Blindfolded but not blind

John Saunders’ BritBase has a newly added PGN file: all 10 games from Sergio Mariotti’s blindfold simultaneous exhibition, Bayswater Chess Club, January 17, 1971, which were published in Bayswater Chess, Vol. 1, Nos. 3-4, June-September 1971.

Sergio Mariotti – Simon Spivack
10-board blindfold simultaneous exhibition; London, January 17, 1971
Two Knights Defence C57

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5?! 5. ... Na5! (Kieseritzky) is by far Black’s best line here.

6. d4! 6. Nxf7!? is the Fried Liver Attack, but the Lolli Attack (6. d4!) “is so strong that 5. ... Nxd5 is practically extinct”, Bobby Fischer asserted in My 60 Memorable Games, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1969, p. 281.
6. ... Be7 7. Nxf7 Kxf7 8. Qf3+ Ke8? If nothing, less complacent is 8. ... Ke6 9. Nc3 Bb4? (9. ... Nxd4 10. Bxd5+ Kd6 11. Qd3±) 10. Bxd5+ Kd6 11. Bxc6 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 bxc6 13. Ba3+ (13. 0-0 Be6 14. dxe5+ Kd7 15. Rd1+ Bd5 16. c4 Rf8 17. Qh3+ 1–0 R. J. Fischer – Snuske, 58-board simultaneous exhibition, Flint 1964) 13. ... Ke6 14. 0-0 Qd5 15. Qh5 e4 16. Qh4 g5 17. Qh5 Qf5 18. f3 Qg6 19. Qg4+ Qf5 20. Qxf5+ Kxf5 21. fxe4+ Kxe4 22. Rae1+ Kd5 23. Re5+ 1–0 R. J. Fischer – Gruenberg, 54-board simultaneous exhibition, Chicago 1964.
9. Bxd5 Rf8. If 9. ... Nxd4 then 10. Qf7+ Kd7 11. 0-0 h6 12. Nc3 Qf8 13. Qh5 Qf5 14. Qd1 Qxc2 15. Qg4+ Qf5 16. Qxg7 Qf6 17. Qg4+ Kd8 18. Qd1 Qg6 19. Be3 c6 20. Be4 Qf6 21. f4 c5 22. Nd5 Qg7 23. b4 Rg8 24. Nxe7 Kxe7 25. fxe5 Bh3 26. Rf2 Rad8 27. Qh5+− R. J. Fischer – Heckathorn, 40-board simultaneous exhibition, Wichita 1964.
10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Qh5+ g6 12. Qxe5. So White has come out with two Pawns ahead and a comparatively easy game to win.
12. ... Rf6 13. 0-0 Qd6 14. Qxd6 cxd6 15. Nc3 d5 16. Bg5 Re6 17. Bxe7 Rxe7 18. Rfe1 Bf5 19. Rxe7+ Kxe7 20. Re1+ Kf6 21. Re2 Rb8 22. b3 g5 23. Na4 Bg6 24. Nc5 Re8 25. Rxe8 Bxe8 26. f3 Kf5 27. Kf2 Bg6 28. c3 h5 29. Ke3 Bf7 30. Na6 1–0.

Stripped Bare

Sergio Mariotti – Genrikh Mikhailovich Chepukaitis

October Revolution 60th Anniversary International Blitz Tournament; Leningrad, July 1977

Modern Defence B06

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. h4!? A specialty by Mariotti, who had been initiated to such a bayonet’s push by one of his early mentors, Nikolay Alekseyevich Obolensky, a noble exile from Russia.
3. ... h6!? 3. ... h5 is perhaps a more scientific reply, although it did not change Mariotti’s approach to things in one of his most remarkable games: 4. Nc3 d6 5. f3 c6 6. Be3 Qb6 7. Rb1 a5 8. Bc4 Na6 9. Nge2 Bd7 10. Qd2 Qc7 11. a4 Nb4 12. Nf4 Nf6 13. Kf2 Rd8 14. Bb3 e5 15. Nh3 0-0 16. dxe5! dxe5 17. Qe2 Bxh3 18. Rxh3 Kh7 19. g4! Rd7 20. Rg1 Rfd8 21. Ke1 b5 22. Rhg3 Qd6 23. Qg2 hxg4!? 24. fxg4 bxa4 25. Bc4! Qb8? (25. ... Nbd5!) 26. h5!+− g5 27. Bxg5 Rd4 28. Bxf7 Na6 29. Qf3 Rf8 30. Qf5+ Kh8 31. h6! Rxf7 32. hxg7+ Kxg7 33. Bh6+! Kh8 34. Rh1 Qe8 35. Bf4+ 1–0 Mariotti – U. Andersson, 4th Memorial Ivan Parčetić, Sombor 1970.
4. Nc3 e6? A gross strategic error. If anything, 4. ... d6 would lead to a typical Pirc formation.
5. Be3 Ne7 6. Qd2 f5 7. f3 d6 8. 0-0-0 Nd7

For what is worth, Mariotti has already achieved an overwhelming hold over his opponent, who will soon have to worry about his King’s safety.
9. g4! fxg4 10. fxg4 Nf6 11. g5 Ng4 12. Bf4 e5 13. dxe5 hxg5 14. Bxg5 Bxe5 15. Nf3 Bf6

16. Bc4! 16. Bxf6 Nxf6 17. e5 was a more prosaic, but not less effective way. Mariotti, however, aims higher at the checkmate triumph.
16. .. Rf8 17. Rhf1 Bd7 18. Nd4 Nc6 19. Ne6 Bxe6 20. Bxe6 Nge5 21. Nd5 Bxg5 22. Rxf8+ Kxf8 23. hxg5 Kg7 24. Rf1 Ne7 25. Qh2. Threatening mate in one.
25. ... Qh8. If 25. ... Ng8 then 26. Nf6! with mate in a few moves.

Now a Queen sacrifice strips Black’s King bare:
26. Qxe5+! dxe5 27. Rf7+ Kg8 28. Nxe7# 1–0.

Why the Heart Must Go Wrong

The image above (cropped) was page 10 of the Leidse Courant of March 8, 1977, in referring to the Candidates Quarterfinal match for the World Chess Championship between the Brazilian Henrique Mecking (pictured above) and the Soviet Lev Abramovich Polugaevsky, held in Lucerne, Switzerland, from February 26 to April 2, 1977. The news is of some interest to Italy too, as after only three games Mecking fired his second Sergio Mariotti! “The brazilian seems to have recovered quite well after the nerve breakdown he suffered last weekend. The problems with his second Sergio Mariotti, who was fired by Mecking because of difference of vision, seem to have come to an end. The most likely successor to Mariotti is said to be the young Swiss Werner Hug, who was World Junior Chess Champion in 1971”, the report reads. Mecking and Mariotti knew each other when they participated in the Manila Interzonal in 1976, which was won by the Brazilian. Mariotti showed his shining chess only in the second half of the Interzonal, but it was enough for Mecking to ask him to act as his second in his upcoming match with Polugaevsky. Yet it was impossible to imagine two men more different in character. The spokespeople of the Federazione Scacchistica Italiana said that Mariotti’s unfortunate first half was due to jet lag and exacerbated by his difficulty in acclimatization. They probably felt some embarrassment in saying that he had kicked off the second assigned (by them) to assist him, International Master Alvise Zichichi, in favour of a not rated player, Mr. Lorenzo Argenton, who indeed was a friend of his, and incidentally a very strong chess player, too. Then, the legend wants, Mariotti played the first half of the Interzonal rigorously accompanied (and warmly encouraged) by a new girlfriend he had picked up in the slums of Manila. Perhaps as a compensation, he played a fantastic second half with a string of famous scalps to his name. In the early 1980s it was always a sublime pleasure to listen to his tales when he used to come from Rome to Florence just for one night at a time, if only to play one thousand blitz games with his long time friend Mr. Alessandro Parenti. Mariotti was a histrionic storyteller, and sometimes speaking about the chess VIPs (as well as the Florentine celebrities such as Vincenzo Castaldi and Clarice Benini), he liked to exaggerate a little, always in the most positive light. But the night when he told us of Mecking, I remember him still upset about his brief experience. “He plays too fearfully, he blamed me for not being passive and defensive like him!”, the Italian Fury growled. After firing Mariotti, Mecking actually called Werner Hug, and then, once he had fired Hug too, he finally turned to his old friend Juan Manuel Bellón López, another attacking player. Always that night I’m sure I heard a strong player of the Florence Chess Academy in via dei Pucci whispering, “Poor Mecking... first, Mariotti; then Bellón... all fireworks, but not a solid line”.

The Fortune Cafe

Gunnar Hedin – Sergio Mariotti
16th European Senior Team Chess Championship; Novi Sad, July 3, 2017
Bird Opening A03

1. f4 d5 2. Nf3 Nc6. Mariotti apparently forgot the “commandments” of his ancient Russian mentor Nikolai Obolensky: 2. ... h5!? 3. e3 Nh6 4. b3 Bg4 5. Bb2 Nf5 6. Be2 e6 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. c4 d4 9. e4 d3! 10. exf5 Bxf5 11. Ne1 dxe2 12. Qxe2 Bc5+ 13. Kh1 Bd4 14. Nc3 Qd7 15. d3 0-0-0 16. Rd1 Bf6 17. b4 Kb8 18. b5 Bg4 19. Qf2 Bxc3 20. bxc6 Qxc6 21. Rb1 Bxe1 22. Rfxe1 Rxd3 23. Re3 Rhd8 24. Rxd3 Rxd3 25. Bxg7 Qxc4 26. Bh6 b6 27. Bg7 Qd5 28. Be5 Kb7 29. Qc2 c5 30. Qa4 Rd2 (31. Rg1 Bh3) 0 : 1 Durão – Mariotti, Zonal Tournament, Caorle 1975, playoff game 1. 3. g3 Bg4 4. Bg2 Bxf3 5. Bxf3 e5 6. fxe5 Nxe5 7. Bg2 f5!? A novelty vaguely inspired by a kind of Netherland-style – don’t forget Mariotti is a specialist of the Dutch Defence! For 7. ... Nf6 8. 0-0 c6 9. d4 Nc4 10. Qd3 Nd6 11. Nc3 Be7 12. Bf4 0-0 13. Rae1 Qd7 see M. Gurevich – Kuijf, 52nd Hoogovens Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 1990 8. 0-0 Qd7 9. d4 Nc6 10. Nc3 Nf6 11. Bg5 Be7. Maybe he considered also 11. ... Ne4 12. Nxe4 dxe4, but then 13. g4! might be annoying. 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Nxd5 Bxd4+ 14. e3 Be5 15. Qd3 g6 16. e4 fxe4 17. Qxe4 0-0-0 18. c3 Rhe8 19. Qa4 Kb8 20. Rad1

20. ... Ne7? So far, the game was quite balanced, but the careless move in the text could well have caused serious consequences for Black’s health. After 20. ... Qe6 there was nothing special to happen, I guess. 21. Qb3. Also very appealing was 21. Qxd7 Rxd7 22. Rde1! completely paralysing Black and soon putting him in Zugzwang. The text, however, is also very strong. 21. ... Nxd5 22. Rxd5? Very strangely White doesn’t play the obvious 22. Bxd5 which threatens both Qb3xb7 mate and Bd5-f7 (winning the Exchange). Now it is true that Mariotti, in his prime, continually said that one (or even two) Exchange(s) down meant nothing to him (and often he was right!), but here – I think – he would not have had any reason to be content with it. 22. ... Qc8. Now it’s everything alright! 23. Rxd8 Rxd8 24. Bd5 Rh8 ½ : ½.

Pictured seated at the right forefront are: Michele Godena, Carlos García Palermo, Sergio Mariotti, and Fabio Bruno. Photo: novisad2017.org.

Bundevara

Sergio Mariotti – Niels Møllmann Boye
16th European Senior Team Chess Championship; Novi Sad, July 2, 2017
Queen’s Gambit Declined D35

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 Bf5 7. Bd3 Bxd3 8. Qxd3 c6 9. f3 Qb6 10. Nge2 Nbd7 11. 0-0 h6 12. Bh4 0-0 13. Kh1!? Apparently Mariotti must have thought this is a necessary precaution. In Koliada – Kiviaho, Toronto 1993 was seen 13. e4 Ne5!? 14. Qc2 Nc4? 15. e5! Ne3 16. Qd3 Nxf1 17. exf6 Bxf6 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Rxf1 Qxb2 20. Ng3 with an irresistible attack for White. 13. ... c5. This seems quite premature as the weakness of Black’s isolani on d5 is not compensated by any dynamic benefit. 14. dxc5 Nxc5 15. Qc2 Ne6. Finally Black cedes a Pawn with the only chance to hope for a drawish endgame. 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Nxd5 Qxb2 18. Qxb2 Bxb2 19. Rab1 Ba3 20. Rxb7 Rfd8 21. Nec3 Bc5 22. Rd1 Kf8 23. g3 Bb6 24. Nxb6 Rxd1+ 25. Nxd1 axb6 26. Rxb6 Rxa2 27. Rb2. Since it’s a four vs. three endgame with Pawns on the same side, Mariotti reasonably aims to exchange Rooks in order to make his chances to win as high as possible. 27. ... Rxb2. This looks very strange to me as I’d have said that Black needed to keep the Rooks on the board. 28. Nxb2 Ke7 29. Kg2 f5 30. Kf2 g5 31. Ke2 Nc5 32. Nd3 Nd7 33. h3 Ke6 34. g4 Nf6 35. gxf5+ Kxf5 36. e4+? White should have patiently played 36. Kf2 as the text allows Black an immediate escape. 36. ... Nxe4! 37. fxe4+ Kxe4 38. Ne1

38. ... h5?? A fatal mistake! 38. ... g4! followed by ... Ke4-f4 would have drawn immediately. 39. Kf2! Now, instead, White wins. 39. ... h4. Both 39. ... g4 40. h4 and 39. ... Kf4 40. Ng2+ followed by Kf2-g3 lose right off. 40. Ng2 g4 41. hxg4 h3 42. Ne3 1 : 0.

Shortly Thereafter

Uroš Petakov – Sergio Mariotti
16th European Senior Team Chess Championship; Novi Sad, June 25, 2017
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 e6 4. e3 Bd6 5. Bd3 Bxf4 6. exf4 Qd6 7. Qd2 c5 8. dxc5 Qxc5 9. 0-0 0-0. An older try is 9. ... Nc6 10. c3 (Emanuel Lasker recommended instead 10. Nc3 followed by the deployment of the Rooks) 10. ... 0-0 11. b4 Qb6 12. a4 a6 13. a5 Qc7 14. Re1 Rb8 15. Ne5 b6 16. axb6 Rxb6 17. Qe2 d4 18. b5 axb5 19. Bxb5 Nxe5 20. fxe5 Nd5 21. cxd4? (it could have been a fatal step. As Lasker pointed out, after 21. c4 the Black d-Pawn would have been doomed anyway, sooner or later, with no risk for White) 21. ... Nf4 22. Qe4 Nh3+ 23. gxh3 Rxb5 24. Na3 Rb3 25. Rac1 (Tartakower – Spielmann, Saint Petersburg 1909) and now, according to analysis by Erich Cohn and Spielmann himself, 25. ... Qe7 should have won for Black. 10. Rc1 Nc6 11. a3 Rd8 12. Nc3

12. ... Ne4? In spite of time passed, Mariotti keeps playing gamble, like in his youth blitz games, which very often took him all night long. The text offers a Pawn sacrifice for nothing but trouble, but, from a psychological viewpoint, it will work perfectly. Objectively speaking, Black should have played soundly something like 12. ... Bd7, followed by ... Ra8-c8 and eventually ... Bd7-e8. 13. Qe3? There’s no reason why White refuses to accept the Pawn, except for ghosts. So now Black cannot but equalise with the certainty of an inevitable draw in sight. 13. ... Qxe3 14. fxe3 Nxc3 15. bxc3 Na5 16. Nd2 b6 17. Nb3 Nxb3 18. cxb3 Bb7 19. Kf2 Kf8 20. Ke2 g6 21. g4 ½ : ½.

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso

Yuri Sergeyevich Balashov – Sergio Mariotti
14th European Senior Team Chess Championship; Vienna, July 17, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D45

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Be2 Be7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Qc2 b6 9. e4 dxe4 10. Nxe4 Bb7 11. Bf4 Nxe4 12. Qxe4 Nf6 13. Qe3 c5!? More enterprising than 13. ... Re8 14. Rad1 Qc8 15. h3 c5 16. Bg5 Qc7 17. Bf4 Qc8 18. Bg5 Qc7 ½ : ½ Shvedchikov – Živković, 11th European Senior Team Chess Championship, Rogaška Slatina 2012. 14. Rfd1 cxd4 15. Nxd4 Qc8 16. a3 Re8 17. Rac1

17. ... e5! A very interesting Pawn sacrifice for the initiative! 18. Bxe5. Not 18. Qxe5?? Bc5 winning a piece. 18. ... Bd6 19. f4 Bxe5. Possibly a little too hasty. Also tempting was 19. ... Ng4 20. Bxg4 Qxg4 which results in Black quickly winning back his Pawn with satisfactory play. 20. fxe5 Qc5 21. b4 Qxe5? A grave error! Correct was 21. ... Rxe5 as 22. bxc5 (22. Qf4 Qe7 23. Bf3 Ne4 leads nowhere) 22. ... Rxe3 23. cxb6 axb6 24. Rb1 Rexa3 25. Rxb6 Be4 26. c5 Rc3 seems to give Black a tenable position. 22. Qxe5 Rxe5 23. c5. Now White’s pieces are very well placed to support the passed c-Pawn. 23. ... bxc5 24. bxc5 Rae8? From bad to worse. Comparatively best was 24. ... Bd5, although after 25. c6 Rc8 26. Ba6 Rc7 27. Rc5 White retains a crystal-clear advantage. 25. Bb5 Rf8 26. c6 Bc8 27. c7 Re7 28. Re1. Balashov finishes the game with perfect technique. 28. ... Rxe1+ 29. Rxe1 Nd5 30. Rc1 a6 31. Be2 Re8 32. Bf3 Nf6. 32. ... Nf4 is equally met by 33. Nc6. 33. Nc6 Kf8 34. Na7 1 : 0.

Sergio Mariotti
Photo: Österreichischer Schachbund

Counterphobic attitude

Sergio Mariotti – Nevzat Süer
FIDE Zonal Tournament; Caorle, 1975
King’s Indian Defence E77

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4 0-0 6. Nf3 c5 7. d5 e6 8. Be2 exd5 9. e5!? Spécialité de la Maison. 9. ... Ne4 10. Nxd5. If 10. cxd5 might follow 10. ... Nxc3 11. bxc3 Nd7 12. e6 fxe6 13.dxe6 Nb6 with advantage to Black (Vaisser’s analysis). 10. ... Qa5+. 10. ... Nc6!. 11. Nd2 Nxd2 12. Bxd2 Qd8 13. b4 Nc6 14. bxc5 dxe5 15. 0-0 e4 16. Be3 h5. After 16. ... Bxa1 17. Qxa1 f6 18. Rd1 White has excellent compensation for the sacrificed Exchange. 17. Rb1 f5 18. Rb5 Rf7 19. Qd2 Kh7 20. Rfb1 Qh8 21. Bf1 Rb8 22. Kh1 Be6 23. Qc1 Rd7 24. Nb4 Nxb4. The alternative 24. ... Nd4 is also interesting, but hardly better: 25. Bxd4 Bxd4 26. Nc6 Rc8 27. Nxd4 Qxd4 28. Rxb7 Rcc7 with roughly even chances. 25. R5xb4. Threatening c5-c6. 25. ... Qc8 26. Qa3 Ra8 27. Qb3 Rb8

28. c6!? Bold play, typical of Mariotti. Black was probably expecting 28. Qa3 Ra8 repeating the position. 28. ... Qxc6 29. Bxa7 Rbd8? Correct was 29. ... Ra8 which allows Black to met 30. Rb6 by 30. ... Rxa7 leading to very favourable variatons for Black. 30. Rb6 Qc5 31. Rxb7? Sergio has let him slip away! After 31. Rxe6 Qxa7 32. Qg3 Black is busted. 31. ... Qc8 32. Rb8 Qa6 33. Rxd8 Rxd8 34. Bb8 Rd2 35. a3 Rf2 36. Qb4 e3 37. Be5?? A terrible miscalculation! White ought to have played first 37. Kg1 as after 37. ... Rd2 38. Be5 Qa7! Black would stand only slightly better. 37. ... e2. Black’s advantage is now decisive. 38. Bxe2 Rxe2 39. Qe7 Rxe5. Of course! 40. fxe5 Qxc4 41. Qb4 Qd3 42. Re1 Bd5 43. Qf4 Qxa3 44. Qe3 Be4??? Süer comically blunders his Queen! I guess Black’s awful mistake was due to time trouble. 45. Qxa3 1 : 0.

FIDE Zonal Tournament; Caorle, 25 June – 13 July 1975. From left to right: Joaquim Manuel Durão, an organizer, Sergio Mariotti and Fernando Ribeiro da Silva. Foto: Spraggett on Chess

弗拉明戈 (Flamenco)

Iván Salgado López (Chieti) – Sergio Mariotti (Augusta Perusia)
46th Italian Team Championship; Condino, May 3, 2014
Spanish C88

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Ae7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. a4. The old Main Line Anti-Marshall. 8. ... Rb8. Lately I’m recommending to my most beloved students – as you know, big Cæsar is the sunshine of my eye! – the system with 8. ... Bb7 9. d3 Re8!?, because, by playing thus, it is no longer necessary to memorise too much “theory”. 9. axb5 axb5 10. c3 d6 11. d4 exd4 12. cxd4 d5!? A novelty! For the usual 12. ... Bg4 see M. D. Tseitlin – Lercel, Catalan Bay 2014. 13. e5 Ne4 14. Nc3 Nxc3 15. bxc3 Be6 16. Bd2. It looks more sensible 16. Ra6, e.g. 16. ... Qd7 17. Ng5 and White retains a definite initiative. 16. ... b4 17. Ba4 bxc3 18. Bxc3 Rb6 19. Qd2 Qc8 20. Rec1 h6 21. Bxc6 Rxc6 22. Bb4 Bxb4 23. Qxb4 Rc4! The next manoeuvres of the black Queen and Rooks are most attractive. 24. Qa3 Qb7 25. Rcb1 Qc6 26. Qe3 Ra8 27. h3 Rxa1 28. Rxa1 Rc3 29. Qf4 Qb7 30. Rc1 Rc4 31. Ra1! Qb2! A picturesque position: both players are looking for the victory! 32. Ra8+ Kh7 33. Kh2 c5

34. Ng5+! A highly imaginative – although speculative – sacrifice. 34. ... hxg5. The offer must be accepted, for if 34. ... Kg6 then 35. Nxe6 fxe6 36. Qg4+ Kf7 (on 36. ... Kh7 37. Ra7 White mates in two moves) 37. Qh5+ g6 (37. ... Ke7 38. Qe8 mate) 38. Qf3+ Ke7 39. Qf8+ Kd7 40. Qd6 mate. 35. Qxg5 Qc1 36. f4 Qd1 37. f5! Rxd4?? A gross blunder and also a fatal tactical error. Black had to play 37. ... Qc1!, which would have enabled him to hold the position. A blow now annihilates Black: 38. f6! 1 : 0. On 38. ... gxf6 39. Qg8+ Kh6 40. Qh8+ Kg6 41. Qxf6+ White mates next move, whilst 38. ... g6 is beautifully refuted by 39. Rh8+! Kxh8 40. Qh6+ and mate next move.

Not Forgotten

[Event "XLVI Campionato Italiano a squadre"]
[Site "Condino ITA"]
[Date "2014.04.30"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Caprio, Guido"]
[Black "Mariotti, Sergio"]
[ECO "E59"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteTeam "Latina"]
[BlackTeam "Augusta Perusia"]
[PlyCount "120"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 c5 6.Nf3 d5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Qc7 11.Bd3 e5 12.Qc2 Re8 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Qxe5 15.f3 Bd7 16.a4 Rad8 17.e4 c4 18.Be2 Qc5+ 19.Kh1 b6 20.Rd1 Be6 21.Ba3 Qe3 22.Bd6 Nh5 23.Bf1 Qh6 24.Qd2 Qxd2 25.Rxd2 Rd7 26.Rad1 Red8 27.Rd4 g6 28.g4 Ng7 29.Be5 Rxd4 30.cxd4 Rc8 31.Rc1 Ne8 32.g5 Kf8 33.d5 Bd7 34.Rxc4 Rxc4 35.Bxc4 Bxa4 36.Bb8 a5 37.Ba2 Ke7 38.Ba7 b5 39.e5 Bd1 40.d6+ Kd7 41.Bxf7 Bxf3+ 42.Kg1 Ng7 43.Kf2 Bg4 44.Bg8 Be6 45.Bxh7 Bf7 46.h4 b4 47.Be3 a4 48.Bc1 a3 49.Ke1 Ke6 50.Kd1 Be8 51.Bg8+ Kxe5 52.Bd2 Ne6 53.Bxb4 a2 54.Bc3+ Kxd6 55.Kc1 Nf4 56.Bxa2 Ng2 57.h5 gxh5 58.Kd2 Bg6 59.Ke2 Nf4+ 60.Kf3 Nd5 1/2-1/2

The New York Times, 18 giugno 1970

Stoccolma （斯德哥尔摩）

Ringraziamo Mauro Berni per la condivisione di un’altra inedita del Grande Maestro Sergio Mariotti, desunta SUOMEN SHAKKI, n. 2, 1977, p. 56.

[Event "VI RILTON CUP"]
[Site "Stoccolma SWE"]
[Date "1976.12.27"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Arnason, Jon L"]
[Black "Mariotti, Sergio"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B42"]
[PlyCount "96"]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Qc7 6.O-O Nf6 7.c4 Nc6 8.Nc2 h5 9.Qe2 Ng4 10.f4 g5 11.g3 gxf4 12.Bxf4 Qb6+ 13.Kg2 Qxb2 14.Nd2 Qg7 15.Nf3 d6 16.Rab1 Be7 17.h3 Nge5 18.Kh2 Rg8 19.Rg1 Nxf3+ 20.Qxf3 Ne5 21.Qe3 Bg5 22.Be2 Qh6 23.Bxg5 Qxg5 24.Qxg5 Rxg5 25.Rgd1 Ke7 26.Rb6 Nc6 27.Nd4 Rc5 28.Nb3 Re5 29.Bf3 Rb8 30.Rb1 Bd7 31.Nd2 Ra5 32.R1b2 Nd4 33.Bg2 Bc6 34.e5 Rxe5 35.Bxc6 Nxc6 36.Rxb7+ Rxb7 37.Rxb7+ Kf6 38.Nf3 Re2+ 39.Kg1 Rxa2 40.Rb6 Ne5 41.Nxe5 dxe5 42.c5 Rc2 43.Rxa6 Rxc5 44.Ra8 h4 45.gxh4 Rc4 46.Rh8 Kg7 47.Rh5 f6 48.Kg2 Rc8 0-1

Caorle; Torneo Zonale (25 giugno – 13 luglio 1975). Da sinistra a destra: Joaquim Manuel Durão, un organizzatore, Sergio Mariotti e Fernando Ribeiro da Silva. Foto: Spraggett on Chess

Suomen suuriruhtinaskunta （芬兰大公国）

Ringraziamo Mauro Berni per aver esumato – da SUOMEN SHAKKI, n. 3, 1979, p. 147 – un’inedita del Grande Maestro fiorentino Sergio Mariotti dalle eliminatorie della ix Olimpiade per corrispondenza (Italia – Finlandia, prima scacchiera).

Sergio Mariotti – Matti Piuva
ix Olimpiade per corrispondenza; 1977-1978
Siciliana B33

1. e4 c5 2. Cf3 Cc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Cxd4 Cf6 5. Cc3 e5 6. Cdb5 d6 7. Ag5 a6 8. Axf6 gxf6 9. Ca3 b5 10. Cd5 f5 11. exf5 Axf5 12. c3 Ag7 13. Df3 Ae6 (13. ... Ag6 14. Cxb5±) 14. Td1. In alternativa: 14. Cf4 Cd4 15. cxd4 exf4 16. Cc2 0-0 17. Ad3 Dg5∞ Rogers – Ivanovic, Vrsac 1987. 14. ... 0-0 15. Ae2 Tc8 16. 0-0 f5 17. Dh3 Ce7 18. Cxe7+ Dxe7 19. Cc2 d5 20. Cb4 d4 21. Cxa6 dxc3 22. bxc3 Da3 23. Axb5 Txc3 24. Td3 Txd3 25. Dxd3 Dxd3 26. Axd3 Axa2 27. Cb4 Ae6 28. Tc1 Td8 29. Ae2 e4 30. Td1 Txd1+ ½ : ½.

Amaurosis scacchistica

Amaurosis scacchistica (Latin for chess blindness) is the failure of a chess player, during a chess game, to make a normally obvious good move or see a normally obvious danger. The term was coined by Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch. Similar to chess blindness is the Kotov syndrome, in which a player, after a long period of calculation, suddenly makes a move they have not analyzed at all. [Wikipedia]

Sergio Mariotti – N. N.
Simultaneous chess exhibition; Rome, June 29, 1980
Sicilian Defence B94

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6. The sharp Najdorf Variation. 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 e6. “[...] the more common continuation, so what need to play first 6. ... Nbd7?”, wonders International Master Stefano Tatai in his book “Tatai insegna la Najdorf”, Rome, Caissa Italia editore, 2008, p. 20. 8. 0-0 b5? If 8. ... h6?! then 9. Bxf6! Nxf6 10. Bb3 b6 11. f4 Bb7 12. Qd3 Be7 13. Nxe6!± Stean – Browne, 21st Chess Olympiad, Nice 1974. More convincing, however, is 8. ... Qa5(!) 9. Qd2 Be7 10. Rad1 h6 11. Bh4 Ne5 12. Be2! g5 13. Bg3 (Kaplan – Mater, Jerusalem 1967) 13. ... Bd7 14. f4 gxf4 15. Rxf4 0-0-0∞ (R. Marić’s analysis). 9. Bxe6! fxe6 10. Nxe6 Qb6 11. Nd5 Nxd5

12. exd5?? Strange things can happen everywhere! 12. Qxd5 was easy and deadly, for if 12. ... Bb7 then 13. Nc7+! Qxc7 14. Qe6+ and mate next move. 12. ... Ne5 13. Be3 Qb7 14. f4 Nc4 15. Bd4 Bxe6 16. dxe6 0-0-0 17. b3 Nb6 18. f5 Rg8 19. a4 b4 20. Qe2 Be7 21. Rad1 Nd5 22. Kh1 Kb8 23. Bg1?? The “Italian Fury” is going crazy! After 23. Qd2 Nf6 Black stands better, but the game is not yet over. 23. ... Nc3-+ 24. Qf2 Nxd1 25. Rxd1 Rc8 26. Rd4 Rc7 27. Rg4 d5 28. Qg3 Bf6 29. Qd6 Ka8 30. Rxb4 Qc6 31. Qg3 Qc3 32. Qd6 Qc6 ½ : ½. A gallant agreement between the two sides, being Black content of saving the day... his own and that of Grandmaster Mariotti too! Source: Due Alfieri, July-August 1980, p. 157.

阿拉西奥 (Alassio)

Aràsce
Dott. Ing. Giancarlo Castiglioni

Questa è l’unica volta che ho incontrato Mariotti in torneo.

Eravamo in cinque in testa al torneo con 3 punti su 3 e nell’accoppiamento, con un notevole colpo di sfortuna, ho pescato Mariotti a 2½! Ovviamente il più forte dei possibili avversari.

Mariotti era furioso, perché il giorno prima aveva pareggiato rispondendo lampo ad una mossa di Giustolisi; era una mossa debole con cui aveva sciupato tutto il vantaggio.

Diceva che avrebbe comprato una clessidra da un minuto da girare ad ogni mossa per imporsi un tempo di riflessione minimo per mossa.

Io il giorno prima avevo battuto Cosulich e Giubbolini, una prestazione mai più ripetuta nel resto della mia carriera scacchistica, due maestri in un turno doppio.

Poi era con me a Napoli e aveva visto che in posizioni perse avevo delle inaspettate risorse di sopravvivenza.

Fatto sta che, a differenza di Cosulich, Mariotti prese la mia partita molto sul serio e giustamente pensò che, data la mia inesperienza, in una partita posizionale sarei stato più in difficoltà.

Quindi apertura d2-d4 e fianchetto di Re.

Sergio Mariotti – Giancarlo Castiglioni

i Open Coppa Baia del Sole; Alassio, 30 aprile 1970

Grünfeld D79

Commenta Uno, Nessuno e Centomila.

1. d4 d5 2. Cf3 Cf6 3. g3 g6 4. Ag2 Ag7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. c4 c6 7. cxd5 cxd5 8. Cc3 Cc6. L’alternativa è 8. ... Ce4 9. Ce5 Cxc3 10. bxc3 Cc6 11. Cxc6 bxc6 12. Da4 Db6 13. Aa3 Da6! 14. Dxa6 Axa6 15. Tfb1 Axe2 16. Axe7 Tfb8= Smejkal – Mariotti, Milano 1975. 9. Ce5 Cxe5?! Se 9. ... Ae6 allora 10. Cxc6 bxc6 11. Da4 Db6 12. Td1 Tfe8 13. b3 c5 14. Ae3 con preferenza per il Bianco, Mariotti – Paoli, Firenze 1972. Più solita e convincente è tuttavia 9. ... e6; per esempio: 10. Ag5 h6! 11. Cxc6 bxc6 12. Af4 Cd7 (12. ... Ch5∞) 13. Dd2 g5! 14. Ad6 Te8 15. e4! Cb6! 16. Ac5 Cd7! 17. Ad6 Cb6= 18. Ac5 Cd7 ½ : ½ L. Portisch – Gligoric, Lubiana/Portorose 1973. 10. dxe5 Cd7? Commenta l’Ingegner Giancarlo Castiglioni: “Non era la soluzione di tutti i problemi, ma era necessaria 10. ... Cg4 [...]. Si sta peggio, ma si può resistere. Può sembrare strano, ma dopo questa mossa [10. ... Cd7?] non c’è più niente da fare; la partita è solo una lunga sofferenza fino alla fine”. Tuttavia, se 10. ... Cg4 allora 11. Dxd5! Cxe5 (11. ... Axe5 12. Db3) 12. Dc5!± Romanishin – Kuzmin, Kiev 1978. 11. f4 e6 12. e4 dxe4 13. Cxe4 Tb8. Se 13. ... f6 (Paciencia – Ardiansyah, Surabaya 2002) allora 14. Db3 con vantaggio per il Bianco. 14. Ae3 b6 15. Da4 a5 16. Db5 Dc7 17. Tac1 Da7. Era forse più pervicace cedere un Pedone con 17. ... Cc5, sebbene dopo 18. Cxc5 bxc5 19. Dxc5 Dxc5 20. Axc5 Td8 21. b3 il Bianco serbi un manifesto vantaggio (Pedone e posizione). 18. Tfd1 Td8 19. Td2 Af8

20. Txc8! Ancora Castiglioni: “Mariotti conclude con una semplice ed elegante combinazione”. 20. ... Tbxc8 21. Txd7 Txd7 22. Dxd7 Dxd7 23. Cf6+ Rg7 24. Cxd7 Tc2 25. Cxf8 Rxf8 26. Af1 a4. Oppure 26. ... Txb2 27. a4+- (Δ Af1-b5, ergo Ae3xb6xa5). 27. Ad4 a3 28. bxa3 Txa2 29. Axb6 1 : 0. “Avrei voluto giocare una partita con te, invece ho giocato solo un’apertura!”, disse infine a Mariotti uno sconsolato Castiglioni.

The Italian Fury

FIDE Zonal Tournament; Caorle, 25 June – 13 July 1975. From left to right: Joaquim Manuel Durão, an organizer, Sergio Mariotti and Fernando Ribeiro da Silva. Photo: Spraggett on Chess.

La Belle Époque

Venice, autumn 1971. From left: Roberto Cosulich, Lubomir Kavalek, Sergio Mariotti, and Heikki Westerinen. Photo: The Chess Player, No. 1, vi – xii 1971, p. 236.

Poker Chess

“Poker Chess” è il titoletto con cui il Grande Maestro ungherese-statunitense Pál Charles Benkö, in un articolo dedicato all’XI Torneo Internazionale di Venezia, incornicia il suo mezzogiorno di fuoco contro the Italian Fury Sergio Mariotti. Da Chess Life & Review, Vol. XXX, n. 2, febbraio 1975, p. 82, ecco la partita con i commenti originali di Benkö:

S. Mariotti – P. C. Benkö
Venezia, 1974
Siciliana B20

1. e4 c5 2. b4!? cxb4 3. d4 d5 4. e5 Af5 5. a3 Cc6 6. axb4 Cxb4 7. Ca3 a6 8. c3 Cc6 9. Ce2 e6 10. Cg3 Ag6 11. h4 h5 12. Ad3 Axd3 13. Dxd3 Ae7 14. Ag5 b5 15. f4 g6 16. 0-0 Ch6 17. Cc2 Axg5 18. fxg5 Cf5 19. Cxf5 gxf5 20. Ce3 Ce7 21. g3 Rf8 22. Db1 Rg7 23 Db4 Cg6 24. Ta2 Db6 25. Taf2 Ta7

L’unico Grande Maestro italiano, Mariotti, è un tattico pericolosissimo, ma non ha alcuna pervicacia. Se non riesce a sacrificare, se il suo trucco non funziona, se l’avversario non cade nella sua trappola – allora perde interesse nella partita. Talvolta abbandona financo in posizioni aggiornate che si potrebbero salvare. Si è detto si devono giocare 40 mosse per avere buone probabilità di vincere.
Naturalmente, un simile “stile” rende un torneo irreale, giacché egli lotta seriamente contro un avversario mentre prende altri piuttosto alla leggera. In simili circostanze alcuni concorrenti incassano punti troppo facilmente. Nella posizione di cui sopra, per esempio, il Bianco è strategicamente perduto, giacché il suo attacco sull’ala di Re è stato neutralizzato, mentre il Nero ha l’iniziativa sull’altro lato grazie al Pedone in più. Pertanto, il Bianco afferra l’ultima occasione per sacrificare un pezzo.

26. Cxf5+!? exf5 27. Txf5 Tc8 28. Tf6 Tc6 29. g4!?
Ingegnoso. Non c’è nessun altro modo di proseguire costruttivamente la partita, se non porre al Nero dei problemi.
29. ... hxg4 30. h5 a5

Forse il tratto del testo non era necessario. Temevo però la possibilità per il Bianco di attivare la Donna via f8; per esempio: 30. ... Cxe5 31. h6+ Rg8 32. h7+ Rxh7 33. Df8.

31. Db1 Cxe5?
Ma questo furto di Pedone è un errore, giacché adesso la Donna bianca si unisce all’attacco. Dopo 31. ... Ch4! non si vede come possa proseguire il Bianco.
32. Df5 Cf3+ 33. Txf3! gxf3 34. h6+ Rh8 35. g6!
Una rara tempesta di Pedoni, che in altre circostanze avrei apprezzato. Tuttavia, adesso non avevo il tempo di godermela; solo alla mossa precedente mi ero accorto che adesso la Torre è tabù a causa del matto dopo 36. Dc8+. Se 35. ... Dc7 36. g7+ Rg8 37. Dg5! e la minaccia di h6-h7+ è ardua da parare.
35. ... f2+ 36. Rf1 fxg6 37. Tf8+ Rh7 38. De5 Rxh6??
Sembra che mi sia deciso a comporre un aiutomatto. Naturalmente, il Nero aveva ancora una difesa, ma avrebbe dovuto resituire parte del suo vantaggio materiale; per esempio: 38. ... Tf6! 39. Txf6 Dc7 (o forse meglio 39. ... Dd8) ed è il Bianco a dover lottare per la patta! Per esempio, 40. Dxd5 Dc4+ forza il cambio delle Donne, oppure 40. Td6 Dc4+, od ancora 40. Dg5 Dc4+ seguita da Dc4-d3 e la posizione del Re bianco è esposta.
39. Dh2+ Rg5 40. Df4+ 1 : 0.
È sempre una goia visitare Venezia, anche da turista. Esserci per giocare in un torneo è ancor più gratificante. È un vero piacere godere dell’ospitalità dei veneziani. Spero con tutto il cuore che quest’evento si confermi come un festival eccezionale nel circuito torneistico internazionale.

The Italian Fury

“The Italian Fury”. Thus the international press nicknamed Italian Grandmaster Sergio Mariotti after his shining performance at the Zonal Tournament in Praia da Rocha (Portugal) in the fall of 1969, where he missed by half a point the qualification to the Palma de Mallorca Interzonal Tournament. His executioner was South African Master Donnelly, who all of sudden buried his positional masterpiece against Bulgarian Grandmaster Milko Georgiev Bobotsov and his six-Pawn bayonet assault to Yugoslav Grandmaster Svetozar Gligorić’s King’s Indian! Here is how American International Master Israel Albert Horowitz introduced Mariotti’s “Immortal Game” in his The New York chess column:

Mariotti’s original, sustained assault was achieved without once having moved his King-Knight from its original square. Shades of Phiidor, Morphy and Capablanca! Or, on the other hand, can it be that White did not know how to move his Knight?

The New York Times, June 18, 1970