明信片 (Postcard)

Mr. Mauro Berni (Genoa) sent us an interesting correspondence game by International Master and six times Italian Chess Champion Vincenzo Castaldi, originally published by L’Illustrazione Italiana, N. 23, June 4, 1939.

Vincenzo Castaldi – Wolfgang R. Hasenfuss
Correspondence chess tournament; September 1938 – February 1939
Spanish C70

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 f5 5. d4. Colourless is 5. d3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. Qe2! d6 8. h3 0-0 9. Bb3+ Kh8 10. Bg5 Na5! 11. exf5 Nxb3 12. axb3 Bxf5 13. Nd5 c6! 14. Nxf6 gxf6 15. Be3 Qb6 16. 0-0 Rg8 17. Kh2! d5 18. Bxc5 Qxc5 19. Nh4! Bg6 20. f4 Qd6 21. Kh1 Rae8 22. Ra4! d4! 23. fxe5 fxe5 24. Ra5 e4! 25. Nxg6+ Qxg6 26. dxe4 Rxe4 27. Qd2! Qg7! 28. Raf5 Re7 with equality, Calapso – Castaldi, 11th Italian Chess Championship, Rome 1947. 5. ... exd4 6. e5 Bc5 7. 0-0. If 7. c3 then 7. ... dxc3 8. Nxc3 Nge7 9. Bb3 d5!= Pachman – Castaldi, Zonal Tournament, Hilversum 1947. 7. ... Nge7 8. Bb3. The “refutation” is, indeed, 8. c3 for if 8. ... dxc3 9. Nxc3 d5 then 10. Bg5!!+- Watson – Nunn, London 1984. 8. ... d5 9. c3 dxc3 10. Nxc3 Be6 11. Ng5 Bg8 12. Qh5+!? g6. After 12. ... Kf8 13. Be3 Bxe3 (13. ... d4 14. Bxg8+-) 14. fxe3 Nxe5 15. e4 White keeps the initiative (Krogius’ analysis). 13. Qh6± Nxe5 14. Ne2 N7c6 15. Qg7 Qe7 16. Qxh8 0-0-0 17. Bd2! Nd3! 18. Rae1!? Nxe1 19. Rxe1 Ne5 20. Nh3 Re8 21. Bg5 Qd7 22. Rd1 Bd6 23. Ng3?? This is a huge blunder! After 23. Nef4! c5! the position remains somewhat unclear, but I would prefer Black. 23. ... Be6-+ 24. Qf6 Rf8 0-1.