Author: Kmoch, Hans Joseph (1894-1973)
Year: 1950
Publisher: Albert Pinkus
Place: New York
Description:
vi+130 pages with diagrams, two plates including frontispiece, tables and game index. Octavo (8 3/4" x 5 3/4") issued in reddish brown pebbled cloth with gilt lettering to spine. Annotations, analysis, general history of the tournament and round by round commentary by Hans Kmoch. (Betts: 25-189) First edition.
The tournament of 1948-49 was not as large as those of 1924 and 1927, but it was an important one, because of the participation of the three famous grandmasters Euwe, Fine and Najdorf. Unlike the two preceding tournaments, it was not planned a long time in advance, but organized spontaneously by the Manhattan Chess Club when it was learned that Euwe, Najdorf and Stahlberg by mere chance would all be in New York at about the same time in December 1948. I might appear somewhat pagan to schedule play on Christmas and New Year, but the organizers had no choice since some of the players could not start earlier and others could not finish later. While there was little doubt throughout the tournament about Fine and Najdorf winning the top two prizes, uncertainty prevailed almost to the very last round as to who would take the next two prizes; except for Denker and Steiner, all had chance, Euwe by far the best one. When the third and fourth prize finally went to Euwe and Pilnik, the foreigners had at least the satisfaction of having taken all the prizes but the first. Horowitz and Kashadan showed the qualities of experienced warriors but also the frustrating effect of too little practice. Bisguier and Kramer, the two youngsters, did quite well.
Condition:
Corners and spine ends lightly rubbed, spine sunned, previous owner's name on front paste down else about a very good copy lacking jacket.
SOLD 2022