The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
julius FINN, CHESS PLAYER.
An East Side Russian Who Is Making n
sensation With His Bliudfold Play.


II has been a mystery to chess players that
| only one strong organization, namely, the Man
haitian Chess Club. could flourish on thisi island
and that even this club could never muster
more than about two hundred members When
the New York Chess Club, the Metropolitan
Chess Club and the City Chess Club were In
existence the Manhattan Chess Club had about
two hundred members. and now that these
three clubs have ceased to exist. the Manhat-
tan. the leading club Of the country. cannot
boast o. a larger mum Der Of members than be-
fore.
But chess has a great hold on tho East Side.
True, clubs are not properly organized with
the exception. perhaps. OF the Cosmopolitan
Club; still. the game Is more popular there than
In any part OF the city. and. although the de-
voices are poor. they make up for that def
cheney In enthusiasm. A cafe on the East Side
NAV be never SO small and insignificant. and
though one may visit II by day or by night. he
need not be surprised to find one or even two
tables set apart for chess. He will be apt to
find two persons engaged at play with a halt a
dozen watching the contest and sometimes
even suggesting moves. Others will be re-
playing games. analyzing problems and end
games. and SO on. In the bigger resorts YOU
will find larger crowds. and II an announce
ment has been made that SOM great player is
to visit the cafe. the chess players will num-
Der into the hundreds. Tschigorin, Lasker,
Janowski and others have frequently visited
the East Side chess resorts.
julius Finn. a native Of Russia, butt boy who
has spent his time ever since he came to this
country. IN 1880. on the Fast Side. and who
learned the game OF chess only eight years ago,
announced TO his friends about a year ago that
he could play blindfold chess and that he would
ikp IN try his hand nj IL in pnblir. Al nrSf ne
played one game at a time, and managed 70
make some fine combinations. Later he
played two: then Ave.
This season he has played eight games at a
time blindloll, scarcely ever losing 9 game;
He has gained q considerable reputation. and
when an exhibition is announced at any OF the
Russian Jews. will crowd the place. To begin
with, three or four players viii be seated in
front of each. board. and although one ~ sup
posed to conduct the game against the blind.
fold player. the Others. by virtue OF having Sc;
cured places next or near TO the .nrinclp pa. Will
continually assist the principal In the conduct
Of the game, Then on the opposite side Of the
table there will be an equally large crowd OF
very active onlookers who sonettmesd do not re-
irnin from advising this or another move to the
principal, The performance over. the crowd
will applaud the single player. who seems not
the least bit excited niter his hard work and
who does not appear TO have excrted himself
You understand, he said to a SvS reporter,
after the conclusion o. one OF his ,blindfold
k'hlNPs TIE OiHfI btN. WItn fIktkfu III nut
fold play | get as clear n picture Of the board In
! my mind as II | saw it. When ! have made a
move on one boarl. as soon ~ the teller calls
ou'. say, 'hoarl No > PIX 3 the board on
which | PLAYED bciOr" disappears rs II by magic
aud hoard No. 2takcs rs place. never repeat
the moves from the beginning The position
on board No, > when | made the last move will
present Itself, and after studying the position !
am enabled 10 make n move with a practical
certainty that am not going astray. or course,
uLlpkaT WIN or tDp loss OF "A niece or a pawn.
hut that il my W fault. ! did not give sui.
fcient study 10 the position, or | saw n win
which was not So complicated and con srguently
easier to play" Fun declares that he plays
only n shade weaker blindfold than over the
board and when he knows that o certain strong
player IL opposed TO him In a team he plays
more carnInlly from The start a1d generally
not weaker. In. fact. than Finn. was
six that Finn met in a. biiGdioidI exhibition
on two occasions and he beat, him twice. Finn
fold pay. He thinks that with n little practice
he " III soon he able to play "a many as twenty
blind'olt games simultaneouslv.
Finn ia ~ years Old. He came from. Russia
lie learned the game Of chess from the local
years later he played in a handicap tournament
In which many wnl-known METROPOLITAN ex-
does not intend to become a professional.
player" he says. II would have to study very
hard and ! cannot AFFORD to devote. much time
TO the study OF the game. Blindfoldei play
TO II for the sake OF amusement. l have met
oil the leading experts within the last two
years over the hoard and have made q salts
factory record, | believe there Ii not a PLAYER
In the world who can give me the odds Of pawn