American Chess Quarterly, Chessworld magazine & American Chess Journal

**Wayne Komer** · Sunday, 30th June, 2019, 11:07 PM

American Chess Quarterly, Chessworld magazine & American Chess Journal

July 1, 2019

II

Volume 3

No. 1
Summer-Fall, 1963

Piatigorsky Cup Tournament, 1963 by Evans, Lombardy, Fischer and Bisguier
Woodpusher’s Scrapbook by Fred M. Wren
Abracadabra Chess (continued) by Larry Evans
Chess Challenge

No. 2
Fall, 1963

The Fischer Technique
Woodpusher’s Scrapbook by Fred M. Wren
Wilhelm Steinitz (3^rdin a series)
Endgame Section by J.E. Peckover
Abracadabra Chess (continued) by Larry Evans
Chess Challenge
Important Announcement – Booking simultaneous exhibitions for Bobby Fischer between February and May of 1964.

No. 3
Winter, 1964

U.S. Championship, 1964
Student Preview by William Lombardy
Endgame Section by J. E. Peckover
Woodpusher’s Scrapbook by Fred M Wren
Wilhelm Steinitz (4^thin a series)
Abracadabra Chess by Larry Evans
Fischer-Reshevsky Match, 1961 by Abe Turner
Chess Challenge

No. 4
Spring, 1964

Fischer’s Clock Exhibitions
The Other Three by Larry Evans
The Good “Old” Boys by William Lombardy
Talented Juniors of Yesterday
Fischer-Reshevsky Match, 1961 by Abe Turner
Endgame Section by J. E. Peckover
Woodpusher’s Scrapbook by Fred M. Wren
Wilhelm Steinitz (5th in a series)
Abracadabra Chess by Larry Evens
Annual Index
Chess Challenge by Dr. Richard S. Cantwell

Volume 4

No. 1
July-August-September, 1964

The 1964 Interzonal Tournament
Woodpusher’s Scrapbook by Fred M. Wren

No. 2
October-November-December, 1964

1964 World Students Team Championship by William Lombardy
Woodpusher’s Scrapbook by Fred W. Wren
Back Issues
Reflections of a Chess Master by Abe Turner
Endgame Section by J. E. Peckover
Wilhelm Steinitz (6^thin a series)
Abracadabra Chess by Larry Evans
Chess Challenge by Dr. Richard S. Cantwell

No. 3
January-February-March, 1965

International Endgame Tourney by Peckover and Lommer
Games from National Las Vegas Open, 1965
Games from Beverwijk, 1965 and Geller-Smyslov Match
Woodpusher’s Scrapbook by Fred M. Wren
The Bible – 10^thEdition (MCO)
Chess Challenge by Dr. Richard S. Cantwell

No. 4
April-May-June, 1965

Games from Capablanca Memorial Tournament, 1964
From the Past (Translation) by Tigran Petrosian
Gallery of Endgame Composers by J. E. Peckover
Woodpusher’s Scrapbook by Fred M. Wren
Sir Galahad Rides Again by Fred M. Wren
Annual Index
Chess Challenge by Dr. Richard S. Cantwell

And on the last page of No. 4, there was this announcement:

Publisher’s Announcement

We regret that after this issue (Volume 4, Number 4) we are discontinuing publication of the American Chess Quarterly

Refunds will be made on the unexpired portion of subscriptions beyond the present issue unless negotiations to continue the publication of the American Chess Quarterly materialize. In this connection, serious consideration will be given to offers by responsible parties to acquire the publishing rights.

We wish to take this opportunity to express our thanks to a loyal and devoted staff of writers who helped make the American Chess Quarterly the finest chess magazine in the United States.

___________

The Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation

Date of Filing – October 1, 1964
Title of Publication – American Chess Quarterly
Frequency of Issue – Quarterly
Publisher Nature Food Centres, Inc
292 Main Street, Cambridge, Mass

Total No. Copies Printed 5000
Paid Circulation 2497
Sales through agents 100
Free Distribution 40
Total No. of Copies Distributed 2637

Larry Evans was the Editor-in-Chief

__________

It was a magazine that had many interesting features. But, the decision to publish a beginner’s guide to chess in the magazine is puzzling. How many absolute beginners are going to subscribe to a chess magazine to learn the game? How many seasoned players are going to resent a good portion of the magazine devoted to first principles?

B.H. Wood edited and published CHESS magazine, which was aimed at all levels of players. But, he put his introduction to the game into a book instead of giving over part of his magazines to lessons. See: Easy Guide to Chess, B.H. Wood.

Also, why publish something about Wilhelm Steinitz in almost every issue to the exclusion of all other world champions?

(to be continued)

**Wayne Komer** · Sunday, 30th June, 2019, 11:09 PM

American Chess Quarterly, Chessworld magazine & American Chess Journal

July 1, 2019

III

Chessworld magazine

Volume 1

No. 1
January – February, 1964

Editorial
My Own Worst Enemy by Pal Benko
Shakespeare’s Checkmate by Paul Leith
Chess Curios by Irving Chernev
Letter to a Young Lady Contemplating Marriage to a Chessplayer by Phyllis Naylor
How the Blind Play Chess by Jerome Tarshis
The Life of Paul Morphy by David Lawson
The Ten Greatest Masters in History by Bobby Fischer
Why the Russians? By Alexander Kotov
Stalemate by David Kasanov

No. 2
March – April, 1964

Café de la Regence – a recollection
Should We Compete with the Russians over the Chessboard? – a debate
Greenwich Village Gambit by Lucy Neumark
Larry Evans – an interview
America’s Chess Champions by Walter J. Shipman
How to Lose a World’s Championship by Dr. Mikhail Botvinnik
Correspondence
Buried Treasure – a special offer
The Curse of Chess by H. G. Wells
The Royal Game by Stefan Zweig
About the Cover – Game of Reuben Fine vs Bobby Fischer, March 1963 informal

No. 3
May-June, 1964

Correspondence
Men
The Natural Inferiority of Women Chessplayers by Dr. Normal Reider
The Young Manhood of Jose Raoul Capablanca by Olga Capablanca
Why Chess Clubs Should have Swimming Pools by Saul Rubin
Advertisements
My Conversations with Steinitz by Harold M. Phillips
Three Games at Chess by Horatio Alger, Jr.
Chess Goes to Prison…To Stay by Francis McLeod
Instant Chess by Jerome Tarshis
The Puzzle King Sam Loyd
From Russia, with Love by Ian Fleming

__________

Sarah Cohen (better known as ”batgirl” to her readers on chess.com) is an expert on American chess magazines. On her website she says this about “Chessworld” magazine:

"Bobby Fischer came up with the idea of making a list of his choices for the 10 greatest chess players of all time and presented it to Frank Brady, editor/owner of the shortly-lived magazine, Chessworld. The magazine folded after 3 issues because of financial trouble, but some of the content of those 3 issues are quoted even today.

Before founding Chessworld, Brady, later the author of Bobby Fischer: Chess Prodigy, was the editor of Chess Life and financial manager of USCF.

Fischer wrote the article with the help of Neil Hickey, the spouse of Lisa Lane (Hickey), the long-time U. S. Women's Champion."

http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/TopTen.html

___________

Chessworld magazine
Editor & Publisher – Frank Brady
Art Director - Leonard Lowy
Associate Publisher – Maxine Kalfus
Associate Editor – Laura Conan
Editorial Counsel – Saul Rubin
505 Fifth Avenue, New York 10017

An arty chess magazine, very readable.

The prospectus appeared in an ad in Chess Review in August of 1963. It said that these features were planned:

Do the Russians Cheat at Chess?
Chessworld Goes to a Tournament
The Psychoanalysis of a Chessplayer
The Past vs the Present
The Three “R’s” and Chess
Blindfold Chess
Chess in Hollywood
Where to Play Chess
Portrait of a Rebel (Lisa Lane)
How to Teach a Child to Play Chess
The Battle of Two Systems (OTB vs Correspondence)
The Role of Memory in Playing Chess
Pictorial Studies of Chessmen
“I Play Chess Because..” – a survey
How to Succeed at Chess Without Really Trying
“1984” Revisited

The last states “Can an IBM machine be programmed to defeat a human player? One of the country’s top mathematicians explains why it will never be possible for a “mechanical brain” to achieve championship stature.”

Many of these never made it into print before the magazine folded.

(to be continued)

**Wayne Komer** · Sunday, 30th June, 2019, 11:11 PM

American Chess Quarterly, Chessworld magazine & American Chess Journal

July 1, 2019

IV

American Chess Journal

Volume 1

No. 1
December, 1992
Cover – Bobby Fischer

Editorial
Anand Upsets Ivanchuk in Linares Match by Patrick Wolff
Finding Bobby Fischer by Timothy Hanke
Analysis – Fischer-Keres, Bled 1961 by Jonathan Yedidia
New York 1927 by Hanon Russell
Movies – Silence of the Pawns by Jamie Hamilton
Books – Alekhine Renaissance by Edward Winter
Ruy Lopez Roundup by Bruce Leverett
The Polgar Sisters – Facts or Rumors by Christopher Chabris

No. 2
September, 1993
Cover – Patrick Wolff

Notes and Content
The World’s Best Chess Trainer – Mark Dvoretsky by Timothy Hanke
Chess Art in the Computer Age by Noam D. Elkies
The mystery of Bad Bishops by Boris Gulko
Winning the U.S. Championship by Patrick Wolff
The Education of a Chess Anthologist by Burt Hochberg
Movies – Searching for Bobby Fischer by Frank Brady
Books - Mortal Games by Fred Waitzkin by Christopher Chabris
Instant Fischer – Six Books on Fischer-Spassky by Edward Winter
Brief Reviews

No. 3
December, 1995
Cover – Adolf Anderssen

Notes and Comment
Analysis – The Immortal Game by Robert Hubner
Lessons from a Single Ending, Capablanca-Alekhine, New York, 1924 by Mark Dvoretsky
Cooks, Forks, Waiters by Daniel Edelman
Chess Rating Systems by Mark E Glickman
Movies – Fresh by Jamie Hamilton
Books – End Game by Dominic Lawson by Burt Hochberg
Bobby Fischer by Elie Agur by Fred Wilson
Let Us Now Quote Famous Men by Stephan Gerzadowicz by Alex Dunne
Brief Reviews

___________

Winner of 24 awards from the Chess Journalists of America for its three issues, American Chess Journal (ACJ) was a unique quality paperback book/magazine hybrid featuring the best chess analysis, writing, and illustration in the world. ACJ was published from 1992-1995 and edited by Christopher Chabris, Timothy Hanke, and Patrick Wolff.
All issues are out of print, but PDF files of the complete issues may be downloaded via the links given at:

http://www.chabris.com/pub/acj/

__________

In spite of the quality – the very uncertain publishing schedule surely put off subscribers.

Editor in Chief – Christopher Chabris
Magazine Editor – Timothy Hanke
Technical Editor – Patrick Wolff
Post Office Box 382967
Harvard Square Station
Cambridge, MA 02238-02967

___________

Three magazines of high quality, which failed for various reasons. My feeling is that for a chess magazine to succeed, you need quality articles but also an editor with the energy and talent to bring out the issues on time and have the financial backing and subscriber support to sustain publication. He must stay focussed on the needs of the readership, not putting in articles to fill space!