The Beginning of His Best Year (Part 2)

Continuing an account of Diemer's success at the 1956 Premier Reserve Master Tourney at the Beverwijk Open... In the first round Diemer drew the Black pieces against the Yugoslavian master Pavlovic. The opening presaged all his attempts at gambits in Beverwijk--he couldn't give a pawn away! Pavlovic,B - Diemer,EJ Beverwijk (1), 1956 Soller Gambit Declined (? A40 1.d4 e5 2.d5 Bc5 3.e4 Qh4 4.Qe2 Nf6 5.Nd2 Ng4 6.Nh3 d6 7.Nb3 Bb6 8.g3 Qe7 9.f3 Nf6 10.Nf2 h6 11.Be3 c5 12.Nd2 Bc7 13.Bg2 a6 14.a4 b6 15.0-0 Nbd7 16.f4 Rb8 17.f5 Nh7 18.g4 Ng5 19.h4 Nh7 20.Nf3 Nhf6 21.Nh2 Nh7 22.Nf3 Nhf6 23.Qd2 h5 24.g5 Ng4 25.Bh3 Nxe3 26.Qxe3 Nf8 27.Kh2 Qd8 28.Rg1 g6 29.f6 Bxh3 30.Nxh3 Nd7 31.Nf2 Qc8 32.Nd2 Ra8 33.Ra2 Kf8 34.Qe2 Kg8 35.Rga1 Kh7 36.Nf1 Nb8 37.Ng3 Ra7 38.Kg2 Kg8 39.Qc4 Rb7 40.c3 Kh7 41.b4 Bd8 42.Qe2 cxb4 43.cxb4 Rc7 44.Rb1 Nd7 45.Rbb2 a5 46.bxa5 bxa5 47.Rb5 Nc5 48.Rxa5 Nb3 49.Rb5 Nc1 50.Qb2 Nxa2 51.Qxa2 Rc2 52.Qb1 Qc3 53.Rb7 Bc7 54.Qd1 Ra8 55.Nxh5 Rxa4 56.Ng3 Raa2 57.Ngh1 Rc1 58.Qg4 Qe1 0-1 How was this a Soller Gambit Declined when the f-pawn was not offered? Presumably, Diemer would have offered it had White taken the e-pawn on move two; at any rate he labeled this game a Soller Gambit Declined. In round two, Diemer saw another of his custom gambits declined (or more accurately put, avoided). Diemer, EJ - Tilstra Beverwijk (2), 1956 Alapin-Diemer Gambit Declined [A40] 1.d4 e6 2.e4 c5 3.c3 d5 4.Be3 cxd4 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Nc3 Qa5 7.a3 Nf6 8.b4 Nxb4 9.axb4 Qxb4 10.Bd2 Bd7

11.e5 On 11.Nxd5? Tilstra planned 11...Nxd5 12.Bxb4 Bxb4+ 13.Ke2 Nc3+ 11...Qxd4 12.Nf3 Qg4 13.exf6 gxf6 14.h3 Qg7 15.Nb5 Bc5 16.Nc7+ Ke7 17.Nxa8 Rxa8 18.Rc1 b6 19.Nh4 a5 20.Bd3 a4 21.Qe2 Kd8 22.0-0 a3 23.Bb5 Bxb5 24.Qxb5 Qf8 25.Bc3 d4 26.Rfd1 Qd6 27.Bxd4 Bxd4 28.Qc4 e5 29.Nf5 b5 30.Qxf7 1-0

(To be continued)