1970
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Harry Zirn, 1953
July 13 1953
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, Monday, July 13, 1953
Harry Zirn, 73, Boro Lawyer, Top Ranking Chess Player
Funeral services for Harry Zirn, 73, a lawyer with offices at 215 Montague St., were held today in the Riverside Memorial Chapel, Ocean Parkway and Coney Island Ave.
Mr. Zirn, who died Saturday of a heart attack in his apartment in the Hotel St. George, was a graduate of Boys High School and New York Law School. He was admitted to the bar in 1901.
A top-ranking chess player, Mr. Zirn was champion years ago of the old Brooklyn Chess Club, and in 1908 missed winning the State title by a narrow margin. In that tournament, by defeating Frank J. Marshall, the United States champion, he prevented the title holder from reaching the final round.
Mr. Zirn was one of the founders of the Brooklyn Jewish Center on Eastern Parkway.
Surviving are his wife, Fanny; three daughters, Mrs. Ruth Z. Manshel, Mrs. Sylvia Z. Buff and Mrs. Hilda Z. Lieberman; two brothers, Samuel and Abraham, and two sisters, Ruth Zirn and Mrs. Rose Fleischman.
Arthur William Dake, 1939
October 22 1939
The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, Sunday, October 22, 1939
California State Championship Tournament
We have just received the acceptance of A. J. Fink, former State champion; William P. Barlow, also A. W. Dake, Pacific Coast champion, to participate in the forthcoming tournament starting Nov. 18 at the headquarters of the Hollywood Chess group, 108 N. Formosa Ave., Los Angeles.
The preliminary tournament, which began Oct. 16, and up to date two games finished, in which Harry Borochow, State champion, won from P. Woliston in a 21-move game (French Defense) and G. S. G. Patterson won from G. O. Draper in a 40-move Queen's Pawn Opening. The Steiner-Reinhardt game was postponed.
Season tickets for the tournament are now available for $5 and may be ordered through the writer.
Arthur William Dake, 1931
January 15 1931
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, Thursday, January 15, 1931
Title for Arthur Dake
Having gained much of what he had come to seek, Arthur Dake, the youthful expert from Portland, Oregon, is ready now to turn his steps toward the setting sun.. After a comparatively short sojourn in the East, he has succeeded in making the folks around here sit up and take notice.
Last summer, at Utica, Dake made a close finish in the State championship, which went to A. E. Santasiere after a tie with Norman Lessing. Next he finished first in a field of juniors at the Rice Progressive Chess Club, not to mention numerous prizes in lightning tourneys.
Now, to cap the climax, he is champion of the Marshall Chess Club, after surviving the preliminaries and finals without the loss of a game. Sensibly, he has decided upon a long rest and will seek it in his home on the Pacific Coast.
By June he expects to be back in Chicago to compete in the tournament of the National Chess Federation. The good wishes of the friends he has made here will go with him.
Appended is the score of Dake's victory over Bentz in the last round.
David Bentz (white) vs. Arthur William Dake (black)
Alekhine Defense: Scandinavian Variation
White resigns, for if 33. K-R then P-N6, etc.
Arthur William Dake, 2000
May 12 2000
The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, Friday, May 12, 2000
Arthur William Dake; Believed to Be World's Oldest Chess Grandmaster
Arthur William Dake, 90, believed to be the world's oldest chess grandmaster. Dake grew up in Portland, Ore., where he learned chess from a Russian immigrant living in the local YMCA. After high school and stints as a merchant seaman, he settled in New York City in 1929, opening a chess and checkers stand on Coney Island with a leading checkers player named Kenneth Grover. He began to play in tournaments, winning the prestigious Marshall Chess Club championship in 1931. He was subsequently invited to join the U.S. team in the 1931 world team championships in Prague and helped lead the team to victory. He also played on gold-medal-winning American teams in 1933 and 1935. His finest game came when he defeated the sitting world champion, Alexander Alekhine of France, in 1932. He was the first American to beat Alekhine, who ultimately won the tournament. After marrying in 1935, Dake quit chess and went to work for the Department of Motor Vehicles in Portland. He returned to tournament play intermittently from the 1940s through the 1960s and began to compete regularly after his retirement from the DMV in 1973. He was inducted into the United States Chess Federation hall of fame in 1991. On April 28 in Reno, Nev., he died after a night of blackjack, his second-favorite game.
Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Michigan, Friday, May 12, 2000
Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Michigan, Friday, May 12, 2000
Arthur William Dake
Helped U.S. win chess titles
Arthur William Dake, a chess grand master and one of the last of a talented crop of American players who won major competitions before World War II, died April 28 in Reno, Nev. He was 90 and lived in Portland, Oregon.
Mr. Dake had a brilliant although abbreviated career as a chess player. He learned the game at 17, very late for someone who would later become a top player. By the time he was 28, his career was essentially over as family responsibilities compelled him to look for a more stable and better-paying job.
In that short time, however, Mr. Dake had established himself as one of the country's best players, and he helped the American chess team win three world team championships.
Mr. Dake was born on April 8, 1910, in Portland. When he was 16, he went to work as a merchant seaman, sailing to Japan, China and the Philippines. He returned to Oregon in 1927 to go back to high school. He learned to play chess from a Russian immigrant living in a local YMCA. A year later, Mr. Dake again left home to work on a ship, this time returning to New York City in 1929.
The city was a hive of chess activity, and Mr. Dake quickly immersed himself in it. He joined leading checkers player, Kenneth Grover, in setting up a chess and checkers stand in Coney Island, where they took on all comers for 25 cents a game, but their customer base dried up with the stock market crash.
But in 1931, Mr. Dake won the championship of the prestigious Marshall Chess Club. As a result, he was asked to play on the U.S. team in the 1931 world championships in Prague. As No. 3 on the U.S. team, Dake scored five wins, two losses and seven draws, helping lead the United States team to victory.
Mr. Dake also played on U.S. teams that won world championships in Folkestone, England, in 1933 and in Warsaw in 1935. At the 1935 championships, Mr. Dake won 13 games, drew five and lost none, the best result among all the players in the event.
Mr. Dake also had some notable individual successes. He finished third in an international tournament in Pasadena in 1932, behind Alexander Alekhine, the world champion, and Isaac Kashdan, the best American player of the period.
Mr. Dake met his wife, Helen, on an oceanliner coming home from the U.S. team victory in Warsaw in 1935. He wrote years later, she “simply turned around and smiled at me. That's all.” Six weeks later they were married.
Arthur William Dake, 1988
April 17 1988
Retired Chess Champ Making a Comeback 17 Apr 1988, Sun The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com
Arthur Dake
Retired chess champ making a comeback
NEW YORK - Arthur Dake was one of the hottest chess players of the 1930s. Now, at 78, Dake is out of retirement and playing as an international grandmaster, the highest-rated level for chess players.
Dake competed in the sixth annual New York International held March 21-30 at the Penta Hotel in Manhattan. In a field of 63 international grandmasters, he won two matches, lost five and drew two, a score observers say is surprisingly good for a player his age.
“My motto is to think young,” said Dake, a tall man with a sharp gaze, smooth bald head and long stride.
Dake was one of the foremost American players from 1929 to 1938, with a record bested only by Reuben Fine and Sammy Reshevsky, two world class players. In 1932, he was the first American to defeat the then world champion Alexander Alekhine, with whom he shared many nights of carousing in the nightclubs of chess tournament cities like Prague, Czechoslovakia, and Pasadena, Calif.
Carousing seems to have been one of his favorite pastimes. At 16 he was an apprentice seaman adventuring in the Far East. He began to play chess at 17 and two years later, in 1929, landed in this city, startling the chess world with his ability and self-assuredness.
He retired from professional chess in 1938 at 28 to get married, and moved to his hometown, Portland, Ore. At that time, even top international players could not support a family on chess winnings. He sold telephone directories, served in the Army, worked in shipyards and did not play serious chess for the next 35 years.
In 1973 he retired after 27 years as a driving instructor at Oregon's Department of Motor Vehicles and began to compete again, defeating several strong young players.
“I wanted to see how much spark I had left to challenge these other, younger players,” he said.
The current rating systems were not in effect when he was a professional, and it was not until 1986 that he was awarded grandmaster status by the International Chess Federation, based on his level of play 50 years ago.
“It simply shows how good he really was,” said Edmar Mednis, an international grandmaster who was observing but not competing in the tournament.
Arthur William Dake, 1955
Arthur William Dake, 1932
August 13 1932
(Calisphere) The International Chess congress will open at Pasadena on Monday with players shown above. Seated, left to right, Henry MacMahon, La Vieve Hines, Dr. Robert B. Griffith. Standing left to right, Harry Borochow, Isaac Kashdan and Arthur W. Dake. Mr. Borochow of Los Angeles is the California state champion, Mr. Dake of Portland is the Pacific Coast champion and Miss Hines is the champion woman player of the Pacific coast. Dr. Griffith of Beverly Hills is former American intercollegiate champion. Photo dated: Aug. 13, 1932.
August 16 1932
(Calisphere) Left to right, seated: Arthur W. Dake, of Portland, Ore., Pacific Coast champion; Harry Borochow, Los Angeles, California State champion; Isaac Irving Kashdan, New York City, challenger for the United States championship. Standing, Dr. Robert B. Griffith, Beverly Hills, former American inter-collegiate champion, referee. Photograph dated: August 16, 1932.
Alexander Alekhine (1892-1946), Isaac Kashdan (1905-1985), J. J. Araiza (1900-1971), Samuel Reshevsky (1911-1992), Harry Borochow (June 15, 1898-October 20, 1993), and Arthur W. Dake (1910-2000) gather for World Chess Congress, Pasadena, 1932. Photo by Los Angeles Times.
Similar photograph appears with the article, “Chess Wizards Open Congress,” Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug 1932. The chess masters of the world are attending a two-week battle royal at the Hotel Maryland in Pasadena, competing in the World's Chess Congress.
Isaac's hand is poised over the table, he and Dr. Alekhine looking into the camera from where they are seated across from each other. The rest of the men stand around their table, Captain Araiza looking at the chessboard while the other men look into the camera.
Source: UCLA/Los Angeles Times.
August 18 1932
(Calisphere) Left to right: Isaac Irving Kashdan, Arthur W. Dake, and Miss La Vieve Hines. Photo dated: Aug. 18, 1932.August 28 1932
Beats Master 28 Aug 1932, Sun The Pasadena Post (Pasadena, California) Newspapers.com
BEATS MASTER
ARTHUR DAKE
Twenty-two-year-old Portland, Ore., chess champion of the Pacific Coast, who last night won over Dr. Alexander Alekhine, world's chess champion, in the Pasadena Chess Congress at the Maryland Hotel.
Arthur William Dake, 1938
January 23 1938
Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, Sunday, January 23, 1938
Dake Enters Tourney
Portland, Jan. 22—(AP)—Arthur W. Dake, Portland's champion chess player, was advised today he would represent the Pacific coast in the 39th annual United States tournament starting April 2 in New York city.
Arthur William Dake, 1937
April 06 1937
The La Crosse Tribune, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Tuesday, April 06, 1937
State Chess Meet Opens Here Friday
14 Entries Already In For Meet; Women May See Action
The La Crosse Chess club will stage the state championship chess tournament at the Hotel La Crosse April 9, 10 and 11.
This will be the fourth annual Wisconsin tournament and is the official tournament sponsored by the Wisconsin Municipal Recreation association.
Each city or community is entitled to two entries. So far there are 14 entries, but some belated ones may still come in. Outstanding among the entries is that of Arthur Dake, formerly of Portland, Oregon, now living in Milwaukee.
Mr. Dake is a master of international reputation, having played a part in the winning of the worlds chess championship three times in succession by an American team.
Other entries from Milwaukee include Arpad E. Elo, professor of physics, Marquette university, who is rated as a state master, and Dr. O. M. J. Wehrley, a strong player. Madison will be represented by Edward Nash and John Richards, both outstanding players. Sparta and Viroqua each have one entry, as has Sturgeon Bay. Green Bay has entered two players and two are expected from Sheboygan. La Crosse will be represented by Walter Heyn, a state master, Reinhold Wittig and H. L. Atlee, winners in the recent city tournament.
The winner of the tournament receives a permanent trophy and holds the Reel cup for one year.
Several women chess players from Milwaukee recently wrote requesting us to hold a women's tournament. It is too late to form an official tourney, but local leaders advised them that they would attempt to have some local competition for them in an inter-city match to be held during the state tournament. Any women interested should get in touch with H. L. Atlee at once.
Arthur William Dake, 1935
January 03 1935
Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, Thursday, January 03, 1935
Mexico. D. F., Jan. 3.—(AP)—A triple tie for first place between Arthur W. Dake of Portland, Ore., Reuben Fine of New York; and Moises Glico of Mexico, resulted today in the fourth round of the international chess masters' tournament.
The leading scores: Dake, Fine and Glico, 4-0; Araiza and Steiner, 3-1.
Arthur William Dake, 1930
September 07 1930
The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, Sunday, September 07, 1930
In the recent New York State championship, Arthur Dake, 20-year-old Oregon champ, finished third, only a half point behind Lessing and Santasiere, who tied for first. Dake, who has been residing lately in New York City, visited Los Angeles a few months ago and seemed to have a slight edge on our local champs.
November 05 1930
The Morning Call, Paterson, New Jersey, Wednesday, November 05, 1930
Chess Champion Will Give Exhibition
Arthur Dake, of Portland, Oregon, Here on Nov. 8.
Arthur Dake, of Portland, Ore., twenty-year-old new chess luminary, will give a simultaneous and blindfold exhibition at the Paterson Chess and Checker club, room 11, Garden Theater building, on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 8 p. m. Dake is at present Pacific coast champion. In the recent New York state championship he finished second, losing by only half a point to Santasiere, whom, however, he afterward defeated in match play.
In the national junior master tourney, now being held at the Rice Chess club, in New York, young Dake is in the lead. He has defeated such noted players as Kupchik, Hodges, Helms and has several draws to his credit with Lasker. As a lightning and brilliant player he is without an equal among the masters of the younger generation. Many leading chess authorities hail him as the coming world's champion.
The Paterson Chess and Checker club extend to all interested a welcome to witness this exhibition, marking the opening of their winter activities, which will culminate in an effort to win the championship of the Northern New Jersey league, in which Paterson has entered as a competitor for the first time.
Arthur William Dake, 1934
January 28 1934
Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sunday, January 28, 1934
Arthur W. Dake of Portland, Ore., a member of the world championship chess team in 131 and 1933, will engage in a series of exhibition matches here in which he will take on all comers at the Minneapolis Chess and Checker club rooms at 8 p.m. Monday.
Arthur William Dake, 1933
January 29 1933
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sunday, January 29, 1933
Arthur W. Dake, of New York, formerly of Portland, Ore., paid an interesting visit to Philadelphia on Saturday, January 14. At the Mercantile Library he played simultaneously against 27 players, making an even score of 11 wins, 11 losses and 5 drawn games. He had, however, an exceptionally strong team against him. We give below the score of all the players. A “1” following the name signifies that the Philadelphian won and “0” following the player's name signifies that the Philadelphian lost, as, for example, B. F. Winkelman won, S. T. Sharp drew and H. Kroekel lost, etc., down the list.
The list follows:
B. F. Winkelman 1
D. G. Weiner 1
R. C. Sellers 1
H. Kroekel 0
S. T. Sharp ½
F. L. Beucler 1
A. Regen 1
I. Ash ½
J. Wilkinson 1
P. H. Langner 0
J. Silverman 1
L. W. Flaccus ½
W. E. Smith 0
S. L. Taylor 0
M. L. Lees 0
H. Roberts 0
S. Drasin 1
I. L. Stein 0
C. Dubin ½
R. S. Goerich 0
A. L. Whiteman and J. Seitchik ½
L. Segal 0
P. B. Driver l
E. R. Glover 0
L. A. Held 1
M. Shaw 0
J. Levin 1
The same day he also contested four consultation games at the Franklin Chess Club. Dake won all three of these, with the exception of the game where he met Sharp, Weiner and Levin in consultation. This game resulted in a draw after most interesting play, especially at the ending, where the Philadelphians were down a pawn, but by a splendid combination forced the draw. The game is published this week.
Arthur William Dake, 1929
May 05 1929
The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, Sunday, May 05, 1929
Elsewhere in The Times sports section today is a biography of Dr. Alexander Alekhine, who makes his second appearance in Los Angeles, but the first as a world's champion, Tuesday night at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Arthur Dake “airmails” from Portland, Or.: “Reserve a board for me. Portland Chess Club wanted Alekhine but his fee was too high, so I am coming to Los Angeles.”
May 10 1929
Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, Friday, May 10, 1929
Chess Champ Reaches San Francisco
San Francisco, May 10.—Dr. Alexander Alekhine, world chess champion, who won the title from Jose Capablanca in 1927, arrived in San Francisco today on an exhibition tour.
In the afternoon Dr. Alekhine demonstrated his skill in several consultation matches at the Mechanics' Institute, as well as playing three games blindfolded.
Commencing at 7 p. m. tomorrow night, Dr. Alekhine will play simultaneously 40 game of chess against the best talent that can be gathered at the club. Arthur Dake, Portland expert; Prof. Bruce Anthony, former Stanford chess team star, and Miss Vieve Hines, woman champion of the Pacific coast, have been invited to vie with the world champion.
Dr. Alekhine has been known to play 30 games of chess simultaneously while completely blindfolded, and can talk chess in six languages.
May 19 1929
The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, Sunday, May 19, 1929
World Champion Alekhine simultaneous exhibition at San Francisco, Saturday night, the 11th inst., packed the chess club rooms in the Mechanics' Institute. Against forty-four players he won 28, lost 8 and drew 8. The lucky winners were A. J. Fink, State champion; E. W. Gruer, former State champion; Charles Bagby,. A. B. Stamer, D. Vedensky, S. Silvius, L. Goldstone and Dr. A. Epstein. Draws were obtained by Dr. W. R. Lovegrove, Prof. G. K. Branch, Henry Gross, J. Drouillard, Leo Christianson, Fred Byron, G. Traum and L. Rosenblatt. One of the players, almost totally blind, lasted fifty-one moves while a friend, totally blind, sat alongside and recorded the game, move by move, on his Braille typewriter. Arthur Dake, 19-year-old Oregon champ, who came from Portland to Los Angeles to lose his game in the exhibition here, stopped off at San Francisco on his way home to take a second crack at the world's champion, and suffered defeat again. Alekhine states he was not feeling well up north and visited a Russian doctor upon his return to Los Angeles.
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'til the world understands why Robert J. Fischer criticised the U.S./British and Russian military industry imperial alliance and their own Israeli Apartheid. Sarah Wilkinson explains: Tweets by swilkinsonbc |
 “What a sad story Fischer was,” typed a racist, pro-imperialist colonial troll who supports mega-corporation entities over human rights, police state policies & white supremacy. |
To which I replied: “Really? I think he [Bob Fischer] stood up to the broken system of corruption and raised awareness! Whether on the Palestinian/Israel-British-U.S. Imperial Apartheid scam, the Bush wars of ‘7 countries in 5 years,’ illegally, unconstitutionally which constituted mass xenocide or his run in with police brutality in Pasadena, California-- right here in the U.S., police run rampant over the Constitution of the U.S., on oath they swore to uphold, but when Americans don't know the law, and the cops either don't know or worse, “don't care” -- then I think that's pretty darn “sad”. I think Mr. Fischer held out and fought the good fight, steadfast til the day he died, and may he Rest In Peace. Educate yourself about U.S./State Laws -- https://www.youtube.com/@AuditTheAudit/videos After which the troll posted a string of profanities, confirming there was never any genuine sentiment of “compassion” for Mr. Fischer, rather an intent to inflict further defamatory remarks. |
This ongoing work is a tribute to the life and accomplishments of Robert “Bobby” Fischer who passionately loved and studied chess history. May his life continue to inspire many other future generations of chess enthusiasts and kibitzers, alike.
March 9, 1943 - January 17, 2008The photograph of Bobby Fischer (above) from the March 02, 1956 The Tampa Times was discovered by Sharon Mooney (Bobby Fischer Newspaper Archive editor) on February 01, 2018 while gathering research materials for this ongoing newspaper archive project. Along with lost games now being translated into Algebraic notation and extractions from over two centuries of newspapers, it is but one of the many lost treasures to be found in the pages of old newspapers since our social media presence was first established November 11, 2017.
