The Postal Warrior    by Bryce Avery, CCLA Historian

From time to time, the CCLA web site will feature a new installment of Bryce Avery's The Postal Warrior. Running in The Chess Correspondent since 1990, it has become one of the magazine's more popular columns.
HIBBARD TROPHY REDISCOVERED!
After nearly 50 years, the Henry D. Hibbard Trophy formerly given to winners of CCLA's Grand National has resurfaced among the personal effects of its last known holder, 1950 GN champion Curtis Garner. The Trophy, some 18 inches high and made of sterling silver, was described by the great Jack Collins as "fully as impressive as either the Frank J. Marshall Trophy or the Hamilton-Russell Cup [given to FIDE's Olympiad-champion team]."
	The trophy was named for Hibbard, one of CCLA's earliest members whose friendship with CCLA organizer Stanley Chadwick dates from at least 1913. In 1924, Hibbard joined the club's "leadership ladder" as Second Vice-President, moving to First Vice-President the following year and then President the year after that. After CCLA's Grand National event was re-established in 1933, Hibbard's son had the trophy made in honor of his father's long CCLA career and directed that it be given in turn to each GN champion. Though Collins was the first recipient of the trophy for his 1938 GN victory, the trophy (like the Stanley Cup) had each GN winner's name engraved on it, beginning with 1933 champion H.E. Jennings. The system of delivering the trophy to each new winner worked well until 1956, when Garner got the trophy for his 1950 win (from Nick Preo, the 1951 champion, whose tournament finished first) after the third and final round was finally completed.

As CCLA was then going through management turbulence that threatened its very existence, Tournament Director Dick Rees told Garner to keep the trophy and even arranged to have it engraved with a "Permanent Award" to Garner, thus retiring the trophy to Garner's mantelpiece for the rest of his life. Garner, whose victory came over 705 other players who entered the 1950 Grand National (probably CCLA's largest-ever turnout for a GN), grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was playing in the 1940 GN when he was interrupted by World War II. After the War, in which he served as a rifle instructor, he was an attorney, a violinist in local symphonies, an avid golfer, and the chess columnist for a Cleveland newspaper for some 20 years. The column's byline always mentioned his Grand National championship, likely puzzling many readers who had never heard of CCLA or the Grand National. Garner's son Curtis Jr. recently e-mailed CCLA officials that he had found the trophy and offered to give it back to the club. We appreciate his generosity, and discussions are now underway among the club's leadership to decide what to do with it.

We now present a postal game by the trophy's namesake Henry Hibbard against the great Edward Lasker, followed by a Garner game from the 1940 GN and two more of his wins from his three-round odyssey of winning the Hibbard Trophy.

1918 North American

Hibbard - Lasker

QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED    D51

(Notes by Lasker)

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bg5 Bb4 6. e3 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. a3?!

White loses time and yields the initiative to his opponent; he should play 8. Bd3 Qa5 9. 0-0 Bxc3 10. bxc3 Qxc3 11. Rc1 with a superior development for the pawn.

8... Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qa5 10. Qb3 Ne4 11. Rc1 c4 12. Qb4 Qxb4 13. cxb4 b5 14. Be2 a5 15. 0-0 Nb6 16. Rfe1 axb4 17. axb4 Ra4 18. Rb1 Nxg5 19. Nxg5 Bf5 20. Ra1 f6

An interesting endgame is in prospect after 20...Rxb4 21. Ra6 Nc8 22. Bf3 h6 23. e4 dxe4 24. Bxe4 Bxe4 25. Rxe4+ Kd7 26. Nf3 Re8 27. Rxe8 Kxe8 28. Kf1.

21. Nh3 Bxh3 22. gxh3 Kd7 23. Rab1 f5 24. f3 Re8 25. Kf2 Kc6 26. Rb2 Ra3 27. Bd1 Na4 28. Rd2 Nc3 29. Bc2 Ra2 30. Kg3 Rb2

Black has maneuvered successfully; the b-pawn is now at his mercy.

31. Kf4 g6 32. h4 Rxb4 33. h5 Rb2 34. hxg6 hxg6 35. Rg1 b4?! 36. Rxg6+ Kb5 37. Rdg2 Rxc2! 38. Rxc2 b3?

With two connected pawns nearing the end of their journey, it is usually possible to do almost anything along the lines of bold play. But this second piece sacrifice is not quite sound; the manner in which White demonstrates this is what really makes the game worthwhile.

39. Rxc3 b2 40. Rg7! Rb8

40...b1=Q 41. Rb7+. White will give up both rooks for the two Black pawns and then fight with his passed pawns against Black's rook.

41. Rg1 Kb4 42. Rgc1! Ra8

Black could capture at c1 and also win the other rook, but White would still draw.

43. R3c2 c3 44. Rxc3 Ra1

Black now expected to win after 45. R3c2 bxc1=Q 46. Rxc1 Rxc1 47. Kxf5 Kc4 48. Ke5 Re1 49. e4 dxe4 50. fxe4 Kd3 51. d5 Rxe4+ 52. Kf6 Rd4 53. Ke6 Kc4 54. d6 Kc5 55. d7 Kc6 56. h4 Rd6+ 57. Kf5 Rxd7.

Position after 44. ... Ra1

45. R1c2!! b1=Q 46. Rc8 Qe1

Black can't possibly win after 46...Ra5 47. Rb8+ Rb5 48. Rxb5+ Kxb5 49. Rc5+ and 50. Rxd5.

47. Rb2+ Ka3 48. Rb7! Qa5

Black would lose after 48...Qh4+ 49. Ke5 Qxh2+ 50. f4.

49. Rc5 Qa6 50. Rcc7 Qh6+ 1/2 - 1/2

Such play as White's is rarely seen outside of classical endgame studies.

1940 Grand National

Barnard - Garner

PETROFF DEFENSE    C42

(Notes by Garner)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. d3 Nf6 7. Bg5 Be6 8. Nc3 c6

This is a departure from Lasker-Marshall (St. Petersburg, 1914.)

9. 0-0-0 Nbd7 10. d4 d5 11. Ne5 Qb4 12. Re1 Nxe5 13. Qxe5 Ng4 14. Qf5 h5 15. Rxe6+?! fxe6 16. Qxe6+ Be7 17. Bd3 Nf6 18. Re1 Kd8 19. Bf4 Re8 20. Bg6 Bd6!

The kiss of death. The attack has been refuted, and White is in too deep.

21. Qxf6+

21. Bxd6 Rxe6 22. Rxe6 Qxd4 leaves White only two pieces for the queen. White also loses after 21. Qxd6+ Qxd6 22. Rxe8+ Nxe8 23. Bxd6 Nxd6.

21...gxf6 22. Rxe8+ Kc7 23. Bxd6+ Qxd6 24. Rxa8

White has won the maximum amount of material available from the position, but has lost the game. His disunited army is in no position to withstand the avenging Black queen.

Position after 24. Rxa8 ...

24...Qf4+ 25. Kb1 Qxh2 26. Nd1 h4 27. Rh8 Qxg2 28. Bd3 h3 29. Ne3 Qxf2 30. Rh7+ Kb6 0-1
1950 Grand National
Garner - Schroeder
RUY LOPEZ    C48
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. Nxd4 Bd7 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. Qf3 Bg4 9. Qg3 Qd7 10. h3 Bh5 11. 0-0 Bg6 12. e5 Nd5 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. Re1 Be7 15. e6 Qc8 16. exf7+ Kxf7 17. Qf3+ Bf6 18. Qxd5+ 1-0
1950 Grand National Finals
Garner - Sorenson
HUNGARIAN DEFENSE    C50
(Notes by Garner)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Be7 4. d4 d6 5. d5 Nb8 6. Bd3 Nd7 7. Be3 Ngf6 8. h3 0-0 9. c4 b6 10. Nc3 a5 11. g4 Nc5 12. Bc2 Ba6 13. b3 Nfd7 14. g5 f6 15. h4 Qe8 16. a3?
This foolish little move, intended to allow Black the opportunity of missing White's b4, so weakens White's queenside as to nearly cost him the game.
16…Bb7 17. Nh2 Qf7 18. Qg4 Bc8 19. Qg2 Nb8 20. Rhf1 fxg5 21. hxg5 Qh5 22. Rh1 Qh3 23. Qg1 Qh5 24. Kd2 Qg6 25. Bd1 a4 26. Nf3
This turncoat knight obstructs White's attack and protects Black's queen.
26…Nxe4+ 27. Nxe4 Qxe4 28. Bc2 Qxf3
In death, White's hapless knight redeems himself, as the game is now won for White in all variations. Black's constricted position affords no time for his rook and knight to get into play, while all roads are open for White's forces.
29. Rxh7 Bh3 30. g6 axb3 31. Bd1 Qf5 32. Rxh3 Bg5 33. Qh1 Bh6 34. Rxh6 gxh6 35. Qxh6 1-0
As a result of his poor 16th, White has actually been within one or two moves of losing, having just enough time to carry the attack.

Return to CCLA Web Site Home Page

Copyright © 1999 - to date  by   C.C.L.A.     -     All   Rights   Reserved