A Life Long Ago

Gina Biella was one of the adversaries of Clarice Benini in both the first two Italian Women’s Chess Championships in 1938 and 1939, but little or nothing is known of her. Nevertheless, a first mention of her — dating back to many years earlier — may be found in the chess column of Il Secolo XX. Rivista popolare illustrata, No. 11, November 1922, p. 814:

To celebrate the anniversary of the foundation of the Italian Chess Federation, engineer commendatore Luigi Miliani (the author of the well-known and highly valuable handbook) held in Varese on September 20, 1922, a simultaneous exhibition on 50 boards against players who came from Milan, Gallarate, Busto Arsizio (branches of Florentine clubs). The outcome could not have been more brilliant: he had only 5 lost games and 10 draws. It is interesting to note that some young women who were as youthful and pretty as they were skilled took part in the challenge. Two of them, Gina e Mina Biella of Milan, opposing with fearless confidence and tranquillity the insidious play of the master were able to take advantage of some of his weak moves to win, with great satisfaction also of their chivalrous opponent, who rather has very kindly allowed us to publish one of these games, knowing and approving the role that this column has always given to the fair sex.

Luigi Miliani – Gina Biella
50-board simultaneous exhibition; Varese, September 20, 1922
King’s Gambit Accepted C39

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ng5 Nf6 6. Bc4? d5! 7. exd5. The editor, to whom the punctuation is due, let the move in the text pass without a word or a mark, but comparatively better was 7. Bxd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Qxd5 9. Qe2+ Be7 10. Nc3 Qf5 11. d3 h6 12. Nge4 Be6 13. Qf2 f3∓ 14. gxf3 Nc6? (14. ... gxf3) 15. fxg4 Qxg4 16. Nf6+ Bxf6 17. Qxf6 Qd4 18. Ne4 Qxf6 19. Nxf6+ Ke7 20. Rf1 Nd4 21. Rf2 Nxc2+ 22. Rxc2 Kxf6 23. Rxc7 Bd5 24. Be3 ½–½ Gunsberg – Maróczy, Vienna Gambit Tournament, Vienna 1903.
7. ... h6 8. Nxf7 Kxf7 9. d4 Bd6 10. 0-0 Nh5 11. Nc3 Qxh4 12. Bxf4 Nxf4 13. Ne2

13. ... g3! 14. Rxf4+ Bxf4 15. Nxf4 Qh2+ 16. Kf1 Qh1+ 17. Ke2 Bg4+ 0–1.