Re-Engineering the Chess Classics: The Italian Fury! Mariotti-Gligoric Zonal 1969 1-0 is the first video of the new series by GM Matthew Sadler. To celebrate the publication of his new book (written together with his childhood coach Steve Giddins) GM Sadler is examining a series of classic games – just as he did in the book – using the creative engine analysis techniques described in “The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement”
Italian player Sergio Mariotti, Italy’s first grandmaster whose love of gambits and attacking play earned him the nickname (given by the British Chess Magazine apparently!) of “The Italian Fury”!
GM Sadler says, “One of the most gorgeous King’s Indian hacks of all time marks the start of my new series on the great Italian player Sergio Mariotti, known as “The Italian Fury” for his fearless and brilliant attacking play.” and adds “This game is the first game of Mariotti’s I ever saw when I was just 9 or 10 years old, and his name has resonated in my mind ever since! The great Svetozar Gligoric was brushed aside by a tornado of attacking play starting with a wild push of Mariotti’s kingside pawns, backed up by a queen and rook invasion and some more pawn thrusts! When Gligoric – somewhat shell-shocked I imagine! – resigned, his whole position was in ruins!” explains GM Sadler.
Claudio Logallo tells more about the chess player Sergio Mariotti. Mariotti was born in 1946, became an International Master in 1969 and became the first Italian Grandmaster in 1974. From 1975 onwards, he was an amateur, fitting his chess in next to a full-time job in a bank. He was an exceptional attacking player and his talent was such that no less a player than Mikhail Tal said of Mariotti that he would have been World Champion if he had been born in Russia. And indeed when you consider the players he beat brilliantly in the 70s and 80s – Korchnoi, Gligoric (twice), Polugayevsky, Benko, Andersson, Nunn – all of them in their prime, then you realise how strong he was!
