If my memory is correct Frank Marshall’s book, My Fifty Years of Chess, was the first one I had. It was published in 1942, which, of course, was before I was born and it was, I think, republished in paperback by Dover.
Frank Marshall (1877-1944) was US Champion for 27 years and his games are still a delight to play over. Best known for his great tactical skill, he was famous for the "Marshall swindle" where a tactical trick would turn a lost game around. It’s not remembered today, but in his day Marshall was also known for his endgame skill.
There is no question that the 1904 Cambridge Springs International Chess Congress, the first major international tournament in the United States, was Marshall’s greatest success; he finished first by two full points.
Other American players, Jackson W. Showalter, Albert Fox, John Barry, Albert B. Hodges, Eugene Delamr, Max Judd and even the legendary Harry N. Pillsbury were no longer able to compete at Marshall’s level.
Marshall’s success at Cambridge Springs even resulted in him being considered as a world championship challenger. Unfortunately, he was never able to repeat the great success of Cambridge
Springs, nor was he successful in a run at the world championship. In fact, after Cambridge Springs Marshall’s play was inconsistent and his results were not especially impressive. That may have been due more to his personal nature and style of play more than his ability.
The July 2, 1896 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported on the Continuous tournament, one in which the players played 37to 260 (!) games and the final standing were based on the percentage of wins, draws not counting.
“F. J. Marshall, the young player who has been making such rapid strides to the front in local chess circles of late, has again captured first prize in the Brooklyn club's continuous tournament with the high percentage of 80 (percent).”
Marshall’s overall score was +40 -10.
Close on Marshall's heels was G. W. Jones, a former first prize
winner, with a score of 77.8 percent (+35 -10). R. P. Dow secured the highest number of wins with 260 and he also had the highest number of losses, 184.
Here is Marshall’s win against the runner up., about whom nothing is known. The only other time his name came up (that I found) was in 1897 when the Brooklyn CC defeated the Chicago CC in a correspondence match 6.5-5.5.
In that match Jones, playing on board defeated his opponent. William Napier was on first board for Brooklyn followed by Herman Helms and Frank Marshall.
In the game Jones was facing some pressure in the form of a K-side attack, but he was holding his own until move 20 when he took the precaution of playing a defensive move. It turned out to be a fatal mistake after which Marshall unleashed a vicious attack against which there was no defense. As far as I know this game does not appear in any books on Marshall.
G W Jones–Frank Marshall0–1C50Brooklyn CC Continuous TournamentBrooklyn, NY USA1896Stockfish 16
C54: Giuoco Piano 1.e4 e5 2.f3 c6 3.c4 c5 4.0-0 d6 5.c3 g4 6.d3 f6 7.e3 b6 8.bd2 e7 The alternative is 8...O-O 9.b4 d8 10.a4 d5 11.exd5 xd5 11...xe3 12.dxc6 xd2 13.xd2 xf3 14.gxf3 bxc6 is a slightly
more accurate continuation. 12.xb6 12.xd5 would give white the
advanyage after xd5 13.c4 xd3 14.c5 e4 15.cxb6 exf3 16.c2 xb4 17.c4 e6 18.bxc7 0-0 19.c5 xc7 20.xb4 12...axb6 13.b3 f4 14.ae1 0-0 15.h3 15.d4 was more accurate, but it would allow black to draw. xf3 16.xf3 d7 17.xe5 xe5 18.xe5 g4 19.g3 h3+ 20.g2 and black can draw by
repeating moves. 15...h5 15...xh3 16.gxh3 d6 17.e4 xh3+ 18.h1
Best 18.g2 f4+ 19.xf4 otherwise black has a mating attack.. g6+ 20.h2 exf4 21.g1 xg1 22.xg1 g5 and black has reason to be optimistic. 18...h6 19.h2 Here, too, black has a good position, In Shootouts white
scored +1 -3 =1 16.d4 d6 This is a slight inaccuracy. It would have been
better to get the Q off the line of the R with 15...Qf6 17.h2 This
defensive move was unnecessary. 17.dxe5 gives black the initiative after g6 18.g3 xh3+ 19.h1 h6 20.g2 but white's defensive resources should
prove adequate. 17.d5 b8 18.xe5 with slightly the better of it. 17...d7 18.xe5 xe5 19.xe5 White has won a P, but black has good attacking
prospects and that's all Marshall needs. h6 White must now
prevent ...Bg6. 20.e3 This looks like a good defensive move,
but there is absolutely no time for such precautions! 20.fe1 had to be
played. Then after g4 21.g1 xh3 22.g3 White is completely safe...there
is simply no way black can dig out white's K. 22.xf7+ is a fancy defense. xf7 23.xf7+ xf7 24.e8+ 24.gxh3 xh3+ 25.g2 xf2+ 24...f8 25.xf8+ xf8 26.gxh3 xh3+ 27.g2 and, theoretically at least, white should be able
to draw. 20...g4 The attack on h3 is overpowering. 21.h1 xh3
22.gxh3 22.g1 allows white to put up a manly defense. c6 23.e4 xg2 24.xh6 xh6 25.g3 Clearly black is better, but how does he win?!
According to Stockfish the best line is g6 26.b1 h4 27.e1 c6 28.f3 xa4 29.e4 h3 30.f1 f5 31.c4 c2 32.f2 xe4 33.fxe4 g5+ and black has a
decisive advantage because of his passed Ps on the K-side. 22...xh3+
Black now has a mate in 8. 23.g1 g4+ 24.g3 xg3+ 25.f1 xc3
Pretty, but not the most efficient! White resigned 25...e8 26.fxg3 xg3 27.xf7+ f8 28.e6 xe6 29.xe6 g2+ 30.e1 e2# 25...xc3 26.b1 g2+ 27.e1 e8+ 28.d1 xh1+ 29.f1 e2 30.f3 xf3 31.c2 xd2+ 32.xd2 h2+ 33.e1 xf1+ 34.xf1 e2+ 35.g1 g2# 0–1
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