| Jul-21-07 | | Calli: Happy birthday Beau. An important figure in American chess and the subject of an upcoming biography by John Hilbert
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.... |
|
| Jul-21-08 | | brankat: Just like master Weiss, born on the same day 4 years earlier, a very talented and promising master, who gave up chess to pursue a career in business. What were these old-timers thinking? ;-) R.I.P. Master Hodges. |
|
Jul-19-10
 | | GrahamClayton: Here is a link to a game played by Hodges in an 1897 Philadelphia v New York telegraphic match: http://www.statenislandchessclub.co... |
|
| Jul-21-10 | | BIDMONFA: Albert Hodges HODGES, Albert
http://www.bidmonfa.com/hodges_albe...
_ |
|
Jun-07-11
| | GrahamClayton: The "Tennessee Morphy". |
|
| Jan-01-12 | | Petrosianic: An interesting story about Hodges, from Chess Review, 6-7/41: <Hodges is also an expert checker player. On his vacation trips he always looks up the local checker champ. Once he met the champion of New England, played him five agames and won the majority. The checker player asked him who he was. When Hodges told him, the New Englander said:"No, your name isn't Hodges. I know all the good checker players in the United States but I don't know that name." "That's quite possible," Hodges replied. "I quit playing checkers before you were born."> |
|
| Feb-06-14 | | Karpova: On page 159 of the May-June 1911 'Wiener Schachzeitung' is a nice chart of the USA vs Great Britain Cable matches from 1896 to 1911 (no matches from 1904 to 1906). 13 matches with 6 wins for America and 6 wins for Great Britain, additionally a draw in 1901. Both had acquired 64 points in total. Hodges participated in all 13 matches and scored 9 points! The chart is useful for anyone wanting to go deeper intoit, as it provides the exact dates and number of games. |
|
| May-21-14 | | zanzibar: A review of the Hodges book by Hilbert (with a measure of, er, criticism) can be found here: http://www.chesscafe.com/text/revie...
The newspapers of the day mentioned him as a potential entrant in the 1893 NY Impromptu it, but the hours of play couldn't be rearranged to accomodate him: <The hours of play for Mr. Delmar, Mr. Ryan and E. N. Olly have been changed in the afternoon to commence at 4 instead of 2 o'clock. [...]A. B. Hodges wrote to the committee that he desired to enter if the hours could be arranged to suit him; the same hours that have been offered to Mr. Delmar and Mr. Rynam were suggested, but he decided not to enter.> Sat BDSU-09-30
http://zanchess.wordpress.com/2014/... It's a bit too bad because Hodges was "peaking" in 1893: http://www.edochess.ca/players/p947...
http://www.edochess.ca/tournaments/... |
|
| May-21-14 | | zanzibar: Also, apparently Hodges wrote the introduction to the, er, infamous book on chess by Franklin Knowles Young: <Field Book of Chess Generalship> http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...
Young had a rather, shall we say, "unique" viewpoint of the battle on the chess board - a viewpoint that borrowed int the extreme from military strategy and tactics. See the Winter's link above to see exactly what I'm talking about - or get it straight from the horse's mouth: http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/... (I can't find any online source with Hodges intro - would be interesting to see what he had to say) |
|
May-21-14
 | | perfidious: <zanzibar> Remember going to a bookstore some forty years ago and spotting a work by Young; it is a good thing that was not the first book on chess I ever read, for it may well have been my last: turgid, nasty stuff. |
|
| May-21-14 | | zanzibar: Agreed on that score, definitely not beginner material. Now it's notable as a curio. A bit surprising that bookstores were carrying it. |
|
| Jul-03-14 | | ljfyffe: <zanzibar>The criticism of Hilbert's book has to be taken with some salt as the critic wrote for children. |
|
| Jul-03-14 | | ljfyffe: Here's how the Montreal Gazette of 1836 instructs the reader as black to set up a board with his P on a3:< place your pawn on the third square of the queen' rook of your adversary.> Algebraic notation, it's not! |
|
| Jul-04-14 | | zanzibar: <<ljfyffe> <Algebraic notation, it's not!>> Up with which, I will not put!
* * * * *
<ljfyffe> I take it your comment is a critique of Petersen's critique? Is take it then that this is the same Glenn Petersen who was a former editor of USCF's CL&R and current editor of <Chess Life for Kids>? http://www.uschess.org/content/view...
FWI- Bobby Fischer once wrote for kids too -
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/... Of course, editors are a different kettle of fish! |
|
| Jul-04-14 | | zanzibar: Is take it then that this is the same Glenn Petersen ... ==> I take it then that this is the same...
(Looks like somebody does need an editor round here!) |
|
| Jul-04-14 | | ljfyffe: <zanzibar> "Bobby Fischer wrote for kids too...."
I rest my case! Seriously though, I'm not being that serious. |
|
| Jul-05-14 | | ljfyffe: By the way, my comment is not to be construed in any manner to be a personal attack upon the critic, but rather it's on the suitabiliy of <writing style> pertaining to the subject at hand, ie whether to simplify or delve into detail. |
|
| Jul-05-14 | | zanzibar: <ljfyffe> it's been awhile since I read that review. Think I'll give it a re-read. I'm not entirely clear what your point is though - I'm guessing you think Petersen over-simplified. I do appreciate your comment - I entirely glossed over the identity of the critic when I referenced the piece. It was interesting to learn a little about the man. One of the first rules of, er, "informed reading" is to know a little about the writer. I was lazy and just relied on the status of ChessCafe. * * * *
Returning to the subject of this forum - Albert Hodges - comes this info about a 2nd career he apparently had: <C.N. 2221 raised the subject of the first chess master to act in a film. We suggested A.B. Hodges (1861-1944), on the basis of the following ‘Hodges in the Movies’ item on page 47 of the February 1918 American Chess Bulletin: ‘Albert B. Hodges, ex-United States chess champion, has made a number of appearances on the screen, notably as a member of the Russian Duma in War Brides, the Police Inspector in The Auction Block, the Coroner in Empty Pockets and the Butler in the new Brenon picture False Faces.’ Can any reader discover information about Hodges’ acting career? * * *
As regards Albert B. Hodges’ alleged involvement in films in the second decade of the twentieth century, David Picken (Greasby, England) writes: ‘I have searched in the Internet Movie Database and the All Movie Guide database but have found nothing on Hodges, although the four films you mentioned are covered and cast-lists are given. It may be that Hodges was an “extra” or a very small bit part player who would not normally be credited. The films are: War Brides. Released in 1916 as a short (eight minutes) by Selznick Pictures Corporation and directed by Herbert Brenon. The cast included Alla Nazimova and Richard Barthelmess. The Auction Block. Released in 1917 and directed by Laurence Trimble. Empty Pockets. Released in 1918 and directed by Herbert Brenon. The False Faces. Released in 1919 and directed by Irvin Willat. Brenon appears not to have had a connection with this film.’ (3813)
<Although many of the key details remain elusive, all available information on this aspect of the master’s life is presented on pages 314-315 of an <admirable> new book, Albert Beauregard Hodges (subtitle: The Man Chess Made) by John S. Hilbert and Peter P. Lahde (Jefferson, 2008).>> Apparently opinion on Hilbert's work differ.
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/... |
|
| Jul-05-14 | | ljfyffe: <zanzibar> First of all, thanks for pointing out the Petersen review. No, what I am suggesting is that writing or editing for children is an art in and of itself that requires judicious simplication. On the other hand, writing about historical events is a different-coloured horse, or perhaps a horse of many colours. De horse has many de tails. What to leave out and what not to.
Petersen is annoyed by footnotes. But historical context is important. |
|
| Jul-05-14 | | zanzibar: <ljfyffe> Ah, well I'll be a horse's "tail", now I understand. |
|
| Jul-06-14 | | ljfyffe: John Elburg calls Hilbert and Labhde's book a "classic masterpiece". |
|
| Feb-03-16 | | TheFocus: Rest in peace, Albert Hodges. |
|
| Jul-21-16 | | TheFocus: Happy birthday, Albert Hodges. |
|
Mar-26-19
 | | MissScarlett: <The False Faces. Released in 1919 and directed by Irvin Willat. Brenon appears not to have had a connection with this film.> I discovered that he did, at least initially. Hilbert & Lahde even float the possibility, given the time gap, that this film is not the one referred to by the February 1918 <ACB>, but again that isn't case. The film is available on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhj...
The film's just under 100 minutes long, and I've skipped through it, but, alas, with no sign of Hodges. Although the film quality isn't bad for the time, it's hardly HD, and <the Butler> isn't the most well-defined role; there's one character who appears to be playing some sort of secretary or attendant but he looks nothing like Hodges. It may be, of course, that Hodges's part ended up on the cutting-room floor. |
|
Kibitzing
