The two brilliancy prizes were won by C. Woskoff and J. F. Smyth. It’s odd, but Woskoff won the First Brilliancy Prize for his win over J.E. Ford, but Woskoff himself was the victim in Smyth’s Second Bvrilliancy prize.
No information seems to be available on J.E. Ford and all that is known of Charles Woskoff (August 8, 1879 – May 12, 1870, 90 years old) is that he was born in Russia and in his day he was considered one of the giants of California chess.
I am not sure how brilliant the game is, but Woskoff’s attack using a Rook lift is instructive. In a Rook lift a Rook is actively placed in front of its own Pawns to attack the opponent’s King and in this game Woskoff uses it to perfection.
Charles Woskoff–J.E. Ford1–0C10Mechanics Institute, San Francisco1921Komodo Dragon 3
This game won First Brilliancy Prize C10: French Defense 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.c3 f6 4.d3 Ab unusual reoky which has brought white some success. Usuak
is 4.Bn5 or sometimes 4.e5 dxe4 5.xe4 bd7 6.f3 e7 7.0-0 c6 7...c5 8.xc5 xc5 9.dxc5 a5 10.c6 bxc6 White stands slightly better, but
eventually lost. Kortschnoj,V (2645) -Gurevich,D (2535) Bern 1996 8.c3 0-0 9.e1 e8 A better idea was 9...c5 challenging white in the center. As
played black drifts into a passive position. 10.f4 f8 11.e5 d5 12.d2
c7 13.c4 b6 After this white gets a very menacing position. A
better try was to challenge white with 13...f6 13...f6 14.cxd5 exd5 15.xc6 bxc6 16.c5 But here, too, white has the superior position. 14.h5 g6 A better defense was 14...g6, but in either case black is facing serious
difficulties. 15.f4 d8 White now begins a very strong attack using a
common tactic in these type of positions...a Rook lift. 16.e3 d7
Realizing the N had no future on b6, black returns it to the defense. 17.h3 f6 A very instructive position has arisen. It appears that with all the
pices surrounding his K that they make an impregnable defensive wall. That's
not the case; watch how quickly the defense crumbles! 18.xf6+ xf6 19.xh7+ f8 20.xg6 xd4 21.xf7 Black's K has been stripped of all its defenders. xf4 21...xe5 is no help at all; there is a mate in 22.g8+ e7 23.xe8+ d6 24.xe5+ xe5 25.d8+ d7 26.d1+ d5 27.c5+ xc5 28.xd5+ exd5 29.xd7 e8 30.xe8 d4 31.c3 e5 32.e7+ f4 33.f3+ g4 34.h3# 22.g8+ e7 The K has no safe haven and mate is inevitable. 23.xe8+ d6 24.d1+ c7 25.g6 Not to nit pick, but after this white's advantage has shrunk to
12 Ps. 25.xe6 xe5 26.f7+ b6 27.b3+ mates in 25...xc4 26.e7 xe7 This puts white back on track for a forced mate in 11 moves...not that
it ,atters because his position was hopeless no matter what he played. 27.xe7+ b6 For the next few moves resigning would be a plausible option. 28.b3+ a5 29.a3+ a4 30.c5+ b5 31.a3 xa3 32.bxa3 b7 33.xe6 e8 34.xa7+ Black resigned 1–0
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