IM Rashid Nezmehtdinov 1912-1974

IM Rashid Nezmehtdinov 1912-1974 Was well known as a chess wizard, he played some really fantastic games (including 3 wins against Mischa Tal!). Some people say that his win with black against Lev Polugajevsky at Sochi 1958 is the best chess game ever played! Here is what Tal and Bronstien had to say about him.

Although Rashid Nezhmetdinov was not widely known in the West, his games have a great reputation among connoisseurs of attacking chess. Among his many distinctions in chess are his score of six wins, nine draws and five losses against World Champions.

As former World Champion Mikhail Tal wrote: “With the passage of time, tournament tables tend to lose interest, but some games played in these tournaments live forever, and in this respect Nezhmetdinov is one of the most richly endowed players. His games reveal the beauty of chess and make you love in chess not so much the points and high placings, but the wonderful harmony and elegance of this particular world. I have played four games with the Tatar master and the score was 3-1 in his favor.” David Bronstein too, sang his praises: “Rashid Nezhmetdinov is a virtuoso of combinational chess.”

[Event "Sochi 28th RSFSR ch"]
[Site "Sochi 28th RSFSR ch"]
[Date "1958.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Polugaevsky, L."]
[Black "Nezhmetdinov, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A53"]
[Annotator "Fritz 5.00 (5s)"]
[PlyCount "66"]

1. d4 Nf6 {Opening = A53 - Altindisch /Old Indian Defence} 2. c4 d6 3. e4 e5 4.
Nc3 exd4 5. Qxd4 Nc6 6. Qd2 {out of book} g6 7. b3 Bg7 8. Bb2 O-O 9. Bd3 Ng4
10. Nge2 (10. Nf3 f5 $11) 10... Qh4 11. Ng3 Nge5 12. O-O $17 (12. Be2 $5 f5 13.
Nd5 $11) 12... f5 $11 (12... Ng4 $5 13. h3 Nxf2 14. Rxf2 Bh6 $15) 13. f3 $2 $17
(13. exf5 $142 $5 Nxd3 14. Qxd3 Bxf5 15. Nxf5 Rxf5 16. Rae1 $15) 13... Bh6 $15
{Black prepares the advance f4} (13... Nxd3 $5 14. Qxd3 Bd4+ 15. Kh1 Be5 $17)
14. Qd1 f4 15. Nge2 g5 16. Nd5 g4 $16 (16... Rf7 $142 $11) 17. g3 $4 $15 (17.
Nxc7 g3 18. h3 Bxh3 19. gxh3 (19. Nxa8 $4 Bxg2 20. Nxg3 fxg3 21. Kxg2 Qh2#)
19... Qxh3 20. Rf2 gxf2+ 21. Kxf2 Qxf3+ 22. Kg1 $19) 17... fxg3 {
Threatening mate: Qxh2} 18. hxg3 Qh3 19. f4 Be6 $2 $18 (19... Nf3+ 20. Kf2 Qh2+
21. Ke3 Bg7 22. Bxg7 Kxg7 23. Nxc7 Rb8 $18) 20. Bc2 $4 $15 (20. Nxc7 Rxf4 21.
Rxf4 (21. Nxf4 Qxg3+ 22. Kh1 Bxf4 23. Rxf4 Qxf4 24. Bxe5 Nxe5 25. Nxa8 Qh6+ 26.
Kg2 Qh3+ 27. Kf2 g3+ (27... Nxd3+ 28. Ke2 Nc5 29. Qd4 $15 (29. Qxd6 $2 Qf3+ 30.
Ke1 Qc3+ 31. Ke2 Qxa1 32. Qxc5 Qxa2+ 33. Ke3 Qxb3+ 34. Kf4 Qc3 $19)) 28. Ke3
g2+ 29. Kd4 Nf3+ 30. Kc3 g1=Q 31. Qxg1+ Nxg1 32. Rxg1+ Bg4 $19) (21. Nxa8 $4
Rxf1+ 22. Qxf1 Be3+ 23. Qf2 Nf3#) (21. Nxe6 $4 Rxf1+ 22. Qxf1 Be3+ 23. Qf2 Nf3#
) 21... Bxf4 22. Nxf4 (22. gxf4 g3 23. Nxg3 Qxg3+ 24. Kh1 Qh3+ 25. Kg1 Nxd3 $19
) 22... Qxg3+ 23. Ng2 $19) 20... Rf7 21. Kf2 {With the decisive threat Rh1}
Qh2+ {Black is in command} 22. Ke3 Bxd5 $16 (22... Qh5 23. Nxc7 Nxc4+ 24. bxc4
Qc5+ 25. Nd4 Rxc7 26. Bb3 $15) 23. cxd5 (23. exd5 Re8 $1 24. Be4 Rfe7 $19)
23... Nb4 24. Rh1 $4 $19 (24. Bb1 $142 Qh3 25. a3 $14) 24... Rxf4 {
Threatening mate... how?.} (24... Nxc2+ $4 25. Qxc2 Qg2 26. Rxh6 $18 (26. Bxe5
$6 Bf8 27. Bd4 Re8 $18)) 25. Rxh2 (25. gxf4 $143 Bxf4+ $1 26. Nxf4 Nxc2+ 27.
Qxc2 Qxc2 28. Bxe5 dxe5 $19) 25... Rf3+ 26. Kd4 Bg7 $4 $18 (26... c5+ $142 27.
dxc6 b5 $19) 27. a4 $19 (27. Bc3 b5 28. Bxb4 Nc6#) 27... c5+ 28. dxc6 bxc6 $1 {
The mate threat is c5} 29. Bd3 Nexd3+ 30. Kc4 d5+ $1 31. exd5 cxd5+ $1 32. Kb5
Rb8+ 33. Ka5 Nc6+ (33... Nc6+ 34. Ka6 Rb6#) 0-1

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