The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-11
Chess Prodigy Defeats
Nineteen Army Officers
Samuel Rzeschewski Displays
Uncanny Skill-COl. Fie-
beger Gets Draw.

Special Despatch 10 THE NEW YORK HERALD.
WEST POINT, n. Y, Nov. 1O.-Twen-
ty officers of the United States Army.
graduates of the West Point Military
Academy and all expert chess players,
opposed nine-year-old boy tonight, the
worlds newest chess marvel. He is
Samuel Rzeschewski try Polish prodigy,
and in the centre of hollow square of
chess boards in the cadet gymnasium
here he defeated nineteen and drew with
the other. The one man he. failed to
vanquish was Col. G. T.. Fiebeger. The
match lasted from O'Clock until % 80.
Just before play started a gold medal
was presented in the name OF the Of
Ulcers of the post to the little expert.
and then Referee Fl. Helms of New
York gave a brief sketch of his career.
Next he posed while battery of moving
picture machines took views of the ex-
hibition. Those he defeated were Lieut..
l.. NJ. Jones' Major T. X. Brown. Major
Carlos Brewer, Col. b. NJ. Dunn. Col. q.
b. Strong, Major p. c. Kalloch, Major
J. L. Dunsworth. Major P. w. New
garten, Organist Fred C. Mayer, Col. c.
p. Echols, Major Gano, Capt. H. u.
Wagner. Capt John Smylle. Chaplain c.
% Wheat. Capt. J. J. McE>wan. ]. Il.
crawford, Col L. II. Holt Major Ernest
Graves and Major G. ID. DAILY.
Boy Plays Rapidly.
Moving very rapidly Rzeschewski sue
ceeded In scoring his first victory just
forty minutes from the start. His vic
tim was Organist Mayer OF the chapel,
who was beaten in centre gambit after
only thirteen moves. when he was check
mated. Two minutes later Col Holt
lost playing the black side OF a Nuzio
No ot. arta
go down, in Ruy Lopez. Capt Smylie
lowered his colors at 8 is o'clock. Only
five minutes later a burst of applause
greeted his victory at the seventh board,
where Major Kalloch played the black
pieces. Col. Echols, head of the Depart
ment of Mathematics and one of the best
players on the post yielded at Q 80
o'clock. at which time the others In line
were still holding their own.
Major Brown and Major Brewer both
gave in at 9 AZ o'clock and "a minute
later Col. Strong resigned his game.
Major DAILY was the eleventh to succumb
and Major Canoe, the adjutant of the
post who took the place Of Cadet Mel
son, gave up the ghost The bow. fear
lessly playing his king to the middle OF
the board, forced the resignation Of Capt.
Wheat at 10 o'clock, at which time he
had no disadvantage on any OF the other
boards
Vallantly the little fellow faced the
most imposing array Of adversaries.
uniformed every one that he has been
called upon to encounter during his very
brief career as the worlds tiniest chess
master. and started making the rounds
of the tables forming the hollow square
shortly before o'clock. Approximately
a four-hour task was ahead of him. The
non-partcipating officers and their fam
lilies turned out in full force and occu-
pied all the seats surrounding the
twenty who We're playing and the gal
leries as we'll. Hearty applause greeted
the wonder child when introduced by
Chaplain Clayton T. Wheat. who had
been instrumental in getting the boy
up here.
In his childish way. making a little
bow, he Acknowledged the compliment
and trotted off to the first table, where
Col. C. j. Fiebeger. professor Of engi-
neering. was seated. and pushed his
kings pawn out two squares. Col Fie-
beger was one of the competitors who
played against the late Harry y. Pills
bury in 1900. and also participated In
the exhibition by former State Champion
Helms last year.