Pal Benko: my life, games, and compositions

Copyright © 2003 by Jeremy Silman and Pal Benko All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First Edition 10 9 87 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Benko, Pal, 1928Pal Benko: my life, games, and compositions / by Pal Benko and Jeremy Silman; with an opening survey by John Watson. -- 1st ed. p.cm. Includes indexes 1. Benko, Pal, 19282. Chess players--Hungary--Biography. 2. Chess--Collection of games. I. Silman,Jeremy. II. Watson,John L. III. Title GV1439.B43 2003

794.1'092-dc22 [B]

2003061556

ISBN: 1-890085-08-1

Cover design by Heidi Frieder/Art Head Cover photograph by Demeter Balla

Printed and bound in the United States of America

SHes Press 3 624 Shannon Road Los Angeles, CA 9002 7

To

my wife Gizella and my children Palma and David.

Foreword by Susan Polgar Preface by Jeremy Silman Acknowledgements XV1tt Introduction XIX

X11l xv

PART ONE

MY LIFE AND GAMES

1 IN THE BEGINNING 3 ( 1 ) T Feldman - Benko (Budapest, 1 945) (2) Szigeti - Benko (Budapest, 1 945)

6

9

(3) G Barcza - Benko (Hungarian Championship, 1 946)

13

(4) Benko - Szilagyi (Hungarian Championship, 1 946) 2 AFTER THE WAR 19 (5) Tagmann - Benko (Correspondence, 1 947) (6) Benko - Lounek (Vienna, 1 947)

25

(7) Foltys - Benko (Budapest, 1 948)

28

(8) Polzer - Benko (Bad Gastein, 1 948)

15

20

32

(9) Benko - Fiister (Hungarian Championship, 1 948)

35

( 1 0) Benko - Ragozin (Budapest vs. Moscow Match, Moscow, 1 949) ( 1 1 ) Prins - Benko (Hungary vs. Netherlands Match, 1 949) ( 1 2) Benko - Opocensky (Bucharest, 1 949) (1 3) Benko - Turi (Budapest, 1 949)

39

43

45

3 PROVING MYSELF AT THE MAROCZY MEMORIAL 47 ( 1 4) Benko - Dr. Ogaba (Hungarian Championship, 1 950) 47 (1 5) Benko - I Molnar (Hungarian Championship, 1 950) ( 1 6) Korody - Benko (Budapest, 1 9 5 1 )

51

53

( 1 7) Szabo - Benko (Hungarian Championship, 1 9 5 1 ) ( 1 8) Benko - Petrosian (Budapest, 1 952)

59

( 1 9) Botvinnik - Benko (Budapest, 1 952)

62

(2 0) Benko - Stahlberg (Budapest, 1 952)

64

55

4 FALL FROM GRACE (THE DARK YEARS) 67 (2 1 ) G Barcza - Benko (Hungarian Championship, 1 954) (2 2) Benko - Kluger (Budapest, 1 95 5)

75

(2 3) Portisch - Benko (Hungarian Championship, 1 95 5)

VI I

71 78

37

PAL B E N KO: MY LI FE, GAMES A N D COMPO S ITI O N S

5 ESCAPE TO FREEDOM! 81 (24) Benko - Giustolisi (Dublin, 1 9 5 7) VIII

82

6 THE NEW WORLD 85 (2 5) Benko - Fischer (Portoroz Interzonal, 1 9 5 8)

89

(26) Benko - Averbach (Portoroz Interzonal, 1 95 8)

92

(2 7) R Weinstein - Benko (U.S. Championship, 1 959)

96

(2 8) Benko - F Olafsson (Zagreb Candidates Tournament, 1 959) (2 9) Benko - Smyslov (Zagreb Candidates Tournament, 1 959)

98 100

(3 0) F Olafsson - Benko (Zagreb Candidates Tournament, 1 959) (3 1 ) Benko - Fischer (Buenos Aires, 1 960)

102

106

(32) Benko - Eliskases (Buenos Aires, 1 960)

110

(3 3) Benko - Taimanov (Buenos Aires, 1 960)

113

(34) Uhlmann - Benko (Buenos Aires, 1 960)

115

(3 5) Benko - Reshevsky, 1 st Match game (New York, 1 960)

118

120

(3 6) R Byrne - Benko (U.S. Championship, 1 960) (3 7) Benko - Mednis (U.S. Championship, 1 96 1 )

123

7 THE HUNT FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 125 (3 8) Benko - German (Stockholm Interzonal, 1 962) 128 (39) Benko - Uhlmann (Stockholm Interzonal, 1 962) (40) Benko - Gligoric (Interzonal Playoff, 1 962)

131

135

(41 ) Benko - Fischer (Candidates Tournament Cura�ao, 1 962) (42) Benko - Keres (Candidates Tournament Cura�ao, 1 962)

138 142

(43) Benko - Korchnoi (Candidates Tournament Cura�ao, 1 962) (44) Benko - Tal (Candidates Tournament Cura�ao, 1 962) (45) Filip - Benko (Candidates Tournament Cura�ao, 1 962) (46) Benko - Darga (Varna Olympiad, 1 962)

156

158

(47) Benko - Pachman (Varna Olympiad, 1 962) 8 A PROFESSIONAL AT LAST 163 (48) Benko - Najdorf (Piatigorsky Cup, 1 963) (49) Benko - Panno (Piatigorsky Cup, 1 963) 9 BACK TO HUNGARY 173 (50) Benko - R Byrne (New York, 1 964)

151 '

160 165 168

174

(5 1 ) Benko - Bisguier (New York playoff, 1 st Game, 1 964)

176

(52) Benko - Bisguier (New York playoff, 3 rd Game, 1 964)

179

(5 3 ) Bisguier - Benko (New York playoff, 4th Game, 1 964)

181

(54) Benko - Bisguier (New York playoff, 5th Game, 1 964)

183

(55) Benko - Suttles (Boston, 1 964)

185

(56) Benko - Matanovic (Belgrade, 1 964) (57) Benko - Parma (Belgrade, 1 964)

190

190

145

CO NTE NTS

(58) Benko - Darga (Tel Aviv Olympiad, 1 964)

194

(59) Benko - Tringov (Tel Aviv Olympiad, 1 964)

196

1 0 TRAVEL, TRAVEL, AND MORE TRAVEL 199 (60) Benko - R Byrne (U. S. Open, 1 965) 200 (6 1 ) Lombardy - Benko (Seattle, 1 966)

IX

203

(62) Benko - Bisguier (U.S. Championship, 1 966) (63 ) Benko - Medina (Havana Olympiad, 1 966)

206 209

(64) Bisguier - Benko (Manhattan Club Championship, 1 967) (65) Benko - Bogdanovic (Sarajevo, 1 967)

213

(66) Benko - Diickstein (Sarajevo, 1 967)

216

(67) Mestrovic - Benko (Sarajevo, 1 967)

218

(68) Bisguier - Benko (USA, 1 967)

220

(69) Benko - Kagan (Winnipeg, 1 967)

223

(70) Benko - Larsen (Winnipeg, 1 967)

226

(7 1 ) Benko - Matanovic (Winnipeg, 1 967)

229

1 1 CREATING THE BENKO GAMBIT 233 (72) Vukic - Benko (Sarajevo, 1 967) 234 (7 3 ) Gross - Benko (U.S. Open, 1 968) (74) Benko- Berry (Canada, 1 9 7 1 )

236

238

(75) Portisch - Benko (Palma de Mallorca, 1 97 1 ) (76) Vranesic - Benko (Toronto, 1 97 1 )

242

(77) Aspler - Benko (Vancouver, 1 97 1 )

245

(78) Camara - Benko (Sao Paulo, 1 97 3 )

247

(79) Gligoric - Benko (Lone Pine, 1 975)

249

(80) I Zaitsev - Benko (Szolnok, 1 97 5)

251

(8 1 ) Kovacs - Benko (Debrecen, 1 97 5)

255

(82) Gordon - Benko (National Open, 1 976) 1 2 EUROPE AT MY FEET 261 (8 3) Benko - R Byrne (USA, 1 968) (84) Benko - Formanek (USA, 1 968)

240

258

262 265

(8 5) Benko - Horowitz (U.S. Championship, 1 968)

267

(86) Benko - Reshevsky (U.S. Championship, 1 968) (87) Benko - Ostojic (Wijk aan Zee, 1 969) (88) Benko - Tatai (Malaga, 1 969)

274

277

(89) Burger - Benko (U.S. Championship, 1 969) (90) R Byrne - Benko (USA Championship, 1 969) (9 1 ) Benko - Lengyel (Venice, 1 969) (92) Benko - D Byrne (Vrsac, 1 969)

270

284 285

(93) Benko - Geller (Wijk aan Zee, 1 969)

288

279 281

211

PAL BEN KO: MY LI FE, GAM ES A N D C O M POSITI O N S

x

(94) Benko - Sigurjonsson (Caracas, 1 970)

291

(95) Benko - Donner (Wijk aan Zee, 1 970)

294

(96) Benko - Platonov (Wijk aan Zee, 1 970) (97) Durao - Benko (Malaga, 1 970)

296

300

(9S) Benko - Popov (Reggio Emilia, 1 970)

303

(99) Benko - Czerniak (Reggio Emilia, 1 970) ( 1 00) Bukal- Benko (Sarajevo, 1 970)

303

305

( 1 0 1 ) Benko - Jansa (Siegen Olympiad, 1 970) ( 1 02) Benko - Kavalek (U.S. Open, 1 970)

307

309

( 1 03) Benko - Csom (Palma de Mallorca, 1 97 1)

312

( 1 04) Benko - Barczay (Vrnjacka Banja, 1 97 1)

315

( 1 05) Benko - Dominguez (Las Palmas, 1 972)

318

( 1 06) Benko - Menvielle (Las Palmas, 1 972) ( 1 07) Benko - Pomar (Las Palmas, 1 972)

318

321

( l OS) Benko - Planinc (Novi Sad, 1 972)

323

( 1 09) Benko - Emma (Skopje Olympiad, 1 972)

325

( 1 1 0) Benko - Malich (Skopje Olympiad, 1 972)

329

( 1 1 1 ) Benko - Bellon (Malaga , 1 97 3 )

331

( 1 1 2) Benko - Pomar (Orense, 1 97 3 )

335

( 1 1 3) Martz - Benko (Torremolinos, 1 97 3 )

337

( 1 1 4) Benko - Browne (U.S. Championship, 1 97 3 ) ( 1 1 5) Kane - Benko (U.S. Championship, 1 97 3 ) ( 1 1 6) Martz - Benko (U. S. Championship, 1 97 3 ) ( 1 1 7) Benko - Janosevic (Vrnjacka Banja, 1 97 3 ) ( 1 1 S) Basman - Benko (Hastings, 1 97 3 ) ( 1 1 9) Benko - Pytel (Hastings, 1 97 3 )

343 344 348

352

354 356

1 3 RETIREMENT 361 ( 1 2 0) Benko - Commons (U.S. Championship, 1 974) ( 1 2 1 ) Benko - Evans (U.S. Championship, 1 974) ( 1 22) Benko - Gilden (U.S. Championship, 1 974) ( 1 2 3) Benko - Cosulich (Venice, 1 974)

371

( 1 24) Benko - Kushnir (Lone Pine, 1 975) ( 1 2 5) Benko - Pinter (Szolnok, 1 97 5)

373

376

( 1 2 6) Benko - Kopec (World Open, 1 975) ( 1 2 7) Benko - Krnic (Sombor, 1 976)

378

381

( 1 2 S) Benko - Brasket (Lone Pine, 1 977)

383

( 1 2 9) Benko - Chavez (Sao Paulo, 1 977)

387

( 1 3 0) Benko - Peters (Lone Pine, 1 975) ( 1 3 1 ) Benko - Seirawan (Lone Pine, 1 975)

390 391

362

366 368

CO NTE NTS

394

( 1 3 2) Fedorowicz - Benko (Lone Pine, 1 979) (1 3 3) Zaltsman - Benko (USA, 1 983)

396

( 1 3 4) Benko - Trosclair (New York, 1 984)

399

( 1 3 5) Benko - Harrison (Australian Open, 1 985) ( 1 3 6) Benko - Griinfeld (New York, 1 986)

XI

401

404

( 1 3 7) Benko - Garcia (New York Open, 1 988) ( 1 3 8) Benko - F Roeder (Augsburg, 1 99 1 )

406

408

PART TWO

INTERVIEWS by Jeremy Silman

Interview with National Master RONALD GROSS Interview with Grandmaster LARRY EVANS Interview with Grandmaster PAL BENKO

413

421 425

PART THREE

PAL BENKO'S CREATIVITY, AN OPENING SURVEY by John Watson

INTRODUCTION 435 BENKO AS WHITE 439 The English Opening 439 Flank Openings with the b-pawn: l .b3 and 1 .b4 Benko System: l .g3

464

King's Indian Attack King Pawn: l .e4

463

465

468

d-pawn Openings

484

BENKO AS BLACK 497 The English Opening 498 Flank Openings

503

l .e4 Openings

506

l .d4 Openings

533

PART FOUR

CHESS PROBLEMS AND COMPOSITIONS

INTRODUCTION 567 TWO MOVE MATES 569 THREE- (AND MORE) MOVE MATES LETTER PROBLEMS 593 ENDGAMES 607 HELPMATES 639 PUZZLES 653

581

A Selection of Pal Benko's Significant Tournaments and Matches Index of Names 661 Index of Openings 668

659

Standing: Klara Po lgar, Pal Benko, S u san Polgar, L. H azai , M. Movay. Sitti ng: M. Mari n ,Ju dith Polgar, Sofie Po lgar.

�

drnast" Pol Benko i, a living legend. AlwaY' a man that did thinl!' his own way, Benko learned chess from his father at the very late age of ten but didn't take part in his first real tournament until the age of sixteen. Starting seri­ ous play at such an advanced age is unheard of among chess professionals today, yet he remarkably won the Hungarian National Championship a few short years later at twenty. It's clear that he possessed an enormous natural talent. Unfortunately, his progress came to a sudden stop when he was interned in a hard-labor camp for trying to escape to the West-his political views did not match the views of the Communist regime. Mter many hardships, at the age of twenty-nine, Pal did indeed seek, and get, political asylum in the United States. Benko feels that he missed out on his best chess years during his struggle for freedom, yet this didn't prevent him from making his presence felt once he settled in his new country: He was a candidate for the World Championship in 1 959 and 1 962 , he won the U.S. Open an unparalleled eight times, he had an out­ standing record as a player and as a Team Captain in several Chess Olympiads, he was a world-class chess composer, a world-class chess theoretician, one of the world's great endgame authorities, and an award-winning chess author. These tremendous accomplishments got him a trip to the Chess Hall of Fame-he was inducted in 1 993 . All these things are very impressive, yet one of his biggest gifts to the United States is somewhat forgotten today. In 1 970, Pal Benko gave up his earned spot in the World Championship Interzonal tournament to Bobby Fischer so that Bobby could compete for the title. This led to one of the most dramatic events in sports history when Fischer defeated Spassky in 1 972 and became Chess Cham­ pion of the World. This would not have happened without Benko's sacrifice, and his unselfish act clearly demonstrates his character and personality. I myself had the good fortune to meet Grandmaster Pal Benko more than twenty years ago. One of my first memories of him was at the Hungarian XI I I

PAL B E N KO: MY LI FE, GAM ES AN D COMPO SITI O N S

XIV

National Team Championship when he represented one of our rival teams. I vividly recall that, after his game was finished, he demonstrated his latest com­ position to the players and spectators. A big crowd was surrounding his table, yet no one was able to find the solution. This was the highlight of the day dur­ ing that match. Grandmaster Benko was one of the very few people who were willing to help my sisters and I for no charge whatsoever. At that time he lived half the year in the United States and half in Hungary, yet whenever he came to Budapest he would visit our family. Pal played countless blitz games with the three of us and, even though he was well beyond his prime, he was still a fierce, energetic com­ petitor at this quick form of chess. Benko always motivated us with his enthusiasm and love for the game. He often shared his incredible chess compositions-most were in their final ver­ sions, but some were still in various stages of development and we would fine­ tune them together. I remember how much pleasure he got from showing these amazing creations to other top-level players, and this pleasure turned to pure joy whenever they couldn't find the answers. Possessing a wonderful sense of humor, Pal loved to tell us jokes. We also enjoyed listening to his accounts of other world-class players-he knows them all. One of his most fascinating subjects was his close friend Bobby Fischer, and we would never tire of hearing about their adventures together. In 1 994, Benko was chosen as Captain of the Silver Medal Hungarian Woman's Olympiad team that consisted of two of the three Polgars (Sophia and me). He was again the Captain of the 1 996 Hungarian Women's Olympiad Team with Sophia. Aside from chess, Benko also has a deep love of mathematics. Both of his chil­ dren and his wife play chess and all three of them are professors in mathematics. One of his quirkier hobbies is arm wrestling. Pal, now over seventy, loves to challenge athletic young men to arm wrestling duels, beating them consistently. I suppose this, plus his jet-black hair and playful disposition, allows him to dem­ onstrate his enormous vitality and eternal youthfulness. Seen by his fans as being a skilled teacher, player, writer, composer, and endgame specialist, Pal Benko the person is, more than anything else, a wonderful human being and a real gentleman. Always a big supporter of the Polgar sisters, Benko has helped us in many ways throughout the years. I am deeply indebted to this great man for the many kindnesses he has shown to my family. This book about Grandmaster Benko's life, games and compositions is long overdue. International Master Jeremy Silman is a famed chess author and player himself. When Pal Benko and Jeremy Silman collaborate together, chess players around the world can only benefit a great deal. This makes this book a must­ have in any chess player's library. Susan Polgar, World Champion and Olympic Champion New York, 2 003

�

ung player, I came to know Pal Benkn though the pages of Chess Life magazine. His games, his dealings with Fischer, his compositions, and the attachment of his name to so many openings (the Benko Gambit in particu­ lar) combined to make the Hungarian-American grandmaster a legendary figure in my mind. In the early '70s, the legend became flesh and blood when I finally saw him in a tournament in New York. My first "Benko moment" occurred when I was sitting next to one of his games. I watched his much weaker opponent lovingly pull out a new, very expensive chess set he had just received as a gift. I watched their game progress, and I watched Benko "succeed" in getting into his usual horrific time pressure. Captivated, I more or less forgot about my own game as the grandmaster's frantic bid to make the necessary number of moves led to an­ other Benko "custom": he hung a Rook. The opponent, of course, couldn't be­ lieve his good fortune, but it was all too much for Benko, who went berserk, picked up the whole set and board, and flung everything across the room! A bit ironic: the set's first foray into over-the-board play led to a huge scalp and, si­ multaneously, its complete annihilation. "The guy's crazy!" I thought, as I fi­ nally turned back to my own position. Two decades later I arrived in Bratislava, Slovakia as acting head of the u.S. delegation for the World Youth Championships. The other American coach was none other than Pal Benko, and I was thrilled to get the chance to work with him and, hopefully, see the man behind the chess playing exterior. I've retained many memories of this junior tournament: horrifying chess parents (the bane of all junior events!), the crooked organizers who embezzled as much money as they could from the contestants, the mini-dramas that many of our players went though, and the list goes on and on. Foremost in my mind, though, was Benko's professionalism throughout the event (The more insane things became, the calmer he seemed to be!), and his "amused confusion" at not having his hotel paid in xv

PA L B E N KO: MY LI FE, GAMES AN D COMPO S I TI O N S

XVI

advance. For reasons that were never made clear, the United States Chess Fed­ eration had forgotten to arrange lodgings for Pal, seemed unable or unwilling to wire us the necessary funds and, despite many frenzied calls for help, ultimately left us to fend for ourselves. After haggling with the hotel management, they agreed to let Benko's non­ payment slide for the length of the tournament, but I eventually realized that a serious problem was developing (Having just escaped Communist rule, our Slo­ vak hotel wasn't willing to accept our credit cards, and we didn't have enough cash to cover the bill.). Finally, with just one day left and payment past due, I was forced to enact a scene right out of an old spy movie: Four in the morning, a cab pulls up to the curb and patiently waits two blocks from the hotel. I quietly lead a lone figure through the hotel's halls and out the back door. Having suc­ cessfully made our exit, I drag the horrified grandmaster to the waiting cab, which streaks him away to the Vienna airport and a successful escape. When the orga­ nizers eventually realized that something was amiss, I just played dumb and shrugged my shoulders. Such intrigue wasn't part of the job description, but a coach has to be ready for any eventuality! Leaping forward several years, I again had the opportunity to work with Benko: first in the charming Hungarian city of Szeged, and then at Palma de Menorca (an island off the coast of Spain). It was during our stay at Palma that Pal and I were finally able to spend some private time together. After many conversations, a twenty game blitz match (I still remember his post-match comment: "Jeremy, you are the most boring player I have ever encountered ! "), watching him break­ dance to Madonna tunes (remarkable for a man approaching seventy!), marvel­ ing as he crushed Tal Shaked (a strong young man who was a fraction of his age) at arm wrestling, and being unable to solve any of the dozens of chess problems he placed in front of me, I was able to come face to face with the "real" Benko ­ his enormous love of chess, his humor, his creativity, and his Old World charm. Having drawn heavy fire for my book review comments concerning chess biographies-what is supposed to be a book about a player's life and games in­ stead is nothing more than a chronology of one tournament after another, with­ out any real "life" or personality being visible-I realized that Benko offered me the perfect opportunity to demonstrate my own vision of how such a book should be presented. Here was a man that I liked and admired, who was a part of chess history, who played many beautiful games, and who lived a colorful life that transcended mere chess concerns -life-and-death struggles, sexuality, fi­ nancial stability, etc. From the book's "birth" in Palma de Menorca (where we first discussed the idea), to my visiting Benko in Budapest to interview him and begin the actual book-writing process, I couldn't have imagined how difficult such a project would turn out to be! In fact, it took an astounding five years to go from contract sign­ ing to publication! In the end, I learned an important lesson-I'll never criticize another writer for taking the easy road when putting together a life and games collection !

PREFAC E BY JE REMY S I LMAN

Hard work aside, though, I must admit that I'm very happy with the final result: a personal look at one man's struggle from humble (and often tenuous!) beginnings to the status of chess icon; a study of his life's work, ideas, compositions, and games. The oft-repeated question: "Is chess an art, a science, or a sport? " is easily answered when asked of Benko. Pal Benko is an artist, and I consider it an honor to have helped make his achievements something that can be shared, understood, and enjoyed by chess players of every strength and age. Jeremy Silman, International Master Los Angeles, 2 003

XVII

Q

thanks '0 in,em,tional M",e, John W",on fm hi,; ti,e[ess effort,; and assistance; to Grandmaster Larry Evans and Ronald Gross for sharing a piece of themselves in the interviews; to Harold van der Heijden for his input on the compositions; to Dr. Anthony Saidy for giving us access to his huge chess lib ray; and to Grandmaster Susan Polgar for her kindness in supplying this book with a foreword. We would like to thank those individuals who supplied us with photographs: Ronald Gross; Hannon Russell (of www. ChessCafe.com); International Master John Donaldson; and Jami L. Anson of the USCF who kindly allowed us free ac­ cess to their photo database. Special thanks to Dr. Richard Cantwell, who gave us the magnificent series of photographs he shot in Curac;ao, 1 962 . The hospital pho­ tos of Tal (who was forced to leave the tournament due to illness) and Fischer are particularly striking.

XVI I I

~

was mated with very specific goals in mind. Most importandy, I wanted the prose concerning Benko's life to be chronologically merged with the games of the same period. In this way the reader can see the progression of Benko's style, and also ascertain whether the ups and downs of life away from the chessboard (I insisted that quite a bit of his "non-chess" adventures be pre­ sented!) affected his tournament performances. A large number of his games ( 1 3 8 !), all deeply analyzed, have been given. Pal, who is fond of every one of them, understood that I might cut some. How­ ever, after a lot of soul-searching, I finally decided that I couldn't deprive Pal or the reader of the delights they offer. One of the more idyllic times in Pal's life was his stay in Los Angeles with Larry Evans and Ron Gross. I conducted interviews with both these gentlemen so that the reader could enjoy deeper insights into this period of time-person­ ally, I found the behind-the-scenes interactions of Benko, Larsen, Evans, and Gross to be extremely interesting. Ronald Gross in particular has the gift of gab, and his stories about Evans, Larsen, and Reshevsky are sure to grab your attention. "While mulling over this project, I made a thorough study of Benko's games and discovered that Pal (though he insisted it wasn't the case) was always at the forefront of opening theory. Rather shocked by this revelation, I approached International Master John Watson (one of the world's finest chess writers) and asked him to look into this matter. He kindly agreed, and then went beyond anything I imagined by writing a very detailed opening survey that proves, be­ yond a shadow of a doubt, that Benko was indeed a theoretical dynamo ! The material in Watson's section will prove useful to people who employ the same openings that Benko did, and for those who simply want a feel for the kind of preparation that was necessary in topflight grandmaster chess at that time. The final part of this book presents 3 00 of Benko's compositions. Simple "play and mate" situations, magnificent endgames, puzzles, helpmates, letter problems, XIX

PAL B E N KO : MY L I F E. GAMES AN D COMPOSITI O N S

XX

twins, Christmas tree motifs, duplexes, sets - suffice it to say that I had never heard of many of these terms! Nevertheless, I discovered firsthand that a player could immerse himself in these 3 00 artistic creations for months and months! The list of games is included in the table of contents at the beginning of the book, while an index of names and an index of openings is given at the book's end. I decided to create a partial record of Pal's tournament results: Benko's par­ ticipation in endless U.S. Swiss System events made a complete record too com­ plex and, in my estimation, too meaningless to warrant inclusion. Though many books have specific photo sections, I felt that strategically pre­ senting pictures all through the book would create a more organic and energetic effect. Occasionally the placement of a particular photo won't be chronologi­ cally correct, and a number of interesting pictures (the negatives having long been lost) were taken from old magazines and thus were not as clear as I would have liked. But, if a player's image turns a mere name into a human being, then I offer no apologies. This project took over five years to complete. I designed it to be unlike any other chess biography- to be fun, instructive, insightful, and at times offering genuine surprises. If you, the reader, finds that it brought the game/sport/art of chess and the grandmasters that play it to life, then I'll consider those five years to be time well spent.

here does the creative urge come from? Why are some people happy to work in a factory, in the military, or in a thousand different labor-intensive ca­ reers, while others need music, art, literature, and yes -even chess -to make sense out of life? In my case the creative gene was unquestionably passed down by my father who, though an engineer by profession, desperately wanted to succeed as an artist. Pursuing this dream, he had my family move all over Europe. This explains why I was born in Amiens, France in 1 928, but grew up in Hungary when my mother made it clear that she was far from happy to be living out of a suitcase. Even after we settled down in my parent's native Hungary, my father's wanderlust couldn't be contained. He continued to travel by himself, had many adventures, and was even arrested in Germany (trying to cross over the French border without proper papers!) at one point. Yes, I turned out to be very much like my father! Unlike many players who were prodigies, I didn't learn to play chess until I was ten. Even then I wasn't consumed by the game, considering it nothing more than a hobby. Nevertheless, I played in the park from time to time and picked up a few ideas in this way. Overall, I had a great childhood. I was athletic, inquisitive, and even took a job as a messenger when I was twelve. Everything was fine before 1 940, but then my whole world turned to hell. The war hit Hungary hard. Food shortages left everyone starving, and ration cards became a necessity. I still remember the bread lines: thousands of people would begin lining up at midnight (families usually did this "tag team" style, having a family member take over so the original line­ man could rest) for a loaf of bread that was only passed out at 7 A.M! The lack of food wasn't the only problem. There was no coal to heat the schools, so everyone stayed home throughout the colder times of year. A citywide infes­ tation of lice also made things unpleasant, since in those days we didn't have 3

PAL B E N KO: MY LIFE, GAMES AN D COMPO SITI O N S

4

anti-louse medications (very, very hot saunas and washing one's clothes in scald­ ing water was the only way to eradicate the little monsters). Then, as if famine and parasites and freezing to death were not enough, the Americans started to bomb Budapest relentlessly. Even though fire rained down from the sky and misery was a normal state of mind, I was still able to play a bit of chess: A school tournament was thrown together, various games in the park were contested, and I avidly studied a book of Capablanca's 3 5 0 best games (this was my first chess book and the Cuban quickly became my chess hero). In 1 943 , a strong club tournament was held, This event showed me that I was already very strong, and I was leading by quite a bit when the tournament was cancelled due to most of the players being drafted! The Germans invaded Hungary in March of 1 944 and, as might be ex­ pected, the war effort became even more frenetic. Thus, it wasn't too surpris­ ing that, when I turned sixteen, I was also drafted and assigned to a regiment. I never fought, but I did have to dig endless ditches and put up with even more hardships. After about four months of this, my regiment started head­ ing for Austria. Finally I decided that enough was enough and I escaped, hid­ ing in the homes of peasants as I tried to make my way back to Budapest and my family. This was pretty terrifying since I would have been executed if I'd been caught! After three days on the run, the Russian army appeared and policemen were everywhere. Suddenly I was hiding from the Hungarian army (who would shoot me on sight), the police (who would turn me over to the Hungarian army), and the Russian army (who were fond of shipping wayward males back to Russia as slave labor). As it turned out, the Russians did, indeed, catch me. They immedi­ ately turned me into a laborer, making me work all day on a bridge. They said I could go home afterwards, though I knew they were lying. Fortunately, a bomb scare forced them to turn all the lights off and, in the evening, I escaped again in the pitch darkness. When I returned to Budapest in early 1 945, I found that the Russians had arrived two months before. At first the Hungarian people didn't think much of it; in fact, we were happy. The Germans, whom most Hungarians hated throughout the war, were gone, and we really thought things were about to improve. The papers said some horrible things about the Russians, but most Hungarian civilians didn't believe it, thinking it was nothing but propaganda. In fact, why would we allow ourselves to believe more negative news? We wanted to embrace a better future, and this need for a happier life temporarily put blinders on our eyes. After a short time, though, we quickly saw that things were worse than the papers had said! So, before we knew it, all the people were hiding from the new threat: the Russians! This was an incredibly trying and painful time. Once I made my way back to our apartment (which was bombed out and open to the elements) in Budapest, I found that my father and brother had been shipped to Russia as slave labor. This

I N T H E BEG I N N I N G

was actually ironic, since my father had been arrested by the Hungarian govern­ ment at the end of 1 943 for refusing to join the army. When the Nazis took over Hungary, they released him, thinking (erroneously) that he was against the former government and was thus pro-Nazi. The Germans didn't realize that he belonged to the leftist party and helped Jews by giving them work permits in a small machine parts factory he owned. When the Russians (our "saviors") arrived, they quickly took over the factory, tossed my father and brother on a train, and a major part of my family simply vanished. When the war ended, the situation became even worse than before. After Ger­ many invaded Hungary we weren't shocked to see the SS, in competition with the Hungarian political police, race to confiscate anything of value (art in par­ ticular) from Jewish families. However, we didn't expect the Red Army to con­ tinue the looting! In fact, chaos ruled the day: women everywhere were being raped (Men made sure their wives and daughters stayed indoors!), and if a Rus­ sian soldier asked for your coat or shoes, you wouldn't hesitate to give it to him since the alternative was a horrible beating or even death! Once again I found myself in hiding, this time because my mother feared that I'd be taken away to Russia if! set foot outside. Naturally, life was much safer if you joined the Com­ munist Party, as Szabo did. But I had principles, and just didn't believe in their rhetoric. Besides, how could I even entertain joining a group that had enslaved my father and brother? So far, my sixteenth birthday had brought an almost surreal amount of horror with it. Fortunately, I was allowed a break from the hellish events that plagued me: I got a temporary job in construction and, with things apparently calming down, I accepted an invitation to my first real chess tournament (see games 1 and 2). It was an eighteen-player event that featured ten masters, seven candi­ dates, and me. Clearly, I was expected to come in last (All the more so since, going into this event, I had never played a tournament game against a master!), but I surprised everyone by winning first prize, and because of this I was awarded the master title. I still have the diploma on my wall today. Sadly, I still had to live through one last, crushing shock before turning seven­ teen: my mother, at the age of forty-one, died. The lack of shelter, the cold win­ ter, the scarcity of food, and the loss of her husband and oldest son (my brother is one and a half years my senior) proved too much for her. How can I describe my state of mind at that time? Depression is far too mild a word, while an emotion like anger demanded a lot more energy than I pos­ sessed. The only term that paints the proper picture is devastation-pure, overwhelming, devastation. Still a child, I wanted to crawl under a rock and give up- somehow make it all go away. "Resignation" wasn't possible, though; my little sister depended on me and I wasn't going to let her down by accept­ ing failure. Realizing that the situation in Budapest didn't offer me any oppor­ tunities to improve our lot, I left my sister in the safe hands of a relative, packed up a few possessions, and made my way to the lovely little Hungarian town of Szeged.

5

PA L B E N KO : MY L I F E , GA M ES A N D C O M POSITI O N S

6

When I arrived in Szeged, I was starving and penniless. However, a small Mas­ ters' tournament led to the acquisition of some desperately needed food (I won flour and bacon!). My result impressed the chess aficionados there, and I was invited to teach them and was given a place on the local chess team. In turn, this new, relatively safe environment allowed me to finish secondary school. (I) T Feldman - Benko (Budapest, 1 945) I .c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3 . e4 d5 ! 4.cxd5

Nowadays this is known to be inaccurate. The main line now revolves around the immediate 4.e 5 , when 4 . . . d4 ( . . . Ne4 is no longer correct) 5 .exf6 dxc3 6.bxc3 Qf6 7.d4 e5 leads to reasonable play for Black. 4 . . . exd5 5.e5 Ne4!

Initiating a strong pawn sacrifice that was first played in this game. 6.Nxe4

White couldn't resist! Eventually theory recognized that accepting the pawn was too risky, and the calmer 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Bb5 Bd7 8.0-0 became the indicated course. Even here, though, Black gets equal chances by 8 . . . a6 9.Be2 Be6 1 0.d4 Be7. 6 . . . dxe4 7.Qa4+ Nc6 8.Qxe4 Qd4!

Information traveled slowly in the '40s, so I can't be sure if Unzicker was aware of my game with Feldman four years later. Though my 8 . . . Qd4! has withstood the test of time and is considered to be Black's strongest move, Unzicker (as Black against Kuppe, Oldenburg 1 949) preferred 8 ... Be6, and achieved a crushing position after 9.Bb5 Bd5 1 0 .Qg4 a6 I l .Bxc6+ Bxc6 1 2 .Ne2 Qd5 1 3 .d4 Bb4+ 1 4.Bd2 Bxd2 + 1 5 .Kxd2 Qb5 . 9.Qxd4

In Hubner-Christiansen, Munich 1 99 1 White tried 9.Bd3 , but got noth­ ing after 9 . . . Qxe4+ 1 O.Bxe4 Nxe5 1 1 .Nf3 Nxf3 + 1 2 .Bxf3 Bc5 . 9 . . . Nxd4 1 0.Bd3 Be6 I 1 .Be4

An important alternative is I l .Ne2 0-0-0 1 2 .Nf4 Bd7 (actually, I don't see anything wrong with 12 ... g5 1 3 .Nxe6 fxe6 1 4.0-0 Nf3 + 1 5 .gxf3 Rxd3, when Black had a fantastic position in Tartakower-Horne, Hastings 1 9 5 3 , though he later found a way to lose) 1 3 .0-0, when 1 3" . g5 1 4.Nh5 Be6 is recom­ mended by theory as being okay for Black, but 1 3" . Re8 1 4.b3 Nc6 1 5 .e6 fxe6 1 6.Bb2 , Varga-Lukacs, Budapest 1 992 also seems fine if Black now continues with 1 6 . . . e5. 1 1 . . . 0-0-0 1 2 .f4

Also comfortable for Black is 1 2 .Ne2 Bc5 . 1 2 . . . Bd5 1 3 .Bxd5 Rxd5

I N TH E B EG I N N I N G

7

White i s a pawn up (if you can really consider that pathetic creature o n d2 a pawn), but Black's lead in development, active pieces, and pressure down the d-file combine to give him all the chances. 14.Kd l gS ! ?

Balogh recommended 1 4 . . . BcS in his notes to this game. This i s certainly a good, sane, move, but I was young and impetuous and felt that opening up lines with 14 . . . gS ! ? simply had to be worthwhile. l S .fxgS

Balogh pointed out that I S .d3 is met by I S . . . Nc6 ! , when Black has the superior game. l S . . . Bb4! 1 6.Nh3

This might not be White's best defense, but other moves would have also left me with a threatening initiative: 1 6.Nfl (simply bad is 1 6.a3 Bxd2 1 7 .Bxd2 Nb3 , while 1 6.b3 ! ? Rhd8 1 7 .h4 RxeS 1 8.Nfl RedS 1 9.Rh2 Bd6 20.Rh3 Bf4 2 1 .Nxd4 Rxd4 22.Kc2 Bxd2 also promises Black all the chances) 1 6 . . .Nxf3 1 7 .gxf3 Bxd2 1 8 .Kc2 Bxc 1 1 9.Raxc 1 RxeS , with an obvious advantage. 1 6 ... Rhd8?

An inaccurate move that gives White more options than he deserved. Cor­ rect was 1 6 ... RxeS ! 1 7 .Rfl Rd8 ! (Also possible is 1 7 . . . Rhe8 1 8 .b3 , when Black has several promising ways to play the position. For example, 1 8 ... R8e7 [Or 1 8 . . . BaS ! ? , stopping White's idea of a3 and b2 -b4. Then 1 9.Rb l is strongly met by 19 ... cS 20.Bb2 Re2 2 1 .Bc3 Bxc3 2 2 .dxc3 NbS 2 3 .Rc 1 Rxa2 ] 1 9.a3 [19.Bb2 Re2 ] 1 9 ... Bd6! 2 0.Bb2 RdS 2 1 .Bxd4 Rxd4 2 2 .g3 RdS , with excellent play.) 1 8 .Rxf7 (bad is 1 8 .d3 Rde8 1 9.Bxd2 Bxd2 2 0.Kxd2 Re2 + 2 1 .Kc3 cS, but 1 8.Rf4 also leads to a Black advantage: 1 8 ... cS 1 9.Rxf7 Rde8 2 0.Rfl Re2 2 1 .Nf4 Rf8 22 .a3 BaS 2 3 .g3 Rxh2 24.b4 Bd8 2 S .bxcS BxgS 2 6.Rb l hS 2 7 .Re l Bxf4 2 8 .gxf4 Rxf4) 1 8 ... Rde8 1 9.Rfl Re2 2 0.Nf4 Rf8, and White is gagged, bound, and suffering. 1 7.Nf4

PAL B E N KO : MY L I F E , GAMES AN D COMPO SITI O N S

8

Worse is 1 7 .Rfl RxeS 1 8.Rxf7 Rde8 1 9.Rfl Re2 2 0.Nf4 Rf8 2 1 .h4 Rxg2 , a position we've already seen in the note to Black's 1 6th move. On 1 7 .Re 1 , Black continues to call the shots after 1 7 . . . Nc6. One sample of the kind of play that could occur is: 1 8.Re2 RxeS 1 9.RxeS NxeS 20.Nf4 Rd4 2 1 .Ne2 Rg4 2 2 .g3 Nfl 2 3 .h4 Bd6 24.a4 Nd4 (since White is helpless, Black might also consider 24 . . . aS ! ?) 2 S .Nxd4 Rxd4, and White's kingside pawns will fall like ripe fruit. 1 7 . . . RxeS 1 8.h4?

Missing the only chance for survival: 1 8.Nd3 ! RbS 1 9.Nxb4 (The tempt­ ing 1 9.a4 Rb6 2 0.aS RbS 2 1 .Nxb4 Rxb4 is worse since the weakness of the b3-square will come back to haunt White after 2 2 .Ra3 [More accurate is 2 2 . Rfl , but Black would still be happy after 2 2 . . . RdS 2 3 . Rxf7 RxgS 24.g3 Nb3 .] 22 . . . RdS 2 3 .h4 Nb3 24.Rfl RcS 2 S .Rxb3 Rb3 26.Rxf7 Rb4! 2 7 .d3 Rxh4.) 1 9 . . . Rxb4 2 0.Rfl RbS 2 1 .Rxf7 (on 2 1 .d 3 , Black must avoid 2 1 . ..Ne6? 2 2 .Rxf7 NxgS 2 3 .Rg7, and instead play the calm 2 1 . . .Rd7 when 2 2 .Rf6 Ne6 2 3 .Rh6 Rxd3 + 24.Ke2 RddS ! gives Black all the chances) 2 1 . . . RxgS 2 2 . g 3 (Better than 2 2 . Rf2 Re S 2 3 . b 3 Rde8 2 4 . Rfl Re2 2 S .Bb2 Nc6, when 26.Rf8 is met by 26 ... Re l + 2 7.Kc2 Nb4+ 2 8.Kc3 Nxa2 +.) 2 2 ... RhS 2 3 .Rf2 (and not 2 3 .h4 RfS !), and now 23 ... ReS leads to the kind of position Black wants to avoid after 24.d3 Nc6 2 S .Bd2 Rxd3 2 6.Kc2 Rfl 2 7 .Rafl . Instead, 2 3 ... Nc6 Ieads to more lively play where Black has plenty of compensation for the sacrificed pawn : 2 4 . a4 N eS 2 S . Re2 N d 3 2 6.Ra3 RfS 2 7 .Kc2 Nb4+ 2 8 .Kb l Rfl 29.Rc3 Rd4 3 0.b3 Kd7. 1 8 . . .NfS !

White's game now collapses like a house of cards. 1 9.Kc2

Black's pieces would exert tremendous pressure on the enemy position after 1 9.d3 Ng3 20.Rgl Rd4 2 1 .a3 Bd6. 1 9 . . . RcS + 20.Kd l ?

White had to try 2 0.Kb3 Bxd2 2 1 .Bxd2 Rxd2 , though Black's superiority is obvious.

I N TH E B E G I N N I N G

2 0 . . . Rxc l + ! 2 1 .Kxc l Bxd2 + 22 .Kc2 Bxf4 2 3 .g4

Other moves also lose: 2 3 .Rae l Rd2 + 24.Kb3 Nd4+ 2 5 .Kc3 Ne2 + 2 6.Kb3 Be5 2 7 . Rhfl Rxb2 + 2 8 .Ka3 b5, and it's all over. 2 3 . . . Ne3 + 24.Kc3

After 24.Kb l Rd2 , Black would maintain a material plus and a strong at­ tack. 24 . . . Be5+ 2 5 .Kb3 Rd3 + 26.Ka4

White gets mated after 2 6.Kb4 Bd6+ 2 7 .Ka4 Nc4 2 8.Kb5 Nxb2 2 9.Rac l a6 3 0.Ka5 Ra3 mate. 2 6 . . . Bxb2

Even stronger was 2 6 . . . Nc4 ! , but the text move is more than adequate. 2 7.Rab l Nc4 2 8.Kb4 Rd4 29.Rxb2

This and 2 9.Kb3 (which loses to 2 9 . . . Nd2 + 3 0.Kxb2 Rb4+ 3 1 .Kc2 Nxb l 3 2 .Rxb l Rxb l B.Kxb l Kd7) are the only ways to defend against the mate. 29 . . .Nxb2 + 3 0.Kc3 Rd l 3 1 .Rxd l Nxd l + 3 2 .Kd4

The rest is clear and easy. 32 . . . Nfl 3 3 .Ke5 Nxg4+ 34.Kf5 Kd7

Simplest. 3 5 .Kxg4 Ke6 3 6.Kh5 Kf5 3 7.Kh6 Kg4 3 8 .h5 c5 3 9.Kxh7 Kxh5, 0- 1 .

Dr. Balogh concluded: "Played in the style of a grandmaster. Even Flohr could not have performed more simply or smoothly. " Maroczy originally awarded this game the first brilliancy prize, but the jury overturned his decision and gave it the second prize after Hajtun-Feldman. Maroczy's judgment was as follows: "An excellent game. White seemed to be supe­ rior, but his collapse was interesting and surprising. It is a game of theo­ retical value; Black's attack is too strong." (2) Szigeti - Benko (Budapest, 1 945) l .d4 d5 2 .c4 e6 3 .Nc3 c 6 4.NB Nf6 5 .Bg5 dxc4

Those that wish to avoid the chaos that ensues after 5 . . . dxc4 often choose 5 . . . h6, when 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 Nd7 (known as the Moscow Variation) has proven to be extremely resilient. Of course, attacking maniacs aren't tak­ ing this lying down, and now the so-called "Anti-Moscow" with 6.Bh4!? has become topical. 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5

This is the Botvinnik Variation, which became well known when he used it to beat Denker at the Soviet Union vs. U.S.A. radio match in 1 945 . That match was carried out in September, while my game with Szigeti was played

9

� BENKO, PAL (HUN) (USA)

GM

? the� � U� E

Pal Benko fifty years ago earned the Hungarian

chess master title. During that time he won Hungarian Championship, e ight times the

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Open Championship. He became twice Worldl·.:::i, I a te. S'IX t'Ima s h a was O lymplC-;' C and'd . Champlon

f!!!!. �

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B(nk6 Pil 1akknagym('slt'r team member and s even times team captain.� .. d . _ · "U .prsI8.199S d tC . He achieved the international grand master htle

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(1958) and beside that he attained the problem

composing international master title

(1995).

Benko - Fischer (1962. Curacao) World Champion Candidates Tournament 1 g3Nf6 2 Bg2 g6 3e4 d6 4 d4 Bg7 5Ne2 ()"O 6()"0 e5 7 Nbc3c6 8 a4 Nbd7 9 a5 exd4 10 N.d4 Nc5 11 h3Re8 12 ReI N fd7 13 Be3 Oc7 14f4RbII

IS Qd2 b5 16 axbll axb6 1 7 b4 Ne6 18 b5Nxd4 19 B.d4 Bxd4· 20 Oxd4 c5 21 Qd2 Bb7 22 Radl Re6 2385 B.g2 24 Kxg2 01>7+ 25Kf2 Rd8 26exd6Nf6 27 Rxe6fxe6 28 0e3 Kn

29 Qf3 QbII 30 Ne4 N.e4+ 31Oxe4Rd7 32Qc6Qd8 33 KI3 Kg7 34 g4 e5 35fxe5 Rn. 36 Kg2 Qh4 37 Rfl Rxfl 38 Kxf1 Oxh3+ 39 0g2 0e3 400e2 Qh3+ black gives up 1-0.

38- 50

in July. However, neither Botvinnik or I can claim to be the first to use this system. Reti played it in 1 92 0 (!), while Szigeti (yes, the same one) had the White side in 1 93 1 . E. Griinfeld had Black against Van Scheltinga in Amsterdam 1 936, and it was used in the game Szabo-Euwe in Hastings 1938. To the best of my knowledge, Botvinnik first used it (twice) in 1 944. Today, the line is extremely popular among tactical players who enjoy cutting-edge theoretical discussions. At the time of this game, though, the variation rep­ resented an unusual, unexplored vista. 9.Nxg5 hxg5

The earliest games featuring 9.NxgS saw Black play 9 . . . Nd S , when 1 O.Nxf7 (the most dangerous reply) was seen in Szigeti-Michlo, Budapest 1 93 1 ( 1 -0 in 3 7), while the more placid 1 0 .ND was Leif-Reti, Kristiania 1 92 0 : 1 0 . . . QaS I 1 . Qd2 Bb4 1 2 . Rc 1 Nd7 1 3 .Be2 N7b6 1 4.Bd l Nxc3 I S . bxc3 B a 3 1 6 . B f6 Bxc 1 1 7 . Qxc 1 Rg8 I S . Nd2 NdS 1 9 . Ne4 b4 2 0.BhS bxc3 2 1 .0-0 Qxa2 2 2 .Bxf7+ Kxf7 2 3 .Qxh6 Qa3 24.Nd6+ Qxd6 2 S . Qh7+ KeS 26.exd6 Rg4 2 7 .QhS+ KfS 2 S.Be7+ Nxe7 29.dxe7+ Kxe7 3 0.Qxg4 RbS 3 1 .Qg7+ KdS 3 2 .h4 c2 B. QhS+, 1-0. l O.Bxg5 Nbd7 1 1 .exf6 Bb7 1 2 .Be2

Years of theoretical research and lots of practice eventually proved that 1 2 .g3 was White's best move, but we were still busy "inventing the wheel." 1 2 . . . Nxf6

Also playable are 1 2 . . . Qc7 and 1 2 . . . Qb6, preparing to castle queenside as quickly as possible. 1 3 .BfJ

I N TH E B EG I N N I N G

It's interesting to note that 1 3 .a4 was recommended by Korchnoi i n the ECO. Apparently, he wasn't aware that this had already been played in Van Scheltinga- Grunfeld, Amsterdam 1 9 3 6 : 1 3 . . . B e 7 1 4.axb5 cxb 5 1 5 .BB Nd5 1 6.Bxd5 Bxd5 1 7 .Bxe7 Kxe7 I S.0-0 Qd6 1 9.Nxd5+ Qxd5 20.Re l RagS 2 1 .Rxa7+ Kf6 2 2 .B Qh5 2 3 .Kf2 Rxg2 +, 0- 1 . 1 3 . . . Be7 14.Bxf6

I had a good laugh when this game appeared with notes in the Hungarian Chess World (the number one Hungarian chess magazine until 1 9 5 1 ). Who­ ever annotated the game gave 1 4.Bxf6 a question mark and claimed that White's best move was 1 4.Nxb 5 . Naturally, this "best move" loses at once to 14 ... Qa5+ 1 5 .Nc3 Qxg5 . 14 . . . Bxf6 1 5 .Nxb5 cxb5 1 6.Bxb7 Rb8 1 7.Bc6+ Ke7

Pachman assessed this position as equal in one of his books. One might think that White should be better since he's a pawn up and Black isn't able to castle. This opinion, though, is completely mistaken. Black's King is actually very safe on e7. He will easily win his pawn back when, despite the opposite-colored Bishops, Black will have all the chances thanks to his queenside majority and the fact that the dark-squared Bishop will prove stronger than its white counterpart. 1 8.Qd2 Qd6 1 9.BO Rh4!

Black isn't in a hurry to win the pawn back. First, he wants to make sure every piece is as active as possible. 20.g3 Rxd4 2 1 .Qa5 c3 ! ?

An optimistic attempt to knock my opponent out. The straightforward 2 1 . . .Rd3 , in connection with . . . Bxb2 , was simpler. 22.Qxa7+

And not 2 2 .bxc3 ? ? Ra4, when Black wins the house. 22 . . . KfB? !

This natural move turns out to be inaccurate. Correct was 2 2 . . . KeS ! , when 2 3 .Bh5 fails to 2 3 . . . Qe5+ 24.Kfl Rd7.

II

PA L B E N KO: MY LI FE, GAMES AN D COMPOSITI O N S

2 3 .0-0? !

12

White returns the favor. He had to try 2 3 .Bh5 Be7 (A fun alternative is 2 3 . . . Qe5+ 24.Kfl Qxh5 2 5 ,QxbS+ RdS 26.Qf4, when both 2 6 ... Qh3 + and 26 . . . cxb2 are interesting, though I'm not sure if either offers more than a draw,) 24.bxc3 Qe5+ 2 5 .Kfl Ra4 26.f4 Qxf4+ 2 7 .gxf4 Rxa7, when Black is still better, though not nearly as much as in the game (i.e., 2 S .h4 h4!). 2 3 . . . cxb2 24.Rab l Rd3 2 S .Be4

Black is still much better after 2 5 .Bh5 Be7, since 2 6.Rxb2 ? ? Ra3 wins right away. 2 S ... Ra3 26.Rbdl Rxa7 27.Rxd6 Rxa2

White succeeded in rescuing his Queen, but the resultant endgame doesn't promise him anything but misery-the b-pawn is simply too strong and, in a very interesting way, it is helped by its doubled brother on b5. 2 S.Rb l

Blockading with the Bishop fails to 2 S .Bb l Ra l 29.Rdd l ReS, when Black wins easily by 30 . . . Be7, 3 1 .. .Ba3 , and 32 . . . Rc 1 . 2 S ... Ra l 29.Rdd l ReS 3 0.Kfl Re l 3 1 .Ke2 Bc3 3 2 . g4? BeS

Black has defended himself against ... f7-f5 , however the advance of the g-pawn accelerated his inevitable demise since the f4-square is now avail­ able to Black's Bishop. Nevertheless, the game was lost in any case since, if White had employed a passive defense, Black would have broken the blockade by marching his King to a2 . 3 3 .h4 Bf4 34.Bd3 b4 3 S .Be4 Kg7 3 6.gS b3 3 7 .Bd3 Re2 + 3 S .m Be l ,

0- 1 . The editor of Magyar Sakkvilag wrote: "A beautiful game ! The conges­ tion of pieces in this endgame is spectacular. " While I was going through my own drama, my brother, father and scores of other Hungarian men were being worked to death in prison camps. Many died of hunger, though they were told that the Hungarian "workers" were eating as well as the peasants (In other words, the average Russian was also starving at that time! ).

I N TH E BEG I N N I N G

Under such conditions, i t was no surprise that my father became ill and, since he was unable to work, the Russians released him and my brother. You can imagine my relief when they returned to Budapest. Soon my family was together again, and this bit of stability allowed me to begin university (During my first year it was called the University of Economy. In year two the communists took over and renamed it the Karl Marx University.), where I majored in economics. One thing that still stands out in my mind is the inflation, which was rampant throughout Hungary. Money became so worthless that workers preferred being paid in food! In fact, I played in the Hungarian Championship where the prizes were food rather than money-I was absolutely delighted to get the chance to win something so valuable !

(3) G Barcza - Benko (Hungarian Championship, 1 946) l .NO dS 2 .b3 cS 3 .Bb2 ? f6 !

It seems that White's third move is already a mistake ! When playing a regular Queen's Indian ( l .d4 Nf6 2 .c4 e6 3 .Nf3 b6), the strong move 4.f3 isn't available to White since his Knight occupies that square. Here, though, Black can take advantage of the fact that his Knight isn't on f6 to build a powerful center and block the enemy b2-Bishop. In the Fischer-Petrosian candidates match in 1 97 1 , White (Petrosian) played 4.c4 d4 S.d3 eS and was obviously not trying to prevent Black from executing his plan. He should at least have attempted to emulate a defensive system used by Black against the Samisch variation in the King's Indian: l .d4 Nf6 2 .c4 g6 3 .Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 S.f3 0-0 6.Be3 b6 7 .Bd3 Bb7 8.Nge2 cS 9.dS e6 1 0 .0-0 exdS I I .cxdS Ba6, although I must confess that personally I could never fully appreciate this variation positionally. Petrosian-Fischer continued: 6.e3 Ne7! (Fischer wisely brings his g8-Knight to the still unoccupied c6-square) 7.Be2 Nec6 8 .Nbd2 Be7 9.0-0 0-0 1 0.e4 a6, and it is easy to see that Black has all the play on the queenside and more central space, while White's b2-Bishop is "biting on granite." To return to my game, White tried to counter Black's plan more ac­ tively. In this game we see that Fischer's plan was not new and probably

13

PAL B E N KO : MY LI FE, GA M ES AN D COMPO S ITI O N S

14

was not new even when I played it in 1 946, since it is possible to find these ideas over the board, as I did. Why Petrosian played 3 .Bb2 and didn't em­ ploy the superior 3 .e3 is a mystery. However, now it's too late, for 4.e3 e5 5 .d4 cxd4 6.exd4 e4! again blocks the b2-Bishop and mobilizes a danger­ ous kingside pawn majority. Incidentally, I had some difficulty naming this opening since, at the time this game was played, no one had ever heard of the Larsen Opening- in fact, no one had even heard of Larsen! Perhaps "Larsen Opening" is an anachronism. 4.d4 cxd4 S .Qxd4 eS 6.Qd2 Ne6 7.e3 Bb4!

An original plan that activates this Bishop and stops White's c2 -c4. S.c3 BaS 9.b4 Bb6 1 0.a4

The "aggressive" 1 0.c4 fails to 1 0 . . . dxc4 I I .Bxc4 Nxb4! . 1 0 . . . Be6

Still making sure that White can't play c3 -c4. 1 1 .aS Be7 1 2 .a6 bxa6 1 3 .Bxa6 Nge7 14.Na3 0-0 l S .O-O?

This natural move costs a pawn, but Black's position was already superior when you take his strong center into consideration. White's only break, c4, was bad because of 1 5 ... Nxb4! . l S . . . e4! 1 6.Ne l Nxb4! 1 7.NbS

Since 1 7 .cxb4 Qd6 threatens both ... Qxh2 mate and ... Qxa6, White tries to console himself with possession of d4. 1 7 . . . Nxa6 l S . Rxa6 Bb6 1 9 .Nd4 BeS 2 0 . Ra2 NfS 2 1 .Nee2 Nxd4 2 2 .Nxd4 Qd7

This defends the e6 and f5 squares and allows me eventually to activate my light-squared Bishop by . . . a7-a5 followed by . . . Ba6. 2 3 .0

White has to gain a bit of activity in this fashion before Black plays . . . a7-a5 , . . . Bc8-a6-c4, and then . . .f6-f5-f4 with a complete crush. 23 . . . exO 24.Rxf3 ReS 2 S .Qd3 as 26.Ba3 Ba6 27.QfS

Interestingly, Barcza trades Queens even though he's a pawn down. Objectively, of course, it is better to keep the pieces and trade pawns (when you're in trouble in an endgame, try and trade off as many pawns as pos­ sible !), but Barcza has faith in his endgame technique. 2 7 ... QxfS 2 S.NxfS Be4 29.Rd2 RadS 3 0.m g6 3 1 .Nd6

Again, longer resistance was possible after 3 1 .Nd4, avoiding the trade of pieces. 3 1 . . .Re6 3 2 .Nxe4 dxe4 3 3 .RxdS+ BxdS 3 4.Rf4 Re6 3 5 .Kf3 fS

I N T H E BEG I N N I N G

15

Stopping the white King from reaching an active position and threaten­ ing 3 6 . . . Bg5 3 7 .Rd4 Bf6. Black has the right Bishop (I was very careful not to allow the creation of opposite-colored Bishops!), his pawns are on the right squares, and with his extra passed pawn the win is assured-with the right technique. 3 6.Ke2 BgS 3 7.Rfl a4 3 8.Kd2 Re6 3 9.BeS ReS !

Forcing the white Bishop to give up its blockade of the passed pawn. 40.Bd4 RaS 4 1 .Ke2 a3 42 .Kh l Kf7 !

The King can't wait to reach e4! 43 .Ka2 Be7

By defending a 3 , my Rook is free for more aggressive action. 44.Rh l

Otherwise, 44 . . . Rb5 and a black King march will decide. 44 ... Ra6 4S .Rh7 Re6 46.Bh6 Ke6 47.BaS hS

Now my King is free to roam since everything is guarded: the Bishop defends a3 and the Rook defends c4 and g6. Notice how Black is taking his time. Patience is a very important quality in the endgame. 48.Rh l

If 48 .Bb4 Bxb4 49.Rxb4 Kd5-e4 wins easily. 48 . . . KdS 49.Bh4

Since ...Ke4 would end the game, White makes one last desperate attempt. 49 . . . Bxh4 SO.exh4 c3 S 1 .Kxa3 e2 S2 .Rc 1 Ke4 S 3 .hS Re8 S4.h6 Kd3 S S .Kh3 Rh8, 0- 1 .

(4) Benko - Szilagyi (Hungarian Championship, 1 946) l .e4 Nf6 2 .Ne3 dS 3 .d4 eS 4.e3 cxd4 S .exd4 e6 6.Nfl dxc4?!

We've transposed into a Panov-Botvinnik Attack in the Caro-Kann De­ fense. Nowadays nobody would make this mistaken capture because it de-

PA L B E N KO : MY LI FE, GAMES AN D C O M POSITI O N S

velops White's Bishop . Instead, Black usually plays 6 . . . Be7 o r 6 . . . Bb4, only taking on c4 after the fl -Bishop moves, thereby making it move twice . 16

7 . Bxe4 B e 7 8 . 0 - 0 0 - 0 9 . Bg5 Nb d7 1 0 . Q e 2 Nb6 1 1 . B b 3 Nbd 5 1 2 .Rad l b6?

The position in the diagram represents a common middlegame situation: White has an isolated pawn, but this "weakness" gives him more central space and control over the key e 5 - square (the f3 -Knight can't wait to set up residence there) . White's lead in development and more active pieces creates tactical possibilities and chances for an attack against the black King; in fact, White often wins isolated d-pawn positions in a violent manner. Of course, if White's attack doesn't crash though, Black can drag the first player down by: 1) Dominating the d5 -square, thus fixing the isolated pawn and creating a stationary target.

2) Trading minor pieces. This ends White's

attacking hopes. 3 ) Targeting d4 for destruction by training his Queen and Rooks against the iso. Black, an experienced master, has just played . . . b 7 -b6, intending to fianchetto his Queen-Bishop and cement his control over the very impor­ tant d5 -square . However, the somewhat vulnerable state of the a8 -Rook allowed me to turn my back on White's usual attacking dreams and in­ stead steer the game towards a favorable endgame. It's interesting to note that, even at the tender age of eighteen, I still preferred the iron logic of endgames to the uncertainty of unclear middlegame complications.

1 3 .Nxd5! Now the players will have matching d-pawns , as 1 3 . . .Nxd 5 1 4. Bxd5 ! , hitting a 8 , wins material.

13 ... exd5 1 4.Rfe 1 Be6 ? ! H e doesn't see the coming storm, but 1 4 . . . Bb4 (if 1 4 . . . Re8, White ruins Black's kingside by 1 5 . Bxf6) 1 5 . Bxf6 Qxf6 1 6 .Bxd5 Rb8 1 7 . Rfl (White also retains some winning chances with 1 7 . Q e 5 Qxe 5 1 8 . Rxe5) 1 7 . . . Bg4 Ieaves Black a pawn down and suffering, though he does retain some drawing chances in the opposite-colored Bishop endgame.

1 5 .Ne5 Re8?

I N TH E B EG I N N I N G

Black only notices one threat, but l S . . . h 6 1 6 .Nc6 Qd6 1 7 .Nxe7 + Qxe 7 1 8 .BxdS hxgS 1 9.Bxa8 Rxa8 20.dS is also insufficient. He could try 1 5 . . .Qd6, although 1 6 .Bf4 is a strong reply.

1 6.Nxf7 ! Bxf7 1 7.Qxe7 Re8 1 8.Qxd8

I

could have captured his a7-pawn as well, but why complicate when the

exchange of Queens leads to a dead won, completely safe, endgame?

1 8 . . . Rcxd8

White 's pawn plus and Bishop pair should make it possible to win in more than one way.

I

decided to play for exchanges- first the Rooks, then my

dark-squared Bishop for the Knight-and to set up an advantageous pawn formation, forcing Black's pawns onto light squares so they would be vul­ nerable to attack by my light-squared Bishop . Black will be left with an inferior minor piece (on top of being down a pawn) , and these positional and material advantages should prove to be more than enough. Watch how it's done !

1 9.0

A useful move that keeps the Black Knight off e4 and g4, and also lets my King enter the game on f2 . 1 9 . . . Kf8 20.Kf2 Rxe l 2 1 .Rxe l Re8 22 .Rel Rxe l Black had no choice. Otherwise, White's Rook would enter via the c-file.

2 3 . B xc l

Ke 7 2 4 . Bf4 a6 2 S . g4 h6 2 6 . B e S Ke 6 2 7 . B e2 g6

28.Bd3 bS There is nothing better. White can win the queenside pawns at his leisure after 2 8 . . . aS 2 9 .Bc7 Nd 7 3 0 .Bb S .

29.Kg3 Be8 30.h4 a s 3 1 .Be7! By forcing the a-pawn onto the wrong color, White hacks out a road for his King.

3 1 . . .a4 3 2 .BeS Ng8 H .Bf4 hS 34.BgS Black's Knight is trapped and must eventually be exchanged for the White dark-squared Bishop .

17

PAL B E N KO : MY LI FE, GAMES AN D COMPOSITI O N S

3 4 . . . b4 3 S .a3 Fixing the target on a4 and clearing away the c3 -square so that White 's 18

King can eventually penetrate on the queenside.

35 . . . bxa3 3 6.bxa3 Nf6 3 7.Bxf6 Kxf6 3 8 .g5 + Making sure that all the black pawns are permanently stuck on light squares. This concept of "fixing" enemy pawns on undesirable squares is an im­ portant one .

3 8 . . . m 39.Kf4 Ke6 40.Bc2 Black's position is beyond salvation. One simple winning plan is f3 -f4-f5 followed by Kf4. In fact, White would win even without the f-pawn, as in the line 40 . . . Kd6 4 1 . B b i Bf7 42 .Bd3 Be8 43 .Bc2 Ke6 44.Ke 3 , when Black can't stop the march of the white King to b4. Still, it's nice to have a pawn; in chess, there 's no such thing as overkill !

40 . . . Kd6 4 1 .Ke3 Ke6 On 4 1 . . .Kc7 , White wins by 42 .Kd2 Kb6 43 .Kc3 Kb 5 44.f4 and 45 .f5 .

42 .Kd2 Kd6 43 .Kc3 Ke7 44.Kb4 Ke6 45.Bxa4, 1 -0 . As w e have seen, the key t o winning a same-color Bishop endgame with the "good" Bishop is to attack two weaknesses, thereby tying down the opposing forces and penetrating with the King, often with the aid of

Zugzwang. If you are the defender, try to keep your pawns on the opposite color of the enemy Bishop, don't let the enemy King penetrate into your camp, and keep your position as flexible as possible .

~

very Httle ehe" activity in po,twac Hungary. This fact, and my

efforts to complete my education, left me dying to squeeze in a game whenever possible. Because of the lack of playing opportunities, I agreed to play six corre­ spondence games for the Hungarian team in the semifinals of the Correspon­ dence Team Championship (these games began while I was still in Szeged) . I won four of those games and drew the other two. One of the drawn games was against an Australian player -having an extra pawn and the Bishop pair, I of­ fered a draw because the winning procedure would have been too long and too expensive ! It is curious that one rarely finds correspondence games in the pages of this type of book, although such games should be on an even higher level of play than those with more restricted time limits. Perhaps the main reason for this state of affairs is that grandmasters mainly participate in over-the-board tourna­ ments and neglect correspondence play entirely. However, correspondence chess

has played

an important role in the development of many strong players -the

names of Alekhine and Keres can be mentioned in this respect. In fact, Keres used to recommend correspondence chess as a wonderful way to study both the openings and other phases of the game. This form of chess is particularly useful and important for those who aren't able to take part in normal chess events in person. I admit that I am able to count all the correspondence games I've played in my life on my fingers. The game against the Swiss player Tagmann (the second drawn game from the six) , though, was very exciting and has remained fresh in my mind over the decades. I hope you find it as interesting as I do.

19

PAL B E N KO : MY LI FE, GAMES AN D COMPO S ITI O N S

(5) Tagmann - Benko (Correspondence, 1 947)

20

l .e4 Years later (in 1 9 7 3 ) a Mr. Heinen offered to play two postal games against me for a fee . He wanted Black in both games. Since I'd been away from postal for so long, I decided to accept his offer. Here is one of the games : l . e4 c5 2 .NB Nc6 3 . d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5 .Nc3 d6 6 . Bg5 e6 7 . Qd2 Be7

s .o-o-o 0-0 9 . f4 Nxd4 1 0. Qxd4 h6 I I . Bh4 Qa5 1 2 .Bc4 RdS (Black's most popular and best move is 12 . . . Bd7) 1 3 .Rhfl ! (This is considered the strongest continuation. White aims for f4-f5 which, after . . . e 5 , gives him control of the d5 -square . If Black avoids . . . e6-e5 and allows White to play fxe6, Black's King- Rook will be missed from the kingside and the f6-square will be­ come the target of a sacrificial frenzy.) 1 3 . . . a6? (Too slow. 1 3 . . . Bd7 seems to be the most natural move) 1 4.f5 b5 1 5 .Bb3 Bd7 1 6 .fxe6 fxe6 1 7 . Bxf6 Bxf6 I S .Rxf6 ! gxf6 1 9 . Qxf6 Kh7 2 0 . Qf7+ Kh S 2 1 . Qg6, 1 -0 . Black can't defend against Qxh6+ followed by Rd3 .

1 . . .Nf6 The Alekhine Defense never became a permanent part of my repertoire . However, I thought it would be fun to give it a try on this occasion.

2 .eS NdS 3 .c4 Now it's known that the sternest test of Alekhine's Defense is 3 .d4 d6 4.NB .

3 . . . Nb6 4.d4 d6 S .f4 The Four Pawns Attack is a try at outright refutation. However, Black gets plenty of counterplay against White's center pawns, and this aggres­ sive line has now fallen out of favor.

S . . . dxeS 6.fxeS Nc6 7.Be3 BfS 8.Nc3 e6 9.Nf3 Instead of the text move , old theory recommended 9.Be2 . Bringing the Knight to B used to be considered doubtful because of 9 . . . Bg4, until the Swiss master Henneberger proved White 's superiority after 1 0 . Qd2 .

9 . . . Qd7 The modern choice is 9 . . . Be7, when Black gets comfortable equality, though many of the lines are very complicated and require thorough study.

l O.dS This aggressive move is also of Swiss origin, but it seems to be dubious. The more restrained 1 0 .Be2 is White 's only real hope for an opening advantage .

l O . . . exdS l l .cxdS Nb4 And not 1 1 . . .Na 5 ? 1 2 . Bxb6 axb6 1 3 . a 3 , when the threat of b2 -b4 leads to the win of material for White .

l 2 .Nd4

AFfE R T H E WAR

21

A position full of excitement and tension has been reached. 12 . . . Bg6 was recommended at the time, but it seemed to be too passive and I rejected it. In fact, as I discovered later, this whole variation had been thoroughly mined by the Swiss analysts , while my only compass was my chess intu­ ition. Henneberger "proved" that 12 . . . Bg6 was indeed too slow: 1 3 .Bb5 ! c6 1 4. dxc6 bxc6 1 5 .Nxc6 ! Nxc6 1 6 .Qf3 ReS 1 7 . Rc 1 , and "White will re­ gain the piece on c6 . " Years went by before I looked at this position again, and then I realized that 1 7 . . . Nc4! I S .Bf4 Bd3 ! ! turns this whole line up­ side down . So much for established theory! Instead of 1 2 . . . B g 6 , the game Tomasits - D r. Bata continued with 12 . . . 0-0-0, and there followed 1 3 .Bb5 ! c6 1 4.dxc6 bxc6 1 5 .0-0. Now 1 5 . . . Be6 was recommended as the best solution, but this was refuted by Henneberger (against Emden in 1 946) by 1 6 . a 3 ! cxb 5 1 7 . axb4 Bc4 I S . Qc2 KbS ! 1 9 . Rfd l Nd5 ( 1 9 . . . Bxb4 2 0 .e6!) 2 0 .Ndxb 5 Bxb4 2 1 .Bxa 7 + . Since 1 2 . . . Bg4 10ses a piece immediately to 1 3 .e6 ! , Black is left with 1 2 . . . N6xd 5 , though this looks very dangerous . However, after prolonged thought I finally decided to do just that, daring White to punish me.

12 ... N6xd5 1 3 .Nxd5 Qxd5 ? ! Unlucky thirtee n - my move turns out to b e dubious . The correct 1 3 . . . Nxd5 1 4.Nxd5 0-0-0 would have led to unfathomable complications. One oft- quoted line is 1 5 . Q d 3 g6 1 6 .Ng3 Nxe 3 1 7 . Qxe3 Bc5 I S . Qf4 RheS 1 9 .Be2 Qd5 2 0 . Rd l Qxa2 2 1 . Rxd S + Rxd S , when White is suffer­ ing. The reader, of course, should beware . Before playing any of this you simply have to do your own detailed analysis of the position after 1 5 . Q d 3 . Incidentally, an analysis by Ernst Griinfeld in the

Wiener Schachzeitung

in 1 945 clarified some variations in connection with the game Gallia­ Keller. He demonstrated that the continuation 12 . . . N4xd5 (instead of my 1 2 . . . N6xd 5) 1 3 .Nxd 5 (Griinfeld didn't mention 1 3 . Nxf5 ! ? , but perhaps this is White 's most accurate choice: 1 3 . . . Qxf5 1 4.Nxd 5 Qxe 5 [Black probably should try 1 4 . . . 0-0-0 and hope that he gets some compensation for the piece after 1 5 .Nxb6+ axb6] 1 5 .Nxc7+ Qxc7 1 6 . B b 5 + Nd7 1 7 .0-0, with a very strong attack) 13 ... Qxd 5 ? ! (of course, 13 . . . Nxd 5 is correct) 1 4.Nxd5 Bb4+ (White is also better after 1 5 . . . Qxe 5 1 6 . Q d 3 ) 1 5 . Kf2 Qxe 5

PA L B E N KO : MY LI FE, GAM ES AN D C O M POSITI O N S

1 6 . Qg4 Bc5 1 7 . B b 5 + c 6 I S . Rhe l is i n White's favor, a n opinion that I have to agree with .

22

1 4.Nxf5 Qxe5 I thought that Black had a superior position. He has two pawns for the Bishop and will probably be able to win back his piece. No sudden attacks are possible : 1 5 . Qf3 Nc2 + 1 6 . Kf2 Nxa l 1 7 . B b 5 + Qxb S I S . Qe4+ Kd 7 1 9.Rd l + KcS ! 2 0 . Rxa l Bc5 , and Black keeps his material advantage .

1 5 .Rc l ! !

An excellent and unexpected move !

I didn't know it at the time, of course,

but this too was Henneberger's analysis. It paradoxically takes the initiative, although it not only doesn't give check, it promises to return the piece and even to sacrifice further material. Now 1 5 . . . RdS would be answered by 1 6 . Qf3 , so Black has no choice but to take the piece ­ "biting the bullet, " as some would say- and hope that things work out.

1 5 . . . Qxf5 1 6.Rxc7 Qe6 1 7.Bb5+ Nc6

Now I S . Qd2 would be met by I S . . . B c 5 , and I S . Qe2 by I S . . . Bb4+ , after which Black could safely castle and get his King out of danger.

I B.O-O! ! The alternative is I S .Kf2 Be 7 1 9 . Rxb 7 , but Black comes out on top after 1 9 . . . 0-0 2 0 . Q d 7 (not 2 0 . Bxc6 Qxc6 2 1 . Rxe7 Qf6+) 20 . . . Qf6+ 2 1 .Ke2 (2 1 .Kg l runs into 2 1 . . . RadS 2 2 . Qg4 Qe6 ! ) 2 1 . . .Na 5 .

I B . . . Qxe 3 + Forced. I f I S . . . B e 7 1 9 . Re l , I couldn't castle: 1 9 . . . 0 - 0 ? 2 0 . Bxc6 bxc6 2 1 . B f2 , a n d Wh i t e wi n s . Al s o u n p l e a s a n t fo r B l a c k is I S . . . B d 6 1 9 . Rxb 7 0-0 ( 1 9 . . . Qxe 3 + 2 0 .Kh l 0 - 0 2 1 . Qxd6 i s worse) 2 0 .Qb3 Qxb 3 2 1 . axb 3 , when White wins the a-pawn and retains excellent winning chances.

1 9.Khl RdB 20.Qh5 g6 The only move . If 2 0 . . . Q e 6 2 1 . Rxb7 (far better than 2 1 . B c4 Qxc4 2 2 . Re l + Be7 2 3 . Rexe 7+ Nxe 7 24.Rxc4 0-0, when Black has a solid posi­ tion and good chances to hold the draw) 2 1 . . . RcS 2 2 . Bxc6+ is crushing:

I III fi II