Advent calendar: December 10

by Dagobert Kohlmeyer
12/10/2016 – From December 1 to December 24 we invite our readers every day to open a door in our advent calendar. Click and enjoy a little chess treat. Advent calendar, door 10.

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David Bronstein (February 19, 1924 – December 5, 2006)

According to Boris Spassky there were only four titans in Soviet chess: Mikhail Botvinnik, Vassily Smyslov, Paul Keres and David Bronstein. Everybody who has some knowledge of chess history will immediately think of Bronstein's dramatic World Championship match against Botvinnik in 1951 or remember Bronstein's unique combinations. The little man with the incredible imagination was one of the truly great of chess history. David Bronstein died on December 5, 2006, and he was one of the last romantics of modern chess. He was not only an original player with a lot of fighting spirit but also a bold, unorthodox and creative thinker.

The early years


David Bronstein was born on February 19, 1924 in Belaja Zerkow, Ukraine. His family later moved to Kiev where Bronstein started to play chess seriously. The young David was lucky: the excellent trainer Alexander Konstantinopolski noticed his great talent and supported him. 1940, when Bronstein was just 16 years old, he finished second behind Isaak Boleslavsky in the Ukranian Championship. In 1944 Bronstein created quite a stir when he won against Michail Botvinnik who was soon to become World Champion. The next year, in 1945, Bronstein finished third in the Soviet Championship.

In 1948 Bronstein won the Interzonal Tournament in Saltsjöbaden and 1948 and 1949 he shared first place in the Soviet Championship. In the Candidates Tournament 1950 in Budapest Bronstein shared first place with Isaak Boleslavsky and won the play-off to become 1951 challenger of World Champion Botvinnik. The duel for the highest title was a 24-game match and was played in Moscow. After 22 games Bronstein led 11.5-10.5 but then lost the 23rd game and when he drew the last game the match ended with a score of 12-12 and Botvinnik kept his title. There have always been rumors that officials pressured Bronstein to lose the match. He later spoke only evasively about this. At any rate, it was THE tragedy of his career and occupied him till the end of his life.

Botvinnik-Bronstein

In the Candidates Tournament 1953 in Zurich Bronstein finished second behind Smyslov. He later wrote a book about this tournament which is regarded as a classic of chess literature. In 1955 Bronstein won the Interzonal Tournament in Amsterdam but in the Candidates Tournament one year later he failed to qualify for the World Championship match. But even though he could no longer entertain realistic hopes to become World Champion he still won international tournaments and was a dangerous opponent. Bronstein had a very dynamic style and liked to play complicated positions. He played romantic openings such as the King's Gambit and enriched modern systems such as the King's Indian Defense with a lot of ideas.

David Bronstein

He always wanted to make chess more attractive. A lot of his ideas and proposals are now reality. The very popular rapid chess for instance, goes back to an idea by Bronstein. He also had the idea that you can only offer a draw after you made your move.

Bronstein's love for chess lasted until the end of his life. After the end of the Sovietunion he could travel more freely and often played open tournaments in Western Europe. Bronstein died on December 5, in Minsk.

Here are two examples of Bronstein's art: one from an early and one from a later stage of his career.

Pachman – Bronstein, Prag 1946

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.g3 g6 6.Bg2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.b3 Re8 9.e4 exd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5 11.Re1 a5 12.Bb2 a4 13.Rc1 c6 14.Ba1 axb3 15.axb3 Qb6 16.h3 Nfd7 17.Rb1 Nf8 18.Kh2 h5 19.Re2 h4 20.Rd2 Rxa1 21.Rxa1 Bxd4 22.Rxd4 Nxb3 23.Rxd6 Qxf2 24.Ra2 Qxg3+ 25.Kh1 Qxc3 26.Ra3 Bxh3 27.Rxb3 Bxg2+ 28.Kxg2 Qxc4 29.Rd4 Qe6 30.Rxb7 Ra8 31.Qe2 h3+ 0–1
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Pachman,L-Bronstein,D-0–11946E68Moscow-Prague2

Bronstein – Ljubojevic, Petropolis 1973
 

 
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1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Nc3 exd5 9.cxd5 c4 10.Nf3 Bg4 11.Qd4 Bxf3 12.gxf3 Bb4 13.Bxc4 0-0 14.Rg1 g6 15.Bg5 Qc7 16.Bb3 Bc5 17.Qf4 Bxg1 18.d6 Qc8 19.Ke2 Bc5 20.Ne4 N8d7 21.Rc1 Qc6 22.Rxc5 Nxc5 23.Nf6+ Kh8 24.Qh4 Qb5+ 25.Ke3 h5 26.Nxh5 Qxb3+ 27.axb3 Nd5+ 28.Kd4 Ne6+ 29.Kxd5 Nxg5 30.Nf6+ Kg7 31.Qxg5 Rfd8 32.e6 fxe6+ 33.Kxe6 Rf8 34.d7 a5 35.Ng4 Ra6+ 36.Ke5 Rf5+ 37.Qxf5 gxf5 38.d8Q fxg4 39.Qd7+ Kh6 40.Qxb7 Rg6 41.f4 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Bronstein,D2585Ljubojevic,L25701–01973B03Petropolis Interzonal11

 

And here's the door for December 10. At Christmas a lot of DVDs are shipped.

 


Dagobert Kohlmeyer is one of the best known German chess journalists. For more than 25 years Kohlmeyer, who lives in Berlin, has been travelling all over the world to report about and to capture impressions of Chess Olympiads, World Championships, and top tournaments.

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