Chess 15 Nov 1923, Thu Brooklyn Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) Newspapers.com
New World Chess Record Aim of Alexander Alekhine
By Hermann Helms
On Saturday, if the good ship Minnedosa of the Canadian Pacific Line keeps to her schedule, Alexander Alekhine will land at Montreal and, for the first time in his life, set foot on American soil. Word comes from the Canadian metropolis that the famous Russian chess master may make an attempt while there to surpass the world's record for blindfold play, now held by Richard Reti, who has played as many as 25 games simultaneously while blindfolded. Alekhine will try to make it 26.
Montreal already holds the world's record for simultaneoush play, thanks to the efforts of Frank J. Marshall.
After a week or so in Montreal, it is expected that Alekhine will head this way. The Manhattan Chess Club stands ready to give him an engagement of at least one day, but this may be extended when Alekhine's terms are ascertained. There is some talk among members of the club of arranging a masters tournament, limited to about ten players, for the benefit of the visitor.
The Franklin Chess Club of Philadelphia has offered an engagement for an early date, afternoon and evening play.
Two Victories By Alekhine.
It will not be long now before American chess players will have an opportunity to try out for themselves the skill of Alexander Alekhine, due to land in Montreal next Saturday. For this theey will not be unprepared, because many specimens of games played by the Russian master have appeared in print on this side of the water. The challenger for the world's championship has made a special study of the Queen's Gambit Declined, as have most of the Masters for that matter, and necessarily so.
Alekhine probably varies his tactics more than most of the experts, but once in a while he is content to adhere to a variation which particularly appeals to him. The case in point is his adoption, as conductor of the white pieces, of the same line of play against Dr. Vajda and A. West, both of whom he defeated in the Major Open tournament at the last meeting of the British Chess Federation held at Portsmouth. The clever use Alekhine makes of his knights is an outstanding feature of the play.
