Chess Journal, 1889 (7th Tourney)
Problems will be judged by the best non-competing composers available.)
1 pr. | T. Taverner (3 problems) |
2 pr. | W. Meredith (3 problems) |
3 pr. | W. E. Perry (2 problems) |
4 pr. | S. Hiatt (2 problems) |
5 pr. | S. D. Sturgis |
6 pr. | P. F. Harvey |
7 pr. = | G. J. Dougherty |
7 pr. = | L. Ahlbom |
Problems were published as they arrived. The first problem was printed
in Chess Journal, i. 119 (Jan., 1889), p. 29,
and the last in i. 121 (Mar., 1889), p. 80.
31 problems were excluded from competition because of unsoundness or because they
failed to comply with requirements.
The judges do not appear to have been announced before their reports
were printed. Their reports were issued individually, and were probably
treated as nominations for the final prizes. They were summarized as follows:
First prize | 8 | 77 | 79 | 27 |
Second prize | 13 | 31 | 30/36 | 4 |
Third prize | 69 | 78 | 30/36 | 7 |
Fourth prize | 35 | 30 | 78 | 22 |
(The numbers are those of the nominated problems. '/' indicates a shared prize.)
The judges obviously rarely agreed on what problems were prizeworthy (prbs. 30 and 78 seem to be the only ones), and when they did agree they had different opinions about what prize the problem deserved.
It appears that the original intention of giving
four prizes ($20.00, $15.00, $10.00 and $5.00 in books) for best problems
was abandoned. Instead prizes were given to all composers nominated by
the judges, and the total prize fund divided into proportionate parts.
That decision and the process by which this division was performed were
not documented.
The differences in judges' opinions led to a situation where one judge gave a problem
the highest award (prb. 79, 1 pr. Taverner), while another considered its
similarity to the well-known Loyd Organ Pipes
problem (American Chess-Nuts, p. 52, prb. 307) sufficient to disqualify it for any kind of prize.
A solving tourney for the tourney problems was also announced. Most of
the prize winners were also prize winners in the composition tourney. One of the
judges (M. Rennie) won the second prize.
The competitor who received a hm. for his problem 34 is currently unknown. The name probably appears in the tourney book.
Prizes
1 Prize: T. Taverner
2 Prize: W. Meredith
3 Prize: W. E. Perry
4 Prize: S. Hiatt
5 Prize: S. D. Sturgis
#2
6 Prize: P. F. Harvey
#2
7 Prize (shared): G. J. Dougherty
#2
7 Prize (shared): L. Ahlbom
#2