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4th US Championship; 1942
April 10 - 30
New York, NY
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1. Kashdan, Isaac x ½ 1 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 12½- 2½ +11-1=3
2. Reshevsky, Sammy ½ x 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 12½- 2½ +10-0=5
3. Denker, Arnold 0 0 x 1 ½ ½ 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 10½- 4½ + 9-3=3
4. Pinkus, Albert 0 0 0 x ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 10½- 4½ +10-4=1
5. Steiner, Herman 1 0 ½ ½ x 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 10 - 5 + 8-3=4
6. Horowitz, I.A. 0 ½ ½ 0 0 x 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 9 - 6 + 6-3=6
7. Seidman, Herbert 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 1 0 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 7 - 8 + 6-7=2
8. Levin, Jacob ½ 0 1 0 1 0 0 x 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 6½- 8½ + 3-5=7
9. Levy, Louis 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 1 x ½ 0 ½ 0 1 1 1 6½- 8½ + 5-7=3
10. Chernev, Irving 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ x ½ 1 0 1 1 1 6 - 9 + 4-7=4
11. Pilnick, Carl 0 ½ ½ 0 1 0 0 0 1 ½ x 0 1 1 0 ½ 6 - 9 + 4-7=4
12. Baker, Harry 0 0 0 1 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 1 x ½ ½ ½ ½ 5½- 9½ + 2-6=7
13. Lessing, Norman ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 0 ½ x 0 1 ½ 5½- 9½ + 3-7=5
14. Altman, Benjamin 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 x 1 0 4 -11 + 2-9=4
15. Green, Matthew 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 x 1 4 -11 + 2-9=4
16. Halbohm, Herman 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 x 4 -11 + 1-8=6
FIRST PLACE PLAYOFF (October, 1942)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
Reshevsky 1 0 1 0 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 7½
Kashdan 0 1 0 1 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 3½
(Reshevsky had White in the odd-numbered games)
ROUND BY ROUND RESULTS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
1. Kashdan 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 +10
2. Reshevsky 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ +10
3. Denker 1 ½ 1 1 1 0 1 0 ½ 1 0 1 1 1 ½ + 6
4. Pinkus 0 1 ½ 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 + 6
5. Steiner 1 ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 ½ + 5
6. Horowitz ½ 0 1 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ + 3
7. Seidman 0 1 0 0 1 1 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 - 1
8. Levin ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 ½ ½ 0 1 0 1 ½ ½ - 2
9. Levy 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 - 2
10. Chernev ½ 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 ½ 0 - 3
11. Pilnick 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ - 3
12. Baker ½ ½ ½ 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ - 4
13. Lessing 0 1 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 - 4
14. Altman 1 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 0 0 0 0 ½ - 7
15. Green ½ 1 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 7
16. Halbohm ½ 0 1 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 - 7
ROUND 1:
1-0 Kashdan-Pilnick
½-½ Horowitz-Chernev
0-1 Seidman-Reshevsky
½-½ Levin-Hahlbohm
½-½ Green-Baker
1-0 Altman-Lessing
0-1 Levy-Steiner
1-0 Denker-Pinkus
ROUND 2:
0-1 Pilnick-Pinkus
½-½ Steiner-Denker
1-0 Lessing-Levy
½-½ Baker-Altman
0-1 Hahlbohm-Green
1-0 Reshevsky-Levin
0-1 Chernev-Seidman
1-0 Kashdan-Horowitz
ROUND 3:
1-0 Horowitz-Pilnick
0-1 Seidman-Kashdan
½-½ Levin-Chernev
½-½ Green-Reshevsky
0-1 Altman-Hahlbohm
½-½ Levy-Baker
1-0 Denker-Lessing
½-½ Pinkus-Steiner
ROUND 4:
1-0 Pilnick-Steiner
0-1 Lessing-Pinkus
0-1 Baker-Denker
0-1 Hahlbohm-Levy
1-0 Reshevsky-Altman
1-0 Chernev-Green
½-½ Kashdan-Levin
1-0 Horowitz-Seidman
ROUND 5:
1-0 Seidman-Pilnick
0-1 Levin-Horowitz
0-1 Green-Kashdan
0-1 Altman-Chernev
0-1 Levy-Reshevsky
1-0 Denker-Hahlbohm
0-1 Pinkus-Baker
1-0 Steiner-Lessing
ROUND 6:
1-0 Pilnick-Lessing
0-1 Baker-Steiner
0-1 Hahlbohm-Pinkus
1-0 Reshevsky-Denker
½-½ Chernev-Levy
1-0 Kashdan-Altman
1-0 Horowitz-Green
1-0 Seidman-Levin
ROUND 7:
1-0 Levin-Pilnick
½-½ Green-Seidman
0-1 Altman-Horowitz
0-1 Levy-Kashdan
1-0 Denker-Chernev
0-1 Pinkus-Reshevsky
½-½ Steiner-Hahlbohm
½-½ Lessing-Baker
ROUND 8:
0-1 Pilnick-Baker
½-½ Hahlbohm-Lessing
1-0 Reshevsky-Steiner
0-1 Chernev-Pinkus
1-0 Kashdan-Denker
½-½ Horowitz-Levy
½-½ Seidman-Altman
½-½ Levin-Green
ROUND 9:
1-0 Green-Pilnick
½-½ Altman-Levin
1-0 Levy-Seidman
½-½ Denker-Horowitz
0-1 Pinkus-Kashdan
1-0 Steiner-Chernev
0-1 Lessing-Reshevsky
½-½ Baker-Hahlbohm
ROUND 10
½-½ Pilnick-Hahlbohm
1-0 Reshevsky-Baker
0-1 Chernev-Lessing
0-1 Kashdan-Steiner
0-1 Horowitz-Pinkus
0-1 Seidman-Denker
0-1 Levin-Levy
0-1 Green-Altman
ROUND 11
0-1 Altman-Pilnick
1-0 Levy-Green
0-1 Denker-Levin
1-0 Pinkus-Seidman
1-0 Steiner-Horowitz
½-½ Lessing-Kashdan
0-1 Baker-Chernev
½-½ Hahlbohm-Reshevsky
ROUND 12
½-½ Pilnick-Reshevsky
1-0 Chernev-Hahlbohm
1-0 Kashdan-Baker
½-½ Horowitz-Lessing
0-1 Seidman-Steiner
0-1 Levin-Pinkus
0-1 Green-Denker
0-1 Altman-Levy
ROUND 13
0-1 Levy-Pilnick
1-0 Denker-Altman
1-0 Pinkus-Green
0-1 Steiner-Levin
0-1 Lessing-Seidman
½-½ Baker-Horowitz
0-1 Hahlbohm-Kashdan
1-0 Reshevsky-Chernev
ROUND 14
½-½ Pilnick-Chernev
½-½ Kashdan-Reshevsky
1-0 Horowitz-Hahlbohm
1-0 Seidman-Baker
½-½ Levin-Lessing
0-1 Green-Steiner
0-1 Altman-Pinkus
0-1 Levy-Denker
ROUND 15
½-½ Denker-Pilnick
1-0 Pinkus-Levy
½-½ Steiner-Altman
1-0 Lessing-Green (forfeit)
½-½ Baker-Levin
0-1 Hahlbohm-Seidman
½-½ Reshevsky-Horowitz
0-1 Chernev-Kashdan
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L. Walter Stephens: The Kennesaw Mountain Landis of Chess By Arnold Denker International Grandmaster For many years the Manhattan Chess Club was more or less run by L. Walter Stephens, a rigid humorless man I once named Mr. Faux Pas. Walter also directed many U.S. Championships. He was the kind of person who would never get a second look if he passed by on the street. Of medium height, with a blotchy freckled complexion, he carefully covered his baldness by parting his hair near one ear, then plastered it down so that it stretched across to his other ear. For years, he and his wife Maude ran the club as if it belonged to their family. The club became their second home. Maude, a tell pencil-thin lady, with a weakness for wild-looking flowery hats, was the official club secretary. She was quietly efficient, and performed her duties well in spite of Walter's occasional interference. He on the other hand had no official title, but assumed the role of the club manager. It was never clear what his duties were, but he managed to get into everything. He directed tournaments, arranged matches, set up rules for juniors, talked to delinquents about dues, and even worked out a dress code (of which more later.) During most of his reign, juniors were only allowed to come to the club on certain days and play at specified times. Sometimes it seemed that his spare time was spent thinking up rules to irritate people. One day Bobby Fischer came to the club in his usual T-shirt and blue jeans. Stephens, with the foam already forming on his lower lip, wanted him thrown out at once. "He's breaking my new dress code by coming here improperly accoutered," he screamed. Fortunately, I was able to get the support of most directors to stop him. Thereafter, "Mister Princeton 16" as he sometimes referred to himself, stared daggers at me whenever I came to the club. In truth he should have been the last person to talk about being "improperly accoutered". He often came to the club in outfits that would have put "Florian Slappy," of Octavus Roy Cohen fame, to shame. I still remember the St. Patrick's Day he turned up wearing orange shoes, orange shirt, green suspenders, and purple trousers. This led Bob Willman, one of the young wags, to remark that Maude must be selecting his clothes to match her hat of the day. Most younger members barely tolerated him, and many of the jokes about him were far too off-color to repeat here. But the day that he got Oscar Tenner's dander up was a real lulu. Sad-eyed Oscar was a chess professional who married very late in life. He came to the club with his four-year-old son on those days that his wife worked. Like most fathers who have children late in life, he was particularly proud of his boy. The little boy knew how to set up the pieces, and as he went from board to board fingering the men, L. Walter began seeing red. Oscar, who was at the far end of the room busy with one of his best customers, was completely unaware of what was going on until he heard his little one cry. Walter had taken him in hand and began leading him to his father, whereupon Oscar rose from his char, ran to meet them, and although usually at a loss for words, stammered, "Take your hands off my boy, you, you PATZER you!" Having someone meet you at the club could prove dangerous to their health. He was always there ready to give them his third-degree briefing. That's how he happened to ask the visiting GM Lajos Steiner if he played chess. It was a mystery to many of us that he never asked Capablanca why he didn't pay dues. But the story for which he is most famous took place while he directed the U.S. Championship of 1938. I was playing Reshevsky and during a last-minute time scramble, Sammy's flag fell. Walter came rushing up to our table, picked up the clock, turned it around so that now Sammy's dial was on my side, and without the slightest hesitation forfeited me. When I and others who had been watching the game tried to reason with him, his now famous reply was, "Does Kennesaw Mountain Landis ever reverse himself?" And that ended it. To those of you unfamiliar with baseball, Landis was the tsar of baseball who was appointed to keep baseball clean, after the scandalous White Sox-Black Sox World Series of 1919. His reputation for never changing a decision made him famous at the time. Maybe L. Walter was cannier than we thought. Maybe that decision was his one claim to fame. --Chess Life, March 1990 |