Fine Wins 1940 Marshall Chess Club Championship

 

   If you were living in Brooklyn on Thursday, March 28, 1940 and picked up your copy of the Daily Eagle you would have seen the front page headlines informing you that in his crusade to clean up the city New York’s District Attorney William O'Dwyer had obtained his first murder indictment since he cracked the Murder-for-Money Ring. Two members of the gang, Frank (the Dasher) Abbandando and Max (the Jerk) Golog, were charged with the murder of John (Spider) Murtha five years previously. 

     A petition by Brooklyn housewife Mrs. Jean Kay to throw the British philosopher Bertrand Russell’s writings out of the City College of New York was being considered by Supreme Court Justice John F. McGeehan in Manhattan. 

     Also on the front page was the news that former Brooklyn debutante and socialite Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor Fiermonte had died of a heart ailment in her mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. Mrs. Fiermonte (June 19, 1893 – March 27, 1940), who had been married three times and divorced twice, was a survivor of the Titanic. She was the second wife and widow of John Jacob Astor IV. 

     Turning to the sports section, in the world of golf Ben Hogan was being touted as “the golfer’s golfer.” Matty Begovich, head basketball coach of John Marshall College, was resting at home after he suffered injuries in an auto accident. The night before he was driving to a pro game in which he was to serve as a referee when his car skidded on ice and snow and hit a pole. The pole saved him from dropping 25 feet into a ravine. The coach suffered minor bruises, cuts on his hands and a jaw injury. His passenger got a deep cut on his right arm that required five stitches. They left the car and returned home on an Erie railroad train. 

     In baseball the St. Louis Cardinals were in Havana for a four game series against the Havana All Stars. Their Vice President, Branch Rickey, said he was looking for a third baseman, but didn’t know where to find and and so he may have to let the matter drop. 

     There was also an article about Reuben Fine winning the Marshall Chess Club Championship. From the mid-1930s through the late 1940s Fine was one of the world's greatest players. Unfortunately for chess he retired from the game at an early age to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology and went on to a successful career in that field. During his career Fine produced many high-quality games that are still worthy of study. 

     After Fine's victory Hermann Helms was moved to write an article in the Daily Eagle under the headline, “Outstanding Choice of Those Who Are Not Completely Sold on Reshevsky’s Chances.” 

     Helms was referring to the upcoming biennial US Championship and many were wondering “not without good reason” if Fine was going to be the next champion. “Fine is the one outstanding favorite fancied by those who are not completely sold on the present incumbent.” 

     As it turned out the Championship's 17-player field was won by Reshevsky by a half-point ahead of Fine. It all came down to the last round. Reshevsky had been undefeated whereas Fine had lost a game to the dull, but rock solid, Abraham Kupchik in round five. Reshevsky needed only a draw against Fine to take clear first. Fine was winning, but threw away most of his advantage with a serious mistake on move 27 and Reshevsky got his draw and so remained champion. 

     Back to the Marshall club championship. It was also decided in the last round. Going into the last round Fine was tied with Milton Hanauer, the defending champion, with 13 points. Both players had lost one game; Fine to Matthew Green and Hanauer to David Polland. As fate would have it, Fine and Hanauer met in the last round and their game would decide the championship.

Reuben Fine - Milton Hanauer
Result: 1-0
Site: Marshall CCC, New York
Date: 1948
Classical Caro-Kann

[...] 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.♘c3 dxe4 4.♘xe4 ♗f5 The most common way of handling the Caro-Kann, the Classical Variation was favored by Capablanca. Also popular is 4...Nd7. 5.♘g3 ♗g6 6.h4 h6 7.♘f3 ♘d7 8.♗d3

8.♗c4 has an interesting trap if black gets careless. 8...♘gf6 9.♕e2 e6 10.♘e5 ♗h7 orrect is 10...Nxe5. 11.♘xf7 and black soon breaths his last.

8...♗xd3 9.♕xd3 ♘gf6 10.♗d2 e6 11.O-O-O ♕c7 12.♔b1 At the time 12.Rhe1 was the usual move, but Fine's move is superior and eventually became the main line. 12...O-O-O 13.c4 ♗d6 This natural appearing developing move turns out to be premature and black should retain the option of playing it to c5. Best is 13...c5 and then exchanging on d4 clearing the way for the B to go to c5. 14.♘e4 ♘xe4 15.♕xe4 c5

15...♘f6 16.♕e2 ♕e7 17.a3 ♔b8 18.♔a2 ♖he8 is equal. Nikolova,A (2286)-Melia,S (2392)/Porto Carras GRE 2011

16.♗c3 ♘f6 17.♕e2 Black is facing a critical choice. 17...a6

17...cxd4 leads to some intriguing possibilities. 18.♘xd4 This is better than Fine's suggestion of 18.Bxd5. 18...♗c5

18...a6 19.♘b3 ♕c6 20.♗xf6 gxf6 is equal. Ilyin Zhenevsky,A-Budo,A/ Leningrad 1936

19.♘b5 Best is 19.Nb3, but this is more interesting. 19...♕f4

19...♕b6 is also unsatisfactory. 20.b4 ♗xb4 21.♗xb4 a6 22.♖c1 axb5 23.cxb5 with an easy win. Stulik,V-Zita,F/Zlin 1943

20.b4 ♗xf2 (20...♕xf2 21.♕e5 ♗b6 22.c5 with a winning attack.) 21.c5 (21.♖hf1 ♖xd1 22.♕xd1 ♘e4 favors black.) 21...♘e4 22.♗xg7 ♖hg8 23.♗xh6 ♕f5 with an interesting position.

17...♖he8 18.♖he1 cxd4 19.♘xd4 a6 20.g4 ♗f4 is equal. Radulski,J (2494)-Burmakin,V (2559)/Le Touquet FRA 2006

18.♘e5 ♗xe5 This leads to a difficult position for black, but it's hard to find a plausible alternative.

18...cxd4 first doesn't seem to be any better. 19.♗xd4 ♗xe5 20.♗xe5 ♖xd1 21.♖xd1 ♕a5

19.dxe5 ♘d7 20.♖d6 ♘b8 21.♖hd1 ♘c6 22.h5 ♖hg8 23.♕e3 ♘d4 Calling this move panicky, Fine gave it a ? and commented that the first rule of defense in cramped positions is to react only to specific threats. Consequently, despite its unappetizing appearance 23...b6 should have been played. Actually, 23...Nd4 gets the nod from Stockfish as being the best choice here.

23...b6 was recommended by Fine as being better, but it is, in fact, worse. 24.♕e4 ♔b7 25.♕f3 ♖xd6 26.♖xd6 and Fine says black is worse, but he has reasonable defensive chances. I ran a Shootout from this position and white scored +3 -0 =2.

24.♖xd8 ♖xd8 25.♗xd4 There is no way for black to take advantage of the pin on the B. 25...cxd4

25...♕b6 Trying to utilize the pin. 26.♗xc5 ♖xd1 27.♔c2 ♕d8 28.♗b6 ♖d2 (28...♕d7 29.♕c5 ♔b8 30.♕f8 ♕c8 31.♕xc8 ♔xc8 32.♔xd1) 29.♔c3 ♖d3 30.♕xd3 ♕xb6 31.♕d4 ♕a5 32.♔b3 ♕e1 33.g4 and white will win in the long run.

26.♖xd4 ♖xd4 27.♕xd4 ♕a5 28.g4 The key move to Fine's plan. He now has all his Ps defended by the centralized Q and will proceed to get his K into the game. 28...♕e1 29.♔c2 ♕e2 30.♔b3 ♔b8 31.♔b4 A fine move (chuckle). the threat is to march the K to b6 which black can hardly prevent. 31...♕e1 32.♔a4 ♕e2 33.♔a5 ♕f3 Preventing for the moment Kb6 because of ...Qc6+ 34.♕c5 Decisive as it stops ...Qc6+ 34...♕e2 35.b4 ♕d3 A last little trick. (35...♕xa2 36.♔b6 and black can't avoid mate.) 36.♕d6 (36.♔b6 ♕d8 and white gets mated next move.) 36...♕xd6 37.exd6 g6 38.♔b6 ♔c8 39.c5 gxh5 40.gxh5 e5 41.d7 Black resigned.

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