Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1935

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July 11 1935

The Tampa Times, Tampa, Florida, Thursday, July 11, 1935

Hernandez in Tie For Chess Meet Lead
Knoxville, July 11.—(AP)—James Walker of Barnesville, S.C., and Nestor Hernandez, of Tampa, Fla., were leading today in the class A division of the fourteenth annual tournament of the Southern Chess Association.
In class B competition, Russell Chauvenet of Staunton, and H. W. Johnson of Knoxville, were out in front.
New officers of the association elected yesterday are: Charles Roberts of Jacksonville, Fla., president; H. M. Woodbury of Birmingham, Ala., vice president; W. W. Gibbs, of Staunton, Va., second vice president, and Arthur S. Harris, of Savannah, Ga., secretary.
The name of the association also changed from the Southeastern Chess Association to the Southern Chess Association.

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1946

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September 03 1946

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, Tuesday, September 03, 1946

Russell Chauvenet (right), Charlottesville, Defending His Chess Title
The Champion Swaps a Pawn With His Final Victim, Haines Dalmas, Roanoke. Staff Photo.

Chauvenet, Winner of State Chess Tourney, Retains His Title Under Trying Conditions
By Richard Morris
“A champion chess player” suggests an elderly grey-haired gentleman with a long flowing beard—or at least with a mustache of some proportions. But that's not the case in Virginia.
The Virginia State champion is a quiet, unassuming and clean-shaven young man of 26 years—Russell Chauvenet, of Charlottesville, who successfully defended the title he won in 1942 against the cream of the State's chessmen at the Hotel John Marshall yesterday. His defeat of Haines Dalmas, of Roanoke, in the seventh and final round of the 1946 round-robin tournament made him the undisputed chess champion of the Old Dominion.
Mr. Chauvenet, the son of Louis Chauvenet, a well-known Charlottesville Democratic leader, defended his title under singularly trying circumstances.
When asked if it were true than his wife, the former Jane Barrett, of Baltimore, is expecting the stork soon, he replied, “Soon? Today!”
“But I want you to understand,” he continued smilingly, “that I didn't leave her just to play chess. I had to come down to Charlottesville from Bound Brook, N. J., to take an examination in calculus for admittance to the university so I may begin work on my master's degree.”
He Started Early
Mr. Chauvenet, who learned to play chess at the age of 9 under the tutelage of his father, first made news in Virginia competition at the age of 16, when he won the class A title.
“But I wasn't able to win the championship until 1942, which was called the ‘duration’ title because we had no more competition during the war,” he said.
The 1946 titleholder jokingly remarked that an Atlanta newspaper dubbed him “an Hungarian deaf mute.”
“I am certainly not Hungarian,” he insisted. “I'm just an ordinary American, since my family has been in this country for more than 100 years.”
He went on to explain that an attack of spinal meningitis when he was 10 years old left him completely deaf and with an impediment in his speech, but the latter infirmity is now hardly discernible to the unknowing. His only hesitancy in speaking is apparently prompted by his modesty in matters concerning himself.
Born in Tennessee
Mr. Chauvenet was born in Knoxville, Tenn., in 1920, but says he is a Virginian, having moved to Charlottesville at an early age. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a B. S. in biology in 1943, and then went to work for the Calco chemical division of the American Cyanimid Company at Bound Brook.
“I was working on accelerators, used in making synthetic rubber,” he said, “and since we were at it 56 hours a week, I didn't have much time for chess. In fact, I'm very stale, because I haven't played in almost four years.”
Mr. Dalmas, the champion's final victim in the current tournament and one of the leading contenders for the crown, paid tribute to his conqueror's ability on the checkered board when he remarked during the course of their match, “He was beating me 10 years ago, and he's still at it.”
So it would seem that Mr. Chauvenet was a top-notch player even before he was able to grow a beard.
Chauvenet, who successfully defended his title as State chess champion, won five games and drew one.
E. M. Knapp, Richmond champion, and A. T. Henderson, top-ranking Lynchburg contestant, were tied for the runner-up spot in the championship bracket. Their final game, which was not completed before the time set for the tourney to end, will be adjudicated by John N. Buck, Lynchburg chess expert, who will determine which player's game was superior.
Results in other groups, with games won and lost, are as follows:
Group A— Private L. A. Helman, Fort Eustis, Va., first 6½-1½ K. C. Peck, Richmond, runner-up, 6-2.
Group B— C. S. Boggess, Richmond, runner-up, 8-2. Mr. Boggess and Mr. Cleek were tied for this place, and the winner was determined by the Sonnenborn-Berger system of superior play.
The Virginia State Chess Federation decided at its meeting this week end that the 1947 tournament will also be held in Richmond next Labor Day week end.

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November 24 1946

The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Virginia, Sunday, November 24, 1946

Champion Chess Player Will Battle All Comers
Russell Chauvenet, chess champion of Virginia, will meet all comers in a simultaneous match next Friday night at 8 o'clock at the Elk's club under the auspices of the Roanoke Chess club, officers of the club said yesterday.
May Meet 14
Up to the present time some fourteen Roanoke chess players have expressed their desire to compete against Virginia's top-ranking expert and Roanoke Chess club officials sponsoring the exhibition expect that by game time approximately two dozen challengers will be seated outside the circle within which Chauvenet will tour the boards of his competitors.
The exhibition is open free to the public as a part of the Roanoke Chess club's promotional campaign to interest localities in the game.
Chess players desiring to test their skill against that of the expert may do so by calling the club's program director, Nelson Bond, between now and Friday morning, it was said yesterday.
Chauvenet, a 26 year old student in the graduate school at the University of Virginia became Virginia's first-ranking player in 1942, held the title automatically throughout the war years when no contests were held, and proved his right to it by crushing all competition at the 1946 championship matches held in Richmond last September.
Despite his conclusive superiority over other players of the Old Dominion the champ is modest about his own ability.
“There are,” he says, “in the hierarchy of chess many classes: Grandmaster, Master, Expert; then the many classes of Amateurs, Class A, B, C, etc. My knowledge of chess is quite limited, and I am no real authority. I have occasionally defeated or drawn with lower-ranking Masters, but as a general thing I almost always lose to those in the Master's class, and I'm not worth a Grandmaster's waste of time.”

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December 01 1946

The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Virginia, Sunday, December 01, 1946

City Champ Meets State Champ—Russell Chauvenet, young University of Virginia graduate and Virginia chess champion (left), is shown planning his next move against Roanoke city chess champion, Haines Dalmas, right. In a simultaneous match against 22 members of the local club at the Elks club Friday night, Chauvenet won 18 (including his five-hour match against the local champ), three draws, and lost his sole game against 16-year-old Robert Dalmas, the city champ's son, who has been playing the royal game since he was ten years of age. Chauvenet has also been playing since he was 10. Chess club officials said last night that the public interest and response aroused by the simultaneous match conducted Friday night indicates that additional features will be planned to further interest in the game locally.

Youngster Is Only Winner Against State Chess Champ
Lone victor against the Virginia chess champion, Russell Chauvenet, young graduate student of the University of Virginia, in a simultaneous match conducted among 22 members of the Roanoke Chess club turned out to be 16-year-old Robert Dalmas, a junior member of the Roanoke Chess club who's been playing chess since he was 10 years of age.
City Champ Loses
Contrary to expectations, the top ranking players of the local chess club—more specifically City Champion Haines Dalmas, young Bob's father—fared worse than the youngsters. The matches began Friday evening in the Elks club at 8 o'clock. At eleven, when closing time for the club arrived, the group literally picked up their boards and adjourned to the mezzanine floor of the Patrick Henry hotel where the longest match—the one against the elder Dalmas was conceded by the local champion at 1 o'clock Saturday morning.
Approximately 50 persons—visitors and players—attended the first simultaneous match to be sponsored in the Magic City by the Roanoke Chess club. Eighteen of the matches turned out to be victories for the state champion. Three “draws” were recorded by Nelson Bond, runner-up to Haines Dalmas for the city championship and Merkel and Frank Brennan.
As a prize for his playing ability, young Dalmas was presented with a fine plastic chess set presented by the sponsoring club, and a statement by Chauvenet that “you've played the best game tonight.”
Congratulates Officers
Following the match, the state champion congratulated officers of the local chess club, declaring that he was “agreeably” surprised at the quality of chess playing shown in the Magic City. He stated that all of the games were “extremely interesting” and expressed the opinion that “the number of wins by no means indicates that the simultaneous match was any pushover.”
This is the third exhibition match put on by the state champion who has been playing chess since he was nine years old. He will appear in a similar simultaneous match in Richmond the week after next.
A spokesman of the local club declared last night that the public's interest in the match had been “gratifying” and that plans were being made to bring other interesting chess features to the Magic City in order to promote interest in the game. Six new members were reported at the meeting Friday night.

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1942

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1942

Players and officials at Ventnor City, 1942. Front row, left to right, Abraham Yanofsky, Walter B. Suesman, Councilman E. L. Wood, Miss Mary May Karff (woman champion, who gave simultaneous exhibition), Mayor Harry S. Hodson, Albert S. Pinkus, Director Richard W. Wayne. Back row, left to right, Sidney Bernstein, J. Moscowitz, L. R. Chauvenet, George Shainswit, Jacob Levin, Louis Levy, J. E. Donovan, Referee J. Roy Dessauer.

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July 07 1942

The News and Observer, Raleigh, North Carolina, Tuesday, July 07, 1942

JOSEPH BALINT WINS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
Atlanta July 6 —(AP)— Sergeant Joseph Balint of New York, won the 21st annual Southern Chess Association tournament today.
Balint, former Panama Canal Zone champion succeeded to the title won by Russell Chauvenet of Esmont, Va., who placed third this year W. N. Woodbury of Birmingham a former champion, won second place.
Finishing in order behind the top three were Paul Cromelin of Savannah, Nestor Hernandez of Tampa, Ed Woody of Atlanta, Jack Palmer of Norfolk, Martin Southern of Knoxville and A. T. Henderson of Lynchburg, Va.
Alfred Barnard of Atlanta won the Class A crown with Elijah Brown and M. H. Tavis, both of Atlanta, next in that order.
Henderson was elected president of the association succeeding Woodbury and Woody was named secretary and treasurer. Hernandez and Davis were chosen vice-presidents.

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September 08 1942

The Richmond News Leader, Richmond, Virginia, Tuesday, September 08, 1942

Chauvenet Chess Victor
Charlottesville Man Wins State Tourney
Louis R. Chauvenet, of Charlottesville, took top honors in the three-day chess tournament for the State championship which ended at the Hotel John Marshall last night eliminating Ernest Knapp, of this city, in the final playoff.
Mr. Chauvenet, representing the Staunton club, of the State Federation of Chess Clubs which sponsors the annual tourney, had a final score of seven and one-half out of a possible of eight points. One draw game spoiled his chances for a perfect score. The runner-up had five wins, two ties and one loss, giving him a total of six points.
H. H. Schiffman, of Richmond, won the non-championship “A” class matches by a margin of only one-half point. He scored eight wins and a draw against one loss, while R. H. Snellings, Jr., also of this city, had eight points by virtue of eight wins against two losses.
Mr. Chauvenet was presented the Wilbur Moorman Cup and the State Federation plaque for his victory by Harold A. White, of Richmond, retiring president of the federation. The Class A winner received a medal.
Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Chauvenet gave an exhibition playing 14 games at one time. He won 10 of them, tied two, and lost two.
The play-by-play record of the championship playoff follows:

Louis Russell Chauvenet (white) vs. Ernest Malcolm Knapp (black)
Slav Defense: Exchange Variation

Descriptive 1. N-KB3 P-Q4 2. P-QB4 P-QB3 3. PxP PxP 4. P-Q4 N-KB3 5. N-QB3 N-QB3 6. B-B4 P-K3 7. P-K3 B-QN5 8. P-QR3 BxNch 9. PxB Q-R4 10. Q-N3 O-O 11. B-Q3 P-KR3 12. O-O Q-Q 13. P-KR3 N-QR4 14. Q-N4 N-QB3 15. Q-N3 N-Q2 16. P-K4 PxP 17. BxP N-KB3 18. B-N Q-Q4 19. Q-B2 Q-KB4 20. QxQ PxQ 21. P-QB4 N-K5 22. R-K N-R4 23. B-Q3 P-QN3 24. N-Q2 NxN 25. BxN N-N6 26. QR-Q NxQP 27. B-K3 N-B3 28. P-B5 B-K3 29. PxP PxP 30. BxP KR-N 31. B-B5 R-R4 32. B-Q6 R-QB 33. R-QB R-Q4 34. B-R6 RxB 35. BxR K-R2 36. BxB PxB 1-0

Algebraic 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bf4 e6 7. e3 Bb4 8. a3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qa5 10. Qb3 0-0 11. Bd3 h6 12. 0-0 Qd8 13. h3 Na5 14. Qb4 Nc6 15. Qb3 Nd7 16. e4 dxe4 17. Bxe4 Nf6 18. Bb1 Qd5 19. Qc2 Qf5 20. Qxf5 exf5 21. c4 Ne4 22. Re1 Na5 23. Bd3 b6 24. Nd2 Nxd2 25. Bxd2 Nb3 26. Red1 Nxd4 27. Be3 Nc6 28. c5 Be6 29. cxb6 axb6 30. Bxb6 Rfb8 31. Bc5 Ra5 32. Bd6 Rc8 33. Rdc1 Rd5 34. Ba6 Rxd6 35. Bxc8 Kh7 36. Bxe6 fxe6 1-0

When asked if he cared to comment on the game, Mr. Chauvenet said: “I don't think so. What could I say? If I'd lost, I'd gladly point out my various blunders, etc., but—”

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1948

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February 03 1948

The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Virginia, Tuesday, February 03, 1948

Chess Champion Plays Group Simultaneously
Russell Chauvenet (standing), Virginia's champion chess player, is shown playing members of the Roanoke Chess Club simultaneously in an exhibition match at the Community Fund headquarters last night. Part of the group is shown seated while others “look on.” They are, left to right: Haines Dalmas, Jack Godfrey, Howard Montgomery, Arthur Abbott and Nelson Bond.

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October 31 1948

The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, Sunday, October 31, 1948

Our Game of the Week was played in the Virginia State Tournament last year and emphasizes the importance of diagonal control.

William R. Triplett (white) vs. Louis Russell Chauvenet (black)
Dutch Defense: Queen's Knight Variation

Descriptive 1. P-Q4 P-KB4 2. P-QB4 N-KB3 3. N-QB3 P-K3 4. P-QR3 B-K2 5. P-K3 O-O 6. B-Q3 P-Q4 7. Q-B2 N-K5 8. KN-K2 P-B4 9. O-O N-QB3 10. P-B3 PxQP 11. PxN PxN 12. KPxQP PxQP 13. QxP PxP 14. QxPch K-R 15. Q-B2 B-Q3 16. P-KN3 N-K4 17. N-Q4 NxB 18. QxN B-K4 19. B-Q2 P-QN3 20. B-B3 B-N2 21. RxP RxR 22. QxR Q-Q4 23. N-B3 BxB 24. QxQ BxQ 0-1

Algebraic 1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. a3 Be7 5. e3 0-0 6. Bd3 d5 7. Qc2 Ne4 8. Ne2 c5 9. 0-0 Nc6 10. f3 cxd4 11. fxe4 dxc3 12. exd5 exd5 13. Qxc3 dxc4 14. Qxc4+ Kh8 15. Qc2 Bd6 16. g3 Ne5 17. Nd4 Nxd3 18. Qxd3 Be5 19. Bd2 b6 20. Bc3 Bb7 21. Rxf5 Rxf5 22. Qxf5 Qd5 23. Nf3 Bxc3 24. Qxd5 Bxd5 0-1

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 2003

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June 26 2003

Winston-Salem Journal, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Thursday, June 26, 2003

Chauvenet
Mr. Louis Russell Chauvenet “Russ” of Clarebridge/Alterra Winston-Salem died peacefully in his sleep on the night of June 24, 2003. Russ was born in Knoxville, Tenn., Feb. 12, 1920, and was raised near Charlottesville, Va., the oldest of six children of Louis and Caroline Chauvenet. At the age of 10 he became deaf as a result of bacterial meningitis. He graduated from the Belmont High School in Belmont, Mass., and attended Harvard University, Boston College and the University of Virginia. He held a bachelor of arts degree in biology and a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Virginia. He worked in the computer field as a civilian employee of the U.S. Defense Department from 1948 until his retirement. Outside of work, Russ was well known in several areas. He was a founder of science-fiction fandom as a member of “The Stranger Club” in the Boston area and invented the word “fanzine” since used to describe private fan publications in areas of interest. He was for many years a member of the Fantasy Amateur Press Association (FAPA) and a published poet in the state of Maryland.
From an early age Russ took an interest in chess. He was a lifetime member of the U.S. Chess Federation and was the 1959 U.S. Amateur Champion. He won numerous other chess honors and awards and was the several-time champion of Virginia, two-time champion of Maryland and also won the Southern Championship, Delaware Championship and Washington, D.C., Championship. He was the highest-rated deaf player in the U.S. and won the U.S. Deaf Championship every time he entered it, never losing a game in the tournament. He represented the U.S. in the world deaf team and individual competition and was twice the runner-up in the world individual tournament.
Russ had a great love of sailing and was devoted to the Windmill Class Sailing Association. He built one of the first Windmills and attended regattas from Maine to Florida. He was the high-point Champion of the Chesapeake By Yacht Racing Association in 1975. His activities in the Windmill Class led to his being one of only four people elected to honorary membership in the class association. After he retirement, Russ resumed his college running career with the Montgomery County (Maryland) track club. He was honored in the D. C. area and recognized as a “1000K Man” when he completed his 100th 10K race (all between the ages of 62-75).
Russ was devoted to his family. His wife, the former Sarah Jane Barrett, died in June 2001 and Russ died on what would have been their 59th wedding anniversary. They had one child, Allen, a pediatric oncologist at Brenner Children's Hospital/Wake Forest University. Their daughter-in-law, Julia Cruz, is a medical oncologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Their two grandchildren are Nicolas Cruz Chauvenet, a 2003 graduate of Reynolds High School and Christina Anna Chauvenet, a member of the class of 2004 at Reynolds High School. Russ is survived by two of his sisters, Calise Conley of Kansas and Roberta Marie Hopkins of Minnesota. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. His ancestors included William Bradford (Governor of Plymouth Plantation) and William Chauvenet (the leading American mathematician of the mid-19th century and a founder of the U.S. Naval Academy). Russ was a brilliant yet modest man, always fair and honest, who was loved, appreciated and respected by all who had the opportunity to cross paths with him in this life. Burial will be at Riverview Cemetery in Charlottesville, Va., at 11 a.m. Friday, June 27. In lieu of flowers or others gifts, the family would be pleased for contributions in Russ' memory to be made either to: Children's Cancer Fund, c/o Dr. Marcia Wofford, Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-081 or to the Windmill Class Association, 417 Gold Drive, Hoover, AL 35226. (Arrangements by Russell Funeral Home.)

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1944

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January 03 1944

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, Monday, January 03, 1944

Moscowitz Takes Final Chess Match
Jack Moscowitz, winning his adjourned game with Dr. Joseph Platz yesterday, completed his schedule in the annual tournament for the championship of the Manhattan Chess Club with a score of 6½-2½. Moskowitz thus moved close to Arnold S. Denker, leading with 7-1, and Robert Willman, 6-1.
Willman was engaged with Edward S. Jackson Jr., but after an interesting struggle, with honors even, the match stood adjourned. Harold M. Phillips defeated L. Walter Stephens. An adjourned game between Dr. Platz and Jackson was drawn.

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1943

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October 25 1943

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, Monday, October 25, 1943

Jackson, Dr. Platz Victors at Chess
Edward S. Jackson Jr. and Dr. J. Platz were victors in the opening round of the tournament for the championship of the Manhattan Chess Club yesterday. Two games were drawn and one adjourned.
The summaries:
Jackson 1, H. M. Phillips 0; Dr. Platz 1, L. W. Stephens 0; Arnold S. Denker ½, Jack Moscowitz ½; Weaver W. Adams ½, Albert S. Pinkus ½; Shainswit vs. Chauvenet, adjourned.

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1937

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December 23 1937

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, Thursday, December 23, 1937

Harvard Unbeaten In College Chess
Harvard captured the H.Y.P.D. Chess League Championship for the third year when the combination of John L. Foster, of Jackson Heights, John J. Fernsler and William M. Murphy, both of Flushing and Louis Chauvenet, of New York, defeated Dartmouth at the Marshall Club yesterday. The victory completed a Crimson sweep of the series in which no game was lost.

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1950

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December 03 1950

Evening star, Washington, District of Columbia, Sunday, December 03, 1950

Chess Notes by Donald H. Mugridge
After three rounds of the Washington Divan's championship tourney, Nathan Robins leads with three straight wins. In round 2 he won the exchange from Hugh C. Underwood after 15 moves of a Queen's Indian Defense, and won the end game some 30 moves later. Against John R. Rice, who played a Cambridge Spring Defense, Robins castled on the queen's side and attacked sharply on the king's. He sacrificed a knight on move 26 and forced Rice's resignation three moves later.
Ernest M. Knapp stands in second place with 2½ points. His second-round game with Russell Chauvenet had become extremely critical, with Chauvenet attacking on the king's side and Knapp seeking counterplay in the center, when Chauvenet missed the purport of a knight move and resigned after his queen was trapped. In round 3, Knapp won the exchange from Martin C. Stark, but agreed to a draw in a position in which he could well have continued to play for a win.
Hans Berliner won his second-round game from Rice after the latter, in time pressure, has transposed from a favorable position into a hopelessly lost rook end-game. He has a theoretical chance of catching up with the leaders, but stands unfavorably in his adjourned game with Thomas, where he has given up a piece for small compensation. Three players have scores of 2-1; Florence M. Campomanes, Chauvenet, and Eugene Sadowski. Campomanes won his adjourned first-round ending from Thomas, and defeated Comdr. Charles D. Mott, also after an adjournment, in the second. In the third he won a pawn from Chauvenet, but failed to achieve a coherent development, and the White pieces ganged up on his pathetically isolated king. In round 2, Sadowski won from Thomas, who had left his king in the center, by a neat combination involving the pin of several white pieces. In round 3, Sadowski accepted Nash's offer of two pawns in the opening, and put up a solid defense against which the White pieces beat in vain. Nash eventually tried a bishop sacrifice, but resigned soon after.
Nash and Stark drew a hard game in round 2, and each have one point composed of two draws. Comdr. Mott's point was earned in the third round, when his heavy blows demolished Underwood's close position. Rice has half a point, and Thomas and Underwood have yet to score.
Russell Chauvenet's games are regularly very interesting, since he combines a modern knowledge of the openings with an aggressive style and great tactical ingenuity. Of the two that follow, the first was played in round 1 of the Divan Championship, and the other in the Navcom-Divan match.

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1959

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June 11 1959

Courier-Post, Camden, New Jersey, Thursday, June 11, 1959

L. R. Chauvenet Winner of Amateur Tournament
Louis R. Chauvenet, well-known Silver Spring, Md., star was the winner of the national amateur chess tournament at Asbury Park. He was the only player in the tournament to finish with a perfect score of 6 victories and no defeats.
Dr. Erich W. Marchand, of Rochester, N. Y., finished second with a score of 5½ to ½. Following at 5-1 each were Dr. Michael Rotov, of Hammonton, recent winner of the South Jersey Chess Association championship; Harold C. Evans, Edgar T. McCormick, Dr. David Hamburger, of Brigantine, Larry Snyder, of Philadelphia, Boris Garfinkel, and Thomas W. Benham, of Trenton. Miss Lisa Lane, also with a score of 5-1, won the women's championship.
As will be noted, the South Jersey contingent at the tournament made an excellent showing. Dr. Rotov's only loss was to Chauvenet.

Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1941

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July 07 1941

The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, Monday, July 07, 1941

Youth Baffles Experts, Wins Title at Chess
Defeats 8-Times Champion in 'Sensational' Game.
By CHARLES GILMORE.
Playing in his first important I match, a 21-year-old deaf youth from Esmont, Va., won the Southern Open chess tournament here yesterday after he had defeated an eight-time champion in a game that experts described as “sensational.”
His victory was planned during the first few moves of the crucial game when he suddenly astounded veterans by sacrificing a pawn with apparently no reason. The move, an utterly new tactic in chess, paved the way to success.
He is L. R. Chauvenet, and he entered the tournament as an underdog. But during the strenuous play he lost only one game, that to J. R. Jackson, an accountant of 660 Virginia avenue, who was Georgia's only representative in the championship division of chess. This game was lost after he had clinched the championship.
Battle of Wits.
To win the match Chauvenet beat Nestor Hernandez, of Tampa, Fla. Neither man had lost a game when they met, and their battle of wits attracted the attention of experts from all parts of the nation who attended the event.
After the preliminary moves of the deciding game, the match went into a Sicilian defense, which means, roughly, that both players agreed to fight it out to the end and eliminate the possibility of a draw or stalemate. Experts called it a “dangerous, cut-throat” defense, at which Hernandez was a master.
Indeed, when after a few moves Chauvenet “threw” away a pawn, it appeared to observers that Hernandez had again won a victim. But the master only fell into a well-laid trap, and when he captured the sacrificed piece, he gave Chauvenet the initiative that developed into an irresistible attack.
Many Atlantans competed in the tournament, held at the Biltmore hotel. Contestants played each other at long tables, marked with the familiar checkered boards.
Atlantan Wins.
One Atlantan, J. E. Woody, of 483 Wabash avenue, won the class A division title. He was the only player to go through the tourney without the loss of a single game. He was not competing in the championship division, however.
Woody was drawn twice, once by Peter G. Cranford, of 156 Waverly way, and once by D. B. Bryan, of Durham, N. C. Cranford and Alfred Barnard, of 790 Ponce de Leon place, along with J. M. Palmer, of Norfolk, Va., were tied three ways for fourth place. Joseph Taylor, of Chattanooga, Tenn., was second in the class A group and Bryan was third.
The championship play, however, drew most of the attention and it built up naturally to the climax between the youth who lost his hearing at the age of 9, when stricken by infantile paralysis, and the master of Tampa, Florida.
So complicated was the game, and so subtle was Chauvenet's master pawn move and his crashing check which forced Hernandez to resign at the end, that it is now being annotated by the winner so that chess fans can actually determine what happened.
Pawn Sacrifice.
The pawn sacrifice occurred near the outset of the game. In the customary “Forsyth Notation,” the board was set up at the time as follows, with Black played by Hernandez and White by Chauvenet:

FEN 4rnkq/1p3p1p/p4P2/4p1P1/1P1pQ3/2rB2R1/2P4P/R6K b - - 1 32

From this arrangement, with Hernandez moving, his bishop captured a knight at queen's bishop's 3. Chauvenet, with a pawn, captured the attacking bishop. Then it was that Hernandez took the fatal pawn with his pawn at king's 5.
The move gave the young Virginian the initiative, and later the game.
The check was arrived at with a board as follows:

FEN 4r1kq/1Q3p2/p4PR1/4p3/1P1p1n2/2rB4/2P4P/R6K b - - 0 35

White to move:

1. Q-K4 N-N3 2. QxNP N-B5 3. P-N6 RPxP 4. RxPch! Resigns.

1. Qe4 Ng6 2. Qxb7 Nf4 3. g6 hxg6 4. Rxg6+ Resigns.

At this stage, if Hernandez had captured the checking bishop with a rook, Chauvenet would have moved his rook to his knight's spot and checked again. The only answer would be the motion of the king to rook's 2, which Chauvenet could counter by capturing the rook with his queen and checking again, setting up two lines.
With Hernandez placing second in the championship division, third place went to A. T. Henderson, of Lynchburg, Va., W. W. Gibbs, or Staunton, Va., and W. N. Woodbury of Birmingham, tied for fourth place.
In the Class B division, J. T. Stallings, of Winston-Salem, N. C., defeated Francis F. Shurling, of 1230 Piedmont avenue, in the playoff.
In a business meeting, W. N. Woodbury was elected president of the Southern Chess Association; J. E. Woody was named vice president, and W. W. Gibbs was chosen secretary and treasurer.
A Georgia state champion will be selected on Labor Day in a tournament sponsored by the Atlanta Chess League, which is one of the largest in the south with its 75 members.

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July 08 1941

The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, Tuesday, July 08, 1941

Virginian, 21, Cops Southern Chess Crown
L. R. Chauvenet, brilliant 21 year-old chess expert from Esmont, Va., became Southern champion Sunday by winning a crucial game from N. Hernandez of Tampa, Fla., and drawing the final game with ex-champion W. N. Woodbury, of Birmingham, Ala. Chauvenet lost only one game, and that to J. R. Jackson, of Atlanta, Georgia's lone representative in the championship division.
Chauvenet has been playing since he was 9 years of age, and was good enough to be the first freshman to play a Harvard chess team. Due to an attack of spinal meningitis, he is deaf but not seemingly handicapped. The Southern championship is his first major victory. Hernandez placed second. A. T. Henderson of Lynchburg, Va took third. W. N. Woodbury, of Birmingham, and W. W. Gibbs, of Lynchburg, tied for fourth.
J. E. Woody, of Atlanta, won handily in the Class A section with no losses in seven games against D. B. Bryan, of Durham, N. C., and Peter G. Cranford, of Atlanta. By virtue of his victory, Mr. Woody automatically qualifies for the championship flight next year. Joseph Taylor, Chattanooga, took second place. D. B. Bryan was third. Alfred Barnard and Peter G. Cranford, both of Atlanta, were in a three-way tie for fourth place, with J. M. Palmer, Norfolk, Va.
J. T. Stallings, Winston-Salem, N. C., expert, defeated Francis F. Shurling, well-known Atlanta political figure, for the Class B title in a play-off. Stallings lost one game to Elijah Brown, Atlanta attorney. Mrs. J. R. Harrison, Macon, placed fourth.
In the business session which preceded the awarding of prizes, W. N. Woodbury was elected president of the Southern Chess Association. J. E. Woody, Class A titleholder, was elected vice president, and W. W. Gibbs secretary-treasurer.

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October 01, 1941

Evening star, Washington, District of Columbia, Wednesday, October 01, 1941

Southern Chess Championship, 1941.

Louis Russell Chauvenet (white) vs. Nestor Hernandez (black)
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation

Descriptive 1. P-K4 P-QB4 2. N-KB3 N-QB3 3. P-Q4 PxP 4. NxP N-B3 5. N-QB3 P-Q3 6. QB-N5 Q-R4 7. BxN NPxB 8. B-N5 B-Q2 9. N-N3 Q-Q 10. O-O B-N2 11. K-R P-QR3 12. B-K2 P-B4 13. P-B4 B-K3 14. P-KN4 BxQN 15. PxB BxN 16. RPxB PxKP 17. Q-Q5 Q-Q2 18. P-QN4 R-QB 19. QR-Q Q-K3 20. Q-KR5 Q-N3 21. Q-R4 Q-N2 22. Q-R3 N-Q 23. R-Q4 N-K3 24. P-N5 O-O 25. RxKP RxP 26. B-Q3 P-Q4 27. R-K3 P-Q5 28. R-N3 R-K 29. P-B5 N-B 30. P-B6 Q-R 31. Q-R4 P-K4 32. Q-K4 N-N3 33. QxNP N-B5 34. P-N6 RPxP 35. RxPch! 1-0

Algebraic 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 Qa5 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. Nb3 Qd8 10. 0-0 Bg7 11. Kh1 a6 12. Be2 f5 13. f4 Be6 14. g4 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Bxb3 16. axb3 fxe4 17. Qd5 Qd7 18. b4 Rc8 19. Rfd1 Qe6 20. Qh5 Qg6 21. Qh4 Qg7 22. Qh3 Nd8 23. Rd4 Ne6 24. g5 0-0 25. Rxe4 Rxc3 26. Bd3 d5 27. Re3 d4 28. Rg3 Re8 29. f5 Nf8 30. f6 Qh8 31. Qh4 e5 32. Qe4 Ng6 33. Qxb7 Nf4 34. g6 hxg6 35. Rxg6+! 1-0

If 35. … NxR; 36. BxN R-KB; 37. BxPch! and wins.
This was the crucial game of the 1941 Southern Chess Association championship tournament at Atlanta. Russell Chauvenet of Esmont, Va., gained the title by outplaying A. T. Henderson and Nestor Hernandez, sometime titleholder.

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1947

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September 02, 1947

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, Tuesday, September 02, 1947

Three Winners Display Their Prizes at Conclusion of State Chess Meet
Shown (left to right) are H. A. White, Jr., R. Chauvenet, C. R. Levet

14-Year-Old Grabs Honors From State Chess Champion
The youthful defender of the crown among the elite of Virginia chess enthusiasts, 27-year-old Russell Chauvenet, of Charlottesville, retained his title here yesterday, but not before he had relinquished the competitive limelight to a Richmond lad half his age.
As Mr. Chauvenet still was absorbed in the throes of deep concentration with L. G. Beckham, of RFD 15, playing their final match, Harold A. White, Jr., 14, of 1237 Lorraine Ave., had swept all comers aside in Group B with eight straight victories and no losses.
The 1947 renewal of the Virginia State chess tournament, reaching its conclusion yesterday after three days of play at Hotel Richmond, was even more distinctive in that it featured three father-son combinations.
One of young White's victims, ironically enough, was Louis Chauvenet, the 52-year-old Democratic leader of Charlottesville and the father of the defending champion, who placed third in Group B.
Perhaps even more humbling to the good-natured senior Chauvenet, however, was the fact that another juvenile competitor, W. Leigh Ribble, Jr., of 422 North Sheppard St., a 12-year-old, placed second to young White.
Apparently determined not to be outdone by his son, who was the youngest entrant in this year's tournament, was the Rev. W. Leigh Ribble, Sr., who took second honors in Group A. This division, second only to the championship flight, was won by C. R. Levet, of Petersburg, a newcomer to State tournament circles.
The Rev. Mr. Ribble, whose namesake displayed unusual finesse in playing the ancient game, indicated that the resemblance between father and son in his case thus far extends only to physical appearances and a love for chess.
As for Mr. White, a third-place winner, whose wife is president of the Richmond Chess Club, there was appropriate pride in his tone when he said his son “will be beating me in a day or two.”
Results of the tournament, which was under the direction of S. Ross Owens, according to games won, lost, drawn and final scores, were:
Championship (incomplete): Chauvenet, 6-0-1—6½-½; Beckham 4-0-3—5½-½; E. M. Knapp, of Arlington, 4-2-1—4½-2½; A. T. Henderson, of Lynchburg, 3-4-0—3-4; W. R. Triplett, of Portsmouth, 1-6-0—1-6; Nelson Bond, of Roanoke, 1-5-1—1½-5½; J. M. Palmer, of Norfolk, 1-4-0, and Edgar Holladay, Charlottesville, 4-2-0 (pending outcome of one game).
Group A: Levet, 5-1-1—5½-1½; Ribble, Sr., 4-1-2—5-2; White, Sr., R. G. Cleek, of Richmond, and C. S. Reily, of Richmond, all 3-3-1—3½-1½ (tied for third); G. B. Spencer, of Portsmouth, 1-3-2—3-4, and E. O. Talmage, of Petersburg, 3-4-0—3-4; C. S. Boggess, of Richmond, 1-6-0—1-6.
Group B: White, Jr., 8-0-0—8-0; Ribble, Jr., 5-3-0—5-3; Louis Chauvenet, 4-4-0—4-4; A. C. Abbott, of Roanoke, 2-6-0—2-6, and Mrs. W. K. Compton, of Richmond, 1-7-0—1-7.

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1940

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September 29 1940

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas, Sunday, September 29, 1940

Correspondence chess frequently is more lively than over-the-board play. This fact may puzzle the person who doesn't play chess or the player who has never engaged an opponent by mail. In correspondence chess a person has an opportunity for thorough analysis of various continuations offered by each move. A gambit or a sacrifice move which might be discarded in an over-the-board game because the time element prohibits study might be found playable with proper analysis. In this game played in the Continental Jubilee Correspondence Tournament sponsored by the veteran Herman Helms of New York the dreaded Muzio Gambit was played with success.

Louis Russell Chauvenet (white) vs. Steele (black)
King's Gambit Accepted: Muzio Gambit, Sarratt Defense

Descriptive 1. P-K4 P-K4 2. P-KB4 PxP 3. N-KB3 P-KN4 4. B-B4 P-N5 5. O-O PxN 6. QxP Q-B3 7. P-K5 QxP 8. P-Q3 B-R3 9. N-B3 N-K2 10. B-Q2 P-QB3 11. QR-K Q-B4ch 12. K-R P-Q4 13. Q-R5 Q-Q3 14. BxQP PxB 15. N-N5 Q-QN3 16. B-N4 QN-QB3 17. N-Q6ch K-Q2 18. B-R3 N-N5 19. NxBP R-K 20. NxB NxBP 21. QxRch KxQ 22. RxNch 1-0

Algebraic 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. 0-0 gxf3 6. Qxf3 Qf6 7. e5 Qxe5 8. d3 Bh6 9. Nc3 Ne7 10. Bd2 c6 11. Rfe1 Qc5+ 12. Kh1 d5 13. Qh5 Qd6 14. Bxd5 cxd5 15. Nb5 Qb6 16. Bb4 Nc6 17. Nd6+ Kd7 18. Ba3 Nb4 19. Nxf7 Re8 20. Nxh6 Nxc2 21. Qxe8+ Kxe8 22. Rxe7+ 1-0

Because white will mate with his next move—23. N-KB7mate.

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1939

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September 04 1939

The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Virginia, Monday, September 04, 1939

Triplett Loses in State Chess Meet at Staunton
Staunton, Sept 3.—(AP)—A. T. Henderson, of Lynchburg, was leading the annual State chess championship here last night with victories over W. W. Gibbs, of Staunton, and Mr. Triplett, of Norfolk.
Also playing in the championship division, Russell Chauvenet, of Esmont, won one from and lost one game to Triplett and defeated B. E. Estes, of Roanoke. W. M. P. Mitchell, Richmond, also had won once from Estes.
Play will be continued tomorrow.

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1936

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August 21 1936

The Daily News Leader, Staunton, Virginia, Friday, August 21, 1936

Virginia State Chess Play Sept. 5-7
While the world chess experts are holding forth at Nottingham, England, and the lesser aspirants for United States honors are fighting it out in Philadelphia, local devotees of the game are preparing for the Virginia state championship tournament which will be held in Lynchburg, Sept. 5, 6, and 7.
Staunton will be represented in the Virginia tournament by W. W. Gibbs, who won the state championship last year, and probably by A. M. Hoge in the open tournament.
Russell Chauvenet, of Esmont, has signified his intention of entering, and it is hoped many more chess players from this section will be able to take part.
The 1936 trophy will be donated by the family of the late Wm. L. Moorman, of Lynchburg, and will be known as the Moorman trophy.

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Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1949

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May 06 1949

News and Record, Greensboro, North Carolina, Friday, May 06, 1949

Chess Tournament Set For Raleigh
Raleigh, May 5.—(AP)—The first annual Eastern North Carolina chess tournament will open in Raleigh Friday, May 6, at 7:30 o'clock under the sponsorship of the North Carolina Chess Association. The opening session will be held at the skating rink at Pullen Park.
A large turnout is expected since it is an open tournament. Entries from out of the state are scheduled to take part.
Among the outstanding players are Martin Southern of Nashville, Tenn., and Russell Chauvenet of Charlottesville, Va.
North Carolina's chief contenders for the crown will be 15-year-old State Champion Kit Crittenden of Raleigh, Bill Paters of Durham, 1947 champion, and Bill Adickes of Asheville.
The tourney is the first of a series of three tournaments planned this Summer. A Western contest will be held in the early Summer followed by the state championship tournament in the late Summer or early Fall.
M. H. Upchurch of Durham is secretary-treasurer of the state association.

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June 17 1949

The Richmond News Leader, Richmond, Virginia, Friday, June 17, 1949

Top Chessmen Will Compete In Tournament
Championship chess players from throughout 10 States and the District of Columbia will gather at the Hotel John Marshall July 2 for the annual four-day tournament of the Southern Chess Association.
More than 75 players from Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Alabama will engage in the competitions for championship titles, cash awards, and three trophies to be awarded by Miller & Rhoads.
Play will start at 2 P. M., July 2 after a morning business session. Elimination matches will continue through the next two days. Final play, to be held on the morning of July 5 will be followed by a banquet and the election of association officers.
Martin Southern, of Knoxville, Tenn., president of the association, pointed out that a number of State champions will compete in the tournament in an effort to win the Southern Association crown from 18-year-old Jerry Sullivan, a Knoxville College student, holder of the 1948 championship.
Players who will compete include Russell Chauvenet, of Charlottesville, Virginia champion; Kit Crittenden, 14, of Raleigh, North Carolina champion, and Paul Cromelin, of Augusta. Georgia.

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