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.