It was the year President Woodrow Wilson was instrumental in establishing the League of Nations which the US didn't join
It was the year the First Lady, Edith Wilson, functioned as the de facto President of the United States.
While on the campaign trail pushing for the US to accept the League of Nations, President Wilson suffered a stroke that caused paralysis, partial blindness and brain damage. For the remainder of his term, a year and a half, he was an invalid at best and totally incapable of or performing the duties of the Presidency.
The First Lady stepped in and controlled access to the President and made policy decisions on his behalf. When something needed to be written or signed, she wrapped her hand around his and scrawled the note or his signature.
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| Madame President |
On September 16, 1920, the US suffered a terrorist attack when a horse drawn cart carrying a massive amount of explosives was detonated on the busiest corner of Wall Street.
One eyewitness described the scene: “...two sheets of flame that seemed to envelop the whole width of Wall Street and as high as the 10th story of the tall buildings.” Thirty-eight people were killed and hundreds were injured.
The perpetrators, who were never identified, were believed to have been Italian anarchists.
In the chess world the year started off with Capablanca and Lasker meeting at The Hague and signing an agreement to play a World Championship match in 1921.
Then in June, 1920, Lasker resigned his world championship title to Capablanca. But, then in August Lasker reconsidered after Capa's fans in Cuba $20,000. A broke Lasker accepted the challenge and in 1921 Capa, the Champion, retained the title when he defeated Lasker, the challenger, by a score of 9-5.
Four players passed away in 1920: William Crane (1851-1920) the Australian champion in 1888 and 1897. The Polish Master Georg Rotlewi (1889-1920) died at the age of 31. And, Adolf Albin (1848-1920) the inventor of the defense used in the featured game died of tuberculosis in Vienna at the age of 71. Horatio Caro (1862-1920) died in London at the age of 58.
On November 3, 1920, 8-year-old Sammy Rzeschewski arrived in the United States with his father, a wealthy linen merchant from Lodz, Poland and the rest was history.
An important tournament was played at the Cafe Kerkau, in Berlin in December of 1920. It was won by the 20-year old Gyula Breyer of Budapest even though he suffered defeats at the hands of Tartakower and Mieses.
Rudolf Spielmann's last place finish was blamed on the fact that he was greatly handicapped through being engaged in reporting and
other work in connection with chess.
All the players, with the exception of Leonhardt and Saemisch, ha also taken part in August in a tournament in Gothenburg and in that event (won by Reti) Breyer only finished 9th out of 13. In this vent Reti was only fourth.
Siegbert Tarrasch–Savielly Tartakower1–0D08Berlin06.12.1920Stockfish 15.1
Albin Counter Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 The Romanian master Alolf Albin
introduced this defense against Emanuel Lasker at New York in 1893. It's
aggressive: black gives up his Pawn on e5 so that his d-Pawn can advance to d4
where it is hoped it will be a thorn in white's side. 3.dxe5 d4 4.f3
The most popular approach. 4.e3 b4+ 5.d2 dxe3 With this move white
falls into what is known as the Lasker Trap. 6.xb4 6.fxe3 may look
attractive, but the position is no more than equal. 6...exf2+ 7.xf2 xd1 4.e4 Is the Spassky variation. c6 The most promising continuation. 4...dxe3 5.xe3 xd1+ 5...b4+ this no longer works to black;s advantage. 6.d2 and white stands well. 6.xd1 with equal chances. 5.f4 g5 with
interesting play. 4...c5 5.e3 c6 6.exd4 cxd4 7.d3 ge7 8.bd2
8.O-O is also acceptable. g4 Better was 8...Ng6 9.b3 c7 10.0-0 0-0-0 11.e1 g6 12.h3 e6 13.e4 13.xg6 Things get tricky after this, but it
would have have been uncomfortable for black after hxg6 14.g5 e7 14...h5 15.xe6 fxe6 16.f3 xe5 17.g5 is tricky, but white comes out better. g4 18.g3 18.hxg4 h2+ 19.f1 d3 is winning for black. 18...xg3 19.fxg3 c5 20.xe6 20.hxg4 d3+ 21.e3 xg5 favors black. 20...d3+ 21.xc5 xc5 22.d2 22.hxg4 d2 23.xd2 xd2 22...f6 23.ac1 White has the
advantage. 15.de4 13...gxe5 14.xe5 xe5 15.f3 c5 16.f4 d6
At the time the game was played Amos Burn pointed out that the tempting 16...
Bxc4 would have enabled white to win brilliantly. 16...xc4 17.a4
A flashy Q sac (temporary), but in reality, it's not quite as strong as 17.Qa4
17.xc4 xc4 18.f5+ e6 19.xe6 fxe6 20.xe6+ d7 21.e5 xe5 22.xe5 d8 23.xd7 xd7 24.xd4 17...b5 18.d1 d6 19.c1 b4 20.d2 a4 21.b3 a6 22.a4 d3 23.xc6 bxc6 24.xd4 c5 25.b4 c4 26.f3 b8 27.c6+ c8 28.b5 17.xc6 bxc6 18.xd6 xd6 19.e5 Somewhat stronger
would have been 19.Re5 hd8 Doubling Rs behind the passed d-Pawn
is quite logical, but inferior to its immediate advance. 19...d3 is much
tougher. 20.a4 20.h1 d2 21.e2 f6 22.d3 xc4 and black is winning. 20...d2 21.e2 a5 21...hd8 22.d1 b6 23.c2 White is better. 22.d1 f6 23.b4 xb4 24.xb4 axb4 25.c5 d5 26.xc6 xc5 27.xb4 d7 28.exd2+
and black can make white work hard for the win. 20.a4 aiming for b4. d3 21.b4 d4 22.xc6 22.c5 was a much harder blow according to the engines,
but practically speaking Tarrasch's move is easier to play. d2 22...d5 23.a6+ c7 24.xa7+ c8 25.xc6 23.a6+ b8 24.cxd6 dxe1+ 25.xe1 xd6 26.xc6+ xc6 27.xc6 xb4 28.d1 b6 29.e8+ with a technically won game.
22...xc6 23.xc6+ b8 24.c5 d2 25.ed1 f5 25...c4
preventing white's next move would have been better. White would then have to
regroup and work out a winning plan. 26.f3 e5 27.e3 d4 etc. 28.ab1 26.b5+ c7 27.a5+ b8 28.b5 c2 29.b6 White is clearly
winning. d7 29...xd1 30.xa7+ c8 31.c7# 30.bxa7+ a8 31.c6 d5 32.c7 f5 32...xa5 33.c8+ xa7 34.xc2 and white is a R up. 33.c8+ xc8 34.c7 b5 35.xc8+ Black plays a few more moves on inertia. xa7 36.a4 c5 37.g4 xa1 38.xa1 c1+ 39.d1 Black resigned. A superb
game by Tarrasch 1–0
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