A Nice Kniazer Win

 Israel  Yosef Kniazer

A frequent correspondent notifies us of the obituary for Kniazer (La'merchav, 6.6.58 p. 5) by the editor of the paper's chess column, Eliahu Fasher. (Fasher notes Kniazer was born in 1895; other sources also give 1894 or even 1899.) He gives the following photo, taken at the Lasker club in Tel Aviv, and adds that Kniazer was a member of the club for many years. Fasher then gives two games, against Porat and Blass, which will be given in this and the next post. 

Finally, Fasher adds that Kniazer was working on a book of his best games. This book was indeed published in 1959, as Ha'derech Le'nitzahhon Be'shachmat [The Road to Chess Victory] with deep annotations by Kniazer and, mostly, Raafi Persitz. The book also has the two games given by Fasher. In his annotations to this game, Persitz (which adds the missing moves Fasher does not give due to lack of space) notes that Kniazer, in his notes, added that he was not satisfied with White's 'strategic  position', despite having won tactically. Persitz sees this as typical of Kniazer's desire for chess perfection (p. 72). 

(A note about spelling. Gagie's Chess Personalia prefers the English spelling 'Keniazer'. It seems that various persons with this last name spell it Kniazer, Keniazer, or Kaniazer. In this case, Israel Yosef Kniazer's name is usually pronounced, in my experience, closer to 'Kniazer'. I have not yet, however,  found an authoritative source for an English spelling.)

Kniazer, Israel Yosef - Porat, Yosef

Caro-Kann (B11)

Haifa, 1946. 

Sources: La'merchav, 6.6.58, p. 5 and Ha'derech Le'nitzachon Be'sachmat, pp. 61-72.

Annotations: Eliahu Fasher (also punctuation) and Raafi Persitz

1. e4 d5 2. Nf3 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Ne4 5. d3 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bf5 7. Rb1 Qc7 8. d4 e6 9. Bd3 Bg6 10. O-O Be7 11. Ng5 c5 12. Qf3 O-O 13. Qh3 

White is manouvering skillfully, trying to created something out of nothing (Fasher). The manouver Re1-e3-h3 worked due to Black's mistake, but takes too long. It was time for 13.f4! (Persitz, p. 67). 13...Bxd3 14. Qxd3 Bxg5 15. Bxg5 Nc6 16. Rfe1 Rac8 17. Re3 Ne7 18. Rh3 Ng6 19. Rc1 cxd4 20. cxd4 Qc4 21. Qd2 Qxa2? 

Black underestimates White's attack. Kniazer doesn't miss the opportunity and sacrifices at once (Fasher). 22. Bf6!! Rfe8 Of course not 22... gxf6 due to mate in a few moves (Fasher). 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 24. Qh6+ Kg8 25. Qxh7+ Kf8 26. Rf3 Re7 27. Qxg6 

With a pawn more and a strong attack, White won in a few moves (Fasher). Persitz (pp. 71-72) gives these moves: 27... Qb2 28. Qh6+ Ke8 29. Rb3 $1 Qxd4 30. Qh8+ Kd7 31. Rxb7+ Rc7 32. Rxc7+ Kxc7 33. Rb1 Qa4 34. Qb8+ Kd7 35. Qd6+ and Black resigned (1-0) since it's mate next move.

Mystery Player

Eliahu Shahaf (Gaige's English spelling), the editor of Davar's chess column, noted on December 12th, 1956 (p. 26) that there was a "mystery" player, Zalmen Kleinstein (Chessbase 14's spelling) who played in the 1936 Palestine championship and was part of the 1939 Palestine team to Buenos Aires, but since then 'had disappeared'. Chessbase gives a few of his games, all from the 1939 olympiad. Shahaf adds another, from the 1936 Palestine championship, a victory as Black against Blass. This material, like that of the two previous posts, was brought to our attention by a frequent correspondent to our blog.

Shahaf also adds, significantly, that the top Israeli chess players of the time were still roughly the same players of 20 years ago, and that the attempt to make chess popular among the youth had not been fruitful, with the exception of the IDF championship. He complains that over-emphasis on international chess, as a way for international acceptance of Israel abroad, forgets that the main purpose of the Israeli Chess Federation is, after all, to promote chess in Israel. In a few years Shahaf could rest easy: a new generation of younger players will indeed arise and finally replace the "old guard". 

Blass - Kleinstein 

French, McCutheon [C12]

Palestine Championship, 1936

Source: Davar, 21.12.65 p. 26

Annotations: Eliahu Shahaf

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. Bxf6 gxf6 6. exd5 Qxd5 7. Qd2 Qa5 8. Bd3 Bd7 9. Nge2 Bc6 10. f3 Nd7 11. Kf2 f5 12. a3 Bxc3 13. bxc3 O-O-O 14. Qe3 Kb8 15. c4 Rhe8 16. a4 e5 17. d5 

17... e4! 18. Bxe4 fxe4 19. f4 Nf6 20. h3

20... Bxd5! 21. cxd5 Nxd5 22. Qb3 Qc5+ 23. Kg3 Rg8+ 24. Kh2 Qf2 25. Rag1 Qxe2 and White resigned (0-1) in a few moves. (The source also has 26. Re1 Qf2 27. Rhf1 Qd2, but this ignores the obvious Qxg2# - A.P.)

Oren - Porat, Tel Aviv Championship, 1954

On July 30th, 1954, a long report appeared in Davar's chess column. It was about the just-finished Tel Aviv championship, by guest commentator Itzchak Aloni, who won the championship. It also annotated one of the games in the tournament. It was a two-stage tournament: first a swiss tournament with 18 players (Aloni notes in particular new young players), and then a final all-play-all match between the top four finishers: Viler (ph. spelling), Smiltiner, Aloni, and Oren. Aloni notes that Porat, then Israeli champion, did not live in Tel Aviv, but was invited to play in the final for training purposes, without his games counting towards the standing of the championship itself.  Aloni gives the following game: 

Oren - Porat

Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 [E53]

Tel Aviv Championship (finals), Tel Aviv, 3.7.1954

Source: Davar, 30.7.54,  p. 9

Annotations: Itzchak Aloni

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O b6 8. Qe2 Nc6 9. Rd1 Bb7 10. dxc5 bxc5 11. Na4 Qe7 12. Qc2 d4 13. a3 Ba5 14. b4 cxb4 15. exd4 e5!

The start of a combination. 16. d5 e4 17. dxc6 exd3 18. Qxd3 Bxc6 19. axb4 Rad8 20. Nd4 Rxd4!

The point of the combination started five moves ago. 21. Qxd4 Rd8 22. Qxd8+ Bxd8 23. b5 Bd7 24. Ba3 Qe5 25. Bb2 Qf5 26. c5 Bc7 27. Bxf6 gxf6 28. b6 axb6 29. cxb6 Be5 30. b7 Kg7 31. Rd5

31... Bc6! 32. b8=Q Bxd5 33. Qb1 Qg4 34. f3 Qd4+ White resigns (0-1)

Aloni - Bereny, 1953

From the same source as the last post, we give the game Aloni - Bereny (ph. spelling). A typical Aloni game: he comes out of the opening with an inferior, indeed lost, position, but with tenacious defense and counter-attack eventually overcome his opponent, who blunders and loses in a now (slightly) worse position.

Aloni - Bereny (ph. spelling)

KID, early Black deviations and Smyslov system [E61]

Israeli premier ("Aleph") league, 1954

Source: Davar, 23.7.54, p. 9

Annotations: Fritz 14

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 g6 4. e3 Bg7 5. f4 e5 6. fxe5 dxe5 7. d5 O-O 8. e4 Black is slightly better. 8... Nbd7 9. Be3 Qe7 10. Nf3 10. Nh3! 10... Nc5 Black has strong initiative. 11. Qc2 Ng4 12. Bg1 f5 13. b4? 13. h3 Nf6 14. Bxc5 Qxc5 15. Bd3 13... Nxe4 Black has a winning position. 14. Nxe4 fxe4 15. Bc5 Qf6 16. Nd2 Nf2 

17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. Qxe4 Bf5 19. Qe3 e4 20. Rc1 20. Rb1 is a better defense. 20... Rf7!  21. b5 b6 22. Bb4 Qb2 22... Bg4and Black stays clearly on top. 23. Rc2 Qa1+ 24. Qc1 Qd4) 23. Bc3 

23... Qa3! 23... Qxa2?! 24. Bxg7 Rxg7 25. Be2 and the position is equal. 24. Be2 Bd7 25. Bd4 Qa5+ Not 25... Qxa2 26. Bxg7 Rxg7 27. Qc3 = 26. Bc3 Qa3 Of course not 26... Qxa2?! 27. Bxg7 Rxg7 28. Qc3 =. 27. c5 Better is 27. Bd4  27... Re8 better is 27... bxc5 followed by 28...Rb8. 28. c6 Bc8 29. Bc4 Black must now prevent d6! 29... Qd6 The source has 29...Qc5 but this move makes no sense based on the future moves of the game. This natural move is my reconstruction with Fritz's help [A.P.] 30. Bxg7 Kxg7 31. h3 Ref8 32. Rc2 Re7 Better is 32...Rf4. 33. Rf1 White finally equalizes.  33... Rxf1+ 34. Kxf1 h6 35. Kg1 h5 36. Rf2 Bf5 37. a4 Qe5 38. a5 h4 39. axb6 axb6 40. Rf4 g5 41. Rf1 d6 is the strong threat. 41... Bg6

42. d6 42. Rd1! first is better. 42... Qxd6 43.Qxg5 Qd4+ better is 43... Qc5+ 44. Qxc5 bxc5 =. 44. Kh1 White is better. 44... Qe5? 44... Qd6 was necessary. 

45. Rf7+! Black resigns (1-0).

Starting on the Right Foot

A frequent correspondent had send us an especially informative number of a chess column - Davar's column of July 23rd, 1954, p. 9, edited by Eliyahu Shahaf. It was the first column under this editor, after a hiatus, and indeed started with "game 1" and "problem 2" (the games and problems were numbered together). It contains:

1). A detailed report about the just-finished first year of the Israeli chess league, complete with a list of participants.

2). A game from the turnament - Itzchak Aloni ("Lasker" Tel Aviv") - Bereny (ph. spelling, Haifa).

3). A report on the selection of the 1954 Olympiad team, as well as the fund-raising efforts of masters to make the trip possible.

4). Yosef Goldschmidt winning a third prize in Chess's (the English periodical) international composition competition.

(This posting will be updated with more details.)

From the Workers' Organization

The Histadrut, or "organization", was the common name in Israel to the Ha'Histadrut Ha'Klalit shel Ha'Ovdim B'Eretz Yisrael - The General Organization of Workers in Israel. It was all-powerful in the early state, with each worker's union (that of, say, pilots, mailmen, physicians, or most other professions) having their own sub-division. The organization was so large the joke was that the state of Israel is an important part of its holdings. A frequent correspondent sent me this game, which was held in the Histadrut's own chess league, in January, 1954. We note that while this Kahana might be the Zvi Kahana we mentioned elsewhere in this blog, it is a very common name.

Hauser - Kahana
KID, Classical w/h3 [E90]
Holon - Ramat Gan tournament (Histadrut league), Holon, 01.1954
Source: Davar Ha'shavuah 29.1.1954, p. 6.
Annotations: adapted from Fritz 14

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 Nbd7 6.Bd3 e5 7.d5 Nc5 8.Bc2 a5 9.h3 0–0 10.Be3 Nh5 11.Qd2 f5 12.Bxc5 dxc5 13.0–0–0 Bd7 Better is 13…a4. 14.Rde1 14.d6! 14...f4 15.Rd1 Rb8 15...a4 is still indicated. 16.a4 16.Kb1 is better. 16...Bf6 17.Ne2 Ng7 18.Qxa5 Ra8 19.Qxc5 Black must now prevent Qa3.

19...Be7 20.d6 Bxd6 21.Qd5+ Be6 22.Qd3 Much worse is 22.Qxb7?! Rb8= 22...Qf6 23.Nc3 Bc5 24.Rhf1 c6 25.Ne2! Bf7 26.Qc3 Bd6 

27.c5! White is really pushing. 27...Bc7 28.Rd7 Ne6 29.Bb3 Ba5? The losing move. 29...Rfd8  30.Rfd1 Kh8 is best, although White is still much better. 30.Qxe5 Qxe5 31.Nxe5 Nxc5 32.Bxf7+ Kg7 33.Rfd1 Nxd7 34.Rxd7 Kf6 35.Ng4+ Kg5 36.Ng1 Intending Nf3+ and mate. 36...Bd8 37.Nf3+ Kh5 38.Rxb7 winning easily, but there was also a mate in five with 38.Bxg6+! #5/13 Kxg6 39.Nfe5+ Kg5 40.Rg7+ Kh4 41.Rxh7+ Kg5 42.h4#. 38...Rxa4 39.Bg8 h6 40.Rb8 g5 41.Rxd8! Black resigns (1–0).

Rauch - Weil, Tel Aviv Championship, 1938

The following game, brought to our attetion by a frequent correspondent, was played in the Tel Aviv championship in 1938 (see details and source below). 

Rauch - Weil

Nimzo-Indian, Classical [E33]
Tel Aviv Championship, Tel Aviv, Feb. 1938

Source: Davar, 11/3/1938, p. 4

Annotations: Marmorosh (Davar's chess columnist)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.e3 0–0 7.Be2 Re8 8.0–0 Bxc3 9.Qxc3 Ne4 10.Qc2 d5 11.a3 a5 12.b3 f5 13.Bb2 Rf8 14.Rad1 Rf6 15.Bd3 Rh6 16.Rfe1 g5 The beginning of a very dangerous attack. Black is already threatening to win with g4, followed by Qh4. 17.Bxe4 fxe4 18.Nd2 g4 19.Nf1 Qh4 20.Bc3 Bd7 21.Qd2 Rf8! 22.g3 Qf6 23.Rc1 Rh3 24.Rc2 b6 25.Ra1 Nd8! The knight is aiming at f3. 26.Qe2 Qf5 27.Bb2 c6 28.a4 Nf7 29.cxd5 exd5 30.Nd2 Qh5 31.Kf1 The king abandons his pawns and runs away from the front. 31...Rxh2 32.Ke1 Ng5 33.Nf1 Nf3+ 34.Kd1 Rh1 35.Rcc1 Qh3 36.Kc2 Qg2 37.Kc3 Ng1 38.Qd1 Rxf2 White resigns (0–1)

The final position is an amusing example of an overwhelming attack:

Mate in 10

The following game was brought to our attention by a frequent correspondent. It was played in a match in February 1950, and is notable for the '10 move combination' that was made. Annotations by the winner, Gruengard. 

Dr. Y. Gruengard - L. Braun

QGD (D40)

Match, February 1950
Source: Davar, Feb. 17th, 1950, p. 29.
Annotations: Y. Gruengard

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.e3 Be7 6.Nbd2 Capablanca's idea: to capture on f3 with a knight and not a bishop to gain a tempo. 6...a6 To develop the QN pawns while threatening White's pieces, but White prevents this. 7.c5 c6 8.b4 b6 9.Qa4 Bb7 10.cxb6 Qxb6 11.Rb1 0–0 12.Bd3 Rfd8 13.0–0 h6 Black tries to free himself from the heavy pressue on his position. 14.Bh4 g5 ...but at a price of weakening the KS. 15.Bg3 Nh5 To take the B and prepare a center break with e5. 16.Ne5! Denying Black's hope. 16...Nf8 17.Qd1! The Q finished her role on the QS, so she moves quickly to exploit the KS's weaknesses. 17...Nxg3 Better is 17...Ng7. 18.fxg3 f6 Better is 18...f5 immediately. 19.Qh5! f5 19...fxe5? 20.Rxf8+ Bxf8 21.Qg6+ Bg7 22.Rf1 e4 23.Rf7 and mates. 20.g4 Bd6 21.Nf7 Qc7 Now white has a mate in 10 combination.

22.Nxh6+ Kg7 23.Qxg5+ Kh7 24.Qg8+! Kxh6 25.g5+ Kh5 26.Be2+ Kh4 27.Nf3+ Kh5 28.Ne5+ Kh4 29.g3+ As he saw mate already, White didn't notice the quicker 29.Rf4#... 29...Kh3 30.Rf4 Ng6 31.Bf1# 1–0

Youth Champioship, 1959

Source: Kol Ha'am, 28/8/1959, p. 6

A frequent correspondent notes that the 1959 youth championship - reported above - had many players who later became important in Israeli chess. These include Gelfer, Kagan, Beliman, Peretz and more.