Checkmating a Czech: souvenir from '64 Olympiad

As chess players mature, they usually change their styles. Occasionally they change their countries as well. Of the six players on this year's United States team at the Chess Olympics, Roman Dzindzichashvili and Lev Alburt are from the Soviet Union; Lubosh Kavalek came from Czechoslovakia; and Walter Browne once played first board for Australia.

Since becoming a US citizen, Kavalek has lost some of his aggressive spirit, but he has compensated by becoming supersolid and hard to beat. He was the only undefeated player in the last US Championship, probably the chief reason he was given the position of second board on the Olympic team.

At the time today's game was played, Kavalek was one of a trio of aggressive young Czechs who were beginning to make their reputations - the two others being Vlastimil Hort and Vlastimil Jansa, who still distinguish themselves for Czechoslovakia. Kavalek won many fine games but at times his risk-taking backfired and he came a cropper.

So among my own Olympic souvenirs is the following victory from the Tel Aviv Olympiad of 1964.

King's Indian Benoni

Bisguier Kavalek 1. P-Q4 N-KB3 2. N-KB3 P-B4 3. P-K3 (a) P-KN3 4. P-B4 B-N2 5. N-B3 O-O 6. B-K2 P-Q3 (b) 7. O-O P-N3 8. P-K4 B-N2 (c) 9. P-Q5 (d) P-K4 10. N-K1 -K1 11. N-Q3 P-B4 12. PxP PxP 13. P-B4 Q-K2 (e) 14. B-K3 B-QR3 (f) 15. Q-N3 (g) PxP (h) 16. BxP (4) BxN 17. QxB QxB 18. QR-K1 (i) Q-R4 19. R-B3 N-KB3 (j) 20. BxP QN-Q2 21. N-B4 Q-R3 (k) 22. R-R3 Q-N4 23. N-K6 Q-N3 24. R-N3 N-N5 25. BxR NxB 26. P-KR3 P-R4 27. PxN RPxP 28. R (3)-K3 Q-R3 29. R-K5 BxP 30. RxP (l) BxQP 31. R-N5 ch K-B2 32. R-N7 ch K-K1 33. N-B7 ch Resigns (m)

A. Avoiding the complexities of the Benoni, which would arise after 3. P-Q5, but allowing transposition into various formations.

B. 6. . . . PxP; 7. PxP, P-Q4 finds White playing the Tarrasch Defense to the Queen's Gambit with a move in hand.

C. Better was 8. . . . PxP; 9. NxP, B-N2, with a now fashionable ''hedgehog'' formation and Black a slight tempo ahead, since it took two moves to get White's pawn to K4.

D. Now this move is strong, since the Black bishop bites on granite and even gets in the way of a possible Black lever of . . . P-QR3 and . . . P-QN4.

E. Part of a faulty, overambitious plan. Better was 13. . . . P-K5, when White would blockade the KP and prepare for P-KN4, with good play on the KN file. But Black would not be without counterchances.

F. This was the reason for his previous move. Since 15. P-QN3 loses a piece to 15. . . . P-K5, it appears that White must move his K knight yet another time.

G. Apparently losing a piece.

H. Black, perhaps thinking that White has blundered, prepares to blunder himself. 15. . . . N-Q2; 16. QR-K1 favors White, but it would still be a chess game.

I. Black wins his piece but is mired.

J. No better was 19. . . . N-N2; 20. R-N3, Q-B2 (20. . . . R-B2, 21. R-K8ch); 21. B-R6. And 19. . . N-Q2 allows either 20. R-R3, Q-B2; 21. R-N3 ch, N-N2; 22. B-R6 or 20. R-N3 ch, K-B2; 21. R-N5, Q-R5; 22. P-KN3, Q-R6; 23. N-B2, Q-R3; 24. RxP ch.

K. On 21. . . . Q-B2; 22. R-K7 mates the Queen, while 21. . . . Q-N4 transposes into the game.

L. More convincing than 30. QxB, P-N6, when Black might hope for a few checks.

M. Black resigns in time to avoid 33. . . . K-Q1; 34. R-K8 mate.