Talk:Walter Grimshaw

Problem solving tourney

The statement that Grimshaw "won the first ever chess problem solving competition in London" in 1854 is almost certainly untrue. This is what Bill Wall says (e.g. in Chess Trivia) but it was not a solving tourney but a problem composition tourney, most probably the first ever composition tourney. Indeed, Grimshaw won this tourney. There are some reports about it, e.g. The Illustrated London News, 26 August 1854 (Staunton's chess column), The Chess Player's Chronicle, 15 (1854), p. 322, and later The Illustrated London News, 4 June 1881 (chess column by Duffy), finally Tim Harding: Eminent Victorian Chessplayers. McFarland, Jefferson 2012, p. 362. None of these sources mention a solving tourney.--Mautpreller (talk) 11:14, 31 July 2019 (UTC)

We can add that the problem composition tourney announced and begun in 1852 was cancelled in 1854, despite 'many of the most eminent chess problem composers in the country' were said to take part, after adjudication had been announced to be postponed already in 1852 (Chess Player's Chronicle, vol. XIII, p. 349). The reason is somewhat unclear, but seems to have been related to concerns over the fairly large contributor's fee (one guinea, which would have a buying power of approx. 50 pounds today), which may have dissuaded participation (despite the stated participation as above), as well as there were few or no competitors from abroad. In same issue of Chess Player's Chronicle where the cancellation is finally announced (vol II (new series), p. 322 (1854)), it is reported that an second tournament had been started and finished -- though no additional evidence for this is cited or has been found. This is the tourney that Grimshaw wins ... and from which the cited problem is taken. Athulin (talk) 09:36, 26 October 2019 (UTC)

There are some more reports, see Patrick Thomas Duffy in the chess column of the Illustrated London News, 4 June 1887, see also Grimshaw's necrologue in British Chess Magazine 1891, see also Staunton in Illustrated London News, 26. August 1854. All these reports don't tell much, neither about the participants (with the exception of Silas Angas) nor about the jury or the selction process. So it is not much that is known but I think one can say for certain that it was a composition tourney and not a solving tourney. It is, however, a huge difference to the ERA tourney where virtually everything is known and printed.Mautpreller (talk) 18:56, 21 November 2019 (UTC)

I've tried to summarize what is known about the 1852 and 1854 tourneys at http://www.anders.thulin.name/tourneys/chess-players-chronicle-1852/ and http://www.anders.thulin.name/tourneys/english-problem-tourney-1854/ . Athulin (talk) 10:22, 17 September 2020 (UTC)

Fine, thank you very much.Mautpreller (talk) 14:15, 19 September 2020 (UTC)