From France comes a report that Russian co-Champion Alexander Alekhine and U.S. Champion Frank J. Marshall are among the participants in a quadrangular tournament at the Café Continental in Paris. Joining the two Masters in the lists are French prodigy André Muffang, whose name is not unfamiliar to our regular readers, as well as B. Hallegua, a player known to us only through his participation in two consultation games, one played last year vs. Janowski and the other, from April of the current year, which saw him in partnership with Marshall and chess patron Léonardus Nardus.
We understand that Muffang took the early lead in the tourney with a first-round victory over Hallegua, while Alekhine and Marshall played to a short draw. The second round saw the Masters assert their strength, with Marshall defeating Muffang and Alekhine besting Hallegua, a game reproduced below. Marshall and Alekhine thus share the lead after two rounds with 1 1/2 points each, followed by Muffang with 1 and Hallegua with 0. We expect to receive the results of the third and final round in time for tomorrow's column.
Appended is the second-round victory by Alekhine over Hallegua. White's attacking intentions are clear from the outset, and by the 20th move all White pieces are trained on the opposing King. Hallegua's 21...e5?, unwisely opening the position, meets with a surprising and pretty reply. Alekhine soon wins the enemy Queen for Rook and Knight and gains in addition a powerful passed d-pawn whose continued advance strains the defensive resources of the inferior Black forces. By the 36th move Black cannot avoid further material loss; checkmate comes eight moves thereafter.
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