The players during the championship were amazed at how long he was taking over his 14th move. The were saying: "It's almost like Browne thinks there is a forced win for white!".

On Bisguier's 14...Rg8, Browne wrote: "After 45 minutes of grueling thought, my opponent made the most tenacious move. If 14...gxh6 15. Re5 Qd7 16. Rae1 Be6 17. d5 cxd5 18. Rxe6! fxe6 19. Qxh8+ Bf8 20. Qf6 Be7 21. Rxe6 and wins. If 14...Be4 15. Bxg7 Rg8 16. Bf6! Bxf6 (16...Bxf3 17. Rxe7+ Kf8 18. g3 Bh1 19. f3 and White is much better) 17. Rxe4+ Qxe4 18. Re1 and White is superior."

Evans, as was his wont, revisted the story in presenting this game in <How To Get Better At Chess: Chess Masters On THeir Art>:

<I'll tell you a funny story. Bobby Fischer showed 14.Bh6 to some friends at least 10 years before this game! He never published it because he was waiting for a chance to use it.>

If it really was anything like 'at least 10 years' it would almost certainly preclude the teenage Browne as having been present at his master's side.

Evans goes on to point out that the position after 13...c6 was known from the game Yates vs Kashdan, 1931 and that Yates could find nothing better than 14.Bd2? allowing Black to consolidate with 14...Be6 (actually ...h6).

my old friend Steve Giddins mused about that on his blog, which was reproduced on chessbase here:

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail...

I hope you and he are wrong about it. Fischer, of course, was saying this sort of thing years ago.

In 1989 he was to play Edvins Kengis at the U.S. Open.

I happened to be there for the start of the round. Problem was, neither of the players were there to start. Half hour passes and GM Browne comes to the board. However, he did not bring a clock. More time passes, and finally Edvins arrives with no clock. The 2 players begin to play anyway. A short time later a TD arrives with a clock and sets it for the remaining time. In no time at all Walter was in time trouble. Shortly afterwards Edvins is also in time trouble. A crowd begins to form. Walter is on the cusp of a flag fall. Pieces are flying and the Lil BHB Clock was near the point of taking flight. (remember this was before digital clocks were popular ANALOG CLOCKS RULED). On the 41st move it became a DRAW by 3 FOLD REPETITION. As the 2 players shook hands I saw Walter's FLAG FALL.

It was one of, if not MY FAVORITE, games I ever saw. It also taught me to ALWAYS HAVE MY EQUIPMENT! Later on I was able to have one of my 1972 "CHESS LIFE's" signed by WALTER BROWNE. He was quite nice to talk to and was quite happy to sign the cover.

Here is THE GAME! It is not available online anywhere! (up to NOW) Converted to ALGEBRAIC From my personal Collection...

Edvins KENGIS(2501) vs Walter S. BROWNE(2678) US OPEN Chicago 1989 Catalan E06

Here is that game...1.d4,Nf6. 2.Nf3,e6. 3.g3,d5. 4.Bg2,Be7. 5.c4,0-0. 6.Qc2,c5. 7.0-0,cd.

8.Nxd4,Nc6. 9.Nxc6,bc. 10.b3,Ba6. 11.Nd2,e5. 12.Bb2,Bd6. 13.Rfd1,Qe7. 14.Rac1,Qe6.

15.e3,Bd7. 16.Nb1,Rfd8. 17.Qe2,a6. 18.Nc3,Rab8. 19.Na4,Qe7. 20.Rc2,a5. 21.Qd2,dc.

22.Rxc4,Bb4. 23.Qc1,Rxd1+. 24.Qd1,Rd8. 25.Qc1,Rd6. 26.a3,Qd7. 27.Bf3,c5.

28.Be2,Qc6. 29.e4,Nxe4. 30.Bf3,Qd7. 31.ab,Ng5. 32.Bxb7,Rd1+. 33.Qxd1,Qxd1+.

34.Kg2,Qxb3. 35.Rxc5,h6. Time is getting short... 36.Rxa5,e4. 37.Bc3,Qd1. 38.h4,Qf3+. 39.Kf1,Qd3+. 40.Kg2,Qf3+. 41.Kf1,Qd3+.

DRAW by 3 FOLD REPETITION ! Players Shake Hands! Walter's FLAG FALLS !

Yates played 14.Bd2 and lost

Knibbs played 14.Bg5 and won

While it's possible that Browne, or even Fischer, had played over one or both of these games and seen 14.Bh6 it doesn't seem likely this would be a prepared novelty considering the remote likelihood of reaching this particular position in an important game, especially since you're relying on black to play this particular line of the Petrov.

I mean, what's the point of working out a prepared novelty, which if Fischer's story is correct, you end up waiting ten years, only to see somebody else play it?!

Browne said he found it OTB and there's no reason to doubt him.

I agree. I think a strong, attacking, imaginative GM like Browne was would find it if he looked for it. And given that the black king is still in the center (and black can't castle yet because of the hanging bishop on e7), he'd be likely to look for it. The train of thought may have been something like this:

1. If I play Re5, then Qd7, and I wish I had R1e1 there;

2. If I did have R1e1, he'd have Be6, and I could play d5, trading that pawn for the g7 pawn, disturbing his king side. (But wait, he may go 0-0-0 and I don't know if I have anything good.)

3. Anyway, my bishop is on the way. I need the bishop out with gain of tempo.

4. Hey!! If it goes to h6, it threatens the pawn on g7, and if he takes it, now my queen will take the rook on h8 instead of the pawn on g7.