Rudolf Spielmann and Dr. Milan Vidmar share the lead after two rounds of the international Masters' tournament at Mannheim with perfect 2-0 scores. Spielmann defeated Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch from the Black side of a closed Sicilian Defense, outplaying his opponent in a position featuring the heterogeneous material balance of Queen vs. three minor pieces. Vidmar bested Richard Reti in a Queen's Pawn Game, easily turning aside Reti's rather wild attempts to launch a King-side assault. In other games Carl Carls, using his favorite opening move 1.c4, defeated Ehrhardt Post with a powerful attacking performance, while Jacques Mieses broke through the King-side defenses of Walter John to score the full point in a French Defense, and Oldrich Duras recovered from his first-round defeat at the hands of Alexander Alekhine to top Efim Bogoljubow via some fine endgame play. Veteran David Janowski played to a draw vs. the tourney's youngest participant, Gyula Breyer, while Alekhine let slip an opportunity to join the leaders by allowing Paul Krüger to escape with a draw from a losing position. Alexander Flamberg won a pawn vs. Frank J. Marshall, but the game was agreed drawn after 27 moves, the presence of Bishops commanding squares of opposite color making a peaceful result unavoidable. The score of the drawn Fahrni-Tartakower game was not included in today's report from Mannheim.
Scores after Round 2: Spielmann, Vidmar 2; Alekhine, Carls, Tartakower 1 1/2; Breyer, Duras, John, Marshall, Mieses, Reti, Krüger 1; Fahrni, Flamberg, Bogoljubow, Janowski, Post 1/2; Tarrasch 0.
We present the games:
Spielmann made good progress on the Queen-side while Dr. Tarrasch's advance on the other wing never proceeded beyond the fourth rank. The Austrian Master employed his Queen most deftly in the battle against White's minor pieces.
Reti uncharacteristically went in for some wild play, sacrificing two pawns and a Bishop for vague attacking chances. Vidmar had little trouble in scoring the win.
Carls overcame Post with a powerful attack. Black might have spared himself the last few moves.
Mieses at last broke through on the King-side vs. John, concluding matters with a mating attack.
Duras showed his strength in the endgame, outplaying Bogoljubow from an equal position.
Janowski and Breyer contested a French Defense, agreeing to a draw after 32 moves in a position in which, to our eye, Black had good reason to continue the struggle with 32...Rxa2.
Alekhine-Krüger, another French Defense, saw White build an overwhelming position but then, apparently pressed for time, go wrong at the 40th move with 40.h4?, overlooking the winning 40.Re2!
Flamberg essayed the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez vs. Marshall and succeeded in winning a pawn, but the game ended in an early draw nonetheless in view of the equalizing presence of Bishops of opposite color in the endgame.
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