Re: Blindfold Chess - the book
It was at this time (1930) that a young Belgian, Georges Koltanowski, decided to establish himself as a world renowned blindfold player. He had all the "gifts" necessary - a clear "mental vision", great ability to calculate variations, a passion for blindfold chess, and different from other great blindfold players openings uniquely tailored to obtain success in multi-board blindfold exhibitions - the Max Lange Attack! - and other gambit openings. These attacking openings put great pressure on opponents - both psychologically via surprise moves and also pressure to find accurate defensive moves. The ability to play these attacking gambits is not for everyone - they have to be played with the ability to find creative tactics and attacking finishes but that was Kolty's (affectionate nickname of Koltanowski) forte. A brilliant illustrative example is the following: Koltanowski - Dunkelblum, blindfold simul ten boards, Antwerp, Belgium 1924
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.Re1+ Be6 9.Ng5 Qd5 10.Nc3 Qf5 11.Nce4 Bb4 12.c3 dxc3 13.bxc3 Ba5 14.g4 Qg6 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.f7+ Kxf7 17.Ng5+ Kg8 18.Rxe6 Qd3 19.Qe1 Rf8 20.Re8 Qd7 21.Rxf8+ Kxf8 22.Ba3+ Ne7 23.Rd1 Qxg4+ 24.Kf1 Qxg5 25.Rd5 Qh4 26.Rh5 Qf6 27.Rf5 1-0 The opening is the Max Lange Angriff (Attack) and it is defined by 5.d4 - a gambit pawn lever in the center. The position after move 10 is the key position in one of the main variations of the Max Lange. 16.f7+ and the finishing maneuver of the white rook - Rd5-Rh5-Rf5 are examples of creative tactics.
It was at this time (1930) that a young Belgian, Georges Koltanowski, decided to establish himself as a world renowned blindfold player. He had all the "gifts" necessary - a clear "mental vision", great ability to calculate variations, a passion for blindfold chess, and different from other great blindfold players openings uniquely tailored to obtain success in multi-board blindfold exhibitions - the Max Lange Attack! - and other gambit openings. These attacking openings put great pressure on opponents - both psychologically via surprise moves and also pressure to find accurate defensive moves. The ability to play these attacking gambits is not for everyone - they have to be played with the ability to find creative tactics and attacking finishes but that was Kolty's (affectionate nickname of Koltanowski) forte. A brilliant illustrative example is the following: Koltanowski - Dunkelblum, blindfold simul ten boards, Antwerp, Belgium 1924
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.Re1+ Be6 9.Ng5 Qd5 10.Nc3 Qf5 11.Nce4 Bb4 12.c3 dxc3 13.bxc3 Ba5 14.g4 Qg6 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.f7+ Kxf7 17.Ng5+ Kg8 18.Rxe6 Qd3 19.Qe1 Rf8 20.Re8 Qd7 21.Rxf8+ Kxf8 22.Ba3+ Ne7 23.Rd1 Qxg4+ 24.Kf1 Qxg5 25.Rd5 Qh4 26.Rh5 Qf6 27.Rf5 1-0 The opening is the Max Lange Angriff (Attack) and it is defined by 5.d4 - a gambit pawn lever in the center. The position after move 10 is the key position in one of the main variations of the Max Lange. 16.f7+ and the finishing maneuver of the white rook - Rd5-Rh5-Rf5 are examples of creative tactics.
Comment