Sunday, February 9

St. Petersburg All-Russian Masters' tournament: Niemzowitsch defeats Alekhine in second play-off game; Match tied 1-1; Both players to be admitted to international tourney

Aron Niemzowitsch won the second game of his play-off match against Alexander Alekhine for the All-Russian Masters' Championship, earning the victory as Black in a French Defense after an enervating struggle of many hours' duration to tie the score at 1-1. Niemzowitsch, who found himself under strong pressure through much of the contest, engineered a successful counter-attack in a heavy-piece endgame, driving the White King to the center of the board and forcing resignation at his 85th turn, with Alekhine facing checkmate in half a dozen moves at most.

Our sources in Russia inform us that the members of the Organizing Committee of the upcoming St. Petersburg international tournament, who had reserved a place in their event for the winner of the All-Russian contest, have now decided to forgo any further attempts to break the tie between the two young Masters and will instead invite both Alekhine and Niemzowitsch to enter the lists against the world's foremost exponents of our game. We heartily applaud this decision, and express our confident belief that these well-matched rivals will fully justify their joint inclusion.

We present the game score below. Alekhine as White developed a powerful initiative on the King-side, and indeed forced the Black monarch to flee to the opposite flank, but the first player proved unable to land a decisive blow or open the position to his advantage. After much maneuvering Niemzowitsch began to make inroads on the White Queen-side, and then struck suddenly in the center with 71...e5!, heralding the counter-attack. The Black pieces sprang into action, the White King came under siege, and Niemzowitsch masterfully conducted his offensive to score a difficult, but well-deserved, victory. Notes by the winner.

 


 

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