Salo Flohr Is Nimble Against the Nimzo

Submitted by GreenLaser on Fri, 11/28/2008 at 2:30pm.

Salomon Flohr (1908-1983) was born in a part of Poland that later belonged to Ukraine. His parents were killed in a World War I massacre. He and his brother escaped to Czechoslovakia , which had become independent of Austria-Hungary. By the late twenties Flohr was a strong player and in the thirties he was world class. He drew matches with Euwe and Botvinnik. He was unable to perform up to his level in the AVRO tournament of 1938, which was to choose an opponent to play Alekhine for the world championship. Flohr was a Jew and had to escape from Czechoslovakia with his family when the Germans invaded in 1938, months before AVRO. He went to Sweden and then the USSR where he would become a citizen. He continued to play while past his peak. He became a grandmaster, chess writer and organizer. Aleksandrs Koblencs (1916-1993) was a Latvian international master. Databases may have some of his games under the spellings of Aleksander Koblenc and Alexander Koblenz. He was Latvia's champion four times. Mikhail Tal was coached by Koblencs from his early teens through Tals' two championship matches with Botvinnik. He also coached Soviet teams in two Olympiads. The following game was played at Rosas in Spain, where Flohr came in first and Koblencs fourth.

 

» posted in Opening Theory
 

Comments:

by NM GreenLaser - 35 days ago
Chester, NY United States
Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 881

I tried to figure out what was meant by, "white could have mated on move 15." I thought of Qxh7+. That is check only. Perhaps it means 16.Qxg7+ which is almost mate, but is answered by Nxg7. Of course, the statement is false, but deserved an answer.

by cnsmile - 35 days ago
New York City United States
Member Since: Nov 2007
Member Points: 31

white could have mated on move 15

by bor - 36 days ago
"chicago", IL United States
Member Since: Nov 2007
Member Points: 35

It's high level game! Thanks for posting.

by chawil - 37 days ago
Lowestoft, Suffolk United Kingdom
Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 370

Flohr is a very good player, not on par with Alekine or Capa but very good nonetheless. Thanks for this game I enjoyed it very much.

by NM GreenLaser - 37 days ago
Chester, NY United States
Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 881

Sas3 wrote, "Nice game! Thanks for posting it! I am a bit at a loss when thinking for black though! Did black have better moves than 15. ...Ne8 and 16. ...f6 that might've averted the disaster? Or was the problem (for black) with some other move?" I tried other moves and showed one at move 15. I do not like Black's game. I believe that 7...cxd4 is not good. In the MOVE LIST I showed 7...Bxc3+. That is better. I have seen 7...cxd4 in similar positions and do not find it is a good idea. If White plays 8.exd4, the game may transpose to 7...Bxc3+ or 7...Be2. Some players try to change the move order or play a less used alternative. I doubt that is right here. With 8.axb4, I prefer White.

by Sas3 - 37 days ago
Hyderabad India
Member Since: Jun 2008
Member Points: 698

Nice game! Thanks for posting it!

I am a bit at a loss when thinking for black though!

Did black have better moves than 15. ...Ne8 and 16. ...f6 that might've averted the disaster? Or was the problem (for black) with some other move?

by CalviNC - 37 days ago
Bishan Singapore
Member Since: Jun 2008
Member Points: 24

very nice

by Kinan - 38 days ago
Kharkov Ukraine
Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 42

Nice one, thanks for posting it. :)

by CaptainJoe - 38 days ago
Sarajevo Bosnia-Herzegovina
Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 859

Good article!

 

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