I remember him very well from our lone meeting. It’s hard to forget a person who makes two queen sacrifices against you in the same game.

On a nice spring day in 1979 I wandered into the Marshall Chess Club on 10th St. in Manhattan. A quiet afternoon: a couple of players analyzing some game, nobody much around. But there was one thirtysomething guy, same age as me, alone at a table like he might be up for a game. I asked, and he said sure. He looked familiar, but I just figured I’d seen him around the club.

I drew the white pawn. The score is below. Even though it was strictly an informal pickup game, I was so awed that I wrote it down immediately afterward.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5

The Schliemann. I’d been playing chess since I was six and had never faced this variation. Didn’t even know its name.

4. d4 fxe4 5. Nxe5 Nxe5 6. dxe5 c6 7. Bc4 Qa5+ 8. Nc3 Qxe5

I had lost a pawn to what I later learned was an ancient trap. My opponent was playing at skittles speed, so it was obvious he was heavily booked or very good or both.

9. 0-0 d5 10. Bb3

Weak. I should have tried for play against his king in the center by 10. Re1 (10 . . . dxc4 11. Rxe4). This position would have become complicated very fast (for example, not 10 . . . Bd6 11. g3 and the threat of Bf4 gives white real prospects). But I was shaken. I had that feeling you get when you realize the opponent is much stronger than you. (My rating hovered in the mid-1900s at the time.)

10 . . . Nf6 11. f4 Bc5+ 12. Kh1 Qe7 13. f5 0-0 14. Bg5 Kh8 15. Qe2 Bd7 16. Rad1 Rae1 17. Bd5?

Suicide, but by this point I was, well, suicidal.

17 . . . cxd5 18. Nxe4 Qf7 19. Nxf6 gxf6 20. Bh6 Rg8 21. Rf4 Bc6 22. g4?

Just stumbling along. I knew I was dead lost but wanted to see how he’d wrap it up. I had no clue it would be the shot he played almost instantly:

22 . . . Qc4!!

I actually saw most (though not all) of what was to come, but when you’re drowning you don’t look for every splinter in the stick that floats by. I grabbed the queen and hoped he’d miscalculated.

23. Qxc4 e3+ 24. Rd5 e2! 25. Re4 Rxe4 26 Qxe4 e1(Q)+! 27. White resigns (27. Qxe1 Bxd5 mate).

The latest Chess Life for Kids (April 2013) listed "Larry Evans and the Mountain Lake Chess Camp" (there, I gave you some free advertising). I did a double-take: Larry, back from the dead? Please keep the initial D. It's a good brand and you are well known to be a very talented chess teacher/writer.

Don't let Mountain Lake Chess Camp confuse the parents who are often of questionable knowledge re: this stuff into thinking they are getting something else (and no, using the title International Master, will not give you enough separation from GM Larry M. Evans to justify dropping the D.). Know your audience (but not so much so as to confuse them and self-promote).

Josif Israel Zilber (kibitz #16)