Losing only one game and drawing one, 24-year-old member of the Manhattan Chess Club Arnold Denker carried off first prize.
Denker's loss was to Anthony Santasiere of the Marshall Chess Club, the second place finisher. Santasiere was the only player to have been undefeated, but four draws prevented him from taking the championship.
Third place was captured by another Manhattan CC player, Donald MacMurray who played some brilliant games, but stumbled when he played a weak ending against Denker.
MacMurray is almost unknown today. According to Denker, MacMurray possessed the highest IQ ever recorded up to the early 1930s, earned a BA degree from the University of Chicago in eight and a half months and a law degree from Columbia in one year.
He was well known in New York chess circles and was an expert in languages He learned to speak Yiddish so he could frequent the Yiddish Theater.
During this tournament MacMurray began experiencing nausea and stomach pains that were especially noticeable when he was laughing. At one point he was having dinner with Denker and the pain was so bad he had to leave the table. At Denker’s request Dr. Joseph Platz examined MacMurray and discovered a cancer in his stomach the size of a grapefruit. Just three months later on December 2, 1938, MacMurray died.
For Brooklyn champion and Hawthorne Chess Club founder, 25-year-old John W. Collins, it was a case of either win or lose.
Collins' chess club was an early hangout of Bobby Fischer, William Lombardy, Raymond Weinstein, Robert and Donald Byrne. The myth is that Collins was their early teacher, but that's all it is...a myth. His apartment was the "club" and by the time that group started hanging out there, they had far surpassed Collins' ability to teach them anything.
According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle the following game between Erich W. Marchand and John Collins was over enthusiastically called a "nightmare game" because of the "weird use Collins made of his Knights." The paper also described Collins Queen sacrifice as "neat."
Dr. Marchand (July 07, 1914 - August 29, 1999, age 85) was a professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of Rochester and a pioneer in gradient index research...something to do with the optical effects of materials and is important in the production of things like photocopiers. Sounds boring. He was a USCF Life Master and amassed so many titles it's impossible list them all.
He was the first inductee in the New York State Chess Hall of Fame and an annual tournament was named after him in New York. It's unusual, but this tournament was begun in his honor before his death so he had the privilege of actually playing in it.
Erich W. Marchand–John W.Collins0–1D15New York State Champ, Cazenovia1938Stockfish 15
Slav Defense 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.f3 f6 4.c3 dxc4 5.e3 b5 6.a4 b6 The main alternative is 8...b4 although sometimes 6...Nd5 is seen.
Collins' move also seems reasonable. 7.axb5 cxb5 8.b3 e6 9.bxc4 bxc4 10.xc4 b4 11.d2 0-0 12.0-0 c6 After this white gains the initiative. 12...a5 served black well in Arizmendi Martinez,J (2524)-Martinez Martin,D
(2415) Burguillos 2008 13.e2 a6 14.a4 xc4 15.xc4 c6 16.fc1 xc4 17.xc4 xd2 18.xd2 bd7 and the game was eventually drawn. 12...xc3
is less good. 13.xc3 b7 14.e2 bd7 15.a5 c6 16.fc1 fc8 White is
better. Romanishin,O (2537)-Zucchelli,M (2149) Arco ITA 2011 13.a4 c7 14.xb4 xb4 15.e5 15.c1 d6 16.c5 a5 17.e4 equals. Hurelbaatar,C (2300)
-Tovsanaa,N (2280) Erdenet 1994 15...b7 16.c5 Black is
under strong pressure and the threat is 17.Bxe6 d5 16...h8 A pass for
demonstration purposes. 17.xe6 fxe6 18.xe6 e7 19.xf8 xf8 White's
R+2Ps vs B+N give him the advantage. 17.xd5 fxd5 18.d2 a5 Challenging
the N on e5 with 18...Nc6 was a better idea. 19.fc1 White clearly has the
initiative, but in the end a draw seems like it would be a reasonable result. e7 20.c4 c7 21.b3 fb8 22.bxa5 b5 It's hard to imagine this game
being anything but a draw. 23.a3 But not after this move which is a gross
blunder! 23.b3 xa1 24.xa1 h6 25.c1 c6 and it's hard to imagine this
position being anything other than a draw. 23...xa5 Not an unexpected
reply, but Marchand obviously missed the correct followup. 24.xb5 xa1 24...d8 This may be what Marchand expected and after 25.xa8 xa8
White the exchange and a P up. 25.e4 d3 26.f1 5f4 The threat is ...
Qxf1+ and ...Ra1+ leading to mate. 27.g3 This allows a mate in three, but
the game was lost no matter what. xf1+ Whie resigned in face of .
..Ra1+ and mate next move. 0–1
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