Through the Wall

Eleven-time East Germany’s Chess Champion Wolfgang Uhlmann died in Dresden, Germany, on Monday, August 24, 2020 at 85 (he was born there on March 29, 1935). Uhlmann, who was East Germany’s most prominent Grandmaster and one among the top ten in the world during the 60s and 70s, is universally regarded as one of the most authoritative theorists and practitioners of the French Defence. In his long career he succeeded in winning at least a game against four World Chess Champions, namely (in alphabetical order): Viswanathan Anand, Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Robert James Fischer and Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov.

Wolfgang Uhlmann – Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik
15th Chess Olympiad; Varna, September 29, 1962
Queen’s Indian Defence E12

Comments in quotation marks by Dagobert Kohlmeyer, ChessBase.com, March 29, 2015.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 g5 7. Bg3 Nh5 8. e3 Nxg3 9. hxg3 Bg7 10. Qc2 Nc6 11. a3 Qe7 12. 0-0-0 g4 13. Nh4 a6 14. Kb1 h5. Curiously enough, Grandmaster Larry Evans assesses the position in his revised 10th edition of “Modern Chess Openings” (1965) as “∓” — just to show the influence Botvinnik’s aura had upon the commentators! 15. Be2 Rh6 16. f3 0-0-0 17. d5 Na7 18. Na4 gxf3 19. gxf3 d6 20. Ng2 Rdh8 21. e4 Kb8 22. Rd3 Re8 23. Re1 Bh8 24. Qd2 Rg6 25. g4 hxg4 26. fxg4 Be5 27. Rb3 Rh8 28. Qe3 Qg5. “28. ... Nc8 was necessary. Wolfgang Uhlmann, who has only a minute left for the remaining 12 moves before the time control, can now deliver the decisive tactical blow”.

29. Nxb6 Qxe3. Perhaps 29. ... cxb6 30. Qxb6 Qe7 31. c5 isn’t so dangerous as it seems, since 31. ... Nc8 32. Qa5 Qc7 apparently puts White’s attack into a deadlock. 30. Nd7+ Kc8 31. Nxe3 Kxd7 32. Rxb7 Bd4 33. Bd1 Bb6 34. Ba4+ Kc8 35. Bc6 Rh3. “Black had to play 35. ... Rgh6! so as to be sure to trade a pair of Rooks”. 36. Nc2 a5 37. Rf1 Nxc6 38. dxc6 Rg7 39. b4 a4 40. e5 Rb3+ 41. Kc1 Rd3 42. Rd1 Rxd1+ 43. Kxd1 Bg1 44. exd6 cxd6 45. b5 Bc5 46. Nb4 Bxb4 47. axb4 Rxg4 48. b6 1 : 0. “An extremely rare pictorial position. The two pairs of doubled Pawns on the b- and c- files ensure a quick mating attack. (Uhlmann)”.

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter

Mariya Muzychuk – Wolfgang Uhlmann
6th Snowdrops vs Oldhands; Poděbrady, December 2, 2013
Trompowsky Attack A45

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 e6 3. e4 h6 4. Bxf6 Qxf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Qd2 g6 7. 0-0-0 Bg7 8. f4 0-0. No better is 8. ... a6 9. g4 Nd7 10. Nf3 b5 11. e5 Qe7 12. f5 and White enjoys a powerful initiative, Mamedyarov – Anastasian, 3th European Individual Championship, Batumi 2002. 9. Nf3 Qe7 10. h4 h5 11. e5 b6 12. Ne4 Bb7 13. Bd3 Nc6

14. g4!! This amazing move has not been taken into account by Uhlmann! 14. ... hxg4 15. Nfg5 Nxd4 16. h5! Mariya is showing her exceptional talent as a fanciful attacking player. 16. ... dxe5 17. hxg6 f5. Now 17. ... f6 is probably best, but after 18. Qh2 Rfd8 19. Nf7 Black can hardly hope to survive. 18. Qh2! Rfe8 19. fxe5? A surprise move... surprisingly bad! After 19. Qh7+ Kf8 20. Ng3!! White seems to win in all variations, e.g. 20. ... Bxh1 21. Nh5! exf4 22. Nf7! with an overwhelming attack. 19. ... fxe4 20. Nxe4 Bxe4 21. Bxe4 Qg5+ 22. Kb1 Rad8? German veteran misses the big chance! After 22. ... Qxe5 23. Qh7+ Kf8 White has nothing else to do but hope for a miracle. 23. Qh7+ Kf8 24. Rdf1+ Nf5 25. Bxf5 exf5 26. Rh5. Now it is all over. 26. ... Rd1+. Well, it’s just a delay. 27. Rxd1 Qf4 28. c3 Qe4+ 29. Ka1 Qxe5 30. a3 g3 31. Rf1 1 : 0.

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: Anežka Kružíková

狮子王

Wolfgang Uhlmann – Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
Clash of the Legends; match game 3; Zürich, February 16, 2015
English Opening A29

“I’m satisfied with the third game, although it seems he had some chances for a draw at the end of it. Earlier, he had compensation for a Pawn”, then Kortschnoi said. 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nde7 7. 0-0 g6 8. b4 a6 9. Rb1 Bg7 10. a4 0-0 11. d3 Nd4 12. Nd2 c6 13. e3 Ne6 14. Qe2. It was preferable 14. Nc4 Nd5 as in the game Sarno – Martorelli, 55th Italian Chess Championship, Verona 1995, after which International Master Sagar Shah suggests 15. Bb2! Nxb4?! 16. Ba3! and White gets the upper-hand. 14. ... Nd5 15. Nxd5 cxd5 16. f4 exf4 17. gxf4 Re8 18. Nb3 Qd6 19. Qf3 Qxb4 20. f5 gxf5 21. Qxf5 Nd8 22. Qxd5 Qxa4 23. Nc5 Qc2 24. Rb6 Be6 25. Qh5 Bg4? This is a bad tactical slip. 26. Qg5? Uhlmann missed his golden chance! After 26. Qxg4! Qxc5 27. Bb2! Qxe3+ 28. Kh1 Black is busted. 26. ... Re5 27. Qxg4 Qxc5 28. Rb4 Rg5 29. Qf4 Rg6 30. Re4 Qb5 31. Ba3 Rf6 32. Qh4 Rxf1+ 33. Bxf1 Ne6 34. d4 Qb1. 34. ... Qb3! looks much more powerful, threatening both ... Qb3xa3 (winning the Bishop) and ... f7-f5 (trapping the Rook). 35. Rg4 Kh8 36. d5 Nf8

37. Be7?? A palpable blunder which loses the Exchange. 37. Qe7 looks much more to the point, e.g. 37. ... Ng6 38. Qxf7 Rg8 with a double-edged position. 37. ... Ng6 38. Rxg6. White has no choice as 38. Qg5 is refuted by 38. ... h6. 38. ... Qxg6+ 39. Bg2 Rc8 40. Qh3 Rc1+ 41. Kf2 Qc2+ 42. Kf3 Qd1+ 43. Kf4 Rc4+ 44. e4 Qxd5 0 : 1.

Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
Photo: Zürich Chess Challenge 2015

狮子今晚睡着了

Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi – Wolfgang Uhlmann
Clash of the Legends; match game 2; Zürich, February 15, 2015
King’s Indian Defence E70

“The second game was horrible even though I won: he chose the King’s Indian having no idea of it”, Kortschnoi said. 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. d4 Bg7 5. Bg5. The Averbakh System used to be a Kortschnoi’s favourite. 5. ... Nbd7 6. f4 0-0 7. Nf3 c5 8. d5 Qa5. It looks better to play immediately 8. ... b5!? 9. cxb5 a6 with a thematic compensation for the sacrificed Pawn. 9. Qd2 b5. Consistent but risky. 10. Nxb5. 10. cxb5 a6 would have justified Black’s counter-gambit. 10. ... Qb6. Less committal seems 10. ... Qxd2+ 11. Nxd2 with an edge for White. 11. Nc3 Rb8 12. Rb1 e6. International Master Sagar Shah suggests 12. ... h6 13. Bh4 Nh5 as sounder play.

13. dxe6! fxe6 14. Bd3 Bb7 15. 0-0 d5 16. e5 Ne8. If 16. ... Ne4 then 17. Qe2 Nxg5 18. Nxg5 with a clear-cut advantage to White. 17. Kh1 Nc7 18. Be7 Rfe8 19. Bd6 Bf8 20. Bxf8 Nxf8 21. b3. And the rest is just a matter of technique. 21. ... Rbd8 22. Na4 Qc6 23. Qe3 d4 24. Qd2 Na6 25. Ng5 Nb4. A gross blunder, which loses a second Pawn. 26. Be4 Qc7 27. Bxb7 Qxb7 28. Nxc5 Qb8 29. Nge4 Kg7 30. a3 Nc6 31. b4 Nd7 32. Nxd7 Rxd7 33. Nf6 Ree7 34. Nxd7 Rxd7 35. Qd3 Ne7 36. c5 Nf5 37. b5 Rd5 38. c6 Qc7 39. Rbc1 h5 40. a4 Rd8 41. Rfd1 Ne3 42. Rd2 h4 43. Qb3 Qf7 44. Rxd4 Rxd4 45. Qxe3 Rxf4 46. Kg1 1 : 0.

Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi vs. Wolfgang Uhlmann
Photo: Zürich Chess Challenge 2015

Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
Photo: Zürich Chess Challenge 2015

Extraordinary time

All set for the clash of the legends: Wolfgang Uhlmann vs. Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
Photo: Zürich Chess Challenge 2015

The Neverending Story

Tarjei J. Svensen (‏@TarjeiJS)

4th edition of the “Zürich Chess Challenge 2015” Coming soon! The rapid match between Grandmasters Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi and Wolfgang Ulhmann will be held on February 15th (games 1 and 2) and 16th (games 3 and 4), both days at 11am at the Hotel “Savoy Baur en Ville” and preceded by a short overview about the bygone chess history by the president of the “Emanuel Lasker Gesellschaft”, Paul Werner Wagner.

Back to the Future

In late December 2012, it was reported that Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi was recovering from a stroke and was unlikely to play competitive chess again. On March 28th and 29th 2014, however, Kortschnoi played an exhibition match of two games in the University of Leipzig, against Wolfgang Ulhmann, with the time control of 60 minutes/game for each. Kortschnoi won 2-0. Pretty soon we’ll see Viktor Lvovich over the board again, also against Ulhmann. The match will be held on February 15th and 16th as surplus of the 4th edition of the “Zürich Chess Challenge 2015” and consist of 4 rapid games. In March 2015, Kortschnoi and Ulhmann will celebrate their 84th and 80th birthdays respectively.

University of Leipzig, March 29, 2014. Wolfgang Ulhmann vs. Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi.