Chess

The 1907 Carlsbad tournament, the first of four great chess events in the Czech spa, began 100 years ago today. It featured most of the world's best players of that time, already called "grand masters," although this title had not yet been officially established. The Prague Chess Society plans a centennial celebration of this fabulous tourney by organizing the Czech Coal Carlsbad Chess Tournament Sept. 7-15 under the auspices of Czech President Vaclav Klaus. The invited grandmasters are: Alexei Shirov (Spain), Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine), Vladimir Akopian (Armenia), Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland), Jan Timman (the Netherlands), Sergei Movsesian (Slovakia) and the Czechs David Navara and Viktor Laznicka.

A Century Ago

The 1907 Carlsbad tournament book was written by the Austrians Georg Marco, the chief editor of the Wiener Schachzeitung, and Karl Schlechter, who in 1910 played a world championship match against Emanuel Lasker to a 5-5 tie. It is one of the finest tournament books, and the English version has just been published by Dale Brandreth. The new edition has 15 new photographs of the players, and the game analyses have been checked with the computer engine Rybka. The book is available from Caissa Editions, P.O. Box 151, Yorklyn, Del. 19736 for $55.

Akiba Rubinstein won the 1907 event brilliantly, establishing himself as the logical candidate for the world crown. The American champion Frank Marshall had his ups and downs, finishing in the middle of the field. However, he shined in his first encounter against Aron Nimzovich, the winner of the 1929 Carlsbad tournament.

Nimzovich-Marshall

1.Nf3 d5 2.d3 Nf6 3.Nbd2 Nc6 4.g3 e5 5.Bg2 (Nimzovich is inviting a pawn storm and Marshall, known for his aggressive play, obliges. White could have prevented it with 5.e4.) 5...e4! 6.dxe4 dxe4 7.Ng5 e3! (Compromising white's position.) 8.fxe3 (After 8.Nde4 Qxd1+ 9.Kxd1 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 exf2 black's better pawn structure gives him the edge.) 8...h6 (Amazingly, this position appeared in last year's amateur game and continued 8...Ng4 9.Nde4 Qxd1+ 10.Kxd1 f5 11.h3! with equal chances. Instead of 10...f5, black should have simply developed 10...Bf5 11.h3 0-0-0+ 12.Ke1 Nge5 with better prospects since white is a meaningless pawn up and his pieces are entangled.) 9.Nge4 Ng4 (Keeping the white king in the middle.) 10.Nb3 Qxd1+ 11.Kxd1 Bf5 (11...f5 is met by 12.h3.) 12.Ke1 Nb4 13.Nd4 0-0-0! (Stronger than 13...c5 14.Nxf5! Nxc2+ 15.Kd2 Nxa1 16.Ned6+ Bxd6 17.Nxd6+ Kd7 18.Nxb7 Rae8 19.Bh3 h5 20.Bxg4+ hxg4 21.Nxc5+ Kc6 22.b4 and white wins the knight on a1 with advantage.) 14.h3 (14.Nxf5? is now fatal because of 14...Nxc2+ 15.Kf1 Rd1 mate.) 14...Rxd4 15.exd4 Nxc2+ 16.Kd2 (Nimzovich was unjustly blamed for this move after Mikhail Chigorin suggested 16.Kd1, maintaining that white may hold the game after 16...Nge3+ 17.Bxe3 Nxe3+ 18.Kd2 Nxg2 19.Nc3 Bb4 20.Rh2 Be4 21.e3 c5 22.Ke2 Bxc3 23.bxc3, followed by Ra1-g1. But the computer engine Rybka came up with 21...Rd8 22.Rg1 c5 23.Ke2 Bc6 24.a3 Nxe3! 25.axb4 Re8! 26.Kd3 cxb4 with black's advantage.) 16...Nge3! 17.Bf3 Nxa1 18.Kxe3 Nc2+ 19.Kd3 Nb4+ 20.Ke3 Nc2+ (Marshall could have played 20...Nxa2 immediately.) 21.Kd3 Nb4+ 22.Ke3 Nxa2 23.g4 Bg6 24.Bd2 Nb4 25.Rc1 (Consolidating with 25.Kf2 was preferable.) 25...Be7 26.Nc5 ? (Losing outright, but neither 26.Bxb4 Bxb4 27.Ng3 Be7; nor 26.Kf2 Rd8 27.Rc4 a5! give white any hope to hold the game.) 26...Bg5+ 27.Kf2 Bxd2 28.Rc4 b5 White resigned.

Solution to today's three-mover by L. Istomin (White: Kg2,Rh1,Ba7,Nc5; Black: Ka8,P:c6,c7): 1.Bb8! Kxb8 2.Ra1 Kc8 3.Ra8 mate.