Chess in 1878
by Bill Wall
In 1878, Theodore Noldeke found the first reference of chess in Indian literature in the Karnamak, written between 590 and 628
In 1878, the sealed move was introduced, in Paris.
In 1878, the London Loewenthal cup was held. William Wayte (1829-1898) took 1st.
In 1878, the Mephisto automaton, constructed by Charles Godfrey Gumpel (1835-1921), made its first appearance.
In 1878, the Counties' Chess Assn Handicap tournament won by Mephisto (Gunsberg).
In 1878, MacDonnell withdrew from a chess tourney unless Mephisto player was identified.
In 1878, CHESS STRATEGY by Sam Loyd was published. It contained 500 of his problems.
In 1878, Zsigmond Barasz was born in Hungary. He analysed the Budapest Defense.
In 1878, Luigi Sprega won the 2nd Italian Championship, held in Livorno.
On Jan 25, 1878, a telephone match was played in Derbyshire, between F. Thompson and J. Cooper.
On Feb 15, 1878, the 1st New York State Championship was held. James R. Cox took 1st place.
On Mar 2, 1878 John Cochrane died in London. He was 80. He was a leading London chess player in the early 19th century.
On Mar 2, 1878, Henry Bernard was born in Devon, England. He was a chess problemist.
On Jun 18, 1878, Zukertort took 1st place at Paris.
On July 28, 1878, Rudolf Swiderski was born. He was a German chess master.
On Aug 12, 1878, Hans Duhm was born in Gottingen, Germany. He tied for 1st in the 1901 Swiss championship.
On Sep 6, 1878, Thomas Herbert Worrall died. He was 71. He was the British Commissioner in Mexico and New York. He was an amateur chess player.
On Oct 11, 1878, Eugene Ernest Colman was born in Merton, England. He was an English chess master. His Colman variation in the Two Knights Defense was discovered while he was a POW in Japan during World War II.
On Oct 22, 1878, Hugh Alexander Kennedy died. He was a British chess master. He was born in 1809.
On Nov 20, 1878, Ludvig Collijn was born in Stockholm. He was a chess patron and President of the Swedish Chess Association from 1917 to 1939.