Chess Journal, 1889 (7th Tourney)

R:
#2 (4 pr.)
 
Open to all. Any number of problems were allowed, but each problem required an entry fee of 25 cents or equivalent. No mottos or noms de plume were allowed.
 
J:
G. E. Carpenter, M. Rennie, J. Elson. E. M. Blake. (Problems will be judged by the best non-competing composers available.)
 
C:
1889-02-25
 
A:
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
 
('=' indicates a shared prize. See notes for additional information.)
 
hm. P. F. Harvey (2), E. Campion (2), J. Jespersen, J. L. Fournier, J. S. D. Hopkins, (author of prb. 34), W. Meredith, A. F. Rockwell (2), G. K. Lloyd, T. F. Shonert, M. Lopez, S. D. Sturgis
 
S:
Chess Journal:
i. 118 (Dec., 1888), p. 2: announcement
i. 121 (Mar., 1889), p. 30: tourney closed
i. 122 (Apr., 1889), p. 28-45: solutions
i. 122 (Apr., 1889), p. 46: awards in solving tourney; excluded problems
i. 123 (May, 1889), p. 33-44: judges' reports
i. 123 (May, 1889), p. 45: awards & names of composers
 
N:

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.

Todo:

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

#2

#2

2 Prize: W. Meredith

#2

#2

#2

[*] = Faulty: Multiple key moves

3 Prize: W. E. Perry

#2

#2

4 Prize: S. Hiatt

#2

#2

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