by James Schroeder

[Click HERE for floating game board.]

Copyright © 2006 James Schroeder

It was a beautiful spring morning about to turn into a sunny afternoon, for which Southern California was famous. Twenty years later Harry would remember it nostalgically as “the good old days”.

It was a Saturday, a day off from work. Having very little money and nothing to do, Harry decided to go to the YMCA and see if there were any checker players there.

He went up the steps and into the building and discovered some persons playing contract bridge, but no checker players.

Then he saw the sign: “SIMULTANEOUS CHESS EXHIBITION / 1:00 P.M. / Auditorium / U.S. Chess Master, Reuben Fine”.

Harry didn’t know anything about chess but thought: “Where there’s chess players there could be checker players.”

So he went downstairs to the auditorium and walked into a room with long tables arranged in a rectangle and fifty boards and sets in place.

As Harry stood there a man approached and said: “Hi! I’m Herman Steiner, did you want to play? It’s only five dollars.”

“I don’t know how to play chess,” said Harry.

The man did not appear distressed by this negative reply. Instead, his face lit up and he said: “I’ll show you! Come over here.”

They went to a board where Herman first named all the pieces and then explained chess notation.

The setting of this story is more than sixty years ago, and English Descriptive Notation was almost always used. “Algebraic” was considered a foreign abberration.

Herman then started with the pawns. “The pawn moves forward and cannot move backward, but it captures diagonally.”

He then demonstrated the pawn moves, moving all sixteen of them one or two squares.

Herman then grabbed a white pawn and said: “This is pawn to king four.” He then grabbed a black pawn and said: “This is also pawn to king four, because you count from the side whose piece is moved. And this is pawn to king bishop four,” said Herman, followed by: “This is pawn takes pawn.”

“There is another rule about pawns,” said Herman. “It’s called capturing en passant.”

Herman then demonstrated en passant captures in other places in order to make it perfectly clear.

“I think I understand,” said Harry, but before Herman could say anything more they were interrupted by an announcement: “Fine is here!”

The players went to their respective boards and Herman ran off to introduce the master to the audience.

Another man approached Harry and said: “Hi! I’m George Koltanowski. We have only forty-six players, why don’t you play? It’s only five dollars.” “I don’t have five dollars,” said Harry. “Well, said George, “we paid Fine for playing fifty games, so you can play for free!”

“I really don’t know how to play,” said Harry. “Herman Steiner just began teaching me today.”

Mistaking this for the typical modesty of a beginner, George said, “You can have the white pieces, it won’t cost you anything!”, as he grabbed Harry’s arm and practically pushed him into a chair.

All Harry knew about chess was: White moves first and the pawns move forward, but capture diagonolly. And don’t forget the en passant rule!

So Harry played 1 P-K4, because that’s what Herman had played.

Fine came to Harry’s board and did NOT play 1 … P-K4, as Harry had expected, but played 1 … N-KB3.

This meant nothing to Harry, but he assumed that if he played 2 P-K5, he could then capture the knight on his next move.

But Fine played 2 … N-Q4. “that’s certainly strange,” thought Harry. He then considered possible pawn moves and decided that 3 P-Q4 looked nicest, because of the symmetry.

After everyone had settled, Herman walked around the tables and observed the games. He was surprised to see Harry sitting at a board and noticed that 1 P-K4 N-KB3; 2 P-K5 N-Q4; 3 P-Q4 had been played. “So!,” he thought, “Harry lied to me and he really does know how to play chess. Not a very good joke, but harmless.”

Fine quickly played 3 … N-QB3 and Herman winced. “That’s a mistake,” he thought.

Harry played 4 P-QB4, threatening pawn takes knight, and maintaining the neat appearance of his position.

Fine astonished Harry by playing 4 … N-N3. “Backwards!,” thought Harry. “Well, I may as well play 5 P-Q5, attacking the other knight, but I’m darned if I can guess where it will go.”

When Fine came to Harry’s board he stopped and realized that he had played too fast and had blundered earlier.

“Oh, well,” he thought, shrugged his shoulders and played 5 … NxKP.

Herman was right behind Fine and also saw that Harry could win a piece in a few moves.

“Darn!,” thought Harry. “Now I’m going to lose.” He was thinking of checkers, where you win by capturing all your opponent’s pieces.

By applying some heavy thought, Harry decided he knew how knights moved and captured! Therefore, Fine must be threatening 6 … NxBP. EITHER knight takes bishop pawn. Harry was pleased with himself at this intelligence, so he played 6 P-B5, not only saving his pawn from being captured, but threatening 7 pawn takes knight.

“Fine’s in trouble!,” someone said, and there was a rush of spectators to Harry’s board.

Some of them thought Fine was winning because he was a pawn ahead and also ahead in development: two knights to nothing.

When Fine stopped at the board and saw that the move he anticipated had been played by Harry, he quickly played 6 … N/N3-B5. Harry saw that he could play 7 pawn to queen knight three attacking a knight, or 7 pawn to king bishop four, attacking the other knight. As usual, his choice was determined by symmetry, and he played 7 P-B4.

When Fine stopped at Harry’s board and saw the move he had expected he smiled broadly, stuck out his hand, and said: “I resign!”

Harry shook hands with Fine and stood up, in a daze.

More spectators rushed to Harry’s board to see how he had defeated the master in less than ten moves!

Strangers congratulated Harry, pounded him on the back, and shook his hand.

Herman was so stupefied that, for one of the few times in his life, he was speechless!

Eventually Herman found his voice and said, accusingly: “I thought you didn’t know how to play chess.”

“I only know what you told me,” said Harry. “You’re a great teacher!”

(Apparently those moves were played in the game, Harry Borochow – Reuben Fine, Pasadena 1932 International Tournament, which continued, 7 … P-K3; 8 Q-Q4 Q-R5ch; 9 P-KN3 Q-R3; 10 N-QB3 Black resigns.)

Sol Rogovin, the chess club champion, had not been able to play in the simultaneous, but when he arrived to watch the games he was told the stunning news of Harry’s victory.

“Hi!, I’m Sol Rogovin,” he said to Harry, “let’s play a game.” Harry protested, but Sol insisted and dragged Harry to a table away from the simultaneous games.

Harry had white again and played 1 P-K4. Sol responded 1 … P-QB4 and Harry played 2 P-QN4. He was taken aback when Sol played 2 … PxP, and still being confused played 3 P-QR3. Sol played 3 … NQB3 and Harry recalled how the pawn captures and played 4 PxP. Sol played 4 … N-B3 and Harry saw a chance to attack a knight and played 5 P-N5. there followed a sequence of Harry chasing the knights with pawns: 5 .. N-Q5; 6 P-QB3 N-K3; 7 P-K5 N-Q4; 8 P-QB4 N/4-B5; 9 P-N3 N-N3; 10 P-B4.

Herman had wandered over and was astonished to see that Harry was going to win a piece. “He must be a foreign master,” thought Herman.

Sol saw that he had to lose a piece and played 10 … N/N3xBP and after 11 PxN NxP; 12 P-Q4 N-N3; 13 P-R4 P-K3; 14 P-R5, he played 14 … BN5ch. Of course that meant nothing to Harry so he played 15 PxN. “You’re in check,” said Sol, but Harry didn’t move and had a blank expression on his face.

Herman realized that he had been wrong and Harry didn’t know anything about chess except how the pawns move. So he said: “Harry, I know you don’t want to leave when you’re winning, but didn’t you say you couldn’t stay long?” Harry took the hint and said: “I forgot. Excuse me, but I have an appointment,” and swiftly departed.

Herman sat down and finished the game in masterly fashion: 15 B-Q2 BxBch; 16 NxB N-K2; 17 N-K4 N-B4; 18 P-R6 P-KN3; 19 N-B6ch K-B1; 20 N-B3 P-Q3; 21 N-N5 PxP; 22 PxP QxQch; 23 RxQ K-K2; 24 R-R3 P-N3; 25 B-N2 R-QN1; 26 N/5xRP Black resigns. (That was Frank Marshall – H. Rogosin, Marshall Chess Club Championship, 1940.)

After that auspicious start, did Harry become an International Master, or at least a U.S. Master? NO! Never again did he play chess, because it was too easy! Not at all like checkers, which was very difficult and complicated.

[Click for floating game board.]

Spanish Joe, Fast Eddie, Harry the Horse, Little Bishop and Derby Don were enjoying the sights of nature at the Polski Weight-Lifting, Chess and Draughts Emporium when Johnny Double sauntered in and informed one and all that he had just seen Doc Venture and had learned how to apply psychology in chess games. Johnny’s real name wasn’t “Double”, but he was a big gambler and whenever someone suggested a bet would say, “Too small, let’s double it.” “In fact,” continued Johnny, “I can predict the moves of most players before they make them.” “So how are you going to do it?”, asked Fast Eddie, who had earned his soubriquet by being the best at rapid transit, and later, five minute chess. Johnny replied: “I will play blind-folded against Three-Bell Murphy, who will be White, and when I’m told that he has moved I will make my move without knowing what his first move was. The game will continue in such manner until I have a clearly winning position. After that I will play a normal blindfold game and will be told what his move is as soon as he plays it, because it’s impossible to guess what a player will do when he is losing.” “But what’s a clearly winning position to you may not be so clear to me,” said Harry the Horse, who was exceptionally adept at using knights. After much discussion it was agreed that Johnny must win a piece outright, or for not more than a pawn; or win the queen for a piece. Winning a rook for a bishop or knight, or winning the queen for two pieces, wouldn’t count.

“Three-Bell Murphy is too weak,” objected Derby Don, who played the ponies and every year faithfully turned up at the Kentucky Derby.

Three-Bell got his moniker from rapid-transit chess where a bell rings every ten seconds. After a few opening moves Three-Bell wouldn’t move when it was his turn, but would usually wait for two more rings. He was impervious to threats and pleas, but his opponents rarely claimed a win on time because they were winning anyway. Who would sacrifice the joy of checkmate by claiming a win by forfeit? For despite his extra “thinking time”, Three-Bell would inevitably lose.

“What about Hamilton?” asked Harry. “He’s a class A player and much better than Three-Bell. I can beat him in twenty moves,” said Johnny. “Twenty two with black, because white wins ten percent more games than black.” “I’ll bet a hundred dollars you can’t,” said S. L. Trumbull. He had seen a game where Tartakower won with the Lesser Bishop’s Gambit: 1 PK4 PK4; 2 PKB4 PxP; 3 BK2 and tried it in a game and won. He later decided that 3 B-B4 was much better because that’s what Bobby Fischer played, but the name “Little Bishop” had stuck. “You’re on,” said Johnny. “You didn’t say ‘double it’,” said Fast Eddie. “That’s because you’re gonna quadruple it,” said Johnny. “Everybody except Spanish Joe can put up another hundred dollars.”

Joe always played the Spanish Opening: 1 PK4 PK4; 2 NKB3 NQB3; 3 BN5, also known as the Ruy Lopez, but it was well known that he had no money with which to gamble. “But if I lose I’ll give Joe a hundred dollars anyway,” promised Johnny.

Another long discussion followed and it was decided to follow the normal laws of chess and if Johnny made an illegal move it would be put back and then if he could make a legal move with that piece he would be forced to play it. But if there wasn’t any legal move with that piece then he could make any legal move with a different piece. They all promised not to tell anyone of the bet and Trumbull approached Hamilton, who agreed to participate in what he thought was an ordinary blindfold exhibition. He would be using a chess set but Johnny would be in a different room, without board or pieces. Only a few select spectators would be in the room with Johnny. Harry agreed to act as courier and transmit the moves from one player to another.

Fast Eddie reminded Johnny: “If you don’t mate in 22 moves you lose the bet.”

The game began and Harry went to Johnny and said: “Hamilton has moved.” Johnny thought: “Hamilton always plays the English Opening, 1 PQB4, so I will play 1 … PK4.” But Hamilton played 1 PK4, so the game began 1 PK4 PK4. When Johnny was told this he thought: Hamilton is trying to surprise me: what’s he thinking of? I bet it’s something like the old Center Game 2 PQ4 PxP; 3 QxP.” So when Harry told him that Hamilton had made his second move, Johnny quickly said: “I play pawn takes pawn.” “How did he know that?” asked Spanish Joe? “Just a lucky guess,” said Fast Eddie. The game actually went: 2 PKB4 PxP. When told what Hamilton’s second move was, Johnny knew that he was playing a King’s Gambit Accepted and thought: “Hamilton will play the King’s Bishop Gambit because Fischer always played it.” When told that Hamilton had moved Johnny said: “My third move is pawn to queen four.” The moves actually went: 3 NKB3 PQ4. “He should have played BQB4,” said Little Bishop. Johnny thought: “Hamilton likes to develop his knights and will play NB3.” When told that Hamilton had moved Johnny said: “My move is knight to bishop three.” “Which bishop three?” asked Harry. “Oh, king bishop three, of course,” said Johnny. The game actually went: 4 PxP NKB3. After learning this, Johnny thought: “Hamilton will protect his pawn with PQB4 so I will play 5 … PB3.” The game actually went: 5 BQN5ch PB3. “How did he know he was in check?” asked an amazed Spanish Joe. No one answered. Johnny thought: “Hamilton will probably keep the pawn pinned by 6 BR4, so I will play 6 … NXP.” The game actually went 6 PXP NXP. After this Johnny was puzzled: “I haven’t guessed right yet! Every move Hamilton has made has been different from what I expected. However, he will certainly play 7 PQ4 in order to capture the KBP with his bishop. White doesn’t have a bad position so I think I’ll surprise him and play queen to knight three and then castle queen-side.” But Hamilton had been told the danger of leaving his king on an open file and decided to castle into safety. Therefore the game went: 7 Castles QN3ch. When Harry told him Hamilton’s seventh move, Johnny knew he could win a piece, but which piece? White’s only sensible move was 8 PQ4, but what if Hamilton played 8 NQ4? That’s the kind of move that is used to “trick” the blind fold player. Johnny knew he could try the fool-proof queen takes knight check, and if that were not legal could then play queen takes bishop, but so far hadn’t taken back any moves and was conceited enough to want to keep his record perfect. So when told that the eighth move had been made by Hamilton, Johnny said: “I play queen takes bishop.” The actual moves were 8 PQ4 QxB.

after 7 … QN3ch

Time out while Fast Eddie, Spanish Joe, Harry the Horse, Little Bishop and Derby Don consulted and agreed that Johnny had a “clearly winning position”. The game then continued with Johnny being told what Hamilton’s move was as soon as it was played, and before he replied to it, but Johnny was still without sight of board or pieces.

The game continued 9 NB3 QN3; 10 BxP. Johnny wasn’t tempted to capture White’s QNP. In the first place, White had a great lead in development, which made 10 … QxP/b2 dangerous. In the second place, Black was a piece ahead and didn’t need White’s QNP to win the game. And in the third place after 10 … QxP/b2; 11 QK1ch, Black would be forced to play the unpleasant 11 … KQ1, because if 11 … BK2; 12 PQ5 NQN5; 13 PQ6, White would win back his piece. After 10 … QxP/b2; 11 QK1ch KQ1; 12 NKN5 BK3, what can White do? Probably 13 NxBch PxN; 14 RQN1 QxBP; 15 RxP. There might even be better moves for White, such as 14 PQ5 NxP; 15 NxN PxN; 16 RQ1, etc. Therefore, Johnny played 10 … BKN5 and Hamilton replied 11 PKR3. “What’s that?” thought Johnny. “I can win the queen pawn with 11 … BxN and 12 … QxQPch. Is that good? I need to checkmate in 22 moves and if queens are traded I don’t think it can be done. But what if I sacrifice the bishop? After 11 … PKR4; 12 PxB PxP, the KR file is open and White is practically mated. White must move his KN and then Black can play 13 … NXP, threatening discovered check. Then if 14 BK3 BQB4 or 14 … RQ1.” Johnny played 11 … PKR4 and Hamilton didn’t hesitate winning his piece back with 12 PxB. After 12 … PxP; 13 NK5 NxP, Fast Eddie could see mate coming soon and asked: “how many moves have been made?” Johnny hoped for 14 NB4 attacking the queen, … NB6 mate, but Hamilton saw the discovered check and played 14 BK3. After 14 … BB4; 15 NB4, Johnny thought of playing … QB2, but rejected it because White could play 16 RB4. So he played 15 … QQ1. Hamilton suddenly entertained thoughts of winning the game as he had won back his piece and was ahead in development. The black king was in the middle of the board and Black’s pieces were going backward!

after 13 … NxP

Fast Eddie saw a clever trap with 16 QK1 NxP; 17 BxBch NxQ; 18 QRxNch KQ2; 19 RQ1ch KB3; 20 RxQ QRxR; 21 BK7 RQ5; 22 NK5ch KN3; 23 BxN PxB; 24 RxPch and White should win. But Hamilton played the obvious 16 QQ2 and Johnny played 16 … PN6. Hamilton was optimistic as he completed his development with 17 QRK1, threatening discovered check, but Johnny played the surprising 17 … NK5, attacking the queen and putting the knight en prise. Derby Don expected Hamilton to play 18 NxN and get mated after … RR8ch; 19 KxR QR5ch, etc., but Hamilton wondered why he was being offered a “free” piece and found the inspired 18 NQ6ch. “How many moves is that?” asked Derby Don, as he thought there was a good chance for Hamilton to avoid getting mated in 22 moves. Johnny saw 18 … QxN; 19 NxN, so he played 18 … BxN and still threatened … RR8ch. Hamilton found the best defense: 19 BN5, but was surprised by 19 … NK7ch. He then saw … BB4ch coming and knew it was almost hopeless, but did the best he could with 20 RxN, and the game concluded with … BB4ch; 21 BK3 QR5; 22 RQ1 QR8 mate.

after 17 … NK5

after 22 … QR8 mate

The spectators burst into applause and Johnny graciously accepted their congratulations. They then repaired to a Chinese restaurant for their usual twelve-course dinner and re-hashed the game, where it was discovered that if Johnny had played at QR-odds he still would have won! “Stuff yourself,” said Johnny, “I’m buying.” “With whose money?” they thought.

(Harry McKinney, Seldon Trumbull, Joe Uveges, John Biddle, Eddie Karolick, Don Collins.)

from Confidential Chess Lessons, Copyright © 2004 James Schroeder