Brooklyn Chess Chronicle, 1886

R:
i:
#2 (1 pr.) or #3 (2 pr.) (see notes)
ii:
#2 (1 pr.), #3 (1 pr.), or #4 (1 pr.)
iii:
#2 (1 pr.) (see notes)
iv:
#2–4 (best problem by a lady, 1 pr.)
 
Most of the prizes were donated.
 
The complex structure is due to different prize donors stipulating different requirements for awards. See notes for details.
 
J:
i:
F. M. Teed, S. Loyd
ii:
none; awards by popular vote
iii:
tourney manager
iv:
F. M. Teed, S. Loyd
 
C:
i:
received before 1886-07-15 and published before the end of 1886
other
For remaining sections, the end of publication of problems for the solving tourney (i.e. in time for being printed on 1886-12-15).
 
A:
i: #2 1 pr. A. F. Mackenzie
#3 1 pr. J. A. Kaiser
2 pr. H. S. Horton
ii:#2 pr. A. F. Mackenzie
#3 pr. J. A. Kaiser
#4 pr. A. F. Mackenzie
iii:#2 2 pr. W. E. Perry
iv: pr. S. Schett
Section I and III are closely related in that the 2nd pr. for #2 is related to the 1st pr for #2.

A section I hm. for #3 was awarded to W. E. Tinney by the judges, but doesn't appear in the final list of awards.
 
S:
Brooklyn Chess Chronicle
v. 4, i. 3 (1885-12-15), p. 38: announcement of solving tourney.
v. 4, i. 4 (1886-01-15), p. 53–54: prizes for problems donated; judges for section i
v. 4, i. 6 (1886-03-15), p. 85–86: questions; correction to Sect. I stip. additional prize donated
v. 5, i. 3 (1886-12-15), p. 39: solving tourney closes with prb 65.
v. 5, i. 7 (1887-04-15), p. 104: judges' report; prize list
 
N:

This is not the 1st Brooklyn Chess Chronicle problem tourney: that name was used for a later event.

This tourney began as a solving tourney, open for subscribers only, with ending date for problems in time to be published on 1886-12-15. Problem composers were invited to send in problems, but there were no prizes awarded for such contributions; prizes were for solvers only.

In January 1886, two sets of prizes were reported. Three prizes were donated by E. B. Greenshield (section I), and three prizes from a pseudonymous donator (either Black Pawn or : the source is ambiguous; section II). Each donator stipulated different closing dates and judgement criteria—these have been separated by the use of section numbers. Secton I prizes required that problems had been received before 1886-07-15 and published before the end of the year, while the problems in section II were intended to be awarded by popular vote.

An additional prize for second-best #2 (section III) was added by Brooklyn Chess Chronicle. (The date restriction of section I and III was originally printed as 'published before 1886-07-15', but corrected to 'received before 1886-07-15 and printed before the end of 1886', and section III requirement was amended accordingly. No requirements on adjudication by judges appear to have been expressed.)

Yet another prize was donated by M. Hazeltine for the best problem send by a lady (section IV). This section was eventually decided by the judges of section I.

The judges were thus tasked only to award the prizes in sections I and IV. As all problems were published before the end of 1866, no problems were excluded by being published later. It is less clear what problems were excluded by being received after 1886-07-15: no details appear to have been published. (Each judge had contributed a problem to the solving tourney: these problems—prbs. 6 and 61—were excluded from consideration for prizes.)

The problems of section II were to be judged by popular vote among the contributors. No votes appear to have been printed or summarized; the only known votes are by the two judges who both voted for A. F. Mackenzie, prb. 18, #4.

The judge's report concerned only the prizes of section I and IV, but awarded honorary mentions to one #2 (W. E. Perry, prb. 7) and one #3 (W. E. Tinney, prb. 48). (The #2 was awarded the '2nd pr.' (i.e. pr. in section III) by the tourney manager.)

The prize awards situation is thus quite complex, as three different kind of judges are involved. In addition, the prize of section III is called '2nd pr. #2', which tends to conflate it with the prizes awarded by the judges Teed and Loyd.


A problem by E. B. Cook was mistakenly published as a tourney problem (Brooklyn Chess Chronicle, v. 4, i. 4 (1886-01-15), p. 62, tourney prb. 2). It was allowed to remain for the solving tourney, but it did not compete for the problem awards.

Based on the names printed with the problem diagrams, two ladies participated: Sofie Schett (5 problems), and Miss Louisa Schreyer (2 problems).

In Breuer: Beispiele zur Ideengeschichte des Schachspiels (1982), the II:#4 pr is entered as 1 pr Brooklin Schachklub, 1886.

Prizes

Section I: Problems received before 1886-07-15 (judges: F. M. Teed, S. Loyd)

1st Prize for #2: A. F. Mackenzie

#2

1st Prize for #3: J. A. Kaiser

#3

2nd Prize for #3: H. S. Horton

#3

Section II: Problems awarded a prize by popular vote

Prize for #2: A. F. Mackenzie

See section I:1st pr for #2.

Prize for #3: J. A. Kaiser

See section I:1st pr for #3.

Prize for #4: A. F. Mackenzie

#4

Section III: Prize awarded by tourney management

2nd Prize for #2: W. E. Perry

#2

Section IV: Best problem sent by a lady composer (judges: F. M. Teed, S. Loyd)

Prize: S. Schett

#3