Chess history trivia

Historical knowledge and information regarding our great game.
Mike Truran
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Mike Truran » Tue Mar 01, 2016 1:45 pm

Enthusiasm may be starting to wane on this one. What's the answer?

Hans Renette
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Hans Renette » Tue Mar 01, 2016 1:55 pm

John Racker Medley - third prize winner at London 1849.

His picture: http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/192773926? ... =211007060

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:00 pm

With George Webb Medley the more famous brother:

http://www.chessgames.com/player/george ... edley.html

John Townsend
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:25 pm

The solution suggests that J.R. Medley was "the first English player of some notion to spend an important part of his life in Australia", but wasn't that Watts, who emigrated circa 1848?

Tim Harding
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Tim Harding » Mon Mar 07, 2016 9:03 pm

OK, here's a new trivia puzzle. (Not open to readers of my Blackburne book, which supplies the answer.)

Who set a world record for simultaneous blindfold play using a different language to communicate with each opponent?

Bonus points for where, when, how many games, and which languages.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

John McKenna

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John McKenna » Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:17 pm

Johann Hermann Zukertort?

Tim Harding
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Tim Harding » Tue Mar 08, 2016 10:11 am

John McKenna wrote:Johann Hermann Zukertort?
Not him
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

Mike Truran
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Mike Truran » Tue Mar 08, 2016 10:49 am

Henry Thomas Buckle?

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MJMcCready
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by MJMcCready » Tue Mar 08, 2016 11:40 am

I haven't read your book Tim but I recall that was Kieseritzky (sic) ?

Brian Towers
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Brian Towers » Tue Mar 08, 2016 12:58 pm

According to http://www.chessmaniac.com/blindfold-chess/
In 1851, Kieseritzky played 4 opponents blindfold simultaneously during an exhibition in Paris. He called out his moves for each game in a different language: French, German, English, and Italian.
Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.

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MJMcCready
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by MJMcCready » Tue Mar 08, 2016 1:25 pm

aha

Tim Harding
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Tim Harding » Tue Mar 08, 2016 2:19 pm

Brian Towers wrote:According to http://www.chessmaniac.com/blindfold-chess/
In 1851, Kieseritzky played 4 opponents blindfold simultaneously during an exhibition in Paris. He called out his moves for each game in a different language: French, German, English, and Italian.
Correct - though some of the "facts" about Paulsen and Blackburne in that web article are NOT correct (as I show in my Blackburne book).

I set this little puzzle because the fact about the four languages is not to be found in Hearst and Knott's history of blindfold chess.

Paulsen never completed a blindfold display against twelve opponents (I am not the first to challenge that claim).

Blackburne did, but not on either of the occasions stated in that web article (which follows Hearst and Knott in that respect), As I show, he did complete a display against twelve opponents in 1863 which was a new world record until Zukertort's 1876 exhibition.

To give the full account of Kieseritzky's feat from my book:

Philidor’s record of three simultaneous blindfold games was broken on 27 April 1851 when Kieseritzky played four games at Paris. A remarkable feature of that performance was that, in order to clearly distinguish the games in his mind, Kieseritzky called out his moves in four different languages, depending on the opponent. Against Witcomb he spoke in French, against De Sivers in German, against Joseph Campbell (the Irish player and problem composer) in English, and against Potier in Italian. Kieseritzky lost to De Sivers but won the other three games.

I found the report in the French magazine La Régence, III (May 1851) pages 135 and 149–154.

I am not aware of any blindfold exhibitions that Buckle may have given.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

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MJMcCready
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by MJMcCready » Tue Mar 08, 2016 2:27 pm

Ok, so if I may ask another question of my own which Richard James kindly helped with greatly, which individual who played (at least once) for the strong Middlesex side of the 1920s beat both Capablanca and Fischer in simuls? I should add he also drew with Alekhine in one too.

Brian Towers
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Brian Towers » Tue Mar 08, 2016 5:54 pm

Tim Harding wrote:A remarkable feature of that performance was that, in order to clearly distinguish the games in his mind, Kieseritzky called out his moves in four different languages, depending on the opponent.
Damn good job he's not around today to try that! Arbiters would soon put a stop to that kind of filthy trick!
Chess Arbiters' Association wrote:Also illegal is the habit of using algebraic in a foreign language e.g. German. This is only allowed if that is the normal language of the player (See Appendix C.3) or the language of the area where the event is held.
OK, I know. Blindfold and simultaneous are both not covered by the FIDE laws.
I just couldn't resist the temptation to highlight a nonsensical attempt to posthumously condemn Tony Miles' habit of recording using Cyrillic.
Note also:
Stewart Reuben on Confusing FIDE Laws wrote:C.6 For indicating the 8 files, each player may use the first 8 small letters of his alphabet.
For example a Greek player might use: α, β, γ, δ, ε, ζ, η, θ.
But it stirs up an unnecessary hornet's nest. A Russian player might decide he prefers to use the Greek letters.
So what? It's a multicultural, polyglot world. Watcha gonna do?
Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.

Richard James
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Richard James » Tue Mar 08, 2016 10:51 pm

MJMcCready wrote:Ok, so if I may ask another question of my own which Richard James kindly helped with greatly, which individual who played (at least once) for the strong Middlesex side of the 1920s beat both Capablanca and Fischer in simuls? I should add he also drew with Alekhine in one too.
The win against Fischer was a tournament game, not a simul. Not sure whether or not that will help anyone.