Back on Oct. 1, 1986, 11-year old Bobby
Seltzer, Boston-area chess phenomenon, was invited to play chess
against
the NBA World Champion Boston Celtics. This was an
exhibition match at the Woodland Golf Club in Newton, MA,
as part of a benefit for multiple sclerosis. He played
simultaneously against Bill Walton, Kevin McHale, and Danny
Ainge,
and won all three games. Ainge put up the hardest fight.
Here are the complete scores of all three games.
Bobby Seltzer-Bill Walton
1.
d4
d5
2. Nf3 e6
3. Bg5 Nf6
4.
e3
Be7
5. Nbd2 Nc6
6.
c3
O-O
7. Bd3 h6
8. Bh4 Bd7
9. Ne5 Nxe5
10. dxe5 Ne8
11. Bxe7 Bxe7
12. O-O f5
13. f4 c6
14. Rf3 Qf7
15. Rg3 g6
16. Qh5 Kh7
17. Qh4 Ng7
18. Rh3 Nh5
19. g4 fxg4
20. Qxg4 Rg8
21. Qxh5 Qg7
22. Rg3 Be8
23. Qh3 Qf7
24. Nf3 Qf8
25. Ng5+ Kh8
26. Nxe6 resigns
Bobby Seltzer-Kevin McHale
1.
e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Nd4
4. Nxe5 Ne6
5. d4 Bb4+
6. Nc3 d6
7. Nf3 Nf6
8. Bg5 O-O
9. O-O Nxg5
10. Nxg5 c6
11. f4 d5
12. Bd3 Bg4
13. Qe1 Re8
14. e5 Qb6
15. Qh4 Qxd4+
16. Kh1 h6
17. exf6 Qxf6
18. Qxg4 hxg5
19. fxg5 Qe5
20. Qh5 d4
21. Qxf7+ resigns
Bobby Seltzer-Danny Ainge
1.
e4 Nc6
2. d4 Nf6
3. e5 Ne4
4. Nf3 d5
5. Nbd2 Bf5
6. Nh4 e6
7. Nxf5 exf5
8. Nxe4 fxe4
9. Be2 f6
10. exf6 Qxf6
11. Be3 O-O-O
12. O-O Bd6
13. a4 Qh4
14. Bg4+ Kb8
15. Bh3 Bf4
16. a5 Bxe3
17. fxe3 b6
18. axb6 cxb6
19. Rf4 Qe7
20. Qf1 Rdf8
21. Qb5 Qd6
22. Rg4 Kb7
23. Rxg7+ Kb8
24. Rd7 Qh6
25. Qxd5 Qxe3+
26. Kh1 Rc8
27. Rd6 Rc7
28. Rxc6 Rxc6
29. Qxc6 Qd2
30. Qa4 a5
31. Qb5 Kb7
32. Rf1 e3
33. Rf7+ Ka8
34. Qa6+ Kb8
35. Qb7++
Bobby Seltzer of West Roxbury, MA started
playing competitive chess a little over two years ao, at the age
of nine.
His first official rating (3/85) was 1364. In 1987, with a
rating of 1883, he was the country's top-rated player in the
11-12
age group.
How does a kid compete with experienced
adults. Well, Bobby gained a lot of experience in a short
time.
By that time, he had already played 278 rated games in addition
to unrated scholastic tournaments and league games,
games at the Newton YMCA youth chess club, speed chess, postal
chess and, more recently, games against computers.
At his own insistence, he learned the moves at
the age of four from his father, who had long enjoyed the game
but never
played competitively. Over the next four years, they
played an average of no more than game a month
together. Then
in the spring of 1984, he first beat his father in a no-handicap
game. About that time, too, his father brought him to see
Boris Spassky give a simultaneous exhibition. These events
sparked further interest. He wanted to play again and
again,
and soon was wining more often. That summer, Harry
Lyman of the Boylston Chess Club in Boston instructed Bobby in
basic principles and tactical ideas, showing him new ways to
look at the chess board.
Bobby's first tournament was that year's Fall
Foliage Scholastic, where he won his first three games.
Since he was anxious
for more competition and there were no more scholastic
tournaments for months to come, his father started taking him to
adult tournaments. Since then, Bobby has played in most
major tournaments i New England. In addition, he has been
to
the National Elementary Championship twice, the US Junior Open,
the Eastern Amateur Team Championship and the
World Open twice.