Schmid Part II : Chess games and tactics
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
Grandmaster Lothar Schmid: 1928–2013
Continuing our dedication to the late Lothar Schmid, below are some very nice tactical positions from his games. Possessing a very classical style tempered with a fine feel for the initiative, it is therefore not surprising that many of the finishes to Schmid’s games have that brilliant Paul Morphy shine to them!
im MEDINA-GARCIA,Ant
LOTHAR SCHMID
From Gstaad, 1973. Position after 24 moves. Material is even but White holds a number of key trumps, including having the better coordinated and active pieces, control of the d-file and (most important here) it is his move!
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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LOTHAR SCHMID
gm PORTISCH,L
Leipzig ol, 1960. White has been pressuring Black for a long time and finally an opportunity has arisen for the break-thru. Notice that virtually all of Black’s pieces are undefended…usually not the thing to do when team-work is required to hold things together…
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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gm DARGA,Klaus
LOTHAR SCHMID
Germany, 1967. Position after 29 moves. This position is the culmination of one of Schmid’s best efforts, in my opinion. An unimpressively played opening followed by some truly extraordinary middlegame play, the student will do well to study Schmid’s play starting from move 24.
Here it seems as though White has a lot of dangling , uncoordinated pieces. BUT this can not be farther from the truth!
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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KINZEL,Ant
LOTHAR SCHMID
Siegen ol, 1970. Position after 23 moves. This game reminds me of something from Paul Morphy! Both players have played very sharply and it seems that Schmid might have over extended. Black threatens …a6, winning a piece, as White’s Knight must defend the White Rook.
A closer look at the position reveals some interesting tactics; if 24.Qe5 (threatenng a nasty discovered check), then 24…Rd5! holds. Or if 24.Qf4 then 24…Ka8! and Black is hanging on.
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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PEDERSEN
LOTHAR SCHMID
From a correspondence game, 1963. A super sharp French Defence has kept both players on their toes! Black has just played 28…Rxe3. If White now takes the Rook then 29…Qe4+ is atleast a perpetual check.
What I like about this example is that it seems as though the White King is the more vulnerable, an observation proven untrue by Schmid’s continuation…
WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!
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CASTALDI,V
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CASTALDI,V
LOTHAR SCHMID
Bern, 1957. Pins and more pins! White has a wide choice of promising continuations, most good enough to win. HOWEVER, there is only one line that I am interested in!
WHITE TO PLAY AND MATE IN TWO MOVES!
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BHEND,Ed
LOTHAR SCHMID
Venice, 1953. Black has played a risky, gambit-inspired middlegame but Schmid’s last move (22.c4) is a serious error that gives Black the opportunity that he had been hoping for…
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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GUMPRICH
LOTHAR SCHMID
Position after 21 moves of a correspondence game played in 1952. Schmid has played a great game, one that the student would do well to study. He must have felt very good when he played his next move and announced forced mate in 9-moves!
WHITE TO PLAY AND MATE IN 9 MOVES!
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gm ROSSOLIMO
LOTHAR SCHMID
Heidelberg, 1949. Black has made no effort to hide his ambition to attack the White monarch, but Schmid seems to have everything under control. If now 27…Bc8!? (to theaten some sacrífice on h3) then the calm 28.Qd1! follows and White even stands better!
Curiously, the Black Bishop on b7 is VERY well placed…(hint!)
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN!
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SOLUTIONS
Schmid. Lothar –Medina-Garcia ,Antonio : 25.Rg4! (25.Bf6 also does the trick) 25…Kh8 26.Bf6! winning 26…Qxg4 What else? 27.hxg4 gxf6 28.exf6 Nc5 29.f4 Rg8 30.f5 Rxg4 31.Qe8+ Rg8 32.Qxf7 Ne4 33.Qe7 Ng5 34.f7 Nxf7 35.Qxf7 1-0
Portisch, Lajos –Schmid, Lothar : 41.Rxe5! 1-0 Not wanting to witness 41…PxR 42.Ne6!! PxN 43.QxR+ Rh7 44.Qxg6 and mate is unavoidable
Schmid, Lothar –Kinzel, Anton : 24.Rxb7+!! Qxb7 25.Qe5+ Ka8 26.Nc7+ Kb8 and now 27.NxB+ , 28.NxR and 29.Qxg7 is the cleanest way to win.
Schmid, Lothar –Pedersen: 29.Rxf7+!! 1-0 After 29…KxR 30.Rf1+ either forces mate or wins the house.
Schmid, Lothar –Castaldi, Vincenzo : 28.Qxe5+! 1-0 if 28…NxQ 29.Bf6++
Schmid, Lothar –Bhend Edwin : 22… Bxg3!! wins by force: 23.hxg3 Bh3! 24.Bg5 Bg2 25.Bh4 Qg4 26.Ne5 Qh3 0-1
Schmid, Lothar –Rossolimo, Nicholas : 27… Rxg2+! 28.Kxg2 Rxf2+!! 29.Bxf2 e3+ 0-1