Pictures from three occasions of simultaneous chess games in the 1980s.
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That left-handed boy in the turquoise sweater is me. My first simultaneous game at age 14 against Helmut Pfleger surprisingly ended in a draw. |
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Focusing the grandmaster. Note that white pawn on square d7. I got
it back without much trouble. H. Pfleger (simul) - R. Neininger (Freiburg, June 1985) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 0-0 6. Nf3 Bd7 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. 0-0 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Ne8 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. d5 Na5 12. dxe6 Nxc4 13. exd7 Ned6 14. Qb3 Rad8 (see picture) 15. Rfd1 Rxd7 16. Nd5 Qe6 17. Rac1 Rfd8 18. Nf4 Qf6 19. Rd4 c5 20. Nd5 Qe6 21. Rdd1 b6 22. Sf4 Qf6 23. Rb1 Qf5 24. Rbc1 Qf6 25. Rb1 Qf5 1/2 - 1/2. |
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This picture was taken four years later in 1989 when I got a draw against Vlastimil Hort.
Here, we are exchanging the queens on square d5. This was a calm
Grünfeld Indian opening, quite fashionable at that time! Here is the game: V. Hort (simul) - R. Neininger (Freiburg, April 1989) 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. e3 0-0 6. Bd2 c5 7. dxc5 Na6 8. Rc1 Nxc5 9. b4 Nce4 10. cxd5 Bg4 11. Be2 Nxc3 12. Bxc3 Qxd5 13. 0-0 Rfd8 14. Qxd5 (see picture) Nxd5 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. a3 Rac8 17. Nd4 Bxe2 18. Nxe2 e6 19. g3 Kf6 20. Kg2 Nb6 21. Nd4 Nc4 22. a4 Ke7 23. a5 Ne5 24. Nb3 Nd3 25. Rb1 Nxb4 26. Nd4 Nc6 27. Rxb7+ Rd7 28. Nxc6+ Rxc6 29. Rfb1 Rcc7 30. a6 Rc6 31. Ra1 Kd8 32. Rb8+ Kc7 33. Rb7+ Kc8 34. Rb2 Rdd6 35. Rb7 Rd7 36. Rb2 Rd6 1/2 - 1/2. |
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Honestly, things did not go that well this time. Here, I am playing Garry Kasparov in 1987 in Hamburg. I had won a TV-contest about guessing the result of the 1986 world championship match. The prize was a simultaneous game against the reigning world champion. |
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This is the critical position. I just played 9. ... e5 hoping that this would solve all of black's problems (in particular free the bad bishop on c8). Well, Kasparov came and just shook his head. As it turned out later this was not due to his misery. Instead, I was soon left with an isolated pawn that got quickly lost. |
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The post mortem autograph.
G. Kasparov (simul) - R. Neininger (Hamburg, February 1987) 1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Nbd7 5. c4 c6 6. Qc2 Be7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. b3 Qc7 9. Nc3 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Bf4 Nxf3+ 12. Bxf3 Bd6 13. Bxd6 Qxd6 14. cxd5 cxd5 15. Rfd1 Be6 16. Rd4 Qc5 17. Qd2 Rac8 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 19. Bxd5 Rfd8 20. Rd1 b6 21. Bxe6 Rxd4 22. Bxf7+ Kxf7 23. Qxd4 Qxd4 24. Rxd4 Ke6 25. Rd2 1 - 0. |
(Picture: Hans-Walter Schmitt) |
Later, Kasparov (and I) retired from competitive chess.
Once in a while I try a comeback hoping Kasparov would
also do so.
R. Tischbierek - R. Neininger (6. Eschborner Schach-Open, Round 3, 27.6.2009) 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. c3 c5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Ngf3 Qb6 8. 0-0 Be7 9. dxc5 Nxc5 10. Bc2 g5 11. Re1 g4 12. Nd4 h5 13. b4 Nd7 14. Nxc6 bxc6 15. Nb3 Ba6 16. a4 Qc7 17. Bf4 c5 18. bxc5 Nxc5 19. Nd4 Rb8 20. Qd2 (see picture) Rg8 21. Nf5 Kd7 22. Nd6 Nb3 23. Bxb3 Rxb3 24. c4 Bxc4 25. Rec1 Bxd6 26. exd6 Qc5 27. Be5 f6 28. Bxf6 Qxd6 29. Bh4 Rf8 30. Qh6 Qf4 31. Qg6 Qf7 32. Qg5 Rg8 33. Qd2 Rc8 34. Dd4 Rc7 35. Bg3 Rb7 36. Rxc4 1 - 0. |