In the October 2003 issue of Chess Life (pages 26-29), John S. Hilbert and IM
John Donaldson write about Philip Reinhold Geffe, better known as Philip
Woliston, who competed in the 1940 U.S. Championship in New York.
The authors write that "Woliston did not fare well against the bevy of
international stars that appeared in New York . . ." They do not report how he
finished in the tournament, but at least the 19-year-old from California did
not finish last in the 17-player round robin. He ended up next to last with a
score of 3-13 (two wins, two draws and 12 losses). One of his losses was to
22-year-old George Shainswit - a game "which produced the most amazing position
of the whole tournament!" according to Fred Reinfeld, writing in the 1940
Yearbook of the USCF. Here's that "amazing" game:
Shainswit-Woliston
Queen's Gambit Declined
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. g3 c6 5. Bg2 0-0 6. 0-0 d5 7. Qb3 Nbd7 8. cxd5
[This exchange gives White a slight positional edge-Shainswit.] 8...cxd5 9. Nf3
Qa5?! [Not a good idea-Shainswit] 10. Bd2 Rd8? [A wasted move, as the sequel
will show. Relatively better was 10...a6 preventing the invasion of the
Knight-Reinfeld.] 11. Nb5 Qb6 12. Qa4 Qa6 13. Qb4 Qb6 14. Qa4 Qa6 15. Qb3 Qb6
16. Bf4 Rf8 17. Nc7 Qxb3 18. axb3 Rb8 19. Nb5 Ra8 20. Nc7 Rb8 21. Rxa7 b6 22.
Rfa1 Rb7 23. Ne5 Rxa7 24. Rxa7 e6 25. Nc6 Kh8 26. Bd6 Rg8 27. Ne7 Rf8 28. Nc6
Rg8 29. Ne7 Rf8 30. e3 h6 31. f3 Nh5 32. g4 Nhf6 33. Bf1 Nh7 34. Bb5 Nhf6 35.
Bc6 Kh7 36. Ra8 resigns (1-0)

Woliston's wins were against David Polland of New York and G. Littman of
Illinois, the latter of whom finished last with a score of 2-14. Woliston drew
against Reinfeld and Milton Hanauer of New York. He lost to tournament winner
Samuel Reshevsky, Reuben Fine, Isaac Kashdan, Albert Pinkus, Albert Simonson,
Abraham Kupchik, Arnold Denker, Sidney Bernstein, Shainswit, Herbert Seidman
and Matthew Green, all of New York, and Weaver Adams of Massachusetts.
According to Reinfeld, "Woliston and Littman were quite outclassed, lacking the
necessary experience for so formidable a contest."

George Mirijanian