Friday, November 8

Tartakower-Spielmann match: Tartakower, with victory in 12th game, wins contest 5 1/2 - 2 1/2

Dr. Saviely Tartakower defeated Rudolf Spielmann in the 12th game of their match at Vienna to cross the winning threshold of five points and decide the contest in his favor by the score of 5 1/2 - 2 1/2, with four additional drawn games not included in the final tally.  The victory is undoubtedly a sweet one for Tartakower, who lost a short match to the same opponent 3 1/2 - 2 1/2 in 1910. For Spielmann, first-prize winner earlier this year at tournaments in Vienna and Budapest, the result must come as a disappointment, although in our experience brilliant attackers like the Viennese maestro are more subject to the vagaries of form than are players of a calm and quiet style.  He will certainly achieve many more successes in the time to come.

The 12th game took an interesting course, with Spielmann, again in need of victory at all costs, directing his forces against the Black King-side from early on - see, for example, the moves 10.h4 and 11.h5.     Tartakower, ever the cool defender, castled into the path of White's advance and soon began a forceful counter-action of his own with 19...f6.  By the 24th move it was apparent that Black's assault on the Queen-side had far outstripped White's on the other flank, leading Spielmann in desperation to sacrifice his Queen for Rook and Bishop, hoping against hope to exploit the weakened dark squares in the vicinity of the Black monarch.  This proved impossible, as Tartakower by making good use of his Queen forced resignation at the 38th move.

We offer our congratulations to the winner and our commiseration to the loser, while thanking both for the excellent chess they have offered us, the public, over the course of the contest just concluded.

Herewith the score of 12th and final game.


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