January Chess Life Bonus: New Collins Games Uncovered

An article about the John Collins collection at the Lilly Library at the University of Indiana was published in the January 2019 issue of Chess Life and I am happy to present an online bonus, of interesting games that didn't fit into the article. In November 1931, John “Jack” Collins and a few neighbors founded the Hawthorne Chess Club, named for the street Collins lived on at the time.  This first game is played a little over a year after the club started.

[pgn]

[Event "Hawthorne Chess Club - Board 1"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1932.12.23"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Casey, J. J.."]
[Black "Collins, J. W.."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C41"]
[PlyCount "74"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Bg5 O-O 7. Bd3 c5 8.
Nf3 Nc6 9. h3 Be6 10. O-O Re8 11. Re1 h6 12. Bh4 Qd7 13. Kh2 a6 14. a4 Qc7 15.
Bg3 Rad8 16. Qd2 Nh5 17. Rad1 Nxg3 18. fxg3 Bf6 19. b3 Qa5 20. Ne2 Qxd2 21.
Rxd2 Kf8 22. Rdd1 Nb4 23. Nf4 Bd7 24. Nd5 Nxd5 25. exd5 Bc3 26. Rxe8+ Rxe8 27.
Bc4 Bf5 28. Bd3 Be4 29. Bxe4 Rxe4 30. Rd3 Bf6 31. c4 a5 32. g4 b6 33. Kg1 Ke7
34. Kf1 Kd7 35. Kf2 Ke7 36. Kf1 Kd7 37. Kf2 Ke7 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

This game between Arnold Denker, is played six years before Denker would become U. S. Champion.  Denker is representing the Manhattan Chess Club and Collins the West Side Chess Club.  Collins represented the Hawthorne club throughout his life (the club met in his home so when he moved, the club moved but did not change names), he represented other clubs as well, and in 1938 was also representing the West Side club in the Met League.  The Met League started in 1895 and was a league of chess clubs in New York City that competed in yearly team competitions throughout most of the twentieth century.

[pgn]

[Event "Manhattan v. W. Side"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1938.02.19"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Denker"]
[Black "Collins, J. W.."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D18"]
[PlyCount "95"]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Nbd7 8. O-O
Bb4 9. Qe2 Ne4 10. Bd3 Bxc3 11. bxc3 Nxc3 12. Qc2 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Nd5 14. Ba3 c5
15. dxc5 Qa5 16. e4 N5f6 17. c6 bxc6 18. Qd6 c5 19. Ne5 Nxe5 20. Bxc5 Qd8 21.
Qxe5 Nd7 22. Qxg7 Qf6 23. Qxf6 Nxf6 24. f3 Nd7 25. Bd6 Nb6 26. a5 Nc4 27. Bb4
Rb8 28. Bc5 Rb5 29. Bxa7 Nxa5 30. Rfc1 O-O 31. Rc5 Rxc5 32. Bxc5 Nb3 33. Bxf8
Nxa1 34. Be7 Nb3 35. Kf2 Nd4 36. Bf6 Nc6 37. Ke3 Nb8 38. Kd4 Nd7 39. Be7 f6 40.
Bd6 Kf7 41. Kc4 Ke8 42. Kb5 Kd8 43. Kc6 Ke8 44. Kc7 f5 45. e5 f4 46. g4 fxg3
47. hxg3 h5 48. f4 1-0[/pgn]

The 1938 ACF Congress (the fore runner to the U. S. Open) was won by Israel Albert “I. A.” Horowitz and Isaac Kashdan.  In the round robin finals, Collins drew Horowitz, a player who represented the United States in several Olympiads and eight U. S. Championships (7 round robins and one match against Samuel Reshevsky.)  Horowitz wrote numerous books and was the New York Times chess columnist before Robert Byrne.  Finally, he started Chess Review in 1933 and was its owner and editor until 1969 when USChess bought the magazine.

[pgn]

[Event "ACF Congress - Masters"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1938.07.19"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Horowitz, I."]
[Black "Collins, J. W.."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C86"]
[PlyCount "93"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Qe2 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3
d6 9. d4 Bg4 10. Rd1 exd4 11. cxd4 d5 12. e5 Ne4 13. Nc3 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Na5 15.
Bc2 Nc4 16. h3 Bh5 17. g4 Bg6 18. Nh2 Bxc2 19. Qxc2 Qd7 20. f4 f5 21. Kh1 Qe6
22. Rg1 Kh8 23. Qe2 c5 24. Nf3 Rac8 25. a3 Rc6 26. Ra2 Qh6 27. Qf1 Rg6 28. Rh2
Rb6 29. Qg2 g6 30. Ng5 cxd4 31. cxd4 Qg7 32. gxf5 Rxf5 33. Qxd5 Qf8 34. a4 Bxg5
35. fxg5 Rd6 36. Qe4 Rd8 37. axb5 axb5 38. Ra2 Rf3 39. Kg2 Rf5 40. Re2 Qe7 41.
d5 Kg8 42. Bf4 Rdf8 43. Rf1 Nxe5 44. Rfe1 Rxf4 45. Qxe5 Qxe5 46. Rxe5 Rf2+ 47.
Kg3 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

In years when there was no United States Championship, which was often in the pre-Fischer era, the New York State Championship was the second strongest tournament in the country (the U.S. Open, under whatever title, was the strongest event.)  Collins’ opponent in this game was Hermann Helms.  Helms is best known for his writing and editing.  He wrote a weekly column in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle from 1893 to 1955.  Helms was also the editor of American Chess Bulletin from 1904 until he passed away at age 93, in 1963.

[pgn]

[Event "New York State Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1938.08.08"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Collins, J. W.."]
[Black "Helms, H.."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D55"]
[PlyCount "57"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Rc1 c5 8. cxd5
Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Nxe7 10. Be2 b6 11. O-O Bb7 12. Qa4 cxd4 13. exd4 Nd5 14. Nxd5
Bxd5 15. Rc3 Nf6 16. Rfc1 a5 17. Rc7 Qb8 18. Ne5 Ra7 19. Rxa7 Qxa7 20. Bb5 Rd8
21. Qc2 h5 22. a3 g6 23. h3 Ne8 24. Bxe8 Rxe8 25. Qc7 Re7 26. Qd8+ Kg7 27. Rc8
Kf6 28. Qh8+ Kf5 29. Nc6 1-0[/pgn]

In 1947 Collins represented Brooklyn in the Met League and played against Kashdan who represented the Manhattan chess club.  Kashdan, much like Horowitz, represented the United States in numerous international events and several United States Championships.  Though he won numerous Olympiad medals, he never won the U.S. Championship outright.  He was also an International Arbeiter, performing that duty in both Piatigorsky Cups.

[pgn]

[Event "Met League - Man. v. Bklyn. Bd. 3"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1947.03.29"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Collins, J. W.."]
[Black "Kashdan, Isaac"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E48"]
[PlyCount "134"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nge2 Nc6 7. O-O dxc4 8.
Bxc4 e5 9. d5 Ne7 10. e4 Ng6 11. f3 Bc5+ 12. Kh1 a6 13. Qd3 Nh5 14. Be3 Qd6 15.
Rac1 Nhf4 16. Nxf4 Nxf4 17. Qd2 Bxe3 18. Qxe3 Bd7 19. Ne2 Ng6 20. Ng3 Ne7 21.
Rfe1 Rfc8 22. Bb3 c5 23. dxc6 Nxc6 24. Bd5 Be6 25. Red1 Bxd5 26. Rxd5 Qb4 27.
b3 g6 28. Rdc5 Rd8 29. h4 Qd2 30. Qxd2 Rxd2 31. R5c2 Rad8 32. Nf1 Rxc2 33. Rxc2
Rd1 34. Kg1 Ra1 35. a4 Rb1 36. Rc3 Nd4 37. Rc5 Nxb3 38. Rd5 Kg7 39. Kf2 Kf6 40.
Rd6+ Ke7 41. Rb6 Nd2 42. Rxb1 Nxb1 43. Ke3 Nc3 44. a5 Kd6 45. Kd3 Nb5 46. Kc4
Nd4 47. Nd2 f6 48. g3 f5 49. exf5 gxf5 50. g4 Nc6 51. gxf5 Nxa5+ 52. Kd3 Ke7
53. Ne4 Nb3 54. Kc4 Nd4 55. f6+ Ke6 56. Ng5+ Kxf6 57. Nxh7+ Kg6 58. Ng5 Nf5 59.
Ne4 Nxh4 60. Nc5 b5+ 61. Kb4 Nxf3 62. Nxa6 Nd4 63. Kc3 Kf5 64. Kd3 Kf4 65. Nc5
b4 66. Kc4 b3 67. Kc3 e4 0-1[/pgn]

On the back of the score sheets were the full results from that match.  They are as follows, with the Manhattan club on the right.  Every person on the Manhattan team played in at least one U. S. Championship. (From that sheet of Paper with game score)

1. Sussman 0-1 Kevitz
2. Goodman ½ - ½ Denker
3. Collins 0 – 1 Kashdan
4. Grossman 0-1 Horowitz
5. Kielson 0-1 Bisguier
6. Almgren 0 – 1 Pavey
7. Battell ½ - ½ Pinkus
8. Eckstrom 0 – 1 D. Camillo

Collins was an avid correspondence player, especially early on in his career.  Here is a win from the preliminaries of the first World Correspondence Chess Championships against the Belgian player R. Frutsaert.  Collins made it to the finals, but finished 12^th.

[pgn]

[Event "Corr. Chess World Champ - Sec 8 Game 3"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1947.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Frutsaert, R.."]
[Black "Collins, John W."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C04"]
[PlyCount "40"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd7 6. c4 f6 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bb5
fxe5 9. Nxe5 Qf6 10. Ndf3 Bb4+ 11. Bd2 Bxd2+ 12. Qxd2 O-O 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Rc1
c5 15. Nxd7 Bxd7 16. Rxc5 Qg6 17. Kf1 Rxf3 18. gxf3 Bh3+ 19. Ke2 Re8+ 20. Kd1
Bg2 0-1[/pgn]

The following game is from the best tournament result of Collins’ career.  In 1952, he won the New York State Championship ahead of Max Pavey and Anthony Santasiere, both players who had played in the United States Chess Championship.  Collins scored 7.5 – 1.5, drawing 3, while Pavey and Santasiere tied for 2^nd – 3^rd at 6.5 – 2.5.  Santasiere played in several U.S. Championships and was an active member of the Marshall chess club for over thirty years.  Pavey was a former champion of New York State, 1949, and just the previous year had finished 3^rd in the U. S. Championship.

[pgn]

[Event "New York State Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1952.08.25"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Collins, J. W.."]
[Black "Santasiere, A. E.."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D08"]
[PlyCount "117"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 Bg4 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Nxf3 Bc5 8.
a3 a5 9. g3 Nge7 10. Bg2 O-O 11. O-O Ng6 12. Qa4 Qc8 13. Rd1 Re8 14. Bd2 Ngxe5
15. Nxe5 Rxe5 16. Bf4 Rxe2 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. Qxc6 Bd6 19. Rxd4 Rxb2 20. Rad1 h6
21. c5 Bxf4 22. Rxf4 Qe8 23. Qxe8+ Rxe8 24. Rd7 f6 25. Rxc7 Re1+ 26. Kg2 Rc1
27. Rg4 g5 28. Rd4 Rb8 29. Rd6 Rf8 30. c6 Rc3 31. Ra7 Rc8 32. Rxf6 R3xc6 33.
Rxc6 Rxc6 34. Rxa5 Kg7 35. Rf5 Kg6 36. Rf3 Rc1 37. Rb3 h5 38. Rb6+ Kg7 39. a4
Rc4 40. a5 Ra4 41. a6 g4 42. hxg4 hxg4 43. Kf1 Kf7 44. a7 Ra1+ 45. Kg2 Rxa7 46.
Rb4 Kf6 47. Rxg4 Kf5 48. Rb4 Ra2 49. g4+ Kg5 50. Kg3 Ra3+ 51. f3 Rc3 52. Rb5+
Kg6 53. Rd5 Ra3 54. Kf4 Ra4+ 55. Ke3 Ra3+ 56. Ke4 Ra1 57. f4 Re1+ 58. Kf3 Rf1+
59. Ke3 1-0[/pgn]

This Collins – Lombardy draw is on a sheet with no other information, but played sometime after 1953 as that is when William Lombardy’s dated his first game with Collins, in Lombardy’s book Understanding Chess: My System, My Games, My Life.  Lombardy was particularly strong before attending the seminary and is the only player to win the World Junior Championship with a perfect score (+11- 0 =0), which he did in 1957.

[pgn]

[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Collins, J.."]
[Black "Lombardy, W.."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A97"]
[PlyCount "54"]

1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. Nc3 d6 7. O-O Qe8 8. Re1
Qg6 9. Qb3 Nbd7 10. Ng5 Nb6 11. e4 fxe4 12. Ncxe4 d5 13. cxd5 exd5 14. Nc3 Bd6
15. Nb5 h6 16. Nxd6 hxg5 17. Nb5 Rf7 18. Be3 Nc4 19. Rac1 c6 20. Na3 Nxa3 21.
Qxa3 Qh5 22. Qd6 Ng4 23. h4 gxh4 24. Qd8+ Rf8 25. Qxh4 Qxh4 26. gxh4 Bd7 27.
Re2 Rae8 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

Please note that this is not meant to be an inclusive list of found games in the archive but is most of the unknown games played by Collins.  The archive has several Byrne brother games that will likely appear in the Byrne brothers book that the author is writing for McFarland, and also a collection of games by Mr. Louis Wolff. Find the full article in the January Chess Life Magazine. 

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Joshua Anderson is the current president of the Chess Journalists of America and has run their awards program for the past seven seasons.  As a trained historian, Joshua has deeply researched two of his passions - chess and football, authoring several historic articles and book chapters. He is currently working on a book about the Byrne Brothers for McFarland Publishing and a collection of oral histories of US Chess members for US Chess Trust / Chess Journalists of America.  He has worked for Shining Knights Chess for over a decade and currently lives in Exton, PA, with his wife Brandy, their 4 rabbits, 2 turtles, and 2 cats.