José R. Capablanca is again on the move. The young Master-cum-diplomat was a recent guest among the chess aficionados of Kiev, in which city he gave two simultaneous performances on 2 and 3 March, facing 60 opponents in total and making the excellent score of 49 wins and 4 draws, with seven defeats. We append one sparkling victory by Capablanca, a miniature in which the Cuban ace sacrifices two pieces to drive the Black King down the board and force checkmate in a mere 19 moves.
On 5 March Capablanca faced the consulting team of E.D. Bogoljubow, A.M. Evensohn, and F.D. Bohatirchuk, the first two of whom are well-known to our readers as participants in the recent All-Russian Masters' tournament at St. Petersburg. The consultants, having the move, initially followed the course of last month's Bernstein-Capablanca encounter at Moscow, a game won by the Cuban in brilliant fashion, before varying at the 12th move with 12.0-0 in place of Bernstein's 12.Bxf6. White seemed at first to gain a slight advantage, which, however, soon dissipated in the ensuing Rook endgame in the face of Capablanca's active Queen-side play. The contest was ultimately agreed drawn at the 54th move. This game, too, the reader will find reproduced below.
We understand that from Kiev Capablanca plans to travel to Vienna, and from there perhaps to Paris. With Dr. Tarrasch now in Italy and Dr. Lasker, at latest report, soon to arrive in Russia, the European continent is abuzz with activity by three of the greatest exponents of our game, all of whom - among many others - will soon gather in St. Petersburg for the grand tournament set to begin in that city in April.
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