30 Moves in 30 Minutes

 

     Way back in Morphy's day some players in trying to play the best moves resorted to the excruciatingly slow rate of three or four moves per hour, but when they tried the same tactic against the legendary Morphy they usually lost anyway.

     It didn't matter because the illusion still persisted that a player's strength increased proportionately with the slowing down of the rate of play. When chess clocks came into use, the belief was that it was impossible to make more than 20 moves per hour in tournament play. As a result, everybody pretty much accepted the face that adjournments were necessary. 

     Of course, faster time limits make tournaments easier to organize because games can be finished in a single day. So, back in 1952 in a tournament held at the Marshall Chess Club in New York City what was called "a very remarkable test" was tried. 

     Dr. Ariel Mengarini played a three game match against James T. Sherwin with a time limit of 30 moves in 30 minutes and the match was completed in a single evening. Mengarini won 2-1 and Chess Review noted that the games were "well above the average quality of normal tournament games" and it was hoped that tournaments of from six to eight participants might be played in a single weekend. 

     Dr. Ariel Mengarini (October 19, 1919 - January 9, 1998) was born in Rome and his family emigrated to the New York City in 1927. Mengarini learned chess at the age of 6. He began his studies at Harvard in 1937 after winning a competitive scholarship. Due to focusing his attention on chess, Mengarini lost his scholarship and began attending George Washington University in Washington, DC. He was a psychiatrist and author of the book "Predicament in 2 Dimensions" In 1943 he won the US Amateur Championship with the score of 11-0. 

     James T. Sherwin (born October 25, 1933) was a corporate executive and International Master. He was born in New York City and after high school he graduated from the Coast Guard Academy Officer Candidate School in 1956 and later advanced to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. 

     As an attorney he was admitted to the New York and Supreme Court Bars. While serving as Chief Financial Officer of GAF Corporation, a manufacturer of roofing materials for residential and commercial buildings, in 1988, he was indicted by US Attorney Rudy Giuliani, who was to serve as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001, for stock manipulation in connection with the 1986 sale of stock owned by GAF. 

     He was convicted after three trials, but the conviction was reversed on appeal and dismissed with prejudice meaning that that the ruling is the final judgment in the case. The dismissal prohibits the prosecutor from refiling the charges. 

     Sherwin finished third and tied for third in the US Championship twice and tied for fourth four times. He was Intercollegiate Champion and New York State Champion in 1951 and US Speed Champion in 1956–57 and 1959–60. He was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame in 2021. Sherwin is mow living near Bath in the United Kingdom. 

[Event "30/30 Match, Marshall CC New York"] [Site "?"] [Date "1952.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Dr. A.A. Mengarini"] [Black "James T. Sherwin"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C15"] [Annotator "Stockfish 15.1"] [PlyCount "41"] [EventDate "1952.??.??"] {French Defense, Winawer} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 {Named after Szymon Winawer this variation was pioneered by Nimzovich and especially Botvinnik who began playing it in the 1940s.} 4. Nge2 {White normally clarifies the situation in the center with 4.e5, gaining space and hoping to show that black's B on b4-bishop is misplaced. With the text white avoids the doubled c-Pawns, but in practice the move does not enjoy the same success rate as the usual 4.e5} (4. a3 {is an interesting sideline.} Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 dxe4 6. Qg4 Nf6 7. Qxg7 Rg8 8. Qh6 {with interesting play.}) 4... dxe4 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Nxc3 f5 { Risky.} (6... Nc6 {This simple developing move keeps the position equal.} 7. Bb5 Nge7 {and white has a wide choice of plausible moves.}) 7. Bc4 {Also sood was 7.Qh5+ immediately.} (7. Bf4 Nf6 8. Qd2 O-O 9. O-O-O c6 10. f3 {White is better. Chernobai,A (2409)-Liasota,E (2241) Dimitrov 2007}) 7... Nf6 8. Bf4 Nd5 {This looks reasonable, but Mengarini demonstrates the flaw in it.} (8... a6 9. Qd2 Qe7 10. O-O-O b5 11. Bb3 Bb7 12. Rhe1 Nc6 13. f3 {Both sides have active play. Bajer,R (1924)-Kaulich,P (1576) Tuebingen 2007}) (8... c6 {is also playable.} 9. g4 Nd5 10. Bxd5 exd5 11. gxf5 {Better was 11...g5} O-O {Black is better. Sanchez Gonzalez,S (2288)-Aziz Ortego,O (2080) Parla ESP 2010}) 9. Bxd5 {Well played. White is hoping the the Bs of opposite color will be good for his attack seeing that black is left with a bad B. White is clearly better.} exd5 10. Qh5+ {With this move white initiates an irrestible attack.} Kf8 (10... g6 {was worth a try.} 11. Qh6 Be6 12. f3 {Busting up black's K-side and leaving black with a gloomy position.} Qd7 13. fxe4 fxe4 14. O-O Nc6 {White is better, but with luck black may be able to put up a manly defense.}) 11. g4 c6 {There is no time for passive play like this.} (11... Nd7 12. Nxd5 Nf6 13. Nxf6 Qxf6 14. gxf5 Qxf5 {With the reduced material and Bs of opposite color black has chances of defending himself.}) 12. gxf5 Nd7 {But here this move is insufficient.} (12... Qf6 {This offers the stoutest resistance.} 13. f3 exf3 14. Rf1 h6 15. O-O-O Qxf5 16. Qxf3 {White's lead in development paus black's exposed K should prove decisive.}) 13. Bd6+ Kg8 14. Rg1 Nf6 15. Qg5 g6 { The only move.} (15... Qd7 16. Qxf6) 16. Be5 Kg7 17. h4 {[%mdl 32] The charge of the h-Pawn is decisive.} Rf8 18. h5 Qe7 19. h6+ Kh8 20. fxg6 hxg6 21. Qxg6 { Black resigned.} (21. Qxg6 Qf7 (21... Bd7 22. Qg7+ Qxg7 23. hxg7+ Kh7 24. gxf8=Q Rxf8 25. Bxf6 Rxf6) 22. Qg7+ Qxg7 23. hxg7+) 1-0