There was no entry fee, but each player had to put up 10 rubles which was returned if they didn't withdraw. In 1909 a ruble was worth about $2.55; in today's dollars that equals almost $75, so the fee was no insignificant amount.
First prize was 1000 rubles on down to tenth place which was 30 rubles. Each player got 10 rubles for a win and 5 rubles for a draw. In addition the Russian players were paid 50 rules and the foreign players received 100 rubles.
Buried among the many excellent games played in this tournament was the following hidden gem.
Sergey von Freymann 1882-1946) was one of the strongest masters around the time of the Russian revolution and he won the championship of Uzbekistan four times and in 1929 he finished 2nd in the USSR Championship.
Leo Forgacs (1881-1930), who played in tournaments under the name Fleischmann prior to 1908, was born in Budapest and had a very short career. At the age of 21 he won the German mater title in the Hauppturnier B at Hanover in 1902.
He was Hungarian champion in 1907. He finished third at San Remo 1911, Budapest 1912 and Budapest 1913 then gave up competitive chess.
I was unable to locate any details on Forgac's life, but in 1921 several chess magazines reported that he had died, but later printed retractions. In March of 1987 the British Chess Magazine printed his obituary stating that according to a German source, Forgacs died in what was reported as a political disturbance in Budapest.
In November 1918, massive popular unrest broke out in the Hungarian countryside, followed by a short but intense borderland war against the Czechoslovakian and Romanian army. Beginning in the spring of 1919 paramilitary groups terrorized the countryside, killing hundreds of people. This violent post-war violence lasted until 1921 and made a significant mark on the political culture of the country. Presumably it was in one of these tumults that Forgacs was supposed to have died. In the following edition the BCM reported that Forgacs was alive and well, but no explanation of the erroneous report was given.
Sergey von Freyman - Leo Forgacs
Result: 1-0
Site: St. Petersburg
Date: 1909
Dutch Defense: Staunton Gambit
[...] 1.d4 f5 2.e4 In the Staunton Gambit by sacrificing a P white hopes to launch an attack against black's K-side. The gambit was once a feared weapon, but it is rarely played today because theory has neutralized it and in practice black scores well.
2.♗g5 This is my favorite was of meeting the Dutch. Here is a sample of what can happen if black isn't careful. 2...h6 Much safer is 2...g6 3.♗h4 g5 4.e3 Threatening mate with Qh5 4...♘f6 5.♗g3 d6 6.h4 g4 7.h5 ♗e6 8.♘e2 ♗f7 9.♘f4 ♘bd7 10.♗d3 e5 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.♘g6 ♗xg6 13.hxg6 e4 14.♗c4 ♕e7 15.♗xc7 ♗g7 16.♗d6 1-0 Tartajubow-RM/CCLA Postal Tmt 2002
2...fxe4 Black can decline the gambit with 2...d6, transposing to the Balogh Defense, but accepting the P is considered stronger. (2...d6 3.♘c3 ♘f6 4.♗d3 fxe4 5.♘xe4 with the better game.) 3.♘c3 ♘f6 4.♗g5 This is Main Line and it was first played by Staunton against Horwitz in London way back in 1846. 4...c6
4...d5 falls into a trap. 5.♗xf6 exf6 6.♕h5+ g6 7.♕xd5 winning a P.
5.f3 ♕a5 6.♕d2 e3
6...exf3 This is simply too dangerous because white gets sufficient compensation in the form of a lead in development. 7.♘xf3 d6 Letting a white N settle on e5 would not be advisable. 8.♗d3 ♗g4 9.O-O ♘bd7 And white has the upper hand. An interesting continuation is 10.b4 ♕xb4 Retreating to c7 is better. 11.♖ab1 ♕a5 12.♖xb7
6...d5 was recommended by Teichmann but after 7.fxe4 dxe4 8.♘xe4 ♕xd2+ 9.♘xd2 white's game seems preferable.
6...e5 looks quite reasonable. 7.dxe5 ♕xe5 8.♗xf6 (8.O-O-O ♗b4 9.♗xf6 ♕xf6 10.fxe4 ♗xc3 11.bxc3 is roughly equal.) 8...♕xf6 9.fxe4 ♗e7 10.O-O-O d6 11.♘f3 ♗e6 and black has equalized.
7.♗xe3 e5 One square too far...this move meets with disaster. It's amazing how quickly black's position collapses.
7...e6 8.♗d3 ♗b4 9.♘ge2 O-O 10.O-O d5 11.♔h1 ♕c7 12.f4 b6 13.a3 ♗d6 14.♖f3 ♗a6 15.♖g1 ♗xd3 16.cxd3 ♕d7 17.g4 with equal chances. Pogosian,M (2364)-Arutyunova,D (2270)/Erevan 2010
8.dxe5 ♕xe5 9.O-O-O d5 10.♗f4 This is also satisfactory and can't be faulted.
10.♖e1 This is the obvious move after which black is practically lost. 10...♔f7 11.♗f4 ♕f5 12.g4 After this black's pieces get kicked around. 12...♕d7 13.g5 ♘h5 14.♗e5 ♗d6 15.f4 ♗xe5 16.fxe5 ♕g4 17.♗e2 ♕h4 18.e6+ ♗xe6 19.♗xh5+ ♕xh5 20.♕f4+
10...♕f5
10...♕h5 was not any better. 11.♖e1+ ♗e7 12.g4 ♕f7 13.♗d6 ♘g8 14.♘h3 and black's position is beyond salvaging.
11.♖e1+ ♔f7 12.♗d3 ♕d7 13.♘h3 ♕d8 14.♘g5+ ♔g8 15.♘e6 ♗xe6 Forced else 16.Nc7 16.♖xe6 g6
16...♘bd7 doesn't improve anything 17.♗f5 g6 18.♖xf6 ♕xf6 (18...♘xf6 19.♗e6+ ♔g7 20.♗h6#) 19.♗xd7
17.♗g5 ♘bd7 18.♕f4
18.♖he1 was even stronger. 18...♗g7 19.♕f4 ♔f7 20.♘e4 ♖f8 (20...dxe4 21.♗c4) 21.♘xf6 ♗xf6 22.♗xf6 ♘xf6 23.♖d6 wins
18...♔f7 (18...♕b8 is met by 19.♖xf6 ♕xf4+ 20.♖xf4) 19.♖he1 h6 and white is a piece up.
19...♗g7 is similar to the note to white's 18th move. 20.♘e4 ♖f8 21.♘xf6 ♗xf6 22.♗xf6 ♘xf6 23.♖d6
20.♗h4 ♗g7
20...g5 is met by 21.♕f5 ♖g8 (21...gxh4 22.♕g6#) 22.♗g3 A sample line... 22...♗b4 23.a3 ♗xc3 24.bxc3 ♖g7 25.♗c7 ♕xc7 26.♖e7+ ♔f8 27.♖xg7 ♔xg7 28.♕g6+ ♔f8 29.♕xh6+ ♔g8 30.♖e7 ♕f4+ 31.♔b2 ♘h5 32.♗h7+ ♔h8 33.♗f5+ ♔g8 34.♗e6+ mate next move.
20...♖g8 doesn't do any good 21.♗xf6 ♘xf6 22.g4 ♗g7 23.♖e7+ ♕xe7 24.♗xg6+ ♔xg6 25.♖xe7 winning
21.♘e4 Teichmann called this a problem like continuation which decides the game forthwith. Also pretty was 21.Re7+
21.♖e7+ ♔g8 (21...♕xe7 22.♗xg6+) 22.♗xg6 ♕f8 23.♕f5 The threat of Qe6+ cannot be met.
21...dxe4
21...g5 22.♕f5 gxh4 23.♘d6+ ♔g8 24.♖e8+ ♕xe8 (24...♘xe8 25.♕f7#) 25.♘xe8 ♖h7 (25...♖xe8 26.♖xe8+ ♘xe8 27.♕xd7) 26.♘xf6+ ♘xf6 27.♖e7 ♖f8 28.♕g6 Although there is no forced win in this position white is clearly winning.
22.♗c4 ♔g8 23.♖xf6+ ♔h7 24.♖xg6 A nice finish. 24...♘f6 (24...♔xg6 25.♕xe4+ mates next move.) 25.♕f5 Black resigned.
25.♕f5 ♕d2+ 26.♔xd2 ♖hd8+ 27.♔c1 ♖d1+ 28.♖xd1 ♖f8 29.♖xf6+ ♔h8 30.♖xf8+ ♗xf8 31.♕xf8+ ♔h7 32.♕g8#
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