[blind-chess] US Chess History Article #9
- From: Roderick Macdonald <rmacd@xxxxxxxx>
- To: Blind Chess Mailing List <blind-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 19:40:20 -1000 (HST)
US Chess History Article 9
THE BEGINNINGS OF COLLEGE CHESS
by Robert John McCrary
Today the US Chess Federation is emphasizing college chess programs, so it
seems appropriate to discuss the beginnings of organized college chess in
the US. The following few references can unquestionably be considerably
augmented by further research.
Chess was surely in American colleges at least from the beginning of the
1800's, but there were probably few or no college chess clubs before the
1840's, when chess clubs began to be formed in the major cities. The first
college chess club known to this author was mentioned in The Book of the
First American Chess Congress. According to pp.81-82 of that book, a "Mr.
W.S. Thomas, delegate of the Yale Chess Club," visited the First American
Chess Congress, arriving between October 15-17, 1857.
In 1859, an event of major significance to college chess occurred: the
first known intercollegiate chess team match took place between Amherst
and Williams Colleges. The match was even more remarkable in that the
first intercollegiate baseball game also was played as part of a sort of "
double-feature" event with the chess match! (A full description of that
event is given elsewhere in this publication, in the article " Chess and
Baseball.")
Also, in 1859, a chess tournament was held at Charleston Junior College in
Charleston, South Carolina. Was that the earliest known American college
tournament? Unfortunately, the short-lived magazine that described the
event folded before it gave the tournament results.
In the 1880's, university chess in England enjoyed much popularity and
publicity. Soon, American universities followed suit: In the December 1885
issue of The International Chess Magazine is found the following: " In
emulation of the example set by English universities, the students of
Harvard College are adding the cultivation of our intellectual training to
other exercises. Two chess clubs have already been formed in their midst,
and in one of them a tournament on even terms is in progress with fourteen
competitors, who are paired off to play a match for the first two games in
each round, the losers being debarred from further competition. The final
winner will be declared the winner of the club."
The January 1886 issue of the same magazine contained the following
notice: " The Hartford Times gives the very interesting news that a
student from China, Mr. Y.P. Lee, has come out ahead in the first round of
the tournament of the Yale Chess Club, in which two medals are awarded as
prizes. The same club is engaged in a game by correspondence with the
Princeton chess Club and also plays two games in like manner with the
Columbia College Club. The Columbians have now proposed to finish the two
games over the board at New Haven between representatives on each side,
and the suggestion has been accepted at Yale College. This interesting
match will take place after the holidays."
In Kurt Landsberger's outstanding biography, William Steinitz, Chess
Champion ( McFarland & Company, 1993), is found this information on page
278: " The same month [December 1893] Intercollegiate chess matches were
played by the students of Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Columbia
won this event, which was held at Harvard School, 578 Fifth avenue. "
By the end of the 19th century, college chess was coming much into its
own, with numerous clubs and competitions coming into evidence. In 1898
Harvard won an intercollegiate tournament over Columbia, Yale, and
Princeton.
One of the more interesting developments was described in the March 1898
issue of American Chess Magazine, which gave a rather lengthy set of
details regarding negotiations for a cable match between American
universities (Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Princeton, and " possibly other
American universities") and Oxford and Cambridge. After additional
negotiations, the cable match finally occurred. The April 1899 American
Chess Magazine gave a description of the outcome, which was won by a
single game by the British universities.
Much more no doubt awaits discovery and publication concerning American
college chess in the nineteenth century. These few references should serve
only as a beginning of published research in this area.
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