Women in Chess
by Edith Lucie Weart

Last and not least. a word about the open women's tournament for custody of the Hazel Allen trophy, sponsored each year by the Marshall Chess Club of New York, As we go to press, the finals of this tournament are getting under way. Of the ten women who played in the preliminaries, four qualified for the finals: Miss Adele Raettig of Hoboken, N.J with a score of 8-1; Mrs. Wm. Davey of New York City and Mrs. Elsie Rogosin of Roselle, N. J., with scores of 7-2; and Miss Elizabeth Wray of New York City, score 6-3. These four will face stiff opposition in the finals when they meet the six women who were exempt from the preliminary rounds this year due to having qualified for the finals last year. These six are: Mrs. Adele Rivero of New York City, (Champion), Mrs. Mary Bain of Astoria, N. Y., Mrs. Raphael McCready of Hackensack, N. J., Mrs. William Slater of Doylestown, Pa, Miss Helen White of New York City, and Miss Edith L. Weart of Jackson Heights, N. Y. We will have more news of this tournament at a later date. It looks like a close contest.
-E. L.W.

Once again Mrs. Adele Rivero of New York City has won the open women's tournament conducted by the Marshall Chess Club, thereby retaining custody of the Hazel Allen Trophy, as well as receiving the gold medal donated by Mr. H. M. Hartshorne. As the tournament this year was sponsored by the National Chess Federation. Mrs. Rivero now holds the title of woman champion of that organization. Mrs. Rivero went through the tournament without the loss of a game. Her only draw was with Mrs. Mary Bain of New York City, who was runner-up for the second time. Mrs. Bain received a beauty kit donated by Mr. C. A. Pfeiffer as her prize. She also went through the tournament without losing a game, and the missed her chance to top honors by also drawing with Mrs. Kathryn Slater of Doylestown, Pa. Because of illness, Mrs. Bain was unable to play her final round game with Miss Weart, but the result would not affect her standing. Third prize was shared by Mrs. Slater and Mrs. Raphael McCready of Hackensack, N. J.
- E. L. W.
 

For the first time in many years an American woman is playing in this tournament, competing for the title of Woman Chess Champion of the World, a title now held by Miss Vera Menchik. The representative for the United States is Mrs. Mary Bain of New York, who finished second to Miss Adele Rivero in the women's tournament this spring at the Marshall Chess Club in New York. It is to be regretted that Mrs. Rivero was unable to go to Stockholm this year. There has been considerable speculation as to the showing Mrs. Bain will make on this, her first appearance in the international arena. We are sure Mrs. Bain will do us credit, though it is certainly too much to expect that she should displace Miss Menchik from the honors she has held so long. We shall report the outcome in our next issue.
-E. L. W.

Dora Trepat (left) and Sonja Graf, Stockholm.

Stockholm- There were twenty-six entries in the women's tournament at Stockholm, cheering evidence that women everywhere are taking an increasing interest in the most fascinating of games. Under the Monrad system used in this tournament (not entirely successful, we understand) each woman had but fourteen opponents. As was generally expected, Miss Vera Menchik retained her title of Woman Chess Champion of the World, with a clean score of fourteen wins. The surprise of the tournament was Miss Benini's out-placing Miss Sonia Graf. It will be remembered that in the Semmering tournament of 1936 (in which Miss Menchik did not play) Miss Benini finished in second place, two and one-half points behind Miss Graf. Our American representative, Mrs. Mary Bain, of the Marshall Chess Club of New York City, made a very creditable showing in this, her first venture in the international arena, finishing in fifth place, only one-half point below Miss Graf.

The leading scores:
Miss Vera Menchik Czechoslovakia 14
Miss Clarice Benini, Italy, 10
Miss Sonia Graf, Germany, 9
Miss Milda Lauberte, Latvia 9
Mrs. Mary Bain, U. S. A 8½
Miss May Karff, Palestine , 8

Worcester- With her appetite for chess undiminished at the close of the Stockholm tournament,
Mrs. Mary Bain entered the Centenary Congress of the Worcester (England) Chess Club. Playing in the Class "A" Section, she out-placed her five male opponents to finish in first place with a .score of 3½ -1½

Chicago- We were unable to understand why no women entered the Congress of the American Chess Federation. We can only suppose that undue modesty made them overestimate the skill of the masculine entries. Certainly lack of interest in chess was not the reason for their absence, for seven women entered the special women's tournament which the Federation sponsored. We regret that none of the women on the eastern seaboard made the trip to Chicago, but as we could not enter the tournament ourselves, we are in no position to be critical!
(See the report of the Congress in this issue for the results of the Tournament.)

-E. L. W.
 

We had been told that at Warsaw the women contestants were more interested in having a good time than in 'playing chess, but Mrs. Bain said this was certainly not true at Stockholm. The women, she said, all took their games very seriously; indeed, were often under a severe nervous strain. '"I was the most calm person there," she said, but admits that when she . began forging to the top she felt the strain, herself. 'The weakness of all the girls is that they have no experience," she told us. One thing which impresses Mrs. Bain particularly is the fact that most of the European women are under the instruction of some chess master. She was asked who was her coach. "No one," she answered. "Well, then, who is teaching Mrs. Rivero?'" "So far as I know, no one," she replied again. They couldn't understand it. How could a woman progress unless she was being tutored? Self-instruction was all very well, but-!  It was suggested that some chess organization here in America finance lessons for a group of half a dozen of the leading American women players. A good idea!

Surely a successful summer!
                                            -E. L. W,