Chess history trivia

[Christopher Kreuzer]

It is before 1910. Tim even said it was Victorian!

What they would have been 'driving' would have been a carriage. Well, their driver would have been driving it.

The identity of the opponent is an interesting conundrum.

[Tim Harding]

A few wealthy people (e.g. Sir George Newnes) did own motor cars before the end of Victoria's reign.

In this case, though, it would have been a horse-drawn carriage.

[John McKenna]

"Motor cars" were know as "horseless carriages" at that time.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=hor ... ORM=IQFRBA

[MJMcCready]

I've never heard the expression 'drive a carriage' before, we usually 'go' by one or 'take' one don't we? I understood the question in terms of the collocation of the verb, which admittedly was a little confusing since we are referring to Victorian times but as mentioned above, a few people did have cars at the end of the 19th century. 'We drove as usual', suggests a motorized-carriage perhaps but not a horse-drawn carriage I think as we don't drive horses.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"'We drove as usual', suggests a motorized-carriage perhaps but not a horse-drawn carriage I think as we don't drive horses."

I think in Victorian times, they would use "drive" to mean travelling in a carriage/ dog cart/ stagecoach / hansom cab etc...

We need not linger on the other sense of "drive", for example "driving cattle", when you round them up, head them up and shift thousands of them to the nearest rail head en route to slaughter. Victorian times, different country.

[John McKenna]

And, where did the expression - to drive a coach and horses through something - originate?

McDonalds would seem to be in agreement that you can't drive through a horse and cart, though.

http://metro.co.uk/2016/05/08/mcdonalds ... h-5868093/

Maybe its a question of class - would Prince Philip get served if he turfed up?

http://reneschoop.co.uk/prince-philip-carriage-driving/

[MJMcCready]

Hmmm well ok but let us not hijack the question. Does anyone know the answer?

[Rob Ensor]

Jane Welsh Carlyle was one of the most prominent female letter writers of the Victorian period and she certainly played chess. If the quote is hers, then I'll guess she was visiting Nottingham in which case her opponent would likely have been Joseph Neuberg. I'm afraid I have no idea as to the date of the letter.

[Tim Harding]

Jane Welsh Carlyle was one of the most prominent female letter writers of the Victorian period and she certainly played chess. If the quote is hers, then I'll guess she was visiting Nottingham in which case her opponent would likely have been Joseph Neuberg. I'm afraid I have no idea as to the date of the letter.

Jane Carlyle is correct but it wasn't Nottingham.

[Gerard Killoran]

I'm pretty sure her opponent was Lady Harriet Mary Montagu, and the place was Addiscombe, Croydon, Surrey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Harriet_Mary_Montagu

[Tim Harding]

I'm pretty sure her opponent was Lady Harriet Mary Montagu, and the place was Addiscombe, Croydon, Surrey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Harriet_Mary_Montagu

Sorry not her. I have received one almost correct answer by PM. (Place right but opponent was wrong.)
Last 24 hours for someone to get it completely right.

[Tim Harding]

OK, the winner is Christopher Kreuzer who wrote to me by PM:

She was writing to her husband Thomas Carlyle on 15 August 1842.
She was visiting Troston Rectory, Troston, Suffolk.
She was playing Charles Buller.

All correct but he guessed Charles Buller junior when Jane Welsh Carlyle's opponent was actually that man's father.

[MJMcCready]

Tim, can't you ask slightly easier questions?

[MJMcCready]

New Question: Which Soviet tournament was once disrupted by an escaped parrot?

[Tim Harding]

Tim, can't you ask slightly easier questions?

I could, and it would be easier for me, but when I asked the quite difficult one (as I believed) about Kieseritzky's blindfold record, back in March (see page 5) of this thread somebody googled the answer within hours, which spoils the fun.