Chess Competitions 1824 - 1970: An annotated international bibliography of books, bulletins, and programs - Gino Di Felice

 

   In a previous post in this blog (Wither the chess tournament book? ) I lamented the passing of the contemporaneous  chess tournament book, fortunately there is a rich, diverse and vast literature on chess tournaments of the past. The scope of this diversity has become even more apparent with the publication of Gino Di Felice's Chess Competitions 1824 - 1970.

   Gino Di Felice has done a yeoman's service in compiling this bibliography. Di Felice is best known for the invaluable series, Chess Results, in which he has provides the crosstables to thousands of chess events from 1747 to 1960, with three more volumes soon to appear , which will take us to 1970. 

   With 3096 competitions listed and 5066 publications  this was mammoth undertaking, some events and publications are sure to have slipped thru Di Felice's net, but one cannot but admire Di Felice's dedication and perseverance in compiling this bibliography, and although the cut off for competitions is set at 1970, there are publications published as late 2012 in the bibliography.

 The bibliography is divided into five parts, part one is devoted to individual tournament, part two to individual matches, part three to team tournaments, part four to team matches and part five is devoted to correspondence competitions. The listing for individual and team tournaments are listed alphabetically according to where the tournament took place, and then chronologically for tournaments in the same city, individual matches are listed by the name of the winner or alphabetically in case of a tie. Team matches are listed under the name of the home team. As for correspondence competitions, regardless of  there being tournaments or matches are listed alphabetically by name.

   The chess bibliophile and researcher are sure to find this book invaluable resource, and many a club chess player may also find this book useful. I would have likes a page or two of illustrations, especially some of the more obscure titles, but one can't have everything.

Chess Competitions 1824 - 1970: An annotated international bibliography of books, bulletins, and programs.

Gino Di Felice

Publishing House Moravian Chess (2012) 554 pages

John S. Hilbert: Writings in Chess History

 

From the fecund pen of John S. Hilbert comes Writings in Chess History a new collection of  essays and book reviews. Hilbert is the author of numerous books on the history of chess, with Walter Penn Shipley: Philadelphia's Friend of Chess and Shady side: The life and crimes of Norman Tweed Whitaker being two of his best received titles, which is sure to make any new book by Hilbert almost self recommending for those interested in the history of the game.

Writings in Chess History is Hilbert's second collection of essays, his first Essays in American chess history as it title implies was focused on American chess history and while the great majority of essays in this new collection are also on American subjects, this collection has a little wider focus, with essays on Howard Staunton and the English historian Henry Thomas Buckle as a chess player.

The charge of "minor master, minor work" has been leveled at the type of subjects Hilbert has largely chosen to research and write about; that these "minor masters"  are not worthy our attention, much less of a book or essay. Hilbert defends his views in a interview conducted by Neil Brennen included in the book, and while I may never had heard of or only had the vaguest idea of who Alexander Sellman or Jacob Elson were, each was to borrow a term from another recent chess book was eminent if not on a national level at least at the local level, and each has his story to tell. While most of us will never play against the likes Kasparov or Botvinnik , we will come across characters like J. Henry Smythe Jr. (a.k.a  " The Megaphone Man") or a scoundrel like Norman Tweed Whitaker.

A picture of Alexander Sellman graces the cover of  Writings in Chess History so it seems only fitting that we begin our review there; Sellman if he is remembered at  all it is for his forth place finish at the fifth American chess congress or for his participation in London chess tournament in1883 where he finished twelfth in a field of fourteen but won one of his two games against Johannes Zukertort the tournament winner.

Sellman who was deaf due to a childhood case of meningitis was a stalwart of the Baltimore chess scene; playing in various local events, giving numerous chess simultaneous exhibitions and as chess editor of the Sunday Herald. Hilbert has unearthed many new details of Sellman's chess career and over 130 games.

J. Henry Smythe Jr. (a.k.a  " The Megaphone Man") is the subject of another Hilbert essay; in a brief chess career Smythe was very active in the Philadelphia area at the turn of the last century but his nickname and main claim to fame was in the political arena.  Giving up chess after a breakdown after  succumbing to what in press was called "excessive chess playing". Smythe became something of a political gadfly, at the 1904 Republican National Convention in Chicago Smythe jumped onstage megaphone in hand starting the cheering for President Teddy Roosevelt. 'Smythe's audacity earned him the... sobriquet of " the Grand Old Party's Megaphone Man"'.

But don't think that all the essays are on "minor masters" there is a wealth of new material and games
 on Frank Marshall, William Steinitz, Johannes Zukertort,  and Emanuel Lasker.

The notorious Norman Tweed Whitaker makes an appearance with an essay on his connection to the state of Georgia . It is an older but a still feisty Whitaker  always seeming to play for the angle in life.

All told there are twenty five essays proper on subject as intriguing as correspondence chess in California 1858-59 to Zukertort in Canada, and Lasker at Haverford College.The collection is rounded out by fifteen book reviews. While this collection may not be for everyone, it reward those whose interest in chess history lies outside just biographies of world champions and are willing to explore. A perfect book for the bedside these essays and reviews will reward repeated reading. A minor complaint I would have liked to have known where and when these essays originally appeared, but this may be the fault of the publisher as Hilbert makes the same complaint in his review of Genna Sosonko's Russian Silhouettes.
 
Writings in Chess History  
John S. Hilbert 
 Publishing House Moravian Chess Olomouc(2012) 616 pages

Ken Whyld - Chess Reader

The inspiration for this blog is the late Ken Whyld's chess book review newsletter the “Chess Reader” which was published from 1955 til 1966, the first five volumes under Ken Whyld editorship, the final volume under other editors. The “ Chess Reader” is available again and now published in book form thanks to the Publishing House of Moravian Chess which have reprinted so many chess classics of the past as well as publishing much new chess research.

The “Chess Reader” is a font of knowledge for the chess bibliophile, each issue displaying an easily worn erudition and a no nonsense style. If not every book issued in those 10 years was reviewed;  it seems at the very least every important book was reviewed. Books for the novice as well as weighty tomes of opening, endgame and middle game theory; tournament bulletins, chess biographies and books on chess compositions were all considered and reviewed. You may find yourself like me adding to your want lists after reading one of Ken Whyld's reviews.