Alexander Halprin vs Jackson Showalter (1900)

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Alexander Halprin vs Jackson Showalter
12th DSB Congress, Munich (1900), Munich GER, rd 6, Jul-30
Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo. Canal Variation (C50) · 0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Oct-16-18		KEG: The one interesting point in this otherwise forgettable game is the combination missed by Halprin on move 20. After his poor 18. Ndf5, Halprin was in trouble. But Showalter's careless 19...Qc7 gave Halprin a chance for a pretty saving combination. When he missed this chance, he was simply two pawns down with no real compensation and was hopelessly lost. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 7. BxN was better. 7... a6 Black gets better play with 7...g5 followed by 8. Na5. 8. Qd2 Very tentative (seeking a chance to castle lone when in fact he eventually castled on the other wing). Halprin had many better choices here: 8. BxN or 8. Nd5 or 8. a4. 8... Bg4! Exploiting Halprin's dithering play. 9. BxN QxB 10. Nd5 Qd8 The position was now: click for larger view White's Knight at d5 is doing little or nothing of use, and Black (Showalter) with his two Bishops had the better chances at this stage. 11. b4? Mangling his own position and defeating his own apparent earlier plan to castle on the Queen-side. 11. c3 or 11. 0-0-0 (depending on how he plans to proceed from there) were better. 11... Ba7 11...BxN followed by 12...Nd4 (if 12. gxB) or 12...Bxg2 (if 12. bxB) would have given Showalter much the better game. 12. c3! Preventing Nd4. 12... Ne7 12...BxN or 12...0-0 would have left Showalter with somewhat better chances. After the text, chances were about even. 13. Ne3 Implicitly acknowledging his lack of plan in his earlier play. 13. NxN was both more consistent and better. 13... Bd7 Showalter should certainly have played 13...BxN (f3) to mess up Halprin's king-side pawn formation. After the text, the position was: click for larger view 14. d4 exd4 15. Nxd4 The Tournament Book states that 15. cxd4 was no better. While the choice is close, I prefer the latter option to the text. 15... 0-0 16. 0-0 Ng6 This left: click for larger view It was at this point, as I will discuss in my next post on this game, that Halprin commenced an ill-conceived king-side advance that (coupled with his failure to seize the chance on move 20 to seize a tactical opportunity Showalter carelessly allowed him) cost Halprin the game.

Oct-16-18		KEG: Post II In the diagrammed position with which I ended my last post, Halprin decided to launch a King-side attack. This effort was premature, and landed Halprin in trouble: 17. f4?! The solid 17. Rad1 or 17. Bd5 were better. Alternatively, he could have anticipated trouble on the g1..a7 diagonal immediately with 17. Kh1 (a move he in fact had to make two turns later in far less favorable circumstances. 17... c5 Striking at the White center. But 17...b5 was a far better means of beginning an assault on White's center formation. 18. Ndf5 Rightly condemned by the Tournament Book, which identified the correct move: 18. bxc5. The position was now: click for larger view 18... cxb4! With this move, White's intended assault crumbles. 19. Kh1 Halprin had no choice. Only now did he apparently notice the power of the a7 Black Bishop that was unleashed by 18...cxb4! As the Tournament Book pointed out, 19. cxb4? would be crushed by 19...d5! [19...BxN first would be as good as the Tournament Book's move) 20. Bxd5 [20. Bb3 is arguably better, but also loses after 20...dxe4] BxN 21. exB Ne7. Even after the text, Halprin's position was on the edge. But... 19... Qc7? Giving Halprin a saving tactical resource by failing to have the Queen continue to eye f6 and putting it on a square on which it can be attacked by Nd5. 19...Rc8 and 19...BxN followed by 20...Rc8 were both very strong. After Showalter's 19...Qc7?, the position was: click for larger view White to move and draw: This is all that hard a conundrum when given as a problem. But at the board, Halprin flubbed his chance with: 20. Qe2? But White had a draw with: 20. Nxh6+ gxN 21. Nd5 QxB [21...Qd8 now gives White the edge after 22. f5!] 22. Nf6+ Kh8 23. f5 Kg7 (forced) 24. Nh5+ Kh7 (forced) 25. Nf6+ and draws via perpetual check. After the text, however, Halprin was about to lose a second pawn and was thus clearly lost: click for larger view 20... BxN 21. NxB bxc3 This left: click for larger view As I will discuss in my next post on this game, Halprin from here tried desperately to launch a coffee house attack on Showalter's king, an effort that got him nowhere.

Oct-16-18		KEG: Post III What followed after 21...bxc3 was wild attacking effort by Halprin that Showalter--though his play was not always the most accurate--rebuffed with ease. 22. Rac1 b5 23. Bd5 Rac8 24. Qh5 An alternative way to seek complications was 24. f5, but this also had little or no chance of success. 24... Kh7! Carefully unpinning the f7 pawn. 25. g4?! Wild and crazy, but Halprin was lost anyway, so why not throw the kitchen sink into an attack. 25... Qc5! This stops Halprin's attack cold, and leaves Black up two pawns: click for larger view 26. Nf5?! Continuing his all or nothing charge. But this had no chance against even minimally competent defense by Black. 26... Be6 26...Bc6 was even stronger, but the text was more than sufficient. 27. Ng3?! 27. Bb3 was theoretically better, but by this stage it hardly mattered. 27... BxB Putting an end to Halprin's hopes. 27...Qe3 was perhaps even more crushing. 28. exB c2 28...Kg8 was simpler and better, but the text also did the trick. 29. Qf5 Kg8 30. Ne4?! 30. g5 or 30. Qd3 look more sensible, but the game is gone for White by now. 30... Nx7 The Tournament Book gave this a "!," and indeed the game is won for Black. But 30...Qc4 was even more brutal. 31. NxQ NxQ This left: click for larger view The game looks over, but Halprin tried one last push: 32. Nxa6?! Ne3 32...Nd4 was even better. 33. Rf2 Rc4 34. Re2 Nxd5 Now the White Knight must fall: 35. Rexc2 Ra8! 36. RxR bxR 37. Nc7 NxN click for larger view Halprin decided to struggle on for two more moves: 38. Rxc4 Nd5 39. Rd4 Ra5 39...Ne3 was even better. But no matter. 0-1

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