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MARK RUBERY CHESS

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The double bishop sacrifice featured prominentl­y in an encounter between two great antagonist­s of the early 20th century: Aaron Nimzovich (1886-1935) who pioneered the Hyper-modern approach to the game (fianchetto bishops and attack the centre from the flanks) and the classical if dogmatic Siegbert Tarrasch (1862-1934) who espoused rapid developmen­t and a strong centre. In the following clash it was the more inflexible Tarrasch who at the age of 52 showed how dynamic his play could be.

Nimzovitch,aaron - Tarrasch,siegbert [D30]

St Petersburg prel St Petersburg, 1914

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.c4 e6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.0–0 Bd6 7.b3 0–0 8.Bb2 b6 9.Nbd2 Bb7 10.Rc1 Qe7 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Nh4?! (Provoking a weakness but the loss of time incurred soon proves costly)…g6 3.Nhf3 Rad8 14.dxc5 bxc5 15.Bb5 Ne4 16.Bxc6 (This is too obliging. 16 a3!?)…bxc6 17.Qc2 Nxd2 18.Nxd2 d4! (Opening the diagonal and preparing the following combinatio­n) 19.exd4

‘Chess is a form of intellectu­al productive­ness, therein lies its peculiar charm. Intellectu­al productive­ness is one of the greatest joys - if not the greatest one - of human existence. It is not everyone who can write a play, or build a bridge, or even make a good joke. But in chess everyone can, everyone must be intellectu­ally productive, and so can share in this select delight. I have always a slight feeling of pity for the man who has no knowledge of chess, just as I would pity the man who has remained ignorant of love. Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.’ – Siegbert Tarrasch

True, but it’s well to remember that losing at chess, like rejection, like Barry Manilow, has the power to make men unhappy. – Mike Franett

 ??  ?? … Bxh2+! (The double bishop sacrifice first came to prominence in Lasker-bauer Amsterdam 1889 but this was, and still is, its most high profile appearance) 20.Kxh2 Qh4+
21.Kg1 Bxg2! 22.f3 (The acceptance of second bishop is immediatel­y fatal via 22 Kxg2 Qg4+ 23 Kh1 Rd5 24 Qxc5 Qh5+ 25 Kg1 Qg5+ 26 Kh1 Rxc5)… Rfe8 23.Ne4 Qh1+ 24.Kf2 Bxf1 25.d5 f5 26.Qc3 Qg2+ 27.Ke3 Rxe4+ 28.fxe4 f4+ 29.Kxf4 Rf8+ 30.Ke5 Qh2+ 31.Ke6 Re8+ 32.Kd7 Bb5# 0–1
… Bxh2+! (The double bishop sacrifice first came to prominence in Lasker-bauer Amsterdam 1889 but this was, and still is, its most high profile appearance) 20.Kxh2 Qh4+ 21.Kg1 Bxg2! 22.f3 (The acceptance of second bishop is immediatel­y fatal via 22 Kxg2 Qg4+ 23 Kh1 Rd5 24 Qxc5 Qh5+ 25 Kg1 Qg5+ 26 Kh1 Rxc5)… Rfe8 23.Ne4 Qh1+ 24.Kf2 Bxf1 25.d5 f5 26.Qc3 Qg2+ 27.Ke3 Rxe4+ 28.fxe4 f4+ 29.Kxf4 Rf8+ 30.Ke5 Qh2+ 31.Ke6 Re8+ 32.Kd7 Bb5# 0–1

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