Tuesday, February 11

Gunsberg wins Open tournament at Blackpool

The name Isidor Gunsberg last appeared in our pages nearly a year ago, when the venerable Master and former challenger for the Championship of the world resigned his match vs. Herr Edward Lasker, citing as the reason a decline in his playing strength. Today we are happy to report that Mr. Gunsberg is once again in harness, and has taken first prize at the Open tournament held last month in connection with the Northern Counties' Chess Union Congress at Blackpool. The winner scored 4 1/2 points from 5 games in the six-man round-robin, his only draw coming against Mr. Fred Brown, who shared runner-up honors with Mr. S. Keir, each on 3 1/2 points. Messrs. Thompson, Thomas, and Wilson rounded out the field.

Gunsberg, as first prize winner from Hamburg, 1885, has been invited to compete in the upcoming international tourney at St. Petersburg, where he would cross swords with many of the strongest contemporary players, some of whom are less than half his age. We encourage him to do so - his reputation is secure, whatever the result, and we suspect that there is life in the old Master yet. Our world of chess, in contrast to many other sporting disciplines, allows old and young to meet on equal terms, so that the former opponent of Steinitz and Zukertort, of Paulsen and Mason and Chigorin, can yet try his skill against the Capablancas and Alekhines of our day. In this way, each Master serves to tie past to future in chess, and does his part to weave the ongoing history of our noble game, a rich and varied tapestry of which we can all be proud.

We append two games played by Gunsberg at the Blackpool Congress.


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