Hanauer Stomps Marshall

     Frank Marshall was born in New York City on August 10, 1877 and in 1895 his family moved to Montreal where he joined the Montreal Chess Club. Marshall quickly established himself as one of the club's leading players and won the club championship. In 1896 the family returned to New York where he immediately joined the Manhattan and Brooklyn Chess Clubs and soon became one of New York's leading players. 

     Marshall opened his chess club in 1915 and it quickly drew some of the city's most elite players. Initially, the club met in people’s homes before a club site was purchased and the club was officially incorporated in 1922. For years, it was a leading rival of the Manhattan Chess Club. After Marshall died in 1944 his wife presided over the club for many years. 

     Back in May of this year the club found itself a target of a protest by an anti-vax club member; you can read about it in a New York Post article HERE. Does the vaccine work? Read Washington Post article HERE.

     In the following game from the 1939 club championship the redoubtable Marshall got caught napping and fell victim to a nice tactical shot by journeyman master Milton Hanauer. 

 

     Milton L. Hanauer (August 5, 1908 – April 16, 1988) was a public school principal, chess book author and Marshall Chess Club official. He ran the New York school competition that became known as the Hanauer League, a citywide competition for students in the early 1960s, and authoring the outstanding book Chess Made Simple. Hanauer's chess career was confined mostly to local and club events, but he played on the silver medal winning US team in the Olympiad at The Hague 1928, qualified for four US Championships. Unfortunately Hanauer gave up chess for all but skittles and became an avid bridge player.

Frank Marshall - Milton Hanauer

Result: 0-1

Site: Marshall CC Championship

Date: 1939

English Opening: Four Knights Variation

[...] 1.c4 Black has four main choices with which to meet this slippery opening move. 1...e5 would suit a player who likes to attack, 1...c5 would suit a Sicilian player, 1...Nf6 would suit a player who is angling for a version of an Indian defense and the symmetrical 1...c5 which allows white a wide range of plans. 1...e5 2.♘c3 ♘f6 3.♘f3 ♘c6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 ♘xd5 6.♗g2 ♘b6 7.O-O ♗e7 8.d3

8.a3 is now known to give white better results. The main line being 8...O-O 9.b4 ♗e6 and white has to promising moves: 01.Rb1 and 10.d3

8...O-O 9.♗e3 ♗e6 10.♖c1 Here black has tried 10...f6. 10..Re8 and 10...Qd7 with good success , but he should avoid 10...Nd5 which ha snot worked out well. 10...f5 Aggressive play. In my database white scores +60 -42 =49 against this move. 11.♘a4 This position has been reached many times and black has several good replies. 11...♘d5

11...f4 This is the most aggressive. 12.♗c5 ♗d6 13.♘d2 ♕e8 14.♘e4 ♘xa4 15.♕xa4 ♘d4 and black has the better chances. Lund,S (2261)-Hector,J (2509)/Copenhagen 2000

11...♗d5 This odd looking move lead to an unbalanced, but equal, position after 12.♗c5 ♗d6 13.♗xd6 cxd6 14.♘xb6 axb6 15.a3 ♔h8 16.e3 ♕f6 Mochalov,E (2445)-Gipslis,A (2490)/Minsk 1993

11...♘xa4 12.♕xa4 ♗f6 13.♖fd1 ♘d4 14.♗xd4 exd4 15.♕b5 ♗d5 White is better. Lie,E (2404)-Kvisla,J (2122)/Tromso NOR 2007

(11...f4 12.♗d2=) 12.♗c5 ♗d6 13.e4 ♘b6 14.♗xd6

14.exf5 does not lead to anything significant. 14...♗xf5 15.d4 exd4 16.♘xd4 ♘xd4 17.♗xd4 ♘xa4 18.♕xa4 c6

14...cxd6 15.exf5 ♗xf5 16.d4 ♘xa4 17.♕xa4 ♗e4 After this white could have gained the advantage. Instead Marshall makes a couple of slips.

17...e4 was the right move. 18.♘h4 d5 19.♘xf5 ♖xf5 and neither side can boast of any advantage.

18.♕b3+ A surprising mistake by Marshall as this check allows black to gain a slight advantage.

18.♖c3 would have left him with good chances. For example after 18...exd4

18...♗xf3 19.♖xf3 ♖xf3 20.♗xf3 ♘xd4 21.♗xb7 ♖b8 22.♕xa7 White should win the ending.

19.♘xd4 ♘xd4 20.♕xd4 ♗xg2 21.♔xg2 a draw is a likely outcome.

18...♔h8 19.d5 This is an even worse lapse.

19.♕xb7 is not so good for white because after 19...♖b8 20.♕a6 ♗xf3 21.♗xf3 ♘xd4 22.♗g2 ♖b6 23.♕d3 ♖xb2 black is better.

19.♕e3 would allow black a promising position after 19...♗xf3 20.♗xf3 ♘xd4 21.♗g2 ♕b6 White will have to fight for the draw. In Shootouts black won two, lost none and three games were drawn.

19...♖xf3 An unexpected (and unpleasant) surprise. 20.♕xb7 This loses outright, but the game is beyond saving anyway.

20.♗xf3 ♘d4 21.♗xe4

21.♕xb7 ♘xf3+ 22.♔g2 ♕f8 23.♖c3 ♖b8 24.♕xa7 ♖xb2 25.♕e3 ♘g5+ White can prolong the game only by giving up his Q with 26.Qxe4 26.♔g1 ♘h3#

21...♘xb3 22.axb3 and white can play on, but it would be a losing battle.

20...♘d4 21.♖c7 ♕g8 22.♖xg7 ♕xg7 23.♕xa8+

23.♕xg7+ is equally hopeless. 23...♔xg7 24.♖d1 (24.♗xf3 ♘xf3+ 25.♔g2 ♘d2+) 24...♖d3 and white is down too much material.

23...♖f8 With his Q trapped Marshall resigned.

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