Play Chess Openings: FIDE Master Eric Schiller Tribute

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

FIDE Master Eric Schiller Tribute

I heard Eric Schiller passed away this week. The FIDE Master and USCF Life Master was a much-loved chess teacher and a prolific author. His "Blackmar-Diemer Gambit" monograph in 1986 motivated me to play the gambit and write my first BDG Keybook!
Eric and I wrote debated lines, expressed our opinions and encouraged each other. He emailed me and contacted me online from time to time. We mentioned each other in our books. I respected his willingness to teach the game we love. He will be missed. Eric Schiller won this game against Christine Flear at the Lloyds Bank Open in London.

Schiller (2205) - Flear, Lloyds Bank op London 1985 begins 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Bg4 [Eric Schiller knew the main lines but he usually chose lesser known variations.]

3.Qd3 [White unpins the e-pawn and threatens check on b5. Another idea is 3.f3+/=] 3...Qd7 [3...e6! 4.Qb5+ Nc6 5.Bf4 Rb8=] 4.f3 [4.e4 dxe4 5.Qxe4+/=] 4...Bh5 5.Nh3 [5.e4+/=] 5...Bg6 6.e4 Nc6 7.Be3 h6 [7...Nf6 8.0-0-0+/=] 8.0-0-0 e6 9.Bf4 [9.Nf4+/=] 9...dxe4 [9...0-0-0=] 10.fxe4 Bh7 [10...0-0-0 11.Qe3+/=] 11.Qb5 g5 12.d5 gxf4 [12...Nd8 13.Bxc7+-] 13.dxc6 Qxc6 14.Qe5 Bd6 15.Qxh8 0-0-0 16.Qxh7 1-0