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.

March 18, 1972 Larry Evans on Chess

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Reno Gazette-Journal Reno, Nevada Saturday, March 18, 1972 - Page 5

EVANS ON CHESS

D. Rizotti, Argentina

Problem: (03/18/1972) White mates in two.
Stockfish Analysis.

39th Soviet Championship
Traditionally Russia holds the strongest national championship, but their aging superstars rarely compete nowadays. The new champion is Vladimir Savon, 41, a virtual unknown in international circles, He was undefeated in a field of 22 at Leningrad, scoring 15-6, 1½ points ahead of former world champions Smyslov and Tal.
Soviet authorities are eager to develop young stars. But the new generation fared poorly.
One expected more from Vladimir Tukmakov, 25, who landed near the cellar. He earned a brilliancy prize in the 38th Championship against the winner, Korchnoi (who did not defend his title this time around). After a game like this, what can you do for an encore?

Nimzo - Indian Defense (1970)
White: Tukmakov 1 P-Q4 2 P-QB4 3 N-QB3 4 P-K3 5 B-Q3 6 N-B3 7 0-0 8 BxP 9 Q-N3 10 P-QR4 11 R-Q1 12 Q-B2 13 PxP 14 B-R2 15 N-K5 16 B-N1 17 R-Q3 18 R-N3 19 Q-Q2(b) 20 B-N6 21 QxP! 22 Q-R8ch 23 QxP 24 N-Q3(e) 25 PxB 26 B-R3ch 27 R-K1 28 B-K7! 29 BxRch 30 B-K4 31 BxN 32 Q-N5ch 33 P-R4 34 R-B1ch 35 P-R5 36 N-K5 37 NxB 38 Q-N7ch 39 P-R6 40 Q-N4 41 R-Q1	Black: Korchnoi N-KB3 P-K3 B-N5 0-0 P-B4 P-Q4 PxBP QN-Q2 P-QR3 Q-K2 B-R4 PxP N-N3 P-R3 B-Q2 KR-Q1 QR-B1(a) K-B1 QN-Q4 B-K1(c) Q-N5(d) K-K2 QxQP BxN NxP K-Q2 K-B2 N/6-Q4 KxB QxP NxB K-B2 B-N4 B-B3 Q-Q5 P-B3 PxN K-Q3 N-B5 Q-Q7(f) Resigns
(a) Spassky recommends 17… B-B3. 17…B-K1 looks better. (b) Tukmakov gives 19 BxP! PxB 20 N-N6ch!! PxN 21 QxP, Q-B2 22 QxPch, K-K2 23 R-N7 with advantage. (c) Overlooking a devilishly powerful blow. Correct is 20… B-B2! forcing a retreat 21 B-Q3. (d) If 21…PxQ22 BxPch, K-N1 23 B-K4ch, K-R1 24 B-N7ch, K-Nl 25 BxNch, K-B1 26 NxN, PxN 22 BxQch. Also insufficient is 21…PxB 22 Q-R8ch, N-N1 23 NxN, PxN 24 R-B3ch wins. Finally on 21…NxN 22 B-Q3! Q-N5 23 QxPch, K-K2 24 QxNch! KxQ 25 B-N5ch, K-N2 26 B-K7ch, K-R3 27 N-N4ch, K-R4 28 R-R 3ch! KxN 29 R-R4 mate (Tukmakov). (e) Stronger is Spassky's 24 NxP! RxN 25 N-N5ch, K-Q3 26 N-K4ch, K-B3 27 BxBch, RxB 28 NxR, NxN 29 RxNch, BxR 30 B-K3, Q-Q4 31 R-QB1, K-Q3 32 B-B4 ch wins. (f) Black is lost anyway.

PROBLEM SOLUTION: 1 RxQP!