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Shelby Lyman: On ChessOne of the most endearing qualities of chess is the opportunity it gives man for heroic efforts. Each game played is a bit of history in which men strive underconstraints of time and ignorance. Chess is never the mere collision of soulless machines of calculation.At times, however, the onus to function under extreme pressure is hardly bearable. And we must suspect that the effects on the human personality are definite, if not calculable. The late C.H.O.D. Alexander quotes Albert Einstein assaying: “Master chess grips its exponent . . so that the inner freedom and independence of even the strongest character cannot remain unaffected.’’Those who were absorbedemotionally into the almost piteous struggle betweenMoreonKorchnoiFischer and Spassky cannot but have an enduring sense of the travail to which humans subject themselves when they play chess. In the 14th game, for example, Fischer egregiously blundered on the 14th move. Spassky, his hand trembling, found the correct response and won a potentially decisive pawn. But a few moves later he made a terrible counter blunder.As he completed that move, he became aware of what he had done. Immediately his jaw went slack, he swiveled in his chair and faced the wall.Perhaps no match will again have the same life-death qualities.But the just-played Karpov-Korchnoi match reminds us that pressure is endemic to world cham-Two errors which made the difference were to beseen in game 14 and 16.In our first position (from game 16) Karpov confounds us by inexplicably trading a knight and bishop for a rook and bishop.BLACKKORCHNOIyo no ao o x ax nx axQR QN QB Q K KB KN KRKARPOVWHITEWhite played BxP?pionship chess.After the exchange,Chauncer Grimace SetAsK hare her9 De tec tiveblack’s pieces become active, and a draw was easily achieved. Anatoly’s blunder was 1. BxP?, which allowed QxN; 2. BxR, QxB, etc. He might have instead played 1. N-Ql! which would have saved his knight and left him a clear pawn ahead. (Ifl . . NxP, then 2. BxP!.)The other example (see Diagram Two) is harder to explain.BLACKKARPOVbO NO 90 O X 9X NX bXQR QN QB QKB KN KRKORCHNOIWHITEWhite missed a win.Faced with a recapture at QB5, Korchnoi played 1. PxB? and Karpov avoided disaster by retreating hisL'niaht NA to R.‘ithe correct and winning 1. RxB!,thel. . . .N-B3 would have been answered by 2. Q-Bl, winning a piece.Other tries also fail for black, i.e . . RxR; 2. QxN$ or 1 . . Q-R4, and 2. KR-B1! leaves the black pieces in a hopeless tangle.Of course, investigation shows that Korchnoi wasshort of time in this position. But as he has come through rougher time-control situations, it is likely he will always blame himself severely for not winning this game and evening up the match.MWtSERVICESEPTIC SERVICERv T A V CUARRTTTTlrunHp s a f'nrmpr TV ‘An-PHONE 793-4949• •#4*••••••••• •
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Glens Falls Post Star
Glens Falls, New York, US
Sat, Mar 22, 1975
Page 34
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Los A.
CA, USA 03 Jan 2023
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