How Good Was Arnold Denker?

     Arnold S. Denker (February 21, 1914 – January 2, 2005) was US champion in 1944 and 1946. In later years he served in various chess organizations and in 2004 the United States Chess Federation bestowed the title of Dean of American Chess on him. In 1992 he was inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame. He died of brain cancer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

     Denker was born in the Bronx, New York City into an Orthodox Jewish family and learned to play chess in 1923 by watching his older brothers play, but didn't take up the game seriously until his freshman year in high school. His began improving rapidly after he discovered Emanuel Lasker's Common Sense in Chess in the school library. 

     Denker, also a promising boxer in his early years, first gained attention when he won the New York City interscholastic championship in 1929 at age 15. Over the next decade he established himself as a leading player in the US along with Samuel Reshevsky, Reuben Fine and Isaac Kashdan. 

     His first really strong international event was Syracuse, New York in 1934, where he finished second behind Reshevsky. In 1940 Denker won the first of his six Manhattan Chess Club championships. He became US Champion in 1944 (Reshevsky was not playing) with the excellent score of +11 -0 -3, defeating Reuben Fine in the process. Denker successfully defended his title in a 1946 match against Herman Steiner, winning 6–4 at Los Angeles. 

     During World War II Denker played exhibitions at military bases and in 1945 he played on first board in the US vs USSR radio match and lost both games to Mikhail Botvinnik. In 1946 the US team traveled to Moscow for the return match; this time he lost both games against Vasily Smyslov. 

     In January 1946, less than one week after Hastings, Denker participated in a Victory Tournament in London. The idea was to celebrate the end of the war with attendance of masters from all over the world, but none of the Russians played. The participation of the World Champion Alekhine was protested against by Euwe and the Dutch Chess Federation and by Denker and the USCF, because of alleged Nazi sympathies. 

     As a result, in November of 1945 Alekhine's invitation was canceled. Writing in The Bobby Fischer I Knew, Denker said he regretted his decision because as a young player before the war, Alekhine had befriended him, bought him meals, invited him to analyze and be his partner in consultation games and generally treated him like a prince. The lone dissenter among the players was the Jewish Tartakower who took up a collection for the poverty stricken Alekhine who was living in Portugal. 

     The players were divided into two equally strong groups, A and B. Group A was won by Herman Steiner ahead of Ossip Bernstein with Tartakower and Karel Opocensky tied for third. Group B was won by Euwe ahead of the Swiss master Martin Christoffel with Denker finishing third. 

     Also in 1946, Denker played in the 20 player Groningen tournamen. The tournament was won by Botvinnik who finished a half point ahead of Euwe. Denker fininshed tied with Alexander Kotov for places 10-11, but had draws with Botvinnik and Smyslov (3rd place). He suffered a heartbreaking loss to Euwe after achieving a winning position. 

     Denker tried becoming a full time player, but in those days there just wasn't enough money to be made playing chess. Consequently, because he was friends with a number of New York's big money men, he managed to get into business for himself. During those years he only played occasionally. In the 1957/58 US Championship he had an even score (+5 -5 =3). 

     In 1981 FIDE made Denker an honorary Grandmaster. Coincidentally, that was about the same time he became the USCF's delegate to t FIDE. After his retirement Denker served on the boards of the American Chess Foundation, the USCF and the US Chess Trust. He was also the driving force behind the Denker Tournament of High School Champions which was named in his honor.

     It's difficult to judge exactly how good Denker really was because there was no rating system during his peak years which were interrupted by World War Two. The Edo historical rating site can't be considered very accurate because it only rates games from a handful of local events between 1931 and 1933 and he is assigned a 2359 rating. 

     Chessmetrics does better though some of his best events were not included, His best world rank was number 8 on the January and February 1935 rating list...2677. At that time Alekhine was rated 2798. Other top players were, Euwe, Salo Flohr, Efim Bogoljubow, Isaac Kashdan, Andor Lilienthal and Samuel Reshevsky. 

     You can see brief footage of Denker in the USSR-USA Match at Moscow in 1946 HERE. His favorite game was played when he was in high school against the unknown Harold Feit. 

     Denker's opponent in the following little known masterpiece of tactics was Jacob Bernstein (1885-1959). Bernstein was born in Kaunas, Lithuania, but lived in New York City. He won three consecutive New York State Championships (1920-1922),[2] and shared 1st with Herman Steiner in 1929, but lost on tiebreaks. He married Yiddish Stage actress, Nellie Casman in 1948.

Arnold Denker - Jacob Bernstein

Result: 1-0

Site: Metropolitan Chess League, New York

Date: 1934

Queen's Gambit Declined

[...] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 ♘f6 4.♘f3 ♘bd7 5.e3 ♗d6 More usual is 5...Be7. After the text move black must consider the possibility that white may play e4 or c5. 6.c5

6.♗d3 O-O 7.O-O dxc4 8.♗xc4 a6 9.e4 b5 10.♗b3 e5 11.♗g5 h6 12.♗h4 ♗b7 13.dxe5 ♘xe5 14.♘d5 A draw was agfeed in a few more moves. Cvek,R (2537)-Martinovic,S (2519)/Slovakia 2016

6...♗e7 7.b4 c6 This prepares ...a5 which is not advisable immediately. (7...a5 8.b5 and black is unable to operate on the Q-side.) 8.♗b2 O-O

8...b6 9.♗e2 a5 10.a3 bxc5 11.bxc5 ♗a6 12.♗xa6 ♖xa6 13.♖b1 ♕a8 14.♕a4 A draw was agreed. Teske,H (2480)-Baburin,A (2520)/Gifhorn 1992

9.♗d3 e5 This P sacrifice is an attempt to free himself. However it turns out poorly.

9...♕c7 is a better way to enforce ...e5 10.O-O e5 11.dxe5 ♘xe5 12.♘xe5 ♕xe5 13.♘a4 ♕g5 14.♕c2 h5 with equal chances.

10.dxe5 ♘g4 11.♘e2 ♕c7 12.♕c2 ♘dxe5

12...g6 defending against the threat to h7 is not any better. 13.e6 white gets a strong attack. 13...♘de5 (13...fxe6 loses to 14.♗xg6 ♗f6 15.♗xh7+ ♔h8 16.♘f4) 14.exf7+ ♖xf7 15.♘xe5 ♘xe5 16.O-O White is better.

13.♗xh7+ ♔h8 14.♘xe5 ♘xe5 15.O-O 15.Bf5 would lead to a winning ending with a P ahead. Instead, Denker plays for the attack. 15...f5 (15...g6 loses to 16.♗xg6 fxg6 17.f4 ♗f5 18.♕c3 ♗f6 19.fxe5) 16.f4 This should have allowed black to equalize. (16.♗xe5 ♕xe5 17.♗g6 Again, white has a won ending.) 16...♘c4 (16...♔xh7 17.♗xe5 ♕d8 18.♘d4 ♗f6 19.♘f3 and white stands very well.) 17.♗g6 Black has three seemingly reasonable moves: 7...Nxe3, 17...Nxb2 and the move he actually played. 17...♗f6

17...♘xe3 This exposes black to a crushing attack. 18.♕d3 ♗h4 (18...♘xf1 19.♕h3+ mates) 19.♕xe3 and white has won a piece.

17...♘xb2 This move eliminating the dangerous B equalizes after 18.♕xb2 ♖f6

18...♗f6 looks good, but after 19.♘d4 followed by Qe2 leaves white with an excellent position.

19.♗h5 b6 And black is safe on the K-side and has some drawing chances. In a Shootout white scored +2 - 0 =3.

18.♘d4 ♘xe3 19.♕e2 ♘g4 20.♖f3 ♘h6 21.♖af1 This prep move was not necessary and as a result black gets another chance to avoid the worst.

21.♖h3 As a followup to his 20th move doesn't lead anywhere as after 21...♕xf4 22.♘f3 ♗d7 23.♘e5 ♗xe5 24.♗xe5 ♕g5 25.♕h5 ♕xh5 26.♖xh5 ♔g8 black is out of the woods.

21.♖e1 After this there isn't much black can do as he remains tied up. 21...a5 Seeking counterplay. 22.♘b5 The N is untouchable. 22...♕d8

22...cxb5 23.♗xf6 gxf6 (23...♖xf6 24.♕e8+ mates) 24.♖h3 ♕g7 25.♕h5 ♔g8 26.♕xh6 ♕xh6 27.♖xh6 ♖d8 28.♖e7 wins

23.♘d6 ♗xb2 24.♕xb2 ♗d7 25.♖h3 ♕f6 26.♕xf6 ♖xf6 27.♗h5 ♖e6 28.♖xe6 ♗xe6 29.♖e3 ♗g8 30.♖a3 with a won ending.

21...a5 Black finally gets some play. 22.♖h3 According to Denker in Chess Review this move is the beginning of a deep combination. While it is true that white is better (in a Shootout white scored +2 -0 =3) black does has some defensive resources. 22...axb4 23.♘xf5 This is Denker's deep plan, but it's flawed! Five Shootout games from this position were all drawn.

23.♘f3 This keeps a slight advantage. In yet another Shootout white scored +2 -0 =3 so he clearly has all the winning chances.

23...♗xf5 24.♗xf5 b6 Thanks to this Denker's deep plan works.

24...♗xb2 25.♕xb2 ♖xf5 26.♖xh6+ ♔g8 27.♖d6 ♕a5 28.♕c2 ♖e8 29.g4 (29.♕xf5 ♕xc5+ 30.♔h1 ♕xd6 black wins!) 29...♖f7 and now it's black who enjoys a slight advantage.

25.♗b1 ♗xb2 This comes just one move too late to be of any value. Somewhat better would have been 25...Kg8 26.♕xb2 ♔g8 27.♕c2 ♖f6

27...♖xf4 as in the note to move 24 would lose outright after 28.♕h7+ This was not possible in the note to move 24. 28...♔f8 29.♖hf3 ♖xf3 30.♖xf3+ wins

28.♕h7+ ♔f8

28...♔f7 29.g4 ♕d7 (29...♖xf4 30.♖hf3 wins) 30.f5 followed by g5 wins

29.♕h8+ Denker's conclusion is very pleasing. 29...♘g8 30.♗h7 ♕f7 31.cxb6 ♖b8 32.♖e1 c5 33.♖he3 ♖h6 34.♖e7 After this Bernstein puts himself out of his misery. 34...♕xe7

34...b3 35.♖xf7+ ♔xf7 36.axb3 c4 37.♖a1 ♖xh7 38.♕xh7 ♘e7 39.♖a7 with an easy win.

35.♕xg8#

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