Vol. V ThllTsday, Number 21 Officlal Publication of me United States (bessfederatloll July 5, 1951 RESHEVSKY WINS WERTHEIM Euwe And Naidorl Tie For Second, P,uitio" No. 71 MUGRIDGE WINS D. C. TOURNAMENT Fine Fourth, And Evans Fifth Donald Mugridge, editor of Washington, won the District or Adequate revenge for his second place behind Najdorf came to Columbia Championship impres­ Samuel Rcshevsky in the Wertheim Memorial Tournament at the lUh sively with a 71h.1k score, conced­ round at the Chess Club when he drew with his formidable ing one draw to runner-up Oscar opponent from to win an undisputed first place. Never out Shapiro. Save for an appearance of the lead, Resbevsky, despite a loss to Dr. , showed def­ at Durham in 1950 where he plae· inite return to the form that made him five times U. S. Champion. He ed third behind N. T. Whitaker conceded draws to Najdorf, Fine, Horowitz and O'Kelly, but retained and Eliot Hearst, it was the first the lead throughout the event. . tournament appearance of Mug­ l.Iendel Na jdorf was undefeated, but conceded too many draws to ridge for a number of years. Sec­ win top spot, drawing with Rcshevsky, Evans, Byrne, Horowitz, Guin.!ard, ond place went to Oscar Shapiro O'Kelly and Kramer. Thus he shared second place with Dr. Max Euwe with 6·2 losing to Nathaniel Cole­ who also scored 7 lh -3lf~, Dr. Euwc, showing to !Jetter advantage than burn and drawing with Mugridge in the last few years, scored a victory over Reshevsky, but lost games and Mott. Charles D. Motl" 1950 to Najdorf and Evans. He drew with O'Kelly and Bisguier. Southwestern Open Champion, was Dr. Re uben Fine in gaining PAYNE CAPTURES third with 51h:·21h:, losing games to fourth place with 7-4 needed a 'Mugridge and Whitaker, and draw­ dashing horsc·opera fi~i s~ to a- KENTUCKY TITLE ing with Shapiro. chieve this success, wmmng 31h White To Play And Win! Malcolm Wiener placed fourtb points out of his last four games. Fred F. Payne of Mayfield won Ihe Kentucky Championship by Conducted by William Rojam and Morton Seidelman fifth on S­ Lack o[ practice was evident in B points with equal 5-3 scores. his games, and his play did victory in the play-off match with OSITION No. 71 represents an amusing situation that docs not too Sixth to ninth on S·B points with not have the finish and surety dis­ W. B. Long, also of Mayfield. P infrequently occur in actual play-While has overwhelming super­ equal 41h-31h scores Nathaniel played when won the 1948 Man­ Payne and Long tied for first at iority in material, bul Black is in a position. The problem is Coleburn, Martin C. Stark, R. C. hattan International in 1948, ahead 4·1 each in the regular champion­ how White can rclease Black from stalemate and yet win. slup finals at Lou isville, Long Simpson and column­ oC Na jdorf, Euwe and Pilnik. But Position No. 72 represent emendations upon a position treated in ist Edmund Nash. 1950 Southern his recovery in the final rou nds drawing wilh Pllync and Schroeder Fine's Bllsic Endings. lot r. Edmund Hand with a new continuation dis· Champion N. T. Whitaker was lOth and Payne drawing with Long and lHites the conclusion that this position is a win for Black and seems to gave the first four places 10 t~e wi th SIh:-4Ih. Schroeder. Third place we nt to demonstrate a draw. four International Grandmasters In - --- the event. Fine lost his games to 1950 Ohio State Champion James For solutions, pleue turn to page four, Najdor[ and Euwe, and drew with £chroeder, now in the army at KUJOTH RETAINS Reshevsky, Evans, Byrne and Kra­ Fort Knox, with 3-2, while former McCOMASi TAKES HEARST LEADS State Champion Jack Moyse plac· CO. mer. MARYLAND TITLE LOG CABIN MEET Convincingly displaying a return In placing fifth Larry Evans c?n­ ed fourth with 2-3 in the 6 player round robin finals. Richard McComas, young Balti· Eliot Hearst, New York State to earlier form, former tinued to fulfill the great pronnse more student, topped the field in a The Western Di vision prelimin. Champion and CHESS LIFE colum­ State Champion Richard Kujoth he has shown, scoring a. vlttorr 6 round 12 player Swiss with 5-1 nries, held at LoUisville, were won nist, leads in the Log Cabin Chess for the third consecutive time won over Euwe and drawing With Nal­ to win the Maryland State title. by James Schroeder with &0, with Clu b Class A Tournament at West the Milwaukee County title with a dorf and Fine; while Robert McComas lost one game to runner­ William Long second with 4--1 in a Orange, N.J., by the slim margin 7 ~- 1 1h scorein a 9 round 35 play­ Byrne in a tie {or sixth wit~ I. ~ . up Garfinkel. Boris Garfinkel of er Swiss. tie with Jack Moyse, also 4-1. In of one·half point at the end of five Horowitz. justified his incluSIOn In Aberdeen was second on &B points rounds with 41h·lJ.r:. Hearst drew Kujoth lost a game to 1950 State his first appearance in an interna­ the Eastern Division, held at Lex­ ington, Fred Payne, Jack Mayer, with 41k-Ph, losing a game to with J. P. Quillen and has disposed Champion Averil Powers and drew tional tournament. U. S. 0 pen Bentz and drawing with Armin of R, Jones, E, S. Jackson, Jr., G. with Milwaukee City Champion champion took a nnd Dr. Roberts qualified as the top scorers_ Surgies. David Bentz of Baltimore Partos, and R. Hurttlen. Right be­ Martin Ptacek. Powers placed see­ very disappointing 10th place af­ was third with 41h: -Ph, losing a hind the N.Y. Champion in the 12 ond with 7-2, losing a game to E. ter his triumphant tie for (irst at ---- game to Surgies and drawing with playcr round robin is 1949 U.S. Rozkal ns and drawing with ptacek Southsea last year. BAIN CAPTURES 1950 State Champion Lars Enequist. Open Champion Weaver W. Adams and Henry Giertych. Martin Placek Robert Simpson of Annapolis was with 4-1. In third spot are J. P. was third and E. Rozkalns fourth QUEBEC CITY fourth wi th 4-2 and George A. Lyle, on SoB points with equal 61k ·21h NO. CALIF. TOPS. Osias Bain, university student Quillen and Edgar McCormick with all10 of Annapolis, was fifth with 3-2 each. scores. SO. CALIF. TEAM and secretary of the Chess Federa­ 31h:-21h:. Fifth to ninth on S-B points with tion or Canadil, took the Quebec ---'-- In the annual Northern vs. equal 6·3 scores were Mark Sur­ -City Championship with 7-0 score ELEC~T=CR~O~T=O:-::, P~S TORONTO BESTS gies, .John Grkavae, R alp h Southern California team match at in 7 round 14 player Swiss. Second Abrahms, Marshall Rohland and Sa n Luis Obispo on 58 board, the Ip lace went to Jules Therien with GREATER BUFFALO CLUB James McCormick, while former Northern team scored a trium­ 1). 1, losing one game to Bain. M"ar­ The Electromotive Chess Club The Gambit Chess Club of Tor­ State Champion Arpad Elo was p,hant victory despite the presencc eel Dion was third with &2 and won the double-round Grealcr Chi­ onto scored a 11}.7 victory over of the California State and open cago Chess League title with 9¥l­ lOth with 5%-3¥l, and Henry Paul Si mard fo urth with 4·3. the Queen City Chess Club of Giertych 11th, also with 5lJ.r:-3. Champions on the Southern team Ih in matches and 46-1 5 in games. Buffalo, in a match held at Tor­ by a lopsided 3~Ph-191h score. Irving Park was second with 7 1h - onto. Victors for the Gambit were H. N. DAY TRIUMPHS On the 10 top boards Gross, 2lf.: and 40·20, while former league F. Anderson, N. GI asberg, R. RESHEVSKY PLANS FalC() ner, G. McClain, II. J . Ral­ IN N.H. TOURNEY champions Austin Chess & Checker Siemms, R. Orlando, M. Fischer, ston, E. Pruner, W. Adams and J. NAJDORF MATCH James Day of Milford won the Club finished third with 51h-41h S. Mallison, Emby, J. Shebaylo B. Gee provided 6 points for the Alexander Bisno, president of Ne w Hampshire State title 4-0 in a and 34%-25%. and J. Taker. For Buffalo the North while J. Kashdan, G. E. , announced 4 round 9 player Swiss at Man. Individual high scorer in the winners were R. Black, S. Smith, Croy, R. Travers, S. Almgren and at thc close of the Wertbeim Mem­ chester. Almon Kelley of Hudson league was Gutmanis of Electro G. Davenport, M. Holley, G. H Gordon could only gather 4 orial Tournament that arrange­ was second with 3-1, while Robert with 91h -lh: points. In second place Mauer, and Mrs. C. Diesen. Mantin ~ints for the South. Down the line ments had been concluded for a Hux of Dover with 2 lh·l lh was were Kalnin of Electro, with 7*­ and J , Greeberg of Toronto drew the proportion remained the same 20 game match between Resbevsky third. 1950 State Champion Fred *. Winikaitis and Block, both of respectively with C. Diesen and throughout, with sueb outstanding and Fine, beginning in Buenos Eschricb of Manchester and Alex Irvi ng Park, tied for third with A. Allison. players as R. Marlin, A. Spiller, 7 1k.1Y~ , while Buerger of Austin Aires on Nov, I, with the last 10 Sadowsky of Portsmouth tied for ---- game to be played in New York. W. Steckel and H. Borochow for fourth with 2-2 each. was fifth with 7-2. the South and A. J. Fink and J. .At the annual meeting of the WISCONSIN DOWNS In the meantime, it is announced Schmitt for the North gaining only l .eague, Fred H. Stoppel was that will take a Eoose-eggs in the encounter. CASPER WINS elected president, Edward W. ILLINOIS TEAM well earned rest 'until the time Buerger vice- president, and Wil­ By a decisive 10%-4* score Wis· approaches for the U. S. Champion­ WYO. TEAM MEET consin repelled the minois invaders ship Tournament in New York at By defcating Douglas 3-1, Casper liam F . Blazek secretary-tresurer. CUBA REM EMBERS in an interstate match at Milwau­ the en~ of July. won the 1951 Wyoming State team POST OFF ICE WINS kee after winning a 16 board ten­ HER CAPABLANCA title with Arnold, Packard and Mc­ second match 8lh-7'h bcfore the To commemorate the thirtieth Manus scori ng fo r Casper and Bliss CLEV'D INDUSTRIAL main event. For WisC()nsin R. Ku· DR. LASKER SAILS anniversary of the year in which tallying the Douglas poinL The Play-offs between the two top joth, A. Powers, M. Surgies, A. E. FOR VIENNA EVENT C&pablanca won the World Cham­ State Championship finals were not tCllms in each division for th(l £10, R. H. Bing, C. DeSoto, P. pionship, the Cuban government is Dr_ Edward Lasker, President of concluded when a serious automo· Cieveland Industrial League title Triplett, G. Rutz and O. Francisco the , is on t he issuing a series of chess stamps. bile accident prevented Chester ended in a victory for U.S. PO

THE UNITED STATES CHESS FEDERATION ANY commcnts, stories, and En~rflI u """"nd d Ull m,Uer So:pt<:mber 5, I!IUl, ~t tho:! II"'t otl~ at Dubuque, Iowa, M bits of information about the under the act of Mareh 8, 1819. recently completed New York in: Subsaipdon--$2.OQ ptr year; Single copies IOc tach ternational tourney come immedi­ ately to mind, and rather than at­ Addrc= all subscriptions to:- 845 Bluff Stril.er Spring, Maryl.nd. herent article, we shall here pre­ Address all (:ommunications Editori~l 12J North Humphrey Avenue scnt more of a pot-pourri oI reflec­ on editorial matters to:_ Officf: Oak Pack, Dlinoa E WERE saddened to learn of the death oC David Stolpher on tions on the contest and its partici­ W March 12, via a letter from his good friend and ·close chess com­ Editor dnd Bus;n,,, Mdndgu pants. panion, Rhys W.,Hays. Mr. Stolpher was an enthusiastic solver, a promis­ MONTGOMERY MAJOR ing comPQser (though very little of his work ever appearcd in print), Reshevsky fully deserved to wio, Contribting Editor, and a player of consider able strength. Those of us who remembcr his as h e led throughout the tourney, never once being out of first place. Dr. A. Buschke Eliot Hearst Vincent L. Eaton cheery leUers will e spe~ ia l1y mourn his paSSing. Guilherme Groesser Erich W. Marchand Edmund Nash He wou ld have clinched the pre­ mier p rize much sooner had he not William Rojam Dr. Kester Svendsen The Rev. 1..- Mortriner is sponsoring a composing tourney for two· blundered horribly against Euwe. Address all communiutions to the United States Chess Federation movcrs through the columns of the Milwaukce Journal, limited to two When a~ked if his "error" (cost­ (except those regard ing CHESS LIFE) to USCF Sec retary Phil J. Mary, entries per composer. EiglJt prizes of Iive dollars each art! offered. ing him his queen for a.fOok after 2011 Carew Tower, Cincinnati 2, Ohio_ USCF Membership Dues-$3_00_ Send entrics (which should be unpublished) to Rev. L. :Mortriner, St. Euwe's simple reply) was his bigg­ Camillus Hospital, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Closing date: March 31, 1952. est mistake ever , he commented Vol. V. N umber 21 Thursday, July 5, 1951 with brevity, "Thal's it!!" Although Mr. Sedgwick, composer of the fine No. 265, is SecretarY'Treasurer t ime pressure was a direct cause of of the British Chess Problem Society-and has recently succeeded T. R. his , such a mistake in a Dawson as problem editor of _the British Chess Magazine. He invites winning position is uncommon .-- even in the most fantastic time MASTERS-AND MASTERS American composers to enter the "Festival of Britain" tourney spon­ sored by the Stratford Express. Send cntries (unpublished two-movers scramble ... Najdorf, when not en­ IN THE NATIONAL RATING SYSTEM and Ul ree-movers) to ML S. Sedgwick, 337 Strone Road, Manor Park, gaged in tourney play, could be ROM lettcrs recently received, it becomes apparent that many chess London, E. 12, England. found most usually playing "pots" players are still confused regarding one phase of the National Rat­ (modified rapid transit) with the F . Probl~'If No. 16J ing System, and that they insist, despite all that has been written to P",ble," N". 264 By Dr. P: G. Keeney By Rev. L. Mortriner Byrne brothers and Bisguier; he the contrary, in considering that the Rating System docs the one thing Newport, Kentucky seems to be unhappy when away that it very definitely does not attempt to do. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Entry in CHESS LIFE Entry in from the chessboard. He won only Let us therefore rcpcat again, in the fond hope that this time our CHESS LIFE Composing Tourney Composing Tourney lour games outright in this tourney statement will be understood, that the National Rating System does not 8 lacK: 3 men Slack: 10 men but was the only undefeated com­ determine the permanent status of any chess player nor indicate how he petitor .. .Fine seemed to lack the will be ranked ultimately in the history of the game. The National necessary concentr ation in hi s Rating System does no mure than indicate the current effective play­ games, but a spurt near the finale ing rank of a player at one particular period in his career, without re­ placed him close to the top... Ev­ gard to his achievements in past dceades beyond the scope of the ans was the surprise of the tour­ system and without prophesy as to his possible futUre aUainments. oey; had he been able to win h is For a number of reasons which we will.... not catalogue at this time, last two games, he wo uld have there is a definite need for this current evaluation 01 how a player is tied for first. But he missed a win actually perfOrming at a given period. But the value of this current against O'Kelly, drawing this pen­ and transitory rating is sadly distorted when some misinformed chess ultimate game, and then overex­ players insist upon oonsidering this current performance rating as tended himseU and lost to Guim­ coR(en'lng or wi(flflOfding [lOlIoraTY fi(fcs. Tilis (flO NaHonal Raflll ~ ard in the last round. His viclories System docs not do; and it was never intended to do. In the Rating over Euwe and Horowitz are parti­ System a player may shift Crom Senior Mastor to Expert classifications cularly noteworthy . Kramer's in the matter of a lew years, according to his performances in current score must ~ be examined in the tournament play-the fact that he may temporarily 'hold the classifica­ light of the fact that George tion of master in the rating system does not actually make him a .worked all day in , Master in Ole honorary sense that the term has been applied in the past; W h ite: 5 me n While: 7 mfl"l lblr~, 4p3, GDI, 3Q2Pp, 1,2PSkpK, commuted to New York, and then the fact that another player, long considered a Master ill the honorary .. 8, 8, 8, 4K3, IISI, 1QpPPR1, 4k3 lq3psl, S82. 8 back to PhiHy every round. No one While mates in t wo moves sense, slips in more recent play to the expert classification, docs not de-­ White mates in t .... o mOveS can achieve-his best results under prive him of the many honors gained as a Master, nor the r ight to be P",b/fm No. 26' Problem No. 266 such conditons.... Bisguier'S show­ considered as a Master in the honorary sc)lsc. By S. Sedgwl(:k ing was a disappointment, but By Ronald O'Neil It is to be expected that even the most formidable player, if he Manor Park, England many of his games could very easi­ continues to play tournament · chess after his 'prime, will cventuaUy lose Entry in CHESS LiFE N I,l ~ri s town , Pennsy lvania ly have gone the other way. Ar­ rank in the National Rating System which can eVa lUl,lte only current CompoSing Tourney Unpublished thur was inductcd into the U. S. performances and cannot, except in a very li mited sense, make exceptions r,,,,,,,...-ii'81I Ck : 14 m e n Black: ~'~m~.~n",,;-_ Army one weck alter the toumey's for past heroics. If the recognized .Master continues to play tournament close.. .Note that the four grand­ chess long enough, in his final years he is almost certainly doomed to a masters in the tournam'ent did take reduction in his curre nt performance ratings to an expert classifica­ the top four prizes ...Whe n the tion. But this reduclion does not actually make him any the less a Fine-Reshevsky struggle took place Master in the honorary sense. many chess fans came just to Perhaps we can make this point clearcr H we resort to the analogy watch t he battle between Ameri­ of the batting avcrages or baseball. For example, the great ca's titans; they were disappoint­ shortstop Honus Wagner in his prime had a batting average that varied ed by the swift eleven move 'draw from .380 in 1900 to .324 in 1912. Yet no al'denl baseball enthusiast which resulted. Fine had a bad claimed that he was being insulted when his bailing average for 1917 score at the time and everyone ex­ was a published .255, allhough this low average W