Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-23
with lame arms, Breitenstein being the only
one of them in good shape.
CHESS, CHECkERs AND WHIST.
Continuation of the Championship
Play-UnuAunl Interest in Whist.


Play-Unusunl Interest in Whist
The Washington Chess Club is displaying
a commemorate degree of enterprise In
successfully conducting so many interest
ing tournaments in chess, checkers and
whist during the season now drawing to a
close. Being the only organization in the
city exclusively devoted to these games.
the club naturally takes the Initiative IN
such m.tters, but it's members especially
desire it to be known that all the cham
piCnship contests are open to members OF
other organizations, and TO outsiders gem
orally. This is particularly true of the
two chief chess events of the year, the
semi-annual tournament for the Libbey
cup and the chess championship or the
District The spring tourney is now IN
Iicgress, and few words as TO its condl-
tions may prove interesting, The Libbey
cup is a handsome solid silver trophy,
tastefully designed and engraved, which
vas presented TO the club by Mr.. Frank I.
Libbey of this city. The club offered it as
a championship trophy, opening the conf
petition to all resident chess amateurs.
1t is to become the property of any player
winning 1t three times consecutively. In
addition to the trophy, there are other
prizes in the present tournament, includ-
ing a handsome inlaid board of rosewood
and satinwood, a set of Jaques chessmen
CT ebony and lockwood, loaded. and
volume of chess, to be selected by the win
ner.
1t may be fairly said that it would be
difficult to enlist a stronger lot of players
in the District than those who are now
competing for the chief honors. In the
team matches with Baltimore, none of
which were ever lost by this city, the
present Libbey cup players were usually
participants. Mr.. F. NJ. Wright, the pres
ent holder Of the cup, is a graduate Of
oxford University, England. For three
years of his undergraduate career he
played for Oxford against Cambridge in
playing as captain of the team and cham
pion of his university. He also captained
the Oxford present against past, defeat
ing his opponent, Rev. c. E. Ranken. He
ven from Max Judd and A. Albin in
simultaneous play on their visits to this
city. Mr.. Wright plays an excellent game
Of chess blindfold. and Is not unknown as
chess editor and author. Between Mr..
the club. there has been in the past an
exceedingly close rivalry. and they have
lied for first honors in two successive
tournaments. Mr.. Hanna was the winner
of the pyramid tourney on Washingtons
birthday, in which many strong players
from Baltimore and this city participated.
Mr.. Hanna contested and won, at the age
of nineteen. a match of seven games at
that state Mr.. F. B. Walker defeated
Capt. George H. Mackenzie when cham
plCQ OF America, ana aIterWarQ ZukertOft
iE simultaneous play, both at odds Of
knight and on even terms. Out of fifteen
games played even the late DR.. F. NJ.
Starbuck of Cincinnati, who was one of
the best players in the state, Mr.. Walker
wen seven. In both of the Libbey cup con-
tests completed he has finished third.
Capt. O'Farrell Is rated as a very strong
player, having won from several players
10th in Ireland and in this country. He
was champion and medal holder of the
Belfast Chess Club in 1850 and 1851, and
was also chess champion of Connecticut
for several years. In consultation with
Mrs. Gilbert, who was rated the strong
est lady chess player in the world, Capt.
o Farrell formed the committee that con-
Quoted the Geographic chess match be-
tween the Hartford and Springfield. Mass.
clubs In 1872. which Hartford won. Mr.. L.
Tharp. member of the Baltimore Chess
Club, in 1882 was the only contestant who
defeated Herr Zukertort, then the cham
pion of the world, in his exhibition play
against thirty simultaneous players He
also won two games out of three in
simultaneous play from Lee the London
expert, in this city recently Mr. Tharp's
play is attacking and brilliant. The other
two contestants for the cup and champion
ship, Mr.. w. A. Gwyer who now heads the
score In the tourney, and Mr.. o. l.. Mol
stad for many years prominent member
OF the Chicago Club. are well-known and
exceedingly skillful amateurs.
The score in the cup tourney now stands
as iolloWS: IWyer, one won; w alker and
O'Farrell, one and a half won and one-half
lost each: Wright. won, one lost :;
Tharp. Hanna and Molstad, one lost each
The toughest fight of the tournament, and,
indeed, one of the hardest contests ever
played in the city. was the game between
O'Farrell and Wright played last Saturday
night. 1t lasted nearly six and a half
hours. and especial interest attached to it
because of the defeat of Mr.. Wright the
present champion, by Capt. OFarrell For
the benefit of chess lovers, the game is
here appended
Ruy Lopez