Tolush in Scotland - 1954

Alexander Tolush competed in the Hastings 1953/54 tournament, along with David Bronstein. At the conclusion of the that event they, along with Alatorsev, commenced an arduous tour, giving simultaneous displays and exhibitions. The tour was organised by Chess Section of the Society for Cultural Relations with the USSR.

Tolush was the only one to come to Scotland. He first went to Edinburgh where he played 20 opponents at the Edinburgh University club on Friday, 15 January, winning 18 and losing 2 games to D. Munro and D. Dykes, both of Wardie Chess Club.

The next day, Saturday 16 January, Tolush played against five opponents simultaneously, with clocks, at the Glasgow CC. Each of his opponents was allowed two hours in which to make his first 48 moves, but all five were defeated before the display had lasted two and a half hours.

The first three to lose made defensive errors against King-side attacks. Aird Thomson and CW Marshall defended against Queen's Gambits, and Dr M. Rose had the White side of a Vienna opening. Each was in early trouble, caused mostly by an active advanced Knight.

The two remaining games reached endings in which Tolush had winning advantages. WM Inverarity played a Sicilian Defence and overlooked in the early middle-game the loss of a pawn, which also left him with a cramped position.

From the White side of a Sicilian game PB Anderson had quite a good position after about 15 moves, but missed his way against later counter complications, and resigned on move 42 with Rook, Bishop and three pawns against Queen and four pawns.

P.B. Anderson - A.Tolush [B39]
Glasgow (clock simul) 1954

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c4 g6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 e5 10.Bd3 0-0 11.0-0 d6 12.Kh1 Be6 13.Nd5 f5 14.f4 fxe4 15.Bxe4 Nf5 16.Bf2 Kh8 17.Rc1 Bxd5 18.Bxd5 exf4 19.Qd2 Be5 20.b3 Ng3+ 21.Bxg3 fxg3 22.Qh6 Qe7 23.Rce1 gxh2 24.Bxb7 Rxf1+ 25.Rxf1 Bg7 26.Qxg7+ Kxg7 27.Bxa8 Qe2 28.Rf3 Qxa2 29.Kxh2 Qe2 30.Bd5 Qe5+ 31.Kg1 g5 32.Kf1 a5 33.Kf2 h5 34.Re3 Qf4+ 35.Ke2 h4 36.Re4 Qf6 37.Re3 g4 38.Ke1 Qb2 39.Rd3 Kf6 40.Re3 Kf5 41.Kf1 Qd2 0-1

During his visit to Glasgow Tolush met the Lord Provost and was invited to watch a Glasgow Rangers football match from the directors' box

Sources:
Glasgow Herald columns
BCM 1954, p 47/8.

Alan McGowan
Historian, Chess Scotland