August 21 1949
Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, Florida, Sunday, August 21, 1949
Holt Veteran Of Colorful Chess Career
By DR. A. B. FERGUSON
Major J. B. Holt of Long Beach, secretary-treasurer of the Florida Chess League, secretary-treasurer of the Southern Chess Association, president of the Correspondence Chess League of America and its acting secretary-treasurer, will be one of the top players in the upcoming State Championship tournament to be held in the club rooms Sept. 3-5 inclusive.
Major Holt has the longest and most comprehensive chess history of any of the competitors. He learned chess back in 1901 while a student of Vanderbilt University where he was taking a booster course in mathematics from Professor James McClure, CCLA Grand patron. One day Holt saw Professor McClure, deeply interested in a postal card and a set of variously shaped figures on a checkered board. This was his introduction to chess. Later his work as an engineer took him to many places in the United States and wherever there was a chess club, he joined it and resorted to his correspondence chess when unable to find an over-the-board opponent. Back in the old days he belonged to the Rice Progressive Chess Club of New York City and often played with the discoverer of the Rice Gambit who would play only with those who would play at least the first twelve moves of the Rice Gambit.
WHEN, UNCLE SAM sent Holt to the West Indies to help the Philippine government in roads, bridges and irrigation, he played chess with Jose Canno, at that time chess champion of Manila. Nisi, a Bombay Indian Fugihaka, a Japanese, Kong Wand, a Chinese, Dr. Stephans, a British army dentist and Major Grove of the U. S. Army. In Vigan in Northern Luzon, he played chess with Regario Sequa in Spanish since the latter spoke no English, in a private vault where it was cool and where Sequa had all his wealth invested in uncut diamonds. In Bengued, Holt played chess with the chieftain of the cannibal tribe of Igorotes.
World War I saw Holt a captain of engineers at Camp Custer, Mich, then major, and on his return to civil life, his work as engineer has taken him to many cities where he has joined many chess clubs.
In his den are numerous chess trophies — a moonstone chess set and boards from Manila, a head ax and a Filipino hand carved chess box from Vigan, and all through the years Holt has kept going, over one hundred games of correspondence chess with an ever increasing number of chess friends throughout the United States.
K. J. Hermann again holds top position on the ladder with 1084 points, followed by E. W. Sibley 860, Atkins 731, Kaltner 646, McCann 539, Root 404, Presstman 385 and Cassidy 199 points.
The club welcomes as guests George R. Hartson, Chas. H. Bradley, City, and F. L. Stark president of the Lakeland Chess Club.
