My Favourite Game Of. Number 30. Aleksandr Tolush. Not For The Faint-hearted!

This was meant to be a quick and simple little blog - but, Simaginfan being what he is, I ended up with a lot of stuff in the folder as it all came out of my head!

I have basically thrown it all onto the page in my shambolic way, so apologies to those who like things organised. It will be like the chess games of the subject matter - a bit chaotic, but enjoyable! 

So, in the comments to my last effort the name of Alexandr Tolush was thrown into the conversation. That led me to get this book

out of my library. It was put together after his death by his wife, so there are some nice photos in there, some of which I will include here.

Rather than my own thoughts on the player's chess - the thing I usually do in these 'favourite game of' posts - I will give a few thoughts of others. One thing to add there - I have read somewhere that Botvinnik - more of him later - once said to Kasparov that he had just played a game 'in the style of Tolush', and that statement wasn't meant as a compliment!!.

Let's do the Botvinnik stuff first.

There is another version of the story about the end of the win over Botvinnik. In that one the story is that when making his final move Tolush said to The Patriach ''You're f****d comrade Botvinnik!!" I wish I had been there!!

The game is right in the Tolush style - and definitely not in the Botvinnik style.

I can quite believe that the story is true. Tolush seems to have been rather like another of my 'favourite game' players, Ratmir Kholmov. A heavy drinking and tough character. He was also a decorated war hero - a tank commander - who saw serious active service, so that may have been a factor when combined with his own personality.

Of course, that personality did not endear him to the Soviet chess authorities. The only way to escape their sanctions was by putting big results on the board - which he failed to do. A page from D.J. Richards' wonderful book 'Soviet Chess'.

Perhaps - or probably - that is why he ended up in his most well known role - chess trainer, most significantly to the young Boris Spassky.

It doesn't seem to have been a marriage made in heaven, but undoubtedly helped Spassky - who had a generally  quiet, positional, style at the time. You can find some material on that here.  https://www.chess.com/article/view/spasskys-trainer-gm-alexander-tolush  

He also worked with other players. Some material from 'The Soviet School Of Chess' by Kotov and Yudovich.

O.K. Best do some chess!

Later in his career he entered the world of correspondence chess, and competed in a World Championship final. It didn't go well for him, and in one of his games he produced one of the all time great clerical errors. We've all done it, but this one is a real monster!!

OUCH!!

The last game of Tolush that I know of was rather better.

The Black Book opens with an article by the wonderful Mark Taimanov

An appropriate picture from chessintranslation.com

'Aleksandr Tolush Master Of Attack'. He includes this game between the two of them. Typical Tolush!!

Don't relax - the chess gets even more insane!

A picture bonus while I am here, rather than saving it for any future projects - 5 year old Taimanov and his parents from the same source as the previous picture.

Fantastic picture!!

O.K. And finally to my favourite game of Alexandr Tolush. We took our time getting to the destination, but we have enjoyed the journey!!

The game was easy to find in the book because of the sheet of A4 paper between the relevant pages with my old analysis of the game scribbled on it. I haven't computer checked it, so feel free to point out my mistakes.

His opponent was this man.

Those of you with a nervous disposition, and anyone who looks at their computer 'accuracy percentage score' and takes it seriously might like to go hide in the cellar at this point, with headphones  on playing something relaxing, and a blindfold on. Whatever you do, don't picture yourself trying to play a game like this over the board with people watching and the clock ticking!!!

Enjoy the game!!

 Quick question - inspired by the comments. Which game in history would you have most liked to have been there at the time to have seen?