The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Gnv64)

THE
S O R C E R E R ' S A P P R E N T I C E
D A V I D
a
B R O N S T E I N
n d
T O M
F U R S T E N B E R G
CADOGAN
chess
THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE

40 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NOVICE
40 COMBINATIONS WITH EXPLANATIONS
70 PICTURESQUE GAMES 70
Created by David Bronstein
Compiled by Tom FUrstenberg
50 GAMES WITH COMMENTS 60 GAMES WITH D I A G ^ M S
CADOGAN chess
LONDON, NEW YORK
Copyright 1995 David Bronstein and Tom Furstenberg First published 1995 by Cadogan Books pIc, 27-29 Berwick St, London WIV 3RF. Reprinted 1998 (with corrections). Distributed in North America by The Globe Pequot Press, 6 Business Park Rd, P.O. Box 833, Old Saybrook, Connecticut 06475-0833, USA All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 1 85744 151 6
Typeset by ChessSetter Cover illustration by Sammy Rubinstein, son of Eugenie Lew and Akiba Rubinstein, another grandmaster to share David's fate as one of the strongest players never to become World Champion Cover design by Brian Robins
Printed in Great Britain by Redwood Books, Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
Contents
The Sorcerer's Apprentice A Word to the Reader Devik
40
9 15 19
25
40 Combinations
50
29
69
50 Games with Comments

60
71
201
60 Games with Diagrams

70
205
263
70 Picturesque Games One Horse is faster than another Index of Opponents Index of Openings List of Results
273 287 295 297 299
The Sorcerer's Apprentice

When 1 was about 6 or 7 years old 1 often went for long walks by myself through the forest, and when 1 grew tired 1 would lie on my back watching the trees and listening to the wind. It was then that 1 wondered if the wind was caused by the swaying tree tops or if the wind made the tree tops sway. This thought came back to me when 1 read somewhere of what Petrosian had said about David: 'The younger generation of players think that modern chess began with such things as the Informator but players of my generation know that it started with Bronstein!' It was an extremely difficult task trying to make a selection for this book as there are literally hundreds and hundreds of David Bronstein's games in my home. Quite a few of them have never been published before. 1 guess they await other books, yet to be written. David and 1 have worked many hours together. This was an extremely tiring but, in the end, a very rewarding experience for both of us. Many, many times 1 had to rewrite his comments as he was not satisfied. Games were replaced with others ... and replaced again. Comments were changed and ... changed again. Our grandmaster wanted to make games and comments easy to understand and to explain in simple terms the beauty of a real fight on the chessboard, the elements of strategy and the finesses of combinations. Have we succeeded? You, the reader, will be the judge of that. Many times 1 have benefited from David's fantastic memory He recalled dates, places, games, events and incidents as if they occurred yesterday. For instance, when he looked at his game with Donner (page 277), played more than 30 years ago, he immediately saw there was something wrong but could not pinpoint what it was. 1 checked and indeed there were two moves missing! When we selected photographs for this book and looked at the one from the Candidates Tournament in Amsterdam 1956, where David was shown seated behind the board without his opponent, 1 asked him whom he was playing. He looked a couple of seconds at the position on the board and recognised his game with Herman Pilnik! Often, when we looked at a game, instead of making the annotations he started reminiscing. 1 heard many fascinating stories which, 1 imagine, should all be part of David's autobiography. He has been working on it now for several years but, besides a basic outline and a couple of chapters, nothing has come of it. Because of his very complicated life, our chess hero just doesn't have the time! This is a pity because he has so many incredible stories to tell and he is the only person who can do it. He allowed me to use some of them in this book but don't worry, there are more than enough left for his autobiography. Whilst touring through Switzerland in 1965 giving simultaneous exhibitions, Paul Keres, who always memorised all travel time-tables and knew precisely all the complicated rules of travel, decided to send luggage back home separately by boat quite cheaply instead of having to carry it himself. However, if it were at least 100 kgs, the cost per kilo would be greatly reduced. As it was not possible to take home any prize-money in hard currency it was usually converted into goods beforehand. Keres had already done some shopping but did not yet have enough to make up 100 kgs. So, on a free day Paul Keres knocked on David's door. 'I know that you have not yet done any shopping for yourself. Would you like to come along now and buy something heavy for yourself?'
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he said. David was of course bewildered by this question until Keres explained his reasons. They went to a shop and David looked for many things he could use but Paul shook his head: 'Not heavy enough.' Finally David found a stereo amplifier, a heavy one! That was what Keres was looking for and together with his own purchases they reached 100 kgs and he was very happy. David baptised this amplifier 'Keres' and has kept it in his apartment in Moscow all these years. It is still working fine! Before the last round of the Staunton tournament in Groningen 1946 Najdorf was taking bets for 500 guilders that he would beat Botvinnik in their game the next day. Not only would he win b u t he would 'pluck him like a chicken', and this was exactly what happened, just as Najdorf had predicted! Botvinnik never forgave Najdorf for this and when Reuben Fine pulled out of The Hague/Moscow tournament in 1948 for the vacant World Championship throne it would have been natural to have given this place to Najdorf. However, Botvinnik strongly opposed this suggestion and nothing came of it. The evening before David had to play Najdorf in the Interzonal Tournament 1948 in Saltsjobaden they played a series of five-minute games and David came out on top. He then exploited his victory to intimidate Najdorf the next day. After playing the Dutch Defence David's position was not as good as he had hoped. When both players were in time-trouble David suddenly proposed a draw, which came as a surprise to Najdorf. He refused with wild gestures... Then, although he had only a couple of minutes left for fifteen moves, David got up and started looking at some of the other games, while watching Najdorf out of the corner of his eye. Najdorf stopped looking at the position and stared at David in amazement; he was shocked! After a minute he beckoned David back to the table with both hands and agreed to accept the draw in a better position! David was a young player then. Later in life he never played such tricks on his opponents again. The two adversaries in this story met again at the Argentina vs. USSR match playing first board for their countries between 16 and 25 March 1954. The match was staged in the Cervantes theatre and all seats were taken by an enthusiastic audience. It was a very great cultural event. At the opening ceremony President Juan Peron made the first move for Najdorf but as soon as Peron had left the stage Najdorf changed his move from 1 e4 to 1 d4. He shook his head: 'No, no, he made a mistake, that is not my move.' Najdorf and David played their four games on the same chessboard that was used by Capablanca and Alekhine in their match for the World Championship in 1927. David won the first two games then lost a game. Then, although a pawn up, Najdorf proposed a draw in their last encounter. David declined because he felt that Najdorf should play on for a win. Then something very strange happened. Najdorf left the table and went to find the captain of the Soviet team, grandmaster Viacheslav Ragozin, complaining that David had refused his offer of a draw! Ragozin called David to him and said in angry voice: 'You should accept immediately! You are winning this mini-match with Najdorf. What more do you want?' They shook hands and signed the peace on the spot! Once, when David was playing a game with Smyslov for the 1944 Soviet Championship, he kept looking at his watch and finally decided to offer a draw. They exchanged a few words, Smyslov accepted the draw and both started to leave the playing hall. The arbiter however stopped them and said in a very surprised voice: 'Why a draw? There is no valid reason to decide the game as a draw; there still is a lot of play!' 'Yes but we are hungry and in five minutes the cafeteria closes and we will no longer be able to have a meal,' replied David. 'That is a perfectly valid reason,' the arbiter agreed! You can find this game on page 273. Another tournament; again David was playing Smyslov and this time they agreed to a draw in 12 moves. A high chess official furiously told them that they should have continued to play. After all, the SovietChess Federation was paying them! David's answer became
11 The Sorcerer's Apprentice a classic in Soviet chess circles: 'Do you really believe that I will attack Smyslov for only three roubles a day?' In his book Achieving the Aim Botvinnik gives his version of an incident that happened at the end of the first session of the ninth game during his match in 1951 with David Bronstein. He accuses Bronstein of not obeying a request from the arbiter, Karel Opocensky, to seal a move before the adjournment. He says that Bronstein pretended not to have heard what the arbiter said and violated the rules by not sealing as requested but executing the move on the board, thereby putting Botvinnik in the position of having to seal a move. David Bronstein's version of events is quite different. From around move 30 both players were in great time-trouble. They had some idea how many moves had been made but were not sure. Although he had reached 40 moves, Botvinnik nevertheless made his 41st. At this moment both players had about one minute left on their clocks. Bronstein had heard Opocensky's request but the session playing time of five hours for the first 40 moves had not yet been reached and he was therefore within his rights to make another move. Opocensky then realised that he should not have asked David to seal a move at that moment. He waited until the five hours were used up and then politely asked Botvinnik to seal a move. Botvinnik refused: 'You should declare his move open,' and left the playing hall. The audience shouted 'shame' and whistled but Botvinnik ignored them. In 1967 Lev Polugayevsky and David Bronstein played a game which was adjourned after Black's 41st move (see page 278). Polugayevsky spent all night analysing and when they came to resume this game the next day, David, sensing that his opponent had analysed extensively, deliberately avoided playing the best moves. Polugayevsky, taken completely by surprise, failed to find the best continuation and lost the game. In his book Grandmaster Achievement Polugayevsky now almost blames David for not having played correctly, thereby taking him out of his prepared variations! In this book you will find games from David Bronstein's youth and his prime years, played in normal tournaments and in blitz and rapid tournaments. To show you that he can still be a dangerous opponent, some recent games have also been included, of which there are several played against computers - his latest love, although he played against the Soviet program M-20, later named Kaissa, as early as 1963 (page 278). In fact this was the second game. The first one David lost when he gave the program, rather overoptimistically, odds of a queen. Afterwards David became the friendly advisor on chess matters to the Kaissa team of programmers! We've also included some draws. It is well-known that people are reluctant to play through games that have ended in a draw. However, we urge you to play through these anyway as they are remarkable and the result is of no importance. See for instance the game with Boleslavsky on page 219. Some experimental games have also been selected. Games whereby the players' spoken thoughts were recorded on tape (with Tal, page 238) or several games played simultaneously against the sameopponent (Vaganian and Tal, pages 182 and 282 respectively). Tal loved chess, particularly with an audience, and never refused David's invitations to play experimental chess for fun and fans. Unfortunately, most of the games from David's early years have been lost. In 1941 he was ordered to leave Kiev as a conscript for the Red Army, taking only the clothes he was wearing. His mother left Kiev immediately, fleeing from the German Army, and when David returned home a couple of years later their home was empty. The earliest game on record is one that David played against Polyak in 1938 (page 71). It shows remarkable maturity for a 14-year-old boy. When you play through these games you will see moves and ideas in the openings and strategic plans in the middlegame that look very familiar today, but please remember
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that, when these games were played, many of them were being introduced by David for the first time! It was always my intention to include a table of results. This proved to be difficult as David Bronstein has hardly kept track of his achievements. When he made an attempt to compile a list of his results I noticed that he had completely forgotten to include the result of his World Championship match with Botvinnik! If he could forget to include this event, what others might he forget?! Therefore I can only promise that the list of results is as comprehensive as I could make it. As said before, this book has been structured in such a way that it should be comprehensible to every chess amateur. It is not necessary to have a high rating. The comments have been kept as basic as possible and the number of variations has been limited, so as not to clutter your mind. However, there are two notable exceptions: the game with Simagin (page 90) has been commented by Botvinnik and David has given his comments to those of Botvinnik. The result is a remarkable insight into this game. For several weeks I had quite a fight with David as he did not want his game with Ljubojevic (page 166) to be included in this book. He did not think that it was good enough! But I persisted and won when David discovered that Paul Keres had also annotated this game in 1973. After all, if Keres thought it worthwhile to give comments, it could not be that bad! The comments given in this game are a selection of those made by several other grandmasters over the years and some fresh ones by David. It would really be a pity to publish these games only with superficial annotations. It was only by coincidence that this game was played at all. This was a hard time for David with no tournaments abroad and only a few of them at home. Finally he decided to write a letter to Dr Max Euwe, then President of the FIDE, asking him for help. The Dutchman kindly replied that he had very little influence but if a chance were to present itself he would do his best. And so he did when he made David first substitute for the Interzonal Tournaments in Leningrad and Petropolis. However, this proved something of a poisoned chalice when Leonid Stein suddenly died. David was now to take his place. Of course he was shocked but what should he do? Refuse the invitation? After all he was paid a salary to play chess. He therefore decided to go to Brazil but made it known that he would not compete to qualify for the Candidates' Tournament as he did not want to take advantage of Stein's death. David and I did not always see eye to eye on the selection of other games too. For instance, David did not want the game with Rojahn, Moscow Olympiad 1956, to be included. The reason? 'I am tired of this game.' Nevertheless I left it in (page 225). There were many such differences but I believe that in the end good compromises were made. Several games have been published before in books, albeit more than 20 years ago but I could not leave them out. Since we had until February 1995 to complete this book, we were also able to include some games played after David's 70th birthday. We have used plain and simple English so only a basic knowledge of this language is required to be able to read this book. When a diagram is given this indicates that the position and the next move is of interest. I say 'of interest', not necessarily a good one! I wish to thank Paul Boersma, Erik Bouwmans, Herman Grooten, Rob Hartoch, Lex Jongsma, Hans Ree, Max Pam and Minze bij de Weg for honouring David Bronstein in their respective columns on his 70th birthday and for their remarks and suggestions which made this book into what it is in its present form. I would also like to thank Mariette Gilson, GM Genna Sosonko, Katja Serbina, Natascha Alikhashkin, Andrea Pearce, Rose-Marie and Peter Hannan for their co-operation. I am particularly grateful to FM Fred van der Vliet who found and corrected many mistakes, clarified variations and even suggested new ones. His personal database
13 The Sorcerer's Apprentice yielded a great deal of useful information and without his repeated and lengthy sessions of research at the Royal Dutch Library in The Hague, I would not have been able to compile an almost complete list of David Bronstein's most important results. Last but not least I wish to thank Anne Fiirstenberg for her patience with David and me! The fresh comments and recollections in this book were dictated by David Bronstein; other material was taken from the books: David Bronstein Chess Improviser by Boris S. Vainstein, 200 Open Games by David Bronstein, Chess in the Eighties by David Bronstein and Dr G. Smolyan, International Grandmaster Tournament (Ziirich/Neuhausen 1953) by David Bronstein and The Chess Self-Tutor by David Bronstein. These make up for 98% of the contents of this book. The other 2% are from: The World Chess Championship (1951) by W. Winter and R.G. Wade, The Oxford Companion to Chess by David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld, The Encyclopaedia ofChess by Anne Sunnucks, The Candidates' Tournament for the World Championship (1956) by Dr M. Euwe and w.J. Miihring, The Kings ofChess by William Hartston, The Chess Beat by Larry Evans, The World's Greatest Chess Games by Reuben Fine, Alekhine's Defence by Thinkers' Press, Chess in the USSR, Chess Herald, 64, Chess Life & Review, The British Chess Magazine and Chess, the famous magazine founded by B.H. Wood. Why the title The Sorcerer's Apprentice? Play through the games, study them, and then play through them again until you begin to understand what you have seen. Then you will know that a Sorcerer has been at work and you have become his Apprentice! I sincerely hope that many amateur chess players (and others) will get as much enjoyment out of the Chess Art that follows as the Artist must have had when he created it... Tom F u r s t e n b e r g Lasne, Belgium 1995
A Word to the Reader

First, I would like to explain to you how this piece of chess literature came into your hands. In this connection I need to express my deepest thanks to the Dutch chess amateur Tom FUrstenberg. It was entirely his idea to bring together some of my games, 222 in total, in the highly original '40-50-60-70' format to commemorate my 70th birthday. I myself would never have been able to make this book because I always look for perfection in my comments and continually modify them. However, I know that perfection simply does not exist. With the help of Tom FUrstenberg I was able to finish my work. I think that Tom Furstenberg first had this idea four years ago when we met each other at the AEGON tournament in The Hague. After that tournament I was invited to stay at his house for a few days in order to take a rest. There I saw his collection of books and chess sets and he showed me an autograph book full of autographs, including mine, of the participants of the 1954 Chess Olympiad in Amsterdam. When I saw this book again after 35 years I remembered quite clearly having signed it because it was so nice. I had never seen one like this and have never seen one like it since! Anyway, we talked a lot about chess. Then Tom Furstenberg asked me to explain my main ideas of chess strategy and tactics and I showed him some of my most interesting games. To my surprise he liked my 'lectures' and after I had shown him many of my games he suddenly made me a proposition to collect my games into a book and make them available to a wider audience of chess fans. We started to work on this project every time I was in Belgium and spent a lot of time working on the comments, trying to make them as simple and easy to understand as possible, avoiding too technical and too professional analysis in order not to make them boring. Herewith some suggestions on how you should read this book to get maximum enjoyment and benefit out of it. My advice to you is not only to read the often interesting stories but also to study the games carefully. I sincerely ask the reader not to think that my games are better than the games of any other grandmaster of my age. During my long career in chess we al have played a lot of games, most of them dull and not interesting, with the main goal to achieve a good result. But during these working days you are sometimes happy to produce an original idea in the opening, a sharp combination in the middlegame or to show neat technique in the endgame. Please do not read the chess moves with your eyes only. No one amongst you would like to sing aloud the musical score of a conductor. You would not, I sincerely hope, read the libretto of an opera at home in a cosy living room with a glass of fine wine in front of a fire place, instead of going to the opera where the work is performed with live actors and singers. You would surely also prefer to go to a museum to see the real painting instead of leafing through a catalogue. Undoubtedly you would not cut poetry in several pieces but would prefer to enjoy a poem as a whole, unless...you are a professional musician, singer, painter or poet! In this case there is no difference. You should not 'read' a chess creation but you should move the pieces on the chessboard and make move by move exactly as the work of Chess Art was created for the very first time. On your own chessboard with your own pieces. And in complete silence, to be able to follow closely the events as they unfold before your very eyes. The best way to do this is in three stages. First, play through the whole game without hesitating more than a couple of seconds at each move. If you have the urge to pause longer - don't! Just make a mark in pencil
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and continue to play the game to the end. Then put the book aside, get a cup of tea or coffee, relax and try your best to recall from memory the spectacle you have just seen. Try to establish the reasons why certain decisions were made. Second, play through the game again, somewhat slower this time, and mark in pencil everything that you did not see the first time. Third, now go straight to those pencil marks and give your imaginative and creative energy free reign. Try to play better than my opponent and I. If you do not agree look closely at each decision, either for White or for Black, with a critical eye. If you look at a game like this you will discover a lot of new and useful knowledge which you can use for your own benefit. Write your findings in a notebook in order to look at them later when you are in a different mood, especially if you like the game. If, during stage one, you made no pencil marks at all, don't look at this game again. Go on to the next one that, hopefully, will give you more pleasure and satisfaction. It just means that it did not appeal to you. Although I consider chess an Art I would not blame you at all if you don't like a particular game. In a museum you cannot like every painting you see. As French gourmets say, taste is a very personal matter. When I was le^rong to play chess, I studied thousands and thousands ofgamesplayed by the older generation in exactly the same way and gained a lot from them. With this book I trust that a further page in the history of chess has been added and I hope sincerely that the younger generation will find my games interesting and useful for their own development. The Sacred Hall of Chess Creativity is waiting for you! When I came to the chess world everybody was impressed by the fantastic combinations in old chess books and the main interest for us in playing chess was to create something on the chessboard in a spiritual fight and co-operation with your opponent. Rating points did not exist and there was hardly any prize money. Of course we knew that somewhere grandmasters were talking about the World Championship but very few think that they can also be part of this. To my own surprise I played an official match with the World Champion under the new FIDE system in the Spring of 1951. In the years 1948-1951 Mikhail Botvinnik considered himself as the best player of all time! I set myself the task in this match to show that it was possible to play against him and not lose every game. We played 24 very interesting games and the result was 12-12. As far as I am concerned this match was a complete victory for my chess ideas as from then on Botvinnik, obviously having become a wiser man, started to change his style and his results improved. Furthermore the younger generation of players studied and learnt a lot from my games and I cannot understand why, for more than 40 years, many chess journalists who have never played a serious chess match, criticised me for not winning the title. It seems that they know better than me what I like in chess! I have been asked many, many times if I was obliged to lose the 23rd game and if there was a conspiracy against me to stop me from taking Botvinnik's title. Alot of nonsense has been written about this. The only thing that I am prepared to say about all this controversy is that I was subjected to strong psychological pressure from various sources and it was entirely up to me to yield to that pressure or not. Let's leave it at that. I had reasons not to become the World Champion as in those times such a title meant that you were entering an official world of chess bureaucracy with many formal obligations. Such a position is not compatible with my character. Since my childhood I have enjoyed freedom and despite the country that I grew up in, I have tried to live all my years in this spirit and I am very happy that today I feel the same and enjoy my freedom. Also I think that it is not fair of Botvinnik to mention year after year that he did not crush me in the match only because he did not play a single game during the preceding three years and that he was rusty. I am convinced that he did not play because he did not
A Word to the Reader
17
want to reveal his opening secrets to his challenger and wanted to save his energy. lie prevented me from studying any of his recent games and I could not prepare myself for this match as I would have liked to. On the other hand I had played more than hundred games in important tournaments in the three years before this match and Botvinnik had all the time and opportunity in the world to study my games and he prepared himself excellently. When the 24th game was finished, many journalists came to the stage and asked Botvinnik to hold a press conference. The Champion agreed but 'forgot' to invite me to attend also. It so happened that neither before, during or after the match did the press ask me a single question about this contest! Because Botvinnik, starting from the year 1931, was regarded as the best player of the USSR, everybody thought that he and only he had the right to be World Champion. Despite the fact that in this long match Mikhail Botvinnik never showed any superiority over me, the English journalist and chess player Raymond Keene wrote: 'Bronstein would almost certainly have been no match for the Botvinnik of 1948.' I am wondering where he got this knowledge from. Prior to this match Botvinnik and I had played two games and the score was 1V6-V6 in my favour! Then there is the question why, if I did not want to win the World Championship title, did I participate in so many FIDE qualification tournaments? The answer is very simple. In those days there were very few international tournaments and if one wanted to be respected by the Chess Federation it was necessary to play to prove that you are amongst the best. By the way, did you know that the man who created this FIDE qualifying system never participated in it himself? When, during the AVRO tournament in 1938, Botvinnik was certain that he could no longer win the first prize, he challenged Dr Alekhine to a match for the title of World Champion. When that did not come about he tried again to arrange a match with Alekhine in 1945/46. After Alekhine's death the throne was empty and in the Autumn of 1946, one day after the USSR vs. USA match was finished, Botvinnik invited Reshevsky, Smyslov, Dr Euwe, Keres and Fine to play a tournament for the World Championship without any further qualifying tournaments. Why Boleslavsky and Najdorf were not included is a complete mystery to me. Further I still don't understand why it was necessary to play the subsequent The Hague/Moscow tournament in such a hurry in 1948. Why not play the Interzonal Tournament in The Hague and Moscow in May and then, a couple of months later, the Candidates' Tournament in Saltsjobaden? For sure the participants would not all have been the same. When Mikhail Botvinnik lost his title for the third time he should have played in the Candidates' Tournament in 1965 but rejected this proposition as unfair to him, claiming that he should have the right to play the 'traditional' revenge match with Petrosian as he had against Smyslov and Tal after having lost the title in their first encounters. It seems that he had created the qualifying system for others, not for himself! Botvinnik was not ashamed at all of the fact that from the five official matches he played as defending World Champion, he did not win a single one of them but managed only two draws... I still wonder why people in general have respect only for World Champions and not for all chess players? Is it not clear that we all play the same game of chess? We all start from the same initial position, with White and Black and we like the same attacking plans, create the same defences, in short we are all using the same weapons. When I published my book International Grandmaster Tournament (Candidates'Tournament, Neuhausen/Ziirich 1953, T.F.), I annotated the games of all 14 grandmasters
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with great respect to them. Sometimes I think that this book is so popular because I speak about Chess Art, the b e a u t y , the technique, common mistakes, strong and weak points of human characters, in short about all that makes chess so attractive. Of course, as we grow older we make more mistakes as we cannot keep the tension and concentration up as we used to but our games are still interesting. After all World Champions only exist by virtue of those people who never had this title. This is why the International Chess Federation, FIDE, when it was created in Paris on the 20th of July 1924 during the Olympic Games, took as their motto; Gens Una Sumus (we are all one family). You know of course that Pierre de Coubertin said: 'It is more important to participate than to win.' When we watch the Olympic Games we applaud all the participants, not just the Olympic Champions. In chess tournaments at the highest level, where the tension is very great, the winners are awarded good prizes and there is nothingwrongwith that. They need to study a great deal and have to prepare physically and mentally to make points, improve their rating and win tournaments. This does not mean that other grandmasters, who are not quite so strong, are not members of the world-wide family of chess players. One of the beauties of chess is that most of the games which have been played during the last two centuries are not lost. Every amateur has at least a few chess books: not only about openings, middlegames and endgames but also tournament books. When I play chess and, realising that my games will be published in a tournament book, I always try to vary my openings as much as possible, to invent new plans in attack and defence, to make experimental moves which are dangerous and exciting for both players and also for the audience. I believe that my greatest quality in the chess world is that I never play routine games. I judge the position again and again before every move, changing my strategy in reply to my opponent's moves, if necessary. Even in great timetrouble I never have any fear and bravely create combinations, sometimes good, sometimes risky. Probably, if I were to play more safely I would make more points in every tournament but then, where is the joy in that? Chess on the highest level is not only a boardgame. It is much more. It is part of human civilisation. Both Dr Emanuel Lasker and Dr Max Euwe have described chess mainly as a fight. Also, it is interesting to study how a man thinks during a game of chess. I think that I made a substantial contribution to Chess Science when I started to take note of the times taken for each move by both players. I think that I have cemented a few bricks in the house of chess psychology by creating the phenomenon of time graphs. If interpreted correctly, they give a tremendous insight into the human character. Further I believe that my work as a journalist is as important as my games. Finally I am proud of the fact that I am not known for fights off the chessboard but only on it. Besides playing for the World Championship, I have played more than 20 times for the championships of the USSR and Moscow, participated in many team competitions, travelled all over the world to play in strong international tournaments, given many lectures and simultaneous exhibitions, offered friendly advice to chess amateurs, and written many books and articles for more than 50 years. It is my belief that I have the right to be respected for these activities as I myself respect every amateur in the world. We should never forget that we are all one big family of chess amateurs! To conclude, I sincerely wish to thank all my Icelandic friends for making my 70th birthday an unforgettable one, just as they did 20 years ago when I celebrated my 50th birthday with them. On the 19th of February the Icelandic Chess Federation organised a party for me in their Icelandic Chess Palace. David Ionovich Bronstein Lasne, Belgium 1995
Devik
I have heard the name 'Devik' since my childhood in the house where I grew up. My parents used this pet name to describe David. My father made Devik's acquaintance in the Ukraine before the Second World War during a chess tournament. They immediately became friends in spite of the age difference - my father was then 20 and David only 15. It seems that even then Devik must have had something unusual and mystifying in his personality that drew my father, not a very sociable man, to him. He decided that he must get to know this young boy, five years his junior. Later they often met each other at tournaments, sometimes even sharing a hotel room. They also started writing to each other regularly. It was a pity that later their paths did not cross as much as before but this was due to rather complicated circumstances beyond their control. Thus, in our home Devik Bronstein was often talked about. I do not remember exactly what was said about Devik but I heard this name so much that it became strongly embedded in my memory. My mother has told me often that, even at the age of three, I liked to jump around the room singing loudly that I wanted to marry Devik Bronstein. It is obvious that, being so young, I did not appreciate the real meaning of these words. Evidently I just liked the sound of them, as a savage likes the sounds of a ritual. But perhaps, by pronouncing certain words, we arouse mysterious unknown forces which we don't understand and they start to move without our knowledge. My first memories of Devik go back to 1950. When I was 4 years old we were travelling to the Ural mountains and made a stop in Moscow to change trains. Devik met us at the station, helped us with the luggage and sat with us in the train. I remember his large grey gabardine coat, very much en vogue at the time, in which Devik seemed to drown, his big hat, his spectacles and, above all, his gentle smile. Devik had bought a real chocolate bar with nuts for me. I was a terribly spoilt girl and, without saying 'thank you' I took it. Then, trying to pretend that it meant nothing to me, I carelessly started to play with this chocolate bar and held it between two fingers in front of the open train window. Suddenly I dropped it and it got stuck between the double glazing from where it was impossible to retrieve. I became very irritated and, when Devik tried to console me, I said something very rude and nasty. He was shocked and my parents were overcome with shame. The next time I remember we met was when I was 8 years old. My parents and I went to visit Devik. At that time he had just moved to a room on Gorky street, nr. 25.1 remember that the room was long and narrow, unlike anything I had seen before. There were no signs of a regular style of household and family life. I sensed right away that this man had a totally different life from the one I was accustomed to. He prepared Turkish coffee for us on a small petroleum fired cooker in the old traditional way in a real copper coffee pot which he had bought somewhere in Yugoslavia. Just recently I heard from Devik more details about this extremely interesting journey. He was one of the first Soviet citizens to set foot on Yugoslavian soil after many years of irreconcilable differences and hostilities between the two countries which now no longer exist. (In the autumn of 1954 David Bronstein opened the door for Krushchev, who visited Yugoslavia two months later, precisely as the American table-tennis players had opened the door for Nixon to come to China in 1972, T.E). While the adults drank coffee and talked, I looked around the room and my attention
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was caught by several large dolls. One of them was from India and had a garland of flowers (she is still in Devik's apartment in Moscow today). I was particularly attracted by a doll with a beautiful, tanned face wearing a large straw hat. I did not say a single word but Devik did not miss the fascinated look in my eyes and said: 'I will offer you this doll as a gift.' For the duration of our stay I was on tenterhooks, afraid that Devik would forget his promise. When my parents and Devik finally got up and started to say goodbye, my pride prevented me from reminding Devik of his promise and I did not look at the doll any longer. Then Devik, smiling, picked up the doll from the sideboard and handed her to me, saying said that her name was Mona Lisa. This doll lived with me for a very longtime and I was almost in tears when someone broke her. However, I have kept her straw hat until this day. My third memory of meeting Devik dates back to the winter of 1964.1 was then 18 years old and a student at the Conservatory of Music. My mother took me for my holiday from Minsk (where we still live today) to Moscow. She suggested that we should visit Devik, probably to show off her grown-up daughter, and led me to his new apartment. He was then 40 years old. He greeted us with a knitted sports cap on his head (as he explained to my mother later - he was ashamed of his baldness in front of a young lady!) When Devik saw me, he surprised me when he said jokingly with a big smile that he now understood how some men can marry the daughter of their best friend! Devik was alone at home and he immediately started showing me his books. I remember that he was very proud of some books, which he had bought abroad and secretly smuggled into the country. One of them was the American edition of the novel For Whom the Bells Toll by Ernest Hemingway which was strictly forbidden in the USSR at that time because of the different version of the Spanish Civil War given in that book compared to the official Soviet one. Then Devik's wife Marina came home and we all drank tea and a typical adult conversation developed in which I did not really take part. The next day Devik telephoned us at the hotel where we were staying. I picked up the phone and, realising who was on the phone, wanted to pass him on to my mother. To my great surprise Devik said that he wanted to speak to me. I was lost and, being very shy, I did not know what to say to this older person whom I hardly knew. I mumbled a few incomprehensible words and handed the phone to my mother. I did not understand at all this man's attitude towards me It took another nineteen years until we met again. Meanwhile I had committed some errors in my life but fortunately for me, I managed to correct some of them and, like myself, Devik was also single again. My father had meanwhile died tragically at the age of 58 when one winter's night he slipped on the icy sidewalk and broke his leg. He was in hospital for several days when an infection set in and he did not survive. From 20 September to 15 October 1983, Devik played the Semi-Finals of the Soviet Championship in Minsk. Now it was he who came to visit us. Everything was decided surprisingly fast, simple and natural as happens when destiny brings two people together. And from this moment on I finally started to genuinely know Devik. I remember how, in my childhood, my mother once took me to the cinema to see the famous Walt Disney film Bambi. At that time my mother remarked that Devik resembled Bambi. I never forgot this and later, many years later, my image of Devik always conjured up a young deer, indeed just like Bambi, with a clear and open look in his eyes, pure and innocent. Even more astonishing is that this image was confirmed to me when we became closer. I have never met before a human so open to good and without defence against evil which has presented itself more than enough to Devik in all its forms.
Devik
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The heavy boots of Soviet history have marched through his life as through those of everyone of his generation. First of all the arrest of his father in 1937 put a black spot on his future. Being the son of 'an enemy of the people' was an indelible stain on his personal record. Such a file decided the fate of every man in the Soviet Union and I can imagine that this was the reason why Devik did not go to university. He had dreams of becoming a mathematician. In the summer of 1941, during the first weeks of the war, he left Kiev on foot. He has often remarked bitterly that, from then on, it was his destiny to live like a tramp, a vagabond. Yet, he admits, he saw his future as a gift of destiny as, logically, he should have died during the war. Only a few young men of the 1924 generation escaped this fate. In the spring of 1942 Devik was just saved by chance as a doctor of the Appeals Commission established that he was short-sighted and could not fulfil his military service. After many unbelievable adventures he arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia. In spite of all the difficulties that exist in a time of war he remembers his stay in this city with warmth and humour. It is there that, as a representative of the elite of the Georgian youths (Devik, being Ukrainian, Jewish and never having been a member of Komsomol!), he was sent to Stalingrad to help rebuild a steel factory. After the war was over Devik, already a famous chess master - the youngest in the world - was transferred to Moscow on the instigation of Boris Vainstein, President of the USSR Chess Federation. Vainstein, a highly educated man and very talented mathematician, was director of the department of economics in the NKVD working directly under Beria. He was also the chairman of the Dynamo Chess Club, the official sport society of the NKVD and this is how Devik became a member of this club. Later, his ill-wishers blamed him for this from time to time but, except for being a formal member of Dynamo and receiving some official references when requested by the Soviet Sports Committee to obtain a passport to go abroad, he never benefited from this membership. He entered this society at the lowest rank in 1945 and left in 1984 without promotion for almost 40 years. When they side-lined Bronstein he was also stripped of his monthly allowance and instead received a small pension in his capacity as a sports instructor, but that is part of another story. Thus Devik became a Muscovite instantaneously, albeit without a fixed place of abode. During the next few years he lived in the apartment of Boris Vainstein, who really did a lot to help him, where he had one room. In the spring of 1944 Devik's father suddenly reappeared in Moscow from the camps, suffering, exhausted and sick. He had been released due to bad health. Devik now felt it was his humanitarian duty to help his parents, both helpless, lost in society. They became his main source of worry, almost like his children. Devik, not having seen his father for more than seven years, was glad to see him alive and wanted to help him in any way he could, trying to make him forget the ordeal he went through. It was forbidden for his parents to live within 100 kilometres of Moscow or Kiev. Devik found a place for them to live one hour by road outside the capital, while he himself wandered from one furnished room to another, occasionally also residing in simple hotel rooms in the city. During those years he nevertheless managed to become a star in the world of chess and his name became more and more famous. From one tournament to another his ascent finally culminated in 1951 in a match with Mikhail Botvinnik for the ultimate crown. This match was surrounded by many rumours which have not died down until this day. These rumours were superficial and none of them really got to the heart of the matter. Still today people regret the fact that Devik did not win this match. There exists however an opinion that by not winning the title, Devik's chess career was over. I know how much he was hurt, not because he regretted that he never became
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World Champion but because of the attitude of the people close to him. The truth is that Devik was afraid to be proclaimed the official World Champion! It is obvious that his character is in total contradiction with having to carry such a title in the Soviet Union. Chess, in common with other sports, was considered by the State a way of confirming the superiority of the Soviet political system over all others. It was therefore necessary to have champions in all aspects of life in order to prove that socialism made a better world. World Champion was an official position in Soviet society and the personality of the champion had to be in harmony with this title. However, Devik's personality and character had hardly any of the attributes that would meet these criteria. Nomina sunt odiosa - we will not cite any names but it is difficult to imagine Devik, signing a very flattering telegram to the Ruler of the Communist party or even worse, embracing and kissing him! Further, if 'the son of an enemy of the people', moreover being Jewish, had surreptitiously climbed to the top of the pyramid of the chess world it would have been considered a flaw in The System, especially if the family history of the new champion had been made publicFew people knew that, when Devik played this match in the Tchaikovsky Hall, his parents were sitting in the first rank in the audience. As a former prisoner of several camps it was forbidden for his father to be in Moscow. Sitting close by in his loge was the powerful chief of the KGB General V S. Abakumov. While Devik was playing he had to think constantly of this potentially dangerous situation. And, in spite of his subconscious desire not to become World Champion, Devik did not lose this match to Botvinnik whom he did not regard as such an exceptionally good player as most thought he was. The result was a draw thereby proving to the whole world that he had enormous talent and was amongst the very best grandmasters of all time. Devik cherishes a letter which he received from Dr Max Euwe which started with the words: Dear Grandmaster and Co-Champion! Devik has never had the title of Ex-World Champion, a title which would have given him certain benefits and would have assured him of financial security for the rest of his life. But he does not care about this because he has another scale of values. Throughout his life Devik has been blamed by his colleagues for being rather impractical. His more realistic fellow grandmasters even had some anecdotes to tell about Devik like: 'what value has to be attached to goods that Bronstein will bring back to the Soviet Union?' The answer: 'It should be expensive, useless, preferably heavy and voluminous!' However, there was some truth to this. When they brought back suitcases full of practical and useful items from abroad, he would bring back such 'bizarre' items as dictionaries and expensive books in various languages while in our country it was wiser to pretend to be ignorant and not to understand any foreign language. Once, when in Amsterdam, he saw a very luxurious coffee service, rococo-style, in a very elegant shop and spent all the money he had with him on it. During the whole trip home to Moscow he kept it on his knees for fear of breaking it. Recently we travelled for three months all over Europe and even reached Iceland. Devik surprised me when he showed me a small electric train which he keeps in the chess club in Reykjavik. He had bought it several years earlier to compensate somehow for the fact that there were no real trains in Iceland! Devik has never tried to refute his reputation of being somewhat eccentric. In fact it seemed that he was even pleased with this as he could hide behind it. It gave him a feeling of safety. In the country in which he lived it was better to be considered somewhat strange than to be suspected of nonconformism. Nevertheless I believe that what seems strange to others is deeply connected with Devik's philosophy of life that everything that is useless and superfluous is in fact required in daily life for the human spirit.
Devik
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Devik appreciated, then and now, nothing more than the spirit of freedom. Having lived all his life in a state where the word liberty had only a theoretical meaning and where in reality only slavery was cultivated, Devik managed to keep his spiritual freedom. For him no dogmas existed. His courageous and free spirit enabled him to glance at many things in life for the first time and make his own judgement. This is how he plays chess; how he got his many innovative ideas how to organise chess. Let's take for example Active (Rapid) Chess. It was Devik who proposed this for the very first time when he wrote about it in his column in Izvestia many years ago and was its most ardent promoter. When this idea was finally accepted and people saw how attractive and even lucrative it could be, there were enterprising young players who declared, without any modesty, that chess started with them and proclaimed this idea as their own without any reference to its original creator, David Bronstein. God will pass judgement on them, and not only on them, as David's problems started many years earlier. As soon as this cannibalistic time was over, when one had to irrevocably occupy first place and nothing but first place at each and every tournament abroad in order to prove the incontestable strength of the Soviet school of chess, Devik was slowly but surely eliminated from the world of chess. The Soviet authorities decided who would participate in tournaments and who would play abroad and they did not like Devik, without any doubt considering him to be a stranger. Strictly speaking Devik was not a dissident but his inner freedom, his decent behaviour, his professional and human fairness were in striking contrast to the character of those who bad imposed the Soviet System for many decades. As Devik did not have the ' protection' of the title of Ex-World Champion, they were able to ignore him. They prevented him from participating in important tournaments abroad, even personal invitations were not honoured. Instead they proposed other players whose views they considered merited to be rewarded. Devik told me that one day that he had lost his patience and turned to one of these superiors of the Soviet Chess Federation, Mr Baturinsky, to discuss this situation. Grandmaster Boris Spassky had nicknamed this man 'the black Colonel' for his notorious history as a prosecutor in the armed forces. Baturinsky told Devik, while staring at the ceiling, that for a player of his present level one tournament a year was more than sufficient and that the personal invitations he was still receiving were of no importance at all. In reality he did not even get that one tournament! I know that Dr Max Euwe tried to help Devik but in vain. One day the authorities found the right opportunity to eliminate Devik altogether. After the 1976 IBM tournament in Amsterdam, Victor Korchnoi chose not to return to the Soviet Union. Among the names of grandmasters that condemned Korchnoi for this, the one of Bronstein was missing. It was then that they remembered that he was a friend of Korchnoi and that he had helped him during his match with Anatoly Karpov, the flag-bearer of Soviet chess. This was sufficient to close the door to participation in tournaments in the West for the next 14 years. Devik continued to participate in local tournaments of minor importance with players of lesser strength and as a result his rating deteriorated but the quality of his games remained high. Now the officials told him that with such a rating he could no longer participate in prestigious tournaments. A wind of change coincided with the appearance of Perestroika in 1986. The tight leash was slackened and Devik was allowed to play a tournament in Yugoslavia at the personal invitation of grandmaster Svetozar Gligoric and was able to renew ties with his old friends and make new ones. Within a few years (very difficult ones for him) Devik accomplished the impossible like a Phoenix he rose from the ashes and regained his popularity. He was one of the first
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to participate in the AEGON tournament in The Hague where he had to play exclusively against computers, contributing a great deal to the prestige and popularity of this event. At the Donner Memorial tournament 1994, after the game Devik played against Velimirovic (page 285, T.F), Vasily Smyslov said to me: 'Finally this is again the young imaginative Devik we used to know!' In reality Devik is young and this can be confirmed by all who have met him during the last few years. His spirit is still flexible, his desire and thirst to create and discover new things is present as before in his best years. When I think about Devik I realise that the majority of people are just there increasing the population in quantity. Far less are those who, by their sheer presence, increase the quality of mankind. I sincerely believe that he belongs in the latter category. Tatiana Boleslavskaya Minsk, Belarus 1995
Professor of the History and Theory of Music, Devik's wife and daughter of grandmaster Isaac Boleslavsky
40 Recommendations for the Novice

1. No one has ever been able to study chess in its entirety, not even the World Champions, but everybody can play and receive a lot of enjoyment from it. 2. Play in chess takes place on a board, divided into 64 squares, half of which are light and half dark. 3. Before the battle commences the pieces and pawns occupy the following positions:
(checkmate)' to the king of his opponent. 5. The rules of how the pieces move can be learnt by anyone who wishes to play within the space of an hour. 6. Friendly games of chess should be played at rapid tempo, say 15 minutes on the clock for each player. Half an hour per game is most convenient and a fair rate for creative play. 7. As in other forms of sport, a chess duel should consist of a small series of games, best of all mini-matches of four to six games. 8. Not more than two hours need be spent on such a mini-match. The bitterness of defeat will always be forgotten at the joyous moment of victory. 9. In the initial position any pawn has the choice of moving forward one or immediately two squares: only the knights can jump to the left or right, endingup in front of the rook's or bishop's pawns (the knight is also allowed to jump over the pieces or pawns of the opponent's army). 10. The most popular beginning of the game is to move two squares with the pawn (White always begins) in front of the king (e2-e4) if you like an attacking game. However, this is somewhat dangerous because tactical complications can arise almost immediately. 11. After the opening move of this king's pawn, not only the knights but also the queen, the bishop next to the king and the king itself (of course not all at once but one of the pieces at the player's discretion) can now make a move: the king - one square forward (to e2), the queen and bishop to any diagonal square (e2, f3, g4 and h5, and e2, d3, c4, b5 and a6 respectively).
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12. The king's knight, besides going to the squares in front of the bishop's and rook's pawns (f 3 and h3 respectively), can now also go to the square from where the pawn has just moved (e2). But whereas the bishop will move along the light-squared diagonals all the game, the queen, once she has gained more space, can move any number of squares in any direction, and the king - in any direction but only to a neighbouring square. 13. On the first move it is better to play the pawn in front of the queen (d2-d4) but better still is to play the king's knight towards the centre, occupying the square in front of the bishop's pawn (>gl-f3). 14. By then advancing one square the pawn in front of the knight's former square (g2g3) and then placing the bishop on the pawn's square (ji.fl-g2), one can thus build the 'King's House'. Black can also use this method of course. 15. By castling kingside, whereby the kingjumps two squares to the right (from el to gl) and then the rdok in the corner is moved over the king and placed on the neighbouring square (from hi to f 1), one can complete the erection of a very solid defensive post for the king. Castling in this manner is written as 0-0. 16. Castling on the left is also possible when the space and between the queen's rook is clear and neither the king nor the rook have moved. The kingjumps from el to cl and the rook from a l to dl. This is written as 0-0-0. 17. The opponent will not be able to prevent you from employing this technique of building the 'King's House' and, in order to breach your defences, he will now need to display a great deal more sharpness, resourcefulness, will-to-win, imagination etc., than after the popular but very risky (for novices) 'King's Pawn Opening' (e2-e4). 18. After completing the defensive line for your king you can advance the pawn in front of your queen one square (d2-d3), boldly preparing to attack with the queenside pawns or even with the king's pawn alone. 19. After the 'King's House' has been established you do not need to hurry to bring into battle the rook or the bishop and knight on your queenside - the bishop and knight are active even in their initial position while the rook in the corner should patiently await the opening of horizontal and vertical lines. 20. The queen should also be in no hurry to leave her initial position. She can perhaps be allowed to move to the king's former square (ttdl-el) but only if the advance of the king's pawn needs to be supported from the rear. 21. All our pieces of advice are equally good both for the white and the black pieces and, of course, when the forces of the two sides come into contact, the players commanding the actions of their chess armies themselves can, as they think best, introduce modifications to these basic strategic plans. 22. In quiet positions the strongest piece is the queen since she moves any number of squares in any direction The knight is roughly equivalent in strength to the bishop but the rook is rather stronger than the bishop and is clearly superior to the knight. 23. Two knights and a bishop are roughly equal to a queen but two bishops and a knight are slightly stronger than a queen. 24. Two rooks are superior in strength to a queen but only ifthey are actively placed and their actions co-ordinated. 25. On the scale of comparative values, three pawns compensate approximately a knight, four a bishop, five a rook and nine a queen. The king cannot be captured (checkmate ends the game) and is therefore of infinite value. 26. A pawn that has crossed the chess equator (the middle of the board) acquires a special privilege. If it wishes it can remove an enemy pawn from the board but only immediately after the latter has completed the 'double step' as only allowed in the initial position. In so doing the attacking pawn moves to the imaginary square where the opponent's pawn would have been had it made a 'single step' and the opponent's pawn must
40 Recommendations for the Novice
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be removed from the board. This method of one pawn taking another is called 'taking en passant'. 27. On reaching the last rank a pawn has to move off the battlefield and make way for another piece of the same colour, at the player's choice - queen, rook, bishop or knight, irrespective of the number of similar pieces already in the player's possession. 28. If there are no pawns and pieces remaining on the board except a lone queen or rook on your side, it is easy to announce 'checkmate'. It is slightly more difficult with just two bishops, very difficult with a bishop and a knight and impossible with two knights unless the opponent makes a blunder. 29. The 'King's House' can be breached in three stages: first, by attacking with pieces to weaken the pawn screen, then by attacking with pawns to create a breach in the defences and finally mounting a decisive offensive and piece invasion. 30. An attack can always be successfully parried or weakened if the attacking pieces are carefully exchanged. 31. You should not bring into play only your favourite piece but should seek a plan of action by which the pieces make moves in turn, creating a united group in attack and defence. 32. In the initial stage of study it is desirable not to move all pawns around the king whereas it is useful to advance pawns in the centre and on the opposite wing, creating greater space for your pieces and taking away safe squares from the opponent's pieces. 33. As t h e strong pieces disappear, the role of your king grows since it has less to fear. And when there are only pawns left on the board, the king can (and must) boldly go and attack the key squares of the board. In short, move in any direction towards the opponent's pawns if it is useful and/or necessary - to the support of your own pawns. 34. As the number of pieces is reduced, the role of the pawns grows and therefore one should be careful if and how to exchange them. 35. Pawns are capable themselves of breaching any defensive wall and should therefore not be given up for nothing. 36. For the sake of a rapid attack one can sometimes give up a pawn and, in exceptional cases, to win an extra move, while you are attacking, one may not begrudge a knight or a bishop. 37. For the sake of opening a diagonal for a bishop or a file for a rook it can sometimes be useful to give up one pawn. 38. Only when a position with a mating finish can clearly be seen should you pluck up courage and fearlessly sacrifice a rook or even your queen. 39. You should not continue playing in a position in which, by your own personal evaluation of the situation, there are no real hopes of saving the game. It is better to admit defeat, congratulate your opponent on winning and immediately offer him a new return game. In short, it is better not to await the bitter words 'check and mate'. 40. It is impossible to learn the openings from books but, by combining practical play with theoretical study, one can gradually understand the basic strategic plans and tactical ideas concealed behind the 'pages of opening moves' and the vast number of opening variations recommended in books taken from the tournament games of masters and grandmasters. David Ionovich Bronstein
40 Combinations with Explanations

(1) Bronstein,D - Morgulis.L
Pioneers Palace Championship, Kiev, 1940
[C26] Vienna Opening 1 e4 e5 2 )c3 c5 3 c 4 4 d3 d6 5 4 )bd7 6 )xc5 )xc5 7 )e2 c6 8 0-0 0-0 9 &g5 h6 10 e3 )e6 11 f3 d5 12 b 3 a5 13 c3 b6 14 Wei Wc7 15 Wf2 Sb8 16 Wh4 a 6 17 Sadl >c5 18 xh6 )e8 19 e3 sxd3 20 exd5 cxd5 21 )g3 g6 22 xd5 )f4 23 xf4 exf4 24 )e4 x f l 25 <Sg5 \f6 26 Wh6 We5 27 Wxg6+ &h8 28 Wh6+ &g8 29 e 4 c 4 30 i.h7+ &h8 31 d 3 + &g8 32 xc4 2b7 33 Wg6+ &h8 34 xf 7 Black resigns.
Position after 23...e5xf4
24 )g3-e4!
Please note that all 40 combinations were taken from actual games played in important tournaments which demanded the utmost physical and intellectual effort. With hindsight everything is simple but when sitting at the board it was not so easy to find 24 )e4 x f l 25 )g5 &g7 26 Wh7+ &f6 27 )e4+ &e5 28 g3 fxg3 29 Wh4. Such a variation seems to be obvious after you learn more and more new methods of attack. Also, you have to respect the strategic and tactical ideas of your opponent. For instance, if instead of 28 Wh6+ White plays 28 JLxf7 Black then can answer 28... JLd3 and White's attack grinds to a halt. But I did not fall into this trap because we knew each other very well. We were about the same age and both liked to play an innovative style of chess. Every Sunday we used to come to the chess club as early as possible to play blitz chess. We must have played thousands and thousands of three-minute games. Morgulis, whose talent was undeniable, died suddenly of heart disease at a very young age in 1942.
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(2) Bronstein,D - Ratner.B

14th USSR Championship, Moscow, 1945
[B16] Caro-Kann Defence 1 e4 c6 2 )c3 d5 3 tf3 dxe4 4 )xe4 rf6 5 >xf6 + gxfB 6 d4 f 5 7 -&d3 &g6 8 M 4 e6 9 0-0 M6 10 iLg3 Jixg3 11 hxg3 &d7 12 Wd2 0-0 13 S a d l &g7 14 Sfel Wc7 15 c4 16 b3 Sfd8 17 We3 fld7 18 g4 Wd8 19 g3 c5 20 l.xg6 hxg6 21 &g2 cxd4 22 &xd4 Wf8 23 S h i &g8 24 )xe6 S x d l 25 )xf8 S x h l 26 &xhl Sxf8 27 We7 &g7 28 Wxb7 29 Wd7 Black resigns.
Position after 23...<&g7-g8
24 >d4xe6!
White's pieces are clearly more active than Black's. The rook on h i has a strong influence on the open h-file. It could even give a check on h8 at the right moment. At the same time the centralised white knight strikes deep into the enemy camp, amongst others the square e6. In such cases we must find away to increase the strength of the attack by means of a sacrifice. It is not too difficult to find: 24 )xe6 fxe6 25 Sxd7 sxd7 26 Wxe6+ l f f 7 27 S h 8 + . If 24...We? then 25 S h 8 + &xh8 26 Wh6 + . The game took a different turn but the result was the same. How was such a combination possible? The answer is simple. The black rook on a8 is not participating. Had it been on e8, the pressure on the h-file would have been much more difficult to exploit. If this had been the case White might have taken action on the other wing to try to make use of the passive position of the black knight by playing 24 5ib5 with the aim of taking on a7.
31
(3) Bronstein,D - Koblentz.A

[C35] King's Gambit Accepted 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 tf3 e 7 4 i.c4 rf6 5 e5 >g4 6 0-0 d6 7 exd6 Wxd6 8 d4 0-0 9 >c3 >e3 10 JLxe3 fxe3 11 Wd3 >c6 12 Sael Jigi 13 Sxe3 Wh6 14 Seel i.d6 15 >e5 >xe5 16 dxe5 Ac5 + 17 &hl i.e6 18 >e4 b 6 19 c3 Sad8 20 We2 Sfe8 21 i.xe6 Sxe6 22 Wf3 Se7 23 Qg3 Sed7 24 tf5 Wg5 25 Wxb7 Sd2 26 Wf3 Ac5 27 b4 f 8 28 >d4 &h8 29 >e6 Black resigns.
After 28..."^hS, it seems thatBlack has some compensation for the pawn: he has a rook on White's second rank, but to be objective, White's position is much better than Black's. The white pieces are very well placed but we have to be careful. If, for instance, the white queen takes the pawn on f7, Black's answer could be that his queen takes the pawn on g2 and gives mate. We have to find another way to exploit the weakness of the pawn on f7. Although this pawn controls the square e6 it cannot leave the f-file as otherwise the white queen can sacrifice herself by taking the black bishop on f8 and after the black rook takes the queen, White's rook on f l will give mate by taking the rook on f8. The white knight therefore does not have to fear the black pawn on f7 when it goes to e6 and wins the exchange.
32
(4) Pachman,L - Bronstein,D

Prague vs. Moscow Match, 4th round, Prague,1946, [E67] King's Indian Defence exd4 1 d4 2 c4 d6 3l"Llc3e5 4l"Llf3l"Llbd75 g3 g6 6 i.g2 i.g7 7 0-0 0-0 8 b3 Se8 9 10l"Llxd4l"Llc511 Se1 12 i.b2 a4 13 Sc1 14 i.a1 axb3 15 axb3 'ib6 16 h3l"Llfd717 Sb1 18<i1th2h5 19 Se2 h4 20 Sd2 Sxa1 21 Sxa1 i.xd4 22 Bxd4l"Llxb323 :Xd6 24 Sa2 'ixg3 + 25 <i1th1 'ixc3 26 Sa3 i.xh3 27 Sxb3 i.xg2 + 28<i1txg2'iVxc429 Sd4 'iVe6 30 Sxb7 Sa8 31'iVe2h3 + White resigns.
Position after 20 Se2-d2
20...Sa8xal!
The diagram shows a complicated position which can be characterised as 'difficult', almost 'impossible'. However, a very simple method can assist us and that is to divide this position into several parts. Then we see that the group of pieces and pawns around the black king are in no danger whatsoever. On the opposite side there are two pawns in the line of sight of the bishop on c8 and the pawn on h4. The pawns on b3 and e4 also have to be defended. In Black's camp there are two undefended pawns but the pawn on d6 is not attacked and taking the h-pawn will only benefit Black as the white king's position becomes too open. Now we shall see if Black can start an attack. After all it is his turn to move. The white knight in the centre appears to be very strong but in fact has no influence on its surroundings. White's only hope is his bishop on a1. To destroy the foundation of the white position Black should take the bishop on a1 with his rook.
33
(5) Zita,F - Bronstein,D

Prague vs. Moscow Match, 6th round, Prague,1946, [E68] King's Indian Defence 1 c4 e5 2 lLIc3 3lLIf3d6 4 d4lLIbd7 5 g3 g6 6 i.g2 i.g7 7 0-0 0-0 8 b3 c6 9 i.b2 Se8 10 e4 exd4 11 lLIxd4 12 d 2 ltJc5 13 Sfe1 a5 14 Sab1 a4 15 i.a1 axb3 16 axb3 lL1g4 17 h3 Sxa1 18 Sxa1lL1xf219 Se3 lLIxh3+ 20 <ith2 21 Sf3lLIcxe422 Wf4 lL1g4+ 23 <ith1 f5 24lL1xe4Sxe4 25 xd6 Sxd4 26 b 8 Sd8 27 Sa8 i.e5 28 'ia7 'ib4 29 'igl 'ifB 30 i.h3 h 6 White resigns.
Position after 17 h2-h3
There is clearly a conflict between the knight on g4 and the white h-pawn. The knight has come too close to the white king and the h-pawn is asking the knight to retreat behind the demarcation line. What decision should Black take? Of course retreating is the simplest but then we must ask ourselves why the black knight went into the attack in the first place. Maybe we can create confusion amongst White's defences and boldly take the pawn on by playing 17 ...lLIxf2. Mter 18<itxf2can we play 18 ...lLIxb3 19 2xb3 .ixd4+ 20 <itfl x b 3 or after 18 x f 2 play the other knight to d3? Very tempting isn't it? But upon taking a closer look we see that if the rook on b3 is taken by the queen she leaves the bishop on d4 without any protection and after 21 xd4 White can put his hopes up again as he can now playlLId5,with threats along the diagonal a1-h8, not to mention lLIf6+. Mter 17... White may also play 18 lL1a4! That is why Black first takes the bishop on a1 with his rook and only then the knight takes the pawn on
34
(6) Bronstein,D - Pachman,L

Moscow vs. Prague Match, Moscow 1946 [C88] Spanish Opening 1 e4 e5 2 liJf3 ltJc6 3 .ib5 a6 4 .ia4 liJffi 5 0-0 .ie7 6 Sel b5 7 .ib3 0-0 S a4 .ib7 9 d3 liJa5 10 .ia2 d6 11 c3 c5 12liJbd2"fkc713 liJfl c4 14 .ig5 cxd3 15 .ixfG .ixffi 16 'ixd3 liJc4 17 b3 liJb6 IS a5 liJc8 19 b4 liJe7 20 liJe3 SfdS 21l:i.ac1l:i.ac822 Sedl 23 liJg4 .ig7 24 liJg5 d5 25 'it'f3 f5 26 exf5 liJxf5 27 Sxd5 &hS 2S l:i.xdS+ SxdS 29 'it'h3 h5 30 liJf7+ 'it>h7 31 liJg5 +'it>hS32 S e l Sd2 33 .ie6 liJe7 34 'it'e3 Sc2 35 liJgf7 + 'it>gS 36 liJgxe5 Sxc3 37 liJg5 +'it>hS 3S liJef7+&gS 39 liJe5 + 'it>hS40 liJgf7+ &h7 41 liJg5+ &hS 42 liJgf7+ 'it>h7 43 "fkf4 Black resigns.
Everyone knows that the queen is stronger than a rook and that a rook is stronger than a knight or a bishop but when we judge and evaluate a position it is sometimes essential to violate these materialistic calculations. The reason for such advice is the simple fact that a piece does not act on its own in the game. It makes an attack or organises a defence in co-ordination with other pieces and pawns. When using a little bit of fantasy or imagination it is often possible to find a move which is useful for the whole chess army, even if this move leads to some material loss. From my own experience I have learned that in a complicated middlegame position, when pawns and pieces are engaged in battle, it is often wise to sacrifice a rook for an enemy bishop. After Black's 26th move we have a perfect example ofsuch a position. Ofco^^ White can simply play 27 .ixd5+ but then Black will play 27 ....ixd5 and slow d o ^ White's attack. With 27 Sxd5 White opens the vital diagonal a2-gS, but at the ^ m e time keeps his strong attacking bishop and forces the black king to take refuge in the comer of the board.
35
(7) Bronstein,D - Kotov,A

Moscow Championship 1946 [B17] Caro-Kann Defence 1 c6 2 d4 d5 3 M dxe4 4 tbxe4 tbd7 5 tbf3 6 ltJc3 e6 7 i.d3 i.e7 8 0-0 c5 9 We2 cxd4 10 tbxd4 0-0 11 i.g5 ltJc5 12 Sad1 tbxd3 13 Sxd3 'ilic7 14 tbdb5 'iV'c6 15 Sfd1 b6 16 tbd4 'ic7 17 Sg3 &h8 18 tt:x:b5 'ib7 19 We5 a6 20tt:x:3tDd721 i.h6 Black resigns.
Position after 20... tf6-d7 i W

m w ' a*
M
% m m m
i
M
saw
S
m m , m
? B aaa
"
21 g5-h6!
The white queen is under attack but nevertheless the white bishop takes a short step forward and, like in a fencing contest, says: 'touche'. Black resigns because mate cannot be avoided - 21...tbxe5 22 i.xg7 +<it>g823 i.xe5+ i.g5 24 Sxg5 mate! When the clocks were stopped grandmaster Kotov explained that he had only calculated the move 21 Wxg7+. When I later saw his book Think Like a Grandmaster 1 realised that he had looked at the variation 21'iV'xg7+<it>xg722 i.xe7+ <it>h8 23 tbf5 fG 24 tbh6 but there is a better line for Black: 23...exf5 24 Sxd7 'ilic6 or 23tbc6'iV'c724 Sxd7 'ilixg3 25 hxg3 i.xd7 26 i.fG+ and if23...Wxc6 24 Sxd7 then 24. ..e5 is possible. It is noteworthy that one move earlier White missed an even more beautiful combination: 20 tbd6 'iV'd7 21tbc6'iV'xc622 i.xfG gxf6 (22 ...i.xfG 23'iV'xfGgxf6 24 tbxf7+ Sxf7 25 Sd8+) 23 We3 'ixc2 24 Sc1 Wg6 25 Sxg6 fxgG 26 Sc7 i.xd6 27 'ih6 i.xc7 28 Wxf8 mate. Black can avoid this disaster by playing 20...'id5 but the endgame is in White's favour anyway. Shortly after his book was published in England Alexander Kotov told me bravely: 'I have included quite a few ofyour chess articles in it.' 'Well,' 1 said 'ifthey are useful to the readers then I don't mind. 1 might even be pleased with such publicity.' However, while putting this book together 1 was surprised to find that Black could have played 12.. ii'xd4 13 i.xh7 + tbxh7 14 Sxd4 i.xg5 with three pieces for the queen or, instead of taking the queen with the rook, 14 i.xe7 'ib4 and Black is better in both cases.
36
(8) Bronstein,D - Dubinin,P

15th USSR Championship, Leningrad, 1947 [C39] King's Gambit Accepted 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 tDf3 g5 4 h4 g4 5 tDe5 h5 6 i.c4 Sh7 7 d4 i.h6 8 tDc3 ltJc6 9 tDxf7 Sxf7 10 i.xf7 + <t;xf7 11 i.xf4 i.xf4 12 0-0 'it'xh4 13 I:i.xf4+ 'bg7 14 'it'd2 d6 15 Baf1 tDd8 16 tDd5 i.d7 17 e5 dxe5 18 dxe5 i.c6 19 e6 i.xd5 20 Sf7 + tDxf7 21 Sxf7 + &h8 22 'ic3 + tDffi 23 Sxffi 'ixffi 24 'bh7 25 'it'f5 + 'bh6 26 'it'xd5 'bg6 27 'it'd7 Black resigns.
Position after 18..JLd7-c6
19 e5-e6!
The move of the white pawn makes White's advantage decisive. The white rooks have the open f-file all to themselves, the white queen is in a waiting position, the white king is safe while Black's pawn on g4 is pinned by the rook. Black's queen looks dangerous but in reality she is not. Black's rook, bishop and knights do not really participate actively in the game. The opening of this game was interesting: 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3tDf3g5 4 h4 g4 5tDe5.All theoretical books judge the position as better for Black after 5 . 6 ^ g 4 tDxe4 7 d3 tDg3 8 i.xf4 tDxh1 9 'it'e2+ "ie7 10 'bd8 11 i.xc7+ ^xc7 12lt:xi5+ &d8 13 tDxe7 i.xe7. I had expected 5...tDf6 and after 6 tDxg4 tDxe4 I would have liked to play the discovery I made a long time ago: 7tDc3!My novelty brings a piece into action that I refer to as 'the lazy knight'. Mter 7...tDg3 8 tDd5 i.g7 9 d4 0-0 10 i.xf4 tDxhl 11 tDh6+ 'bh8 (11...i.xh6 12 'ig4+ <t;h8 13 i.xh6 Sg8 14 i.g5) 13 'it'h5 we have an extremely interesting position. However, if Black had played 8...i.e7 I would not have known what to do. I finally managed to put this idea into practice in 1994 in my game against Kim A strup, see page 285. By the way, in the years 1945-47 I played the King's Gambit 10 times with White and achieved the perfect score of + 10-0=0!
37
(9) Bronstein,D - Panov,V

Moscow Championship, 1947 [C30] King's Gambit Declined e5 2 f4 c 5 3lLlf3d6 4 c3 g 4 5 fxe5 dxe5 6 'it'a4+ d 7 7 'it'c2 tOc6 8 b4 d 6 9 c 4 10 d3 'ile7 11 0-0 0-0-0 12 a4 13 b5 lLlb8 14 lLlbd2 g 4 15lLlb3b6 16 e 3 lLlbd7 17 flael e 6 18 xe6 'it'xe6 19 &hl 'it'e7 20lLlbd2lLlg421 g l h5 22lLlc4g5 23 lLlxd6+ cxd6 24 lLld2 25lLlc4&b7 26 xb6 lLlxb6 27 lLlxa5+ &c7 28 tOc6 'it'e8 29 a5 lLld7 30 b6+ &b7 31 a6+ 32 Sbl + Black resigns. 1
The dimensions of a chessboard are not large. Space is a very relative notion. You can play on a pocket chess set or on a demonstration board but in either case you will have no more than 64 squares at your disposal. It goes without saying that if you want to win the battle you will need to control as much space as possible. To achieve this it is logical to use far-reaching pieces such as bishops. In this position the white bishop has found a very good square. As an extra security measure he defends the h2 square but at the same time attacks the square b6 near the enemy king. Normally an attack will be successful if carried out by several pieces at the same time. That is why the not so far-reaching knight has taken up his position on c4 to increase the pressure on the b6 pawn. The sacrifice of the bishop destroys the defence around the black king and enables White to march on to the eighth rank with his two connected passed pawns on the queenside. Panov was a very good chess master and journalist. In 1930 he wrote a wonderful book called An Attack. When he left Izvestia I took his place. When I did not achieve 121h-111h in my World Championship match with Botvinnik in 1951 he was sad. 'You spoilt my chess column,' he said. 'I had already finished my article New Young World Chess Champion and had put a lot of effort into it.'
38
(10) Bronstein,D - S z a b o , L
Interzonal Tournament, Saltsjobaden, 1948 [C04] French Defence 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3lLld2lLlc64lLlgf3lLltO5 e5lLld76lLlb3ffi7 .tb5 a6 8 .txc6 bxc6 9 0-0 c5 10 c4 dxc4 l l lLla5 lLlb6 12 exf6 "ixf6 13 dxc5 T5 14 .tg5 "ixc5 15 "id8+ Wf'7 16 l:tad1 .tb7 17lLlxb7Sxd8 18lLlxc5l:td519 lLle4 .td6 20 l:ta5 21 .ic1 lLla4 22 lLlxa4 lha4 23 a3 c3 24 b3 Sa5 25 l:td3 Sc5 26 .te3 Sa5 27 h c 3 h a 3 28 .tc5 Sa5 29 :&4 30 g3 a5 31 b5 Sd8 32 .txd6 cxd6 33 l:tc7+ 34 &g2 l:ta2 35 lLld4 l:te8 36 l:te1 e5 37 l:tb2 38 b7 Black resigns.
Position afterl5...<&e8-f7
16
l:.al-dl!
This position is very easy to judge: the black king has lost his right to castle, there are weaknesses in the positions of the black pawns and both Black's rooks and bishops are in their initial position. Furthermore, the white queen is very active on d8. Now the move 16lLlc6looks very promising. Black cannot take the knight because then the other knight gives a check, winning the black queen. However Black can defend better with 16....td7 17lLlfe5+..t>g818lLle7+ "ixe7 19 .txe7 h d 8 20 .txd8 .td6 and despite the loss of the exchange Black's position is playable thanks to the strong pair of bishops. Or Black plays 16...lLld5 defending the pawn on c7 and the square e7, hoping to be able to play ...h6 as soon as possible. That is why White did not move the knight and preferred to bring the reserve into battle. The move 16 l:tad1 is justified by the variation: 16....tb7 17 lLlxb7 l:txd8 18 lLlxc5 Sxdl 19 l:txd1 .txc5 20lLle5+..t>g821 l:td8+ .tfB 22 .te7. If Black tries to avoid this line, accepting the sacrifice of the knight with 16..."ixa5, then White continues the attack with 17 "ixc7+ ..t>g8 18lLle5h6 19 l:td8 e.g. 19...hxg5 (19.....t>h7 20 .ttO) 20 "if7 +..t>h721 "ig6+ ..t>g8 22 23 "if7 mate. Szabo avoided this line but lost a piece and should have resigned much earlier.
39
(11) Barcza,G - Bronstein,D

Budapest vs. Moscow Match, Budapest, 1949 [A20] English Opening 1 c4 e5 2 a3 3 d3 a5 4lLlc3d6 5lLlf3lLlbd76 e3 g6 7 .td2 .tg7 8 axb4 9 axb4 Hxa1 10"iVxa10-0 11"ia7"iVe712 e4 c6 13 .te2 d5 14 cxd5 cxd5 15 "ia4 b6 16 0-0 .tb7 17 exd5 23 .txd5 lLlxd5 24 lLlxd5 18 lLlxd5 .txd5 19 "i5 "iVd6 20 Hc1 h6 21lLle1Hd8 22 Sc6 "id7 25 "iVc4 26 "ic1 b5 27 h3 &h7 28"ic5lLlf429 Hc7 30"iVc6Ha131"ie4lLlxd3 32 lLlxe1 33 cMl lLlc2+ 34 .tc1 h c 1 + 35 &e2 lLld4+ 36 &d2lLlb3+ White resigns.
Position after 31"iVc6-e4
Both players' positions have weaknesses. One's first impression is that the white king is just about fine. Three pawns protect him and one of them has made an escape route. The knight on e1 is well protected by two white pieces. On the other side of the board is the black king who will have to keep the bishop close by his side as two pawns have moved forward rather frivolously. IfWhite manages to exchange queens then there will be problems for the pawn on Reasoning like this brings us to the conclusion that the white rook on c7 is more dangerous than the black one on a l . However, I believe that we have forgotten to take into account that it is Black's turn to make a move! If one considers the positions separately it often appears that each side is fine but when both armies clash it becomes clear that one of them is probably losing. We can only distinguish the difference ifthere is a good move available. In this case Black has such a move. After 31...lLlxd3 32 "ixf5 lLlxe1 White cannot prevent checkmate by the double check with lLlf3+ +. If White tries to save his queen with, for instance 33"iVxf7,then 33...lLlf3 is checkmate. The magic of chess!
40
(12) Szily,l - Bronstein,D

Moscow vs. Budapest Match, Moscow, 1949 [C63] Spanish Opening 1 e4 e5 2tDf31Dc63 i.b5 f5 4 exf5 e4 5 "ie2 "ie7 6 i.xc6 bxc6 7 tDd4 81Dc3c5 9 tDb3 d5 10 Wb5 + "id7 11 "ia5 "ic6 12 tDa4 Hb8 13 d4 c4 14 tDbc5 i.d6 15 b3 0-0 16 h3 i.xf5 17 i.e3 tDd7 18 "id2 tDb6 19 "ie8 20 a4 cxb3 21 cxb3 c6 22 tDe2 tDd7 23 "ic3 i.e6 24 0-0 i.xh3 25 tDg3 "ig6 26 gxh3 i.xg3 27 "'hi "ih5 28 fxg3 "ixh3+ 29 "ixg3+ 30 Hf3 31 Sxf3 "ixf3+ 32 &gl tDxc5 33 dxc5 "ig3+ 34 &hl Hf8 35 "iel T3+ 36 Hf6 37 Hg6+ 38 "ih3+ 39 &e2 "id3 mate.
Position after 24 0-0
I f a chess player plays his rook's pawn up one square too early after having castled, there is always the danger that this pawn will be attacked. Of course this pawn is protected by his neighbour but that one has its own task in protecting the king against checks from the North on the g-file by Black's rooks or Her Majesty the queen and may be reluctant to be distracted by what is going on next to him. This is exactly what is happening here. Black sacrifices his bishop in order to open up the position around the white king. White refuses the gift but Black insists and will be victorious in the subsequent attack. The black bishops initiated the attack but the black rooks made optimal use of the ffile. Earlier in the opening the black e-pawn courageously crossed the equator and played a decisive role from its outpost. A perfect example of combining forces resulting in a sad fate for the white king. His bishop made the mistake of exchanging himself for a black knight.
41
(13) Bronstein,D - Keres,P

Candidates' Tournament, Budapest, 1950 [C91] Spanish Opening 1 e4 e5 2 lLlf3 lDc6 3 .tb5 a6 4 .ta4 5 0-0 .te7 6 Hel b5 7 .tb3 0-0 8 d4 d6 9 c3 .tg4 10 h3 .txf3 11 'it'xf3 exd4 12 'it'd1 13lLlxc3lLla514 .tc2 He8 15 f4 b4 16lLld5lLlxd5 17"ir'xd5c6 18 'it'd3 g6 19 &h1 .trs 20 lUI .tg7 21 .td2 c5 22 .ta4 Srs 23 Habl 'it'b6 24 f5 .td4 25 'it'g3 lDc4 26 .th6 .tg7 27 .txg7 &xg7 28 f6+ &h8 29"ir'g5b3 30 axb3 'it'b4 31 bxc4 'it'xa4 32 "ir'c2 33 "ir'h6 Black resigns.
Position after 32...Wa4-c2
33 "ig5-h6!
This position is a memorable one for me. I knew that if I won this last-round game, then I would tie for first place with Boleslavsky in the first official FIDE Candidates' Tournament in Budapest 1950. That is why I decided to play a very sharp move in a well-known classical position. The queen's move was the last one of this extraordinarily tense game. I think Black rejected 26...lLlxb2 because of 27 Hxb2 .txb2 28 .tb3 with several threats to the black king. In my opinion, Black chose 26....tg7 intending 27 .txg7 &xg7 28 f6+ s&h8 29 "ir'h4 g5 but in the heat of the battle he must have overlooked that White can block the pawn on g6 with 29"ir'g5!Ifnow 29... Sg8 then 30 Sf4"ir'd831 Sh4"ir'rs32 flh6 intending 33 'ih4. With my next move 30 axb3 I show respect for Paul Keres as it would be very childish to play 30 Hf4 bxa2 31 'it'h6 axb1'it' + 32 &h2 in a situation where the simple 30 axb3 lLle5 31 Hf4 is quite sufficient. I won this game and the subsequent match against Isaac Boleslavsky, earning me the right to play a match for the World Championship.
42
(14) Bronstein,D - Boleslavsky,!

Candidates' Play-off, Game 1, Moscow, 1950 [D89] Grunfeld Defence 1 d4 2 c4 g6 3 lDc3 d5 4 cxd5 lDxd5 5 e4 lDxc3 6 bxc3 c5 7 i.c4 i.g7 8 lDe2 cxd4 9 cxd4 lDc6 10 i.e3 0-0 11 0-0 i.g4 12 f3 lDa5 13 i.d3 i.e6 14 d5 i.xal 15 "ixal 16 i.h6 "ib6+ 17 'ihl Sfd8 18 S b l "ic5 19 i.d2 b6 20 i.b4 "fIc7 21 Hc1 "fIb7 22 "ibl Hab8 23 dxe6 1Dc6 24 i.c3 lDe5 25 i.b5 Sbc8 26 i.xe5 l:.xcl + 27 "fIxcl fxe5 28 i.d7 "fIa6 29lDg3"ixa230 h4 Sf8 31 "fIg5 Hf6 32 "fIxf6 Black resigns.
Position after 13...iLg4-e6
14 d4-d5!
What unusual facet of Black's position attracts our attention? The knight at the edge of the board, ofcourse. Had it been on the black kingwould not have had any worries. It is interesting to know how the knight came to a5. Most likely from c6 and if it wants to move, it will probably use the same square again. In order to keep the knight out of play we should try to get control over the square c6. Why then not push the white queen's pawn forward? At the same time the black bishop will be driven away from the diagonal a2-e6. Such a simple move and yet so many words to explain the decision to move a pawn forward! Have we forgotten that opening the diagonal al-h8 allows the bishop to take the rook on al? It is not necessarily a disaster to let a good bishop take a rook which is tucked away in a corner. The bishop won't be able to return to defend the black king. Conclusion: we will play 14 d5 as after 14...i.xal 15 "ixal Black will be totally passive and White's pieces can use their fantasy and knowledge to create a strong offensive.
43
(15) Botvinnik,M - Bronstein,D

World Championship Match, Game 11, Moscow, 1951 [El 7] Queen's Indian Defence 1 d4 e6 2lLlf3lLlfS3 c4 b6 4 g3 b 7 5 g 2 e 7 6 0-0 0-0 7 b3 d5 S cxd5 exd5 9 b 2 lLlbd7 10 SeS l l lLle5 12 Hc1lLlxe513 dxe5 lhe5 14lLlb5Se7 15 .txfS gxf6 16 e4 dxe4 17 'it'g4+ g 7 IS Sfd1 'it'fB 19lLld4 c S 20 'it'h4 f5 21lLlc6SeS 22 h 3 h 6 23 Hc2 e3 24 fxe3 x e 3 + 25'Ot>h1 e 6 26 g 2 a5 27 f 'Ot>hS 2SlLld4HadS 29 Sxc7 d 5 30 Se1 'it'd6 31 Sc2 Se4 32 x e 4 xe4 + 33 'it'xe4 fxe4 34 lLlf5 35 Sxe3 Hd1 + 36rJ;>g2Hd2+ 37 lbd2 'it'xd2+ 3S 'Ot>h3 39'Ot>g4fSWhite resigns.
Position after 31 2c7-c2
It is simple to evaluate this position. The pieces ofboth players confront each other in the centre of the board where the pawns are gone. In this situation it is advisable to insure them well! The black pieces cover each other but the white ones are disjointed. Just a breeze will be sufficient to blow the royal stronghold apart. Where is the weakest link in White's position? That is clearly the diagonal hl-aS. There is just one bishop to defend it on f 3 and he is not strong enough by himself to repel an attack. That is why Black can simply play his rook from eS to e4. It is worth mentioning that ifWhite plays 30 Hf1 'it'd6 31lLlxf5(31... 'it'xc7? 32 "ifS+!) then Black needs to see the hidden move 39. ..lhg3 + (31...xf3 + 32 Hxf3 "id1+ 33 c;t>g2 ':'d2 + 34c;t>h3Sxh2 + 35'Ot>xh2'it'gl+ 36'Ot>h3'it'h1+ 37c;t>g4SgS + 3Sc;t>h5Hg5 + 39 c;t>h6 Bxg3 + 40 lhe3 Sg6+ 41 c;h5 'it'd1+). This variation was also mentioned in the Russian bulletin of the match by Paul Keres and Alexander Tolush.
44

World Championship Match, Game 17, Moscow, 1951
[E45] Nimzo-Indian
Defence
1 d4 >f6 2 c4 e6 3 >c3 b 4 4 e3 b6 5 >ge2 a 6 6 a3 e 7 7 >g3 d5 8 cxd5 x f l 9 >xfl exd5 10 >g3 Wd7 11 f 3 >c6 12 0-0 g6 13 d 2 0-0 14 >ce2 h5 15 Hfcl h4 16 >fl >e4 17 f 4 a5 18 Hc2 d 8 19 e l >e7 20 We2 >d6 21 f3 g5 22 >d3 We6 23 a4 >g6 24 h3 f5 25 Jic3 &fB 26 Hel Sae8 27 Wdl Hf7 28 b3 Hfe7 29 b 2 f4 30 >e5 xe5 31 dxe5 >f7 32 exf4 >xf4 33 >h2 c5 34 ig4 d4 35 >f6+ WxfB White resigns.
Position after 29 JLc3-b2
29...f5-f4!
'If ..' We often think in chess, 'If...'. If there was no white pawn on e3 it would make sense to contemplate sacrificing the black queen on el. So if we can play 29...f4 to try and get this e3-pawn out of the way... But it cannot be that the best moves are so simple and easy to find. Who says that 29.. f4 is the best move in this position? It is a move that should be considered and we think it is very useful. That is often sufficient reason to play it. However, you're not always obliged to make the best move. Moves should be active, enterprising, sound and beautiful! If the adversaries follow this rule, it will be interesting for the spectators, especially if they play quickly. The spectators who followed this game back in 1951 were very grateful to the players. Although the first 27 moves were played slowly, the next 13 moves, until the time control, were rattled off at high speed since both players were in time trouble. Under those circumstances Black played 29...f4. White decided to block the e-file immediately and played 30 te5 but after 30...ilxe5 31 dxe5 )f7 32 exf4 )xf4 White's hopes to breach Black's defences on the square fB were in vain. In this game I adopted the strategy of deliberately making moves that defy all logic. This had the effect of completely confusing Botvinnik. After the opening he was psychologically 'groggy'.
45
(17) Bronstein,D - Botvinnik,M

World Championship Match, Game 22, Moscow, 1951 [A91] Dutch Defence 1 d4 e6 2 c4 f 5 3 g3lLlfB4 .tg2 .te7 5lLlc30-0 6 e3 d5 7lLlge2c6 S b3lLle49 0-0 lLld7 10 .tb2 lLldf6 11 'fid3 g5 12 cxd5 exd5 13 lLlxc3 14 .txc3 g4 15 fxg4lLlxg416 .th3 lLlh6 17 lLlf4 .td6 IS b4 a6 19 a4 'fie7 20 Habl b5 21 .tg2 lLlg4 22 .td2 lLlfB 23 2b2 .td7 24 2 a 1 lLle4 25 .tel HfeS 26 'fib3 WhS 27 2ba2 'fifS 2SlLld3HabS 29 axb5 axb5 30 2a7 2e7 31 lLle5 .teS 32 g4 fxg4 33 .txe4 dxe4 34 .th4 2xe5 35 dxe5 .txe5 36 S1 'figS 37 .tg3 .tg7 3S 'fixgS+ Black resigns.
Position after
37
.th4-g3!
What strikes us in this diagram is the active white rook on the 7th rank, the other rook on an open file and the good position of the white queen on b3. We further notice that both black bishops are not really participating in the game; the bishop on eS is playing behind his own pawns and the other one is standing proudly on e5 but in reality he is not able to defend the diagonal a1-hS permanently. For a moment we will ignore the strong bishop on h4 and play the queen, say to c2, to attack the e4-pawn. If Black then plays his bishop to g6 we can destroy his defence from another side with 'fixc6 with the threat .tfB+. Only now, with this idea inmind, we see in a bright moment that the queen does not have to leave at all but that we can attack immediately. Even i f t h e black rook had been on cS it would not have made a difference: 37 .tg3 .tg7 38 2xg7 'fixb3 39 .te5 'fixe3+ 40 <>hl. Don't forget, a bishop on an open diagonal and two rooks in the attack and you cannot go wrong! By winning games 21 and 22 I turned the wheels of fortune to my side: Now the score was l1lh-10lh. Just half a point more required and Botvinnik can no longer win the match ...
46
(18) Tolush,A - Bronstein,D

USSR Team Championship, Odessa, 1952 [CO8] French Defence 1 d4 e6 2 e4 d5 3 tDd2 c5 4 exd5 exd5 5 tDgf3 6 i.e2 liJc6 7 0-0 i.d6 8 tDge7 9 Bel 0-0 10 tDfl b5 11 i.g5 b4 12 tDe5 i.xe5 13 dxe5 bxc3 14 bxc3 i.e6 15 i.f3 h6 16 i.xe7 'ixe7 17 'id2 Bab8 18 Bad1 Bfd8 19 Se2 'ic7 20 'it'e3 Hd7 21 Vf4 Bbd8 22 g3 d4 23 i.xc6 d3 24 Hb2 'it'xc6 25 f3 'ic5+ 26 'ie3 'ia5 27 Bc1 Bd5 28 f 4 d2 29 Hxd2 Sxd2 30 tDxd2 Sd3 31 'it'd5 32 Hc2 i.h3 33 'ie2 Be3 White resigns.
Position after 22 g2-g3
The black pawn on d5 is ready to start an attack but as soon as you will move it you will simultaneously open the long diagonal for the white bishop. This bishop will capture the knight on c6 first and only then White's c-pawn will take Black's attacking pawn. It all has its logic and in draughts, where capturing is obligatory, this way ofjudging the position would be perfectly correct. However, in chess the Goddess Caissa left the possibility for players to make their own choice. Using this possibility the black d-pawn became the hero of a pretty combination by immediately taking another bold step forward. Later this stout pawn even penetrated to d2 where he sacrificed his life for the benefit of the other black pieces. Looking back after so many years with a lot more experience I wonder whether the move 23...d3 was really the best. Is it not simpler to sacrifice this pawn immediately by playing 23...'it'xc6 24 cxd4 'it'b6? Probably but a nice chess move is a gift from Caissa and should be accepted with gratitude by the players for their personal enjoyment and for the audience.
47
(19) Bronstein,D - Euwe,M

Candidates' Tournament, Neuhausen/Zurich, 1953 [E59] Nimzo-Indian Defence 1 d4 2 c4 e6 3 M i.b4 4 e3 c5 5 i.d3 d5 6lLlf30-0 7 0-0lLlc68 a3 i.xc3 9 bxc3 dxc4 10 i.xc4 'iVc7 11 i.d3 e5 12 'iVc2 Se8 13 e4 exd4 14 cxd4 i.g4 15 'ixc5 lLlxe4 16 i.xe4 Sxe4 17lLlg5Se7 18'iVc2g6 19 lLle4 20 + &g7 21 'iVd2 22 d5 Sd8 23 i.b2 + lLle5 24 f4'iVc5+ 25'Ot>hlSxd5 26fxe5+'Ot>e627'iVg5'Ot>d728 Hacl 'ib6 29 c 3 Se8 30 i.b4 Sexe5 31 'iVh4 a5 32 i.el h5 33 'iVa6 34 i.g3 Se4 35 Sxf5 Hxh4 36 Hxd5+ 'ie6 37 Scdl 'iVc4 38 2d6+ &e7 39 2d7 + ^ 40 i.xh4+ 'ixh4 41 +'Ot>g5Draw agreed.
Position after 19...i.g4-f5
In this position it is essential for us to know whose turn it is. If it were Black to move his knight could capture the pawn on d4 or his rook or bishop could take the knight on e4. But it is White's turn and the first thing that comes to mind is a check on f6. The black king can now attack the knight by going to g7. Sometimes it makes sense to sacrifice material to lure the enemy king into the open. Here White sacrifices a whole piece to achieve that. The black king cannot get back to g7 but must remain in the centre, assailed by the two rooks, queen and bishop. In this case Black found the only defence and the combination led to a friendly draw. When this intellectual fight was published world-wide the famous master Dmitri Rovner from Leningrad published an article in which he indicated a more simple way to achieve the draw: 15... i.xf3 16 gxf3'iVd717 i.e3 lLlxe4 18 i.xe4 2xe4 19 fxe4 'iVg4+. But I still prefer the way chosen by Dr Max Euwe. Many years later I was told by Carel van den Berg that Dr Max Euwe liked this game very much. So did I.
48
(20) Bronstein,D - Trifunovic,P

Olympiad, Amsterdam, 1954 [E44] Nimzo-Indian Defence 1 d4 liJffi 2 c4 e6 3 liJc3 .i.b4 4 e3 b6 5 liJge2 .i.b7 6 a3 .i.xc3+ 7 tDxc3 0-0 8 .i.d3 c5 9 d5 exd5 10 cxd5 a6 11 0-0 d6 12 e4 tDbd7 13 a4 'fic7 14 tDe2 Hfe8 15 tDg3 c4 16 i.c2 b5 17 i.e3 b4 18 Hc1 a5 19 i.d4 .i.a6 20 tDf5 He5 21 .i.d3 Hxf5 22 exf5 tDxd5 23 .i.e4 'it'c6 24 'fif3 .i.b7 25 ffi He8 26 .i.xh7+ &xh7 27 'it'h5+ &g8 28 fxg7 ffi 29 'it'xe8+ 'it;xg7 30 Hxc4 'fixc4 31 'fixd7 + &g6 32 'it'g4+ f 33 b3 Black resigns.
The d-file acts as a sort of separation between the queen's and king's side. White has stopped the advance of Black's pawns on the queen's side. Black will not find it easy to fight against the white knight on f5. Moreover, White has put the pawn on d6 in a tight spot and has a perfect square for his bishop in the centre. Such a bishop is a feast for the eye. That is why Black proposed to exchange this bishop for a rook. If now 21 .i.xe5 Black will not be bothered any longer by the bishop and the d-pawn moves to a more active position on e5. However, White is in no hurry. Black's position has been split in two and will disintegrate all by itself. M t e r 21 i.d3 Black decided to exchange his rook for a knight. That has temporarily weakened White's attack but the e-pawn, now on f5, is dreaming of an advance to the g-file. In fairy tales a lot can happen!
49
(21) Bilek,l - Bronstein,D

Hungary vs. USSR Match, Budapest, 1955 [B16] Caro-Kann Defence 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 ttJc3 dxe4 4 ttJxe4 ttJf6 5 ttJxf6+ gxf6 6 i.f5 7 ttJe2 h5 8 ttJf4 h4 9 'it'f3 ttJd7 10 g4 hxg3 11 fxg3 e5 12 g4 i.h7 13 ttJe2 exd4 14 cxd4 i.b4+ 15 'it'e7 16 i.g2 0-0-0 17 i.c5 18 i.e3 ttJe5 19 dxe5 Hd3 20 21 exf6 Hxe3 22 Hhc1 i.b6 23 i.f3 i.e4 24 i.xe4 Sxe4+ White resigns.
Position after 17 a2-a3
The blackkingis well protected while the white kinghas remained in the centre, wondering from which side the attack will come. If you forget for a minute that pawns not only move forward but also can play actively along a diagonal, then Black can contemplate a strong move such as 17...ttJe5. Yes but what about the pawn on d4? It can take the knight on e5. Would it be possible to lure it away? With a grain of imagination, a trifle of fantasy, a shade of calculation and a small risk we will seriously start to search and suddenly find the unexpected move 17 ...i.c5. White declined the sacrifice of the bishop and unpinned the d4-pawn when he played 18 i.e3 but then the move 18 ... ttJe5 was possible thereby increasing the power of the rook on d8. Now, being on e3, the bishop himself has become a target for Black. With active play Black demonstrated clearly how bad the position ofthe white pieces really was.
50
(22) Bronstein,D - Keres,P

Interzonal Tournament, Gothenburg, 1955
[E41 ] Nimzo-Indian
Defence
1 d4 >f6 2 c4 e6 3 \c3 ilb4 4 e3 c5 5 ild3 b6 6 >ge2 i.b7 7 0-0 cxd4 8 exd4 0-0 9 d5 h6 10 Jic2 >a6 11 ib5 exd5 12 a3 Jiel 13 >g3 dxc4 14 i.xh6 gxh6 15 Wd2 >h7 16 Wxh6 f5 17 >xf5 Hxf5 18 i.xf5 > fB 19 Badl ilg5 20 Wh5 WfB 21 >d6 ilc6 22 Wg4 &h8 23 i.e4 i.h6 24 ilxc6 dxc6 25 Wxc4 >c5 26 b4 ice6 27 Wxc6 Bb8 28 )e4 Wg6 29 Bd6 ilg7 30 f4 Wg4 31 h3 We2 32 ig3 We3+ 33 <&h2 d 4 34 Wd5 Be8 35 >h5 36 >xg7 Wg3+ 37 * h l >xf4 38 Wf3 ie2 39 Bh6+ Black resigns.
Position after 13...d5xc4
14 i . c l x h 6 !
The chess army consists of eight pawns and seven pieces. Yes, seven pieces as the king has its own code of conduct. During the game he conforms to all wishes of the player and he is in fact a symbolic piece. The king cannot lose the battle, the player does that for him. Therefore it is essential that all wishes and desires of the chess pieces are taken seriously as they have gathered an enormous amount of experience over a very long period of time - since man started to record chess games! My opponent knew very well that I could not afford to lose time by taking pawns but for reasons unknown to me he forgot about the bishop on cl. Probably he was focused on the variation: 14 Be8 15 >bd6 Be6 16 ixb7 Wc7 etc. The unexpected sacrifice of a bishop promises a very strong attack. If now 14...Be8 then the bishop will take a second pawn: 15 ilxg7! That is why Black played 14...gxh6 but after 15 Wd2!! the white attack unfolds by itself. After 15...>c5 16 Bael id3 17 i.xd3 cxd3 18 Wxh6 ih7 19 iifB 20 Be3 Be8 21 Bg3+ &h8 22 Bg7 or 18...Be8 19 M 8 20 Wg5+ &h7 21 ibd6 Be6 22 Be3 >g8 23 Wh5+ >h6 24 >xh6 i.xh6 25 x f 7 + &h8 26 Bxe6 dxe6 27 Wxb7 White has a superior position. In the final position Black would have liked to play 33...ixf4, but then comes 34 Bxh6+ >h7 (or 34...&g8 35 Wc4+ i4e6 36 Bxf8+) 35 Wd6! iixh6 36 tf5! We8 37 Wd4+ &g8 38 )xh6+. This game was awarded the first brilliancy prize.
51
(23) Bronstein,D - Geller.E

[B31 ] Sicilian
Defence
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 lc6 3 i.b5 g6 4 c3 i.g7 5 d4 Wb6 6 a4 cxd4 7 0-0 a6 8 i.xc6 Wxc6 9 cxd4 Wxe4 10 >c3 Wf5 11 Hel d5 12 a5 i.d7 13 Wb3 rf6 14 He5 Wd3 15 Hxe7+ &xe7 16 lxd5 + >xd5 17 Wxd3 fB 18 i.d2 &f7 19 Wb3 i.c6 20 )el Hhe8 21 ld3 He6 22 Hcl M8 23 xc6 Black resigns.
Position after 14...1'f5-d3
When evaluating a chess position the first thing we should look at is the position of the kings. In closed positions they can wait to castle but if the positions appear to be open then it is better for them to go into their hide-out as quickly as possible. The position which we are evaluating here has to be considered as semi-open. The fact that the Black has not yet castled would not have been of great significance if the black queen were not on d3. It must be said that she did not go there voluntarily; she was lured there by White's rook. But Black's queen should also be partly blamed for his loss as she should have never undertaken the long journey to capture the white e-pawn. In doing so she opened the e-file for the white rook and now has to suffer for her recklessness. Efim Geller tried to play this game against his own style but it never works. I have suffered myself many times like this.
52
(24) Bronstein,D - Medina,A

[D36] Queen's Gambit Declined 1 d4 >f6 2 c4 e6 3 )c3 d5 4 cxd5 exd5 5 i.g5 Jie7 6 e3 c6 7 Wc2 )bd7 8 i . d 3 )f8 9 )ge2 10 M 4 g6 11 0-0-0 )g7 12 f3 >f5 13 i.f2 Wa5 14 <&bl i.e6 15 h3 0-0-0 16 e4 )g7 17 i.g3 <ge8 18 Jie5 Sf8 19 scl dxe4 20 fee4 )d7 21 M 2 )b8 22 d5 i.d7 23 )b3 Wb6 24 d6 Black resigns.
Position after 23...1ra5-b6
24 d5-d6!
There can be no doubt: White's position is harmonious. The sneaky bishop on h2 controls the diagonal all the way to b8, the rooks co-operate and can assist each other at any moment. Several strong pieces - the queen, two knights and a bishop - have gathered around the white king. The black king also has his supporters but they are obviously restricted in their movements. Although the movement of a knight, compared to a bishop, is more limited regarding the distance, it can exert better control at short distances. In this example the white knights together control the squares a5, b5, c5, and d5 and a knight on d5 would be ideal to attack the black queen but presently that square is occupied by a white pawn. The obvious question is: Should not the pawn leave that square? Yes of course and that is how the move 24 d6 came about. It sounds simple to come to that conclusion but it is not. If we want to find the best move but are somewhat inconsistent then the game of chess can be extremely difficult. Does 'a best move' really exist in a balanced position? The position is not balanced, Black has no space. White has several good moves, for instance 24 dxc6 or 24 >a4 or even 24 >b5 with the threat 25 JLgl. However the move 24 d6 is the most aesthetic of all.
53
(25) Bronstein,D - Sliwa.B

Alekhine Memorial Tournament, Moscow, 1956 [C75] Spanish Opening 1 e4 e5 2 tf3 >c6 3 i . b 5 a6 4 i . a 4 d6 5 c3 i.d7 6 d4 i.e7 7 0-0 i.f6 8 i.e3 5}ge7 9 ibd2 0-0 10 a3 >g6 11 b4 He8 12 i.c2 h6 13 ib3 i.g5 14 hxg5 15 g3 f6 16 Wh5 <ice7 17 >c5 i.c6 18 i.b3+ d5 19 Hadl b6 20 >d3 exd4 21 i.xd4 &f7 22 f4 Hh8 23 We2 gxf4 24 >xf4 <ixf4 25 Bxf4 Wc8 26 exd5 i.xd5 27 xf6 gxf6 28 Bxd5 <ixd5 29 i.xd5+ Black resigns.
Position after 16...ic6-e7
17 >b3-c5!
Let's take a quick look at the position: White's pieces are spread all over the board and are controlling many squares. The black ones are very passive and Black's pawns on e5 and g5 are easy targets. It is very likely that the f-pawn will start an attack. Not only will this pawn become more active but it will also make way for the rook. Shall we therefore play 17 f4? Of course a good move but it is a pity to exchange a bishop for a knight: 17 f4 gxf4 18 gxf4 >xf4 19 i.xf4 exf4 20 Bxf4. Maybe 19 Bxf4 exf4 20 xf4? Or 19 i.xf4 exf4 20 e5 to open the diagonal for the bishop on c2? In a good position there are often many possibilities and it is always difficult to make a choice. Maybe that is the reason why there are chess players who prefer defensive positions with fewer possible moves, making it easier to choose one. In this game White decided to attack the pawn on e5 in a different way - with the available pawn on d4. After 17 ic5 it should be clear that if the knight is captured with the pawn there is no defence against 23 Wh7 after 17.. ,dxc5 18 i . b 3 + c4 19 i.xc4 + &f8 20 dxe5 i.b5 21 i.a2 i . x f l 22 exfB. Taking the brave white pawn is also bad: 22...gxf6 23 Wh6 mate. Conclusion: even a defending centre pawn (on d6) is not always able to stop a knight which crosses the equator from his own camp. Such unexpected moves from both sides make a game of chess so particularly exciting and interesting!
54
(26) Bronstein.D - Golombek.H

Alekhine Memorial Tournament, Moscow, 1956
[E43] Nimzo-Indian
Defence
1 d4 lf6 2 c4 e6 3 iLb4 4 lf3 b6 5 e3 i.b7 6 iLd3 7 0-0 iLxc3 8 bxc3 0-0 9 >el f5 10 f3 11 a4 12 e4 fxe4 13 fxe4 e5 14 iLg5 We7 15 &c2 Wd6 16 M 4 Hae8 17 g 3 We7 18 >e3 d6 19 h 4 20 id5 i.xd5 21 cxd5 c622Wb3 &h8 23 Hael h6 24 a 3 g5 25 g 3 ^ d 7 26 dxc6 &xc6 27 iLb5 Hxfl+ 28 Hxfl fcb8 29 iLc4 Hf8 30 Hxf8+ Wxf8 31 dxe5 32 exd6 ixe4 33 d7 34 i.e5+ &h7 35 iLd3+ Black resigns.
In such a wide open position two bishops are always better than two knights. White's position appears to be so strong that he cannot lose this game unless he becomes terribly careless, for example after 33 iLe5+ &h7 34 i.d3 Wf2 + . In this variation White just forgot that the bishop on g3 protects the square f2. And if White plays 34 Wb2 instead of 34 iLd3 then Black has the good move 34...id7 at his disposal and White has to invent something new. This is because the white queen is not centralised. But what if... ? Indeed, the pawn on d6 has a great desire to move on to the 8th rank, so let's agree to a move by this pawn. At the same time the diagonal a3-f8 is opened and a threat is created: Wxf8+. Oh no, how is that possible? Black can now take the white queen. Let's not panic, the conflict, after all, is just a chess game! A friendly contest in strength, improvisation, wit and fantasy. After having calmed down one can easily see that after 33 d7 Wxa3 follows 34 d8W+. That is why the game took a different course.
40 Combinations with Explanations 50
(27) Bronstein,D - Olafsson,F

Interzonal Tournament, Portoroz, 1958
[B90] Sicilian
Defence
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 &xd4 >f6 5 &c3 a6 6 i.c4 >bd7 7 a3 g6 8 h4 9 i.b3 i.g7 10 i.g5 Wa5 11 # d 2 Ml 12 i.xfB i.xfB 13 >d5 Wxd2+ 14 $xd2 Hc8 15 &xfB+ exfB 16 Hadl &e7 17 i.d5 i.c6 18 b3 Axd5 19 exd5 f5 20 c4 &d7 21 f3 h5 22 Hcl Hc7 23 a4 Se8 24.Thel $d8 25 Se2 id7 26 Hxe8+ &xe8 27 a5 >e5 28 >e2 <&d7 29 &c3 Hc8 30 &d4 Se8 31 )f4 &e7 32 b4 &d7 33 Hc2 &c7 34 Se2 &d7 35 c5 Sc8 36 Hxe5 dxe5+ 37 &xe5 He8+ 38 &f6 Se3 39 &xf7 Hb3 40 )xg6 Sxb4 41 <&e5+ &c8 42 d6 Hb2 43 &e8 Sd2 44 >g6 &b8 45 g3 S d l 46 >e7 Black resigns.
Position after 35...2te8-c8
36 Se2xe5!
There cannot be any argument about the fact that Black's four pawns on the kingside have no future whatsoever as they will be stopped by White's h-pawn and knight on f4. On the other side of the board White has managed to cross the equator with his a-, c- and d-pawns and has firmly occupied square d4 with his king. The pawn on c5 exerts a steady pressure on d6 and forces the black king to be attentive. When the time is right the pawns are ready to march to the finish line and break the ribbon! The e-file is not occupied by any pawns but neither White nor Black have a chance to advance into the enemy camp. As Black has doubled pawns on the f-file White has in fact an extra pawn in the centre. With the resolute move 36 Bxe5 White exchanges the passive rook for the strong black knight in the centre and activates his king. Now that the pawn on d6 has gone the role of the d5-pawn, supported by the c5-pawn, is dramatically increased. For my play I was awarded the prize for the best endgame of the tournament.
51 The Sorcerer's Apprentice
(28) Mukhin.V - Bronstein,D

USSR Team Championship, Moscow, 1959
[C27]Bishop's
Opening
1 e4 e5 2 i.c4 >f6 3 &c3 >xe4 4 Wh5 5 i.b3 focB 6 >b5 g6 7 Wf3 fB 8 >xc7+ Wxc7 91Pxffi b6 10 Wxh8 i.b7 11 Wxh7 0-0-0 12 2 tf5 13 d3 ^cd4 14 &xd4 exd4 15 0-0 Wc6 16 f3 WfB 17 Wh3 i.d6 18 Wg4 Hh8 19 g3 JLkg3 20 hxg3 Hh5 21 Hf2 Wh8 22 Bg2 S h l + 23 We8 24 i . d 2 Hxal 25 Wf4 Wh8 26 i . c l Wh5 27 g4 Wh4+ 28 <&e2 g5 29 Wxg5 Qg3 + 30 Hxg3 Wxg3 White resigns.
Position after 19 g2-g3
This position clearly shows four groups of pieces. Which role can these groups play on the board? The bishops in the black 'king's group' are targeting the pawns around the white king but they are well-protected. The black knight can go to e3 but it will be captured there by White's bishop and the pawn will take the bishop. The position of the pawn has now been improved but where is the point that is best suited for a breakthrough? If Black does not seize the opportunity to start an attack White will mobilise his reserves by playing i f 4 and the Black attack will get bogged down. That is why Black decides to play for broke. Taking risks is an obvious part of the planned strategy. After 19...jLxg3 20 hxg3 Bh5 Black has cleared the square h8 for his queen to start a frontal attack along the open h-file.
57
(29) Wexler.B - Bronstein,D

International Tournament, Mar del Plata, 1960
[A75] Modern Benoni Defence 1 d4 lf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 lc3 exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 e4 g6 7 a6 8 a4 g4 9 e2 xf3 10 l x f 3 ibd7 11 0-0 &g7 12 i.f4 13 Ae2 0-0 14 i.g3 He815 Wc2 Wc7 16 f4 c4 17 * h l Hac8 18 a5 Wd8 19 Sfel Hc5 20 Ha4 Hxa5 21 Hxc4 b5 22 Hb4 Wb6 23 &f3 Wc5 24 Hb3 Wc4 25 Ae2 ixe4 26 iLxc4 ixg3+ 27 hxg3 Hxel+ 28 <&h2 Haal 29 g4 Hacl 30 Wf2 bxc4 31 Hb7 Axc3 32 bxc3 H h l + White resigns.
Position after 25 Af3-e2
It is not easy to fathom this complicated position. There are many hidden difficulties. I believe that each chess-player has his own intuitive method of evaluating complicated positions. I myself often use stereotypical positions of the kings, the possibilities of the rooks to be active, the diagonals for the bishops, the intention ofthe pawns, etc. If we apply these criteria to this position it seems that the position of the black king is unassailable, barricaded behind his ramparts. Black's other pieces are also in excellent positions. White has two bishops and active pawns in the centre so Black should stay attentive; the move e5 must be prevented. However, Black's queen is attacked and a decision must be made to which square she will move. Possibly to d4 where she can create problems for White. There is another method of evaluation and that is to look at the relation between the pieces - using fantasy. As soon as White accepts the queen's sacrifice, the black knight takes the bishop on g3 and opens the road for the rook on e8 to the square el. If White tries 30 Wd3 then Black wins with 30...g5! Before this game I had a friendly talk with our Ambassador to Argentina N. Alekseev and I promised him that I would try to win today with a queen's sacrifice. And so I did!
58
(30) Bronstein,D - Geller.E

[E27] Nimzo-Indian
Defence
1 d4 )f6 2 c4 e6 3 )c3 MA 4 a3 xc3 + 5 bxc3 0-0 6 f3 d5 7 cxd5 exd5 8 e3 i . f 5 9 se2 >bd7 10 )f4 c5 11 i.d3 i.xd3 12 Wxd3 He8 13 0-0 Hc8 14 Hbl Wa5 15 Hxb7 <Sb6 16 g4 h6 17 h4 cxd4 18 g5 dxe3 19 gxf6 Hxc3 20 % 6 Black resigns.
Position after 19...2c8xc3
Let's evaluate in the usual way: the kings first. There are no pawns around the white king but he is well protected by White's pieces. The black king has the customary three pawns to defend him but their attention is demanded by the white pawn on f6. Normally such a pawn means a headache for the defending side and this position is no exception. Don't forget to take the white rook on b7 into account. Now it should not be too difficult to see that this white pawn and rook require assistance to continue the attack. The decision could also have been forced by the white rook: 20 Bxf7 but which decision leads to a quicker victory? Yes, 20 Wg6. Does that create a new problem? No, it just serves to start a discussion if one should play strongly or beautifully. It is not always possible to combine these criteria in one move What useful conclusion can we draw when looking at the diagram? Well, don't put a queen out of play to the side of the board, don't allow an enemy rook to the 7th rank and don't allow a pawn near your king's castle. You may sometimes violate one or two of these rules but all three together is just too much!
59
(31) Bronstein,D - Korchnoi,V

Moscow vs. Leningrad Match, Leningrad, 1962
[C83] Spanish
Opening
1 e4 e5 2 3 b 5 a6 4 &a4 5 0-0 ixe4 6 d4 b5 7 &b3 d5 8 dxe5 e 6 9 c3 &e7 10 c 2 0-0 11 We2 f5 12 exfB x f 6 13 >bd2 &f5 14 ke4 xe4 15 &xe4 dxe4 16 Wxe4 Wd7 17 &f4 2ae8 18 # c 2 &h4 19 &g3 xg3 20 hxg3 >e5 21 ixe5 Hxe5 22 Sfel 2d5 23 Badl c5 24 a4 Bd8 25 Bxd5 # x d 5 26 axb5 axb5 27 #e2 b4 28 cxb4 cxb4 29 # g 4 b3 30 &h2 T7 31 # g 5 Sd7 32 f3 h6 33 # e 3 Bd8 34 g4 &h8 35 Wb6 Bd2 36 Wb8+ &h7 37 Be8 Wxf3 38 2 h 8 + &g6 39 Bxh6+ Black resigns.
Position after 38...<&h7-g6
39 S h 8 x h 6 + !
It is necessary to respect such a strong piece as the queen. To play with the queen is always easy. It is not necessary to remember where she is allowed to go and where not as she has the privilege of moving in every direction. But even the queen needs help if she wants to checkmate the king. She cannot do it by herself. In this position the queen is cooperating perfectly with the rook, which managed to approach the ramparts of the black king from behind. Black's move 37...Wxf3 was too risky (37..MdV.). It is safe to assume that White, when it is his turn to move, will move his queen to e8 to give a check and thus switch from the queenside to t h e kingside. If t h e black king would be obliged to go to g5 everything would go smoothly. White can use the routine way in this type of position: 39 # e 8 + Wf7 40 We4+ &g5 41 &h3 Wf4 42 We7+ &g6 43 We8+ Wf7 44 We4+ &g5 45 2a8 but where is the beauty? Therefore, we have found another method to attack. By sacrificing the white rook the pawn on g4 and the queen together can capture the black queen: 39 Bxh6 + &xh6 40 Wh8+ &g5 41 Wh5+ $ f 6 42 g5+. Or 39...gxh6 40 % 8 + &fl541 W8+.
60
(32) Brzozka,P - Bronstein, D

Asztalos Memorial Tournament, Miskolcz, 1963
[A88] Dutch Defence 1 c4 f5 2 if6 3 g3 g6 4 g2 -g7 5 0-0 0-0 6 d4 d6 7 >c3 c6 8 Wc2 &h8 9 b3 10 b 2 >c7 11 Hadl d 7 12 e3 We8 13 Hfel Hd8 14 Hd2 ih5 15 d5 Wf7 16 dxc6 bxc6 17 se2 c5 18 if4 ifB 19 ig5 Wg8 20 l c 3 Hde8 21 Aa5 te6 22 >gxe6 -&xe6 23 ixe6 Wxe6 24 1U3 >e4 25 Wd5 f x d 5 26 Hxd5 c3 27 JLxc3 + xc3 28 Hd2 ie4 29 Hb2 a5 30 f3 ifB 31 &f2 Hb8 32 &e2 Hb6 33 &d3 e5 34 f4 e4+ 35 &c3 &g7 36 f l h5 37 h4 Hfb8 38 e2 a4 39 Hebl a3 40 Hd2 &f7 41 Hbdl &e7 42 Hd5 ie8 43 Hld2 k7 44 . i d l a 6 45 &c2 >b4 46 b l Ha6 47 Hdl >xd5 + 48 Hxd5 Hxb3 + 49 &xb3 Hb6 + 50 &c2 Hb2 + 51 &cl Se2 52 Hdl Hxe3 53 Hgl Hc3 + 54 &d2 Hxc4 55 c2 d5 56 Hbl d4 57 iLdl Sc3 58 Hb3 e3+ 59 &e2 Hcl 60 2xa3 c4 61 Ha7+ &d6 62 a 4 Hhl 63 Hd7+ &c5 64 Hc7+ &b4 65 a3 + &c3 66 b 5 Hh2 + 67 &fl d3 68 Hxc4 + &b2 69 &gl e2 70 &xh2 eY& White resigns.
Position after 46 jLc2-bl
46...Sb6-a6!
The position is closed with no play at all and a draw seems inevitable. However, in many positions there are nuances and one needs a lot of imagination to find them. Black now makes a very beautiful but mysterious move with the rook on b6. It puts White in zugzwang; the rook on d2 is the only piece that can still play. After 48 Hxd5 Black's next seven rook moves are creating a tornado effect in the heart of the White position, especially 48...Hxb3 + . It is probably the best rookmovein the entire history ofchess! If 49 axb3 then 49...a2 50 jk.xa2 Hxa2 51 5d2 Hal and Black has a better rook ending. Therefore 49 &xb3. However, all White's pawns will fall as ripe apples from a tree. The black pawns now decide the game. The king's pawn will become a queen.
61
(33) F o g u e l m a n , A - B r o n s t e i n , D
Interzonal Tournament, Amsterdam, 1964
[D25] Queen's Gambit Accepted 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 >f6 4 e3 i.g4 5 i.xc4 e6 6 f b 3 i.xf3 7 gxf3 c5 8 Wxb7 b d 7 9 dxc5 i.xc5 10 f4 0-0 11 0-0 d 5 12 Hdl Hb813 f c 6 Wh414 &c3 Hb615 Wxd7 <Sixf416 ie2 ih3 + 17 &g2 ixf2 18 Sd4 g 4 19 Sf4 Wxh2+ 20 &fl i.xe3 21 i.d5 i.xf4 White resigns.
Position after 14 <)bl-c3
Black is certainly better. His queen is in a menacing position and the white king is open. The white queen is far away and in no way dangerous for the black king which is well defended by the classical formation of three pawns and a rook. If Black does not act immediately White will play his bishop to f l to create a defence around his king. The manoeuvre 14...Hb6 fits well in Black's plan; the queen is lured away from the diagonal a8-hl at the cost of a piece: 15 #xd7 which permits Black's knight on d5 to play: 15...}xf4. IfWhite now plays 16 iLfl thenBlack's attack is winning after 16...Wg4+ 17 & h l Wf3+ 18 &gl e5 making way for the rook to g6 and if White plays 16 Ae2 then 16... e5 17 exf4 Hh6 18 h3 % 3 + 20 &hl Hxh3 +. The rook came from b8 to h3 to deal the decisive blow. In every combination there is a piece which works harder than the others. The only problem is how to find this piece and put it to work! Of course such an attack is only possible because White has omitted to play with his rook on a l and his bishop on cl. In many instances these pieces are well positioned on their original squares but not when their king is badly protected and requires help, as in this case.
62
(34) Bakulin.N - Bronstein,D

32nd USSR Championship, Kiev, 1964/65
[B16] Caro-Kann Defence 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 &c3 dxe4 4 ixe4 sf6 5 ixf6+ gxfB 6 -&e3 f5 7 d 2 e6 8 )e2 id7 9 ig3 -&g6 10 Ae2 Wc7 11 0-0 h5 12 Sfdl h4 13 ifl h3 14 g3 0-0-0 15 c4 c5 16 d5 e5 17 Sacl f5 18 b4 i.d6 19 f3 f4 20 Af2 2de8 21 $ h l 2hg8 22 2 e l e4 23 -&xc5 ixc5 24 bxc5 Wxc5 25 i . d l i.c7 26 gxf4 e3 27 We2 i.d3 28 Wxd3 2 g l + 29 &xgl e2+ 30 ie3 2xe3 31 T5+ 2e6+ 32 si?hi T2 White resigns.
Position after 27 Wd2-e2
In a game of chess all depends on your ability to see the connection between pieces and pawns, on your ability to exploit, to your own advantage, almost imperceptible weaknesses in the opponent's ranks. When looking closer at the 'lines of force' of each black piece it can be easily established that the queen and the rook on g8 are radiating all the way towards a common point on gl, veiy close to the refuge of the white king and therefore of great interest to the black pieces. How strange that this important square is only guarded by the king himself. The logical conclusion is that the game will be over if queen and rook co-operate and one of them manages to get to gl. With this in mind it should be easy to discover the connection between the pieces 27...d3 28 Wxd3 2 g l + 29 &xgl e2+ and the path for the black queen to gl is wide open. Now that the rook on g8 is no longer amongst us the queen alone may not seem so dangerous but with the pawn on h3 White is defenceless. Do you like my play or are you in favour of the simple 27... JLa5? There can be do discussion: the black bishop on c7 is much stronger than the white rook on el. The shortest way to a day of rest for the chess pieces is a sharp combination!
40 Combinations with Explanations 58
(35) Mikenas.V - Bronstein,D

33rd USSR Championship, Tallinn, 1965
[A53] Old Indian
Defence
1 d4 2 c4 d6 3 c3 c6 4 e4 e5 5 d5 i.e7 6 i.e2 0-0 7 >f3 >a6 8 0-0 M l 9 )el Wc8 10 >d3 i . d 8 11 f4 cxd5 12 cxd5 13 fxe5 fxe4 14 >xe4 >xe4 15 i.e3 i.b6 16 i.xb6 axb6 17 Hf4 >c5 18 exd6 )xd3 19 Wxd3 Wc5+ 20 4>hl Wxd6 21 Sh4 h6 22 a3 Hfe8 23 i . f 3 We5 24 Sb4 Hxa3 White resigns.
Position after 24 2h4-b4
When kings castle and have reached their hide-out they don't bother to think about defending themselves. After all, they are surrounded by pieces and pawns. However, when battles start to flare up then, in the heat of the clash, some pieces do not see the need to vary attacking moves with defensive ones here and there. To guard oneself against such forgetfiilness it can be useful to spend a move in providing an escape route for the king should the need arise. The black king has already created such a window and if a check occurs on the back rank he can flee to h7. In the white position there is no such refuge. However, White spotted this and therefore did not play 24 Hbl (24...Wel+ 25 Wfl Hrxh4). Instead he played his rook to b4 where it is defended by the pawn on a3, deciding to kill to birds with one stone: defending his pawn on b2 and attacking the pawn on b6. The move 24...2xa3 was a complete surprise for White. It is all over. Such moves of beauty increase our interest in the game of chess.
64
(36) Bronstein,D - Gligoric,S

50 years October Revolution Tournament, Moscow, 1967 [C85] Spanish Opening 1 e4 e5 2 >f3 >c6 3 b5 a6 4 i.a4 >fB 5 0-0 i.e7 6 -&xc6 dxc6 7 d3 >d7 8 )bd2 0-0 9 >c4 fB 10 >h4 k5 11 ff5 i . x f 5 12 exf5 He8 13 b3 Wd5 14 i.b2 e4 15 >e3 Wf7 16 d4 >d7 17 Wg4 c5 18 xe4 cxd419 -&xd4 c6 20 Hadl >c5 21 Wg4 i.fB 22 >c4 Sad8 23 -&e3 b5 24 >d2 2d5 25 c4 Hdd8 26 cxb5 cxb5 27 >f3 Hd5 28 &d4 2ee5 29 2d2 Wd7 30 2 c l b4 31 h3 >e4 32 2dc2 2xd4 33 2c7 Wd5 34 i.xd4 Wxd4 35 2xg7+ Jixg7 36 2c8+ &f7 37 t f h 5 + &e7 38 We8+ &d6 39 2c6+ &d5 40 ifd7+ Black resigns.
Position after 34...1rd5xd4
35 I c 7 x g 7 + !
What is a combination in the game of chess? There are many opinions and nobody has a uniform answer. Sometimes I think that a combination consists of a - not too long - series of moves with material sacrifices which contain a high element of risk. But if there is a risk why is such a string of moves considered to be forced? Because it only appears to be forced but in reality a combination contains many possibilities which are almost impossible to see while playing a tense game and which are, during subsequent analysis in a more relaxed atmosphere, still difficult to find. The move 35 2xg7+ was the key move in White's combination. When I executed this move, almost without thinking, Svetozar Gligoric gave a start! Why do I only speak for White? Black also strived to achieve this position and that is why he made his preceding sharp moves rather quickly. And why not; it appears that his king is completely safe. The move of the rook to g7 was a complete surprise for Black. He had completely overlooked that the pawn g7 might be weak. In fact this is not quite true. It is the bishop on g7, pinned by the white queen, which is weak. By the way, in extreme time-trouble I missed a mate in one move with 39 Wdd However, much more importantly, Gligoric missed 33...k:3!! after 33 2c7.
65
(37) Bronstein,D - Winiwarter,L

International Tournament, Krems, 1967
[C86] Spanish
Opening
1 e4 e5 2 tf3 ic6 3 b 5 a6 4 a 4 5 0-0 e7 6 We2 b5 7 b 3 d6 8 c3 g 4 9 h3 h 5 10 d3 0-0 11 ibd2 ia5 12 i.c2 c5 13 Bel id7 14 g4 i.g6 15 i f l fB 16 ie3 M7 17 d4 Se8 18 d5 c4 19 b4 sb7 20 a4 Wc7 21 a5 g6 22 h4 &g7 23 &g2 h6 24 S h i Sh8 25 h5 g5 26 tf5+ &f8 27 i.e3 Sh7 28 id2 Ag8 29 f3 ! d 8 30 Af2 Jie7 31 Shcl i.d8 32 t f l M7 33 d l Ae8 34 e2 Sc8 35 ie3 <b8 36 ^dxc4 bxc4 37 ixc4 i.b5 38 ^ b 6 i.xe2 39 Wxe2 e7 40 ixc8 Wxc8 41 i.a7 ^ d 7 42 Wxa6 Black resigns.
Position after 35...<SM7-b8
Wk A '4M. m x
O a V & W
M i
B i ' t l A A l A' ^ A 36 &d2xc4!

It is not too difficult to judge this position. Three of White's pawns have crossed into enemy territory where they have blocked Black's pawns and are exerting control over the squares b6, c6, e6 and g6. However, it is not easy for White to approach the black pieces neither diagonally or vertically. Only if... Maybe an advantageous exchange of a knight against two pawns is possible. The black pieces are veiy restricted in their movements and are impeding each other. A big advantage in space can often change... into a decisive attack if the sacrifice of a piece succeeds in creating mobile pawns. This is precisely what White did in this game. Black resigned because his pawn chain a6-b5-c4 had completely disintegrated. White's pawns on a5, b4 and c3 were ready to march forward for a decisive attack. White was in no huriy to sacrifice the knight but the square c4 was the only square where it could be done. White prepared the breakthrough first by closing the centre with 18 d5 and then both wings with 21 a5 followed by 25 h5. If you play through the game attentively you will notice that, before taking decisive action, White reorganised his troops very efficiently.
66
(38) Bronstein,D - T a l , M
USSR Team Championship, Riga, 1968
[C32] King's Gambit Declined 1 e4 e5 2 f4 d5 3 exd5 e4 4 d3 if6 5 dxe4 ixe4 6 if3 i.c5 7 tfe2 M5 8 ic3 We7 9 i.e3 lxc3 10 -&xc5 >xe2 11 i.xe7 >xf4 12 -&a3 id7 13 0-0-0 i.e4 14 ig5 i.xd5 15 g3 i . x h l 16 gxf4 c5 17 i.c4 i.c6 18 xf7 b5 19 >d6+ &e7 20 x b 5 Hhf8 21 id4 i.g2 22 e6 Hf5 23 Bgl Ae4 24 ic7 Sd8 25 Bxg7+ $ f 6 26 Bf7+ &g6 27 Be7 if6 28 ie6 Bc8 29 b3 Sh5 30 ig5 i.d5 31 JLd3+ &h6 32 i.b2 c4 33 i f 5 c3 34 i.xc8 cxb2+ 35 &xb2 Bxh2 36 Bxa7 Bf2 37 Ba4 &g6 38 Bd4 h5 39 a4 h4 40 a5 i.g2 41 a6 h 5 42 -&b7 x f 4 43 Bxf4 Black resigns.
Position after 14...jte4xd5
15 g2-g3!
There are eleven pawns on the board which have yet to make a move! Apparently the pieces were so fascinated that they denied the pawns the right to move. The other five pawns have disappeared and we must assume that they played one or the other role. What do we have on the board now? An open file right through the middle of the board and a black king who got stuck in the centre. Yes Black's position does not look good. White was searching for a beautiful move, hopefully decisive, and his attention was drawn to the move 15 g3. After the black bishop took the rook on h i and the white pawn took the knight on f4, White had good hopes to win in a few moves. After all, he has two strong bishops, a knight in an attacking position and the possibility to give a check with a rook. What else can one wish for? Alas, in reality a long drawn-out battle took place. Credit should be paid to the move 16...c5. It eliminated the power of White's a3-bishop. It is difficult to explain why Mikhail Tal did not play 20...i.xb5 21 i.xb5 Bd8. Does White really have an advantage after 22 x d 7 Bxd7 23 i.xc5+? Instead of 17 c 4 ? White should have tried 17 )xf7 Sf8 18 >g5 with many new threats.
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(39) P o l u g a y e v s k y , L - Bronstein,D
39th USSR Championship, Leningrad, 1971
[A34] English
Opening
1 c4 c5 2 >f 3 3 k 3 d5 4 cxd5 >xd5 5 g3 g6 6 Wb3 ib4 7 ie4 g 7 8 >xc5 # 3 5 9 a3 i4c6 10 Wc4 b5 11 l r h 4 b4 12 ^ d 3 >a6 13 i.g2 i.d7 14 0-0 Hc8 15 idel )c5 16 )c2 ib3 17 Hbl Wc5 18 >e3 icd4 19 >xd4 >xd4 20 Hel i.b5 21 axb4 t d 6 22 i f l 0-0 23 We4 e6 24 b3 f5 25 T4 e5 26 Wg5 Axe2 27 Ag2 i.d3 28 Hal e4 29 <Sc4 Wd7 30 Ab2 Axc4 31 x d 4 i.xd4 32 bxc4 i.xal 33 Hxal Hxc4 34 i . f l Hd4 35 Ha6 &g7 36 b5 Hxd2 37 Hxa7 Wxa7 38 Wxd2 Wb6 39 Wc3+ WfB 40 Wc5 Hd8 41 b6 Wd6 42 Wc3+ Wd4 43 Wc6 Hd6 44 Wc7+ Hd7 45 Wc6 Wd6 46 Wc3 + WfB 47 Wc5 Hb7 48 Wb5 Wxb6 49 We5 + Wf6 White resigns.
Position after 7 )c3-e4
7...f8-g7!
When a chess player thinks about his next move he always considers what would be his opponent's move if it was his turn. In this position the answer is simple: 8 Wc3 of course, to attack the rook on h8. If the rook moves Black loses the privilege of castling. To play 8...f6 is not the solution as the pawns no longer form a defensive shield for the king should Black wish to castle. If we intend to castle the natural move for Black is now 7...jLg7. But then White will take the pawn on c5 with his knight. That's no disaster! The knight has already lost two tempi and will lose another one. Then the knight must make one or two further moves to get back to his own camp. Meanwhile Black can castle and prepare an attack. That is exactly what happened in this game. Let this be a lesson: don't waste tempi. When I prepared for this game I noticed that in his game with Semyon Furman, Lev Polugayevsky was going after the pawn on c5. Would he do it again? When he did I was very surprised. I was careful to avoid his home preparations and managed to win.
68
(40) Pohla,H - Bronstein,D

1st Paul Keres Memorial Tournament, Tallinn, 1977
[C91] Spanish
Opening
1 e4 e5 2 >f3 >c6 3 M>5 a6 4 i.a4 >fl6 5 d4 i.e7 6 0-0 0-0 7 Bel b5 8 i-b3 d6 9 c3 i-g4 10 i . e 3 exd4 11 cxd4 &a5 12 i.c2 c5 13 >bd2 cxd4 14 i.xd4 >c6 15 Bc8 16 h3 i-h5 17 Bel a5 18 i.d3 >e5 19 Bxc8 Wxc8 20 Axe5 dxe5 21 i.xb5 We6 22 Se3 a4 23 i.xa4 Wa6 24 >bd2 Ac5 25 Bel Wa7 26 Be2 i . x f 3 27 >xf3 i.xf2+ 28 >h5 29 Wd7 Ag3+ 30 &hl Wa8 31 i.b3 Af4 32 Bc2 33 ^ g l Wa6 White resigns.
Position after 27 ^>d2xf3
27...c5xf2+!
When Paul Keres died, the tournament was renamed to honour him. He was one of my best friends and he had originally created this tournament. We all sorely missed him. My personal tribute to him was to play every day a different variation which he used to play himself. In this game I played the Chigorin variation which Paul Keres often played against me with Black. Taking the pawns on f7 and f2 with check is a well-known theme. Here the f2 pawn is defended by the rook and the king. To take this pawn does not seem the right thing to do. In such cases the role of Black's other pieces must be looked at. Possibly they can be of assistance. After 27...Ax{2+ 28 Bxf2 the rook is pinned by the queen on a7 and therefore the black knight can get away with taking the pawn of e4. Now, with the combined forces of three black pieces, Black can start the attack on the white king. Taking on f2 renders the defence of the square g3 impossible as it was already weakened earlier by the move h3. In turn the black knight and bishop occupy g3 and are preparing the last move of the black queen.
50
David Bronstein's talent for chess was already evident in his childhood. His curriculum vitae resembles very much those of other famous Soviet grandmasters who received their first lessons in chess clubs which form part of the Palaces of Pioneers. His path started in Kiev and developed under the leadership of the experienced trainer A Konstantinopolsky. People began to speak about the 14-year-old Bronstein when he won a tournament in which six of the strongest adults from Kiev and six of the strongest schoolboys participated. A year later he shared the 2nd-4th prize in the Kiev adult championship and in 1940 he took 2nd place behind Boleslavsky in the championship of Ukraine. This success gave the young player the right to carry the title of master. It was then that I saw the games of Bronstein and I was very much impressed. Surely, at that time I could not guess that I was looking at games of the future challenger for the ultimate crown. Several years passed and at the 13th championship of the Soviet Union I met David Ionovich at the chess board for the first time. Our game ended in a draw but it was a very lively game. In this tournament Bronstein occupied a very modest 15th place but managed to beat Mikhail Botvinnik. In the next championship he managed 3rd place and came close to the title of grandmaster. The first ever Interzonal Tournament was held in 1948. A young player, who made his name not only by achieving good sporting successes but also by his bright individual style of play, was designated to play in this tournament. Bronstein played brilliantly and won the tournament without a single loss! He was awarded the title of grandmaster. At the 16th and 17th championship of the Soviet Union he shared first and second places. It was during this period that the first qualifying tournaments took place under the auspices of the FIDE as they still do today. The first double round Candidates' Tournament took place in Budapest in 1950 with 10 players. Isaac Boleslavsky played superbly but faltered towards the end. Bronstein managed to catch him and they shared first and second place. The subsequent play-off was won by Bronstein who thereby obtained the right to cross swords with the World Champion. Botvinnik had brilliantly won his title during the famous tournament held in 1948 in The Hague and Moscow and was at the pinnacle of his chess career. Veiy few gave the young challenger much of a chance. The match itself however was a very tense and close struggle. Bronstein was leading by one point with just two games remaining in the match, but in the 23rd game he was extremely unlucky, allowing the champion to equalise the score and to keep his title. It seems to me that this match was the most important competition in the chess life of Bronstein. Bronstein then won the Interzonal Tournament of 1955, again without a single loss. He managed to win a most interesting game against second prize winner grandmaster Paul Keres. The game was recognised as the most beautiful game of the tournament (see page 50, T.E). David Ionovich owes his wide popularity not only to his successes and his strength but also because of his shining, innovative and original style of play. Bronstein distinguishes himself by his rich fantasy. When playing against him one always has to be prepared for the unexpected. His combinative talent shines very bright, his attacks, as a rule, are well-founded and for this reason are extremely dangerous. David Bronstein's interest in the art of chess has many facets: his participation in tournaments and matches, in his analytical work, in his blitz chess games and even in
70
his simultaneous exhibitions. Every time he appears on the stage he draws the attention of all, his friends, his admirers and his fellow-grandmasters, at home and abroad. A particular bright page in his chess biography is undoubtedly his literary and journalistic activities. His book International Grandmaster Tournament (Candidates' Tournament, Neuhausen/Ziirich 1953, TIE) is a golden treasure in chess literature thanks to his profound knowledge of grandmaster chess and the ability to explain it in his original style to his readers. His numerous articles are refreshing and interesting. The grandmaster has a permanent column in the newspaper Izvestia communicating to his readers all the latest and most interesting events that are happening in the world of chess. On the threshold of his 50th birthday he successfully participated in the Interzonal Tournament at Petropolis, achieving 6th place, proving that he was still amongst the strongest grandmasters in the world. The game that he played with grandmaster Ljubojevic (see page 166 T.E) was nominated for and awarded the brilliancy prize. The enterprising and attacking style that the Soviet grandmaster demonstrated in this game not only delighted the spectators but also all other participants in this tournament. Together with all the admirers of chess art I congratulate David Ionovich Bronstein and I wish him with all my heart many more creative successes. Vasily Smyslov, Ex-World Champion
and member of the editorial board of the magazine 64 where this article was published for the first time in February 1974.

(1) Polyak,E - Bronstein,D
Adults & Juniors Tournament, Kiev, 1938
[D10] Slav Defence The Kiev tournament was intended to be an exhibition performance for both the best local adults (excluding masters) and the most promising young chess stars. I was then only a second category player, just 14 years old, but I played well, without fear, and managed to take first place, two points ahead of the second player. For this result I was promoted to the first category. This game is very instructive. Just one month earlier Polyak had brilliantly taken first place in a strong tournament held in Moscow amongst the best first category players in the USSR. In this tournament he played several times successfully 4 Wc2 in the Slav Defence. That is probably the reason why he was a little careless in our game. Polyak often gave lectures at the Kiev Junior Chess Club and in this game of teacher against pupil he of course played for a win. 1 d4 By playing this move White is threatening to push the pawn to d5; at the same time the pawn on d4 keeps control of the squares c5 and e5 across the chessboard equator. This is the line that divides the battlefield. 1 ... d5 Black stops White's plan and simultaneously takes control of the squares c4 and e4. 2 c4 The battle for the centre has started. 2 ... c6 One of the best defences in this type of opening.
3 e3 &f6 4 Wc2 The intention of this move is to prevent Black from developing his bishop to the square f5. 4 ... g6 With this move Black indicates he wishes to develop his bishop to f5 at any cost. At the same time he creates space for the other bishop on g7, after which Black is ready to castle. 5 id3 ig7 6 tf3 0-0 7 b3? White prepares to develop the bishop to b2 but more solid is first to put the white king into shelter by castling. It is interesting to see that during the whole game the white king forgets to castle and pays the price for this neglect. So remember, castle as soon as possible before starting any complications in the centre. 7 ... c5! Very logical: Black attacks the centre pawn. The best reply for White would have been to castle. 8 dxc5 By accepting the pawn sacrifice White loses a vital tempo. In chess, but also in real day-to-day life, time can be very important. Also possible was 8 cxd5 cxd4 9 e4 and if 9...)xe410 JLxe4 d3 11 Wxd3 Axal 12 )c3 and the black bishop cannot come back to g7, which weakens the black squares around the black king. For defensive purposes the black bishop may be more valuable than the white rook. With some imagination White can start a menacing attack. dxc4 8 ... 9 JLxc4 if5 10 We2 (D) >e4 10 >c6 11 >d4
72
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 16 Wb2+ &g8 17 b4 Wa4 18 &e2 If White had predicted my reply he would of course have forced a draw by playing 18 >c3 >d2+ 19 2 (19 Wxd2 Wxb4 20 Axf7+ &xf7 21 Wei Hd3 22 Hcl 2fd8) 19...>xc4 20 >xa4 >xb2 21 >xb2 2b8 22 a3 a5 23 >d3 i.xd3+ 24 &xd3 axb4 25 axb4 2xb4 26 2 h b l .
Of course it would be unwise to try to win a pawn by giving up the dark-squared bishop by playing U...i.xd4 12 exd4 Wxd4 13 Ab2 Wxc5 because White's bishops will become very strong and after 14 0-0 White has a promising attack. Premature is 14 g4 i.d7 15 Wxe4 i.c6 16 T4 ii.xhl 17 t h 6 because Black can close the diagonal by playing 17...e5. 12 ixc6 bxc6 13 &b2 Wa5 + 14 & f l '/mb m ym m k 4 i A' l
m * 1 A in H * M i . . . iI m L i < i ! 1
fc
W & m
aa
?babi
Now the white king has lost the right to castle. This helps Black to continue the attack. It is not only the king that suffers but also the rook in the corner on hi does not feel very comfortable. On the other hand the black rooks will become very active. 14 ... Had8! The pawn is not going anywhere. The rooks should control the only open file on the board. White now tries to improve the position of his king and queen by exchanging the dark-squared bishops. 15 i.xg7 &xg7
18 ... i.e6! This was Black's intention. Many years later a similar move was made by the young Bobby Fischer in his famous game with Donald Byrne. 19 x e 6 This move is forced because if 19 WbS then 19...>xc5! 20 Wxa4 i.xc4+ winning a piece. 19 2 c l is unwise because of 19...i.xc4+ 20 2xc4 Wdl mate. Also, after 19 i . d 3 Black can play 19...>xc5! If now 20 bxc5 then 20...%4+ and if 20 )c3 then 20...>xd3 21 >xa4 >xb2 22 >xb2 2b8 23 a3 a5 and Black has a strong initiative. 19 ... mj5+ Another possibility was 19...fxe6 20 f4 f b 5 + 21 &f3 Wd3 but the text move is simpler. 20 &el fxe6 (D) 21 <c3 ixc3? Black did not see the move 21...>xf2! 22 Wxf2 Wd3 23 l r b 2 Wxe3+, etc. Also good for Black is 21... >xf2! 22 >xb5 sd3+ 23 &d2, etc. 22 Wxc3 2d3 23 a4 Wa6 24 Wc2
50 Games with Comments 34 35 36
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2cl 28d3 2c3 2d5 b5 h4 White resigns When the two kings returned to their initial positions we started to analyse and were both pleased with a good fight.
(2) Belavenets.S - Bronstein.D

13th USSR Championship, Semi-Final, Rostov-on-Don, 1941
After the continuation 24 b5 2xc3 25 bxa6 2c2 26 S f l Sb8 the ending is also in Black's favour. 24 ... 2fd8 25 h4 b7! Now that the black rooks have obtained full control of the d-file the main task for Black is to breach White's defences with his queen. 26 2bl White should have played 26 &e2 and if 26.. .lSrxb4 then 27 2 h d l , but Black does better to answer 26...Wa6 andlookforanother way to win. Now there is no defence for the white king. Black wins easily. 26 ... d7
[E67] King's Indian Defence In May 1941 I was finally awarded the title Master of Chess. At the age of 17 years probably the youngest master, not only in the USSR but in the whole world. At the same time I received an invitation to play in the Semi-Final of the Soviet Championship. This created a problem for me as I was in the last year of school and my final exams would coincide with this tournament. Therefore the Director of the School boys Chess and Draughts Club, Semyon Jakovlevich Natov, requested permission from the authorities of the Kiev Educational Council for me to take my examinations within a fortnight instead of over the normal period of one month. The teachers were kind to me and I easily passed all my exams on the different subjects. I received my diploma, filled in the application form for the Kiev University to study mathematics (together with languages my favourite subject) and arrived in Rostov-on-Donjust in time for the first round. Now I am not certain that I needed to hurry with my school examinations as war was in the air and in fact started 10 days later. This prevented me from entering the Kiev University but the desire to study mathematics never deserted me. Probably this is the reason why I like to play against computers and respect very much the people who write the programs. 1 d4 \fB 2 c4 d6 3 )c3 e5
r i i 5 a
m ' - m m m m m i
m w
i
m
n
g5 2d2 2d3 d5
nan m
27 28 29 30
31
B A H
h5 2h3 b3 c2
2g3
If 31 * f l then 31...2d2 32 cl d3+ 33 &gl We2 threatening ...xf2+ and ...2dl. 31 ... 2d 2 32 b 3 ffirfS 33 2 f 3 e4
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4 After 4 dxe5 dxe5 5 Wxd8 + &xd8 6 >f3 >bd7 7 >g5 &e8 8 >b5 i.d6 Black is fine. The pawn on e5 is stronger than the one on c4. 4 ... >bd7 5 g3 A little stronger is 5 Ag5 JLe7 6 e3. 5 ... g6 6 .g2 i_g7 7 0-0 0-0 White is slightly better. His pieces are more developed. 8 b3 Se8 9 e3 c6 The key move in many variations of the King's Indian Defence. The pawn opens the way for the queen. 10 Wc2 Wa5 To prevent jLa3 but also looking at f5 and h5 to put pressure on the squares d3, f3 and h3 which were weakened by the pawn moves to e3 and g3. 11 a4 >f8 12 Aa3 M5 13 b2 If 13 e4 then 13...exd4. 13 ... Sad8 14 S f d l
A very clever move! After 18 b5 Black can answer 18...c5 and if then 19 b6, the reply is 19...a6. 18 c5 To prevent Black from playing 18...c5 himself. 18 ... >g5! But Black is not playing 18...d5 because he is planning to use this square for his knight. 19 cxd6 ih3! Initiating a direct attack against the white king. 20 h l Wf5 21 >e2 )d5!
14 ... e4 It is always useful to cross the equator with a centre pawn. 15 &d2 16 b4 Wc7 17 S d b l White's pawn attack on the queenside looks dangerous. 17 ... #d7!
All the white pieces are badly placed while the black ones are now in ideal positions. There is no defence against the threat 22...i.g4. 22 b5 If 22 f 4 then 22...>xf4 23 exf4 e3 24 fxe3 2xe3 and wins. 22 ... Ag4 23 &fl ixe3+ 24 &el )f3+ White resigns
50 Games with Comments After the game my opponent, who was the Chairman of the Qualification Commission of the Soviet Chess Federation, was silent for a minute. Then he smiled and said to me: 'I see that we made the right decision when we promoted you to the rank of master.' Many years later I heard that Sergey Belavenets had consulted with Vasily Smyslov on this matter, who had strongly recommended awarding me this title. In January 1941 I sent a notebook to Moscow with 17 of my games played in the Ukrainian Championship where I qualified for the master title with 11VS out of 17. By winning this game I passed another examination and so did the King's Indian Defence! Several days after this game was played the tournament was stopped as the German troops crossed the frontier into the USSR. Before we left we had a dinner together and Belavenets told me in a soft voice that he believed that he would not survive the war. Sadly I never saw him again as his premonition came true. He was killed on the battlefield on 7 March 1942 near Novgorod at the age of 32. However, his chess career was continued by his daughter Ludmilla, a well-known children's chess teacher who also had a program on Soviet television for many years. She became the women's correspondence chess World Champion in 1993.
75
4 e3 ibd7 5 tf3 g6 6 e2 g7 7 b3 0-0 8 b2 Se8 9 Wc2 c6 10 0-0 Wa5 Preventing 11 Aa3. It is easy to see that this game goes along the same track as the previous one with Belavenets. 11 S f d l if8 12 a3 e4 13 id2 .f5 &c7 14 b4 d5 15 16 cxd5 A little premature. Also possible was 16 b5 with a4 and a 5 to follow. 16 ... cxd5 17 Wb3 Sed8
(3) T o l u s h . A - Bronstein,D
[E61] King's Indian Defence This game was played in the first round and was my first in a USSR Championship. Also it was my first tournament game in Moscow. With my limited knowledge of openings I decided to stick to my favourite King's Indian Defence. 1 d4 sfB 2 c4 d6 3 sc3 e5
I remember now that I was proud of myself that I resisted the temptation to move the rook from a8 to d8. The rook needs to be on a8 in case the a-pawn requires protection. 18 S d c l We7 19 a4 h5 20 a5 h4 21 .a3 If White wants to stop the advance of Black's h-pawn with 21 h3 then Black's plan could be 21...jLe6 and 22...lh5 in order to threaten ...f5 and ...f4. 21 ... h3 22 g3 )8h7 23 >d2 >g5 (D) Black's play is classic: the h-pawn creates weaknesses in the position of White's
76
The Sorcerer's Apprentice Now White understood that the manoeuvre with the knight c3-a4-c5-a6 was in vain and it is not possible to protect both the g2 square and the c-file. 35 m i Sxcl 36 Wxcl
pawns and Black's pieces will try to find a passage through the white line of defence. We6 24 b5 25 >a4 26 d l ms 27 A e 7 xe2 28 Wxe2 2dc8 One of the most difficult problems of playing chess is to co-ordinate attacking moves with defensive ones. It was necessary to stop the white rook from coming to the 7th rank. 29 x f 6 &xf6 30 &c5 b6 31 axb6 axb6 32 2 x a 8 Exa8 33 >a6 Ae7
36 ... &g7 A natural looking move but more logical would have been 36...tf3 37 <&xf3 Wxf3. If White plays 38 Wc8+ * g 7 39 Wxh3 then Black can exploit the mobility of his bishop & > e 2 Wbl 41 Wfl (41 with 39...Hil+! 40 < Wd7 Wd3+ 42 &el &a3) 41...Wxb5+ 42 <S?el Wa5+ 43 >dl Wal+ 44 >e2 Wxa6+. Now the win is slightly more difficult. 37 Wc7 &f6 38 <b4 )f3 39 xf3 Wxf3 40 &el Whl-tWhite resigns
(4) Bronstein,D - Botvinnik,M

[C92] Spanish Opening This game was played in the fourth round. The tournament took place in June, exactly three years after the Semi-Final in Rostov-on-Don was stopped. In February 1944 I unexpectedly received an invitation to go from Stalingrad, where I was working on the reconstruction of a big steel factory, to Baku to play in the Semi-Final of the 13th Soviet Championship. In spite of losing the last two games I qualified for the Final.
34 &fl Despite time-trouble White avoids 34 2c6? iLb4! 35 >fl (35 >xb4 S a l + 36 >fl Wf3) 35...>f3+ 36 <&>hl d5 with the intention of playing ...)el, and ...iLel. 34 ... 2c8! Only now does the sleeping rook wake up and at precisely the right time comes actively into play.
50 Games with Comments In the first round of the Final I had won a beautiful game against Alexander Tolush, of course using my favourite King's Indian Defence. Now I had to play against the most famous Soviet chess player, but this held no fears for me. The sharp combinative play of the Kiev Chess School was much more interesting than the classic strategy used by Mikhail Botvinnik. It should be mentioned that the best Ukrainian amateur chess player Dr Fedor Parfenovich Bohatirchuk defeated Botvinnik at least three times in their personal encounters. It was a severe blow to me when it was disclosed after the war that the Ukrainian ultra-nationalist Bohatirchuk was a staunch supporter of the German policies when they occupied Kiev. He escaped with the Nazi invaders when they were kicked out of the USSR by the Red Army and found a refuge in Canada. Of course, young chess players preferred to follow the tactical and dynamic style of the amateur Bohatirchuk than the dull professional style of Botvinnik. Amongst many others, it were Bohatirchuk's games which convinced me that the Spanish Opening is very strong for White and that the King's Indian Defence was perfectly playable for Black. 1 e4 eS >c6 2 sf3 a6 3 b5 4 JLa4 5 0-0 .e7 b5 6 2el d6 7 b3 8 c3 0-0 Ae6 (D) 9 h3 A famous variation often played by Mikhail Chigorin. 10 d4 iLxb3 11 Wxb3 cxd4 12 ixd4 Opening the way for the f-pawn but better would have been 12 cxd4 d5 13 e5 ie4 14 >bd2 and if 14...i.b4 then 15 >xe4 .&xel 16 .&g5! with wild complications. 12 ... osd4 13 cxd4 c5
77
14 dxc5 Better was 14 >d2 and 15 >f3 14 ... dxc5 15 e5 >d7 16 a4 c4 17 fg3 It looks as if White has a strong attack but my judgement was too optimistic. Botvinnik finds a good answer, probably part of his homework. 17 ... 2e8 18 2dl A waste of time. More logical would have been 18 h 6 i . f 8 19 >c3 with an equal game. Now White's pieces on the queenside will not be developed for a long time. 18 ... JLh4 19 fg4
An invitation to take the pawn on e5 with the intention of playing 19...ixe5 20 2xd8 i . x f 2 + 21 <&fl >xg4 22 2xa8 2xa8 23 hxg4 but Black can play much better 21...2axd8 22 e 2 (or 22 Wf5) 22...g3. These simple variations I missed when I put my rook on dl.
78
The Sorcerer's Apprentice by my accurate defensive moves. I wish I had played this quality of endgame after the adjournments during my match in 1951. Botvinnik repeated for many years that he saved his title only because I was very bad in simple endgames. 29 ... 2e4 With the clear desire to win in a few moves. Much stronger and also more logical looks the simple move 29... &f7 to bring the strongest piece on the board into play. Then Black has the choice of playing ...g5, and ...h5 or to bring the king closer to the centre with ...&f7-e6-d5.1 am not certain that, with my limited experience of tournament play, I would have found the best defence. And, one might ask, is it at all possible to stop the black king from coming to d5? 30 &f3 2b4 31 c l g5 32 g3 Hc4 33 Jie 3
After 19 T4 Black plays 19...1te7 20 g3 lxe5 21 gxh4 b 7 22 )d2 Sad8 with a strong attack. 19 ... JLxf2+ A strong move. Now White should give up all his ambitions and fight for a draw. 20 &xf2 If 20 4 f 1 then Black has the strong reply 20...f5! For example: 21 # x f 5 Sf8 22 Wxd7 (22 # e 6 + <&>h8 23 2xd7 Wh4 with a strong attack) 22...d4 + ! and if 21 # f 3 then 21...b6 22 e6 2xe6 23 Hxd7 Wxd7 24 Wxa8+ 2e8 25 I f 3 Wd4, etc. 20 ... >xe5 21 2xd8 <&xg4+ 22 h x g 4 2axd8
The sky has cleared and we have an unusual position. What is the correct plan for White? If 23 axb5 axb5 24 )c3 b4 25 )e2 2 a 8 then the black pawns have great mobility. Therefore White decides to stop them. 23 axb5 axb5 24 d 2 2d3 25 Sa5 2b3 26 cl Of course not 26 JLc3 because after 26...b4 27 )d2 bxc3 28 )xb3 cxb2 29 *hd2 c3 30 c2 and White cannot stop Black from queening. 26 ... f6 27 2 a 3 2d3 28 2 x d 3 cxd3 29 e3 Now that the black queenside pawns cannot make any progress they are not so strong but still, Black has the initiative. I guess that Botvinnik was very surprised
White has successfully created a fortress on the queenside and the best for Black was to accept a draw by repetition of moves: 33...2b4 34 JLcl 2c4 etc. In timetrouble Botvinnik makes a sharp move which gives both sides a passed pawn but the white one will turn out to be the stronger of the two. 33 ... h5?? 34 gxh5 g4+ 35 &f2 2c2+ 36 )d2 2xb2 Botvinnik judged this position as better for Black because of the possibility of playing ...b5-b4-b3-b2-blH r . However, it
79
44 &c5 If instead 44 &xd3 then 44...b3 45 &c3 b2 46 &c2 Hb5 leading to an easy draw for Black. 45 ... 2b7 45 )b3 &g6 46 &c4 Sb6 47 )c5 &h7 48 &b3
is obvious that he completely overlooked White's next move. He must have forgotten that the pawn on g4 had left g5 and no longer controlled the f4 square. 37 f 4 Ha2 38 &e3 Sa3 39 &d4 &f7 40 &e4? Losing a vital tempo. 40 h6 immediately was better. 40 ... b4! 41 &d4!
Now all Black's pawns are stopped and the black rook is passive. The black king must prevent the white pawn from making the journey h6-h7-h8. 48 ... d2 49 x d 2 Sd6 50 f 4 Hdl 51 )e 4 &g6 52 )f2 Sbl + If 52..S5 then White obtains the e5 square for his knight, winning easily. 53 &c2 Sal 54 &b2 Sa3
ll_
At this point the game was adjourned. What was Botvinnik's sealed move? There were two considerations: if Black plays 41...Sc3 then it looks like a draw but after 41...Sa5 White has good chances. Even now, many years later, I am not certain whether Botvinnik was playing for a win or for a draw. The logical plan for Black is to attack the bishop on f4 with his rook. Then I can't see how White can make any progress. 41 ... Sa5 42 h6 Sb5 43 &c4 Sb6
55 56 57
>xg4 )e3 ic2
80
(5) Bronstein,D - Kan,I

[C34] King's Gambit Accepted There is not a single true chess player in the world whose heart does not beat faster at the sound of the words: 'gambit play'. In the first instance our delight is for the legendary King's Gambit. Why so much delight? No other opening offers such wide possibilities for creative initiative; in no other opening are so many difficult problems created in the very first moves; no other opening moves allow the players to confront each other straight away in open fighting and to unfold the battle over the whole of the board. In many branches of the King's Gambit both players feel the desire to try and win not by collecting material but by using the strength of their own imagination. It is no secret that any talented player must be in his soul an artist and what could be dearer to his heart and soul than the victory of the subtle forces of reason over crude material strength! My love for the King's Gambit can be seen in precisely those terms. 1 e4 e5 exf4 2 f4 3 f3 4 e5 )h5 5 d4 g5
58 \xb4 &f5 59 ic6 Sd7 60 &c3 &e4 61 &c4 &f5 62 k!4+ &e4? The black king neglected his task (see the comment on move 48). There was no need for him to be so active. After 6 2 . . . ^ 6 , despite the fact that Black has lost three pawns, it is still not clear how White can win. After Botvinnik's mistake in this simple endgame, White wins in two moves with a short but nice combination.
63 >e6 &f5 64 After having made this move I went away to get a cup of tea. When I came back I could not find my table, Botvinnik was nowhere to be seen. I asked the arbiter what had happened. He said that Black had resigned in the meantime and that they had prepared our table and board for two other players to continue an adjourned game from a previous round! It is obvious why Botvinnik decided to resign: 64...Sd8 65 d 6 Exd6 66 h7.
6 h4 A typical attack in this opening, but it was better to start with the move 6 g4 and
50 Games with Comments only after 6...lg7 then 7 h4 and the white attack will be very promising. Now the game enters a wild combinative stage favouring Black. 6 ... g4 7 ig5 d5! An excellent move and a classical reaction in this opening, opening a window for the bishop on c8 and stopping White's intention of taking the pawn on g4 with his queen. Also ...lg3 now becomes a genuine threat. 8 exd6 White eyes the diagonal c4 to f7 for his bishop but it was better to play 8 Ae2 )g3 (8...h6 9 \xf7 &xf7 10 xg4 )g3 11 2h3) 9 i x g 4 )xhl and now White has the choice, either to play 10 i x f 4 or the sharp 10 i.h5! 8 ... xd6 9 c4 sg3 10 x f 7 + <&>f8
81
&e2 WfB 18 Ab2 or 17...hxg5 18 i.b2 + &h6 19 i f 6 the white attack becomes irresistible. It would have been a pity to finish the game so early. Therefore White decides to go for a new adventure. The plan is clear: whoever succeeds first in awakening his sleeping queenside will be the winner of the battle. Also we should not forget that at the expense of a rook White has a strong, well protected piece on e6 but his king is rather exposed. 14 te4 i.xe6 15 dxe6 c6 If 15...Wg7 then 16 Wf5+ &e7 17 )bc3 )c6 18 )d5+ &d8 19 )xd6 cxd6 20 x f 4 Hf8 21 Wd3. 16 x f 4 Wg7 17 x d 6 + cxd6 18 Wf4+ &e8 19 )bc3
11 e 6 We 7 12 d5 xhl If 12...h6 then 13 Wd4 Wfg7 14 i.xc8 Wxd4 15 e 6 + &e7 16 ^xd4 Sxc8 17 Hgl and Black is a pawn up but White has compensation. With hindsight it was better to play ll...h6 instead of ll...We7. 13 Wxg4 h6 (D) Today this position looks unusual but in the last century it was quite normal for White and Black to play like this. Black has defended cleverly and now the best solution for White is to play 14 Wf5 + &e8 15 Wg6+ 4>f8 16 Wf5+ forcing a draw. It is dangerous for Black to play 14...&g7 because after 15 b4 i.xb4+ 16 &>dl 17
Black has a rook more and looking at the position we have the impression that the win is easy for Black. After for instance: 19...0-0-0 (of course not 19...We5 20 Wf7+ &d8 21 Wd7 mate) 20 0-0-0 We5
82
The Sorcerer's Apprentice >xd4 2d8 27 &ce2 e4 28 c3 Bf8 Black is still somewhat better but the logical result would probably be a draw. 27 ... Sd4 28 >3d5+ &d6 29 c3 2e4 30 e7 >g4
21 Wxe5 dxe5 (21...>xe5 22 &d5) 22 S x h l She8 23 g4 2xe6 Black has stopped White's attack. But have we forgotten that the black king has already moved: ...I'e8-f8-e8 and lost the right to castle? This is why the 'lazy knight' appearing on c3 still keeps the position unclear. 19 ... 2f8 20 tte 3 Sd4 21 x d 4 ^xd4 22 0-0-0 &f2
Black's knights are veiy active. White has to find a good move to retain chances of a draw. By now both players were in serious time-trouble: about 18 moves had to be made in two minutes. In such cases the younger player is always luckier. 23 >xd6+ &e7 24 2 x d 4 2ad8 25 >db5 a6 26 2xd8 2xd8 27 > c7
Suddenly the white pawn on e6 becomes very strong. This is the result of the 'positional' move 25...a6. After 25...Sxd4 26
31 e8If 2xe8 32 >xe8+ &xd5 It is remarkable that this wild opening has transformed into a simple knight ending with two extra pawns for White. 33 &d2 &e5 34 >g7 \f6 35 * e 3 id5+ 36 &f3 Black resigns Half a century later I still have fond memories of my opponent. He had played in tournaments with Dr Emanuel Lasker, Jose Raul Capablanca, Dr Max Euwe and Rudolf Spielmann. When the traditional match Ukraine vs. Moscow was played in Kiev in 1937 I went with the other boys to the station to meet the Moscow team. We were very proud to walk with them through many streets to take them to their hotel. Later we played some very good games and had many interesting conversations. For some time Kan was vice-president of the Central Chess Club. This game was played one month after the war was over and many chess enthusiasts, most of them still in army uniforms, filled the theatre. I felt obliged to play as sharply as possible to fulfil the wish of the audience to see good romantic chess.
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(6) Bronstein,D - Goldberg,G

[B72] Sicilian Defence My opponent in this game was a fine positional player who had known Botvinnik since childhood and they were life-long friends. In one of his books Botvinnik says that Goldberg helped him in the second half of his match with Salo Flohr which started disastrously (Flohr +2) but ended in a draw: +2-2=8. Flohr, who used to lose on average one game each year, suddenly lost two in one week! There must have been a reason for this and there was! Goldberg's help was instrumental in finding a shop where Flohr could 'buy' a beautiful fur coat veiy cheaply! Goldberg was also Botvinnik's second during the return match against Smyslov in 1958. In game 15 of that match, in a totally winning position, Botvinnik 'forgot' his clock and lost on time. Goldberg was very surprised. I asked him why he had not tried to draw Botvinnik's attention to the clock by making a noise or a gesture. He told me that he had so much faith in Botvinnik that he was convinced that he would make a move in time! 1 e4 c5 2 tf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 In principle, it is unwise to exchange a pawn in the centre for one on the flank but White has the compensation of being able to put a knight in the centre. 4 &xd4 sf6 5 &c3 g6 The Dragon, one of the most controversial variations of the Sicilian. Black creates a safe home for the king but the pawns on e7 and d6 remain passive for a long time. 6 Jie2 gl 7 e3 Also possible is 7 sb3 0-0 8 g4 sc6 9 g5 ld7 10 h4.1 played this line in one of my games during the Ukrainian Championship in 1940 and also in my game with
Viacheslav Ragozin in the 1944 USSR Championship. I still like this line but it is obviously very sharp and when one plays in a competition it is usually better to be a little prudent. However, Black will start an attack in the centre and on the queenside, while White will not yet be fully able to exploit the opening of the h-file. 7 ... 0-0 8 f4 a6 9 .f3 Wc7 In connection with ...a6 it seems better to play 9...e5 10 sde2 b5 here. 10 &d5 To exchange the knight on f6 which is defending h7. 10 ... ixd5 11 exd5 b5
12 h4 White starts the attack on the kingside as early as possible. Black has several ways to defend his position, so it is difficult to calculate all the consequences. White's aim is very clear: to open the h-file for the rook. Of course it is safer to play first 12 We2, castle queenside and only then play h4. However, in White's position there is also a weakness, the pawn on d5, and White tries to distract Black's attention away from it. 12 ... &d7 13 h5 b6 Still looking at the pawn on d5 and threatening to go to c4 but the knight is needed on f6 to defend h7. After 13...tf6 White would have played 14 hxg6 hxg6 and 15 Wd3 in order to play f5.
84
14 c3 Now the bishop is no longer required to protect the knight. 14 ... b7 15 hxg6 hxg6
16 f 5 The idea of this move is to open the diagonal for the bishop on e3. An experienced player knows that in such positions it may be useful to exchange bishops by playing JLh6. 16 ... )xd5 Both players have achieved their goals. White has opened the h-file and Black has captured White's weak pawn on d5. If 16...JLxd5 then White has a choice. Either 17 JLh6 JLxh6 18 2xh6 <S?g7 19 2xg6+ fxg6 20 i.xd5 etc., or 17 fxg6 i.xf3 18 gxf7+ <&>xf7 (18...fixf7 19 \xf3) 19 )xf3 or 17 )xb5 axb5 18 Axd5 ^xd5 19 #xd5 Wc4. 17 xd5 xd5 2fc8 18 Wg4 &f8 19 Wh4 i.xh6 20 h6 e8 21 Wxh6+ &d7 22 fxg6 23 Wh3+ To prevent the king from escaping to the queenside. If for instance now 23...e6 then 24 0-0 and White's rooks will become extremely powerful on f l and el. 23 ... e6 24 We3 (D) 24 ... Wc4 An active defence. If he has a chance Black could now play ...2c5 and ...2e5. Also ...b4 is a threat. 25 a3
Preventing ...b4 and setting a trap. If now 25...a5 then 26 g7 b4 27 axb4 axb4 28 Sxa8 Sxa8 29 5h8 and White wins. Also, after 25...a5 26 g7 2c5 White can play 27 Sh8! Be5 28 Wxe5 dxe5 29 Bxa8 exd4 30 Sdl! and wins. 25 ... fxg6
26 0-0-0
Castling is often an attacking move! Now White's rooks can improve their positions still further on el or h7 and the knight is unassailable on d4. 26...2c5 is impossible due to 27 \xe6 Wxe6 28 #xc5. 26 ... Hf8 Certainly better would have been the continuation 26...i.g8 27 Shel 2e8 28 )f3 &c7 (28..Wa2 29 Wb6 Bac8 30 ie5+) but Goldberg did not see the intention of White's b-pawn. 27 b3 Wd5 28 2 h e l 5 f 6 (D) 29 >xe6! Wxe6 If29...2xe6 then 30 2xd5 2xe3 31 Sxe3. 30 Wb6 2c8 31 2xe6 Sxe6 32 d 2 2c5
50 Games with Comments mm m Ml l ^ P ' J I m k m k m tfU/ If
85
m % m A A n, -Mb m & i J m M 'M "J//"' si m h
Aii ISAI
*
i A i!
With one rook for the queen it is better to resign, even in time-trouble. 33 Wb7+ &e8 34 Hfl See5 35 b4 Sc4 36 Wxa6 &d7 37 S e l Sc6 38 Wa8 Hc8 39 Wxc8+ &xc8 40 5xe5 dxe5 41 c4 bxc4 42 &c3 e4 43 &xc4 Black resigns
However, Professor Katetov stuck to his mathematics and organised colloquia with such topics as mathematical psychology and cosmology. Since the early sixties Katetov has been a member of the Czechoslovak (now Czech) Academy of Science which was, and still is, a very honourable function. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989 he became a member of the collective leadership of the academy. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 ic3 .b4 4 e5 ie7 5 if3 c5 6 a3 .xc3+ 7 bxc3 Wa5 8 .d2 c4 9 h4
(7) Bronstein,D - Katetov.M

Match Prague vs. Moscow, Prague, 1946
[C19] French Defence This was my first game as Moscow Champion so I was very excited and wanted to play my best. When I lost this game I was not surprised. On many occasions I used to lose in the first round, though eventually I managed to get rid of this habit. Later on Katetov stopped playing chess and concentrated on his main interest in life - mathematics. His main scientific achievement is in topology, especially in the theory of dimensions. At the end of the fifties he was a rector at the Charles University of Prague. When his term as rector had finished, the leaders of the Czech Chess Union asked him to concentrate fully on chess and told him that in this way 'he could be more useful' for socialist Czechoslovakia than as a mathematician. I start the attack as early as possible. Nowadays this move is very popular in this type of position. 9 ... ibc6 10 h5
i.
mt
111 4 AA A B i B Am Hi
sab
i B m & m
W k Wf; wk *
m ss
m m m m m z
WM A
86 10 11 ... g4
The Sorcerer's Apprentice h6 i.d7 i
12 <h4
m & m
0-0-0 n
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White's plan was to launch an attack with f4 and f5 but it is not easy to realise this. My opponent, the Prague Champion, found the correct moment to start a counterattack with ...f6. xe5 15 Probably better is 13 f4 fB 14 >xe5 ixe5 16 dxe5. At a later stage of the game the white knight is out of play on h4. 13 .g2 f6 14 f4 fxe5 15 fxe5 Sdf8
are better than knights does not apply in this position as the typical pawn chains in the centre have closed the diagonals. 22 0 f 2 >b8 23 S f l A sharp move. White decided to leave the a-pawn without protection and increase the activity on the kingside. It is worth mentioning that in the ensuing fight Black did not have time to capture the white a-pawn and this chess soldier became a witness to the resignation of his king. 23 ... <d7 24 xg5 It is time to force the position. If for instance 24 Wei then 24...>b6 and when the knight takes a4 the pawn on c3 will be under great pressure. So White decided to also sacrifice the c3 pawn and to activate his knight on h4. 24 ... hxg5 25 >f3 0xc3 26 <xg5 Ef8 27 .f3 .f7
16 We2 ^d8 Black is bringing the knight to a much better square, White must now decide where to put his king in safety. 17 a4 e8 18 .f3 Gf7 (D) 19 0-0 >g5 20 g 2 2xfl + 21 # x f l >c6 With the obvious idea of taking the d4 pawn. The general opinion that bishops
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50 Games with Comments Also possible was 28 xd5 exd5 29 >xf7 with a draw by perpetual check after 29...2xf7 30 Wxf7 % 3 + . White overestimates the strength of the centre pawns and underestimated the defensive powers of the black pieces. 28 ... g8 29 S h i ib8
87
passive, e.g. 33 Sf4, Black can start playing the pawns on the queenside. 33 ... exd5 34 Sf8
I am too lazy to count how often the knight has used this square for organising the defence. 30 h 6 To activate White's rook. Now it looks as if White has a winning attack as the main battle will be around the e6 pawn. The black queen is out of play, Black's other pieces are passive on the last rank and the lone rook cannot create an adequate defence by itself. 30 ... gxh6 31 Sxh6 ic6 32 Sf6 Se8
White had this position in mind when he played 33 ,&xd5. 34 ... Sd8 A clever defence. 35 Wf5+ &c7 Stronger than 35...&b8 36 Sxd8+ )xd8 37 !Tf6 Wa5 38 e6. 36 Sxg8 Sxg8
A
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33 xd5 Starting a combination to keep the balance, or so White thinks. If White remains
White thought that it was not possible to play this move. 37 Wf7+ )e7! A totally unexpected move! Both players were in time-trouble. Alternatively, Black could have played 3 7 . . . ^ 6 and after 38 WxgS taken the pawns on c2 (with check) and a4 and then pushed the c4 pawn but it seems that Black might have been worried about the advance of White's e-pawn. &b8 38 Wxe7+ 39 &fl
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice receive the grandmaster title after all. Although I fulfilled this condition I was still not awarded the title! Furthermore, two years later, the Soviet Chess Federation, together with other national federations, had to submit a list to FIDE of 30 candidates - their choice of participants to play in the Interzonal Tournament of 1948 in Saltsjobaden, Sweden but my name was not on it! It was apparent that someone with power in the high echelon of bureaucrats neither liked my character nor my style of play. (It seems to me that this 'bureaucrat', already at that time, thought that young Bronstein would pose a threat to him. T.F.).
An innovative defence! The knight on g5 was in danger. The immediate 39 }e6 loses after 39...Hxg4+.
39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

Wd6 + ie6 &f2 &g3 &f2 &f3 *f4 &f3 &e3 &d2
Wxd4 &a8 Wdl + WXC2+ Wd3 + Wd2 + Wc3+ cl + fl + Wgl + c3+
(8) Bronstein,D - Kottnauer.C

Match Prague vs. Moscow, Prague, 1946
[B50] Sicilian Defence Besides chess, Cenek Kottnauer had many other interests in life. He was especially good at water polo and was a member of the Czechoslovakian national team. In the fifties he moved to England where I met him a few years ago. We had a long and pleasant talk.
1 2 3 e4 >f3 c3 c5 d6
After this tense battle Black is the first to give a decisive check.
50 51 &d3 <>c2 Wg3+ Wf2+
White resigns Out of the next five games I scored 414 points. A month before this match the Soviet Chess Federation had created the possibility for the winning master playing in the Moscow Championship of 1946 to achieve a grandmaster norm. Before the last round I was a full point ahead of Vladimir Simagin and when I drew my game with Andor Lilienthal I became champion of Moscow. As I had already made my first norm by taking third place in the Soviet Championship in 1945 I was expecting to receive official ratification of the title of grandmaster. However, the decision of the Federation was delayed but I was told before the Moscow half of the Moscow vs. Prague match, that if I were to win all six games I would
This move is very logical. White is preparing d4 to create a strong pawn centre.
3 ... lf6
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50 Games with Comments 5 xd7+ xd7 6 d3 If White plays 6 We2 then Black can answer 6...%4. 6 ... e6 7 0-0 e7 8 We2 0-0 9 d4 The two white pawns in the centre are more active than the black ones on d6 and e6. 9 ... >c6 10 S d l cxd4 11 cxd4 d5 A classical attack against the white centre pawns, preventing White from playing 12 d5 himself and opening the diagonal for the bishop on e7. 12 e5 >e4
89
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to f7, but Black decided to play more sharply, trying to exploit the better development of his pieces. 17 ... %6!
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13 iel White violates the rule of fast development. Probably 13 i.e3 and 14 >bd2 would have been somewhat safer but White tries to exploit the exposed position of the black knight on e4. This is a little naive because before playing 12...<te4 Black had obviously calculated that the knight would be safe there. 13 ... f6 14 f 3 <g5 15 >c3 fxe5 If 15...>xd4 16 Hxd4 l c 5 17 l e 3 fxe5 18 Hddl i.xe3+ 19 Wxe3 >f7 20 f4 and White is winning. 16 dxe5 e 8 (D) 17 f4 The key move of White's plan. Now it seems that the black knight must retreat
A very clever move. The main idea is 18 fxg5 i.c5+ 19 &hl Sf2 20 Wd3 >b4 21 Wh5 (if 21 Wxg6 then 21...2fl is mate) 21...Saf8 22 >f3 58xf3 23 gxf3 Wh5 and mate cannot be avoided. There is a common saying in chess that if a combination is very beautiful then in many cases it has a hidden refutation and that is exactly the case in this game. 18 fxg5 lc5+ xe3+ 19 e 3 ! d4 20 x e 3 ixd4 21 2 x d 4 xg5 22 xd4 Wh6 23 ie4 24 lf3 White has refuted Black's combination and successfully placed his knight in a central position. However, there are many open lines for Black's rooks, so White still needs to play carefully. 24 ... fiac8
90 25
26
The Sorcerer's Apprentice }c3

We4
Hcd8
It is always a pleasure to have the queen centrally placed like this. 27 ... Sd7
38 se4 The white knight eyes the outpost on g6 and simultaneously creates a new threat: 39 tf6 + &h8 40 e 4 gxf6 41 g 6 B3d7 42 x h 6 + Bh7 43 xf6+. 38 ... &h8 39 sd6 Bd5 40 We4 Note that e4 has been a transit square for all of White's attacking pieces. 40 ... Sf8 41 sh4 Bfl
111
a6 27 Sfl 28 h3 A shelter for the king. 28 ... 1*4 29 We2 An exchange of queens is not in White's favour. 29 ... Sc8 30 <&hl h6 31 ttf2 Wb4 32 a3 c4 33 Bel Sf8
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Black now intends to play ...Wbe and ...gl+ with the possibility of a perpetual check. How can White meet this challenge? 42 se8 Like this! Black resigns Many years later I am still pleased with my artistic discovery. If now 42...b6 then White will announce mate in three by sacrificing his queen: 43 h7+ &xh7 44 Bxg7+ &h8 45 lg6 mate.
(9) Bronstein,D - Simagin.V &

m Zh
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34 Se4 After several def ensive moves White now transfers the rook to a strong position on g4 in order to start a direct attack on g7. 34 ... Wc6 35 &h2 5d3 36 We2 Sfd8 37 Hg4 Wc7
15th USSR Championship, Semi-Final, Leningrad, 1946
[D94] Slav Defence (In the January issue 1947 of Chess in the USSR Botvinnik annotated this game. Of course his notes are of grandmaster quality but when Bronstein adds his thoughts and comments to those of Botvinnik one does indeed get quite a different view of the events that follow - T.F.) 1 d4 d5
50 Games with Comments c6 2 c4 3 GX3 4 ic3 g6 Botvinnik: It is well-known that this move is rarely played because of the reply 5 -&f4. However, White prefers to play the Schlechter variation. 5 e3 g7 6 d3 0-0 7 0-0 c5 Botvinnik: This move was played by Paul Keres in his game with Georgy Lisitsin, Moscow 1940. 8 dxc5 dxc4 9 lxc4 ibd7 10 e4 >xc5
91
knight on g4. Tempting was therefore 12 We2 and after 13 h3 White would have had a clear advantage. Now, although Black can capture the disagreeable pawn, he gets a cramped position because of the weak pawn on e7 and the bad position of his queen. Bronstein: Indeed, the development of the queen to e2 is very tempting but the bishop's move seemed even stronger to me. White selects the pawn e7 as a target and sacrifices the pawn on e5 to achieve that goal, opening the e-file for the rook. But the queen is better on d2 than on e2 because if the black bishop leaves g7 the square h6 will be an ideal place for her to start an attack. 12 ... &xe5
11 e5 Botvinnik: Also good was 11 e2. 11 ... lg4 Botvinnik: If now l l . . . x d l 12 Sxdl >g4 then 13 l f 4 Ae6 14 id5 <4>h8 15 h3 lh6 and White has the better chances. 12 Ag5
Botvinnik: One of several possibilities. The pawn on e5 limits Black's bishop and
13 &xe5 Botvinnik: 13 xd8 2xd8 14 Axel lxf3+ 15 gxf3 2d4 does not lead to any real advantage for White but the logical move 13 }d5! does. If Black replied with 13...JLg4 as Simagin intended, then not 14 lxe7+ &h8 15 lxg6 + fxg6 16 Axd8 Saxd8 17 c2 <2M3+ with a strong attack for Black but 14 Axel i.xf3 15 gxf3 Wc8 16 Axf8 Wxf8 (16... t M 17 Ae2 lxf3+ 18 Axf3 Ae5 19 lfl3+ and 20 lg4) 17 We2 and it is doubtful if Black can obtain sufficient compensation for the exchange. So Black gets the chance to play the bishop to d6 to support el but his position remains difficult. Bronstein: Yes, White would win the exchange but the resulting position after 13...Ag4 14 Axel i . x f 3 15 gxf3 Wc8 16 Axf8 Wh3 17 Ae2 Sxf8 18 f4 would have
92
The Sorcerer's Apprentice lead to some advantage for White, it would relieve some of the pressure on the black position. Black chooses a complicated and, for both players, difficult method. 18 Ab3 &g7 19 S a d l 5e8
to be judged equal regardless of White's material advantage. A sharp fight looms ahead in which Black's chances are not worse. The purpose of the attack on the e7 pawn is not to win the exchange (with White's pawn formation around his king destroyed) but to divert the black pieces away from vital positions: the rook from f8 defending f7 and the bishop from g7 protecting h6. With the move 13 kl5 this goal is only achieved partially. 13 ... .xe5 14 >d5 Bronstein: I could have grabbed material with 14 x d 8 Hxd8 15 Axel Hd4 16 i x f 7 + <&xf7 17 Axc5 2c4 18 Ae3 Ae6 but the outcome of the resulting endgame would be a draw, in spite of the extra pawn. 14 ... .d6 15 Sel Botvinnik: Simagin defends very accurately. The natural 15...JLe6 would lead to a disaster after 16 Ah6 2e8 17 d 4 fB 18 Hxe6 \xe6 19 tf4. 16 Ah4 Ad7 Bronstein: Here the middlegame starts. Black has defended well and not only managed to fend off White's somewhat wild attack but to keep the extra pawn. From now on the fight will be extremely complicated. 17 d 2 Hc8
Bronstein: Instead, Black could have played 17...JLc6 with the intention of exchanging the knight. And, although the variation 18 S a d l !.xd5 19 Axd5 &gl 20 Axbl 2 b 8 21 Af3 (21 d 5 i.b4) would
20 te3 Botvinnik: White has strong pressure f or the pawn; especially as the knight on d5 restricts Black's game. With 20 f4 White would have retained all the advantages. Instead, White chooses to retreat the knight from its centralised position. Black gets some breathing space and liberates himself from White's stranglehold. Bronstein: I would like to point out that quiet defending moves along the lines of 18...<&g7 and 19...He8 are in the style of Wilhelm Steinitz who stated that the king is a strong piece which is quite capable of defending itself. Surely, in this case it is only a half-truth. The king controls the h6 square but what happens when the southwesterly winds start blowing along the diagonal from square al to h8? But are we not prepared to accept that the first check by the white queen, say from the b2 square, is lethal? Today I am of the opinion that a3, A&2 and b4 would havebeen a good plan to launch a strong attack. At the time there was another move that I liked. It is quite possible that if I had had to play the game again, say in the sixties, I would have indeed chosen the recommended 20 f 4 after which Black has to be careful not to fall into some sort of zugzwang!
93
Let's examine the variation 20 f4 JLc6. The sacrifice 21 Sxe6 immediately is not sound because of 21...fxe6 22 Wd4+ &f7 23 3 Wb6 24 Wd2 c 5 25 M 2 Scd8 or after inserting the move 21 Wc3+ &g8 22 Sxe6 because of 22...JLxd5. If Black were to reply 20...)c5 then thunderbolts and lightning would be the result: 21 Wd4+ &g8 22 Sxe7 JLxe7 23 .xe7 Sxe7 24 ifl3+ <&f8 (24...<&g7 25 )e8+ + &h6 26 % 7 + &h5 27 ifl3+) 25 ixh7 + &g8 26 >fl3+ &f8 27 <h5 He6 28 .xe6 &xe6 29 Wh8+ &e7 30 Wf6+ &e8 31 with mathematical precision? I just don't Wh8+ &e7 ( 3 1 . . . 3 2 &f6+ &e7 33 &e8 34 We5+ <e6 35 f6+) 32 Wf6+ &e8 know. But if you think that a sequence of and both players would have earned a well- moves with sacrifices, which have no risk element at all in them, should not be deserved fighting draw! After 19...He8 the black knight is no called a combination but a 'technical malonger obliged to guard the pawn on el. noeuvre' I will agree. White must be ready for such a turn of However, in practice this does not exist events and prepare, to the best of his abil- and do you know why? Because, if the sacity, an adequate reply to the move ...>c5. rifice does not contain an element of risk, What changes in the position after such it is not a sacrifice but just a simple exa plausible move? First, the white queen change. Maybe a very complicated one but has the ideal square d4. Second, the still an exchange. I feel that my thoughts bishop on b3 will get the diagonal a2-g8 are not so straight forward and if sooner (when the knight on d5 moves away!). or later someone will challenge me on this Third, the influence of the white rook on then we'll start a theoretical discussion. e l will be expanded all the way to e7! So Let's get back to the position. Of all the move ...>c5 will give White solid ad- white pieces the bishop on b3 is 'predesvantages but even if Black does not intend tined' for a sacrifice. I already had the idea to play like this, can we force him (to play of a sacrifice on f7 when there were still ...>c5)? We can! For this purpose the move two knights - a white one and a black one 20 the3 is excellent. In view of the threat - on this diagonal. In short, we will sacrifice the bishop on 21 >g4 and 22 Wh6+ Black must play 20...lc5 (after all, he cannot play 20...h5? f 7! But when is the right moment? This is because of either 21 i.g3 .xg3 22 hxg3 the most difficult part of any combination. >c5 23 >f5+ gxf5 24 Wg5+ &h7 Axf7 or A sacrifice should be made when all circumstances are favourable. But to create 21 >c4 2xc4 22 i.xc4). such circumstances one should try to be 20 ... >c5 (D) Bronstein: We cannot break through clever and use one's imagination. For inBlack's defence with quiet manoeuvres. In stance, it would be nice if the black queen such positions a sacrifice is necessary. One was in an active position, say on b6 or c7, has to be courageous to make a sacrifice as so if the knight went to d5 White would win a tempo and open up a path to h6 for there always is an element of risk in it. Botvinnik once said that a combination his queen. Then we can assume that a fais a 'forced variation with a sacrifice'. vourable situation has presented itself on Maybe so b u t this statement is not com- the board. That is precisely why I played 20 >e3 plete. One should add that a sacrifice is alto provoke the reply 20...>c5. Then I ways risky. What if the sacrifice is absolutely correct played the bishop along the a2-g8 diagonal and the consequences can be calculated to see if Black would exploit the fact that
94
The Sorcerer's Apprentice rook to h8. It could well be that your queen will be trapped. But if you decide to sacrif i c e - g o ahead!' I understood Simagin's challenge and decided to go for the subsequent dazzling complications and combinations. Running ahead of events, everything went exactly as Simagin had predicted in his secret thoughts. And, because of the annoying 'coincidence' that the black rook was on c8 and, unfortunately, not on a8, Black should have won this game. Yet, dear reader, you will say that White won. But I, the cocky commentator trying to justify his point of view, say that it could have turned just the other way! 23 x f 7 ! Botvinnik: Undoubtedly White's best chance. 23 ... <>xf7 24 ld5
the white knight no longer controlled the squares b6 and c7. According to myunderstanding and feeling that is how every player who likes combinations thinks when an attack begins to take shape. 21 c4 Bronstein: Does it not seem strange that the bishop moves to a square where it can be attacked and captured by a pawn? Surely 21 JLd5 seemed safer. The threat 22 5}c4 would be maintained and a new one 22 b4 la6 23 .xb7 - would be created. However, during a game players make their moves while there is a clock ticking beside the board and in order to create a little extra time to be able to check the upcoming sacrifice, White played JLc4. Certainly Simagin now took some time to calculate the consequences of 21...b5 22 JLxb5. However, this combination would not work after 22...i.xb5 23 lg4 <&h8. The move 21 JLc4 enables Black to save the pawn on b7 but after 21... b5 22 i.d5 fB the fight for the square f7 would be over. However, a new fight would then have erupted for the squares d6, e6 and fB, albeit of a quieter nature. 21 ... b5 22 d 5 Wc7 Botvinnik: Courageously played! Simpler and probably better would have been 22...f6 with a solid position and an extra pawn. Now White can, by sacrificing a bishop, launch an attack against the black king with all his pieces. Bronstein: During his entire chess career Simagin did not only make courageous sacrifices of pawns and pieces, he also gratefully accepted them! That is why he did not choose the solid move 22...fB but the trickier 22...Wc7 as if he wanted to say: 'Do you want to sacrifice? Good luck! Have you calculated all the variations? I have and I don't see a dangerous attack. I know that your queen can break through to h7 but I will play my bishop to g7 and your queen will not be able to take my pawn on g6.1 will know how to defend this pawn from b6. And watch out! Don't underestimate my resources when I play my
Bronstein: Many years ago I started to note the time used for each move by my opponents and by myself and to draw graphs accordingly. Often I was asked what conclusions one can draw from these graphs. Many! Having analysed a great number of games like this, I am convinced that if a player takes a positional decision in a very complicated position, he almost always rechecks his previous calculations with every subsequent move and uses more and more time to do it. The paradox is that if the same player takes a combinative decision he will not look at previous calculations anymore after a couple of moves and thus not recalculate variations over and over again. He
50 Games with Comments will just courageously execute the subsequent moves, no longer relying on precise calculations but steering a course by his judgement of the position. He will execute the next two, three moves with great speed, following the chosen path. And you, grandmaster, the reader will ask me, do you not have any doubts with each move? Do you not check more than once, hoping to find something that was previously overlooked? Correct - I have this deficiency! But I speak not about me but about others. I am an exception to the general rule and I am fully aware of it, a bad exception! 24 ... 0b8 Bronstein: As Simagin is convinced that his previous calculations are perfect, he abandons the pawn on e7 by retreating his queen to b8. Obviously Black is certain that the variation 25 # h 6 .xh2+ 26 >hl (or 26 * f l ) 26....e5 27 &xe7 Ag7 28 # x h 7 Wb6 will lead to a better position for Black. But the pawn on e7 is the gate to the black king's fortress and the decision to abandon this pawn without a fight is wrong. While the move 24...1S'b8 spoils Black's position, the ungainly looking retreat to d8 guarantees Black at least a draw and White has no better than to strive for a peaceful conclusion. The main variation is 2 4 . . . M 25 # h 6 &g8 26 f4 Sc6 (if 26...te6 or 26....e6 then 27 f5!) 27 ^hl (or 27 f5 immediately with the idea 27...i.xf5 28 i.f'6 exf6 29 Sxe8+ # x e 8 30 &xf6+) 27...)e6 28 f5 &g7 29 f6 tf5 30 fxe7 .xe7 31 &xe7+ &xe7 3 2 # d 2 Sc7 33 # d 6 recapturing the piece. 25 Wh6 xh2+! Botvinnik: Black's position appears to be critical but Simagin finds an excellent counter chance. It appears that there is no other defence, e.g. 25...te6 26 Sxe6 <>xe6 (26....xe6 27 # x h 7 + <4>f8 28 I g 5 ) 27 # x h 7 .c6 28 &xe7; or 25...Sh8 26 i.xe7 Jie5 27 Sxe5 # x e 5 28 i.f6 # x f 6 29 ^ x f 6 <>xf6 3 0 # f 4 + . Bronstein: Yes, after 25...)e6 26 Sxe6 .xe6? 27 Wxh7 + the result is clear but how to continue after 26...<>xe6! 27 Wxh7 JLc6 28 )xe7 2xe7 29 .xe7 Sh8 here?
95
26 &fl Botvinnik: Probably White did not like the continuation 26 <>hl i.e5 27 Wxh7+ g7 28 thxel Sh8 29 # x g 6 + * f 8 but without justification because by playing 30 g3 (30...2xh4+ 31 gxh4 Iff 4 32 Sxd7 &xd7 33 #e6, etc.) with the threat 2dl-d5-f5 + , White obtains an irresistible attack. However, in this variation Black can improve his play with 28...2c6! and reach equality. White now fans the smouldering fire into a full blaze. Bronstein: The move 26 & f l can be easily explained. In the above variation given by Botvinnik, instead of 28 )xe7, White can play 28 2xe7+ Sxe7 29 )xe7 but after 29... 2 h 8 30 #xg6+ *ffi White can only dream of playing Af6. Now this move, Ah4-f6, will be possible because the bishop is not pinned as it would be if the king had been on hi. 26 ... Ae 5
27 &xe 7 Botvinnik: Too cautious. White cannot avoid taking the h-pawn anyway. 27 ... .g7 28 # x h 7 0b6 Botvinnik: Here Simagin was terribly unlucky. He had surmounted many hurdles, finding many difficult moves in order to reach a better position and now he loses all that with one move... Black did not want to separate himself from the g6 pawn but it was time to go for the counterattack. Interestingly, 28.. .Ec6 would have given White the better chances after 29 Ag3 but after 28...#h2 White would find himself in almost insurmountable difficulties.
96
The Sorcerer's Apprentice who are either lucky or unlucky. If the exciting minutes and seconds of timetrouble had not been present in this game I would never have played 27 5}xe7 but would have taken the h7 pawn with the queen with check and then the pawn on e7 with the rook and also with check (see comments after Black's 28th move). When Simagin played 28.. .Wb6 his intention was to protect the g6 pawn but it was a mistake, which is understandable when one considers that both players were tired after such a tense battle. When the clocks were stopped one could read nothing on the face of either player. We completed and signed both scoresheets and handed them silently to the arbiter. It was Simagin who spoke first. Almost apologetically he said: 'I did not see the move 29 5}xc8.' I also became talkative: 'Why did you not give me the opportunity to execute my planned combination with sacrifices and fireworks? Why did you not play your queen to h2?' 'Which sacrifices, what fireworks?' exclaimed Simagin, 'This is what I wanted to play but I felt sorry for my pawn on g6. Also, your move 29 5}xc8 I totally overlooked. Otherwise I would of course have played 28...Wh2. Now show me what fireworks you had in mind,' he said and impatiently put the queen on h2 and I showed him 28..JHi2 29 2xd7 &xd7 30 x g 6 + $ f 8 31 We6 Whl+ 32 &e2 Wxh4 (32...ttxg2 33 g8 mate) 33 foxg6 mate. 'Indeed, that is very beautiful,' he said. That same evening we started to analyse this game which still reeked of gunpowder and found that my combination, although beautiful, could not be realised. Instead of the move 29...5}xd7 Black can play 29...tthl+ 30 &e2 x g 2 and if 29 xg6+ $ f 8 30 2xd7 tthl + 31 &e2 xh4. My opponent was sorry to refute such a nice combination and we both used all our imagination trying to rehabilitate it, but unfortunately in vain. We tried to take the g6 pawn like this, like that, to take the bishop on d7, to leave him in peace. We tried all roads for the white rook 2dl-d4, 2el-e4,2el-e8 - but without any
In any case Black would not have to lose the game, for example 29 xg6+ <4>f8 30 f 6 tthl + 31 &e2 h 6 ; or 29 Sxd7 tthl+ 30 &e2 xg2; or 29 f3 tthi + 30 $ f 2 >d3+ 31 &g3 &xel; or 29 2e3 (29 Se5 Whl + 30 &e2 xg2) 29...tthl + 30 &e2 g 4 + 31 S f 3 + jLxf3+ 32 gxf3 Sxe7+. Bronstein: When I played 27 5}xe7 I was under the impression that I had discovered a combination of timeless beauty: 28...tth2 29 xg6+ f 8 30 2xd7! >xd7 31 e6 with the deadly threats 32 ttg8 mate and 32 5}g6 mate. Black cannot thwart both threats. I especially like the variation: 31... tthl+ 32 &e2 x h 4 33 >g6 mate. Because of her desire and obligation to serve her king, the white queen is pinned! By the way, the move 28...Bc6 which Botvinnik mentioned can be met with 29 2e3 with the threat 2 f 3 + . Also his recommendation 29 JLg3 loses in one move after 29...xg3. If I had known that my beautiful combination was only an illusion then I would certainly have preferred 27 xh7+ instead of 27 &xe7. Then, after 21..Agl 28 2xe7+ Sxe7 29 5}xe7, Black has no defence: a) 29...2h8 30 x g 6 + $ f 8 31 M 6 >e6 32 i x g 7 + >xg7 33 ttf6+ &e8 34 g6 2 h l + 35 &e2. b) 29...tth2 30 x g 6 + $ f 8 31 Ag3 W h l + 32 &e2 h 6 33 x h 6 .xh6 34 5}xc8 l x c 8 35 2d8+. c) 29...ttb6 30 >xc8 xc8 31 2d8. d) 29..JLf5 30 5^xf5 gxf5 31 x f 5 + &g8 32 Ae7 $)a4 (32...ttc7 33 i x c 5 xc5 34 2d8+ i f 8 35 xc8) 33 e 6 + &h7 34 2d5 Scl + 35 &e2 h 2 36 We4 + 29 5}xc8 Black resigns Botvinnik: Black resigned not a moment too soon; 29...JLXC8 30 2xe8 or 29...2xc8 30 2e7+ is hopeless. Bronstein: Perhaps the reader will expect me to blame time-trouble for our oversights? After all, how many opportunities have not been missed due to timetrouble? Not so. I love time-trouble! During these minutes and seconds the scientific side of the game of chess disappears and on the stage remain two human beings
50 Games with Comments success. The secret of the survival of the black king could be summed up as follows: if White takes the pawn on g6 then the black queen will take the bishop on h4 but if White first takes the bishop on d7 then the black queen will take the pawn on g2 after having given a check on hi forcing the king to step in front of his rook and to pin the knight on e7. We concluded that the game was interesting but the combination incorrect. Today, nearly half a century after the game was played, it is time to say a little more. The move 23 i x f 7 was a complete surprise for Simagin. He looked at the bishop for about eight minutes and was upset by the fact that he had given me such a chance. After the game we very much enjoyed analysing together. About a quarter of a century after I made this story for the Chess in the USSR magazine, I don't want to change the style of the comments I made then They were created for people with imagination. Of course, Simagin, being himself a very talented combinative player, must have seen the possibility of the sacrifice on f7 but when I actually made it he was nevertheless surprised. Instead of defending himself calmly he started to play very fast and counterattacked. For the reader who is interested in Simagin's short chess career, I can recommend his own book Selected Games. I was very pleased to receive some credit when he wrote in his preface to this book that I had persuaded him to make his fine games available to a wider audience. It is a pity that his book has only been translated into Spanish and not into any other languages. Simagin, a player with a highly original, unique and imaginative style of play, lived all his life in Moscow and played for the famous club Spartak. He was a chess philosopher and a very educated personality with a great love for literature. He never gave his brain time to rest. Simagin died suddenly of a heart attack during the tournament at Kislovodsk on the 25th September 1968. A few days before this tragic event we had a long and
97
friendly talk and Vladimir Pavlovich told me: 'David, you cannot even imagine how many chess activities I am involved in for my chess club Spartak Moscow: especially for chess amateurs. Not only playing for them but also giving lectures, simultaneous exhibitions, answering many questions, holding consultations, etc. But now I am very tired and don't feel well at all.' A few years ago the Spartak Moscow Chess Club received a gift from their Sports Society: space in a building right in the centre of the city! Unfortunately they missed a unique opportunity to honour their illustrious former member. I sincerely hope that, one day, they will change their name to the V E Simagin Chess Club! The chess world should remember Vladimir Simagin as a real friend, a brilliant player and highly educated philosopher.
(10) Zagoryansky.E Bronstein, D

Moscow Championship, 1947
[A80] Dutch Defence My opponent in this game, Evgeny Alexandrovich Zagoryansky, was a very intelligent man, educated in high society and a real Prince. His family even owned a village, about 50 kilometres outside of Moscow called Zagoryanskaya, which still exists to this day. Of course, after 1917 his family lost their possessions and privileges. I know for instance that, because of his noble background, he was not allowed to go to university and sometimes had to work as a trench digger. Because of his great intellect, elegant manners and handsome physical appearance he was chosen to represent the Soviet Chess Federation in America during the radio-match USSR vs. USA in 1945. However, at the last moment, his passport 'was not ready' and he was replaced by a member of the Soviet Embassy in Washington. Besides chess he had a great talent for literature. He wrote several books but few
98
The Sorcerer's Apprentice to play ...d6 and ...e5 to make his bishop active. 8 ... d6 9 b3 We8 For better mobility. Supporting a possible e5 but, now that the bishop will go to b2, it is no longer advisable to open the diagonal for this bishop. Black has another plan.
were published - the material was too sensitive. He wrote a brilliant book about the famous American chess player Paul Morphy but it was never translated into any other language. Also he was famous as a very skilled card player, probably one of the best in the USSR, and loved to attend horse races. He was never called by his full name Hmell-Zagoryansky but all chess players knew who was meant if one referred to 'The Prince'. He was very pleased about it, as this, and his dignity, were the only things he managed to save after the Revolution of 1917. 1 d4 e6 2 if3 f5 3 g3 \f6 4 g2 b4+ Black doesn't lose a tempo if White now plays c3 as this square will no longer be available to the knight on bl. 5 sbd2 0-0
6 0-0 SC6
10
b2
d7
7 \el xd2 A very strong move. The threat was 8 c3 i . e 7 9 e4. If 7...d5 then, after 8 &d3, the other white knight can go to f 3 keeping the e5 square under control. I once lost a beautifully played game to Zagoryansky in the Semi-Final of the 14th USSR Championship in Moscow 1945 and that is the reason why I was now very careful. 8 Wxd2
11 sd3 a5 12 a3 a4 13 b4 Sb8 14 c4 se7 15 f 3 Wg6 16 S a e l White has made all necessary preparations to destroy the black pawn formation by advancing the pawn e2-e4-e5. Black should now be creative. That is why he plays actively on the queenside, trying to control the white squares. 16 ... b5 To restrict the bishop on b2. 17 S c l bxc4 18 Sxc4 sed5 19 S e l b5 20 S c c l c6 v/y//
k 1 m
White's position is better. Black has problems with his development and should try
21 e4 fxe4 22 fxe4 >b6 Both sides have achieved their goals. White has created a strong pawn centre and Black has built a good defensive position on the white squares. 23 4 Wh6 24 Scdl To be able to play d5 and take on e6. 24 ...
50 Games with Comments 25 Wc3 c5 Suddenly Black makes a long planned move to restrict the influence of the bishop on b2. 26 >h3 <&g4 Another black knight finds a good square across the equator. 27 i . c l Wh5 28 Sfl
99
(11) B r o n s t e i n , D Tartakower.S
Interzonal Tournament, Saltsjobaden, 1948
[B10] Caro-Kann Defence This game was played in the last round and the result was important to me and even more to the Soviet Chess Federation because the Hungarian grandmaster Laszlo Szabo and myself were leading the battle for first place. It happened that I won and he lost (to Erik Lundin). That is how I took the first place in my first international tournament. Perhaps it is worth mentioning that the second international tournament I played was not until the winter of 1953/54, at Hastings, three years after my match for the highest chess title. That was the reality of the Cold War period. On the 24th of August 1948 the Sport Committee of the USSR officially awarded me the title of grandmaster of the USSR; the eleventh person to receive it. Actually this is not quite correct, I was the twelfth! In 1929 Boris Verlinsky from Odessa had become champion of the USSR and was awarded the grandmaster title. Several years later he was stripped of it to enable the authorities to make Botvinnik the first official grandmaster of the USSR! It was very exciting to play against Dr Savielly Tartakower, the chess hero of my youth. I liked very much not only the books of this outstanding artist but also his style
28 ... h6 A clever move which looks quite innocent but in reality is a trap. 29 S x f 8 + 2xf8 30 S f l Sxfl+ 31 i . x f l ixa3! This cunning move was hidden behind the smoke screen of 28...h6. Therefore I could make it without much hesitation. To create such a position from a rather suspicious opening requires a lot of energy and time. If I had not been in severe timetrouble at this moment I would have undoubtedly found the move 3 l...fce3, more direct and certainly more beautiful. 32 0 f 3 ic2 Now the knight arrives on the strong central square d4. The fight is effectively over. dxe5 33 dxe5 34 i.xb5 cxb5 d4 35 0 f l a3 36 &g2 a2 37 i . d 2 38 # a l (D) <&e3+ 38 0e2 39 &gl &h7 40 l'xa2 + White resigns
100
The Sorcerer's Apprentice id5
of play and his behaviour during his complicated and difficult life. Although being a pure amateur in chess he always played on even terms with the best professionals. In my opinion his beautiful games are very much underrated. His brilliant books and journalistic achievements drew most of the attention away from his games. Also we should not forget that during the Second World War Dr Xavier (he changed his first name when he moved to France) Tartakower joined the French resistance movement with General de Gaulle under the name of Lieutenant Cartier. Several times he was dropped by parachute behind enemy lines on secret missions. 1 e4 c6 2 )f3 d6 3 d4 g4 In 1948 this move looked strange but today it is very common. 4 h3! The bishop is stronger than the knight. 4 h5 5 i.e3 6 )bd2 )bd7 7 c3 In many positions where Black has played ...d6 and ...ibd7 his bishop is blocked on c8. The unusual manoeuvre ...ii.c8-g4-h5-g6 transforms this bishop into a very active piece. Now the pawn on e4 is under attack.
M k B A U k m k <M A 'IP
a
m B A i
A A
9 e6 A temporary pawn sacrifice with the same idea mentioned before but now it is also directed against the pawn on el. 9 ... fxe6 10 e 2 e5 11 dxe5 ^xe5 12 >xe5 dxe5 13 h5
I i
m ^ m . i rn -m Mk
A A A M
H A A A I S
t k M * M k ' M k
i
m
am fi.A
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8 e5 White begins an early attack, trying to exploit the frozen position of the bishop on
f8.
Now White fights for control of the e4 square for his knight. If 13 JLg4 then Black can play 13...e6 14 il.xe6 Wf6 15 JLg4 ixe3 16 fke3 ii.c5 with active play. 13 ... ixe3 14 x g 6 + hxg6 15 fxe3 Wd3 16 Wf3 e6 Black has defended with great skill and now White has to make a decision whether to put a knight on e4 or to castle queenside. Today, after half a century of experience, I would have chosen one of these moves but at that time I was proud to make a purely technical move after which,
50 Games with Comments I was sure, I could not lose. Whether one can win such a position depends on having some luck. Black has four isolated pawns but they can easily be protected. 17 f e 4 fxe4 18 ixe4 e7
101
4 > HA
m
db in l A A A A A a
27 e4! Another pawn comes to e4. Suddenly the active black rook is trapped between the white and black pa wns. Black planned 27...a5 28 >d3 Hc4 but this does not work because instead of saving his knight, White can play more bravely 28 ^ d 3 axb4 29 cxb4 and the black rook is lost. b5 27 28 a5 ids 29 S a l Sc4 30 <&d3 i.e 7 31 )a6! Sa4 bxa4 32 Sxa4
AA B HI
*
m
i ^ m m m
t m
19 &e2! White's king could castle either side but decides to stay in the centre. Sd8 19 0-0 20 S a d l Sxd8 21 Sxd8 22 S f l
^ i X m S m d m
mm a A SI A I t !
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This move keeps the black king out of the centre but it is not clear how White can make any progress. Now it is Black who starts to play for a win! His next move creates a weakness on c6 which is partly responsible for White's success in the endgame. 22 ... b6 23 )f2 Hd5 24 )d3 i.f6 25 )b4 Sb5 26 a4 Sc5
IS
Black has managed to save his rook but at a cost: his pawn formation on the queenside. Black's pawns do not support each other because they are disconnected and it is only a matter of time before the white knight gobbles up all the black pawns. The problem of keeping seven pawns alive, all completely isolated, some doubled, could not even be solved by the ingenious brain of Dr Tartakower. 33 )b8 a3 i.xa3 34 bxa3 Jic5 35 )xc6 36 &c4 Agl 37 <>b5 38 <&f6 39 lxa7 &g5 f2 40 g3 41 c4 42 )c8 lxg3 <&f7 43 c5 <&e8 44 <&b6 45 a6 Black resigns
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice young grandmaster's success, showing a brilliant understanding of grandmaster strategy. It was obvious that Furman had passed on to him a lot of the knowledge acquired during his earlier years. It should also be said that Furman had very good analytical powers and was able to look deeply into the games of other grandmasters, disclosing the secrets of their success. After he made comments on several of the games I played in the Interzonal Tournament of 1955, he surprised me with a very neat observation: 'I now know how you manage to win so many games,' he said. 'You manoeuvre your pieces in such a way that the opponent can never attack them in one move and even if they can there might be a hidden trick. Besides, you can see the intention of your opponent most of the time and act accordingly.' Of course he was right! However the game that follows is an exception. According to Isaac Boleslavsky, who deeply annotated this game for Chess in the USSR, it was the most complex and mind-boggling of the 16th USSR Championship. W i t h pure logic I had achieved a winning position by move 24 but, sensing that there was more than an elementary win, I looked for complications and beauty and, with some luck, found both! 1 d4 e6 2 c4 3 >c3 b4 d5 4 e3 5 a3 e7 6 <f3 0-0 7 i.d3 b6 c5 8 0-0 9 b3 b7 >c6 10 i.b2 The game has transposed into a variation of the Queen's Gambit with the difference that the white pawn stands on a3. This factor has both positive and negative significance: the square b4 is inaccessible to the black knight but White's b3 pawn is slightly weakened so t h a t the natural 11 We2 can be answered by l l . . . ^ a 5 with an attack on the b3 pawn. To be considered
Spectators watching the last round saw more than chess-playing. While I was far from my board, walking around to see the position on the boards of Szabo and Boleslavsky, I saw a spectator, obviously drunk, come to our table and throw the clock and all the pieces on the ground. Dr Tartakower successfully defended himself by making a strategic retreat. The police intervened and order was quickly restored. Later it was established that the man was from Lithuania and was protesting against 'the Russians' who had sent his sister to Siberia. The attack was therefore directed at me, but not Dr Tartakower. This incident was widely discussed in the press and by the players. Even the always silent Isaac Boleslavsky had something to say: 'If this man really is against the Russians, why did he attack David Bronstein and not Alexander Kotov?'
(12) Bronstein,D - Furman,S

[E51 ] Nimzo-Indian
Defence
This tournament was played in November, just two months after I had won the Interzonal Tournament, and it was of course important for me to defend my new position in the chess world as a grandmaster. This particular game was played towards the end of the tournament and was of great importance to both players. Alexander Kotov and I were fighting for first place, which was a small sensation, with Semyon Furman following us closely. Later, when I recognised the logical play of Furman, I invited him to be my assistant during preparation for the match in 1951. Also, I took him abroad as my second to the Interzonal Tournament in Gothenburg in 1955 and the Candidates' Tournament in Amsterdam 1956. It is a well-known fact that Victor Korchnoi also spent a lot of time analysing many aspects of chess theory with him in a friendly and open way. When Furman started to work with Anatoly Karpov, I was not surprised by the
50 Games with Comments was 11 #c2; the continuation chosen by White should not have given him an advantage. 11 cxd5 exd5? This is a serious positional mistake, after which Black finds himself in a difficult situation. With hanging c- and d-pawns the black knight at c6 turns out to be very badly placed. It blocks the defence of the c5 pawn by the rook and the defence of the d5 pawn by the bishop and if the knight moves away, say to a5, the important square e5 remains in White's hands. The normal position for Black's knight, when he has hanging pawns, is on the d7 square where it defends the c5 pawn and controls the square e5. Black should of course have captured on d5 with his knight and after ll...&xd5 12 &xd5 # x d 5 13 Wc2 # h 5 he stands no worse.
103
hanging pawns in the centre are very weak. 15 ... f5 16 &h5 Sf7 17 Sabl! Before setting up decisive pressure on t h e d5 pawn White deprives Black of his last counter-chance: an attack on the b3 pawn. In addition he now threatens b3-b4 in some instances. But maybe also possible was 17 S f d l <&a5 18 <&e5 <&xb3 19 S a b l c4 20 xc4 dxc4 21 Wxc4 Saf8 22 &xf7 Sxf7 23 d4. 17 ... Sd8 18 S f d l Sd6 19 <f4 &h8 This turns out to be a tactical mistake but also 19...a5, to prevent b4, does not help, e.g. 20 f l <&d8 21 b4 axb4 22 axb4 cxb4 23 <&e5 S f 8 24 d 4 Wa5 25 S a l and the black queen is lost. 20 ii .fl Wd8 This loses a pawn but Black's position is already hopeless. If 20...kl8 there would have followed 21 b4 c4 22 e5 Sd7 23 d 4 and 24
12 <&e2! This subtle move reinforces the d4pawn and threatens the unpleasant transfer of the white knight to f5. It is very difficult for him to obtain any play. Probably best was 12...a5 followed by the sacrifice of the pawn at a4; in this case the c-pawn would have become a passed pawn and Black could have hoped for counterplay. After the following natural but poor move things become even worse for Black. 12 ... se4 13 dxc5 bxc5 14 Wc2 Wb6 15 <&g3 After 15 \f4 Black can play 15...\a5 16 <&xd5 xd5 17 x e 4 xe4 18 Wxe4 2fe8 and Black recaptures his pawn. Black's
21 >xd5 21 Sxd5 is even simpler: the double capture on d5 allows Ac4: 21...Sxd5 22 <&xd5 Wxd5 23 Ac4 Wd7 24 Axf7. 21 ... Ah4 Black carries out his only threat. After the simple 22 g3 it is doubtful whether he could have exploited the weakening of the a8-hl diagonal which White wrongly feared. White prefers another move which forces the exchange of a knight for a bishop which cannot be bad.
104
The Sorcerer's Apprentice a) 28...>xbl 29 Hxd6 Hxd6 30 Wxg7 + Wxg7 rf7 mate. b) 28...Wxg5 29 Wxd7 and White wins. c) 28...i.d5 29 il.xg7+ Wxg7 30 Wxg7+ <&xgl 31 Sxd2. d) 28...Wg6 29 Wxg6 hxg6 30 i.e2. e) 28...&xfl 29 Wxg7+ Wxg7 30 Sxd6 >f6 (if 30...Wxb2 then 31 Hxb2 Sxd6 32 thfl+ <&gl 33 >xd6 i.a6 34 >e8 + <&f7 35 >c7 i . d 3 36 Sf2 >xe3 37 Sf3) 31 i u f B Sxd6 32 i.xg7+ &xgl 33 &xfl with an easy win. 28 ... utbl The capture of the rook turns out to be much more dangerous for Black than it appears at first sight. In view of the fact that he was already in serious timetrouble 28 ...'Sixfl was more prudent, leading after 29 Hxd6 Hxd6 31 S x f l Hd2 31 S2 S d l + to a draw by repetition of moves. The remainder of the game was played at lightning speed. 29 5xd6 Sxd6 Of course not 29...Wxd6 because of 30 i.xg7 + . 30 >g5 i.d5 30.. .Sd7 fails to 31 >f7+ Sxf7 32 Wxf7 with the double threat of Wxbl or ii.c4. 31 e4 i.xb3 32 e5
22 &xh4 ttxh4 23 sf 4 2fd7 24 sh3? Now Black succeeds in creating great complications. Instead, after 24 Hxd6 Hxd6 25 White would have won without any difficulty, for example: 25...Hd2 26 Wc4 Sxf2 27 Wf7, or 25.. .Sg6 26 Wc4 Wxh3 27 Wf7. 24 ... >d2! 25 Wxf5 Looking directly to f8 but the simple 25 Wxc5 would have been stronger. Now the knight cannot capture either bishop or rook since the rook on d6 will be attacked twice. On the other hand 26 Hxd2 is threatened. Certainly an interesting point. 25 ... se7 26 Wf7 Not 26 T8+ >g8 27 Sbcl since after 27...2g6 Black's attack is irresistible. 26 ... Wh6 27 f4 Exploiting the fact that the black pieces are tied up. If 27...>xbl? then 28 Hxd6 Hxd6 29 Wxel with an easy win. White acquires the extremely important g5 square for his knight. 27 ... lg8
H E
m * m
f t i i
W '
I
M t M . M
i H
M
a if
32 ... Sdl This move with the black rook looks natural but it loses immediately. Furman did not realise how dangerous the march of the e-pawn was. If he had had a minute more he would no doubt have chosen 32...Sd7, hoping for 33 Wf5 S d l ! 34 e6 i.xe6 35 >xe6 >d2, but if White should
28 tf8 A safe move but one which almost cost me half a point. We both had less than two minutes for 13 moves. Although I prepared 28 ig5! while playing f4, even with so little time, you cannot only trust your intuition; some calculation is required. 28 \g5!:
50 Games with Comments strengthen the attack by the natural move 33 h4 it is still not easy to stop his f-pawn from marching to f7. If 32.. .2b6 or 32...Hd7 then 33 h4 with the intention of pushing the e- and f-pawns forward. 33 e6! It is interesting to follow the advance of the pawn from e3 to e6 with continuous threats. 33 ... xe6 34 >xe6 Sd4 Desperation. On 34...Hd7 White wins by 35 <&xg7 Hxg7 36 c4. 35 x d 4 cxd4
36 &g5
105
Black lost on time During the time scramble the moves were made at lightning speed and the demonstration boards, operated by junior players, could not keep pace. However, afterwards the game was replayed for the audience. It was then that for the first and last time in my life I heard some chess enthusiasts shout: 'Bravo, bis! Bravo, bis!' like after a concert! By winning this game I increased my lead and eventually shared first place with Alexander Kotov. First it was suggested that we should contest a match but then it was decided that we should share the title USSR Champion. I believe it was the first time that the winners of national championships (in all sports) received a gold medal and the Sports Committee spent a little more money making two of them! Furman, who was half a point behind us, took third place, received a bronze medal and made his first grandmaster norm.
(13) Bronstein,D - llivitsky,G

[D28] Queen's Gambit Declined If I had not won the Interzonal in 1948 I would not have played in this 16th USSR Championship. I had played in the SemiFinal in Leningrad in the Autumn of 1947,
shared third and fourth place and did not qualify for the Final. When I received the grandmaster title by winning the Interzonal Tournament in the summer of 1948, the Soviet Chess Federation found a place for me. I know that the general opinion is that the Soviet Championships at that time were the strongest tournaments in the world. But this could also be said about the Semi-Finals. The quality ofchess was very high in the USSR for many years. I also would like to say that the Soviet Championships then were not as they are today, just making the most points. It was a kind of intellectual show and the participants were expected to show the beauty of chess art. We always played in a little theatre on the stage with the audience sitting in chairs like during a concert. The tournament lasted about one month. We played at least four games a week; 40 moves in 2V hours, two days for adjournments and one free day. It was of course tiring but very interesting. The games started about 5 p.m. and very soon the hall filled up with chess lovers. They came each day and many faithful fans came every year. The admirers could follow the games on large demonstration boards. It was a great pleasure to see nine or ten games being played at the same time by the best players in the world. Also, during the games, you could participate in a simul or listen to explanations by a grandmaster. Also special bulletins with games were available and many newspapers gave reports every day. The results were broadcast on radio during the main news. In addition, five minutes after midnight there was a special, detailed broadcast. That is why chess and chess players were so popular. It was not orchestrated by the government, it was genuine enthusiasm! Of course when you feel such big respect from the audience you feel an obligation to play for them. This, however, does not make it easier on the players. But it was a pleasure to play in such surroundings and ambience. So even if today some names are not so
106
well-known abroad, they were all very strong players of course. There were no computers and they all played at their own strength I was happy to play in more than 20 Soviet finals and I think that it helped me to understand chess. Needless to say there were only small prizes in these tournaments. It was an honour to participate and applause from the audience was sufficient reward. With a good result you had a chance to be sent abroad so it was very important to achieve just that. In this game Black lost several tempi in the opening and gave White the opportunity to make a sharp move by putting his knight on d5. This sacrifice gave White two strong passed pawns. White played his knight to f5 and when both rooks came to the 7th rank it was easy to find the decisive combination. 1 c4 <&f6 2 <&c3 e6 3 d4 d5 4 if3 c5 5 cxd5 lxd5 6 e3 Immediately 6 e4 is also possible. 6 ... <&c6 It is not advisable to play ...a6 and ...b5 now. If Black had wanted to play these moves the knight should have gone to d7. 7 ii.c4 <f6 8 0-0 a6 9 e2 b5 10 &b3 e7 11 S d l 0-0 12 dxc5 c7 13 e4! Threatening e5. After 13...JLxc5 follows 14 e5 ig4 15 }e4! Now Black cannot play 15. ...}cxe5 because of 16 }xe5 ixe5 17 JLf4 JLe7 18 Sacl with strong attacking chances for White. Therefore ... 13 ... <&d7 (D) 14 ld5 exd5 15 exd5 ^xc5 16 dxc6 ii.d6 17 3ic2 Both bishops are eyeing the black king! 17 ... xc6
18 b4 After 18 >g5 h6 19 ie4! He8 20 Sxd6 Wxd6 21 if6+ gxf6 22 xe8+ &g7 23 i.xh6+ <>xh6 24h8 +, etc. 18 ... <&b7 19 Ab2 c4 20 JLd3 T4 21 g3 ^g4 22 a3 ii.f5 23 JLxf5 xf5 Black has defended well but the exchange of bishops has weakened the white squares. The queen will assist the knight into play. 24 <h4 25 ff3 Sab8 26 <f5 Ae5 27 Axe5 xe5 28 S a c l Sfe8 kS/tw.;;:
A
:
mm
'wm
yam
29 Sd7! <id8 30 Scc7! Sb6? Providing White with the opportunity to conclude with a pretty combination but in any case no king can resist two rooks on the 7th rank supported by a knight. 31 Sc8! Sb8
50 Games with Comments 32 Scxd8! Wel + Now, after 33 &g2 flbxd8 34 <&h6 + &h8 35 }xf7 + the black queen is safe but the white knight simply takes the black rook. It is easy to see that if Black had played 32...Sbxd8 or 32...Sexd8 then 33 >h6+ gxh6 34 Wxf7+ &h8 35 Wxh7 is mate.
33 &g2
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Black resigns
(14) Bronstein.D- Boleslavskyj

Candidates' Play-off, 7th game, Moscow,1950
[E21 ] Nimzo-Indian
Defence
I remember how in the winter of 1938 a young student from Dnepropetrovsk created a sensation in the Ukrainian Championship, played in Kiev. The tournament hall was overcrowded with spectators who followed with great interest the very lovely style of this young candidate master. He played with fantastic speed and was winning almost every game. He took first prize and later won the Ukrainian Championship twice more. I was also in the audience and his beautiful conceptions on the board impressed me very much. The following year I also played in the Ukrainian Championship and then, despite some age difference, we became friends. We found that we had many common interests besides chess. In later years we often played in the same tournaments. We also analysed a lot together and of course did not keep any secrets from each other in the openings. This is why in this match it was very difficult for me to play with the black pieces. After his first move 1 e4 Isaac Boleslavsky always obtained a better position. I remember that in the second game of this match, after Isaac Boleslavsky had made his first move, I thought for a long time (I was told afterwards for some 50 minutes!) trying to find something better and I came up with l...}f6. In this game I had White so the first move was easier to make. I did not play 1 e4 because I did not feel like playing
a French or Sicilian which we had extensively analysed together. Also, I need to say that contrary to the general opinion, I did not use a single day for theoretical preparation. I spent the month before the match in the famous Latvian holiday resort of Jurmala in the House of Literature. It is easy to explain why I was there. The young lady that I had fallen in love with earlier that year was sent by her office to be a summer teacher in a children's camp near Jurmala. All the free time we had we used to be together. At the same time there was a championship of the All Union Spartak Club and Alexey Suetin, the author of a book about the life and games of Isaac Boleslavsky, saw me every day without an assistant, chessboard or chess book. I was looking on this contest as a friendly one. During the Budapest Candidates' Tournament Boleslavsky and I had discussed the chances of the next challenger and my friend, who had lost seven games to Botvinnik without winning a single one, was of the opinion that a fight against Botvinnik was hopeless. Once he had had a chance to checkmate Botvinnik in a few moves but missed the opportunity. Of course I had a completely different opinion. I argued that Botvinnik was very strong but one could still play against him successfully. I was sure that I could demonstrate that his strategy was far from perfect. Isaac Boleslavsky was leading in the Candidates' Tournament but after a talk he had with Boris Vainstein he decided to slow down to allow me to tie for first place with him. Vainstein would try to arrange a tournament with Botvinnik, Boleslavsky and myself for the World Championship. Alas, it did not come about and we had to meet in a play-off for the right to challenge Botvinnik. The whole atmosphere in the Soviet chess world was that Botvinnik was the best player during the last two decades and he deserved the title of World Champion. One was almost afraid to take it away from him!
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice was 6-6. We played a very sharp 13th game (see page 219) and while playing through the moves it should be clear that neither of us was too much concerned about the final result. I did not care about Black's passed pawns and Black very freely sacrificed his queen for my knight. The match was decided in game 14 after Boleslavsky repeated the sacrifice of two pawns from game 12; in the meantime I had found a refutation in home analysis. Now, many years later, I think I might have made a mistake in winning this match, but most likely I saved my friend from a certain defeat, possibly even humiliation. By not winning the title I have put a shadow on my chess career and it is a little sad that I have had to read and hear for more than 40 years that I am not a good player. It seems that all my other achievements in chess have been ignored. Isaac Boleslavsky and I were able to play excellent technical chess but we only used it in time-trouble and during thousands and thousands of blitz games which we played for our own pleasure. However, during tournaments we always tried to use our fantasy, to create and solve difficult problems, finding and refuting new strategies or just to find single moves. We were paid a (very small) salary specially to make a spiritual show for the audience. Also, the Soviet Chess Federation insisted that it was not nice to play purely technical chess. This match was played in the Central Chess Club of the Soviet Railworkers where most of the Soviet Championships were played. The arbiter at this event was a man of honour who had great personal courage, Nikolai Mikhailovich Zubariev. The conditions of play were normal for such matches with one exception: no prize money! To be able to spend more money on food we accepted the proposition one of the editors of the Evening Moscow newspaper, Alexander Vasilievich Stepanov, to give comments to our games for a special bulletin which he was publishing. We agreed that comments would be supplied
Playing for the title of World Champion is the dream of every chess player but deep inside me, subconsciously I must have had no real ambition to win. Otherwise I cannot explain why I did not win the match when, only two games from the end, all the odds were in my favour. After the match Botvinnik himself gave evidence to this opinion despite the result of 12-12 and the obvious fact that he saved his title only in the last game, he simply explained his 'bad' result like this: 'I have not played chess for three years. This is why I played below my normal strength but my opponent is a good player. He is particularly strong when the game is transforming from the opening to the middlegame and in addition he conducts an attack against the enemy king very well.' Botvinnik did not explain why, during almost two months of play, he did not succeed in winning a single game during the first five hours of play. Four out of his five wins were achieved after the adjournment. I lost three completely even endgames as a result of bad homework. On the other hand he lost four games before the first time control. Anyhow, even if I had won this match, I am not sure that I would have been able to call myself World Champion for long because the rules, created by Botvinnik, gave him the right to join the next World Championship contest and play for the title in a tournament with three participants; the present World Champion, his new challenger and Botvinnik himself. I think that if you cannot defend your title in the same way that you get it you're not a real World Champion. In the match with Isaac Boleslavsky I was successful in the first and in the seventh games. I also had an easy win in the fifth game but made some weak moves after the adjournment and the game ended in a draw. It was in the sixth game that I played the famous Marshall Attack in the Spanish Opening and managed an easy draw with Black. Then I started to play less strongly and after 12 games, the score
50 Games with Comments by the winner and, in case of a draw, by the player with the white pieces. By the way, it took the Soviet Chess Federation more than twenty days to inform FIDE of the result of our match! 1 d4 )f6 2 c4 e6 3 ic3 i.b4 4 if3 White does not care if Black decides to exchange his bishop for the knight as his b-pawn will come closer to the centre. This simple move with the king's knight was a favourite of the former Kiev player Efim Bogoljubow, the winner of the 1925 Moscow tournament who later, in 1929 and again in 1934, tried unsuccessfully to take the chess crown from Dr Alekhine. 4 ... d6 5 b3 Before making the decision how to conduct his pawns White is curious to see whether Black will exchange his bishop or not. Also possible was 5 ji.g5 pinning in return the black knight. Many years ago, I think in 1960, during the Soviet Championship in Leningrad, I was thinking about my opening in the next game with Korchnoi. As he often played 1 c4 >f6 2 >f3 e6 3 >c3 I decided to try 3...i.b4 and if 4 d4 then 4...d6. Then, using my fantasy, I was dreaming of a nice combination after 5 ji.g5 h6 6 ji.h4 ê7! 7 a4+? ic6 8 d5 exd5 9 cxd5 We4 10 )d2 xh4 11 dxc6 0-0 12 a3 )g413 g3 Wf6 14 axb4 Wxf2+ 15 <dl b5 16 Wb3 i.e6 17 Wa3 te3+ 18 &cl e l + 19 )dl Wxdl mate. After the tournament I gave a lecture in the Chigorin Chess Club and told the audience about this and used the expression 'chess dream'. Later I read in a book that I saw this variation during my sleep! a5 5 >c6 6 g3 7 i-g2 the 4 8 0-0 xc3 0-0 9 bxc3 f5(D) 10 Black has broken the white pawn chain and established a strong outpost for his
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king's knight in the centre but he has paid a high price for this. The moves 5...a5 and 10...f5 have created weaknesses and White can now take advantage of these by starting a pawn attack. 11 f3 sf6 12 a4 We7
13 c5 d5 It would not have been wise to play 13...dxc5 because after 14 ji.a3 the white bishop gets a fine diagonal. Now that Black has created the triangle d5-e6-f5 with his pawns it is better for White to exchange his bishop for Black's knight. Thus he prevents Black from defending the e5 square and also increases the power of the bishop on g2. 14 .g5 h6 15 jLxf6 xf6 16 )d3 b6! Black tries to start an attack first. If he waits any longer then the white pawn on e2 will establish an offensive position on e4. 17 cxb6 2b8 18 Wa3 Sxb6 19 f4! a6
110 20 ic5
The Sorcerer's Apprentice We7 22 23 Wc5! 2fbl 2b8
The first impression is that Boleslavsky has successfully solved all of his problems. The influence of the white bishop on g2 is limited by the pawn on d5, the b-file is under Black's control and with his next move he could improve the position of his bishop by moving it to c4. In 999 out of a 1000 cases this judgement would be correct, but this is an exception! White's next move violates the classic rule that a strong knight should not exchange itself for a weak bishop. 21 ixa6!! Not at all expected by Black. If now 21...Wxa3 22 2xa3 2xa6 then after 23 S b l 2b6 24 2b5 2fb8 25 2c5 <&f7 27 e3 <&e7 24 c4 it is obvious that the strong pawn on d5 has become very weak. In the above variation it was also possible to play 23 e3 2b6 24 c4 )b4 25 2 c l maintaining some pressure but I prefer the variation with the active rook on c5. The motive of the pawn on c3 threatening to move to c4, indirectly supported by the bishop on g2, will be a factor during the next 19 moves. When White finally makes this move his advantage becomes overwhelming. It was not easy at all to find a weakness in Boleslavsky's superb classical strategy. My decision to play this type of attack was based on the events in our fifth game of this match. In that game, by making logically attacking manoeuvres, I had obtained an advantage in space which I transformed into a winning endgame. 21 ... 2xa6
This is the maximum that can be achieved for now. The threat is 24 2b 5 and in case of 23...2ab6 the variation 24 2xb6 2xb6 25 c4 dxc4 26 2 c l does not look good for Black. 23 ... Wxc5 More accurate was 23...2xbl+ 24 2 x b l Wxc5 25 dxc5 <&f8 and Black's defensive task would have been easier. &f8 24 dxc5 25 2 b 5 2aa8 &e7 26 &f2 27 i c 3 2g8 28 2 a b l
28 ... 2gb8 Just when Black should undertake a counter offensive he decides to avoid any activity and to wait for the adjournment. Probably Black did not like the variation: 28...g5 29 fxg5 hxg5 30 c4 )b4 31 cxd5 ixd5 (31...exd5 32 2 l x b 4 axb4 33 .xd5) 32 .xd5 exd5 33 &d4 2 h 8 34 2b7 2c8 35 2 l b 3 Sxh2 36 2e3+ <&d7 37 <&xd5.
50 Games with Comments During the game we both favoured the white position but now, well after the event, the game appears to be a clear draw to me; a fair result! &d7 29 &d3 30 e3 &e7 31 &d2 Sc8 32 M3 g6 h5 33 $Le2 This move can be understood as an invitation to play 34 h4, but how can White then break the strong chain of black pawns? 34 h3 Sg8 35 Sb7 Sgc8
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Just before the adjournment White finally makes the move which he has been wanting to make for such a long time. The key to this attack lies in the sealed move. 40 ... dxc4 After 40...c6? White will play 41 cxd5 exd5 and 42 e4!! opening useful diagonals for his bishop. 41 M3 The sealed move. The bishop returns to its main diagonal. 41 ... Sa7 42 &c3 c6 43 S h 2
36 g4 White picked up what Black refused to take, i.e. to start an attack with the pawns on the kingside. The opening of extra files may be useful for the white bishop or even for his rooks. 36 hxg4 37 hxg4 38 S7b2 sf7 &d7 39 g5
40
c4
Now t h a t both white rooks have taken control of the board the outcome of the battle becomes clear. However, in a long and tiring match one needs to solve many problems before being able to sign the score-sheet with a win. &e7 43 ... 44 .e2 45 x c 4 Se8 46 Sb6 Sc7 47 2 a 6 &g7 e5 48 3xa5 Black is now also trying to create more space for his rooks but it is too little too late. 49 Sh3 Sd7 50 .b3 exf4 51 exf4 Se4 52 Ha8 S x f 4 (D) 53 xf7 Transforming the game into a winning rook ending. The passed pawn on the afile will decide the game. Of course some good technique is still required. 53 ... 5xf7
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice then stopped playing for a while to work at his education but then returned and for many years was amongst the best players in the world. It is no secret that he regarded himself to be of equal strength to the World Champion. In 1955, during the USSR vs. USA match in Moscow, the American Ambassador held a reception. During this event Reshevsky asked a high Soviet official for permission to play a match for the World Championship with Botvinnik. (The high Soviet official was Krushchev - T.F.) The diplomatic answer was that this was a matter for the Soviet Chess Federation to decide. They did not want to organise a match outside of FIDE for the title but suggested that Reshevsky could play a match of 24 games against me in December 1956 and January 1957. The match was to be played in Moscow and New York for a total prize fund of $ 6,000 ($ 3,600 to the winner). Unfortunately the events in October of 1956 in Hungary prevented this match from taking place. During the Candidates' Tournament of 1953 Reshevsky played without a second, just as I did. For both of us the conditions were even. We did all the preparation ourselves. I decided to play my favourite King's Indian Defence. The evening before this game I was told by the heads of our delegation that, after evaluating the situation in the tournament, they had come to the conclusion that I could win against Reshevsky and I was ordered to do so. I came to the game, sat down at the table and never moved again until the game was adjourned! Of course I was fortunate to win, mostly because Reshevsky always avoided simple moves and was also playing for a win. One of the seconds at this tournament, Master M. Beilin, wrote such a good story about this game that it was published in Mo/odaja Gvardija, one of the largest literary magazines in the USSR. 1 d4 if6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 g7 4 g2 0-0
54 55 56 57 58 59
Sah8 Sxf3 a5 &b4 Sa3 Hd3
Hf3 + &xh8 5a7 &g7 5a6 <M7
60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67
Sd6 &g7 Hd7+ &g8 &a4 <&f8 Sb7 f4 Sb4 &e7 Sxf4 &e6 Hf6+ &d5 &b4 Black resigns
(15) Reshevsky,S Bronstein.D

Candidates' Tournament, Neuhausen/Zurich, 1953
[E68] King's Indian Defence The life of Sammy Reshevsky is wellknown. He started to play chess at a very young age and was a brilliant prodigy. He
50 Games with Comments 5 >c3 d6 6 if3 )bd7 This move has the disadvantage that the knight restricts the bishop but rook and bishop are on ideal squares in this King's Indian variation. However, Black has somewhat less space than White. 7 0-0 e5 8 e4 2e8 The normal move in this position is 8...c6 b u t 8...2e8 avoids any preparation by White. If now 9 d5 then Black answers 9...>c5 10 Wc2 a5. 9 h3 exd4 10 <&xd4 <c5 11 S e l a5 12 c2 Why not 12 >db5 to prevent ...c6? Black could play 12...i.e6 13 >d5 i.xd5 14 exd5 Sxel + 15 Wxel <SM3 16 e2 )xcl 17 2xcl Wd7 and if 13 b3 then 13...c6 14 >xd6 tfxe4! Or 13...d7 14 &h2 Sad8 and then ...c6. 12 ... c6 There was no sense in trying to win a pawn with 12...>fxe4 13 lxe4 i.xd4 15 i.g5 Wd7 16 >f6 + .xf6 and Black's most valuable piece would disappear from the board. 13 .e3 >fd7 14 S a d l a4 15 )de2 White has played logically. 15 ... a5
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Now the theoretical line is finished and the real struggle starts. 16 f l ie5 17 )d4 a3 Always a useful move in this kind of position, as it could become important in the endgame. 18 f4 )ed7 19 b3 >a6 20 i . f 2 idc5 21 2 e 3 ib4 22 e 2 d7 23 e5 dxe5 2ad8 24 fxe5 Now the time is right to bring the rook on a8 into the centre. 25 g4 >e6 26 h4 With this move White created some veiy interesting complications. Does he really plan to give away his bishop for Black's rook? Is Black willing to exchange his bishop for White's rook? Let's see what happens.
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A surprise for White. If he plays now 16 Hxd6 then 16...)e5 17 b3 .xh3 18 .xh3 )f3 + 19 &fl ^ x e l 20 &xel )xe4 21 Hd3 Sad8.
26 ... ixd4 27 2xd4 c5 Now 27...Axe5 is not so effective because White would not fall into the obvious trap 28 .xd8? .xd4! 29 .xa5 2xe3 but would choose the simple line 28 2de4 f6 29 2xe5 2xe5 30 2xe5 fxe5 31 .xd8 Wxd8 32 xe5. 28 2 d e 4 i.h6 29 &hl i.e6! (D) 30 g5 i.g7 31 2 f 4 M5 32 )e 4
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice pawn and destroying White's pawn chain on the queenside. 39 Sxd8 >xe6 40 Sxf8+ <&xf8 At this point the game was adjourned and White sealed his move. He no longer has any winning chances. 41 .g3 White's best chance. If he has time to protect the pawn on g5 by playing h3-h4 then his bishops may become active. Now it appears that the pawn on g5 is protected indirectly: 41...sxg5 42 i.d6+ &g7 43 We7+ f 7 44 f8+ &f6 45 e7+ with perpetual check. 41 ... xg5! 42 x e 6 ^xg3
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Now it is White's turn to create a nice trap for Black. On 32.. Mxe5? follows immediately 33 2xf5! xf5 34 M 6 + and if 33...gxf5 White plays 34 f 6 + i.xf6 35 gxf6! xe3 36 Wg2+! A brilliant conception which clearly indicates that Reshevsky's ambitions were not unfounded! 32 ... i.xe4 + 33 Hfxe4 >a6 34 e6 fxe6 35 Sxe6 Sf8
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At this moment I clearly remembered my instructions: play to win. The only possibility to achieve this was to avoid simplification. By this time we were both in great time-trouble. 36 He7 i.d4 37 S3e6 ^f5 38 Se8! This is the only move! If 38 <&g2? then 38...sc5! 38 ... ic5! 38...sc7 was sufficient but Black plays for a win! If now 39 26e7 then Black replies 39...sxb3 (40 axb3 a2) winning a key
43 c 8 + &e7 44 ^ g 4 This is the crucial point of the game. In a chess struggle one needs some luck. If now 44 xb7+ then 44...<&d8 45 a8+ >c7 and the white queen has no more checks. 44 ... Wc3 45 <&g2 b2 + 46 e 2 + <S?d6 47 <&f3 i.c5 White cannot take on b2 because the black king will get through to cl. If the white king tries to prevent this then one of Black's pawns on the kingside will promote to a queen. 48 &e4 Wd4+ 49 &f3 f6 + 50 <&g2 $c7 51 f 3 b2 + 52 ^d4 53 &f3 (D)
115
... h5 <&g2 g5 <&g3 Wf4+ <&g2 g4 hxg4 hxg4 &hl <>b6 <&g2 &c7 <&hl i:d6 &gl <&b6 Wg2 i.c5 + &hl Wh6 + Wh2 We3 b4 JiLd4 White resigns To tell the truth, Reshevsky didn't resign but simply waited for his flag to fall. He has no moves. After 66 c5+ 67 g2 g3 he is in complete zugzwang.
53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65
(16) Bronstein.D - Panno.O

Olympiad, Amsterdam, 1954
[A53] Old Indian Defence This was my first visit to Holland, not knowing that I would return many, many times. I cherish the most pleasant memories of my month-long stay in Amsterdam. Of course in Russia we had learned about the special relationship between our two countries going back all the way to our Tsar Peter The Great who lived in Holland for a while, but actually to see the country is quite something else. The Olympiad was originally scheduled to take place in Argentina but due to financial difficulties the organisers had to inform FIDE that they could not fulfil it. It was grandmaster Lodewijk Prins who,
almost single-handedly, organised it in Amsterdam at very short notice. Not only did he do it perfectly, he also played for the Dutch team and achieved a memorable, fully deserved victory over Kotov. The event took place in the famous and still existing Apollo Hall. The playing conditions were excellent and although there were many spectators every day they watched in silence and did not come too close to our tables. I remember that one day a young man came up to me - how he had come to the area where the players were I don't know - and asked me to sign his autograph book. When Tom Fiirstenberg - that is who this young man was - showed me this autograph book almost 40 years later, I clearly remember having signed it because it is difficult to forget such a nice book! Besides, in those days we were rarely asked for autographs. The hospitality of the Dutch people was fantastic and, contrary to the opinion of some journalists, Soviet diplomats imposed no restrictions on whom we could talk to and what we could see. Towards the end our team was well ahead on points and we could afford to relax somewhat. It was then that I was allowed to play on the first board in our match against Holland and I had the privilege to play with Dr Max Euwe. Our game ended in a draw after I managed to find a good defence against his attack. 1 d4 if6 2 c4 d6 3 ic3 e5 4 dxe5 dxe5 (D) This game was played in the seventh round of the final and to increase our lead over Argentina all of us, Botvinnik, Smyslov, Keres and myself (on the third board) had decided to play extra solid chess in order not to give the slightest chance to our adversaries. This explains my choice of opening in this game. I did not know then that the new World Junior Champion was extremely
116
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strong in positional play and that this game was going to be much more tense than I had anticipated. i?xd8 5 xd8 + 6 ibd7 7 g3 c6 8 h3 d6 9 e3 h6 10 0-0 2e8 11 ih4 iLf8
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21 d 5 + <&d8 22 )b6 If 22 )e3 then 22...a4 opening the a-file for the rook in the corner. Also White's pawn on b3 may become a target for the black pieces. With the text move White keeps the black rook in a passive position and hopes to be able to go for Black's pawn on a5 at a later stage. 22 ... -ijxb6 23 x b 6 + &e8 24 c5 e7 25 Scdl I I I
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12 b3 A simple defence against the threat 12...g5 13 sf5 sb6 14 f 3 sxc4. 12 g5 13 sf5 ic5 14 f 3 <&c7 15 S a c l a5 16 i.e6 (D) Black avoids moving the b-pawn because after 16...b6 17 Sc2 ii.e6 18 S b l and then a3, b4, etc., the white pawns might become dangerous. 17 ig7 i.xg7 18 x c 5 ^d7 19 x e 6 Sxe6 20 &f2 JLf8
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25 ... f6 By creating some sort of Maginot line with his pawns Black hopes that he will be able to defend some weak squares with his king. However, he can only take small steps at a time and could be out of breath quickly. In case of 25...ii.d8 26 Sd2 &xb6 27 cxb6 Sa6 28 S f d l Sxb6 29 Sd8+ <&e7 30 S l d 7 + <&f6 31 3c7 <&g7 32 S8d7 2f6 33 Hxb7 2xb7 34 2xb7 White still has some pressure although Blackcould most likely save half a point.
50 Games with Comments 26 27 28 29 e4 xd8 Sxd8+ Sdl+ d8 Sxd8 &xd8 &e8
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Black could have created some counterplay by 31... gxh4 32 g4 h5 33 2xf6 hxg4 34 fxg4 2f 7. 31 ... &f7 32 h5 g4 33 fxg4 Se6 34 Sd8 Se8
When a chess player finds himself in a position like this one he often starts to think: 'Can I win if the rooks disappear from the board? Can my king find a path through to the enemy pawns?' In fact in this case there are two paths: a long one '4?g2-f2-e2-d2-c2-b2-a3-a4 and a shorter one '4?g2-h3-g4-f5. That is why the latter takes preference. 30 h4 Se7 After the continuation 30...gxh4 31 gxh4 h5 the white king will be forced to make the long march. But instead of 31 gxh4 White could push his pawn to g4: 31 g4 h5 32 gxh5 2e7 33 <&h3 2g7 34 2d2 2g3+ 35 '4?xh4 Sxf3 36 h6 when he would have excellent chances. That is why Black preferred to play a passive move. However, it is well-known that in a rook ending, usually the side with the most active rook wins. Black might also have tried 30...h5 hoping that White will not play 31 g4 hxg4 32 h5 gxf3+ 33 &xf3 and the white king is ready to attack, not to mention the powerful pawn on h5. 31 Sd6 Of course this is a good move but much stronger would have been 31 h5 immediately. The game had been very tense up to here and in my quest for the most logical moves I had used all but two minutes of my time. This explains our far from perfect play for the next ten moves.
35 2d2 There was no time to calculate the consequences of exchanging the rooks. In king and pawn endings there are always hidden traps. At home it is easy to imagine that the white king is on c4 and the black one on a7. As there is no time to go to a4 White should move his b-pawn. And what if the black king comes to a6? Then a modest move with the a-pawn is necessary. However, during a very serious chess game your vision might be different, not so clear. Our human abilities are limited, not only by space and time but also in quantity of mental energy. And, be frank, would you pay so much respect to some tiny soldier on a2? That is why White avoided exchanging rooks but now the win is far from easy. I believe that Panno allowed me to take a full point for the Soviet team by playing too passively. 35 <&e7 2g8 36 &f3 37 S d l 2g7 2g8 38 2 b l 39 b4 axb4 40 Sxb4 2b8 &e6 41 a4 fxg5 42 g5
118 43 44 45 46 47 48
The Sorcerer's Apprentice a5 Sf8 + Sf7 &g4 Sb6 Sc7 a6 bxa6 Hxa6 &f6 Sa8 Black resigns always being a very lucky man, around the green gaming tables! About 20 years ago Arthur Bisguier and Paul Benko played a match of four games with new rules. The board was set-up without the pieces; only the pawns were in their original positions on the 2nd and 7th ranks. Instead of making a move, each player in turn was allowed to put a piece of his choosing on the board anywhere on the 1st and 8th ranks. When all pieces were on the board White could make his first move. I was honoured to be called the inventor of this novelty although I got the idea from a letter published in British Chess Magazine in 1945 or 1946. All four games were published in the Dutch magazine Schaakbulletin. Nowadays Bobby Fischer proposes 'shuffle chess.' (See page 271 for David Bronstein's latest innovation! T.F.) 1 d4 f5 2 e4 fxe4 This gambit is named after the great English player Howard Staunton. Yes, he avoided a match with Paul Morphy but on the other hand he wrote excellent comments to the works of William Shakespeare. Which is of more cultural value? 3 )d2 A new move. Arthur was very proud of this novelty and said: 'It is a gift for you, David.' 3 ... )f6 4 g4 d5 5 g5 )fd7! On 5...)g8 White could play 6 f3 . i f 5 7 fxe4 dxe4 8 >c4 when he stands better. White has more space and Black is underdeveloped. 6 f3 e5 7 fxe4 (D) 7 ... Wxg5 Better would have been 7...>c6 8 exd5 )xd4 9 >e4 )c5 10 g 2 5 or 9 c3 Wxg5 10 cxd4 Wh4+ 11 &e2 Wg4+ 12 &el Wh4+ with a draw. 8 )gf3 mi5 9 exd5 d6 10 )e4 0-0
Only Julio Bolbochan salvaged a draw, playing White, against Vasily Smyslov. Paul Keres beat Herman Pilnik and Mikhail Botvinnik, remembering his humiliating defeat against Miguel Najdorf in Groningen 1946, took an honest revenge. Our team won the Olympiad by a margin of seven points! Two years later Oscar Panno returned to Amsterdam and played great artistic chess in the Candidates' Tournament. When he returned to Argentina after the event he took home with him a beauty prize, not for a game he had played, but a Dutch girl named Willy Bink as his wife!
(17) Bisguier,A- Bronstein.D

[A82] Dutch Defence I met Arthur Bisguier for the first time during the Olympiad in Helsinki in 1952. It is difficult to believe that during this tense political climate we became friends and were openly talking to each other in the tournament hall. We also went on a sight-seeing tour together. Arthur told me that he very much liked literature and writing. In the following years we kept our friendship going, mostly from a distance but we were always very pleased when we got the chance to play together. If I remember correctly we played in two national USSR vs. USA matches in 1954 and 1955 respectively, in Gothenburg 1955, Moscow 1962, Zagreb in 1965, Tallinn 1971 and 1981 and in several Chess Olympiads. In 1993 we met again in Las Vegas where we spent a lot of time together sitting around yellow chess tables, brown dinner tables and, Arthur
119
if if, %
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11 i . g 2 Wg4 Black is playing for combinations. It would have been much better to continue 11 ...)f6 in order to activate the bishop on c8. 12 We2 i.b4+ 13 c3
It is not easy to evaluate such an unusual position, even for a strong computer. Both White's knights dominate the centre, Black's queen is not 'developed' and there is no clear answer to the question as to who has the so-called 'advantage'. It is a real chess position and all you need to do is fight! 16 )g3 )c5 17 )f3 Wa4+ 18 b3 Wd7 The bishop is cut off once more! 19 &c2 i.f6 20 a 3 )ba6 21 )d4 Wf7!
13 ... exd4 14 )xd4 After 14 cxb4 White didn't like 14...d3, for instance 15 h3 Wg6. 14 ... Wh4+ 15 <&dl e7
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Threatening 22...Wg6 + and 23...ld3 + if White plays 23 &b2. 22 )e4 Se8 Black prepares to take back on f6 with the pawn but the pressure on e4 has to be increased first. The pin is annoying. The threat is 23...i.xd4 24 cxd4 )xe4 25 i.xe4 i.f5. 23 S h f l White has prevented ....&f5 and the bishop on f6 can no longer move but Black sets a trap. Now he should pin the white knight on e4. 23 ... Wg6 24 S a e l (D) 24 ... h3!! Black intended this move when he played 22...Se8. If now 25 i . x h 3 then 25...Sxe4, if25 i . h l then 25...i.xfl and if 25 Sgl then 25...^.xg2. It appears that the rook on a8 is not developed but it is performing an important task; supporting the rook on e8.
120
The Sorcerer's Apprentice places which would mean qualification for the Candidates' Tournament. When the tournament was finished, FIDE increased the number of qualifiers from five to ten. All five participants in The Hague/Moscow tournament of 1948 received the right to play in the next Candidates' Tournament. When in the Candidates' Tournament of 1953 Keres, Reshevsky and myself shared the second place, FIDE awarded us the right to play a tournament between us to decide who would play in the next Interzonal Tournament... Only after my protest did FIDE change its mind and ask us to play for one place in the next Candidates' Tournament. In the Interzonal Tournament in 1958, when I finished jointly half a point behind the winners, FIDE did not increase the number of players for the next Candidates' Tournament. Meanwhile Botvinnik had created a rule, which was accepted by FIDE, that no more than three players from the USSR could qualify from the Candidates' Tournament. By introducing such a 'clever' idea he could narrow down his most dangerous opponents to only three. Another non-chess move by 'the champion of all time'. I am not going so far as to say that the FIDE system made no sense at all. During the AVRO tournament in 1938 it was generally accepted that the best players at that time were Dr Alekhine, Capablanca, Dr Euwe, Keres, Fine, Reshevsky, Flohr and Botvinnik. On this basis Botvinnik invited Dr Euwe, Keres, Reshevsky, Fine and Smyslov in September 1946 to sign an agreement concerning the World Championship. They played (without Fine but also without Najdorf and Boleslavsky) in the famous 'The Hague-Moscow' tournament in 1948. Nobody had any doubts that these five were the best players at the time. Why then did we need a FIDE system at all? In his book The History of Chess grandmaster Harry Golombek even suggested
A similar move was made by Dr Alekhine in his famous game with Karel OpoCensky in Prague 1942. Wxg2 25 Sxf6 26 5 f 4 Sxe4 27 Sxe4 >xe4 28 Wxg2 &xg2 29 5 e 2 hl 30 S e l White has found the best defence which shows how deeply the move 24.. Ji.h3 had to be calculated! 30 ... >f2 31 >e6 xd5 White resigns
(18) Unzicker.W- Bronstein.D

[B92] Sicilian Defence This was my second Interzonal Tournament and I was lucky enough to make a double and win them both without losing a game. In chess literature it is often said that in 1947 the FIDE created a new, very fair, cycle of competition called the World Championship. I doubt whether this was good for Chess Art and from my own experience I can say that it is far from being fair. No, I am not talking about my match for the World Championship in 1951 when the Champion had the right not to win a single game and could retain his title by making 24 draws. My remark is completely different. In the Interzonal Tournament of 1948 we were fighting for the first five
50 Games with Comments a new way to measure the success of a grandmaster. He said that, despite the fact that in the AVRO tournament the first and second places were shared by Keres and Fine, the really impressive candidate for the World Championship title was Botvinnik. Maybe with this statement Golombek was trying to justify the secret negotiations that were going on at the time between Dr Alekhine and Botvinnik... After the Interzonal Tournament in Amsterdam 1964, where I managed sixth place, FIDE, according to new rules, eliminated me together with Stein and gave these places to Reshevsky and Portisch, who had finished behind us. Thirty years later I still remember that, after the tournament was finished, I protested to FIDE and suggested increasing the number of people who could play in the Candidates' matches by playing one extra round. This proposition was on the agenda at the FIDE congress in Tel-Aviv during the Olympiad there, but despite official support from several chess federations, it was rejected on the basis that you cannot change the rules of qualification while the three-year cycle is in progress. I have only one question now: What about the Interzonal Tournament in 1948 when the rules were changed a f t e r the tournament?!?! Now it is time to say how I came to play in Gothenburg. About two or three months before the tournament I received a telephone call from Paul Keres in the middle of the night. After apologies for calling so late he asked me only one question: 'David, what do you have against Gothenburg?' We understood each other immediately and so I answered without any hesitation: 'Nothing. Let's go and play in this Interzonal Tournament. As I understand from your question, Gothenburg must be a wonderful town.' 'Thank you,' said Keres and so we had managed to create an opportunity to go abroad again! This is the only reason why we refused to play with Reshevsky for a place in the
121
next Candidates' Tournament and therefore Reshevsky's qualification was automatic. Unfortunately, he did not use this opportunity and to this day I do not know why. When I took first place in Gothenburg the number of qualifiers was also five but after the tournament was finished, FIDE again allowed four more losers to play in the Candidates' Tournament in Amsterdam 1956! Now, can we really call the FIDE system fair? c5! 1 e4 2 >f3 d6! cxd4 3 d4 )f6 4 <&xd4 5 ic3 a6! This opening is known as the Najdorf variation, though Karel OpoCensky played it before Najdorf did! 6 e2 e5 This move intends to drive the knight away from the centre and to stop the advance of the e-pawn, hoping to eventually play ...d5. 7 )b3 $Le7
8 0-0 0-0
9 e 3 10 a4 11 1<d2 12 S f d l To prevent )d5: if now 13...xd5 14 exd5 Wxc2. 13 We 1 14 Hd2 15 f 3
Wc7 b6! e 6 Sc8 13 )d5 then Wb7 )bd7
15
...
d5!
122
The Sorcerer's Apprentice Making d5 available to the knight. 26 &h2 If 26 g4 then Black could play 26...id5 27 Txe4 Tb6+ 28 Td4 Wb8 29 Hfl cxb3 30 cxb3 Hcd8 31 S d d l g5! 26 Wc7 27 Sd6 a5! i.xc4 28 bxc4 29 >b3 i.xe2 30 f x e 2
This move is always welcomed by Black in the Sicilian Defence. But quite a few defensive and preparatory moves need to be made before one finally has the opportunity to attack White's most important pawn - the king's pawn. 16 exd5 ixd5 17 ixd5 i.xd5 18 S a d l >f6 19 >cl
Now the time has come to cross into 'no man's land' to attack f 3 to make g2 a target. 20 f f 2 c5 bxc5 21 x c 5 22 We3 Se8 c4! 23 f 4 Another black pawn joins the attack with the clear intention of disrupting the white pawn chain and create new weaknesses on White's half of the board. 24 b3 2ac8 25 h3
25
...
.e6!
30 ... e3! A very active pawn indeed. Was it already dreaming about the fairy tale in which pawns are sometimes transformed into queens? Most likely yes but what about the queen on e2? How can a lonely pawn move such a strong piece out of the way? He cannot and it is obvious that some assistance is required. 31 S6d4 )e4 32 Wf3 >g5 33 Wg4 >e6 34 5 e 4 h5 Attacking the queen and creating an escape route for the king. 35 T3 <g5 It was simpler to take the f-pawn with the knight, but in time-trouble I did not see it and made a more natural move. 36 Sxe8+ 2xe8 37 Wg3 Wxc2 38 Sd5 (D) 38 ... e2! In severe time-trouble I no longer had time to calculate and had to rely entirely on my intuition. If now 39 )d4 then Black replies 39...We4. 39 Sxg5 elf!
123
40 41
Sxg7+ Wg5
&h8
It appears that White arrives first. 41 ... Wxg2 + !! No, it's Black! 42 Wxg2 Se2 White resigns
(19) Bronstein.D - Evans,L

Match USSR vs. USA, Moscow, 1955
[C78] Spanish Opening September 1995 is exactly 50 years since the first meeting of the national teams of the USA and USSR. I was then only 21 years old, and thanks to my excellent result in the 14th USSR Championship, I was honoured to be a member of our team. On the 10th board I played two very interesting games with the American master Anthony Santasiere. The match, played by radio, lasted four days and the result was sensational: the winners of four Olympiads, the Americans,
lost by 4V6-15V6. More important was the attention this friendly event received by the media. The newspapers were full of chess news and the American Ambassador to the USSR received the Soviet team and delegation at a reception at his embassy, just 200 metres from the Kremlin walls. It was to be my first visit to 'terra incognita'. I did not know the etiquette very well and decided to stay in the background. Mr Averell Harriman noticed me standing in a corner of a big hall, came over to me, took me by the arm and asked: 'Would you like a glass of whisky with ice or soda?' The only thing I recognised was the word 'ice' so I said: 'yes please'. When he handed me my glass I saw a drink with an unfamiliar colour and smell but decided to go for it. I closed my eyes and took a few sips. Nothing happened; I survived! From that moment onwards whisky became a favourite drink of mine - amongst others of course! Then Mr Harriman proposed a toast to our two countries as being friendly and close neighbours! Before the match in 1955 I was suddenly invited to go and see the Chairman of the Committee of Soviet Physical Culture and Sport - chess came under their protection - Mr Nikolai Nikolayevich Romanov. The conversation lasted less than a minute: 'David Ionovich, I beg of you, please play seriously against the American team tomorrow. In our Soviet Championships you can experiment as much as you like but this match is important. Will you do that?' I did not have to think about my answer: 'Of course.' I was pleased that I was not obliged to stop my experiments altogether! e5 1 e4 ic6 2 >f3 a6 3 b5 4 a4 b5 5 0-0 6 b3 d6 (D) A direct invitation to play 7 }g5. Then, after 7...d5 8 exd5 ld4 9 S e l (or 9 Wei)
124
The Sorcerer's Apprentice an opportunity to start a sharp attack against Black's pawns. 11 b4 cxb4 12 cxb4 >c6 13 i.b2 i.g7 14 S c l &b7 15 b 3 We7
r i H H II
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9...>xb3 10Hxe5+ (or 10 Wxe5+) 10...i.e7 11 axb3 0-0, Black has excellent attacking possibilities in spite of being two pawns down. The white queenside is still undeveloped and the pawn on d5 will fall. However, it is unwise for White to accept this present. An article about this variation was published in 1939 in Chess in the USSR. 7 c3 )a5 8 c2 c5 9 d4 Wc7 10 )bd2 g6
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Up to here the players have followed the well-known path of the Chigorin system in the Spanish Opening. If Black had now played 10...^.e7 and then castled the game would have become a positional struggle. However, Larry Evans, being a very inventive combinative player, found a new way of solving the opening problems. He combined two systems of great chess thinkers: Steinitz and Chigorin. His intention is good but the black king is still in the centre and this gives White
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There is a classical rule in chess which says that you can keep your king in the centre but only in a closed position. But if the position is even semi-open, then you can always expect a nasty surprise. 16 Sxc6 Starting an attack and taking advantage of the fact that the pawn on f 7 is not protected by a rook. 16 ... xc6 17 dxe5 >h5 Evans, a very strong grandmaster, had probably calculated up to this point when he played 10...g6.1 can only assume that he had underestimated the power of White's next moves. 18 g4 ff4 19 exd6 Wd7
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50 Games with Comments Black is threatening to take the g-pawn with his queen. It seems that White needs to change his strategy and must now defend instead of continuing the attack. Luckily there is a move that does both! h3+ 20 <&e5 Jixe5 21 i h l f6 22 &xe 5 <&f8 23 g 3 24 &g5 25 h4 Off 7 26 Wal <&e5 Se8 27 g5 Wg4 28 Wd4
125
This game with Evans was, I am sad to say, played in the last friendly match between the teams of the United States and the USSR. When Evans was 17 years old he had written a book with 50 of my best games and indicated that, in his opinion, I would be the next World Champion.
(20) Aloni,I - Bronstein.D

Olympiad, Moscow, 1956 [E85] King's Indian Defence The following story and comments (except where indicated otherwise) are excerpts from an article in the British Chess Magazine, no.5,1967 by Raaphy Persitz: There is a Greek saying, ascribed to the poet Archilochus, that goes: 'The fox knows many things but the hedgehog knows one big thing.' If applied to chess players the difference between fox and hedgehog corresponds more or less to the distinction between strategists and tacticians; between those who rely primarily upon their judgement and those who trust their intuition. The former are hedgehogs, the latter are foxes. Hedgehogs are orderly and determined creatures. They think in bold, broad terms and are intent on getting to the heart of things. In contrast, foxes are curious beasts, loving the many possible continuations, the complexity of combinations and thriving upon uncertainty. True foxes often create exceptional circumstances where rules are, as it were, made to be disregarded. They are always on the look-out for situations in which material and positional values are so confused, so blurred, that an objective appraisal becomes meaningless. Thus Averbakh, Euwe, Fine, Flohr, Gligori6, Kottnauer, Nimzowitsch, Olafsson, Pachman, Panno, Petrosian, Portisch, Reti, Rubinstein, Smyslov, Steinitz, Taimanov and Tarrasch, to make a random selection, are all, in varying degrees, hedgehogs; whilst Alexander, Bronstein, Chigorin,
The black queen has finally come to g4, but only for one move. The rest of the game is only of interest because both of us were in great time-trouble. We played at lightning speed until the end because we did not know how many moves had been made. Wd7 29 f 3 if7 30 gxf6 31 e5 g5 gxh4 32 S e l Wc8 33 e6 2xe6 34 Wxh4 ic8 35 Sxe6 Wcl 36 2e7 &xe8 37 2xe8 + &d8 38 We4+ ic8 39 We7+ ib8 40 i e 6 + Wxc7 41 Wc7+ &b7 42 dxc7+ 2f8 43 x f 7 44 i d 5 + Black resigns
126
The Sorcerer's Apprentice problems for the black king: he will find a safe place on c7 after ...c6. White must then take care that Black does not get control over the square d4. 6 ... 0-0 7 ie3 With Black having castled and played ...e5 White may consider 7 .&g5 here. 7 ... sbd7 8 Wd2 a6 9 g4? B r o n s t e i n : Premature. It is better to play d5 first to stabilise the centre and to accept the pawn sacrifice after 9...}h5 10 g4 >f4 11 >xf4 exf4 12 i.xf4 >e5 13 i.e2. 9 ... exd4! The thematic reaction to an ill-prepared wing demonstration: a timely counterattack in the centre. 10 sxd4
Czerniak, Geller, Korchnoi, Kotov, Lasker, Larsen, Marshall, Najdorf, Pillsbury, Reshevsky, Pirc, Spielmann, Szabo, Tal and Tartakower are foxes. It would not be very purposeful to explain in detail the distinction. After all, there are foxes - and there are foxes! Indeed, not even all hedgehogs look or think alike. And there exist numerous cases that cannot be clearly put into one or the other category; independent, classless animals who go about their own way, stubbornly refusing to be confined into cramped, precisely defined cases: Alekhine, Botvinnik, Capablanca, Keres, Spassky and Stein are but a few members of this group. Hedgehog or fox? Fox or hedgehog? Both beasts have shown themselves capable of equally noble exploits. In the following brief and fierce duel, two worthy arch-foxes confront each other at their fighting best. It is a breathtaking cut-and-thrust battle which does credit to both. In the end, the more creative, more resourceful, more profound fox, Bronstein, scores a memorable victory over the cunning and tenacious fox, Aloni. Being one of Bronstein's most imaginative efforts I dare say this encounter (which for some obscure reason has not attracted the attention it deserves) will find admirers even amongst the dourest and most resolute of hedgehogs. 1 d4 >f6 2 c4 g6 3 >c3 i.g7 4 e4 d6 The ICing's Indian Defence has become one of the most formidable replies to 1 d4. Its popularity is no small measure due to pioneering work by Bronstein and Boleslavsky in the forties. 5 f3 The Samisch Attack. White intends to castle on the queenside and to attack on the kingside. 5 ... e5 6 >ge2 6 d5 is more committal while the simplifying 6 dxe5 dxe5 7 Wxd8+ &xd8 poses no
B r o n s t e i n : Many years ago positions of this kind were judged without any doubt as favourable for White. White has control of the centre and has prepared the attack h2-h4-h5. The new dynamic school questions such routine statements. Today preference is given to the player who has the initiative on both wings. In his famous book about Indian Openings, published in 1925, Dr Tartakower says that opening strategy is changing. Instead of occupying the centre one should try to attack it. This is exactly the strategy I followed in this important game. 10 ... c5! A daring decision: Black deliberately weakens his pawn on d6 and renounces control of the central square d5 in order to
50 Games with Comments increase the power of his pieces. It will become apparent that the advantages of this plan will outweigh the disadvantages. 11 )c2 )e5!
12 $Le2 JLe 6!
127
The action is shifting from the kingside to the queenside, which represents a moral victory for Black and indicates how ill-timed 9 g4 was. 13 )a3 )fd7! Preparing either ...f5 or ...<)c6-d4. 18 d 4 ? 2fc8 Bronstein: This move was very surprising for White because his bishop now finds a shelter on c3 from the cold Polar wind. 19 .c3
Bronstein: The last four moves are typical in many variations in the King's Indian Defence. The pawn on d6 is sacrificed for an active deployment of the black pieces. 14 0-0-0 Bronstein: White accepts the challenge. If White castles kingside, then Black can make an active move with his queen to h4, trying to organise an attack against the weakened white pawns. 14 ... b5! Black's target is now on the queenside and he opens lines at the cost of three pawns in order to take the white king by storm. 15 cxb5 axb5 16 )cxb5 (D) 16 ... c4! 17 f x d 6 Wa5 Bronstein: Better was 17...c3 at once because now White can play 18 .&d2. During the game both players were of the opinion that after 18...c3 19 xc3 Sfc8 20 i b l Sxc3, etc., Black has a very strong attack. This is why White is trying to avoid this variation with the move 18 .&d4. If now 18...c3 then White can safely play 19 ixc3.
19 ... )d3+! Bronstein: However, the icy wind has shifted and is now blowing from the North-East! 20 x d 3 .xc3 21 )xc3 cxd3 22 2xd3 (D) Bronstein: White has three extra pawns but as compensation Black has a lot of space for his pieces. Now the black knight enters into play and announces with a big fanfare the final attack. 22 ... )e5 23 2 e 3 Sd8! 24 We 7 Sd7 25 f f 6 Wc5! The crowning point of the combination initiated by 19...}d3+. White is allowed no time to regroup.
128
The Sorcerer's Apprentice Bronstein: This game was played during the first match between Israel and the USSR. We played on four boards and if one remembers that this match took place in September 1956 it is easy to understand that there was great tension on every board. I was happy to score the winning point for my team as the other three boards had finished in a draw. Also, I was proud of this victory against this very strong combinative player, many times champion of Israel.
Bronstein: All of Black's pieces are ideally placed, even the rook on a8 although he has yet to make a move! (And will not in this game! T.F.). 26 >c2
(21) S p a s s k y . B - Bronstein,D
Candidates' Tournament, Amsterdam/Leeuwarden, 1956
[E80] King's Indian Defence Spassky came to this tournament only hours after having become the new World Junior Champion, so I decided to play a sharp game. It was not our first encounter. During the Soviet Championship in 1947, I was invited to visit a junior chess club and then had a chance to meet for the first time two talented players, Victor Korchnoi and Boris Spassky. I did not reject the invitation to play two five-minute games with Spassky. Although he lost both, he impressed me very much with his concentration and logical moves. In the Autumn of 1993, when I visited Paris for several days I paid a visit to the Caissa Chess Club to meet the legendary Mme Chantal Chaude de Silans again and to have the pleasure of presenting this brilliant French lady with a beauty prize flowers from the best gardens of France! Our friendship dates back to the Women's World Championship held in Moscow, December 1949 and we have since met many times. The next evening I was pleased that Spassky, who had heard that I was in Paris, immediately came to see me. We had a long talk and often referred to our first meeting. We have played many fine games but I never managed to win and I know why. I always tried to disrupt his
26 ... id3 + Bronstein: It is not often that knights work like twins but on moves 19 and 26 they both give check to the white king, making identical moves. 27 Sxd3 Sxd3 28 a3 1:2 29 S e l Hd2 White resigns Games like this can leave one with mixed feelings: on the one hand a sense of satisfaction at being just good enough to appreciate their beauty; on the other hand a sense of despondency stemming from the realisation I shall never live to play like Bronstein. This, perhaps, is just as well: what a dull place our world would be if all its inhabitants could play chess like Bronstein, paint like Rembrandt, or make love like Casanova...!
50 Games with Comments logical play right from the opening. This worked against others such as Botvinnik but it failed against Spassky! 1 d4 ^f6 2 c4 g6 3 ic3 i.g7 4 c4 d6 e5 5 f3 6 d5 ih5 7 ie3 ia6 8 Wd2 Wh4+ 9 g3
129
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To an amateur some of Black's moves seem unorthodox, but in chess 2+2 is not always 4! If White had played 9 f 2 then 9...#e7. 9 ... >xg3!!! Dr Max Euwe in the tournament book: 'An extremely deep and highly original conception whereby Black sacrifices his queen for the pair of bishops and a couple of pawns! A most enterprising combination. Everybody knows that the queen is much stronger than two bishops in the endgame. 'It is very difficult to judge the correctness of this sacrifice but one thing is certain: if there is a player in the world who could make such a conception work, it can only be Bronstein! It is a pity that he failed; maybe he was not in form that day.' 10 #2 >xfl 11 Wxh4 ixe3 (D) 12 &f2 >xc4 13 b3 ib6 More active would have been 13...â3 and ...>b4. 14 ige2 f5
15 S h g l 0-0 16 <g2 .d7 Black has an excellent pawn formation. 17 a4 .f6 18 Wg3 ib4 19 a5 >c8 So far all of Black's plans have been successful. If now 20 h4 there could follow: 20...>e7 21 S h i >c2 22 Sacl \e3 + 23 <4>f2 f4 24 # g l Sf7 25 h5 g5 2 6 h6 <4>h8 and later ...Sg8 with the intention of opening more scope for both bishops by playing ...g4. 20 exf5?
20 ... .xf5? Not the best move from either player. Black had at least a draw with 20...ê7, for instance 21 \e4 >xf5 22 \xf6+ Sxf6 23 Wg5 SafB followed by ...\xd5 or ...\d3. White cannot play 21 fxg6 because after 21...}f5! Black has a winning attack. For instance 22 # e l (22 # f 2 \d3) 22...\c2 or even worse 22 gxh7++ <4>h8 23 # e l \d3 24 # d 2 \h4+ and the idea of the queen's sacrifice is fully justified after 25 4 g 3 Sg8+!!
130
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 42 43 44 45 46 47 He7 Sxh7+ We7+ We3 h4+ &h2 >xf4
21 Ba4 Black completely overlooked this move but he continues to fight and put up strong resistance. 21 ... >d3 Better was 21...â6 right away. 22 Hc4 >c5 23 >e4 >a6 24 >xf6+ Sxf6 25 f 4 e4 26 >c3 >e7 27 S e l 2af8 Drawing all the pieces into the attack. Possibly only Spassky could win such a position. 28 b4 c6 29 l>xe4 iLxe4+ 30 2 c x e 4 <?^xd5 Black originally sacrificed his queen to obtain the pair of bishops. All that now remains are two knights! 31 Se8 >ac7 32 Sxf8 + &xf8 33 i h l Sf5 34 S h 4 if6 35 Wf2 ib5 Black tries to construct a fortress but he is disillusioned and has no fighting spirit left. 36 We2 >d5
&g5 &g4 <&h5
37 a6 bxa6 The fortress turns out to be a 'Hollywood Village' with many entry gates and no protection. 38 We8+ <&g7 39 Wxc6 &h6 40 Wxa6 >xb4 41 Wb7 id3
A fight to the very end! 48 Sh6 Black resigns I was very pleased to read many nice compliments about my play in this game but best of all I liked George Koltanowski's statement in his article in Chess Life & Review that a player who is brave enough to sacrifice his queen for two bishops in top-level competition should not harbour any hopes of ever becoming World Champion! For me, a player such as Koltanowski, who at the age of 90 can still give simultaneous blindfold exhibitions is a real champion! The best evidence that chess is not a sport but an intellectual Art is the fact that in the next generation of amateurs there might always be an admirer of beauty who finds an improvement of your attack and plays another immortal game. Such a game was played on 6 June 1965 for the Hastings Chess Club championship between H.G. Rhodes (white) and A. Learner (black). Here is the game, played with great energy and a lot of imagination. 1 d4 >f8 2 c4 d6 3 ic3 e5 4 d5 g6 5 e4 &g7 6 f3 ia6 7 e 3 >h5 8 Wd2 Wh4+ 9 g3 ixg3 10 Wf2 >xfl 11 Wxh4 >xe3 12 &e2 <&c2 13 Scl id4+ 14 &dl 0-0 15 >ce2
50 Games with Comments f5 16 &xd4 exd4 17 &h3 fxe4 18 fxe4 >c5 19 &f2 d3 20 b4 2xf2 21 bxc5 Sg2 22 h3 i d 7 23 c6 bxc6 24 We7 &h6 25 Wxd7 2d2+ 26 &el Se2+ 27 &dl SfB 28 Sbl 2d2+ 29 &el 2 e 2 + 30 &dl 2ef2 31 &el i d 2 + 32 &dl Jic3 33 2 e l 2 f l White resigns. 'Bravo!' as Dr Tartakower used to say in such cases!
131
(22) B r o n s t e i n , D Nezhmetdinov,R
[C76] Spanish Opening By education Rashid Nezhmetdinov was a fantastically good mathematician and science probably lost a great mind. Besides chess he also loved to play draughts and was unique in the fact that he was equally good at both. For many years he won Russian Championships in both disciplines! By playing in a sharp attacking style he produced many brilliant combinations. His creative energy was dangerous to every opponent, even Mikhail Tal suffered. In my library I have two editions of Nezhmetdinov's best games and I can recommend these to anyone. By the way, Nezhmetdinov also gave blindfold simultaneous exhibitions in chess and draughts at the same time\ A real genius. 1 e4 e5 2 <f3 ic6 a6 3 b5 d6 4 a4 One of the best defences. However, it gives White a choice of how to play. If 5 0-0 g 4 6 h3 &h5 7 c3 Wf6, Fischer discovered that 8 g4! i.g6 9 d4 xe4 10 &bd2 wins for White. Or 5 xc6+ bxc6 6 d4 f6 7 &c3 e6 8 e 3 9 Wd3 2b8 10 0-0-0 and White has more space. Also 5 d4 b5 6 b 3 &xd4 7 &xd4 exd4 and now 8 d 5 or 8 c3 (not 8 Wxd4 c5 9 Wd5 e 6 10 Wc6+ d 7 11 Wd5 c4) and White has a long-lasting initiative. 5 c3 d7 As my opponent was an excellent combinative player I had expected 5...f5,
which Capablanca once played against Reti. I had prepared 6 exf5 ilxf5 7 d4 e4 8 0-0 exf3 9 2 e l + with a strong attack. Long ago, after the 14th USSR Championship in 1945,1 wrote an article about the openings played in this tournament and made the prediction that in future one of the new champions would probably use such a method of attack. Is it possible that I foresaw the appearance of Mikhail Tal?! 6 d4 g6 7 0-0 g7 8 a3! A logical move but it is not as simple as it looks. In some cases it enables White to start an attack with b4. 8 ... &ge7 9 e3 0-0 10 &bd2 We8 To make space for the rook on a8. 11 A b 3 &h8 12 dxe5 dxe5 Black must keep control of d4. 13 ih4! To enable the f-pawn to join in the attack 13 ... f6 14 g3 h3 15 2 e l 2d8 16 We2 f5 17 f4!
17 ... exf4? According to his style of play as Nezhmetdinov always felt at home in long combinations, but he failed to see White's strong 23rd move. In my view the best line for Black would have been 17...fxe4 18 &xe4 &d5 19 c 5 exf4.
132 18 19 20 xf4 >xe4 g5!
The Sorcerer's Apprentice fxe4 id5
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(23) Bronstein,D - Bilek.l

International Tournament, Gotha, September 1957
The following complications are in White's favour. 20 ... id4! 21 cxd4 .xd4+ 22 <&hl ie3!
[B30] Sicilian Defence During my active chess career - which is far from over - I have played with many Hungarian players. The explanation is very easy. Having been born in the Ukraine, I find Hungary very similar and always grab invitations to play there with both hands. The first time I went to Hungary was in 1949 for the match Budapest vs. Moscow. I still have many friends in Hungary and I feel a little sorry that the last time I played there dates back to the year 1989. The tournament in the German town of Gotha assembled a strong field of players and I was satisfied that I managed to take first place. The prize money was very low but the spirit of the tournament was very friendly throughout and every participant was respected. I was a guest of Professor Herbert Gratz, who later was the organiser of the Leipzig Olympiad in 1960. We had many friendly discussions about everything, even such difficult subjects as the Second World War. After the tournament we made a trip together in his car and I got the chance to visit several towns, including Berlin and Leipzig, giving simultaneous exhibitions and lectures. To my chess literature and political knowledge I managed to add some practical geographical education about Germany.
23 c2!! refutation of Black's combination. 23 <}g4 24 if3 Wc6 5xf3 25 x d 8 26 Wxf3 &f2+ (D) jcxf2 27 Wxf2! &g8 28 f 6 + 29 b 3 + <&f8 xel 30 Hadl &e8 31 S d 8 + &xe8 32 Sxe8+ 33 c 3 JLXC3 <&e7 34 >xc3 c5 35 &gl 36 a4 Black resigns
50 Games with Comments One day, I did not feel well and Professor Gratz took me to a Soviet military hospital. While I was waiting for help he came to me with a very serious expression on his face and said: 'I congratulate you as a representative of mighty Russia - Soviet scientists have launched a rocket and put a satellite named Sputnik in orbit. I never thought that you could do it before the Americans.' It was the 4th of October 1957 and that news soon spread all over the world. 1 e4 c5 2 >f3 >c6 3 b5 An active move, creating some problems for Black. The idea behind this move is that a centre pawn should not be exchanged against one on the flank. White is ready to castle while Black's kingside is still frozen. In some variations White can take on c6, destroying the connections between the black pawns. 3 ... >f6 4 We2 g6 5 c3 It is well known that two pawns in the centre are strong. 5 ... g7
6 0-0 0-0
133
Not 12...f5 because of 13 ixd5 but if 12...e6 13 Sacl and if now 13...f5 then 14 jLxc6 bxc6 15 .&f4 and the bishop on e6 is very bad. 13 d 3 ^xc3 14 bxc3
7 d4 cxd4 8 cxd4 d5 A classic example of how to attack a strong centre. 9 e5 >e 4 10 e3 Not 10 )c3 because Black can answer 10...g4. The text leaves open the choice as to whether the knight should go to d2 or c3; even )fd2 can be considered here. 10...g4 is not strong because of White's reply 11 h3! xf3? 12 gxf3 and the knight is lost. 10 ... f6! To break up White's strong centre. 11 exf6 exf6 12 >c3 Here 12...)xc3 13 bxc3 only strengthens White's position and frees White's bishop and knight. 12 ... a6
This position should be judged as better for White. The reason is that the two white pawns in the centre are stronger than the isolated black pawn on d5 and in addition White can also create pressure on the open b-file. Also, the bishop on g7 is passive. 14 ... >e7 15 a4 To prevent 15...b5. 15 ... f5 16 S f b l ! Wd7 17 >el Sf7 Black cannot exchange bishops as otherwise the white knight will be too strong on c5. 18 d 2 JiLf8 19 Wf3 Improving the position of the queen. 19 ... g4 20 Wg3 >c6 21 >c2 Se8 22 >e3 Jie6 (D) 23 h4! The time has come to play actively! All White's pieces including the rooks Eire ready for action. Probably the best move now would have been to put the king on h8 but Black prefers another defence. 23 ... >e7 24 S e l ! Sc8 25 Sabl!
134
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 34 ... 2e2 35 i . c l #e7 36 &g2 2c6 Black cannot exchange the rooks by playing 36...2el as White will force mate by 37 Sxel Wxel 38 .a3+ <4>g8 39 H i 7+ <4>f7 40 Wh5+ &g8 41 i . h 7 + &h8 42 J.g6+, etc., atypical case of co-ordination between queen and bishop. 37 2 h l ! 2xc3 38 i . f 4 Now 2 b l is the threat and it is interesting to see that both black rooks and the queen are losing the battle for the open file against the lone rook! If now 38.. ,2b2, then the pretty move 39 2 e l decides (see previous comments). 38 ... 2a3 39 2cl! Black resigns
The rook lays a smoke-screen for a nice combination. It is interesting to see how the rooks manoeuvre on the first rank to find the best position to support the attack. 25 ... 2c6 26 h5 This pawn heralds an all-out attack. 26 ... 27 <xf5 jLxf5 28 hxg6 hxg6
(24) Bronstein,D - Palmiotto,F

Olympiad, Munich, 1958
[B09] Pirc Defence This was to be my last Olympiad. Altogether I played four times for my country, winning four gold medals. In all other sports, if you win a gold medal, you can call yourself an Olympic Champion forever. Maybe it is time to introduce this rule in chess. First you can be an Olympic Champion but if not everybody likes it then, after two years, you can call yourself an ex-Olympic Champion! It is not easy to win a gold medal playing on four boards even if you are a member of a magic team consisting of Botvinnik, Keres, Smyslov, Tal and Petrosian but then it is only a 'team competition'. Of course, the main advantage of being a member of such a team is that in the mornings you get together and discuss openings and strategy and in the evenings you consult each other about adjourned positions. (Unfortunately there is no defence against such practices.) However, at the board you are entirely on your own. 1 2 e4 d4 d6 tf6
29 2xb7!! This is what White prepared when he played 26 h 5 29 ... fxb7 30 .xf5 Black's position is in shambles. 30 ... 2e7 Black's only chance is to weaken White's attack by exchanging rooks. Of course, White does not allow it. 31 0 x g 6 + .g7 32 2 b l ! 2b6 33 2 f l ! <&f8 34 g3! The king will make a passage for the rook to manoeuvre to create threats.
50 Games with Comments 3 4 5 6 7

J
135
sc3 f4 sf3 e5 h4!
g6 g7 0-0 sfd7
c5 7 ... cxd4 8 h5! dxe5 9 Wxd4 10 WE2 exf4 Here Black offered a draw which was politely declined! 11 hxg6! hxg6 White has saved time by not developing the rook on al and the bishop on cl. 12 i.xf4! sf6 13 h4 Wa5 14 sg5 i.g4
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This was a surprise for Palmiotto. Another possibility was the plan of &d2, Hh2 and S a h l . i.h5 16 e5 17 S a e l Wc5+ 18 i . d 2 Wc6 19 i . e 3 Wc7 (D) 20 iLb5 Jixe2 21 i . e 2 Sfc8 22 Sxe2 &f8 23 lce4 ixf6 24 ixf6 ii.xf6 25 Sxf6 &e7 26 sh7+ &e8 27 Wxf6+ a5 28 Sd2 29 Wg7 Black resigns
This game was played in the match USSR vs. Italy and being myself a follower of the famous classical Italian chess school I started an early attack with pawns intending to show that even in the semiopen openings one can create an attack in combinative style. Indeed, the classical Italian chess school is immortal. Many years later, in 1990,1 was invited to play in a tournament in Rome. Quite unexpectedly, for me that is, Botvinnik arrived. I asked the organisers if he was going to play. 'No,' they said 'he is here to receive the Giacomo-Greco-prize.' I asked them if he had ever played a game in the style of the Italian School. 'No,' they replied, 'but he wrote in one of his books that Greco was a great player.' Now, five years later, I am still very much amused by such naivete and wonder if those Italian officials have ever seen any of my games!
(25) Bronstein,D - Liberzon.V

[C18] French Defence This tournament was not very successful for me, in spite of the fact that I played several good games, for instance with Leonid Shamkovich when, for once in my life, I castled queenside in the King's Indian Defence and finished the game with a nice queen sacrifice (see page 279). Also I remember games I lost, especially one, to Spassky. I don't need to give it here because it is in every collection of brilliant
136
The Sorcerer's Apprentice World Champion Professor Hans Berliner, played this move against me during the AEGON tournament in The Hague, Holland, 1993. 9 ... cxd4 10 cxd4 Wh4
games. I have only one excuse for losing this game; it was played the day after I had celebrated my birthday!! The French Defence, used by my opponent in this game, was an fantastic invention by a group of French players. They used it for the first time in a correspondence game against British players in the last century. As thousands and thousands of games have been lost because of the strong white bishop on c4 attacking the black pawn on f 7, the French discovered a brilliant remedy: play l...e6 instead of l...e5 and White should have no longer any expectations for a quick victory. Black can attack White's pawn on e4 with 2...d5 and usually a tense fight develops. However, Black must make a concession or two. He permits the white pawn to occupy an outpost on the square e5. From here it exerts pressure on Black's position and in many cases closes the centre. Further he has a disadvantage in space in the centre and should therefore try to look for counterplay on the wings. Although White usually gets an advantage, the French Defence is still playable with Black by resourceful players. In this game the reader can see for himself the many problems that White has to solve to break through Black's defences in order to be successful in the end. A very tense positional struggle develops, full of tactical nuances. The lightsquared white bishop turns out to be much more useful than his black counterpart, mainly because of the pawns on d4 and d5. 1 e4 e6 d5 2 d4 b4 3 >c3 c5 4 e5 5 a3 xc3 + 6 bxc3 >e7 7 Wg4 8 d3 h5 9 Wf4 Nowadays the move 9 f h S is considered stronger. The computer Hitech, programmed by former correspondence chess
11 Wxh4! >xh4 12 g3! >f5 13 >e2 >c6 14 b 2 >a5 15 f3! LAI 16 &f2 >c4 17 cl Black's knight is the only well-placed piece. Note that the rook on a l and bishop on cl are in their original positions. However, White's advantage is on the kingside. Sc8 17 18 g4! ie7 19 gxh5! Sxh5 20 h4! a4 21 g 3 Sh8 22 h5! >a5 23 Sa2 >ac6 24 Sb2 b6 25 i-g5 g8 26 d 2 >h6 27 S h 4 >e7 (D) 28 xh6!! could not allow 28 Sxh6 29 Sg4 <&f8 30 &e3 Sc3 31 Sa2 Sc7 White's bishop is better than Black's. The white attack will become strong as soon as his rooks start to co-operate with one another.
50 Games with Comments 42 &dl 43 )e2 44 )g3 45 &cl 46 Sel 46...Sf6 was necessary. 47 g6 48 Sg4 49 5 e 3 50 S f 3 + 32 &d2 f5 33 exf6 Hxf6 Not 33...gxf6 as the white h-pawn will become too dangerous. 34 f4 ig8 35 &e3 ie8 36 Sg5 Scf7 Se7 g8 )h6 Sc7 Sg2 )f7 i.b5 )d6 &g8
137
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h6!! gxh6 Sf6!! Sgl + &b2 )c4+ &a2 Sg7 )f5! Black resigns
(26) Veresov.G - Bronstein,D

37 38 39 40 f5!! fxe6 <&d2 Sal )h6 Sxe6 + Ac6 Sf3 USSR Team Championship, Moscow, 1960 [El 1] Bogo-Indian Defence The Soviet Team Championship was an annual event. Once every four years it formed part of the Sport Olympiad of the USSR. Immediately after the Olympiad was finished in the summer of 1967,1 went to the Dynamo Sports Club and found all the officials very busy and excited. They tried to find a mistake in the calculations of the points gathered from about 50 different kinds of sport. The problem was that the Dynamo Sports Club was losing the Olympiad to the world famous Soviet Army Sports Club, by just one point. I was following
n it
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HiP StAtS ISThe adjourned position. 41 S g l
I A
Hf2+
138
their discussions and suddenly an ingenious idea came to me and I asked modestly: 'Excuse me please but how many points did you count for my performance?' 'David, why are you asking such a question. Of course we know that you won the Olympiad with the Moscow team. We gave you the maximum number of points.' 'What do you mean for the win,' I asked: 'I am the double winner.' Suddenly they all fell silent and I continued: 'This year the competition is also the Championship of the USSR, so I received an extra gold medal.' You should have seen the happy faces all around! With my extra points, the Dynamo Sports Club overtook the Soviet Army Sports Club and achieved first place. This assured me a steady income for the next two years and the exclusive permission to have my holidays, during all four seasons of the year, at the football training camp of Dynamo outside Moscow in very nice surroundings! 1 d4 e6 2 c4 b4+ Paul Keres played this move in his game with Dr Max Euwe in the first round of the famous AVRO tournament in Holland, in November 1938. The participants not only played chess but travelled each day to another town where the next round was to be held! 3 d2 a5 4 >f3 If 4 e4, then 4...d6 and ...e5. Also 4...d5 immediately is possible. 4 ... &f6 5 >c3 d6 6 Wc2 )c6 Now 6...c5 is not so good because the b6 square will become very weak. 7 g3 e5 8 dxe5 dxe5 9 0-0-0 (D) White should play 9 a3 here and, depending on Black's response, decide on which side to castle. 9 ... jLxc3 10 x c 3 We7
11 Lg2 Now it was necessary to play 11 a3. 11 ... <b4!! The beginning of a strategically very deep conception. 12 a 4 + d7 13 Wa3 c6!
This position was judged by Veresov as better for White as Black now loses a pawn. From my side, it looks better for Black as he has targets to attack in the white position: some weak squares near the white king, and the pawn on e2. Very favourable for Black is the fact that the white queen is completely out of play. 14 x e 5 0-0 15 x f 6 xf6 16 Sd2 e4! T h e s t a r t o f a v e r y ingenious plan. I had seen this idea before in some chess compositions and was pleased to be able to put my knowledge into practice. 17 S h d l White still has no idea what will hit him. 17 ... h6!!
50 Games with Comments Raaphy Persitz was so impressed with this modest but cunning move that he wrote an article in British Chess Magazine with many compliments f or my invention. 18 h 3 h7!!
139
Only now does White see the threat of ...10^6 but it is too late. There is no defence. The diagram looks like a typographical error. In such positions the white king is usually on gl. 19 Sd7 Sfe8!! 20 &d2 i.f5! A neat finish. If now 21 x f 5 ^ x f 5 22 >el then 22...>c2+ with a lethal fork. 21 c 3 i.xh3 22 xf6 gxfB White resigns You ought to know that Veresov was very anti-Semitic. He lived in Minsk and was a real enemy of Isaac Boleslavsky.
Boris Spassky. Luckily for us, our flight was delayed in London due to adverse weather conditions and I used this chance to show Boris the London nightlife. When we arrived in Buenos Aires, we discovered Bobby Fischer's name on the list of participants. The next morning, when we went to the station to go to Mar del Plata, Bobby was waving to me from the train and I had the pleasure of introducing Boris Spassky to the great American player. They became friends instantly and have remained so until this day. In the tournament they were both fighting for first place. I managed to make a draw with Spassky and in this game I was also playing for a draw. At one moment I had a chance to win but I missed it. 1 d4 tf6 2 \c3 d5 3 g5 f5 4 e3 e6 5 d3 xd3 6 xd3 c5
(27) Bronstein,D - Fischer,R

International Tournament, Mar del Plata, 1960
[D01] Lewickiego Attack Lewickiego Attack? Yes, in old books it was called just that! I do not feel any inclination to call this the Veresov Attack as it is done nowadays. Although he played this line quite often, he should not be honoured by having an opening named after him. Many years ago, the Mar del Plata tournament became an annual event in Argentina and Ibelieve that Najdorf won it about ten times. I travelled to Argentina with
7 xf6 gxf6 8 dxc5 sd7 Here 8...f5 is not so good because of 9 0-0-0 &d7 10 g4 fxg4 11 e4. 9 e4 dxe4 10 x e 4 <xc5 11 f 3 Bobby Fischer thought for about 15 minutes and played the 'simple' but very strong... 11 ... g7! From such moves one can distinguish a good player from an excellent one.
140
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 27 28 29 gxf5 Wb8 &xf5 exf5 Wh6 Wxh3
12 )ge2 0-0 13 g4 b5 14 ig3 )a4! 15 ixa4 If 15 >e4, then 15...f5 16 gxf5 Jixb2 17 S d l (17 f6 &h8 18 S d l Wa5+ 19 <&fl b4) 17...Wi4. 15 ... bxa4 16 0-0 5c8 17 S a c l Sd4 18 b3
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Wb2 Sxc2 20 Sxc2 Wxc2 21 Wb3 Wg6 Now Black plays for a win but underestimates White's resources. 22 h3 h6 23 Wf3 Hd8 24 Sdl Sxdl+ f5 25 Wxdl
This is the position that Fischer wanted to achieve but it is White's move. 30 te7+! &g7 31 We5 + ! f6 32 sf5+! <4f7 The only move. Fischer obviously overlooked that after 32...&g6 there is a check by the queen from e8. If the black king takes the knight, there will be another check with the queen from c8. Black now has to defend. 33 Wd5 + <4>g6 34 >e3 Wh5 35 Wg8 + i.g7 36 We8+ <4>h6 37 Wd7 Wg6+ 38 i f l iLf8
mm mx
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A am: AI A A
It seems that Black has seized the initiative but now White has a fine queen manoeuvre. 26 Wd8+ f8 39 40 41 42 43 s
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50 Games with Comments 44 f 3 Wd3 Here the game was adjourned for a couple of hours to enable the players to have a meal. 45 d4 We2+ 46 &g3 + 47 <&g4
141
57 &d3 m>i+ Wxa2 + 58 &e2 59 &f3 Wal! Threatening.. .Wh 1 + and keeping an eye on the pawns on a4 and f6, utterly unafraid of all possible checks with the queen, the knight or the pawn on f5. A perfect move! 60 Wg4+ <&f7 61 h 5 + &g7 62 a5 Wc3 63 Wg4+ &h8 64 We6 Jlc5 65 We8+ Draw agreed
(28) T a l , M - Bronstein,D
29th USSR Championship, Baku, 1961
Fischer had defended brilliantly and I was no longer trying to win but here I should have played 47 &f4 Bh4+ 48 <Sg4+ &g7 49 Bd7+ to push the black king into the corner. Now it is time for the black queen to show her power in Fischer's hands. 47 i Wgl + 48 &f5 Wg6+ 49 &e6 We8+ 50 &d5 W&8 + e8+ 51 &e6 52 &f5 Wg6+ 53 <&f4 g5 + 54 &e4 &g6!
[B01 ] Scandinavian
Defence
An excellent defensive move. 55 f4 Wgl 56 Wd7 Whl +
This opening is not very popular these days. Why? Is any other first move better? By attacking White's centre pawn, Black puts his cards on the table immediately. Throughout my life I have been, and still am, very interested in psychology in general and particularly in chess thinking. It was a mystery to me why sometimes masters made strange moves in the opening stage when they have plenty of time and then the same masters play brilliantly in time-trouble. About 40 years ago I started to write down the time used by players and soon started to record times in my own games. Now I have a very large collection of games with the time used for each move. I have written several articles in different chess magazines about this. Over the years I published hundreds of games played in World Championship matches together with the time used for each move, in my chess column in the newspaper Izvestia. My intention was to increase the understanding of chess not only for amateurs but also for scientists who are trying to understand how the human brain works. I think I have succeeded because I have received many letters from my readers.
142
For me personally it is now absolutely clear why we think for a short or long time and why we make mistakes. The main ingredient of a chess struggle is the tension which develops between two players, whether it concerns a five-minute game or a conventional game. In this game it is very illustrative to see how Tal apparently played the first seven moves with great confidence, accepting my pawn sacrifice. With his next five moves he tried to justify this decision. With hindsight one can see that from moves 18 to 24 Tal used a lot of time, trying to reduce the pressure of the black pieces, but it was in vain. It would have been better to use this amount of time, about one hour, to play the opening more carefully. This is only one example and the reader who is interested in this aspect of chess should start recording times; it might well be that his chess improves immediately. The times, noted in brackets, are in minutes and were recorded by myself during the game. 1 e4 (0) d5 (2) 2 exd5 (0) (0) The main line, 2...ttxd5 3 ic3 Wa5 4 if3 ifl5 5 d4 JLg4 6 h3, gives White an advantage in space. This is why I prefer the waiting move 2...\fl6. Anyhow, White can keep some pressure by playing simply 3 d4 )xd5 4 >f3 i . f 5 5 MS -ixd3 6 Wxd3 e6, etc. Tal prefers to transpose the opening into the Panov variation of the Caro-Kann. 3 c4 (3) c6 (2) 4 d4 (0) cxd5 (0) 5 >c3 (0) g6 (10) 6 b 3 (2) .g7 (1) 7 cxd5 (0) 0-0 (2) What compensation does Black have? He has made a safe house for his king and is free to start an attack. 8 >f3 (11) >bd7 (3) 9 i . g 5 (1) >b6 (3) 10 JLc4 (4) i . f 5 (5) 11 S d l (10) >e4! (16) (D) This is the refutation of White's play. White has lost tempi by mistakenly trying to protect the extra pawn on d5. 12 0-0 (11) >xc3 (22)
13 14 15 16
bxc3 (0) i . b 5 (4) h 4 (8) i . g 3 (0)
S c 8 (2) h6! (8) g5! (5) Wxd5 (1)
It is easy to see that White's plan has failed. Tal now tries to gain time and to put his knight on e5 but Black reacts perfectly by pinning the knight. 17 b 4 (0) g 4 (4) 18 S f e l (19) i . x f 3 (5) 19 gxf3 (0) e6! (2)
This is probably the winning move. The white pawn formation around the king is
50 Games with Comments destroyed and the other pawns are not much better. 20 d 3 (6) x f 3 (4) 21 Sd2 (28) Sfd8 (10) Wc6 (1) 22 He3 (18) 23 b 5 (0) d 5 (1) 24 Sde2 (15) sc4 (10) Hxc4 (0) 25 x c 4 (0) 26 ^ b 2 (0) Sdc8 (2) x e 5 (2) 27 e 5 (3) c 6 (1) 28 Hxe5 (0) e 3 (0) S a 4 (4) White resigns Total time used: White: 2.29 Black: 2.28 (See Time Graph on the next page) 40
143
(29) B r o n s t e i n , D Shamkovich.L
Moscow Championship, September 1961
[B01 ] Scandinavian
Defence
White tries to activate his rooks but in reality the black rooks are dominating the game. 29 S2e3 (5) b6 (5) 30 a 3 (1) Hxc3 (1) 31 x a 7 (0) Hxe3 (2) 32 Hxe3 (0) Sa8 (2)
33 34 35 36 37 38 39
S c 3 (0) c 7 (0) S c l (0) Wg3 (0) h4 (0) c 3 + (0) d 3 + (0)
We4 (0) Sxa2 (1) x d 4 (1) &g7 (2) Wxh4 (5) 4 g6 (1) <&h5 (0)
Leonid Shamkovich is a player of my generation. He lived in Leningrad and I in Kiev. We have played many games of which all have been interesting, with sharp moves, attack and defence. Shamkovich is very proud of his knowledge ofthe classical chess heritage. He has written many theoretical articles about chess openings and has introduced many novelties. His play is very logical and full of nuances. The book which he published many years ago about the art of sacrifice in chess is one of the best in chess literature and I can heartily recommend it. About a quarter of a century ago, Shamkovich changed his place of residence and made a successful chess debut in his new country, the USA. When I was in New York in 1993 he invited me for dinner at his home and I saw for myself the many prizes which he had won in top US tournaments. It was nice to see that he is still 'young' and full of energy. It was also a pleasure for me to hear that he wants to write a book about some of my games. I hope he will not forget and I look forward to the first edition! 1 e4 d5 2 exd5 sf6 3 d4 >xd5 4 >f3 i.f5 5 a3 e6 6 c4 >b6 7 >c3 i . e 7 (D) Now ii.e2 and 0-0 is a good plan but White should play more actively. Black has two weaknesses: b7 and g7. How can White exploit them?
144
50 Games with Comments T i m e Graph Tal,M-Bronstein,D
145
I I B
H i p
Another good plan is )f3, followed by )e5 and f4. 19 ... fxe6 20 f4 Wd7 21 Se5! Sf7
ife
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8 Sb3 Pressure against b7. 8 ... 9 c5 10 JLf4 11 i . c 4

12 0-0
Wc8 >6d7 -afe c6 22 f5 23 îxf5 24 g4 In the game Alekhine-Euwe, Amsterdam 1936, Alekhine defended his knight on f5 with the same move. 24 ... Wd8 25 S f e l ! Wg5 26 Wg3 &h7 27 h4 Wg6 m m m m
I M S S # 1
a M A'BA A 14
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All White's pieces are active, while Black has not yet completed his development. 12 ... >d5 Logical but not good. 13 JLxd5 This opens the e-file as after 13...cxd5 comes 14 )b5. 13 ... exd5 14 S a e l ! i.e6 15 i . g 5 xg5 Not 15...f6 because of 16 Se3 and Sfel. 16 >xg5 0-0 17 >e2 <aa6 18 <g3 h6 If 18...ic7 then 19 l d 3 g6 20 f4 f5 21 Se5 followed by Sfel and the bishop on e6 has become a pawn. 19 >xe6
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28 &g2 According to Steinitz's theory the king is a strong piece in the middlegame. Here he joins his army before starting the final attack. 28 ... h5 The only defence against 29 h5 and 30 )d6 etc. However, now the pawn on h5 becomes a target. 29 >e7 Sxe7
146
The Sorcerer's Apprentice This game hinges around my 29th move ...e3!! It took me all of 15 minutes to think it out. The idea of the combination with the rook sacrifice had matured much earlier but I wanted to check all the details one more time. This, by the way, is the basic reason for my constantly getting into time-trouble. For although double-checking never did anybody any harm, one must be reasonable about it. I wonder how many delightful combinations I have ruined in my many years of tournament play only because of the fact that I noticed a counter-combination for my opponent, a combination which he was most likely not even thinking about and, more often the case, which just was not there at all! The excess of fantasy! This is precisely what happened in this game. 1 e4 e5 2 f3 ic6 a6 3 i.b5 4 i.a4 5 0-0 }xe4 During my school years this variation was often played by Dr Euwe. I remember one game with Dr Alekhine from their match in 1935 when Alekhine sacrificed a pawn in the opening and Euwe fearlessly took it: 6 d4 b5 7 &b3 d5 8 dxe5 &e6 9 c3 e7 10 a4 b4 11 ld4 lxe5 12 f4.1 had analysed this variation in depth myself and found that after the theoretical recommendation 12... Ag4 White can keep the initiative after 13 Wc2 ig6 14 f 5 le5 15 i.f4. But if Black plays 13...c5 then the chances are even. It was important in the strange old days to think for yourself and not just wait for a new floppy disk! 6 d4 b5 7 i.b3 d5 8 txe5 This was a surprise for me. In those days everyone played 8 dxe5 in this position and the text is very rarely played. I had played it myself in a game against the famous opening expert grandmaster Ludek Pachman during the Interzonal Tournament in Portoroi 1958 and managed to win in a very instructive fashion: 1 e4 e5
1 r
Again the only move. If 29...1rxg4 then 30 B xg4 hxg4 31 2 h 5 mate and if 29...Sf2+ then 30 <&gl with the same threat Hxh5 + . hxg4 30 3 x e 7 31 We5 g3 Hf2 + 32 Wg5 Wxg5+ 33 &xg3 34 hxg5 Sxb2 35 S7e6! ic7 36 S h l + ! &g8 37 He7! ib5 38 S h 8 + ! &xh8 Hb3+ 39 g6 40 &g4 Black resigns
(30) Cherepkov,A - Bronstein,D

[C80J Spanish Opening Alexander Vasilievich Cherepkov returned to his native town of Leningrad after having served in the Red Army as a brave soldier during all four years of the Great Patriotic (Second World) War. For his contribution in evicting the troops of Nazi Germany he received many honourable decorations. Some time later, when peace had returned to our countiy, he decided to pay tribute to his hobby-horse: chess! He was a coach for young chess players of the Leningrad Junior Chess Club for many years. Not so long ago I had a pleasant chat with Korchnoi about the chess talent of this man of great honour and dignity. It is such a pity that, although having been several times Champion of Leningrad, Cherepkov never had the chance to play in strong international tournaments outside the USSR. I am convinced that this is the only reason why he was not able to join the ranks of grandmasters. We met twice over the board, first in the 28th USSR Championship in Moscow 1961 and then in the USSR Championship Semi-Final in Jaroslavl 1982. Will we still get a third chance this century?
50 Games with Comments 2 >f3 >c6 3 .b5 a6 4 i.a4 tf6 5 0-0 >xe4 6 d4 b5 7 i . b 3 d5 8 &xe5 &xe5 9 dxe5 c6 10 c3 i . f 5 11 .c2 d7 12 a4 Sc8 13 axb5 axb5 14 i.e3 15 \d2 i.xc2 16 xc2 i e 7 17 f4 0-0 18 f5 Sfe8 19 i.d4 Af8 20 Sf 3 >e4 21 \xe4 dxe4 22 xe4 c5 23 M 2 d 6 24 S d l We7 25 e6 fxe6 26 i.h4 Wc7 27 f6 and Black resigned. The most surprising thing for me was the fact that the move 8 \xe5 does not exist in the big four-volume opening books by ... Ludek Pachman! I did not know of this game at the time and just played it because this move looks more logical than 8 dxe5 as it clears the path for the f-pawn and the knight on f3 ran no longer be pinned by Black's bishop. 8 ... >xe5 9 dxe5 i.b7? Too optimistic. Black has hopes of activating this bishop if and when he can play ...d4. However, the bishop leaves its good post on c8 and loses control over the g4 square. Better would have been 9...c6 and only then to decide if the bishop needs to move at all. 10 c3 c5 11 g4!
147
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Cherepkov notices my mistake and starts a very dangerous attack. 11 ... e7 12 >d2! Wxe5 13 >xe4 dxe4 14 i . f 4 f6 15 S a d l ! (D) Perfect play in the classical tradition of Anderssen, Morphy and Pillsbury! All of White's forces Eire placed in the centre and
despite the fact that Black has an extra pawn, White has a slight advantage. 15 ... 0-0 16 i . x c 7 Sae8 A good defensive move. Black is preparing to push the e-pawn (see the note to move 9). That is why this rook was played and not the on f 8. That one has to keep an eye on f 7. 17 iLf4 More active would have been 17 h5 Wc6 18 .g3 and if 18...e3 then simply 19 3lA5 exf2+ 20 Jlxf2. 17 ... JLe7 Also a passive move. After 17...$Lc8 18 Wh5 Wb6 Black can soon expect to play ...JLe6 and all of Black's defensive problems would have been solved. However, without any justification he was playing for a win. 18 iLe3 Sd8 19 Sd4 Sxd4 20 .xd4 g5 21 Wd7 -ia8 White is better. Black hopes to be able to play e3 at some stage and to capture the pawn on g2. 22 iLe3 f6 23 S d l ! h5 24 Wc7 Se8 25 Sd7 (D) Looks as strong as it is but a move like 25 h4, creating an emergency exit for the king and threatening 26 Jig5, should have seriously been taken into consideration. After 25...Wxh4 26 Sd7 Black needs to find a solution to the threat of 27 JLc5 by playing for instance 26...f6. If now 27 .c5 then 27...e3 (finally!) 28 .xe3 % 6
148
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30...exf2+ and must have thought that I had blundered the rook on e8. Of course, after the normal defensive move 30 S d l the game ends in a draw: 30...exf2+ 31 * f l <4>f8 32 Wf3 WfB 33 # x f 6 (33 Wxh5 g6 34 # h 6 + <4>g8 35 Sd7 i.c5) 33....xf6 34 Sd7 Se7 35 Sd8+ Se7 36 Sd7 etc.
and Black's queen together with the bishop on a8 can stop the white attack. 25 ... ic6! Not 25..."if8 because of 26 2xe7. Also jLc5 is a threat. 26 d 4 Wh6 27 i . e 3 Wf6 A draw by repetition of moves? No, perhaps another day. 28 .g5? Wxg5 29 Wxc6
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30 ... e2 I was also in severe time-trouble and by moving the black pawn forward I was just trusting my own intuition. Anyhow, it was too late to look for another move. The rook on e8 is lost in any case. 31 Wxe8+ &h7 32 c 2 + g6! This is the only chance for Black to play for a win because if 32... f5 then 33 iLxf5+ # x f 5 34 Wxh5+ <4>g8 35 #xe2 # x d 5 and a draw is the most likely outcome. 33 Wxf7+ <h6 34 g3?
29 ... e3!! The beginning of a brilliant combination. This move is now possible because of White's 28th move. The art of a practical chess fight is mainly the ability to make the right move at the right moment. That is the case with this pawn move. It creates great complications, pouring oil on the fire. The passive 29...&f8 is hopeless. 30 2 d 5 ? (D) To be honest, I also would have played this move, especially when in severe timetrouble. Being a very imaginative player himself, Cherepkov was not worried about
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50 Games with Comments a draw, but who is playing for a draw in this game?! Now I could have won in one move by promoting my pawn on e2 to a queen. 34 ... Wcl+? It is a well-known fact that during a practical game, players often do not check variations entirely but just trust each other. That is what happened here. Of course I saw the move 34...elW-l- but what should I do after the continuation 35 4 g 2 Wg4 36 Ed8 here? Being very short of time I failed to discover the idea 36...W113-I- 37 <4>f3 Whl+ 38 teS We6 -I- and settled for four moves with easy to find checks - a treasure in timetrouble. 35 < 4 > g2 #fl+ 36 i f 3
149
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36 ... el<&+ 37 &e3 Now, after so many years have passed, who can say what Black was hoping for? In time-trouble I may just have overlooked this move and only considered 37 <4>e4 We2+ 38 <4>d4 >xc2 or 38 <4>f4 >g2 and checkmate in both variations. 37 ... <&xc2+ 38 4>d2 (D) Now the white king is in a safe place and it is obvious that all Black's winning variations were illusions. 38 ... Here Cherepkov had barely a few seconds left on his clock. He saw the variation 39...gxh5 40 We6+ and without hesitation played... 39 2xh5+?
...throwing away a much deserved win. After 39 Wf4+ g5 40 2 d 6 + x d 6 41 Wxd6+ <4>g7 42 HTe5+ <4>g6 43 We6+ &g7 44 Wf5 >xa2 45 HTxg5 + <4>f7 46 HTxh5+ White can exchange queens and should win easily because of his passed pawns. Maybe White could also win Black's knight with some clever queen checks. 39 ... &xh5! White thought that Black could only play 39... gxh5 after which he intended 40 We6 -I- winning easily. 40 Wh7+ &g4! Another nasty surprise for White as, at first sight, it seems totally illogical to abandon the pawn on g6. White only counted on 40... 4 g 5 after which he would capture Black's bishop and knight. After the game, we looked at some variations. The Leningrad master admitted to not having seen all of them. Instead, he was confident of victory, in spite of the fact that he was very short of time. However, he knew that he had to sacrifice his rook on h5 as the black king would be exposed. He was convinced that a mating variation would present itself. So, when I promoted the pawn to a knight he executed his following moves instantly. 41 cxb4 i.xb4+ White resigns This game gave us both a lot of intellectual pleasure. I specifically remember how surprised we both were when we suddenly discovered that after the moves 34...elW435 &g2 % 4 White needs to find a defence against 36...Hi3+ 37 <4>xh3 T1 mate and for the same reason it is not wise to play 36 h3.
150
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 8 e2 dxe5 The position in the centre should be made clear before deciding how to develop on the queenside. 9 >xe5 If 9 dxe5, then 9...Wxdl-l- 10 &xdl <&c6 11 a3 $Lg4 12 <bd2 id7. 9 ... c5 10 f4 >c6 11 dxc5 Wxdl + 12 &xdl >d7
I hope that this game will give you, the reader, as much pleasure as it did the spectators in the theatre who gave us a warm applause.
(31) Bakulin.N - Bronstein.D

[B04] Alekhine's Defence It has always been a challenge to play in the Moscow Championship. Although the participants are not always well-known players they are all of grandmaster strength and one uses a lot of energy and has to be very concentrated to fight for one of the top places. I played more than 10 times in this championship and successfully took or shared first place in 1946, 1947, 1953, 1957, 1961, 1968 and 1982. In 1947 I shared the first place with Simagin and Ravinsky but two weeks later I came only 2nd in the play-off when Simagin won the title. I also shared first place in 1968 and, according to the rules, the winners were required to play a play-off match of four games. However Tigran Petrosian refused to play against me, saying that in this way I would be able to play a match with the World Champion without having qualified to do so through the FIDE system! I am especially proud of my first title in 1946 and the last one in 1982. In my first I finished ahead of Smyslov and the last was played as the Moscow Open Championship, dedicated to 60 years existence of the Soviet Union, with 12 grandmasters from various Republics. I shared the first place with Naum Rashkovsky. 1 e4 if6 2 e5 >d5 3 d4 d6 4 if3 g6 This variation was played by Fischer against Spassky in game 13 in Reykjavik 1972.1 think it was the best game of the match for both sides. 5 c4 >b6 6 b3 g7! 7 b2 0-0
13 14 15
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The white king tries to find a safe place but it is too late: he won't find it! 16 &f2 d4+! 17 <&g3 Note how well 'developed' Black's rook on a8 and bishop on c8 are. There are no better squares for them than the ones they are on right now! 17 ... f5 The pawn on c5 is unimportant. 18 >a4 f4+
50 Games with Comments 19 20 21 <f3 2hdl h3 ie3! h5 e5 28 29 30 31 ixc5! e4 f3+
151
>xc5 ic2
Black's e- and f-pawns are heading towards the other side of the board! 22 If 22 &xe5 then 22...b6 23 ic3 &b7+ 24 id5 Sae8 25 .c3 ixd5 26 cxd5 i.xc5.
22 23 ... <&e4 ic2
White has to t r y to stop the advance of Black's g-pawn. Not 23 fiabl because of 23...^d4+ 24 2xd4 exd4 25 id5 g5. 23 * <>xal 24 x a l f5 25 Hd6 2ae8 26 i c 3 g5 27 i d 3 g4 + 28 &e2
31 ... gxh3 32 2 h 6 fxg2+ The last four moves with Black's pawns illustrate clearly that the famous French musician and chess champion FrancoisAndre Danican Philidor was perfectly correct in his statement that pawns are the soul of chess. I have played many games using the ideas of the great French player and I also believe that combinations are the soul of chess! 33 &gl ih7! Contrary to pawns, pieces can and do move backwards (although I have new ideas in this respect, see page 271). b6 34 f 6 2f7 35 <&d7 36 c5 2xd7 37 b4 2e6 <&f8 38 i b 3 39 i h 2 2xf6 40 2 x f 6 + &g7 White resigns
(32) Bronstein,D - Korzin.V

[D36] Queen's Gambit Declined The pawn on c5 could already have been taken on move 17. Now it will be removed by means of a beautiful sacrifice of a bishop! Often such moves look easy but we should not forget that they must be well prepared beforehand. In Moscow there are thousands of real chess fans who play well and have a good understanding of chess. The games in the Moscow Championship are played in the evenings so there is always a large crowd
152
The Sorcerer's Apprentice His idea is to transfer his knight to g7 and then to play jLf5, exchanging his 'bad' bishop for White's 'good' bishop. This would work if White plays next move, but White leaves this square f or his pawn and it prevents Black's intention. By the way, this defence was often used by Korzin and he told me that he had never lost a game with it...until this game! 8 lf8 9 ige2 ie6 10 h 4 g6 11 0-0-0 g7 12 f 3 0-0 13 h 3 <fe8 14 &f2 f5
which comes after a hard day's work is finished to get intellectual pleasure from master play I always felt the obligation to play for my fans and show them many different aspects of chess. In this game I chose a dull opening variation but later found a possibility for a nice combination. I especially like the last three moves with my queen. d5 1 d4 e6 2 c4 if6 3 >c3 <bd7 4 i-g5 5 cxd5 exd5
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White delays the development of his kingside in order to see what Black will do. After 8... 0-0 9 tf3 2e8 10 g4 tf8 the move 11 h3 is attractive. The defence chosen by Black has a weakness: it is too slow.
After the first attempt by Black to exchange his light-squared bishop (see the comment to move 8), he finds another way to create a defence around his king with the assistance of his dark-squared bishop.
50 Games with Comments Now White needs to find the best way to get to the black king. From experience I know that there is only one way: to push the pawns forward and sacrifice a piece at the right moment in order to win a decisive tempo, exactly as in this game. It is interesting to see the difference between the moves 19 and 22. First, White retreats the knight because it is under attack by the black bishop and then he does not care anymore and lets the black bishop do what he intended in the first place. 19 ig2 ig7 20 h 4 jLel 21 4 .d6 22 h 5 xf4 25 S d h l 26 S7h6 27 g4 28 f 4 If Black plays 28...Wxg4 Wf3 30 flg3. 29 exf4 30
153 Wxg6 Wg5 i.d7 i.xf4 then 29 Sgl xf4 + Wxg4
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23 hxg6! .c7 It would have been much better to play 23...hxg6 but it was difficult to resist the temptation to keep the extra piece. 24 Bxh7 Wg5
B ' i M A i '
It seems that Black ran save himself with ...&f7 but it is White to move. He will now slalom his queen decisively into the heart of the black position. My opponent, a brilliant musician, very much appreciated this artistic touch. After the game we analysed with great pleasure, forgetting about the result. 31 c5!! Sae8 32 Wd6 i.c8 33 c7 B l a c k resigns
(33) Aronin,L- Bronstein, D I A

A m m k j ^ k in fH w m.
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Estonian Masters Tournament, Tartu, 1962
[B28] Sicilian Defence In the summer of 1962 the Estonian Chess Federation invited me to play in a tournament with Estonian masters. This took place in one of the buildings of the world famous Tartu University where we had a room at our disposal. My opponent in this game was also a guest. We both came from Moscow, had played several games before and knew each other quite well. Our first encounter, which ended in a draw, dates back to the
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Is White's position good? Yes, because in exchange for the knight White can start a dangerous attack by doubling his rooks on the h-file, a thematic example.
154
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 15 16 Lg3 dl g6 b5!
Semi-Final of the USSR Championship in 1945. Lev Solomonovich Aronin played successfully many times in USSR Championships but never managed to actually become the champion. He never received the title of grandmaster which he deserved without any doubt. Also, his name was removed from the list of participants of the Interzonal Tournament 1952 in Stockholm in favour of another player, a high-ranking member of the USSR Chess Federation (Kotov, T.F.). It turned out that this player was to be the winner of the tournament with a record score. In the 22nd USSR Championship played in 1955 Aronin had a totally winning position in the last round against Vasily Smyslov and therefore did not seriously analyse the adjourned position. He missed a hidden, very neat, drawing variation found by Smyslov, who had done his homework brilliantly, and had to settle for a draw, missing qualification by half a point for the Interzonal Tournament in 1955. Aronin's style of play reminds me of Botvinnik and Furman, very positional and safe but occasionally also using his combinative talent. 1 e4 c5! 2 if3 a6! 3 Le2 d6! 4 0-0 if6 5 e5! As White still has not played d4, Black now prevents it. However, the e5-pawn could become a target for f2-f4 later. 6 d3 Lei 7 >d2 0-0 8 f4 exf4! 9 if3 Now a sort of King's Gambit has come on the board. 9 ... d5! 10 x f 4 &c6 Not 10...dxe4 because White's bishop will become active on c4. 11 e5 <>e8 12 & h l >c7 13 Wd2 i.f5 14 S a e l )e6
Starting an attack. 17 ie2 c4! b4! 18 d4 19 c 3 Wa5 20 h 4 2ab8 21 x e 7 ixe7 ic7 22 &g5 23 h6! 24 ixg6 fxg6 25 Sxf8+ Sxf8 Wxa2 26 cxb4 My queen took this pawn and not the one on b4 because I had found a nice combination. 27 >f3 >b5 28 Wc2 a5!
This is where the combination begins. It is based on the following variation: 31 Wd7? Wxel + 32 >xel H f l mate. Now White is forced to accept the sacrifice of a knight but Black gets very mobile passed pawns in return. 29 Wa4 Wxb2
50 Games with Comments 30 31 32 33 34 Wxb5 Wxb4 <&gl &f2 h3 Wxb4 axb4 b3 g5 Sa8 49 50 xc4+ d5 &f8
155
White is lost. However, while trying to win in the most beautiful way I created problems for myself. There are several easy ways of winning for Black besides the one I chose. 35 g4 Sa2 + 36 &e3 &g6 37 ld2 Sal 38 lf3 4 sd3 39 &d2 40 S g l Sa2 + 41 &c3 se 4 42 &b4 43 S e l Sa8 44 5 x e 4 dxe4 Sal 45 sd2 46 e 2 b2 47 &c3
47 48
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Without mistakes, chess is not interesting. Routine games can be played by computers but human mistakes create very unusual situations and it is always a challenge to find a way out of trouble. In this particular endgame, by a sudden turn of events, White obtains two mobile passed pawns. Supported by the bishop they may become dangerous. Now Black has to decide if he still wants to play for a win or will settle for a draw. This is a very rare case where I calculated very deeply and decided to play for a win, albeit by balancing on the edge of an abyss. 50 ... Sdl 51 &c2 Sal 52 d6 If the white king attacks the rook, the answer will be the same. The intention is to push the e-pawn forward as soon as possible. 52 ... Sa5 53 e6 5c5 The manoeuvres of the black rook have a defensive but also an attacking purpose. They increase the power of the e-pawn by attacking the bishop and at the same time preventing it from giving a possible check onb5. e3! 54 &b3 &e8 55 e7+ &d7 56 d 3 Se5 57 i-g6 e2! (D) 58 &c2 Sxe8 59 e8W+ &xe8 60 x e 8 +
156
The Sorcerer's Apprentice to be reserve players during the match between the USSR vs. The Rest of the World which was played in Belgrade in the Spring of 1970. In four rounds, we never played a single game! This game I remember as the game where, in time-trouble, I had to make a move every second, but each move lost a pawn! 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 >c3 Lei To avoid the pin by 4 Lg5 if Black plays 3...tf6 first. 4 cxd5 exd5 5 Lf4 c6 6 e3 i.f5 At the time it was generally felt that, with the bishop on f5, Black had an equal game. However, it was later discovered that the bishop can become a target for the white pawns. 7 h3 Normally there are two ways to play this position: either just develop or fight for more space, for instance: 7 g4 Lg6 8 h4 and 9 h5 (if 8....xh4 then 9 Wb3 b6 10 )f3 with rapid development) or 7 )e2 >f6 8 )g3 LgG and 9 i.d3. White prefers a third: he plays a waiting move to see what Black wants to do. 7 ... f6 8 g4 i.e6 Not 8...i.g6 because of 9 )ge2 followed by )g3, g5 and h4. 9 Ld3 ftbd7 10 >b6 11 Wc2(D) This position also occurred during the match between Botvinnik and Petrosian in 1963. White has more space and his bishops are better than Black's. 11 ... g6 12 h6 >c4 13 i.xc4 dxc4 14 e4 Wa5 15 a3 0-0-0 >e8 16 0-0-0 White has two strong centre pawns and is obviously looking for the right moment to march them forward. Black has no play
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64 ... g6! Without this tempo the game would be drawn. Now White can no longer retain the opposition. Examples like this can be found in every good book on endgames. 65 i f 3 <&d4 66 <&f2 <&e4 67 &e2 &f4 68 h5! gxh5 69 gxh5 70 &g2 <&e3 71 &g3 h4+! White resigns
(34) Bronstein,D - Darga,K

Interzonal Tournament, Amsterdam, 1964 [D31] Queen's Gambit Declined This was my first and only game with Klaus Darga. We had the common destiny
157
and can only wait. That explains the retreat of the knight. 17 2 Wa6 18 .f4 )c7
19 S h e l d6 If Black had played 19...She8 White could have tried to produce fireworks with 20 d5 cxd5 21 i.xc7 <&xc7 22 exd5 i.c8 23 Sxe7+ Sxe7 24 d6+ Sxd6 25 Sxd6 &xd6 26 Wd2+ &c7 27 ld5 + &d8 28 lb6+ &c7 29 I f 4 + <&xb6 30 Bd6+ and mate next move. However Black has a defence. Instead of28...&c7 he can simply play 28...i.d7. The search for such combinations is one of the main pleasures of playing chess and this is often the reason why we spend so much time on our clocks. 20 g 5 Sde8 21 Af6 Shg8 22 le5 &b8 23 f4 Ac8 24 <ie2 Se6 25 i . h 4 (D) Of course it was better to play 25 g5 but White was expecting the move 25...b5, after which he intended to play 26 d5.
Black's reply was a surprise for me. At this stage of the game we had about three minutes each left on our clocks and it was no pleasure for me to have to play so fast in this important game, despite the fact that I nearly always get into time-trouble. 25 .xa3 The first pawn. 26 bxa3 Wxa3+ Second pawn. sb5 27 &d2 Wxh3 28 ixc4 Third pawn. 29 g3 f5 30 e5 sxd4 Fourth pawn. Sd8 31 Wd3 c5 32 ixd4 33 f2 Wh2 Wxf4+ 34 Se2 Fifth pawn. Wxg4 35 i . e 3 Sixth pawn. 2xe5 36 sd6 Seventh and last pawn! Now it is easy for White to play as he no longer has to worry about his pawns!
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158
The Sorcerer's Apprentice not of great significance for me but a good result was always important for the Dynamo Sports Club who paid my salary as a teacher of chess. 1 e4 d6 2 d4 g6 3 c3 A typical Morphy and Steinitz move! 3 ... g7 4 f4 sf6 5 e5 Stopping Black from playing ...e5 and limiting the power of the bishop on g7. Now Black should have played 5...fd7 and ...c5 as soon as possible. 5 ... dxe5 6 fxe5 >d5 7 )f3 0-0 8 c4 The bishop is ideally placed here, looking at f 7. The pawn will not go to c4 anyway and Black cannot play 8...c5 because after 9 dxc5 the knight is attacked twice. 8 ... g4 9 0-0 e6
It should also be mentioned that while Black was eating all of White's pawns he lost two pieces in the process. The black bishop which came out so early on move 6 is now back in its original position on c8. With both flags about to fall, White's extra knights will now decide the game in his favour. 37 )4b5 a6 38 Wc3 Hd5+ 39 &cl Wxe2 40 5 x d 5 axb5 41 Wxc5 Wa2
The adjourned position. 42 *xb5! It was not difficult to find and seal this move. It is too obvious to miss. 42 ... âl + 43 < & > d 2 Hxd5+ 44 Wxd5 Wa5+ 45 <&e2 Black resigns
(35) B r o n s t e i n , D Nikolayevsky.V
35th USSR Championship, Tbilisi, 1967
[B06]Pirc Defence Besides being a good combinative player, my much younger opponent from Kiev was also an excellent wrestler with fast reflexes. So I was forewarned! This game was proclaimed the best game of the tournament. Unfortunately I failed to qualify for the next Interzonal Tournament. The qualification itself was
Now ...c5 has become possible, therefore... 10 Wb3 The queen gets out of the pin. 10 ... xf3 11 Hxf3 )b6 12 Ae2 Wd5 13 e 3 Wxb3 14 axb3 c5 15 dxc5 )d5 (D) If 15...l6d7 then 16 la3 xe5 17 S f f l and the white knight goes to d6. 16 b5!!
159
This prevents the development of the other knight. If 16...)c6, then 17 i.xc6 and 2a6. 16 ... xe5 17 >d2! >c7 Not 17...ixe3 18 2xe3 Af4 19 2d3 JLxd2 20 2xd2 and White has a superior position. His pawns are more mobile than Black's. 18 a 4 ! JLg7 19 >c4! >ba6 20 )d6!
The first move of this rook and one with great force. White did not 'waste' any time trying to develop the rook earlier. Now the path for the white pawns has been cleared. 27 Bd7 2e7 28 iLc8 29 g 5 f6 30 i . e 3 >c6 h6 31 Sb7 f5 32 b4 33 b5 )d8 e5 34 c6 35 i b 6 e4 Black finally manages to activate his pawns but it is too late. 36 2 x c 7 2xc7 37 i.xc7 exf3 38 x d 8 jLxc3
39 SlbI i.d4+
<&fl Black resigns A great demonstration of how effective a pair of bishops can be!
40
(36) Bronstein,D - Zaitsev.A

100th Birthday Dr Emanuel Lasker Tournament, Berlin, 1968
[B30] Sicilian Defence This game was played in the first round. Amongst the guests of honour was the famous German grandmaster Lothar Schmid, a personal friend of Bobby Fischer and a well-known chess collector who has one of the best and largest chess libraries in the world. He told me afterwards that this game is a piece of art and will be his favourite for many years to come. I guess he said this because I played it in renaissance style. 1 e4 c5 2 >c3 e6 3 >f3 ic6 4 iLb5 >d4 5 i.d3 With the permission of the bishop on cl. 5 ... ixf3+ 6 xf3 .d6 (D) With the permission of the bishop on c8. 7 We3
It is easy to see the difference between the pawn structures. The black pawns on the kingside are totally passive but the white pawns on the queenside are ready to start an attack. However, this has to be prepared carefully. 2ab8 20 b6 21 b4 2bd8 22 i . c 6 2c8 23 2cd8 24 >d6 bxc5 25 i . b 7 ^b8 26 bxc5 27 2xa7
160
IB
B A l f
I
l i i l A
a
An unusual move which stops 7...)e7 because of 8 )b5. 7 ... e5 This was too optimistic. Correct would have been careful play such as 7...b6 8 f4! .e7! 9 e5 d5. 8 &b5 Wei If 8...i.e7, then 9 Wg3 a6 10 Wxg7 i . f 6 l l l d 6 + &e7 12 tf5+. Thisisanexample of a grandmaster calculating four moves ahead but this variation is easy to see as there is only one way to play. During real complications looking two moves ahead is already an accomplishment! 9 b4! Starting an attack on the queenside using the classical method of the 18th and 19th century. 9 cxb4 i.b8 10 Wg3 11 x g 7 Wf6 12 Wxf6 sxf6
H A B
mmmx
m 15
i.xf3
m a is
17 Sgl
18 d6 Putting the bishop on b8 out of play. 18 ... bxa3 19 Hfl e4 20 A.e 2 Sg5 21 c4 It was of course possible to play 21 JLxa3 but why give up the strong position of the knight so easily? 21 ... a6 22 Sxa3 i.xe2 23 <&xe2 d7
13 14 15 16
a3! f3 g3 exd5
d5 Sg8 i . h 3 (D) .g2
Top left: With his parents, Rmiela 1924.
m o n t h s old,
Top right: His 3 r d birthday. This rocking horse wa,p r e s e n t for h i s 3rd birthday, but it did not last v e n long. After a f e w m o n t h s , David took it a p a r t a s he w a n t e d to find out how it could survive without eating! B e r d y a n s k 17.2.1927.
Prci'ious page: David, age five.
Bottom left:
David, a l m o s t 4 y e a r s old,
Berdvansk 16.12.1927
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T O B U I K H X O .
Top: Official document (and translation) relating to t h e charges against David's father.
tL .|f ( M S S K f V M u ln A A 2 7 4 / 1 4 V C W A ' K u d uA S S R
M w i l ,> o (D ie ir o a JA fa i r A i r sl P t 0 itef nf 1 4 / 7 7 6
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Bottom: Official document (and t r a n s l a t i o n ) r e l a t i n g to the imprisonment of David's father.
IVfiMMlNdl* v. tjrfirn5 t e w ii bO A i j ih is f | i t h e2 < 1u { % f i l! 1 U _ ,o ( c t (

REGI*^ S N
Top row from
U'ft to
right:
[\inik G i n z b u r g i cousin of David's m o t h e r i . S a r r a Gin^hurg i a close friend of David's mother, t h e wife of M u t s i a Ginzburgi, Kster A p t a k e r - B r o n s t e i n David s motheri. Lit rote: Mutsia Ginzburg u o u s i n of David's mother, h u s b a n d o f S a r r a G u u b u r g 1 . Israel A p t a k e r ' t h e b r o t h e r of David's mother.'. David himself. David'? f a t h e r Johonon Bronstem.
Standing from left In right:
Bajnik. rnanv tmu-s champion of Ukraine. Litnizkv. Nabatnikov. H. Gorenstein.

ji-atal fn/m left to right:
H a n n a n .NTuchnik. Morgulis. Kovaiova. Simeon Jacovlevic Xatov. L juba Kagan on love with David >and David, Kiev 19139.
David with his parents. W h e n looking a t t h i s photograph and e a r l i e r ones one can see t h a t m o t h e r Bronstein h a s aged 'normally'. F a t h e r B r o n s t e i n h a d j u s t been released from seven y e a r s G u l a g a n d w h a t t h a t h a s done to h i m can clearly be 3een. Moscow 1.948.
O p e n i n g C e r e m o n y of t h e M a t c h for t h e World C h a m p i o n s h i p , Moscow 1951, From left to right: V. Ragozin, M. Botvinnik, D. Postnikov (Deputy M i n i s t e r of Sport ' Folke Rogaard, Karl Opocensky, Bronstein, Gideon S t a h l b e r g . All good c o m m u n i s t s o n t h e r i g h t of Folke Rogaard.
Right: M a t c h w i t h Boleslavsky, p l a y i n g the decisive g a m e nr. 14. Moscow 1950.
The joint w i n n e r s of t h e Candidates' Tournament in Budapest 1950, a r r i v i n g home at Vnukovo Airport, greeted b y a large crowd, Moscow 1950.
Olympiad. From left to right: Kere> p l a y i n g Minev and David p l a y i n g Bobotsov of Bulgaria. Apollo Hall. A m s t e r d a m 19.54
B r o n s t e i n , F u r m a n , Karpov, 1973,
50 Games with Comments 24 d4 This move changes the mind of the bishop (see the comment on move 5). 24 ... exd3 + 25 &xd3 Sc5 26 f 4 f6
161
36 Sa4 The finishing touch to a picturesque game! White's main achievement was that the rook on a8 was not able to play a part in the game at all. 36 ... h5 27 <&d4 Another example of how right Steinitz was to say that the king is a strong piece in every part of the game. It takes part in the attack on equal terms with all the other pieces. 27 ... b6 28 H e l + &d8 29 Se6 je5
37
Hf4 Black resigns
(37) B r o n s t e i n , D Zamikhovsky.A
Tournament for Veterans, Leningrad, 1970
[B17] Caro-Kann Defence 30 Axe5 Breaking the last line of Black's defences. 30 ... fxe5 + Sxc4+ 31 5 x e 5 32 &d5 (D) Sc5+ 32 2xe5+ 33 &e6 34 &xe5 &d7 a5 35 &d5 At the start of 1970 I received a letter from Victor Korchnoi with the pleasant invitation to come as a guest to Leningrad to discuss various aspects of chess and to play a short training match with him. I arrived in June, receiving a warm welcome, and we spent a productive time together. As I was preparing to return to Moscow I received another invitation from a group of older chess players to join them in a
162
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 6 7 8 9 10 e6 (4) 7 (0) c5 (6) 0-0 (0)
friendly tournament. Of course I gratefully accepted. The possibility to play this game was a pleasant surprise for Dr Alexander Zamikhovsky and myself. Although we have known each other for a long time - we are both from Kiev - we had never had a chance to play against each other. He was a physician and also one of the strongest players in the Ukraine. I don't know why he did not play in the 1939 and 1940 Ukraine and Kiev Championships just when I took my first steps in the real world of chess. After 22 June 1941 when Germany started the war against the Soviet Union Dr Zamikhovsky did his patriotic duty and served as a surgeon in an army field hospital, often situated close to the battlefield. He saved hundreds of lives but at the cost of his own health. We should not forget the heroic feats of all Soviet citizens who, often in extreme conditions and in their own way, contributed to the final victory over the Nazi invaders. Dr Zamikhovsky was very kind to me when he recalled how I had created a sensation in the Kiev Championship Semi-Final and Final playing a wild and unusual sort of chess against the sound strategy of adult players. Again, the numbers in brackets indicate the time used for each move in minutes as recorded by myself during the game. 1 e4 (5) c6 (1) 2 d4 (1) d5 (0) 3 )c3 (0) dxe4 (0) 4 >xe4 (0) )d7 (1) 5 c3 (1) The idea of this move is to protect the pawn on d4 against future attacks and create a safe place on c2 to retreat the bishop to after it has gone to d3 first. White is not worried about the possibility of 5...e5 because after 6 )f3 exd4 7 )xd4 the knights in the centre are very strong. 5 ... igf6 (1) 6 >g3 (0) This retreat rarely seen today but in my opinion it is unwise to exchange knights on fB and free the bishop on c8.
if3 (3) i d 3 (3) 0-0 (1) >e5 (2)
Now that the pawn on d4 has extra protection (see the comment on move 5), the knight can go to e5 without any fear. If 10 ...1^6, White can play 11 .c2. 10 ... Wc7 (6) 11 We2 (14) The obvious question is why I thought 14 minutes before making this natural move. The answer is that there are more natural moves, for instance 11 jLf4, 11 fiel or 11 f4. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. Probably the most logical one is 11 f4 to create the threat of f4-f5 but I was a little worried about the reply ll...Hd8. The other plausible explanation is that I was already preparing the combination which follows. 11 ... b6 (6) 12 f 4 (0) S e 8 (21)
50 Games with Comments To have the f8 square for the knight if White plays f4-f5. 13 >e4! (7) With the threat 14 >xf7 or 14 <&g5. Black can't play 13...}xe5 as White plays 14 lxf6 +. But Black should have exchanged knights on e4 because after 14 Axe4 Ab7 15 x h 7 + <&xh7 16 Wh5+ White has no more than perpetual check and after 14 Wxe4 &f6 15 ^ x a 8 i b 7 16 Wxe8+ >xe8 17 Ae3 Black has nothing to fear. However, after a long think, Black rejected this idea and with his next move he puts the wind in my sails. 13 ... h6 (16) 16 >xe6 !(l) d6(l)
163
14 >g5! (8) Sf8 (22) Taking the knight on g5 is too dangerous and besides, Black had to protect f7. But White has another surprise.
17 f5!! (5) Now White has t h e f4-square for his bishop. His attack is becoming irresistible. 17 ... fxg6 (11) 18 f 4 (1) c 6 (1) e 4 (15) 19 b 5 (4) 20 x e 4 (3) ixe4 (0) (7) 21 fxg6 (6) d 7 (1) 22 >c7 (1) ixd7 (0) 23 x d 7 (1) The last white piece comes into action. The rest is simple. 24 S a e l (3) >7f6 (0) Sxa8 (0) 25 >xa8 (9) >xe4 (0) 26 Sxe4 (0) Jid6 (4) 27 S e l (0) x f 4 (0) 28 Sxe4 (1) Se8 (0) 29 5 x f 4 (0) bxc5 (0) 30 dxc5 (1) S e 6 (0) 31 Hf7 (0) fixg6 (0) 32 Hxa7 (1) Sd6 (0) 33 Hc7 (0) 5d2 (0) 34 b3 (1) 35 Hxc5 (1) Black resigns Total time used: White: 1.59 Black: 2.12 (See Time Graph on the next page)
(38) Bronstein,D - Lein,A

15 >g6! (35) He8 (8) Now Black should have taken the knight on g6, regardless of what happens after 16 Wxe6 + &h8 17 Wxe7 or 16 >xe6 ^ d 6 17 f5 g5 18 h4. However, Black did not see White's next move.
41st USSR Championship, Leningrad, 1971
[B89] Sicilian Defence The move 6 Ac4 was made popular by Bobby Fischer but it was Karl Schlechter
Time G r a p h B r o n s t e i n , D - Z a m i k h o v s k y , A
a i m i c re r i f - RC EK m . BE M e4 d4 <&c3 >xe4 7 c3 g3 &f3 i.d3 1 A 0-0 >e5 me2 = f4 >e4
z
r-
ig6
>xe6 f5 *f4 b5 ^xe4 fxg6

>C 7
Us
V t
JLxd7 Sael <&xa8 Sxe4 Sel 2xe4 Sxf4 dxc5 Sf7 Hxa7 Hr7 b3 Sc5
A
7
\
7 J_
50 Games with Comments who played it first against Dr Emanuel Lasker in their World Championship match in 1910. Later it was also often played by the Soviet master Veniamin Sozin. This move was pulled out of the old hat by Isaac Boleslavsky in 1947 when he won a brilliant game against Lev Aronin in the 15th USSR Championship in Leningrad. Before the game Boleslavsky told me that he was going to use this Italian style move and even explained how he was going to push his pawns forward and on which square he intended to sacrifice his knight, and this is exactly what happened...! I can heartily recommend to you the reprint of Boleslavsky's book Selected Games (named the best book of the year by the British Chess Federation in 1990). c5 1 e4 2 >f3 d6 cxd4 3 d4 4 ixd4 5 sc3 sc6 6 JLC4 13 g5 >c5 I # MP; A m m
165
1 4 . a *
H l S A
w.
iii
m Wk
ww &
HAS.
iS?
A A Ammm
This position is well-known in chess theory. My next move is a novelty which I found over the board but will never play again. Of course I understood that it was very risky but it is my style to take my opponent and myself onto unknown grounds. A game of chess is not an examination of knowledge, it is a battle of nerves. 14 e5 dxe5 The best way to refute the gambit style of play is to accept the sacrifice. However, equally good was 14...d5 15 f4 b5 and it is far from clear whether White will have sufficient means to organise an attack. 15 S h 4 g6 16 2 h 6 Preparing the advance of the h-pawn to connect the rooks. This original way of leading the attack attracted the attention of Leonid Stein, himself a brilliant attacking player. He violated the strict rule of no talking between participants during the games and told me how much he liked my idea of conducting this game. I sensed a bit of jealousy that he was not playing with the white pieces himself! It would have been easy for him to continue the attack from this position because, being a great combinative grandmaster, Stein produced hundreds of masterpieces during his short chess career. His untimely death was a severe blow not only to his family and close friends but also to millions of chess fans. 16 ... f5 17 h4 \xb3 +
mm
Wo m.
iiii
m ASA
fs & > AA A
6 e6 7 b3 e7 0-0 8 3 9 We2 a6 10 0-0-0 Wc7 11 g4 Also 11 Shgl first and then 12 g4 has been played. 11 ... <axd4 12 Sxd4 >d7 If Black plays 12...e5, then 13 Sc4 Wd814 Sxc8 Sxc8 15 g5 ^ d 7 and 16 h4 with a dangerous attack. White controls the centre.
166
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 24 Sxh6 is too dangerous for White as he should not leave the first rank, for instance 24...)0,a5 threatening mate in two or loss of the white queen. 24 ... We7 Very logical but losing (because it gives up the guard of e5). However, the reply 24...i.d7, totally illogical (cutting off the queen), would have been winning, e.g. 25 gxh7+ &h8 26 Wg6 i . b 5 27 c4 2f8, etc. Both sides were already in time-trouble. 25 gxh7+ Wxh7 Also 25...<&h8 is not sufficient: 26 Wg6 d 7 27 2 f l 2f8 28 2xf2 i . e 8 29 % 7 + Wxg7 30 hxg7+ &xg7 31 2xf8 3?xf8 32 h 8 t + . Or if 27...txh7, then 28 Wf6+ <&g8 29 2xf2 c6 30 Wg5+ <&h8 31 Wxe5+ <&g8 32 Wxe6+ &h8 33 Wf6+ <&g8 34 2 f 5 and t h e n 2 g 5 + is deadly. 26 Wg3+ <&f7 &e8 27 Wxf2+ 28 Wf6 Wf7 <&d7 29 Wh8+ 30 h7 &c6 31 Wg8 ff4+ 32 Black resigns This game was played before an audience of more than a thousand people in a large theatre. Although it was full of mistakes from both sides, there was prolonged applause when Black resigned!
18 axb3 According to the rule of taking towards the centre. At this moment it was difficult to see that the open a-file would become useful for Black. 18 ... f4
19 >e4 This is very courageous but not correct: 19 Ji.d2 would have been a more promising choice. 19 ... fxe3 20 h5 Sxf2! 21 Wd3 i.f8? Missing a chance to turn the wheel of fortune by 21...!fa5 22 <&bl e2 23 c3 Wd5 24 0xd5 Hfl + . 22 <\xf2 Perhaps 22 rf6 + was possible. For instance 22...2xf6 23 gxf6 Axh6 24 hxg6 e2+ 25 <S?bl or 23...g5 24 2g6+ &h8 25 0e4 Wc6 26 f7 g 7 27 h6 hxg6 28 hxg7+ + &xg7 29 Wxe5 +. 22 ... exf2 23 hxg6 i.xh6 24 gxh6
(39) Bronstein,D - Ljubojevic.L

Interzonal Tournament, Petropolis, 1973
[B03] Alekhine's Defence (This is one of the most complex and fascinating games ever played. A game between two players who are renowned in the chess world for their original ideas and daring style of play. It has been analysed by the best grandmasters, over and over again, but to keep matters comprehensible only some of their findings will be shown below. After ten rounds, Ljubojevic was leading by just half a point with 7V$ points. Under the circumstances one might have
50 Games with Comments expected conservative play from Ljubojevic in round eleven, especially with the black pieces. However, to the surprise and delight of the chess world, Ljubojevic chose an extremely risky and sharp variation of Alekhine's Defence, following his prepared variation up to at least move fifteen. Towards the end Bronstein was extremely short of time whereas the nearly imperturbable Ljubojevic had consumed less than an hour for the whole game! The result was a hair-raising sacrificial struggle for which Bronstein was awarded the first brilliancy prize. Paul Keres annotated this game for Chess Life & Review of December 1973, number 12, Vol. 28, pages 708-10 and we have the editor's kind permission to reproduce his comments here, T.E) 'Another Bronstein idea' by Paul Keres If I were asked to name that modern grandmaster who develops the most ideas, I would not mention Fischer, Spassky, Petrosian, Larsen but... Bronstein! The question does not concern only new ideas and variations on the chessboard but also many other aspects of the game. Of the many Bronstein suggestions to make the game more lively and interesting, we would mention the recording of time used for every move (see pages 144, 164 and 237 T.E), giving both opponents half a n hour to finish the game after the first control, limiting the time for the entire game to about an hour, providing national cup competitions in the form of short matches (the USSR Cup was first held in 1970 and it was won by Bronstein!) and many other ideas. The latest Bronstein idea concerns World Championship contests. We already have the World Junior Championship, the Student Team World Championship, the men's and women's individual titles, the men's and women's team titles... But why not the Senior World Championship, asks Bronstein. His idea is to invite to such a tournament all grandmasters over the age
167
of fifty who have participated in at least one Candidates' Tournament or Match. The proposal has its logic and perhaps one of the forthcoming FIDE congresses will deal with this question. But the most interesting and valuable ideas to come from Bronstein are still produced on the chessboard. I had the pleasure of following his games at the Petropolis Interzonal Tournament and of his magnificent fights I would especially mention the brilliant game against Ljubojevic. The rook sacrifice on move sixteen in this game is really surprising and while I was watching the game it took me quite a lot of time to find the point of it. It is no wonder that this game was considered the most beautiful of the tournament. Inspiration or Perspiration? During the progress of the BronsteinLjubojevic game, I was not quite certain whether Bronstein's rook sacrifice was an improvisation or a product of careful home preparation. And still I do not know the answer to that question. Up until move 14 the game between Ljubojevic and Honfi from the 1971 Cafiak tournament was repeated, ending in a short victory for Ljubojevic (White). Here Ljubojevic plays the variation with Black! He had an improvement in mind on the fourteenth move leading to that wonderful rook sacrifice on move sixteen. Did Bronstein find all this in home analysis? We can only guess. (It was all conceived during the game! T.E) Anyway, here I must recall the famous BronsteinTal game (page 66, T.E) from the Riga 1968 tournament, where Bronstein explained his most surprising rook sacrifice by saying that he 'could not miss the opportunity' to make such a sacrifice; he said he might never have another chance to play such a move against Tal! Because we know Bronstein we may guess t h a t he also decided on the rook sacrifice during this game - to make it more interesting, more complicated, more distinct from the other games. Whatever the cause, the result is a wonderful fighting game and one of the most
168
The Sorcerer's Apprentice the Soviet master Argunov. Ljubojevifc has had some success with it but now it is pronounced unsound. Keres: Ljubojevifc was probably afraid of some prepared variation in the main line with 6 . . . i f 5 when he chose this theoretically inferior continuation. Anyhow, he was quite at home with the finesses in this variation as we will see. 7 d5 7 dxc5 is too materialistic as White has little chance of holding the pawn. 7 ... e6 Preparing threats with ...1Bfh4-l8 >c3! The attractive 8 d6 does not work as White falls just short of getting organised to win the black queen, for example 8...Wh4+ 9g3We4+ 10 We2 Wxhl 11 tf3 (ll...&xc4 12 &bd2! &xd2 13 &xd2 g6 14 &c2 - also 14 i.g2 is strong- 14...>c6 15 jLg2 &b4+ 16 &b3 is better for White) 12 &bd2 &d7! 13 &dxe5! 14 &xe5 Wxh2+ 15 Jig2 &d4 16 B d l x d 6 17 1 r B xg2-l- 18 &xg2 .xe5 is good for Black. 8 ... exd5 Of course not 8...&xc4? 9 Wa4+ (9 i.xc4? + ) winning the knight. Also possible but less to the point is 8...Wh4+ 9 g3 Bd4 when 10 We2 or the speculative 10 i.d2!? leads to good play for White. Keres: Here 8...Wh4 + 9 g3 ^ 4 does not look quite logical. First, White can win the exchange with 10 Be2 exd5 11 &b5 and second, Boleslavsky's recommendation 10 jLf4! appears to be even stronger. If Black then takes the pawn with 10...g5 11 JLd2 Wxe5+, his position will remain hopelessly exposed after 12 jLe2, etc. 9 cxd5 c4 This is the crux of the entire variation and it is rather annoying for White. It clears the f8-a3 diagonal for a possible ...jLc5 to keep the white king in the centre, or ...jLb4 while at the same time keeping the white bishop away from b5. 9...^h4+ 10 g3 Wd4 11 i.f4!? is better for White, and 11 b 5 + d 7 12 We2 &xd5 13 e6! gives White a strong attack. If White hastens to occupy this diagonal by 10 jLe3, then after 10...jLb4 he begins to have
interesting games between leading grandmasters in recent years. 1 e4 Keres: Ljubojevifc usually chooses the Sicilian Defence. His choice of the Alekhine Defence in this game is probably due to a prepared improvement in a complicated variation which is very hard to meet in over-the-board play. However it is not so easy to take Bronstein by surprise in complicated positions. 2 e5 id5 3 d4 d6 4 c4 <ib6 5 f4 Generally considered risky and therefore 5 exd6 is seen more often, though without much danger for Black. Keres: The Four Pawns Attack! Is this a clever choice against Ljubojevifc, whose main strength lies in complicated positions? In most modern tournament games with this defence we see here 5 }f3. 5 ... dxe5 6 fxe5 The most vigorous variation against the Alekhine Defence - the Four Pawns Attack. Seven successive moves with pawns. By this time in other openings White has managed to develop three minor pieces and has castled. Here he has two far-advanced pawns, two open files and one knight in support. Today the positional continuation 4 }f3 JLg4 5 jLe2 is more fashionable. 6 ... c5
Extremely risky but not new. It was played in the 1920's with some success by
50 Games with Comments trouble with his breakaway d-pawn. In this situation White takes a crucial decision - he goes for forcing play, relying on his strong pawn centre and open lines. Keres: A recommendation by Mikenas and probably Black's best chance. Again the manoeuvre 9...Wh4+ 10 g3 Wd4 looks unnatural and leaves White with a good attacking game after 11 JLb5+ (also 11 f 4 g5 12 Axg5 Wxe5+ 13 We2 is good for White) ll..JLd7 12 We2 >xd5 13 e6! fxe6 14 ^ x e 6 + >e7 15 >f3, etc. (BalashovGrigorian, Riga 1967). 10 >f3 White threatens to take the pawn on c4. Keres: This natural developing move looks best but also 10 d6 >c6 (11 >b5!? 1 , B h4+) has to be considered. Bronstein: Brilliant intuition by the great Estonian player! Almost 22 years later the British international master Philip Morris (Charlton Chess Club) made a fantastic discovery in his game against T. Hinks-Edwards (Richmond Chess Club), which was played for the British National Team Championship, on 28 January 1995: after 10 d6! >c6 11 >b5 ^ h 4 + 12 g3 We4 + 13 We2 Wxhl 14 g5!! White's attack becomes irresistible. The game continued 14...^.f5 15 0-0-0 &d7 (15...f6 16 >c7+ &f7 17 e6+ &g6 18 g4 e4 19 e3) 16 g 2 Htxg2 17 Htxg2 h6 18 e 3 g5 19 Wf2 and Black resigned. The move 10 d6 was also recommended by Boris Vainstein in his famous book David Bronstein: Chess Improviser. 10 ... g4 If 10...b4 then 11 g5!, or 11 i.xc4 >xc4 12 ^ a 4 + 13 dxc6 and Black is in serious difficulties. Keres: The other possibility 10....&b4 enables White to play 11 Axc4, for instance 11... Axc3 + (good for White is l l . . . x c 4 12 ^ a 4 + 13 dxc6 xc3 + 14 bxc3 b5 15 ^b4! a5 16 Wc5 Wd3 17 g 5 according to Boleslavsky) 12 bxc3 >xc4 13 Wa4 + d 7 14 Wxc4 >b6 15 Wb5 + ^ d 7 (Boleslavsky) and now White remains, at worst, with an extra pawn after 16 Wxd7+ &xd7 17 d6. 11 Wd4! (D)
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Leads to almost unfathomable complications, right up Bronstein's alley! Keres: Black would get a reasonable position after 11 xc4 >xc4 12 ^ a 4 + ^ d 7 13 ^xc4 xf3 14 gxf3 ^ x e 5 (15 We 4 Wh4+!) although after 15 We2! Wh4 + there are still many problems to solve. The text move looks stronger. 11 ... xf3 12 gxf3 b4 Quick development for an attack. The threat is now against White's pawn on d5. 1 2 . . . & C 6 1 3 We4>b4 1 4 e6 benefits White. Keres: 12...>c6 13 HIM ^ b 4 leads to nothing after 14 e6!, etc. By sacrificing a pawn, Black will complete his development hoping to get attacking counterchances against the white centre pawns. The position is now getting very exciting. 13 xc4 Almost forced since the d-pawn is inadequately defended. If for instance 13 H)?g4 then 13...>xd5 14 H)?xg7 Hf8 and Black has nothing to fear. Black hastens to castle so as to begin an attack on the exposed white king, for which he is ready to sacrifice a pawn. If White should begin thinking about the safety of his king his extended centre will begin to creak. In fact 13...Wxd5 was already threatened and in some cases ...>c6. 13 ... 0-0 White has won a pawn but his king is not yet in a safe position. He now comes up with a beautiful combination. 14 Hgl (D) 14 Ah6 is also interesting. If for instance: 14...gxh6 15 e6 f6 then 16 d6. But after I4...>8d7 15 e6 >e5 or 15 Hgl g6 16
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e6 <&e5 17 e2 c5 Black starts the attack first, taking advantage of the fact that White's queenside is frozen. 14 ... g6 Keres: This is the improvement Ljubojevic had prepared at home. The position was not unfamiliar to him since he had played it with White against Honfi two years earlier (Tchachak 1971). In that game Honfi chose a weak defence with 14...Wc7? and was rapidly mated after 15 e6! f6 16 jLh6! Wxc4 17 Hxg7+ &h8 18 Hg8 + !, and so on. The position now appears to be critical for White because of the very unpleasant threat 15...>c6. After 15 e 3 Black may play 15...)8d7 with triple threats 16...>xc4, 16...)xe5 and 16...^.c5. In this extremely complicated situation, Bronstein finds a wonderful way out. 15 jLg5! The first surprise. If now 15... jLe7 then White may simply exchange bishops with 16 lkxe7 Wxe7 and transform the game into a favourable endgame after 17 ^.b3 >bd7 18 f4 Wh4+ 19 Wf2 Wxf2+ 20 &xf2.
Certainly not 15 jLh6? because of the reply 15...>c6! 16 We4 >xe5!! 17 x f 8 Wxf8 18 iLb3 Wc5 19 0-0-0 x c 3 20 bxc3 Wxc3+ 21 Wc2 a l + 22 &d2 (22 Wbl Hc8 + ) 22...>xf3 + 23 &e3 WfB 24 Hgfl He8 + . 15 ... Wc7 Ljubojevic threatens both ...Wxc4 and ... jLc5 pinning the queen and rook. These threats can be parried only by the awkward 16 Hg4. If 15...Wc8 16 b3 .c5 17 Wh4 JLxgl (17...i8d7 18 >e4 is better for White) 18 Wh6 and mate can only be averted by 18.. JLe3.
16 i.b3!!!? (Reuben Fine) Sacrificing a full rook without an immediate follow-up. Subsequent analysis has cast some doubt on the soundness of the sacrifice but in over-the-board play it remains a marvellous conception. Keres: This most amazing move fully deserves at least two exclamation marks. White gives up a whole rook and, at first sight, one cannot see what he hopes to gain by it. But the further course of the game will make this clear. Besides the text move, White could have tried here 16 .e2 Ac5 17 Wf4 as the rook could not be taken because of 17...^.xgl 18 jLf6! with the unavoidable threat of 19 Wh6. But by playing 17...f6! Black would have avoided all the mating threats with a good game. 16 ... jLc5 (D) Black has to go for the rook because his own bishop is threatened. The continuation 16...He8 17 Wxb4Wxe5+ 18 f 2 leads to nothing.
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17 Wf4 This simple move has three objectives: It prepares the move with the queen to h6, it leaves the square e4 free for the knight and it of course protects the pawn on e5. 17 ... xgl Keres: The Russian language chess newspaper 64 has suggested a better line here to try to refute the rook sacrifice but in my opinion their conclusions are not convincing. The first line 17...>8d7 18 d6 0 c 6 19 0-0-0 jLxgl 20 Hxgl ^ c 5 21 Hel Hae8 would allow the very strong continuation 22 e6! for instance 22...fxe6 23 Hxe6! Hxf4 24 Hxe8+ or 23...Hxe6 24 i.xe6+ &h8 25 0 x f 8 + ! with mate to follow in both cases. The other suggestion 17...He8 18 i . f 6 >8d7 19 d6 >xe5 20 &fl x d 6 21 >b5 0 c 6 22 >xd6 Wxd6 23 Hdl Wc6 24 xe5 )H,b5+ does not satisfy either after 25 &g2 0 x e 5 27 Wxf7+ &h8 27 Hgel Wxb2+ 28 ^>hl and White clearly has the better of it. Also 18 Hg2 Hxe5+ (18...xe5+ 19 He2!) 19 se4 has to be considered with many threats. Let us now consider after 17... JLxgl what White has for his rook. His pieces are excellently developed, the centre pawns are very strong and the weakened position of the enemy king is almost without defence. But a whole rook is missing and what 'hard' value does White have for it? Direct play for mating threats does not lead to anything as 18 JLf6 is sufficiently met by either 18...>8d7 for if 19 0 h 6 then 19...>xf6 20 exf6 0 e 5 + or by 18...#05 threatening 19...#e3+. Also, 18 >e4 will not do because of 18...>8d7.
(Bronstein: This is probably a printing error as 2 0 . . . ^ 5 + is met by 21 >e4 and Black is mated! The correct play for Black is: 18 M~Q Wc5! - insteadof 18...>8d7 - and if now 19 ^ h 6 then 19...#e3+). Therefore White has to look for a combination of various methods of attack, making use of Black's backward development and the unfortunate position of the bishop on gl. First, it must be mentioned that White gets the upper hand if he succeeds in capturing the bishop on gl, thus remaining only an exchange behind. Second, White can allow himself to develop the attack relatively slowly as Black has no way to get quick counterplay. But the character of the position makes exhaustive analysis extremely difficult and I hope that the reader will understand if some 'hole' may be found in the following explanations. A position like this must be played, not exhausted by extensive home analysis! 18 d6 This move prevents any action by Black on the f-file by opening up the diagonal for the bishop on b3. If 18 &e2? then 18...^5! It turns out that although a rook up Black's game hangs by a thread. If for example 1 8 . . . ^ 6 then 19 e6 fxe6 20 x e 6 + and 21 h 6 + . On 18...c5 White intended 19 >e4! We3+ 20 Wxe3 xe3 21 Axe3 >c6 22 f4 and Black's position is hopeless. B r o n s t e i n : In this line Black should not play 19...We3+ but 19...Wd4 with an unclear position. Keres: A normal move to release the pressure against e5 and to open the way for the bishop on b3. Black must now take care of the threat e6 which would be veiy strong if, for instance 1 8 . . . 1 9 e6! >8d7, and now 20 exf7+ &g7 21 0-0-0! will lead to a position similar to our later analysis. Of course bad would be 18...^c5 19 >e4 0 b 4 + 20 &fl allowing White to gain valuable tempi. If20...fl4 then 21 Hdl (21 e6 >8d7) 21...xb2 22 Hd2 0 c l + 23 &e2. 18 ... Wc8 (D) 19 &e2
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This move is universally condemned by the annotators, giving 19 0-0-0 as much stronger, for example 19... JLc5 20 e6! fxe6 21 We5 2e8 22 h 6 Wd7 23 >e4 or 19...Wc5 20 e6 >8d7 21 exf7+ &g7 22 &bl We5 23 Sxgl. Up to move 19 Ljubojevic had played very quickly with the aim of creating a psychological superiority and also of forcing his opponent to spend much time on his own clock in calculating the complicated variations which he had already analysed beforehand. Keres: This looks very good, but it actually exposes White's king too much giving Black good chances for a successful defence. In later analysis both players came to the conclusion that 19 0-0-0! was the proper move here. Since then 20 Sxgl is a threat Black would have only two main lines to consider: a) 19...c5 20 e6! &8b7! (the only move, as 20...fxe6 21 We5! 2e8 22 JLe7, or 21...2f7 22 i.xe6 >8d7 23 i.xf7+ &xf7 24 We7+ &g8 25 i.h6 would lead to immediate loss) 21 e7, and White wins his material back with a decisive attack. b) 19...Wc5! 20 e6 (20 &bl >8d7 would be too slow) 20...>8d7 (Black's best practical chance would probably be 20... JLe3 + 21 Wxe3 Wxe3+ 22 xe3 fxe6 although the ending is clearly in White's favour) 21 exf7+ (21 e7 wins the rook but gives Black enough play after 21...xh2!) 2L..&g7 22 &bl! and although a rook ahead Black seems helpless against the threat 23 ê4. Black could also have chosen here the variation 19 0-0-0 >8d7 20 2xgl Wc5 mentioned in the analysis after Black's
17th move, leading to a terrific attack after 21 2 e l 2ae8 22 e6! Another curious idea was 19 ^ f l ! ? (19...Wc5 20 >c4) and if 19...c5 then 20 e6 fxe6 (or 20...>8d7 21 exf7+ &g7 22 2 d l threatening 23 >e4) 21 We5 2xf3 + 22 &e2 but an analysis of all these possibilities would definitely lead us too far. 19 ... c5 In the heat of the battle Ljubojevic had grown so used to the blitz rhythm that he instantaneously played this move just when a thorough consideration of the situation was required. He rejected 19...Wc5 assuming that 20 }e4 would lead to a loss for Black. But now with the white king on e2 Ljubojevic has the possibility of playing 20...Wb5 + . With 19...Wc5 Black threatens ...Wf2 + . If then 20 e6 >8d7 21 exf7+ &g7 22 JLh6+ &h8 Black already has many counter-threats and White's king is almost as exposed as Black's. With 19...Wc5 he might even have won; after the text he is definitely lost. However it must have been hard to see how White was going to win from this position without any direct mating continuations available and with a whole rook down. Bronstein: Black's move 20...>8d7 in the variation with 19...Wc5 can also be played in the variation starting with 19...JLc5. White can then play 21 e7 and recover his rook while continuing the attack. Keres: This definitely loses. Black had to try 19...Wc5 which would have given him excellent chances to repulse the attack. White would then have had the following choices: a) 20 >e4 Wb5+ 21 &el (or 21 &d2 >c4+ 22 JLxc4 Wxb2+!, etc.) 21...i8d7 and Black seems to have adequate defensive possibilities for instance 22 lfi6+ >xf6 23 i.xf6 >d7, or 22 i.f6 >xf6 23 ixf6+ &h8, etc. b) 20 e6>8d7 (the threat was 21 exf7+ mating and 20...fxe6 21 Axe6+ also leads to mate; worth considering was first 20...Wf2+ and if White plays 21 &dl then 21...Wd4+ 22 Wxd4 i.xd4 is sufficient or
50 Games with Comments 21 &d3 *8d7 is even stronger threatening 22...>c5 mate) 21 exf7+ (on 21 e7 or 21 exd7 the answer 21...f2+ and 22...i.xh2 is strong and 21 <e4 is met by 21...1^5 + and 22...fxe6 and a promising way to continue the attack is not to be seen) 21...'&g7 and Black will refute the attack. Perhaps I am too pessimistic in estimating White's attacking possibilities after 1 9 . . . ^ 5 ! but it is clear that Black had to choose this defence. If it was as easy to find the correct defence during the game as it is in later analysis we would certainly see only very few attacking games! 20 >e4! >8d7
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20...|5}6d7 would have offered more resistance: 21 Hcl b6 22 Af6 >xf6 23 <xf6+ &g7 24 Wh4 h6 (24...Hh8 25 ih5+ &g8 26 JLxf7 + !) 25 ih5+ &h7 (25...gxh5 26 0 f 6 + &g8 27 Wg6+ &h8 28 Wxh6+ &g8 29 Jic2 f5 30 b 3 +) 26 0 f 6 Sg8 27 Wxf7 + &h8 28 Wf6+ &h7 29 xg8+ Wxg8 30 0 e 7 + &h8 31 a f 6 and White wins: Black has no check on c4. B r o n s t e i n : With a rook still in the corner on a8 and a knight still on b8 de facto White has a piece more, not a rook less and I cannot see any other move but to bring the knight into play as quickly as possible. However, there are some exceptions. Richard Reti once said: 'I am not interested in correct play and judgement, I am always looking for exceptions.' Probably this position can be called an exception. Black has a rook more so he may violate some common-sense rules and probably the move 20...6d7 is not so passive as it looks. Black's intentions are
clear: the knight on b8 is preparing to make a long journey via c6, d4 to f5! This is why, with some imagination, Black should have tried 20...>6d7 21 Hcl <c6 (22 Hxc5 id4+ 23 &dl ixc5 24 <f6+ &h8 25 Wh4 h5 26 <xh5 ixf3 and Black wins) 22 *xc5 klxe5 hoping to play eventually ...lUi'hS and ...Hae8. In this variation Black sacrifices his bishop but activates both knights, queen and both rooks, eliminating one of White's strong pawns in the centre. In my opinion this is the most logical way to conduct this position. What the final result would have been is of less importance right now. Ljubojevic started a sharp game and should have continued along this way with 21...&C6 and not played a defensive move here. However, White can also use his imagination and play differently. Instead of losing time with 21 Hcl after 20...>6d7 he can play 21 f 6 immediately and if now 21...^c6 then White increases the pressure on the position of the black king by 22 e6. This move has two goals: first, to attack the pawn on f7 and second, to open the diagonal for the bishop on f6 to defend the d4 square. If Ljubojevic had chosen this line of defence then the game would have taken another turn, for example: 2 2 . . . ^ 4 + (if 22..Axre then 23 &xf6+ &g7 24 <h5 + gxh5 25 Wg5+ &h8 26 Wf6+ &g8 27 exf7+, and if 22...fxe6 then 23 xe6+ Hf7 24 JLxf7+ &xf7 25 <g5+ &e8 26 We4 + ) 23 x d 4 JLxd4 24 Hcl 0 e 8 (if 24...<c5 then 25 Hxc5 xc5 26 rf6+) 25 e7 and White can get his rook back with a dangerous attack. All White's pieces are ideally placed to launch a second wave of attack. For instance White's surviving rook is now looking forward to coming to c7. All this looks perfect but in chess, as it is played today, the attack and defence are well balanced. The promising variation 20..>6d7 21 Af6 has a drawish line: 21..ixf6 22 &xf6 + &g7 23 Wh4 h6 24 <h5+ &h725 Wf6 Hg8 26 Wxf7+ &h8 27 Wf6+ &h7 28 We7+ &h8 29 i.xg8 Wxg8 30 a f 6 Wc4+ with perpetual check. The reader could ask me of course if this is the final truth.
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice By the way, the strongest and most important chess piece became restricted in his movements. Many years ago the queen suddenly increased her steps to an unlimited number of squares. Before she had equal rights with the king. Has, with the 21st century, the time not come to allow the king an extra step in all directions? I think it would be fair. It could bring a breath of fresh air to our noble game. After all, the king already moves more than one square when castling. Keres: Bronstein still has something left to sacrifice! Now the black king comes under a devastating mating attack. 22 ... >xc5 23 tf6+ &h8 No better is 23...&g7 24 Wh4. Keres: On 23...&g7 the answer 24 Wh4! is even stronger than in the game. 24 th4 Now Black can only avoid mate by wholesale abandonment of his pieces. He still has a few spite checks. Keres: White has not many pieces left but the few that remain create a mating net around the black king. There is no defence. 24 ... Wb5+ A desperate sortie by the main forces, timed to coincide with White's timetrouble. White had less than one minute per move left on his clock whereas Black had used only 30 minutes for his 24 moves. There follows a spurt forward by the white king, going personally into the attack. Note that Black is now not only a rook up but also the exchange. Bronstein: When Ljubojevic made his 20th move ...}8d7 he calculated this long variation and was of the opinion that he had found a draw by repetition of moves. After the game was over he told me: 'You were lucky to find 25 &e3,' but I answered without hesitation: 'No, it was you who were lucky that in this position only this move wins. The white attack is so strong that normally there should be more than one possibility to win. You played too risky for a serious tournament game.'
Oh, I don't know; the human mind has its limits. But you may well tiy 29 Hcl! instead of 29 .&xg8 and then... who knows ... 21 Scl! Keres: This quiet move now decides as Black has no defence against the following sacrifice. A really curious position! 21 ... Wc6 The white pieces are swarming over the king's refuge and it only requires one further determined effort to break triumphantly into the fortress, especially since a yawning breach has already been made in the wall.
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22 Sxc5!! (Reuben Fine) The amazing denouement now unfolds. By sacrificing the exchange on c5, White removes a key defender of f6. Bronstein: What is better - to castle or to leave the king in the centre? In his book My Match with Capablanca (1921) Dr Emanuel Lasker wrote that he was a little sad that the Italians introduced castling in chess as the king could now flee into hiding very quickly and it would be more difficult to attack him. From experience chess players know quite well that if there are open files in the centre it is better for the king to castle but if pawns block the centre there is no hurry to do so. In this game White did the latter. The king abandoned the right to castle to give his rook free play on the first rank. If White had castled queenside the king would have blocked cl and his rook would not have had access to this important square.
50 Games with Comments I never talk like this during friendly analysis after a game but Ljubojevic should have known that attacking with sacrifices, of which nobody can calculate exactly all the consequences, is my hobby-horse and this is how I made my name. 25 &e3!!
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If 25 &f2? (25 &el? Wb4+ forces the exchange of queens) 25...id3+ 26 &gl (26 ^>g2êl + )26...'c5+ 27 & h l h5 28 ixh5 0 f 2 ! 29 }g3+ &g8 30 Af6 and Black has perpetual check with 30... 0 x f 3 + . 25 ... h5 After 25...1S,d3+ 26 &f2 there are no more checks. Black is without resource but played on as White was in severe timetrouble. Keres: There are no more checks after 25...0d3+ 26 &f2, etc. 26 ixh5 Wxb3+ Desperation. If instead 26.. Md3 + 27 &f2 gxh5 28 i.f6+ and mate in a few moves. And if 26...kl5+ then 27 xd5. Bronstein: Ljubojevic told me that he had calculated the move 28 Wxh5 + and did not see the check with the bishop on f6. Keres: Desperation but there is no defence. On 26...0d3+ 27 <tt2 gxh5 28 f 6 + mates and 26...id5+ 27 xd5 Wd3+ 28 2 0 c 2 + 29 &g3 means only a short period of relief. A little more play for Black was offered by 26...0d3 + 27 2 <&e4 + 28 fxe4 0 d 4 + but this also leads to a loss after 29 &g2 0xb2+ 30 <&g3+ and 31 f6. 27 axb3 >d5+ 28 &d4! White continues aggressively. Black was hoping for 28 2 gxh5 29 xh5 + &g8 30
i . f 6 ixf6 31 exf6 <&e6 and now Black escapes. Bronstein: Normally, when the king comes to the middle of the board, the battle is over. In this case it is the opposite: the king attacks both Black's knights in the veiy centre of the battlefield. With this action he supports the attack of the white queen. Keres: Black was hoping for 28 &f2 gxh5 29 xh5 + &g8 30 f 6 <&xf6 31 exf6 etc. 28 ... >e6+ 29 &xd5 <xg5 Keres: Now 29...gxh5 30 i.f6 + &g8 31 ^ e 4 leads to mate. 30 if6+ &g7 31 xg5 With queen and knight for the two rooks and Black still being in a mating net, the rest is simple. Keres: The game is finished. Ljubojevic played on in the hope of taking advantage of his opponent's severe time-trouble but it is already too simple. 31 ... Hfc8 Here the curtain could have been lowered. A worthy conclusion to the game would have been 33 <&g4 &h8 34 h6+ &g8 35 mate. 32 e6 fxe6 + 33 &xe6 A most enterprising king! 33 ... Sf8 34 d7 a5 35 ig4 Sa6+ The first move in the game for this rook. 36 &e5 Sf5+ 37 xf5 gxf5 38 d8 fxg4 39 Wd7+ &h6 40 xb7 Sg6 41 f 4 Black resigns Bronstein: After the game the American chess maecenas Isidor Turover gave me his own brilliancy prize in the form of two magnum bottles of the finest French champagne. It took us only two hours to finish them! While we were 'celebrating'
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice prevented White from playing d4 himself and controlling the squares c5 and e5. 4 d3 ic6 It is not logical to play 4...c5 as this would weaken the diagonal hl-a8 making the task of the bishop on g2 much easier. Also the move b2-b4 will be stronger with the black pawn on c5. 5 &g2 &f6
6 0-0
he repeated several times, in Russian, that he did not send someone but 'I went into a shop on my old legs to buy them!' Keres: A wonderful game!
(40) Palatnik.S - Bronstein,D

USSR Championship 1st League, Tbilisi, 1973 [A13] English Opening This was the first year that the Soviet Championship was divided into two groups: a Super League and a First League. As I had participated in the Interzonal Tournament in Petropolis I should have played in the Super League. The Soviet Chess Federation however had, once again, something else in mind for me. They decided to penalise me because six months earlier I had refused to play in the Semi-Finals. What could I do? Refuse again? That was not really an option. I accepted their decision and went to Tbilisi where I had spent so much time earlier in my life and where I had many friends. So in fact it was not a penalty but a favour! Why had I refused earlier to play in the Semi-Finals? It was just not possible physically as the Interzonal Tournament in Leningrad was held at the same time and I preferred to go there as a reporter for Izvestia. I felt that I had an obligation to my readers. As it turned out my name was on the list as a reserve player but I only found out years later. No one had ever bothered to tell me that at the time! This Interzonal Tournament was remarkable for two reasons: (1) It was the beginning of the rivalry between Korchnoi and Karpov and (2) I got the idea for my electronic chess clock and published an article in Izvestia about it when I saw how Korchnoi had lost a game in a terrible time-scramble. 1 c4 e6 2 <f3 d5 3 g3 d4 Attempting to delay the development of White's 'lazy knight' on bl. Also Black has
6 ... &e7 Another possibility was 6...e5. It would then have been natural to continue with 7 b4 &xb4 8 <&xe5 ixe5 9 Wa4+. Is that good for White of for Black? After 9...d7 10 Wxb4 b6 11 JLxa8 c5 12 Wa3 Wxa8 the position is very sharp. Despite having won the exchange, White should be very careful because Black's bishops are very strong. Also there is the possibility for Black to open the h-file with ...h7-h5-h4. However, after 13 f3 it is difficult to see how Black can make any progress. The white pawns are passive but in good defensive positions. 7 e3 Better is 7 e4 because after 7...dxe3 8 fxe3 e5 9 d4 the white pawn centre is very active. That is why 6...e5 would have been more precise. If then 7 e4 Black can play 7...dxe3 8 fxe3 e4 destroying White's pawn chain. Does this mean that the opening has been in White's favour? Yes and no! The privilege of making the first move gives White a slight edge. If you want to fight you need to take some risk. For instance, after 7 e4 Black could tiy 7...dxe3 8 fxe3 e5
50 Games with Comments 9 d4 iLg4 10 h3 x f 3 11 i . x f 3 exd4 12 .xc6+ bxc6 13 exd4 Wd7 to break White's pawn centre and the white king is not well protected. 7 ... 0-0 8 exd4 ixd4 9 >xd4 0xd4
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17 Wc3 Now it was my opponent who offered a peaceful conclusion to this game but with the black queen looking forward to the journey from a5 to h5,1 was suddenly full of chess energy and politely expressed my wish to continue to play a game of chess. 17 ... .b4 18 Wb2
10 11 12 13 14
&c3 i.e3 h3 d4 xd4
e5 d8 c6 exd4 Ae6
The game was played in the last round of the tournament and I was convinced that White would exchange queens to enter into a slightly better endgame. That was why I proposed to call the game a draw at this stage but my opponent said, apologetically, that he would have a slight chance to qualify to play in the first division of next year's Soviet Championship. I acknowledged that I understood his motivation to play on. 15 b3 #a5 16 >a4 2fd8
18 ... Wh5 I remember that I spent about half an hour before changing the position of my queen. The problem was not how to react to White's brave pawn move 19 g4 but how to answer if White decided to play safe with 19 h4.1 could not find an active plan and was ready to propose a draw once again. But my opponent, still in search of complications, hoping to get lucky, played the g-pawn without hesitation. 19 g4 xg4 The bishop took the pawn with the same speed as it had appeared on g4. Certainly, it is clear that Black will get a strong attack, but will it be enough to win? And how should Black play to get the best practical chances? This was the main problem I had to solve and I am proud to say that it seems I found my way along a super-highway to my destination. 20 hxg4 <\xg4 21 .f4 The best defence against the threat of ...Wh2 mate. If 21 S f e l then Black could try the beautiful variation 21...Axel 22 Sxel Wh2+ 23 & f l ixe3 + 24 Sxe3 (if 24 fxe3 then 24 ...2d6) 24.. .Sdl + 25 &e2 Wxg2
178
26 >xdl 2d8+ 27 >e2 % 4 + 28 >fl 2 d l + 29 2 e l Wh3+ 30 >e2 Wd3 mate. After the text it seems that the Black attack has ground to a halt. If now 21...2d2 then 22 f c l and if 21....d2 then 22 .g3.
21 ... d6 Simple and strong. The white bishop on f 4 is White's only active piece. In such cases it is recommended that one should try to reduce the power of such a piece. By exchanging bishops on d6 White loses control over the diagonal h2-b8 but if 22 Wd2 or 22 Wd4 then 22..Mh2+ 23 .xh2 &xh2+ 24 >hl 2xd2 (or 24... 2xd4) 25 f 3 5ie3 and the endgame is in Black's favour thanks to the advantage of three connected pawns on the kingside against one lone isolated white pawn. Also the black rooks are much stronger in this type of open position than White's knight and bishop. Furthermore, if White plays 22 Wcl then Black's g-pawn can join into the attack. The main line is 22...g5 23 -ixd6 2xd6 24 2 e l Wh2+ 25 >fl ixf2 26 Wxg5+ 2g6 27 Wxg6+ fxg6 28 &xf2 and a black rook on a8 will announce the decisive check 28... 2f8 + . By the way, as far a s I have observed from thousands of games, if both white and black rooks are still in quiet positions on a l and a8 the rook that centralises first usually helps to decide the battle. We shall see this later. 22 x d 6 2xd6 23 2 f e l 2g6 (D) While the black rook on a8 is still awaiting orders to march to a more active position, the rook on g6 is looking for subtle
combinations like 24 We2 (if 24 2e4 then 24..Mh2+ 25 if6 and if 24 2e7 then Black continues 24...Wh2+ 25 >fl Wh4 26 2 a e l h5) 24..Mh2+ 25 >fl Whl+ 26 JLxhl ih2 mate or 24 2e2 2 d 8 25 ic3 (if 25 Wd4 then 25...Wh2+ 26 >fl Wxg2 + >xg2 if6+) 25...Wh2+ 26 >fl W h l + 27 JLxhl ih2+ 28 2 g l mate. That is why White is in a hurry to bring the knight, gone astray on a4, closer to his king. If Black loses the momentum of the attack then, after 5ic3-e4-g3, the knight could become very useful in the defence of the white king. 24 >c3 Wh2+ 25 if6 26 jLe4
It is easy to understand my opponent's desire to play actively in this game. Of course, if White had realised that he could no longer win would he be able to make a draw by playing passively, in spite of his extra piece? I don't think so. After 26 f3 his bishop would have become merely another pawn and Black would have had the choice whether to play 26...}h5 and ...f4
50 Games with Comments or just to push his h-pawn forward to ...h5h4-h3. Looking back after more than 20 years I can now see that Black has created a winning attack but during the game I was not so certain. After all, I was thinking all the time, I was tired, I was respecting my opponent and I was expecting unusual moves from all sides. Besides, I took risks and was looking for the most economical way to play, not only for myself but also for the chess army of my king. I was very pleased and grateful to Dr Max Euwe when I read in one of his books: 'David Bronstein often takes a long time to think before making even obvious moves. The explanation of this is that he likes not only to win the game but wants to do it in the most beautiful way.' Do I need to add that in many complicated chess games the most beautiful way to win a game is not necessarily like the Niagara Ealls but could resemble also a little country stream as in this game. 26 ... h3+ 27 &e2 lxe4 28 lxe4 Se6 29 &d2 2d8+ The rook has been waiting in his corner for a very long time to give this simple but decisive check. Now Black's rooks are cooperating. If 30 &c2 or 30 &cl then simply 30...Sxe4 and after 31 Sxe4 the queen gives check on d3 or h i and takes the rook on e4. Therefore... White resigns
179
(41) Kaplan,J - Bronstein,D

International Tournament, Hastings, 1975^76
[CI 1 ] French Defence This was my first game at Hastings for 22 years. It was in 1953/54 that I had lost an historic game to C.H.O'D. Alexander in 120 moves (page 275, T.F.). As I started to play my main aim was to try to forget how old I was. I was glad to find myself paired in the first round against a very pleasant young
man (as he still is), who had won the World Junior Championship in 1967. Mark Taimanov and I recalled how we had visited Liverpool in the Spring of 1952, invited by the International Union of Students, to take part in the first Students World Championship. The next championship was played as a team event and another such individual championship was never held again. So presumably Taimanov and I, as we tied for first place, are still Co-World Student Champions! That thought made me feel a lot younger! In 1974 I proposed to Dr Max Euwe, President of FIDE, that a new World Championship should be instituted for grandmasters over 50, limited to players who had qualified for at least two Candidates' Tournaments or match sequences. He replied: 'What a nice idea! I might compete myself.' It made h i m feel younger. Facing Julio Kaplan the idea came to me that there must be about 15 World Junior Champions, past or present. Why not bring them all together in one tournament? After that there could be a match between them and fifteen of the over fifties... 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 >c3 sf6 4 Ag5 dxe4 5 )xe4 i.e7 6 i.xf6 gxf6 Some may find this variation too committal but I like such situations, with the black pawns on e6 and f6 controlling the centre, the open g-file for my rook and maybe, if the game opens up, as this game amply proves, a promising future for my light-squared bishop. 7 >f3 d7 Usually, 7...b6 is played here. 8 d2 c5 As Kaplan had shown no great eagerness to play 8 d5 I deliberately provoked him to do so! I was slightly nervous about playing this but it had to be done. 9 d5 Instead 9 0-0-0 first would have been better and then not 9...cxd4 10 Wxd4 0-0 with a restrained position for Black but
180
The Sorcerer's Apprentice if a white rook comes to fl? Then f7 will be very weak. 18 ... Sae8
9...f5 followed by 10 ig3 cxd4 11 Wxd4 &f6 and 12 Wd2 0-0. 9 ... f5 10 dxe6 Played after long thought.
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19 S e f l We3 20 h3 Jie2 21 2f5 ih6 Such a lovely bishop! If there had been a few even safer squares further back along the diagonal, I would have retreated him still further! 22 xe2 If 22 Sel then 2 2 . . . 2 3 2xe2 Wel + but now came a little surprise for White. 22 ... Wxc3 I had half an hour left for 18 moves, Kaplan had a minute. I think he saw what was coming but wanted it demonstrated. 23 bxc3 Sxe2 24 2d5 Protecting the knight and preventing 24...2d8. This looks good but... 24 ... Bxd2 25 2xd2 2d8 26 S h d l c4 White resigns
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10 ... fxe4 11 exd7+ White rejected 11 exf7+ because he liked his position after his next move. 13 ... Wxd7 12 Wc3 Kaplan can hardly be blamed for feeling that he now had an excellent position. Black's queenside is underdeveloped. Also, compare White's neat compact pawns to Black's. 12 ... 0-0 13 )d2 Wtt 14 0-0-0 Wxf2 15 ixe4? Now White made, to my mind, the losing move. White ties himself up regaining an unimportant pawn. Better would have been 15 ii.c4. 15 ... Wf4+! 16 >d2 .g4 17 S e l .g5 18 .d3 To block any attack by Black's rook along the d-file. If 18 h3 then 18...2ae8. Now it is possible for Black to activate his rooks by putting one of them in the centre. But which one, and where should it move? This is one of the most difficult decisions to make during a chess game. There seems to be nothing wrong if Black plays his king's rook to e8 and then his queen's rook to d8 but what for instance
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50 Games with Comments A beautiful finish. When White runs out of pawn moves he will have to move his king and lose a piece. My old friend Baruch Wood, owner and publisher of Chess asked me immediately after the game to dictate my comments to him. Already the very next morning I received the printed page of my imaginative work and it was published in Chess in Februaiy 1976.
181
(42) B r o n s t e i n , D - Petrosian.T
USSR Team Championship, Ordzhonikidze, 1978
[C15] French Defence When the German Nazi troops crossed the border and started the war against the Soviet Union on Sunday 22 June 1941,1 only had one point in my favour; I had just finished my studies. I was 17 and, as other youngsters of my age, was to be drafted as a soldier. I therefore had to follow the instructions of the recruitment office to leave Kiev immediately. First I found myself in southern Ukraine, then I went to Ordzhonikidze, the capital of North Ossetia. The House of the Red Army gave me a place to sleep and a temporary job which consisted in visiting wounded soldiers in various military hospitals where I played chess with them. I stayed there for a year and even played a tournament with local players, taking first place and receiving the title of champion of Ordzhonikidze! In the Spring of 1942, at the age of 18,1 was called by the officials to join the army. When I reported for duty they sent me to the doctors for a thorough medical examination. It was then that I learned that my eyesight was very bad (-5.0) and that I was not fit for military duty. I received permission to leave. In August 1942,1 hitchhiked my way to Tbilisi on military trucks. I stayed there for about a year making a living by doing exactly the same work in the hospitals of Georgia as I did in North Ossetia. Then, in the Winter of 1942/3, the Red Army achieved a great victory over the
Germans at Stalingrad in a famous battle. A couple of months later I was sent by army officials, together with some Georgian youngsters, to Stalingrad to help with the reconstruction of a large steel factory called Red October. At the end of May 1945 I came to Moscow where I have lived ever since. When I met Tigran Petrosian in Ordzhonikidze to play this game I remembered that I had met him for the first time in Tbilisi in November 1942. He was recommended to me as a young, promising chess talent by the famous chess player Varvara Stepanovna Zargarjan, long time women champion of Georgia and chief manager of the Tbilisi Chess Club. In the thirties there used to be a championship of the Caucasus for all three Soviet republics of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaidjan and, besides being a highly intelligent and attractive woman, she also won this women's champion title. So when I played this game my mind was far away from the chessboard. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 >c3 b4 4 >ge2 dxe4
5 a3 e7 6 >xe4 >f6 7 >2g3 0-0 8 e2 >bd7 9 0-0 b6 Too simple; better was 9...^xe4 10 ^ x e 4 >f6. 10 M3 >xe4 11 x e 4 Hb8
182
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15 Wf3 c6 16 >e2! Protecting d4 and looking for better squares. 16 ... Wc8 17 b4 Sd8 18 i . f 4 Here the bishop is more active than on b2. 18 ... Sbd7 19 S f e l h6 20 h3 c5 Too early; it would have been better to play 20...Wb7 and ,...b5 to fight for the square d5. 21 dxc5 Sd3 22 i.e3 bxc5 23 b5 Wc7 24 a4! Forcing Black to use the queen to block the a-pawn but she is out of play there. 24 a5 25 Wc6 d7 26 i . f 4 e5 weakens the d5-square. Sd6 27 We4 28 i . e 3 i.f8 (D) 29 29 5d4 30 i . x d 4 cxd4 31 >d5 Se8 32 Wg4 Se6
Black has achieved what he wanted. It is hard to believe that he will resign after only four more moves! 37 g 4 Wd8 38 gxf5 gxf5 39 Wh5 Wf8 40 Sa2 d3 41 Sg2+ Black resigns
(43) Bronstein,D - Vaganian,R

Friendly simultaneous match Erevan, 1978
[C15] French Defence In 19781 played a tournament in Armenia and afterwards stayed in Erevan for another fortnight, giving lectures and simultaneous exhibitions. One day I suggested to the young grandmaster Rafael Vaganian that we play a mini-match of eight
50 Games with Comments games to be played simultaneously at the speed of 40 moves in two hours on every board. We agreed eventually to play four games. The match ended in a draw ( + 1 - 1 = 2 ) and was even shown on the main news on national television the next day. After the match he told me that my idea was most interesting but very tiring. Who says that chess should be easy? Nevertheless, recently Vaganian told me that he still likes my idea. Later I played several such matches. This is my winning game. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 >c3 .b4 4 >ge2 The French Defence is one of my favourite openings. I have played several hundred games with it as White and Black. In this variation the common line is 4 e5 c5 5 a3 jLxc3+ 6 bxc3 etc., but sometimes it is? better to deviate. I saw this quiet move with the knight for the first time in the game Alekhine-Nimzowitsch, played in Bled in 1931. When I started to read chess columns as a boy I saw another game with the same move Lasker-Capablanca in Moscow 1935 played perfectly by the old master. 4 ... dxe4 5 a3 kel Capablanca also played this move. Nimzowitsch however played 5...jLxc3+ 6 }xc3 f5 but lost very quickly after 7 f3 exf3 8 Wxf3.
183
The knight blocks the c-pawn which can become a target. 8 i.f4 b6 9 ixf6+ i.xf6 10 Wg3 We7 11 0-0-0 King safety first! If White plays 11 ilxc7 then 11...e5. 11 ... e5! 12 dxe5 i.xe5 13 >c3 0-0 14 c4
This threatens 15 S h e l . If White had played 14 &d5 then 14...Wd6 15 Jixe5 &xe5 16 &xb6 Wxb6 17 Wxe5 Wxf2 and if White now takes the c-pawn 18 Wxc7? then Black wins after 18..JLg4! 14 ... i.xf4+ 15 Wxf4 We5
16 i . x f 7 + ! 17 Wxe5 18 i . b 3 19 2d2 If 19...^xf2 then 20 S e l i.xg2 22 Sdd7.
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184 20 21 22
The Sorcerer's Apprentice f3 if6 >b5 Sfc8 .e6 Black resigns 0-0 11 c4 12 2Lb2 Lcl 13 c 2 &g6 Looking to go to f4. White is better: two of his pawns are attacking in the centre and his bishops are good, especially the one on b2. Black has only one good bishop. 14 S f d l Increasing the pressure on d5 and making space for the bishop on e2. 14 ... dxc4 15 <xc4 e7 16 e5 This closes the diagonal for the bishop on c7 and aims to put a knight on d6 while creating a transit square on e4. 16 ... 2d8 17 Hxd8+ ^xd8 18 e4 Preventing the liberating ...b5. 18 ... d7 19 S d l Hb8
(44) Bronstein,D - ZIotnik.B

[C07] French Defence My opponent in this game is an experienced chess teacher who has had many good students who have received the master title. He had his own system of education but in our game, he experimented a little too much in the opening. Zlotnik had also written and published a monograph about the French Defence. Therefore this game was a not only a contest about moves but on a wider scale - the understanding of the French Defence itself with all its finesses. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 >d2 a6 To prevent a check on b5. 4 igf3 c5 5 dxc5 i.xc5 6 d3 >c6 7 0-0 >b4 This move is not as simple as it looks. Black wants to avoid variations with i.xh7! + . 8 e2 7 Also 8...dxe4 9 ixe4 Wxdl 10 Sxdl }xc2 was possible. 9 a3 >bc6 10 b4 i.b6
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185
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(45) Bronstein,D - Lukin.A

50th USSR Championship, Semi-Final, Yaroslavl, 1982
[D20] Queen's Gambit Accepted This was one of my last Semi-Finals in the USSR Championship after 40 years! The reception I received from the local chess fans was very kind. I tried to play my best, using a lot of energy, and I won 8 games but still failed, once again by the narrowest of margins, to qualify for the Final. It was important for me to continue playing in order not to lose my salary as, according to the regulations, I had two more years to go to be able to claim my pension at the age of 60. In reality I only received my pension in 1988 from the Moscow Council as a reward for my contribution over the years to Moscow's chess culture. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 The Queen's Gambit has many variations but if one is trying to play for a draw the best answer is to accept the pawn sacrifice. White's next move is the latest
8 e6 It is difficult to resist the temptation to delay the development of the black bishop on f8 by blocking the pawn on e7 but White's pawn is strong enough on e5 and there was no need to give it away. After such natural moves as 8 or 8 }ge2 White is better. 8 ... xe6 9 .xe6 fxe6 10 >c3 0d7 11 >f3 0-0-0 12 0-0 h6?
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186
The Sorcerer's Apprentice National Heritage but probably he was being somewhat modest. I think in Iceland it is part of everyday culture! There are two methods to play a game of chess from the initial position. You may either follow book recommendations and wait for some new move prepared at home by your opponent, or you yourself may discover a novelty. I prefer the second way, making new moves myself, not necessarily found by deep calculation but mostly by intuition. I try to deviate from routine positions, even if they are not very promising. I think that it is necessary to use one's imagination to find new ways and to bring life into a chess struggle. However, this game is just the opposite. I was playing a well-known line because during my home preparation I convinced myself that it was perfectly playable. 1 e4 c5 2 >f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 >xd4 5 >c3 a6 6 g5 e6 7 f4 >bd7 8 Wf3 Wc7 9 0-0-0 Lei 10 g4 b5
The idea of this move is to play ...g7-g5g4 but Black loses time. Better was 12. ..g6 13 ig5 i.g7 14 >f7 ixd4 15 ixh8 i.xh8 with an unclear position. Black has enough compensation for the exchange with two pawns more and a strong knight in the centre. 13 b4! >d5 If 13...ixb4 then 14 ie5 0 e 8 15 Wb3 with a strong attack. 14 >e4 e5 The attempt to free the bishop on f8 comes too late. 15 b5 ixd4 16 ixe5
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(46) Bronstein,D - Browne,W

International Open Tournament, Reykjavik, 1990
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[B92] Sicilian Defence This was my second tournament in Iceland and I hope to play many more since I will never forget the cordial hospitality I experienced during my stay in 1974. To postpone a round in a tournament for one day in order to celebrate my 50th birthday can only happen in a real chess community! Many years ago Fridrik Olafsson told me that in Iceland chess forms part of the
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A favourite variation of Walter Browne who has achieved many successes with it. 11 i . x f 6 xf6 12 g5 13 f5 i.xg5+ 14 <&bl >e5 15 Wh5 Wd8 (D)
187
A new move, introduced successfully by Browne in one of his latest games. I was not surprised because several days earlier Browne had given me a copy of his magazine in which this latest game was printed. I played through it and found that White could have played better. Up to now he had always played 15...We7. 16 S g l h6 This is Browne's prepared improvement on the old line, but it seems that White can find a flaw in this variation. 17 fxe6 g6
This is the refutation I was looking for. If 23...3 then White continues 24 Sdxg6 ixh2 (if 24...2a7 then 25 Wb8 ixgl 26 2xh6+ &g8 27 2g6+ &h7 28 2xgl 2f7 29 Wh2) 25 2g7+ and if 23...i.f6 then 24 Hxf6 Wxf6 25 &d5 Wf8 26 Wxe5. 23 ... xf5 24 Wxe5
18 e x f 7 + &xf7 19 We2 &g7 In subsequent games Browne played 19...2f8. 20 h4 .xh4 21 >f5+ <&h7 A surprising move. During my preparations for this game I had only considered 21...i.xf5 when after 22 exf5 White has a strong attack. Now I had to find a refutation. 22 Sxd6 Wf8 (D) 23 Wh2!!
24 ... We7 25 Wxe7+ i.xe7 26 2c6! An accurate move, provoking Black's reply and thereby taking away the c8 square from the bishop. 26 ... 2hc8 27 2 b 6 2xc3 This is necessaiy because after 27...^.d7 White wins a piece with 28 2b7. 2e3 28 exf5 3ic5 29 d 3 30 2bxg6 2ae8 31 a4 bxa4 2xd3 32 f6 &h8 33 2 g 7 + 34 2 h l Black resigns
188
The Sorcerer's Apprentice from the famous mathematician Professor A. Kronrod. He was the first to say that chess computers are the drosophilae of artificial intellect. He and my friend Professor A. Brudno gave me a lot of valuable knowledge about the mathematical problems in connection with writing chess programs. As a grandmaster with a great interest in the subject I was asked to be an advisor to the Moscow Institute of Mathematics when they played their famous match against Stanford University about 30 years ago. It was then that I played my first two games against computers (see page 278). Now of course I have more experience and understand much better the strong and weak points of chess playing programs and of course ... my own weaknesses against computers. Of course, humans don't find chess moves in the same way computers do. They are stuffed with millions of opening moves, which is of course impossible to do with humans. Then they calculate their chips into oblivion in order to find a move. Grandmasters calculate much less but use their experience, understanding, knowledge and imagination. It is exactly this different approach that makes these tournaments so interesting and exciting. In 1992 I was invited to visit the Hewlett Packard Laboratories in Palo Alto, California to give a couple of lectures and play some games against Deep Thought. It seems that they were pleased with my work as the last day of my stay I was awarded the, for this occasion specially created, title of 'Honorary Doctor of Chess Science of HP Laboratories' with all rights and privileges! Their motivation to award me this title was: 'We know that you did not study at university but we, people of science, recognise and respect your knowledge.' 1 d4 c6 2 e4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5
Life can also be very human. I was very pleased and grateful when Walter Browne thanked me for the game and added that, in his opinion, all my moves were the best.
(47) Bronstein,D - Rebel 9 0

AEGON Human v Computer Tournament, The Hague, 1990
[D42] Caro-Kann Defence The AEGON Insurance Company staged their 10th Human vs. Computer tournament this year (1995). To me it is obvious that such events will become a fact of life in the chess world in the 21st centuiy. They will be spectacular and form major attractions to a wide audience, possibly pushing matches and tournaments between humans somewhat into the background. Mr C. de Gorter always organises these tournaments perfectly and each time I wonder if it is still possible to improve next year. The answer is yes, he can and he does! It is held in the best playing hall one can imagine, perfect food and drinks, nice accommodation, generous compensation and prize money. The tournament gets good publicity in the Dutch press - several chess playing journalists are amongst the participants - games and scores can be seen on television's teletext, and a daily bulletin with all the games is available. What more can one wish for? Yes, I have one wish: to meet old friends and make new ones! What makes the AEGON tournament so interesting? Can human intellect be victorious over pure computing power? The answer is yes - f o r t h e t i m e b e i n g but equally pressing is the question: for how much longer? That machine will conquer man in chess is a feet. In many other fields the computer can perform many times better than man and there is absolutely no reason to believe that chess will be any different. I myself became interested in artificial intelligence when I received my first lessons in computer chess many years ago
50 Games with Comments 4 c4 <&f6 5 <c3 <ac6 6 if3 Lg4 e6 7 Le 3 8 Wb3 i.xf3 Against a human being I would now probably have played 9 Wxb7 <ib4 10 c5 but not against a computer. It could have continued with 10...fib8, for instance 11 i.b5+ <&d7 12 i.xd7 + &e7. This was my first game in an AEGON Tournament. Now, after having played many games against computers, I know that this line is not as dangerous for White as I thought at the time: 13 Wxa7 Ha8 14 Wb6 etc. However, when playing against an electronic monster you don't want to compete in calculating power! 9 gxf 3 Ab4 10 0-0-0 0-0 If I had been playing Black in this position, I would have preferred 10...jLxc3 11 Wxc3 dxc4 12 i.xc4 id5 assuming that one cannot lose with a knight on d5, well protected by the pawn on e6. 11 &bl a5 12 cxd5 >xd5 13 ixd5 Wxd5 What to do now? My next move is probably the best of the game. After 14 Ac4 I was afraid of 14...xf3 15 d5 ie5. 14 Wc2! In order to meet 14...Hac8 by 15 We4. 14...Wxf3 poses no problems for White because the disappearance of the f-pawn makes more space available for his pieces. 14 ... Wxf3 15 d 3 Wh5 Better would have been 15...h6. 16 f4 Sac8 17 Wg2 Sfd8 18 i . e 4 a6 This is not necessaiy. Better is 18...}e7 because 19 jLxb7 does not fit in White's plan. 19 Hhgl g6 (D) A human would have played 19...jLf8 here, but not a computer. Its program tells it that the bishop is 'developed' on b4 and bad on f8.
189
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20 f5 A cunning move. After 20 ...exf5 21 jLf3 Wh4 22 Lg5 the black queen is trapped. 20 ... .d6 21 h3 Lei Now planning ...}b4 and ...}d5 and Black's problems are solved. 22 fxe6 fxe6 23 d5 ib4 This move surprised me. I was expecting 23...exd5 24 i.xd5+ &g7. I have the pair of bishops and a good position. 24 d6! 5xd6 25 Sxd6! i.xd6 26 Lg5 Threatening to win the queen with jLf 3. 26 ... Hf8 White could have won a pawn with 27 jLxb7 but why should he waste time? 27 h4 To free the queen and rook. 27 ... Lc5 28 S c l b6 Now after 29 a3 <&d5 30 i.xd5 exd5 31 xd5+ &g7 32 We5 + &g8 33 We6+ &g7 34 b4 h6 35 Ld2 (35...i.d4 36 Wd7+ or 35... i . f 2 36 Lc3 + ) White might have won at once but my attention was completely concentrated on the weak black pawn on e6. 29 Wh3 Sf7 30 Wxe6 We2 (D) Here I thought: 'Why did I not play a3 earlier?' 31 f 5 I didn't see a forced continuation but thought: 'There must be something.' There was of course something but I missed it. Immediately after I had made my move I saw it: I should have played 31 Af6.
190
The Sorcerer's Apprentice Who would have thought that one day I would give comments to one of my own games against a computer!
(48) Bronstein,D Fidelity Elite 10

AEGON Human v Computer Tournament, The Hague, 1991
[C35] King's Gambit Accepted 31 ... Wf2 It was now clear to me that there is no immediate win. 32 We8+ Hf8 33 We6+ 2f7 I did not want a draw, therefore... 34 e 4 Wd4 If Black plays 34...i.d4 then 35 2c8+ &g7 36 c l and 37 h5 or 37 We8. But why not 34...We2 again? Probably because of the move which I had missed earlier: 35 jLf6 as 35...id3 is losing as 36 Wc8 + i . f 8 37 Wxf8 + &xf8 38 Sc8 is mate or 37...Hxf8 38 i.d5+ S f 7 39 2c8+ e8 40 2xe8 is mate. If White had played 35 f 5 again Rebel 90 could have played 35...Wb5 because after, say 36 Wc8 + &g7 37 h5!? 2xf5 38 h6+ i f 7 39 Wc7+ &e6 40 2 e l + &d5 41 Wd8+ d 6 42 Wa8+ <c6 43 Wg8+ &d4 White has nothing. The black king is quite safe in the centre protected by his own army. After the text White has an easy win thanks to the possibility of 35 2 f l Wd7 (g7) 36 Wxf7+! Wxf7 37 2xf7 &xf7 38 a3 black knight is lost. Wxe4+ 35 2 f l 36 x e 4 2xfl + 2f5 37 c l 38 Wc4+ &g7 39 a3 >d5 f4 40 Wxa6 41 b4 f2 42 Wb7+ 2f7 43 b 2 + &f8 &e7 44 Wb8+ )h5 45 e 5 46 c 7 Black resigns (I was very honoured when I was asked to operate the computer for this game with David Bronstein. I knew this particular computer veiy well because I had operated it for Anatoly Karpov's team during the World Championship's match between Karpov and Kasparov in 1990 in New York and Lyon. Because of my earlier experience with this monster, I was well aware of its strength (and weaknesses) and was therefore very curious to see how David would cope. After all, he knows perfectly well how to play with computers. However, David violated all the rules of how to play against computers, especially against strong ones and won in a most spectacular fashion. It is probably the most remarkable game ever played against a computer by a human being. That David takes computers veiy seriously is clear from his book Chess in the Eighties (1978), chapter 'On the way to the electronic grandmaster.' We are not there yet but there are few people who do not believe that it will happen one day. David Bronstein is the only grandmaster who considers playing against computers as an experiment and does not care if he loses. On the contrary, if a lost game gives an answer to the right or wrong of his experimental moves, then he is satisfied. Before this tournament he had decided to play three rounds as 'Bronstein' and the other three as 'a normal player'. Fortunately, this round he played as 'Bronstein'. He asked me if I had any preference regarding the type of opening he should play. I suggested the King's
50 Games with Comments Gambit: after all he was playing this round as 'Bronstein'! Suddenly David Bronstein realised that, in making such a 'deal' he was maybe violating the rules of the tournament. After all he is 'Mr Fairplay' himself but I reassured him. So the King's Gambit it was! T.F.) 1 e4 e5 2 f4
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exf4 2 i.e7 3 <&f3 4 i.c4 }xe4 5 <&c3 6 >g5 As recommended by modern opening books. 7 d4 d6 8 <&d3 f3 i.g4 9 i.e3
Here David Bronstein asked me: 'What kind of a game would you like to see?' I still do not regret my reply: 'Make it as spectacular as you can.' 10 &d2 fxg2
11 Wxg4 gxhlW 12 3 x h l c6 Meanwhile David Bronstein started to think out loud and I took notes: 'It can't be bad to play t h e r o o k t o e l now.' 13 S e l h6 14 d5 Wd7 'If I had seen 14...Wd7 I would of course not have played 14 d5.' 15 Wg3 Wf5 16 'Some extra support for d5 and it does not spoil anything.' 16 ... cxd5 17 i.xd5 'I originally intended to take back with the knight on f4 but now I believe that taking back with the bishop is somewhat better. If I had taken with the other knight then he plays 17...}e4! of course and he is better.' 17 ... >c6 18 Wg2 Sc8 19 S f l <&b4 'I completely missed that move. 20 jLb3 is now forced but I believe there are no serious problems yet.' 20 i . b 3 Wd7 'It is time to chase away the knight.' 21 a3 d5 'Now what?!? I missed that move also.' 22 i . d 4 >c6 'I want to keep this bishop. Therefore...' 23 i . g l d4 24 <&cd5 d3 'Can I take that pawn on d3? Yes, I believe I can, so...' 25 <ixd3 5 'It seems to me that the computer is improving its position somewhat. I have to watch out that c2 does not become weak.' 26 i.a2 b6 "Why does it play this move? There were better moves. Oh yes, I see, it does not want to lose the pawn on a7. Still, I believe it should have played 26...}c4 + .' 27 h4 'If it wants to lose time saving an unimportant pawn I think the time has come to start an attack.'
192 27 28 ... <Ste5
The Sorcerer's Apprentice >e6 37 i . d 3 Wrfl + 38 i . x f l 2xf7 39 i . d 3 tf8 40 WxcG Hel + 41 &a2 Hxgl 42 <c3 1 need my knight in the attack.' 42 ... &h8 (Because of mutual time-trouble the game was blitzed until after the time control and then I resigned this exciting and complicated game on behalf of the computer. T.F.) 43 e 8 Sf2 44 >e4 Sf3 Hf6 45 >d6 &g8 46 tf7+ 47 i . c 4 b5 Hxf7 48 49 mz M6 50 &h7 51 x f 7 Black resigns (I have never been able to catch David actually calculating variations. I really believe that most of his moves were made by intuition and of course, based on a wealth of experience. T.F.)
Why did I miss that move too? Maybe I am now in some danger of losing this game.' 29 &cl ^xh4 'Well, let's go for broke! It's now or never!' 30 ntf7 0-0 31 Wg6 'Maybe I can scare it with this kind of move. But it is a computer, so probably not. Hopefully it is not a genius and will not play 31...1fg5+ now.' 31 ... i.g5+ 32 &bl Wh3 33 Sf6 'I don't expect it to take the rook now but it looks nice.' 33 ... 2ce8 'Now the knight must go because I want to play my bishop to c4.' 34 b4 Whl
(49) B r o n s t e i n , D Deep Thought II

Played by modem between HP Laboratories, Palo Alto (Bronstein) and IBM Headquarters (Deep Thought II),
1992,30 minutes each [D21 ] Queen's Gambit Accepted In brackets the thinking times per moves in minutes and seconds as recorded by Deep Thought II. 1 d4 (1.14) d5 (0.00) 2 c4 (0.15) dxc4 (0.01) 3 tf3(1.04) Why did I think over a minute about this move? I was wondering whether to take a risk by playing the slightly inferior move 3 e4. In the AEGON tournament in 1991 I lost a game with this move against Hitech, the program written by my good friend
35
Bfl
JC6
36
3ic4
Wh3
50 Games with Comments Professor Hans Berliner, which continued 3...e5 4 tf3 exd4 5 i.xc4 &c6 6 0-0 i.e6 7 i.xe6 fxe6 8 Wb3 Wd7 9 Wxb7 Hb8 10 Wa6 tf6 11 &bd2 i.b4 12 a3? i.xd2! 13 &xd2 0-0 14 Wd3 te5 15 Wg3?? &h5!! etc., resulting in a disastrous position for White. In a 'normal' chess game I would think longer. It is part of a game - to be able to choose a move. By the way, in the international tournament at Hastings 1994/95, I decided to play Hitech's recommendation. My opponent, Sherbakov, being very surprised by the move 6...jLe6, thought for more than one hour and the game ended in a draw after only two new moves 12 e5 }g4 13 We2 Wd5. With this draw in the last round I managed, at the age of almost 71, to share first place! Thank you Hitech! 3 ... a 6 (0.02) 4 e4 (0.11) b 5 (0.00) 5 b 3 (0.14) This was the second game with this variation. In the first one I had played 5 a4 trying to recover the sacrificed pawn. However, a fresh idea came to my mind: if one sacrifices a pawn, why try to get it back? Then it was easy to make the most logical move with the intention to open as many lines as possible for my queen and rooks. 5 ... c x b 3 (0.39) 6 ttxb3(0.18) e6 (0.52) 7 a 4 (1.23) b4 (0.52) This is a typical computer solution: his evaluation tells him that this pawn takes away the squares a3 and c3 from the white pieces and that it has become a passed pawn. However, that this pawn is now blocking a path for a black rook and bishop has apparently not yet been programmed. A human player would certainly have chosen to play 7...bxa4 in order to prepare the move ...c5 as soon as possible. But then the 'brain' of a chess computer works quite differently from a human brain! 8 i.c4(0.39) &c6(0.51) An active move with the clear intention of exchanging this knight for the bishop on c4.
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9 tte3(2.04) It was a shame to lose a tempo like this but my sympathy for the power of bishops got the better of me! Also good was 9 <id2. 9 ... >fB(1.01) 10 i . b 2 (0.23) ia5 (0.50) 11 i .e2 (2.41) i .e7 (1.14) 12 &bd2 (0.13) 0-0 (0.34) 13 0-0 (0.43) i . b 7 (0.03)
14 S f d l (2.02) I am very proud of this move. Why? It is a routine decision of course but I made a bet with myself that the black queen would not like the X-rays on the d-file. 14 ... ttb8 (1.03) So probably the computer is nearer to us t h a n we often think. However, I will leave that judgement to the people of science... 15 ie5 (0.56) Sd8 (0.46) 16 S a c l (2.07) Wa7 (1.02)
When my second for the occasion, scientist Bob English, executed this move on the board, I asked him to check with New
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York if there had been a mistake. But two seconds later I changed my mind. 'No, don't call,' I said, 'I now see that I am playing against a genius!' I realised that Deep Thought was proposing an exchange of pieces after 17 Hxc7 i.d6 18 2ccl i.xe5 19 dxe5 ^ x e 3 20 fxe3 in order to get itself into a favourable endgame. I looked on the screen with great admiration! 'How interesting it would be,' I thought 'to see what computers can achieve in, let's not go too far ahead, 100 years from now!' Then I realised that I also had to make a move. To take the pawn did not seem to me the thing to do but what if I could find 'something'? For instance, to play 17 fld7 first. No, I could not see anything. Then suddenly it dawned on me: I had to attack and my memory gave me a large list of moves known from chess history to choose from. First of all the rook sacrifice of Dr Tartakower against Geza Maroczy, Teplitz Schonau in 1922 1 d4 e6 2 c4 f 5 3 <&c3 >fl5 4 a3 i.e7 5 e3 0-0 6 i.d3 d5 7 <&f3 c6 8 0-0 <&e4 9 Wc2 i.d6 10 b3 >d7 11 i.b2 Sf6 12 S f e l Sh6 13 g3 WfB 14 i . f l g5 15 S a d l g4 16 ixe4 fxe4 17 >d2 Sxh2 18 &xh2 Wxf2 + 19 & h l <&f6 20 Se2 Wxg3 21 <&bl <&h5 22 Wd2 i . d 7 23 Sf2 Wh4+ 24 &gl i . g 3 25 i.c3 i.xf2+ 26 Wxf2 g3 27 Wg2 Sf8 28 i . e l Sxfl + 29 &xfl e5 30 &gl i.g4 31 i.xg3 ixg3 32 S e l >f5 33 Wf2 Wg5 34 dxe5 i . f 3 + 35 & f l <&g3 + White resigns. If I was successful I might even be awarded a brilliancy prize. Dr Tartakower only received the third brilliancy prize as the jury concluded that no human mind could calculate such a deep combination. Then the brilliant book of Rudolf Spielmann about intuitive sacrifices came to my mind. I personally think that people should trust their own intuition more and that is exactly what I did! 17 Sxc7 (2.31) i.d6(1.42) 18 S x f 7 (0.55) i.xe5 (0.42) 19 Sxg7+ (0.13) &xg7 (0.41) 20 Wg5+ (0.12) ^ f 7 (0.28) 21 dxe5 (0.27) <&g8 (0.13) (D)
Voila! The result of intuition. The black king is in an unsafe position but is there a way to make the attack more effective? There is some hope as the black queen, rooks, bishop and knight on a5 cannot come to their king's assistance all in one move. But also White cannot attack only with the queen. After 22 i.h5 + &f81 could play 23 S e l and then on to e3 and f3. Yes, one can play like this against humans but a computer will play 23...Sd3. Really? Well, let's try! 22 S e l (1.43) This move has the advantage that it unpins the knight on d2. 22 ... &f8!(2.34) A brilliant reply! The computer guessed my intention and on 23 jLh5 had prepared 23...Sd3. 23 <&f3 (0.53) i . c 6 (2.49) 24 i . c l (0.28) <&b3 (0.34) 25 i.e3(0.11) Looking for a new diagonal. 25 ... Wf7 (0.33) 26 i . c 4 (0.21) i . x a 4 (0.32) 27 Wg4 (0.49) h5 (0.43) 28 Wh3 (0.47) Wg6 (0.36) Up to now I am satisfied that my intuition created an interesting fight. 29 <&g5 (0.43) id4 (0.38) 30 f4 (1.45) Sdc8 (0.55) 31 f5 (0.32) exf5 (1.26) 32 exf5 (0.16) We8 (0.01) (D) We have arrived at the crucial point. Now 33 f6 would win immediately but I decided to make a simple move which I thought was equally strong. I was so naive that I thought that Deep Thought II would resign here!
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I think together we managed to do just that! 46 &h4 (0.07) &d5 (0.01) 2 c 8 (0.28) 47 h3!! (0.19) 48 Wb6+ (0.41) &e5 (0.35) 49 # x a 6 (0.27) 2 f 4 + (0.29) 50 &xh5 (0.23) A f 7 + (0.28) 2 g 8 + (0.01) 51 &g5 (0.28) 52 &h6 (0.26) 2 h 4 (0.02) mate
33 &d5(0.59) Wxe5 (1.05) 34 ie6+ (0.16) ixe6 1.09) 35 & h 6 + (0.11) It seemed obvious to give this check and I made this move almost without thinking, but I did not take the pawn on h5 into account. Better was 35 ^.c5+. 3 5 ... >xh6(0.27) 36 2 x e 5 (0.05) 2 c l + (0.24) Even now I wonder how Black's passive rook managed to give a check. ig4+ (0.08) 37 &f2 (0.18) Sc3+ (0.27) 38 &g3 (0.08) ixe5 (0.01) 39 & f 3 (0.11) 40 fxe6 (0.17) <xf3 (0.09) 41 T5+ (0.13) &e7 (0.27) 42 f 7 + (0.07) &d6 (0.19) 43 g x f 3 (0.05) &c6 (0.02) 44 Tf4 + (0.21) &xe6 (0.05) 45 Wxb4 (0.17) 2 x f 3 + (0.10)
to
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(50) Bronstein,D - Gurevich,M

3rd ABN-AMRO Active Chess Tournament, Brussels, 1993 [C02] French Defence The game of chess is part of human culture. It has a long history, tradition, specialised literature and is well-known all over the world. One single practical game of chess is, in my opinion, only a psychological contest between two people. It is a competition in fantasy, logic, imagination, creativity and some calculation. Of course, in one game you can use a very limited part of your ability and knowledge but nevertheless you need to do it perfectly. This is why it is so difficult to play just one game. When I started to play chess I always liked to look for quick decisions on the basis of my knowledge and imagination. This is why I always liked to play five-minute chess games. If somebody asked me what was my best result in chess, I would name without any hesitation the three times I played in the fiveminute Championships of Moscow in 1948,1952 and 1953, each time taking the title against very strong opposition. Later
Of course my position is now hopeless and I could have resigned here. Suddenly it dawned on me that a loss can also be beautiful and I wanted to give the computer an opportunity to create a nice finish to this game.
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice Even one minute per game can be enough and to illustrate that, let me reproduce a short game. It was played during an interval at a meeting of the USSR Chess Federation. Bronstein,D - Spassky,B, 1 minute each, Moscow 1961, [A82] Dutch Defence 1 d4 f5 2 e4 fxe4 3 <&c3 6 4 f3 exf3 5 <&xf3 d6 6 i.f 4 i.g4 7 i.c4 e6 8 0-0 k6 9 h3 i . x f 3 10 Wxf3 d5 11 i.b5 i . d 6 12 Sael &d7(played with a smile) 13 i.xd6 cxd6 14 Hxe6&xe6 15 <&xd5 <&xd4 16 We3+ &xd5 17 2f5+ Black resigns (17...ixf5 18 c4 and Black is checkmated). A pure mate in the style of t h e Czech problemist school! And this with the players having a mere one to three seconds per move... This mini-burst of imagination gave us a lot of pleasure and Boris Spassky, the loser, enjoyed demonstrating the finale to friends. (For further example of creative fast play, see pages 192, 241, 260, 277, 283, 284, 285 and 286, T.F.) In my last tournament of this kind in Tallinn I came second, losing in the last round to my friend Walter Heuer, chess master, journalist and official biographer of Paul Keres. While playing the King's Gambit with White, I had a winning position at one stage. As a member of the Anderlecht Chess Club of Brussels I was invited to participate in this tournament for the first time in 1991 and since then, as in Moscow, I have not missed a tournament. It is always a pleasure to play a tournament which lasts only two days, organised under beautiful conditions by amateurs who like chess and conduct it as a chess festival. I hope it will become a tradition for the Capital of Europe. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 The favourite move of Wilhelm Steinitz, which was later recommended by Aron Nimzowitsch. Nowadays Evgeny Sveshnikov plays this move regularly and wins almost eveiy game with it. I myself also play it successfully.
I became champion several times more and on many occasions I was amongst the top three. Whenever I was in Moscow during the championship, I played. Needless to say I played in many other five-minute competitions with both pleasure and success. For instance in December 1949 I won a veiy strong five-minute tournament dedicated to the 70th birthday of Stalin. My father was veiy pleased when I gave him my valuable prize, an engraved, high quality watch. He accepted this 'Stalinist' prize because he could not believe that one man could be so guilty of viola ting the socialist system. Further, I came first in the strong fiveminute tournament in Zagreb 1965 which was held immediately after the United Nations Peace tournament. In 1975 in Tallinn and in 1978 in Jurmala I also came first, leaving not only many good players behind me but also Mikhail Tal! He did not play in the regular tournaments but only turned up to snatch first prize in the subsequent five-minute tournaments. The evening before the 1948 Interzonal Tournament in Saltsjobaden started, I played many blitz games in front of a large audience with Miguel Najdorf who was then regarded by many as the five-minute champion of the West. Even today, at the age of 84, he is still a very good Active (Rapid) Chess player, but then he was virtually unbeatable. I am proud to say that I defended the East veiy well and I managed to win a 'match' of many games. The audience thanked us both with a big round of applause for the show. More than 20 years ago I started to promote my idea of Active Chess. It is a form of competition where you need to play economically, making the best moves in a veiy limited time. My first supporters were the chess players of Estonia. Since then I have played many times in Tallinn and I am proud to say that I have won every type of Active Chess tournament, be it 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 minutes per game.
50 Games with Comments The idea is to take away from the black knight. 3 ... 4 c3 5 <&f3 the square f6 c5 ic6 d7
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i mxmmx mmm ss di H i
II B la 1m AI n
A clever waiting move. Now White needs to decide whether to play jLe2 or .&d3 or to go with the knight to a3 and then to c2. White has another idea, not better but rarely played: to attack the knight on c6. 6 dxc5 i.xc5 7 i.d3 ige7 8 b4 This move can be called anti-positional but it helps to protect the e5 pawn. Probably better was 8 &f4 >g6 9 Ag3 f6 10 exf6 Wxf6 11 c4 0-0 12 >c3 with a sharp game and chances for both sides. 8 ... b6 9 b5 â5 10 0-0 ig6 11 a4
black light-squared bishop out of play as long as possible. 11 ... Sc8 A surprising move; 11...fB seems more normal and White should then play 12 a3. 12 Ha2 This move looks too optimistic to be good. 12 Aa3 would have been better but in Active Chess, when you should make fast decisions, it is best to take some risks. 12 ... <&c4 Now Black has prevented this move. 13 5 e 2 White decides to keep the other rook on f l to support a possible f4 later. 13 ... a6 14 bxa6 bxa6
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15 <&a3 Here 16 <ibd2 looks better because after 16...<if4 it is possible to play 17 ilxc4 dxc4 18 Se4. 15 ... ixa3 16 x a 3 i.c5 A very good positional move which stops all of White's expectations. Such moves one can never criticise but nevertheless, why not 16...Hxc3 instead? If then 17 d 6 Black can play 17...>f4 (also 17...a5 immediately is possible) 18 Hd2 Hxd3 19 Hxd3 >xd3 20 Wxd3 a5 and Black has the pair of bishops and a pawn. White's only compensation is that Black cannot castle but that problem Black can solve with ...f6 and ...'Ml. A better choice for White is the move 17 JLb4 when Black can force a draw by means of 17...Sxd3 18 Wxd3 >f4 19 Wxa6
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This advance creates space for the white pieces on the queenside and keeps the
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice position is coming to a draw, but the game takes another turn. 23 ... exf5 24 e6 This move is even stronger than it looks. Now it is easy to see why the black queen should have gone to a6 and not to d7. 24 ... m&7 As c3 is still weak, the X-rays from a7 to gl give Black some chances. The black king is protected by three pawns and appears to be completely safe but this position is somewhat exceptional. White's manoeuvre 2al-a2-e2 now proves to be very useful. 25 exf7+ This capture is a simple but surprisingly strong move. 25 ... Exf7 26 Ee8 + Another powerful move. Now the best move for Black may be 26...rf8 27 g6 but after 28 Sfel White has strong pressure, or 26...>f8 27 &hl g6 28 >e6 2b5 29 c4 with a strong attack. In any case Black should not have proposed an exchange of rooks on f8. 26 ... Ef8 27 Exf8+ ixf8 28 lxf5!!
c 8 20 Wb5 + &.d7, or play for a risky win with 17...Sc6 18 I x a 6 x f 2 + 19 Sexf2 Hxa6. Hxc5 17 x c 5 &a5 18 i . x a 6 19 b 5 xb5 20 a x b 5 Black is entering the middlegame with some advantages. White's attack has been stopped and the pawn on c3 is weak. After the fall of this pawn the game is easily won for Black because of his passed pawn on d5. Therefore White must act immediately and he starts an attack to complicate matters. 21 )d4 0d7
This move looks all right but 21...Wa6 was probably better. 22 f 4 0-0 Now Black can take again on c3 but after 22 f5 exf5 23 e6 fxe6 24 >xe6 the white knight is very strong. This is why Black puts the king to safety first. Nevertheless, probably 22...)e7 would have been a better idea. After 23 f5 )xf5 24 sxf5 (if 24 2xf5?! then 24...exf5 25 e6 Wa7!) 24...exf5 25 e6 fxe6 26 2xe6+ Wxe6 27 S e l White's initiative is over after 27...Wxel+ 28 Wxel + 29 We5 Shc8! 30 Wxf5 + &g8 and it is Black who has excellent winning chances. 23 f 5 A classic way to attack and at first sight it looks sufficient for a draw. If Black is careful and plays 23...)e7 then after the continuation 24 fxe6 fxe6 25 2xf8+ &xf8 26 2f2+ &g8 27 # g 4 tf5 28 <5M5 exf5 29 Wxf5 Wxf5 30 Sxf5 2xc3 it looks as if the
Black was so surprised at getting the opportunity for a discovered check that he thought for seven minutes about his next move. The pawns on c3 and d5 make the white queen safe and in Active Chess one needs to react fast. 28 ... >g6
50 Games with Comments The knight is not well placed on this square. Black should have gone for a draw with 28...Sxc3+ 29 <&>hl d4. 29 sfrhl White is fine now. All his pieces are in the best possible position: the king is safe in the corner, the knight has a strong outpost and the rook is on the open file. Meanwhile, the h-pawn is ready to attack! 29 ... d7 30 Wg4 &h8 31 h4 Hc4? Black loses a vital tempo: 31...Hc8! immediately was somewhat better but after 32 h5 >e5 33 Wd4 Se8 White nevertheless plays 34 h6 and gets a strong initiative, e.g. 34...g6 35 )g7! or 34...gxh6 35 )xh6 with the threat of 36 )xf7+. 32 Wg5 Sc8 It appears that Black has finally organised a good defence. The 8th rank is protected, the g7-pawn is protected by the queen and the reduced number of pieces give the impression that after .. .Hf8! Black is safe. As Fischer said in his famous book My Sixty Memorable Games: 'Chess is a matter of timing!' 33 h5! This advance looks like a little too early because it helps the black knight to change a passive position on g6 for an active one on e6 but in reality this subtle move is the beginning of a pretty combination. 33 ... 34 )e7! This not only attacks the rook but also opens the f-file for the white rook. It is a good example how to occupy the 7th rank with the rook. Why did White reject 34 h6 here? Because of 34...)e6 35 hxg7+ Wxg7! 36 We3 Wf6 but even in this line White
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also has a promising attack because of the strong position of his knight on f5. 34 ... He8 35 Hf7 It was possible to play 35 h6 )e6 36 hxg7+ )xg7 37 Hf7 but from an artistic point of view, bringing the rook nearer to the black king is the perfect solution. 35 ... )e6
36 h6! The coup de grace! Now 36...)xg5 fails because of 37 hxg7 mate and if 36...Hxe7 then 37 Wxg7+! )xg7 38 Sf8 mate. 36 ... Sg8 If 36...)xg5 then 37 hxg7 mate. 37 hxg7+ Also possible was 371Brxg7+. It is mate after 37.,.)xg7 (37...Hxg7 38 hxg7+ and mate) 38 hxg7+ Hxg7 39 Hf8+ Hg8 40 Hxg8+. 3 7 ... >xg7 38 xg7+ B l a c k resigns The mate is one move shorter after 38 )g6+ hxg6 39 Wh6+ but then what is the rook on f7 doing? I prefer a beautiful finish, not necessarily the shortest one.
60
The finest hour in David Bronstein's chess career must surely have been the 22nd game in his match with Mikhail Botvinnik in Moscow in 1951. Having attacked the black king relentlessly the pretender to the throne, aged 27, forced his formidable opponent to stop the clocks in resignation. This victorious attack permitted Bronstein to take the lead in this match only two games from the end: 11V6-10V6. He had to score just one more point out of the last two games in order to capture the title of World Champion. But he did not clear this decisive hurdle and Botvinnik managed to draw the match and hang on to his crown. David Bronstein did not become World Champion but he has obtained the right to be named in the same breath as the most famous grandmasters. He played brilliantly in competitions at the highest level and his spiritual combinations and his paradoxical ideas gave him an unparalleled popularity in the world of chess. But not only his results marked the path of Bronstein in the art of chess. We now offer Boris Vainstein the opportunity to describe the writing and creative talents of this remarkable Soviet grandmaster. This article is extremely interesting as it is the opinion of a person who has been very close to David Bronstein during many years of friendship and creative co-operation. It is a pleasure for us to reiterate that the new edition of Bronstein's book International Grandmaster Tournament (Candidates' Tournament, Ziirich/Neuhausen 1953, T.F.) original in its set-up and deep in content, was recognised as the best chess book of the year in 1983. While we congratulate the grandmaster on his anniversary on behalf all the readers of our magazine 64 it is our wish that David Ionovich will remain the same person that his many, many admirers have come to know and appreciate: a true artist of Chess Art. Editorial Board of 64
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So David Bronstein is 60! No, is time really flying so fast? We remember him as a boy in Kiev's House of Pioneers, as a young man in the reconstruction battalions in Stalingrad, as a very sociable and communicative young man and one who managed to stand up on equal terms with The Invincible (Botvinnik, T.E). And now his anniversary! There is so much one could say about the past 60 years in the life of this unique person, but why should we speak about the past? The past is a fact which you cannot change anymore regardless how much you tiy. Is it not better to look to the future based upon the treasure of our knowledge from the past? In the year 2000 the value of sports achievements will be radically reduced as important tournaments will be held much more often all over the world. Of course Bronstein's performances in Prague, Stockholm, two Soviet Union Championships, his matches with Boleslavsky and Botvinnik, Hastings, Belgrade, Gothenburg, Gotha, six international team matches, best results in the FIDE Olympiads, all within a ten-year period, have been recorded in history and will be remembered by all. But in the 21st century it will be difficult to astonish someone by such things. There is actually no chess theory in the sense of a scientifically formulated theory. However, towards the year 2000 a real theory will probably exist and then Bronstein's Chess Self-Tutor will be remembered in which the first shoots of chess theory became apparent. The players of the 21st century will say that in this manual a game of chess is explained, for the first time, as a system consisting of many elements, all interconnected. It is also mentioned that the basis of conflicts lies not only in the relations between the pieces but in those between the two opponents. Expressions such as 'lines of force', 'the equator', etc. were used for the first time in this chess book, so clear, so new. Also new in this book is the idea that the ultimate goal - to checkmate your opponent's king - is only secondary but the aim is the strategy of how to use your forces to achieve this final result. 'You should move to your destination in stages,' says Bronstein, 'and because the system is conflicting you should take into consideration your opponent's plans all the time.' With the help of many examples the author demonstrates that the principles in chess, as in life, determine only a general approach and not a concrete move. Yes, in the 21st century the theory might be different but even then, like the famous Icons ofRublev, the position from the game Zita-Bronstein will always be a famous landmark in the history of chess as an example of an active defence transforming into a counter-attack (page 33, T.E) In t h e second half of the 20th century there has been an explosive increase in the number of chess books. Once upon a time the publication of a chess book used to be an event we looked forward to but now we have hundreds of new books every year. Some authors even publish several books under their name which surely they could not have written all by themselves. Amongst those books are many reference books about openings, some about the lives of famous chess players, some with collections of games played in tournaments but very seldom will you find any books on the shelves about chess as an art. David Bronstein wrote first of all about chess as an art. His book International Grandmaster Tournament, (Candidates' Tournament, Neuhausen/Ziirich 1953, T.E) of which more than 300,000 copies were sold in this country alone, is not a collection of chess games with commentaries but a real literary work. The author has, in many respects, assumed the style of Arthur Haley. He is only one step away from becoming a professional novel writer and I wouldn't be astonished if this step is made before the end of the century. The games played in this tournament have a certain connection as the grandmasters are learning from each other and trying out new ideas like a research symposium of the
203
best chess brains and theoreticians of that time. It seems that the final result was of lesser importance. Instead of giving many variations Bronstein tries only to expose the general ideas. A reader can find a cognitive and aesthetic value in his commentaries and thoughts. In this consideration the book surpasses the traditional tournament collections. Bronstein as an author possesses a veiy highly appreciated quality - the psychological compatibility with the reader. He never tries to put himself on a pedestal dominating the reader and giving him lessons. Instead he thinks with him, putting himself in his place as it were. He thinks it is strange and undesirable that there are authors (of chess books) who wish to show their superiority (over the reader). When I read his annotations to the first game in this book about the weakness of the dark squares or the attack on the light squares, I thought for a long time that it concerned something quite incomprehensible for me. And a little further on he explains how one day he understood that the weakness of the dark squares is at the same time the weakness of the light squares. This thought now seems simple and self-evident enough but it was never declared as such, either by the theoreticians or by the champions. Maybe this will be part of the theory of chess when it is established one day. Another highly original book by David Bronstein, which he wrote in collaboration with the doctor of philosophy G. Smolyan, is A wonderful and furious World (Chess in the Eighties is the title of the English translation, T.E). Here the authors reveal the aesthetic and moral aspects of the game, worrying at the same time about the new trend in professional chess which turns it into a game where only points on the tournament chart are important, with all the negative consequences. There is no doubt that a struggle to defend the artistic side of Chess Art will take an important place in Bronstein's future. Let's for a moment come back to David Bronstein's idea that chess is a system that is contradictory and dynamic at the same time. Such a system cannot be stable. Either it progresses and develops or it declines. The role and place of chess in our social life now has progressive tendencies. Many young people are showing great interest in chess. But in which direction will chess develop when the younger generation brings new ideas to chess? David Ionovich foresees a change in favour of artistic chess, favouring a tournament as a spectacle not only for professionals but also for amateurs. He not only suggests how to organise new types of tournaments but he has already organised them and taken part as a player. Active (Rapid) Chess is the latest of his inventions, and it has been accepted with great pleasure and enthusiasm by millions of chess players and admirers. 'Who' he wonders, 'except a grandmaster, has the required stamina to play a "serious" game of chess taking five hours, with the possibility of an adjournment, after a normal working day? Who is willing to spend his vacation playing in a tournament that takes two or three weeks, sometimes even a month?' The rules for grandmasters that require them to make 40 moves in 2V hours have existed for the last 100 years and they are still valid today. Meanwhile the pace of life has changed and has become more hectic. Such developments are also taking place in sports. Just compare the records that were established this year to those of last year. But the speed of chess has not changed. 'Has the time not arrived to increase the speed of play?' asks Bronstein. It is a fact that the level of play of amateurs has increased and is coming close to that of masters in the past. The ability of beingable to quickly assess a complicated situation, to find solutions to difficult problems in life, in business, in industry, in science is now a reality of our modern life. "Why then' says Bronstein 'should the chess community be oblivious to these changes? Don't we, chess players, appear strange in the eyes of others? While mankind is now looking deep into outer space chess players still live in the trees!' Bronstein's
204
remarks are very sharp but in reality not far from the truth. When you play faster you need to concentrate more but this is a prerequisite of our era. The time has come to give classification titles for competent players in tournaments with reduced time limits. (In fact the FIDE congress held in Seville in 1987, accepted this idea and introduced a completely new type of chess competition, World Championships, titles, etc. This information was published in Informator nr. 44 and David Bronstein hailed this decision with great enthusiasm in his column in Izvestia. However, for unknown reasons it was never put into practice. T.E) All his life David Bronstein has often played in five-minute tournaments and now he accepts with pleasure invitations to participate in tournaments with reduced time limits. It is surprising to see that even in such tournaments the level of chess can be high, resulting in interesting and exciting games. The advantage of this system is that it is possible to play at least three rounds per day. Just recently a tournament, dedicated to the memory of Paul Keres, was organised in Tallinn this way with ten participants, amongst them two grandmasters and three international masters. The whole show took only three days in front of an enthusiastic audience. Bronstein came first with 6V points, and for his prize he could choose from five objects which were displayed on a table. There was a nice camera and other useful items. Without any hesitation, as a real champion of fast thinking, to my horror he chose a skateboard! According to the instructions for use it was necessary to wear a motorcycle helmet and also knee and elbow protectors. I don't know if he is going to respect these safety rules but I can already imagine David Ionovich, grandmaster of chess, skateboarding into the 21st century! Well, I believe that he has the right to arrive there first! To conclude I want to say a few words about the main reason why chess should not be regarded as a sport but as an art. Now, in official chess the beauty of it is not being respected because it is not in any way being reflected in the rating system. This is how it is nowadays but real admirers of chess (and there are millions of them) are against the few but influential and powerful defendants of His Holiness The Rating. There is no doubt that in the 21st century, maybe even earlier, we will see the renaissance of the cult for beauty in chess. Chess will develop into a kinder more humane game and, at the same time, the bad alien feelings and animosity between players will dissolve. And then David Bronstein's beautiful games will shine brightly like precious stones and will become a standard of the chess aesthetic. A perfect example is his game with grandmaster Paul Keres which was awarded the beauty prize in the Interzonal Tournament in Gothenburg in 1955 (page 50, T.E) Will you, dear reader, meet David Bronstein in the 21st century? If you are young, for sure. To the older people I wish this with all my heart. And what about David Bronstein? A poet once said, with justification (supposedly grandmaster Ferzberi*): On others the years weigh heavily but you, you don't need to prove your cheerfulness, courageously according to your passport you may be sixty but if we measure the power of your vitality you are only thirty Boris S. Vain.it,pin.
This article was published in 64 in February 1984.
* Queengrabber.
(Boris Vainstein himself, T.E)

(1) Lipnitsky.l - Bronstein,D
Adult & Juniors tournament, Kiev, 1938
[D45] Queen's Gambit Declined
19 Axc8 Wxc8 20 h3 c7 21 f 4 Sxe3 22 2 d 3 2xd3 23 xd3 d4 24 ie2 # c 6
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 >c3 c6 4 e3 >f6 5 >f3 i e 7 6 Wc2 >bd7 7 a3 0-0 8 b 3 b6 9 i . d 3 i b 7 10 0-0 c5 11 cxd5 exd5 12 i . b 2 2c8
25 2f2 <e4 26 2 f 3 i.a6 27 >xd4 cxd4 28 xd4
13 2 a d l i . d 6 14 dxc5 bxc5 15 .f5 i.b8 16 >g5
28...b6 29 Ee3 Wxd4 30 .xd4 f 5
16...h6 17 ih7 2e8 18 f 6 + <xf6
31 b4 x f 4 32 2 f 3 g5 33 a4 i.e2 34 2 a 3 a6 35 b 5 axb5 36 a5 b4 37 a6 Draw agreed.
206
(2) Bronstein,D - Nazarevsky,V Kiev Team Championship, 1939

[B20] Sicilian Defence
1 e4 c5 2 >e2 d 5 3 e x d 5 Wxd5 4 ibc3 Wd8 5 g3 i . g 4 6 g 2 ic6 7 0-0 )f6 8 h 3 i . h 5 9 d3 e 6 10 f 4 i . d 6 11 i . e 3 0-0
26 g5 h5 27 g6 >e7 28 gxf7+ 2 x f 7 29 f5 5cf8 30 f6 d 5 31 i . h 6 Wb6+ 32 S d 8 33 Wg6 Black resigns. (3) Bronstein,D - Ratner,B Ukrainian Championship, Dnepropetrovsk, 1939 12 g4 i . g 6 13 )g3 h 6 14 Wd2 i . h 7 15 Sadla6
1 e4 c5 2 ie2 d6 3 g3 i . g 4 4 Ag2 Wc8 5 h 3 i . d 7 6 d 3 g6 7 i . e 3 Ag7 8 c3 9 &d2 0-0 10 g4 i . c 6 11 0-0 &e8 12 ig3 id7 13 f 4 <c7 14 b5 I A ra II l l i l g i | i H S PA IP
16 ice4 i . x e 4 17 dxe4 i . e 7 18 Wf2 Wa5 19 e5 >d5 m WW:; m i l k m m*m, aW I f f ii M lAj li 6 M
Iff A S A HP 1 i f t A f ^S A A UP H I PA H I a $ 15 d4 5 b 8 16 b4 cxb4 17 c x b 4 >b6 w . I A H A WkW A ~~
ah
m,
mM
Itif
^ ^ ^WslM/'l
20 S x d 5 exd5 21 i . x d 5 i . h 4 22 Wg2 i . x g 3 23 Wxg3 S a c 8 24 a 3 c4 25 i . e 4 Wb5 (D)
18 d5 i . x a l 19 Wxal i . d 7 (D)
60 Games with Diagrams 31 d6 )cxd6 32 JiLd5+ &h8
207
20 f 5 f 6 21 h 6 S f 7 22 f x g 6 h x g 6 23 )g5 )e8 24 ixf7 <&xf7 33 Wg3 e6 34 ixe6 We7 35 sf8 Black resigns. (4) Bronstein,D - Zhukhovitsky,S Ukrainian Championship, Kiev, 1940
[C98J Spanish Opening
1 e4 e5 2 >f3 lc6 3 i . b 5 a 6 4 &a4 \f6 5 0-0 e 7 6 S e l b 5 7 b 3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h 3 &a5 10 &.c2 c5 11 d4 Wc7 25 e5 dxe5 26 >e4 >c4 27 &g8
12 )bd2 )c6 13 dxc5 dxc5 14 >fl S d 8 15 JiLe6
208
>xg5 ie7 20 ixe6 f x e 6 21 <g4 ih7
A i i i ! j te A Mf Ml ' 1 1 if
11 i . g 5 h 6 12 Ae3 g4 22 <&hl &h8 23 S g l >g8 24 Sg2 i . e 7
m m. mi
25 f 4 exf4 26 e5 g5 1
Wk y//////.
13 Axg4 Axg4 14 d 3 Ad7 15 S a e l
k 1 1 A 1
15...f5 16 Axc5 bxc5 17 f 4 e x f 4 18 Sxf4 27 x f 4 g x f 4 28 x h 7 i . h 4 29 e 4 g 3 30 x a 8 S x a 8 31 >f6 Wf7 32 Black resigns.
(5) Lisitsin.G - Bronstein,D

[E94] King's Indian Defence
1 <af3 <af6 2 c4 d6 3 d4 ibd7 4 ic3 e5 5 e4 g6 6 e 2 g 7 7 0-0 0-0 8 d 5 a5 9 >el ic5 10 c2 b6 (D)
60 Games with Diagrams 18...e5 19 )xe5 d x e 5 20 S f 2 f 4 21 )e2 g5 22 c 3 e 7 23 <cl g4
209
mm,
(6) Ravinsky.G - Bronstein,D

Moscow Championship, 1946 24 )d3 g3 25 h x g 3 f x g 3 26 Bxf8+ S x f 8 27 )xe5 h 4 28 )f3 Bxf3 29 xf3 h5 w ' y
m
[E61] King's Indian
Defence
1 d4 )f6 2 c4 d6 3 g6 4 )c3 i.g7 5 M4 )bd7 6 e3 0-0 7 c2 c6 I jfc.nr S # ; I I 1 1 1 1 . 1
r
m
m^mim mt
"A A
:
r .
TM
30 e 3 g 4 31 e5 f 5 32 S d l h2+ 33&flhl + 34gl
8 e 2 S e 8 9 S d l a 5 10 0-0 )h5 11 g 5 )f8 12 a 3 h 6 13 b 4 c7 14 h 4 5 15 b 3 g5 16 )d2 g 6 17 g 3 f5 18 c5 +
1 AAA. 1
^ 1
II
\m
IttiMr^
tli iivj
< A:
34...h4 35 xc5 h l + 36 Wgl Wh4 37 Bd4 Ag4 38 Sd2 g5 39 d4 (D) 39...f5+ 40 b l + 41 S d l i . x d l 42 Wxdl Wxb2 43 x h 5 f2+ 44 & d l d4+ 45 &e2 e4+ 46 &d2 d4+ Draw agreed.
18...<>h8 19 i . x h 5 i . x h 5 20 S c l d 7 21 )c4 i . f 7 22 B f d l )g6 23 f 3 S a d 8 24 e4 f 4 25 f 2 g4 26 )e2 S g 8 27 d 5 cxd5 28 exd5 dxc5 29 i.xc5 gxf3 30 x f 3 (D)
210
34...2xe7 35 x e 7 d 4 + 36 4 f l Bxg2 37 ^ e l He2+ White resigns.
20...>d7 21 ^ 5 + Hg6 22 ^ x h ? <xe5 23 .&xe5 vm, mm-
(7) Keres.P - Bronstein,D

Training game played in Hotel Moscow the evening before the match USSR-USA, Moscow, 1946
[C81] Spanish Opening
AH
m
% M M HI m
w m i l l Msf m m m w.
1 e4 e5 2 >f3 >c6 3 b 5 a 6 4 i . a 4 5 0-0 >xe4 6 d4 b 5 7 i . b 3 d5 8 dxe5 i . e 6 9 We2 i . e 7
i f A S
HAfl
60 Games with Diagrams 213 25 g 6 + &d7 26 >d2 h 8 27 <&hl Sg8 28 8 d5 >b6 9 b 5 + d 7 10 x d 7 + x d 7 11 d x e 6 x e 6 12 ^ e 2 0-0-0 13 0-0 f 5 14 >g3 x e 2 15 >xe2 i . f 6 16 c3 S h e 8 17 fifel
28...h3 29 5 f 2 i . d 5 30 >e4 A h 4 31 fiffl d 3 32 Wd2 fig4 33 2 f 2 Axf2 34 Wxf2
17...ia4 18 S a b l 2 d 6 19 & f l 5 b 6 20 b 3 >xc3 21 ixc3 E x e l + 22 Hxel i . x c 3 23 Be7 Sf6 24 ig5
3 4 . . . x f 3 + 35 x f 3 i.xe4 36 ^ x e 4 Hxe4 37 5 d l Be2 White resigns.
(8) Averbakh.Y- Bronstein,D

[Cll] French Defence
24...h6 25 >h7 Se6 26 Bxe6 f x e 6 27 >f8 e5 28 <&e2 e 4 29 f 3 e x f 3 + 30 <&xf3 g 7 31 >g6 &d7 32 h 3 <&d6 33 <&f4 <&c5 34 >e7 i . f 8 35 >g6 i . g 7 36 >e7
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d 5 3 >c3 >f6 4 i.g5 dxe4 5 >xe4 >bd7 6 >f 3 i . e 7 7 i . x f 6 gxf6
36...<&b4 37 - M 5 + <&a3 38 >xc7 <&xa2 39 b 4 i . f 8 40 >d5 <&b3 41 <&xf5 <&c4 42 <&e4 .&xb4 White resigns.
212
(9) Makogonov.V - Bronstein,D

[A80] Dutch Defence
HP'a* Igf
HP A
m x
1 d4 e6 2 >f3 f 5 3 g3 d 5 4 i.g2 >d7 5 0-0 i . d 6 6 b 3 We7 7 c4 c6 8 Wc2 Wf6 9 i . g 5 Wg6 10 Af4 Axf4 11 gxf4 ih6 12 ie5 Wh5 13 Wd3 >xe5 14 fxe5
mm m<
y u m t m ^ m 1
i M X m ^
(10) Bronstein,D - Levenfish,G

[D38] Nimzo-Indian Defence
1 d4 2 c4 e6 3 ic3 i . b 4 4 0-0 5 i . g 5 d5 6 e3 c5 7 cxd5 exd5 8 i . e 2 cxd4 9 >xd4 h 6 10 i . h 4 i . e 6 11 0-0 <ibd7 14...f4 15 Wf3 Wg5 16 <c3 <f5 17 S a d l 0-0 18 & h l i . d 7 19 S g l e8 20 Wh3 Wh5 21 e 4 f x e 3 22 f x e 3 Wxh3 23 i . x h 3 i . h 5 24 S d f l
12 S c l S c 8 13 Wa4 i . x c 3 14 b x c 3 a 6 15 Wb4 ic5
Z k / 24...>xe3 25 i . x e 6 + &h8 26 Bxf8 + S x f 8 27 S c l E f 2 28 h 3 5 f 3 29 Jie6 5 f 2 30 i . h 3 g5 31 cxd5 cxd5 32 &gl Sd2 33 e6 (D) 33...g4 34 A f l f 5 35 ie2 &g7 36 Bc7+ & f 6 37 B x h 7 i . g 6 38 Bxb7 ie3 39 e 7 S x a 2 40 <f4 S a l 41 &f2 5 x f l + 42 &xe3 S f 3 + 43 &d2 S x f 4 44 &c3 S e 4 45 5 x a 7 5 x e 7 46 5 x e 7 &xe7 47 &b4 i . c 2 48 &c3 d l 49 b 4 i . a 4 50 &d3 &f6 White resigns.
r wr >
%
Ht
16 c4 dxc4 17 <ixe6 >xe6 18 i . x c 4 b5 19 i . b 3 g 5 (D) 20 5 x c 8 Wxc8 21 f 3 Wc7 22 S d l 5 d 8 23
213
2 x d 8 + x d 8 24 i . e l b 6 25 i . d 2 >e6 26 <&f2 >c5 27 c 2 Wd6
(11) Bronstein,D - Kan,I

[CIO] French Defence
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 >d2 dxe4 4 ixe4 5 >f3 )gf6 6 >xf6 + >xf6 7 i . d 3 b6 8 1 ^ 2 i - b 7 9 Jig5 i . e 7 10 0-0-0 0-0 11 h 4 S d 5 12 & b l S f d 8
28 1U4 Wxd4 29 e x d 4 <&f 8 31 e 4 >c7
30 &e3
13 c4 d 6 14 S h e l h6 15 i . c l i . f 8 16 >e5 >d7
32 b 4 + <&e8 33 .c6+ <&d8 34 a 5 <&c8 35 <&f4 >d7 36 h 4 >e6 + 37 <&e4 >c7 38 g4 >b8 39 i . d 5 >xd5 40 <&xd5 <&d7 41 &c5 ic6 42 iLd2 43 d5 44 h 5 >h4 (D) 45 i . c 3 f6 46 &b6 >xf3 47 <&xa6 b 4 48 x b 4 >e5 49 <&b7 >xg4 50 a 4 <&e3 51 a 5 >xd5 52 i . f 8 f 5 53 a6 f 4 54 a 7 >c7 55 Axg7 f 3 56 d 4 <&d6 57 f 2 <&d7 58 .g3 Black resigns.
17 g4 ixe5 18 dxe5 Wc6 19 g5 Wf3 20 Wc2 Wh5 21 S g l <&h8 22 gxh6 gxh6 23 S g 3 c 5 24 Wd2 Wxh4 25 Sg4 h 5 26 Wxh6+ x h 6 27 x h 6 i . f 3 (D)
214
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 17 Wfl ie6 18 Wg2 S a d 8 19 Wh2 d 5 20 e5 c5 21 >fl i.c6 gEs'iw./:
-ill
28 i . g 7 + <&g8 29 i . f 6 + &f8 30 S h 4 &e8 31 2 h 8 + i f 8 32 i . x d 8 S x d 8 33 S g l Sxd3 34 Sgg8 S d l + 35 &c2 S e l 36 Hxf 8+ &e7 37 He8 + & d 7 38 S d 8 + &c6 39 S d f 8 Ae4+ 40 &d2 S b l 41 S x f 7 5 x b 2 + 42 &e3 Black resigns.
22 Af5 gxf5 23 gxf5
1 I im+m
m m m m x
(12) Batuyev.A- Bronstein,D

[A48] London System
1 d4 <af6 2 <af3 g6 3 M4 i.g7 4 e3 0-0 5 h 3 b 6 6 ibd2 i . b 7 7 i . d 3 d6 8 0-0 >bd7 9 We2 a 6 10 e4 ih5 11 i . h 2 e5 12 c 3 <&f4 13 x f 4 exf4 14 g4 23...ixd4 24 <xd4 i . x e 5 25 S x e 5 Sxe5 26 Wxf4 f 6 27 ie6 2 x e 6 28 Wg4+ <&h8 29 f x e 6 Wd6 30 <g3 Sg8 31 We2 d4 32 c4 Sxg3+ 33 xg3 Wxg3+ 34 & f l 3 White resigns.
(13) Bronstein,D - Lundin,E

Interzonal Tournament, Saltsjobaden, 1948
[A56] Benoni Defence
14...2e8 15 S f e l <f8 16 S a d l Wd7
1 d4 <f6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 d6 4 >c3 g6 5 e4 b5 6 cxb5 i.g7 7 i.e2 a6 8 f 3 0-0 9 bxa6
60 Games with Diagrams 9 . . . x a 6 10 i . x a 6 >xa6 11 0-0 id7 12 i . g 5 2 b 8 13 d 2 Se8 14 S a b l a 5 15 fifcl ic7 16 i . h 6 i . f 6 17 a 3 fib3
215
AAA
H /\ H I -a-.
IA
Ii,
' iF "'V a A
mi
J M
(14) Taimanov.M - Bronstein,D

16th USSR Championship, Moscow, 1948 18 Wc2 Heb8 19 <d2 S3b7 20 >c4 Wa6 21 Wa4 x a 4 22 <xa4 <b5 1 mwm
I A i l fi S A 1
M A
irn m.
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 ic6 3 d4 cxd4 4 <xd4 <af6 5 >c3 d 6 6 i . e 2 e5 7 if3 h6 8 0-0 .e6 9 fiel e 7 10 f l 0-0 11 b 3 S c 8 12 .b2 i . g 4 13 e 2 x f 3 14 i . x f 3 d 4 15 d3
23 b4 <d4 24 & f l i . g 7 25 i . e 3 Ha8
15...a5 16 S e e l S f d 8 17 g3 d 5 18 >xd5 <xd5 19 exd5
26 bxc5 S x b l 27 S x b l dxc5 28 >ab6 Hb8 (D) 29 a 4 <ixb6 30 S x b 6 Hxb6 31 ixb6 ib3 32 &e2 .c3 33 &d3 i . a 5 34 &c4 Black resigns.
216
19...i,a3 20 .xd4 i . x c l 21 c4 exd4 22 S x c l Wxa2 23 &g2 Wa3 24 S d l b 5 25 Wxd4 bxc4 26 bxc4 Wc5 27 Wal Sd6
(15) Bronstein,D - Ragozin.V

1 e4 c5 2 ic6 3 d4 cxd4 4 sxd4 &f6 5 ic3 d6 6 i . g 5 e6 7 Wd2 a6 8 0-0-0 i.d7
28 S d 4 S f 6 29 Sg4 Wb6 30 h 4 a 6 31 h 5 Wd6 32 S e 4 <&f8 33 Wei Wc5 3 4 i . d l S d 6 35 a 4 S d d 8 36 We2 a 5 37 S f 4 Wa3 38 i . c 2 S d 6 39 We4 9 f 4 e 7 10 ixc6 i . x c 6 11 i . d 3 Wd7 12 S h e l 0-0-0
V1.A&A
39...Wc3 40 Wh7 Sxc4 41 S f 3 Wxc2 42 Wh8+ &e7 43 Wxg7 We4 44 Wxf7+ 13 e5 ie8 14 x e 7 Wxe7 15 i . e 4 d5 16 i . d 3 >c7
44...&d8 45 &h2 S c l 46 Wf8+ &c7 47 S f 7 + S d 7 48 d6+ <&b6 49 S f 3 &a7 50 f6 Wd5 51 Wxh6 S e l White resigns.
17 Wf2 &b8 18 ie2 f 5 19 e x f 6 gxf6 20 <d4 i.d7 (D)
60 Games with Diagrams 219 31 i . g 6 Be7 32 c5 Bg7 33 d 3 34 ^ f 3 <&c8 35 f l <&d8
21 )f3 Ac8 22 Wd4 Wg7 23 Bd2 h5 36 JLh3 Ee8 37 Ede2 Bge7 38 4 d 2 i . b 5 39 Be3 Ac6 40 id4 Ad7 41 Bg8 42 a4 Bge8 43 f l Bg7 44 i . d 3 S h 8
24 Wb6 Wf8 25 g3 Bd6 26 Wb4 S d 8 27 Wxf8 Hdxf8
45 .c2 )e8 46 b4 )c7 47 . d l Bhg8 48 Ba3 Ee8 49 Ac2 Ege7
28 c4 .d7 29 b3 i.c6 30 <d4 Se8
50 .g6 S h 8 51 i . d 3 S h e 8 52 >h4 Sg7 53 b5 axb5 54 axb5 iLxb5 55 .xb5 )xb5 56 S a 8 + &d7 57 Sxe8 &xe8 58 S x e 6 + Se7 59 S x f 6 Bc7 60 Be6+ &f7 61 Bb6 )d4 62 &e3 <S>6 63 f 5 <xc5 64 >e4 (D) 65 <&d4 Bc2 66 )e5 + &f8 67 &xd5 )g5 68 E f 6 + <>e7 69 Eg6 S d 2 + 70 &c4
218
>e4 71 S e 6 + &f8 72 signs.
Black re-
19 Wb4 Wc7 20 d5 >b7 21 Wei >c5 22 Wh4 h 5 23 f3 Sbc8 24 d 6 Wd8 25 Wg3 >d3 26 Sc3 i . x c 4
(16) Bronstein,D - S z a b o , L Candidates'Tournament, 1st round, Budapest, 1950

[E27] Nimzo-Indian Defence
1 d4 >f6 2 c4 e6 3 5 bxc3 0-0
i . b 4 4 a 3 i.xc3+
27 i . b 7 b5 28 i . x c 8 Wxc8 29 &h7 30 >h4 We8 31 i . d 4 Black resigns. (17) Bronstein,D - Flohr.S Candidates' Tournament, Budapest, 1950
[Bll] Caro-Kann Defence
6 f3
f5
1 e4 c6 2 >c3 d5 3 i.g4 4 h3 i.xf3 5 Wxf3 e6 6 g3 7 d3 i.e7 8 i.g2 0-0 9 0-0 >a6 10 We2 >e8 11 e5 >ec7 12 >dl 13 h 4
8 e4 c5 9 e5 >c6 10 f 4 g6 11 Ae2 b 6 12 0-0 >g7 13 i . e 3 cxd4 14 cxd4 i . a 6 15 '&a4 Wc8 (D) 16 S f c l S b 8 17 S a b l >a5 18 >g5 Wc6
13...C5 14 h5
c6 15 c3 &h8 16 h6 (D)
219
8 e4 He8 9 e 3 ig4 10 g 5 f6 11 i . d 2 ih6 12 h 3 if7 13 i . e 3 ^ f 8 14 f><12 ie6 15 d 5 f 8 16 H a e l c5 17 a 3 i d 7 18 b4
16...gxh6 17 ie3 ixe5 18 ixd5 ixd5 19 x e 5 + i . f 6 20 h 5 i . g 7 21 i . x h 6 x h 6 2 2 x h 6 f6 23 h 5 g6 24 e 5 + g7 25 h 5 g6 26 e2 Had8 27 S a d l b 5 28 c4 bxc4 29 dxc4 iib6 30 5 x d 8 Hxd8
18... c8 19 b x c 5 d x c 5 20 &h2 >d6 21 d3 c7 22 <&d2 f 5 23 f 4
31 e5+ g7 32 xc5 5 d 2 33 a 4 5 x b 2 34 5 d l Black resigns.
(18) Bronstein,D - Boleslavsky.l

Candidates' Play-off 1 st tie-break, Game 13, Moscow, 1950
23...h5 24 & h l ih7 25 ib5 i . x b 5 26 c x b 5 c4 27 c2 c3 28 e x f 5 gxf5 29 ^ f 3 e4 30 d 4 ^ f 8 31 a 4 Hac8 32 S c l f 7 33 S f d l i . f 6 34 b 3 &h8 35 i . f l 5 c 7 36 e2
1 d4 if6 2 c4 d6 3 ic3 e5 4 <&f3 ibd7 5 g3 g6 6 g 2 i . g 7 7 0-0 0-0
36... g 6 37 S g l Hec8 38 d l f 7 39 b 3 g7 40 ic2 5ic4 41 i . x c 4 Hxc4 42 d6 (D) Adjourned position. 42... a5 43 i . a 7 h 7
220
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 53 &h2 Wdl 54 S g 2 c2 55 ie7+
44 e 3 Hb4 45 Wd5 Sxa4 46 Sc2 Hb4 47 ixf5a4 55...Wxe7 56 dxe7 e l f
l i
w, ::
i i n
i n
A* a
it Hf
si i A
m i
s a HH
^ mm
48 S d l a 3 49 i . d 4 i . x d 4 50 Sxd4 a2 57 e x f 8 f +
p i p
m. m
m. m
l f l i i i i a 1 M B X 1
jf ng 51 f e 5 + &g8 52 Sxb4 alW+
I!
\m m ha m mm ! i i l a
H
IP M
If
M
n a m
'
57...Sxf8 58 f g5+ Draw agreed.
(19) Cortlever.N - Bronstein,D

is,. . j r ff 1 A j n Olympiad, Helsinki, 1952
[A98] Dutch Defence
A
W W
H
H
HA
H
1 e6 2 g3 f 5 3 i.g2 if6 4 d4 i.e7 5 0-0 0-0 6 c4 d6 7 We8 8 Wc2 Wh5 9 Bel ic6 10 d 5 &b4 11 Wb3 )a6 12 dxe6 (D) 12...C6 13 e3 ig4 14 ie2 ic5 15 Wc2 ixe6 16 <&f4 T7 17 b3 ic5 18 i.b2 &e4
221
9 S d l Wc7 10 b3 if8 11 h 3 g 6 12 i . e 3 h 6 13 i . f l <&h7 14 &g5 15 x g 5 hxg5 16 <&g3
19 &d3 Ad7 20 >d2 Wh5 21 >fl <gf6 22 <&f 4 Wf7 23 f 3 >c5 24 b4 >a6 25 &d3 2ae8 26 a4 27 i . d 4 a6 28 2 a c l te6 29 i . b 2 i.c8 30 Wd2 Wh5 31 Wh6 32 \xe6 x e 6 33 e4
16...C5 17 dxc5 dxc5 18 <&e2 >f4 19 <>c3 Wc6 20 <&d5 i d 8 21 i . e 2 - i e 6 22 i . g 4 <>d4 23 &d2 .xg4 24 h x g 4 Wh6 25 b4 b6 26 bxc5 bxc5 27 2 a b l 2 e 6 28 f 3
33...fxc4 34 Wxh6 gxh6 35 fxe4
28...Wh4 29 Wf2 Wxf2+ 30 &xf2 2 a 6 31 2 b 2 2 a 4 32 2 c l te6 33 &e2 2 c 8 34 &d3 g6 35 2 c 3 &g7 36 2 c b 3 i a 5 37 2b7
35...)g4 36 a5 tf2 37 e5 dxe5 38 2xe5 i . f 6 39 2e2 x b 2 White resigns.
(20) Najdorf.M - Bronstein,D

Argentina vs. USSR Match, 1st board, Buenos Aires, 1954
[A55] Old Indian Defence
1 d4 2 c4 d6 3 ic3 ibd7 4 tf3 c6 5 e4 e5 6 Sua2 SLe7 7 0-0 0-0 8 Wc2 2 e 8
3 7 . . . i b 6 38 <&c3 - i d 4 39 &d2 i a 5 + 40 <&dl 2 h 8 41 .xd4 exd4 42 2 x a 7 d3 43 2 x a 5 2 x a 5 44 &d2 2 h l 45 2a3 46 2 b 3 2 x b 3 47 a x b 3 & f 6 48 &a4 &e5
222
52...&d4 53 <b7 Sxb3 54 <d6 f6 55 ie8 S b 2 + 56 &g3 &e5 57 ic7 Sc2 58 id5 Sxc4 59 <&h2 2 c l 60 ie3 &d4 61 <&d5 f 5 62 gxfS gxfS 63 <&e7 f x e 4 64 }f5+ &e5 65 f x e 4 S c 3 66 <g3 S d 3 67 i h l g4 68 <&g3 <&f4 69 ih5+ &xe4 70 ig3+ &e5 71 ie2 Se3 72 <Sg3 <&f4 White resigns.
(21) Bernstein.O - Bronstein,D

France vs. USSR Match, 2nd board, Paris, 1954
[C01 ] French Defence
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 <&c3 i . b 4 4 exd5 exd5 5 d 3 <&c6 6 ige2 <ge7 7 0-0
30...b6 31 h 4 f 6 32 Wg3 b x a 5 33 b x a 5 <xa5 34 x c 7 <c4 35 i . b 8 b 6 36 &h2 g5 37 c 7 Wc6 38 b 8 <&f 7 39 Wei a 5 40 f 4 Wb6 41 i . e 5 f x e 5 42 f x e 5 Wg6 4 3 d l g4 44 h x g 4 h 6 + 45 &g3 We3 + 46 &h2 Wf2 White resigns.
(22) Denker,A-Bronstein,D
USA vs. USSR Match, 2nd board, New York, 1954
[A40] Queen's Pawn Opening
1 d4 e6 2 g3 c5 3 dxc5 i . x c 5 4 i-g2 5 if3 <&c6 6 c4
7...g4 8 h 3 i h 5 9 a3 i d 6 10 ib5 0-0 11 c3 2e8 12 c2 i.g6 13 <xd6 xd6 14 i . f 4 Wd7 15 2 a e l <&a5 16 .cl x d 3 17 xd3 <&c4 18 A f 4 (D) 18...- ,g6 19 ixg6 hxg6 20 b 3 <&a5 21 Wdl b 5 22 b4 ic4 23 Sxe8+ 2xe8 24 2 e l &f8 25 2 x e 8 + Wxe8 26 f 3 a 6 27 a 4
60 Games with Diagrams 6...d5 7 cxd5 e x d 5 8 0-0 0-0 9 VHc2 i . b 6 10 >c3 i . e 6 11 i . g 5 h 6 12 i . x f 6 x f 6 13 S f d l S a c 8 14 S a c l S f d 8 15 >a4
223
(23) Golombek,H - Bronstein,D

Great Britain vs. USSR Match, 3rd board. London, 1954
[E97]King's Indian Defence
1 c4 >f6 2 d4 g6 3 >c3 i-g7 4 e4 d6 5 if3 0-0 6 i . e 2 e5 7 0-0 ic6 8 d5 ^ e 7 9 i . g 5 h 6 10 i . d 2 >d7 11 Wei <>h7 12 >el l i l i .
li rl ^ l i l *
i
15... d4 16 ixb6 a x b 6 17 b 3 M M
"m mm
| a |
M W.
AH
u l c s a h
12...f5 13 g3 fxe4 14 ixe4 f 5 15 sc2 c6 16 dxc6 bxc6 17 i . b 4 ^ 6 18 i f 3 a5 19 i . a 3 Wc7 20 l d 2 Sd8 21 S a c l i.e6 22 We2 f 7 23 b3 ^ x e 4 24 .xe4
17 ...d3 18 Wd2 i . g 4 19 Sc4 dxe2 20 Wxe2 S e 8 21 S e 4
J| a MrW,
rs iU/j a ' % w 85 24...d5 25 cxd5 cxd5 26 i . g 2 S a c 8 27 Wa6 e4 28 ie3 rAd4
21...ie5 22 5 x e 5 Sxe5 23 Wxe5 Wxe5 24 >xe5 i . x d l 25 i . x b 7 S c 7 26 Ae4 Ac2 27 i . d 5 "if8 28 ic6 i - b l 29 a 3 Af 5 30 & f l i . e 6 31 i . x e 6 fxe6 32 d 4 Hcl + 33 <>e2 &e7 34 <&d3 S f l 35 f 4 S f 2 36 <&c4 S x h 2 37 &b5 Sd2 38 &d6 39 <&xb6 S d 3 40 b4 S x a 3 41 g4 S f 3 White resigns.
\m a
Al 'W m sum..
224
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 13<&e2i.e6 14<&b5Sac8 1 5 & x a 7 S a 8
2 9 S x c 8 S x c 8 3 0 f x a 5 i e 2 + 31 d4 32 )dl
32...i.g4 33 h 3 i . f 3 34 e l
16 i . e 3 i . x c 4 + 17 Hxc4 <2id7 18 >b5 Hxa2 19 Sb4 >Sf5 20 S d l Haa8
34...Sc2 35 &h2 i . x g 2 36 <&xg2 f f 3 + 37 <&h2 i . e 5 38 S g l ixg3 White resigns.
(24) Bronstein,D - Filip,M

Candidates' Tournament, Amsterdam, 1956
[D92] Grii nfeld Defence
21 e6 ixe3 22 f x e 3 ic5 23 e x f 7 + & r f 7 24 ibd4 Sd5 25 S f l i . f 6 26 g4 &g8 27 S b 5 S a d 8 28 S a l .xd4 29 )xd4 S 8 d 6 30 S a 8 + &f7 31 S b 8 h 5
1 d4 )f6 2 if3 g6 3 c4 i.g7 4 ic3 d 5 5 i . f 4 0-0 6 S c l c5 7 dxc5 dxc4 8 Wxd8 S x d 8 9 e4 ia6 10 e5 g 4 11 h 3 iih6 12 .Lxc4 ^ x c 5
32 b 4 <e6 33 S x d 5 S x d 5 34 ixe6 <xe6 35 Sxb7 hxg4 36 hxg4 S g 5 37 stf3 S d 5 38 Sb6+ &f7 39 &e4 S d l 40 g5 Sd2 41 Sb5 4 e 6 42 S e 5 + &d6 43 Sa5 Sb2 44 Sa6+ &d7 45 Sb6 &e8 46 4 d 4 &f7 47 e4 S d 2 + 48 &c3 Se2 49 <&d3 Sg2 50 S b 5 4 e 6 51 S d 5 S b 2 52 &c4 S e 2 53 &d4 S d 2 + 54 4 c 5 Sc2 +(D)
225
m m m
m m <M . M, i
20 Wxc3 Wf6 21 e5 Wf5 22 f 4 i . g 6 23 e 4 2 a b 8 24 Wf3 i . h 7
M"
I
11
I
il
II
!l J0
Ml
11
55 <&b6 2 e 2 56 b5 Sxe4 57 <&c6 Bb4 58 Bc5 Black resigns. Dr Euwe in Schakend Nederland: 'Best endgame of the month.'
(25) Bronstein,D - Rojahn.E

Moscow Olympiad, 1956
[C58J Two Knights Defence
25 g4 Wg6 26 f5 Wb6 27 t g 3 f6 28 e6 >e5 29 h4 <&h8 30 g5 2 b c 8 31 <&hl Wd8 32 g6 i.xg6 33 fxg6 b5 34 d6 Wb6 35 d7 >xd7 36 e x d 7 2 c d 8
1 e4 e5 2 <&f3 ic6 3 i . c 4 4}f6 4 \g5 d5 5 exd5 I H i .
11H
Sill
i
y /
'W>
hw
Aii
; "
II
ii
ffg-
b
si
1 A i A M
it
tH
Kli
fc M A fcl
37 >xf6 Wc6+ 38 Wg2 Black resigns.
I^BW
6 d3 h 6 7 e4
(26) Bronstein,D - Schmid.L

European Team Championship, Vienna, 1957
[CI 7] French Defence
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 c 3 i b 4 4 e5 c5 5 Vfe4 >e7 6 dxc5 >bc6
m
AgAH
m m . w m
SA1
m
m 1 SMI A*
o If
m * a lH miA * I
if
in mmm
iff'
8 dxe4 ixc4 9 Wd4 ib6 10 c4 c5 11 Wd3 g 4 12 >bd2 e 7 13 0-0 0-0 14 <&e5 h 5 15 b 3 ibd7 16 b 2 >xe5 17 x e 5 l d 7 18 c 3 i - f 6 19 2 a e l x c 3
mm iffiw,
226 7 d 2 0-0 8 if3 f 6
(27) Bronstein,D - Krogius,N

t 25th USSR Championship, Riga, 1958
mxm m mx
*
i i
IS &
M i l i i i I
1 i
1 d4 )f6 2 c4 g6 3 c 3 Jig7 4 e4 d6 5 f 3 e5 6 g e 2 ftfd7 7 JiLe3 JiLh6 8 JiLf2 0-0
m m
9 0-0-0 Axc5 10 e x f 6 S x f 6 11 Ag5 Sf 7 12 Ad3 Ad7 13 Ae3 Axe3+ 14 f x e 3 h6
MM
p m
g
W m
M S Aif
a W>, mAm,
9 h 4 c5 10 d5 5 e 8 11 g4 )a6 12 g5 Ag7 13 )g3 ic7 14 Ae3 )f8
mxm mxmx
15 e4 f c 7 16 I f 4 + 17 x f 4 Sxf4 18 exd5 exd5 19 S h e l Ag4 20 Ae2 S d 8 21 h 3 i . h 5 22 c 3 a 6 23 )bd4 JiLxf3 24 sxf3 He4 15 f c2 S b 8 16 a 3 b6 17 b4 f 5 18 gxf6 j_xf6 19 f h 2 h5
j l b i
M ^ m
AA
25 d 2 Se5 26 )b3 )f5 27 Af3 S x e l 28 S x e l a 5 29 S d l <&fe7 30 c 5 b 6 31 )e6 S d 6 32 )c7 &f7 3 3 a4 <&g6 34 Axd5 &g5 35 g3 )f5 36 ^ e 8 Black resigns.
20 b5 sh7 21 Sa2 &h8 22 Sg2 We7 23 Ad3 Ad7 24 <&d2 S g 8 25 <&ge2 S b e 8 26 S h g l f f 7 (D)
227
40... c4 41 >b4 gxh5 42 2 x g 7 &xg7 43 ic6 f d 6 44 >f6
27 &c2 i . c 8 28 >cl S e f 8 2 9 i . e 2 i . d 7 30 i . d 2 f e 7 3 1 i.e8 45 Sxf 6 f x f 6 46 Black resigns.
(28) Olafsson.F-Bronstein,D
Central Chess Club Tournament, Moscow, 1959
1 c4 e6 2 ic3 i . b 4 3 4 d4 b6 5 e3 6 Wc2 i . b 7 7 i . d 3 f 5 32 f4 i . f 7 33 f x e 5 dxe5 34 idl a6 35 c 3 S e 8 36 a 4 Hgf8 37 S f l i . g 7
a
km
mA
HI
A
A
m H BGM
%
1
8 0-0 x c 3 9 b x c 3 0-0 10 >el Wh4
38 i . x h 5 a x b 5 39 axb5 \xb5 40 cxb5
s H i i i
j m,
W
rH
HA
H * H WM A Hk
M
A 4 A 4
| > 1
a & a
figfe
<>
11 f 3 12 i . a 3 d6 13 c5 dxc5 14 dxc5 He8 15 c4 <&bd7 16 Wsl4 (D) 16...e5 17 i . b 2 i . c 6 18 f c 2 ied7
228
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 29...d3 30 >c2 c5 31 i a 3 e4 32 S a d l )7e5 33 f 4 S g 6 34 >el Wh3
I m. a vm
/;.>
\%ms
19 cxb6 axb6 20 e 2 1 1 1 4 * 1 1 35 i . x d 3 Wxe3+ 36 & h l )xd3 37 d2 Wd4 38 )c2 Wf6 39 )e3 5 d 8 40 We2 Sa8 41 c l S h 6
H
IfAl
S A B
$
m
it
%
HI
"
H i
HA it
A H
A M ' :
20...Wh6 21 Wcl e5 22 )c2 b 7 23 )a3 )c5 24 )b5 S a c 8 25 c 3 Se6 26 i . b 4 )fd7 42 g3 t f 7 43 S g l S d 6 44 S d f 1 h 5 45 Sg2 i . a 6 46 Wc2 )b4 47 Wc3 S d 3 48 We5 i . x c 4 White resigns.
(29) Tolush.A- Bronstein,D

Leningrad vs. Moscow, Moscow, 1960
27 Wd2 c6 28 )a3 Hd6 29 c 3
1 d4 )f6 2 c4 g6 3 )c3 i g 7 4 e 4 d 6 5 )f3 0-0 6 i . e 2 e5 7 d 5 )bd7 8 i . g 5 h 6 9 i h 4 a 5 10 d 2 <c5 11 0-0 c6 12 S b l
60 Games with Diagrams 12..JLd7 13 b 3 g5 14 g 3 cxd5 15 cxd5
229
k 18 jtill
(30) Bondarevsky.l - Bronstein,D

15...b5 16 b4 a x b 4 17 Sxb4 Wa5 18 Wbl )a6 19 S b 3 )c5 20 S b 4 )a6 21 S b 3 S f c 8 22 11)2 b4 2 3 >cbl 31st USSR Championship, Leningrad, 1963
[A48] London System
1 d4 )f6 2 )f 3 g6 3 M4 g 7 4 e3 0-0 5 )bd2 b6 6 c3 c5 7 h 3 d 6 8 Ae2 a 6 9 x a 6 )xa6 10 0-0 Wd7 11 We2 )c7 12 dxc5 bxc5 13 e4 e5 14 i : e 3 S a b 8 15 b 3 c 6 16 Wc4
23...)c5 24 S x b 4 x a 2 25 f 3 )h5 26 Wxa2 S x a 2 27 S d l <f4 28 c 4 )cd3 29 S b 7 16...)d7 17 )h2 )b6 18 d3 d5 19 f 3 S b d 8 20 Wc2
n
m ' m mmw. k k k
H 4
k k k k
m&b 29...Hxc4 30 )xc4 Hxg2+ 31 <&hl (D) 3 1 . . . h 3 32 S d 2 )e2 33 Sxe2 Sxe2 34 )bd2 h 5 35 S b 3 tf4 36 & g l S g 2 + 37 <^>hl )e2 38 5 b 1 h 4 39 x e 5 S f 2 White resigns.
20...f5 21 S a d l te6 22 e z d 5 frwtf S3 )c4 )ef4 (D)
230
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 13 S a d l d 7 14 Wa3 c x d 4 15 cxd4 e x d 4 16 &xd4 i . x d 4 17 >xd4 &g4 18 &e2 x e 2 19 >xe2 We8
is
i m n A i m
. JI
HP
nf #A A
mAM*
24 S f 2 >xe3 25 >xe3 S x d l + Wxdl
26
20 >c3 f 6 21 d 5 S f 7 22 S f e l Wf8 23 Wg3 >c6 24 h 4 &h8 25 Hcl >b4 26 >c7 Hc8 27 h 5 >xa2
26...e4 27 Wc2 &h6 28 ) h f l )d3 29 Sd2 c4 30 ftxc4 Wc5+ 31 &h2 i . f 4 + 32 g3 sel White resigns. 'Best game of the tournament.'
(31) Bronstein,D - Korchnoi,V

20 years Liberation Tournament, Belgrade, 1964
[D87] Grunfeld Defence
28 Bc4 b 5 29 ie6 We8 30 Sxc8 Wxc8 31 hxg6 hxg6 32 Wh4+ <&g8 33 Wg4 g5 34 Wf5 Wd7
1 d4 )f6 2 c4 g6 3 >c3 d 5 4 cxd5 5^xd5 5 e4 >xc3 6 b x c 3 i.g7 7 i . c 4 c5 8 >e2 0-0 9 0-0 >c6 10 &e3 >a5 11 d 3 b6 12 Wa4e5
ia h mm m m ha m w A m
wz ^
as
35 e5 f x e 5 36 Wxg5 + & h 8 37 Wxe5 + &g8 38 Wg5+ &h8 39 Wh5 + S h 7 40 We5 + &g8 41 Wg5 + &h8 42 Wf6+ Black resigns. 'Best game of the tournament.'
231
(32) Suetin.A - Bronstein,D

32nd USSR Championship, Kiev, 1964/65
[B01] Scandinavian Defence
29...Wb8 30 b 3 Wb6 31 g 3 >e7 32 S d 3 >g6 33 S c 3 Hd8 34 5 c 6 Wa7 35 We4
1 e4 d5 2 exd5 lf6 3 i . b 5 + &d7 4 i.c4 b5 5 Ae2 ^ x d 5 6 M 3 Ac6 7 )e2 )f6 8 x c 6 + ^ x c 6 9 0-0 e6 10 d4 &e7 11 d3 a 6 12 a 4
35...iLxd4 36 )xd4 xd4 37 xd4 Sxd4 38 S x a 6 Sb4 39 S a 8 + lf8 40 a5 S x b 3 41 a6 S a 3 White resigns.
(33) Bronstein,D - Vasiukov.Y

12...>b4 13 d l 0-0 14 )bc3 d7 15 A g 5 >bd5 16 f d 3 b4 17 )bl c5 18 dxc5 c 7 1 9 f 3 xc5 20 S c l 32rd USSR Championship, Kiev, 1964/65
[B17] Caro-Kann Defence
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d 5 3 )c3 dxe4 i ^ x e 4 >d7 5 c 4 >gf6 6 >g5 e6 7 >e2 h 6 8 )f3 b5 9 Jtd3 i l b 7 10 c3 Wb6 W

' ,
HAi!
Sfiff
20...c3 21 ftbxc3 xg5 22 se4 e5 23 )d2 Hac8 24 c3 Hfd8 25 )b3 b x c 3 26 Hxc3 id5 27 Hxc8 Sxc8 28 )bd4 i_f6 29 S d l
11 a 4 a5 12 a x b 5 cxb5 13 )g3 i . d 6
232
14 f e2 0-0 15 )e5 S f d 8 16 f 4 b 4 17 0-0 a 4 18 i . e 3 a 3
(34) Bronstein,D - Padevsky.N

United Nations Peace Tournament, Zagreb, 1965 19 c4 axb2 20 S a d l S a 3 21 .f2 f c 7 22 S f e l <5tf8 23 h 3 S d a 8 24 f xb2 )6h7 25 c5 .xe5 26 d x e 5 b 3 27 .bl 28 )h5 ^ h f 8 29 Hd6 ^ e 7 30 S e d l <5tf5
[B06] Bird's Opening
1 f 4 g6 2 )f 3 .g7 3 e4 c5 4 c3 d5 5 e5 )h6 6 i . b 5 + i . d 7 7 i . x d 7 + f x d 7 8 d4 cxd4 9 cxd4 0-0 10 )c3
31 c6 i . x c 6 32 f c 3 S 3 a 6 33 i . x f 5 e x f 5 34 Wxb3 i . e 4 35 i . b 6 f b 7 36 Wg3 g6
11 h 3 f6 12 f b 3 f x e 5 13 d x e 5 e6
37 e6 Sa2 38 i . f 2 &h7 39 Sd7 f b2 40 Sxf 7 Sg8 41 f 6 + <^h8 42 ixg8 <&xg8 43 Sd8+ Black resigns.
14 )e2 S a c 8 15 i . d 2 16 g4 <5tfe7 17 Wd3 d4 18 a 3 f d 5 19 0-0 S f d 8 20 i . e l Sd7 (D) 21 S c l a 6 22 f 2 Scd8 23 )g5 h 6 24
233
32 d 3 x e l + 33 i . x e l Sd5 34 e c 5 i . f 6 35 iLd2 S d 6 36 x e 6 Sf 7 37 d c 5 d 5 38 e 4 S d d 7 39 >6c5 S d 8 40 xb7
ie4 Hf8 25 S c 5 a2 26 b 4 g 5 27 >cl ttal
Black resigns.
(35) Bertok,M - Bronstein,D

United Nations Peace Tournament, Zagreb, 1965
[A95] Dutch Defence
1 c4 e6 2 g3 f 5 3 f 3 f 6 4 .g2 L e i 5 c 3 0-0 6 0-0 d 5 7 d4 c6 28 Wb3 d 5 29 f 5 e 3
IP IP M B A mm & S S &: WHf Hi MA if im

V////A M w ,
y
30 Sel x e 5 31 Sxe5 i.xe5
8 b 3 We8 9 >e5 b d 7 10 d 3 >e4 11 i . b 2 i d 6 12 c5 i . c 7 13 f 4 b 6 14 S c l i.b7
m mm m
u M A
m% JA mm
i i I
WA&m<bm,. 'MM 1 )
aa
234
15 &xe4 dxe4 16 f 6 17 a4 18 Wd2 b 5 19 a x b 5 Axe5 20 dxe5 cxb5 21 b 4 e 3 22 Wd4 a5 23 b x a 5 5 x a 5 24 S a l S a 4 25 S x a 4 b x a 4 26 A a 3 i . c 6 27 Sbl h6 m,r m m m m .
m ^ .inr isir i n
il
m
S i , IH
Ht|
k'W. '
A
i
mmm mmm
m a
m ,
fxg5 hxg5 52 5c7 S h l + 53 g l g4
* 1
28 i . x d 5 x d 5 29 Wxe3 Wa8 30 3 b 6 31 Wcl 3 d 8 32 <&f2 &h7 33 Wc4 jLhl
JLC6
M ^ssrgll ^
Wm m
m m
mm. 54 Ha7 Hh3 55 JLf2 <&f8 56.c5+ &e8 57 &f2 S h 2 + 58 <&e3 Sc2 59 A d 4 &f8 60 Ha3 I f 7 61 Hd3 &g6
i A H :&k
1
i
i a
B a
&
a m a
H iH
Jl
34 c6 Ji.d5 35 Wc5 3 c 8 36 c7 Wa7 37 S c 6 Wb7 38 S b 6 Wxc7 39 Wxc7 Sxc7
62 &f4 Sc4 63 Sd2 Sa4 64 S d l b 3 M
40 S a 6 JLb3 41 d 6 Sc2 42 5 a 7 JLC4 43 Sxa4 Sxe2+ 44 & g l i . d 5 (D) 45 5 a 7 &g8 46 JiLc5 2g2+ 47 & f l S*h'2 48 Jtf2 S h i + 49 JiLgl S h 3 50 M2 g5 51
km* w nm, xm a. h a B A B a a, aga a

" " * * " * " HI IS HH * w
w m m . mz.
60 Games with Diagrams 65 5 d 2 i . c 2 66 <&e3 S a 3 + 67 <&e2 S x g 3 68 Sxc2 f 4
235
1 e4 (0) e6 (2) 2 (2) d5 (3) 3 e5 (0) c5 (1) 4 b4 (3) cxb4 (9) 5 d4 (0) i . d 7 (1) 6 i . d 3 (5) >e7 (5) 7 a 3 (3) >bc6 (1) 8 a x b 4 (4) <xb4 (1) 9 i . e 2 (1) >f5 (6) 10 c 3 (1) <c6 (1)
Hi UlAlllhiPl
m
im m+m m
t m m m . m m , m k
69 S c 3 2 g 2 + 70 <&d3 &f5 71 Sc8 S g 3 + 72 & c 4 S a 3 11 h 4 (3) a6 (3) 12 g 4 (3) >fe7 (0) 13 h 5 (1) h 6 (4) 14 >h4 (5) >a7 (1) 15 f 4 (8) <ec8 (7) 16 g5 (10) <b6 (2) 17 i . d 3 (12) i . b 5 (4) 18 i.c2 (2) i . e 7 (1) 19 Wg4 (1) Wd7 (2) 20 f 5 (3)
73 i . b 2 S a 2 74 i . c 3 <&e4 75 <&b3 Se2 76 5 e 8 f 3 77 Sxe6 g3 78 Hf6 g2 79 5g6 f2
20...hxg5 (5) 2 1 f x e 6 (3) Wxe6 (1) 22 )f5 (23) <&d7 (1) 23 i . x g 5 (0) f 6 (3) 24 i . h 4 (3)
White resigns.
(36) Barendregt.J - Bronstein,D

European Team Championship, Hamburg, 1965
[COOJ French Defence
(The time taken for each move is given in brackets)
24..JLf8 (13) 25 <e3 (23) Wxg4 (3) 26 &xg4 (0) Hxh5 (7) 27 i . g 6 (3) 2 h 8 (2) (D)
236
(37) Kavalek.L-Bronstein,D
Asztalos Memorial Tournament, Szombathely, 1966
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 ic3 dxe4 4 ixe4 >f6 5 >xf6+ gxf6 6 i.e2 i . f 5 7 >f3 >d7 8 0-0 e6 9 c4 i . g 6 10 d 5 e5 11 >d2 Wc7 12 >b3 .d6
28 exf6 (3) gxf6 (1) 29 ixf6 + (3) &c7 (4) 30 >a3 (3) i . c 6 (5)
13h6c514h4 f515f4
31 c4 (5) b 4 + (2) 32 <&f2 (2) dxc4 (2) 33 d 5 (1) i . c 5 + (1) 34 & e l (0) >xd5 (3) 35 >e4 (5) b 4 + (1) 36 & f 2 (0) Haf8 + (1) 37 <&gl (0) >f4 (1) 38 i . g 3 (1)
15...e4 16 h 5 f 6 17 g3 0-0-0 18 S f 2 e 8 19 i . f l Sg8 20 &h2
38...3hg8 (5) White resigns. Total t i m e used: White 2.25 Black 1.55 (see Time Graph on the next page)
60 Games
with
Diagrams
237
Time Graph Barendregt, J-Bronstein,D
GMISGHimHglEEEimiEBiM
I
<
e6 d5 c5 cxb4 .d7 e7 bc6 xb4 c6 a6 tfe7 h6 a7 tec8 b6 b5

kel
/ v.
-<
r
>
s. V
...
/ V /
Wd7 hxg5 Wxe6 &d7 fB f8 Wxg4 Sxh5 2h8 gxfB &c7 c6 i.b4+ dxc4
1.C5 +
r i
H
xd5 i.b4+ SafBH f4 Shg8
238
20...5g4 21 Ae2 x h 5 22 <&hl >b6 23 S h 2 Wf7 24 Wfl >d7 25 Wh3 i . g 6 26 >d2 Se8 27 <fl e 3 28 S e l Wg8 29 A f 3 Af7
55...5e8 56 Wal &a8 57 >c6 i . x b 5 58 <sxa7
30 i . x g 4 f x g 4 31 Wg2 >b6 32 Wc2 ixc4 33 & g l x d 5 34 b 3 b 6 35 Hxe3 &c7 36 Sd2 <S?c6 37 Wf5
58...a4 59 Wc3 Wdl + 60 <&h2 S f 8 61 Wc5 Wf3 62 i . g l We2+ 63 & h l We4+ 64 &h2 Wc2+ 6 5 Wxc2 Axc2 66 >b5 i . e 4 67 >c3 i.c6 68 >e2 H f l White resigns. 37...C4 38 bxc4 i . x c 4 39 W xf6 >d5 40 5xd5 &xd5
(38) Tal.M- Bronstein,D

Adjourned position. 41 He5+ Axe5 42 ie3 + &c5 43 f x e 5 We6 44 Wf4 b 5 45 i . f 8 + <&b6 46 d 6 &a6 47 >c2 Wg6 48 Wd2 We4 49 c 5 Wxe5 50 At2 Hc8 51 a 4 <&b7 52 Wa5 S a 8 5 3 k!4 Wc7 5 4 Wei Wd7 55 a x b 5 (D) Experimental game: Thinking aloud for the audience', Central House of Literature, Moscow, 1966
[BIO] Caro-Kann Defence
1 e4 c6 2 d3 e5 3 f 4 d 5 4 >f3 d x e 4 5 <xe5 (D)
239
x f 5 18 g4 >d6 19 >xd6+ Hxd6 20 Wc8 + Hd8 21 c 7 + &e7 22 xb7 Wxc4 23 Af4 <e5 24 S c l
5...h4+ 6 g3 We7 7 d4 >h6 8 .c4 AeG
28..~ie3+ 29 i x e 3 &c6+ 30 <&el ''xc 1 + White resigns.
(39) Moiseyev.O - Bronstein,D

[A48] Torre Attack
1 d4 >f6 2 >f3 g6 3 Ag5 Ag7 4 >bd2 d6 5 e3 0-0 6 .d3 <bd7 7 0-0 h6 8 &h4 e5 9 c3 We8 10 >el (D)
240
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 24 >d2 f 8 25 b 3 b 7 26 g4 g5 27 A g 3 3 a d 8 28 S f d l Wd7 29 h 3 i . c 5 30 Wei Wd3 31 ifl Wf3 White resigns.
(40) Bronstein,D - Benko.P

International Tournament, Monte Carlo, 1969
[B09] Pirc Defence
10...d5 11 >b3 a5 12 a 4 >b6 13 >c5
1 e4 d6 2 d4 >f6 3 >c3 g6 4 f 4 i.g7 5 e5 dxe5 6 dxe5 Wxdl + 7 & x d l <g4 8 & e l c6
13...>fd7 14 Wb3 ^ x c 5 15 dxc5
9 h 3 >h6 10 g4 f 6 11 e x f 6 e x f 6 12 c 4 >f7 13 3 h 2 >d6 14 i . b 3 <&d8
15...>c4 16 i . x c 4 dxc4 17 Wxc4 i . e 6 18 We2 Wc6 19 e4 Wxc5 20 >d3 Wc6 21 We3 S f e 8 22 >c5 c 8 2 3 >b3 b6
15 f 5 Be8+ 16 & f l g5
60 Games with Diagrams 17 h 4 h 6 18 f 3 d 7 19 i d 2 <&c7 20 Bel b 6 2 1 S x e 8 ixe8 22 i e l i a 6 + 23 &gl i f 8 24 i g 3 + i d 6 25 i x d 6 + x d 6 26 h x g 5 hxg5 27 S h 7 Se8 28 i e 6 i c 8 29 >d4 a 6 30 a 4 2 d 8
241
2 d g l Wh5 31 >bcl >c6 32 2 f l e 7 33 f 3 sf5 34 f x e 4 2 x e 4 35 2 h g l 2 x g l 36 ixgl g 3 37 2 f 2 2 e 3 38 Wg2 31 i d 5 2 e 8 32 i x c 6 c 4 33 i d 5 34 i e 6 x g 4 35 e 4 2 d 8 36 c4 g e 5 37 x f 6 &d6 38 )e4+ <&c7 39 i d 5 2 e 8 40 e 6 + &b8 41 d 6 2 g 8 42 b3 6 43 2 c 7 x d 5 44 c x d 5 Black resigns.
Che3
, ik
'JH
I 1 i
m mm m m m
i
(41) Honfi.K - Bronstein,D

International Tournament, Monte Carlo, 1969
[C16] French Defence
38...Wf5 + 39 2 c 2 e 4 40 a 3 f 3 White resigns. (2nd brilliancy prize)
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d 5 3 c 3 i b 4 4 e5 b6 5 Wg4 i f 8 6 i g 5 Wd7 7 i b 5
(42) Fischer,R - Bronstein,D

Unofficial World Championship 5-minute blitz chess Herceg Novi, 1970
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d 5 3 c 3 i b 4 4 e5 b6 5 a 3 i f 8 6 f4 c 6 7 f 3 h 6 8 i d 3 >f 5 9 e 2 h 5 10 g3 i b 7 11 c3 Wd7 12 Wc2 0-0-0 13 b4 f6 14 i d 2 <&b8 15 0-0&fe7 16 2 f b l
7...c6 8 f 3 i b 7 9 0-0-0 h 6 10 i f 4 a 6 11 i e 2 0-0-0 12 h 4 h 5 13 Wh3 f 6 14 g 4 h x g 4 15 Wxg4 h 6 16 Wh3 i b 4 17 b l Wf7 18 e x f 6 g x f 6 19 c 3 i f 8 20 b d 2 2 e 8 21 W f l (D) 21...e5 22 i x h 6 i x h 6 23 i x a 6 e4 24 g l 2 h g 8 25 <&bl Wg6 26 b 3 b 8 27 Wh3+ f 5 28 i x b 7 + &xb7 29 e 2 f 4 30
mmwm "m
242
(43) Janosevic.D - Bronstein,D

19 S f l exd4 20 cxd4 i.g7 21 c 3 e5 22 S f 7 exd4 23 2 x g 7 S x h 4 24 gxh4 g4+ 25 ^ g 3 dxc3 26 xc3 d 4 27 d2 International Tournament, Sarajevo, 1971
[COS] French Defence
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d 5 3 id2 c5 4 exd5 exd5 5 & g f 3 <>c6 6 i . b 5 i . d 6 7 0-0 cxd4 8 ib3 &ge7 9 >bxd4 0-0 10 i . e 3 i . g 4 11 h 3 h 5 12 i . d 3
27...>e5 28 S f l ^ d 5 29 i . f 5 )f3+ 30 S x f 3 xf3
12...&xd4 13 i . x d 4 ic6 14 c 3 ixd4 15 cxd4 f 6 16 g4 g 6 17 S e l
31 i.e4 Wxa3 32 Wxd4 f c l + 33 &f2 Sf8 + 34 ic3 35 i.xb7 Bxf5 + 36 i . f 3 r i 5 37 Sg8+ &b7 38 We4 Wd2+ 39 &g3 c6 (D) 40 x f 5 W e l + 4 1 &g4 ie3 + 42 &f4 ixf5 43 &xf5 Wxb4 44 Sg7+ &c8 45 i . e 4 f 8 + 46 <&g6 We8+ 47 & f 5 ST8 + Draw agreed.
17...Wf4 18 x g 6 f x g 6 19 S e 3 h 5 20 Wb3 h x g 4 21 xd5 + & h 7 22 h x g 4 Wxg4+ 23 & f l (D)
243
i
i i /.
i
* m
H
i
P A
M If
mwm
HI fS&ii
!
8 cxd5 )xd5 9 e 2 <id7 10 0-0 <i7f6
A f i
2 3 . . . M 4 24 <ie5 Wh5 25 S a e l x e 3 26 5 x e 3
26...5f4 27 We6 Haf8 28 2 h 3 Hxf2+ 2 9 & g l H f l + 30 &g2 S 8 f 2 + 31 &g3 S f 3 + 32 ?ixf3 S x f 3 + 33 <&g2 f x h 3 + 34 &xh3+ S x h 3 35 &xh3 <&g8 White resigns.
11 ia4 )e4 12 i - d 3 ixd2 13 Wxd2 i-g4
(44) Bronstein,D - Gheorghiu.F

International Tournament, Las Palmas, 1972
1 d4 <if6 2 c4 g6 3 <ic3 d 5 14 <&e5 i . x e 5 15 d x e 5 f c 7 16 h 3 i . e 6 17 f 4 S a d 8
4 <&f3 i . g 7 5 e3 0-0 6 d 2 c6 7 H c l i . e 6 (D)
244 18 c5 c 8 19 e4 b 6
(45) Bronstein,D - Kapengut,V

20 >a6 .xa6 21 x a 6 >f6 22 We3 >d7 40th USSR Championship, Baku, 1972
[E90]King's Indian Defence
1 c4 f 6 2 >f3 g6 3 )c3 .g7 4 e4 0-0 5 d4 d6 6 h 3 e5 7 d 5 >a6 8 .g5 h 6 9 i . e 3 ic5 10 )d2 ih7 11 b4 ia6 12 a 3 f 5 13 )b3tf6
23 b4 >b8 24 .c4 Wd7 25 &h2 Wd4 26 Wei e6 14 c5 )xe4 15 >xe4 f x e 4 16 c 4 We8
27 i . b 3 - a 6 28 a 3 c5 29 We2 Wd3 30 i . c 4 Wxe2 31 x e 2 >c7 32 bxc5 2 d 2 33 cxb6 axb6 (D) 34 S f e l S d 7 35 2c6 2 a 8 36 S e e l Ha7 37 2 d 6 S e 7 38 2 x b 6 S x a 3 39 2 b 7 - d 5 40 2 b 8 + Black resigns.
17 c6 b x c 6 18 dxc6 + i.e6 19 x e 6 + Wxe6 20 >a5 d5 21 Wb3 S f 6 22 0-0 2 d 8 23 >b7 2 e 8 24 b 5 d4 25 Wxe6 + S e x e 6
60 Games with Diagrams 26 d 2 f 8
245
8...c6 9 c4 ia6 10 ic3 0-0 11 h 3 )c5 12 i . c 2 cxd5 13 cxd5 f c 7 14 i . d 2 g6
27 2 f c l >b8 28 ic5 i . x c 5 29 Sxc5 S f 5 30 B e l Hef6 31 2xe4 Bxf2 32 i . x h 6 d3
15 b4 ia6 16 a 3 ih5 17 g3 S a c 8 18 b 3 &h8
i wl wfm
mg m - a WM m X m a H wa H nt
t A f i i i i
l i
HA H A ^ l
1 1
33 2 d 5 2e2 34 2 e x e 5 ixc6 35 b x c 6 2 x e 5 36 2 x e 5 2 x c 6 37 e 3 2 c 3 38 &f2 & f 7 39 a4 2 c 2 + 40 &f3 &f6 41 2 d 5 Black resigns.
19 0-0-0 b 5 20 <&b2 WW 21 i . h 6 2 f d 8 22 f d 2 ib8 23 g4 24 i-g5 i . e 8 25 We2 )bd7 26 Wxb5 Wc7 27 2 c l ib6 28 Wa6 Wd7 29 2 h e l <&g7 30 e 3 2 b 8 31 id2
(46) Bronstein,D - Panno,0

Interzonal Tournament, Petropolis, 1973
* W
\ n
m
1 e4 e5 2 )f3 ic6 3 i . b 5 if6 4 f e 2 i . e 7 5 c3 d6 6 d 4 i . d 7 7 d 5 ib8 8 i . d 3
mm m mm
A
IVHIi
A & A A
jlh m
mmm m m <m> wot
31...h5 32 g5 ih7 33 h 4 f6 34 g x f 6 + i . x f 6 35 2 h l We7 36 if3 2 d 7 37 >b5 2 d b 7 38 ic3 i . d 7 39 &a2 i . g 4 40 )h2 i . d 7 (D) Adjourned position. 41 if3 i . g 4 42 >d2 x h 4 43 i . c 2 i . g 5 44 ib3 i . x e 3 45 f x e 3
246
60 Hgl <&g5 61 Sc7 S d 8 62 B d l i e 2 63 S b l Hxd5 64 c 5 te6
48 i x a 6 S a 7 49 b 5 c 4 50 Wb4 &xa3 51 &xa3 i x a 6
65 b 7 S x a 5 66 &xa5 x c 7 67 b8W Sxc5+ 68 &b6 e 6
52 b6 S a a 8 53 a 4 f 6 54 a 5 S c 8 55 2 c 6 <&h6
69 We8 Ag4 70 S g l Hd5 71 e4 Hd6+ 72 &a5 S a 6 + 73 &b4 5 b 6 + 74 &c3 &g5 75 We7+ <>f4 76 Wf6+ <&xe4 77 S e l + &d5 78 Sxe5+ &d6 79 S a 5 Sc6 + 80 &d2 i f 5 81 We5 + &d7 82 Bd5+ &e7 83 Ba5 S d 6 + 84 &el Hd8 (D) 85 &e2 i d 3 + 86 &e3 i f 5 87 Ha3
247
97 &g3 2 d 8 9 8 Wc7 + Hd7 99 Wc4+ i . e 6 100 m>4 S e 7
S d 7 88 h8 &f7 101 <4,h4 He8 102 <&g5 i f 5
89 Ha8 Hc7 90 <4>f2 <&e7 91 We5 4 f 7 92 2 h 8 2 c 2 + 93 &e3 if8 103 &h6 Se7 104 Tb3+ 2 e 6 105 Wb2
94 Wd5+ e 6 95 We5 Af8 96 * f 4 Hc8 Black resigns. (47) B r o n s t e i n , D - Reshevsky.S Interzonal Tournament, Petropolis, 1973
[C50] Hungarian Defence
1 e4 e5 2 tf3 ic6 3 i . c 4 d6 4 d 4 i . e 7 5 d x e 5 dxe5 6 i . d 5 i . d 6 7 ig5 ih6 8 c3 ie7 9 i . b 3 ig6 10 g3 We7 11 h 3 i . d 7 (D) 12 We2 0-0-0 13 >f3 i . c 5 14 i . e 3 <&b8
248
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 28 We2 We6 29 &d2 S h 8 30 sc4 f x g 3 31 fxg3 32 t f l g6 33 <ife3 S d 8
15 )bd2 i . x e 3 16 Wxe3 f 5 17 0-0-0 f 4 18 e2 )f7 34 S f l >d6 35 x d 6 cxd6 36 ttc4 Wh3 37 S f 3 h l + 38 f l f x f l + 39 S x f l <&c8
19 h4 h 5 20 tfi2 e 6 21 ic4 f c5 22 S x d 8 + <&xd8 23 S d l &f7 24 id2 &c6
Adjourned position. 42 S f 6 S d 8 43 S e 6 S d 7 44 &c2 ^ c 8 45 S x g 6 S h 7 46 b4 b 5 47 )e3 )e7 48 S g 5 <&d7 49 b 3 <&e6 50 c4 )c6 51 <&c3 )d4 52 )f5 )xf5 53 exf 5+ <&f6 54 &d3 bxc4+ 55 b x c 4 S b 7 56 S x h 5 5 x b 4 57 g4 d5 (D) 58 S h 6 + & f 7 59 g5 Sxc4 60 f 6 S d 4 + 61 &c2 Sc4+ 62 &b2 S b 4 + 63 <&a3 Sf4 64 S h 7 + & e 6 65 S h 6 <&f7 66 S h 7 + & g 6
249
67 2 h 6 + & f 7
12 a 3 >d4 13 0-0-0 e6 14 >e2 >b5 15 i e 7 Sd7
68 h 5 e4 69 S h 7 + <&e6 70 h 6 <&f5 71 He7 <&xg5 72 h 7 S f 3 + 73 <&b2 &xf6
16 i h 4 e x d 5 17 >f4 >c7 18 >xd5 x d 5 19 S x d 5 S x d 5 20 exd5 i b 7
74 Se8 S h 3 75 h8W+ S x h 8 76 S x h 8 <&e5 77 &c3 d 4 + 7 8 <&c4 d3 79 <&c3 a 5 80 2 e 8 + <&f4 81 <&d2 a 4 82 S f 8 + <&e5 83 <&e3 &d5 84 S a 8 Black resigns.
21 d6 .f8 22 d 7 i . h 6 + 23 &bl g5
(48) Bronstein,D - Dvoretsky.M

USSR Zonal Tournament, Vilnius 1975
1 d4 f 6 2 c4 g6 3 >c3 i g 7 4 e4 d6 5 f 3 0-0 6 JLe3 c5 7 dxc5 dxc5 8 Wxd8 Sxd8 9 ilxc5 >c6 10 >d5 x d 5 11 cxd5 b6 (D)
250 24 f 2 c 6 25 Ae3 i . x d 7
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 1 e4 c5 2 >f3 e6 3 d3 >c6 4 g3 Ae7 5 Ag2 >f6 6 0-0 d5 7 f e 2 b 6 8 e5 >d7 9 c4 >db8 10 >c3 d4 11 >e4 h 6
26 Ad3 Se8 27 i . c l Se6 28 i . f 5 S d 6 29 Axd7 S x d 7 12 h 4 i . b 7 13 I f 4 <d7 14 h 5 g4 <ih7 16 .g3 t d 7 17 <fd2 0-0 15
30 h 4 S e 7 31 h x g 5 i - f 8 32 S d l Se2 33 Sd8 5xg2 18 f 4 f 5 19 exf6 gxfB 20 f 5 e5 21 >f3 >d8
34 Af4 <&g7 35 e 5 + f 6 36 x f 6 + <f7 37 f4 h 5 38 gxh6 i . x h 6 39 Ae5 Sg4 40 Sd6 S h 4 41 &c2 <&e7 42 f 5 Af4 43 f 6 + Black resigns.
(49) Bronstein,D - Nowak,l

International Tournament, Sandomierz, 1976
[COO] Chigorin Attack
22 g5 h x g 5 23 >h2 >f7 24 h 6 S a b 8 25 Wh5 >h8 26 >g4 i . d 6 27 S a e l Wd8 28 >exf6+ Exf6 29 Axe5 Axe5 30 Sxe5 Axg2 (D) 31 S f e l S f 7 32 &xg2 &f8 33 &gl f c7 34 Wh2 S d 8 35 2 l e 4 Wc8 36 Wh5 f c7 37 &g2 Wc8 38 Se6 5 x f 5 39 S e 7 >f6 40
251
Black resigns.
(50) Ree,H - Bronstein,D

3rd Tungsram International Tournament, Budapest, 1977
[A92] Dutch Defence
25...i.d7 26 Sxc5 b x c 5 27 Wxf6 S x f 6 28 lc2 S b 6 29 f 3 i.c6 30 f x e 4 dxe4 31 >al I I ll if 1. M i m m 'dm W\
1 d4 e6 2 c4 f 5 3 g3 if6 4 i . g 2 e 7 5 lf3 0-0 6 0-0 le4 7 ^ b d 2 i . f 6 8 f c 2 d5 9b3 m m m m
J ''*'m mi
m. 11A m m
m
aa
m m m
n HA H 1 HI M A iHf AH. ' m & n * a i A iiSA Ail A % Hi Si?'

9...C5 10 b 2 cxd4 11 i . x d 4 ^ c 6 12 x f 6 Wxf6 13 cxd5 exd5 14 a3 a5 15 Wd3 i . e 6 16 e 3 S a d 8 17 S f d l (D) 1 7 . . . f 7 18 ld4 le5 19 lxe4 f x e 4 20 Wb5 b6 21 S a c l ld3 22 Sc2 Sc8 23 m
31...a4 32 b4 c x b 4 33 a x b 4 S x b 4 White resigns.
(51) Bronstein,D - Gufeld,E

3rd Paul Keres Memorial Tournament, Tallinn, 1981
[A48] Torre Attack
1 lf3 g6 2 d4 3 i.g5 i.g7 4 ^ b d 2 d6 5 e4 h 6 6 i . h 4 g5 7 g 3 ^ h 5 8 c3 e6 9 lb3 ^ d 7 10 ^ f d 2 ixg3 11 h x g 3 a 5 12 a 4 0-0 13 d 3 f 5 14 f e 2 >f6 (D)
252
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 24 S b l 25 Wc4 a 4 26 >c5 Wxc4 27 &xc4 Ba7 28 S d l Bfa8 29 .xe6+
nm. I I S A
WB, I 'am. 'm>. m. y
flA
A*
,
%M
S I H M
xi m^mwm&M
15 f4 gxf 4 16 gxf4 i d 7 17 e5 \d5 18 g3 We8 29...<&f8 30 g4 b 5 31 te3 fxg4 32 f 5 g3+ 33 <&g2 \c6 34 >d7+ <&e8
19 &f2 dxe5 20 dxe5 .xa4
38 <af6 m a t e .
(52) Bronstein,D - Yusupov,A

USSR Team Competition, Veterans against Youngsters, Moscow, 1981
[C30]King's Gambit
1 e4 e5 2 f 4 f 6 3 \f3 xe4 4 d 3 \c5 5 f x e 5 d 5 6 d4 \e6 7 c4 & b 4 + 8 d 2
253
14 >g5 f 5 15 h 3 h 5 16 0-0 i . g 6 17 >b5 >ba6 18 >d6 h 6 19 >f3 >e6 20 <&hl Sb8 21 >gl
(53) Bronstein.D - Psakhis.L

Moscow Open Championship, 1981
mxm m m
a m i wm mm. i i j l . f i . illi
W.
w&u
1 e4 c5 2le2 d6 3 g3 i . g 7 6 d3 e5
4 i . g 2 g6 5 0-0
mxm km
r
hm
m*mm
xm mxmx
mm mxm
21...Wg5 22 Wf2 >b4 23 b 5 f 4 24 >f3 We7 25 Wd2 >a6 26 d 3 h 5 27 c 2 >ac7 28 Wd3 g6 29 b 3 <&h8 30 a 4 Sg8 31 l d 2 Sg7 32 Wf2 Sf8 33 Sc3 g5 34 Sf c l g 6
7 >a3 ftge7 8 f 4 0-0 9 x f 4 i . e 6 11 ! d 2 d5
exf4 10
35 3ic2 >e8 36 x g 6 S x g 6 37 Wc2 2 g g 8 38 Wf7 39 l b 3 >6g7 40 >xd6 41 exd6 We6 42 l x b 7 g4 43 hxg4 Wxg4 (D) 44 >e5 Wg5 45 Wei S f 6 46 Hc7 2 e 8
12 >ab5 d4 13 14 c4 ixd5 15 cxd5 d 7 16 b5 17 S a c l Wb6 18 h 3 a 5 19 g4 Sac8 20 <&hl a 4 21 S c d l f 5 22 gxf 5 gxf5 (D) 23 >c2 f x e 4 24 i . x e 4 25 i . g 3 fixfl+ 26 S x f l i . x h 3 27 S f 2 c4 28 Wg5
254
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 40 >xe5 Sxe5 41 Wd8+ <&h7 42 .xe5 Black resigns.
(54) Bronstein,D - Sokolov.A

Moscow Open Championship, dedicated to 60 years of the Soviet Union, 1982
[A46] London System
1 d4 >f6 2 >f3 e6 3 c3 b6 4 i f 4 i b 7 5 )bd2 i e 7 6 h 3 0-0 7 e 3 c5 8 d 3 cxd4 9 exd4 d6 10 0-0 )bd7
30 i . d 5 + &h8 31 dxc4 bxc4 32 a 3 h6 33 Wh5 >e5 34 >b4 Wxd6
11 )c4 Wc7 12 S e l S f e 8 13 i g 3 )f8 14 f d 2 i c 6 15 a4 )g6 16 e 3 b 7 17 b4Sac8
35 S f 7 5 e 8 36 i x c 4 i c 6 + 37 &h2 i d 7 38 >d3 i g 4 39 h 4 g 6
18 c4 a5 19 b 5 i d 7 20 i e 2 e5 21 )b3 Wb8 22 S c l >e4
60 Games with Diagrams 23 i . g 4 i . x g 4 24 Wxg4 s g 3 25 Wxg3 i . f 8 26 Wf3 S e 6 27 S c d l Wa7 28 g 4 Sce8
255
(55) Bronstein,D - Kupreichik,V

51st USSR Championship, Semi-Final, Minsk, 1983
29 d 5 Sf6 30 ^ d 2 S f 4 31 We2 S d 4 32 g3
1 )f3 >f6 2 c4 d6 3 >c3 g6 4 d4 g 7 5 e4 0-0 6 h 3 e5 7 d5 }a6 8 i . g 5 h 6 9 i . e 3 e8
32...>f4 33 g x f 4 exf4 34 Wg4 h 5 35 Wh4g6
10 g4 i . d 7 11 i . d 3 c6 12 >d2 >c5 13 i . c 2 a 5 14 a 3 cxd5 15 cxd5 Sc8
m m mm m m&m w A A '
A
g 36 g4 S x e l + 37 S x e l h x g 4 38 >e4 Sxe4 39 S x e 4 g x h 3 (D) 40 d 8 f 5 41 Se8 I f 7 42 Se6 <&g7 43 <&h2 f 3 44 g 5 &h7 45 <&xh3 Black resigns. a i
a 1
6 JL
Ad 1JL
&
S ->:-g
16 a 4 Wd8 17 We2 ie8 18 h 4 f 5 19 g x f 5 g x f 5 20 e x f 5 i . x f 5 21 i . x f 5 S x f 5 22 i . x c 5 Sxc5 23 ^ d e 4 Sc8 (D) 24 0-0-0 S f 4 25 h 5 if6 26 & b l Wd7
256
The Sorcerer's Apprentice &h8 35 0 c 2 We5 36 0 c 8 + 0 e 8 37 S c l b 6 38 Sc7 ii.f8
27 f 3 SSffB 28 <&a2 39 T5 S e l + 40 S x e l x e l + 41 <&a2 Black resigns.
(56) Conquest,S - Bronstein,D

Young Masters Tournament, London, 1989
28...Sxc3 29 >xc3 Sb4
1 e4 c6 2 c4 d 5 3 cxd5 cxd5 4 exd5 f 6 5 >c3 g6 6 i . c 4 g 7 7 >ge2 0-0 8 0-0 >a6 9 d4 >c7 10 >f4 b 6 11 a 4 i . b 7 12 b3
30 0 d 3 e4 31 fxe4 >xe4 12...Sb8 13 i . e 3 a 6 14 S f c l
1 m Mi**?
in *
Aiv&A
;
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i l l . 4 MkW f
H &
g rr-
8 E A E
%
g 32 >xe4 Hxa4+ 33 <&bl Sxe4 34 S h g l
60 Games with Diagrams 259 14...g5 15 )fe2 h 6 16 h 4
>'mt ' "mi.
^ ^
am
1 m
m "u 'W& fM . MA y * m
A l i i
A H 8 1 a, a 1 0 1 S I f a j
ZBi.1 i. A
10 Wh5 h 6 11 g4 c4
P A
Aj Ji
S A i
16...b5 17 a x b 5 a x b 5 18 i . d 3 b4 19 hxg5 hxg5 20 >a4 icxd5 21 i x g 5 Wd6 22 )g3 <ig4 23 i . e 2 m m i
ZHJU1 a
a *
B M
a I
w 11
II H
mt
AJ ij H
ga M 12 g5 g6 13 d l S f 7
M m m mmm i h i
zili.it SAB. H z
23...<&xf2 24 Wf3 i . x d 4 25 )f5 ^ g 4 + 26 & f l )h2+ White resigns.
(57) Bronstein,D - FaragoJ

International Tournament, Tastrup 1990
il A w w I
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 )c3 i-b4 4 e5 c5 5 a 3 i . x c 3 + 6 bxc3 )e7 7 Wg4 0-0
14 i . x g 6 >xg6 15 h 5 th8
M A* Âi
Z H H
AIIA
AA
m A
A
t m A 'AW m& vm, m M Wg m |gp h : * A A A^
A;
tAH 1 i m
HZB
ts
S A S
aa
1 ii
8 i . d 3 f 5 9 e x f 6 Sxf6 fZ)J
16 ih3 e5 17 Hgl i x h 3 fZ)J
258
18 gxh6+ &f8 19 h 7
Wa4 5 d 8 21 S a d l a 6 22 Wb4 b5 23 Wa5 c5
19...Wc8 20 Hg8+ &e7 2 1 5 x c 8 Axc8 22 Wxe5 + i . e 6 23 Wxh8
24 d6 S d 7 25 i g 3 Wc6 26 S f e l S a d 8
Black resigns.
27 a 4 x a 4 28 Sd4 Hb6 29 Wb4 Wc5 30 Wa5 Wc8 31 h 4 c 5
(58) Bronstein,D- Petursson.M

International Open Tournament, Reykjavik, 1990
[E12] Queen's Indian Defence
1 d4 >f6 2 c4 e6 3 f 3 b6 4 c 3 b 7 5 a 3 d5 6 cxd5 x d 5 7 Wc2 x c 3 8 bxc3 Lei 9 e4 0-0 10 Ld3 c5 11 0-0 Wc8 12 We2 .a6 13 d 5 i . x d 3 14 Wxd3 c4 15 Wc2 exd5 16 exd5 i f 6 (D) 17 g 5 i . x g 5 18 i.xg5 f6 19 M4 d 7 20
60 Games with Diagrams 32 Wa2 2 e 8 33 Bxe8+ xe8 34 5 d 5 43...&g7 44 # a 2 i . f 4 ixh4
259 45 # x a 6 # c 5 46
47 Wa8 )f5
37...<c5 38 a2 &f7 39 &h2 h5 40 Wc2 48 # h 8 g5 49 Wxh5+ <4g7
40...g6 41 Wa2 # e 3 42 Wc2 <&e6 43 E d l 50 # e 8 Wc6 51 S e l Wb7 52 i . x g 5 lxd6 53 .xf6+ Black resigns.
(59) Bronstein,D - Gurevich.D

National Open Tournament, Las Vegas, 1993
[A70] Modern Benoni Defence
1 d4 >f6 2 c4 e6 3 >f3 c5 4 d5 exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 >c3 g6 7 e4 g 7 8 h 3 0-0 9 i . d 3 d 7 (D)
260
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 22 i b 3 b 4 23 S c l S a d 8 24 a 3 i h 3 25 axb4 i x f l
10 M4 Se8 11 d 2 b 5 12 0-0 c4 13 i c 2 b4 26 ixf7 S x f 7 27 d6 i e 2 28 i x f 7 + &h8 29 Wei i d 4 30 >g5 Wh5
14 e 2 c3 15 bxc3 bxc3 16 >c4 x e 4 31 Sc2 Wg4 32 &h2 i a 6 33 i e 6 S h 5 34 >f7+ <&g7 35 )xd8 Wf3 36 i h 3 i d 3 37 te6+ Black resigns.
(60) de Firmian.N - Bronstein,D

3rd Oviedo Open Active Chess Tournament (45 minutes each), 1993
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 c 3 i b 4 17 g 3 Wh4 18 x e 4 x f 4 19 g3 Wh6 20 h 4 a 6 21 c x d 6 Sf8
4 e5 b6 5 a 3 i f 8 6 i b 5 + i d 7 7 d 3
60 Games with Diagrams c5 8 if3 ic6 9 0-0 )ge7
261
17...&f7 18 Bel g5 19 h 3 ie7 20 i . h 2 <f5 21 g4
10 ib5 ig6 11 c3 c4 12 &xg6 hxg6
25...Wh8 26 We7+ <&g6 27 Be2 Wh4 28 5g2
16 id6+ i . x d 6 17 i . x d 6
28...Hh8 29 We2 Bg3 30 >fl i . d 3 31 <xg3 JLxe2 32 <xe2 &f7 3 3 S f l He8 34 <&hl He3 35 >gl Wh7 36 S d 2 <&e6 37 &g2 <&d7 38 S f f 2 f 5 39 S d e 2 Wh4 40 <&fl Wh5 41 <&el b5 42 &d2 S d 3 + <&c2 Wh4 44 5g2 He3 45 &d2 Sxe2+ 46 ixe2
262 Wh3 47 Ef2
The Sorcerer's Apprentice E f l f x e 2 53 Hel f 4 54 i f 2 f 3 55 Hgl
49...g4 50 fxg4 We4+ 51 <&cl f 3 52
White resigns.
70
On the 19th of February 1994 David Bronstein celebrated his 70th birthday with his dear friends in Iceland. A milestone? By most standards, yes! By his standards, no! He will have an 80th birthday and then a 90th. In fact he will live for ever! He will live on through thousands and thousands of beautiful chess games. In the centuries to come his name will be pronounced with all the respect it deserves, just as we today respectfully mention players like Philidor, Morphy, Anderssen, Lasker, Capablanca and Alekhine, etc. (see footnote on page 272). In the next century people will realise that Bronstein's way of creating chess is an art form of spiritual beauty. His games will be acknowledged as an integral feature in the life of modern chess society and he will be accepted as one of the most important leaders of chess and the most important bearer of chess culture. David Bronstein, a brilliant, diverse and unique chess artist... David's parents, Esther-Molka Duwid Aptaker and Iohonon Boruch Bronstein, both born in 1895, married in 1921. It must have taken them some time to adjust to their new way of life as David, who was to be their only child, was born three years later, exactly 29 days after Lenin died, on the 19th of February 1924 in a little town in the Ukraine called Byelaya Tserkov. By the way, let's answer a question that arises quite often right here and now: Is the Bronstein family related to Lev Davidovich Trotsky (his communist name), whose 'nonRussian' name was also Bronstein? The answer is: NO ..., unless proven to the contrary! When David was in South America in 1974 a man walked up to David and introduced himself as a nephew of Lev Davidovich, wanting to know if they were related. However, they were unable to establish a link to one another. From 1915 to 1918 Iohonon Bronstein was a soldier in the frontline of the Russian army where he was subjected to mustard gas when the Germans used this forbidden weapon. It had lasting effects on him and contributed to his frail health. In 1919 he abandoned his Zionist views, joined the Ukrainian Communist Party and helped create the very system that later put him in jail. Bronstein's father was the manager of a flour mill and, at the age of 8, already a local draughts champion. Father and mother Bronstein occasionally played draughts together but, as soon as Mrs Bronstein knew that she was pregnant, she and her husband started playing draughts every day after work, sometimes deep into the night. Mother Bronstein's theory was that she could influence her unborn child. Of course she was way ahead of her time as only in the last 20 years or so has this theory been proven correct! It was obvious to David's parents that he was a bright child because they arranged for private tuition. That is why David could already read and write at the age of 3! At that age he was also a very inquisitive child. Once, when his father telephoned home from the factory, David spoke to him and when the conversation was finished he started taking the telephone apart to see where his father was! When he was 6 years old his grandfather taught him the game of chess and for a while he played draughts and chess until he had nearly achieved master strength at both! Luckily for us, David decided to concentrate on chess as this was being played worldwide and had a long history and tradition. After having lived a few years in Berdyansk the family moved to Kiev in 1930 where young David started school. He was a good pupil but showed more interest in the
264
school's clubs and tried practically everything including radio engineering and model aircraft construction until he took chess more seriously. However, he has kept an interest in many other things besides chess to this day. After taking second place in a school tournament when he was about 12 David joined the Kiev Junior Draughts and Chess Club. He made rapid progress and veiy soon he had won the schoolboy championship of Kiev. At the age of 16 he was selected as a reserve candidate for the Ukrainian Championship and the indisposition of one of the regular competitors gave him his chance. Most of the experienced players thought that this boy would be easy prey but he won game after game and finished second to Boleslavsky with a score of 11V6 out of 17. Because of this achievement he became the youngest Soviet player to be awarded the national master title and gained the right to play in the USSR Championship Semi-Final in Rostov. However, the tournament was stopped after six rounds as World War II had come to the Soviet Union. For three years David did not play serious chess, but then in February 1944 he was invited to play in the Semi-Final of the USSR Championship in Baku. Without any practice he nevertheless managed to qualify for the Final to be held in June that year. He attracted the attention of the outside chess world when he beat several of the leading players of that time - Botvinnik, Lilienthal, Ragozin, Tolush - and drew with Smyslov, Boleslavsky, Makogonov, while playing an unusual style of chess that became his trademark. The head of the Soviet Chess Federation, Boris Vainstein, who was also Chairman of the Dynamo Moscow Chess Club, recognised the enormous talent and personal qualities of this modest young boy. He obtained permission from the Ministry of Industry to have David transferred from Stalingrad - where he worked on the reconstruction of a steel factory - to Moscow. In June 1945 David became a member of the Dynamo Chess Club for whom he played for almost half a century! To stay physically fit David often spent his free time training with the Dynamo football and ice-hockey teams. His best friend during that period was Lev Yashin, the world-famous goalkeeper. When David arrived in Moscow after the war in May 1945 it was Boris Vainstein who gave him a room in his own flat and David stayed with him, on and off, for many years, an arrangement that suited both of them. His rise into the chess elite was meteoric: first place in USSR Championship Semi-Final in 1945; third place in the 14th USSR Championship, behind Botvinnik and Boleslavsky but ahead of Smyslov, Kotov and Bondarevsky; in the next two championships he did even better, finishing equal first with Kotov and Smyslov respectively; he won both his games against Anthony Santasiere in the radio match against the USA; first place in the Moscow Championship 1946, ahead of such established grandmasters as Bondarevsky, Kotov, Lilienthal and Smyslov. Bronstein played brilliantly in the Prague vs. Moscow Match, scoring 10lA out of 12, winning all five games with Black playing King's Indian Defence and making this opening very popular. Despite this he was not selected by the Soviet Chess Federation to participate in the first FIDE Interzonal Tournament but owed his place to the votes of foreign chess federations. This tremendously strong tournament was held in July 1948 in Saltsjobaden, Sweden and David took first place, securing him a place in the first Candidates' Tournament. He was awarded the title of International Grandmaster in 1949 at the FIDE congress in Paris when this title was introduced internationally. In the double-round Candidates' Tournament in Budapest 1950, the winner of which would be Botvinnik's ordained challenger, David seemed out of form in the first half and lost two games, but in the second he played with extraordinary energy, showing great determination to win, and thanks to a remarkable last-minute victory over Paul Keres
70 Picturesque Games
265
finished equal with his old rival and close friend Isaac Boleslavsky. He went on to win the play-off in Moscow, August 1950 and obtained the right to challenge Botvinnik for the title of World Champion. The match was held in March, April and May 1951 and David surprised everybody, except himself) by more than holding his own against the considered 'unplayable' Botvinnik. Botvinnik, the cool, hardworking, totally concentrated player who saw the opponent as the enemy to be overcome in the subsequent struggle. Bronstein, utterly in love with the game, Chess Artist, romantic at heart, always looking for brilliant combinations and fantastic positions. With the uncanny talent of being able to judge a position within a split-second David did not always need to calculate as much and as deeply as other grandmasters but usually intuitively found the right move in a specific position. During his match with Botvinnik the first thing he did in the morning was to go out and buy a newspaper to see all the variations he was supposed to have seen! Often he bluffed, in similar fashion to Tal, but contrary to Tal's combinations, David's were usually correct, as subsequent analysis proved. Many years later David wrote about this match: 'I can never agree with the idea of fostering a hostile attitude to your opponent on the grounds that this will help you beat him. Of course, I, like any other player, strive to win and I am very happy if I succeed in overcoming my opponent by logic, fantasy, ingenuity, knowledge or sometimes even deep calculation. 'But to make yourself hate the opponent, to sacrifice peace of mind for the sake of a point in the tournament table, this is an impoverishment of chess.' There is little doubt at whom these remarks were pointed... David prepared well for this match and surprised Botvinnik by playing the very openings Botvinnik himself liked to play! Tension during the match was high and became almost unbearable towards the end. With only two of the scheduled 24 games remaining David was leading by one point. It was then that he was summoned to the KGB's private room at the theatre where the match was held. There has been a lot of speculation about what was said but David maintains to this day that General Victor Abakumov, head of the KGB and also a member of the Dynamo Sports Club, only introduced David to his wife and congratulated him with his beautiful win in the 22nd game (page 45). It was obvious that the majority of the chess fans wanted David to win the match because they all admired his beautiful and creative new style of chess. The next morning David went, as had been his routine for every day of the match, for a walk with Lydia Bogdanova, whom he had met some time before through a wonderful trick. He had bought two tickets to the Bolshoi theatre, and on the evening of the performance, which was always sold out, he searched amongst the people who had no tickets but wanted to go until he found a beautiful girl to go with him. He fell in love almost instantly! During their walk he indicated to her that it seemed that he was now very close to becoming the next World Champion. Would she like that? He was completely unnerved by her answer: 'I really don't care.' It shocked him and in that state of mind he came to play the 23rd game. During that game David may well have been pre-occupied by what Lydia had told him. What did she mean? Did she really not care? It was hard to believe but yet that is what she had said. David lost the game. Probably this was Lydia Bogdanova's first mistake which brought into question their intended marriage. Of course she wanted very much to be the wife of a famous chess player, yes, even the new World Champion. The second mistake she made a year later when she became a member of the Communist Party. She did not do this for ideological reasons but for purely opportunistic ones - to be able to obtain promotion. David told her that he did not like it at all and this betrayal put a shadow on their relationship and marked the beginning of the end.
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After the game Lydia Bogdanova, probably realising what she had brought on, confessed to David that she really did not mean what she had said during their walk; in reality she very much wanted him to have the title... However, the last game was a draw. The score was level and David became 'Co-World Champion', as Dr Euwe put it. He was awarded the title of Honoured Master of Sport of the Soviet Union for this result. David played for the USSR in the Chess Olympiads of 1952,1954, 1956 and 1958. He played in five Interzonal Tournaments, three Candidates' Tournaments, more than twenty Soviet Championships, was a member of the Moscow team for more than 30 years and played in the Moscow Championship on every occasion, both five-minute and conventional chess. His achievements are endless, and he has made almost 100 grandmaster norms in the process! As a player he is a great strategist and his formidable tactical abilities are based on his thorough knowledge of the classical chess heritage. With this knowledge, enhanced by his outstanding fantasy and imagination combined with pure logic, he is able to infuse life into the dullest-looking position, making something out of nothing. His grasp of combinative possibilities is amazing. Despite the opinion of some of his colleagues he is a very good endgame player and the reader can find ample proof of that in this book. No dogmas are sacred to him. He delights in upsetting the analysts and sometimes flagrantly breaks the long established tenets of positional play. David also shows a great understanding of psychology, which has on many occasions served him in good stead. A classic example was the fourteenth game of his play-off with Boleslavsky. He played a move in the French Defence condemned by all the analysts. Boleslavsky, taken by surprise, failed to find the right reply and David emerged triumphant. His courage is enormous and he is never afraid to make almost incalculable sacrifices. A fantastic example of this can be found in his game with Spassky on page 128. David is most likely the only player who would dare to make such a sacrifice in a Candidates' Tournament when there is so much at stake! His approach to a game of chess: 'I cannot say what feelings an artist experiences in front of an empty canvas but whenever I have to start a game I cannot stop thinking that today, right now, I have the very fortunate possibility of playing the most beautiful, the most fighting and the most profound game. It is now more than 50 years that I have been coming regularly to the Sacred Hall of Chess Creativity and have reverently sent a white pawn forward with a prayer to heroic feats. I am tormented, given no rest and am cut to pieces by that eternal sword of Damocles known to generations of chess players: the question of how to begin the attack...' In search of fresh paths he regards each contest as a creative challenge but sometimes his results suffer from excessive experimentation when he pursues beauty first and the result of a game becomes secondary. He can even be disappointed after winning a game in a tournament because his opponent failed to put up the best defence! David also achieved recognition as an author when he published his first book in 1956 about the Candidates' Tournament in Neuhausen/Ziirich 1953 (which, by the way, the Soviet officials had determined that Smyslov should win). 'I started,' he wrote 'from the premise that every full-bodied game of chess is an artistic endeavour arising out of the battle of chess ideas,' and added that he wished to display the richness and limitless extent of these ideas. The book has no extensive variations showing what might have been. He wrote that 'the moves played in each game serve to annotate the author's ideas', a complete reversal of the normal practice.
267
What also makes the book unique is that a grandmaster of World Champion level discloses many nuances of chess secrets, giving a clear guidance how to conduct the most complicated part of a chess game, the middlegame. It was written with very great respect not only to the grandmasters but also to the reader. Contrary to other books, when reading this one you do not feel inferior to the author; you get a feeling that you too can play at this level! The format is that of a literary work. It became so popular in the USSR that further editions followed in 1960 and 1983. It was translated into English, French, Spanish, German and even Icelandic. Some people call it the Chess Bible. The book has become a classic, the best of all tournament books. It is still being reprinted today! David has made many contributions to opening theory. In particular he and Isaac Boleslavsky introduced new strategic ideas in the King's Indian Defence as a consequence of which this opening became fashionable for manyyears and forms part of the repertoire of many grandmasters of this day and age! He is also largely responsible for the revival of the King's Gambit, long obsolete in master play, and has scored many notable victories with it. Tigran Petrosian told the students of his chess school: 'David Bronstein revived and improved old openings and made many of them modern.' Gideon Barcza once said: 'Without Bronstein neither Tal nor Fischer would have played such an important role in the history of chess.' David himself explained many times that he doesn't play openings - he just starts to create an attack... from the first move! It seems he knows some secrets about the initial position and has found a 'simple algorithm' how to change the opening strategy, avoiding routine paths of established theory. Playing White or Black does not make any difference to David; his positions are always flexible and active. This is why he does not have a specific opening repertoire. He just plays everything! On occasion, out of respect, he plays the French Defence if his opponent is French or the Dutch Defence if he is Dutch or the English Defence if he is an Englishman. It is typical Bronstein to surprise his opponent by playing opening lines they themselves often play, challenging them on their own ground. Svetozar Gligoric, the strong Yugoslavian grandmaster, well-known for his meticulous preparation, was once asked during a tournament why he wasn't preparing for the next round. The reply was simple: he had to play Bronstein and any preparation would be futile! Let's also shed some light on David Bronstein, the man. He married at an early age in 1948. His first wife, Olga Ignatieva was also a chess player who won the Leningrad Women's championship in 1941 (she achived her greatest success when she shared 2nd and 3rd place with Fenny Heemskerk in the Women's Candidates' Tournament in Moscow 1952). They had one son, born 12 December 1947 in Leningrad. They separated in 1949 but were officially divorced only in 1959. He lived alone for a longtime, staying mostly in rented rooms and sometimes even in hotels. Eventually he found a two-room apartment in the House of KGB. One room he officially registered in the name of his parents, a very courageous thing to do, and his parents moved into the apartment with him. He met his second wife Marina Mikhailova in 1957. She was a student of history and a secretary of the Anti Fascist Committee of Soviet Youth. They married in 1961 when they were able to rent a nice flat. In 1980 she died untimely at the age of 48. Since 1984 he has been married to Tatiana Boleslavskaya, professor of musical history and the daughter of Isaac Boleslavsky, one of his three best friends (the others being Paul Keres and Boris \&instein). His father and mother died in Moscow in 1952 and 1967 respectively.
268
He does not have much respect for today's money-hungry grandmasters nor for the system that tries to put a number on one's brain (the Elo rating). All the more does he respect players like Philidor, Morphy, Anderssen, Staunton, Steinitz, Chigorin, Dr Tarrasch, Rubinstein, Dr Emanuel Lasker, Capablanca, Dr Tartakower, Dr Euwe, just to name a dozen. David is an excellent teacher and trainer as he has the uncanny ability to pass on his knowledge. He successfully prepared Nona Gaprindashvili for her ascent to the World Championship title and gave lessons five hours a day to WGM Maya Chiburdanidze while she was World Champion. He was also asked to give classes for 60 masters over a fortnight in Tbilisi. Two farther examples of this I have witnessed myself: A couple of years ago David gave a lecture for the first team of the Chess Club Anderlecht in Belgium to prepare them for their forthcoming match. He must have done an excellent job as Anderlecht crushed their opponents the next day by the widest possible margin, 8-0; a feat never seen before in the Belgian Team Championships. In November 1993 David suggested that I participate in the Active Chess tournament in Oviedo. At first I refused as I did not want to make a fool of myself. However, he promised to prepare me for each round. Every day David took the time and trouble to sit with me for an hour or so. The result was that I finished only half a point behind the great man himself, albeit that he had faced much stronger opposition. I even managed to achieve a winning position against someone with 400 Elo more, just by following some basic rules which David had taught me! Being a kind, modest and unselfish person, he is eager to teach people to play better chess, sometimes even for little or no money and some people, regrettably, take advantage of him. Also some of his fellow grandmasters think that he thus 'spoils the market' for them. Quite recently he was asked to hold a lecture for promising Belgian youngsters. Afterwards he felt he had been overpaid and suggested that his next lecture would be free of charge! The basic trait of David's character is undoubtedly his sociable and friendly attitude. He simply likes people. He can get carried away in conversations with normal mortals who have no idea what the game of chess is about. It is probably these people he respects most of all! A few years ago we drove from Holland to Belgium and stopped at a road-side restaurant. When we returned to the car all his luggage had been stolen from it. Of course he was sad having lost a considerable amount of money that he had packed with his luggage; of course he was sad having lost his personal belongings; but what he was really upset about very much until this day is the fact that he had lost all the visiting cards he had collected from friends and admirers over many years. He felt that he had betrayed them by not being more careful! Amongst his friends are people from the most varied circles; mathematicians, writers, football players and builders, each of whom he questions with genuine interest and often with a knowledge of the subject. In psychological clashes he is extremely vulnerable. A breaking of ethics can put him in a state of shock and he cannot bear rudeness. The tension created by Botvinnik, on and off the board, before, during and after their match for the World Championship in 1951 was more than he could bear. Nowadays he maintains that he just wanted to prove that Botvinnik was no god. Winning was not so important - but rather, it was important to prove that his was not the only way to play chess. David gives several other reasons why he didn't (want to) become world champion. They seem mere justifications after the fact and, surely, if it is repeated
269
often enough, one might eventually start to believe it but if true, with hindsight, he surely must have made the biggest mistake of his life. But then we must also ask ourselves this question: If he had become World Champion, would David Bronstein have been the same person we know today? David is a man of principles. During his school years he avoided having to become a member of the Communist Youth Party (Komsomol) and of course he declined all offers (and pressure) to become a member of the regular Communist Party, even when it seemed beneficial to do so. This was mainly due to an 'education' at an early age, not by his parents or at school, but to the reality of everyday life: His father was expelled from the Communist Party in 1935 because he tried to defend peasants in some region outside Kiev who were put under pressure by corrupt officials. He was witness to his father's arrest by soldiers of the N.K. VD. on the 31st of December 1937 in the middle of the night and his sentencing to eight years hard labour in various camps of the Gulag network in Russia, north of the Arctic Circle. His father was released in February 1944 due to very bad health but was 'banned' and had to live in Kazakhstan. However, he violated the rules, visiting Moscow regularly and eventually found a job in the Singer factory, 40 kilometres from the centre but still within the city limits! In order to accomplish this he went to the head of the local police in his native town which he knew very well from childhood. He gave him a sack of 100 kgs of flour as a friendly gift and in return the police chief destroyed his passport and issued a new one without the stamp that he had been a political prisoner. Most Soviet grandmasters were members of the Union of Writers of the USSR, which gave them many privileges, but David refused to join. He also rejected an invitation to become a member of the Union of Journalists of the USSR. David was of course very happy that his parents were reunited and that they were able to watch when he was playing tournaments in Moscow. Especially during his match with Botvinnik, when David's father and mother were present every game in the first row of spectators. This helped David to keep his spirits high but, as his father had no permission to be in Moscow, he glanced regularly into the audience in order to reassure himself that his father was still there. Only in December 1955 did David's mother receive a formal letter from the Ministry of Justice in Kiev that the case against her husband was closed and that no crime was ever committed by him against the State. Iohonan Bronstein was fully rehabilitated three years after his death. In 1945 David refused to sign a letter to Stalin which was prepared by Botvinnik's friend Ragozin, asking the Soviet government to permit Botvinnik to challenge Alekhine for the title of World Champion. He was also one of the very few Soviet grandmasters (the others were Gulko, Spassky and Botvinnik - although Botvinnik's only reason not to sign was because he would not sign 'collective letters') who did not sign a letter from the Soviet Chess Federation condemning Korchnoi for defecting to the West. He had helped Korchnoi before and during his first match with Karpov and, because of this 'independent' behaviour, David received less tournaments than other grandmasters and there was a total ban on his going to countries where prizes were in hard currencies. But never in his life did he beg the Soviet Sport Committee, the Soviet Chess Federation or his club, Dynamo, to 'do him a favour' and give him tournaments abroad (like so many other grandmasters did). This boycott lasted for almost 14 years. During this period he made a living as a chess correspondent for the government newspaper Izvestia, holding lecture, giving simultaneous exhibitions and playing in the Moscow championships. His last tournament outside the Iron Curtain was Hastings 1975/76 where he shared first place.
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David received private invitations to come as a 'tourist' to Sandomierz in Poland in 1976 and to Budapest in 1977. What a 'coincidence'; in both cities two strong tournaments were just about to start when David arrived there! In addition to sightseeing, he played in and won both tournaments. He then accepted an invitation from the Latvian Chess Federation to play in the first Jurmala tournament in 1978 and again took the first prize. In the same year the Soviet Chess Federation organised a Zonal Tournament but they removed David from the list of participants at the veiy last moment. This was done in a very strange way. When an official asked, in the presence of some of the participants: 'Who is the oldest player who will participate in this tournament?' Smyslov answered 'I am.' This official, who thought that Bronstein w a s t h e oldest, realised his mistake and tried to save face: "Well, we cannot throw you out. Who is the next oldest?' 'Bronstein,' someone replied and as Bronstein was not present he said 'OK, he's out.' Their decision was 'justified' by the necessity to give his place to a younger player. Obviously they still did not forgive him for helping Korchnoi and for not siding with Karpov. The Moscow Sport Committee protested against this decision but it was in vain. In 1989 the boycott finally came to an end when David was allowed to participate in the Lloyds Bank tournament in London. David is constantly putting forward new ideas, sometimes impractical, sometimes provocative, sometimes brilliant. It was he who thought up the idea of recording the times in tournament games and then making graphs, which are so meaningful in determining the degree of tension and at what stage during a game. Three such graphs are given in this book, see pages 144, 164, and 237. Already 25 years ago he suggested the idea of Active Chess. He believes that grandmasters, with their knowledge and experience, don't need five hours for 40 moves. They could play much faster and he is a strong advocate of the idea of playing mini-matches instead of one serious game. Exactly as in tennis. Whynot play four or six sets (games) of Active Chess (with tie-break games with reduced time as only recently were introduced)? Or play several games simultaneously against the same opponent? Chess will definitely become much more attractive like this for the players, the public and for the sponsors. He dreams about a mixed media chess show - flashing great chess combinations to the accompaniment of music and ballet! Long before Fischer, David Bronstein wanted to abolish the adjournment of games altogether. He believes it is not fair to analyse all night the given position, moving pieces in all directions, taking them back, starting again, writing the moves on paper and memorising them. Then some players come to the board pretending that they are so clever. They want people to believe that they have created something fresh while they have found the way how to play in their study or hotel room, alone or maybe with assistance or even with the help of a computer. Already back in 1965 David suggested introducing time controls which would eliminate adjournments altogether. The Soviet Chess Federation accepted his idea and started to organise tournaments where 40 moves had to be played in two hours and all the remaining moves in 30 minutes. In 1973 David played a game with Oscar Panno in the Interzonal Tournament in Petropolis. After 40 moves, the game was adjourned in a veiy complicated position and when it seemed that the best way to play was to make a repetition of moves, David decided not go for a draw but to create even more complications. When the game was resumed the next day, David sacrificed a pawn and started a veiy sharp attack. Then there came the moment to adjourn the game for a second time. At that moment, while Panno
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was thinking, David asked the chief arbiter for permission to play the game to the end without any adjournment. The arbiter agreed and then David proposed this to Panno and he also agreed. David's main reason to suggest this was because the endgame should be winning far him with a queen and a rook against Panno's rook, bishop, knight and two pawns but Panno had created a fortress and it was not evident how to win (page 245). David was ashamed to seal a move and then to analyse all night. Instead he preferred to find the win over the board. This game took 104 moves and lasted a total of 13 hours! Please take courage and play through all the moves and enjoy this heroic struggle; it's worth it! David also created a new rule which is still in force today. During the long and tiring negotiations with Botvinnik before the match in 1951, Botvinnik had complained that often young players would interrupt his thoughts by asking him several times for a draw during a game. Therefore, David suggested that one could only offer a draw after having executed a move on the board but before pushing the clock. If the draw was refused the right to offer a draw a second time was forfeited. This rule was included in the Laws of Chess by FIDE and also accepted by Botvinnik but already in game three of the match he violated it when he fell into a trap, in an equal position and feared the possibility of losing the game. Instead of making a move he leaned over the board and said nervously: 'I propose a draw.' David accepted without hesitation but was very upset when Botvinnik sank back in his chair, relieved and said: 'I think you accepted the draw too early.' At that moment David felt an overwhelming urge to punch someone on the nose. However, our gentleman controlled himself, shook hands and left. He proposed a revolutionary idea for an electronic chess clock in... 1973 and published details about it in Izvestia (where he had a chess column for nearly a quarter of a century until 1988). Who knows, maybe Bobby Fischer got his ideas for his clock from that article? After all, he was known to read all Soviet chess publications and books. Bronstein thinks that his way of time-keeping is more correct than Fischer's method. Anyway, the Bronstein clock is at last commercially available but the manufacturer is neither paying Fischer nor Bronstein any royalties for the use of their names! The 1995 AEGON-tournament, where humans play against computers, was the first tournament in which the Bronstein clock was used for time-keeping. And what about his latest brain child? New rules to make chess even more interesting! He suggests that pawns should be able to move backwards but should not be able to 'stab other pieces in the back' (not be able to take backwards) and that pieces should also be able to take pawns 'en passant'! Figure this: a white bishop on d2 should be able to take the black pawn on h6 if it moves from h7 to h5. And why not? It makes perfect sense! In a real battle the infantry can also retreat and why should the privilege of taking 'en passant' be limited to pawns? Surely this is at least as interesting as 'shuffle' chess or 'FischeRandom' which is now being suggested by Bobby Fischer. Already more than 20 years ago David himself suggested this, albeit in a slightly different form (see also page 118). By the way, can you imagine what this would mean to computer chess?! Furthermore he strongly supports Dr Emanuel Lasker's and Dr Max Euwe's ideas of scoring game results in such a way that a win is not automatically noted as 1, a loss as 0 and a draw as V$, but all would depend on the material balance at the end of a game. 'Everyone thinks I'm crazy,' he says with a twinkle in his eye, 'but I have one big advantage over other people who are also crazy: at least I know it but they don't!' When he met Bill Hartston in the bar after he had lost a brilliant game to David in Hastings 1975/76 (page 281) Hartston said to him: 'David, when I listen to you speaking about modern chess you sound like a madman but chess you play quite normally!' "5fes, being a genius has its price!
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David has so much to talk about that he constantly 'harasses' organisers, sponsors, arbiters and players with his ideas, even to the point of annoying them. This is why organisers occasionally do not want him in their tournaments and people sometimes do not take him seriously. Where and what is David today? Well, after having survived a serious operation five years ago, he seems to be in better spirits than ever, especially after the free elections in Russia. It seems that he has a country again. David has been travelling extensively for the last few years. His passport probably shows a larger variety of visas than the passport of any other former Soviet citizen! He speaks English and Spanish fluently, has a good knowledge of German and can make himself understood in French. Now he is studying Dutch and the Scandinavian languages, not to forget Icelandic! He received the distinguished degree of Honorary Doctor of Chess Science in 1992 when he was invited to Hewlett Packard Laboratories, Palo Alto, USA and toured the United States extensively in 1992 and 1993. He plays in many tournaments both with humans and computers, gives lectures and simuls, displays his immense gift for teaching the art of chess. For the last four years he has been the coach of the British Junior Team during the annual tournament at Hastings. He prepares them for their next round on days that he has to play himself. Either this man has a surplus of energy or is just a little mad (probably both!). Obviously time passes him by and he does not feel his age. He plays the Team Championships of Belgium (as a member of the Chess Club Anderlecht), of Asturias (in the team of the University of Oviedo, Spain - he has Spanish residence and a work permit!), of France (as a member of Paris Echecs XV) and of Iceland (as a member of the Reykjavik Chess Club) where he also has a residence and work permit. Besides the above mentioned clubs is also a member of the Oslo Chess Club in Norway, Charlton Chess Club in London, DD in The Hague, Holland and since 1975 a member of the Bois Gentil Chess Club in Geneva, Switzerland. Who knows how many more clubs will offer him membership! He has signed contracts for his books200 C/osed Games, Understanding the King's Indian and The Chess Self-Tutor, for publication in 1995 and 1996. Even if they are only half as good as his previous books, the chess world can be grateful again! In short, David is more active than ever before! We wish him a very long, fruitful and healthy life! Tom Furstenberg
* In stark contrast to a Dutch journalist who showed no respect whatsoever for the older players participating in the Donner Memorial Tournament in Amsterdam 1994. He had the nerve to call their group the 'Old Geezers' group thereby, disrespectfully, totally ignoringthe achievements ofthe older generation of grandmas-
(1) Bronstein,D -Zaslavsky.l
Adults & Juniors Tournament, Kiev, 1938
[C43] Petroffs Defence
Bxd5 cxd5 26 d4 Sa8 27 c5 2811)2 d4 29 Bel Bb8 30 c2 Draw agreed.
1 e4 e5 2 tf3 tf6 3 d4 ^xe4 4 i.d3 d5 5 dxe5 >c6 6 e2 >c5 7 0-0 >xd3 8 cxd3 Jig4 9 JLe3 d4 10 i.f4 M l 11 >bd2 0-0 12 >e4 m i 13 h3 Jie614 Ag3 Sae8 15 Sfel h6 16 a3 f5 17 exf6 .xf6 18 >c5 c8 19 >xe6 >d8 20 >xf8 Hxe2 21 2xe2 &xf8 22 S a e l c6 23 i.d6 + &f7 24 >e5 + .xe5 25 5xe5 Black resigns.

(2) Makogonov.V- Bronstein,D

Bolshevik Sports Society Championship, Kiev, 1944
1 d4 >f6 2 c4 g6 3 ftf 3 Agl 4 <Sc3 d6 5 e4 0-0 6 h3 c6 7 i.d3 e5 8 d5 cxd5 9 cxd5 >h5 10 g3 >d7 11 JLe3 a6 12 i.e2 b5 13 >d2 >hf6 14 a3 >b6 15 g4 >fd7 16 h4 f5 17 gxf5 gxf5 18 exf5 >f6 19 h5 h6 20 Sgl <4>h8 21 >fl Axf5 22 d2 >g8 23 >g3 i.h7 24 JLd3 >c4 25 i.xc4 bxc4 26 0-0-0 Sb8 27 >ge4 Bf7 28 Sg3 29 M6 xf6 30 Sdgl f5 31 f3 Sb3 32 ie4 c3 33 bxc3 Sfb7 34 c2 Sxa3 35 Bxg7 xf3 36 Bxb7 xe3+ 37 <4>b2 .xe4 38 cl Sxc3 39 xc3 xgl 40 c8+ % 8 41 c7 g2+ 42 <4>a3 Black resigns.
1 2 d4 d6 3 c4 ^bd7 4 g3 g6 5 i.g2 Ag7 6 \c3 e5 7 0-0 0-0 8 e4 c6 9 d5 cxd5 10 cxd5 \c5 11 c2 a5 12 >d2 b6 13 >b3 i.a6 14 Sdl \cd7 15 a4 Sc8 16 i.h3 Bc7 17 JLe3 h5 18 .g5 e8 19 f3 fob! 20 Ae3 e7 21 i i l .xfl 22 Sxfl f5 23 e2 f4 24 \b5 Bcc8 25 gxf4 exf4 26 i.d4 \hf6 27 >a7 Bce8 28 g2 <4>h7 29 Sacl >c5 30 ic6 d7 31 >xc5 bxc5 32 i.c3 i . h 6 33 Scdl m i 34 Sfel Agl 35 .xa5 36 Ac3 g5 37 Axgl xg7 38 <4>hl le5 39 Sgl <4>h6 40 \xe5 xe5 41 h3 (sealed move) Sf6 42 Sg2 Sg8 43 Sdgl d4 44 Bel Bfg6 45 f5 d3 46 Sf2 d4 47 Sg2 Bf6 48 Sd2 Sxf5 49 Sxd4 Se5 50 Bd3 Sb8 51 b3 g4 52 <4g2 <4>g5 53 a5 Ba8 54 Bal Se7 55 Sa3 Bea7 56 e5 dxe5 57 d6 <4>f5 58 Bd5 Sd8 59 Ba2 <4>e6 60 Sxc5 Sxd6 61 Bac2 Sd5 62 Sxd5 <4>xd5 63 b4 Sa8 64 <4>f2 Bb8 Draw agreed.
(5) Bronstein,D - Rudakovskyl

[B03] Alekhine's Defence
(3) Smyslov,V - Bronstein,D

1 e4 e5 2 \c6 3 i.b5 4 \xd4 exd4 5 0-0 le7 6 Bel g6 7 c3 \c6 8 b3 Ag7 9 JLb2 0-0 10 >a3 d5 11 i.xc6 bxc6 12 cxd4 dxe4 13 c2 i.xd4 14 Bxe4 .xb2 15 xb2 Ae6 16 Sael a5 17 h4 a4 18 h5 % 5 19 Se5 Wh6 20 Ble3 axb3 21 axb3 Bad8 22 c3 Sd5 23 hxg6 hxg6 24 )c4 Sfd8 25
1 e4 )f6 2 e5 )d5 3 d4 d6 4 c4 >b6 5 f4 dxe5 6 fxe5 <Sc6 7 i.e3 Af5 8 <Sc3 e6 9 Ae2 Ael 10 0-0 11 0-0 f6 12 exfB i.xf6 13 d2 e7 14 S a d l Sad8 15 HSfcl i.g6 16 <4>hl Bd7 17 d5 >b4 18 a3 6 19 b4 Bfd8 20 i.d4 c5 21 JLxf6 gxf6 22 >h4 exd5 23 Ag4 cxb4 24 axb4 Sc7 25 c5 \xc5 26 bxc5 xc5 27 >xg6 xc3 28 h6 c6 29 Bdel f5 30 .xf5 Sf7 31 >e7+ Sxe7 32 % 5 + Black resigns.
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ixd6 + x d 6 21 fxe6 f6 22 h 5 + &d8 23 Jlh4 x e 6 24 Sael ie3 25 c 5 d 5 26 14th USSR Championship, Wc7+ <4>e8 27 xg7 Sf8 28 b 5 + Ac6 29 Moscow, 1945 JLxc6+ xc6 30 i.xf6 Sf7 31 % 8 + Sf8 32 [A53] Old Indian Defence % 5 <4>d7 33 Sf2 xb6 34 % 7 + <4>c6 35 1 3 rf6 2 c4 d6 3 d4 ^bd7 4 g3 e5 5 $Lg2 Jlxd4 Sxf2 36 JLxe3 xb2 37 S c l + &b5 c6 6 0-0 e4 7 \el d5 8 M6 911)3 dxc4 38 b 7 + &a4 39 Sc4+ &a3 40 Jlcl Black 10 c2 e 7 11 \xe4 \xe4 12 ilxe4 h5 13 resigns. Ag2 \b6 14 Ag4 15 a4 a5 16 b3 cxb3 17 xb3 ^ d 5 18 e4 A4 19 d5 Jlxf3 20 (9) Abrahams,G - Bronstein,D JLxf3 Jle5 21 Jlb2 h4 22 Jlxe5 x e 5 23 Match Great Britain vs. USSR, dxc6 bxc6 24 Sadl 0-0 25 Ag2 Sab8 26 c4 London, 1947 Sfd8 27 e 2 c5 28 Sxd8+ 2xd8 29 11)5 [ES4] King's Indian Defence d 4 30 x a 5 ^ d 3 31 e5 ixe5 32 c 7 Sd7 )P6 2 c4 g6 3 ^ c 3 Ag7 4 e4 d6 5 d4 33 c 8 + 2d8 34 c 7 Sd7 35 c8+ &h7 36 1 a5 c4 37 a6 g6 38 Jlb7 h3 39 b 8 Sxb7 40 0-0 6 Ae2 ^ b d 7 7 0-0 e5 8 Ag5 h6 9 Ae3 c6 10 h3 Se8 11 d5 c5 12 d 2 &h7 13 g4 x b 7 d3 41 f4 d 4 + Draw agreed. \g8 14 &h2 if8 15 i.d3 &h8 16 Sgl ^ h 7 17 Sg2 Ad7 18 2 f6 19 <4^3 Sf8 20 h4 (7) Bronstein,D - Furman,S e 7 21 c 2 ^ h f 6 22 \h2 ixg4 23 ixg4 15th USSR Championship, Semi-Final, f5 24 \xe5 dxe5 25 f4 26 S h i fxe4 27 Leningrad, 1946 ,&xe4\xe4+ 28 xe4exf4+ 29 <4*3 xe4+ [COS] French Defence 30 t4'xe4 Sae8+ 31 <4d3 M 5 + 32 <4d2 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 id2 c5 4\gf3 ^c6 5 exd5 fxe3 + White resigns. exd5 6 i.b5 i.d6 7 0-0 \ge7 8 dxc5 i.xc5 9 \b3 M6 10 Ag5 0-0 11 i.h4 Ag4 12 Sel (10) Keres,P - Bronstein,D c 7 13 Jlg3 Sad8 14 c3 Jlxg3 15 hxg3 Sd6 15th USSR Championship, 16 d 3 ig6 17 Axc6 bxc6 18 ^ c 5 Axf3 19 Leningrad, 1947 x f 3 Sdd8 20 e 3 l b 8 21 b3 2fe8 22 d 4 [C07] French Defence 23 ! b 4 ie6 24 xb8 Sxb8 25 c5 26 Sadl Sed8 27 \f4 x f 4 28 gxf4 Sd7 29 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 \d2 c5 4 \gf3 if6 5 Se5 Sbd8 30 c4 f6 31 Sexd5 Sxd5 32 cxd5 exd5 ^ x d 5 6 >e4 cxd4 7 ^ x d 4 Ael 8 Ae2 <4f7 33 g3 Sd7 34 Scl Sxd5 35 Sc4 <4>e7 36 0-0 9 0-0 e5 10 \b5 \c6 11 c4 ^ d b 4 12 a3 Sa4 Sd7 37 Sa6 Sc7 38 &d8 39 &e2 x d l 13 Jlxdl d 3 14 ^ c 7 Sb8 15 d 5 &c8 40 &d3 Sd7+ 41 <4>c4 &b7 42 Se6 Sd2 Ad8 16 \d6 Ae6 17 b4 ^ d 4 18 Ae3 b5 19 43 &xc5 Sxf2 44 Se7+ &b8 45 Sxg7 h5 46 f 4 bxc4 20 fxe5 Axd5 21 Axd4 Ab6 22 a4 Sc2+ 47 <4b5 Sg2 48 &a6 h4 49 Sb7+ i.xb6 axb6 23 if5 Sfe8 24 Sxe5 25 &c8 50 gxh4 Sg4 51 h5 Sh4 52 <4>xa7 Sxh5 \xd5 Sxd5 26 Ac2 g6 27 i.xd3 Sxd3 28 a4 53 b4 Sf5 54 b5 Sxf4 55 a5 Sf5 56 a6 Se5 Sb3 29 Sfbl Sxbl+ 30 Sxbl <4g7 31 S c l 57 b6 Black resigns. Sc8 32 a5 b5 33 a6 <4f6 34 <4f2 &e5 35 &e3 &d5 36 g4 Se8+ 37 t4'd2 4>d4 38 S f l Se6 39 Sf4+ &e5 40 a7 Sa6 41 Sxf7 Sa2+ 42 (8) Bronstein,D - Levenfish,G &c3 Sa3+ 43 <4b2 Draw agreed. 15th USSR Championship, Semi-Final,
(6) Chekhover.V - Bronstein,D
Leningrad, 1946
[D48] Semi-Slav Defence
(11) Bronstein,D - Najdorf,M

Candidates' Tournament, Budapest, 1950
[E2S] Nimzo-Indian Defence
1 d4 d5 2 \f3 >f6 3 c4 c6 4 e3 e6 5 Jld3 dxc4 6 JLxc4 ^ b d 7 7 b5 8 M3 a6 9 e4 c5 10 e5 cxd4 11 \e4 \d5 12 0-0 b 7 13 Jlg5 b 8 14 a4 lxe5 15 lxe5 xe5 16 axb5 a5 17 f4 b 8 18 f5 l e 5 1 9 b6 Jld6 20
1 d4 \f6 2 c4 e6 3 i.b4 4 a3 i x c 3 + 5 bxc3 c5 6 e3 ^ c 6 7 i.d3 0-0 8 d6 9 e4
70 Picturesque Games se8 10 0-0 b6 11 f4 i a 6 12 f5 e5 13 f6 &h8 14 d5 sa5 15 sg3 gxf6 16 sf5 i c 8 17 Wh5 i x f 5 18 exf5 Sg8 19 2 f 3 2g7 20 i h 6 2g8 21 2h3 Black resigns.
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(14) Bronstein,D - Horne.D

International Tournament, Hastings, 1953/54

World Championship Match, 21 st game, Moscow, 1951
1 d4 <f6 2 c4 d6 3 <c3 e5 4 )f3 )bd7 5 g3 g6 6 i g 2 Agl 7 0-0 0-0 8 e4 c6 9 h3 sh5 10 i e 3 Wei 11 sh2 <4>h8 12 2 e l a6 13 a3 2b8 14 i f l <hf6 15 Wd2 b5 16 cxb5 axb5 17 2 a d l )b6 18 i h 6 i x h 6 19 xh6 i e 6 20 )f3 i b 3 21 2d2 <fd7 22 We3 i c 4 23 i g 2 f6 24 2c2 i b 3 25 2ce2 <c4 26 Wd3 )a5 27 2d2 )b6 28 Wbl )bc4 29 2de2 b4 30 axb4 2xb4 31 h4 <ib6 32 <a2 x a 2 33 Wxa2 <bc4 34 h5 2fb8 35 hxg6 hxg6 36 iTbl &g7 37 dxe5 fxe5 38 Wcl <xb2 39 Wc3 <a4 40 Wcl 2c4 41 Wg5 Wxg5 42 sxg5 <ab3 43 f4 <SM4 44 2a2 2b2 45 2xb2 sxb2 46 &h2 <d3 47 2e3 2c3 48 i f l 2c2+ 49 <&h3 sf2 + 50 &h4 2 c l 51 i g 2 Sgl 52 i h 3 S h i 53 fxe5 dxe5 54 2 a 3 &f6 55 sh7 + <4>e7 56 sg5 <&d6 57 <^f7+ &e7 58 <4>g5 &xf7 59 2 a 7 + <4>e8 60 i d 7 + &d8 61 <4>xg6 <)xe4 62 g4 2 f l 63 i f 5 <xf5 64 gxf5 &e8 White resigns.
1 d4 sf6 2 c4 e6 3 \c3 i b 4 4 e3 c5 5 tf3 0-0 6 i e 2 7 Wc2 b6 8 0-0 i x c 3 9 Wxc3 i b 7 10 dxc5 <ie4 11 Wc2 <xc5 12 a3 f5 13 b4 )e4 14 i b 2 d6 15 S a d l We7 16 )el Sac8 17 Wb3 Sc7 18 )d3 Sfc8 19 f3 tf6 20 tf4 <SM8 21 ixfB gxfB 22 e4 b5 23 cxb5 Sc3 24 Iflbl Sxa3 25 i d 3 e5 26 )e2 Wf7 27 f4 28 <f5 Wc7 29 <xd6 Wb6+ 30 <4>hl Scc3 31 <>c4 Black resigns.
(15) Bronstein,D Alexander,C.H.O'D

[A82] Dutch Defence
(13) Bronstein,D -Geller,E

1 e4 e5 2 sf3 sc6 3 i b 5 a6 4 i a 4 <f6 5 0-0 i e 7 6 2 e l b5 7 i b 3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 sa5 10 i c 2 c5 11 d4 Wc7 12 ftbd2 cxd4 13 cxd4 i b 7 14 d5 i c 8 15 2 b l i d 7 16 i d 3 5fc8 17 )fl M8 18 <ig3 Wa7 19 S f l <e8 20 <4>hl 21 b4 a5 22 a3 axb4 23 axb4 i e 7 24 se2 i d 8 25 i d 2 i b 6 26 \c3 i x f 2 27 Wb6 28 We2 i g 3 29 i e 3 Wd8 30 )a7 Sc3 31 Wd2 Sa3 32 )c6 Wf6 33 lfxe5 i x e 5 34 Sxf6 i x f 6 35 i c 4 Sc3 36 e5 Sxc4 37 exf6 <xf6 38 i d 4 i x c 6 39 dxc6 Sxc6 40 Wg5 d5 41 S f l h6 42 Wg3 \e8 43 We5 Sd8 44 Wh5 \f6 45 i x f 6 Sxf6 46 Sxf6 gxf6 47 Wf3 Sd6 48 Wg4+ &h7 49 Wc8 Sb6 50 Wc7 Black resigns.
I d4 f5 2 e4 fxe4 3 \c3 <f6 4 f3 exf3 5 \xf3 g6 6 i f 4 A g l 1 Wd2 0-0 8 i h 6 d5 9 Axgl <&xgl 10 0-0-0 i f 5 11 i d 3 i x d 3 12 Wxd3 <>c6 13 Sdel Wd6 14 &bl a6 15 Se2 Sae8 16 Shel e6 17 <e5 <SM7 18 sf3 Sf5 19 Se3 e5 20 dxe5 ftdxe5 21 Sfxe5 22 Sxe5 Sxe5 23 Sxe5 Wxe5 24 Wxd5 Wxh2 25 lTd7+ <4>h6 26 a3 d6 27 Wc8 28 g4 &gl 29 b3 c6 30 g5 e7 31 % 4 sf7 32 <ae4 xa3 33 We6 Wa5 34 <^d6 ^ x d 6 35 Wf6+ <4>g8 36 Wxd6 e l + 37 <4>a2 We8 38 Wc7 b5 39 ^ b l Wei + 40 ^ b 2 We6 41 b4 e4 42 d8+ i>f7 43 Wf6 + <4>e8 44 Wd6 d5 45 fB <4>d7 46 Wg7 + ^ d 6 47 lTf6+ &cl 48 % 7 + Wdl 49 We5 + Wd6 50 lTg7+ <4>b6 51 Wc3 We7 52 Wd4+ <4>b7 53 c3 Wcl 54 Wh8 <4>b6 55 d4+ ^ b 7 56 h8 Wd7 57 <4>a3 Wei 58 f6 Wc7 59 <4>b2 a5 60 bxa5 Wxa5 61 lfe6 c7 62 <4>b3 Wf4 63 Wd7+ <4>b6 64 d8+ &c5 65 We7 + <4>b6 66 lTd8+ i>c5 67 We7+ <4>d5 68 Wd7+ Wd6 69 % 4 Ifc5 70 Wd7+ <4>e5 71 Wxh7 ^ f 5 72 Wd7+ <^xg5 73 Wd2+ <4>f6 74 Wd8 + i f 7 75 Wc7 + Wei 16 Wf4 + &g7 I I Wd4+ WfB 78 We4 <4>f7 79 <4>b2 Wd6 80 Wf3+ 81 We4 g5 82 Whl+ <4>e6 83 We4+ &d6 84 Wd3+ <4>c7 85 Wh7+ i b 6 86 <4>c2 Wf4 87 Wei Wi2+ 88 <4>b3 Wd2 89 We8 Wd5+ 90 <&b2 Wd6 91 We3+ Wc5 92
276
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 24 Jlc3 *hg5 25 <4>g2 \e6 26 d 2 g5 27 S h i sf4+ 28 - i n id3 29 Sbl Sc7 30 h4 Sd7 31 hxg5 fxg5 32 h 2 f 6 33 h 7 + <4>f7 34 f 5 x f 5 35 gxf5 b6 36 Sh5 sf4 37 Sh2 Sdd8 38 < & > f 2 g4 39 <4>g3 id5 40 exd5 Se3 41 Ad2 Sxf3+ 42 <4>xg4 Sd3 43 Af4 Sxd4 44 a5 S8xd5 45 axb6 axb6 46 Sxb6 S d l 47 Sb7+ <4>g8 48 Sb8+ <4>f7 49 Sb7+ <4>g8 50 Sg2 S f l 51 <4>g5 S a l 52 Se7 c3 53 <4g6 Sa6+ 54 Se6 Sxe6+ 55 fxe6 <4>f8 56 Ag5 Sd6 57 <4>f5 Sc6 58 Sa2 Sc8 59 Sa7 c2 60 jLcl Sc5+ 61 <4>e4 Black resigns.
e 8 f 2 + 93 <4>b3 f 6 94 d 7 <4>c5 95 <4>c2 e 5 96 d 8 e 4 + 97 <4>b2 g4 98 d 7 <4>c4 99 d l % 2 + 100 <4>al c5 101 c 2 f l + 102 <4>b2 <4>d5 103 d2+ <4>e4 104 % 5 f 5 105 h 4 <4>f3 106 h l + <4>e2 107 g 2 + <4>el 108 c4 b4 109 g l + <4>e2 110 % 2 + <4>e3 111 <4>b3 d 3 + 112 <4>a4 xc4 113 % 3 + <4>d2 114 Wf2+ <4>c3 115 e 3 + <4>b2 116 We5 + Wc3 117 g 5 g3 118 % 4 g2 119 % 5 c l 120 xc5 c 2 + White resigns.
(16) Bronstein,D - Teschner,R

(18) Porreca.G - Bronstein,D

1 e4 e5 2 \f3 \c6 3 i.b5 a6 4 i.a4 5 d3 d6 6 c3 Jle7 7 0-0 0-0 8 e 2 ld7 9 d4 f 6 10 As3 b5 11 Ac2 \b6 12 ^ b d 2 i.g4 13 d5 ^ e 7 14 Sfdl \g6 15 h3 i.d7 16 ifl \h4 17 ild2 Sb8 18 b3 ig6 19 d 3 Jle7 20 a4 bxa4 21 bxa4 a5 22 c4 f5 23 c5 dxc5 24 c 3 <4>h8 25 &xc5 Jld6 26 Jle3 fxe4 27 Jlxe4 ^ x a 4 28 c 2 Sb2 29 c l lf4 30 5 el 2 b 4 31 ic4 Jlb5 32 icd2 ib2 33 c 2 Jld3 34 Jlxd3 ibxd3 35 Sebl 2 x b l + 36 Sxbl ib4 37 c 4 ibxd5 38 ie4 h6 39 g3 ixe3 40 fxe3 g6 41 S f l d7 42 <4>h2 a4 43 h4 Sb8 44 h5 Sb2+ 45 ifd2 8 46 <4>gl \e6 47 Sb4 48 d 5 Sb5 49 a 8 + d 8 50 x a 4 Sb4 51 c 2 a 8 52 \xd6 cxd6 53 ih4 Se4 54 \g6 + <4>h7 55 <4>g8 58 \g6 b l d5 56 b 6 ig5 57 Sg4 59 a 7 Sxg3+ 60 <4>h2 Sh3+ 61 <4>g2 e 8 62 Sbl if7 63 Sb8 id8 64 <4>xh3 e6 + 65 <4>g3 d 6 66 e 7 xe7 67 ^xe7+ <4>f7 68 Sxd8 Black resigns.
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 dxe4 4 \xe4 Af5 5 Ag6 6 h4 h6 7 Ah7 8 Ac4 \f6 9 &f4 ^ b d 7 10 0-0 c 7 11 SelBg8 12 id3 e6 13 Jlf4 Jld6 14 Jlxd6 x d 6 15 f8 16 f 3 0-0-0 17 ig3 Jlh7 18 a4 Jlxd3 19 JLxd3 Wd6 20 a5 a6 21 S a 3 g5 22 h5 f 4 23 e 2 &c7 24 c3 She8 25 ^ e 4 \xe4 26 x e 4 xe4 27 Jlxe4 28 Af3 g4 29 jLdl Sg8 30 Se5 Sd5 31 Sa4 Sg5 32 Ab3 Sdxe5 33 dxe5 ^ d 7 34 i . d l ^ x e 5 35 Se4 Sxh5 36 Axg4 ixg4 37 Sxg4 Sxa5 38 Sg7 Sf5 39 g4 Sf6 40 <4>g2 <4>d6 41 <4>g3 e5 42 Sg8 "idS White resigns.
(19) Spassky,B- Bronstein,D

[CI 7] French Defence
(17) Bronstein,D - Gligoric,S

1 d4 \f6 2 c4 e6 3 ic3 Jlb4 4 e3 0-0 5 if3 c5 6 M3 d5 7 0-0 \bd7 8 cxd5 exd5 9 M2 Se8 10 a3 Jlxc3 11 Jlxc3 c4 12 JLe2 ie4 13 Jlel ib6 14 b3 Jlg4 15 h3 Jlh5 16 g4 Jlg6 17 \e5 Sc8 18 bxc4 ^xc4 19 iLxc4 dxc4 20 f3 id6 21 e4 f6 22 \xg6 hxg6 23 a4 if7
1 d4 e6 2 e4 d5 3 i.b4 4 e5 c5 5 Ad2 the7 6 ^ b 5 Axd2+ 7 x d 2 0-0 8 dxc5 ^bc6 9 b6 10 cxb6 x b 6 11 0-0-0 Sb8 12 b3 c 5 13 ^ b d 4 a5 14 <4>b2 a4 15 Jld3 h6 16 S h e l Sb6 17 i . f l Asl6 18 Axsl6 Sxa6 19 Se2 Sb8 20 ^xc6 \xc6 21 ^ d 4 ^ a 5 22 f4 Sa7 23 c l ^ c 4 + 24 <4>al 25 b 2 ib5 26 ^xb5 xb5 27 Se3 Sc7 28 Sed3 c5 29 S3d2 Sbc8 30 <4>bl a 7 31 g3 Sc3 32 Sel a3 33 c l c5 34 d l <4>h7 35 See2 g6 36 Sd4 Sf3 37 Sd3 Sxd3 38 cxd3 d 4 39 d2 Sc3 40 e 3 b 4 41 Sd2 h5 42 h3 b 7 43 f 2 <4>g7 Draw agreed.
277
(20) Gurgenidze.B - Bronstein,D

25th USSR Championship, Riga 1958
(23) Bronstein,D - Muchnik,H

5-minute blitz chess, Moscow, 1962
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 >c6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ixd4 5 lc3 d6 6 Jlg5 e6 7 d 2 a6 8 Jle2 Jld7 9 0-0 Hc8 10 Hadl Ael 11 sb3 0-0 12 JixK gxf6 13 h 6 &h8 14 h 5 Hg8 15 f 4 Hg6 16 & h l b 6 17 a3 Hcg8 18 Jlf3 Af8 19 2 f5 20 exf5 Sh6 21 x f 7 d 8 22 fxe6 Jlxe6 23 x b 7 h 4 24 &gl \e7 25 ^ b d 4 Jlc8 26 Wb4 Jlg7 27 Wei Wxh2+ 28 &f2 Af6 29 &e3 sf5 + 30 ^ x f 5 Jlxf5 31 S h i xhl 32 x h l Hxhl 33 S x h l Jlxb2 34 &d2 Axa3 35 S a l A c5 36 Sxa6 Se8 37 S a 8 Ae3+ 38 &dl Sxa8 39 Jlxa8 Jlg4 Draw agreed.
1 e4 e5 2 rf3 ic6 3 i.b5 a6 4 i.a4 5 0-0 A&7 6 Sel b5 7 Jlb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 \a5 10 Ac2 c5 11 d4 c7 1 2 ^ b d 2 cxd4 13 cxd4 iLb7 14 tfl Sac8 15 b l Sfd8 16 d5 ic4 17 b3 18 Ab2 tfd7 19 Af8 20 d2 21 Jld3 ^ x d 3 22 xd3 23 d2 >c5 24 a5 25 Sacl b4 26 % 5 d7 27 JLxe5 >xe4 28 &h8 29 Sxe4 S x c l + 30 xcl Jlxd5 31 Sd4 Jlxf3 32 Sxd6 Jlxd6 33 Axg7+ &xg7 34 % 5 + &f8 35 g8+ &e7 36 xf7 mate.
(24) Stein,L- Bronstein,D

USSR Team Championship, Ukraine vs. Moscow, 1st board, Leningrad, 1962
(21) Bisguier.A-Bronstein,D
Maroczy Memorial Tournament, Budapest, 1961
[A54] Old Indian Defence
1 d4 2 c4 d6 3 \c3 e5 4 e4 5 igl h6 6 Ai4 g5 7 Jld2 Agl 8 e3 Ai5 9 ^ g e 2 Jlg6 10 Wb3 b6 11 0-0 12 Jle2 c5 13 dxc5 bxc5 14 f3 d5 15 cxd5 exf3 16 gxf3 sbd 717 e4 Sb818 a3 Se8 19 0-0-0 g4 20 S h g l Sb4 21 xa7 gxf3 22 i.xf3 ie5 23 Jle2 Se7 24 xc5 Seb7 25 b3 a8 26 &c2 Sxe4 27 sgxe4 fice4 28 Sxg6 ficc5 29 Sg2 Ha7 30 a4 31 Jlc4 c8 32 S f l h3 33 Sff2 le5 34 A f l h 4 35 S f 4 d 8 36 Sb4 &h7 37 sb5 Sd7 38 d6 f6 39 S f 4 e6 40 id4 Wd5 41 Ac3 White resigns.
1 e4 c5 2 sf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ^ x d 4 5 lc3 a6 6 Jlg5 e6 7 f 4 b6 8 d2 xb2 9 S b l a 3 10 AxfB gxf6 11 Jle2 Ag7 12 f5 0-0 13 Sb3 Wa5 14 0-0 sc6 15 ^xc6 bxc6 16 xd6 exf5 17 Ac4 f4 18 xc6 Sa7 19 sd5 Jle6 20 & h l f5 21 exf5 AxfS 22 d6 Axc2 23 Sb8 Sa8 24 Sxa8 Sxa8 25 ixf4 e5 26 J u f 7 + &h8 27 d2 Jle4 28 le6 JLd5 29 ixg7 Sf8 30 ie8 Sxf7 31 Sel f4 32 xf4 Sxf4 33 ^ c 7 Jlxa2 34 ^ x a 6 Jlc4 35 >c5 S f l + 36 Sxfl Axfl 37 &gl Jlb5 38 4>f2 &g7 39 4>e3 4>f6 40 &f4 h6 41 ^ e 4 + 4g6 42 g4 Draw agreed.
(22) Bronstein,D - Donner,J

Maroczy Memorial Tournament, Budapest, 1961
(25) Bronstein,D - O'Kelly.A

Hoogovens Tournament, Beverwijk, 1963
[AD8] King's Indian Attack
I e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 Af5 4 h4 h6 5 g4 Jld7 6 Ae3 c5 7 c3 ic6 8 a3 a5 9 b3 e6 10 h5 b5 II 3 Wb8 12 Ag2 c4 13 bxc4 bxc4 14 Wc2 a4 15 ibd2 ia5 16 0-0 ib3 17 Sa2 ie7 18 ^ h 4 )c6 19 f4 ^xd2 20 xd2 Ae7 21 Af2 tha7 22 f5 Ag5 23 Wdl Wb3 24 al Sb8 25 exf5 26 e6 Axe6 21 gxf5 Ad7 28 Se2 + &f8 29 Ag3 Sb5 30 Ac6 31 el &g8 32 lxc6 Black resigns.
1 g3 ^)f6 2 Jlg2 d5 3 tf3 e6 4 0-0 Ae7 5 d3 c5 6 sbd2 7 e4 0-0 8 Sel Wc7 9 e5 d7 10 We2 b5 11 h4 a5 12 ^ f l Jla6 13 îlh2 b4 14 h5 Sfc8 15 h6 g6 16 Jlf4 d8 17 ig4 a4 18 d2 c4 19 dxc4 Axc4 20 Ag5 a3 21 b3 Aa6 22 Sacl ia7 23 Axel xe7 24 lg5 25 Axd5 Sd8 26 Axa8 ^ x e 5 27 xd8+ xd8 28 Sxe5 29 Af3 f5 30 Black resigns.
278
(26) Bronstein,D- M20 Computer

Institute of Mathematics, Moscow 1963
[C34] King's Gambit Accepted
(29) Bronstein,D- Korchnoi,V

Match Moscow vs. Leningrad by telephone, 1st board, 1964
1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 >f3 >f6 4 e5 )g4 5 d4 g5 6 >c3 >e3 7 We2 >xfl 8 >e4 >e3 9 >f6 + &e7 10 i.d2 >xc2+ 11 &f2 >xal 12 >d5 + &e6 13 Wc4 b5 14 <xg5 + Wxg5 15 >xc7+ + &e7 16 >d5+ &e6 17 >xf4+ + &e7 18 >d5+ <4>e8 19 Wxc8+ Wd8 20 >c7+ &e7 21 i . b 4 + d6 22 i.xd6+ Wxd6 23 We8 mate.
(27) Bronstein,D - Dely,P

Asztalos Memorial Tournament, Miskolcz, 1963
[A27]English Opening
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 >xd4 >f6 5 lc3 d6 6 g 4 a 6 7g5tfd7 8 Ac4 )e5 9 Ae2 b5 10 a3 Ab7 11 f4 >c4 12 f5 e5 13 >f3 >d7 14 Axc4 bxc4 15 Ae3 g6 16 fxg6 hxg6 17 We2 Wc7 18 0-0-0 Ae7 19 h4 >f8 20 >d2 2c8 21 2 d f l i.d8 22 2h2 2 h 7 23 &bl 2 h 5 24 2 h f 2 2h7 25 2 f 3 le6 26 Wf2 We7 27 >d5 i.xd5 28 exd5 >c7 29 >xc4 >b5 30 >b6 i.xb6 31 xb6 2c4 32 h5 gxh5 33 2fB 2g7 34 Wf5 Black resigns.
(30) Bronstein,D- Uhlmann,W

United Nations Peace Tournament, Zagreb, 1965
1 c4 e5 2 >c3 lc6 3 >f 3 f5 4 d4 e4 5 i.g5 $Le7 6 Axel Wxe7 7 >d5 Wd6 8 >d2 >ge7 9 >xe7 >xe7 10 e3 0-0 11 g4 c5 12 >b3 cxd4 13 c5 Wg6 14 Wxd4 Wxg4 15 Jle2 Wg6 16 0-0-0 b6 17 f 4 exf3 18 i . x f 3 bxc5 19 >xc5 >c6 20 Wf4 We8 21 &bl We7 22 Wd6 Wxd6 23 Sxd6 2b8 24 >xd7 Axdl 25 2xd7 le5 26 i.d5+ <4>h8 27 2xa7 2fd8 28 2b7 2xb7 29 Axbl lc4 30 2 c l >xe3 31 a4 g5 32 a5 Black resigns.
(28) Bronstein, D - Korchnoi,V

USSR Zonal Tournament, Moscow, 1964
[D24] Queen's Gambit Accepted
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 >c3 i.b4 4 e5 >e7 5 a3 i.xc3+ 6 bxc3 c5 7 Wg4 Wc7 8 Wxg7 2g8 9 Wxh7 cxd4 10 &dl >d7 11 >f3 >xe5 12 AtA Wxc3 13 >xe5 Wxal+ 14 Acl d3 15 Wxf7+ &d8 16 Wffi dxc2+ 17 <4>d2 Wd4+ 18 i . d 3 &e8 19 &e2 i . d 7 20 i.e3 Wb2 21 2 c l 2c8 22 >xd7 d4 23 Ad2 <4>xd7 24 i . b 4 2ge8 25 i.b5+ 2c6 26 <4>d2 ld5 27 Wf7+ 2e7 28 Axel Wc3+ 29 <4>e2 d3+ 30 i.xd3 >xe7 31 2xc2 We5+ 32 <4>dl Wal+ 33 <4>d2 Wxa3 34 2xc6 bxc6 35 Ac4 W>4+ 36 <4>d3 Wbl+ 37 &c3 Wcl+ 38 <4>d3 Wbl + Draw agreed.
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 >f3 >f6 4 >c3 a6 5 e4 b5 6 e5 >d5 7 a4 >xc3 8 bxc3 Wd5 9 g3 i.b7 10 Ag2 Wd7 11 i.a3 e6 12 i.xf8 &xf8 13 0-0 g6 14 >h4 c6 15 f4 We7 16 Wd2 <4>g7 17 f5 exf5 18 2xf5 Ac8 19 2f6 2a7 20 2 a f l Ae6 21 Wg5 We8 22 Ae4 2g8 23 >g2 <4>h8 24 >f4 2e7 25 axb5 axb5 26 Wh6 <SM7 27 Axc6 b4 28 d5 Ag4 29 e6 Wf8 30 Wxf8 >xf8 31 h3 g5 32 d6 2xe6 33 >xe6 Axe6 34 cxb4 &g7 35 Ae8 c3 36 Axfl Black resigns.
(31) Polugayevsky,L- Bronstein,D

35th USSR Championship, Tbilisi, 1967
[D34] Tarrasch Defence
1 c4 >f6 2 k3 e6 3 >f 3 c5 4 g3 d5 5 cxd5 exd5 6 d4 lc6 7 Ag2 Ae7 8 0-0 0-0 9 Ag5 cxd4 10 >xd4 h6 11 AfA Wb6 12 >xc6 bxc6 13 Wc2 Ag4 14 Ae3 Wa6 15 i.d4 2 f d 8 16 h3 Ae6 17 2 f d l 2ac8 18 2 a c l d7 19 e4 dxe4 20 Wxe4 c5 21 i . e 3 i.fB 22
70 Picturesque Games f l c4 23 Sc2 Se8 24 2cd2 xh3 25 Sd6 \b6 26 x h 3 Sxe4 27 xc8 Wxc8 28 x e 4 e 7 29 26d2 We6 30 \c3 b 4 31 d 4 Wg4 32 a3 a5 33 e 3 &h7 34 2d4 Wg6 35 Scl We6 36 \e2 We5 37 tf4 Wb5 38 2c2 Wb3 39 2e2 a 4 40 2d5 c7 41 2 d 7 e 5 (sealed move) 42 Jixa7 f 6 43 <4>h2 \xb2 44 2xf7 \d3 45 \d5 <4>g6 46 2d7 \e5 47 2c7 Wxa3 48 x f 6 gxf6 49 e 3 Wd3 50 2a2 Wfl 51 g4 xg4+ 52 <4>g3 e 5 53 <4>h2 tf3 + 54 <4>g3 e l 55 <4f4 g2 White resigns.
279
(34) Shamkovich,L-Bronstein,D
(32) Fuchs.R - Bronstein,D

100th Birthday Dr Lasker Tournament, Berlin, 1968
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 c4 \f6 5 \c3 g6 6 b3 gl 7 cxd5 0-0 8 \ge2 bd7 9 g3 b 6 10 g2 f 5 11 0-0 I B 7 12 2 e l h6 13 a4 2ad8 14 d6 Wxd6 15 \b5 Wdl 16 \xa7 \bd5 17 \b5 e 4 18 tf4 xg2 19 <4>xg2 b6 20 Wf3 b 4 21 2e2 2fe8 22 e 3 g5 23 h 5 g4 24 x f 6 + exf6 25 Wf4 d 5 White resigns.
1 c4 g6 2 d4 \f6 3 c 3 gl 4 e4 d6 5 f3 b6 6 d 3 M f i 7 \ge2 c5 8 d5 \bd7 9 0-0 \e5 10 b l a6 11 Wb3 b5 12 a4 b4 13 d l a5 14 g5 h6 15 h 4 g5 16 g 3 )h5 17 e 3 e6 18 c2 Wei 19 2 a d l 0-0-0 20 b l g6 21 Wc2 h f 4 22 Wd2 h5 23 b3 h 6 24 <4>hl h4 25 x f 4 gxf4 26 \g4 h3 27 gxh3 g5 28 g l e5 29 2f2 <4>c7 30 d 3 h 4 31 Sg2 c8 32 \e2 Sh5 33 g l Sdh8 34 We2 Jig5 35 Wc2 h 6 36 S f l g7 37 Se2 h 4 38 Sef2 f5 39 exf5 x f 5 40 Wd2 h 6 41 x f 5 x f 5 42 Se2 Sg8 43 S f e l d 7 44 Sg2 Jig5 45 \f2 Sgh8 46 \e4 h 4 47 Sd 1 S5h6 48 We2 f 5 49 Sd2 <4>b6 50 Wd3 Wdl 51 Sde2 g3 52 Wd2 x h 3 53 \xh3 Wxh3 54 \f2 Wxh2+ 55 Sxh2 Sxh2+ 56 <4>gl jLxf2+ White resigns.
(35) Bronstein,D - Parma,B

Alekhine Memorial Tournament, Moscow, 1971
(33) Jongsma,L- Bronstein,D

IBM Tournament, Amsterdam, 1968
[B10J Caro-Kann Defence
1 e4 c6 2 d3 e5 3 f4 exf4 4 x f 4 d5 5 \d2 Wf6 6 g 3 Wxb2 7 g f 3 f 6 8 Jie5 Wa3 9 x f 6 gxf6 10 e2 dxe4 11 \xe4 gl 12 0-0 f5 13 g 3 f4 14 e 4 0-0 15 d4 f 5 16 f 2 c5 17 2 b l c 6 18 2b3 Wxa2 19 2xb7 2ad8 20 d 3 g 6 21 dxc5 a5 22 t b l Wxbl 23 2fxbl a4 24 21b6 a3 25 2xc6 a2 (36) Bronstein,D - Hug,W 26 2a6 2 a 8 27 2ba7 alW + 28 2xal x a l Interzonal Tournament, 29 2xa8 2xa8 30 \h3 2c8 31 x f 4 2xc5 Petropolis, 1973 32 \xg6 hxg6 33 <4>f2 f5 34 <4>e3 -4g7 35 h3 [C05] French Defence <4>f6 36 g4 c3 37 gxf5 gxf5 38 h 4 2e5 + 39 <4>f3 <4>g5 40 x f 5 2xf5 + 41 xf5 <4>xf5 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 d 2 f 6 4 e5 f d 7 5 f4 c5 6 c3 c6 7 d f 3 cxd4 8 cxd4 b 6 9 e 2 Draw agreed.
1 e4 c5 2 \f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 \xd4 \f6 5 c 3 g6 6 e 3 Jig! 1 f3 c 6 8 Wd2 0-0 9 Jic4 d 7 10 b 3 WaS 11 0-0-0 Sfc8 12 h4 e 5 13 h5 x h 5 14 \d5 Wxd2+ 15 Sxd2 &f8 16 g4 xg4 17 fxg4 \xg4 18 g 5 gf6 19 xf6 xf6 20 f 3 -4g7 21 xf6 + xf6 22 e5 dxe5 23 xe5 e 4 24 Sdh2 h5 25 \xf7 Sc7 26 Sg2 Sf8 27 d 5 c 5 28 e 5 Sf5 29 Sxg6+ <4h7 30 i.g8+ Black resigns.
280
h5 10 >c3 Jld7 11 Jle2 Sc8 12 0-0 g6 13 <4>hl a6 14 b3 >e7 15 Wd2 >f5 16 Jlb2 i . b 4 17 a3 Ae7 18 >a2 <4>f8 19 i.c3 >a8 20 JLa5 We8 21 a4 <&g7 22 Jld3 >h6 23 We2 Jld8 24 Jld2 Jle7 25 Wei Sc7 26 >c3 Jlc6 27 >e2 >f5 28 g3 Wc8 29 >cl b6 30 <4>gl a5 31 >a2 i.b7 32 >c3 Sc6 33 >b5 Wb8 34 We2 )c7 35 Jlel >a6 36 S d l >b4 37 Jlbl Jla6 38 h3 2h6 39 Wd2 2c8 40 <4>g2 >c2 41 Ai2 Axb5 42 axb5 >a3 43 Jld3 JLb4 44 We2 2c3 45 g4 >e7 46 Jlh4 2xb3 47 iLg5 2 h 7 48 f5 gxf5 49 gxf5 >xf5 50 >h4 <xh4+ 51 Jlxh4 % 8 52 <4>h2 &f8 53 AfG Ac3 54 2 g l 2 h 8 55 2xg8+ 2xg8 56 Wxh5 Black resigns.
(39) Bronstein,D- Beliavsky,A

USSR Super League Championship, Erevan, 1975
(37) Bronstein,D - Gheorghiu,F

Interzonal Tournament, Petropolis 1973
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 >c3 dxe4 4 >xe4 Af5 5 )c5 Wb6 6 g4 Jlg6 7 f4 e6 8 We2 Ael 9 h4 h5 10 f5 exf5 11 g5 >d7 12 >b3 Wcl 13 >h3 0-0-0 14 Af4 Jld6 15 Wh2 f8 16 0-0-0 >e6 17 i.xd6 2xd6 18 iLc4 >e7 19 f4 >xf4 20 Wxf4 2dd8 21 Wxc7+ <4>xc7 22 c3 2he8 23 >c5 >c8 24 >d3 >d6 25 i . b 3 2e3 26 >f4 2de8 27 2 h g l 28e7 28 2 d f l >e4 29 Jldl <4>d6 30 Af 3 c5 31 dxc5 + 4xc5 32 >g2 2d3 33 >f4 2d8 34 2 d l 2ed7 35 2xd7 2xd7 36 2 d l 2 x d l + 37 <&xdl >d6 38 <>c2 a5 39 a4 <&b6 40 <4>d3 &c7 41 <4>d4 c8 42 b4 axb4 43 cxb4 fael 44 a5 f6 45 gxfB gxfB 46 &c5 Ail 47 b5 ^ c 8 48 b6 Black resigns.
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 >xd4 if6 5 >c3 a6 6 Ag5 e6 7 f 4 >bd7 8 We2 Wc7 9 0-0-0 b5 10 a3 2b8 11 >d5 exd5 12 exd5+ Jle7 13 )c6 >b6 14 JlxfB gxfB 15 g3 Jlb7 16 >xb8 Wxb8 17 Ag2 Wd8 18 2 h e l f5 19 2 d 3 <4>d7 20 Wh5 4 c 8 21 Wxf5+ <4>b8 22 Wxf7 JlfB 23 2de3 Jtxb2+ 24 <4>xb2 )c4+ 25 <4>a2 >xe3 26 2xe3 Wb6 27 2 e 8 + 2xe8 28 Wxe8+ &a7 29 We4 Wf2 30 <4>b2 a5 31 f5 <4>b6 32 g4 h6 33 Jlf3 Wxh2 34 fB Wh4 35 Wd4+ <4>c7 36 f7 Black resigns.
(40) Bronstein,D - Romanishin,0

(38) Bronstein,D - Saidy,A

International Tournament, Tallinn 1973
[B10J Caro-Kann Defence
1 e4 c6 2 d3 d5 3 >d2 g6 4 g3 Ag7 5 Ag2 e5 6 >gf3 >e7 7 0-0 0-0 8 b4 >d7 9 Ab2 b6 10 2 e l d4 11 c3 dxc3 12 Jlxc3 Jla6 13 >b3 Wc7 14 d4 2ad8 15 Wcl exd416 Jlxd4 >e5 17 Jlxe5 Jlxe5 18 >xe5 Wxe5 19 Wa3 Jlc4 20 f 4 Wcl 21 Wb2 c5 22 >d2 Jla6 23 2acl Wd6 24 >f3 cxb4 25 e5 Wb8 26 Wxb4 >f5 27 >g5 >g7 28 e6 fxe6 29 >xe6 >xe6 30 2xe6 2 f 7 31 Wb3 2c8 32 2xc8+ Wxc8 33 Jlc6 Wcl 34 Wc3 2 f 8 35 2xg6+ hxg6 36 Jld5 + Wf7 37 Jtxf7+ 2xf7 38 Wc2 <4>g7 39 Wa4 Jlc8 40 Wd4+ 4 h 7 41 Wc4 Black resigns.
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 g6 3 d4 Agl 4 c3 Wa5 5 bd2 cxd4 6 b4 Wb6 7 cxd4 d5 8 exd5 fB 9 Jlc4 Wxb4 10 a4 0-0 11 Jla3 Wa5 12 Wb3 e4 13 Jlb4 xd2 14 Jlxd2 Wb6 15 Wxb6 axb6 16 0-0 i . f 5 17 2 f e l AfG 18 i.b4 2c8 19 i . b 5 a6 20 Axel Axel 21 2xe7 c7 22 2 a e l xd5 23 2xb7 ^ c 3 24 g5 xb5 25 axb5 2ab8 26 2be7 2f8 27 21e3 2 b d 8 28 f3 Ag4 29 h3 Jlxf3 30 2xf3 2d5 31 2e5 2fd8 32 2f6 2xe5 33 dxe5 2d5 34 2xb6 2xe5 35 <4>fl <4>g7 36 g3 h5 37 h4 <4>h7 38 &g2 2 f 5 39 2b7 <4>g7 40 b6 2b5 41 <4>f3 2b2 42 &e4 (sealed move) 2xf2 43 2c7 2b2 44 b7 <4>fB 45 <4>d5 i f 5 46 2xf7+ <4>g4 47 2g7 &cg3 48 2xg6+ ^ x h 4 49 <4>c6 <4>h3 50 2g5 2xb7 51 <4>xb7 h4 52 <&c6 <4>h2 53 4 ^ 5 h3 54 4 e 4 Black resigns.
(41) Bronstein,D - Tal,M

1 e4 c5 2 >f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 >xd4 c6 5 b5 d6 6 c4 fB 7 >5c3 Ael 8 Ae2 0-0 9
70 Picturesque Games 0-0 b6 10 f 4 i.b7 11 >d2 12 Scl Sc8 13 i . g 3 a6 14 4>hl >d4 15 i . d 3 >e5 16 .bl i . h 4 17 i f 4 ixc4 18 ixc4 Sxc4 19 Wd3 Sc5 20 Ae3 e5 21 Scdl Se8 22 a3 b5 23 Aa2 AfB 24 Ad5 Ac8 25 f 4 We7 26 f5 Ad7 27 Sfel Sec8 28 i.a2 Ac6 29 b4 Sxc3 30 Wxc3 \xf5 31 Scl ixe3 32 Sxe3 Ag5 33 Sf3 i x c l 34 Sxf7 Wxf7 35 x f 7 + 4>xf7 36 Wxcl Ab7 37 We3 i.xe4 38 <4gl i.d5 39 Wd3 S c l + 40 <4f2 <4e6 41 Wh3 + 4>f6 42 Wh4+ <4>g6 43 Wg3+ <4f6 44 Wd3 Ae6 45 Wxd6 Sc2+ 46 <4el Sxg2 47 h4 Sa2 48 Wxa6 <4f5 49 Wxb5 S a l + 50 <4d2 S a 2 + 51 <4>cl S a l + 52 <4b2 Sa2+ 53 -4bl Sxa3 54 Wc5 Sd3 55 b5 i.d5 56 Wc8+ <4f4 57 Wf8+ <4>e3 58 Wc5+ 4 f 4 59 4>cl Ae4 60 f c 7 Sd5 61 Wf7+ 4>e3 62 Wa7+ <4d3 63 I f 2 Sd4 64 Wc2+ <4e3 65 Wc7 Sd5 66 Wa7+ &e2 67 Wa2+ <4e3 68 <4e2 69 Wb2+ 4>e3 70 Wc3+ <4e2 71 Wc4+ <4>e3 72 Wb3 + Sd3 73 We6 Sd5 74 Wc6 <4e2 75 Wc4+ 4>e3 76 b6 Sd7 77 We6 Sd5 78 f h 3 + i f 3 79 Wh2 S d l + 80 4>c2 Sd5 81 Wgl+ 4>e2 82 Wh2+ <4e3 83 4>c3 g6 84 f g l + 4 f 4 85 Wg5+ 4>e4 86 Wffi <4e3 87 4>b4 Ae4 88 4>c4 Sd4+ 89 4>c5 Sd5+ 90 4>b4 Sd4+ 91 <4a5 S d l 92 <4>a6 S a l + 93 4>b5 S b l + 94 <4a4 S a l + 95 <4>b3 S b l + 96 4>a3 S a l + 97 4>b2 S b l + 98 4>a2 Sb5 99 Wfl i d 5 + 100 4>a3 Sb3+ 101 <4a4 <4>d4 102 Wf2 + 4>c4 103 Wc2 + Sc3 104 We2 + Sd3 105 Wc2+ Sc3 106 Wa2 + 4>c5 107 Wf2+ 4>c4 108 We2+ Sd3 109 Wa2+ <4c3 110 Wa3 + 4>c2 111 Wc5+ 4>dl 112 f g l + 4>e2 113 Wh2+ <4?f3 114 Wxe5 i e 4 115 Wf6+ 4>g4 116 We6 + 4 f 4 117 Wf7+ 4>g3 118 Wc7 + 4>h3 119 Wf4 Ag2 120 b7 i c 6 + 121 <4>b4 Black resigns.
281
i f 8 27 h3 Wc8 28 i h 4 fee4 29 Sxe4 d5 30 Se2 i d 6 31 >g5 i e 7 32 Sxe6 i.xg5 33 Sxe8+ Wxe8 34 Axg5 Wf7 35 Wf3 Sd7 36 S e l Sd6 37 Wg4 Wd7 38 We2 <4f7 39 Sdl Wf5 40 i . h 4 d4 41 cxd4 We6 42 Wf2 We4 43 d5 Sxd5 44 S e l Wd3 45 <4h2 Sd6 46 Se3 Wd5 47 Wc2 Sd7 48 We2 Wdl 49 Wa6 * d 4 50 We2 Wdl 51 Wc4+ Wd5 52 Wc3 >d4 53 Sd3 We4 54 i.g3 b5 55 <4hl Sd5 56 i . f 2 >e6 57 Sxd5 Wxd5 58 i.xa7 Wd6 59 i.e3 Wd5 60 <4gl h5 61 Wc2 >g7 62 Wc7+ 4>g8 63 Wb8+ 4f7 64 Wc7+ <4g8 65 We5 Wc6 66 M2 <4f7 67 Wc5 Wxc5 68 i.xc5 4>e6 69 i . f 8 >f5 70 <4f2 <4>d5 71 g4 >d4 72 f5 gxf5 73 gxh5 >e6 74 i.g7 >g5 75 h4 >e4+ 76 <4e3 <4e6 77 i . d 4 <4f7 78 4 f 4 Black resigns.
(43) Bronstein,D - Hartston,W

(42) Bronstein,D - Korchnoi.V

[B 74] Sicilian Defence
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 e6 3 c3 >f6 4 e5 >d5 5 d4 cxd4 6 cxd4 d6 7 a3 i.e7 8 i.d3 >c6 9 0-0 i.d7 10 Sel dxe5 11 dxe5 Sc8 12 i.e4 0-0 13 Wd3 h6 14 i.d2 Wb6 15 i.xd5 exd5 16 >c3 i.e6 17 ixd5 Scd8 18 >xe7+ >xe7 19 We3 Wxe3 20 Axe3 >c6 21 h3 Sd5 22 i.d2 Sfd8 23 i.c3 a5 24 Sacl b5 25 i.d2 Sc8 26 Se3 b4 27 axb4 axb4 28 Se4 b3 29 Sec4 e 7 30 Sxc8+ ixc8 31 Ae3 &e7 32 >d4 Sxe5 33 >xe6 fxe6 34 Sc3 Sb5 35 4 f l >d5 36 Sc8+ 4>f7 37 Ad2 g5 38 g3 >f6 39 4>e2 h5 40 Ae3 g4 41 h4 d 5 42 &d4 e5 43 Ae3 e4 44 Ad2 <4e6 45 Se8+ 4 f 5 46 S h 8 4>g6 47 Sh6+ <4f7 48 Sc6 Sb6 49 5c4 Se6 50 Sc5 Se5 51 Sa5 4>e6 52 Sa3 e3 53 fxe3 >e7 54 Ac3 Sf5 55 Sxb3 Sf3 56 Sb6+ 4>d5 57 e4+ <4c5 58 Sf6 Sxg3 59 Ael Sb3 60 Ac3 <4c4 61 Se6 Sb7 62 <4>e3 Sc7 63 Ae5 Sd7 64 <4f4 <4d3 65 Sd6+ 5xd6 66 ^.xd6 Black resigns.
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 >xd4 >f6 5 >c3 g6 6 i e 2 i g 7 7 Ae3 0-0 8 >b3 >c6 9 0-0 i e 6 10 f4 Wc8 11 <4hl Sd8 12 Agl b6 13 Wei >b4 14 Scl i c 4 15 i x c 4 f x c 4 16 >d2 Wc8 17 a3 c 6 18 >f3 Sb8 19 >d5 e6 20 >xf6+ i x f 6 21 c3 Sb7 22 i f 2 Wc7 23 S d l Se8 24 i g 3 i g 7 25 Wf2 f 5 26 Sfel
(44) Sax,G - Bronstein,D

3rd Tungsram International Tournament, Budapest, 1977
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 <c3 i.b4 4 e5 b6 5 Wg4 i.f8 6 >f3 Wd7 7 i.d3 c6 8 a3 i.b7 9 i.g5
282
The Sorcerer's Apprentice 9 d5 >b6 10 Wb3 c6 11 0-0 cxd5 12 exd5 >8d7 13 Bdl Wb8 14 i g 5 &c8 15 Bacl h6 16 i e 3 i x f 3 17 i x f 3 >e5 18 i e 2 id6 19 >b5 >xb5 20 Wxb5 Bd8 21 Ac5 Af8 22 WbA Be8 23 i b 5 a5 24 We4 f5 25 We2 Bc8 26 a4 <4>h7 27 h3 b6 28 i d 4 Bxcl 29 Bxcl >f7 30 Bc6 Wf4 31 i x b 6 >d6 32 i c 7 Sa7 33 g3 Wd4 34 i b 6 Black resigns.
h6 10 i.e3 0-0-0 11 h4 h5 12 Wg3 fB 13 0-0-0 >h6 14 Shel >g4 15 i f 4 a6 16 Se2 f5 17 i.g5 He8 18 &bl <4>b8 19 Sed2 >a7 20 <&e2 Wa4 21 Bel ib5 22 i.xb5 axb5 23 if4 b4 24 axb4 i.a6 25 b3 Wxb4 26 >g6 <4>b7 27 <el Ac4 28 Wa5 29 bxc4 Ba8 30 c3 Wal+ 31 4>c2 Wa4+ Draw agreed.
(45) Tal,M - Bronstein,D

Simultaneous play on 8 boards against each other, Tbilisi, 1982
[E12] Queen's Indian Defence
(48) Bronstein,D - Rexchess

AEGON Tournament, The Hague, 1991
[A01 ] Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack
1 d4 >f6 2 c4 e6 3 >f3 b6 4 a3 i.e7 5 >c3 d5 6 cxd5 exd5 7 MA 0-0 8 e3 c5 9 <&e5 i.b7 10 i.d3 >bd7 11 Wf3 Se8 12 0-0 a6 13 Wh3 >f8 14 i.g5 cxd4 15 exd4 ie4 16 >xe4 dxe4 17 i.c4 i . d 5 18 Wb3 Axc4 19 Wxc4 >e6 20 >c6 b5 21 Wa2 Wd7 22 >xe7+ 4 h 8 23 i . h 4 g5 24 >d5 gxh4 25 >b6 Wb7 26 >xa8 tf4 27 b4 Bg8 28 d5 Sxg2+ 29 <4?hl Wd7 30 Wb2+ 4 g 8 31 Hb3 <SM3 32 Bgl Bg4 33 Wc2 <4f8 34 f3 Bxgl + 35 Bxgl Wf5 36 S f l e3 37 >b6 h3 38 d6 <)f2+ 39 Bxf2 exf2 40 Wxf2 Wd3 41 >d7+ 4 e 8 42 >fB+ 4 f 8 43 >d7+ 4 e 8 44 >e5 Wxd6 45 We2 We6 46 We4 Black resigns.
1 b3 d5 2 i b 2 i g 4 3 h3 i h 5 4 g4 i g 6 5 >f3 e6 6 e3 >f6 7 d3 i e 7 8 >bd2 0-0 9 ie5 >bd7 10 >xg6 fxg6 11 g5 >h5 12 h4 i d 6 13 i h 3 We7 14 We2 c6 15 0-0-0 a5 16 f4 >g3 17 Wg4 >xhl 18 Wxe6+ Bf7 19 Bxhl a4 20 >f3 Wf8 21 h5 Be8 22 hxg6 Bxe6 23 i x e 6 hxg6 24 >h4 <4h7 25 f5 gxf5 26 i x f 7 Wxf7 27 g6+ Wxg6 28 ^ x g 6 + &xg6 29 Sgl+ <4>f7 30 Bxg7+ 4 e 6 31 bxa4 Black resigns.
(49) Welling,G - Bronstein,D

B.S.G. Weekend Tournament, Bussum, 1991
(46) Rashkovsky,N - Bronstein,D

Moscow Open Championship, dedicated to 60 years existence of the Soviet Union, 1982
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 <c3 >f6 4 i g 5 i b 4 5 e5 h6 6 exfB hxg5 7 feg7 Bg8 8 h4 gxh4 9 Wh5 WfB 10 >f3 a6 11 Bxh4 ^ c 6 12 0-0-0 Wxg7 [E21 ] Nimzo-Indian Defence 13 i.d3 i.d7 14 g3 Le7 15 S h 2 0-0-0 16 1 d4 >fB 2 c4 e6 3 <c3 i.b4 4 tf3 d6 5 i.g5 Bdhl ixd4 17 ^ x d 4 Wxd4 18 Wxf7 i.g5+ h6 6 M 4 We7 7 e3 >bd7 8 e2 i.xc3+ 9 19 4 b l Sdf8 20 Wh7 i.fB 21 ^ d l S h 8 22 bxc3 b6 10 >d2 i.b7 11 i f 3 x f 3 12 Wxf3 Wg6 Bxh2 23 Sxh2 i.e8 White resigns. 0-0 13 Wc6 Bac8 14 0-0 We8 15 f4 >h7 16 a4 >b8 17 Wb5 >c6 18 >b3 a6 19 Wxa6 (50) Bronstein,D - Perez Garcia,H Ba8 20 Wb5 >a5 21 >d2 f5 22 Wxe8 Bfxe8 Paul Keres Chess Club Tournament, 23 c5 bxc5 24 dxc5 dxc5 25 Bfbl tf8 26 >b3 Utrecht, 1991 <SM7 27 lxa5 Bxa5 28 Bb7 Draw agreed.
[A81 ] Dutch Defence
(47) Bronstein,D - Hodgson,J

\bung Masters Tournament, London, 1989
1 d4 >fB 2 >f3 g6 3 c4 i g 7 4 >c3 d5 5 Wb3 dxc4 6 Wxc4 0-0 7 e4 i g 4 8 e2 tfd7
1 d4 f5 2 g3 >f6 3 Ag2 g6 4 ^ h 3 Ag7 5 tf4 d6 6 d5 c6 7 ^ c 3 0-0 8 h4 We8 9 h5 >a6 10 hxg6 hxg6 11 e4 e5 12 dxe6 i.xe6 13 0-0 fxe4 14 xe4 d5 15 îxe6 Wxe6 16 >g5 WgA 17 Wxg4 ixg4 18 i . h 3 19 i . e 6 + 4 h 8 20 4g2 Bae8 21 B h l Se7 22 i.e3 d4 23 Sxh6+ Black resigns.
283
1 e4 c5 2 b4 cxb4 3 a3 d5 4 exd5 Wxd5 5 >f3 e5 6 axb4 i.xb4 7 Sa3 i.xa3 8 >xa3 Hoogovens Tournament, Ag4 9 >b5 >a6 10 i.a3 0-0-0 11 c4 We4+ Wijk aan Zee, 1992 12 Ae2 Axf3 13 gxf3 Wg6 14 >xa7+ &b8 [D19] Slav Defence 15 >b5 >h6 16 c5 >c7 17 >d6 Wg2 18 S f l 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 >f3 >f6 4 )c3 dxc4 5 a4 >e8 19 >xb7 Sd7 20 c6 Sxb7 21 cxb7 Wg6 i . f 5 6 e3 e6 7 i.xc4 i.b4 8 0-0 >bd7 9 We2 22 Wb3 Wc6 23 i.c4 Wxbl 24 Wd3 e4 25 Ag6 10 e4 0-0 11 i . d 3 i . h 5 12 i f 4 e5 13 fxe4 f5 26 f3 >c7 27 <4>e2 Wc6 28 Sbl + dxe5 )g4 14 Wc2 Se8 15 Ae2 Ag6 16 Sadl <4>c8 29 e5 Sd8 30 i.d6 g6 31 Wd4 f4 32 Wc8 17 e6 fxe6 18 >h4 >ge5 19 i.xe5 >xe5 Scl <&f5 33 i.e6+ &b7 34 Wb2+ Wb5+ 35 20 f4 >d7 21 >xg6 hxg6 22 i.c4 >b6 23 Wxb5+ >xb5 36 i.xf5 >d4+ 37 <&f2 >xf5 Aa2 Wc7 24 f5 i.xc3 25 bxc3 gxf5 26 exf5 38 i.b4 Sd5 39 S e l <4>c7 40 e6 <4d8 41 h4 >d5 27 fxe6 Sxe6 28 Wf5 Sh6 29 h3 <4h8 30 >d6 42 e7+ &e8 43 Se6 >f5 44 h5 gxh5 i - b l Sg8 31 Wf3 Wb6+ 32 Sd4 Wc5 33 & h l 45 &g2 Sd4 46 i.c3 Sd3 47 Se5 >h4+ 48 >xc3 34 Sd7 >xbl 35 Sxbl b5 36 axb5 <4>f2 Sxf3+ 49 <4>e2 Sh3 50 i . d 4 >f3 51 cxb5 37 Sel a6 38 See7 Wc6 39 Wg4 Wf6 Se4 >xd4+ 52 Sxd4 f3+ 53 <&f2 <&xe7 54 40 Sf7 Wal+ 41 S d l We5 42 Sfd7 We6 43 Sf4 S h 2 + 55 <4>xf3 Sxd2 56 <4g3 Sd5 57 Wg3 Wg6 44 Wa3 Se8 45 <4>h2 Wffi 46 Wd3 Sa4 <4>f8 58 Sa8 -4g5 59 Sg8 + -4h6 60 <4>g2 Sg6 47 Sd5 Sg5 48 Sd4 Wf2 49 Sgl Sf8 50 Sg5 + Draw agreed. <4>hl a5 51 Wc3 a4 52 Wb4 Sf6 53 Sd8 + <4>h7 54 We4+ Wf5 55 Wa8 We6 56 Scl We3 (54) Deep Thought II - Bronstein,D 57 Scdl Sg3 58 Sh8+ <4g6 59 Wd5 Sg5 60 Played by modem between Wg8 S h 5 61 Sxh5 <4>xh5 62 Wxg7 We5 63 HP Laboratories, Palo Alto (Bronstein) Wh7+ <4>g5 64 h4+ <4g4 65 Wg8+ <4xh4 66 and IBM Headquarters (Deep Thought II), g3+ Wxg3 67 Wh8+ <4>g4 68 Wxf6 Wh3+ 1992,20 minutes each 69 <&gl Wg3 + 70 &fl Wh3 + 71&e2 Wg2 + [A69] King's Indian Defence 72 <4>d3 Wg3+ 73 <4>d4 Black resigns 1 d4 >f6 2 c4 g6 3 >c3 Ag7 4 e4 d6 5 f4 0-0 (52) Bronstein,D - Deep Thought II 6 >f3 c5 7 d5 e6 8 Ae2 exd5 9 cxd5 Se8 10 e5 dxe5 11 fxe5 >g4 12 Ag5 Wb6 13 0-0 Played by modem between HP >xe5 14 >xe5 Sxe5 15 Wd2 i . f 5 16 i.c4 Laboratories, Palo Alto (Bronstein) and >d7 17 Sacl Sae8 18 i - f 4 a6 19 i.xe5 IBM Headquarters (Deep Thought II), >xe5 20 S f e l Wd8 21 i . f l Wh4 22 S a l 1992, 20 minutes each Sd8 23 h3 )g4 24 hxg4 i . d 4 + 25 Se3 [B20] Sicilian Defence AxgA 26 Wf2 Wxf2+ 27 <4>xf2 Se8 28 4 g 3 1 e4 c5 2 b4 cxb4 3 a3 d5 4 exd5 Wxd5 5 Sxe3+ 29 &xg4 f5+ 30 <4>f4 <4f7 31 d6 >f3 AgA 6 axb4 We4+ 7 Ae2 Axft 8 gxf3 <4>e6 32 S d l h6 33 i.c4+ <4>xd6 34 Af7 g5+ Wxb4 9 >a3 Wa5 10 Jb2 >c6 11 c4 Wg5 35 4 x f 5 b5 36 >e4+ <4>e7 37 i-d5 Se2 38 12 Wb3 0-0-0 13 d4 Wg2 14 0-0-0 Wxf2 15 b4 Sxg2 39 bxc5 i . e 3 40 S e l i.d4 41 d5 >a5 16 Wb5 We3+ 17 <4>bl 1x62 18 >xg5+ <4>d7 42 c6+ <4>d6 43 i.xg2 hxg5 44 Wxa5 a6 19 S h e l Wf2 20 c5 >f6 21 i.e5 Sdl Black resigns. >xd5 22 >c4 Wxel 23 Sxel f6 24 >b6 + >xb6 25 Wxb6 Black resigns. (55) Bronstein,D - Martens,M
(51) Bronstein,D- Finegold.B
(53) Bronstein,D - Deep Thought II

Played by modem between HP Laboratories, Palo Alto (Bronstein) and IBM Headquarters (Deep Thought II), 1992, 15 minutes each
Belgian Team Competition, Ghent, 1992

[A00] Sokolsky's Opening
1 b4 e5 2 i.b2 i.xb4 3 i.xe5 >f6 4 >f3 0-0 5 e3 Se8 6 Ae2 d5 7 0-0 c5 8 d3 >c6 9 Ag3 >e7 10 tfd2 f5 11 i . f 4 Aa5 12 g4 >h4 13 >b3 >g6 14 Ag3 Ab6 15 g5 >d7 16
284
The Sorcerer's Apprentice g5 hxg5 40 hxg5 a3 41 g6 Sd6 42 i h 5 Sd5 43 i d l Sg5+ 44 <4>h2 Sd2 White resigns.
>c3 >df8 17 h4 >e6 18 i f 3 d4 19 >b5 dxe3 20 fxe3 c4 21 dxc4 i x e 3 + 22 <4>hl Wb6 23 Wd6 i f 4 24 Wxb6 axb6 25 i f 2 Sa4 26 i d 5 i d 7 27 i x b 6 i c 6 28 >a5 i e 5 29 Sadl i x b 5 30 cxb5 Sxh4+ 31 &gl Sg4+ 32 <4>hl S h 4 + 33 4>gl >xg5 34 i x b 7 >f4 35 Sfel f6 36 >c6 <>fh3 + 37 <4>fl S f 4 + 38 <>g2 Sg4+ 39 <4>fl h5 40 >xe5 fxe5 41 Sd8 Sxd8 42 i x d 8 Sf4+ 43 <4>g2 Sf2+ 44 <4>g3 Sxc2 45 i x g 5 >xg5 46 Sxe5 >h7 47 i d 5 + <4f8 48 b6 >f6 49 b7 id7 50 Sf5+ <4>e8 51 S f 7 Sb2 52 Sxg7 Sb6 53 i c 6 Black resigns.
(58) Escalona Cuevas,L Bronstein, D

3rd Oviedo Open Active Chess Tournament, 1993 45 minutes each,
(56) Berkmortel v.d.,TBronstein.D

Belgian Team Competition, Brussels, 1993
[A69J King's Indian Defence
1 d4 >f6 2 c4 g6 3 >c3 i g 7 4 e4 d6 5 f4 0-0 6 >f 3 c5 7 d5 e6 8 i e 2 exd5 9 cxd5 Se8 10 e5 dxe5 11 fxe5 >g4 12 i g 5 Wb6 13 Wd2 >xe5 14 0-0-0 >a6 15 d6 Ae6 16 >xe5 i x e 5 17 i x a 6 bxa6 18 Shel i d 4 19 d7 Seb8 20 Se2 Wc6 21 d8W+ Sxd8 22 i x d 8 Sxd8 23 % 5 Sb8 24 Sdel i f 5 25 g4 i d 3 26 Wf4 Sf8 27 Se7 i f 6 28 S7e3 c4 29 g5 Wfg2 White resigns.
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 >c3 i b 4 4 i d 2 dxe4 5 Wg4 >f6 6 Wxg7 Sg8 7 Wh6 Wxd4 8 0-0-0 i f 8 9 Wh4 Sg4 10 Wh3 Wxf2 11 i e 2 Sh4 12 Wxh4 Wxh4 13 g3 Wh6 14 i x h 6 i x h 6 + 15 <4>bl e5 16 h3 c6 17 i g 4 >bd7 18 i f 5 lc5 19 i x c 8 Sxc8 20 >ge2 <4>e7 21 S h f l a5 22 Sf5 <4>e6 23 Sdfl i g 7 24 g4 h6 25 ig3 Sd8 26 a3 a4 27 ih5 >xh5 28 Sxh5 Sd2 29 Shf5 f6 30 S e l S d 4 31 Sf2 h5 32 )e2 Sd2! 33 Sf5 hxg4 34 hxg4 i h 6 35 )g3 e3 36 >h5 >e4 37 S f 3 Sg2 38 Sh3 >f2 39 Sf3 >xg4 40 Sg3 Sxg3 41 >xg3 f5 White resigns.
(59) Bronstein,D - Plaskett,J

3rd Oviedo Open Active Chess Tournament, 1993 45 minutes each
[COO] Chigorin Attack
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 e6 3 d3 >c6 4 g3 d5 5 We2 >f6 6 i g 2 i e 7 7 0-0 0-0 8 e5 ld7 9 c4 Se8 10 Sel >f8 11 h4 b6 12 >c3 i b 7 13 b3 Wd7 14 i b 2 Sad8 15 S a d l a6 16 d4 >a5 Team Competition of Asturias, 17 dxc5 bxc5 18 g5 d4 19 <^ce4 h6 20 Wh5 Oviedo, 1993 hxg5 21 hxg5 g6 22 Wh4 Axe4 23 i x e 4 [C47] Scotch Opening >h7 24 f4 i f 8 25 g2 i g 7 26 S h i >f8 27 1 e4 e5 2 >f3 >c6 3 d4 exd4 4 >xd4 >f6 5 Wg4 lc6 28 Sh4 >e7 29 i c l f5 30 Sh3 >c3 i b 4 6 >xc6 bxc6 7 i d 3 d5 8 exd5 Wc7 31 S d h l d3 32 Ad2 Sd4 33 Wf3 Sed8 cxd5 9 0-0 0-0 10 i g 5 c6 11 >e2 h6 12 34 g4 >e7 35 Sh4 Sxe4 36 Wxe4 Wc6 37 i h 4 i d 6 13 i g 3 c5 14 i x d 6 Wxd6 15 <4>f3 Wxe4+ 38 <4>xe4 Sd4+ 39 <4>e3 >c6 40 >g3 Wf4 16 >h5 >xh5 17 Wxh5 i e 6 18 i c 3 Sd7 41 S d l a5 42 Sxd3 Sxd3+ 43 S f e l c4 19 i f l Sab8 20 b3 Sfc8 21 bxc4 <4>xd3 ld7 44 <4>e4<4>f845 S h i <4>e8 46 i d 2 dxc4 22 Wa5 Sb2 23 Wc3 Wf6 24 WxfB gxf6 M8 47 a3 i e 7 48 Ac3 Af8 49 f5 exf5+ 50 25 c3 Sd8 26 Se4 Sdd2 27 i x c 4 f5 28 Sxe6 gxf5 gxf5+ 51 4 x f 5 >e7+ 52 <4>e4 c6 53 fxe6 29 i x e 6 + <&f8 30 S f l f4 31 g3 4>e7 g6 fxg6 54 e6 b6 55 i i 6 a4 56 bxa4 xc4 32 i b 3 f 3 33 h3 <4>d6 34 h4 a5 35 i d l 57 <4>d5 4a5 58 Sh8 c4 59 Ag7 ^ e 7 + 60 Sxa2 36 i x f 3 a4 37 g4 <4>e5 38 <4>g2 4 f 4 39 <4>e4tf5 61 i x f 8 Black resigns.
(57) Jose Antonio Nunez Bronstein,D
285
(60) Bronstein,D- Spangenberg.H

[B31 ] Sicilian Defence
(63) Velimirovic,D - Bronstein,D

Donner Memorial Tournament, Amsterdam, 1994
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 >c6 3 i b 5 g6 4 c3 i g 7 5 d4 Wb6 6 a4 cxd4 7 0-0 >fB 8 e5 ld5 9 cxd4 0-0 10 >c3 >xc3 11 bxc3 d6 12 exd6 exd6 13 MA a6 14 e2 >a5 15 Sbl Wc6 16 d5 Wc7 17 c4 Se8 18 i d 3 i g 4 19 h3 i x f 3 20 !txf3 Wc5 21 S f d l Sac8 22 M 2 >xc4 23 i x c 4 Wxc4 24 Sxb7 Sc7 25 Sxc7 Wxc7 26 l d 3 i e 5 27 S c l Wb6 28 i e 3 1 r a5 29 Wc4 h5 30 Sbl Sa8 31 Wd6 Wd8 32 a5 Sc8 33 Wxa6 Sa8 34 Wb6 Wc8 35 f4 i f B 36 Wxd6 Wc3 37 i f 2 i d 4 38 i x d 4 WxdA+ 39 <4hl 4>h7 40 a6 Wd3 41 Sb7 Black resigns.
1 e4 c5 2 >f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 >xd4 >fB 5 lc3 a6 6 Ae3 e6 7 Wd2 b5 8 f3 >bd7 9 g4 h6 10 0-0-0 Ab7 11 h4 b4 12 >ce2 d5 13 i h 3 dxe4 14 g5 hxg5 15 hxg5 exf3 16 ig3 >e5 17 gxfB gxfB 18 <4bl Wc7 19 Af4 Ad5 20 We3 JLe7 21 Ag2 Sxhl 22 i x h l 0-0-0 23 >xf3 i x a 2 + 24 <&cl S x d l + 25 &xdl >c4 26 l e i e5 27 i h 6 f 5 28 b3 f4 29 >fl 30 &e2 Wxh6 31 >3d2 Wxhl 32 bxc4 e4 33 Wal Wh5+ 34 <4f2 i c 5 + 35 &g2 f3+ 36 <4>g3 i d 6 + 37 <4f2 Wh4+ 38 4 e 3 i c 5 + White resigns.
(61) M-Chess Pro - Bronstein,D

AEGON Tournament, The Hague, 1994
(64) Bronstein,D - Hunt,H

Vera Menchik Memorial, Maidstone, 1994
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 ld2 dxe4 4 >xe4 >fB 5 >xfB+ gxfB 6 >f3 i f 5 7 c3 >d7 8 g3 Wa5 9 >h4 i g 6 10 i e 3 0-0-0 11 Wb3 e6 12 0-0-0 i h 5 13 S e l >b6 14 i g 2 c5 15 &bl Sd7 16 h3 i g 6 + 17 >xg6 hxg6 18 h4 c4 19 Wc2 >d5 20 i c l f5 21 i g 5 Sd6 22 Se5 i g 7 23 Se2 Sa6 24 a3 i f 8 25 Wcl i d 6 26 &al Sb6 27 i f 3 <4d7 28 i x d 5 Wxd5 29 i f 6 Sc8 30 i e 5 i e 7 31 Shel f6 32 i f 4 Scc6 33 i b 8 Sa6 34 &a2 Scb6 35 i f 4 S b 3 36 Se3 i x a 3 37 bxa3 Wa5 White resigns.
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 f3 e6 4 lc3 i b 4 5 >ge2 dxe4 6 fxe4 Wh4+ 7 >g3 >fB 8 e5 e4 9 Wd3 ficg3 10 Wxg3 Wxd4 11 Wxg7 i x c 3 + 12 bxc3 Wxc3+ 13 <4f2 Sf8 14 i h 6 >d7 15 i d 3 f6 16 Sael b6 17 Wxh7 Wd4+ 18 <4>g3 >xe5 19 Sxe5 Wxe5+ 20 i f 4 Wc3 21 <Mi4 f5 22 i e 2 l f B + 23 <4h3 Sf7 24 i h 5 &e7 25 i x f 7 Wxf7 26 i d 6 + <4fB 27 Wg6 28 i e 7 + Black resigns.
(65) Bronstein,DChess Genius 2/486-33

10 minutes each, Lasne, 1994
(62) Bronstein,D - Astrup.K

Arnold Eikrem Cup, Gausdal, 1994
[C39] King's Gambit Accepted
1 e4 e5 2 f 4 exf4 3 >f3 g5 4 h4 g4 5 >e5 <>f6 6 >xg4 >xe4 7 >c3 >g3 8 >d5 i g 7 9 d4 0-0 10 i x f 4 >xhl 11 >h6+ <4h8 12 Wh5 We8+ 13 <4d2 f5 14 Wxe8 Sxe8 15 i d 3 >a6 16 Sxhl c6 17 >f7+ -4g8 18 >d6 Se6 19 >e3 i h 6 20 i x h 6 Sxd6 21 i c 4 + <4>h8 22 >xf5 Sxh6 23 >xh6 d5 24 i x a 6 Black resigns.
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 >c3 dxe4 4 >xe4 i f 5 5 >g3 i g 6 6 h4 h6 7 >h3 e6 8 f4 i h 7 9 i c 4 i d 6 10 i x e 6 fee6 11 >xe6 l e 7 12 0-0 i x g 3 13 S e l i x f 2 + 14 <4>xf2 Wxh4+ 15 4>gl 4 d 7 16 d5 <4c8 17 i f 4 >fB 18 c4 >e8 19 Scl i f 5 20 Ae5 Axe6 21 dxe6 a6 22 c5 We7 23 Ah2 Wg5 24 Wd4 l d 5 25 Wf4 Wxa2 26 Scdl Wa5 27 T7 Wxc5+ 28 4 h l b5 29 Sd7 I b e 30 S e d l a5 31 We7 >d6 32 Slxd6 Black resigns.
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(66) Chess Genius 2/486-33 Bronstein,D

10 minutes each, Lasne, 1994
24 2 b l &h8 25 i g 5 i e 8 26 i f 6 i g 6 27 b6 Wd7 28 2cl hxg4 29 i x g 4 <4g8 30 Wh3 2ae8 31 <4d2 Wb5 32 Wc3 Wxb6 33 2 h 3 Wb3 34 Wal Wb6 35 Wc3 2a8 36 2gl 2a5 37 i d l 2b5 38 2xh7 2b2+ 39 <4el <4xh7 40 2xg6 &xg6 41 Wg3+ <4f5 42 Wg4 mate.
1 d4 d6 2 >f3 >f6 3 c4 g6 4 lc3 i g 7 5 g3 0-0 6 i g 2 >bd7 7 0-0 e5 8 e4 exd4 9 >xd4 Se8 10 h3 a6 11 Sbl 2b8 12 b3 c5 13 >c2 b5 14 cxb5 axb5 15 b4 i b 7 16 Wxd6 2c8 17 >xb5 i x e 4 18 i x e 4 >xe4 19 Wd3 c4 20 Wf3 c3 21 S d l >e5 22 We2 Wf6 23 i e 3 >d2 24 2bcl <ef3 + 25 <4hl Wc6 26 >a7 Wa8 27 >xc8 >d4+ 28 &h2 >xe2 29 >b6 Wc6 30 2xd2 cxd2 White resigns.
(69) Bronstein,DChess Genius 3/P 90

10 minutes each, London, 1995
(67) Kolbus,D- Bronstein,D

1 c4 if6 2 lc3 e5 3 g3 c6 4 >f3 d6 5 i g 2 g6 6 0-0 i g 7 7 e4 0-0 8 d4 Wa5 9 d5 cxd5 10 cxd5 b5 11 2 e l i d 7 12 a3 b4 13 >a2 bxa3 14 >c3 Wb6 15 2xa3 >a6 16 i f l >c5 17 >d2 a5 18 >c4 Wc7 19 b3 2fb8 20 i d 2 le8 21 Wc2 f5 22 f3 >f6 23 2 e a l fxe4 24 fee4 2 a 7 25 h3 2ab7 26 >xa5 >cxe4 27 i e l Wc5+ 28 &h2 2c7 29 i c 4 >xc3 30 Wxc3 e4 31 Wd2 e3 32 Wg2 Wd4 33 2 c l >e4 34 2a2 2f8 35 i b 4 i e 5 36 i e l h5 37 & h l 2 f 2 38 i x f 2 exf2 39 Wf3 i x h 3 40 >c6 >xg3 + 41 <4>h2 Wh4 42 2xf2 ie2 + 43 >xe5 i f l + White resigns.
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 f3 e6 4 >c3 i b 4 5 >ge2 dxe4 6 fxe4 e5 7 Wd3 exd4 8 >xd4 >f6 9 i g 5 h6 10 i h 4 0-0 11 i e 2 i x c 3 + 12 bxc3 Wd6 13 0-0 >bd7 14 >f5 We5 15 2 a e l <4>h8 16 i f 3 Wa5 17 Wd4 c5 18 Wd6 Wxc3 19 e5 >e8 20 We7 Wxc2 21 i d 5 >c7 22 i x f 7 b6 23 i b 3 Wxf5 24 2xf5 2xf5 25 Wd8 + >f8 26 Wxc7 i a 6 27 e6 c4 28 i c 2 2c5 29 Wf7 Black resigns.
(70) Bronstein,DChess Genius 3/P 90

10 minutes each, London, 1995
[A28] English Opening
(68) Bronstein,D - Roos,L

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 c5 4c3 lc6 5 >f3 Wb6 6 a3 c4 7 >bd2 f6 8 b3 fxe5 9 >xe5 >xe5 10 dxe5 i c 5 11 Wh5+ g6 12 Wh4 Wc7 13 if3 ie7 14 b4 >f5 15 Wh3 i e 7 16 i e 2 0-0 17 g4 >g7 18 Wg3 a5 19 b5 a4 20 h4 i d 7 21 >d4 i c 5 22 h5 i x d 4 23 cxd4 gxh5
1 c4 e5 2 >c3 >f6 3 >f3 lc6 4 d4 exd4 5 >xd4 i b 4 6 i g 5 We7 7 e3 0-0 8 i e 2 i x c 3 + 9 bxc3 h6 10 i h 4 d6 11 0-0 >e5 12 2 b l >g6 13 i g 3 >e4 14 Wc2 >xg3 15 hxg3 le5 16 f4 <g4 17 i x g 4 i x g 4 18 e4 b6 19 2bel Wd7 20 f5 c5 21 >b3 f6 22 lcl i h 5 23 Wd3 2fe8 24 >e2 Wa4 25 >f4 i f 7 26 >d5 2e5 27 2e2 2c8 28 2 f e l 2ce8 29 g4 &h8 30 4>f2 4 h 7 31 4 f 3 4g8 32 2 h l b5 33 We3 i x d 5 34 cxd5 2xe4 35 Wxe4 2xe4 36 2xe4 Wxa2 37 2 e 8 + 4 h 7 38 2 h e l b4 39 2 d 8 Wxd5+ 40 4 g 3 Wd3+ 41 <4h2 h5 42 2 e 7 Wxc3 43 2dd7 Wc4 44 2xg7+ <4h8 45 2 h 7 + 4 g 8 46 2dg7+ i f 8 47 2b7 Wf4+ 48 <4>hl Wfl+ 49 <4>h2 Wf4+ 50 <4hl Wfl+ 51 4>h2 Wf4+ Drawn by threefold repetition.
One horse is faster than another

For more than three years, the outstanding Russian grandmaster David Bronstein has been wandering around the West, earning his daily bread and relaxing after a long period of immobility (he was forbidden to leave the Soviet Union in 1976 when he refused to sign that letter of sorrowful fame directed against Victor Korchnoi). For most of the time during these three years, his Moscow flat has been unoccupied and his wonderful chess library has been collecting dust. What a pity! Once, I too spent several pleasant and unforgettable evenings in that flat with its host. One can listen to Bronstein for hours. His capricious flow of thought captivates you, it's full of temperament and murderous irony. In addition to that, Bronstein is a nonconformist. Perhaps it is this feature, so rare nowadays, that wins us over most of all. Yes, he is full of contradictions, and it happens that he says something today that is completely different from what he said yesterday. So what? Remember that Lev Tolstoy, answering a critical remark on a similar occasion, said 1 am not a parrot that repeats the same things all its life through.' One who seeks ultimate truth often arrives at contradictions with his own past views. Bronstein simply neglects these inborn contradictions, he is accustomed to doubt. Thank God! One who has no doubts has no creative stamina. We are sitting in his kitchen again. So much water under the bridge in these eight years, so strikingly has chess changed... But Bronstein is still the same, his smile is still sorrowful and slightly bewildered. A lonely Mohican, his eyes follow the chess express as it races towards the 21st century. Sergey Voronkov 'David, you were once the first to urge speeding up the game. How does the rapid chess of today live up to your dreams 'Thank you for that question. I think rapid chess is nothingat all as I had imagined it. But we have to accept that motion in life always follows a zigzag path: first it has to be proven that chess can, in general, be played quickly, and then there will be a leap in quality. Today rapid chess is played, for the most part, by the very same people who are good at conventional chess. I hold to the bold idea that entirely different people will be good at quickplay: a new generation who won't even understand why chess should be played slowly.' 'What is it that you dislike in the way rapid chess is played at present 'I never proposed playing two games and immediately recording the result, as is done in the Intel Grand Prix. I simply want to free people from the feigned seriousness of a single game so that during that same time they could play a whole match - consisting of, say, eight games. The limitation of two games fails to remove the basic shortcoming of classical chess: the fact that the players are paralysed by the heightened responsibility they feel for each move.' 'When did you come to the conclusion that chess might to be speeded up?' 'I think it was as soon as I began playing. I somehow immediately perceived chess as a mutual exchange of problems. You know, just as at school we would exchange problems in mathematics and take pride in solving them more quickly. All my life, I have
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had a liking for lightning chess and have played thousands, if not tens of thousands of games ...' 'lightning chess got on very well alongside classical chess. When did you voice the idea of limiting a game to 20 minutes?' 'In 1973, at the Interzonal Tournament in Leningrad, when someone had lost a game particularly unexpectedly under time pressure, I proposed the following system: in addition to the basic time - say, 20 minutes per game - each player should be allowed another 15 seconds a move (but without the chance to save up time, so as to avoid hurried playing: you can make your move in two seconds or in ten - your additional time vanishes all the same). Only if you use up more than 15 seconds, do you begin drawing on your basic time. And even if you've used up all of your time, you will still have 15 seconds a move. This means that in a hopeless position, it would be futile for your partner to continue pounding the clock - it won't help.' 'Something like "the Fischer clock". It too adds time for each move, and you don't run the risk of not having the time to mate your opponent under time pressure.' 'No, there's a difference - a fundamental one. One mustn't get time for nothing! Say, you repeat the same position - immediately you gain a few minutes. What for? My system is logical: you get time for every move but you cannot save it. If you think 20 minutes isn't enough, very well, make it two hours. The point is that no one should be afraid of losing a game because they run out of time. In general, I think the worst thing the FIDE has done has been to establish regulations whereby a situation is possible in which you're entitled to a move but lack the time to make it. I think that is absurd! 'That chess should be played quickly is something I spoke about half a century ago. I've always defended playing under time pressure, and I certainly don't think a shortage of time is a bad thing. On the contrary, I've always thought that fast playing is a measure of the ability to play chess.' 'On the other hand, Botvinnik thinks that fast playing destroys chess.' 'Maybe it destroys - Botvinnik's chess! I accept that. But for some reason Botvinnik does not say that in his finest years he always sought to drive his opponents into timetrouble. As f a r as I know, he played lightning chess splendidly: I cannot recall a single case of Botvinnik leaving a piece en prise under time pressure. I do know games in which he won with the flag of his clock just about to fall; for example, he twice defeated Reshevsky in this way.' 'Then why is he opposed to rapid chess?' 'He does not want to lose his halo of exclusivity! Botvinnik considers himself to be the most profound chess player in history. And that profundity is supposedly proven by the deep-thinking manner in which he always gazes at the board before making a move, as if penetrating depths beyond the reach of ordinary mortals'. 'But Botvinnik supports his attitude by the argument that the strongest chess players of the world are now concerned only with money, that they rush from one tournament to the next, and have neither the time nor the desire to annotate games or seriously analyse their playing. All this, he argues, is destroying the continuity of chess, the tradition whereby each new generation learned from the games and books of their predecessors.' 'But times have changed! In the past, to learn something, one had to go to the library, find the necessary book, and thumb through it... And now? In a single hour, you can study the information on any opening on your computer. But can that possibly prevent anyone from studying the games of the titans of the past, including those of Botvinnik himself? Surely not. Now, he too can publish a collection of his finest games, and it will have its readers... No one is abolishing the chess of the past.'
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'Still, classical chess appears to be in a state of crisis...' 'Because chess has already been studied so thoroughly. The aura of mystery has vanished! Today chess relies on the splendid memory of the young. They complain that they have to work hard, that our generation does not understand them, does not realise how difficult it is to digest thousands of games, commit a mass on information to memory, and not confuse the proper order of moves in reproducing a 20-move long variation on the board. I appreciate that this involves enormous physical and mental strain. But this has nothing in common with the chess that was played by my generation.' 'Not long ago, in an interview for our journal, Victor Korchnoi expressed the view that computers would defeat human chess players before the end of the century. Will that mean the end of chess?' 'That's not only Korchnoi's opinion. I could also cite the "father of cybernetics", Norbert Wiener, who in his 1964 book God and Golem Incorporated wrote that, in the opinion of his friends, fairly experienced chess players, the days of chess as an interesting human game were numbered. His friends believed that within 10 to 20 years chess-playing automatons would attain the level of masters and chess would in general cease to interest people as a game. Well, it looks like that time is coming... I do not in any way rejoice in this, as some may think, but simply do not want to hide my head in the sand like an ostrich. 'Yes, chess has probably lost its element of mystery. But what mystery? There are millions of positions in which it is possible to play. I think that computers have simply exposed man and shown that he has become conceited. Grandmasters are convinced they know how to play chess. But is this really so? I have my own definition of a grandmaster: he is a chess player who is very good in positions that are extremely close to the initial position (that is, he is good at beginning from the beginning). So long as there are still many pieces on the board, the "grands" play almost faultlessly. But once the board begins to empty and it becomes more difficult to keep up with all the potential moves of the pieces, it turns out that no one is capable of keeping the game under control. It is then that real play begins! But it was this very part of the game that was cut off in the classical chess so dear to Botvinnik: after 40 moves the game could be adjourned and analysed all night, if not for a couple of days. This killed the most creative part of a chess game, killed the possibility of improvising. 'Now too it is difficult to reach these positions because the openings have been studied very thoroughly. But if the next step is taken and you have only 30 seconds for every move, the game becomes a truly gripping spectacle, a real battle of two intellects. You will be able to take risks, improvise and put into effect the most fantastic schemes on the chessboard. After all, now the move you make is very seldom directly related to your thoughts, which are always more interesting and richer...' 'In other words, the language of chess moves does not convey the wealth of thoughts...' 'Of course not. And a single move does not convey anything at all!' 'What about a series of moves?' 'A quick series does, yes. It conveys a plan. That is why I favour rapid chess. When a person plays quickly, I can see at once what he's thinking: ideas are immediately implemented on the board. I can see the opponents quickly exchange a series of moves - just like boxers, who do not strike separate blows, but inflict a series of blows. In general, it seems odd to me to consider each move: people think in schemes, not individual moves.' 'But isn't it true that the less time there is for thought, the greater the chances of a computer defeating a human player?' 'I've often played a computer with five seconds allotted per move, and I don't recall losing. Yes, at first glance, speeding up play should benefit the computer as the faster
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system. But the fact of the matter is that a computer doesn't know how long to think over this or that move. And if you allow it to think for 10 minutes, I'm sure it will make a brilliant move. The problem is of a different nature: the computer plays quite differently than does a human being - it doesn't quite understand the meaning of, say, an attack on the king or of playing to limit the mobility of your opponent's pieces. When playing a computer, I don't play as I usually do - 1 play altogether differently.' 'It's said that it is possible to find a way of dealing with any program. How do you manage this?' 'For the present that's a secret. When I stop playing, I may tell you.' 'You say you alter your playing style when you 're up against a computer. In what way? What do you do differently that you would when playing an ordinary opponent?' 'First of all, I never pursue "promising" continuations. When playing a human being, you can begin an attack hoping that he will get nervous and make a mistake somewhere. Against a computer, all such "psychological" playing is futile. What else? A computer mustn't be allowed to gain superiority in the centre - it will automatically subject you to decisive pressure. Nor should you make sacrifices - that's pointless, since it is excellent at defence, Nor, finally, should you play with a view to impressing an audience by choosing some "interesting" continuation. After all, what do we mean by "interesting"? A line of play in which you see some attractive prospect two or three moves ahead. The computer doesn't forgive such things: it doesn't understand what interesting means.' 'In what sort of positions does a computer often make mistakes?' 'I have a rough idea about that, although I don't claim to know everything. In fact, that would be impossible, for a computer actually doesn't play chess - it has its own, very different system of assessing the very complicated relationships on the board. I've been told that the best programs are compiled by mathematicians who are unable to play chess. They simply ask the grandmasters, "What do you value?" and compile brilliant programs. But, of course, no chess program is perfect, and it is always possible to find weak spots in it, if one wants to do so.' 'You said that a computer may sometimes be at a loss when the situation is equal, when nothing threatens its position ...' 'You see, a computer actually plays - like a beginner! In an equal position, where there are many possibilities and no moves that lend themselves to exact evaluation, playing is very difficult - for me as well as for the computer. But the difference is that, whereas I know about this difficulty, the computer doesn't! And I know how to act in such a situation... Our advantage lies in the fact that we see the position and know that this is chess. The computer uses different means to evaluate the situation, thinks more mathematically. 'But a computer has a different enormous advantage, particularly noticeable in lightning chess. To play a computer with a time limit of five minutes per game is dishonest, in general. When the situation on the board changes, you have to readjust quickly to the new position, erasing the previous one from your mind. That takes time. A computer has no such residual m e m o r y - i t instantly switches to the new "scenario". Besides, if you make five good moves in a few seconds, you are bound to feel very tired. Or what if you make ten such moves? Your brain will not stand such a pace. A computer feels no fatigue - its energy supply remains unchanged. 'To say that you know the Ruy Lopez just as it does is also dishonest. Because your brain is concerned not only with chess and, besides the Ruy Lopez, it also contains billions of bytes of other information. And you merely remember in general terms how to play in this or that variation. The computer, on the other hand, has absolutely exact information and instantly finds the required cell in its electronic library. This is not said,
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but the computer actually violates the Chess Code: while playing, it draws upon printed information, which is forbidden. You're not permitted to do so!' 'And if we were permitted to do so?' 'It would be a little easier. But think of how much time you would need to find the necessary information in a book!' 'Then, perhaps, we should have a computer of our own with a database at hand?' 'I've thought about that. Yes, if you want me to take on a computer in fast play, give me the chance to refer to my database during the game, to consult my computer. To ask it, for example, how it assesses this or that line of play and to choose my move accordingly. True, this too will take up time. 'But the main thing is that the computer does not tire, is not afraid of anything, and forgets nothing. It cannot be beaten psychologically. Judith Polgar admitted in one interview that she could not play a computer because she could not use her charm on it! 'For my part, I like to play computers. Probably because, unlike the youngsters of today, it doesn't take offence when it loses and does not expect me to lose because of my age. In playing a computer, I feel as if I were taking part in a scientific experiment; indeed, at times I feel as if I were simply a guinea pig. In general, I like the computer - perhaps it is the future of chess.' 'David, the personality of your opponent must have some effect on you. So if a computer reproduces the moves of some invisible opponent, you should probably find it easier to play, say, Kasparov...' 'Yes, it should be easier. When the World Champion is sitting opposite you and looking down upon you from the heights of his "throne" and the audience anticipates his victory... Even the mere knowledge that you are playing someone whose brain has such a high rating exerts pressure upon you. But you know my attitude: the human brain was created by the Lord not to be rated numerically!' 'But surely there should be some ranking system in chess... And the Elo system achieves this with mathematical precision...' 'It achieves nothing! I have an article by Professor Elo himself who, when introducing his system, added the warning that no conclusions should be drawn from it, that it merely reflected tournament achievements over three years, and that it had nothing to do with a chess player's strength.' 'Excuse my blunt question, David: have you become disillusioned with chess?' 'I was never really enraptured by it. My interest was in life in all its diversity. Ever since childhood I have respected all the manifestations of the human intellect and all the handiwork of man. Therefore, I never thought that chess was something extraordinary or fantastic (perhaps this attitude even helped me to play). But I believed that since chess had become my profession, it was my duty to be an artist, to develop my favourite art in every way...' 'But still, was chess a mystery for you?' 'I don't think so. In my childhood, I simply liked to play. I played with abandon, seeking not so much to win as to bring off some combination. I was even called a "trapper" f or creating intricate, seemingly losing positions and then winning in one unexpected move. That, probably, is indeed a mystery: to discern from a distance something in a position that can be used to utterly transform it by single move! 'I also noticed that chess fairly accurately reflects life (which is additional proof that chess is Art). In the middle of the last century, when romanticism was in fashion, everyone played boldly, audaciously, and took pride in spectacular sacrifices. Then the "championship" idea caught on in sports, and Steinitz proclaimed himself the champion. The
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"scientific method" appeared, and people began talking of the science of chess. Tarrasch, a doctor of medicine, began signing his writings on chess "Dr Tarrasch". Then psychology became the vogue, and a "psychologist" emerged in chess, too - Lasker. 'When the idea of "elitism" became current, there arose Botvinnik. He is still convinced of his "select" role, convinced that it was to everyone's great benefit that he was pampered by the government. And all chess players should only take pride in this! Karpov too once declared that he could not see why some people disliked the fact that he had been received by Brezhnev - surely that was an honour to any profession... "You know, I spent nearly all of World War II close to the front. For this reason I still feel that it was my war, too. It may be that I have never grown out of it: my generation perished, and I have felt a vacuum around me all my life... You haven't asked me, it didn't occur to you to ask me: why didn't I want to be "World Champion"? I simply felt shame before my generation. Fate had left me alive - what for? So that I could declare that I was better than all the others? 'The idea of a chess champion seems to me atavistic in general. In Art there mustn't be champions!' 'But there are laureates in Art. What's the difference?' 'A laureate is the winner of some definite contest, not a laureate per se! It seems to me that people don't understand the word "champion" correctly, they want to attach to it some sort of absolute meaning. Why not simply determine the strongest player of the year, arranging something like a Wimbledon tennis tournament? 'Whether we like it or not, chess has become a sport. Hence, the champions.' 'The world title has already performed its role. It's now an outdated formula, needed only by the FIDE officials and the champions themselves. Let me tell you that the FIDE is an utter failure! It survives only by selling competitions to sponsors. Look at what it has done to the title of grandmaster! At first it was conferred only upon winners of major tournaments. And now? It has been completely devalued. Back in the spring I offered them a piece of advice, which they regrettably left unheeded: to assemble in Paris on July 20th 1994, the day of the 70th anniversary of the FIDE, and dissolve the organisation!' 'What do you think of the new body, the PC A ?' 'In my opinion, it's simply a new instrument for getting money out of sponsors. They've declared themselves professionals because they want to get a lot of money.' 'Excuse me, but what's bad about that? FIDE is a failure and the GMA has long been in dire straits, so weren't the grandmasters entitled to set up some new organisation to protect their interests?' 'But so far they've only s e t u p an elite corporation! For example, Kasparov and Short sold their match to The Times for $3 million. But what did the rest of the grandmasters gain from this?' 'But when people with high reputations are willing to put up millions for a chess match, doesn't this testify to the high status of chess in society?' 'No, it doesn't: there is always someone who is prepared to support someone else. But by proclaiming themselves professionals, they are, as it were, declaring in advance that they are superior. This produces an elite group, and ratings are a big help to them in this, enabling them to admit some to their group and reject others. And to keep out a vast number of gifted young people in this way...' 'Why only young people? Weren't you offended, David, when you were not invited to the Kremlin Stars '94 tournament? Not even as a guest of honour ? After all, you campaigned for so many years on behalf of this idea of rapid chess...' 'I can answer in a single phrase. But I don't think you'll venture to print it... "Dancing on our graves!" Yes, the young "stars" are dancing on our graves while we are still alive!
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They have taken our chess, appropriated our ideas. They are playing the same positions, which they have studied backwards and forwards, and all this pomp now looks rather foolish. Huge prizes, television, sponsors, publicity - and everyone is expected to believe their claims that it was oh, so difficult to seize control of the c-file... As if they were seizing it with their bar e hands or taking a bulldozer and dragging it with their hands to the c-file!' 'But you yourself always said: "we mustn't forget that we are playing for an audience!" Perhaps all this - the speeding up of chess, the attempt to put it on TV, even to turn it into a show - is precisely an attempt to achieve a radically new level at which chess fans would not merely feel they are an audience but would enjoy a sense of participation...' 'Aren't these super-tournaments with enormous prizes enough for the present "stars "? Surely, they could leave playing for an audience to others - perhaps not of my generation, Lut grandmasters who don't compete in super-tournaments and who could at least earn some money at this "exhibition chess". Let them play - they won't do any worse.' 'But there wont be an audience, there won't be any sponsors!' 'And why? Because they have created the illusion that they alone can place a bishop on b5! That they alone know how to centralise a rook! That they alone understand a position! A student who tomorrow will be solving the most involved computer problems is told by them that he is unable to understand this or that position. One might think this were some binomial theorem! You know, their behaviour strongly reminds me of that well-known Hans Christian Andersen story, in which only one child says, "Look, the emperor is naked!" All the others were afraid of appearing stupid.' 'Perhaps, you are that very child?' 'Why me? This is obvious to everyone. Chess has lost its fans - they no longer come to tournaments and, instead, play their computers at home... A real chess lover couldn't care less about how much money a sponsor puts up.' 'But Kasparov thinks that the main purpose of the PC A is to attract money to chess and create a mechanism whereby part of that money would flow downwards, to promote chess in the world.' 'Thank you very much! At the bottom people will be playing the same chess - the millions will go to those at the top. Look at what's happening now. They, at the top of their Mt. Olympus, can refrain from playing for six months at a time, and meanwhile the other two hundred grandmasters do all the research spade-work for them. And when six months later they open their chess magazines or consult their databases, they see that the "galley slaves" have already debugged all the new continuations and shown how they should be played. You understand? This is their free laboratory. In effect, the "stars" sell other people's knowledge for big money. But why, in that case, should they consider themselves more important than all the others? 'In their annotations, they juggle a multitude of continuations but play only one. In any opening, there now arises a definite position in which all the continuations have been evaluated. Time and again you read in such annotations that this or that is an innovation, a new move. What of it? You are "superstars"! Can you not play without the crutches of theory? They have intimidated everyone with their "innovations". Or take their standard comment somewhere on the 22nd move: "The usual continuation here is..." In my day, there were no such comments. It simply never occurred to us to analyse an opening to the 20th move. That's a problem for a computer, not a human being. 'I'm glad that chess is played all over the world. Last spring there was a chess festival in Paris with one thousand participants! Before that I played in Las Vegas - 700 participants! But I don't like to see these people treated as inferiors. I'm not defending myself
294
- 1 know my status in chess. They offend chess players by declaring that they alone are professionals, meaning that all the rest are amateurs and don't know a thing about chess. That's not so! 'Look how difficult it is now to win at tennis, which Kasparov and Short have adopted as a model. Look at the inhuman strain that the struggle on the tennis court requires! But no one plays rapid tennis or slow tennis. There is just tennis! Meanwhile in chess there is utter confusion: rapid chess, conventional chess, lightning chess...and all this now almost under the umbrella of a single competition! 'And note that for some reason they treat their "rapid" games as something that is not serious. Do not even annotate them, and regularly attribute their numerous mistakes in them to a shortage of time. In general, we are told that all this is good chess publicity... I am convinced, on the other hand, that rapidplay is the only type that corresponds to the pace at which people everywhere today work and think. And it is only this type of chess that will be held in esteem! 'There are a multitude of other fascinating and highly prestigious competitions in the world. But the chess players have fenced themselves off in their tiny world and refuse to see that it has long ceased to be an ivory tower and has become an empty tin can. They exploit the image created by past generations - that chess is a super-intellectual game, the game of kings. But, in so doing, they have killed respect for all the games played a hundred or two hundred years ago. To believe some "stars", their predecessors couldn't play at all, no one understood anything in chess. Philidor, La Bourdonnais, Morphy, Tarrasch... To them these are just exhibits in amuseum of curiosities. Morphy, they snort, only played weak opponents. Maybe, but he played them like a genius! ' The present "tournaments of stars" in rapid chess remind me - forgive me - of the races, where the only point of interest is: who will win the big cash prize? But is that really so interesting? I've been told that when the Shah of Iran visited Britain, he was asked if he would like to see the Derby. "What for," he replied, "I already know that one horse is faster than another!" : This article appeared in The Chess Herald 1/95 (formerly Chess in the USSR)
Index of Opponents
(Numbers refer to page numbers)
Abrahams Alexander Aloni Aronin Astrup Averbakh Bakulin Barcza Barendregt Batuyev Belavenets Beliavsky Benko Berkmortel, v.d. Bernstein Bertok Bilek Bisguier Boleslavsky Bondarevsky Botvinnik Browne Brzozka Chekhover Cherepkov Conquest Cortlever Darga Dely Denker Donner Dubinin Dvoretsky Escalona Cuevas Euwe Evans Farago Filip Finegold B Firmian, de Fischer Flohr
274 275 125 153 285 211 62,150 39 235 214 73 280 240 284 222 233 49, 132 118, 277 42,107, 219 229 43, 44, 45, 76,273, 275 186 60 273 146 256 220 156 278 222 277 36 249 284 47 123 257 224 282 260 139,241 218
Foguelman Fuchs Furman Geller E Gheorghiu Gligoric Goldberg Golombek Gufeld Gurevich D Gurevich M Gurgenidze Hartston Hodgson Honfi Horne Hug Hunt Ilivitsky JanoSevic Jongsma Kan Kapengut Kaplan Katetov Kavalek Keres Koblentz Kolbus Korchnoi Korzin Kotov Kottnauer Krogius Kupreichik Lein Levenfish Liberzon Lipnitsky Lisitsin Ljubojevic Lukin
61 279 102, 274 51, 58, 275 243, 280 64,276 83 54,223 251 259 195 277 281 282 241 275 279 285 105 242 279 80,213 244 179 85 236 41, 50, 210, 274 31 286 59, 230, 278, 281 151 35 88 226 255 163 212,274 135 205 208 166 185
296 Lundin Makogonov Martens Medina Mikenas Moiseyev Morgulis Mukhin Muhnik Najdorf Nazarevsky Nezhmetdinov Nikolayevsky Nowak Nunez O'Kelly Olafsson F Pachman Padevsky Palatnik Palmiotto Panno Panov Parma Perez Garcia Petrosian T Petursson Plaskett Pohla Polugayevsky Polyak Porreca Psakhis Ragozin V Rashkovsky Ratner Ravinsky Ree Reshevsky Rojahn 214 212, 273 283 52 63 239 29 56 277 221, 274 205 131 158 250 284 277 55,227 32, 34,146 232 176 134 115, 245 37 279 282 181 258 284 68 67, 278 71 276 253 216 282 30, 206 209 251 112, 247 225
The Sorcerer's Apprentice Romanishin Roos Rudakovsky Saidy Sax Schmid Shamkovich Simagin Sliwa Smyslov Sokolov A Spangenberg Spassky Stein L Suetin Szabo L Szily Taimanov Tal Tartakower Teschner Tolush Trifunovic Uhlmann Unzicker Vaganian Vasiukov Velimirovic Veresov Welling G Wexler Winiwarter Yusupov Zagoiyansky Zaitsev A Zamikhovsky Zaslavsky Zhukhovitsky Zita Zlotnik 280 286 273 280 281 225 143, 279 90 53 273 254 284 128,196, 276 277 231 38, 218 40 215 66,141,238, 280, 282 99 276 46, 75, 228 48 278 120 182 231 285 137 282 57 65 252 97 159 161 273 207 33 184
Computers Chess Genius 2 285 286 Chess Genius 3 Deep Thought II 192, 283 Fidelity EAG 10 190 M20 278 M-Chess Pro 285 Rebel 90 188 Rexchess 282
Index of Openings
(ECO Classification : Page
numbers)
Open Games
Bird's Defence C06: 232 Bishop's Opening C27: 56 Hungarian Defence C50: 247 King's Gambit C30: 37,252 C32: 66 C34: 80,278 C35: 31,190 C39: 36,285 P e t r o f f s Defence C43: 273 Scotch Opening C47. 284 Spanish Opening C61: 273 C63: 40 C65: 245 C75: 53 C76:131 C77: 276 C78: 123 C80: 146 C81: 210 C83: 59 C85: 64 C86: 65 C88: 34 C91. 41,68 C92: 76 C98: 207 C99: 275,277 Two Knights Defence C58: 225 Vienna Opening C26: 29
Semi-Closed Games
Benoni Defence A56: 214 A70: 259 A75: 57 Bogo-Indian Defence E l l : 137 Dutch Defence A80: 97,196, A80: 212 A81: 282 A82:118,275 A88: 60 A91: 45 A92: 251 A95: 233 A98: 220 Griinfeld Defence D87: 230 D89: 42 D92: 224 D94: 243 D98: 282 King's Indian Attack A08: 277 King's Indian Defence A23: 286 A69:283,284 E61: 75,209 E62: 286 E67: 32,73 E68: 33,112,219,273,285 E69: 275 E80: 128^,26^,79 E81: 249 E85: 125 E90:244,255,273 E94: 208,228,274 E97: 223 London System A46: 254 A48: 214,229 Nimzo-Indian Defence D38: 212 E21: 107,282 E27: 58,218 E29: 274 E41: 50 E43: 54,227 E44: 48 E45: 44 E50: 275 E51: 102 E53: 276 E59: 47 Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack A01: 282 Old Indian Defence A53: 63,115,273 A54: 277 A55: 221 Queen's Indian Defence E12: 258,282 E17: 43 Torre Attack A48: 239,251
Semi-Open Games
Alekhine's Defence B03: 166,273 B04: 150 Caro-Kann Defence BIO: 99,238,279,280 B l l : 218 B12: 277,285,286 B14: 256,279 B16: 30,49,62,236,285 B17: 35,161,231 B18: 276,280,285 D42: 188 Chigorin Attack COO: 250,284 French Defence COO: 235 C01: 222 C02: 195,286 C04: 38 C05: 279 C07: 184,274 C08: 46 C09: 242,274 CIO: 213 C l l : 179,211 C12: 282 C15: 181,182,284 C16: 241,260,281 C17: 225,276 C18: 135,257,278 C19: 85 Pirc Defence B06: 158 B09: 134,240 Sokolsky's Opening A00: 283 Scandinavian Defence B01: 141,143,231 Sicilian Defence B16: 206 B20: 205 B20: 253,283 B22: 281 B27: 280 B28: 153 B30: 132,159 B31: 51,284 B44: 280 B50: 88 B58: 215 B66: 277 B68: 216 B72: 83 B74: 281 B79: 279 B80: 285 B81: 278 B89: 163 B90: 55 B92: 120,186 B96: 280 B97: 277
Closed Games
English Opening A13: 176 A20: 39 A27: 278 A28: 286 A34: 67 Lewickiego Attack D01: 139 Queen's Gambit D20: 185 D21: 192 D24: 278 D25: 61 D28: 105 D31: 156 D36: 52,151 D45: 205 Queen's Pawn Opening A40: 222 Slav Defence D10: 71 D19: 283 D48: 274 D94: 90 Tarrasch Defence D34: 278
List of Results
Year 1930 1936 1937 1937 1937 1937 1938 1938 1938 1938 1938 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1940 1940 1940 1940 1940 1940 1941 1941 1942 1943 1944 1944 1944 1945 1945 1945 1945 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1946 1947 1947 1947 1947 1947 1947 1947 1948 Place Kiev Kiev Kiev Boyrka Kiev Kiev Moscow Kiev Minsk Kiev Kiev Kiev Kiev Tbilisi/Erevan Kiev Dnepiopetrovsk Kiev Kiev Kiev Zaporozje Kiev Kiev Kiev Rostov-on-Don Ordzhonikidze Baku Baku Moscow Kiev Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Prague Bratislava Brno Zlin Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Leningrad Leningrad Moscow Moscow Vilnius Piarnu London Leningrad Moscow Event Ranking Score Remarks grandfather! Promoted to 5th category Promoted to 4th category David Bronstein was taught the game of chess by his Championship School nr. 25 2 5th Category Tnmt Junior Ch Club 1 + 11-0=0 Children's Holiday Home Tnmt 2/3 Match with I. Zaslavsky 3: 3 Championship all Schools (Final) 7/8 Match Kiev vs. Moscow (Juniors) + 0-2=0 Championship all Schools (Final) 1 Match Kiev vs. Minsk (Juniors) + 2-0=0 Under 18 Championship 1 1st category Tnt Adults & Juniors 1 +7-0=3 Team Champ. Adults (2nd category) + 7-1=1 S-F Kiev Championship (Adults) 1/3 Championship School Teams + 5-0=1 Final Kiev Championship (Adults) 2/4 10/14 Ukrainian Championship (Adults) 7/9 7/15 Kiev School Championship 1 Kiev Championship (Adults) 3/4 Match Kiev vs. Leningrad Schools +0-1=1 Team Champ. Ukraine (Juniors) + 4-0=1 Kiev Championship (Adults) 3 7/12 12th Ukrainian Champ. (Adults) 2 +7-1=9 Kiev School Championship 1 S-F 13th USSR Championship Championship of Ordzhonikidze 1 Exhibition Tournament, dbl. round 3/4 S-F 13th USSR Championship 4 13th USSR Championship 15 Bolshevik Society Championship 5/6 1 S-F 14th USSR Championship 14th USSR Championship 3 Radiomatch USSR-USA S-F Moscow Championship 1 Moscow Championship 1 Match Prague vs. Moscow Match Bratislava vs. Moscow Match Brno vs. Moscow Match Zlin vs. Moscow Match Moscow vs. Prague Radiomatch USSR vs. Great Britain Training game with E Keres Match USSR vs. USA S-F 15th USSR Championship 1/2 15th USSR Championship 6 Moscow Championship 1/3 2 Play-offMoscow Championship 2/3 Open Championship Lithuania Exhibition Tournament 4/6 Match Great Britain vs. USSR S-F 16th USSR Championship Evening Moscow 5-minute Ch.
Promoted to 3rd category Promoted to 2nd category
Promoted to 1st category 2nd board 2nd Junior team 1st norm Candidate Master 1st board for Kiev 2nd norm Candidate Master 1st Boleslavsky, 2nd Polyak
Awarded Master title, 1st Boleslavsky Tnmt stopped: outbreak war 1st 1st 1st 1st Flohr Lilienthal Botvinnik Sokolsky and Flohr
+ 3-1=2 + 13-0=0 + 2-2=4 +5-4=2 +4-7=5 +4-3=4 +9-2=4 + 7-4=6 +2-0=0 + 13-0=2 + 10-2=3 +4-1=1 + 1-0=1 +2-0=0 + 1-1=0 +6-0=0 + 1-1=0 + 1-0=0 + 1-1=0 + 7-2=9 + 5-2=12 +7-3=4 + 2-2=4 + 10-1=2 +5-2=6 + 2-0=0 + 7-2=6
1st Grandmaster norm 10th board with Santasiere 2nd Grandmaster norm Scheveningen system
Scheveningen system 7th board with Winter 10th board with Ulvestad with Dubinin 1st Keres, 2nd Boleslavsky with Simagin/Ravinsky IstSimagin, 3rd Ravinsky with Saigin, 1st Mikenas All members Soviet team, 1st Keres 9th board with Abrahams failed to qualify for the final 1st prize a camera
3/4 1
300
Year 1948 1948 1949 1949 1949 1949 1950 1950 1951 1951 1951 1951 1951 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1953 1953 1953 1953 1953 Place Saltsjobaden Moscow Budapest Moscow Moscow Moscow Budapest Moscow Tomilino Moscow Moscow Tbilisi Moscow Liverpool Moscow Moscow Helsinki Odessa Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Neuhausen/Zurich Event

Ranking Score 1 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 +8-0=11 +7-1=10 +3-0=5 +5-1=0 +8-1=10 +8-2=8 +3-2=9 + 1-0=0 +0-1=0 Remarks Awarded Soviet Grandmaster title with Kotov Scheveningen system with Smyslov 21st December with Boleslavsky became world championship challenger played one day before the match Botvinnik kept his title 1st board for Moscow with Averbakh/Taimanov, 1st Keres with Taimanov
Interzonal Tournament 16th USSR Championship Match Budapest vs. Moscow Match Moscow vs. Budapest 17th USSR Championship 5-min Blitz 70th birthday Stalin Candidates' Tournament Match with I. Boleslavsky (Play-off) Training game with S. Furman Training game with P Keres
Match with M. Botvinnik, World Champ. +5-5=14 +2-0=3 USSR Team Championship +6-4=7 19th USSR Championship 6/8 Student World Championship 1/2 Training Tournament for Olympiad 1 5-minute Blitz Championship 10th FIDE Olympiad USSR Team Championship 20th USSR Championship 7/9 1 Moscow Championship Match with S. Furman Match with R. Kholmov 5-minute Blitz Championship 1 Candidates' Tournament 2/4 International Tournament 1/2 Match Argentina vs. USSR Match Uruguay vs. USSR Match France vs. USSR Match USA vs. USSR Match Great Britain vs. USSR Match Sweden vs. USSR Match Lokomotiv vs. Dynamo Moscow Team Championship Match Moscow vs. Ukraine 11th FIDE Olympiad 10 years Liberation Tournament 1 Match Poland vs. USSR prelim. Match Hungary vs. USSR Match USSR vs. USA 1 Interzonal Tournament Telegraphic game with G. Stahlberg Candidates' Tournament 3/7 Moscow Championship 10/12 12th FIDE Olympiad Moscow Team Championship Alekhine Memorial Tournament 5 10th Evening Moscow 5-minute Ch. 3/4 24th USSR Championship 2/3 Moscow Championship 1 European Team Ch., final 1 Moscow 5-minute Blitz Ch. Match USSR vs. Yugoslavia International Tournament 1 7th USSR Team Championship 25th USSR Championship 3 Interzonal Tournament 7/11 13th FIDE Olympiad +6-0=1 +3-1=3 +7-1=2 5/9 +5-3=11 + 11-1=3 +2-0=2 +0-1=3 +6-2=20 +5-1=3 +2-1 = 1 +2-0=0 +2-0=0 +4-0=0 +2-0+0 +0-1=1 +1-0=0
3rd board 1st board Dynamo Moscow one month after father died organised by Dynamo organised by Dynamo with Keres/Reshevsky, 1st Smyslov with Alexander 1st board with Najdorf 2nd board with Linkes 2nd board with Bernstein 2nd board,lx Dake,3x Denker 2nd board with Golombek 2nd board with Lundin 1st board for Dynamo 1st board for Dynamo 1st board with Geller 3rd board 2nd Matanovic European Team Champ Scheveningen system 3rd board with Evans
1953/54 Hastings 1954 Buenos Aires 1954 Montevideo 1954 Paris 1954 New York 1954 London 1954 Stockholm 1954 Moscow 1954 Moscow 1954 Moscow 1954 Amsterdam 1954 Belgrade 1955 Lodz 1955 Budapest 1955 Moscow 1955 Gothenburg 1955 Moscow 1956 Amsterdam 1956 Moscow 1956 Moscow 1956 Moscow 1956 Moscow 1956 Moscow 1957 Moscow 1957 Moscow 1957 Vienna 1957 Moscow 1957 Leningrad 1957 Gotha 1958 Vilnius 1958 Riga 1958 Portoroz 1958 Munich
+0-0=1 +7-0=7 +8-0=11 + 2-0=0 +3-1=3 + 1-0=3 + 10-0=10 +0-0=1 +4-3=11 1st Smyslov (after appendix operation) +4-5=6 +9-0=4 4th board 1st board for Dynamo +5-1=9 with Stein, 1st Petrosian with Keres, 1st Tal +8-3=9 + 10-1 + 1 +3-0=3 3rd board +3-0=4 +8-1=6 + 1-1=6 +7-2=9 +4-1=15 +7-0=5 Scheveningen system
1st board Moscow, gold medal also Fide Zonal Tnmt 4th board
List of Results
Year 1958 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1959 1960 1960 1960 1960 1960 1960 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1963 1964 1964 1964 Place Moscow Tbilisi Leningrad Moscow Moscow Kiev Moscow Moscow Leningrad Moscow Mar del Plata Odessa Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Vilnius Moscow Moscow Budapest Baku Moscow Moscow Tartu Lvov Leningrad Leningrad Beverwijk Moscow Miskolcz Tbilisi Moscow Moscow Moscow Alma Ata Moscow Leningrad Moscow Moscow Amsterdam Event Ranking Score Remarks
301
Match Moscow vs. Leningrad +0-0=2 26th USSR Championship 12/13 +4-5=10 Match Leningrad vs. Moscow +0-0=2 Central Chess Club Tournament 1/3 + 3-0=8 Moscow Championship 3 +6-1=8 Match USSR vs. Yugoslavia +0-2=2 + 5-6=8 2nd Spartakiad & USSR Team Ch. Match Moscow vs. Belarus +0-0=2 27th USSR Championship 12/13 +5-6=8 USSR Team Championship +3-0=5 International Tournament 3 + 8-0=7 S-F 28th USSR Championship 2 + 7-2=8 + 7-0=2 USSR Team Ch. of Dynamo Clubs Match Moscow vs. Leningrad + 1-0=1 28th USSR Championship 12/13 9/19 1-minute Blitz game with Spassky + 1-0=0 Training game with Kholmov +0-0=1 Central Chess Club Tournament 5/7 +2-1=8 Ch. for members Dynamo Clubs 1 + 12-0=1 Moscow Championship 1/2 +9-3=5 Match with L. Shamkovich (Play-off) + 2-1=3 G. Maroczy Memorial Tournament 2/3 +4-0=11 3 29th USSR Championship +6-1=13 Moscow Team Championship Central Chess Club Tournament 3/6 + 5-2=8 Estonian Masters Tournament 3 +3-0=8 Match USSR vs. Yugoslavia 1 +3-0=3 + 1-0=6 USSR Team Championship Match Leningrad vs. Moscow + 1-0=1 25th Hoogovens Tournament 2 + 7-1=9 + 1-1=0 Mini-match against M-20 computer 6th L. Astalosz Memorial Tnmt 2 Living chess game against Petrosian USSR Dynamo Team Championship Moscow Team Championship 3rd Spartakiad & USSR Team Ch. S-F 31st USSR Championship 2/3 Moscow Blitz Championship 1/2 31st USSR Championship 4/6 Match Moscow vs. Leningrad Zonal Tournament 2/3 Interzonal Tournament 6 20 years Liberation Tournament 32nd USSR Championship European Team Championship Ch. for members Dynamo Clubs United Nations Peace Tournament International 5-minute Blitz Tnmt Match Moscow vs. Leningrad 33rd USSR Championship Experimental game with M. Tal 9th L. Asztalos Memorial Tnmt Moscow Team Championship 34th USSR Championship Active Chess match with M. Tal 50 years October Revolution Tnmt Masters Tournament 4th Spartakiad & USSR Team Ch. International Tournament 7/8 2 5 6 1 9 1/2 8/9 6/8 3/4
2nd board with Korchnoi with Gufeld 3rd board with Korchnoi with Smyslov and Spassky 3rd board with Fuderer 4th board Moscow, 2 gold medals with Veresov 1st Korchnoi 1st board for Moscow 1st Fischer/Spassky 1st Averbakh 1st board Dynamo Moscow 4th board with Tolush with Boleslavsky,1st Petrosian
1st Smyslov/Vasiukov with Shamkovich with Filip, 1st Korchnoi 1st Spassky 1st board for Dynamo 1st Averbakh/Vasiukov
1964 Belgrade 1964/65 Kiev Hamburg 1965 Sochi 1965 Zagreb 1965 Zagreb 1965 1965 Moscow Tallinn 1965 1966 Moscow Szombathely 1966 1966 Moscow 1966/67Tbilisi 1967 Moscow Moscow 1967 1967 Moscow 1967 Moscow 1967 Debrecen
Scheveningen System 2nd board for Moscow 1st board with Korchnoi 1st Donner 1st game gave Queen-odds, but lost 1st Tal +6-0=9 +0-0=1 in Dynamo Football Stadium 1st board Dynamo Moscow 1st board for Dynamo +4-2=3 4th board for Moscow with Bagirov, 1st Gipslis +6-0=9 Play-off with Vasiukov +1-0=1 16W21 with Geller/Suetin, 1st Stein +7-3=9 by telephone with Korchnoi + 1-0=0 with Stein, double rounds +2-1=9 + 10-1=12 1st Smyslov, Tal, Larsen and Spassky 1st Spassky +4-2=11 + 10-3=6 1st Korchnoi 6th board + 2-1=6 7/12 1st Boiarinov 1st Ivkov/Uhlmann +5-1=13 + 1-0=1 +3-3=13 + 1-0=0 +9-1=5 +5-4=11 +0-1=3 +3-1=13 +4-1=6 +4-0=4 +4-0=0 3rd board with Furman 1st Stein thinking aloud with Uhlmann 1st board Dynamo also Fide Zonal Tnmt 1 hr. p.p. 1st Stein with A Zaitsev 4th board Moscow, 2 gold medals Went home: mother died
302
Year 1967 1967 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1968 1969 1969 Place Krems Leningrad Moscow Sochi Moscow Amsterdam Kislovodsk Riga Berlin (East) Monte Carlo Kiev Event

Ranking Score +5-2=6 + 1-1=0 1/2 + 7-1= 7 + 1-0=3 +0-0=2 2 +5-0=10 5/6 + 3-1 + 10 + 1-1=8 1/2 +7-0=7 9/10 +2-4=5 +5-2 = 10 6 3/6 1 10 1/2 13/22 + 10-1=10 + 1-0=1 +5-0=10 + 7-0=8 +4-0=9 +3-0=12 +2-1=3 + 7-5=9 +2-0=2 +0-0=2 18/23 +0-0=8 +2-2=11 +3-1=2 4 Remarks 1st Unzicker 2nd board with Furman with Petrosian 2nd board with Ivkov 1st board with Hort 1st Kavalek with Khasin 1st board Dynamo Moscow with Uhlmann with Teschner failed to qualify final, 1st Stein 1st Zhuravlev 2nd board with Ciocaltea 1st board Moscow, gold medal 1st Gurgenidze/Tal Experimental time limits organised by TRUD Sport Club 1st Fischer 1 hr. p.p. 1st Larsen 1st Keres/Tal 1st Stein with Matulovic, Bobotsov 15 min. p.p. with Polugaevsky, 1st Savon 1st board for Dynamo 4/6 1st board for Dynamo Moscow w. R.Byrne, Hort 1st Karpov/Stein Scheveningen system 3rd board Moscow, 2 gold medals 1st board for Dynamo 3rd board for Moscow 1st Karpov/Tukmakov 1st Portisch 1st Tal 1st Tal for Kiev (together w juniors) with Tal 1st Mecking 5 min. p.p. 4th board for Veteran Team with Velimirovic 2 boards, Smyslov 2nd player 6 th board for Moscow Costa Rica with Zhuravlev, 1st Romanishin 1st board for Dynamo with Hort, 1st Keres (ahead of Tal) 1st Balashov 15 min. p.p. reserve for Moscow with Vaganian, 1st a.o. Gulko
International Tournament Match Leningrad vs. Moscow 46th Moscow Championship Match USSR vs. Yugoslavia Match Moscow vs. Prague 8th IBM Tournament Central Chess Club Tournament USSR Team Championship 100th Birthday Em. LaskerTnmt International Tournament S-F 37th USSR Championship Ch. for members Dynamo Clubs Match Moscow vs. Bucharest 5-minute Blitz Championship USSR Team Championship 1st Goglidze Memorial Tournament Friendly match with V Korchnoi Veteran Tournament
Moscow 1969 1969 Moscow Moscow 1969 Grozny 1969 1969/70 Tbilisi Leningrad 1970 1970 Leningrad 1970 1970 1970 1970 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1973 1973 1973 1973 1973 1973 1973 1974 1974 1974 1974 1974 1974 1975 1975 1975 1975 1975 1975 Herceg Novi Dnepropetrovsk Moscow Vinkovci Tallinn Parnu Sarajevo Moscow Leningrad Moscow Rostov-on-Don Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Las Palmas Baku Tallinn Moscow Moscow Petropolis Rio de Janeiro Tbilisi Moscow Reykjavik Moscow/Copenh Moscow San <Jos Odessa Moscow Tallinn Tallinn Moscow Zurich Riga Vilnius
5-minute Blitz Tournament 5 1 Individual USSR Cup Friendly match with T. Uitumen International Tournament 2/4 International Tournament 3 4 75 yrs Parnu Chess Club Tnmt International Tournament 1/3 Active Chess Match with E. Vasiukov 39th USSR Championship 7/8 Sport Olympiad of Moscow USSR Dynamo Team Championship Alekhine Memorial Tournament Match Moscow vs. Budapest 5th Spartakiad & USSR Team Ch. Moscow Team Championship USSR Team Championship 5-minute Blitz Tournament International Tournament 40th USSR Championship International Tournament Pioneers Palace Team Tournament USSR Team Match Tournament Interzonal Tournament Blitz Match with H. Mecking USSR Championship, 1st league Match Tournament for Teams International Tournament Radiomatch USSR-Denmark USSR Town Team Championship Open Ch of Central America USSR Championship, 1st league USSR Cup for Teams International Tournament International 5-min Blitz Tnmt USSR Blitz Championship, final Active Chess Match with W Hug 6th Spartakiad & USSR Team Ch Zonal Tournament
8/10 +4-3=10 +2-0=3 + 1-0=4
9 4 13/16 3/6
6 6 3/4
+3-0=5 16/32 +5-0=10 +5-7=9 +4-1=10 21/30 +0-1=1 + 7-3=7 + 1-0=2 +6-4=7 + 1-2=1 10/14 + 1-0=1
1 5/5 13/14 +4-7=6 3/8 +4-1 = 10
4/5 1 13
9/12 4/8 2/6 11/12 +3-4=8
List of Results 304

Year 1975 1976 Place Teesside London Event Ranking Scoie +4-2 =>8 8/9 Remark1st Gelk-r 2nd Timman ,3rd Gel!" 15 min.p.p with Klovau. 1st Gulk with Beliavsky,1st Pen -">.with Hort a n d Uhlman: 1st board for Dynamo Poland Poland 1st Balinas 1st board for Dynamo with Gulko and Uhlmann for Kiev (together w juniors > 2nd Sax/Glipsis 1st board for Dynamo for Veteran Team ,45 min. p.p (ahead of Tal) 1st I.Ivanov/Kasparov 1st Vaganian/Kupreichik Simultaneous on 4 boards 1st Vasiukov 1st board for Dynamo 1st board for Dynamo 1st Petrosian reserve player for Moscow 1st Chekhov 1st Guf eld 1st board Dynamo Moscow with Gipslis, 1st Tal 2nd board for Veteran team with Razuvaev/Yusupov 1st Guiku with Banmk Simultaneous o n 8 boards with Rashkovsky 1st board for Dynamo 1st Razuvaev /Lukin 45 min.p.p., 1st Psakhis Active Chess 1st Makarichev/Sveshnikov last participation USSR Ch. Simultaneous on 5 boards 1st board for Dynamo 1st Rodriguez 1st ChermnGoldm with a.o Hotnanishin/TJbilava 1st A?ma> parzashvili 1st Bar--a 1st lihi/yann/Ruban 2nd Norwood with Bei! 1st Miles 1st Vogt/L.Hansen 1st Rue!. 1st K. : -*en 1st Bern with Knv. v.d Vliet elimiria! i-<i by J. Piket hA K ;,.;r.-VKh
C.H.O'D Alexander Memorial Tnmt 3/5 Batsfordlntl Quick Play Tnmt 1
1975 Kishinev Erevan 1975 1975/76Hastings 1976 Tbilisi 1976 Sandomierz 1976 Iwonicz Zdroj 1976 Odessa 1976 Moscow Tallinn 1977 Tbilisi 1977 Budapest 1977 1977 Moscow 1977 Moscow 1978 Jurmala Jurmala 1978 Daugavpils 1978 Kirovakan 1978 Erevan 1978 1978 Moscow 1978 Ordzhonikidze Moscow 1978 1979 Tallinn 1979 Vrsac Moscow 1979 Tallinn 1980 Tbilisi 1980 Rostov-on-Don 1980 Tallinn 1981 1981 Moscow Moscow 1981 1981 1982 1982 1982 1982 1982 1983 1983 1983 1983 1983 1987 1988 1989 1989 1989 1989 1989 1989 1989 1990 1990 1990 1990 1990 1990 1990 1991 Erevan Tbilisi Moscow Kislovodsk Yaroslavl Moscow Tallinn Moscow Minsk Moscow Moscow Panchevo Polanica Zdroj Harkany Warsaw London London Budapest Downham Manchester Rome TSstrup Reykjavik Gausdal Gausdal The Hague Rotterdam Brussels
2/3 +5-2 = 10 USSR Championship, 1st league 43rd USSR Championship 9/10 +4-4 =:7 International Tournament 1/3 +6-1= 8 +0-2 = 3 USSR Cup Team Championship International Tournament 1 +5-0= 6 International Tournament 1 17th Central Chess Club Tnmt 12 + 1-3= 10 Moscow Team Championship +0-0= 2 1st E Keres Memorial Tournament 4/6 +4-1 = 10 4th Pioneer Palace Team Tnmt 25/40 3rd Tungsram International Tnmt 1 +6-0 = 10 Moscow Team Championship +0-1 = 1 60 yrs Oct Revolution Ch for Teams 1 International Tournament +6-1= 8 1 International 5-min Blitz Tnmt S-F 46th USSR Championship 29/37 6/13 International Tournament 5/9 +3-2= 10 Friendly Match with R Vaganian +1-1 = 2 Open Moscow Championship 3/5 9/15 4/7 USSR Cup for Teams, 1st League Spartakiad Moscow + 1-1 = 3 +6-2 = 8 2nd E Keres Memorial Tournament 4 B. Kostic Memorial Tournament 5/7 +5-2 =: 7 +0-0= 5 7th Spartakiad & USSR Team Ch S-F 48th USSR Championship 7/11 +4-4 = 7 Goglidze Memorial Tournament 10/13 6/15 +0-0= 5 USSR Cup for Club Teams 3rd Paul Keres Memorial Tnmt 2/3 +5-1= 9 Communist Party Congress Team Ch + 1-0= 5 Open Moscow Championship 7/9 + 4-3= 10 Veterans Tournament 1/2 10/13 Experimental Match with M. Tal +2-4= 2 Moscow Ch/60 yrs Soviet Union 1/2 +6-0 =11 USSR Cup for Teams S-F 50th USSR Championship +7-5= A 8 60 years Soviet Union Anniversary 3 6/9 Paul Keres Memorial Tnmt 1 61st Moscow Championship 14/17 +1-6= 10 10/11 +3-4= 9 S-F 51st USSR Championship Experimental Match with A. Suetin +2-1= 2 Moscow Team Championship International Tournament 2/4 7/12 13/15 5/14 26th Rubinstein Memorial Tnmt International Tournament 4/6 Polonia International Tournament 18/37 5/9 Lloyd's Bank International Tnmt 9/21 7/10 2/4 +4-2= 3 Nat West Young Masters Tnmt 21/29 6/11 International Tournament +6-0= 0 1 Epstein Quickplay : Open Autumn Championship 1/2 +4-0 = 1 8/19 6/9 International Tournament 3 5/9 International Tournament 12th Open Icelandic Championship 23 31 6/11 + 3-2= 4 Arnold Cup 4/6 fi/9 Open Norwegian Championship 6/7 4/6 5th AEGON Humans vs. Comp. 2/6 Volmac simultaneous on 6 boards 1st ABN-WANG Active Ch. Tnmt 2/4 8/11
304
Year Place Event

Ranking Score 4/6 5/7 +4-1= =1 5/9 5/7 4/5 +4-2= =3 4/11 6/6 +3-0= 2 8/11 6/10 5/5 Remarks with Sosonko/Lowenthal with a.o. Reinderman 1st R. Kuijf 1st Speelman/Polugayevsky 15 min p.p. 1st Hebden/Ward 1st Crouch 1st Tukmakov
1991 The Hague 1991 Bussum 1991 Utrecht 1991 Leeds 1991 Copenhagen 1991 MalmO 1991 Swansea 1991/92 Hastings 1992 WijkaanZee 1992 The Hague 1992 Scotland 1992 Brussels 1992 London 1992 Manchester 1992 Palo Alto 1992 Israel 1992/93 Brussels 1992/93 Hastings 1993 The Hague 1993 Brussels 1993 Las Vegas 1993 Long Beach 1993 Tilburg 1993 Oviedo 1993 Oviedo 1993/94 Brussels 1993/94 Hastings 1994 Aubervilliers 1994 Bilbao 1994 Reykjavik 1994 Reykjavik
6th AEGON Humans vs. Comp. 8/11 Baldwin Tournament 5/11 4/9 Open Championship Utrecht British Rapid Chess Ch. International Tournament 9/19 1 Active Chess Tournament International Tournament 3/5 International Tournament 25/39 Hoogovens Tournament 10 1 7th AEGON Humans vs. Comp. East Tilbridge Chess Tournament 2/4 2nd ABN-WANG Active Ch. Tnmt 3/6 Lloyds Bank Masters 33/63 Open Autumn Championship 1 Match computer Deep Thought II Rishon International Tournament Belgian Team Championship International Tournament 8th AEGON Humans vs. Comp. 3rd ABN-AMRO Active Ch. Tnmt National Open Tournament Memorial Day Tournament Interpolis Knock-out Tournament Asturian Team Championship 3rd Oviedo Active Chess Tnmt Belgian Team Championship 22/31 1/2 1/2 5/17 5/11
with Chernin/Flear/Cifuentes 1st Timoshenko/Speelman USA
+4-0= 0
5/9 5/6 9/11 5/6 6/8 +0-1= a 2/2 139/189 7/13 +3-1 =: 1 5/9 +4-1= 2 15/16 4/9 +3-0= 0
2nd board Chess Club Anderlecht 1st Sherbakov with Nunn with M. Gurevich 1st a.o. Kamsky Eliminated by Vaganian 1st board Oviedo University 1st \faiser 2nd board Chess Club Anderlecht 1st Sher near Paris 1st board Oviedo University 1st Zviagintsev, Stefansson and Pigusov 2nd board Reykjavik Chess Club 1st Nunn/Christiansen Norway Simultaneous on 4 boards 1st Smirin/Serper 1st Gausel 1st Kotronias 1st Sadler with Hort 1st Mag6m 1st Levitt 1st board Charlton Chess Club with a.o. Conquest/Sherbako^ 1st board Charlton Chess Clu with a.o. Carlier/Lane, 1st Gurevich Bronstein clock used first time 5th May, liberation day with Parker, 1st Lund 1st Howell with Dr Patrick Moore 1st Atalik 1st E Nikolic 1st Howell 1st Hebden
International Tournament 21 Active Chess Tournament 14/36 Spanish 5-minute Team Ch. 16th Open Icelandic Championship 29/44 Icelandic Team Championship 9th AEGON Humans vs. Comp. The Bronstein Cup Tournament Match with Simen Agdestein Oslo Open International Tnmt Norwegian Open Championship Peer Gynt Tournament Gausdal International Tournament Donner Memorial Tournament Isla Christina 3rd Open Intl. Tnmt \fera Menchik Memorial Tnmt London Team Championship International Tournament Kent County Team Championship 2nd Belgacom Tournament 10th AEGON Humans vs. Comp. 47th Liberation Tnmt Active Chess Summer Chess Congress Cleveland Chess Congress Live Chess Game Centenary Tournament Soft-in-Brussels Active Chess Tnmt 2nd Owens Corning Intl. Tnmt International Tournament 3/4 1 8/14 4/6 20/31 5/13 6/7 11/21 6/13
1994 The Hague 1994 Sotra 1994 Bergen 1994 Oslo 1994 Gausdal 1994 Gausdal 1994 Gausdal 1994 Amsterdam 1994 Spain 1994 Maidstone 1994/95 London 1994/95Hastings 1995 Ashford 1995 Brussels 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995/6 The Hague Wageningen Manchester Middlesbrough Hastings Hastings Brussels Wrexham Hastings
5/6 5/6 +0-3= 1 +4-2= 3 +5-1= 3 +3-2= 4 +3-0= :6 4/9 6/9 5/8 + 1-1= 1 7/9 +2-1= 0 6/9
1/4 4/9
13/274/6 9/14 +5-2= 1 2/3 +3-0= 2 12/20+1-1= 3 +0-0= :1 16/20 5V4/9 4/8 8/11 5/7 4W/9 5/13 7V4/11
T H E
S O R C E R E R ' S A P P R E N T I C E
In this instructive a n d e n t e r t a i n i n g b o o k for players of all ages t h e l e g e n d a r y D a v i d Bronstein, artist a n d s o r c e r e r of t h e c h e s s b o a r d , invites t h e r e a d e r to b e c o m e his a p p r e n t i c e . Bronstein b e g i n s w i t h f o r t y r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s for the chess n o v i c e and t h e n d e v e l o p s t h e reader's chess skills w i t h e x a m p l e s f r o m his o w n games, of w h i c h t h e r e are 222 p l a y e d b e t w e e n 1938 a n d 1995 a career s p a n n i n g 5 7 years! A l t h o u g h t h e b o o k has b e e n w r i t t e n primarily f o r amateurs, w i t h easy-to-understand commentaries, more experienced players yes, e v e n g r a n d m a s t e r s - will also e n j o y D a v i d Bronstein's m a n y i n t e r e s t i n g stories a n d t h e w a y in w h i c h h e w a v e s his m a g i c w a n d . T h i s is an u n c o n v e n t i o n a l b o o k , p r o b a b l y quite unlike a n y t h i n g else t h e c h e s s w o r l d has s e e n t o date, b u t t h e n again t h e main s u b j e c t is also quite unique!
D a v i d Bronstein's c h e s s a c h i e v e m e n t s h a v e e n s u r e d his u n i q u e position in c h e s s h i s t o r y . H e d r e w a m a t c h for t h e W o r l d C h a m p i o n s h i p in 1951 ( m a k i n g h i m ' c o - W o r l d C h a m p i o n ' a s D r M a x E u w e put it), was t w i c e Soviet C h a m p i o n , six times c h a m p i o n of M o s c o w , w i n n e r of e i g h t g o l d m e d a l s in t h e U S S R t e a m c h a m p i o n s h i p s a n d f o u r O l y m p i c g o l d medals a n d h e has w o n n u m e r o u s i n t e r n a t i o n a l t o u r n a m e n t s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d . In t h e p r o c e s s h e has a c h i e v e d a l m o s t 100 g r a n d m a s t e r n o r m s . T o m F i i r s t e n b e r g t h o u g h t it a p p r o p r i a t e t o p a y h o m a g e t o D a v i d Bronstein w i t h this b o o k t o m a r k his 7 0 t h b i r t h d a y and t o c r e a t e a m o n u m e n t for h i m so richly d e s e r v e d . H i s main role was t o select and f o r m u l a t e David Bronstein's f a s c i n a t i n g a n d a b u n d a n t material a n d t o put it on p a p e r in an o r d e r e d m a n n e r .
ISBN
1-85744-151-6

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THE

THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE

40 COMBINATIONS WITH EXPLANATIONS

50 GAMES WITH COMMENTS 60 GAMES WITH D I A G ^ M S

Printed in Great Britain by Redwood Books, Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

50 Games with Comments

60 Games with Diagrams

273 287 295 297 299

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

A Word to the Reader

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

A Word to the Reader

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

40 Recommendations for the Novice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

40 Recommendations for the Novice

40 Combinations with Explanations

Position after 23...e5xf4

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

(2) Bronstein,D - Ratner.B

Position after 23...<&g7-g8

40 Combinations with Explanations

(3) Bronstein,D - Koblentz.A

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

(4) Pachman,L - Bronstein,D

Position after 20 Se2-d2

40 Combinations with Explanations

(5) Zita,F - Bronstein,D

Position after 17 h2-h3

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

(6) Bronstein,D - Pachman,L

40 Combinations with Explanations

(7) Bronstein,D - Kotov,A

Position after 20... tf6-d7 i W

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

(8) Bronstein,D - Dubinin,P

Position after 18..JLd7-c6

40 Combinations with Explanations

(9) Bronstein,D - Panov,V

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

40 Combinations with Explanations

(11) Barcza,G - Bronstein,D

Position after 31"iVc6-e4

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

(12) Szily,l - Bronstein,D

Position after 24 0-0

40 Combinations with Explanations

(13) Bronstein,D - Keres,P

Position after 32...Wa4-c2

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

(14) Bronstein,D - Boleslavsky,!

Position after 13...iLg4-e6

40 Combinations with Explanations

(15) Botvinnik,M - Bronstein,D

Position after 31 2c7-c2

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

(16) Botvinnik,M - Bronstein,D

Position after 29 JLc3-b2

40 Combinations with Explanations

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Gnv64)

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Gnv64)