It's probably a good thing most of us weren't around in 1932. In the US, life expectancy for men was a scant 61.0 years; women did a little better: 63.5 years
It was also the year the government found yet another way of taking money out of our pockets. The Revenue Act of 1932 was enacted, creating the first gasoline tax in the United States at 1 cent per gallon.
The most infamous person in the country was probably Al Capone, but the Crime of the Century was the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh. Jr. the infant son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh from their home near Hopewell, New Jersey. I remember my mother telling me about it some 25 years later.
In London in 1932 there was what the British Chess Magazine referred to as a "select company of masters" who participated in a tournament.
The following game from that event features what Hans Kmoch coined as the Benoni Jump, an attacking idea that presents itself when castling has taken place on opposite sides and, particularly, in fianchettoed Pawn formations.
Vera Menchik–George A. Thomas1–0E85LondonLondon ENG1932Stockfish 15
King's Indian: Saemisch Attack 1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.c3 g7 4.e4 d6 5.f3
This system gave Bobby Fischer all kinds of trouble in his early years to the
point that he eventually avoided the K-Indian if he believed he would face the
Saemisch; it wasn't until his 1992 rematch with Spassky that he finally
figured it out. 0-0 6.e3 e5 7.ge2 b6 This method of meeting the Saemisch
is inferior, but that was not known at the time. Today 7...c6 is amost
universally played. 8.d2 c6 8...c5 9.d5 a6 10.b1 e8 11.g4 b5 12.cxb5 axb5 13.xb5 f5 14.gxf5 gxf5 Black's position has little promise.
Castaldo,F (2330)-Likavsky,T (2485) Arvier 2007 8...a6 9.b3 bd7 10.d5 h5 11.0-0-0 f5 12.b1 f4 Skalski,M (2327) -Jamashev,E (2320) Ternopil 2006.
this position looks like it might be favorable to black, but white's position
is actually is to be preferred and he went on to win the game. 9.d5 e7 10.g4 One thing is clear: black has zero counterplay on the Q-side and instead
has chosen indulge in hand to hand combat on the K-side. d7 10...h5
was worth a try. 11.gxh5 xh5 12.g3 f4 13.0-0-0 13.xf4 It's not
worth taking the P because black gets lots of play. exf4 14.xf4 f5 15.h4 f6 16.h6 Black has a choice between 16...Bg7 or 16...fxe4 13...f5 14.g1 If anybody's K is in danger it's black's. 11.g1 a5 Black has to ove
and in this position it doesn't particularly matter what it is. 12.0-0-0 c5 13.g3 d7 14.h4 a4 15.h5 b8 The position is ripe for a
Benoni Jump. In fact, it could be played now. 16.h6 Menchik decides to
eliminate dark squared Bs first leaving black's K weakened even further. a7 17.xg7 xg7 18.f5+ Here it is...the famous Benoni Jump. xf5 18...f6 19.g5# 18...gxf5 19.g5+ g6 20.h6+ g8 21.f6 mates 18...xf5 19.gxf5 g8 20.b1 b8 21.h3 d8 22.fxg6 fxg6 23.f5 f6 24.hxg6
and it's all over. 18...g8 Black can't avoid taking the N either. 19.h6 xf5 20.gxf5 d7 21.hxg6 fxg6 22.fxg6 hxg6 23.xg6+ f7 23...xg6 24.xg6+ h8 25.e2 mates 24.g7+ e8 25.e6 d8 26.xe7+ c8 27.xd7+ b8 28.b5 mates in 9 19.gxf5 One wonders if Thomas saw what was
coming and just surrender to his fate. a3 19...h8 was this only defense...
if you can call it that. 20.f4 h6 21.e2 ag8 22.fxe5 dxe5 23.hxg6 f6 24.h1 White doubles Rs on the h-file and then penetrates black's position and
there is little black can do about it. 20.f6+ A forceful conclusion. At
best black can oly delay mate. h8 21.h6 axb2+ 22.b1 g8 23.hxg6 fxg6 24.xh7+ Black resigned. Menchik's play was not only forceful, it was
very precise. 1–0
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