Thursday, July 9, 2020

Thriller at Excelsior

     Those who think the restrictions of Covid are bad should consider the treatment of Mary Mallon (1869-1938), aka Typhoid Mary, who in January of 1915 was working as a cook at New York's Sloan Hospital under an assumed name when she began infecting people. Read her story HERE
     On May 6th Babe Ruth hit his first career home run off of Jack Warhop and the rest was history. 
     Out in Northern California, Lassen Peak, one of the Cascade Volcanoes, erupted and sent an ash plume 30,000 feet in the air and devastated the nearby area with pyroclastic flows and lahars. It was the only volcano to erupt in the contiguous United States between 1900 and the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. On June 22nd the Imperial Valley earthquakes shook southeastern Southern California, causing six deaths and financial losses of almost a million dollars. 
     Not that it mattered much, but the Supreme Court found the grandfather clause exemptions to literacy tests for voters to be unconstitutional. They continued to be used in some states up until the 1960s. 
     The steamer Eastland capsized in central Chicago, with the loss of 844 lives on July 24th. It was a passenger ship based in Chicago and used for tours. The ship rolled over onto its side while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. How could such a thing happen while it was tied to the dock? Find out HERE.  
     From August 5 to August 23 the second hurricane of the 1915 Atlantic hurricane season over Galveston and New Orleans left 275 dead. Jewish American Leo Frank was lynched for the alleged murder of a 13-year-old girl in Atlanta. Was he really guilty? Read more HERE.   
     In chess news, on March 19, 1915, Eugene Cook (born 1830) died in Hoboken, New Jersey. Cook was the first American composer of note and composed over 800 problems. When he died his chess library of over 2,500 volumes was presented to the Princeton University Library. 
     On a brighter note, in 1915 the Marshall Chess Divan, the forerunner to Marshall Chess Club was started by Frank Marshall. 
     In an event that would hardly be noticed today, there was a half-page article on page 2 of the Saturday, February 13th edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The day before Capablanca played 65 boards and a record 84 opponents simultaneously where he won 48, lost 5, and drew 12 in 6.75 hours. There were approximately 500 spectators. 
     The headline read: Capablanca Establishes Chess Record, But Loses Five Games. Exhibition of Simultaneous Play in The Eagle Auditorium a Remarkable Holiday Event. Many Women Among the Big Crowd of Spectators. The holiday was Lincoln’s Birthday. 
     When news of Capa’s feat reached Europe they, too, were impressed. The British Chess Magazine devoted two pages to a report of the exhibition and the London Times and the London Field, among other foreign publications which included La Strgategie of Paris, also printed accounts of the exhibition. Capa’s score was +48 -5 =12. 
     Not to be outdone, on February 23rd, all the way across the country in Portland, Oregon, US Champion Frank Marshall took on 92 opponents in an exhibition lasting 6 hours and 34 minutes. Marshall scored +78 -4 =10 and so regained the laurels that Capa had snatched from him. Folks didn’t praise Marshall as much as Capa because “Marshall’s opponents could ny no means be of the same grade as those met by Capablanca in Brooklyn where some of the best players in the Metropolitan district” were playing. 
     The 1915 Western Championship in Excelsior, Minnesota can be viewed with mixed emotions. The tournament returned for the 10th and final time to its original home in Excelsior, but it wasn't the same. 
     If you don’t know where Excelsior is, it’s located approximately 15 miles southwest of downtown Minneapolis on the southern shore of Lake Minnetonka and its 2018 estimated population was 2,345. And, there are 13 things you can do in town...find out what they are HERE
     This tournament proved to be a transitional event. Previously it had been primarily a regional event, but with this tournament the Western Chess Association was in the process of becoming a national organization. 
     Prior to this tournament the most prestigious participant had been Max Judd, but this year former US Champion Jackson W. Showalter and Norman T. Whitaker showed up and in 1916 Edward Lasker played. After that the Western almost always had major US players participating. Also, after World War I the venue began to change which gave more players a chance to play in what was becoming a truly national event. 
     From the beginning the 1915 tournament was a two man race between Showalter and Whitaker as both players won their first seven games. In round 8 the two met and Whitaker took the lead when he defeated Showalter. 
     In round 9 Whitaker drew with third place finisher Hahlbohm, then in the last round he met William Widmeyer who was near the bottom. Whitaker went on the attack early and Widmeyer was defending well when he lost his Q. Undismayed, Widmeyer fought back, Whitaker failed to find the best defense and ended up losing! As a result, Showalter took the title by a half point.

Norman T. Whitaker - William Widmeyer
Result: 0-1
Site: Excelsior, MN USA
Date: 1915.08.21
French Defense

[...] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.♘c3 ♘f6 4.♗g5 dxe4 The Classical, or Burn Variation, is one of the safer lines for black. 5.♘xe4 ♘bd7 Statistically a slightly safer continuation is 5...Be7. 6.♘f3 ♗e7 7.♘g3 Rare. Usual are 7...O-O and 7...c5. 7...b6 8.♗d3 ♗b7 9.O-O O-O 10.♕e2
10.♘e5 didn't work out well for white. 10...♘xe5 11.dxe5 ♕d5 12.♗e4 ♘xe4 13.♕xd5 exd5 14.♗xe7 ♖fe8 15.♗h4 ♖xe5 16.♘xe4 ♖xe4 and black went on to win in O'Sullivan,B-Porat,Y/Hilversum 1947.
10...c5 11.c3 ♗xf3 12.♕xf3 cxd4 13.cxd4 Isolated d-Pawn positions can arise from many different opening systems and they should be studied by anybody interested in improving. One of the most comprehensive books I have ever seen on this subject is the out of print Alexander Baburin's Winning Pawn Structures. I saw is advertised as new for $165.73 and used for $65.00. Seriously?! Are people crazy enough to pay those prices? 13...♖c8 14.♖fe1 ♘d5 15.♕e4 g6 16.♗xe7 ♘xe7 Of course not 16...Qxe7?? 17.Qxd5 17.♖e3 Better would have been 17.Rad1. The R-lift and attack on f7 is interesting and annoying to black, but it really does not lead to a positive advantage to white. 17...♘d5 Better was 17...Nf6 forcing the Q h4 where it's not well placed. 18.Qh4 Nc6 and white has little chance of making a successful K-side attack. 18.♖f3 ♘b4 19.♗b5 ♘f6 20.♕f4 ♘bd5 21.♕d2 ♘c7 22.♗a4 ♘cd5 Was Widmeyer hoping to repeat the position? 23.♗b3 ♕c7 24.♕g5 ♕d8 25.♕d2 ♘c7 Clearly Widmeyer is having difficulty hitting on an effective plan. Doubling Rs on the c-file looks like a good idea, but it turns out that it leads to a difficult position.
25...♕d7 26.♕g5 ♖c7 27.♖xf6 ♘xf6 28.♕xf6 ♖fc8 In this unbalanced position a Shootout resulted in white scoring +2 -2 =1. This is the type position where the stronger player is likely to win from either side.
26.h3 ♘cd5 27.♕h6 ♕e7 28.♖e1 All this maneuvering by both sides has lead nowhere...or has it? 28...♖c7 With the obvious and logical intention of doubling Rs on the c-file, but it's a tactical blunder.
28...♖fd8 is correct and white has nothing. 29.♘f5 can now be met by 29...♕f8 30.♕xf8 ♔xf8 31.♘e3 and black is actually a little better, his pieces being more active.
29.♘f5 Threatening mate on g7 and so black must either resign or surrender his Q. 29...exf5 30.♖xe7 ♖xe7 Black hardly has enough material for his Q (a R and N), but Whitaker gets careless and black ends up getting some play. 31.♕d2 ♖fe8 32.♗c4 Better was 32.Kf1
32.♔f1 ♖e1 33.♕xe1 ♖xe1 34.♔xe1 and eventually white should win the ending.
32...♖e1 33.♔h2 ♖b1 Threatening to double his Rs on the first rank. Theoretically the game is equal, but OTB it's very complicated! 34.♗e2
34.♗xd5 ♘xd5 35.♕c2 ♖ee1 36.♔g3 (36.♖a3 f4 37.g4 ♖bc1 38.♕a4 ♖e2 with equal chances.) 36...f4 37.♔g4 h5 38.♔h4 Finally the K has reached safety and white can think about finding a winning plan.
34...♖c8 Now white misses his chance to stay in the game. 35.♖a3 This is a loser.
35.♗d3 does the trick... 35...♖a1 36.♗c2 with a position where anything can happen.
35...♖cc1
35...♘e4 would have done white in. 36.♕d3 ♖cc1 Threatens mate on h1 and would have forced black to surrender his Q leaving him hopelessly lost.
36.♗f3 Losing outright.
36.♗d3 keeps him in the game after 36...♖h1 37.♔g3 ♖hd1 38.♕e2 ♖bc1 with equal chances.
36...♖h1 37.♔g3 f4 38.♕xf4
38.♔h4 h6 and the threat of ...g5 mate can only be met by giving up the Q.
38...♘xf4 After white plays 39.Kxf4 he is a R down and so Whitaker resigned. An amazing turnabout.
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