Manhattan Chess Club facts for kids
The Manhattan Chess Club was a very old and famous chess club located in Manhattan, New York City. It was the second-oldest chess club in the United States! The club started in 1877 with about 36 members. Over time, hundreds of people joined, and women were allowed to become members starting in 1938. The club moved to different places during its history and finally closed its doors in 2002.
Contents
A Hub for Chess Champions
The Manhattan Chess Club was a very important place for chess. It hosted many big events and helped many players become champions.
Major Tournaments and Championships
The club organized two huge international chess tournaments in 1924 and 1927. Famous players like Emanuel Lasker and José Raúl Capablanca won these events. The club also often hosted parts of the U.S. Chess Championship starting in the 1930s. Even two World Chess Championship matches took place there in 1886 and 1891.
Club Champions
The club had its own championships, which were some of the toughest in the United States. Many top players won these titles:
- Frank Marshall and Isaac Kashdan, both grandmasters, won three times each.
- Abraham Kupchik won the club championship an amazing eleven times!
- Arthur Bisguier won seven times.
- Alexander Kevitz, Arnold Denker, and Walter Shipman each won six times.
- David Graham Baird and Pal Benko each won five times.
- Géza Maróczy, a famous player from Hungary, also won the club championship in 1927.
Famous Players Who Started Here
Many chess stars improved their skills at the Manhattan Chess Club. These include:
- Arnold Denker
- Arthur Feuerstein
- Bobby Fischer
- I. A. Horowitz
- William Lombardy
- Samuel Reshevsky
- Gata Kamsky (who played many tournaments there after moving from the Soviet Union)
In 1970, Bobby Fischer played in a blitz tournament at the club. He scored an incredible 21½ points out of 22 games!
A Sad Day at the Club
On March 7, 1942, former world chess champion José Raúl Capablanca was watching a casual game at the club. He became unwell and passed away the next day.
Life at the Club
Before the internet made it easy to play chess online, the Manhattan Chess Club was a main gathering spot for the best chess players in New York City. Its Thursday evening tournaments, called "Four Rated Games Tonight," brought in many skilled players. The club also held special "insanity" tournaments a few times a year. These would start on Saturday night and finish well after sunrise on Sunday! The club's location on the tenth floor of Carnegie Hall was always busy and full of chess activity.
The book The Bobby Fischer I Knew And Other Stories, written by Arnold Denker and Larry Parr, shares many interesting stories about the Manhattan Chess Club.
See also
- Marshall Chess Club
