Evening star., 1950-04-09
Chess
By Donald H. Mugridqe

District chess is certainly look
ing up these days: directly upon
the conclusion of the largest and
most successful team tournament
ever held here. the 1850 individual
District championship is begun on
a scale which entirely dwarfs any
In its long series of predecessors.
The adoption of the Swiss sys-
tenn and the opening of the event
to any person who will pay the
entry fee has resulted in a field
Of 28 entries. Yet, because of the
elasticity Of the Swiss system
which, after an initial round of
pairings by lot, matches winners
against winners. drawers against
drawers. and losers against losers.
only nine rounds will have to be
contested to reach decision.
Last year, in a round robin with
IL entries. II rounds were nee
essary to complete the tourney.
Here are the % aspirants, most
OF whom just had excellent prac-
tice in the matches of the District
League: Hans Berliner defending
champion). Theodore Bullockus,
A. George Carleton, Harys E.
Cimermanis, Fred M. Dubois.
Harry E. Fake, Col. William S.
Gallagher, William F. Gray, Err
nest j. Hover. Charles Miller,
Frazier Miller. Edmund Nash, VIII
liam j. Nucker. George O'Rourke,
John Rice. Nathan Robins, Capt.
Benjamin Schwartz, Samuel
Schwartz, Morton L. Seidelman,
Oscar Shapiro, Carl F. Sieweke,
Martin c. Stark. Arthur Stein,
Heinz Steinbach. Donald r. Stet-
ger, George s. Thomas and Roy j.
Torcaso.
The large number Of entry fees,
together with a handsome con-
tribution of $50 to the prize fund
by /. S. Turnover, make it possible
to give six prizes, first prize being
set at $50. In addition, Comdr.
James j. Hughes has offered a
prize Of $40 for the best game to
be played in the tournament and
the next best will receive a prize
half as large from the general
fund. The initial culling will be
made in games selected for publ
cation in this column and the
judge who will award the two
prizes will be Vincent L. Eaton,
internationally known problemist
and star of the Library of Con-
gress chess team.
In the opening round, four of
the five favorites won their games:
Berliner from Fake, Robins from
Dubois. Stark from Torcaso and
Nash from Gallagher: in the last
mentioned game, however, only q
blunder by Gallagher allowed
Nash to win a drawn position.
The fifth favorite, Shapiro, was
held to a draw in a steadily-played
game by Cimermanis. One other
game. Ben Schwartz VS.. Hover,
was drawn after a tight ending in
which Schwartz had three pawns
for his opponents bishop.
The following games were con-
cluded at the first session: Sam
Schwartz won from O'Rourke,
Stein from Charles Miller, Stein
bach from Gardner and Thomas
from Frazier Miller. Bullockus
resigned without resuming play
against Seidelman, Carleton won
his adjourned end game from
Gray. Nucker from Stetzer and
Rice from Sieweke. The omni-
competent Philip Bell, tournament
director, has arranged a very
elastic schedule wherein the main
session is held at the Washington
Chess Divan every Saturday after
noon, but by arrangement games
can be played any time from Fri
day through Wednesday, the new
pairings being made on Thursday.
The 1nterhigh Chess Association
has opened its spring tourney with
nine teams competing. The stand
lngs. in games, after two rounds:
Eastern, 100; Fairfax. 9t2-h;
Wilson, e-1; Roosevelt, Al; West
ern and Tech. 21a-61a; Anacostia,
l-9; Washington and Lee, h-4k;
Coolidge, 0-l0.
- GAS HEAT
Furnoees. Boiler.