Alexander Sich

Historical knowledge and information regarding our great game.
Richard James
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Alexander Sich

Post by Richard James » Mon May 24, 2021 10:49 am

https://britishchessnews.com/2021/05/23 ... nder-sich/

My latest Minor Pieces post takes you from Simpson's Divan on a pub crawl of West London to find out the first name of one of Steinitz's opponents.

Tim Harding
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Re: Alexander Sich

Post by Tim Harding » Mon May 24, 2021 11:53 am

Nice one, Richard!
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

John Townsend
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Re: Alexander Sich

Post by John Townsend » Mon May 24, 2021 12:22 pm

In Chess Player's Chronicle, 3 January 1891, page 314, Steinitz referred to Mr. Sich as:
... a member of St. George's Chess Club and wine merchant in Adelphi Street, Strand"
The 1875 Post Office London Directory has an entry for Alexander Sich (page 1299) which describes him as a wine and spirits merchant and refers to the entry for Field, Wardell & Sich. (Incidentally, the preceding entry identifies Arthur John Sich as a brewer of Chiswick). The entry for Field, Wardell & Sich can be found on page 898 and describes them as wine, spirits and ale merchants, giving the address 10 Adam Street, Adelphi. That sounds like Steinitz's "Adelphi Street", and was a short walk from Simpson's.

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Alexander Sich

Post by Geoff Chandler » Mon May 24, 2021 1:48 pm

Also mentioned in the same Chess Player's Chronicle is piece about a mysterious stranger suddenly appearing
during a Mr Steinitz and Mr Sich game. Report indicates Mr Sich was put off his game allowing Steinitz to win.
Apparently the said stranger did not pay for any of his drinks either.

Lovely read that one. I had not seen any of the games. Thank you.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Alexander Sich

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Fri May 28, 2021 1:52 am

Briefly, as it took me too long to get round to reading this, I enjoyed the piece very much, particularly as many of the places featured there appear on the bus route that I took (in pre-pandemic times) to work. Through Brentford, along Chiswick High Road, and past Latymer Upper School - fascinating to hear of the subway there.

Quick question: was Alexander Sich in general not as strong a player as Steinitz, and was Steinitz being a bit casual about the games, explaining why Sich got those winning chances? Or is that reading too much into the games? Am a bit puzzled that Sich got those positions and failed to put the ball in the back of the net, so to speak.