Blindfold Chess Podcast

Today, we are looking at a game involving Harry Pillsbury. Pillsbury was a very strong American player, a strong blindfold player and the winner of the Hastings Tournament of 1895. Unfortunately, illness then death at the age of 33 prevented him from competing for the World Championship. 

1.f4 e6 2.Nf3 b6 3.e3 Be7 4.Be2 Nf6 5.b3 O-O 6.O-O Bb7 7.Bb2 d5 8.c4 c5 9.Nc3 Nc6 10.a3 Qd7 11.Qc2 Rac8 12.Rad1 Rfd8 13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.fxe5 Ne8 15.Rxf7 Kxf7 16.Qxh7 Nf6 17.Rf1 Rg8 18.Bh5+ Kf8 19.exf6 Bxf6 20.Rxf6+1-0

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1743396

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Nelson_Pillsbury

http://cassidynoble.com/

Today, we are looking at a game between Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov from 1974 in their Candidates Final (game 21). This was won by Korchnoi in 19 moves. Korchnoi is argued to be one of the strongest players in the world that never won the World Championship title. 

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.c4 Be7 6.Nc3 O-O 7.Qc2 c5 8.d5 exd5 9.Ng5 Nc6 10.Nxd5 g6 11.Qd2 Nxd5 12.Bxd5 Rb8 13.Nxh7 Re8 14.Qh6 Ne5 15.Ng5 Bxg5 16.Bxg5 Qxg5 17.Qxg5 Bxd5 18.O-O Bxc4 19.f4 1-0

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067831

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Korchnoi

http://cassidynoble.com/

This week, we are looking at the longest reigning women's world number 1 player - Vera Menchik. 

Vera Menchik v George Thomas (1932)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 O-O 6.Be3 e5 7.Nge2 b6 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.d5 Ne7 10.g4 Nd7 11.Rg1 a5 12.O-O-O  Nc5 13.Ng3 Bd7 14.h4 a4 15.h5 Qb8 16.Bh6 Qa7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Nf5+ Nxf5 19.gxf5 a3 20.f6+ Kh8 21.Qh6 axb2+ 22.Kb1 Rg8 23.hxg6 fxg6 24.Qxh7+ 1-0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Menchik

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1224235

http://cassidynoble.com/