Thursday, September 26

Duras gives simultaneous exhibition at Manhattan Chess Club; Marshall-Duras match and strong rapid tourney to be held soon

Oldrich Duras, the visiting Bohemian Master, yesterday evening gave his first exhibition of simultaneous play in America, the occasion being the opening of the new season at the Manhattan Chess Club.  The performer took on 29 opponents, many of considerable strength, making the fine score of 19 wins and 2 draws, against 8 defeats.  The busy Duras, who recently bested Abraham Kupchik in a three-game match, will next take on United States Champion Frank J. Marshall in a five-game series set to begin at the Manhattan Club on the 28th inst., with Marshall handling the White pieces in the first game.  In addition, on the afternoon of the 28th, prior to the opening game of the Marshall-Duras contest, the Club will host a strong rapid transit tournament featuring the participation of not only Marshall, Duras, and Kupchik, but also of José R. Capablanca, who finds himself once again in New York en route to Europe, whither he will sail in approximately one week's time in connection with his work for the Cuban diplomatic corps.

We have received the score of one game from the Duras exhibition.  In general we are hesitant to publish losses by the performer, but the contest appended below being of particular quality and interest, we see sufficient reason to set aside our scruples on this occasion.  It is well-known that an aggressive policy is rather more likely to succeed against the exhibitor than a defensive one, and Mr. Dornbach here takes that advice very much to heart, sacrificing a piece for two pawns as early as the eighth move against Duras' own 6.c4 variation of the Ruy Lopez, and maintaining the initiative thereafter straight through to a victorious conclusion.

      

No comments: