Geller vs. Gufeld
Moscow 1961

Efim Petrovich Geller, born in 1925, was a Soviet grandmaster. He excelled at basketball, and was a doctor in physical education before specialising in chess. Mainly because of WW2, he reached his peak only very late in life at age 51.

In 1961 he played in the USSR championship in Moscow. One of the games was a Blitz game against Eduard Efimovich Gufeld.

Gufeld was born in 1936 and played his first chess tournament when he was only 17 years old. It took him just one year to become the junior champion of Ukraine.
Gufeld was later called up for military service and for two decades his official role was “a chess trainer for the soviet armed forces”!

In the following Blitz game, Geller, playing White, seems to have the advantage after giving up some pieces to improve his tactical position...
Watch the video for more!