Parnau 1947. Some Games, A Quiz And A Tactics Puzzle.
Good afternoon everyone. A bit of self indulgence today, with some fascinating chess and nice pictures to enjoy. Have fun!
In the latest wonderful blog by my friend @zoranepe https://www.chess.com/blog/zoranpe/david-bronstein-one-of-the-greatest-attackers-in-chess-history-part-5 he mentioned something which brought a game to mind, which reminded me of a tournament that I really like. Parnau Training Tournament 1947.
'Training Tournament'? Well, that is how it was classed at the time - it was an internal USSR event, with no championship or qualification for anything involved. (btw, 1947 was a fascinating year in Soviet chess)
The crosstable.
As you can see, it was pretty strong! According to Terekhov ,in his wonderful vol 1 of his Smyslov series, it could have been even stronger! Apparently Botvinnik, Ragozin and Levenfish turned down invitations. He says that it was originally billed as 'a tournament of the strongest Soviet chess players, dedicated to the All-Union Day of Physiculturists'. No kidding.
As you can see, Keres won the event - he has this to say in his best games series.
''After the U.S.S.R. Championship I played in a match against
Latvia and then I busied myself with the organisation of a
masters' tournament at Parnu in which the best players of the
U.S.S.R. were due to compete. It exacted a great deal of work,
but in the end the tournament actually did take place and, in
order to give them practice, two of the home masters, Randviir
and Renter, were allowed to take part. Despite the exhausting
nature of the play, this tournament constituted an agreeable
relaxation for the participants, thanks to the prevailing
splendid summer weather. I played well in this tournament
too and produced some interesting games, although life in a
spa did not exactly provide the right atmosphere for tournament
play. The rivalry for first place went on till the very last
round. Only then, when Kotov failed to realise a marked
advantage against Lilienthal, did I succeed in passing him by
half a point.''
Perhaps this inspired him to organise the Tallin tournaments in the 1970's - a blog I must get round to at some point - great tournaments!
O.K. Seven games - 5 with brief or no notes, and 2 'feature' games, plus some pictures ( one or two never posted on the internet before) Let us begin!
The game mentioned above between Keres and Bronstein.
Keres won the tournament, but in this game he was unrecognisable - far from his normal incisive self. His opening idea doesn't work out, he dithers - K-h1 and then back to g1 - and then a simple one move tactical error ends the game. I will give it here as a tactics puzzle. Black to play.
When people write about Bronstein the usual thing to say is about his creativity. Well, here's a thing. These 'authorities' love to try to make players fit into a category. They seem to ignore the fact that great players are just that because - regardless of 'style' - they actually play chess very well, and are strong in all types of positions. Bronstein had a huge opening repertoire - a bit like Ivanchuk for example. On his part this is a model game in the Sicilian.
A Simaginfan Dylanesque chain of thought. Keres' Bg5, Be2, and 0-0 idea failed in that game against Bronstein. He later revived it to win a brilliancy against Kotov. At Parnau Kotov won against Bronstein with Black in a Sicilian.
A nice, relevant, picture from Lilienthal's 'Eletem A Sakk'.
A game by the winner. I chose this one for two reasons. Firstly - with regard to my previous observation - Keres is often 'boxed' as an 'attacking player'. He was a very fine positional and endgame player as well! Secondly, because of move 3. (Yes, really)
A picture from the event - this version from the Konstantinopolsky archives via Elk and Ruby publishers, with thanks.
So, a little chess geek quiz - readers of my earlier blogs will know the answer. Why were these 5 players put together for a picture?
Curiously Salo Flohr annotated this game in the Black book volume on a player I have written about before.
Uusually for him - he was normally a solid positional player - Makogonov goes all out for the attack with Black and gets out-calculated.
A game I first saw in Jimmy Adams' translation of Boleslavsky's best games collection.
This blogs version of the 'fun game', although it goes on longer than it might have done.
So, onto the two 'feature games'. Andor Lilienthal
is a player I really like. He had a fine tournament and gives three of his games from it in his various books. Well, I have often joked that one day I will write a book of Smyslov's most beautiful loses. ( Sorry Andrey!) This is a quite remarkable game. I have done my own notes - rather than use Lilienthal's, but have included some of his analysis from Eletem a Sakk.
And finally this one. I am Simaginfan. He had a poor tournament, but produced this game which is pure Simagin. He did not include it in his best games collection, and I have never seen it given by anyone else. Simagin was really the player who started the whole 'Russian Exchange Sacrifice' debate of all those years ago, and here he just leaves a Rook en prise to a Bishop. while he gets on with things. The finish with the Pawns on the seventh is rather nice too. Chess artist at work. Enjoy!
Two picture to finish. The Soviet team from the USA team match as a bonus quiz - can you name them all?
And the first quiz picture which gives the answer, if you can do the Russian, from the Kotov book. 
Thanks for joining me while I was enjoying myself. Take care everyone.
