Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Blunderfest At Ventnor City 1944


     The 1944 edition of the Ventnor City Invitational was played from July 1st to July 9th. When the tournament was over on Sunday, the headlines of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle informed readers that in the war in Europe, British troops had smashed their way into Caen, France and the Soviets were slugging it out in what is known Vilnius in Lithuania. Over in the Pacific on the island of Saipan, Japanese troops had counterattacked US forces before dawn on Thursday morning and gained three-fourths of a mile in several hours of fighting in which 1,500 of them were killed. US Marines and Army troops rallied and regained the lost yardage. 
     Saturday had been the hottest day of the year when the temperature hit almost 94 degrees in the city and no relief was expected until Monday. In spite of the war going full blast and the heat wave there were plenty of diversions besides hitting Coney Island as thousands of New Yorkers were doing. 
     In Atlantic City, New Jersey the Chelsea Hotel's Terrace Room featured dancing to Howard Lanin's Orchestra and The Chelsea Playhouse was going to feature Noel Coward's comedy hit Blithe Spirit for the next week. 
     Sunday night also featured the gala Miss Atlantic City Ball at the Hotel Claridge. That was an important event because it marked the beginning of contests throughout the country that would ultimately crown Miss America. 
     Miss Venus Ramey (1924-2017), Miss District of Columbia, won the title and she also received swimsuit and talent awards. She was the first Miss America to be photographed in color and also the first red-haired contestant to win the national title. 
     She went to Hollywood in 1947, but was dissatisfied with show business and returned home to Eubank, Kentucky, where she became a tobacco farmer. She ran for public office a few times, seeking a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives and she also made an unsuccessful bid for a spot on the Cincinnati (Ohio) City Council. 
     In 1999, she unsuccessfully filed a lawsuit against the federal government for $300 billion for its anti-tobacco policies. She also was a write-in candidate for the 2000 presidential election. 
     In April 2007, at the age of 82, Ramey confronted intruders who had entered a storage building on her Waynesburg, Kentucky farm where thieves had previously stolen equipment. Using her snub-nose .38 revolver to shoot out the tires on their pickup truck, she flagged down a car and had the driver call 911 while she held the thieves at gun-point. 
     She died in an Agoura Hills, California hospice on June 17, 2017 at the age of 92. Her funeral was held in Science Hill, Kentucky and she is buried at the Eubank Cemetery in Lincoln County, Kentucky. 
     Less interesting was the chess tournament at Atlantic CIty, which Chess Review described as "mediocre, to put it mildly." 
     For the second year in a row by agreement among the players the prize fund was unusual. Instead of all the money going to the leaders, the entire prize fund was divided into 45 shares (each game being a share) and each player received one share for a win and a half share for a draw. 
     The tournament was won by Philadelphia's Jacob Levin who was a surprise victor. He fought hard, but some of his games were marred by big mistakes and his performance was erratic. 
 
     Levin wasn't the only one plagued by blunders though and Chess Review opined that the players in the speed tournament played better chess!! In the main event, in his game against Jackson, Levin walked into a position where Jackson had his choice of either a mate or the win of Levin's Queen, but Jackson didn't see it. 
     In other major oversights Turover left his Queen en prise and Shainswit, with an easy win, agreed to a draw with Levin. Albert Pikus and Anthony Santasiere played steady chess, but Pinkus just couldn't muster up the gumption to force enough wins. The exception was in the last round when he met Jackson and tried desperately to win so he could at least tie for first, but Jackson held his own. Santasiere played speculatively, won five games, drew two, but losses to Levin and Shainswit did him in.

E.S. Jackson, Jr. - Jacob Levin

Result: 0-1

Site: Ventnor City, New Jersey

Date: 1944

Scotch Game

[...] 1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♘c3 ♘f6 4.d4 Transposing from the Four Knight's Game into the Scotch. 4...exd4 5.♘xd4 ♗b4 6.♘xc6 bxc6 7.♕d4 With this move white is preparing to castle Q-side, but the disadvantage is that black can put immediate pressure on the e-Pawn. Usual is 7.Bd3 7...♕e7 8.f3
8.e5 is not good because of 8...♗c5 9.♕h4 (9.♕f4 is even worse. 9...♗d6 10.♗e2 ♗xe5) 9...♕xe5+ and black is better.
8...c5 This is better than Chess Review's recommendation of the immediate 8...d5 striking at the e-Pawn. (8...d5 and white can equalize with 9.♗g5 c5 10.♗b5+)
8...d5 9.e5 This was Chess Review's move which was followed by even more bad analysis. Best is 9...♗c5 10.♕a4 ♕xe5+ 11.♔d1 O-O with a won position (theoretically at least).
9.♕f2 This neutralizes ...d5 9...O-O
9...d5 would be met by 10.♗b5+ ♗d7 11.♗xd7+ ♘xd7 12.O-O ♗xc3 13.bxc3 dxe4 14.♖e1 with full equality.
10.♗d2 d5 11.O-O-O dxe4
11...d4 is the main alternative. After 12.♘b1 ♗e6!13.♗xb4 cxb4 14.e5 ♘d5 15.♖xd4 c5 Black has some compensation for his P in that his pieces are more active, but no more.
12.♖e1
12.a3 Resulted in white getting an advantage in Kantans,T (2467)-Kjartansson,G (2434)/Sastamala FIN 2014 12...♗xc3 Correct was either 12...a5 or 12...Ba5 13.♗xc3 e3 14.♕g3 with the advantage.
12...♗e6
12...♗b7 turned out to be less promising. 13.♗d3 ♗xc3 14.♗xc3 ♖ae8 15.♕h4 with the advantage Schallopp,E-Berger,J/ Hamburg 1885
13.fxe4 After this black seizes the initiative.
13.♘xe4 would fully equalize. 13...♘xe4 14.♖xe4 ♗xd2+ 15.♕xd2 ♖ab8 16.♗c4
13...♖ad8 14.a3
14.♘d5 was relatively best. 14...♘xd5 15.exd5 ♗xd2+ 16.♕xd2 c6 17.♗d3 cxd5 and black stands quite well.
14...♘g4 15.♕g3 ♖xd2 This excellent move gives black a very promising game.
15...♗a5 is leass good because after 16.♗e2 h5 16...Rxd2 was the best move here, too. 17.♖d1 and white is equal.
16.axb4
16.♔xd2 loses quickly to 16...♗xc3+ 17.bxc3 ♕g5+ 18.♖e3 ♖d8+ 19.♗d3 c4
16...♕g5 17.♔b1 cxb4 18.♘d5 b3 19.♗d3 This is white's only hope. (19.cxb3 ♗xd5 20.exd5 ♕f5+ 21.♔a1 ♘f2 22.♖g1 ♘d1 23.♗d3 ♖xd3 wins.)
19.c3 ♗xd5 20.♗d3 (20.exd5 ♕g6+ mates in 8 moves.) 20...♗xe4 21.♖xe4 ♕a5 22.♔c1 ♖f2 23.♗b1 ♕a1 wins.
19...c6 (19...bxc2+ 20.♗xc2 c6 21.♘f4 ♗a2+ 22.♔xa2 ♖xc2 is winning for black.) 20.h3 This is an excellent practical chance...just watch what happens! 20...♕e5 This is what should have been a losing blunder.
20...cxd5 wraps things up as after 21.hxg4 ♗xg4 22.♕h4 ♕g6 23.♕e7 bxc2+ 24.♗xc2 ♕b6 25.♕a3 (25.exd5 ♗f5 26.♕e3 ♗xc2+ etc.) 25...d4 white has no defense against black's attack.
21.♕h4 White was also oblivious to the beautiful finish Levin's last move prevented. Now it's all over.
21.♘e7+ ♔h8 22.hxg4 bxc2+
22...♕xg3 loses prettily to 23.♖xh7+ ♔xh7 24.♖h1+ mate next move
23.♗xc2 ♗a2+ 24.♔xa2 ♕xe7 25.♕c3 and black has lost a piece!
21...bxc2+
21...♘f2 was even better. 22.♔c1 ♘xd3+ 23.♔xd2 ♘xe1 24.♖xe1 cxd5
22.♗xc2 (22.♔c1 is no better. 22...g5 23.♕h5 ♘f2) 22...♖b8 23.♔c1 Black has a mate in 9.
23.♕xh7+ would only delay the result. 23...♔xh7 24.hxg4+ ♔g8 25.♘e7+ ♔f8 26.♖h8+ ♔xe7 27.♖xb8 ♕xb8
23...♖xc2+ 24.♔xc2 ♕xb2+ 25.♔d1 ♘f2+
25...cxd5 is the mating line...not that it matters; black still wins. 26.♕xh7+ ♔xh7 27.hxg4+ ♔g6 28.♖e3 ♗xg4+ 29.♔e1 ♕xg2 30.♖h6+ gxh6 and mates next move.
26.♕xf2 ♕xf2 Jackson resigned.
26...♕xf2 27.♖e2 ♕c5 28.♖c2 ♖b1+ 29.♔d2 ♕d4+ 30.♔e2 ♕xe4+ 31.♔d2 ♕xd5+ 32.♔e3 ♖b3+ 33.♔f2 ♕f5+ 34.♔g1 ♕xc2 35.♔h2 ♕f2 36.♖g1 ♖xh3#
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