AJanuary 29 1932
February 01 1932
February 06 1932
International Chess Festival 06 Feb 1932, Sat Cheltenham Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic (Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England) Newspapers.com
The first “Chess Festival” promoted and financed by a newspaper was opened at the Central Hall, Westminster, on Monday, and continued there all week. The second half will be conducted at the “Empire Social Chess Club,” at Whiteley's Stores, Bayswater, W., from Monday next to Saturday, when the prizes will be presented. The Congress is the only event of its kind and magnitude held in London since 1922. As we have previously mentioned it is provided by the “Sunday Referee,” and it is managed by Mr. W. Hatton-Ward, that journal's chess editor. There are no entry fees, and admission to see the play is free, by ticket, to be obtained from Mr. Hatton-Ward, “Sunday Referee,” 17 Tudor-street, London, E.C.4. But probably any player can easily gain admission next week at Whiteley's.
The chief tourney is the International Masters', with twelve competitors—Dr. Alekhine, Dr. Tartakower (Poland), Geza Maroczy (Hungary), Koltanowski (Belgium), I. Kashdan (U.S.A.), Salo Flohr (Czechoslovakia), Mir Sultan Khan, W. Winter, V. Buerger, and P. S. Milner Barry—who not many years ago was of Cheltenham College and at that time won the British Boys' championship.
Dr. Alekhine had a great reception when he appeared at the Empire Social Chess Club on Friday of last week and engaged in simultaneous play against twenty-four strong London opponents. He won all but two games, which were drawn by Dr. F. Duncan and Mr. A. Streeter. Another end encounter was fixed for to-day (Sat.) at 7 p.m. at the Central Hall, Westminster.
One of the prize tourneys is for women, and the entries include the strongest in this country except Miss V. Menchik. Her sister, Olga, is one. Both were playing in Cheltenham a few years since. There is considerable difference in chess strength.
The prizes.—These are, in the “Masters' Tourney”: 1st £50, 2nd £30, 3rd £20, 4th £10. In the “Premier Reserve”: 1st £10, 2nd £5, 3rd £3, 4th £2. And the same in women's tourney. Some anonymous chess patron gives £10 for the most brilliant or “best recovery game” played during the Festival.
July 1932
Participants in the Pasadena 1932 Tournament. Dr. Alexander Alekhine (Seated), World Chess Champion, at World Chess Congress, Hotel Maryland, Pasadena, California. Standing, left to right—Fred Reinfeld, Harry Borochow, A. J. Fink, Reuben Fine, Jacob Bernstein, Samuel Reshevsky, Herman Steiner, Isaac Kashdan, Captain J. J. Araiza, Arthur W. Dake and Samuel Factor.
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 22 1932
Chess King's Eye Hypnotic 22 Aug 1932, Mon The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
Chess King's Eye Hypnotic
Personality Makes Pawn of Opponent
Pasadena, Aug. 21. (Exclusive) Just as scientists have been led for more than a decade by Dr. Albert Einstein, devotees of chess, most scientific of parlor pastimes, have been led during the same period by Alexander. “The Great” Alekhine (pronounced to rhyme with Einstein.)
The Chess Masters who have met and been defeated with ease by Alekhine in the International Chess Congress, now in session here, assert that the world's chess champion exerts an unconscious hypnotic influence over his adversaries.
“It wasn't that he is the greatest chess tactician who ever lived there's no doubt of that but it was the overpowering force of his personality that got me,” declared an expert after Alekhine had defeated him.
Two defeated adversaries, in comparing notes, agreed that “When you play with Alekhine, you have the peculiar feeling that some one is staring at the back of your head.”
The world's champion has studied psychology all his life, but denies that he makes conscious use of this knowledge in his matches. Neither does he or any of the other Chess Masters use such tricks as tapping on the table or staring an opponent in the eyes to sidetrack the train of thought.
Mr. Alekhine, a high-born Russian, escaped to Paris from Russia during the revolution. He is now a citizen of France and practices law in Paris. During a game, he reveals a disturbingly calm and relaxed exterior, despite his rapid consumption of cigarettes and coffee.
While imprisoned in Germany during the World War, he developed “hyper-modern” chess without the aid of chess boards or pieces. Chess critics ascribe part of Alekhine's success to the oriental blood which is said to flow in many Russians' veins. Such oriental blood, it is asserted, would account for much of Alekhine's suave imperturbability.
A few days ago, the champion defeated Adolph J. Fink, twice California State champion, in exactly fourteen moves, thirty or forty moves commonly being required for a chess victory.
It is whispered that there is one man in the world whom Alekhine fears. This man is Capablanca, a Cuban, who also is asserted to exert an uncanny hypnotic influence. Although Alekhine won a closely contested contest from Capablanca a few years ago, thereby winning a $10,000 side bet, it is asserted he refused to play him at this congress unless he was given a guarantee of $2000.
The money was not raised and the world's second best chess player failed to attend the congress.
A drawing of Russian chess champion Alexander Alekhine, Pasadena, August 1932, Los Angeles Times.
The sketch of Dr. Alekhine, resting one fist against his face and in the middle of a chess game with an unseen opponent, is pinned to a wall. Photograph appears with the article, “Chess King's Eye Hypnotic,” Los Angeles times, 22 Aug 1932.
Dr. Alekhine has studied psychology all his life and after escaping from Russia to Paris during the revolution is now a citizen of France and a practitioner of law. Despite his rapid consumption of cigarettes and coffee The Great Alekhine displays a calm and relaxed demeanor.
Text from newspaper caption: Alexander (The Great) Alekhine The above pencil sketch from life, made my Graziella Jacoby for The Times, shows the Parisian chess wizard in the midst of a problem. (Source: UCLA/Los Angeles Times)
September 16 1932
