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CHESS Magazine and B. H. Wood
July 27, 2015
I am not sure why CHESS magazine is not as well known as the British Chess Magazine to Canadians. Perhaps it was less available than Chess Review and Chess Chat, when it was at the height of its popularity.
The occasion for these musings was my coming across a memoir by its editor, B.H. Wood, this weekend.
I consider that there were three great chess magazine editors in our era – Baruch Harold Wood of CHESS, Brian Reilly of the British Chess Magazine and now, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam of New In Chess.
Why great? Because they produce a quality product, have interesting writers, relentlessly promote their publication and keep it afloat when the inevitable time comes for it to sink.
A world-wide circulation and longevity are two other important factors in their success.
The memoir I mentioned above is in CHESS, Volume 52 No. 1014-15, Christmas 1987.
It is the issue where the notation is finally in algebraic. Karpov-Kasparov World Championship games are given, Hugh Courtney has his Christmas quiz and the editor writes two columns entitled ‘Birth of a Magazine’:
Countless people have asked me ‘Why did you start CHESS?’ I was in love with university life and had just taken an M.Sc., a waste of time after a good first-class honours, and decided to have a go at replacing the old Chess Amateur, which had closed down. I had edited the students’ magazine in both Bangor and Birmingham. The first had been produced by The Daily Post Printers in Liverpool, who agreed to print 1,000 copies for £90. That £90 would be nearly £2,400 now.
A year’s subscription I announced as 10 shillings (50p).
Two bits of luck! J.H. van Meurs, a Dutchman who did a lot for British chess had listed in his still young B.C.F. Year Book some hundreds of chess clubs.
W.H. Watts, another great figure of those days, had floated a rather short-lived magazine The Chess Budget, donated a ‘Budget Cup’ for knock-out team competition and published excellent books on big tournaments, etc. He handed me a list of keen chess players all around the world. I spent a week addressing envelopes by hand to all the clubs and people.
To individuals I sent single copies of CHESS, to each club three copies, inviting payment or subscriptions. Hardly anybody failed to pay. Obviously there was a demand for a chess magazine with a lighter touch than the B.C.M.
Years later I learnt why Mr. Watts had been so generous. He had fallen out with the establishment and welcomed the arrival of a new publication.
Within three moths I was selling 3,000 copies an issue.
Some early ideas were chessy short stories, cartoons and a competition for humorous anecdotes.
I soon went to Amsterdam for the first Euwe-Alekhine match. I traced Alekhine to his hotel room with difficulty. He was officially incommunicado. He came to the door in pyjamas, and within five minutes we had agreed to a £5 article per month. I was of course already on conversational terms with him (and remained so!)
Now I fell into a trap. 3,000 readers in four months meant 6,000 in eight months, 9,000 in a year..?
Not so! This is extrapolation, a matter of calculation, full of risks.
My preparations had been too good. In the remaining eight months of the year I picked up only a thousand more readers. Alekhine lost the title. With three months to go, my money ran out. I struggled to the end of the year. The twelfth issue was pathetically thin compared with the first few but renewals started rolling in and CHESS blossomed again.
The fifty-two years since have brought grueling, unremitting toil but fascinating interest. How we bought our own presses and the effect this had on the world’s chess press – A law suit that went to appeal – How CHESS linked people in Malta, Egypt, Australia, Hungary – Adventures in ‘simuls’, postal chess etc. – How we helped police to identify a drowned man, etc. So many tales to tell!
B.H.W.
_______
Besides the three magazines mentioned above, I have enjoyed reading the old Chess Amateur, Chess Review and Chess Canada. I know Al Horowitz and Vlad Dobrich had their struggles with the magazines they founded, but they were good and I wish they were still going on!
The only other comment to make is how I became aware of CHESS.
On Yonge Street in Toronto in 1961, there was an independent bookstore called The Book Cellar in a basement, under a record store. It had a huge selection of magazines from everywhere and happened to have CHESS with a selection of back issues. I was able to get the October 24, 1959 issue with coverage of the Candidates. The title was:
Tal 17 ½, Keres 15 Smyslov & Petroshan 13 With Four Rounds To Go
I was hooked by the bright coverage of chess events and soon subscribed.
The Book Cellar was owned by an Australian couple, Bruce and Vivienne Surtees. It didn’t stay in the basement long but moved to a house on Bay Street, south of Bloor. I remember seeing a whole window filled with memorabilia of a new group called The Beatles there.
In 1968 it moved to 142 Yorkville, adjacent to the Hazelton Lanes courtyard. In 1997 it was announced that it was closing. Britnells is gone, Edwards and Lichtmans and The World’s Biggest Bookstore too.
_______
In the CHESS issue quoted above, there is a riddle. I thought it should be ridiculously easy, but I couldn’t get it. Can you? The answer in my next posting.
What is it that a king, rook, bishop, knight or pawn can do but a queen can not?
The answer consists of two words.
July 27, 2015
I am not sure why CHESS magazine is not as well known as the British Chess Magazine to Canadians. Perhaps it was less available than Chess Review and Chess Chat, when it was at the height of its popularity.
The occasion for these musings was my coming across a memoir by its editor, B.H. Wood, this weekend.
I consider that there were three great chess magazine editors in our era – Baruch Harold Wood of CHESS, Brian Reilly of the British Chess Magazine and now, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam of New In Chess.
Why great? Because they produce a quality product, have interesting writers, relentlessly promote their publication and keep it afloat when the inevitable time comes for it to sink.
A world-wide circulation and longevity are two other important factors in their success.
The memoir I mentioned above is in CHESS, Volume 52 No. 1014-15, Christmas 1987.
It is the issue where the notation is finally in algebraic. Karpov-Kasparov World Championship games are given, Hugh Courtney has his Christmas quiz and the editor writes two columns entitled ‘Birth of a Magazine’:
Countless people have asked me ‘Why did you start CHESS?’ I was in love with university life and had just taken an M.Sc., a waste of time after a good first-class honours, and decided to have a go at replacing the old Chess Amateur, which had closed down. I had edited the students’ magazine in both Bangor and Birmingham. The first had been produced by The Daily Post Printers in Liverpool, who agreed to print 1,000 copies for £90. That £90 would be nearly £2,400 now.
A year’s subscription I announced as 10 shillings (50p).
Two bits of luck! J.H. van Meurs, a Dutchman who did a lot for British chess had listed in his still young B.C.F. Year Book some hundreds of chess clubs.
W.H. Watts, another great figure of those days, had floated a rather short-lived magazine The Chess Budget, donated a ‘Budget Cup’ for knock-out team competition and published excellent books on big tournaments, etc. He handed me a list of keen chess players all around the world. I spent a week addressing envelopes by hand to all the clubs and people.
To individuals I sent single copies of CHESS, to each club three copies, inviting payment or subscriptions. Hardly anybody failed to pay. Obviously there was a demand for a chess magazine with a lighter touch than the B.C.M.
Years later I learnt why Mr. Watts had been so generous. He had fallen out with the establishment and welcomed the arrival of a new publication.
Within three moths I was selling 3,000 copies an issue.
Some early ideas were chessy short stories, cartoons and a competition for humorous anecdotes.
I soon went to Amsterdam for the first Euwe-Alekhine match. I traced Alekhine to his hotel room with difficulty. He was officially incommunicado. He came to the door in pyjamas, and within five minutes we had agreed to a £5 article per month. I was of course already on conversational terms with him (and remained so!)
Now I fell into a trap. 3,000 readers in four months meant 6,000 in eight months, 9,000 in a year..?
Not so! This is extrapolation, a matter of calculation, full of risks.
My preparations had been too good. In the remaining eight months of the year I picked up only a thousand more readers. Alekhine lost the title. With three months to go, my money ran out. I struggled to the end of the year. The twelfth issue was pathetically thin compared with the first few but renewals started rolling in and CHESS blossomed again.
The fifty-two years since have brought grueling, unremitting toil but fascinating interest. How we bought our own presses and the effect this had on the world’s chess press – A law suit that went to appeal – How CHESS linked people in Malta, Egypt, Australia, Hungary – Adventures in ‘simuls’, postal chess etc. – How we helped police to identify a drowned man, etc. So many tales to tell!
B.H.W.
_______
Besides the three magazines mentioned above, I have enjoyed reading the old Chess Amateur, Chess Review and Chess Canada. I know Al Horowitz and Vlad Dobrich had their struggles with the magazines they founded, but they were good and I wish they were still going on!
The only other comment to make is how I became aware of CHESS.
On Yonge Street in Toronto in 1961, there was an independent bookstore called The Book Cellar in a basement, under a record store. It had a huge selection of magazines from everywhere and happened to have CHESS with a selection of back issues. I was able to get the October 24, 1959 issue with coverage of the Candidates. The title was:
Tal 17 ½, Keres 15 Smyslov & Petroshan 13 With Four Rounds To Go
I was hooked by the bright coverage of chess events and soon subscribed.
The Book Cellar was owned by an Australian couple, Bruce and Vivienne Surtees. It didn’t stay in the basement long but moved to a house on Bay Street, south of Bloor. I remember seeing a whole window filled with memorabilia of a new group called The Beatles there.
In 1968 it moved to 142 Yorkville, adjacent to the Hazelton Lanes courtyard. In 1997 it was announced that it was closing. Britnells is gone, Edwards and Lichtmans and The World’s Biggest Bookstore too.
_______
In the CHESS issue quoted above, there is a riddle. I thought it should be ridiculously easy, but I couldn’t get it. Can you? The answer in my next posting.
What is it that a king, rook, bishop, knight or pawn can do but a queen can not?
The answer consists of two words.
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