Reply #4: Menchik - Thomas, London, 1932 [View All]

[Jack Rabbit]

Vera Menchik, a British subject born in Imperial Russia, was head a shoulders above any other woman chess player up to her time. She was the first recognized women's world champion and played with modest success against men.

The men she defeated formed the mythical "Menchik Club." Here's how Sir George Thomas, one of the top British masters of the time, earned his membership.

Miss menchik was killed in a Nazi bombing raid on London in 1944 at the age of 38.



Vera Menchik playing in London, 1932
Seated next to her is the then-World Champion Dr. Alexander Alekhine
Photo: Chess History


Vera Menchik - Sir George Thomas
International Tournament, Round 4
London, February 1932

West India Game: King's Indian Defense (Sämisch Opening)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5

• 6...Nbd7 7.Nh3!? e5 8.d5 a5 9.Nf2 b6 10.Qd2 Nc5 11.Bg5 Bd7 12.g4 Qc8 13.h4 gives White the advantage in space (Nimzovich-Tartakover, IT, Karlsbad, 1929).

7.Nge2 b6!?

• In 1932, this set up was new. The text move has been seldom seen since this game, where it was a novelty.
• If 7...Nc6 8.Qd2 Nd7 then:
• If 9.d5 Ne7 10.g3 then:
• 10...a5 11.Bg2 b6 12.0-0 Nc5 13.b3 Bd7 14.Nc1 f5 15.Bh6 is equal (Sämisch-Yates, IT, Marienbad, 1925).
• 10...f5 11.Bg2 fxe4 12.fxe4 Nf6 13.h3 b6 14.b3 Kh8 15.g4 gives White the advantage in space (Botvinnik-Alatortsev, Soviet Ch, Moscow, 1931).
• If 9.0-0-0 Nb6 10.b3 a5 11.dxe5 a4 12.Bxb6 then:
• 12...axb3 13.Be3 bxa2 14.Nxa2 Bxe5 15.Nec3 Be6 16.f4 Na5 17.Qc2 Bg7 18.Nd5 gives White an extra piece for a pawn (Dr. Euwe-Yates, IT, Hastings, 1931-32.).
• 12...cxb6 13.Nxa4 Nxe5 14.Nac3 Nc6 15.Qxd6 Qg5+ 16.f4 Qa5 17.Rd5 puts Black on the brink of elimination.
• Later in the thirties, 7...c6 was introduced and has by now become the main line to meet the Sämisch: 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.0-0-0 when:
• If 9...a6 10.Kb1 b5 then:
• If 11.Nc1 then:
• If 11...exd4 12.Bxd4 Re8 13.Nb3 Bf8 then:
• If 14.c5 dxc5 15.Bxc5 Bg7 then:
• 16.Bd6 Nb6 17.Qf4 Nh5 18.Qc1 Be6 19.g4 Bxb3 20.axb3 Nf6 21.g5 Nfd7 22.h4 is equal (Rhode-Kurtz, Corres, 1999).
• 16.g4 a5 17.g5 a4 18.Nc1 Nd5 19.Bd4 Bxd4 20.Qxd4 N5b6 21.h4 Qe7 is equal (Reah-Smagin, Bundesliga 9293, Germany, 1992).
• 14.h4 b4 15.Ne2 c5 16.Be3 a5 17.h5 a4 18.Nbc1 Ne5 19.Bxc5 Nxc4 20.Qd4 Be6 21.Bxb4 Rb8 22.a3 Bg7 23.h6 Bh8 is equal (Sun Ainan-Qiao Lang. Chinese ChT, Suzhou, 2001).
• 11...Re8 12.d5 b4 13.N3e2 cxd5 14.cxd5 Nb6 15.Qxb4 Rb8 16.Nb3 Nfxd5 17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Qxb8 Nxe3 19.Kc1 Bh6 20.Rd2 Nc4 21.Nc3 Nxd2 22.Nxd2 d5 23.Be2 Qg5 24.Rd1 Qxg2 25.Nxd5 Qxe2 26.Nf6+ Kh8 27.Nxe8 Bxd2+ 28.Rxd2 Qc4+ draw (Khasin-Boleslavsky, Soviet Ch ½-Final, Gorky, 1954).
• 11.c5 b4 12.Na4 Qa5 13.Qc2 d5 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.Nb6 Rb8 16.Nd4 Rxb6 17.cxb6 dxe4 18.Nxc6 Nxc6 19.Qxc6 exf3 20.b7 Bf5+ is equal (Gasanov-Agasiyev, Op, Baku, 2007).
• 9...Qa5 10.Kb1 a6 11.Nc1 Re8 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.g4 b5 14.Nb3 Qb4 15.Qd6 Qxd6 16.Rxd6 Nb8 17.Be2 Be6 18.Rhd1 Bf8 19.R6d2 Bb4 20.Nc5 Bxc5 21.Bxc5 gives White the advantage in space (Madsen-Doren, Corres, 1991).

8.Qd2

• White's plan is to castle long and attack on the kingside while weathering the storm on the Queen's wing.

8...Nc6

• 8...Ba6 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Qxd8 Rxd8 11.Nd5 Ne8 remains equal.

9.d5 Ne7 10.g4 Nd7?!

• 10...Ba6 11.Ng3 c6 12.dxc6 Nxc6 13.0-0-0 Ne8 14.Bg5 Qd7 remains equal.

• If 10...c6 11.dxc6 Nxc6 then:
• 12.g5 Ne8 13.h4 Be6 14.Nd5 Na5 15.Nec3gives White more space.
• 12.0-0-0 Ne8 13.Bg5 f6 14.Be3 Be6 15.Nd5 gives White the advantage in space.

11.Rg1

• White begins operations on the King's wing.
• To the same end and stronger is 11.h4! Ba6 12.Nb5 Bb7 13.h5 a6 14.Nbc3.

11...a5?

• 11...Bb7 12.Ng3 Rc8 13.h4 c6 14.dxc6 Nxc6 remains equal.

12.0-0-0 Nc5

• 12...Ba6 13.Ng3 Rc8 14.h4 c6 15.dxc6 Rxc6 16.Kb1 gives White the advantage in space.
• 12...Bb7 13.h4 Rc8 14.Ng3 c6 15.dxc6 Rxc6 16.h5 gives White the advantage in space.

13.Ng3 Bd7

• If 13...Bb7 14.h4 then:
• If 14...Rc8 15.h5 c6 then:
• If 16.dxc6 Bxc6 17.Qxd6 Qxd6 18.Rxd6 Rfd8 19.Nd5 then:
• 19...Nxd5 20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.exd5 gives White an extra pawn.
• If 19...Rxd6?? then 20.Nxe7+ Kf8 21.Nxc8 wins a piece.
• If 16.Bxc5!? bxc5 17.dxc6 Nxc6 18.Qxd6 Qxd6 19.Rxd6 gives White an advantage in space.
• 14...Qd7? 15.h5 Na4 16.Nb5 Nc5 17.Rh1 hampers Black's designs on the queenside and gives White excellent chances of breaking through on the opposite wing.

BLACK: Sir George Thomas
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WHITE: Vera Menchik
Position after 13...Bc8d7

14.h4!

• White initiates her attack on the kingside with a pawnstorm, a typical strategem in games where the Kings have castles to opposite sides.

14...a4 15.h5 Qb8

• Black's plan is to get his attack in before White does. Unfortunately, the math is still against him.

16.Bh6

• White removes a defender.

16...Qa7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Nf5+!

• White removes yet another defender.

18...Nxf5

• If 18...Bxf5 19.gxf5 Kh8 20.Be2 b5 21.hxg6 fxg6 22.fxg6 then:
• 22...Rg8 23.g7+ Rxg7 24.Rxg7 Kxg7 25.Rh1 White brings her heavy pieces to the kingside and wins.
• 22...Rf4 23.Nxb5 Qb6 24.gxh7 Raf8 25.Rg3 leaves White three pawns to the good.().

19.gxf5 a3

• Black attacks the castle walls, but he's completely lost.

20.f6+! Kh8

• 20...Kxf6 21.Qg5+ Kg7 22.h6+ Kh8 23.Qf6+ Kg8 24.Qg7#.

21.Qh6!

• There are more threats here than simply mate on g7. Black is doomed.

21...axb2+

• 21...Nb3+ 22.Kb1 Rg8 23.hxg6 Rxg6 24.Rxg6 Rg8 25.Rxg8+ Kxg8 26.Qg7#.

22.Kb1 Rg8 23.hxg6 fxg6
BLACK: Sir George Thomas
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WHITE: Vera Menchik
Position after 23...fg6:p

24.Qxh7+!! 1-0

• A pretty Queen sacrifice finishes the game.
• After 24...Kxh7 25.Rh1+ White mates on the next move.
• Sir George resigns.