Wednesday, July 24

Rice Chess Club tournament, Round 7: Capablanca tops Phillips; Cuban now 10-0; Kupchik, Beynon are winners

José R. Capablanca improved his record to 10-0 by defeating Harold M. Phillips in a seventh-round contest at the Rice Chess Club Summer Masters' Tournament. Capablanca, who is completing his playing program on an accelerated schedule, has only three games remaining and expects to conclude his affairs within the week.  With this latest victory the Cuban ace has equaled the start he made earlier this year at the Second American National Tournament.  At that tourney, it will be recalled, Capablanca's bid for a perfect score came to an end with a loss to Charles Jaffe in the eleventh round, a disappointment that may perhaps serve the young Master as both a caution against overconfidence and a stimulus to better his previous mark as he now strives once again for a clean sweep of the opposition.

In other games, Abraham Kupchik defeated Albert Marder and F.P. Beynon bested Jacques Grommer. The games Black-Tenenwurzel, Bernstein-Adair, and Chajes-Duras were adjourned.

We present the day's three completed games.  Capablanca, as first player in a Ruy Lopez, defeated Phillips with relative ease, infiltrating the opposing Queen-side and easily dealing with Black's belated attempts to counter-attack on the other flank.


Kupchik obtained a superior position in a Queen's Gambit Declined and then took advantage of a serious miscalculation by Marder (21...Nxh7? in place of 21...Kh8 or 21...Kxh7 22.Qc2+ Kg8 23.Qxc6, when in either case Black cedes only a pawn) to score a quick victory.


In Grommer-Beynon there arose an endgame in which White's two Bishops were overcome by Black's Rook and extra pawn, in our experience a relatively uncommon result from this heterogeneous balance of material.


Current scores:

10 points: Capablanca (10)
6 points: Kupchik (7), Tenenwurzel (8)
5 1/2 points: Black (7), Marder (8)
4 points: Chajes, (7), Bernstein (7), Adair (7)
3 points: Duras (3), Beynon (7) 
2 points: Phillips (7), Grommer (8)
Withdrawn: Stapfer, Beihoff

The number in parentheses following a player's surname indicates the number of games he has played to date, including two forfeit victories over Stapfer and Beihoff.  The adjourned games Phillips-Kupchik, Black-Tenenwurzel, Bernstein-Adair, and Chajes-Duras are not included in the above table.


 

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