Another "Wunderkind" in Chess?

 

The above is a short article by Dov Goldstein, sent to us by a frequent correspondent. The source is Ma'ariv, Feb. 10th, 1955, p. 3. It is about a "Wunderking" in chess - six year old Gideon Ratanovsky (ph. spelling.) It is noted that 'nobody knows how he learned the rules of the game' - or that he knows how to play at all - until he told his mother. The child is being trained by Dyner, the Israeli master, in his optician's shop, where he always have a board set up. It is (as usual in such reports) added that the little child will surely be a strong master, although this seems not to have happened. His life ended tragically: he fell in 1970 in the Israel "War of Attrition" (1967-1970). His memorial page (in Hebrew) notes he was known as a chess "Wunderkind". 

Vogel - Czerniak, Jerusalem Championship, 1935

The same column by Marmorosh (Davar, Feb. 8th, 1935, p. 5) has the following game between Vogel and Czerniak, with Marmorosh's annotations:

Vogel - Czerniak

French Defense (CO2)

Jerusalem Championship, Jerusalem, 1935

Source: Davar, 8.2.1935, p. 5

Annotations: Marmorosh

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 A highly committing old move. The current move is 3.Nc3 or 3.exd5. 3... c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 Qb6 A typical move in this opening. The queen pressures b2 and d4. 6. Be2 Bd7 7. O-O cxd4 8. cxd4 Nge7 9. Na3 An artificial move, intended to protect the d4 pawn. 9... Ng6 10. Nc2 Be7 11. Kh1 O-O 12. Ng1 An unsuccessful maneuver. It is better to finish development with 12.Bd2! and Bc3, since Black must not capture on b2. 12...f6 13. f4 fxe5 14. fxe5 Rxf1 15. Bxf1 Rf8 16. Bd3 Be8 17. Qg4? 

17...Ncxe5!! Black now finishes with a brilliant combination. White's negligence is cruelly avenged. 18. dxe5 Nxe5 19. Qh3 Nxd3 20. Qxd3 Bb5! 21. Qb3 Qxg1+! 22. Kxg1 Rf1#  mate (0-1).

Marmorosh's Work

 

Above we have a (low resolution) image of Marmorosh's column which was mentioned in the last post. The link is to the original paper, where a high-resolution image can be found. It is a testimony to Marmorosh's dedication to chess that this one column has: 

1). A problem (mate in 3)

2). A study (White wins)

3). A game (Vogel - Czerniak, 0-1, Jerusalem championship, 1935)

4). Local news (Jerusalem championship results, upcoming Jerusalem-Tel Aviv match, Ra'anana club founded.) 

5). International news (Capablanca wins simultaneous games.)

6). Answers to correspondents. 

7). A long lesson for beginners (the goal of the game, the movement of the king, the meaning of 'mate'.) 

That said, the definition of 'mate' is somewhat mysterious: 

'If the king is attacked on the square it is on and it is surrounded by friends and enemies to such a degree that it has no other square to escape to, and no other defense, it is mated.'

This seems to imply that the king is mated only when surrounded by other pieces, which is in fact rarely the case, and is unclear about what 'other defense' can there be against the attack on the king except for 'a square to escape to'. 

New Clubs

 

The above note, from Marmorosh's column in Davar (Feb. 8th, 1935, p. 5), brought to our attention by a frequent correspondent, notes among many other things about the founding of a chess club in Ra'anana, which was decided upon after 'a general meeting of all chess fans in Ra'anana'. They selected a committee to run the club and decided to buy sets, start lessons for beginners, and start a tournament for the championship of Ra'anana. This is another example of the rise in chess activity in the country in the mid-1930s, as Czerniak, Porat, and many other strong players arrived in the country, and visits by Rubinstein, Flohr, and Mieses took place. 

Sport in Palestine, 1935

 

The above photos are from an article from Doar Ha'yom, 'The Sport in Palestine Last Year' (April 2nd, 1935, p. 15) brought to our attention by a frequent correspondent. It mentions, among much else, Rubinstein's and Flohr's visit to Palestine, and also adds that Palestinian athletes had participated in the Western Asiatic Games, and did quite well, which makes our previous claim that the 1935 chess Olympiad was the "first" time a sports team from Palestine participated in an international event false. 

Trade Union Chess

"Davar's chess players in play against Egged's team." Davar, 26.12.58 , p. 7

In the 1950s Israel, as we mentioned before, organized labor was all-powerful. The Histadrut, which united most of the trade unions, was large enough to organize an important and large regular yearly championship between the unions. On 24.12, Davar reported two days later, the prizes for last year's championship were awarded and the first round of this year's championship began. 

It included ten teams of 4 players each. The contestants included trade unionists from the post office, Davar itself, the national bank (Bank Le'umi), Egged, the bus corporation (misidentified in the caption above as "Eshed", but spelled correctly in the report itself), and more.  

Samushi - Yaron, Israeli Women's Championship, 1956

In continuation from the previous post, from the same source, here is the ending of the second game between Shamushi and Yaron, this time with Yaron as Black:

Shamushi, Esther - Yaron, Ora

Israeli Women's Championship (playoff), Ein Harod, 1956

Annotations: Czerniak

Black's advantage is in the attacking chances on the king's side, the two bishops, and the control of the e-file. 21... Bd6 22. b4 Re1 23. Qf2 Rxf1+ 24. Kxf1 Ba6+ 25. Kg1 Qd8 Black is setting a cunning trap. 26. axb6? Bc5! 

A nice ending. White cannot stop the loss of the queen. White resigns (0-1). (Naturally, 27. Qxc5 Qd1+ 28. Kf2 Qf1#  - A. P.) 

Yaron - Samushi, Israeli Women's Championship 1956

A frequent correspondent points out attention to Moshe Czerniak's Ha'arertz column of February 17th, 1956 (p. 5). Czerniak gives two games - both won by Ora Yaron against Esther Samushi (ph. spellings) in the playoff of the Israeli women's chess championship, 1956. Yaron was clearly the stronger player. Here is the first game. Interestingly, in both cases, Yaron won by winning the opponent's queen. 

Yaron, Ora - Samushi, Esther

Three Knights' Game (C46)

Israeli Women's Championship (playoff), Ein Harod, 1956

Source: Ha'aretz, 17.2.1956, p. 5

Annotations: Czerniak

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Bc5? This is known as a weak move. Now White gets a better position. 4.Nxe5! Bxf2+ The loss of the castling right is unimportant, compared to the control White gains in the central squares.5.Kxf2 Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4+ 7.g3 Qf6+ Such moves only help the opponent's development. 8.Bf4 Ng6 9.Nd5 Qc6 10.Bb5! 

A nice move, winning the queen. White won (1-0).

When not to Ask for Leave

  Source here

The following is from an interview of a chess player who shall, here, remain anonymous. As a new recruit in basic training in the IDF's armored corps, the talented young player he made the mistake of asking his sergeant for special leave. He wanted, he told the sergeant, to play in the Israeli chess championship, for which he was eligible.

The sergeant made the entire platoon stand in attention in the form of the array, with beds, packages, and other heavy equipment brought to take the place of the rooks and other pieces. The sergeant then explained to the platoon and to the player specifically they can expect similar treatment every time someone does the mistake of asking for leave for a stupid reason.