More Games from Lake Hopatcong 1923

The following two games appeared together in Herman Helms's column in the Brooklyn Eagle on August 14, 1923 in a short article buried among other "sports" coverage:

LASKER WINS SHORT GAME IN 25 MOVES

"Lasker's defeat of Kupchik, former New York State champion, came in the nature of a surprise due to the fact that the latter, one of the hardest men to outwit hereabouts, succumbed in 25 moves. The play of Lasker was quite a treat, and was an object lesson also in the advantage that can be taken of premature proclivities on the part of an opponent.

"Marshall's effort against Palmer of Iowa [elsewhere described as from Toronto - MG] was also short and sweet. The net in which the United States champion caught the black Queen is not the least interesting feature of the game."


[Event "9th American Chess Congress"]
[Site "Lake Hopatcong, NJ USA"]
[Date "1923.08.13"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Lasker, Edward"]
[Black "Kupchik, Abraham"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D30"]
[Annotator "Goeller,Michael"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[Source "Brooklyn Eagle"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c6 3. Nbd2 d5 4. c4 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. e4 e5 $5 { It is risky for Black to open the position so quickly.} 8. exd5 cxd5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. O-O exd4 {White has a slight edge in development which he increases by not recapturing the pawn.} (10... O-O 11. Nc4 $16) 11. Nc4 (11. Ne4 $5) (11. Nxd4 O-O {would create an odd symmetry, with a line of pieces on the d-file.}) (11. Re1+ $5) 11... Be7 12. Nxd4 Nc5 {Black is at least two tempi behind in development, which is enough to give White the edge.} 13. Nf5 $1 Bxf5 (13... Nxd3 $2 14. Nxg7+ $1 Kf8 15. Bh6 Nxb2 16. Qd4 $40) 14. Bxf5 O-O 15. Qf3 $1 b5 16. Rd1 $1 bxc4 17. Rxd5 Qe8 $2 {The Queen here traps Black's Rook and creates an opportunity for an immediate attack.} (17... Qb6 18. Be3 g6) 18. Be3 ({ White can immediately win material or get a strong attack by} 18. Qh3 $1 g6 $8 (18... h6 $2 19. Bxh6 $40) 19. Bh6 $1 Rd8 (19... gxf5 $4 20. Qg3+ {mates}) ( 19... Qc6 20. Qc3 $1 Bf6 21. Qxc4 gxf5 22. Bxf8 $18) 20. Qc3 f6 $8 21. Rxd8 Qxd8 22. Bxf8 $18) ({Premature would be} 18. Bxh7+ $2 Kxh7 19. Rh5+ Kg8 20. Qh3 f5 21. Rh8+ Kf7 22. Qxf5+ Bf6 23. Rxf8+ Qxf8 $13) 18... Ne6 19. Re1 { White has tremendous pressure due to his lead in development.} Bb4 20. Red1 g6 21. Bh6 $5 Ng7 $2 ({However dangerous, Black had to go in for} 21... gxf5 22. Qxf5 Qe7) 22. Bd7 $1 Qe7 23. a3 $1 Bc5 24. Qc3 Ne6 (24... Bxf2+ $5 25. Kf1 $1 $18) (24... f6 25. Qxc4 $18) 25. Rxc5 $1 { The Rook is immune from capture due to the mate threats on g7.} 1-0

[Event "9th American Chess Congress"]
[Site "Lake Hopatcong, NJ USA"]
[Date "1923.08.13"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Marshall, Frank"]
[Black "Palmer, Marvin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C49"]
[Annotator "Goeller,Michael"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[Source "Brooklyn Eagle"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Bxc3 8. bxc3 h6 $6 { This appears to weaken the Kingside. The classic defensive set-ups include} ( 8... Ne7 9. Nh4 c6 10. Bc4 d5 11. Bb3 Qd6 $11) ({or} 8... Qe7 9. Re1 Nd8 10. d4 Bg4 {as in the game, but without ...h6.}) 9. Bh4 Qe7 10. Re1 Nd8 11. d4 Bg4 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Ne6 14. Rad1 g5 {This is such a natural consequence to the weakening at move 8 that it hardly warrants a question mark.} 15. Bg3 Nf4 16. Bxf4 gxf4 17. g3 fxg3 18. fxg3 {Marshall knew how to blast open a position once his opponent had a weakened King. But here the opened lines can lead to exchanges.} Kg7 19. Rd2 Nh7 20. h4 Rad8 $2 (20... Qf6 $1 21. Qg4+ Qg6 $11) 21. Rf2 Rg8 22. Kh2 Qf6 {Too late--now White has a strong initiative.} 23. Qe3 Qg6 24. Ref1 Rgf8 25. Rf5 c6 26. Bc4 Rd7 $2 (26... f6 27. Qf3 b5) 27. h5 $1 Qg4 ( 27... Nf6 {with the threat Ng4+} 28. Rxf6 $1 $18) 28. Be2 { And the Queen is trapped.} 1-0