N.N. My 60 Memorable Games: Part I
This Blog is the first part in a series about the chess player known anonymously as N.N.
N.N. is a Latin abbreviation for "Nomen nescio" - literally translated as "name I do not know" N.N. is commonly used in chess when the opponent of a player is not known. Taking inspiration from Bobby Fischer's "60 Memorable Chess Games," I have written this as a first person historical fiction account of NN - An unknown player who has apparently lived for centuries (of course, this is impossible and N.N. is thousands of different players or, in some cases, simply used a dummy opponent from a famous player). I have talked about a lot of historical chess players as characters in his life but I cannot verify that a lot of it is true - Often it is just based on what was known about them or inferred from their lives (in some cases not a whole lot was known as they lived so long ago).
Introduction: NN - Who am I? None of your business!
"The Unknown Comic" - https://www.chessgames.com/player/nn
I have played all-comers in the chess world. From righteous rulers to streetwise chess sharks; from celebrated world champions to hapless beginners - I have played the lot! At this point you may be asking yourself how strong I must be at chess to have had the opportunity to battle it out against the heavyweights of the game. I must be a strong Grandmaster, right? What if I told you that I am just as strong as you: I am just as impulsive and reckless in my play as you. I am a Chess Clown as opposed to Chess Wizard.
You may have seen some of my games in chess literature - I'm the player who often acts like a speed bump against the greats. I am ever foolish and naïve in my play. I am forever greedy in my moves and act like a curiosity-ridden cat: "What would happen, if I take here?" I often find saying to myself in games, only to be on the receiving end of a devastating tactical maelstrom from my more established, recognisable opponent. Paul Morphy did not break a sweat against me in our games as he dispatched me without sight of the board. Jose Raul Capablanca simply brushed me aside in our simul. battles. And Tal? I merely became another masterpiece on the wall of his illustrious, lauded chess career. I am a cautionary tale of how not to play this game and an anonymous footnote in the annals of history. My resilience is resolute however; I always come back for more. I am a glutton for punishment...
From Sam Copelands video and blog which you can find here: https://www.chess.com/blog/SamCopeland/mikhail-tals-smashing-sicilian-miniature-tal-vs-nn-1963
Some would say I am the worst player in chess history, a mere placeholder for the forgotten and unnamed player. Maybe, this is true. But I’ve been here too long, lost too many times and witnessed too much to be considered just a symbol. I’m part of this game too! I woven into the unforgettable tapestry of chess history. I’m the opponent, the fool, in every instructive loss. I am the necessary counterweight to every masterpiece. Without me, beauty wouldn’t shine as bright. I've lost so many times and won very few games. But I’ve helped create thousands of masterpieces.
My name is NN. I will play as long as chess exists.
This is my story, these are my 60 memorable games and my memorable opponents:
Chapter 1: Facing the Chess Pioneers
Pedro Damiano (1480-1544)
I remember Pedro fondly; he was my first chess opponent. He was the first man to capture my heart with this wondrous game. When we first met, Pedro was only 17-years-old and was still studying in school in Portugal. He was a well educated, methodical man who enjoyed explaining difficult concepts in simple terms. He ended up becoming a pharmacist in his later life: a noble, respectable profession. He did have a dream however: he wanted to spread the joys of this game to as many people as possible by writing a standardised rules manual of the game. Thankfully, with the printing press in wide circulation, his dream became a reality - He published one of the first books on chess: Questo libro e da imparare giocare a scachi et de li partiti in 1512 - I did suggest to him to consider shortening the title of his book (ironic considering the title of this blog)... However, the book was a major success and received multiple published editions:
Had I of known that I would feature on the front cover, I may have worn something different that day...
Game 1: Don't be a copycat
He was far from the most flamboyant player I had the opportunity to play against; in fact he was quite humble and modest. In one of the games we played, he made the ultimate sacrifice to me which completely tarnished his reputation for years to come: In my poor, undeveloped opening play, he brutally crushed my position. The opening in question: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6? is now known as the Damiano defense. Can you believe it! He attached my poor play to himself rather than curse me for all of chess eternity! This defense should be called the "N.N. defense!" He now holds this "heavy cross" - something which I am rather ashamed of...
Game 2 - Never play f6!
Gioachino Greco (1600-1634)
The next player I can remember fondly was Gioachino Greco. Unlike Damiano's calm modest prescence, Gioachino had much more charisma and panache about him. After all, he made his living from persuading royalty to play a simple board game in their courts - preposterous at a time like this! He was one of the first chess professionals of the game serving under King Philipp IV who was enchanted like many others by the game. Greco's play was sensational: He was a true romantic before the age of romanticism a couple of centuries later. He boldly flung his pieces against me and I could never repel his attacks. In fact, despite my best play, I could never best him - Not even once in our games! Yes, it is true that he lied a lot about of games and he made up some of them to impress his rich and powerful friends. However, I enjoyed our many tactical dogfights together - Even if he always came out on top...
Game 3: Stop using the f-pawn!
https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/greco.html - "On pages 82 and 88 Ganzo’s book, Historia general del ajedrez, had pictures allegedly of both Ruy López and Gioacchino Greco"
One day, Greco announced to me that he was going away for a long time to seek his fortune elsewhere. This place was faraway to what was known as the "New World" at the time. He naively followed a Spanish nobleman and ventured out to the West Indies - unaware of the supposed dangers of this country. I sadly never heard from my friend again. A few months later, I was regrettably informed of his untimely death by Alessandro Salvio at the young age of 34! - I wept - Whilst I have become accustomed to outliving my opposition, I was distraught to hear about the death of a beloved chess friend whom I had played many tactical skirmishes against:
Game 4: Smothered!
François André Danican Philidor (1726-1795)
Philidor's portrait
Having moved from Rome to Paris at the start of the 18th century, I got to meet a true genius - François André Danican Philidor. Unlike the other players who I would eventually play, Philidor had conquered two fields of expertise: chess and music. Philidor was part of a well-renowned musical dynasty: By the age of 12 he was composing his own musical compositions and would go on to have a very successful music career. By 18, he was a regular of the Cafe de la Regence - The hottest chess playing venue of the time.
Game 5: A chess gambit to take the world by storm
Game 6: The Bertin Gambit unleashed
Philidor was admired by so many in our chess circle due to his impressive chess strength. Outside of our 64 squares, he also garnered a lot of attention amongst the many intellectuals of Paris at the time: Voltaire and Rousseau were amongst his many admirers and would often seek him for his advice on matters. Perhaps, they were simply trying to comprehend the pawns = souls argument that he had originally stipulated.
As we moved through time towards the end of the 18th century however, the world was changing so much. The French Revolution of 1789 was a death knell to his demonstrations in Paris and he had to express himself abroad in various clubs in London. I could not understand why he was on the Revolutionary banishment list! - He was far from a threat to French Society, unless you consider the chess board to be an offensive weapon...
Philidor would pass away at the age of 68 still the strongest player in chess history. In my view, for 50 years, he truly was the best chess player in the world - This would of course give him the unofficial title of longest reign as "the best chess player" if you don't count Emmanuel Lasker's 27 year reign as world champion.
His lasting legacy on the game were his "solid as a rock" black chess opening, his love of pawns, his famous book: "Analyse du jeu des Échecs" and his endgame analysis of Rook endings that have stood the test of time (even if I could never get it to work in my games...).
More Chess Embarrassments to the Modenese Masters: Giambattista Lolli (1698 – 1769) and Domenico Lorenzo Ponziani (1719-1796)
I would like to finish this chapter on my experiences of the old masters by showing you three disasters against two of the Italian masters of the 18th century: Giambattista Lolli and Domenico Lorenzo Ponziani. It is fair to say that I am not proud of these games in the slightest but they are painful lessons in how to not approach this game...:
Game 8 - My boy "Lolli"-pop...
