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Grandmaster Frank Marshall

Grandmaster PROFILE    Frank J. Marshall (1877-1944)

Great chessplayers come in all shapes and sizes and quite often seem to have some serious flaws in their characters. The arrogance and drunken behaviour of Alekhine, for example, together with his (and Fischer’s) anti-Semitism are well documented. It’s a pleasure, therefore, to feature Frank Marshall for, as well as being a brilliant and exciting player, he was a thoroughly popular man. Good natured and larger than life, he enjoyed a gamble almost as much as a drink (both traits sometimes being reflected in his games!) He was, nevertheless, the champion of the United States for an incredible 25 years; between 1909 and 1935.

Perhaps the finest performance of his whole career came in 1904 when, at the age of 27, he won the great Cambridge Springs Tournament without losing a single game (and in the company of one or two pretty nifty players; Dr. Lasker, Schlecter, Tchigorin, Pillsbury, Janowski and Mieses amongst others!) 
His games are reminiscent of an earlier, more flamboyant and romantic chess age, for he revelled in sacrifices and combinations. He won many a ‘lost’ game by what became known as Marshall’s ‘swindles’. Later analysis may have shown some of them to have been technically unsound but, over the board, his opponents often failed to find the best replies and, partly because of that, he was a superb tournament player.

He was never as successful in match play, however, and he lost against players he was always likely to beat in tournaments. For instance, in 1905, he was beaten by Dr. Tarrasch (8 to 1 with 8 draws); yet, in a tournament in Nuremburg the following year, he came first (again without losing a single game) beating a very strong field which included Dr. Tarrasch.

Around 1909 there was a great deal of talk about the rising Cuban star, 21 year old, José Capablanca. Marshall was persuaded to meet him in a match but, once again, this only showed him in the worst light, for out of the 23 games they played he won only one of them (drawing 14 and losing 8). It was a different story 2 years later when in the New York tournament he won first prize with 8 wins, 4 draws and no losses (which was good enough to place him ahead of Capablanca). 

When we look at many of the games which he won, his own position often looks very precarious. One of his most famous games was the one against Levitsky when, after playing his queen to where it could be taken in no less than three different ways, Levitsky felt compelled to resign. That final move has been described as the most beautiful ever played. 
It’s said that spectators (including Russians who had bet on Levitsky) showered the board with gold roubles, marks and Austrian crowns.

During the 1914-18 War, Marshall founded his Chess Divan in New York where hospitality, instruction and encouragement were provided for all chess players; youngsters especially. Incidentally, it was there in 1942, that Capablanca died of a heart attack. The Divan later became the Marshall Chess Club which still thrives and has its own website (www.marshallchessclub.org.)

During the Second World War, when Marshall was in his sixties, he played ten lightning games against one of the best players in the world at that time, Reuben Fine. Allegedly, Frank was drunk as a skunk while Reuben was sober.
The result was 10 : 0 to Marshall.

It’s recorded that, at the concluding banquet of an International Team Tournament, Frank was so overcome with emotion (?) that when he was asked to make a speech on behalf of the victorious Americans he could only wave the Stars and Stripes and shout ‘Hip-hip-hooray’.

To all lovers of bold, original chess, the name of Frank J. Marshall must remain a constant source of inspiration. His games sparkle with spontaneity, flair and surprise. He always played courageously; never shying away from putting his theories to the test whether he was playing casually or in a match for the world championship.
It’s refreshing to know that, as well as leaving us a legacy of attractive and exciting games, this grandmaster was also known for his unfailing sportsmanship.

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