The Wanderer by Mike Franett Arthur William Dake (1910-2000) In this day and age when the strongest players are GMs by 17, at the latest, and their lives seem to revolve solely around computer screens, hotel rooms and tournament halls, what would we make of a youngster who didn't even learn the game until he was 17, sailed the seven seas, and still defeated the world champion five years later? Couldn't happen? Maybe not now, but it once did. Arthur William Dake was born in Portland, Oregon on April 8th 1910, the son of hard-working immigrants - a Norwegian mother and a Polish father. He sold newspapers on the street as a boy and took his first trip when he ran away to Hollywood at the age of 12 to see in person the movie stars he so loved. The authorities caught up with him and brought him back to Portland but the next time they wouldn't. At sixteen, he shipped out on a freighter bound for Yokohama and he had to grow up in a hurry. His finishing schools were the teeming ports of Manila, Hong Kong and Shanghai. When he got back to Portland he was no longer a boy and that spring, shortly after his seventeenth birthday, he learned the game of chess from some friends at the Portland YMCA. It was the beginning of a lifelong love affair. Dake discovered chess books and then he found the Portland Chess and Checker Club which was quite strong and had hosted exhibitions by Marshall, Reshevsky, Alekhine and Lasker. In the space of a year, Dake became the strongest player at the Portland club. When Alekhine came to the west coast in the spring of 1928, he wasn't going to visit Portland, so the club passed the hat to send eighteen-year-old Arthur to Los Angeles to play in a simul against the world champion who had defeated the seemingly invincible Capablanca the year before in Buenos Aires. In the Los Angeles simul Dake played carefully and eventually was one of the few remaining players. Alekhine stopped at his board and asked, "So young man, where did you learn to play chess like this?" Before the astonished Dake could answer, Alekhine asked, "What is your opinion of this position?" Again before Dake could answer, he heard the world champion say, "Of course it is drawn." The world champion's hand was extended, Arthur shook it and walked off on air to analyze the game all night long. Alekhine was due to play in San Francisco two days later and Arthur went north to do battle. He arrived at the simul site, the Mechanics Institute, flat broke but managed to wangle a spot based on his 54-move draw in LA. When Alekhine saw him at the board he continued to move and they played a blitz game while the others waited. This time the world champion prevailed, and we have the game. Unfortunately the draw in Los Angeles cannot be found. As chess players, we know our long good games may disappear but our short losses live forever. Still, after one year, to be able to play on any sort of reasonable terms with the world champion is remarkable. Alexander Alekhine - Arthur Dake San Francisco simul, 1929 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e3 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Bd2 c6 7.Rc1 Bg4 8.Qb3 Bc8 The retreat is not necessary: 8...Qb6 9.Qxb6 axb6 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Bc4 and White is only a little better. 9.a4 e6 10.Bd3 Nbd7 11.O-O b6 12.Rfd1 Ba6 13.cxd5! Bxd3 14.dxc6 Be2? (See Diagram) A gross blunder. Nc3-Nb5 is threatened in many variations and the youngster probably forgot about its covering e2. 14...Rc8 15.cxd7 Nxd7 16.Nd5 Rxc1 17.Rxc1 Be4 and White is still better but not overwhelmingly so. The game is over now. 15.Nxe2 Nb8 16.c7 Qe8 17.c8=Q 1-0 Arthur shipped out again in the summer of 1928 and dispensed with high school for the life of the professional sailor. He had many adventures in foreign ports, some even involving chess, as when he defeated the man said to be the best player in Manila. Arthur's travels led him to New York just after the Depression hit full force in 1930 but chess came to the rescue in the form of a booth at Coney Island where he and checker master Ken Grover took on all comers at dime a game. He played in the city's clubs at night and had many a battle with a young up-and-comer named Rueben Fine. Dake shipped out again and then returned to New York. His chess had continued to improve -- he had won the Marshall Club championship -- and in 1931 he was invited to play in a New York tournament that featured the great Capablanca. All chess players have at least "one that got away" game and the game against Capa was Arthur's. Notes by GM Arthur Dake from Casey Bush's Grandmaster from Oregon: The Life and Games of Arthur Dake Jose Capablanca - Arthur Dake New York (4), 1931 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c6 3.d4 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bg4 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Qc7 8.g3 e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.Bf4 Nfd7 11.Bg2 f6 12.O-O Be6 13.Nxe5 fxe5 14.Be3 Bc5 15.Ne4 (See Diagram) The moves to this point were played by Capablanca in his game with Milan Vidmar at Karlsbad in 1929. In Germany Capablanca continued: 15.Bxc5 Nxc5 16.b4 Nb3 17.Ra3 Rd8 18.Qc2 Nd4 19.Nb5 Nxc2 20.Nxc7+ Ke7 21.Nxe6 Nxa3 22.Nxd8 Rxd8 draw. I was familiar with the above game, however Capablanca played 15.Ne4 which he had since judged was an improvement upon his game with Vidmar. 15...Bxe3 16.fxe3 O-O-O 17.Ng5 Hoping for Black to play 17...Bg8 while White secures a winning game with 18.Nf7. 17...Nf6 Blocking the white's king bishop file and attacking the white Queen. 18.Qc2 Bg8 19.Rad1 Rxd1 20.Rxd1 h6 21.Nf3 e4 22.Nd2 Bh7 23.Nc4 The king pawn cannot be captured as Black's Bishop would pin the piece against the Queen. 23...Rd8 24.Rd4 c5 Driving the Rook from the center, forcing the exchange of Rooks. 25.Rxd8+ Better first was 25.Bh3+, so that Black's King would not be centralized as in the game. 25...Kxd8 26.Bh3 g5 Threatening to lock in the white Bishop. 27.Qc3 Ke7 28.Qe5+ Practically forcing the exchange of Queens, as Black threatened ...h5, followed by ...g4, locking in the Bishop. 28...Qxe5 29.Nxe5 Bg8 Removing the flight square for the white Knight and forcing the exchange of Knights. 30.a5 Kd6 31.Ng4 Nxg4 32.Bxg4 Be6 33.Bh5 c4 34.Bg6 Bd5 35.Kf2 Kc5 36.Ke1 Kb4 37.Kd2 (See Diagram) Capablanca said he would have resigned if I had played 37...Kb3 38.Kc1 c3 39.bxc3 Kxc3. This being my first international tournament I did not play wisely and conducted my game in rapid transit style, trying to show the great Capablanca I could play the game as fast as he could. 37...c3+ 38.bxc3+ Kxa5 39.c4 This is the move that I overlooked when I played 36...c3+, followed by 38...Kxa5. Now the game is only a draw, and my error was in still trying for a win, the difference being that now the white King is in play. 39...Bc6 40.Kc3 Ka4 Although the game could have been adjourned at this point I made the mistake of insisting that we finish what we started. 41.Bf7 Ka3 42.c5 Ka4 43.Kc4 b5+ 44.cxb6 axb6 45.Bg6 Ka3 46.Kd4 Kb3 47.h4 Kc2 48.hxg5 hxg5 49.Bf5 Kd2 50.g4 Kxe2 51.Bxe4 Be8 52.Bf5 Kf3 53.e4 Kf4 54.e5 b5 55.e6 (See Diagram) 55...Bc6? This is the losing move. 58...b4 draws if 59.Kc4 Ke5 60.Kxc4 then 60...Kd6 and black blockades the white King from making any progress. 56.Bg6 b4 57.Kc5 Ba4 58.Kxb4 Bc6 59.Kc5 Ba4 60.Bh5 Ke5 61.e7 1-0 Despite this hard loss, Arthur did well enough in that tournament to be chosen to represent the U.S. in the Prague Olympiad. Dake played third board behind Kashdan and Marshall and scored a very respectable five wins, two loses and seven draws as the U.S. won the first of its three straight gold medals. Returning to the U.S. after more chess in Europe, Arthur accepted an invitation to play in Pasadena in 1932. Alekhine would also be there. If we all have a "one that got away" game, so too do we all, from patzer to champion, have a game that will always warm our hearts. Arthur was about to play his. Notes by GM Arthur Dake from Casey Bush's Grandmaster from Oregon: The Life and Games of Arthur Dake Arthur Dake - Alexander Alekhine Pasadena, 1932 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 The week before this game was played, I had analyzed this opening with Dr. Alekhine; the Panov Attack. 4...Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Be6 This move allows White to put a bind on the position. 7.c5 g6 8.Bb5 Bg7 9.Ne5 Qc8 10.Qa4 Bd7 11.O-O O-O 12.Bf4 a6 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Rfe1 Nh5 15.Bd2 Ra7 16.Re2 Be8 17.Rae1 f5 Rueben Fine, in his analysis of this position mentioned that ...g5 give Black a playable game. After the move in this game Black has too many weaknesses to play for an attack, and sacrifices the king pawn. 18.Nf3 Nf6 19.Rxe7 Rxe7 20.Rxe7 f4 In the style of the world chess champion, giving up pawns and position for an attack on the white King. 21.Bxf4 Ne4 22.Be5 Bh6 23.Nxe4 dxe4 24.Ng5! (See Diagram) A bolt out of the blue, with three white pieces bearing down on the black King. Black is lost as White now can exchange pieces and have a won endgame. 24...Qf5 Threatening mate in two moves. Black could not capture the Knight [because of] 25.Rg7+ followed by 26.Rc7+ and the Queen is lost. 25.Qb3+ Bf7 26.Nxf7 Rxf7 27.Rxf7 Qxf7 28.Qb8+ Better than the immediate exchange of Queens. 28...Qf8 29.d5 The quickest way to win. If 29...cxd4, the c6-pawn will queen. 29...e3 (See Diagram) Black is in a hopeless position and hopes that White might err. 30.f4 Qxb8 31.Bxb8 Kf7 32.dxc6 Ke8 33.b4 g5 34.g3 gxf4 35.gxf4 Kd8 36.a4 Kc8 37.Bd6 Bg7 One last try before resigning. 38.Kf1 1-0 Alekhine was gracious after the game and offered toasts to the victor though it must be said that the great Alekhine could think up a toast or ten no matter what the result of the game in question. Arthur was sitting on top of the world and even a last round loss to Reshevsky after spurning a draw could dampen his spirits. Dake again qualified for the U.S. Olympiad team at the Folkestone Olympiad of 1932 and anchored a U.S. victory scoring +9, -2, =2 on fourth board. In the space of less than three years he had played on two Olympiad championship teams and defeated the world champion in an individual game. His prospects should have been bright, but they weren't. The only steady source of income was still the chess booth at Coney Island that now featured a banner proclaiming that a "two-time Olympic Champion" played within. Worse, he lost matches to both Fine and Al Horowitz. His dream of becoming U.S. Champion was fading and it was almost impossible to get a match for the title anyway; Kashdan had been trying for years without success. In search of a title of his own, he went to west coast and beat Herman Steiner 4.5-1.5 for the West Coast Championship but it didn't help much. In 1936 he joined Fine, Marshall, Kupchik, Horowitz and Reshevsky for a U.S. victory at the Warsaw Olympiad. Arthur scored a phenomenal +13, -0, =5 on fourth board for the best score of the event and the best was yet to come. On the voyage home he made the acquaintance of a lovely strawberry blonde of Polish descent by the name of Helen Girard. Six weeks later her name was Helen Dake and they remained married until her death in 1994. Folkestone 1936 was the last great triumph Dake had as a full-time professional. Chess was never too lucrative in those days and the Great Depression made things even tougher. It was barely possible for Arthur to support himself and Helen. When their daughter Marjorie was born in 1937, chess had to take a back seat to family obligations and Dake returned to Portland and non-chess employment. Many jobs followed until he served in WW II from 1943-45. After the war, Arthur went to work as an examiner for the Oregon Department of Motor vehicles and retired from that position as a supervisor in 1973. During those years he played chess occasionally on weekends and holidays, much like thousands of others; he just played it a lot better. Martin - Dake Hollywood, 1952 Notes by ChessBase 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4 Qc7 7.Be2 7.Bd3; 7.Nf3 7...e5 8.Nf3 Be6 9.f5 Bc4 10.Bxc4 10.Bg5 Bxe2 11.Qxe2 Nbd7 12.Nd2 10...Qxc4 11.Qe2 Qxe2+ 12.Kxe2 h6 13.Be3 13.a4?! Nbd7 14.Nd2 Nc5!; 13.Nd2! b5 14.a4 b4 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Nd7 17.Nc4 Rc8 18.b3 Nf6 19.Rd1 Be7. 13...Nbd7 14.a4 Rc8 15.a5 d5 16.exd5 Bb4 17.Rhd1 Bxc3 18.bxc3 Rxc3 19.Rab1 Rxc2+ 20.Rd2 Rc8 21.Rxb7 Ne4 22.Rdb2 Nc3+ 23.Kd2 Nxd5 24.Ra7 e4 25.Nd4 (See Diagram) 25.Rbb7 Nxe3 26.Kxe3 exf3 27.Rxd7 O-O 28.Kxf3 Rc5 29.Rxa6 Rxf5+ 30.Kg4 g6= 25...Ne5! 26.Rc2 O-O 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.Ke2 Rb8 29.Bc1 Nc4 30.Rxa6 Rb1 31.Bxh6 Rb2+ 0-1 After retirement at age 63, the desire for top class chess competition was still burning and so was the talent. Notes by GM Arthur Dake from Casey Bush's Grandmaster from Oregon: The Life and Games of Arthur Dake Dake - Rogoff Lone Pine (2), 1976 This game was Rogoff's only loss at Lone Pine in 1976. With a draw he could have tied with Tigran Petrosian for first place; instead, this defeat placed him in a tie with eight others for 2nd place behind the Soviet former world champion. 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 c5 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Nc7 6.Nf3 Nc6 In the last round of the 1989(!) American Open, Dake-Izumikawa reached this position by transposition: 7.O-O e5 8.d3 Be7 9.Be3 O-O 10.Rc1 Bd7 11.a3 Rc8 12.Nd2 Kh8 13.Nc4 f6 14.f4 b5 15.Nd2 Nd4 16.Bf2 Bg4 17.h3 Bh5 18.g4 Be8 19.fxe5 fxe5 20.Nce4 Nd5 21.e3 Ne6 22.Nf3 Qc7 23.Qe2 Nf6 24.Ned2 Bd6 25.Nh4 Qd7 26.Nf5 Bb8 27.Rfd1 Bg6 28.Nb3 h6 29.Bg3 Rfd8 30.Qf2 Qf7 31.Na5 Nd5 32.b4 Qd7 33.bxc5 Bxf5 34.c6 Qc7 35.gxf5 Qxa5 36.fxe6 Qxa3 37.Bxd5 Rxd5 38.Qf7 Rf8 39.c7 Bxc7 40.Qxc7 Rxd3 41.Rxd3 Qxd3 42.Qxe5 1-0 For that effort I tied for first under 2400 and received $941. 7.d3 e5 8.Be3 Be7 9.Rc1 O-O 10.Nd2 White is playing a Sicilian Defense with an extra move. 10.Nd2 is necessary to increase the activity of the fianchettoed Bishop. 10...Bd7 11.O-O Ne6 12.Nd5 Ned4 13.Ne4 b6 14.Nec3 Rc8 15.Bd2 Nb4 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 17.a3 Nbc6 18.e3 Ne6 19.f4 He must seek counterplay with this move because White has backward king and queen pawns, after having driven the black Knights from their forward position. 19...exf4 20.gxf4 Nc7 21.Qe2 Kh8 22.Ne4 f6 23.Ng3 a5 24.Rfd1 a4 Black does not realize that White can now open lines for his pieces with 25.d4. It is true White could have played d3-d4 one move earlier but now it is more effective. 25.d4 Nd8 26.dxc5 bxc5 (See Diagram) 27.Rxc5 A temporary rook sacrifice; White gains a pawn because of Black's undefended king Rook. 27...Qxc5 28.Bb4 Qa7 If 28...Bb5, then White plays 29.Qf2, followed by 30.Rxf8, with threats on Black's kingside. 29.Bxf8 Nce6 30.Bd6 Necessary, as Black threatens 30...Nxf4. 30...Nf7 31.f5 Nc5 32.Bf4 Re8 33.Qc4 White's Queen comes to action with decisive results. 33...Ne5 34.Bxe5 Rxe5 35.Qf7 Black must lose more material or be checkmated. (See Diagram) 35...Qb8 36.Nh5 Qg8 37.Rxd7 Nxd7 38.Qxd7 Rxe3 39.Qxa4 Re2 40.Qb5 Re1+ 41.Kf2 Rd1 42.Qb7 Qf8 43.Be4 Rd2+ 44.Kg3 Rd8 45.Qc7 Rc8 46.Qd7 Rd8 47.Qc7 Rc8 48.Qa7 Qd6+ 49.Kh3 Rg8 50.b4 g6 51.Ng3 Qd2 52.Qb6 Qb2 53.Qd6 With the white Queen in this central position, it is only a matter of time until Black resigns. 53...gxf5 Black attempts to create counterplay with the Rook. 54.Bxf5 Qxa3 55.Qxf6+ Rg7 56.Qd8+ Rg8 57.Qd4+ Rg7 58.Qd8+ Rg8 59.Qf6+ Rg7 60.b5 Qb3 61.b6 White misses 61.Be6, which would call for immediate resignation. Now Black plays for another six moves before he resigns. 61...Qf3 62.Qb2 Kg8 63.Be6+ Kf8 64.Qe5 Qb7 65.Qf6+ Ke8 66.Bg4 Rf7 67.Bh5 1-0 Arthur had been awarded the IM title by FIDE in 1954 and this was upgraded to GM in 1986, three years before his last tournament appearance at the age of 79 - his success at the American Open mentioned in the notes of the previous game. On April 8th of this year I attended a dinner in Portland in honor of Arthur's 90th birthday. It was an evening full of toasts and speeches and remembrances shared by Dake's family, friends and the chess community. Arthur was full of energy, good humor and joy on the occasion and so it was with sorrow that we learned of his death in Reno on April 28th. Arthur loved to play blackjack, not a bad choice of games for a man with a photographic memory, and after the evening was over, he retired and died in his sleep. After the April 8th dinner, Portland master Carl Haessler told me a story. Last year Arthur had called and asked Haessler if he would like to go to the FIDE Championship in Las Vegas with Marjorie and himself. Carl said, "Sure!" At the age of 89, Arthur was still a great guy to hang out with. He had a keen sense of humor, liked to play blitz, told wonderful stories and he didn't mind the odd glass of scotch or two. Just before one of the rounds at the Las Vegas tournament, Arthur had been talking to some of the young stars who loved his stories of the old days. Then the round started, though still in that gray area when the photographers have their five minutes to shoot and the players pretend to think. Arthur was close to the playing area and talking to Haessler in normal tones when the Chief Arbiter came up to them and emitted a loud and officious "Shuuussssh!" Without missing a beat, Arthur turned and said "Don't shush me. I beat Alekhine!" The stunned official could do nothing but beat a hasty retreat. As they say in the military, "rank has its privileges."