Chess in 1870
by Bill Wall
In 1870 the first correspondence chess club, the Caissa Correspondence Club, was founded. The club sponsored correspondence tournaments and matches. It initially had only 12 members, rising to 14 members in 1875. The club lasted four years.
In 1870, Eugene Rousseau died at the age of 60. He was a strong French chess master and the strongest chess player in New Orleans in the 1840s.
On January 5, 1870, Hermann Helms was born in Brooklyn. He was the first Dean of American chess.
On January 10, 1870, Henry Rinck was born in France. He was a leading endgame composer, composing over 2,000 problems.
On March 3, 1870, Geza Maroczy was born in Szeged. He was Hungarian champion in 1932.
On March 16, 1870, Karl Himly presented his paper on the Chinese game of chess to the Royal Asiatic Society.
On July 18, 1870, the 1st mechanical chess clocks were used in a major tournament, Baden-Baden. It was also the first time draws counted as 1/2 point.
On July 20, 1870, Godfrey Heathcote was born in Manchester. He was a chess composer.
On August 4, 1870, Adolf Anderssen won at Baden-Baden, ahead of Steintiz and Blackburne. This was the first strong international tournament. Anderssen won 3,000 francs. (source: New York Times, Sep 2, 1870).
On August 22, 1870, William Lewis died in London at the age of 83. He was a chess theoretician, teacher, and author.
On September 24, 1870, Johann Nepomuk Berger (1845-1933) won the first tournament in the Austro-Hungarian empire, Graz.
On October 10, 1870, the 3rd British Championship was held in London. John Wisker (1846-1884) was 1st in tiebreaks over Amos Burn.
On November 9, 1870, the first interstate match by telegraphy in Australia was played, Victoria vs. N.S. Wales.
On November 17, 1870, Walter Ivins was born in Philadelphia. He was a chess master. He died in 1968.
On Decmeber 16, 1870, Kate Finn was born in England. She was the first British women's champion in 1904. She won again in 1905.