Long Forgotten, Little Remembered

     Speaking of chess players, their games and the tournaments they played in, the vast majority of them fall into the category of being long forgotten and little remembered. The following game, the players, the tournament and even the book I found it in is in that category. 

     One of the books I like to dip into occasionally is the 1913 edition Memorable Chess Games, Brilliants and miniatures with Notes, Quires and Answers by the British player and author William Moffatt. 

     The reason I like the book is because, as the author pointed out in the forward, is that, "In some of the games in this collection there are moves which are weak and lead to disaster. Such games in the opinion of some players are not worth attention. Nevertheless, if the reader will himself take the trouble to discover these faults and to indicate better lines of play, he will benefit considerably. He will strengthen his play by learning to avoid danger and to take advantage of error. Hence, questions on interesting points are set down, to which the student is expected to provide answers and to compare with those given at the end of the work." I think he has a point. 

      Not all of the games were played by unknowns in forgotten tournaments; it's just that some of the players were not members of the chess world's aristocratic class and the games were not unblemished. I

     The following game won the brilliancy prize at "the Scarborough meeting of the British Chess Federation," but no date was given. It was most likely played in the First Amateur B event in Scarborough 1909 which was part of the British Championship. 

     Georg Shories (1874-1934) was born in Berlin which is also where he died. He took up chess seriously in 1895. He lived in England for a number of years and his first notable success in English chess was winning first prize in the 1903 Open Tournament at the Kent County Congress at Canterbury. 

     In 1905 he competed at the Barmen Congress of the German Chess Association, and won first prize in the B tournament. In 1908 he won first prize at Ostend in the Amateur event and, also, first prize in an amateur section of the tournament of the British Chess Federation. In 1909, he tied with Wahltuch in the Blackpool tournament for the championship of the North of England. 

     During the First World War, he suffered internment, and then returned home to Germany. His last tournament was at the Bad Pyrmont (German Championship of 1933) in which he was the oldest participating master. 

      Nothing is known about Joshua W. Dixon except that he lived in Hanley. Located in central England, it was one of six towns that in 1910 amalgamated to form the City of Stoke-on-Trent. 

[Event "First Class Amateur, BCF Scarborough"] [Site "?"] [Date "1909.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Georg Schories"] [Black "Joshua Dixon"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Stockfish 15"] [PlyCount "53"] [SourceVersionDate "2022.11.04"] {Ruy Lopez: Modern Steinitz Defense} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O d6 {This is an improvement on the solid but passive and cramped Old Steinitz (3.d6). It's more flexible because black has the possibility of breaking the pin with a timely ...b5 giving him more latitude than in the Old Steinitz.} 6. d4 Bd7 7. c3 exd4 {This is almost never played, but, oddly enough, it's preferred by Stockfish.} (7... Be7 {is usual.} 8. Re1 O-O 9. Nbd2 {Black can play either 9...Re8 or 9...exd4}) (7... Nxe4 {makes black's position too difficult after} 8. Re1 Nf6 {Much too risky is 8...f5?!} 9. Bxc6 Bxc6 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Qxd8+ Rxd8 12. Nxe5 {White stands well.}) 8. cxd4 Be7 { After this black finds himself in difficulties.} (8... Nxe4 {Black has no reason to fear the pin.} 9. Re1 d5 10. Nbd2 Bb4 {leads to some tricky play requiring black to play carefully.} 11. Nxe4 Bxe1 12. Bg5 f6 (12... Bxf2+ 13. Nxf2 f6 14. Bf4 {White has the advantage.}) 13. Nxf6+ gxf6 14. Qxe1+ Kf8 (14... Kf7 15. Bxc6 Bxc6 16. Ne5+ Kg8 17. Ng4 fxg5 18. Qe6+ Kf8 19. Qh6+ Kg8 20. Re1 { White is winning.}) 15. Bh6+ Kf7 {Black is in a precarious position and can't afford to make any mistakes.} (15... Kg8 {loses} 16. Qe4 Ne7 (16... dxe4 17. Bb3+ Be6 18. Bxe6#) 17. Re1 Qf8 (17... Bxa4 18. Qe6#) 18. Qxe7 Qxe7 19. Rxe7 Bxa4 20. Nh4 Bc2 21. Rg7+ Kf8 22. Rxc7+ {and white should win.})) 9. Nc3 O-O ( 9... b5 10. Bc2 Bg4 11. Be3 O-O {White has the better chances. Niehaus,F (2206) -Vollmar,T Berlin 2008}) 10. h3 h6 11. Be3 Nh7 {This serves little purpose. 11. ..Re8 was a better try.} 12. g4 {Not bad, but 12.Bc2 was also worth considering. There's no immediate threat, but it improves the potential of the B since it's aimed at the K-side.} h5 {Black appears to have misjudged the position and apparently thinks he can attack on the K-side. Ultimately though this move only weakens his own K's position.} (12... Na5 {was his best plan.} 13. Bxd7 (13. Bc2 {To preserve the B.} Nc4 14. Bc1 Re8 15. Nd5 Bf8 16. Re1 { White is better.}) 13... Qxd7 14. Qd3 {White's position is more active.}) 13. Nh2 g5 {This was awarded a ! in the book, but Stockfish slapped a ? on it and suggested instead that black can keep on fighting with 13...b5} (13... b5 14. Bc2 Nb4 15. Bb1 c5 16. f4 {White has the initiative, but black may be able to survive.}) 14. Rc1 Kg7 15. Nd5 {Black is lost.} f6 16. Bc2 h4 {Hoping to gum up the K-side and thereby stem the white attack.} 17. Bb1 Rc8 {Black has to make a move and it doesn't much matter what it is.} 18. f4 Qe8 19. Nf3 Rf7 20. Qd3 Qf8 21. Nxf6 {[%mdl 512] Equally convincing, but less flashy, was 21.e5} Rxf6 (21... Bxf6 22. e5 Kg8 (22... Be7 23. Qxh7#) 23. exf6 Nxf6 24. fxg5 Nd5 25. Nxh4 Nxe3 26. Qg6+ Rg7 27. Rxf8+ Rxf8 28. Qd3 Nd5 29. Qb3 Nce7 30. Ng6 Rff7 31. Nxe7+ Rxe7 32. Qxd5+ {etc.}) 22. e5 {Threatening mate on h7} Rh6 23. fxg5 Bxg5 24. Nxg5 Nxg5 {This allows a mate in 12, but the best move, 24...Bb4, would hardly have saved the game.} 25. Bxg5 Qh8 26. Rf6 dxe5 27. Bxh6+ { Black resigned. The book asks the reader why.} (27. Bxh6+ Kxf6 28. Qg6+ Ke7 29. Bg5+ Kf8 30. Rf1+ Bf5 31. Qxf5+ Qf6 32. Qxf6+ Kg8 33. Qg6+ Kh8 34. Bf6#) 1-0