The Chess Mind

I imagine that many of my American readers (but fewer of those around the world) will know the name of Larry Evans. He has been a long-time columnist for Chess Life, and is also well-known for his association with Bobby Fischer. (For instance, he wrote the short game introductions in Fischer's classic My 60 Memorable Games.) But it should not be forgotten that during his playing days, Evans was an exceptionally strong player in his own right; a grandmaster at a time when very few such creatures walked the earth. Among his successes are five US Championship titles, eight trips to the Olympiad and numerous other successes, including victory in the very first Lone Pine tournament.

This week, we'll look at one of his earliest successes, achieved when he was just 15 or 16 years old. Born in 1932, Evans won the Marshall Chess Club championship for 1947/8, and this week we'll look at a remarkable game from that event. (Added bonus: it's not in Mega, so you'll have something to add to your collection.) Facing Carl Pilnick, Evans chooses a very sharp and dangerous way of meeting the French, and with players castling on opposite wings a race situation quickly ensued. Objectively, Pilnick was probably ahead in the race, but Evans found some really brilliant and deep ideas that even your computer might not manage to find. (Of course, you should first try to find the idea for yourself, and only later test your software!)

It's a very entertaining game, and one I'm sure you'll all enjoy. Just tune in tonight - Wednesday night - at 9 p.m. ET/Thursday morning at 2 a.m. CET, for free, and see for yourself! (Quick directions: log on to Playchess.com at the right time, go to the Broadcasts room, select the Games tab and double-click Evans-Pilnick.)

With all the super-tournaments going on nowadays, it's easy to forget that there are other great players producing work of art. Some of them make their achievements in over the board action, but many more do so in the comfort of their study. I'm referring, of course, to correspondence players. Many of them are accomplished in tournament chess, and when we add comparatively unlimited time and the chance to consult with computer engines, the result is a potent chess playing entity!

Case in point: the ongoing Simon Webb Memorial, an all-star correspondence tournament that started in 2007. Arno Nickel clinched clear first, and the tournament is shot through with beautiful games. We might look at one of his games later, but this week we'll look at Michiel Plomp's victory over former world correspondence champion Grigory Sanakoev.

The opening was an English Attack in the Najdorf/Scheveningen, so if you're expecting a sharp game, you're right. It's not just rock 'em sock 'em robots, though: there's a clear, logical thread that runs throughout the game. If anything, the most confusing moment is the end: why does Black resign? Sure, White's attack looks dangerous, but he's down a rook and a bishop and his only big threat can be easily met.

We'll puzzle it out, along with some of the other subtle points in the game, when we look at it tonight (Wednesday night) at 9 p.m. ET (that's 2 a.m. CET for you Europeans - insomniacs and early risers are welcome). The show is free. Just log on to the Playchess.com server, go to the Broadcasts room and select Plomp-Sanakoev under the Games tab. See you there!

The Linares tournament is coming to a close, and with it the fourth anniversary of Garry Kasparov's retirement from active tournament play. The greatest chess player to date is out of the game, and the greatest female player ever - Judit Polgar - hasn't been very active the last few years either. So this week we'll commemorate them both by looking at one of the many interesting games in their fascinating (if rather one-sided) rivalry.* **

Our game for this week's show took place in what was one of the great annual events, the now-defunct Tilburg super-tournament. 1997 was a banner year for Tilburg, with Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, and (in a breakout performance) Peter Svidler tying for first with 8 out of 11. Despite the photo-finish, Kasparov was the early leader, jumping out with 5.5/6, including an impressive round 2 win against Polgar. The game starred Kasparov showing off in all phases of the game: powerful and systematic opening play, dynamic attacking chess in the middlegame, and tremendous tactical skill in converting his opportunities.

In addition to the game's value as a demonstration of Kasparov's skill, I believe it's also of value to you, the viewers, for some of the opening and early middlegame concepts seen in the game. Kasparov hinted at a pawn roller approach against Polgar's Nimzo-Indian, a la the famous Botvinnik-Capablanca game, and Polgar nipped the usual buildup in the bud by playing ...c4 before White could bring the bishop to d3 and prepare e4. What could White do now?

The answer is...to be revealed tonight, during the show. So tune in at 9 p.m. ET (that's Wednesday night; Thursday morning at 3 a.m. CET) and find out! To watch, log on the the Playchess server (aka the "Fritz" or "ChessBase" server) at the right time, go to the Broadcast room and look up Kasparov-Polgar under the Games tab. The show is free, so I hope to see you then!

* Their head-to-head score was +12 -1 =4 in favor of Kasparov, whose only loss came in a rapid game where he got confused, thought he was Kramnik, and tried the Berlin.

** It's possible that I'll dedicate a couple more weeks to their games - stay tuned.