Author: Edgar William Allen (1884-1950) and Eric Manfred Hassberg from the library of Kenneth S Howard
Year: 1945
Publisher: Overbrook Press
Place: Stamford
Description:
iii+77 pages with frontispiece portrait with tissue guard, diagrams, index and appendix. Quarto (10 1/4" x 7 1/2") bound in original publisher's brown cloth with gilt lettering to spine. (Bibliotheca van der Linde-Niemeijeriana: 2889; Betts: 33-86) From the library of Kenneth S Howard. First edition limited to 300 copies.
The first section consists of an essay on White's work as composer by E W Allen, with twenty examples. The second part contains personal tributes, and appreciations of his contributions to the problem art, in composition, classification, elucidation and patronage. This part includes 130 especially contributed problems by 87 composers (78 two-movers, 40 three-movers, 12 others). Solutions and index of composers are listed. Alain C. White was a well know chess problem composer but he was also the composer's best friend with his publishing of the Famed Christmas series books from 1905 through 1936 as well as starting the Good Companion Club in the 1920 where all the top composers were members. As a tribute many of the top composers put together this book to Alain White by making special composed problems.
Kenneth Samuel Howard (1882-1972) one of the founders of the Marshall Chess Club and chess problem composer. He wrote several books about chess composition: The enjoyment of chess problems (1943), How to solve chess problems (1945), and One hundred years of the American two-move chess problem; a collection of 212 compositions by United States problemists (1962).
Letter from Edgar Allen discussing the book laid in and post card from Eugene Neuhaus discussing cooked problems.
Condition: Howard's name to and carbon copy letter to Hasberg tipped to front pastedown. Corners severely bumped and rubbed through, old staple rust to back end paper else a good copy.