Denker Takes On Washington DC Players

    The really big news in 1944 was  the Allies invasion of Normandy on D-Day, June 6th. The BBC Home Service presenter, John Snagge, announced these immortal words: "D-Day has come. Early this morning the Allies began the assault on the north-western face of Hitler's European fortress.” 

    A number of players were lost that year. German master Wilhelm Orbach (1894-1944) died Auschwitz/ Polish-Dutch master Salo Landau (1903-1944) was gassed by the Nazis in a German concentration camp in Poland. Polish masters Dawid Daniuszewski (1885-1944) and Dalomon Szapiro (1882-1944) died in the Lodz Ghetto. Vera Manchik, her mother and sister died in a bombing rin on London. Hungarian master Endre Steiner (1901-1944) died in a Nazi concentration camp near Budapest. 

     In non-war relatd deaths Danish master Jorgen Moeller (1873-1944) died in Copenhage. Austrian master Adolf Zinkl (1871-1944) died in Vienna. Argentine master Roberto Grau (1900-1944) died in Buenos Aires of cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 44. 

    American master Albert B. Hodges (1861-1944) died at his home on Staten Island. New York. The legendary Frank Marshall (1877-1944) died in Jersey City at the age of 67. And, George Sturgis, the USCF President, died of as heart attack in Boston. He was only 53. 

    In US chess news 24-year old Army PFC Herbert Seidman won the Marshall Chess Club championship with an incredible 12.5-0.5 score. For the third time Samuel Reshevsky won the US Open in Boston. Arnold S. Denker won the 5th US Championship, held in New York. With a 15.5-1.5 score. Reshevsky was preparing for his Certified Public Accountant exams and so did not compete. Gisela K. Gresser was the US women's champion. 

    In news that went almost unnoticed  Denker took part in an unusual exhibition in Washington DC when he defeated a team of ten of the city’s top players on September 16th. They were simultaneous clock games with each Washington player allowed two hours for his first forty moves. It took Denker 5 hours and 15 minutes to finish with +6 -2 =2. 

    Denker displayed plenty of pluck. He was material down in the last four games, but he succeeded in salvaging 1.5 points. The following day Denker gave a regular simul and scored +24 -1 =4. The sole winner was fifteen-year old Hans Berliner who had been the first to first to succumb to Denker in the previous day’s clock match. 

 

 

[Event "10 Bd Clock Simul, Washington DC"] [Site "?"] [Date "1944.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Arnold Denker"] [Black "Dr. H.V. Klein"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D46"] [Annotator "Stockfish 16"] [PlyCount "55"] [EventDate "1944.??.??"] {D46: Semi-Slav} 1. Nf3 e6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 c6 {In this, the Semi-Salv, black is threatening to capture the P on c4 and hold it with ...b7-b5. White can avoid this in a number of waya, but in any case, the positions that arise are oftne very sharp.} 4. e3 Nd7 5. Nc3 Ngf6 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. e4 {Typical Denker. Fine recommended the more reserved 8.b3} dxe4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 h6 11. Re1 Nf6 12. Bc2 Re8 {Horowitz was critical of black's strategy of patient maneuvers behind his own line. Instead he thought black should attempt to free himself with 12...b5} (12... c5 {This is superior to Horowitz' suggestion.} 13. Be3 Qc7 14. dxc5 Bxc5 15. Bxc5 Qxc5 16. Ne5 b5 17. cxb5 Qxb5 18. Ba4 Qb6 19. Bc6 Bb7 20. Bxb7 {½-½ Sofrevski,J-Ilievski,D Skopje 1968}) 13. b3 Bb4 { Better was 13...c5} 14. Bd2 Bxd2 15. Qxd2 Qd6 16. Rad1 Rd8 17. Qe3 Bd7 { Black sits tight and waits for something to happen. It's about to!.} 18. Ne5 Be8 19. f4 {[%mdl 32]} Qc7 20. g4 {Denker intends to expose his opponent's K.} Nd7 21. Qd3 Nf8 {Inhibits Qh7+.} ({leads to a slaughter.} 21... Nxe5 22. Qh7+ Kf8 23. Rxe5 b5 24. Qh8+ Ke7 25. Qxg7 Kd7 26. Rxe6) 22. g5 hxg5 (22... h5 { isn't really any better.} 23. f5 {continues the attack}) 23. fxg5 Rd6 24. Re4 { [%mdl 32] This r lift aims to place his R and Q on the h-file.} Rad8 (24... c5 {was worth a trym but white would still be winning.} 25. Qh3 Rxd4 26. Rdxd4 cxd4 27. Rh4 Ng6 28. Nxg6 fxg6 29. Rh8+ Kf7 30. Qf3+ Ke7 31. Qf8+ Kd7 32. Qxg7+ Kc6 33. Be4+ Kb6 34. Qxd4+ Qc5 35. Qxc5+ Kxc5 36. Bxg6) 25. Rh4 {Black is helpless.} Ng6 26. Nxg6 fxg6 27. Rf1 {Setting up a nifty finish. Intending Qh3 and mate.} Rxd4 {This allows mate in 4, but he was lost anyway.} (27... Qe7 28. Qh3 Qxg5+ 29. Kh1 {and to avoid mate black must surrender his Q}) 28. Rh8+ { [%mdl 512] Black resigned} (28. Rh8+ Kxh8 29. Rf8+ Kh7 30. Qh3+ Rh4 31. Qxh4#) 1-0