Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Captain MacKenzie vs Rev Owen 1890 - Pittsburg Dispatch

Pittsburg Dispatch 
Saturday, November 1 1890

Newspaper Pittsburg Dispatch did a stable chess column from 1889 to 1892. At chessarch.com, they missed the earlier issue in year 1889. Here is the earlier retrieve issues. Some interesting history, facts and stories had been writing in it.

Pittsburg Dispatch Chess Column in November 1st 1890
the portrait in bottom right is Samuel Seeds


Game
George Henry Mackenzie vs John Owen 1-0
Manchester (1890) Owen Defense: General (B00)
This game well documented in chess database. The game show the utilizing of Owen's Defense by the man himself, through not very successful this time.



Problems
White mates in two moves - by A.F. MacKenzie

White mates in three moves composed for The Dispatch by W.E.Mitchum

Endgames
composed by C.Salviolli White to play

H.A.Stauffer, Buttler vs Amateur

H.B. Lutton, Pittsburg vs Amateur

Chess News
Mr. W.Steinitz is conducting a chess column in the New York Tribunes. It is needless to say that it will be edited with very great ability. He played on Saturday, October 18 at the Manhattan Chess Club 26 simultaneous chess games , winning 28 drawing 2 and losing 1.

Judge Golmayo the noted Cuban expert, has accepted the office of referee in the cable match -Steinitz vs Tachigorin.

Mr. Shipley informs us that the first round of the match between the Franklin (Philadelphia) C.C. and the Manhattan C.C. will take place about November 20.

and other interesting news as in the article.




Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Alapin vs Tarrasch circa 1892 - Pittsburg Dispatch

Pittsburg Dispatch
September 16, 1892

Pittsburg Dispatch runs chess column 1888 to 1892. Chessarch.com missed the earlier issue in 1889. You can see one of its sample HERE.

Game:
Semion Alapin vs Siegbert Tarrasch 1-0, 1892 ?
Alapin Opening

A rare game that found in this chess column. Semion Alapin crush Tarrasch with his signature Alapin Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Ne2). The notation and Alapin's original annotation being converter to PGN in its entirely.



Problems:
White mates in two moves - composed by Eugene Woodard, SOuth Granville N.Y

White mates in three moves - composed by A.P. Mackenzie Jamaica

Endgames:
Albin vs Mieses
White to play and win composed by Ponziani

Reports:
Bird versus Lasker

Graphics:
I preserved a very nice advertisement about Aliquippa (Penn.) area, as it begins to look in 1892!

the Pittsburg Dispatch September16 1892


tag: chess column 1892, pittsburg history, alapin defence, chess rare games

Monday, May 11, 2015

Emanuel Lasker vs Frank Marshall 1907 - New York Daily Tribune

New York Daily Tribune
January 27, 1907

Game:
Frank Marshall vs Emanuel Lasker 0-1 , New York WCC 1907
Ruy Lopez Nyholm Attack



Reports:
Historical report of Lasker vs Marshall world championship match right after the first game. The encounter between Lasker and Marshall is unique. Lasker facing one of world most dangerous attacking player. As history written, Marshall lost the match 3,5 to 11,5.

Here the New York Daily Tribune chess column wrote:

VICTORY FOR LASKER
WINS FIRST CHESS GAME

Marshall Resigns After Fifty Move in Championship Match.

Dr. Emanuel Lasker defeated Frank J. Marshall, after fifty moves, in the first game of their match for the worlds chess championship in the assembly hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building in Brooklyn, yesterday. A good sized crowd was in attendance afternoon and evening.

Before the game began Professor Isaac L. Rice, one of the referees, made a brief address. The umpires. E. Clark and E. W. Libaire. then tossed for the move, and on Libaire, Marshall's umpire, winning, Marshall opened the game with the famous Spanish attack, the Ruy Lopez,  much to the surprise of everybody, as it was expected that the challenger would surely play his favorite queen's gambit.

The hall was well adapted for the match. The players, umpires. Judges and tellers were seated on the platform, and as soon as a. move was made it was repeated on two exhibition boards to the right and left of the platform, so that all on lookers could follow the progress of the game. Moreover, right at the entrance there were placed six chefs tables, where those desiring to analyze the various positions could do so with rase, and it was at these tables that most of the interest was centered.

After his short address Professor Rice read a number of congratulatory telegrams from C. H. Turner, president of the Baltimore Chess Association; James Abbott, president of the Western Chess Association; C. C. Schneider, president of the Chicago Chess and Checker Club, and E.C.B. Jenkins , secretary of the Kansas City Chess Club, among others.

Among the prominent persons present at the opening were Judge Joslah T. Marean, of Brooklyn; Vice-Chancellor Mahlon Pitney, of New Jersey; Controller Herman A. Mets, Commander B. T. Walling and Lieutenant Charles Webster, of the navy yard; Professor Isaac L. Rice. Sam Loyd. J. Herbert Watson. S. It. Chittenden, Dr. J B. Kopf, Henry Chadwlck, J. D. Sedgwyn and H. M. Phillips.

When looking closely at the principals it was found that neither seemed to be excited or nervous. They shook hands at the start, made the opening moves rather quickly, and several times during the came left the board when the adversary had to move and mixed with the crowd in the body of the hall. As soon as they would see that the tellers, J. H. Tafft. jr., and F. D. Rosebault. had repeated a move on the exhibition boards they would quietly walk back to the platform and begin the fight a new.

The game had scarcely advanced eight moves before the wiseacres gave their verdict. Most of them were of the opinion that Lanker had the superior position. Suddenly, however, there came a change of opinion, and it was thought that Marshall, by playing the right move, would surely get the better position. Marshall did not make the right move, the wiseacres thought, and so they gave up the case as hopeless. When the game was adjourned at 6 o'clock the end game stage had been reached. Marshall said that at the worst he could easily draw the game.

Twenty-three moves had been registered. The particular opening adopted has little history.
Morphy was the first who suggested the variation, and of late years the Bostonians, John F. Barry and Franklin E. Young, have made this particular variation a special study. Four or five years ago Barry played a match game with Lasker, selecting this variation as his attack. Barry lost the game. No doubt Marshall wanted to try his hand at it in order to get a thorough analysis of the game over the board. His main object. he said, was to get Lasker to unknown regions, believing that he could then hold his own.

The champion, on the other hand, rather liked the programme, for at no stage of the game did he spend much time on his rejoinders, while Marshall put in a lot of time in studying his moves.

When play was resumed at 8 o'clock it soon became evident that Marshall was fighting a
hopeless frame. The champion won one pawn, then another, and after fifty moves Marshall resigned.

The second game will be played at the Everett House. Fourth avenue and 17th street. in this city, on Tuesday. The score of the game follows:


Dr. Emanuel Lasker vs Frank J. Marshall 1907 World Chess Championship

tags: historical brooklyn chess, new york newspaper chess column, romantic chess, age of chess, ruy lopez chess history, baltimore unrest, baltimore clash, baltimore fight

Frank Marshall 105 Boards Chess Simuls 1916

The Day Book - Chicago 
March 29, 1916

Reports

The Chicago weekly "The Day Book" reported on March 29, 1916 about Frank Marshall's 105 men chess simuls, happening in Washington. This chess simuls break world record on that moment.

Read full report here:

Frank J. Marshall of  New York, chess champion of the United States, broke four records recently in competing with 105 of  Washington's best chess players.

The match was staged in the rooms of the National Press club, where the tables were arrange'd in two long lines stretching the length of three of the communications rooms. Marshall passed rapidly from one table to another, keeping track of the 105 games with apparent ease. He won 82, lost 8 and drew in 15 of the games. Lieut. Gen. Nelson A. Miles was one of a number of prominent players. 

The former world's record in th number of simultaneously games playing was made by H. Fahrni, a German, in Munich, in 1911, when he played 100 games simultaneously, winning 55 drawing 39 and losing 6.

It is not reported the result of Franks Marshall simuls himself.

Here the newspaper clips and photo of Frank Marshall.

The Day Book - Chicago based chess column

tags: historical chicago chess, newspaper chess column, romantic chess, age of chess, ruy lopez chess history, frank marshall, world record chess simultans

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Donisthorpe vs Blackburne New Chess Games 1884 - Cardiff Weekly Mail

Cardiff Weekly Mail
1884, May 31

Problem:
chess problem composed by A. Townsend , Newport - White to play and mate in 3

Games:
Wordsworth Donisthorpe vs Joseph H. Blackburne 0-1
Vienna Opening
Can't find this game elsewhere, rare game of Blackburne in his 1884 year. The white player can be found in his chessgames.com profile.



also the continuation of two Cardiff vs Swansea correspondence games.

Cardiff Weekly Mail chess column 1884

tags: historical chicago chess, cardiff newspaper chess column, romantic chess, age of chess, ruy lopez chess history, wales

Cardiff vs Swansea Chess Rivalry 1884 - Cardiff Weekly Mail

Cardiff Weekly Mail
1884, March 1

Along with The Cambrian, The Montgomery, Evening Express and other Wales based newspaper, Cardiff also owned their own. The Cardiff Weekly Mail started their chess colum in this issue of March 1, 1884. The highlight was the chess club meeting between Swansea and Cardiff. They also provide tournament report from around the world, as well the UK chess scene.

Games:
Two ongoing Cardiff vs Swansea Correspondence Chess Games, 1884.

Report:
The meeting between the two club ended with victory on Swansea side. Both club intended to do chess column on their area and united action to promote chess (in UK).
The players and their scores:
Swansea       vs       Cardiff
J.C. Woods 2  vs J. Bush 0
W.F. Richards 2 vs F.B. Chadwick 0
Charles Price 1 vs F.P. Down 1
J. Banfield 2 vs Rev. R. Gibbings 0
J. Dowle Jones 1 vs G.H. Down 1

Problem
White to play and mates in three




 tags: historical chicago chess, saint paul newspaper chess column, romantic chess, age of chess, ruy lopez chess history

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Chess World Overview in 1889 - Pittsburg Dispatch

Pittsburg Dispatch 
Sunday, October 20 1889

Newspaper Pittsburg Dispatch runs a stable chess column from 1889 to 1892. At chessarch.com, they missed the earlier issue in year 1889. Here is the earlier retrieve issues. Some interesting history, facts and stories had been writing in it. This is one of them.

This is a chess world overview written in the year 1889. Prominent player mentioned such as George Mackenzie, Steinitz, Sam Lloyd etc.

October 20, 1889 Sunday Pittsburg Dispatch


transcripts:



THE DIPLOMAT’S GAME
Revival of Popular Interest in the Intricate Game of Chess
The King’s Game In The Cabinet
 Some Prominent Men and Women Who Are Experts
The Champion Player of the World

The speaker was one of two gentlemen who were playing a game of chess in a club house recently. The game had been a long one and closely fought and black had now declared that he would be the victor.
Three moves were made, but white still fought hard. Four moves, and he would not give in. Five moves, and the player of black announced:

"Checkmate."

Chess is getting to be a very popular game. It is safe to say that now there are a score of players to every one there was ten years ago. It has been estimated that there are 20,000 players residing in New York City and Brooklyn. Nearly every city in the union now has a chess club. In St. .Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and all the large cities there are many prominent amateurs who can hold their own with any of the professionals, and who have won prizes in State and national tournaments.

Chess players are, as a rule, great thinkers; in fact, to be successful as a chess player one has to be a deep thinker, and to be able to think ahead, as it were, to forecast the result of certain moves. A chess player has to plot, scheme and maneuver all the time the pieces are before him. Chess has become a popular game in all the colleges for several years, and so the chess players can count in their ranks many lawyers, clergymen, artists, musicians, scientists, merchants and, in fact, all the better educated classes.

It is rather a curious coincidence that all good chess players are musicians, and many of them are good linguists, some of the most prominent players being able to converse in two or three languages.

THE LEADING AMATEURS
Eugene Delmar is considered to be the best amateur player in the country. He is connected with one of the leading "New York banks and lives in New York City. He is a comparatively young man, medium height and good looking. While he is very fond of the game, he does not devote all his time to it, and particularly objects to being called a chess crank. Mr. Delmar has won the championship of the New York Chess Club several years in succession. He plays a dashing, brilliant game, said by many to be the most brilliant game played by anyone in this country. He has never yet been beaten in a match.

Another player who can hold his own with any player in the country is Captain George H. McKenzie, of Brooklyn. He is now in Europe. Captain McKenzie is a veteran player. He won the world's championship at Frankfort, and took the first prize in the American Chess Congress three or four times in' succession. He has been the strongest player in America for more man 20 years.

Russell Sage is a very good player. He makes chess a hobby, and is said to dream of the chess board when his mind is not occupied with Manhattan elevated stock. After playing with the "puts and calls" on the stock exchange boards all day he goes home and solves problems. He' has been known to write several letters about problem. one Mr. Sage is a very good problemist, and after having solved them explains them to his wife. Cyrus Field is another fair player. Mr. Field has not distinguished himself in any brilliane games, but he is very fond of solving problems and takes a great deal of interest in all the tournaments. Mr. Field is a home man. He likes to play a game in the evening with some member of his family.

 CHESS IN THE CABINET.
Secretary of State James G. Blaine is a very clever chess player. He plays a close, careful game, and is particularly fond of solving problems when the cares of his office allow him time. Mr. Emmons Blaine who was recently married to Miss Anita McCormick, follows his father's footsteps in the chess world. He has frequently given his father a good fight on the chess board. His young wifeplavs a little. Mr. Walker Blaine and James G. Blaine, Jr., are also fair players.

Secretary of the Treasury William Windom is an enthusiastic player. He keeps himself well posted on all the games played in the tournaments. He plays a close quiet game and is a hard man to beat! Postmaster General Wanamaker is also a first class player. Chess is played a great deal at the Union League Club, the New York Club and at the Knickerbocker Club. At the St. Nicholas, Kane, the brother of the society favorite, Delancey Kane, is about the best player; He plays a fine dashing game, and is particularly fond of solving problems. William C. Nye is another good player, and Chauncy M. Depew is said to be able to hold his own with a good many players of the club. He makes no boast, though, of being a chess crank.

Colonel Fellows, the District Attorney of New York, is very fond of a good game and can defend his king with his queen, castles and pawns as well as he can defend a client, and attack his opponent as brilliantly as he can prosecute a criminal offender in the law courts. Colonel Fellows is somewhat of a crank at the game. He never misses a tournament. He is member of the New York Chess Club and is very fond of wagering a bottle of wine or even a few dollars on the result of the game.

MUSICIANS GOOD PLAYERS
Gottschalk, the famous pianist and composer, was a very fine chess player. And prominent musicians are very expert at the King's game. Dr. Samuel Warren, the organist at Grace Church, is an expert. He finds a great deal of rest and recreation after a hard day's work with his music in a quiet game of chess. He can beat a number of good players. Dr. Arthur Sullivan, who has composed operas, songs and church music, is another good player. Theodore Thomas, Walter Damrosch, Theodore Toedt and A. H. Messitts, the organist at Trinity Church, play a great deal.

Edwin Booth is one of the best players among the actors. He is fond of every game that requires a great deal of brain work and study. He plays a brilliant dashing game. Billy Florence will very often leave off telling fish stories and practical joking to have a game of chess. He says the quiet of the game affords him a great rest alter the laborious work of thinking out some joke to play on captain Billy Conorer. The late Johu T. Raymond was a very good problemist. Mr. and Mrs. Kendal, the English actors, enjoy many a game together. Henry Irving, E. H. Sothern, Augustine Daly Joe Jefferson and Francis Wilson are experts at the game.

WOMEN WHO PLAY.
According to Captain McKenzie, the best women players are the Misses Worrels, of Brooklyn. They play a strong, brilliant game each, and it is hard to tell who is the better of the two. They play together a great deal and have played against some of the best amateurs in the country. Mrs. Gilbert of Hartford , is the strongest correspondence player. She has played a number of very brilliant games by letter and has beaten the best of them. She can see the result of a game a long way ahead and has successfully announced mate in 20 or 30 moves. Among the physicians, Dr. O. C. Moore stands near the head is a chess player. He plays a fine game and is first class problemist. Dr. Louis Sayre plays well and plays a good deal with his sons. Dr. Austin Flint; Dr. Doremus and Prof. Loomis can teach many professionals how to play the game.

The late Congressman, S.S. Cox, was a very fine player. He took a great deal of interest in all the tournaments. He was very proud of watching a good game, and would become so Interested in watching the different moves that he would forget everything else. He gave a number of prizes at the various tournaments.
The late General Paine, the brother of the celebrated owner of the Volunteer and other fast yachts, who died two weeks ago, was one of the best players of Boston. ,He played a very strong game, and like Mr Cox gave prizes to be played for at the tournaments. Richard H. Proctor was another chess crank. He frequently said that if he could afford it, he would do nothing else but play chess. He was very fond of making problems and of solving them.

NEW YORK’S BEST PLAYERS
Mr. Philip Richardson is one of the best amateurs in New York. He is a photographer and devotes a great deal of his time to the study of the game scientifically. He is known everywhere for his noted analysis of the game. J. Burke, of the New York Chess Club, is a very strong player. He is young, and devotes a good deal of time to the game. He is a champion. Harry Davidson, the well-known engraver, is another good player. He plays at the Manhattan Club. Samuel Lloyd, an editor, is one of the best problemists in the country. He makes chess quite a study, W. Devisses, an accountant, is a very solid player. He won the highest honors at the State championship tournament George Koellar is the champion of the Columbia Club, and M. J. Hawhorn won the tournaments of the New York and Manhattan Clubs recently. All these gentlemen can hold their own with any professionals.

The best player of St. Louis is Max Judd. He is a very wealthy merchant and takes a great deal of pleasure in playing or watching a good game. Mr. Judd is short, stout and has a German cast of countenance. He was said to be the handsomest man in the sixth American Chess Congress. He made a great showing at that congress and scored even games with all the best players of Europe. He plays a brilliant game, full of dash and daring.

PLAYERS OF PHILADELPHIA.
George Reichhelen is the best amateur in the Quaker City. He plays in all the tournaments and has won a number of prizes. He is a good solver, too, of some of the hardest problem's. Jacob Elsen, a newspaper man, is also a good d player. He is a close, solid player, and a problemist with a great reputation. The veteran among the Quakers is Mr. Martiney. He has been a noted player for a number of years, and has played and beaten Steinitz. He plays a very close game and is slow and deliberate about each move. Messrs. Puester, Shipley and Kaises are all good amateurs, equal to many professionals.

Among the champions of Boston is young Burrill. He is only 19 years of age, but plays a wonderful game. He moves quickly and plays with a dash rarely seen in older players. P. J. Ware is the veteran
of this city, and has played and won against the best players in the country.
Messrs. Stone, Young and Snow rank next in order as the best amateurs of this city. Bostonians are good chess players and they take a great deal of interest in the game.

THE BEST PLATER IN THE WORLD
William Steinitz is regarded everywhere as the best player in the world, and the strongest all-round player living. He has the greatest match record of any player living. He has made many matches with such players as Yankertort, Tschigorin and other professionals, and has always beaten them. He has never played against an American. It is said that Mr. Steinitz has retired from the chess arena. He now lives in Brooklyn, where he has lived for five years. He has taken out his citizenship papers and is very proud to be called an American.
The champion of the Manhattan Club in New York, is Sam Lepschutz. He won the championship of the club, the State championship in the New York State Association and made the best score of any American in the United States Tournament. He is a compositor by trade, young, slim, and looks as though he were in the last stages of consumption. He plays constantly, and puts up a close, solid game, after the style of Steinitz.

Bishop Fitzgerald, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, plays a remarkable game. He is very fond of solving problems and studying the game. Episcopal ministers are first class players. Bishop Potter can play a good game and so can Dr. Morgan Dix, Dr. J. Wesley Brown, Dr. Morgan, Dr. Gocer and many others.

A. F. Aldridge. (edit by ageofchess.blogspot.com)

tags: american chess history, chess history of 19th century, new york chess history, chess newspaper column