Doing A Little Catch-Up:

Hola everyone!

It's a humid day threatening rain here in Milwaukee, but the stormy weather has given me a chance to do some catch-up at my poor, languishing Goddesschess blog.  As you know (or if not, I'm telling you now), I've been a member of the Chess Collectors International or CCI for many years.  I don't remember exactly when I joined, but I believe it may have been in the early to mid 2000's.  I receive the CCI magazines/news letters and the USA branch of the CCI also produces it own magazine that comes to me three times a year.

Recently I wrote about an exciting development - the CCI is going to be holding its biennial meeting in St. Louis, Missouri (USA) once again next year!  The first (to my knowledge) was in 2011, then in 2015, and now again next year in 2020.  Since I received the information, I've been thinking about possibly attending. I have a while before I need to make a decision.  I always like having those "whiles." 

The only CCI meeting I attended was in 2011, also in St. Louis.  It coincided at the time with the Kings v. Queens Tournament (also called "The Battle of the Sexes" Tournament) of American and international players being hosted at the St. Louis Chess Club, just a few blocks away from the hotel I booked a suite at for my friend of nearly 30 years, Georgia, and myself.  The chess club is right across the street from the World Chess Hall of Fame (and museum that features several new special exhibits, as well as shows and creative activities all year round.)  The Gift Shop at the World Chess Hall of Fame is something special - if you have a chance, visit it!

I went back earlier today to blog entries here from 2011 and refreshed my memories of the CCI meeting in 2011.  I did a summary in 2011 and in it I mentioned a few of the people I met as well as a special purchase or two I made at the CCI Auction that always closes out CCI get-togethers.

I met Duncan and Ann Pohl - Duncan is the current editor of the CCI-USA Magazine, and a most excellent job he does.  Mr. Pohl was one of the presenters in 2011; he started out a bit nervous, but soon got into the groove of his presentation on "vintage" American chess sets that don't cost an arm and a leg as many of the rare sets (or pieces) do that were crafted in the Old World, merely a couple of fingers or maybe a hand.  Yikes!  Both Duncan Pohl and his wife, Ann, were at a round table shared with  attendees (were there 10 or 12 of us - don't remember) including Georgia and I, at the CCI meeting at a lovely cocktail and dinner party.  I struck it off right away with Ann Pohl - such a lovely lady.  It was a lively group - the conversation hummed!

Mr. Pohl has produced a couple of books on American chess sets that would be of great help to a collector and of interest to any fan of the ancient game of the Goddess who wants to learn about American producers of chess sets, the materials used to make them, the rarity (or not) of such sets today, etc.  Both can be found at Amazon:

Chess Sets of the United States: Ready for Some Chess 'Tenite'? Paperback – May 14, 2014

Vintage Chess Sets of the United States Paperback – November 23, 2016

Later that evening after dinner, Ann Pohl introduced me to Rick Knowlton, who had also given a fascinating presentation at one of the CCI sessions.  We had a long chat about ancient chess and its origins, at least 30 minutes.  Among other things, Mr. Knowlton maintains a website on Ancient Chess (which I am particularly interested in).  He also did a "diary" online of his visit to St. Louis for the 2011 CCI meeting.  How wonderful then, to see that Mr. Knowlton and well-known chess historian Jean-Louis Cazaux produced a book (which you can find a Youtube video on), "A World of Chess:  Its Development and Variations through Centuries and Civilizations."  Also offered at Amazon. 

I also see that the BBC New program "The Forum" produced an episode by Mr. Knowlton and Mr. Cazaux that aired on April 19, 2019 and is available online in Podcast, "Chess: A Chequered History."

You just never know what these chess collectors and chess historians may get up to! 

Chess Collectors International -- Meet Them in St. Louis!

Hola!

The Western Hemisphere members of the Chess Collectors International will be hosting a get-together for members and interested parties in St. Louis, Missouri that will coincide with the Third Annual Sinquefield Cup (the tournament will be held at the beautiful Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis or, as popularly known, the St. Louis Chess Club).  Meeting dates will be August 28 - 30, 2015.  Special room rates will be available for CCI members at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel (a FABULOUS hotel) and the Holiday Inn Express, both within a few blocks of the Chess Club and the World Chess Hall of Fame and Museum.

I attended a CCI meeting in St. Louis in September 2011 and had a wonderful time -- and I took lots of pictures of the area.  You can probably find some of them by doing a search here under "St. Louis."  I attended the grand opening of the World Chess Hall of Fame and Museum that is located across the street from the St. Louis Chess Club, met several of the chessplayers who were participating in the Kings v. Queens Tournament that was being held at the time at the St. Louis Chess Club and visited the club a few times to sit in on the analysis (fascinating!), socialized, shopped, attended lectures and presentations by the CCI members, attended a private showing of part of a fabulous collection of chess sets that were premiering the opening of the World Chess Hall of Fame and Museum, and enjoyed strolling through the Chess Fair that closed the CCI meeting.  At the Chess Fair CCI members present chess sets and other chess collectibles that are offered for sale.  The highlight of my stay in St. Louis in 2011 was having lunch with 12th Women's World Chess Championship GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, who is sweet, kind, and charming in person as well as stunningly beautiful.

Nope - not Alexandra Kosteniuk - that's me
making a rare appearance in a cocktail dress
at the 2011 CCI Gala Banquet in St. Louis.

I don't have further information at the present time, it will be forthcoming at a later date.  In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about the CCI, please visit the website.

Miscellaneous Photos from St. Louis Trip

Miscellaneous photos of our St. Louis experience.  The dinner party photos were taken by Georgia (Isis) on Saturday evening, September 10, 2011: 

Our beautiful dessert!  The salad was delicious, the entre' of chicken breast and salmon was so-so -
my chicken was very overdone, I could not even cut it!  I gave up and concentrated on the salmon,
which was delicious.  There were also asparagus spears perfectly done (el dente) and some sort of
vegetable something-or-other - I didn't know what it contained so I did not venture a taste!  That's
me, though.  I'm very conservative in my food tastes.  The dessert tasted as good as it looks!  All
in all, a very well done meal, and it was impeccably served by the wait staff.

Former CCI President Tommy Thomsen addresses the dinner party.

Me, enjoying dessert!  Were my eyes closed because I was saying a silent prayer to the Goddess?

Some of our table mates at the CCI dinner party the evening of September 10, 2011:
Jon Crumiller (closest right) and Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Pohl.  We had a great time
at dinner. It was serendipity that landed us at this particular table, we had fascinating table mates!

This charming gentleman was photographed on Friday, September 9, 2011, when 'Sis and I were
walking back from the opening of the World Chess Hall of Fame/Museum.  He was impeccably dressed and
reminded me instantly of the great dressers who are photographed in New York for
Advanced Style, a very popular blog.  We asked if we could take his photo for our blog and he agreed.
 He is in his 70's and teaches ballroom dancing part-time.  He charmed me right to my toes - you can see part of my floaty
top in the right lower corner of the photo. He was a flirt!  I'd have married him if he had asked. 

Back Home Again! Wrap-Up on Trip to St. Louis

Whew!  I'm exhausted, darlings!  Glad I have the rest of today to unwind before heading back to the real world and the office tomorrow.

The flight home was smooth although it departed about 10-15 minutes later than scheduled time.  But we arrived back in Milwaukee nearly on time anyway, to a warm and rapidly warming day with humidity.  Yech!  The house was stuffy but it's better now with all the windows and doors thrown open!  The taxi ride, as always, is a scant 10-12 minutes away from the airport and sets me back $30 including tip. We do not have inexpensive taxis in Milwaukee, but I gladly pay the premium to be home by 10:30 a.m., which is about the time I arrived at my doorstep!

I had a 5 a.m. wake-up call at the hotel and checked out shortly after 6.  The hotel was still and quiet, and it was still dark outside!  I wheeled my stuffed suitcase (I swear my clothes reproduced themselves in the closet during my stay - the two books I purchased while in town could not possibly account for all the extra bulk I somehow had accumulated!) through the doors  from the lobby to the carport area and relaxed on a bench outside, taking in the setting Moon, the coolness of the night, and the sound of the chirping crickets.  It was a lovely, peaceful moment.

And then, zoom zoom - up drives the Go Best Express van to take me to the airport.  I checked my watch, it was just a few minutes after six a.m.!  A lovely and perky young woman took my bag and checked me "in" to the van.  There was another passenger onboard already, who gave me a curt good morning; European, I could tell, because even though he was not feeling particularly social at that time of the morning (or late night, depending upon your point of view), he gave a courtesy greeting to a "woman of a certain age..."  Me.  LOL!  I have to tell you, I would definitely use this shuttle service again. The people were polite and the service was on time.  I thought we would take off down the road then, but there were two other passengers also scheduled for that shuttle.  So, we waited.  I cannot complain, and I'm not -- they arrived right on time, at 6:15 a.m., the scheduled pick-up time.  And then - we were off down Kingshighway Boulevard!

This is not a photo I took in St. Louis from the van on the
way to the airport, but that's the Moon we saw in all Her glory!
According to this website, She reached "the crest of [Her] full
phase at 09:27 Universal Time this morning, on September 12.
That was 4:27 a.m. this morning for the central U.S.”

The Moon was starting its descent in a sky that was just starting to hint at sunrise and it was spectacular.  Big, glowing, mottled white.  Breathtakingly beautiful.  I could clearly see the larger 'Mares' and the "Man in the Moon" features with no problem at all.  The Goddess Moon was so large and hanging in the mid-sky, the illusion was that I could have reached out of the van and plucked Her out of the sky for myself to wear as a large glowing jewel around my neck.  A fitting goodbye to me from St. Louis!  Thank you, St. Louis!   Thank you, Goddess Moon, for such a fine send-off!  Smooches to you both.

I've tried to post regularly about my stay in St. Louis for the Chess Collectors International U.S. continental meeting, the grand opening of the new quarters for the Chess Hall of Fame and Chess Museum (U.S. and International), and the Kings v. Queens Invitational Chess Tournament taking place at the beautiful Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis.  You can find those earlier posts here at the blog, just by continuing to scroll back through the dates until my arrival in St. Louis, on Thursday, September 8, 2011.

Here are some final thoughts/impressions, as the water sprinkler ticks back and forth over my parched back-yard.  It was clear to see Milwaukee received no rain boon from the storms that passed over the Gulf last week/weekend.  Well, I work to pay my water bill, LOL!  I must have green grass!  I must have flowers.  My hibred Hydrangeas are once again singing to me, and all the wildlife has come flocking back to be fed (birdseed, peanuts, hazelnuts) and watered.  The earth is giving off that special "aaaaahhhhhh" scent that only happens when it receives water after a long dry time.  I'm going to take my shoes off and sit on the deck with my feet up and glass of wine at hand in just a few minutes.  I'm home again, everyone.  Home. 

Chess Collectors International

Although I have been a member of CCI for many years because of my interest in chess history and, in particular, ancient board games and their pieces, I had not had the opportunity to attend any of the CCI meetings, either here in the US or overseas.  There are at least a couple of meetings of CCI folk a year if one has the time to get away. I usually do not.

But, this year, the Goddess conspired to make it so, and thus I appeared, on time and with packed suitcase in hand, in St. Louis.

What a wonderful venue was chosen for this CCI meeting!  The hotel has a gracious, old-world quality about it and I found the staff to be courteous and attentive.

The meeting rooms made available for the presentation on Saturday, September 10, the dinner the evening of September 10, and the Chess Fair on Sunday morning, September 11, were just right!  For the most part, things went off without a hitch. 

I greatly enjoyed meeting various members of the CCI, including Floyd Sarisohn, with whom I've had email contact for several years dating to my joining the CCI.  During my attendance at the St. Louis CCI meeting, I was also introduced to USA Treasurer Bill Fordney and former CCI President Thomas ("Tommy") Thomsen of Germany.  I am pretty sure I met Mr. Thomsen years ago, in 2001 in Amsterdam when I attended the Koenigstein Group Initiative meeting of chess historians and scholars at the end of November, but I may be wrong about that.  He was a friend of our late mentor, Dr. and IM Ricardo Calvo (d. 2002). 
I found the CCI presentations informative and interesting.  I was amazed at how the time scheduled for the day's presentations flew by!

It is probably safe to say that the presentation by chessplayer/collector/computer jockey Jon Crumiller was the highlight of the meeting.  Jon has generously made available to CCI members an auction data base spreadsheet (for computer) that he assembled with a massive amount of work.  One has only to input descriptive elements of an item that one is looking for, and if one like it or similar has been auctioned during the past 40 or so years, information on it should pop up from the data base.  Amazing!  What is more, Jon intends to maintain and update the database on a regular basis by adding current and future auction information to it as that information (from auction catalogs, auction price sheets, and the like) becomes available. Some of this information is not usually available to the public, but Jon has great contacts! Jon has truly gifted us with a priceless labor of love.  A special added treat was the after-lunch presentation of some of the sets from his excellent collection, including many ancient gaming pieces that I find of particular interest.

Another of my favorite presentations was given by Duncan Pohl, who put together an absolutely splendid  and stunning catalog of chess sets made by American companies for those of us not quite so deep in the pocket looking to get into collecting interesting sets.  This was another true labor of love and contains excellent color photographs and original ads from old American chess magazines and other sources.  I had an opportunity to socialize with Mrs. Pohl later Saturday evening at the CCI dinner - a lovely and engaging lady.  I hope I see more of the Pohls in the future, they're my kind of people!

One presentation that became a favorite - and I have to admit I did not think it would - was given by Martin Frere Hillyer on "Thomas Frere and the Brotherhood of Chess."  It turned out to be an adventure in genealogy and the history of the Manhattan Chess Club, and if you've been following this blog you well know I've spent the past year plus tracing down my own family's herstorical roots as well as the roots of some friends.  I was absolutely fascinated - to paraphrase a famous line from the hit movie Jerry Maguire "You had me from genealogy..."  LOL!  How could I resist?  I couldn't.  I bought his book at the Chess Fair the following day :)  Thanks for the special dedication, Martin. 

Last minute additions to the program were also favorites -

Lynn Hamrick, a producer of "Family Ties" among other smash hit television shows, gave a presentation on her video "Chess Kids" (a video put together about the 1990 World Youth Chess Championships) and an update -- Lynn interviewed many of the young chess players featured in the original "Chess Kids" video many years later, including GM Judit Polgar -- now available in DVD.  I did some posts about how Georgia and I met Lynn in St. Louis while at Bissiger's! 

http://goddesschess.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-exploring-st-louis.html
http://goddesschess.blogspot.com/2011/09/meeting-chess-kids-producer-lynn.html

Rick Knowlton, who sells and buys "exotic chess sets" was also fit into the program and gave a blitzkrieg presentation on who he is and what he does.  Like - WOW!

At the CCI dinner Saturday evening Mrs. Duncan Pohl arranged an introduction after dinner.  Rick and I talked for a good 30 minutes about the ancient origins of the game and early board games in general.  He's very knowledgeable but unassuming - he's not an academic (just as I'm not) -- he's self-taught like me. I could not fault him on his knowledge (except that chess was "invented" in India, the general old line!) and found him very well informed regarding chess variants from Burma and Thailand.  I could probably have yattered on for hours with him, but I was tired; it had been a long day.

At the Chess Fair on Sunday Rick had a lavish display of some of his sets and I found several I loved.  Alas - poor pocketbook.  Clothes or chess sets, chess sets or shoes, vacations or chess sets...  Well, you get the picture, I haven't chosen "chess sets" yet!  But that's me, darlings.  Please check out Rick's websites and see what he's got - you won't be disappointed:

Ancient Chess
Courier Chess

I have to give a final hats-off to the Sarisohns, who put so much effort into putting this U.S. meet together.  Thank you!  I loved it!

In the News: World Chess Hall of Fame

I first saw this article in print in a copy of the West End Word, a local community newspaper that was included in items presented to the participants of the Chess Collectors International meeting on Saturday, September 10, 2011.

Central West End Welcomes World Chess Hall Of Fame
by Eileen P. Duggan
September 07, 2011

This is an enlarged image of the building from the official website.
It's a lovely building, totally remodelled.  The exhibit space on the second floor
was very well done. 

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis will get a big boost in its mission to educate St. Louisans about the game when the World Chess Hall of Fame opens across the street at 4652 Maryland Ave.

The World Chess Hall of Fame and Museum will open to the public at 10 a.m. Sept. 9. The event will include the opening of an art exhibit, "Out of the Box: Artists Play Chess" featuring installations by Yoko Ono, Tom Friedman, Liliya Lifánova and other artists.

Continuing the celebration into the weekend, the Boys Scouts of America will launch its new Chess Merit Badge with a street festival — including a human chess game — from noon to 3 p.m. Sept. 10 on Maryland Avenue at Euclid.

The three-story museum occupies a former medical office building, a 15,900-square-foot space that includes visiting exhibits; a display of unique chess sets from the collection of George and Vivian Dean; displays celebrating U.S. and world chess champions; and historical artifacts such as books, photographs and chess sets.

The exhibit "Out of the Box," running through Feb. 12, will extend its opening events to 6 p.m. on Sept. 13, when Guido van der Werve, pianist Matthew Bengtson and members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra perform Werve's composition for his "chess piano." Reservations are advised as seating is very limited. The exhibit also includes an all-white chess set, including table and chairs, by Yoko Ono.

The U.S. Chess Federation chose St. Louis as the new location of its Hall of Fame based on the success of the Chess Club since it opened in 2008. The museum's permanent collection was moved to St. Louis from Miami in June 2010, said Shannon Bailey, vice president of exhibitions and curatorial affairs at the World Chess Hall of Fame.

The Chess Club and the Hall of Fame are separate entities but work in partnership to further their common missions.

The local firm Arcturis designed the building, incorporating design elements from the Chess Club's 6,000-square-foot, three-story space at 4657 Maryland Ave. Not surprisingly, the color scheme is black and white but includes accents common to both buildings such as green stripes on stairs.

The not-for-profit Hall of Fame's mission is to educate visitors, fans, players and scholars by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting the game of chess and its cultural significance. Its educational mission is much the same as that of its partner across the street.

The Chess Club, also a not-for-profit educational organization, strives to teach the game, increase the awareness of the educational value of chess, and promote its programs through educational outreach.

Although the Chess Club hosts a number of high-profile events such as the U.S. Chess Championship, the U.S. Women's Championship and the U.S. Junior Closed Championship — known as the Triple Crown of chess — the club's daily focus is on education.

The club holds more than 100 classes annually for kids and beginner/intermediate players. Resident Grandmaster Ben Feingold gives a free weekly lecture (described as part stand-up comedy) for members, a free children's class on Sundays and private lessons.

More than 50 K-12 schools participate in after-school chess programs taught by a bevy of Chess Club instructors schooled in chess. The participating districts include Illinois districts as well as St. Louis Public Schools, Riverview, Normandy, Pattonville, Parkway, Hazelwood, Kirkwood, Webster Groves and Mehlville plus charter and parochial schools.

The one-hour classes are held one or two times a week for six to 12 weeks. After the sessions, the Chess Club donates the boards and pieces to the schools, said Alex Vergilesov, scholastics coordinator at the club.

More than 500 students participated in the after-school program in 2010 and the club expects more than 800 this year, Vergilesov said.

"Chess has grown virally," Vergilesov said. Despite all the high-tech gizmos and games available to kids, the centuries-old, low-tech game of chess has only increased in popularity in the past 10 years, he said. Through Internet technology, information about chess has become easily accessible and people can even play chess online.

"The Internet exposes more people to the game," said Mike Wilmering, communications specialist for the Chess Club. "After people get interested online, they want to go to over-the-board playing."

Besides, "technology has provided a lot of great things for teaching chess, some great resources for teachers," Vergilesov said.

Several studies have found many educational benefits of chess, including: reinforcement of math concepts; cognitive development through activities that support critical thinking, concentration, memory, logic and analysis; positive reinforcement; and learning the concepts of commitment, consequences, cooperative behavior and sportsmanship.

"Chess is like sneaking vegetables into their ice cream," Wilmering said.

The club's educational program recently started a new class at the Miriam School in Webster Groves, which serves children with learning disabilities.

The Chess Club also offers classes for all ages in the classrooms on the second and third floors of the club. The club will teach anyone from age 5 and up and has even had students as young as 4, Vergilesov said.

But isn't chess just for brainy members of the well-to-do leisure class?

"That's the mindset we have to counter," Wilmering said. "Chess is not just for one type of person. Chess is a great equalizer. People can feel the competition of a sport without the physical exertion."

Memberships are affordable, he said. For $5 a month or $30 a year, full-time students under 21 can buy a membership that allows them to play chess, use the lending library, attend lectures and get discounted entry fees and merchandise. The over-21 crowd can join for $12 a month or $80 a year, and families can get an annual membership for $120.

A daily pass is $3 a day, $1 for under-21 visitors. The club's wireless Internet is popular with parents of students attending classes as well as college students who drop in to study.

The Chess Club of St. Louis was founded in 2007 with the help of donations by Rex Sinquefield, a retired executive who has many cultural and political interests. Sinquefield also purchased in September 2009 the building at 4652 Maryland Ave. and financed the renovation for the World Chess Hall of Fame.

In 2009, 2010 and 2011, Sinquefield received the U.S. Chess Federation's Gold Koltanowski Award, given to the person who does the most to further chess in the U.S. each year. Under the leadership of Executive Director Tony Rich, the club was named by the USCF as "Chess Club of the Year" in 2010, and St. Louis was awarded the title of "Chess City of the Year" in 2009 and 2011.

The Chess Club is open Tuesday through Sunday. For information call 361-CHESS (2437) or visit www.saintlouschessclub.org.

The Hall of Fame is open after 10 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday, closing at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 5 p.m. the other days. Admission is free, but a donation of $3, $5 for families is suggested. For information call 367-9243 or visit www.worldchesshof.org.

Meet Me In St. Louis!

Hola Darlings!

I apologize for not posting as much as I normally do.  I'm still busy shopping.  Cannot put my hands on a perfect black dress to save my life, arrrgggghhhhh!

Anyway, I am going shopping yet one more time - tomorrow - will be dodging thunderstorms but I a desperate.  After deciding to send the beautiful Dillards dresses back that arrived today (one almost fit, one absolutely did not fit at all, could not even get it zipped!), I decided to sew my own.  Then I had second thoughts, so one last desperate gambit - I will try to assemble a suitable look out of off-the-rack separates.  We'll see if a certain sheer chiffon top with embellished neckline and fluttery long sleeves is still on sale and available in my size.  I've had my eye on that top since I first saw it a few weeks ago, but I couldn't imagine ever wearing such a top!  It is so out of my fashion vision!  But now I see myself teetering along on strappy black high heels, a black pencil skirt that ends just below the knee, a lace-trimmed cami and the chiffon overblouse --  who knows, it could work...

Meanwhile, I just saw this over at Facebook, where I was posting today -- I am an irregular poster at best but made an effort today because I had off for my birthday -- that the National Boy Scouts will be instituting a new merit badge - for CHESS!  That is just wonderful news!!!!! 

More information.  Big doings to launch the new merit badge will be held on September 10, 2011, in conjunction with the Chess Collectors International meeting, the grand opening of the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Kings v. Queens Tournament with international superstar chess players hosted at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis!!!! 

Isis and I are going to be very busy in St. Louis!

2011 St. Louis Chess Battle of the Sexes

I do not have any further information at this time, but I did find this post over at chess.com that confirms from an entirely different source than mine, and from an earlier date, that the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis was intending to host such an event and that in addition to GM Judit Polgar, WGM Jennifer Shahade would be participating as well.  http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-buzz/3rd-annual-st-louis-metro-class-championships

So, that's Polgar, Shahade and Kosteniuk. 

Isis and I are going to the CCI meeting in St. Louis scheduled for the same time as the tournament, so I do hope we will be able to drop by the club and check out some of the action!

Rare Souvenir Chess Piece to be Auctioned Off

Times are tough, perhaps even for wealthy chess collectors, or so it seems...  I just saw this story about an upcoming Christie's auction at Art Daily:

Legendary Souvenir Chess Piece from 1897 to be Offered at Christie's South Kensington

A leading highlight from the collection is a very rare souvenir chess piece. Estimate: £4,000-6,000.
Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2010.

LONDON.- Christie’s announced the sale of The Property of a Private Collector of Chess Sets and Game Boards, to be included in the Interiors sale at Christie’s South Kensington saleroom on 7 December 2010. The chess collection is to be sold by one of the founding members of Chess Collectors International, established in 1984, in Florida, USA. A leading highlight from the collection is a very rare souvenir chess piece. Thought to be one of only a few surviving examples, this gilt-bronze piece by Carlo and Arthur Giuliano was made to commemorate the historical chess match played between The House of Commons in London and The House of Representatives in Washington D.C, by cable in 1897 (estimate: £4,000-6,000). Lasting two days, the match resulted in a draw, with each winning 2 ½ games each, and a souvenir chess piece is believed to have been presented to each player as a memento for having taken part.

Arranged by John Henniker Heaton, a British Conservative MP, and U.S. Representative Richmond Pearson of North Carolina, this is believed to have been the only match played between the two governments of the UK and US. The matches were arranged as a fun pastime, but the players took them very seriously, with the Representatives documented as having received professional coaching beforehand. Cable matches were arranged soon after cable transmissions became available, the only drawback being the high cost for transmitting the messages.

The game of chess is documented to have been introduced to the ‘smoke-room’ at the House of Commons in the late 1880s, and was allegedly a very popular pastime for members. Several articles published at the time refer to a chess club, a petition for better chess boards and tables in the House, as well as lamenting the loss of the best chess players, due to members losing their seats during elections.

A number of the sets and boards on offer in the Collection featured in the famed exhibition catalogue “Schachpartie Durch Zeiten und Welten”, by Hans and Barbara Holländer. The catalogue documented the largest and most comprehensive exhibition dedicated to chess sets and related items ever staged, which was to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Hamburger Schachklub – the oldest and largest chess club in Germany, established in 1830. For chess collectors around the world, the chance to acquire items which appeared in this book is a very rare and special opportunity, and one not to be missed.

Chess Collecting

It's easier than you might think to become a collector. In my house, I have the following chess sets: (1) a magnetized plastic mini-travel set; (2) an alabaster lathe-turned set and board; (3) a mahogony inlaid board and replica Lewis chess set; and (4) a carved wood set that rests inside a folding board. The style is what I would call "modern" and they are very tactile - I love playing chess with those pieces! I wasn't even trying to "collect" sets, LOL! The (1) set was received as a promotional gift back in 1999 when I joined the USCF. The (2) set was purchased on a whim one Christmas season when one of those temporary stores opened up in the mall downtown and I walked past it one day during lunch hour. I don't remember the exact price, but it was under $40. That sucker was heavy and it took me and a friend to lug it from the store back to the office, and from the office to her car after work! What a work-out! That was perhaps 6-7 years ago. As it sits in the family room off of the kitchen at the back of the house (a popular space), I've played a lot of games with that set. The (3) set was a gift I received in September, 2002 from a colleague on the occasion of both of our leaving a firm we'd worked together at for over 12 years. The (4) set was purchased in 2001 on a whim at Napoleon's, a store that carried all kinds of chess stuff (unfortunately, Napoleon's went out of business a couple of years later). I paid $80 for the set, the most money I've forked out for a set! I used to have a basic 12-inch wood board with the squares painted on, with machined but serviceable pieces that was purchased at a Kay-Bee Toy Store in 1999, but it was donated to a charity years ago. One wouldn't ordinarily think that this would be a contribution that would end up anywhere else than in the garbage can - but you would be surprised! Chess sets are regularly requested items at Christmas. My employer participates in a program - you've probably heard of or participated in something similar yourself - where a local organization aiding the disadvantaged is sponsored. Tags with requested gifts (priced $20 USD or less) are hung on a Christmas tree and you can pick a tag. You purchase the gift, wrap it, and put it under the tree. Prior to Christmas all of the donated gifts are delivered to the local charity and handed out to the recipients. I can always find a tag where a chess set is requested. (I have used the online shop that benefits the Susan Polgar Foundation, Inc. to purchase sturdy tournament-quality plastic sets and vinyl roll-up boards). I can see where the process of acquiring chess sets can become quite addicting! There are such gorgeous sets out there, each one more beautiful, or unique, or ugly or - whatever - than the next. The key to collecting, as it is to many other endeavors, is knowledge - and staying away from e-bay :) To acquire knowledge, hang around with people who have it, such as the folks who are members of Chess Collectors International. CCI puts out a quarterly newsletter that features articles on collecting and photographs of sets and other information, and holds a couple gatherings a year in different places all over the world. Read books on collecting and chess sets. Visit exhibits if you can. A lot of information is now available online (thank Goddess for the internet). I recommend you buy what "speaks" to you. My feeling is that if you buy what you like, you won't go wrong. That is the opposite, of course, of collectors who buy with an eye toward investing in something they hope will appreciate in value over time. Then, provenance, design, uniqueness of materials, rarity, etc. become important. So, you'll have to decide what kind of collector you'll be - and what your budget allows. One does not have to be a millionaire though, in order to start a collection of chess sets - as you can I've become something of an accidental "collector" myself and my family thinks I'm nuts! (Probably am...) Visit the online sites of Christie's and Sotheby's auction houses, for instance, do a search for "chess" and you'll see what I mean. Sets can be purchased at auction for under $100 USD, and many antique sets for between $100-200 USD. The sets that are pictured in this blog post are from auctions that Christie's held. Bonham's and other regional auction houses also regularly feature chess sets in their auctions. I sometimes visit the websites of my favorite auction houses and check out what they have coming up for sale or what recently sold. Sometimes I dig further back into the archives of past sales. Here are just a few from a sale at Christies.com that tickled my fancy: Sale 5198 furniture, carpets & decorative objects 30 October 2007 London, South Kensington Price Realized £75 ($154) Price includes buyer's premium (Three sets for the price of one!) A MEXICAN OBSIDIAN AND GLASS 'AZTEC' STYLE CHESS SET 20TH CENTURY With white and black marble inlaid board The king -- 4in. (10cm.) high; the pawn -- 2in. (5cm.) high; the board -- 13½in. (34.2cm.) wideTogether with a Mexican bone mounted lacquered wood chess set, second half 20th century; the king -- 5¼in. (13.3cm.) high; the pawn -- 3in. (7.5cm.) high; and a softwood and black lacquered wood 'Staunton' pattern chess set, second half 20th century, with painted finials; the king -- 4¼in. (10.8cm.) high; the pawn -- 2¼in. (5.7cm.) high (4) 30 October 2007 London, South Kensington Price realized £63 ($129) Price includes buyer's premium AN ENGLISH BONE 'OLD ENGLISH' PATTERN CHESS SET 19TH CENTURY The king -- 5½in. (14cm.) high; the pawn -- 1 7/8in. (4.8cm.) high Together with an English bone 'old English' pattern chess set, 19th century; the king -- 2¼in. (5.7cm.) high; the pawn -- 1 1/8in. (2.8cm.) high (2)

Chess Collectors International

CCI completes its Sixth Western Hemisphere meeting today: SIXTH WESTERN HEMISPHERE CCI MEETING Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 24, 2009 PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY Susan Polgar has several photos from the CCI meeting at her blog. Next up, a meeting in Germany: German Chess Collector's Meeting from June 19th to 21st, 2009 in Naumburg, Germany