My Favorite Game Of. Number 8. Vladas Mikenas.

In the great tradition of the London bus, no posts from me for ages, then 2 come along at once!!

Having done consecutive posts that look in some depth at Lasker's extraordinary qualities, I wanted to post a game that came into my head whilst sitting on a Norfolk beach this week. If you don't enjoy this game, then chess is not the game for you. It's a gem!

So, Vladas Mikenas. I can hear the mutterings as I type this - 'Simaginfan has dug up another nobody from somewhere!!' 

Mikenas , was a genuine Grandmaster - he had a level score against Alekhine, for example. He came back into my head whilst going through the excellent book 'Petrosian's Legacy' for another post in this series - Petrosian describing his frustrations at trying to get an opening advantage against him.

Unfortunately Mikenas was from Lithuania, and the politics, etc, of the time rather curtailed his career as an international player. He had a long career, though, stretching from 1930 through to the time that this picture was taken, in 1978.

That is the great Maya Chiburdinadze left of picture.

There is a small article on him here that may interest you as a follow up to this article.

I am lucky enough to own the volume on him in the Soviet 'Black Book' series. It contains loads of wonderful chess. Take the following game for example - one I forgot when doing my rook to the 6th rank post. 

So to the game - notes, except the first one -  by Mikenas. Enjoy the game!!