Dancing the Night Away

We sincerely thank Mr. Mauro Berni for having found out between the pages of a Latvian chess magazine – namely, Šacha Māksla, n. 11, September 10, 1937 – a noteworthy game (not yet known) from the sixth Women’s World Chess Championship (Stockholm 1937). This is the game Lauberte vs. Menchik, which we gladly present to our rare and precious readers.

Milda Rudolfovna Lauberte – Vera Frantsevna Menchik
6th Women’s World Championship; Stockholm, August 1937
Dutch Defence A84

1. d4 f5. The Dutch Defence suits Menchik’s feminine temperament! 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 b6 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. c4 e6 6. 0-0 Be7 7. Nc3 0-0 8. Bf4 Ne4. No better is 8. ... h6 9. Qc2 d6 10. Rad1 Nbd7 11. Ne1 Bxg2 12. Nxg2 Qc8 13. Bc1!± with the powerful positional threat of d4-d5, A. K. Rubinstein – Spielmann, Prague 1908. 9. Qc2 Qc8 10. Rad1 d6 11. Bc1 Nd7 12. d5 Nxc3 13. Qxc3 e5 14. Bg5 Qe8 15. Qc1 h6 16. Bxe7. The primitive sacrifice 16. Bxh6? gxh6 17. Qxh6 is simply refuted by 17. ... Rf6. 16. ... Qxe7 17. Nh4 Rf6 18. Bh3 Raf8

19. e4? Bad judgment! White should have settled for 19. f3 g5 20. Ng2 Bc8. Black is a little better, but White has excellent drawing chances; for example: 21. Ne1 g4 22. fxg4 fxg4 23. Bg2 Kg7. Also 19. Qc2 e4 20. Ng2 g5 comes in serious consideration. 19. ... fxe4 20. Qe3 g5 21. Bxd7. After 21. Ng2 Nc5 Black’s superiority is evident. 21. ... Qxd7 22. Ng2 Bc8. Not bad, but I would have preferred 22. ... Qh7! 23. Qc1 Bc8 with a clear advantage to Black. 23. Qxe4 Qa4. Miss Menchik can afford the luxury of exerting pressure on both wings! 24. a3 Qb3 25. Rd2 Bf5 26. Qe2 Bh3 27. Qd3 Qa4 28. Qc2 Qe8. Back again on the King-side! 29. Qe4 Qf7. White is condemned to passivity. 30. Qe2 Rf3 31. Qe4 Qh5 32. Qe2 R8f5 33. Qe4 Bxg2 34. Kxg2 g4. Threatening 35. ... Qh3+ 36. Kg1 Rh5 37. Qg6+ Kf8-+. 35. Rh1 Qg5. Phlegmatic play. Far more powerful would have been 35. ... Qh3+! 36. Kg1 h5 with an overwhelming attack (the threat is ... h5-h4 followed by ... Rf5-h5). 36. Qe1 h5 37. Re2. More resistance could have been offered by 37. h4, but Black stands in any case better after 37. ... gxh3+ 38. Rxh3 R5f4. 37. ... a5 38. Qd2 Qxd2. Menchik doesn’t fear to swap. Also good (and possibly better) is 38. ... Qg6 with the threat of ... h5-h4. 39. Rxd2 Kg7 40. Re1 Kg6 41. Re4 Rb3 42. h3 Kg5 43. hxg4 hxg4 44. Re1 Rf7. It was perhaps better 44. ... Rf6 45. Rh1 Rh6, maintaining the grip. 45. Rc2. The toughest defence is 45. Rh1!, and suddenly the technical difficulties become real. 45. ... Rd3 46. Rec1. Now, after 46. Rh1 c6! 47. dxc6 Rc7 Black gets excellent winning chances. 46. ... Kf5 47. Rh1 Ke4 48. Rh4 Rg7 49. Rh8 Kd4. The King – a strong piece! 50. Rh1 Kc5 51. Rhc1 Rf7 52. Rb1 a4 53. Re1 Rd4 54. Rec1 Rf3 55. Kf1 Re4 56. Kg1 Rd3 57. Kg2 Red4 58. Re1 Rxc4 59. Rxc4+ Kxc4 60. Re4+ Rd4 0 : 1.

The Women’s World Championship It is worth recalling that the Women’s World Championship was held concurrently with the Olympiad – a bonus for the many spectators. For the first time, the number of entrants (26) compelled a new form of contest, and the Swiss System was used. The reigning champion, Vera Menchik, turned in an astonishing fourteen wins in the fourteen rounds, four points ahead of her nearest rival. On Sunday the 15th August the prizes were presented at the Hasselbacken Restaurant and then, after the ceremonial dinner and all the speeches, Max Euwe and Vera Menchik led the refreshed players on to the ballroom floor to dance the night away. William H. Cozens, “The Lost Olympiad: Stockholm 1937”, St. Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, British Chess Magazine, 1985, p. 219

Credit: Jan Kalendovský.