Boris Kostić

24 February 1887 - 03 November 1963

Kostić visited Scotland for the first time in 1920, having been engaged by Glasgow Chess Club from April 12-17 for simultaneous displays, blindfold and consultation games and off-hand games with the club members. The following extracts from the Falkirk Herald show that he was kept busy.

The editor of the chess column, A.J. Neilson, participated in some of the games.

1920 Glasgow

Falkirk Herald, 14 April 1920, p. 4

Mr Boris Kostich, the brilliant young Serbian master, is fulfilling an important engagement at Glasgow Chess Club during the whole of this week. Mr Kostich gave an interesting display of blindfold chess on Monday evening, when he contested six games simultaneously against a strong team, including Messrs W. Gibson, A.T. Reid, J. M. Nichol, A.J. Neilson, J.A. McKee, and W.A. Lochhead. Mr Kostich drew with Mr Gibson, beat Mr Reid, lost to Mr Nichol through accidentally placing a rook "en prise" when he held a winning position, drew with Mr McKee, and won against Mr Lochhead. The position with Messrs Lochhead, Gibson and McKee were not quite played to a finish, but the results were agreed to when time was up.

The game with Mr Neilson was cancelled by agreement, a curious misconception having arisen regarding the opening. Black played the "Petroff" defence 2...N-KB3, and White played 3.B to Kt5, believing Black's move to have been 2...N-QB3! White therefore thought he had a "Ruy Lopez," and the error was not found out till the 14th move, which lost him a piece, when he had quite a good game. Mr Kostich thought the "teller" of the moves gave him 2.N-QB3, and Black was surprised to get the answer 3.B-Kt5 in the "Petroff"!

Falkirk Herald, 21 April 1920, p. 4

Following his clever exposition of "blindfold" chess, as already noted, he played 21 games simultaneously on Tuesday evening [13 April], winning 15; drawing with Miss E. and Miss M. Gibb, and Messrs James Birch, J.A. McKee, and A.J. Neilson, and losing 1 to Mr C. Wardhaugh.

On Wednesday evening, two consultation games were played, ending in unfinished and probably drawn positions. At one board the game was conducted by Messrs J.R. Longwill and Wm. Gibson (the powerful combination which had the unique distinction of wresting a win from from the great Cuban, Capablanca-of which game, by the way, Mr Kostich expressed the very highest opinion), and at the other board, the consultants were Messrs A.J. Neilson and C. Wardhaugh.

On Thursday evening, simultaneous chess was played on 19 boards, Mr Kostich winning 14 games and drawing with Misses E. Gibb and Gilchrist, Messrs A.B. Marquand, M. Maung, and W. Gibson.

Friday evening was reserved for the Ladies' Chess Club, and Mr Kostich faced 24 opponents simultaneously. Miss E. Gibb had the distinction of winning her game, and there were a few draws recorded.

Two consultation games were played on Saturday evening, and both were won by the master, the consultants being Messrs Chas. Macdonald and Neilson in one game, and Messrs A. Murray and Wardhaugh in the other.

During each day of the week Mr Kostich played many off-hand games with the members. The week's arrangements were splendidly carried out by the thoroughly efficient hon. secretary of the Glasgow Club, Mr T.C. Rutledge, and we understand Mr Kostich thoroughly enjoyed his first Scottish visit, meeing so many members and guests of the club. Mr Kostich sailed for Belfast late on Saturday night, being under engagement with the Belfast Club during the present week.

White: A.J. Neilson and C. Wardhaugh
Black: B. Kostić
Consultation game, Glasgow, 14 April 1920.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. O-O Bc5 6. Nxd4 exd4 7. e5 dxc3 8. exf6 Qxf6 9. dxc3 O-O 10. Qh5 d6 11. Bg5 Qg6 12. Qxg6 fxg6 13. Be7 Rf5 14. Bd3 Re5 15. Rae1 Rxe1 16. Rxe1 Bd7 17. Bc4+ Kh8 18. Bf7 Bf5 19. Re2 h6 20. h3 Kh7 21. g4 Bd7 22. Kh2 Be8 23. Be6 g5 24. Kg3 Bg6 25. Bd7 a5 26. h4 gxh4+ 27. Kxh4 a4 28. f4 Bf7 29. b3 axb3 30. cxb3 Ba3 31. g5 hxg5+ 32. Kxg5 Ra5+ 33. f5 Bc1+ 34. Kg4 Kg8 35. Bg5 Bxg5 36. Kxg5 Kf8 37. c4 Re5 38. Rxe5 dxe5 39. Bc8 b6 40. Bb7 Ke7 {The newspaper report of the score gave 40...K-Q2 (..Kd7). Unfinished and drawn.} 1/2-1/2
Source: Falkirk Herald, 21 April 1920, p. 4.

In the next game, the consultants, who happily sacrificed pawns for an attack (and some fun), missed their chance when they chose 24. Rf3 instead of the straightforward exchange of queens, followed by 25. Re1.

White: A. Murray and C. Wardhaugh
Black: B. Kostić
Consultation game, Glasgow, 17 April 1920.

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Na5 5. Bb3 Nxb3 6. axb3 d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Nge2 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. Ng3 f5 12. f4 Bd6 13. Kh1 exf4 14. Bxf4 Bxf4 15. Rxf4 Qe5 16. Qf3 Qxb2 17. Qd5+ Kh8 18. Raf1 Qxc2 19. Rc4 Qxb3 20. Nh5 Qb6 21. Qe5 Qg6 22. Rxc7 Rg8 23. Nf4 Qf6 24. Rf3 24. Qxf6 gxf6 25. Re1 would have been winning. 24... Rf8 Black is not going to fall for 24... Qxe5 25. Ng6+ and mates. 25. Qe1 Qd6 26. Re7 Bd7 27. Qh4 Rae8 28. Rh3 Qh6 29. Rxe8 Rxe8 30. Kg1 Qxh4 31. Rxh4 g5 32. Ng6+ Kg7 33. Rd4 Bc6 0-1
Source: Falkirk Herald, 19 May 1920, p4.

Kostić's second visit in 1922 saw him visiting Edinburgh, Dundee and Paisley, but only for brief stops in each place. Interestingly, he was not engaged by Glasgow CC.

1922 Edinburgh, Dundee and Paisley

On Monday 27 March Kostić visited the Edinburgh Ladies' Chess Club, where he gave a simultaneous exhibition, losing 2 games.

At Dundee CC on Tuesday 28 he played two consultation games in the afternoon against Heath, Thoms and Griffiths and Spankie, Forbes and Schwarz et al. He won both. In the evening he played 20 games simultaneously, winning 11, drawing 8, and losing 1 to C.B. Heath.

White:B. Kostić
Black: Spankie, Schwartz, Forbes et al
Consultation game, Dundee CC, 28 March 1922

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 a6 7. c5 O-O 8. Bd3 Re8 9. O-O h6 10. Bh4 Nh7 11. Bg3 Ng5 12. Ne5 Nxe5 13. Bxe5 Nh7 14. Rc1 Bf6 15. Bg3 Nf8 16. f4 Bd7 17. Bf2 b6 18. b4 b5 19. a3 c6 20. Qh5 a5 21. g4 axb4 22. axb4 Ra7 23. Kh1 Re7 24. Rg1 Be8 25. g5 hxg5 26. fxg5 Bxd4 27. exd4 g6 28. Qh6 f5 29. gxf6 Rh7 30. Qg5 Qd7 31. Ne2 Ra3 32. Nf4 Qc7 33. Bg3 Qf7 34. Be1 e5 35. Nxg6 Nxg6 36. Bxg6 Qxg6 37. Qxe5 Qxg1+ 38. Kxg1 1-0
Source: Dundee Courier, 29 March 1922, p 6.

C.B. Heath - B. Kostić
Dundee CC, Simultaneous Display, 28 March 1922

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.Nf3 d6 4.d4 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.c4 Nb6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.0-0 Bxf3 10.Bxf3 Nc6 11.Qe2 dxe5 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.dxe5 Qc8 14.Rad1 Qa6 15.b3 Rad8 16.Qg4 Kh8 17.Bg5 Bxg5 18.Qxg5 Rxd1 19.Rxd1 f6 20.exf6 gxf6 21.Qh6 Qc8 22.Ne4 Rf7 23.Nxf6 Qf8 24.Qxf8+ Rxf8 25.Ne4 Kg7 26.f3 h6 27.Kf2 Kf7 28.Ke3 Ke7 29.Nc5 a5 30.a4 Rf5 31.Ne4 Nd7 32.g4 Rf8 33.f4 Nf6 34.Nxf6 Rxf6 35.Ke4 c5 36.Ke5 Rf8 37.Rd3 Rg8 38.Rh3 Rg6 39.Rh5 Kd7 40.h3 40.g5 would have won in a few moves. 40...Ke7 41.Ke4 Kd6 42.f5 exf5+ 43.gxf5 Rg3 44.Rxh6+ Kd7 45.Kd5 Rxb3 46.Rh7+ Kd8 47.Kc6 Rb6+ 48.Kxc5 Rf6 49.Rh5 Kd7 50.Kb5 The game was prolonged for 26 moves, but the end was inevitable. 1-0
Source: Glasgow Herald, April 15 1922

On Thursday 30 March he gave a simultaneous display at Paisley CC, winning all 30 games.

Sources:
British CHess Magazine 1922, pp 197 and 269.
Falkirk Herald, April 7, 14, and 21, 1920.
Falkirk Herald, 5 and 14 April 1922.
Glasgow Herald, 15 April 1922.
The Story of Dundee Chess Club (1984), by Peter W. Walsh.
J. Ken MacDonald.

Alan McGowan
Historian, Chess Scotland

updated 28/2/2023