1957 US Amateur Championship

Harry Lyman

     The 1957 US Amateur Championship was held at the Monterey Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey over the weekend of June 7th, 8th and 9th. 

     The hotel boasted that there was lots of entertainment available for the players that included sun bathing, bridge and dancing. And, the hotel had a dining room, coffee shop, card room, broad open and enclosed porches, TV lounge, cocktail lounge, barber shop, beauty salon and other amenities. Plus, they had adequate parking and special low rates were being offered. The minimum was $4.00 per day per person in double room. 

     The amateur was open to all players except rated masters, but entrants had to be or become USCF members. The advertised benefit of that was that you could obtain a national rating or, if you had one, you could improve it. The winner would be recognized as United States Amateur Chess Champion and and they would get a special trophy. The woman with highest score would get the title of Woman Amateur Chess Champion of the U. S. and she would get a trophy, too. 

     Trophies would also be awarded to the Class A and Class B entrants with highest the scores, No cash prizes. Entrants were asked, if possible, to bring their own sets and clocks. The entry fee was $5.00 (about $50 today) plus USCF dues if not a member. 

     The winner of the US Amateur Championship in 1957  with a score of +6 -0 =0 was Harry Lyman (1915-1999, 84 years old) Massachusetts. He would later win the New England Championship in 1965, 1968 and 1970.

 

     Today Lyman is remembered as the dean of Boston chess and was active for many years at the Boylston Chess Club. In 1988, he received the Meritorious Services Award from the USCF. He was the uncle of Shelby Lyman.

Harry Lyman - Morton Siegel

Result: 1-0

Site: US Amateur, Asbury Park, New Jersey

Date: 1957

French

[...] 1.e4 Played by Lyman in every game in this tournament. 1...e6 Lyman faced the French three times in this tournament! 2.d4 d5 3.♘c3 ♘f6 4.♗g5 ♗e7 5.e5 ♘fd7 6.h4 a6 This is not entirely satisfactory . Either 6...Bxg5 or 6...d5 are correct. 7.♕g4 ♔f8 As a result of his last move black has no really satisfactory move here, but 6... Bxg5 is usually played. (7...♗xg5 is better. 8.hxg5 c5) 8.O-O-O

8.♖h3 was recommended , but black equalizes after 8...c5 9.♘f3 cxd4 10.♕xd4 ♘c6

8...c5 9.f4

9.♗xe7+ ♕xe7 10.f4 cxd4 11.♘ce2 ♘c6 12.♘xd4 ♘xd4 13.♖xd4 White is better, Mazi,L (2365) -Povse,M (2155)/Bled 1994

9.dxc5 ♘xe5 10.♕g3 ♘bd7 11.♗f4 f6 12.h5 ♘xc5 13.h6 ♘g6 14.♘f3 White is betetr. Mendoza,S (2113) -Eynullaeva,R (2030)/ Batumi GEO 2018

9...h5

9...cxd4 10.♖xd4 ♘c6 11.♖d1 h6 12.♗xe7+ ♕xe7 Sanchez,C (2028)-Leeuw,P (2071)/Buenos Aires 2010. White stands well.

10.♕h3 Lyman offers an intuitive sacrifice that could lead to a strong K-side attack if black mishandles the position. 10...♘c6 Declining the offer of a piece was probably a wise decision.

10...f6 11.exf6 gxf6 12.♘f3 fxg5 13.hxg5 ♘c6 14.♘h4 with chances for both sides, Shootouts resulted in white scoring +1 -0 =4. Instinctively, the chances seem to favor white because any slip by black is likely to be fatal.

11.dxc5 ♘xc5 Declining the P a second time except that this time the circumstance are more favorable.

11...f6 12.exf6 gxf6 13.♘f3 ♘xc5

13...fxg5 14.hxg5 ♘xc5 with equal chances. 15.g4 ♕c7 16.♔b1 ♕xf4 17.gxh5 e5 An interesting position! In Shootouts white scored +0 -2 =4, so black has winning chances.

12.♗xe7+ ♘xe7 13.♘f3 ♘f5

13...b5 was better. White can hardly allow any further advance of black's b-Pawn. 14.b4 (14.g4 b4 15.♘e2 ♘e4 black is better.) 14...♘d7 15.♘d4 ♘b6 16.♗d3 is even.

14.♘d4 (14.b4 wins a P. 14...♘d7 15.♘xd5) 14...♘xd4 15.♖xd4 b5 16.♕e3 g6 17.♗e2 ♗b7 18.g4 The thematic break in these kinds of positions; white gives up a P to open a file. Technically the position is equal, but practically white has the safer K and the better B. 18...hxg4 19.♗xg4 ♖xh4 20.♖xh4 ♕xh4 How does white make further progress getting at black's K? 21.f5 gxf5 22.♗xf5 ♕h8 23.♖f4 White has an attack on the K, but black's defensive resources should be sufficient. 23...♕h6 Defending is always harder than attacking and this move which place the Q in line with white's pieces looks pretty good, but, in fact, it lands black is trouble as his defense becomes even more difficult.

23...♕h1+ Keeps black in the game. 24.♔d2 ♕h2+ 25.♘e2 ♖c8 26.♗g6 ♖c7 and black's defense holds.

24.♕xc5+ ♔g8 Black's position is bad, but this mistake simply hastens the end.

24...♔e8 25.♕d4 exf5 26.b3 ♖c8 27.♘d1 ♕f8 28.♘e3 ♕c5 29.♕xc5 ♖xc5 30.♘xf5 White has winning chances (=2 -0 =5 in Shootouts.

25.♕g1+ ♔f8 26.♕g4 exf5 27.♕xf5 ♕g7

27...f6 does not improve anything 28.♕xf6+ ♕xf6 29.♖xf6+ with a won ending.

28.e6 (28.♕d7 makes it even easier because it wins the B 28...♖a7) 28...f6 29.♕xf6+ ♕xf6 30.♖xf6+ ♔e8 31.♖h6 ♖d8 32.♖h8+ ♔e7 33.♖h7+ ♔xe6 34.♖xb7 d4 35.♖b6+ ♔e5 36.♘e2 ♖c8 37.♔d2 Black resigned. A solid performance by Lyman.

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