Phony Benoni: There is a questionbout the finish after <36...Kg7> click for larger viewNow, our score gives mate in three with <37.Qf8+ Kh7 38.Qf7+> and mate next. An amusing line: first the bishop blocks the 7th rank so the queen can check, then the queen blocks the 7th rank so that the bishop can mate. However, this is not the finish which appears in early reports. For instance, the game score in the <New York Times> (October 17, 1942, p. 26) ends with a relatively inefficient mate-in-five: <37.Qg6+ Kh8 38.Qh6+ Kg8 39.Qf8+ Kh7 40.Qf7+> and Black resigns. This longer line is also found in BDE (10/22/1942), ACB (1942, p. 76), and Chess Review (November 1942, p. 217 with notes by Reshevsky). Lahde's collection of Kashdan's games includes this as game #492, p. 231-232. He uses the shorter version which our score has, but cites <Chess review> as his source -- which, as mentioned, actually has the longer version!. Finally, as I'm sure somebody must have noticed in the last eighty years, White has a simple mate-in-two with <37.Bf6+> and <38.Qg6#>. If only Reshevesy had found that line, we might not have this problem! |