Chess in 1912
By Bill Wall
In 1912, the well known fairy chess problem composer, T.R. Dawson invented the Grasshopper, the most common fairy chess piece.
On January 15, 1912, Jindrich Fritz (1912-1984) was born in Prague. He was awarded the GM in chess composition title in 1975.
In February, 1912, the first edition of Modern Chess Openings was published.
On February 13, 1912, Rudolf Spielmann won the Abbazia (now Opatija) King's Gambit Accepted tournament. He was followed by Duras, Cohn, and Reti.
On March 20, 1912, Akiba Rubinstein won at San Sebastian, followed by Nimzowitsch, Spielmann, and Tarrasch.
In April 1912, Capablanca published a Spanish language chess magazine, Capablanca-Magazine, in Havana. It lasted until 1914. Juan Corzo was the editor and administrator.
In 1912, Capablanca gave chess exhibitions throughout the Unites States, managed by F. D. Rosebault. In April 1912, Capablanca started his US exhibition in New Orleans at the New Orleans Chess, Checkers and Whist Club. In his first exhibition, he played a 23-board simul, winning 21, losing 1, and drawing 1. In his second exhibition in New Orleans, he played a 17-board simul, winning all his games.
On May 7, 1912, Heinz Dunhaupt (1912-1998) was born in Bückeburg, Germany. He was awarded the GM in Composition title in 1973. He was German Correspondence Champion in 1975.
On July 5, 1912, Thomas Cox (1912-1939) was born in Dublin, Ireland. He was Irish champion in 1937and 1938.
On July 12, 1912, Fred Cramer (1912-1989) was born in Milwaukee. He was USCF President from 1961 to 1964.
On July 28, 1912, Gariil Veresov (1912-1979) was born in Minsk, Belarus. He was awarded the IM title in 1950. He was Belarusian champion in 1936, 1939, 1941, 1958 and 1963.
On August 9, 1912, Karlis Ozols (1912-2001) was born in Riga, Latvia. He was a Latvian-Australian chess master. He was Australian champion in 1956-57.
On August 16, 1912, Robert Forbes Combe (1912-1952) was born in Logie-Buchan, Scotland. In 1946, he won the British chess championship.
On August 18, 1912, perhaps the first movie about chess, A Game of Chess, was released.
On August 24, 1912, the 13th Western Chess Association (US Open) was held in Excelsior, Minnesota. Ed Elliott (1873-1955) took 1st place.
On September 23, 1912, John “Jack” William Collins (1912-2001) was born in Newburgh, New York. In 1943, he won the U.S. Correspondence Championship. In 1952, he won the New York State chess championship. In 1953, he won the Marshall CC championship. He had a chess column in Chess Life in the 1950s and 1960s called “Games by USCF Members.”
On October 12, 1912, Jacob Ascher (1841-1912) died in New York City. He was a British-Canadian chess master. He was Canadian Champion in 1878-9 and (jointly) in 1882-3. He was the New Dominion Monthly's chess columnist. He was the secretary of the Montreal chess club, the president of the Montreal Chess Divan, and was on the managing committee of the Canadian chess association in 1884.
On November 22, 1912. Louis Uedemann (1854-1912) died in Chicago at the age of 58 of Bright’s disease. He won the Western Chess Association championship (predecessor to the US Open) in 1900 and 1902. He was the chess editor for the Chicago Tribune and created a notation code for telegraphs for cable matches which was first used in the telegraphic match between London and St. Petersburg in November, 1886. (source: Reno Gazette)
On December 12, 1912, Charles Amedee de Maurian (1838-1912), died in Paris at the age of 74. From 1858 to 1860, he edited the chess column in the New Orleans Delta. From 1883 to 1890, he co-edited the chess column in the New Orleans Times-Democrat. He was Paul Morphy’s closest friend.
On December 15, 1912, Rashid Nezhmetdinov (1912-1974) was born in Aktubinsk, Russia. He was the first USSR master in both chess and checkers. He was awarded the IM title in 1954. He wrote the first chess book in the Tatar language.