davidmoodychess (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} davidmoodychess) wrote,@ 2006-04-30 09:38:00 |
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Chess for no good reason, part 27
Long Draws
If ever a man had an excuse to take a short draw, it was E. Schulyer Jackson.
When he came to the board, I had visions of him passing away during the game, possibly in his sleep while taking a nap between moves. He was 78 years old, huffing and puffing like an wheezy wolf, and legally blind.
About half-way through the game we reached what seemed to be a completely equal position, so I offered a draw. He refused, saying that his tournament position demanded that he play for a win.
And he proceeded to milk that dead drawn position for another 30 moves or so, refusing another verbal offer and several tacit ones on the board. It wasn't a draw when I proved it to him.
E.S. Jackson was a strong player back in his heyday, winner of the U.S Amateur Championship in 1941 and 1943. There's even a story about him playing rapid transit for stakes against Alekhine and Arthur Dake (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesspl
Moody,David (1640) - Jackson,E. Schuyler (1832) [C31]
U.S. Open Lincoln, Neb. (6), 15.08.1975
1.e4 e5 2.f4
In a way, this was playing the opponent. No, I wasn't trying to complicate the game in the hopes of taking advantage of Jackson's physical condition. In reality, I figured that he might never play another tournament, so why not give his the pleasure of an old-time opening?
2...d5 3.exd5 e4 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 Bb4 6.Bd2 e3
A variation older than even Jackson, dating back to Morphy's time.
7.Bxe3 0–0 8.Nf3 Nxd5 9.Bd2 Nc6 10.Nxd5 Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 Qxd5 12.Be2 Bg4 13.0–0 Rae8 14.c3 Re7
White seems to have come out the opening well enough, and will have to work hard to lose his extra pawn.
15.Rae1?
OK, maybe not that hard.
15...Qxa2 16.d4 Qd5 17.Bd3 Bxf3 18.Rxf3 Rfe8 19.Rxe7 Nxe7 20.Re3 Kf8 21.Qe2 g6 22.Be4 Qd7 23.Bxb7 c5 24.d5 Rb8 25.Bc6 Nxc6 26.dxc6 Qxc6 27.Rh3 Re8 28.Qd3 Qe6 29.Rxh7 Qe1+ 30.Qf1 Qe3+ 31.Kh1 Qxf4 32.Kg1 Qe3+ 33.Kh1 Qf4 34.Kg1
Around here is where I offered a draw. If anything White's position is better and Black has no justifiable reason decline except that he is in a fighting mood.
34...Qxf1+ 35.Kxf1 Kg8 36.Rh4 Rb8 37.b4 cxb4 38.Rxb4 Ra8 39.Ke2 Kf8 40.Ra4 Ke7 41.Ra6 Kd7 42.Rf6 Ke7 43.Ra6 f6
No draw yet, young man! At this point I decided he would make the next offer, and concentrated on proving that it was a draw.
44.c4 g5 45.Kf3 Kf7 46.Kg4 Kg6 47.c5 Rb8 48.c6 Rb3 49.g3 Rc3 50.Rxa7 f5+ 51.Kh3 Rxc6 52.Ra4 Rc2 53.g4
A drawing trap. If 53...f4 the king is stalemated and White can go for one of those perpetual sacrifice draws, for instance: 54.Ra6+ Kf7 55.Rf6+ Ke7 56.Re6+ Kd7 57.Rd6+ Kc7 58.Rd7+ Kb6 59.Rb7+ Ka5 60.Rb5+. Jackson was not amused by the possibility, and ignored it, but to no avail.
53...Rc3+ 54.Kg2 fxg4 55.Rxg4 Kh5 56.Rg3 Rc2+ 57.Kg1 Kh4 58.Kh1 g4 59.Kg1 Rb2 60.Kh1 Kg5 61.Kg1 Kf4 62.Kh1 Re2 63.Kg1 Re1+ 64.Kg2 Rd1 65.Kf2 Rh1 66.Kg2 Ra1 67.Kf2 ½–½
One has to salute Jackson for his fighting spirit. And possibly the best way to do it is to record that three years later, at the age of 81, he returned to the U.S. Open and took home first prize in his class, beating several experts along the way.
Long Draws
If ever a man had an excuse to take a short draw, it was E. Schulyer Jackson.
When he came to the board, I had visions of him passing away during the game, possibly in his sleep while taking a nap between moves. He was 78 years old, huffing and puffing like an wheezy wolf, and legally blind.
About half-way through the game we reached what seemed to be a completely equal position, so I offered a draw. He refused, saying that his tournament position demanded that he play for a win.
And he proceeded to milk that dead drawn position for another 30 moves or so, refusing another verbal offer and several tacit ones on the board. It wasn't a draw when I proved it to him.
E.S. Jackson was a strong player back in his heyday, winner of the U.S Amateur Championship in 1941 and 1943. There's even a story about him playing rapid transit for stakes against Alekhine and Arthur Dake (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesspl
Moody,David (1640) - Jackson,E. Schuyler (1832) [C31]
U.S. Open Lincoln, Neb. (6), 15.08.1975
1.e4 e5 2.f4
In a way, this was playing the opponent. No, I wasn't trying to complicate the game in the hopes of taking advantage of Jackson's physical condition. In reality, I figured that he might never play another tournament, so why not give his the pleasure of an old-time opening?
2...d5 3.exd5 e4 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 Bb4 6.Bd2 e3
A variation older than even Jackson, dating back to Morphy's time.
7.Bxe3 0–0 8.Nf3 Nxd5 9.Bd2 Nc6 10.Nxd5 Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 Qxd5 12.Be2 Bg4 13.0–0 Rae8 14.c3 Re7
White seems to have come out the opening well enough, and will have to work hard to lose his extra pawn.
15.Rae1?
OK, maybe not that hard.
15...Qxa2 16.d4 Qd5 17.Bd3 Bxf3 18.Rxf3 Rfe8 19.Rxe7 Nxe7 20.Re3 Kf8 21.Qe2 g6 22.Be4 Qd7 23.Bxb7 c5 24.d5 Rb8 25.Bc6 Nxc6 26.dxc6 Qxc6 27.Rh3 Re8 28.Qd3 Qe6 29.Rxh7 Qe1+ 30.Qf1 Qe3+ 31.Kh1 Qxf4 32.Kg1 Qe3+ 33.Kh1 Qf4 34.Kg1
Around here is where I offered a draw. If anything White's position is better and Black has no justifiable reason decline except that he is in a fighting mood.
34...Qxf1+ 35.Kxf1 Kg8 36.Rh4 Rb8 37.b4 cxb4 38.Rxb4 Ra8 39.Ke2 Kf8 40.Ra4 Ke7 41.Ra6 Kd7 42.Rf6 Ke7 43.Ra6 f6
No draw yet, young man! At this point I decided he would make the next offer, and concentrated on proving that it was a draw.
44.c4 g5 45.Kf3 Kf7 46.Kg4 Kg6 47.c5 Rb8 48.c6 Rb3 49.g3 Rc3 50.Rxa7 f5+ 51.Kh3 Rxc6 52.Ra4 Rc2 53.g4
A drawing trap. If 53...f4 the king is stalemated and White can go for one of those perpetual sacrifice draws, for instance: 54.Ra6+ Kf7 55.Rf6+ Ke7 56.Re6+ Kd7 57.Rd6+ Kc7 58.Rd7+ Kb6 59.Rb7+ Ka5 60.Rb5+. Jackson was not amused by the possibility, and ignored it, but to no avail.
53...Rc3+ 54.Kg2 fxg4 55.Rxg4 Kh5 56.Rg3 Rc2+ 57.Kg1 Kh4 58.Kh1 g4 59.Kg1 Rb2 60.Kh1 Kg5 61.Kg1 Kf4 62.Kh1 Re2 63.Kg1 Re1+ 64.Kg2 Rd1 65.Kf2 Rh1 66.Kg2 Ra1 67.Kf2 ½–½
One has to salute Jackson for his fighting spirit. And possibly the best way to do it is to record that three years later, at the age of 81, he returned to the U.S. Open and took home first prize in his class, beating several experts along the way.
