It was the year President Woodrow Wilson was instrumental in establishing the League of Nations which the US didn't join
It was the year the First Lady, Edith Wilson, functioned as the de facto President of the United States.
While on the campaign trail pushing for the US to accept the League of Nations, President Wilson suffered a stroke that caused paralysis, partial blindness and brain damage. For the remainder of his term, a year and a half, he was an invalid at best and totally incapable of or performing the duties of the Presidency.
The First Lady stepped in and controlled access to the President and made policy decisions on his behalf. When something needed to be written or signed, she wrapped her hand around his and scrawled the note or his signature.
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| Madame President |
On September 16, 1920, the US suffered a terrorist attack when a horse drawn cart carrying a massive amount of explosives was detonated on the busiest corner of Wall Street.
One eyewitness described the scene: “...two sheets of flame that seemed to envelop the whole width of Wall Street and as high as the 10th story of the tall buildings.” Thirty-eight people were killed and hundreds were injured.
The perpetrators, who were never identified, were believed to have been Italian anarchists.
In the chess world the year started off with Capablanca and Lasker meeting at The Hague and signing an agreement to play a World Championship match in 1921.
Then in June, 1920, Lasker resigned his world championship title to Capablanca. But, then in August Lasker reconsidered after Capa's fans in Cuba $20,000. A broke Lasker accepted the challenge and in 1921 Capa, the Champion, retained the title when he defeated Lasker, the challenger, by a score of 9-5.
Four players passed away in 1920: William Crane (1851-1920) the Australian champion in 1888 and 1897. The Polish Master Georg Rotlewi (1889-1920) died at the age of 31. And, Adolf Albin (1848-1920) the inventor of the defense used in the featured game died of tuberculosis in Vienna at the age of 71. Horatio Caro (1862-1920) died in London at the age of 58.
On November 3, 1920, 8-year-old Sammy Rzeschewski arrived in the United States with his father, a wealthy linen merchant from Lodz, Poland and the rest was history.
An important tournament was played at the Cafe Kerkau, in Berlin in December of 1920. It was won by the 20-year old Gyula Breyer of Budapest even though he suffered defeats at the hands of Tartakower and Mieses.
Rudolf Spielmann's last place finish was blamed on the fact that he was greatly handicapped through being engaged in reporting and
other work in connection with chess.
All the players, with the exception of Leonhardt and Saemisch, ha also taken part in August in a tournament in Gothenburg and in that event (won by Reti) Breyer only finished 9th out of 13. In this vent Reti was only fourth.
[Event "Berlin"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1920.12.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Siegbert Tarrasch"]
[Black "Savielly Tartakower"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D08"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 15.1"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "1920.12.04"]
{Albin Counter Gambit} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 {The Romanian master Alolf Albin
introduced this defense against Emanuel Lasker at New York in 1893. It's
aggressive: black gives up his Pawn on e5 so that his d-Pawn can advance to d4
where it is hoped it will be a thorn in white's side.} 3. dxe5 d4 4. Nf3 {
The most popular approach.} (4. e3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 dxe3 {With this move white
falls into what is known as the Lasker Trap.} 6. Bxb4 (6. fxe3 {may look
attractive, but the position is no more than equal.}) 6... exf2+ 7. Kxf2 Qxd1)
(4. e4 {Is the Spassky variation.} Nc6 {The most promising continuation.} (4...
dxe3 5. Bxe3 Qxd1+ (5... Bb4+ {this no longer works to black;s advantage.} 6.
Nd2 {and white stands well.}) 6. Kxd1 {with equal chances.}) 5. f4 g5 {with
interesting play.}) 4... c5 5. e3 Nc6 6. exd4 cxd4 7. Bd3 Nge7 8. Nbd2 {
8.O-O is also acceptable.} Bg4 {Better was 8...Ng6} 9. Qb3 Qc7 10. O-O O-O-O
11. Re1 Ng6 12. h3 Be6 13. Be4 (13. Bxg6 {Things get tricky after this, but it
would have have been uncomfortable for black after} hxg6 14. Ng5 Qe7 (14... Rh5
15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Nf3 Nxe5 17. Ng5 {is tricky, but white comes out better.} Ng4
18. Qg3 (18. hxg4 Qh2+ 19. Kf1 d3 {is winning for black.}) 18... Qxg3 19. fxg3
Bc5 20. Nxe6 (20. hxg4 d3+ 21. Be3 Rxg5 {favors black.}) 20... d3+ 21. Nxc5
Rxc5 22. Bd2 (22. hxg4 d2 23. Bxd2 Rxd2) 22... Nf6 23. Rac1 {White has the
advantage.}) 15. Nde4) 13... Ngxe5 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. Nf3 Qc5 16. Bf4 Bd6 {
At the time the game was played Amos Burn pointed out that the tempting 16...
Bxc4 would have enabled white to win brilliantly.} (16... Bxc4 17. Qa4 ({
A flashy Q sac (temporary), but in reality, it's not quite as strong as 17.Qa4
} 17. Qxc4 Qxc4 18. Bf5+ Qe6 19. Rxe6 fxe6 20. Bxe6+ Rd7 21. Ne5 Nxe5 22. Bxe5
Kd8 23. Bxd7 Kxd7 24. Bxd4) 17... Bb5 18. Qd1 Bd6 19. Rc1 Qb4 20. Bd2 Qa4 21.
b3 Qa6 22. a4 Bd3 23. Bxc6 bxc6 24. Nxd4 c5 25. b4 c4 26. Qf3 Kb8 27. Nc6+ Kc8
28. b5) 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. Bxd6 {[%mdl 128]} Rxd6 19. Ne5 {Somewhat stronger
would have been 19.Re5} Rhd8 {[%mdl 8192] Doubling Rs behind the passed d-Pawn
is quite logical, but inferior to its immediate advance.} (19... d3 {is much
tougher.} 20. Qa4 (20. Kh1 d2 21. Re2 f6 22. Nd3 Qxc4 {and black is winning.})
20... d2 21. Re2 a5 (21... Rhd8 22. Rd1 Qb6 23. Qc2 {White is better.}) 22. Rd1
f6 23. b4 Qxb4 24. Qxb4 axb4 25. c5 Rd5 26. Nxc6 Rxc5 27. Nxb4 Kd7 28. Rexd2+ {
and black can make white work hard for the win.}) 20. Qa4 {aiming for b4.} d3
21. b4 Qd4 22. Nxc6 (22. c5 {was a much harder blow according to the engines,
but practically speaking Tarrasch's move is easier to play.} d2 (22... Rd5 23.
Qa6+ Kc7 24. Qxa7+ Kc8 25. Nxc6) 23. Qa6+ Kb8 24. cxd6 dxe1=Q+ 25. Rxe1 Rxd6
26. Nxc6+ Rxc6 27. Qxc6 Qxb4 28. Rd1 Qb6 29. Qe8+ {with a technically won game.
}) 22... Rxc6 23. Qxc6+ Kb8 24. c5 d2 25. Red1 Bf5 {[%mdl 8192]} (25... Bc4 {
preventing white's next move would have been better. White would then have to
regroup and work out a winning plan.} 26. Qf3 Qe5 27. Qe3 Qd4 {etc.} 28. Rab1)
26. Qb5+ Kc7 27. Qa5+ Kb8 28. b5 {[%mdl 32]} Bc2 29. b6 {White is clearly
winning.} Rd7 (29... Bxd1 30. Qxa7+ Kc8 31. Qc7#) 30. bxa7+ Ka8 31. c6 Rd5 32.
c7 {[%mdl 512]} Bf5 (32... Rxa5 33. c8=Q+ Kxa7 34. Qxc2 {and white is a R up.})
33. c8=Q+ Bxc8 34. Qc7 Rb5 35. Qxc8+ {Black plays a few more moves on inertia.}
Kxa7 36. a4 Rc5 37. Qg4 Qxa1 38. Rxa1 Rc1+ 39. Qd1 {Black resigned. A superb
game by Tarrasch} 1-0
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