Chess history trivia

Historical knowledge and information regarding our great game.
John Townsend
Posts: 827
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:26 pm

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Wed Jan 12, 2022 3:18 pm

Cunningham Defence? That goes 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Be7, n'est-ce pas? No, it's not that.

Geoff Chandler
Posts: 3484
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:36 pm
Location: Under Cover
Contact:

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Geoff Chandler » Wed Jan 12, 2022 3:19 pm

Queen Victoria had 9 children so the answer could be the 'main line' of the Kings Gambits Accepted.
(I now anticipate the sites reaction. 'We are not amused.')

No idea.

Did the Cunard ship 'Queen Victoria' ram a boat called 'The King's Gambit.'

John Townsend
Posts: 827
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:26 pm

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:07 pm

The reference to Queen Victoria and chess appears in the Canterbury Press, 4 January 1896 (page 3), where she is reported to be
" ... partial to the fascinating Muzio Gambit"
The original source of the information is vaguer than one would wish, as the writer mentions only "a London correspondent", who also reported that the Queen "was much interested in the Hastings tournament". (Has anyone suggested yet that she met Pillsbury?). It says she had learned the game from Prince Albert.

I found the article via the Papers Past website, which is strongly recommended:

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers

Papers Past originally came to my attention from a submission by Graham Clayton to Edward Winter's useful article, Chess History Research On-Line, which mentions a number of on-line resources for chess magazines and newspapers:

https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/research.html

User avatar
John Upham
Posts: 7162
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:29 am
Location: Cove, Hampshire, England.
Contact:

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Upham » Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:16 pm

OK, I'll have a second try (assuming that is permitted).

Is this something to do with Queen Victoria's meeting with Paul Morphy?

I do not have a copy of Paul Morphy, the Pride and Sorrow of Chess by David Lawson.

I suspect that the answer may lie in that tome.
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

John Townsend
Posts: 827
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:26 pm

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:21 pm

John, second tries are allowed, but not after the answer has been given. (See above).

User avatar
John Upham
Posts: 7162
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:29 am
Location: Cove, Hampshire, England.
Contact:

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Upham » Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:34 pm

John Townsend wrote:
Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:21 pm
John, second tries are allowed, but not after the answer has been given. (See above).
Ooops!

I failed to refresh my https client before answering.

Doh!
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

User avatar
John Upham
Posts: 7162
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:29 am
Location: Cove, Hampshire, England.
Contact:

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Upham » Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:38 pm

In attempt to make-up for my recent faux pas I will pose this question:

Which chess player in 1968 held the record for being the world's fastest speaker?
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

John Townsend
Posts: 827
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:26 pm

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:23 pm

Charles Hunter

User avatar
John Upham
Posts: 7162
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:29 am
Location: Cove, Hampshire, England.
Contact:

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Upham » Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:28 pm

John Townsend wrote:
Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:23 pm
Charles Hunter
Correct. I assumed that this would be too easy for most forumites.

What was your source for this tid-bit?

What were the details of his record?
Last edited by John Upham on Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

John Townsend
Posts: 827
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:26 pm

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:29 pm

B.C.M.

User avatar
Matt Mackenzie
Posts: 5191
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:51 pm
Location: Millom, Cumbria

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:35 pm

He is also IIRC referenced in The Complete Chess Addict.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

User avatar
John Upham
Posts: 7162
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:29 am
Location: Cove, Hampshire, England.
Contact:

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Upham » Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:38 pm

He recited Hamlet's best-known soliloquy in forty-one seconds.

His fastest burst was fifty words in 7.2 seconds.
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

John Townsend
Posts: 827
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:26 pm

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Sat Jan 15, 2022 3:17 pm

Name the Oxford academic who floored Flohr's Winawer in an international tournament.


John Townsend
Posts: 827
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:26 pm

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Sat Jan 15, 2022 3:42 pm

Yes, very good, Leonard. Theodore Henry Tylor.

Post Reply