Liege 1930

     Over the years Belgium has pretty much flown under the radar when it comes to chess. 

     The names of a few of their former champions, some of which at one time or another were just passing through Belgium on their way to other countries, will be recognizable to a few players: Jozef Boey, Arthur Dunkelblum, Andrija Fuderer, Mikhail Gurevich, Victor Soultanbeieff, George Koltanowski and Isador S. Turover. Belgium's greatest players were, no doubt, Edgar Colle and Alberic O'Kelly de Galway. 

     The year 1930 started off with Capablanca winning the Premier while Belgian George Koltanowski and England's T. H. Tylor tied for first in the Reserve section. 

     The really big event of the year was San Remo which was won by Alekhine who scored an incredible +13 -0 =2; he was followed by Nimzovich and Rubinstein (10.5), Bogoljubow (9.5) and Yates (9). 

     In the summer of 1930, the Olympiad (aka the Tournament of Nations) was held in Hamburg and the gold medal was won Poland (Rubinstein, Tartakower, Przepiorka, Frydman). The USA team (Isaac Kashdan, Frank Marshall, Harold Phillips, Herman Steiner and James A. Anderson) finished in 6th place. 

     The US players are well known except Harold Phillips and James Anderson. Harold M. Phillips (187 -1967), a lawyer by profession, was a player and organizer. In 1903, he won Manhattan Chess Club Championship and he was the organizer and director of the great New York tournament in 1924, President of the Manhattan Chess Club in the 1930s, President of the Marshall Chess Club, President of the Intercollegiate Chess League. 

     James A. Anderson (1906-2001) playing board four of the Olympiad team started with 6.5-5.5, but then lost his last five games. He was a three-time St. Louis Champion who defeated Alekhine in a simultaneous exhibition in 1929. He finished second in the 1929 Western Chess Association Championship (US Open) ahead of Herman Steiner, Norman Whitaker and Samuel Factor). The tournament was won by H.H. Hahlbohm. After winning the St. Louis championship in 1932 with 8.5 out of 9 he mysteriously disappeared from the chess world at the age of 26. He is known to have died in Antioch, California and is buried the city's Oak View Memorial Park. 

     Also that summer the 2nd Women’s World Championship took place during the Olympiad and Vera Menchik defended her title with a score of +6 -1 =1. 

     The chess world lost two players in 1930. On May 2, 1930, Isidor Gunsberg (born 1854) died in London. He was German champion in 1885. In 1890, he lost a match for the world championship to William Steinitz (+4 -6 =9). He was an early operator of Mephisto and later he was a tobacconist and professional chess player. He had a dealership arrangement with cigar makers and supplied cigars to chess clubs and chess rooms even though Gunsberg himself did not smoke. 

     On August 17, 1930, Leo Forgacs (aka Leo Fleishmann) died in Berettyoujfalu, Hungary at the age of 48. In 1907, he won the Hungarian championship. 

     One of the major tournaments that year was held in Liege, Belgium, but it has received scant attention over the years. Situated in eastern Belgium near the borders with the Netherlands and Germany, the city was the former industrial backbone of region but the city suffered a major decline after WW2. 

     One of the snappier games in Liege was played by Isaias Pleci (1900-1980), the Argentine champion in 1929 and 1930. He finished 2nd at the South America championship in 1935 and was champion of South America at Mar del Plata 1936.

     At the Warsaw Olympiad in 1935 Pleci was involved in a humorous incident in his game against Najdorf who was then playing for Poland. Pleci claimed the win on time, but Najdorf said he made his move just before time control, but his flaf fell before he could press the clock. Pleci picked up the clock and ran away with it saying he couldn't stop Najdorf from making his move and writing it down on his scoresheet. The arbiters were unable to reach a verdict on who was right, so Najdorf lost the game on time. 

     Victor Soultanbeieff (1895-1972) had moved to Belgium after the Russian revolution. He was Belgium champion in 1932 (tied with Israel Dyner), 1934, 1943, 1957 and 1961. 

     At Liege Frank Marshall claimed his poor showing was the result of a bad start due to a rough journey across the Mediterranean on his return from Tunis.

Isaias Pleci - Victor Soultanbeief

Result: 1-0

Site: Liege

Date: 1930

Queen's Gambit Declined

[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 d5 4.♗g5 ♘bd7 5.e3 ♗e7 6.♕c2 O-O 7.♖d1 c6 8.♘f3 h6 9.♗h4 ♖e8 10.a3 a6 11.♗d3 b5

11...dxc4 12.♗xc4 b5 13.♗a2 ♕b6 14.e4 b4 15.axb4 ♕xb4 is advantageous for white. Ibrayev,N (2390)-Lafuente,P (2587)/Bhubaneswar IND 2010

12.cxd5 cxd5 13.O-O ♗b7 14.♖fe1

14.♗g3 ♖c8 15.♕b1 ♘b6 16.♘e5 is about equal. Theulings,P (2175)-Siebrecht,S (2417)/Dieren NED 2010

14...♖c8 15.♕b1 ♘b6 16.♘e5 Now, after the obvious 16...Nc4 the position is even, but Soultanbeief miscalculates and plays a faulty tactical move. 16...♗xa3 This move loses. Now it's white to play and win. 17.bxa3

17.♗h7+ was much better. After 17...♔f8 (17...♔h8 18.♘xf7#) 18.bxa3 ♖xc3 19.♕b4+ ♖e7 20.♕xc3 and black has lost a whole R.

17...♖xc3 Black still has not noticed the winning Bh7+

17...g5 This was his only chance though after 18.♘xb5 Surprise! It looks like play was only on the K-side. 18...gxh4 (18...axb5 19.♗g3 ♗a6 20.f4 leads to a very strong attack by white.) 19.♘a7 ♖a8 20.♘ac6 ♗xc6 21.♘xc6 ♕c7 22.♖c1 ♖ec8 23.♘e5 and white is better, but there is no forced win.

18.♗h7+ Pleci doesn't miss it a second time. 18...♔f8 19.♕b4+ ♕e7 20.♕xc3 g5 Watch this... Pleci isn't through with the surprises. 21.♗g6 A very nice final touch. 21...gxh4 (21...fxg6 22.♘xg6+ is obviously not an option.) 22.♗xf7 ♘e4 23.♕d3 There is no reasonable defense to the threat of Ng6+

23.♕d3 ♔g7 24.f3 ♖f8 25.fxe4 dxe4 26.♕e2 ♗d5 27.♕g4+ ♕g5 28.♗xe6 and wins.

23.♕d3 ♘c5 runs into a mate: 24.♕h7 ♕g5 25.♘g6+ mates in 2.

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