This forgotten tournament was the result of an offhand comment made to Walter Goldwater, then President of the Marshall Chess Club, when he was visiting Donald Byrne in State College, Pennsylvania, who was a Professor of English at Penn State University. Byrne made the offhand comment, "Why doesn't anyone run a tournament when I'm free?" In response Goldwater told him to name his time and Goldwater would run one just for him.
That first tournament was held in January 1968, and in a double round robin that was held at the Marshall Chess Club in New York, Donald Byrne finished first ahead of Herbert Seidman, James Sherwin and Arthur Bisguier.
In 1969, six players were invited and played a single round robin with Edmar Mednis, Andrew Soltis, James Sherwin, Arthur Bisguier, Louis Levy and Herbert Sideman finishing in that order.
Of the six players in the 1970 event the only professional was Arthur Bisguier. After graduating from college he has been drafted into the Army and was stationed in Europe where he did manage to get in a little chess. After his discharge Bisguier got into the computer industry, but quickly discovered that he preferred playing chess so took some time off from IBM and never returned.
Two of the players, Edmar Mednis and Dr. Orest Popovych, were born in the USSR. Mednis was a Latvian who insisted that, "I may have learned the moves in Latvia, but I learned all I know of chess in the US." He arrived in the US in 1950. At the time of the tournament he was qualified as a chemical engineer, but he preferred the stock market and became a broker.
Popovych was born in the Ukraine. In school he concentrated on English and at the age of 15 his proficiency in English helped his family move to the US. After arrival he obtained a Ph.D. from Brooklyn College of City University of New York.
The youngest player in the tournament was 22 year old Andy Soltis, a journalist with the New York Post. At the time he was champion of the Marshall Chess Club for the second year in a row.
Walter Shipman was a lawyer whose work and family commitments didn't leave him much time for chess, but he had won the New Jersey Open on four occasions, and was former Vice President of the USCF.
Donald Byrne was an IM who also had little time to devote to chess, but he was still a formidable player.
The man responsible for these events was an interesting person in his own right. Read more about Walter Goldwater HERE.
1) Arthur Bisguier 4.5-0.5
2) Edmar Mednis 3.5-1.5
3) Dr, Orest Popovych 2.5-2.5
4-5) Donald Byrne and Andrew Soltis 2.0-3.0
6) Walter Shipman 0.5-4.5
This tournament cost approximately $600 ($4,000 in today's currency), of which the Marshall Chess Club contributed one half. The first three prizes were $250 (about $1.700), $175 (about $1,200) and $125 (about $850).
The complications arising in the following game are beyond human ability to calculate over the board. To reach a totally accurate evaluation of some of the positions would require using a couple of engines and a couple of days which is beyond the scope of this post! Just tinkering around with the game using Stockfish and Komodo for an hour or so lead to some really crazy lines.
Dr. Orest Popovych - Andrew Soltis
Result: 1-0
Site: New York
Date: 1970
Sicilian Dragon: Yugoslav Attack
[...] 1.e4 c5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘xd4 g6 Soltis has long been an exponent of the Dragon. 5.♘c3 ♗g7 6.♗e3 ♘f6 7.♗c4 O-O 8.♗b3 d6 9.f3 ♗d7 10.♕d2 In the Yugoslav Attack white usually castles long before turning his attention to an all-out assault on the black K, but here Popovych played a rare sideline and never castles. 10...♘xd4 11.♗xd4 b5 12.h4 a5 13.a4 bxa4 14.♘xa4 ♗e6 15.♗xe6 fxe6 16.g4
25...d5 26.♖h3 This move seems rather pointless. Continued aggressive play was called for.
26...♘d7
27.♘xd7 ♖xb3
16.b3 ♕c7 17.♕c3 ♕b7 18.♕c4 d5 Once black gets this move in it usually means he has fully equalized. Berg,E (2610)-Macieja,B (2601)/Oslo 2009
16.O-O-O ♖b8 17.b3 ♕c7 18.♕c3 ♕d7 19.♕xa5 ♖b5 20.♕a6 Technically the game is equal, but in practice white has good chances and in Liu,G (2441)-Pham,C (2377)/Ho Chi Minh City 2017 he went on to win.
16...♖c8
16...♕c7 17.h5 gxh5 18.gxh5 ♔f7 White has good prospects. Ivanovic,B (2530)-Larsen,B (2570)/New York 1988
16...♘d7 offered easy equality after 17.♗xg7 ♔xg7 18.h5 ♕e8 19.hxg6 ♕xg6 and neither side can claim an advantage.
17.h5 ♖c4 18.hxg6 hxg6 19.c3 ♕b8 20.♖a3 An interesting idea. With very little prospects of making a successful K-side attack Popovych opts for play on the Q-side which is not typical of the Dragon. 20...♕b7 21.♕d3 ♖cc8 22.♘b6 ♖c6 23.♖b3 ♕c7 24.♕b5 This results in white getting into an awkward pin, but the position has complications galore.
24.♖b5 results in some really fascinating variations! 24...♘e8 25.f4
25.♗xg7 ♘xg7 26.♘a4 d5 27.exd5 ♕g3+ 28.♔d1 ♖xf3 29.♕xg6 ♖f2 30.♖b8+ ♕xb8 31.♖h7 ♖f1+ 32.♔c2 ♖xc3+ 33.♘xc3 ♖f2+ 34.♔d1 ♕e5 and black is better.
25...♖xf4 26.♗xg7 ♘xg7 27.♕h3 ♖xb6 28.♕h8+ ♔f7 29.♖h7 e529...♖xe4+ results in black getting mated! 30.♔d1 ♖xb5 31.♕xg7+ ♔e8 32.♕f7+ ♔d7 33.♕xe7+ ♔c6 34.♕xc7+ ♔d5 35.♖d7 ♖a4 36.♕xd6+ ♔e4 37.♕d3+ ♔f4 38.♕xb5 ♖a1+ 39.♔e2 ♖e1+ 40.♔xe1 e5 41.♖f7+ ♔g3 42.♕xe5+ ♔h3 43.♖f3+ ♔h4 44.♕f4 a4 45.g5+ ♔h5 46.♖h3#
30.♕xg7+ ♔e6 31.♕xg6+ ♔d7 32.♖h8 ♖xb5 33.♕e8+ ♔e6 34.♕g6+ draws 24.f4 This is the most thematic and the chances seem to be about equal after 24...e5 25.♘d5 ♘xd5 26.exd5 exd4 27.dxc6 ♕xc6 28.O-O a4 29.♖b4 dxc3 30.bxc3 d5 Best. (30...♕xc3 31.♕xc3 ♗xc3 32.♖xa4 leaves white slightly better.) 31.f5 a3 32.fxg6 ♖xf1+ 33.♔xf1 a2 34.♖a4 d4 35.♕e2 ♕h1+ (35...♕xa4 A gross blunder. 36.♕e6+ ♔h8 37.♕c8+ wins) 36.♔f2 ♕h2+ 37.♔f3 ♕h1+ 38.♔f4 ♗h6+ 39.g5 ♕h4+ 40.♔e5 ♕xg5+ 41.♔xd4 ♗g7+ 42.♔c4 ♕f4+ and black can draw.
24...♖b8
24...♘xe4 looks interesting, but it only draws after 25.fxe4 ♗xd4 26.♕g5 ♗g7 27.♕xg6 ♖f7 28.♖h7 ♖xb6 29.♖xg7+ ♖xg7 30.♕e8+ ♔h7 31.♕h5+ ♔g8 32.♖xb6 ♕xb6 draws
25.♕xa5 The complications continue. Perhaps 26.Qg5 would have been safer.
25.♕g5 ♖cxb6 26.♖xb6
26.♕xg6 is also possible. 26...d5 27.♖h7 ♕g3+ 28.♔e2 ♕g2+ 29.♔e3 ♕g1+ 30.♔d2 ♕xd4+ 31.cxd4 ♘xh7 32.♖xb6 ♖xb6 33.exd5 ♘f8 34.♕e8 ♗f6 35.f4 exd5 36.g5 ♗xd4 with a very unclear position!
26...♖xb6 27.♕xg6 d5 28.e5 The N can't move because of mate on e8 28...♖xb2 29.exf6 ♕g3+ 30.♔d1 ♕xf3+ 31.♔c1 ♕xh1+ 32.♔xb2 exf6 33.♕e8+ ♔h7 34.♕xe6 a draw is highly likely. 26.e5 This move blocking the B looks illogical, but it was likely the best choice. 26...♘d7 27.♘xd7 ♖xb3
27...♕xa5 28.♖xb8+ ♔f7 29.♖h7 ♕a1+ 30.♔f2 g5 31.♘f6 ♕b1 32.♖g8 ♕xh7 33.♘xh7 ♔xg8 34.♘xg5 Unclear.
28.♕a8+ ♕c8 (28...♔f7 29.♖h8 wins) 29.♕xc8+ ♖xc8 30.♖h2 with equal chances. 26...♘xe4 was an interesting possibility. 27.♗xg7 ♘g5
27...♔xg7 This is also good. 28.fxe4 ♕f4 29.c4 ♕xe4+ with a considerable advantage.
28.♖h8+ ♔xg7 29.♖xb8 ♕xb8 30.♕b4 ♕g3+ 31.♔d1 ♕xf3+ 32.♔c2 e5 33.♕xe7+ ♘f7 34.♘d7 d4 35.♘xe5 ♕e4+ 36.♔d2 dxc3+ 37.bxc3 ♖d6+ 38.♔c1 ♕e3+ 39.♔b2 ♕f2+ 40.♔c1 ♕d2+ 41.♔b1 ♖f6 wins 27...♕xa5 results in black getting mated. 28.♖xb8+ ♔f7 29.♘e5+ ♔f6 30.g5+ ♔xg5 31.♖f8 ♕a1+ 32.♔f2 ♕e1+ 33.♔xe1 ♗xf8 34.♘f7+ ♔f4 35.♔f2 dxe4 36.♖h4+ ♔f5 37.fxe4#
28.♕a4 ♖xb2 29.♗xg7 This move is the first real mistake of the game and should have resulted in the loss of the game for white.
29.♘e5 was correct. Then after 29...♗xe5 30.♗xe5 ♕xe5 31.♕a8+ ♖b8 (31...♔g7 32.♕h8+ mates in three.) 32.♕xc6 dxe4 33.♕xe4 ♕xc3+ Believe it or not, black wins. Five Shootouts all resulted in black winning...here's how: 34.♔f2 ♕c5+ 35.♔g3 ♔g7 36.♖h1 ♕d6+ 37.♕f4 g5 38.♕xd6 exd6 39.♖e1 ♔f7 40.♖h1 d5 41.♖h6 ♖a8 42.♔f2 ♖b8 43.♔e2 ♖b6 44.♔f2 ♔g7 45.♖h5 ♖b2+ 46.♔e1 ♔f6 47.♖h6+ ♔e5 48.♖g6 ♖b3 49.♔e2 d4 50.♖xg5+ ♔f4 51.♖g8 ♖e3+ 52.♔d2 ♖xf3 53.g5 ♔e4 54.g6 ♖f2+ 55.♔e1 ♖g2 56.♔f1 ♖g5 57.♔e2 d3+ 58.♔d2 ♖g2+ 59.♔c3 ♖c2+ 60.♔b3 ♖c7 61.g7 e5 62.♔b2 ♔e3 63.♖e8 ♖xg7 64.♖xe5+ ♔d2 with a theoretical win.
29...♕b7 This loses outright.
29...♔xg7 30.♕a8 ♕c8 31.♕xc8 ♖xc8 and black should be able to grind out a win.
30.♖h8+
30.♕d4 was even better. 30...♖b1+ 31.♔f2 ♕b2+ 32.♔g3 ♖g1+ 33.♕xg1 e5 34.♖h8+ ♔f7 35.♘xe5+ ♔xg7 36.♕h1 ♔f6 37.♘xc6 dxe4 38.♖d8 ♕g2+ 39.♕xg2 e3 40.♕h1 e2 41.♕h8+ ♔f7 42.♕f8+ ♔e6 43.♕xe7#
30...♔f7
30...♔xg7 was better, but now it's too late to save the game. 31.♕d4+ e5 32.♕xe5+ ♖f6 33.♕xe7+ ♔xh8 34.♕xf6+ ♔h7 35.♘f8+ ♔g8 36.♘xg6 ♖b1+ 37.♔f2 ♕a7+ 38.♔g3 ♖g1+ 39.♔f4 ♕f7 40.♘e7+ ♔f8 41.♕xf7+ ♔xf7 42.♘xd5 The N and Ps are too much for the R to handle.
31.♖f8+ ♔xg7 32.♕d4+ e5 33.♕xe5+ ♖f6 34.♕xe7+ The only move. Any other move allows black back in the game. 34...♔h6 (34...♖f7 35.♖xf7+ ♔h8 36.♖f8#) 35.♖h8+ Facing mate next move, Soltis resigned. An amazing game! Powered by Aquarium
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