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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·
Later Kibitzing> |
Mar-20-05
 | | Caissanist: He appears to have played no chess at all from 1916 to 1923. I wonder what happened--perhaps he got married or something. |
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| Mar-20-05 | | Resignation Trap: Kupchik didn't always wait around during his games, here he finishes up a future Grandmaster by sacrificing both Rooks: Kupchik vs Kashdan, 1928 . |
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| Mar-25-07 | | vonKrolock: Thanks for all data on Kupchik, <Resignation Trap>: I'm also recalling that some Chess author called him "The American Capablanca"... |
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Mar-25-07
 | | Strongest Force: R.I.P. Abe, I remember those free lessons you gave me after school at the "flea house". Perhaps there will be an even better game we can play against each other in Heaven! |
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Oct-09-07
 | | Peligroso Patzer: Some observations regarding Kupchik by Gabriel Velasco [at page 99 of "The Life and Games of Carlos Torre", translated by Taylor Kingston, Russell Enterprises, Inc. ©2000]: "Kupchik stood barely five feet tall and weighed less than 115 pounds, and the assertiveness of his personality was in proportion to his size. Arnold Denker called him a 'timid, tiny whisper of a man' and a 'frightened little rabbit.' Nonetheless this diminutive introvert was one of the best players in America at the time (estimated Elo rating 2480), especially at speed chess; he once won a 10-seconds-per-move tournament over Capablanca. In keeping with his personality, his style was thoroughly defensive and non-aggressive; he would erect a staunch bulwark and invite his opponent to dash himself to bits against it (which many did)." |
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Mar-25-08
 | | brankat: Quite unjustly forgotten, like so many other extraordinary players of his (and earlier) time. A very talented master. Similar in style to Capablanca and Petrosian! |
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Mar-25-09
| | brankat: R.I.P. master Kupchik. |
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| Mar-25-09 | | WhiteRook48: why did he quit for 24 years? |
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| Mar-25-10 | | BIDMONFA: Abraham Kupchik KUPCHIK, Abraham
http://www.bidmonfa.com/kupchik_abr...
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Mar-25-10
 | | wordfunph: Abraham Kupchik was barely five feet tall in his stocking feet and at most 115 pounds. Some wag once remarked that Kupchik and Sammy Reshevsky ought to be matched for the flyweight championship of the chess world. Happy Birthday Kupchik! |
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| Feb-01-11 | | Kupchikgrandchild: Abraham (Abie to me) was my grandfather. He was married to Fannie, and had two children - Philip in 1917 and Adele in 1921. He was a wonderful and gentle person with a quiet, unassuming personality. |
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Feb-01-11
 | | Gejewe: <Kupchikgrandchild> One of the forgotten names of the past, but undeservedly because he was one of the US best players in the early 20th century - and as Reuben Fine learned the hard way, was still able to bite in the US championship in 1940. Resignation Trap did a fine job in drawing up Kupchik's succesful chess career. In my opinion next two wins, scored against legendary players, should be included in your grandfather's gamecollection. Marshall,F - Kupchik,A [A46]
Metropolitan league, New York 1921
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bg5 Nbd7 4.Nbd2 e5 5.e3 Be7 6.Bd3 c6 7.0-0 0-0 8.c4 Re8 9.Qc2 Qc7 10.Rae1 Nf8 11.Bh4 Nh5 12.Bxe7 Rxe7 13.c5 exd4 14.exd4 d5 15.Rxe7 Qxe7 16.Re1 Be6 17.Ne5 Re8 18.Re3 Nf4 19.Bf1 f6 20.Nd3 N4g6 21.Nf3 Qd7 22.Qe2 Rd8 23.h3 Bf5 24.b4 Ne6 25.Qb2 Be4 26.Nd2 Ng5 27.f3 Bf5 28.Nf2 Qc7 29.Bd3 Bxd3 30.Nxd3 Nh4 31.Nf1 Nf5 32.Re1 Qd7 33.Qf2? Ne6 34.f4 g6 35.g4 Nfxd4 36.Kh1 [36.f5 gxf5 37.gxf5 Ng5] 36...f5 37.Ng3 fxg4 38.hxg4 Qg7 39.f5 Ng5 40.Kg2 Ndf3 41.Qe3 Nxe1+ 42.Nxe1 Ne4 43.Nxe4 dxe4 44.Qxe4 gxf5 45.Qxf5 Rf8 46.Qe6+ Qf7 47.Qe2 Re8 48.Qd2 Qe6 49.Qg5+ Qg6 50.Qxg6+ hxg6 51.Nd3 Re3 0-1 Kupchik,A - Reshevsky,S [C44]
Metropolitan league, New York 1940
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.d3 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.Bd2 Bxc3 8.bxc3 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.Qe2 0-0 11.Qe4 Nb6 12.Bb3 Bg6 13.Qg4 e4 14.dxe4 Bxe4 15.Be3 Bg6 16.0-0 Re8 17.Rad1 Qf6 18.Bd4 Nxd4 19.cxd4 Re4 20.Qg3 Re7 21.Ne5 Bf5 22.Rfe1 Rae8 23.f4 Kf8 24.c4 Rd8 25.c5 Nd5 26.Bxd5 Rxd5 27.c6! bxc6 28.Qa3 Qd6 29.Qxa7 f6 30.Nc4 Qd7 31.Ne3 Qe8 32.Kf2 Rb5 33.Qa3 Be4 34.Re2 g6 35.Ng4 Kg7 36.Rde1 h5 37.Ne3 Re6 38.Nd1 Qd7 39.Rxe4 Rxe4 40.Rxe4 Qf5 41.Qe7+ 1-0 |
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| Feb-01-11 | | paladin at large: <Kupchikgrandchild> Thank you for that. |
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Mar-24-11
| | Caissanist: <Kupchikgrandchild> Many thanks. That certainly explains why he played so little between 1916 and 1923. |
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Mar-24-11
| | Caissanist: In hindsight, Kupchik was obviously the second strongest American player of the 1920s, but did not receive many tournament invitations which he in fact deserved. Arnold Denker attributes this in part to his personality, in particular with regard to his not being invited to New York 1924. He didn't want to make a fuss, even though he would have been justified in doing so. |
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| Mar-25-12 | | Penguincw: R.I.P. POTD . |
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| Mar-25-12 | | optimal play: Here is one of Abraham Kupchik’s games from the 1928 Bradley Beach tournament not yet in the CG.com database (which I shall submit presently). [Event "?"]
[Site "Bradley Beach"]
[Date "1928.??.??"]
[White "Isaacs,Lewis"]
[Black "Kupchik,Abraham"]
[Round "4"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B92"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 b5 7. Bf3 e5 8. Nb3 Bb7 9. O-O Nbd7 10. Bg5 Be7 11. Re1 O-O 12. Rc1 Nb6 13. Na5 Rb8 14. Nxb7 Rxb7 15. b3 Rc7 16. Qd3 Nbd7 17. Be3 Nc5 18. Qd1 Qa8 19. Bg5 Ncd7 20. Nb1 h6 21. Bd2 Rfc8 22. Ba5 Rc6 23. g3 Nc5 24. Nc3 Bd8 25. Bxd8 Rxd8 26. Nd5 Nxd5 27. Qxd5 Qc8 28. Red1 Ne6 29. Bg4 Rc5 30. Qd2 Rc3 31. Re1 Qc5 32. Re3 Rxe3 33. fxe3 Ng5 34. Qd3 d5 35. exd5 Rxd5 36. Qe2 Qc3 37. h4 Rd2 38. Qe1 Ne4 39. Bf5 Nf2 40. Bd3 Nxd3 41. cxd3 Qxd3 42. Rc8+ Kh7 43. Rc1 f5 44. a4 b4 45. g4 Re2 0-1 He won this tournament 5.0 / 7
btw I’ve noticed that there are numerous earlier games which begin with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 which were won by White, but is this the earliest recorded win by Black? I haven’t come across any others. If so it’s a singular memorial to Kupchik to have been the first to actually win a recognised game playing Black using what have become the most common opening moves in Chess. |
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Mar-25-12
 | | Phony Benoni: <optimal play: btw I’ve noticed that there are numerous earlier games which begin with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 which were won by White, but is this the earliest recorded win by Black?> Amazingly, that appears to be almost true. I was positive our database would have numerous prior games where Black won after <1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6>, but it looks like there are only two: W Von Holzhausen vs Hilse, 1927
Loman vs J Van Den Bosch, 1927
The Holzhausen - Hilse game was from a tournament played in April, but I can't find the exact date for the Van Den Bosch v. Loman match at the moment. The latter game, by the way, is also the first using the Najdorf sequence (<1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6>). There is also the game Chekhova vs T Kostina, 1867, but the information given is almost certainly in error; the game was probably played in the 1970s. |
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| Mar-26-12 | | optimal play: Nice investigative work <Phony Benoni>! Opening Explorer doesn't provide the <search database for this position> after 2...d6 understandably for so many games. I knew <Chekhova vs T Kostina> was incorrectly dated but the other two from 1927 are obscure to say the least! Anyway I guess the mantle of "First to win with Black playing 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6" is between Wilhelm Hilse and Johannes Hendrik Otto Van den Bosch depending upon whether Hilse's game date can ever be ascertained? Perhaps Hilse & Van den Bosch should just share the honour? |
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Apr-17-12
| | Phony Benoni: <optimal play> We have a new clubhouse leader in the <1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6> sweepstakes, also involving Kupchik: Abraham Kupchik - Anthony Santasiere
Metropolitan Chess League
New York. March 1926
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.f4 Nbd7 9.Bf3 Qc7 10.Kh1 Rb8 11.a4 b6 12.e5 dxe5 13.Nc6 exf4 14.Qe2 Bd6 15.Nxb8 Qxb8 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 0-0 18.Bd3 Nc5 19.Bc4 e5 20.b4 Nd7 21.Bd2 Qa8 22.Bc3 Nf6 23.Rae1 Bb7 24.Bd3 Nd5 25.Qd2 Nxc3 26.Qxc3 Bxg2+ 27.Kg1 Bxf1 28.Bxf1 Qc8 29.Qb3 Qg4+ 30.Bg2 Re8 31.Kh1 f3 32.Bxf3 Qxb4 33.Qxb4 Bxb4 34.Rd1 g6 35.Rd7 Re7 36.Rd8+ Kg7 37.Bd5 f5 38.h4 e4 39.Rc8 Bc5 40.a5 Ra7 41.Rc6 Rd7 42.c4 Rd6 0-1 <Brooklyn Daily Eagle>, April 8, 1926 |
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| Apr-17-12 | | optimal play: Well done <Phony Benoni>! You're like a chess archaeologist digging up these previously hidden games. I presume you have submitted this to CG.com They uploaded my Isaacs-Kupchik game above in only about two days. So the current standings are as follows:-
1926.03.?? Abraham Kupchik - Anthony Santasiere
1927.04.?? Walther Von Holzhausen - Wilhelm Hilse
1927.10.22 Rudolf Johannes Loman - Johannes Hendrik Otto Van den Bosch
1928.??.?? Lewis J Isaacs - Abraham Kupchik
I suspect there may yet be earlier wins for Black still to come to light. |
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Apr-18-12
| | Phony Benoni: <optimal play> You must have gotten lucky and submitted just before they processed a batch of games. It usually takes considerably more time than two days. |
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Apr-29-12
| | Phony Benoni: Kupchik wins the Brilliancy Prize!
<J L Foster - Abraham Kupchik> (Metropolitan Chess League, 1942) <1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.e4 e5 5.Nf3 g6 6.h3 Bg7 7.Be3 0-0 8.Bd3 exd4 9.Nxd4 Nc5 10.Bc2 Re8 11.Qf3 Qe7 12.Bg5 Qe5 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.0-0-0 c6 15.Rhe1 a5 16.Kb1 Ne6 17.Nde2 Rd8 18.Qe3 Bg5 19.Qd3 Qc5 20.Rf1 Nf4 21.Nxf4 Bxf4 22.g3 Be5 23.Na4 Qa7 24.f4 Bg7 25.g4 b5 26.cxb5 cxb5 27.Nc3 Ba6 28.Ne2 b4 29.Qf3 a4 30.b3 Rac8 31.Rf2> 
click for larger view<31...Rxc2! 32.Kxc2 axb3+ 33.Kxb3 Bc4+ 34.Kxc4 Qa6+ 35.Kb3 Rc8 36.a4 Qc4# 0-1> Of course, White offered some substantial help. He keeps forcing Black's pieces to move where they want to go (e.g., 22.g3), and 30.b3 is the last move to consider in a situation like that. But don't blame 33.Kxb3; White was dead at that point, no matter what. I do like the way Kupchik seemed to have absorbed the ideas of the Soviet Dynamic School (like that "weak" d-pawn)--and this from a man of fifty who was never a great openings expert. There's more to Kupchik than meets the eye. |
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May-26-12
| | Phony Benoni: Kupchik giving a simul in 1943:
http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%... |
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| Jul-09-12 | | Resignation Trap: Photo from 1935 Olympiad in Warsaw, Czechoslovakia vs. USA. Kupchik and Marshall (with cigar, of course!) are clearly visible on the right: http://www.olimpbase.org/1935/img/u... |
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