Reuben Fine in Richmond (01/07/1945)
More Early History of Virginia Chess

Time for another dip into "The Box", our cache of VCF archival material. This time we've plucked out a set of yellowed mimeographed sheets bearing the title "Games played by chess master Reuben Fine in simultaneous blindfold exhibition against members of the Richmond Chess Club, at Richmond, Va, Sunday, January 7, 1945." 

These games might hold particular interest for historical researchers inasmuch as they may not appear in available collections of grandmaster Fine's games. Fine was yet near the peak of his powers in 1945, the year of the landmark USA-USSR cable match.

We have converted the original's descriptive notation to algebraic. Also reproduced are some penciled notes by an unknown author/analyst. Some of these notes may have been based on remarks by grandmaster Fine at the time of the exhibition. There are no diagrams in the original manuscript but we've added a couple. 

Board 1
FINE - KNAPP
ENGLISH
1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 g3 Bc5 4 Bg2 Nc6 5 e3 d6 6 Nge2 0-0 7 0-0 Bg4 8 h3 Bf5 9 d4 exd4 10 exd4 Bb6 11 g4 Bc8 12 Bg5 h6 13 Bh4 g5 14 Bg3 Nh7 15 Nd5 Ne7 16 Nec3 Nxd5 17 Nxd5 c6 18 Nxb6 axb6 19 Qb3 Kg7 20 Rad1 Nf6 21 f4 Re8 22 fxg5 hxg5 23 Rd2 Ne4 24 Bxe4 Rxe4 25 Qf3 f5 26 gxf5 d5 27 f6+ Kg6 28 f7 Qf8 29 Qf6+ Kh7 30 Bd6 Re6 31 Bxf8 Rxf6 32 Rxf6 1-0 

Board 2
FINE - SCOTT
GRUENFELD
Notes were penciled into margin of original document - Source unknown
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Qb3 c6 5 Bf4 Bg7 6 e3 Qa5 7 Nf3 0-0 8 Nd2 Nbd7 9 Be2 Qb6 10 Qc2 Re8 11 Nf3 Qd8 (11...dxc4) 12 cxd5 cxd5 13 0-0 a6 14 Ne5 Nb6 (14...Nxe5) 15 Rac1 Be6 16 Qb3 Rc8 17 a4 Nc4 18 Nxc4 dxc4 19 Qxb7 Qa5 20 Bf3 Bd7 21 b4 cxb3 22 Qxb3 e6 (22...Ng4) 23 Rc2 Bc6 24 Bxc6 Rxc6 25 Ne4 Rxc2 26 Nxf6+ Bxf6 27 Qxc2 e5 28 dxe5 Bxe5 29 Bxe5 Qxe5 30 g3 Rb8 31 Rb1 Rd8 32 Qc4 Qd6 33 Rb7 Qf6 34 Kg2 Rd2 35 Qf4 Qe6 (35...Qxf4 probably draws) 36 Rb4 Qc6+ 37 Qf3 Qc7 (37...Qe6) 38 Qe4 Qd7? 39 Rb7 Qd5 40 Qxd5 Rxd5 
41 Rb6 Ra5 42 Rb4 f5? loses; 42...h5 better) 43 Kf3 g5 44 g4 Kg7 45 Kg3 Kg6? (loses; 45...Kf6!) 46 Rb6+ Kg7 47 gxf5 h5? (47...Rxf5) 48 Rg6+ Kf7 49 Rxg5 h4+ 50 Kxh4 Rxa4+ 51 Kg3 Kf6 52 h4 a5 53 f3 Rb4 54 e4 a4 55 Kf4 a3 56 Rg6+ Kf7 57 Ra6 Rb3 58 Ra7+ Kg8 59 e5 Rb4+ 60 Kg5 Rb3 61 Kg6 Kf8 62 f6 Ke8 63 e6 Kd8 64 e7+ 1-0 

Board 3
FINE - PECK
NIMZOWITSCH
1 e4 Nc6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 Bf5 4 c3 f6 5 f4 e6 6 Bd3 Nh6 7 Nf3 Be7 8 Bxf5 Nxf5 9 g4 Nh6 10 exf6 gxf6 11 f5 Bf8 12 Qe2 Qe7 13 fxe6 Nxg4 14 Nh4 Bh6 15 Nf5 Qf8 16 Bxh6 Nxh6 17 Qh5+ Nf7 18 exf7+ Qxf7 19 Qxf7+ Kxf7 20 Nd2 Rae8+ 21 Kf2 Kg6 22 Ne3 Ne7 23 Rae1 c6 24 Nf3 Kf7 25 Ng2 Rhg8 26 Ngh4 b6 27 Re2 Rd8 28 Rhe1 Rd7 29 Rg1 Rxg1 30 Kxg1 Rd6 31 Nd2 Rd7 32 Nf1 Rd8 33 Ng3 Rg8 34 Kf2 Rg4 35 Ng2 Rg5 36 Re1 Rg4 37 Rg1 Kg6 38 Ne3 Rg5 39 h4 Rxg3 40 Rxg3+ Kf7 41 Rf3 h5 42 Kg3 Kg6 43 Kf4 Kf7 44 Nf5 Ng6+ 45 Kg3 Nf8 46 b3 Ng6 47 c4 Nf8 48 cxd5 1-0 

Board 4
FINE - LINFIELD
BIRD
1 f4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 e6 4 Bd3 Bd6 5 b3 0-0 6 Bb2 Nc6 7 0-0 Bd7 8 Ne5 Ne7 9 Nc3 Ng6 10 Ne2 c5 11 Ng3 Qc7 12 Nxd7 Nxd7 13 Nh5 e5 14 Qg4 exf4 15 exf4 d4 16 Rf3 Kh8 17 Rh3 Rfe8 18 Rf1 Re7 19 c3 Rae8 20 Qd1 Nxf4 21 Nxf4 Bxf4 22 Rxh7+ Kg8 23 Qh5 Bh6 24 Rxh6 gxh6 25 Qxh6 f6 26 Bc4+ Re6 27 Rf3 Kf7 28 Rg3 Ke7 29 Bxe6 Kxe6 30 cxd4 cxd4 31 Qg6 Re7 32 Qg4+ Kf7 33 Qg8mate 1-0 

Board 5
FINE - LEVY
ENGLISH
1 c4 e6 2 e4 c5 3 Nc3 Nc6 4 g3 g6 5 Bg2 Bg7 6 Nge2 Nge7 7 0-0 0-0 8 d3 d6 9 Be3 b6 10 d4 cxd4 11 Nxd4 Nxd4 12 Bxd4 Bb7 13 Bxg7 Kxg7 14 Qd4+ e5 15 Qd2 Qd7 16 Rad1 Rad8 17 f4 Qc7 18 f5 f6 19 b3 19...gxf5 20 exf5 Qc5+ 21 Kh1 Bxg2+ 22 Qxg2 a6 23 Nd5 Nxd5 24 Rxd5 Qc7 25 Rfd1 Rf7 26 g4 h6 27 R1d3 Kh7 28 Qd2 b5 29 Rh3 Kg8 30 Qxh6 Rh7 31 Qxh7+ Qxh7 32 Rxh7 Kxh7 33 c5 Kg7 34 cxd6 Kf7 35 d7 Ke7 36 h4 Rxd7 37 Rxd7+ Kxd7 38 g5 fxg5 39 hxg5 Kd6 40 Kg2 e4 41 g6 Ke7 42 g7 Kf7 43 f6 a5 44 Kf2 Kg8 45 Ke3 Kf7 46 Kxe4 1-0 

Board 6
FINE - MICHIE
ALBIN
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 d4 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Nbd2 f6 6 exf6 Qxf6 7 g3 Bf5 8 Bg2 Bb4 9 0-0 Nge7 10 Nb3 0-0-0 11 a3 Bd6 12 Bg5 Qg6 13 Nbxd4 Nxd4 14 Qxd4 Nc6 15 Qc3 Rde8 16 Be3 Bg4 17 Rad1 a6 18 b4 Qf7 19 b5 axb5 20 cxb5 Be5 21 Nxe5 Nxe5 22 Qa5 c6 23 Qa8+ 1-0 

Board 7
FINE - KAFKO
RUY LOPEZ
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 d6 6 Bxc6+ bxc6 7 d4 Bg4 8 dxe5 Bxf3 9 Qxf3 dxe5 10 Bg5 Be7 11 Nd2 h6 12 Be3 Qd7 13 Rad1 Qe6 14 b3 Nd7 15 Nc4 0-0 16 Qe2 Rad8 17 f3 f5 18 exf5 Rxf5 19 Bf2 c5 20 Bg3 h5 21 Rfe1 Bf6 22 Ne3 Rg5 23 Qc4 Qxc4 24 Nxc4 Kf8 25 Re2 Ke8 26 Red2 Rf5 27 Ne3 Rg5 28 Nd5 Rc8 29 f4 Rg6 30 fxe5 Bg5 31 Bf4 Nxe5 32 Re2 Bxf4 33 Nxf4 Rd6 34 Rxe5+ Kd7 35 Rde1 Rf8 36 Nd3 1-0 

Board 8
FINE - CLEEK
BIRD
1 f4 Nf6 2 g3 d5 3 Bg2 Bf5 4 Nf3 e6 5 0-0 Nbd7 6 b3 Bd6 7 Bb2 c6 8 d3 0-0 9 e3 Re8 10 Nbd2 e5 11 fxe5 Nxe5 12 Nxe5 Bxe5 13 Bxe5 Rxe5 14 d4 Bg4 15 Qe1 Re7 16 Qf2 Qd6 17 Rae1 Bd7 18 h3 Ne4 19 Nxe4 dxe4 20 Qf4 Qxf4 21 gxf4 f5 22 Kf2 h6 23 h4 Be6 24 Rg1 Bf7 25 Bh3 Be6 26 Rg3 Kh7 27 Reg1 Rg8 28 Rg6 
28...Bf7 29 R6g3 g6 30 h5 Re6 31 hxg6+ Bxg6 32 Rxg6 Rge8 33 Rxe6 1-0 

Board 9
FINE - SHERMAN
QUEEN'S PAWN
1 d4 Nf6 2 e3 d5 3 Bd3 Bg4 4 Ne2 e6 5 c4 Bd6 6 Qb3 b6 7 Nbc3 dxc4 8 Bxc4 Bxe2 9 Bxe2 0-0 10 e4 e5 11 d5 a6 12 0-0 Nbd7 13 Be3 Nc5 14 Qc2 Ne8 15 g3 Qc8 16 Kg2 f5 17 exf5 Qxf5 18 Qxf5 Rxf5 19 b4 Nd7 20 a3 Rf7 21 Bg4 Nf8 22 Ne4 Be7 23 Rfc1 Nf6 24 Nxf6+ Bxf6 25 Rc6 e4 26 Re1 Rd8 27 Be6 Nxe6 28 dxe6 Re7 29 Bf4 Rd3 30 Rxe4 Rc3 31 Rxc3 Bxc3 32 Bxc7 b5 33 Bd6 Re8 34 Re2 Bf6 35 f4 g6 36 Bc5 Kg7 37 Kf3 Be7 38 Bxe7 Rxe7 39 g4 h6 40 h4 Kf6 41 g5+ hxg5 42 hxg5+ Kg7 43 Kg4 Kf8 44 f5 gxf5+ 45 Kxf5 Kg7 46 g6 Kg8 47 Kf6 Kf8 48 Rh2 1-0 

Board 10
FINE - HARRINGTON
BISHOP'S OPENING
1 e4 e5 2 Bc4 Nf6 3 d3 Nc6 4 f4 d5 5 exd5 Nxd5 6 fxe5 Nxe5 7 Qe2 Bb4+ 8 Kf1 Qf6+ 9 Nf3 Bg4 10 Qxe5+ Qxe5 11 Nxe5 Be6 12 c3 Bd6 13 Nf3 0-0-0 14 Kf2 Bf4 15 Bxd5 Bxc1 16 Bxe6+ fxe6 17 Rxc1 Rxd3 18 Nbd2 Rf8 19 Nf1 g5 20 Ke2 Rd5 21 Ne3 1-0