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Charles Jaffe

Jaffe's portrait from Jaffe's Chess Primer (1937)

CHARLES JAFFE (born Apr-25-1879, died Jul-12-1941, 62 years old) Russia (federation/nationality United States of America) [what is this?] Charles Jaffe was born in Dubrouna. He moved to America in 1896 and worked as a silk-mill merchant. In 1904, he took 7th out of 10 players at the St. Louis (7th American Congress) with 5/11, as Frank James Marshall won.Jaffe defeated Jacques Mieses, a leading player, by 2–0 in a mini-match at New York 1907. In 1909, Jaffe took 3rd out of 6 players with 3/5 in a small tournament at Bath Beach, Brooklyn NY (Herbert Rosenfeld won). Also in 1909, Jaffe lost a match to Frank Marshall by a score 3.5-5.5 (+2 =3 -4). Jaffe was nicknamed "the Crown Prince of East Side Chess" by the poet and chess master Alfred Kreymborg. He often played at the Stuyvesant Chess Club, hangout of chess hustlers and interesting characters, which had many strong players, and was located on Manhattan's Lower East Side. "Jaffe was famous for his poverty", and "his style was "inimitably coffeehouse". Jaffe made much of his income through challenge games and odds games played there. The colorful atmosphere of the club in that era was outlined by in the book The Bobby Fischer I Knew And Other Stories. He was 3rd at New York 1913 and his career included a victory over Jose Raul Capablanca and match wins over Oscar Chajes and Jacques Mieses. In 1909-10, Jaffe began a concerted attempt to build a professional chess career. In February 1909, he challenged Marshall to a match, losing by 3.5 to 5.5 - Marshall - Jaffe (1909). He came third in the 22nd New York State Chess Association Championship (1909), July 26-30, 1909, defeating Marshall in Marshall vs C Jaffe, 1909. He was third equal behind Capablanca and Marshall Game Collection: 1911 New York Masters (January 1911), but then his deficiencies were painfully laid bare in his first taste of elite chess, at Karlsbad (1911). Having raised his fare by a public subscription, he found himself outclassed, sharing last place with (+8 -16 =1). In October 1912, he lost a three game match against Capablanca by 0.5 to 2.5. Capablanca later made a public allegation that at the Havana (1913) tournament Jaffe had thrown a game against Marshall enabling the latter to win the tournament. Capablanca and his powerful supporters in the East Coast American chess establishment, Hartwig Cassel and Hermann Helms, concerted this damaging embargo on Jaffe. Jaffe became involved in a 1916 court battle against 'American Chess Bulletin' co-editor Hartwig Cassel, involving the non-inclusion for publication of some of his chess analysis of the King's Gambit, Rice Gambit, but he lost the case, despite being supported by witnesses who included U.S. champion Frank Marshall. This was apparently the first American case where chess matters made it to the courts. While seemingly frivolous, this case should be viewed from the perspective of Jaffe making much of his living from writing articles on chess for Jewish periodicals, so his professional reputation was at stake. Jaffe played Janowski in a match twice. Game Collection: Jaffe - Janowski where he lost narrowly by 6-7, then in a return match November 1917 to January 1918 he lost by 8-10. At the Rye Beach Tournament (July 1918) he was equal third behind perennial rivals Chajes and Kupchik. Although he won the 1920 Rice Progressive Chess Club Championship ahead of Chajes and Kupchik, then took second place to Marshall at the Atlantic City Tournament (July 1920), he was never a rival to Marshall. In the late 1920s Jaffe stopped playing regularly in tournaments. *Wikipedia article: Dubroŭna Wikipedia article: Charles Jaffe Last updated: 2022-03-11 14:55:38

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page 1 of 9; games 1-25 of 217  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Pillsbury vs C Jaffe ½-½ 15 1904 Brooklyn Chess Club C38 King's Gambit Accepted 2. L Eisenberg vs C Jaffe 1-0 37 1904 7th American Chess Congress, St. Louis B30 Sicilian 3. E Kemeny vs C Jaffe 1-0 31 1904 7th American Chess Congress, St. Louis B45 Sicilian, Taimanov 4. C Jaffe vs Marshall 0-1 35 1904 7th American Chess Congress, St. Louis D08 Queen's Gambit Declined, Albin Counter Gambit 5. E Shrader vs C Jaffe   0-1 32 1904 7th American Chess Congress, St. Louis B45 Sicilian, Taimanov 6. S Mlotkowski vs C Jaffe   0-1 52 1904 7th American Chess Congress, St. Louis C25 Vienna 7. C Jaffe vs E F Schrader   0-1 40 1904 7th American Chess Congress, St. Louis D52 Queen's Gambit Declined 8. G Schwietzer vs C Jaffe   ½-½ 47 1904 7th American Chess Congress, St. Louis D02 Queen's Pawn Game 9. C Jaffe vs G Schwietzer   1-0 47 1904 7th American Chess Congress, St. Louis C14 French, Classical 10. C Jaffe vs M Judd   ½-½ 53 1904 7th American Chess Congress, St. Louis A84 Dutch 11. M Judd vs C Jaffe   1-0 40 1904 7th American Chess Congress, St. Louis A07 King's Indian Attack 12. J Mieses vs C Jaffe   ½-½ 62 1907 New York exg C27 Vienna Game 13. C Jaffe vs J Mieses 1-0 36 1907 New York m D02 Queen's Pawn Game 14. J Mieses vs C Jaffe 0-1 50 1907 New York m C28 Vienna Game 15. C Jaffe vs Marshall   ½-½ 36 1909 Marshall - Jaffe D02 Queen's Pawn Game 16. Marshall vs C Jaffe 1-0 45 1909 Marshall - Jaffe A83 Dutch, Staunton Gambit 17. C Jaffe vs Marshall ½-½ 28 1909 Marshall - Jaffe D02 Queen's Pawn Game 18. Marshall vs C Jaffe   0-1 45 1909 Marshall - Jaffe D51 Queen's Gambit Declined 19. C Jaffe vs Marshall 0-1 55 1909 Marshall - Jaffe D02 Queen's Pawn Game 20. Marshall vs C Jaffe 1-0 52 1909 Marshall - Jaffe A83 Dutch, Staunton Gambit 21. C Jaffe vs Marshall 1-0 45 1909 Marshall - Jaffe D02 Queen's Pawn Game 22. Marshall vs C Jaffe   ½-½ 47 1909 Marshall - Jaffe A83 Dutch, Staunton Gambit 23. C Jaffe vs Marshall 0-1 53 1909 Marshall - Jaffe D02 Queen's Pawn Game 24. Capablanca vs C Jaffe 1-0 40 1909 Exhibition game C84 Ruy Lopez, Closed 25. W Moorman vs C Jaffe 1-0 50 1909 22nd New York State Chess Association Championship B40 Sicilian  page 1 of 9; games 1-25 of 217

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< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing> Mar-13-08    offramp: Jaffe and Chajes were like ... have you ever read The Castle by Franz Kafka? They were like Arthur and Jeremiah. K said that it was impossible to tell them apart and he could not be bothered to remember which one was which - so he called them both by one name. Jan-08-09    myschkin: . . . "The Crown Prince of East Side Chess" "Jaffe was famous for his poverty", and "his style was "inimitably coffeehouse".* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charle... *The World of Chess, by Anthony Saidy and Norman Lessing, 1974, New York, Random House, pp. 190-191 May-17-11    Imposter: He was once mugged by thieves who demanded money. Apparently he shrugged and invited them to search him and to let him know if they found anything, cause he sure couldn't. Apparently the would be thieves were charmed by the guy and took him to a tavern and treated him to a beer. Not sure if it's true, but this story has been around for a while and it adds to the legend of the man. May-17-11    MaxxLange: I had only known of him as the person who lost this miniature: Capablanca vs C Jaffe, 1910 He sounds like quite a colorful character. Apr-25-13    brankat: R.I.P. Master Jaffe. Mar-09-14    Karpova: Dr. Emanuel Lasker, Berlin, January 24: <Sein Gegner zwar ist nicht von erstem Range. Es ist derselbe Jaffe, der vor einigen Jahren sich erfolglos in einem europäischen Meisterturniere, ich glaube Karlsbad versucht hat. Aber die schachliche Persönlichkeit des Kubaners ist von solchem Interesse, daß, in Ermangelung von etwas Besserem, auch diese Partien Aufmerksamkeit erregen. Enthüllen sie doch, wenigstens von seiner Seite, einen Stil.> (His opponent indeed is not of first rank. It is the same Jaffe who unsuccessfully dabbled in a European master tournament, I believe it was Karlsbad, a few years ago. But the chess personality of the Cuban is of such interest, that also games like these create interest. They reveal, at least from his side, a style.) Source: 'Pester Lloyd', 1913.01.26, p. 11 The context: Dr. Lasker annotates C Jaffe vs Capablanca, 1912 as there had been few games of Capablanca, thereby providing this short assessment of Jaffe. Mar-09-14    sakredkow: <It is the same Jaffe who unsuccessfully dabbled in a European master tournament> Early version of "chess tourist." Apr-25-15    SteinitzLives: Jaffe was the American equivalent of Janowski, only with less talent, and more personality. Thanks for the stories Charlie! Apr-25-15    Phony Benoni: Charles Jaffe turns 50 (more or less): C Jaffe vs Kashdan, 1933 Nov-11-15    Avun Jahei: ‘Apropos is the story of the game between the invincible Capablanca and Charles Jaffe, pride of the East Side. Capa forgot he was invincible: he lost. A reporter who was present asked the Cuban, “How far do you see ahead?” Capa replied impressively, “About ten moves”. Then the reporter went over to Jaffe: “How far do you see ahead?” Much to everyone’s surprise, the reply was, “Only one move”. This didn’t make sense. “How could a player who can see only one move ahead defeat another who can delve so deeply?” Here Jaffe explained: “I see only one move ahead, but always the best move.” That is sufficient.’ Al Horowitz Apr-25-16    TheFocus: Happy birthday, Charles Jaffe. Apr-26-16    Hodor: Hodor! Apr-26-16    AlicesKnight: Perhaps the strangest game he played is <Kostic-Jaffe, Karlsbad 1911> - the ending, though one-sided, presents a curious picture. Aug-20-16    zanzibar: <Frank J. Marshall has a number of local engagements, beginning with a lecture at the rooms of the Jaffa Chess Club, 123 Essex Street, this evening. Next Saturday, the same evening on which the Manhattan Chess Club dinner will be held at the Hotel Brevoort, he will give a simultaneous exhibition at the Brooklyn Institute Chess Club, and on April 13, he is scheduled for a similar performance at the New York City Chess Club. The Jaffe Chess Club, with Charles Jaffe as director and Instructor, was opened at Kotlitzki's Conditorel, 123 Essex Street, last Saturday, when Jaffe played nine, consultation games simultaneously, in which nearly 70 players took part. The expert won 7, drew 1, and lost 1, which latter was to members of the Brownsville Chess Club to whom prizes were awarded.> <Evening Post, Sat. 1917-03-17 p14(?)> Jan-19-17    zanzibar: <damagingembargo> must need a space. Also <enableing>. The controversy between Capablanca and Jaffe (discussed early in the forum) was real - but it's unreferenced in wiki, and therefore unreferenced here. Of course, I would like to see this stuff properly backed up... or, if speculative, relegated to the comments. I think Winter's book, p48, has some mention. Of course, contemporaneous sources would be even better. Jan-20-17    zanzibar: <Whole paragraph is poorly sourced (a forum at chessgames.com is definitely not good enough). Material which reflects negatively on a player (Capa in this case) must be properly sourced)> https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.ph... Remember, <CG>, wiki is watching. Jan-20-17    zanzibar: Or rather, was watching... Aug-20-18    mifralu: Details of the case Charles Jaffe v Hartwig Cassel https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/... Apr-25-19    YoungEd: A relatively low percentage of draws for such a strong player, no? Mar-31-20    MissScarlett: (New York) Daily News, April 7th 1926, p.37: <A blind rapid transit chess match will be played by Frank J. Marshall, American chess champion, and Charles Jaffe, international chess master, at the Prospect theatre, Bronx, tonight. The moves of the game will be shown simultaneously on the screen.> Of which nothing more was heard! May-19-21    perfidious: Had never read that anecdote posted by <Imposter>, but it is hilarious. Jun-29-24    BarakSaltz: The obituary for Charles Jaffe in "Chess Review" p121 06-07.1941 indicates him as having been a chess editor for "The Day" and "The Freiheit". Any info on those papers or columns? [index link, not PDF] https://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/C... Jul-12-24    jnpope: The Freiheit: https://www.loc.gov/item/ca19000055/ The Day: https://www.loc.gov/item/sn83045861/ Jan-28-25    BarakSaltz: Jaffe's column in "The Day" (Der Tog) was called "די שאָך וועלט" (Di Shokh Velt - The Chess World). The newspaper can be found at: [www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/dertog ]. The notation is in Yiddish descriptive. Jan-28-25    jnpope: <BarakSaltz: ...notation is in Yiddish descriptive> Hopefully someone can recover the games and post them here on <CG>. Yiddish is not a language I can easily deal with (far too many small characters for my eyesight!). search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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