Signatures

 

The above is a set of signature of chess players who played in the 1964 Olympiad in Tel Aviv. How many can you recognize? 

The selection is from an article about the players' "signature habits" by Aryeh Lin (ph. spelling), Davar, 29.11.1964, p. 4. The author notes that in this Olympiad, the usually cagey soviet players signed more readily than in previous Olympiads, due to the "heartwarming" atmosphere at the Olympiad. He notes that Petrosian is hard to get to sign, and that in general when the soviet players do sign, they do so between other signatures, perhaps so as to not have their signature misused. Reshevsky on the other hand offered a fan to sign either in Hebrew or in English, and waited with the pen in his hand "for more customers." 

The reporter finishes with a trick he learned: to get signatures, use an envelope - not regular paper - and write a few fake signatures on it before you show it to the first "victim," who will find it hard to refuse if others already signed! 

The Future

 

The above cutting, from Al Ha'mishmar, May 10th, 1963, p. 8, mailed to us by a frequent correspondent, is about the students' chess tournament of 1963. The interesting point is that the winners are all future chess "greats" in Israel, the younger generation that replaced the "old guard" of Czerniak, Porat, Itzhak Aloni and others in the 1960s. These are Shimon Kagan, (1st place, 8.5/11 with no losses), Uri Avner, ex-IDF champion (8), who lost in the last round to Yoel Aloni (Holon's champion). Third place went to Amir Helman. 

Another Nice Attack

The same chess column number which published Marmorosh's simul win had also published the following game, played in the second league (liga bet), northern division, in Israel that year, 1956, only a few years since the league games were established in the early 1950s. The game was between Emek Hefer and Kfar Saba, in the 6th round. It is remarkable for the crushing attack by White. 

Yehuda Michaeli - Rami Furman (ph. spelling for both names)

Semi-Slav, 5.e3 [D45]

2nd league, northern division, Emek Hefer (Michael) vs. Kfar Saba (Furman)

Source: see above

Annotator: Eliyahu Shahaf

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Be7 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Bd3 Nf8 9.0–0 Ng6 10.Bd2 0–0 11.Ne5 c5 12.f4 cxd4 13.exd4 Qb6 14.Be3 Be6 15.Qf2 Bc8

16.f5 Nh8 17.g4 Qd8 18.g5 Nd7

19.Qh4 Nxe5 20.dxe5 f6 21.exf6 gxf6 22.g6 And White won (1-0) after a few moves.

A Marmorosh Victory

A Frequent correspondent points out that in 1956, Davar (7.6.1956, p. 7) there was a "festive simultaneous display" and an "exhibition" of "30 years of chess in the country" in Jerusalem. It was actually 30 years since Marmorosh came to Palestine. (Our correspondent adds that there was, after all, chess in the country before that!). 

Marmorosh, who gave the display (+25 -0 =0, in two and a half hours) was congratulated by the head of the workers' union (Histadrut) for his anniversary. The paper adds the ending of one of the games, between Marmorosh (White) and a "young player who played with great talent." 

Marmorosh - NN

July 1956 

Source: see above

Annotator: Eliyahu Shahaf

Black's last move puts White in a difficult situation, since the rook has no escape square (Rg3? Nh5!). So Marmorosh prepares a last-resort swindle. 18.Bc2! Ne4?? This move, which seems very strong (attacks three pieces) is what White waited for, quietly replying 19.Rxc6! Nxd2 20.Bxf5 Rxf5 21.Bxd2 and White won (1-0) after a few moves.

Comparisons

 

A frequent correspondent points out to us this note about the Netanya "Shach-kayit" tournament (Ma'ariv, 20.5.1960, p. 12). The article notes that abroad, "famous spa towns organize large tournaments with well known players," and adds that while Israel hadn't reached this point, "the renewing 'Schach-kayit' ('chess-vacation') tournament in Netanya does so, if "in smaller dimensions." As usual, the problem is financial: "Israeli chess, built on the volunteer work of motivated people, needs to be happy with any organized event with many players in a competitive setting." 

A Nice Attack

 From La'Merchav, Feb. 14th, 1958, p. 6, sent to us by a dedicated correspondent:

Ido Aviner - Beno Levi 

Sicilian Dragon [B71]

1958? 

Source: see above

Annotator: Eliyahu Fasher

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.f4 Nc6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5 Ng4 Black chose here a variant which, he said, Euwe recommended. Black forces White to open his KS, but paralyzes his own QS. 9.h3 Nh6 10.g4 To prevent Nf5 after White's next move. e6 11.Be3 d5 12.Bg2 Stops the advance of the pawns on Black's QS. (12.g5? Nf5) 12...Be7 13.O-O Ba6 14.Ne2 Self-pinning the N for a long time, but done to keep the f1 square free for the rooks. 14...Qa5 15.b3! Bc5 16.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 17.Kh2 Better than 17. Kh1, as will be clear in the 21st move. 17... Rd8 18. Qd2 Ng8 White's threat was f5 ad then f6. 19. Rf3? Wants to free the N, but doesn't notice Black's next move, which both frees and attacks. 19...h5! 20.Nd4! Keeps the position intact. 20...Qb6 20...hxg4 21.Rc3 with complications. 21. Kg3! c5 21... h4+ 22. Kh2 22. Ne2 Ne7 23. Nc3 Qc7 Of course not 23...d4? 24.Ne4. 24.Re1 Nc6 25. Bf1 hxg4 26. hxg4 Qe7 Threatening mate never hurts! 27.g5 Qb7 28.Rf2 Nd4 29.Bh3 Qb4 30.Na4! Black avoids a queen exchange in an equal position, i.e., trying to win by force. But this costs the paralyzation of the queen. 30...Nb5? 30... Nxc2? White doesn't fear this, due to 31. Rc1 31.c3 Qa3 

32.f5! gxf5 33.Bxf5! White exploits the black queen's paralysis to break through. The bishop sacrifice cannot be accepted due to e6 with a crushing attack. But Black manages to find a way to defend by opening a way to his queen. 33...c4 34.Bg4! Keeps the material advantage. 34.g6 Qe7 35.gxf7+ Kf8 and Black wins. 34...Bc8 34...cxb3 35.axb3 Qxb3 36.Qf4 wins; 34...Qe7 35.Ref1, followed by 36.Rf6, 37.g6, etc. 35.Ref1 Qe7 36.Rxf7 Qxf7 37.Rxf7 Kxf7 38.Qf2+ Ke8 Best under the circumstances. 38...Kg8 39.Qf6 Re8 40.Qg6+ Kf8 41.Bh5 and wins. 39.Qf6 Kd7 40.Bxe6+! Kc7 41.Bxc8 Simplest. 41...Rxc8 41... Kxc8 42. Qc6+ Nc7 43. Nc5 etc. 42.Qe7+ Kb8 43.Nc5 Nc7 44.Qd6 and Black resigned (1-0) due to mate in a few moves, e.g. 44...Rcd8 45.Na6+ Kb7 46.Qxc7+ Kxa6 47.Qc6+ Ka5 48. b4#. 

The First Palestinian Report of Capablanca

 

In Marmorosh's chess column from Sept. 17th, 1939 (p. 4), brought to our attention by a frequent correspondent, we read two interesting notes. The first is that Kniazer became champion of the Tel Aviv Lasker club with 6.5/9 - two full points ahead of the next player, Weil (who at the time of the report had one more game to play, with Labounsky, 3 pts.) Interesting is also the report of the 'A-level' (secondary) tournament, with 16 players, which gave the first three the right to play in general Tel Aviv Championship. 

More interesting, perhaps, is the note that 'due to the serious international situation' - later known as the second world war - there are 'no telegraph reports' from the Buenos Aires olympiad, so at the moment all Marmorosh can report is Czerniak's draw with Capablanca in the match with Cuba. A pawn down, 'in a losing position', Czerniak sacrificed a pawn 'for a desperate attack' and drew. They note also Porat (then Foerder) drew (with the unmentioned Cuban 2nd board, Acre Lopez). 

Tel Aviv - Jerusalem Match, 1923

 

An earlier item this time: a frequent correspondent notes this report from Doar Ha'Yom (October 10th, 1923, p. 4) of the Tel-Aviv - Jerusalem championship in the "E. L." (Emmanuel Lasker) club in Jerusalem. (It was brought to my attention by a frequent correspondent.) The Jerusalem paper's chess columnist - Mohilever - notes that Tel Aviv won 21.5 - 14.5, and explains that the Jerusalem players didn't prepare well, and some were simply too weak for such a tournament. The author notes in particular Labounsky from Tel Aviv as a promising young player. 

A Day in Palestinian Chess

 

The same column just mentioned in the previous post - brought to our attention by a frequent correspondent - has reports on the Jerusalem championship, Tel Aviv's championship, and (pictures above) reports on the championship of Hadera, and a simultaneous display by Marmorosh in Haifa. This shows the rise in chess activity in Palestine before the "lean years" of WWII and the war of independence. 

The Hadera championship had 20 players, and was won by Menachem Susmann with Aharon Feigenbaum (ph. spelling in both cases) second. The prizes, 'by the culture committee', were books by Ha'Shomer - that is, by the kibbutz-based publishing house which later became one of Israel's largest publishing houses, Sifriyat Poalim (literally 'the workers' library'). 

The simultaneous display ended  +15 =1 -4 in Marmorosh's favor, and lasted two and a half hours.