Prague defeats Berlin in second annual match

We return, rested and refreshed, to our regular reporting of events in the world of chess.

On 31 May and 2 June a double-round match over thirteen boards was held in Prague between representatives of that city and a visiting team from Berlin. Last year in a similar contest at Berlin the German players prevailed by a single point, and another close finish was anticipated on this occasion after the first day's play had ended with honors even at 6 1/2 points a side. But the Prague men then rose to the occasion and recorded a resounding success, taking the second day by a 9-4 score and the match by the overall total of 15 1/2 - 10 1/2. Several familiar names appear among the combatants, as the top four boards for the victors were manned by Oldrich Duras, the brothers Karel and František Treybal, and Ladislav Prokeš, while Erich Cohn held down first board for the Berlin squad, followed by Ehrhardt Post, Carl Ahues, and Willi Schlage. Special mention must be made of the Prague players Sery, Mitovsky, and v. Zukovsky on the bottom three boards, who scored 5 1/2 points from 6 games and so may be said in a sense to have provided the winning margin in the match.

We present below the results of the match, along with three games therefrom.

Berlin 10½                                 Prague 15½

E.Cohn             ½ ½                 Duras               ½ ½

E. Post              1  ½                   K. Treybal     0  ½

Ahues               0  ½                  F. Treybal      1  ½

Schlage            ½  0                  Prokeš             ½  1

Pahl                   ½  0                  Dr. Kvicala     ½ 1

Rothenstein    0  1                   Dr. Tausig       1  0

Wiegand           1 ½                   Richter            0 ½

Plönnings        ½  ½                Pavelka          ½ ½

Jacobowitz       1  0                  Opocensky     0  1

Dr. Schulz         1  ½                 Moravec         0  ½

Klotzsch            0  0                  Sery                   1  1

Janowsky          0  0                  Mitovsky        1   1

Wienskowitz     ½ 0                 v. Zukovsky   ½ 1

Here, from the first day's play, Karel Treybal of Prague handles the Black side of a Four Knights' Game rather poorly and suffers a quick defeat at the hands of Berlin's Post.

In the return game between the same opponents Treybal stood to win until a faulty King move allowed Black to force perpetual check via a Rook sacrifice.

Prokeš scored a valuable point for Prague on the second day, outplaying Schlage from a difficult heavy-piece endgame with the help of a Queen sacrifice.