Britbase and a 1967 Look and Learn

[Geoff Chandler]

Today I picked up a 'Look and Learn (incorporating Ranger magazine)' 14th January 1967.



Inside a chess puzzle making reference to a 1912 British Championship game with no names.



My first thought was Britbase will know, John Saunders never lets me down. And yes it is there.

Victor Leonard Wahltuch - Richard Clewin Griffith, British Championship 1912.

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 c5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. b3 Nf6 6. Bb2 cxd4 7. exd4 Bd6 8. Ne5 O-O 9. O-O Nb4 10. f4 Nxd3 11. cxd3 Nd7 12. Rf3 f6 13. Ng4 Re8 14. Qe1 Qe7 15. Nc3 Qf7 16. Nb5 Bb8 17. Ba3 Nf8 18. Qg3 Kh8 19. Nd6 Bxd6 20. Bxd6 Bd7 21. Raf1 Qg6 22. Qh4 h6 23. Rg3 Qf7 24. Ne5 fxe5 25. Bxe5 Kh7 26. Rxg7+ Qxg7 27. Bxg7 Kxg7 28. Rf3 Ng6 29. Rg3 Rf8 30. Qg4 Rf6 31. h4 Rg8 32. h5 Kh7 33. hxg6+ Rfxg6 34. Qh4 Rxg3 35. f5 Rxg2+ 36. Kf1 R2g5 37. fxe6 Bxe6 38. Ke1 Re8 39. Qf4 Bd7+ 40. Kd2 Rg2+ 41. Kc3 Rc8+ 42. Kb4 Be6 43. a4 Rg6 44. Qe5 a6 45. Ka5 Rcg8 46. b4 R8g7 47. b5 axb5 48. axb5 Bg8 49. b6 Rd7 50. Kb4 Rdd6 51. Qe7+ Kh8 52. Qe5+ Rgf6 53. Ka4 Rxb6 54. Ka5 Re6 55. Qg3 Rc6 56. Kb4 Rc1 57. Kb3 Rb6+ 58. Ka2 Rc2+ 59. Ka1 Re2 60. Qg7+ Kxg7

Note the solution has 60.Qxg8+ but this is forgivable as Britbase was not around in 1967.

I guess here...

6bk/1p6/1r5p/3p4/3P4/3P2Q1/2r5/K7 b - - 0 59

Black played 59...Re2 to stop 60.Qe5+

Next we need to find a British player born on the 14th January 1967 so I can send them the magazine.
Neil McDonald was born on the 21st January 1967 is the closest I've found so far but I that was just a
quick search for GM's. There must be a 56 year old U.K. chess player out there.

[Kevin Thurlow]

I would prefer Qg7+, as it says, "My move is so powerful, I don't need to capture your puny bishop." Perhaps it's just me...

The battle of Salamanca (1812) was prolonged by a lack of artillery ammunition for Team Wellington. Hence Tchaikovsky had to write music for a different battle. Not a good year for the French army.

[John Townsend]

Edward Winter discussed the Wahltuch v Griffith ending, in terms of aesthetics, in a section on pages 144-145 of A Chess Omnibus. An expanded online version is to be found at:

https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/win ... ml#CN_5608

[E Michael White]

The battle of Salamanca (1812) was prolonged by a lack of artillery ammunition for Team Wellington. Hence Tchaikovsky had to write music for a different battle. Not a good year for the French army.

Hello Kevin. Are you sure you're not getting Beethoven's Battle Symphony mixed up with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture ?

[Kevin Thurlow]

I hope not, but it is possible.