MARK RUBERY CHESS

One of my favourite games comes from the unheralded Russian genius, Rahid Nezhmetdinov, whose vast talent is (very much like the artist Vincent Van Gogh) is only being appreciated by the wider public many years after his death.

Rashid Nezhmetdinov (1912-1974) came from a generation of players that included Petrosian, Tal, Korchnoi etc, and while he is far less known than these giants of the game, his artistry at the board was no less pronounced. He was at times capable of unparalleled brilliance as in his oft cited game against Polugayevsky .

Holding a lifetime 3-1 score against Tal when he was in his prime, this player who never attained the GM title was showed no respect to the world champion when they crossed swords…

Nezhmetdinov,Rashid - Tal,Mihail [B84]

URS-ch29 Baku (15) 1961

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be2 a6 7.0–0 Qc7 8.f4 Nbd7 9.g4 b5 10.a3 Bb7 11.Bf3 Nc5 12.Qe2

e5 13.Nf5 g6 14.fxe5 dxe5 15.Nh6! (This knight on the edge of the board will soon become one of the most important attacking pieces-Nezhmetdinov)…Ne6 16.Bg2 Bg7 17.Rxf6 Bxf6 18.Nd5 Qd8 19.Qf2 Nf4 20.Bxf4 exf4 21.e5 Bxe5 22.Re1 f6 23.Nxf6+! Qxf6 24.Qd4!

(Even though White is down a rook Black has no defence)…Kf8 25.Rxe5 Qd8 26.Rf5+ gxf5 27.Qxh8+ Ke7 28.Qg7+ Ke6 29.gxf5+ 1–0

During World War II, Nezhmetdinov served in the military, thus delaying the further progress of his chess career until 1946. In 1949, the Russian Checkers Semifinals were held in Kazan. Nezhmetdinov attended as a spectator, but when one of the participants failed to show up, Nezhmetdinov agreed to substitute for him even though he hadn’t played checkers for 15 years. He won every game, qualifying him for the Finals, which were to be held immediately after a chess tournament in which he was also participating. He won the tournament and immediately thereafter placed second in the Russian Checkers Championship

Nezhmetdinov, this nondescript short man, wearing the same suit for years and living on several cups of extremely strong tea a day, was burning himself with the best fire in the world, the search of Eternal Beauty, did not belong to the elite. For this he was too much of a genius. – Lev Khariton