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 Amongst other London chess clubs, one which should not be overlooked is the Ladies' Chess Club in Tottenham Court Road. It was founded early in 1895, and is now in a most flourishing condition. It has a long roll of members, and puts a team into the C division of the League competition. It also sends lady players to do battle against the strongest clubs, and, indeed, it is not afraid even to meet the "old City" itself in battle-array, though certain restrictions have to be laid down as to the strength of the opposing team. Not content with having a chess club all to themselves, the ladies conceived the idea of holding an international tournament confined to their own sex. The idea "caught on," as the Americans say, and the result was the holding of the Jubilee International Chess Tournament for Ladies in London, from June 23 to July 5, 1897. No fewer than twenty ladies took part in the play, representing various nationalities, the first prize being won by Miss Rudge, the second by Mrs. Fagan and the third by Miss Thorold.
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 We have reserved for a separate
chapter the origin and history of this marvelous contrivance, which, at
various periods during the lapse of ninety years, has astonished and
delighted the scientific world in several cities of Europe and North
America. Its machinery has been variously explained. It was constructed
in 1769 by M. de Kempelen, a gentleman of Presburg, in Hungary, long
distinguished for his skill in mechanics. The Chess-player is a
life-sized figure, clothed in a Turkish dress, sitting behind a large
chest, three and a half feet long, two feet deep, and two and a half
feet high. The player sits on a chair fixed to the chest, and in the
left he holds a pipe, which is removed during the game, as it is with
this hand that he makes the moves. A chess-board, with the pieces, is
placed before the figure. The exhibitor opens the doors of the chest,
and shows the interior, with its cylinders, levers, wheels, pinions,
and other pieces of machinery, which have the appearance of occupying
the whole space. This machinery being wound up, the Automaton is ready
to play; and when an opponent has been found, the figure takes the
first move, moves its head, and seems to look over every part of the
chess-board. When it gives check to its opponent it shakes its head
thrice, and only twice when it checks the queen. It likewise shakes its
head when a false move is made, replaces the adversary's piece on the
square from which it was taken, and takes the next move itself. In
general, though not always, the Automaton wins the game. During its
progress, the exhibitor often stood near the machine, and wound it up
like a clock after it had made ten or twelve moves. At other times he
went to a corner of the room, as if it were to consult a small square
box, which stood open for this purpose. Read More...
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| California's Central Coast is a hotbed for chess. This small community
has come alive in recent months with many new chess clubs and players.
One key factor is the free online chess playing site ChessManiac.com.
This site was started by Dennis Steele as a way to connect chess
players from the California's Central Coast to other chess players in
the local community. However, it did much more than this. The website
has connected Central Coast chess players to the world chess community
through its free internet chess server.
Here is a listing of the current chess clubs in this area:
Morro Bay Chess Club
Paso Robles Chess Club
San Luis Obispo Chess Club
2 Dogs Chess Club
Cambria Chess Club
Cal Poly Chess Club
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On May 25, 1859, there was seen in the chapel of the New York
University a very brilliant and numerous company. There were great
lawyers and merchant princes, there were women of fashion, there were
learned professors and sportsmen, there were "divines, heroes, and
poets." These persons had assembled for a singular if not unprecedented
purpose. It was that of binding a chaplet of victory on the youthful
brow of Mr. Paul Morphy, and of laying at his feet a costly and
magnificent token of admiration for his exploits in Europe as a chess
player.
Read More>>>
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Provincial chess, prior to 1887, was in a very unorganized condition. Isolated clubs flourished all over the country, but they were not much in touch one with another. Now all that is changed. Between 1888 and 1890, county associations were formed in rapid succession, and the process has gone on until there is no considerable county which does not possess its own association. Another step was taken in 1893--which seems to have been a very active year in chess matters--when the whole of the south of England became federated under the name of the Southern Counties Chess Union. The chess clubs of the north of England are also closely linked together, though they are not yet united in actual federation.
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 For one thing, chess has the reputation of being an intellectual game, and who
does not like to be the follower of that which is intellectual? It is, moreover,
one of the few games in which the players find themselves on a perfectly equal
footing at the start. The element of chance does not enter in; the one who plays
best wins. Further, though much has been said to the contrary, the game played
in moderation is a real recreation. Mr. Potter, writing in the "Encyclopaedia
Britannica," puts this very well. He says it "recreates not so much by way of
amusement, properly so termed, as by taking possession of the mental faculties
and diverting them from their accustomed grooves." Anyone who knows what it is
to have a mind worried by business or harassed by care of any description can
understand the value of a pastime which can do that.
Read More...
Read Part 1
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| There were three important writers in the 17th century: Dr. Alessandro Salvio, Pietro (Peter) Carrera, and Gioachino Greco. |
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Hello and welcome to the ChessHistory.net. This site is set up to
try and give an overview of the wonderful and vast world of chess
history. Chess has a very rich, dark, exciting and thrilling
history. Here will be try to highlight some of the most
interesting historical chess events with articles and pictures from the
past.
I also would like to take a moment and thank our sponsor ChessManiac.com
for making this site possible. When I approached the
ChessManiac.com team with the idea to created a chess history site they
were very excited and more than willing to help us get started. A
special thanks to the ChessManiac.com team. Oh yes if you want to
play some free online chess give this site a try. It is a
very addicting site I warn you.
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