Chess 01 Sep 1935, Sun The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) Newspapers.com
The Game of Chess
By Dr. P. G. Keeney
WITH eight rounds of the International Team Tournament completed, Sweden's team is favored to win, as they hold a three-point lead over Poland, now in second place. Half a point behind are Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and the United States, all with 20½ points to their credit.
The showing of Reuben Fine of the American team, playing at board 1, has been somewhat disappointing to his many admirers, he having to date lost three games, drew two and won one. Frank Marshall's play has also been below par, his score being 2½-3½. Kupchik is doing well. His score is 3½-1½. Horowitz's standing is 2½-½.
Arthur W. Dake of Portland, Ore., is the scoring ace of the team, having played in every one of the eight matches, with a score of six wins and two draws. In the handicap tournament at the Cincinnati Chess Club last week, three games were contested, with the “odds-takers” winning two out of three contests from the “oddsgivers.” Professor Justice and Walter Cotton revived the waning hopes of the “odds-takers” by defeating, respectively, J. B. Warwick and Julius Teres. For the “odds-givers” Weidner kept his slate clean by defeating G. W. Seifried. The score now stands: “Oddsgivers” 10 to “odds-takers” 4, with seven games remaining to be played. It can be readily figured that the “odds-takers” can still win if they succeed in winning all the games still to be contested. Their chance of accomplishing this is, however, slim indeed.
This article is not in the nature of a correction of Problem No. 950 by Fred G. Reiners which appeared in last Sunday's column. It is, rather, an apology by the talented and downcast author, due to his incorrectly diagramming the position for the column. We published the problem as submitted by the author. As presented it has no solution. Mr. Reiners, on seeing the problem in The Enquirer, advised us he had sent in an incorrect diagram. He, with candor, wrote:
“Alas, the problem as published has no solution. There is no mate provided for; (1)…, KNxP.
The mistake must be mine, because I cannot conceive of any typographical transposition of a B and a P, which is what has occurred. The White Bishop on QR7 should be on QB7, and the White Pawn on QB7 should be on QR7. And I can think now how my mistake in diagramming must have happened. When I finished composing the problem, I carefully checked it and found a thematic dual after (1)—, RXP; (2) N-Q6 or P-Q5. I spent some time trying to eliminate the dual, but I found I could not do so. After reaching that decision I proceeded to diagram the problem. However, I must have forgotten to restore my board and men to the correct position (I had tried to avoid the dual by removing the W guard on Q6; that is, I tried a P on B7 and the B on R5 and R7) and made my diagram from my board. My chess scrapbook contains my record of the problem in Forsythe, and it is correct. Had I only taken a few minutes to compare my notes with the finished diagram! But it was 3 a. m. when I finished and I was getting pretty tired.
I really am unable to tell you how terribly mortified I am at such an inexcusable error.”
Such frankness deserves reward! And Mr. Reiners, as a novice composer (this effort being his first problem), is deserving of having his maiden problem presented in form he originally conceived. We desire to be lenient with budding composers and severe with the works of the master craftsmen. We our solvers have the same attitude.
In view of the foregoing we request solvers to submit answers to Problem No. 950 in accordance with correction as by Reiners in this article, outlined, white P on QR7 instead of a white bishop, and a white B on QB7 instead of a white pawn. We warn our expert composers that we shall not continue this policy of correcting positions submitted that turn to be unsound. Such leniency only will be extended novices to whom we desire to lend a helping hand.
Dr. Emanuel Lasker was in Berne, Switzerland, during May and his remarks there on the world championship are important. Dr. Lasker declared that it was his wish that a match be arranged between Capablanca and himself, the winner to be paired for a title match with the victor in the coming Alekhine-Euwe match, The ex-champion also considered Salo Flohr and Michael Botwinnik as future champion timber. Regarding the match between Alekhine and Euwe, Lasker declared that Alekhine's indefatigable activity and the constant energy which he shows in his play frequently disconcerts his opponents. This gives Alekhine an advantage over most opponents, although Euwe's remarkable perseverance may stand the Dutchman in good stead. Another point in the Hollander's favor is his objective style of play. The great question, however, is whether Euwe will be able to take advantage of Alekhine's errors, remembering how many opportunities Bogoljubow let slip through his fingers. Lasker gives the impression that everything will depend on the end game play.-C. C. L. A. Bulletin.
Problem No. 953.
By Alexander Kish, Dannemora, New York.
Composed for The Enquirer.
(Original).
Black 8 pieces.
FEN b4b2/5Q2/6p1/3NP1Pn/N3k2K/3rP2R/2r2R1B/1B4n1 w - - 0 1
White 11 pieces.
White mates in two moves.
Followers of this column are by this time well acquainted with the excellent work of Alexander Kish in the two-move problem composing field. We can add nothing to the several fine tributes we have previously paid to this splendid problem builder. No task or theme is too difficult for him. But his work does not end with such accomplishment. He continues to experiment with a view of gaining a perfect rendition of the theme. This he usually attains. If he doesn't he does not submit his problem for publication.
Problem No. 953 diagrammed above is Mr. Kish's latest composition. The “Kish” label is sufficient to mark it as a composition that will contain a strategical key, subtle defenses and beautiful mates.
Problem No. 954
By Harry Boardman, Atlanta, Ga.
Composed for The Enquirer.
(Original).
Black 10 pieces.
FEN 1B6/4p2Q/2p1P1Np/3k4/1q4Bn/nP1br2r/5P2/3RNq2 w - - 0 1
White 10 pieces.
White mates in two moves.
Harry Boardman, whom we have designated as the Vanishing Composer because of several mysterious disappearance acts, is somewhat of a magician when it comes to handling the chess pieces.
He conjures weird ideas and then with magic wand he bids the ideas take life on the chess board.
Obeying his bidding the pieces spring into position and in masterly life-like manner reproduce the idea that Harry has conjured up.
Harry is a cunning old fox a and knows how to deceive the solvers. He has the “now you see it -now you don't” trick working skillfully in his latest artistic conception, Enquirer Problem No. 954. His wizardry at composing has won him rounds of applause. It is expected that this latest “trick” of his will gain him another round! He is a fine composer and well deserving of the fame he has won as one of America's best problem builders.
Selected Games.
Here is one of Kashdan's energetic victories from the qualifying rounds of the American Chess Federation championship tournament at Milwaukee:
(a) 10 PxP should have been played. After the text Black gets a terrific attack.
Reuben Fine of New York who won this year's Western championship at the Congress of the American Chess Federation submitted the following pretty game to compete for the brilliancy prize. Fine's opponent in this encounter was Albert C. Simonson, a very highly regarded young chess master of New York. Fine's combination in this particular game starts with a break through the center on his twelfth move leading up to the sacrifice of a piece. The subsequently exposed position of the black king forced Simonson to abandon his queen after which Fine's conduct of the finish was admirable. The score:
Another game also from the Western Championship Congress at Milwaukee:
The game below was one of the most brilliant played in the congress. Belson is from Toronto, Canada, and is the present Canadian champion. Santasiere is one of the leading Marshall Chess Club, New York City players. A declined sacrifice finally has to be accepted, along with a further sacrifice of the Q, when the end is not far off. Score and notes from Christian Science Monitor.
The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio, Sunday, September 01, 1935
Win at Chess.
Warsaw, August 31—(AP)—The United States won the international chess tournament today, finishing with a total of 54 points. Sweden and Poland followed closely with 52½ and 52. The Americans triumphed by a victory in their final match, 2½ to 1½.
