20th anniversary of a memorable moment...

Every once in a while, you'll read or hear about an event where a very strong chessplayer -- typically a master or stronger -- will play 10, 20, 30, or more games at the same time. Like a lot of other things that occur "at the same time" (like running several programs on your computer), what really happens is that the master walks from board to board, pausing literally a few seconds at each to make a move.

According to traditional rules, the exhibitor (in an event called a "simultaneous exhibition" by chessplayers) gets to play the White pieces, although I've seen some exceptions allowed to that rule. Another rule is that if you are one of the exhibitor's opponents, you get to "pass" a limited number of times, which means you can ask the exhibitor to pass you by because you haven't decided on a move yet. This all tends to tip the scale a bit in favor of the exhibitor, but in the end, it really doesn't matter, as the difference in skill is generally overwhelming.

I could go on, but you're probably wondering why I'm babbling on about simultaneous exhibitions.

Well, it isn't every lifetime you manage to draw a game against a former World Champion, but I managed to do so on this date in 1984, against GM Boris Spassky, in the course of such an exhibition.

Spassky is, perhaps, best known in this country from his World Championship match with Bobby Fischer in 1972, which resulted in victory for the American. It was in that match that Americans were introduced to Spassky the sportsman. After the 6th game of the match, in which the Russian was slowly crushed by Fisher's play, he joined the audience in applauding his opponent.

Back in the early 80s, the Jacksonville Chess Club was an active organization, under the genial hand of the late Edwin Butler, a retired real estate wheeler-dealer who turned to chess as an outlet for his seemingly inexhaustible energy.

Among the events organized by Butler was a visit by the former World Champion to play a 30-board simultaneous exhibition on September 27, 1984. This was Spassky's second stop across the United States during a two-week tour that year. The following photo was taken by Florida Times-Union staff photographer Scott Robinson and appeared in the October 1 edition of the paper. In the photograph, I am about as far away from the camera as you can get!

Along with 29 other players ranging in age from 17 to 73, I forked over $50 for the right to sit down and play against Grandmaster Spassky, and the following game was the result. Of the souls who participated in the event, only I and one other escaped with draws; Spassky swept the rest of the boards, finishing the exhibition at about one in the morning.

Here are the moves of the game, in PGN notation:

[Event "Simultaneous Exhibition"]
[Site "Jacksonville, Florida"]
[Date "1984.09.27"]
[White "Spassky, Boris"]
[Black "AlexPGP"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Opening "King's Gambit Declined/Falkbeer Counter Gambit"]
[Variation "Tartakower variation"]
[ECO "C31"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5

{Playing a counter gambit against an ex-World Champion can be attributed to any of a number of character traits, such as supreme confidence, flaming arrogance, or outright stupidity,... but I digress. At the time, as I recall, I was better booked up in the Falkbeer Counter Gambit than in the King's Gambit (and, as we'll shortly see, that isn't saying much), and I'd much rather play an opening I understand than one I do not. Anyway, the Falkbeer has a good reputation, so it's not a completely off-the-wall choice of opening.}

3. Nf3 Nc6

{A move suggested by Bardeleben, although I did not know that at the time (nor, I suspect, would that knowledge have been helpful). I was ready (more or less) for 3...exd5, but had never seen 3...Nf3. I am out of the book and on my own resources.}

4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Nc3 Qe6 6. fxe5 Nxe5 7. Nxe5 Qxe5+ 8. Qe2

{Surprisingly, the game to this point follows analysis published in Estrin and Glazkov's book on the King's Gambit. I have gotten to this position by myself, blissfully ignorant of their analysis, which states that White has a lead in development.}

8...Bd6 9. d4 Qxe2+ 10. Bxe2 Bf5 11. Bb5+ c6 12. Ba4 Ne7 13. O-O O-O-O 14. Bb3 Rhf8

{Playing very carefully, feeling some pressure, and desperately trying not to lose. (Is that so bad?)}

15. Bf4 Bg6 16. Ne2 Nf5 17. c3 Rde8 18. Bxd6 Nxd6 19. Nf4 Be4 20. Rae1 f5 21. Ne6 Rf6 22. Ng5 h6 23. Nxe4 Nxe4

{It is probably better to recapture with 23...fxe4, creating a passed pawn, but also one that is isolated. Perhaps under tournament conditions, I would have risked the pawn recapture, but here, I am simply trying to hold on. When, at this point Spassky offered a draw, I wasted no time in accepting his offer. The final position:


}

1/2-1/2

Cheers...