Monday, June 26, 2023

Edward Hymes Sr.

 
     There is a Wikipedia article that informs us that Edward Hymes Jr. (December 4, 1908 – October 17, 1962) was an American bridge and chess player. He was an attorney in New York City. At age 26, he joined the ACBL Laws Commission, which stipulates the rules of the card game of bridge. His main partner was Oswald Jacoby. And, like his father before him, he was also a chess player. 
     But, what about Edward Hymes Sr.? He was born in Florence, South Carolina on September 13, 1871 and passed away in New York at the age of 66 on May 14, 1938.  He was also was a New York attorney whose practice left him little time for competitive chess. His one major tournament saw him finish =3rd-4th with Jackson W. Showalter at 2nd City Chess Club Tournament, held at New York City in 1894, behind Wilhelm Steinitz and Adolf Albin but ahead of Harry Nelson Pillsbury. 
     Hymes, Senior also played in all eight Anglo-American Cable Matches from 1896-1903, scoring +1 -1 =6. F In 1891, he graduated at the head of his class from Columbia College, the oldest undergraduate college of Columbia University, a private Ivy League research university in New York City. In 1892 he graduated from the School of Mines at Columbia. While there he was a prize fellow in mathematics. Then in 1895, he graduated from Columbia Law School and began practicing law and soon became manager of one of the largest law offices in New York City. 
     When he was 13 years old he beat the champion checker player of New Jersey in a match match and two years later took up chess. He was the chess champion of Columbia College and of the Newark, New Jersey chess club. 
     The following game is from the 2nd Cuty Tournament that was held in New York City from October 20th through November 15th in 1894. It was held under the auspices of the City Chess Club. Pillsbury had won the previous 1st tournament in 189, but only managed an even score in this one. Especially noteworthy was that this was the first tournament since 1883 that had former World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz as a participant.
 
 
      In the following games Hatmes smashes James M. Hanham (1840-1923, 83 years old) in a game un which Hanham used his own variation of the Philidor Defense 

A game that I liked (Fritz 17)

[Event "2nd City Tournament, New York City"] [Site ""] [Date "1894.10.23"] [Round "2"] [White "Edward Hymes, Sr."] [Black "James M. Hanham"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C41"] [Annotator "Stockfish/Komodo"] [PlyCount "57"] [EventDate "1894.10.20"] {C41: Philidor Defense} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 {This defense is named after Francois-Andre Danican Philidor who advocated it as an alternative to 2...Nc6. His original idea was to challenge white's center by ...f7-f5. Today the defense is considered as a solid, but passive.} 3. d4 Nd7 {Originally this was known as the Lord Variation. The idea was to maintain a strong center. Today it’s known as the Hanham Variation.} 4. Nc3 {[%mdl 32] The move 4.Bc4 is almost universally played.} c6 (4... Ngf6 5. Bc4 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 c6 8. a4 {is the main line and black can now play either 8...a5 or 8...b6}) 5. Bd3 { Unusual. More aggressive is 5.Bc4} Be7 6. Ne2 {This is cumbersome and time consuming,m but not bad.} (6. O-O Ngf6 7. Re1 O-O 8. Ne2 Re8 9. Ng3 Bf8 10. c3 {is equal. Baramidze,D (2543)-Ponkratov,P (2413) Heraklio GRE 2004}) 6... Ngf6 7. O-O O-O 8. b3 Re8 (8... d5 {This is more aggressive, but not necessarily better than the move played.} 9. Ng3 dxe4 10. Bxe4 (10. Nxe4 {is not quite so good.} Nxe4 11. Bxe4 f5 12. Bd3 e4 13. Bc4+ Kh8 14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Qa5 16. Bf4 b5 17. Be2 Be6 {with a good position.}) 10... Nxe4 11. Nxe4 f5) 9. Bb2 Qc7 10. Ng3 Bf8 11. c4 b6 12. Qd2 Bb7 13. Rfe1 {It's hard to tell at this time, but there is trouble brewing for black on the K-side and a better alternative would have beem 13...g6} Rad8 (13... g6 {White cannot now play Nf5} 14. Rad1 Bg7 {Black is confined to a passive defense, but his position is quite solid.}) 14. Nf5 h6 {Guarding against Qg5, but it weakens his K-side.} (14... exd4 15. N3xd4 Nc5 {Fundamentally white has the better position, but black has sufficient play.}) 15. h3 Nh7 16. g4 {This is aggressive, but a bit premature. 16.Rad1 keeps the pressure on black.} Re6 (16... exd4 {is the right move because after} 17. N3xd4 Ne5 18. f4 Nxd3 19. Qxd3 d5 {Black has successfully launched an equalizing counterasttack.}) 17. Kh1 {Played in preparation of the opening of the g-file.} Rf6 (17... d5 {is still the right move.,} 18. Nxe5 Nxe5 19. Qf4 Ng5 20. dxe5 Nxh3 21. Qg3 Ng5 22. f4 Nxe4 23. Bxe4 dxe4 {and it's black who now stands better.}) 18. Rg1 Kh8 {Both sides are fixated on the opening of the g-file by white! Black still needed to play 18...exd4} (18... exd4 19. Bxd4 Ne5 {and it's hard to believe but white has no effective way of strengthening his attack. The best line is...} 20. Rg3 b5 21. Bxe5 dxe5 22. Qe2 g6 23. h4 c5 (23... gxf5 24. gxf5+ Kh8 25. Rag1 Bd6 26. Qf1 Qe7 27. Qg2 Qf8 28. c5 Bxc5 29. Nxe5 {with a very strong bind.}) 24. g5 gxf5 25. gxf6+ Kh8 26. Rag1 Nxf6 {with equal chances.}) 19. g5 {As dagerous as white's attack looks with correct defense black can weather the storm...easier said than done!} hxg5 { This is not good.} (19... Rxf5 {is the magic move that leaves black with nothing to worry about.} 20. exf5 exd4 {That move again! It doesn't look right because it opens the diagonal fr the B.} 21. c5 {Keeping black's B out of the game.} (21. Bxd4 {loses} c5) 21... Nxc5 22. gxh6 Nxd3 23. Qxd3 c5 24. Rg3 Re8 25. Rag1 Be7 {Black has quite enough compensation for the exchange.}) 20. Nxg5 g6 {This loses quickly, but there was really nohing better.} (20... exd4 { Of course! This is still the only real alternative, but not it's lost its effectiveness.} 21. Qf4 (21. Bxd4 Rxf5 22. exf5 c5+ {Black is slightly better.} ) 21... Nxg5 22. Rxg5 Ne5 23. Bxd4 Rxf5 24. Rxf5 Kg8 25. Qg3 Qe7) 21. Nxh7 Kxh7 22. Qg5 c5 {You would think that white should now open up the position by exchanging Ps, but he has instead the surprising 23.d5!} 23. d5 {[%mdl 32] Immobilizing black's pieces.} (23. dxc5 Rxf5 {and black wins!} 24. Qg3 Nxc5) ( 23. dxe5 Rxf5 24. Qh4+ Rh5 25. Qg3 dxe5 {Here, too, black is winning.}) 23... Bg7 (23... Rxf5 {no longer helps.} 24. exf5 Kg7 25. Rg4 Nf6 26. fxg6 Rd7 (26... Nxg4 27. gxf7+ {mates}) 27. Bc1 fxg6 28. Qxg6+ Kh8 29. Qxf6+ Bg7 30. Qg6 { Black gets mated.}) 24. Rg4 Nf8 25. Rh4+ Kg8 26. Nxg7 Rxf2 27. Nf5 Ne6 28. dxe6 Rxf5 29. Qh6 {Facing mate in 4, black resigned.} 1-0

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