Kansas State Meeting of Long Ago

    When the Kansas State Chess Association mrt in Wichita from December 26-30 in 1922 things were looking pretty good for Kansas chess. Festivities began with a simul by W.W. Livingston who had been the state champion for the past three years. Then officers were elected. 

    The report did not give any information about how the tournament was organized, but the 14 players met in a double round event. 

    Nothing is known of W.W. Livingston, but George S. Barnes (1902-1977) went on to become the 10-time Minnesota state champion between 1931 and 1951. Like Livingston, nothing is known of Barnes’ opponent in this gae. 

 

 

    Barnes was inducted into the Minnesota chess Hall oif Fame in 2018 based on both his accomplishments as a player and as an organizer. There was no rating system prior to 1951 so it’s unknown how strong he was in his prime, but in recongnition of his accomplishments the USCF awarded him the Master Emeritus title. 

     Prior to his exploits in Minnesota, Barnes had won the Kansas championship and, also, the University of Michigan championship. He spent his retirement years in Florida where he passed away in 1977. 

 

[Event "Kansas State Champ, Wichita"] [Site ""] [Date "1922.12.??"] [Round "?"] [White "E.E. Felt"] [Black "George S. Barnes"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C58"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "104"] [EventDate "1922.??.??"] [Source ""] {C59: Two Knights Defense} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 {This ancient defense dates backs to the 1500s and it's still good today.} 4. Ng5 {This is white’s most direct approach immediately attacking f7.} d5 {This is the only satisfactory way of meeting white's last move.} (4... Bc5 {has been tried on a few occasions, but after} 5. Bxf7+ Ke7 6. Bc4 {znd blzck has zero compensation for the P} Rf8) (4... Bc5 5. Nxf7 {results in sharp play that allows black to equalize.} Bxf2+ 6. Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7. Ke3 Qh4 8. g3 Nxg3 9. hxg3 Qd4+ 10. Kf3 O-O) 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Be2 Bd6 {A logical developing move, but driving the N back with 8...h6 9.Nf3 e4 was more accurate.} 9. d3 O-O 10. Ne4 ( 10. Nc3 Nd5 11. Nce4 Be7 12. Nf3 f5 13. Ng3 {is equal. Krivokapic,M (2418) -Marinc,D (2041) Sunny Beach BUL 2011}) 10... Nxe4 11. dxe4 Nb7 {[%mdl 32] The beginning of a long trek to f4.} 12. O-O Nc5 13. f3 Qe7 14. c3 {This serves no purpose. Developing with 14.Nc3 was better.} Rd8 15. Qc2 Ne6 16. b4 g5 { Technically, black should have challenged white on the Q-side with 16...a5, but Barnes is going all out for an attack on white's K.} 17. h3 {White is barking up the wrong tree and only succeeds in weakening his own K-side. Developing with 17.Nd2 is the correct procedure.} Kh8 18. g4 Nf4 {Completing the trip this N started on move 11. The fact that all black has accomplished in the lasr 7 moves has been the repositiong of his N while white has accomplished nothing is an indicator that white's play has been aimless.} 19. Kh2 Qe6 20. Rg1 h5 21. Bxf4 gxf4 22. Nd2 hxg4 23. fxg4 Qh6 {[%mdl 128] Black has some attack, but it's far from being decisive.} 24. Bf3 {It would have been better to have the N on f3 than the B.} Kg7 {[%mdl 1024]} 25. Nc4 { This puts the N out of play. Repairing the damage with 25.Bg2 and 26,Nf3 was considerably better. After the text white's [position is critical.} Rh8 26. Qg2 Bc7 27. Rh1 Be6 28. Be2 Qg5 29. Kg1 (29. a3 {A pass to show black's threat.} Rxh3+ 30. Qxh3 Rh8) 29... Rad8 {[%mdl 32]} 30. Rh2 Bxc4 31. Bxc4 Bb6+ 32. Kh1 Be3 33. Qf3 Rd6 34. Re1 {White has been holding on grimly, but now black should play ...Rd7 and ...Qh4} Rhd8 {Doubling Rs is oerfectly natural, but it should have allowed white to equalize with h4, g5 and Rf1 shutting down black's play on the K-side.} 35. Rxe3 {[%mdl 8192] A tactical miscalculation. The attack on f7 fails to accomplish anything.} fxe3 $19 36. Qxf7+ Kh8 { Now what? White has to deal with the P on e3, the doubled Rs and it's just too much to handle.} 37. Re2 Rd1+ {This is not bad, but black missed the knocjout punch.} (37... Rf6 {The Q has nowhere to go,} 38. Qxa7 Rf3 {and white gets mated.} 39. b5 Rxh3+ 40. Rh2 Rd1+ 41. Bf1 Rxf1+ 42. Kg2 Rf2+ 43. Kxh3 Qh6+ 44. Kg3 Qxh2#) 38. Kg2 Qf4 39. Qh5+ {[%mdl 8192] It's understandable that white is reluctant to exchange Qs, but that was his best defense.} (39. Qxf4 exf4 40. e5 {Black still has a lot of work to do. Nite that his connected passed Ps are nitm at this time, a reak threat because they are immobile,}) 39... Kg7 40. Qf5 {White realizes the need to exchange Qs, but black does not have to obligee.} R8d2 (40... Qxf5 41. exf5 {White's K-side Ps are an equalizing factor.}) 41. g5 (41. Qxf4 {is not playable.} exf4 42. e5 Re1 43. Kf3 Rf1+ 44. Ke4 Rxe2) 41... Rg1+ {[%mdl 512] Barnes wraps up the game with precision.} 42. Kxg1 Qg3+ 43. Kh1 Rd1+ 44. Re1 Qxe1+ {[%mdl 4096] Endgame KQR-KQB} 45. Kg2 Rd2+ 46. Kf3 Rf2+ {OK, so he missed a mate here!} 47. Kg4 Rxf5 (47... Qd1+ 48. Kh4 Rxf5 49. exf5 e2 50. Bxe2 Qe1+ 51. Kg4 Qxe2+ 52. Kg3 Qe3+ 53. Kg2 e4 54. h4 Qf3+ 55. Kh2 e3 56. f6+ Kg6 57. f7 Kxf7 58. h5 e2 59. g6+ Ke7 60. g7 e1=Q 61. g8=N+ Ke6 62. h6 Qef2#) 48. exf5 Qxc3 49. Be6 e2 {Black mates.} 50. h4 e1=Q {[%cal Re1e2]} 51. f6+ Kf8 52. g6 Qcg3+ {White resigned. Aggressive play, even if not 100% accurate) by Barnes.} 0-1