Vera's Punishment

by Milica Knezevic on January 19, 2022

The Chess Game: Vera Menchik vs. Edgard Colle, Paris 1929

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A refreshing twist in a man's world of chess, here we have one of the most famous women in chess.
Let's first notice: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Line.
Observe this beautifully played game and come up with you own stategy.
It's up to you which side of the board you will take up.

Edgard Colle (18 May 1897 – 19 April 1932) was a Belgian chess master. He scored excellent results in major international tournaments, including first at Amsterdam 1926, ahead of Savielly Tartakower and future world champion Max Euwe; first at Meran 1926, in a strong field ahead of Esteban Canal; and won twice outright at Scarborough in 1927, and again in 1930, ahead of Maróczy and Rubinstein.Colle's playing career was hampered by ill health.
He survived three difficult operations for a gastric ulcer and died after a fourth at the age of 34 in Ghent.
Colle is remembered today primarily for his introduction of the chess opening now known as the Colle System: 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3. White normally follows up with Bd3, 0-0, and Nbd2, playing for a central pawn break with e4.

The opening is in effect a reversed Semi-Slav Defense. In response to ...c5 by Black, White typically plays c3. The Colle System was most often played in the late 1920s and 1930s. Colle himself played it from 1925 until his death in 1932. He won many games with the opening, including a number of brilliancies. Colle–O'Hanlon, Nice 1930, featuring one of the best-known examples of a Greek gift sacrifice, is especially famous.^[1]
The opening gained popularity, especially in the United States, through the efforts of Belgian-American International Master George Koltanowski, who remained faithful to it throughout his long career, and wrote several books on it. Koltanowski said he played the opening as a tribute to his friend Colle. The opening is sometimes referred to as the Colle–Koltanowski.

Vera Menchik (16 February 1906 – 26 June 1944) was a Russian-born British-Czechoslovak chess player who became the first women's world chess champion.
Vera also competed in tournaments with some of the world's leading male chess masters, with occasional successes including two wins over future world champion Max Euwe.
Her father, František Menčík, was born in Bystrá nad Jizerou, Bohemia, while her mother, Olga (1885–1944), was English. He was the manager of several estates owned by the nobility in Russia, and his wife was a governess of the children of the estate owner.
In December 1923, Vera played in her first Hastings Congress and got a draw against Edith Price, the then British ladies' champion.In the next Hastings Christmas Chess Congress 1924/25, she played again in Group A, first class, and finished second with five points out of seven. Vera met Miss Price in the last round of the Group of the Winners and again drew.In 1925, Vera contested two matches against Edith Price, winning both of them, and Vera was considered the strongest lady player in the country.

As Vera was not British, she could not enter the national competition.In January 1926, she won the first Girls' Open Championship at the Imperial Club in London with her sister Olga coming third. In 1927, she retained this title and Olga came second. Next year, Vera was too old to play, and Olga again came second.

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Tag: board, chess, colle, game, history, menchik