Famous Visitors

Daniel Harrwitz, 1860

Herr Harrwitz lived in England from 1856. He played a match with Morphy in Paris in 1858. He was in our area in 1860 and took on our best player at the time, John Rhodes, giving him white and two moves.

Ignaz Kolisch, 1861

The Austro-Hungarian master visited Leeds in 1861. "Herr Kolisch has recently challenged Mr Morphy, the American, with a view to crowning his laurels," the minutes record. Messrs Rhodes and Walker took him on in consultation, but didn't fare so well.

Rhodes, however, did beat Kolisch in a ten board simul.

Wilhelm Steinitz, 1870

Herr Steinitz visited for the 1870 West Yorkshire Chess Association AGM and gave an exhibition of blindfold chess. There is no record of his overall result, but we do have a previously unknown game.

Steinitz v LCC Amateur, 1870

(and a very poor one, it has to be said)

1. e4, c5; 2. Nc3, Nc6; 3. Nd4, h6?; 4.d4, cd4; 5. Nd4, Qb6?; 6. Be3, Qb2; 7. Ndb5, Qb4; 8. Nc7+, Kd8; 9. Bd2, Rb8; 10. Rb1, Qd4; 11. Bd3, Nb4?; 12. N3b5, Nd3+; 13. cd3, Qd3??; 14. Ne6+ 1-0 (Black must lose his queen or be mated.)

Capablanca, 1919

Capablanca honoured us with his presence at our AGM on 3rd October, 1919. His fee was ten guineas plus two guineas to cover expenses. It was 1/6d entry just to see the great man and half a crown to play him in the forty board simultaneous match. We lost the contest +0=0-40!

Alekhine, 1923

Alekhine was present at our AGM on 18th October, 1923. In a 32 board simul, he beat us +28=3-1, but there is no record of who beat him, possibly FD Yates, who had himself given a simul in Feb that year, scoring +20=3-2.

Maroczy, 1924

The great Hungarian visited on 9th December 1924, scoring +19=6-1.