Chess in the 80s 17: Theoretical Novelties (07/1988 & 03/1989)

"Naturally there was great curiosity about 5 ... c5, which had been used to great effect by Seirawan v Sax (Brussels 1988) and by Timman v Belyavsky (Belfort 1988). Match prudence counsels against asking such questions - one can hardly avoid entering enemy territory in the course of such a duel, and there is no need to have a theoretical debate with Short and Nunn"

- Jon Tisdall, CHESS November 1988 (see: Cit80s 16)

There was no The Week in Chess back in the day. If you were amongst the most serious players you’d get your theoretical updates every six months when Informator was published. Most of made do with Malcolm Pein’s monthly "Theoretical Novelties" column in CHESS.

TNs were quite the thing back in the day. Improvements were followed by counter improvements which were followed by counter counter improvements and so it went on. And since we didn’t have any computers that were worth a damn, you never quite knew whether what you were playing was the real deal or a total crock of poop.

Here’s how it worked.

Seirawan plays a big new move against Sax in Brussels, resurecting a line that was previously thought to give Black a forced loss (reported CHESS July 1988).

Timman copies the idea at Belfort and Beliavsky improves on White’s play (the tournament reported in CHESS September 1988 although this game is not mentioned).

Short, unusually for him, punts the Austrian Attack in the 4th game against Speelman (CHESS October 1988). Spess decided he didn’t care to be shown what Nige had up his sleave and took the game in another direction.

Nunn - who was Short’s second in the London match - was paired with Joel Benjamin in the England - USA clash at the Thessaloniki Olympiad (see Cit80s 12, CHESS February 1989). One of Benjamin’s teammates being the same Yasser Seirawan who kicked off this whole business.

The Nunn - Benjamin game, a highly important theoretical encounter was finally published in CHESS of March 1989. Eight issues after Seirawan’s 8 ... fxe6 was first reported.

Yasser’s idea was voted the best Theoretical Novelty of Informator 45

That’s how it was. The process of developing opening theory and just as important, the average chesser finding out about such things, took months.

If Sax - Seirawan happened today we’d reach Nunn - Benjamin and beyond (i.e. we’d have worked out that Short/Nunn’s idea of 10 Qg4 wasn’t much good anyway) by tomorrow morning at the latest.