Soltis noted that in his original handwritten notes Marshall made no mention of the coin tossing incident, bur commented, "A purse was presented to me after this game."
Also from Soltis' book, according to Walter Korn, the Austro-Hungarian chess writer who is most famous for authoring Modern Chess Openings, that’s not the way he heard the story.
Korn wrote that when he was a young player in Prague witnesses to the game claimed that Alekhine and another friend of Levitsky's had bet on the game (presumably with Marshall) and when Levitsky resigned they tossed their bets on the board.
The game was played in the Congress of the German Chess Association. While Marshall;s performance was forgettable, his game against Lewitsky was not.
Stepan Levitsky (1876-1924) was a Russian Master of considerable ability who passed away prematurely at the age of 47. Chess metrics estimates his highest ever rating to habe beem 2603 in 1913, placing him at #22 in the world.
[Event "Breslau"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1912.07.20"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Stefan Levitsky"]
[Black "Frank Marshall"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C10"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "1912.07.15"]
{C10: French Defense} 1. d4 e6 2. e4 d5 3. Nc3 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. exd5 exd5 6.
Be2 Nf6 7. O-O Be7 8. Bg5 {White has an edge.} O-O 9. dxc5 Be6 10. Nd4 (10. Rb1
{was played in Mlotkowski,S-Marshall,F St Louis 1904 which continued} d4 11.
Nb5 Bxc5 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. a3 Rad8 14. b4 {Black is better, but the game was
eventually drawn.}) 10... Bxc5 $11 11. Nxe6 {Some annitatirs consider this to
be an error because the Pawn on e6 is not really weakness. It's actually the
engine;s pregerred move. 11.Nb3 is also acceptable.} fxe6 12. Bg4 Qd6 13. Bh3
Rae8 14. Qd2 Bb4 {Accordomg to Marshall this pin givesd black "a good grip on
the position." In fact, the position is dead equal.} 15. Bxf6 Rxf6 16. Rad1 {
White would have beeb better of to force the exchange ...Bxc3 by playing 16.a3
after which he could recaoture with the Q.} Qc5 17. Qe2 {The threat is Nxd5}
Bxc3 18. bxc3 Qxc3 {Black has not won a P!} 19. Rxd5 {[%mdl 512]} Nd4 {To win
back the P.} 20. Qh5 {[%mdl 8192] A crude mate threat; Levitssky is unaware
that danger is lurking.} (20. Qe4 {keeos things equal after} Rf4 21. Qe5 (21.
Qxf4 Ne2+) 21... h6 22. f3 exd5 23. Qxe8+ Kh7 24. Qc8) 20... Ref8 {This wins.}
(20... exd5 {is only equal after} 21. Qxe8+ Rf8 22. Be6+ Nxe6 23. Qxe6+ Rf7)
21. Re5 (21. f3 Ne2+ 22. Kh1 exd5) 21... Rh6 {Far more elegant than capturing
on f2!} (21... Rxf2 {Also wons/} 22. Rfe1 (22. Rxf2 Qa1+ 23. Qd1 Qxd1+ 24. Re1
Qxe1+ 25. Rf1 Qxf1#) 22... Qxc2 23. Qd1 Qxd1 24. Rxd1 Ne2+ 25. Rxe2 Rxe2) 22.
Qg5 Rxh3 23. Rc5 (23. gxh3 Nf3+) 23... Qg3 {[%mdl 512] White resigned.
Marshall called this the most elegant move he had ever played.} (23... Qg3 24.
hxg3 Ne2#) (23... Qg3 24. fxg3 Ne2+ 25. Kh1 Rxf1#) (23... Qg3 24. Qxg3 Ne2+ 25.
Kh1 Nxg3+ 26. Kg1 Ne2+ 27. Kh1 Rc3 {Black is a N up/}) 0-1
