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Chess Columns Additional Archives/Social Media

July 18, 1937, Evening Star, Washington, District of Columbia Chess by Paul J. Miller

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ChessChess 18 Jul 1937, Sun Evening star (Washington, District of Columbia) Newspapers.com

OCR Text

BY PAUL J. MILLER. JR., America's Authority on Social Chess. Kibitzers Take Warning. TWO gentlemen who were playing a game of chess in a cafe were very much annoyed by the onlookers who stood behind their chairs and interested themselves in the game.
Finally one of the players asked one of the spectators to take his place until he (the original player) returned. The spectator sat down, whereupon the first player left the room. Shortly afterward the second player adopted the same tactics, so that the two substitutes were left playing chess together. Having played for quite a while, one of the substitutes inquired of the waiter: "Where are the two gentlemen who originally were playing at this table?” The waiter replied: "Sir, they are playing chess in the next room." —Weekly Irish Times. America's First Chess Columnist.
^^APOLEON MAR ACHE is reputed to have been the first chess columnist in the United States. Born at Meaux, France. In 1818, he came to America at the age of 12. and in 1846 was penning chess items for Philadelphia journals. Maraehe may be considered the ancestor of the 40-odd chess columnists who thrive today in the United States.
In the first national tournament, played at New York City in 1857. 20year-old Paul Morphy, Southern chess genius, encountered 39 - year - old Maraehe and defeated him Later, in 1866, when Morphy was world famous as the greatest of players, Maraehe served as his secretary. Here Is a game taken from the 1857 American Chess Congress, as reported by my good friend, Philip W. Sergeant of England, the most eminent authority on the life and career of Morphy.
Divan Increases Membership. ORDINARILY, the delightful art of chess loses some of its fascination for the most rabid fans when the hot July sun begins to cast down a stream of ultraviolet rays that tan even the sable knights. Yet Norval Wigginton. assistant chess director and treasurer of the Washington Social Chess Divan, declares you cannot visit the Social Chess Lounge, at the Parkside Hotel, either by day or night, 'without finding a bevy of players wooing Caissa. During July the membership of the divan has increased over that in June.
Current members include: Charles M. Baum. Dr. Alexander Brooks VV. E. Bryant. Joseph Chmielewskl. I. J. Curran. V. Colonna. Albert Conner L W. Ferris. J. H. Finnegan. F. W. F. Gleason. Anton Y. Hesse. Carroll Meigs. M. D. Lindsay. Simon Naidel. Henry Reel. Maud G. Sewall Henry C. Sheridan Samuel W. Tucker. Charles K. Rogers and Dr. (Mrs.) M. Fitzgerald. _ J. G. Fairchild. Robert Hostler. Mrs. H. E. Klttredge. J. A Ripley. Vincent Saportto. Dale Pullen. Mrs. Mabel E. McPherson, E W. Spaulding G. B Jones. W. H. Hoppmann. jr.: Robert McWilliams. David T. Ray. Stuart Wagman. A W. Whittaker. Edith L. Johnson. Paul Miller of Eastern High James H. Terrill. H. A. Bruechert, Robert Walker and Winfred Horn. David E Brand Conrad WUlnlch. A. F. Harlan. Abe Seidenberg. Leroy Wernpr. Gen. Bogoljubov A. E. Kimberly. George L. Derr. Jesse Surowit. N. P. Wigginton Prof. Paul Miller and A. McGuire. Tournament Director Simon Naidel announces that Carl Hesse, one of the strongest players in the District, will give a simultaneous exhibition of his skill Wednesday, 8 p m., at the Social Chess Lounge, 1336 I street northwest. The public is invited to meet Hesse in over-the-hoard chess, and each contestant will facilitate play by fetching his own chess equipment.
On the arrival of special chess clocks, Naidel will initiate skittle matches on a grand scale. WHITE—9 MEN. White to Play and Mate in Two. ^JRISTOFFANINI'S two-mover, problem No. 85, is solved bv: Q-B7. Correct keys were pasted by A. G. Dreyer, Sergt. Alton O. Coppage. at the United States Naval Hospital; Daniel Breeskin. Jack Sronce (not so rusty, Jack i, and E. W. Allen Andrew G. Bakonyi's suggested key fails (you should visit the Divan on Wednesday night and glance over the notation forms explained in available books). Problem No. 8rt. by Lewmann. responds to correct key: P-Kt7 Black may reply with either P-KH. BxP. or R-B'.’, etc., to which moves White may give the corresponding follow-up move of Kt-Q.'t, Kt-Kt4, or KtxR. etc. Ace solvers are Dreyer. Allen (say. wotta you mean by asking for three :t-movers every week. Didla ever read the Aesop /able of the dog with a bone in his mouth crossing a creek?>. and Coppage—the three guardsmen who are battling for the Angel chess prize. <"Sarg." there is neither rime nor reason as to why certain outmoded English notations remain as the accepted standards for approved methods of game and problem recording.! Central Awarded Turover Trophy. pIVE of the leading high schools in the District comprised the Washington Interhigh Chess Association in 1937—Western, Roosevelt, Central, Eastern and McKinley.
Woodrow Wilson, a member in 1936, became inactive in 1937. But the school clubs haye progressed, gaining in membership and staging very successful intraclub, interclub and individual tournaments. At the recent official conclave of representatives of the various school clubs Central High Chess Club was voted unanimously the winner of the I. S. Turover Trophy, and according to a copy of the letter written to the donor of the cup (and sent to us for publication) the interhigh lads “deplore” the tactics employed by a certain local morning paper, which possesses no proper credentials to speak officially for the interhigh association, to bring about a schism in the unified ranks of high school .chess players.
The attitude of the association is most commendable and no doubt another Turover Trophy will be '/ne coveted award when the Winter tournament opens in October. Official delegates of the leading member schools at the recent council were: Wallace Magathan and George Miller, Jr., Roosevelt; Richard Lugenbeel enf Paul Miller (the Millers mentioned in this item are not related to ye chesse editeur). Eastern: Roy Millenson. Western: Sol Breeskin. McKinley, and Robert A. Hostler, Central. Chess pourri. '^ONE with the wind'1 is the illustrious column on chess that formerly appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer, edited by the able Dr. P. G Keeney.
Io these many years our preachments to the old-timers have been: Modernise your column, adopt thp newspaper style of presentation, avoid unnecessary technical descriptions, put “pep'’ in chess by writing a live, newsy “social chess" column. Above all. create good will for your paper and make your column a ho\ office attraction. A well-edited column speaks for itself. You don't have to defend it.
T. Gatiffin is the new Finnish champion . . . One-time world champion, Jose R. Capablanca may participate in tltr varied events of Cuba's na- j tional chess week, to be staged this year in August . . . Frank Marshall, j retired American champion, is cross- I ing the Atlantic to captain the United States quintet that will compete in the world team tourney at Stockholm. This column welcomes chess humor, news and views, and prints the news when it is news.
No inquiries ansnered unless a stamped envelope is inclosed. (Copyright. July 18, 1937 by Paul Miller.)

Recommended Books

Understanding Chess by William Lombardy Chess Duels, My Games with the World Champions, by Yasser Seirawan No Regrets: Fischer-Spassky 1992, by Yasser Seirawan Chess Fundamentals, by Jose Capablanca Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, by Bobby Fischer My 60 Memorable Games, by Bobby Fischer Bobby Fischer Games of Chess, by Bobby Fischer The Modern Chess Self Tutor, by David Bronstein Russians versus Fischer, by Mikhail Tal, Plisetsky, Taimanov, et al

'til the world understands why Robert J. Fischer criticised the U.S./British and Russian military industry imperial alliance and their own Israeli Apartheid. Sarah Wilkinson explains:

Bobby Fischer, First Amendment, Freedom of Speech
What a sad story Fischer was,” typed a racist, pro-imperialist colonial troll who supports mega-corporation entities over human rights, police state policies & white supremacy.
To which I replied: “Really? I think he [Bob Fischer] stood up to the broken system of corruption and raised awareness! Whether on the Palestinian/Israel-British-U.S. Imperial Apartheid scam, the Bush wars of ‘7 countries in 5 years,’ illegally, unconstitutionally which constituted mass xenocide or his run in with police brutality in Pasadena, California-- right here in the U.S., police run rampant over the Constitution of the U.S., on oath they swore to uphold, but when Americans don't know the law, and the cops either don't know or worse, “don't care” -- then I think that's pretty darn “sad”. I think Mr. Fischer held out and fought the good fight, steadfast til the day he died, and may he Rest In Peace.
Educate yourself about U.S./State Laws --
https://www.youtube.com/@AuditTheAudit/videos
After which the troll posted a string of profanities, confirming there was never any genuine sentiment of “compassion” for Mr. Fischer, rather an intent to inflict further defamatory remarks.

This ongoing work is a tribute to the life and accomplishments of Robert “Bobby” Fischer who passionately loved and studied chess history. May his life continue to inspire many other future generations of chess enthusiasts and kibitzers, alike.

Robert J. Fischer, Kid Chess Wizard 1956March 9, 1943 - January 17, 2008

The photograph of Bobby Fischer (above) from the March 02, 1956 The Tampa Times was discovered by Sharon Mooney (Bobby Fischer Newspaper Archive editor) on February 01, 2018 while gathering research materials for this ongoing newspaper archive project. Along with lost games now being translated into Algebraic notation and extractions from over two centuries of newspapers, it is but one of the many lost treasures to be found in the pages of old newspapers since our social media presence was first established November 11, 2017.

Special Thanks