English Chess Forum

BCM around early 1892 introduced a "well known Russian student and player" as author of a new series of articles... <Letters from Russia>.

This student/player went by the pseudonym Ursus Major.

Does anybody know who exactly Ursus Major was?

TIA for any help.

That's a strange pseudonym, that's for sure.

"That's a strange pseudonym, that's for sure."

Not really - ursus means "bear" and the symbol of Russia is the bear. The author wanted to be a big bear, which is fair enough.

I thought the Russians liked to kill big bears.

Not such a strange choice for a pseudonym if you know the basics of astronomy.

Except they are completely irrelevant. Most choose a pseudonym to conceal their identity and not draw attention to themselves with a name which is obviously artificial. That is my point, anyway let's not hijack the thread any further and try to answer the OP's question.

Thanks for the replies so far. My guess is the elder Prince Urusov (hence Ursus and Major) but the guy who's asking on CG.com objects to that because of "student" and Urusov would have been in his 60s. However I think "student" = "young person" is a 20th C idiom and not what the BCM means.

Anyway I'm just guessing, but would love to know if any serious historian knows.

"However I think "student" = "young person" is a 20th C idiom and not what the BCM means."

True.