The Swimmer

Mathias Gerusel – William James Joseph Lombardy
4th World Junior Chess Championship; Toronto, August 5, 1957
Nimzo-Indian Defence E33

Chess Grandmaster William “Bill” James Joseph Lombardy is reportedly dead in Martinez, California, United States on October 13, 2017 at 79 years of age (he was born in New York City on December 4, 1937). A contemporary of Bobby Fischer, Lombardy was one of the leading American players during the 1950s and 1960s. After being evicted from his rented apartment in the East Village of New York City in 2016, he spent his final months living in extreme poverty, eventually housed and supported only by the charity of his friends. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 Nc6 5. Nf3 d5 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. Qxc3 Ne4 8. Qc2 e5 9. dxe5 Bf5 10. Qa4. The alternative is 10. e3, but after 10. ... Ng3 11. Bd3 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Nxh1 13. cxd5 Ne7 14. e4 c6! 15. d6 Ng6 16. Be3 0-0 17. 0-0-0 Nxf2 19. Bxf2 Qd7 Black stands better, Kakageldyev – Naumkin, Borjomi 1984. 10. ... 0-0 11. Be3? White’s strategic goals will prove too optimistic. Better settling to give back the Pawn by 11. e3. 11. ... d4 12. Rd1? Gerusel insists with blind consistency. Also bad was 12. 0-0-0? Qe8! 13. Nxd4 Nxd4 14. Qxe8 Nb3+ 15. Kc2 (15. Kb1?? Nc3 mate) 15. ... Nec5+ 16. Kc3 Rfxe8 with overwhelming preponderance.

12. ... dxe3! A very pretty refutation. 13. Rxd8 exf2 14. Kd1 Rfxd8+ 15. Kc1 a6! Threatening to win the Queen by ... Ne4-c5. 16. Qb3 Nc5 17. Qc3 Na5! 18. e4. White has no defence. 18. Nd2 is met by 18. ... Rxd2! and 18. Nd4 by 18. ... Rxd4!, and finally, if 18. b4 then 18. ... Nab3+ 19. Kb2 Na4+ winning the Queen. 18. ... Nab3+ 0 : 1.

William Lombardy (left) playing Bobby Fischer (right) in round one of the Premier Grand Prix International d’Échecs in Monte Carlo, Monaco on March 24, 1967. Photo: williamlombardychess.com.