MARK RUBERY CHESS
Saviely Tartakower (1887-1956) was one of the top players in the world during the 1920s and certainly one of the better writers on the game. The following game was played in the final round of the 1948 Interzonal features an interest clash of generations between the old master in the twilight of his career and the young Bronstein at the beginning of his. The game is infamous for the only recorded murder-at-the-board attempt during an international tournament. Bronstein,D - Tartakower,S [B12] Saltsjobaden izt (19), 1948 1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.h3 Bh5 5.Be3 Nf6 6.Nbd2 Nbd7 7.c3 Bg6 8.e5 Nd5 9.e6 fxe6 10.Be2 e5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Bh5 Nxe3 14.Bxg6+ hxg6 15.fxe3 Qd3 16.Qf3 e6 17.Qe4 Qxe4 18.Nxe4 (The knight is clearly the superior minor-piece in this ending)... Be7 19.Ke2 Rd8 20.Rad1 0-0 21.Rxd8 Rxd8 22.Rf1 b6 23.Nf2 Rd5 24.Nd3 Bf6 25.Nb4 Rb5 26.a4 Rc5 27.e4 b5 28.a5 Bd8 29.Ra1 Rc4 30.Kd3 Be7 31.Na6 Ra4 32.Rxa4 bxa4 33.Nb8 (After some nimble manoeuvering with his knight Bronstein has achieved a winning position. It was at about this stage that a lunatic with political leanings rushed upon the stage in an attempt to kill the young Russian genius, only to be thwarted by the police on duty there. Somewhat shaken Bronstein’s technique was undiminished and he convincingly concluded the game) ... a3 34.bxa3 Bxa3 35.Nxc6 Bc5 36.Kc4 Bg1 37.Kb5 Kf7 38.Ka6 Kf6 39.Nxa7 Kg5 40.g3 Bf2 41.c4 Kf6 42.Nc8 Bxg3 43.c5 1-0 WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN SEE DIAGRAM ‘Dr. Tartakower is far and away the most cultured and the wittiest of all the chess masters I have ever met. His extremely well stored mind and everflowing native wit make conversation with him a perpetual delight. So much so that I count it as one of the brightest attractions an international tournament can hold out for me that Dr. Tartakower should also be one of the participants. His talk and thought are rather like a modernized blend of Baruch Spinoza and Voltaire; and with it all a dash of paradoxical originality that is essential Tartakower.’ (Harry Golombek)