The fight for first place turned out to be a close race and in the final round James Grundy was paired against Preston Ware. According to Ware he was walking down the street with Grundy who remarked to Ware that he was poor and really needed the second place prize money ($300, or over $9,000 in today’s currency).
Grundy added that when Ware beat him in their first game it had knocked him out of the running for first place ($550, or a little over $15,000 today). He also added that both Charles Mohle and Max Judd were well off. So, if Ware were to take it easy on Grundy it would assure him second prize and earn Ware $20 in bribe money...a little over $500 today).
The two agreed to play very slowly and to move back and forth to prolong the game until the other games were finished. The game was adjourned and was to be resumed later that evening after a meal break. At the meal Grundy told him that he (Grundy, who had plenty of time on his clock) would arrive late and Ware should go ahead and start his clock.
Then, instead of arriving late, Grundy arrived on time and when they began playing, Ware started shifting piece as per their agreement, but then he realized that Grundy was making a desperate effort to win, which he finally did and as a result he managed to tie for first.
The tournament book summed up the case by stating that Ware’s allegation, which implicated himself as an accomplice in the crime “in the undignified transaction” were opposed by a firm denial on Grundy’s part.
The tournament book concluded that the case became a question of veracity between two individuals, one of whom freely admitted his guilt while the other pronounced the story as a complete fabrication. In the absence of any corroborative testimony the tournament committee could not impose any penalty upon either player.
My guess is that Ware didn’t get his $20 either.
In any case, even though the game was riddled with mistakes it was quire interesting. Take a look...
[Event "5th American Congress, New York"]
[Site "Manhattan, New York USA"]
[Date "1880.01.26"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Preston Ware"]
[Black "James Grundy"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D00"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 16"]
[PlyCount "128"]
[EventDate "1880.01.06"]
{QP Opening} 1. d4 d5 2. Bg5 Nc6 3. e3 a6 4. h3 Nf6 5. Nc3 {The opening is
similar to an irregular Torre Attack} Bf5 6. Bd3 Bg6 7. a3 Qd7 8. Nf3 Ne4 9.
Bf4 (9. Bxe4 Bxe4 10. Nxe4 dxe4 11. Nd2 f5 {White has not accomplished much
owing to the exchange of minor pieces.}) 9... f6 {This is a bist risky. Simply
9...Nxc3 was good.} 10. Bxe4 dxe4 {Taking with the B was better.} 11. Nd2 f5 {
Unlike in the previous note this is now quite bad because white has sufficient
minor pieces to actually work uip an attack against black's weakened K-side.} (
11... e6 12. Ndxe4 O-O-O 13. Qe2 e5 {Black is a P down, but at least he has
some play.}) 12. d5 Nd8 13. Nc4 Nf7 14. Qe2 h6 15. Ne5 Nxe5 16. Bxe5 Bf7 17.
Rd1 c6 18. dxc6 (18. f3 {This attacks the weakened P-chain and keeps the
advantage.} cxd5 19. fxe4 fxe4 20. O-O e6 21. Nxe4 {with an excellent position.
}) 18... Qxc6 19. O-O {Oddly enough, as bad as black's position looks he
actually has sufficient play that the position can be considered equal.} Rg8 (
19... Bc4 {leads to interesting play after} 20. Qh5+ g6 21. Qh4 Bxf1 (21... Rg8
22. Rfe1 g5 23. Qh5+ Bf7 24. Qe2 Rc8) 22. Bxh8 Bc4) 20. Qd2 {Now come
maneuvering to kill time as per their agreement.} e6 21. Qe2 Qc5 22. Qd2 Qc6
23. Qe2 Be7 24. Rd2 Qc5 25. Bg3 g5 26. Rfd1 {White's position is the more
promising. Black should bow offer to exchange Rs with 26...Rd8} e5 {This is
too loosening especially with his K in the center.} 27. Nd5 f4 {Grundy clearly
has some ideas about attacking...the correct decision because white stands
very well.} 28. b4 {Not the best; it loses most of his advantage.} (28. exf4
exf4 29. Qxe4 Bxd5 (29... fxg3 {results in disater.} 30. Nf6+ Kf8 31. Nd7+) 30.
Rxd5 Qc6 31. Bh2 Qg6 32. Qe2 Kf8 33. Rd7 {White is much better.}) 28... Qc6 $16
29. Bh2 Rd8 30. c4 Bg6 31. c5 (31. exf4 {is not as good because complications
arise and black gets good play after} gxf4 32. c5 e3 33. fxe3 Be4 34. Nxe7 Rxd2
35. Qh5+ Kxe7 36. Rxd2 Rg5) 31... h5 {This results in white gaining what
should have been a decisive advantage.} (31... Bf7 {keeps white's advantage to
a level had is far from decisive.} 32. Nxe7 Kxe7 33. Rd6 Rxd6 34. Rxd6 Qe8 35.
Rxh6 Qd7 36. Rd6 Qf5) 32. Nxe7 Kxe7 33. Rd6 Rxd6 34. Rxd6 Qc8 35. Qb2 Qf5 36.
Qd2 {A passive move that allows black to equalize.} (36. b5 {keeps up the
pressure.} axb5 37. Qxb5 Qc8 38. Qb3 Bf7 39. Qc3 {leaves black struggling.})
36... Be8 (36... Bf7 {was much better. For example...} 37. Rb6 Qd7 (37... Rb8
38. Qd6+) 38. Qxd7+ Kxd7 39. Rxb7+) 37. Qc3 (37. Qd5 {was the winner.} Kf8 38.
Qxb7 g4 39. Qxa6 {The threat is obviously Rg6+ Black has no good move.}) 37...
Bc6 38. Qd2 g4 39. exf4 {[%mdl 8192] White's passive play has allowed black to
equalize, but this move, opening up hus K's position, is a serious mistake. 39.
b6 was good.} gxh3 {Black counters his opponent's last move by missing the
winning line.} (39... e3 40. Qd1 (40. fxe3 gxh3 41. g3 Qb1+ 42. Qd1 Qe4 43. Kf2
Qg2+ 44. Ke1 Qxh2 {and wins.}) 40... gxh3 41. Bg3 Qg4 42. Rd3 Qxd1+ 43. Rxd1
exf4 44. Bh4+ Kf7 45. g3 exf2+ 46. Kxf2 h2 {wins}) 40. Bg3 exf4 41. Bh4+ Kf7 {
[%mdl 8192]} (41... Kf8 {and black has nothing to worry.} 42. Qd4 (42. Rf6+ {
would be a serious mistake!} Qxf6 43. Bxf6 Rxg2+ 44. Kh1 e3 45. Qd8+ Kf7 46.
Qc7+ Kg6 47. f3 Bxf3 48. Qxf4 Bc6 49. Qb8 Rd2+ 50. Kg1 h2+ 51. Qxh2 Rd1#) 42...
Rxg2+ 43. Kh1 e3 44. Rf6+ Qxf6 45. Qxf6+ {The position of white's Q and B make
all the difference. Compare this position to the one after white wins the Q in
the sub-variation (43.Bxf6).} Kg8 46. Qe6+ {draws} (46. Qd8+ Kh7 47. Qd3+ Kh6
48. Qd6+ Rg6+) 46... Kh7 47. Qf5+ Kg8 (47... Rg6+ 48. Kh2 {white wins}) 48.
Qe6+ {etc.}) 42. g3 {[%mdl 8192] This is a horrible move!} (42. Qa2+ {was the
only winning move.} Kf8 43. Rd8+ Be8 44. Rxe8+ Kxe8 45. Qxg8+ Kd7 46. Qd8+ Ke6
47. gxh3 Qg6+ 48. Kh2 {White has a won ending.}) 42... e3 {This looks good,
but it misses the win.} (42... fxg3 43. fxg3 Rg6 44. Rxg6 Qxg6 45. Qf2+ Kg7 {
with a won ending.}) 43. Qa2+ Kg7 44. fxe3 {[%mdl 8192] A gross blunder.} (44.
Bf6+ {forces black to surrender his Q, but he gets sufficient compensation for
it.} Qxf6 (44... Kf8 45. Rd8+ Be8 46. Rxe8+ Kxe8 47. Qxg8+ Kd7 48. Qd8+ {
wins...just one example...} Kc6 49. Qb6+ Kd5 (49... Kd7 50. Qd6+ {mste next
move.}) 50. Qd6+ Kc4 51. fxe3 Qb1+ (51... fxe3 52. Qf4+) 52. Kh2 fxg3+ 53. Kxh3
Qf1+ 54. Kxg3 {and wins.}) 45. Rxf6 Kxf6 46. Qxg8 exf2+ 47. Kxf2) 44... fxg3
45. Bxg3 Kh7 (45... h4 {was even better.} 46. Bf4 Kh7+) 46. Rh6+ Kg7 47. Qe6
Qxe6 48. Rxe6 Kf7 49. Rxc6 bxc6 {[%mdl 4096] The ending is won for black and
he plays the remainder of the game in a decent fashion.} 50. Kh2 Kg6 51. e4 Kg5
52. Kxh3 Rf8 53. a4 Rf3 54. Kg2 Kg4 55. Bd6 Rb3 56. b5 axb5 57. axb5 Rxb5 58.
e5 Rb2+ 59. Kh1 Re2 60. Kg1 h4 61. Kf1 Kf3 62. Kg1 h3 63. Kh1 Kg4 64. Kg1 h2+ {
Ware resigned} (64... h2+ 65. Kf1 Rb2 {mate next move.}) 0-1
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