Chess history trivia

Historical knowledge and information regarding our great game.
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John Townsend
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Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Thu Nov 19, 2015 10:04 am

Which famous chess player once raised funds for a new hospital by dressing up in an oriental costume and taking on up to five visitors simultaneously for a stake of five shillings a game, and met Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at the event?

Barry Sandercock
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Barry Sandercock » Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:37 pm

Savielly Tartakower is my guess.

John Townsend
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:50 pm

I'm sorry, Barry. It's the wrong answer!

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:07 pm

Tarta was just a boy back then, tbf - was it Blackburne?
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John Townsend
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Thu Nov 19, 2015 7:24 pm

Sorry, not Blackburne either.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Roger de Coverly » Thu Nov 19, 2015 7:39 pm

John Townsend wrote: and met Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at the event?
Prince Albert died in 1861, which places the event in the era of Staunton and his contemporaries.

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John Clarke
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Clarke » Thu Nov 19, 2015 9:50 pm

A pompous character like Staunton would surely have been highly unlikely, and nor can I see Morphy wanting himself to be used that way. Anderssen and Harrwitz don't seem right either, somehow.

Bird was eccentric enough; Steinitz could just possibly have been persuaded (though it's a bit early for him); perhaps Lowenthal??
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MJMcCready
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by MJMcCready » Fri Nov 20, 2015 7:58 am

I'm assuming it wasn't anyone on this forum, could you give us a clue?

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Fri Nov 20, 2015 8:23 am

How about Marmaduke Wyvill? He was a politician so probably used to dramatic gestures to get publicity.

John Townsend
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Fri Nov 20, 2015 8:42 am

No correct guesses so far. The event took place on an island.

PeterFarr
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by PeterFarr » Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:22 am

Bird?

John McKenna

Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John McKenna » Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:37 am

My guess is Karl Ernst Adolf Anderssen (1818-79) on the Isle of Wight?

(Edit: I see, just above, that the knowledgeable Peter Farr of Sussex has proposed Henry Edward Bird (1830-1908).
Some others might like to suggest a name starting with C,D,E...)

John Townsend
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by John Townsend » Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:41 am

Sorry, not Bird, not Anderssen.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Fri Nov 20, 2015 10:36 am

Let's try and guess the island...

Channel Islands?
Isle of Man?

Was it one of the UK (or nearby) islands, or one of the far-flung British imperial possessions?
Hopefully it wasn't a small island in a lake or something.

Have been trying to work out which hospital as well (though there are many candidates).

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Chess history trivia

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Fri Nov 20, 2015 10:50 am

"The event took place on an island". Well, that fails to rule out a whole host of places, most notably Great Britain itself.

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