Counterplay / Readers Respond
Women in Chess, Finding Improvements
WOMEN’S CHESS HISTORY
The World Chess Hall of Fame is currently preparing for Her Turn: Revolutionary Women of Chess. This exhibition, which opens on February 4, 2016, will examine both American and interna- tional women’s chess history. The institution is currently seeking artifacts and stories related to women’s chess. If you have loans, donations, or stories to share, please e-mail Assistant Curator Emily Allred at
emily.allred@
worldchesshof.org.
Emily Allred Assistant Curator, World Chess Hall of Fame THOSE PESKY ENGINES
In one of my favorite columns, Bruce Pandolfini’s “Solitaire Chess”, I want to point out an alternative to Lasker’s move 20. Ne6!! from the November 2015 column:
I suggest 30. ... Qf5, which prevents White
from a rook for knight-and-bishop exchange, stopping White’s offense cold. It also creates a winning combination for Black to ‘31. f3’:
30. ... Qf5 31. f3 Qc5+ If any passive move by White now, then 32.
... Qxh5 followed by mate on h1. 32. Kxg2 Nf4+ Winning the queen and Black
should subsequently be able to mate with queen and bishop. 32. Kh2 Qxh5+ 33. Kg1 (33. Kg3 Qg5+ 34.
Kh2 Qh4+ 35. Kg1 Qh1 and mate again.) 33. ... Qh1 mate.
AFTER 19. ... Rh8 Mr. Pandolfini did not mention the move 20.
Nxh6! (instead of Lasker’s 20. Ne6) with the idea that if 20. ... gxh6 White can play 21. Rg6!! and the rook is immune. I put it into my engine, and the computer
verified with a score of over 19.00, which means that White is approximately 19 pawns up (or two queens, for that matter)! If Black takes ... gxh6, then it is a mate in 7. Lasker’s move in the game, 20. Ne6, does give White a winning advantage, but “only 5.14”.
Robert Shlyakhtenko via e-mail
8 January 2016 | Chess Life
Gary Lee via e-mail
GM Andy Soltis responds:
I agree 30. ... Qf5! is better—although it's not an easy win in the queen endgame after 31. Rxd3 Bxd3 32. Qe3 Bf1.
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WHY WE LIKE CHESS
Regarding the game “Semi-Slav Defense (D45)” in “Chess to Enjoy” in the November 2015 issue: I am only expert-rated, but I believe I found a much better 30th move for Black than in the text. In this position, 30. ... Qf4 was played:
POST MORTEM
In the article, “Fischer Goes Hollywood,” (September, 2015) the author mentions that hardcore fanatics will find inaccuracies in the movie (Pawn Sacrifice) such as that Fischer never played in Bulgaria. Isn’t there a famous game between Robert Fischer and Mikhail Botvinnik in 1962 at the Chess Olympiad in Varna?
Ralph Peters via e-mail
Mr. Peters is correct. The 15th Chess Olympiad in Varna, Bulgaria, 1962, was won by the Soviet Union with the U.S. squad coming in fifth. The U.S. team was comprised of Fischer, Pal Benko, Larry Evans, Robert Byrne, Donald Byrne, and Edmar Mednis. This is the game Mr. Peters references; Fischer played two others at the event.
GRÜNFELD DEFENSE, RUSSIAN SYSTEM (D98) Mikhail Botvinnik Robert James Fischer Varna Olympiad Final (1962)
1. c4 g6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 0-0 7. e4 Bg4 8. Be3 Nfd7 9. Be2 Nc6 10. Rd1 Nb6 11. Qc5 Qd6 12. h3 Bxf3 13. gxf3 Rfd8 14. d5 Ne5 15. Nb5 Qf6 16. f4 Ned7 17. e5 Qxf4 18. Bxf4 Nxc5 19. Nxc7 Rac8 20. d6 exd6 21. exd6 Bxb2 22. 0-0 Nbd7 23. Rd5 b6 24. Bf3 Ne6 25. Nxe6 fxe6 26. Rd3 Nc5 27. Re3 e5 28. Bxe5 Bxe5 29. Rxe5 Rxd6 30. Re7 Rd7 31. Rxd7 Nxd7 32. Bg4 Rc7 33. Re1 Kf7 34. Kg2 Nc5 35. Re3 Re7 36. Rf3+ Kg7 37. Rc3 Re4 38. Bd1 Rd4 39. Bc2 Kf6 40. Kf3 Kg5 41. Kg3 Ne4+ 42. Bxe4 Rxe4 43. Ra3 Re7 44. Rf3 Rc7 45. a4 Rc5 46. Rf7 Ra5 47. Rxh7 Rxa4 48. h4+ Kf5 49. Rf7+ Ke5 50. Rg7 Ra1 51. Kf3 b5 52. h5 Ra3+ 53. Kg2 gxh5 54. Rg5+ Kd6 55. Rxb5 h4 56. f4 Kc6 57. Rb8 h3+ 58. Kh2 a5 59. f5 Kc7 60. Rb5 Kd6 61. f6 Ke6 62. Rb6+ Kf7 63. Ra6 Kg6 64. Rc6 a4 65. Ra6 Kf7 66. Rc6 Rd3 67. Ra6 a3 68. Kg1, Draw agreed.
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