One of those apocryphal games, much like Fischer v Short (2000), Einstein v Oppenheimer (~1933) or even Napoleon Bonaparte v “The Turk” (~1806). With White pieces, legendary entertainer, actor, showman Charlie Chaplin, with Black, a pre-teen Samuel Reshevsky, the Polish prodigy. More details here.

Chaplin, whose playing Reshevsky (allegedly) did not hold in high esteem,  went for a Classical e4, Nf3, with Reshevsky choosing to go for the Petrov Defence. 3.d4, pretty classical play for the time, Reshevsky takes it, and the Knight does a little tour around the board before landing safely on e6, while Reshevsky exchanges the other pair of knights.

 

Charlie is marginally better now, but then loses his advantage by not finding the sharp 12. exd6 en passant, the best continuation. And then opposite side castling, which usually means action!

Just as Black is poised to attack the kingside, White (Charlie) chooses to go for 20. g3, and goes on to have his a-file blown open, with Reshevsky wrangling a pawn to a3.

Reshevsky, who got his Queen out early, uses it actively, and to attack — probably speaking to his intuition. And then he guards her jealously, even when Charlie offers a trade, and soon thereafter Charlie resigns, his Queen in his opponent’s camp.

Pause puzzle: How would you maintain the winning advantage as Black?

(Answer [spoiler text] Giving up the pawn with 30…d3 is [b]one[/b] of the good ways to keep the advantage and win the game.

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