<14th Western Championship Chicago, Illinois
August 18-24, 1913>

                           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1  Bradford B Jefferson    X = 0 = 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 = 1 1 1 1 13.5
2  Edward P Elliott        = X 1 1 1 1 = 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 13.0
3  John Stuart Morrison    1 0 X 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 13.0
4  Charles W Phillips      = 0 1 X 0 = 0 1 1 1 1 = 1 1 1 1 1 1 12.5
5  Robert Scrivener        1 0 0 1 X 0 0 = 0 1 1 1 1 = 1 1 1 1 11.0
6  Einar Michelsen         0 0 1 = 1 X 1 0 1 = 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 11.0
7  George Gessner          0 = 0 1 1 0 X = 1 0 1 0 1 = 1 1 1 1 10.5
8  Herman H Hahlbohm       0 1 0 0 = 1 = X 1 1 0 0 = 1 1 1 = 1 10.0
9  John Winter             0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 X 0 0 1 = 1 1 1 1 1  9.5
10 Jacob Friedlander       0 0 0 0 0 = 1 0 1 X = 1 1 1 0 1 1 1  9.0
11 John Taliaferro Beckner 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 = X 1 1 1 = 1 0 1  9.0
12 Joseph Daniels          0 0 0 = 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 X 1 0 1 1 1 1  7.5
13 Samuel Heyman Shapiro   0 1 0 0 0 0 0 = = 0 0 0 X 1 0 1 1 1  6.0
14 William Widmeyer        = 0 0 0 = 0 = 0 0 0 0 1 0 X = 0 1 1  5.0
15 Arthur Ellwood Crew     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 = 0 1 = X 1 0 =  4.5
16 Willis Greely Hine      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 X 1 1  3.0
17 Cooper Ellis            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 X 0  2.5
18 Marvin C Palmer         0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 0 1 X  2.5

It didn't start out that way, as several of the favorites got off to slow start. After four rounds, Jefferson had scored only two points, Charles W. Phillips 1.5, and John Stuart Morrison one. Harry F. Lee, the tournament referee, commented on this in his report of August 20 in the "Chicago Daily Tribune", predicting that the trio would soon show their true form. He was a good judge of horseflesh, as they combined to score 34.5 points in their last 39 games!

Defending champion Elliott missed a chance to deliver a major blow to Jefferson's chances in round 6. Here's the finish:

click for larger view

It had been an up-and-down game, with Elliott (White) missing several chances to clinch the point. Now, though, it finally looked easy, and 77.g6 would do the job with a little more technique. Instead there followed <77.Rc8+ Kg7 78.h6+? Kh7 79.Rc7+ Kh8 80.Rg7 Rd1+ 81.Ke6 Rd6+!> and Black draws by stalemate or Crazy Rook Perpetual Check.

The result must have buoyed Jefferson, who promptly went on a nine-game winning streak to reach the top. Elliott was near the lead the entire tournament, and Morrison had a nine-game streak of his own to draw within a half-point of the lead. The early front-runner had been Hermann H. Hahlbohm, but he faded in the second half of the tournament.

Going into the final day, on which three games were played, Jefferson led 11.5, ahead of Elliott with 11.0 and Morrison (whose winning streak had just been stopped by Phillips) with 10.0. All three won in round 15, but then Morrison kept his hopes alive by defeating Jefferson in round 16. This gave Elliott his chance, but he also lost to Hahlbohm. When all three won in the final round <Bradford B Jefferson> took the title back to Memphis, where he would successfully defend it the next year.

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Lee's reports in the "Chicago Daily Tribune" gave the game results for 12 of the 17 rounds, but did not specify colors. However, examining these and the colors in known games scores, it became apparent that a standard Berger table was used make the pairings, so I have reconstructed the following. I should emphasize that this is not completely based on documentary evidence, but it is in accord with known facts.

Originally, the schedule called for four days with two games alternating with three days of three games, but Lee's reports showed the schedule turned out as given here:

Round 1 (Monday; August 18): Friedlander 0 Crew; Daniels 1 Hine; Palmer 0 Winter; Hahlbohm 1 Michelsen; Ellis 0 Gessner; Morrison 0 Elliott; Shapiro 0 Beckner; Widmeyer 1/2 Jefferson; Phillips 0 Scrivener

Round 2 (Monday, August 18): Crew 0 Scrivener; Jefferson 1/2 Phillips; Beckner 1 Widmeyer; Shapiro 1 Elliott; Gessner 0 Morrison; Michelsen 1 Ellis; Winter 0 Hahlbohm**; Hine 1 Palmer; Friedlander 1 Daniels

Round 3 (Tuesday, August 19): Daniels 1 Crew; Palmer 0 Friedlander; Hahlbohm 1 Hine; Ellis 0 Winter; Morrison 0 Michelsen; Shapiro 0 Gessner; Widmeyer 0 Elliott; Phillips 1 Beckner; Scrivener 1 Jefferson

Round 4 (Tuesday, August 19): Crew 0 Jefferson; Beckner 0 Scrivener; Elliott 1 Phillips; Gessner 1/2 Widmeyer; Michelsen 1 Shapiro; Winter 1 Morrison*; Hine 1 Ellis; Friedlander 0 Hahlbohm; Daniels 1 Palmer

Round 5 (Wednesday, August 20): Palmer 1/2 Crew; Hahlbohm 0 Daniels; Ellis 0 Friedlander; Morrison 1 Hine; Shapiro 1/2 Winter; Widmeyer 0 Michelsen; Phillips 0 Gessner; Scrivener 0 Elliott; Jefferson 1 Beckner

Round 6 (Wednesday, August 20): Crew 1/2 Beckner,; Elliott 1/2 Jefferson*; Gessner 1 Scrivener; Michelsen 1/2 Phillips; Winter 1 Widmeyer; Hine 0 Shapiro; Friedlander 0 Morrison; Daniels 1 Ellis; Palmer 0 Hahlbohm

Round 7 (Wednesday, August 20): Hahlbohm 1 Crew; Ellis 0 Palmer; Morrison 1 Daniels; Shapiro Friedlander; Widmeyer 0 Hine; Phillips 1 Winter; Scrivener 0 Michelsen; Jefferson 1 Gessner*; Beckner 0 Elliott*

Round 8 (Thursday, August 21): Crew 0 Elliott; Gessner 1 Beckner; Michelsen 0 Jefferson*; Winter 1 Scrivener; Hine 0 Phillips; Friedlander 1 Widmeyer; Daniels 1 Shapiro; Palmer 0 Morrison,; Hahlbohm 1/2 Ellis

Round 9 (Thursday, August 21): Ellis 1 Crew; Morrison 1 Hahlbohm; Shapiro 1 Palmer; Widmeyer 1 Daniels; Phillips 1 Friedlander; Scrivener 1 Hine; Jefferson 1 Winter; Beckner 1 Michelsen*; Elliott 1/2 Gessner

Round 10 (Friday, August 22): Crew 0 Gessner; Michelsen 0 Elliott; Winter 1 Beckner*; Hine 0 Jefferson; Friedlander 0 Scrivener; Daniels 1/2 Phillips; Palmer 0 Widmeyer; Hahlbohm 1/2 Shapiro; Ellis 0 Morrison

Round 11 (Friday, August 22): Morrison 1 Crew; Shapiro 1 Ellis; Widmeyer 0 Hahlbohm; Phillips 1 Palmer; Scrivener 1 Daniels; Jefferson 1 Friedlander; Beckner 1 Hine; Elliott 0 Winter; Gessner 0 Michelsen

Round 12 (Friday, August 22): Crew 0 Michelsen; Winter 0 Gessner; Hine 0 Elliott; Friedlander 1/2 Beckner; Daniels 0 Jefferson; Palmer 0 Scrivener; Hahlbohm 0 Phillips; Ellis 0 Widmeyer; Morrison 1 Shapiro

Round 13 (Saturday, August 23): Shapiro 0 Crew; Widmeyer 0 Morrison; Phillips 1 Ellis; Scrivener 1/2 Hahlbohm; Jefferson 1 Palmer; Beckner 1 Daniels; Elliott 1 Friedlander; Gessner 1 Hine; Michelsen 1 Winter

Round 14 (Saturday, August 23): Crew 0 Winter; Hine 0 Michelsen; Friedlander 1 Gessner; Daniels 0 Elliott; Palmer 0 Beckner; Hahlbohm 0 Jefferson; Ellis 0 Scrivener; Morrison 0 Phillips; Shapiro 1 Widmeyer

Round 15 (Sunday August 24): Widmeyer 1/2 Crew; Phillips 1 Shapiro; Scrivener 0 Morrison; Jefferson 1 Ellis; Beckner 1 Hahlbohm*; Elliott 1 Palmer; Gessner 0 Daniels; Michelsen 1/2 Friedlander; Winter 1 Hine

Round 16 (Sunday, August 24): Crew 1 Hine; Friedlander 1 Winter; Daniels 0 Michelsen; Palmer 0 Gessner; Hahlbohm 1 Elliott; Ellis 1 Beckner; Morrison 1 Jefferson*; Shapiro 0 Scrivener; Widmeyer 0 Phillips

Round 17 (Sunday, August 24): Phillips 1 Crew; Scrivener 1/2 Widmeyer; Jefferson 1 Shapiro; Beckner 0 Morrison; Elliott 1 Ellis; Gessner 1/2 Hahlbohm; Michelsen 0 Palmer; Winter 1 Daniels; Hine 0 Friedlander

CLASS PICTURE: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zm-JCbCCf...

Back row, left to right: Friedlander, Ellis, Daniels, Scrivener, Hine, Lee, Michelsen, Halhlbohm, Crew, Palmer, Widmeyer

Seated, left to right: Shapiro, Gessner, Winter, Elliott, Morrison, Jefferson, Philliips, Beckner 1

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Notes

1 Memphia Chess History, August 24, 2013. Originally printed in the Chicago Daily Tribune, August 24, 1913

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Sources:

American Chess Bulletin, October 1913, 226-228. ACB

Chess Advocate (Memphis Chess Club), v.2, no. 1, Sept. 2013: http://www.memphischess.com/Chess_A... CA

Chess Results 1901-1920 / Gino di Felice, p. 196.

Chicago Daily Tribune, Daily reports by Harry F. Lee, August 18-August 31, 1913. CDT

Memphis Chess History, January 13, 2011. "Rosa B. Jefferson's "Chess News" logo used in the Memphis Newspapers": http://memphischessclub.blogspot.co...

Memphis Chess History, August 24, 2013. "Centennial Hallmark--Memphian Captured Western Championshp": http://memphischessclub.blogspot.co... [MCH'

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SEE ALSO: Game Collection: US Open Tournament Index