Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Milda Rudolfovna Lauberte † (1918–2009)

Milda Rudolfovna Lauberte (Vildoga, October 7, 1918 – Riga, October 19, 2009), was a Latvian chess master who shared third place with Sonja Graf, behind Vera Menchik and Clarice Benini at Stockholm 1937.

Milda Rudolfovna Lauberte – Clarice Benini
6th Women’s World Chess Championship; Stockholm, 1937
Slav Defence D18

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Be7. Theoretically speaking, the Canal Variation (7. ... Bb4) is more scientific. 8. 0–0 Nbd7 9. Re1. Another continuation is 9. Qe2 0-0 10. e4 Bg4 as in Harum – Benini, 6th Women’s World Chess Championship, Stockholm 1937. 9. ... Ne4 10. Nxe4 Bxe4 11. Bd3 Nf6 12. Bxe4 Nxe4 13. Qc2 Qd5 14. Nd2 Nf6 15. Nf3 Qe4 16. Qxe4 Nxe4 17. Nd2 Bb4 18. Rd1 Nxd2 19. Bxd2 a5? After 19. ... Bxd2 20. Rxd2 Ke7(!) the ending is more balanced. 20. Bxb4 axb4 21. Rdc1± Kd7 22. Rc4 Ra5 23. Rxb4 b5 24. Kf1 Rha8 25. b3 Kd6 26. Ke2 f6 27. Kd3 R8a7 28. f3 g6 29. g3 e5 30. dxe5+ fxe5 31. Re4 c5 32. h4 Rf7 33. f4 Re7 34. g4 c4+ 35. bxc4 bxa4 36. c5+ Rxc5 37. Raxa4 Rd7 38. Ra6+ Kc7+ 39. Ke2 Rc2+ 40. Kf3 Kb7 41. Re6 exf4 42. Kxf4 Rh2 43. Kg5 Rd5+ 44. R4e5 Rd7 45. Re7 Kc7 46. h5 gxh5 47. gxh5 Kd8 48. Rxd7+ Kxd7 49. Kh6 Kd6 50. Rg5 Re2 51. Rg3? (51. Kxh7 Rxe3 52. h6+−) 51. ... Rh2 52. Tg7? (52. Rg5! Δ 52. ... Re2 53. Kxh7 Rxe3 54. h6+−) 52. ... Re2 53. Kxh7 Rxe3 54. h6

[ Lauberte - Benini (Stoccolma, 1937) :: Posizione dopo 54. h6 ]
54. ... Te8? (54. ... Ke6! 55. Kg8 Kf6 56. Rf7+ Kg6=) 55. Rf7 Re1 56. Kg8 1 : 0.