Chess Memories

Post your best chess memories here.

It is 1959 and I am age 18 and playing in my first chess tournament. It is the very strong US Open in Omaha, Nebraska in 1959.

More than half the players were rated expert and master.

I won my first game and then was scheduled to play a master I had read about. I was thrilled!

 D Taylor  vs Erich Marchand

Taylor--

Thanks for posting 

Ouch!

My high school had an annual chess tournament hosted by my science teacher. I had only played chess against my family so I wasn't very good but I was still good enough to get 4th place in 9th and 10th grade. I wanted to get better so I studied some chess courses online and I improved so much that I easily won the tournament in 11th and 12th grade. But my best chess memory wasn't winning the tournament, but finally being able to beat my science teacher who used to be much better than I was. 

Playing in a Chicago Tournament.  Won my first two games and am paired with a Chicago legend and strong chess master, Dr. Eugene Martinovsky.

I had Black and on about the 9th move, Dr. Martinovsky proposed a draw!

Looking at my position, I had a slight advantage.  However:

"If your higher rated opponent offers you a draw--that means he thinks he is losing!"

Thought for a while and then declined his offer of a draw...

He soon got the better position and went on to beat me!

He may have wanted to see what you were thinking.

Yes, it is a good psychological ploy. Offer a draw to a lower rated player when you think you have a slight disadvantage. 

If he accepts, it is ok.

If he declines, he will probably have used up some time and probably will have worried about to accept the draw or not? and as time goes by--he has more and more reason to accept the draw--but if he  does not accept--he has  used up time to his disadvantage.--it may throw his game off a little!?

Encounter with Pal Benko

Going back to my first tournament, The US Open in Omaha Nebraska in 1959...

I remember GM Arthur Bisquier coming into the Tournament Hall. He was a former US Champ and had just recently married.  Also, there was his cousin, [maybe 2nd cousin?] Pal Benko, also a well known grandmaster...

Both Bisguier and Benko fought through the rounds for first place with Bisquier eventually winning first and Benko tied for 2nd place.

Benko was was well known for  his  endgame play and wrote a column on endgames in Chess Life.

I was playing a junior, Clark Harmon. At the time, I think he was the Oregon Junior Champion.  Clark was getting the best of me and I was close to resigning...

But then I noticed Pal Benko who seemed to be looking at our game from about two tables away! Thought to myself: "Now, why would Pal Benko, who was fighting for first place, be interested in a game between a couple of juniors, one who was unrated?"

And then I saw it...I could sacrifice my bishop for two pawns and my opponent would wind up with a bishop and pawn and king vs my lone king.  But it would be the old trick where a bishop and rook pawn could not win if the bishop did not control the queening square and my king could get to the a8/b8 position in time. 

So, I made the sacrifice of my bishop for 2 pawns and immediately Pal Benko came to our table and announced: "This game is a draw!"

Clark looked a little stunned but in just a few seconds agreed to my offer of a draw...

Similar Position to above  "Encounter with Pal Benko

it's good to know

Thanks for the cool story about Benko.  And the useful endgame advice.

All my chess memories are worst ones.

I dont even know how to play chess.

No wonder you are unrated!

I have amazing chess memories! First, I defeated some of my old school's best players. Second, I defeated my chess teacher while in the waiting room at a tournament. And I also beat this one kid at chess before he got insanely good at the game. Then I got third place in the school chess tournament. I stole a few queens for free :) Last year I played a game and not one check was given. The only chess related term that was spoken was me when I said "Checkmate!" I entered a tournament or two. Played two games. Lost both. Fun experience though, even if I didn't know a lot about chess at the time. I ended up playing against someone I knew from my own school. When I asked him if he wanted to play chess one day, he told me I was the one who checkmated him more often than he did to me. That was quite surprising to me. And then there was a friend of mine I played in middle school in chess class. He was having a very difficult time with my pieces cause everything was protecting everything! Except he eventually won. I'd kick his butt at a game now though. He stopped playing often and I started to pick up the game more by reading books by GMs and attempting to play online and against my chess computer. I played a game two years ago where I told my friend I knew I would win the game with one move. I moved 1. e4 and said "I've won this game" or something like that :P and I did end up winning :) this is a huge brain dump. Congrats if you read it all. 

It is early June 1956. I have just had my 15th birthday. Am in a room surrounded by about 40 school teachers. These teachers were all going to have summer employment at the various schools/playgrounds areas in the city of Decatur, Illinois. 

They tell me I have just been hired as Chess Instructor for the City of Decatur. Not only that, but I will receive the same pay as the teachers!

My job was to use my motor scooter and go to 2 or 3 areas a day to teach chess.

Arrived at my first area and there were 10 kids sitting at tables, each with a chess set ready to play.  They want me to do a simul and play all at once.  As one kid would lose, he would ask to play another game or someone would take his place.

The same thing happened at the next area I visited.  It seems they all wanted to play the "chess guy"  I would win every game without a draw of loss.

This senario happened many days before I was actually able to teach... 

You are a ruthless teacher! Hopefully you still have the memorable motor scooter