New York 1948/49

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New York 1948/49
Compiled by suenteus po 147

In the winter of 1948, when it came to the attention of the Manhattan Chess Club that four top chess masters would be spending December in New York, a tournament was put together on short notice. The four masters in question were former world champion Max Euwe, American chess master Reuben Fine, challenger of the world crown Miguel Najdorf, and Swedish champion Gideon Ståhlberg. Manhattan Chess Club vice-president Sidney F. Kenton raised $5800 in prize money to lure the players, as well as organizing the event. Ståhlberg was not staying in New York long enough to participate, so he declined. His invitation went next to Samuel Reshevsky, who also declined. Argentinian chess master Herman Pilnik found out about the tournament from Najdorf and offered to fill the empty seat if he were extended an invitation. It was granted and the remaining seats went to American players: Arthur Bisguier, Arnold Denker, Israel Horowitz, Isaac Kashdan, George Kramer, and Herman Steiner. Each player received $250 for attending. The tournament was played from December 23rd, 1948 to January 2nd, 1949, allowing only two rest days, neither of which were holidays. The time control for the event was 40 moves in two hours followed by 20 moves every hour afterwards. Fine won first prize of $1000 for his amazing 8/9 finish. He overcame the tournament leader Najdorf in their round seven game by defeating him, thus leaving Najdorf with the eventual second place prize of $750. Pilnik and Euwe split the combined third and fourth place prize of $750. Although he had declined to participate in the world championship tournament earlier in the year, and would retire from chess in a few more years, Fine displayed in this tournament that he was still one of the world's very best players, and one the best talents America had ever produced.

The final standings and crosstable:

1st Fine 8/9 * 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1

2nd Najdorf 6½/9 0 * ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1

=3rd Euwe 5/9 0 ½ * ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½

=3rd Pilnik 5/9 ½ 0 ½ * ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½

=5th Horowitz 4½/9 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 0 1 1

=5th Kramer 4½/9 0 0 0 0 ½ * 1 1 1 1

=7th Bisguier 4/9 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 * ½ ½ 1

=7th Kashdan 4/9 0 0 ½ 0 1 0 ½ * 1 1

9th Denker 2/9 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 * ½

10th Steiner 1½/9 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ *

*This collection would not have been possible without the efforts of this website: http://www.rookhouse.com/events/ny1...

Round One
Fine vs Euwe, 1948
(D35) Queen's Gambit Declined, 49 moves, 1-0
H Steiner vs I A Horowitz, 1948
(D02) Queen's Pawn Game, 85 moves, 0-1
G Kramer vs Denker, 1948
(B80) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 41 moves, 1-0
Najdorf vs Pilnik, 1948
(C48) Four Knights, 40 moves, 1-0
Kashdan vs Bisguier, 1948
(C86) Ruy Lopez, Worrall Attack, 30 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Two
Denker vs Najdorf, 1948
(D74) Neo-Grunfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O, 60 moves, 0-1
I A Horowitz vs Euwe, 1948
(D45) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 15 moves, 1/2-1/2
Pilnik vs Kashdan, 1948
(B71) Sicilian, Dragon, Levenfish Variation, 28 moves, 1-0
Bisguier vs Fine, 1948
(C18) French, Winawer, 31 moves, 1/2-1/2
H Steiner vs G Kramer, 1948
(B03) Alekhine's Defense, 39 moves, 0-1
Round Three
Fine vs Pilnik, 1948
(D81) Grunfeld, Russian Variation, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Najdorf vs H Steiner, 1948
(E28) Nimzo-Indian, Samisch Variation, 30 moves, 1-0
G Kramer vs I A Horowitz, 1948
(D50) Queen's Gambit Declined, 81 moves, 1/2-1/2
Euwe vs Bisguier, 1948
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 40 moves, 1-0
Kashdan vs Denker, 1948
(A49) King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4, 55 moves, 1-0
Round Four
G Kramer vs Najdorf, 1948
(D97) Grunfeld, Russian, 35 moves, 0-1
H Steiner vs Kashdan, 1948
(E49) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Botvinnik System, 60 moves, 0-1
Denker vs Fine, 1948
(E33) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 28 moves, 0-1
Pilnik vs Euwe, 1948
(B28) Sicilian, O'Kelly Variation, 27 moves, 1/2-1/2
I A Horowitz vs Bisguier, 1948
(C91) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 30 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Five
Kashdan vs G Kramer, 1948
(D19) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch, 36 moves, 0-1
Fine vs H Steiner, 1948
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 41 moves, 1-0
Bisguier vs Pilnik, 1948
(B92) Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation, 40 moves, 1/2-1/2
Najdorf vs I A Horowitz, 1948
(D42) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 7.Bd3, 42 moves, 1/2-1/2
Euwe vs Denker, 1948
(D54) Queen's Gambit Declined, Anti-Neo-Orthodox Variation, 26 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Six
G Kramer vs Fine, 1948
(A09) Reti Opening, 29 moves, 0-1
Najdorf vs Kashdan, 1948
(D74) Neo-Grunfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O, 35 moves, 1-0
I A Horowitz vs Pilnik, 1948
(D74) Neo-Grunfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O, 65 moves, 1/2-1/2
H Steiner vs Euwe, 1948
(D39) Queen's Gambit Declined, Ragozin, Vienna Variation, 50 moves, 1/2-1/2
Denker vs Bisguier, 1948
(D13) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, 48 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Seven
Euwe vs G Kramer, 1948
(D28) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 41 moves, 1-0
Kashdan vs I A Horowitz, 1948
(E10) Queen's Pawn Game, 31 moves, 1-0
Pilnik vs Denker, 1948
(B92) Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation, 50 moves, 1/2-1/2
Fine vs Najdorf, 1948
(B91) Sicilian, Najdorf, Zagreb (Fianchetto) Variation, 44 moves, 1-0
Bisguier vs H Steiner, 1948
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 41 moves, 1-0
Round Eight
Kashdan vs Fine, 1949
(D25) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 40 moves, 0-1
G Kramer vs Bisguier, 1949
(D31) Queen's Gambit Declined, 51 moves, 1-0
I A Horowitz vs Denker, 1949
(B91) Sicilian, Najdorf, Zagreb (Fianchetto) Variation, 40 moves, 1-0
Najdorf vs Euwe, 1949
(D06) Queen's Gambit Declined, 26 moves, 1/2-1/2
H Steiner vs Pilnik, 1949
(C55) Two Knights Defense, 55 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Nine
Pilnik vs G Kramer, 1949
(A27) English, Three Knights System, 46 moves, 1-0
Denker vs H Steiner, 1949
(E33) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Euwe vs Kashdan, 1949
(E34) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa Variation, 43 moves, 1/2-1/2
Bisguier vs Najdorf, 1949
(B84) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 36 moves, 1/2-1/2
Fine vs I A Horowitz, 1949
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 29 moves, 1-0
45 games

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