Mengarini Loses to Fine

     Last Friday was a dark and gloomy day; the sun was shining, but it was obscured by thick clouds and it drizzled rain off and on all day. It was a good day to visit The Week In Chess and download games to update my database, something that I have not done for two years. 

     For the first time I actually used Chessbase 16; in the past all I have done is tinker with it because Fritz 17 is my go-to program. I have to say that the speed and ease with which Chessbase 16 handled the task was impressive! Now my database has in excess of 3.5 million games up to April of this year. 

     You can get the program starting at about $125 (price slightly higher in Europe). The question is, do you need it? If you are a serious student who is bent on improving and you want to keep databases on, say, openings, middlegame themes, endings, etc. then this is the program. If, like me, to are a dabbler in the game then Fritz for around $90 will do the job very well. 

     By January 1942, German submarines had moved into American coastal waters and posed a serious threat to shipping. By that time U-boats had become bigger, faster and more deadly and their presence in American waters was not intended for show, but to help win World War II for Germany. 

     During the first three months of 1942, German U-boats sank more than 100 ships off the east coast of North America, in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Caribbean Sea. I read a story recently by a gentleman who lived on the coast of North Carolina during the war and he told how they often heard loud explosions and could see burning ships on the horizon. 

     The name U-boat comes from the German word unterseeboot, meaning submarine or undersea boat. However, they were not true submarines. They were warships that spent most of their time on the surface. They could submerge only for limited periods, mostly to attack or evade detection and to avoid bad weather. U-boats could only travel about sixty miles underwater before having to surface for fresh air. They often attacked ships while on the surface using deck-mounted guns. Typically, about 50 men operated a U-boat. The boats carried fifteen torpedoes which ranged up to twenty-two feet long and could travel thirty miles per hour. 

     Experts have described German U-boats as among the most effective and seaworthy warships ever designed. They paid a price though and a map of German U-boats lost off the east coast of the United States can be seen HERE.

     During World War Two, Reuben Fine’s job was to try and predict where the U-boats would show up and that’s why he was in Washington, D.C. and won the Washington Chess Divan’s annual title tournament in December, 1942. 

 

     It was a strong field, but the battle was really for the remaining prizes, not first place because Fine was just too strong. Ariel Mengarini, Oscar Shapiro and Martin Stark were tied for 2nd, 3rd and 4th places. Shapiro had held the title of D. C. Champion. 

     Donald H. Mugridge and William E. Napier had entered the event but were forced to withdraw. Mugridge lost to Fine and drew with Ponce, but his health did not permit him to continue. 

     One time famous British player William Napier lost to Eaton and Rousseau and had an adjourned position against Fox. He then was involved in an accident and was unable to continue. Divan officials canceled their scores. 

     Napier had withdrawn from the international tournament arena in 1905 and became an American citizen in 1908. He began a career at an insurance company, becoming vice president of the Scranton (Pennsylvania) Insurance Company. He married Florence Gillespie who was Harry N. Pillsbury's niece. 

     Although Napier still participated in chess, he played in no more important international tournaments and when he died at the age of 71 in 1952, his chess career was nearly forgotten.

     At the time the Washington Chess Divan was one of the most active and progressive clubs in the country because many strong players, like Fine, were in Washington performing war duties.  

     One unusual game in this tournament was a titanic struggle between District Champion and noted problem composer Vincent L. Eaton and International Master Albert W. Fox which was won by Fox. The game went 161 moves and lasted 10 hours and 49 minutes.  

     Naturally, winners always have some like like Fine did in the following game. Mengarini was doing “fine” until a couple of quick errors cost him the game.

 

[Event "Washington (DC) Chess Divan Champ"] [Site "?"] [Date "1942.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Reuben Fine"] [Black "Ariel A. Mengarini"] [Result "*"] [ECO "D45"] [Annotator "Stockfish 15.1"] [PlyCount "51"] [EventDate "1942.??.??"] {QGD} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 {With this move white avoids the complexities of the main line 4.Nc3} e6 {[%mdl 32]} 5. Nf3 a6 6. c5 {This move designed to cramp black is seldom played, but it's results are nearly identical to the far more popular 6.b3. Black now plays for the freeing ...e5} Nbd7 {The less effective 6...b6 is a popular alternative.} 7. Na4 {White almost always plays 7.c4. With this rare move white eyes b6 as a potentional N outpost.} Qc7 (7... Ne4 8. Bd3 e5 9. Nd2 Nxd2 10. Bxd2 e4 {is equal. Botvinnik, M-Thomas,G Nottingham 1936}) (7... b5 8. cxb6 Nxb6 9. Bd2 Nxa4 10. Qxa4 Bd7 11. Qc2 Qb6 12. Rc1 Rb8 13. Bd3 Qxb2 14. O-O Bd6 15. Ne5 Qxc2 16. Rxc2 c5 {with equal chances. Nakamura,H (2769)-Aronian,L (2802) Wijk aan Zee 2013}) (7... e5 8. Bd2 Ne4 9. Be2 g6 10. O-O {Black stands well. Botvinnik, M-Rabinovich,I Moscow 1937}) 8. Bd3 e5 9. Bc2 {This allows black to gain the initiative thanks to his spatial advantage.} Be7 10. O-O e4 11. Nd2 Nf8 {Mengarini's chooses a passive defense and so instead allows white to seize the initiative by attacking his advanced center. A much better idea was 11...b6 assuring black od a slight advantage.} 12. f3 exf3 13. Qxf3 {Better was 13.Bxf3 because now black develops his B with a gain of time.} Bg4 14. Qf2 Bh5 15. h3 {He can't allow ...Ng4} Bg6 16. Bxg6 Nxg6 17. Nb6 Rd8 18. e4 dxe4 19. Nxe4 O-O 20. Nc3 Nh5 21. Be3 Ng3 22. d5 {This move looks much more danderous to black than it is and after 22.Nxf1 black would have stood quite well off. White should have simply moved the R out of harm's way with 21.Rfe1} Bh4 {[%mdl 8192] Here Mengarini gets too fancy! Taking the R would have left him with a slight edge.} (22... Nxf1 23. d6 Bxd6 24. cxd6 Rxd6 25. Rxf1 Rf6 {Black is slightly better.}) 23. d6 {Now this move IS very powerful.} Qb8 (23... Nxf1 {fails badly...} 24. dxc7 Bxf2+ 25. Bxf2 Rde8 26. Rxf1 {and black is lost.}) 24. Rfd1 Rde8 {The wrong R goes to e8} 25. Nd7 Ne4 26. Qc2 {Black resigned.} (26. Nxb8 {This may have been the move Mengarini expected, bur even then after} Nxf2 27. Bxf2 Bxf2+ 28. Kxf2 Rxb8 {White has a significant advantage.}) (26. Qc2 Qd8 27. Nxf8 Nxc3 28. Qxc3 Rxf8 {and black is a R down.}) *