Vera Menchik
Notable Games

Vera Menchik

14 celebrated games · 118 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 118 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1928.05.26 Menchik, Vera vsYates, Frederick Dewhurst 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Immediate Fianchetto 46 moves Scarborough-04 Scarborough 1928, round one of her first master tournament, against Fred Yates. Alekhine, then World Champion, wrote that this win "will be historical". The queens come off at move 32, and 33.Be8+ and 34.Bxa4 pick up the stray knight; 46 moves.
  • 1929.06 Lazard, Frederic vsMenchik, Vera 0-1 Bird Opening: From's Gambit 35 moves Paris International Paris 1929 with Black against Frédéric Lazard, who opened with From's Gambit. 25...Qxh4+ 26.Bxh4 Rxh4+ 27.Qh2 Rxh2+ gives the queen straight back, and the bishop and the c-pawn win the ending.
  • 1929.06 Menchik, Vera vsColle, Edgard 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation 39 moves Paris International Paris 1929 against Edgard Colle. A Nimzo-Indian decided against the king: 34.Rxg7 Qxg7 35.Qxf4+ and 37.Qxf5+ drive it to h4 and back, and 39.Re5+ ends it.
  • 1929.08.02 Menchik, Vera vsBecker, Albert 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line 40 moves Karlsbad-04 International Masters Karlsbad 1929, round three, against Albert Becker, who had proposed that anyone Menchik beat should join a "Vera Menchik Club" and became its first member. The queens come off at move 23, the white king walks to h5, and 40.e6+ ends it.
  • 1929.08.13 Menchik, Vera vsSaemisch, Friedrich 1-0 Dutch Defense: Classical Variation 55 moves Karlsbad-04 International Masters Karlsbad 1929 against Friedrich Sämisch, later one of the first grandmasters. The queens come off at move 14, and the knight and rook win the ending: 50.Nxf5, 53.Rf5+ and 54.Rxd5.
  • 1930.12.30 Euwe, Max vsMenchik, Vera 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Swiss, Carlsbad Variation 61 moves Christmas Congress 1930/31-11 Premier Hastings 1930/31 with Black against Max Euwe, the winner of the tournament and World Champion five years later; the result was reported around the world. A bishop ending in which Euwe's king takes h7 and f7, but the b-pawn promotes with 59...b1=Q.
  • 1931.12.29 Menchik, Vera vsEuwe, Max 1-0 Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Lasker Variation 56 moves Christmas Congress 1931/32-12 Premier Hastings 1931/32 against Euwe again, her second win over him. Euwe gives up a rook for passed pawns with 44...Rxd2 45.Kxd2 gxf3, but the white pieces round them up: 50.Bxf3, 55.Nxe5, and he resigns at move 56.
  • 1932.01.02 Sultan Khan, Mir vsMenchik, Vera 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation 40 moves Christmas Congress 1931/32-12 Premier Hastings 1931/32 with Black against Mir Sultan Khan, who finished fourth. 17...b3 opens the white king, the queens come off at move 23, and the d-pawn runs through: 38...d3 39.Rxa3 d2 40.Rd1 Rc2.
  • 1932.02.04 Menchik, Vera vsThomas, George Alan 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Orthodox Variation 24 moves London International Masters London 1932 against Sir George Thomas, her most frequent master-level opponent. A Sämisch King's Indian with opposite-side castling: 17.Bxg7, 18.Nf5+, 20.f6+ and 21.Qh6, and 24.Qxh7+ ends it.
  • 1934.08.09 Rejfir, Josef vsMenchik, Vera 0-1 Tarrasch Defense 20 moves Maribor Maribor 1934, where she finished third behind Vasja Pirc and Lajos Steiner. With Black against Josef Rejfíř in 20 moves: 19...Qxb2 and 20...Qxc3+.
  • 1935.07.12 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsMenchik, Vera 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense 35 moves British CF-28 Major Open The Major Open at the British Championship, Yarmouth 1935, with Black against Samuel Reshevsky, who won every other game in the section. Reshevsky lost on time, after 35 moves of a Queen's Gambit Declined.
  • 1937.07.13 Menchik, Vera vsGraf Stevenson, Sonja 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense: Bogoljubow Variation 21 moves World-ch (Women) From the 1937 match with Sonja Graf at Semmering, recognised by FIDE as for the world title, which Menchik won 11½–4½. 17.Ng5, 19.Qh3 and 21.Rd7 finish it in 21 moves.
  • 1938.04.28 Menchik, Vera vsBook, Eero 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense 46 moves Kent County CA-31 Premier Margate 1938 against Eero Böök of Finland. 36.Bh7+ Kh8 37.Ng6+ Kxh7 38.Ne5+ is a discovered check that wins the queen, and 46.Qxh6+ ends it.
  • 1942.05.21 Menchik, Vera vsMieses, Jacques 1-0 Nimzowitsch Defense: Mikenas Variation 15 moves Match Menchik-Mieses +4-1=5 The first game of the 1942 match with Jacques Mieses, then 77 and once one of the leading players in the world. Menchik won the match +4−1=5; this game lasts 15 moves: 12.Bxc7, 14.Bd6 Bxd6 15.Rxd6.
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