Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-31
CHESS AND CHECKERS
NEWS OF THE CAPITAL CITY
CHESS AND CHECKER CLUB.
Championship Match Between
Walker and Zapoleon Will
Start This Week.

Full details of the match for the chess
championship of the District of Columbia
between F.. b. Walker. present holder of
the title, and L. B. Zapoleon, champion
Of the Capital City Chess and Checker
Club. who challenged him last fall. have
been arranged, and the first game of the
match will be played Friday night, April
D. at the rooms of the Capital City Chess
and Checker Club.
The match will consist of five games, up
draws not to count. Regular play nights
will be Monday and Friday of each week.
adjourned games to be finished on dates
agreed upon by the players.
The fact that the match carries with it
the title of chess champion Of the District
is an assurance that both players will
put forth their best efforts and that the
games will be of high order of merit.
Referring to remarks Of Mr.. n. L.
Whitaker in The Evening Star Of March
%. relative to the championship of the
District, Mr.. Walker takes exception to
the remarks of Mr.. Whitaker on the fol-
lowing points: Mr.. Whitaker stated that
The did not recognize Mr.. Walkers claim
to the title of District champion in any
degree" Mr.. Walker won the title in
1895 from f. NJ. Wright and later lost to
E. P. Hanna, Mr. Hanna in turn losing
| to Capt. O'Farrel. Mr.. Walker then re-
gained the championship by winning two
matches from Capt. O'Farrell. He after
ward lost to Mr.. v. Sournin who retained
I the title until two years ago. when he left
the city After Mr.. Sournin left, Mr..
Walker was by common consent con-
sidered the champion, and naturally so,
| as he continued to take part in all chess
activities here in the District. Just how
anybody could arrive at conclusion as
Mr.. Whitaker did, that he has no claims
whatever to the> title, Mr.. Walker does
not understand.
Mr.. Whitaker gives as one reason why
Mr.. Walker cannot claim the title. that
he did not even win the championship
of his own club; this. of course. signifies
nothing whatever, and really has no
bearing on the technical side of the
question, as this is something which is
of frequent occurrence in all large chess
centers. incidentally Mr.. Sournin while
champion of the District failed to take
any prizes whatever in any of the club
championship tournaments in which. he
entered, and it is certain that he play
ed in five or six Of these events, Nobody.
however, questioned his title of cham
pion on those grounds.
Mr.. Whitaker also gives as another
reason the fact that Mr.. Walker had
not issued any public challenges for
matches. Mr.. Walker wishes simply
to say in reply to this that it is not
customary for the champion to issue
those who aspire to the honor are eX-
pected to make the advances.
AS Mr.. Whitaker expressed a pariicu-
lar desire some time ago, through The
Star, to meet Mr.. Zapoleon in match play
and has since reiterated his def as he
calls it. Mr.. Napoleon wishes to say
that upon the conclusion Of the cham
pionShip match, whether he wins or
loses, he will be ready to talk chess with
Mr.. Whitaker whenever the latter sees
fit to approach him in direct and digni-
fled manner. Mr.. Walker will, If he re-
tains his title, be ready and willing to
defend it against any chess player in the
District who cares to challenge him. Mr..
Zapoleon's prior right to play for the
championship is unquestionable, as he
was champion of the WaShin gton Chess
and Whist Club when he resigned to be-
come a member of the Capital City Chess
and Checker Club. and is now champion
OF the latter organization.
Adams is still leading in division A of
the gambit tournament, having lost but
one game thus far. In division B Rial
continues to win: he and Molkow, who
was practically tied with him, came to-
gether last Tuesday night, Rial win
ming a game that might have gone the
other way had Molkow not been seriously
worried by the clock.
The standings in both divisions are as
follows