CHESS

A victory from the greatest corner-kicker in chess history.

Of all the men ever described as "the strongest player never to have won the world championship" - including such titans as Schlechter, Bronstein, poor, mad Akiba Rubinstein and our own Nigel Short - the one least deserving of the accolade is Aron Nimzowitsch. His over-rated treatise, My System, has led more young players into error than any other book in history. Yet when it came to taking corners, Nimzo was a genius. As this game from Carlsbad 1907 shows:

White: Carl Schlechter

Black: Aron Nimzowitsch

1.e4 e5

Later, Nimzowitsch developed such oddities as 1.e4 Nc6, but this game was played when he was only 20, and eccentricity had yet to become a fetish.

2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nd5 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Re1 d6 9.Nxf6+ Bxf6 10.c3 h6 11.h3 Ne7 12.d4 Ng6 13.Be3 Kh7 14.Qd2 Be6 15.Bc2 Qe7 16.d5 Bd7 17.Kh2 (see diagram)

White's plan is to expand with Ng1, g3 and f4. Nimzo counters in fine fashion.

17...Nh8!! 18.Ng1 g5! 19.g3 Ng6

The prophylaxis - as Nimzo loved to call it - is in place: Black holds f4.

20.Qd1 Bg7 21.Qf3 a5! 22.Nge2 Bb5! 23.a4 Bd7!

Now White cannot proceed with any Q-side aggression based on c4, b4 and c5.

24.Rh1 Qe8!! 25.h4?

White hopes for 25...gxh4 26.gxh4 Nxh4 27.Qh5, but Black is ready for him.

25...Qc8! 26.Bd3 Bg4 27.Qg2 gxh4 28.f3 h3 29.Qf1

Expecting 29...Bd7 30.g4.

29...f5!

Now White must play 30.exf5 Bxf5 31.Bxf5 Qxf5 when he can still fight, but Schlechter falls for the trap.

30.fxg4 fxe4 31.Qxh3 exd3 32.Bxh6

Now 32...Bxh6 33.Kg2 gives White a violent attack, but ...

32...Rh8!! White resigns

Scores from the corner! Whether he play 33.Bxg7+ Kxg7, or 33.Ng1 Bxh6 34.Qxh6+ Kg8, or 33.Kg2 dxe2,

White is lost.