What was 'The Chess Amateur' ?

[MJMcCready]

Could someone tell me what, exactly, 'The Chess Amateur' was'? By that I mean who was it written for and how did it differ from the British Chess Magazine.

Is it a safe on my part to assume that it documented club and county chess more than the stars of its day? I know some of the contributing authors but don't know what, exactly, they were writing about.

[Gordon Cadden]

The "Chess Amateur" was published between October 1906 and June 1930. The magazine claimed not to have an editor, which was a nonsense. Harry Harmer clearly did not wished to be known as the editor. He relied on good contributors, and he had them in abundance.
Looking at volume 1, we have Problem pages by Phillip H Williams, a Studies Section by the Rev. E.E. Cunnington, a History section by Carslake Winter-Wood, a Chess Directory by Leonard P. Rees. a Games Department, Opening Theory by Clarence S. Howell, a Chess Amateur Correspondence League with over 700 members. Advertisers include the British Chess Company, 76 Turnmill Street, London EC1. Frank Hollings 7 Great Turnstile, London EC1.John Jacques & Sons, 102 Hatton Garden.
This was a quality magazine that is sort after by collectors.

[MJMcCready]

So content wasn't much different to the BCM then?

[Gordon Cadden]

So content wasn't much different to the BCM then?

The BCM reported on International Events, and had more photographs.
There was a demand for two National chess magazines, and this was supplied by CHESS from 1935.