Zukertort's Canadian tour - 1884 (maybe 1883?)

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  • Zukertort's Canadian tour - 1884 (maybe 1883?)

    From the "British Chess Magazine" - April, 1884 (yes - they played poker in the chess rooms then too :-) ):

    http://www.archive.org/details/briti...smag01unkngoog

    Canada. — Mr. Zukertort has been continuing in the Dominion
    the successful Chess tour recorded in our previous issues. From
    Chicago he proceeded to Toronto, where, as usual, he gave exhibi-
    tions of his simultaneous and blindfold play. In the former on
    January 24th he had 30 opponents, of whom he defeated 25,
    losing to Dr. Ryall and Mr. Stark, and drawing with the rest.
    The next day he encountered sans voir twelve pretty strong
    Canadian players, and only managed to win six games and draw
    one, the victorious five being Messrs. Boultbee, Gibson, Judd, Kitt-
    son, and Dr. Ejall. The latter, however, ought to have lost, and
    in Mr. Gibson's game the blindfold player left his Queen en prise
    by mistake.

    From Toronto Mr. Zukertort went on to Ottawa, to
    be present at the meeting of the Canadian Chess Association,
    which began there on January 30th. On the 29th he played 19
    simultaneous games, of which he won 16, and lost 3 to Prof,
    Cherriman, Dr. Hurlburt, and Mr. Moodie ; and on the next evening
    these three and seventeen others again tried conclusions with him,
    ten at a time, but were all defeated. On the 31st there was a
    blindfold performance, with twelve opponents, the unseeing player
    on this occasion winning ten games, and drawing one with Mr.
    Punchard, the game with Mr. Henderson being left unfinished. In
    consequence of the expense of these performances, the Canadian
    Chess Association did not offer any prizes at their meeting, except
    one presented by Prof. Cherriman (a handsome set of Chess-men)
    to be competed for in the Minor Tourney. For the principal, or
    Trophy contest of the Association, there were six entries, and the
    winner proved to be Mr. Lambert, who scored 4J games, the other
    totals being Mr. Casey, M.P. 2J, Mr. Dixon 0, Mr. J. Henderson 3,
    Mr. Punchard 3, and Mr. Taylor 2.

    The next halting-place of Mr.
    Zukertort was Montreal, where on Feb. 12th he again turned his
    back to the boards of twelve combatants who came to oppose him.
    Of these he vanquished eight, losing to Messrs. Henderson and
    Short, and drawing with Messrs. Aldane and Bemrose. In another
    blindfold seance with the same number of opponents, he lost only
    to Mr. Fletcher, and drew only with Mr. Burke. There was also
    an exhibition of peripatetic play, the adversaries being 34 in
    number. Messrs. Blythe, Bemrose, and Darey were victorious in
    their games, Dr. Howe and Messrs. Barry and Short drew theirs,
    and Mr. Zukertort won the rest. Before leaving Montreal, the
    visitor was entertained by the local players at a banquet, at which
    he stated, in response to the toast of his health, that " after the
    London Tourney, he had made up his mind to travel round the
    world, and play Chess in every country under British rule ; he
    intended to play in India, and already had two invitations from
    native rulers to engage them at the game." He also related an
    amusing anecdote anent the Washington Chess Club, which he
    visited by invitation, accompanied by the Secretary. " On arriving,
    he found two gentlemen engaged in ecarte, and three others so
    deep in 'Poker,' that they had not even time to shake hands
    with him. On the Secretary offering to play some games with
    him, he politely declined, but added that if the Poker-players had
    finished their game at the period of his next visit, he would think
    about accepting his offer."

    At Montreal Mr. Zukertort also played
    two games at capped Pawn odds with Mr. Benjamin, winning one
    and losing one ; and with Mr. Ascher two games even, of which
    each won one, three at P and move, all being won by the odds-
    giver, and four at P and two moves, one of which only was lost by
    Mr. Zukertort and another drawn.

    From Montreal it was not a
    far cry to Quebec, where perhaps we need only say that he repeated
    his previous exhibitions and triumphs. His next destination was
    Boston.

  • #2
    Re: Zukertort's Canadian tour - 1884 (maybe 1883?)

    Originally posted by Hugh Brodie View Post
    From the "British Chess Magazine" - April, 1884 (yes - they played poker in the chess rooms then too :-) ):

    http://www.archive.org/details/briti...smag01unkngoog

    Canada. — ...

    From Toronto Mr. Zukertort went on to Ottawa, to
    be present at the meeting of the Canadian Chess Association,
    which began there on January 30th. On the 29th he played 19
    simultaneous games, of which he won 16, and lost 3 to Prof,
    Cherriman, Dr. Hurlburt, and Mr. Moodie ; and on the next evening
    these three and seventeen others again tried conclusions with him,
    ten at a time, but were all defeated. On the 31st there was a
    blindfold performance, with twelve opponents, the unseeing player
    on this occasion winning ten games, and drawing one with Mr.
    Punchard, the game with Mr. Henderson being left unfinished.

    ...

    His next destination was Boston.
    One wonders whether this is the same Mr. Henderson as listed associated to the team of: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=99940 . if so, then perhaps also the 1st names of Mr. Fleming & Mr. Babson can be identified, too. In the latter case, your database turns up Joseph Babson, & probably 4 cases of "Fleming" outside the age range, in addition to the (J) Henderson mentioned.

    Cheers

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Zukertort's Canadian tour - 1884 (maybe 1883?)

      Yes, it's the same man:

      John Henderson (1836–1896), placed second in the Canadian championships of 1881-1882 and 1884, winner of Shaw's correspondence tournament and a subsequent event run by Dr. Isaac Ryall of the Hamilton Chess Club, prize-winning problem composer, mayor of St. Liboire for eight years, chess columnist for the Montreal Gazette 1886-1896, composer and singer of chess songs (see http://www3.telus.net/public/swright2/visitors1.html)

      Richard P. Fleming, Scottish by birth, a civil engineer employed by the Montreal Sanitary Association, Canadian Champion in 1889

      Joseph Ney Babson (1852-1929), American problemist who lived for a time in Montreal in the 1890s, chess columnist for the Montreal Daily Herald, inventor of the Babson Task, only player to defeat Steinitz in an individual game during the latter's 1893 visit to Montreal (see Canadian Chess News, November 2009)

      Comment

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