Bisguier Plays the Schliemann Against Spassky

Arthur Bisguier was born October 8, 1929. He became an International Grandmaster in 1957. He remembers when "there were so few of us." He was the US Junior Champion in 1948 and 1949. He was the US Open Champion in 1950, 1956, and 1959. Fischer won the US Open in 1957 on tiebreaks when he was tied for first with Bisguier. In 1954, Bisguier won the US Championship. Bisguier played in five Olympiads for the US. He was in two interzonals (1955 and 1962). He won the US Senior Championship in 1989, 1997, and 1998. Bisguier is believed to have played more chess players than anyone in history in tournaments and exhibitions. In 2005, he was named "Dean of American Chess." Two volumes of his games have been published under the title "The Art of Bisguier" in 2003 and 2008.

In the following game, Bisguier faced the future World Champion, Boris Spassky. Spassky played three matches for that title. He lost in his challenge to Tigran Petrosian in 1966. He won the title against Petrosian in 1969. He lost his title to Fischer in 1972. Spassky played the Ruy Lopez which Bisguier answered with the Schliemann Defense. The notes will show other games in which Bisguier played the Schliemann and games in which Spassky played both sides. In this game, Bisguier obtained such a good position that Spassky gave up a rook in order to have enough counterplay to get a new queen. The end result is determined by whether or not getting a new queen is going to provide enough counterplay.