September 21, 2015 Archive, Articles, Creative chess, Games, Hack Attack, History scrapbook, Homepage, Reviews, September , combination, Lothar Schmidt, Nicolas Rossolimo, rook sacrifice, Victor Kahn No Comments

The Last Romantic

Schmidt – Rossolimo

Heidelberg, 1949

Black to play

This game is annotated in Victor Kahn’s La Conduite de la Partie d’Echecs, an attractive little book brimming with instructive examples of attacking chess. Too bad that it’s in French and long out of print.

One of the great chess Bohemians, Grandmaster Nicolas Rossolimo (1910-1975) is best known for a handful of brilliancies and the popular variation of the Sicilian Defence that bears his name.

This short two-part documentary covers his chess career and life as laundry worker, cab driver, folk singer and cafe owner.

[Event "Heidelberg"]  [Site "Heidelberg"]  [Date "1949"]  [Round "4"]  [White "Schmid, Lothar"]  [Black "Rossolimo, Nicolas"]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "C92"]  [PlyCount "58"]  [EventDate "1949"]  [EventType "tourn"]  [EventRounds "9"]  [EventCountry "GER"]  [Source "ChessBase"]  [SourceDate "1999.07.01"]   {Victor Kahn's notes are translated from the French with additional comments  in square brackets.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1  b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d6 9. h3 {Until here we are in the main line of the Chigorn  variation in the Closed Lopez.} a5 {The usual move is 9...Na5. The text move,  introduced by Bondarevsky, was played by Stoltz in 1935 against Sir George  Thomas. It involves a deep idea which becomes apparent on Black's 11th move.  Commentators have generally awarded this move an exclamation mark, but its  strength is doubtful. Keres withholds his seal of approval in his book The  Open Games (1949, in Russian).} 10. d4 {10 a4! is correct. 10 d3 is just as  good, after which Black's 9th move is simply a loss of time (Keres).} exd4 11.  Nxd4 Nxd4 12. cxd4 Bb7 {Completely in keeping with the modern style. Black  does not fear the closed centre after 13 d5, because he can bring the bishop  back to c8, while the Bb3 would be hemmed in by its own pawns; added to which,  the weakened c5 square would risk occupation by a Black knight.} 13. Bc2 {  Defending the e-pawn.} c5 $1 {Black mobilises the famous queenside pawn  majority (3 against 2).} 14. a4 {Provoking...} b4 {In order to weaken the c4  square.} 15. Nd2 {Temporarily sacrificing the d-pawn.} cxd4 16. Nb3 {Regaining  the pawn, but at the cost of handing Black the initiative in the centre.} d5 $1  17. e5 ({Not} 17. exd5 Qxd5 {threatening mate.}) 17... Ne4 18. Nxd4 f6 $1 {  Black wants to keep the initiative at all costs.} 19. Ne6 Qb6 $1 {  Simultaneously attacking the knight on e6 and pawn on f2. If White now plays  20 Nxf8 he's exposed to a very strong attack: 20...Qxf2+ 21 Kh1 (21 Kh2 Qg3+  22 Kg1 Bc5+ and wins) Ng3+ 23 Kh2 d4 etc. (In fact 24 Qd2! is a strong reply  -Ed.)} 20. Bxe4 ({After} 20. Nxf8 Qxf2+ 21. Kh1 Ng3+ 22. Kh2 Rxf8 (22... d4 $6  23. Qd2 Nf1+ 24. Rxf1 Qxf1 25. Bd3 $18) 23. Be3 Nf1+ 24. Rxf1 Qxe3 {Black has  decent compensation for the exchange -Ed.)}) 20... Qxe6 21. exf6 {With a  little threat, among others: 22 Bxh7+ winning the queen!} dxe4 22. fxe7 Qxe7  23. Qb3+ Kh8 24. Be3 {Developing the bishop and blocking the d-pawn to prevent  Black opening the long diagonal.} Ra6 $1 25. Rac1 Rg6 $1 {If 25 Bc5 Qg5!  threatens mate.} 26. Rc5 {26 Rc2 was rather better. [And better still 26 Qc2  intending 27 Qc5 -Ed.]} Qh4 $1 27. Kh2 {Defends the h-pawn but allows the  fireworks which have made this game famous.} (27. Qc2 Qxh3 28. Rg5 Rxg5 29.  Bxg5 Qf5 30. Be3 $15 {-Ed.}) 27... Rxg2+ $3 28. Kxg2 {Or 28 Kh1? Qxh3 mate.}  Rxf2+ $3 {'Magnificent', said Chess Review. 'A veritable atomic bomb', said L'Italia  Scacchistica.} 29. Bxf2 (29. Kg1 Qg3+) 29... e3+ {Mate is unavoidable, e.g. 30  Rd5 Qxf2+ 31 Kh1 Qxe1+ 32 Kg2 Qf2+ 33 Kh1 e2 forcing mate.} 0-1

Victor Kahn, La Conduite de la Partie d’Echecs: La Stratégie Moderne (Monaco: Le Triboulet, 1952), pp.137–140.

Also see Poor Development

Posted by Jon Manley

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The Last Romantic

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