Hamburg - Round 11

Today, for the first time in this tourney, all games finished decisively, without a single draw. The Masters are showing keen fighting spirit as they prepare to enter the final week's play.

Teichmann defeated Yates in a Ruy Lopez in which the Englishman opted for the Open Defense, 5...Nxe4. After 26 moves, Teichmann appeared to have rather the better of things, and when, after White's 27.Ba4, Yates in the diagrammed position played 27...Qc8, the incursion by White's Queen 28.Qf6 soon decided matters. (Some of the Masters felt that 28.Qe7, attacking Black's Bishop and threatening to advance the e-pawn, would have been even stronger. But Teichmann's choice served its purpose.) The game concluded 28...Qf8 29.Qe6+ Qf7 30.Qd6 Qe8 31.Qxd5+ cxd5 32.Bxe8 Ba6 33.Kf2 Kg7 34.h4 Bc4 35.Ke3 Kf8 36.Ba4 Kf7 37.Kf4 Kg7 38.g3 Kf7 39.Bc6 Kg7 40.e6 Kf6 41.e7 Kxe7 42.Ke5 and Yates resigned. 1-0

Niemzowitsch vs. Forgacs saw the opening moves 1.e4 e6 2.d3 c5, through which a French Defense became a Sicilian Defense, a rather unusual line in modern play. White gradually outplayed his opponent in a Rook and Knight endgame, as well as in the Rook endgame that followed, and scored the victory in 64 moves.

In Spielmann vs. Marshall the American essayed the Petroff Defense. Permit us a word of commendation for Marshall's choice, as a fighting defense such as the Petroff represents a welcome change from more usual and well-analyzed openings. We can only hope that more players will follow Marshall's combative example in the future. To return to the game, Spielmann's 19.Ne5 appears to be an error, allowing Black to regain his pawn and assume the attack, an aspect of the game at which Marshall of course excels. The continuation was 19...Bd5 20.Qe2 Nc6 21.Qd3 Nxe5 22.dxe5 Qxe5 23.Qg3 Qxb2 24.Qh4 Rxf5 25.gxf5 Qe5 26.Qg3 Qxf5 27.Qg4 Qe5 28.Rfe1 Qh2+ 29.Kf1 Rf8 30.Ke2 Qxf2+ 31.Kd3 b5 and White resigned. 0-1

Leonhardt and Salwe contested a Ruy Lopez with Steinitz's 3...d6. White won a long Rook endgame in 66 moves, the last dozen or so of which Salwe might well have spared himself.

Duras vs. Tartakower offered another Ruy Lopez, this time with the rare line 3...Nge7. We have noticed that young Tartakower seems to possess a predilection for unusual openings. Duras won one pawn in an endgame of Rooks and Bishops of opposite color, later won a second, and secured the victory in 51 moves.

Speyer vs. Tarrasch, yet one more Ruy Lopez, with Tarrasch's preferred Open Defense, saw White sacrifice the exchange on the 18th move. In return he obtained one pawn, but no other evident compensation. Speyer in fact never developed any further initiative, and Tarrasch, making full use of his two Rooks vs. Speyer's Rook and Knight, forced his opponent's resignation on move 46.

Schlechter, playing Black against Dus-Chotimirsky's Queen's Gambit, sacrificed a Knight for pawns and position with the game scarcely out of the opening. For a time, the Russian withstood his powerful opponent's onslaught, but then went astray on his 31st move. 17...Nxf2 18.Kxf2 Ng4+ 19.Ke2 Qh4 20.g3 Qh5 21.Ke1 Nxe3 22.Qb3 Qg5 23.Ne2 Be6 24.Bd4 Nf5 25.Kd1 Nxd4 26.Nxd4 Be5 27.Nxe6 fxe6 28.Be2 Bf6 29.Rf1 Qe5 30.Kc2 d4 31.Bh5 White's intention is to meet 31...Qxh5 with 32.Qxe6+ and 33.Qxe4, eliminating one of Black's dangerous pawns at a small material cost. 31...d3+ But this move upsets White's plans, as on 32.Kd1, 32...Qxh5 comes with check. Dus-Chotimirsky played 32.Kc1 Qa1+ 33.Qb1 (On 33.Nb1 Bg5+ wins) 33...Bb2+, and White resigned. 0-1

Alekhine, playing Black, defeated John in a hard-fought Queen's Pawn Game. We would call the reader's attention to three moments of interest, while acknowledging that the game offers many more besides. 1) Black's move 9...h5, leaving his Bishop to be taken. It seems that White, however, cannot capture that piece without disadvantage, whether on move 10 or on the succeeding moves. One recurring theme is that the retreat of White's Knight from f3 leads to a loss, e.g. 10.hxg4 hxg4 11.Ne1? Bh2+ 12.Kh1 Bg1+ and mates next move. 2) White's ingenious method of escape from his seemingly dire situation after 25...Qe1. 3) The position after 58...c1=Q 59.f8=Q. It is rare indeed to see each player in possession of a Queen and Rook alone, without so much as a single pawn on the board. When these situations do arise, the player having the move, and thus able to begin a series of checks, generally enjoys a winning advantage, in that he can either force mate or the win of material, e.g. Queen for Rook. Such was the case here, as Alekhine began a winning attack with 59...Qd2+. In the final position, Black stands one move from delivering mate. We give the game in full:

Kohnlein had the bye.

Scores after Round 11: Schlechter, Niemzowitsch* 8; Duras* 7 1/2; Marshall, Spielmann* 6 1/2; Dus-Chotimirsky*, Teichmann*, Leonhardt* 6; Alekhine 5 1/2; Dr. Tarrasch 5; Salwe, Tartakower, Forgacs 4 1/2; Speyer 3 1/2; Kohnlein 3; John 2 1/2; Yates 1/2.

Those players whose names are marked with an asterisk (*) have not yet had the bye, and thus have played an extra game.

Tomorrow is a free day; Round 12 takes place on August 1.

Hamburg - Round 10

Today's theme was resumption. As the tournament resumed, so too did Schlechter resume both his winning ways and the leading position, thanks to his excellent victory over Kohnlein and Duras's defeat by Forgacs in an equally fine game. Niemzowitsch, too, moved to the top of the table, equal on points with Schlechter, by virtue of his win over Yates. The Austrian, however, still holds a game in hand over all his nearest rivals.

Alekhine played the 5.Qe2 variation of the Ruy Lopez vs. Teichmann, and the game was agreed drawn in 30 moves.

Marshall won the exchange vs. Leonhardt, but saw his King compelled to remain in the center of the board, unable to castle. In the diagrammed position the American elected to return his surplus material with 31.Qxg6 Qxg6 (of course not 30...hxg6 31.Rh3 mate) 32.Rxg6 hxg6, in order to press for the win in a Rook endgame after 33.Rc5. But White's slight advantage proved insufficient for victory, and the game was agreed drawn on the 51st move.

Salwe and Dus-Chotimirsky, in a Queen's Pawn Game, reached a level Rook and Bishop endgame after 32 moves, and agreed to share the point.

Schlechter defeated Kohnlein in a Ruy Lopez in only 26 moves. White's attack, featuring the sacrifice of two pieces, was as convincing as it was swift. Schlechter played 20.Nh4, and after 20...Nxd5 21.Nhf5 Bxf5 22.Nxf5 Nf6 23.Re3 Kh7 24.Rh3 Ng8, one might be excused for thinking Black's King's side momentarily secure. The Austrian Master proved otherwise. 25.Nxh6 gxh6 26.Bxh6 and Black resigned. 26...Nxh6 is met by 27.Qh5, while 26...Rd8 loses to 27.Bf8+

Yates vs. Niemzowitsch saw a Caro-Kann Defense in which Black, after having neutralized White's play on the King's side, slowly built up an attack against White's castled position on the other flank. Niemzowitsch won two pawns through continued pressure, and soon thereafter scored the game.

Dr. Tarrasch, who seems to be coming into form, turned in another vintage performance vs. John. The two players had been manuevering in this Rook and Bishop endgame for the last 20 moves, during which time the Doctor had induced his opponent into placing all his pawns on dark squares, thereby limiting the mobility of the Black Bishop. Such positions were meat and drink to Tarrasch in his heyday. Still, whether White could have achieved a decisive breakthrough had Black now adopted a waiting policy remains an open question. Instead, John sought to obtain play for his pieces via 45...a4 46.Rd3 e4 47.fxe4 axb3 48.Rxb3 Re8 49.Kc2 Rxe4 50.Kd3 Re8, but after 51.a4, the passed White a-pawn was to cause him no end of grief. The game continued 51...Ra8 52.Ra3 Bc7 53.Ke4 Be5 54.a5 Re8 55.Kf3 Bc7 56.a6 Bb6 57.Bd2 Rd8 58.Ke2 Re8+ 59.Re3 Rf8 60.Re6+ Kc7 61.Kf3 Ra8 62.Be3 (To meet 62...Rxa6 with 63.Bxc5. Note, too, the variation 62...Rf8 63.Bg1 Ba7 64.Re7+ Kb6 65.Rxa7 Kxa7 66.Bxc5+) 62...Ba7 63.Rxf6 The first fruits. 63...Rg8 64.Rf5 Rg6 65.Bxg5 Rxa6 66.Bxh4 Ra3+ 67.Kg2 and John resigned. 1-0

We again present two feature games today. The witty Tartakower attempted to turn the tables on Spielmann by playing the Evans Gambit, the same opening the Austrian had adopted in the previous round. Black chose a well-known method of returning the pawn; indeed, after 14.Qxd3 Bilguer's Handbuch evaluates the position as favorable for White, an assessment with which Spielmann does not concur. A further pawn sacrifice by Black led to an extraordinarily lively endgame. For a while, beginning at approximately the thirtieth move, both opponents appeared to be playing for mate simultaneously. Spielmann ultimately won a piece, but the resulting position, owing to a number of factors, e.g. the presence of Bishops of opposite color on the board, the two extra White pawns, one of those a passed a-pawn, and the fact that but a single Black pawn remained, was by no means an easy win. Spielmann nevertheless succeeded in realizing his advantage; in the final position, White's g-pawn will soon fall. Here now the game in full:

Finally, we come to Forgacs vs. Duras, in which the Hungarian defeated the Czech Master in excellent style. The game has been suggested as a candidate for the brilliancy prize, although the analysts have already found in it a few minor flaws. To cite but two examples, Black's 34...Kg7 could well have been replaced by 34...Kg8, as the King's position on the long diagonal facilitates White's 36.Rge3. White, in turn, might better have chosen 41.g6 in preference to 41.h8=Q. In that case, the White passed pawns would soon have cost Black both his Rooks rather than "merely" one. But these are cavils, and we are certain that all true lovers of our game will take delight in this masterpiece, and most especially in White's 37th, 38th, and 39th moves, when Forgacs leaves first his Rook, and then, for two moves running, his Queen to be taken, all with the object of prosecuting the attack through the advance of his pawns on the King's side.

Speyer had the bye.

Scores after Round 10: Schlechter, Niemzowitsch* 7; Duras*, Spielmann* 6 1/2; Dus-Chotimirsky* 6; Marshall 5 1/2; Teichmann*, Leonhardt* 5; Tartakower, Salwe, Alekhine, Forgacs 4 1/2; Dr. Tarrasch 4; Speyer 3 1/2; Kohnlein* 3; John 2 1/2; Yates 1/2.

Those players whose names are marked with an asterisk (*) have not yet had the bye, and thus have played an extra game.

Hamburg - Round 9

The tournament today passed the half-way mark, and for the first time Schlechter fell out of the lead. Duras assumed the top position at 6 1/2 points with a victory over Yates, while Schlechter, by drawing with Speyer, reached 6 points, a total now also matched by Niemzowitsch. It should be noted, however, that the Austrian Master has a game in hand over his two nearest rivals. With three such able contenders at the head of the pack, and Dus-Chotimirsky, Spielmann, and Marshall close behind, the race for the finish promises to be most dramatic.

Duras, as noted, scored the full point vs. Yates in a Closed Ruy Lopez featuring Anderssen's old move 5.d3. White developed strong pressure on the Queen's side which led first to a passed a-pawn, later to the win of the exchange, and finally to victory in an endgame with Queen and Rook vs. the Englishman's Queen and Knight. It must be said that Yates has shown exceptional tenacity and sportsmanship despite his run of poor results; he is a credit to the chess scene, and certainly a stronger player than his current score would indicate. We fully expect better, and richly well-deserved, results from him in the future.

Kohnlein and Salwe contested another Ruy Lopez for 71 moves, the last half of which featured a Bishop vs. Knight endgame with level pawns, ultimately drawn.

Tartakower essayed the Scandinavian Defense against Leonhardt, and chose the unusual gambit variation 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bb5+ c6. Black never seemed to possess quite enough compensation for his missing pawn, nor for the two pieces Tartakower later exchanged for one of Leonhardt's Rooks. In the diagrammed position Black erred with 18...Rae8, overlooking 19.Qc4+, when 19...Kh8 would be answered by 20.Nf7+, winning the exchange, as 20...Kg8 allows the so-called "smothered" mate after 21.Nh6++ Kh8 22.Qg8+ Rxg8 23.Nf7 mate. Tartakower elected to cede the exchange via a different route, 19...Ne6 20.Nd7 Qc7 21.Nxf8 Kxf8, remaining a full piece to the bad. All Black's subsequent desperate attempts to attack White's King proved fruitless, and Leonhardt scored the point on the 39th move.

Niemzowitsch and Alekhine played a Dutch Defense that resulted in a quiet draw after 30 moves.

Speyer and Schlechter likewise split the point on the 46th move in a Berlin Defense to the Ruy Lopez, with Schlechter ultimately giving perpetual check in a Queen endgame.

John, playing Black in a French Defense vs. Teichmann, achieved an excellent position with Queen and two Bishops against his opponent's Queen and two Knights. But Black mistimed the exchange of Queens and in the resulting endgame soon lost one pawn, and later a second, upon which he resigned at the 57th move.

We present two feature games today, finding ourselves unable to choose between them. First, Spielmann-Forgacs, an Evans Gambit Declined handled by White with brisk efficiency. We would point out one alternative line that arose in analysis after the game: on 21...f6 22.Rac1 Qxa3 23.Qf7+ Kh7 24.Rxc7 Qf8 25.Qh5+ Kg8 26.Rf7 (even stronger, it seems, than 26.e7) wins, the threat being 27.Qg6.

When two such tactical adepts as Dus-Chotimirsky and Marshall cross swords, sparks are sure to fly. This indeed was the case here today, beginning as early as the second move, when Marshall essayed the Albin Counter Gambit against his Russian opponent. (Let us note in passing our delight in seeing a wide variety of openings employed in today's round, which offered a Dutch Defense, a Scandinavian Defense, an Evans Gambit, and an Albin Counter Gambit. Such lines provide a welcome change from the usual run of Queen's Gambits and Four Knights' Games, and we applaud the Masters who have the courage to play them.) To return to the game in question, Marshall's 17...Ke6 represented an ingenious attempt to trap the White Queen after 18.fxe4 c6 19.Qb6 Ra6. But Dus-Chotimirsky had remarkably foreseen this possibility in advance, and trumped the American with 20.h4!, a move which threatens to win Black's Queen in turn, and in fact leaves Black, who stands at a terrible material deficit, entirely without resource. Two noteworthy lines are 20...f5 21.exf6 e.p. Kxf6 22.Qd8+! Qxd8 23.Bg5+, and 20...g6 21.Bh3+ f5, when White captures the f5-pawn not with his own pawn on e4, but rather en passant with its fellow on e5, viz., 22.exf6 e.p.+, clearing the diagonal and allowing 23.Bxc8 next move.

Dr. Tarrasch had the bye.

Scores after Round 9: Duras* 6 1/2; Schlechter, Niemzowitsch* 6; Dus-Chotimirsky*, Spielmann* 5 1/2; Marshall 5; Tartakower, Teichmann*, Leonhardt* 4 1/2; Salwe, Alekhine 4; Forgacs, Speyer* 3 1/2; Dr. Tarrasch, Kohnlein* 3; John 2 1/2; Yates 1/2. Tomorrow is another free day. Our next report will appear when the tournament resumes on the 29th inst.

Hamburg - Round 8

The excitement mounts in Hamburg. Seven of today's eight games brought victory to one of the contestants. Moreover, Niemzowitsch and Duras took advantage of Schlechter's having the bye to join the last-named at the top of the tournament table, a position the Austrian Master had occupied alone since the second round.

Forgacs and Leonhardt played the day's only draw, a Four Knights' Opening that concluded in perpetual check by Black after 35 moves.

John vs. Niemzowitsch, a Queen's Pawn Game, saw Black win the exchange on the 23rd move, and bring home the full point on the 82nd.

Marshall displayed his famed endgame skill in a Queen's Gambit Declined vs. Kohnlein. The position after Marshall's 29th move would hardly allow one to expect a White victory, but the American ace succeded in capturing Black's a-pawn in exchange for his own f-pawn, after which the advance of White's resultant passed pawn seriously threatened Black's game. 29...h6 30.Ra6 Bd5 31.Nc3 Bc4 32.Ra4 Be6 33.Rxa7 Rxf2 34.Rc7 Rc2 35.a4 Bf5 36.Nd5 Rxc7? The consensus among the Masters is that Black should have played 36...Kf8 immediately. 37.Nxc7 Kf8 38.a5 Ke7 39.a6 Kd7 40.a7 Be4 41.a8=Q Bxa8 42.Nxa8 Kc6 A noteworthy position. Black will capture White's Knight and will, momentarily at least, possess an extra pawn in the endgame, but the activity of White's King decides matters. 43.Kg3 Kb7 44.Kf4 Kxa8 45.Ke5 Kb7 46.Kd6 h5 47.Ke7 f5 48.Kf7 Kc6 49.Kxg7 Kd5 50.Kg6 Ke4 51.Kxh5 Kf4 52.Kg6 1-0

In Salwe vs. Speyer, White won a pawn early on, but later allowed Black's counterplay on the King's side to grow too threatening. The finish was pretty. 31...Bd7 32.Kh1 Qh3 33.Nf1 h6 34.Qd5 Ne1! Threatening mate next move on both g2 and f1. 35.Rxe1 Qf3+ 36.Kg1 Bh3 37.Qxe4 Qxe4 38.f3 Qxf3 and Black soon won.



Tartakower, in a Four Knights' Game vs. Dus-Chotimirsky, won 2 pawns by the 25th move, and experienced no trouble scoring the victory in the endgame.

Yates showed once again that he is a match for the established Masters - but only up to a point. As White vs. Spielmann in another Four Knights' Game, the English player reached this position, only to blunder with 28.Rf1?, whereupon 28...Rd8 cost him a piece, and, three moves later, the game.



Duras, on the Black side of a Queen's Gambit Declined, defeated Alekhine in a delicate Bishop endgame. We consider ourselves unfit to gloss fully such a masterly piece of work, and so present the endgame here with but a brief comment or two, confident that our readers will derive much profit and enjoyment from the study of its numerous subtleties. 65...Kd5 66.Kb2 b4 Without this move, the Black King will find no entry route. 67.cxb4 Kd4 68.Ka3 c3 69.Ba4 Ke3 70.Bb3 (On 70.Bxe8 c2 71.d7 c1=Q comes with check) 70...Kd2 71.b5 Bxb5 72.Kb4 Be8 73.Kc5 Ke3 74.Kc4 Kxf4 75.Kd4 Bd7 76.Bd1 Bc6 77.Kc5 Be8 78.Kd4 Bd7 79.Bb3 g5 80.hxg5 Kxg5 81.Kxc3 Kf4 82.Kd4 h4 83.Bc4 h3 84.Bf1 Kg3 85.Ba6 f4 0-1 An excellent achievement by Duras.

Dr. Tarrasch at last resembled the Tarrasch of old, and defeated Teichmann in fine positional style in a Three Knights' Game. White's 15.e5! forced the shattering of Black's Queen's side pawns (15...Nxe5 16.Qxe5), after which the rest of the game - though perhaps only for a Tarrasch - appeared very much a matter of technique. We are happy to present this game in full, and hope to see the good Doctor produce more such first-class efforts in the coming rounds.

Scores after Round 8: Schlechter, Niemzowitsch*, Duras* 5 1/2; Marshall 5; Tartakower, Dus-Chotimirsky*, Spielmann*, 4 1/2; Salwe, Forgacs, Alekhine, Teichmann*, Leonhardt* 3 1/2; Speyer*, Dr. Tarrasch* 3; John, Kohnlein* 2 1/2; Yates 1/2.

Those players whose names are marked with an asterisk (*) have not yet had the bye, and thus have played an extra game.

Hamburg - Round 7

The chessboard battles have resumed here in Hamburg, with four decisive games among today’s offerings. Several of the Masters saw their promising positions slip away and their expectations of victory come to naught, a powerful reminder that chess at the highest level is a fight until the very last move.

Niemzowitsch and Teichmann contested a Scotch Four Knights' Game, reaching a level double Rook endgame in 23 moves, and agreeing to the draw seven moves later.

Kohnlein vs. Tartakower saw the second player win White's e-pawn early in a French Defense, and ultimately reap the full point deep into a Rook endgame, notwithstanding the prolonged and tenacious resistance of his opponent.

Duras vs. John was another French Defense, in which Duras steadily outplayed his opponent to establish a two-pawn advantage. John, to his credit, fought on manfully for several hours, and in the end secured the draw through perpetual check, still two pawns in arrears, in an endgame with Queen and Bishop vs. his opponent's Queen and Knight.

Spielmann played the 5.Qe2 variation of the Ruy Lopez against Alekhine (i.e., after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6) and looked to enjoy excellent winning prospects in the middlegame, especially in light of his opponent's time shortage. But Alekhine just managed to keep his head above water, conjuring tactical resource after tactical resource, and the game was agreed drawn on the 37th move. We give the concluding portion of this stirring contest 27...Nxe5 28.Qd5 Bxe3 29.Rxe3 Re6 30.Qa5 Rb6 31.Rae1 Rbb8 32.Qd5 Rd8 33.Qe4 Re8 34.Ba4 Re6 35.Qf4 f6 36.Qe4 Qc5 37.Kh1 Reb6 1/2-1/2 Spielmann could on more than one occasion have won a pawn, for example 32.Bxf7+ or 33.Qxe5 followed by 34.Bxf7+ and only then 35.Rxe5, but it is unlikely that the advantage to be gained thereby would have sufficed for victory, all the remaining pawns standing on the same side of the board. We would point out as well Alekhine's ingenious planned reply to the apparently strong 36.Bb3, viz., 36...Rxb3 37.Rxb3 Nf3+, and it will be seen that Black has extricated himself from his difficulties.

Schlechter and Dr. Tarrasch contested a closely-fought Three Knights' Game in which the Austrian sacrificed his Queen for Rook and Bishop, saddling his opponent with tripled pawns in the process. Schlechter played 24.Nxg6+ hxg6 (not 24...Bxg6? 25.Qxg5!) 25.Qxg5 fxg5 26.Rxf7. So difficult was the resulting position that there was disagreement among the Masters whether Schlechter's sacrifice was intended as a winning or drawing attempt. In the end, the players agreed the game drawn on the 49th move, Schlechter then holding Rook, Bishop, and pawn as compensation for his missing Queen.


Leonhardt dispatched Yates in 23 moves in a Ruy Lopez. Here Yates, already under pressure, erred with 19...Ne6?. Leonhardt might have concluded the game at one with 20.Bxe6, as on 20.Bc5+ 21.Be3 Bxe3+ 22.Qxe3 fxe6 23.Qh3, the e6-square, and with it Black's game, collapses. White chose another promising path, 20.Nhxf7 Nd4 21.Qh3 (Threatening 22.Qh6+ and 23.Rxf6) 21...Nh5? (Losing at once. 21...h5, frightful as it appears, offered the only slim hope.) 22.Ne6+ Nxe6 23.Bh6+ and Black resigned. After 23...Kg8 24.Bxe6 his situation is sorry indeed.

Speyer suffered perhaps the biggest disappointment of the round. The Dutch representative won a pawn in the opening of a Ruy Lopez vs. Marshall through some clever play, only to see his advantage dissipate move by move in the endgame. 11.Nd5 Rb8 (if 11...axb5? 12.Qxa8!) 12.Bxa6 Ra8 (12...bxa6 is mer by 13.Nxe7) 13.Nxe7 Bxe7 14.Qxc6+ bxc6 15.Bxc8 Rxc8. Here 16.a4 has been suggested, in order to make use as soon as possible of the extra passed pawn. Speyer instead chose to play on the King's side, but without success. 16.Rhg1 Ra8 17.a3 O-O 18.Bd4 g6 19.f4 Ra4 20.Rge1 Bh4 21.Re2 Re8 22.e5 c5 23.Be3 White is steadily giving ground. 23...dxe5 24.fxe5 Rxe5 25.Rd7 f5 26.Kd1 Rae4 27.Rdd2 g5 28.f4 gxf4 29.Bxf4 A blunder, though any player who has ever watched a good position gradually turn sour will understand Speyer's frame of mind by this point. 29.Bf2 had to be played, to answer 29...Bxf2 with 30.Rd8+ Kf7 31.Rxf2. 29...Rxf4 30.Rxe5 Rf1+ 31.Ke2 Re1+ 32.Kf3 Rxe5 and wins. Speyer in fact played on for several moves a piece behind before resigning, perhaps to accomodate himself to the thought of the promised point gone lost.

Dus-Chotimirsky won an excellent Queen's Gambit Declined vs. Forgacs, in which White sacrificed a Knight for an attack on the King's side. The Black monarch found himself compelled to flee across the entire board in search of shelter, but in vain. We would call the reader's attention to White's further sacrifices on moves 33 and 37; the latter, offering a full Rook, forces mate, Black's King then standing on a6.

Salwe had the bye.

Scores after Round 7: Schlechter* 5 1/2; Dus-Chotimirsky*, Niemzowitsch*, Duras* 4 1/2; Marshall 4; Salwe 3 1/2; Tartakower, Alekhine, Teichmann* Spielmann* 3 1/2; Forgacs, Leonhardt* 3; John, Kohnlein* 2 1/2; Speyer*, Dr. Tarrasch* 2; Yates 1/2.

Those players whose names are marked with an asterisk (*) have not yet had the bye, and thus have played an extra game.

Hamburg - Free day

The first week's play is complete, and the names at the top of the table - the veteran Schlechter, with five points, and the rapidly rising youngsters Niemzowitsch and Duras, with four each - should offer no surprise to a knowledgeable follower of the game. The seasoned campaigner Marshall also scored four points from six games, but the withdrawal of Jacob, announced today (see below), will cost the American a well-earned victory. Spielmann, who has played so well of late, may perhaps feel a bit disappointed in his even score, while Dr. Tarrasch certainly cannot be satisfied by his position at the bottom of the list. Among the newcomers, Alekhine has demonstrated that he possesses a powerful if somewhat untamed imagination, while Yates is still struggling to earn his spurs. It is a pity that Yates' lone win so far will likewise be wiped from the slate by Jacob's departure. The tournament, however, is barely one-third complete, and much time remains for all to seek to better their score.

We are sorry to report that Master Jacob, who has been complaining of nerves and insomnia, has, as noted, withdrawn from the tourney. We wish him well: the strain of Master chess is great indeed. As Jacob had played less than half the scheduled number of games, his score will be canceled. Thus Marshall, Tartakower, and Yates, who had all defeated Jacob, each lose a point from their total, while Alekhine, Forgacs, and John, who had drawn with the departed Master, lose a half-point each. Any player who was scheduled to meet Jacob in the coming rounds will now instead enjoy a bye on the day his game was to have taken place. We give an adjusted list of scores after Round 6, reflecting the effects of Jacob's withdrawal. Those names marked with an asterisk (*) have not yet had the bye, and so have played one more game than those whose names are not so adorned.

Adjusted scores after Round 6: Schlechter* 5; Niemzowitsch*, Duras* 4; Salwe*, Dus-Chotimirsky* 3 1/2; Marshall, Forgacs, Alekhine, Teichmann*, Spielmann* 3; Tartakower, Kohnlein* 2 1/2; John, Leonhardt*, Speyer* 2; Dr. Tarrasch* 1 1/2; Yates 1/2. The tourney resumes tomorrow.

Hamburg - Round 6

Today, in the last round before the first rest day, the Masters showed excellent fighting spirit, and produced eight decisive games. Forgacs, Marshall, and Niemzowitsch can be particularly proud of their fine wins, while other players have ample cause to rue their oversights and missed opportunities. We present, as always, the highlights of the round:

Teichmann, playing White against Duras's Open Defense to the Ruy Lopez, spurned a draw via repetition of position, and later came to grief. In the diagrammed position Teichmann played 35.c6?, entirely overlooking that Duras's last move had rendered this advance impossible. Black naturally replied with 35...g3, and after 36.hxg3 Be4, Teichmann resigned.

The finish of Alekhine's game vs. Leonhardt was even more striking. The Russian, by his own admission, misplayed the White side of a Queen's Gambit Declined, and after 25...Bb7 he found his Knight trapped on e7. Alekhine played 26.Rb4, whereupon Leonhardt, who might well have asked himself the purpose of his opponent's last move, hastened to win the wayward steed with 26...Qd8?? The punishment was swift: 27.Qxh7+, followed by mate next. A sad end indeed for Leonhardt. Either 26...h6 or 26...f5, of course, would likely have forced White's immediate resignation.

The game Tarrasch vs. Niemzowitsch saw Black win a pawn in the opening and then ultimately realize his advantage in a long Knight vs. Bishop endgame.

Salwe vs. Schlechter was a Queen's Pawn Game drawn rather quietly in 31 moves.

Dus-Chotimirsky sacrificed a piece for four pawns on the Black side of a Four Knights' Game vs. Yates. Some moves later, this game offered the unusual material balance of Rook and five pawns against two Bishops. Yates put up a heroic resistance, but in the end could not stem the tide of the Black pawns' advance, and was forced to resign.

Marshall defeated Jacob in a Queen's Gambit Declined by means of a petite combinaison. After 37.hxg6 fxg6? (37...Kxg6 was necessary), Marshall played 38.Nxd4!, a sound and winning move. Jacob replied 38...Rxd4 39.Qxb7+ Ne7 (On 39...Kg8 or 39...Kf8, White achieves a winning Queen endgame via 40.Rxd4 Qxd4 - the Knight is pinned - 41.Qxc6). Marshall now revealed another fine point of his combination: 40.Qb2! Nf5 41.e3 Kh7 42.Rxd4 Nxd4 43.Qxd4 (simplest), and White soon won.

Tartakower essayed the unusual opening 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 vs Speyer, and achieved victory when his opponent committed an error that allowed White to break through on the King's side at the 30th move.

Need we say that John's game presented yet another case of changing fortune and missed opportunity? As White against Spielmann in a Queen's Pawn Game, The German Master faced this position after 37...exd4. Here White could well play 38.Rxg7 Kxg7 39.Re7+, when Black is forced to give up his Queen to avoid mate. On 39...Qf7 40.Qe6 Qxe7 41.Qxe7+, White should certainly not lose, and may perhaps even play for the advantage. Instead John chose 38.Qe6, and his position collapsed quickly after 38...f4 39.c6 f3 40.Rg6 R5d6, whereupon he resigned.

Forgacs defeated Kohnlein in 25 moves in a Queen's Pawn Game notable for the sudden manner in which White's heavy pieces gathered in the vicinity of Black's castled King. We offer that game below for the enjoyment of our readers.

Scores after 6 rounds: Schlechter 5; Niemzowitsch, Duras, Marshall 4; Salwe, Forgacs, Dus-Chotimirsky, Alekhine, Tartakower 3 1/2; Teichmann, Spielmann 3; John, Kohnlein 2 1/2; Leonhardt, Speyer 2; Tarrasch, Jacob, Yates 1 1/2. Tomorrow is a rest day.

Hamburg - Round 5

The tournament continues apace, and the players, spectators, and journalists have all settled into their daily routine. Today's round saw five decisive games, the highlight being Duras's victory over Niemzowitsch, in which the Prague Master brought home the point with a powerful attack featuring the sacrifice of a piece.

Kohnlein defeated Yates in an Open Ruy Lopez. The game extended to 88 moves as Kohnlein pressed hard for the win in an endgame with King, Rook, and pawn vs. King, Bishop and two pawns, a task in which he at last met with success thanks to mating threats and some fine tempo-play.

Jacob, playing White in a Dutch Defense, proved himself an equal match for Tartakower until well into the middlegame, only to go astray at last in the following position.
Here Jacob played 37.h3? (37.Nf3 and all is well), whereupon his position collapsed: 37...Qf2+ 38.Kh2 Rg8 39.Rg1 Bf1 40.Nf3 Rxg2+ 41.Kh1 Rxg1+, and White resigned. Jacob seemed quite perturbed after the game, though losing to Tartakower is certainly no disgrace.

The game between the two young Russian hopefuls Dus-Chotimirsky and Alekhine saw another Dutch Defense, agreed drawn in the attached position. To our mind Alekhine, possessing an extra pawn, could have still made efforts to win with 39...c5.











Schlechter's run of consecutive victories came to an end when he and Marshall split the point after 25 moves of a Petroff Defense.

Forgacs won a good game as Black in a Ruy Lopez vs. Speyer. The Hungarian representative gained the advantage of the two Bishops and used them effectively to exploit White's somewhat weakened Queen's side.

Spielmann and Teichmann played the shortest game of the day, a Queen's Gambit Declined drawn in 20 moves.

Leonhardt built up an excellent position against John's French Defense, only to see his opponent gradually turn the tide by means of a Queen's side advance. The endgame was quite dramatic: After 53.Rxa2 Rxa2 some of the Masters present felt that Leonhardt could force the win with 54.Bf8, e.g. 54...Rb1+ 55.Kh2 Raa1 56.Rh3! Rh1+ 57.Kg3 Ra3+ (if 57...Nxd4, then simply 58.h8=Q) 58.Kg4 59.Ne3+ Kg5. We must respectfully disagree with this analysis, however, on two counts. We should state at the outset that the following variations are not our own, but were pointed out by a member of our club from home, Herr Fritz, who, as is his custom, is passing the summer here in his native Germany, and who is in attendance as a spectator at the Hamburg Congress. Herr Fritz possesses a most keen eye for tactics, and has discovered some remarkable possibilities in this sharp endgame, viz.: if 54.Bf8 Rb1+ 55.Kh2 Raa1 56.Rh3, Herr Fritz points out that Black need not give check on h1, but can play 56...Nxd4 immediately, the point being that after 57.h8=Q, Black replies 57...Nf5, threatening mate. 58.Rh7+ is then forced, to provide the King with an escape square, and on 58...Kc6 59.Kh3 Rb3+ 60.Kh2 is the only move, other replies allowing Black to mate. Black then plays 60...Rbb1 61.Kh3 Rb3+, and the game ends in a draw. But all this is perhaps of merely academic interest, as Herr Fritz also points out that even earlier, Black can answer the suggested 54.Bf8 with the brilliant 54...Ne3!, as 55.h8=Q allows Black to mate beginning with 55...Rb1+ and ...Rxg2+. After 55.Rf1 (other replies are worse) 55...Ra1! 56.Rxa1 (56.h8=Q Rxf1+ 57.Kh2 Rbxf8) 56...Rxf8, and Black must win. Thus 54...Ne3 refutes the ingenious attempt 54.Bf8, and Leonhardt can take some solace in the knowledge that, in analytical terms, he did not overlook a saving chance. The game concluded 54.Rf8 Ra1+ 55.Kh2 Rbb1 56.h8=Q Rh1+ 57.Kg3 Rxh8 58.Rxh8 Nxd4 59.Bf6 c3 60.Rh7+ Kc6 61.Bd8 c2 62.Rc7+ Kb5 63.Bg5 c1=Q 64.Bxc1 Rxc1 0-1. We need hardly point out that John's series of "cliffhangers" continues.

Salwe and Tarrasch played a Queen's Gambit Declined, drawn in 31 moves. Salwe seems to have missed a winning blow just before the cessation of hostilities. Here 30.Nxe6+ is very strong. White answers 30...fxe6 with 31.Ra7+ (31...Kh6 32.Qf8+ and mates naext move), while 30...Qxe6 is met by 31.Ra8 Qxe2 (31...Kf6 32.Qh8+ and 33.Qxb2) 32.Qf8+ Kf6 33.Ra6+ Kf5 34.Qxf7+ Ke4 35.Re6+, etc. We again have Herr Fritz to thank for pointing out 30.Nxe6+

Duras defeated Niemzowitsch in a Philidor Defense by means of a sacrificial attack whose soundness has yet to be fully established. Niemzowitsch stood well, but seems to have overlooked the possibility of 21.Bxf7+, a move not fatal in itself, but one that led to a steady deterioration of Black's play. On the 23rd move, for example, both 23...Rg5 and 23...Rad8 have been suggested as superior to Niemzowitsch's 23...Ke8, e.g. 23...Rad8 24.Rxe8 Rxg3+ 25.Qxg3 Ne2+ and 26...Nxg3, with Queen vs. two Rooks and approximate equality. Indeed, in this line the game may well soon end in a draw through White giving perpetual check. Duras concluded the attack skillfully, and was rewarded with warm applause from the spectators. We now present the game in full:

Scores after Round 5: Schlechter 4 1/2; Salwe, Duras, Niemzowitsch, Teichmann, Marshall 3; John, Forgacs, Dus-Chotimirsky, Alekhine, Tartakower, Kohnlein 2 1/2; Leonhardt, Spielmann, Speyer 2; Dr. Tarrasch, Jacob, Yates 1 1/2.

Hamburg - Round 4

Today's round was less decisive, though no less hard-fought, than the previous one. Four of the five draws extended past the 50-move mark, with the Teichmann-Leonhardt encounter reaching the remarkable total of 122 moves before the Masters agreed to terms of peace. We look forward to more full-blooded encounters in the coming days.

Forgacs, as White in a Queen's Gambit Declined vs. Jacob, sacrificed the exchange for two pawns. He later annexed a third, but could not turn his material advantage to account, the activity of Black's Rooks in the endgame proving sufficient to hold the balance.

In another Queen's Gambit Declined, Marshall defeated Salwe with some fine endgame play.After 19.e4 Kc6 20.exd5+ Nxd5 21.Na4! it became apparent that the unsupported position of Black's Knight would soon cost him dear. The game continued 21...Ra5 22.Rc1+ Kd6 23.Nc3 Rc8 24.b4 Rxc3 25.Rxc3 Rb5? (25...Rxa2 offered the only slight chance) 26.a4 Rxb4 27.Rcd3 Rxa4 28.Rxd5+ and White won.

Tartakower essayed the Gioco Pianissimo vs. Schlechter, who steadily outplayed his young opponent to record his fourth successive win.

In Yates vs. Speyer, a Four Knights' Game led to a Rook endgame and, in the end, a draw.

Teichmann and Leonhardt likewise drew, as noted above, after a marathon 122 moves in a Ruy Lopez. The last 85 moves saw Teichmann attempt without success to convert his extra pawn in a double Rook endgame.

Alekhine employed the Vienna Game vs. Kohnlein. The second player seemed to have the better of the Rook endgame, but finally could not avoid the draw.

Tarrasch and Duras drew quietly after 30 moves of a Queen's Gambit Declined in which the Czech Master played the Doctor's favorite 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 against him.

John's remarkable adventures continued as he blundered badly vs. Dus-Chotimirsky in a heavy-piece ending. White met the threat of ...Rg4+ with 45.Kh3 (45.Qh6+ Ke7 46.Rd2 was, by common opinion, superior) 45...Rd3 46.Qf4 Rxa3 47.Kg3 Rd3 48.Rd2?? e5, and the White Queen could no longer protect the Rook, as on 49.Qg5 both 49...f4+ and 49...Qxf3+ are deadly. John played 50.Rxd3 exf4+ and resigned a few moves later.

Niemzowitsch defeated Spielmann in a Scotch Game that featured a fine finish. Blcak's 23...Qe6 was an error, as after White's reply 24.Qf5, the Black c-pawn proves indefensible. The denouement was as sudden as it was pretty; White's 28th move was indeed the highlight of the entire round.

Scores after 4 rounds: Schlechter 4; Niemzowitsch 3; Salwe, Teichmann, Marshall 2 1/2; Leonhardt, Speyer, Duras, Alekhine, Dus-Chotimirsky 2; Tartakower, Spielmann, John, Forgacs, Yates, Jacob, Kohnlein 1 1/2; Dr. Tarrasch 1.

Hamburg - Round 3

Today the Masters offered the public a feast of interesting and fighting chess. Eight of the nine games saw a decisive result, one more than in the first two rounds combined. The highlight of the round was Marshall’s defeat of Tarrasch with the help of a new move in the Max Lange Attack. This, we believe, represents the first full point the American Champion has wrested from the Doctor since their match of five years ago. We shall have more to say about that game at the close of our summary of the round.

Alekhine scored his first victory, as Black in a French Defense vs. Speyer. The Russian developed a Queen’s side initiative that continued, notwithstanding the exchange of Queens, well into a Rook endgame, which he brought to a successful conclusion with a sure hand.

Salwe defeated Tartakower in a fine game featuring some artful play. Tartakower defended against Salwe’s Queen’s Pawn opening with the defense often favored by the late Chigorin: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 Nbd7. White gradually advanced on the King’s side, and in this position
answered 27…bxc4 with 28.f6!, shattering the Black King’s apparently secure fortress. The reader will derive much pleasure by working out the attractive variations that refute Black’s plausible replies: in many lines, the move Nh5, with or without check, is deadly. Tartakower could find nothing better than 28…c3 29.Bxc3 g6 30.fxe7 Bxe7, after which Salwe duly turned his extra piece to account.

Forgacs, playing Black in a Petroff Defense vs. Schlechter, allowed himself the luxury of capturing the Austrian’s loose a-pawn with his Queen, and soon found the lady trapped. Schlechter subsequently scored the point without undue exertion.

Jacob vs. Yates was an odd game. The English representative, as second player in a Queen’s Gambit, lost one exchange through an oversight, and then sacrificed another in the search for counterplay. After Black’s 25th move, the following position arose:
Here Jacob elected to return some of his material surplus in order to simplify the position via 26.Rxe5 Nxe5 27.Qg3 Qxg3 28.hxg3 b4 29.Nd5 Nd3, but after 30.Ne7+? (30.e4 was indicated by some of the Masters as a superior alternative) 30..Kg7, he discovered to his horror that 31.Nxf5+ gxf5 32.Rxf5 was unplayable, as 32…c3 would cost White his Rook in order to prevent the Black pawn from reaching the last rank. Jacob hastened to recall his Knight and enlist it in the defensive effort, but to no avail. Black’s Queen’s side pawns proved too threatening, and after 31.Nc6 Be4 32.Nd4 Nxb2 33.a3 b3 34.Rc1 Na4 35.Rxc4 b2, Yates recorded his first win.

Spielmann vs. Duras produced the only draw of the round, a Ruy Lopez marked by careful maneuvers and a drawn Rook endgame.

Kohnlein vs. John, a French Defense, was a tragedy for the first player, who conducted a fine sacrificial attack only to miss a forced mate on more than one occasion and then, in the end, to blunder horribly into mate himself.
Here Kohnlein played 24.Rxf6 gxf6 25.Qd5+ Kg7 26.Qb7+(26.Qd7+ forces mate in 5, but the move played spoils nothing yet) 26…Kg8 27.Bxf6 (Over-refinement. 27.Qxa8+ again leads to mate: 27…Nf8 28.Qd5+, etc. But White is still winning even now.) 27…Rh7 (There is, however, no longer an imminent mate.) 28.Qxa8+ Nf8 29.Qd5+ Rf7 30.g3 Qg6 31.Bc3 Qc2 (32.Bd4 or 32.Qd4 would now suffice. Kohnlein’s move shocked both the spectators and his opponent.) 32.Re7?? Qxf2+ and White resigned. In only three rounds, John has already lived through enough adventures for a full tournament. He survived a two-pawn deficit in the endgame vs. Jacob; he made a gift of half a point to Speyer in a position with but a King and lone pawn on each side; and he somehow escaped a forced mate vs. Kohnlein and mated his opponent’s King instead. Our noble pastime is not a game for timid souls.

Leonhardt vs. Niemzowitsch featured a Caro-Kann Defense in which the Master from Latvia won a delicate Bishop ending. It appears that Leonhardt missed a chance to draw.
40.Be1 now seems to hold, viz., 40…Bxe1 41.Kxe1 Kd5 42.Kd2 Ke4 43.g5 and draws. Instead Leonhardt played 40.Kg2, and was forced to concede after 40…Kd5 41.g5 fxg5 42.fxg5 Ke4 43.g6 Bf6 44.Kf2 Bg7 45.Ke1 b6 46.Kd1 Kd4 47.Kc1 Kc4 48.Kb1 b5 49.Be1 b4 50.Bd2 b3 51.Bc1 Kd5 52.Bd2 Ke4 53.Bg5 b2.

Dus-Chotimirsky played a well-known line of the Queen’s Gambit vs. Teichmann, but a moment’s inattention cost him the game.
The Russian player chose 17.Nd4?, an oversight that lost two pieces for a Rook after 17…Rxc3 18.Qxc3 Ne4. White resigned eight moves later.





Marshall vs. Tarrasch: In our time many of the openings have been so thoroughly analyzed that rare indeed are the instances when one Master can surprise another with a move that overturns the evaluation of a well-known variation. Yet Marshall accomplished that feat today. His 15.Bh6!, a move never before seen in the venerable Max Lange Attack, has now tipped the scales in that line in White’s favor, and, for the present at least, the onus rests on those who play the variation as Black to strengthen the defense. The game naturally attracted much interest, and there has already been some discussion among the Masters regarding possible improvements in Black’s play. In particular, 16…Be7 and 16…d2 have been suggested as superior alternatives to 16...Bd6, while 21…d2 may well have been better than Tarrasch’s 21…Rde8. We shall leave the analysis of such complex possibilities to keener minds than ours, and limit ourselves to presenting this freshly-produced work of art for the enjoyment of our readers.

Scores after Round 3: Schlechter 3; Salwe 2 ½; Teichmann, Niemzowitsch 2, Speyer, Leonhardt, Tartakower, Duras, Spielmann, John, Marshall, Alekhine 1 ½; Forgacs, Yates, Jacob, Dus-Chotimirsky, Kohnlein 1; Dr. Tarrasch ½. It is sad to see the Doctor at the bottom of the list, but there are many rounds yet to be played.

Hamburg - Round 2

The second round of the Hamburg tournament offered an odd miscellany of blunders, quiet draws, and some fine play.

We begin with John vs. Speyer, a Queen's Pawn Game in which the first player, after having lost a pawn on the 28th move, defended manfully for hours, only to commit an inexplicable oversight when the draw was at last within reach.

In this position John played the correct 65.f3 g3 66.Kxg3 Ke3, but then erred fatally with 67.Kg2??, and resigned after 67...f4 68.Kg1 Kxf3 69.Kf1 Ke3. Of course 67.f4 would have drawn: 67...Ke4 68.Kg2!Kxf4 69.Kf2. After the game John could offer no explanation for such an unaccountable lapse. We would only suggest that this incident represents yet another in a long line of examples demonstrating the severe nervous tension under which the Masters labor.

The newcomer Yates held his own for quite a long while vs. Schlechter, only to cede a pawn through an oversight that ultimately cost him the game.

Here Yates played 32.Rb2?, completely overlooking the reply 32...Bxc4. Schlechter is not one to let such an opportunity pass him by, and he garnered the full point in a long endgame.



In Niemzowitsch vs. Dus-Chotimirsky, a Scotch game led to an uneventful draw.

Alekhine won a pawn vs. Jacob after some maneuvering in a Queen's Pawn Game, and by common opinion stood to win. But the young Russian proved unable to convert his advantage, and the game was agreed drawn on the 48th move.

Teichmann, playing the Ruy Lopez as White, might well have made more of his advantageous position on the Queen's side vs. Kohnlein. But the latter's threats on the other wing deterred him, and a draw was agreed in a Knight endgame.

Forgacs and Salwe agreed to a draw after 31 moves of a Four Knights' Game in a position with much material (and, to our eye, much play) still on the board. One hopes that both show more fighting spirit as the tourney progresses.

Dr. Tarrasch, as White in another Four Knights', saw a promising position collapse rather quickly vs. Spielmann, and was forced to strike his colors on the 32nd move.

Duras and Leonhardt played a Ruy Lopez that began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c4, an unusual move in this opening, but one of which Duras seems to be rather fond. The game developed into a long Rook endgame whose most interesting moments came at its very close.

After 48...d2 49.Rd1 a4 50.g5 axb3 51.axb3 Kxb3, the audience, who enjoy a pawn race almost as much as a sacrificial attack, were abuzz with excitement. Thus, when a draw was agreed after but one more pair of moves, 52.f6 Kc2, some onlookers were disappointed. Analysis, however, proved that a shared point was the correct conclusion: 53.Rxd2+ Kxd2 54.f7 c4 55.g6 c3 56.g7 c2 57.f8=Q Rxf8 58.gxf8=Q c1=Q, and there is nothing more to play for.

Tartakower won what we feel was an excellent game, trapping Marshall's Knight in a Bishop vs. Knight endgame. We present that game in full so that our readers may enjoy it, and bid farewell until tomorrow.

Total scores after Round 2: Schlechter 2; Salwe, Leonhardt, Tartakower, Speyer 1 1/2, Jacob, Teichmann, Dus-Chotimirsky, Duras, Forgacs, Kohnlein, Niemzowitsch, Spielmann 1; John, Tarrasch, Marshall, Alekhine 1/2; Yates 0.

Hamburg - Round 1

The first round of the Master Tournament at the Hamburg Congress was played today. Caution was the watchword, with several contests ending in quiet draws. Only three of the nine games finished decisively.

Jacob opened with the Queen's Pawn vs. John and the game soon developed along the Stonewall lines of the Dutch Defense. Some imprecise opening play by John allowed Jacob to press his advantage, and ultimately led to a two-pawn surplus in the endgame for the first player. But Jacob later went astray, and the draw was recorded.

Tartakower vs. Tarrasch saw the opening 1.c4 e6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4, which we are unsure whether to christen a Queen's Gambit or a French Defense. Quick exchanges brought about an endgame with Bishops of opposite colors on the 29th move, and the game was agreed drawn 8 moves later.

Speyer vs. Teichmann featured the Exchnge Variation of the Ruy Lopez. Teichmann blundered a pawn on move 17, but nevertheless held on to draw.

Leonhardt defeated Spielmann in a French Defence highlighted by a pretty Knight sacrifice. Some members of this forum have requested that we provide a board and pieces so that they may play through any particularly interesting game. We are nothing if not solicitous of our readers' concerns:

Dus-Chotimirsky vs. Duras saw another draw. Duras as Black seemed to develop some pressure in a Queen's Gambit Accepted, but general exchanges soon eased the tension, and peace was agreed.

In Marshall vs. Forgacs, another Queen's Gambit led, after several exchanges and 32 moves, to an equal Queen-and-Knight endgame and the halving of the point.

Schlechter, with the move, defeated Alekhine in a Philidor Defense.

In the diagrammed position, Schlechter won two pieces for a Rook via 21.Qh5 Qxh5 22.Bxh5 Rxd8 23.Rxd8 Bf7 24.Rxe8+ Bxe8 25.Bxe8, and smoothly brought the game to victory. But Alekhine pointed out afterward that 21.Qg3 might have been even stronger; after 21...Qxg3 (forced, the threat being Bxb6, leaving Black's Queen's Rook unprotected) 22.hxg3 Rxd8 23.Rxd8 Rf8 24.Nxe4, White will emerge a full exchange ahead.



Salwe defeated Yates in a Queen's Pawn Game. The finish was particularly fine.

Here Salwe played 36.h6 gxh6 37.d5 hxg5 (The time for the adjournament having come, Yates sealed this move, writing the ambiguous "37...PxP" on his scoresheet. Upon resumption, the tournament director, who might well have imposed the stricter sanction of forfeit, accepted Yates' explanation that 37...RPxP was his intended move, and allowed the English representative to continue with only a warning. The contest in any case came to a speedy end.) 38.Bxg5 h5 39.Qf6+ Kg8 40.d6 e5 41.Qg6+ Qg7 42.Qe8+ Qf8 43.d7 Bxd7 44.Qxd7 Qc5+ 45.Be3 Qc2+ 46.Bd2 and Yates resigned. 1-0

Finally, Kohnlein vs. Niemzowitsch saw a Caro-Kann Defense lead to a level Rook ending in 24 moves, a level Pawn ending in 28, and a draw 2 moves later.

Scores after Round 1: Schlechter, Salwe, Leonhardt 1; Jacob, John, Tartakower, Tarrasch, Speyer, Teichmann, Dus-Chotimirsky, Duras, Marshall, Forgacs, Kohnlein, Niemzowitsch 1/2; Alekhine, Spielmann, Yates 0.

Hamburg tournament preview

The great Hamburg tournament, held in connection with the 17th Congress of the German Schachbund, is set to begin in a few days’ time, on the 18th inst. Some of the Masters have already arrived in the city, and others are expected daily, so that the full roster of entrants has now become known. What follows below is a brief précis of our thoughts on each competitor and his prospects. We take the entrants in alphabetical order.

Alekhine: This young Russian, born of noble stock and winner of last year’s Amateur tournament at St. Petersburg is, at only 17 years of age, the Benjamin of the tournament. Nevertheless, he is already more than a match for any of the other Masters present at lightning chess. He seems to possess a fine eye for combinations and is nearly always to be found on the attack. He will be the object of much interest in this, his first Master tournament.

Duras: The successes in recent years of this strong-willed and cold-blooded Czech are well-known: 2nd at Vienna 1907; 1st = at Vienna 1908; 1st= at Prague 1908; and 3rd/4th= last year at St. Petersburg. His technique is first-rate, his opening knowledge vast, and his endurance remarkable. We feel that he is approaching his full potential as a Master, and expect much of him here.

Dus-Chotimirsky: This Russian’s risky attacking style, always full of ideas, gathers him many admirers if not always many points. All will recall his victories over Dr. Lasker and Rubinstein last year at St. Petersburg, an event in which Dus-Chotimirsky nevertheless finished with a minus score—evidence enough of his variable results.

Forgacs: Formerly known as Fleischmann before taking up residence in Budapest. He states that he is currently somewhat out of practice. Nevertheless, this winner of the 3rd/4th= prizes at Nuremberg 1906 and the 5th prize at Ostend the following year should not be discounted.

Jakob: A reserve player promoted to the top ranks after some of the expected competitors declined to compete (see below). We know little of his history or style; he told us personally that he hopes his nerves can withstand the trials of such a long and grueling event.

John: From Dresden. Always sound, though perhaps rarely spectacular; his 4th place finish at Dusseldorf two years ago represents one of his best results.

Kohnlein: Winner of the Dusseldorf Hauptturnier in 1908. His position as teacher in Pirmasens allows him little opportunity to encounter first-class opposition, a circumstance that this event should remedy, if only temporarily.

Leonhardt: His well-known opening erudition makes him a difficult man to defeat, as was evidenced by his 3rd place finish at Carlsbad 1907, where he lost only two games. Sad to say, he looks rather unwell as the tournament approaches.

Marshall: Our American Champion. His rather one-sided match losses to Dr. Lasker, Dr. Tarrasch, and Capablanca in recent years have perhaps obscured the fact that Marshall has always been far more successful as a tournament performer. A nearly irresistible attacker when he obtains an advantage, and a resourceful defender and perpetrator of countless “swindles” when standing worse, Marshall, we feel, is due for another outstanding tournament success.

Niemzowitsch: (We confess to being unsure of the correct English spelling of this Master's name, having seen many versions in print. We are equally unsure as to why Master N. refused to speak to us when we enquired about this matter.) Most definitely a rising star in the chess world. His finish at Ostend 1907, where he shared the 3rd and 4th places, gave evidence of his great promise. He is said to have spent much time recently in study of the game. Known for his bizarre moves and unusual ideas, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

Salwe: This Lodz player possesses an essentially sound style and limits himself to but a few openings, e.g. the Queen’s Pawn’s Game, of which he knows every nuance. Many encounters with Rubinstein have undoubtedly strengthened his play.

Schlechter: Little need be said in his case. The man who came within a hair’s breadth of taking the World Champion title from Dr. Lasker earlier this year is surely near the zenith of his career. At his best he is nearly impossible to defeat. And he is at his best. Surely he will take a high prize.

Speyer: The Dutch representative is a sound and strong player, though perhaps a bit out of his class here. Still, the other Masters will need to exert themselves to prove that the tournament is too strong for him.

Spielmann: Yet another up-and-coming young talent. His recent match victories over Mieses and Fahrni merely add to his list of successes. A fine attacking player with a maturing style, he no longer seems to lose his head after a defeat. His 3rd/4th finish last year at St. Petersburg, equal with Duras, was perhaps his best tournament result to date. He will surely attempt to surpass that achievement here.

Dr. Tarrasch: The good Doctor has not quite been himself since his defeat by Dr. Lasker in their match for the World Championship two years ago. He has played but little, and his victory in the Ostend Championship tournament of 1907 somehow seems to belong to the distant past. But we firmly believe that the old lion can still bite, and that Dr. Tarrasch will welcome the opportunity to match wits with so many of today’s crop of rising young masters, not to mention a few older and more familiar foes. We expect a good result from him here in Hamburg.

Tartakower: Russia seems to produce an endless string of young hopefuls. Tartakower finished in the middle of the pack at St. Petersburg, but nevertheless is blessed with great talent and imagination, and will undoubtedly go far. He seems to know this: one of the other masters confided to us that if Tartakower’s playing strength ever matches his self-confidence, he could be a potential World Champion.

Teichmann: Can it truly be 16 years since Teichmann played in his first Master tournament at Leipzig? The solid Teichmann has in recent years forgone his work as a teacher of languages to devote himself to chess. Always in the prize-list, if rarely at the top (hence his nickname among the Masters, “Richard the Fifth”), Teichmann can be counted on for another worthy result. And perhaps something more.

Yates: The young English representative, of whom we know only that he is said to possess excellent tactical vision. Like Alekhine and Jakob, Yates owes his place in the tournament to the withdrawal or non-appearance of other, better-known players. Dr. Tarrasch has objected to his participation on the grounds of insufficient strength and achievements. Their game, a true needle-match, will thus surely be one to watch.

Notable absentees include the Champion, Dr. Lasker, currently on tour in South America, as well as his co-winner at last year’s St. Petersburg contest, Rubinstein, who had been expected to play and only recently sent word declining his invitation. Janowski, too, just yesterday declined to participate, and neither Maroczy nor Bernstein has entered the lists. Herrn E. Cohn and E. Post likewise opted not to play when offered the opportunity. Finally, word comes from America that young Capablanca, whose decisive victory over Marshall in their match last year astounded the chess world, and who had gone so far as to book passage across the Atlantic, has now unfortunately canceled his voyage and withdrawn from the tournament owing to ill-health. We wish him the speediest of recoveries and hope to see him cross swords with the European elite in the very near future.

Still, the masters now assembling here in Hamburg represent a more than fair share of the world’s best players. The struggle for prizes promises to be fierce, and he who carries off first honors will have achieved a most notable success. Let the games begin!