MARK RUBERY CHESS

Bobby Fischer and South African golf legend, Gary Player, both shared a common experience when at the beginning of their respective careers, and at approximately the same time in the late 1950s, they were offered large sums of money with the only condition being that they should acknowledge the benefactor as a factor in their success. Player rejected the offer as did the 15-year-old Fischer who responded “I play chess alone, and I win alone!”

Fischer was less astute (or more principled) than the golfing legend when it came to endorsing commercial products. On been asked by a Volkswagen firm to advertise their cars he took some time to consider the offer and after a few days refused. His reason being “I have made a careful study of your cars, - and I think they are good only for suiciders”.

Nevertheless Fischer’s lone stand for higher rewards for chess players has resulted in the multi-million dollar matches that exist today.

The following game was regarded as the most beautiful of the 2015 European Championships.

Khismatullin,D (2653) - Eljanov,P (2727) [E46]

16th ch-EUR Indiv 2015 Jerusalem ISR (10.3) 2015

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Nge2 Re8 6.a3 Bf8 7.Ng3 d5 8.Be2 a6 9.0–0 c5 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Bf3 Be6 13.b4 Bd6 14.Bb2 Be5 15.Na4 Bxb2 16.Nxb2 Nc6 17.Nd3 Qb6 18.Rc1 a5 19.Rb1 axb4 20.axb4 Rad8 21.b5 Na5 22.Ne2 Ne4 23.Ndf4 Nc4 24.Bxe4 dxe4 25.Nd4 Bc8 26.Rc1 Ne5 27.Qb3 Qh6 28.Rc5 b6 29.Rd5 Bb7 30.Rxd8 Rxd8 31.Rd1 Qg5 32.Kf1 g6 33.h3 Nd3 34.Nc6 Bxc6 35.bxc6 Qc5 36.Qa4 Kg7 37.Qa1+ Kg8 38.Qa4 Rd6 39.Qa8+ Kg7 40.Qa1+ Kh6 41.Nxd3 exd3 42.Qh8 Qc2 43.Qf8+ Kg5

44.Kg1!! (A tremendous concept! White takes time to move his king to safety whilst leaving his rook exposed-with check)…Qxd1+? (The temptation to take the rook with check proved too strong and now the black queen is {remarkably!} misplaced. Instead 44… Rd5! 45 Kh2 Kf6 as shown by our silicon friends allows Black to resist) 45.Kh2 Rxc6 46.Qe7+ Kh6 47.Qf8+

Kg5 48.Qxf7! (The point of this grand idea. The immediate threat is Qf4 Kh5 g4+ followed by mate. There is no way Black can escape the pawns supported by the queen)…Rf6 49.f4+ Kh6 50.Qxf6 Qe2 51.Qf8+ Kh5 52.Qg7 h6 53.Qe5+ Kh4 54.Qf6+ Kh5 55.f5 gxf5 56.Qxf5+ Kh4 57.Qg6 1–0

The chess player who has lost his game - who will describe him? I have seen him unable to move. The public was long gone, the lights were out, and still he sat rigidly in his chair staring at the emptied board, because he had overlooked Bg2. A case of complete petrification, with bystanders whispering and tiptoeing by. I have heard him begging for punishment in blasphemous language. He had forgotten Nh5, and in his dismay he called down annihilation upon himself. Derisively, he rejected our words of solace, demanding insults and chastisements. Standing afar and horror-stricken, I have witnessed him swearing in orgiastic fury to rip off his genitals, because he had played Qf6 instead of Qb6. – Jan Hein Donner