Centennial Chess Problem Tourney, 1877

R:
a:
set 3x#2-#4 (3 pr.)
 
b:
#2 (3 pr.)
 
c:
#3 (3 pr.)
 
d:
#4 (3 pr.)
 
An additional prize was awarded for the best problem of the tourney.
 
Entrance fee: 50 cents per problem. Competitors could enter any number of problems. Problems in sets automatically entered competition for single-problem prizes. Entries were to be sent to participating chess editors for examination.
 
(Additional prizes and tourneys were announced; they are documented in Centennial Chess Problem Tourney, 1877: The Letter Tourney and Centennial Chess Problem Tourney, 1877: Additional Awards.)
 
J:
Committees of Examination: participating chess editors acted as local sub-committee heads. (See notes.)
 
Committee of award: ? (12 members?)
Umpire: E. B. Cook
 
The problems will be compared and judged upon the following points of merit: ingenuity and beauty of trick or design, one to fifteen points; for difficulty of solution, one to ten points; for beauty of construction or position, one to five points.
 
C:
1877-01-01
 
A:
a:
1 pr. S. Loyd (Motto: Ideas)
2 pr. S. Loyd (Themes)
3 pr. J. Elson (Stand and Unfold Yourself)
 
b:
1 pr. S. Loyd (Themes, prb. 1)
2 pr. H. Boardman (Second Thoughts, prb. 1)
3 pr. J. B. McKim (The Homestretch, prb. 1)
 
c:
1 pr. S. Loyd (Themes, prb. 2)
2 pr. J. Elson (Stand and Unfold Yourself, prb. 2)
3 pr. J. W. Finlinson (Labore et Perseverantia, prb. 2)
 
d:
1 pr. S. Loyd (Ideas, prb. 2)
2 pr. S. Loyd (Ideas, prb. 3)
3 pr. J. W. Finlinson (Labore et Perseverantia, prb. 3)
 
 
best pr. S. Loyd (Ideas, prb. 2)
 
 
Honorary mentions were also awarded but were planned to be published in the book of the tourney.
 
S:
The American Chess Journal:
1/3 (Sep. 1876), p. 67: announcement; Moore's guarantee
2/2 (June 1877), p. 30: main tournament: abridged advanced report; list of prize winners.
v. [3], p. [165] (Oct. 1878): sample pages of tourney book
 
The Detroit Free Press:
42/1 (1876-08-13), p. [6]: proposal
42/19 (1876-09-03), p. [6]: announcement
 
A. C. White: Sam Loyd and his Chess Problems (1913; corr. ed. 1962):
The Centennial Problem Tourney, p. 65
 
N:

The problem tourney was originally planned to be part of the Centennial Chess Congress, held in Philadelphia, 1876. The plans failed, but a group of problemists and chess editors decided to organize a problem tournament on their own, and issued a proposal for the competition.

Several chess editors joined in, some subscribing to the prize fund of the tournament, some adding their own prizes for entries submitted to their columns. (For a list of editors, see the letter from many, possibly all of them, reprinted in Scientific American Supplement, referenced below, a propos the tourney book.)

88 sets of three problems, and 12 single problems were entered. 45 sets were found to be faulty, and 6 additional sets disqualified due to "doubles" (duals). 4 single problems were faulty, and one additional one disqualified because of duals.

According to A. C. White, Loyd did not receive any of the prizes he was awarded. This is the more remarkable as C. C. Moore, as Secretary and Treasurer pro tem. of the tourney committee, announced that he personally guaranteed the prompt payment of the full amount of the prizes.

In Scientific American Supplement (1877-08-25) part of a letter of thanks from several chess editors to C. C. Moore and E. B. Cook is reprinted. The letter also expressed the hope that either or both of the addressees take charge of the proposed tourney book.

While no definite information on responsibility has been found, a Centennial Problem Tourney book was planned, subscriptions for it were announced, and sample pages were printed in American Chess Journal. It was also announced as one of the prizes in the monthly solution tourneys of American Chess Journal, so its publication must have appeared to be reasonably secure. However, as no bibliographic trace of it has been found, it appears not to have reached publication. This means we do not know about the honorary awards, which the report of the tourney Secretary (C. C. Moore) mentions would be reported in the tourney book.


The difference in sources in the 2 Prize set (Cleveland Leader on the hand and Cleveland Voice on the other) is because the column, edited by J. B. McKim, changed newspapers between the dates the problems were published.

Awards:

Section A: Sets

1 Prize: S. Loyd

1

#4

2

#4

3

#4

2 Prize: S. Loyd

1

#2

2

#3

3

#4

3 Prize: J. Elson

1

#2

2

#3

3

#4

Section B: #2

1 Prize: S. Loyd

#2

2 Prize: H. Boardman

#2

3 Prize: J. B. McKim

#2

Section C: #3

1 Prize: S. Loyd

#3

2 Prize: J. Elson

#3

3 Prize: J. H. Finlinson

#3

Section D: #4

1 Prize: S. Loyd

#4

2 Prize: S. Loyd

#4

3 Prize: J. H. Finlinson

#4

Section: Best problem

Prize: S. Loyd

#4