The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-31
SURPRISES AT RECENT
CHESS TOURNAMENT.
s -
international Contest at st,
Petersburg Was Remarkable
Nv in Many Ways.
STRUGGLE OF MASTERS
Great Work Of Cuban Champion
Observation-Disclosures
Failure a Sensation.
STRUGGLE OF MASTERS

ne
petition in more than one way. Although
u Is generally con ,eded that tournament
play Is not "A real criterion of strength
TWO OF the men Acknowledged to be the
strongest masters OF chess were placed
pIst and second. namely the worlds cham
pson' Dr. Emanuel Llsker of Berlin In
nrst place and half a point behind him
the young Cuban expert, J. y. Capablancl
OF havana. That men like the German
champion DR.. :. Tarrasch, and the Amer
loan champion, Frank j. Marshall should
oe placed fourth and fifth after the mere
boy. a. Alechine OF Moscow. who won
the third prize, was real surprise at the
conclusion or the quutlngular tourna-
ment which followed a Cuutes, In which
at first eleven experts were engaged. the
ave players making the highest scores
competing in the final tournament FOR the
I'VE prizes.
The idea of arranging ascoutest IN
which the majority Of the players were To
be eliminated was hrs. tried at an inter
national congress held som. years ago AZ
Ostend. While this congress was all riglt
IN Its way Il could not ne pronounced "a
very great success S,iH & did not wor,
harm In one respect, NJ the strongest men
who participated I'm the tournament car
RED away the chief houors At ST Peters
burg. however. the plan did not work so
well. inasmuch as the Russian champion.
n. x Rubinstein. Who Is scheduled 20 play
match with Laskss for the champion.
ship OF the world next fall. was entirely
frozen out In the preliminary tournament
similar fate be'ell the French champion.
ID. Janowskl. the strong Russian player,
DR.. Bernstein OF Moscow. the only one. by
the way, who inflicted "A d. feat upon Las
.er In the preliminary tournament an
other promising Russian master. a. Mem
zowitsch. and the British veteran. j. II.
Blackburne and Is!dur Gursuerg. Dr.
Tarrasch In writing 20 "A German paper
has this TO say about the failure OF Ru-
binstein:
THE sensation Of the tournament t. the
allure OF Rubinstcin. Up TO rov this
most successful OF the younger players
has always played splcnddly In recent
tournaments and the lowest place he ever
got was the fourth. 1t is IL great pity that
THIS player had TO be among those to De
eliminated.
The riie OF having 20 withdraw from
the tournament in case one was not
among the first live played havoc with
all the men. They were all very nervous
and excited and had to play their games
with sword Of Damocles hanging over
Ihelr heads. well knowing the fact that a
solitary loss might deprive them Of a
prize. This In part explains the fact tina;
so many drawn games were recorded I'm
the tournament
While men like Lasker. Tarrasch and
Caps blanca did play sDma rema bic
games It cannot be said that anything
brilliant was offered. Tarrasch has ex-
pialucd this Circumstance In measure.
bu. the famous Russian writer VI. Mem
scIikoN contributed an article 20 the
Nouoe Vrcmyd in which he severely
criticised the management; Of the tourna-
tnHnt FOR not providing fitting accoumo-
fNstlons for the PLAYERS. "" has this "a
ssy about the matter. speaking about a
Visit to the tournament on the occasion OF
the fourth round. contested on April "a;
3 Before time was called there was such
crowd OF spectators in the hall that I;
was utterly !mpC ss!hle to get to the ropes
by which the players were encrcled. 4,
the ropes people stood on chairs. tables
anyvAhere, packed Ike sardlnes. continu.
All rushing, elbowlng in order 10 get
"a sight at the boards. And for this priv.
lege the spectators had to pay tive
rubles. Not much better was 1t within
the ropes whore people had to pay hv,
4 rubles. OF course they had right &
he close 10 the tables where the masters
were engaged IN pla..
TN the course OF the day things be.
came so had that one could not NOV,
shout nor scarcely breathe, and especially
was this the case in the corner wher,
those strong chess athletes Capablanca
and RubusteiY were engaged In play
n was literally a kind OF pit, spectator,
forming the wall and the players be!nl
AZ the bottom Of t1e pit. Around tn,
lbt tnfrf were ts'lU formed walls bN
spectators who had taken possession %
chairs and tables. and there were abou
100 people watching that one game.
How uncomfortable things were 10
the players MAJ he judged from the fac
that neither RubryteIn nor Capablancr
could sit at a board much longer thar
fifteen minutes AZ a tims. Just long enoug.
done and the move recorded each playe
lad to leave tne table ~ turn, forcing hi
way out OF the room In order 10 get som
fresh air.
\ "windows could no, Ne opened becaus
Of the Indictment weather, and as every
body smoked. mostly cigarettes. It wa
simply a n,thy state 81 Affairs | am no
tenderfoot, ] have for years heeI
breathing pretty fuul air IN holds CT small
sailing vessels: but the state O
affairs In the nit. where masters wer
expected to make combinations over IN
checkered boards, I could not have stoo
longer than an hour or two. Rublns.eIn'
cost win show forever the marks II &c
while he was trying TO force his way gu
of the hall OF play"
Under the circumstances II is reail
surprising that number Of reail
splendid games should have been con
tested In the tournament, St!l more sur
pristng was Lasker's victory.
The champion had absented himself 10
many years from international tourna
rDents, was almost entirely out - practc,
had not trained At all for the fray an
said Just before the beginning Of the iigh
that he did not expect 70 land the FRS
prize. He made an indifferent start, di
not improve much In the first seve
rounds and actually lost "A game agans
Bernstein In the eighth. while his rva
Capablanca. had the lead over him by on
point.
' In the three flnal rounds OF the pre-
llYninary combat the Cuban increased hi
lead 20 one and half points and IL wa
thought that T.asker could not possibl
overcome that lead. SIN improving
play from round to round and by beatln
Lapablanca, the latter allowing himse
Also to be beaten By Tarrasch. the alIno'
Impossible was brought about and one
more the champion showed 10 the Worl
that he fully deserves his title
: on the other hand. the contest Ju
concluded proved beyond doubt thu
the Cuban champion Capablanca does M
owe his great success to luck only, but
his ingenuity. enterprise, daring M
wonderful gift OF easily graspinG Il
most difficult positions OH the chessboar
He need not be ashamed TO have con
! out second best. only half point behir
the first prize winner. Ills Is still your
and will have many chances OF winni'
" Arst prizes, as he lid at the San Sebaht!a
trournament three years ago.