New York 1918

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New York 1918
Compiled by crawfb5

New York 1918 was originally planned as an 8-player double round robin tournament. Norman Whitaker began a game a day before Round 1, became ill and withdrew from the event, leaving it as a 7-player field.

THE PLAYERS

Jose Raul Capablanca -- Although he would not become world champion until 1921, he had already been in unsuccessful negotiations on match conditions with Emanuel Lasker. Up to this point, Capablanca had finished first or second at San Sebastian 1911, New York 1911, 1913, 1915, and 1916, Havana 1913, and St. Petersburg 1914. Alexander Alekhine said Capablanca at St. Petersburg was already playing as well as Lasker, and "he gave all the St. Petersburg masters the odds of 5–1 in quick games – and won!"

Borislav Kostic -- Although not as well known today as some of the other competitors, Kostic was an accomplished blindfold player, won a match with Marshall (+1 -0 =2) in 1911 and against Jackson Showalter (+7 -2 =5) in 1916. Kostic was to lose a match against Capablanca 5-0 the next year, in what Capablanca called at one point "the best chess of my career." FIDE awarded Kostic the GM title in its inaugural list in 1950. Kostic was living in Indiana at the time of this tournament, presumably to avoid the upheaval in Europe of WWI.

Frank Marshall -- After the death of of Harry Pillsbury, Marshall became the strongest US master. He was very active in both domestic and international events, with inconsistent results. Two of his more outstanding successes were first at Cambridge Springs 1904 ahead of Lasker and first at Havana 1913 ahead of Capablanca.

Oscar Chajes -- Chajes handed Capablanca one of his rare losses in 1916, O Chajes vs Capablanca, 1916. This was Capablanca's last loss prior to his 1916-1924 undefeated streak. Chajes lost a match to Janowski in Havana 1913 (+0 - 2 =1) and won in New York 1918 (+7 -5 =10).

David Janowski -- Janowski lost a lopsided world championship match to Lasker in 1910 (+0 -8 =3). A talented tactician, Janowski was relatively weak in endgame play. http://www.edochess.ca/players/p487... ranks Janowski as one of the top 10 players in the world during the late 1890s and early 1900s.

Roy Black -- Black came in third at New York 1911, winning a rare game against Capablanca (Capablanca vs R Black, 1911), which cost Capablanca first place.

John Morrison -- Morrison was Canadian champion for a number of years.

THE CROSSTABLE

Capablanca XX == 11 11 11 1= 11 10.5
Kostic     == XX =1 =1 =1 1= 11  9.0
Marshall   00 =0 XX 10 1= 11 11  7.0
Chajes     00 =0 01 XX 10 11 1=  6.0
Janowsky   00 =0 0= 01 XX 10 01  4.0
Black      0= 0= 00 00 01 XX =1  3.5
Morrison   00 00 00 0= 10 =0 XX  2.0

ROUND 1 saw the most famous game of the tournament. Marshall sprung his prepared variation of what has come to be known as the Marshall Gambit, but Capablanca wove his way through the complications at the board to win the game. Kostic drew with Chajes. In ROUND 2, Marshall lost to Chajes, and Marshall was never able to overcome the bad 0-2 start and catch Capablanca and Kostic. Janowski lost to the eventual tail-ender, Morrison, and this was the beginning of a lackluster result for him. In ROUND 4, Marshall beat Janowski, but this was a bit too late to reverse his fortunes. Kostic beat Morrison, but drew five of his first six games. Despite going undefeated in the tournament, this would not be a sufficiently fast pace to catch Capablanca, who would score a blistering 10.5/12.

Round 1 -- 23 Oct 1918
Capablanca vs Marshall, 1918
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 36 moves, 1-0
Round 1 -- 23 Oct 1918
O Chajes vs Kostic, 1918
(C11) French, 52 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 1 -- 23 Oct 1918
R Black vs J Morrison, 1918
(C41) Philidor Defense, 73 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2 -- 24 Oct 1918
J Morrison vs Janowski, 1918
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 44 moves, 1-0
Round 2 -- 24 Oct 1918
Marshall vs O Chajes, 1918
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 48 moves, 0-1
Round 2 -- 24 Oct 1918
R Black vs Capablanca, 1918
(C72) Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, 5.O-O, 44 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3 -- 25 Oct 1918
O Chajes vs R Black, 1918
(C42) Petrov Defense, 38 moves, 1-0
Round 3 -- 25 Oct 1918
Janowski vs Kostic, 1918
(D40) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 49 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3 -- 24 Oct 1918
Capablanca vs J Morrison, 1918
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 32 moves, 1-0
Round 4 -- 26 Oct 1918
Marshall vs Janowski, 1918
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 37 moves, 1-0
Round 4 -- 26 Oct 1918
Capablanca vs O Chajes, 1918
(C10) French, 45 moves, 1-0
Round 4 -- 24 Oct 1918
J Morrison vs Kostic, 1918
(D00) Queen's Pawn Game, 71 moves, 0-1
Round 5 -- 27 Oct 1918
O Chajes vs J Morrison, 1918
(C41) Philidor Defense, 20 moves, 1-0
Round 5 -- 27 Oct 1918
Janowski vs R Black, 1918
(D52) Queen's Gambit Declined, 52 moves, 1-0
Round 5 -- 27 Oct 1918
Kostic vs Marshall, 1918
(D33) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 39 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6 -- 29 Oct 1918
J Morrison vs Marshall, 1918
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 84 moves, 0-1
Round 6 -- 29 Oct 1918
Capablanca vs Janowski, 1918
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 30 moves, 1-0
Round 6 -- 29 Oct 1918
R Black vs Kostic, 1918
(C41) Philidor Defense, 78 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7 -- 30 Oct 1918
Janowski vs O Chajes, 1918
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 27 moves, 1-0
Round 7 -- 30 Oct 1918
Kostic vs Capablanca, 1918
(D63) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7 -- 30 Oct 1918
Marshall vs R Black, 1918
(A53) Old Indian, 36 moves, 1-0
Round 8 -- 1 Nov 1918
Marshall vs Capablanca, 1918
(D63) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, 39 moves, 0-1
Round 8 -- 1 Nov 1918
Kostic vs O Chajes, 1918
(C78) Ruy Lopez, 28 moves, 1-0
Round 8 -- 1 Nov 1918
J Morrison vs R Black, 1918
(C42) Petrov Defense, 46 moves, 0-1
Round 9 -- 2 Nov 1918
Janowski vs J Morrison, 1918
(D02) Queen's Pawn Game, 51 moves, 1-0
Round 9 -- 2 Nov 1918
O Chajes vs Marshall, 1918
(B01) Scandinavian, 20 moves, 0-1
Round 9 -- 2 Nov 1918
Capablanca vs R Black, 1918
(C42) Petrov Defense, 41 moves, 1-0
Round 10 -- 3 Nov 1918
R Black vs O Chajes, 1918
(C84) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 89 moves, 0-1
Round 10 -- 3 Nov 1918
Kostic vs Janowski, 1918
(B32) Sicilian, 40 moves, 1-0
Round 10 -- 3 Nov 1918
J Morrison vs Capablanca, 1918
(C62) Ruy Lopez, Old Steinitz Defense, 41 moves, 0-1
Round 11 -- 5 Nov 1918
Kostic vs J Morrison, 1918
(C29) Vienna Gambit, 48 moves, 1-0
Round 11 -- 5 Nov 1918
O Chajes vs Capablanca, 1918
(C48) Four Knights, 81 moves, 0-1
Round 11 -- 5 Nov 1918
Janowski vs Marshall, 1918
(D00) Queen's Pawn Game, 82 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12 -- 6 Nov 1918
J Morrison vs O Chajes, 1918
(C42) Petrov Defense, 57 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12 -- 6 Nov 1918
Marshall vs Kostic, 1918
(D15) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 28 moves, 0-1
Round 12 -- 6 Nov 1918
R Black vs Janowski, 1918
(C74) Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, 96 moves, 1-0
Round 13 -- 7 Nov 1918
Marshall vs J Morrison, 1918
(C21) Center Game, 57 moves, 1-0
Round 13 -- 7 Nov 1918
Janowski vs Capablanca, 1918
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 55 moves, 0-1
Round 13 -- 7 Nov 1918
Kostic vs R Black, 1918
(D63) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, 23 moves, 1-0
Round 14 -- 9 Nov 1918
O Chajes vs Janowski, 1918
(B32) Sicilian, 27 moves, 1-0
Round 14 -- 9 Nov 1918
Capablanca vs Kostic, 1918
(C42) Petrov Defense, 56 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 14 -- 9 Nov 1918
R Black vs Marshall, 1918
(C84) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 27 moves, 0-1
42 games

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