Apocalyptic Musings

Cobleigh Library Slow Tournament Begins   Round One Players in Cobleigh's Main Reading Room The first round of the five round Cobleigh Library, one game per month tournament was held in the main reading room at Lyndonville's Cobleigh Library. Rounds are held on the third Thursday of the month. Game timing is G45+10.  Standings after Round One can be found below.  Round Two will be held on Thursday, February 19th.  All rounds begin at 6 PM.

Hastings 1895  Hastings Christmas Chess Congress Tournament Will See Its 100th Running Later This Year  Arguably, the first chess super tournament was held in the UK at Hastings in 1895.  It was won by Massachusetts native Harry Pillsbury from a field of twenty-two players. The field included Lasker, Steinitz, Chigorin, Gunsberg, Tarrasch and Janowski. Later in 1895, Pillsbury went on to finish third at Tsar Nicholas II’s sponsored tournament in St. Petersburg after leading the tournament before intense headaches caused his performance to fall off.  Eventually finishing third, it has been speculated that his headaches were caused by syphilis contracted prior to the tournament. Pillsbury would not be at the first Hastings Christmas Chess Congress in 1920-21 having died of the disease in 1906 at the young age of 33.   The First Hastings Christmas Chess Congress (1920-21) was a small, round robin affair won by Yates from three other UK players.  By the Th...