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May-16-09
 | | ray keene: ¥ <CALLI> RE MORTIMERS INCARCERATION-AND THE IMPRISONMENT OF CHESSPLAYERS IN GENERAL: The story is told that one committee meeting of the British Chess Federation had to be cancelled because the group was inquorate. Mr Soanes turned up, but Mr Ritson-Morry was in jail for embezzlement, while Mr Stammwitz was in jail for bigamy. His feeble protestations at the trial of: 'I forgot about the other wife,' not unnaturally having been brushed aside. I used to hold the belief that teaching chess in prisons was a good idea. A controlled regime of exercise already ensures that the inmates of our jails are kept physically fit during their sojourn. It seemed, therefore, logical that improving the minds of those incarcerated, by the teaching and general encouragement of chess would be a beneficial parallel. Indeed, there are many examples of those imprisoned for political reasons turning to chess as a way of keeping their brains occupied, while they were out of circulation. A notable example was the former Prime Minister of Israel, Menachim Begin, who helped to keep his formidable mental powers in shape whilst jailed by the British regime in Palestine. There are also cases of strong chessplayers in their own right -not just chessplaying politicians and committee members-finding themselves behind bars. For example, the two US International Masters, Norman Whitaker and Raymond Weinstein were jailed respectively for confidence trickery and murder. The Yugoslav Grandmaster Milan Matulovic was sentenced to nine months for careless driving after a fatal car crash, while the two world champions Wilhelm Steinitz and Bobby Fischer both found themselves under arrest for bizarre reasons. Steinitz, was arrested and accused of spying when the moves of some of his correspondence games were intercepted. The authorities suspected that the moves were coded military secrets. Meanwhile, Bobby Fischer was arrested in Pasadena in May 1981 under suspicion of being a bank robber. Other chessplayers, including Alexandre Deschapelles, James Mortimer,as we have seen, Ludek Pachman, Alex Wojtkiewicz and Vladimir Petrov were all jailed for political dissidence or matters of principle. While inside,we are told, Mortimer taught his fellow inmates how to play chess. This is all well and good, but I have re -thought this entire matter of how best to handle the criminal classes. Surely, by insisting on physical exercise, we are helping to breed stronger and fitter criminals to be given free run on our streets. Meanwhile, by encouraging chess, or other mind games for inmates, we are, in fact, assisting recidivists to develop Moriarty-like cunning for their new forays, once released, to be unleashed against the law-abiding citizenry. Surely this is all wrong thinking-the result of discredited wishy washy liberalism and the false belief that the criminal classes can be successfully rehabilitated.The harsh but true answer , actually, is as follows, following what I now christen the <PUFF PASTRY THEORY OF PENAL REFORM> The prison population should a) be deprived of all contact with chess and other mind-enhancing activities, and b) cut off from all forms of physical exercise and fed on an exclusive diet of cholesterol-forming, high calorie cream cakes. This way, we will ensure that instead of dangerously fit and intelligent malefactors being reintroduced into society, all REPEAT OFFENDERS would, in fact, become stunningly stupid, lumberingly obese and absolutely ill-equipped to elude the constabulary by running away successfully from any crime they might commit in the future. I HAVE A SOMEWHAT LONGER AND EARLIER VERSION OF THIS ESSAY TO BE FOUND AT THE END OF MY NOTES TO <KEENE V MARTINOVSKY CHICAGO 1985> ON WWW.CHESSGAMES.COM |
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| Jul-05-09 | | biglo: <Calli> perhaps Mortimer himself was the author of the article and thefore was not so much brave :) |
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| Jul-05-09 | | Calli: <perhaps Mortimer himself was the author of the article> Right, he went to jail in order to prevent himself from going to jail. Have you been watching too many political talk shows? ;-) |
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| Jun-09-10 | | myschkin: . . .
“May not the same reproach be applied to enthusiasts of cricket, football, bridge and other popular games, which lure their infatuated devotees from their legitimate pursuits and render them unfit for work?” "Chess and madness"
http://www.chessbase.com/newsprint....
(by Olimpiu G. Urcan, 2005)
<ref> http://www.time.com/time/columnist/... </ref> |
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Jun-29-10
 | | GrahamClayton: A picture and discussion of the "Mortimer Trap" can be found at: http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/... |
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| Mar-20-12 | | wordfunph: Mortimer's Trap:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Ne7 5.Nxe5??
5...c6 followed by 6...Qa5+! picking up the knight on e5 :) rest in peace, James Mortimer.. |
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| Mar-20-12 | | brankat: A great essay Mr.Keene! |
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Mar-20-12
 | | Troller: Did this guy ever serve in the army? And if so, did he perchance rise to the level of colonel? |
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| Mar-20-12 | | brankat: Everyone in the Army of the South rose to the level of Colonel :-) |
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| Mar-20-12 | | Colonel Mortimer: Ah yes, my great, great, great grandfather. |
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Jun-17-12
 | | FSR: I wrote a post regarding Mortimer and his connection to Paul Morphy at http://chicagochess.blogspot.com/20.... |
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| Jul-01-12 | | Llawdogg: That was a fun article, FSR. |
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Jul-01-12
| | FSR: Thanks, <Llawdogg>. |
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Dec-15-13
 | | Phony Benoni: Mortimer has an interesting lifetime score against Lasker: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches... Speaking of which, here is another game purporting to be between the two, played "recently" accoding to the "Baltimore American" of May 12, 1901: http://www.chessarch.com/excavation... Dr. Lasker - J Mortimer
<1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.b4 Bxb4 6.c3 Be7 7.d4 d6 8.Ng5 0-0 9.f4 h6 10.Nxf7 Rxf7 11.Bxf7+ Kxf7 12.d5 Nb8 13.c4 Kg8 14.Nc3 Nbd7 15.f5 a6 16.g4 Nh7 17.Be3 Ndf8 18.Qe1 Bg5 19.Bf2 Bf4 20.a4 Qe8 21.h4 g5 22.h5 Bd7 23.Kg2 Nf6 24.Kf3 N8h7 25.Rb1 b5 26.a5 Kg7 27.cxb5 Nxg4> 
click for larger viewIf 28.Kxg4, Black mates in two.
<28.Rh1 Nh2+ 29.Kg2 Qxh5 30.Qe2 g4 31.Qd3 Ng5 32.Bg3 Qh3+ 33.Kf2 Ngf3 34.Bxh2 Bxh2> 0-1 THere are some evident typos in the printed score, but I'm pretty sure they are ironed out. Is there another source for this gam? I've learned to be careful about material from this newspaper. |
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| Feb-05-14 | | Karpova: From the death announcement:
On February 27, 1911, the veteran James Mortimer (born April 2, 1833, in Richmond, Virginia) passed away in San Sebastian. He was working as a reporter for the 'Daily Mail' and 'Evening News' there. In 1853, Mortimer came to Paris as an embassy attaché (<Gesandtschaftsattaché>) and was well-known in the Chess Circle of the Café de la Régence already around 1860. He was a brilliant player and often dabbled in International tournaments, where he achieved some brilliant accomplishments, but greater successes were denied to him. A variation of the Evans Gambit is named after him, and there is also the defense 4.d3 Ne7 in the Ruy Lopez. He authored the books 'The Mortimer Fraser Gambit', 'The Chess Pocket Book' and the the 6th edition of 'Manual of the Openings' (London, 1890). Source: Page 138 of the May-June 1911 'Wiener Schachzeitung' |
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Apr-22-14
 | | offramp: He was in prison for reporting hoax Ufo sightings. |
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Apr-22-14
| | GrahamClayton: Obituary from the New York Times, dated February 25, 1911: "JAMES MORTIMER DEAD
Once in American Legation at Paris He Befriended Emperor Napoleon III LONDON, Feb 24:- James Mortimer, once attached to the American Legation in Paris, died yesterday at San Sebastian, where he was attending a chess tournament. In the course of his sojourn in Paris Mr Mortimer became an intimate of Napoleon III, and was the last person to speak to him before the fatal operation at Chiselhurst in 1873, where Mr Mortimer had procured shelter for the exiled imperial family at the house of his friend Strode. Mr Mortimer, who left America at the age of 23 years, has been living mostly in London, where he once edited a newspaper called The London Figaro." |
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Apr-03-15
 | | WannaBe: It will be cheering to know that many people are skillful chessplayers, though in many instances their brains, in a general way, compare unfavorably with the cognitive faculties of a rabbit. - Mortimer http://www.chessquotes.com/topic-hu...
Should I be offended or not!? |
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| Feb-04-16 | | zanzibar: Comments on Mortimer's performance in <2nd BCA Congress - London (1886)> <"Mortimer's play was very characteristic and many of the masters—notably Taubenhaus and Mason—have cause to remember it, and his four wins were carried off against good men and had considerable results in the final arrangement of prize-winners. -- BCM v7 p356 > |
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| Apr-22-16 | | TheFocus: Happy birthday, James Mortimer. |
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| Mar-10-19 | | Jean Defuse: ...
<Mortimer Time> James Mortimer C.N. 11249
Further information about Mortimer C.N. 11250
A three-mover by Mortimer C.N. 11251
. A knockout handicap tournament, lasting several months, played in Paris 1865. The three finalists were Rosenthal, Mortimer and Duclos, and they were to play off for the first prize. Initially, Duclos beat Rosenthal, Mortimer beat Duclos and Rosenthal beat Mortimer, so it was still tied. Le Palamède Français of Apr. 1865 suggests that there were more games between Mortimer and the others with the same result, but how many and with what score is not clear. [Event "Grand Tournoi de la Régence play off"]
[Site "Paris"]
[Date "1865.03.??"]
[White "Mortimer, James"]
[Black "Rosenthal, Samuel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C51"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. O-O d6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. d5
Nce7 10. e5 Ng6 11. e6 fxe6 12. dxe6 Qf6 13. Qe2 Ne5 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. Qf3 Nf6
16. Nc3 Ba5 17. Bb2 c6 18. Bb3 d5 19. Rae1 Qh5 20. Qf4 O-O 21. e7 Re8 22. Ne4
Nxe4 23. Rxe4 Bd7 24. Re5 Qf7 25. Qh4 Qf6 26. Qa4 Bc7 27. Rxd5 cxd5 28. Qxd7
Qxe7 29. Qxd5+ Kh8 30. Qh5 Be5 31. Re1 Qb4 32. Re3 Re7 33. Bxe5 Rc8 34. h3 Qc5
35. Bxg7+ Rxg7 36. Re8+ Qf8 37. Rxf8+ Rxf8 38. Qc5 Ra8 39. f4 b6 40. Qd5 Rf8
41. f5 h6 42. Qe5 Kh7 43. f6 1-0
Source: Le Palamède Français 1865 p. 453-455.
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Oct-11-20
 | | MissScarlett: <Is there another source for this gam? I've learned to be careful about material from this newspaper.> Turns out to be a kosher game, but the Dr. Lasker is Berthold Lasker and the 'recently' is 1894. Game submitted. |
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| Mar-04-24 | | stone free or die: It's a bit longish - but here's his obit, largely from Leopold Hoffer, from <ACB v8 N5 (May 1911) p100>: <Demise of James Mortimer.With the tournament at San Sebastian just a week under way, a gloom was cast upon the congress by the demise of the veteran James Mortimer of London, playwright, journalist and chess master. Though by long residence a European, Mr. Mortimer was a native American and gloried in the fact. He first saw the light of day at Richmond, Va., on April 22, 1832. Mr. Mortimer had been asked to act again as the American umpire at London in the next cable match scheduled for April 21 and 22. In a recent letter to the BULLETIN, Mr. Mortimer wrote: <"The second day of the match, April 22, will be my seventy-ninth birthday, and I hope the boys will make me a present of an American victory on the day I enter upon my eightieth year."> Mr. Leopold Hoffer, who, like Mr. Mortimer, was present at San Sebastian in the capacity of correspondent, contributed the following intimate and very readable character sketch of the deceased veteran: ... > (continued in next post) |
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| Mar-04-24 | | stone free or die: <[Mr. Leopold Hoffer writes...]
<Somewhere about forty-six years ago, when, as a newcomer to the Café de la Régence, I studied the character of Frenchmen over the chessboard, a conspicuous young gentleman of striking personality attracted my attention. He was attired in a blue frock coat, and his broad, plaited shirt front was adorned with studs of lapis lazuli. Of dark complexion, except for closely cropped dark moustaches, he displayed great vivacity in movement, and played chess with the only person I knew then in Paris, the famous master, Kolisch. I was highly amused with the banter in which both players indulged, but suddenly a cloud burst over the scene, and the pieces were swept off the board by the gentleman in the blue frock coat. A peal of laughter arose from the spectators, and soon the irascible gentleman was soothed; indeed, he himself joined in the merriment when the pieces had been gathered up by the waiters. No doubt such a scene had been enacted on many previous occasions. Kolisch introduced me to his opponent, with whom a game was quickly arranged, he condescending after some time to play on even terms. This was my first acquaintance with Mr. James Mortimer. During the next five years we became close friends, or, more correctly speaking, I was his protégé. At that time he was one of the leading spirits at the Café de la Régence. He played a match with Rosenthal, and in 1867 with Neumann, who arrived with a reputation from Germany as a competitor in the 1867 tournament. Although not of first-class strength, he made a reputation as a friend of his countryman, Paul Morphy. He even published at the time a variation of the Evans Gambit known as the Mortimer variation. Though unsound, it was brilliant in the extreme-characteristic of its inventor.Shortly before les événments, in 1870, Mr. Mortimer disappeared, but I met him again in London, some time after my arrival, at Simpson's divan. He was then the editor and proprietor of the London Figaro, which he established with the aid of the late Emperor, Napoleon III., ostensibly to influence English opinion. Mr. Mortimer showed me, in later years, among other curiosities, a gold watch presented to him by the Empress and the checque with which he repaid, when prosperous, the fairly large sum advanced to him by the Emperor. After losing the Figaro, he became a free lance as playwright and journalist, and returned to his first love-chess. He competed in England and in tournaments on the Continent. He had occasional successes, but he had not the right temperament for a sustained effort. For this reason he was feared by the favorites more than their best rivals. In 1883 he beat Dr. Zukertort, the winner of the first prize. At Bradford in the B. C. A. tournament he beat Bardeleben, who had not lost a game then. The preceding evening, sitting together at the hotel, he was asked, "Who is your opponent to-morrow?" "Bardeleben," he replied, "and I'll lick his head off"; and he did! This indomitable courage seems hereditary in the family. > (continued in next post) |
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| Mar-04-24 | | stone free or die: <[Mr. Leopold Hoffer writes...] Of late years Mortimer was a constant competitor in the City of London tournament, and played regularly also for the Metropolitan Chess in their league matches. After the match between the City of London and Manchester the late Mr. Mortimer was among the guests at the dinner given to the visitors. He was the life and soul of the company; spoke, recited, and even sang his favorite, "The Irish Gentleman"-the Schwanengesang as it turned out! I traveled together with Mortimer to San Sebastian. He was the chess editor of the Daily Mail and of the Evening News. Arriving at Paris at a late hour, we drove to the Hotel de Lille et d'Albion, and went to the Café de la Régence. Mortimer was in high spirits, telling the waiter, "Emmenez moi le plus fort joueur de Paris-un maitre." The master was forthcoming, brought by the waiter as a matter of course, as if a consommation had been demanded of him. Mr. Mortimer beat his opponent. On the following evening he played some games with M. Jolliet, of the Theatre Francais, an old friend of ours, but on returning to the hotel went to bed feeling very tired. In the morning he came down complaining of having had a bad night and not feeling well. He insisted, however, on starting for San Sebastian, and we left the hotel at 10.30 a. m., as he thought of having a rest and sleep in the train of the comfortable Sud Express, a run of eleven hours to Irun. He was very ill on the train, and only had intermittent snatches of sleep. Mr. Marshall was on the train with us. At a late hour we arrived at San Sebastian. Mr. Mortimer immediately went to bed, and never left it till he was carried to his last resting place, having passed away early on the afternoon of Friday. February 27. In the course of his sojourn in Paris Mr. Mortimer became an intimate of Napoleon III.. and was the last person who spoke to him before the fatal operation at Chiselhurst in 1873, where Mr. Mortimer had procured shelter for the exiled imperial family at the house of his friend Strode. In addition to publishing a number of books on the game, the Anglo-American expert introduced what came to be known as the Mortimer variation in the defense to the Ruy Lopez. Mr. Mortimer is survived by two sisters, Mrs. G. W. Thompson of 54 Greene Avenue, Brooklyn, and Mrs. D. J. Craigie, wife of General Craigie of Washington; and two brothers, Lee F. Mortimer of Washington and Charles G. Mortimer of Brooklyn.> https://books.google.com/books?id=P... |
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