February, 1938
Women in Chess

U. S. WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT-
Feminine chess takes a step forward with the announcement by the National Chess Federation that a tournament will be held in connection with the regular U. S. Championship tournament to determine the U. S. Woman Chess Champion. Play will start in New York City on April 2, Women interested in playing should communicate at once with Mr. Louis J. Wolff, 44 Wall St., New York City.

MID-WEST TOURNEY-
Another tournament for the women in the Mid-West is planned by the Oak Park (Ill.) Chess Club, the winner to be qualified to enter the national finals to be held in New York starting April 2. Mrs. Jean Moore Grau, the present title holder, will have to look to her laurels. We hear there are several women out for her scalp. Write to Mr. Charles leech, 1033 South Blvd. Oak Park, ILL, if you are interested in playing.

MARSHALL C. C. WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT
Preliminaries of the annual tournament for custody of the Hazel Allen Trophy started on Jan. 14 with fifteen entries, an unusually large number, considering that nine players are seeded. Added interest is attached to the preliminaries, because they serve as a qualifying tourney not only for the Marshall C. C. Tournament, but, as well (for the New York area) for the
U. S. Women's Championship, The players on the exempt list will also be seeded to play in the national tournament. Exempt: Mrs., Adele Rivero (Woman Champion National Chess Federation); Mrs. Mary Bain, Mrs. Wm. Davey, Miss May Karff, Mrs. Raphael McCready, Mrs.
Kathryn Slater, Mrs. Elsie Rogosin, Miss Edith L. Weart, Miss Helen White.

Gossip-
We learn, by the roundabout way news reaches us, that the New Orleans chess players are more interested in dozing in their chairs than in welcoming women players. At least we understand that Mrs. Kathryn Slater,
a player of no mean strength, and of considerable experience, has been unable to join one of the local chess clubs. What price southern chivalry? Or are the men frightened? It reminds us of the story we heard of the mid-west master who didn't want women in his club because it would interfere with his swearing!
Mrs. Isaac Kashdan is doing her part in promoting an interest in chess, She has organized a group of seven men and eight women players who meet twice a month to improve their skill. At present a tournament is in progress. Would there were more enthusiasts like Mrs. Kashdan!
-E. L. W....

                                                                                              March, 1938
Women in Chess

ILLINOIS WOMAN CHAMPION-
According to the Illinois Chess Bulletin, Mrs. Regina Paulsen won the women's state championship- tournament. Mrs. Virginia Waller, former champion, did not defend her title.

DR. LASKER vs. THE LADIES-
In simultaneous exhibitions Dr. Lasker draws few games and loses fewer. It is. therefore, interesting to note that in his exhibition at the Marshall C. C. Mrs. Adele Rivero, woman champion of the National Chess Federation, was one of two to win from him, and that at his exhibition at the Swedish C. C, Chicago, Mrs. S. W. Becker was one of five able to draw games.

MRS. BAIN GIVES AN EXHIBITION-
We have just learned that the club started by Mrs. Isaac Kashdan is named the Set'l Chess Club, the name having a secret meaning. On January 28, Mrs. Mary Bain played ten members simultaneously, winning all her games.

MRS. FLINT DOES HER PART-
In October the Review told of the activities of Mrs. Arthur Flint. of Evanston. This indomitable woman has now increased the membership of her club to 120. It has several teams, including one composed of women. Not content with this progress, she spent. part of her vacation organizing another club at Kitchener, Ontario.

CLEVELAND WOMEN, ATTENTION!-
We lived in Cleveland for years, entirely unwelcomed by any chess players. It is, therefore, with great enthusiasm that we learn that seven women in that city have formed a chess club. New members are welcome. Get in touch with Mrs. G. Hauschild, 15303 Clifton Blvd., Lakewood.

MARSHALL C C. WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT-
The final rounds of the preliminaries were being played while we wrote this. Two important games are still undecided, that between Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Willard, and between Mrs. Kashdan and Miss Harmath. Mrs. Willard, by the way, is the champion of the Women's Chess Club of New York.

The standings:
Section 1-
Mrs. W. E. Jackson 5 -0; Mrs. D. Willard 5 -0; Mrs. C. Leo 4 -2;
Miss C. Fawns 3 -3; Miss S. Svarti 2 -4; Mrs. J. B. Kelley 1 -5;
Mrs. H. Leeds 0 -6.

Section 2-
Mrs. E. Harrison 6½. -½; Miss M. Harmath 5 -1; Mrs. I. Kashdan 4 -2; Miss H. Ranlett 3½ -3½; Miss L. Pfister 3 -4; Miss D. Lesley 2 -5;
Miss E. Wray 2 -5; Miss M. Peters 1 -6.
                                                                                                -E. L. W.
 

U. S. WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP-
Interest, at the moment, centers in this event. We wish we had the power to see the future, and especially our own standing (we might, perhaps, save ourselves the trouble of entering), but alas, we are no prophet. We are, however, prepared to make a small wager that the struggle for first place will be between Mrs. Adele Rivero, National Chess Federation Women's Champion, and Mrs. Mary Bain, both of Manhattan, with Miss May Karff, of Boston, a dangerous contender. It will be recalled that at Stockholm, when Miss Karff represented Palestine, she won her individual game with Mrs. Bain, to finish one-half point behind her.
Mrs. Jean Moore Grau, Woman Champion of the American Chess Federation, cannot, unfortunately, make the trip from Iowa to New York, to participate in the tournament. She suggests a match between the winner of the National tournament and herself at some mid-way point. An interesting idea.
Of the remaining seeded players, Mrs. Raphael McCready (Hackensack, N. J.), Miss Adele Raettig (Hoboken, N. J.) and Miss Edith L. Weart (Jackson Heights, N. Y.), are playing. The others are unable to participate. This will make the tournament somewhat weaker than was expected. Other women who have qualified and who have announced their intention to play are Mrs. W. E. Jackson, Mrs. Edna Harrison, Miss M. Harmath all of Manhattan, and Mrs. I. Kashdan, of Brooklyn.

WOMEN IN TEAM PLAY
-One of the most interesting events in the field of feminine chess is the increasing participation of women in team matches. The fact that women are winning their games is most encouraging.. Mrs. Raphael McCready and Miss Adele Raettig both played successfully for the North Jersey Chess Association in its gigantic team match against the Suburban Chess League. Mrs. Mary Bain was equally successful playing for the Marshall C. C. in its Metropolitan Chess League match against the West Side Y. M. C. A. We believe this is the first time a woman has ever competed in the major section of this League.
We are inclined to wonder whether some of the men don't underestimate the strength of women players. At least we noticed that at the beginning of the game Mrs. Bain's opponent spent a great deal of time walking around the room, looking at the ceiling, and generally giving the appearance of having nothing about which to worry. Mrs. A. H. Palmi, of Jackson (Mich.) writes amusingly of Jackson's team match with Toledo, which her home team won by 7½-6½. "You see they had never seen a woman chess player and they definitely decided that I was a museum piece! I smiled inwardly, but it made me nervous with that gang all around my table. However, I won ... They were surprised! And, in this day and age - don't they read the newspapers?" We are also happy to report that Mrs. Palmi was one of three on her team to draw games with the strong Detroit team. The other games of the Jackson players were lost.

CLEVELAND WOMEN'S CLUB
-The new women's club whose birth we announced last month is now named - The Queens Women's Chess Club. Officers are Mrs. Gustav Hauschild, president; Miss Pauline Parp, treasurer; Miss Helen Seress, corresponding secretary, and Mrs.Katharine Kelly, recording secretary. We understand that these women plan to send a representative to the next women's tournament. As an unofficial '"Big Sister" of the club, we
wish it every success.
-E. L. W.

Women in Chess
A. C. F. WOMEN'S TOURNEY: We have been informed officially that the prize fund for the women will be $100, to be divided into four prizes, $50, $25, $15 and $10. Mrs. Jean Moore Grau has announced that she intends to defend her title. Mrs. Rosemarie Fischer writes that she intends to come on from Milwaukee to have a try at winning the tournament. Mrs. Mary Bain of New York City intends to participate. There is also a great deal of interest in this tournament among other New York women. Several women from Cleveland and several others from Providence hope to participate. It looks like an interesting affair. Better send
in your entries now!

 - Rosemarie Fischer

1938 U. S. Women's Championship

Women in Chess

NEW WOMEN'S CLUBS
-it must be in the air! Within two days we received letters from
California and Massachusetts telling us of the formation of women's chess clubs. The one from California was from a former Marshall Chess Club opponent, one of the most promising of the club's younger women players, Mrs. William Davey. "We all know," she writes - quite truthfully, too! - "about the difficulties of finding a quiet evening of chess, what with the emotional atmosphere of men's clubs in which 'no woman has ever set foot.''' The solution of the difficulty found by the women of Carmel, Calif., was the formation of their own club which meets every Thursday evening in, of all places, the American Legion Building. Miss Hester Schoeninger is the president and Mrs. Elizabeth K. Hillman, the treasurer. Mrs. Davey's letter was closely followed by one from Miss Arlene A. Astle, of Lawrence, Mass., who also has formed a women's chess club. Details are, at present, lacking. Local women who would like to join should write Miss Astle at 497 Haverhill St.

MORE ABOUT MISS KARFF
-Reading our "just complaint," as she puts it, in our May column, Miss N. May Karff writes us more about herself. She was born in Europe but came to this country as a young girl. Her father taught her the game when she was eight. She has played on every possible occasion, but the women's tournament at Stockholm (where she finished sixth) gave her her first experience in tournament play. Her second such experience was in New York this Spring when she won the title of U. S. Woman Chess Champion.
It is interesting to note that only one of the four prize winners in the National tournament is a native American, Mrs. Bain having been born in what was then Hungary (now Czechoslovakia) and Mrs. Rivero in Belgium.

NEW YORK WOMEN'S CHESS CLUB:
The annual double round robin tournament of this club has just been completed. Mrs. David Willard has retained her title of champion with the fine score of 18 -4. Mrs. A. C. Forbes was second with 15½. -6½ and Mrs. A. J, Harper placed third with 14½ -7½.
-E. L. W.

Women in Chess

We were sorry not to have been able to report the A. C. F. women's tournament - a hospital doesn't seem to be conducive to literary endeavor. Now that the fractured shoulder is mended and we are back on the job, we are unable to remember the little anecdotes we once thought would interest you. We haven't forgotten, however, that both Miss Wray and Miss Karff left their king's pawns en pris when we played Kt-KB3 in answer to P-K4, Yes, we took the gifts !
The automobile accident which occurred on our way home from Boston isn't a thing we are likely to forget, but we all feel very lucky to have escaped with our lives. Mrs. Mary Bain, the most seriously injured, is expected to make a good recovery, though broken vertebrae are slower to heal than other bones, and she will have to remain in a cast until December. Fortunately, she is not confined to bed, but can walk a few steps about the house. Correspondence chess is her current diversion. Mrs. Raphael McCready did not have any serious injuries, but she suffered from shock to a greater extent than the rest of us.
While we were in Boston, we took a little jaunt up to Lawrence to talk about feminine chess activities over the local radio station. George Demars, the secretary of the Greater Lawrence Chess Club, told us that he knew of at least fifty women chess players in that district. This seems incredible, for we don't know of more than that many in the metropolitan New York area.
Just before we went to Boston, we had a nice visit in New York with Mrs. Gustav Hauschild, president of the Queens Women's Chess Club of Cleveland. She told us how they built up their club - by welcoming all women who want to learn how to play, and assigning members to teach them the elements of the game. Her plan certainly works, and is recommended to other clubs who want to increase their membership.
Miss N. May Karff has been successful in persuading the exclusive Commonwealth Chess Club of Boston to open its doors to Women. So far as we know, this is the only Boston Club in which women are welcome. Miss Karff hopes to build up a large group of women players, and plans to coach beginners. An effort worthy of the woman champion.

ENGLAND
-Miss M. Musgave of Hasting, won the women's championship this summer by a margin of 1½ points. Mrs. F. F. Thompson of Glasgow was second and Miss R. M. Dew of Plymouth, the defending champion, was third. The newspaper report is that at adjournment Mrs. Thompson was persuaded
by kibitzers to give Miss Dew a draw in what was subsequently found to be a "book" win.
We intend to take this lesson very much to heart.
                                                                                            -E. L.W.