AApril 05 1952
Green Bay Press-Gazette, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Saturday, April 05, 1952
U. S. Chess Champion To Play Here
Mrs. Mary Bain, who won the United States Women's Chess championship in 1951, will be a guest of the Brown County Chess club April 27. She will play more than 25 boards at Tank school.
Mrs. Bain took her first chess lesson when she was 15 years old. She lived in the part of Hungary which later became Czechoslovakia. Two years later she came to the United States, and although she could not speak English, learned that chess was an international language. Her popularity was assured on the boat where she engaged in an exhibition game with the ship captain.
The late Hungarian grand master, Geza Maroczy, during his stay in this country, suggested that Mary Bain become his pupil for one year, in which time he believed she would be able to challenge Miss Menchik, the women's world champion. Maroczy was originally Miss Menchik's tutor. Instead, Mary Bain chose to raise a family and play chess only for fun.
For Movie Personalities
In 1926 Mrs. Bain moved to Hollywood and organized a chess club for movie personalities, including Douglas Fairbanks and Lew Ayres as president and vice president, respectively. Capablanca, one-time world champion, was master of the club for five months.
Mrs. Bain returned to New York with her family, and two years later joined the Marshall Chess club. She won second prize in the first series women's tournament in 1936, and a year later represented the United States in the Women's World championship in Stockholm, coming in fifth in a field of 27 entries.
In Triple Tie
She won second prize in the New York National women's tournament in 1938, and was part of a triple tie for first in an open tournament in 1939, vying for honors with Miss N. May Karff and Dr. Helen Weisenstein.
In 1940, Mrs. Bain won first prize in the expert section in the New York State tournament at Colgate university. She moved to Florida in 1941, and from 1942 to 1944 taught the game to hospitalized servicemen. She tied for first place with Miss Karff in the Pan American Women tournament held in Hollywood in 1945, and won the southern states women's championship in 1947.
In 1948 Mrs. Bain went to Cuba to play Maria Theresa Mora Cuba's women's champion. Winning the game, Mrs. Bain added another point for Marshall Chess club in their radio match with Cuba. Since she lived in Miami she was the only member of the Marshall team to go to Cuba in person. Also in 1948 Mrs. Bain went to South Fallsburg, N. Y., for the national tournament, finished right behind a first place tie.
April 07 1952
The Morning News, Wilmington, Delaware, Monday, April 07, 1952
U.S. Chess Queen To Exhibit Skill
Mrs. Mary Bain Will Meet Topnotch Local Players at YMCA Here Tomorrow
The cream of the chess talent in the Wilmington area is expected to take boards against Mrs. Mary Bain, attractive United States chess queen, in her first public exhibition here tomorrow night at the YMCA, starting at 8 o'clock.
Mrs. Bain is being brought here by the Wilmington Chess Club as a part of its current campaign to interest the local schools and public generally in learning chess.
John U. Hill, club president, announced last night that all chess players in the Wilmington area, regardless of sex or age, are eligible to take boards against Mrs. Bain for a moderate fee which will be used to cover expenses. The public may also attend as spectators for a small charge. All those taking boards are requested wherever possible to bring chessmen and boards.
Mr. Hill stressed the point that playing strength is not important in the exhibition. The experience gained from playing with an expert is invaluable in the development of chess at all stages, he said.
Local chess players expected to play against the United States woman's champion include Melvin M. Hope, Jr., current city and state champion; Lee Morris, A. A. Fischer, Mr. Hill, William M. Hart, Jr., R. D. Donaldson, M. S. Zitzman, John O. Outwater, M. R. Paul, Alan C. Knight, Donald J. Thomas, Howard R. Spindler, Charlton C. C. Harding, and others.
Mrs. Bain, born in Hungary, won the U. S. women's title in 1951. In recent years she organized a chess club in Hollywood for movie personalities. With Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., president, and Lou Ayres, vice president, the club was a great success. Capablanca, then world champion, was master of the club for some time.
April 27 1952
The Decatur Daily Review, Decatur, Illinois, Sunday, April 27, 1952
CHESS EXHIBITION
Woman Chess Champion Here
Mrs. Mary Bain, New York, N. Y., present U. S. Women's Chess champion, will give a simultaneous exhibition at 7:30 p. m. Wednesday in the recreation center, 243 South Water street.
The Decatur Chess club is sponsoring the exhibition. Fee for players is $2 a board.
Simultaneous chess is the art of playing several games at the same time.
A native of Hungary, Mrs. Bain learned chess when she was 15. She came to the United States when she was 17. Geza Maroczy, the late Hungarian chess grand master, was her teacher during his stay in the United States.
In 1926, Mrs. Bain organized a chess club in Hollywood for movie stars. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., served as president and Lou Ayres as vice president. World chess champion Jose Capablanca was master of the club for five months.
Mrs. Bain won second prize in the 1936 women's chess tournament and since then has played in several national tournaments, placing second and tying for first.
She represented the U. S. in the women's world championship tournament in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1937.
Mrs. Bain will be a guest of the C. Turner Nearings, 1400 West Macon street, while in Decatur.
