Sunday, September 29

Capablanca wins rapid transit tourney with clean score

Havana's José R. Capablanca yesterday afternoon posted a clean 5-0 score in winning a strong six-man rapid transit tournament at the Manhattan Club Club.  Capablanca, likely the world's strongest player at this form of chess, defeated United States Champion Frank J. Marshall, Abraham Kupchik, Oldrich Duras, Alfred Ettlinger and George F. Adair to claim first prize.  Second place was taken by Marshall with a score of 4-1, the U.S. Champion losing his game vs. Capablanca but defeating all other opponents.  Kupchik and Duras followed at 2 1/2 points each, with the former winning a play-off for third prize.  We supply a crosstable of the tourney below, while expressing our regrets that, as is usually the case with this form of competition, we have no game scores to share with our readers.  Rapid transit games, by their very nature generally less polished than serious tournament encounters, can nevertheless be of great sporting interest, and often present sudden and unexpected changes of fortune, along with occasional flashes of true brilliance. They are the chess Master's equivalent of a great artist's pencil sketches, and equally worthy of preservation. The man who devises an efficient and reliable method of recording such ephemeral creations will enjoy our undying gratitude.

                               C        M       K       D       E       A       Total
Capablanca       x         1        1        1       1        1        5
Marshall             0        x        1        1       1        1        4
Kupchik              0        0       x        =       1        1       2 1/2
Duras                   0       0       =         x       1        1       2 1/2
Ettlinger             0       0       0         0       x       1       1
Adair                   0       0       0         0       0       x       0

No comments: