Frank and Annie Lynn

     Fank W. Lynn was born in Wahoo, Nebraska on April 11, 1875 and passed away at the age of 75 in Grapevine, Texas on March 13, 1951. By profession he was a national salesman for the National Sewing Machine Company located in Belvidere, Illinois. The company manufactured a wide variety of items: sewing machines, washing machines, bicycles, an automobile, home workshop machinery and cast iron toys and novelties. 

     But, there was more to him than being a salesman. He wrote poetry and was known as a philanthropist. Lynn was also a sportswriter for the Chicago Tribune newspaper. In that capacity he was the radio announcer for the 10-round boxing rematch between world heavyweight champion Gene Tunney and former champion Jack Dempsey, which Tunney won by a unanimous decision. 

     The famous fight, which took place on September 22, 1927, at Soldier Field in Chicago is known as "the long count fight" because when Tunney was knocked down in the seventh round the count was delayed due to Dempsey's failure to go to and remain in a neutral corner. Whether the long count actually affected the outcome remains a subject of debate. 

     While living in Chicago, at one time Lynn was the champion of Chicago Chess and Checkers Club. In 1908, Lynn and his family moved to Dallas, Texas where he formed his own company, Frank W. Lynn Company of Dallas, Texas. The company was a manufacturers representative. 

     Lynn's wife was better known in the chess world. Anna Belle (nee Barnes) Lynn was born in Wichita, Kansas on April 28, 1972 and passed away at the age of 87 in Manhattan Beach, California on December 6, 1959. She is buried in Dallas. 

     Known as Annie, she was long regarded as one of the best female players in US and she was expected to win the first American Women's Chess Congress in New York in 1906, but finished a surprising second. 

     She briefly edited the chess column of The Chicago Tribune from November 26, 1905 until January 28, 1906. 

     Lynn first came into prominence in 1902 when she defeated Emanuel Lasker in a simul game. What made that result so surprising was that up until that time she had only played casual games friends and family. 

     The only games by her that I could locate were three played against Lasker (two wins in 1902 and a draw in 1905) and a draw with Pillsbury in 1903. 

[Event "Simul, Chicago"] [Site "Chicago, IL USA"] [Date "1902.11.15"] [Round "?"] [White "Emanuel Lasker"] [Black "Anna Belle Lynn"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C31"] [Annotator "Stockfish/Komodo"] [PlyCount "50"] [EventDate "1902.??.??"] {Falkbeer Counter Gambit} 1. e4 e5 {[%mdl 32]} 2. f4 d5 {The Falkbeer Counter Gambit is an attempt to open up the center and attack on the K-side. My database base shows the wins about evenly divided between white and black with less that 1 in 5 being drawn, so it is a crap shoot!} 3. exd5 {This is almost always played, but white can try 3.Nf3} (3. Nf3 exf4 {This yields better practical results than 3...dxe4} 4. exd5 Nf6 {with equal chances.}) 3... e4 4. Nc3 (4. d3 {is more common and it yields better results for white.} Nf6 5. dxe4 Nxe4 6. Nf3 {Black usually plays 6...Bc5, but that seems to work out well for white. 6...Bf5 or even 6...c6 are worth a try.}) 4... Nf6 5. Bc4 Bc5 6. d4 exd3 7. Qxd3 O-O {[%mdl 32]} 8. Nge2 Re8 {Black is slightly better.} 9. Bd2 Ng4 { So far this has been all book stuff.} 10. Ne4 {[%mdl 8192] This takes measures against ...Nf2, but it's also the losing move.} (10. Rf1 Ne3 11. Bxe3 Rxe3 { Black stands well. Pienkos,S (2064)-Dunne,P (1847) Rewal 2007}) (10. Qf3 { is an interesting possibility, but black can successfully meet it.} Qh4+ (10... Nf2 {This turns out to be not very effective.} 11. Rf1 Bg4 12. Qg3 Bxe2 13. Bxe2 Ne4 14. Nxe4 Rxe4 15. Qf3 Qxd5 {and white's position is satisfactory.}) 11. g3 Qf6 {White's best move is now} 12. O-O-O Nf2 {with a clear advantage.}) 10... Bf5 {There is no way out of this really nasty pin!} 11. Nxc5 (11. N2g3 Bxe4 12. Nxe4 Nf2 {wins}) (11. Rf1 Bxe4 {wins a piece.}) 11... Bxd3 12. Nxd3 { Obviously two Bs are hardly enough compensation for the Q, but it's a simul and Lasker probably figured the level of competition was not too high.} Ne3 { This move is vital because it prevents white from castling.} (12... Qe7 { attacks the N, but after} 13. O-O-O Qxe2 14. Rde1 {Black has to return the Q.} Qxe1+ 15. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 16. Bxe1 {Black is clearly better, but white can still play on.}) 13. Bxe3 Rxe3 14. Kf2 (14. Nf2 {This defends the N and so enables castling, but after} Qe7 15. O-O-O Rxe2 16. Bxe2 Qe3+ 17. Kb1 Qxf2 18. Bf3 { Black, with a Q for a R, is winning.}) 14... Re7 15. Bb3 c6 16. Nc3 Qb6+ 17. Kf1 Nd7 {[%mdl 32]} 18. g4 Qe3 19. h3 Rae8 {Mrs. Lynn has played to complete her development and now she finishes off her famous opponent with great precision.} 20. Rh2 Qf3+ 21. Kg1 Qg3+ 22. Kh1 Nc5 {[%mdl 512] Bringing up reinforcements. Winning a piece is of no importance.} 23. d6 (23. Nxc5 Re1+ 24. Rxe1 Rxe1#) 23... Nxd3 {Excellent!} (23... Re1+ {only muddies the water.} 24. Nxe1 Rxe1+ 25. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 26. Kg2 {Black should win, but white can still put up a fight.}) 24. dxe7 Nf2+ 25. Rxf2 Qxf2 {Lasker graciously resigned.} (25... Qxf2 26. Rd1 g6 27. Rd8 Qe1+ 28. Kg2 Qxe7 29. Rxe8+ Qxe8 {White is hopelessly lost and chose not to force black to execute a rather tedious, but sure, winning procedure.} 30. Kf2 {Here analysis by Komodo seemed to produce the most reasonable play.} Qe7 31. Ne2 (31. g5 Qc5+ 32. Kf3 Qg1 33. Ne2 Qf1+ 34. Ke3 Qxh3+ 35. Kd2 Qd7+ 36. Ke3 Kg7 37. Nd4 Qe7+ 38. Kd2 Kg8 39. Ne2 Qe4 40. Kd1 Qg2 41. Kd2 Qe4 42. Kd1 Kg7 43. Kd2 f6 44. gxf6+ Kxf6 45. Kd1 h5 {wins}) 31... Qh4+ 32. Kg2 Qe1 33. Bc4 Qb1 34. Bb3 Qxb2 35. Kf2 Qa1 36. Kg2 Qe1 37. Bc4 Qd2 38. Bd3 Qa5 39. Ng3 Qxa2 40. Ne4 Qe6 41. Kf2 a5 42. Nd2 a4 43. Nc4 b5 44. Nd2 a3 45. Nb3 Qf6 46. Ke3 a2 47. Kf3 a1=Q 48. Nxa1 Qxa1 49. Ke3 Qe1+ 50. Kf3 Qh1+ 51. Kg3 Qg1+ 52. Kf3 Qh2 {wins}) 0-1