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(Diagram 1)BLACKRESMEV5KYBO NO BO O X 8M NM BXOR ON 00 Q K KB KN KRElSCMERWHITEWhit* to win timelyBy SHfcl BY LYMANNo less a genius than the great 19th century French mathematician Henri Poincare complained that he could not play chess effectively. He explained that because of a lack of control of his thinking processes, he could not analyze systematically. While he was considering a second and third possibility in a given position, he would forgetor muddle the work he haddone on the first.ChessIt is easy, even retrospectively, to sympathize with Mr. Poincare, but perhaps he gave up too easily. Even the best chess players must exerta tremendous effort to effectthe systematic inquiry and accuracy that apparently guides them through the most difficult battles.Thus Bobby Fischershocked and disappointed hisfans when he failed to exploit an elementary theme in the following position from the eighth game of his 1961 match with Samuel Reshevsky. (See diagram 1.)In this position, Fischer, as white, played 1. B-K4?, and missed a simple but elegant idea, which would have forced resignation. He ought to have played 1. R B7 check, forcing the trade of rooks. After the simplest continuation,1. R-B7 check, K-B2; 2. RxR check, KxR; he would havebeen able to play 3. B-N5!and reach our second position. Black’s knight would bepinned to the edge of theboard chess by the white bishop. Fischer’s two pawn-to-one advantage on the king-side would then have won easily. (See Diagram 2).Not only is the winning procedure transparent to an experienced player, but Fischer had explicitly considered it, during adjournment analysis. Yet some quirk of mind, not unfamiliar to Poincare a century earlier had caused Bobby to miss the already analyzed win.Such elementary are the exception in grandmaster play. What makes the oversight so odd in Fischer’s case was tlje fact that he had easily won' with the same ideaWhit* top1**against Addison in the U.S. Championship four years earlier.Our third diagram shows that position. It was Fischerto move and he rightly played 1. B-K5! This time the black knight is stalemated. If Addison had now played his knight away from the rim of the board, i.e. 1. . . N-B3, Fischer would have answered 2. BxN, and the resulting kingand pawn endgame wouldhave been a win for white.Black, hamnered bv a double(Digram a)fISCHfRWHITETh# OR pawn * unstoppabl*(hypothetical position) (Diagram 2)BLACKreshevskyeischerWHITEHow Bimplalr (Diagram 3)f , BLACK ADDISONflSCHERWHITEBLACKADDISON
Newspaper Details
Pomona Progress Bulletin
Pomona, California, US
Sat, Aug 24, 1974
Page 34
Full Page
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Los A.
CA, USA 23 Dec 2022
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