Stepan Levitsky


Stepan Levitsky was a Russian chess Grandmaster and Russian chess champion.
In 1899 he took third place in Moscow.
In 1903 he took eighth in Kiev.
In 1905/06 he tied for 8–11th in St Petersburg. In 1907 he took second, behind Eugene Znosko-Borovsky, in St Petersburg. He lost a match to Simon Alapin 0–5 at St Petersburg 1907.
Levitsky won at St Petersburg 1911, thus becoming Russian national chess champion for one year. In July–August 1912, he tied for 13–14th in Breslau. In August–September 1912, he took third in Vilna. In 1913 he lost a match to Alexander Alekhine 3–7 in St Petersburg. In 1913/14, he took 13th in St Petersburg.

Legacy

Levitsky introduced the Queen's Bishop Attack, known as the Levitsky Attack in the Queen's Pawn Game. But he is perhaps best remembered by chess players today as the loser in a famous game against Frank Marshall at Breslau 1912. Marshall concluded with the stunning 23...Qg3!!, which would have forced White to capture Black's queen to prevent immediate checkmate. Unfortunately for Levitsky, this would have left Marshall with at least an extra piece or a forced mate. Levitsky resigned. According to legend, the beauty of Marshall's final combination so moved the spectators that they showered the board with gold pieces.