19th March, 2003

BLINDFOLD chess, in moderation, has been recommended by many sources as
a method for improving a player‚s analytical powers. However, this was
not the medical advice in the former USSR, where in 1930 it was banned
as a health hazard.

This could have something to do with the fact that two of the greatest
blindfold exponents from the first half of the last century, Pillsbury
and Alekhine, died rather young and supposedly suffered great headaches
after these „séances‰ - although it is well-documented that Pillsbury
died from syphilis, Alekhine through alcohol abuse. Such is the life of
a chess master!

The earliest blindfold performance dates back as far as 1265 when the
Saracen expert, Buzecca, dazzled the courts around Europe with his feats
of playing one or two games blindfold. It took until 1774 before
Philidor attempted the same feat, despite being begged by his friend
Diderot, who pleaded in public for him not to risk his sanity in such a
dangerous pursuit!

At the Amber tournament in Monaco, the players are aided during the
blindfold games, as they sit facing a computer screen and make their
moves on a computer with a mouse on a board with no pieces; eliminating
the possibility of illegal moves. While this may lack the 19th century
mystique of the master sitting with his back to the crowd with a silk
scarf tied over his eyes, it‚s thought to be more comfortable.
Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov, despite the handicap of being
unable to physically see the board, produced in round two perhaps one of
the greatest blindfold games of all-time. In the final position, black
cannot prevent mate: if 39 ..Be7 40 fxe7+ Ke8 41 Kd6; 39 ..hxg5 40 Ra7.V Kramnik à V Topalov
Amber Blindfold, (2)

Sicilian Scheveningen
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nc6 5 Nc3 d6 6 Be3 Nf6 7 f4 a6 8 Qf3
Qc7 9 0-0-0 Bd7 10 Nb3 Rc8 11 Kb1 b5 12 Bd3 Nb4 13 g4 Bc6 14 g5 Nd7 15
Qf2 g6 16 Rhf1 Bg7 17 f5 Ne5 18 Bb6 Qd7 19 Be2 Qb7 20 Na5 Qb8 21 f6 Bf8
22 a3 Nxc2 23 Kxc2 Bxe4+ 24 Kb3 Ba8 25 Ba7 Qc7 26 Qb6 Qxb6 27 Bxb6 h6 28
Nxb5 Kd7 29 Bd4 Bd5+ 30 Ka4 axb5+ 31 Bxb5+ Bc6 32 Bxe5 Bxb5+ 33 Kxb5
Rc5+ 34 Kb6 Rxe5 35 Rc1 Rxa5 36 Rc7+ Kd8 37 Rfc1 Rc5 38 R1xc5 dxc5 39
Kc6 1-0

JOHN B HENDERSON