Kt-Q4 and Black's pieces are all
ideally placed-the extra Pawn is worthless.
21 . . . .
B-Q2
A
fantastically complicated position. All along there are
tantalizing alternatives, many of which seem
to
win. but none have subsequently been confirmed by
exact analysis.
22
Kt-B2 .
. . .
Aiming for K6. On 22 P-Kt5, Kt-Kl (threatening ... KtxKtP) 23 P-R4
is met by 23 ... Q-Kt3ch.
If then 24 P-B5, PxP;
25RxB, PxBch; 26 K-Rl. PxKt and we must conclude that the
attack is not worth apiece.
22 . . . .
P-QR4
An
energetic counter-attack.
23 B-K1
P-R5
24 Q-Kt4 P-QKt4!
He is determined to obtain some real counterplay
against White's Q-side.
It was impossible here
to foresee whether the subsequent weakening of the Pawns could be
tolerated by Black or not; that Boleslavsky chose the line
anyhow is indicative of his style and temperament.
25 PxP
Q-Kt3ch
26 B-B2
P-B4
The point. Black regains the Pawn and can apply pressure along the
QKt file.
27 KR-K1
KR-Kt1
28 Q-Q2 BxQKtP
With excellent judgment. On 28
... QxP; 29 B-BI, QxP; 30
B-B4
is extremely difficult to meet.
29 P-Kt5
. . . .
Obviously White's course must be a K·side attack.
29 . . . . KtxP
30 KtxP
. . . .
30 Kt-Q5 fails against 30 KtxKt; 31 QxKtch, Kt-B2;
32 R-K7, B-Kl, From here on the game is full of such intriguing
combinations which fail by one move.
30 . . . .
PxKt
31 QxKt B-K1
32 P-B4 R-R2
The sacrifice
of
the exchange is not advisable. On 32 ... QxP there
would follow 33 BxR, RxB; 34 RxP!
33 Kt-K3
B-B2
 |
|
|
RUY LOPEZ
I.
Boleslavsky R.Fine
White Black
1
P-K4 P-K4
2 Kt-KB3
Kt-QB3
3 B-Kt5 P-QR3
4 B-R4 B-Q3
5 P-B4 B-Q2
6 Kt-B3 P-KKt3
A risky defense, which I adopted chiefly
because of the score.
7
P-Q4 PxP
8 KtxP B-Kt2
9 KtxKt ……
With a view to the subsequent
advance of the BP. 9 B-K3 is a good alternative.
9….. PxKt?
After this Black gets much of the
worse of it. 9….BxKt was essential, with fair prospects.
10 O-O Kt-K2
11 P-B5! ….
This seems to win by
force, and refute Black’s opening completely.
11 ….. Kt-B1
11 ... PxP; 12 B-K3 is no better.
12 B-K3 O-O
13 Q-Q2 Q-K2
|
Desperately trying to get some air.
14 QR-Q1 B-K1
15 P-B4 P-B4
To allow P-B5 would have been
suicidal.
16 KPxP KtPxP
17 KR-K1 ….. ..
Black has freed his game slightly, but the Kt and QR are
still badly misplaced.
17….. PxP
18 Q-KB2 …...
Simplest
and best.
18……. Kt-Q3
19 QBxP Q-Q1
20 B-Q4 ….
Threatening B-K5.
20….. BxB
21 QxB Q-B3
The endgame
offers some hope although it is theoretically lost.
22 B-Kt3ch …..
Not 22 QxQ, RxQ; 23 R-K7,
R-B2; 24 B-Kt3, K-B1!
22 . . . . K-R1
23 QxQch RxQ
24 R-K7 R-QB1
The Pawn itself is of little importance, but there is no
good way to give it up.
25 R(1)-K1 B-Kt3
The best drawing chance is all ending with R
and B
vs. R
and
B. On 25.,.B-B 2; 26 BxB, RxB;
27 RxR, KtxR; 28 R-K7, K-Kt2; 29 Kt-R4 maintains the Rook on the seventh,
which is enough to will.
26 R(1)-K6 RxR
Or 26 ... R(3)-Bl; 27 R-K5.
27 BxR
R-K1
If
27 ... R-QKtl; 23
P-Kt3
follows.
28 RxRch BxR
29 Kt-R4 …….
|
Fixing
the Q·side Pawns once and for all. Black, has not managed
to
get a drawable endgame, and with the bad Pawns on the
Q-side the remainder is relatively simple.
29 …. K-Kt2
30
Kt-B5 P-QR4
31 K-B2 B-B2
Hoping for ... Kt-K5ch: ,32 KtxKt, BxB.
32 BxB KxB
33 P-QKt3 P-R4
34 P-Kt3 K-K2
35 K-K3 Kt_Kt4
36 Kt-Kt7 P-B4
A last
gasp.
37 KtxRP K-Q3
38 Kt-B4ch K-Q4
39 K-Q3 Kt-Q3
40 KtxKt ……..
Surprising but accurate.
40 ..… PxKt
41
P-QR3 ….
The sealed move, which was radioed "open for my
inspection." Against a careless continuation such as 41 K-K3, K-B3; 42
K-B3, P-Q4 Black may very well draw, but after the text the Q·side Pawns
will be liquidated and White will win on the K-side.
41 . . . . Resigns.
I have
lost such games only to the very greatest masters. |