James Allan Anderson, a Long Forgotten Player

  

     If you never heard of James Allan Anderson (June 28, 1906 – December 23, 1991, 85 years old), a three-time St. Louis Chess Champion who defeated Alexander Alekhine in a simultaneous exhibition in 1929, you are not the only one.

     In the 1929 Western Chess Association Championship (US Open) Finals held in St. Louis, Missouri, Anderson tied for second with stalwarts Herman Steiner and Norman Whitaker behind Harold Hahlbohm.

     In 1930, at reserve board in the 3rd Chess Olympiad in Hamburg, won by Poland (Rubinstein, Tartakower, Przepiorka, Frydman), Anderson scored +3 -7 =7. The US team consisted of Isaac Kashdan, Frank Marshall, Harold Phillips, Herman Steiner and Anderson; the team finished 6th (out of 18 teams). 

     The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (July 31, 1930 edition) mentioned that in view of the fact that Anderson lost all of his last five games it was clear that “the severe strain of the long grind was too much for him.” Is that a hint at the reason he disappeared two years later

 

     Anderson finished fourth (score 5.5-3.5) at the 1931 Western Chess Association Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event was won by Samuel Reshevsky followed by Samuel Factor and Norman Whitaker. Anderson lost only to Reshevsky and Factor. 

     Anderson won the St. Louis championship in 1932 with an5.5-0.5 score and then he seems to have disappeared at the age of 26. 

     His opponent in the following game was Ilmari Rahm (1888-1939) a Finnish doctor, chess player and journalist. Somerime in the 1890s Rahm’s parents moved to Helsinki, where he spent most of his life. After receiving his medical degree he served in the Finnish army as a navy medical captain from 1918 until 1921. After Rahmi's health began to falter during 1929, he gradually had to give up all things associated with chess. As a result of his poor health he only scored 3.5-10.5 at Hamburg. 

 

[Event "Hamburg Olympiad"] [Site "Hamburg GER"] [Date "1930.07.15"] [Round "3"] [White "Ilmari Rahm"] [Black "James Allan Anderson"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D37"] [Annotator "Stockfish 15"] [PlyCount "74"] [EventDate "1930.07.13"] {D37: Queen's Gambit Declined} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. e3 Be7 6. Qc2 O-O 7. Bd3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 c5 9. O-O a6 {This is considered best even today.} (9... cxd4 10. exd4 Nb6 11. Bd3 Bd7 12. Bg5 h6 13. Be3 Nbd5 {was quickly drawn in Kurajica,B (2520)-Cvetkovic,S (2470) Cetinje YUG 1991}) 10. a4 b6 11. Rd1 Bb7 12. Ng5 {This move serves no purpose and only loses time.} (12. dxc5 {also favors black after} Bxc5 13. b3 Qc7 {Better was 13...b5 with a slight advantage.} 14. Bb2 Ne5 15. Nxe5 Qxe5 16. Nd5 {equals. Dzhumaev,M (2428) -Malygin,V (1995) Almaty KAZ 2019}) (12. d5 {results in equal chances after} exd5 13. Bxd5 Nxd5 14. Nxd5 Bxd5 15. Rxd5) 12... h6 {Evidently white thought he has induced black into weakening his K's position with this move, but that is not the case because white is in no positiob to take advantage of it after the better 13.Nf3} 13. Nh3 {The N is badly misplaced here.} Qc7 14. Be2 { Another time wasting move, but his position is already showing that he has difficulties.} (14. d5 Ne5 15. b3 Nxc4 16. bxc4 exd5 17. cxd5 Bd6 {leaves white in difficulties.}) (14. Qe2 Bd6 15. f4 cxd4 16. exd4 Rfe8 17. Be3 Ng4 { with the initiative.}) 14... Bd6 15. f4 cxd4 16. Rxd4 {Recapturing with the P was not much bvetter...black would also have had a very active position.} Bc5 17. Rc4 {Thgis is a gross oversight. Retreating to d1 was better although black would still have had the upper hand.} Bd5 18. Nxd5 exd5 {[%mdl 32]} 19. b4 (19. Rc3 {is met by} Ne4 20. Nf2 (20. Rd3 Bxe3+ {winning the Q}) 20... Nxc3 {winning the exchange.}) 19... dxc4 20. bxc5 Qxc5 21. g4 {Black has a R+P against a B so it's obvious that he is winning. Therefore white throws everything into a desperate attack.} Nd5 22. Qf5 (22. Qxc4 Rfe8 23. f5 Rac8 24. Qxc5 Nxc5 {is hopeless for white.}) (22. g5 Nxe3 23. Bxe3 Qxe3+ 24. Kg2 Nc5 25. gxh6 Rad8 26. Ng5 (26. hxg7 Rd2 27. gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 28. Qxc4 Rxe2+ {wins immediately.}) 26... Nd3 {and white's attempted attack is over.}) 22... Nc3 23. Qxc5 Nxc5 24. Bxc4 {White has managed to reach an ending the exchange down, but his position is devoid of any counterplay and so he is lost as long as black plays carefully.} b5 25. Ba3 (25. axb5 axb5 26. Rxa8 Rxa8 27. Bxb5 Ra1 { wins the B}) 25... Rfc8 26. Bb4 (26. axb5 axb5 27. Bb2 (27. Bxc5 Rxa1+ 28. Bf1 Rxc5) 27... bxc4 {Black is a full R up.}) 26... N5xa4 (26... bxc4 27. Bxc3 Re8 {would also secure the win.}) 27. Bd3 a5 28. Ba3 b4 29. Bf5 (29. Bc1 Nc5 30. Bf5 Nb3 {wraps it up.}) 29... bxa3 30. Bxc8 Rxc8 31. Rxa3 Rc5 32. Nf2 Nb2 { Prevents Nd3.} 33. Kg2 a4 {[%mdl 32]} 34. h4 Nb5 35. Ra2 a3 36. Ne4 Rc4 37. Kf3 Rxe4 $1 {This finally convinced white to resign. to resign.} (37... Rxe4 38. Kxe4 Nc3+) 0-1