Tuesday 20 October 2009

Romanas Arlauskas

Australian CC Grandmaster Romanas Arlauskas has passed away at the age of 92. Arlauskas was awarded the CC GM title after finishing 3rd in the 4th CC World Championship (1962-65). Originally from Lithuania, Arlauskas emigrated to Australia in 1948 and settled in Adelaide, winning the 1949 and 1968 South Australian (OTB) Championship.
Further information can be found in Peter Parr's Sydney Morning Herald chess column.

Arlauskas,Romanas - Lundqvist,Ake [B47]
4th CC World Ch Final 6265 corr ICCF, 1962
[Arlauskas]

Notes by Arlauskas from the Adelaide "Sunday Mail". He regards the following as his "Best Played Game". 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.g3 a6 7.Bg2 Nf6 8.Nb3 Be7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Bf4 d6 11.Qe2 Rd8 12.Rad1 Rb8 13.a4 Ne5 14.Bc1! Defending the b-pawn in advance and at the same time planning a k-side attack. 14...Bd7 15.f4 Nc4 16.g4! b5 17.axb5 axb5 18.g5 Ne8 19.Qf2 b4 [After 19...g6 would have followed 20.f5! with a decisive attack as Black couldn't play 20...exf5 because of 21.Nd5] 20.Ne2 Bf8 21.Nbd4 Bc8 22.b3 Na5 23.Be3 g6 24.f5 e5 25.Ne6! A bold sacrifice which required precise calculations. 25...fxe6 forced. If [25...Bxe6 26.fxe6 Rb7 27.e7! Qxe7 28.Bb6 Ra8 29.Ra1 and wins.] 26.fxg6 Ng7 (D)
Allows White a nice little combination. Comparatively better was [26...Bg7 27.gxh7+ Kh8! 28.h4 Nc6 29.h5 Ne7 however after 30.g6 White's position would still have been superior.] 27.Qxf8+!!+- Rxf8 28.Rxf8+ Kxf8 29.gxh7 The point of the combination. 29...Ne8 30.h8Q+ Ke7 31.g6 1-0

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