Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08
IS TO MAKE GOOD
Contributors to Chess Tour
ney Not to Lose Money.
KAHN TO REFUND CASH
To Be Regretted That Tourney Has
Fallen Through-0ther
Gossip.

Upon his return from hunting trip
| IN Canada yesterday. Felix r. KAN.
treasurer OF the New York-Havana chess
| masters tournament. which had To be
abandoned last month. at once TOOK the
unpleasant situation in hand. Finding
masters tournament. which had TO oo
| condition. Nj. Kahn declared that he had
decided 10 dissolve the proposed interaa-
| tional tournament and that he stood
| ready TO refund the money received as
subscriptions 30 the congress fund. This
| list includes a number OF foreign su5scrib-
ers WHO viii be reimbursed first OF all.
To the American subscribers. on the
other hand, letters viii be sent asking
| their cooperation in arranging another
American national tournament somewhat
on the scale of the one held in New York
| early I'm I"Il. and which WAS won by
T. J. Marshall with j. r. Capab.anca
| second. II favorable responses are re-
ceive0 prompt steps will be taken to IN
| wife the leading players OF the country
| to take part in tae proposed national
| competition. Ii VIII start January -
| and be open to foreigners. The manage
| ment will be placed in the hands or Hart
| wig CasSei and hermann Helms.
Mr.. Kahn. who vas prevailed upon.
much against his best Judgment, TO act
| as treasurer Of the congress. stated en-
phaucally that THIS experience would end
his connection with any similar move
uents OF the kind. He also declared that
the Use OF his mare on a recent circular
| announcing the appearance of THE Chess
| Forum issued ~ i. ID. Rosehault, man.
| aging director OF the international tour
| nam, mt. who expected to publish 1t with
| j. r Capablanca editor-in-chief, had
| been entirely unauthorized. While Mr..
| Kahn, IL the interest Of chess. aided
| them financially. he did not enter INTO
partnership or make any publishing con-
| tract with them Whatsoever.
| is f,.,DOSSiblp q the Ill
| effects of the failure Of the New York
| Havana tournament upon chess and It's
| popularity in America. Not even the
| Jersey peach blooms ever experienced
| such killing frost. Interest I'm this
| greatest OF all mental recreations has
| been growing steadily in this country
| during the past few years, and big
| master tournament i'm New York would
| have induced thousands to take Up the
| came, and gone a long way toward bring
| ing chess into the universal favor here.
| which 1T enjoys I'm Europe. Now twenty
| years will not be sufficient TO repair the
| damage done.
Let those who may be inclined to think
| this statement overdrawn consider Paul
| Morphy's unfortunate end in its bearing
| upon the popularity or chess. IN 1896,
| when he was tweEty-one years old. this
| grea test master OF all times Visited Eu-
rope and overwhelmingly defeated every
champion the old world could send
| against him. The effect of these trl-
umphs l!ere was magical Chess clubs
sprang up overnight In every city in
the country. and by the tens or thou
| sands men Of all ages and from every
walk Of life started in 10 learn to play.
| a few years later Morphy was hopeiessly
| insane. and, though chess had had no
| part whatever in causing his misfortune,
| II Immediately received all The blame
| The chess clubs failed like wildcat banks
i'm panic, and The great army OF novices
piousIy burned their chessmen and
thanked heaven that they had been
warned in time OF the devastating effects
of the game upon the frail brain OF man.
| And to this day chess is associated. in
the minds of countless people. otherwise
of ordinary intelligence, with strait
jackets and padded cells. Children are
solemniy warned against its fiendish fas-
cinatiOn, and ii is pointed TO in fear ana
! dread as deSpoiler OF youth, a home
breaker and an insid:ous sapper of abili-
ty second on.y TO the rum devil. Ala
because.P Pau! Morphy went crazy.
Terms for a formal match between Mr..
| Whitaker and Mr.. Liebenstein CT 3mpion
| of Maryland are being arranged, and
airy. These games will be contested al
ternately in the rooms of the W ashington
Chess and Whist Club and the Baltimore
| Chess Association.
aIr. s. Willenchick has returned 10
| town for the winter. having spent, as
| usual, the summer abroad and the fall
! I'm New York. Mr.. Wilierchick is a chess
player of great natural ability and has
! q teeD knowledge OF the game, acquired
| from actual play with almost every living
| master. He Should make a splendid rec
ord in local chess events this winter.
h The following game was awarded the
first brili:ancy prize IN the Abazzia gam
| bit tournament 1t also received a spe-
1 ;21 Icing