How Rapid Chess Was Born- by David Bronstein
"Before playing his King to d7, I remember that Boris Vasilievich smiled, as if to say: I have done everything that I could, and now it's your turn. Not without reason, he says that he happily shows the final combination to his friends. That is how chess should be played. So that pleasure is gained by the players themselves, and the spectators, and those who will play through the game later."
"But few know that this miniature has a 'black' variation: also played with a great player, also in literally a few minutes, and also with a pure mate in the centre of the board!"
"When in the autumm of 1965 Keres and I were coming to the end of our trip to Switzerland, we were invited to a farewell dinner at the house of Alois Nagler, the organiser of our tour. He was an old friend of Keres, while he and I had met during the Candidates Tournament in Zurich, where Nagler was the chief arbiter. After dinner Alois invited us into his study. We talked and drank some coffee, after which, drawing on his cigar, he suddenly said: 'Paul wouldn't you like to play a game of blitz for me?' Keres began making excuses, alluding to the amount of wine drunk during the dinner, but the owner of the house was insistent."
"The old friend had to be respected. In my opinion, it turned out quite well. I don't know whether Paul Petrovich showed the final combination to his friends (this is unlikely, it was not in his character), but I took the liberty of publishing the game in one of my articles, as an example of how players with a mutual striving can create something pretty."
"On each move we spent about five seconds. True, later Keres repproached me for the fact that at one point I exceeded the limit. Possibly, if you play through the game, I think you will easily find this place."
To thank us for the pleasure we had given him, Alois opened a new bottle of wine, filled our glasses and made a toast in our honor. After which he unexpectedly asked: 'Can I show you a game which I played yesterday in the club?' We did not object. After all, "Gens Una Sumus".
"We liked the game, but the result was a surprise: in a winning position Nagler for some reason agreed a draw. I asked why: 'David, in Switzerland amateurs play without any adjournments.Therefore we have a special time control: an hour and a half for 30 moves, then 15 minutes to the end of the game. But my opponent was superior to me in class. And whereas in normal play I cold have withstood him, in blitz I wouldn't have had a chance. So that I had no reason to refuse a draw."
" The story had unexpected consequences. When I returned to Moscow, at the next meeting of the Chess Federation I mentioned my Swiss experience. Some expressed the willingness to try the new control in our country. After all, for a long time many amateurs have been oppressed by adjournments: day and night the adjourned position revolves before your eyes, poisoning the lives of the players themselves, and those close to them. I have often said: 'Your wives are not against chess, but don't take adjourned positions home to them.' "
"I am pleased that, following my example, chess speeded up. Now no one is troubled by any kind of time control.It transpires that everyone is capable of thinking quickly. And I was surprised to read Karpov saying in an interview that 'if it comes down to blitz, even Chepukaitis might become World Champion.' Yes, he might, and I don't see anything shameful about that. Genrikh Chepukaitis is an excellent strategist and a brilliant tactician. His numerous victories in blitz tournaments are explained by the fact that he is very skillful at creating complicated situations, in which his opponents, accustomed to 'erudite' play, simply lose their way." -David Bronstein
