July 08, 1972 Larry Evans on Chess

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Reno Gazette-Journal Reno, Nevada Saturday, July 08, 1972 - Page 5

EVANS ON CHESS

Mott-Smith U.S.A.
Problem: (07/08/1972) White mates in two.
Stockfish Analysis.

Turning The Tables
A player must be ever alert since chess offers sudden reversals of fortune. Here are two games from the 1972 USA championship illustrating this doctrine of the second chance. In the first I was ready to resign but got a gift; in the next my opponent was ready to resign but refused my gift.

King's Indian Defense
White: FEUERSTEIN 1 N-KB3 2 P-KN3 3 P-Q4 4 B-N2 5 0-0 6 P-B4 7 P-Q5 8 KN-Q2 9 P-QR3 10 P-QN4 11 R-R2 12 B-N2 13 RxB 14 PxP 15 N-QB3 16 RxP 17 Q-B2 18 KR-N1 19 N-B3 20 P-R4 21 N-Q4 22 N-B6 23 P-B4(b) 24 PxN 25 RxB 26 N-Q5?(c) 27 P-B7(d) 28 NxR 29 K-R2 30 Q-R4 31 P-K4 32 R-N5 33 Q-N4	Black: EVANS N-KB3 P-KN3 B-N2 0-0 P-Q3 N-B3 N-QR4 P-B4 P-N3 N-Q2 N-N2 BxB PxP PQR4 PxP QN-B4(a) B-R3 Q-B2 BR-B1 N-N2 BxP!? N-K4 NxN N-R4 NxR Q-R2 RxP QxN Q-B4 P-Q4 PxP Q-B3 R-R1 Resigns
(a) Correct is 16 … N-R4! followed by … B-R3. (b) Simpler is 23 RxB, NxR 24 N-N5, Q-Q2 25 QxN, etc. (c) 26 N-N5! wins outright. (d) Now he sees 27 QxN? P-QN4ch! winning the Queen. But 27 NxPch, QxN 28 QxN offers drawing chances.

Sicilian Defense
White: EVANS 1 P-K4 2 P-KB4 3 N-KB3 4 P-KN3 5 B-N2 6 0-0 7 P-Q3 8 N-B3 9 B-K3 10 P-Q4 11 R-K1 12 BPxP 13 NxP 14 QxN 15 Q-R4 16 QR-Q1 17 Q-N3 18 P-QR4 19 PxP 20 K-R1 21 QxNP 22 Q-R3 23 Q-N3 24 B-N6! 25 B-B1 26 B-Q4 27 Q-R2 28 BxB 29 N-Q5 30 QxB 31 P-B3 32 Q-B4 33 QxQ 34 R-K3 35 P-QN4 36 P-R4 37 R-Q5 38 B-R3 39 R/3-Q3 40 RxP 41 R-QB5 42 B-B1 43 R-K3 44 R-QR5 45 R-Q5 46 P-B4 47 P-N5 48 R-KB3(b) 49 R-Q8ch 50 R-Q7 51 R/3xP 52 K-N1 53 R-N7ch 54 R/Q-B7ch 55 R-R7 56 KxN 57 K-K1(d) 58 RxRP 59 R/R-N7ch 60 R/N-Q7	Black: LOMBARDY P-QB4 N-QB3 P-Q3 P-KN3 B-N2 P-K3 KN-K2 0-0 P-N3(a) B-QR3 P-K4 PxQP NxN1 BxP B-QN2 P-QR3 P-QN4 B-QB3 PxP P-N5 R-N1 R-R1 Q-R4 Q-R3 Q-B1 R-N1 N-B4 PxB BxN N-Q5 R-Q1 N-B6 KRxQ N-N4 R-B2 N-K3 R-R1 R-R7 N-Q5 N-K7 R/2-R2 N-B8 R-QB7 R-Q2 R-R2 R/2-R7 R/R-N7 N-K7 K-N2 K-N1 NxPch NxB(c) K-B1 K-K1 R-N7ch R/QN-B7ch K-B1 K-N1 K-R1 Resigns
(a) Stronger is 9 … N-Q5. (b) The win is 48 P-B5! N-N6 49 P-B6, R-B8 50 K-N1, N-Q7 51 R-K2! RxBch 52 K-N2, R-Q8 53 P-B7. (c) 52 … R-KR7! forces a draw. (d) Now White wins. Black, with split seconds left, checked with the wrong Rook. 56 … R/KN-B7ch would have drawn by perpetual check, preventing the King from escaping to QR1.

PROBLEM SOLUTION: 1 Q-Q2! threatening 2 K-N3. If 1 … BxN 2 Q-Q8. If 1 … KxN 2 Q-QR2

July 01, 1972 Larry Evans on Chess

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Reno Gazette-Journal Reno, Nevada Saturday, July 01, 1972 - Page 5

EVANS ON CHESS

Dr. G. Paros, Hungary
Problem: (07/01/1972) White mates in two.
Stockfish Analysis.

21st USA Championship
14 top players, including 7 grandmasters, recently vied for the title in New York City. The defending champ Sammy Reshevsky led most of the way. Then he lost to Robert Byrne and Lubomir Kavalek, both undefeated, who managed to overtake Reshevsky in a 3-way tie for first prize. Since this tournament was a zonal, the first leg of the triennial world championship challengers cycle, a playoff will determine which two of these grandmasters will represent the USA at the interzonal in 1973.

Final Standings
1 Byrne 2 Kavalek 3 Reshevsky 4 Evans 5 Benko 6 DeFotis 7 Lombardy 8 Mednis 9 Bisguier 10 Martz 11 Kaufman 12 Feuerstein 13 Horowitz 14 Popovych	9 9 9 8½ 8 7½ 7½ 7 6½ 6½ 5 3 2½ 2

This instructive example of play on both wings is a candidate for the best game award. White achieves an early space advantage and breaks through on the Queenside but Black's defense is tenacious. Finally White switches to a Kingside invasion.

King's Indian Defense
White: EVANS 1 P-Q4 2 P-QB4 3 N-QB3 4 P-K4 5 B-K2 6 N-B3 7 0-0 8 B-K3 9 P-Q5 10 BxB 11 P-QN4 12 P-QR3 13 Q-N3 14 B-K2! 15 B-Q2 16 P-B3 17 N-R4 18 PxP 19 Q-B3 20 P-B5 21 P-N5! 22 QxKP 23 Q-B5 24 B-B3 25 KR-Q1 26 P-K5 27 P-K6 28 NxB 29 Q-B2 30 P-R3(b) 31 B-B4 32 N-K4 33 QxN 34 Q-K5 35 R-R4! 36 B-Q3 37 R/1-R1 38 QxQ 39 K-B2 40 P-R4 41 PxP 42 R-R1 43 R-KR5 44 P-N3 45 KxP 46 R-KN4 47 R/5xP 48 RxR 49 B-R7 50 K-B4 51 PxP 52 P-B7! 53 K-K5 54 R-N8ch 55 R-N7ch 56 RxN 57 R-QN7	Black: POPOVYCH N-KB3 P-KN3 B-N2 P-Q3 0-0 B-N5(a) KN-Q2 P-K4 BxN P-KB4 P-QR4 N-R3 K-R1 P-85 N-B3 R-KN1 PxP B-B1 P-KN4 PxP N-N1 QN-Q2 R-N3! B-N2 Q-K2 N-KN1 BxB R-KB1 N/2-B3 P-N3 R-N2 NxN N-B3 N-K1 N-Q3 K-N1 Q-B3 RxQ R-K2(c) P-R3 PxP R-B1 R-N2 PxPch R-Q1 K-B1 RxR P-B5 NxP P-B3(d) N-Q5(e) NxPch NxP K-K2 K-B1 P-N4 Black Resigns
(a) Inferior. Usual is 6 … P-K4 7 0-0, N-B3 8 P-Q5, N-K2 (b) Unclear is 30 R-R7, P-N3 31 P-Q6, QxKP 32 RxP (or 32 PxP, R-B1 33 R-Q8, R-N2!), P-N5! (c) Better is 39 … P-R4. (d) Missing a draw: 50 … N-B6! 51 R-N8ch K-K2 52 RxR. KxR 53 K-K5, K-K2 54 K-Q4, N-N4ch 55 KxP. N-Q3ch 56 K-Q4, K-B3 with a blockade. (e) Looks natural, but 51 … N-B2! is the only drawing chance.

PROBLEM SOLUTION: 1 Q-K8! threatening 2 PxP. If 1 … P-Q3 2 N/5-Q7. If 1 … R-Q3 2 P-KB4

March 11, 1972 Larry Evans on Chess

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Reno Gazette-Journal Reno, Nevada Saturday, March 11, 1972 - Page 5

EVANS ON CHESS

N. Guttman, USA

Problem: (03/11/1972) White mates in two.
Stockfish Analysis.

7th American Open
Santa Monica, California, again played host to a record 306 players. 5 leaders emerged with 6 wins and 2 draws: Walter Browne, Larry Evans, Carl Pilnick, Ross Stoutenborough, David Strauss. $400 went to each but the trophy was awarded to Pilnick on the tie-break.
The field was headed by grandmasters Browne and Evans, who are also the U. S. Open co-champions, and the luck of the draw paired them in the last round. By drawing a hard-fought game, they knocked each other out of a clear lead and allowed 3 players to overtake them.
As usual, chance played its role since there were too many players to be mathematically eliminated in only 8 rounds. Had there been another round or two, most likely the pack would hare sorted itself out. These so-called Swiss tournaments, like some other Swiss products, are full of holes. But there is simply no other way to complete an event of this magnitude in 4 days.

Alekhine's Defense
White: BROWNE 1 P-K4 2 P-K5 3 P-Q4 4 N-KB3 5 B-QB4 6 B-N3 7 0-0(a) 8 PxP 9 P-QR4 10 P-B3(b) 11 QN-Q2 12 R-K1 13 N-B1 14 P-R4 15 N-N3 16 B-B2 17 N-K2 18 N-B4 19 Q-Q3(d) 20 P-KN3 21 P-N3 22 B-Q2 23 PxP 24 N-N5 25 Q-K2 26 P-R5 27 P-QN4 28 B-N3 29 K-R2 30 QR-B1 31 B-K3 32 PxN 33 R-131 34 N-R3(f) 35 NxB 36 R-B4 37 NxNch 38 R/1-KB1 39 Q-KB2 40 R-B6	Black: EVANS N-KB3 N-Q4 P-Q3 P-KN3 N-N3 B-N2 0-0 BPxP N-B3 P-Q4 P-K3(c) B-Q2 R-B1 P-KR4 P-B31 N-K2 Q-K1 Q-B2 N-B4 KR-K1 B-B3(e) P-K4 PxP P-K5 Q-B3 N-R1 N-B2 K-R1 R-K2 QR-K1 NxB B-R3 BxN Q-K4 K-N2 N-K3 QxN B-Q2 B-N4! Q-Q2! Draw (g)
(a) Sharper is 7 N-N5, P-Q4 8 P-KB4! (b) Not 10 P-Q5, N-R4 11 B-R2, NxRP 12 P-B3, P-QN4! winning a Pawn. (c) Safer is 11 … N-R4 12 B-B2, N/3-B5, swapping Knights. (d) 19 N-Q3! is better. (e) If 21 … P-K4 22 P-R5! holds. But not 22 PxP, PxP 23 N-N5, PxN! 24 NxQ, RxRch. (f) 34 NxQP? NxN! 35 RxQ, BxQ. (g) If 41 R-Q1, B-Q6 holds. Or 41 RxPch, KxR 42 Q-B6ch, K-R2 43 R-B5, B-K7!! and Black's safe. Or 41 R-B8, BxR! 42 Q-136ch, K-R3! 43 Q-R8ch, R-R2.

PROBLEM SOLUTION: 1 QxQBP!

February 12, 1972 Larry Evans on Chess

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Reno Gazette-Journal Reno, Nevada Saturday, February 12, 1972 - Page 5

EVANS ON CHESS

V. Chepizny, USSR

Problem: (02/12/1972) White mates in two.
Stockfish Analysis.

The 72nd U.S. Open
The 1971 U.S. Open chess championship in August at Ventura California, attracted a record 400 entries, including a strong field of 8 grand-masters. The new co-champions with scores of 10-2 are 22-year-old Walter Browne of Australia, the youngest grandmaster, and 39-year-old Larry Evans of Reno, 3-time USA champion. Close on their heels with 9½-2½ were international stars Lubomir Kavalek (who recently defected from Czechoslovakia), William Lombardy (a Catholic priest), Hans Ree the Dutch champion) and Samuel Reshevsky (once a child prodigy). Here's the crucial clash between the leaders from round 7. The first move in chess is equivalent to the serve, and White's opening initiative often extends well into the middle-game. Fighting an uphill battle, Black never succeeds in equalizing, and eventually he buckles under his defensive task.

Nimzo Indian Defense
White: EVANS 1 P-Q4 2 P-QB4 3 N-QB3 4 P-K3 5 B-Q3 6 N-B3 7 0-0 8 BxP 9 P-QR3 10 Q-Q3 11 PxP 12 R-Q1 13 P-R3 14 B-K3 15 Q-K2 16 QR-B1 17 PxN 18 K-R1 19 B-R2 20 P-Q5 21 PxP 22 RxR 23 Q-B4 24 N-K5 25 Q-K4 26 N-N6 27 N-B4 28 NxP 29 BxBch 30 QxQ 31 N-Q5 32 R-B2 33-R-B3 34 K-N1 35 R-B4 36 RxB 37 R-N5 38 N-N4 39 R-KB5 40 R-B1 41 R-B2 42 K-R2 43 R-B7 44 N-Q5 45 P-QN3 46 R-Q7 47 R-Q8ch 48 N-B6ch 49 RxR 50 R-Q5	Black: BROWNE N-KB3 P-K3 B-N5 0-0 P-B4 P-Q4 PxBP N-B3 B-R4 PxP(a) B-N3 P-KR3 Q-K2 R-Q1 N-Q4 NxB B-Q2 B-K1 QR-B1 N-N1(b) PxP RxR B-Q2 B-B1(c) N-B3 Q-B3 Q-K4(d) BxN K-R1 NxQ N-Q6 B-B4 N-B7ch N-K5 N-N4 NxB P-QN3 N-B2 R-QBch R-Q7 R-Q8ch R-K8 N-N4 R-K7 R-Q7(e) NxP K-R2 PxN N-N4 Resigns
(a) A dubious system which enables White to free his QB (Queen Bishop) while Black's counterpart on QR4 re-mains more or less stranded. More reliable is the older 10 … P-QR3; and if 11 PxP, QxQ 12 BxQ, BxN 13 PxP, N-QR4!=. (b) Or 20 … PxP 21 NxP, Q-K5 22 R-B4! with a good attack. (c) Not 24 … BxP 25 R-KB1. R-KB1 26 RxRch, QxR (…. KxR?? 27 N-Nbch) 27 NxB, NxN 28 QxPc.h, K-R1 29 QxB snares a piece. (d) If 27 … R-K1 28 N;4-Q5, Q-K4 29 NxB, PxN 30 QxQ, NxQ 31 N-K4 with strong threats. (e) Loses. But so does 45 … NxP 46 RxRP, N-B7 47 R-R2! White's extra Pawn is decisive in this ending.

PROBLEM SOLUTION: 1 N-Q7!

February 05, 1972 Larry Evans on Chess

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Reno Gazette-Journal Reno, Nevada Saturday, February 05, 1972 - Page 5

Reno expert's chess tips start in today's Gazette
Larry Evans, author of the chess column that begins publication in the Gazette today, is a three-time U.S. champion and an international grandmaster. Evans left New York City four years ago to settle in Reno, where he net his wife, Ingrid, who is a substitute teacher and graduate student at the University of Nevada. Evans, 39, writes his column in Reno and syndicates it nationally to newspapers. He has written half a dozen chess books, including Modern Chess Openings, 10th edition; New Ideas in Chess, Modern Chess Brilliancies and Chess Catechism. Evans contributes to Boys' Life, the official Scouting magazine, and Sports Illustrated. He will cover the world championships of chess, the match between Boris Spassky of Russia and Bobby Fischer of the United States, for Time, Playboy and King Features Syndicate. He is in a unique position to do so. Evans was Bobby Fischer's second last October in internationally - interesting competition. Evans holds the triple crown of chess — the U. S. Open, the American Open and the National Open. He has represented the U. S. on eight Olympic chess squads and will compete again this fall in Skopje, Yugoslavia. His column will appear each Saturday on this Op ed page in the Gazette. Oh, yes, in his spare time, Evans plays bridge!