Jean Defuse: ...
<'My encounter with Mr. Queen-grabber'>
Boris Vainshtein was the long-time mentor of David Bronstein. He wrote many books, among them 'Improvisation in Chess Art', which was translated into English as 'David Bronstein-Chess Improviser'.
From '200 Open Games' by Bronstein:
(Note: Vainshtein had the alter ego Fyerzberi - literally Queen-grabber. Translator Philip Booth calls him Queenabber')
"When I had submitted the manuscript of this book my editor condemned me for lack of self-criticism ('there were too few lost games') and incompleteness ('there was no Alapin's opening'). Moreover, I had promised 200 games, and there were only 199. But the most serious failing was that there was no mention of grandmaster B.S.Queenabber. 'Although,' he added, 'I am absolutely convinced that this personage is fictitious - no one has ever seen him face to face.'
'That's an excellent idea!' I exclaimed. 'but I must disappoint you: not only have I heard of Queenabber, I have even played against him.'
And I told the editor of how, in the spring of 1938 in Kiev, when I was only 14, I came across my chess teacher, Alexander Konstantinopolsky, talking to a tall gentleman outside the conservatory where the next round of the semi-finals of the national championship was due to be played.
'I have to go and play', said Konstantinopolsky to the stranger, 'but you have a game with this little chappy here,' and he pointed to me.
My opponent took white, removed his QR from the board and put his QRP on a3. 'I never play young fellows without giving odds,' he said":
[Event "Odds Game"]
[Site "Kiev"]
[Date "1938.??.??"]
[White "Vainshtein, Boris Samoilovich"]
[Black "Bronstein, David Ionovich"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "
1. e4 e5 2. Ne2 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Ng3 Nxg3 5. hxg3 Nc6 6. Nc3 exd4 7. Nd5 Be7 8. Qg4 g6 9. Bc4 f5 10. Rxh7 fxg4 11. Nxc7+ Qxc7 12. Bf7+ Kd8 13. Rxh8+ Bf8 14. Bg5+ Ne7 15. Rxf8# 1-0
'In the present circumstances, it is not Queenabber but Kingabber,' said the stranger.
.
Kibitzing
