Evening star., 1931-05-24
In CHESS CIRCLES
BY FRANK B. WALKER

TINE STAR has received a commu-
nication from A. Y. Hesse, the
newly elected president of the
Il District of Columbia Chess
League, concerning the tourna-
ments to decide the chess champion
ship of the District. and the remarks in
The Star of May 3, 1881. Mr.. Hesse
says:
II wish to place on record the follow
ing statements regarding the status OF
the chess championship of the District
of Columbia as 1t now undoubtedly ex-
lists, since the matter was handled in an
organized manner, beginning with the
tournament for the title in 1890. II
will be recalled that in 1880 the title
was to be decided in an annual tourna-
ment, in the same manner that practi-
cally all other sectional championships
are decided throughout the country.
The local tournament of that year had
eight entries, and, when a difference of
opinion arose on the question whether
the winner of the tourney might be
challengeable for the title thereafter, a
majority OF the players voted against 1t.
with the District League in actual
being at the beginning of the present
year, a committee was appointed to
manage the championship tournament
for 1881, and it was decided by the
might be challenged. such challenge to
come under the management of the
league in the same, manner as the
tournament itself. A tournament among
any group Of players to establish, by
elimination, a challenger Is entirely a
private matter, but for any group to
decide, in the face of the great number
Of other players in the entire district
and the league representing their COM
s.-A. L.
"As far as I know, the District OF
Columbia Chess League has taken no
official action to alter the matter, which
to summarize, stands as follows: F. B.
Walker won the championship of the
District this year; by the action Of the
committee he can be challenged this
year by any one who may prove him
self eligible for such a match, the
match to come under the management
of the league, and it has not been def
nitely established that the same method
shall be pursued in settling the title
championship thereafter.
Then there is the matter OF the cup
presented by 1. Turover for the pur-
pose. ! agree perfectly with Mr..
Walker, the present champion, that the
donor of this cup should be consulted.
'I disagree absolutely with the gen
tlemen now participating in the match
tourney tnat tnelr decision, over against
the entire District or majority, might
say, shall prevail; the league would
otherwise relinquish all its prerogatives,
and might as well go IN hiding"
ID EFORE the late tournament for the
ID District championship was held a
committee of five members of the
league adopted rules and regulations
for the tournament; and the tourna-
ment was held according 20 these rules.
the present tournament was not arranged
by a committee of the league, but by
the players themselves. Walker was
not present when the action was taken.
He is asking, in order that all may be
regular, that the league itself provide
rules for the tourney.
The holding of match tournaments
is not a new thing. The London World
tournament of 1851 had this distin-
gushing feature. The worlds greatest
masters participated, including Ander-
son, Staunton, Harwitz, Szen, Williams
and Lowenthal. Some OF the best play
ers we're eliminated in the first round,
and the interest was thereby reduced.
| The tourney was long drawn out. and
proved very wearisome ard a tax on
| the players. I believe this feature was