Frank Marshall in Scotland - 1903

The British Chess Magazine of 1903 (page 464) noted that Marshall had been engaged by Glasgow CC for one month, dating from November 9th. Marshall, who had been playing in so many European tournaments that he decided to live on this side of the Atlantic. Between tournaments, he was engaged by various British clubs to give lectures and exhibitions. An example of this is the two week engagement at the Burnley CC in Lancashire from October 5th to the 19th, shortly before his trip to Glasgow.

In Marshall's Best Games of Chess (formerly titled: My Fifty Years of Chess, published 1942 ), Marshall made a point of commenting on this particular visit, saying "I still remember, with a great deal of pleasure, the month I spent with the Glasgow Chess Club."

The BCM of 1904, page 507, gives the followng report:

Mr. F.J. Marshall, the brilliant American master, arrived at Glasgow CC for a month's engagement, on 5th November. He has made himself decidedly popular with all classes of players in the club. In single-handed encounters most of the members have had practical experience of his lively attacks, and have derived benefit from the lessons. One or two evenings each week Mr. Marshall has given lectures on the openings, covering much ground, and showing his wide knowledge in detailed analysis. Having a predilection for the "open" game, he has made a feature of showing how, in several nominally "close" openings, that may be satisfactorily obtained by interesting and in many cases novel lines of play, of which he has made a specialised study. On the other evenings he has made excellent scores in simultaneous and consultation chess.

Marshall - J.A. McKee and F.G. Harris
Glasgow CC, 1903
Notes taken from Marshall's Best Games of Chess.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Be7 6.dxe5 Varying from the fashionable 6. Qe2. 6...0-0 7.Qd5 Nc5 8.Be3 Ne6 9.Nc3 Qe8 Here or on the next move it is absolutely essential for Black to seek freedom with the liberating ...f6! Instead, the cumbersome development actually selected by Black soon results in storm clouds on the King-side. 10.Rae1 b6 11.Qe4! Bb7 12.Nd5 Rb8 13.Bd3 g6 Creating a weakness on the black squares which soon proves fatal; and yet there was no alternative. See the previous note. 14.Nf6+Because of the mating threat this move creates (after the following capture), I preferred it to the win of the exchange by 14.Bh6 Ng7 15.Nf6+ Bxf6 16.exf6 etc. 14...Bxf6 15.exf6 Ncd4 16.Qh4! Nxf3+ Or 16...Bxf3 17.Bxd4 etc. 17.gxf3 Qd8 If 17...Bxf3 18.Bc5 with a winning game. 18.Bg5 Kh8 White threatened 19. Qh6 and 20. Rxe6. If 18...Nxg5 19.Qxg5 Re8 20.Re7 Rxe7 21.fxe7 Qe8 22.Qf6 and Black must eventually succumb.19.f4 Rg8 20.Re3 Nf8 Guarding against the menace of 21. Qxh7+ Kxh7 22. Rh3 mate. If instead 20...h5 21.Rh3 Re8 22.f5 and wins. 21.Rfe1 c5 22.Rh3 c4 23.Ree3! cxd3 There is nothing to be done. White announced mate in three: 24. Qxh7+ Nxh7 25. Rxh7+ Kxh7 26. Rh3 mate. 1-0

Sources:
BCM 1903, pp 464 and 507.
BCM 1904, p 31/2, which showed the above game and identified the consulting players.
Marshall's Best Games of Chess, Dover Publications, 1960.

Alan McGowan
Historian, Chess Scotland