Super Nezh Chess Assassin by Alex Pishkin ICCF-IM Thinkers' Press, Inc. Davenport, Iowa 52802 ©2000 CopyriKhl ll'l 2000 by Al�x 1'1shkin All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced nor transmitted in any form nor by any means, electronic nor mechanical, including photocopying and recording, nor by any information storage nor retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Included in these reserved rights are publishing on the Internet or in annotated databases. Super Nezh, Chess Assassin September 2000 ISBN: 0-938650-91-2 (f) ISBN: 0-938650-94-7 (h) Requests fo r permissions and republication rights should be addressed in writing to: Bob Long, Editor-in-Chief Thinkers' Press, Inc. P.O. Box 8 Davenport, lA 52805-0008 USA office phone: 319-323-1226 e-mail: [email protected] =ii= Nt•zhnwt d tnov. Clwss Assassin Contents Explanation of Symbols .......................................................... iv Preface by Alex Pishkin ............................................................ v An Appreciation by IM Rashid Ziyatdinov .......................... .. x Publisher's Foreword ............................................................. xv 1 Biography ................................................................... 1 7 2 Masterpieces .............................................................. 33 3 The Fight .................................................................... 63 4 Attack ......................................................................... 91 5 Defense and Counterattack .................................... 123 6 Strategy .................................................................... 141 7 Opening Novelties ................................................... 153 8 The Endgame ........................................................... 171 9 Small Raisins ............................................................ 191 Opponents ............................................................................. 206 Openings' Index ................................................................... 209 Main Tournament and Match Results ............................... 211 Bibliography and Databases ............................................... 214 Colophon ............................................................................... 215 Crosstables ................................................................................. 14,90,122, 140,152,170,190,205,210,216-221s = iii = Explanation of Symbols x = captures t = check +- = White has a winning advantage -+ = Black has a winning advantage ± = White has a definite advantage + = Black has a definite advantage ;:t = White has the better game + = Black has the better game eo = Unclear N/f3 = Knight on f3 (for example) A triptychby Galin Satonin of the clash between Polugaevsky (leftpanel) and Nezhmetd.inov (right panel) which was heard round the world. As Polugaevsky said on page 36: "Sunk in thought for a long time,I understood that I was to say good­ bye to allhope and thatI was losing a game that would be spread all over the world." =iv= Preface he world of chess is multifaceted. Yet, of all its sides, three are considered T the most important: sport, science, and art. It is impossible to achieve complete success by developing your mastery in only one of these areas. Any outstand­ ing master combines in himself these three sides to this or that extent. Happy are those in whom they have been harmoniously developed: Fischer, Spassky, and Kasparov. Lasker and Petrosian were outstanding sportsmen, and fr om the present­ Karpov. Steinitz, Euwe, and Botvinnik were distinguished by their scientific approach. Alekhine and Tal can be called brilliant high priests of chess art. It goes without saying that these champions were blessed by additional chess qualities as well, otherwise the list of champions would be different. There are masters in whom certain chess qualities are developed to such a phenomenal extent that few of the recognised geniuses of chess can challenge them. Are there many among the greatest who can compete in the theory of the endgame with Yuri Averbakh, Nikolai Grigoriev or Andre Cheron? Perhaps, only Smyslov and Rubinstein .. Are there many among the greatest who might surpass in the fieldof analy­ sis Isaac Boleslavsky, Igor Zaitsev or Mark Dvoretsky? But chess theory and analysis are still the applied side of chess. They are certainly necessary for a chessplayer, no less than the mastery of versification is necessary for a poet, and solfeggio, fo r a musician. What we value most of all in the poet and musician is the gift of creativity, that intangible, ephemeral thing which is called "a God's spark." Among those who were endowed with "the God spark," and created many unforgettable masterpieces (though they never became world champions) were: Chigorin, Reti, Bronstein, Larsen, Ljubojevich ... To this list we should un­ doubtedly add Spielmann, Simagin, Tolush, Kupreichik and especially Nezh­ metdinov. The name of Rashid Gibyatovich Nezhmetdinov is not as well known to the western lover of chess. Indeed he is not included among "the greatest" of the chess world. He wasn't a grandmaster, though in the former Soviet Union one l'rt'l'un• can count about two hundred owners (remember Fischer, Morphy, l'lll�hury, of this title. Mecking ... 7). He wasn't fa mous in the international Nezhmetdinov gained his best results arena,simply because he had few chances after 40. He made his debut in the USSR to play outside of his own country. chess championship at 41, and the last Still, if you ask any chess master, no time he became the Russian champion not even that, if you ask any man who was at the age of 45. The last time he likes art in chess and has become ac­ played in the fmals ofthe all-Union cham­ quainted with the creative heritage of pionship was when he was almost 55! the chess masters of the past, he will In chess history you will seldom find surely say, "Ah, he is that master who similar cases of a chess player going regularly defeated Tal and who attacked on the "big stage" at such an "elderly" so beautifully!" age. Some might remember GeorgSalwe, And that is true. the Russian champion of 1905, who also Despite his lack of the grandmaster became a master after the age of 40. title, Rashid Nezhmetdinov was a unique Contemporary chess practice shows personality in the chess world. that chess champions "are younger and • In the USSR and, quite possibly, younger," and that a chess player reaches in the whole world, he was the only his peak by the age of25-30, and after "master squared," that is, he was a chess 35, his sporting fo rm slowly decreases. master and a checkers master at the At that age, the ability to accurately same time. Once Mikhail Tal jokingly calculate variations lessens. The abil­ called chess "algebra" and checkers ity to endure many hours of intensive "arithmetic." He hinted at a certain mental exercise also declines, something second-rate quality of a checkers game which a chess master seriously needs. in comparision with a chess game, a If this is true, and we cannot doubt the game which many consider the "royal truthfulness of the conclusions of spe­ game.'� AfterNezh metdinov had finally cialists, then how can we account fo r given up checkers, he noted one time the phenomenal chess ofNezhmetdinov? that all checkers contests can be reduced This is even more remarkable if we take to Rook endgames. On the other hand, into consideration that his style of playing checkers players have oftencommented chess was primarily based on the in­ on the depth of calculations of varia­ crease of tension on the chessboardan d tions in their favorite game, and espe­ the extremely intensive calculation of cially its oriental varieties, like the Japa­ variations. nese "Go," as surpassing chess. We won't It is impossible to explain this, just argue about this; these arguments in­ as it is impossible to answer the ques­ crease the significance ofNezhmetdinov's tion "How can one become a genius?" double mastery of both games. • Rashid Nezhmetdinov holds an un­ • His talent fully blossomed and re­ equaled record: he was chess champion vealed itself when he was no longer of Russia five times. All in all, he played young. He was 37 when he received the in the finals of the Russian champion­ title of chess master. At that age, and ships 16 times. even at· a younger age, many famous Besides those five first places, an­ chess masters disappeared fr om the scene other five times he was among the prize- =vi= Nl•zhnwt dlnov, t'lwss Assassin winm•rs. lll'l'l' also should be addl'd a war. He gained access to serious chess silver medal in one, till' checkers cham­ competitions only when he was 35. It pionship. His closest rival among Rus­ was much later when young talents in sian chess champions is the great Chi­ the Soviet Union could achieve won­ gorin, who won three championships derful conditions fo r growth and blos­ at the beginning of the century. soming. They had experienced teachers • His chess talent was unique. Lev in the Pioneer palaces, regular train­ Polugaevsky called him "the greatest ing meetings during school vacations. master of the initiative." Chess Informants, and computers. M. Tal says: "His games reveal the Rashid had no dreams of anything beauty of chess and make you love in like that. Practically speaking, he alone chess not so much the points and high created the brilliant chess master Nezh- placings, but the wonderful harmony metdinov.