Evening star., 1914-04-05
Chess Champion Refuses to
Play Local Man for U. S.
High Honors.
MAKES UNREASONABLE
DEMANDS FOR A MATCH
After Refusing to Abide by His
Own Offer of Accept
ance.
Why is a chess champion


souri, who must be shown. and along with
more momentous questions. such AS .Why
is a trust?' why is a political boss
and Why is a protective tariff" an ir-
reverent mob is shrieking disconcerting
queries at the guardians of many lesser
sacred cows; and since Dr. I.askcr's
hiSh-handed refusal to meet Capablanca
in a match for the worlds chess cham
pionshlp. even the humble chess consumer
has begun TO ask. why is chess cham
pion?''
With the failure of the MarshaI-Whit-
United States championship, and the turn
ing over of all correspondence relating TO
the same to the editor of this column, We
this little question.
November l. 1913, Frank J. Marshall in
the chess column of the New York Sun
lamented the fact that since 1903 when
he won the chess championship of the
United States from Jackson Showalter
no one had offered him battle for this
honor. and announced that he would be
more than pleased to receive a challenge
for match. and would give very lib
eral terms with regard to purse etc,
to any challenger.
Whitaker Sends Challenge.
Acting upon this invitation, Mr.. Nor
man T. Whitaker of this city wrote to
Mr.. Marshall December :; formally chal-
longing him to "A match for the chess
championship of the United States, stat
ing that he would go to New York dur
ing the holidays to learn Marshalrs terms
for such an encounter and make all nee
esSary arrangements for playing the
match. December -. in the rooms of
the Manhattan Chess Club, Mr. Whitaker
met Mr. Marshall. and was referred by
him to Messrs. Hermann Helms and Hart
wig CasSels of the American Chess Rul-
ietin as his managers. December 20. .ic-
cordfngly. MIR. Whitaker went to the Of
fee of the American Chess Bulletin and
was informed by Mr.. Cassels that Mar
ming the proposed match and 500 i'll the
event of his losing; liberal terms in
deed-for Marshall.
However. Mr.. Whitaker Immediately
accepted these financial conditions. but
upon endeavoring to settle upon the mum
ber of games to be played. hours and
rate of play. places where games should
be contested. etc. was told that all such
points WOULD have to be subjects for
further negotiation. Thereupon. as 1t was
necessary for Mr.. Whitaker to return i'm
mediately to this city, he appointed Mr.
Harrison B. Well an attorney and mern-
ber of the Manhattan Chess Club. to act as
his agent In New York in arranging these
details.
The progress 60 of these arrangements
for nearly three months consisted of al
most daily letters from Mr.. We'll to Mr.
Marshall or his managers. of which tine
following is just sample:
February -, 1914.
Frank Marshall, esq, 1925 Bedford ave-
nue., Brooklyn, n. Y.
Dear Sir: / have been awaiting an an
with Mr.. Whitaker for about four weeks
Last Saturday you told me that YOU
would write me this week. ! cannot
derstand your attitude in this matter.
especially from the fact than in a article
in the New York Sun of November last
you deplored the fact that there We're
no challenges and said You were anxious
to play for the United States chess cham
pionship and that terms and conditions
could be easily arranged.
Under these circumstances it seems to
me that the least you could do would be
to reply to the written communications
I have sent you in reference to the same.
trust to receive an answer within
the course of a few days.
Very truly yours.
HARRISON B. WE'LL.
When Marshall could be induced to say
anything at ali he either objected to or
had not fully considered every pro-
posal put forward by Mr.. Well relative
to the number of games to be played and
the places where the contests should be
staged.
New York again to see if he could by a
personal interview get Mr.. Marshall to
come to terms. After waiting with Mr.
Well and Mr.. Helms in the Manhattan
Chess Club for an hour beyond the time
appointed for this meeting and just as
Mr.. Whitaker was about to leave for
Washington in disgust Mr. Marshall put
in his appearance and announced that
he thought he should receive $500 whether
he won. drew or lost the proposed match
This demand was felt by Mr.. Whitaker
to he beyond all reason. and he left the
conference after offering Mr.. Marshall
the three following proposals: First. that
Marshall receive $500 in the event of his
winning the match and $500 in the event
of his losing (Marshaii's original Offer.
each player to pay his own expenses:
second. that the winner of the match
receive tWo-thirds and the loser one
third of the money collected from the
chess clubs before which the games
should be played Chis being the financial
under which the Marshall
Capablanca match was Played; third.
that Whitaker should pay Marshalls
hotel and travelling expenses and $500 in
the event of his (MarshalTs, winning the
match and 500 in the event Of his losing.
Marshall Refuses Proposals.