A
Chess 12 Jun 1943, Sat The Minneapolis Star (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Newspapers.com
The Pawn Pusher
By O. A. Holt, Willmar, Minn.
The late N. H. (Nels) Nelson, perhaps the greatest chess problem authority we had in the northwest, was held in high esteem and respect in national and international problem circles. We are therefore pleased to publish a portion of his biography found in the 1942 “Sketchbook of American Chess Problemists” by A. C. White. Quote:
“Among the American members of the Good Companions who were of foreign birth, Nels H. Nelson may be regarded as typical in his successful adaptations of an European heritage to the spirit of our country. He was born on May 8, 1871, in the northern part of Jutland, Denmark, near Viborg, where the ancient Kings of Denmark were crowned for many centuries.
“His forefathers had been blacksmiths through long generations. In 1883 his father determined to come and try his trade in this country and he migrated to Minnesota with his family of eight. Those were difficult days, with depression in the land, and work in the blacksmith trade was not to be found.
“Young Nels gave up his chance of completing his schooling to work in a dairy. Presently he, too, tried his hand at the famlly trade of horse-shoeing, then went to work in the forests, later took a job on a railroad, and eventually attained success as a merchant, opening a retail shoe store at Hopkins, Minn., which he has now operated for 30 years.
“He has now passed the business over to his son, Chester, and more and more enjoys the pleasures of travel and chess and the companionship of friends and his pipe.
“Nelson is probably the only problemist with a middle initial, but no middle name. At one time he was employed in a large implement factory. His was a popular name, in fact thera were eight on the pay-roll with the same monore. He adopted the H and never dropped it in after life.
“Nelson's problems are not numerous, but they are always pleasant to the taste, witty and neaty constructed, real Danish pastry, one might say, as in No. 90, which cleverly introduces annihilation of the White Bishop into an added mate block 2er.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: No. 90 above is one taken from the Pawn Pusher column, published several years ago. The position in Forsythe: 1Q6/N1B5/2P5/6pR/N1k4b/n3K1p1/P1b3P1/n1R5 w - - 0 1
Black 7. White 10. Mate in two.
GAME NO. 588
An “Inter-Collegiate” prize-winning game.
From Chess Review.
RUY LOPEZ
Brilliancy—2nd Hon. Mention
Julian Keilson (Brooklyn) White vs. Ernest Arthur Michael (Cornell) Black
Ruy Lopez: Open
SOLUTION TO PROBLEM
No. 784 by Fred Stoppel
Key: Bf4 (B-KB4)
1. Rd5ch 2. RxR
1. Nf6 2. RxR
1. Pd6 2. BxPch
1. Be5 2. Qe8ch
I had considerable difficulty with this initial effort from Mr. Stopple. If this is any criterion of what to expect in future tasks, we have considerable solving difficulty ahead of us.—F. G. Gardner.
The thing that impresses me in this problem is that the composer makes every piece count, which is unusual in first attempts. R. C. Beito.
Working this 3er a second time disclosed a number of interesting mates. Good variety for initial attempt. E. C. Johnson.
B-B4. I'm not sure, so refrain from comment.—N. Guttman.
A fine start in composing art.—J. M.
Not easy.—J. B. Wilson.
Newman Guttman writes he is doing manual labor during vacation. He sends another of his 2ers. It has a good key, a couple of fine variations, but not the variety of some of his previous efforts.
PROBLEM NO. 787
Original for the Minneapolis Star Journal
by N. Guttman, Minneapolis North High
Black 9 Pieces
White 7 Pieces
FEN n1r5/Kb6/7B/1p1B4/3Rp1p1/R1n2k2/5b1P/5Q2 w - - 0 1
White to play and mate in two moves.
