TABLE HEPTATHLON
Sixth American Chess Congress.
New York, 1889.
Columbia Chess Chronicle. July 1888.
The Sixth American Chess Congress is an assured fact . The Committee met at the
rooms of the Manhattan Chess Club on Saturday, July 7th . In the absence of Mr.
W. W. Ellsworth , Mr. Frederick Perrin , the old veteran American Chess player,
was elected to the chair . The most important feature of the meeting was the
letter from Mr. Max Judd , of St. Louis, guaranteeing $600 for himself and Mr. J.
Spencer Turner , President of the Brooklyn Chess Club, to complete the sum of $5,000
necessary to assure the success of the Congress[...]
This Congress will be the most memorable one ever held in America ; and ,
while it may not bring out a Morphy, it will bring together an array of Chess
talent, both from the Old World and the New , heretofore unknown . It is expected
that at least $2,500 more will be subscribed before the Congress takes place , which, it
is generally believed , will be about the middle of January , 1889.
Columbia Chess Chronicle. August 1888.
HAVANA-Judge Celso Golmayo and the Hon . A. C. Vazquez will come to New
York to play in the Sixth American Chess Congress . Mr. Adolfo Moliner may also
be present . These are the leading players of the West Indies , and the first to have
signified their intention of competing in the Grand International Tournament .
Columbia Chess Chronicle. March 1889.
WHEN President J. Spencer Turner of the Sixth American Chess Congress
opened the Tournament yesterday in the hall over the Union Square Bank,
he was surrounded by the brightest galaxy of Chess players ever seen in this town .
In addition to the distinguished contestants whose names appear below, and whom
the President welcomed cordially at the close of his speech, were William Steinitz,
champion of the world ; Capt . George H. Mackenzie, winner of several Tournaments
and many great matches.
The main part of the hall was railed off and ten tables set inside the railing, five
in a row, as it was expected that twenty players would begin the first round of
games, but Mr. Showalter of Kentucky, who was drawn to play against Max Judd
of St. Louis, did not appear. This gave Mr. Judd a game at the start, so only nine
tables were used . When play began at at 1:30 lines of spectators three deep peered
over each other's shoulders at the players. At table No. I they saw the modest lad
McLeod of Quebec pitted against the blacked -haired veteran Taubenhaus ,
champion of France. At table No. 2 the venerable London champion, J. H. Bird,
with high forehead and bald head , faced young J. W. Baird of New York, who
looked over the miniature battlefield from under a bulging forehead . At table
No. 3 the handsome and keen- eyed Russian champion , Tschigorin , faced Eugene
Delmar's broad and dome like brow. At table No. 4, compact Isidor Gunsberg of
London, with full high forehead and ministerial aspect, faced his
countryman Amos Burn of Liverpool, who shaded his penetrating eyes under
his hat. At table No. 5 sat England's great player, J. H. Blackburne , wearing
his hat and smoking his pipe , the smoke curling over the silk hat of Major Hanham, the Englishman's able opponent. Over table No. 6 loomed the finely proportioned
head , covered with black hair , of Max Weiss of Vienna , who was pitted
against young and pale- faced Burille of Boston . At table No. 7 the patriarchal
head of champion Gossip of Australia towered above the derby-covered head of Mr.
Mason from London. At table No. 8 Mr.Martinez , a tall veteran with a high forehead and a bald head, from Philadelphia, plaid against young and fair-faced Mr. D.G. Baird of New York. At table No. 9 Mr. Lipschutz , New York State's pale and fair-faced champion , opposed Ireland's auburn-haired and intellectual expert, Mr.Pollock.
British Chess Magazine. April 1889.
LONDON .
With nearly all the masters “ on the wing " for New York , chess matters , to some extent at any rate , must naturally be tame in town . On the 9th of March , Messrs .
Blackburne and Gunsberg left Liverpool by the “ Servia " for New York , and on the 13th , Mr. H . E . Bird left by the “ Celtic ” for the same destination . Messrs. Pollock and
Mason have been in Ireland , from whence they , as well as Mr. A . Burn , also left for the States. It will thus be seen that the “ old country will be well represented at the
Sixth American International Congress - really the first , by the way, for the five previous Congresses hardly merited the title of International.