Myron Samsin who wrote an e-book titled In from the Cold: The Life and Chess of Magnus Smith says he was born in Raudhamel, Iceland as Magnus Magnusson in and immigrated to Manitoba in 1885 then moved to British Columbia in the fall of 1889. He eventually moved to Titusville, Pennasylvania which is about 45 miles south of Erie. He passed away on September 12, 1934.It's my understanding that members of Chess Cafe can download the book HERE.
In 1899, Harry Nelson Pillsbury came to Winnipeg to play a simultaneous exhibition and Smith defeated him in 56 moves. In 1907, Smith defeated Emmanuel Lasker in a simultaneous exhibition in Winnipeg.
At some point Smith was living in the United States because he joined the staff of Lasker’s Chess Magazine in New York. He joined the Brooklyn Chess Club and won the club’s championship in 1908. Also, in 1908, Smith, W.E. Napier and Charles Nugent started a publication, The Chess Weekly.
In 1911, in the National Masters Tournament in New York (won by Marshall ahead of Capablanca, Smith finished 7th-8th with a 5-7 score. In 1912m he switched to the Manhattan Chess Club in and won its championship in 1912 and 1913.
He is probably the most famous for The Magnus Smith Trap, trap in the Sicilian Defense, but chess historian Edward Winter was unable to locate any games or analysis to justify naming the trap after Smith.
[Event "6th Western Championship"]
[Site "Excelsior, MN USA"]
[Date "1905.08.21"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Magnus Smith"]
[Black "Roy G Fitzgerald"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C01"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 16"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "1905.??.??"]
{[%evp 15,57,1,14,-24,147,-91,-52,-92,-81,-82,-36,-83,76,-17,-1,-2,382,390,387,
385,392,379,565,550,703,765,1025,942,29990,29991,29991,1107,911,815,789,688,
834,693,1011,866,3633,1517,29996,29997] C01: French: Exchange Variation} 1. e4
e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 {Simple and clear cut, this variation makes no atteptt at
gaining any advantage.} exd5 4. Bd3 Bd6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Nc3 O-O 7. O-O Nc6 8. Bg5
Bg4 9. Kh1 (9. Nxd5 {is met by} Bxh2+ 10. Kxh2 Qxd5 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. c3 Ne7 (
12... Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Qxf3 14. gxf3 {and the ending favors black.}) 13. Rh1 {
The idea ia toi attack h7m but there is really no way to take advantage of
black's weakened K-side.} Rfe8 14. Qd2 Ng6 (14... Bxf3 15. gxf3 Qxf3 16. Rag1+
Ng6 17. Rg3 Qc6 18. Qh6 {with the advantage.}) 15. Ne1 (15. Qh6 Bxf3 16. gxf3
Qxf3 17. Kg1 Qxd3 {wins}) 15... Qg5 {equals}) 9... Re8 {This is a tactical
error. Both 9...Ne7 and 9...Bd6 re satisfactory.} 10. Ne2 (10. Nxd5 Be7 11.
Nxe7+ Qxe7 12. c3 {and white has won a P.}) 10... Nb4 11. c3 Nxd3 12. Qxd3 c6
13. Ng3 Bc7 {Instead of this passive move, black should have played 13...h6} (
13... h6 14. Be3 Ne4 {with an active position.}) 14. Rae1 (14. Ne5 {was better.
} Bxe5 15. dxe5 Rxe5 16. f4 {with good play.}) 14... Qd6 15. Ne5 Be6 {[%mdl
8192] The losing move. mith now gets a winning attack.} (15... Ne4 {results in
complete equality.} 16. Nxe4 dxe4 17. Qxe4 Be6 18. Bf4 Bxa2 {is equal as there
is no way white can take advantage of a discovery on the Q/}) (15... Ne4 16.
Bf4 {is a bit more complicated, but it, too, leads to equal chances after} f6
17. f3 fxe5 18. dxe5 Nxg3+ 19. Bxg3 Qd7 20. fxg4 Qxg4) 16. Bxf6 {This works
now because white is in a position to whip up a decisive attack on black's K.}
gxf6 17. Nh5 fxe5 18. dxe5 Qc5 (18... Bf5 {was not much better.} 19. exd6 (19.
Qxf5 {is less effective.} Rxe5 20. Rxe5 Qxe5 {White can keepo a slight
advantage with...} 21. Qg4+ Kf8 22. f4 Qe6 23. Qg7+ Ke7 24. Qxh7) 19... Bxd3
20. Nf6+) 19. f4 {[%mdl 32]} Kf8 20. f5 Bc8 21. Qg3 Ke7 22. Qg5+ Kd7 23. Nf6+ {
This is plenty good enough, but he missed a mate.} (23. e6+ fxe6 24. fxe6+ Rxe6
25. Nf6+ Kd6 26. Qg3+ Ke7 27. Qxc7+ Bd7 28. Qxd7+ Kf8 29. Rxe6 h6 30. Nh5+ Kg8
31. Qg7#) 23... Kd8 24. Nxe8+ Kxe8 25. e6 Qf8 26. Qh5 Ke7 27. exf7+ Kf6 28. Re8
(28. Qxh7 $142 Be5 29. Qh4+ {[%eval 32752,29] [%wdl 1000,0,0] [%emt 0:00:06]}
Kxf7 30. Rxe5 Kg8 31. f6 Bf5 32. Rfxf5 Qf7 33. Rg5+ Qg6 34. Rxg6+ Kf8 35. Qh8+
Kf7 36. Qg7#) 28... Qxf7 29. Qh6+ {Black resigned.} (29. Qh6+ Qg6 30. fxg6+ Bf5
31. g7+ Kf7 32. g8=Q#) 1-0
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