Bath Beach 1909

Rosenfeld

     The 22nd New York State Chess Association Championship in 1909 was played July 26-30 at the Fort Lowry Hotel in Bath Beach, a neighborhood in Brooklyn.

     Marshall was the favorite, but his loss to Charles Jaffe cost him the tournament which was won by Herbert Rosenfeld of the Manhattan Chess Club. Jaffe was also a favorite, but he was eliminated after losing in rounds one and three to Wilbur Moorman and Rosenfeld. 

     Marshall drew with Otto Roething in round two and dropped a half-point behind Rosenfeld who began with three straight wins. In round four Marshall beat Rosenfeld in a game that won the brilliancy. Then in the last round Jaffe defeated Marshall and Rosenfeld beat Harlow Daly to finish first. 

     Rosenfeld participated in the cable match against Great Britain in 1910 and lost to George Thomas. Rosenfeld, who had been making a name for himself, was a replacement for Albert W. Fox whose professional duties prevented him from playing. 

     Information on Herbert Rosenfeld (March 12, 1883 - November 6, 1913) is scarce. He was reported to be one of the strongest players in the Manhattan Chess Club and a nephew of Sydney Rosenfeld (1855-19310, a playwright, who was also a member of the club. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle's chess column barely mentioned his death at the age of 30 in their November 13th edition. In the same column the paper also mentioned the passing of Mrs. Hanham, wife of Manhattan club member Major James Hanham. 

     Another interesting player in this tournament was Wilbur L. Moorman (January 19, 1859 - September 7, 1934, 75 years old). Moorman of Lynchburg, Virginia was a tobacconist and one of the largest real estate owners in the area. Moorman was a former Virginia state champion in both chess and checkers. I have no idea how he came to be playing in this tournament. 

     Moorman entered the tobacco business at the age of 25 with his uncle and retired from the business in 1903 and took up investing in real estate, conducting agricultural projects and dealing in civic and charitable projects. He endowed money for the perpetual care of the church cemetery where his parents were buried and where he attended church as a boy. For years he contributed large quantities of milk to be given daily to the poor children in the local school. He was also active in the Methodist church.

     According to newspaper reports, Moorman died suddenly at his home in Amherst Heigths, Virginia, at one-thirty in the afternoon while working on puzzles. His funeral was held in his home on Saturday afternoon and he was buried in Spring Hill cemetery. Moorman came from a family of Quakers. 

     Here is Marshall's Brilliancy Prize win over Rosenfeld.

Herbert Rosenfeld - Frank J. Marshall

Result: 0-1

Site: State Championship, Bath Beach, New York

Date: 1909.07.29

Two Knights Defense

[...] 1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗c4 ♘f6 This invites an attack on the f7-Pawn with 4.Ng5 which will result in play of a tactical character. Black is practically forced to give up a pawn for the initiative. The complications are such that David Bronstein suggested that the term defense does not fit, and that the name Chigorin Counterattack would be more appropriate. The theory of this opening has been explored extensively by correspondence players, the most famous being Yakov Estrin vs. Hans Berliner in the 1965 World CC Championship. 4.♘g5 d5 5.exd5 ♘a5 This is by far the most popular reply although the success rate of it and Berliner's 5...b5 are nearly identical.

5...b5 6.♗f1 ♘d4 7.c3 ♘xd5 8.♘e4 ♕h4 9.♘g3 ♗g4 Yakov Estrin-Hans Berliner/postal, 1965

6.♗b5 c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.♗e2 h6 9.♘f3 e4 10.♘e5 ♕d4 11.♘g4 ♗xg4 12.♗xg4 ♗c5 13.O-O e3 14.♗f3 exf2 15.♔h1 O-O 16.c3 ♕d3

16...♕h4 17.g3 ♕h3 18.♗g2 ♕f5 19.d4 ♗d6 Ziabari,M (1952)-Herclik, A/ Prague 2006 and white was better.

17.♗e2 ♕g6 As he often did, Marshall has baited a trap, but Rosenfeld avoids falling for it.

17...♕e4 18.d4 ♗d6 19.♘d2 ♕e7 20.♖xf2 ♖ae8 Shchepetkova,M-Kovanova,B (2124)/Vladimir 2002 is slightly n white's favor.

18.d4

18.b4 will not work out well for white. 18...♗d6 19.bxa5 ♘e4 Forcing white to ward off multiple mate threats. 20.♗a3 (20.d3 ♘g3 21.hxg3 ♕xg3 and white gets mated.) 20...♗xh2 21.♗d3 ♗g1 22.♗xe4 ♕xe4 23.♕f3 ♕e1 24.♕xf2 ♗xf2 25.♖xe1 ♗xe1 26.♗xf8 ♔xf8 and black has a won ending.

18...♗d6 19.♖xf2 It would have been better to play 19.Bd3 because now black seizes the initiative. 19...♘e4 20.♖f3 ♕h5 21.♕g1 ♖fe8 22.♘d2

22.g4 This aggressive defense is by far white's best option. 22...♕h4 23.♗f1 ♖e6 24.♘d2 ♘g5 25.♖f5 ♖e1 26.♕f2 and white has completely equalized.

22...♘xd2 23.♖e3 It makes sense that after black moves his Q away and white takes on d2 that he is at least equal. but Marshall has a surprise. 23...♕xe2 Quite a surprise. Black gets enough material for his Q and even with the N on a5 out of play, black has plenty of piece activity.

23...♕g6 24.♗xd2 ♗f4 25.♖xe8 ♖xe8 26.♕d1 ♗xd2 27.♕xd2 leaves white with a positional plus and an extra P.

24.♖xe2 ♖xe2 25.♗xd2

25.♕d1 is somewhat better. After 25...♖ae8 26.♗xd2 ♘c4 Suddenly the N springs into action. 27.♗e1 ♘xb2 Due to the mate threat black regains the Q. 28.♕b1 ♖xe1 29.♕xe1 ♖xe1 30.♖xe1 ♔f8 and although black has a slight theoretical advantage it's doubtful he can win the ending.

25...♖xd2 26.b4 ♘c4 27.♕f1

27.♕e1 Activating his Q is better. 27...♖c8 28.♕e4 ♖c7 29.a4 and black's task is much more difficult.

27...♘b2

27...♘e3 is more precise. If 28.♕e1 ♖d3 29.♖c1 ♘d5 30.♕e2 ♖e3 black's pieces are actively placed while white's Q and R remain passive.

28.♕a6 ♖e8 29.♕xc6 ♖e6 30.♕a8 ♔h7 White's Q-side Ps will be of little value because he cannot get them moving. 31.♖f1 ♖f2 Even better was 31...Rf6

31...♖f6 32.♕e4 g6 33.♖b1 ♘d3 34.♕b7 ♘f2 35.♔g1 ♘d1 36.♖c1 ♘xc3 37.♖e1 (37.♖xc3 ♖d1#) 37...♖df2 38.g3 ♘e2 39.♔h1 ♘xd4 and black is mopping up. 40.♕g2 (40.a3 ♘f3) 40...♗xb4

32.♔g1 ♖xf1 33.♔xf1 ♗xh2 At this point black has a substantial advantage but white can still put up resistance with 34.d5 34.♕d5 This loses outright due to the mate threat on e1 the same as if he had played 24.Qxa7 (34.d5 ♖e7 35.♕d8 ♖e5 36.♕h4 ♖f5 37.♔e2 ♗e5 38.g4) (34.♕xa7 is immediately fatal. 34...♗g3 with mate to follow.) 34...♗g3 35.♕xe6

35.♕f5 ♔g8 36.♕b1 is no better. 36...♘d3 37.a4 ♖e1 38.♕xe1 ♘xe1 and the Ps are no match against the two pieces.

35...fxe6 36.♔e2 ♗f4 37.a4 g5 38.a5 a6 39.♔f3 ♗d2 40.b5 ♗xc3 41.bxa6 ♗xd4 42.♔e4 ♗a7 Playing on is a waste of time and so Rosenfeld resigned.

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