Van Lennep was the grandson of a famous Dutch novelist who was a contemporary and friend of the elder Alexandre Dumas and the son of one of one of Holland's well known judges. Coming from an upper-class family, he was expected to attend college and get a good job. Instead he decided to become a professional chess player.
Rumor had it that Van Lennep preferred men to the ladies and because of his life choices his father decided to exile him. As a result, in 1895 he was at the Hastings tournament as a journalist when he announced that he had decided to stay in England.
He gained his knowledge of chess from studying available books and only began tournament play when he took part in an Amsterdam club event in 1890 and finished third.
At the time the Amsterdam club was the only chess club in Holland and as a result of his success in the tournament, and Van Lennep quickly rose to a prominent position; in 1893 he was elected honorary secretary of the Dutch Chess Association and the editor of its journal.
As a result of his efforts promoting the game, the study of chess was taken up in nearly every principal town in Holland.
By the time he announced he was staying in England, Van Lennup had won some thirty minor tournaments, the championship of the Amsterdam Club twice and as a result of winning the German Amateur Tournament at Leipsic in 1894, he was a recognized Master. He had also contested matches with several of Holland's recognized Masters, winning one and losing two.
In the summer of 1895, he was selected as a reserve for the up coming Hastings tournament. As a reserve, he would replace one of the invited players if they did not show up.
It's been reported that because of his heavy journalistic obligations Isidor Gunsberg offered to withdraw in Van Lennep's favor, but Van Lennep declined because he didn't feel he was prepared, having only come to Hastings as a journalist. During the tournament Van Lennep was often seen hobnobbing with the likes of Lasker, Tarrasch, Janowsky, Marco and others.
As mentioned, he learned his theory from books and from studying the games of the best players of the day. He was also known for his vast knowledge of opening theory. His play was marked by often ingenious tactics and he was sometimes compared to Morphy or Zukertort. He was also known for his skill in handling drawish looking positions and could often find hidden resources in them.
Upon his arrival in England Van Lennep spoke very little English, but devoted a great deal of effort cultivating a knowledge of English literature and learning about English sports.
After settling in London, he associated with the chess clubs at London, Ludgate Circus, Battersea and Dulwich. He succeeded in winning matches against, among others, H. H. Cole whom he defeated twice in matches. In club events he also defeated many prominent local masters.
In spite of his success at the game, it appears that being abandoned by family and living in a foreign country among strangers took its toll on his fragile mental state. In 1897, he sailed from Harwich to Holland and during the trip he committed suicide by jumping into the North Sea and ending his life at the age of 25 and so disappeared from the chess history books.
Van Lenneps's opponent in the following game was Henry H. Cole (1873-1953), who also had some mental problems. 
Cole was born in Hastings into a chess playing family. His father, Thomas H. Cole, was a member of the British Archaeological Association and St. Leonards Chess Club and was chairman of the Hastings tournament committee. Cole's brother was also a good player.
In late December 1898, Cole was committed to London's Bethlem Royal Hospital, psychiatric hospital, that inspired several horror books, films and TV series, most notably Bedlam, a 1946 film with Boris Karloff. The word "bedlam", meaning uproar and confusion, is derived from the hospital's nickname.
Although the hospital became a modern psychiatric facility, historically it was representative of the worst excesses of asylums.
The hospital was founded in the mid-1200s (!) and was the place where the very disturbed and troublesome patients were sent.
In the 1630s one writer described the "cryings, screeching, roarings, brawlings, shaking of chains, swearing, frettings and chaffings" that he observed.
The facility had been built over a sewer which regularly got blocked resulting in overflows at the entrance. In 1598, the hospital was visited by the governors who observed that the hospital was "filthily kept", but they made no reference to the need to clean up the place.
The water system, which was not replaced until 1657, consisted of a single wooden cistern in the back yard from which water had to be carried by bucket.
Patients, if capable, were permitted to use the "house of easement," (i.e. the outhouse) of which there were only two, but more generally "piss pots" were used in their cells. Inmates, as they were called, were left in their cells and on occasion would throw "filth and excrement" into the yard or onto staff and visitors.
It should be remembered that this was in a time when health standards are not what he enjoy today. In those days people were known to urinate or defecate in the street or even in their own fireplaces.
Also, it was not unusual for patients to be suffering from starvation owing to corrupt staff practices. Patients were fed twice a day on a reduced and plain diet consisting of bread, meat, oatmeal, butter, cheese and...a lot of beer.
Cole's mental health problems were possibly brought on by the anguish he suffered when, in 1898, his brother died suddenly, then his mother, then his best friend committed suicide. And, finally, his father died the following year.
Cole appears to have been there for a few months before getting his life back on track. By 1901, he was known to be living with his aunt and working as a clerk. He was married in 1910 and raised a family.
He appears on Chessmetrics rating list for 1899 with a rating of 2410 placing him at number 94 in the world.
Norman Van Lennep - Henry H. Cole
Result: 1-0
Site: Match, London
Date: 1896
French Defense, Classical System
[...] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.♘c3 ♘f6 4.♗g5 ♗e7 5.♗xf6 This is the Richter Attack which in practice gives white about the same winning chances as he gets after the usual 5.e5, but at the same time black gets slightly more winning chances. 5...♗xf6 6.♘f3 ♗e7 7.♗d3 O-O
7...c5 8.dxc5 ♗xc5 9.exd5 ♗b4 10.♗b5+ ♗d7 11.♗xd7+ ♕xd7 White is slightly better. Lomineishvili,M (2342)-Gevorgyan,M (2226)/Tbilisi 2018.
8.h4
8.O-O f5 Too risky. Better was 8...c6. 9.exf5 exf5 10.♘e5 ♘c6 11.♘xd5 ♘xe5 12.♘xe7+ ♕xe7 13.♖e1 White has a promising position and he managed a quick win. Bier, M-Leffmann,K/Nuremberg 1883
8...f5 This looks risky, but, in fact, it's quite sound...if black plays carefully. 9.exf5 exf5 10.♘e2 ♗d6 11.♕d2 ♘d7 12.♘g5 White must be careful not to overplay his hand and so 12.c4 was, technically, the correct move. Nevertheless, which is playing very aggressively and it will pay dividends. 12...♘f6 13.f3 Played to prevent ...Ne4, but it should have handed the initiative over to black.
13.c4 was correct. 13...c6 14.O-O ♘e4 15.♕c1 h6 16.♘f3 and black has only a minimal advantage, white having lost time with his N.
13...c6
13...h6 was even better as after 14.♘h3 ♘e4 A surprise move! 15.fxe4 fxe4 Threatening ...Qxh4+, so.. . 16.♘hf4 exd3 17.♘xd3 ♗g4 18.O-O-O ♕f6 and black has good chances.
14.O-O-O ♕c7 15.c4 dxc4 16.♗xc4+ ♘d5 17.♔b1 b5 18.♗xd5+ cxd5 19.♘c3 ♕b7 Now white should play 20.Rde1 with equal chances. 20.♕e2 This attacks the b-Pawn, but black gets good play. 20...♗d7 21.f4 h6 Here, too, th eN cannot be taken and after 22...b4 black gets a winning attack.
21...b4 was even better. 22.♕h5 h6 both of white's Ns are under attack. 23.♘e2 hxg5 would lose. 24.hxg5 ♖fe8 25.g6 ♔f8 26.♘g3 with a winning attack. 26...♗e6 27.♘xf5 ♕d7 28.♕h8+ ♗g8 29.♘h6 ♔e7 (29...gxh6 30.♕f6+ mates in 7) 30.♖de1+ Black is lost.
22.♕f3 hxg5
22...b4 23.♘e2 hxg5 24.hxg5 (24.♕h5 is met by 24...g4 trapping the Q.) 24...♗e8 and white's Q cannot reach h5.
23.hxg5 Black has won a piece, but white has the attack. With careful play black can survive though. 23...♔f7 24.♘xd5 Now black can stay in the game with 24...Bc6. Instead, he makes a logical looking, but losing, move! 24...♖h8 This offer the exchange Rs allows white a nice game winning tactic.
24...♗c6 25.♖de1 This keeps the K from escaping via e7. 25...♖h8 Now this is correct...in fact, it's the only move. 26.g6+ ♔xg6 27.♖xh8 ♖xh8 28.♖e6+ ♔f7 29.♖xd6 ♖h6 with an equal position.
25.g6+ And wins! 25...♔e6 White has a mate in 13 with 26.Rhe1 (25...♔xg6 wins the Q 26.♘e7+) 26.♕e3+ This also wins in a pretty fashion.
26.♖he1+ ♗e5 27.♖xe5+ ♔d6 28.♕a3+ b4 29.♘xb4 ♔c7 30.♘a6+ ♕xa6 31.♕xa6 ♖ac8 32.♖c1+ ♔b8 33.♕d6+ ♔a8 34.♖xc8+ ♗xc8 35.♕c6+ ♗b7 36.♖e8+ ♖xe8 37.♕xe8+ ♗c8 38.♕xc8#
26...♔xd5 27.♕f3+ ♔e6 28.♕xb7 ♖hd8 29.♖de1+ ♔f6 30.♕d5 ♗xf4 31.♕f7+
31.g4 ♖f8 32.♕xd7 ♔g5 33.♖eg1 ♗g3 34.gxf5 ♖ae8 35.♖xg3+ ♔f4 36.♕d6+ ♔xf5 37.♖h5+ ♔e4 38.♕d5+ ♔f4 39.♕f3#
31...♔g5 32.♕xg7 ♗g3
32...♖e8 runs into a forced mate. 33.♕xd7 ♖xe1+ 34.♖xe1 b4 35.g7 b3 36.♖e8 ♖xe8 37.♕xe8 bxa2+ 38.♔xa2 a6 39.g8=♖+ ♔h4 40.♕e1+ ♗g3 41.♕xg3+ ♔h5 42.♕h2#
33.♖e7
33.♕h6+ ♔f6 34.♖h5 ♗h4 35.♕f4 ♗xe1 36.♕g5+ ♔e6 37.♕xf5+ ♔e7 38.♖h7+ ♔d6 39.♕c5+ ♔e6 40.♕e5#
33...♗c6 34.♖c7 ♗e4+
34...♗xc7 35.♕e7+ and it's mate in 8 after 35...Kg4 and mate in 7 after 35.. .Kxg6
35.♔a1 ♔g4 36.♕h6 ♖xd4 37.♕h3+ ♔f4 38.♖f1+ ♔e5 39.♕xg3+ Black resigned. A very nice attack by Van Lennep.
39.♕xg3+ ♔e6 40.g7 ♖d3 41.g8=♕+ ♖xg8 42.♕xg8+ ♔e5 43.♕g7+ ♔d5 44.♕d7+ ♔e5 45.♕e7+ ♔d5 46.♖xf5+ ♗xf5 47.♖c5+ ♔d4 48.♕e5#
Powered by Aquarium
No comments:
Post a Comment