Chess history trivia

[John Clarke]

I'll take a punt on Tarrasch, although a very quick sketchy search doesn't place him in a London event during winter.

[John Townsend]

Sorry, not Tarrasch.

[John Townsend]

Answer: Howard Staunton

Compassion is an aspect of Staunton not usually considered, but the overbearing dictator of British chess was a human being, despite appearances. The French noted in Paris, 1843, that he was a different person away from chess.

I previously quoted that sentence in my book, Notes on the life of Howard Staunton, page 159, from one of his letters.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Thanks John. Which year and winter did he make that comment?

[John Townsend]

10 December 1873. According to S, it had been cold and there was fog, "as thick and yellow as Tewkesbury mustard". He was very conscious of cold weather, as he suffered from a chest problem, which he said was bronchitis.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Ah, dear Staunton and his Shakespearean stylisms!

I thought it sounded familiar:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tewkesbury_mustard

Shakespeare mentions the mustard in Henry IV, Part 2, in which Falstaff has the line: “his wit's as thick as Tewkesbury Mustard” (Act 2, Scene 4, Line 244), describing the character of his friend Ned Poins.

[John Townsend]

The exact words in S's letter were: "as thick and yellow as Tewkesbury mustard". I've edited my post. I gather the London fog really was yellow at times.

[John Townsend]

Of Paul Morphy's opponents in matches during his time in England and France, 1858-9, who was the last survivor?

[John Townsend]

Answer: Rev. John Owen. He scored two draws and five losses, while receiving the odds of pawn and move from Morphy in the summer of 1858.

"Hoffer attributed this poor result to Owen's just having married." (Oxford Companion to Chess, 1st edition, 1984, p. 236).

However you interpret "just", it seems an exaggeration, considering that Owen had tied the knot in the third quarter of 1857! (I don't know if it was the same in the second edition.)

[MJMcCready]

Which UK country has the oldest chess association?

[Alex McFarlane]

1884

[MJMcCready]

Which country?

[MJMcCready]

Date is correct but country is unspecified. AND PLEASE use the English spelling of the nation and NOT the French.

[MJMcCready]

Ok, well no one answered but according to the latest publication I have bought, it's Scotland.

[Andy McCulloch]

Alex McFarlane is President of Chess Scotland. I guess he knew.