Copyright R Canter 2000-2005

Dear Sir,

Some time ago I noted with cynicism and some amusement that a stir was being caused by a putative Bobby Fischer playing an unusual opening in Blitz chess on the Internet servers.  A lot of his games started with 1.f3, 2.Kf2, 3.Ke3, 4.Kf2 etc (or 1.f6 etc) to the obvious puzzlement of his opponents, but this opening is not new.  I well remember the notorious Thompson playing this very same variation at our school chess club back in the nineteen fifties.

Our math teacher, who many ex pupils will recall was affectionately known as “Octo” because of his fetish for octahedra, ran the school chess club and Thompson was a prominent member.  I recall being taught the chess moves by Thompson and subsequently I played him many times (both at school and in later days at the Town Hall chess club).  At school he often used what he called the King’s Advance opening, as above, and seemed to win a lot of games with it.  In the late fifties he sent several sheets of analysis of this original opening to “Bobby Fischer, c/o The US Chess Federation, USA”.  He insisted that he had received an acknowledgement from the great man himself, with a note that he would save the analysis for the first defence of his world title once he had won it.  Sadly, as we all know, this defence never took place.

I now believe that “Fischer” has been employing Thompson’s variation on the Internet, with such success that credit should be given to the inventor of this original opening.  Will ECO, MCO and all the rest now record these moves as Thompson’s King’s Advance?  I await the first book on the theory of the TKA, perhaps Thompson will oblige if he is still around.

Regrettably, I did not record any of Thompson’s games using the TKA, but there are now many examples of this opening on the Internet.  However, on another occasion at the school club I recollect being rather surprised when Thompson developed both of his Knights at once.  When I protested, I was solemnly informed that this was the Old Spanish Rexiquate Attack, an ancient and legitimate opening, and the game proceeded to my inevitable defeat.  I found this very game recorded in one of my old exercise books, and enclose it as it may be of interest - perhaps the only known example of Thompson’s play as a schoolboy.

Yours faithfully, F.Pearson

Thompson - F Pearson

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 d6 3.Nc3 & Nf3 Be7 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Bg5  a6 7.O-O O-O 8.Re1 Nbd7 9. Nf5 Ne5 10.Nxe7+ Qxe7 11.Nd5 Qd7 12.Bxf6 Nxc4 13.Qc1 c6 14.Qg5 Qg4 15.Ne7+ Kh8 16.Bxg7 (1-0)

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Sir,

I feel I must reply to the recent letter from F Pearson (one of my ex-pupils).

It is with some surprise that I learn of a supposed “fetish” for octahedra.  As a geometrician I have always admired the sheer perfection of the eight-sided figure, but surely this cannot be construed as a fetish?  I was under the impression that my nickname was a distortion of my first name, or, as I am long-limbed, a reference to that most magnificent of sea creatures, the octopus.  I well remember Pearson - as I recall he was always performing conjuring tricks which never worked.  Perhaps he has still not forgiven me for the unfortunate incident when I inadvertently struck his eye with the backswing of my cane as I administered corporal punishment to a recalcitrant pupil.

I also have distinct memories of Thompson.  A strange boy, a solid rather than brilliant chess player, who achieved some success with his “King’s Advance” in the school chess club.  I believe he only used that opening at school, and never again after he had sent his analysis to the famous Bobby Fischer.  We were both members of the Town Hall chess club in subsequent years and he did not use the TKA there, although the temptation must have been great.  Presumably he did not wish to pre-empt the great man’s possible use of the opening.

As Bobby Fischer has been absent from the centre of world chess for some time now, has it occurred to you that “Fischer” may in fact have been Thompson using a computer?

Yours etc, Octavius Simmons

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Dear Sir,

I was delighted to see a letter from my old schoolmate Fingers Pearson about Thompson and his King’s Advance opening.  I can provide two of Thompson’s games against me which I found in an old score book.

Thompson - B Knutsford

1. f3 d5 2. Kf2 Nf6 3. Ke3 e5 4. d4 exd4+ 5. Qxd4 Nc6 6. Qd3 Ng4+ 7. Kd2 Qg5+ 8. Kc3 Qxc1 9. fxg4 d4+ 10. Kb3 Na5+ 11. Ka4 Bd7+ 12. Kxa5 Qg5+ 13. Qf5 a6 14. Qxg5 b6#  (0-1)
 

B Knutsford - Thompson

1.c4 f6 2.d4 Kf7 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 e5 6.d5 Nce7 7.O-O Ng6 8.Be3 Be7 9.Nc3 f5 10.Bd3 f4 11.Bd2 Nh6 12.Be2 Bd7 13.b4 Re8 14.a3 Kg8 15.Rb1 Ng4 16.Qc2 Rf8 17.Rfe1 Nh4 18.Qd3 Nxf3+ 19.Bxf3 Bh4 20.Rf1 Nf6 21.Rfe1 Qe8 22.Ra1 Kh8 23.Qc2 Qg6 24.Be2 Bh3 25.g3 fxg3 26.hxg3 Bxg3 27.Bh5 Bh2+ 28.Kxh2 Qg2#  (0-1)
 

Although Thompson came to grief in one of these games I remember that he had some success with this unusual variation, perhaps because of its surprise value.  So far as I know he did indeed invent the opening, and in my opinion the mysterious “Fischer” may well be Thompson using a computer, but I don’t suppose we will ever know for certain.

Yours sincerely, Brian (Nutty) Knutsford