Correspondence Chess in Britain and Ireland, 1824-1987
Published on 22. November 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
439 pages
978-0-7864-4553-0 (ISBN)
Description
Exploring a bygone aspect of intellectual sport, this book details the history of British and Irish correspondence chess from the first formal match between Edinburgh and London in 1824 well into the 1980s, the most successful period in British correspondence chess. It traces the development of postal chess, including the growth of regional and national chess associations after World War I; the dawn of game-changing technologies such as the telegraph, the telephone, radio, and fax machines; the earliest transatlantic matches between the U.S. and the U.K.; the founding of the International Correspondence Chess Association in 1945; and the breaking of the Soviet monopoly on the world team championship in 1982 (the final act of the joint Great Britain team before Scotland and Wales obtained separate membership in the International Correspondence Chess Federation). Appendices list tournament champions; I.C.C.F. title holders; known club matches; and interesting excerpts from rules and other documents. Extensive notes, bibliography and indexes.
Reviews / Votes
"the book is a real work of art, the author found the right measure in description, in the selection of the most notable chess events and inclusion of the most attractive or most important correspondence games...splendid...warmly recommend"-Quarterly for Chess History; "deeply researched"-Chess Book Chats; "this mammoth work is exhaustively researched and traces the history of British and Irish chess from it beginning right up until the Internet age. Highly recommended"-IM John Donaldson (JeremySilman.com); "excellent tome...heartily recommended"-British Chess Magazine; "very well written...fascinating...highly recommended"-Manchester Chess Federation; "excellent...valuable"-Chess Life; "recommend...this is more than a book, it is a historical gem...Do yourself a big favor and buy it...clearly written with much effort"-carlsplanet.co.uk; "excellent...worth every penny...strongly recommend"-British Correspondence Chess Association; "a richly enjoyable book...a must-keep"-Iain Mackintosh, Scottish Correspondence Chess Association.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Jefferson, NC
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
53 photos, tables, appendices, notes, bibliography, indexes
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 178 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
822 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7864-4553-0 (9780786445530)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Tim Harding played for Ireland at the 1984 FIDE chess olympiad in Thessaloniki. He is a FIDE Candidate Master and a Senior International Master of correspondence chess. He is a former editor of Chess Mail magazine and for almost 20 years he contributed monthly articles in "The Kibitzer" series at www.chesscafe.com. He lives in Dublin, Ireland.
Content
Table of Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Annotation Symbols
1. Capital Letters: Edinburgh versus London, 1824-1828
2. Heyday of the Inter-Club Matches
3. Penny Post and Private Matches
4. Moves Over the Wires: Chess Adopts Technology
5. The Earliest Postal Tournaments, 1853 to 1870
6. Changing Times: The 1870s and 1880s
7. "A Battle at Long Range": The United Kingdom versus the United States, 1877-1881
8. The Growth of Tournaments, 1870 to 1897
9. Scottish Correspondence Chess to 1918
10. Irish and Welsh Correspondence Chess to 1918
11. The English Scene, 1890 to 1918
12. From One War to the Next, 1918 to 1939
13. Correspondence Chess During World War II
14. International Revival, 1946 to 1951
15. Domestic Competitions, 1946 to 1970
16. Crisis and Resolution: Britain and the International
Correspondence Chess Federation, 1951 to 1971
17. The Home Front: The 1970s and 1980s
18. Growth and Success, 1972 to 1982
19. Becoming World Champions
Appendix I. Matches Between Clubs
Appendix II. Lists of Champions
Appendix III. Excerpts from Rules and Other Documents
Appendix IV. British and Irish Holders of I.C.C.F. Titles
Chapter Notes
Select Bibliography
Index of Images
Index of Opponents
Index of Openings by Name
Index of Openings by ECO Code
General Index
Preface and Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Annotation Symbols
1. Capital Letters: Edinburgh versus London, 1824-1828
2. Heyday of the Inter-Club Matches
3. Penny Post and Private Matches
4. Moves Over the Wires: Chess Adopts Technology
5. The Earliest Postal Tournaments, 1853 to 1870
6. Changing Times: The 1870s and 1880s
7. "A Battle at Long Range": The United Kingdom versus the United States, 1877-1881
8. The Growth of Tournaments, 1870 to 1897
9. Scottish Correspondence Chess to 1918
10. Irish and Welsh Correspondence Chess to 1918
11. The English Scene, 1890 to 1918
12. From One War to the Next, 1918 to 1939
13. Correspondence Chess During World War II
14. International Revival, 1946 to 1951
15. Domestic Competitions, 1946 to 1970
16. Crisis and Resolution: Britain and the International
Correspondence Chess Federation, 1951 to 1971
17. The Home Front: The 1970s and 1980s
18. Growth and Success, 1972 to 1982
19. Becoming World Champions
Appendix I. Matches Between Clubs
Appendix II. Lists of Champions
Appendix III. Excerpts from Rules and Other Documents
Appendix IV. British and Irish Holders of I.C.C.F. Titles
Chapter Notes
Select Bibliography
Index of Images
Index of Opponents
Index of Openings by Name
Index of Openings by ECO Code
General Index