World Seniors Championship, Croatia - starts today

[amuir]

I have beaten 3 World Championship runners-up : N Short, G Kamsky & D Bronstein

[Alan Jelfs]

Max Euwe lost 4 games at a simul in 1972.

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[WBuchanan]

Andy Muir: do you recognize this position

[pos]2n5/1p2n3/1p4k1/3p2Bp/P2P3P/2K2B2/8/8 b - - 1 1[/pos]
Black to play

What happened next, and why is it relevant to your claim to fame?

[amuir]

Walter, played thousands of games, dont remember I am afraid

[Clement Sreeves]

Andy Muir: do you recognize this position

[pos]2n5/1p2n3/1p4k1/3p2Bp/P2P3P/2K2B2/8/8 b - - 1 1[/pos]
Black to play

What happened next, and why is it relevant to your claim to fame?

Nice. I knew I had seen the position before, but couldn't remember what game it was from.

[WBuchanan]

It’s the penultimate game of Bronsteins’ tied world championship match vs Botvinnik in 1951. Bronstein was ahead by a point. Botvinnik had just played 57 Bg5.

What happened next was that Black controversially resigned, after a very long think (showing no regard for the game’s true importance, Andy )

The background was awash with cold war politics. Amidst rumours that he had been coerced into throwing the match, Bronstein later said he was subjected to psychological pressure not to win the match. As if to add to the intrigue, at the adjournment earlier Botvinnik reportedly gave his second the wrong ‘sealed move’ to analyse.

It’s been written about entertainingly in Geoff Chandler’s blog
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The final position by all accounts is lost for black, who is in zugzwang and has to shed a pawn - but the position is still difficult. Excerpt:

“...Kotov wanted to know why Black had not played 57. ... Nc6 58. Bxd5 Nd6 and Bronstein, "the picture of absolute dejection," apparently had not considered it much. "For the first time Konstantinopolsky was looking quite angry with his young protege." Bronstein later credited Smyslov with finding the win: 59. Bf3 (pause for a diagram)

[pos]8/1p6/1pnn2k1/6Bp/P2P3P/2K2B2/8/8 b - - 2 5[/pos]

Now 59 ...Kf5 60. Bc1! so that after 60. ... b5 61. Bxc6 bxc6 White's a-pawn promotes.> -- Soviet Chess 1917-1991 by Andrew Soltis" (quoted here, <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1032203">http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1032203</a><!-- m -->)

The game is covered in the early fities book The Chess Mind in which Gerald Abrahams cites a Russian analysis (which normally meant you wouldn’t argue with it) as a win for white. According to which, from the diagram position Black can also try 59 … b5! after which White needs to be careful, as after the natural plan Bxc6 and a5 B plays Ne4+ and (according to Abrahams) the P ending is drawn! (He does nevertheless argue with the Russian analysis, but only near the end where having got to a won position they later blunder it away). After 59 ...b5 White avoids this pitfall by the (only) move Bf4 first when Nf5 Bxc6 and a5 the a-pawn succeeds with reasonable play.

In the first line I mentioned (from the diagram after 59 ...Kf5 60. Bc1!) after moves other than 59 ... b5 eg Ne4+ there is still play though White is winning.

So the position was definitely not a gimme for white. My take is that Bronstein wasn’t absolutely forced to lose the game, but was just rather relieved to believe that the position was lost, and so resigned too early. By modern standards where a wrong draw offer or a mobile accident might forfeit the game, it seems absurd to have to play world championship chess under such distractions and pressures. It must have been surreal for Bronstein.

[Patrick McGovern]

I have beaten 3 World Championship runners-up : N Short, G Kamsky & D Bronstein

that is a mighty impressive statement

[Alan Borwell]

Well done to all of our players today - 3 wins and a good draw. It will be good to see them on Live Boards - only top 22 open games are being shown live, which is rather disappointing. Philip on Board 7 tomorrow!

[Alan Borwell]

Rest day today. Craig and Philip are on 3/5 with Douglas 2.5/5 and Ian 2/5 against strong opposition.
Tomorrow, Craig should be on live board number 22 and, as holder, he finished creditable 10= in Blitz - playing the winner in top pairing in Round 8 :- <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.chess-results.com/tnr116517.aspx?lan=1&art=1&wi=821">http://www.chess-results.com/tnr116517. ... t=1&wi=821</a><!-- m -->

[Alastair White]

Craig on the live boards again today - playing the kind of game he likes (White in a Maroczy bind). Another win would take him up among the big boys.