Saturday, March 9, 2019

Clocks on all the Boards

Source: La'Merhav Oct. 25, 1957, p. 6
A frequent correspondent points out the follow report from La'Merchav about the third kibbutzim (agricultural communes) championship, which included that time the Ramat Gan team as well (presumably, since its club hosted the event). The author notes that there were 100 players and especially noting the use of 50 chess clocks -- by no means self-evident in those days in Israel. The report included the following game:

Geller, Uzi - Ben-Artzi, Hanan
10.1957, 3rd kibbutzim championship, Ramat Gan, Israel.
(Annotations: La'Merchav's chess column's editor)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.Nf3 0–0 6.e3 c5 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Nbd7 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bd3 Re8 11.0–0 Qc7! A strong move. White should have continued 12.a4 at once. 12.Bb2? c4 13.Bf5 Nf8 14.a4 Bxf5 15.Qxf5 Rad8 16.Ba3 Ng6 17.Rab1 Ne4 18.Rfc1 Re6 Better than 18…Ne7, since it activates the rook. 19.Rb5 Rf6 20.Qg4 a6?? The losing move. weakens b6 and allows the rook's retreat to b2. 20…Ra6! would have won a pawn and the game. 21.Rb2 a5 22.Ng5 Nxg5 23.Qxg5 h6 24.Qh5 Rb6 Tries to prevent White's control of the b file. 25.Rcb1 Rxb2 26.Rxb2 b6 27.Rb5 Qc6 28.Qf5 



Black in in Zugzwang. His one remaining move also loses. 28...Nf8 29.Be7 Rd7 30.Bxf8 Kxf8 31.Qh7 Qf6? 31…f6 was a better try. Black is very short on time. 32.Qh8+ Ke7 33.Qb8 Rd6 34.Qb7+ Ke8 35.Rxd5 Finally the first pawn falls. 35...Rxd5 36.Qxd5 Qe6 Exchanging queens is forbidden, since Black will break through on the queen's side, but White chose another continuation and won (1–0) in a few moves.

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