Same Opening. Same Sacrifice. Two Wonderful Games. Two Wonderful Players. (Plus Some Natterings!)

Back - after a delay - with two games that will hopefully bring a little joy. Done this at high speed, so sorry if it is a bit of a shambles. Making it up as I go along!! 

I am working on one of my stupidly big historical research articles at the moment, as well as some research for other writers. Taken time out to do this while it is in my head, and hopefully some of you will take the time to just enjoy the chess. Some old-style gambit play by two true chess artists.

Courtesy of my dear friend Kamalakata...

( His extraordinary kindness and generosity of spirit is a constant lesson to me, and source of inspiration, even if I forget myself sometimes. The Chess World is too full of egos and self promotion [ and has been since Staunton's day] - and online these days, particularly so - and it is hard not to want to burst the self created balloon of such people sometimes. Kamalakanta has taught me to just love chess, and not to treat it as something purely competitive. Thanks mate! )

... I now have the book that made Rashid Nezhmetdinov known to many.

( Other transliterations are, as usual, available, That includes the standardised chess database version. See the book cover below for the Russian language original, where there is indeed a letter 'd', so don't even go there!!) 

I have been studying the chess art - there is no other way of expressing it - of Nezhmetdinov for many years. I am the lucky owner of this book.

It was once owned by the great Tigran Petrosian, with the following dedication on the inside cover.

One of my favourite games in it,  game 61-I think- comes early in Pishkin's book.

There is an article currently on this site along the lines of 'the greatest players you have never heard of.' Well, as some of you will know, in terms of the material I post on chess.com, that topic is something of a speciality of mine. A long, long time ago, as the song goes, I did an article on the incredible chess talent that was Klaus Junge.

https://www.chess.com/blog/simaginfan/that-was-klaus-junge-1-1-1924-17-4-1945  

One of his games features the same opening line, and the same sacrificial idea, so I will give the games here, together with some pictures, as I do, that will hopefully be new to those who churn out the same three pictures of Nezhmetdinov that they find on the internet!!

Enjoy the chess!!

First up, the Nezhmetdinov game, that has a little story - not mentioned elsewhwere - in the notes.

  And on to the Junge game. I took the game file from the wonderful Tim Harding's pgn file, which includes lines given by Heidenfeld in his book 'Grosse Remispartien', and have left that analysis in there, so apologies if it is a little confused! 

Some of you might know that I was a half decent correspondence player back in pre-engine days, and if I could have back all the time I have spent on this particular game I could have a couple of days off work.  Back then, trying to analyse the games of others was a passion for some of us.

Even with the analysis of others, and some checking with the engines, I still can't say that I totally understand it, and can put myself in the shoes of the players when the postcard arrived.

Various suggestions have been made as to the exact identity of the player of the White pieces, Can't help on that score, but he was clearly a very fine player.

Will be back in a couple of weeks with the serious chess history stuff! Take care of yourselves, and those you care for, until then.