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H.E. Bird in Canada 1877
August 30, 2017
A recent discussion in ChessTalk referenced the book H.E. Bird: A Chess Biography:
http://forum.chesstalk.com/showthrea...2s-Tournaments
See Post #16
Looking at my copy, I read of Bird’s visit to Canada. See pp 222-223.
Bird’s arrival in New York in December 1875 had the chess community in Canada agog as well. The Canadian press closely followed his results against the New York and Philadelphia chess elite and it was not long before the first suggestions to invite the master to Canada were launched.
Already in February 1876 an appeal to arrange a visit of Bird was made to the Canadian Chess Association. A few months later Thomas Workman, a Member of Parliament used his influence to get Bird in Canada. Bird was willing to pass by before returning to Europe, but he did not find the time in 1876 with his heavy tournament playing.
In the end Bird left New York for the north in January 1877.
On his way to Montreal he passed through Buffalo and continued he way north past the cities of Hamilton and Toronto, not for chess purposes but to travel and see the Great Western Railway and Grand Trunk Railway, a sweet memory of his accounting work some fifteen years earlier.
Bird finally arrived in Montreal on Saturday 20 January. He immediately visited the Montreal Chess Club to play some offhand games and he proposed that he give a simultaneous display on 20 boards.
ON 22 January 15 players assembled in the rooms of the Montreal Chess Cub. An extensive report appeared in the Canadian Illustrated News on 3 February.
Play started a 9 p.m. and lasted well over midnight. Bird managed to win 9 games, lost against 4 players (Dr. Howe, J. Barry, Atkinson and Saunders) and drew the remaining 2 (against Shaw and Hall).
Bird ended the evening by complimenting the Montreal payers that they had made a better aggregate score than his opponents in a similar performance in New York. According to the report, “Bird’s manners as a chess player are most agreeable and in every way calculated to give confidence to his opponents.”
Bird’s willingness to accept every challenge was greatly appreciated in Montreal. Apart from the numerous offhand games, a second simultaneous exhibition between Bird and the Montreal Chess Club was organized on 27 January. This time Bird won 17 games, lost 3 and drew 2. Bird then interrupted his stay in Montreal to visit the nearby town of Sherbrooke. On 30 January both in the afternoon and evening he engaged in simultaneous play with only one opponent, Robert Short, succeeding in beating and drawing him once.
After a farewell supper he returned to the United States on 14 February.
Simultaneous game
Montreal, 22 January 1877
Bird, H.E. – Barry, J.
C52 Evans Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.Qb3 Qe7 7.O-O h6 8.Ba3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Qxe5 12.Bxf7+ Kf8 13.Bxg8 Rxg8 14.Nd2 Qe6 15.c4 Kf7 16.Kh1 Rf8 17.f4 Kg8 18.f5 Qf7 19.Rf3 Bd4 20.Raf1 c5 21.Rh3 b6 22.Bb2 Bf6 23.Rg3 Kh7 24.Bxf6 Qxf6 25.Rg6 Qe7 26.Qg3 Rf6 27.Rf4 Bd7 28.h4 Rg8 29.Rfg4 Be8 30.Rxf6 Qxf6 31.Nf3 Bf7 32.Ng5+ Kh8 33.Nxf7+ Qxf7 34.Qxd6 Qxc4 35.f6 Qf1+ 36.Kh2 Qxf6 37.Qc7 Qe6 38.Kg3 Qxa2 39.e5 Qb3+ 40.Kh2 Qe6 41.Rg3 Qf5 42.Qe7 Qf4 43.Kh3 a5 44.Rg4 Qf8 0-1
See:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1647625
August 30, 2017
A recent discussion in ChessTalk referenced the book H.E. Bird: A Chess Biography:
http://forum.chesstalk.com/showthrea...2s-Tournaments
See Post #16
Looking at my copy, I read of Bird’s visit to Canada. See pp 222-223.
Bird’s arrival in New York in December 1875 had the chess community in Canada agog as well. The Canadian press closely followed his results against the New York and Philadelphia chess elite and it was not long before the first suggestions to invite the master to Canada were launched.
Already in February 1876 an appeal to arrange a visit of Bird was made to the Canadian Chess Association. A few months later Thomas Workman, a Member of Parliament used his influence to get Bird in Canada. Bird was willing to pass by before returning to Europe, but he did not find the time in 1876 with his heavy tournament playing.
In the end Bird left New York for the north in January 1877.
On his way to Montreal he passed through Buffalo and continued he way north past the cities of Hamilton and Toronto, not for chess purposes but to travel and see the Great Western Railway and Grand Trunk Railway, a sweet memory of his accounting work some fifteen years earlier.
Bird finally arrived in Montreal on Saturday 20 January. He immediately visited the Montreal Chess Club to play some offhand games and he proposed that he give a simultaneous display on 20 boards.
ON 22 January 15 players assembled in the rooms of the Montreal Chess Cub. An extensive report appeared in the Canadian Illustrated News on 3 February.
Play started a 9 p.m. and lasted well over midnight. Bird managed to win 9 games, lost against 4 players (Dr. Howe, J. Barry, Atkinson and Saunders) and drew the remaining 2 (against Shaw and Hall).
Bird ended the evening by complimenting the Montreal payers that they had made a better aggregate score than his opponents in a similar performance in New York. According to the report, “Bird’s manners as a chess player are most agreeable and in every way calculated to give confidence to his opponents.”
Bird’s willingness to accept every challenge was greatly appreciated in Montreal. Apart from the numerous offhand games, a second simultaneous exhibition between Bird and the Montreal Chess Club was organized on 27 January. This time Bird won 17 games, lost 3 and drew 2. Bird then interrupted his stay in Montreal to visit the nearby town of Sherbrooke. On 30 January both in the afternoon and evening he engaged in simultaneous play with only one opponent, Robert Short, succeeding in beating and drawing him once.
After a farewell supper he returned to the United States on 14 February.
Simultaneous game
Montreal, 22 January 1877
Bird, H.E. – Barry, J.
C52 Evans Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.Qb3 Qe7 7.O-O h6 8.Ba3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Qxe5 12.Bxf7+ Kf8 13.Bxg8 Rxg8 14.Nd2 Qe6 15.c4 Kf7 16.Kh1 Rf8 17.f4 Kg8 18.f5 Qf7 19.Rf3 Bd4 20.Raf1 c5 21.Rh3 b6 22.Bb2 Bf6 23.Rg3 Kh7 24.Bxf6 Qxf6 25.Rg6 Qe7 26.Qg3 Rf6 27.Rf4 Bd7 28.h4 Rg8 29.Rfg4 Be8 30.Rxf6 Qxf6 31.Nf3 Bf7 32.Ng5+ Kh8 33.Nxf7+ Qxf7 34.Qxd6 Qxc4 35.f6 Qf1+ 36.Kh2 Qxf6 37.Qc7 Qe6 38.Kg3 Qxa2 39.e5 Qb3+ 40.Kh2 Qe6 41.Rg3 Qf5 42.Qe7 Qf4 43.Kh3 a5 44.Rg4 Qf8 0-1
See:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1647625
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