Pictures, Games, and Thoughts On Writing Credible Chess History.
Afternoon everyone! I'm back with a big bag of goodies - should have been two blogs, but I wanted to get the material on the page while it is in my head. So grab a beer - pack of Guinness here! - and enjoy the journey.
So, the project I mentioned last time is done. My wife and I ( she s feeling a little better, with thanks to those who have shown concern ) went to Paris to meet up with the author of that project.
Back to such things later.
First up. Paris was at one time the centre of the chess universe, and I have spent many hours retracing the steps trodden in the past by chess notables. This time I found - in a Paris bookshop ( me in a bookshop! who would have thought!) a wonderful old picture.
Well, it looks down the street where the genius Philidor was living at that time. Doing some digging I found an engraving based on the painting, I presume.
These days St. Sulpice is known from the Dan Brown books, which gives me an excuse to wander past Philidor's house on the basis that I am taking my wife to visit the church!
Lallemand also did another version.
He also did a picture of the inside of the church which we know was published in 1780 - hence the dating given above.
Well, in the above pictures you can not see Philidor's house - it is hidden behind the building at the side of the church. However, that building was later taken down and we can see it in this later picture, from 1850. It is on the same side of the street as the church. ( Note those new gas lamps!)
It is still quite easy to follow Philidor's footsteps from there to the site of the original Cafe de la Regence ( there were 3 altogether) - the streets are protected historical sites with the old cobble stone streets underfoot. Just a joy!
Moving on ( Yeah, this REALLY should have been two blogs!)
I have been asked many times why I don't write books on chess history. The answer is simple. I would do them properly. The project I have just been helping out on - in a very small small way - took five years to put together. The list of primary sources would easily fill three pages of a book. That is how you do proper writing on any historical subject.
Put it this way. EVERYTHING you find on the internet on a historical subject is there because at some point the original researcher consulted old print sources from the time. If you are not quoting primary sources then your research - and credibility - are basically nil. You are just copying and rewriting someone else's work.
These days to have any credibility when writing chess history you have to follow the paper trail from the start. No debate.
So, I would want my work to stand up to scrutiny from my peers, who are seriously good at what they do, and work to the highest standards of research.
That links to my holiday reading ( I am absolutely snowed under with books at the moment!)
This wonderful book - 10 years in the making.
I have been a massive fan of Hilbert's work for many, many years. Well over 40 years ago I read some of his articles. The primary source research - back in pre-internet days - was just astounding! Sadly I am no longer in touch with him, but hopefully he will forgive me quoting him without asking.
His thoughts on the question of quoting sources.
Yep, at some point, every historical game you find in a database was entered by hand by someone with the primary source in front of them!
let's go to the book and do what I do - some games and pictures. Because Hilbert gives the primary source for the pictures I have been able to take them from the original source.
I managed to get through about 8 games which caught my eye while we were away, and will give 4 of them and some relevant pictures.
Kemeny was originally from Hungary. A picture from my own library, from his later days.
but he played a match for the U.S. Championship against Showalter ( you can google my blog on him!)
Here's a nice picture to link to the next game.
The picture .
And the Kemeny picture there.
I usually put the 'fun game' first, but to make sense of this shambles of a blog it is last here. Hilbert gives two primary sources, including this one.
ACM. 1897.
The other Notre Dame, with apologies for posting wrongly earlier 🤣. Rushing again.👍
Apologies for cramming in everything in here - hope you enjoyed the material. Cheers guys.
