Author: Jack Lee Spence (1926-1978) editor from the library of Lothar Schimd
Year: 1953
Publisher: Spence Limited Editions
Place: Omaha
Description:
iv+24 numbered leaves+1 leaf with tables and index. Quarto (11" x 8 1/2") bound in original publisher's spiral binding. From the library of Lothar Schmid. (Betts 25–58). "American Tournament Series," Volome VII. "Spence Limited Editions," No. 8. No. 49 of 100 copies.
The New York Masters Invitational Chess Congress of 1915 (often referred to simply as New York 1915) was a prominent double round-robin chess tournament held from April 19 to May 9, 1915. Due to World War I halting major international tournaments in Europe, this event brought together the strongest masters active in the Western Hemisphere. The first round of the tournament on April 17, 1915, marked one of the earliest known occasions where chess masters (including Capablanca and Marshall) were captured on film. The footage was shown in theaters nationwide to popularize chess.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle for April 15, 1915 gave some details four days before game time. The original list of players included Jose Raul Capablanca, Frank James Marshall, Albert Hodges, Jackson Whipps Showalter, Edward Lasker, Oscar Chajes, Abraham Kupchik, and Dr. George F Adair. Showalter, however, did not show up, nor did Adair play; they were replaced by Jacob Bernstein and Einar Michelsen. A place had been reserved for Newell Williams Banks of Detroit, but he dropped out at the last minute due to business pressure. Kupchik, who had refused an earlier invitation due to his own business affairs but had been able to make arrangements after all, replaced him.
Hours of play were to be 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday; adjournments would be played off on Wednesdays and Saturdays. From the beginning it turned into a race between Capablanca and Marshall, with none of the other players able to score over 50%. Capa was totally ruthless against anybody not named Marshall, and won by a point.
Probably the most famous incident from the tournament occurred when Capablanca didn't show for his round 8 game with Lasker. After about 50 minutes, the desperate Lasker (who really was the kind of guy who didn't want to win a game like that) called Capablanca's hotel room to warn him, Capablanca replying rather testily that he was on his way and that Lasker should not have called since that wasted a minute.
On a more tragic note, Abraham Kupchik finished the tournament even after receiving word of his father's death during his second round game with Hodges. That game was adjourned, and Kupchik left the tournament for several days. His first game back was E Michelsen vs Kupchik, 1915, which is not a typical Kupchik game. (Chessgames)
Lothar Maximilian Lorenz Schmid (10 May 1928 - 18 May 2013) was a German chess grandmaster. He was born in Radebeul near Dresden into a family who were the co-owners of the Karl May Press, which published the German Karl May adventure novels. He was best known as the chief arbiter at several World Chess Championship matches, in particular the 1972 encounter between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky at Reykjavic. He was also an avid collector of chess books and paraphernalia. It was reputed that he owned the largest known private chess library in the world, as well as a renowned collection of chess art, chess boards and chess pieces from around the globe.
Condition:
Lothar Schmid's book plate to front wrapper verso. Interior slightly toned; cover faded at the edges else very good.