AThe Courier-Journal Louisville, Kentucky Sunday, January 10, 1971 - Page 14
Many Keres' Masterpieces Played While In His Teens
Although the world championship has eluded him, the Estonian grandmaster, Paul Keres, has for years been in the very top echelon of contenders. He remains today one of the greatest players of this century.
I have been browsing through a selection of Keres' games selected and annotated by the late Fred Reinfeld. What impresses me is that so many of these gems were played while Keres was still in his teens.
Keres was only 19 when he produced this 19-move beauty, played during the Sixth Olympiad at Warsaw in 1935. Before playing, study the diagram. William Winter (Black) has just moved 12…B-Q3. Keres' reply is devastating. Can you find it?
Indeed, this observation was made by Reinfeld himself.
“It may safely be asserted,” Reinfeld wrote, “that the games of no other master—not even Morphy or Alekhine—rank with those produced by Keres at the comparable ages of 16 to 20. Only the games of Alekhine played during the some age span are worthy of comparison.”
It should he pointed out, however, that Reinfeld's statement was written before the arrival on the chess horizon of America's celebrated Bobby Fischer, who won the national championship at the age of 14 and has remained all but invincible ever since.
This detracts not from the magnificent games produced by Keres during his early years. The three motifs which weave incessantly through his games during this period are: Attack, gambit and sacrifice. Brilliancies abound, making the games of exceptional interest.
