La Bête noire

Roberto Cosulich – Stuart Wagman
6th International Festival; Marina Romea, August 1977
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6. If Wagman had hoped to disarm Cosulich with his Berlin Wall, he failed.
4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8. A critical tabiya position, with pros and cons for both colours. White’s Kingside Pawn majority should be compensated by Black’s Bishop pair, while the loss of the right to castle is of hardly any importance to Black, as the position after the exchange of Queens can be regarded already as an endgame.
9. Bf4!? Be6. It may be worth noting that here 9. ... h6 10. Rd1+ Ke8 11. Nc3 Be6 was preferred by the “king of draws” in L. Horwitz – Schlechter, Vienna Chess Society Winter 1895/96 Tournament, Vienna 1896.
10. Nbd2 Ke8 11. g4 Ne7 12. h3 Nd5 13. Bg3 Rd8 14. Ne4 Nb4 15. c3 Nd3. Not 15. ... Nxa2? on account of 16. Neg5 Bd5 17. e6! fxe6 18. Rfe1 overloading Black’s defences.
16. b3 h6 17. Rad1 Bd5? 17. ... Nc5! would have simplified the position with fairly even prospects. The text is a tactical error as White will unleash an overwhelming attack against the Black King stuck in the centre.

18. Nf6+! gxf6 19. Rxd3 Bxf3.
This only worsens Black’s situation.
20. Rxf3 Rd2 21. Re1 Rg8 22. exf6+ Kd7 23. Bf4! Rd5. The Pawn is still taboo: 23. ... Rxa2 24. Rd3+ Bd6 25. Re7+ Kc8 26. Bxd6 cxd6 27. Rxf7 winning very easily.
24. c4 Rd4 25. Be5 Rd2 26. Bc3 Rd6 27. Bb4. By an elegant manœuvre of his Bishop, White succeeded in chasing away from the d-file the Black Rook.
27. ... Re6 28. Rd3+ Kc8. After 28. ... Ke8 29. Red1 Black can avoid mate only at the cost of huge material loss.
29. Rxe6 fxe6 30. f7 Rh8 31. Bc3 Rh7

32. Bf6! 1–0. For if 32. ... Bd6 then 33. f8=Q+! Bxf8 34.Rd8#.

Lost & Not Found

For the sake of completeness, it is important to add that the ghost of Roberto Cosulich was still haunting Genoa in 1978. Indeed, according to Scaccomatto (No. 6/1997) — the monthly newsletter of the Circolo Scacchistico Genovese Luigi Centurini — he would come back from India and leave days later to Latin America “one autumn evening in 1978, after dropping by the Club to say hello to his friends”. The tale continues thus:

“The valuable account provided by Mario Quaglia here comes to our aid. On the way back from India, Cosulich calls in at Genoa, now clean-shaven, well dressed, with short haircut (!). He tells about his wanderings through India, where he would earn his living by playing blitz chess (he was very good even in this specialty, with several Italian Championsip titles under his belt). He stayed here for some days, then he left again. His restless, unhappy mind pushes him towards another destination: he goes back to South America. Roberto Cosulich never came back from this trip. A few years ago we learned from a French chess magazine that the passport of someone called Cosulich, a chess Master, would have been discovered in Peru among the victims of a natural disaster. His body, however, was never found”.

The name of Mario Quaglia is not new since it was mentioned by Paolo Silvestri in a biographical article which appeared on the SoloScacchi website on January 4, 2014: “Halfway between 1973 and 1974 Roberto used to hang out with a group of — let’s call them thus — Genoese creatives: Mario Quaglia, Popi Frizziero, Umberto Melli... I remember them in a small flat at Boccadasse... discussions... chatter... laughter... focaccia and white wine until three in the morning”.
And so, a friend of Cosulich put another period to what everyone knew or guessed. In Quaglia’s account, however, there is a detail that sounds implausibly novelistic. I’ve been in India many years ago, and would doubt seriously that, at the time (1978), anyone could in any way earn a living by playing blitz chess. Why? Simple. There weren’t any opponents as chess was not popular at all in India, however incredible it may seem nowadays! Secondly, more importantly and surely Cosulich hadn’t gone to India to play chess. He was escaping a life he abhorred, where chess was mere routine work. And now, would he have played chess for a handful of rupees? No, never again. Most likely he hid in an ashram, where studied meditation and Eastern philosophy, and learned all secrets of reincarnation. It is not given to know whether, in his self-deconstruction, he changed his name, too. But of course it’s not impossible.
In the meantime, life went on.
There were birthdays and funerals he missed. Conversations and encounters he wasn’t part of.
His ancient mentor, Hermann Pilnik, died on November 12, 1981, at Caracas, Venezuela.
Giambattista Lazagna was acquitted and discharged from any prosecutions, indictments and imprisonments commenced against him.
The late Roberto Cosulich no longer needed his passport.

Bye and fly away

In a long article entitled “Cosulich, un ‘giallo’ ancora senza soluzione” (“Cosulich, a ‘detective story’ still without a solution“), by Marco Esposito and Sergio Pagano, Scacchitalia, No. 3, October 2026, pp. 40-43, the cronistas collected the testimonies of a national chess umpire, Lorenzo De Angelis, who would have met Roberto Cosulich in Genoa, Italy, in 1985, five years after his alleged passing. They would have also played a few off-hand games — all won, of course, by the bearded fakir. But when it comes to Cosulich, any rumours of his death, as well as of his resurrection, are usually much exaggerated, and De Angelis himself jokes about it a little bit: “I played against a ghost”. Esposito and Pagano also questioned Genoa Municipality’s Registry Office, according to which in 1977 Cosulich moved from Via Stefano Prasca in Quarto dei Mille district to Vico del Cioccolatte in Carmine district, where — at least officially — he resided until February 17, 1986, when he was cancelled from the Registry.
This is all suggestive, to say the least, but where one resides is not necessarily where one lives. As a matter of fact, Cosulich was seen for the last time in his mortal flesh at the Fiumicino Airport, Saturday, 10, or Sunday, 11 June 1978, on his way to India, and, like Kowalski, disappeared through the Vanishing Point into the world.

Flashbacks of a Flower Child

While watching the game between these two giants, I often met Cosulich’s gaze — a very intelligent and tense one, given the no-holds-barred nature of the game, like an obstacle race in which the palm is awarded to the “one who comes first and first delivers checkmate”. I will never forget Cosulich’s gaze, addressed at a child like me, who likely grasped only a few marginal details of the game. Matteo Bosinelli, “Un figlio dei fiori”, Il Nuovo Faro, Year XI, No. 2, July 2017, p. 22.

Marco Albano – Roberto Cosulich
23rd International Festival; La Spezia, March 1976
Sicilian Defence B78

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 d6 7. Bc4 Nf6 8. f3 Bd7 9. Qd2 0-0 10. 0-0-0 Rc8 11. Bb3 Ne5 12. h4 h5 13. Bh6. If in the mood, White can go for the jugular with 13. g4!? hxg4 14. h5 Nxh5 15. Bh6 Rxc3? (Black’s best is 15. ... e6! at once) 16. bxc3 e6 17. Rdg1→ Cosulich – Porreca, 16th International Festival, San Benedetto del Tronto 1967.
13. ... Bxh6 14. Qxh6 Rxc3 15. bxc3 Qa5 16. g4 Qxc3 17. Kb1 a5 18. gxh5 a4

It’s all theory so far.
19. Ne2? But White’s first new move is also his last one, in the sense that it costs him the game. Albano, however, seems to be oblivious to such “pedantic” details. The old book went on with 19. hxg6! axb3! 20. cxb3 fxg6 21. h5 (21. Rhg1 Kf7 22. h5 gxh5 23. Rg7+ Ke8 24. f4 Nd3!−+ Goichberg – Soltis, 3rd Eastern Team Championship, New York 1970) and now:
a ) 21. ... Nxh5 22. Rxh5! (22. f4? Nd3! 23. Qxg6+ Ng7−+ Janošević – Mestel, Zetters International Pools Grandmasters Tournament, Birmingham 1975) 22. ... gxh5 23. Rg1+ Bg4! 24.Ne6! Rf7 25.fxg4 Qd3+ with perpetual check;
b) 21. ... g5!! 22. Qxg5+ (22. Rhg1 g4!) 22. ... Kh7! with dynamic equality.
Alternatively, one can save space and time by saying with Tony Miles (It’s Only Me), “Mestel told me it is a forced draw. I don’t quite remember why, but he knows about these things”.
19. ... Qxf3 20. hxg6 axb3 21. axb3 fxg6. Clearly not 21. ... Qxe2?? because of 22. g7 turning the tables on Black.
22.h5 Nxh5 23.Rdf1 Qxf1+ 24.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 25.Kb2 Bc6. Black has too much for the Queen. White could already resign at peace with his conscience.
26. Qg5 Kf7 27. Nc3 Nf6 28. Qe3 Rf3 29.Qe2 Rf4 30.b4 Nxe4 31.Qh2 g5 32.Qh5+ Ng6 33.Nxe4 Rxe4 34.Qxg5 Rxb4+ 35.Kc3 Rf4 36.Qa5 Ne5 37.Qd8 Ba4 38.Qa8 Rc4+ 39.Kd2 Rxc2+ 40.Ke3 Bc6 41.Qh8 Rc3+ 42. Kd2 Rf3 0–1. White flagged.

High Season in Nice

Roberto Cosulich – Unto Eevert Venäläinen
21st Chess Olympiad Qualifying Group 3; Nice, June 14, 1974
Spanish Game C73

Comments in quotation marks by International Master Giorgio Porreca, L’espresso, No. 39, September 29, 1974, p. 135.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. Bxc6+. “The simplest continuation. After 5. d4 b5 and 5. c3 f5 major complications can arise”.
5. ... bxc6 6. d4 f6. A move attributed to Semyon Zinovyevich Alapin. Less sound is 6. ... Bg4 7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Qxd8+ Rxd8 9. Be3! Bd6 10. Nbd2 Ne7 11. Nc4 f6 12. Nfd2! Kf7 13. c3 Rb8? 14. b4 Rhd8 15. Nb3 Nc8 16. Nba5± Cosulich – Unzicker, 2nd International Tournament, Bari 1970.
7. Be3 g6. Intending ... Ng8-h6-f7 (Capablanca’s manœuvre).
“It is worth recalling a trap into which even some strong players fell: 7. ... Rb8 8. Nc3 Rxb2 9. dxe5 fxe5 10. Nxe5! dxe5 11. Qxd8+ followed by castling with check!”.
8. Qd2! (8. Nc3 Nh6 9. h3 Nf7=)
8. ... Bg7 9. Nc3 Ne7 10. 0-0-0 0-0

11. Rdg1!? In this position a new move, if in line with the strategic policy of the variation. Only two months earlier at the tournament in celebration of 600th anniversary of Solingen city, 10th World Chess Champion Boris Vasilievich Spassky continued 11. Bh6 Qe8 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. Ne1 Be6 14. f4 exf4 15. Qxf4 Rb8 16. Nf3 Qc8 17. Rhe1 Qb7 18. b3 Qb4 19. Qe3 a5 20. d5 Bf7 21. Kb2 Rfe8 22. a3 Qb7 23. Qd3 with the upper hand, Spassky – Westerinen, International Tournament, Solingen 1974.
11. ... d5? “The decisive strategic mistake”.
11. ... exd4 12. Nxd4 c5 is the way Black should play.
12. dxe5 fxe5 13. Bh6. “White immediately singled out the e5-Pawn as the critical point of his opponent’s position”.
13. ... Qd6 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. Qg5 Qf6. “Hoping to ease up the position through the exchange of Queens”.
16. Qxe5 Qxe5 17. Nxe5 Rxf2 18. Rf1 Rxf1+? “Thus he loses a Pawn by force. The lesser evil for Black would have been now 18. ... Rf6 with an unpleasant ending for Black after 19. Nd3 or 19. Rd1”.
19. Rxf1 Be6

20. Nxc6! ”Typical of Cosulich’s play is the switch from positional to material advantage through simple and elegant moves”.
20. ... Nxc6 21. exd5 Bd7 22. dxc6 Bxc6 23. g3 Re8 24. Rf2 Re1+. “Black wants to defend actively and ends up worsening the situation”.
25. Kd2 Rh1 26. Ke3 g5 27. Kd4 h5 28. Kc5. “White sent the King itself to the front line and it is well known as in endgame such an intervention is decisive”.
28. ... Bb7 29. Nd5 h4 30. gxh4 gxh4 31. Nxc7 h3

32. Nd5! a5 33. c4. “The technical solution is not of exceptional difficulty, however White’s moves are exemplary for calm and precision. A trivial blunder would have been 33. Nf4 Bg2 34. Nxg2 Rxh2”.
33. ... a4 34. b3 a3 35. Kb4 1–0,

Sea and Shore

Sergio Mariotti – Roberto Cosulich
16th International Festival; San Benedetto del Tronto, July 1967
Sicilian Defence B39

Comments in quotation marks by L’Italia Scacchistica, No. 8, August 1967, pp. 184-185. The commentary is unsigned but is probably the work of the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Giovanni Ferrantes.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3 Ng4. Gyula Breyer’s brand.
8. Qxg4 Nxd4 9. Qd1 Ne6. Aron Nimzowitsch’s trademark.
10. Qd2 d6 11. h4!? At the time a novelty, which was probably inspired to Mariotti by his early mentor, the exiled Russian Prince Nikolay Alekseyevich Obolensky, who, long before the coming of AlphaZero, did not fear to use the h-Pawn as an attacking weapon — with both White and Black.
11. ... h5 12. Be2 Bd7 13. f4 Bc6. L’Italia Scacchistica attaches a question mark to it, but maybe it is not so bad as they think. Nevertheless, 13. ... Qa5! 14. Rc1 Nc5⇄ was certainly best now.
14. f5 Nc5 15. Bd4. “Now Black finds himself in a very critical situation”.
15. ... Bh6 16. Qc2

16. ... Rg8? So far, this is Black’s only mistake, and alas for him — is an almost definitive one. Much better was 16. ... e5! 17. Bxc5 (17. fxe6 0-0! leads nowhere for White) 17. ... dxc5 18. Rd1 Qf6 19. Nd5 Bxd5 20. Rxd5⩲ leaving White with little or nothing of advantage.
17. b4. “Wins a piece. Now Black must seek for the most counterplay possible in the attempt to save the game”.
17. ... Nxe4!? 18. Nxe4 gxf5 19. Ng5 e5 20. Be3. Not 20. Nxf7? Kxf7 21. Qxf5+ on account of 21. ... Kg7! 22. Bf2 Rf8 with the upper hand for Black.
20. ... Bxg2. “If now 20. ... f4? 21. Qh7!”.
21. Qxf5 Bxg5 22. Bxg5 Rxg5 23. hxg5 Bxh1. At the end of the skirmish, Black is two Pawns up — but only temporarily.

24. 0-0-0! Here is the point. If now 24. ... Bc6 there would follow 25. g6! winning at once. Therefore Black’s reply is forced.
24. ... Be4! 25. Qxe4 Qxg5+ 26. Kb2 0-0-0. Black has three Pawns for the Bishop and his King is castled, but only straight into the enemy’s attack!
27. Bf3 Rd7 28. Qh7? Mariotti complicates life uselessly. More straightforward was 28. c5! f5 29. Qc4 e4 30. cxd6+ Kb8 (30. ... Kd8 31. Bxh5!+−) 31. Qe6+− with an easy win.
28. ... h4 29. Be4 Kc7 30. Bf5. Probably White had to think about exchanging Queens on f5, but who can blame him for not doing so?
30. ... Re7 31. Bh3. “Threatens 32. Qh8 f5 33. Qf8 and wins”.

31. ... e4! “The only move”.
The way in which Cosulich saves the ending is remarkable, and remarkably technical. The punctuation of the following moves is that of the original text from L’Italia Scacchistica.
32. Qh8 Qe5+ 33. Qxe5 Rxe5 34. Re1. “If 34. Rf1 Black intended to reply with 34. ... b5! exchanging as many Pawns as possible”.
34. ... f5 35. Kc3 f4 36. Kd4 e3 37. Bg2 Rg5 38. Bf3 b5! 39. Rh1 bxc4 40. Rxh4 Re5! 41. Rh2! “It was a draw with 41. Rh1 on account of 41. ... e2! 42. Re1 Re3! 43. Bxe2 c3 and White can no longer move anything".
41. ... a5! 42. a3 axb4 43. axb4 Rg5 44. Rh4 Re5 45. Rh2 Rg5 46. Ke4? “This move leads to a draw by force. The only try was 46. Rh7+ Kb6! 47. Kxc4 d5+! (to close the f3-Bishop) 48. Kd4 (if 48. Bxd5? Rxd5! and Black queens) 48. ... Rf5! [sic] and it is problematic for White to win”.
Oh, no! The last move of the analysis is totally wrong, as after 48. ... Rf5?? 49. Rh6+! Kb5 (49. ... Kc7 50.b5+−) 50. Kc3 the Black King is caught in a mating net.
Therefore after 46. Rh7+ Kb6 47. Kxc4 d5+! 48. Kd4 Black has to look for 48. ... Rg3! 49. Bxd5 e2 50. Rb7+ Ka6 51. Re7 Kb5!= with a draw soon (but not 51. ... f3?? because of 52. Kc5!+− with unaivodable mate).
46. ... Rb5 47. Kxf4 Rxb4 48. Kxe3 Rb3+ 49. Ke4 d5+ ½–½. “The last three moves were made by inertia”.

Short on Time

Roberto Cosulich – Daniele Della Lunga
36th Italian Chess Championship; Pesaro, June 1975
5r2/4RNbk/1p2Q1p1/8/3q4/6P1/5PKP/8 w - - 0 1

“Short on time, White won after a long skirmish; he could, however, mate in three moves”, Grandmaster honoris Caïssa Enrico Paoli writes in his book L’arte della combinazione scacchistica, U. Mursia editore, Milano, 1986, p. 136. The proffered solution (Ibid., p. 143) is 1. Qh3+ Kg8 2. Qh8+!! Bxh8 3. Nh6#. However, it should be noted that after 1. ... Bh6 2. Qxh6+ Kg8 3. Qxg6+ Qg7 4. Nh6+ Kh8 5. Qxg7# it takes five moves for White to mate.

Not Yet Goodbye

Roberto Cosulich – Roman Shlemovich Pelts
15th International Festival; La Spezia, March 1978
Sicilian Defence B82

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. f4 Nc6 7. Be3 a6 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. Bd3 Bd7 10. Nb3. Alternatively, 10. 0-0-0 Rc8 11. h3!? b5 12. Kb1⩲ gives White slightly better chances, Sax – 叶江川 (Yè Jiāngchuān), 1st World Team Chess Championship, Lucerne 1985.
10. ... Na5? This time-wasting move is a harbinger of trouble for Black. If anything, the Knight should move to b4.
11. 0-0 Nc4 12. Bxc4 Qxc4 13. e5 Bc6 14. Qh3 Nd5 15. Na5 Qb4 16. Nxc6 bxc6 17. Nxd5 cxd5 (17. ... exd5 18. e6!)
18. f5! dxe5 19. fxe6 f6

20. Qh5+? White could and should take advantage of the Black King still in the centre with 20. c4!!, in order to open either the c- or the d-file. Apparently Black has no satisfactory reply, for if 20. ... Qxc4 then 21. Rac1 followed by the invasion to the seventh rank; if, instead, 20. ... dxc4 there would follow 21. Qh5+! g6 22. Qf3 with too many threats. On the other hand, the attempt to keep the files closed with 20. ... d4 fails to 21. Qh5+! Kf8 (21. ... g6 22. Qf3) 22. Bxd4! with an overwhelming initiative.
20. ... g6 21. Qf3 Be7. 21. ... Bc5 22. Rae1 0-0 23. Qxd5 Bxe3+ 24. Rxe3 Rad8 was also playable.
22. Qxd5 0-0

23. Rxf6! Cosulich tries his way by a spectacular Exchange sacrifice which, at least from a psychological perspective, is hardly separable from its practical justification.
23. ... Rfd8. Black cannot take the Rook at once, either with 23. ... Rxf6 (because of 24. Qxa8+) or 23. ... Bxf6 (on account of 24 e7+).
24. Qxe5 Bxf6 25. Qxf6 Rf8 26. Qd4 Qxd4 27. Bxd4 Rf4? This is the losing move. After 27. ... Rfe8! 28. Re1 Rac8 Black should somehow hold to the end.

28. Bc5! Of course, Cosulich didn’t miss the point, as the e6-Pawn is worth a treasure! The rest is a matter of technique.
28. ... Rc4 29. Ba3 Rxc2? Wins back a Pawn, but hastens the end. On the other hand, after 29. ... Re8 30. e7 Kf7 31. Rf1+ Ke6 32. Re1+ Kf7 33. c3 Black could not save the ending in any case.
30. Rf1 Kg7 31. e7 Rg8 32. Rf8 Re2 33. Kf1 Re6 34. b3 h5 35. h4 Kh7 36. Kf2 a5 37. Kf3 Re1 38. Bc5 Re6 39. a3 Re5 40. b4 axb4 41. axb4 Re6 42. b5 g5 43. b6 gxh4 44. Rxg8 1–0. For after 44. ... Kxg8 45. b7 the b-Pawn queens.

A Summer in the Seventies

The 2nd International Tournament at Bari, from August 9–23, 1970, was not the happiest one for Wolfgang Unzicker, who experienced most, if not all of the vicissitudes of a German tourist visiting Italy in summer. As wrote Bernard Zuckerman in his article “Tournament at Bari”, Chess Life & Review, Volume XXVI, No. 1, January 1971, p. 11, “Grandmaster Unzicker of West Germany was not in good form in this tournament. He was soundly trounced in the first round by the talented young Italian master, Cosulich, who incidentally, made the first leg of his international master title at this event”. But Unzicker’s misfortunes have not been limited to the board: “Besides his loss to Cosulich, Unzicker was upset by the fact that his car was broken into and some of his money stolen”, writes Zuckerman. “In fact, he postponed his game with Tatai for this reason”.

Roberto Cosulich – Wolfgang Unzicker
2nd International Tournament; Bari, August 9, 1970
Spanish Game C73

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. Bxc6+ bxc6 6. d4 Bg4. In his annotations for Chess Informant, No. 10/1970, 302, p. 94, Grandmaster honoris Caïssa Enrico Paoli, maybe too influenced by the outcome of the game, gave his preference to 6. ... f6! (even the punctuation is his).
7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Qxd8+ Rxd8 9. Be3! 9. Nfd2 f6 is assessed as equal by theorists. Likewise 9. Nbd2 f6 10. Nc4 Be6 is perfectly fine for Black; for example: 11. Ne3 Bc5 12. Bd2 Ne7 13. Ke2 Nc8 14. Ne1 Bd4 15. Nd3 Nd6 16. f3 a5 17. c3 Bb6 18. b3 a4 19. c4 Bd4 20. Rab1 f5 21. exf5 Nxf5 22. Nc2 0-0 23. g4 Nd6 24. Nxd4 exd4 25. Rbf1? Rb8 26. Nc5 axb3 27. axb3 Rxb3! 28. Nxb3 Bxc4+ 29. Kf2 Bxb3 30. Bb4 c5! 31. Ba3 c4 32. Re1 c3 33. Re7 Bd5 0–1 Klundt – Keres, International 100-Year Jubilee Tournament, Bamberg 1968.
9. ... Bd6. 9. ... f6! 10. Nbd2 Be6! (Paoli) is a suggestion worthy of attention.
10. Nbd2 Ne7 11. Nc4 f6 12. Nfd2! Intending c2-c3, followed by b2-b4 and Nd2-b3-a5.
12. ... Kf7 13. c3

13. ... Rb8? The question mark is from Paoli, who recommends 13. ... c5 14. Nb3 Be6 15. Nca5 Rb8 16. Bxc5 Bxc5 17. Nxc5 Rxb2⩱ with Black being slightly preferable, but he evidently overlooked that White is not compelled to capture on c5. Much better is 16. 0-0-0! (instead of 16. Bxc5?), retaining the Pawn and keeping the bind. There might then follow 16. ... Rb5 17. c4 Rb4 18. Bxc5 Ra4 19. Bxd6 cxd6 20. Rhe1 Bxc4 21. Nb7! Bxb3 22. Nxd6+ Ke6 23. axb3 Rb4 24. Nc4 Rxb3 25. Rd6+ Kf7 26. Rxa6 Rc8 27. Ra4 Ng6 28. Re3! Rb7 29. Rc3± with a Pawn up and chances for a win.
14. b4 Rhd8 15. Nb3 Nc8 16. Nba5± Bd7 17. 0-0-0 Ke7? Enveloping himself within his own walls. 17. ... Be7! was much more resilient and stubborn.
18. Rd2 Be8. 18. ... Nb6? 19. Rxd6!+− is an exemplary instance of euthanasia.
19. Rhd1 g6

20. g3! With methodical consistency, Cosulich conquers the board. One can only note that 20. Nxe5! fxe5 21. Bg5+ Kd7 22. f4! is another way to crush the defendant (28. ... exf4 29. e5+−).
20. ... Nb6. Neither 20. ... Ke6 21. f4+− nor 20. ... g5 (hoping to prevent, as far as possible, the advance f2-f4) 21. Nxe5! fxe5 22. Bxg5+ Kd7 23. f4!+− helps.
21. Nxd6 cxd6 22. Bxb6 Rxb6 23. Nc4 Rbb8. If 23. ... Rb7 then 24. Nxd6 Rbd7 25. Nb7+− (Paoli).
24. Nxd6 c5 25. Nxe8 Rxd2 26. Rxd2 1–0. Whether Black retakes with King or Rook, White will gain a second Pawn by 27. bxc5 and have an easily won ending.

Dead Leaves

Alberto Mario Giustolisi – Roberto Cosulich
37th Italian Chess Championship; Castelvecchio Pascoli, November 17, 1976
English Opening A22

Comments by Grandmaster Ludek Pachman, Trouw, Saturday, August 20, 1977, p. 21.

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Bb4 4. Bg2 0-0 5. Nf3. A good alternative here is 5. e4.
5. ... e4 6. Nd4. 6. Ng5 Bxc3 leads to sharper play.
6. ... Re8. Also possible is 6. ... Bxc3 7. bxc3 d5.
7. Qc2 Qe7 8. a3 Bxc3 9. Qxc3. White thus prevents the doubling of his Pawns, though at the cost of falling somewhat behind in development.
9. ... c5 10. Nf5 Qe6 11. Ne3 Nc6 12. b4 d6 13. 0-0 Nd4 14. Re1 Qe5 15. Bb2 Qh5 16. d3!!

16. ... Bh3. Too dangerous would be: 16. ... Nxe2+ 17. Rxe2 Qxe2 18. Nd5 Re5 19. Nxf6+ gxf6 20. dxe4 followed by f2-f4.
17. dxe4 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Nxe4 19. Qd3 Nxf2! Black goes for a drawing combination before White’s dark-square Bishop becomes too dangerous.
20.Kxf2 Rxe3! (20. ... Qxh2+? 21. Ng2 Re6 22. Bxd4 cxd4 23. Qxd4 Rf6+ 25. Qxf6! gxf6 26. Rh1)
21. Qxe3?? This loses immediately, whereas 21. Kxe3! Qh6+ 22. Kf2 Qxh2+ would have led to perpetual check.
21. ... Qxh2+ 22. Kf1 Nf5 23. Qf2 Nxg3+ 24. Qxg3 Qxg3 0–1.

Dragon Wizard

The following game, published by Massimiliano Enzo Maria Orsi on his own website Italian Castling — which features a constantly updated archive of Italian chess history — if nothing, dispels any myth that Roberto Cosulich’s “theory of openings” lay on mere improvisation.

Roberto Olivotto – Roberto Cosulich
16th Italian Team Chess Championship; Venice, November 2, 1976
Sicilian Defence B35

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Be3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 0-0 8. f3?! A dubious line which gives Black a temporary upper hand.

8. ... Qb6! 9. Bb3. The only move to hold the balance. If, instead, 9. Bb5? then 9. ... Nxe4! with White’s position in tatters, Kelečević – Cosulich, 13th International Festival, Imperia 1971.
9. ... Ng4! Also good is 9. ... Nxe4! 10. Nd5 Qa5+ 11. c3 Nc5 12. Nxc6 dxc6 13. Nxe7+ Kh8 14. Nxc8 Raxc8 15. 0-0 Rcd8= with a soon draw, R. J. Fischer – Panno, Interzonal Tournament, Portorož 1958.
10. Nd5. 10. fxg4 Bxd4 11. Bxd4 Qxd4⩱ also slightly favours Black due to his sounder formation, Sakharov – L. Z. Stein, 32nd USSR Championship, Kiev 1965.
10. ... Nxe3 11. Nxb6 Bxd4!

12. Qe2? This is White’s losing mistake. Comparatively best was 12. Nxa8 Nxd1 13. Rxd1 Be5⩱ leaving Black with a somewhat better position — but nothing irremediable.
12. ... Bxb6. It does not take a chess engine to tell that in such a position the three pieces are much stronger than the Queen.
13. c3. Likewise after 13. Kd2 Na5 14. h4 Nxb3+ 15. axb3 d5! 16. h5 dxe4 17. hxg6 fxg6 18. Ra4 Bf5 19. g4 Rac8 20. c3 exf3 21. Qh2 Nf1+ 22. Rxf1 Rcd8+ 23. Ke1 f2+ 24. Rxf2 Bxf2+ 25. Qxf2 Bxg4 26. Qxf8+ Kxf8 27. Rxg4 Kf7 Black triumphed, Zagorovsky – Simagin, 29th Moscow City Chess Championship, Moscow 1951.
13. ... Rd8! 14. g4 Na5 15. h4 Nxb3 16. axb3 d5 17. h5 g5! Game over.
18. Ra4 dxe4 19. Rxe4 Rd1+ 20. Qxd1 Nxd1 21. Kxd1 Be6

White’s uncoordinated Rooks are no match for Black’s powerful two Bishops and Rook.
22. c4 h6 23. Kc2 Bc7 24. Rd1 Bd6 25. Ra1 a5 26. Rd1 Kg7 27. Kc3 b6 28. Kd3 Bd7 29. Ke2 Bc6 30. Re3 Rf8 31. Red3 f5 32. Rf1 fxg4 33. fxg4 Rf4 0–1.

The Queen’s squeeze

Yaacov Bleiman – Roberto Cosulich
21st Chess Olympiad Final B; Nice, June 21, 1974
4r3/4b2k/5R2/3p1P1q/pP2p1pP/P5P1/1B2Q2K/8 w - - 0 59

Comments by FIDE Master Israel Gelfer, Positional Chess Handbook, Dover Publications, Inc., Minneola, N. Y., 2001, p. 167.

In this delicately balanced position White surprised Black with the unexpected 59. Qa6!! quickly turning the tables in his favour.
59. ... Rg8. If now 59. ... Bxf6 60. Qxf6 Rg8 61. Qe7+ Kh6 and 62. Bc1+.
60. Qb7! 1–0. The end could be: 60. Qb7! Rg7 61. Rg6! Rf7 62. Qxd5 Qxf5 63. Rg7+.

Autumn Leaves

With regard to the main question of six-time Italian Chess Vice Champion Roberto Cosulich’s presence or absence in Castelvecchio Pascoli, Italy, in the first week of February 1974, Professor Mauro Berni (Genoa, Italy) offered a possible solution which seems most plausible, namely, that “The only explanation seems to me to be that the photo was taken on the 35th Italian Chess Championship at Il Ciocco, October 1–14, 1974. Concomitantly with the Championship, was held a classic eight-round Festival featuring a Master Tournament which was won by Eslon and Cekro. Thus one should explain the presence of Cosulich — who tied with Mariotti for 3rd and 4th prizes in the Championship — in front of the poster in question. See L’Italia Scacchistica, No. 11, November 1974, pp. 349-351”. Photo: Il Ciocco.

Romeo and Juliet

Heinz Schaufelberger – Roberto Cosulich
2nd International Festival; Verona, April 1976
Queen’s Indian Defence E14

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 Be7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. b3 d5 8. Bb2 dxc4 9. bxc4 c5 10. Nbd2 Nc6 11. Qe2 Qc7 12. Rfd1 Rfd8 13. Rac1 Rac8 14. Bb1 cxd4 15. exd4 Qf4 16. Ne4. International Master Dieter Keller, in his comments for Neue Zürcher Zeitung, No. 123, May 28, 1976, p. 77, suggested 16. Nf1 as better, preventing Black from playing ... Nc6xd4.
16. ... Nxe4. Critical is 16. ... Nxd4 17. Nxd4 Nxe4 18. g3 Qxf2+! (obviously, 18. ... Qe5?? 19. Nc6 loses on the spot) 19. Qxf2 Nxf2 20. Kxf2 Bg5! with unclear but balanced play.
17. Bxe4 Bf6 18. g3 Qg4 19. d5

19. ... Bxb2? This is the decisive mistake. Black should have played 19. ... exd5 20. cxd5 (20. Bxf6 Re8! 21. cxd5 Rxe4 is good for Black) 20. ... Ne5! which, apparently, holds everything together.
20. dxc6 Bxc6. If 20. ... Bxc1 then 21. cxb7 Rxd1+ 22. Qxd1 Rb8 23. Qd7 winning at once.
21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 22. Rd1 Rxd1+ 23. Qxd1. The back-rank mate threats give White easy ways to win the day.
23. ... Bd5! An ingenious trick that at least saves the piece, if not the game.

24. Qa4! Just so. 24. cxd5? Qxe4 25. dxe6 Bf6 26. Qd6 fxe6! 27. Qb8+ Kf7 28. Qxa7+ Kg6 would leave White empty handed.
24. .. b5 25. Qxb5 Ba3 26. Bxd5 exd5 27. Qxd5. Threatening Qd5xf7+. Whether or not Black exchanges Queens, White’s extra Pawn and initiative would win easily in the endgame.
27. ... Qc8 28. Ne5 Qf8 29. Kg2 g6 30. h3 Qe7 31. Nc6 Qb7 32. Qd8+ Kg7 33. Qd4+ Kg8 34. Qd5 Bf8 35. a4 Qb6 36. Ne5 Qc7 37. Nd7 Be7 38. c5 Qd8 39. c6 1–0.

Vanishing Point

He is almost a double of six-time Italian Chess Vice Champion Roberto Cosulich, but the sign in the background that reads “Il Ciocco. Chess ’74. International Festival” raises a question about it, since Cosulich — as far as I know — did not take part in the inaugural International Festival at Il Ciocco International Tourist and Conference Centre in Castelvecchio Pascoli, Italy, on February 2–9, 1974. Can any reader provide more information about it? Photo: Il Ciocco.

To Each His Own

The following game was originally made public by Massimiliano Enzo Maria Orsi on his own website Italian Castling, which features a constantly updated archive of Italian chess history. The game is all the more interesting because it confirms, once again, that Roberto Cosulich was a bête noire to the American Stuart Wagman.

Roberto Cosulich – Stuart Wagman
4th International Open; Rovigo, September 7, 1976
Sicilian Defence B76

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Bc4 0-0 8. f3 Nc6 9. Bb3 Bd7 10. Qe2!? Cosulich is already out of the ordinary. 10. Qd2 is mainstream theory.
10. ... a6 11. 0-0-0

11. ... Qc7? The bet worked. The move in the text allows White’s attack to spread its wings and hit hard. 11. ... Na5! 12. Qd3 b5 was satisfactory for Black in Sax – Velimirović, 1st “Tungsram” International Tournament, Budapest 1973.
12. g4 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 e5 14. Be3 Be6 15. h4 b5 16. h5 Bc4. Time did not bring any improvement: 16. ... b4 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. Bxd5 Nxd5 19. Rxd5 Rfc8 20. Qh2 Bf8 21. Kb1 Rab8 22. f4 Rb7 23. f5 Qc4 24. Qg2 Rbc7 25. Rh2 Rb8 26. Qh1 Rbb7 27. b3 Qc6 28. fxg6 fxg6 29. hxg6 Qe8 30. Rh5 Rg7 31. gxh7+ Rxh7 32. Rd2 Rxh5 33. gxh5 Rh7 34. Rh2 Bg7 35. h6 Bf6 36. Qf1 Rf7 37. Rg2+ Kh7 38. Rf2 Qe6 39. Bg5 Kg6 40. Bxf6 1–0 Starostits – Eusebe, 1st International Open, Angers 2006.
17. Qh2 Rab8 18. Bg5 Rfc8 19. Qh4 Bxb3 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Qxf6 b4 22. h6 Kf8 23. axb3 bxc3 24. Qxd6+ Qxd6 25. Rxd6 cxb2+ 26. Kxb2 1–0. Black’s Pawns fall like ripe pears.

Afloat

Alar Puhm – Roberto Cosulich
International Team Tournament Mediolanum; Milan, February 12, 1974
French Defence C08

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Qe2+ Be7 8. dxc5 0-0 9. Ne5?!

Technically a novelty, but also an incongruent one which throws away the first-move advantage, leaving Black with a symbolic initiative throughout the entire game. Best is the usual 9. Nb3 which Cosulich himself played and met with both colours: Cosulich – Paoli, 3rd International Tournament, Bari 1972, and Paoli – Cosulich, 35th Italian Chess Championship, Castelvecchio Pascoli 1974.
9. ... Re8 10. Nxd7 Nbxd7 11. 0-0 Bxc5 12. Qd1 a6 13. Bd3 Qc7 14. Nb3 Bd6 15. h3 Rad8 16. Nd4 Be5 17. Be3 Nc5 18. c3 Nxd3 19. Qxd3 Ne4 20. Nf3 Bd6 21. Rfe1 Qc6 22. Nd4 Qd7 23. f3 Nc5 24. Qd2 Bc7 25. g4 Ne6 26. Nxe6 fxe6 27. Bf4 Rf8 28. Bxc7 Qxc7 29. Kg2 Rf6 30. Rf1 Rdf8 31. Rae1 Qf7 32. Qd3 h6 ½–½.

It’s a Hard Life

Július Kozma – Roberto Cosulich
International Team Tournament Mediolanum; Milan, February 11, 1974
Nimzo-Indian Defence E43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. Nf3 Ne4 7. 0-0 f5 8. Qc2 Bxc3 9. bxc3 0-0 10. Ne1. Or else: 10. Nd2 Qh4 11. f3 Nxd2 12. Bxd2 Nc6 13. Rab1 Ne7 14. c5 Bc6 15. cxb6 axb6 16. Rb2 Rf6 17. e4 fxe4 18. Bxe4 Bxe4 19. Qxe4 Qxe4 20. fxe4 Rxf1+ 21. Kxf1 ½–½ Trincardi – Cosulich, 13th New Year’s International Tournament, Reggio Emilia 1970/71.
10. ... c5 11. f3 Nd6 12. e4 fxe4 13. fxe4 Rxf1+ 14. Kxf1 Qh4?! A bit too compromising. 14. ... e5! 15. Nf3 Nf7 gave Black a more than comfortable game in Muir – King, 74th British Chess Championship, Swansea 1987.
15. Nf3 Qg4 16. h3 Qg3

17. Be3?! Here and on the next few moves White might have played something like 17. d5 Nf7 18. Kg1 and consolidated his space advantage. Instead his half measures enable Cosulich to save himself in a drawn endgame.
17. ... Na6 18. Kg1 Rf8 19. Rf1 cxd4 20. Bxd4 Qg6 21. Ne5 Rxf1+ 22. Kxf1 Qh5 23. Qe2 Qxe2+ 24. Kxe2 Nxe4 25. Nxd7 Nec5 26. Nxc5 Nxc5 27. g3 Bg2 28. h4

28. ... Bf1+! 29. Kxf1 Nxd3 30. Ke2 Nc5 31. Ke3. White dares not exchange his Bishop for the Knight, as after 31. Bxc5? bxc5 32. g4 (32. Kf3 h5!) 32. ... h5! the Pawn ending would be lost for him.
31. ... Kf7 32. Be5 Nd7 33. Kd4 Nxe5 34. Kxe5 Ke7 35. g4 g6 36. g5 Kd7 37. c5! Nevertheless, White could also play 37. Kf6 Kd6 38. Kg7 e5 39. Kxh7 e4 40. h5! gxh5! 41. g6 e3 42. g7 e2 43. g8=Q e1=Q 44. Qd8+ Kc6 45. Qc8+ with a draw by perpetual check.
37. ... bxc5 38. c4! The fortress is now unbreakable.
38. ... Ke7 39. Kf4 Kd6 40. Ke4 ½–½.

The Lagoons of Venice

Jan Hendrik Timman – Roberto Cosulich
11th International Tournament; Venice, November 1974
Nimzo-Indian Defence E45

“Cosulich was the best of the Italian masters in this tournament, although many contestants were of the opinion that his youth led him to extremes. For example, look at his draw against Mariotti: 1. P-KR4 P-QR4 2. P-QR4 P-KR4, draw?! And against Timman he played clownishly and lost in six moves by overlooking a piece”, Grandmaster Pál Charles Benkö wrote in Chess Life & Review, Vol. XXX, No. 2, February 1975, p. 81.
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Ne2 Ba6 6. Ng3

6. ... d5?? It’s quite paradoxical that three years before, a game Gligorić – Cosulich, 10th International Tournament, Venice 1971, continued 6. ... Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d5 8. Ba3 dxc4 9. e4 Qd7 10. Be2 Nc6 11. 0-0 0-0-0 12. Qc2 h5 13. Rfd1 Nb8!? 14. Bc1! h4 15. Nf1 Qc6 16. Bf3 Bb7 17. Bg5 Rdg8 18. d5 Qd6 19. Nd2 Qe5! 20. Bxf6 gxf6 21. Nxc4 Qf4 with satisfactory play for Black.
7. Qa4+ 1–0. “It is a safe bet that this has happened before. Cosulich missed the international master norm at this tournament by half a point” — Kevin John O’Connell, The Batsfod Chess Yearbook, B. T. Batsford Limited, London, 1975, p. 79.

Adijo

Roberto Cosulich – Bruno Parma
10th International Festival; Imperia, September 1968
Sicilian Defence B87

Comments in quotation marks by Grandmaster Enrico Paoli, L’Italia Scacchistica, No. 10, October 1968, p. 243, and International Master Stefano Tatai, Tatai insegna la Najdorf, Caissa Italia editore, Roma, 2008, pp. 162-163.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Qe2 b5 8. Bb3 Bb7 9. Bg5 Nbd7 10. 0-0-0. 10. Bxe6!? — “A sacrifice for risk-takers, or, as Steinitz, a staunch advocate of defence, might say, for aspiring suicides”. (Tatai).
10. ... h6. Also good is 10. ... Rc8! 11. Rhe1 h6 12. Bh4 g5 13. Bg3 Rxc3 14. bxc3 Qa5 15. f3 d5 16. exd5 Ba3+ 17. Kd2 Nxd5 18. Bxd5 Bxd5 with excellent compensation for the Exchange, Rossetto – Panno, “YMCA Chess Club” Tournament, Buenos Aires 1968.
11. Bh4 Rc8. 11. ... Qa5 12. Rhe1 g5 13. Bg3 Rc8? 14. e5! Rxc3 15. exf6 Rxb3 16. Nxe6! fxe6 17. Qxe6+ Kd8 18. Bxd6 Bxd6 19. Rxd6 Bc8 20. Red1 1–0 Mariotti – Eppinger, 11th International Festival, Imperia 1969 is an example of the dangers awaiting Black if unacquainted with the theory of the Sicilian. 11. ... g5 12. Bg3 Qb6∞ is an interesting alternative line for Black.
12. f4

12. ... Rxc3! “In such a position, Black needs to keep his cool, but, at the same time, adopt drastic measures, otherwise things will end badly. Hence the sacrifice, which we might now call ‘classic’, is the only possible and promising reaction. The game now becomes truly difficult for both contenders”. (Paoli).
“It is interesting 12. ... g5!? 13. fxg5 hxg5 14. Bxg5 Be7 even though after 15. h4! Rxc3 16. bxc3 Nxe4 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. Qe3 White seems to me, albeit slightly, preferable”. (Tatai).
13. bxc3 Qc7. “Now, however, 13. ... g5 can be considered better than on the previous note. To be sure, the complications after 14. e5!? e 14. Nxe6 would make anyone’s hair stand on end”. (Tatai).
14. c4 bxc4 15. Qxc4 Qxc4 16. Bxc4 Nxe4 (Δ ... ... g7-g5)
17. Be1. “Prophylactic, given the threat ... g7-g5 with complications favourable to Black”. (Paoli).
17. ... Be7 18. Rf1 d5 19. Bb3 Ndc5. “Black has only a Pawn for the Exchange, but his position is solid and the White Rooks have no outlets”. (Tatai).
20. Ba5 0-0 21. g3 Bf6 22. c3 Rc8. “It should be noted that both the White Rooks have no open files to occupy at the moment, while the Black unites are ideally placed”. (Paoli).
23. Kb2 Bc6. “The threats are gathering and White is forced to ease up, but he gives up an important and well-placed Knight”. (Paoli).
24. Nxc6 Rxc6 25. Bb4. “After the fall of the Pawn at c3 Black’s compensation will be more than abundant”. (Tatai).
25. ... Nb7 (Δ ... a6-a5)

26. f5. “The return of the Exchange is tempting but incorrect: 26. Rxd5 exd5 27. Bxd5 Rb6! (28. Bxe4 Rxb4+). On the other hand the threat of ... a6-a5 becomes pressing and since there is no defence, White throws himself into the fray”. (Paoli).
26. ... a5 27. fxe6 fxe6 28. Rxf6 gxf6 29. Ba3 Kg7? (29. ... Rxc3!−+)
“It is not well clear why Black did not take on c3 with the Rook (29. ... Nxc3? 30. Rd3 Nb5 31. Rxd5!)”. (Paoli).
30. c4 dxc4 31. Rd7+ Kg6 32. Bc2 Rb6+ 33. Kc1 f5 34. Bxe4 fxe4

35. Rd4? “If 35. Bb2 then 35. ... Nd6. Not 35. ... e3 36. Bd4 e2 37. Kd2”. (Paoli).
White goes on the wrong track. Correct was to centralise the King at once with 35. Kd2 Kf5 36. Ke3 e5 and the ending, albeit somewhat drawish, appears easier to play Black.
35. ... Kf5 36. Rxc4 Nd6 37. Rc5+ Kg4 38. Rxa5 Nc4 39. Ra7 e3 40. Ra4 Rc6 41. Kd1 Kf3 ½–½. “This is the result also given in the ChessBase online database, but it is evident that the final position is easily won for Black”. (Tatai).