William Pusey Barlow, 1933

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January 09 1933

Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, Monday, January 09, 1933

Chess League Is Organized
Formation of the Northern California Chess League, comprising teams, from Mechanics' Institute, Russian Club, Black Knights Chess Club, of San Francisco, University of California, Berkeley and Chess and Bridge Club and Castle Chess Club of Oakland, was announced today by William P. Barlow, secretary-chairman.
Representatives in charge were selected as follows: Fred Byron, George P. Keyes, W. G. McClain, A. J. Fink, N. A. Preopragensky, William P. Barlow.

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May 06 1933

The Oakland Post Enquirer, Oakland, California, Saturday, May 06, 1933

Northern California Champions
CASTLE CHESS club players will meet the Beverly Hills club at San Luis Obispo May 27 for the state title. Above are three members of Castle club's northern California championship team. Left to right they are: William P. Barlow, Dimitrey N. Vedensky and Elbert F. Robinson. Roos Brothers' perpetual trophy will be presented them tonight.

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William Pusey Barlow, 1931

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June 03 1931

Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, Wednesday, June 03, 1931

Crockett Fans to Hear Chess Experts
Crockett, June 3.—Chess enthusiasts of this community will be given an opportunity to see and hear two experts, Fred N. Christensen and William P. Barlow of the Castle Chess club, tomorrow at the Community Center club. They will give an exhibition and short talk on chess. Organization of a chess club here has been broached, and Christensen and Barlow will offer their assistance.

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William Pusey Barlow, 1935

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January 24 1935

Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, Thursday, January 24, 1935

Chess League Sets Matches
With representatives of seven chess clubs in attendance, the 1935 schedule of matches for the Northern California Chess League was drawn up at the Oakland Chess Club headquarters, 464 Thirtieth Street, today.
William P. Barlow of the Castle Chess Club, Oakland, was elected chairman of the league. A. J. Fink of the Mechanics' Institute, San Francisco, was chosen adjudicator. Other representatives present were: Carl J. Bergman, Berkeley, Chess Club; Loring Tomasini, Castle Chess Club; N. A. Probragensky, Russian Chess Club, San Francisco, and, E. L. Ginston, University of California Chess Club.
The schedule opens February 2 in Oakland, with the Oakland Chess Club meeting the Mechanics Institute; Russian Chess Club clashing with the Castle unit, and the Berkeley club playing the University of California. The play ends April Z7.

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William Pusey Barlow, 1951

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June 04 1951

The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, California, Monday, June 04, 1951

Haven't Missed A Match…These two chess players, Fred N. Christensen of Oakland, left and William P. Barlow of Piedmont, right, have played in every north-south chess tournament held in California since the first one at the Andrews hotel in San Luis Obispo in 1926. Christensen, originator of the north-south tournament idea, was captain of the northern California chess team for the first 10 years of the sectional competition. Both men played on the northern team which won yesterday's match.

Chess Experts Hold State Matches Here
Northern California experts captured the 18th annual north-south chess tournament held in San Luis Obispo yesterday, taking the honors from players from southern California by the wide margin of 38 and one-half points against 19 and one-half points for the south.
There were 116 players engaged in the tournament, recognized by chess authorities as one of the nation's keenest competitive series.
“We were really hot this year,” was the comment of Guthrie McClain, captain of the northern team. “We brought the largest team ever to a north-south match and the south brought about its usual strength.”
McClain said that the San Luis Obispo match ranks with any chess playing event in the nation. California now has the second largest number of chess players, trailing New York slightly.
The California state club championship was won by the Castle Chess club, Oakland, defeating the Santa Monica Chess club by a score of 6-0.
Winners of the rapid transit competition, 10 seconds allowed for each play, were Harry Borochow, Los Angeles, top honors; James Schmitt, San Francisco, second and R. N. Travers, Los Angeles, third.
The losing southern California continent of 58 players was headed by LeRoy Johnson, team captain.
This year's matches held at the city recreation club brought the largest number of participants ever to compete in the chess tournament.
Of the 18 meets held in the annual north-south match, 14 have been held in San Luis Obispo and four in Atascadero.
The first match was held at the Andrews hotel here in 1926, when 12 boards formed the competition, as against the 58 this year.
Arthur Higgins, representing the chamber of commerce of this city, gave a welcoming talk to the players before start of play at 10:30 a.m., and Roy C. Teel, San Luis Obispo Chess club representative presented ten-year participation pins to Johnson and Irving Spero of Los Angeles.
Higgins asserted that the chamber of commerce would present five year participation pins next year.
Among the outstanding chess authorities in attendance yesterday were Isaac Kashdan, former unofficial United States champion; E. P. Elliott, former western champion; Nancy Roos, former Belgian woman title-holder; A. J. Fink, San Francisco, internationally known chess problem composer, and William P. Barlow, Piedmont, and Fred N. Christensen, Oakland, who have not missed a north-south chess match in the past 18 years.

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William Pusey Barlow, 1925

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October 11 1925

Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, Sunday, October 11, 1925

Four University of California Men Win San Francisco Chess Tourney
Berkeley, Oct. 10.—Four members of the University of California Chess Club have taken the leading places in a minor chess tournament just completed under the auspices of the San Francisco Mechanics Institute. Gold medals will be given Henry Gross, sophomore, for first place; William P. Barlow, president of the University Chess Club, second place; Fred N. Christensen, manager of the club and Ralph Hultgren, secretary, tied for third place. Twenty-two men competed.

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William Pusey Barlow, 1952

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June 02 1952

The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, California, Monday, June 02, 1952

Northerners Win Close Chess Tourney Here
A 59-man chess team from northern California defeated southern California team of equal size here Saturday afternoon by a score of 32 to 27 in the 19th annual North-South chess tourney.
It was the best showing made by the south in several years, and toward the end of the game, with eight boards still to report, the north led the south by only 29½ to 21½ leaving the way open to a possible tie.
More than 120 players from throughout the state as well as visiting chess experts from other states participated in the north-south tournament or in the annual rapid-transit tournament which followed it. With the wives and families of participants and other kibitzers and local chess enthusiasts, more than 200 people were in the San Luis Obispo city recreation center during most of the tournament.
The rapid-transit tournament which got under way Saturday evening and continued until 3 a.m. yesterday was won by Ray Martin of Santa Monica, with Sven Almgren and Irving Rivise, both of Los Angeles, in second and third places respectively.
Twenty-nine players entered this event, in which each was allowed only 10 seconds for a play.
Biggest individual game of the tournament was that between Lionel Joyner, Canadian junior chess champion, and Henry Gross of San Francisco, a veteran west coast chess expert, who defeated the Canadian.
Among the interesting individuals participating in the tournament were Mrs. Mary Bain of New York women's national chess champion.
Oldest player in the tournament was E. P. Elliott of Los Angeles who is 79. At least two 16-year-olds participated: Peter Dahl and Robert Currie both of San Francisco.
Two of the participants—William P. Barlow and Fred N. Christensen both of Oakland, have not missed a match in the 19 years the north-south chess tourney has met.
Some 50 five-year pins in recognition of players who have attended that many consecutive matches in San Luis Obispo and Atascadero, were presented by Luke Trahin, San Luis Obispo chamber of commerce manager yesterday morning.
Co-captains of the opposing sectional teams— W. G. McClain of Berkeley and Wade Hendricks of Castro Valley for the north, and John Keckhut and Leroy Johnson, both of Los Angeles for the south expressed appreciation for the hospitality extended the players by the chamber of commerce and the city recreation department.
The California state chess tournament was officially formed here over the weekend, 10 directors were elected, and the group voted to make the California Chess Reporter, established in San Francisco last year, the group's official organ.
The newly named directors included: A. E. Hoerchner of Shell Beach, San Luis Obispo area; George Oakes of Salinas, Monterey area; Neil T. Austin of Sacramento, central valley area; Herman Steiner and John Keckhut, Los Angeles area; George Croy of Banning, Riverside-Pomona-Orange area; Cecil Bates of La Mesa, San Diego area; A. L. Ritz, Eureka, north coastal area; W. G. McClain, San Francisco bay area; and a Redwood Empire representative to be named.

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William Pusey Barlow, 1937

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June 01 1937

The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, California, Tuesday, June 01, 1937

Death Plays Final Move In Tourney
Death played the final move in a tragic denouement of the annual Northern-Southern California Chess tournament held here Sunday.
Two of the contestants who played here were killed and a third critically injured in a head-on crash south of Ventura as they were returning to Los Angeles. Victims
The dead were Dr. Robert R. Griffith of Beverly Hills and a Miss Smith of Los Angeles. Herman Steiner, chess editor of the Los Angeles Times, who played number one board for the Southern team was severely injured.
Fred Develos of Fillmore, driver of the other car, also was killed.
Dr. Griffith and Miss Smith had been dinner guests Saturday night of C. J. Smith, local chess enthusiast and sponsor of the meet.
Outcome Undetermined
The outcome of the tournament Sunday has not been finally determined, according to Smith.
The game was ended at 5:30 p.m. when the team leaders agreed to stop play on board 25 and submit the positions to a New York expert for adjudication.
The score at present stands 12½ for the Northerners to 11½ for the Southerners.
At No. 1 board, Steiner of Los Angeles defeated A. J. Fink of San Francisco.
A few hours before his death, Dr. Griffith, playing No. 2 board, lost his game to William P. Barlow of Oakland.

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William Pusey Barlow, 1950

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May 29 1950

The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, California, Monday, May 29, 1950

North Takes Chess Honors
The 45-man Northern California chess team defeated a Southern California team of the same number by a score of 24 to 21 in the 17th annual North-South California State Chess tourney yesterday in the San Luis Obispo city recreation building.
Highlights of the tourney which brought together some of the nation's leading chess experts included the brilliant playing of Herman Steiner of Los Angeles present U. S. national champion and that of Sam Bean, blind and deaf player from San Francisco both of whom won their respective matches.
Uses Braille Board
Bean known in the bay area as the “blind poet” drew a large ring of spectators to watch his skilled playing on a special Braille-type chess board using special chess pieces which he could differentiate by feel from those of his opponent.
Both Guthrie McClain northern team captain and Leroy Johnson southern captain described the meet as a “very bitterly contested one,” though the contest was entirely one of wits and was significantly quiet in contrast to an athletic event.
San Luis Obispo had one representative in the team championship play which brought together players from virtually every section of California.
He was Arthur J. Stobbey, California Polytechnic college library staff member who was formerly a member of the University of California chess team at Berkeley.
Stobbey, who played with the northern team played to a draw in yesterday's meet one of few draws in the tournament.
Ten-year pins for that many years' participation in the annual affair were presented by Luke Trahin San Luis Obispo chamber of commerce manager to Herman Steiner of Los Angeles and to Robert Willson San Francisco.
Two 11-Year Men
Playing in the weekend chess matches were two veterans of all 17 annual north-south chess competitions. They will be William P. Barlow and Fred N. Christensen both members of the northern team Barlow recalled having played in San Luis Obispo for 12 years prior to the meet's shift to Atascadero for several years prior to this year.
Only one woman chess player — Mrs. Nancy Russ of Los Angeles — ventured into yesterday's tournament play considered strictly a man's realm. The fact that she lost her match was a source of satisfaction to some of the old time players.
Roy C. Teel of San Luis Obispo was official scorekeeper for the event which was held in the city recreation center auditorium.

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