“Unlike other games in which lucre is the end and aim, [chess] recommends itself to the wise by the fact that its mimic battles are fought for no prize but honor. It is eminently and emphatically the philosopher’s game.”
🔹 Paul Morphy
#chessquotes
@UnityChess
🔹 Paul Morphy
#chessquotes
@UnityChess
✴️ #Koblencs_chess_quotes_001
🔸 Alexander Koblencs
🔸 Latvian chess master, trainer and writer
@unitychess
🔸 Alexander Koblencs
🔸 Latvian chess master, trainer and writer
@unitychess
✴️ #about_Koblencs
🔸 Alexander Koblencs
🔸 Latvian chess master, trainer and writer
♦️ Alexander Koblencs was a Latvian chess master, trainer, and writer. In 1935, he took 4th place in Rosas. In 1936, he took 5th in Reus. In 1937, he won, ahead of Lajos Steiner, in Brno with 9/11. In 1938, he took 5th in Milan
🔘 Full name: Alexander Naftalevich Koblencs
🔘 Country: Latvia, Soviet Union
🔘 Born: 3 September 1916
Riga, Russian Empire
🔘 Died: 9 December 1993 (aged 77)
Berlin, Germany
🔘 Title: Master of Sport (1945)
🔘 Honoured Trainer (1960)
🔘 Peak rating: 2570 (unofficial; May 1946)
🔘 Peak ranking : 43 (unofficial; July 1945)
♦️ Koblencs won the Latvian Championship four times (1941, 1945, 1946, 1949). Although he took 2nd, behind Vladimir Alatortsev in 1945, and behind Mark Taimanov in 1949, both were off contest (hors concours). In June 1944, he took 2nd, behind Voldemārs Mežgailis, in Udelnaya (Latvian SSR ch.). In 1944/45, he took 2nd, behind Paul Keres, in Riga (Baltic Chess Championship). In 1945, he took 14th in Moscow (14th USSR-ch). In October/November 1945, he tied for 3rd-4th in Riga (Baltic Republics ch., Vladas Mikėnas won). In June/July 1946, he tied for 6-8th in Vilnius (Baltic Rep. ch, Yuri Averbakh won). In 1961, he took 3rd in Palanga (Baltic Rep. ch, Iivo Nei won).
♦️As a trainer, he started to work with young Mikhail Tal in 1949, and coached him through his meteoric rise from the mid-1950s. Most prominently, he coached him in his World Chess Championship matches in 1960 and 1961 against Mikhail Botvinnik.
He also coached the team of the Soviet Union (e.g., 1956 in Moscow and 1960 in Leipzig).
♦️Koblencs is also well known as a writer of chess books, many of which have been translated into foreign languages, in particular German. For several years, he was the editor of the Latvian chess magazine Sahs and of the German chess magazine Schach-Journal.
🅾️ A memorable game by Koblencs which won Mikhail Tal in LAT-ch 1952👇🏼
🔘 Mikhail Tal vs Alexander Koblents
🔘 LAT-ch (1952), URS
🔘 Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation (D76)
♦️ Review and download PGN file👇🏼
@unityches
🔸 Alexander Koblencs
🔸 Latvian chess master, trainer and writer
♦️ Alexander Koblencs was a Latvian chess master, trainer, and writer. In 1935, he took 4th place in Rosas. In 1936, he took 5th in Reus. In 1937, he won, ahead of Lajos Steiner, in Brno with 9/11. In 1938, he took 5th in Milan
🔘 Full name: Alexander Naftalevich Koblencs
🔘 Country: Latvia, Soviet Union
🔘 Born: 3 September 1916
Riga, Russian Empire
🔘 Died: 9 December 1993 (aged 77)
Berlin, Germany
🔘 Title: Master of Sport (1945)
🔘 Honoured Trainer (1960)
🔘 Peak rating: 2570 (unofficial; May 1946)
🔘 Peak ranking : 43 (unofficial; July 1945)
♦️ Koblencs won the Latvian Championship four times (1941, 1945, 1946, 1949). Although he took 2nd, behind Vladimir Alatortsev in 1945, and behind Mark Taimanov in 1949, both were off contest (hors concours). In June 1944, he took 2nd, behind Voldemārs Mežgailis, in Udelnaya (Latvian SSR ch.). In 1944/45, he took 2nd, behind Paul Keres, in Riga (Baltic Chess Championship). In 1945, he took 14th in Moscow (14th USSR-ch). In October/November 1945, he tied for 3rd-4th in Riga (Baltic Republics ch., Vladas Mikėnas won). In June/July 1946, he tied for 6-8th in Vilnius (Baltic Rep. ch, Yuri Averbakh won). In 1961, he took 3rd in Palanga (Baltic Rep. ch, Iivo Nei won).
♦️As a trainer, he started to work with young Mikhail Tal in 1949, and coached him through his meteoric rise from the mid-1950s. Most prominently, he coached him in his World Chess Championship matches in 1960 and 1961 against Mikhail Botvinnik.
He also coached the team of the Soviet Union (e.g., 1956 in Moscow and 1960 in Leipzig).
♦️Koblencs is also well known as a writer of chess books, many of which have been translated into foreign languages, in particular German. For several years, he was the editor of the Latvian chess magazine Sahs and of the German chess magazine Schach-Journal.
🅾️ A memorable game by Koblencs which won Mikhail Tal in LAT-ch 1952👇🏼
🔘 Mikhail Tal vs Alexander Koblents
🔘 LAT-ch (1952), URS
🔘 Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation (D76)
♦️ Review and download PGN file👇🏼
@unityches
23.Ng2!
Serbian GM Aleksandar Indjic exploits Black's structural weakness with the subtle maneuvers.
23.Bc6 24.Nc7 Rac8 25.Nf4! Nf8 26.Nc×d5 B×d5 27.N×d5 e×d3 28.Ne7 +-
Serbian GM Aleksandar Indjic exploits Black's structural weakness with the subtle maneuvers.
23.Bc6 24.Nc7 Rac8 25.Nf4! Nf8 26.Nc×d5 B×d5 27.N×d5 e×d3 28.Ne7 +-
28...B×d5??
An incorrect sacrifice. Black should have continued with the normal moves like 28...Nb5 or 28...Qb4.
29.B×d5 N×d5 30.Q×d5 Q×e3+ 31.Kf1 R×b3 32.Rc7 Rf8 33.Rc2 +-
An incorrect sacrifice. Black should have continued with the normal moves like 28...Nb5 or 28...Qb4.
29.B×d5 N×d5 30.Q×d5 Q×e3+ 31.Kf1 R×b3 32.Rc7 Rf8 33.Rc2 +-
41.B×g6!
American GM Zherebukh finishes the game beautifully.
41...f×g6 42.Q×c6 Re2+
42...Ne7 43.Qe6+ Kf8 44.Qf6+ Kg8 45.R×e7 +-
43.Kf3 Re3+ 44.Kf2 Re2+ 45.K×e2 Qe8+ 46.Kf1 1-0
American GM Zherebukh finishes the game beautifully.
41...f×g6 42.Q×c6 Re2+
42...Ne7 43.Qe6+ Kf8 44.Qf6+ Kg8 45.R×e7 +-
43.Kf3 Re3+ 44.Kf2 Re2+ 45.K×e2 Qe8+ 46.Kf1 1-0