Twenty-seventh Western Chess Association Tournament.

The twenty-seventh Western Chess Association Tournament took place in the Red room of Chicago's LaSalle Hotel, from August 21 to September 2, 1926. The Western tournament was held in conjunction with a Masters tournament in which a international group of players competed for $1,800 in prizes, but for the purposes of this post we'll leave the Masters tournament for an another day.

In the Western tournament twenty-two players would  compete,they were divided into A and B sections, with the  top qualifiers from the two sections, would then meet in a final,  for the title of Western Chess Association champion.

Section A - Irving Spero, Cleveland; Paul L. Bowers, Pittsburgh; John Paul Stoner, Goulds, Fla.; Joseph Daniels, Kansas City; Herman Steiner, New York; John L. Brandner, Chicago; Leon Stolzenberg, Detroit; Byron B. Price, Ripon Wis.; B. C. Jenkins, Logansport, Ind.; Charles Elison, Chicago; and Hermann Hahlbohm, Chicago. (Stoner would withdraw after three rounds).

Section B -Elias Gordon, Chicago; R. Ballenger, Kalamazoo, Mich.; John T. Beckner, Louisville, Ky.; Albert Margolis, Chicago; John N. Buck, Bramwell, W. Va.; Orrin Frink Jr., New York; L. H. Wight, Kansas City, Mo.; Robert S. Scrivener, Memphis; John Winter, Detroit; William Widmeyer, Rolla, N. D.; Charles W. Phillips, Chicago.

Before the commencement of the tournaments, the Western Chess Association elected new officers, electing an all Chicago slate of officers. Maurice S. Kuhns, chairman of the chess section of the Hamilton club was elected president; W. E. Sparrow, chairman of the chess section of the City club was elected vice-president; A. J. Quigley, president of the Chicago Chess and Checker club was elected secretary; Samuel D. Factor, ex-Western Chess Association champion, was named financial secretary-treasurer.

 

(Chicago Daily News; 21 August 1926)

Unfortunately, the Chicago Tribune no longer had a chess column, but thanks to chess column of Chicago Daily News we have some the games from the Western tournament, naturally most of the press coverage was devoted to the Masters tournament, in which among others; Frank Marshall, Carlos Torre, Geza Marcozy, and Edward Lasker competed.

The schedule for the Western tournament was a grueling one, on most days two rounds were played ( play commencing at 1p.m. and 7p.m.) and on those days when just one round was played, any adjourned games needed to completed as there were no free days during the tournament.

   "The results of the first two rounds are: Steiner beat Price and Jenkins, Daniels beat Jenkins, Brandner beat Price, Stolzenberg beat Brandner, Hahlbohn beat Stoner, Gordon beat Ballenger, Beckner beat Widmeyer, Margolis beat Winter, Frink beat Wight, Phillips beat Ballenger and Scrivener and Elison drew byes."

(Chicago Daily News:  23 August 1926)

On the third day of play Robert Scrivener, the Memphis player defeated L.H. Wight of Kansas City, Mo. in just ten moves.

   " In the western open two rounds were contested yesterday, the afternoon session resulting in victories for the first-named players, Spero - Stoner; Hahlbohm - Daniels; Steiner - Elison; Brandner - Jenkins; Stolzenberg - Price; Margolis - Phillips; Buck - Widmeyer; Scrivener -  Wight.
   In the night session the winners were Stolzenberg, Elison, Steiner, Spero, Bowers, Winter, Margolis and Beckner, who scored on Jenkins, Brandner, Hahlbohm, Daniels, Stoner, Wight, Gordon and Ballenger respectively."

(Chicago Daily News; 24 August 1926)

The results of the fifth round were Bowers beat Daniels, Hahlbolm beat Brandner, Margolis beat Ballenger, Wight beat Widmeyer, Stolzenberg beat Elison and Steiner beat Spero,  The game between Scrivener and Winter was adjourned at midnight.

   "In the Western open yesterday Bowers beat Jenkins, Stoner forfeited to Price, Stolzenberg beat Daniels, Steiner beat Brandner, Winter beat Ballenger, Beckner and Scrivener drew, Margolis beat Wight, Fring [sic] beat Buck."

(Chicago Daily News; 28 August 1926)

Herman Steiner who beats J.L Brandner in the game below, would end up with the best score of all the competitors of both sections of the preliminary tournament.

 

From the two sections seven players qualified for the finals, from section A; Herman Steiner ( 9 1/2 points), Leon Stolzenberg (8 pts), Hermann Hahlbohm and Irving Spero (both 7 pts.); and from section B the qualifying players were John T. Beckner (8 1/2 pts.), Albert Margolis (8 pts.)and Orrin Frinck Jr.(7 1/2 pts.).

In what proved to be the decisive game of the tournament Leon Stolzenberg with the black pieces bested Herman Steiner.

 

Leon Stolzenberg

circa 1957

Photo Michigan Chess: December 1974

  "Leon Stolzenberg who is ... playing under the colors of the Detroit Chess club, took a commanding lead in the open section when he defeated Herman Steiner of New York city in a brilliant game, sacrificing his queen."

( Chicago Daily News; 31 August 1926)

   "Leon Stolzenberg of Detroit won the western championship tournament by drawing his final game with H. Hahlbohm of Chicago. Stolzenberg succeeds [Abraham] Kupchik, titleholder for the past year. Herman Steiner, New York, won second prize and Albert C. Margolis, Chicago, third."

(Chicago Daily News; 3 September 1926)

In time both Steiner and Margolis would become Western Association Champions, in the case of Margolis it would happen at the very next western congress, held in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Jeremy Gaige
 Chess Tournament Crosstables- 1921 - 30 
p.702

   " Frank J. Marshall, the United States champion, to whom were submitted the games entered for the two special brilliancy prizes in the recent tournament for the championship of the Western Chess Association at Chicago has announced is award, according to Samuel D. Factor, secretary of the Western Chess Association. Charles W. Phillips of Chicago is the winner of the first: known as the Kalamazoo brilliancy prize and consisting of $25 in gold pieces presented by amateurs Kalamazoo Mich. this was for the game from L. H. White [sic] of Kansas City Mo.
    Herman Steiner of New York, or winning his game from Charles F. Elison of Chicago was declared the winner of the second prize of $10 offered by R. S. Goerlich of Bethlehem Pa.."

(The Brooklyn Daily Eagle: 14 October 1926)

For more information on Leon Stolzenberg go to following link here and here. I hope to come across more games from this tournament, as I continue my research of Chicago Chess history.

A couple of early Herman Steiner games.

In the run-up to the 27th Western Chess Association Tournament, the Chicago Daily News published the following two games, in it's August 18, 1926 issue.

  "The following games[s] should prove of exceptional interest to chess players at this time, as the winner, Herman Steiner, is one of the favorites entered in the western championship tournament, which starts Saturday at the LaSalle hotel."

(Chicago Daily News: August 18, 1926)

The first game took place during the previous year Western Chess Association Tournament, at Cedar Point, Ohio. Herman Steiner tied for 6th-7th, the tournament was won by Abraham Kupchik.

The second game was played at the Hungarian Chess club in New York City, no dates were given for either game.

How Herman Steiner fared at the 27th Western Chess Association Tournament, we leave for another post.

Szachy wojenne 1939 - 1945. War Chess - Pawel Dudzinski

 

It has been quite some time since I posted a book review but this is not so much a book review as much as it is a plea for a translation, this book deserves a much wider audience, than its limited edition of 600 copies and Polish language will afford it. Perhaps McFarland or some other publisher will consider the undertaking the task of translating and publishing Szachy wojenne. I don't read Polish, so what I gleaned of the books contents is from the five page English summary that is at the end of Szachy wojenne.

This very handsome book seems to have an illustration or chess diagram on every page, and numerous games many played in harrowing circumstances,but the importance of Szachy wojenne lies in its narration and the English summary gives us who don't read Polish, an idea of the book's value.

   ' The theme of the present book covers all the official and unofficial chess activities of ,,the Poles", ,,the Germans", and ,,the Ukrainians" in the years 1939- 1945 on the occupied territories of the Second Republic, and in the case of ,,Chess by the Germans" - also the German part of Silesia and Pomerania, which were incorporated in the Polish state after 1945.'

But also the chess activities of Polish players who were living outside the country fighting withe Free Polish forces, or as the case of the Polish Olympiad team who were stranded in Buenos Aires at the beginning of the war ; or the Poles who were deported to the Gulag, following the partition of Poland by Germany and Soviet Union; which closely followed the German invasion.

The Nazis sponsored tournaments in occupied Poland  in which Alexander Alekhine  and other European masters participated; Paul Keres, and Efim Bogoljubow to name just two. How does affect our view of them?

But it is above all the story of the Polish chess players who truly had to "endure the unendurable" , who played chess when they could, clandestinely under yoke of the Third Reich;  in the ghettos, in concentration camps; but mainly they had to survive and many perished in the Nazi death machine.

So I hope someone will consider translating and publishing this book so that it may reach a wider audience.  In the meantime til we have a translation of Szachy wojenne, that I may give it proper review; til then I am working on a couple of reviews which shall post soon.

Szachy wojenne 1939 - 1945. War Chess 

Pawel Dudzinski

Ostrow Wielkopolski, Biblioteka publiczna Ostrow.Towarzystwo Szachowe. (2013)

300 pages

"When found, make a note of ." Captain Cuttle

Charles Dickens' Captain Cuttle - Dombey and Son

"When found, make a note of ," is a most admirable rule; and if the excellent Captain had never uttered another word, he might have passed for a profound philosopher. It is a rule which should shine in gilt letters on the gingerbread of youth and the spectacle-case of age. Every man who reads with any view beyond mere pastime, knows the value of it. Every one, more or less acts upon it. Every one regrets or suffers who neglects it. There is some trouble in it, to be sure; but in what good thing is there not? and what trouble does it save!

...“cannot be denied that reading and writing men, of moderate industry, who act on this rule for any considerable length of time, will accumulate a good deal of matter in various forms, shapes, and sizes—some more, some less legible and intelligible—some unposted in old pocket books—some on whole or half sheets, or mere scraps of paper, and backs of letters—some lost sight of and forgotten, stuffing out old portfolios, or getting smoky edges in bundles tied up with faded tape. There are, we are quite sure, countless boxes and drawers, and pigeon-holes of such things, which want looking over, and would well repay the trouble.”

 “Notes and Queries, Number 01, November 3, 1849.”

 I also, can think of no better advice; than that offered Dickens' Captain, in my research into Chicago chess history I had failed to make a note on numerous occasions, only to fail to remember where some interesting  item of information appeared.  I have copied numerous chess columns from the Chicago Daily News they sit in a heap, in large part unorganized, now is the time to bring some order to them before they get totally out control. I find now, I may have repeat some research I had already done, but such are the wages of sin.