Evans-Steiner U. S. Championship match 50 years ago!
Blast from the Past-Exclusive!
If I remember, I think it was at the Western States Open at Reno in October 2007 while attending Larry Evans lecture when I asked Larry Evans for memoirs of his 1952 match with Herman Steiner for the U. S. Championship, pertaining to games he played in Reno and Las Vegas. He really could not offer any details except that in Las Vegas, Fremont Street was paved while most of the other streets were dirt roads. This match has always fascinated me, particularly, the last two or three games which were played here in Nevada. For now, from the 1952 Chess Life pg 228…
Winner and Still Champion!
“Larry Evans retained his U. S. title in a challenge match with Herman Steiner his predessor. Evans clinched matters as early as the 11th heat of the 16 game match, which gave him the 8 1/2 points necessary for victory.
The first six games were contested in Los Angeles. Here Evans won 6 lost 1 and drew three. San Francisco was the scene of the crucial 11th game, won by Evans-while the 12th-won by Steiner-was played in Reno Nevada. In Las Vegas Nevada, Evans won the 13th and drew the 14th bringing the score in his favor to 10-4. Two games, scheduled for New York City have been cancelled.”
And on the same page, there is a photo of the two GMs in play!
I will have more to say about this, as I have more sources on this match, as well as try to lift the photo from the pdf file.So for now here are the games.
[Event “Ch USA (match), Reno (USA)”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “1952.??.??”]
[Round “12”]
[White “Steiner Herman”]
[Black “Evans H”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “E81”]
[PlyCount “71”]
[EventDate “1952.??.??”]
[Source “Pickard & Son”]
[SourceDate “2003.01.15”]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 O-O 5. f3 d6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Be3 e5 8. Nge2
Nc6 9. Qd2 Kh7 10. d5 Ne7 11. g4 Nfg8 12. Ng3 f5 13. gxf5 gxf5 14. exf5 Nxf5
15. Bd3 Kh8 16. Nxf5 Bxf5 17. Ne4 Qh4+ 18. Bf2 Qf4 19. Qxf4 exf4 20. O-O-O Ne7
21. Rhg1 Ng6 22. Bc2 Kh7 23. Rg2 Rf7 24. Rdg1 Rg8 25. Rxg6 Bxg6 26. Rxg6 Kxg6
27. Nxd6+ Kg5 28. Nxf7+ Kf6 29. Nd8 Bf8 30. Bd4+ Ke7 31. Ne6 Ke8 32. Nxc7+ Kf7
33. c5 Rg2 34. d6 Rxh2 35. Bb3+ Kg6 36. Ne6 1-0
[Event “Las Vegas ch-USA”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “1952.??.??”]
[Round “13”]
[White “Evans”]
[Black “Steiner, H.”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “D34”]
[PlyCount “107”]
[EventDate “1952.??.??”]
[Source “Pickard & Son”]
[SourceDate “2003.01.15”]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O
O-O 9. dxc5 d4 10. Na4 Bf5 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Rc1 Rc8 14. a3 Qa5 15.
Nd2 Qa6 16. Ne4 Be5 17. Nd6 Bxd6 18. cxd6 Rfd8 19. d7 Bxd7 20. Nc5 Qb5 21. a4
Qxb2 22. Nxd7 Rxd7 23. Bh3 Rcd8 24. Bxd7 Rxd7 25. Qd3 g6 26. Rc2 Qb4 27. Qc4
Qe7 28. Rb1 Kh7 29. Rcb2 h5 30. h4 Ne5 31. Qc8 b6 32. a5 Rd8 33. Qa6 Qd7 34.
axb6 Qh3 35. Qb7 axb6 36. Rb5 Rd7 37. Qg2 Qe6 38. Qe4 Nc4 39. Qxe6 fxe6 40. Rc1
Rd5 41. Rxd5 exd5 42. Rd1 b5 43. Rxd4 b4 44. Rxd5 b3 45. Rb5 b2 46. Rb7+ Kg8
47. f4 Kf8 48. e4 Ke8 49. e5 Kd8 50. Kf2 Kc8 51. Rb4 Kd7 52. Ke2 Ke6 53. Kd3
Kd5 54. Rb5+ 1-0
[Event “Las Vegas ch-USA”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “1952.??.??”]
[Round “14”]
[White “Steiner, H.”]
[Black “Evans”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “D46”]
[PlyCount “77”]
[EventDate “1952.??.??”]
[Source “Pickard & Son”]
[SourceDate “2003.01.15”]
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. e4
dxc4 9. Bxc4 e5 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 Qe7 12. Re1 Re8 13. a4 a5 14. d5 Nb6 15. Ba2
Bb4 16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Qc2 Bg4 18. Nd2 Red8 19. f3 Be6 20. Re2 Bxa2 21. Rxa2 Qe6
22. b3 Rd7 23. Bf2 c5 24. Ra1 Rad8 25. Rc1 c4 26. bxc4 Nxc4 27. Nf1 Rc8 28. Qb3
Rd3 29. Be1 Qb6+ 30. Bf2 Qb8 31. Rec2 Na3 32. Ne2 Rcd8 33. Qxd3 Rxd3 34. Rc8+
Qxc8 35. Rxc8+ Kh7 36. Rc7 Kg8 37. Rc8+ Kh7 38. Rc7 Kg8 39. Rc8+ 1/2-1/2