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When Adolf Albin came from Austria to New York in the middle of 1893, he quickly established himself as one of the leading players in the city. Inevitably, this meant competition with the once and future American champion Jackson Whipps Showalter. A match between the two was eventually arranged, beginning September 24, 1894. The New York Clipper summed up the conditions: The most interesting item of home consumption for present use is the arrangement of a match between chess masters at the Manhattan C.C., and, presumably, the contest is under way at this writing. Play is set for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, of each week until one of the players has scored ten wins. In the event of each registering nine wins the match will be continued until either has won eleven games. There will be a time limit of fourteen moves and hour, but not interval during play, as eight hours have been fixed for play on each day. (1) The stakes were $200 a side, plus a $100 purse. (2) Previous encounters between the two had generally gone Albin's way. At the New York Impromptu tournament of 1893 (Lasker's 13-0 sweep), Albin finished second and defeated Showalter in their individual game. At the 1st City Chess Club Tournament (1893), he had finished 4th, just behind Showalter, but won their individual game. At Buffalo (1894), Showalter had finally broken through, splitting two games with Albin while finishing first. Albin started well enough with two wins in the first three games before Showalter went on a five-game winning streak to take an seemingly insurmountable 6-2 lead. At this point the match was adjourned for a month to permit the players to take part in the 2nd City Chess Club Tournament (1894). The old pattern recurred there, Albin finishing second ahead of Showalter and winning their individual game. This seemed to revive Albin somewhat, and he set to work coming back in the match. In the five games from 9-13 he won two and drew three - whereupon Showalter won games 14 and 15 to restore his four point lead. Albin went back to work. In the eight games from 16-23 he won three and drew five to draw within a point of Showalter. The last win, in Game 23, was a 28 move crush. Surely all the momentum was on Albin's side. But Showalter was made of tougher stuff than that. He came out blazing in the next game, changing his opening line slightly, and built a strong attack. Albin fought back valiantly to reach this position at Black's 41st move, just before the time control: 
click for larger viewWith 41...Rf4!, Black could force White to accept a perpetual check. Instead, after <41...Rg2? 42.Qh4!>, White prevented the draw and finished in a blaze of glory: <41...Rg4 43.Qe7 Qf7 44.Qxd8+! Kxd8 45.h7 Rc1+ 46.Rxc1 Rg8 47.Rb1 Kc8 48.Na6 Kd7 49.Rb8> 1-0 That was just about that. Albin's opening switch in Game 25 did not work well, and Showalter wrapped up the match 10-7 with eight draws. Showalter expressed interest in another match for a state of $500, but before it could come about Albin had moved on to Philadelphia and further adventures. (3) New York, 24 September - 28 December 1894 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
Showalter 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 = 0 0 = = 1 1 = = 0 = 0 = = 0 1 1 14
Albin 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 = 1 1 = = 0 0 = = 1 = 1 = = 1 0 0 11
(Albin had White in the odd-numbered games)Game 01: Mon, 09/24/1894 Albin
Game 02: Fri, 09/28/1894 Showalter
Game 03: Tue, 10/02/1894 Albin
Game 04: Fri, 10/05/1894 Showalter
Game 05: Mon, 10/08/1894 Showalter
Game 06: Fri, 10/12/1894 Showalter
Game 07: Mon, 10/15/1894 Showalter
Game 08: Wed, 10/17/1894 Showalter
Game 09: Mon, 11/19/1894 Draw
Game 10: Wed, 11/21/1894 Albin
Game 11: Fri, 11/23/1894 Albin
Game 12: Mon, 11/26/1894 Draw
Game 13: Wed, 11/28/1894 Draw
Game 14: Fri, 11/30/1894 Showalter
Game 15: Mon, 12/03/1894 Showalter
Game 16: Wed, 12/05/1894 Draw
Game 17: Mon, 12/10/1894 Draw
Game 18: Thu, 1//13/1894 Albin
Game 19: Sat, 12/15/1894 Drar
Game 20: Mon, 12/17/1894 Albin
Game 21: Wed, 12/19/1894 Draw
Game 22: Fri, 12/21/1894 Draw
Game 23: Mon, 12/24/1894 Albin
Game 24: Wed, 12/26/1894 Showalter
Game 25: Fri, 12/28/1894 Showalter
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Game 1 (Monday, September 24): Date: Urcan, p. 201 (September 24); Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 9/15 ("yesterday afternoon and evening"); New York Sun, 9/25 ("yesterday") Score: Urcan, p. 201; New York Daily Tribune, 9/25; Sun, 9/25; New York Recorder, 10/7 Game 2 (Friday, September 28) Date: Urcan, p. 202 (September 28); Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 9/29 ("yesterday"); Sun, 9/29 ("yesterday") Score: Urcan, p. 202; Tribune, 9/29; Sun, 9/29; Recorder, 10/14; Newark Sunday Call, 10/14. For a question about the score, see game page Game 3 (Tuesday, October 2) Date: Urcan, p. 203 (October 2); Tribune, 10/3 ("yesterday"); Sun, 10/3 ("yesterday") Score: Urcan, p. 203; Tribune, 10/3; Sun, 10/3
Game 4 (Friday, October 5) Date: Urcan, p. 204, dates as October 6. This is confirmed by the Tribune, 10/7 ("yesterday"). However, October 5 is indicated by the Sun, 10/6 ("yesterday"), and several out-of-town newspaper such as the Kansas City Star, 10/6 and the Daily Inter Ocean, 10/6. The San Francisco Chronicle, 10/7, has a report from New York dated October 6 and stating "yesterday". In light of the papers dated October 6 reporting on the game and the fact that Friday was the normal day of play, I have elected to go with October 5 Score: Urcan, p. 204; Sun, 10/6; Tribune, 10/7
Game 5 (Monday, October 8) Date: Urcan, p. 205, gives October 9. However, October 8 is indicated by New York Evening Post, 10/9 ("yesterday"); Sun, 10/9 ("yesterday"), 10/10 ("Monday"), and the Tribune, 10/10 ("Monday") Score: Urcan, p. 205; Sun, 10/10; Tribune, 10/10
Game 6 (Friday, October 12) Date: Urcan, p. 206 (October); New York Sun, October 13 ("yesterday") Score: New York Sun, October 14; New York Recorder, October 19 Game 7 (Monday, October 15) Date: Urcan, p. 207 (October); San Francisco Chronicle, October 16 Score: New York Sun, October 17; New York Recorder, October 19 Game 8 (Wednesday, October 17) Date: Urcan, p. 207 ((October 17); New York Evening Post, October 18 ("yesterday"); New York Daily Tribune, October 19 ("Wednesday"); New York Sun, October 19 ("Wednesday") Score: New York Daily Tribune, October 19; New York Sun, October 19; New York Recorder, October 24 Game 9 (Monday, November 19) Date: Urcan, p. 208 (19 November). Confirmed by New York Daily Tribune, November 20 ("yesterday"); New York Recorder, November 20 ("last evening"); New York Sun, November 20 ("yesterday") Score: Tribune, 11/20; Sun, 11/20; Recorder, 11/20, 12/23 Game 10 (Wednesday, November 21) Date: Urcan, p. 209 (21 November); New York Daily Tribune, November 22 ("yesterday"); New York Sun, November 22 ("yesterday") Score: Tribune, 11/21; Sun, 11/21; Recorder, 11/23, 12/23; Newark Sunday Call, 12/23 Game 11 (Friday, November 23) Date: Urcan, p. 209 (23 November); New York Daily Tribune, 11/24 ("yesterday"); New York Sun, 11/24 ("yesterday") Score: New York Daily Tribune, 11/24; New York Sun, 11/24; New York Recorder, 11/27, 12/23 Game 12 (Monday, November 26) Date: Urcan, p. 210 (26 November); Tribune, 11/27 ("yesterday"); Sun, 11/27 ("yesterday") Score: Tribune, 11/27; Sun, 11/27; Recorder, 12/23
Game 13 (Wednesday, November 28) Date: Urcan, p. 211 (28 November); Sun, 11/30 ("Wednesday") Score: Sun, 11/30; Recorder, 12/30. Problem with score; see game page Game 14 (Friday, November 30) Date: Urcan, p. 212 (3 December); Tribune, 12/1 ("yesterday"); Sun, 12/1 ("yesterday") Score: Tribune, 12/1; Sun, 12/1; Recorder, 12/30
Game 15 (Monday, December 3) Date: Urcan, p. 213 (December); Sun, 12/4 ("this afternoon"), 12/5 ("Monday afternoon and evening"); Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 12/5 ("Monday") Score: Sun, 12/5; Recorder, 12/6, 12/30
Game 16 (Wednesday, December 5) Date: Urcan, p. 213 (5 December); Tribune, 12/7 ("Wednesday"); Sun, 12/7 ("Wednesday") Score: Tribune, 12/7; Recorder, 12/7, 12/30; Sun, 12/7 Game 17: (Monday, December 10) Date: Urcan, p. 214 (December); Tribune, 12/12 (Monday); Sun, 12/12 (begun Monday; adjournment finished Tuesday afternoon) Score: Sun, 12/14; Recorder, 1/6/1895
Game 18 (Thursday, December 13) Date: Urcan, p. 215 (December); Tribune, 12/14 ("yesterday"); Evening Post, 12/14 ("yesterday"); Sun, 12/14 ("yesterday"); St. Paul Globe, 12/14 (report dated "New York Dec. 13" reports on the game played "to-day"); San Francisco Chronicle, 12/15 ("Thursday") Score: Tribune, 12/14; Sun, 12/14; Evening Post, 12/22; Recorder, 1/6/1895 Game 19 (Saturday, December 15) Date: Urcan, p. 216 (15 December); Tribune, 12/18 ("Albin had left sealed on Saturday"); Philadelphia Times, 12/17 ("which was played ... on Saturday ... to be resume today"). There is still some room for interpretation (adjournments occurred at midnight or later), but in light of the one-day delay for game 18 another day delay seems reasonable Score: Daily Tribune, 12/18; Sun, 12/18; Recorder, 12/19 and 1/8/1895 Game 20 (Monday, December 17) Date: Urcan, p. 216 (17 December); Tribune, 12/19 ("Monday") Score: Tribune, 12/19; Sun, 12/19; Recorder, 12/25, 1/6/1895 Game 21 (Wednesday, December 19) Date: Urcan, p. 217 (19 December); Tribune, 12/21 ("Wednesday"); Sun, 12/21 ("Wednesday") Score: Tribune, 12/21; Sun, 12/21; Recorder, 12/25
Game 22 (Friday, December 21) Date: Urcan, p. 218 (22 December); Sun, 12/23 (last Friday) Score: Tribune, 12/23; Sun, 12/23; Recorder, 12/26, 1/20/1895 Game 23 (Monday, December 24) Date: Urcan, p. 219 (24 December); Tribune, 12/25 ("yesterday"); Sun, 12/25 ("yesterday") Score: Tribune, 12/25; Sun, 12/25; Recorder, 12/30, 1/20/1895 Game 24 (Wednesday, December 26) Date: Urcan, p. 219 (26 December); Tribune, 12/28 ("Wednesday"); Sun, 12/18 ("Wednesday") Score: Tribune, 12/28; Sun, 12/28; Recorder, 12/30, 1/13/1895 Game 25 (Friday, December 28) Date: Urcan, p. 220 (28 December); Tribune, 12/30 ("Friday"); Sun, 12/30 ("Friday") Score: Tribune, 12/30; Sun, 12/30
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Sources
Adolf Albin in America / Urcan, Olimpiu G., MacFarland 2008, pp. 108-118, 201-221. Urcan's book has been a valuable source of information and correction, but there are a few omission and discrepancies which I have tried to reconcile using these accounts. Newspapers: New York Daily Tribune, New York Sun, New York Recorder. These can be rapidly found by using the Jack O'Keefe Project Timeline Tool on the Chess Archaeology site, at http://www.chessarch.com/excavation... A few other contemporary newspapers cited were accessed through a paid subscription to Newspapers.com. Albin annotated many of the games in the Daily Tribune and Sun. Showalter may have provided annotations appearing in the Recorder, but this is not explicitly stated. Notes
(1) New York Clipper, October 6, 1894. (2) New York Herald, December 30, 1894. (3) Minneapolis Journal, February 2, 1899. Original collection: Game Collection: Showalter - Albin, 1894, by User: Phony Benoni.
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Kibitzing
