Simultaneous exhibitions are some of the many artful things that a chess grandmaster can do. The concept is quite simple: one strong chess player plays against a bunch of amateurs. This way, many people get to play strong chess players whom they wouldn’t play otherwise. In chess terminology, the term “simultaneous exhibitions” is often shortened to “simul”.
Coincidentally, I’ve noticed an interesting pattern: many world champions had beaten strong grandmasters in a simul when they were young. I have provided three examples of young champions playing strong grandmasters in simuls.
An eight-year-old Samuel Reshevsky giving a simultaneous display in Paris. (1920) Let’s begin with a game between Mikhail Botvinnik and José Raul Capablanca, in which Botvinnik managed to beat “The Chess Machine” at the tender age of 14.
[White "Jose Raul Capablanca"]
[Black "Mikhail Botvinnik"]
[Result "0-1"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. e3 Bb4 { Not the most common move nowadays. } (5... c6 { is usually played, transposing into the Cambridge Springs variation after } 6. Nf3 Qa5) 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Qb3 { A bit overoptimistic. Better was } (7. Bd3 c5 8. Ne2 c4 9. Bc2 { Matlakov, Maksim – Rzayev, Bahruz Iqbal Oglu, 1-0, Universiad Men 27th, 2013}) 7... c5! { Playing aggressively in a simul is the key to winning! } 8. dxc5 Qa5 9. Bxf6 Nxf6 10. O-O-O? {[#] Capablanca probably wouldn’t have played this reckless move if this were a real game. Better was } (10. Bd3 { , not yet committing the king. }) 10... O-O 11. Nf3 Be6 12. Nd4 Rac8 13. c6? { White’s position already was inferior prior to 13…c6. However, opening the QS at this point certainly doesn’t help. } 13... Bxc3 14. Qxc3 Qxa2 {[#] Black could have taken this pawn earlier, but Botvinnik correctly assess that this is the right time to do so. Note that c-file is lined up in an unfortunate way for White. } 15. Bd3 bxc6 16. Kc2 c5 { The attack officially commences.} 17. Nxe6 Qa4+ { Note that } (17... fxe6 18. Ra1 { isn’t as strong for Black. }) 18. b3 Qa2+ 19. Qb2 Qxb2+ 20. Kxb2 fxe6 21. f3 Rc7 22. Ra1 c4 23. bxc4 dxc4 { Two passed pawns, and one pawn up to boot. } 24. Bc2 Rb8+ 25. Kc1 Nd5 26. Re1 c3 27. Ra3 Nb4 28. Re2 Rd8 29. e4 Rc6! { The rook is now defended by the knight! As a result, Black is threatening 30…Rd2! now, which wouldn’t have worked previously due to Rxc3 by White, with a counter-attack against Black’s rook. } 30. Re3 Rd2 31. Raxc3 Rxc2+ 32. Rxc2 Rxc2+ {[#] 0-1 } { Reportedly, Capablanca was visually upset after the game, throwing the pieces at the chessboard. } 0-1
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The second game was played by none other than Mikhail Tal. The “Magician from Riga” played this game at the age of 13. In the game, Tal chooses the very sharp Botvinnik System of the Semi-Slav – a bit out of character; he would usually stick to the King’s Indian Defence in his later career. After a successful opening for Black, young Misha seizes the opportunity and wins the game with a swift attack.
[White "Ratmir Kholmov"]
[Black "Mikhail Tal"]
[Result "0-1"]
1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 c6 4. Nf3 (4. e4 { leads to one of the fabled “Marshall Gambits”. } 4... dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxd4 { to give you a sample variation: } 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Be2 Na6 9. Bf8 { not the best move, but an interesting tactic nevertheless. The point, of course being } 9... Kxf8 10. Qd8#) 4... Nf6 5. Bg5 dxc4 { The Botvinnik system! Arguably the most complicated opening in chess. As in the game with Botvinnik, it would seem that choosing a complicated opening is the key to winning a game in a simul. } 6. e4 b5 { Black must play 6…b5 in order to justify taking on c4. } 7. e5 h6 8. Bxf6?! {[#] Not the most incisive. The main line goes: } (8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 { with a very, very complicated game to follow. }) 8... gxf6 9. exf6 { The main difference between this and the main line is that White doesn’t win a pawn. It still would seem as though Black’s initiative wasn’t hampered at all. There simply is no safe place for the king: Queenside, Centre or Kingside! } 9... Bb4 { A small inaccuracy. The bishop simply doesn’t belong on b4, as it’s too good a piece to exchange for the knight on c3. } 10. Be2 Qxf6 11. O-O Bxc3 12. bxc3 Nd7 13. a4 { trying to break up the QS pawn structure. } 13... Bb7 14. Ne5? { Just wrong. There’s no need to give up a pawn. White should have stayed solid with 14. Nd2. } 14... Nxe5 15. dxe5 Qxe5 16. Bf3 { Kholmov probably figured that his young adversary would get lost in the complications. Note that axb5 is a strong threat indeed! Little did he know that he was playing against one of the most feared tacticians of the future. } 16... Rd8 17. Qc2 Rd3! {[#] The idea! White’s in a very tough spot now, as Black prepares to give up his rook for the light-squared Bishop – the sole protector of White’s King. } 18. axb5? { Kholmov was banking that his young opponent would greedily take the pawn on c3. Tal, however, finds the correct response. } 18... Rxf3! 19. Rxa7 (19. gxf3 { gets mated swiftly } 19... Rg8+ 20. Kh1 cxb5 21. Qd1 Qf5 { etc. }) 19... Qxb5 20. gxf3?? { losing with no resistance. White had to try } (20. Rxb7 Qxb7 21. gxf3 Rg8+ 22. Kh1 { which is still losing, but not so easy to convert. }) 20... Qg5+ 21. Kh1 Rg8 {[#] and there simply is no defence to Qg2#. White resigned. A very nice game by young Misha, who was underestimated by Kholmov in this game. } 0-1
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Lastly, let’s have a look at a game played by the legendary Garry Kasparov, who was able to obtain a draw against Viktor Korchnoi (who was no doubt one of the top 3 at the time). Garry even managed to obtain a winning position, but couldn’t quite convert it into a full point against “Viktor the Terrible”. He was 12 years old at the time.
[White "Viktor Korchnoi"]
[Black "Garry Kasparov"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 { The Sämisch indicates that Korchnoi wasn’t willing to test young Garry in the main lines. } 5... Nc6 (5... O-O 6. Be3 { followed by 6…e5 or 6…c5 is more common. }) 6. Be3 a6 7. Nge2 Rb8 8. Nc1 { Black’s moves are aimed at discouraging White from castling long. To give you a sample variation: } (8. Qd2 O-O 9. O-O-O b5 { with a nice position for Black. }) 8... e5 9. d5 Nd4!? {[#] I have no doubt that Garry had analysed this variation before the game. Black gets sufficient compensation for the pawn. } 10. Bxd4 exd4 11. Qxd4 O-O { The main idea of the sacrifice is humorous: Black would rather not have an e5 pawn, as it blocks the diagonal for the dark-squared Bishop, and it wouldn’t allow the manoeuvre Nf6-d7-e5. } 12. Qd2 c5 { Trying to attack on the QS, as well as robbing White from the possibility of achieving the desired c4-c5 break. } 13. a4 { Preventing counter-play with …b7-b5. } 13... Nh5 14. g4 Qh4+ 15. Kd1 Nf6 16. Qe1 Qxe1+ 17. Kxe1 { An interesting endgame position has risen, with an extra pawn for White, but nice activity for Black. Objectively, White stands better. Practically, Black doesn’t have bad chances. } 17... Nd7 18. Be2 Ne5 19. Rg1?! { Better was } (19. h4 f5 20. exf5 gxf5 21. g5 { The rook simply doesn’t belong on g1. }) 19... f5 20. exf5 gxf5 21. g5 Bd7 22. Kd2 b5! { Garry seizes the opportunity for some well-timed counter-play. } 23. axb5 axb5 24. cxb5 Bxb5 25. Nxb5 Rxb5 26. Bxb5 Nxf3+ { This is why 19.Rg1 was bad. We’ll excuse Korchnoi for missing this in a simultaneous exhibition. } 27. Kc2 Nxg1 28. Nd3 Nf3 29. Bd7 Nd4+ 30. Kd1 f4 31. Be6+ Nxe6 32. dxe6 f3 { This position has good winning chances for Black now, with the computer evaluation pending at -1. } 33. Ra7 Re8 34. Rf7 c4 (34... Rxe6 35. Rxf3 { isn’t as ambitious as the variation played in the game. }) 35. Nf4? {[#] A losing move. Garry, however, misses his opportunity to win the game. } 35... Bxb2? { Better was } (35... Rf8! { forcing } 36. Rxf8+ Kxf8 37. Nd5 Bxb2 { with a won endgame. }) 36. Nd5 Rxe6 37. Rxf3 Kg7 38. Ne3 c3? { Throwing away his advantage. He ought to have played } (38... Re4! { protecting the c-pawn! } 39. Nf5+ Kg6 40. Nxd6 Rh4 { [%cal Gd6c4] } 41. Re3 { preventing 41…Be5. } 41... Kxg5 { with reasonable chances for a win. }) 39. h4 Re5 40. Nf5+ Kg6 41. Ng3 Re6 42. Rd3 h6 {[#] 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } { and the players agreed to a draw. There is no way to progress the game. For example: } 43. gxh6 Kxh6 44. Nf5+ Kg6 45. Nxd6 Re5 46. Kc2 $10 1/2-1/2
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In conclusion, if any young boy or girl wins against a grandmaster in a simul game, we ought to watch out for them: they may one day become a grandmaster themselves!
