CHESS REVIEW

Volume 7, Number 3, March 1939

On Tour
By I. A. Horowitz
(Condensed from article)

When one leaves for an extended trip of ten weeks, it is generally to be expected that much time and effort is spent in preparation. Not so with a chessplayer. I hastily packed my belongings, and madly rushed to bid farewell to some of my friends. Then still somewhat in a daze, I headed for the depot. As the pleasant chant "a-b-o-a-r-d" was heard, I relaxed.

At long last, I arrived in Los Angeles. Los Angeles was a breathing spell for me, for I stayed a week and played only twice. And the weather was favorable.

I believe Los Angeles has the largest chess club in point of membership, in the world. The roster, I am told, records the names of over 400. And at the opening gong at nine, forty to fifty men assemble for combat and sociability. It is no particular miracle that the club is successful. For E. P. Elliot, champion of the American Chess Federation in the early 1900s, has devoted his full time and effort to building the club.

I played at the L. A. Club and also at the home of Gottfried Reinhardt. We topped off the evening at the latter's home with a brand of New York rapid transit. It was fun.

My old teammate, Herman Steiner, did most of the honors at L. A. We visited Hollywood, and watched Fred Astaire rehearse, and saw them shoot a few scenes. We met actors and artists. Incidentally, Steiner is forming a new club to cater to these people. It was the particular delight of Mrs. Steiner to see that I regained the weight lost by the arduous labors of a tour. And I did. I must have gained six or seven pounds gorging at the Steiner household.

Simultaneous performance at the home of Gottfried Reinhardt.

January 26, 1939

SICILIAN DEFENSE

I. A. Horowitz (White) - G. Reinhardt (Black)

1 P-K4     P-QB4

2 Kt-KB3     Kt-QB3

3 P-Q4     PxP

4 KtxP     Kt-B3

5 Kt-QB3     P-K3

6 B-K2     B-K2

7 0-0     0-0

8 Kt-Kt3     P-QKt3

9 P-B4     PQ3

10 B-B3     B-Kt2

11 Q-K2     P-QR3

12 B-K3     Q-B2

13 Q-B2     Kt-Q2

14 QR-Q1     QR-B1

15 P-KKt4     P-B3

16 P-B5     Kt-Q1

17 R-Q2     Kt-K4

18 B-K2     Kt-B5

19 BxKt     QxB

20 BxP     Q-B3

21 B-K3     B-R1

22 Kt-Q4     Q-B5

23 PxP     KtxP

24 Kt-B5     KR-K1

25 KtxBch     RxKt

26 RxP     BxP

27 P-KR3     B-Kt2

28 KR-Q1     Q-QKt5!

29 B-B1     R-B5

30 P-R3     RxPch!

31 PxR     QxPch

32 K-R2     Q-R4ch

33 K-Kt3     Kt-Kt4!

34 BxKt     QxBch

35 K-R2     Q-R3ch!

36 K-Kt3     R-K6ch

37 QxR     QxQch

38 K-R2     Q-B7ch

39 K-R3     Q-B6ch

Resigns

Then I made the trek up the West Coast. From L. A. to Seattle, taking in Carmel, Frisco, Portland, I rode and played. Again I met many friends. There were Work and Whitman, and Clarke and Smith and Bagby and Boyette and Fink, and Chapman and Pelouse, and another of my old teammates, Arthur Dake. All made it a point to ease the tension of the grind. Then in Seattle there were Bourne Smith and Bart Bowen, and a host of others.

Occasionally I'd find time to meander. And at Santa Cruz, with Reynolds and Miller as guides, I visited the "Big Trees". Gigantic Redwoods towering into the sky, and broad.

Clock Game - San Francisco, Calif.

January 31, 1939

RUY LOPEZ

I. A. Horowitz (White) - A. J. Fink (Black)

1 P-K4     P-K4

2 Kt-KB3     Kt-QB3

3 B-Kt5     P-QR3

4 B-R4     Kt-B3

5 0-0     KtxP

6 P-Q4     P-QKt4

7 B-Kt3     P-Q4

8 PxP     B-K3

9 P-B3     B-K2

10 QKt-Q2     0-0

11 B-B2     Kt-B4

12 Kt-Kt3     Kt-Q2

13 R-K1     R-K1

14 QKt-Q4     KtxKt

15 KtxKt     Kt-B1

16 P-KB4     P-QB4

17 KtxB     PxKt

18 R-K3     P-B5

19 R-R3     B-B4ch

20 B-K3     Q-Kt3

20…BxBch followed by …Q-Kt3 was better.

21 B-Q4     R-K2

22 K-R1     BxB

23 PxB     R-B2

24 Q-Q2     P-Kt3

25 R-KB1     Kt-Q2

26 P-KKt4     QR-KB1

27 P-B5     K-R1

If instead 27…KPxP; 28 PxP, PxP; 29 R-R6 followed by 30 P-K6!

28 R-KKt1     KPxP

29 PxP     RxP

30 Q-R6     Resigns

Now I was headed eastward. The touch of nostalgia was eased by the thought that each exhibition brought me one step closer to home.

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