Evening star., 1939-12-31


be chess players joking and laugh
ing away the war of blood by
sublimation of their feelings in 6
battle of wooden puppets on a f1elc
of 81 entertainments.
The ancients tell the story that
out of the "watchful waiting policy
of man-made war was born the
more kindly, bloodless strife callec
chess. That during the siege Of
cities in the Far East when SOL
diers became restless and impatient
as they lolled about Pickering camp
fires waiting for trumpets to sig.
nal the inevitable charge, wise
leaders conceived the challenging
game of chess and passed it on tc
still the mutterings Of the rebel
lious. But the rank and file of the
pitched armies eagerly seized upor
the game and gave it all the sym.
bolism Of war and conflict and the
long days of siege were as naught
so fascinating was the enchanting
spell cast by the witchery of chess
In the modern year Of 1910. armed
thousands will find again ar
escape from the ennui of battle il
k1ightly chess. But the year vii
be poor indeed as compared t.
the stirring international activit!
Of 1889.
In Retrospect.
Alexander Alekhin. Franco
Russian, retained the world cham.
pionship in 1889 without playing any
challenger. He competed in tn,
international Team Tournament a
Buenos Aires, won by Germany
playing top-board for France. Blu
it was Jose Capablanca of Havana
Cuba. who lost the world crown tt
Alekhin in 1921 in the same Cit.
of Buenos Aires. who received tn
coveted individual prize for bes
games and most victories. Then
across the bay to Montevideo sailet
Alekhin to win Urugua.an masters
tournament limited to eight player
and Capablanca was conspicuous b,
his lack of an invitation.
Mrs Vera Menchik Stevenson, tn
wife of r. H. S. Stevenson. secretar,
of the British Chess Federation
played for England in the tourna
ment for women at Buenos Aire
and retained. without single loss
the woman chess championship o
the world against 10 challengers.
Paul Keres won the Margat'
England Masters Congress; Dr.
Max Euwe, world titlist. 1927-1935
outplayed II masters at Bourne
mouth, England, to capture frs
prize; Miss Elaine Saunders. aget
13, won the ladies' championship o
England; Max Pavey, Brooklyn
lad studying medicine at Scottish
University. won the SIND Congress
of the Scottish Chess Federation
Tournament: c. H. OD. Alexande
captured the British title; Sal,
Flohr, chess peer of partitionet
Czechoslovakia, gained first prize il
the Leningrad-Moscow Masters
and Latvia Masters Journeys; Ice
land won the Argentina Cup in tn
minor team tournament at Bueno
Aires.
European champions include Mix
hail Botwinnik of Russia: DR.. M
Vidmar, Jugoslavia; Paul Keres
Estonia; Stahlberg, Sweden; Bogol
juboff. Germany; while Sekin,
reigns in Japan, G. Koshnitsky il
Australia. and Samuel Reshevsky !!
king of chess players in the Unitee
States. Georges Koltanowski, cham
pion of Belgium, also is world blind.
fold champion. A. de Muro. presi.
dent of the Argentina Chess Fedora.
ton, succeeds DR.. A. Rueb of Tn,
Hague as president of Federacior
Internationale des Echecs (F. I. D
E.: International Chess Federation,
and world headquarters are now a
Buenos Aires.
Fine Garners A. C. F. Title.
Reuben Fine shared the cham
pionship Of the 40th Annual Con.
gress Of the American Chess Fedora
ton, 10H-12, at New York City
while United States Chess Champion
Samuel Reshevsky placed secone
with Israel Horowitz, third. It l!
the first time Fine has outpointet
Reshevsky In an American tourna'
ment.
Miss N. May Karff tied with DR.
Weissenstein and Mrs. Balm fol
feminine A. G. F. honors. However
Miss Karff continues to be acclaimed
as woman champion Of the United
States, In the women's world cham.
pionship tournament at Bueno.
Aires she scored 13 wins, 2 draw.
and 4 losses to place fourth.
Milton Hanauer was victorious ir
the initial Ventnor City Masters
fray; Littman became champion o1
the Southern Chess Association;
Arnold Denker retained the New
York State title; Harold Morton still
is New England champion; Shapiro
rules In Massachusetts,, Olaf Ulves.
tad In Washington, and Ivan Isen.
berg ran first In the 1899 Phila.
delphia Amateur Tournament.
Boris Bluuain Of Montreal reigni