| New York 1948/49 |
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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, Argentinian master Miguel Najdorf, and Swedish champion Gideon Stahlberg. Manhattan Chess Club vice-president Sidney F. Kenton organized the event, and raised $5800 in prize money to lure the players. 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, which by Chessmetrics' reckoning was the highest performance rating of his career. Fine defeated the tournament leader Najdorf in their round seven game, relegating him to the second prize of $750. Pilnik and Euwe split the third and fourth prizes, receiving $375 each. Although Fine had declined to participate in the world championship tournament earlier in the year, and would retire from chess in a few more years, he showed in this tournament that he was still one of the world's top players, and one of the best talents America had ever produced. The final standings and crosstable:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
1 Fine * 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 8
2 Najdorf 0 * ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 6½
=3 Euwe 0 ½ * ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 5
=3 Pilnik ½ 0 ½ * ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 5
=5 Horowitz 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 0 1 1 4½
=5 Kramer 0 0 0 0 ½ * 1 1 1 1 4½
=7 Bisguier ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 * ½ ½ 1 4
=7 Kashdan 0 0 ½ 0 1 0 ½ * 1 1 4
9 Denker 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 * ½ 2
10 Steiner 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ * 1½
*This collection would not have been possible without the efforts of this website: http://www.rookhouse.com/events/ny1...
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| page 1 of 1; 17 games |
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| Game |
| Result | Moves |
Year | Event/Locale | Opening |
| 1. Fine vs Euwe |
  | 1-0 | 49 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | D35 Queen's Gambit Declined |
| 2. G Kramer vs Denker |
| 1-0 | 41 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | B80 Sicilian, Scheveningen |
| 3. Najdorf vs Pilnik |
| 1-0 | 40 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | C48 Four Knights |
| 4. Pilnik vs Kashdan |
| 1-0 | 28 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | B71 Sicilian, Dragon, Levenfish Variation |
| 5. Euwe vs A Bisguier |
| 1-0 | 40 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | D30 Queen's Gambit Declined |
| 6. Kashdan vs Denker |
| 1-0 | 55 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | A49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4 |
| 7. Najdorf vs H Steiner |
| 1-0 | 30 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | E28 Nimzo-Indian, Samisch Variation |
| 8. Fine vs H Steiner |
| 1-0 | 41 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | D30 Queen's Gambit Declined |
| 9. Najdorf vs Kashdan |
| 1-0 | 35 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | D74 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O |
| 10. Euwe vs G Kramer |
| 1-0 | 41 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | D28 Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical |
| 11. A Bisguier vs H Steiner |
| 1-0 | 41 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | C77 Ruy Lopez |
| 12. Kashdan vs I A Horowitz |
| 1-0 | 31 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | E10 Queen's Pawn Game |
| 13. Fine vs Najdorf |
| 1-0 | 44 | 1948 | New York 1948/49 | B91 Sicilian, Najdorf, Zagreb (Fianchetto) Variation |
| 14. I A Horowitz vs Denker |
| 1-0 | 40 | 1949 | New York 1948/49 | B91 Sicilian, Najdorf, Zagreb (Fianchetto) Variation |
| 15. G Kramer vs A Bisguier |
| 1-0 | 51 | 1949 | New York 1948/49 | D31 Queen's Gambit Declined |
| 16. Fine vs I A Horowitz |
| 1-0 | 29 | 1949 | New York 1948/49 | D30 Queen's Gambit Declined |
| 17. Pilnik vs G Kramer |
| 1-0 | 46 | 1949 | New York 1948/49 | A27 English, Three Knights System |
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| page 1 of 1; 17 games |
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Jan-23-21
 | | FSR: Kramer is the last survivor of this tournament. |
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Feb-09-24
 | | perfidious: <FSR>, and so he remains, though only Steiner was the only participant to have a short life, the others all making it to at least their mid sixties before hanging 'em up. |
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