Chess Historyhttp://chesshistory.netQuick BlogCHESS-PLAYING TO-DAY. (PART III)http://chesshistory.net/2006/01/09/chessplaying-today-part-iii-2.aspx 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. Read Part I Read Part II Play online chess free!]]>World Chess HistoryChess History2006-01-09T19:52:00ZTHE AUTOMATON CHESS-PLAYER (PART I)http://chesshistory.net/2006/01/09/the-automaton-chessplayer-part-i.aspx 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... Play Free Online Chess
]]>World Chess HistoryChess History2006-01-09T12:59:00ZCalifornia's Central Coast a Hotbed for Chesshttp://chesshistory.net/2006/01/09/californias-central-coast-a-hotbed-for-chess.aspxChessManiac.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 ClubPaso Robles Chess ClubSan Luis Obispo Chess Club2 Dogs Chess ClubCambria Chess ClubCal Poly Chess Club]]>Current Chess NewsChess History2006-01-09T04:01:00ZCHESS IN AMERICA. (PART I)http://chesshistory.net/2006/01/09/chess-in-america-part-i.aspxRead More>>> Play Free Online Chess>>>
]]>United States ChessChess History2006-01-09T13:15:40ZCHESS-PLAYING TO-DAY. (PART IV)http://chesshistory.net/2006/01/09/chessplaying-today-part-iv.aspx
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.]]>World Chess HistoryChess History2006-01-09T13:37:28ZCHESS-PLAYING TO-DAY (PART II)http://chesshistory.net/2006/01/09/chessplaying-today-part-ii.aspxFor 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 Play online chess free!]]>World Chess HistoryChess History2006-01-09T13:21:40ZChess History: Early Modern Writers - Salvio/Carrera/Grecohttp://chesshistory.net/2006/01/09/chess-history-early-modern-writers--salviocarreragreco.aspx
Dr. Alessandro Salvio wrote three books:
Trattato Dell'Inventione Et Arte Liberale
Del Gioco Di Scacchi Del Dottor Alessandro Salvio Napolitano. Diviso in
Discorsi, Sbaratti, e Partiti. was published in Naples
in 1604 and again in 1634. It's considered the first comprehensive
chess book.
1612
La Scaccaide was a tragic Chess poem by Salvio published in 1612
Il Puttino, altramente detto, il cavaliero
errante, sopra il gioco de' scacchi, a romanticized
story of Leonardo da Bono, was also published in Naples 1634.
Salvio also gave us the gambit that bears his name:
Pietro Carrera's book, Il gioco degli scacchi diviso in
otto libri ne' quali si insegnano i precetti,le uscite,ed i tratti
posticci del gioco e si discorre della vera origine di
esso, published in Militello, Sicily, in 1617 was a
comprehensive manual, but it had several interesting and original
ideas. Already, it showed that people were considering variants to
standard chess. Carrera developed a game using an 8 x 10 squared board
with an extra two men, one called champions who would possess the
combined abilities of the rook and the knight and the other called
centaurs who would possess the combined abilities of the bishop and the
knight. The rules for this game can be found at chess variants.com. You can actually play a game
of Carrera Chess.
Carrera, writing under the pseudonym, Valentino Vespaio, published a
scathing response to Dr. Salvio's own criticism of Carrara, Altramente detto IL CAVALIERO ERRANTE DEL SALVIO Sopra
il gioco de' Scacchi, con la sua Apologia contra il Carrera, diviso in
tre Libri in a pamphlet called Risposta
all'Apologia
Carrera, like Salvio, gave us a gambit bearing his name:
Carrera Gambit (King's Gambit) 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Qh5 (C33)
Gioachino Greco never published a book yet his influence was felt
beyond Italy and throughout Europe. Greco was an itinerant chess
master, by far the strongest of his day, who left his benefactors and
patrons manuscripts of his chess ideas, particularly having to do with
gambits, which were published postumously under a single title.
Greco, also called Il Calabrese, lived from 1600 until 1634.
In 1656 his manuscripts were published in London by Henry Herringman,
the book to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Anchor in the lower
walk of the New Exchange. The translation was prepared by Francis Beale
with Peter Stent as engraver. It bore the cumbersome title:
The Royall Game of Chess-Play. Sometimes The Recreation of the late King, with many of the Nobility.
Illustrated with almost an hundred Gambetts.
Being the study of Biochimo [Gioachino] the famous Italian.
A French edition, Le Jeu des Eschets; Traduit de l'Italien de Gioachino Greco Calabrois.
was printed in 1669 by Perpingvé in Paris and again in 1689 by Jacques Le Febvre in Paris
You can read a long translated excerpt from the The Royal Game.
Greco gave us a counter-gambit bearing his name: The Greco Counter Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 Greco's analysis of the Greco Counter Gambit appeared in his very first manuscript, entitled Tratato del nobilissimo e militare esercitio de Scacchi
nel quale se contengano molti bellisimi Tratti e la vera Scienza di
esso Giuoco composto da Cioachino Calabrese, which he
dedicated to the Duke of Lorena in 1617. The opening was renamed the
Latvian Gambit at the FIDE Congress, 1937 to reflect the work of the
Latvian players, such as Karlis Betin, who analyzed this opening
deeply.
Greco demonstrated the maturity of tactics during the Renaissance
period of chess and the games offered in his book are quite beautiful.
]]>World Chess HistoryChess History2006-01-09T02:36:44ZWelcome to the wonderful world of chess historyhttp://chesshistory.net/2006/01/09/welcome-to-the-wonderful-world-of-chess-history.aspx
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.
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...
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.