Kupper – Leepin
Basel, 1954
White to play
Black has nothing to fear from 27 Qd8+ Kh7 28 Nf8+ Kh6 29 Qd4 Re2 when the position is equal.
27 Nf8!
A brilliant move, and the only decisive one.
27…Bh7
27…Qxe5 fails to 28 Nxg6 fxg6 29 Qc4+ wining the rook on a2.
28 Rd8 Ra1+ 29 Kh2 Qxe5+ 30 f4
30…g5 31 Ne6 mate
Richard Forster’s The Zurich Chess Club, 1809–2009 (McFarland, 2011) sparkles with such little-known jewels.
Dr Josef Kupper (1932–) is a Swiss master who retired from active play in the 1960s to pursue a banking career. He won the Swiss Championship in 1954.
Here he dispatches a former world champion with another conclusive (but easier to find) knight-to-the-side move:
Euwe – Kupper
Mont Chaumont, 1958
Black to play
A curious position where the rooks and knight threaten to mate both kings.
Black strikes first:
41…Nd1+ 0-1
It’s mate after 42 Kc1 Ra1+ 43 Kd2 Rb2+, because the knight covers the c3 escape square.
