Search for Perfection

322 Pages·1997·8.526 MB·English

by  Hammond World Atlas Corporation

fUR
with special articles
by
Mrs. Anne Purdy and John Hanks
previously compiled and edited as
CJS. Purdy
His Life, His Games, and His Writings
by
John Hammond & Robertjamieson
recompiling editors
Ralph Tykodi & Bob Long
Thinkers' Press, Inc.
Davenport Iowa
1997
Copyright© 1997 by Thinkers' Press, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo­
copying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system,
except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in
writing from the publisher.
First Printing
July 1997
ISBN: 0-938650-78-5
Originally titled "CJ.S. Purdy His Life, Bis Games
and His Writings" with two new sections added.
This edition is in algebraic notation. n;:;:::=::==r;;iiJ
Typos and omissions have been cor­
rected, and clarifications have been
added in places to further increase the
value to the reader on what is arguably
the best "How To" chess book ever
written in English. Previous© 1982 by
John Hammond and Mrs. Nancy (Anne) Purdy.
Reproduced and edited with permission.
Requests for permissions and republication rights should be addressed in writing to:
Thinkers' Press Inc.
Editor, Bob Long
P.O. Box 8
Davenport lA 52805-0008 USA
CJSO Purdy-His Writings
CONTENTS
Foreword v
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Acknowledgments iv
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Biographical Details O viii
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Tournament and Match Record viii
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1 CJS Purdy -His Life 1
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2 CJS Purdy -The Writer 28
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Purdy Library of Chess Ill
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3 CJS Purdy -The Player 217
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Colophon 306
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Index of Games 307
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Index of Openings 308
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Index of Articles 309
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Catalog back of book
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The Search for Chess Perfection
Acknowledgments
The publisher would like to thank Mrs. Anne
Purdy for permission to republish CJ.S. Purdy's
writings, and also Mr. John Hammond for his
permission to reproduce and modify his 1982
work CJS. Purdy: His Life, His Games and His
Writings, acclaimed by many to be the best chess
improvement book ever written.
Thanks are also due to Prof. Ralph Tykodi
for initiating the Purdy Library Project as well as
for his superb job in co-editing this book.
This book is in algebraic notation. The
previous edition has been corrected; we regret
any remaining errors.
Ten thousand copies of the previous edition
in descriptive notation were sold to lovers of
good chess writing the world over. Even world
champion Bobby Fischer said no chess library
should be without this book.
Two new articles have been added to the
previous edition.
-iv-
Cj.S. Purdy-His Writings
FOREWORD
CJ.S. Purdy was an unforgettable character to all who knew him. For many
years he was, together with Garry Koshnitsky, Australian chess, and through his
writing, a world figure as well.
From his teens onwards, to his death at the age of 73, he was an inveterate
writer. His journalistic activity covered 40 years, during which he wrote 12 issues
each year of Australasian Chess Review, Check, and later Chess World from cover to
cover. Besides this, he wrote books of importance. In Cec's case, writing was a
chosen profession in which he was allowed to involve himself from an early age
through the generosity of his father. Capital for his first venture was provided by
Purdy senior, and the world of chess must be grateful for this.
Purdy took his writing very seriously. His humorous articles are very funny
to this day, as any reader will be able to testify. Cec had a sense ofhumor, but this
is not enough to make a writer ofhumor. I once lent him a satirical novel, Margaret
and the Devil, translated from the Russian. He took great pains to analyze how the
author obtained his effects. His teaching articles are superb.
Whenever I open an old volume of his journals, I never fail to find it
completely fresh and worth reading with great attention. As an analyst he was on
his own until about 1950, when other chess writers started to catch up with him.
His analysis is notable for accuracy, insight, and readability. About a year before
his death I sent to him a position from an obscure opening and another in which
White was supposed to have an advantage, though I could not even after lengthy
analysis see this.
I paid his fee, which was always very low. I received the answer to one of the
queries in a few days, but the other one took him a month. He showed that White
did have an advantage, as was proven by an extremely difficult analysis. Truly a
labor of love.
Cecil was also the first after Lasker to classify various types of combinational
and positional motifs, thereby continuing and extending what Lasker started. He
was very proud of this achievement but never received recognition for it. This is
not hard to understand, as very few of his predecessors in chess history fared any
better in this respect.
Purdy's 40 years of activity produced superb writing of very even quality and
of lasting value. A selection of his writings is contained in this volume. These
articles are timeless in their appeal, and it is hoped that the younger generation
of players will read this book and their interest will be aroused in the rest of the
Purdy output. In addition to these articles, CJ.S. Purdy's output comprises Among
These Mates, How Euwe Won, How Fischer Won, The Return of Alekhine, Chess Made
Easy, and Guide to Good Chess, all of which are out of print except the last one.
V
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The Search for Chess Perfection
He also planned a further book on have been easy enough to select several
Fischer's games and a teaching book times the number eventually decided
comprising most of his correspondence on, but prudence prevailed. The choice
games. is his. The games cannot fail to enter­
The compiler oft his book feels sure tain, and also show the varied facets of
that the readers will derive as much Cec's chess style. John Hanks has pro­
enjoyment from it as he did from its vided an appreciation of Cec's playing
compilation. skills as an introduction to the games
section. The notes to the games are by
Organization of the Material Purdy, unless otherwise indicated.
One of the difficulties of this com­ Articles are from
pilation appeared soon after the first Australasian Chess Review, Check,
steps were taken, namely the enormous and Chess World
output oflasting value ofPurdy's nearly
60 years of chess. Ruthless culling was Maurice N ewman is the fortunate
necessary, and it was achieved in the owner of copies of all ofCec's published
following manner. writings and intended to select the best.
He struck immediate difficulties. The
Tournament Results total would have occupied well over a
thousand pages on varied subjects of
John van Manen, who assembled equal quality and interest. There was
statistics relating to all of Cec's appear­ nothing in this output unworthy of re­
ances and results in tournaments, ad­ printing. After some consultation it was
vised me that he was making alternative decided that we should include one
arrangements for their publication. It article only for each year from 1929 to
was therefore necessary to include only 1967. This at least introduced some
the most important of these in this vol­ method into the selection and possibly
ume. will show development of his writing
style and of his chess ideas.
Correspondence Games It is said that no one who can read
should undertake to clean up an attic.
Frank Hutchings undertook the task Yet I am not sorry that I undertook to
of assembly. When looking through look through this treasure trove, and the
Cec's papers he found that Cec had reader who will look at the samples
practically completed a projected book presented here without pretense of se­
containing all of his correspondence lection will agree. Cec was a born writer.
games. It was therefore decided that Everything he wrote was interesting,
this posthumous work of Cec's be pub­ and once one starts reading any of the
lished separately. articles it is hard to put it down. His
writing is plain and straightforward, free
Collection of His Best Games from any artificiality of style whatso­
ever, yet beguiling. Reading, I felt his
Robertjamieson undertook to as­ presence at my elbow and I relived the
semble Purdy's best games. It would enchanting moments of past encounters.
vi
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CJ.S. Purdy-His Writings
His good-natured natural wit, always such as the works of Nimzovich and
inoffensive, is ever-present and comes other chess writers', were quite in­
through as the essence of his personal­ comprehensible to an ordinary club
ity, a quality one encounters in the great player.
letter writers of literature. Even books after Purdy's pioneer­
Purdy, though extremely modest, ing effort, such as those of Euwe or
was nevertheless completely self-confi­ Pachman, fell far short in value as teach­
dent and always certain that what he ing manuals. There are two personali­
had to say was important and of interest ties only who, in this writer's opinion,
to all and sundry. And so itis. Few other were equal to Cec as teachers; they are
chess writers had actual teaching expe­ Philidor and Dr. Tarrasch. There are
rience with moderately talented play­ marvelous teaching books, such as for
ers. Accordingly, their books were instance Renaud and Kahn, The Art of
written above the heads of their in­ Checkmate and Theory of Rook Endgames,
tended public. Where else but in Aus­ but each of those deals only with one
tralia, a chess backwater, would a great particular aspect of the game, whereas
chess intellect be constrained to actual Purdy's writings encompass the whole
teaching ofbeginners through economic spectrum of chess.
necessity. However, Purdy was vitally In addition to the contributors men­
interested in expressing and also sys­ tioned under the various headings, our
tematizing his chess thought, a great thanks are due to Mrs. Anne Purdy for
deal. of which was new or at least not the biography as well as the assembler
expressed before. Previous attempts, and printer, Mr. W.Jamieson.
1982
J. Hammond
vii
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The Search for Chess Perfection
BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
CecilJohn Seddon Purdy
Born March 27, 1906
__________________
Began playing chess 1922
Editor of A.C.R.!Check/Chess World 1929-67
Australian Champion 1935-38, 1949-52
Australian Correspondence Champion 1940, 1948
Australasian Co-Champion 1952
International Master 1953
World Correspondence Champion 1953-58
Awarded "Order of Australia" 1976
Died November 6, 1979
TOURNAMENT & MATCH RECORD
Mr. John van Manen, to whom chess lovers in Australia are greatly indebted for his
patient and diligent research, has collected details of CJ .S. Purdy's chess career, and with
his permission I give the following statistics from his work.
Summary
CJ.S. Purdy's chess career as recorded above includes:
139 tournaments (including three team tournaments);
o
14 matches (not including nine play-off matches); and
o
43 games played in telegraphic matches.
o
In these events, spanning a period of 57 years (1923-79), he played 1,586 games,
scoring 1099-112 points, i.e., 69%.
In the 136 tournaments proper, he won 3 7 first prizes (or sharedf irst prizes), 26 second
prizes, and 19 third prizes. Of the 14 matches recorded, he won eight and drew one.
In title contests he became:
Correspondence Chess Champion of the World (in first event);
o
Champion of Australia four times;
o
Correspondence Chess Champion of Australia twice;
o
Champion of New Zealand twice;
o
viii
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