AJanuary 07 1912
The Minneapolis Journal, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sunday, January 07, 1912
Fifteen-Year Old Boy Plays Chess Like Veteran
David Barkuloo
Youngest member of Minneapolis Chess club.
One of the features of the chess tourney, now in progress at 412 Nicollet avenue, for the Minneapolis championship, is the playing of David Barkuloo, who will be only 15 years of age next Thursday. Although the youngest member of the Minneapolis Chess and Checker club, he is considered one of its strongest players.
He first took up the game two years ago, learning his first moves from his mother. Since that time he has forsaken the outdoor sports, usually popular with boys of his age, and has put in all his spare time in a deep study of the literature of the game.
He is unusually bright for his age, and next month will enter the North Side high school. He resides with his mother at 532 Tenth ave N.
E. P. Elliott, for thirteen years chess champion of Minneapolis, and one of the strongest players in the northwest, considers Barkuloo the best-read student of chess in the city, and predicts a brilliant future for the young Minneapolitan.
January 20 1912
The Minneapolis Journal, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Saturday, January 20, 1912
One of the most stubbornly fought games of the tournament now in progress for the city chess championship was that between E. P. Elliott, the present champion, and D. Barkuloo, the youngest member of the club. It is reproduced in this column. The game was evenly played throughout and resolved itself into a difficult pawn ending which might have been drawn had both players moved correctly. At one time Barkuloo had the advantage of a knight against a bishop in a blocked position, but he did not take enough advantage of the opportunity that presented itself.
The end play is a good illustration of the fact that even in a drawn position no player can afford to “stand still.” White in this case was guilty of “stalling” a little too much. Nevertheless, in a position that called for careful analysis, Barkuloo made a hard and interesting fight of it to the end.
Dare David Barkuloo (white) vs. Edward Percy Elliott (black)
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Beverwijk Variation
Minneapolis city chess tournament
January 27 1912
The Minneapolis Journal, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Saturday, January 27, 1912
One week from today the chess tourney started by the Minneapolis Chess and Checker club Dec. 1 to determine the city champion for 1912, will come to an end. Tonight E. P. Elliot and J. Harris, the two leaders and the only two real contenders for the title, are scheduled to play their two games. It is generally considered that Harris must win both games from Elliott, the thirteen successive year holder of the city honors, before Harris' chance of wresting the title are strengthened.
Barkuloo is particularly anxious to get the better of Harris, for if he did so he would force H. L. Baldwin out of third place and occupy that position himself. Barkuloo has won 15½ games, lost 8½ and has four games to play. Baldwin has won 18½, lost 9½, and with a completed schedule leads his youthful rival by 15 points in the percentage column.
There has been practically no play in the tourney this week. The majority of the contestants seem to be content to let the leaders fight it out.
June 19 1912
Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Wednesday, June 19, 1912
Dare Barkuloo, the 15-year-old chess player and member of the Minneapolis Chess club, defeated G. G. Chapin of St. Paul, present holder of the Minnesota state chess championship, in the first game of a series for the title at the rooms of the Minneapolis Chess club, 312 Nicollet avenue.
The game was hard fought from start to finish. Up to the 30th move it was anybody's game. At the 40th it looked as if Chapin had the strongest position, and if he had made the correct, or rather a far stronger reply at move 40, he could not have been denied a victory. Chapin, a player of pronounced nervous temperament, weakened in the last moves of the contest and made two fatal blunders which the young phenom was quick to take advantage of.
The second game of the series will be played tomorrow night at the Y.M.C.A. building, St. Paul. All lovers of the game are invited to witness the contest. Last night's game, French defense, is reproduced below in full and is well worth running over.
George G. Chapin (white) vs. Dare David Barkuloo (black)
French Defense: Advance Variation
June 21 1912
Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Friday, June 21, 1912
Fifteen-Year-Old Boy Is New State Chess Champion
Dave Barkuloo, School boy, who now holds state chess title.
W. L. Chapin of St. Paul, who won the Minnesota chess championship at the annual state tournament this spring, failed to retain the title, losing a challenge match this week to Dave Barkuloo, the youngest, but one of the strongest players in the Minneapolis Chess club.
Barkuloo Is 15 Years Old.
The match was to be decided by the best of five games, and Barkuloo succeeded in winning three straight games, which is sufficient to give him the title.
The games were all hard fought, and reflect the greatest credit on the youthful champion, who bids fair to become one of the strongest players the northwest has produced. Barkuloo is the youngest player who has ever held the title.
It is probable that there will be further challenge matches, as there are a number of local players who would like to try their strength in a set match against Barkuloo.
June 22 1912
Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Saturday, June 22, 1912
Barkuloo Wins Chess Title
Fifteen-Year-Old Boy Defeats Chapin of St. Paul for State Championship.
Dark Barkuloo, the 15-year-old phenomenon of the Minneapolis Chess club, won the Minnesota state chess championship last night in the rooms of the local club by defeating G. G. Chapin of St. Paul in the third straight game of the series. Barkuloo won the second game at St. Paul last Wednesday night in a well played game in which he handled the white pieces and opened with the “Ruy Lopez.” The resignation of the champion followed the Minneapolitan's fifty-fourth move. Chapin last night handled the white men and also adopted the “Ruy Lopez,” but Barkuloo was too much for him and Chapin was practically forced to resign at the forty-fifth move, and with his resignation he also relinquished the state honors won by him in the annual “Washington's birthday” tourney last February.
Young Barkuloo celebrated his 15th birthday last February and is the youngest member of the Minneapolis Chess club. He is a close student of the game and a great future is predicted for him. His general playing of the game is considered remarkable when it is considered that he has been playing chess just a little over two years.
Barkuloo was the challenger in the recent match and won the first game of the series in the local club's rooms, as previously announced in The Tribune.
July 02 1912
Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tuesday, July 02, 1912
Barkuloo Wins at Chess
Bland, Challenger for Minnesota Title, Defeated in Second Game of Series.
Dare Barkuloo won the second chess game of the series in the defense of his Minnesota state title from W. Bland, at the rooms of the Minneapolis chess club last night, in a contest that was full of excitement from start to finish. At the fifteenth move, Bland had worked up a strong attack on his opponent's king, and it looked as if the game was to be a short lived one. Barkuloo, with a piece to the good as against the two pawn advantage on Bland's side, soon threatened his opponent's queen, and for the next few moves it looked like a sure win for the black as played by Barkuloo. Bland proved to be a very resourceful player, and cleverly escaped for the time being.
Barkuloo, at the twenty-fifth move commenced to “swap pieces,” and still confident or securing a victory, with his one piece advantage. He figured his game to a nicety and boldly commenced a slaughter of his opponent's pawns, sacrificed his bishop in stopping Bland's passed pawn, and on his own rook's file forced Bland's resignation on the fifty-second move. The Scotch gambit was the opening used. The third game of the series will be played tonight, beginning at eight o'clock. The first game of the series played Sunday night, was drawn. The series will be terminated when one of the players succeeds in winning three games.
In announcing the result of the first game, it was stated that Bland had defeated Barkuloo in the recent Minneapolis championship tourney. This was in error; Barkuloo was the victor over Bland. Barkuloo, 15 years old last February, is proving that he is no “flash in the pan;” the young chess phenomenon has added more laurels to his growing collection by winning the Minneapolis club's ticket tourney, playing 131 games, winning 114, and losing 17, with a percentage of .808. J. Harris and Frank Stacy, both former state champions, had better averages but had failed to play the 25 games required.
The Minneapolis Journal, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tuesday, July 02, 1912
Barkuloo Wins Second.
Local Chess Champion Defeats Bland in Game Bearing on Championship.
The second game in the challenge match between Barkuloo and Bland ended in a win for the former in fifty-two moves.
Bland had the white men and played the Scotch gambit, black defending with B-N5check on the fourth move. This is a defense which gives the white a strong attack of which Bland took good advantage. He made the mistake however of trying to hurry matters by sacrificing a bishop on the fourteenth move. The resulting position was both an intricate and interesting one, involving at one stage the offer of a queen sacrifice by the white and Barkuloo defended in excellent style.
Ultimately the position resolved itself into an end game in which white had two pawns in compensation for the lost piece and appeared to have a drawn game which however, Barkuloo demonstrated to be a win by playing in his very best end-game style.
The match is for the best score out of five games (draws not counting). The first game was drawn. The third game will be played this evening at the Chess club rooms, 412 Nicollet.
July 03 1912
The Minneapolis Journal, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Wednesday, July 03, 1912
Barkuloo Wins Third
The third game in the challenge chess match for the Minnesota state title was won last night by Barkuloo, who now has two wins to his credit. The first game was a draw.
Bland again lost out owing to his weakness for exciting and interesting positions. The club secretary sacrificed a piece at an early stage of the game for an attack which looked very promising but the young champion again demonstrated his strength in defensive play, and won in thirty moves.
The fourth game will be played on Thursday morning, July 4, at 10:30. Should Barkuloo win again, this game will conclude the match.
December 08 1912
Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sunday, December 08, 1912
Barkuloo Leads Experts in Minneapolis Chess Meet
Young Minnesota Champion Has Commanding Margin in Tournament.
F. N. Stacy, Former State Title Holder, Holds Second Place in Standings.
Dare Barkuloo, the sixteen-year-old chess champion of Minnesota, still leads in the city tournament now being held at the Minneapolis Chess club, 312 Nicollet avenue. The young expert has thirteen wins, one loss, and three games that are recorded as drawn. His percentage of games, won and lost, is .853; drawn games counting as a half point in the win column.
F. N. Stacy, the former holder of the Minnesota state honors, is second in the race with 20 victories, 4 losses and two drawn games: in the percentage column he is forty-five points behind Barkuloo. E. Michelson, formerly of Chicago, is a close third in the race with 15 games won and four lost. He has yet to meet W. Hokeson, also formerly of Chicago. If those two Windy City experts meet in the two games required of them an even break would probably be the result. At present the two pawn pushers appear to be dodging the issue between them.
Barkuloo has one hard game left on his schedule, that with E. P. Elliott. The first game between them was drawn. Mr. Elliott, the several times winner of the Minneapolis honors, is hopelessly out of the race with seven defeats to date. If Barkuloo can maintain his “pace” it is generally believed that he will be returned the winner next January, when the tourney will be brought to a close.
