MY BEST MOVE FM ASA
HOFFMANN
GAMES MASTER, TEACHER AND AUTHOR
NUMBER ONE-RANKED OVER-65 BLITZ PLAYER
lifelong chess organizer. As a teenager in New York City, I played in the old London Terrace Chess Club, in the Metro pol itan Chess League and in Central Park. In those venues I was fortunate enough to face some of the most famous people in chess history (some of whom were born in the 19th century!)—Ed Lasker, Abe Kupchik, Al Horowitz, Hans Kmoch, journalist Her- man Helms and artist Marcel Duchamp. Later, I joined the Manhattan and Mar-
I
shall Chess Clubs where I met every world champion from Euwe to Carlsen! I played lots of blitz with Fischer, Fine, Reshevsky, Lombardy, Browne, Dzindzichashvili, et al. I’ve enjoyed seeing generations of young players grow up to be the best. Krush, Caruana, Kamsky and Nakamura were frequent opponents of mine. This month, I was surprised to find myself listed by the USCF as the number one over-65 blitz player in the country! My first chess literary efforts were over
50 years ago. I translated Pal Benko’s games and notes into readable English for Chess Review. My first book was Chess Gladiator, my best games collection. Recently I finished The Czech Benoni in Action with Greg Keener. I’ve played quite a few “Best Moves” in
my long chess career! My real best move was marrying my wife, Ginny, earlier this year at the Marshall Chess Club. But over the board, here is one I think all Chess Life readers will enjoy.
French Defense (C10) FM Asa Hoffmann (2379) Miles Hinson (2115)
Marshall Masters 8-16-2011 (1), New York, New York, 08.16.2011
1. Nc3 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e4 72 November 2014 | Chess Life
learned chess at the age of three from my father, David Hoffmann. An attor- ney by trade, he was also a chess expert, a USCF vice-president and
“
I was fortunate enough to face some of the most famous people in chess history.
”
Transposing to the French Defense which most players either love or hate!
3. ... dxe4 4. Nxe4 Be7 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bd3 Nbd7 7. c3 O-O 8. Qe2 b6 9. O-O Bb7 10. Re1 Rc8 11. Ng3
Keeping some pieces on the board and eyeing a possible Nf5 later.
11. ... c5 12. Bd2 cxd4 13. cxd4
The control of c5 and e5 is compen- sation for the isolated pawn.
13. ... Nd5 14. a3 N7f6 15. Rad1 Qd6 16. Ne5 Rfd8 17. Nh5!? Probing for weaknesses.
17. ... g6 18. Ng3 Bf8 19. h4 Bg7 20. h5 a5 21. Qf3 Ba8 22. Ne4 Nxe4? 23. Qxf7+ Kh8 24. Rxe4 Rf8 25. hxg6 Nf6
(see diagram next column)
If 25. ... Rc7 26. Rh4 Rcxf7 27. gxf7 is decisive. Also possible is 27. Nxf7+ Rxf7 28. gxf7 Nf6 29. Rc1 Bb7 30. Bg5 Qd5 31. Rc8+! Bxc8 32. Bxf6 winning.
26. Bh6!! A devastating line-clearance combina-
tion involving the sacrifice of a bishop, g-pawn, knight and rook!
26. ... Bxh6 27. g7+! Bxg7 28. Ng6+! hxg6 29. Rh4+ Nh5 30. Rxh5+, Black resigned.
Black resigned as mate is forced after
30. ... gxh5 31. Qxh5+ Kg8 32. Bh7+ Kh8 33. Bg6+ Kg8 34. Qh7 mate.
Whose Best Move would you like to see? Write to us at
letters@uschess.org.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SUBJECT
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