The Well Practiced Finishing Touch of Alexander Tolush

Alexander Tolush was born May 1, 1910 in St. Petersburg and died March 3, 1969 in the same city, then known as Leningrad. Tolush won the Leningrad Championship four times from 1937-1947. He played in the USSR Championship ten times. His best result was in 1950, when he tied for places 2-4 with 11/17, just a half point behind Paul Keres. In that event, Tolush defeated Vassily Smyslov. His best result abroad was first place at Bucharest 1953 where he was clear first with 14/19, a point ahead of Tigran V. Petrosian. A half point lower was Smyslov, who defeated Tolush. A student of Tolush was another half point back with 12/19, in a tie for 4-6. His name is Boris Spassky. He defeated Smyslov and made IM. Spassky went on to win the World Junior Championship in 1955 and the World Championship in 1969. As Spassky’s trainer, Tolush is considered to have enhanced Spassky’s attacking play. For example, Spassky played the King’s Gambit dozens of times without a loss. Tolush played it five times with two losses. One of his wins is the game shown here. It is from one of the five semifinals of the USSR Championship in 1950.
The opening offered by Tolush is the King’s Gambit. Ravinsky replied with the Falkbeer Countergambit. The main line in C32 was followed. After the opening, Tolush obtained the better position in the middle game. It was possible for Ravinsky to get a disadvantageous ending, but he missed that chance. Instead, Tolush had the opportunity to bring the game to a conclusion by demonstrating the finishing touch with no mess. Other finishes might win in sloppier ways or even squander much of the advantage. I suggest that readers stop advancing the moves on the board after Black’s move 29 and then practice the finishing touch.