Torre-Frink Thriller

     Carlos Torre Repetto (November 29, 1904- March 19, 1978) was born Merida, Yucatan province, Mexico, the sixth of four boys and three girls. Little is known of his childhood and early adolescence except that according to Torre, he learned the moves at age six by observing the games between his father and his older brother,

     In 1915, when Torre was not yet 11 years old the family moved to the United States, settling in New Orleans, Louisiana. In those days it was relatively easy for Mexicans to enter the United States and settle for indefinite periods as the problem of undocumented or illegal aliens did not then exist. 

     Within a few months of his arrival Torre quickly learned to read and write English and he began hanging out in the city's chess clubs. His first chess was James Mason's books, The Art of Chess and The Principles of Chess. 

     By the time he was 13 his talent became apparent to Edward Z. Adams (1885-1844, 59 years old), a well-known chess organizer who was vice president of the New Orleans Chess, Checkers and Whist Club. Adams took on the role of guide and mentor to Torre and as a result he made rapid progress. By the age of 14 he was considered the second best player in New Orleans behind the veteran Leon Labatt (1854-1928, 73 years old), the 1917 Louisiana state champion. 

     In June 1924, Torre went to New York in search of stronger opposition and soon joined the Marshall Chess Club. At the Marshall he took part in the club's Friday afternoon blitz tournaments. In his first six such tournaments Torre took first place in five (once tied with Rudolf Smirka, then New York state champion) and second place in the other, behind Reling Tholfsen, then champion of the Marshall Club. 

      In the July 1924 issue of the American Chess Bulletin mention was made of Torre’s strong play and the ease with which he defeated the Marshall’s most experienced veterans. After Capablanca and Marshall the best players in New York were considered to be Abraham Kupchik and Morris Schapiro, both members of the Manhattan Chess Club. 

     After Torre’s victories at the Marshall, curiosity grew about how he would measure up against the Manhattan’s strongest players. So, in July 1924 the club directors organized a closed championship and invited Torre. Despite losing to Kupchik and Shapiro, Torre finished in third place. 

     Interesting is the following game against Orrin Frink, Jr. (1901-1988, 86 years old), a native of Brooklyn who at the time was famous as as opening expert and correspondence player. He won the 1923 Brooklyn Chess Club Championship. 

     Frink taught in the mathematics department at Penn State University from 1928 to 1969. Before his professional career he was active in both New York and Chicago chess circles, his best result being a tie with David Janowski for 3rd-4th at the 1923-24 Manhattan Chess Club championship.

Carlos Torre - Orrin Frink, Jr

Result: 1/2-1/2

Site: Manhattan CC Championship

Date: 1924

[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.♘f3 g6 This move was something of a novelty in those days. 3.♘c3 Today 3.c4 is considered best but at that time opinions were divided as to the efficacy of this move which certainly cannot be considered a mistake. 3...d5 This move was introduced by Reti in 1923 and is probably black's best reply. Curiously, Alekhine criticized in the New York 1924 tournament book. In Capablanca-Yates, he wrote that the move does not seem positionally opportune because the f8B may be given an outlet only by means of time-robbing efforts. In two games in the NY tournament Maroczy played 3,,,d6 which had Alekhine's approval because it has the object of attacking white's with ...c5 4.♗f4 ♗g7 5.e3 White's antiquated setup is better than it looks! In modern times Croatian GM Vlatko Kovacevic has used such a setup with considerable success. 5...O-O Black has also tried 5...Bg4. A Catalan reversed is reached after 5...c5, but black should probably avoid that. 6.♗d3 In these positions white often plays h2-h3 to make a retreat for the B in the event of ...Nf6-h5, but that move generally works better if white can play c2-c3. 6...c5 7.O-O c4 8.♗e2 ♘c6 9.♘e5 ♕b6 Black's Q is misplaced here and in this situation it only loses time. A more reasonable plan is ...Ne4 and ...Bf5 10.b3 cxb3 11.axb3 ♗f5

11...♘xe5 is a blooper that loses after 12.dxe5 ♘d7 13.♘xd5 ♕d8 14.e6 ♗xa1

14...fxe6 15.♘c7 ♗xa1 16.♕xa1 and here, too, black is in serious trouble.

15.♕xa1 ♘c5 16.♗h6 ♘xe6 17.♖d1 and black's Q has no safe square to go to.

12.♘a4 ♕d8 13.♘xc6 bxc6 14.♗a6 Gabriel Velasco, who authored a book on Torre, explains that white's last several moves are in keeping with the precepts of Nimzovich: restrain, blockade, then destroy. The weak Ps on a7 and c6 are now fixed and will soon both be blockaded. 14...♗c8 Black exchanges his only active piece but there was little choice.

14...♘h5 15.♗g5 ♘f6 16.h3 ♘e4 17.♗f4 ♕d7 18.f3 ♘d6 19.g4 ♗e6 20.♘c5 isn't so great for black either.

(14...♘e4 15.♗b7 is definitely bad for black.) 15.♘c5 ♘d7 Black is aiming to trade off the blockading minor pieces, but the heavy pieces replace them. 16.♘xd7 ♕xd7 17.♖a5 This should have allowed black to equailize.

17.♗e2 c5 18.♖a5 cxd4 19.exd4 ♗b7 20.♕d2 ♖fc8 21.b4 ♕c6 22.♖c1 ♕c3 23.♕xc3 ♖xc3 24.♗d2 ♖c7 25.c3 and white's position is to be preferred.

17...♖e8 Velasco labeled this move logical because it intends a counterattack in the center, but, in fact, it only lands black in a more serious situation.

17...♗xa6 is correct and it leaves white with a minimal advantage. 18.♖xa6 c5 19.dxc5 ♖fc8 20.b4 ♕b7 with sufficient counterplay.

18.♕d3 e5 19.♗xe5

19.dxe5 ♗xe5

19...♖e6 Velasco 20.♕c3 ♗xa6 21.♖xa6 ♖c8 22.♖fa1 leaves black is serious difficulty.

20.♗xe5 ♖xe5 21.♗xc8 ♖xc8 22.♖fa1 ♖c7 23.♕c3 and white stands well.

19...♗xe5 20.dxe5 ♗xa6 21.♖xa6

21.♕xa6 is not quite so good as after 21...♖xe5 22.♖c5 ♖c8 23.♖a1 ♖c7 and black is hanging on.

21...♖xe5 22.♕c3 Preparing Qc5 and Rfa1, with a bind 22...♖e6 23.♖fa1 Better was 23. Qc5 first in order to prevent black's next move. 23...c5 With this fine sacrifice of a P black utilizes the principle that in R endings the activity of the Rs is more important than material considerations. 24.♖xe6 ♕xe6 25.♕xc5 ♖c8 25...a6 holding on to the a-Pawn would have made white's task very difficult. In Shootouts white scored +3 -0 =2, but the wins were long...nearly 100 moves. 26.♕xa7 ♖xc2 27.♕d4 ♕c6 28.g3 ♖c1+ Because the Q ending is lost black should have avoided the exchange of Rs. 29.♖xc1 ♕xc1+ 30.♔g2 ♕c6 31.b4 h5 32.h4 ♕b5 33.♕c5 ♕d3 34.b5 ♕e4+ 35.♔h2 In his notes to the game Velasco called this the fatal mistake that let the win slip away, but that is incorrect as white is still winning. The slip in coming in a few moves. 35...♕f5 36.e4 Well calculated! This defends the f-Pawn and in the meantime black's passed P is not going to be a danger. 36...♕xe4 37.b6 d4 38.♕c8+ It's hard to be critical of Torre's play and his failure to win this extremely difficult Q+P ending. The engines Stockfish and Komodo shed new light on the ending since Velasco's book on Torre was published.

38.♕c7 was even better and would win with careful play as demonstrated by Stockfish at 17 plies. 38...♕f3 (38...d3 39.b7 ♕d4 40.b8=♕+ ♔g7 41.♕cb6 and white wins.) 39.♕d8+ ♔h7 40.♕xd4 wins 40...♔g8 41.♔g1 ♕b3 42.♕c5 ♕d1+ 43.♔g2 ♕d7 44.♔h2 ♕b7 45.♔g1 ♕e4 46.♕c1 ♔h7 47.♕b2 ♕b7 48.♕b5 ♔g8 49.♕b4 ♔h7 (49...g5 50.hxg5 h4 51.gxh4 ♔h7 52.h5 ♔g8 53.h6) (49...♔g7 50.♕c3+ ♔f8 51.♕c7) (49...f6 50.♕d6 ♕e4 51.♕xf6) 50.♕a5 ♕f3 51.♕a7 ♕d1+ 52.♔h2 ♕f3 53.b7 and wins

38...♔h7 39.b7 With this logical looking move white throws away his winning chances and as a result, the draw is now unavoidable.

39.♕d7 ♕f3 40.♕xd4 reaches the same position as after the note to white's 38th move.

39...♕e2 40.♕c6 ♕b2 41.♕d5 ♔g7 42.♕e5+ ♔h7 43.♕d5 ♔g7 44.♔g2 d3 45.♔f3 ♕e2+ 46.♔g2 ♕b2 47.♕xd3 ♕xb7+ 48.♕f3 ♕b4 Draw.

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