June 03, 1972 Larry Evans on Chess

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Reno Gazette-Journal Reno, Nevada Saturday, June 03, 1972 - Page 5

EVANS ON CHESS

N. Guttmann, U.S.A.
Problem: (06/03/1972) White mates in two.
Stockfish Analysis.

Spassky Speaks
“I'm still king,” declared Boris Spassky, 35, in a recent Moscow interview after posting a dismal tie for 6th in a field of 18 grandmasters at the Alekhine Memorial Tournament, one of his rare appearances. But if his performance was any indication of his form, the chain-smoking world champion stands a slim chance of defending his title against America's Bobby Fischer, 29, this summer.
“It's hard for me to say who will in this match. I would not care to make any prediction. I like Fischer's style very much. I like the purity of his play —very logical. His personality is very explosive, but he is very interesting. I like him.
“I'm a lazy Russian bear. I don't take months to prepare for a tournament the way the old masters did. But I make up for it by working much harder while the game is in progress. Spassky's drive has faltered since he won the title from a countryman in 1969. Gone is the panache and daring of his early days which so delighted Soviet chess buffs. His chief assets are iron discipline and rock-steady nerves. He holds a healthy plus score (3 wins, 2 draws) against his challenger, stemming from their first encounter where Fischer was surprised by a dashing gambit rarely seen in modern competition.

Mar Del Plata 1960 King's Gambit
White: SPASSKY 1 P-K4 2 P-KB4 3 N-KB3 4 P-KR4 5 N-K5 6 P-Q4 7 N-Q3 8 BxP 9 N-B3 10 PxN 11 B-K2 12 0-0 13 BxNP 14 BxB 15 Q-N4 16 Q-N3 17 QR-K1 18 K-R1 19 BxP 20 B-K5ch 21 QxNch 22 RxP 23 K-N1 24 R-B2 25 R-K4 26 Q-Q4! 27 R-K5! 28 Q-K4 29 R-B4	Black: FISCHER P-K4 PxP P-KN4 P-N5 N-KB3 P-Q3 NxP B-N2 NxN P-QB4 PxP N-B3 0-0 RxB P-B4 PxP K-R1 R-KN1 B-B1! NxB R-N2 QxPch Q-N5(a) B-K2 Q-N4(b) R-KB1(c) R-Q1 Q-R5 Resigns (d)
(a) Missing 23…Q-N6! 24 QxQ, RxQ with a promising endgame. (b) 25…Q-Q8ch 26 R-K1, Q-N5 forces a draw by repetition. (c) The losing move. Imperative is 26…B-B1! 27 QxRP, B-Q3 with equal chances. (d) On 29…Q-N6 30 RxB wins.

PROBLEM SOLUTION: 1 B-Q4! threatening 2 Q-R4 mate. If 1…Q-K8 2 B-B3. If 1…N-R4 2 QxKBP. If 1…Q-N6ch 2 BxQ.

May 20, 1972 Larry Evans on Chess

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Reno Gazette-Journal Reno, Nevada Saturday, May 20, 1972 - Page 5

EVANS ON CHESS

A. Benedek, Hungary
Problem: (05/20/1972) White mates in two.
Stockfish Analysis.

Alekhine Is In Again
Alexander Alekhine (1892 — 1946) emigrated to France after the Russian revolution in 1917. He won the world championship from Cuba's José Capablanca in 1927, refused to grant a return match, and held the title until his lonely death in Lisbon after World War II. Alekhine explained his brief loss of the title in 1935-37 as “too much alekohol.”
Alekhine did not invite affection as a human being. He even collaborated with the Nazis during the war and wrote a series of articles Jewish and Aryan Chess in 1941: “A psychological study — based on experiences at the chessboard — which demonstrates the Jewish lack of courage and creative power.”
Ugly rumors circulated that Alekhine did not lift a finger to aid chess colleagues condemned in Nazi concentration camps. In Russia his name was purged from Alekhine's Defense (1 P-K4, N-KB3) and he was ostracized by the chessworld. Not now.
The Alekhine Memorial Tournament was held in Moscow recently, a strong event indeed. The first 7 in a field of 18 Grand Masters were all Russians: 1-2 Karpov & Stein (11); 3 Smyslov (10½); 4-5 Petrosian & Tukmakov (10); 6-7 Spassky & Tal (9½). The U. S. representative Robert Byrne made the best showing of the seven foreigners, scoring 9 points. In this game he demolishes a young Soviet player with a novel attacking system.

Sicilian Defense
White: BYRNE 1 P-K4 2 N-KB3 3 P-Q4 4 NxP 5 N-QB3 6 B-K3 7 N-N3 8 Q-Q2 9 P-B3 10 0-0-0 11 P-N4 12 P-N5 13 R-N1 14 K-N1 15 BxN 16 P-K4 17 Q-N2 18 N-Q5 19 P-B4 20 PxPe.p. 21 PxP 22 B-R6 23 PxP 24 N-Q4! 25 RxQ 26 N-B7ch 27 Q-R8ch 28 R-N7ch 29 QxR	Black: BALASHOV P-QB4 P-Q3 PxP N-KB3 P-QR3 P-K4 B-K3 QN-Q2 R-QB1(a) N-N3 Q-B2 N-B5 QxB P-N4 P-N5 B-Q1 P-B4(b) NPxP QPxP P-B4 BxP QxN RxP BxN(c) K-K2 K-B3 Resigns (d)
(a) 10…Q-B2 followed by 0-0-0 gets the King to safety. (b) Dangerously exposing his King in the center. 19…P-QR4 offers more counterplay. (c) If 26…RxNch 27 K-R1, PxR 28 R-K1ch, B-K2 29 Q-N7 wins. (d) Futile is 29…R-R7ch 30 K-B1, R-R8ch 31 K-Q2, etc.

PROBLEM SOLUTION: 1 Q-B7! If 1…B-B4 2 K-Q5. Or 1…B-Q4 2 PxB.