March - Chess Journalists of America

VOLUME XXXIV, NO. 1 CONSECUTIVE NO. 115 MARCH 2005
An early example of computer chess? “... a Scheme for
playing this noble and scientific game with an animated dramatis
personae, but in a manner much similar to pantomime,
and suitable for public exhibition.”

e Chess Journalists
of America
President
Dan Lucas
1369 Field Creek Terrace
Lawrenceville, GA, 30043-5334
president@chessjournalism.org
Vice-President
Daren Dillinger
928 Edgewood Ave S
Jacksonville, FL 32205
vp@chessjournalism.org
Secretary-Treasurer
Randy Hough
1826 W. Garvey Ave. #5
Alhambra, CA 91803
(626) 282-7412
treasurer@chessjournalism.org
Web Page:
www.chessjournalism.org
webmaster@chessjournalism.org
Editor
John Hillery
835 N. Wilton Pl.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
editor@chessjournalism.org
Memberships:
The CJA offers three types of memberships:
Regular Memberships ($10/ year),
Associate Memberships ($10/year), and
Foreign Memberships ($15/year). New
memberships and renewals should be sent
to Secretary-Treasurer Randall Hough at
the address above.
e Chess Journalist is published quarterly
by the Chess Journalists of America.
One-time only publication rights have
been obtained from signed contributors.
All other rights are hereby assigned to the
authors. Articles do not necessarily reflect
the opinions of the CJA, its officers
or members. Copyright © 2005 by the
Chess Journalists of America.
Contents
CJA/Cramer Awards ..........................................................................3
News & Notes ................................................................................................6
Editorial: A little knowledge ...................................................................9
One Hundred Years Ago ..................................................... 10
Reviews ....................................................................................................................11
CJA Election ....................................................................................................11
Letters ........................................................................................................................12
In Memoriam: Arnold Denker ....................................................13
Chess Quiz .........................................................................................................16
Chess Journalists of America Patrons
The following members have put CJA on a firmer financial footing by
donating at least $50 during Fiscal Years 2001-2005:
Mike Goodall
Elie Hsiao
Steve Kamp
Herb Hickman
Don Schultz
Peter Tamburro
Oklahoma Chess Foundation
Carol Hochberg
Donations may be directed to CJA, c/o Treasurer Randy Hough (see
address at left).
2 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

Daniel Lucas, President of the Chess Journalists of
America, and Pete Tamburro, Chairman of the
Cramer Awards, jointly announce their annual call for
material published in print publications or on Internet
sites.
The most important change from last year is that the CJA will
no longer award a lifetime achievement award; instead, nominations
will be sought for the Gallery of Distinguished Chess Journalists
in tandem with the Cramer Committee. CJA member’s
nominations will be forwarded to the Cramer Committee. CJA
members will then vote for inductees.
Other changes include the compression
of the Best Analysis categories
and the dropping of the “single
artist” requirement in the Best
Chess Art category. Additionally,
all copies of an entry must now have
their own cover sheet.
There are six category sections:
Cramer Awards, Magazine Editor,
Magazine Author, Newspaper Author,
Web-Based, and General Author/Artist
(select items in this last
category are open to both Internet
and print entrants and are labeled
Internet Eligible).
Cramer Award winners will receive
the traditional marble obelisk
and a CJA certificate. All CJA category
winners will receive a CJA
certificate. All winners will be recognized
in The Chess Journalist and
in Chess Life.
The entry procedure is as follows:
1. Print entrants should submit
one original and four photocopies
or five originals for each entry
(unless different instructions are
listed within the category). Print
entries may be from any publication
CJA/Cramer
Awards
published in the United States or its
territories.
2. Internet submitters should
mail the relevant URL(s) with entry
fee and the five cover sheets (see
item 5 below) to the Chief Judge and
also email the entered URL(s) to
the CJA Webmaster at webmaster@
chessjournalism.org. By entering
you are giving the CJA permission
to display your entry on the CJA site.
The Webmaster may choose, as an
alternative, to link to your site. Only
category 4 requires a hard copy. For
other web categories, send only the
cover sheet; do not send printouts of
the website. Internet entries must
be U.S.-based websites in English
(dual-language sites acceptable, but
only English portion will be judged).
3. All entries must be for work
produced between June 1, 2004
and May 31, 2005.
4. Both Internet and print entrants
must send an entry fee of $15
for the first entry (this includes
membership or extension of membership
in the CJA) and $8 for each
additional entry after that.
5. All entries must use the cover
sheet found on the CJA website
www.chessjournalism.org. Follow
the packing instructions listed on
the cover sheet. All five copies of
an entry must have the cover
sheet. If you were submitting one
article in two categories, for example,
then you would submit ten
items and ten cover sheets.
6. June 25, 2005 will be the
deadline for all entries except for
Chess Journalist of the Year and
the Gallery of Distinguished Chess
Journalists, which have June 1,
2005 deadlines.
7. Send entries to the Chief
Judge, with checks payable to Chess
Journalists of America:
Daniel Lucas
1369 Field Creek Terrace
Lawrenceville, GA 30043-5334
8. For acknowledgement of your
entry, include your e-mail address
on the cover sheet.
Questions or problems: Email:
Daniel Lucas, president@chessjour
nalism.org or phone: 770-338-5803.
CRAMER AWARD CATEGORIES
Category 1
Chess Journalist of the
Year
Nominations should be sent to the
Chief Judge for the CJA with a supporting
statement. This should be a
person who has greatly contributed
to chess journalism this past year.
Only work in the past year should be
considered. Nominations are due
by June 1, 2005.
3 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

Category 2
Gallery of Distinguished
Chess Journalists
The honoree will have shown a
lifetime record of achievement in
chess journalism. The nomination
should include a brief statement of
why the person should be honored.
Nominations are due by June 1,
2005 (No obelisk awarded in this
category.)
Category 3
Best Book
Send 4 copies of a U.S. published
book with a 2004 copyright.
Category 4
Best Chess Column, Any Media
Enter your three best columns.
Web-based columns should send a
hard copy and email the URL to the
webmaster.
Category 5
Best State Magazine/Editor,
Open Division
Limited to the official publication
of a state chess association.
Supply four sets of one year’s worth
of issues. Each set must have a cover
sheet. States that have two publications
(e.g., adult and junior) must
submit them separately.
MAGAZINE EDITOR CATEGORIES
Category 6
Best State Magazine,
Under 1000 Circulation
Limited to the official publication
of a state chess association.
Supply four sets of one year’s worth
of issues. Each set needs a cover
sheet. States that have two publications
(e.g., adult and scholastic)
must submit them separately. A
statement of circulation must be included
with the entry.
Category 7
Best Club Bulletin
Limited to the official publication
of local chess clubs. Enter three
best issues.
Category 8
Best Correspondence Chess
Magazine
Limited to magazines dealing
with correspondence chess. Enter
your three best issues. Judges will
be instructed to evaluate all productions
in terms of new material
presented in each as well as the repeated
content (e.g., ratings).
Category 9
Best New Magazine
This may be any regular print
publication and may include being
the second publication of a state organization
(e.g., a state youth magazine
or newsletter). The sole requirement
other than print is that
it did not exist before June 1, 2004.
Category 10
Most Improved Magazine
Enter any two current-year issues
and any one previous-year issue. The
nominator may provide a typed sheet
highlighting the improvements. Open
to all print magazines.
Category 11
Best Cover
Open to all print magazines. Enter
a cover that demonstrates how
the publication combines the masthead
with other graphic elements to
put its best face forward.
Category 12
Best Layout
Open to all print magazines. Enter
any one issue that demonstrates
how the publication uses headlines,
paragraphing, graphics, and printing
processes to organize and highlight
its material. This category
judges layout for a single issue as a
whole. Individual sections of a magazine
will not be considered.
MAGAZINE AUTHOR CATEGORIES
Category 13
Best Regular Magazine Column
Limited to writers of regular
magazine columns. Enter your
three best columns. Be sure to include
the dates of publication.
Category 14
Best Magazine Tournament
Report
Limited to writers of magazine
articles telling the story of a single
tournament that occurred in the
past year.
NEWSPAPER AUTHOR CATEGORIES
Category 15
Best Regular Newspaper
Column
Limited to writers of local, metropolitan
or syndicated newspaper
columns. Enter your three best columns.
Category 16
Best Regular Newspaper
Column of Local Interest
Limited to writers of local or
metropolitan newspaper columns
that demonstrate quality coverage
of local chess and chess players. Enter
three columns.
Category 17
Best Newspaper Tournament
Report
Limited to newspaper articles
reporting on one tournament.
WEB-BASED CATEGORIES
Category 18
Best State Website
Limited to official state organization
websites.
Category 19
Best Internet Chess News
Site
The winner will have shown a
regular, accurate and objective reporting
of chess news in the U.S. or
the world.
Category 20
Best General Chess Web Site
The winner will be the site that
best covers a wide range of chess
topics, including, but not limited to,
4 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

news, features, etc., in an easy-tonavigate
manner.
Category 21
Best Web-Based Review
A review of a single book, play,
movie, software, etc, that has a chess
related theme and was expressly
written for the web.
Category 22
Best Web-Based Analysis
An analysis of some aspect of a
game or several games that has a
theme that is looked at deeply and
was expressly written for the web.
Category 23
Best Web-Based Instruction
Enter an item that teaches something
about chess to average players.
This must be something more than
a typical annotated game and must
have been expressly written for the
web.
Category 24
Best Correspondence Chess
Website
Must show regular or periodic
updating of correspondence chess
subjects.
Category 25
Best Web-Based Interview
Enter an interview that demonstrates
the skill of the interviewer
in eliciting instructive and revealing
responses and must have been
expressly written for the web.
GENERAL AUTHOR/
ARTIST CATEGORIES
Category 26 [INTERNET ELI-
GIBLE]
Best Press Release
Enter the original press release
announcing or reporting a chess
tournament or other chess related
topic. Must identify at least one publication
or web site that published
material based upon the release.
Category 27 [INTERNET ELI-
GIBLE]
Best Human Interest Story
Enter a story, article, column
or anecdote in which the center of
interest is not chess itself, but the
lives, emotions and character of the
people who play chess.
Category 28 [INTERNET ELI-
GIBLE]
Best Historical Article
Enter an article that describes
some aspect of chess history.
Category 29
Best Interview
Enter an interview that demonstrates
the skill of the interviewer
in eliciting instructive and revealing
responses.
Category 30 [INTERNET ELI-
GIBLE]
Best Editorial
Enter an editorial that takes
a clear stand on a chess related
theme. Editors who have a counterpoint
editorial (pro vs. con) must
enter each position separately.
Category 31
Best Review
A review of a single book, play,
movie, software, etc,. that has a
chess related theme.
Category 32
Best Analysis
An analysis of some aspect of a
game or several games that has a
theme that is looked at deeply.
Category 33
Best Instruction
Enter an item that teaches something
about chess to average players.
This must be something more
than a typical annotated game.
Category 34 [INTERNET ELI-
GIBLE]
Best Humorous Contribution
(Cartoons see category 35.) Enter
any jokes, satire, irony, parody,
or exaggeration, etc., with a chess
theme that makes the reader smile,
chuckle or laugh out loud. The Chief
Judge in advisement with the judges
will decide it if is appropriately tasteful.
The underlying criterion is that
the humor would not be out of place
it it were published in a state magazine
that kids read.
Category 35 [INTERNET ELI-
GIBLE]
Best Cartoon
Enter a single cartoon or strip
with a chess related theme.
Category 36 [INTERNET ELI-
GIBLE]
Best Chess Art
Enter a single work of art with a
chess related theme. It may be part
of a larger production (e.g., on the
cover of a magazine) but it will be
judged as an entity in and of itself.
Category 37 [INTERNET ELI-
GIBLE]
Best Chess Photograph
Enter a single chess photograph
that portrays without words that
chess is involved.
Category 38 [INTERNET ELI-
GIBLE]
Best General Chess Article
Any item that does not fit in the
categories above. The chief judge
reserves the right to move the entry
to a more specific category if deemed
more appropriate.
5 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

Kasparov Retires!
On March 10, 2005, Garry
Kasparov tied for first in the
powerful Linares International.
Later that evening, he announced
his retirement from professional
chess. It was the end of an era.
News & Notes
Kasparov has stood at the top of
world chess for two decades, since prevailing in his epic struggles
with Karpov beginning in 1984. Despite his loss of the world
championship title to Vladimir Kramnik in 2000, he never fell
below the top spot on the rating list, and was the favorite to
win any tournament in which he competed. Many believed that
reunification of the world championship could come in only one
way – with a return by Kasparov.
This was not a sudden decision.
“Before this tournament
I made a conscious decision
that Linares 2005 will be my last
professional (tournament), and today
I played my last professional
game.
“(A)s you know, I am a man of big
goals. I have to achieve something,
I have to prove something, I have to
be determined. But I no longer see
any real goal in the world of chess. I
did not want to leave in bad shape,
as I was six months ago. I wanted
to get back to my top rating, and I
wanted to show some decent chess.
I wanted to prove to myself first of
all that I play better than others. I
did.”
And why? “The complete mess
over the last two years added bit by
bit to my frustration It seemed to
me that everyone was very pleased
when I was constantly denied a
chance to play for the highest title.
What happened with FIDE in the
last year was scandalous. But I
never heard a voice of concern or
a voice of support for Garry Kasp-
arov. I still read about the bad
treatment by FIDE of Ponomariov,
but I never heard any serious complaints
about the way they treated
me. After the Prague agreement I
had regular disappointments with
the entire process. The process was
used for advancing the agenda of
others, eventually at my expense.”
(Kasparov refers here to the clumsy
and unsuccessful attempts by FIDE
to organize a reunification of the
world championship.)
And what next? “I want to accomplish
more on the writing side. I
want to complete my work My Great
Predecessors. The project is expanding
every year, and I want to spend
more time on that. Also, by the end
of this year my new book will appear,
in fifteen languages … The
tentative title of the book is How
Life Imitates Chess. It is a very important
project because I want to
demonstrate to a mainstream audience
how the game of chess can explain
the decision-making process
in many walks of life.”
Kasparov has other goals
in mind as well. “I devote a
certain amount of time to
Russian politics, as every decent
person should do, who
opposes the dictator Vladimir
Putin,”
What next?
In an interview in the British
newspaper The Guardian,
Kasparov had more to say on
this subject. “I wouldn’t say that
I’m entering Russian politics, because
politics doesn’t exist in Russia
in the terms you use here,” he
said. “I will be trying to help Russia
to get back into normal political life
and to make sure my country lives
in a civilised way.”
“People say to me, ‘Garry, are
you planning to run in 2008?’ I say,
‘Run for what?’ The trend in Russia
is very clear: Putin is abandoning
democracy as an institution. He
doesn’t want there to be an election.
There will be an appointed parliament
that will then appoint the
president. It will be like a perpetuum
mobile.”
As for chess, “I proved that I
hadn’t lost my touch,” he said. “In
my last two tournaments, I showed
that I am very good at the chessboard.
At last we closed down this
subject. I wasn’t sure that I could
win at Linares. I wasn’t well prepared,
I had been spending too much
time on other activities, but I had a
strange belief. I just sensed that I
would get my act together, and miraculously
I did. I played some really
great games. I played like I did
20 years ago, though I collapsed at
the end. After the game with Mickey
[Adams, the England No1], I just
lost any interest because I had won
the trophy already. My mind was already
travelling somewhere else.”
In another interview with Yuri
Vasiliev in Sport Express, Kasparov
6 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

expanded on his frustration with
the chess world.
Not being able to have a return match
against Kramnik also had a negative
influence?
“Kramnik avoided the match, and
everyone was happy: “what a man of
principles’’! Kramnik created a title
for himself – “World Champion in
Classical chess.’’ What does it mean:
‘Classical Chess’’? Then you have
what, Anand, “World Champion in
Rapid chess”? I think there should
be a World Champion – that’s all.
Partial Bibliography for Garry Kasparov
It should be noted that this list is not fully reliable. For a time it was fashionable
among certain authors to attach Kasparov’s name to a book, even if
he did no more than write a dedication. (For example, Batsford Chess Openings
and Fighting Chess, while they include some text by Kasparov, were not
“written” by him.) It is also possible that some of the more obscure items are
alternative titles for the same book. We would be happy to publish a fully researched
bibliography, if one of our readers would care to do the work.
Garry Kasparov on Fischer: Garry Kasparov on My Great Predecessors,
Part 4 (2005)
My Great Predecessors, Part 3 (2004)
My Great Predecessors, Part 2 (2004)
My Great Predecessors, Part 1 (2003)
New World Chess Champion: All the Championship Games With
Annotations (1986) (highly recommended)
Child of Change (early autobiography, worth the hunt)
My Games
Unlimited Challenge
The Test of Time
London-Leningrad Championship Games: Rematch Championship
Games With Annotations by the World Champion, by Garry
Kasparov, Kenneth P. Neat
Kasparov Against the World, by Garry Kasparov, Daniel King
Kasparov vs. Karpov, 1990
The Sicilian Scheveningen: Sicilian: ...e6 and ...d6 Systems, by
Garry Kasparov, Aleksander Nikitin (originally published in Russian in
1984)
Caro-Kann: Classical 4...Bf5, by Garry Kasparov, Aleksander Shakarov
(1984)
Kasparov on the King’s Indian
Kasparov Teaches Chess
Lessons In Chess (1997)
Garry Kasparov’s Chess Challenge (1996)
Garry Kasparov’s Chess Puzzle Book (2001)
Checkmate!: My First Chess Book (2004)
“I tried to look at the situation in a
fair way. I can’t say I did everything
right all the time. But I considered
things which were fair and good for
chess. My opponents, on the other
hand, had a premise: everything
that I propose is – bad. I need motivation
to continue my professional
activities. I don’t see any motivation
any more.”
Isn’t getting back the world champion’s
title enough of a motivation?
“Getting it back is utterly impossible.
They don’t want to give me
another chance! They know very
well that when the time comes, I am
able to beat any of them – Kramnik,
Leko, Anand... no matter who, I will
defeat him! Because, like before, I
play chess better than anyone else.
Since that is the situation, they will
not give me a chance to get back the
title. “
Your work on history of chess, entitled
My Great Predecessors, initially
planned to be in three volumes ...
“I think, there will be ten volumes.”
EB Replaces Editor
In a meeting held by conference
call on January 23, the USCF Executive
Board voted to terminate
Chess Life editor Kalev Pehme. He
will be replaced by former CL editor
Glenn Petersen, with the title of
“Interim Publications Director.” The
relevant portion of the minutes is as
follows:
EB 05-29 (Hanke): The Executive Board
commends and thanks Kalev Pehme for
his service as Chess Life editor, and replaces
him with Glenn Petersen, who will
receive the title of Interim Publications
Director and Chess Life Editor, starting
Feb. 1, 2005 and extending to August 31,
2005.” Passed 5-2 In Favor: Marinello,
Shutt, Hanke, Bauer and Shaughnessy
Opposed: Brady and Schultz
Steve Shutt said: “This is in no way a
reflection on Kalev, we are voting strictly
as a way to save money and hope when the
new Board convenes in August Kalev submits
an application for consideration along
with other applicants for the job of Editor.”
There was a consensus that this reflected
the opinion of the entire Board.
EB 05-30 (Schultz) The applications for
Chess Life Editor from those who have
applied so far to our ad and future applications
will be retained in a file for consideration
in August 2005 upon
termination of Mr. Petersen’s temporary
assignment. Passed 7-0.
Frank Brady introduced a motion to
change the two weeks severance pay for
Kalev to $10,000. Randy Bauer moved to
amend the $10,000 to one month. After
discussion Bauer’s amendment was accepted.
EB 05-31 (Brady): Change the severance
pay for Kalev from two weeks to $10,000.
No Vote Taken
7 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

EB 05-31 Amended (Brady): Change the
severance pay for Kalev from two weeks
to one month. Passed 7- 0.
Petersen reportedly wishes to
keep the Publications department
in New Windsor until at least September,
or until the Crossville office
is fully operational. In view of
the problems of staffing, this seems
a reasonable proposal.
Pehme’s performance certainly
did not meet with universal approval,
and the Board’s decision can be
defended on the merits. It is, however,
unclear why such precipitate
action was taken. Questions also
arise as to how seriously their earlier
“editorial search” is to be taken.
No doubt more will be heard of this
after the EB election this August.
[[Late news: We regret to report
that Glenn Petersen suffered a heart
attack in late March. It is not yet
known whether this will impact his
performance as editor. We send our
best wishes for a speedy recovery.]]
Bisguier Named Dean
of American Chess
Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier
has been named, “Dean of American
Chess” by the United States Chess
Federation for his longtime dedication
to chess. GM Bisguier joins the
ranks of chess legends Hermann
Helms, George Koltanowski and
Arnold Denker with being awarded
this title.
Art was introduced to chess at
age 4 by his father who was a mathematician.
As a math exercise he
would give Art puzzles to do…not
long after that he found chess and
hasn’t stopped since. At age 15, he
placed third at the Bronx Empire
Chess Club and at age 17 tied for fifth
place in the prestigious U.S. Open
and then went on to win the title of
U.S. Junior Champion in 1948. In
1954 at the U.S. Championship he
beat Larry Evans (who held the title
for three years) by one point. Two
years later Bisguier added the title
of U.S Open Champion to his col-
lection. By 1978, Bisguier had won
three National Open titles (1970 w/
Evans, 1974 and 1978). Art continued
to achieve prestigious titles one
of which was winner of the first ever
Grand Prix in 1980. He won the US
Senior Open Championship in 1989,
1997 and again in 1998. Bisguier has
held every major American title!
Over the years Bisguier has been
competitive abroad and represented
the U.S. in international team
matches with Russia. Bisguier is one
of the most recognized chess players
in the world. His free “10 Tips to
Winning Chess” has been in circulation
for many years and is still a
highly requested brochure. Bisguier
will again offer free game analysis
at the 2005 National Open Chess
Championship being held in Las Vegas
June 9-13, 2005 at the Riviera
Hotel and Casino. He will then play
in the 2005 Senior Open, also in Las
Vegas. He recently published a book,
“The Art of Bisguier” containing a
collection of his games, (annotated
by him) and his life story.
Art is no doubt worthy of the title,
“Dean of American Chess”. It is
not often that someone comes along
and takes the chess world by storm
and at age 75 is still going strong.
Chess is a game suited for any age
player…Art has certainly proven
this throughout his career. Playing
chess is the “right move”.
Art is not only loved and supported
by those in the chess world but
also by wife Carol and daughters Erica
and Cele. – USCF news release
Fischer to Iceland
Former world chess champion
Bobby Fischer left Japan for Iceland
on March 23, following his release
from an eight-month detention.
The 62-year-old took emplaned
to Copenhagen, from which he
plans to fly to Iceland. The country
has granted him a passport and
citizenship.
The United States had previously
demanded that Japan hand
over Fischer despite Iceland’s move
to accept the chess legend.
“That’s what we’ve asked for,”
Adam Ereli, deputy spokesman for
the U.S. State Department, told reporters,
when asked if the United
States wants Japan to hand him
over to the United States.
Ereli expressed “disappointment”
about the Icelandic parliament’s decision
Monday to grant citizenship
to Fischer.
“It’s an arrangement that we’re
disappointed by. Mr Fischer is a fugitive
from justice. There is a federal
warrant for his arrest. He’s being
detained in Japan, awaiting deportation
and that’s the step that we’re
looking forward to,” he said.
Fischer was granted Icelandic
citizenship after a vote in the country’s
parliament on Monday. Following
Iceland’s decision, the Japanese
Justice Ministry began considering
whether to allow Fischer to leave
for Iceland, ministry officials said
Tuesday.
Fischer’s lawyer, Masako Suzuki,
said the chess icon had “smiled
from the bottom of his heart when
he boarded the plane.”
Under Japan’s immigration law,
the former world chess champion
had to be deported to his country of
national origin, which is the United
States, or a country where he has
citizenship.
“I won’t be free until I get out of
Japan,” Fischer told reporters as he
arrived at Tokyo’s Narita airport.
His supporters say he has been
under heavy stress in jail. He was
held for four days in solitary confinement
earlier this month after
scuffling with guards in an argument
over a boiled egg.
The American exile angered
many of his fellow countrymen
when he went on Philippine radio
on 11 September 2001, applauding
the attacks on the US on that day
and launching into an anti-Semitic
diatribe.
8 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

Editorial: A little
knowledge
How strong a player need a chess
magazine editor be? At one time
I would have said, “not very.” After
all, Burt Hochberg, a very ordinary
player, was the best Chess Life editor
in my memory, and CL’s one experiment
with giving the job to a
strong master lasted about a month.
Common sense and cultural literacy
ought to be enough.
Now I’m not so sure.
In the July 2004 issue of Chess
Life, a Mr. John Piechocki wrote to
“correct” Garry Kasparov’s analysis
(in My Great Predecessors) of the
well-known game Tal-Smyslov, Candidates
1959.
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9zp-+n+pzpp0
9q+p+-sn-+0
9+pvl-+N+-0
9-+LwQ-+-+0
9+-+-+N+-0
9PzPPvL-zPPzP0
9+-mKR+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Position after move 13 (variation)
Mr. Piechocki wrote,
“… Garry Kasparov’s analysis of
Move 13 is wrong. Move 13. … Bc5
doesn’t lose. (… Bc5 14. Qh4 bxc4 15.
Bc3 Qxa2 16. Rxd7 Bb4! 17. Nh6+
Kh8 18. Qxf6 Qa1+ 19. Kd2 gxf6 20.
Nxf7+ Kg7 21. Rxa1 Bxc3+ 22. Kxc3
Bxd7 23. Nd6 Be6 (or … Rg8) =).
Since this is excerpted from his new
book, someone should notify Garry.”
It turns out what Kasparov actually
wrote was that after 13. …
Bc5,
“Tal’s fantastic idea would have appeared
in all its glory! 14. Qh4 bxc4
15. Bc3!. Believe it or not, Black is
defenseless against the numerous
threats (Rxd7, Nxg7, Qg5, Ng5). For
example, 15. … Qxa2 16. Rxd7
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-trk+0
9zp-+R+pzpp0
9-+p+-sn-+0
9+-vl-+N+-0
9-v+p+-+-wQ0
9+-vL-+N+-0
9qzPP+-zPPzP0
9+-mK-+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
“16. … Bxd7 17. Nh6+ Kh8 18. Qxf6
with mate.”
Essentially, then, Mr. Piechocki
is suggesting 16. … Bb4 as an improvement
over 16. … Bxd7.
The precise merits of his analysis
will be discussed later. But two
things should come be obvious. First,
Garry Kasparov does not need or
want any “corrections” to his analysis
by players of the strength of Mr.
Piechocki or myself.
Secondly, this analysis, as anyone
who has ever read a chess book
ought to know, was given by Tal after
the game. It ought to be evident
to an even moderately experienced
player that Tal gave this variation
because it was short, spectacular,
and illustrated what happened if
Black tried to avoid losing material.
This is a difficult concept to get
across to many “amateur analysts” –
after all, they often lose a few pawns
for nothing and then win the game.
This is generally not the case with
grandmasters.
Slippery slope
Well, anyone can have a bad day.
The editor ought not to be blamed
too harshly for printing one silly letter.
Unfortunately, the debate was
continued in the January 2005 issue.
A Mr. Ed Nealon wrote in to defend
Kasparov, suggesting (after 16. …
Bb4) “17. Qg5! Qa1+ 18. Kd2 Bxc3+”
– but we needn’t continue with his
rather lengthy analysis, since 18. …
Ne5+ refutes it out of hand, e.g. 19.
Ke2 Nxg5 20. Rxa1 Re8+ 21. Ne3
Bxc3 22. bxc3 Nxf3. Continuing
this thread at all showed poor judg-
ment; letting such analysis pass unchallenged
is not acceptable.
Final straw
Since the CL editor was replaced
shortly after this, I had intended to
let the subject die a well-deserved
death from inanition. Unfortunately,
the March 2005 issue contained
another letter from Mr. Piechocki,
in which, after pointing out the
error in Mr. Nealon’s analysis (at
somewhat tedious length), he
wrote:
“Also I never said that 16. … Bb4
is winning. White can get an advantage
of two Knights for a Rook
as follows: 17. Nh6+ Kh8 18. Bxb4
Bxd7 19. Bc3 Ne4 20. Qxe4 Rae8 21.
Qf4 f6. but Black is not defenseless.
I suspect that Mr. Nealon got his
analysis from a chess book and maybe
Kasparov used the same flawed
analysis, while I used Fritz 8 running
on a Pentium 4 chip.”
Mr. Piechocki’s analysis is all
right as far as it goes, though he ignores
several important variations.
(For example, an alternative to
20. … Rae8 is 20. … Qa1+ 21. Kd2
Qxh1 22. Ng5 Bf5 23. Bxg7+ Kxg7
24. Nxf5+ Kg8 25. Qe5 Rad8+ 26.
Kc3 f6 27. Qe7, and White also had
to consider 19. ... Qa1+ 20. Kd2
Qxh1 21. Qxf6 Qxg2 22. Ng5 Qd5+
23. Ke3 Qxg5+ 24. Qxg5 f6 25. Qh4
Rae8+ 26. Kd2 gxh6 27. Bxf6+
Kg8 28. Qg3+ Kf7 29. Bd4. There
isn’t much doubt that both Tal and
Smyslov did so during the game.)
It was the final sentence which
brought me to the boiling point.
The editor should not be criticized
for failure to do master-level
analysis. He should be criticized
– harshly – for implicitly endorsing
the absurd idea that a weak player
with a computer is even remotely
the equal of a strong grandmaster.
— jh
9 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

One Hundred Years
Ago
by John Hillery
What is the goal of the opening?
The answer depends on the specific
circumstances, but in open games
the advantage will go to the player
who first activates his Rooks. This
is most often accomplished by castling,
but one should remember that
castling is a means to an end, not
an end in itself.
Frank Marshall – Amos Burn
Ostende, 1905
C54 GIUOCO PIANO, Krakow
Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5
4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+
7. Kf1!?
A rare sideline. White wants to
avoid the simplification that would
result from 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 8. Nbxd2
d5, and the complications of 7. Nc3
Nxe4 8. 0-0 Bxc3 9. d5 (the Moeller
Attack).
7. ... Nxe4
Correct is 7. ... d5. White has
delayed the activation of his King
Rook, and it is more important for
Black to prevent White’s expansion
in the center than to grab material.
8. d5 Ne7 9. Qd4 Nf6 10. Bg5
Ng6 11. Nbd2 h6 12. Re1+ Kf8
Exploiting the scattered state of
the Black forces, White has seized
the open file. Black’s last move was
unavoidable, for after 12. ... Be7 13.
Bxf6 gxf6 14. d6 cxd6 15. Qxf6, his
position would be wretched.
13. Bd3 Be7
Had he foreseen the sequel,
Black might have chosen 13. ... Bxd2
14. Bxd2 d6, with less disadvantage
than in the game.
14. Bxg6 hxg5
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-mk-tr0
9zppzppvlpzp-0
9-+-+-snL+0
9+-+P+-zp-0
9-+-wQ-+-+0
9+-+-+N+-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9+-+-tRK+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
Similar is 14. ... fxg6 15. Ne5
Qe8 16. Qd3, and the pressure on
the e-file decides.
15. Ne5! fxg6 16. Nxg6+ Kf7
17. Rxe7+ Kxg6 18. Qd3+ Kh6
Not 18. ... Kh5, when 19. Rxg7
threatens both Qg6+ and Qh3 mate.
The text appears to defend, but now
White brings up the reserves. Note
the importance of pawn structure
even in tactical situations — were
it not for the pawn on g5, White
would be unable to pry open the key
file.
19. h4 g4
Or, as Marshall pointed out, 19.
... Qxe7 20. hxg5+ Kxg5 21. Nf3+
Kg4 (21. ... Kf4 22. g3+ is a mirror
variation) 22. Qg6+ Kf4 23. g3+
Kxf3 24. Qf4 mate!
20. h5 Nxh5 21. Qf5, Black
resigns
For if 21. ... g4, he is mated after
22. Rxh5+ gx5 23. Qf6.
GENERIC NAMES AND OTHER ALLUSIVE COMMONPLACES. When Shylock hailed Portia as A Daniel
come to judgement, he was using a generic name in the sense here intended; the Historie of
Susannah (from the Apocrypha) was in his mind. We do the same thing when we talk of a Croesus
or a Jehu or a Hebe (daughter of Zeus and Hera) or a Nimrod or of Bruin (name of the bear in
Reynard the Fox), Chaunticleer (in Chaucer’s Nun’s Priest’s Tale), and Reynard. When we talk of
a Barmecide feast, or Ithuriel’s spear, or of Naboth’s vineyard, or of being between Scylla and Charybdis,
of Procrustean beds, or of Draconian measures, or an Achilles heel, we are using allusive
commonplaces (to the Arabian Knights, Paradise Lost, the Bible, and classical antiquity). Some
writers revel in such expressions, some eschew them, some are ill provided with them from lack of
reading or imagination; some esteem them as decorations, others as aids to brevity. They are in
fact an immense addition to the resources of speech, but they ask to be used with discretion. This
article is not intended either to encourage or deprecate their use; they are often in place, and often
out of place; fitness is all. An allusion that strikes a light in one company will only darken counsel
in another: most audiences are acquainted with the qualities of a Samson, a Sancho Panza, and a
Becky Sharp, fewer with those of a Count de Saldar (Meredith’s Evan Harrington) or a Silas Wegg
(Dickens’s Our Mutual Friend), and still fewer with those of the Laputans (in Gulliver’s Travels)
and Ithuriel’s Spear.
R.W. Burchfield, Fowler’s Modern English Usage, 3rd. ed.
10 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

CHESS EXAM AND TRAINING GUIDE,
by IM Igor Khmelnitsky, Iam-
Coach Press, 2004, $24.95.
(review by Randy Hough)
Well known as both a player and
coach, Khmelnitsky sets himself
the ambitious goal of helping readers
rate their play and improving
their results. The book succeeds to
a large extent.
The meat of the book lies in 100
positions which invite the reader to
answer multiple-choice questions
evaluating the position and determining
the best move. These intermingle
opening, middlegame, and
ending positions, and present constantly
varying degrees of difficulty.
This is a good teaching tool, as we
never know when that “critical moment”
will arise in our own games.
This reviewer recognized a handful
of classics (from games of Alekhine
and Nimzovich, as well as one
of those rarities where a stunned
player resigned instead of finding a
winning move), but the vast majority
are new to me and, I imagine, to
all but the best-read players.
The discussion of each position
includes a table showing the percentage
of “guinea pigs” (students
and website visitors) of different
rating ranges who selected each
alternative. Interesting, if not a
definitive evaluation of one’s own
strength! I have to share the view
of GM Jonathan Rowson (in a generally
favorable review in New in
Chess) that the attempt to derive
from the test results general recommendations
for improving one’s
play is debatable.
The book concludes with “Training
Tips and Recommendations,”
brief discussions of 12 facets of the
game followed by tips including
“Do not play Blitz frequently” (to
say nothing, presumably, of blitz
Reviews
bughouse, in which one often sees
young players indulging). The discussion
of counterattack includes
the following interesting example
where, playing Black against the
dreaded Alex Shabalov, the author
shows that his attack, starting with
16. … Qg5, outweighs his positional
weaknesses.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+r+k+0
9+-+lwqpzpp0
9p+p+-+-+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-wQ-+-+0
9zPN+-+-+-0
9-zPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Shabalov – Khmelnitsky
U.S. Championship,
Parsippany 1996
Nominations Sought
Kudos to Khmelnitsky for distilling
his coaching (and playing)
experience in a format that piques
the reader’s interest and encourages
him to pinpoint the weaknesses
in his play. And for publishing the
book himself when apparently no
publisher would! One hates to quibble,
but the product emerged with
many annoying English errors (e.g.,
missing articles) that a good editor
would have cleaned up, as well as
a much smaller number of inconsistencies
in spelling of proper names
and even notation.
On the whole, though, Chess
Exam and Training Guide is highly
recommended both for players willing
to put in some effort trying to
improve, and as lesson material for
coaches whose students just won’t
read a book.
A new slate of officers will be elected at the CJA Annual Membership
Meeting in August. The relevant portion of the Bylaws reads as follows:
“An election of Officers shall be held every second year. Each candidate, including
incumbents, must be nominated by at least two Regular or Honorary Members
who are not themselves candidates. The deadline for receipt of nominations shall
be set by the Executive Committee and published in The Chess Journalist at least
sixty days in advance of the deadline. Nominations must be mailed to both the Secretary
and Editor. The list of candidates shall be printed in The Chess Journalist
together with the official mail ballot, voting instructions, the deadline for receipt of
the ballots, and a statement of no more than one hundred words by each candidate.
Write-in votes shall be allowed.
...
“In an election year, if by the time of the annual membership meeting the mail
ballot nomination and election system has failed to fill an elective office, then the
voting members (Regular and Honorary) present at the annual membership meeting
are empowered to elect a candidate to fill that office.”
Any member interested in serving as President, Vice-President, or Secretary-Treasurer
should submit his nominating petition and candidate statement
to the Secretary-Treasurer and Editor (addresses on page 2) by June 1.
11 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

Dear Editor,
Thank you for publishing the
reprint of Larry Parr’s “Tales of
the Volunteer Editors” article from
1986. Although his comments are
almost 20 years old, as you mention
in the introduction to the article, he
makes some excellent points which
still ring true today.
The last section of Parr’s article,
“Advice to CJA,” is especially poignant.
It is a recommendation to
the CJA on how to improve the annual
awards. His suggestions were
written with an optimistic appeal
similar to the one I made in my letter
to the editor in issue #112 (June,
2004). More specifically, two passages
from Parr’s final paragraph sum
up the spirit of my letter: (1) “...when
there are no deserving winners,
awards should be withheld.” (2)
“... the CJA must establish a prize
nominations committee to search
out deserving articles and to file in
history’s dustbin 90% of the submitted
prize entries.”
It is disappointing to see that
no fellow CJA members are interested
enough in the “CJA Awards
Problem” to agree or disagree with
my comments from the June, 2004
Chess Journalist. I truly believe
that the awards system can be
improved through proactive correspondence
and feedback. Let’s not
wait another eighteen years before
there is another attempt to solve it
again. Perhaps these suggestions
made by somebody as experienced
and well known as Parr will ignite
discussion.
Regards,
Howard Goldowsky
Boston, MA
I would be remiss if I didn’t restate
my views on political adver-
Letters
tising to the CH editor, the MACA
board, Randi Malcuit, Don Schultz
and to John Hillery as a potential
article in the Chess Journalist.
First, the chatroom chess politics
and chess blogs, mostly about
the USCF are ugly, negative and banal
to the average player. This stuff,
with wild charges and gross exaggerations,
could and would be libelous
in a publication like Chess Horizons,
which I hope will never even
think of publishing it. We do no
service to publish any accusations
close to an election that cannot be
answered whether in text or an ad.
Everything that does run should be
as positive as possible, and if there
are any political charges or endorsements,
the ad should refer to
a website or e-mail address to get
more information. If this is in any
way controversial, there should be
a disclaimer somewhere in the text,
reminding readers (again) that
these are the views of contributors/
advertisers and not necessarily the
views of MACA or the editor. If a
website is mentioned in an ad, the
editor could also list various other
sites with other points of view.
Second, with election politics, it
is most necessary to either give a
listing of all candidates (and tell how
to get their statements), or give no
candidates, unless, of course there
are unusual circumstances, such
as candidates are unopposed or
there are no candidates for an office
and a write-in (who may not even
accept) may be elected. MACA has
more than 200 life members (a big
chunk of the voting membership)
and almost half of them are spread
around the country from coast to
coast. So few USCF members vote
in the USCF national elections that
an ad in CH and a few other state
publications could greatly affect
the outcome.
Third, MACA, unlike many
other states, has a legacy of generally
staying out of national politics
and has run very few ads in CH for
MA elections. The election process
should be explained on the MACA
website with whatever links that
are necessary, and short referrals
should be made to this at least on
MACA’s official pages in CH. The
last issue of CH didn’t give notice of
the February 15 deadline for nominations
and the process of the election
according to the bylaws. Since
MACA and most state associations
have a web site, there is no excuse
that such notice is not automatically
given each year. The point is
that in the 50 states, there are few,
if any, that coordinate both printed
publications and websites to inform
members. Just putting things on
a website, circulating copies at an
annual meeting (that few attend) or
saying that “this is how we have always
done things” will not do for a
501-c-3 organization such as MACA
and many other states.
Yours truly,
Stephen Dann
[[The specific item which provoked
Mr. Dann to write the above
was a fairly innocuous ad for EB
candidate Joel Channing. However,
the general point he raises is a
valid one. Paid advertising — and
demagoguery — are the inevitable
consequences of extending the franchise.
(This should have been obvious
to those who pushed the proposal
through four years ago, but apparently
was not.) What standards should
state magazine editors adhere to in
this new environment? -- ed]]
12 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

Arnold Denker, 1915-
2005
by IM Jack Peters
Arnold Denker, the 1944 U.S.
champion, passed away on January
2. He was the last link to the New
York chess scene of the 1930s, when
American players were considered
the best in the world. He and Larry
Parr wrote “The Bobby Fischer
I Knew and Other Stories,” one of
the most entertaining chess books
ever, about the colorful characters
he knew decades ago.
To younger generations, Denker
himself was colorful enough. He
grew up a tough Jewish kid, becoming
a Golden Gloves boxer. I knew
him as a grandfatherly figure with
a booming voice, a man who could
turn strangers into friends in moments.
With a little prompting, he
could tell tall tales of the great
players he had known, bringing to
life the names in old tournament
crosstables. Denker was a warm
and uncommonly vigorous man.
He had spirit too. At the 1995 U.S.
Senior Open, Denker was pressing
Eduard Gufeld in a marathon game.
Gufeld, irked by Denker’s refusal of
his draw offer, told him, “You’re a
grandmaster, you know it’s a draw.”
Denker, unruffled, replied, “You’re
a grandmaster, draw it!”
As a player, Denker displayed a
lifelong flair for attack that made
him a favorite of fans. The selection
of games below will give you an idea
of his skill.
In strength, Denker was comparable
to Arthur Dake and Al Horowitz,
the second tier of American
masters in the years before World
War II, just behind the great stars
Sammy Reshevsky and Reuben
Fine. Like Dake, Denker received
a grandmaster title retroactively
long after his international career
ended. And like Dake, he struggled,
mightily but unsuccessfully, to earn
a living from chess.
After Denker gave up his chess
career in 1947, he worked for a
meat packing company and hardly
played for more than 20 years. Love
of the game brought him back as an
amateur in the early 1970s. He continued
to play in tournaments until
2003, maintaining a rating over
2350 well past his 80th birthday.
Denker credited chess with keeping
him out of trouble as a teenager.
He supported junior chess long before
it became fashionable, creating
the Denker Tournament of High
School Champions in 1984. His
sponsorship has made that event,
held every August, one of the most
prestigious for young players.
Denker – Fine
U.S. Championship, New York
1944
E43 NIMZO-INDIAN DEFENSE
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4
4. e3 b6 A solid variation of the
Nimzo-Indian Defense. 5. Bd3 Bb7
6. Nf3 Ne4 7. 0-0! Nxc3 Risky! Instead,
7. ... Bxc3 8. bxc3 f5 has a fair
reputation. 8. bxc3 Bxc3 9. Rb1
Ba5 Later Black tried 9. ... Nc6 and
9. ... d6, with little success. 10. Ba3
d6 11. c5 0-0 12. cxd6 cxd6 13. e4
Re8 14. e5 dxe5 15. Nxe5
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wqr+k+0
9zpl+-+pzpp0
9-zp-+p+-+0
9vl-+-sN-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9vL-+L+-+-0
9P+-+-zPPzP0
9+R+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Threatening 16. Bxh7+ Kxh7
17. Qh5+. 15. ... Qg5 Fine recommended
15. ... g6, when 16. Bb5 Qd5
17. f3 Bc6 is far from clear. 16. g3
g6?! Critical is 16. ... Nc6. Denker
planned 17. Nxf7!? Kxf7 18. Rb5
Qf6? 19. Qh5+ g6 20. Qxh7+ Qg7
21. Bxg6+ Kf6 22. Qh4+ Kxg6 23.
Rg5+, with a winning attack, but
18. ... Qh6! 19 Rh5 Qf6 20. Rh4 h6
21. Rf4 Qxf4 22. gxf4 Nxd4 should
survive. 17. Qa4 Qd8 18. Rfc1 b5?
A futile counterattack. Both players
considered 18. ... Na6 19. Qxa5!?
bxa5 20. Rxb7 decisive for White.
However, 20. ... Nb4 21. Bxb4 axb4
22. Nxf7 Rc8! forces White to accept
a draw by 23. Nh6+ Kh8 24. Nf7+.
19. Bxb5 Qd5 20. f3 Bb6 Hoping
for 21. Bxe8 Qxe5, although 22.
Rf1 wins anyway. 21. Rc5! Bxc5?
Black’s last chance is 21. ... Qxa2 22.
Bxe8 Qxb1+ 23. Rc1 Qf5 24. Bxf7+
Kg7 25. Bf8+! Kh8! 26. Bd6 Kg7.
22. Bxc5 Rf8 23. Bc4 Bc6 Or 23.
... Qd8 24. Rxb7. 24. Bxd5 Bxa4 25.
Bxa8, Black Resigns. Denker’s
most famous victory.
Denker – Emmanuel Perez
U.S. Open, Concord 1995
A47 TORRE ATTACK
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 b6 3. Bg5 Bb7
4. Nbd2 A form of the Torre Attack.
Ne4 Either 4. ... d5 or 4. ... c5 should
equalize. 5. Nxe4 Bxe4 6. Nd2 Bb7
7. e4 White has the edge. 7. ... g6 8.
Bd3 Bg7 9. c3 d5 Inviting 10. e5 f6.
10. Qe2 0-0 11. h4! c5?! 12. dxc5
d4 Black tries to wrest the initiative,
but Denker reclaims it with a
pawn sacrifice. 13. cxd4 Qxd4 14.
Be3! Qxb2 15. Rb1 Qxa2 16. h5
Qe6 Maybe 16. ... Ba6 improves. 17.
hxg6 hxg6 18. Bc4 Qd7 19. Qf3!
Heading for the h-file. Black would
not mind 19 cxb6 axb6 20 Bxb6
Nc6. 19. ... Nc6 20. Qg3 e6 Black
has no time for 20. ... Ne5? 21. Qh4
Rfd8 because 22. Qh7+ Kf8 23. Bh6
mates. 21. Qh4 f6 Inevitable, as
White planned Be3-g5-f6. 22. Nf3
Rad8 23. Qh7+ Kf7 24. Rh6 Ne7
25. Bd4 Rh8?
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-tr-+-tr0
9zpl+qsnkvlQ0
9-zp-+pzpptR0
9+-zP-+-+-0
9-+LvLP+-+0
9+-+-+N+-0
9-+-+-zPP+0
9+R+-mK-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Only 25. ... Rg8! resists. 26.
Ng5+! Kf8 Expecting 27. Nxe6+
13 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

Qxe6. 27. Qxh8+! Foreseeing 27. ...
Bxh8 28. Rxh8+ Kg7 (or 28. ... Ng8
29. Nxe6+ Ke7 30. Rh7+) 29. Rh7+
Kf8 30. Bxf6, leaving Black helpless.
27. ... Ng8 28 Nxe6+, Black
Resigns.
Denker – MacMurray
New York, 1932
A31 ENGLISH OPENING, Symmetrical
Variation
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6
4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 A common position
in the English Opening. 5. ...
d5!? Usual is 5. ... e6. 6. Qa4 Qd7?
Wasting time. Black gets fair compensation
from the pawn sacrifice
6. ... e6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. Qxc6+ Bd7.
7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9.
Nb5!
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+kvl-tr0
9zpp+-zppzpp0
9-+n+-+-+0
9+N+q+-+-0
9Q+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9PzP-+PzPPzP0
9tR-vL-mKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
9. ... Qd7 The more natural 9.
... Qd8 lets White win material by
10. Bf4 e5 11. Bxe5! Nxe5 12. Nc7+
Ke7 13. Nxa8. 10. Bd2 e5 11. 0-0-0
Bc5? Black keeps some hope with
11. ... a6 12. Bg5 axb5 13. Qxa8 Qc7.
12. Bg5 Even stronger than 12.
Ba5. 12. ... Qf5 13. Nc7+ Kf8 14.
Rd8+! Nxd8 15. Qe8 mate.
Denker – Amateur
Simultaneous exhibition, USA
1934
A82 DUTCH DEFNSE, Staunton
Gambit
1. d4 f5 2. e4 The Staunton
Gambit against the Dutch Defense.
fxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 exf3?! Much
safer is 4. ... d5 or 4. ... Nc6. 5. Nxf3
e6 6. Bd3 Bb4?! The Bishop belongs
at e7. 7. 0-0 Bxc3 8. bxc3 b6
9. Bg5 Bb7 10. Ne5 Winning. 10.
... 0-0 11. Ng4! Eyeing f6 and h7.
Arnold Denker’s last game, against Don Schultz and Tim
Redman in consultation. Photo by Randi Denker.
11. ... d6 After 11. ... Qe7 12. Qe1!,
Black cannot stand 13. Qh4. 12.
Nxf6+ gxf6
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13. Bxh7+! Anticipating 13. ...
Kxh7 14. Qh5+ Kg7 15. Qh6+ Kg8
16. Qg6+ Kh8 17. Rxf6. 13. ... Kg7
14. Qh5 fxg5 15. Qg6+ Kh8 16.
Bg8!, Black Resigns.
The Andrew I Knew
By Don Schultz
The Andrew I knew went by the
name of Arnold. His real name was
Andrew, but an Uncle kept calling
him Arnold and it stuck. Family,
the chess world and everyone
always called him Arnold and few
knew that was not his name.
“Hello Don, this is Arnold” - Over
the last quarter century, Arnold
would call me at every few days and
these were the words I first heard.
I’ll never hear them again and,
each time my telephone rings, I will
think of Arnold.
Yes, I will miss him, but I will
also look back with pleasure at the
fun time of the past, how fortunate
I was to have as my friend: “The
Man Chess Loved”
When I think of Arnold, I think
of the press rooms of the great
world championships of the eighties.
Typically you would see, surrounded
by journalists, Arnold and
a few of his friends such as Tal and
Najdorf holding court. There were
no computers to help the press, only
the candid discussion among these
giants of the chess world..
At chess meetings, Arnold had a
little trick that few ever realized. It
was always pre-planned and always
worked though used sparingly for
just the right debates. Here is how
it worked. During the debate, Arnold
would remain quiet. Then suddenly
he would jump up, rush to the
mike, pay no addition to those waiting
to be recognized and bypassed
14 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

them in line. He would shout in the
microphone: “This is a disgrace, I
can’t believe you are even thinking
of doing this; I’m getting out
of here.” He would then turn and
head for the door. Always, before
he reached the door someone from
the opposition would say” “Wait Arnold,
don’t leave, we will work this
out, how about …”
When I think of Arnold, I think of
Gabriel Schwartzman whom we both
met at the chess Olympiad in Thessalonika,
Greece in 1988. Gabriel, then
12 years old, came to us and said:
“Hello, my name is Gabriel Schwartzman
and I am a chessplayer, Would
you like to see some of my games.”
“Sure,” we said. Well we were so impressed
that we arranged for a match
between Gabriel and Arnold in Florida.
Gabriel and his family later became
lifelong friends of ours. Gabriel
also became the youngest grandmaster
in the world, He went to the U of
Florida, studied business administration
and has achieved great success
as an American businessman. He
and his parents are now enjoying a
life in Florida they would never have
realized had they stayed in Romania.
Both Arnold and I take great satisfaction
in having had something to
do with that.
Another time, Rhona Petroysan,
widow of former world champion
Tigran Petroysan asked Arnold if
he could help her move to the states.
Arnold and I discussed this and decided
the easiest way was to find an
American chessplayer for Rhona to
marry. We decided our friend Donald
Stone was the perfect person.
“What are you nuts?” were Stone’s
immediate reply to our request. We
were a bit taken back by this since
Donald , who was in his late seventies,
always responded to a call for
help when it involved the game he
loved. Nevertheless, we weren’t
about to be put off so easily. Stone
continued: “I’m only a B player. I’ve
been married before and vowed I’d
never do it again. I’m too old.” We
listened to all these attempts by
Stone to avoid his responsibility
but remained undeterred. Finally
our persistence succeeded: “Okay”
he said, “Is she pretty?” We gave
Rhona and Donald the information
they needed in order to get in touch
with each other.
But, the marriage never took
place as Rhona found a way to enter
the U.S. through more conventional
means.
Arnold’s second passion was
going to the race track. He and I
would sit indoors watching the odds
change, suddenly he would jump up
and rush away to place his bet. He’d
return and say in a loud voice to
me: “I bet ten big ones on number
five,” heads would turn to see who
the big bettor was. What they didn’t
realize was ten big ones meant ten
bucks which is what Arnold and I
generally would bet on any race.
Upon leaving the track, I’d generally
drop Arnold off at his apartment
and head home. Arnold would
call Teresa to let her know I’m on
my way. When Teresa answered,
she would immediately say: “Okay
Arnold, how much money did you
almost win today?” You see Arnold
would never lose; he would win or
almost win.
Another time as I was about to
leave my seat, Arnold said to me:
“Don, I was up all night handicap-
Solutions to Chess Quiz
(see page 16)
ping this race and number six can’t
lose, take my word for it.” Now Arnold
was an excellent handicapper,
so I left and bet on six. I returned to
my seat and looked over at Arnold
still studying the race. He turned
and said: “Gosh, how did I miss this
look at that four horse, I’m betting
big bucks on him.” Arnold jumped
up, left and bet on the four horse.
Of course the four horse won and
the six horse came in last.
In many ways, Arnold was the
most impatient man I ever knew.
He would never wait for a red light.
Whether in Buenos Aires, New York
or Paris, Arnold would rush across
the street weaving left and right
dodging cars like any football star
rushing downfield on a hundred
yard run.
Arnold and I didn’t always agree.
One time we had a serious argument.
Finally Arnold got up, left my
hotel room and slammed the door. I
rushed to the door opened it up and
called to Arnold; “Okay, we will do
it your way.” He turned, smiled and
said: “See it always works!”
Safvat - Zwaig, Varna Olympiad, 1962
Black combines the motifs of overloading and back-rank mate to win at
least a piece with 1. ... Qc2 2. Qd2 Re2 0–1
Thornley - Griffith, London, 1903
The unluckily-placed White Queen is suddenly lost to a mating threat after
1. ... Na4! 2. Ka2 (If the Queen moves (or 2. Kxa4), 2. … Ra1 is another
back-rank mate -- but on a file!) Nxb6 3. Kxb1 Nd5 0–1
Nimzowitsch - Tarrasch, St Petersburg, 1914
The White King is run to ground after 27. ... Rxe4+ 28. fxe4 f4+ (To
be fair, 28. ... Qg3+ mates more quickly—29. Kd2 Qf2+ 30. Kd1 Qe2#—but
perhaps Tarrasch wanted to enjoy his great rival‘s discomfiture.) 29. Kxf4
Rf8+ 30. Ke5 (No better was 30. Qf6 g5+ 31. Kf5 Qh3+ 32. Ke5 (32. Kxg5
Qg3+ 33. Kh5 (33. Kf5 Bh3#) 33. ... Be2+ 34. Kh6 Rxf6+ 35. Bxf6 Qg6#)
32. ... Qh2+ 33. Ke6 Rxf6+ 34. Kxf6 Qf4+ 35. Ke7 Bh3 36. Bf6 Qc7+ 37. Ke8
Qd7#] 30. ... Qh2+ 31. Ke6 Re8+ 32. Kd7 Bb5# 0–1
15 THE CHESS JOURNALIST MARCH 2005

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SAFVAT – ZWAIG
VARNA OLYMPIAD, 1962
BLACK TO MOVE
THE CHESS JOURNALIST
C/O R. HOUGH
1826 W. GARVEY AVE. #5
ALHAMBRA CA 91803-4260
FIRST CLASS
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THORNLEY – GRIFFITH
LONDON, 1903
BLACK TO MOVE
Solutions on page 15
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NIMZOWITSCH – TARRASCH
ST PETERSBURG, 1914
BLACK TO MOVE