He was sworn in for a full term because back on August 2, 1923, President Warren G. Harding died unexpectedly from a heart attack in San Francisco while on a speaking tour. Vice President Coolidge was in Vermont visiting his family home which had neither electricity nor a telephone. When he received word by messenger of Harding's death, Coolidge dressed, said a prayer and went downstairs to greet the reporters who had assembled.
The big song hit was Sweet Georgia Brown by various artists; we are most familiar with it today because of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.
The Grand Ole Opry, a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee debuted on November 28, 1925, as a one-hour radio “barn dance”.
In other news the Mount Rushmore monument was dedicated, the Scopes monkey trial (teaching about evolution in the schools) ended, the Chrysler Corporation was founded, Sears Roebuck opened their first store in Chicago (previously it had been mail order only) and in Wyoming Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first female governor in the United States.
In France that year the 19th edition of the Tour de France was held from June 21 to July 19. The race 3,380 mi long and was won by Italian Ottavio Bottecchia who successfully defended his 1924 victory. Only 49 of the 130 participants finished the course. In 1926 Bottecchia started the race, but withdrew in the Pyrenees. When he was training in 1927, he was found bleeding at the side of the road close to his house and he died some hours later.
In May and October of 1925, the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism was held Grenoble in order to promote the city as the capital of "white coal" as hydroelectric power was then known.
But, the big event in France was in February when five top masters competed in a double round robin tournament in Paris. It was yet another win for Alekhine who finished undefeated and scored wins everybody except Tartakower.
Alekhine's games are still appealing because, like Cracker Jack, there's always a surprise inside!
At Carlsbad in 1923, Alekhine explained to a journalist, “I do not play chess, I fight at chess. Therefore, I willingly combine the tactical with the strategic, the fantastic with the scientific, the combinative with the positional, and I aim to respond to the demands of each given position...” Here's an example.
Alexander Alekhine - Karel Opocensky
Result: 1-0
Site: Paris
Date: 1925.02.15
QGD, Slav Defense
[...] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.♘c3 In years to come, in 1937 with his second match with Euwe, the reply 3...dxc4 was was believed to have been refuted in a convincing manner. However, today 3...cxd4 is very drawish. Here, Alekhine's 3.Nc3 is a slightly unusual move order, the main benefit of which is seen in this game. Its point is that white attempts to make it difficult for black to develop his B on f5 or g4 as is usual in the main lines of the Slav. That's the reason for keeping the N on g1. 3...♘f6 This is most often played. Occasionally black has tried 3...dxc4 with the intention of trying, at least temporarily, of holding on to the P by ...b7-b5. At the time of this game all the theory on the Slav had not yet been worked out. 4.e3 ♗f5 This is is the move that white's move order is designed to meet. Black does better here to transpose into the Meran with 4...e6 or if he doesn't want to shut in this B he can try Schlechter's solid 4...g6 or the modern Chebanenko System with 4...a6. Again, this was unknown in 1925. 5.cxd5 ♘xd5 The alternative, capturing with the N, also is advantageous for white. Black would like to keep his P in the center with 5...cxd5, but then 6.Qb3 leaves him in the awkward position of having to defend the P on b7 and, at the same time, defending d5. In this game Opocensky chose to cede a central P-majority, but in doing so he will lose more time trying to deal with the consequences of white advancing e3-e4. 6.♗c4 e6 7.♘ge2 At the time this was the cutting edge of theory. It was introduced in the game Rubinstein-Bogoljubow, Hastings 1922, and it creates a number of problems for black because of the inactive position of his light-squared B and his lack of development. However, there is nothing wrong with 7.Nf3 7...♘d7 8.e4 ♘xc3 9.♘xc3 ♗g6 10.O-O White can be satisfied here because he has a nice P-center and free development. Even though black is cramped, his position is solid 10...♕h4 This move, however, damages black's position. While it prepares ...O-O-O and, at the same time, allows black to meet a potential f2-f4-f5 with ...Bh5, it is over thinking the position.
17.h4 ♔g8
18.♖c1 Eyeing the unprotected B on c5 and introducing threats of Ne4. Note how Alekhine operates constantly with threats, not giving black a time to connect his Rs. 18...♗d4 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.♘e4 ♗xe4 21.♖xe4 c5 22.♕e2 Beginning the final assault. 22...g6 This is practically forced, otherwise he can never get his K to h7 without losinf the h-Pawn. Nevertheless, all this move does is weaken his K-side which also leaves him lost. 23.♗g5 ♕d6 With the threat of ...Qxg3+, but of course Alekhine is not going to overlook it! 24.♕f3 ♕f8 25.♖xd4 Eliminating black's only active pieces and bringing down his house because the dark squares around his K are fatally weak. 25...cxd4 26.♖c6 ♔h7
10...b5 11.♗d3 a6 12.♗e3 c5 13.♖c1 cxd4 14.♗xd4 e5 lefty black with a very bad game in Schleining,Z (2300)-Fischdick,G (2295)/Dresden 1995
10...♘b6 11.♗b3 ♗b4 12.f3 O-O 13.♗e3 ♕e7 14.♘e2 ♖fd8 15.a3 ♗d6 with about equal chnces as in Berczes,D (2551)-Bove,A (2377)/Warsaw 2010
11.d5 Typical of Alekhine. White is ahead in development and black's K is in the center, so he wants to open lines. The move required exact calculation because black an now force the weakening move g3.
11.f4 looks to be more promising and less risky as after 11...O-O-O 12.♗e2 f5 13.e5 ♘b6 14.a3 ♔b8 15.b4 wjite has a strong initiative.
11...exd5
11...♖d8 isn't so good. 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.♗xe6 ♘c5 14.♕g4 and white is much better.
12.g3 The point of this is that the lack Q cannot maintain the pin along the fourth rank. 12...♕f6 13.exd5 ♗c5 The decisive mistake because he loses the possibility of castling and, additionally, he is never able to get his Rs into action.
13...♘e5 was suggested by Alekhine, but white maintains a distinct advantage after 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.♘d5 ♕d8
15...cxd5 this allows white a bone crushing attack. 16.♗b5+ ♔e7 17.♕xd5 ♘f3+ 18.♔g2 ♕f5 19.♕b7+
19.♕xa8 ♘h4+ 20.♔g1 (20.gxh4 ♕g4+ 21.♔h1 ♗e4+ is at least equal.) 20...♘f3+ 21.♔h1 ♕xb5 22.♗f4 white is better. (22.♕xf3 ♕xf1#)
(19.♕xf3 ♕xf3+ 20.♔xf3 This position is won for white.) 19...♔f6 20.♕c6+ ♗d6 21.♕xd6+ ♕e6 22.♕xe6+ fxe6 23.♔xf3 and wins 13...♗e7 This is by far black's best try. After 14.♖e1 and only now... 14...♘e5 15.♗g5 ♕xg5 16.f4 ♘f3+ 17.♕xf3 ♕f6 black is hanging on and hopefully he can soon castle.
14.♖e1+ From here on Alekhne has only one idea and that is to prevent black's Rs from cooperating with one another. CJS Purdy once made the comment that your development was not complete until your Rs were connected. A good tidbit to keep in mind. 14...♔f8 Black has been forced to abandon castling and will now face insurmountable problems completing his mobilization. A bad situation to be in against Alekhine! 15.♗f4 ♘b6 16.♗b3 Equally good was 16.dxc6 16...h5 Opocensky hopes to be able to play ,,,Kg8-h7 and unite his Rs, but he never gets the time.
16...♖d8 is met by 17.♕f3 cxd5
17...♘xd5 18.♗xd5 cxd5 19.♘xd5 ♗xf2+ 20.♔xf2 ♕d4+ 21.♗e3 ♕xd5 22.♕xd5 ♖xd5 23.♖ad1 and in spite of being a P up and Bs of opposite colors black is quite lost. 23...♖xd1 On anything else he loses the R. 24.♗c5+ mates
18.♗xd5 ♘xd5 19.♘xd5 ♕c6 20.♖ad1 Black will lose because he is playing, in effect, a R down. This shows how important getting the Rs connect and into play is. 17...♘xd5 is still bad. 18.♘xd5 cxd5 19.♕xd5 ♕b6 20.♖e2 ♖d8 21.♕g5 ♗d6 22.♖d1 ♔g8 heading for h7 and connecting his Rs, but watch this!! 23.♖e6 ♔h7
23...fxe6 24.♕xg6 and all roads lead to mate...for example 24...♖h7 25.♗xe6+ ♔h8 26.♗f5 ♔g8 27.♕xh7+ mates in 7
24.♖exd6 wins a piece. 26...♔g7 would have allowed a pretty finish. 27.♖xg6+ ♔xg6 (27...fxg6 is mate in 3 28.♕b7+ ♘d7 29.♕xd7+ mates next move.) 28.♕f6+ ♔h7 29.♗xf7 and it's mate in 4 after 29...♖g8 30.♕f5+ ♖g6 31.♕xg6+ ♔h8 32.♗f6+ ♕g7 33.♗xg7#
27.♗xf7 ♖c8
27...♖g8 also allows a pretty mate in 8 28.♗xg6+ Taking the R accomplishes the same thing. 28...♖xg6 29.♕xh5+ ♖h6 30.♖xh6+ ♕xh6 31.♕xh6+ mates in 4
28.♖xg6 Black resigns. (28.♖xg6 ♖c1+ 29.♗xc1 ♕h6 30.♖xh6+ ♔g7 31.♕f6+ ♔f8 32.♖xh8#) Powered by Aquarium
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